CHIBUOGWU NNADIEGBULAM, AIPS / LAUSANNE: Lucia Montanarella has been appointed new head of Olympic Games media operations after the retirement earlier this week of long-serving Anthony Edgar.

Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said: “Lucia brings to the IOC her long and successful experience within the Olympic Movement having been involved in media and editorial projects for the last three decades.

“She has filled different roles in multiple editions of the Olympic Games, including the position of Director of Press Operations for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, marking the first time the Games had a female Press Chief.

“In 2012, she was appointed Press Chief for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016, making her the first person ever to be appointed in this role for two separate Olympic Games.”

As a journalist, Montanarella covered winter and summer several Olympic Games in Albertville, Barcelona and Atlanta for an Italian national newspaper and a radio station.

Since 2000 Montanarella has been involved in planning, setting-up and managing press operations at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Torino, Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro.

Her appointment as the Press Chief for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games marked the first time the Games had a female Press Chief in 114 years of Olympic history. And as the Press Chief for Rio 2016 she became the first person ever to be appointed as Press Chief for two separate Olympic Games.

Montanarella has been the editor-in-chief of the Olympic Information Service since 2017 and will retain that along with her new role.

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