Rio Golf Course Reaction; Spiridon Louis Cup for Sale; Netherlands 2028?

Rio Course Decision Unanimous, Reveals IGF

International Golf Federation executive director Antony Scanlon tells Around the Rings that Wednesday’s selection of U.S. architect Gil Hanse to design the first Olympic links since 1904 was unanimous.

"All eight candidates gave exceptional presentations, and the Jury Panel was very much impressed with each one," Scanlon tells ATR from the World Golf Championships in Doral, Florida, where members of the Rio 2016 team are joining the IGF this week as part of an education program to familiarize them with how to run an international professional golf event.

"But through final evaluations, the overriding belief was that Hanse Golf Course Design overall did the best job of addressing the broad range of the criteria that were set forth from the outset of the Request for Proposals. We were particularly impressed with his ideas on design characteristics and hands-on creativity, and consideration for the facility’s legacy of promoting and developing golf in Brazil and globally."

Hanse, who will team with LPGA great Amy Alcott, beat out teams that paired Jack Nicklaus with Annika Sorenstam and Greg Norman with Lorena Ochoa, among others.

Wednesday’s announcement followed presentations heard last month by a jury composed of Peter Dawson, IGF president ; Carlos Nuzman, Rio 2016 president; Augusto Ivan, assessor of the Municipal Olympic Company and Arminio Fraga of the Rio 2016 Golf Advisory Committee.

"The IGF is pleased with the selection of Hanse Golf Course Design and believe they will provide an outstanding Olympic venue as well as a golf course that will serve as a lasting legacy to the Olympic Games 2016 through the development and nurturing of golfers long after the Games," says Scanlon.

Netherlands 2028 Meeting

Around 650 delegates attended a conference in the Netherlands on Thursday that was dedicated to exploring the possibilities of a bid for the 2028 Olympics.

The mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Eberhard van der Laan and Ahmed Aboutaleb, explained why they wanted to bring the Olympics to the Netherlands and emphasized the social and economic legacies of staging the Games.

IOC member the Prince of Orange also spoke about his country's ambition to stage the 2028 Olympics, which would mark the 100th anniversary of the Amsterdam Games.

Also at the Olympic Flame Annual Conference held in Arnhem, the city that is home to the Dutch Olympic Committee, were sports stars such as Richard Krajicek and representatives from the NOC, government and business.

A Dutch NOC spokesman told Around the Rings that a decision on the country's candidate city for a possible bid is expected later this year. A decision on whether the country will bid for the 2028 Games will not be made until 2019.

Early British Olympic Items At Auction

With the London Olympics on the horizon, Ingrid O’Neil’s 68th mail bid auction features two historic items from a British precursor to the Olympic Games. A pair of silver winner’s cups associated with the Shropshire Olympian Games of the early 1860s highlight the 787-lot mail bid auction, which closes March 10.

Both cups are for "Tilting at the Ring on Horses." The first, with an estimate of $8,500, was given in Wenlock, the inspiration behind the name of the London Olympic mascot. The second cup, estimated at $6,500, was awarded at the Shrewsbury Show.

O’Neil tells Around the Rings that other exceptional lots include a 1948 London official torch with the used burning unit on the top ($19,500), the John Eshbach collection of participation medals (summer set estimated $32,000, winter set for $40,000) and items from the collection of the late Bud Greenspan, the Olympic filmmaker, including a 32-piece group of his Olympic identity cards for $2,500.

Seldom-seen 1972 Sapporo items highlight the winter offerings. An unused Sapporo torch with a small instruction sheet has an estimate of $35,000, while a gold medal for ice hockey, complete with ribbon and won by the Soviet Union, carries an estimate of $22,000. Recently, previously-unknown bear mascot figures from Sapporo have been appearing on eBay, and O’Neil has four of them at an estimate of $500 apiece. The figures, which also serve as savings banks, show the bear carrying the torch, skiing, ski jumping and driving a sled.

As usual, O’Neil also has a plethora of torches, badges, medals, pins, tickets, programs, official reports and decorative items.

Spiridon Louis Cup For Sale

The silver cup awarded to the 1896 marathon winner, a piece that is so famous the IOC has a replica of it in its museum, will be auctioned by Christie’s in London on April 18.

The grandson of Spiridon (also called Spyros) Louis says it was "always going to be impossible to split a cup" among his two children, so they will share the proceeds, estimated at $188,500 to $251,300.

The cup was created by French philologist Michel Breal, a friend of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympics.

"This is probably one of the most exciting pieces of Olympic memorabilia we have ever seen," Nicolette Tomkinson of Christie’s told Reuters. "It's been in the family all the way through, passed down generation to generation. We believe it's been on the mantelpiece so it's been something they've been proud to share with all their friends and family.

"This is the iconic piece. If you want to buy some Olympic memorabilia, this is the one thing you would definitely want to have."

Louis, who died in 1940, was also awarded a silver medal (the 1896 Games did not give gold medals to the winners), an antique vase, an olive branch and a diploma by Greece ’s King George I. Those items would be just as coveted by collectors, even moreso in the case of the medal and diploma.

Families of Munich Massacre Push for Memorial Service

Families of the Israelis killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics are campaigning for an official commemoration in London this summer.

Reuters reports that while the IOC participates in unofficial memorial services, two widows of the athletes want more during the upcoming Olympics.

"We want the IOC ... with all 10,000 young athletes in front of them, to say: 'Let us not forget what happened in Munich'. (We want this) only for one reason, so it will never happen again," said Ankie Spitzer.

Her husband Andre Spitzerwas the fencing coach for the Israeli team and was killed along with 11 other Israelis when a Palestinian terrorist group invaded the Olympic Village.

Irish Hospitality House Announced

The hospitality house for the Irish Olympic team will be located in Big ChillHouse in central London.

Opening on July 27, the house will be a base for athletes, supporters and guests and will bring in several Irish musicians, comedians and actors for entertainment. The venue is located in the recently transformed area of King’s Cross.

"The London Games are so geographically close to us that we are treating it as a ‘home’ Olympics," said Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

"Therefore we feel a strong obligation to cater for Irish people travelling to the event to support Team Ireland and to the Irish diaspora living in the UK. The Irish Olympic House will undoubtedly be a magnet for our supporters due to its excellent central location and superb facilities," he added.

Global Sports Forum Underway

LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe, former footballer Eric Cantona and Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius are among the speakers at this week's Global Sports Forum Barcelona.

Surfer Laird Hamilton and skier Kevin Rolland are also on the agenda, which is focused around the future of sport.

Sessions kicked off Wednesday and wrap up Friday.Click here to watch the event live.

Written by Matthew Grayson, Mark Bisson, Karen Rosen and Ann Cantrell .

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