UCI Updates Olympic Qualifying
The qualification system for Olympic cycling has changed in order to strengthen competition within disciplines.
Nations will now be able to enter two competitors, rather than one, in the men’s and women’s individual sprints and Keirin races for road, track, BMX, and mountain biking.
The number of road cycling quota places has been raised to nine, and three more nations will be allowed to compete in Rio compared to London.
Additionally, the host nation will be automatically given a spot in all four previously mentioned disciplines, rather than just BMX.
UCI president Brian Cookson was quoted as saying that "…the 2016 Games provide a genuine opportunity to build on the already significant progress the sport has witnessed there in recent years."
Harrington Suggests Neutral Flag for Irish Golfers
Irish golfer Padraig Harrington suggested a neutral flag could be a solution for Irish and Northern Irish golfers at the Olympics.
"In a perfect world, we would play under the GUI flag," Harrington said at the launch of the Confederation of Golf in Ireland launch.
"It was perfect for us as amateurs because it represented everybody."
Many professional and potential Olympic golfers come from the British home nations and compete under the Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scottish flags at PGA events.
"I think what the European Tour has done is correct. It’s given the Welsh guys [the choice] to play under the Welsh flag, the Scots the same. They don’t put them down as British, so why would you necessarily categorize somebody from Northern Ireland [that way]?"
Golf is set to make its return to Olympic competition for the first time since 1904.
New Logo for CONI
The Italian National Olympic Committee released a new logo for the 100th anniversary of their founding.
The logo was unveiled at a ceremony attended by three previous CONI Presidents, Franco Carraro, Mario Pescante, Giovanni Petrucci, and current President Giovanni Malagò.
"With this logo we will take great satisfaction," President Malagò said about the logo at the event.
"In keeping with history and tradition this innovation can give value to our system, it will allow us to have additional resources."
IAAF Set for Diamond League Opener
The IAAF will hold a Thursday press conference in Doha, Qatar to celebrate the opening of the 2014 Diamond League.
IAAF president Lamine Diack and general secretary Essar Gabriel will be in attendance, as will Doha sporting officials and athletes such as Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the Year.
Doha is the first of 14 stops on the Diamond League schedule, which also includes Shanghai, Rome, New York, and Paris.
The season concludes in Brussels on September 5.
Written by Aaron Bauer, Andrew Murrell, and Nick Devlin
Homepage photo: Getty Images
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