olympics

Thursday August 12, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 12, 2021

Canada Considers Countering Winter Games and Hostage Diplomacy

Canada is being urged by legal and international experts to apply diplomatic pressure on both China and the United States to secure the release of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, following Spavor’s 11-year prison sentence by a Chinese court.

December 8, 2020

Spavor, an entrepreneur, was detained in China in December 2018 along with Kovrig on allegations of state spying, charges widely seen as retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in connection with a U.S. extradition request. Meng’s formal extradition hearing began on Wednesday in British Columbia.

Since their arrest, Canada has been pushing for the release of Spavor and Kovrig. Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau condemned Spavor’s sentence on Wednesday.

“This decision was made after a process that lack both fairness and transparency including a trial that did not satisfy the minimum standards required by international law,” Garneau said at a press conference, adding Canada was is ‘intense’ discussions with both Chinese and U.S. officials to free both Spavor and Kovrig, who is still awaiting trial in China.

February 12, 2021

Trudeau, in a statement, called the sentence unacceptable and unjust.

“For Mr. Spavor, as well as for Michael Kovrig who has also been arbitrarily detained, our top priority remains securing their immediate release. We will continue working around the clock to bring them home as soon as possible,” he said.

Since the arrests in 2018, Canada has decried what it calls “hostage diplomacy” and in February launched the ‘Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations,’ which has now been endorsed by 66 countries.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party leader has warned that it may soon be too dangerous for Canadians to travel to China for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (CTV) 

December 12, 2018

Speaking at a news conference on Ontario on Tuesday, leader Erin O’Toole said: “We are approaching a point where it won’t be safe for Canadians, including Olympic athletes, to travel to China.”

Diplomats from dozens of countries gathered at Canada’s embassy in Beijing on Wednesday to hear the Spavor verdict. The fate of a fellow Canadian, former diplomat Michael Kovrig, remains unclear.

O’Toole was speaking after a court rejected the appeal of a third Canadian, Robert Schellenberg, whose prison term in a drug case was abruptly increased to death following Meng’s arrest.

March 24, 2008

Asked about the winter Games, O’Toole said: “Yes Canada should be considering a boycott.

“And I’ve said we’re going to be watching the decision very closely. Beijing has to know that the world is watching the genocide taking place against the Uyghurs. They’ve watched what’s been happening in Hong Kong and the situation with Mr Schellenberg, Mr Spavor and Mr Kovrig.”

He said Canada would have to think “long and hard on whether we reward a country like that with the Games”. (The Guardian) 

 

Saturday July 24, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 24, 2021

Athletes need a bigger slice of Olympic pie

Money makes the world go round, as they say, and Exhibit A must surely be the Tokyo Olympics.

March 16, 2020

Thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries are literally flying around the world during a pandemic for these Games because of the billions of dollars the broadcast rights are worth to the International Olympic Committee.

There are incredible challenges to hosting and competing in the delayed 2020 Games, which opened on Friday against the desire of the Japanese public, but it’s good business. Indeed, American broadcast giant NBC has already said it expects these Games to be its most profitable ever.

But with all this money sloshing around why does so little of it get to the athletes — a.k.a. the talent that makes the whole show possible?

London – July 27, 2012

The Olympics abandoned its ideals of amateur sport decades ago; we all know that. But these COVID Games — in empty stadiums, with no family and friends to share the experience, and no socializing among athletes to somehow make the world a better place through sport — have stripped away whatever pretence was left that the Olympics are more than a gargantuan money-making TV show.

It’s time the athletes — supported by fans — band together to demand a greater share of the Games revenues.

The athletes who spend years training and competing for these few weeks, made all the harder this time by the pandemic, deserve a fairer share of the financial rewards.

August 3, 2012

Officially, the IOC is a not-for-profit but this is not some shaky charity — it’s a multi-billion-dollar behemoth. It has more than $5 billion (U.S.) in assets, a reserve fund around $1 billion and its average annual revenues exceed $1.4 billion.

The IOC likes to say it spends 90 per cent of its Olympic revenues to “assist athletes and develop sport worldwide.” 

But the vast majority of that is spent on promoting the Olympic brand through a dizzying array of subsidiaries and affiliates, organizing future Games, and helping international sport federations and national Olympic committees. Not funding athletes. 

2016 Summer Olympic Games

The IOC spends a mere 4 per cent of its revenue directly on athletes through scholarships, grants and awards, according to a study by the Global Athlete advocacy group and Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.

To put that in context, the players in the top professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey leagues get around 50 per cent of their league’s revenues.

It’s not directly comparable, of course, but it’s obvious the IOC should be directing a lot more of its extensive income to the athletes who make the Olympic show possible.

December 6, 2012

And if, as a consequence, the IOC had less money to spend on promoting itself, contributing to well-heeled middlemen and encouraging countries to take on appalling costs to host future Games, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Far from making life easy for athletes, the IOC has a rule that limits how much athletes can raise through their personal sponsors (should they be so lucky to have some) during the Games. It’s been relaxed recently, but not enough.

The truth is most Canadian Olympic athletes rely heavily on federal athlete assistance funding, side jobs, grants from the athlete charity CAN Fund, and the bank of mom and dad in order to train and compete at the level required for the Olympics. 

March 3, 2010

Nationally carded athletes report an average annual income of $28,000 — about minimum wage — leaving them with a deficit of $22,000, states a Sport Canada report.

They’re spending more to live, train, travel and compete than they make from sport. The Olympics relies on athletes and their families being willing to do this year in and year out.

They put on the show and yet the lion’s share of the money never gets near their pockets. It’s long past time that changed.

Calls for a fairer distribution of Olympic dollars are long-standing. And, thankfully, an increasing number of groups are starting the work of organizing athletes from around the globe in dozens of sports to push for change.

Athens – September 1, 2004

The International Swimmers’ Alliance is working to increase athlete influence over the sport and improve the financial situation of its athletes. 

The Athletics Association is looking to become a unifying and vocal voice for elite track and field athletes. Global Athlete wants to help drive a healthier power balance between athletes and sport leaders.

They’re all nascent movements and it will be an uphill battle. But it’s the right battle to take on.

The IOC makes more money. Broadcasters like NBC make more money. It’s time athletes got a bigger share.

Earlier this week, IOC president Thomas Bach updated the Olympic motto. It’s now Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together. The change, he said, was about adapting “to our times.”

Well, the Olympic funding model needs an update, too.

If we’re really in this together, the athletes who will entertain and inspire us over the next two weeks with all those faster, higher, stronger achievements should reap more of the rewards. (The Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Friday July 23, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday July 23, 2021

If Justin Trudeau doesn’t win a majority in the next election, Jagmeet Singh may be the reason

Some polls have Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole doing poorly, others have him doing worse. But all agree on one thing: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in a political sweet spot.

June 24, 2021

If Justin Trudeau fails to win a majority government in an election that could be called as early as next month, it might not be Mr. O’Toole who brings the Liberal leader up short – it might be Mr. Singh.

Leger and Angus Reid have the Conservatives narrowly trailing the Liberals, while Ipsos and Abacus have the Liberals far ahead.

Canadians believe their governments have, on the whole, managed the COVID-19 pandemic reasonably well, and over the course of that pandemic have rewarded incumbent governments of all stripes with re-election.

The similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the Second World War appear strong. Both were traumatic and transformative. As society emerged from crisis, people looked to governments to build a strong recovery. People today are also worried about what appears to be the accelerating impact of climate change. Systemic racism and Indigenous reconciliation are important issues.

The Conservatives have offered no clear plan for how they would have handled the pandemic – and will handle the recovery – differently. They are not a party associated with fighting climate change, combating racism or improving Indigenous relations. We do not live in Conservative times.

March 2, 2021

But Mr. Trudeau is not a terribly popular prime minister. A recent Abacus poll has about an equal number of people saying they have a positive or negative impression of him, and Mr. O’Toole is quite unpopular. The only national party leader with a positive approval rating is Mr. Singh.

All recent polls have the NDP sitting at around 20 per cent, well above the 16 per cent they garnered in the 2019 election. If that number holds, the NDP should pick up seats: in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, in Toronto, elsewhere in Ontario, maybe here and there in the Prairies.

Here’s something else: The accessible voter pool – those who might consider voting for a political party – is now higher for the NDP (48 per cent) than for the Conservatives (41 per cent).

That doesn’t mean there is going to be some Orange Crush, in which the NDP smashes through in B.C. and Ontario, scattering Liberal MPs and sending the Conservatives into third place, which the NDP under Jack Layton did to the Bloc and Liberals in 2011 in Quebec. But the NDP popular vote, combined with its accessible voter pool and Mr. Singh’s popularity, suggests the likelihood of gains.

September 10, 2019

This shouldn’t be all that surprising. In the 2019 election, Mr. Singh was unknown, he was out of his depth and the party was practically bankrupt. Today the NDP has paid off its debt and will be able to finance a respectable national campaign. Mr. Singh is a better-known, more confident and more experienced leader. (Globe & Mail) 

Meanwhile, the Green Party and its associated fund are taking their battle with party leader Annamie Paul to court — ending a tentative truce between Paul and party executives just as a federal election call is expected within weeks.

June 18, 2021

The conflict between Paul and her party hit a crisis point in May when, during an escalation of violence in the Middle East, Paul issued a statement calling for a de-escalation and a return to dialogue.

Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin, who left the Green Party for the Liberals in June, called the statement “totally inadequate.” Her departure left the Greens with just two MPs. (CBC) 

 

Wednesday July 14, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 14, 2021

Super spreader Celebrations

In late June, Habs fans caused quite the ruckus following the team’s series-winning Game 6 Thursday. The morning after, some voiced their concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19 through the crowd.

November 27, 2020

“Obviously, I was also happy with the results of (Thursday’s) game,” said Dr Jesse Papenburg, an infectious disease specialist at the MUHC. “But I have to say I’m a little bit concerned with these types of mass gatherings.”

Montreal reported just 30 new coronavirus cases on June 25, a continuation of a downward trend of infections in the city.  Still, the virus remains active — especially among those aged 10-40, most of whom have not yet been fully vaccinated. Experts worry continued celebrations could cause infections to spike. (The Montreal Gazette) 

In July, British authorities warned of the dangers of large gatherings for yesterday’s Euro 2020 football final, fearful of the highly transmissible Delta coronavirus variant that is firing outbreaks across the world.

March 16, 2020

Many nations have been forced to reimpose curbs as they battle outbreaks accelerated by the variant — which was first detected in India — while trying to ramp up vaccinations to allow their economies to reopen.

London was set to host more than 60,000 fans at Wembley Stadium for the virus-delayed Euro 2020 final, the biggest crowd at a British football match since the start of the pandemic, as England take on Italy.

Authorities are particularly concerned about the risk of large numbers at fan zones and pubs to watch England’s first appearance in a major football final in more than half a century.

But the fans do not appear to have been put off. Hundreds converged on Wembly many hours before kick-off, singing and swigging beer.

Health experts have expressed concerns about Euro 2020 events becoming super-spreaders throughout the tournament, especially in Britain and Russia because of the Delta variant.

Authorities in Denmark, Finland and Scotland have already reported infections among fans after they attended Euro matches. (The Daily Star) 

2016 Summer Olympic Games

Meanwhile, The Olympic Games in Japan will be held without spectators at venues in and around the capital after a spike in coronavirus infections. 

Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa made the announcement after talks with officials and organisers on Thursday.

A state of emergency in Tokyo will run throughout the Games, to combat coronavirus.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters it would run from 12 July and remain in place until 22 August.

Bars and restaurants will not be allowed to serve alcohol and must close by 20:00 (11:00 GMT).

Venues in Tokyo and other areas near the capital city will not be allowed to hold events with fans during the Games.

But stadiums in the regions of Fukushima, Miyagi and Shizuoka will be permitted to have spectators up to 50% of capacity and up to 10,000 people.

Coronavirus infections are rising in Tokyo as the 23 July opening ceremony edges closer.

There has been widespread opposition to the Games in Japan, with calls for them to be postponed or cancelled. (BBC) 

 

Tuesday February 27, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday February 27, 2018

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018: ‘the Games of new horizons’?

Moments before the XXIII Winter Games ended amid a furious barrage of K-pop and firecrackers, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, insisted: “We have seen here how sport can make the world a better place … these are the Games of new horizons.”

July 21, 2016

Watching athletes from North and South Korea strolling happily together, for once separated by centimetres rather than 73 years’ antipathy, it was entirely possible to be swept along by waves of sentiment and hope.

Yet another image of Bach, from earlier in the day, was also hard to shake: one of the IOC president despondently confirming that Russian athletes would not march under their own flag  at Sunday’s closing ceremony, because of two doping violations at these Games.

Especially as, with his very next breath, he also promised that the Russian Olympic Committee’s suspension would be lifted very soon if there were no more positive tests. That suspension was imposed on 5 December and will have probably lasted less than 100 days when it is lifted.

August 19, 2004

As a response to the most audacious state-sponsored doping programme in history, it counts as barely a slap on the wrist – even when a $15m fine, being forced to call themselves “Olympic Athletes from Russia”, and a ban on the Russian flag and anthem in Pyeongchang is tacked on.

A closing ceremony that began with the crowd of 35,000 people counting down together to say “one” as the athletes entered the stadium ended with the Russians close to being officially readmitted to the Olympic fold.

September 9, 2000

On the final day of competition, the Olympic Athletes from Russia won their second gold of the Games, in the men’s ice hockey. But it only inched them up to 13th in the medal table – a far cry from their first place in Sochi when their athletes were fuelled by a cocktail of steroids as well as patriotic fervour.

The next Winter Olympic games will be in Beijing in 2022. (Source: The Guardian) 

 

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