New U.S. Olympic Bid Heads to December Milestone

December Milestone for Olympic Bid

The December meeting of the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors will reveal the next steps in the deliberate journey towards a new bid for the Olympics from the U.S.

USOC chair Larry Probst says that he expects the eight-member committee examining the issues for a new bid will meet once more ahead of the December board session. He says the three-hour meeting the group held this week, produced no decisions on the bid question. Probst says the group will produce a report in December which outlines the next steps to take.

USOC CEO Scott Blackmun, a member of the panel, says that report will not indicate whether a summer or winter bid should be considered. And Probst noted that he even expected the working group might continue to function past December, shaping the direction of the still uncertain bid.

More from Colorado Springs and the nascent U.S. bid in this dispatch from Alan Abrahamson of 3 Wire Sports.

http://3wiresports.com/2012/09/21/usocs-probst-we-do-want-to-bid/

US Assembly Closes with Awards, Tributes

Top performers from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games picked up more recognition with Sportsman, Sportswoman of the year trophies at the closing banquet of the Olympic Assembly in Colorado Springs.

Michael Phelps, Allyson Felix were obvious choices on the Olympic side, with the women’s eight rowing team took that trophy.

Sprinter Raymond Martin and swimmer Jessica Long won the Paralympic honors while the quad wheelchair tennis duo of Nick Taylor and David Wagner were the team of 2012.

A high school runner from Ohio who stopped to aid a competitor near the finish line is the winner of the Jack Kelly Fair Play Award.

Meghan Vogel was nominated for the award by ATR’s Karen Rosen.

The annual award is presented by BP to recognize for "an outstanding act of fair play and sportsmanship". It is named for Kelly, president of the USOC in 1985.

Legendary divingcoach, administrator and Olympian Micki King won the Olympic Torch Award for her decades of service to the sport and USOC.

Comment Needed on New Mission Statement

A subtle change in mission for the USOC. One recommendation of the so-called Tagliabue report issued last year on the organization of the USOC was a re-think of the mission statement.

Up for review and comment ahead of possible board adoption in in December is an ever-so-subtle revision that is meant to put more emphasis on athlete performance.

Current: To support U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and to preserve the Olympicideals, thereby inspiring all Americans.

Proposed: To support U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence while demonstrating the values of the Olympic Movement. thereby inspiring all Americans.

Kelly Misses Olympic Assembly

Another Jack Kelly, a veteran of most Olympic Assemblies as well as the Olympic Congresses of a decade ago, missed this year’s while he undergoes treatment for cancer.

Kelly is the former head of the Goodwill Games and consultant to Olympic sponsors and bids through his firm Event Partners. (He was also one of the first subscribers to ATR 20 years ago.)

Jon Killoran, head of the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, a Kelly client, has been collecting signatures on an oversized get well card for Kelly at the Colorado Springs assembly.

Kelly tells ATR he’s at home in Lexington, Kentucky and is optimistic about the chances of beating his illness.

Written and reported by Ed Hula For general comments or questions, click here

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