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US$66m award to woman
paralysed by exercise machine
A WOMAN in the US who was paralysed
when a 300kg weight exercise machine
fell on her has been awarded US$66
million.
The award to 30-year-oldNatalieBarnhard
followed an eight-week product liability
trial in the New York state Supreme Court
in Buffalo.
Medway exercise equipment maker
Cybex International is responsible for
most of the award. Cybex managers call
the verdict disappointing and say it isn’t
supported by the facts or law. An appeal
is likely.
Ms Barnhard was paralysed from the neck
down in 2004 and is gradually regaining
some use of her limbs.
The accident happened at Amherst
Orthopedic Physical Therapy, where
Ms Barnhard was a physical therapy
assistant.
F1 and Rugby
Mourns Walkinshaw
Owner of Gloucester Rugby Club and
former F1 team chief Tom Walkinshaw
died on 12 December aged 64 after a long
battle with cancer. The Scottish racing car
driver was founder of racing team TWR,
which won the 24-hour Le Mans race
team.
Walkinshaw was also chairman of
Premier Rugby from 1998-2002 where
he was largely successful - with average
attendances nationwide increasing by
33% during his four-year stint.
Walkinshaw also had strong ties to F1
- owning Benetton, Ligier and Arrows
teams and helped recruit designer Ross
Brawn and driver Michael Schumacher to
the successful Benetton team.
IOC Sets September
Deadline for 2020 Bids
The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) has announced a 1st September
deadline for nations seeking to host the
2020 summer Olympics. The bid process
will culminate with a host city vote in
Buenos Aires on 7th September 2013
Any national Olympic body which submits
a bid must first comply with rules of the
World Anti-Doping Agency. It must also
accept the jurisdiction of the Court of
Arbitration for Sport.
In another first, national committees must
notify the IOC by 29th July whether they
propose to hold the Games outside the
usual 15 July-31 August period. The IOC
will rule by the end of August if the dates
are acceptable.
In the previous bid contest, the Qatari
city of Doha proposed staging the 2016
Games in October to escape the summer
heat.
The IOC will first select the 2018 Winter
Games host on 6th July in Durban. The
candidates are Annecy, France; Munich
in Germany; and Pyeongchang in South
Korea.
Bin Hammam to
Run Against Blatter
Asian football chief Mohamed Bin
Hammam has announced he will stand
against current FIFA president Sepp
Blatter in the presidential election in
June.
Blatter is seeking re-election for a fourth
term.
Bin Hammam stated: ‘Change is
necessary and needed.’
He promises to decentralise the FIFA
administration if elected and he would also
like to expand the executive committee
to give more people a say in decision
making.
Bin Hammam, who played a central role
in securing the 2022 World Cup for Qatar,
said the current FIFAboard of 24 should be
increased to 41 – a plan that would dilute
the power of Europe and South America
– while boosting the representation from
the rest of the world. He also made it clear
that he would support the introduction of
goal line technology, and of the extra two
officials behind the goals.
The elections take place at the two-day
FIFA Congress in Zurich from 31st May.
World tour by English
Premier League
The Premier League and Barclays are
taking the Premier League around the
world, after their announcement of a new
three-year global tour, offering fans across
the world an interactive experience to
promote the league.
The tour began on 18th March in Abu
Dhabi, before appearing at other cities
around the Middle East, then onto Asia,
North America and Africa during the
2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons.
The free experience is separated into
four domes: ‘The changing room’, dome
number one, contains unique items of
football memorabilia from Premier League
players, and fans can test themselves
with challenges such as ‘can they kick a
ball harder than Obafembi Martins?’ or
‘run faster than Theo Walcott?’.
The 2nd dome called ‘The Centre Circle’
gives fans the chance to experience
what it might be like to stand in the
middle of a Premier League stadium,
‘The Trophy Room’ will have the official
Barclays Premier League Trophy on
show, and ‘Becoming a Third Lion’, the
fourth and final dome using green screen
technology to enable fans to have a photo
of themselves lifting the trophy.
touchline
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