(ATR)Global Postcolumnist Timothy McGrath says,"No one wants to host the Olympics anymore--other than autocrats and oligarchs."McGrath specifically refers to the narrow bid race for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing are vying against each other to host the Games. "Two nations known for their poor records on human rights, free speech and corruption," McGrath writes. "Beijing doesn't even have ski mountains."
Sochi Controversy
The Associated Press discusses pop violinist Vanessa-Mae, who was banned from competitive skiing for four years on Tuesday for taking part in races that were fixed to allow her to qualify for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The International Ski Federation (FIS) also banned five race officials for their role in the controversy.
"Those who have been sanctioned have been sanctioned for good reason," FIS president Gian Franco Kasper told the AP. "At first, we were laughing when we heard it. But then we realized it’s quite a serious thing."
ESPN also covers the scandal surrounding the Olympian."She's famous for fiddling on stage, but now it seems Vanessa-Mae has been caught fiddling on the slopes.
"Mae competed in Sochi as part of the Thai ski team, finishing an inauspicious 67th out of 67 in the giant slalom--some 50 seconds adrift of winner Tina Maze."
Documentaries Spotlight International Sports
USA Today features "Ice Warriors," a documentary film that reporter Nina Mandell says, "captures the heroism and drama of the American sled hockey team"who won gold at the Sochi Games. PBS first aired the documentary on Nov. 10.
German international broadcasterDeutsche Wellespotlights afilm that celebrates Germany's victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. "Die Mannschaft"covers the German national football team's World Cup campaign from start to finish, capturing big moments from the tournament and sights that Brazil has to offer.
In Other News
BBC reporter Dan Simmons explores Japanese broadcaster NHK's super hi-tech plans for its coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."The games will be offered in Super 8K, 16 times sharper than high definition televisions and microphones that can zoom in on sound anywhere in the stadium," Simmons says.
Ami Afriati, a reporter for Indonesia's daily English language newspaper Jakarta Globe, speaks with a group of Indonesian weight-lifters with the sights set on the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Compiled byNicole Bennett
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