ZURICH – The Organizing Committee of the 2010 IIHF World Championship announced that legendary Soviet goalkeeper Vladislav Tretyak is an official ambassador of the tournament.

“We have met each other on the ice many times and occasionally I even managed to score against him,” the Organizing Committee’s General Secretary Franz Reindl said. “But he doesn't hold it against me and most times they beat us with a high score anyway. To have one of the best hockey players of all time as an ambassador makes us very proud and I’m sure Tretyak will help to promote the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Russia.”

Tretyak, who is the President of the Russian Hockey Federation, won three Olympic golds and ten World Championships with the Soviet Union. He joins a list of other celebrities as ambassadors, including German hockey legend Erich Kühnhackl, tennis legend Steffi Graf and football stars Philipp Lahm and Olaf Thon as well as other German personalities from sports and showbiz.

The 2010 IIHF World Championship takes place in Cologne, Mannheim and Gelsenkirchen, May 7-23. For more information visit www.iihfworlds2010.com.