Dow Faces Backlash Over Stadium Wrap Install; BOA Wants Podium Finishes

(ATR) Dow Chemical is set to court more controversy over its 2012 Olympics sponsorship when work begins in a few weeks on the installation of its fabric wrap that will encircle the Olympic Stadium.

LOCOG confirms to Around the Rings that the installation of the 336 individual panels - each about 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide - will get underway on the 80,000-seat stadium in March.

Dow Chemical is currently making final preparations in production of the fabric wrap panels ahead of what will be a phased install that is set for completion in early spring.

Although there will be no branding from the London 2012 and IOC TOP sponsor on the wrap, the delivery and erection of the panels will reignite protests over the company's links to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster which killed tens of thousands and injured many thousands more.

In recent months, London 2012 chiefs and Dow have vociferously defended the $11 million partnership following pressure from Bhopal victims' groups and the Indian Olympic Association to drop the sponsorship.

Dow Chemical's vice-president of Olympic operations George Hamilton told Around the Rings last month that attempts to link the firm to the 1984 Bhopal disaster were "misinformed, misguided and misdirected". He emphasized that Dow only bought the Union Carbide Corporation, a majority stake holder in the responsible company, Union Carbide India Limited, in 2001.

"The issue has been around for 27 years, and again I’m not trying to minimize what happened, or that people and families weren’t impacted – I get it," he told ATR. "What I don’t get is how people will continue or have continued to try and tie this to Dow."

In keeping with LOCOG’s aims to deliver a sustainable Olympics, the Dow-produced wrap will include resins that require fewer raw materials to manufacture. It will be up to 35 percent lighter and have a lower carbon footprint when compared to conventional materials.

The stadium wrap will include post-industrial recycled content and the hardware used to hang the wrap will be recycled in Europe following the Olympics and Paralympics. Dow is also planning to recycle the wrap following the Games.

BOA Chief Wants Podium Finishes

British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt is urging Team GB athletes to defy the gloomy medal projections and deliver podium finishes at this summer's Games.

An Infostrada virtual medal table published this week by The Times newspaper revealed that Great Britain, along with Russia, is predicted to record more fourth place finishes – 21 – than any other nation at London 2012.

"Whilst the overall medal projections continue to provide a basis for optimism for Team GB, there is still considerable work to be done," he said in a blog posted on Tuesday.

He said the BOA's four-point performance strategy for London 2012, spearheaded by its director of elite performance Clive Woodward, could help athletes achieve their dreams.

"It is vitally important to translate as many of the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishes from major international competitions in 2011 into podium finishes at London 2012," he said.

"These athletes are within clear reach of winning an Olympic medal, and 2012 should be their moment to shine."

"The 21 fourth-place finishes that Infostrada are projecting is too many, and – working with the National Governing Bodies – it is a priority to provide those athletes with the high performance resources and logistical support necessary to take that final step and claim their place on the Olympic podium."

Hunt, who is Team GB's Chef de Mission for the Games, added: "We are convinced that one of the biggest advantages Team GB athletes will enjoy will be the vocal support of the home crowd – and for many, this undeniable lift will elevate them to the podium."

The BOA is set to reveal more details on its overall performance strategy at a media briefing on Feb. 27.

"Our performance ambition for London 2012 is to see Team GB athletes win more medals across more sports than in a century," he said.

"This is a massive challenge and we are under no illusion about how difficult it will be to achieve. However, given the overall strength and depth in the British sport system, we have the athletes who can deliver."

Hunt cited the progress of Britain's men’s and women’s teams since the Beijing Olympics as asport that offered medal possibilities. Both teams are now ranked fourth in the world; Britain's women claimed a breakthrough silver medal in the Champions Trophy in Argentina last week.

Olympic Park Venue Sponsorships On Offer

Naming rights deals and sponsorships are being offered for the Olympic stadium, aquatics center and the multi-purpose arena that will stage handball at the 2012 Games.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) launched the formal tender process on Tuesday.

Parties have until March 2 to register their interest, before being invited to submit a proposal. The OPLC plans to appoint sponsors in May.

OPLC chief executive Andrew Altman said: "This is a rare opportunity to become part of one of the most exciting new places in the world. Billions of people will see these venues during the Games, and millions more will visit every year.

"We are looking for sponsors who share our vision to create an inclusive Park that promotes healthy living and offers sporting, training and employment opportunities to our local communities."

The Olympic Park will begin to re-open in 2013 after venues have been converted to their legacy configurations.

In legacy, the Olympic stadium will be downsized to 60,000 capacity. It will host the 2017 World Athletics Championships and is expected to have an anchor football tenant.

The OPLC is currently running a bidding process for other sporting, cultural and commercial uses. Last week,the legacy company announced it had received 16 expressions of interest in bidding to take over the stadium after the Games. They now have until 23 March to submit their full bids.

The OPLC plans to appoint the winning bidders in May, with the appointment of a stadium operator to manage the facility on a day-to-day basis to be made soon after.

The swimming complex and multi-use venue, known as the Copper Box, are expected to serve over a million visitors a year when they re-open after the Games. They will be among an anticipated 9.3m visitors a year to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2016.

2012 Football Qualifying Update

Asian qualifying for the men's Olympic football tournament at London 2012 is inching closer to clarity. On the third round's fourth of six match days to date, the dozens teams left did little to distinguish themselves Sunday.Qatar and Oman played to a 2-2 draw as did Saudi Arabia and Korea Republic 1-1. United Arab Emirates topped Iraq 1-0, Uzbekistan topped Australia 2-0, Syria edged Japan 2-1 and Bahrain beat Malaysia by the same score.

South Korea currently lead Group A with 8 points with Oman right behind with 7 points. Qatar and Saudi Arabia sit third and fourth respectively with 3 and 2 points. Uzbekistan tops group B with 8 points with UAE in second place with 5 points. Iraq and Australia sit third and fourth respectively with 4 and 3 points. Japan and Syria are tied for the group C lead with 9 points apiece. Bahrain and Malaysia sit third and fourth respectively with 6 and 0 points.

Following match days on Feb. 22 and March 14, the winner of each group will automatically qualify for the Games while the three second-place teams will play a round robin in March with the winner meeting its Africa counterpart for an additional berth.

Canoe Slalom Upset

Togo's first and only Olympic medalist will be unable to defend his Beijing bronze at London 2012. Born to a Togolese father and French mother, Benjamin Boukpeti finished third in the men's singles kayak class in 2008 and was looking to paddle his way to London over the weekend at the African Canoe Slalom Championships. Instead, reigning African champ Johnathan Akinyemi of Nigeria beat out Boukpeti on Bethlehem, South Africa's Ash River to earn a spot at the Games.

On the women's side, Jihane Samlal of Morocco won K1 gold and booked an Olympic berth.

These championships were the last chance for African canoe slalom paddlers to qualify for London. Athletes from Oceania get their shot from Feb. 24 to 26 in Penrith, Australia.

2012 Volleyball Qualifying

Algeria join Great Britain, Italy, USA and China in the women's Olympic volleyball field for London 2012. The hosts topped reigning African champs Kenya by a score of 25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 25-12 on Saturday in Blida to win the Women's African Olympic Qualification tournament.

Algeria will now return to the Games after competing in Beijing, where they were the only African women's side. Next up on volleyball's road to 2012 is the NORCECA Continental Olympic Qualification for women from April 27 to May 6 in Tijuana, Mexico and the CEV Continental Olympic Qualification for women from May 1 to 6 in Ankara, Turkey.

Reported by Mark Bisson and Matthew Grayson

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