Federations Roundup -- ITU and ICF Meeting for Elections, Softball Selects Ambassadors

The International Triathlon Union will hold its 21st congress in Madrid on Saturday. (Getty Images)ITU Congress Begins Saturday

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) will hold its 21st Congress in Madrid on Saturday, with elections the main order of business.

The ITU Congress will be the main event of week long meetings for the federation, including an executive board meeting today and a federation forum on Thursday and Friday, with continental meetings and another executive board session finishing the week on Sunday.

During the meeting, the ITU will decide on a new president to succeed founding leader Les McDonald.

ITU Treasurer Marisol Casado of Spain and executive director Loreen Barnett of Canada will run uncontested for president and secretary general respectively, making the organization the only Olympic international federation to have women at the top two leadership roles.

Elections will also be held for the ITU executive board, with 11 prominent members of 12 different national federations running for seven spots, as well as the seven committees that make up the organization’s council. These include the technical, medical, constitution, women's, credentials and duathlon committees.

Preceding the congress will be the federation forum, which will begin on Thursday. The two-day forum includes sessions on marketing, media and television, events and sports development.

Debbie Muir, one of Canada’s top triathlon coaches, will be the keynote speaker.

Also on the schedule for this week is the ITU Gala on Friday night, where McDonald and retiring Vice President Chiharu Igaya will be honored for their contributions to triathlon

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ICF Convenes in Rome

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) will hold its congress in Rome on Friday and Saturday, with representatives from 108 nations expected to attend.

The main order of business is the ICF elections, with the federation to decide on a president, two vice presidents and a treasurer as well as several other offices.

The International Canoe Federation will hold elections in Rome this week. (Getty Images)Jose Perurena Lopez of Spain is running unopposed for president, while Albert Woods of Great Britain and Istvan Vaskuti of Hungary are contending for the office of 1st vice president. Richard Fox of Australia, Joao Tomasini Schwertner of Brazil and Gina Sanchez of the U.S. are the candidates for the 2nd vice president and Luciano Buonfiglio of Italy and Christain Ryser of Switzerland are set to run for treasurer.

The ICF board of directors will also be chosen, with committee chairmen for the flatwater, slalom, marathon racing, wildwater and athletes committees to be selected.

The federation will also present its 2008 awards as well as discuss modification of the flatwater world championship and world cup programs and present its development program and budget for the next two years at the congress.

ISF Selects Athlete Ambassadors

The International Softball Federation (ISF) has announced a list of 12 female players who will participate in its Athlete Ambassadors program to complement the federation's BackSoftball campaign to return the sport to the Olympic program in 2016.

The list includes representation from all five regions -- Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, with eight of the 12 athletes Olympians.

Two-time Olympian Michelle Smith of the U.S., who played in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney, will serve as the chairperson for the group, which also includes Lynn Alexander of South Africa, Alison Bradley of Canada, Daniela Castellani of Italy, Luciola Figueroa of Puerto Rico and Gergana Handjiyska of Bulgaria. Saskia Kosterink of the Netherlands, Jessica Mendoza of the U.S., Chueh Ming Hui of Chinese Taipei, Rubilena Rojas of Venezuela, Danielle Stewart of Australia, Zhou Yi of China and Sibylle Zuercher of Switzerland round out the group.

The Athlete Ambassadors will represent softball at different international events and will be utilized to gain more support from other players as well as influential people to help the ISF in its bid to reinstate softball in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

ISF Director of Competition Laurie Gouthro will oversee the Athlete Ambassadors program.

Beach Volleyball World Tour Awards Announced

Harley Marques of Brazil was named as the men's most outstanding player, while Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. and Xi Zhang of China tied for women's most outstanding player for the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour beach volleyball circuit. Harley Marques of Brazil was named the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour beach volleyball circuit's men's most outstanding player. (Getty Images)

The awards are based on the results of the voting by SWATCH representatives, players, coaches, referees and officials associated with the international tour.

Adrian Gavira Collado of Spain was selected as the 2008 men's rookie of the year, while Bibiana Candelas of Mexico is the women's rookie of the year.

Other men's award winners were Phil Dahlhausser of the U.S. (sportsman of the year, top hitter, top blocker, best offensive player), Andy Ces of France (most improved player), Todd Rogers of the U.S. (most inspirational, best defensive player), Igor Kolodinsky of Russia (top server) and Marcio Aruajo of Brazil (best setter).

Women's award winners also included Shelda Bede and Ana Paula Connelly of Brazil (team of the year), Maria Clara Salgado of Brazil (top server), Nicole Branagh of the U.S. (most improved player), Bede (most inspirational player), Kerri Walsh of the U.S. (sportsman of the year, best blocker), May-Treanor (best offensive player, best defensive player) and Larissa Franca of Brazil (best setter, best hitter).

IAAF Reaches Agreement with Asian Broadcasting Union

The IAAF announced it has reached a broadcasting agreement with the Asian Broadcasting Union.

Brokered by IAAF marketing partner Dentsu, the agreement extends the previous agreement from the 2007 world track and field championships in Osaka, Japan and will give terrestrial coverage for track in 18 territories across Asia until the end of 2009.

"This is excellent news for the IAAF, because it takes us closer to our goal of achieving improved TV coverage at future editions of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, which is our flagship event," IAAF President Lamine Diack said. "The ABU is committed to increased coverage in a continent which has huge future potential for the sport of athletics."

...Briefs

...Representatives from the International Cycling Union (UCI) met with officials from the International Association of Professional Team Managers (ADISPRO), including President Sergio Parsani and General Secretary Alberto Volpi, to discuss a series of projects the two organizations are undertaking together. Issues that the UCI and ADISPRO are collaborating on are establishing a course for team managers to be certified by the UCI that will complement training already provided by some national federations, the improvement of UCI technical regulations and drafting reports on international calendar events.

...ISAF President Goran Petersson confirmed that he will join the World Yacht Racing Forum on Dec. 10-11 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Petersson, who was re-elected last week to serve a second term as ISAF president, will take part in the first discussion panel of the forum and share his views of the growth of yacht racing with Tim Coventry of Great Britain, project manager of ISAF's Connect to Sailing initiative, renowned U.S. sailor Paul Cayard and Paul Strzelecki, the joint chief executive of Henri Lloyd.

...The International Handball Federation will be holding a meeting of its Medical Commission in Basel, Switzerland on Friday and Saturday.

Written by Greg Oshust.