Rio Olympic Sports an Events

[gotosy]

Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition final event and equipment selections has been confirmed by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

The ISAF Council voted that Kiteboarding will replace Windsurfing for the men’s and women’s board events and confirmed the equipment that will be used for the Women’s Skiff and Mixed Multihull Events.

The Mackay FX, referred to as the 49er FX, was selected yesterday as the two person women’s skiff and today the Nacra 17 joins the Olympic equipment family after being selected for the two person mixed multihull event.

The 49er FX received the majority of votes from the ISAF Council in the first round after the six evaluation trial entries were narrowed down to just three; the 29erXX, the RS900 and the 49er FX.

There was an equally animated debate on the final morning of the Council meeting at this year’s ISAF Mid-Year Meeting to decide the equipment to be selected for the mixed multihull event. After discussing the recommendations from the Evaluation Panel, the Equipment Committee and the Events Committee, Council voted between the Nacra 17 and the Viper with the Nacra 17 securing the majority.

The final discussion on the events and equipment for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition was about the men’s and women’s board events with Council voting in favour or kiteboarding.

In November 2011 an evaluation group was appointed to examine kiteboarding formats with the board events for Rio 2016 defined as ‘windsurfing and/or kiteboarding’. The Evaluation Group recommended that kiteboarding be included in the ISAF Event family including the ISAF Sailing World Cup and the ISAF Sailing World Championships but Council went one step further and selected kiteboarding for the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition as well.

The ISAF Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Committee will consider and make further recommendations to Council on the implementation of the inclusion of kiteboarding at their meeting in November 2012 at the ISAF Annual Conference.

ISAF President Göran Petersson said, 'These announcements mark a new era for sailing and we welcome the new classes into the ISAF family. The equipment selections have fulfilled the criteria set out by the Evaluation Panel and we look forward to seeing the boats not only at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but the ISAF Sailing World Cup and ISAF Sailing World Championships.

'Kiteboarding has proven to us that it is ready to be included into the list of prestigious ISAF Events and it is a fantastic addition to the sailing programme for the 2016 Olympic Games.'

The events to be contested at the 2016 Olympic Games are confirmed as:

Men’s Kiteboarding

Women’s Kiteboarding

Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser

Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial

Men’s One Person Dinghy (heavy) – Finn

Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470

Women’s Two Person Dinghy - 470

Men’s Skiff – 49er

Women’s skiff – 49er FX

Mixed Two Person Multihull – Nacra 17

ISAF

[gotosy]

UK Home Nations can qualify a British rugby sevens team for Rio 2016

England, Scotland and Wales will all have the ability to qualify a Great Britain rugby sevens team for the Rio 2016 Olympics, combining to create one team for the Games.

The provisional plan to qualify for the Olympic sevens rugby tournament sees the four top teams qualify for Rio 2016 directly from the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series.

England, Scotland and Wales are set to compete in the event as individual countries in both the men's and women's event and as long as one of them finishes in the top four, Britain will qualify for the Olympics.

Should all three miss out on a top four ranking, they will then attempt to qualify through a regional qualifying tournament and subsequently a special Olympic qualification tournament.

If one of the three qualifies for the event, Britain would then be likely to form one team for the Olympics, but it would be up to each nation and the British Olympic Association (BOA) to decide how it is set up.

In theory, it could mean that England could qualify Britain for the Games, but the team be made up of largely of Scottish players although International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Bernard Lapasset (pictured above) believes that it is the fairest solution.

"There is a proposal on the table to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the Olympic qualification that will be put in place for the UK," Lapasset told insidethegames.

"Nothing has yet been confirmed but we believe that the proposal will soon be confirmed.

"We need to be fair to each region and this appears to be the fairest way while it also respects the protocol on the Olympic Charter."

Rio 2016 will see rugby sevens appear at the Games for the first time since the Paris 1924 Olympics after the IOC voted to re-admit the sport at their Session in Copenhagen in 2009.

...

http://www.insidethe...m-for-rio-2016-

[gotosy]

IOC Rules out Beach Soccer, Futsal at Rio Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled out the possibility of including beach soccer and futsal at the 2016 Rio Games.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Saturday that the two could gain Olympic status, but only after the 2016 Games.

"There is no possibility to increase the number of sports for 2016," Rogge noted.

"There are negotiations taking place with FIFA (world soccer governing body) but we are still undertaking studies. It's something for the future," he added.

In 2011, FIFA president Joseph Blatter announced the plans to back beach soccer and futsal's inclusion at the Rio Olympics.

http://english.cri.c...3241s713026.htm

[Fox334]

IOC Rules out Beach Soccer, Futsal at Rio Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled out the possibility of including beach soccer and futsal at the 2016 Rio Games.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Saturday that the two could gain Olympic status, but only after the 2016 Games.

"There is no possibility to increase the number of sports for 2016," Rogge noted.

"There are negotiations taking place with FIFA (world soccer governing body) but we are still undertaking studies. It's something for the future," he added.

In 2011, FIFA president Joseph Blatter announced the plans to back beach soccer and futsal's inclusion at the Rio Olympics.

http://english.cri.c...3241s713026.htm

Other problem against those two: AFAIK there is no women's Futsal and Beach Soccer world cups.

[gotosy]

Amateur boxing president wants more female boxers in Rio after Olympic debut in London

The head of amateur boxing’s governing body sees the Olympic debut of women’s boxing as one of his major achievements. Now he plans to do more.

Wu Ching-Kuo, president of the International Amateur Boxing Association, said Saturday he wants to see more female boxers at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

AIBA plans to ask the IOC to increase the sport’s overall athlete allocation so women’s boxing will have more than London’s 36 fighters in three weight classes in Brazil. Although Wu is unsure of his chances of success, he is in good position to do that lobbying as a newly elected member of the IOC’s executive board.

...

AP

http://www.washingto...hPGX_story.html

[Sagacious]

One question, will the tennis be played in clay court?

[intoronto]

One question, will the tennis be played in clay court?

no?

[gotosy]

One question, will the tennis be played in clay court?

a quote from AP

Tennis at the 2016 Games will be much different from this year's event. Officials in Brazil plan construction of a tennis complex projected to cost more than $40 million, with hard courts the likely surface - a big change from the hallowed grass courts of the All England Club.

http://nbcsports.msn...olympic_sports/

[gotosy]

IRB president presents plans for Rugby Sevens at Rio

Bernard Lapasset tells Around the Rings the International Rugby Board is doing everything possible to develop the sport in Brazil ahead of rugby sevens debut at Rio 2016 – but admits the host nation’s men’s team may struggle.

...

“They have good quality women players,” he said, adding that the IRB was pumping investment into the men’s and women’s games at all levels including schools “to create more opportunities to detect some new players...and they are progressing very well.”

Developing the men’s game to a level that Brazil can compete with the traditional powerhouses of world rugby – including Australia, England, France and South Africa – was a “more complicated” challenge, he conceded, due to the scale of what needed to be achieved in just four years.

The IRB delivered notice of its intentions to promote the shorter format of the sport in Brazil when it signed an agreement with Brazil Rugby Union in May to launch the first women’s sevens circuit in South America in Brazil. Brazil’s women have been South American champion eight times in a row.

...

Full article:

http://aroundthering...w.aspx?id=40890

[gotosy]

Team GB women's football is 'unlikely' at Rio 2016, says FA

The Football Association have delivered a blow to coach Hope Powell's hope of competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics after general secretary Alex Horne confessed that it is "unlikely" that the concept of a unified Team GB would reappear in at the Games in Brazil.

Within the men's game it is not going to happen again – and on the women's side I am going to say it's unlikely, but you can understand why it's more compelling, Olympic football for women is the pinnacle," Horne said.

The attitude will come as a blow to coach Hope Powell, who had hoped to repeat the success of the London Games where her team reached the quarter final and the support peaked with a 70,000 strong crowd in their final group game against Brazil on Wembley.

The stance will also be disappointing for the men's team, Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverly said: "The way sport was showcased in the Olympics was an example for everyone in every sport, it was unbelievable, something to look back on, even now, as being just amazing," the England international said before the friendly against Italy in Berne on Wednesday.

Both the men's and women's football team qualified for the 2012 Olympics on the basis of being host nation, but the idea of unifying the four home nations was considered a one-time arrangement.

Spurred on by the home crowd, both the teams reached the quarter finals in the Olympics.

http://www.telegraph..._medium=twitter

[intoronto]

That is really unfortunate.

[gotosy]

Could three-on-three basketball be coming to the Olympics?

It will if FIBA, the international governing body, has its way. Secretary-general Patrick Baumann said Saturday that his group planned to propose it to be played as early as the 2016 Rio Games.

Three-on-three, the game played in driveways, on playgrounds and around the country during the annual Gus Macker tournaments, debuted in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. FIBA wants to create a comprehensive ranking system that would determine the best three-on-three teams in the world. FIBA already has a three-on-three world tour and world championship, but Baumann welcomed all three-on-three tournaments, such as Gus Macker and Hoop It Up, into the fold as long as those tournaments adhered to FIBA rules, including the registration of players in a database to chart wins and losses.

"Like volleyball has beach volleyball, swimming has synchronized swimming, we want three-on-three to be part of it," Baumann said.

After rankings determine the top teams worldwide, Baumann said, each nation would be responsible for creating a format to determine which team it would send to the Olympics.

Baumann reasoned that three-on-three would allow more countries to experience the Olympics and help FIBA expand basketball's global popularity. He said smaller basketball nations regularly send teams to the three-on-three world championship.

"We've chosen three-on-three as being one way of bringing that community into the Games," he said. "For us, this is also really about growing the mass of players on a grass-roots basis. We want them to be part of the family and hopefully have new talents for the game."

http://www.usatoday....-rio/56975564/1

[Rominger]

One question, will the tennis be played in clay court?

Considering our tennis players plays better at clay courts, it would be strange not to use it.

Besides, it would be the first time since Barcelona they would use clay courts. I think it would be a great idea.

[gotosy]

Usain Bolt mulls swapping sprint for long jump in Rio

Jamaica's Usain Bolt has said he is considering switching sprinting for long jump before the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The world's fastest man, who claimed three gold medals at the London Olympics, dismissed rumours that he may retire before Rio but said he may compete in different events in four years' time.

"It's just about making different goals, there's a lot of things I can do in the sport," Bolt told Britain's Sky News television channel.

"My coach wants me to do 400 metres, I want to try long jump," said Bolt, who successfully defended his 2008 Beijing 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles in London this month.

"I could always try to aim for the records again, so there's different things -- but after the season we'll decide what we want to do and work on that next season."

Bolt's flirtation with long jump comes a week after he claimed he was considering playing cricket in Australia's domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League.

He played junior cricket before turning to the track and has long voiced a love for the game.

The sprinter has also said he would happily play football for Manchester United, "if the money's right".

If Bolt does switch to long jump, he would be following in the footsteps of US sprinter Carl Lewis, who won the Olympic long jump title four times from 1984 to 1988 as well as four sprint golds.

Bolt also brushed off speculation that he was planning to quit ahead of the Rio Games.

"Yes, definitely I will be there (in Rio), as long as I'm fit and I'm ready," said the 26-year-old. "It'll be a little bit harder but I'm looking forward to it."

AFP

[Filipe_Golias]

Is it true that Rio has dropped the organization of the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships?

[aismanggo]

hopefully rio choose squash as one of the the sports on olympic rio 2016

[Sir Rols]

hopefully rio choose squash as one of the the sports on olympic rio 2016

No, the 2016 program is set. The soonest squash might be included (if it wins a spot) is 2020.

[intoronto]

Is it true that Rio has dropped the organization of the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships?

No.

[DannyelBrazil]

It would be fantastic if we have some Volleyball challenge match in Maracana Stadium like this one in 1983.

Brazil vs USSR, with 100,000+ attendance!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJby-9eyK6g

And, with so many support, Brazil won 3-1.

[Rominger]

Is it true that Rio has dropped the organization of the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships?

I never heard that Rio would HOST it, even less that it was dropped.

Honestly, never read about it here, but it doesn´t mean Rio wasn´t selected as a host. Sometimes we only hear in the media about it less than a week before the event when it is a 'small' sport like Canoe.

[gotosy]

ITU President and Olympic medallists call for triathlon mixed relay to feature at Rio 2016

Marisol Casado, President of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), has called for a triathlon mixed relay to feature at the Rio 2016 Olympics to offer athletes more than one opportunity to compete at the Games.

Star athletes Jonathan Brownlee and Lisa Nordén, both London 2012 individual medallists, have added their voices to Casado's call.

The sport proved hugely popular at London 2012 when Britain's Alistair Brownlee and Switzerland's Nicola Spirig won gold in the men's and women's races, respectively – the only two medal events on the triathlon programme.

...

The mixed relay sees two women and two men each competing in a "super-sprint" format before tagging their next team-mate.

..

The mixed relay made its major Games debut at the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics and will be contested at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Games, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.

However, the IOC Executive Board will ultimately decide whether or not to include the event at Rio 2016 when it meets next year.

Full article

http://www.insidethe...ure-at-rio-2016

[Fox334]

Not a fan of the triathlon mixed relay. I prefer each gender to have it's own relay, and I'm also not a fan of having the relay be a "super sprint" while the individual event is a longer distance.

Team GB women's football is 'unlikely' at Rio 2016, says FA

The Football Association have delivered a blow to coach Hope Powell's hope of competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics after general secretary Alex Horne confessed that it is "unlikely" that the concept of a unified Team GB would reappear in at the Games in Brazil.

Within the men's game it is not going to happen again – and on the women's side I am going to say it's unlikely, but you can understand why it's more compelling, Olympic football for women is the pinnacle," Horne said.

The attitude will come as a blow to coach Hope Powell, who had hoped to repeat the success of the London Games where her team reached the quarter final and the support peaked with a 70,000 strong crowd in their final group game against Brazil on Wembley.

The stance will also be disappointing for the men's team, Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverly said: "The way sport was showcased in the Olympics was an example for everyone in every sport, it was unbelievable, something to look back on, even now, as being just amazing," the England international said before the friendly against Italy in Berne on Wednesday.

Both the men's and women's football team qualified for the 2012 Olympics on the basis of being host nation, but the idea of unifying the four home nations was considered a one-time arrangement.

Spurred on by the home crowd, both the teams reached the quarter finals in the Olympics.

http://www.telegraph..._medium=twitter

One word: disgusting. The Olympics is the pinnacle for women's Football, and denying the British women the chance to participate because a bunch of old farts are running scared is just unacceptable.

[Texas]

One word: disgusting. The Olympics is the pinnacle for women's Football, and denying the British women the chance to participate because a bunch of old farts are running scared is just unacceptable.

It's based on FIFA and UEFA. Great Britain does not exist in FIFA and UEFA. Instead it's England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. An exception was made for London due to being the host country. This to me is more driven by FIFA and UEFA.

[Victor Mata]

It would be fantastic if we have some Volleyball challenge match in Maracana Stadium like this one in 1983.

Brazil vs USSR, with 100,000+ attendance!!!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJby-9eyK6g[/media

]

And, with so many support, Brazil won 3-1.

Rio 2007 organizers started plans to stage the man's volleyball final in Maracanã but it would be too close to the closing ceremony and they dropped the idea. I also heard some were concerned by the wind and rain at the time, as that PanAms had tricky weather.

[Fox334]

It's based on FIFA and UEFA. Great Britain does not exist in FIFA and UEFA. Instead it's England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. An exception was made for London due to being the host country. This to me is more driven by FIFA and UEFA.

The exact same situation exists in Hockey, Curling and Rugby (at least), and all those sports have a system where if one of the home nation qualifies then GB can compete at the games. It's not exactly rocket science.