Olympic Briefs -- Vonn Wins Super G; Sailing Qualification System Released

Vonn Wins Super G Gold at Worlds

Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. won the gold medal in the women’s Super G on the first day of competition at the FIS World Alpine Skiing Championships in Val d’Isere, France on Tuesday.

Vonn finished .34 of a second ahead of French skier Marie Marchand-Arvier, who won the silver medal, while Andrea Fischbacher of Austria took the bronze.

“I just skied with my heart, gave it everything I had and I’m just so happy to come away with a win today,” Vonn said. “It’s incredible. This is my first time being world champion, and it’s a pretty darned good feeling.”

The men’s Super G and women’s downhill will be contested on Wednesday.

Sailing Federation Publishes Qualification Information for Youth Games

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) published its qualification system and qualifying events for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

A total of 100 competitors will participate in four sailing events; boys windsurfer, boys 1 person dinghy, girls windsurfer and girls 1 person dinghy.

There are seven Youth Olympic Qualifying Events for each of the four sailing competitions. One male and one female for each participating NOC will qualify in each event from the YOQEs, with the host nation Singapore automatically qualifying one male and one female and 14 of the 100 places reserved as NOC Universality Places to be assigned by the IOC.

Maldives Olympic Committee Investigated for Corruption

Maldives’ Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the country’s Olympic committee for misappropriating over $5,000 of government funds in 2005.

ACC Assistant Director Muaviz Rasheed said the investigation was also examining the MOC’s failure to report over $42,000 of expenses in 2004 and 2005.

Rasheed said the case came to the attention of the ACC last year, following a complaint about the MOC’s failure to provide financial records and follow government financial regulations.

“We first caught wind of this a year ago,” he said. “Now, the case is under investigation and will be reported to the sports ministry.”

The ACC has appealed to the committee to recover the missing funds, which includes around $4,800 for foreign travel, approximately $120 for incidental costs and about $200 that was spent by former MOC program officer Adam Zahir.

Rasheed said the MOC did not have financial records for $8,400 of expenditures in 2004 and the $33,600 it spent in 2005. It also failed to record the expenditure of overseas trips.

Ddungu Reaches Out to Nyangweso

Incoming Uganda Olympic Committee President Rogers Ddungu wants his predecessor Francis Nyangweso to play a role in the committee’s administration in the wake of the elections that saw the incumbent lose his office after 28 years.

Ddungu, who was UOC vice president for the last eight years, defeated Nyangweso in an election at the committee’s General Assembly on Saturday.

However, Nyangweso remains on the UOC executive committee as a representative of the IOC in Uganda.

“We want to create a type of environment that can ensure continuity. People should serve and leave without being forced out when their term of office ends,” said Ddungu, who added he would give Nyangweso office space in the UOC complex.

Rice to Add Events at Swimming Worlds

Swimmer Stephanie Rice, the winner of three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, is planning to swim more events at the Australian trials for the FIFA World Championships in Sydney March 17-22.

Rice, who won gold in the 200 and 400-meter individual medley and the 4x200 freestyle relay in Beijing, is going to swim in the 200 freestyle, 100 and 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle as well at the trials.

“Steph will definitely contest both medleys, the 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly, but the rest we will be playing by ear,” Rice’s coach Michael Bohl said. “It is important to keep racing. It is much better for her.”

63 Countries Lined Up for Cross Country Worlds

A total of 63 IAAF member federations have signed up to compete at the track and field organization’s world cross country championships in Amman, Jordan on March 28 by the conclusion of preliminary entries last week.

“I am very pleased to see that we have a wide range of IAAF member federations, drawn from every part of the world, confirming their attendance at this edition of the IAAF world cross country championships.” IAAF President Lamine Diack said. “I look forward to flying out myself for what is certain to be a memorable edition of the IAAF world cross country championships.”

The 63 member federations committed to the 2009 World Cross Country Championships equals the participants at the 2007 event in Mombassa, Kenya, with 57 competing in last year’s edition in Scotland.

Briefs…

…A theme restaurant will be built in Beijing’s National Stadium, better known as the Bird’s Nest, while a carnival theme park is to be constructed in the Olympic Green as part of the Citic Group’s plan to convert the 2008 Olympic facility into an entertainment and shopping center.

...Beijing Olympic gold medal shot putter Valerie Vili has won New Zealand’s Supreme Halberg Award for the second year in a row.

…British cyclist Mark Bell, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, died last Thursday. He was 48.

Written by Greg Oshust.