The IOC said on Friday there is “not a shred of truth” to a British newspaper report that London has been approached about replacing Rio de Janeiro as host of the 2016 Olympics.
The London Evening Standard reported that the British capital, which hosted the 2012 Olympics, has been “secretly asked” if it would be able to take over from Rio because of the delays in Brazil’s preparations.
“Not a shred of truth in it,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said in an e-mail to reporters. “Simply a non-starter — totally without foundation and totally unfeasible.”
With two years to go before the first games in South America, Rio has come under severe scrutiny for chronic delays. Last week, IOC vice president John Coates called Brazil’s preparations “the worst I have experienced” and said Rio is further behind than Athens was before the 2004 Olympics.
Coates later toned down his remarks, saying Rio organizers “recently took a number of measures designed to make sure that we can together deliver a great games.”
The IOC has implemented emergency measures to tackle the situation in Brazil, sending long-time executive Gilbert Felli to Rio to work with local organizers, setting up several task forces, hiring a local construction manager and creating a high-level decisionmaking body.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
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The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
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