Olympic Briefs -- Wei to Relinquish Office; FIBA Announcing 2014 Host Saturday

FIVB President Jizhong Wei will not run for re-election when his term expires in three years. (FIVB) FIVB president Jizhong Wei said he will not run for re-election when his term expires in three years to focus on reforming the volleyball federation.

Wei made his comments at the Asian Volleyball Confederation meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which were released in a statement by the FIVB on Wednesday.

Wei, who was elected to a four-year term last year, said he will focus on making the federation more democratic and work on improving relations with the continental confederations and organizations outside the FIVB.

He has also proposed to end the policy of paying commissions to FIVB officials who negotiate television and marketing deals.

“It is natural that we will encounter problems during this period of reform, but with the support and help of the volleyball family, the continental confederations and the national federations, I am confident we will succeed and achieve our goals,” Wei is quoted in the statement to the AVC meeting.

FIBA Decides 2014 Host on Saturday

The selection of a host for the 2014 World Championships will be the main order of business for the FIBA Central Board at its biannual meeting in Geneva Friday through Sunday.

The board will choose China, Italy or Spain at an assignment ceremony on Saturday.

Before the vote is taken, the three candidates will make their final presentation to the 20-member central board. After that, the board will hear a report from the world championship evaluation commission on its visits to each of the countries in March.

The winner requires only a simple majority of the votes. If none of the three candidate countries achieves a simple majority, the last place vote getter will be eliminated and Michael Phelps returns to competition this weekend for the first time since winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Games last year. (Getty Images)the voting will move on to a second round with the two remaining candidates.

Phelps Returns to Action This Weekend

Michael Phelps will compete for the first time since his eight gold medal-winning performance in Beijing last year at the Charlotte UltraSwim, a USA Swimming Grand Prix event, in Charlotte, N.C. this weekend.

It will also be the first time that Phelps has competed since the end of a three-month ban imposed by USA Swimming after a photo of him with a marijuana pipe appeared in a British newspaper in February.

Phelps will swim in the 200-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly on Friday, the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke on Saturday and the 100 freestyle on Sunday.

The event in Charlotte is one of two tune-up meets that Phelps will compete in before the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Rome July 18-Aug. 1.

Panel to Decide Fate of High-Tech Swimming Suits

A panel appointed by FINA will decide on Monday which high- A FINA panel will decide on Monday which high-tech swim suits will be allowed for the world championships in Rome this summer. (Getty Images) tech swimsuits can be worn at the world championships in Rome July 19-August 2.

The commission, consisting of technical officials, athletes and coaches, will meet at FINA headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Monday.

The decision comes after the completion of independent laboratory tests on the suits, which have been mainly responsible for the large number of world records that have been set in the last year.

“Now we have the results of the tests,” said FINA in a statement. “The commission will analyze the results and draw a list of the swimsuits that are approved and not approved.”

Written by Greg Oshust.