Samsung's 2002 Olympic Program to Keep Athletes, Fans Connected With Friends, Family.

Business, Sports & Olympic Writers

SEOUL, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 14, 2001

Olympic Gold Medalists Bonnie Blair and Eric Bergoust Spreading

the Word about the Importance of Sports Mentoring and Helping Judge

Samsung's "Spirit of Sport" Contest

As the official Worldwide Wireless Telecommunications Equipment Partner of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Samsung will provide equipment and services that will help Olympic officials carry out a successful Games while enriching the Olympic experience for both athletes and spectators in attendance.

To help build excitement leading up to the Games, the company recently launched the Samsung "Spirit of Sport" Contest. This essay contest is centered on the value of sports mentors, and how involvement in sports can positively influence the life of a young person. Running through November 26, the contest asks entrants to identify a person who motivated them to participate in sports - and describe how that encouragement changed their lives both on and off the playing field in an essay of 100 words or less. Essays can be submitted at: http://www.samsungelectronics.com/sports.

Entries will be judged by a panel that includes former Olympic Gold Medal winners Bonnie Blair (speed skating) and Eric Bergoust (freestyle skiing), two athletes that have reached great heights with the help of their mentors. Five winners will be chosen from across the U.S., and each of the winners - along with their sports mentor - will receive a trip to the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

During the Games, Samsung will provide more than 20,000 units of wireless telecommunications equipment together with technical support in key areas to the 2002 Salt Lake Organizing Committee, keeping officials, media, staff and volunteers in close voice contact. Samsung's expertise in digital wireless telecommunication equipment will play a vital role in contributing to the successful operation of the Games.

In addition to its hardware contribution and technical support, Samsung has developed several programs to enhance the Olympic Movement and the Games experience for Olympic athletes and hopefuls, and fans: the Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung (OR@S), Samsung Athlete Family Homestay program and the Samsung "Share The Moment Call" program. The company also supports the USOC's Community Olympic Development Program (CODP).

After a successful launch in 2000 at the Sydney Olympic Games, the "Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung" (OR@S) is returning for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and will be Samsung's central presence in Salt Lake City. Located in Salt Lake Olympic Square, the 2002 edition of the OR@S will again host Olympic families and spectators and feature daily entertainment shows, athlete appearances and futuristic product displays.

The Samsung Athlete Family Homestay Program (SAFHP) is another way that Samsung is contributing to the Games. The program is an opportunity for the families of Olympic athletes to come to Salt Lake City and cheer on their sons, daughters, brothers and sisters in person. Hundreds of Salt Lake-area families will provide free accommodation and breakfast for their guests for up to eight days during the 2002 Games. The SAFHP offers Utahns a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make new friends, participate in an enriching cultural exchange and possibly meet an Olympic or Paralympic athlete.

Since the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, Samsung has conducted a unique program called "Share The Moment Call." Samsung provides access to its latest digital mobile phones to athletes and spectators to make free three-minute phone calls anywhere in the world and share their Olympic experiences with friends and family.

Samsung is also the first corporate sponsor of the Community Olympic Development Program (CODP), an initiative established to bridge introductory sports programs and elite national team programs. The CODP is currently operating in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and Minneapolis, and provides gifted junior high and high school athletes with a clear pathway of development in Olympic sports. The program offers sports that are not widely available to teens such as fencing, luge and cross country skiing and helps local communities tap into the Olympic movement by encouraging coaches, volunteers and children to get involved with Olympic sports. Samsung makes a financial donation to support the CODP program in the U.S.A.

About Samsung Electronics 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductors, the consumer electronics industry, and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employs approximately 66,000 people in 46 countries. The company is the world's largest producer of memory chips, TFT-LCDs, CDMA mobile phones and monitors and the sixth-largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Samsung Electronics consists of four main business units: Digital Media, Semiconductor, Information & Communications, and Home Appliance Businesses. For more information, please visit the web site, http://samsungelectronics.com.