International Games News

April 2000

Australian Aboriginals who have talked for years of possible protests at the Olympic Games are now threatening possible violence during the games. Aboriginal leaders are angry at an Australian government report that they say underestimates the damage that certain policies had on aborigines for the first 70 years of the 20th Century.

Aboriginal campaigners have said they would use the media stage of the Olympics to highlight the plight of their people. Until this month, they had stressed any protest would be peaceful. Protests at the Olympics are "going to be very violent," Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins told the BBC. "We are telling all the British people, please, don't come over. If you want to see burning cars and burning buildings, then come over," he said. "Enjoy yourself."

Opposition leader Kim Beazley said he understood the anger at the government's report, but said the Olympics should be left alone. "The Olympics ought to be off limits. It ought to be an occasion of joy for all Australians and a chance to show off what good hosts we can be."

Salt Lake continued its preparations for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, last month renaming several facilities and unveiling the official mascot for the Paralympic Games

During the games Rice-Eccles Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, will be known as the Olympic Stadium. The Delta Center will be known as the Salt Lake Ice Arena, the Winter Sports Park near Park City will be the Utah Olympic Park, the Oquirrh speedskating oval will be called the Utah Olympic Oval and the Salt Palace convention center will be the "Main Media Center." Salt Lake organizers chose the names simply to give the venues a "more Olympic" feel.

Also in Salt Lake the official Winter Paralympic Games mascot was unveiled, or unwrapped by children at the Salt Lake Shriners Hospital. The 7-foot mascot, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages and strapped to a gurney, was unwrapped to reveal Otto the otter.

Mack Robinson, the older brother of Jackie Robinson died March 12 in Pasadena, California. Robinson won the silver medal in the 200 meters in the 1936 Olympic Games behind Jesse Owens. Robinson starred on the University of Oregon track team, and was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. Robinson had been in ill-health and bedridden since a stroke in 1991. He is survived by eight living children and 25 grandchildren. Those interested in making donations may contact the Pasadena Robinson Memorial in memory of Jackie and Mack Robinson.

Half the 10,000 athletes at the Sydney Olympics are expected to be tested for drugs before the games. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) starts out-of-competition testing in April, anticipating 2,500 tests with National and International governing bodies testing another 2,500 athletes.

WADA is pressing governments to allow immediate access to athletes for out-of-competition testing. In many countries, testers are denied entry visas for weeks, giving athletes time to purge their systems. "If governments don't comply we'll raise a wall of shame," said IOC member Dick Pound said. "It's not in a government's interest to have it known they are hindering out-of-competition testing." The IOC will have authority over drug testing, in Sydney, but WADA will observe the process and be informed of positive results. A full report on testing results will be made within a month after the games.

The Javier Sotomayor drug hearing is scheduled for April 7-8 in front of an IAAF arbitration panel. Sotomayor was stripped of his Pan Am gold medal in the high jump after testing positive for cocaine in July in Canada. Cuba's track federation, supported by Fidel Castro, has refused to suspend Sotomayor and directly accused drug test administrators of tampering with the samples. The IAAF recently closed a loophole in their rules that allowed athletes to compete while their drug cases were being reviewed meaning Sotomayor has been forced to cancel his competitions until the arbitration hearings are complete.

American archer Justin Huish, has decided to forego the defense of his Olympic Gold Medal and had resigned from the U.S. Olympic team after having been charged last month with possessing marijuana with intent to sell. Huish pleaded not guilty to the charges in California but in his letter of resignation said that he wanted the U.S. team to prepare for the Sydney Games without distraction.

Tel Aviv may bid for 2012 Olympics

Against tremendous odds, Israel is considering a bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The greatest impediment to the games is the fact that Arab nations do not recognize Israel and generally refuse to participate in athletic contests with Israel.

As an example, this past month two Iranian wrestlers pulled out of bouts with Israeli opponents during Greco-Roman Olympic qualifying matches. "Every tournament with Iran and Israel is like this," said Mario Saletnig, the technical delegate from The International Wrestling federation (FILA). "Maybe one day we fix it," Saletnig said. "Maybe one day we have a perfect world where everybody can get along with everybody else."

Israeli Henry Papiashrili has been wrestling for seven years. Three times, he has drawn an Iranian athlete. Three times, the Iranian has withdrawn. In the finals of the junior world championships, the Iranian forfeited and Papiashrili was awarded the gold.

Israeli wrestling coach David Natis said the Iranians started pulling out of matches in the early 1980s. "In our sport, it's been happening about 20 years," he said.

Alex Gilady, Israel's representative to the IOC, promoting the Tel Aviv bid said, "Our message of peace will be hard to ignore."

South African controversy could affect US team

U.S. gymnasts are watching a controversy within South Africa over that nation's refusal to allow Michelle Cameron to compete in the Olympic Games. Cameron, who is white, has become the latest athlete to be told she cannot compete in Sydney because of the South African Olympic Committee's "racial mix" policy involving its Olympic Team. Cameron won the rhythmic awarded a wild-card berth in the Sydney rhythmic competition as the African Games champion. If the Cameron decision is allowed to stand, the U.S. would earn a spot in the Sydney Games.

The South African men's field hockey squad, a favorite to win an Olympic medal, also has been told it cannot compete. In March the Democratic Party in South Africa called upon the country's Olympic Committee to change its policy.

Anniversaries

80th Olympic Games, Antwerp, Belgium, April 20-Sept. 12, 1920

40th Community/Friendship Games, Antananarivo, Madagascar, April 13-19, 1960

30th Winter World University Games, Rovanieme, Finland, April 3 - 9, 1970

10th Firefighters World Games, Auckland, New Zealand, April 22-29, 1990