Olympics

Asian Youth Games Opening Ceremony combines best of Beijing and London in great advert for Nanjing

By Nick Butler

By Nick Butler at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Nanjing

August 16 - The second Asian Youth Games started here tonight with an Opening Ceremony littered with colour, vibrancy and enthusiasm in a celebration of the adolescent journey as well as an athletes' parade illustrating the future of sport in this vast continent.

Multiple Olympic gold medallists head candidates for IOC Athletes Commission election

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay

August 16 - There will be nine candidates seeking two spots on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission at Sochi 2014, it has been announced.

Isinbayeva claims anti-gay remarks were "misunderstood"

By Duncan Mackay

By Mike Rowbottom at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow

August 16 - Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva claimed today she may have been "misunderstood" over comments condemning gay lifestyles and insists she is against discrimination.

RTÉ secures Rio 2016 broadcast rights for Ireland

By Duncan Mackay

By David Owen

August 16 - RTÉ Sport has secured "extensive" broadcast rights to screen the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Ireland.

Almaty lodges 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games bid

By James Crook

August 16 - Almaty has submitted a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee (NOC) has announced.

NBC appoints catering and logistics partner for Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016

By Gary Anderson

By Gary Anderson

August 16 - Catering and events company BTS has agreed to provide culinary and logistics services to US television network NBC during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Isinbayeva: "Women live with boys, boys live with women"

By Duncan Mackay

By Mike Rowbottom at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow

August 15 - Yelena Isinbayeva has called fellow athlete Emma Green-Tregaro "disrespectful" for painting her nails rainbow-coloured in support of the homosexual community in Russia following the law recently passed here prohibiting open expression of gay values.

Head of key Rio 2016 Olympic body quits

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay

August 15 - Fresh doubts have been raised over Rio de Janeiro's ability to be ready to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics following the resignation of Marcio Fortes, head of the Olympic Public Authority (APO).

London 2012 James Bond stuntman dies in skydiving accident

By Gary Anderson

By Gary Anderson

August 15 - British stuntman Mark Sutton, who wowed the crowds by parachuting into the Olympic Stadium dressed as James Bond during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics Games, has died following a skydiving accident in the Swiss Alps.

Nanjing 2014 unveils special clock on one-year to go milestone

By Nick Butler

By Nick Butler in Nanjing

August 15 - A day of festivities culminating in the unveiling of a special countdown clock in the city centre formed the centrepiece of celebrations marking the one-year-to-go anniversary to the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games here today.

London 2012 cycling centre set to open next March

By James Crook at Lee Valley VeloPark on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London

August 15- Cyclists will be able to take advantage of "the world's best cycling venue" from March next year when the home of the Velodrome and BMX track used at London 2012 opens its doors to the public here in just over six months' time.

Gay groups launch same-sex handholding campaign for Sochi 2014

By Emily Goddard

By Emily Goddard

August 14 - Competitors at Sochi 2014 of the same gender are being urged to hold hands - irrespective of their sexual orientation - to send a strong message of protest against Russia's controversial anti-gay laws.

"I've been recommending Istanbul to people for years" says former Olympic 100m champion

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay

August 14 - Canada's former world 100 metres record holder Donovan Bailey has thrown his support behind Istanbul's bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and praised Turkey for trying to eradicate its doping problem.

Rio 2016 leading the way in embracing energy-efficient technology thanks to help of GE

By Nick Butler

By Nick Butler

August 13 - The headquarters of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee has become the first commercial building in Brazil to adopt new energy efficient lighting technology in a move designed to reinforce their pledge towards environment sustainability.

IOC Presidential candidate Wu offers to help London Olympic museum project

By Emily Goddard

By Emily Goddard

August 13 - C K Wu, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) President currently campaigning to take up the most powerful position in world sport as the leader of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has said he would be available to help London re-start its Olympic Museum project.

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Fact of the day

When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

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Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has "practically no appeal for those who are not British". While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.

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