IOC sanctions Austrian cross-country skier Johannes Duerr for failing anti-doping test at Sochi 2014

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that Johannes Duerr of Austria has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Duerr, 27, tested positive on 22 February for the banned substance recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Claudia Bokel, decided the following:

I. The Athlete, Mr Johannes Duerr, Austria, Cross-Country Skiing:

(i) is disqualified from the Men’s 15km + 15km Skiathlon event where he placed 8th;

(ii) shall have his diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn;

(iii) is excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014;

II. The Austrian Olympic Committee is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diploma awarded to the Athlete;

III. The International Ski Federation is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence;

IV. The IOC administration is requested to reallocate the diploma withdrawn from the Athlete in accordance with the new ranking provided by the International Ski Federation; and

V. This decision shall enter into force immediately.

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. After each event, the IOC systematically carried out tests on the top five finishers plus two at random. The IOC also performed unannounced out-of-competition tests. Over the course of the Sochi Games, the IOC carried out some 2,812 tests – an Olympic Winter Games record.

IOC sanctions Ukrainian Skier Italian bobsleigher Frullani, and Latvian Ice hockey player for failing anti-doping test

IOC sanctions Ukrainian cross-country skier Marina Lisogor, Italian bobsleigher Frullani and Latvian men’s ice hockey player Vitalijs Pavlovs for failing anti-doping test at Sochi 2014

The IOC had earlier sanctioned German Biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, 33, who tested positive on 17 February for methylhexaneamine (dimethylpentylamine).

Now it’s the turn of cross-country skier Marina Lisogor of Ukraine, she has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Lisogor, 30, tested positive on 18 February for the presence of trimetazidine.

The same panel that sat on the Sachenbacher-Stehle case also handled this Lisogor doping saga. The Athlete, Ms Marina Lisogor, Ukraine, Cross-Country Skiing, is disqualified from the Ladies’ Team Sprint Classic Semifinal B event.

This also means that her team is also disqualified from further participation at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Pavlovs

Latvian men’s ice hockey player Vitalijs Pavlovs has also been sanctioned for failing an anti-doping test at Sochi 2014

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that men’s ice hockey player Vitalijs Pavlovs of Latvia has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Pavlovs, 24, tested positive on 19 February for methylhexaneamine (dimethylpentylamine).

Frullani

IOC sanctions Italian bobsleigher Frullani for failing anti-doping test at Sochi 2014

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that bobsleigher William Frullani of Italy has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Frullani, 34, tested positive on 18 February for methylhexaneamine (dimethylpentylamine).

All athletes sanctioned for drug use will be immediately expelled and have also gotten their teams disqualified from upcoming team events. And their records expunged from the record books. According to the IOC all sanctions take immediate effect

Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, testing takes 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 performs tests before and after events. After each event, the IOC systematically carries out tests on the top five finishers plus two at random. The IOC also performs out-of-competition unannounced tests. Over the course of the Sochi Games, the IOC is expected to carry out some 2,453 tests – 1,944 urine and 509 blood.

IOC sanctions German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle for failing anti-doping test at the Sochi Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle of Germany has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Sachenbacher-Stehle, 33, tested positive on 17 February for methylhexaneamine (dimethylpentylamine).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case had Denis Oswald (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel and Gunilla Lindberg

All records of her participation will removed completely and the also includes team events.

Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, testing takes 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 performs tests before and after events. After each event, the IOC systematically carries out tests on the top five finishers plus two at random. The IOC also performs out-of-competition unannounced tests. Over the course of the Sochi Games, the IOC is expected to carry out some 2,453 tests – 1,944 urine and 509 blood.

IOC Social Media: From Russia with Likes

A conversation of Olympic proportions is taking place on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s social media platforms, thanks in large part to a rapidly growing presence in the home country of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Russians are some of the most engaged people in the world when it comes to social media, spending, according to some accounts, over six hours a month on Russian social network VKontakte (VK) alone. And they are loving their first social media Games. Twenty per cent of the 60 million monthly active users on the platform engage with the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, and were responsible for 17 million mentions of the Games on VK during the first week of competition.

With 2.7 million fans, the IOC’s Olympic page on VK has become the most popular official community page in the world among Russian-speaking fans. Thousands of Russians have been cheering for their athletes, and the IOC has been sharing their photos live in the Medals Plaza and at other live sites across Russia. It is the first time that user-generated content has been shared within an Olympic venue.

“We’re extremely pleased with the numbers,” said IOC Director of Communications Mark Adams. “The IOC’s presence on social media has grown incredibly quickly since the start of Sochi 2014, especially here in Russia, and this is partly due to the rise in mobile use around the world.”

Olympic Athletes’ Hub

The Olympic Athletes’ Hub recorded over 40,000 updates from Olympians, teams and National Olympic Committees in the first week of the Games. Olympians have been engaging in fun and interactive ways by taking photos and sharing them on social media. Over 1,700 photos have been taken at the Games so far and can be viewed on facebook.com/olympics. With 1,500 Sochi 2014 Olympians and over 6,000 Olympians from past Games, the Olympic Athletes’ Hub has become the reference point for connecting with athletes in social media.

The Hub has been receiving great praise from the athletes in Sochi. “The app is awesome,” said US hockey player Brianna Decker. “It is easily accessible and a great way for Olympians to connect with other Olympians and have fans connect with Olympians. It’s also great to have thousands of Olympians involved with this app and know that they are truly who they claim to be.”

“When we use the Hub we know that these Olympians’ accounts are real and we are certain who we follow is the real deal,” said Norwegian figure skater Anne Line Gjersem, echoing Decker’s comments about the fact that accounts of the Olympians on the Hub are all verified to protect against fakes.

Facebook, Twitter, Sina Weibo

In the lead-up to the Games, the IOC’s Facebook page grew by more than 2 million fans. In the first seven days of the Games the page gained close to 1 million new fans. During the same period, Facebook reported that 24 million people were talking about the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games on its platform.

The IOC Twitter account, meanwhile, has added 1 hundred thousand new followers since the start of the Games. According to Hootsuite, 6.5 million mentions of the Olympic Games were made on Twitter during the first week of competition.

In the past 30 days, 1.2 billion impressions have been recorded on IOC-led accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

There has been great interest surrounding Sochi 2014 in other parts of the world as well. In China, for example, the IOC’s Sina Weibo account grew by 849,752 fans, and there were almost 12.5 million mentions of the hashtag sochi2014 during the first week alone.

The total global fan base of the IOC now stands at 33.9 million subscribers.

Sochi 2014 Cultural Program is gaining popularity among Games guests

Sochi 2014 Cultural Program is gaining popularity among Games guests

Since the start of the Olympic Games in Sochi, as part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Program, the host city has staged over 140 various events participated in by 92 creative groups from all over the country. In total, more than 185,000 guests visited the Live Sites across Russia, where 118 events took place.

The Cultural Program of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games features a host of masterpieces gathered within the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad. Participants and guests of the Games will have the opportunity to enjoy over 500 hours of performances from Russia’s notable music and dance groups including Chukchi throat singing, fiery Dagestan lezginka, melodic Kuban Cossack tunes and virtuoso alto improvisations of maestro Yuri Bashmet. Cultural events featuring more than 5,000 artists from 70 regions of Russia will take place at numerous venues across Sochi.

The schedule of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Program events will be available on the official website culture.sochi2014.com and via Sochi 2014 mobile application in the “Events” section[1].

The majority of the concerts and exhibitions will be free of charge for the guests, and events requiring tickets can be purchased at box offices in Sochi.

Between 2010 and 2014 thousands of different cultural events have been held across the country and there have been more than 3 million spectators. Each year, the Cultural Olympiad is dedicated to a different art form: 2010 was the Year of the Cinema, 2011 the Year of the Theater, 2012 the Year of Music, and 2013 is the Year of the Museum.

Photo from sochi2014.com

Sochi 2014 Live Sites

Cultural and entertainment events are held both in the open air and in closed areas: at the Olympic Park, including the Medals Plaza, at competition venues, at Sochi 2014 Live Sites with a huge screen and a stage (there are 5 such sites in the Olympic host city), at concert halls of Greater Sochi, and in the Olympic and Paralympic villages.

Entry to the Live Sites is free of charge, while a ticket to the Olympic Park costs 200 rubles.

The most vibrant and largest event of the Games Cultural Program is the International Winter Arts Festival under the auspices of the People’s Artist of Russia and Sochi 2014 Ambassador Yuri Bashmet, which combined music, theater, cinema and visual arts as a result of the four-year Cultural Olympiad, in the form of thematic activities performed by world level stars.

Concerts and exhibitions, literary evenings and film screenings await the festival’s guests.

As in previous years, the Yuri Bashmet Festival program is distinguished by a variety of genres. His guests include the famous Igor Butman big band, theater lovers will appreciate the performance of the play Shukshin’s Stories by the Theater of Nations with Chulpan Khamatova and Yevgeny Mironov, as well as the performance by Ksenia Rappoport and Konstantin Khabensky in the Eugenу Onegin literary and musical composition by Yuri Bashmet based on the poem by Pushkin and Tchaikovsky opera.

The gala concert will finish the Great Arts Festival with a performance by Russian conductor, violinist, and violist Yuri Bashmet.

The final touch of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Program are the exhibition projects in Sochi’s museums. Visiting all museums during the Olympic and Paralympic Games is free to all who wish to do so.

Canadian coach helps Russian cross-country skier so he can finish race

By Fansided.com

SOCHI, February 12, 2014 – Forget the unfinished hotel rooms for a moment. Ignore the people getting stuck in elevators. Overlook the somewhat poor conditions. This is what the Olympics are all about.
During the semifinal’s of the men’s cross-country sprint, Russian skier Anton Gafarov crashed, snapping his ski in two. Without the proper equipment, he obviously couldn’t finish the race. But that’s where Canadian cross-country coach Justin Wadsworth stepped in.

The coach, who witness what was going on, quickly ran towards Gafarov as he recovered from the crash. Ski in hand, Wadsworth strapped it to the Russian’s boot, allowing him to continue on.

“I wanted him to have dignity as he crossed the finish line,” said Wadsworth, himself a three-time Olympian.

Unfortunately due to the crash, Gafarov had no chance to win and eventually finished three minutes behind the competition, but at least he was able to cross the finish line in front of his home fans – all thanks to the good spirit of Wadsworth.

If this whole story sounds somewhat familiar, that’s because a similar situation took place in 2006 during the Torino Olympics. Ironically enough, in that event it was Canadian cross-country skier Sara Renner who was assisted by Norwegian coach Bjornar Haakensmoen after Renner broke his ski pole.

Source : AIPS

Sochi’s successful start sees daily coordination meeting cancelled

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today cancelled the daily Games Coordination meeting until further notice thanks to the successful start to the Games made by the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee.

The Games Coordination meeting is led by the IOC President. It brings together representatives of the IOC, National Olympic Committees, International Federations and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games to discuss the progress and main issues surrounding the Games, and to identify solutions where necessary.

Speaking at the end of today’s meeting, President Bach said, “We are now four days into the Games and are very satisfied with the way they are unfolding.” He continued, “In light of the great success so far, I have decided to cancel the regular coordination meetings between the IOC and Sochi 2014 until further notice.”

The first Games Coordination meeting was held last Friday, the day of the Opening Ceremony. The meetings took place the following two days before a one-day hiatus on Monday due to the positive start made by the Sochi organisers. Given the good level of operations seen so far during the first week of the Games, the decision was taken by the President that it was not necessary in the foreseeable future to continue with the meetings.

WADA to hold pre-Winter Games press conference in Sochi

WADA to hold pre-Winter Games press conference in Sochi

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will hold its traditional pre-Olympic and Paralympic Games press conference on February 5 at the Sochi 2014 Main Press Center.

Sochi 2014 will mark another opportunity for WADA to provide comprehensive anti-doping monitoring and educational resources at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The purpose of this Press Conference is for WADA to present its Independent Observer (IO) and Athlete Outreach Programs, and explain its role in relation to monitoring and reviewing Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and its right of appeal regarding doping cases.

WADA’s President Sir Craig Reedie and Director General David Howman will be available to answer questions from the media along with UK Anti-Doping’s CEO Andy Parkinson, who will head the Independent Observer Team at the Winter Olympic Games.

Date: Wednesday, February 5

Time: 20.00-21.00

Location: Pushkin Hall, Main Press Center for Sochi 2014

Participants: WADA President Sir Craig Reedie, WADA Director General David Howman and IO Team Chair Andy Parkinson

An outline of WADA’s role at the upcoming Games can be found on the Agency’s website.

Source: AIPS WEB

IOC awards 2014-2016 broadcast rights In Sub-Saharan Africa

IOC awards 2014-2016 broadcast rights In Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the broadcast rights in Sub-Saharan Africa* to Infront Sports & Media AG for the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 in Nanjing, China.

Infront has acquired exclusive broadcast rights on free to air television and non-exclusive internet and mobile broadcast rights.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This agreement reflects the global appeal of the Olympic Games, and our aim is to reach audiences in all regions across the globe with the best broadcast offering. We want to not only generate viewership for sports where African athletes already perform successfully, but also boost appeal for Olympic sports gaining popularity on the continent.”

IOC member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said: “Infront has acquired the rights and will now work to sublicense those rights to broadcasters in the region to ensure excellent coverage of the Olympic Games for sports fans. The partnership with Infront allows us to take advantage of its network across the continent, supported further by a tailor-made editorial plan for African broadcasters and their viewers. ”

Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports of Infront Sports & Media, said: “We would like to thank the IOC for trusting in our broadcast distribution experience and ability to extend the spirit and scope of Olympic programming to an even broader audience. Our ambition is to encourage the growth of sport in Africa with a dedicated broadcast product and continue to advocate the Olympics as a worldwide event. We are looking forward to delivering the Winter Olympics to television screens in so many countries in Africa for the first time in 2014.”

* Includes:

1. Angola
2. Benin
3. Botswana
4. Burkina Faso
5. Burundi
6. Cameroon
7. Cape Verde
8. Central Africa Republic
9. Chad
10. Comoros
11. Congo, Democratic Republic of
12. Congo, Republic of
13. Côte d’Ivoire
14. Equatorial Guinea
15. Eritrea
16. Ethiopia
17. Gabon
18. Gambia
19. Ghana
20. Guinea
21. Guinea-Bissau
22. Kenya
23. Lesotho
24. Liberia
25. Madagascar
26. Malawi
27. Mali
28. Mauritius
29. Mozambique
30. Namibia
31. Niger
32. Nigeria
33. Rwanda
34. São Tomé and Príncipe
35. Senegal
36. Seychelles
37. Sierra Leone
38. Swaziland
39. Tanzania
40. Togo
41. Uganda
42. Zambia
43. Zimbabwe