At the biennial Olympic Golden Rings awards on 29 November, which honoured broadcasters for their outstanding coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games, sailing won the Best Olympic Sports Production by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).
Sailing picked up the gold award after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition and the sport was honoured again, four years later, after a memorable event on the Weymouth and Portland waters.
The coverage highlighted the Dorset cost in all its glory as a consistent breeze and glorious sunshine meant sailors and spectators alike were treated to a spectacle like no other. From the highly anticipated opening day of racing to the tantalisingly close Women's Match Racing finale on the final day, OBS were there every step of the way.
Live sailing coverage of all the Medal Races was broadcast around the world and with on-board cameras the highs and lows were witnessed up close and personal by millions around the world.
Entries were reviewed by an international jury headed by IOC Member and Chairman of the Coordination Commission for London 2012, Denis Oswald. The winners received their prizes in Lausanne in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge. Members of the IOC Radio and Television Commission were also in attendance, along with representatives from the rights-holding broadcasters, the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games in London, Sochi and Rio, International Federations and the city of Lausanne.
Created in 1976, the Olympic Golden Rings is a prestigious international contest through which the IOC seeks to promote and recognise excellence in television broadcasting of the Olympic Games. The contest is organised every two years, on the occasion of the Summer and Winter Games, under the aegis of the IOC Radio and Television Commission.
The full list of awards (title / director / producer), in order of presentation on the night, was as follows:
The Best Olympic Sports Production by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS)
Gold: Sailing / Christopher Lincoln / Gary Milkis, Ursula Romero
Silver: Canoe Kayak-Slalom / Jaime Garrido Rubira / Ursula Romero
Bronze: Rowing & Canoe/Kayak-Sprint / Matthew Coliandris / Makoto Nakamura
The Best On Air Promotion
Gold: NBC "The Games of the XXX Olympiad - NBC On-Air Promotion" / John Miller / Joseph Lee, Roger Guillen
Silver: Foxtel "Foxtel on Platform TVC" / Ash Bolland / Graham Burrells, Chantal Walker
Bronze: ZDF "Olympia Live" / Anke Scholten / Severine Rapp
Special Award
"MDS" Multi Channel Distribution Service / Kostas Kapatais, Jorge Pickering
The Best Olympic Feature
Gold: NBC Olympics "The Games of the XXX Olympiad 'Measure and Motion' / Mark Levy, Brian Brown, Joe Gesue, Philip Parrish
Silver: Sky Italia "Mosaico Olimpico" / Francesco Zupi
Bronze: ZDF "Olympia Live" / Anke Scholten / Nils Kaben
The Best Athlete Profile
Gold: TV Record "Sarah Menenzes - Piaui's Pride" / Douglas Tavolaro / Thalita Leite, Fábio Harbacher, Marcos Cabral, Odair Marquesolo, Cristina Luckner, Ivana Perecin
Silver: NBC Olympics - "David Rudisha" / Jack Felling, Brian Longenecker
Bronze: ESPN Latin America "Pursuing a Dream - Miguel Correa and Ruben Rezola" / Carlos Sepiurca / Mariano Welch
The Best Olympic Programme
Gold: NBC Olympics "The Games of the XXX Olympiad" / Bucky Gunts / Mark Lazarus, Gary Zenkel, Jim Bell, Mark Levy, Joe Gesue, Molly Solomon, Rebecca Chatman
Silver: BBC Sport "Super Saturday" / Paul Davies / Carl Hicks, Dave Gordon
Bronze: Nine Network Australia "London Live - Day 16" / Shane Street, Alex Rolls / Steve Crawley, Lesley Tapsall, Tim Cleary, Matthew Callander, Brent Williams
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