The Miscellaneous Sports Thread

[Liep]

I don't think anybody after watching just one game of Aussie Rules football would say those guys were clean, but this is perhaps a bit extreme.

'Blackest day in Australian sport'

AUSTRALIA'S sport has been rocked by revelations that organised crime is behind the increasing use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by ''multiple athletes'' across top sporting codes and possible attempts to fix matches and manipulate betting markets.

The heads of all the major professional and participation sports expressed shock after being briefed on a 12-month investigation by the Australian Crime Commission that found professional sport in Australia was ''highly vulnerable to organised crime infiltration''.

Police are now pursuing evidence that some coaches, sports scientists and support staff at clubs have orchestrated or condoned the use of banned drugs and that organised crime figures distributed the drugs.

The probe, named Project Aperio, also revealed personal relationships between professional athletes and organised criminal identities and groups that ''may have resulted in match fixing and the fraudulent manipulation of betting markets''.

It found ''clear parallels'' between what it uncovered and the investigation by the American anti-doping agency into disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.

''The difference is that the Australian threat is current, crosses sporting codes and is evolving,'' the commission's report said.

Commission chief executive officer John Lawler said on Thursday he was hopeful that criminal charges would be laid, but refused to be drawn on which individuals, clubs or codes were under investigation or when inquiries by state and federal police would be completed.

Former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority boss Richard Ings said Australians had been in denial about sports doping for too long.

''This is not a black day in Australian sport, this is the blackest day in Australian sport,'' he said.

Federal ministers urged those with knowledge of unethical or illegal behaviour to come forward, saying co-operation could lead to less severe sanctions.

''Don't underestimate how much we know, and if you are involved in this come forward before you get a knock at the door,'' said Justice Minister Jason Clare, adding that the revelations would ''disgust Australian sports fans''.

Mr Clare said ''multiple athletes'' from a number of clubs in major Australian sporting codes were suspected of using or having previously used performance-enhancing drugs and that officials from clubs had been identified as ''administering, via injections and intravenous drips, a variety of substances''.

The government has introduced legislation to increase ASADA's powers so that those who refuse to co-operate will be liable to civil penalties. Sports Minister Kate Lundy warned that those who wanted to dope or fix a match would be caught.

Sporting codes have also agreed to establish integrity units to deal with doping; to call on their athletes to co-operate with investigators; to share information; and to show ''zero tolerance'' for support staff involved in ''peddling inappropriate substances''.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou vowed to increase resources to combat a new generation of performance-enhancing drugs known as peptides. AFL clubs will also have their staff audited, sports science staff registered and be instructed to provide mandatory reporting of any doping issue.

In other developments:

■ Premier Ted Baillieu told Parliament that Victoria Police would establish a sporting integrity intelligence unit.''This report represents a real threat to the integrity of sport in this state,'' he said.

■ It was announced that gambling advertising during sporting events would be the subject of a federal parliamentary inquiry. The Senate passed a motion by Greens senator Richard Di Natale for a joint select committee inquiry into gambling reform. It will report to Parliament on May 16.

■ Independent senator Nick Xenephon called for an immediate suspension on sports betting. ''These extraordinary findings require an urgent response,'' he said.

■ The NRL will appoint former federal judge Tony Whitlam to set up an integrity compliance unit.

With RICHARD WILLINGHAM, ANDREW WU and ADAM COOPER

[The Larch]

disgraceful defeat in WC final in handball

[Liep]

 

[Liep]

And hockey is out. Maybe curling? How's that looking these days.

[Barrister]

And hockey is out. Maybe curling? How's that looking these days.

Well, Denmark did finish the 2012 World Curling Championship round robin with a respectable 6-5 record.

However in the 2012 European curling Championship Denmark lost the Bronze medal game.  That however is good enough to earn them a berth in the 2013 worlds, which start March 30 in Victoria BC.

[Syt]

The IOC wants to strike wrestling (Greco-Roman, Freestyle) from the Olympic menu effective 2020, because it scored badly in a recent review that rated sports in 39 categories, including ticket sales, tv ratings, attractiveness for youths etc.

[Syt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/21427455

Wrestling dropped from 2020 Olympic Games

Wrestling has been dropped from the 2020 Games to make way for a new sport.

The International Olympic Committee's executive board made its decision after assessing the performance of all 26 sports at the London Games.

"The news from the IOC is extremely disappointing," said British Wrestling chief executive Colin Nicholson.

There is a slim chance wrestling may win a reprieve when the IOC meets in Buenos Aires in September to ratify its choice.

But it will be vying with seven other sports, among them squash, roller sports and sport climbing, that are hoping for inclusion in the Olympic programme.

Modern pentathlon and taekwondo were thought to be the sports most at risk when the IOC committee met in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday, but wrestling was the surprise choice for the axe.

It will now compete with baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports for a place in the 2020 Games.

"This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. "This is not about what's wrong with wrestling but what is good for the Games."

It is extremely unlikely that wrestling will be voted back in so soon after being removed by the executive board, but Adams stressed: "Today's decision is not final."

Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, was included in the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

It has been in every Games since then, apart from Paris in 1900. At last year's Olympics, it featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events.

Despite Tuesday's news, Nicholson said Great Britain would not lose focus in the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"We will be looking to deliver success in 2016," he said. "We have two athletes who we believe are genuine medal contenders."

Nicholson also pointed out that wrestling remains part of the Commonwealth Games.

"We are fortunate that we are a Commonwealth sport so our athletes will continue aspiring towards 2014 and 2018," he said.

"In the meantime, we will remain hopeful that the IOC may give wrestling another chance to remain part of the Games."

Before making its decision, the IOC's programme commission assessed each sport by looking at such factors as TV ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping and global popularity.

Klaus Schormann, president of modern pentathlon's governing body, said he had lobbied hard to protect his sport's Olympic status.

"We have promised things and we have delivered," he said. "That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up."

GB Modern Pentathlon chief executive, Jon Archer, expressed relief at the news that his sport had been spared.

"Olympic inclusion is absolutely essential to our sport," he said. "It is at the centre of everything we do. We can relax now and work to continually modernise the sport and raise awareness."

Golf and rugby sevens will be part of the programme for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro after winning inclusion in 2010.

The IOC will also decide in September whether Istanbul, Madrid or Tokyo will host the 2020 Games.

I'm torn. While I appreciate that the IOC tries to keep the events flexible to keep the public interested in the Olympic Games (there's plenty sports that were Olympic and are not really missed, esp. from the pre-WW1 time), it seems just plain wrong to abolish a discipline with such an old history and tradition.

[Liep]

I won't miss it.

[Syt]

I won't miss it.

Your opinion is irrelevant as you enjoy cycling as a sport.

[sbr]

Wtf is wushu?

[Syt]

Wtf is wushu?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wushu_(sport)

[Valmy]

I'm torn. While I appreciate that the IOC tries to keep the events flexible to keep the public interested in the Olympic Games (there's plenty sports that were Olympic and are not really missed, esp. from the pre-WW1 time), it seems just plain wrong to abolish a discipline with such an old history and tradition.

Yeah the sports that are part of both the modern and ancient Olympics should be sancrosanct IMO.

[Liep]

The Olympics is the celebration of athletes by the people, so if the people can't bother watching a sport, get rid of it. Maybe if they still wrestled naked like on the tube channels... those, I've heard, get many views.

[The Larch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/21427455

Wrestling dropped from 2020 Olympic Games

Wrestling has been dropped from the 2020 Games to make way for a new sport.

The International Olympic Committee's executive board made its decision after assessing the performance of all 26 sports at the London Games.

"The news from the IOC is extremely disappointing," said British Wrestling chief executive Colin Nicholson.

There is a slim chance wrestling may win a reprieve when the IOC meets in Buenos Aires in September to ratify its choice.

But it will be vying with seven other sports, among them squash, roller sports and sport climbing, that are hoping for inclusion in the Olympic programme.

Modern pentathlon and taekwondo were thought to be the sports most at risk when the IOC committee met in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday, but wrestling was the surprise choice for the axe.

It will now compete with baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports for a place in the 2020 Games.

"This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. "This is not about what's wrong with wrestling but what is good for the Games."

It is extremely unlikely that wrestling will be voted back in so soon after being removed by the executive board, but Adams stressed: "Today's decision is not final."

Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, was included in the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

It has been in every Games since then, apart from Paris in 1900. At last year's Olympics, it featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events.

Despite Tuesday's news, Nicholson said Great Britain would not lose focus in the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"We will be looking to deliver success in 2016," he said. "We have two athletes who we believe are genuine medal contenders."

Nicholson also pointed out that wrestling remains part of the Commonwealth Games.

"We are fortunate that we are a Commonwealth sport so our athletes will continue aspiring towards 2014 and 2018," he said.

"In the meantime, we will remain hopeful that the IOC may give wrestling another chance to remain part of the Games."

Before making its decision, the IOC's programme commission assessed each sport by looking at such factors as TV ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping and global popularity.

Klaus Schormann, president of modern pentathlon's governing body, said he had lobbied hard to protect his sport's Olympic status.

"We have promised things and we have delivered," he said. "That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up."

GB Modern Pentathlon chief executive, Jon Archer, expressed relief at the news that his sport had been spared.

"Olympic inclusion is absolutely essential to our sport," he said. "It is at the centre of everything we do. We can relax now and work to continually modernise the sport and raise awareness."

Golf and rugby sevens will be part of the programme for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro after winning inclusion in 2010.

The IOC will also decide in September whether Istanbul, Madrid or Tokyo will host the 2020 Games.

I'm torn. While I appreciate that the IOC tries to keep the events flexible to keep the public interested in the Olympic Games (there's plenty sports that were Olympic and are not really missed, esp. from the pre-WW1 time), it seems just plain wrong to abolish a discipline with such an old history and tradition.

If they bring Pankration back...

[Eddie Teach]

I'd like to see chariot racing brought back.