Nagano, Japan, March 2 – Special Olympics East Asia announced the following highlights from the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games for March 1:

• Clipped Wings, a social and philanthropic organization of former, retired and current United Airlines flight attendants, celebrated their 10th anniversary as Special Olympics supporters by hosting a parents' reception on the evening of March 1 in Nagano. The Clipped Wings, together with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics, awarded a few Global Family Leaders for their exceptional work in their leadership roles in the Family Support Network. Among those recognized were Bao Meiqing, the mother of Global Messenger Xu Chuang from Special Olympics China, and Tan Ruyan, father of Tan Tianze, a Special Olympics China athlete competing in this World Games in the Snowshoeing 100M and 200M races.
• Participants of the Global Youth Summit held a live webcast during the morning, with athletes fielding questions from schools in their home countries. Their classmates were eager to learn more about the athletes' experiences at these World Winter Games.
• Divisioning for Speed Skating concluded on March 1. Kim Young-Chul, a Korean speed skating coach, emphasized that it was crucial for people in each community to interact with people with intellectual disabilities to foster understanding toward intellectually disabled people. "Coming to see the Special Olympics games would be a first step that would lead to such understanding," Kim said. Athletes from Special Olympics South Korea, Special Olympics Hong Kong, Special Olympics Chinese Taipei and Special Olympics China are competing in speed skating.
• A Unified Sports bowling tournament was held in the evening, with Global Youth Summit attendees bowling together with persons without intellectual disabilities. Participants included Special Olympics Board Members Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner, both Olympics gold medal gymnasts. This event brought together persons with and without intellectual disabilities in a fun, social atmosphere.
• Medals were awarded in some Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing events. Athletes competed in various divisions for every event, with each division competing for a gold, silver and bronze medal. Special Olympics East Asia medal winners included:
• Chen Wei Chieh, a 22-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a bronze medal in Cross Country 5K Race Classical
• Chiu Yu Chen, a 17-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a bronze medal in Cross Country 5K Race Classical
• Fu Yao, a 16-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a gold medal in Cross Country 100M Race Classical
• Lin Chia Hsien, a 18-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a silver medal in Cross Country 100M Race Classical
• Hua Xiaofeng, a 17-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 1600M Race
• Lin Yu Fang, a 17-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Pan Honghua, a 17-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Fu Jia, a 14-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Wong Ka Fai, a 17-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Macau, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Lee Chin Tsai, a 17-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Ieong Man On, a 15-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Macau, earned a gold medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Zhang Chunkang, a 17-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Lei Wai Man, a 15-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Macau, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Wong Kwok Leung, a 33-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics Hong Kong, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Xie Mingcheng, a 19-year-old male athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Chang Wenjui, a 14-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a silver medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Li Lin, a 16-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics China, earned a bronze medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Yip Hau Yu, a 19-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Hong Kong, earned a bronze medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Karen Tam, an 8-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Hong Kong, earned a bronze medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race
• Lin Wan Ting, a 19-year-old female athlete from Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, earned a bronze medal in the Snowshoeing 200M Race

Special Olympics East Asia has 195 Special Olympics athletes and 14 Unified Sports partners participating in the Games. The East Asia programs in China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea are taking part in Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowshoeing and Speed Skating. 2 Special Olympics East Asia athletes, one each from Special Olympics China and Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, will be among the 14 athletes attending the Global Youth Summit.

For more information about the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games, visit www.2005sowwg.com.

About Families Support Network

The Family Support Network provides a programmatic structure in which Special Olympics families reach out to new families to welcome them into the Special Olympics community. Family Support Network objectives - to support families, to develop partnerships with community organizations, to train new Family Leaders - all contribute to Special Olympics' primary goal of increasing the number of athletes participating in the movement worldwide.

About Special Olympics Unified SportsTM

The Special Olympics Unified SportsTM initiative brings together Special Olympics athletes and individuals without intellectual disabilities who are of similar age and ability to train and compete on the same team. The concept of combining athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without (called Partners) was first introduced in the United States in the mid-1980s to provide another level of challenge for higher ability athletes and to promote equality and inclusion. Today, the initiative includes virtually all Special Olympics sports and Unified Sports competitions are an important part of Special Olympics World Games, as well as local, State and National Games.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for more than 1.4 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics. Special Olympics International will host their 2007 World Summer Games in Shanghai, China in October 2007.Visit Special Olympics online at www.specialolympics.org and www.specialolympicseastasia.org

Contact:

Karen Fang

Special Olympics East Asia

Public Relations

Mobile (until March 6): ＋81-903-537-1626

Mobile (after March 6): ＋86-1391-002-8297

Email: kfang@specialolympics.org