No Laser Pistols In London; Olympic Sailing Discussed; Frustration for Ski Federation

Lasers Nixed for London

Laser pistols won’t make their Olympic debut at London 2012.

The modern pentathlon federation, UIPM, failed to approve their use at the federation’s Congress in Riga, Latvia over the weekend.

Originally approved at last year’s Congress in Copenhagen and introduced at the Youth Olympic Games this summer, laser pistol needed UIPM’s approval to be used in future youth competition as well as during Olympic qualification, which starts next year.

The new technology’s introduction at the junior level was certain. Its future in the Olympics was anything but.

"I am extremely satisfied about the results from this year’s Congress," UIPM president Klaus Schormann said in a statement. "With the decision for the Laser Shooting technology we can now develop the sport in all Youth and Junior Competitions worldwide with the new laser technology".

Schormann’s comments come just days after saying he was optimistic the federation would "take the next step and complete the revolution" by approving laser pistols for London 2012.

"I am confident that the nations will vote positively for this latest step to modernize our great sport, which is being supported by the IOC President, IOC Sports Department and LOCOG."

With laser shooting, nothing is fired from the gun, making the sport safer. The guns are calibrated to recoil and make a sound, however, just like a traditional pistol. No reloading is required during competition.

Pentathlon officials claim the change cuts costs, makes the sport more environmentally friendly and helps promote pentathlon.

All junior and youth events will feature the technology beginning Jan. 1, 2011.

Clarity Ahead for Rio 2016 Sailing Program

Decisions loom that will shape the future of Olympic sailing--or at least its next six years.

The International Sailing Federation, ISAF, is in the midst of a week-long debate about which 10 events will make the Rio 2016 program, a matter at the top of the agenda for its ongoing conference in Athens.

ISAF’s Olympic Commission met Friday to mull recommendations made in a May report to the federation’s executive committee.

The Olympic Commission will again make recommendations this week, this time to ISAF at large. Various commissions will then tack on their input throughout the week, and the ISAF Council will convene Friday through Sunday to make the final decision on the Rio program as well as all other federation proposals.

ISAF spokesperson Tim Sewell tells Around the Rings it’s anyone’s guess which events will get the nod. He would confirm only that the Olympic Commission wants, but is not wed to, equal gender balance among the 10.

"Whether that happens will depend on the final outcome," he told ATR. "Certainly that’s the desire of the Olympic Commission is to move that way."

Also in Athens, the federation will hand out its Sailor of the Year awards Tuesday and discuss preparations for London 2012.

Check back Friday to see which events the Olympic Commission recommends for Rio 2016 and Monday to see which events make the final cut.

Ski Federation Vents Frustration with IOC

The International Ski Federation says an alpine team event proposed for Sochi 2014 got the raw end of the deal when the IOC squashed its bid for an Olympic future.

The IOC Executive Board said last month in Acapulco it was "looking favorably" at the inclusion of up to 10 new events for the winter program but left the final decision to IOC president Jacques Rogge.

He will single-handedly pick which, if any, make the cut for Sochi after the conclusion of world championships in each of the events next winter, probably in March or April.

The list includes women's ski jumping (which was turned down twice in its efforts to get on the Vancouver program), ski halfpipe (men and women), ski slopestyle (men and women), snowboard slopestyle (men and women), biathlon mixed team relay, figure skating team event and luge team relay.

Only a proposed alpine team event was rejected, a distinction with which the federation is none too pleased.

The federation formally expressed its disappointment at a Council meeting in Oberhofen, Switzerland over the weekend.

"The Council acknowledged that FIS is pleased that four event requests are seen favorably by the IOC Executive Board but at the same time very disappointed that out of all proposed new events on the Olympic Winter Games program across all sports, the only one excluded from the positive list is the Alpine Team Event," FIS said in a statement.

"This view has already been expressed officially to the IOC with the request to view also the Alpine Team Event at the upcoming FIS Alpine World Ski Championships."

Some say the inclusion of team events could capitalize on their popularity at the Youth Olympic Games. Others believe additional team events should stay the province of the YOG.

Gridlock Atop Standings At Women’s Volleyball Worlds

Russia and Brazil sit atop the standings after 10 days of play at the women’s volleyball world championship.

Both are unbeaten midway through the second round, while one-loss teams from the U.S. and host country Japan cling close behind.

The field’s 16 remaining teams have Monday off. Group play runs through Wednesday in Nagoya and Tokyo, after which the top two from each pool will convene in the capital for Saturday’s semis and Sunday’s finals.

Top-ranked Brazil is looking to add to its gold medal from Beijing, while Russia is attempting to defend its 2006 FIVB title.

Their records through Sunday virtually guarantee them semifinal berths. The last two spots are still up-in-the-air.

Korea and Serbia sit a point behind second-place Japan in one pool. Germany and Italy are a point behind second-place U.S. in the other.

This gridlock won’t last long. Sixteen matches are slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, including showdowns between Brazil and the U.S. as well as Russia and Japan.

Rowing Takes Care of Business With World Champs, Congress

Great Britain is alone atop the medal standings at the end of the World Rowing Championships.

Athletes enjoyed sunny skies, slight wind and still water Sunday on Lake Karapiro, New Zealand, where rougher conditions earlier in the week forced the International Rowing Federation (FISA) to backload the competition schedule.

Rowers from 49 countries ran through the traditional 14 Olympic events as well as a few non-Olympic, non-medal events.

Great Britain won 11 total medals, three of them gold, to lead the way. Host country New Zealand finished in second with 10 medals, and Germany rounded out the top three with nine.

Twenty-two other countries medaled throughout the busy week of rowing, which spilled over onto Monday with FISA’s annual congress.

Delegates from 44 national member federations gathered in nearby Hamilton for a series of reports, elections and presentations from countries bidding for major rowing events in the coming years.

Linz and Ottensheim in Austria will host the 2013 World Rowing U23 Championships; Varese, Italy the 2013 World Rowing Masters Regatta; Trakai, Lithuania the 2013 World Rowing Junior Championships; and Hamburg, Germany the 2014 junior champs.

Also Monday, Tone Pahle of Norway and Patricia Lambert of Belgium were elected to the FISA Council, and the Maldives became the federation’s 131st member country.

Written by Matthew Grayson.