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Omega Remains As Official Olympic Timekeeper

Omega

Looks like Omega will extend its Olympic winning streak to at least 88 years. The Swiss-based Swatch Group, which owns the Omega brand, says it has signed an agreement with the International Olympics Committee to keep Omega as the official timekeeper through 2020.

In 1932, Omega says it became the first company to be trusted with timekeeping, and relied on 30 chronograph watches. At last year's games in Beijing, Omega says the contribution was slightly more elaborate: It provided 420 metric tons of equipment, 450 timekeeping and data-handling professionals and more than a thousand specially trained local volunteers.

"Historically, it has been fantastic for all of us in the Swatch Group to work with the outstanding and efficient IOC team at venues all over the world. We are looking forward to joining them in Vancouver and London and all the cities that follow," says Nicolas Hayek, CEO of the Swatch Group, in a release. "The whole world -- young and old, rich and poor -- is fascinated by the many magic moments only the Olympic Games can deliver."

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So far, the IOC says the worldwide partners confirmed for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald's, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa. Key sponsors for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi include Coca-Cola and VW. The IOC also says that Atos Origin, Panasonic and Samsung have extended their partnerships until 2016. Only Coca-Cola -- which announced its extension in 2005 -- and now Omega, have extended their partnerships until 2020.

The host city of the 2016 Olympic Games is scheduled to be announced at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen next month. In the running are Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

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