Rogge in Ukraine; Double Duty for Belarusian President; Luge Tie

IOC President Hears Plansfor Ukraine 2022

Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych isn’t the only one lending credence to a Winter Olympic bid from the former Soviet republic.

IOC president Jacques Rogge met Friday in Kiev with Yanukovych to discuss his country’s sporting future and, in turn, his dreams for 2022.

"According to my instructions, the project ‘2022 Olympic Hope’ is being worked on," the president said in a statement.

"In the future we expect a positive decision of the International Olympic Committee, but already how have begun active preparation stage."

The Ukrainian NOC has yet to decide if the country will bid for 2022, an idea touted by Yanukovych since he took office in the spring.

According to his press office, the president stressed to Rogge his country’s rich sporting tradition, its devotion to winter sports development and the impact an Olympics would have upon its Carpathian host cities.

"Apart from purely sporting value, the Olympic project will attract significant investment to social and economic development of the western regions of Ukraine," the statement read.

"We hope that large-scale actions, planned for making in Ukraine, and 2022 Winter Olympic Games will find support of the International Olympic Committee members and its President Mr. Jacques Rogge."

Also Friday, Yanukovych presented Rogge with the Order of Merit for his contributions to the Olympic Movement in Ukraine.

Belarusian President, NOC Chief, Wins Reelection

Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus and the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus, won reelection on Sunday as the country’s president.

Lukashenko, called Europe’s last dictator, secured nearly 80 percent of the vote in a race with multiple candidates. The election resulted in violence and the government arresting opposition forces.

The United States and the European Union both criticized the government’s reaction and arrests.

He has served as president of the NOC since 1997, winning reelection in September. He is only the second NOC president since its formation following the split of the Soviet Union NOC in 1991.

IOC rules stipulate that an NOC must be independent from the government, making Lukashenko a rare figure in the Olympic movement. Marcus Stephen, president of Nauru, and IOC member Prince Albert of Monaco are two of the known heads of state leading an NOC. Both are Olympians.

London 2012 Awards Power Contract

LOCOG will run the next Olympic Games, but Aggreko will keep them running.

The Scottish company announced Monday its selection as London 2012’s exclusive provider of temporary energy.

The $57 million contract will afford organizers an estimated 220 megawatts via generator, 60 more than Beijing 2008.

Aggreko also powered Vancouver 2010 and the FIFA World Cup this summer in South Africa.

The energy provider signed on as a sponsor of London 2012 shortly after being awarded the contract.

Luge Clocks Historic Finish

The winter sports world is abuzz about Saturday’s luge finish in Park City, Utah.

Two Austrian pairs tied for gold at the former Olympic venue’s World Cup event, throwing into question a timing system that only measures to the thousandth of a second.

Peter Penz and Georg Fischler were ahead after the first run, but two-time defending Olympic champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger rallied for a combined time of 1 minute and 27.331 seconds, identical to that of their countrymen.

Luge’s last such finish also decided that season’s overall World Cup title.

Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin of the U.S tied Germans Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch in their native Winterberg on the final day of the 2002-2003 season but edged past them by just nine points in the WC standings.

Winning Weekend for Vonn

Olympic champion skier Lindsey Vonn is winning both on and off the slopes.

The Associated Press named the two-time medalist and three-time defending World Cup overall champion its 2010 female athlete of the year on Saturday.

A day later, Vonn reclaimed the World Cup lead with a super-combined win in Val d’Isère, France.

She also won Saturday’s downhill race and now has 3 WC wins on the season after 11 in her award-winning 2009-2010 campaign.

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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