Georgia Pledges Sochi Cooperation; IOC Confirms 2018 YOG Candidates

Georgia Pledges Sochi Cooperation

The expected new Prime Minister of Georgia says the country will work with its neighbors for a safe and secure 2014 Winter Olympics.

Bidzina Ivanishvili’s coalition won the parliamentary election earlier this month and pledged strong support for the Games in Sochi, potentially ending a diplomatic row over the Games.

On Tuesday, Ivanisvili was quoted by the Associated Press saying at a press conference that Georgia would act ''as a good neighbor and make sure the Olympics go ahead peacefully and without any troubles.''

The Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia is 25 miles from Sochi. Tensions between Georgia and Russia over the disputed territory have increased in recent years. The two countries briefly fought a war over the territory in 2008.

IOC Confirms 5 YOG Candidates

Buenos Aires, Glasgow, Guadalajara, Medellin and Rotterdam are the five bid cities for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The IOC confirmed Tuesday that the cities all submitted their candidature files by Monday's deadline.

An evaluation panel chaired by German IOC member Claudia Bokel will now analyze the five bid books.

A report will be made to the IOC Executive Board, which will recommend a shortlist of cities for further evaluation at its meeting in Lausanne on Feb. 12 and 13.

Following additional assessment and video conferences with each remaining bid, a report will be submitted to IOC members, who will elect the host city at a meeting in Lausanne on July 4.

FISU Inspects Gwangju

Preparations for the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju are going "very, very good" according to the International University Sport Federation.

"I appreciate the efforts of the Gwangju Organizing Committee for their speedy preparation during the short period and hope that the FISU and the OC will closely work for further cooperation," says Marc Vandenplas, Summer Universiade Director of FISU.

Vandenplas led a small delegation last week in the South Korean host city, where they inspected areas such as event operation and management, stadium construction and repair/maintenance, athletes’ village, transportation, IT, accommodation, security, volunteers and cultural events.

FISU’s team also visited 19 of the 21 venues to be used in the Universiade.

They had site visits to 19 venues for 21 games as part of inspection on the preparation progress.

New Spokesman for Toronto 2015

Olympics veteran Teddy Katz will leave his longtime post as a national news radio reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to join Toronto 2015.

Katz starts work Oct. 22 as director of media relations and chief spokesperson for the organizing committee of the next Pan American Games.

"The Pan Am Games in Toronto is a major undertaking," he told the CBC, "and it requires a lot of work to educate people in all the different communities as to why this is such an important event, not just a sports event."

Sunday marked 1,000 days to go until the opening of Toronto 2015.

"At the 1,000-day mark, we’re exactly where we should be," said TO2015 CEO Ian Troop. "We’re on time and on budget or under budget on our capital projects. We’re fanning out throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe talking up the opportunities that come with hosting this kind of once-in-a-lifetime event."

Increase ASADA Power

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates wants ASADA, Australia’s anti-doping organization, to be granted new powers that would compel witnesses to produce evidence.

Coates made the recommendation in a letter to sports minister Kate Lundy on Tuesday.

"I suggest that the Government should again consider strengthening ASADA’s powers to investigate allegations of doping practices by including the power to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence and to produce documents relevant to such investigations," Coates wrote.

The letter came in response to Lundy’s comments that the government is "committed to protecting the health of athletes and the integrity of Australian sport through the elimination of doping."

"AOC experience is that without the power to compel the giving of oral and documentary evidence, many allegations of ADRV’s (anti-doping rule violations) cannot be properly investigated and prosecuted," Coates added.

Media Watch

... Jeffrey Orridge will serve as Olympics chief for CBC, the Olympic broadcaster in Canada. Orridge currently serves as CBC Executive Director, Sports Properties. He now oversees NHL, FIFA and 2015 Pan American Games broadcasts in addition to the Olympics. "Jeffrey was instrumental in bringing the Games home to CBC. Building on his long standing, strong relationships with the IOC and thorough understanding of the international sports arena, I know Jeffrey will represent CBC/Radio-Canada well for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games and 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games," said Kirstine Stewart EVP, CBC English.

... Gannett Company saw a multi-million dollar boost from the Olympics. The newspaper publisher and television holding company reported on Monday revenues for the last quarter, which included the Olympic period, were up 3.4 percent from last year to $1.31 billion. The company’s NBC affiliates helped drive T.V. revenues to $233 million, a 38 percent increase from last year, with approximately $37 million coming from Olympics-related advertising.

...Bloomberg Television profiles Gil Hanse, the architect of the 2016 golf course in Rio de Janeiro.

…Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald handicaps the candidates to replace Mike Krzyzewski as coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the Rio 2016 Olympics and asks Doc Rivers as well as Doug Collins to relive the end of the gold medal game at Munich 1972, a controversy to which both are intimately connected.

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.

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