Federations Roundup -- FIFA Fined, USA Track Trials and Tour de France

FIFA Fined

A Swiss court ordered FIFA to pay its former media company ISL/ISMM more than $110,000.

FIFA accused ISL/ISMM of embezzlement and forgery, but only general director Jean-Marie Weber was found guilty. He was fined more than $82,000.

Two others were found guilty on lesser charges, but the fines levied on the three executives was less than the amount FIFA was dunned.

"FIFA has not yet received the reasons for the decision. FIFA will not make any further statement or comment in this regard," a FIFA statement said.

ISL/ISMM held FIFA's marketing and TV rights for two decades, including the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, before its May 2001 collapse. ISL had more than $300 million in debts.

USA Track and Field Trials

The USA Track and Field Olympic Trials head in the final days of competition in Eugene, Oregon delivering on the hype with sprinter Tyson Gay’s world’s fastest time in the 100m. Though his 9.68 won’t stand as a world record because it was wind-aided, the race showed he will push Jamaicans Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt in Beijing.

Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat ran away with the 5,000m final, assuring his place in the Games. Muna Lee led the qualifiers in women’s 100m, and prominent sprinter Allyson Felix missed the cut. Felix still plans to make it to Beijing in the 200m, which she says is her better race.

The 400m on Thursday featuring Jeremy Wariner and the 200m with Gay on Sunday are two high profile races left to run.

The trials will resume July 3 and finish July 6.

Tour de France Tries for Trouble-Free Title

A long-running tift between Tour de France organizer ASO and the International Cycling Federation will lead to this year’s event being run according to French law, under the aegis of the French Cycling Federation. The UCI suspended the French federation for siding with ASO.

The Tour de France takes place from July 5 to July 26. About 180 riders from 20 teams will compete for cycling’s top title. Some of the leading teams at the race will be Quickstep, Team CSC, High Road, and Credit Agricola.

ASO banned Astana from racing for doping issues from last year’s race despite a complete turnover in management and riders. The ban means that 2007 champion Alberto Contador, now a member of the Astana team, will not have a chance to defend his title.

Other teams caught in doping scandals last year, such as Cofidis, will be back for the 2008 Tour.

FIG Member Warned

Russian coach and International Gymnastics Federation member Irina Viner was warned by the FIG Disciplinary Commission for making comments to the media that could damage the reputation of gymnastics.

After the September 2007 World Championships in Patras, Greece, Viner insinuated that biased judging kept one her athletes from winning a title.

"If the individual competition had not concluded with the all-around final, then it would have come out completely differently. After my girls won five gold medals, someone hinted that the world championships were not an all-Russian competition. So the judges artificially decided to pull up Anna Bessonova over Sesina... After the all-around results, I worried for the outcome of the group tournament, and undertook the necessary measures to ensure that this situation does not happen again," she said.

Viner will focus on coaching instead of pursuing another Olympic cycle on the FIG Technical Commission.

Softball in the Yukon

Australia beat Canada in a tiebreaker at the 8th International Softball Federation junior men’s world fast pitch championship in Whitehorse, Canada. It was Australia’s fourth consecutive world junior championship. Japan took bronze.

The tournament began June 20 and featured nine other nations: Argentina, Botswana, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, United States, South Africa and Venezuela.

The tournament was briefly hampered by rain, but postponed games were eventually completed. Some of Canada’s matches drew crowds estimated at 2,000.

Federation Briefs…

Six world records have been set at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff, Aaron Peirsol and Natalie Coughlin all clinched spots in Beijing while setting world marks. Hayley McGregory briefly held the 100m backstroke record, but it was broken by Coughlin and Margaret Hoelzer, missing a spot for the Summer Games. All swimmers who set records were wearing the Speedo LZR. The trials will wrap up on July 6.

The IAAF World Junior Championships will run from July 8 to 13 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. A record number 183 countries will compete.

The International Boxing Federation finalized its four year calendar and opened bidding for the 2009 AIBA Junior World Championships. Bidding for the 2010 AIBA Youth World Championships, 2010 Women's World Championships, 2010 AIBA World Cup and 2011 World Championships will open shortly.

U.S. Olympic team boxer Luis Yanez was dismissed by USA boxing for violating its athlete conduct policy. Yanez says he missed a team event and failed to return to the Colorado Springs training facility on time because he was caring for his ill sister. "I tried to work things out with them. They didn't want to work things out," Yanez told AP.

His coach, Dan Campbell, disagrees. "I gave him every opportunity, and if people knew all the stuff that he has done, they would be amazed. He's one of the biggest liars I've ever met," Campbell told AP.

Yanez can request a hearing with USA Boxing’s judicial committee or file an appeal with a U.S. Arbitration Court.

Bill Hardesty defeated Olympian Chris Busch to win the Etchells World Championship on June 30. Some 90 skippers from around the world competed on Lake Michigan. The event was organized by World Sport Chicago to bolster the citiy's bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Media Watch…

ESPN's Jim Caple writes about the thrill of watching the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Michael Phelps will save the U.S. and NBC at the Olympics, according to Frank Deford of NPR.

Written by Eric Connelly. Click here to see the latest Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index -- the only authoritative ranking of the 2016 bid cities.