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The signing ceremony and press conference began when Mr. Rogge and Mr. Hayek Sr. rang one of the Olympic bells used to signal the beginning of a final lap in the longer sporting competitions.
Evolution
In his opening comments, Jacques Rogge welcomed the guests and members of the press and announced immediately that the partnership had been extended. He talked about the evolution of Olympic timekeeping prior to Omega’s assuming the role, pointing out that until 1928 timekeepers had used their personal watches and the final results were often delayed by bargaining and indecision.
"So the IOC wanted to find a good company and of course they found Omega. Since then, we have had an excellent relationship," Rogge said. He added: "One of the most important things about exact timekeeping is that it provides the universal value of sport. One hundred metres in 9.58 seconds means the same thing to everyone, everywhere in the world".
Referring to Michael Phelps’s hundredth of a second margin of victory in the 100-metre butterfly in Beijing, Rogge said: "Good timekeeping is also a level of fairness to the athletes because competitions can be decided by very narrow margins. The IOC has a zero tolerance for doping and we likewise share a zero fault philosophy for timekeeping with OMEGA".
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Jacques Rogge drew laughter when he said: "Omega has given us a valuable tool – they always install a Countdown Clock in every Olympic city. I am relieved to know that the organizer from Sochi (who was in attendance at the press conference) wakes up every morning and sees that the time is almost here".
Objective
Nicolas G. Hayek pointed out that he had been a witness to the last thirty years of the Olympic Games. "We don’t have a commercial commitment," he said, "we have an emotional one. We are ready to do everything to help this movement".
Nick Hayek Jr. echoed his father’s sentiments, saying: "The Olympic Games are fixed points where everyone is working toward one objective. The ones who organise it and the ones who participate in it are all dedicated to the best possible outcomes".
After the presentation, the new contract was signed, ensuring that Omega will continue its Official Olympic Timekeeping role through to the 2020 Games.
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