First Ski Halfpipe Qualifiers; Appeals Ongoing for IOC Athletes' Commission

Appeals Process Underway for Athletes' Commission Election

The IOC tells Around the Rings that the results of the Athletes' Commission election in London will not be known until the appeals process for athletes cited for breaking rules of conduct is concluded.

After a two-day "procedural" delay, Danka Bartekova, Kirsty Coventry, Tony Estanguet and James Tomkins were declared the winners at an Aug. 12 announcement in the Olympic Village.

But during the closing IOC Session that same day, members delayed ratifying the results in the wake of the controversial campaigning tactics of Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi and Taiwanese taekwondo fighter Mu Yen Chu.

They had finished in the top four of the 21 candidates bidding for the four open spots, but their results were voided amid allegations they had breached the strict rules of self-promotion during the election.

Murofushi and Chu were accused of using tablet computers to promote themselves; Chu was also said to have handed out lollipops in a campaigning stunt that backfired.

The IOC declined to confirm if the athletes disqualified from the election had lodged appeals. Appeals are also possible from the winners of the election who might be displaced.

"There is a window for appeals for every election. Once that window has passed, the IOC Session can hold a postal vote to elect the four Athletes’ Commission members as IOC members," an IOC spokeswoman told ATR.

"While this process runs its course, we will not be commenting further."

First Ski Halfpipe Qualifiers

Wednesday in Wanaka, New Zealand marked the first step on the road to Sochi 2014 for athletes in ski halfpipe.

Torin Yater-Wallace and Devin Logan won the women’s and men’s events at the FIS Ski Freestyle World Cup, the first qualifier for halfpipe skiing.

Snowboard slopestyle is the other alpine event making its Olympic debut in Sochi.

Lukashenko Inquiry

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of both Belarus and its National Olympic Committee, promises an investigation into the "depressing" performance of his country in London.

"One needs to find courage to admit mistakes, to take into account gained experience, and with perseverance and dedication, work for the result," he was quoted by Interfax.

"Unfortunately, not all [of the team] were able to cope with stress, determined to win in a hard struggle with rivals. Quite frankly, some were not prepared to perform at the Olympic Games at all.

"Compared to the previous Olympics, we rolled down in the medal standings," he added.

Belarus won 12 medals for 26th in the overall tally, compared to 19 in Beijing, good for the 13th spot.

"All this will be a subject to a separate serious conversation after a detailed analysis of the performance of our Olympians," Lukashenko said.

Lessons Learned in St. Kitts and Nevis

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis said the Olympics were a learning opportunity for the Caribbean country.

"Kittitians and Nevisians who travel abroad to compete – in any field – must ensure that there is ongoing, open, and constructive communication between those who will be competing and those who will be with them in a management capacity, and when Kittitians and Nevisians travel abroad to represent the Federation, they must remember that they are representing a nation," Denzil Douglas said in his most recent radio address.

"They are not there in their private capacity. And so the highest standards of decency and decorum must be maintained at all times."

St. Kitts and Nevis sent seven Olympians, all in athletics, to London, but did not win any medals.

Kenyan Probe

Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki wants to know what’s behind Kenya’s lackluster performance at the London Olympics.

Xinhua News Agency reports that Kibaki told his sports ministry to launch an investigation into the team that won 11 medals, including two gold.

"We are proud of Kenya's position as a leading sporting nation. Let us never take that for granted," he was quoted as saying in Nairobi.

He also noted the large responsibility for Kenyan sport administrators and had a word of advice for them.

"They must, therefore, at all times put the needs and aspirations of the sporting fraternity above any other consideration."

Written by Mark Bisson and Ed Hula III.

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