Olympics
US at risk of losing both 2028 and 2034 Olympics, says IOC member
The United States is at risk of losing both the 2028 Summer and 2034 Winter Olympics if American law enforcement over reaches in its investigation of Chinese swimmers, said former senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound.
Any country wanting to compete in or stage an international sporting event must be compliant with the anti-doping code.
Pound, the Canadian lawyer who led the set up of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), believes the Rodchenkov Act the U.S. is using to investigate the positive tests of 23 Chinese swimmers could disqualify it as an Olympic host.
The Rodchenkov Act legislation passed in 2020 extends U.S. law enforcement jurisdiction to any international sporting competitions that involve American athletes or have financial connections to the United States.
“That legislation is non-compliant with the anti-doping code,” Pound told Reuters on Tuesday. “My guess is that one of the steps that WADA is going to take at this point is to turn this particular issue over to the compliance review committee.
“Which I suspect, if or when there’s a hearing on it, they will declare the United States non-compliant.
“It would mean they could not host the Olympics.”
WADA had no comment when asked about taking the U.S. to the non-compliant review committee but other anti-doping officials who did not want to be named confirmed the idea is being discussed.
WADA believes the Rodchenkov Act is national legislation not in harmony with the anti-doing code that allows U.S. authorities to relitigate cases already decided.
With contracts signed and advance plans in place, stripping Los Angeles of the 2028 Olympics is unlikely.
Yet Pound told Reuters that the IOC might consider delaying the confirmation of Salt Lake City as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics.
Salt Lake is expected to be rubber stamped as 2034 hosts during the IOC Congress next week ahead of the Paris Summer Games but Pound said Olympic chiefs could use the opportunity to send a message by delaying the confirmation.
“There’s certainly an opportunity, because apparently we have a session in Puerto Rico in November,” said Pound. “An easy way to finesse that would be to say, well listen these would be Games in the Americas maybe that’s the place we should make our announcement in Puerto Rico.
“If I were King of the mountain, I would call up (United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee chair) Gene Sykes and say, listen the drums are starting to beat here and it’s this legislation that puts the U.S. offside.”
Reuters has contacted The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the Salt Lake City bid committee and the United States Anti-Doping Agency for comment.
Such a move would further inflame tensions between WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) which has accused the global body of a cover-up and called on the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate how the Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) weeks before the Tokyo Olympics.
The swimmers were cleared by a Chinese investigation which said they were inadvertently exposed to the drug through contamination and allowed to compete at the Tokyo Games.
Two independent investigations one by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier looking into WADA’s handling of the case and the other an audit by World Aquatics reached similar conclusions that there was no mismanagement or cover-up.
Other than voicing its support for WADA, the IOC has not so far waded into the threat of a U.S. investigation but the powerful Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) made its position clear, saying on Friday it had growing concerns about sending officials to the United States over fears they could be arrested.
“When you look at the context, this was a national competition, a domestic China competition, there wasn’t an American within 6,000 miles,” said Pound. “Now all of a sudden they’re trying to upgrade this to a Rodchenkov violation, which is just bad.
“You’ve already seen that shot across the bow from ASOIF, saying, hey listen this is serious and the U.S. may be disqualified from participation in a lot of these events.
“I think there’s a danger of USADA and the U.S. playing itself offside in a way that could jeopardize both the 2028 and 2034 Games.”
-Reuters
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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