The Japanese designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games emblem "hit by a controversy over its similarity to a Belgian design" said on Friday that "he had never seen the other logo, after the Belgian designer hinted at legal action." Questions about whether the Tokyo emblem was "too close to the logo for Belgium's Theatre de Liege erupted on social media earlier this week after designer Olivier Debie drew attention to it" (REUTERS, 7/31). ... Brazil's "largest-ever corruption scandal threatens to slow down preparations" for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next year as it "engulfs construction companies responsible for the lion's share of projects" worth around $12B. Prosecutors investigating the scandal at state-run oil firm Petrobras "have implicated more than 20 companies, including five that are working on Olympics venues and infrastructure" (REUTERS, 7/31). ... Lausanne, the Swiss city where the IOC is based, was chosen on Friday to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. Lausanne "easily won a secret ballot of IOC members at a convention centre in downtown Kuala Lumpur," beating the only other candidate, Brasov, Romania. Lausanne won the ballot "in a landslide," collecting 71 votes to 10 (REUTERS, 7/31). ... The Rio de Janeiro Olympics torch "will be lit in Greece's ancient Olympia on April 21" before leaving for the South American country 12 days later, organizers said on Saturday. The torch will arrive in Brazil on May 3 to start its 100-day relay across the country (REUTERS, 8/1). ... Athletes, coaches and organizers at a "major test event" for next year's Olympic Games "shrugged off a simmering dispute over safety at watersports venues by diving into the controversial waters" off Copacabana Beach on Saturday. Alison Patrick, a blind British athlete who won the P-5 women's' triathlon, said, "I'm not concerned about the water." Rio Olympic Organizing Committee Dir of Sports Rodrigo Garcia said that "bacteria levels in the water is within Brazilian and international standards" (REUTERS, 8/1). ... South Sudan will compete at Rio 2016 after "becoming the 206th member of the Olympic movement." The IOC unanimously approved the inclusion of the African republic, which became independent in '11. IOC President Thomas Bach said, "This will put your nation on the world map. We will stand by your side" (BBC, 8/2).
ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Flying disc sports, including ultimate frisbee, have been officially recognized by the IOC. Disc-based games are played in 58 countries around the world by thousands of athletes (BBC, 8/2). ... Eight sports vying for inclusion in Tokyo's 2020 Olympics "will be grilled by Games organizers in the Japanese capital next week." The governing body of baseball and softball will face the panel first on Friday, followed by ten-pin bowling, karate, climbing, roller sports, squash, surfing and wushu (REUTERS, 8/1). ... Cities considering bidding for the Olympics in the future "can expect an easier and less complicated procedure" after the IOC overhauled the two-year process. Following the "withdrawal of four out of six cities from the 2022 Winter Olympics bid process," the IOC has opted to "scrap the publication of a shortlist midway through the two-year process and allow cities to submit their bid books in three parts" (REUTERS, 8/2).
