VANCOUVER, Canada – Despite dark economic clouds, the International Olympic Committee declared Vancouver ‘ready’ Wednesday, following its final inspection of the host of the 2010 Games.
“We are extremely happy with what we have seen and heard,” Rene Fasel, chairman of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Coordination Commission, said.
“The venues are just spectacular and the plans for next February are very good,” said Fasel. “I am pleased to be able to say Vancouver is ready for 2010.”
Officials denied there is disagreement between the IOC and local organizers over a possible budget shortfall of about 30 million Canadian dollars.
To date the IOC has signed only nine instead of 11 expected sponsors at the international level.
“We haven’t generated the revenue from that area that we’d hoped and that we budgeted for,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver organizing committee (VANOC).
“At this stage we don’t know if we’ll have a shortfall” he said, but added, “we will deliver the games with a balanced budget.”
In the event of a shortfall, he said, “we have to deal with it… either through cutting costs or raising revenue in different areas.”
Officials said the IOC and VANOC are in discussions about an IOC proposal to help with 2010 games funding, but did not release details.
Furlong said that with less than six months left before the games in this Western Canadian metropolis, local organizers are focused on operational details.
“We obviously have many things to do,” Furlong said, adding that the priority is on transportation systems between the international airport here, local hotels and venues, and the ski resort Whistler, where alpine competitions will be held.
Officials were tight-lipped about their response to a human rights court challenge of the IOC’s decision not to add female ski jumping to the 2010 programme.
Asked if the Games could still accommodate a women’s event if a Canadian court ruling, expected this autumn, favours the women, Furlong replied, “We’re not planning any event at this point in time … we’re talking about something that’s completely hypothetical.”
“Seven Mondays from now, we light the flame in Olympia,” Furlong said of the traditional start of the Olympic torch relay, which will carry the flame 45,000 kilometers (2,800 miles) across Canada.
Officials also paid tribute on Wednesday to Leo Obstbaum, medals and mascots designer for the Games, who died suddenly at home last Thursday.
Ricky Hatton welcomed Muhammad Ali to his gym on Wednesday and admitted not even a meeting with The Greatest could convince him to get back in the ring again.
Hatton, the former world light-welterweight champion, hasn’t fought since a second-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao in May and is now promoting rather than fighting.
The 30-year-old British fighter, known for his aggressive, body-punching style, said he was reduced to tears when meeting 67-year-old Ali, who has Parkinson’s Disease and makes rare public appearances.
“He’s not just one of the greatest boxers of all time, he’s one of the greatest men of all time. He’s made the entertainment side of boxing what it is today,” Hatton said.
“Bearing in mind how poorly he is, for him still to come to the gym, raise his hands to the fans and have a picture, that’s why he’s the greatest.”
Joined by his wife Lonnie, Ali is touring Britain and Ireland making appearances at a series of dinners to raise money for his charities, including the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Hatton, who has only two losses on a 47-fight career, said that, even after meeting Ali, he was no closer to deciding whether to fight again.
“I’ve had a lot of fights and sometimes, when you’ve been in this game as long as I have, running in the morning, training in the afternoon, dieting, I’ve reached the stage that I’ve had enough now, I want a bit of a rest,” he said.
OAKLAND, California – Serb Jelena Jankovic has rediscovered her form in time for the U.S. Open, while compatriot and fellow former world number one Ana Ivanovic is still looking to turn her season round.
Jankovic, who ended last year at the top of the rankings, struggled for the first half of this year but by winning the Cincinnati Open earlier this month the world number five feels her game is back on track.
“I’m recharged,” the 24-year-old, who overcame world number one Dinara Safina in the final to claim her second title of the year after victory in Marbella in April, told Reuters.
“I know I can play and move well and compete with the top players as good as I was, if not better. The U.S. Open is my main goal.”
Jankovic has blamed her sluggish start to the year on an off-season training programme where she put on an extra 15 pounds of muscle, which she said had slowed her down.
“Every year I was making improvement and last year finished strong and I was beating all the top players and I was starting to dominate women’s tennis,” she said.
“I could hit harder but I lost explosiveness and in tennis, that’s the most important thing.”
She consequently struggled at the grand slams, falling in the fourth round in Australia and France and being knocked out in the Wimbledon third round by qualifier Melanie Oudin.
“I was playing without enjoyment and I had no passion and if you aren’t passionate and having fun it’s not the same,” she said.
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
Fellow Serb Ivanovic has had a similarly lacklustre year but has not yet shown the same signs of recovery as Jankovic.
The 21-year-old has not won a tournament since October 2008 and she said she had not been happy with her play since she reached the final at Indian Wells in March.
Her French Open defence ended in the fourth round in May and she retired injured at the same stage at Wimbledon in June, while her U.S. Open preparations have been shaky as she suffered early exits at the Cincinnati Open and Toronto Cup.
“I maybe made a little mistake because when, all of the sudden, I wasn’t doing as well, I started looking for answers in all the wrong places,” the world number 11 told Reuters in an interview arranged by WTA Tour sponsors Sony Ericsson.
After hiring coach Craig Kardon for four months, Ivanovic parted ways with the American in June and is now working once again with Sven Groenefeld, who helped her during the 2008 season, as well as Andre Agassi’s former coach Darren Cahill.
“I want everything to be perfect, but it can’t happen,” said Ivanovic, who has never gone beyond the U.S. Open fourth round.
“When I try to go toward perfection I think I can stop myself now.”
An inconsistent serve and her inability to consistently impose herself on opponents with her big forehand have troubled Ivanovic.
Ivanovic would like to reach the second week of the U.S. Open, which starts on Aug. 31, but is focused on a road towards long-term success.
“I found the path that I want to take,” she said. “There are lots of new things in my game that I found work well for me, and have full confidence in this.”
OAKLAND, California – For a woman who honed her tennis skills on hardcourts in California and Florida, the U.S. Open has not been a happy hunting ground for Venus Williams since 2001.
That was the last time she picked up the prized silver trophy at Flushing Meadows and the 29-year-old has not claimed an outdoor hardcourt title of any kind on American soil since 2002.
No one is more surprised with the barren run than the world number three herself.
“Totally, but what can I say?” Williams told Reuters in an interview ahead of the final grand slam of the year which begins on Monday.
“Other than that things have gone pretty well. I’m grateful for all my good results and I’ve learned from my losses. I definitely want to move forward,” she said in an interview arranged by WTA Tour sponsors Sony Ericsson.
Her lack of success on home territory is certainly startling as over the past few years she has taken her Wimbledon tally to five singles titles.
Williams also triumphed at the season-ending WTA Championships in Doha just nine months ago on a similar surface to the one they play on in New York.
Forever the optimist, Williams believes it is about time she ended her struggles at the U.S. Open.
Williams won back-to-back U.S. Open titles at the start of the decade, beating fellow American Lindsay Davenport in 2000 and her younger sister Serena in 2001.
But in 2008, Venus was unable to cash in on 10 set points against Serena and went down 7-6 7-6 in the quarter-finals.
She also relinquished her cherished Wimbledon crown to Serena last month when she came off second best in the final.
As she approaches her 30th birthday, Venus knows that she has only a handful of chances left to add to her haul of seven grand slam singles titles and is therefore not afraid to tinker with her game nearly 15 years after her professional debut.
While Venus is still fast and powerful, she has trouble blowing her opponents off the court from the baseline. In order to polish up her attack, she is trying to add a sliced backhand to her repertoire and also make better use of her giant wingspan at the net.
“I’m not stubborn, I like to update. I don’t stick with the old. I like to try new things on court and new approaches to training,” said Venus, whose most recent appearances in Cincinnati and Toronto ended with early round defeats.
“I have to take it as a positive that I will have more time to get ready for the Open. It’s been a really busy summer for me so I’ll just take advantage of these (early losses) and keep training and preparing for the Open.”
LONDON – A tactical switch by Arsene Wenger has made free-scoring Arsenal look like title contenders before Saturday’s Premier League trip to champions Manchester United (1615 GMT).
Arsenal’s attack-minded squad have been complemented by Wenger’s change from a 4-4-1-1 to a 4-3-3 formation this season that has brought 10 goals and victories in their first two league matches.
The Londoners also recorded a 5-1 aggregate win over Celtic to qualify for the Champions League group stages.
United’s 5-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic last Saturday suggested they were beginning to adapt to life without former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo after going into the game on the back of a shock 1-0 defeat at promoted Burnley.
Arsenal, leaders Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea have all made 100 percent starts to the season and Wenger expects another tough battle for the title.
“Two years ago we had 83 points and didn’t win the title. Last year Liverpool had 86 points and didn’t win the title,” Wenger told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com).
“Let’s not speculate on any weakness of any other team but just look how high that level is and that it means we need really to be super-consistent.”
TWO RIVALS
Arsenal’s Champions League hopes were wrecked last season when Ronaldo produced a dazzling semi-final second leg display at the Emirates.
United’s 4-1 aggregate win underlined a chasm in quality between the two rivals but the availability of Andrei Arshavin and the return to fitness of Eduardo da Silva and Tomas Rosicky should make Arsenal a tougher proposition on Saturday.
Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas is doubtful with a tight hamstring and Theo Walcott is out with a back injury.
United, boosted by the return of defender Nemanja Vidic from injury, are still without goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has demanded more from his squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bolton Wanderers after losing twice in three games this season.
“Clearly the team…has to improve,” Benitez told the club’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv).
Chelsea, unbeaten under Carlo Ancelotti, host a Burnley side who have won their last two league games while Tottenham will be favourites at home to Birmingham City.
Sunderland travel to Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanderers host Hull City and Blackburn Rovers, without a point, play West Ham United at Ewood Park.
On Sunday, Manchester City could hand a debut to new signing Joleon Lescott at Portsmouth, who have lost all three matches this season.
Aston Villa entertain Fulham while Everton look for their first points at home to Wigan.
The Florida Marlins ace gave up nine hits in six innings Wednesday night, but that was enough to keep him undefeated against the Mets, who lost 5-3.
Johnson trailed early but improved to 7-0 against New York with an ERA of 2.30 in nine career starts.
“I was a little inconsistent, but we got the W,” he said. “My slider is not there right now at times. My changeup comes and goes. It’s just one of those things during the season that you’ve got to get through.”
It was hardly the matchup the injury-plagued Mets needed. They lost their fifth game in a row, and their disabled list grew to 13 players when pitcher Oliver Perez(notes) was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.
Johnson (13-3) allowed three runs and retired the side in order only once. But he climbed 10 games above .500 for a team that’s eight over.
“Any time he goes out there, we have so much confidence in him, we expect him to shut them out and not give up any hits,” teammate Cody Ross(notes) said. “He battled through some tough innings.”
Three relievers combined for three scoreless innings, with Leo Nunez(notes) pitching the ninth for his 16th save in 20 chances.
Ronny Paulino(notes) hit a two-run homer and Ross had a two-run triple for the Marlins, who have the highest batting average in the majors in August.
“That’s what’s nice about this team right now—everyone is doing their part,” Ross said. “It wasn’t like that the first few months of the season.”
While the Mets can’t beat Johnson, Mike Pelfrey(notes) can’t beat the Marlins. Pelfrey (9-9) fell to 1-6 in 10 starts against Florida, with six losses in a row.
“Maybe they like fastballs,” he said. “I like to throw fastballs. Tonight they were patient at the plate. They made me throw it over the middle, and they hit me hard.”
The right-hander gave up 11 hits, five walks and five runs in 5 2-3 innings. He threw a season-high 118 pitches, including 71 in the first three innings.
Florida won despite stranding 11 and going 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
New York’s Fernando Tatis(notes) had three hits and improved his lifetime average against Johnson to .667 (8 for 12).
The Mets took the lead in the second inning, when they scored twice. Cory Sullivan(notes) led off with a single and came home on a double by Tatis. Anderson Hernandez(notes) singled in another run.
But New York managed only one more run—in the sixth on Sullivan’s sacrifice fly. Johnson finished with seven strikeouts and no walks.
“He made some pitches when he had to,” Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “No walks—that’s what saved him. To give up three runs and probably not be 100 percent, for me that’s a good start.”
Florida tied the game in the third on Ross’ two-out, two-run triple. Jeremy Hermida(notes) reached on a two-out infield single in the fifth, and Paulino followed with his seventh homer to put the Marlins ahead 4-2.
NOTES: Before the game, Florida recalled OF Brett Carroll(notes) from Triple-A New Orleans. … Mets LF Gary Sheffield(notes) (back) sat out. … The Marlins enjoyed some pregame hijinx, with Ramirez pulling up president David Samson’s trousers from behind as the team prepared to pose for its annual group photo before the game. … Mets RHP Tim Redding(notes), who will pitch the final game of the series Thursday, is 1-5 with an ERA of 8.73 in seven starts against Florida since the beginning of 2007. … Boxers Randall Bailey and Juan Urango threw out the ceremonial first pitch. They’ll fight for Urango’s junior-welterweight title Friday.
