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Salutation by the European Olympic Academies
Dear President Avramidis, dear participants of the International Expert Symposium on Life Saving as Olympic Sport, Life Saving has developed into a sports competition of special quality in many countries of the world over the past decades. Most recently, this sport demonstrated its fascination and educational and humanitarian potential at the World Games in the USA. And it is with some pride that we in Germany have registered the successful performance of our athletes. You have gathered in Athens with far-reaching ambitions, and you are pursuing a goal that requires convincing arguments and perseverance.
It is of great significance and symbolism that the initiative for this effort comes from the Life Saving Sports Association in the country where the Olympic Games of both ancient and modern times began. Including Life Saving in the Olympic sports programme would add a competition of a profound human and social dimension that no other sport can claim.
On behalf of the European Olympic Academies, I wish you fruitful deliberations and results that will bring you closer to your great goal and arouse the interest of the international public, also beyond sport. Much Success! - Kali Epitichia!
Prof. Dr. Manfred Laemmer
President, European Olympic Academies
