Olympics
WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING OLYMPIC MEDALLIST ALNEVIK PASSES AWAY AGED 100
BY MICHAEL HOUSTON
Swedish runner Folke Alnevik, who was the world’s oldest living Olympic medallist, has passed away at the age of 100.
Alnevik was part of the 4×400 metres relay team that took bronze for Sweden at the London 1948 Olympics.
He became the oldest living Olympic medallist in February 2018 after the passing of Bahamian Olympic sailing champion Sir Durward Knowles, who died at 100 years old too.
Alnevik won the bronze medal alongside Kurt Lundquist, Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt and Rune Larsson.
He also took a European Championship bronze in the same event in Oslo in 1946 and became the student world champion the following year in the 400m.
Alnevik won six national medals over the distance.
“He was a kind, strong, determined and competitive father,” son Mats said, as reported by Sportbladet.
“Competition was a very big part of his life and youth and also in recent years when he became chairman of Gästrikland’s athletics association.
“He devoted his whole life to sports and thought it was very fun.”
On reaching 100, Alnevik was said to have found the milestone funny and stated he was please to have outlived his father, who died at the age of 91.
Alnevik served in the military in his early life and was active into his 90s – playing golf and driving a car until he was 95.
He reportedly contracted COVID-19 and managed to overcome it, but died of complications from a bedsore.
The United States’ John Russell, also 100, is now thought to be the oldest living Olympic medallist.
Russell won equestrian bronze at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics.
He was born in February 1920, around three months after Alnevik.
British sailor Jasper Blackall is now the second-oldest living Olympic medallist and also 100, having been born in July 1920.
American canoeist John Lysak, who competed at Berlin 1936, is currently the oldest living Olympian in the world at 106.
The oldest living Olympic champion is Hungary’s former gymnast Ágnes Keleti, who won 10 Olympics medals in the 1950s including five golds.
Keleti is 99 years old.
-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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