British Wrestling will only be allowed to send one athlete to London 2012 after the British Olympic Association (BOA) reduced their allocation of host-nation berths.
The sport was provisionally awarded three last year, but failed to achieve agreed performance targets.
"There is a standard across Team GB that must be upheld," said Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt.
The sole Olympic place has been awarded in the women's -55kg division.
Scottish wrestler Jayne Clason filled that position at the recent Olympic qualifier in Helsinki and is the reigning British Champion in that weight class, although Ukraine-born British passport-seeker Olga Butkevych competes as an -59kg wrestler and could be a potential alternative.
"The OQS Panel takes very seriously the responsibility of making certain that in those sports where Host Nation Qualification Places will be utilised that the athletes competing for Team GB will be in a position to deliver a credible performance on the field of play," said Hunt.
"Equally, it is essential that those sports are fully prepared to make the most of the unprecedented opportunity of competing in a Home Games and deliver a meaningful participation legacy."
Colin Nicholson British Wrestling“[London 2012] offers a chance to raise public awareness of wrestling and provide a platform for Rio 2016”
The decision of the four-strong Olympic Qualification Standards (OQS) panel which included BOA Chief Executive Andy Hunt and Sir Clive Woodward comes after a year of almost constant controversy.
In April 2011 several former athletes came out in protest against the recruitment of foreign training partners, who they alleged were in fact taking the places of British wrestlers in competitions.
There were also calls for leading figures within the sport's management to quit and earlier this month English Commonwealth Champion and Olympic medal hope Myroslav Dykun tested positive for a banned substance .
Shortly afterwards they were called for urgent crisis talks with the BOA after rumours Ukraine-born former European Champion Olga Butkevych was likely to be named in their Olympic team.
On the mat athlete performances have also been anything but positive.
After two fifth-placed finishes at the 2009 World Championships, British wrestlers failed to achieve BOA approved targets of a top-sixteen finish at the 2011 World Championships, a top-eight place at this year's Europeans or a top-six position at an Olympic qualification tournament.
GB wrestlers in action at the 2010 GB Cup
However, speaking ahead of the BOA's ruling British Wrestling's performance director Shaun Morley insisted there were reasons for optimism .
"I don't think we are going to win any medals, my realistic expectation is that we can get somebody into the top six at the Olympics," he said.
"If we achieve that to me it will represent significant progression for a sport that only a minority of people in this country are involved in."
-96kg British champion Leon Rattigan has achieved a few international victories of late, but that was not enough to convince the BOA Olympic selection panel that he should be allowed to represent Team GB at London 2012.
The OQS Panel also stated that the sport needed to do "more work" to ensure a meaningful post-Games legacy for wrestling.
This is to include much greater emphasis on increasing participation at the grass-roots level in the UK and creating a clear performance plan to qualify athletes by right for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The names of the -55kg athlete who will compete for Team GB at London 2012 is expected to be revealed by 1 June.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Wembley woes add to Blades’ cash concerns - yorkshirepost
SHEFFIELD United chairman Kevin McCabe says the club’s purse strings will be tightened after £15m losses were compounded by their failure to win promotion.
The Blades are counting the cost of defeat to Huddersfield Town in the League One play-off final and manager Danny Wilson is now under orders to reduce the wage bill.
Prize assets Stephen Quinn, Harry Maguire and Matt Lowton are wanted by Championship clubs and goalkeeper Steve Simonson – who missed the crucial penalty in a shoot-out at Wembley – is facing the axe.
McCabe says the Blades will need to rely on younger players next season but is still tipping Wilson to inspire another promotion push.
He has also urged supporters to ‘stick with the club’ despite the disappointment of a second consecutive season in League One.
“We have suffered a setback but we are looking to the future and planning for success,” he said.
“The last two seasons have cost us about £15m. High wage bill, less revenue – and even less revenue next season. It has cost us an awful lot of money, but that’s sport.
“With the new financial fair play rules, we are going to have to work with a lower budget next season. Unless we get the wage bill down next season, we’ll face financial penalties.”
Quinn, Maguire and Lowton are not officially up for sale but McCabe admits that Blades may face a fight to keep their services.
“I’d love to keep hold of them and there is certainly no ‘for sale’ signs on their heads,” he said.
“They have all had great seasons – and we don’t want to lose them – but, obviously, we have a problem if someone comes in and offers them a package we can’t match.”
Swansea City and Aston Villa are expected to lead the chase for Maguire, Quinn is wanted by Blackpool and Charlton Athletic, while Ipswich Town and Cardiff City have been linked with Lowton.
“I expect there will be quite a few changes,” McCabe said. “Logic says we have got some good Academy youngsters who have had a year in the development squad. There are people who I know the staff feel are ready to make the step up and they’ll be given the opportunity together with others who I’m sure will be coming in.”
Goalkeeper George Long heads a queue of teenage talent that also includes Terry Kennedy, Elliott Whitehouse, Joe Ironside, Aaron Barry and Callum McFadzean.
“The aim next season is simple,” stressed McCabe. “Promotion and automatically. The key is to get a stronger squad and, if we get 90 points (again) next season, it will be automatic.”
McCabe issued a rallying call to the Blades supporters who have now endured the agony of six play-off campaigns without success. The Blades also failed to score in a play-off final for the fourth time.
“Our supporters have been fantastic this season and that’s been very much noted and appreciated by all,” he said.
“We hope they stick with us because they are a crucial part of what we are trying to achieve.
“That’s five play-offs we have lost – six if you add the one in the 80s – but that’s not to say we are not going to win the next one. They are one-off games and we have not had the best of luck. We never seem to get the break but next time we will.
“We have fallen at the final hurdle and that hurts. It hurts a lot,” he said.
“It’s the agony and the ecstasy of being involved in football. There is a thin line that determines success and failure. This season we have had great success but, ultimately, it has ended in failure. Circumstances have gone against us.”
Blades goalkeeper Simonsen, meanwhile, is sweating over his future as manager Wilson ponders the best way to trim the wage bill.
Simonsen, 33, described his penalty miss at Wembley as the lowest point in his career and would love the chance to make amends next season.
However, with teenager Long and former Blackpool goalkeeper Mark Howard both on the books, Simonsen – who will be out of contract this summer – could yet be a casualty of the cuts.
“I would love to stay at Sheffield United,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my time here so much and, after the way things ended on Saturday, I personally feel as though I need to be back there again to make things right for the football club.”
Simonsen has yet to watch a replay of the moment when his spot-kick sailed over the bar and gave Huddersfield an 8-7 victory on penalties.
“It’s been horrendous. It’s the lowest part of my career,” he added. “Up until that point everything had gone brilliantly. You never expect to be in the situaion I was in. And it will probably never happen again.
“Although I know everything doesn’t come down on my shoulders, deep down, you just feel like it’s all your fault and my kick ended our chances of promotion. I still have a sick feeling in my gut that, ultimately, my penalty kick ended it all.
“On the face of it, I was happy with the job I am paid to do. It was probably one of my most assured displays for Sheffield United at the perfect time, but no one could have predicted what was around the corner,” he added.
“I’ve replayed it a million times in my head but I can’t bear to watch it. Hopefully, in a few weeks time, I might be able to.
“I’m gutted for myself, the club, the fans, all my team-mates, and my family.
“I have got to live with that, but I am big enough and ugly enough to come back from it.”
ian.appleyard@ypn.co.uk
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Print this pageSource: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
London subway staff to get extra Olympics pay - Boston Globe
Transport for London, which operates the subway, said those packages were "subject to attendance, customer satisfaction scores and working flexibly for defined periods in order to deliver a successful games."
Source: www.boston.com
London 2012: Strike off after Tube staff agree Olympic pay deal - BBC News
A deal has been agreed for London Underground staff to receive extra pay for working during the Olympics, ending the threat of a strike.
The RMT union said it had reached an agreement with London Underground (LU) over recognition and pay.
It had previously announced it was to ballot its control staff and its maintenance members on strike action.
But after talks, it agreed to call off the ballot when LU offered Olympic performance rewards of up to £850.
It has also agreed that staff will work within the terms of their existing contracts.
Some of the workers who were being balloted for industrial action are employed by a contractor, which the union said had rejected a claim for an Olympic bonus.
The union said that it still had concerns about the staffing levels planned by LU and the use of untrained volunteers "at a time when safety and security will be absolutely paramount".
The union has also repeated its demand for a full-scale, mock emergency evacuation to test the robustness of the safety procedures in operation.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "After months of hard work by our negotiators we have been able to come to an agreement that both protects the contractual rights and existing agreements of our members and rewards them in recognition of what we all know will be the biggest transport challenge ever faced by this city."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
London riots: David Cameron approves water cannon - Daily Telegraph
Mr Cameron spoke after chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee. He rebutted criticisms from Boris Johnson about proposed cuts in police numbers. The London Mayor today caused anger in Downing Street by saying London’s police strength should not be lessened.
But Mr Cameron hit back saying: “Mayors, local authorities, always want more money, I don’t blame them for that, it’s the government job to make sure they get want they need and get the most out of what they’ve got.” all mayors “want more money.”
Instead, Mr Cameron pointed out that increasing to 16,000 the number of officers in London last night, illustrated that what was possible to “get the most out of what we’ve got.”
He said: “We won’t do anything that will reduce the number of visible police on our streets.”
Attacking the looters for their lawlessness, Mr Cameron said there was a “moral problem”, often the result of poor parenting. He added that as well as a problem for politicians it was “a problem for society.”
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
London Olympics 2012 - zeenews.india.com
Source: zeenews.india.com
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