Lord Coe has laughed off reports that the London Olympic bid team are "in depression"; it is reported that they believe that Paris will win the right to host the Olympics in 2012.
It is reported that a London 2012 board member said:
"Paris is ahead. We expect them to win."
Lord Coe said, in response to this story:
"Paris is clearly a strong contender, but London's in a very strong position...We have six months to go and it's full steam ahead with a very motivated team. We're moving in the right direction."
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Saturday, January 29, 2005
The Story That Won't Go Away
In case anyone thought that they had been forgotten, despair not!
The dynamic duo of Greek sprinting, Costas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou, are scheduled to appear before Greek athletics officials today; they are facing charges of violating doping rules, which led to them being withdrawn from last year's Olympics.
The dynamic duo will be giving testimony before the five-member, Greek athletics federation (SEGAS) disciplinary commission accompanied by their lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos.
This procedure is expected to take around 80 days.
If found guilty by SEGAS, Kenteris and Thanou face a two-year ban.
They have also been charged by Greek police for faking a motorbike accident; which resulted in them spending four days in hospital, at a time when they were wanted for questioning by the IAAF.
The dynamic duo of Greek sprinting, Costas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou, are scheduled to appear before Greek athletics officials today; they are facing charges of violating doping rules, which led to them being withdrawn from last year's Olympics.
The dynamic duo will be giving testimony before the five-member, Greek athletics federation (SEGAS) disciplinary commission accompanied by their lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos.
This procedure is expected to take around 80 days.
If found guilty by SEGAS, Kenteris and Thanou face a two-year ban.
They have also been charged by Greek police for faking a motorbike accident; which resulted in them spending four days in hospital, at a time when they were wanted for questioning by the IAAF.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Munich Bid Delayed
The German Olympic Committee has decided to wait before deciding whether to nominate Munich as a candidate for the 2014 Winter Olympics, or possibly the 2016 Summer Games.
This comes as a surprise, as earlier this week Manfred von Richthofen, the head of Germany's umbrella sports organisation DSB, said that Munich would get the "nod".
Von Richthofen said that he believed in a "majority in favour of a Winter Games bid" when the German Olympic Committee were due to decide the issue, at a board meeting yesterday in Frankfurt.
Von Richthofen, who is a member of the Olympic Committee board, said that Germany had a better chance to win the Winter Olympics than the Summer Games.
This comes as a surprise, as earlier this week Manfred von Richthofen, the head of Germany's umbrella sports organisation DSB, said that Munich would get the "nod".
Von Richthofen said that he believed in a "majority in favour of a Winter Games bid" when the German Olympic Committee were due to decide the issue, at a board meeting yesterday in Frankfurt.
Von Richthofen, who is a member of the Olympic Committee board, said that Germany had a better chance to win the Winter Olympics than the Summer Games.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Auditor Slams Britain's Performance in 2004 Olympics
The National Audit Office (NAO) has issued a report, that states that Britain failed to get full "value for money" from the £83M spent on training athletes for the Athens Olympics.
The report says that UK Sport needs to do more in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it notes that Britain underperformed when compared to targets set by UK Sport.
Specifically, UK Sport expected Britain to finish between 8th and 10th in the medal table; Britain finished 10th. It predicted 39 medals; Britain won 28.
Six targeted sports; gymnastics, judo, triathlon, shooting, taekwondo and weightlifting failed to win any medals at all.
The solution, according to the auditors, is for the funding on underachievers to be cut.
It is expected that the task of raising money for the 2008 Olympics will be more challenging, than for the 2004 Olympics; people don't back losers!
UK Sport CEO, Liz Nicholl, said:
"Athens represented the end of the first full Olympic cycle in which we have benefited from lottery funding and as such there was always going to be a lot to learn - both from what we did well and things we could have done better."
The report says that UK Sport needs to do more in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it notes that Britain underperformed when compared to targets set by UK Sport.
Specifically, UK Sport expected Britain to finish between 8th and 10th in the medal table; Britain finished 10th. It predicted 39 medals; Britain won 28.
Six targeted sports; gymnastics, judo, triathlon, shooting, taekwondo and weightlifting failed to win any medals at all.
The solution, according to the auditors, is for the funding on underachievers to be cut.
It is expected that the task of raising money for the 2008 Olympics will be more challenging, than for the 2004 Olympics; people don't back losers!
UK Sport CEO, Liz Nicholl, said:
"Athens represented the end of the first full Olympic cycle in which we have benefited from lottery funding and as such there was always going to be a lot to learn - both from what we did well and things we could have done better."
Monday, January 24, 2005
Train Supports the Olympics
Thameslink, a British train company, is showing its support for London's bid to hold the Olympics in 2012.
Lord Coe, heading the London bid team, will today unveil a 4 carriage Thameslink train at St Pancras Station London; the carriages are covered in the bid's livery.
Lord Coe will be joined by Keith Ludeman, chairman of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).
Lord Coe, heading the London bid team, will today unveil a 4 carriage Thameslink train at St Pancras Station London; the carriages are covered in the bid's livery.
Lord Coe will be joined by Keith Ludeman, chairman of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).
Saturday, January 22, 2005
BBC Banned
Relations between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the BBC have hit an all time low.
The IOC have banned the BBC from televising a debate, between candidate cities for the 2012 games. BBC World was to have held a 45 minute broadcast, featuring representatives from; Paris, London, New York, Madrid and Moscow.
However, the dear old IOC decided that this would breach the rules (whatever they are); and banned it.
It is widely assumed that the IOC are still "pissed off" at the BBC for their programme showing that the IOC is corrupt; specifically that IOC votes can be bought by potential host cities.
Whoever said that the Olympics was not about politics and money?
The IOC have banned the BBC from televising a debate, between candidate cities for the 2012 games. BBC World was to have held a 45 minute broadcast, featuring representatives from; Paris, London, New York, Madrid and Moscow.
However, the dear old IOC decided that this would breach the rules (whatever they are); and banned it.
It is widely assumed that the IOC are still "pissed off" at the BBC for their programme showing that the IOC is corrupt; specifically that IOC votes can be bought by potential host cities.
Whoever said that the Olympics was not about politics and money?
Friday, January 21, 2005
High Tech Torch
A high tech torch, for the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006, has been delivered by the famous Italian designer Pininfarina.
The firm, which has styled many Ferrari cars, is one of Turin's most famous and is an official partner of the 2006 Games.
Pininfarina will produce 12,000 of the torches for the torch relay, which starts in December 2005.
Chairman Andrea Pininfarina, TOROC president Valentino Castellani and other dignitaries were on hand for the unveiling at a ceremony in Milan.
The torch is designed to resist wind up to 120 kilometers per hour, and work at sea level or at the top of the Alps.
It weighs 2kg, and is 75cm high.
Pininfarina says it is based on the idea that the flame should appear to wrap the body of the torch, rather than burn from a hole at the top.
The firm, which has styled many Ferrari cars, is one of Turin's most famous and is an official partner of the 2006 Games.
Pininfarina will produce 12,000 of the torches for the torch relay, which starts in December 2005.
Chairman Andrea Pininfarina, TOROC president Valentino Castellani and other dignitaries were on hand for the unveiling at a ceremony in Milan.
The torch is designed to resist wind up to 120 kilometers per hour, and work at sea level or at the top of the Alps.
It weighs 2kg, and is 75cm high.
Pininfarina says it is based on the idea that the flame should appear to wrap the body of the torch, rather than burn from a hole at the top.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Beijing Hosts International Exhibition
An international sports and venue facilities exhibition and trade show will be held in July in Beijing, which will be playing host to the 2008 Olympics.
This show will come at a critical time for the construction of the 2008 Olympic infrastructure.
Beijing will build over 30 sports venues for the Olympics competition, many of these projects will start this year.
The International Sports & Venue Facilities Beijing 2005 Exhibition & Trade Show is to be held from July 15 to 17, at the China International Exhibition Center in the Chinese capital.
Around 1,000 companies are expected to attend the exhibition.
Beijing Olympic venue owners, executives from China's provincial and municipal sports venues and sports industry specialists will be invited to attend the forums.
This show will come at a critical time for the construction of the 2008 Olympic infrastructure.
Beijing will build over 30 sports venues for the Olympics competition, many of these projects will start this year.
The International Sports & Venue Facilities Beijing 2005 Exhibition & Trade Show is to be held from July 15 to 17, at the China International Exhibition Center in the Chinese capital.
Around 1,000 companies are expected to attend the exhibition.
Beijing Olympic venue owners, executives from China's provincial and municipal sports venues and sports industry specialists will be invited to attend the forums.
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