London Olympics: 55 days to go; Belarus coach arrested on suspicion of corruption

Belarus coach arrested on suspicion of corruption
The head coach of the Belarus Olympic track and field team has been arrested on suspicion of corruption, state television reported on Friday. First Channel said Anatoly Baduyev was arrested on suspicion of extorting bribes and embezzling sponsorship funds two months before the London Olympics. Baduyev’s arrest follows a report in the independent sports weekly Pressball that said “a powerful man” in the athletics federation offered athletes who had tested positive in doping tests to “settle” their cases for a fee of $1,500-$2,000. The report said the man, who was not named, pressured athletes who refused his offer.

Indian paddlers to play in Sweden, Brazil
A 14-member Indian team, including London-bound paddlers Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das, will play tournaments in Sweden and Brazil this month. The sports ministry on Friday approved the players’ participation in the Swedish Open at Helsingborg (June 7-10) and Brazil Open at Santos (June 13-17).

Both events are recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The contingent will also comprise veteran Sharath Kamal and reigning national champion Anthony Amalraj.

“After the two events, Ghosh and Ankita will stay back in Austria ahead of the Olympics while the others will come back,” said TTFI secretary-general Dhanraj Choudhary.

Royal purple for Olympic victory ceremonies
Forget gold, silver and bronze. The dominant colour at the Olympic podium ceremonies is going to be purple. Olympic authorities revealed the elements on Friday of the 805 ceremonies that will take place in more than 30 venues of the London Olympics and released photographs of the costumes that will be worn by the presenters. The flower and medal bearers will be male, a first in Olympic history. Students from the Royal College of Art designed the attire. They say they were inspired by Greek mythology and British heritage. Some 4,400 floral bouquets will be presented to the athletes, containing roses, mint, rosemary, English lavender and wheat. Designer Jane Packer says they were intended as an eclectic fragrant mix. All of the flowers and herbs will be 100 per cent British grown.

McCormack fails to make Australian team
Two-time World Ironman champion Chris McCormack’s attempt for an Olympic berth appears to have failed. The Australian gave up the longer Ironman discipline 18 months ago to concentrate on the Olympic distances of a 1.5-km swim, 40-km cycle and 10-km run in an effort to qualify for London. But the 39-year-old McCormack tweeted on Friday, “Back to my day job! I need n Hawaiian holiday again soon. No London for me!” Members of Australia’s Olympic team are expected to be officially named next week. Beijing gold medalist Emma Snowsill is facing a tough battle to win one of three women’s spots for London. Emma Moffatt, the 2008 bronze medalist, has already been guaranteed a London berth by Triathlon Australia.

Britain pick Stevenson for taekwondo
British taekwondo officials on Friday picked Sarah Stevenson for the Olympic team even though the world champion has not competed for months due to knee injury. Stevenson, 29, won a bronze at the Beijing Olympics and has twice won the world championships in the 67 kg division. She last won the world title in 2011. In February, Stevenson tore her cruciate knee ligament during a training camp in Mexico. She flew back to Britain to undergo surgery, and has not competed since. Stevenson is ranked 10th in the world.

Soviet fencing great Midler no more
Legendary Soviet fencer Mark Midler, a two-time Olympic champion, died on Thursday after a long illness. He was 80. Midler was a member of the Soviet squad from 1951-1967, winning gold medals in the team foil event at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Games in Tokyo. He also won the world championships in 1959, 1961-63, 1965 and 1966. After retirement, Midler became coach to the Soviet and then Russian national teams. He guided the country’s squads at the Olympic Games in 1980, 1992, 1996 and 2000.