Olympic Briefs -- Cooper for IOC Membership, USA World Cup Venue Search
4/9/2009
Jacqui Cooper was nominated by the AOC to run for a spot on the IOC's Athletes' Commission. (Getty Images) Australian Olympic champion Jacqui Cooper will be a candidate for the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission at the Vancouver Olympics.
Cooper, an aerial skier, will compete in her fifth Games in 2010.
Cooper, was chosen as Australia’s representative by her fellow Olympians on the Australian Olympic Committee’s Athletes' Commission as their candidate for the seat.
“Jacqui has displayed great courage and tenacity as a world class athlete and off the ice she is an excellent communicator - she would be an asset to the IOC and we wish her well in her endeavors,” AOC President John Coates said.
Despite winning multiple medals at world championships, Cooper has never won an Olympic medal.
USA Soccer Contacts Venues for World Cup BidMore than 70 venues have been contacted by USA Soccer in regard to a bid for
The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., site of the 1994 World Cup final, was one of the venues solicited by U.S. Soccer to host the World Cup. (Rose Bowl Stadium) the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. The stadia are located in more than 50 cities throughout the country.
"The United States is uniquely qualified to stage the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022 as demonstrated by the dozens of metropolitan markets with venues capable of staging World Cup matches," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. "We will soon begin discussions with officials from throughout the U.S. in the name of presenting a world class proposal to FIFA and the global soccer community."
The USA Bid Committee sent letters to public officials and stadium operators last week to outline the bid process and criteria for venue selection. FIFA calls for each bidding nation to propose a minimum of 12 stadiums, each capable of seating 40,000 or more spectators.
The federation has to hear from each venue’s representative by April 17 for consideration.
Oil Company Transfers $416,000 to Sochi Rosneft has transferred $416,000 to the Olympic Committee of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The oil company is a tier one partner of Sochi 2014 and pledged $180 million for the Winter Games.
The $416,000 transfer is the first payment to be made to the committee. The last payments will be paid quarterly before the 2014 Games.
In addition to funding, Rosneft will also build over 150 gas stations across the region before the Games.
Briefs......Five-time Olympic medalist Josh Davis has signed an endorsement deal with HomeSwimmer, Ltd. to promote the company’s proprietary stationary swimming system. Davis became the first male athlete to win three gold medals in a sport at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also won two silver medals at the 2000 Games in Sydney.
Media WatchAn editorial in
The Seoul Times says Tokyo “must not” be awarded the 2016 Games as long as Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara is in power.
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8225
Columnist Eric Zorn says the excitement he felt from Chicagoans during the IOC’s evaluation of the city’s bid felt “real.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-zorn-09-apr09,0,4587651.column
The Geelong Advertiser says Nick D’Arcy should feel let down by Swimming Australia.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/04/09/61715_opinion.html
Despite recent years of poor performance in baseball, the number of players in Taiwan is not important to improving the sport, but rather the quality of the players.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=915293〈=eng_news&cate_img=46.jpg&cate_rss=news_Editorial
Written by Ed Hula III and Isia Reaves.
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