Olympic Briefs -- IOC Member Loses NOC Election; Philippines NOC Row

Andres Botero lost his election to the presidency of the Colombian Olympic Committee. (ATR) New Colombian NOC President Elected Amid Government Interference Allegations

There is a new president of the Colombian Olympic Committee, but outgoing President Andres Botero says there may be something rotten with the state of the Olympic movement in Colombia.

Speaking to Around the Rings, Botero said there was "total interference from the government" in the election. Botero lost in a 24 to 21 vote to a good friend of his for 25 years, Baltazar Medina.

Botero told ATR that he lost because the government gave money to the federations through the Ministry of Sport, not through the COC. "I don’t care if they run against me and I lose, it was the way the campaign was done," Botero said.

He said the election of Medina was the "most strange thing" as Medina has never served as a president of a national federation and speaks only Spanish. Medina is currently in charge of the association that oversees lotteries. Botero did say that Medina has some sport administration experience, having served as a member of the cycling and football federations.

The IOC frowns on government interference of the national Olympic committees and Botero said he has contacted Jacques Rogge about the government involvement. Botero said he was going to "wait and see" what the IOC determines about the election.

"I'm not going to fight and fight because I don’t think I need this. I am an IOC member now. For me it is just an early retirement from the NOC. But I am very mad at the way it was done."

Despite losing the election, Botero will remain a member of the COC's executive board, by virtue of being an IOC member.

The only other changes to the executive board were the election of Luis Bedoya Giraldo, the president of the football federation, as second vice president and Helder Navarro Carriazo as the new treasurer.

No End to Philippines Sports Commission, Olympic Committee Feud

There appears to be no end in sight to the ongoing row between the Philippines Sports Commission and the Philippines Olympic Committee. There have been calls this week to remove PSC boss Harry Angping over his statements against funding Philippine athletes training overseas. The POC claims

such statements violate the Olympic Charter and Philippine law prohibiting discrimination.

For now, the office of the president has refused to remove Angping.

POC officials have accused the PSC, the government body that controls funding for sports throughout the country, of violating the Olympic Charter and its practice of non-intervention from governments. Such interfering could lead to sanctions against the Philippines at IOC-sanctioned sporting events.

PSC Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told local media he called Angping to say the current predicament is "just a matter of trying to come to an understanding of the policy both of the PSC and the POC."

Ermita added that Angping will soon reach out to the POC to placate anger and promote harmony between the two groups. Angping was quoted as saying "it's not yet the end of the world (for the PSC and the POC). I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

"But let it cool down. Next week when they are ready, let’s sit down and talk to them. I will always reach out to them. Maybe all 14 of them. We should have a dialogue," said Angping.

India Says Security on Track for Commonwealth Games

Responding to the terrorist attack in neighboring Pakistan, organizers of the Commonwealth Games say there will be "foolproof" security for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

"We're fully geared up to provide adequate security to the athletes and spectators at the Commonwealth Games," Randhir Singh, vice president of the 2010 organizing committee, told the Associated Press. "New Delhi is going to make no compromise on security."

The Commonwealth Games Federation said that The Indian Olympic Association says the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi will have foolproof security. (Getty Images)security preparations in India are on course for a successful games.

"Everyone is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for the Commonwealth's athletes," said CGF CEO Michael Hooper.

New Delhi's police commissioner, Y.S. Dadwal, is leading security efforts for the 2010 games and said his force is "alive and alert to every situation. We're fully prepared to provide foolproof security for sporting events like Commonwealth Games."

Australian Olympian Dawn Fraser responded on Wednesday to the attacks by saying the 2010 games should be moved to a different, safer host country.

"We don't want another Munich,'' Fraser told Australia's the Daily Telegraph, invoking images of the 1972 Olympics when terrorists broke into the Athletes' Village, killing 17 Israeli Olympians.

"With an attack like that you wouldn't be sending any team over to that region at all. You wouldn't be sending away in this climate.''

Coach Says Bolt Could Have Run 9.52

Usain Bolt's coach said the triple Olympic gold medal sprinter could have run the 100-meter dash in 9.52 seconds at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing if he hadn’t slowed down at the end to celebrate. Bolt ran a 9.69.

"If he had continued, the slowest he would have run would have been British Olympic gold medal cyclist Chris Hoy has withdrawn from the UCI World Track Cycling championships in Pruszkow, Poland due to a hip injury. (Getty Images)9.52," Glen Mills said.

Mills added that with Bolt being at the beginning of his career in the 100, it would take only a couple of years for him to peak.

Injury Forces Hoy Out of Cycling Worlds

British four-time gold medal cyclist Chris Hoy is withdrawing from the UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Pruszkow, Poland due to a hip injury.

Hoy has suffered complications from a hip injury that he sustained as he fell off his bike in the keirin final of the World Cup competition in Copenhagen, Denmark in February.

"I've been really lucky in my career so far and I’m still totally focused on being in the best shape possible for London 2012," said Hoy, who won the sprint, keirin and team sprint events in Beijing.

...Briefs

... Two-time World Cup overall champion skier Bode Miller of the U.S. has decided to forego the rest of the 2009 Alpine Ski World Cup season. "Due to a number of factors, it makes sense to call it a season," said Miller in a statement released by the U.S. Ski team. Miller is currently eighth in the World Cup standings.

... A successful comeback after missing four months with a torn biceps tendon has rekindled New Jersey Devils goalkeeper Martin Brodeur's hopes of securing a spot on the Canadian hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. After recording two shutouts in his first three games back since returning to action, Brodeur – who played for Canada in the '98, '02 and '06 Games -- is enthusiastic about the possibility of competing in 2010.

... Gold and bronze Paralympic medalist Paula Tesoriero broke a world record in the LC3 200-meter flying start on Wednesday at the New Zealand track championships. Tesoriero's time of 14.911 seconds was well under the previous record of 15.208. She is the first rider to break a world record in the new ILT Velodrome.

... A total of 338 competitors from 37 countries are scheduled to compete at the FITA World Indoor Archery Championship in Rzeszow, Poland today through Sunday. Competition begins on Thursday, with both senior and junior archers aiming for medals in the Recurve Individual and Compound Individual events. The championship brings to an end the winter season, which included major tournaments in Nimes, France, Las Vegas and Amsterdam.

... The Gulf Olympic Committees announced Tuesday that Bahrain has been selected to host the first Gulf Sports Games, including the Gulf Beach Games, in February 2011.

Written by Ed Hula III and Greg Oshust.