Olympic Newsdesk - Figure Skating Prelude; Tokyo 2020
11/13/2009
Yu-Na Kim is the top female competitor at this weekend’s Skate America competition. (Getty Images)Skate America, the typical prelude to the figure skating competition begins Friday.
The 30th anniversary tournament takes place in Lake Placid and features the biggest names in figure skating, with one notable exception.
Sasha Cohen, silver medalist at Turin, was hoping to return to Olympic-level competition after a three-year absence, but will miss a second straight event due to injury.
Reigning world champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea leads the ladies side, while American world champion Evan Lysacek headlines the men’s competition.
NBC will broadcast the event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiiZsyWccVo
Tokyo Governor Calls on City to Bid AgainTokyo’s Governor Shintaro Ishihara said the city must bid for the 2020 Olympics, and it is ready to do so.
"We did spend money on the (2016) bid but we have the finances set aside for such big projects," Ishihara was quoted by Reuters.
"Tokyo lost out for the 1960 Olympics before winning the rights to host the 1964 Games. It is necessary to examine why our bid failed and see what we need to do to be successful.
"It's important for Tokyo to leave a legacy for future generations. I will address the city assembly about applying for 2020 and ask them to decide. "
The Japanese Olympic Committee recently reviewed the entire Tokyo bid experience. An executive with the JOC said "by next summer" they will decide whether or not to put forward a 2020 candidate.
When Ishihara first floated the idea of a 2020 bid, it took Tokyo and Olympic officials by surprise, as neither knew of the governor’s plans.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are also exploring a joint-bid for 2020.
Snowboarder Joh Shaw received a vaccination from Peter Braun, Medical Director for the 2010 Australian Olympic Winter Team on Thursday. She is participating in a vaccination program for Australian Winter Olympians. (Getty Images)An unreleased review of sport funding by the Australian government suggests funding a smaller group of Olympic sports.
The Daily Telegraph reports that a review of Australian sports will recommend a dramatic reorganization of Australian sport. The government is expected to make the report public next week.
Government funding would focus on sports with history of success including, hockey, swimming and soccer. Archery, badminton, fencing, table tennis, taekwondo and wrestling are expected to lose funds.
The report also recommends separating the Australian Institute of Sport from the Australian Sports Commission and establishing a national sports academy.
Bans
CAS upheld a two-year ban for Russian biathlete Ekaterina Iourieva, which means she will miss the Sochi Olympics. (Getty Images)Russian biathletes Ekaterina Iourieva and Albina Akhatova lost their appeal of a two-year ban for doping on Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced.
The International Biathlon Union suspended the pair after they tested positive for EPO at a world cup event in Ostersund, Sweden, last December. CAS confirmed the ruling by the IBU.
"The CAS Panel found that the scientific evidence provided to it by the parties established the presence of recombinant EPO in the athletes’ samples and that a doping infraction had been committed," said CAS in a press release.
Akhatova has five Olympic medals including a gold from the Turin Olympics. Last year, Iourieva won gold in the 15 kilometer individual race at the World Cup in Ostersund.
The ruling means that they will not compete at the Vancouver or Sochi Olympics, according to IOC rules.
Lifetime Ban for Gusmao CAS upheld a lifetime ban of Brazilian freestyle swimmer Rebecca Gusmao on Friday.
CAS found Gusmao guilty of three doping violations. Two violations were for the presence of a prohibited substance and the other was for tampering with a doping control.
She first tested positive for abnormal testosterone level at the 2006 Brazilian Swimming Championships.
She was later tested at the 2007 Pan American Games where her samples showed signs of tampering. DNA testing of the sample showed it came from a different person.
Briefs… ….The International Ski Federation Council will hold its autumn meeting Saturday in Zurich, Switzerland. The council will determine prize money for the upcoming season and discuss the program for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games.
… The International Rugby Board launched a new anti-doping website at www.irb.com/keeprugbyclean. The Web site features anti-doping news in English, French and Spanish.
….Gangwon Province in South Korean is promoting PyeongChang 2018 at the 2009 Seoul International Winter Sports Expo this weekend. Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-sun said in a statement: “this Expo will create a boom in PyeongChang 2018 bid and concentrate on reinvigorating local economy by tourism marketing through growth of winter sports and related-business.”
Media Watch
The Wall Street Journal debates whether
Delhi will be ready to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Written by Sam Steinberg.
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