Ferriani Faces Challengers for IBSF Presidency -- Federation Focus

(ATR) Ivo Ferriani is facing two challengers in his re-election as president of the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation.

Sarah Storey, the president of the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton since 2014, and Swiss businessman Fritz Burkard, a member of the IBSF Para Sport Committee and vice-president of the St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club, are the other two candidates.

Ferriani, who succeeded Storey’s father Bob as IBSF president in 2010, is seeking a third term at the 2018 IBSF Congress in Rome on June 27.

The 58-year-old Italian’s re-election bid received a big boost last month when he was proposed as the winter sports representative on the IOC Executive Board at the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations general assembly at SportAccord.

The IOC Executive Board is expected to rubberstamp the Ferriani proposal when it meets in Buenos Aires in early October ahead of the Youth Olympics. But to be eligible for the position on the IOC’s ruling body, Ferriani needs to be re-elected as IBSF president.

Ferriani would replace International Ski Federation president Gian-Franco Kasper on the executive board. Kasper steps downs as an IOC member later this year due to the age rule. He is 74.

Besides the presidential race, delegates of the IBSF member federations will also be voting for six vice presidents. In addition to running for president, Storey has also put her name on the ballot for every one of the six vice president positions.

World Team Table Tennis Championships Underway

The Liebherr 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships are currently taking place in Halmstad, Sweden.

The eight-day event, which began on Sunday April 29 and will end on May 6, features 72 men’s and 72 women’s teams from across three divisions. The top 24 teams in the championship division are battling it out to be crowned world team champions.

This is the 54th edition of the championships, which has been held since 1926. It’s the first time the prestigious event is back to Sweden since 1993 in Gothenburg.

All eight days of the event are on live TV for the first time ever, through the ITTF’s online streaming platform and the federation’s broadcast partners worldwide.

Ice Hockey World Championship Begins Friday

The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, which begins on Friday May 4, has already sold more tickets than any sports event in Denmark.

Organizers say the goal of 300,000 tickets sold has already been reached and the numbers could go even higher, given that tickets for some games are still available.

"Nobody initially believed that we could bring the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships to Denmark. But we did. Then nobody believed that we could sell 300,000 tickets. But we did that as well," the President of the Danish Ice Hockey Association, Henrik Bach Nielsen, said in a statement.

"The fact that we have managed to achieve this magic number before the start of the Championship is fantastic, particularly when you consider that traditionally a large number of tickets are sold during the actual event."

Royal Arena in Copenhagen and Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning are the two venues for the event.

"We are looking forward to the many spectators creating a festive atmosphere at both Royal Arena and Jyske Bank Boxen, as well as in the fan zones," says Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark.

The championship runs through May 20.

Fantasy Diamond League Returns

The starting gun for the 2018 IAAF Diamond League season is fired in Doha, Qatar on May 4 and with it the return of the Fantasy Diamond League.

As in previous years, the fantasy version of the Diamond League follows the athletes who compete in the 32 event disciplines at the 14 meetings held on four continents.

Fantasy players have to identify nine athletes at each IAAF Diamond League meeting who they think will place highest in their events. Just as with the real IAAF Diamond League itself, points are then awarded based on how well the athletes perform.

As well as the overall leaderboard, players can also set up private leagues with their friends and colleagues.

The winner of each meeting will receive a personalized engraved glass diamond, while the overall winner at the end of the season will receive a personalized engraved glass diamond plus a selection of "money-can't-buy" memorabilia from various meetings on the 2018 IAAF Diamond League circuit, according to an IAAF release.

Log in or register here for the 2018 Fantasy Diamond League.

Written by Gerard Farek

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