Dragon boat racing is "preparing to make a formal bid to be included at the Olympics." Dragon boat chiefs are hoping to use this week's Club Crew World Championship in Hong Kong "as a showcase." The city is hosting the "worlds" for the first time, and it is the Int'l Dragon Boat Federation's "dream to have the sport included in the Olympics one day." It will make a bid at the IOC Congress in Rio de Janeiro in '16 (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 7/4).
CONTRACT: In Auckland, Grant Bradley reported New Zealand firm Consultancy Beca won the contract to provide crowd modelling for the Olympics. The company will try "to smooth the way" for those who have bought the nearly 9 million tickets to the Games. Computer modelling can show "where crowds will form and how big they will become under different scenarios" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 7/4).
TWEET AWAY: In London, Cliona Foley reported that Irish athletes "will not be banned from tweeting during the Olympics," but Chef de Mission Sonia O'Sullivan intends to give them "clear guidelines and warnings about the potential dangers of using Twitter and other forms of social media." O'Sullivan admitted that it is an area that "will need careful management and is a potential distraction that she, as a four-time Olympian, never had to worry about." O'Sullivan: "We will definitely have discussions about Twitter, you don't want people putting things on there without thinking" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 7/5).
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY: Brazil will send a delegation of 259 athletes to the London Olympics. An “inferior number” to the 277 that participated in the 2008 Beijing Games. Brazilian Olympic Committee President Carlos Nuzman believes the quality of Brazilian athletes is better this time around. Nuzman: “In London we will have a delegation with more quality, formed by athletes that have gone through a more difficult selection process, some even harsher than those laid down by the International Federations (EFE, 7/4).
OFF THE FIELD: The IOC agreed to an eight-year extension with HR firm Adecco Group to continue the IOC Athlete Career Programme. The deal means athletes worldwide will continue to receive assistance designed to help them transition into life after competitive sports. The ACP, first implemented in '05, is developed and delivered in more than 30 countries. Adecco works with national Olympic committees as well as int'l and national sports federations (IOC).
