unhealthy | helvetica, sale sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;”>The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that two medal events in Para-Snowboard will be included in the Alpine Skiing programme at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

This brings to 72 the number of medal events at the Sochi 2014 Games and is the first time that Para-Snowboard events have been included in the Paralympic programme.

Originally called Adaptive Snowboard, the sport is practiced worldwide by hundreds of athletes.

Xavier Gonzalez, the IPC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Snowboard is a fast paced and extremely exciting sport and we are delighted that it will form part of the Alpine Skiing programme at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

“I would like to thank Sochi 2014, NPC Russia , Russian Government, the World Snowboard Federation and the IPC Athletes’ Council for all supporting the inclusion of these two extra medal events.

“It is important for the growth of the winter Games that there are more sports and more medal events to contest. I am particularly looking forward to see how athletes perform in this exciting new discipline and believe it will prove extremely popular with spectators and TV viewers alike.”

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, said: “Snowboarding is a young and exciting sport and one which is attracting new audiences and participants everywhere.

“Its inclusion in the Paralympics programme will give a further boost to the promotion of Paralympic sports across Russia and highlights the opportunities that sport provides to everyone. It also reflects our determination to deliver the most innovative and successful Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in history.”

Gunnar Tveit, World Snowboard Federation (WSF) President, said: “The WSF are thrilled by the decision to include Para-Snowboard in the Paralympic programme of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. Together with the IPC, the WSF National Snowboard Associations, and riders, we have been working towards this goal for the last six years.

“Knowing that the riders will have the chance to compete in the sport they love in 2014 is rewarding not only because the athletes will be recognized for their hard work but also because the inclusion of Para-Snowboard in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games will provide an unprecedented level of exposure to the sport.”

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will take place between 7-16 March 2014. Also included in the Alpine Skiing programme are Downhill, Super G, Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom events. Nordic Skiing will see a number of Biathlon and Cross Country events contested whilst other medal events will take place in Ice Sledge Hockey and Wheelchair Curling.

The qualification criteria for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will be published on Monday 28 May 2012.

Vancouver, Canada staged the last Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The event featured 502 athletes from 44 countries who contested 64 medals. Germany topped the medals table winning 13 golds.

Mario Andrada, clinic a former journalist who became a Nike executive in Brazil, doctor has been appointed communications director for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Mario Andrada took over this week after predecessor Carlos Villanova left to return to Brasilia and work in the Brazilian foreign service. Villanova began work at Rio 2016 in 2011. 

Andrada was director of communications in Latin America for Nike Brazil for the past five years. Previously, he spent 20 years in sports journalism including a stint with Reuters. 

He covered the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as a journalist and the 2012 Games in his Nike capacity.

Former Rangers manager Walter Smith is to head-up a new group which today launched a £6 million bid to takeover Rangers.

The bid was launched a lunch-time today which comprises multi-millionaire businessman Jim McColl, and other wealthy Rangers supporters in the local business community.

Duff and Phelps have said they have a binding contract with Charles Green for a £5.5m asset sale, which kicked in after today’s £8.5m CVA offer was formally rejected.

If that falls through Smith’s consortium will look to pounce on the deal.

Even if Mr Green does proceed and complete a deal inside the next 24 hours, the £6m offer now on the table would present him with a quick £500,000 profit to move the assets of a newco on straight away and he could depart the scene.

Smith released a statement today that read: “I can today confirm that following talks over the last few weeks I am leading a new bid for Rangers Football Club.

“I have been assisted by Jim McColl, Douglas Park and other prominent Scottish businessmen with a shared objective – that Rangers Football Club should be in the hands of Rangers people who will stabilise the club and protect it from future situations like we find ourselves in today.

“With this in mind, representatives have, on behalf of my group, made representations to BDO, Duff and Phelps and indeed Charles Green, notifying them of our willingness to offer on the “Newco” basis on which Mr Green is proceeding.

“We would call on Mr Green to step aside and allow us to proceed with our deal which is in the best interests of the creditors, the employees, the fans and the various other stakeholders of Rangers Football Club.

“None of our group has any desire to own Rangers Football Club but we have put this deal in place to save the Club.

“However, our overriding objective is to ensure that the stadium, the history and everything else magical about Rangers Football Club is protected and nurtured back to good health and provide a platform for Rangers for generations to come.

“Let’s be clear, this is an acquisition designed to stabilise the Club and ensure history does not repeat itself.

“We are not in this to take money out of the Club but more so to do whatever it takes in a turnaround plan to ensure within a few years the Club can be passed on intact and to the right people.

“The supporters should be under no illusion that it will be extremely hard but with their support we can overcome financial hardship that lies ahead by lending their support to what we feel is the correct way forward – for Rangers people who know the Club inside and out to control its destiny.

“The prominent Scottish businessmen involved have agreed to provide acquisition funding to allow myself and a management team to take on Rangers Football Club and make the business self-sufficient with long term sustainability being essential.

“I would hope that this offer is fully supported by everyone in the Rangers Family as without them the Club cannot and will not survive.

“We therefore want to ensure honesty and transparency in everything we do. We want to rebuild Rangers Football Club and in doing so return the institution to the standards it is known for.

The armed forces have today begun a massive training exercise across London to test their responses to potential threats during the Olympic Games.

All forms of the military have begun an eight-day exercise called Olympic Guardian which is designed to test their response to potential threats that could arise during the Olympics.

As part of the exercise, therapy the Army, Navy and Air Force will be deploying Helicopters, Jet fighters, warships, ground based radar systems and surface-to-air missiles to allow the servicemen and women operating them to become familiar with working in the area.

Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha, air component commander for Olympics air security, said: “What we will have is a plan that has many levels to it which will allow us to deal at one end – which is that 9/11-type attack – perhaps down to the lower and the slower type of threat that we may face. 

“There is no specific threat and all we are doing is having in place what we would describe as prudent and appropriate measures in place, in order that we could react if required in a timely and appropriate fashion.”

Air Vice-Marshal Atha said he hoped the exercise would have “an effect on the mind” of any potential attackers, and added: “I would hope when they see how we are preparing they might be deterred from making any threats to the Games.”

The RAF warned that people in south-east England will notice an increase in air activity at certain times, in particular this weekend.

Other aircraft involved in the exercise include Royal Navy Sea King helicopters temporarily based at RAF Northolt, RAF Puma helicopters based at a Territorial Army centre in Ilford, east London, and Army and Royal Navy Lynx helicopters on HMS Ocean in the Thames.

Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond said: “Whilst there is no specific threat to the Games, we have to be ready to assist in delivering a safe and secure Olympics for all to enjoy.

“The fact that our state-of-the-art Typhoons will be stationed at RAF Northolt underlines the commitment of the Ministry of Defence and our armed forces to keeping the public safe at a time when the world will be watching us.”

Eurosport Events have revealed today the Chinese broadcasters for two World Touring Ccar Championship (WTCC) Chinese rounds.

Eight free to air broadcasters will broadcast the event in mainland China next October 5th from Beijing and October 12th from Shanghai.

They Include Channel Max (SiTV) based in Shanghai, generic and CSPN Network based in Beijing (including Shandong TV, here Hubei TV, Xinjiang TV and Jiangxi TV) with broadcast of the two races live at 14:50 and 15:50 respectively (local time).

Also CCTV 5, the state owned sports broadcaster, will broadcast highlights of the event within ‘Auto times’ weekly magazine, while TVB in Honk Kong and TDM in Macau will broadcast a dedicated magazine on the following week.

On a pan-Asia Pacific basic, Eurosport Asia will deliver comprehensive live TV coverage of the two events, whilst ESS Fox will tape the races in the following week.

Overall, 92 broadcasters over 186 countries will air WTCC Chinese rounds.

Francois Ribeiro, Eurosport Events COO, commented: “It’s the first time Eurosport Events will run two back to back events in China over the two main cities, Beijing and Shanghai. Given the importance of the Chinese automotive market and the first ever WTCC participation of Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua on his home soil, we were really keen to deliver a solid domestic coverage.”