Triathlon Tackles Japan Criticism; FIFA Corruption Allegations; IAAF Visits Daegu

Triathletes Split After Japan Go-Ahead

The International Triathlon Union tells Around the Rings safety is paramount after angering some of its top athletes with a decision to green-light next month’s event in Japan.

"To be clear, the safety of our athletes is always our top priority," an ITU spokesman told ATR over the weekend, adding that information from both the World Health Organization and the United Nations factored into the ITU Executive Board’s recent go-ahead.

The race slated for May 14-15 will have athletes swimming 1.5 km in Yokohama Harbour, located 300 km south of the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor from which millions of liters of radioactive water have leaked into the Pacific Ocean since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Reigning Olympic champions and significant others Jan Frodeno of Germany and Emma Snowsill of Australia plan to boycott the event, but the ITU is quick to point out other top triathletes who are more than willing to make the trip.

"Happy to see the Yokohama WCS race is still a GO!" two-time Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand tweeted last week. "I'm really looking forward to supporting the race and the Japanese people."

Two-time reigning world champion Emma Moffatt and Aussie boyfriend Bradley Kahlefeldt likewise intend to compete in Japan under the current circumstances.

"ITU is keen to update athletes on the situation in Yokohama to better inform them," the ITU told ATR.

"Many of our athletes have raced in Japan at one time or another and we know they are saddened by the earthquake and devastation and they sincerely hope the country will recover from this disaster."

Yokohama is the second of seven stops on the Dextro Energy ITU Triathlon World Championship Series, a competition in which athletes vie for the title of world champion while earning Olympic qualification points.

Fresh Corruption Allegations Hound FIFA VP

The leaders of England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid say FIFA vice-president Jack Warner twice asked them to fund an education center in his native Trinidad during the campaign process.

The Times of London newspaper alleges that Warner asked bid chairman David Triesman about funding for facilities on the island in London in October 2009 and again while a high-profile delegation including bid CEO Andy Anson visited Trinidad at the time of a Caribbean Football Union dinner last February.

Under FIFA rules bid nations were prohibited from offering gifts or other incentives to delegates.

The CONCACAF president denied, with typical vigor, the allegations made in Monday’s paper, telling The Times that the meeting never took place.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Warner was quoted by AFP.

"Why should I ask David Freestone [sic] or somebody for some offices here? Why should I? To do what? It doesn't make sense."

For more on the developing story, visit World Football Insider.

Canada’s Men Continue Curling Dominance

Canadian curlers capitalize yet again upon home-ice advantage on the sport’s biggest stage.

A year after winning gold at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the country did likewise over the weekend at the men’s world championship in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The squad of Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, Steve Gould and skip Jeff Stoughton edged Scotland 6-5 in Sunday’s final match. Sweden took bronze, leaving defending runner-up and Vancouver silver medalist Norway off the podium.

Only three Norwegians left Regina empty-handed, though. Skip Thomas Ulsrud took home the Collie Campbell Award for good sportsmanship throughout the weeklong tournament.

World champs for mixed doubles and seniors round out the sport’s winter calendar. Both events kick off concurrently in St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday and run through April 24.

IAAF Council Gathers in Daegu

Event preparations take center stage as the IAAF Council convenes in Daegu, site of this summer’s world championships.

The host city’s mayor, Bum Il Kim welcomed track and field’s 27 decision-makers to South Korea on Monday alongside Korean Athletics Federation president Dong Jin Oh.

Topping the agenda for the two-day meeting are a progress report from the organizing committee as well as a tour of the stadium and nearby villages for athletes and media.

"It is important now that we work extremely hard to support the efforts of our Korean colleagues to promote the event well and ensure that the stadium is full of spectators and can help the athletes perform to their full potential," IAAF president Lamine Diack said in a statement.

The IAAF Council will gather next on the eve of the world champs, scheduled for Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.

Changes in Store for Volleyball

Poland will stage the 2013 beach volleyball world championship.

The hosting rights were confirmed last week during a three-day meeting of the International Volleyball Federation’s decision-making Board of Administration.

The following year, Poland will host the men’s world championship and Italy the women’s, but with a new format in place.

The 2014 formula includes quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in a world championship for the first time since 2002. The other big change: only the host country and not the defending champion will enjoy an automatic berth.

Also in Lausanne, board members updated the Olympic qualification system in place for Rio 2016 and awarded next year’s FIVB congress to Anaheim, California.

Federation president Jizhong Wei, meanwhile, reiterated his plans to vacate office at the election slated for Sept. 2012.

"I will step down but most of you stay," he said Friday during closing remarks.

"So we will plan the future of the FIVB together, which is looking very bright and very strong thanks to the strength in development and in our confederations. That is a guarantee of the FIVB future and governance. Thank you for your confidence in me."

Written by Matthew Grayson.