KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

SOCHI 2014

Ski halfpipe champion James Machon hopes to be on the podium in Sochi

©Getty Images

29/11/2013

British ski halfpipe champion James Machon is hoping that his Olympic Solidarity Scholarship will help propel him onto the podium when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Games

How did you get started in ski halfpipe?

I learned to do basic tricks on a dry slope halfpipe at Sheffield Ski Village, in the UK in 2004. It was the only artificial halfpipe in the world at that time and was only 20 minutes from my house, so I skied after school in the evenings. The halfpipe walls were around 10ft high, compared to the walls of a snow halfpipe, which are 22ft (6.7 metres) high. In 2006, I went to the British Championships in Laax, Switzerland and competed in all the freestyle events. This was the first time I had skied a real snow halfpipe, which was pretty intimidating, but I loved it and I was addicted from there.

When did you realise that you had the talent to compete at the elite level?

I was training on the halfpipe at Copper Mountain, USA, one day as a rookie and there were lots of professionals there when I tried my first unnatural 900 [a backwards aerial spin with two-and-a-half rotations]. I remember being really scared but I landed it first time. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but afterwards a few professionals came up to me and told me it took them years to learn. Learning new tricks has always come naturally to me, so this gives me confidence to believe in myself to continue to compete at the elite level. 

What has been your greatest sporting achievement so far?

Being ranked in the top 15 on the AFP [Association of Freeskiing Professionals] world ranking at the start of the Olympic qualifying season. I have also won the British Halfpipe Championships for four consecutive years, which has never been done before.

What would it mean to you to compete at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games?

It would be incredible, particularly after the success of London 2012. Also, Sochi will be the first Winter Games to host the halfpipe skiing event. I can’t imagine anything better; it would be the best feeling in the world to land a good run there.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career and why?

Before the GB Freeski team was founded, I trained for years with renowned freeski coach Elana Chase. Her coaching had a huge influence on the level of my halfpipe skiing; it was definitely a turning point in my ski career.

How has your Olympic Solidarity Scholarship helped you?

It has really helped me this year with financial support. In previous years, I’ve had to work through the summer so I can ski in the winter. The Olympic Solidarity Scholarship has allowed me to focus 100 per cent on training all year round, which is what’s needed to compete at the elite level. I’m really grateful for their support and it’s made a massive difference to my career.

What is a typical training week like for you?

On a weekly basis I see a physiotherapist and a strength and conditioning coach, and I’m in the gym most days. Currently I’m in rehab for a knee injury and my focus is to make my body as strong as possible so I can complete my Olympic qualification. Balancing skiing, trampolining, strength and conditioning and injury prevention all together is a full-time job, but the best weeks are when I’m on snow. 

Do you have a pre-competition routine that you follow?

I always wax my own skis, and wear my newest pair of ski socks. I have a warm-up routine and then do some practice runs. At the top of the halfpipe while waiting to compete, I listen to music and visualise my competition run. When I’m about to drop in, I turn on my competition tune, which is a hip-hop track. I always compete to this track as it gets me in the zone.

Who are your sporting heroes?

Jessica Ennis, the heptathlon gold medalist at London 2012. She is a great role model and a big sporting hero. She is also from my hometown, Sheffield, and her achievements in athletics give me motivation towards achieving my goals in Sochi in 2014 and beyond.

Do you use social media networks?

Yes, of course. I like to use Twitter and Instagram. I see some amazing places through skiing, which I want to share with everyone. Networking is great to showcase freeskiing to a wider audience. I hope my updates and achievements in skiing inspire others to believe in their dreams and achieve great things.
Would you like to know more about Ski Halfpipe?Kevin Rolland tells you all about it in the following video:

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

27 November 2013 - Press releases

New horizons for Olympic Movement as Brasov and Lausanne bid for 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

It will be terra nova for the Olympic Movement in 2020, as the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) head to one of two cities that have never previously hosted an edition of the Olympic Games.
Brasov (Romania) and Lausanne (Switzerland)* both submitted their applications to host the 3rd edition of the Winter YOG to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by the 28 November deadline.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are delighted that Brasov and Lausanne are in the running for 2020 and want to bring the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games to their cities. Both candidates have signalled their strong interest in hosting the YOG, and we look forward to receiving each bid’s vision on how these Games can best reach young people and benefit their communities in a sustainable way. It promises to be a close race all the way to the election in 2015.”

The first edition of the Winter YOG was held in Innsbruck in 2012, with the second edition scheduled to take place in Lillehammer in 2016. Innsbruck hosted the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Winter Games, while Lillehammer held the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.

Approximately 1,000 athletes take part in the Winter YOG, which last a maximum of 10 days and are held at a time of year that best suits the sporting calendar and climate of the host region. YOG hosts are encouraged, wherever possible, to use existing venues to stage the Games.

The next deadline in the 2020 bid process is 12 December 2013, the date when Brasov and Lausanne must submit the signed 2020 YOG Candidature Procedure.

* The cities are listed in alphabetical order.
Timeline – 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020 Bid Process

- Signature of the 2020 YOG Candidature Procedure: 12 December 2013

- Submission of the YOG Candidature File and other documents: 17 June 2014

- Shortlist of YOG Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board: 2-3 December 2014

- Report by the IOC Evaluation Commission: April-May 2015

- Election of the Host City of the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2020: July/August 2015

For more information:
YOG Brochure
Candidature procedure and questionnaire

###

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Tel: +41 21 621 6000 email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our website at www.olympic.org.
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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Olympic Games Legacy

More London 2012 legacies coming to life

©Getty Images

28/11/2013

More legacies of hosting the London 2012 Olympic Games are being realised, with the first tenants set to move into properties at the former Olympic Village site and the Aquatics Centre being announced as the home of a new Diving High Performance Centre.

The new East Village development, which housed 23,000 athletes and officials during London 2012, has welcomed residents in 50 of the 2,818 apartments and townhouses following the conversion of the Olympic Village accommodation.
Since the end of the Games, the Olympic Delivery Authority and its contractors have been reconfiguring all the homes in the former Olympic Village, removing temporary features and fitting new kitchens and flooring. Work is continuing on the remaining homes, which will be handed over in phases during the remainder of 2013 and the first part of 2014.
Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, said: “This is the London 2012 legacy really coming to life, with each week extra families, couples and individuals getting the keys to their new homes. We were determined they should get the same high standards as athletes and spectators enjoyed during London 2012. That’s taken time but we are confident the people of East Village will love their new homes.”
The new homes range from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom townhouses, with balconies, spacious private terraces, or gardens. They are centred around private courtyards, with neighbouring public spaces including new parklands, wetlands and children’s play areas, all on the doorstep of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Elsewhere in the Park, the Aquatics Centre has also undergone significant transformation since the Olympic Games and is now set to provide world-class facilities for both elite athletes and the local communities.
It has also been announced that the venue will become the home of a new Diving High Performance Centre, which will provide training facilities for the country’s leading divers while also inspiring a new generation of divers to take up the sport.
Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “It is fantastic news that the Aquatics Centre will become home to British diving. These world-class facilities will be used by some of the country’s top divers when it opens next year.
“The Centre will be a high performance training facility and competition venue as well as open to the public for the same price as the average cost at local pools. These elite sports will sit alongside community sports to provide a lasting legacy for all.”

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Sochi 2014 Ticket Centres open in Sochi and Moscow

©Sochi 2014

26/11/2013

The Sochi 2014 Organising Committee has opened ticket centres in Sochi and Moscow, giving fans even more opportunities to buy tickets for next year’s Olympic Winter Games.

The two new centres, which will be open seven days a week, will allow fans to not only buy tickets over the counter using a Visa card or cash, but will also give those supporters who purchased tickets on the official website the opportunity to collect their tickets in person.
Fans in other countries and territories, meanwhile, can still purchase tickets from their local National Olympic Committee (NOC) or an appointed Authorised Ticket Reseller (ATR). A full list of ATRs can be found on the Sochi 2014 ticketing website.
The Sochi 2014 ticketing programme is one of the largest in the history of the Winter Games and has been designed to allow as many people as possible to experience the Games first-hand, with ticket prices starting at just 500 RUB (approximately USD 17), while more than 40 per cent of all tickets cost less than 3,000 RUB (about USD 99). Fans are also able to buy tickets to any sport for 1,500 RUB (about USD 50) or less.
The second phase of online ticket sales was launched on 10 October and, as additional tickets become available, fans will be able to purchase Games tickets at both the main ticket centres and the official ticketing website. Additional ticket offices will be opened at Olympic venues during the Games.
All ticketholders are also required to obtain a Spectator Pass, which, in addition to their ticket, will allow them to gain entry to the event, as well as helping to minimise queues at venues during the Games.
In recognition of Visa's support for the Olympic Games for over 26 years, Visa cards will be the only cards accepted when paying for tickets to the Games.

 

IOC holds meeting with Government and National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

27/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

www.olympic.org

 

The IOC met today in Lausanne with a delegation of the Government of Sri Lanka, headed by the Sports Minister; the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC); and senior representatives of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

This meeting was initiated to resolve a long-standing issue arising from the sports law (in force since 1973) and specific government regulations applicable to the sports organisations in Sri Lanka (mainly the national sports federations and the NOC). All participants acknowledged the very positive approach and goodwill expressed by the Sports Minister to address this matter openly and to resolve a situation whose origin goes back to the 1970s. The meeting served essentially to find a common understanding and establish the necessary conditions to allow for the national sports organisations in Sri Lanka to comply with both the laws of the land and the basic principles (in particular that of autonomy) and requirements of the international sports organisations to which they are affiliated.
The meeting concluded successfully with the following agreement:

• The sports law (in force since 1973) will be revised within nine months, and the specific government regulations derived from the sports law will be reviewed within six months in order to make them compatible with the basic principles which govern the Olympic Movement. To that effect, and to ensure proper consultation with all concerned parties, a working group will be established immediately between the Sports Ministry and the NOC/national sports federations, also involving the IOC (representing the Olympic Movement as a whole).
  
• All national sports federations will have to liaise with their respective International Federations to review their constitutions/statutes in accordance with the International Federations’ standards and the principles of the Olympic Movement. This process must be completed within six months under the supervision of each International Federation concerned, which will also decide, on a case-by-case basis once this process is completed, whether new elections will be required in the respective national federations.
  
• The NOC Constitution will also be reviewed with the IOC in order to ensure full compliance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC’s requirements. Then, the revised draft Constitution will have to be submitted to the NOC General Assembly for adoption, and be approved formally by the IOC. The new NOC Constitution will serve as a basis to conduct the NOC elections. This process (including the revision of the NOC Constitution and the NOC elections) will also be completed within six months. Until the NOC elections take place, the current NOC’s office-bearers will remain in place.

The IOC and all its partners are very confident that this process will provide a great opportunity for all national sports organisations in Sri Lanka to review their governance and operate in accordance with both the rules of the Olympic Movement and the laws of the land. In addition, it is expected that this process will establish a solid basis for developing harmonious relations and fruitful cooperation between the Government authorities and the Olympic Movement in Sri Lanka, with full respect for the autonomy, jurisdiction and responsibilities of each entity.

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IOC meets with Government of Egypt and Egyptian Olympic Committee

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

26/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

www.olympic.com

 

The IOC held a productive meeting today in Lausanne involving senior representatives of the Egyptian Sports Ministry, the Egyptian Olympic Committee, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

The main purpose of this meeting was to review the current situation of the Olympic Movement in Egypt vis-à-vis the sports legislation, and find a common understanding as to how the sports organisations belonging to the Olympic Movement in Egypt can be in a position to comply with both the basic principles of the Olympic Movement (including the principle of autonomy) and the law of the land.
The meeting was extremely positive and greatly contributed to reaching a mutual understanding and trust between the Government authorities and the Olympic Movement. The meeting concluded with the following points of agreement:

• The sports law currently in force in Egypt (since 1975) needs to be updated and revised to make it fully compatible with the basic standards of the Olympic Movement. As part of this revision process, the global situation of the sports clubs in Egypt will have to be reviewed and clarified. To this effect, the Sports Ministry has already launched a consultation phase involving the main constituents of the Olympic Movement in Egypt (including in particular the Egyptian Olympic Committee and the national sports federations). In view of the transition period which Egypt is experiencing, a reasonable timeframe was established as follows:
  
  o The new draft sports legislation should be completed within six months; and
  
  o The whole process, including the formal adoption of the new sports legislation by the competent authorities in the country, should be completed within one year from now.
  
• In the meantime, the Government will not interfere in any manner whatsoever with the internal operations of the national sports federations and the sports clubs, and the current sports regulations/”standard statutes” issued by the Sports Ministry will not be implemented. In particular, this will give  all national sports federations the possibility to establish their own statutes, get them adopted by their respective general assemblies and endorsed by the corresponding International Federations.
  
• During this process, it was agreed that a “tripartite commission”, consisting of the Egyptian Sports Ministry, the IOC (representing the Olympic Movement as a whole) and the Egyptian Olympic Committee (representing the Olympic Movement in Egypt), will be established to supervise the implementation of the process and to address any specific issue which might arise during this period.

A letter will be sent shortly to the Egyptian Government to ratify this agreement and establish the details of the process.
The IOC and all partners of the Olympic Movement are hopeful that this meeting will pave the way for a fruitful cooperation with the Government authorities in Egypt with full respect to the basic principles and rules which govern the Olympic Movement.  

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

IOC President meets Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta

©Simone Ferraro/GMT

22/11/2013

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

www.olympic.org

 

On the first day of a two-day visit to Rome, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today met Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

The pair discussed sports development in Italy, and the Italian Prime Minister expressed his strong support for a potential Olympic bid for 2024.

Accompanying the President for the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office were IOC Member Mario Pescante, Italian National Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malagó and IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper.

Earlier, President Bach delivered a welcome address to the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), where he outlined his vision and ideas about the evolution of the IOC and his activities during his first two months as IOC President.