News Page

IOC Says No New Sports for 2004 Olympics

Wednesday, December 13, 2000

By Adrian Warner

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Olympic leaders brought the expansion of the Summer Games to a halt on Wednesday when they decided not to add new sports to the program for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected a bid by water skiing to join the world's biggest sporting event despite the sport being popular in Greece.

IOC director general Francois Carrard said recent new sports such as triathlon, trampolining, taekwondo, beach volleyball and softball would keep their place in the program for 2004.

But he said: "There will be no new sports for the 2004 Games in Athens."

IOC sports director Gilbert Felli said the organization was concerned about keeping the number of competitors to a 10,000 limit. No decision has been made about the program for the 2008 Games where rugby union is making a bid to join the party.

There were about 30 sports at the 2000 Sydney Games, depending on how they are classified.

The decision not to expand the Games was taken just hours before all five candidate cities for the 2008 Games -- Osaka (Japan), Paris, Toronto, Beijing and Istanbul -- briefed the executive board about their bids in the run-up to an IOC vote on the venue in Moscow next July.

STUDY AHEAD OF 2008 GAMES

Felli said the IOC would now carry out a study on the program for the 2008 Games. It is possible that the IOC may drop sports from the program to make way for new disciplines.

"We have to find a new solution for sports knocking at the door who deserve to be in," Felli said.

"Either we have got to have the guts to put some sports out -- but to do that others would have to be much better -- or we have to say: 'Okay, we have to have more than 10,000 athletes."

IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said he believed sports would have to be dropped from future Games before new disciplines could be accepted. The decision to delete sports from the program is likely to be a controversial issue in sporting political circles.

But Samaranch, who steps down in July next year, said: "That is a problem for the new president."

Host cities are facing more and more problems over transport and accommodation as the number of visitors continues to rise.

The IOC said in Sydney it was concerned by the rapid expansion of the number of media covering recent Olympics which is at a ratio of two media representatives to each athlete.

Adding sports to the program increases the media presence, since more television staff are required to broadcast the events, as well as increasing the number of competitors, officials and technical staff.

International rugby union chiefs have held meetings with the 2008 bid cities and received positive responses to their hopes of joining the Games.

On Sunday, another Olympic aspirant -- ballroom dancing -- gave an dancing exhibition to executive board members before they started their two-day meeting.

DISAPPOINTMENT

International Water Ski federation chief Andres Botero has been campaigning for his sport to be added to the Games since 1991 and was at IOC headquarters when his bid was turned down.

"Our first letter (about this) was sent to the IOC in 1948," he said. "It's extremely disappointing. Athens were very keen."

The Colombian said it was very hard for new sports to know how they could get into the program because there were no clear rules.

He suggested a promotion and relegation system should be set up where sports with Olympic aspirations could take part in the World Games, and then get a chance to go up to the Olympics.

Sports losing importance could drop down from the Summer Games to the World Games.

The World Games brings together lower profile world sports.

------------------------------------------------

Sam Houston wrestling team will add coach for girls athletes

By Jesse Sanchez 12/14/2000
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Brooke Dolberry, who is set to graduate from Midwestern State University on Saturday, will coach the Texans girls wrestling team beginning in January, Sam Houston principal Ricky Kempe said Wednesday.

Dolberry joins the staff of Texans first-year head wrestling coach Ryan Menard. Menard will continue to coach the boys team.

"I know I will be their first girls-only wrestling coach so I will set the standard of what it will be about," Dolberry, 22, said. "I know I will stand up to the expectations because I've got high standards."

This is the first coaching job for Dolberry, a 1997 Wichita Falls High School graduate who has never coached wrestling. Kempe said Dolberry is scheduled to begin at Sam Houston on Jan. 3.

"We got a problem finding teachers in physical education and she's an excellent, young coaching prospect," Kempe said. "She'll have P.E., then help out with wrestling. She'll be an assistant under Ryan [Menard]." Dolberry will inherit a team with a history of success. The Texans girls wrestlers won the state championship in 1999 and finished second last season. This season Brandy Killingsworth (185 pounds) is 9-0, LaTosha Gillon (215) is 5-0, Ember Brettmann (185) is 6-1, Maria Garza (165) is 6-0 and Glory Dalton (138) is 7-0.

Menard said he is looking forward to working with Dolberry and helping the wrestling program at Sam Houston grow.

"We talked on the phone and I kind of picked her brain," he said. "Nobody told me we were hiring her, but, it's positive for the program."

-----------------------------------------------

Wrestling Rankings

Compiled by the Michigan Wrestling Association
for December 14, 2000

103
Josh Churella - Novi
Brandon Kinney - Haslett
Lance Byers - Montrose
Kirsten Labelle - Davison

112
Ryan Thurber - Albion
Jason Bull - Reed City
Greg Seeber - Lake Odessa Lakewood
Jimmy Shutich - Rockford
Phil Scheafer - Mt. Pleasant
Eric Friewald - Armada

119
Lambros Kottalis - Fenton
Dan Thompson - Howard City Tri-County
Matt Leiby - Fulton Middleton
Jordan Early - East Kentwood
Chris Smith - Wyoming Rogers
Nick Emery - Cedar Springs

125
Nick Simmons - Williamston
Chris Edwards - Jackson Northwest
Eric Neil - L'anse Creuse
Scott Miller - Dundee
Jason Fellows - Lapeer West
Jack Scott - Holt

130
Chase Metcalf - Davison
Travis Brenner - Martin
Casey Steffen - Flat Rock
Adam Curtis - Caro
Adam Cunningham - Whittemore-Prescott
Scott Suszko - Standish Sterling

135
Andy Simmons - Williamston
Ken Thomas - Richmond
Casey Hulliberg - Williamston
Dan Morley - Whittemore-Prescott
Nick Oertel - Goodrich
Matt Cataline - Eaton Rapids

140
Justin Sinclair - G.R. Forest Hills Central
Joe Whitman - Davison
Ryan Tripp - Goodrich
Russell Perrin - Durand
Ryan Erickson - Whittemore-Prescott
Jacob Pattenaude - Walled Lake Western

145
Joe Zolnai - Holt
James Kish - Lapeer West
Travis Picard - Allendale
Ryan Churella - Novi
Leif Olson - Brighton
Montrell Lewis - Flint Beecher

152
Jeff Stevens - Mason
Jeremy Winsor - Fulton Middleton
R.J. Boudro - Armada
Chad Roush - Davison
Bryan Thomas - Coloma
Tim Zeits - Traverse City West

160
Zemaior Pittman - Flint Carman-Ainsworth
Jonah Lynn - Portland
Clint Degain - Clarkston
Josh Hillebrand - Martin
Imad Kharbush - Livonia Stevenson
Darryl Brault - Roseville

171
Roger Kish - Lapeer West
Matt McCartney - Roseville
Kris Sherry - Addison
Jason Fairfield - Mason County Central
Brandon Lane - Howard City Tri-County
Andrew Clish - Clintondale

189
Mike Neil - L'anse Creuse
Willie Breyer - Oxford
Dan Casemore - Durand
Bart Bennett - Birch Run
Jeremy Cochrane - Montrose
Mike Walden - Galesburg-Augusta

215
Luke Abercrombie - Whitehall
Dustin Brock - Springport
Nick Slovan - Novi
John Webb - Durand
Chris Curry - Ida
Bryan Schilb - Bay City Western