Olympics
2018 – A YEAR TO REMEMBER, FOR RIGHT AND FOR WRONG
BY LILIAN MORGAN, LIAM MORGAN SENIOR CHIEF REPORTER INSIDETHEGAMES.BIZ
Having the insidethegames New Year’s Eve blog slot allows me to cast a look back at what has happened in the Olympic Movement and beyond over the past 12 months.
It is fair to say there is quite a selection to choose from. This time last year, we were eagerly anticipating a packed period of sporting action, including a Winter Olympics, a Commonwealth Games and the small matter of the FIFA World Cup.
But the landscape has again been dominated by politics, scandal and controversy, so the following rundown also includes a series of the darker moments to have blighted the sporting world in 2018.
Sporting moment of the year
There are quite a few candidates for this one but, from a personal point of view, I am going for England’s triumph against hosts Australia in the netball gold medal game on the final day of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
Having initially planned to head out to the venue to cover the game, I ended up watching it in the press centre with a few other British journalists. Across the room from us were the Australian media, who love nothing more than a victory over the English.
It made for a thoroughly-entertaining spectacle as both press corps cheered on their respective countries, with audible cheers when each team scored echoing around the convention centre.
The match itself was a tense finale and provided a thrilling glimpse of a sport which harbours little coverage in some countries outside of a Commonwealth Games or World Cup.
Helen Housby is the name forever etched into English folklore after she found the net with a dramatic late winner to earn her country its first Commonwealth Games netball title. Cue English delirium as Australian heads quickly descended into hands.
For England, it does not come much better than beating the favourites and defending champions on their own patch. It is little surprise that the victory was recognised at the recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, where the netball squad scooped moment of the year and team of the year.
Other sporting moments will feature in later categories but a notable mention must go to South Korea and North Korea marching together at the Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony. There is still scope for it all to fall apart, of course, but few in the Korean Peninsula – and further afield – would have thought that possible even months before the start of the Games.
Controversy of the year
For what feels like an eternity, the Russian doping scandal has dominated the sports news agenda and 2018 was no different.
Despite claims from International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) counterpart Sir Craig Reedie that we were nearing the end of this sordid affair – one which has ripped sport apart – we are approaching 2019 with no clear conclusion in sight.
The year started with confusion over the extent of Russian participation at Pyeongchang 2018. The full “Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR)” team was not known until hours before the Opening Ceremony after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed appeals of 45 competitors from the scandal-hit nation who were hoping to take part.
Following the end of the Games, where the OAR delegation claimed 17 medals, attention returned to the compliance criteria outlined by WADA for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to be reinstated.
Eventually a compromise agreement was reached between WADA and Russia, which saw the global organisation allow RUSADA back into the fold despite two outstanding criteria remaining on the roadmap.
The decision, taken on September 20 in the far-flung location of the Seychelles, sparked an unprecedented outcry from athletes who rightly felt wronged by WADA’s actions. The competitors pleaded for extensive change at WADA, with some even calling on Sir Craig and director general Olivier Niggli to resign.
Those calls are likely to intensify should WADA fail to suspend Russia again. The country will almost certainly miss today’s deadline to hand over data and samples stored at the Moscow Laboratory – part of the strict conditions set by WADA for RUSADA to remain compliant – despite Sir Craig providing a “100 per cent guarantee” that the Russian authorities would comply with the demands.
Now, the ball is back in WADA’s court; not reimposing the ban on Russia will surely shred any remaining credibility the organisation has and will reinvigorate the group of athletes who have spoken out in recent months.
The entire Olympic Movement awaits the next move from WADA, with a Compliance Review Committee meeting on January 14 and 15 becoming more crucial by the day.
Performance of the year
Winning an Olympic gold medal in your sport is described as the pinnacle for any athlete but doing it in a different discipline, as well as your own, is as rare as it is spectacular.
That particular feat was achieved by Czech star Ester Ledecká, who departed Pyeongchang 2018 with a remarkable double having topped the podium in her preferred parallel giant slalom snowboard event and the women’s super-G Alpine skiing competition.
Such was the improbability of her even challenging, let alone winning, in the super-G that broadcasters NBC had already announced Austrian Anna Veith as the gold medallist. Some television stations did not even show Ledecká’s run, while NBC later apologised.
Add in the fact that she was wearing skis borrowed from American star Mikaela Shiffrin and you have all the ingredients for arguably the biggest upset in Winter Olympic Games history.
It would be remiss of me to not also mention Simone Biles, who is equally deserving of a place on the performance of the year podium.
You begin to run out of superlatives when speaking about Biles, who is already being described as the greatest of all time even at the young age of 21. The American gymnast endured a torrid start to 2018 as she courageously confirmed she had been a victim of the sick and heinous abuse of hundreds of women carried out by disgraced team doctor Larry Nassar under the guise of medical treatment and some thought this might affect her at international competitions.
How wrong they were. Despite passing a painful kidney stone on the eve of the event in Doha, Biles won four gold medals at the World Championships and even created her own vault, which was subsequently named after her by the International Gymnastics Federation.
Another contender is Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, who smashed the world record with a staggering time of 2 hours 1min 39sec at the Berlin Marathon in September.
His performance in the German capital marked the culmination of a long campaign to beat the mark set by Kenyan Denis Kimetto in 2014. Plenty thought it was only a matter of time and so it proved as he went beneath the previous time by a huge 78 seconds, a truly remarkable display even by Kipchoge’s high standards.
Mistake of the year
WADA’s decision on Russia, and the insistence that Russian authorities would meet the deadline, could have won this sought-after award but the obvious and stand-out candidate is the International Boxing Association electing Gafur Rakhimov as the permanent President in November.
The AIBA membership were given warning after warning from the IOC that voting in Rakhimov, described as one of Uzbekistan’s leading criminals by the United States Treasury Department, put boxing’s place on the Olympic programme into serious jeopardy.
But the controversial official, who denies wrongdoing, was elected at the Congress in Moscow following a comprehensive election victory over sole challenger Serik Konakbayev.
After weeks of speculation and rumour as to what consequences AIBA would face, the IOC decided to freeze preparations for the Olympic boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 and initiate an enquiry into the embattled governing body, which could lead to AIBA losing the right to organise the competition.
Yet AIBA still do not quite seem to comprehend the severity of the situation, repeatedly insisting the organisation is in a good place and has improved dramatically since a coup ousted former President Ching-Kuo Wu.
AIBA’s denials and arrogant response to the whole crisis has been nothing short of staggering and is another example of how sporting bodies often neglect their most important stakeholders – the athletes.
Event of the year
For me, this is a toss-up between Gold Coast 2018 and the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October.
In some ways, the two events are similar; both claim to be a huge part of the sporting calendar but each often endures a struggle for relevance, battling other more lucrative events for coverage worldwide.
The Commonwealth Games, for example, are seen by some as merely a demonstration of the power of the former British Empire, while others question the need for a Youth Olympic Games amid the IOC’s desperation to cut costs around its major competitions and a jam-packed schedule of events.
To some degree, the two events held this year answered many of the questions surrounding their very existence.
Gold Coast 2018 was a fun, down-to-earth sporting extravaganza which captured the imagination of the competing countries. Buenos Aires 2018 was exactly what a Youth Olympics should be as organisers ditched the grandiosity of previous editions for a subtler, smaller-scale multi-sport event which may have just about saved the future of the concept. For now.
What to look out for in 2019
While 2019 may not be as stacked as this year, there is still plenty to look forward to, including World Championships in swimming and athletics, a series of continental Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Away from the sport itself, the Russian doping saga is likely to continue to linger ominously over the Olympic Movement, while the IOC will select the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in June, providing there are any candidates left as doubts remain over Stockholm and Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo owing to a lack of National Government support.
What happens in 2019 is anyone’s guess but it will go some way to matching the drama on and off the field of play we have seen this year.
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature an increase in women’s soccer teams from 12 to 16, while the men’s competition will be downsized from 16 to a dozen teams, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
The decision was part of several changes to the Olympic event programme, including more mixed events across various sports and all team sports featuring at least the same number of women’s and men’s teams.
The IOC said the reason for the sharp increase in women’s soccer teams was the rapidly growing popularity of women’s team sports, especially in the United States, and that change in the competition format reflected that rapid growth.
“We wanted to do something to reflect that growth and equally with the United States being the home of the highest level of popularity of women’s football,” IOC sports director Kit McConnell told a press conference.
He said the IOC had discussed the issue with both LA Games organisers and world soccer’s governing body FIFA before going through with the changes.
The total number of players — men’s and women’s — would not change.
The United States, who will also host the 2026 men’s and the 2031 women’s World Cup, have won five Olympic gold medals in the women’s competition.
The men’s teams use mostly under-23 players at Olympic Games.
The LA Games will have a total of 351 medal events in all sports, 22 more than at Paris 2024 Olympics.
Several sports, including archery, athletics, golf and gymnastics will be adding new mixed-team events, with the total number of athletes unchanged at 10,500.
The five sports proposed by the LA Games organising committee — baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash — will have an extra 698 quota places.
-Reuters
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BY JAVIER CARRO.
A young African woman. At the summit of modern Olympism, Kirsty Coventry takes on the challenge of occupying the most powerful position in the world of sport with plenty geopolitical roadblocks ahead for the newly-elected IOC president.
At 41 years old, Coventry was the winner by absolute majority after surpassing the other six candidates, which automatically makes her the tenth leader to take the reins of the International Olympic Committee in 130 years of history.
Now she has the challenge of leading the movement in an era of digital transformation, political responsibilities, and growing environmental concerns.
“A new era demands new leaders,” said the outgoing leader Thomas Bach at the beginning of the session, something that many saw as the German’s final push for his favourite candidate.
It was time for a woman, a woman who would occupy the chair once held by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games and a declared misogynist who believed that women’s only role in this arena was to crown the champions with laurel.
Coventry is congratulated by members of the IOC after being elected. GETTY IMAGES
After her victory, the Zimbabwean addressed the audience to express her gratitude: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to all the candidates; this has been an incredible race, making us better and strengthening our movement. I am confident that when we unite, we can develop the ideas we share. Thank you so much for this honour.”
The current Zimbabwean Minister of Sports, an Olympic swimming champion in 2004 and 2008, Coventry ascended to the highest chair in the IOC with a discreet presence but the unstoppable momentum of a history-maker.
Not only is she the first woman to hold this position, but she is also the first African and the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin.
With Coventry, Africa reaches the Olympic summit for the first time. Until now, all IOC leaders had been European, except for American Avery Brundage.
Bach, the German who championed gender parity at the Paris Olympics, considers his mission of equality fulfilled with her succession.
Under his tenure, the IOC Assembly increased its female membership from less than 20% to 44%, with 48 women now part of the organization.
It is widely inferred that female votes played a crucial role in Coventry’s election. Additionally, 81 members—three-quarters of the Assembly—were elected under Bach’s leadership.
“Women are ready to lead,” the new president recently stated, anticipating the moment of glory she now embraces. She remains one of the most outstanding figures in African sports history and the most decorated African Olympian, with seven medals from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 (two gold, four silver, and one bronze). After retiring from competition, she served as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Sports while also chairing the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, one of the most influential bodies within the Committee.
She parlayed those credentials into a leadership position where she will need to be adept at integrating athletes’ perspectives and strengthening inclusion within the Olympic movement. Her leadership of the Commission and her role on the Executive Board have made her a prominent figure, especially in an era where diversity and gender equality are alleged priorities.
Although she will not officially assume the presidency until June 23, when Bach steps down, Coventry will soon have to tackle major issues. These include the reintegration of Russia into the Olympic Games, the economic challenges faced by the World Anti-Doping Agency due to US budget cuts, the participation of transgender athletes in elite competitions, the loss of several major Olympic sponsors, the negotiation of broadcasting contracts, and the selection of a host city for the 2036 Games.
The most pressing challenge she faces is the controversial issue of transgender athletes being allowed to compete in elite sports. The IOC currently permits their participation, but the lack of a universal standard has sparked polarising reactions worlwide. Coventry has taken a conservative stance on this matter, seeking not to rewrite existing rules but to encourage cooperation among federations to establish a common framework.
“I do not support transgender athletes competing in the Olympics against female athletes, as it is unfair to them. Ensuring fairness in women’s sports is essential,” she stated firmly, as she believes that “trans women have an inherent physical advantage in female categories, which potentially reduces equitable opportunities for biological women.”
Similarly, Coventry has promised a strong stance on addressing gender inequality in leadership roles, arguing that women should not be an exception in the sports world. While progress has been made toward gender equality, she acknowledges that there is still much work to be done. “At Paris 2024, we achieved gender parity in competition, but in federations and national committees, the gap remains significant,” she warned. “It is not just about increasing the number of women in sports but ensuring they have a voice and a vote in key positions. Female leadership should not be the exception but the norm within sports organisations,” Coventry added.
Another major issue Coventry will need to address is the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has left Russian and Belarusian athletes in a competitive limbo for several years.
She will have to navigate the delicate matter of Russia’s return to the Olympic stage. Since the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the IOC banned the Russian Olympic Committee, allowing only a select group of athletes to compete as neutrals in Paris 2024.
However, full reintegration remains a contentious issue, requiring a balance between diplomacy and sporting integrity.
Whether Russia can return in time for Milano Cortina 2026 is likely to be one of the defining topics of her presidency once she officially takes office in three months.
Coventry’s position on these matters remains somewhat ambiguous. In recent statements, she said, “Our duty as the IOC is to ensure that all athletes can participate in the Games. This is not just about the major wars and conflicts in Europe and the Middle East; there are also wars and conflicts in Africa.
“ If I am elected President of the IOC, I will establish a task force to develop guidelines to help us manage these periods of conflict, prioritising athletes’ interests.”
On the positive side, the new IOC boss will inherit an organisation in a robust financial position; therefore, billions seem secured in media rights and sponsorship deals.
Bach’s departure comes at a time when it guaranteed $7.3 billion (€6.7bn) in revenue from broadcasting, partnerships, and other sources for the 2025–28 cycle, along with $6.2 billion (€5.7bn) already locked in for 2029–32.
Last week, the IOC also announced a $3 billion (€2.7bn) extension of its Olympic media rights agreement with NBCUniversal in the United States until 2036.
However, the recent departure of several sponsors, such as Japanese giants Toyota and Panasonic, has fuelled calls for changes to its commercial structure.
Yet, financial stability does not guarantee smooth sailing in a landscape where sport is increasingly shaped by politics, technology, and shifting social expectations.
To balance financial growth with the fundamental values of the Olympic movement, Coventry believes that “it is about finding ways to ensure that, above all, we take care of our stakeholders to deliver incredible multi-sport events at the highest level.
“Yes, this requires more money, and we must find ways to make it sustainable. For example, when engaging with host cities, we are adapting the model to what they already have.
“We no longer demand the construction of new venues because that is no longer viable. This shift helps increase revenue while controlling.”
Coventry joined the Olympic assembly 12 years ago as an athletes’ representative and was later renewed as a permanent member.
Since then, Bach has kept her by his side, granting her positions of increasing responsibility.
She currently chairs the coordination commissions for the Dakar 2026 Youth Games and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, among other roles she will have to relinquish upon assuming the presidency.
Her ascent to the Olympic throne breaks the glass ceiling of the IOC and marks the beginning of a new era in the sporting world.
“I will make you feel proud and confident in the decision you have made today,” proclaimed Coventry after her landslide victory
-Inside The Games
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History has been made at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry becomes the president as the first woman and African to do so.
Two decades after winning her first Olympic gold in Greece, Kirsty Coventry was victorious again in the Mediterranean country as she was elected as the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) first female president on March 20.
The 41-year-old Zimbabwean, a former swimmer who won the women’s 200m backstroke at Athens 2004 before retaining it at Beijing 2008, also becomes the IOC’s first African president.
Coventry, who also has four Olympic silvers and a bronze, will serve an eight-year term, with the possibility of a four-year extension.
“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl I never thought that I would stand up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry said.
“This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core and I will make all of you very, very proud and, I hope, extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Coventry succeeds 71-year-old German Thomas Bach, who steps down after a 12-year reign and has been named honorary president.
Strongly believed to be Bach’s favoured candidate, Coventry was thought to be in a tight-run race with IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr of Spain and World Athletics’ British chief Sebastian Coe.
However, to general surprise, the most powerful job in world sport reached its conclusion after just one round of voting at a luxury seaside resort in Greece’s south-western Peloponnese, with a majority of the IOC members placing their faith in Coventry to meet the serious challenges that lie ahead.
She secured 49 votes, the majority required from the 97 possible votes, with zero abstentions.
Samaranch Jr and Coe had 28 and eight votes respectively, while Frenchman David Lappartient (four), Japan’s Morinari Watanabe (four), Jordan’s Prince Feisal Al-Hussein (two) and Swedish-born Johan Eliasch (two) completed the field.
-Reuters/Xinhua
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