McQuaid Off IOC Member List; Winter World Cup Draws Ski Chief Concerns

McQuaid Off IOC Members List

After his ousting in the UCI presidential election, Pat McQuaid has been removed from the list of members on the IOC’s website.

He will remain vice president on the council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations until next April.

Britain’s Brian Cookson became head of the International Cycling Union when he defeated McQuaid in the UCI presidential election earlier this month.

Cycling now has no representative on the IOC. With Britain already having four IOC members, IAAF vice president Sebastian Coe is in line to be the next one in 2015 if, as expected, he is elected as Lamine Diack’s successor.

The 64-year-old Irishman was narrowly re-elected to the ASOIF council at the organization’s assembly in St. Petersburg in May.

ASOIF director Andrew Ryan tells Around the Rings that, under the body’s statutes, McQuaid will remain on the council until elections are held at the general assembly in Belek, Turkey in six months' time.

Before that, McQuaid is scheduled to attend a February ASOIF council meeting.

The UCI can nominate Cookson or a senior member of cycling’s executive board to replace McQuaid on the ASOIF council, headed by Francesco Ricci Bitti.

With 28 international sports federations seeking the vice presidency at ASOIF’s top table, it’s unlikely Cookson, a newcomer to the fold, will have any chance of getting the required votes.

With McQuaid losing his IOC status combined with new members approved at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires, there are currently 110 members and 32 honorary members. The website shows that former IOC chief Jacques Rogge is the honorary president of the IOC.

Ski Chief Concerned About Winter World Cup

The head of the International Ski Federation is worried that a winter World Cup in 2022 could weaken interest in winter sports leading up to that year’s Olympics.

Gian Franco Kasper told the AP that he is "getting worried" that FIFA will move the event, currently slated to take place in Qatar during June and July at the height of the kingdom’s blistering summer heat.

"It would be only fair within sports federations to respect each other," said Kasper, a Swiss IOC member who has served on the coordination commission for every Winter Games since Salt Lake City.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested a November 2022 kickoff, while UEFA president Michel Platini is lobbying for January, the month before the Winter Olympics.

"If they do it in November, even December, we wouldn’t like it but it’s something we can live with," said Kasper. "In January, I tell you very honestly, this is our main season, not only for skiing, for all winter sports."

Milan, Not Rome, Positioned for 2024 Bid

With Rome in a precarious financial situation, Milan appears to be the Italian city best position to bid for the 2024 Summer Games.

An AFP report quotes Roberto Maroni, president of the Lombardy region, as saying, "Rome is on the brink of bankruptcy…A city in these financial straits can not be considered."

Earlier this week, Rome mayor Ignazio Marino said the capital’s finances would make a bid virtually impossible.

Maroni said of Milan, his region’s major city, "remains the only possible candidate."

Though recent reports indicated Rome and Milan could launch a joint bid, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee has ruled that out.

"Given the rules governing candidacies for the Olympic Games," said Giovanni Malago, "it’s not really possible."

FEI Announces More Bids

Great Britain and the United States have confirmed interest in bidding for the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

FEI re-opened the bidding process for the games after Bromont/Montreal could not guarantee the necessary funding. The federationhas said they encourage Canada to bid for the 2018 Games despite the rescinded bid.

Countries have until November 15 to announce the intended host city, and host city candidates will be announced on December 2.

The United States has announced that either Wellington, Florida or Lexington, Kentucky will be the host city for its 2018 bid. Lexington hosted the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

The winning bid will be announced in spring 2014.

No Weightlifting at European Games

Around the Rings is told that weightlifting won’t be part of the inaugural European Games in Baku.

Talks between federation leaders, the European Olympic Committees and Baku 2015 organizers took place in September.

But with the sports program already locked down, aside from a possible slot for athletics, weightlifting’s proposal did not fit with Baku’s plans and would have overcomplicated venue and accommodation concept.

Weightlifting has told the EOC that it wants to be part of the 2019 edition.

The European Athletic Association remains in talks with the EOC and Baku 2015 chiefs to stage a track and field competition at the Games.

The EOC’s European Games Coordination Commission, led by Hellenic Olympic Committee president Spyros Capralos, will visit Baku for an check-up on Games preparations at the end of October.

Written by Mark Bisson, Nick Devlin, and Aaron Bauer.

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