Science Trust Eyes Bulk of Olympic Park
A biomedical research fund wants to buy the bulk of Olympic Park after the London Summer Games.
The Financial Times reported Thursday that Wellcome Trust chairman Sir William Castell is offering the British government $1.6 billion for a 513-acre expanse that includes the Olympic Stadium, media center, aquatics complex and other 2012 venues.
Wellcome is already one of nine bidders for the 2,800-unit Athletes Village but clearly wants more.
"In exploring this opportunity further, we are giving detailed consideration as to how we may also become investors in the wider Olympic Park and optimize the legacy of the Olympics," a spokesperson for the $22.4 billion trust told the Times.
The deal would certainly fit with British Prime Minister David Cameron’s high-tech vision for the park’s future.
According to Thursday’s report, Downing Street officials acknowledged the offer but insisted the decision was entirely up to the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the non-profit responsible for the Stratford site’s post-Games fate.
Visa Corrects Ticketing Payment Problem
The glitch that frustrated some Olympic ticket hopefuls on the opening day sales is no more.
Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Visa fixed the problem in its payment system that rejected cards with expiration dates before the end of August when Brits applied Tuesday via London 2012’s website.
All cards with expiration dates May or later will be accepted beginning Monday, and any cardholders with April expiration dates will receive replacement cards before the ticket application window closed on April 26.
The process is not first-come, first-served, meaning any registration received before the deadline stand an equal chance of bearing fruit.
Visa is a TOP sponsor of the Olympic Games and the only card accepted for ticket sales on the London 2012 website.
Skiers Support Japanese Relief Work
Top alpine skiers are among the many athletes reaching out to Japan after last week’s earthquake.
Newly crowned FIS World Cup super-G champion Didier Cuche will give his prize money from a Wednesday race in his home country of Switzerland to the ongoing relief efforts.
The $9,200 donation will go to Skiers Helping Japan, an aid fund launched by super-G world champ Julia Mancuso and managed by Japanese slalom racer Akira Sasaki.
Mancuso, a three-time Olympic medalist from the U.S., won the women’s downhill Thursday in Lenzerheide and pledged $18,200 to the campaign. Its website indicates a goal of $100,000.
Medvedev Urges Turkish Olympic Investment
At a Kremlin meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev called on Turkish firms to bid on work related to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Medvedev said: "Certainly, we also wantour Turkish partners to be involved in the subcontracting projects that are implemented within ourpreparations for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Sochi is closetoTurkey after all, and this gives our Turkish friends some advantages."
The two leaders met on Wednesday for the High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council.
Kenya Olympic Boss Wants U.K. Help
Kipchoge Keino, president of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, called on the United Kingdom to support Kenya’s 2012 efforts.
"NOCK is extremely happy about cordial relationship between Kenya and Britain and I ask United Kingdom to offer technical assistance to Kenya as we prepare our teams for Olympics," Keino was quoted by Kenyan media.
Keino added that "most" of Kenya’s Olympic finalists trained in the U.K. and he hopes his countrymen can continue to benefit from that practice.
A gold medalist and athletics legend, Keino predicted something else may inspire Kenyans to Olympic glory next year.
"Kenyan teams will camp at Kipchoge KeinoStadium in West London and I believe the name will inspire them to perform better in Olympics"he said.
The comments were made at a ceremony with the British High Commissioner to Kenya Rob Macaire.
Kenya is a member of the British Commonwealth.
Olympians Win in D.C.
Olympic champions from the United States scored big in a Congressional competition.
At an event to urge Congress to continue funding the USOC’s Paralympic Military Program, Christian Laettner and Teresa Edwards were tops in a basketball free throw competition, while Rep. Joe Baca sank four of five shots. Both Edwards and Laettner won basketball gold medals.
Currently, the USOC receives $8 million for the program, which helps rehabilitate veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Correction
The USOC Board of Directors streamlined its code of conduct for staff, the board and committees, but not for athletes as reported in an early version of a story.
Media Watch
A report in Canada’s The Globe and Mail details the impending legal battle of condo owners at Vancouver’s Olympic Village. The property owners complain of poor craftsmanship and other problems that make units not worth what they paid for.
LOCOG chief Sebastian Coe will be the center of attention for the remainder of London’s Olympic lead-up, writes The Guardian’s Owen Gibson.
USA Today unveiled its medal tracker for the 2012 Olympics. So far, the United States is on top with 88 medals, 36 gold. China is second with 84 medals. With 80 medals, Russia is third while Great Britain and Germany round out the top five with 56 and 53 medals respectively.
Rio de Janeiro is building a slew of art galleries and venues before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
Written by Matthew Grayson and Ed Hula III.
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