Olympic Newsdesk - IOA, Dow Update; Swedish Ice Hockey on Hot Seat?

IOA Writes Dow Protest Letter

The Indian Olympic Association contends that Dow Chemical should be dropped as a sponsor in a Tuesday letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge.

Dow has been linked to an industrial disaster in Bhopal, India that killed thousands in 1984 when toxic gas from a pesticide plant leaked into the city.

In 2001, Dow bought the Union Carbide Corporation, which owned more than half of the shares of the responsible company at the time of the incident.

In the letter, IOA head Vijay Kumar Malhotra links Dow Chemical to the disaster and points to many activists and athletes against the company’s association with the Games.

"IOA has received representations from several former Olympians, hundreds of suffering people, NGO's and agencies working among the thousands of Gas victims, protesting the London Games Organizers link with Dow Chemical," wrote Malhotra, according to the Indo-Asian News Service.

"Dow has bought US chemical firm Union Carbide, whose plant was responsible for the gas tragedy that took place in Bhopal in 1984 killing and disabling thousands in one of [the] worst Industrial disasters in recent history."

The Olympic sponsor has consistently argued that it did not own the facility in Bhopal and that it is not responsible for the incident. Activists say Dow has failed to compensate victims and are calling for India to boycott the Games.

While Malhotra has said the IOA is powerless to make a decision about boycotting, he argued in the letter that Dow should be removed as a sponsor.

"A false campaign has been launched by the Dow Chemicals' saying that matter has been settled. It is not correct. The case is still pending in the court and no final compensation has been made.

"IOA feels that Dow Chemicals should be removed as the sponsors of the Games. Because the very presence of this company is against the spirit of the Olympic ideals," he said.

Sweden on the Hot Seat?

The International Ice Hockey Federation wants to know if Sweden’s men’s team intentionally lost a game at the Turin 2006 Olympics.

The eventual gold medallists lost 3-0 in the preliminary round to Slovakia, which set-up a quarterfinal meeting with Switzerland. Sweden never had to face Russia or defending champion Canada in the tournament. Centre Peter Forsberg, in a Swedish TV documentary, indicated that the Swedish team did not try hard against Slovakia.

An English translation of a story in Sweden’s Expressen quoted Forsberg as saying: "We maybe discussed within the group well probably it ‘is better if we do not go out and charge us too much.’ All knew that this was our chance. We did all that was needed to win the tournament. I think you can blame the whole system."

"The IIHF has asked the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation for a clarification / explanation of what was said and what the player meant. Things get lost in translation," said IIHF communications director Szymon Szemberg. "The IIHF will act accordingly upon receiving the clarification from the (Swedish) federation."

Szemberg said the IIHF decided before the game to appoint a game supervisor based on Swedish coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson's comments about the game’s relevance.

"The observer's report had nothing about any irregularities," Szemberg said.

Vancouver Canucks’ captain Henrik Sedin, a member of the 2006 team, denied the allegations to the Vancouver Sun.

"We were already in the quarterfinals. It wasn’t a big game for us, so to speak," Sedin said.

Olympic Swan Song for Britain’s Threat Scale

Britain’s terrorism threat scale may receive its final use at the London 2012 Olympics.

Government has already announced the level on its existing five-point scheme will be heightened during the Games. According to The Associated Press, that may prove to be its swan song.

"The system is too complex and misunderstood by many members of the public, who struggle to decipher between the various alert stages," said Mark Pritchard, a member of Britain's National Security Strategy Committee who argues the old scale must be abandoned in response to new research.

Under the present system,terror tips from the public somehow decrease when the alert level is high and increase when low, according to data obtained by AP.

Transition Underway for Gold Coast 2018

Mark Stockwell will stay atop the 2018 Commonwealth Games as Gold Coast transitions between the bidding and organizational stages.

Less than six weeks after his bid chairmanship came to a winning end, the three-time Olympic medalist swimmer was appointed Monday by Queensland government to head the organizing committee.

"Mr. Stockwell managed to drive the bid for the Games with a passion and energy befitting his days as an athlete," said Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who headed the Aussie delegation to last month’s Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in St. Kitts.

"I have no doubt he will throw the same amount of enthusiasm into delivering a sensational Games that will do Queensland and Australia proud."

Gold Coast’s next order of business is to appoint a board of directors as well as a chief executive officer to take over for acting CEO Mark Peters, who filled the same role during the bid.

"The Gold Coast will be on show to the world and it is paramount that we have the right staff in place," said Stockwell.

"However, this is a marathon, not a sprint with lots of planning before the finish line in 2018 and lots of hard work ahead.

Tanking Allegation Against Graf

A former doubles partner of Steffi Graf says the German tennis great may have thrown their semifinal match at the 1988 Olympics.

She and countrywoman Claudia Kohde-Kilsch lost 5-7, 3-6 to a Czech team en route to a bronze medal in Seoul. Days later, Graf won singles gold.

A few weeks removed from a bankruptcy filing, Kohde-Kilsch now questions why Graf – famous for her steady backhand slice – instead opted to hit out on her returns and suggests her father Peter prompted the change in tactics so as to deny Kohde-Kilsch an Olympic gold.

"I was wondering the whole time," the one-time No. 4 in the world told German newspaper Bild.

"It would not be unusual for a family who begrudged anybody anything."

Peter Graf and former national team coach Klaus Hofsäss have so far denied the allegations. No word yet from Steffi.

Kiwi Olympic Grants

Kiwi athletes impacted by the February earthquake in Christchurch are getting "early Christmas presents" courtesy of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

The NZOC announced eight recipients of its Christchurch Hardship Grant on its website. The athletes are all hoping to qualify for the London Olympics.

Each athlete’s grant money varies with the biggest grant coming in a little more than $5,000.

Sophia Batchelor, 16, touted by the NZOC as "one of the country’s most promising swimmers," had her family’s home destroyed in the quake along with the pool she trained in.

"It’s a fantastic early Christmas present. I value the support of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, and I am looking forward to the challenge of qualifying for the Olympics. If I am successful then I will do everything to make New Zealand proud," she said.

Barbados Olympic Team

Steve Stoute, president of the Barbados Olympic Association says the Caribbean country’s Olympic team could be a small one next year.

Currently, only one Bajan has qualified for the Games—swimmer Bradley Ally.

The ongoing worldwide economic malaise did no favors for Barbados’ Olympic preparations Stoute said.

"It is not that we have done anything different, and if anything we would have enhanced our support to the national associations," he told local media. "We have initiated a number of new programs, but it just looks like a lean period."

He said several other athletes are currently training with the hopes of qualifying for the Games.

Eight Olympians represented Barbados at the Beijing Olympics.

Media Watch

In a post on The Guardian’s sports blog, Richard Williams argues there is no point in London trying to match the Beijing opening ceremony, so "a simple parade on The Mall" should be done instead.

London’s Olympic legacy will be eclipsed by the ongoing Dow sponsorship row, writes The Financial Times’ Olympic correspondent Vanessa Kortekaas.

The New York Times looks at chess’ Olympic prospects.

In his final "Sports of the Times" column, George Vescey reflects on his career as a columnist for the Times. He cites the Olympics as one of his favorite events, noting with fondness the 1996 Olympics following the IOC’s move to add more women’s sports to the program.

The paper also profiles the hard times that have hit the track and field team at the University of Maryland. The school had one of the U.S.’ premier teams until the 1980s. Current head coach Andrew Valmon will serve as the U.S. track team’s head coach in London.

Written by Ed Hula III, Matthew Grayson and Bob Mackin.

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