Gay Games® VIII Set to Open in Germany This Saturday 31 July

2200 Americans are among 9500 participating athletes from 65 Countries



Cologne, Germany – The 8th international Gay Games® will get underway in Cologne, Germany, this Saturday with a lavish Opening Ceremony at RheinEnergie Stadium, the 40,000-seat home stadium of the city’s football club. The 2010 Gay Games will be the continent’s largest sports & cultural festival since the Gay Games were last in Amsterdam in 1998. Many of the 9500 athletes and artists, including 2200 Americans, are already enroute to Germany’s “gay capital” on the Rhine River. They will participate in 34 different sports and 5 cultural events from 31 July to 7 August when the Gay Games close. Full details are available at http://www.games-cologne.com/



Opening Ceremony

The Gay Games Opening Ceremony will feature the traditional parade of athletes and will be officially opened by openly gay German Vice Chancellor Dr. Guido Westerwelle. Performers include international pop sensation and Swedish “Idol” winner Agnes and American diva Taylor Dayne performing the brand new Gay Games anthem, “Facing a Miracle.” Information about television broadcasts and live web-streaming will be announced at www.games-cologne.com in coming days.



History

Cologne marks the 8th quadrennial Gay Games. First held in 1982 in San Francisco, the Gay Games have become one of the world’s largest sporting events, routinely drawing more athletes than the Olympics. Previous host cities have included San Francisco (1982, 1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), and Chicago (2006). In four years, Gay Games IX will take place in Cleveland/Akron in 2014.



While the 9500 participating athletes are fewer than participated in Chicago in 2006 (11,700), the Cologne organizers are ecstatic at the numbers. “We planned for as few as 8,000 participants given the worldwide economic downturn,” said Annette Wachter, CEO of Games Cologne. “We’ve exceeded our projections and can’t wait to welcome everyone to Cologne.” The 9,500 participants do not include another almost 2,000 locals who will be participating in the half-marathon. Each Gay Games injects $50 to $80 million into the local economy with 10 years of residual tourism impact.



The Gay Games were founded by American Olympic decathlete Dr. Tom Waddell and are based upon the principles of Inclusion, Participation and Personal Best™. The Gay Games are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or ability. Many of the competitions are run similarly to international Master’s competitions with divisions established for age and gender. Team sports have divisions based upon ability allowing competitive as well as recreational athletes to participate. Cultural events are also open to all including band, chorus and cheer teams.



Statistics from the 2010 Gay Games

Countries with more than 30 participants: Germany (2955), United States (2219), United Kingdom (841), Netherlands (658), France (524), Australia (363) Switzerland (248), Canada (196), Belgium (161), Denmark (147), Italy (140), Spain (105), Austria (95), Ireland (89), Norway (62), Hungary (52), New Zealand (52), Czech Republic (52), Sweden (49), Russian Federation (49), Finland (45), South Africa (39), and Croatia (30).



Other countries with at least one participant include: Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay.



Worldwide, the 10 cities with the largest number of participants include (in order) Cologne, London, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Munich, Hamburg, New York and Chicago.



Soccer is the most popular sport 1055 participating athletes. Other top sports include Swimming (896), Volleyball (847), Tennis (617), Marathon/Half (600 + 2000 locals), Road Races/5K & 10K (545), Dancesport (512), Track & Field (455), Badminton (414) and Basketball.



Other sporting & cultural events being offered include: Band Festival, Beach Volleyball, Bodybuilding (Physique), Bowling, Bridge, Cheerleading, Chess, Choir Festival, Cycling, Diving, Field Hockey, Figure Skating, Golf, Handball, Ice Hockey, Inline Speed Skating, Martial Arts, Pool-Billiard, Powerlifting, Sailing, Softball, Sport Climbing, Sport Shooting, Squash, Synchronised Swimming, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Triathlon Team, Visual Arts, Water Polo, and Wrestling.