Larry Probst, former head of Electronic Arts, a company that revolutionized computer based sports games, has been elected head of the USOC, replacing the enigmatic Peter Ueberoth. What does this mean for the USOC? Well, the business model is changing, and they must get youth of the country to buy into the Olympics. For the Olympics to succeed, they need the 20 to 25 year olds.
He will also be heading the USOC as USATF begins to re invent itself under the ever watchful eye of Doug Logan and whoever the new USATF president will be. Take your pick there, Dee Dee Jensen, Stephanie Hghtower or Bob Bowman…more on that to come….
EME NEWS (OCT 3, 2008) UPDATE
IAAF CONFIRMS BEIJING WORLD RECORDS
MONTE CARLO: IAAF ratified all world records from Olympic Games in Beijing.
Five senior ones (Bolt´s 9.69 and 19.30, Jamaica 37.10, Isinbayeva 505 and
Galkina-Samitova 8:58.81 steeple). Also both world junior records set at the
games were approved (1:54.87 Chelimo at 800 m and 30:26.50 Masai at 10 000
m). Chelimo still has one record to be approved, the 1:54.01 from Weltklasse
in Zurich.
CC EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTS
BERLIN (GER): The Portuguese city of Albufeira and the Slovenian city of
Velenje have been awarded the rights to host the SPAR European Cross Country
Championships in 2010 and 2011 respectively at the 120th meeting of the
European Athletics Council in Berlin today. Although Portugal hosted the
event in Oeiras in 1997, Albufeira will host the event for the first time in
two years time while Velenje have already hosted a very successful edition
of the championships in 1999. The course will be in Acoteias where the IAAF
Almond Blossom Cross Country Grand prix takes place on an annual basis.
Velenje, which is located 85km in the north east of the Slovenian capital of
Ljubljana will hold the event in the same city park which hosted the event
in 1999. Informs EA. Next Championships will be this year in Brussels and
2009 in Dublin.
RETIREMENT INFORMATIONS
CUBA: Not only hurdler Anier Garcia but also shot putter Yumiledi Cumba (33)
is ending her career. She is Olympic champion from 2004 after two better
ones on paper have been disqualified for doping. In the same year she also
won silver at World Indoor Championships in Budapest.
CAYMAN ISLANDS: One of Cayman’s brightest track and field stars has hung his
spikes up. It is Kareem Streete–Thompson (35) who holds the national records
for 100 m (10.14) and Long Jump (831). Earlier when having only US
citizenship he was even better with 9.96 and 863. “I was on a mission to end
my career in Beijing this year. But when the injuries pile up, at some point
you have to take notice and be realistic,” he was quoted by Cayman media.
JAMAICAN CELEBRATIONS
KINGSTON (JAM): Another important part of the Homecoming Celebrations and
will happen on Sunday at the Hope United Church. It is the book
launch/signing of the Third Edition of „JAMAICAN ATHLETICS: A MODEL FOR THE
WORLD” a book on the system that Jamaica utilizes to produce athletes of
such outstanding class and performance on the international stage written by
Jamaican track & field entusiast and International Criminal Tribunal Judge,
Patrick Robinson with collaboration from well known track and field
journalist Laurie Foster
PROBST USOC HEAD
NEW YORK (USA): Larry Probst a 58-year-old video games executive, has been
chosen as the new chairman to lead the United States Olympic Committee
(USOC) into London 2012. Informs insidethegames.com. Probst, the architect
of EA Sports, replaces Peter Ueberroth, whose term has ended. He was elected
unanimously to serve a four-year term. Probst, a longtime executive at the
company that makes some of the nation’s most popular video games, including
Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA Tour, was elected to replace Ueberroth as the
USOC chairman.
BEKELE IN NOVEMBER POSSIBLY IN NETHERLANDS
NIJMEGEN (NED): As atletiek.nl informs Jos Hermens said that double Olympic
champion Kenenisa Bekele might possibly compete at the 25th Fortis
Zevenheuvelenloop. The so called Seven Hills race at 15 km will be held on
November 16 in Nijmegen. The entries are already closed at 22 000 individual
runners. Bekele is back in training but not in time enough for this
weekend´s 2 miles in Newcastle where he was initially announced to compete
but a late withdrawal this week.
Used with permission of Alfons Juck, EME News….
