WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Victims of disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar have reached a US$380 million (S$519.63 million) settlement with USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee and their insurers after a five-year legal battle, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (Dec 13). The settlement was confirmed during a hearing in a federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday, the newspaper said. Reuters could not immediately independently verify the settlement figure. The Journal reported that the settlement will cover claims brought by Olympic gold medalists including Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, all of whom are among Nassar's most high-profile victims of sexual abuse. All three women testified about the abuse they suffered during a Senate hearing this year. At the hearing, they blasted USA Gymnastics and Olympic officials for failing to stop Nassar, and they took the FBI to task over its botched investigation into Nassar's actions. Nassar, who had been the main doctor for Olympic gymnasts, was sentenced in federal court in 2017 to 60 years in prison on charges of possessing child sex abuse material. The following year, he was also sentenced to up to 175 years and up to 125 years, respectively, in two separate Michigan courts for molesting female gymnasts under his care. The settlement was reached after TIG Insurance agreed to pay a large portion of the money, the Journal said. USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in 2018, after Olympic bronze medalist Jamie Dantzscher had filed a lawsuit and additional claims were filed on behalf of a growing number of Nassar's victims. It has since taken more than three years to reach a settlement. More on this topic Related Story Gymnastics: Olympic hero Biles says she should have quit 'way before Tokyo' Related Story Gymnastics: US Olympic star Aly Raisman opens up about sexual abuse in TV special
PARIS (AFP) - British sprinter CJ Ujah, who won an Olympic silver medal in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo, was Thursday (Aug 12) suspended for an alleged anti-doping breach, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced. If the case is proven, then 27-year-old Ujah and the British team will be stripped of the silver they won behind Italy in Japan. The AIU said that Ujah was found to have "presence/use of prohibited substances ostarine and S-23, which are selective androgen receptor modulators (SARM)". They are substances commonly used to build muscle. In his most recent Instagram posting, Ujah wrote: "Stay focused... Because truth is madder than fiction." As well as Ujah, Bahrain's 1500m runner Sadik Mikhou, Georgian shot-putter Benik Abramyan and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo have also been provisionally suspended following adverse tests, the AIU added. "The AIU now awaits the conclusion of the International Testing Agency (ITA) proceedings against the above athletes, which will determine whether any anti-doping rule violations have been committed and what consequences (if any) should be imposed in relation to the Olympic Games," said a statement. "Any consequences beyond the Olympic Games to be imposed upon the athletes under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules will be determined following the conclusion of the ITA proceedings." View this post on Instagram A post shared by UnstoppableUjah (@cj_ujah) More on this topic Related Story Carl Lewis slams US athletics men's relay team as 'total embarrassment' after semi failure Related Story Olympics: Jamaica win women's 4x100m relay, Italy take home the men's title
WARSAW/TOKYO (REUTERS) - Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya landed on Wednesday (Aug 4) in Poland to take refuge after defying an order to return early to her authoritarian homeland from the Tokyo Olympics. Reminiscent of sporting defections during the Cold War, the case could further isolate the government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which is under Western sanctions after a crackdown on opponents since last year. After two nights in Poland's embassy in Japan, the 24-year-old travelled first to the Austrian capital Vienna and then onto Warsaw, sporting sunglasses with the words "I RUN CLEAN". "Poland continues to show its solidarity and support," Poland's deputy foreign minister Marcin Przydacz said on Twitter, confirming her arrival and thanking diplomats who facilitated her journey. The sprinter caused a furore on Sunday when she said coaches had demanded she pack her bags at the Olympic village and taken her to the airport against her wishes, ordering her home because she had criticised them. She refused to board the flight and sought protection of Japanese police. Poland has granted her a humanitarian visa and another to her husband to join her. At the airport in Warsaw, a few Belarusians waited to greet the athlete, carrying carnations and a flag in red-and-white in a sign of resistance. "We are here to support our compatriot, who told the truth about what is happening in Belarusian sport," said Eugene Dudkin, a 31-year-old student, who went to Poland after being held for a night at a police station for protesting. Belarus stays quiet The Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC) did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Previously, it said coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Games on doctors' advice about her emotional and psychological state. A Belarus interior ministry spokesman could not be reached for comment about Tsimanouskaya's security. Belarus government officials have said little so far publicly about her case. The affair has played out amid increased concern for the safety of Lukashenko's critics, including in neighbouring countries, following a crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of arrests inside Belarus. Olympic sprinter from Belarus seeks refuge in Japan, fearing jail at home More on this topic Related Story Olympics: Belarus athlete stops over in Vienna before Poland refuge Related Story Olympics: Belarus sprinter 'safe' after reported pressure to leave Tokyo Vitaly Shishov, a Belarusian activist living in Ukraine, was found hanged in a park near his home in Kyiv early on Tuesday. Ukrainian police have launched a murder investigation, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered a review into the safety of Belarus exiles. Sport plays a high profile role in Belarusian politics under Lukashenko, a hockey player and cross country skier known to compete in televised races in which his opponents fall before crossing the finish line. Lukashenko personally headed the Belarus Olympic committee until he was replaced by his son this year. His website quotes him as saying "Sport is our ideology". The International Olympic Committee has started an investigation into Tsimanouskaya's case and said it would hear from the two Belarusian officials allegedly involved. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Lukashenko's government of "transnational repression" in the matter. More on this topic Related Story Olympic sprinter from Belarus seeks refuge in Japan, fearing jail at home Related Story Belarus blocks newspaper that covered protests, detains editor Police have cracked down on dissent in Belarus following a wave of protests triggered by an election last year which the opposition says was rigged to keep Lukashenko in power. Belarusian authorities have characterised anti-government protesters as criminals or violent revolutionaries backed by the West, and described the actions of their own law enforcement agencies as appropriate and necessary. After the sprinter's arrival in Vienna en route to Poland, Austria's deputy environment minister Magnus Brunner, said she was safe and doing well, adding: "She is naturally worried and excited and nervous about what will happen next for her." More on this topic Related Story Belarus parades opposition journalist before the media Related Story Who is the journalist Belarus arrested by forcing a Ryanair plane to land?
PRAGUE (REUTERS) - A Czech Olympic team staff member has tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Tokyo on a charter flight from Prague, Czech Olympic officials said on Saturday (July 17), adding that all the athletes were fine and in the Olympic Village. The staff member - who had two negative PCR tests before departure and had no symptoms - is now in isolation along with several close contacts from the plane, team officials said in a statement. They did not name the staff member. "Within two hours we implemented an action plan and we prepared individual rooms for all athletes and members of the escort from the plane who arrived in the village," Martin Doktor, sports director of the Czech Olympic Committee said. "In any case, the training activities and plans of the athletes are not limited in any way." Earlier on Saturday, Tokyo Olympics organisers reported the first case of Covid-19 at the athletes' village, along with 14 other new cases connected to the Games that begin next week, raising fresh doubts over promises of a "safe and secure" event. Postponed for a year due to the global pandemic, the Games are being held mostly without spectators and under tight quarantine rules. Most athletes are starting to arrive for the Olympics, which run from July 23 through Aug 8. More on this topic Related Story Olympics: Team Singapore will remain vigilant after first Covid-19 case detected in Athletes' Village Related Story Coronavirus microsite: Get latest updates, videos and graphics Related Stories: Related Story Indonesia to decide soon on ending or extending Covid-19 lockdown Related Story Only 6 of first 88 cases in KTV Covid-19 cluster fully vaccinated Related Story 29 women arrested in operation targeting pivoted KTVs; 10 to be deported Related Story Covid-19 becoming 'pandemic of the unvaccinated', says Malaysian official Related Story 12 more markets and food centres linked to Covid-19 cases: MOH Related Story First Covid-19 case found at Tokyo Olympics village, putting another dent in the Games Related Story Muslims in S'pore urged to abide by Covid-19 rules during Hari Raya Haji celebrations
SINGAPORE - An issue over Olympic selection has emerged at the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) over the Republic's female swimming representative at the July 23-Aug 8 Tokyo Games, causing uncertainty and unhappiness to the parties involved. Last Friday (July 2), SSA announced that Quah Ting Wen would compete in her third Olympics through a universality place as the highest-ranked athlete based on the points table of world aquatics governing body Fina. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.
KUALA LUMPUR (XINHUA) - Malaysia's badminton legend and chef de mission (CDM) for the Tokyo Olympic Games Lee Chong Wei will not travel to Japan due to health concerns, an official said on Monday (July 5). Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the retired badminton legend had decided against travelling to Japan following health advice from his doctor. Still, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) has decided to retain him as CDM. "We support OCM's stand to retain him as the CDM because Chong Wei is a big name, one entrenched in the hearts, minds and soul of all Malaysians," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian state news agency Bernama. Lee will instead monitor the athletes' performances in Tokyo and give words of encouragement via online means. Lee has won three silver medals in badminton men's singles in three successive Olympics Games. Although he could not deliver Malaysia's first Olympic gold, he is one of the greatest sportsmen in the country. Lee was diagnosed with nose cancer in 2018 and announced his retirement in 2019 before being appointed as his country's CDM to the Tokyo Olympic Games. More on this topic Related Story Five things to know about Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei
LIEGE, BELGIUM (REUTERS) - Caster Semenya again failed to achieve the Olympic qualifying time for the women's 5000m when she finished fourth at a meeting in Liege on Wednesday (June 30), but she would not have been included in South Africa's team for the Tokyo Games even if she had. Athletics South Africa said Semenya had missed the deadline for Olympic entries, which was on Tuesday, and they were told by governing body World Athletics that no exceptions would be allowed. "We did double check with World Athletics about the deadline and it was cast in stone. There would have been no special grace for Caster," Athletics South Africa spokesman Sifiso Cele told Reuters. The 30-year-old South African is banned from competing in any race from 400m to a mile after World Athletics ruled in 2018 that to ensure fair competition, women with high natural testosterone levels must take medication to reduce them to compete in middle-distance races. The double Olympic 800m champion, who refuses to take any medication to alter her testosterone levels, was left with the 5000m as her best chance to go to Tokyo but several efforts to finish inside the qualifying mark of 15:10.00 have failed. On Wednesday, she ran 15:50.12, and was some 45 seconds behind winner Aberash Minsewo of Ethiopia. Semenya continues to challenge the World Athletics ruling and has taken her case to the European Court of Human Rights but that process is unlikely to be completed for months. Last year she attempted the 200m as an alternative, and lowered her personal best from 24.26 to 23.49, but was still well outside of the Olympic qualifying mark of 22.80. She then abandoned those plans in favour of the much longer distance as she said she feared injury. More on this topic Related Story Athletics: Semenya fails again in 5,000m Olympic qualifying bid Related Story Athletics: Swiss court confirms Semenya cannot compete without hormone-suppressing treatment
SAN FRANCISCO (REUTERS) - Dense coastal fog and frigid winds frustrated players in the early goings of round two at the Women's US Open at The Olympic Club on Friday (June 4). Overnight co-leader and high school student Megha Ganne avoided a letdown after her sensational opening round, mixing three birdies with three bogeys with one hole to go in her round. The amateur was tied for first at four-under par with fellow Americans Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson, who were also part of the morning wave. Overnight co-leader Mel Reid of England was also four-under and a stroke ahead of American Angel Yin. Reid was scheduled to go out in the afternoon wave. While those players were able to avoid any big mistakes in the difficult conditions, Brooke Henderson was not so lucky, piling up six bogeys and a just one birdie through her first 12 holes. The Canadian repeatedly found herself battling the course's thick rough and subsequently slipped down the leaderboard. In an ominous sign for the leaders, seven-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea found her stride on Friday and was two-under and tied for sixth with six holes to go. This week marks the first time that the oldest women's major has been played at The Olympic Club, a course that has hosted five US Opens. The club did not admit its first female member until 1992. A limited number of fans are on site at the 76th edition of the tournament, which had no spectators on site last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
SEOUL (AFP) - A South Korean Olympic short-track speed skating champion banned from the national team for sexual harassment has taken up Chinese citizenship and will skate for the hosts at next year's Beijing Winter Games, reports said. It will be the second consecutive home Winter Olympics for Lim Hyo-jun, after he won the 1,500m gold and 500m bronze at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But last year, the 24-year-old was convicted of sexual harassment after he pulled down another male athlete's trousers in front of teammates at the national training centre. The verdict was overturned on appeal, but the case is now before the South Korean Supreme Court for a final decision. The Korea Skating Union suspended Lim for a year in August 2019, and while the penalty has been put on hold during the legal process, if the court finds against him, it would rule him out of the Beijing Games. Lim then decided to become a naturalised Chinese citizen and skate for China, according to South Korean media reports. He left for China on Friday (March 5) after receiving his new passport, South Korean broadcaster MBC said, and was expected to join Beijing's national team after fulfilling his coronavirus quarantine requirements. Lim made his decision on the basis of what was best for his career, according to his agency Brion. "As the legal battle dragged on, it has become difficult for Lim to represent South Korea and try to win his second straight Olympic gold medal in Beijing," Yonhap reported, citing a statement from the agency. He had not been able to train in South Korea for the past two years, it said, adding: "He just wanted to find ways to put his skates back on." Lim is not the first South Korean skating star to switch allegiances. In 2011, Ahn Hyun-soo - who won three golds at the 2006 Winter Games - was fast-tracked to Russian citizenship and competed at Sochi as Russian athlete Victor Ahn, after he suffered injury problems and fell out with South Korean skating officials. South Korea is a regional sporting power and regularly finishes in the top 10 in the medals tables at the summer and winter Olympics. But in an already intensely competitive society, winning is virtually everything in its sports community - and physical and verbal abuse are rife. The nation's short-track speed skating community in particular has faced several serious abuse scandals in recent years. In January, a former national speed skating coach was sentenced to over a decade in prison for sexually assaulting double Olympic gold medallist Shim Suk-hee. More on this topic Related Story Speed skating: S. Korean Olympic short track champion Lim guilty of sexual harassment but avoids jail time Related Story South Korean Olympic skating champion Shim accuses coach of sexual assault
Suarez helps Atletico maintain hefty lead MADRID • Luis Suarez scored as Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 on Sunday and move seven points clear at the top of La Liga. After Real Madrid thrashed Alaves 4-1 on Saturday, Barcelona - without Lionel Messi - had followed suit with a scrappy 2-0 victory at Elche. But Atletico restored their advantage with the win. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Neuer is Bundesliga's king of clean sheets BERLIN • Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer set a Bundesliga record with his 197th clean sheet in the German top flight as the league leaders thrashed Schalke 4-0 on Sunday. The 34-year-old bettered the previous record set by former Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who needed 557 league matches, for Bayern and Karlsruher, to reach the mark. Neuer took 423 league games for the Bavarians and former club Schalke to usurp the crown. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Coach held in Greek sex abuse scandal ATHENS • A Greek sailing coach accused of raping an 11-year-old athlete was arrested on Sunday, in the latest aftershock from an Olympic champion's allegations of sexual abuse. The 38-year-old, who has not been named, was detained on Samos for offences allegedly committed nine years ago. Greek Olympic sailing gold medallist Sofia Bekatorou had given evidence on the rape of the girl, now aged 20, to prosecutors on Wednesday. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
He remembers the buzz of the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore as he was one of the torchbearers for the torch relay. But never did Jeremy Sim expect he would ever get a chance to represent the Republic at a major Games. Four years later, the b-boy (breaker) was sharing the same stage as national swimmers and fencers as he claimed a bronze medal in the men's breaking event at the biennial Games in the Philippines. The freelance dance instructor, 24, whose interest in breaking was piqued by the Step Up dance movie franchise, said: "It was a pleasant surprise to compete at the SEA Games and win a medal. "I felt I could have done better but it was an amazing experience and I would love to go through it again." That desire could become a reality when breaking makes its Olympic Games debut at Paris 2024. This follows its appearance at the 2018 Youth Olympics, when 24 b-boys and b-girls broke new ground in Buenos Aires, Argentina. SCEPTICISM The decision to include breaking in the Olympic programme has raised eyebrows worldwide. But Felix Huang, founder of breaking group Radikal Forze and widely regarded as the face of the Singapore breaking scene, felt that questioning the legitimacy of breaking as an Olympic sport is unwarranted. Huang, 39, said: "To many, breaking is just brainless movement, but there is a lot of history and foundation in the movements. "It is also extremely taxing physically, more so than soccer, swimming and badminton. Spinning on your head is not something that comes as naturally as kicking a ball or swinging a racket. "It is not something you take only a year or two to master because it is extremely dynamic." He also urged sceptics to look at the bigger picture and noted: "Some people may have low tolerance for things that don't look or feel normal, but we are in 2020 now and we need to change our mindset. LOOKING TO DO BETTER It was a pleasant surprise to compete at the SEA Games and win a medal. I felt I could have done better but it was an amazing experience and I would love to go through it again. JEREMY SIM, 2019 SEA Games bronze medallist in the men's breaking event in the Philippines. "We need a rejuvenation of the sports line-up and introduce new sports in the programme because the Olympics need changes and evolution to become more hip and resonate with newer and younger viewers." SUITED FOR SINGAPOREANS? In Singapore, breaking has come a long way since it was associated with delinquency in the 1980s. Before the coronavirus outbreak, Singapore had a vibrant breaking scene, with breakers seen practising or performing at public spaces like the Esplanade basement, *Scape, the Singapore Management University basement, The Star Vista and even Changi Airport. Last year, there were competitions organised by dance studios, school clubs and breakers, happening as often as once a week and with about 60 to 80 participants. The annual *Scape Radikal Forze Jam also grew from a turnout of 200 in 2008 to more than 10,000 dancers from over 40 countries last year. Huang, who is also the Singapore Dancesport Federation's (SGDF) breaking lead, estimates there are about 20 to 30 crews and about 1,000 breakers here, with about 100 of them competitive. TOUGHER THAN MOST It is also extremely taxing physically, more so than soccer, swimming and badminton. It is not something you take only a year or two to master because it is extremely dynamic. FELIX HUANG, face of the Singapore breaking scene. Despite the relatively small talent pool in Singapore, he felt the standards at the top were comparable to the best in the world and a Singaporean breaker qualifying for the 2024 Games was a possibility. Local athletes who earn a spot at the Summer Games traditionally come from individual sports like table tennis, swimming, sailing and shooting. Deloitte sports business group leader James Walton felt breaking was another avenue, saying: "There's often a lot of talk about genetic differences with regard to strength and physique, which should not be an issue with breaking. "There also shouldn't be a problem in terms of access to facilities because it is a sport you can really do anywhere. So if the sport is in the Olympics for the long term, there would be potential for Singapore." LONG ROAD AHEAD The path to Paris 2024 is paved with uncertainties though. Unlike mainstream Olympic sports like badminton, sailing, shooting, swimming and table tennis, whose athletes benefit from multi-year plans and funding as well as top-level coaching and sports science support, the breaking ecosystem is far more loosely structured and organised. SGDF president Robert Ong said: "With talent and hard work, it is possible for us to groom an Olympian, but we need more information such as the continental quota and qualifying criteria and events before we can make plans." Even getting Sim on the plane to the Philippines for the SEA Games was not straightforward. Breaking was featured for the first time and Huang had to convince the Singapore National Olympic Council of Sim's eligibility, using his results against regional rivals in international competitions as justification. Huang said: "There is a difference between competitive and recreational breaking. The key is to get competitive exposure and, for that, we need funding and support from the authorities. "Like any other sport, training, taking physical care and peaking at the right time are all part of the process of doing well in a breaking competition. "Many of our competitive breakers have day jobs and they will need financial support so they can focus on improving their craft, instead of worrying about whether they can make ends meet while trying to make it to the Olympics." Singaporean B-boy Jeremy Sim shows off his breakdancing moves Sim, who trains six days a week to hone the basic elements of top rock, footwork, power moves and freezes, said support in terms of sports science for medical and recovery needs is also crucial. Singapore Sport Institute chief Toh Boon Yi said such help would be forthcoming. He added: "Our dancesport athletes proved their mettle at the regional level when they won five medals at the 2019 SEA Games. "With breaking featuring at the Paris Olympics, another generation and genre of dance athletes can aspire to join the sporting fraternity's quest to inspire pride and excellence. "We will be on the lookout for promising breaking athletes who have not traditionally been on our radar and continue to support our athletes so that they perform at their best."
CVC Capital, Advent ink $2.7b Serie A deal ROME • CVC Capital Partners and Advent International have agreed to acquire a stake in a new media unit being created by Serie A. The Italian league's board yesterday approved a deal that will see CVC and Advent pay €1.7 billion (S$2.71 billion) for 10 per cent of the company that will manage the competition's TV rights. BLOOMBERG 'Not govt's job' to look into Tokyo bid payout TOKYO • Japan's Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto yesterday said it was not the central government's role to look into reports about large payments the Tokyo campaign allegedly made to various entities in the run-up to the International Olympic Committee's vote in 2013. In response to a Reuters report, she said it was the responsibility of the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Tokyo metropolitan government to explain payments totalling over US$8 million (S$10.7 million) to an executive of the Games organising committee. REUTERS Two lifters lose 2012 medals over doping GENEVA • Three Romanian weightlifters have been retrospectively disqualified from the 2012 London Olympics after fresh analyses found traces of banned substances in their urine samples, the International Olympic Committee yesterday said. The disgraced weightlifters were Razvan Martin, a bronze medallist in the men's 69kg category, Roxana Cocos, a silver medallist in the women's 69kg category, and Gabriel Sincraian, who competed in the men's 85kg event. XINHUA
LONDON • After the unmasking of its state-orchestrated doping programme turned it into a sporting pariah, Russia hardly quietly accepted its punishment. Angered and humiliated, it has fought, so far unsuccessfully, to re-enter the international sports community through legal channels. But US prosecutors and British government officials say, it went much further than that, actively seeking to undermine the Olympics it was barred from. Just as it used the full might of the state in a cheating scheme that brought it now-disputed medals at events like the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, Russia unleashed some of the same forces to hack and disrupt the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games and the now-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to US and British officials. Now, once again, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is left to decide what, if any, action to take against one of the largest and most influential countries in its movement, one that has time and again challenged its ideals. According to US and British authorities, operatives from Russia's military intelligence wing unleashed a barrage of cyber attacks on the 2018 Winter Olympics and started operations against the Tokyo Games as part of a broader worldwide hacking campaign that also included attacks on a French presidential election and Ukraine's electricity grid. Russia denied the allegations, as it did when details of its doping programme first emerged and after attacks on other sporting bodies, including the global doping regulator. A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday described the accusations as "Russophobia". "Russia has never carried out any hacking activities against the Olympics," he said. The accusations come as Russia tries to overturn the four-year ban from major international sporting events it received in December, when experts at the world's anti-doping regulator found that Russian officials manipulated key data that would have allowed sports federations to finally identify the hundreds of athletes it helped to cheat. For the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, the latest details of Russian malfeasance are likely to be a bitter blow. GETTING OFF LIGHTLY The powers that be don't have the courage to stand up to Russia even when they damage and maybe permanently damage the Olympic brand and the Olympic values. TRAVIS TYGART, US Anti-Doping Agency chief, on how Russia has not been dealt with harsher punishment. For years, the Olympic movement has stopped well short of punishing Russia with the most severe penalties, which would include barring any Russian athletes from appearing at the Olympics or participating in regional events. Travis Tygart, who heads the US Anti-Doping Agency, another group that Russia tried to hack, said he was not surprised in the slightest by the latest developments. He said "their behaviour has not changed one bit", and the absence of meaningful punishment, in his view, has only emboldened Russia. "The powers that be don't have the courage to stand up to Russia even when they damage and maybe permanently damage the Olympic brand and the Olympic values," he said. "If a toddler keeps getting what it asks for and keeps disobeying the rules, why would they act differently?" NYTIMES
LAUSANNE • The crisis-hit International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), fighting to keep its place at the 2024 Paris Olympics, last Friday named a third president in a troubled week. It had appointed Michael Irani, the British chair of the federation's medical committee and a former chair of its anti-doping commission, as its interim president. While Irani accepted the nomination, he insisted he was not interested doing the job full time, but was committed to furthering reforms around the issue of drug testing that has plagued the sport. "I am grateful to the IWF executive board for entrusting me with the presidency on an interim basis," he said. "I do not intend to stand as a candidate for the IWF president position in the future, so I will be able to focus fully on the reforms leading up to a clear and transparent IWF Congress (In March next year)." The Budapest-based IWF had removed its interim president, American Ursula Garza Papandrea, after an executive board vote at an emergency meeting last Tuesday. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the next day that it was "very worried" about the boardroom putsch, saying they had "enjoyed excellent cooperation" with Papandrea. The IOC did not name her replacement but the chief executive of USA Weightlifting Phil Andrews announced in a statement that Thailand's Intarat Yodbangtoey had taken over the post. The Olympic body has threatened last week to "reconsider the place of weightlifting on the programme of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024". It will make a final decision on the events and quotas of athletes for the Games by December. Weightlifting has been in turmoil since January when a documentary by German TV channel ARD revealed what it described as a "culture of corruption" in the sport intended to mask the use of doping. Hungarian Tamas Ajan, 81, president of the IWF for 20 years after serving as its secretary-general for 24, rejected the accusations as "lies" before being pressured into resigning in April. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE