IOC DQs Weightlifter; G4S Loses $110 Million; WOA Strikes New Ground

IOC Disqualifies Bronze Medalist

Russian bronze medalist in weightlifting Oleg Perepetchenov was stripped of his Athens 2004 medal by the IOC on Thursday.

The decision came after tests of his stored sample resulted in an adverse analytical finding, and the IOC Executive Board ruled against Perepetchenov.

The IOC stores samples of Olympians for eight years to conduct further tests if new tests are available.

G4S Losing $110 Million

G4S will lose approximately $110 million to settle its contract after the security firm failed to deliver the adequate number of security officers for the 2012 Olympics.

An agreement with G4S and LOCOG was reached on Monday after the two sides negotiated a final settlement. G4S was contracted to provide 10,400 security personnel as part of its $375 million contract.

Prior to the Games, British soldiers and police were summoned to cover the shortfall.

Initial estimates for G4S said the firm would lose more than $78 million due to the fiasco.

"The UK Government is an important customer for the group and we felt that it was in all of our interests to bring this matter to a close in an equitable and professional manner without the need for lengthy legal proceedings," G4S CEO Nick Buckles said on Tuesday.

World Olympians Association Striking New Ground

The World Olympians Association will hold an inaugural forum this year to support Olympians.

A statement from the WOA says the World Olympians Forum is designed to bring the 142 National Olympians Associations together biennially to discuss best practices.

No host city for the first forum this year was announced, but the WOA says preliminary negotiations with interested cities are underway with a decision coming soon.

"The WOA is setting out on a new path," said WOA president Joel Bouzou. "On behalf of the whole Olympic Movement, the WOA aspires to connect and support Olympians around the world and help promote the values of Olympism. Establishing the new World Olympians Forum is just one of the ways the WOA will be able to achieve this important ambition.

"We are building the organisation to realise these ambitions and empower those Olympians around the world that need our support. I am delighted that the WOA Executive Committee has formulated our new programme of development and my colleagues and I look forward to delivering this new mandate. We will be making further announcements in the coming months on our new plans and other initiatives which are now under discussion."

Also part of the WOA’s plans are ways to professionalize the organization, including appointing a CEO; new income generation; registering all Olympians by 2016 and other marketing and communication plans.

U.S. Freeskier Looks to Sochi

Top freeskier and Team USA hopeful Tom Wallisch tells Around the Rings a trip to Sochi is "definitely looking more feasible than I ever would have thought" with less than a year to go until the Olympics.

Wallisch, who won ski slopestyle gold at the 2012 X Games, appeared on the TODAY show Wednesday as part of NBC’s year-to-go coverage and was scheduled to travel to Sochi for this week’s test event until a lack of snow forced organizers to cancel the freestyle skiing and snowboard slopestyle competitions.

With ski slopestyle set to make its Games debut in 2014, the North Face is doubling down on its support of U.S. Freeskiing – Wallisch included – and also announcing a new Rookie Team for teens with Olympic aspirations.

"The North Face has played a huge role in my career over the last three years now that I’ve been with them," Wallisch told ATR.

"I’ve been able to work with those guys closely, which has been awesome, and now they’re stepping it up and supporting the Rookie Team for U.S. Freeskiing and doing a big sponsorship deal with them, which is really cool to see. From coming into the sport and sponsoring freeskiers, park and pipe riders like myself for the first time in 2010, it’s amazing to see where it’s come and where they are now and how big they are behind the sport. It’s really awesome to be a part of the program."

Israel Fails to Elect President

The Olympic Committee of Israel failed to elect a successor to retired president Zvi Varshaviak on Sunday.

Israeli news outlet Haaretz reports that OCI Board members were split 15 to 14 between Igal Carmi, who organized the last Maccabiah Games, and Zeev Bielski, a Knesset member, both backed by rival sports federations. According to OCI rules, 68 percent of the vote is required for major decisions.

The vote was postponed for a month, and court orders are being filed to continue negotiations.

Varshaviak resigned due to the Israeli Olympic team’s poor performance in London.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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