Wladimir Klitschko Plans Return to Olympics; Vancouver Gets Host Statue

Heavyweight Champion Eyes Rio Return

Undisputed heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko wants to repeat his Olympic title 20 years later in Rio de Janeiro.

Klitschko, 38, won gold at the 1996 Olympics in the heavyweight division and has stated his ambition to compete in the 2016 Olympics, the first with professional boxers.

"I hope that international amateur boxing's ruling body will be kind to me and that I will have enough health and motivation to perform at the Olympics in two years time," Klitschko told Interfax-Ukraine.

Last year, AIBA announced that professional boxers would be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. Previously, only amateur boxers could compete in the Games.

"I already have an Olympic title and it would be terrific to repeat this experience 20 years later."

Vancouver Receives Hosting Statue

The city of Vancouver received a statue of Nike from the city of Ancient Olympia, a tradition for Olympic host cities.

The statue was unveiled Saturday and was designed by sculptor Pavlos Angelos Kougiomtzis.

"It is a victory for the city of Vancouver, who joined the exquisite club of Olympic host cities four years ago," The Consul General for Greece, Ilias Kremmydas said.

"It is also a victory for Greece, strengthening its ties to Canada, and Vancouver in particular. The statue is a huge victory for the connecting link between Vancouver and Greece."

The statue was finally installed in the area near the Olympic cauldron after construction on Jack Poole Plaza had been completed. Delays in the construction led to the delay in receiving and unveiling the statue.

Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010.

Japan Improves Public Wi-Fi

Japan is ramping up its public Wi-Fi in train stations and airplanes ahead of Tokyo’s hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Japan Airlines announced it plans to provide Wi-Fi on all domestic flights, having previously offered it on select international flights from July 2012.

Select railway stations around Tokyo and western Japan have begun offering Wi-Fi hotspots. A total of 44 stations have implemented new hotspots all across Japan.

R-Sport Closes

R-Sport’s English desk, opened to cover the Sochi Olympics, closed Monday after two years of operation.

The agency was the English language sports arm of the state run news agency RIA Novosti. R-Sport’s last exclusive feature was an interview with Russian national soccer team manager Fabio Capello.

"It's been a privilege to guide R-Sport through the Sochi Games," chief editor David Nowak said to RIA Novosti.

"The experience has been at various times enjoyable, challenging, exciting, and exhausting, but always interesting."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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