KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Olympic Youth Development Centre hosts African Youth Olympic Games hopefuls

©Jean Mandela (4)

21/03/2014

The multi-sport complex in Lusaka, Zambia, hosted a five-nation hockey tournament, where boys and girls from Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe competed for a place in this summer’s 2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. The host team made history as they secured their first ever qualification for a Youth Olympic Games (YOG), along with pre-tournament favourites, South Africa.

Part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Sport for Hope Programme, the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC), which opened its doors in 2010, aims to provide athletes, young people and local African communities with opportunities to practise sport and learn about the Olympics values.

A stage for young athletes
Last week, enthusiastic crowds filled the OYDC with joy and excitement as they watched their local boys’ and girls’ hockey teams battle it out on the field, in a bid to secure one of two places for the YOG in Nanjing, this summer.  “We have watched these boys and girls walk into the Olympic Youth Development Centre without any knowledge of the existence of hockey,” enthused the Director of the OYDC, Clement Chileshe.
Three years later, these young athletes have achieved an incredible victory by qualifying for their first major international sporting event, along with the South Africans. This milestone is an inspiration for the OYDC, the local community and in particular the young players. “It helps them believe in themselves economically and socially, and it will encourage them to do well in school and other areas of their lives,” commented Chileshe.

“A number of people are surprised at how fast we have achieved our goal, but when you have great supporting partners, as well as committed and extremely talented players, you can achieve miracles,” rejoiced the OYDC Director bursting with pride.
For the host nation Zambia, a qualification for the Youth Olympic Games is an invaluable opportunity to raise the profile of the Olympic Youth Development Centre and provide a further incentive for investing in youth development programmes. As one player’s mother exclaimed: “The games were excellent for the boys and girls. They have made not only us parents proud, but also the nation.”
For the latest news on the OYDC hockey tournament, visit the International Hockey Federation’s website: www.fih.ch

Hope and development through sport
The OYDC has grown considerably since it first opened its doors in 2010. Welcoming on average 10,000 youngsters on a regular basis, the state-of-the-art sports centre, which was launched four years ago by the IOC with the support of the Olympic Movement, now has an Olympic swimming pool, a lodge and a health centre. In all, the facility offers training opportunities for 16 different sports, with an emphasis on basketball, boxing, judo, hockey, track & field, table tennis and swimming. It is also the training ground for a number of high performance athletes, who hope to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
In the four years of operations, more than 100 young athletes who had not practised sport before have since been integrated into national teams. The multi-sport centre also offers a wide range of educational programmes, health services and community activities aimed at improving the quality of life in a country ravaged by HIV/AIDS, poverty, crime and unemployment.
Learn more about the IOC’s development through sport

Learn more about the Olympic Youth Development Centre in Zambia

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Paralympic Winter Games: “Games Changers” help to create “barrier-free minds”

©Getty Images

20/03/2014

As they look back on the first Winter Paralympic Games ever staged in Russia, the host city Sochi and all those involved in ensuring that the ten-day event was such a spectacular success, have every reason to feel proud. The 2014 edition of the Games provided the Paralympic movement with a number of landmark moments, and also represented a watershed in Russia’s efforts to improve the lives of those living with a disability.

Beyond the record-breaking performances, breath-taking displays of athletic ability and human endeavour, and the constant pushing of physical and mental boundaries, those involved have also helped to lay down foundations for the future, to create a lasting legacy, and to become in the words of IOC Member and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President, Sir Philip Craven, “Games-changers”.
The IPC President hailed the achievements of Sochi in becoming Russia's first truly accessible city, and he claimed the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games would leave a lasting legacy in terms of improving facilities and changing attitudes towards the disabled.
“The plan and the commitment of the Russian government is for this to be spread out over time in legacy format to each of the 80 regions in Russia and that's a fantastic dream of ours to be able to influence and transform the biggest nation in the world,” he said.
Barrier-free minds
In his speech at the Opening Ceremony, Craven referenced the progress that had been made since Russia had refused to host the Paralympics in 1980 when the Olympics came to Moscow, but he stressed the biggest change was yet to come.
“In the same way that the city of Sochi has built a barrier-free environment for athletes and officials to enjoy, I call upon all those who experience these Games to have barrier-free minds too," he said. While the volunteers at London 2012 were known as “Games makers”, Sochi's volunteer force would, according to Craven, come to be seen as “change makers”.
Record-breakers
The Sochi 2014 edition of the Paralympic Winter Games enjoyed unprecedented ticket sales and media interest, building strongly on the momentum created by London 2012. Over nine days of competition, 547 Paralympic athletes from 45 countries took part, competing for 72 sets of medals in five sports. Over 300,000 competition tickets were sold ensuring a virtual sell-out.
Meanwhile, over 2,400 media representatives provided global coverage across print, radio, TV and digital platforms, with host nation Russia alone dedicating a total of 180 hours of coverage via national TV channels. A number of countries, including the USA and Brazil, provided live coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time.
During the Games, the official website sochi2014.com was visited by more than three million people who, in total, viewed approximately 15 million pages. More than 8,000 volunteers helped in organising the competitions and worked a total of 80,000 shifts during the Games.
The positive impact of the Paralympic Winter Games is already being seen in the host region and throughout the whole of Russia. Thanks to the preparations for Sochi 2014, for the first time, the country is witnessing the development of a truly nationwide volunteer movement, which is helping to bring positive change in society’s attitude towards people with impairment.
On the eve of Russia’s first ever Paralympic Games, more than 1,000 infrastructural sites in Sochi were recognised as accessible. Over the period 2006-2011, the number of Sochi residents with a disability who have become involved in sports has tripled.
Today, the positive impacts of the Games have already being felt not only in the region, but all around the country. To date, approximately 200 Russian cities have already adopted Sochi’s leading example of creating a barrier-free environment, which will help to fully integrate people with disabilities into society.
An invaluable contribution to this feeling is the innovative Accessibility Map project, implemented by the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee and the One Country Support Fund for People with impairment. The Accessibility Map allows people with an impairment to find a place nearby where they can take part in Paralympic sports and obtain information on the nearest barrier-free environment locations. The Accessibility Map currently contains over 14,700 different facilities.
As part of the International Paralympic Committee’s Observer Programme, over 50 events were organised for the Organising Committees of future Games. Their employees spoke about the specifics of preparing for and hosting a Paralympic Games – making a further tangible contribution to the Sochi 2014 legacy.
All of the Paralympic Winter Games venues in and around Sochi were made fully accessible for people with disabilities – including parking, building entrances and exits, and spectator seating.
Meanwhile, transport plans for the Games showed accessible routes between the city and the venues and within the venues and the Olympic Park. During the Games, 327 of the 800 or so buses in use during the Games were accessible to people in wheelchairs.
As part of the infrastructural preparations for the Games, the main transport hubs – railway stations and international airports (Sochi, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Adler) – were all in full compliance with the requirements of a barrier-free environment.
Back in Sochi, all of the accommodation for Paralympic athletes was equipped with ramps, elevators with accompanying sound, wide hallways and accessible bathrooms and showers. In addition, signs with braille or raised letters were specially installed for visually impaired athletes, while all of the venues benefited from tactile rails and warnings or visually contrasting paths.
There was also a strong educational component to the preparations for the Games, which it is hoped, will serve as a template that can be rolled out nationwide.
Organising Committee’s staff held approximately 40 training sessions on the “Introduction to the Paralympic Movement and skills required to support people with an impairment” for 5,080 volunteers, drivers, security officers, airport workers, and electric train operators.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Tokyo 2020 Executive Board composition finalised

©Tokyo 202027/03/2014

The composition of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee’s Executive Board has been finalised, with the appointment of six Vice-Presidents, a Director General and three Senior Executive Board members.

All 34 members of the Executive Board met this week to finalise the new positions, with the Chairman of the Keidanren Committee on Promotion of Sports Akio Toyoda; Japan Sport Council President Ichiro Kono; IOC Member and Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda; Tokyo Vice-Governor Toshiyuki Akiyama; Japan Paralympic Committee Vice-President Yasushi Yamawaki; and Yoshitaka Sakurada, Japan’s Minister in charge of sports, all appointed as Vice-Presidents.
Toshiro Muto was named Director General of the Organising Committee, while Yukihiko Nunomura, Hirobumi Kawano, and Hiroshi Sata were all named Senior Executive Board Members.
“Today's meeting of the Executive Board enabled us to get off to the ideal start as the highest decision-making body of the Organising Committee,” said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori. “The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will serve as an exciting new target for the young people of Japan to strive towards, and will provide a major boost for the whole of society. All members of our ‘All Japan’ Executive Board are firmly committed and looking forward to exerting their utmost efforts to ensure the resounding success of the Games.”

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Accreditation procedure for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014

18/03/2014

ABOUT NANJING 2014Over 3,600 young athletes aged 15 to 18 from over 200 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be in Nanjing, China, from 16 to 28 August 2014 to compete in the second edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
Building on the successful experience of the inaugural YOG held in Singapore in 2010, this year’s event will feature 28 sports, including golf and rugby sevens, which will make their debut before their inclusion at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Also on the sports programme will be disciplines such as 3-on-3 basketball and 5-a-side hockey, as well as mixed gender and mixed NOC events.  
Some new sports and disciplines not currently on the Olympic programme will also be showcased following an IOC Executive Board decision in December 2013. Sport climbing, roller sports and skateboarding will join wushu, which was already planned to feature in Nanjing.  
The young participants will have the opportunity to take part in a unique Culture and Education Programme (CEP) off the field of play that will focus on themes ranging from Olympism and the Olympic values to skills development and how to lead healthy lifestyles.  
ACCREDITATIONAccreditation is processed online by the IOC. Media representatives wishing to cover the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games are required to register on the IOC website by 30 April 2014.  
Please note that all journalists (regardless of nationality) working for Chinese domestic media must request their accreditation via the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) at the following address:  
Tian Tonggui
Chinese Olympic Committee
Tel:  +86 10 8718 2445
Fax: +86 10 6711 1344
E-mail: tian_tonggui@163.com
All other media working for non-Chinese, international media organisations (including in Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei) are requested to register via the IOC website following the instructions provided via the link below.  
Please note that all rights-holding broadcasters’ accreditations will be processed by OBS.  
Click here to access the media accreditation system 
If you have already registered in the IOC media database for previous events, please ensure your profile is up-to-date. You will need to complete your personal information and ensure you have a recent photo with the correct passport details. Please note that passports must be valid until at least 31 December 2014.  
For media representatives who have successfully applied for accreditation online before 30 April 2014, the Youth Olympic Accreditation Card (YOAC) together with a passport or other official travel document will serve as an Entry Visa into China. These will be sent to you directly in June 2014 by the Nanjing Organising Committee. The pre-valid YOAC will act as a valid visa for China for a period of one month prior to and one month following Nanjing 2014.
ACCOMMODATION
Information regarding media accommodation will be available on the official website of Nanjing 2014 until 16 June 2014. 
Further information on transport, the Main Media Centre, media access to the venues and key facilities will be communicated at a later date.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
E-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org
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PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org 
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Youth Olympic GamesFor all the latest information on the Youth Olympic Games, past and upcoming summer and winter editions, check out the Youth Olympic Games website, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and watch us on YouTube.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Bobsleigh: Zubkov claims double gold for hosts, as track records tumble

18/03/2014

There was plenty of joy for the hosts at the Sanki Sliding Centre, as Alexander Zubkov piloted the Russian two-man and four-man crews to gold in the men’s events, while in the women’s two-man, Canada's Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse completed a successful defence of their title, and Lauryn Williams of the USA became just the fifth athlete in history, and only the third woman, to win a medal at both Summer and Winter Games.

16-17 February 2014: Zubkov and Voevoda raise the bar to claim gold in men’s two-man bob
Russia's Alexander Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda clinched gold in the men’s two-man bobsleigh after dominating all four runs, and twice setting a new Sanki Sliding Centre course record. On the first day of competition, the Russians clocked a combined time of one minute 52.82 seconds for their first two runs to finish 0.32 seconds ahead of their closest rivals, Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann (SUI).
Zubkov, the 2011 world champion and 2010 Olympic bronze medallist and 2011 world champion, piloted the Russian bob to a new track record with a time of 56.25 seconds.
Hefti and Baumann, who were fourth after the first run, managed to improve their position to finish the day in second place, just 0.04 seconds ahead of USA’s Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton.
World Cup holder Holcomb, who was part of the US quartet that won gold in the four-man event at Vancouver 2010, piloted a strong first run, finishing just 0.09 seconds behind Zubkov. However, a shaky second run left him and Langton lying third on a combined time of 1:53.18.
On the second day of the competition, Zubkov and Voevoda increased the pressure on their rivals with their third run, setting a another new track record of 56.08 seconds, which effectively put them beyond reach in the final run.
By the end of the competition they had recorded an overall time of 3 minutes 45.39 seconds, to finish 0.66 seconds ahead of Hefti and Baumann, who took the silver.

“Today we just did our work on the track and were not thinking about the time we will show,” said Zubkov. “We were completely concentrated on going the right way. And it paid off as we did our work right.” “The battle with one’s own weaknesses always produces the best result,” added his brakeman, Voevoda. Zubkov now boasts a full set of Olympic bobsleigh medals, as he and Voevoda both featured in the Russian quartet that won silver in the four-man at Turin 2006.
Hefti, a double bronze medallist at Turin 2006, where he competed as a brakeman rather than a pilot, was delighted to add a silver to his Olympic medal collection. “This was our dream and it came true and now we're more than happy,” he said, before paying tribute to the man who beat him to the top of the podium. “Our third run wasn't good but we managed to improve our sliding in the fourth and won the silver medal, while Alexander [Zubkov] produced four perfect runs and deservedly won the gold.”
Meanwhile, US pilot Steve Holcomb held onto third to claim bronze with a combined time of three minutes 46.27 seconds. It was the first Olympic medal of any colour won by an American sled in the two-man in 62 years. “I'm very happy as today there were great races, very tough races,” said the US pilot. “We started to understand this track, how it works, what things to do to go down fast. And there's going be another battle in the four-man event,” he added. “I didn't feel any pressure being in the position for winning the medal as I've been in such a situation many times before. I was just doing my work like hundreds of times before. But it's good to win an Olympic medal… any medal.”

18-19 February 2014: Gold again for Humphries and Moyse in the women’s bobsleigh, as Williams makes Olympic history
Canada's Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse completed a successful defence of their Olympic women's bobsleigh title, while USA’s Lauryn Williams became just the fifth athlete in history, and only the third woman, to win medals in both Summer and Winter Games, after she and Elana Meyers claimed silver.
Former 100m sprinter Williams, part of the US 4x100m relay winning quartet at London 2012, marked her Winter Olympic debut in style, as she and Meyers led in USA-1 after the first two runs. In her first run the Americans set a new track record with a time of 57.26 seconds.
Meyers, who won a bronze medal at Vancouver 2010, then executed another consistent run to clock a combined time of 1 minute 54.89 seconds and finish 0.23 seconds ahead of reigning Olympic champions, Humphries and Moyse.
However, on the second day of competition the Canadian champions fought back, and their overall time of three minutes 50.61 seconds edged them 0.1 seconds ahead of the USA-1 team. Meanwhile the USA-2 team of Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans won bronze with a time of three minutes 51.61 seconds.
“It's really hard to describe my feelings,” said an emotional Humphries, who was keen to pay tribute to the role played by her friends, family and team-mates. “Sacrifices have been made not only by myself but also my friends, my family. And then Heather has come on board. It's just something we have done together. And it's great.”

Williams, who won a silver medal in the women’s 100m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and more recently was a member of the US 100m relay squad that won gold at London 2012, had completed a successful switch to bobsleigh, serving as brakewoman on the USA-1 sled. She became just the fifth athlete in history, and only the second woman, to win medals in both the Summer and Winter Games.
“It's really cool to be here, to be on a podium and to get that silver medal,” said Williams, who was keen to deflect attention from her personal achievement. “I came here not to make history but to help the USA. And I feel like I did the best I could for it and I'm really excited with our performance and we're happy to be here.”
Meanwhile, Greubel, the pilot of the USA-2 team, was thrilled to win bronze. “If you've asked me four years ago if I'd be an Olympic medallist I don't think I would have believed you,” she said. “But to cross the finish line and to know that we did it together, it's such an incredible feeling.”

22-23 February: Double gold for Zubkov and Voevoda, as Russian quartet surges to victory in four-man
Alexander Zubkov and Alexey Voevoda won their second gold medals of Sochi 2014, piloting Russia-1 to the four-man title. The Russians clocked a combined time of 1 minute 50.19 seconds from their two runs, a whisker in front of the Latvia-1 team piloted by Oskars Melbardis.
On his first run, Zubkov, who won silver in the four-man event at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, set yet another new Sanki track record with a time of 54.82 seconds. The Latvian sled piloted by Melbardis, fifth after the first run, clocked 55.13, which was the best time in the second run, to close the gap on the Russians to just 0.04 seconds, and finish 0.12 seconds ahead of the Germany-1 crew, piloted by the man who won the four-man World Cup title, Maximilian Arndt.
On the second day, however, Zubkov rose to the occasion again, and despite being pushed all the way Melbardis and his crew during the third and fourth runs, the 39-year old Russian delivered two faultless displays to finish with a combined time of three minutes 40.60 seconds, extending the final winning margin by a fraction to 0.09 seconds.

By completing the bobsleigh double, Zubkov and Voevoda matched a feat managed only once before, by Germany's Andre Lange, who won gold in both events in Turin in 2006. “We have no emotions left after these two runs,” said a visibly drained Zubkov. “We gave all we had for this fourth run as the Latvians were very quick and came really close to us. They kept us under serious pressure but luckily, we managed to avoid serious mistakes and kept our lead,” he added.
Melbardis meanwhile was delighted with his team’s performance and acknowledged the Russians as worthy winners. “I'm really happy. It's just four years that I've been in the driver's seat and already won the Olympic silver medal. It's awesome,” he said. “Of course we tried to get more today but the hosts gave us no chance to overtake them.”

The USA-1 team, with Vancouver 2010 champion Steve Holcomb in the driver's seat, fought their way onto the podium to take bronze, after finding themselves down in fourth place overnight. “We came here to win a medal and we did just that,” said Holcombe. “It was a tough and really tight race. We knew Zubkov is really fast; he's a man who is hard to beat.”

 

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Nordic combined: Frenzel achieves career high, as Graabak springs a major surprise

14/03/2014

The RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre played host to three thrilling competitions in the Nordic combined. The normal hill/10km event went to form as world number one Eric Frenzel claimed gold, while in the individual competition on the large hill, Jørgen Graabak produced a major upset to claim the title, before winning another gold two days later as part of the victorious Norwegian quartet in the team event.

12 February 2014: Frenzel achieves new career pinnacle with individual gold on the normal hill
Germany's Eric Frenzel showed just why he is the current world number one, storming to Olympic gold in the individual Gundersen normal hill/10km at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre. Starting first after winning the morning's ski jumping on the normal hill, the German, who won a team bronze at Vancouver 2010, took the lead in the 10km cross country ski phase, with Akito Watabe (JPN) providing the main challenge.

Frenzel finished in 23min 50.2sec, 4.2 seconds ahead of Watabe, whose silver was the first Nordic combined medal by a Japanese athlete in 20 years. Magnus Krog (NOR) took bronze in 23 seconds 58.3 minutes. “It feels so amazing, it is so incredible, there are no words to describe it,” said Frenzel. “It is the biggest moment of my life.”
Meanwhile, the 2010 champion Jason Lamy Chapuis of France, who was very much expected to be in the mix for the medals, struggled for tempo and came in 35th. “Right from the start my legs were not working well, the glide was not good, it was a nightmare,” said the Frenchman.

18 February 2014: Norwegian duo find gold and silver linings on the large hill
Norwegian pair Jørgen Graabak and Magnus Moan dominated the podium in the Gundersen large hill/10km event, taking gold and silver respectively. Graabak completed the ski phase in 23 minutes 27.5 seconds, 0.6 seconds ahead of compatriot Moan, as Germany’s Fabian Riessle took bronze.

Riessle’s fellow German, Eric Frenzel, who won gold on the normal hill, led the field after the ski jump phase to earn pole position for the decisive cross-country ski, which took the form of a first-past-the-post pursuit. However he could not maintain the pace, and slipped back to finish 10th overall, as the Norwegians relentlessly closed the gap to move into the lead.
Both jumping and skiing phases took place in overcast conditions that the Norwegians said reminded them of their home base. “We're a bit used to this kind of weather in Trondheim - rain, a bit grey,” explained Graabak. “We were discussing this on the way to the arena, saying that it was a bit like home, and I guess we took advantage of that,” he added.
Moan expanded on the topic: “Trondheim is on the coast in Norway and we are used to training in a lot of rain, so this was like a little bonus for us.” And the silver medallist expressed great satisfaction with the quality of the ski jump and the cross-country skiing tracks at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre. “Big respect to the organisation that made this possible,” he said. “It was fun to jump and ski today.”
20 February 2014: Smash-and-Graab as Norwegians swipe Austria’s team relay crown
Norway beat Germany by a fraction of a second in a thrilling final sprint to earn gold in the Nordic combined team relay at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre. Norway’s quartet of Magnus Moan, Haavard Klemetsen, Magnus Krog and Jörgen Graabak finished in 47 minutes 13.5 seconds, while Germany (Eric Frenzel, Björn Kircheisen, Johannes Rydzek, Fabian Riessle) finished just 0.3 seconds slower to take silver. Vancouver 2010 champions Austria (Lukas Klaper, Christoph Bieler, Mario Stecher and Bernhard Gruber) cruised home unchallenged to claim the bronze.
Despite their general prowess in the cross-country events, the triumph was Norway’s first in the Nordic combined relay since Nagano 1998. It also capped a glorious Winter Games for Graabak, who had won the large hill individual competition two days earlier.

The initial ski jumping phase of the two-sport discipline saw Norway, Germany and holders Austria emerge from the field, and the three teams then engaged in a fascinating tussle for the podium spots in the decisive 4x5km cross country ski race.
It was German pair Kircheisen and Rydzek who stood out during the ski jumping, each managing to produce leaps of over 130m to put their team in pole position going into the second part of the competition. Meanwhile, the Austrians, who had maintained a firm grip on the title since Turin 2006, were not far behind, thanks in large measure to a massive jump of 133m from Bieler.
In accordance with the Gundersen scoring system applied in Nordic combined, the Germans went into the ski relay with a seven-second advantage over the Austrians, and 25 seconds on the third-placed Norwegians.
At this stage the French were still in touching distance 10 seconds back, but the rest of the field was already over a minute off the pace and out of the frame. With each member of the relay teams tasked with completing a 5km ski leg, the three front-runners were locked together after the first kilometre, setting up a fascinating denouement.
Going into the final leg, Norway’s anchor Graabak had to strain every sinew to build on the fine work of his three team-mates. Somehow he managed to overhaul Germany’s Riessle in a final push for the line to win by just three tenths of a second. “I came here as a substitute, and now I have two gold medals. It’s extraordinary,” said an incredulous Graabak. “Winning the large hill event was fantastic, but this is even better, as I’m on top of the podium with my friends and team-mates,” he added.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC Decision - Swedish ice hockey player Nicklas Backstrom to receive Sochi silver medal

14/03/2014

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced a decision in the case of Swedish ice hockey player Nicklas Backstrom who participated in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Backstrom, 26, tested positive on 19 February for the presence of pseudoephedrine (PSE) in excess of the applicable decision limit of 170 µg/mL. He was provisionally suspended from competing in the final of the men’s ice hockey competition between Sweden and Canada.
The IOC Disciplinary Commission (DC), composed of Anita L. DeFrantz (Chairperson), Nawal El Moutawakel and Claudia Bokel, found that the provisional suspension was fully justified, not only due to the presence in excess of the applicable decision limit of PSE in his urine sample, but also due to the fact that the athlete conceded at the hearing, which took place shortly before the final match, that he had also taken medication containing PSE earlier that day.
The IOC DC took into account in particular that the athlete had been cooperative, had disclosed the medication in question in the doping control form and had relied on the specific advice of his team doctor that the intake of the medication would not give rise to an adverse analytical finding. There was also no indication of any intent of the athlete to improve his performance by taking a prohibited substance. Based upon these mitigating circumstances, the IOC DC considered that the athlete should be entitled to receive the silver medal and diploma awarded for men’s ice hockey.
Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, testing took place under the IOC's auspices from 30 January (the date of the opening of the Olympic Villages) to 23 February 2014 (the date of the Closing Ceremony). Within that period, the IOC systematically performed tests before and after events and oversaw the most stringent anti-doping programme in Olympic Winter Games history. In total, 2,667 tests were conducted, surpassing the previous record set at Vancouver 2010 by 518 tests. Of the 2,667 tests, 477 were blood tests and 2,190 were urine tests. 
The full decision is available here.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Five bid cities submit Application Files to host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

14/03/2014

The Applicant Cities of Krakow (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Lviv (Ukraine) and Beijing (China)* all met the 14 March 2014 deadline for submission to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of their Application Files to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The Application Files provide the IOC with an overview of each city’s vision and concept for the Games and form the basis for an initial technical analysis of the bid. It is the principal deliverable of Phase 1 of the bidding procedure.
These files will now be studied by an IOC-appointed working group, which will then submit a report to the IOC Executive Board (EB). The EB will decide which of the five cities will be accepted as Candidate Cities and proceed to Phase 2 at a meeting in July. Following its decision, the working group’s report will be published on the IOC website.
Applicant Cities may make their Application Files public and post them on their web sites as of 15 March.
As the Olympic Games are a unique project, whose size, scope and complexity mean that they are typically the biggest event that cities looking to host the Games will ever undertake, the IOC assists them in a number of ways, including financially and through an extensive transfer of knowledge programme.
The IOC puts at the disposal of the bid cities a significant amount of information and expertise through its Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) platform, which takes the form of documentation, experts, workshops and personal observation of previous Games. All five Applicant Cities for the 2022 Olympic Games participated in the Sochi 2014 observer programme last month. The programme allows cities to learn the best practices of previous hosts and to adapt those lessons to their own unique context. 
Once elected, the IOC continues to support the local organising committees through OGKM, as well as with the regular visits of its Coordination Commissions and experts, who help to guide the organisers, as they develop their Games project. All IOC-related costs (for accommodation, transport, etc.) are covered entirely by the IOC, as is the case during the Games themselves.  
The IOC makes a significant financial contribution to the organisation of each edition of the Games, where the budgets of Organising Committees for the Olympic Games are generally privately financed. For example, the IOC and its Worldwide Olympic Partners are expected to contribute around USD 590 million in total to the budget for the organisation of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. To reduce the financial burden on the local organisers further, the IOC also assumes the responsibility and cost of the principal Olympic broadcast signal through its fully owned subsidiary Olympic Broadcasting Services SA (OBS). In Sochi this is expected to exceed USD 150 million.
Applicant Cities who move on to the Candidate City Phase of the bid process have until January 2015 to submit their Candidature Files – in-depth blueprints of the cities’ Olympic projects. The IOC President will then appoint an Evaluation Commission made up of IOC members (who are volunteers) and experts to visit each Candidate City and prepare a technical risk assessment to assist IOC members in electing the host city. This report will be made available to all IOC members ahead of a two-day briefing that provides the members with the opportunity to question the cities directly about their Olympic projects.
In line with the IOC’s commitment to transparency, all documents pertaining to the 2022 bid process are available to the public on www.olympic.org.
Key Dates:
Phase 1:

• Selection of Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board – 7-9 July 2014

Phase 2:

• Submission of the Candidature File & Guarantees – 7 January 2015
• IOC Evaluation Commission visits – February to March 2015
• Evaluation Commission report / Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members – May to June 2015 (TBC)
• Election of the 2022 host city by the IOC Session – Kuala Lumpur – 31 July 2015

* The cities are listed according to a drawing of lots carried out by the IOC EB in December 2013.
Note to editors:
The two bid phases (Applicant and Candidate) were introduced by the IOC in 2000 to ensure that cities insufficiently prepared or considered not to have the potential to successfully organise the Olympic Games in the year in question, did not proceed to the second phase of bidding, thus ensuring significant cost savings to both the bid cities and the IOC.
As part of its mission to continually monitor and improve the bid process, and following recommendations arising out of debrief meetings with previous bid cities, the IOC recently brought forward some technical matters and questions regarding existing conditions that would not change between the two phases from the Candidate City questionnaire to the Applicant City questionnaire. Phase 2 has thus become a logical continuation of Phase 1, rather than a new start.

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For all other questions, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia 
PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport - Information for the Media

13/03/2014

The IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport will be held from 10 to 12 April 2014 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Bringing together team physicians and medical science and sports experts from across the world, the Conference will explore risk factors, mechanisms and effective prevention strategies to ensure that athletes remain fit and healthy in and out of competition.

With over 120 international sports and medical experts lined up as speakers, the three-day Conference will feature: 
· Five keynote lectures, including a debate on whether sport injury and illness research has delivered concrete results, the role of evidence-based concussion prevention, and the evolution of footwear and sports equipment in improving performance and reducing injuries;
· 24 symposia addressing a range of topics from prevention of heart-related problems in athletes to the exploration of innovative field-based injury screening;
· 86 workshops; and
· 73 abstract presentations.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of the Conference is to transfer academic knowledge on injury- and illness-prevention strategies to the field of play in order to minimise the risk factors in sports participation and maximise safety for high-level and recreational athletes alike.  
One of many highlights promises to be the opening lecture by the dynamic pairing of Prof. Dohmnall Macauley and Prof. Karim Khan, editors of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM). Other keynote speakers include Paul McCrory (on concussions), Benno Nigg (on running injuries), Evert Verhagen (on how digital and mobile platforms will influence athlete care), Andrew McIntosh (on technology and equipment in sport), Juan Manuel Alonso (on hamstring injury prevention) and Caroline Finch (on injury surveillance and rule changes).
Please click here for the full programme and list of keynote speakers, and note that all times are subject to change. All sessions will be open to the media.
Accreditation
There is no registration fee for media wishing to cover the event. To request your media accreditation for the 2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport, please contact:
Mrs Denise Davidedenise.davide@publicreations.com
Direct: +377 97 97 36 00
Fax: +377 97 97 35 50
Venue
The three-day event will take place at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco:
10, Avenue Princesse Grace
98000 Monaco
For further information about the venue, please click here.  
Accommodation
Media are requested to make their own booking. Please click here to view the list of hotels.
For further information regarding this Conference, please consult the Conference website at: www.ioc-preventionconference.org

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our website at www.olympic.org.
Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org.
Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Women’s ice hockey: Canada retain title as Swiss claim historic bronze

©Getty Images (7)

07/03/2014

Just as they did in the Vancouver 2010 final, Canada and USA faced off for the gold medal, with the Canadians prevailing again in a thrilling final which was decided by Marie-Philip Poulin’s extra-time winner. Meanwhile, in the battle for the bronze, Switzerland beat Sweden 4-3 to claim a place on the podium for the first time in their history.

8-13 February: Group stages

Eight teams were split into two groups for the initial round-robin phase. The top four teams in the current IHF rankings - Canada, USA, Finland and Switzerland were thrown together in Group A - with the top two in the final standings earning direct passage to the semi-finals, and the other two teams going into a quarter-final play-off.

Group B brought together the next four teams in the IHF rankings – Sweden,  Germany, Russia and Japan, with the top two joining the bottom two from Group A in the quarter-final play-offs, while the other two teams awaited the play-off losers to determine their final position in the overall standings.

Canada and USA each won both of their first two games convincingly, with the Americans beating Finland 3-1 and Switzerland 9-0, while Canada recorded 5-0 and 3-0 wins against the same opponents. That left the two neighbours going head to head on 12 February to decide who topped Group A and went into the semi-finals as first seeds. Canada got the better of a five-goal thriller, prevailing 3-2, just as they had in the Vancouver 2010 final. Meanwhile, Finland defeated the Swiss 4-3 to finish third in the group and top the seedings for the play-offs.

In Group B, host team Russia won all three of their games (4-1 versus Germany, 2-1 versus Japan and 3-1 versus Sweden, to top the standings, while Sweden saw off Germany (4-0) and Japan (1-0) to join them in the quarter-final play-offs. Germany defeated Japan 4-0 to finish third.

That meant that Finland would face Sweden in the quarter-final play-offs, with Russia taking on the Swiss.

 15 February: Quarter-final play-offs

The Swiss kept their cool in a charged Shayba Arena to dispatch the host team 2-0 and set up a semi-final encounter with reigning champions Canada. Stefanie Marty opened the scoring in the 11th minute of the first period, after which the Swiss then withstood a sustained period of pressure from the Russians in the second and third periods, with goaltender Florence Schelling stopping an incredible 41 shots. They then delivered the killer blow in the dying seconds as Lara Stadler scored on the counter-attack to seal the victory.

In the other quarter-final, Sweden edged a ding-dong encounter against Finland, which started quietly but came to life in the second period. Venia Hovi had opened the scoring for the Finns in the 34th minute, before Anna Borgqvist equalised five minutes later. Her team-mate Lina Wester then put Sweden in front, before Emma Nuutinen restored parity again. However, with extra time beckoning, the Swedes finished stronger as first Emma Eliasson and then Emma Nordin found the net in the last five minutes of the third period to secure a 4-2 victory and a semi-final showdown with the USA.

17 February: Semi-finals

In the semi-finals,the USA overpowered Sweden 6-1, while Canada defeated Switzerland 3-1 to set up a reprise of the 2010 final at the Bolshoi Ice Dome on 20 February.
The USA’s Alex Carpenter and Kacey Bellamy scored just 66 seconds apart in the first period as the United States crushed Sweden at the Shayba Arena.
The Americans dominated the semi-final from the opening faceoff, holding a whopping 29-1 shot advantage in the first period, with Sweden failing to even muster their first shot on goal until nearly 14 minutes into the contest.
Amanda Kessel, Megan Bozek, Brianna Decker and Monique Lamoureux also scored for the Americans, who have now beaten Sweden 12 out of the past 13 times they have faced each other in major international games.
“It's awesome,” said American forward Lamoureux. “I think it's something we were expected to do. We've been preparing for it for the last four years and putting in a lot of work.”
Jessie Vetter had to make just eight saves for the USA, while Swedish goaltenders Valentina Wallner and Kim Martin Hasson faced 70 shots between them.
Valentina was especially busy as she endured a 32 minute spell in which the USA peppered her with 47 shots.
“It is surreal. I don't think I am going to realise I was here until the Olympics are over,” said Canadian forward Natalie Spooner, who scored a double in her sides win against the Swiss.
“We are going for gold and that is the game we want to be in,” she added.
The two North American teams have been the main powerhouses ever since women's ice hockey was included on the programme for the Winter Games at Nagano 1998.

18 February: Classification matches

In the matches to decide the lower order in the final rankings Finland defeated hosts Russia 4-0 in the fifth-place game, while Germany got the better of Japan in a 3-2 victory that gave them seventh spot.
Noora Raty and Michelle Karvinen were the heroes for Finland, as they racked up a convincing 4-0 victory over the host team. 
Making her final appearance on the Olympic stage, goaltender Raty stopped 18 shots for the shut-out, while Karvinen scored a quick-fire double within the space of 61 seconds in the third period. Linda Valimaki and Rikka Valila grabbed Finland’s other goals.
Meanwhile, Susann Gotz notched a goal and an assist to spearhead Germany to a 3-2 victory over Japan, which means the European side claim seventh place in the final standings.
Goaltender Viona Harrer made 27 saves for Germany, who had already defeated Japan at Sochi 2014 during the group phase.
Haruna Yoneyama and Hanae Kubo scored the consolation goals for Japan, whose women were appearing at an Olympic ice hockey tournament for just the second time in their history, having previously received an automatic berth as the host nation at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.

20 February: Bronze medal match

Switzerland pulled off a dramatic turnaround to beat Sweden 4-3 and win the bronze.
It was a first ever medal for the Swiss since women’s ice hockey was introduced onto the Winter Games programme at Nagano 1998. 
That had scarcely looked possible in a first period where the Swiss managed just a single shot on the Swedish goal, and the Swedes looked comfortable after taking the lead through Michelle Lowenhielm. 
Towards the end of the second period, Sweden then doubled their advantage, after an error from Swiss goaltender Florence Schelling enabled Uden Johansson to find the net.

It looked to be Sweden’s game. But all that changed in the third period as, within the space of a 13-minute spell, the Swiss players suddenly discovered a new lease of life and the route to goal. 
On 41 minutes, Sara Benz cut the deficit to one; then four minutes later Phoebe Stanz took advantage of a power play to equalise, before Jessica Lutz put the Swiss 3-2 up in the 53rd minute. 
The Swedes were left stunned, and it soon got worse for them as 15-year old Alina Müller increased Switzerland’s lead, firing the puck into an empty net two minutes before the final buzzer.
Pernilla Winberg managed to pull one back 43 seconds from time, sparking a final goalmouth frenzy, but the Swiss did enough to hold on, as their players embraced to celebrate a historic victory.

20 February: Gold medal match

Marie-Philip Poulin was Canada’s heroine in the women’s ice hockey gold medal match, as the defending champions overturned a 2-0 deficit to clinch a 3-2 victory at the Bolshoi Ice Dome. 
The forward scored an equaliser 54 seconds from time, before grabbing a golden goal winner in one of the most dramatic climaxes ever witnessed in an Olympic final.
Canada had trailed 2-0 late in the third and appeared to be heading to defeat before coming to life to score two goals just 2:42 apart to send the game into extra time.
After Brianne Jenner had pulled one back to give Canada hope, Poulin conjured an equaliser with just seconds left on the clock.
After Canadian defenceman Rebecca Johnston backhanded the puck towards the net, US goaltender Jesse Vetter knocked it directly onto the stick of Poulin, who reacted quickly to fire home and force overtime.
Poulin's golden winner came on a power play after US forward Hilary Knight had been sent to the penalty box. Taking a pass from Laura Fortino, she slid a snapshot under Vetter and into the net.
It sparked wild celebrations as she was mobbed by her team-mates, who celebrated Canada's fourth Olympic women's title and, remarkably, a 20th straight victory at the Winter Games in an unbeaten streak that stretches back to 2002.