On the Scene -- Youth Olympics Program Announced, Congress Deadline Extended

IOC's Gilbert Felli says the program for the 2010 Youth Olympics will award more than 200 medals. (ATR)IOC Approves Sports Program for Singapore YOG

The IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli says the sports program approved for the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games (YOG) represents “some innovation."

The EB rubberstamped the sports competition format as well as the qualification system at its meeting Wednesday.

Innovations include basketball being played according to the FIBA 33 formula – teams of three will play against each other on one half-court – and mixed-gender relay events in swimming and modern pentathlon.

In a statement, the IOC said “the most important particularity of the YOG is, however, the numerous mixed–gender or national Olympic committees – team events in archery, athletics (medley relay), cycling (combined BMX-mountain bike-road event), equestrian, fencing, judo, modern pentathlon (relay), swimming (relay), table tennis, tennis and triathlon (relay).”

The EB was updated on the progress of Singapore’s preparations by Sergey Bubka, chair of the IOC's Singapore watchdog, and organizing committee head Ser Miang NG.

Felli confirmed that around 3,600 athletes would compete in the inaugural Summer YOG in the 26 sports on the London 2012 program and there would be a total of 201 events.

Each event has its own age group, being the athlete’s age on Dec. 31 in the year of the YOG. There are three age groups: 15-16 (27 events); 16-17 (111 events); and 17-18 (63 events).

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Felli underlined the importance of the participation of all 205 NOCs. In each individual sport, a specific number of places for NOCs, or ‘universality places,' will be reserved to ensure that at least four athletes from each nation have the possibility to participate in the YOG.

To ensure the smaller NOCs are represented, Felli said those countries represented by fewer than nine athletes at the Beijing Olympics – about 108 - would automatically get the full quota of universality places and the choice to compete in four of eight sports.

The qualification system for each sport and discipline aims to guarantee participation of the best athletes in their age category. Competitions such as junior world championships, continental championships or official junior ranking lists will allow athletes to attempt to qualify for the YOG.

The four team sport tournaments (football, handball, hockey and volleyball) will consist of one national team per continent. A sixth team will either represent the NOC of the host country or be proposed by the IFs for IOC approval.

A NOC will be allowed to have no more than one boys’ and one girls’ team competing for all four team sports. For qualification purposes, basketball is considered as an individual sport.

Singapore’s YOG organizers will shortly finalize its cultural and education program ahead of its implementation early next year.

Fredericks Leads First Athletes Commission Meeting

Frank Fredericks, chair of the IOC Athletes Commission. (ATR)Frank Fredericks led his first meeting of the IOC Athletes Commission since he was elected chairman in August.

Fredericks, the Namibian sprinter, succeeded Sergey Bubka, whose term on the 20-member commission ended this year.

Joining the commission at this meeting in Lausanne were the four new members elected by their peers at the Beijing Olympics: Dae Sung Moon of South Korea, Alexander Popov of Russia, Claudia Bokel from Germany and Yumilka Ruiz-Luaces of Cuba. All four are IOC members for the next eight years of their term.

Since Beijing, IOC President Jacques Rogge has named three other athletes to the commission to provide gender, sport and geographic balance. However, these three do not qualify as IOC members; only commission members elected by fellow athletes fit that category.

Two of the president’s nominees are past members: Barbara Kendall of New Zealand and China’s Yaping Deng. Pedro Yang of Guatemala is the other nominee.

IOC Selects London Hotel, Expects Venue Decisions in March

The Hilton Hyde Park is the IOC hotel for the 2012 Games. (Hilton Hyde Park)Felli says the IOC expects London 2012 to decide by March on the location of three venues that are still uncertain. A temporary venue in east London for rhythmic gymnastics and badminton is one organizers hope to drop from the construction list to save money, while U.K. sport officials debate whether shooting should remain at Greenwich or be moved to a venue with legacy. The Main Press Center and International Broadcast Center, once planned for a new venue in the Olympic Park, may be shifted to a new shopping center being built on the edge of the park, again for cost savings.

The IOC has settled on its choice of hotels for the 2012 Olympics. IOC members will stay at the Hilton next to Hyde Park, national Olympic committee leaders will stay at the nearby Intercontinental and the summer federation leaders will lodge at the Four Seasons, also in the Park Lane neighborhood.

Sochi Olympics Minister Greets IOC

Russia’s deputy prime minister in charge of the Olympics, Dmitry Kozak, made his first appearance before the IOC Executive Board Wednesday, albeit by teleconference from Moscow. Kozak was named in October to lead the government’s efforts to prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Felli expressed confidence that Sochi 2014 organizers are keeping the project on schedule, saying he had received a “very positive” report on construction progress and timelines from Kozak.

He reported that land acquisition for Olympic projects was expected to be completed by the end of the year, but the economic crisis has hit negotiations for the remaining 17 percent of land which still needs to be secured.

Felli said next spring would be a key time for Sochi 2014’s preparations; twenty-five projects are due to start by May.

Deadline Extended for Virtual Olympic Congress Submissions

The Wednesday press conference at the IOC headquarters marked the first one held in a new pavilion completed this year. (ATR)Organizers of the Olympic Congress Oct. 3-5 in Copenhagen have extended the deadline for submissions to the virtual congress by two months. Instead of Dec. 31, submissions are due Feb. 28.

IOC director general Urs Lacotte says more than 700 submissions have been made so far for the Congress which is supposed to debate the role of the Olympics in the 21st century.

Submissions should be no more than 1,000 words and sent to the IOC via the Internet at www.2009congress.olympic.org.

Written by

Ed Hula and Mark Bisson

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