The OC is chaired by the Sports Minister of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg as well as the President of the German Swimming Association (DSV). The OC consists of officials of the City of Hamburg, of the German Swimming Association DSV as well as of Upsolut Sports AG that forms part of the Lagardère Sports Group together with the GSMS Sportmarketing GmbH agency. Along with the DSV, the Hamburg Ministry of Culture, Sport and Media, Hamburg Marketing GmbH, Upsolut Sports AG and GSMS Sportmarketing GmbH form the operative organisation of the OC.
DSV (German Swimming Association)
The German Swimming Association (Deutscher Schwimm-Verband e.V.) represents the five Olympic sport categories of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and open water swimming. It also represents a tremendous mass leisure sports movement. There are 37.8 million swimmers in Germany.
GSMS (Greve Sport Marketing Service GmbH)
GSMS has been DSV’s partner marketing agency for 12 years. GSMS holds DSV’s sponsorship and TV contracts and functions as the promoter of all German championships and international swimming competitions staged in Germany. Along with two annual German championships, GSMS is also responsible for the FINA World Cup events held annually in Berlin and was in 2002 the organiser of the European Short Course and Long Course Championships held in Riesa and Berlin. In addition, GSMS is also active in other areas of water-sports (rowing, sailing). Special note should certainly be made of its involvement in ‘sailing’s Formula 1’, the Americas Cup.
Upsolut Sports AG
For fourteen years now Upsolut has been among the leading companies worldwide specialising in the organisation and running of mass events. Upsolut organises the international sport events Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series in Hamburg, London and Washington DC, the Pro Tour cycling race Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg and the cycling race SKODA Velothon in Berlin. In 2007 Upsolut was responsible for the organisation of the ITU Triathlon World Championships with over 10,000 athletes; in 2006 for the organisation of the international swimming event Hamburg Aquatics at the Hamburg Rothenbaum tennis stadium. Thus, Upsolut can take advantage of its unique experience in organising large international events. Since 2008, Upsolut Sports AG belongs to the Lagardère Sports Group.
