Olympics
ITALY’S DOUBLE OLYMPIC 800M FINALIST SABIA DIES FROM CORONAVIRUS
BY DAN PALMER
Italy’s two-time Olympic 800 metres finalist Donato Sabia has died from coronavirus at the age of 56.
The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) reported that he is the first known Olympic finalist anywhere in the world to die from COVID-19.
Sabia finished fifth in the 800m at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics and was then seventh four years later at Seoul 1988.
His major accomplishment during his career was winning gold in the 800m at the 1984 European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg.
He was also a former world record holder in the seldom-competed 500m, setting a time of 1min 0.8sec in May 1984 in Busto Arsizio.
After competing, Sabia served as chairman of the Italian Athletics Federation’s (FIDAL) Basilicata Regional Committee.
He died in San Carlo hospital in Potenza after spending time in intensive care.
Alfio Giomi, the President of FIDAL, said: “This is a tragedy in a tragedy.
“Donato was a person you couldn’t help but love.”
Italy has been severely impacted by coronavirus, recording more than 135,000 cases.
Its death count of more than 17,000 is the highest in the world.
“Italian and Olympic sport thus prematurely loses a great athlete who, having abandoned the track, was now making his contribution to athletics by presiding over the regional FIDAL Committee of Basilicata,” CONI said.
“The President of CONI, Giovanni Malagò, deeply saddened, expresses the personal condolences of the whole Italian National Olympic Committee to Donato’s relatives and to the whole athletics world who has lost today a great protagonist, a great man and a great champion.”
-insidethegames
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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