Olympic Newsdesk - Honor for Bubka; Paralympics Impact; Royal Family Attendance

Royal Attendance Criticism

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Prince Harry are coming under criticism for their Paralympic attendance plans.

The trio’s schedules for the Games show they will attend five events, despite being a continual presence during the Olympics.

However, a spokesperson for the Royal Family says William, Catherine and Harry have a good excuse – they’re just regular folks who have to go to work.

"You cannot really compare the two events," an unnamed spokesperson was quoted in The Daily Mail.

"The duke will be back on shifts with the search and rescue team when he is not attending events, and Prince Harry has long-standing military commitments.

"Prince Harry was on a period of summer leave during the Olympics, which is due to come to a close very soon.

"The duke did not have any military commitments during the first week of the Olympics.

"Also, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be taking time to prepare for their forthcoming overseas tour."

Honor for Bubka

IOC member Sergey Bubka received the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (III grade) for Ukraine’s performance at the London Olympics.

The Ukraine Olympic team secured 20 medals in London. Bubka is president of the Ukraine National Olympic Committee.

"It is a great honor for me to be awarded the Order of the Yaroslav the Wise," Bubka said in a statement.

"My feelings are different to those I had when being awarded Olympic and World Championship medals, which were mostly just my own and my coach's recognition.

"I would like to share this latest honor with all my colleagues from the Olympic Movement, athletes and coaches whose hard work and achievements in London provoked a great celebration in Ukraine, making the population so proud of their country."

The award is given to individuals from Ukraine "in recognition for distinguished services to the state" as part of Ukraine Independence Day festivities.

ROC VP to ROC: Move to Sochi

A vice president of the Russian Olympic Committee says the ROC needs to move from Moscow to Sochi in advance of the Olympics.

In an interview with ITAR-TASS news agency, Ahmed Bilalov said being based in Sochi through the Games would give Russian Olympians an advantage.

"Our Olympians have come to Sochi is not for two weeks, as do foreign athletes," he said, adding they must do so "on a regular basis to conduct an active workout, use the slopes and other Olympic facilities as the main training environment."

He highlighted the alpine skiing courses, which many view as being technically demanding, as one area where Russian athletes could find success.

"This could be our advantage, our skiers can break in slope so that competitors do not stand a chance," he said.

Commission Questions Paralympic Impact

Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 chair Shaun McCarthy questions the legacy of the Paralympics following Wednesday's open of the Games.

"The opening ceremony was incredible, but will the London 2012 Paralympics really represent a turning point in the way we view disabilities?" he asked. "The Olympic Park and Village should be a great place for disabled people to visit, work and live, but there is more to it than that. There is still much to do to ensure that there are truly equal opportunities for people of all abilities to travel, work, live, and play sport."

While McCarthy commended the prominence of recycled or re-used items during the ceremony, including the sculptures made from used runners’ blades, he also criticized certain features of the venue.

"My colleague observed some less-than-helpful features behind the scenes, where a person was struggling with the stairs and was told that they could not use the nearby lift because it was reserved for the Queen, and directed to a lift some distance away," he said. "I am sure Her Majesty would not have minded."

The Commission is charged with enabling the sustainability objectives of the London 2012 program and supporting a sustainable legacy.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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