Campolier opens the 86th World Congress of Sports Journalists of the AIPS praising the goodness of Santa Susanna

In front of the 400 participants at the international sports summit, the legend of athletics Edwin Moses presented his autobiographical film “Moses 13 steps”

“You have chosen very well and I assure you that you have not made a mistake.” Joan Campolier, mayor of Santa Susanna, addressed in this way, on Sunday night, the cream of sports journalism and the main leaders of the world of sport and athletes of the moment gathered in the municipality to celebrate the 86th Congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). Mayor Campolier opened the opening ceremony of the Centenary Congress (“from now on this town is already part of the centenary history of the association; it will forever be tied to it”, he said), thanking the confidence of world sport in the municipality and highlighting the virtues of Santa Susanna.

The mayor told them that Santa Susanna is like an oasis, a town surrounded by fields, mountains and sea, which has made sport and sports tourism one of its reasons for being. In fact, this town’s commitment to sport is what allows Santa Susanna to be the epicenter of elite world sport for a few days. The Congress of the most important organization of sports journalists on the planet, with more than 15,000 members, gathers 400 people from five continents.

During the inauguration, the world president of AIPS, the Italian Gianni Merlo, spoke of sport as a discipline capable of uniting people: “The five continents have different ways of communicating but we must work together because sport can build new bridges”. The president of the Spanish Sports Press Association, Julian Redondo, also referred to it, while Rafael Santonja, president of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness-IFBB, emphasized the fact that “at the Congress of sport, life and passion, and this defines Santa Susanna very well”.

Finally, the executive director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, Patrick Torrent, explained that Catalonia is one of the best sports destinations in Europe. FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent a message of support via video.

“Moses-13 Steps”

Within the framework of the AIPS Congress, Edwin Moses, considered the king of the 400 meter hurdles race, presented this Monday his autobiographical film, “Moses 13 steps”. The title of the film refers to the number of steps he took between fences before jumping, one less than the rest of the athletes at the time. The film will soon be available on digital platforms.

The former American athlete, born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1955, is a legend in athletics. For 9 years, 9 months and 9 days (1977-1987) and in 122 consecutive races no one could defeat him. He won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Montreal (1976) and Los Angeles (1984) and the bronze medal in Seoul (1988); and was world champion in Helsinki (1983) and Rome (1987). His world record stood until the Barcelona Games in 1992. Currently, Moses is president of the United States Anti-Doping Agency and president of the Laureus Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Morehouse College and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

86th Congress of the Association

The AIPS Congress takes place at the Atzavara Hotel. The elite of international sports journalism analyze the future of the profession and how it is affected by the increase in content creators and influencers. One of the topics they will discuss is the impact of Artificial Intelligence in sport. The debate on sports journalism from a gender perspective is also part of the agenda of the Congress.

The AIPS Sport Media Awards

This Monday, April 29, the Sport Media Awards ceremony will take place at the Sports Pavilion. These are the highest international awards in sports journalism. The awards recognize the best sports storytellers across all platforms, from photography to video, from graphic to digital journalism, from podcasts to sports blogs, print media, radio, television, and more.