The spirit of Juan Antonio Samaranch was in GuangZhou this morning (November 13) as replicas of a magnificent set of Olympic sculptures he commissioned in 1984 were unveiled by his successor Jacques Rogge. Known as The Olympic Suite, the replicas were officially launched at the chinese Olympic Committee’s hospitality centre in downtown Tianhe. The original sculptures by Spanish artist Rosa Serra form part of the Olympic Museum permanent collection in Lausanne.

Ninety nine sets of the 38 bronzes will be produced by Chinese company HONAV in a programme initiated by the Chinese Olympic Committee and with the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). AIPS worldwide gold partner HONAV is the official licensee for the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, the Master Licensee for the Chinese Olympic Committee and Pin and Metal Products Licensee for London 2012.

“The Olympic Suite faithfully portrays the motion and ambition of the modern Olympic athlete and bears the Olympic spirit and culture. It represents a new level of cooperation in the last 100 years of Olympic history,” Dr Rogge told a packed reception.

Chinese Olympic Committee Vice President Wu Qi said that following the successful hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, china was committed to promoting the development of Olympic sports.

“There is a clear path for the development of Olympic sports in China. Hosting the Games in Beijing left an Olympic legacy in an ancient civilisation, which in turn has encouraged a national participation in the Olympic movement,” Mr Wu said.