Tournament of Champions

For the last sixty days, the eyes of the world have been on Sydney, as the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games have unfolded in all their splendour. Now attention moves to Lausanne, the headquarters of the IOC, where the Olympic Museum plays host for the third time to the Generali IOC Grand Prix.

More than twenty world champions, have assembled by the shores of Lake Geneva to contest the Men's and Women's series.

José Damiani and Juan Antonio Samaranch

At the official opening, the Master of Ceremonies, Panos Gerontopoulos, intoduced the principal speakers. Welcoming the World's outstanding teams to Lausanne, the President of the World Bridge Federation, José Damiani acknowledged the magnificent support of the Generali Group and the IOC and thanked the players for giving their time to this prestigious event, while the President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, wished the organisers and competitors every success in this important event. Many other key figures were present including IOC Vice-President
Marc Hodler and Gilbert Felli, the sports director of the IOC.