IOC Unveils Athletes' Hub; Team USA Gets Dressed; Beckham Survives Olympic Cut

IOC Unveils Olympic Athletes’ Hub

Add the IOC to the long list of Olympic stakeholders celebrating 100 days to London 2012.

Launched earlier Wednesday to mark the milestone, the aptly titled Olympic Athletes’ Hub is an online directory of more than 1,000 – and counting – Olympians that brings their Facebook and Twitter updates together in one place and is searchable by name, country, sport, discipline or event.

"The Olympic Athletes’ Hub was born out of our desire to connect Olympic athletes and their fans more intimately than ever before," said Alex Huot, head of social media for the IOC.

"With the launch of the Hub, we are creating a paradigm shift in the communication around the Olympic Games, and we are excited to offer this opportunity for greater engagement and interaction between Olympians and their fans."

Fittingly, there’s a competition of sorts taking place on the Hub. The more athletes a user likes on Facebook or follows on Twitter, the more points – and prizes such as virtual Olympic medals – they get.

Athletes will also chat with fans from within the Olympic Village in London via the Hub, a first for the Games.

Team USA Gets Dressed

Village wear and closing ceremony uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren are among Team USA’s big reveals for the 100-days-to-go milestone.

Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay, Beijing 2008 breaststroke gold medalist Rebecca Soni, gymnastics hopeful Aly Raisman and Olympic water polo medalist Tony Azevedo appeared on Wednesday's "Today Show" wearing select pieces from the village wear collection. Olympic taekwondo medalists Diana and Steven Lopez joined them in the parade uniforms.

"Ralph Lauren takes great pride in understanding our U.S. athletes and creating a sense of patriotism through clothing," said Peter Zeytoonjian, managing director of consumer products and licensing for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Also during the so-called "Road to London" event in Times Square, the USOC launched its "Raise the Flag" fundraising campaign with Olympic champions Greg Louganis, Carl Lewis, Shannon Miller and Allyson Felix to dedicate the first stitch in American flag that will accompany Team USA to London 2012.

Supporters can now purchase subsequent stitches in the flag for $12 via TeamUSA.org with the donations going to fund athlete preparations for the Games.

"Unlike many of the teams our athletes will compete against in London this summer, the U.S. Olympic Team receives no government funding and our athletes rely on individual donations and corporate support," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun.

"This program invites every American to become a member of the team behind the team."

Beckham Survives Olympic Cut

David Beckham is among 80 footballers still in the running to represent Britainat the 2012 Olympics, according to an Associated Press report.

The former England captain survived manager Stuart Pearce’s latest cut and will remain in contention for one of the three overage spots on the U-23 team.

Beckham, 36, has in recent months publicly expressed his desire to play in London when Britain sends a football team to the Olympics for the first time since 1960.

After significant furor over the FAs of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales not wanting to field players for the British side amid fears they would lose their autonomy in the eyes of FIFA, only seven of the 191 players contacted by The Football Association in December indicated they did not want to be considered for the Games.

Following the cut from 184 to 80, Pearce is expected to pick his final 18-man squad in June.

Tennis Olympians for 2012

Stephanie Vogt and Veronica Cepede Royg are the first entries to the Olympic tennis competition at London 2012.

The International Tennis Federation announced Wednesday that both women will receive invitation places from a Tripartite Commission of IOC, NOC and ITF representatives.

Vogt, now ranked No. 258, withdrew from Beijing 2008 due to injury and will become Lichtenstein’s first tennis Olympian at London 2012.

Royg, ranked No. 212, represented Paraguay at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The bulk of the 64-woman singles draw will be based on world rankings as of June 11 with six additional invitation places to be allocated by the ITF Olympic Committee.

Toronto Star Reporter, 51

Olympics reporter Randy Starkman is remembered as "one of a kind" by Canadian chef de mission Mark Tewksbury.

Starkman fell ill earlier this month after returning from the Olympic swimming trials for Canada and died Monday in Toronto due to complications from pneumonia.

"There was no bigger advocate for Olympic sports, Olympic athletes than Randy," Tewksbury, the 100m backstroke gold medalist from Barcelona 1992, tells The Toronto Star, where Starkman worked for most of the dozen Games he covered.

Starkman, twice a National Newspaper Award Winner, famously uncovered the second positive steroid test of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson in 1993.

Olympic Diving Medalist, 71

British Swimming mourns the death of Elizabeth Ferris, the last British woman to win an Olympic diving medal.

Ferris took bronze in 3m springboard at Rome 1960 and was later a founding vice president of the World Olympians Association. She was also a founding member of the IOC Women and Sport Commission.

Deirdre Ryan Q&A

Olympic high jumper Deirdre Ryan tells Around the Rings she will fly from her native Ireland to London City Airport for the Games. Visit the Facebook page of ATR for more from the Irish national record holder and reigning world championships finalist.

Written by Matthew Grayson

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