Lynsey Sharp named as Dell Glasgow 2014 Ambassador

One Year to Go! Dell Marks Countdown to the Commonwealth Games with New Athlete Ambassadors• Athletics team member Lynsey Sharp, cyclist Elinor Barker and Paralympic gold medallist swimmers Sam and Oliver Hynd (MBE) join ‘Team Dell’ • Bringing “The Power to Do More” to life, athletes will underline the role technology plays in training for the journey to Glasgow 2014

BRACKNELL, UK, 23rd July – With 12 months to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Dell has announced the four athletes who will act as its UK brand ambassadors. Benefitting from a diverse range of disciplines and experience levels, each athlete will work closely with Dell to show how integral technology is to their training and performance, and over the course of the year will participate in a range of activities to inspire others to achieve their goals. At the same time, Glasgow 2014 today celebrates the ‘One Year To Go’ milestone by unveiling its Official Ticketing Guide. Tickets for the Games go on sale on 19th August.

As the Official IT Hardware and Data Centre Supporter of the Games, Dell will be providing 2,400 desktops, 500 laptops, and approximately 60 servers and storage solutions, across 40 competition and non-competition venues, giving Glasgow 2014 ‘the power to do more’.

“Technology is transforming huge sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, with advances in this space enabling incredible experiences. In the lead up to - and during - the Glasgow 2014 games, Dell IT solutions will connect athletes, volunteers and officials around the globe and support business critical functions such as ticketing and graphics to ensure the best experience possible. Of course, the competition wouldn’t be possible without the athletes, and we’re thrilled to be working with such a first class line-up of talent who will be helping us bring to life the critical role technology will play in the Games for everybody involved.” said Tim Griffin, vice president & managing director, Dell UK.

The following four athletes will serve as Dell’s brand ambassadors through 2013 and up until the Games. • Lynsey Sharp: Scotland’s 800m runner who was recently crowned European Champion. @LynseySharp • Elinor Barker: One of the strongest cyclists of her generation and the reigning junior world time trial champion. @elinorbarker • Sam and Oliver Hynd (MBE): both two-time Paralympic gold medallist swimmers. @SamHynd1; @olliehyndgb

Between them, they have already become world leaders in their sports, taken part in 35 championships, and won over 50 medals - a real source of inspiration for future generations of athletes around the world.

Over the next 12 months, each will be involved in a variety of sponsorship, marketing and advertising activities for Dell including: visits to local schools to get pupils excited about sport in general and the Commonwealth Games in particular; speeches to local businesses across Scotland about the link between hard work, talent and technology; and participation in internal Dell staff motivational sessions around the world, but particularly in the UK and at Dell’s Scottish headquarters near the Glasgow 2014 venues.

Elinor Barker, Welsh racing cyclist, said: “A big part of training involves looking at every detail of my cycling, both on and off the bike, and making improvements wherever I can. Technology is a huge part of this and allows me to keep my coach up to date on my training. He knows how far I rode that day, what the route was like, and how I have performed even though he is on the other side of the country.”

David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said: “Glasgow 2014’s One Year to Go milestone and the launch of the Official Games Ticketing Guide are significant moments for the Games. In a year’s time we want to see our venues packed with people experiencing the excitement of seeing world class athletes competing head-to-head for Commonwealth medal glory. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy a festival of world-class sport and entertainment in Scotland's friendliest city and we are delighted to see Dell’s support for sport and Glasgow 2014 with this latest announcement.“

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Lynsey Sharp, 800 metres Scottish runner, said: “I’m a huge supporter of grass-root sports, so I’m delighted to be partnering with Dell and meeting with aspiring young athletes all over the country. Not only will I be showcasing the importance of technology to my training and performance, I’ll be encouraging more children to follow their dreams.”