Olympics
Australia boxing coach withdraws from Paris Games over sexual misconduct
Boxing Australia’s national head coach Jamie Pittman has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics after being sanctioned for incidents of sexual misconduct toward female athletes while on overseas camps.
The former Olympian was suspended for six months from his role by Australia’s National Sports Tribunal (NST) following complaints brought by athletes and a team physiotherapist while on two team camps between July and October last year.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed on Wednesday that Pittman would not travel to Paris for the July 26-August 11 Games.
Pittman, who boxed for Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics before going professional, had also voluntarily stood down from the AOC’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, it added in a statement.
The NST said in its written determination dated March 22 that Pittman, 42, had admitted to 11 different instances of misconduct, including making a series of lewd comments and sexually suggestive gestures around athletes.
He had also taken a photograph of a female athlete as she was bending over with her back to him while on an international flight and shown the picture to another athlete.
It said his conduct had been described as “disgusting”, “shocking” and “offensive”.
The NST said Pittman had accepted the findings of prohibited conduct and apologised for causing distress, and withdrawn his interest in attending the Paris Games.
The tribunal added he had been ordered to provide written apologies to two athletes and the team physiotherapist and attend counselling as directed by the governing Combat Institute of Australia.
–Reuters
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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