world atlas
-
Posts
1,044 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
3
Posts posted by world atlas
-
-
now we reach the Winter Olympics future and the rotation pool idea.
unlike summer sports which can be played anywhere in the world year-around and most of them are known for most of humanity and are popular in many parts of the world.
most winter sports reach is limited to its homelands where it were invented and other parts of the planet that have long winters and alot of snow.
even if the IOC focused on Climate Change as the main reason to create the rotation pool I see a much bigger picture of the winter sports as a whole present and future.
I have two suggestions the first is somehow wild but this forum is made for such ideas nevertheless if such ideas adopted and implemented it could change the world of winter sports.
1- the IOC and winter sports IFs collaborates to create a "Winter Sports Host Association".
every IF start a dialogue with all its member states about all possible venues of every sport under their jurisdiction to identify all possible hosts of their championships around the world.
every IF creates its own pool of hosts that contain all the venues and locations that can host the championships of their respective sports.
in their turn the IOC creates it's own Winter Olympics hosts pool that includes all possible arrangements for the multi-sport event.
this association could grow to a forum that is a platform for all stakeholders (IOC, national winter sports federations, international winter sports federations, host cities and regions, athletes, sponsors ..etc)
to discuss all things winter sports calendars, best locations for their sports, venues conditions, athletes welfare, spectators issues, marketing and development ..etc.
any city/region/venue can apply any time to join the IF pool thought a bid by their national federation.
if they meet the basic requirements they will be added to the pool after that they can bid for a specific tournament and go through another evaluation to assess if they are the best option for that specific year event in the same way the old bidding process work.
2- my second suggestion is more in line with what the IOC currently propose lets call it "Olympic Winter Games Hosts Association".
the first step is an initiative by the IOC to identify all possible locations for winter sports around the world in collaboration with winter sports IFs then start a negotiations with all NOCs that can host winter sports events.
in their turn every NOC would work to identify all possible venues for all of the winter sports in their territory and start the negotiations with the leaders of possible host cities and regions and the venues operators.
after that every city/region in collaboration with their respective NOC make a bid to join the initial pool list.
after the IOC or specifically it's winter olympics host commission confirm the initial list an new era would start.
any new city/region can apply to join this pool of hosts in a way similar to the old application phase they need to meet the basic requirements.
but unlike the old bidding process these basic requirements are not purely technical, for example it could include:
- the minimum temperature during the last 10 years rule and the availability of the natural snow with a comprehensive study on artificial snow making in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
all participants should agree that there would be a re-evaluation of the snow availability and minimum temperature every 5 to 10 years and that they may be removed from the list if they do not meet the criteria anymore.
- venues availability and its use a comprehensive evaluation should be made by the sport IF to determine if the venue is suitable for their sport and if it can be used in a sustainable way.
- environmental impact and issues should be discussed with local population, government and NGOs to ensure that there won't be any environmental opposition locally and internationally.
- in case of rotation or even without it there should be guarantees and a defined plan to use the venues year around for multi-purpose city venues or when possible for snow venues by hosting local, continental, international sports competitions or other cultural, economic and social events.
- there should be a good interest in winter sports in the host nations, with venues hosting national, continental, and international events regularly that are well attended with fans and spectators that knows the sports its rules and athletes and follow it passionately.
- local issues are important the situation of the citizens, social, economic, environmental issues that face the nation, human rights record, government local and international policies to ensure it's the right time for the country to host and that the IOC won't face any criticisms locally or internationally because of the host nation/s.
for the pool I think it's time for at least the Winter Olympics to make the shift from host cities/regions to host countries.
any NOC in the list should have one city/region at least and can add more venues at any time but new locations should enter the application phase in a bid to the IOC's winter host commission to join the pool under its NOC supervision.
for example the USOPC could have SLC initially in the list but Denver can bid any time later to join the pool and this apply to all other NOCs.
any new NOC can apply to join the pool at any time.
in the candidature phase the IOC winter olympics commission invite all the NOCs in the pool to make bids for a specific edition around 10 to 7 years before the games.
the pool should include both the countries that have all the facilities to host alone and the countries that have some facilities and wants to be a co-host.
there are five technically viable hosts outside Europe : Canada, the US, Japan, Korea, China.
possible initial pool members from Europe: France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway.
the list of NOCs that can only be a co-host: Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia and maybe Czechia.
other NOCs that can join later: Sweden, Spain, Russia also Georgia, Ukraine,Turkey, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina can try to join if they meet the requirements.
in the Candidature phase for a specific editions that only the NOCs in the pool can bid for the projects and proposals could be flexible and open for all possibilities.
for example France can make different proposals every time they bid one edition could be centered around Albertville the next time Annecy could be the main city then they could host with Italy another time with Switzerland and so on.
it won't be a fixed list of cities that host again and again in the same venues.
so my idea of the "rotating" pool that it would be a list of the countries that meet the basic requirements to host Winter sports events/ Winter Olympics.
there is the accommodation issue how much new "Olympic Villages" they need to build and it's always part of the legacy problem even under the old system.
if its the time to scrap the olympic village tradition and accommodate the athletes in some type of hotels and hostels so what about the spectators?
where will they stay? the IOC needs to find a way to accommodate all participants the athletes, delegates, media, spectators, volunteers, employees not so far away from the competition venues.
the problem comes if the capacity of the existing hotels and other accommodation options is not enough.
I can't think of any solutions right now but this issue needs to be resolved in the near future.
I really wish to see my first idea ( a pools/lists of all possible hosts of all winter sports competitions ) see the light some day.
but for now the IOC is working on proposals similar to my second suggestion and they could reach the exact same idea in the end and make it a reality or could reach another but similar plan when the future winter hosts commission conclude its current study and re-evaluation of winter sports/winter olympics present situation and its future.
Fraser Bullock ( the COO of SLC 2002 and CEO of the Utah-SLC bid for 2030/34) said the rotating pool idea could take years to materialize and I agree with him.
we won't see the final rotating pool proposal from the winter hosts commission until after a few years from now maybe well into the first term of the next IOC president.
----------------
from now until the end of Bach presidency in 2025 the highlights regarding the bidding process could be just the selection of the 2030 host or maybe a double allocation for 2030/34.
as I said before Sapporo has the perfect conditions and all the required facilities to host anytime they want.
if they did not host the 2030 games they will host many times in the future as long as the winter olympics still exist it's just about when they prefer to do so.
if some miracle happend and Vancouver returned and the IOC really wants to go there either in 2030 or 2034 so be it.
the 2030 selection or 2030/34 double allocation could happen at the 2024 Paris session since at the 2025 session all the focus would be on the IOC presidential election.
for 2036
first I think they accelerated the 2032 process for two reasons one of them that John Coates worked with both sides Brisbane and the IOC to finish all the required guarantees and documents as fast as possible before the Tokyo game.
the other was the field of bidders they had which were all undesirable they just wanted to take a break from the " dialogue" with them.
the only other credible and somehow serious effort would led them to be under a referendum mercy so it was like give it to the safest and most credible bid then take a long break after they guaranteed the stability of the summer games until 2032.
currently they do not have any "safe" option that reached an advanced stage for 2036 also Bach ended his duty by selecting the 2032 host which means the next summer host won't be confirmed until the 2027 session at the earliest.
there will be just a few months between the new president election and the Milano/Cortina games so I'm not expecting much from the 2026 session.
right now the IOC are focusing on Paris 2024 after that the most important event would be the 2025 presidential elections.
the most important question for us here is if there would be any suggestions regarding the future of the bidding process from the presidential candidates.
who is the next IOC president ? is he/she from the current close Bach allies in the IOC? or other member that may have a different views and plans for the future of the Olympics?
would they continue with Bach legacy? go back to how it was before Bach? or have some new and different plans altogether?
regarding the bidding process would they keep the dialogue/targeted phases for the summer games and continue exploring and then implementing the winter olympics hosts pool idea?
also would they continue to play it safe by awarding the games to a handful of " safe" countries like what Bach did?or they would be brave enough to start new adventures by going to new regions in the world and face all the controversies, problems and criticisms that could come with that?
the most important questions in the world of the Olympics from now till the 2025 IOC session are about the identity of the next president.
then in the first few months and years of their presidency questions and speculations would be what would be kept and what would be changed from Bach era.
especially regarding all the new norm stuff.
-------------
1
-
-
Before I add my suggestion for the winter games rotation I want to share my view about the new norm.
I can't understand why some people are so fiercely against any new ideas that are out of the box such as the new norm bidding process and the winter olympics hosts rotation pool.
they just believe in the old system and think it should continue regardless of its deficiencies and problems.
first let's go back to 2013 when Bach was elected as president.
he inherited a heavy legacy from Rogge when giving major sports events to new frontiers was a trend.
the first challenge he faced was the 2022 bidding process which started at the end of Rogge era.
at the time and for the next decade the IOC faced a lot of challenges that are unnecessary unwanted and unneeded.
Corruption, Construction of new venues, environmental challenges, and a lot of critical reactions from governments and NGOs about human rights situation in some of the host countries.
the IOC is a sports organization and such challenges drove them away from their main purpose.
here where the new norm agenda comes to the surface.
Bach, Coates, Samaranch Jr, Dubi and others worked to produce a new bidding process
that eliminate the possibility of selecting a "challenging" hosts and making sure that the IOC leadership select the safest possible host in every cycle
they got tired of journalists asking them about human rights, environmental issues, political issues.
NGOs accuse them of corruption and condemning the way they choose a host, government officials refusing to attend the games, and the worst NOCs and athletes threatening to boycott the olympics.
and in some instances they had to follow and supervise a lot of new construction projects that were necessary for a successful delivery of the games.
some of the projects were delayed, others weren't ready before the games, and others (Sochi 2014) had corruption issues with the Russian government and construction companies contracts.
all that plus a lot of white elephants in many cities after the games.
as aforementioned the IOC is an international sports organization that has no authority over governments and they can't change policies or intervene in any local issues or any government foreign policies
but they can choose who host their events.
the olympics that they had more problems with and had the most challenges Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, Beijing 2022 were elected democratically by the majority of the IOC members.
to limit the risk that changed and now it's in the hand of the IOC EB to avoid any problems by choosing the safest candidates.
the legacy of these policies will be seen in the near future
like Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 the focus in the lead up, during, and after Paris 2024/ Milano-Cortina 2026/ LA 2028/ Brisbane 2032 will be on sports and athletes without any unrelated issues intervention as it should be in such events.
that is my understanding of the the new norm and what Bach and the other leaders in the IOC wants.
I'm personally not fond for this new reality and much less enthusiast for the next few hosts
France, Italy, the US, Australia hosts many sports events in almost all summer sports regularly and in many sports like Tennis, Cycling, Athletics, Motorsports ..etc annually.
so they are well known for the average sports followers unlike when some event held in a new lands especially a world championships or an Olympics which get much more attention
so people get excited to see a different culture and environment.
--------
There is a new reality facing the IOC
it's not any more about who convince the majority of the IOC members that their bid is the best.
the merit of the bid is the priority not only technically but also regarding the environment, human rights, political aspects and the international relations of the bidding country/countries.
and that includes avoiding any unwanted drama that could spoil the party so everything goes well in a peaceful way by focusing on sports, competitions, athletes and other cultural events held during the games.
so the new norm is about the quality not quantity.
as PR campaign they may show how many nations are interested to host the olympics to show how it's still a lucrative business but they know well that only the safest selected few will host it in the end.
I focused on the unannounced reason that led to the new norm agenda that has long negative impact on the games which start when the IOC announce the host and last many years even decades after the games ends.
I agree with the IOC regarding the bidding process time problems such as the public and private money wasted for more than two years of marketing and promotion during the bid campaign and the waste of time and effort of many people involved in a failed bid while they can use this time to do more impactful work that has long lasting impact in other aspects of their life.
people around the world are becoming more aware that money wasted on such bid campaigns can be used much more wisely and have a much better impact in many aspects of life instead.
some people argue that bid campaigns have their merits and benefits but I personally tend to the other opinion that the cons overwhelm the pros and that the wasted money,time and effort can't be overlooked.
now let's go back to the selection of the last few Olympics in the Bach era.
first the 2022 bidding process when they were left with Beijing and Almaty.
the old bidding process was rigid and not flexible so they could not extend it or open it again for any new bidders and they were obliged to select a host in their 2015 session.
so they could not try to start a negotiation with any other suitable and ready city ( ex. SLC or Vancouver) to rescue them from the Beijing vs Almaty dilemma after Oslo withdrew.
also the evaluation was pure technical and doesn't take environmental, social and political aspects into consideration.
so they could not reject Beijing and Almaty because of human rights concerns or Krakow because of the LGBT situation in Poland.
this could apply also to countries that have other issues for example they couldn't tell India, Indonesia, brazil and others that their priority should be on social issues like poverty, inequality, helping their citizens in many natural disasters they face regularly, building basic infrastructure related to Healthcare, Education and Transportation, provide jobs and homes for many citizens in need ..etc
instead of spending billions on the Olympic two weeks party as their leading politicians wants.
this could trigger a backlash from these countries on how politics should not intervene in sports.
but in such global events the IOC knew that the reality is different and spotlight would be on these issues in the lead up and during the games.
and many other governments officials,NGOs and media will blame the IOC even if their event has nothing to do with these problems.
so how not to blatantly reject bids from such countries? what they are doing is either tell them that behind closed doors or just ignore them as they did for 2032
the IOC is an international sports organization they can not adopt any political views or support some countries/organizations against others and need to have a good relations with all of it's NOC members in the name of sports.
so when they reject a good bid technically because of social or political issues they prefer it to be behind closed doors or indirectly instead of the face to face way.
for 2024 looks like they wanted Paris/France to host a summer olympics after a 100 years.
it's just the time to host the olympics again in Baron Pierre hometown and the birthplace of the modern olympic movement and it seems that Bach is fond of Paris/France.
for 2028 it's USA time.
the US is a main partner for the IOC and maintaining the popularity,viewership and sponsorship by hosting the games there from time to time is a priority.
requesting an excellent bid ( in the IOC eyes) coming in a perfect time to wait to enter a new separate bidding process would be time wasting because LA would be the favorite anyway.
2026 was a miracle, let's remember how it happened.
when Rome 2024 withdrew their bid because then mayor Virginia Raggi didn't support it.
mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala stepped in and offered his city to replace Rome in the bid for 2024 and we all know that was not possible under the old bidding process.
in the next few months Giovanni Malago (CONI president and IOC member) and Sala tried to partner with northern Italy regions Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto to make a bid for the 2026 games.
first it was to be called Alpi 2026 (Southern Alps/Northern Italy).
but then Piedmont withdrew so the new idea of Milano Cortina 2026 was born less than a year before the 2019 IOC session when the IOC were in a dire situation seeing other candidates dropping like flies.
Malago and Sala along with Attilio Fontana President of Lombardy, Luca Zaia President of Venteo and then mayor of Cortina d'Ampezzo led the new effort with other regions and cities in northern Italy.
the idea of the opening ceremony in San Siro and the closing in Verona Arena (which they included in their bid book) was a sign of this collaboration between the two regions of Lombardy and Veneto that made this bid possible and later the games a reality.
like the Paris 2024 bid it was led by politicians benefiting from that referendums on such matters isn't part of Italy's political culture unlike their northern neighbours.
for 2032 there were many undesirable candidates for the reasons aforementioned.
the best on the table were Australia and Germany and we all know that the IOC doesn't like to be under the mercy of the Germans and their binding referendums.
so why wait for years to know if the germans will eventually make an official bid or not and if any other serious and credible bid would come later when they have Brisbane.
regardless of the role John Coates played for them.
Brisbane 2032 was an example of the safe and perfect bid that the IOC wants at this stage.
technically viable, supported by Brisbane, Queensland and the Federal Government and it looks like the majority of Australians are either supporting or neutral towards the games.
with low to medium ecological, social, and political risk in the long term.
this is Bach policy, just award it to the safest and most credible candidate that won't lead you to controversies in the lead up and during the games and the earlier the better.
-----------------
for 2030 and 2034.
in Sapporo the idea to bid for the games again started after Tokyo won the right to host 2020 and Beijing 2022.
since Sapporo has the capacity to host any time I don't know what is their reason to target 2026/2030.
do they think it's time for Japan to host the winter games after Tokyo 2020 or because their neighbors Korea and China hosted recently they think it's their turn now.
Katsuhiro Akimoto was elected mayor of Sapporo in 2015 just a few months before Beijing was chosen as the 2022 host.
Sapporo was preparing to host the 2017 Asian Winter Games, later during that games Akimoto declared that Sapporo would bid to host the 2026 winter olympics then they withdrew that bid and started the current 2030 effort.
it's a political initiative that is supported by businesses and it seems that they are still struggling to convince the general public.
they have the most suitable city to host a winter olympics so if not 2030 they can host any time later so I think they could host it 3 or 4 times from now till 2100.
for the Vancouver 2030 last minute effort that is indigenous-led.
maybe it's from local or Canadian perspective the First Nation idea is something good or different in some way.
but I'm not convinced about what is the relation between a global sports event like the winter olympics and the reconciliation between the Canadian Government and the First Nations of Canada/British Columbia?
it's a local issue that has nothing to do with a global sports event that is for the whole world with athletes and delegations from more than 100 nations that have different cultures and histories.
what's the relation between winter sports and athletes and the Canadian reconciliation effort ?
they are not part of the Canadian history and have nothing to do with what happened during the last few centuries in Canada and the relation between early European colonizers and the later worldwide immigration after Canada became an independent country and the First Nations.
the past can't be changed and the land won't return to the indigenous nations and tribes, better to showcase the new immigrant nation diversity and thats includes the indigenous people.
for the the reconciliation efforts they can use many local cultural event or a Canadian Games with a focus on what is known today as Canada from the earliest human settlement and First Nations earlier culture and accomplishments and their later interaction with the Europeans and other newcomers.
for such First Nation initiative a Pan American Games could be better suited since most American Nations have a similar history and are all mix of the first settlers (indigenous people), Europeans who discovered these lands and settled around 600 years ago and later immigrants from all over the world who came later after the independence of the American nation states.
now we reach Salt Lake City.
similar to Sapporo the bid is led by politicians and businesses and supported by Utah Governor Spencer Cox and SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall but unlike Sapporo it's popular and supported by locals, Utahns, and Americans.
it seems that there is some opposition but it's not big enough to challenge the bid.
since we know the conflict with LA 2028 and the possible sponsorship loses if SLC host the 2030 games so the USOC prefers 2034 it has been always the question of double award.
if it was any other candidate I wouldn't see a reason for a double award, it's more about when North America would host again.
the US a main partner and participant and where winter sports is popular and have history didn't host for a while and by 2034 it would be 32 years since they last hosted.
also it would be 24 years since Vancouver hosted, so when will the winter games go back to North America?
when Bach said that they will award 2030 alone ( assuming it will go to Sapporo) I wondered why would they keep SLC waiting till 2027 session or at least till the Milano-Cortina games after the election of the new president.
what will the SLC-Utah bid committee do until then? why not just award it to them now or reject them if they want someone else?
Bach policy during his tenure is clear. the games will always be awarded to the safest and most credible bid whenever that bid come.
some people add China to the possible Olympic hosts list in the near future because understandably they are technically capable.
but seeing how things changed in the last decade and how social and environmental issues, human rights and international relations become more prominent and given a lot of spotlight in the lead up and during the games
also knowing that Bach and his colleagues didn't want Beijing for the 2022 games but the rigid old bidding process forced it on them
I think it will take long time before they have a new chance and that's depends on either regime change in China or new IOC leadership that has different views on such issues.
I think the problems the IOC faced with Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022 were some of the main drivers for the emergence of the new norm agenda such as the flexible and open dialogue which allow them to wait until a good candidate come and give them a chance to initiate a dialogue with any city they prefer at any time if all of the candidates don't meet the expectations
and the transfer of power to selecting host cities from the IOC members to their Executive Board.
so if they continue with Bach policy the only possible hosts in the foreseeable future are cities and regions in Western Europe, the US and Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Japan and South Korea.
and that will continue until a new leadership are ready to host anywhere else in the world and be brave enough to face controversies and criticisms.
-------------------
2
-
-
Quote
Spain to present Barcelona-Pyrenees bid for 2030 Winter Olympics
Source: Xinhua 2021-07-16 17:11:42 Editor: huaxiaMADRID, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco has confirmed that his organization will bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.
The 'Pireneus-Barcelona' bid will be centered on the city of Barcelona and the Pyrenees mountain range in the communities of Catalonia and Aragon in the north of Spain.
In an interview with the 'El Mundo Deportivo' newspaper, Blanco explained the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) had letters of support from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and regional leaders Pere Aragones (Catalonia) and Javier Lamban (Aragon).
"Apart from sending the letters to the IOC headquarters in Switzerland, I will also take a copy of the four letters with me to Tokyo - mine and that of the three presidents - which I will hand over to President Thomas Bach at the IOC Olympic session that takes place in the course of the Tokyo Olympics," explained Blanco.
"It is very important that we all go hand in hand with the IOC, and when it is considered that the project is finished, it will be time to present it," he said.
The idea of hosting a Winter Olympics based around Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 Summer Games, has been around for a few years, but the inclusion of Aragon in the project widens its scope.
"The Pyrenees of Aragon offer a broader candidacy with more possibilities, and we cannot forget that in the Aragonese Pyrenees there are many people who live, understand and support winter and ice sports," said Blanco, who explained that the move meant the plan had to be "expanded" technically.
"The Olympic bid must be sustainable, both on the ecological side and respect for the environment and nature, as well as on the economic side. This is a project to regenerate the territory. An inclusive project, where social support is very important. This is a project that comes out of society and for all this it is an objective that through common work we can achieve the organization of the Winter Olympic Games," he concluded.
-
Quote
USA accepted as bid candidate for Rugby World Cup 2027, 2029 and 2031
committee to begin campaign following positive feasibility study
Calder Cahill June 10, 2021
- USA formally accepted as a bid candidate to host Rugby World Cup 2027, 2029 and/or 2031.
- In August 2020, USA Rugby partnered with key stakeholders across the US on a Feasibility Study to extensively evaluate the potential of hosting a Rugby World Cup in the United States, fielding positive results across financial, host city, stadium, competition and rugby development categories.
- Next steps include transitioning feasibility group into bid planning team with their focus now shifting to deliver an extraordinary campaign and proposal, ahead of January 2022 deadline.GLENDALE, CO (June 10, 2021) – The United States has been formally accepted as a candidate to host one or more of the upcoming Rugby World Cup events in 2027, 2029 and/or 2031. Subsequently, the United States will move forward with a proposed hosting concept following positive outcomes from the Rugby World Cup Feasibility Study that began in August 2020 and World Rugby Dialogue Phase. The feasibility group, in tandem with USA Rugby, will continue its role and transition from exploratory phase to bid planning and preparation ahead of the January 2022 proposal deadline with World Rugby. The group will bring together American rugby and sports experts to develop proposals across a number of hosting concept categories, including financial planning, event objectives, competitions, stadiums and host cities, player welfare, rugby development, legacy and more.
USA Rugby CEO and former General Manager to Rugby World Cup, Ross Young said, “Putting our hand up to host a Rugby World Cup is a benchmark for the game in America, however the exciting stages are just now beginning as the stakeholder group continues into campaign planning. The great work this group of subject matter experts, led by former Director Jim Brown, has done supersedes what has happened previously at this stage, and truly highlights the potential for a Rugby World Cup being held on American soil.”
The United States will move forward with bid proposals for the 2027 and 2031 men’s competition, along with the 2029 women’s competition. As analysis continues, potential for a combined bid of both the men’s and women’s competitions may come together if the process determines this approach is feasible and constructive toward hosting a world class experience across both events.
The decision to take this major step into a host bid campaign is predicated by positive and encouraging results from the Rugby World Cup Feasibility Study, whose sole purpose is to assess the United States ability to host a Rugby World Cup and what the maximum potential and criteria for success would look like. With unique challenges present in the American sporting landscape, the study fielded constructive and quality feedback across financial, host city, stadium, competition and rugby development categories. Most notably, domestic outreach received overwhelmingly constructive feedback and excitement from major cities and stadiums when considering the potential for hosting and supporting men’s and women’s Rugby World Cup matches.
Similarly, preliminary financial analysis reflecting stadium, audience and commercial potential unique to the United States, indicates significant returns and economic impact for the union and global game. Therefore, signifying a meaningful investment for the ongoing legacy of rugby, both domestically and globally. More detail on economic and growth impact will come together through the upcoming bid campaign.
As with the feasibility study, the bid campaign will continue to be funded and resourced by investments from rugby stakeholders across the US landscape, whereby USA Rugby will continue to remain collaborative. Presentable materials of the feasibility study are also being prepared to share with the rugby community, educating on the positive outcomes and encouraging support of the upcoming bid campaign.
-
Quote
THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 DRAW
The four pools have been confirmed for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
14 December, 2020
Pools
Pool A
New Zealand
France
Italy
Americas 1
Africa 1
Pool B
South Africa
Ireland
Scotland
Asia / Pacific 1
Europe 2
Pool C
Wales
Australia
Fiji
Europe 1
Final Qualifier Winner
Pool D
England
Japan
Argentina
Oceania 1
Americas 2
How the draw workedAs host nation, France was drawn first and placed randomly in one of the four pools. The teams were then drawn randomly from each band, starting with Band 5 (Africa 1, Europe 2, Americas 2 and Final Qualifier Winner), then Band 4 (Americas 1, Asia / Pacific 1, Europe 1, Oceania 1), then Band 3 (Scotland, Argentina, Fiji and Italy), then Band 2 (Ireland, (France), Australia, Japan) and finally Band 1 (South Africa, New Zealand, England, Wales). The first drawn in each band was placed in Pool A, the second in Pool B, the third in Pool C and the fourth in Pool D.
Draw seedings
Twelve of the 20 teams qualified automatically by finishing in the top three places of their Rugby World Cup 2019 pool. These 12 teams are: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Wales, Ireland, France, Australia, Japan, Scotland, Argentina, Fiji and Italy. Acknowledging the global COVID-19 impact on international rugby in 2020, these teams were seeded based on the World Rugby Men's Rankings as of 1 January, 2020 and placed into the first three bands of four teams.
The remaining eight teams will come through the regional qualification process and were allocated for the draw into bands four and five based on relative strength. They are: Americas 1, Americas 2, Europe 1, Europe 2, Africa 1, Oceania 1, Asia / Pacific 1 and the Final Qualifier Winner.
-
Quote
John Coates Joins Rugby World Cup Bid Team
International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates adds another project to his portfolio.
21/07/20
Coates and Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori (Tokyo 2020/Shugo Takemi)
Coates has joined the effort to bring the Rugby World Cup back to Australia for the first time since 2003. The Australian reports he has been appointed to the 2027 Rugby World Cup bid advisory committee.
Australia is the only current candidate bidding for the tournament after Argentina pulled out of the running in April.
But Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan is taking no chances as Coates and Wallaby great Gary Ella are the newest members of a nine-person committee that includes former Australian prime minister John Howard, former Australia governor-general Peter Cosgrove and World Cup-winning captain John Eales.
“John Coates is Australia’s top sporting official globally and a legend and he knows how to get bids done,” McLennan told The Australian.
Coates, who played a key role in the successful Sydney 2000 bid, is already part of the regional Brisbane bid for the 2032 Olympics.
IOC President Thomas Bach signed off on Coates adding another job to his workload just a few days after the Sydney native, who also chairs the Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020, was elected IOC vice-president on July 17.Coates told The Australian his strong Olympic ties could help his country land the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
“It is an Olympic sport and there’s many IOC members who come from a rugby background and when we are back travelling again, I don’t think it is going to hurt to gently talk the talk. I guess I can contribute when it comes to the candidature, how best to prosecute it and those sorts of things,” Coates said.
Australia’s chances of winning the bid are helped by the fact that the southern hemisphere has not hosted the sport’s showpiece event since New Zealand did it in 2011. England hosted in 2015, Japan in 2019 and France will do the honors in 2023.
World Rugby announced in November 2019 that it would award both the 2027 and 2031 tournaments simultaneously in 2021. Given the Covid-19 pandemic, that timeline may have to be altered.
The United States is believed by many to be the favorite for 2031. A 2027 bid would seem less appealing, given that the USA is already co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Olympics.
-
Quote
UEFA competitions to resume in August
Wednesday 17 June 2020
All twelve UEFA EURO 2020 host cities confirmed and new match schedule approved.UEFA EURO 2020
The 12 original host cities have been confirmed as venues for the final tournament in the summer of 2021 and consequently the updated match schedule was also approved.
All existing tickets remain valid for the tournament in 2021. Existing ticket buyers who nevertheless wish to return their ticket(s), will have a final opportunity to request a refund from 18 June to 25 June via euro2020.com/tickets. Dates for potential future ticket sales including for fans of the four teams that will qualify via the play-offs will be confirmed at a later stage.
The UEFA Executive Committee also expressed its appreciation to the host associations, host cities and their authorities for their continuous support and commitment in organising the postponed UEFA EURO 2020.
European Qualifiers Play-Offs and 2020/21 UEFA Nations League Group Stage
The national team football windows of October and November 2020 will now feature triple-headers instead of double-headers, thus allowing the postponed European Qualifiers Play-Offs to be rescheduled at the beginning of the respective windows, on 8 October and 12 November.
The group stage matches of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League will be played on the following matchdays: 3/4/5 and 6/7/8 September; 10/11 and 13/14 October; 14/15 and 17/18 November 2020.
Friendly matches will be played on 7/8 October and 11/12 November.
The fixtures with confirmed dates and kick-off times will be announced in due course on UEFA.com
-
Quote
Dates confirmed for World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022
08 APR 2020 Press Release
A renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon will now host the World Championships in 2022. (University of Oregon)
The World Athletics Championships in Oregon have been rescheduled to 15-24 July in 2022, following the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Oregon World Championships were originally scheduled for 6-15 August, 2021, but have been rescheduled to the following year to avoid a clash with the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The World Athletics Council approved the new dates this week after extensive discussions with the sport’s stakeholders including organisers of two other major championships due to take place in July-August 2022, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the multisport European Championships in Munich.
The new schedule will prevent a direct conflict between any of these major events and, with careful programming, will ensure athletes can compete in up to three world-class competitions.
In an extraordinary international season for athletics, all three events will be held across an unprecedent summer of sport. The World Championships will begin a unique celebration of the sport, followed by the Commonwealth Games and the European Athletics Championships as part of the European Championships.
"This will be a bonanza for athletics fans around the world," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said.
"They will be treated to six weeks of absolutely first-class athletics. More than 70 of our Member Federations are part of the Commonwealth and more than 50 of our Member Federations are European so our guiding principle in rescheduling the World Championships was to ensure enough space was created around the centrepiece World Athletics Championship for athletes to choose other major events to compete in. We were also very mindful that we did not want to damage the other major championships in 2022, because they are also very important to our sport.
"We believe we have found a solution that will allow athletes who are eligible for the other two events to compete in them with the Commonwealth Games Federation planning to stage the athletics programme towards the end of their event. This will showcase our sport to its best advantage in the circumstances and we will continue collaborating with all competitions on the detailed programming.
"We would not have chosen to have three major championships back-to-back but it will give us a unique opportunity to promote our sport and its stars around the globe over a six-week period.
"I want to particularly thank Oregon 21 LLC and all its stakeholders for their collaboration and flexibility as well as all World Athletics’ partners and broadcasters who are so critical to delivering the Games and taking it into the homes of millions of fans."
Niels de Vos, Executive Director of the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22, said: "I should like to thank Oregon’s stakeholders for committing so early to the postponement, allowing maximum flexibility on dates for our friends at World Athletics, just as they have been flexible with us in ensuring our plans can remain on track despite the 12 month postponement. Oregon 22, as we must now get used to calling it, will be kickstarting a global festival of international track and field championships in the summer of 2022 that will be a fantastic experience for athletes and fans alike."
CGF President Louise Martin said: “I would like to thank the leadership of World Athletics for a hugely constructive approach to working with the CGF. Our collective objective has been to ensure that, in this unprecedented time of global upheaval in all our lives, as well as its impact on the international sports calendar, the interests of athletes are at the centre of all decision-making. We will continue to work together to create space within our schedules to provide athletes with the opportunity to safely compete to the best of their abilities at multiple world class events."
Libor Varhaník, Interim Chair of the European Championships Munich 2022, said: "On behalf of all the stakeholders of the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, I would like to thank World Athletics for working constructively and collaboratively with us in finding a new event date that respects the major events already scheduled in 2022. The international sports calendar has been hugely impacted as we battle this terrible global health crisis, and in discussions with World Athletics and the Commonwealth Games Federation our mutual goal has been to put the interest of our athletes at the forefront of our thoughts.
"The European Championships will continue to work closely with World Athletics and the Commonwealth Games Federation to ensure that athletes, media and sports fans are able to enjoy an amazing summer of sport across three world-class events in 2022, from Oregon to Birmingham and culminating in Munich in August on the 50th anniversary of its hosting of the Olympic Games."
-
Quote
UEFA postpones EURO 2020 by 12 months
Tuesday 17 March 2020
Priority given to completing domestic competitions in an unprecedented solidarity move by UEFA. Working group set up to examine possibilities for this season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions.
UEFA today announced the postponement of its flagship national team competition, UEFA EURO 2020, due to be played in June and July this year. The health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. The move will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.
All UEFA competitions and matches (including friendlies) for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation.
A working group has been set up with the participation of leagues and club representatives to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of the decisions made today.
The decisions, taken by UEFA's Executive Committee, followed videoconference meetings held today with the presidents and general secretaries of the 55 national associations, as well as representatives of the European Club Association, European Leagues and FIFPro Europe, convened by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, to find a coherent plan to break the logjam of fixtures building up due to the spread of the virus across the continent.
Announcing the decisions, Aleksander Čeferin said:
"We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism.
"The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, UEFA tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football. There was a real spirit of cooperation, with everyone recognising that they had to sacrifice something in order to achieve the best result.
"It was important that, as the governing body of European football, UEFA led the process and made the biggest sacrifice. Moving EURO 2020 comes at a huge cost for UEFA but we will do our best to ensure that the vital funding for grassroots, women's football and the development of the game in our 55 countries is not affected. Purpose over profit has been our guiding principle in taking this decision for the good of European football as a whole.
"Football is an uplifting and powerful force in society. The thought of celebrating a pan-European festival of football in empty stadia, with deserted fan zones while the continent sits at home in isolation, is a joyless one and one we could not accept to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.
"I would like to thank the European Club Association, the European Leagues and FIFPro Europe for their great work today and for their cooperation. I would also like to thank from the bottom of my heart the 55 national associations, their presidents and general secretaries, and my colleagues from the Executive Committee for their support and wise decisions. The fine detail will be worked out in the coming weeks but the basic principles have been agreed and that is a major step forward. We have all shown that we are responsible leaders. We have demonstrated solidarity and unity. Purpose over profit. We've achieved this today.
"I would also like to thank Alejandro Domínguez and CONMEBOL, who have agreed to move CONMEBOL's 2020 Copa America in order to follow the recommendations issued by the international public health organisations to enact extreme measures and as a result of EURO 2020 being postponed. This means that clubs and leagues in Europe will have as little disruption as possible in the availability of their players. These joint efforts and especially this coordinated and responsible decision, are deeply appreciated by the whole European football community.
"I would like to thank FIFA and its President, Gianni Infantino, who has indicated it will do whatever is required to make this new calendar work. In the face of this crisis, football has shown its best side with openness, solidarity and tolerance."
UEFA EURO 2020 was scheduled to take place in 12 cities across Europe from 12 June to 12 July 2020. The proposed new dates are 11 June to 11 July 2021. UEFA would like to reassure existing ticket buyers and hospitality clients that if they cannot attend the tournament in 2021, the face value of their tickets and packages will be refunded in full. Within the next month, further information on the refund process will be communicated to existing ticket buyers via email and on euro2020.com/tickets.
Decisions on dates for other UEFA competitions, whether club or national team for men or women, will be taken and announced in due course.
-
Quote
UEFA calls meeting of European Football Stakeholders
Thursday 12 March 2020
Stakeholders invited by UEFA to discuss European football's response to COVID-19
In the light of the ongoing developments in the spread of COVID-19 across Europe and the changing analysis of the World Health Organisation, UEFA has today invited representatives of its 55 member associations, together with the boards of the European Club Association and the European Leagues and a representative of FIFPro, to attend meetings by videoconference on Tuesday 17 March to discuss European football's response to the outbreak.
Discussions will include all domestic and European competitions, including UEFA EURO 2020.
Further communication will be made following those meetings.
QuoteUEFA intend to postpone EURO 2020 to 2021 – L’Équipe
March 12th, 2020L’Équipe report that governing body UEFA intend to announce on a video conference meeting with member countries on Tuesday 17th March that EURO 2020 will be postponed to 2021 and the Champions’ League and Europa League will be temporarily suspended until further notice.
The idea behind this is to give time into the summer for the two European competitions to finish, without being blocked by the current dates for EURO 2020 (12th June to 12th July). In order to be able to delay the Euros by a year, UEFA will need the green light from FIFA, who are currently planning a Club World Cup in the summer of 2021.
The newspaper now expects all domestic leagues to be suspended, but underlines that UEFA does not have control over them as they do not directly organise them.
-
Quote
EURO 2020 attracts record 28m ticket requests
Friday 14 February 2020An unprecedented number of applications have been made for tickets for this summer's final tournament.
Ticketing for UEFA EURO 2020 has smashed all records, with the latest phase for fans of qualified teams taking the overall ticket requests tally to 28.3m – double the figure for UEFA EURO 2016.
Ticket sales have come in two phases:- General public sales (12 June to 12 July) – 19.3m ticket applications
- Fans of qualified teams (4–18 December) – 9m ticket applications
The latest phase, for fans of qualified teams, brought a threefold increase in ticket requests compared to UEFA EURO 2016 in France.
The overall figure of 28.3m is double the previous record and apparently due in significant part to the unique nature of the first Europe-wide tournament, which features 12 host countries.
The group match between France and Germany in Munich on 16 June, for example, attracted 710,000 ticket requests – only 4,000 fewer than the Wembley final. Some 64% of applications came from fans within host nations, and there has also been strong demand from hosts' neighbouring countries such as Finland, Austria, France and Poland.
How you can still get involved
Fans of the play-off winners
The European Qualifiers play-offs at the end of March will determine the last four teams in this summer’s final tournament, and fans of those sides will be able to apply online for UEFA EURO 2020 tickets in early April.Purchase phase
If supply exceeds demand for specific tickets then they will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis closer to the tournament.Official ticket resale platform
Fans wishing to re-sell their tickets will be able to do so via the official UEFA resale platform, which launches at the end of February. If tickets are sold, the original purchaser gets their money back. -
Quote
No ‘sense of urgency’ to advance Salt Lake City Olympic bid, national official says
By Lisa Riley Roche, KSL | Posted - Feb. 15, 2020 at 11:24 a.m.:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66315329/merlin_1492133.7.jpg)
SALT LAKE CITY — The head of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made it clear Friday there’s no hurry to decide whether Salt Lake City should bid to host the 2030 or 2034 Winter Games even though Sapporo, Japan, is already in the race for 2030.
“We don’t feel any sense of urgency that we’re going to miss an opportunity,” Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the national Olympic committee, told reporters after a meeting with leaders of the just-announced Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games at the Salt Lake City-County Building.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall agreed.
The new committee, the mayor said, shows support “to pursue this and do it right. So we’re taking the right steps. We’re putting the team in place. We’re beginning the evaluation and conversations, and we are not going to rush a decision of this scale.”
Hirshland said there’s plenty of time to evaluate which year is better for the national Olympic committee as well as for Salt Lake City and Utah. Much of the national committee’s efforts are focused on Los Angeles, the host of the 2028 Summer Games.
“The next available Games, as you know, is not until 2030, which is still quite a long way away. So it isn’t a function of a lack of interest,” she said. “Frankly, it’s simply a function of we are well ahead of a typical schedule in naming future venues. So the opportunity for us is really to continue to evaluate. We have time on our side on that.”
There is no timeline for choosing which of the next two Winter Games Salt Lake City should bid for, Hirshland said, and there doesn’t need to be one despite Sapporo’s recent announcement and the International Olympic Committee’s new, more informal host city selection process.
“Sapporo’s decision was a decision made exclusively by them,” she said. “If we determine 2030 is the right time for the state of Utah, the city of Salt Lake and the USOPC, we’ll be ready and we’ll be right in the mix as we need to be. If we determine that 2034 looks more optimal or there’s another opportunity, we want to make sure we’re really inclusive of all of our options and are confident we’re not going to miss anything.”
Crews move the 2002 Winter Olympic cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. The cauldron will be moved to a temporary location where it will be refurbished while work is completed on the stadium’s expansion project, after which it will be returned to a new pedestal at the stadium. (Spenser Heaps, KSL)
Those options, Hirshland acknowledged, could include not bidding for a Winter Games.
“I think you have to be open to every possibility. The commitment that I think we share together is to do the work and make sure that this the right opportunity for everyone involved,” she said. “As long as that opportunity is there for everyone involved, then we’re super excited about pushing forward and I think the optimism is absolutely there.”
Hirshland and other national Olympic officials in town to attend the world speedskating championships underway at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, also made a stop at the state Capitol, where they met with Gov. Gary Herbert, House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, and Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton.
The governor’s spokeswoman, Anna Lehndart, said afterward that she “appreciates the opportunity to meet with USOPC and looks forward to working with the newly appointed (Salt Lake-Utah) committee to show Utah is ready, willing and able to host a Winter Olympics.”
Herbert told KSL after the committee’s membership was announced Wednesday that “the bottom line is, we’ll get what we can get,” and said getting the 2030 Winter Games “might be a little more problematic, I think, timewise,” coming on the heels of another American city, Los Angeles, hosting in 2028.
Adams said he stepped off the Senate floor for the meeting.
“We’re talking. There wasn’t a lot of conversation from me about which year,” the Senate president said. “We’re preparing and when the opportunity comes forward, we’ll be ready.”
He said the Legislature has a budget request for $6 million toward updating the state’s Olympic venues, that include a ski jump and a bobsled, luge and skeleton track in Park City as well as the oval, money that’s going “to be hard to come by but we hope to find some funding for that.”
-
Quote
High-Speed Connection for Beijing 2022
Written by Gerard Farek - 30/12/19The bullet train between 2022 co-host cities Beijing and Zhangjiakou begins service on Monday.
The departure hall of Zhangjiakou High-speed Railway Station (Getty Images)
(ATR) The high-speed rail line connecting the co-host cities of the 2022 Winter Olympics is operational.
The first train left Beijing’s North Railway Station Monday morning for Zhangjiakou in north China’s Hebei Province, according to Xinhua.
The train, with a maximum speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), reduces the travel time from Beijing to Zhangjiakou from more than three hours to as little as 47 minutes. There are 10 stations along the 174 kilometer (108 mile) route. The 53km Chongli railway is a branch line of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou railway, with a maximum design speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
The terminus of the railway in Zhangjiakou drops passengers alongside the Winter Olympic village and the venues for cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and biathlon. The freestyle ski and snowboard events at the Secret Garden Ski Resort are a 15-minute drive away.
Yang Yang, a short-track skating Olympic champion and chair of the Athletes' Commission of Beijing 2022, and Olympic speed skating champion Zhang Hong were among the passengers on the inaugural trip of the G8811 train.
The train features 5G signals, wireless charging and intelligent lighting. Three of the eight carriages have lockers for ski equipment and storage areas for oversize luggage.
“The high-speed railway can improve the efficiency of our work, promote China's winter sports industry, and boost the ice and snow economy," Yang Yang said to Xinhua.
-
Quote
Paris 2024 approve Tahiti as site for Olympic surfing events
By Liam Morgan Thursday, 12 December 2019Tahiti has been approved as the Paris 2024 surfing venue ©Getty Images
Tahiti has moved a step closer to hosting surfing competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after French organisers approved the South Pacific island as the venue for the events.
The Paris 2024 Executive Board chose Tahiti, located 15,700 kilometres from the French capital, ahead of four other bidders to stage surfing at the Olympic Games in less than five years' time.
It would be the furthest distance between two Olympic competitions being held as part of the same Games in the history of the event, should the proposal be accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruling Executive Board.
Biarritz Pays Basque, Lacanau-Bordeaux Métropole, La Torche and Hossegor-Seignosse-Capbreton also submitted a bid to host surfing at the Games.
In a statement, Paris 2024 claimed Tahiti "particularly stood out because of the exceptional competition conditions it offers athletes".
Surfing at Paris 2024 could take place on the Teahupo’o wave, world renowned for its conditions and surf, if the proposal from organisers, which has the support of the International Surfing Association (ISA), is rubber-stamped by the IOC Executive Board.
Temporary modular houses would form the Athletes' Village for surfers competing in Tahiti - a 23-hour flight from Paris - if the plan is given the green light.
Paris 2024 revealed these would be dismantled after the competition and rebuilt in Tahiti and the islands as social housing.
Today's decision was widely expected after the South Pacific island emerged as the leading contender prior to the IOC Executive Board's meeting in Lausanne last week.
IOC President Thomas Bach seemed to cast doubt on the possibility of surfing at Paris 2024 taking place in Tahiti, however, when he claimed the organisation preferred a venue "closest to the centre of the Games" earlier this year.
But Paris 2024 claim Tahiti - the largest island in French Polynesia, described by organisers as "one of the cradles of surfing" - hosting an Olympic event will "showcase the wealth and diversity of France and its culture to be found outside the continent".
"It will allow Paris 2024 to resonate all the way to the heart of the Pacific Ocean and organise sporting and popular celebrations day and night during the Games," the Organising Committee added.
Paris 2024 also praised the "optimal sporting conditions that are both fair and selective" in Tahiti, which organisers claim is "better situated to guarantee" competitive and challenging waves for athletes.
Surfing at the 2024 Games would be held in the middle of Tahiti’s high surf season and would ensure the Olympic competition takes place over a single week.
All 48 surfers would have the opportunity to spend the second week of the Games in the Olympic Village in Paris and participate in the Closing Ceremony.
"Ultimately, our commitment is to the athletes and the sport and we have no doubt that Teahupo’o will offer an amazing platform for the world's best athletes to shine," said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.
"I'm totally convinced we can stage a fantastic Olympic Surfing event in Tahiti that builds on the success and legacy of our debut at Tokyo 2020, inspires the world and continues to celebrate our sport's unique value and culture on a global stage."
Paris 2024 also confirmed a 35,000-seater stadium will be constructed at Place de la Concorde.
The exact list of sports and events to be held at the new venue in the heart of the city has not been revealed, but speculation surfaced last month that it would play host to as many as five urban sports or disciplines, including sport climbing, breakdancing and skateboarding.
-
Quote
UEFA EURO 2020 matches by venue
Saturday 30 November 2019
Which matches are being played in which cities next summer?
Wembley will stage seven games at UEFA EURO 2020
Rome, Olimpico in Rome
12 June – Turkey v Italy (21:00 CET)
17 June – Italy v Switzerland (21:00 CET)
21 June – Italy v Wales (18:00 CET)
4 July – Quarter-final W43 v W44 (21:00 CET)Baku, Baku Olympic Stadium
13 June – Wales v Switzerland (15:00 CET)
17 June – Turkey v Wales (18:00 CET)
21 June – Switzerland v Turkey (18:00 CET)
4 July – Quarter-final W40 v W38 (18:00 CET)Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg Stadium
13 June – Belgium v Russia (21:00 CET)
17 June – Finland v Russia (15:00 CET)
22 June – Finland v Belgium (21:00 CET)
3 July – Quarter-final W41 v W42 (18:00 CET)Copenhagen, Parken Stadium
13 June – Denmark v Finland (18:00 CET)
18 June – Denmark v Belgium (18:00 CET)
22 June – Russia v Denmark (21:00 CET)
29 June – Round of 16 2D v 2E (18:00 CET)Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA
14 June – Netherlands v Ukraine (21:00 CET)
18 June – Netherlands v Austria (21:00 CET)
22 June – Play-off winner D (A) v Netherlands (18:00 CET)
27 June – Round of 16 2A v 2B (18:00 CET)Bucharest, National Arena Bucharest
14 June – Austria v Play-off winner D (A) (18:00 CET)
18 June – Ukraine v Play-off winner D (A) (15:00 CET)
22 June – Ukraine v Austria (18:00 CET)
29 June – Round of 16 1F v 3A/B/C (21:00 CET)London, Wembley Stadium
14 June – England v Croatia (15:00 CET)
19 June – England v Play-off winner C (21:00 CET)
23 June – Czech Republic v England (21:00 CET)
27 June – Round of 16 1A v 2C (21:00 CET)
7 July – Semi-final W46 v W45 (21:00 CET)
8 July - Semi-final W48 v W47 (21:00 CET)
12 July – Final W49 v W50 (21:00 CET)Glasgow, Hampden Park
15 June – Play-off winner C v Czech Republic (15:00 CET)
19 June – Croatia v Czech Republic (18:00 CET)
23 June – Croatia v Play-off winner C (21:00 CET)
30 June – Round of 16 (1E v 3A/B/C/D) (21:00 CET)Bilbao, San Mamés Stadium
15 June – Spain v Sweden (21:00 CET)
20 June – Spain v Poland (21:00 CET)
24 June – Play-off winner B v Spain (18:00 CET)
28 June – Round of 16 1B v 3A/D/E/F (21:00 CET)Dublin, Dublin Arena
15 June – Poland v Play-off winner B (18:00 CET)
19 June – Sweden v Play-off winner B (15:00 CET)
24 June – Sweden v Poland (18:00 CET)
30 June – Round of 16 1D v 2F (18:00 CET)Munich, Football Arena Munich
16 June – France v Germany (21:00 CET)
20 June – Portugal v Germany (18:00 CET)
24 June – Germany v Play-off winner A (D) (21:00 CET)
3 July – Quarter-final W39 v W37 (21:00 CET)Budapest, Puskás Aréna
16 June – Play-off winner A (D) v Portugal (18:00 CET)
20 June – Play-off winner A (D) v France (15:00 CET)
24 June – Portugal v France (21:00 CET)
28 June – Round of 16 1C v 3D/E/F (18:00 CET) -
Quote
UEFA EURO 2020 match schedule: all the fixtures
Saturday 30 November 2019
Turkey v Italy kicks matters off in Rome on 12 June
Details of the UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament match schedule have been confirmed following the draw in Bucharest.
Download the fixture list
The drawGroup A (Rome/Baku): Turkey, Italy (hosts), Wales, Switzerland
Group B (Copenhagen/St Petersburg): Denmark (hosts), Finland, Belgium, Russia (hosts)
Group C (Amsterdam/Bucharest): Netherlands (hosts), Ukraine, Austria, Play-off winner D or A
Group D (London/Glasgow): England (hosts), Croatia, Play-off winner C, Czech Republic
Group E (Bilbao/Dublin): Spain (hosts), Sweden, Poland, Play-off winner B
Group F (Munich/Budapest): Play-off winner A or D, Portugal (holders), France, Germany (hosts)
EURO 2020 MATCH SCHEDULE
All kick-off times CETGROUP STAGE
Friday 12 June
Group A: Turkey v Italy (21:00, Rome)Saturday 13 June
Group A: Wales v Switzerland (15:00, Baku)
Group B: Denmark v Finland (18:00, Copenhagen)
Group B: Belgium v Russia (21:00, St Petersburg)Sunday 14 June
Group D: England v Croatia (15:00, Wembley)
Group C: Austria v Play-off winner D or A (18:00, Bucharest)
Group C: Netherlands v Ukraine (21:00, Amsterdam)Monday 15 June
Group D: Play-off winner C v Czech Republic (15:00, Glasgow)
Group E: Poland v Play-off winner B (18:00, Dublin)
Group E: Spain v Sweden (21:00, Bilbao)Tuesday 16 June
Group F: Play-off winner A or D v Portugal (18:00, Budapest)
Group F: France v Germany (21:00, Munich)Wednesday 17 June
Group B: Finland v Russia (15:00, St Petersburg)
Group A: Turkey v Wales (18:00, Baku)
Group A: Italy v Switzerland (21:00, Rome)Thursday 18 June
Group C: Ukraine v Play-off winner D or A (15:00, Bucharest)
Group B: Denmark v Belgium (18:00, Copenhagen)
Group C: Netherlands v Austria (21:00, Amsterdam)Friday 19 June
Group E: Sweden v Play-off winner B (15:00, Dublin)
Group D: Croatia v Czech Republic (18:00, Glasgow)
Group D: England v Play-off winner C (21:00, London)Saturday 20 June
Group F: Play-off winner A or D v France (15:00, Budapest)
Group F: Portugal v Germany (18:00, Munich)
Group E: Spain v Poland (21:00, Bilbao)Sunday 21 June
Group A: Italy v Wales (18:00, Rome)
Group A: Switzerland v Turkey (18:00, Baku)Monday 22 June
Group C: Play-off winner D or A v Netherlands (18:00, Amsterdam)
Group C: Ukraine v Austria (18:00, Bucharest)
Group B: Russia v Denmark (21:00, Copenhagen)
Group B: Finland v Belgium (21:00, St Petersburg)Tuesday 23 June
Group D: Czech Republic v England (21:00, London)
Group D: Croatia v Play-off winner C (21:00, Glasgow)Wednesday 24 June
Group E: Play-off winner B v Spain (18:00, Bilbao)
Group E: Sweden v Poland (18:00, Dublin)
Group F: Germany v Play-off winner A or D (21:00, Munich)
Group F: Portugal v France (21:00, Budapest)- Top two in each group plus four best third-placed teams go through
KNOCKOUT PHASE
Round of 16Saturday 27 June
1: 2A v 2B (18:00, Amsterdam)
2: 1A v 2C (21:00, London)Sunday 28 June
3: 1C v 3D/E/F (18:00, Budapest)
4: 1B v 3A/D/E/F (21:00, Bilbao)Monday 29 June
5: 2D v 2E (18:00, Copenhagen)
6: 1F v 3A/B/C (21:00, Bucharest)Tuesday 30 June
7: 1D v 2F (18:00, Dublin)
8: 1E v 3A/B/C/D (21:00, Glasgow)Rest days on 1 and 2 July
Quarter-finals
Friday 3 July
QF1: Winner 6 v Winner 5 (18:00, Saint Petersburg)
QF2: Winner 4 v Winner 2 (21:00, Munich)
Saturday 4 July
QF3: Winner 3 v Winner 1 (18:00, Baku)
QF4: Winner 8 v Winner 7 (21:00, Rome)Rest days on 5 and 6 July
Semi-finals
Tuesday 7 July
SF1: Winner QF2 v Winner QF1 (21:00, London)
Wednesday 8 July
SF2: Winner QF4 v Winner QF3 (21:00, London)Rest days on 9, 10, 11 July
Final
Sunday 12 July
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (21:00, London) -
Quote
UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs: All you need to know
Friday 22 November 2019
The play-offs involve 16 teams competing in four different paths for the last four slots at UEFA EURO 2020.
Play-off drawPath A: Iceland v Romania, Bulgaria v Hungary*
Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland*, Slovakia v Republic of Ireland
Path C: Scotland v Israel, Norway v Serbia*
Path D: Georgia v Belarus*, North Macedonia v Kosovo*Winners of these semi-finals will play the final at home
Draw detailsFixtures are a 20:45 CET kick-off unless otherwise stated. Full play-off match schedule available here.
Path D
A draw determined that the winners of semi-final 1 (Georgia or Belarus) will play the final at home (18:00 CET). The semi-finals are as follows:Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Georgia v Belarus (18:00 CET)
Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): North Macedonia v KosovoIf Iceland, Bulgaria or Hungary win Path A then the winner of Path D will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group C. If Romania win Path A then the winner of Path D will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group F.
Path C
A draw determined that Israel would go into Path C, while Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania joined Iceland in Path A.A separate draw determined that the winners of semi-final 2 (Norway or Serbia) will play the final at home (18:00 or 20:45 CET). The semi-finals are as follows:
Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Scotland v Israel
Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): Norway v Serbia (18:00 CET)The Path C winners will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group D.
Path B
A draw determined that the winners of semi-final 1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina or Northern Ireland) will play the final at home. The semi-finals are as follows:Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland
Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): Slovakia v Republic of IrelandThe Path B winners will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group E.
Path A
A draw determined that the winners of semi-final 2 (Bulgaria or Hungary) will play the final at home. The semi-finals are as follows:Semi-final 1 (1 v 4): Iceland v Romania
Semi-final 2 (2 v 3): Bulgaria v HungaryIf Iceland, Bulgaria or Hungary win Path A then they will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group F. If Romania win Path A then they will complete UEFA EURO 2020 Group C.
The three remaining teams from League C - Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania - were allocated to Path A to complete the semi-final pairings in the order of their ranking:
Best-ranked team to play at home in semi-final 2.
Next best-ranked team to play away in semi-final 2.
Next best-ranked team to play away in semi-final 1.Additional draw
Denmark and Russia have both qualified for UEFA EURO 2020. As both are hosts (Copenhagen and Saint Petersburg) and paired together in Group B of the final tournament, a draw was held to determine that Denmark will play three group stage games at home; Russia will play two group stage matches at home.
When was the draw?The UEFA EURO 2020 play-off draw took place on Friday 22 November, starting at 12:00 CET. It was streamed live on UEFA.com.
Who was involved?The play-offs comprised of teams that failed to qualify via the European Qualifiers, based on their performance in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League – namely the four top-ranked eligible sides in each League. If there were not enough non-qualified teams in the same League then the spot went to the next best side in the overall ranking in accordance with article 16.03 of the competition regulations.
Is this new?Qualifying for UEFA EURO 2020 is different to previous editions. Because of the unique format of the finals, with games taking place in 12 cities in 12 European countries, for the first time since 1976 hosts have not qualified automatically.
Instead, 20 teams qualified via the European Qualifiers. The remaining four slots are decided by these play-offs, creating the perfect bridge between the UEFA Nations League and EURO.
How will the play-off ties be decided?Unlike previous play-offs, these will be single-leg knockout matches. The winners of each final qualifies for UEFA EURO 2020.
When do the play-offs take place?The semi-finals will be played on Thursday 26 March, with the finals five days later on Tuesday 31 March. Kick-offs are generally 20:45 CET but exceptions may apply, in particular related to time zones.
Key dates
Final tournament draw: 30 November
Play-off semi-finals: 26 March 2020
Play-off finals: 31 March 2020
Final tournament: 12 June–12 July 2020With the confirmation of the 20 teams directly qualified and the 16 teams qualified for the play-offs, UEFA confirmed that the procedures established for the play-off draw and the final draw could be fully executed. No additional draw was required (the draw had been provisionally scheduled for 1 April 2020).
-
Quote
Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 Builds Public Support
Reported by Miguel Hernandez
23/09/19
Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona could be the 2030 ceremonies venue. (FCB)
(ATR) A bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics depends on political unity say Spanish Olympic leaders.
Without that concord the Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 candidacy for the Winter Olympics will “freeze” say IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch and Spanish Olympic Committee Alejandro Blanco.The two men delivered similar messages last week at an event aimed at building support in the private and civil sectors for the Olympic project started three years ago.
The event in the main auditorium of FC Barcelona, was organized by Sport Cultura Barcelona, an institution for the promotion of culture and sports. The meeting brought together representatives of the main sports, cultural and economic associations of Barcelona that have issued their support.
No high-ranking political figures were invited to the meeting.
"It was a powerful act," Gerard Figueras, spokesman for the new Olympic initiative told Around the Rings. "We wanted to show that Catalan civil society provided its support without any politician from any institution or party," he says.
"It was a very thoughtful decision," says Figueras.
In his appearance Blanco said "civil society has made an approach to the political powers to organize a Games based on understanding, respect, dialogue and integration."
"It is what society asks for and what the Spanish Olympic Committee wants, in order to make this dream, which is the winter Olympic Games, come true," he said.
Samaranch said that there are real possibilities to organize the Games because the project "has everything and only the
political unity is missing. Politicians must agree to want these Games."Samaranch also referred to the new approach of the IOC in the process for choosing future Olympic venues, one of the items on the agenda of the IOC Executive Board Oct. 3 in Lausanne.
With the new rules, there might not even be a choice.
"The IOC no longer grants a franchise to make a Games, as before, but seeks a constant dialogue," Samaranch said.
In this regard, he says designation of the 2030 Winter Games should take place in 2023 “but if the IOC sees that there is an organized force, it will not wait to grant them”.
Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 is one of three locales with serious plans in the works to bid for a 2030 Olympics. Salt Lake City, aiming for an encore from 2002 is one of them. Sapporo, 1972 host, is the other.
Backers of the Catalan initiative say the political climate over the separatist movement from Spain does not affect the Olympic project.
According to Figueras, who is the general secretary of sports of the Government of Catalonia, the formalization of the candidacy will be made to the IOC after the new general elections in Spain Nov. 10.
In Figueras' opinion, the Olympic project "surpasses political ideology" and therefore can be defended by any president without distinction of political color.
Figueras said that on the basis of the IOC 2020 Agenda, the candidacy is “sustainable” and that “technically, it is ready”.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, president of FC Barcelona, opened the conference with a generous offer from the football club. He declared that Camp Nou stadium, with room for 100,000 spectators, is available as the venue for opening or closing ceremonies.
-
Quote
Russia's IAAF Suspension Stays
23/09/19(ATR) The IAAF Council on Monday unanimously votes to keep the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) suspended.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe and Rune Andersen in Doha (Matthew Quine/IAAF)
The decision came hours after the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee announced in Japan that it had opened compliance proceedings against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) after discrepancies were found in the data from a Moscow laboratory that RUSADA had handed over to WADA in January.WADA is fast-tracking the procedure, which means RUSADA has three weeks to answer WADA’s questions about the data.
Rune Andersen, who chairs the IAAF taskforce on Russia, said his panel had taken note of what has been occurring with the WADA Executive Committee and that “the early indications from the analysis of the data are that there are discrepancies” with the data. Andersen also said that the IAAF's Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) investigations into the data were still ongoing, leaving one of the requirements for Russian reinstatement on hold.
Two other conditions have also not been met, according to Andersen.
One is “that there is a recurring problem of athletes and local athletics federations working with banned coaches which undermines the creation of any strong anti-doping culture. It is premature to tell if the reported measures taken by RusAF will work therefore the associated reinstatement conditions have not been met.”
Additionally, Andersen says the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is still investigating whether RusAF officials were involved with covering up possible doping by world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko.
Andersen did say that RusAF had met an additional condition for reinstatement by paying an outstanding invoice of $187,039 to the IAAF for costs incurred in the quarter ending June 30, 2019.
Russia has been banned from global athletics since 2015 following the state-sponsored doping scandal.
The decision to keep the suspension in place means Russian athletes cannot compete under their own flag at the World Championships, which begin on Friday in Doha.
Thirty Russian athletes who have met drug-testing and eligibility criteria will be competing as neutral athletes at the worlds.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said that the council debated the issues at length on Monday and “the feeling was very strong” to keep the suspension of RusAF in place.
“It really does not remotely surprise me that the Council unanimously endorsed the strongest recommendation that we have probably thus had from the task force that the Russian federation remain suspended. That will be our position as we enter congress and I’m sure the member federations will want to endorse the unanimous decision that was struck by the council,” Coe said.
The IAAF Congress meets on Wednesday in Doha.
Implications for Weightlifting, Too
Outside of the IAAF, the International Weightlifting Federation is expected to confer with WADA to “understand any implications" for cases it has brought against athletes stemming from the Moscow Laboratory after Russia was accused of manipulating the data.
U.S. Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews says he has seen changes in Russia's anti-doping culture. But he says honesty is the key for restoring the credibility of Russia.
"It is unfortunate, but sadly not surprising to hear that there was a manipulation of data in Moscow. There are good people in Russia who are trying to make positive changes in the culture, including RFWF President Maxim Agapitov, but the past keeps coming back to haunt them. It is time for Russia to tell the whole truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth and to allow President Agapitov and others to move forward in a new clean era.
"Russia should be providing an example for other nations, such as Thailand, who have chosen dishonesty over the integrity of sport. They have that opportunity but to take it they must give the whole unadulterated truth to the world," says Andrews.
-
Quote
Lausanne 2020 competition schedule unveiled!
23.09.2019
Today, the official competition schedule of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games was released by the Organising Committee. With the first competitions kicking off in Les Diablerets, Villars and Lausanne on January 10th, 2020, the day after the Opening Ceremony in Lausanne and continuing until the Closing Ceremony on January 22nd.
The schedule is out and promises to be intense. Overall, a total of 81 competitions will be held at eight different venues over the 13 days following the Opening Ceremony. One of the main features of Lausanne 2020 will be its two-wave organisation system, an innovative solution designed to significantly increase hosting capacity by allowing each “wave” of athletes to have a shorter stay on-site. As a result, a grand total of 1880 athletes, of which a gender equal representation of 940 males and 940 females are expected to take part in the Games, allowing for exemplary diversity and a high quality of competitions.
© Keystone.ATS Cyril Zingaro
The first wave of competitions will kick-off with alpine skiing in Les Diablerets, biathlon in Les Tuffes and ski mountaineering, which will be making its debut in the Olympic Games, in Villars. Lausanne will be the host of figure skating and mixed NOC 3-on-3 ice hockey, a new competition format proposed and developed by the International Ice Hockey Federation and Lausanne 2020. This first wave of competitions will also be marked by four days of speed skating on the frozen lake of St-Moritz.
January 16th will ring the transition to the second wave of competitions and young athletes. St-Moritz’s historic natural Olympia Bob Run will host its first luge, bobsleigh and skeleton Olympic competitions since 1948. The French station of Les Tuffes will welcome ski jumping and Nordic combined, while its Swiss neighbour, Vallée de Joux, will host cross-country skiing. Freestyle skiing and snowboard will take place in Villars and Leysin. As for Lausanne, it will stage five days of 6-team tournaments in ice hockey and the short track speed skating competitions.
Curling will run across the whole Games Time, taking place in Champéry from January 10thto 22nd.
The Games will come to an end with the Closing Ceremony to be held at the Medals Plaza, in Lausanne, on January 22nd.
All competitions will be free. Indoor competitions will also be free but will require prior registration. In line with its commitment to sustainability, Lausanne 2020 encourages all visitors to opt for public transport to access the venues.
-
The Torch :
Torch Tour :
-
Quote
OCA: Asia leads the world in organising international sports games
Date : 11 Sep 2019
Hangzhou, China, September 11, 2019: The Olympic Council of Asia wrapped up a two-day visit to Hangzhou, China - host city of the next Asian Games in 2022 – on Wednesday afternoon.
Following a venue tour and three-year countdown ceremony on Tuesday, the second OCA Coordination Committee meeting took place at the Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and featured 10 reports from various departments of organising committee HAGOC.
The Chairman of the OCA Coordination Committee, Raja Randhir Singh, said the two days of activities and presentations demonstrated that Asia was ahead of the rest of the world in terms of organising major sports events.
“We have had a very fruitful two days’ visit,” he said. “The presentations were totally thorough right down to the detail.
“We have three years to go and we feel that Asia as a continent is the leader in organising sports worldwide. There is no doubt that the world is looking at Asia.
“We are all looking forward to the next Asian Games being an excellent and a great Asian Games. Every time in Asia we raise the bar and I think we will reach another level in 2022.”
Earlier in the meeting, the OCA Director General, Husain Al Musallam, pointed out that Asia was the first continent to host an international multi-sport games, with the foundations of the modern Asian Games laid in 1913 with the first Far Eastern Championship Games in Manila, Philippines.
“We have no doubt that the Hangzhou Asian Games will be the best ever Asian Games,” he said. “We have no doubt that we will deliver a high standard of Games and a high level of preparation.
“A lot of sports started in Asia and went to the Olympic Games, such as table tennis and judo. We are proud of what we are doing and proud of our achievements.”
Regarding the sports programme for Hangzhou 2022, three sports – karate, sport climbing and baseball/softball – were added to the list of 37 already approved.
A total of 51 venues in nine clusters will host the sports, while the athletes will be accommodated in the main Asian Games Village as well as four satellite villages.
Although the number of disciplines and events within the sports has still to be determined, the 40 sports approved are:
Aquatics (open water swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, diving and swimming)
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Boxing
Canoeing (dragon boat, canoe slalom, canoe sprint)
Cycling (BMX, mountain bike, road, track)
Equestrian
Fencing
Football
Golf
Gymnastics (trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics)
Handball
Hockey
Judo
Modern Pentathlon
Rowing
Rugby Sevens
Sailing
Shooting
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Volleyball
Roller Sports (roller skating, skateboarding)
Board Games (Chinese chess, go, chess)
Cricket
Jujitsu
Kurash
Sepaktakraw
Wushu
Squash
Kabaddi
Baseball/Softball
Karate
Sport Climbing
The 19th Asian Games will take place from September 10-25, 2022 with the participation of athletes from Oceania for the first time.
The next OCA Coordination Committee meeting for Hangzhou 2022 is scheduled for March 2020.
-
Quote
Australian Tickets for Tokyo 2020 Olympics on sale July 10th
05/07/19Record-High Global Demand Expected to Restrict Australian and International Allocations
Live ticket sales for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will start this Wednesday morning, 10 July from 9.00am AEST.
Last month, CoSport, the Official Olympic Hospitality Provider and proud Australian Olympic Team Partner, held a Ticket Request Process in which more than one million global users accessed CoSport.com to enter a ballot process, requesting tickets to their favourite Olympic events.
CoSport users whose ballots were successfully drawn were among the first Australians to buy Tokyo 2020 tickets.
In Australia, the most-requested Olympic events have been Athletics, Swimming, Basketball and Artistic Gymnastics, followed by the Opening Ceremony, which will take place on 24 July 2020 in Tokyo’s New National Stadium.
Two new Olympic sports debuting in Tokyo – Skateboarding and Sports Climbing - were also among the 20 most-requested of the Games’ 52 disciplines, as was Baseball which is being re-introduced after a 12-year absence.
Australia-based fans will have their next opportunity to purchase tickets on 10 July at 9:00am AEST, when CoSport will sell tickets on a first-come-, first-served basis, along with ticket-hotel combinations also offered in several configurations with accommodation, meals and expert guidance. Buyers should be sure to register a CoSport.com user account to access the sale by 10 July.
CoSport’s record-breaking news followed a Japan-based ticket lottery where the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee also recorded millions of users requesting tickets reserved for residents of the host country.
Japan’s strong demand for host country tickets will result in the vast majority of high-demand tickets being sold to Japanese residents, with Australia sharing in remainders split among more than 100 territories. “Although Australia represents a very large market for Tokyo, the Olympic Games has the unique ability to level playing fields and spectator seats alike, with Australia just one player sharing in limited global ticket allocations,” said Robert F. Long, President of CoSport.
“CoSport continues to work hard to meet Australian public demand, maximise allocation and provide fair access throughout the ticketing process. As such, fans who did not obtain tickets during the Request Process shouldn’t lose hope, but take advantage of the Live Sales opportunity launching on 10 July,“ Mr Long concluded.
“The Tokyo Games will open in just over a year, and these Games will be one of the best ever. With our ticketing partner CoSport we are pleased to be able to offer the friends and family of Australian athletes the opportunity to purchase tickets,” said Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll.
“The unprecedented demand for tickets is a challenge for Australians looking to travel to Tokyo so we encourage fans to get in now for tickets and look for accommodation options.
“Together with CoSport, we are excited to extend the invitation to Australian fans for a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Tokyo. The demand for tickets is unprecedented, but our athletes will be grateful for all the support they can receive on the ground in Tokyo,” Mr Carroll concluded.
The Olympic Experience Experts, CoSport has spent decades bringing fans to the Games and has been preparing since 2015 in Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolitan area which expects another 1 million visitors for the 2020 Olympic Games.
-
Quote
Anti-Olympic Organizers From Eight Cities Head to Tokyo for "NOlympics Anywhere" Protest
07/02/19
Olympic cities across the globe will come together for an unprecedented week of anti-Olympics actions
LOS ANGELES, CA — On July 24, 2019, one year before the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, NOlympics LA will partner with organizations from across the globe for an unprecedented anti-Olympic solidarity action in the Shinjuku neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan. Featuring representatives from eight recent and future Olympic cities, this public protest will be the climax of a week of anti-Olympic meetings and presentations in Tokyo.
WHAT: Anti-Olympic solidarity action in Tokyo, Japan
WHERE: Shinjuku Alta - 3-24-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
WHEN: Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 6 p.m.
WHO: Anti-Olympics organizers from Seoul, Pyeongchang, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, and JakartaClick here to see the full list of events during the week of action in Tokyo.
What makes this event unique in the history of anti-Olympic organizing is the collective recognition that the Olympics represent a systemic danger for any city that would host them. In the past, dozens of individual city have mounted campaigns to reject the Olympics. This global action recognizes that no city should be forced to weather the corruption, displacement, financial stress, and heightened surveillance that inevitably comes with hosting the games. The protest in Tokyo represents the first time a coalition of allies from across the globe will get together and declare, in one voice, that they will not abide the Olympics anywhere.
“It’s not enough to just stop the Olympics from displacing Angelenos and exposing them to hyper-militarized security measures,” NOlympics LA says. “The games exploit athletes and cities everywhere, and we stand with anti-Olympics movements and efforts from across town to across the globe.”
In a moment when Los Angeles is facing crises of homelessness and corruption that are shaking the city’s government, NOlympics LA is not simply attempting to foist the 2028 games off on another city. Instead, the group opposes the International Olympic Committee, elected officials, and other complicit actors that exploit cities and amateur athletes for profit by wielding state power against the most vulnerable.
Hosting the events in Tokyo are the local organizations Hangorin No Kai and Okotowalink, which have been on the frontlines of this struggle since Tokyo was “awarded” the games in 2013. Representatives from South Korea, which hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics and plans to bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics, include members of Listen to the City. From Paris the delegation includes the Association NON aux JO 2024 à Paris and Parisian mayoral candidate Danielle Simonnet, of the La France Insoumise party.
NOlympics LA is a growing coalition of dozens of local organizations opposing the LA 2028 Olympics, born out of the Democratic Socialists of America, Los Angeles.
World Athletics Championships
in Other International Games / Bids
Posted
Regarding Kenya.
I don't know if Sebastian Coe/IAAF (well I'm more used to call them by their old name) did adopt the current Bach/IOC policy.
for many reasons Kenya is not part of the "safe" list where the IOC and other sports federations can hold their main/biggest championships peacefully with the focus is only on sports.
Kenya is still facing many developing world problems like poverty, inequality, corruption ..etc.
these wikipedia articles can give you some insight of the nation current situation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Kenya and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Kenya
in other words Kenya might be considered by some organizations "not ready yet" to host a first tier sports event.
also they lag behind regarding LGBT rights:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Kenya
being gay is still illegal, and there is very little acceptance for LGBT people by the Kenyan society.
Nairobi was bidding for the 2025 championships but the Stadium, Airport, Roads and Transportations are not up to par with previous hosts.
sports-wise they had a recent doping problem:
https://athleticsweekly.com/blog/searching-for-a-cure-for-the-kenyan-doping-epidemic-1039962029/
nevertheless despite not having top notch facilities and infrastructure, Kenyans can deliver a very good tournament organizational wise.
but World Athletics needs to make sure other governments and NGOs won't use their championships to drive the focus to the problems and challenges that are facing Kenya.
and that the international media in general and the sports media covering the event would focus only on athletes and sports achievements.
and use the event to introduce other people and nations form around the world to know the African and Kenyan cultures and achievements.
so if World Athletics are ready to face the challenges and the risks they can go ahead and award the 2027/29 championships to Nairobi.