FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies welcomes new sponsors OMV, Viessmann

OMV, official sponsor of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies presented by Viessmann - Female ski jumpers as an example of women who do extraordinary things

Ramsau am Dachstein, 11.10.2011//-- The new sponsors of the first season of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies were announced at the traditional Forum Nordicum in Ramsau am Dachstein (AUT) today. OMV has joined the series as the official main sponsor alongside Viessmann, a long-term partner of FIS World Cups. OMV is already active as a ski jumping team sponsor in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Romania. For the first time OMV, an integrated, international oil and gas company, will partner with FIS as the official main sponsor of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies.

The female ski jumpers have made it: After the title of a world champion was already awarded twice at the FIS World Ski Championships; the 2011/12 winter season will see the first female FIS World Cup champion in the history of Ski Jumping. With the establishment of the World Cup series, the ladies will complete their leap into the top-tier. As a long time sponsor and promoter of Ski Jumping, OMV has supported this development from the start and now seeks to partner with FIS to further solidify ladies' ski jumping at the highest level.

"After the inclusion of the ladies‘ Ski Jumping in the Olympic winter program beginning with Sochi 2014, we are now looking forward to their first World Cup season. The discipline of ladies' Ski Jumping has been continuously developing, and the excellent competitions at the FIS World Ski Championships in Oslo 2011 and Liberec 2009, along with the increasing quality of the ladies' Continental Cup series, provide an excellent starting point for the first World Cup winter," commented FIS President Gian Franco Kasper.

Christian Moser, OMV Sponsoring Manager, added: "Until now, Ski Jumping is one of the few disciplines in which the ladies have yet to enjoy the attention they deserve despite great performances. That is why it especially important for OMV to promote the ladies' Ski Jumping." Furthermore, the female ski jumpers serve as great examples and role models through the courage they demonstrate and the hard work they invest to excel.

"The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies is the latest addition to the FIS portfolio. OMV was particularly excited and motivated by the challenge of developing something new. This is why they are supporting this project and chose to come onboard as the main sponsor of the World Cup. We are looking forward to working with them and are grateful for their trust," said Christian Pirzer, CEO of FIS Marketing AG that manages sponsoring for the Ladies' World Cup in a partnership with FIS.

Walter Hofer, FIS Ski Jumping Race Director, added: "We think it is fantastic that an international brand commits to sponsorship like this without existing facts and figures, such as TV ratings or media visibility. But I am convinced that the ladies will show that it's worth it."

OMV commitment to ski jumping
OMV has been active as a team sponsor in Austria since 1989. In 2004 the partnership with the National Ski Association in the Czech Republic was started, and in 2005 a partnership in Slovenia followed. In order to remain successful long term, young athletes need to be discovered early and professionally trained. For OMV there is no question about supporting sustainable projects in this field. OMV Move & Jump was brought to life in the fall of 2007. This project enables children and young people in Romania to participate in the sport of ski jumping and offers these children new perspectives. Now, through the FIS partnership with the Women's Ski Jumping World Cup, OMV is expanding its involvement to include another new segment.

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About FIS
FIS is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding, founded in 1924 during the first Olympic Games in Chamonix, France. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding, including setting the international competition rules. Through its 112 member nations, more than 6'000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote snow activities as a healthy leisure recreation, notably for the young.

For more information, please visit www.fis-ski.com.

About FIS Marketing AG
Established in the autumn of 2009, FIS Marketing AG is an independently run and staffed strategic joint venture owned by FIS as the majority shareholder, and by Tridem Sports and Infront Sports & Media as equal shareholding partners. It has the objective of enhancing the value of FIS marketing rights and developing sponsorship projects as well as providing improved service to FIS partners.

Led by Christian Pirzer, FIS Marketing AG is incorporated under Swiss law and based in Wollerau, Switzerland. Besides managing the sales and handling of FIS controlled marketing rights it leverages the know-how and experience of its shareholders to offer event and marketing services and consultancy to the sports marketplace.

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OMV Aktiengesellschaft

With Group sales of EUR 23.32 bn and a workforce of 31,398 employees in 2010, OMV Aktiengesellschaft is one of Austria's largest listed industrial companies. In Exploration and Production, OMV is active in two core countries Romania and Austria and holds a balanced international portfolio. OMV had proven oil and gas reserves of approximately 1.15 bn boe as of year-end 2010 and a production of around 290,000 boe/d in 6m/2011. In Gas and Power, OMV sold approximately 18 bcm of gas in 2010. In Refining and Marketing, OMV has an annual refining capacity of 22.3 mn t and as of the end of June 2011approximately 4,700 filling stations in 13 countries including Turkey. In Austria, OMV operates a 2,000 km long gas pipeline network with a marketed capacity of around 89 bcm in 2010. With a trading volume of around 34 bcm in 2010, OMV's gas trading platform, the Central European Gas Hub, is amongst the most important hubs in Continental Europe. OMV further strengthened its position through the ownership of a 97% stake in Petrol Ofisi, Turkey's leading company in the retail and commercial business.

Sustainability
OMV is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, and an active supporter to the values enshrined in its Code of Conduct. These include a strong sense of responsibility towards the social and natural environment, especially in economically weak regions. OMV continuously addresses economic, environmental and social issues related to its business in a responsible manner. The company reports on its activities in a sustainability report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines.

Further information about OMV: www.omv.com

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