Morgan Hamm Waits for Judgment on Beijing
U.S. gymnast Morgan Hamm waits for word from USA Gymnastics on whether he will be disqualified from the Beijing Olympics over a positive drug test. The 25 year-old, who is currently a member of the U.S. team, was handed a warning this week by the International Gymnastics Federation over anti-inflammatory he took in May without filing paperwork for a therapeutic exemption.
Hamm says he took the medication to relieve pain but professed not to know that an exemption was needed.
USA Gymnastics is studying the case and will determine whether Hamm should remain Beijing-eligible.
Hamm is the twin of Paul Hamm, who also is a member of the U.S. team to Beijing. The two were part of the U.S. squad that won a silver medal at the Athens Games. The Beijing Olympics would be the third for the Hamm brothers.
Kenneth Reich, 70, Los Angeles Olympics Journalist
Los Angeles Times journalist Kenneth Reich died in his sleep June 30. He was known for his work covering the preparation of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
"When Los Angeles won the bid to host the 1984 Summer Olympics, Ken went after the story like a bulldog. Aware of the financial debacle of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, his aggressive reporting ensured that the L.A. taxpayers would not foot the bill for the Games," Frank O. Sotomayor, Reich's former editor on Metro coverage of the Games, said in the LA Times.
“(H)e always used to say to me, the Olympics remain one of the few ways -- maybe the only way -- in which we all come together. That's not a new sentiment but Ken truly believed it, passionately,” wrote Alan Abrahamson in his blog for NBC Sports.com. Abrahamson followed Reich for a while as the LA Times Olympic beat writer.
Reich’s daughter said he considered covering the Games his greatest professional achievement.
Reich followed closely the work of Peter Ueberroth, who was then head of the organizing committee and is now president of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
"Through his coverage of the planning and staging of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Ken brought great honor to his profession. He was a gifted writer and knowledgeable reporter whose work reflected a commitment to accuracy, integrity and fairness,” Ueberroth said in a statement.
Penalty Reduced for Gymnastics Judge
Ukranian gymnastics judge Irina Deriugina will have to sit out the next two Olympics after receiving an eight-year suspension from the International Gymnastics Federation.
Charges against Deriugina included damaging the image of gymnastics, improperly influencing the result of a competition, and offensive behavior toward gymnasts or officials. FIG has declined to comment on the nature of her offense.
She is still eligible to coach the Ukrainian team in Beijing and London, despite the ban on judging.
Deriugina can still appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On June 30, FIG issued a warning to head Russian gymnastics coach Irina Viner for comments she made about judging during the 2007 World Championships.
World Briefs…
NBC will air two channels dedicated to basketball and football during the Olympics – and both will be free of advertising. NBC will also debut channels in Mandarin and Korean, which it says will be the first U.S. Olympic channels in any language other than Spanish or English.
FIFA won't decide whether to enact a contingency plan for the 2010 World Cup on South Africa until after the Confederations Cup in June 2009. The Boston Globe reports the U.S. could be part of the plans as Japan and Europe have recently hosted the World Cup.
Friday marked 100 days until the opening of the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. More than 1300 youth athletes from 71 countries will compete from October 12 to 18.
NBA player Chris Kaman, who recently received German citizenship, will join star Dirk Nowitzki on the German national team in Athens for the July 14 to 20 Olympic qualifying tournament. "Chris is a significant addition and we'll now have to integrate him in time for the Athens tournament," coach Dirk Bauermann told AP. Kaman, 26, was born in Michigan, his great grandparents were German.
Boxing gold medalist Nicolae Linca, 79, died on June 28 in his home. The Romanian won the 1956 welterweight title while fighting with a broken wrist.
Media Watch…
Anne Applebaum examines the use of foreign players on national teams at Euro 2008.
ESPN’s Tom Farrey profiles Lopez Lomong, an Olympic hopeful who survived the human rights crisis in Sudan.
Compiled by Eric Connelly.
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