IOC and iSportconnect Member and multiple world record breaker, Kirsty Coventry, is set to be elected as Vice-President of the International Surfing Association (ISA) – the IOC recognised global governing body for Surfing.

The Zimbabwean swimmer will be elected unopposed at the governing body’s annual general meeting taking place during the 2016 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in the Azores Islands, Portugal. She will become the first ever female ISA Vice-President from Africa.

Coventry will replace Layne Beachley of Australia and will join President Fernando Aguerre, fellow IOC Member and Olympic Champion Barbara Kendall of New Zealand, Double Stand-Up Paddle World Champion, Casper Steinfath of Denmark and President of the Pan American Surf Association, Karin Sierralta of Peru on the ISA Executive Committee.

Coventry is Africa’s most successful Olympian of all time and the top individual female swimmer in Olympic history. She has competed at every Olympic Games from Sydney 2000 to Rio 2016, winning Gold in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. She is also a seven-time World Champion and broke world records on five occasions.

She is also a member of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa Athletes’ Commission, she is a member of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee and a Foundation Board Member and Athlete’s Committee Member of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said: “We are honoured to be welcoming Kirsty as ISA Vice-President. Her outstanding career as an elite athlete tells you everything you need to know about her commitment, dedication and talent and I know she will add a great deal to our team. As an IOC Member, Kirsty also has very strong links with the Olympic Movement. This connection will be invaluable to the ISA as we prepare for Surfing’s Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.”

“Surfing’s unique values are rooted in inclusivity and diversity and we are delighted that Kirsty is set to become the ISA’s first ever female Vice-President from Africa. Global development is a key element of the ISA’s strategy and the consistent growth and reach amongst all areas of society is a driving force behind the ISA’s ambitions to solidify Surfing’s position on the Olympic Programme.”

Double Olympic Champion, Kirsty Coventry, added: “I am thrilled to be joining Fernando and the ISA team as Vice-President at such an exciting time following Surfing’s inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I am looking forward to getting to work as we prepare for the sport’s ground-breaking debut in Tokyo and beyond.

“Surfing expresses a unique and modern blend of sport performance, culture and a connection to nature that resonates with my own global outlook. Throughout my career, both as an athlete and as an administrator, I have been presented with some amazing opportunities and I am excited to be starting this new adventure with the ISA.”

View Kirsty’s

The NCAA will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year.

The NCAA Board of Governors made this decision because of the cumulative actions taken by the state concerning civil rights protections.

Explaining the decision futher they emphasized that NCAA championships and events must promote an inclusive atmosphere for all college athletes, coaches, administrators and fans. 

Current North Carolina state laws make it challenging to guarantee that host communities can help deliver on that commitment if NCAA events remained in the state, the board said.

“Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships,” said Mark Emmert, NCAA president. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships.”

These seven championship events will be relocated from North Carolina for 2016-17:

• – 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup (Cary), Dec. 2 and 4.
• – 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships (Greensboro), Dec. 2 and 3.
• – 2017 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, first/second rounds (Greensboro), March 17 and 19.
• – 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Championships, regional (Greenville), May 8-10.
• – 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships (Cary), May 22-27.
• – 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship (Cary), May 26 and 28.
• – 2017 Division II Baseball Championship (Cary), May 27-June 3.
• It follows the NBA’s decision earlier in the year to move the All-Star Game from Charlotte.

 

Jockey Club Live, the joint venture between live music specialists Music+Sport and the UK’s leading racecourse group Jockey Club Racecourses, has announced the appointment of its first Chairman.

Nicky Dunn, who has nearly 30 years’ experience in the live music industry will head the board of Jockey Club Live and assumes her new role with immediate effect.

Dunn, who has just been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, was Commercial Director of the London Docklands Arena before becoming CEO of the Odyssey (now SSE) Arena in Belfast, a role she held for 10 years.

She also holds non-executive positions with a number of high profile organisations including The London Legacy Development Corporation and  E20  LLP  (Olympic Stadium). She also Chairs the board of  The Titanic Foundation, which owns the highly successful Titanic visitor attraction in Belfast as well as  Netball World Cup (2019).

Nicky Dunn said: “In the relatively short time since Jockey Club Live launched in 2013 they have established themselves as significant players in the live music market.”

“The combined teams of Music+Sport and The Jockey Club are a formidable partnership and I am looking forward to helping them realise their ambitious vision and to build on their existing success.”

Paul Fisher, Group Managing Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “Jockey Club Live has now reached a stage of its development where we have been able to attract someone of Nicky’s calibre to join us as Chairman. We are hugely excited about the potential of Jockey Club Live and I am looking forward to working with Nicky to help us fulfil our ambitions.”

As the Olympics in Rio draw closer; now under 100 days away, Brian Cookson will be hoping cycling can enjoy a controversy-free Games.

The velodrome was perhaps the most memorable venue at the 2012 Olympics in London, which saw an electric atmosphere, helped by British success – but the Rio velodrome is still yet to be finished.

‘We have some concerns’ admits Cookson. Currently, the venue is only 85% complete, with the track still not finished.

Despite those concerns though, the UCI President is hopeful things will go to plan.

He said: “We are very confident that the reassurances from the Rio people will be delivered and we are helping them every way we can.”

But the biggest concern will be that 2016 can be a ‘clean’ year for cycling. Mechanical doping – bikes with inbuilt motors, has become an extra headache for Cookson in his bid to try to keep the sport honest.

Cookson’s resolution to show the sport is fair is clear as you speak to him. The affable Lancashire man’s eyes steel as he spells out the UCI’s position.

“No rider, no team, no nationality is protected. We will catch them and we will prosecute them. There will never be an end to this issue. There will always be people that try to cheat in any walk of life, be it doping or any other sort of cheating.”

Cookson wouldn’t name names, but was quick to call on other sports to join the UCI in admitting their sport had a doping problem and look to deal it.

“You can separate sport into two groups, there are those sports that have a doping problem and are trying to deal with it, and I think we are one of the leaders there, and there are those sports that have a doping problem and are still in denial about it. Sooner or later if you don’t take this problem seriously it will come up and bite you on the backside.”

With Russia’s participation in the Olympics still in doubt, after widespread doping breaches were found last year, Cookson’s message was clear – take the issue seriously.

“All nations, all individuals all sports, should be treating this problem with the seriousness it deserves… And make sure clean athletes can continue in any and every sport and still win.”

“It is our responsibility as the people who run the sport, to make sure families can bring their children to the sport and know they can go all the way to the top if they have the ability and dedication… Without having to lie, without having to cheat, without having to take things that may damage their long-term health, and without having to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder. If we can’t do that, as the governors of sport, we have failed. And we cannot fail. We won’t fail in our sport and I’m sure other people running their sports equally don’t want to fail.”

Cookson has other challenges away from keeping the sport clean too. The UCI and ASO, organizers of cycling’s flagship race The Tour de France, are at an impasse about reforms due to come in in 2017, which would help teams be more economically viable. ASO has responded by pulling the Tour, and all of its other races, off the WorldTour series.

Cookson admits this is a challenge.

“We’re trying to develop and spread our sport around the world, we’re having some difficulties with men’s road racing, in terms of trying to move things on, and develop and reform the sport. ASO are in a little bit of disagreement with us, but I am absolutely confident we can find a solution there. We are working very hard to find a way forward and I’m confident we can do that.”

But Cookson remains convinced that cycling’s future is bright, mainly due to how it resonates with governments.

“It’s not just an elite sport, it’s a pastime, it’s a way of keeping healthy, It’s good for transport, it’s good for the environment, it’s something that really appeals to everybody, of all age groups. It’s good for governments… Cycling can help tick all of those boxes.”

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The World Cup of Hockey 2016, illness a joint effort between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), has retained the services of Lagardère Sports for the tournament.

As part of the agreement the sports marketing agency will take a leading role in sponsorship sales ventures for the World Cup of Hockey 2016 across Europe, which will include the ability to sell such commercial assets as use of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 marks along with those of the participating teams, group player rights and digital dasherboards for the European broadcasts of the entire tournament.

In addition, Lagardère Sports will sell on-ice and in-arena branding assets for the four exhibition games in Russia, Finland, the Czech Republic and Sweden.

“We look forward to working with many great brands across Europe who will have the opportunity to activate against what is expected to be the most competitive international hockey tournament ever played.” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships.

Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director added: “Lagardère Sports’ global marketing reach and expertise will enhance this spotlight on the World Cup of Hockey 2016 and will connect the players and our fans with brands around Europe.”

Andrew N. Pierce, Lagardère Sports President, Golf & Consulting; President & CEO, Americas commented: “We are proud to partner with the NHL and NHLPA to leverage our global infrastructure and expertise in the European marketplace to create robust marketing partnerships for this significant event.”

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NASCAR has announced a new long-term agreement that will see a restructure of its business model of team ownership.

Chairman and CEO Briant France revealed details of a new Charter system that is expected to increase team value and sustainability for owners competing in NASCAR’s premier series.

With the 2016 NASCAR season kicking off this weekend, the new Charter system addresses three areas – participation, governance and economics – to promote a more predictable, sustainable and valuable team business model.

The agreement grants NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Charters to 36 teams, establishes a Team Owner Council that will have formal input into decisions, and provides Charter teams with new revenue opportunities including a greater interest in digital operations.

“Today represents a landmark change to the business model of team ownership in NASCAR,” France said.

“The Charter agreements provide nine years of stability for NASCAR and the teams to focus on the growth initiatives together with our track partners, auto manufacturers, drivers and sponsors.”

The system affords Charter teams that remain in good standing more predictable revenue over the nine years of the agreement.

Along with improved financial certainty, the new framework is designed to increase the long-term market value of teams and provide the ability to plan farther ahead with existing, new and prospective partners.

“The new Charter program strengthens each of our businesses individually and the team model as a whole, which is good for NASCAR, our fans, drivers, sponsors and the thousands of people who we employ,” said Rob Kauffman, co-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing.

“This will give us more stability and predictability, and it will allow us to take a more progressive, long-term approach to issues.”

Each Charter team owner has a guaranteed entry into the field of every NASCARSprint Cup Series points race. To maintain the historical openness of NASCAR racing, the balance of the field will be open for team owners who do not hold Charters.

These Open team owners will compete for the remaining starting spots and positions in the race, as each event in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ starting lineup shifts in 2016 to a 40-car field.

“The new team owner agreements will offer a more appealing environment for both current and prospective team owners at the NASCAR premier series level,” France added.

“I’ve always stressed that if we can do things to improve the business of our stakeholders, we will pursue it. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished today with this agreement.”

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National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise the New York Knicks have been named as the NBA’s most valuable team in the latest list released by Forbes.

Valued at $3 billion the Knicks reclaim the number one spot from the Los Angeles Lakers after a one-year hiatus.

Read more HERE.

The ATP has released its calendars for 2017 and 2018, hospital which includes a second grass court tournament will be held the week before Wimbledon.

Bulgaria (Garanti Koza Sofia Open) and Belgium (European Open) will also host their first ever ATP World Tour tournaments.

Full story HERE.