Czechs Win World Champs
International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel wants to know by 2012 if NHL players will play in the Sochi Olympics.
While Fasel did not set a hard deadline for the decision, he said that a decision in mid-2012 would give the Canadian and U.S. hockey federations time to prepare for Sochi.
NHL player participation in the Olympics rests on the outcome of collective bargaining talks between the NHL and the NHL Players Association.
"I know that after Vancouver, the players want to go to Sochi, and I really expect them to be there," Fasel said at the IIHF world championships closing press conference.
Tallies show 545,000 fans attended the championships in Germany that concluded Sunday. The 2004 Championships in Czech Republic holds an all-time record of 552,097 fans. The 2010 tournament started with a record of 77,803 fans watching the USA-Germany game in Gelsenkirchen on May 7.
"We had an unbelievable event, a big celebration for the start. This momentum went through the whole tournament," Fasel said.
The world championships concluded with the Czech Republic defeating Russia 2-1 in the gold medal game. The Czech Republic victory snaps a 27-game winning for Russian in the world championships, and Russia’s hopes of a third straight world championship.
In the bronze medal game, Sweden topped Germany 3-1.
The next big IIHF event is the 2010 World Hockey Summit that will take place in Toronto from August 23-27. Hockey leaders will discuss ways to improve the game at all levels during the summit.
The summit will cover six topics including player safety and skill initiatives, junior development worldwide, evaluation of the Vancouver Olympics, long-term schedule for international events, growing the women's game outside of the U.S and Canada, and financial issues between leagues and federations.
Slovakia is the host of the 2011 world championship.
Rio 2016 Paralympics Will Bring Changes to Brazil
Leaders of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro say the event should bring a change of attitude in Brazil about sport for disabled persons.
Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman and Brazil Paralympic Committee PresidentAndrew Parsons were among those taking part in a seminar March 21 and 22 in Rio de Janeiro to lay the groundwork for preparation of the 2016 Paralympics.
Taking part on behalf of the International Paralympic Committee were vice president Greg Hartung and secretary general Xavier Gonzalez. The meeting followed the first meeting of the IOC Coordination Commission for 2016, of which Hartung is also a member.
"It's very important that the particularities of the Paralympic Games are understood. It should focus on accessibility and inclusion," said Nuzman after the Paralympics seminar Saturday.
"We have seen that actions are needed in the coverage of transportation, accommodations and infrastructure, but most important are actions that change people's attitudes for the disabled," Nuzman said.
Rio Hosts Judo World Cup
Rio played host to the Brazil Grand Slam in Judo over the weekend.
The event was the first qualifying event for the 2012 Olympic tournament in London.
According to the International Judo Federation, 8,000 fans came to Maracanazinho sports hall, one of the venues for the 2016 Olympics.
Four Olympic champions, and 21 medalists were part of the 358 judoka who competed.
A report on the IJF’s website praised the "Olympic spirit" at the event.
Munich Celebrates "Wunderbar" Weekend
Munich 2018 celebrated Germany’s sporting passion on display over the weekend, saying it showed the bid’s strength to host the Winter Olympics.
Cologne was the venue for the final in the IIHF world championships, and 21,000 Bayern Munich fans traveled to Madrid to watch the club compete in the Champions League final.
"Yesterday’s massive crowds gathered to watch the Hockey and Football at various live sites, was reminiscent of scenes at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and indicates that the Munich 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games would become a huge international celebration of sport and humanity across Germany" said Munich 2018 chief Willy Bogner.
Written by Ed Hula III andSam Steinberg.
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