体坛英语新闻：IOC president Rogge confirms agreement with Omega till 2020

VANCOUVER, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- With only three days remaining before the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogges said here on Tuesday that an agreement with Omega will extend to 2020.

At a press conference in front of the Countdown Clock in downtown, Rogge recalled the days before 1932 when judges and timekeepers had brought their own stopwatches.

"We needed someone who could give us harmonization of timekeeping, and we turned to Omega. We have trusted them ever since."

Rogge added that the Countdown Clock in every Olympic city plays an essential role.

"It is a reminder of exactly when everything must be ready, we will never change the time of the opening ceremony of an Olympic Games," said the IOC president.

Stephen Urquhart, the president of Omega, started a serie of Olympic activities together with Rogge, Vancouver Olympic Games Organising Committee president John Furlong and swimming legend Alexander Popov.

Urquhart said: "When we extended our agreement through 2020, we and the IOC expressed how highly we value this association. The Olympic Games is the most prestigious sporting event in the world and we are very proud to be a part of it."

Furlong said that he was excited to see the clock counting down the final hours.

"It is a certainty that at some point in the days ahead, precise timing will determine the difference between a gold and a silver medal and we know that we can count on OMEGA to deliver the correct result immediately," Furlong said.

Omega is responsible for timekeeping, data handling and the display of results for each event at every venue during the Vancouver Games.