The Olympics is coming back to Gran Turismo, with GT7 hosting the new Olympic Esports Series 2023 Motor Sport Event.
Following the success of the Olympic Virtual Series in 2021, the International Olympic Committee will be bringing back its esports series in a new format for 2023. It will offer players of nine different sporting games the chance to be crowned Olympic champion.
There’s a big difference this year too, with a live, in-person finals event being staged to determine the winners. Called “Olympic Esports Week”, that will be held over four days from June 22-25 at the Suntec Center in Singapore.
Governing bodies from nine sports have submitted official games to represent their events at the Olympic Esports Series 2023. They include the returning Virtual Regatta (Sailing, World Sailing) and Zwift (Cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale/UCI), as well as newcomers Virtual Taekwondo (Taekwondo, World Taekwondo), Just Dance (Dance, World DanceSport Federation), and Tic Tac Bow (Archery, World Archery Federation).
For the Motor Sport category, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has again selected Gran Turismo, with Gran Turismo 7 staging the event.
That’s particularly interesting given the recent hiatus in the FIA/Gran Turismo relationship that saw the Gran Turismo World Series run without FIA branding in 2022 and the corresponding FIA Motorsport Games competition use Assetto Corse Competizione instead of a GT title.
From a player’s point of view, all you need to know is that the event will consist of an online time trial which begins on April 13, with the precise format to be announced nearer the time. We’re not sure what to make of the Toyota GR010 featuring so heavily in the promotional material, but it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your Gr.1 hybrid skills.
The fastest qualifiers from the online time trial will then be invited to the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore, likely limited to one participant from each eligible nation as in 2021.
Of course the reigning Olympic Esports champion in Motor Sport is Italy’s Valerio Gallo, who claimed the title in the online-only 2021 series — marking the start of a successful 2021 that also saw him being crowned GT World Champion.
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