World Briefs: Women in Sport Conference, Marion Jones in Prison, Olympic Billionaires

Joy Fawcett and Mia Hamm after winning thewomen's soccer gold at the 2004 Games in Athens. (Getty Images)Women in Sport Conference Marks International Women's Day

The International Olympic Committee's fourth Women in Sport Conference begins on March 8, the hundredth anniversary of the first International Women's Day.The conference takes place in Jordan.

The he three-day IOC conference is looking at how sport can spur social change.

"Without women, the future of sport is grim," says Anita DeFrantz, chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission, of the conference issues.

Experts will discuss how women can serve as role models, the progress women have made in sport, and how culture determines women's access to sport.

IOC President Jacques Rogge will speak at opening ceremony Saturday and present the annual IOC Women in Sport trophies.

Marion Jones Behind Prison Walls

She could have been one of the most revered female Olympians, but Marion Jones may now be the most reviled.

The gold-medal sprinter has spent her first night in a federal prison in Texas, starting a six-month sentence for lying to investigators about drug use and an unrelated charge involving a check fraud scheme. Jones pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced in January.

She reported to the Federal Medical Center Carswell before noon on Friday, four days earlier than she was due to enter. She is expected to receive minimum security treatment.

The winner of five medals at the Sydney Olympics, she has since surrendered them to the IOC and has been stripped from the official record of the Olympics.

She has admitted to using the notorious steroid THG through the Sydney Games. But despite regular and frequent drug tests, Jones never tested positive, denying rumors and accusations of drug use.

Jones, 32, has two children, a four-year old and an infant born last July. The prison near Fort Worth allows her to be close to her family, who live in Texas. Upon her release, she will still need to serve two years of probation and perform community service.

IOC Member, Sponsors on Forbes Billionaire List

IOC member Kun Hee Lee, chairman of Samsung, is the onlymember of the IOC who appears on the list of the world's billionaires published this week by Forbes magazine.

Other names on the list with Olympic connections include Nike founder Phil Knight, Swiss Timing magnate Nicholas Hayek and one-time Romanian NOC president Ion Tiriac.

With a net worth of 2 billion, Lee dropped to number 605 in the rankings over last year.

Nike founder Knight placed 73 with a net worth of 10.4 billion.

Hayek has a net worth of 3.6 billion, which puts him at number 296.

Tiriac came in at 962 with a net worth of 1.2 billion. He made his fortune in banking, but he has always been involved in sport. He competed in the 1960 Olympics as a hockey player, later switched to tennis, and coached several icons, such as Boris Becker and Stefi Graf.

IAAF Dismisses New Pistorius Test

The International Association of Athletics Federations says double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius' new test results are irrelevant. On March 4, the South African said doctors in Houston came up with completely different results than the German doctors that initially said his Cheetah prosthetics conferred a considerable mechanical advantage.

"It is really not up to us to judge because we have already made a decision," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies tells AP.

Based on the German study, the IAAF banned Pistorius from able-bodied competition. In hopes he could still make the Beijing Games, Pistoius has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Oscar Pistorius sprints to victory in the 400m at the IAAF Golden Gala in Rome in 2007. (Getty Images) Sport, and a decision is expected by March 25. Even if the CAS favors him, he would have to improve his best 400m time by nearly a second to qualify.

Thai Athletes Fail Sponsor Fitness Test

After failing a fitness test organized by a top Thai badminton sponsor, several players will not get support from the Siam Cement Group support if they travel to an Olympic qualifier in Europe. Thailand's best singles player, Boonsak Ponsana failed the fitness evaluation, and Thai badminton organizers are in a row with the SCG over the independent test.

"This makes absolutely no sense -- they have gone beyond the call of duty. We don't want to quarrel with our sponsors, but if they decide that after 27 years, they no longer want to support us, it's not the end of the world. Whatever happens, our best players will definitely be in Beijing," said Thailand's badminton association president Charoen Wattanasin.

Briefs...

CTV-Rodgers, Korea celebrates after defeating Chinese Taipei in the first round of the IBAF Olympic Qualifier. (IBAF)the consortium that will broadcast the 2010 Games in Canada, hired two new executives this week. Gord Cutler, an executive at NBC for the past three Olympic Games, will plan for the pre-Olympic and Olympic coverage. Don Young, a 30-year broadcasting veteran with experience in documentaries, will be in charge of features.

The International Baseball Federation final Olympic Qualifier Tournament runs from March 7 to 14 in Chinese Taipei. The top three teams in the round-robin tournament will earn berths for Beijing.

The Danish Parliament passed legislation providing funding for Denmark-based organization Play the Game for the next four years. The agreement will increase the organization's budget from nearly $103,000 to more than $305,000. The Danish Parliament requested that Play the Game focus on expanding internationally. Play the Game organizes conferences and publishes investigative articles aimed at assuring democracy, transparency, and strong ethical values in sport.

Algiers will host the 2009 African International Sport Convention. Damil Faye, president of JAPPO, the company that organizes CISA, announced next year's location at the end of the 2008 conference in Algeria.

Olympic skier Daron Rahlves is helping Loop'd, a social and professional network for athletes, launch a new skiing community by hosting a video and photo contest. Rahlves will give away autographed gear to the best entrants. The site helps match athletes with sponsors and allows fans to interact with both.

German figure skater Katarina Witt retired Tuesday. A gold medal winner at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Games, Witt said goodbye at the age of 42. She will turn to a career in broadcasting.

Roger Gill, a sprinter from Guyana, died Wednesday after a car crash in Brooklyn, New York. He was 35. Gill competed on the Guyana 400m relay team at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

Written by Eric Connely.

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