STORY: World Aquatics looking forward to an entertaining LA28
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 6, 2024
DATELINE: Nov. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:33
LOCATION: LAUSANNE, Switzerland
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of World Aquatics office in Lausanne
2. various of Brent Nowicki
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BRENT NOWICKI, CEO of World Aquatics
4. various of World Aquatics office in Lausanne
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): BRENT NOWICKI, CEO of World Aquatics

STORYLINE:

Less than 90 days after the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, World Aquatics, the global swimming governing body, is already looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, anticipating an exciting and entertaining Olympic cycle.

Brent Nowicki, CEO of World Aquatics, sat down with Xinhua on Wednesday to share his expectations for LA28.

The Paris 2024 Olympics provided a unique experience for both fans and athletes, especially after the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games. For Nowicki, highlights from Paris included the sold-out venues, open water swimming in the River Seine, and the enthusiastic audiences. These memories have set high expectations for LA28.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BRENT NOWICKI, CEO of World Aquatics
"As we reflect on Paris, we look forward to LA. There is one thing that's certain in my mind. It's that we are now -- and I say 'we,' I mean not only World Aquatics, but I think international sport as a whole -- we are all at a point where... we are at a crossroads. We are at the intersection of a crossroads where on one direction, it's sport, the purity of sport; on the other direction is entertainment. And I think LA is going to drive us into that crossroads, and we're going to see more of what we do going into the entertainment side and less of what we do on the sporting side."

"I believe LA will bring a Hollywood touch, that American approach we see in professional sports, and that's a good thing," he added.

The success of the first three stops of the 2024 World Cup Tour in Shanghai, Incheon, and Singapore, where tickets sold out and fans were highly enthusiastic, also boosted Nowicki's confidence in the entertainment potential of the sport.

"We experimented with new ideas during the World Cups, introducing interesting elements that highlighted the athletes. We'll be rolling out new TV graphics next year, using the latest AI technology to make the viewing experience more immersive," he said.

Nowicki was also impressed by the performance of the Chinese swimming team in Paris.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): BRENT NOWICKI, CEO of World Aquatics
"Now, if we look at the results of the Chinese, I mean I think that they did remarkably. I mean you had the first-ever (gold) medals in artistic swimming. You saw the swimming medal count double -- 12 medals coming out of Paris, compared to six in Tokyo and six in Rio. Great success. I think you see the emergence of water polo teams. You see the emergence (of), I mean, 8 gold medals in diving. Remarkable.
In a way, it's tough, because the competition at the top is thick. But that's also a good thing, because it creates a situation of rivalries. And healthy rivalries in sport are great. They're great. So to have a lead into Olympic Games or world championships, where you've got good, healthy rivalries between countries and regions, it's kind of a nice thing. It allows you to identify not only swimmers but regions.
The more these athletes swim against each other, the more they dive against each other, the more they compete against each other, the greater that organic rivalry builds."

While traditional powerhouses like the United States, Australia, and China won fewer medals, countries like France, Canada, and Hungary achieved some of their best Olympic results in Paris. "We saw five gold medals across five different continents. Every continent had a gold medal, and that's something to be proud of," Nowicki said. "We want to continue expanding our regional approach, providing training centers worldwide to ensure athletes have access to high-level coaching."

World Aquatics will open an interim office in Budapest, Hungary, on November 11, with a new headquarters expected to be fully operational there by 2027. "It's exciting," Nowicki said of the move. "Our athletes will have a place to train, and our staff will be able to interact closely with them. This will create a nice bridge between our organization and the athletes."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lausanne, Switzerland.
(XHTV)