Turkey's Triple Threat; Libyan NOC Update; 2012 Transport Scrutiny

Turkey’s Triple Threat

The newly elected president of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey presents a rare triple threat: IOC member, federation leader and now NOC president.

International Archery Federation (FITA) president Ugur Erdener achieved the distinction this week when the Board of the Turkish NOC unanimously nominated him to succeed former president Togay Bayatli.

"The world archery community is proud that Dr. Erdener has now been elected as the new Turkish NOC president," FITA secretary general Tom Dielen said Friday in a statement.

An ophthalmologist and three-time Turkish Sportsman of the Year for his achievements in basketball, Erdener was elected archery president in 2005 and an IOC member in 2008.

His IOC membership is linked to his FITA leadership, meaning the seat is his as long as he remains federation president.

Erdener is the first Turk to head the governing body of an Olympic sport and joins aquatics president Julio Cesar Maglione of Uruguay as the only other current triple threat.

Whether Erdener will add an Olympic bid to his raft of responsibilities remains unclear.

NOC officials tell Around the Rings the Turkish government will decide after a June 12 general election whether to pursue the 2020 Summer Games or European soccer finals. Though not a Middle East city, Istanbul would be the first host from a Muslim country. The ancient Byzantine capital bid for the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics but sat the 2016 race out.

Libya Says Conditions Difficult for London Hopefuls

The strife in Libya has made life difficult for athletes hoping to go to the London Olympics, the secretary general of the Libyan NOC tells Around the Rings.

"The main concern for the Libyan NOC is the wellbeing of the athletes and providing the support needed for their preparations which became very difficult since the situation erupted in Libya," writes Marwan Maghur in an email to ATR.

"As you can imagine sport practicing and preparation is not a priority with what's going on and not easy. Even though, we are trying to meet our obligations and support as much as possible. Among which is supporting the athletes with potential qualifications to London 2012 as preparations and qualification events are taking place now," says Marwan.

He says Libya needs the support of Olympic Solidarity to help the athletes get to London.

"The Libyan NOC is working closely with Olympic Solidarity team at the IOC trying to work out how to get the athletes especially the ones with Olympic Scholarships to join their camps, and have a normal life as much as possible," he says.

The name of Mohammed Muammar al-Gaddafi, NOC president and eldest son of Muammar Gaddafi, has not appeared in reports from Libya that include his brothers' involvement in the defense of their father’s government against the rebel forces.

Libya sent a seven-member team to the Beijing Olympics and has yet to medal since first participating at the 1964 Games in Tokyo.

Watchdog Sees Risk in 2012 Transport Plans

A new report from the London Assembly indicates transport plans for the 2012 Olympics are on track – and must remain so if the city is to stage a successful Games.

Among the concerns highlighted in the 49-page document are the amount of extra capacity required, the impact of the proposed Olympic Route Network and the assumption that Londoners can –and will – alter their daily routines in order to make plans work.

"In 2012 London is facing extreme demand placed on a network already creaking at the seams. This is not just about spectators and visitors being able to get to and from events, Londoners will need to go about their everyday business too," London Assembly Transport Committee chair Val Shawcross said in a statement.

"We are reassured that what can be planned for is being planned for but there is no doubt transport conditions will be extreme in 2012. It’s better to be safe than sorry and the more detailed plans are, the more likely London’s transport networkwill cope."

The report refers to the period beginning with the Diamond Jubilee in early June and ending with the closing ceremony of the Paralympics on Sept. 9 as "around 100 continuous days of extraordinary operation" and questions whether estimates that a third of Londoners will change their travel behavior are too ambitious.

Accessibility issues are also raised, as are doubts about the awareness of Londoners toward the restrictions –and hefty fines – surrounding the Olympic Route Network’s special Games lanes.

Click here to watch a video about the report’s key findings or to view the entirety of "Clearing the Hurdles: Transport for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games" in PDF format.

Sochi Stays Self-Sufficient

Organizers of the Sochi Olympics plan to operate without government financing for the second straight year.

Members of the organizing committee’s supervisory board came to that conclusion this week in Moscow at their first meeting of 2011.

The more than $1 billion dollars already attracted by Sochi’s marketing program not only sets a Winter Games record but also allows the organizing committee to stand on its own.

"[We were] able to operate without government financing in 2010," Sochi 2014 announced Friday.

"Utilizing the same savings through means of its budget, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee plans to achieve the same goal in 2011."

Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov likewise indicated his satisfaction with last month’s visit of the IOC Coordination Commission, its fifth so far.

"The head of the Commission, Jean-Claude Killy, described the progress of the preparation for the Games as ‘significant’. On the whole, planning has moved to a new, more detailed level," told his supervisory board colleagues.

Also this week, Russia’s central bank unveiled a massive Olympic coins program that could see as many as one in four citizens owning one of the 36.7 million commemorative coins due to be minted by Games-time.

Written by Matthew Grayson.