Olympic gold medallists Anna Chicherova and Elena Lashmanova are among a new batch of Russian athletes denied neutral status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and will miss the 2019 World Championships.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.
World Skills - Director of Event Operations - Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Director of Event Operations is a member of the WorldSkills International Senior Management Team and hence has a very important role in managing all operational matters for the organization’s flagship event, the WorldSkills Competition, as well as the biennial General Assembly meetings. The Director of Event Operations is required to complete complex tasks and projects, able to make timely decisions with limited guidance, understands strategic priorities, and exercises appropriate levels of urgency and judgement to situations that require a high level of attention. The Director of Event Operations is passionate about the vision and mission of WorldSkills and is proactive, resourceful, dedicated, and works with a high level of integrity.
Super-rich Saudi Arabia has made sport a priority with major events regularly taking place in the Kingdom. The country's vision, however, creates uncomfortable questions. Dan Palmer reports.
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