GOLDEN LINE-UP OF LOCAL HEROES AND GLOBAL STARS TO FRONT DISCOVERY’S OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 COVERAGE

Discovery, the Home of the Olympics in Europe*, has unveiled an unparalleled line-up of 145 sports stars and presenters who will spearhead the broadcaster’s mission to unlock the power of sport at the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Discovery’s extensive team of experts reads like a who’s who of sporting royalty, with a combined medal tally of 94 Olympic and Paralympic medals from a wide range of disciplines.

With a roster including, multiple Olympic cycling gold medalist, Sir Bradley Wiggins (UK), 2004 Olympic gold medalist Carolina Klüft (Sweden) and Rio 2016 gold medalist in gymnastics Fabian Hambüchen (Germany), Discovery will be the go-to destination for sports fans looking for the best insight from the best names in sport.

The impressive list of world-class experts also includes:

• Double Olympic swimming gold medalist, Alain Bernard (France)

• Olympic rowing gold medalist and four-time world champion, Rossano Galtarossa (Italy) 

• 2008 Olympic rowing gold medalist and four-time world champion, Adam Korol (Poland)

• 1996 Olympic swimming silver medalist, Jani Sievinen (Finland)

• Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (Spain)

Spanning eleven European markets, ‘Team Discovery’ will bring their vast experience, accrued at 192 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to Discovery’s coverage on multiple platforms; including discovery+**, Eurosport and the Eurosport App - the only place where viewers can access every unmissable moment of the action from Tokyo.

The team will operate both on the ground in Tokyo and from local ‘in-country’ hubs to deliver unrivalled expertise, insight and know-how using ground-breaking technology alongside behind-the scenes-interviews for millions of sports fans across the continent.

Scott Young, Senior VP of Production, Content, Eurosport, said: “Our star-studded line up of world-renowned sport stars and experts for Tokyo 2020 is the most experienced and distinguished team we’ve ever had at any sporting event.

“After an unprecedented 18 months, there’s a tremendous level of excitement, not only among sports fans, but across the world, as one of the most eagerly anticipated Olympic Games in history approaches. Discovery’s team of Olympic medalists and multi-sport experts will help to make it an unforgettable experience for viewers across all Discovery platforms as they unearth the greatest Olympic stories. Alongside our on-screen talent is a small army of passionate, experienced commentators who will bring every moment of every event to life, in their local language.

“Team Discovery will provide top-class insight, analysis and entertainment, working alongside next generation immersive technology to put viewers at the heart of the action for every unmissable moment to deliver the ultimate Olympic experience for viewers across Europe.”

Additional names are expected to be added to ‘Team Discovery’s’ line-up of experts in the lead-up to the Opening Ceremony on 23 July.

AT-A-GLANCE COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY GUIDE TO ‘TEAM DISCOVERY’

DENMARK: 

● Seven key experts and talent including Jesper Nøddesbo (handball), Brian Holm (cycling), Søren Hansen (golf), Sarah Bro (swimming), Michael Mortensen (tennis), Rikke Hørlykke (handball) & Peter Falktoft (journalist)

● Experts have attended five Olympic Games, winning two medals (two Gold) combined

FINLAND:

● Six key experts and talent including Jani Sievinen (swimming), Jarkko Nieminen (tennis), Hanna-Maria Hintsa (swimming), Henrik Dettmann (basketball), Teemu Ranniko (basketball) & Tiina Sten (basketball)

● Experts have attended 12 Olympic Games, winning one medal (silver) combined

FRANCE:

● 35 key experts and talent including Alain Bernard (swimming), Émilie Le Pennec (artistic gymnastics), Arnaud Tournant (cycling), Jacky Durand (cycling), Laurent Chambertin (volleyball), Arnauld di Pasquale (tennis), Céline Geraud (judo), Amelie Goudjo (handball), Nodjialem Myaro (handball), Sarah Ourahmoune (boxing), Dominique Basset (rowing), Jamal Belmir (karate), Kamel Boudra (equestrian), Stephane Caristan (athletics), Theo Curin (marathon swimming), Pierre Fulla (weightlifting & wrestling), Gauthier Klauss (canoeing), Christopher Hardy (climbing), Frederique Jossinet (judo), Franck Lacaze (surfing), Cecile Locatelli (football), Marie Sempere (rugby), Audrey Cordon-Ragot (cycling) & Frederic Weis (basketball)

● Experts have attended 21 Olympic and Paralympic Games, winning 14 medals (four Gold, six Silver, four Bronze) combined

GERMANY:

● 20 key experts and talent including Fanny Rinne (hockey), Fabian Hambüchen (gymnastics), Jens Voight (cycling), Rolf Aldag (cycling), Rico Freimuth (athletics), Pascal Hens (handball), Marc Huster (weightlifting), Gerhard Leinauer (presenter), Thomas Lurz (swimming), Wolfgang Nadvornik (presenter), Barbara Rittner (tennis), Thomas Rupprath (swimming), Mirko Slomka (football), Matthias Stach (presenter), Mischa Zverev (tennis), Steffen Fetzner (table tennis), Ole Bischof (judo), Sascha Klein (diving), Jan Jagla (basketball) & Britta Heidemann (fencing) 

● Experts have attended 39 Olympic Games, winning 18 medals (four Gold, 11 Silver, three Bronze) combined 

ITALY: 

● 19 key experts and talent including Rossano Galtarossa (rowing), Hugo Sconochini (basketball), Paolo Cozzi (volleyball), Alberto Busnari (artistic gymnastics), Paolo Cané (tennis), Cristina Chiuso (swimming), Guilia Cicchine (reporter), Ilaria Colombo (gymnastics), Zoran Filicic (reporter), Andrea Giannini (athletics), Margherita Granbassi (fencing), Sara Pizzo Kasihara (presenter), Riccardo Magrini (cycling), Valentina Marchei (presenter), Andrea Meneghin (basketball), Rachele Sangiuliano (volleyball), Pino Maddaloni (judo), Roberta Vinci (tennis) & Francesco Panetta (athletics)

● Experts have attended 27 Olympic Games winning nine medals (three Gold, two Silver, five Bronze)

NETHERLANDS:

● Three key talent announced so far including Tessa Velduis (presenter), Sander Kleikers (presenter) and Koen Weijland (presenter) 

NORWAY: 

● 15 key experts and talent including Ida Alstad (handball), Kurt Asle Arvesen (cycling), Ingvil Måkestad Bowim (athletics), Myhre Asbjørn (commentator), Henrik Bjørnstad (golf), Ole Gustav Gjekstad (handball), Thomas Hansvoll (boxing), Knut Holman (boxing), Pål Gordon Nilsen (presenter), Kjersti Tysse Plätzer (athletics), Anne Rimmen, (presenter), Carsten Skjelbreid (presenter), Ølvind Sørvald (tennis), Tom Stiansen (commentator) & Susanne F Wergeland (presenter)

● Experts have attended 12 Olympic Games winning four medals (one Gold, two Silver, one Bronze) combined

POLAND:

● 10 key experts and talent including Adam Korol (rowing), Robert Korzeniowski (athletics), Aneta Pastuszka (canoeing), Pawel Czapiewski (athletics), Paweł Januszewski (athletics), Jolanta Kumor (athletics), Anna Rogowska (athletics), Piotr Gruszka (volleyball), Sylwia Gruchala (fencing) & Julia Michalska (rowing) 

● Experts have attended 29 Olympic Games winning 12 medals (five Gold, two Silver, five Bronze) combined

SPAIN:

● 16 key experts and talent including Alberto Contador (cycling), Rafael Pascual Cortés (volleyball), Vicente Javier Torres Ramis (swimming), Alex Corretja (tennis), José Javier Hombrados (handball), Jordi Arrese (tennis), Eduardo Chozas Olmo (cycling), María Jesús Rosa Durán (Chus Rosa) (hockey), Jose Luis Abajo Gomez (fencing), Anabel Medina Garrigues (tennis), Piti Hurtado (basketball), Ibai Llanos (gaming content creator), Chema Martinez (athletics), Angel Rodriguez (athletics), Dori Ruano (cycling) & Sandra Sanchez Riquelme (football)

● Experts have attended 26 Olympic and Paralympic Games winning 21 medals (five Gold, six Silver, nine Bronze) combined

SWEDEN:

● Eight key experts and talent including Carolina Klüft (athletics), Anna Laurell-Nash (boxing), Simon Sjödin (swimming), Lars Christensson (equestrian), Peter Häggström (athletics), Michel Tornéus (athletics), Linnea Torstenson (handball) & Veronica Wagner (gymnastics)

● Experts have attended 13 Olympic Games winning one Medal (Gold) combined

UNITED KINGDOM: 

● Six key experts and talent including Sir Bradley Wiggins (cycling), Greg Rutherford (athletics), Jo Rowsell MBE (cycling), Orla Chennaoui (presenter), Radzi Chinyanganya (reporter) and Reshmin Chowdhury (presenter) 

● Experts have attended ten Olympic Games winning 12  medals (eight  Golds, one Silver and three Bronze) combined

*Discovery will screen Tokyo 2020 across Europe except Russia
**Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be available to watch on discovery+ in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Spain and United Kingdom. In all other European markets, except Russia, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be available on Eurosport.
Image caption (L-R:) Alberto Contador (Spain, cycling), Roberta Vinci (Italy, tennis), Greg Rutherford (UK, athletics), Carolina Kluft (Sweden, athletics), Sir Bradley Wiggins (UK, cycling), Alain Bernard (France, swimming), Sarah Bro (Denmark, swimming), Radzi Chinyangana (UK, presenter), Orla Chennaoui (UK, presenter), Thomas Rupprath (Germany, swimming), Soren Hansen (Denmark, golf), Reshmin Chowdhury (UK, presenter), Teemu Rannikko (Finland, basketball),  Alex Corretja (Spain, tennis), Fabian Hambuchen (Germany, gymnastics), Jo Rowsell (UK, cycling), Riccardo Magrini (Italy, cycling), Lydia Valentin (Spain, weightlifting)