It is reported that Eric Rudolph is to plead guilty to the 1996 bombing of the Atlanta Olympics.
By "copping a plea" he will save his miserable neck from the death penalty.
Rudolph who, by perverse chance, is an anti-abortion crusader was charged with carrying out a series of blasts in Georgia and Alabama in the late 1990s. A tad hypocritical of him to claim to be "pro life", yet still be so happy to kill and injure people.
The Olympic bombing killed one woman, and injured approximately 100 others. He then, allegedly, went on to set off bombs at a lesbian nightclub in Atlanta and at two abortion clinics in Alabama and Atlanta. The Alabama abortion clinic blast killed an off-duty police officer, and critically injured a nurse.
He managed to evade capture for five years, until he was seen foraging for food near a grocery store trash bin in Murphy, N.C.
The deal will mean that he will receive four life sentences.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Nelson Mandela Backs London Bid
Nelson Mandela has come out in favour of London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.
Mandela praised London's ethnic diversity yesterday, and said it would be unrivalled in its suitability to stage the Games.
Quote:
"There is no city like London. It is a wonderfully diverse and open city providing a home to hundreds of different nationalities...I can't think of a better place to hold an event that unites the world."
This support is a considerable boost for the London campaign, which is still behind Paris the favourites.
Mandela praised London's ethnic diversity yesterday, and said it would be unrivalled in its suitability to stage the Games.
Quote:
"There is no city like London. It is a wonderfully diverse and open city providing a home to hundreds of different nationalities...I can't think of a better place to hold an event that unites the world."
This support is a considerable boost for the London campaign, which is still behind Paris the favourites.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Beijing Upgrade
It is reported that Beijing is planning to upgrade its emergency medical services, in time for the 2008 Olympics.
Seemingly the upgrade will cost approximately $400M. Emergency service outlets will be arranged in 132 communities in Beijing.
Beijing Emergency Medical Center will serve as the HQ of the first-aid provision and command system. It will add 400 new ambulances to its first-aid vehicle fleet, and begin to provide helicopter-based emergency medical services.
Additionally sporting venues, major media centres and the 2008 Olympic Village will be equipped with medical equipment.
These facilities will be able to be used twenty four hours a day, in the event of an emergency.
Seemingly the upgrade will cost approximately $400M. Emergency service outlets will be arranged in 132 communities in Beijing.
Beijing Emergency Medical Center will serve as the HQ of the first-aid provision and command system. It will add 400 new ambulances to its first-aid vehicle fleet, and begin to provide helicopter-based emergency medical services.
Additionally sporting venues, major media centres and the 2008 Olympic Village will be equipped with medical equipment.
These facilities will be able to be used twenty four hours a day, in the event of an emergency.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
New York Plays For The Sympathy Vote
The organisers of the New York bid to host the 2012 Olympics, have stated that they don't want sympathy over the September 11 attacks to play a part in the voting process.
This statement of course now reminds everyone of that tragedy and ensures, albeit unintentionally, that New York will get a sympathy vote.
New York deputy-mayor Dan Doctoroff said on Saturday:
"I certainly don't want people to vote for us out of sympathy..And New Yorkers certainly don't want people to vote for us out of sympathy."
He then went on to say that the attacks could still have a positive bearing on voting, because of the way it had changed people's views of New York.
"I think there is a somewhat more subtle point that could potentially play a role and that is the perception of New York and New Yorkers in the wake of 9/11..People saw out of New York and out of New Yorkers the very values that I think lie at the foundation of the Olympic movement: resiliency, the ability to get up after a defeat and move forward, determined to be more creative than ever before".
Good campaign tactics in my view.
This statement of course now reminds everyone of that tragedy and ensures, albeit unintentionally, that New York will get a sympathy vote.
New York deputy-mayor Dan Doctoroff said on Saturday:
"I certainly don't want people to vote for us out of sympathy..And New Yorkers certainly don't want people to vote for us out of sympathy."
He then went on to say that the attacks could still have a positive bearing on voting, because of the way it had changed people's views of New York.
"I think there is a somewhat more subtle point that could potentially play a role and that is the perception of New York and New Yorkers in the wake of 9/11..People saw out of New York and out of New Yorkers the very values that I think lie at the foundation of the Olympic movement: resiliency, the ability to get up after a defeat and move forward, determined to be more creative than ever before".
Good campaign tactics in my view.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Erroneous Decision
The dynamic duo of Greek sprinting, Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterian Thanou, were cleared by the Greek athletics federation of missing drugs tests in March.
This perverse decision does not exactly cover the Olympics with glory does it?
It would seem that IAAF are also concerned about this decision, and have announced it will appeal against it.
The IAAF stated that the Greek decision was "erroneous", and said it would be referring the case to CAS - the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The dynamic duo were found innocent of any wrongdoing by their national federation last month, despite being kicked out of the 2004 Games.
Kenteris, the 200m Olympic gold medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and Thanou, silver medalist in the 100m, had been accused by the IAAF of breaking doping rules by missing that test and others in Tel Aviv on July 27-28, and Chicago on August 10-11 last year.
They also allegedly faked a motorcycle crash, and used it as their excuse for not attending one of the tests.
However, the Greek authorities decided to dismiss the charges against the duo instead they banned their coach for 4 years.
A tad perverse I would say.
The IAAF website says of the matter:
"The IAAFs Doping Review Board has reviewed the decision received from the Greek National Federation to clear the Greek athletes, Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekatherina Thanou, of anti-doping rule violations under IAAF Rules.."
"The Doping Review Board has concluded that the decision is erroneous and the IAAF will now refer both athletes cases to arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a timely basis under IAAF Rules...The CAS decision in both cases will be final and binding."
Both athletes are suspended, pending the outcome of the CAS decision.
This perverse decision does not exactly cover the Olympics with glory does it?
It would seem that IAAF are also concerned about this decision, and have announced it will appeal against it.
The IAAF stated that the Greek decision was "erroneous", and said it would be referring the case to CAS - the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The dynamic duo were found innocent of any wrongdoing by their national federation last month, despite being kicked out of the 2004 Games.
Kenteris, the 200m Olympic gold medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and Thanou, silver medalist in the 100m, had been accused by the IAAF of breaking doping rules by missing that test and others in Tel Aviv on July 27-28, and Chicago on August 10-11 last year.
They also allegedly faked a motorcycle crash, and used it as their excuse for not attending one of the tests.
However, the Greek authorities decided to dismiss the charges against the duo instead they banned their coach for 4 years.
A tad perverse I would say.
The IAAF website says of the matter:
"The IAAFs Doping Review Board has reviewed the decision received from the Greek National Federation to clear the Greek athletes, Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekatherina Thanou, of anti-doping rule violations under IAAF Rules.."
"The Doping Review Board has concluded that the decision is erroneous and the IAAF will now refer both athletes cases to arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a timely basis under IAAF Rules...The CAS decision in both cases will be final and binding."
Both athletes are suspended, pending the outcome of the CAS decision.
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