1st YOG Doping Cases; Tornados for Olympics; Paralympic Anniversary; Boxing Battles "Misleading" Info

Two YOG Athletes Caught Doping

Two wrestlers from the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore failed drug tests.

Uzbek Nurbek Hakkulov and Ecuadorian Johnny Pilay tested positive for the diuretic Furosemide, and following a Disciplinary Commission hearing, IOC president Jacques Rogge disqualified them from the YOG.

Hakkulov won a silver in the men’s 63kg freestyle event and Pilay finished fifth.

In a statement, the IOC said in addition to the disqualification it "clearly indicated that the two young athletes should be provided with some additional support and information on the danger of doping. Specific accompanying measures will be put in place in cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the National Anti-Doping Organisations concerned."

Additionally, the Disciplinary Commission "also called upon the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles and the respective National Olympic Committees to gather additional information in relation to the circumstances that led to such anti-doping rule violations with respect to not only the athletes, but also their entourage - be it trainers, doctors or other medical staff."

Both wrestlers are 17.

During the YOG, the IOC conducted 1,231 tests (1,097 urine and 134 blood) . All samples were tested at the WADA-accredited laboratory in New Delhi, India.

Sailing’s Tornado Class Eyes Olympic Comeback

A tornado is brewing in international sport, but the storm won’t come close to London 2012.

In a statement posted Friday to its website, the International Tornado Class Association stakes its claim to a spot in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, a year after the IOC cut the multihull sailing class from the Olympic program.

The tornado was contested from Montreal 1976 to Beijing 2008 but nixed from the 2012 Summer Games last August.

"Whilst the IOC Executive Board fully recognizes the value that Sailing brings to the Olympic Games, it decided to maintain its decision of 2005 regarding the overall quota of sailors and medals," IOC president Jacques Rogge wrote to the International Sailing Federation, ISAF.

"As a consequence, Tornado Multihull shall not be on the program of the Games of the XXXth Olympiad in London."

Friday’s statement, aptly titled "The Tornado Is Ready For Olympic Comeback", spends almost 2,000 words explaining why a new "High Quality One Design" concept readies the tornado for a strong Olympic future.

According to the ITCA, both the IOC and ISAF want more media attention, more spectators and more competing nations as well as better boat availability and better accessibility to sailors of all ages and sizes.

The ITCA says the tornado can promise all that and more thanks to a new uniform boat design coming out of Sweden.

"Boats are built in one week and ready to send all around the world," the statement reads.

"The new easy to handle rope systems for the gennacker, jib and mainsail also makes Tornado Sailing easy for every sailor with Olympic ambitions."

Not only do the boats now sport better availability and better maneuverability, the ITCA argues, but the tornado has always enjoyed outstanding appeal among both spectators and media.

"Journalists love the Formula-1 image the Tornado creates," the statement reads, citing an IOC Golden Rings award the event won in Beijing forsensational medal race action.

IOC rules require that new disciplines for an Olympics be approved three years before the Games.

IPC CEO Marks Paralympic Anniversaries In Sydney

IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez heads to Sydney this weekend to celebrate two anniversaries in a single day.

First on tap for Gonzalez is a Monday reception with Australia’s 1960 Paralympics team. Rome, in many ways the first fully realized Games for athletes with disabilities, marked its 50th anniversary late last month.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting the 1960 Rome Paralympians to listen to their memories of those first Games in Italy," he said in a statement, "and hear first-hand how they believe the Movement has changed and developed over the last 50 years.

Gonzalez will then join the Australian Paralympic Committee that evening for the "Paralympian of the Year" awards. The ceremony will also mark the 10th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

"After spending a number of years working in Australia on the Sydney Games I know what a proud sporting country it is," he said.

"Soit will be fantastic to join the Australian Paralympic Committee for their annual awards dinner to mark the superb achievements of their athletes."

AIBA Clarifies Congress Queries

Hoping to put an end to "various misleading information" being circulated in the boxing world, the International Boxing Association, AIBA, issued a statement on the status of the federation’s upcoming Congress in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

"The Lausanne Civil Court has dismissed an action calling for an immediate cancellation and postponement of the 2010 AIBA Congress in Almaty, Kazakhstan without hearing" AIBA said. "As a result, a hearing will now take place at the same court on 20 October to decide on this matter."

"The action has been brought by a lawyer claiming to represent 13 AIBA member federations. However, AIBA has a serious doubt whether the lawyer has a mandate to represent all of these federations, since AIBA has received letters from several of the 13 national federations which confirm not having initiated this action against AIBA. With this respect, AIBA is conducting on-going investigations."

AIBA said earlier in the week it expects to turn aside the lawsuit.

Additionally, the suit claims AIBA acted against its statutes by barring dozens of federations from participating in the congress – and presidential election – for non-payment of AIBA dues, about $250 a year.

However, AIBA rejects that allegation too. "The legitimacy of this decision in accordance with the AIBA Statutes and Bylaws has since been confirmed by a Swiss Professor of Law" the statement said.

"As AIBA anticipated such action could be possible before the Congress from the group of national federations and individuals who had been suspended in the past, AIBA urges both the media and its member federations not to be misled by this action, which has already damaged the image and reputation of AIBA and the sport of boxing. AIBA fears that the unidentified group will continue trying to discredit the federation and as a result the global boxing family, simply to regain their lost self interests in our organization."

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.