The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council has created new relays events, dubbed IAAF World Relays with the first editions taking place in Nassau, Bahamas, in May 2014 and 2015.

This new two-day competition will bring together the world’s best athletes, with a schedule that includes the traditional 4x100m and 4x400m events as well as 4x200m, 4x800m and 4x1500m, the IAAF said in a news dispatch on Saturday.

It is expected that the World Relays will be used to qualify some teams for the World Championships and Olympics.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said: “The wonderful athletics competition in London has not only reinforced the appeal of our sport but specifically the popularity of relay races.

“Spectators find the relays dramatic and exciting. We are confident that this new special event, at the beginning of the season, will really help us promote the sport further.”

He said the federation was delighted when the Bahamas stepped forward to host because the country was passionate about athletics and had a tremendous reputation in the relay races.

Bahamas struck the men’s 4 x400m Olympic gold in London on Friday night, beating the United States who settled for silver. Trinidad and Tobago took bronze.

“We have received strong support and financial guarantees from the Government of the Bahamas which will help us, together with  our partner the Bahamas to deliver an excellent and exciting product,” said Diack, a Senegalese.

The venue of the event is the 15,000 capacity Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in Nassau which will host the 2013 edition of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games.

This event will be open to all IAAF Member Federations and there will be a total of approximately $1.4 million in prize money available.

The event will be broadcast around the world with the Host Broadcasting provided by the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas.

Meydan Racecourse has launched a US $952.8million legal claim against UAE builder Arabtec and Malaysian contractor WCT over the construction of the racecourse that hosts the Dubai World Cup.

Arabtec and WCT won the contract to construct the course in September 2007.

Meydan cancelled the contract 16 months later, sale saying the contractors had failed to keep to construction timetable.

The joint venture launched an arbitration action against Meydan, alleging breach of contract. The claim currently stands US $762.3M.

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Meydan has now responded with its own civil suit in the Dubai Courts, claiming the original arbitration had expired.

WCT said the claim is “frivolous and without merit” and vowed to fight the civil suit.

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Australian gymnast Lauren Mitchell has become a Visa ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games joining 14 times Olympic swimming gold medallist Michael Phelps and Beijing 2008 shot put gold medal winner Valerie Adams.

Mitchell was the first female Australian athlete to claim a world gold medal at the 2011 World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam.

She also claimed two silver medals at the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships in London, as well as claiming gold medals at the 2010 Stuttgart World Cup in balance beam, floor exercise and uneven bars.

Her confirmation as a Visa ambassador makes her the first Australian to be at the front of the organisation’s Olympic Games’ marketing campaign.

Visa’s country manager in Australia, Vipin Kalra, said: “The Olympic Games begin and end with the athletes and we’re excited to have Lauren join Visa as our first Australian Olympic ambassador.”

Visa’s campaign will air later this month, entitled “Go World”, and will feature Mitchell performing her routines. Visa cardholders will be entered into a weekly draw from which they could win a trip for two to the Olympic Games in the English capital next year.

“Winning an Olympic gold medal has been a dream of mine since I was a child and it’s great to know I have got Visa and the rest of Australia behind me as I head to London,” Mitchell said.

Visa who have a long association with the Olympic Movement, made their athlete selections based on a number of criteria, including dedication to their sport, community involvement and athletic achievements.

Just 2 years after filing for bankruptcy and effectively ending a 50-year partnership with the golf circuit, denture General Motors (GM) is to make a comeback as sponsor of the 2011 PGA Tour.

GM have signed a six-year deal to be the title sponsor of the World Championships at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami in March of next year through its Cadillac brand.

Cadillac marketing vice-president, sale | Don Butler said “The prominence of being associated with the PGA is the best players in the world playing at the highest level,”

“We were the standard of the world for the better part of a century and we do intend to regain that mantle.”

Cadillac is also hoping to create a new event in Detroit though the location and date are yet to be confirmed.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem was full of praise of the carmaker which has supported the sport for many years. “We are partnering with a company that has demonstrated, over a long, long period of time, a tremendous knowledge for marketing. The problems that befell this company were not about selling cars.”

With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set to add a sport to the 2020 programmes in a few days, Squash has announced their campaign has received worldwide surging social media support.

As the campaign looks to build further momentum in the lead up to the IOC presentation on the 8th September, the Squash 2020 Facebook page has now registered over 124,000 likes, a 21% increase over the last seven days, with the ‘Back the Bid’ film on YouTube receiving almost 153,000 views and @Vote4Squash Twitter account fast approaching 10,000 followers.

As the only new sport to be shortlisted for inclusion at the 2020 Olympic Games, Squash has received social media support from across the globe, including Brazil, Egypt, Columbia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Switzerland, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Malaysia – once again highlighting Squash’s global appeal and its popularity across all ages and languages.

Commenting on Squash’s online support, World Squash Federation President N Ramachandran, said: “Digital and social media is a great platform to engage and bring people together and it is fantastic to see the growing number of people from around the world supporting Squash 2020 online.

“Once again, this highlights Squash’s commitment to innovation and the sport’s growing appeal to young people as a fast, exciting and dynamic sport.

“Squash can genuinely offer something exciting and fresh to the Olympic experience and as we look to build further momentum in the lead up to the 125th IOC Session, I hope that more and more people will support our bid and help persuade the IOC to vote for Squash on 8th September.”

Squash are competing against Wrestling and a joint Baseball/Softball bid for a place at the 2020 Olympics.

Chelyabinsk, advice Russia have signed a deal with the International Judo Federation to host the 2014 World Judo Championships.

The agreement was signed by the IJF President, Mr. Marius Vizer, the Vice-President of Russian Judo Federation and President of European Judo Union, Mr. Sergey Soloveychik and the Governor of Chelyabinsk Region, Mr. Mikhail Yurevich. 

Sports retail giant, apoplectic Adidas has posted double-digit increases in profit and revenues in the third quarter, despite continuing worries about its under-performing Reebok brand.

Group revenues were positively impacted by currency rates, rising only 4% on a currency-neutral basis, but driven by double-digit increases in retail.

Sustained momentum at Adidas helped revenues in Western Europe to rise 1% currency-neutral, while strong increases for both Adidas and Reebok drove a 19% revenue surge in European emerging markets.

However, North America fell 5% as increases for Adidas and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf were more than offset by strong revenue declines at Reebok.

Similarly, Greater China revenues increased 11% and other Asian markets rose 1%, as growth for Adidas was balanced by strong sales declines at Reebok.

Meanwhile, group revenues in Latin America rose 16% in the third quarter.

By brand, third quarter sales for Adidas increased 10% and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf was up 4%, but Reebok revenues slumped 25%, hit by the non-recurrence of prior-year licence sales and negative impacts from Reebok India Company.

Nonetheless, Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer commented about the results: “These impressive financial results reflect our relentless focus on creating the industry’s most desirable brands, which we are doing through consistent product innovation, brand authentication and investment.

“We have grown the bottom line faster than the top line now for the last seven quarters, which ensures we will deliver another year of record financial results for 2012.”