(ATR) Former SportAccord president Marius Vizer tells Around the Rings he wants to move on from his SportAccord outburst in 2015 and extended an olive branch to the recently elected president Patrick Baumann.
"I do not want to comment further on the subject and only wish to congratulate the newly elected president," Vizer told ATR while attending the Pan American Judo Championships in Havana, Cuba.
Baumann, secretary general of FIBA, was chosen as the next SportAccord president on the final day of the 2016 edition of the annual assembly in Lausanne. Baumann defeated Underwater Aquatics Federation president Anna Arzhanova 55 to 25 in the final vote count.
The current head of the International Judo Federation, Vizer came under fire after delivering a glaring critique of the IOC and Olympic Agenda 2020 at the SportAccord Convention 2015 opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia. His comments ultimately led to his resignation and Vizer says he is now solely focused on preparing his federation for the Rio Olympics this August.
"I think we are ready in the preparations for the Olympic tournament. I have no concern and am confident that the remaining details will be solved by the organizers with significant support from the International Olympic Committee," Vizer says.
Although the Pan American Championships in Cuba marked the final judo continental qualifier for the Rio 2016 Games, athletes still have opportunities to hone their skills ahead of the Olympics. The IJF will host three more judo tournaments before Rio with the Grands Prix of Almaty and Budapest as well as World Masters tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.
U.S. gold medalist at London 2012 Kayla Harrison also won gold at the Pan Am Championships and tells ATR she hopes to defend her titles in Rio.
"Every night I dream of a return to the top of the Olympic podium and wins like this give me more encouragement," Harrison said after hearing the U.S. national anthem play while she stood atop the podium.
Written by Kevin Nutley and Miguel Hernandez
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