marți, 2 august 2016

"History will speak of a Rio de Janeiro different before and after the Games"

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, said that Rio de Janeiro would not be the city it is today without the Olympics , which have to act as a "catalyst" in a positive way to transform the city.

"Rio de Janeiro would not be like today without the Games as a catalyst (...) The story talk of Rio de Janeiro before the Games and a very different city after the Games , " said Bach despite the harsh political crisis and economic traversing Brazil .

Concerns about the Games have been constant while the country sinks into a severe recession and corruption in the allocation for the construction of Olympic facilities become evident. Meanwhile, 60% of Brazilians believe that the event will generate more harm than good to the country, according to a survey.

In addition, the city of Rio de Janeiro, responsible for 25% of the 12.200 million (10.800 million) of expenditure for the Games, declared a fiscal emergency in June, it received federal funds to pay their employees and retirees.

"It was a difficult journey. The political and economic crisis in the country is unprecedented," said Bach, who acknowledged that the organizers went through seven hard years of preparation since the IOC appointed to Rio to host the Games.

The French crown to Usain Bolt as a future star of the Games

The Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt is the star of these Olympics , said 35% of French people in a poll released Tuesday, which relegate to second and third, respectively, the French judoka Teddy Riner (23%) and swimmer Florent Manaudou (9%), which also represent France.

The poll of sports daily "L'Equipe", open to athletes of all nationalities and disciplines, notes that the approval of the French it collects fourth (7%) American swimmer Michael Phelps , followed by Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic (5 %).

Brazilian footballer Neymar (5%), the American tennis player Serena Williams (4%) and British rider Chris Froome (3%) complete the list of future top stars at these Games, to be held in Brazil over the next 5 to 21 of August.

The survey adds that 53% of French do not trust the Brazilian authorities to ensure the safety of athletes and spectators.

Also, another 51% disagree with the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to exclude all Russian representatives after the doping scandal, and 65% believe that these Games will be equally affected by doping precedents, compared to 17% who think that the problem will worsen.

FINA reconsider its veto two Russian swimmers

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has reconsidered its veto to Russian swimmers Nikita Lobíntsev and Vladimir Morozov and authorized their participation in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, said Tuesday the legal representative athletes, Artiom Patsev.

"Lobíntsev Morozov and have received authorization from FINA to compete in the Olympics," said the lawyer told the official Russian news agency TASS.

Lobíntsev, silver in Beijing 2008 in relay 4x200 meters freestyle and bronze in 4x100 meters freestyle in London 2012, as Morozov, who shared medal with his partner in the London Games, had previously been set apart by violating the requirements of the Olympic Committee International anti-doping matter.

USADA doping agency the United States , a country where the two Russian swimmers train, said this weekend he had no qualms about that Morozov and Lobíntsev competed in the Games in Rio.

Another five Russian swimmers have been removed by FINA: Daria Ustinova, whose name also appears in the McLaren, Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Yulia Efimova, Anastasia Natalia Lovtcova and Krapivina report, sanctioned in the past by the Russian Olympic Committee itself.

Pili Peña: "I have not thought about anything other than winning gold"

The captain of the Spanish selection of waterpolo, Pilar 'Pili' Peña said that "has not thought" nothing more than "win gold" at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and, for that reason, not to assess which would get another medal or stay off the podium, as the Spanish team is one of the favorites with United States , who snatched gold at the end of London 2012.

"I have not thought about anything other than winning gold. I do not know if it would be a failure not to win, I have not thought of. I have not put in that case, and we hope to return to Spain with that desired medal" he said in an interview with Europa Press.

The new captain, who takes over from the discarded Jennifer Pareja, remarked that still have a few days to perfect preparation for this appointment. "Right now we are there training, we still charge this week but we are eager and very excited to start," he said.

"We have to keep a cool mind what might happen. If we do well, we do not have to go up, and if we do badly either have to be sad or frustrated," said Peña on the dynamics of the meetings, and gave very important to have mental strength and know channel emotions at all times.

Referring to the preparation meetings, where champion Spain was proclaimed Tournament Portugalete , Madrid defined the milestone as "very good" because work is reflected workouts. "I think this is very good for us because the results reflected all that are training and short - term, you're realizing that you are fulfilling goals to reach the final goal, which is gold , " he played .

"For me to be captain me involved in helping all my teammates and be with them soldiered every day and worry about them. I am the link between the template and coaches," he said about his captaincy, new task for Peña after no call by the coach Miki Oca, of Jennifer Pareja.

The water polo downplayed the group stage and the first match against the favorites, United States. "I think what happens in the group is not decisive because the most important is the crossroads and if we win or lose in the group stage, there will not depend, but I think America is going to be a team to beat the truth, "he said.

"We have trained to play all the games and minutes it takes. We're talking about a sport where we do a lot of changes and I think we will give everything in every game, that's for sure," he said about the difficulty to hold all parties to the maximum level.

On the precarious state of the facilities of Rio and the Zika virus, he remarked that have to be protected but do not think they have too many problems. "Until we get there, we will not know really everything that happens there. Since Federation have given us some mosquito repellent protected for us to go, but do not think we have a lot of problems there in the Villa with all those security issues that are emerging, "he said Pili Peña.

The athlete who tweeted his Olympic dream ... and 5 years later has become a reality

When he was 17, he had a dream: to go to the Olympics someday. His goal was the appointment of Rio, in 2016, but knew it would be very difficult to be. She was just one more athlete in the most competitive country in the world: the United States .

For motivation, he wrote a tweet on July 28, 2011 in which he said the following: "In 2016 I will have 22 years, I will graduate at a university that have not yet chosen and will go to the Olympics :).

Five years later, his tweet could not be more prophetic: Morolake Akinosun has graduated from the University of Texas and in a few days will fly to Brazil to join the Olympic expedition of his country, which he will defend in the test of relief 4x100.

The twit 2011 has become a phenomenon and is being retweeted by thousands of users. "When I wrote it , it was more a dream than a real aspiration , " says Morolake in an interview with Buzzfeed. "A goal should be realistic, but in 2011 was far from the level needed to start thinking about the Olympic games."

Now, it only a few days left to be Olympic. "When I crossed the finish line in Eugene (in the race that qualified him for the Olympics), not I could not believe it , I realized that I had done it and I started cry".

The athlete had completely forgotten his tweet until the Timehop ​​application that reminds users messages from the past, it showed again. "I saw it and thought 'this is crazy . '"

Morolake shared his discovery with his followers to the next tweet, which already has over 160,000 retweets:


"5 years ago I tweeted this. We are in 2016, I graduated from Texas in December. I'm going to the Olympics next week ".

"I want to tell girls that if they have a dream, pursue it, no matter how large, no matter what people think. Is yours, go for it " , says the athlete. A lesson.

Gisele Bundchen to be 'mugged' in Opening Ceremony, per reports

Gisele Bundchen’s role in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics has been tightly under wraps, but witnesses of dress rehearsals told media in Brazil that the supermodel is featured in a scene that shows her getting robbed.

Brazil’s UOL first reported Bundchen’s scene will feature her being “approached by an actor on the scene that resembled a robbery,” via a Google translation of the report originally written in Portuguese.

O Dia, a newspaper in Brazil, and Folha Daily also spoke to witnesses of the dress rehearsal who corroborated the claim that Bundchen is mugged in the scene.

“Suddenly two police seize the kid and, like in a film with a happy ending, Gisele embraces the assailant and everyone celebrates,” O Dia wrote, according to AFP. “This seems like a strange homage to Rio.”

According to O Dia, cast members set to perform in the Opening Ceremony have complained about the scene and hope that it will be removed.

Olympic ceremonies typically attempt to show off the highlights of a country to the world, so the decision to depict a robbery in the Opening Ceremony is one that has raised eyebrows. Even if the end result and theme is one of peace, crime in Rio de Janeiro has been a frequent topic of conversation before the Summer Games, so it’s a interesting decision to put a spotlight on it.

During a fire evacuation on Friday, Australian athletes say laptops were stolen from their hotel and a Chinese hurdler said his belongings were taken by a thief pretending to be drunk.

Bundchen, 36, is one of many Brazilian models to reach international fame. Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima also found success through Victoria’s Secret and will join NBC’s coverage team for the Rio Olympics.

The Opening Ceremony will be televised on NBC on a one-hour delay with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. EST.