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BOA and USOC
sign partnership
In a first of its kind in Olympic sport,
The British Olympic Association has
signed an agreement with its American
counterpart USOC to collaborate ahead of
the London 2012 Games and Sochi 2014
Winter Games. The agreement has been
signed by BOA chairman Lord Moynihan
and United States Olympic Committee
chairman Larry Probst.
The two associations will share expertise
and discuss issues of mutual interest in
planning for the London 2012 Olympic
Games. The deal will see the associations
offer ‘coaching and technical exchanges,
winter sport training camps and other
high performance programmes.’ The
associations will also combine in a bid to
help young athletes through the ranks and
develop the wider Olympic movement.
New Jaked
swimsuits approved
The International Swimming Federation
(FINA) has approved a new line of
swimming suits designed by Italian
manufacturer Jaked. Jaked was involved
in controversy before last year’s World
Championships in Rome when its suits,
that allegedly helped to produce a number
of world records, were deemed illegal and
competitors were barred from wearing
them in competition. As a result, FINA
were forced to introduce new regulations
regarding the type of suits that swimmers
could wear.
Water skier killed
during competition
A water ski race on the Australian New
South Wales-Victorian border continued
despite the death of a 41-year-old
competitor. The Southern 80 water ski
race was held from 12-14 February on
the Murray River from Torrumbarry to
Echuca, where there are more than 120
bends in the river.
The man from Melbourne was competing
when he and another skier crashed
shortly after 4pm, an Ambulance
Victoria spokesman said. He suffered a
cardiac arrest and, despite the efforts of
paramedics, could not be revived.
A second male skier suffered a dislocated
shoulder and was airlifted to Bendigo
Hospital.
A NSW police spokesperson said
bystanders pulled the 41-year-old man
from the water after the accident and
investigations into the incident were
continuing, with a report to be prepared
for the coroner.
The race attracts entries from all over
Australia, plus international competitors
from New Zealand, Great Britain and the
US, according to the event’s website.
Rugby World Cup is
New Zealand’s Golden Goose
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key,
has said that next year’s Rugby World
Cup could boost the country’s economy
by NZ$1.25bn.
The news comes just days after foreign
minister Murray McCully suggested
that New Zealand may not be able to
afford to stage the tournament again
because hosting it was proving to be so
expensive.
“From a New Zealand government point
of view, we are hugely supportive of the
tournament because we know it will be
hugely successful,” he said.
“[It has been] estimated the economic
impact is worth about $1.25bn to New
Zealand. This is a big event for New Zealand
and a big boost for our economy.”
The tournament itself is projected to
make a loss of about NZ$40m, which will
be met by the government and the New
Zealand Rugby Union.
Under the hosting agreement with
the International Rugby Board (IRB),
tournament organisers are only able to
keep revenue generated from the sale of
tickets.