LONDON CALLING: Sophie is the right choice - This is Wiltshire
LONDON CALLING: Sophie is the right choice
5:00pm Saturday 9th June 2012 in Latest News By Owen Houlihan
BRITISH Fencing performance manager Alex Newton has defended the selection of Winsley’s Sophie Williams in Great Britain’s Olympic team for London 2012.
The governing body’s selection process came under fire in some quarters after Williams, 21, and colleague Louise Bond-Williams were picked ahead of compatriots Jo Hutchison and Chrystall Nicoll, who held higher world rankings.
Hutchison and Nicoll subsequently launched an unsuccessful appeal after being overlooked, with the role of national sabre coach Jon Salfield – Williams’ coach in Truro – put under scrutiny.
However, the appeal was rejected by an independent panel and Newton has insisted Williams merited her place at the London Games.
The Wiltshire woman is currently preparing for the women’s sabre event at the senior European Championships in Legnano, Italy, next week, at which Bond-Williams, Hutchison and Nicholl will also compete.
Newton said of Williams: “(She) a fencer in her first full senior year who has had some good results and performances against the world’s best.
“In the toughest ever international competition environment (for women’s sabre), her performance trajectory is impressive.
“She is on a higher curve than our other women sabreurs. The performance team are confident that she will bridge the gap to the podium by 2016.
“At the time of selection she was ranked 59th in the world and is one of our brightest 2016 prospects and is also capable of producing a credible performance in 2012.
Newton added: “There has been much public speculation and commentary on the (women’s sabre) selections.
“In reality, all three athletes outside the top 50 were not considered as likely to produce a performance in the medal zone in 2012 and were therefore being considered as 2016 prospects.
“At the point of selection, there was no significant difference in the points and world ranking of the three fencers in contention.
“Following a detailed and thorough discussion, the clear view of the performance team was that although three sabreurs had broadly similar results over the qualifying period, Sophie Williams shows the greatest promise for the future, in particular for Rio 2016.
“We believe that we have a really well-balanced, talented team combining our very best experienced fencers with the finest prospects who have already shown competitiveness on the senior circuit.”
RUGBY: London Welsh pleased by support (From Oxford Mail) - Oxford Mail
RUGBY: London Welsh pleased by support
10:40am Saturday 9th June 2012 in Sport
London Welsh paid tribute to the “overwhelming” backing from across the sporting world after submitting their appeal to the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The Championship winners, who want to play top-flight rugby at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford next season, are contesting a ruling from the RFU last month they were ineligible for promotion to the Premiership.
The Exiles appealed this week and it is due to be heard on June 21.
Chairman Bleddyn Phillips revealed the support the club had received included Premiership owners and managers and figures in the Football League.
He said: “We are most grateful to all of you for this, which to our mind underscores very sharply what we believe to be the fundamental issue at stake.”
And the Richmond club’s chief remains perplexed by the ruling.
He said: “(London Welsh) have arrangements already in place to play its ‘home’ games next season at a top sporting venue which would rank, in our view, as one of the best grounds offering up Premiership rugby in 2012/13.
“To our mind, it makes our case for promotion even more compelling and the reasoning behind its rejection even more difficult to fathom.”
London mayor urges T.O. to go for 2024 Olympics - Calgary Herald
A surprise city council decision Friday to consider bidding for the 2024 Summer Olympics was given a solid thumbs up from the mayor of London, whose own city is set to stage one of the world's greatest sports spectacles next month.
Boris Johnson said the Games leave lasting value, something he said will happen in his city.
"I think that's a great move," Johnson said.
"Go for it, Toronto. You won't regret it if you get it."
Toronto has twice before thrown its hat into the Olympic ring - in 1996 and 2008 - only to be disappointed. It did not try for the 2020 event.
If a decision is made to try to land the Games in 2024, Johnson urged the city to "make a case" for staging them to the International Olympic Committee that goes well beyond the athletics.
Naughty swimmers to leave London early - Sportal.com.au
Australian swimmers Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk will leave London immediately after their events at the Olympic Games are over.
Monk earlier this week posted a photo on Facebook of the duo posing with high-powered weapons in a US gun shop, with the pair later apologising for their actions.
Along with being sent home after their swimming events are completed, Monk and D'Arcy have been banned from using social media from July 16 to August 15, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said on Saturday.
In a letter sent to both athletes, Chef de Mission Nick Green said: "Given this incident and our previous discussions concerning your conduct, I now have concerns regarding your lack of judgment.
"As a member of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team, and as I have reminded you on previous occasions, it is an honour and a privilege to be a member of an Australian Olympic Team.
"Australian Olympians are required to meet very high standards of conduct and we cannot risk the reputation of the team through non-compliance with the Team Membership Agreement."
If they are not required for the final session of the swimming program, the AOC plan for D'Arcy and Monk to leave London's Olympic Village on August 4.
Green insisted the decision to take the pair to the Games, which start on July 27, had nothing to do with whether they would be successful.
"This has nothing to do with medals," he said.
"It is all about upholding team values, in particular the high standards of behaviour set by those Olympians who came before you."
Swimming Australia, who ordered for the photos to be removed, are conducting their own investigation.
London 2012: London bus drivers vote to strike over bonuses - BBC News
Bus workers in London have voted to take strike action in a row over their workload during the Olympics.
Nearly 40% of Unite members working for 21 bus companies voted 94% in favour of strike action. No dates have been set.
The union, which is asking for a £500 bonus, says bus workers are the only London transport workers not to receive an Olympics bonus payment.
Transport for London (TfL) said it was disappointed but workers were employed by private firms who set their pay.
Dates for strike action could be announced early next week.
Unite says it expects 800,000 extra passengers to travel on buses during the Games.
It said workers on London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railways, Network Rail and Virgin would all receive between £500 to £900 in extra payments.
In May, a survey of 2,955 London bus and rail passengers commissioned by the union found that 88% were in favour of Olympic bonus pay.
'Completely reprehensible'Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional secretary for London, said: "It's a disgrace that London's mayor, Boris Johnson, and the bus companies have allowed this dispute to get this far.
"Our members are only asking for an extra £17 a day which will just about buy you a pint of beer and a portion of fish and chips at the Olympics.
"Our members want the Games to be a success but their patience has run out."
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, said: "I am not surprised that 70% of London's bus drivers did not vote for strike action.
"That is because about 70% of London's local bus services are not affected by the Olympic Games.
"The whole country is really entering into the spirit of the Games and the overwhelming responsible majority are pulling out all the stops to make it a huge success.
"Only Unite appears to want to exploit it by adding a further multimillion-pound burden to the hard-pressed fare-payers and taxpayers of London."
Mr Daniels added that Unite had already negotiated binding deals for pay and conditions with each of the bus companies for this year.
"Attempting to tear up those agreements and get a new one with less than 50 days to go before the Games is completely reprehensible and out of step with every other provider of services in this city this summer."
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