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    • Vojthas

      Karate and Beach Handball Officially 2023 European Games Sports

      Vojthas

      Two more sports have been confirmed by the EOC as part of the Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games. Karate and beach handball will both debut in the youngest Continental Games of the world.
       
      Karate will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, but it will be just a "one-off," as the sport has not found a place in Paris 2024 sports programme. The sport has also been a part of all the World Games, since the inaugural edition in 1981.
       
      Beach Handball featured the latest YOG (Youth Olympic Games) in Buenos Aires, the first edition of the World Beach Games in Doha in 2019, as well as, all of the editions of the World Games since 2001, including the last edition held in Wrocław, Poland. The 2023 European Games host country, Poland, has also already organized the 2019 European Championships in this discipline.
       
      Earlier this month, taekwondo, canoe slalom, and modern pentathlon were announced as the first officially confirmed sports for the 2023 European Games, with the latter two being direct qualification events for Paris 2024.
       
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    • John Foyne

      United States Congress forms committee for USOPC reform

      John Foyne

      In October, United States President Donald Trump signed the "Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amatuer Athletes Act" into law. This law grants the United States Congress the power to remove members of the United States Olympic Paralympic Committee (USOPC), along with giving Congress the power to decertify national governing bodies if they fail to follow SafeSport guidelines. 
       
      Part of this law requires Congress to form a committee made up of at least eight current or former Olympic or Paralympic athletes. The Associated Press reported that former Olympians Norman Bellingham (Canoe Sprint - Seoul), Brittany Reese (Long Jump - London 2012), and John Dane (Sailing - Beijing). Five other former Olympians will fill out the committee, along with other American politicians, non-Olympic athletes, and athletic influencers. 
       
      The formation of the "Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act" comes after several sexual abuse scandals involving American coaches and athletes came to light over the last several years. Most notably involving USA Gymnastics and their refusal to acknowledge the abuse within their program. The law also requires the USOPC to give the United States Center for SafeSport $20 million annually. 
       
      This law goes against the International Olympic Committee's policy of "government interference” and has many in the international sporting community uneasy about the United States as they continue to go against IOC policies. In the past year, the United States has stood defiant to the IOC and the international community regarding doping, WADA, and athlete protests. 
       
      That said, it is difficult to find that line of what qualifies as "government interference" as most nations use government money to fund their programs, and the success of those programs determines the funding - everything seems connected. 
       
      Whether this law helps the USOPC clean up their mess, or is another ploy for more government control, remains to be seen. However, allowing eight former athletes onto the commission seems like a step in the right direction. Letting those with prior experience make decisions is the correct move here - and should be a precedent for future decisions. 
       
      Source: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/30547068/olympians-norm-bellingham-ei-bremer-named-congressional-panel
      Source: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1102194/usopc-congressional-committee-names
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    • Vojthas

      First disciplines for Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games confirmed

      Vojthas

      First three disciplines have been officially confirmed by the EOC in the programme of the III European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023. These are canoe slalom, taekwondo and modern pentathlon.
       
      For canoe slalom and modern pentathlon this will be the debut at the European Games. The canoe track in Kraków-Kolna is one of the best in the world, hosting top events every year, while modern pentathlon has big traditions in host country, Poland, including Olympic gold medals of Janusz Peciak, current Director of Sports of UIPM, and Arkadiusz Skrzypaszek individually and in team with Dariusz Goździak and Maciej Czyżowicz in Barcelona, as well as multiple medals od World and European Championships.
       
      Taekwondo was a part of the European Games in Baku in 2015 and it's come back will have an increased meaning with the Olympic qualification ranking points to achieve there having the highest number at any continental event. Also the canoe slalom and modern pentathlon will have a significant role in Paris 2024 qualifications - the European Games will serve as the European Championships in those disciplines, giving the direct quotas to the best athletes.
       
      The provisional list, that was announced in September this year, has 20 more disciplines, including mostly the Olympic ones (for example badminton, judo, rugby sevens, shooting, triathlon), as well as still developing yet gaining quite popularity in Poland beach handball, as well as ski jumping in the summer version as one of the most popular sports in the region hosting the Games.
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    • Olympian1010

      Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games Sports Program Announced

      Olympian1010

      The Organising Committee of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games announced the sports program of the 2023 Parapan American Games today. The Games will feature 17 para sports and 18 disciplines.

      The para sports slated to be included on the program are: para archery, para athletics, para badminton, boccia, para cycling (road and track), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, goalball, judo, para powerlifting, shooting para sport, para swimming, para table tennis, para taekwondo, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.
       
      Para archery returns to the sports program after being dropped for the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games. Para archery featured at both the 2011 and 2015 editions of the Parapan American Games prior to Lima 2019. Para archery competitions at the 2015 Parapan American Games featured 8 countries, and included 2 events for each gender.
       
      By far the most shocking component of the announcement, was the apparent exclusion of sitting volleyball. Sitting Volleyball was included on the program of the last 5 Parapan American Games. The tournament at the 2019 Parapan American Games even acted as a qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Summer Games. It has not been explicitly stated as to what led to the sport’s exclusion from the 2023 Parapan American Games, but the sport has seen a low amount of participating countries at the last few editions of the Parapan American Games.

      Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) President Julio César Ávila stated, “Congratulations to all 17 sports that will be part of the sports programme at the next Parapan American Games in Santiago, in 2023. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC)/APC reviewed applications from a total of 23 Para sports against a variety of criteria such as anti-doping compliance, competition opportunities in the Americas and participation numbers.”
       
      He continued, “The 17 selected Para sports give us confidence in a robust Games programme reflecting the most popular Para sports in our region. The programme features an attractive mix of exciting and extremely engaging Para sports; we are committed to organising a historic Games in Santiago.”

      Santiago 2023 CEO Felipe De Pablo added, "We are fully satisfied with the sports programme of the Parapan American Games. It is very attractive for competitors and spectators. We have worked on these Games in the same way we do for the Pan American Games, replicating every action for both competitions.”

      He continued, "We want the Americas to know that we are talking about high performance athletes, that the venues will be full of people. With this programme we are convinced that we will have a wonderful show, which will enhance all the capacities of those who come to fight for a medal. Athletes and Para athletes are and will always be the heart of our Games".

      APC Athlete Representative Ileana Rodriguez said, "This is not an easy decision to make as it directly impacts the athletes, who go through years of hard training and competing to reach their best form ahead of the Parapan American Games. I am convinced these Games will be the best yet in terms of sporting performances; our outstanding Para athletes will inspire millions and forever change Chilean society and how disability is perceived.”
       
      Speaking on his country’s objectives for the Games, Chilean Paralympic Committee (Copachi) President Ricardo Elizalde said,  "It is a very important step to get to know the 17 sports. In Lima (2019 Parapan) we participated in 10 disciplines and one of our objectives at Santiago 2023 is to increase the number of athletes and sports.”

      He continued, "At Copachi we have been working since 2013 on providing more and better opportunities for people with disabilities. That, for example, has led us to systematically increase the number of athletes in our last international participations and encourages us to have a record delegation at Santiago 2023.”

      Since the first edition in Mexico City in 1999, with 1,000 Para athletes from 18 countries competing across four Para sports, the Parapan American Games have been growing steadily. The latest edition held in Lima in 2019 was regarded as the best ever, with over 1,800 Para athletes from 30 countries competing across 17 Para sports, and a record number of 170,000 spectators following the competitions from the stands. 
       
      The Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games will open on 17 November and close on 26 November 2023.
       
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    • Olympian1010

      Neven Ilic Retains Post As President Of The Panam Sports Organization

      Olympian1010

      Neven Ilic was re-elected President of the Panam Sports Organization at the 58th General Assembly of the Panam Sports Organization.
       
      For the first time in history, the General Assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization was held virtually. The pandemic caused Panam Sports to suspend the meeting scheduled for Cancun and hold the assembly remotely. 

      The assembly featured reports about the current difficult year for international sports, and the entire 2020-2024 quadrennial. Discussions on the quadrennial were led by Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, Secretary General Ivar Sisniega, and the Panam Sports Commissions. 
       
      Progress reports were also presented by the Organizing Committees of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games, and Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games.

      However, the most important moment of the LVIII General Assembly of Panam Sports was the Election of President. Current President Neven Ilic was the only candidate, but he would need to receive more than 50% of the voting Assembly to confirm his re-election.

      The voting took place without any surprises though, and Chile’s Neven Ilic was re-elected to his position as President of the Panam Sports Organization by the Panam Sports General Assembly. His re-election was a unanimous decision, with Ilic receiving 52 votes. (Note: Though the Panam Sports Organization only has 41 member countries, by statute, the countries that have hosted the Games have two votes, hence the higher number of votes than member countries.)
       
      Speaking on his re-election, Ilic said, “The truth is, I am very happy with the support received by all the Olympic Committees. During these more than three years we have become more united as a continent, we have learned the different needs of our member countries and we have seen important results both in sporting and also in the development of our NOCs which of course motivates us to continue working for our athletes and for the Americas.”
       
      He continued, “I want to congratulate all the new members that join the Executive Committee and, in turn, thank those who leave us, because their contribution was very fundamental to the success of this administration.”

      On the second day of the assembly, the results of the elections of the Members of the Executive Committee and the Vice Presidents, including the new members that are joining the Board, were also announced. The results of those elections can be found Here.

      The next edition of the Panam Sports Organization General Assembly will be held in Santiago, Chile in October 2021.
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    • Olympian1010

      IPC Governing Board Approves Provisional Sports Program For 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

      Olympian1010

      The IPC Governing Board concluded four days of online meetings on December 15, making key decisions relating to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games sport programme.

      The IPC Governing Board approved the inclusion of para alpine skiing, para ice hockey, para nordic skiing, para snowboard and wheelchair curling at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
       
      Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the 14th consecutive appearance for both para alpine skiing and para nordic skiing at the Winter Paralympics. Both sports have featured at every edition of the Paralympic Winter Games, since the inaugural edition held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1976.
       
      Para nordic skiing will once again hold competitions in two disciplines, cross country skiing and biathlon. Biathlon was first introduced to the Paralympic Winter Games in 1988, and has featured at every edition since. 
       
      Para ice hockey also retains its spot on the program, having featured at every Paralympic Winter Games, since 1994. Likewise, Wheelchair Curling will also remain a part of the sports program. In fact, this will be welcome return to Italy for the sport, since it was first included in the Paralympic Winter Games at Torino 2006.
       
      Another sport that will be happy to make a return to the Winter Paralympic program is para snowboard. Para Snowboard debuted as a sport at the last edition of the Paralympic Winter Games held in Pyeongchang in 2018. However, the sport actually first featured at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as a discipline of para alpine skiing, meaning that Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the fourth time snowboard events have been included at the Paralympic Winter Games.
       
      The IPC Governing Board deferred a decision on whether to include para bobsleigh until early 2021. Para bobsleigh was originally due to feature at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. However, the IPC deemed that the sport had failed to met some of the criteria outlined by the organization for the sport’s inclusion at the Games, and thus para bobsleigh was ultimately cut from the program. 
       
      At the time of that decision, IBSF President Ivo Ferriani vowed that the IBSF would not give up on their para-sport program, and that the organization would work towards the sports inclusion at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

      The IPC Governing Board also provisionally approved the first 18 medal events in order to give National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations additional time to plan for the Games. The approved events included a new mixed doubles wheelchair curling event and two new medal events in women’s snowboard for athletes with upper limb impairments.

      Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said, “We are pleased that with more than five years to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games we can confirm six disciplines from five sports for the sport programme and announce the first 18 medal events that will be provisionally included.”
       
      He continued, “We strongly believe the provisional inclusion of medal events will facilitate participation growth, advancing the possibilities of them meeting the criteria for inclusion when the medal events programme is fully confirmed in two years’ time. Moreover, provisional inclusion offers the International Federations opportunities for athlete development and recruitment while giving national governing bodies clarity in their long-term planning, funding and development programmes.”

      Chelsey Gotell, IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson, said, “The provisional medal event programme for Milano Cortina 2026 includes 18 events that are either new or have had limited participation at previous Games. With more than five years to go until the Games, athletes, national and international federations, as well as NPCs have a target to aim for in terms of developing the talent pool.” 
       
      A full list of the 18 medal events provisionally included for Milano Cortina 2026 can be found Here.
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    • Olympian1010

      WBSC Executive Board Approves E-Baseball/Softball As Discipline

      Olympian1010

      The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Executive Board (EB) has approved the inclusion of E-Sports as a discipline of baseball and softball, setting the stage for future official E-Baseball and E-Softball international competitions and World Cups/Championships.
       
      The WBSC Executive Board passed a resolution formally adopting E-Sports as the virtual version of the sport, along with Baseball5 - a five-on-five street version of the sport - and agreed to notify all National Federations of this decision.
       
      Following E-Sports’ integration into the WBSC Statutes, which will be put forward for approval to the WBSC Congress in 2022, the world governing body will establish the rules and regulations for the governance of E-Baseball and E-Softball competitions, in addition to preparing for the launch of the WBSC’s first E-Game next year.
       
      It’s unclear when the first baseball-themed video game was released. Most sources seem to suggest some time in the 1970s, but even that remains disputed. What is clear however, is that baseball-themed video-games have remained widely produced and played around the world.
       
      Some popular titles in the genre include, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s MLB The Show franchise, and MLB Advanced Media’s R.B.I Baseball franchise. Baseball also featured in the popular Nintendo video game Wii Sports.
       
      Interest in baseball-themed video games hasn’t gone unnoticed by the WBSC, with President Riccardo Fraccari stating, “The WBSC looks forward to more progressive innovation in the dynamic and youth-focused space of E-Sports, which will potentially expand the reach of our sport to millions of gamers and fans. Advancing future-oriented initiatives such as online/virtual competitions will support the development of baseball and softball -- and all disciplines under them -- for many years to come."
       
      The World Baseball Softball Confederation isn’t alone in looking towards E-Sports as a means and medium to further grow their sport. With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing most international sports to halt, many international federations have looked to the virtual world to promote and grow their sports.
       
      The Union Cycliste International (UCI) recently held their inaugural Cycling Esports World Championship, which featured 54 women’s and 78 men’s riders respectively. World Sailing sanctioned an entire eSaling World Cup, and held an eSailing World Championship earlier this year. The Federation Internationale De Ski recently announced its own ESports Alpine World Ski Championships, which will be held in February 2021.
       
      The importance of establishing a virtual version of baseball/softball was underscored by Fraccari, who stated, “The welcoming of E-Sports into the WBSC family comes at a critical time, considering the fast-evolving digital world in which we live and the ongoing global pandemic.”
       
      The affect of the Covid-19 pandemic on baseball/softball has been substantial. The WBSC have had to cancel and postpone multiple age level World Cups that were due to held this year. The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games has also delayed the return of baseball and softball to the Olympic program.

      Notably, baseball was one of the sports included on the Tokyo 2020 Official Video Game. The World Baseball Softball Confederation will be hoping that more attention is brought to the sport as a consequence of its inclusion at the Olympic Games.

      Softball is scheduled to be the first sport to get underway in Tokyo, with the first match scheduled to begin at 9:00 (local time) on July 21, 2020.
       
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    • Olympian1010

      IOC Levels Provisional Sanctions Against The National Olympic Committee Of Belarus

      Olympian1010

      The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) adopted a number of provisional measures against the National Olympic Committee of Belarus today. 
       
      The measures stem from an investigation process opened on November 25, after concerns were raised from various groups that the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus was engaging in discrimination against athletes for political reasons. 
       
      After reviewing the allegations received, and the responses provided by the NOC of Belarus; the IOC came to the conclusion that the current NOC leadership had not appropriately protected Belarusian athletes from political discrimination within the NOC, their member sports federations, or the broader sports movement.
       
      According to the IOC, this conduct is contrary to the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, and has a serious affects on the reputation of the Olympic Movement. 
       
      Building on that conclusion, the IOC Executive Board decided to level the following provisional measures against the NOC of Belarus until further notice:
       
      1. Exclude the currently elected members of the Executive Board of the NOC of Belarus from all IOC events and activities, including the Olympic Games. This includes in particular Mr Alexander Lukashenko, in his capacity as NOC President and legal representative of the NOC; Mr Viktor Lukashenko, in his capacity as NOC First Vice-President and the person responsible for the NOC’s operations and activities on a daily basis; and Mr Dmitry Baskov, in his capacity as an NOC Executive Board member and in view of the specific allegations raised against him.
       
      2. Suspend all financial payments to the NOC of Belarus, with the exception of payments related to the preparations of the Belarusian athletes for, and their participation in, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. All Olympic scholarships for Belarusian athletes will now be paid directly to the athletes, and no longer through the NOC.
       
      3. Request the relevant International Federations to make sure that all eligible Belarusian athletes can take part in qualification events for the upcoming Olympic Games without any political discrimination.
       
      4. Suspend any discussions with the NOC of Belarus regarding the hosting of future IOC events.
       
      5. Request all constituents of the Olympic Movement to respect these measures in the interest of protecting Belarusian athletes’ rights and the reputation of the Olympic Movement.
       
      The IOC Executive Board vowed to continue to monitor the situation and reserved the right to consider any further measures or sanctions, or to remove any of the provisional measures depending on the evolution of the situation.
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    • Olympian1010

      Sub-Saharan Africa To Receive Free-To-Air Coverage Of Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

      Olympian1010

      The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) plans to provide free-to-air (FTA) coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of their efforts to raise awareness of para sport and para athletes in the region.

      For the first time across the region, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be FTA and broadcast live on 24 August and 5 September 2021. There will also be a 52-minute daily Games highlight show of African centred content in English, French and Portuguese. 
       
      TV Media Sport (TVMS) is working on behalf of the IPC to secure Sub-Saharan broadcasters. So far, FTA broadcasters have been confirmed in 24 countries: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.  The IPC will waive the broadcast rights fee for Tokyo 2020 in order to maximise coverage in the region, which has traditionally aired only limited coverage of the Games.

      The broadcast initiative is a key element of the Para Sport Against Stigma project between the IPC, Loughborough University, and the University of Malawi, Chancellor College, which aims to support social change and overcome stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities in Africa. Para Sport Against Stigma is part of AT2030, a programme funded by UK Aid and led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub. 

      The 2020 broadcast will be funded by the IPC and UK Aid. The IPC hopes that this initiative will be a catalyst for commercial partners becoming involved in broadcasting Paris 2024 to Sub-Saharan Africa. 

      Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, said, “The IPC is very excited about the prospect of more people than ever before watching the Paralympic Games in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through sport the IPC wants to normalise and challenge the stigma attached to disability. One of the best ways to achieve this is through people watching the Paralympics and seeing first-hand what persons with disabilities can do. 

      He continued, “Going free-to-air across so many territories will allow us to tell the compelling stories and athletic achievements of Para athletes and raise awareness of the Paralympic Movement. We are confident that we will engage new audiences and make a bigger impact than any previous Paralympics. I truly believe that this could be a turning point for the region: the awareness that Tokyo 2020 will create could lead to more media, people and sponsors getting involved in Para sports, which in turn will create new opportunities for people with disabilities. We are going to show that change can start with sport.”  

      Dr. Emma Pullen, Lecturer in Sport Management at Loughborough University, added: “This project offers a really unique and exciting opportunity to work closely with the IPC and broadcasters to bring the Paralympic Games to Sub-Saharan Africa. The media visibility of Para sport is so important in helping change attitudes toward disability and can be such a powerful platform for raising awareness around disability rights, access, and inclusion.”
       
      She continued, “Our aim is work closely with local partners and broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the reach and access of the broadcast as well as localising the content to include narratives of local Para athletes. It’s the start of a journey that will hopefully see the sustained roll out of Para sport across many parts of the Global South.”
       
      Vicki Austin, CEO of the Global Disability Innovation Hub, which leads the AT2030 project said: “As Head of Paralympic Legacy in London, I saw first-hand what a massive difference London 2012 made to perceptions of disability.”
       
      She explained, “It is why we set up GDI Hub. And with more than a billion people in the world needing access to basic assistive technology  - and only 10 per cent currently using AT (assistive technology) - our amazing Para athletes can do so much to overcome the stigma and promote a positive association for the first time for many young women and men with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.  This project will change lives, and we are delighted to partner with IPC and Loughborough on this important work and thank UK Aid for their backing.” 

      Hédi Hamel, President of TV Media Sport, said, “We are delighted to partner with the IPC on this important project to create awareness around Para sport all over the African continent. TVMS is committed to introduce in all TV homes the values of inclusion through the performances and stories of African Para athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”

      The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are scheduled to begin on August 24, 2020. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) will serve as the host broadcaster of the Games. It is expected that as many as 19 sports will be broadcast live. The IPC expects record viewing figures for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
       
       
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    • Olympian1010

      B-Girl Kastet and B-Boy Shigekix Crowned Red Bull BC One Champions

      Olympian1010

      B-Girl Kastet defended her Red Bull BC One women's title as Japanese B-Boy Shigekix triumphed in a stacked men's field to become the youngest ever winner at 17th edition of the competition held at Hangar-7 in Salzburg. 
       
      B-Girl Kastet, a breaker from Russia, became the first dancer in history to win back-to-back Red Bull BC One titles, after defending the title she won in 2019. She went head-to-head with Red Bull BC One E-Battle 2020 Champion, B-Girl Madmax from Belgium, in the final, and won based on the slightly better execution of her dance moves.
       
      Kastet, whose name means "brass knuckles" in English, is a member of 3:16 Crew and started breaking in 2010 at the age of 12. Going from Latin dances to judo, before finally discovering breaking, Kastet learned to dance from her crew, especially members B-Boy Marvel, and, her husband, B-Boy Jerry Metal.
       
      In an interview after the final, Kastet said, "My secret is that I am not afraid to lose. I am just in the moment and want to represent myself in the best way, the true way."

      Russia were denied a clean sweep of the titles however, when B-Boy Shigekix delivered outstanding musicality and variety to defeat B-Boy Alkolil, who is known for his combination of power, footwork and tricks. B-Boy Shigekix, 18, became the youngest competitor to take the title in front of cheering breaking fans and the competitors' crews, who were on LED screens alongside the central stage in a virtual experience throughout.
       
      B-Boy Shigekix, whose full name is Nakarai Shigeyuki, discovered breaking at the age of seven through his older sister, B-Girl Ayane. With a unique style of breaking, he is known for his fast and controlled power moves, mixed with unexpected, on-beat freezes.
       
      Shigekix is no stranger to big events either. At the age of 15, Shigekix became the youngest B-Boy in history to enter the Red Bull BC One World Final in 2018, where he was eliminated in the semifinals by B-Boy Menno. He also became one of the first breakers to win an Olympic medal when he took home bronze at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

      Speaking about his victory after the final, Shigekix said, "I'm super happy and I still can't believe it's real. I worked so hard for this competition. Not only this year, I have been working hard to win this."
       
      In total, sixteen breakers representing 11 countries competed at this year’s Red Bull BC One World Finals. The event serves as the de facto world championships for the discipline of breaking, which has been proposed for inclusion at the Olympic Games in 2024. The event also aimed to inspire local breaking communities and to help celebrate a cultural phenomenon rooted in the early 1970s hip-hop and New York City street culture.
       
      The 2020 Red Bull BC One World Finals were livestreamed globally on Red Bull TV, and a full replay of the event can be found on the streaming service as well. It is expected that a decision on breaking’s inclusion at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be made in December at the upcoming IOC Executive Board Meeting. 
       
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    • Olympian1010

      World Para Snow Sports Championships Postponed to 2022

      Olympian1010

      The World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, have been postponed to 2022.

      The first joint World Championships for Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country and Para snowboard were originally scheduled from 7-20 February 2021 and will now take place early January 2022. The reason for the postponement is the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges placed on organizers because of the it.

      The decision was made by the board of the Norwegian Ski Association, in consultation with World Para Snow Sports, the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Norwegian Biathlon Federation, and the Norwegian Board Sports Federation. The announcement followed a series of meetings and a close dialogue with Norway’s national health authorities about future events this upcoming season. 

      “We know how much the event means to many and we understand well the disappointment of having to wait a whole year, but the championships’ scope, duration and complexity cannot be accommodated under the current situation of the pandemic nationally and internationally,” said Erik Roste, President of the Norwegian Ski Association. “The risk of spreading infection among volunteers, competitors and in the local community does not make it justifiable to carry out the competition as planned.” 
       
      Managing Director of the World Para Sports, Christian Holtz, said, “We were looking forward to the championships in Lillehammer next year, but we fully support the decision to postpone it to January 2022. While these were not the news we were hoping to share with our sport community, we will always put the health and well-being of athletes and all those involved in the competitions as our priority. All World Para Snow Sports Championships partners have done a fantastic job and we will now keep on working together with them to deliver our most important event to date.”
       
      With the decision to postpone, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) went from a planning period of 80 days to around 400 days.

      “Although the sporting performance of Para athletes is unique, Para sports have not always been given the great attention that the athletes really deserve. The enthusiasm we now experience around the athletes and the Word Championships we will build on every day until 2022 – and for many years to come,” said Ola Keul, Director of the Lillehammer 2021 LOC.
       
      Norwegian broadcaster NRK, which will produce and show the championships together with TV2, will also extend its involvement until 2022.

      With their new date in January 2022, the World Para Snow Sports Championships will be an important warm-up event for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The rescheduled World Championships will retain the name Lillehammer 2021, and will likely be the largest para sport event in Norway since the 1994 Paralympic Winter Games in Lillehammer. It is expected that the championships will attract some 750 participants from over 30 nations, along with some 700 volunteers to aide in the running of the event.
       
      Further information about the postponed championships, such as the new competition schedule, will be released by organizers in the future.
       
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    • Vojthas

      Interview with Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General, on changes in the modern pentathlon

      Vojthas

      The UIPM has recently announced the introduction of the New Olympic Pentathlon, which aims to shorten the time of the competition and make it more attractive to the audience. The approval of the format by the Executive Board caused a mostly negative reaction, from the athletes, whom the changes will affect the most. The following is an interview with Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General, in which she tries to explain the biggest doubts about the changes.
       
      The first question is, what is on the mind of the Pentathlon community – what is the reason for those changes?
       
      To aim for the future, to embrace the youth, and to widen the sport’s audience with a more compact and understandable sport product for media, also to demonstrate our most complete athletes in a shorter time without losing audience in between parts of the longer competition.
       
      Modern pentathlon’s place in the Olympic programme is a crucial thing for the sport, which is also a legacy of being founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin himself. Was the proposal consulted with the IOC representatives as they should be the ones to know better, in which direction the changes should go?
       
      Certainly UIPM as the world governing body of the sport knows better how we can improve the sport and its product/format. However, if we are talking about Pentathlon in the Olympic Games, we first need to understand what is the IOC’s vision for future Games, and what would be the most valuable things to evaluate the sport’s impact in the Games. Therefore, it is a collective effort by all involved or responsible parties in the Games, including valuable advice from OBS, Olympic Channel and Paris 2024.
       
      Modern pentathlon has been changing for some time, but this is a true revolution. Doesn’t it bring confusion to new pentathlon fans to learn the sport from the beginning?
       
      Well, what we are changing or innovating is about our sports product, to smoothly shape it to a fan-friendly and media-friendly format so that audience can see a compact and complete sport within a shorter time. As you might know well, the sport has come from 5 days, to 1 day, to 5 hours, and now to 90min. However, what we haven’t changed is the core essence of the sport created by Coubertin –  that is, the historical elements/disciplines are still the same since the sport was born.
       
      The proposed changes apply for only the Olympic Games (and the Olympic qualifiers, as far as I understand). Would it not be harder for fans to learn one format for the Olympics and another for all other competitions?
       
      We do have EB approved Olympic format and qualification events format, and those Olympic qualification events will be major UIPM competitions. Therefore, in terms of the format for UIPM major competitions, we will keep the same direction as the Olympic format, but with certain flexibility, such as number of athletes in final group, length of the breaks between each disciplines, etc.
       
      For UIPM competitions, we will have relatively more time to test and to fix more details, since the qualification events will only start from 2023. But for the Olympic format, we must be in line with the timeline of the IOC and Paris 2024, to give organisers enough time. By the way, it is quite normal that some other sports also have an Olympic format and a different IF format, so nothing unusual.
       
      The athletes are openly against it, and primarily because of the increased injury risks caused by a shortened warm-up time. Was the new format consulted with them?
       
      Actually the athletes are not against innovations, they are open-minded and intelligent, also sometimes they give us a lot of good ideas. For the new format, due to a series of processes which we also want to keep low profile with mainly athletes representatives in each working group and committees, it is normal that a lot of athletes who haven’t joined in athletes meetings at earlier stage, haven’t been well informed.
       
      Clearly, the communication with athletes is the key, and during the athletes call on November 11, a lot of their questions and doubts were addressed. But it is not enough, we will certainly engage more with them during the rest of the process.
       
      There were also very few test events with the new format – just the two in Budapest and Cairo, where the participation of athletes from all around the world was limited due to Covid-19 pandemic. Has the UIPM tried to conduct more test events, for example during the national competitions that were held in different countries, for example Russia, Belarus or Poland?
       
      Actually, we felt fortunate that we were able to manage two decent tests during this pandemic time with full support of our organizers, and yes, we will have more tests in 2021 before and/or after the Tokyo Olympics. More details will be fixed early in 2021.
       
      The changes were to be introduced this year, but because of the pandemic the Congress will be held in 2021. Were there ideas to postpone it to the 2024-2028 Olympic cycle, as the pre-Paris one is a shortened one after?
       
      No we won’t postpone, innovation has been a continuous process for decades in UIPM, Paris is a milestone that we cannot miss, and it will demonstrate more possibilities for LA 2028 as well.
       
       
      In Polish
      По-русски (Трансляция: Себастьян Стасяк)
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