Monday Memo -- IOC Visits Sochi; Olympic Park Megamall Opens

A general view of the constructin site of the Olymic Stadium taken on May 20, 2011 in Sochi. The Olympic Stadium, located in the Olympic Park, will host both opening and closing ceremonies, and medal ceremonies, during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics which are scheduled to begin on February 7, 2014 . AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

High Expectations for Sochi Co-Comm

Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko tells Around the Rings he believes the IOC Coordination Commission will be impressed with Olympic Park construction progress – and plans for a new upgrade to the main stadium design.

Chernyshenko also reveals that several more sponsorships will be signed at this week's Sochi Investment Forum, which follows the three-day inspection visit led by French IOC member Jean-Claude Killy.

For a complete preview of the Co-Comm visit running Monday through Wednesday, revisit this exclusive from ATR’s Mark Bisson.

London Assembly Examines Venue Legacies

Legacy plans for the 2012 Aquatics Centre, Handball Arena, Velopark, Hockey Centre and Eton Manor will be up for debate Tuesday among London Assembly members.

The Economy, Culture and Sport Committee will hear from Olympic Park Legacy Company real estate director Duncan Innes and venues director Peter Tudor as well as Shaun Dawson, CEO of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

The meeting is part of the London Assembly’s ongoing investigation into the legacy of the 2012 Games.

Westfield Stratford City Opens

This week’s Tuesday Talk is with John Burton, director of Olympic Park megamall Westfield Stratford City.

The shopping center opens Tuesday but will take on new meaning next year when its doors serve as a gateway of sorts to the 2012 Games.

Check back Tuesday for Burton’s take on the synergy between these two massive undertakings as well as complete coverage of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Wrestling Worlds

Six berths per Olympic weight category will be up for grabs this week at the wrestling world championships in Istanbul.

Matches kick off Monday. By the following Sunday, the nationality of the sport’s first 108 participants in the 2012 Games will be known with 42 freestyle, 42 Greco-Roman and 24 female wrestlers all automatically qualified.

Pentathlon Championships

Three tickets to the London Olympics will be punched Wednesday as the modern pentathlon world championships come to a close in Moscow.

The top three finishers at Olimpiyskiy Stadium will put their laser pistols to use again next year by qualifying for the Games.

Sheboygan Showcases Sailing

Sailing will crown the world’s top match-racing country this week at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final.

The series of eight regattas started in Porto Alegre, Brazil back in March and comes to a close Tuesday through Sunday in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

All Africa Games Up for Discussion

ATR understands the Association of National Olympic Committees and the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa will meet sometime this week to discuss the future of the All Africa Games following complaints from some competing countries.

National Olympic Committee chiefs are reportedly upset over several issues, including the fact that athletes cannot qualify for the Olympics at the All Africa Games because the event is not organized by ANOCA, the umbrella organization for the Olympics in Africa. It's instead organized by the SCSA, a body representing sports ministers and not NOCs.

The 10th All Africa Games come to a close Sunday in Maputo, Mozambique.

Rugby World Cup

Pool play carries on this week at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where a champion won’t be crowned for another five weeks.

Written by Matthew Grayson.