IIHF President Rene Fasel is under investigation over allegations of a kickback scheme. (Getty Images)IIHF President Rene Fasel is under investigation by the International Ice Hockey Federation over allegations of a kickback scheme.
Zurich newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported May 10 that a company run by a Fasel childhood friend received more than $1 million from 2004 to 2008 from IIHF broadcast and marketing agency Infront Sports and Media.
Infront President Philippe Blatter is the nephew of FIFA President and IOC member Sepp Blatter.
An English translation of the German-language newspaper story said Fasel’s friend since kindergarten, identified only as Y.S., is principal of a company called Proc AG which received payments on “business contracts, especially to national and international winter sport federations.”
Fasel told reporters at the world hockey championship in Bern, Switzerland that he “helped a longtime friend with offering his services to Infront,” and denied receiving any commission or bonus.
A spokesman for the IOC said it is aware of the report, but deferred comment to the IIHF, which is investigating the allegations.
"Rene Fasel has been a long time leader in the world of sport and has been a strong supporter and advisor to me and to our whole organizing committee as we prepare for the 2010 Winter Games," said VANOC CEO John Furlong in a prepared statement. "We understand that he supports a decision by the IIHF to investigate recent reports involving him and out of respect for that investigation will refrain from further comment."
Fasel is also president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations and the chairman of the Vancouver 2010 Coordination Commission. An IOC member since 1995, the 59-year-old is a Swiss dentist and former hockey referee.
Irie Sets New World Record
Japan’s Ryosuke Irie set a new world record in the 200-meter backstroke at the Duel in the Pool swim meet between Japan and Australia in Canberra, Australia on Sunday.
The 19-year-old recorded a time of 1:52.86, breaking Ryosuke Irie of Japan set a new record in the 200-meter backstroke at a meet in Australia on Sunday. (Getty Images)the old record of 1:53.94 set by Ryan Lochte of the U.S. in his gold-medal winning performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
“I am very happy to break the world record in Australia and I am going to break [the world record] again at the world championships,” Irie is quoted as saying.
Irie missed breaking the 100 backstroke record of 52.26, currently held by American Aaron Peirsol, by only 8/100ths of a second.
Nine Cities Apply for 2014, 2015 Skiing Worlds
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has received applications from nine cities for International Ski Federation World Championship competitions in 2014 and 2015.
The host cities for the 2015 Alpine, Nordic and Freestyle and Snowboard and 2014 Ski Flying championships will be decided at the FIS Congress in Antalya, Turkey on June 3, 2010.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, St. Moritz, Switzerland and Vail/Beaver Creek, Colo. have declared their candidacies for the 2015 Alpine World Championships.
Falun, Sweden; Lahti, Finland; Oberstdorf, Germany and Zakopane, Poland turned in applications for the 2015 Nordic World Championships.
Harrachov, Czech Republic has applied for the 2014 Ski Flying Championships and Kreischberg, Austria is the lone applicant thus far for the 2015 Freestyle and Snowboard competition.
“I am delighted to see that, despite the current economical climate, we have received applications as candidates for the 2014/2015 FIS World Championships in all disciplines. For us, this underlines the continuing strength of our flagship events and their appeal to global audiences," said FIS President Gian Franco Kasper in a statement.
Kiwi Study Finds Women Get Less Photo Coverage
A research project in New Zealand discovered that female athletes received only a third of the photo coverage at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in a couple of the country’s largest newspapers.
Of the 432 photos of Olympic athletes published during the Games from Aug. 7-25, 65 percent were of men, 34.3 percent consisted of women and 0.7 percent were mixed, according to associate professor Sarah Leberman and Dr. Farah Palmer, who headed up the Massey University study.
Leberman told Chinese news agency Xinhua that the lack of coverage of women athletes may discourage young girls from taking up sport.
“When you do not see many female athletes in the media, young girls who are physically active do not have the role models to aspire to. Equally, if there are not many photographs of female sports coaches, girls might not consider it a career,” Leberman said.
The researchers now plan to expand their research into the television coverage of the Beijing Games.
Officials Plan to Adapt Wushu for Olympic Inclusion
The Chinese martial art wushu needs to be adapted for possible inclusion in the Olympics, according to Gao Xiaojun, director of the sport’s governing centerOfficials for the Chinese martial art wushu are looking for ways to make the sport more popular and more viable as an Olympic event. (Getty Images)in China’s State General Administration of Sports.
Gao made his statement to Chinese news agency Xinhua at China’s National Games in Changchun City on Sunday.
Gao told Xinhua that the organization has plans to make wushu more popular both in China and around the world by making the sport more spectator friendly and thus making it more viable as an Olympic event.
“More than 122 countries and regions established wushu associations by now and China is making efforts to enlarge the wushu family globally. As the powerhouse of wushu, China is striving for the dream-coming-true of wushu joining the Olympic family,” said Gao to Xinhua.
Briefs…
…Chuck Daly, who coached the U.S. Olympic basketball “Dream Team” to the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, died of pancreatic cancer in Jupiter, Fla. on Saturday. He was 78. Daly also coached the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and ’90. He was the first coach to win both NBA and Olympic titles.
…U.S. Alpine Ski Team director Jesse Hunt is stepping down from his position to take a position with the Park City Ski Education Foundation, a developmental club program within the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Hunt, who started as a coach with the U.S. Alpine team in 2003 and has been its director since 2002, helped lead the team to 18 world championship medals during his tenure and was instrumental in the development of world champion Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller.
…The Wrestling Federation of India is considering disciplinary action against Olympic bronze medalist Sushil Kumar after his disqualification for being overweight at the Asian Championships in Pattava, Thailand. Kumar had been let off with a warning by the WFI in February after pulling out of a tournament in the U.S. at the last minute.
Media Watch
Irish sports "needs" Irish Olympic Association President Patrick Hickey. That's the word according to The Irish Times.
BizCommunity.com has an article explaining how the 2010 World Cup in South Africa could lead to an employment boom, similar to what Barcelona experienced after the Olympics.
Written by Greg Oshust, with reporting from Bob Mackin in Vancouver.
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