Sian Meades asked:


This summer, (exactly from July 17 to August 2) Rome will be hosting all the passionate swimming fans ready to attend the thirteenth edition of the FINA swimming championships. FINA is the organization that advertises acquatics sports in all its disciplines and organizes the international competitive activities of swimming, synchronized swimming, diving and water polo.

According to the organization but also the Rome tourist board, this will be the most important 2009 sports event in the city. These Championships, differentiated for the competitions held not only in pools but also for diving, synchronized swimming, swimming in open water and water polo, will travel to Rome 2.500 athletes, 1.500 coaches and representing managers of over 170 Countries from all over the world.

This special sport event, that was already hosted in Rome in 1994 at the Foro Italico, isn’t only important for the competitive expressions and for the great world and olympic champions that will take part, such as Alessia Filippi , Michael Phelps, Federica Pellegrini andTania Cagnotto, but will also be very important for the economic aspect of roman tourism. Many Rome Hotels will be waiting to host these fans in their facilities.

The Opening Ceremony will be taking place on the 18th of July at the magnificent Stadio dei Marmi, located in the heart of the Foro Italico. Those interested in this great sport event in Rome may carry out their own pre-emption purchase by filling out the booking form at the official website www.roma2009.com/?pag=tk&lang=en and then send it to :ticketingoffice@roma09.it.

Ticket sales for the Championships will start up on April 1st and there are 180 thousand total tickets available.

shijina asked:


Did you know that boxing is sometimes called as ‘pugilism’? And it is generally called as English boxing or Anglais boxing. This is a game of combat where two participants of similar weight fight against each other using their fists. Today Boxing is conducted in a regulated manner, normally in a series of one to three minute intervals know as ‘rounds’. The winner is chosen if any one of the player or boxer is knocked down and incapable to get up before the referee begins counts one to ten or if the opponent is deemed too tired or injured to go on. If the fist fighting never end before an agreed number of rounds, then the winner is chosen either by the judges’ score cards or by the referee’s decision. The ancient Greek people were the first to make a sport from fighting with fists, giving rules and even organizing tournaments with their experts. The birth of boxing was marked by its allowance in the game of Olympics as early as 688 BC. Modern boxing slowly evolved in Europe, principally in Great Britain, UK.

In certain countries with their own fighting sports, the game is known as English Boxing and in countries like France it’s called French boxing. There are many different forms of boxing played across the globe. For instance, boxing is shown in Sumerian relief arts during the 3rd Millennium B.C, while an ancient Egyptian relief at Thebes; it depicts the spectators with fist fighters, both arts depict bare fisted contests. In the year 1927 an archaeologist, Dr E.A Speiser discovered a stone tablet in Iraq showing two men gearing up for a fight, the stone is believed to be at least 7,000 years old. Boxing or Fist fighting is also described in various ancient Indian texts such as the Vedas, Mahabarata and Ramayana, as well as during the excavations made in Harappa and Mohenjadaro. The earliest confirmation for fist fighting with a kind of gloves can be found on Minoan Crete (1500 BC).

For the game of Boxing, there are two globally recognized boxing halls of fame; they are IBHOF – International Boxing Hall of Fame and WBHF – World Boxing Hall of Fame, the IBHOF is a widely recognized boxing hall of fame. In 1989, the International Boxing Hall of Fame was opened in Canastota. The first inductees in 1990 included famous boxers like Benny Leonard, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Henry Armstrong, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Other world class boxing figures are Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, Eusebio Pedroza, Ismael Laguna, Carlos Monzon, Rocky Marciano, Azumah Nelson, Pipino Cuevas and Ken Buchanan. The Hall of Fame’s induction event is held every year in the month of June as part of a four day ceremony. Fans who visit Canastota for the Induction Weekend are treated to various events such as autograph sessions with the boxers, boxing exhibitions, a parade featuring present and past inductees and also an induction to the boxing ceremony itself.

Marcia Henin asked:


The Champions League tournament started for the first time in the year 1955. French sports journalist and editor, Gabriel Hanot suggested this continental competition for winners of the European national football leagues.

The competition used a two-leg knockout format. The teams played two matches, one at home, and one on the ground of the opponent. The team with the highest overall score qualified for the next round of the competition. Entry was restricted to the teams that won their national league championships. This qualification system continued until 1992.

In the 1992-93 seasons, the tournament became popular with the name UEFA Champions League. In the year 1997-98, the eligibility changed to include not just domestic champions but also the runners-up. The selection criteria for the winners of the European Cup are, however, not standard.

Champions League Final:

The European Cup or the UEFA Champions League Final is set to take place at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on 21st of May 2008.

It is a seasonal club football competition. UEFA has been organizing this competition since 1955. The European Cup includes the most successful football clubs in Europe. The prize and the European Cup, is the most prestigious club trophy in the world of football.

The championship is varies from the less prestigious UEFA Cup and the defunct Winners’ Cup. The tournament consists of several stages.

In the present format, it begins in mid July with three preliminary knockout-qualifying rounds. The 16 surviving teams join 16 specified teams in a group stage. Eight winners and eight runners-up enter the final knockout rounds, and the tournament ends with the final match in May.

The current holder of the European Cup is AC Milan. They have beaten Liverpool FC by 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece on 23 May 2007.

How to Get Such Football League News:

Admirers of the European Cup may now easily get the league football news, scores, and events of their favorite sport through online web sites, as the Internet offers them with plenty of updated football news. It is 100% possible to get updated football news within a single mouse click. Hence, search now and know the current and happening affairs in the world of football leagues.

Claudia Beckford asked:


Carles Puyol Barcelona’s team captain is trying to put a stop to Messi’s participation in the Beijing Olympic Games with his national team as his name was announced during a press conference as part of the Argentinean squad for the upcoming event.

One of the main reasons the Barcelona team does not want to allow the Argentinean to participate in the Olympics is due to the preliminary round for the Champions League qualification being played on the same dates. Therefore; they will do everything possible to hold the young footballer to play in order to have him in full condition for the European competition.

This is indeed a very controversial situation as Messi could be suspended for the entire duration of the Olympics as it is stated in the FIFA rules that all players who do not have 23 years of age have to be released to their national teams if they are required to play. On the other hand; Puyol insists that Messi is a key player and that this is a crucial time for the Barcelona club and it would be indeed a disaster if such a player is missing from the team’s roster.

“We have a great squad, but Messi is an important player for us, one of the best in the world,” Puyol said Thursday from the team’s preseason training camp. “What’s happening with his situation is a theme that we can’t really get into since we can’t control it. Let’s hope it’s resolved and that we can count on him being with us.”

After Ronaldhino’s departure from Barcelona FC to his new Italian team the AC Milan; the Argentinean has become the main star of the Spaniard club as his contribution has been phenomenal. On the other hand; the Brazilian’s work was also of great push to Barcelona despite the last two seasons during which he was not able to perform his best due to injuries. Puyol admits that Ronaldhino will be remembered as of the best players that has been part of the Catalonian list.

Barcelona FC Sporting director Txiki Begiristain has announced that the team is working on an agreement with the Argentinean Football Association in order to come to terms with them; as he stated during an interview “On our side we want Messi to play the first leg of the Champions League (third qualifying round) and then we’ll release him to play at the Olympic Games. We understand that reaching this agreement is the best solution. If we get a good result then, without being over-confident, we should be able to let the player go.”

Up to this point the Argentinean Football Association has not accepted the terms and conditions of the deal but it could certainly prevent future disputes therefore; they will wait and see what the outcome turns out to be.

Other European clubs like Werder Bremen and Schalke do not want their Brazilian players Rafinha and Diego to be part of the Beijing Soccer Tournament and have taken the petition to the sports’ highest body the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Therefore; they will decide if the players will or will not be part of the Olympics this next month of August.

Tania Machowska asked:


The Olympic Games of 1968 was a stirring and busy event., the games were held in Mexico, Latin America, these Olympic games where almost cancelled when hundreds of students lost their lives by security forces, the authorities covered it up and 10 days later the Olympic Games started.

Tommy Smith and John Carlos Afro-Americans, gold and bronze in the 200 m, held their black gloved fist during the ceremony to express their feelings, the beginning of a revolution where black people were no longer considered to remain silent, but they were wrong the organisation punished them by banning them for live from the games, ther was no place for political statements in the Olympic Games.

The games of 1968 were the first games that held a doping tests, although it wasn’t as it is these days, the first disqualification took place: Hans Gunnar-Liljenwall was sent back home when he was positive on the use of alcohol.

But not only bad things happened, these were the first games for Jacques Rogge, the Belgian athlete who competed in yachting, he also participate the games of 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal.

Jacques Rogge was born in Gent 1942, May 2 and completed his studies as a orthopaedic surgeon, and he received an honorary doctorate. Jacques became a yachting athlete and world champion and a member of the Belgium International Rugby Team.

It was in 1990-1992 when he became the president of the Belgium Olympic and Federal Commission, in 1992 he became a member of the medical commission and became vice president in 1994, Jacques was 52 at this moment.

July 16, Jacques Rogge became the 8th President of the International Olympic Comit?

As the vice president he had a major influence to the doping abuse, they named him ‘mister clean’.

Jacques Rogge is a remarkable person, he has always remained the person he has always been, a doctor and an athlete. He once changed his 5 star hotel for the Olympic village’, this is the area where all the athletes gather during the Olympic Games, the sleep, eat and live, it has the accommodation what the athletes need but you can’t compare it with a 5 star hotel.

Livebeijingupdates asked:


 

Over 2,000 “athletes” who poured into the Beijing Olympic Village in the latest test run of the athletes’ compounds were asked to be picky and choosy.

 

Mock dwellers, however, gave thumbs-up to the facilities and were impressed with Chinese culture that permeates the village, said the village’s general secretary Wu Jingmin.

 

Non-Chinese Olympic villagers, if they like, can pick up their Chinese names which use phonetic sounds for foreign names.

 

Sun Shishu, a Chinese language teacher working in the village, gave dozens of Chinese names in the first several hours of the trial run of the village.

 

“Let your surname be an, which means peace and safety. And your first name is Taifu, which means peace and happiness,” Sun explained to Typhen Ann, an engineer from Britain, who works at the Main Cafeteria of the Olympic Village.

 

The village, which is the home to about 16,000 athletes and officials during the Games, sits on the north end of the axis of Beijing. Important buildings of all ages, including the Forbidden City and the Tiananmen Square, are aligned down this line.

 

Further north lies the Olympic Green. To the south is the National Stadium, popularly known as the “Bird Nest”.

 

Deng Yaping, the village’s vice mayor and four-time table tennis Olympic champion, believes the biggest attraction for the Olympic Village lies in its Chinese culture.

 

“For most of the (foreign) athletes I’ve talked with, they are amazed at Chinese culture. They want to try, to feel what the real Chinese culture is,” Deng said.

 

“The village is a place where the athletes can unwind and get to know Chinese culture. We want to give them a full experience with Chinese culture.”

 

The Olympic Village is divided into northern and southern halves. In the north, or the International Area, are the Head of Village Office, Flag Square, shopping areas, restaurants, and entertainment and fitness facilities. In the south are athletes’ apartments, whose main gates are decorated with a bronze art panel.

 

On the lawns around the apartments stand Chinese traditional lamp posts and dragon-patterned stone pillars, while water lilies float on the ponds.

 

The buildings in the International Area are temporary, except for a Chinese temple compound right next to the Flag Square, which is used as the Head of Village Office where Deng will work during the Games.

 

Chinese handicraft workroom sits in the International Area, painted with Chinese traditional colors of red, yellow and blue. About 20 handicraftsmen will show their talent in embroidery, woodcarving, painting and Beijing Opera mask making during the Games.

 

“Athletes can watch the artists finishing their works, and they can buy whatever they like,” said Wang Jinqiang, the workroom manager.

 

The Beijing Olympics Village will officially open on July 27 and close on August 27. Also as the Paralympic Village, it will reopen on August 30 and close on September 20.

 

glenford whitter asked:


I have been following the Modern Olympic Games from as far back as the Montreal and the Moscow games in 1976 and 1980. Never have I seen so much interest and anticipation leading up to these games. Inspite of the cloud that surrounds polution in Beijing, China, the intrigue and interest continues to soar. None of the participants wants to get injury. Everyone is playing safe. Athletes are closing monitoring their progress day after day. As the clock clicks, so are our athetes working out in the gyms, jogging here and there , pondering their moves, strategies and action. No matter how effecient the authorities execute their plans in running the event, without a good show from the athletes themselves, the event will be of no avail.

EXTREMELY FAST TIMES

One reason there is so much hope is because of the extremely fast times that athletes are runnning on the track for the past three years. This along with other factor has forced the world governing body to improve its drug testing procedures to catch drug cheats. Athletes are tested at every international meet fhat they attend and there is mandatory test done on the first three athletes who past the post in that order. There are also out of competition testing available. A number of prominent athletes have tested positive which either results in two year to life ban or imprisonment.

However, athletes continue to run faster and faster. As recent as June 29, 2008 Tyson ran sizzling wind aided 9.68 seconds for the 100meters dash at USA Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

He also ran a smart 9.77 seconds over the same distance ealier in the heats. At the same meet, all three women in the 100 meters final went under 10.90 seconds with Muna Lee winning in 10.85 seconds. Another point to note in the history of the trials, the first five women in the same event went under 10 seconds. In the 200 meters sprints it was a simiilar story. The first three men went under 20 seconds with Walter Dix obliguing in 19.86 seconds. In the women’s event, all three women completed the course in less than 22.21 seconds with Allyson Felix declared the winner in 21.82 seconds with a following wind of about 4.72 meters per second.

Meanwhile at the Jamaica Track and Field Trials all four women dipped under 10.90 seconds in the 100 meters dash . Kerron Stewart won in a new personal best of 10.80 seconds with Veronica Campbell-Brown, the world champion relegated to fourth, in 10.88 seconds. However, in the 200 meters Veronica Campbell-Brown turned the table on Kerron Stewart. Campbell- Brown won in a world leading time of 21.94 seconds with Stewart close behind in 21.97 seconds. The 100 meters for men also lived to expectation. Usain Bolt, the record holder over the same event won in 9.86 seconds and Asafa Powell followed him with a 9.96 seconds run. In the 200 meter sprint for men, Bolt returned to win in 19.86 seconds.

IT MAY BE A TWO HORSE CONTEST

Based on the Statistics above, the sprints at this year summer games in Beijing, China may literally liken to be a two horse contest, “The Track and Field Power House” of United States of America verus “The Sprint Factory of the Carribean,” Jamaica. These two nations as it were have stamped their class on the sprints as if they own them. It appears as if the other participating countries are not a part of this contest. We may well have Tyson *** versus a Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell in the men’s 100 meters. In the women’s 100 meters, Muna Lee, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams versus Kerron Stewart and company.

These duels seem to be main issues of talking point among those fans in the athletics circle. The world awaits with eagered breath for these type of contests. I refuse to predict the athletes who will emege as winners in their individual events., But one piont I will clearly state is that, the athletes will run some of fastest times ever run at an Olympic Game. It will be a feat to behold. It will have patrons on the edge of their seats. Record up records will be erased. It will attract the largest viewing audience ever to watch an Olympic Game.

I believe it will be emerged as the best ever Olympic Games ever held especially for Track and Field.

Will you be watching?

alexda asked:


ple devastated by the earthquake in southwestern China on May 12 may be the first recipients of donations from athletes of the 2008 Olympic Games, Olympic champion Deng Yaping said on Tuesday.

It is a tradition that Olympic athletes from various countries donate their outfits, shoes or personal belongings to people in developing countries, with an aim of encouraging youngsters in overcoming hardships. The practice will continue at this year’s Olympic Games, Deng said at a media function in Beijing.

Donation boxes will be set up in the Beijing Olympic Village, and major beneficiaries may be those children who were hit by the 8-magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province, said Deng, who is deputy director of BOCOG’s Olympic Village Department. The donations will give them love, strength and courage, she added.

Deng and five other world champions from China joined a group of 14 psychologists in a visit to a tent school in Mianyang County recently. They told the students stories about how they’ve dealt with difficulties and setbacks in their sports lives and encouraged children to strive for new lives with confidence, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Young people devastated by the earthquake in southwestern China on May 12 may be the first recipients of donations from athletes of the 2008 Olympic Games, Olympic champion Deng Yaping said on Tuesday.

It is a tradition that Olympic athletes from various countries donate their outfits, shoes or personal belongings to people in developing countries, with an aim of encouraging youngsters in overcoming hardships. The practice will continue at this year’s Olympic Games, Deng said at a media function in Beijing.

Mariam Ma asked:


The Olympic Games are a time of celebration for incredible physical accomplishments. However, when a country hero wins a medal, we often wait with baited breath that the tests for performance enhancing drugs come back clean. Have we really become that jaded? Unfortunately for many of us, the answer is a depressing yes.

Be honest, how often when you watch an athlete perform an amazing feat that seems to defy human limitations, do we suspect that he/she is on performance enhancing drugs? Even though there have been great advancements in sports technology in how we train and feed our bodies, there is only so much we can push our bodies. This is the cynicism that lives inside us these days: our athletic heroes fall short and are far from perfect.

When we think about sports, we often think about the strength, the grace, the picture of perfect health of the athlete. But the mental game and the spiritual game also come into play as all three components need be unified: the mind, body and soul. For competitive athletes, it is often a more difficult task to achieve spiritual and mental greatness. There is so much at stake: endorsement contracts, state prize money, prestige and to be in the record books forever as an Olympic champion. These are factors that would test any human being. Therefore, it is not only the body that needs to be trained, but how to mentally and spiritually handle the pressure as well.

It is well known that the Olympic motto is faster, higher, stronger, but did you know this other well known ideal comes from the Olympic creed?

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

Perhaps this is why the most compelling stories that come out of the Olympic games are not of the expected winners but those who have fought to attain their Olympic dreams.

There is also a lesson here for those of us who are not athletically gifted enough to compete in the Olympics: it’s the journey and the struggle that makes life more rewarding. For the future, instead of picking Olympic champions for motivational inspiration, we can be our own champions as we strive to triumph in our daily lives.

Jackie Khor asked:


The top 10 tips of Olympic Champions thinking that can be applied to your home based business are:

1. POWER IMAGERY:

Use positive mental images throughout your day to create feelings of confidence and power.

For example, if you’re presenting your business or products and run into a difficult customer, visualize yourself having all the resources you need to get the results you want.

2. POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

Use everything in your day to your advantage.

For example, if you are rejected by a client or lose a sale, ask yourself, what can I learn from this? What is working? How can I use this to move forward with my next client?

3. MINDFULNESS:

Practice being in the present moment.

Remind yourself to stay in the here and now. Let past and future events fade into the background.

4. SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Focus on your immediate target.

Break your goals down into small, manageable pieces and begin to focus only on the first portion, not the entire goal.

For example, say to yourself: “I’m just relaxing and getting into my rhythm during the presentation”.

5. ASSOCIATION:

Pay close attention to your body tension level. Do a body scan and relax your tight muscles frequently.

Ask yourself: “Are my shoulders and neck relaxed; how does this work pace feel; how is my energy level? What do I need right now to perform better?”

6. MANAGE ANXIETY:

Realize that nervousness is your friend.

When you are about to begin a client meeting, just accept the fact that you’re going to be nervous. This is a normal reaction before any important event.

You can make this feeling your ally rather than fighting with it. In fact, nervousness is a good sign that you’re excited and ready to roll. Once the meeting begins, and you get underway, the nervousness will subside. You can just relax and enjoy the ride.

7. PROCESS NOT OUTCOME:

Learn to relax and focus, be fully present with what you’re doing.

Look at what you need to do right now (e.g., breathing, relaxing, concentrating); the final outcome will take care of itself.

8. FOCUSED ATTENTION:

Be aware of distractions. Tune into what is critical to your performance and tune out what is not.

Breathe out unwanted thoughts with your next exhale and re-focus your attention on what is important.

9. AFFIRMATIONS:

Make positive self-statements continually.

Negative thinking is common; everyone has an inner critic. Become aware of these thoughts and then substitute a positive affirmation.

For example, when you’re thinking: “I can’t do this”; you can say to yourself: “I believe in myself; I radiate an inner confidence”.

10. ENJOYMENT:

Celebrate your strengths. When you give a presentation, let your mind and body do what you’ve trained them to do. Remember that your goals are realistic. All you need to do is perform up to your capabilities.

Hope this is of help.

There are a lot of books and courses on personal training and coaching in the market which you can purchase to learn more in depth.