Olympic Briefs -- Rogge Sounds Off on POC; Spitz Sympathetic for Phelps

Rogge Suggests POC Confront Problems with PSC

IOC President Jacques Rogge advised Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco, Jr. to address the problems with the Philippine Sports Commission and end the ongoing feud.

In a meeting during the Olympic Council of Asia First Sport Congress in Kuwait over the weekend, Rogge said he supported the POC but did not want the Philippines to risk being suspended and should try to solve the problems with the government.

“When there’s good cooperation between NOC and government there are good results. So, try and mend fences,” Cojuangco recalled Rogge saying.

The POC and PSC have been feuding after POC officials accused the PSC of violating the Olympic Charter and its practice of non-intervention from governments.

POC officials called for PSC head Harry Angping to be removed earlier this month.

Cojuangco says that he willing to sit down with the PSC.

"We have no options. He and Elizalde have already met and talked and that was the start. I’m confident that we’ll also get there and possible the meeting will happen before the end of this month. But there must be an agenda so our talks will produce good results,” he said.

“I don’t have any problem with unity.”

Spitz Expresses Sympathy for Phelps

Mark Spitz says he feels sympathy for Michael Phelps for the fallout the eight gold medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Games has suffered for a bong photo that surfaced in February.

Spitz, whose seven golds record at the 1972 Munich Games Phelps broke in Beijing, expressed his sentiments at a speaking engagement in Little Rock, Ark. on Monday.

“As a fan, I feel sorry and I feel badly for him at this time,” Spitz said. “Nobody would want to wish that upon him, I’m sure. He’s obviously dealing with it in a way that he feels appropriate and I’m not one to comment on whether it’s right or wrong, because I’m not with his management team.”

World Rowing Championships Nominated for IOC Award

The IOC has nominated the 2010 World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro, New Zealand for its new IOC Award for Sport and the Environment.

Lake Karapiro’s Rainbow Project is in the running for the Oceania region award.

Rainbow Project is a portfolio of environmental strategies being developed around the World Rowing Championships.

“The Rainbow Project encompasses all of our environmental initiatives, goals and strategies and involve a high degree of planning and delivery that some sporting events might consider more than enough, but that’s the way we want to deliver this championship,” Karapiro 2010 CEO Tom Mayo said.

The award is intended to recognize the completion of environmental practices in sports, and this will be the first year the award is offered.

The winners will receive special trophies at the 8th World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Vancouver March 29. One award will be given for Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Heineken to Sponsor RWC

Heineken announced that it will be the official beer sponsor for the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and will launch the sponsorship in New Zealand Wednesday.

“I think Heineken has shown that the partnership with the Rugby World Cup is working,” Hans Erik Tuijt, manager of brand activation projects at Heineken said.

“We not only just sponsor it; we make it a great experience for the fans.”

Rugby is campaigning to be included in the 2016 Olympic Games.

The IRB stated that Rugby would increase funds by attracting new commercial partners and spectators to the Olympics.

Heineken expects 1.5 million people to attend the Rugby World Cup; 71,000 international visitors and 5,000 visiting media and VIPs.

“If you just go by what we’ve done in the last two Rugby World Cups where we had more than 5,00 people flying into Australia and into France as a guest of Heineken, I’m sure that other sponsors will do the same,” Tuijt said.

Heineken has sponsored three Rugby World Cups since 1995.

Briefs...

...Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt of Jamaica is donating three signed pairs of his gold track shoes to charity. Bolt’s shoes will be auctioned to benefit the New York-based Jamaican charity Children of Jamaica Outreach Inc. The shoes are part of a limited edition produced by Puma to commemorate Bolt’s then-world record of 9.72 seconds last May at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, which took place a couple of months before his three gold medal performance at the Beijing Olympics.

... China Dongxiang Co. Ltd. has reached an agreement with the Norwegian Olympic Committee to supply sportswear for the country’s national team until 2012. The company will provide Kappa and Phenix gear for the opening and award presentation ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and 2012 Summer Games in Beijing.

... Paralympic World Cup organizers announced double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will run the 100 meters and 400 meters at the event in Manchester May 24. Pistorius, who had his legs amputated below the knee as a child, won three gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Beijing but did not make the qualifying time for the Olympics 400 meters.

Written by Isia Reaves.