Baku, 25th June 2014 – Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson was in Baku this week to meet aspiring young Azerbaijani athletes and take part in the Olympic Day celebrations on Baku Boulevard on Monday 23rd June, the AzerTag news agency reports.
Johnson, an ambassador for BP in Azerbaijan which is one of Baku 2015’s Official Partners visited the Baku 2015 European Games Operation Committee (BEGOC) headquarters where he met the staff.
He also visited the newly-built Baku 2015 Athletes Village, which will host over 9,000 athletes and officials during next summer’s inaugural European Games, before going to see of the National Stadium, currently under construction.
Simon Clegg, Baku 2015 Chief Operating Officer, said: “It was a privilege and an honour to welcome one of the world’s greatest Olympians to our Baku 2015 headquarters, and show him how our preparations for the first-ever European Games are progressing.
“Michael’s knowledge of the Games world is unrivalled, so it was an excellent opportunity for him to share his expertise with our staff here at BEGOC, and pass on his advice to future aspiring Azerbaijani athletes at the Olympic Day celebrations.”
Whilst Johnson said: “It has been a pleasure to be in Baku this week and witness the growing enthusiasm for sport in Azerbaijan.
“I understand how much of an inspiration a home Games can be, and the first European Games is a fantastic opportunity for the athletes of this country to make history and achieve success.”
Johnson is considered one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field athletics, and currently holds the Olympic and World 400m records. He also held the Olympic and World 200m records for 12 years from 1996 to 2008.
Olympic Day is celebrated around the world on 23rd June, the date the modern Olympic Games were born in 1894. Hundreds of thousands of people both young and old traditionally participate in sports activities such as runs, exhibitions, music and educational seminars linked to sport. The event helps spread the Olympic ideals to every corner of the world.