Bokel Chairs 2018 YOG Panel
IOC Athletes’ Commission chairman Claudia Bokel will head the working group responsible for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the six candidates for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games ahead of the July 4 election.
The six cities in the race are: Buenos Aires, Glasgow, Guadalajara, Medellin, Poznan and Rotterdam.
German IOC member Bokel, an Olympic silver medalist in fencing, recently replaced Frank Fredericks as chair of the Athletes’ Commission.
Members of the YOG 2018 working group include: National Olympic Committee representative Guido de Bondt, secretary general of the Belgian NOC; ASOIF director Andrew Ryan, who represents the international federations; Cuban IOC member Yumilka Ruiz Luaces, an Olympic volleyball champion representing athletes; and Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director.
They will be joined by IOC representatives on the panel including sports director Christophe Dubi, Antoine Goetschy, head of YOG coordination, Patrick Stalder, head of creative services and CEP and Toshio Tsurunaga, NOC relations program manager.
The panel will analyze each city’s candidature file, which is due with the IOC by Oct. 15.
A report will be made to the IOC Executive Board, which will recommend the shortlist of YOG 2018 candidate cities for further evaluation at its meeting in Lausanne on Feb. 12-13.
Following further assessment and video conferences with each shortlisted candidate city, a report will be submitted to IOC members. They will elect the host city at a meeting in Lausanne on July 4.
Sochi 2014 Unveils Pictograms
With 500 days to go until Sochi 2014, the Look of the Games is taking shape with the launch of pictograms.
"The symbolic images of sport will be everywhere; at our Olympic venues, on licensed merchandise and even on Olympic tickets," said Sochi 2014 CEO and President Dmitry Chernyshenko.
"I have no doubt that the pictograms will have particular significance to all residents of Russia, as these new symbols have been influenced by the 1980 Moscow Olympics pictograms, ‘creating a bridge’ from the past to the future."
The 22 icons represent all 15 winter disciplines as well as some of the freestyle and snowboard events making their debuts at Sochi 2014.
The pictograms will feature in two color schemes. The first, a monochromatic look matching the Sochi 2014 logo, was unveiled Tuesday while one including yellow, violet, green, dark blue and red in the patchwork quilt style of the Games has yet to launch.
The first Olympics pictograms were used at the 1948 London Games and have become a regular featuresince the 1964 Tokyo Games.
WADA Praises 2012 Anti-Doping Program
World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey says WADA was impressed with the anti-doping program administered by the IOC, LOCOG and UK Anti-Doping during London 2012.
"The Independent Observer Team appreciated the co-operation and support it received from the IOC and LOCOG, which allowed it to complete its mission to the best of its ability and in the fullest interests of all clean athletes who aspire to compete at the Games," says Fahey in a 13-page report put together by a panel of WADA-appointed observers and published Tuesday.
WADA does, however, advocate "more intelligent testing as far in advance of competition as possible" as opposed to merely more and more testing.
A record 5,132 tests were conducted during the Games period with eight positives and one disqualification: women's shot put winnerNadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus.
Click here to read the complete report.
Pin Fever
Watch for some big names to show up for the 31st Olympin Collectors Club Memorabilia Festival from Friday to Sunday in Atlanta.
The city is home to a large number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Their alumnae organization has been working with Olympin and will have a reunion in conjunction with the show. That means there will be 15 or more Olympians and Paralympians attending the show at various times. At least 10 will attend the Friday dinner, with more involved on Saturday. Several are planning to have tables on Saturday where they will have memorabilia for show and / or sale. Most will be available for autographs and pictures, including special guest Pat McCormick, the only double and back-to-back gold medalist in women’s diving.
Other confirmedOlympians and Paralympians attending the show include Dennis Berkholtz (handball, 1972 and 1976);Bob Pickens (wrestling, 1964);Mel Pender (athletics, 1968) andTommie Smith (athletics, 1968).
Peter Zeytoonjian will attend on behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and official USOC artist Steve Allen willoffer some of his Olympic art, includingtwo special London Artist Proof prints for the auction Saturday night.
The auction will also feature adiscus autographed by Al Oerter.
The event is set for the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. Tables are still available for vendors; a banquet, reception and auction are on the schedule. Admission is free.
To book a table or to check updates, visithttp://www.olympinclub.com/benefits_fair.html.
Reported by Mark Bisson and Matthew Grayson
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