– The Sports Examiner

HEARD AT HALFTIME: Is the brand new Fashionable Pentathlon self-discipline already chosen? PlayLA youth sports activities program begins with LA28/IOC funds; 2028 rowing strikes to Lengthy Seashore!

(For our Highlights of the weekend’s high competitions, click on right here)

Information, views and noise from the continuous, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

The combat over the way forward for Fashionable Pentathlon is heating up as 650 present and former pentathletes despatched a protest concerning the elimination of driving whereas federation President Klaus Schormann (GER) supposedly the Sportschau program on the German nationwide ARD community that the brand new self-discipline has already been chosen.

Within the aftermath of the choice to take away driving from the 5 occasions of the Fashionable Pentathlon, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne known as for a session course of to discover a substitute. However that solely accelerated issues:

● Some 650 pentathletes, each present and retired, signed onto a letter to the UIPM, offended about not being consulted earlier than driving was eliminated and demanding the resignation of the whole federation board.

● Schormann advised the ARD community’s well-liked “Sportschau” program: “We are going to change driving with one other sport. However that won’t be biking.”

This system famous – per a Google translation from the unique German – “Because the functionary reveals, an settlement has already been reached on the substitute sport. ‘However I’m not going to disclose what it is going to be right here but,’ mentioned Schormann.”

● His feedback had been reportedly extensively throughout the sport and the UIPM needed to publish this right now:

“Media stories suggesting that the brand new fifth self-discipline has already been chosen by the UIPM Government Board are inaccurate.

“UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann mentioned: ‘The session course of is open, and I wish to make clear that no choice concerning the fifth self-discipline has been taken.

“‘We have now acquired plenty of good concepts and proposals from our group, demonstrating the chance in entrance of us to create a brand new period for our beloved Olympic sport.

“‘All proposals can be evaluated by the session group and later by a devoted working group.

“‘We thank our colleagues within the media for frequently selling the game and our athletes with precise information and accountable reporting.

“‘We additionally encourage former and retired athletes to share their concepts and contributions with their Nationwide Federations, all of whom will meet throughout UIPM Congress on Nov 27/28.’”

The UIPM will maintain an internet briefing for present and recently-retired athletes on Friday to additional clarify the state of affairs. Schormann’s remark of a session adopted by a working group signifies that the method of choosing a fifth self-discipline is not going to be fast. Which implies the sniping is more likely to proceed unabated.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Video games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The Olympic “Golden Rings Awards” for excellence in broadcast protection of the Tokyo Video games befell on Monday in Lausanne, with NBCUniversal coming away with a number of honors.

The U.S. rights holder received the highest prize for “Finest Olympic Program,” “Finest Olympic Digital Service,” shared “Finest Innovation” for its “Buddies and Household Integration,” “Finest Equality and Inclusion Content material” and “Finest Olympic Function/Documentary.”

NBC’s Peter Diamond, who has been concerned with U.S. Olympic tv protection because the Seventies and only recently retired from NBC Sports activities, was very appropriately offered with the Olympic Order by Worldwide Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach (GER).

Seven Community (AUS) received for “Finest Social Media Content material/Manufacturing,” U.S.-based Dicovery, Inc. – by its Eurosport division – shared “Finest Innovation” for its “Eurosport Dice” idea, and Brazil’s TV Globo received for the “Finest Athlete Profile” of skateboarder Rayssa Leal.

The Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS), the host broadcaster of the Video games, was acknowledged for “Finest Commentary,” “Digital Fan Engagement” and the Crusing protection was singled out as the very best host protection of a single sport.

● XXIV Olympic Winter Video games: Beijing 2022 ● The IOC confirmed its satisfaction with the progress of the group of the Beijing Video games, together with the check occasions, in the course of the ultimate Coordination Fee assembly held final week Stated Fee Chair Juan Antonio Samaranch, Jr. (ESP):

“There’s been in depth testing happening in current weeks in China on the Olympic and Paralympic venues. That is successfully the warm-up for subsequent February’s Video games, and the suggestions we’ve acquired from each athletes and Worldwide Federations has been very encouraging. The standard of the venues particularly has been praised, in addition to the organisational assist and on-ground operations being delivered in China.”

In line with the IOC, “worldwide competitions in velocity skating, determine skating, brief monitor velocity skating, wheelchair curling, bobsleigh and skeleton all befell in October. In November, additional worldwide occasions for luge, freestyle snowboarding and snowboard will happen, whereas ice hockey testing actions have additionally been deliberate.”

● Video games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The Paris 2024 organizers introduced that the Accor Group has signed on as an organizing committee sponsor. The discharge importantly famous that “For the primary time on the Olympic and Paralympic Video games, a lodge operator will oversee athlete and media lodging services of their respective villages.”

● Video games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● Throughout its on-line Congress over the weekend, “it was introduced that the World Rowing Council has voted to assist the proposal of Los Angeles 2028 to maneuver the rowing venue for 2028 to the Lengthy Seashore Marine Stadium, venue of the 1932 Olympic Video games. LA28 can now proceed to work with the Metropolis of Lengthy Seashore on subsequent steps.”

That is the primary main venue change for the 2028 Olympic Video games, however one which doesn’t should be agreed to by the Los Angeles Metropolis Council, because the originally-specified venue – Lake Perris in Riverside County – is exterior town.

The Lengthy Seashore Marine Stadium was the location of the 1932 Olympic rowing competitors, however since then the J.H. Davies (2nd Avenue) Bridge was put in in 1956 in the course of the course, probably shortening the competitions to 1,500 m as an alternative of the traditional 2,000 m. Discussions will now begin in earnest with LA28 and with the Lengthy Seashore authorities, but additionally with the Worldwide Canoe Federation, which was additionally slated to carry its Spring occasions at Lake Perris.

The transfer brings rowing – and canoeing – nearer to the remainder of the Video games; the Lake Perris State Recreation Space is 65 miles east of L.A., whereas Lengthy Seashore will host a number of different occasions in 2028 already.

¶

Introduced Saturday by the Metropolis of Los Angeles:

“Mayor Eric Garcetti right now launched PlayLA, an initiative to offer inexpensive and accessible sports activities programming to younger Angelenos of all skills. The initiative is made doable by the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Video games and the Worldwide Olympic Committee, that are investing $160 million to make sports activities extra accessible to youngsters throughout Los Angeles forward of the Olympic and Paralympic Video games in 2028. This initiative is the one largest dedication to youth sport improvement in California.”

As a part of the settlement to have Los Angeles host the 2028 Video games, the IOC dedicated to advance $180 million to the LA28 organizing committee in the course of the first 5 years of its existence, with as much as $160 million to be dedicated to youth sports activities within the Los Angeles space. That’s the place the assist for PlayLA comes from. In line with the announcement:

“The Metropolis of Los Angeles is launching PlayLA with an preliminary $9.6 million grant from the LA28 Video games to the LA Parks Division to subsidize participation charges all through the college 12 months for leagues, lessons, and clinics for sports activities together with tennis, golf, basketball, soccer, judo, and aquatics.”

With the Paralympic Video games coming to Los Angeles for the primary time in 2028, PlayLA will provide adaptive sports activities applications for youths with bodily disabilities – a primary within the Metropolis’s youth sports activities programming. The particular sports activities haven’t but been decided.

● Worldwide Federations ● It was a great week for incumbents final week as a number of IF elections had been held.

The Worldwide Handball Federation re-elected Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa for a sixth time period; World Rowing re-elected Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA) for a 3rd time period, and Federation Internationale de Gymnastique President Morinari Watanabe received re-election by 81-47 over European Gymnastics head Farid Gayibov (AZE).

USA Gymmnastics President Li Li Leung was elected to the FIG Government Committee.

The Worldwide Canoe Federation elected German Thomas Konietzko as President by 94-6 over Evgenii Arkhipov (RUS), succeeding 13-year head Jose Perurena (ESP).

● Anti-Doping ● The World Anti-Doping Company launched its annual report for 2020 with some shocking information on funds.

Even within the midst of a tug-of-war with america over cost of dues, WADA’s monetary report confirmed a surplus of $5.71 million for 2020, with contributions of $18.07 million from the IOC and $18.39 million from governments. As well as, governmental grants from Australia, Japan, the Metropolis of Montreal and the Metropolis of Lausanne totaled nearly $1.68 million. WADA ended 2020 with a really wholesome reserve of virtually $36 million.

The employees rely was 144 on the finish of 2020, with 121 within the headquarters workplace in Montreal (CAN).

Complete doping positives have been reported by way of 2018 (1,923), up barely from prior years. For 2020, the report reveals that WADA was knowledgeable of two,978 doping choices by nationwide and regional doping authorities; not all of those are positives and WADA filed 17 appeals.

Maybe most significantly, the report confirmed that the brand new “Dried Blood Spot” (DBS) expertise can be utilized on the Beijing 2022 Winter Video games and past. This model of specimen assortment has a number of benefits, together with for much longer storage and stability and a greater athlete expertise as it’s hoped to ultimately change assortment of urine samples.

● Alpine Snowboarding ● The Related Press reported Friday that American celebrity Mikaela Shiffrin can’t ski in any respect proper now because of a again pressure.

After profitable the season-opening Big Slalom in Austria on 23 October, Shiffrin has been in ache and unable to coach. She mentioned:

“I simply have to let it heal. It doesn’t take that lengthy if I simply take the time. However I need to be coaching proper now. So I take a day, after which I’m like, ‘All proper, perhaps it’s ok; I can exit and ski.’ After which I am going out and ski and I take a number of turns, and I’m like, ‘Ow. It’s actually painful.’

“It simply takes somewhat bit to have the ability to actually push on my skis with full-on depth, which is irritating, as a result of proper now, that is the majority of time the place I’d usually be coaching all 4 occasions.”

● Athletics ● Sunday’s wonderful run by 40-year-old Olympic 10,000 m silver medalist Shalane Flanagan on the New York Metropolis Marathon concluded a sensational seven-week program, finishing 5 of the six World Marathon Majors (plus a substitute for the canceled Tokyo race) and ran her quickest time within the ultimate race:

● 26 Sep: Berlin: seventeenth ladies’s finisher in 2:38:32;
● 03 Oct: London: nineteenth in 2:35:04;
● 10 Oct: Chicago: twenty fifth in 2:46:39;
● 11 Oct: Boston: thirty third in 2:40:34;
● 18 Oct: Solo in Portland: 2:35:14 (replaces Tokyo);
● 07 Nov: New York: twelfth in 2:33:32.

Flanagan, the 2017 New York Metropolis winner and now a coach, completed along with her quickest time within the ultimate race, in New York. Her lifetime marathon greatest is 2:21:14 in 2014 in Berlin.

Additionally wonderful on Sunday was the efficiency of Olympic bronze winner Molly Seidel of the U.S., ending fourth within the ladies’s race in 2:24:42 – the quickest ever run by an American girl in New York – working a month after breaking two ribs. She was in plenty of ache for a few weeks, however felt ok to run the race. Wow.

¶

The lawyer for star coach Rana Reider, who guides Olympic 200 m winner Andre De Grasse (CAN) and American dash star Trayvon Bromell, amongst others, is being investigated by the U.S. Heart for SafeSport for doable sexual misconduct.

The coach, based mostly on Florida, has not acquired any discover of allegations. Athletics Canada posted a discover that included “the Athletics Canada Commissioner’s Workplace confirmed with the U.S. Heart for SafeSport that an investigation is ongoing. On account of this investigation, Athletics Canada is suspending any funds to Mr. Reider for his work with Canadian athletes pending the end result of mentioned investigation.”

● Boxing ● The Worldwide Boxing Affiliation (AIBA) introduced the formation of a “Boxing Integrity Unit” final Friday, close to the top of the boys’s World Championships in Belgrade (SRB).

The brand new group can be designed “to handle competitors manipulation, abuse, harassment, eligibility verify of candidates and different points. Plans for the Unit will now go ahead and it’s anticipated to change into prepared for operations in time for ultimate approval on the AIBA Elective Congress, anticipated in Q2 of 2022.”

AIBA is implementing a number of reforms in its governance and refereeing and judging applications, two of the keys to its doable reinstatement by the IOC because the governing physique for Olympic boxing. Whether or not these can be ample is open to query.

● Determine Skating ● Two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu withdrew from the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy competitors on 12 November because of a proper ankle harm.

Hanyu was damage previous to the 2018 PyeongChang Video games, however nonetheless competed brilliantly there and received his second Olympic title. However now 26, and with the Beijing Winter Video games coming in February, accidents are a priority.

His second look is scheduled for the Rostelcom Cup in Sochi (RUS) on 19 November.

● Weightlifting ● Issues are lastly getting severe within the race for Worldwide Weightlifting Federation President as USA Weightlifting nominated Ursula Papandrea, the previous U.S. federation head and former interim President of the IWF.

Papandrea served on the IWF Government Board from 2017-20 and took over from disgraced long-time President Tamas Ajan (HUN) till thrown out by the IWF Board in October 2020. The IOC famous its optimistic impression of Papandrea’s work in its statements noting its concern concerning the IWF, and she or he was praised for her position in helping Canadian legislation professor Richard McLaren in his group’s investigation of the IWF.

The IWF elections will happen on 2020-21 December in Tashkent (UZB) following the World Championships, with the longer term destiny of the game on the Olympic program within the stability.

The U.S. federation neatly registered a full slate of nominees for varied IWF places of work.

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