The insidethegames.biz Magazine Autumn Edition 2021 by Dunsar Media Company Limited

The insidethegames.biz Magazine The world’s leading source of independent news and information about the Olympic Movement.

Autumn Edition 2021

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Contents

Published: October 2021 by Dunsar Media Company Limited Editor: Duncan Mackay Magazine Editor: Dan Palmer Managing Director: Sarah Bowron Design: Elliot Willis Willis Design Associates Pictures: Getty Images Staff headshots: Karen Kodish Print: www.csfprint.com Dunsar Media Suite 9-15, 4th Floor Acorn House Midsummer Boulevard Central Milton Keynes MK9 3HP. Great Britain contact@insidethegames.biz www.insidethegames.biz No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the publisher. Data is published in good faith and is the best information possessed by Dunsar Media Company Limited at the stated date of publication. The publisher cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions, however caused. Errors brought to the attention of the publisher and verified to the satisfaction of the publisher will be corrected in future editions, if any.

Introduction

Duncan Mackay

Europe’s top man David Owen

Tokyo 2020

Memories of our team on the ground

Games under a cloud Liam Morgan

18 22

Locked out

Mike Rowbottom

Election fever

Holding the fort

Seeing double

Greece is the word

Duncan Mackay & Dan Palmer Michael Pavitt

Mike Rowbottom Philip Barker

A tale as old as time Mike Rowbottom

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KEEP

FIGHTING The coronavirus is an opponent we all fight. Together, we will win that fight! Through decades, Denmark has fully integrated the rights holder, the national federation and the host city - creating a powerful partnership for success. We look forward to welcoming you back to Denmark.

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DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES

fter the unprecedented turmoil and an Olympic and Paralympic build-up like no other, Tokyo 2020 is finally in the history books. The sporting world had to wait an extra year to gather in the Japanese capital, and when it did the fans were forced to stay at home. We knew from the start that Tokyo 2020 would be very different Games, and that proved to be the case. It was not just the empty venues that made us feel that things were not quite right. The obstacle course of COVID-19 checkpoints at the airport, the regular need to spit into a tube and the daily submission of health information reminded us that this was going to be a strange experience. A lot of us, I'm sure, would appreciate never hearing the phrase "activity plan" again and I doubt anyone will miss using the dreaded OCHA app. With strict rules in place, most people saw much more of their hotel room than they would normally have liked. Some, such as our very own Philip Barker, unluckily came into close contact with a positive case and were confined for up to a fortnight. There was not the same mingling with friends from overseas, and the chance to properly absorb yourself into the host city - where there was hardly any Olympic dressing - was gone. But despite this, the Games still reached their conclusion when some doubted that they would last the course.

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The sport was fantastic, and the pandemic was largely kept at bay. Tokyo 2020 did not become the super-spreader event critics feared it might be, and the Games did not have one huge story of controversy which dominated the news agenda for days. All of this will have left the International Olympic Committee breathing a huge sigh of relief. After the historic delay of the Games by a year, it must feel that it has emerged from a hugely challenging period largely unscathed. In this latest October edition of The insidethegames.biz Magazine, the eightstrong team that we sent to Tokyo relive their experiences of this year’s Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympic Movement can now look forward, with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics due to take place in February and March - a gap of just six months after Tokyo 2020. With a political cloud still hanging over the event in the Chinese capital, chief senior reporter Liam Morgan assesses the latest situation with the IOC guaranteed to face some difficult questions in the coming weeks. Beijing 2022 will be on the agenda at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Crete in October. Senior reporter Michael Pavitt speaks to Robin Mitchell, the Fijian who has served as the Acting President of ANOC since 2018 due to the legal difficulties faced by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. With Sheikh Ahmad now appealing a prison sentence handed down by a Geneva court for alleged forgery, it is a period of more uncertainty for both Mitchell and ANOC. As the General Assembly is taking place in Greece, chief columnist David Owen has spoken to Spyros Capralos, the President of

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the Hellenic Olympic Committee who has now risen to become the Movement’s top official in Europe. Sticking with the Greek theme, Philip, our historian, has looked back on the key meetings which have taken place in the country - the birthplace of the Games over the years. The 2022 sporting calendar is already looking packed - with cities called Birmingham on both sides of the Atlantic due to host major events. Mike Rowbottom looks ahead to The World Games in the United States - and the Commonwealth Games in England which will both take place under the name Birmingham 2022. It will also be a big year for the International Boxing Association, which still finds itself under huge pressure from the IOC after being shut out of the Tokyo 2020 competition. Umar Kremlev, the AIBA President, speaks to Mike as the embattled organisation bids for reacceptance in order to regain its place for Paris 2024. The sports of aquatics, ice hockey and skiing will all have new Presidents in 2022 for the first time in a long time. Alongside magazine editor Dan Palmer, I have taken a look at these governing bodies as they change the guard and look ahead to the future. Although Tokyo 2020 has ended, there is still plenty to get our teeth into and insidethegames will be there every step of the way to bring you the stories which matter. Enjoy the magazine.

Duncan Mackay Editor

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EUROPE’S TOP MAN Spyros Capralos became Europe’s most senior Olympic official in June, and is currently the sole flagbearer for Greece at the IOC. David Owen meets the man from the birthplace of the Games.

ome sports are apt to produce prominent sports administrators. One of these is water polo. One-time FIFA boss Joāo Havelange was a water polo player; so was Peter Ueberroth, deliverer-in-chief of the landmark Los Angeles 1984 Olympics; and so was Spyros Capralos, who represented Greece at both those LA 84 Games and previously at the Moscow 1980 Olympics. When I ask the now President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee what it might be about this demanding team sport that accounts for this, however, he is keen to extend the credit across the sports spectrum. “Water polo is a very dynamic sport,”

Capralos tells me in a wide-ranging interview conducted after his return from Tokyo 2020. “You need to have many different skills to be able to survive above the surface of the water.” But, he goes on, “every sport at high level provides you with a lot of skills”. “If you can combine them with managerial skills, that can produce somebody who can be a good business administrator, a good sports administrator or combine both,” he adds. Sport, Capralos says, is a “unique tool in the life of everybody, and high-level sport teaches you many things from a young age, especially hard work, discipline and motivation”. “You also learn how to lose in order to learn later on how to win,” he says. “This is a good lesson for life. “So it is not just water polo, it is sport in general.” Four decades after those Moscow Games, and more than half a century after his first national swimming title in 1969, Capralos, 66, has worked his way up to become one of the top administrators in European and international sport. He has been President of the most

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emblematic of National Olympic Committees since 2009. But, in recent years, he has added membership of the International Olympic Committee - in 2019 - and, in June, the Presidency of the European Olympic Committees. What is more, he has combined these increasingly onerous sports responsibilities with the chairmanship of Star Bulk Carriers, a Nasdaq-listed shipping company. This came after earlier business roles in the financial sector. On October 24 and 25, Capralos’ chief preoccupation will be Crete’s hosting of the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees. In an example of the flexibility required of all decision-makers as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to move the event from Seoul only in July, following a meeting in Tokyo of the ANOC Executive Council. The General Assembly had already been postponed from last year and was initially planned for Athens, before the Mediterranean island was chosen.

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DAVID OWEN CHIEF COLUMNIST, INSIDETHEGAMES “When we were asked by ANOC whether we could help, we offered to provide a solution,” Capralos recalls. “Greece is always there when we can to provide solutions because we felt the need again for many of the people in the ANOC world - 205 National Olympic Committees - to be able to meet each other. “Of course not everybody will be able to come to Greece, but I think it will provide the possibility for many people to be together again and, hopefully, while following strict health control conditions, we will be able to exchange information about the Tokyo Olympic Games and talk about the future.” In preparing for the event, Capralos and his colleagues will have been helped by the experience of staging another General Assembly - the meeting of the EOC in June when the Greek official was elected as the body’s ninth President, beating Danish rival Niels Nygaard. Capralos refers to the EOC gathering as “the first major sports event attended by people in person” since COVID. He adds: “We had 46 out of 50 European countries who attended in Athens and they were all so happy to be together. “It was great because the 50 countries of Europe were able, in their big majority, to be in Athens and celebrate that we were together after such a long time when nobody was allowed to travel. “The good thing is that everything worked out well with no COVID cases. We took all the strict measures that we needed to.” When I ask more generally about the challenges of managing through a pandemic, Capralos observes that the situation “taught us all how important it is to be patient, flexible”. “I think under the difficult circumstances of COVID, we also learnt to understand other people better,” he claims. “We learnt how to fight together against this common threat, trying to get close to normality. “Tokyo was a unique experience for everybody because there we managed to be all together to benefit the athletes of the world who had been trying very hard to qualify for years. “The only thing that I have to express after the Games is great gratitude to the IOC and the Tokyo Organising Committee, and to the Japanese people in general and the Government, for working day and night under difficult conditions to provide the Olympic Games in a safe and secure manner despite all the difficulties they faced.” The pandemic put paid to Athens’ chances of hosting the key 2021 IOC Session, and www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Spyros Capralos, right, with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, flies the flag for Greece at the IOC. Photo: Getty Images

hence providing a highly symbolic backdrop to Thomas Bach’s re-election as IOC President. The very considerable consolation is that the Greek capital will instead host the 2025 Session and hence, barring a change in the rules, the election of Bach’s successor. “It is even more important [than 2021],” Capralos acknowledges. “I think the eyes of the whole world will be on Greece at that time because there is going to be a new President.” Capralos’ own election as an IOC member in Lausanne in 2019 brought to an end a four-year period during which Greece, the ancient cradle of Olympism, had no IOC member. The occasion brought out an emotional side of him that is usually kept hidden. “Those were moments I will never forget because that was one of the most important moments in my life,” he explains. “Having been in sport all my life, that moment was the maximum of my career. “It was just that people recognised my presence and what I have contributed to sport and the Olympic Movement. “That is why I was so moved. And because that meant the recognition of my colleagues and everybody in the sports world, and I felt their warmth and happiness.” It was a moment, moreover, which Capralos’ family was in Switzerland to witness. “All of my family love sports”, he says, @insidethegames.biz

although none have taken an active involvement in the Olympic Movement like he has. His father played basketball, but not at a high level. His daughter is, he says, “passionate about the Olympic Games and sport. Her biggest regret was that she was not able to come to Tokyo”. His election to the IOC also signified that he could put an episode in 2012, when he was criticised by the IOC’s Ethics Commission in the wake of a newspaper investigation into Olympic ticket sales, firmly behind him. When I ask Capralos to name one thing above all which he would like people to recognise he had achieved in the realm of sports administration, he mentions two. “I worked very hard for the success of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games,” he said.

A young Spyros Capralos, left, in his days as a water polo player. Photo: HOC.

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Europe's most senior Olympic official receives a Torch from a priestess at Ancient Oympia. Photo: Getty Images

“Either as an executive director of the Organising Committee or later on as secretary of state for the Olympic Games and city manager at Games time. That was one major achievement. “The other is that I took over the Greek Olympic Committee and I think that we have made a lot of progress. “We have become financially independent by using our assets, by using our marketing efforts and by making a programme for the athletes which we call 'Adopt an Athlete', first on the way to Rio, and now to Tokyo. “Trying to help the athletes financially in times when Greece is weak financially and the Greek state has reduced the funding of sport a lot.”

Spyros Capralos was heavily involved with the Athens 2004 Olympics and Paralympics. Photo: Getty Images

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As chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Minsk 2019 European Games, few international sports officials can have had as many dealings as Capralos with Belarus. Accordingly, it seems appropriate to ask if he is disappointed with the regime’s recent comportment. He answers carefully. “You know I was very close to Belarus because I worked very much with the Organising Committee for the organisation of the second European Games in Minsk, and I was chairing the Coordination Commission,” he said. “My task was to follow the progress of the works and the preparation for this great event for Europe. “I can tell you that I didn’t have any issues working closely with the Belarusian Olympic Committee, the Organising Committee and everybody involved with the organisation of the event - and actually the event was a very successful one. “On the other hand, the IOC started investigating the NOC of Belarus and they concluded that the current leadership of the NOC of Belarus has not appropriately protected the athletes of Belarus from political discrimination within the NOC, their member federations or the sports movement. “This is definitely against the Olympic Charter and of course we heard about the story with Belarusian athletes in Tokyo. “Because all this is under investigation, I cannot make further comments on that. @insidethegames.biz

“But, of course, we need to respect the Olympic Charter about political discrimination.” I also wanted to ask Capralos for his assessment of the terrible wildfires which swept through Greece this summer, skirting perilously close to Ancient Olympia and the International Olympic Academy. “We were all in Tokyo when the news came from Greece that the fires had happened and they were very close to Olympia and our facilities there,” he recalls. “We were very happy when we heard first of all that the Greek Prime Minister and Minister in charge were really focusing on Olympia and did their utmost so that Olympia, which is our cultural heritage, was not affected.” There was some luck when the wind changed direction at a certain moment. “We were also very fortunate that the new fire extinguishing facilities paid for by the IOC were put in place and they also helped in extinguishing the fire,” Capralos added. “So Olympia is intact - thank God.” For all that, it was an extremely narrow escape. “I would say that it reached about 500 metres from the academy,” Capralos said. “And one kilometre from the ancient stadium. “That was very close.” And good reason, one would have thought, for the consequences of global warming to feature prominently in discussions when Greece’s first ANOC General Assembly since 2004 begins.

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L I H P E #FRE

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Philip Barker Historian

Tokyo 2020 was always going to be a Games like no other. For the first time, essential kit for an Olympics included face masks, hand gel, an armful of vaccination certificates and a copy of the Olympic “playbook”. This was produced for Games stakeholders, including athletes, officials, broadcast rightsholders and other media. “Everybody in the Olympic Movement is equal,” IOC President Thomas Bach had claimed.

Yet the ostensibly simple playbook hid many caveats and variations. Three days restricted to the hotel after arrival was the prescribed norm, followed by 11 days when agreed activities could be undertaken, provided only the dedicated official transport was used. Regulations carried a sting in the tail when it was revealed that someone on my flight had returned a positive COVID test. I was among those in a seat nearby who was identified as a close contact. Happily, insidethegames colleague Dan Palmer, sitting a few rows further back, was not identified in the same way. A terse email from the Japanese medical authorities stated: “We announce that you

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had close contact with a COVID patient on flight NH212 on July 13. “So, you have to be in quarantine for two weeks. And even if you get a negative result, still you have to be in quarantine for two weeks as a close contact.” The playbook had promised that “a decision on applicable measures will be made on a case-by-case basis and will take into consideration the likelihood of you spreading the virus”. It came as something of a surprise when Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto, questioned by insidethegames colleagues, claimed that her organisation had provided food for those in isolation. How she came by this information remains

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a mystery, for Tokyo 2020 had made no contact with me at all. An Olympian in both Summer and Winter Games, Hashimoto was plucked from the world of politics to lead the Organising Committee and it seemed as though some other agenda was at play. A Hungarian journalist and a television crew from BBC Scotland were among those to have the same experience as me. They also heard the “sound of silence” from an Organising Committee which claimed not to have contact details for those locked in their hotels. It had perhaps escaped its notice that every member of the media had submitted details of their accommodation, and an email address and phone number, before arriving. Officially sanctioned hotels were initially unwilling to deliver breakfast to the room, even in such unusual circumstances. The

playbook had promised that three meals a day would be provided. Spirits were maintained by the kindness of fellow journalists, a food package from the British Olympic Association and others. A social media campaign and the hashtag #FreePhil attracted thousands of messages of support from fellow Olympic travellers across the world. My story suddenly became news in its own right - not something that any journalist really relishes. What followed was a whirlwind of interviews. There was CNN and I was translated into Arabic for Al Araby. German television station ARD and media in Norway and Brazil also wanted to chat, and I spoke to The Times in London. All this was conducted from the confines of the hotel. When the time finally came to report on the Games in person, it was every bit as good as hoped.

As ever, it was impossible to witness everything. But images of Lisa Carrington’s supremacy in a canoe, the excitement of mixed triathlon, the exuberance of skateboarding and Teddy Riner’s inspiration of the French judo team in the historic Nippon Budokan remain etched in the mind. That so many medals eluded the “usual subjects” made these highly unusual Games even more memorable.

exciting things normally about attending the Olympics is the feeling that you are at an event that is the centre of global attention. But if you were in the Japanese capital, you could be forgiven for wondering if you had come to the right place. There was hardly any city dressing and, driving in on the official media bus in the morning, Japanese commuters appeared to be going about their normal business unaware this major worldwide event was taking place in their city - hardly surprising as they were not allowed to attend any events. The Main Press Centre, normally a massive melting pot of different nationalities and languages as journalists coped with varying deadlines, was a much more sedate affair as it was rarely ever more than half-full. There were glimpses, though, of what

Tokyo 2020 could have been like. Queuing at security one day to get into the Olympic Stadium, an enthusiastic Japanese mother with her young daughter, both dressed in kimonos, excitedly leaned over the barriers and asked me to mark on a map where I was from and have a picture taken with me. It was a reminder of how great Tokyo 2020 could have been.

Duncan Mackay Editor-in-Chief

Some of my best Olympic memories have come not from being in a stadium or at a venue, but just being in the city at the time it is hosting the Games. Of the people I have met, the experiences I have enjoyed, the places I have visited. Having been a regular visitor for 30 years now, I was excited to see how Tokyo the city would embrace the Olympics. From my trips there, particularly over the last decade, I had no doubt it was going to be one of the best Games I had ever attended. In the end, it was certainly unique, but for me a largely soulless event. One of the most

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Liam Morgan

Chief Senior Reporter A prominent view among those of us who headed out to Tokyo for the Olympic Games was getting there would be the toughest challenge. The months and weeks leading up to the Games were littered with tests and trepidation, stress and scare stories of what the situation would be like when we arrived. As a COVID-19 liaison officer, I had the added frustration of dealing with deadlines that proved to be much more pliable than first thought, of sending dozens of emails to a nameless address with little hope of a reply and of activity plans that did not get approved as some of our team stepped onto their flight.

There were threats from the Japanese organisers, too, that we would be watched like hawks, and we would be named and shamed if we were caught breaching the COVID-19 rules in place at the Games. Yes, there were issues, as detailed by my colleague Philip Barker on these pages, but our pre-Olympic fears, by and large, proved to be wide of the mark - as did suggestions we would not be welcome. The reality could not have been further from the truth. The first three days in quarantine in a Tokyo hotel, not known for their generous dimensions, were difficult. The rest of the opening fortnight, where the restrictions were tighter, was tricky from a journalistic point of view as they were not conducive to the newsgathering missions we would typically embark on at the Games. But even as we acclimatised to our strange, surreal surroundings, you could not

escape the fact we were fortunate to be able to witness an Olympics like never before as millions denied the chance of attending were shut out. And that, sadly, will be the prevailing image of Tokyo 2020: eyes that should have been gazing in awe at the athletes from venues across the Japanese capital instead being forced to watch from afar. It is a shame politics got in the way. The Japanese people deserved so much better.

Local people and volunteers could not have been more welcoming. There was the occasional breakdown in communication - of course there was - but they were always keen to help. I was put at ease when negotiating the myriad of COVID-19 checkpoints, even though my OCHA app which was a prerequisite for entry did not work correctly. When people think of volunteering, they likely imagine sitting trackside as the 100 metres final rushes by. But it’s usually a lot less glamorous, as those clutching clipboards at bus stops at 2am will attest. Local opposition was never conveyed to us directly. However, the noisy protests outside the Opening Ceremony served as a reminder. With no fans allowed, I felt guilty to experience fantastic sport when hardworking locals were absent. The crowds peering into venues, braving the searing

heat, proved that many were desperate to be involved. From a moving bus, I saw a father and his young son waving huge Olympic flags. Clearly, the little lad was enthused by the Games but he wouldn’t get to go. As a new dad, I felt my heartstrings being tugged. Japanese politicians may want to forget about sport after the tribulations of 2020. But I hope major events will return with fans soon, as Tokyo deserves it.

Dan Palmer

Magazine Editor

Much of the talk before Tokyo was about large numbers of Japanese people who supposedly didn’t want us. Anyone who hoped the Olympics would be cancelled because of COVID-19 was perfectly entitled to have that opinion, and it was hard to argue against those who seemed genuinely scared. A social media post I made before departure was immediately shared by an anti-Tokyo 2020 account, so I didn’t know what reception awaited us. To be honest, I should have known better. Having visited Japan before, I knew it was one of the friendliest places on earth.

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Michael Pavitt Senior Reporter

I was fortunate to have reported from Tokyo for insidethegames several times in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which offered an insight into the type of spectacle the Japanese hosts would put on. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach repeatedly claimed Tokyo was the best prepared host ever. In one sense this was fortunate as the city may have been one of the few able to cope with the rearranged Games, yet it also meant sadness. Sporting success was captured well despite the unusual circumstances. The shared men’s

high jump gold between Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim provided one such moment where the sport tore off the COVID enforced shackles it had been placed under. Athletes were responsible for stand-out moments on the field of play, and often provided the noise away from it. Swimmers helped to make the Games feel less sterile, with support for their team-mates echoing around the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. A trip to Izu Velodrome, though, provided the real thing, as limited spectators were permitted due to the venue being outside the harshest of restrictions. The small number of fans present made huge noise in support of eventual women’s omnium silver medallist Yumi Kajihara. She was one of the few athletes to enjoy something close to the home support they would have expected for so long.

One of the main images I will take away will be from the railway station overlooking the BMX course. I remember standing there in late 2019 as the course took shape, wondering what the Games would be like. As it turned out, the Japanese public took up the same spot to watch events from over a barrier, perhaps wondering what the Games were like.

The remarkable journey of Afghan athletes Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli was a story that I followed closely while reporting on the Paralympics. The pair’s dream of competing at the Games appeared to be over when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. But, spearheaded by the International Paralympic Committee, sporting organisations came together to get Khudadadi and Rasouli to Tokyo. Seeing the two athletes compete at the Paralympics and then jointly hold the Afghan flag aloft at the Closing Ceremony was arguably the greatest moment from both Games. As a Briton, it was amazing to be inside the arena when my country achieved gold medals including Adam Peaty’s men’s 100m breaststroke triumph and Maisie SummersNewton’s comeback victory in the women’s 200m individual medley SM6.

It was also fantastic to see Japanese athletes capture the home nation’s hearts by delivering success, with my fondest memory coming at the Nippon Budokan where judoka siblings Hifumi and Uta Abe secured Olympic gold on the same night. I was lucky enough to travel around Tokyo in between the Olympics and Paralympics where I could see how much joy the Games was bringing to the city. Let’s hope they will be able to see the action in person when Japan next hosts a major sporting event.

Geoff Berkeley Senior Reporter

Covering my first Olympics and Paralympics stirred up a mix of emotions but it was an experience I will certainly never forget. When sitting in an almost empty Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony, hearing cries of dismay from protestors outside, the staging of a Games behind closed doors felt wrong. It seemed unfair to go ahead without the Japanese public inside the venues and when there was so much opposition over COVID-19 concerns. But once competition started and medals were handed out, Tokyo 2020 showcased the power of sport to unite nations in the darkest times.

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Michael Houston Reporter

Hypothetical grandchildren and/or nieces and nephews will be bored to tears hearing me yet again tell the tale of the time I travelled to Tokyo during a pandemic, for the Paralympic Games. And there’s a reason I won’t shut up about it. I, like everyone there, was fortunate enough to see a Games experienced by very few in person. I had a cloud of paranoia shadow over me in the build-up and during the first few days. Despite my caution, I was convinced I would catch COVID and be stuck in a room, with these nightmares inspired by the unfortunate incident that Philip Barker found himself in.

Yet, when it properly got underway, it just felt natural. All the volunteers were incredibly helpful - to the point of detriment when you were in a rush - and meeting people from all kinds of professional backgrounds was what I had been missing from live events. I’ve been to Japan for work before, and it involved more karaoke and local food. But singing along to the Paralympic victory ceremony song and Tchaikovsky, as well as eating kiosk ham sandwiches and the surprisingly tasty convenience store fried chicken, is just as memorable. “Make with what you have” was a phrase I heard a lot when I was younger, and the Games applied this perfectly. You can’t replicate crowd noise, but those in attendance across the two weeks made it feel special. Whether it was finding a common connection over my football club’s new Japanese striker, or

speaking about difference in cultures, I treasured every moment I had with others. We were all aware of our privilege just being there. Much like those conversations, the Games were over in a flash. The athletes, the media and the volunteers will all move onto the next venture. A bittersweet moment, but it’s good to know Tokyo 2020 will not be a mere footnote in anyone’s life.

and watch the lights coming on, and see people working late in their offices, many of them clearly watching the Games on television. It was as if someone had taken over their house for a party. A party that turned out to be an absolute blast. I will remember leaving the skateboarding venue after the men’s street competition and seeing a family waving at our bus. I waved back, and a little boy suddenly waved back like mad. He would probably have loved to watch the skateboarding, but of course he couldn’t. "Will the Olympics come back, come back soon?" my friend at the bus stop asked. The Summer Olympics won’t. But the Paralympics did. And the World Athletics Championships can - and surely must - as soon as it is practical. Eugene has had its version postponed

until next year, Budapest will host in 2023 and 2025 looks as if it will be Africa’s first turn to host. But the beautiful new National Stadium must be host again soon to the world’s best athletes - those who performed wonders on warm nights - for the patient, deserving people of Tokyo.

Mike Rowbottom Chief Feature Writer

When I think of Tokyo 2020, I will think of the lines of people who queued every night to take pictures with the Olympic Rings, set up in a little park next to the National Stadium. As we filed in night after night, they were not allowed to enter. Some of those gathered in the park took pictures of us through the mesh fencing which kept them out. Occasionally, someone would jump up onto the fencing as if trying to smash their way through, as laughing friends took pictures. From the empty concourses of the stadium, you could look out across the city

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Games under a cloud With Tokyo 2020 now in the history books, tough questions about Beijing 2022 will start arriving in the International Olympic Committee’s inbox in their droves. Liam Morgan looks ahead to what will be a politically charged Winter Games.

he postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games had an added benefit for the International Olympic Committee. Not only did it allow the organisation to protect its revenue and ensure the athletes were granted the stage they deserve - albeit in front of empty stands - but it also meant sceptical and critical eyes were diverted away from the next Games, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Instead of a year-and-a-half of criticism and questions over China’s human rights record, widely condemned in the west, the IOC will get away with a little more than six months of constant negative headlines.

There are, of course, those in the media and elsewhere who have done their best to keep Beijing 2022 and the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, which some countries have decried as a genocide, in the limelight. But the focus for the Olympic Movement, plunged into its worst crisis for decades because of the coronavirus pandemic, had been on Tokyo 2020 and organising an unprecedented Olympic Games. Not any longer. Tokyo 2020 has been and gone, and Beijing 2022 is now firmly on the horizon. In just over 100 days, the 2022 Winter Olympics will open in the Chinese capital,

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marking the beginning of the end of a seven-year journey since Beijing beat Almaty to the hosting rights at the 2015 IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur. Last month, the official slogan of the Games - “Together for a Shared Future” was unveiled by organisers. Critics, however, have their own tagline for Beijing 2022: The “Genocide Games”. There has been widespread condemnation of Beijing's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang as well as its crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong and its policies towards Tibet and Taiwan. China has been accused of suppression and of conducting a surveillance campaign

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against Muslim ethnic groups, which allegedly includes mass internment, forced sterilisation, the separation of children from their families and forced labour. Human rights groups allege more than one million Uyghurs have been placed in internment camps. A report from Human Rights Watch said they had been “arbitrarily detained in 300 to 400 facilities, which include ‘political education’ camps, pretrial detention centres, and prisons”. The report claimed violations committed by China “include imprisonment or other deprivation of liberty in violation of international law; persecution of an identifiable ethnic or religious group; enforced disappearance; torture; murder; and alleged inhumane acts intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to mental or physical health, notably forced labour and sexual violence”. Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, claims Beijing 2022 is “shaping up to be a triumphal Chinese communist spectacle in the snow”. “Some of you have seen senior IOC leaders say that the Olympics are not political,” she said. “We wish someone would tell that to the Chinese Government.” The IOC, and its President Thomas Bach, have remained silent on what the west and other countries believe is happening in Xinjiang. Bach has never uttered the word “Uyghur”, even when directly questioned on the claims. Those questions have been regularly dismissed by the IOC, which refused to discuss Beijing 2022 at a press conference in Tokyo. In March, Bach said the IOC was “not a super world Government” when asked for a response to a coalition of human rights groups, who said the organisation was “willing to hold a genocidal Games”. Intel, a TOP sponsor of the IOC, is on record agreeing with those groups. Juan Antonio Samaranch, the chair of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022, said the IOC was “sensitive” to the issues raised but said it could not act as the “Central Government of the world”. “The world is a very complex place, there are different political systems and sensitivities, and things that are evil in one part of the world might be considered heaven in another depending on culture and many other things,” Samaranch told insidethegames. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Beijing 2022 has been dubbed "The Genocide Games" by human rights protesters. Photo: Getty Images

“The IOC is not the UN or anything like that. There are many other organisations that deal with the world order. “We cannot take that responsibility, and we cannot be forced or pushed into trying to punish one or another depending on the views of another from the other part of the political spectrum. “We are very, very attentive to protecting the human rights issues within the perimeter of what the Olympics mean pre, during and after the Games, but it is a little far-fetched that politicians around the world try to use the Olympics to push their political ideas or denounce what they consider to be wrongdoing in other countries. “These human rights groups have their truth and information, and they should take that to the right forums, like the UN or their own Governments, and tell them to use their political power and influence to try and stop whatever they think is happening there and expose it. “This is a political football that goes from one country to another, and I am sure you can find many parts of the world where they disagree with what we think is common practice in the western world. “It is very easy to think what you are thinking and the way you are living is the only righteous way to see things…but there is a very complex world with many cultures and there is never only one truth.” At a recent meeting of the IOC Executive Board, Bach was keen to tout the body’s @insidethegames.biz

work in addressing what he called a “humanitarian situation” by helping athletes escape Taliban-run Afghanistan. So, I asked Bach whether the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang also constituted a humanitarian issue and suggested the IOC had largely ignored it. “The responsibility of the IOC…is to take care of humanitarian issues within the Olympic community,” Bach said. “This is what we are doing in the case of Afghanistan. The Olympic Games are about non-discrimination, where everybody enjoys the same rights and where we bring the athletes of the world together in a peaceful competition. “We are sending this positive message of peaceful competition, of non-discrimination, of everybody respecting everybody to the world from the Olympic Games regardless of where they take place.” The answer was typical of the IOC, which is conveniently selective when it comes to deciding on when to intervene in political issues. “IOC President Bach keeps winning gold medals for selectivity and obfuscation,” said Dr. Sophie Richardson, the China director at HRW. “Invoking the Olympic Charter and using its influence when doing so makes the IOC look heroic, while straining to avoid using that same influence when doing so could bring relief to people enduring crimes against humanity.

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“In doing so he sullies his own lofty notion of an ‘Olympic community.’” The human rights allegations, which Beijing denies, have led to calls ranging from a diplomatic boycott to moving the Games out of China. A full athlete boycott is about as likely as the IOC acknowledging what is occurring in Xinjiang and would be counterproductive. But the debate is nevertheless a key example of a dilemma competitors face when participating at events in countries with contentious human rights records. While it would be a stretch to suggest they are complicit by competing - they have no say in where the Olympics are held - it is an issue some of the world’s top competitors are all too aware of. “The Olympics is big, and it’s something that you shoot for, and you don’t want to miss it,” double Olympic Alpine skiing champion Mikaela Shiffrin said earlier this year. “You certainly don’t want to be put in the position of having to choose between human rights, like morality versus being able to do your job, which on the other hand can bring light to some issues or can actually bring hope to the world at a very difficult time.” Samaranch added: “The Olympic Games is the only opportunity in the world, that I can think of, where you can take people from China, people from US, Canada, Australia, middle of Africa, all sorts of cultures, religions and political systems, and put them together in the Village to share life, joy and sport like brothers,” he said. “And you are really asking me to risk that very valuable thing for humanity because you want to enforce and advance your political cause? Sorry, I will resist. “I resent the possibility of a diplomatic boycott because I would like everybody to come and enjoy the Olympics, without endorsing any political system.

Beijing 2022's official slogan was launched alongside the underlying controversy. Photo: Getty Images

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The International Olympic Committee want sport to take centre stage in the Chinese capital but hard questions will not go away. Photo: Getty Images

“I understand that people use this amplifying force of the Games when they come to push and advance their own programmes, ideas and their view of the world, but we have to resist that otherwise what we have would disappear.” Human rights is far from the only concern as Beijing 2022 approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic looms large over the Games, just as it did in the Japanese capital a few months ago, and the restrictions that will be in place are set to be far tougher than for Tokyo 2020. The IOC is due to publish the “playbooks” - the documents which outline the strict rules for all participants at the Games - for Beijing 2022 by the end of October. Bach has said large parts will be copy and pasted from Tokyo 2020, with certain areas “tailored to the COVID-19 situation” in China. That situation has already caused problems for the IOC. Not only have traditional Olympic test events been abandoned, but major competitions scheduled to be held in China are still being cancelled far too regularly for the IOC’s liking, including one, the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, that had been due to take place just two weeks before Beijing 2022 opens. “It is of interest and concern to us,” Samaranch says. “We don’t yet know how restrictive these measures will be, but they will reflect the culture in China. “We are confident that China is going to do everything that is necessary to make everybody safe and is not going to do things that are not necessary. But we have to be pretty obedient and respectful of the decisions made by the health authorities. @insidethegames.biz

“We do encourage everybody to come vaccinated and there will be a strong, strong push for everyone to be fully protected. Vaccination is the main weapon to keep everyone safe and we will push for that to happen so we get as close as possible to 100 per cent.” At the end of September, it was announced that Chinese fans will be allowed at the Games, and that everyone attending will be part of a “closed-loop management system” that permits travel between approved venues using only official transport. Those who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine period upon arrival, before being allowed to enter this system. Where China has not struggled is venues for the Games, which are due to open on February 4 and conclude on February 20. Organisers have claimed all facilities in the three clusters - Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou - are close to completion and will be finished by the end of this year. Attention will now turn to fine-tuning preparations for the Games, with Beijing poised to become the first city to host both the Winter and Summer editions. “The Organising Committee has delivered much faster than expected and promised and to a higher quality than they said they would,” Samaranch said. “This level of readiness and delivery has been done ahead of schedule despite COVID-19. The Games readiness is 100 per cent and it has been that way for quite some time.” If you listen to Beijing 2022 organisers, and the IOC, everything is rosy in China. For those on the receiving end of the country’s alleged human rights abuses, it is anything but.

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TOKYO 2020 BOXING

L CKED OUT

The International Boxing Association was left out in the cold as fighters took to the ring at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Mike Rowbottom meets Umar Kremlev, the man at the helm of the organisation as it faces a long road back to acceptance.

t the start of July, dutifully masked members of the international press - and other virtual participants - were invited to the 19th century splendour of Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel to witness the President of the International Boxing Association, Umar Kremlev, make his case for a brave new world. Kremlev took up his current role in December when AIBA had already been replaced by the International Olympic Committee as organisers of the boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020. It followed years of governance and financial problems, alongside damaging scandals over judging and refereeing. For Kremlev, the July gathering was a concerted effort to publicise a fresh start after all of the trouble and turmoil. The rocky period culminated in the 18-month reign as President of Gafur Rakhimov, who is on a United States Treasury Department sanctions list as an alleged criminal figure in Uzbekistan. Since then, the Olympic boxing tournament has been held in Japan, under the sway of the IOC’s Boxing Task Force. It was, according to Kremlev, “pretty successful”, although he has claimed it

is not his place as President of a separate organisation to pass any detailed judgement. The other significant change has been the new IOC ruling which allows the Executive Board to remove sports without the say of the wider membership. What is Kremlev’s response to this? “That change was approved by the IOC Session along with several other Olympic Charter changes, which as an International Federation we need to take note of and understand,” he told insidethegames. “However, it is not something we are focusing on. “Our focus is on our ongoing reforms and the preparations for our exciting upcoming events. “We had International Boxing Day which we celebrated together with boxing fans and athletes around the world, and of course the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships are upcoming, which will gather the world’s best boxers in Belgrade in October.” Despite this apparent optimism, a letter sent to Kremlev by IOC director general Christophe De Kepper in September was the equivalent of a blow to the gut.

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The International Boxing Association had no part in the Tokyo 2020 competition. Photo: Getty Images

He said boxing’s place at Paris 2024 was still under threat as the IOC’s “deepest concerns” remain unresolved. The IOC questioned the “effective implementation” of a new AIBA constitution and asked why a new leadership team had not been appointed. Elections for a re-branded Board of Directors have been promised next year. Other concerns listed included doubts over the eligibility of one of the candidates at November’s Presidential election, and a conflict of interest as the IOC and AIBA share the same auditor. In response, AIBA said it had been “working on comprehensive reform for some time now”. Asked if he had any indication of when the IOC will consider AIBA resuming control of Olympic boxing, Kremlev told insidethegames: “We know what AIBA needs to improve and are firmly focused on reforming our organisation to the highest international standards. “We have already made significant progress in transforming AIBA by undertaking reforms in governance and financial and sporting integrity. “Independent experts are conducting various investigations and audits in order to help us get to the root of each problem and allow us to become an example of best practice for other International Federations.” As insidethegames editor Duncan Mackay reported in August from Belgrade - which is due to host the Men’s World Boxing Championships from October 26 to November 6 - Kremlev remains confident of his organisation’s future if it successfully carries through the reforms upon which it has embarked. “If we manage to reach these goals, I do not see any problem in the future for AIBA,” he said. Ultimately, this question will come down to trust. Which takes us back to the Beau-Rivage event. Almost 100 years earlier, this chandeliered edifice of Corinthian capitals and art nouveau trimmings by Lake Geneva had witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, which established the borders of modern Turkey. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

It replaced the Treaty of Sèvres, signed three years earlier in 1920, which called upon Turkey to deliver those responsible for civilian massacres to the Allied powers for trial. The second treaty was described by Britain’s former Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, as “abject, cowardly and infamous”. That was life and Kremlev’s event was sport. But the human quandary of how far one can or should persist in addressing wrongdoing, and at what point one must look forward, still applied. In all he said, Kremlev was addressing the key question of how best to proceed while in charge of a body that had fallen so far short of competence and morality that the IOC had taken away its historic right to oversee Olympic boxing. And the clear implication was that boxing stands in peril of losing the Olympic status it has enjoyed since 1904, other than the Stockholm Games of 1912 when Swedish law banned the sport. Kremlev’s attitude to the quandary was implacable. "Sometimes people say ‘forget about the past’, but I say ‘no,’” he said. Since taking up his new position, this enigmatic 38-year-old from Serpukhov says he has engaged vigorously in a programme of reforms. Sitting alongside him in Lausanne was Ulrich Haas, a professor and expert in sports law at the University of Zurich. He will lead a team with the aim of overhauling AIBA’s governance, after carrying out a similar job at the International Cycling Union. Joining by live link was Richard McLaren, the Canadian lawyer whose agency Global Sport Solutions produced the 2016 report on state-sponsored doping in Russia. Last year, it investigated financial and doping irregularities at the International

Weightlifting Federation. McLaren has been given the job of investigating two areas of corruption within AIBA. The first is the alleged perversion of judging at the Rio 2016 Olympics and this year’s Asian Championships in Dubai, as well as anywhere else it pops up. The second relates to historical, individual corruption and how it has affected the sport over many years.

AIBA's Olympic future remains in doubt. Photo: Getty Images

At the end of September, McLaren said he had identified seven to 10 suspicious matches from Rio. He detailed how "compliant and complicit" referees and judges, acting under a "culture of fear, intimidation and obedience", corrupted the boxing tournament at Rio 2016. Senior former officials, such as then President CK Wu, are listed as being complicit. “We are very confident that the investigation will shine a light on wrongdoings from the past, which will enable AIBA to learn lessons on how it can safeguard boxing and ensure a brighter future,” said Kremlev, whose career within public utilities and construction has the approval of those in very high places.

Umar Kremlev has the task of guiding AIBA back to sporting acceptance. Photo: AIBA

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MIKE ROWBOTTOM CHIEF FEATURE WRITER, INSIDETHEGAMES AIBA claims its dire finances have been turned around by Kremlev, and particularly the new two-year sponsorship deal with Russian energy giant Gazprom. Kremlev announced that debts which reached $16 million - one of the reasons cited by the IOC when it stripped AIBA of the right to hold the Tokyo 2020 tournament had been wiped out. This followed confirmation that AIBA had repaid a $10 million debt to an Asian company following a loan linked to the now defunct World Series of Boxing. In De Kepper’s letter, the IOC asked for financial details to be passed to its own independent expert. For Kremlev, the way forward is a journey that first loops backwards to the morass of murky politics into which the sport sank. "To put a full stop, how far into the past do we have to delve to close the page, to achieve justice, to eliminate wrong judging?" he said. "If we need to delve further into the past, we will do this. Our major task is to finalise this and start a fresh page. My personal opinion is that I think boxing is a flagship sport. "I must understand why it happened. "Because nobody has given me, us, the names, and I want these names to be voiced. "We need to name specific people. We must do away with this mistake, we don’t want these people to be with us. We must do away with this group because boxing is one of the most popular sports. It is something people love to watch. "We all know that what happened before us, to put it bluntly, was a crime. “But we are not only doing away with our past, we also have our vision, and we have tangible results. “What is important is that all the boxing family is behind us. We are working together. “I am not just here to govern, I am here to help. To assist. My job is to help set up conditions, the right environment, and every functionary in our field must understand we are here to serve the boxers. Me included.”

Moments of joy in the Japanese capital were experienced without AIBA's involvement. Photo: Getty Images

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Boxing at Tokyo 2020 was run by an International Olympic Committee Task Force. Photo: Getty Images

On the key question of how the IOC will view his efforts to revivify and rehabilitate AIBA, Kremlev responded: "Let me say, just from AIBA’s side, the recommendations produced by the IOC will be implemented by the end of this year and I will be responsible for this as President. “Our team will be able to achieve it. “The decision for the Tokyo Olympics was taken by the IOC. After that, our position is to become one of the best Federations so there will be no reason to exclude us. “You just have to look at how boxing is developing, with completed reforms that have put a full stop to the past. “The judgement is down to the IOC. Our most important task is to interact with them.” During the celebrations for International Boxing Day, Kremlev, who has appointed Hungary’s Atlanta 1996 Olympic bantamweight gold medallist István Kovács as secretary general, said “that all the reforms needed at AIBA are already in place”. “We are listening, and we have hired independent experts like McLaren,” he said. “Boxers now lead the organisation of AIBA. They understand boxing and what needs to be done. “Our goal is to have an open, clean and honest organisation. If we manage to reach these goals, I do not see any problem in the future for AIBA.” Kovács confirmed that AIBA was focused on regaining its place as an Olympic federation in time for the boxing tournament at Paris 2024. He hopes the upcoming World Championships in Belgrade will act as a showcase for the sport. @insidethegames.biz

Among the initiatives due to be introduced later this year are a new scoring system and competition format. “This is a really important year for AIBA,” Kovács, a double world champion, said. “We realised the situation and accepted it. “We listened to the IOC, and we have started to fix it. We are hoping the IOC will see our efforts.” Asked for his view on the inclusion of 40 professional boxers in the men’s and women’s competition in Tokyo, Kremlev replied: “This was a decision made by the BTF, although it is consistent with the rule change implemented by AIBA that allowed professionals to compete at Rio 2016. “There are some concerns about professionals competing at AIBA events. “The key one is what we view as significant differences between the number of rounds and competition format of AIBA Open Boxing compared to professional boxing. This is an area we would like to consider in the future.” Kremlev said he has not contemplated what it would mean for AIBA’s future if, even after introducing the reforms, the IOC still refuses to recognise it as the governing body for Paris. “I never live in the way of ‘could’ or ‘would’ or ‘should,’” he said. “I’m not a magician who can tell you about the future. I live in the present. “We are dedicated to making AIBA an organisation that speaks for safety and transparency for our boxers, officials and fans. “As long as we stick to those values, and continue our efforts, I am sure AIBA will be well on the way to regaining the trust of the boxing community.”

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Election

fever

With Tokyo 2020 now in the rear-view mirror, the Olympic Movement is looking to the future. Dan Palmer and Duncan Mackay run the rule over a quartet of sports which have had elections to contend with.

Skiing The International Ski Federation has ushered in a new era as it works towards Beijing 2022. After nearly a quarter of a century, the organisation in charge of the flagship Winter Olympic sport has a different President. Switzerland's Gian-Franco Kasper first ascended into top office only a few weeks after Nagano 1998 had finished. He went on to become synonymous with skiing, and tributes flooded in from across

the world of sport following his death in July aged 77. Kasper's replacement, Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch, came into power in June after seeing off the challenge of three rivals. If a change of President wasn't enough of a seismic shift for the FIS, the organisation also finds itself with a new secretary general. Britain's Sarah Lewis, one of the challengers defeated by Eliasch, had been in the role for two decades but was unceremoniously removed by the FIS Council in October 2020. Taking over the day-to-day running of the ship is Michel Vion, the President of the

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French Ski Association since June 2010 and an FIS Council member since 2004. With so much change, Eliasch and the FIS would probably have appreciated some time to settle in and get their feet under the table. But with Beijing 2022 rapidly approaching and due to go ahead in February under a dark political cloud, it needs to be all systems go for the 59-year-old. He resigned as chief executive of sports brand Head following his election, and had one eye on Tokyo 2020 when preparing for his first Olympics in charge. “What I found myself the most impressed by (in Tokyo) was the teamwork - the way

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Eliasch also defeated Swedish Olympic Committee President Mats Årjes and Switzerland’s former men’s downhill world champion Urs Lehmann in June’s election. He believes the COVID-19 pandemic, which dominated the Tokyo agenda and resulted in fans being banned, will still be a major factor on the road to Beijing. “While modern technology has allowed us to combat the COVID-19 virus at rapid pace, it is still not eradicated and continues to pose a threat to our daily lives,” he said. “We must accept that much like Tokyo, the pandemic may impact the Beijing Olympics.” Support for Eliasch came in from some high-profile names when he campaigned to be President. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former American Presidential candidate John Kerry gave their endorsements, as did skiing royalty such as Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, Aksel Lund Svindal, Alexis Pinturault and Hermann Maier. Manifesto pledges included a full review of competition formats and schedules to benefit athletes, sponsors, broadcasters and viewers. He has also promised to set up an advisory

all of the stakeholders came together to make this edition of the Games possible,” Eliasch said. “It was proof that when everyone is working towards a common goal, anything is possible. “If Tokyo is any indication, the road to Beijing will not be easy. “It will be the chance for winter sports to capture everyone’s imaginations and propel our sports and athletes into the global spotlight. “If there’s anything that the last year-anda-half has taught us it is to expect the unexpected and to be prepared for every scenario.” www.facebook.com/insidethegames

forum of experts, featuring people from marketing, media and entertainment, to help guide the organisation. Other areas the Swede has pledged to explore include state-of-the-art technology and social media, with the goal of growing the coverage of skiing. Interestingly, after the long reign of Kasper, he has also committed to term limits after becoming only the fifth President in the 97-year history of FIS. Eliasch said he was “humbled” to be elected and claimed there had been “no losers” following the vote. “This was all about FIS starting on a new journey,” he said. “All candidates saw a bright and growing future, and that collective vision is something I want to build upon during my tenure as President. “In thanking those who supported me, I also thank everyone who played their part in making this election one which brought out the best of the FIS family - a passion for snow sport and taking it to the next level. “We have a bright future ahead, and I plan to build FIS in a way that will be the envy of many other sports around the globe.”

Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch is the new man in charge of skiing. Photo: Getty Images

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Aquatics Husain Al-Musallam was officially installed as President of the International Swimming Federation at its Congress in Doha in June, in place of the outgoing 85-year-old incumbent, Julio Maglione. He quickly made his overall direction of travel clear. The manifesto of the 61-year-old former airline pilot had promised more support for National Federations in pandemic conditions, more involvement and remuneration for athletes, greater transparency and an overhaul of the FINA constitution. “In my professional career I was a pilot,” Al-Musallam said. “There are few greater responsibilities than captaining an airplane with hundreds of passengers. I am in charge of the welfare and safety of every person onboard. “You probably won't have heard me talk about this before, as it is deeply personal, but in February 1982 I was the co-pilot of a Kuwait Airways flight that had just landed in Beirut when 12 gunmen came on to the runway by truck, firing randomly into the air, boarding the plane, and taking us all hostage. “Hijacking is an event for which all air crew are trained and prepared, but of course it is very frightening. “Nobody was allowed to leave, and the gunmen were intermittently letting off rounds of fire from the plane's entry door. “I was the most senior member of the flight crew who spoke the native language, so it was my job to help negotiate a solution with the hijackers. So many thoughts enter your head at moments like this, but you also learn so much about yourself. Eventually, after nine hours, the hijackers agreed to leave the plane. “Nobody was injured. I am sure you can imagine my feelings of joy and relief when the final passenger was safely released. “Now in 2021 it is COVID that is our hijacker, threatening our health and impacting so many of our plans. My training as a pilot that guided me through that unpleasant day on the runway in Beirut in 1982 is what will continue to guide me now as I take on the Presidency of FINA. “As a captain it's important to stay calm, listen to others and work as a team. This is also how I intend to act as your President.” www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Former pilot Husain Al-Musallam is now the man charged with taking aquatics forward. Photo: Getty Images

Al-Musallam, also director general of the Olympic Council of Asia and secretary general of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, warned that COVID-19 will have, in the short-term at least, a major economic impact. “We need to explore all possible ways of increasing revenue and reducing FINA's annual costs,” he said. “We should be imaginative in our approach to finding new sources of income. “We need to prioritise our expenditure, and to save money where we can. I want FINA to be able to send more money to our National Federations, to be spent on the development of aquatic sports. “Also, we are nothing without our athletes, and I want to commit to spending more on athlete programmes and prize money. In order to do this, we need to reduce expenditure elsewhere. “FINA is currently spending far too much in administration and at its headquarters.” In 2018, the establishment of the International Swimming League, backed by Ukrainian energy businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, sent big waves through the sport. When Grigorishin first met members of the FINA leadership in 2018, it was reported @insidethegames.biz

that he said: "You call yourself the FINA family, so how come you treat your children so badly?” It is a message heard loud and clear by Al-Musallam, it seems. “Not only do I want to give athletes a louder voice, but I also want to reward them better for their achievements in the biggest competitions,” he said. “Athletes make enormous sacrifices to be able to perform at the highest level. They do it for the pride of competing for their country and the chance to win a medal. But I believe that it is right that we also give them the opportunity to earn larger financial rewards as well. “I will deliver more prize money to our athletes, and I want a fair distribution of these rewards between all the aquatic sports.” Al-Musallam has also targeted plans to reform FINA's constitution. “I will instigate reform across the whole of FINA,” he said. “I am going to set up a number of reform committees that will look at every aspect of FINA's work. “Change is rarely easy, but we will have much more chance of success if we work as a team.”

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Gymnastics The Olympic world is used to Presidential elections where there is only one candidate - and most of the time it’s the incumbent. Challenging the status quo just isn’t the done thing in sports governance, and anyone who has ambitions of higher office down the road cannot be seen to be ruffling any feathers. Every so often, though, the man (and in almost all cases it is a man) in the President’s chair does face a contender for his throne. These plucky challengers quite often have no chance at all of victory, but the fact they’ve raised their head above the parapet at least makes it more interesting for Olympic observers. Morinari Watanabe, first elected as President of the International Gymnastics Federation in 2016 after the retirement of long-time leader Bruno Grandi, perhaps thought he would be standing unopposed to retain his job at the FIG Congress in Antalya on November 6. But step forward Azerbaijan’s Farid Gayibov, the President of European Gymnastics who has now set his sights on the top job. During his first term, Japan’s Watanabe became an International Olympic Committee member to firmly establish himself among the movement’s favoured personnel. The IOC will not want to see one of its own turfed out of office, and will use its influence to ensure this doesn’t happen. Watanabe was also put in charge of the IOC’s Boxing Task Force - the body which oversaw the sport at Tokyo 2020 as the International Boxing Association was suspended. This important job shows the trust the IOC has in the 62-year-old, and he will be well placed to ask for something in return for gymnastics in exchange for his hard work. It seems unlikely that FIG members will vote to remove a man who holds such sway in the corridors of power in Lausanne. With the sport’s ambitions including a place for more gymnastics disciplines at the Olympic Games - including parkour - a new man without the IOC’s blessing at the helm would seem to be a counterproductive move. If the odds were not already heavily stacked in Watanabe’s favour, Gayibov’s appointment as Azerbaijan’s Sports Minister in September tipped the scales even further.

Morinari Watanabe, left, seen here with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, is expected to keep the top job in gymnastics. Photo: Getty Images

He has insisted that his campaign to unseat Watanabe will continue but it remains unclear how he could juggle the responsibilities of both roles. So what then would the 42-year-old bring to the role if he pulled off a shock success? One pledge is to adapt the code of points, technical regulations and other rules to make gymnastics “more inclusive and attractive to the audience”. Gayibov has also targeted increasing the number of medal events the sport enjoys at the Olympics, as well as building “stable and reliable” relationships with partners. Another stated aim is to ensure “effective management”. “This Olympic cycle will last only three years,” Gayibov writes in his manifesto. “Therefore, a well-organised management will have to be set in place in order to prepare, transform and realise our goals in such a short period. “With your support, the team that you will entrust me, and with the already approved budget for this cycle I will do my best to realise all our goals.” He adds: “Gymnastics is the basis of any sport. Sadly, it is not clear to all that it is one of the most challenging sports in the world,

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both mentally and physically. Why? To answer the question, we must look within our organisation and ourselves.” Watanabe is quick to highlight his IOC appointment in his manifesto, and he is also an Association of Summer Olympic International Federations Council member. He speaks of holding a combined World Championships for all of the gymnastics disciplines in the same host city at the same time, and also reforming the FIG headquarters. Sponsorship deals with Japanese companies Fujitsu, Pasona and Tokio Inkarami are highlighted, as well as a strategy to close the gap between emerging nations and those at the top of the sport. “The role of FIG never changes,” Watanabe said. “As the International Federation with the longest history, gymnastics is the basis of all sports. “As a Federation recognised by the IOC, FIG respects recommendations made by the IOC including Agenda 2020+5.” The FIG election was due to take place last year but was pushed into 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving Watanabe an extra year in charge. He now looks in good shape to extend his stay even further still.

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Ice hockey A French ice hockey team has not qualified for the Winter Olympics since the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, but the sport now has a man from the country at the helm. Luc Tardif was elected as the new President of the International Ice Hockey Federation in September, winning a five-horse race as the governing body joined aquatics and skiing in welcoming in a brave new world. At those Olympics in Salt Lake City, outgoing President René Fasel had already been the leader of the IIHF for eight years. First elected in 1994, the Swiss was voted back in five times and became an influential member of the International Olympic Committee. He became a part of the furniture at the IIHF and is now the organisation’s Life President. Tardif, then, has big shoes to fill with Beijing 2022 just around the corner. Petr Bříza of the Czech Republic was eliminated in the first round of voting, before Denmark’s Henrik Bach Nielsen exited the race. Sergej Gontcharov of Belarus was then eliminated to leave Tardif and Germany’s Franz Reindl as the last contenders. The Frenchman received 67 votes to see off the challenge of his rival, who tallied 39. “René asked me eight years ago to be treasurer, I totally invested myself in this mission, but I am still a hockey guy and I know I can offer more," he said. "I humbly come in front of you, I have only my determination, my crazy passion for this sport, my sense of teamwork, my respect for the people and my honesty to offer. "I will do everything to be at the level of your expectation.” The IIHF would have no doubt preferred the election to be free from controversy and scandal. But, on the eve of the vote, corruption allegations emerged against Reindl with German newspapers Der Spiegel and Augsburger Allgemeine alleging that he had made "some questionable payments" in early June. Reindl's lawyer told Der Spiegel there was "no basis at all for the accusations against our client”. The German did congratulate Tardif, but he also suggested that the story had negatively impacted his Presidential chances. Tardif, who has citizenship of both France www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Luc Tardif won a five-horse race to become International Ice Hockey Federation President. Photo: Getty Images

and Canada, has served as President of the French Ice Hockey Federation for 21 years. His experience as IIHF treasurer, a job he took on in 2012, is something he hoped would hold him in good stead in the lead-up to the election. The 68-year-old’s campaign for the top job included “10 principles and 10 priorities”. He vowed to place member nations at the heart of the IIHF's operations, provide balance between high-level and developmental ice hockey, fight against threats to the sport such as doping, racism, homophobia and corruption, promote ice hockey globally and make the IIHF an apolitical organisation. Priorities include allowing increased interaction across the organisation to give "meaning to the words ‘IIHF family’”, promoting the three-on-three format, using new technology and "universalising ice hockey". There have now been two IIHF Presidents from France, with Tardif following in the footsteps of founding head Louis Magnus. "We need to keep the balance between the development and the high level," Tardif said. "First of all, we have to ask ourselves 'are we helping enough?' @insidethegames.biz

"My position is I think we can do more, and we can see it as an investment for the future. "I think we need to do more with the financial, human and logistical resources we've got, because that is the meaning of the ‘international’ in our name. "At the moment, most of our financial resources are coming from the World Championship, the under-22s and the Olympic Games. "That means the higher level and top World Championship teams feed financially all the other divisions and events. "There are more mouths to feed, like the women's game, the under-18s and the under-20s, so we have to take care of each other. "It's important to give respect because one of the fantastic things we do in the IIHF is have the higher levels feeding the lower levels, which is not the same in every sport. "We have to keep this family mentality, but make sure it's well balanced." Tardif added that he would have a “great” Council working alongside him. "The development of our sport will be our main purpose and that's really something I want to achieve,” he said. “I think we can be positive for the next mandate.”

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HOLDING THE FORT

Robin Mitchell has been the supposedly temporary President of the Association of National Olympic Committees since 2018, overseeing the unprecedented turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first World Beach Games in that time. Michael Pavitt speaks to the Fijian on what the future holds.

look back at the final day of the 2019 Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly provides an insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the Olympic Movement in such a short period of time. Speakers in Doha were looking forward to the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympics and the summer version in Dakar in 2022. South Korean pop sensation PSY, known for his smash hit Gangnam Style, was mentioned as Seoul prepared to host the next General Assembly. Fast forward to today and the two-year anniversary of Lausanne 2020 is now on the horizon. The delayed Dakar Games are five years away and National Olympic Committees are preparing to visit Crete for the General Assembly. There is a lot to catch up on. ANOC’s Acting President Robin Mitchell has been leading the organisation during its attempts to steer NOCs through the challenges posed by COVID-19, to ensure their participation at both the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games. He is “acting” as President after stepping in to cover influential sports kingmaker Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah in 2018, due to the Kuwaiti’s legal problems.

In September, there was a huge development when Sheikh Ahmad was found guilty of forgery in a Geneva court and sentenced to at least 13 months in prison. The Sheikh denies wrongdoing and is appealing, with the situation due to be addressed in Crete. But it looks like Mitchell’s already lengthy stay in “temporary” charge will be continuing for a while yet. This year’s General Assembly in October falls close to the midway point between Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, which are separated by just six months. It will offer a chance to perform something akin to a health check on one of the Olympic Movement’s key stakeholder groups. “It was very disappointing that we could not host the ANOC General Assembly last year, but it was the right decision to protect the safety of the NOC family,” Mitchell tells insidethegames. “Now, after a two-year gap, we are more excited than ever to host the General Assembly and to have the opportunity to meet with NOCs and discuss the most pressing issues they are facing. “We worked hard with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee to host the ANOC General Assembly in Seoul as originally planned, but it was mutually agreed that due to the quarantine restrictions caused by

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The 2021 ANOC General Assembly will be held in Crete, after it was moved from Seoul and then Athens. Photo: ANOC

COVID-19 it would not be feasible to host the event this year. “We are grateful to the KSOC for their hard work and commitment to hosting the General Assembly and hope we will be able to stage the event in Seoul in the future. “The ANOC General Assembly is always a very special gathering as the biggest coming together of the Olympic Movement outside of the Olympic Games. It was very special being able to meet with NOCs during Tokyo 2020 after so long apart, and we are greatly looking forward to meeting many more in Crete.”

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Mitchell acknowledges that several NOCs will be unable to travel to Greece, but plans are in place to allow them to participate virtually. The General Assembly following an Olympic Games typically offers a chance for celebration and reflection. The gathering in Crete is likely to follow the same path, with a record 93 NOCs leaving Tokyo 2020 with medals to their names. There was particular cause for celebration for Turkmenistan, Burkina Faso and San Marino which earned their maiden Olympic medals. Qatar, The Philippines and Bermuda won gold for the first time. Mitchell believes this broad success highlights the universality of the Games, as well as the continued development of sport across the world. The Fijian, who saw his nation defend the men’s rugby sevens title and win bronze in the women’s event, believes Tokyo 2020 will be remembered for its celebration of humanity as well as its sporting stars. “For every Olympic medal or broken record, there were countless more moments of friendship and sportsmanship from our inspiring athletes,” Mitchell said. “The Games combined thrilling sport with unforgettable moments of solidarity and respect. NOCs and their athletes were at the very heart of this.” Mitchell praised the contribution of Tokyo 2020, the International Olympic Committee and International Federations for ensuring the Games took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Events were largely held behind closed doors under Government restrictions. The greatest praise was reserved for host nation Japan, which was able to stage an Olympics like no other. “We will be forever grateful to our hosts for providing the platform for the world’s athletes to compete in a safe and secure environment,” Mitchell said. “At a time of great difficulty, the Games brought joy and hope to communities around the world.” The work NOCs carried out to help their athletes attend the Games was hailed as “tremendous” by Mitchell. It is hard to disagree. A total of 206 nations were represented at Tokyo 2020 - including the “neutral” Russian Olympic Committee and the Refugee Olympic Team. The now-suspended North Korea were ultimately the only absentees, following the rapid withdrawal and re-entry of Guinea. Given the lack of global travel and restrictions during the pandemic, the attendance figure is staggering. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Robin Mitchell has been the Acting President of ANOC since 2018. Photo: Getty Images

NOCs bore a considerable burden to achieve this, and worked with their Governments to ensure their participation while managing quarantine periods both in Tokyo and at home. They also needed to ensure that people acted responsibly while in Japan. ANOC provided $11.65 million through its Tokyo 2020 fund, which Mitchell says helped NOCs with the “exceptional costs relating to athlete preparation for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the COVID-19 crisis in general”. The fund supplemented the $150 million set aside for NOCs, IFs and other recognised organisations by the IOC. The impact of COVID-19 is still being felt by NOCs, and the ANOC General Assembly will provide another opportunity to highlight concerns. “COVID-19 remains a key challenge for all NOCs and the Olympic Movement is still adapting to this new reality,” Mitchell said. “We saw this very successfully at Tokyo 2020 and there will also be challenges to overcome in NOC preparations for Beijing

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah is challenging his jail sentence for forgery. Photo: Getty Images

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2022. We will continue to provide the best possible support to NOCs to help them overcome these challenges. “COVID-19 has caused significant financial challenges for NOCs. With events either delayed or postponed, it has had a knock-on effect in terms of sponsorship, broadcast and other sources of revenue. “ANOC conducted a survey of all NOCs during the height of the pandemic and financial challenges were the biggest concern raised. That was why ANOC used the money saved from not hosting the General Assembly last year to provide the Tokyo 2020 fund for NOCs. “However, it is not just financial assistance ANOC has provided. “We continued to represent the voice of NOCs within the Olympic Movement, notably on the Coordination Commissions for Tokyo 2020 and the upcoming Olympic Games, to ensure their interests were heard.” Mitchell also said efforts had been made to boost the social media output of NOCs across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. A dashboard and social media handbook has been created to offer best practice solutions. Increased social media activity is seen as crucial for NOCs, to ensure they can engage with athletes and fans, as well as potentially lucrative sponsors. IOC President Thomas Bach suggested earlier this year that the short turnaround between the Summer and Winter Olympics could have advantages, with momentum from Tokyo carrying through to Beijing.

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The ANOC World Beach Games launched in Qatar under Robin Mitchell's acting Presidency. Photo: Getty Images

The short gap has provided challenges for NOCs at an unprecedented time, however, and they will eagerly be awaiting the publication of COVID-19 protocols for the Winter Olympics at the end of October. Mitchell said ANOC has been in contact with NOCs to support their preparations for the Games, and its technical working group has regularly checked in with the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee and the IOC Coordination Commission. “The biggest challenge the NOCs have been facing is that it has not been possible to visit Beijing and the venues because of COVID-19 and that is a big part of the preparations for the athletes,” Mitchell said. “The main issues would be related to travel and the entry requirements to China, qualifying competitions, overseas guests at the Games and the COVID-19 protocol for the 2022 Winter Olympics. We will

Robin Mitchell has been in charge of ANOC for three years, even though his role is supposed to be temporary. Photo: Getty Images

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hopefully also receive an update on the situation at the General Assembly.” As well as supporting the staging of the Summer and Winter Olympics, ANOC is seeking to push ahead with future editions of its World Beach Games following the first staging in 2019. The Games have had a difficult start to life as a multi-sport event, with Doha parachuted in as a replacement host when initial plans in San Diego collapsed. The organisation opted to postpone the second edition from 2021 to 2023. ANOC has announced a core programme of 10 disciplines for the 2023 and 2025 editions of the Games, which has a focus on sustainable beach and water sports. There is also the aim to deliver on a commitment to youth and inclusion. Open water swimming, beach water polo, beach soccer, beach handball, individual kata karate, kite foil, beach tennis, aquathlon, 4x4 beach volleyball and beach wrestling are the core disciplines on the programme. Possible additions could be made when host nations are confirmed. “We have an exciting core sports programme and by confirming the programme now we are giving athletes, NOCs and IFs greater certainty and time to plan,” Mitchell said. “We have developed enhanced working relationships with the IFs which will aid preparations for the Games and ensure we deliver the very best competitions. “We created the Games with athletes and NOCs in mind and so we need to make sure it delivers for them and of course for IFs. The @insidethegames.biz

Games provides a unique opportunity for NOCs to engage new athletes, new sports and a new generation of fans.” Mitchell admitted that ANOC was fortunate when experienced host Qatar stepped in at short notice. The organisation now plans to use extra preparation time for subsequent editions. ANOC would like to announce candidates for the next World Beach Games in Crete, with the bid process launched following Tokyo 2020. Again, sustainability and youth will be key factors when potential hosts are targeted. “We want the Games to be flexible to the host city and sustainability is a core pillar of the event,” Mitchell said. “The Games rely on nature and it is our responsibility to leave minimal impact. We therefore would look to partner with our host cities to develop a Games which is fun, youth-focused and relaxed, but is also sustainably aligned with the city. “There will be the option to add additional sports in agreement between ANOC and the respective Organising Committee. This will allow the programme to be tailored to the trends and cultures of each host country, ensuring a unique feel for each Games.” The awarding of the World Beach Games, and the return of a largely in-person ANOC General Assembly, could be viewed as key milestones as the Olympic Movement seeks to fully emerge from the pandemic. ANOC and its members will hope to look back on the General Assembly in Crete as an event which heralded a return to normality.

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Sports fans will be forgiven if they get confused next year, as Birmingham 2022 will take place not once, but twice. Mike Rowbottom assesses preparations for two different events on both sides of the pond.

ntil the COVID-19 pandemic stuck its oar in, everything was straightforward. The World Games in Birmingham, hosted in Alabama, were due to take place in July 2021, and a year later Birmingham - that is, England’s Birmingham - was scheduled to stage the 22nd Commonwealth Games.

But then the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021, and the new dates impinged on The World Games programme. The quadrennial event, first organised in 1981 and involving sports and disciplines not contested at the Olympics, was postponed until 2022. It was also decided that a rebranding would be helpful. And, thus, The World Games 2021 Birmingham became TWG2022, or The World Games 2022 Birmingham. Not entirely unlike the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as some observers have noted… But, anyway, let’s hail Birmingham 2022! Both of them! It should be said that these sporting contests will not actually conflict with each other in real time, as The World Games are due to take place from July 7 to 17, and the Commonwealth Games from July 28 to August 8. So how are these two events - you might

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almost call them the Contiguous Games proceeding as they head towards their 2022 delivery dates? Broadly, the answer seems to be “very well, thank you”. But perhaps you are looking for a little more detail? Let’s cut straight to the mascots. Many in the international sporting community are still mentally scarred by the London 2012 mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville. Somebody once called them the “Spawn of Cyclops”. Hero the Hedgehog, the hyperactive agent provocateur of the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London’s Olympic Stadium, did much to mend England’s reputation in the mascot stakes. And Birmingham 2022 looks like maintaining that progress. In March, the mascot for next year’s Commonwealth Games, Perry, emerged to public view. Like Hero, he was designed by a child - in

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Birmingham in England is due to host the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games. Photo: Getty Images

this case 10-year-old Emma Lou. Rather than being some abstruse, historical, designed-by-committee amalgam, Perry is an actual animal. Perry is a bull. The bull is the animal with which Birmingham has been synonymous for centuries. The city has had a market area known as the Bull Ring since the 16th century and the site is close to the current Bullring shopping centre, which has an iconic bronze bull statue at its entrance. Perry is named after the Perry Barr area of Birmingham, the home of Alexander Stadium which is currently undergoing a £72 million renovation so it will be ready to host athletics at the Commonwealth Games, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The mascot’s rainbow-coloured hexagons are said to represent the coming together of the Commonwealth in equal partnership at the Games. I am going to stick my neck out at this point by saying that I fear the Birmingham 2022 organisers have missed a trick. Where is Brum in all of this? This small, sentient, vintage car, which featured in the eponymous children’s TV series throughout the 1990s - with narration by Toyah Willcox - does not appear to feature in the Birmingham 2022 roadshow. But then maybe, just as he always used to, Brum will simply reverse himself out onto the highways and byways of the second city and head off for some Games adventures… www.facebook.com/insidethegames

In July, Birmingham, Alabama, having seen Perry, raised him by one as they launched two “mythological” mascots - Vulcan and Vesta. “Presented by O’Neal Steel, and in partnership with Vulcan Park and Museum, Vulcan and Vesta embody the spirit of Birmingham’s history,” organisers said. “A symbol of Birmingham’s history of iron and steel comes to life as a six-foot tall, grey live mascot named Vulcan. He is joined by Vesta, goddess of the hearth and home. “Together, they will explore Birmingham and the state of Alabama, entertaining crowds, attending events and making special appearances leading up to The World Games 2022.

“In July 2022, these two will be a common sight at venues, special events and, most importantly, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.” Ah yes. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Let’s look at what the two teams have to offer. Birmingham in England boasts two-time British Academy of Film and Television Arts award winner Hamish Hamilton as its broadcast director. He has directed the Super Bowl half-time show annually since 2010, and has worked with musicians Mariah Carey, Eminem, Madonna, The Who and U2. Iqbal Khan will take up the role of artistic director. The Birmingham-born theatre director is known for his modern retellings of classic works such as William Shakespeare's play Othello, and has delivered lectures around the world. Whispers in the Walls author Maeve Clarke has been recruited as writer for the events. Joshua “RTKal” Holness will act as the music director and has performed at events including Glastonbury Festival, Bestival and Lovebox. The production designer job has gone to Misty Buckley, who was recently nominated for a BAFTA award for her role in Stormzy's performance at Glastonbury. Buckley has extensive experience of set design for large scale ceremonies including Coldplay’s 2016 Super Bowl half-time show, the London 2012 Paralympic Closing Ceremony and the Rugby World Cup 2015 Opening Ceremony. Steven Knight, writer of one of Birmingham's most famous television exports, Peaky Blinders, has been hired as executive producer.

Excitement for the Commonwealth Games is returning with full crowds again a possibility. Photo: Getty Images

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New Identity Same Great Action IFAF European Championship Final (M) Sweden. October 2021 IFAF World Flag Football Championships, Israel. December 2021 IFAF World Championship (W). Finland. Summer 2022

And we are proud to see Flag Football at the historic Legion Field at The World Games 2022.

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Birmingham, Alabama announced last month that the presenting sponsor for its Closing Ceremony at Protective Stadium would be Coca-Cola Bottling Company United. It is, in case you were wondering, the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States. The Closing Ceremony will feature performances from several musicians, including The World Games master of ceremonies - funk musician Bootsy Collins and country music group Alabama, who are led by Birmingham 2022 honorary co-chair Randy Owen. Also on the case will be The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bo Bice, Chuck Leavell, Jamey Johnson, Pastor Mike Jr, Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks and Worth the Wait. I don’t personally know any of these performers, but I like the cut of Bootsy Collins’ jib. When he heard of the offer by the Organising Committee to name him master of ceremonies for the Games, the rock and roll hall of famer responded: “Are you funkin’ kiddin’ me? Y’all already know that music and sports are my thang!" If the English Birmingham wants to match that spirit, they had better get on the phone to Ozzy Osbourne pronto… But let’s get down to the brass tacks. On June 4, the Commonwealth Games Federation reported that Birmingham 2022 was "fully on track" to host a "world class" event next year following the conclusion of

Vulcan and Vesta are the mascots for next year's World Games. Photo: World Games

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the sixth Coordination Commission visit. Canada's Bruce Robertson, the CGF vice-president and the head of the Commission, said positive progress had been made "across all areas" since the last inspection in December. Since then, construction work has moved on at the Alexander Stadium - as well as the new £73 million Sandwell Aquatics Centre - as the city prepares to welcome 72 countries and territories, 4,500 athletes, 19 sports and eight Para-sports. The application window for 13,000 volunteers, who will become part of the “Commonwealth Collective”, closed in August, with organisers reporting an “amazing response”. In terms of travel, plans have been approved for a new £10 million bus station in Perry Barr which will be part of a £31 million transport interchange linking bus and rail services in the area. The Business and Tourism Programme, which seeks to boost the long-term economic impact of the Commonwealth Games, has been unveiled. It projects investment of more than £650 million. At the one-year-to-go celebrations on July 28, chief executive Ian Reid outlined the to-do list. “We've got to onboard our volunteers, get our workforce into shape and ready for the Games, make sure the construction projects are completed and then we add in all the temporary fit-outs such as seats,” he said. “We have all of our logistics team ready to go. “There is lots on but we have a lot of great people with Games expertise from previous events in the UK. We have some brilliant local people who are passionate about making this special for the city and the region.” During the pandemic, Birmingham 2022 announced it had scrapped plans for an Athletes' Village at the Commonwealth Games after a review suggested it would not be delivered on time. Organisers have instead moved accommodation to hubs across the host city. In October last year, the BBC was announced as the holder of domestic broadcasting rights for the event - which is set to be the 18th consecutive Commonwealth Games it has shown. The World Games, similarly, announced a major new broadcast agreement with CBS in the US in July. CBS Sports Network will show a one-hour highlights programme on each of the 10 @insidethegames.biz

The World Games in Birmingham in Alabama were postponed by a year. Photo: World Games

competition days in Alabama. All 14 competition venues for The World Games have been confirmed, with 34 sports and approximately 3,600 athletes anticipated. In August, Birmingham’s Mayor Randall Woodfin - who was re-elected this year outlined the work that still needed to be done. “The city is involved in every aspect,” he said. “We must make sure our infrastructure is ready. We must ensure general services and public safety are coordinated. We must confirm our public transit system is up to the task. "We must prepare each venue in order to provide the best experience for our athletes and fans as possible. The city of Birmingham is the central hub of a metro region of more than a million people.” The two Games have a common goal, as both will hope to be among the first major multi-sport events with spectators in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. "If the Olympics do have issues ours will be the first multi-sport event that the world sees,” said Ian Ward, the leader of the English Birmingham’s City Council, at the start of this year. “We’re on schedule, on budget, and hopefully by the time the Games take place, vaccines should have been rolled out to the majority of places to allow us to stage them as we intended.” But in September, chief executive Nick Sellers said he expected The World Games to be the first post-pandemic multi-sport event to have full stadiums. The coronavirus is not obliging in terms of sporting dates and aspirations, so we can only hope that fans will be present. But if we’re asking who is first, well, the calendar says Birmingham, Alabama…

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GREECE IS THE WORD Greece has been the setting for some crucial decisions of the Olympic Movement over the years. Philip Barker explores the historical significance of the country as the world of sport prepares to meet there once more.

ack in March, an Olympic Flag was raised above the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens at the start of the first International Olympic Committee Session of 2021. The entire meeting was scheduled to take place in the Greek capital, but the pandemic showed no signs of diminishing. Organisers were forced to cancel the physical gathering and instead the IOC met on a virtual platform. By a twist of fate, Greece will, after all, welcome much of the Olympic world in 2021 after it was chosen to replace Seoul as host of October’s

Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly. Athens was originally picked as the setting, but in September organisers changed tack and plumped for Crete. The Mediterranean island has come into contact with the five rings before, and ANOC’s invasion is due to be the biggest Olympic event held there since the Torch arrived en-route to the Athens 2004 Games. After journeying across the world, it was Crete where the Flame first touched down again on Greek soil. Organising Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki carried the Torch from a special plane, named Zeus, and it was greeted by thousands in the island’s capital Heraklion. A cauldron was ignited by Stella Pilatou, a long jumper from Crete who went on to compete at the Games. The Flame continued to make its way around the island, and the London 2012 Relay also visited. Heraklion hosted matches as part of the Athens 2004 football tournaments, including a women’s semi-final, and Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to play there. There have often been difficulties of one kind or another when the Olympic family is about to gather in Greece. When Athens hosted the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896, an IOC Session was held by what was then a fledgling movement

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with an uncertain future. Only a handful of members were able to join IOC President Demetrios Vikelas and secretary Pierre de Coubertin - a smaller gathering than most Executive Board meetings today. At the time, there was a complex political situation in Crete which was seeking independence from Turkey. Pro-Greek feelings fuelled by the Games saw conflict in the immediate aftermath of 1896. Ten years later, Athens staged “Olympic” Games once again. These were originally intended to be held at the midpoint of every Olympiad, but were only held on this occasion. Crete, with an unusual status as a “semi-independent” territory, is thought to have sent seven athletes to compete for the island. By the time a full IOC Session returned to Athens in 1934, more problems loomed. Preparations were now in full swing for the 1936 Games in Berlin, after the German capital had been chosen as host five years earlier. However, two years after this, Hitler rose to power. The brutality of the Nazi regime towards the Jewish community was soon revealed. Assurances had been given at the 1933 IOC Session in Vienna, but the subject again generated headlines. British member Lord Aberdare reported “new and violent opposition in the press” and “a certain hesitation” in accepting

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invitations to participate in Berlin. American William May Garland talked of an “exaggerated campaign” in his nation’s newspapers. But the German member Karl Ritter Von Halt insisted that “every facility was given to non-Aryans to take part in the Games and to train for them”. IOC President Comte Henri Baillet-Latour commended his German colleagues, saying he was “conscious of the serious effort they had made in Germany to keep sports outside politics”. His statement indicated the IOC’s readiness to accept reassurances at face value, but it soon became clear that Jewish athletes were indeed being excluded. Among those frozen out was German high jump record holder Gretel Bergmann, at the very least a potential medallist. Her achievements were even stricken from Nazi sports records. The IOC members of 1934 were taken to the spiritual home of the Games in Ancient Olympia, and they also stopped in the small village of Tegea.

The issue of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, during the time of Nazi rule, was discussed in Greece. Photo: Getty Images

Here, a monument commemorates the discussions which led to the launch of the first Torch Relay, which was held before Berlin. It was also the IOC’s 40th anniversary, with Hermann Göring, the head of the German Luftwaffe who was later sentenced to death as a Nazi war criminal, among those to attend the celebrations. At the Session, gliding was confirmed as a demonstration sport for Berlin, scarcely without irony given the events to come. A World War and 20 years passed before the IOC returned to Athens in 1954. By now, international travel made a much larger attendance possible. Coubertin’s widow Marie sent a greeting saluting “those who contributed to reestablishing this most grandiose manifestation of the highest of civilisations”. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

The end of the women's marathon at the Panathenaic Stadium during Athens 2004. Photo: Getty Images

An unusual election chose the host city for the 1956 equestrian events alone, as Melbourne could not stage the sport due to Australia’s quarantine laws. Stockholm won by a convincing margin over Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Berlin and Los Angeles. Cold War politics also cast a shadow over IOC meetings in Athens. The Soviet Bloc sponsored the acceptance of the People’s Republic of China, which was voted through by 23 votes to 21. Despite this, it was almost 30 years before a PRC team competed at the Olympics. The acceptance of the East German Olympic Committee was another longrunning issue discussed in Greece. This was initially rejected in 1954, but the matter lingered in the background by the time of the 1961 Session in Athens. East and West Germany were then competing under the same flag, but it was an uneasy peace. A few weeks after the Session, construction began on the Berlin Wall. At the same meeting, the Soviets lobbied for wider IOC representation for International Federations. Their attempts were unsuccessful, although the idea was adopted many years later. The Soviets also gave their backing to a proposal by Frenchman Comte Jean de Beaumont, who said it was “imperative for the IOC to envisage seriously assisting the new countries of Africa and Asia”. What he described as “sports aid” eventually took full flight as Olympic Solidarity. @insidethegames.biz

It was also in Athens where it was decided that the 1964 Tokyo Olympics should take place in October. Like this year a quarantine period was discussed, although this one was only for horses. The question of amateur status remained at the heart of the Olympic Movement, then led by President Avery Brundage who ardently defended the concept. He was supported by others at the Session, including Sweden’s senior member Bo Ekelund who insisted that “no professional athlete is permitted in the Olympic Games”. By the time the IOC Session returned to Athens in 1978, the question had not been resolved. In a scenario familiar to modern sporting observers, Los Angeles was the only candidate for the 1984 Summer Olympics. “While it is disappointing that there is only one candidate city for the Olympic Games, it is not surprising,” IOC President Lord Killanin said. Los Angeles had previously lost out to Montreal for 1976 and Moscow for 1980. “I think I should make it clear that if there is only one applicant it does not necessarily mean that it will get the Games,” Killanin warned. There was extensive debate, with the official minutes from Athens running to almost nine pages. When all was said and done, the IOC awarded the Games to Los Angeles but only “provisionally”. This was subject to the city “entering into a contract in accordance with Olympic rules”.

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PHILIP BARKER HISTORIAN, INSIDETHEGAMES

Los Angeles was awarded the 1984 Olympic Games in Athens. Photo: Getty Images

If this proved impossible, “the provisional award would be withdrawn and new applications called for,” the IOC said. The 1984 Games were eventually staged in Los Angeles, but only after long discussions over contracts. In those days, the Winter Olympics were held in the same year as the Summer Games. Three candidates wanted to host 1984’s winter gathering. “The decision you take will be fundamental for the future of the Games,” Killanin told the membership. Gothenburg went out in the first round, leaving a tussle between 1972 hosts Sapporo and eventual winners Sarajevo. The Yugoslav city was described as “stable from a political, technical and geographic perspective”. Sixty-nine of the 84 IOC members were present, and there was discussion once more about the composition of the organisation.

Cristiano Ronaldo played for Portugal in Crete during the Athens 2004 Olympics. Photo: Getty Images

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Ethiopia’s Yidnekatchew Tessema was among those to call for membership to be limited to one person per country. By 2004, when the IOC returned to the city for the Athens Games, there were still only around 100 members. Today, this figure has not changed by much. The build-up to Athens 2004 was far from straightforward. At one stage, the IOC threatened to strip Greece of the Games after frustrating and consistent delays. In early 2004, the ANOC General Assembly was held in Athens and hailed as the largest gathering of National Olympic Committees yet, but it came against the backdrop of uncertainty. Any visitors to the Olympic Park would have encountered a construction site and piles of earth as work continued until the last moments. The return of the dynamic AngelopoulosDaskalaki, who had previously led the bidding team, eventually proved decisive in restoring lost momentum. By the time the IOC Session gathered in August, a remarkable transformation had occurred. “A number of projects which had been considered impossible had been achieved,” IOC Coordination Commission chairman Denis Oswald exclaimed. “They had reached a status that they could only have dreamed of a year before.’’ Senior IOC figure Alex Gilady described progress as “spectacular” and suggested the work had “saved Greece and the IOC from great humiliation”. The first part of the Session was notable @insidethegames.biz

for what was described as “a sad procedure”. It was certainly highly unusual as Indonesia’s Mohammed Hasan was expelled after being jailed for fraud. IOC President Jacques Rogge told a worldwide television audience that Athens 2004 had been “dream” Games. Both shot put competitions were held at Ancient Olympia, a site the Movement invariably visits when meeting in Greece. Coubertin did so in 1894 after rallying support for the first Games, and he repeated the trip in 1927 as part of a group which made a seven-hour train journey from Athens. A monument to mark the restoration of the Olympics was revealed and Coubertin called on the youth of the world to “keep the flag flying”. In 1938, his heart was interred into a monument at the site and Olympia continues to hold great importance. Members of the IOC Executive Board met there in 1996, to mark the centenary of those first Athens Games, and did so again in October as part of a weekend of events in Greece. As the current members of the Olympic family prepare to gather in Crete for this year’s ANOC General Assembly, the world of sport faces many well documented obstacles, just as it has before.

The first IOC members gather for their Session in Athens in 1896. Photo: Getty Images

It should be a year of celebration in Greece as 200 years ago, the country’s War of Independence began. This year is also the 125th anniversary of Athens 1896, but the coronavirus pandemic has overshadowed any plans for festivities. Despite this, the Olympic Flame for Beijing 2022 is set to be ignited in Olympia and the renovated International Olympic Academy is due for a grand re-opening on its 60th anniversary. The Museum of the Modern Olympic Games, closed for much of the last decade, will also open its doors after improvements, once again to chart the history of a remarkable institution. Those meeting this year in Crete will hope that sport’s next chapters will include some much-needed positivity.

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MIKE ROWBOTTOM CHIEF FEATURE WRITER, INSIDETHEGAMES

A tale as old as time Doping and other forms of cheating generate numerous headlines these days, but, as Mike Rowbottom reports, it’s nothing new.

s the Association of National Olympic Committees prepares to hold its latest, rescheduled, General Assembly in Crete in October, the reverberations of that other postponed event - the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games - are still being felt throughout the world of sport. While the financial fall-out from the 1976 Montreal Olympics remains a salutary marker, it is hard to think of a nation that has had such an ambivalent experience in hosting the Games as Japan, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic which has disfigured and distorted the usual benefits. The absence of fans focused attention more closely on the essence of the Games - the contest. Things went back to basics and this will be fresh in the minds of ANOC as it converges, aptly, in the country where the Ancient Olympics originated. That halcyon age produced the essential Games, involving noble struggles between high-minded individuals competing for nothing other than the glory of victory. Or did it? Athletes then had to compete without clothes, to prevent any possibility of foul play, but it really wasn’t that simple. Money and doping, the two most influential elements of cheating in sport, were both potent forces. Although, in fairness, what we might now describe as doping was not expressly forbidden. Eupolos of Thessaly has the fame, or infamy, of being the first recorded wrongdoer in the history of the Ancient Games. According to Pausanias, writing in the second century AD, Eupolos was guilty of bribing boxers at the 98th Olympiad. Fourteen Olympiads later, Callippus of Athens was up to no good, apparently buying off his competitors in the pentathlon.

It was a few years on, admittedly, but at the 226th Olympics more misdeeds were recorded from two Egyptian boxers, Didas and Sarapammons, who were fined for fixing the outcome of their bouts. Pausanias gathered this information from the bronze statues of Zeus erected on the road leading into the stadium at Olympia. These were paid for using fines extracted from Olympic competitors who had cheated and were inscribed with the names of the guilty parties along with the details of their misdeeds. Had he been operating now, Pausanias could have found all he needed to know at insidethegames… The information was accompanied by messages warning others not to cheat and insisting that victory was to be earned through skill and effort, rather than by underhand means. Here, then, was early graphic evidence of cheating. But while filthy lucre was behind so much that was unseemly at the Ancient Games, some performances were also bolstered by what we would now regard as doping. Athletes were accustomed to boosting their performance by all manner of methods, with sheep testicles - heavy on the testosterone - helping with strength and endurance. Galen, a physician in the third century AD, wrote about Olympians drinking large quantities of herbal teas. These both hydrated and stimulated with their high content of caffeine - but the drug is only allowed within restricted limits today. He also reported that certain Olympic competitors had sought to enhance performance by drinking “the rear hooves of an Abyssinian ass, ground up, boiled in oil and flavoured with rosehips and petals”. Whether this concoction would find its way into the World Anti-Doping Agency code today is a moot point. But the code would surely have little to say about another of the reputed performance-enhancers of ancient sporting times - the practice of drinking sweat, oil and dust scraped from the skin of Olympic champions immediately after their moment of glory. The Ancient Olympics also embraced other elements that have become key factors in controversial sporting incidents.

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The Ancient Olympics was not free from cheating and manipulation. Photo: Getty Images

At the Games of 420 BC, the Spartans were banned from competing, having violated the Olympic Truce imposed to allow peaceful passage for all athletes. Historian Thucydides describes how Lichas, a prominent Spartan, passed off his winning chariot under the name of a neighbouring state, only for his subterfuge to be detected. Lichas earned himself a flogging for this early sporting manipulation. Then again, if you believe one of the ancient myths, the Games themselves sprang from deception. This version of the Olympic genesis holds that Pelops, a hero who lived in Olympus, fell in love with Hippodamia, the daughter of the King of Pisa, Oenomaus. According to an oracle, the King was fated to be killed by his daughter’s husband. Therefore, he decreed that any young man who wanted to marry Hippodamia was required to drive away with her in his chariot, and Oenomaus would follow and spear the suitor if he caught up with them. His confidence in succeeding was supreme, given that his horses were a present from the god Poseidon and thus supernaturally fast. Deified doping? Neigh-ified doping? Anyway, before the day of the big race, Pelops, we are told, persuaded Oenomaus’ charioteer, Myrtilus, to replace the bronze axle pins of the King’s chariot with wax. So when, during the heat of the chase, the wax melted, the wheels literally came off the King’s pursuit and he crashed and died. After his victory, Pelops organised chariot races at Olympia in honour of the King, to be purified of his death. From this, the Olympic Games were inspired. Pelops became a great king and Oenomaus remained dead. Although had he been able to witness it he would no doubt have been honoured by a competition set up to expiate his murderer.

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The insidethegames.biz Magazine Autumn Edition 2021

Articles inside

Greece is the word

A tale as old as time

Seeing double

Holding the fort

Tokyo 2020

Games under a cloud

Introduction