Sport for all?

 

Within the next three years, Brazil will host two major events: the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. This shows that Brazil has truly become an emerging nation. It now has the strongest economy in Latin America, and the world’s seventh. It will probably become one of the five largest in the world in the decades to come. Its current GDP per inhabitant is $10,200 which puts Brazil in 64th position according to World Bank data.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19249588

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19206308

However, since 2010, according to the United Nations, more than 10,000 slum-dwelling families have been displaced because of the upcoming events. The slums are simply razed to the ground to make room for parking lots, the Olympic village, media centers, etc. Some people have been relocated, but only in cities dozens of kilometers from their place of work. The political leaders of Rio believe that "these slums devalue the city, causing esthetic and environmental damage". Since Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio, brought back the Olympic flag from London, Brazil has become the focus of the world’s attention. Paes is hoping the Olympics will help get him reelected. None of the evicted residents of the favelas, none of whom can even afford the ticket prices for the Olympics, is likely to vote for him…

Article by Pierre Laubry and Maxence Houdelot

US Olympic track & field Trials... I was there! By Coraline

During ten days, from June 22nd to July 1st 2012, at the Hayward Field in Eugene (Oregon), US athletes gunned for glory and a chance to represent the Nation at the Olympic Games.

The first US Olympic Trials were in 1920; it was only for men. The first women’s Olympic Trials were in 1928. Combined Olympic Trials have existed only since 1976.

Eugene received the US Olympic Trials this year.

Eugene was founded in 1846. There are 155,000 residents according to the United States 2010 Census. Eugene is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley.

For nearly 40 years, Eugene has been the “track and field capital of the world”. Oregon’s most famous track icon is the late world-class distance runner Steve Prefontaine, who was killed in a car crash in 1975.

The stadium, Hayward Field, hosted the 1972, 1976, 1980, 2008 and 2012 US Olympic track & field Trials.

There are 22 track and field events: 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, 500 meters, 10,000 meters, steeplechase, 110 hurdles, 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, high jump, race-walk, pole vault, discuss, javelin, long jump, triple jump, shotput, hammer, decathlon, and heptathlon.

The majority of these activities are combined (i.e. men and women) except the 110 hurdles and the decathlon which are male activities. The 100 hurdles and the heptathlon on the other hand are only for women.

You could follow all of the news on the TV, in the newspapers and on Internet (the official Website is www.tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com, Facebook and Twitter).

The Trials were well organized. There were many services such as free parking, a free shuttle service, and water fountains for the spectators.

After a highly successful showing during the 2008 US Olympic track & field Trials, the fan festival experience surrounding Hayward Field was even bigger this summer. You could see fifteen different bands during this festival.

During the first three days, the weather was very bad because it was raining but for the other days, the sky was fine.

This year, the principal sponsors of the US Olympic track and field Trials were Nike (which was created in Eugene), Eugene city, the State of Oregon, and the USA track & field organization.

This year 320 “hometown heroes” from all the country participated. All participants do their best to win and to become one of the athletes to represent the country.

They were much encouraged by all the spectators from all over the United States of America and, like me, even from other countries.

The US Olympic track & field trials is definitely the most important and famous Olympic Trials in the entire world.

One world record was broken, some American records, and also lots of US Olympic Trials records. Lots of athletes broke their own records.

More than eighty American athletes were selected to represent their country at the Olympic Games this year in London.

USA super team! by Claire

Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross

The members of the US women's gymnastics team were selected during the Olympics trials which took place in San Jose, California, from the 28th of June to the 1st of July. The crew is composed of five athletes and three replacement athletes. The first qualified was Gabby Douglas, second to be selected was the famous 2011 World all-round champion Jordyn Wieber. The other Olympians are Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and, the youngest, Kyla Ross. In case of injury, Sarah Finnegan, Anna Li and Elizabeth Price are also going to London. Unfortunately, Nastia Liukin won't join them this time…

Let's count how many medals they will win!

Should sportsmen be paid according to results? By Pierrick

 

We can legitimately ask the question considering the French national football team results... Indeed, during the Euro 2012 in Poland-Ukraine, in spite of their poor performance, the French players got a bonus of 100,000€ each! This money, which seems indecent in times of rigor, shocked the French people.

To top it all, these overpaid players totally despise their public, which is the height of stupidity because without it the players' salaries would be lower. These are just mercenaries working abroad, they have no national pride or team spirit; they do not even sing the national anthem!

To restore a decent level of play and the right spirit in French football, we should eliminate premiums, except in case of victory, and financially penalize disrespectful behavior and unmotivated teams.

What's the lookout for the lockout? By Madeleine, Antoine, Pierre & Maxence

The NBA championship is in a lockout. The reason is the high salaries of the players. The NBA owners think that too many clubs lose money due to their players’ high salaries. The average salary of an NBA player is around $5 million per year.

The NBA players earn more money than any other sports players in the USA. So what are they complaining about? In our view, all this money is the mark that the NBA is now just a form of business with the TV rights, the brands and the commercial earnings generated by this sport. It’s a big deception for American fans.

But this lockout has also had some benefits for France. Indeed, the French NBA players like Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum have come back to France and play in the Pro A which is the French basketball league. The level of the Pro A has improved due to this lockout. It's a promise of some great matches and spectacle !

This lockout will not be worked out, as this year’s season is nearly over...

We think the players could at least all agree on a “small” decrease, like about $500000... If all the players agreed, it would mean a lot of money gained for NBA owners and the end of this long and controversial crisis. All the more so as the NBA gives better wages than in sports like baseball, soccer, ice hockey, or even American football. It's a paradoxical situation when we consider that baseball and football are more popular sports!

Sprint king! By Pierre, Maxence & Nathan

Cavendishes it out!

The 2011 UCI (International Cycling Union) Road World Championships took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from the 19th to the 25th of September.

There were two sorts of championships, in different age categories, the Road Race and the Time Trial in:

• Men’s
• Women’s
• Men’s Under 23
• Men’s Juniors
• Women’s Junior

There were over 1,200 contestants for only 30 medals. The most important events were the Men’s Time trial and Road Race of course, with all the famous cycling pros.

The Time Trial was won by Tony Martin, a 26 year-old German. The last two years, he had failed to get to the top step of the podium. Already German Champion, he finally won the five-striped-shirt.

The second important event was the Road Race, won by Mark Cavendish, the world's best sprinter. The British cyclist, the same age as Tony Martin, has completed an irresistible ascent to finally hold the world sprinter title. He started as a pro in 2005. His on-going fights with Philippe Gilbert for the final sprints during this year’s Tour de France have interested more than one spectator.

Mark Cavendish and Tony Martin have ridden side by side from 2008 to last summer in the Columbia-HTC Highroad team. In fact, Cavendish joined the British Sky team, right after his victory as best sprinter in the 2011 edition of the Tour de France.

We lost the game, but victory was ours!

On 23th October the final of the Rugby World Cup was played out, the XV de France versus the All Blacks.

The French team provoked their opponent during the "Haka" with a "V" formation (for "Victoire") which cost them a fine!

The All Blacks did a try and scored a penalty. France scored a try and transformed it. The All Blacks won 8 points to 7.

Maybe France didn’t deserve to be in the final but they did us proud! The French team gave their all during the match. For sure, next time, we will win!

There was criticism of the referee's leniency towards the All Blacks..

This is not the time to crack under the pressure! By LAUBRY, HOUDELOT & ROUCHES

On the 7th of October 2011, the French football team will play an important game against Albania for the Euro 2012 qualifications. France is first of its group, but only one point ahead of Belarus. It is vital it wins in order to remain first in its pool. The Final will be on October 11th. Many important players such as Abidal, Benzema, Sagna, and Ribéry, are all hurt, which is really bad luck knowing how much the Albanians are determined to be qualified.

L'Equipe article

In this article, the reporter tries to show a positive view of the situation, though it isn’t really the case! This article is misleading, as a team is able to win even without its best players. However, some new players have been called up, and who knows what they will be able to do together ?