#ICYMI -- In Case You Missed It ... Sometimes the best stories don't get the attention we think they deserve. Here are our staff picks for articles this week they really want you to know about.
On the Record: Baseball, Softball Adapt and Grow
(ATR) World Baseball Softball Confederation President Riccardo Fraccari says changes are coming that will make the bat and ball sports more appealing to fans and competition hosts.
He says seven inning games will become the rule post Tokyo 2020, while the upcoming Premier 12 tournament in men's baseball will be the first under a pitch clock.
Fraccari says he's pleased with the appetite for baseball and softball demonstrated by spectators at last month's Pan American Games in Lima.
He comments on a wide range of issues for the sport in this On the Record for Around the Rings.
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Iran Judoka Seeks Asylum
(ATR) Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei is seeking asylum in Germany after claiming he and his family were threatened by the Iranian government.
Mollaei said he was ordered not to compete in the final rounds of the IJF Judo World Championship last week in Tokyo. He says the order came from the Iranian government and the head of the country’s national Olympic committee.
The objective was to prevent the world number-one from competing against an Israeli for the gold medal. Iranian law prohibits athletes from competing against Israelis.
Mollaei revealed the efforts to dissuade him from competing after losing his semi-final match August 28. Mollaei now says he only gave "10 percent" effort in losing the match against Belgium’s Mathias Casse.
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Let It Snow in Tokyo
(ATR) It will be snowing at a Tokyo 2020 canoe test event next week.
Organizers say they plan to try out artificial snow as the latest way to keep spectators and athletes cool at next year’s Olympic Games, which will be held in July and August during the worst of the Tokyo summer.
A Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman told AFP that the artificial snow will be sprayed over spectator seating during a sprint canoe test event at Sea Forest Waterway on Sept. 13. NHK reports that small snowmaking machines will produce about a ton of snow per day for use during the test. Organizing committee officials will be on hand to judge the effectiveness of the effort.
Finding ways to help keep athletes, fans and volunteers cool and hydrated has been a priority for Tokyo 2020 organizers. Mist sprayers, shaded or air-conditioned rest areas and handing out water and ice packs are some of the efforts already tried at test events earlier this summer.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) shortened the distance of the running portion of its qualifying event last month due to the heat.
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