Olympics
CREATOR OF 1980 MOSCOW OLYMPICS MASCOT DIES AT 84
Viktor Chizhikov, the creator of the brown bear mascot Misha for the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, has died at the age of 84.
A children’s book illustrator, Chizhikov is best known for bringing the iconic mascot to life at the Games which began 40 years ago this week.
The decision to choose the bear for the mascot came as it was the national animal of the Soviet Union, with the Games coming at the height of the Cold War.
Misha was chosen through a Soviet television programme called In the Animal Kingdom.
Viewers were asked to choose between a hare, a stoat, a squirrel, an eagle, a badger, a grouse and a cockerel but the bear was the overwhelmingly popular choice.
The design proved so popular that many Russians still fondly remembered him when the 2014 Winter Olympics were held in Sochi.
More than 60 countries did not compete in Moscow after a boycott was successfully started by the United States in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Four years later in retaliation, the Soviet Union and most Eastern-bloc nations boycotted the Los Angeles 1984 Games.
According to the International Olympic Committee website, a group of artists produced 60 versions of the mascot, but Chizhikov’s bear was chosen for the Games.
His death was announced by a children’s book publisher on Facebook with a tribute left in his honour.
A statement by AST Deti said: “It’s symbolic that the artist has left us as many of us are remembering the 1980 Olympics.
“The image of the Olympic bear once created by Viktor Alexandrovich has touched the hearts of millions.”
At the Closing Ceremony for the 1980 Games, a large mosaic of Misha was in the stands showing a tear rolling down its face.
Then, a reproduction of the bear was lifted from what is now the Luzhniki Stadium by colourful balloons.
-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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