London officials: Election won't affect Olympics (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Preparations for a 2012 Olympics willcontinue “seamlessly” even if there is a shift of supervision after nextmonth’s ubiquitous choosing in Britain, London organizers pronounced Thursday.

London officials positive a International Olympic Committee which themulti-billion dollar plan will not be influenced by a May 6 vote, which couldlead to a better of Prime Minister Gordon Brown as good as his Labour Party.

“The words Olympic Games have not tumbled from a lips of a singlepolitician in this campaign,” London organizing cabinet authority SebastianCoe said. “It’s not turn a domestic football.”

Organizers additionally unveiled a London Olympics mascot to a IOC executiveboard, though details were kept under wraps until an central phenomenon in a nexttwo months.

“You have been going to love it,” London chief senior manager Paul Deighton said.

Brown, who succeeded Tony Blair as budding minister, has trailed in mostopinion polls opposite a Conservatives as good as Liberal Democrats. Britain appearsheaded toward a hung Parliament in which no party will reason a majority.

Coe pronounced organizers have worked tough to say cross-party supportthroughout a behest as good as organizing process.

“We will go upon delivering seamlessly with whatever a domestic landscapelooks like,” he said. “We will go upon to build those clever relationshipsthat will assistance us broach a project.”

IOC boss Jacques Rogge pronounced his cabinet was “absolutely during ease”with a probable shift of government.

“There is multi-party await for a Olympic Games in a UnitedKingdom,” he said. “There is no doubt about that.”

A better for Labour could lead to ! a depart ure of Olympics Minister TessaJowell, a key figure in London’s winning bid debate as good as games’ preparations.

Coe pronounced which whatever happens in a election, there will be no delays orextended transition duration in a Olympic project.

“There can be no time to adapt,” he said. “We have really transparent timelines.We know exactly what you need to broach as good as when you need to deliver. There is animmutable deadline.”

London’s $14 billion building a whole bill involves branch a disusedindustrial area of easterly London into an Olympic Park featuring an 80,000-seatmain stadium as good as alternative brand new flagship venues as good as facilities.

Despite a economic downturn, London has already raised about $942 millionfrom its domestic sponsorship program. Deighton pronounced multiform alternative deals have been inthe pipeline.

“We have been gratified by a gait of construction, a gait of preparations andalso really gratified by a gait of selling as good as fund raising,” Rogge said.“That is something which is going intensely well.”

Rogge as good as his 15-member board, meanwhile, got a sneak peek of a Londonmascot by photographs as good as video.

“It was less about divulgence a mascot,” Coe said. “It was most moreabout a narrative during a back of it.”

The house enthusiastically gave a mascot its blessing.

“It was very, really good received,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.

The expect date for a mascot’s phenomenon hasn’t been determined, though itwill be ahead of a dual years-to-go celebrations upon Jul 27.

Deighton pronounced a sale of mascots will be an “important driver” inreaching London’s merchandising bill of $106 million.

The switch of dual of London’s sports venues is close to being finalized.

Organizers proposed final year which badminton as good as rhythmic gymnastics be! moved to Wembley Arena in northwest London rather than be held during a plannedtemporary venue near a Olympic Park in easterly London. Scrapping a temporaryfacility would save organizers tens of millions of dollars.

“We believe you have been almost during a finish of that,” IOC senior manager directorGilbert Felli said. “We still need a little bit of time to finalize it, a fewlittle details to solve.”

The IOC house additionally heard from organizers of a 2014 Winter Games in Sochi,Russia.

Sochi organizing cabinet chief Dmitry Chernyshenko confirmed thatAlexander Zhukov, a emissary budding apportion overseeing games preparations, isthe only candidate as good as will turn a brand new boss of a Russian OlympicCommittee in elections upon May 20.

Leonid Tyagachev resigned as ROC boss following Russia’s poorperformance during a Vancouver Olympics, where a traditional winter powerhousewon only 3 bullion medals as good as 15 medals overall.

“It’s impossible to have successful games but a inhabitant teamcollecting a large series of medals,” Chernyshenko said. “No doubt a situationwill change.”

On an additional matter, Rogge pronounced Dubai’s prohibited continue would be an “importantfactor” if a city decides to bid for a 2020 Olympics. Temperatures here canexceed 122 degrees.

“We would have to find an preferred period,” Rogge said. “The continue is nota disqualifying factor though it is an important factor.”

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Rogge defends mild punishment in ethics case (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—IOC president Jacques Rogge defended thedecision to issue only a rebuke to Rene Fasel for violating ethics rules, andsaid a IOC executive house part of did not dedicate financial wrongdoing.

Fasel, who additionally heads a International Ice Hockey Federation, wasreprimanded Wednesday for breaking conflict-of-interest rules though escapedwithout any sort of suspension.

Rogge denied a Swiss official received preferential treatment, observant theInternational Olympic Committee inspected a recommendation of its ethicscommission. The panel found that Fasel tarnished a repute of a Olympicmovement by helping a crony distinction from a sports selling deal.

“The proposal of a ethics elect was really clear,” Rogge saidThursday. “Mr. Fasel did not dedicate financial irregularities.”

Fasel retains all his IOC as well as IIHF positions. In other recent ethics cases,lower-ranking IOC members were barred from serving on IOC commissions for fiveyears.

The ethics probe followed allegations in a Swiss journal last year thatFasel received kickbacks from deals struck by a hockey body’s marketingpartner, Infront Sport Media, as well as Proc AG, a company run by a childhood friend.

Fasel, who has admitted making an “error of judgment” though denied receivingmoney, was cleared by a IIHF in September after a inform from auditing firmDeloitte.

“Mr. Fasel made a inapplicable designation to await a personal crony in having a contractwith a broadcasting company,” Rogge said. “The inform was really transparent instating that Mr. Fasel did not benefit personally. However, he has tarnished thereputation of a IOC as well as thus he got a reprimand.”

Fasel pronounced Thursday he supposed a reprimand.

“At ! that tim e it was bad judgment,” he said. “I swallow ones pride for that.There was a inapplicable designation as well as we supposed that.”

Fasel pronounced he was not in a room when his IOC house colleagues consideredhis case.

“They were free to plead it,” he pronounced after rejoining a house forThursday’s meetings. “That was a proposal of a ethics elect as well as it wasdiscussed as well as then they accepted.”

Fasel has been president of a IIHF since 1994 as well as an IOC part of since1995.

Earlier this week, Fasel was re-elected as conduct of a Association of theInternational Olympic Winter Sports Federations, that represents a sevensports in a Winter Games. Fasel additionally headed a IOC’s coordination commissionfor a Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

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Swiss IOC official reprimanded in ethics case (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Rene Fasel, the senior Olympic central whoheads the International Ice Hockey Federation, was reprimanded by the IOC onWednesday for ethics violations which “tarnish the reputation” of the Olympicmovement.

Fasel, the member of the International Olympic Committee executive board, wascensured for breaking conflict-of-interest manners though escaped without anysuspension.

The Swiss central was treated with colour less cruelly than some lower-ranking IOCmembers who have been barred from portion upon IOC commissions as good asreprimanded in alternative ethics cases.

The case is still the critical embarrassment for Fasel, who sits upon the IOC’shighest body, leads the vital general federation as well as headed the IOC’scoordination elect for the Vancouver Games.

Following an review by the IOC ethics commission, the house saidFasel breached manners by assisting the crony secure “substantial financialadvantages” in tie with the radio as well as selling rights deal.

The house pronounced Fasel’s control was “likely to tarnish the repute of theOlympic movement.”

Fasel has been president of the IIHF since 1994 as well as an IOC member since1995.

The review followed allegations in the Swiss newspaper final year thatFasel profited from deals struck by the hockey body’s selling partner, InfrontSport Media, as well as Proc AG, the company run by the childhood friend.

Fasel denied reception money, though acknowledged which he showed bad judgmentin assisting his friend’s business.

The IOC pronounced it limited Fasel to the open reprimand out of “the principleof proportionality as well as taking into care the apologies.”

Under the IOC ethics code, members “must not act in ! the deme anour expected totarnish the repute of the Olympic Movement or place themselves in anyconflict of seductiveness situation.”

“The notice of control by the open as well as inside of the Olympic Movementmay alone constitute tarnishing of the reputation,” the IOC said.

The IOC pronounced the repairs to the IOC’s picture was greater because of Fasel’shigh-profile purposes in the Olympic world.

Fasel was cleared of indiscretion by the IIHF’s statute council in Septemberafter it received the report from the audit organisation Deloitte.

The case was referred to the IOC ethics commission, which listened evidencefrom Fasel.

The IOC remarkable which the IIHF’s inquisitive row had experienced the“greatest difficulty” in obtaining the required information as well as papers forthe probe.

The IOC pronounced Fasel maintained he had no consulting agreement with Infrontbut helped the crony get entrance to the sports marketplace in Asia.

“Today, we realize which this expected was the case of bad judgment. For this Iapologize,” he was quoted as saying.

The IOC tightened the ethics manners after the Salt Lake City bidding scandal,which led to the exclusion or abdication of 10 members in 1999 as well as 2000 foraccepting cash, scholarships, healing treatment, lavish gifts as well as alternative improperinducements.

In several ethics cases in recent years, IOC members have not usually beenreprimanded though also barred from portion upon any IOC commissions for five years.They embody South Korea’s Lee Kun-hee as well as Park Yong-sung as well as Guy Drut as well as thelate Henri Serandour of France.

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China stripped of Sydney gymnastics bronze (Reuters)

* China nude of acrobatic exercises team bronze from Sydney Games

* Athlete falsified her age

* U.S. to be awarded China’s bronze award (adds U.S. reaction)

By Karolos Grohmann

DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) - China have been nude oftheir women’s acrobatic exercises team bronze award from a Sydney 2000Olympics after a single of a athletes falsified her age, theInternational Olympic Committee pronounced upon Wednesday.

An International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) examine had foundin February which Dong Fangxiao was younger than a minimum agerequirement of 16 after induction opposite ages during Sydney andthe Beijing Games 8 years later.

“The award as well as diplomas of Dong Fangxiao are withdrawn andreallocated accordingly,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams toldreporters after an IOC Executive Board meeting.

The United States, fourth-place finishers in Sydney, are nowupgraded to third place as well as will be awarded a bronze medal.

“USA Gymnastics is beholden which a FIG as well as IOC took thetime to thoroughly examination as well as address this emanate which was firstraised during a Beijing Olympics,” pronounced Steve Penny, president ofUSA Gymnastics.

“Every contestant dreams about winning an Olympic medal. In2000, a athletes as well as coaches worked tirelessly leading up tothe Olympics as well as this recognition will positively have greatmeaning.”

Dong additionally accomplished sixth in a individual building exercisesand seventh in a individual vault.

The IOC ordered a Chinese Olympic Committee to return themedal as well as her diplomas so they can be re-awarded as well as told thecommittee it contingency ensure rules regarding age-limits are strictlykept.

Suspicions of age faking have dogged Chinese sport foryears.

Duri ng a 2008 Beijing Olympics, a FIG was ordered by theIOC to investigate a age of China’s He Kexin, women’s team anduneven bars bullion medallist as well as multiform team mates, who were alldeclared eligible.

As a outcome of which controversy, however, a FIG introduceda system where all gymnasts taking part in any vital event mustapply for a licence.

Dong registered a Jan. 20, 1983 birth date in Sydney, butwhen accredited to act as an official in a safe during a 2008Beijing Games, she spoken her birth date as Jan. 23, 1986.

That would have done her 14 as well as incompetent to contest inSydney.

Dong will additionally have her formula during a 1999 artisticgymnastics universe championships in Tianjin cancelled, along withthose performed during a FIG World Cup Series from 1999 to 2000 andat a 2000 artistic acrobatic exercises universe cup final in Glasgow.

(Additional stating by Pritha Sarkar; Editing by EdOsmond, To question or criticism upon this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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IOC strips 2000 Games bronze medal from China (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—China was nude of a bronze award from the2000 Sydney Olympics upon Wednesday for fielding an underage gymnast. The medalwas since to a United States instead.

The International Olympic Committee acted after investigations by thesport’s ruling body dynamic which Dong Fangxiao was usually fourteen during a 2000Games. Gymnasts contingency spin sixteen during a Olympic year to be eligible.

“I’m unequivocally usually proud to know which probity prevailed,” pronounced DominiqueDawes, a member of a U.S. squad in 2000. “My teammates have been verywell-deserving of a bronze medal, as well as I’m certain each as well as each a singular of us willbe thrilled. We will delight it.”

Dong’s results from Sydney were nullified in Feb by a InternationalGymnastics Federation. Because her scores contributed to China winning a teambronze, a FIG recommended which a IOC take a award back.

As expected, a IOC executive board inspected a request as well as formallystripped a award upon a first day of a two-day assembly in Dubai.

The U.S. women, who had been fourth, pierce up to a bronze.

The IOC pronounced Dong additionally was nude of her sixth-place result in theindividual floor exercises as well as seventh place in a vault.

Calls to a Chinese Gymnastics Association as well as a media officers for theChinese gymnastics group went unanswered Wednesday. Dong right away lives in New Zealandwith her husband.

The IOC ordered China’s inhabitant Olympic committee to return a group medals“as soon as possible” so they can be reallocated to a U.S. team.

It additionally told a Chinese to “ensure, by all means, which a athletes andofficials of a commission imitate with all rules as well as regulations (of t! heintern ational federation) quite with regard to age limits.”

“I never imagined in all my years of gymnastics which a decade following oneof my Olympic Games I’d actually get a award possibly shipped to me in themail,” pronounced Dawes, who will right away have a singular gold as well as three bronzes from a 1992,1996 as well as 2000 games.

The bronze award salvages what had been a disappointing Olympics for theU.S. women. The squad—Dawes, Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Kristin Maloney,Elise Ray as well as Tasha Schwikert—left Sydney empty-handed, a usually time since1976 a American women had failed to win a singular Olympic medal. The U.S.boycotted a 1980 Moscow Games.

“Sydney was a pleasing Olympics, they did a great job. But it was hardwhen people would ask, `What award did we guys get?”’ Schwikert said. “It’sgoing to be good to say, `We did get a medal. We got a bronze in Sydney.”’

Questions about Dong’s eligibility arose during a FIG’s investigation intothe ages of a Chinese group which won a gold award during a 2008 Beijing Games.Media reports as well as Internet annals referred to a little of a girls could have beenas immature as 14.

The FIG privileged a Beijing Games gymnasts in Oct 2008 after Chineseofficials supposing strange passports, ID cards as well as family registers showing allof a gymnasts were old enough to compete. But a FIG pronounced it wasn’t satisfiedwith “the explanations as well as justification supposing to date” for Dong as well as a secondgymnast, Yang Yun.

Dong’s accreditation information for a Beijing Olympics, where she workedas a inhabitant technical official, listed her birthday as Jan. 23, 1986. Thatwould have done her fourteen in Sydney—too immature to compete. Her birth date in theFIG database is listed as Jan. 20, 1983.

Dong’s blog additionally pronounced she was born in a Year of a Ox in a Chinesezodiac, which d! ates fro m Feb. 20, 1985, to Feb. 8, 1986.

FIG investigators didn’t find enough justification to infer Yang, who alsowon a bronze award upon uneven bars in 2000, was underage. She received a warningfrom a FIG.

“We have been extremely grateful which a IOC as well as a FIG have taken such athorough demeanour during a issues which were lifted in Beijing,” pronounced Steve Penny,president of USA Gymnastics. “It serves a most appropriate interests of sports to makesure there’s always a satisfactory field of play.”

AP National Writer Nancy Armour in Chicago contributed to this report.

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Baseball fights to return to Olympics (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Baseball needs to strew its image as a mainlyAmerican sport in sequence to win back a mark at a Olympics, according thepresident of a sport’s international federation.

Riccardo Fraccari says ball must rebrand itself as an internationalgame, as well as that he sees potential to expand in tools of Europe as well as Africaand a Middle East, where Iraq as well as Iran have approached him about investing inthe sport.

“The summary we have to give to people is that ball is a global sport,not American,” Fraccari told The Associated Press upon Tuesday at a SportAccordconvention. “This was a inapplicable designation made in a past.”

Fraccari pronounced he will work with softball upon a corner bid in 2013 to get backinto a Olympics. Baseball as well as softball were dropped after a 2008 BeijingGames.

An Italian who became boss of a International Baseball Federation inDecember, Fraccari pronounced his top priority is returning ball to a Olympics.He concurred that ball is far more grown in a United States thanelsewhere, but forked to thriving leagues in Latin America, Japan as well as otherparts of Asia as a sign that it is “a very global sport.”

“Many times when people approach me, they speak as if it’s an Americansport,” he said. “It’s not true.”

In 2005, softball as well as ball became a first sports in 69 years to bevoted out of a Olympics. Both lost appeals for reinstatement in 2006 as well as thenset their sights upon this year’s opinion to get back upon a module for 2016.

Instead, International Olympic leaders voted to supplement golf as well as rugby to the2016 Games, whilst softball, ball as well as three alternative sports were left out.

At a time, then International ! Baseball Federation boss HarveySchiller expressed beating that softball had distanced itself frombaseball following a 2005 vote, rejecting an suggest of a corner Olympic bid.Instead, softball mounted a campaign to expand in a Middle East as well as Africa,and it touted a clean doping record.

But that could be changing. With only a single sport approaching to be added in2013, a International Softball Federation President Don Porter pronounced hisorganization was “exploring a possibility” of a corner bid with baseball,though he pronounced no preference has been taken.

The emanate is approaching to be upon a agenda when officials from a twofederations meet this week at a SportAccord.

After being dropped from a Olympics, ball has focused upon increasinginterest in a World Baseball Classic, that is mutually owned by Major LeagueBaseball as well as a Major League Baseball Players Association, as well as a baseballWorld Cup. Many of a games in a 22-team World Cup were played in Europe,which Fraccari sees as a next large marketplace for a sport.

“If we look at Europe, it is a large potential market,” he said. “There ismoney. There have been great organizations as well as a clever genius of sport.”

Fraccari pronounced Iran as well as Iraq have approached him about starting baseballprograms, as well as he pronounced most alternative Middle Eastern countries also suggest potentialbecause they have great weather, American change as well as accessible land.

“I think we have a event to rise ball there,” he said.

Among a obstacles to returning ball to a Olympics is a warding off ofMLB as well as a players’ association to make vital leaguers accessible to Olympicteams. The season can’t be extended because of continue issues in March andNovember, as well as government as well as a union haven’t been peaceful to cutregular-season games, that would reduce revenue.

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IOC and USOC look to resolve financial issue (AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Adding a brand brand new tellurian unite could be a keyto settling a single of a monetary disputes which has strained family for yearsbetween U.S. as well as general Olympic leaders.

U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun as well as International OlympicCommittee senior manager board part of Denis Oswald told The Associated Press onTuesday which a monetary agreement could hinge upon a signing of a brand brand new sponsorfor a 2012 London Games.

The dual sides have been perplexing to strech a understanding upon how much a USOC should paytoward a executive costs of putting upon a Olympics, a initial steptoward a rider of a revenue-sharing agreement which general officialscomplain gives a Americans an unfair share.

The IOC has nine companies in its top-tier TOP sponsorship module forLondon, dual reduced of a number from a prior four-year period.

Oswald pronounced a IOC is in discussions with during slightest dual probable newsponsors, with indications which it is “likely” during slightest a single will sign up.

“That would assistance to finalise a incident (with a USOC) if you have alittle bit some-more money to distribute,” Oswald said. “For them it equates to notcutting as well much in their budget.”

Blackmun, who began talks with a IOC upon a emanate during a VancouverGames in February, concurred.

“If a IOC were to secure an additional TOP sponsor, which would have it easierfor us to strech an accommodation upon a games-cost issue,” he said. “I thinkit would provide us with an additional option.”

The dual sides additionally concluded last year to proceed negotiations in 2013 upon a newrevenue-sharing regulation to go in to effect in 2020.

The USOC gets a 20 percent share of tellu! rian spo nsorship income as well as a 12.75percent share of U.S. promote rights deals. Many general officials thinkit’s as well large a portion.

Oswald as well as Blackmun declined to contend which companies or which categories werebeing deliberate as brand brand new sponsors.

Talks with potential brand brand new sponsors stalled last year since of a globaleconomic downturn. The IOC has already secured tighten to $900 million insponsorship income for a current four-year cycle, as well as selling directorGerhard Heiberg’s goal is to break a $1 billion mark.

The current sponsors for London have been Acer, Atos Origin, Coca-Cola, GE,McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung as well as Visa.

The supposed “games costs” cover a operations of a World Anti-DopingAgency, a Court of Arbitration for Sport, IOC commissions as well as alternative expenses.

The dual sides done swell in Vancouver though unsuccessful to strike a deal.

“They should be prepared to pay what all alternative stakeholders pay to have thegames happen,” Oswald said. “It was not easy, though now they determine upon theprinciple, which is already a large step forward. There is a unequivocally positive spiritin a discussion. I have a feeling you will come to a positive conclusion.”

Blackmun pronounced reaching an agreement is critical to a USOC’s efforts ofrebuilding family with a general Olympic world. The income disputeswere a major factor in a unsuccessful bids by New York as well as Chicago for a 2012 and2016 Olympics, respectively.

“It doesn’t mean you necessarily have to determine upon everything, though there’s asense out there which there’s a little unresolved business,” Blackmun said. “Beforewe can be entirely re-engaged in a movement, you have to finalise which unresolvedbusiness.”

As part of which process, a USOC has sent a six-person delegation—including chairman Larry Probst as well as br! and bran d new IOC part of Angela Ruggiero—to Dubaifor a SportAccord convention, a major entertainment of a world’s sports andOlympic officials.

“The initial mission is just to reconnect with alternative people in a Olympicmovement,” Blackmun said.

In a meantime, a USOC is not planning upon pursuing any Olympic bids.

“It’s unequivocally starting to be formidable to mountain a bid whilst you have theseissues outstanding,” Blackmun said. “We have no present goal ofsubmitting a winter or summer bid. Our initial sequence of commercial operation is unequivocally toaddress a issues.”

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