Olympic Newsdesk - Colbert Hits SI; Speedskating Bribery Investigation; Munich 2018

Comedian and US Speedskating sponsor Stephen Colbert is gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated this week.

Colbert appears on the cover in a skin-tight speed skating uniform. The headline: "Speedskater Extraordinaire: Stephen Colbert and his Nation Save the Olympics."

The article highlights how Colbert rescued US Speedskating after the organization was left with a $300,000 shortfall following the bankruptcy of a major sponsor. “The Colbert Nation” has raised $250,000 since becoming a sponsor in November.

Coach to Comply with Bribery Investigation

Speed Skating Canada coach Ingrid Paul said Tuesday that she will cooperate with Dutch investigators probing bribery allegations.

Poland's Katarzyna Wojcicka said on a Dutch TV show aired Sunday that Paul offered her more than $70,000 to withdraw from the 5,000m race at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Wojcicka, who finished last, said she refused.

Dutch native Paul said in a prepared statement that she "asked around" to find a spot in the race for Gretha Smit, the first alternate.

"It often happens that qualified skaters choose not to race it since they have raced many other events before," Paul said. "In no instance has money been involved in those discussions."

Paul said her main focus is to train Canadian skaters for upcoming competitions, including the 2010 Games.

"I have no intention to further comment on the issue," she said.

Munich 2018

The Munich 2018 bid committee is marketing itself at the third Munich Snow Festival this weekend.

The committee is handing a cap and a “fan kit” to festival goers. Munich 2018 will have an information tent at the Snow Festival as well.

"The Snow Festival offers children and teenagers from all sections of the population the opportunity to take part in winter sports," said Munich 2018 CEO Willy Bogner. "We want to support that idea and hope that children from economically disadvantaged environments, in particular, will be delighted with our 2018 fan kit."

Festival participants can try downhill and slalom skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and freestyle skiing activities. The festival is for kids between the ages of four and 17.

Generations for Peace Camp Concludes

After receiving IOC recognition status earlier in the week, Generations for Peace concluded its 2nd Amman Camp 2009 on Thursday in Jordan.

The conference was led by GFP founder and chairman Prince Feisal Al Hussein. He concluded the fifth conference since the founding of GFP in 2007.

"This IOC recognition gives us greater status and opens up the whole Olympic Movement as potential partners," Feisal said. "We can now bring forward our aim to stage Generations For Peace Camps on all 5 Olympic Continents before 2013.”

Delegates from Afghanistan, Burundi, India, Jordan, Nepal, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kenya and Timor-Leste attended the 10-day conference. GFP has 31 countries in its organization.

Pan American Sports Manuals Almost Done

The sports manuals for the 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games are nearing completion.

Organizers said on Tuesday that the manuals should be ready in January for circulation to federations.

The manuals include six sports— bowling, water ski, fronton (pelota), karate, roller skating and squash— that were approved at the PASO General Assembly last month. The manuals include competition programs and the qualification criteria for the Games.

"They are actually finished and ready for approval for most of the sports," said Hellen Ponce Avila, COPAG technical services manager. "Now, we just need to hold some meetings with the representatives for bowling, water ski, fronton (pelota), karate, roller skating and squash; these were the sports that were unanimously approved to be in the competition program."

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Written by Bob Mackin and Sam Steinberg.