Nuzman Wins Reelection
Carlos Nuzman will serve a fifth consecutive four-year term as president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.
The honorary IOC member and Rio 2016 chief stood unopposed Friday, winning 30 of 31 votes from Brazil's national governing bodies.
Eric Maleson of theBrazilian Ice Sports Federation is believed to be responsible for the lone dissenting ballot. Brazil's first bobsled Olympian, he announced his intention to challenge Nuzman back in April, but the COB rejected his application, requiring that a candidate be backed by at least 10 NGBs.
"We are on the eve of an unprecedented Olympic cycle in the history of Brazil, which will mark the opportunity for our athletes to participate in the Olympic Games at home for the first time," Nuzman said Friday in his inaugural address.
"With the increased financial support to Brazil’s Olympic sports after we won the right to host the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, we are confident that it is possible to give a leap of quality and quantity in medal winning in the next editions of the Games."
At the 2012 Olympics in London, Brazil won 17 medals, the largest number ever, 14th in the overall standings. The goal for Rio 2016 is to place Brazil among the top 10.
Nuzman's renewed mandate comes amidst questions from Brazil's federal government about whether he can handle both his OCOG and COB roles in the run-up to Rio 2016.
Also unclear is whether he still has the confidence of President Dilma Rousseff.
Recent calls to remove Nuzman, 70, marked the first real public scrutiny of his long tenure within the Olympic Movement.
Royal Visit for Zambia
The Princess Royal is the latest VIP to visit the Olympic Youth Development Center in Lusaka, Zambia.
Princess Anne, also an equestrian Olympian and former federation president, was welcomed by IOC colleague Patrick Chamunda and OYDC director Clement Chileshe, who led her on a tour of the 14-sport site.
"Her coming here is not by accident because throughout the period of construction she has taken a keen interest in the project," said Chamunda. "She did indicate that she was impressed in our meeting and is very supportive of the programs here."
Chileshe added: "She definitely shared our passion and love for young people."
The facility, inaugurated in May 2010, is the flagship project of the IOC's Sport for Hope Program. Established in collaboration with six international federations and the local government, it’s already been visited by thousands of athletes as well as IOC President Jacques Rogge and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon back in February.
Plans for a second Olympic Youth Development Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti are already underway, according to the IOC.
Figure Skating Champion, 84
Olympic and world champion figure skater Barbara Ann Scott is being remembered as "Canada’s Sweetheart".
Scott, 84, died Sunday at her home on Amelia Island, Florida.
As a 19-year-old, she won ladies singles gold at the 1948 Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland and remains the only Canadian to do so.
Written by Matthew Grayson
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