FIFA OKs Russia 2018 Plans; Taekwondo Medical Report; IOC Veteran, 93

Maurice Herzog, 25-Year IOC Veteran, 93

Maurice Herzog, a long-serving member of the IOC, died on Friday at the age of 93.

No cause of death was given in an IOC statement.

Herzog served in the IOC from 1970 until 1995, at which point he was elected an Honorary Member. He was Chief of Protocol from 1975 to 1978.

He first came to fame in 1950, scaling the Himalayan mountain of Annapurna and becoming the first person along with his companion Louis Lachenal to climb a mountain higher than 26,000 feet.

Following his climb, Herzog wrote the book "Annapurna First 8000" which sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. He proceeded to write several other books.

In addition to his duties with the IOC, Herzog was French sport minister from 1958 to 1963 and mayor of Chamonix from 1969 to 1977.

The IOC said in a statement it's "saddened" to learn of his passing and "expresses its deepest sympathy to Maurice Herzog’s family."

FIFA Approves Russia 2018 Hosting Concept

The 2018 World Cup will open and close in Moscow, FIFA confirmed Friday in Tokyo.

Meeting on the sidelines of the 2012 Club World Cup, members of the Executive Committee approved Russia 2018’s recent proposal of the concept for hosting key matches.

Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow will stage the opener, one semifinal and the final of the 2018 World Cup.

Saint Petersburg, which is currently building its stadium on Krestovskiy Island, will host the other semifinal in 2018 as well as both the opener and decider of the Confederations Cup in 2017.

FIFA World Cup Stadium in Kazan, Olympic Stadium in Sochi and Spartak Stadium in Moscow round out the venue roster for the World Cup dress rehearsal.

For more on the Ex-Co meeting, follow World Football INSIDER.

Taekwondo Touts 2012 Medical Report

Secretary General Jean-Marie Ayer says the World Taekwondo Federation is "delighted" with the findings of its 2012 Medical Report.

Compiling statistics from the London Olympics as well as WTF World Cups throughout the year, the study tallies zero knock-outs, zero serious injuries and zero fights forfeited due to injury sustained during competition.

Over the past four years, in fact, the injury rate has fallen by 18.4 percent, a trend accelerated in 2010 when the WTF tweaked its rules to award points for just a light touch to the head.

"Overall, it proves that taekwondo is a safe sport that is getting safer by the year," Ayer said Friday in a statement.

Paul Viscogliosi, Chairman of the WTF Medical Commission, added: "Taekwondo has been traditionally classified a ‘mild risk’ sport by health insurers, but that has not stopped the WTF from continually innovating and evolving the sport to improve the welfare of our athletes."

The full Medical Report will be published Monday on the WTF’s website.

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.