Olympic Medal, Earthquake Relief

(ATR) New Zealander Nick Willis finally receives his Beijing silver medal in a ceremony even an earthquake could not postpone.

Guardar

(ATR) New Zealander Nick Willis finally receives his Beijing silver medal in a ceremony even an earthquake could not postpone.

Nick Willis finished third in the 1500m in Beijing but stepped up to the silver medal after the doping disqualification 18 months ago of first-place finisher Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain.

He received the new medal in a ceremony Saturday in the capital city of Wellington. Theevent had been hastily moved from Christchurch, where it was supposed to have taken place on Saturday.

"It was such an amazing experience in Beijing and it is good to be reminded of it here in Wellington. It’s very special to be presented with the medal in front of my New Zealand friends, family and local fans," said Willis.

New Zealand IOC member Barry Maister presented Willis with the medal. It’s the first time an Olympic medal has been presented on New Zealand soil.

Maister, who is a member of the IOC commission evaluating the bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics, left soon after the ceremony to head to Munich, the last of three bids he and hiscolleagues will scrutinize.

When the earthquake forced cancellation of the event, Willis and the New Zealand Olympic Committee chose to move it to Wellington. It was to be the third edition of an international track meet annually staged in Christchurch.

Proceeds from admission and other donations went to the Salvation Army Earthquake Appeal.

Willis and a dozen or so international athletes, including U.S. record holder Alan Webb, took to the track at Newton Park with a capacity crowd of about 2,000.

"It’s just phenomenal. Everyone in New Zealand knows someone involved in the earthquake and this is just a fantastic response," Willis is quoted by the NZOC.

In addition to an elite 1500m event in which Willis ran a sub-four minute time, there were a men's 800m, women's 1500m, men’s and women’s long jump and a schools relay.

"It’s an extremely special day and, in light of recent events, a good reason to bring in the crowds and raise money for Christchurch," said Willis.

Written by Ed Hula.

Guardar

Últimas Noticias

Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons

Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons

Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024

She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024

Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris

Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris

Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years

The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years

Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”

The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”