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

Share

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.

• Tweet

Share

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.”

Share

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.

####

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
E-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org
Or visit our website 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 
Social mediaFor up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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.

###

For all other questions, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +79384547976, 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.
Social mediaFor up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Share