GAMES

A decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to re-award the medals from the women's 4x400 metres at the 2004 Games in Athens has caused surprise among senior officials at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The IOC's ruling Executive Board last week claimed they were awaiting "clarification" from athletics' world governing body over whether to disqualify the United States team despite one of the squad, Crystal Cox, admitting afterwards she took steroids from from 2001.

The IOC have alrady disqualified Cox, who was one of several athletes who have admitted using banned performance-enhancing drugs as part of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) conspiracy.

But IOC claim it was not clear whether the current rules which mean an entire relay team can be disqualified because of the doping of one member were in place at the time.

The IOC vice-president Thomas Bach repeated that position at the annual 124th Session here today.

But the IAAF claim they are mystifyed because they published more than two years ago that the team had been disqualified after Cox accepted a four-year ban.

The IAAF disqualified the US team, even though Cox only ran in the heat, under rule 39.2 and decided that the gold medal should be reallocated to Russia with Jamaica moving from bronze to silver and Britain being upgraded to the bronze.

"The IAAF position is that the team is disqualified – and note the date of the decision," Nick Davies, the deputy general secretary of the IAAF, told insidethegames.

"We have no reason to review that decision."

Mark Adams, the IOC spokesman, claimed he was not aware of them having received any notification from the IAAF about the US being disqualified but promised that they would check so "we can deal with the matter swiftly".

Yet, adding to the confusion surrounding the status of the race, is that the IAAF have not amended the result on their own website or even indicated that it is under review.

Cox, meanwhile, has claimed she has spoken to the athletes who stand to lose their gold medal - Deedee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards and Monique Hennagan - about the situtation.

"It's a sad situation, but my thing is, the truth will come out eventually," she said in an interview published in her local newspaper, the Fay Observer.

"Life goes on.

"I've held my head high ever since [I was banned].

"Being able to walk away from the sport with my head held high, I have no animosity toward it because I know I was one of the good athletes.

"I played by the rules and did what they wanted me to do.

"I'm still introduced as a 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

"Once an Olympian, always an Olympian."

By Duncan Mackay at the Grosvenor House in London

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

TRINIDAD and Tobago Olympic team’s athletic manager Dexter Voisin is pleased with the week-long pre-Olympic camp in Cardiff, Wales.

The team spent their last day at the Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales, yesterday, before they relocate at the Olympic Village in London, England today, two days before the start of the 30th Olympiad.

“As the manager of the team, this is my first Olympics,” said Voisin, in a telephone interview from the Vale Resort yesterday.

“I’ve been to several World Championships. We’ve organised several camps before.

“However, in terms of Olympics, from what I’m hearing from the athletes and some of the support staff who’ve been to other Olympics, this is the best organised camp,” he admitted. “Based on the productivity in the camp, I’ll safely say this was a very good camp.” Concerning yesterday’s activities in the camp, Voisin stated, “it went pretty good.

We had the second relay session today and that went well.”

Asked if any decision was made regarding the athlete who will carry the Trinidad and Tobago flag at Friday’s opening ceremony, Voisin responded, “no official word on that as yet.”

But he pointed out that the athletes are eagerly anticipating the start of competition at the Games.

“At this stage here, if there is any nervousness we wouldn’t see just yet,” Voisin said. “It’s a week before the start of competition so nervousness wouldn’t been seen yet.

When it’s about a day (before), then you may see (it). But, so far, everybody is ready to go to the Games Village.”

-Joel Bailey

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) president Larry Romany will attend the opening of the T&T cultural village.
" Over the years the TTOC tried to  encourage  the Tourism authorities  to use the opportunity of the Olympic games to showcase T&T. We  saw  other countries use the occasion and felt that T&T was missing out . I am happy that His Excellency Garvin Nicholas believed that the combination of the Olympics and the 50th anniversary of our Independence presented an opportunity not to be missed." said Romany T&T will host a culture fest in London during the 2012 Olympic games. The event will be held at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, London, and  will be facilitated by T&T High Commissioner to London Garvin Nicholas and will run from  26 July to August 25 .
The venue is only 20 minutes from the Olympic Village by train. The festival will include a number of children’s workshops. In addition there will be workshops on preparation of local foods , drumming and a variety of other activities for children.
The festival will put the spotlight on T&T’s culture and talent and cuisine. There will be booths with local foods such as bake and shark, curry, sada roti, local soups and a Creole kitchen.

THE Trinidad and Tobago Olympic contingent will leave their camp in Wales tomorrow for the Olympic Village in London as the countdown to Friday’s opening of sports’ biggest stage continues.

Chef de Mission, Annette Knott, has already arrived at the Village and is ensuring everything is in place for when this country’s athletes decamp.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Dexter Voisin, manager, TT athletics team, revealed that the athletes’ preparations have intensified even further. He noted that although the opening ceremony for the London Games is less than a week away, the athletes are focussed primarily on their training.

“In terms of training, they are still in their final preparation and placing emphasis on their events. The mood will change when we go to the Village but for now they’re just focussed on their preparation,” Voisin said.

While in their downtime, however, Voisin revealed that a room has been set aside at the Vale Hotel in Wales for the athletes to relax. There are pool tables, video games and other forms of entertainment available for the athletes to unwind and enjoy themselves.

Meanwhile, Voisin expressed satisfaction with what he has seen from the TT relay teams at their training sessions at the Wales Track and Field Stadium. This country 4x100 men picked up silver at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the World Championships a year later and expectations are high for the Women’s 4x100m and Men’s 4x400m teams to pick up a medal.

“They practiced yesterday (Sunday) and will practice again today (Monday). This is the first time in a major tournament really that we’ve got to do baton practice.

“Usually the focus is on preparing for your individual event first but this is the benefit of having a camp,” the manager declared.

Citing the disastrous efforts by the US men and women’s 4x100m teams at the 2008 Olympics where the baton was dropped in each race, Voisin argued that one can not take anything for granted when it comes to relays. He noted that TT have improved significantly in their transition of the baton especially the 4x100m men who have gotten ample time to practice.

Commenting on the efforts of our athletes at the Welsh Athletics International last week, Voisin was delighted that they were able to get some competitive action under their belt but noted that the conditions were quite unfriendly.

“The weather condition was terrible. It was windy and very cold, it wasn’t the best for performing,” he said, “It has changed, though, and the sun is out. It hasn’t rained for the week and you can go to practice in sleeveless jerseys,” he revealed.

Asked to comment on whether this country can improve on their medal count of two from 2008, Voisin was unwilling to make any predictions.

“I don’t ever make predictions because what is important is making your way through the (early) rounds (of competition). The focus is on reaching the finals,” he pointed out.
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-Stephon Nicholas

www.newsday.co.tt

TRINIDAD and Tobago sprinters focussed on baton passing yesterday, particularly the men and women 4x100-metres relay teams, during their pre- Olympic camp at the Wales Track and Field Stadium.

Dexter Voisin, manager of the TT athletic team for the London Olympic Games, made this disclosure during a brief interview yesterday from the team’s base at the Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales.

“Kelly Ann (Baptiste), Richard (Thompson) and (Keston) Bledman joined the camp,” said Voisin. “Both relay teams, the 4x100m women and men, worked (yesterday) afternoon and did their first session of baton passing.”

The Stadium is located 15 minutes away from the Vale Resort.

Asked if the athletes, particularly Baptiste and Bledman, were suffering with jet lag after arriving on the camp yesterday morning, Voisin stressed, “they weren’t jet-lagged.

Everybody came just within an hour (on their) flight.

“Kelly Ann and Bledman came from Amsterdam (in Netherlands) which is just an hour (from Wales). So there was no jet lag.

Voisin continued, “the session went well and, as the manager of the team, (I’ll say) the coaches were pleased with the session (yesterday) afternoon.”

Concerning today’s plans, Voisin said, “we leave the camp on Wednesday so we have two days down here at the Wales training camp.

“(Today) they go back to their individual programmes and on Tuesday we have baton passing practice again,” he ended.

www.newsday.co.tt