IAAF to Reallocate Medals at World Championships -- Federations Focus

(ATR) The IAAF will be honoring athletes at the upcoming World Championships in London as they receive a number of reallocated world championship medals.

These upgrades, including gold medals for Britain’s Jessica Ennis for the Daegu 2011 heptathlon and of the USA women’s team for the Moscow 2013 4x400m, are the results of disqualifications of the original medalists for doping violations.

A total of 11 individual athletes and five teams from across 11 events at four previous IAAF World Championships will receive reallocated medals during ceremonies that will be held throughout the championships in London from Aug. 4-13.

"I’m delighted that the athletes are properly honored for their achievements and what better way than in front of passionate athletics fans at a major championship," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

"For those receiving gold medals their moment in London will be all the more special as they will hear their national anthem played. Whatever their nationality clean athletes worldwide will celebrate with them."

Ledecky Falls Short of Six Golds at FINA Champs

United States swimming star Katie Ledecky will not eclipse Team USA teammate Missy Franklin for the most gold medals at an Aquatics World Championships.

A breakthrough athlete from the Rio 2016 Olympics, the five-time Olympic gold medalist is no longer undefeated in FINA World Championship finals, earning silver in the 200-meter freestyle after a strong performance by Italian Federica Pellegrini. The two squared off on the 12th day of competition at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

"I just didn’t feel really like myself in the middle of that race," Ledecky said on NBCSN after the race. "It felt like I was scrambling a little bit at the end. That hurts a little but I’m going to come back stronger and be really good in that event the next couple of years."

Despite the loss, Ledecky has already earned three golds at the 2017 championships and has her eyes set on two more. She has now won 12 golds in 13 attempts at the past three world championships in Barcelona, Kazan and Budapest.

The 12 golds make Ledecky the most decorated woman in the history of the FINA championships at the young age of 20. Two more successful races could give her a total of 14 golds, inching her closer to the all-time gold medal count of another Team USA great, Michael Phelps. He has 26 golds at FINA World Championships.

Ledecky will swim in the 4x200m freestyle relay on July 26 and the 800m freestyle on July 27-28. She holds the 13 fastest times in history in that event and is the clear favorite to earn another gold.

The 2017 FINA World Championships close on July 30.

AIBA Approves World Championship Host Cities

A contentious International Boxing Association Executive Committee meeting in Moscow did not deter AIBA’s leadership from determining the host cities of the next two editions of the Boxing World Championships.

AIBA’s EC met from July 24-25 where it listened to presentations from National Boxing Federations as they outlined their bids.

The EC unanimously awarded the men’s 2019 and 2021 championships to Sochi, Russia and New Delhi, India respectively, while the women’s 2018 championships will also be staged in New Delhi before moving to Trabzon, Turkey for the 2019 edition.

"The strength of all of the bids we have seen is the clearest indication yet of AIBA’s successful efforts to amplify the prestige of its World Championships even further, with the strongest global broadcasting and sponsorship partnerships secured to date already finalized for next month’s Men’s World Championships in Hamburg," AIBA president CK Wu said in a statement.

After the host cities were chosen, AIBA executives turned to more unpleasant business and dealt with the financial uncertainties facing the federation. As a result of alleged financial mismanagement, 12 EC members voted for a motion of no confidence against president Wu, setting up an Extraordinary Congress in the next three months where the 201 National Federations of AIBA will hear from Wu and hold their own vote of confidence.

The special congress could be held as soon as the 2017 AIBA World Championships in Hamburg, Germany, which run from Aug. 25 to Sep. 3.

Villar Handed Suspension

FIFA senior vice president and Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar has been suspended for a year by Spain’s top sports authority.

The RFEF named its treasurer Juan Luis Larrea as interim president on Wednesday.

Villar, who was arrested on July 18 along with his son Gorka and two other RFEF officials on corruption charges, remains in prison after being denied bail.

Allegations include embezzlement, fraud and the falsification of documents related to the organization of international football matches.

Villar has been head of the RFEF for 29 years and is also a UEFA vice president. He served as UEFA’s acting president for almost a year, beginning in October 2015 after Michel Platini was suspended.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee fined Villar 25,000 Swiss francs ($26,080) in November 2015 for failing to cooperate with an investigation into the host bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Written by Gerard Farek and Kevin Nutley

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