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August 28, 2004
Winter Games await in less than 18 months
SF Chronicle | Winter Games await in less than 18 months
As soon as the flame is extinguished in Athens on Sunday night, the clock starts ticking in the Italian Alps. Seventeen-and-a-half months from now -- 530 days to be exact -- the Olympic flame will be ignited at the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Turin.The region will stage 17 events this winter, including the European short-track speedskating championships, Jan. 14-15, and the European Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 24-30. However, there are concerns whether the new 8,250-capacity Palavela arena will be ready by then.
"We don't have concerns about delays or problems for when the games start," [Turin organizing committee chief Valentino] Castellani said. "We are perfectly on schedule for that. What we do have a tight schedule for are the test events."
The Palavela is the venue that will host short track and figure skating for the Torino Games.
Posted by noelle at 3:21 PM | Comments (8)
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Apolo at the start line of his 500m heat in Sweden:
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Pieter Gysel (BEL), Apolo Ohno (USA), Nicola Rodigari (ITA)
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Jarmil Hruza (CZE), Nicola Rodigari (ITA) and Apolo Ohno (USA)
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August 25, 2004
USA-China Sports Summit Update
USA-China Sports Summit Update
Seattle Times | Walsh busy preparing for USA-China Sports Summit in Seattle
Looks like short track will be a go for sure at this event next year:
[Seattle promoter Bob] Walsh said that so far, the sports that will be contested are volleyball, speedskating, softball, cycling, track and field, men's basketball, archery and swimming and diving.... the summit will have the full backing of the U.S. Olympic Committee, which will allow the use of the Olympic rings in advertising and promotion."For sure, we have the U.S., China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico and Russia," he said. "I've been blown away by the interest from both countries and sports. There seems to be a real need for this event."
What a lineup of countries!
Posted by noelle at 9:55 AM | Comments (9)
August 24, 2004
Hard times for SCSSA
Hard times for SoCal Speedskating
Long Beach Press Telegram | Money troubles may put skating dreams on ice
... rising ice costs and dwindling membership now threaten the [Southern California Speed Skating Association's] 66-year existence, which has yielded numerous speed skaters and fostered the aspirations of Olympic hopefuls like [Jade] Wheeler. Now, Wheeler, 18, is considered one of the rising speed skaters in the nation and is training to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Olympic team heading to Turin, Italy."If we can't raise the money, the sport will disappear in Southern California," Wheeler said.
One of ]SoCal's] most recognizable break-outs is speed skater Rusty Smith, the Long Beach native who brought home a bronze medal from the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
"It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It steered me in the right direction," Smith said of the club. "It's hard to hear (about the club's situation) because there might be another kid like me who dreams of being in the Olympics and they might not have the opportunities I had growing up."
The full article includes quotes from Jerry Search and Maria Garcia.
Posted by noelle at 9:33 AM | Comments (79)
August 23, 2004
Olympics discussion thread
Olympics discussion thread
By popular demand I'm moving this thread to the top so it doesn't roll off into the archives in the next couple of days. Continue discussing all things Athens right here!
Posted by noelle at 1:33 PM | Comments (257)
August 22, 2004
Evgenia Radanova
Evgenia Radanova competes in Athens
Update - Radanova eliminated in track cycling in Athens:
Bulgaria's Evgenia Radanova, the five-time European short track champion, is competing at the Athens Games in track cycling. Here's a brief report on her results in Athens (via Sofia News Agency):
Bulgaria's only athlete to compete in summer and winter Olympic games evgenia Radanova failed to qualify in Sunday's 1/8-finals of cycling sprint. The 26-year-old ended third in the three-rider repechage, where she was pervailed by Svetlana Grankovskaya (Rus) and Jennie Reed (USA).Radanova had the slowest qualifying time, 12.457 seconds, earning her an opening-round matchup with Australia's Anna Meares. The Australian has been riding the fastest laps of her life on the Athens velodrome's 250-meter banked wooden oval.
Meares won easily in her head-to-head race with Bulgaria's Radanova on Sunday. Evgenia Radanova is a three-time Winter Olympian in short track speedskating who won two medals in Salt Lake City two years ago.
Radanova, who holds the world 500-meter short track record and is a two-time world champion, is making her debut in the summer games.
(As far as I know, Radanova has never been world champion, unless they're talking about a single distance.)
Posted by noelle at 10:46 AM | Comments (13)