Category: Sport

Istanbul suits Austrian in Extreme series

Roman Hagara and his Austrian Red Bull Sailing Team continued the impressive form they showed at Act 2 Qingdao on the opening day of the Extreme Sailing Series in Istanbul today, finishing the day in pole position.

The iconic Turkish city kept the sailors on their toes, with the wind ranging from 2 knots to 13 knots as the eight strong fleet began their battle for supremacy at Act 3.

Light winds dominated the opening races in Istanbul, dying away to just 2 knots by the end of race three. The teams waited patiently in the scorching sunshine for more breeze and their perseverance paid dividends as the breeze kicked in picking up to 13 knots and a further three races were staged.

Roman Hagara’s crew, which includes two Austrians, an Englishman, Frenchman and an Australian, making for interesting communication challenges. It look like they are getting used to that and podium positions, though, after finishing Act 2 in second place, today.

Hagara’s crew finished four out of six races in a top-three position, enough to give them a five point cushion over The Wave, Muscat at the top of the leaderboard.

“The wind picked up and in the end it was really good racing – I mean the best racing we had so far. It was really good communication on-board,” Hagara enthused.

“Things are coming together on the boat, the crew is making jokes and everybody is laughing. All the team is happy and there were a lot of smiles today.”

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild’s all-French team and the all-British team on GAC Pindar challenged at the front of the fleet a couple of times, with the latter securing a win in race three. However, both teams they found themselves buried in the middle of the fleet all too frequently, and finished the day in third and fourth respectively.

GAC Pindar’s trimmer Mark Bulkeley summed up the team’s day. “It was a day of two halves for us. We went well in the light wind races and struggled when the breeze built. I think we have to think about our set up for the windier races and how we transition between the two conditions.”

Act 1 winner, Morgan Larson, and his team on Oman Air looked like the odds were in their favour as racing began, with two consecutive wins, but the team’s dominance on the leaderboard was short-lived and they finish the day in fifth.

In contrast, the new team on the circuit, SAP Extreme Sailing Team co-skippered by America’s Cup compatriots Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Kostner looked to be finding their feet amongst the fleet today, sailing consistently to leave them just one point behind Oman Air in sixth place.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from Alinghi, under the guidance of offshore sailing legend and Vendée Globe winner, Alain Gautier, in his Extreme 40 debut.

Historically, new skippers to the series don’t find it easy to match the pace of the more seasoned Extreme 40 sailors, and it looked like this would be the case for Gautier, who struggled to get out of the blocks in the first two races.

Never sell a good sailor short. By race three, Gautier and crew had turned things around and went on to secure three podium finishes by the end of racing, leaving them very much in the mix just one point behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team at the end of day one.

“The level of the fleet around us is very high, it´s tough and we are learning at each race. In this kind of racing you have to be patient and to avoid contact,” Gauter commented. “We need to progress slowly but surely. We know we can race well and the key is to try to stay closest to the leader.”

Tomorrow, Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series opens to the public of Istanbul, as the racing moves closer to shore in ‘stadium’ mode and tighter race courses. The live video streaming including running commentary goes live online from 1400CET.

Standings after Day 1, 6 races (07.6.12)

1st Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara/Hans Peter Steinacher/Matthew Adams/Graeme Spence, Pierre Le Clainche 40 points

2nd The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan/Ed Smyth/Pete Greenhalgh/Hashim Al Rashdi/Rachel Williamson 35 points

3rd Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA) Pierre Pennec/Christophe Espagnon/Hervé Cunningham/Bernard Labro/Romain Petit 28 points

4th GAC Pindar (GBR) Ian Williams/Nick Rogers/ Mark Bulkeley/Adam Piggot/Andrew Walsh 26 points

5th Oman Air (OMA) Morgan Larson/Will Howden/Charlie Ogletree/Nasser Al Mashari/Max Bulger 25 points

6th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen/Rasmus Kostner/Pete Cumming/Mikkel Rossberg/Jonas Hviid 24 points

7th Alinghi (SUI), Alain Gautier/Jean-Christophe Mourniac/Christophe Lassegue/Morgane Gautie/François Verdier 23 points

8th ZouLou (FRA) Erik Maris/Philippe Mourniac/Jean-Sébastien Ponce/Bruno Jeanjean/Patrick Aucour 15 points

via Istanbul suits Austrian in Extreme series – Australian Sailing News – YACHTe.com.au.

June 8, 2012
Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland interested in Euro 2020 bid

Hampden Park

Countries have until midnight on Tuesday night to declare an interest in hosting Euro 2020. Photograph: Bongarts/Getty Images

Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have formally declared an interest in hosting Euro 2020. A source close to Uefa has confirmed that a written expression of interest has been submitted by the countries to host the European Championships on a three-way basis.

So far Turkey are the only other nation to inform Uefa that they want to want host the tournament. The European governing body has a deadline of midnight on Tuesday night for any other declarations of interest.

Bidders would need to put forward up to 10 stadiums to host matches in the European Championships, which is being expanded from 16 teams to 24 from 2016. Scotland and Wales would struggle to provide that number of stadiums to satisfy Uefa requirements but Ireland’s involvement would cover the shortfall.

The formal declaration of interest does not commit the Celtic countries to proceeding with a bid – a decision is not due to be taken by Uefa for 18 months.

The countries have not fared well in the past in bidding for the tournament. Scotland and the Republic of Ireland bid jointly for Euro 2008 but were one of the first to be eliminated, and Scotland and Wales considered bidding jointly for Euro 2016 but decided against it.

Turkey’s bid is in some disarray already because their FA has been engulfed by allegations of corruption and match-fixing in Turkish football, and it also conflicts with Istanbul’s bid to land the Olympics in the same year. The Uefa president, Michel Platini, had signalled he would support Turkey bid but only if Istanbul fails to secure the Olympics.

The Scottish Football Association chief executive, Stewart Regan, said the idea of bidding for Euro 2020 had been discussed but would not confirm or deny whether an expression of interest had been made.

“I’m not able to comment publicly at this stage because it has not gone to our board but there will be an exchange of correspondence before the deadline,” he said. “It’s obviously something that has been discussed.”

Asked if Scotland and Wales would be able to meet the Uefa criteria for stadiums, Regan replied: “There are other ways of skinning a cat and alternative ways of being considered for a major tournament.”

via Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland interested in Euro 2020 bid | Football | guardian.co.uk.

May 16, 2012
Olympics Features: Istanbul 2020: NOC of Turkey has new plan and bid is a national priority

Minister for Youth and Sport Suat Kilic reaffirmed that the Olympic bid is national priority / Istanbul 2020

LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications

May 9 – The National Olympic Committee of Turkey has a new plan to use sport as an educational instrument together with the 2020 bid to promote healthy lifestyles to the younger generation and bring about social change.

NOC head and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, Professor Ugur Erdener, who is also in charge of the International Archery Federation, said, “Our objective is clear: we want to inject ideals of Olympism in our public through Olympic values and provide a strong representation of our nation in the international sports arena.

“Our athletes are the guides spreading the spirit of Olympism. They respect and protect the Olympic values, they are our heroes who inspire the future generations.

“This plan is the first step in a long term project which covers the Turkish National Olympic Committee’s objective to host 2020 Olympic Games and taking Turkish sport to new horizons.”

The new strategy was drawn from the experience of over 1,000 stakeholders across the nation and focuses on the country’s rapidly growing economic situation. Turkey’s economy grew 8.5% last year beating even China and the new plan targets the 20 million people who are under 20 years of age to bring about long term sport and social benefits.

The NOC intends to use the high level sports venues to promote sport in Turkey and to compound on the already strong foundation the country has as one of the top ten in the world for sport.

Turkey’s Minister for Youth and Sport, Suat Kiliç, was present at the announcement of the plan and said, “We believe that sport carries great importance in building a strong future for our children. We are determined to raise and advance our talented young population through a strong bond between education and sport.

“Turkey has hosted many Olympic events in recent years. They have increased Turkish citizens’ passion for Olympic sports and provided them with valuable organisational experience.

“Turkey is now ready to be a strong partner of the International Olympic Committee. As the Minister of Youth and Sport, I wholeheartedly support the efforts of Turkish National Olympic Committee in developing Turkish sport.”

Kilic also drove home the importance of the Olympic bid,“Our Prime Minister announced the bid himself, and Istanbul 2020 retains the same support from the same highest level. We will fulfil every requirement to win the right to host the Games, under the leadership of our Prime Minister.

“The new strategic plan is particularly focused on two areas – providing a solid relationship between education and sports and creating a bridge to the world stage for aspiring young Turkish athletes. Hasan Arat, a leading member of the Istanbul 2020 bid team and Vice President of Turkey’s National Olympic Committee, spoke of how the Istanbul 2020 bid would help drive both areas of the plan:

“For many young athletes there is often a difficulty in balancing education and sport, and for turning a passion for sport into a career. Thanks to Turkey’s growing economy, and its stable political situation, we are now in a position to be able to devote the investment needed to solving this problem, with Istanbul’s 2020 bid as the catalyst.

“Already our bid is connecting the Olympic Movement with the country’s young population, raising its profile among a brand new audience. But there is a lot still to be done; this new strategy is just an early indicator of the changes the 2020 Games could inspire in our country.”

Istanbul is bidding against Baku, Doha, Madrid and Tokyo to host the summer Olympics of 2020.

The IOC will vote the final host city on September 7 of 2013 in Buenos Aires.

via Olympics Features: Istanbul 2020: NOC of Turkey has new plan and bid is a national priority.

May 10, 2012
Turkey must choose: Games or Euros

istanbul

At a crossroads: The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, which is in the running for both the Olympics and the European soccer championships in 2020. Picture: Supplied.

TURKEY will have to withdraw its bid to host Euro 2020 if Istanbul is awarded the Olympics in the same year, the IOC has said.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said in an interview that IOC rules state that a Games host country cannot hold another major sports event in the same year.

“Initially they will be judged on their technical capacity on May 23 in Quebec City,” said the 70-year-old Belgian, referring to the IOC members’ vote on selecting the short-list for the 2020 Games.

“In other words their potential to host the Games.

“On September 7 next year in Buenos Aires, if Istanbul is elected we will respectfully ask them not to host the European Championships.

“Ultimately, it will be for the government (in Ankara) to make their mind up but I would say the election would be conditional on not organising another competition.”

Istanbul, who were considered a leading candidate to host the Games after several failed bids, were dealt a huge blow when Turkey unexpectedly declared their candidacy for Euro 2020.

Until then, bid organisers had understood that the government’s priority was the hosting of the Games.

Turkey’s bid for the Euro is largely seen as being motivated by enthusiastic soundings from UEFA president Michel Platini, who believes there are few countries capable of hosting the showpiece tournament.

Rogge insisted, however, that the apparent conflict should not ordinarily affect Istanbul’s ability to make the Olympics short-list.

Istanbul, a historic city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is competing against Tokyo, Madrid, Doha and Baku.

Tokyo, which hosted the Games back in 1964, is seen as the early favourite. Madrid lost out to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 competition but Spain is currently in the grip of a deep recession.

Doha, capital of the 2022 soccer World Cup hosts Qatar, failed to make the short-list last time round.

via Turkey must choose: Games or Euros | News.com.au.

May 9, 2012
Economy puts Istanbul in Olympics race

Turkey hopes its 8% economic growth rate will help it fend off competitors for hosting the 2020 Games.

The London Olympics may be just a couple of months away now, but already the race to host the 2020 Games is heating up.

After four failed bids, Turkey is hoping its economic growth rate of eight per cent will propel Istanbul to be the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Despite stiff competition from four other cities, including Tokyo and Madrid, Turkey hopes being the fastest growing European economy will help it secure the Games this time round.

Still, some in Turkey say that with one in five out of the nation’s 74 million people living below the poverty line, there are better ways to spend the money for the Olympic bid.

Al Jazeera’s Joanna Gasiorowska reports from Istanbul on what Turkey is doing to fend off competition.

via Economy puts Istanbul in Olympics race – Europe – Al Jazeera English.

May 5, 2012
Are you ready for Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final 4?

In one week, Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final 4 will start in Istanbul, Turkey. I am sure that most of you Basketball fans, looking forward for this great Basketball event.

This is also great opportunity to check sports betting and see if you are lucky. I am sure that all competitiors will need more than luck to win this trophy.

It seems that all four teams who will compete for Turkish Airlines Euroleague trophy are in great form and ready to start.

CSKA just wins VTB league title and proved that they are one of main favorites for this year trophy. Teodosic, Krstic, Kirilenko and company are hungry for another one trophy.

FC Barcelona Regal wins over Real Madrid in Spanish league and in great atmosphere will travel to Istanbul, full of self-confidence.

Panathinakos and Olympiacos qualified to Finals in Greek league and will fight for Greek league title after Final four in Istanbul.

Semifinal games will be played at Friday, May 11, and we will see fantastic clashes. In first game, at 17.00 CET, clash of Giants, CSKA Moscow and Panathinaikos.

In second game, Olympiacos vs. FC Barcelona Regal, another fantastic game. It is really hard to predict results, and since I am not fan of any of those teams, I know just one thing, I am really going to enjoy in this tournament.

Two Serbian coaches, Zeljko Obradovic and Dusan Ivkovic as well as several Serbian players will represent Serbia on this great Basketball tournament.

It would be great if we can have Panathinaikos and Olympiacos in Final, that would be another one proof that Serbia have greatest coaches in the world.

Just short reminder that you can watch ALL GAMES LIVE here. This is great opportunity for all of you who are not lucky to be in Istanbul, in Sinan Erdem Arena. Full coverage, LIVE games, replays, interviews, analyses and many many more.

Enjoy in HQ picture and don’t miss Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final 4.

via Are you ready for Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final 4? | Hoops Universe.

May 5, 2012