IOC board to examine Armstrong and Athens doping cases, illegal ticket sales

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Four months after the highs of the London Olympics, the IOC is turning to less uplifting matters: drug-tainted medals from past games, ethics violations in ticket sales and suspension of national Olympic bodies. The fate of Lance Armstrong's bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games and doping cases involving five medallists from the 2004 Athens Olympics are high on the agenda for the IOC's two-day executive board meeting starting Tuesday in Lausanne. Also on the table are proposed sanctions against Olympic officials and ticket agents accused of unauthorized sale of London tickets and the proposed suspension of the Indian Olympic Association for political interference. The IOC board also will receive reports on preparations for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. With concerns mounting about the state of progress in Rio, the IOC will be looking for assurances that the first Olympics in South America are on track. Doping issues will be at the forefront of the meetings, which have been moved to a Lausanne hotel because the International Olympic Committee headquarters are still being repaired after flood damage caused by a burst water main. Five doping tests from 2004 came back positive earlier this year when the IOC reanalyzed about 100 Athens samples to catch any drug cheats who had avoided detection. The IOC held disciplinary hearings for the five East European athletes — all medallists — over the weekend, and will now consider disqualifying them and removing the medals. The group includes shot put gold medallist Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine and three bronze winners — women's shot putter Svetlana Krivelyova of Russia, discus thrower Irina Yatchenko of Belarus and weightlifter Oleg Perepechenov of Russia. Their names were first reported last week by German public broadcaster ARD. The identities were confirmed to The Associated Press by two Olympic officials with knowledge of the cases. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the cases remain confidential while the disciplinary process is ongoing. The fifth athlete is Ivan Tskikhan of Belarus, who won silver in the hammer throw in Athens. He was publicly identified by the Belarus Olympic Committee and sent home from the London Games. Whether or when the IOC would reallocate the medals is uncertain. If Bilonog's victory in the shot put is erased, Adam Nelson of the United States could move up to gold. In 2004, the Athens Games produced a record 26 doping cases and six medallists — including two gold winners — were caught. Since Athens, the IOC has been storing doping samples from each Olympics for eight years to allow for retesting when new detection methods become available. The Athens retests have caused a rift between the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA leaders publicly criticized the IOC for not retesting more of the 3,000-plus samples. The IOC said it assessed the quality, quantity and chain-of-custody of the samples, as well as the considerable cost and logistics of retesting. The IOC, meanwhile, wants to get back the bronze medal that Armstrong won in the road time trial in Sydney, following the damning U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's report that led to him being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005. The board could decide to strip the medal this week or wait another few weeks until cycling's governing body has officially notified Armstrong of the loss of all his results since August 1998. IOC lawyers are studying whether the eight-year statute of limitations applies. "The board is following a zero-tolerance policy on doping," IOC vice-president Thomas Bach, who heads the body's doping investigations, told The Associated Press. The IOC has no plans to reallocate Armstrong's medal, just as the UCI decided not to declare winners for the Tour titles revoked from the American. Spanish rider Abraham Olano Manzano, who finished fourth in Sydney, would not be upgraded and the bronze medal placing would be left vacant in the Olympic records. The IOC is also investigating Levi Leipheimer, a former Armstrong teammate who won the time-trial bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. The American confessed to doping as part of his testimony against Armstrong in the USADA case. Also now in doubt is the silver medal in the women's discus from the London Olympics. Darya Pishchalnikova's sample from an out-of-competition test in May was negative at the time, but came back positive for a steroid when it was retested last month with a new method. The former Olympic and world champion's case now lies with the IAAF and may not reach the IOC for some time. On another matter, the IOC board will act on recommendations from the ethics commission for sanctions in connection with irregularities in the sale of Olympic tickets. The IOC opened a probe in June after Britain's Sunday Times reported that national Olympic committee officials and ticket agents in several countries were caught offering tickets on the black market for up to 10 times their face value. The paper turned its evidence over to the IOC, which has been studying it for several months. At issue are ticket allocations given by local organizers to the 200-plus national Olympic committees to sell in their home countries. The committees appoint a local organization to sell the tickets. IOC rules prohibit national committees from selling tickets abroad, inflating ticket prices or selling tickets to unauthorized resellers. The highest-profile official implicated in the newspaper's undercover investigation was Sypros Capralos, head of the Greek Olympic Committee. He has denied any wrongdoing. The IOC will rule on a proposal to suspend India because of government interference in the national Olympic body's elections, scheduled for Wednesday. The IOC has told the Indians they must adhere to their own constitution and Olympic Charter and not follow the government sports code.

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LeBron James wins Sports Illustrated annual award

(Reuters) - LeBron James of the Miami Heat was named as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2012, the U.S. magazine announced on Monday. In an outstanding year, the 27-year-old James won his first NBA championship, his third league Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, was named MVP of the NBA finals and a won gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics. He became just the sixth basketballer to win the award, which began in 1954. The most recent was his team-mate Dwyane Wade in 2006. Two years ago, James became a hate figure for many American sports fans after he announced his decision to sign for Miami live on television after his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers had expired. He was booed at courts across the NBA and received intense criticism for his performance as Miami lost the 2011 NBA finals to the Dallas Mavericks. "Did I think an award like this was possible two years ago? ‘No, I did not," James said in an interview with the magazine. "I thought I would be helping a lot of kids and raise $3 million by going on TV and saying, ‘Hey, I want to play for the Miami Heat.' But it affected far more people than I imagined. "I know it wasn't on the level of an injury or an addiction, but it was something I had to recover from. I had to become a better person, a better player, a better father, a better friend, a better mentor and a better leader. I've changed, and I think people have started to understand who I really am." Previous winners of the award include swimmer Michael Phelps (2008), cyclist Lance Armstrong (2002) and golfer Tiger Woods (2000) while the first award was given to British athlete Roger Bannister in 1954 after he became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes.

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Riders urged to cooperate to lift doping taint

LONDON (Reuters) - A lobby group campaigning to clean up cycling has invited riders to back a plan it says could remove doping suspicions undermining the sport after the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. "The assistance we are seeking from the riders will be to put in place a system that will guarantee that the winner of the major tours has not blood doped," said doctor Michael Ashenden, a leading anti-doping campaigner. "It's a short-term intensive approach that will restore public confidence in the riders and the race outcome," Ashenden, an expert on combating blood doping, told a news conference organized by "Change Cycling Now". Ashenden gave no further details of his proposal but said he had briefed Gianni Bugno, president of the riders association, with a view to its swift implementation for next season. Cycling has been in crisis since Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after the United States Anti-Doping Agency accused him of being at the center of an organized doping conspiracy. "Change Cycling Now" has called for Pat McQuaid to quit as head of the UCI, the sport's governing body, accusing him of failing to root out doping. American Greg LeMond, who won the Tour in 1986, 89 and 90, said he was prepared to serve as an interim head of the UCI. "I would do whatever I can to help change the sport," LeMond told the news conference. "I would love to be part of the process to change (the sport) and if that means an interim presidency, I would be willing to do that." SUSPICIONS LINGER Bradley Wiggins, who rides for Team Sky, became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012. Team Sky has a zero tolerance policy towards staff members with a doping history and Wiggins angrily dismissed doping-related questions en route to his Tour triumph in the summer. Ashenden said he was not accusing Wiggins of any wrongdoing but underlining the credibility issue the sport faces. "That would be a remarkable day, when a rider can stand up and say "I won and you know that I didn't dope", blood dope, I need to be specific there," he said. "The unfortunate reality is that everything that a rider can say today, Lance Armstrong already said. The reality is, no matter what a rider says, there is going to be doubt," he added. "Change Cycling Now", comprising former riders, journalists and anti-doping campaigners, has been put together by Jaimie Fuller, an Australian who is chairman of the SKINS sportswear company, a cycling sponsor. Fuller said he had approached more than 10 current cyclists about the campaign but they were afraid to speak out. "The vast majority were intimidated about what could happen to them if they stuck their head above the parapet and were critical of the UCI," he said. LeMond, who had long been critical of Armstrong, said he had also been the victim of intimidation. "I personally dealt with the threats, I dealt with the amount of money that he had to destroy people," he said. Dutch Rabobank pulled out of sponsoring a professional cycling team in the wake of the Armstrong scandal and there are fears other companies could quit. "He's done a lot of damage to cycling. It was a false bull market for cycling," LeMond said of Armstrong.

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LeMond says UCI's McQuaid must stand down amid Armstrong probe, offers to serve as president

LONDON - A group of the UCI's fiercest critics called for the president to step aside Monday, and asked three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond to put himself forward to run cycling in the interim. LeMond said after Change Cycling Now's inaugural meeting that International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid can't remain in his job while a panel examines possible links between the organization and the doping case involving Lance Armstrong. "I would love to be part of the process of change and if that means as interim president then I would be willing to do that," LeMond said. "I said if we can't find anyone more qualified," the 51-year-old American added. "I will do whatever I can to help change the sport. I am definitely not pushing myself ... cycling needs radical change, it needs new leadership." The sport is reeling from its most damaging scandal in which Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour titles among other victories and banned for life after a damning report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Pre-empting the Change Cycling Now meeting in London, the UCI announced Friday that a three-man panel will scrutinize McQuaid and his predecessor Hein Verbruggen over their relations with Armstrong. McQuaid was elected president not long after Armstrong first retired in 2005, and Verbruggen is now honorary president of the UCI. The governing body denies claims made by former Armstrong teammates to USADA that it covered up suspicious samples from Armstrong in exchange for payments totalling $125,000, or that the American rider enjoyed special protection. But LeMond questioned how McQuaid and Verbruggen could remain in their roles until the panel, headed by a retired British judge, files its report in June. "During this investigation you can't have the fox guarding the henhouse, and that means they need to willingly step down — now," LeMond said. "Will they? Most likely not because they are protecting their own position. It will take pressure." LeMond said cycling must be run by someone who is "beyond reproach." "We need to find a great leader who can take the sport forward and repair the damage that has been done," he said. Change Cycling Now is funded by sportswear company Skins, which is suing the UCI for $2 million after claiming its brand has been damaged by backing the sport as the Armstrong scandal unfolded. The International Olympic Committee executive board is this week discussing whether to strip Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games. "I still would love to see Armstrong come forward and reveal how, and I might even shake his hand if he would do this," LeMond said. "Because I think what he could offer is insight into really what was happening ... things don't happen by themselves. It was a huge effort by multiple people and he alone can reveal that. "It would be one redeeming thing he could do for cycling, because he has done a lot of damage for cycling." While Change Cycling Now is trying to pitch itself as the organization to lead the overhaul of cycling, no current riders attended its two-day meeting in London. Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller, who is fronting the group, claimed more than 10 cyclists rebuffed his invitation to attend. "There were a couple who it was geographically difficult for, but the vast majority were intimidated about what could happen to them if they stuck their heads above the parapet and were critical of the UCI," Fuller said. Speaking on the same media conference panel as Fuller, investigative journalist Paul Kimmage claimed cyclists are "terrified of what the repercussions might be — that's not the sign of a healthy organization." But Australian anti-doping scientist Michael Ashenden, who helped the UCI develop its anti-doping biological passport project, believes the organization has a future. "I don't believe there is a need to dissolve the UCI," said Ashenden, alongside Fuller.

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LeMond wants to run UCI after Armstrong scandal

LONDON (AP) -- Greg LeMond says the President of the International Cycling Union can't remain in his job while a panel examines possible links between the organization and the doping case involving Lance Armstrong. The three-time Tour de France winner said after Change Cycling Now's first meeting that he would be willing to run cycling in the interim. ''I would love to be part of the process of change and if that means as interim president then I would be willing to do that,'' LeMond said. ''I said if we can't find anyone more qualified, I will do whatever I can to help change the sport. I am definitely not pushing myself ... cycling needs radical change, it needs new leadership.'' Before the Change Cycling Now meeting in London, the UCI announced Friday that a three-man panel will scrutinize President Pat McQuaid and his predecessor Hein Verbruggen over their relations with Armstrong. The sport is reeling from its most damaging scandal in which Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour titles, among other victories, and banned for life after a damning report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. McQuaid was elected president not long after Armstrong first retired in 2005, and Verbruggen is now honorary president of the UCI. The governing body denied claims made by former Armstrong teammates to USADA that it covered up suspicious samples from Armstrong in exchange for payments totaling $125,000, or that the American rider enjoyed special protection. But LeMond questioned how McQuaid and Verbruggen could remain in their roles until the panel, headed by a retired British judge, files its report in June. ''During this investigation you can't have the fox guarding the henhouse, and that means they need to willingly step down - now,'' LeMond said. ''Will they? Most likely not because they are protecting their own position. It will take pressure.'' LeMond said cycling must be run by someone who is ''beyond reproach.'' ''We need to find a great leader who can take the sport forward and repair the damage that has been done,'' he said. Change Cycling Now is funded by sportswear company Skins, which is suing the UCI for $2 million after claiming its brand has been damaged by backing the sport as the Armstrong scandal unfolded. The International Olympic Committee executive board is this week discussing whether to strip Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games. ''I still would love to see Armstrong come forward and reveal how, and I might even shake his hand if he would do this,'' LeMond said. ''Because I think what he could offer is insight into really what was happening ... things don't happen by themselves. It was a huge effort by multiple people and he alone can reveal that. ''It would be one redeeming thing he could do for cycling, because he has done a lot of damage for cycling.'' While Change Cycling Now is trying to pitch itself as the organization to lead the overhaul of cycling, no current riders attended its two-day meeting in London. Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller, who is fronting the group, claimed more than 10 cyclists rebuffed his invitation to attend. ''There were a couple who it was geographically difficult for, but the vast majority were intimidated about what could happen to them if they stuck their heads above the parapet and were critical of the UCI,'' Fuller said. Speaking on the same media conference panel as Fuller, investigative journalist Paul Kimmage claimed cyclists are ''terrified of what the repercussions might be - that's not the sign of a healthy organization.'' But Australian anti-doping scientist Michael Ashenden, who helped the UCI develop its anti-doping biological passport project, believes the organization has a future. ''I don't believe there is a need to dissolve the UCI,'' Ashenden said.

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Sony’s radical PlayStation 4 controller concept: A motion-control device you can split in half

While Nintendo (NTDOY) has been busy innovating with unique controllers on the Wii and Wii U, Sony’s (SNE) DualShock controller for its PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 has remained virtually the same since 1997. A newly discovered patent reveals Sony might be planning on a radical overhaul of the DualShock for the PlayStation 4 that’s rumored to arrive next year. U.S. patent 20120302347A1 details a “hybrid separable motion controller” that resembles a DualShock controller with two PlayStation Move sensor balls attached to it. Much like how the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller combo separated the left and right hand input, the Sony controller patent goes one step further by allowing the two halves to be split and combined at any time – all without reducing the amount of buttons available. The patent also highlights the inclusion of a “connection sensor for determining whether the controller is in a connected configuration or a disconnected configuration.” One of the PlayStation Move’s biggest disadvantages is that it’s a separate controller and not the default one. As a result, most developers either saw it as merely a Wii Remote clone or as a niche controller with a limited install base not worth programming special controls for. If Sony were to include proper 1:1 motion controls within the default PS4 controller without turning its back on the “core” controller, it could greatly appeal to casual and core gamers. Such a controller can be considered a natural evolution of the current DualShock 3 controller that sports limited motion controls using its three-axis accelerometer and gyroscope. Of course, the controller is only a patent that may never make it to market, so don’t get your hopes up if it doesn’t happen.

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How Nintendo Shaped 30 Years of U.S. Gaming

1. The Crash The video game crash of the early 1980s was caused by very few controls on hardware and software and manufacturers. Designers released poor-quality games, including big-budget tie-ins like the E.T. game for Atari, which flopped so badly that all extra copies were taken to a landfill. Artwork courtesy of MBAOnline Click here to view this gallery. [More from Mashable: 5 Ways to Get Nothing Done] Nintendo has earned almost of 30 years of success in the American game market. Millions of people recognize iconic characters like Mario, and the company has sold consoles and handhelds in the hundreds of millions. But Nintendo came to America during a rocky time for video games, when bad systems and cheap, derivative games saturated the market. So, how did it manage to teach Americans to embrace gaming as something families could enjoy together? [More from Mashable: Your Talent Acquisition Strategy Needs SEO, Too] SEE ALSO: Meet the Super Fan Who Waited in Line for a Month for a Wii U Now, as Nintendo releases its newest console, we take a look at its commanding authority in the U.S. market since 1985.

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Synacor partners with Zynga to bring social games to pay TV

(Reuters) - Synacor Inc, partly owned by Intel Corp, said it partnered with Zynga Inc to allow pay TV and broadband providers offer social games to their customers. Zynga shares rose about 3 percent to $2.30 in premarket trading, while Synacor shares were up about 5 percent at $6.60. Synacor said certain pay-TV subscribers will get in-game currency each month as part of their subscription that can be redeemed for popular Zynga games such as Zynga Poker and FarmVille2. The partnership comes days after Zynga revised its pact with Facebook Inc to lower its dependence on the social network. Synacor, which debuted on the Nasdaq in February, offers authentication and management services to companies offering on-demand content, primarily cable and telecom service providers and consumer electronics brands.

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PlayStation 3 was the world’s No.1 Netflix streaming device this year

There are dozens of devices that can stream Netflix (NFLX), but only one can machine be crowned the king of the living room. According to Netflix, that device is Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 3 console. Without revealing any specific figures, Netflix announced on its blog “in the U.S. and globally, PS3 is the largest TV-connected platform in terms of Netflix viewing” and that “at times, PS3 even surpassed the PC in hours of Netflix enjoyment to become our No. 1 platform overall.” Netflix’s blog is quick to mention why the PS3 is the most popular streaming device this year, applauding it for being the first console to have 1080p HD video and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound, post-play, second screen controls, subtitles and easy app updates. While the Xbox 360 is gaining ground in terms of how many hours users spend watching videos on it, streaming video services such as Netflix requires an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. One reason why the PlayStation 3 might be leading Netflix streaming is because it doesn’t require a subscription fee to have access to the Netflix app, or any other streaming video app such as Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video. “The PlayStation and Netflix communities both share a strong passion for high quality entertainment,” Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO and president Jack Tretton said. “Netflix provides a fantastic experience for watching TV shows and movies on PS3, and our joint development will continue to produce innovations for our customers that further demonstrate PS3 as the true home for entertainment in the living room.”

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25 top-rated Facebook games from 2012

Games can be both a welcome and an annoying diversion on Facebook, the world's most popular online social network. This year, Facebook crossed a big milestone — reaching 1 billion active users. Game companies such as "FarmVille" creator Zynga Inc. and Rovio Entertainment Ltd. of "Angry Birds" fame seek to tap into that vast base of users to gain more players for their games. This week, Facebook Inc. issued a list of the 25 top-rated games that launched on Facebook in 2012. The company says the rankings are based on user ratings and engagement with the games. It's the same methodology that Facebook uses to rank apps in its App Center. Some of the games are played on Facebook's website, while others are only on Apple Inc.'s iOS or Google Inc.'s Android devices using Facebook's app. Here's the list: 1. "SongPop" (by FreshPlanet, on Facebook.com, iOS and Android) 2. "Dragon City" (by Social Point, on Facebook.com) 3. "Bike Race" (by Top Free Games, on iOS) 4. "Subway Surfers" (by Kiloo, on iOS and Android) 5. "Angry Birds Friends (by Rovio, on Facebook.com) 6. "FarmVille 2" (by Zynga, on Facebook.com) 7. "Scramble with Friends" (by Zynga, on iOS) 8. "Clash of Clans" (by Supercell, on iOS) 9. "Marvel: Avengers Alliance" (by Playdom, on Facebook.com) 10. "Draw Something" (by Zynga, on iOS and Android) 11. "Hay Day" (by Supercell, on iOS) 12. "Baseball Heroes" (by Syntasia, on Facebook.com) 13. "ChefVille" (by Zynga, on Facebook.com) 14. "CSR Racing" (by NaturalMotion Games, on iOS) 15. "Candy Crush Saga" (by King.com, on Facebook.com and iOS) 16. "Matching With Friends" (by Zynga, on Facebook.com) 17. "Legend Online" (by Oasis Games, on Facebook.com) 18. "Jurassic Park Builder" (by Ludia, on Facebook.com) 19. "Dungeon Rampage" (by Rebel Entertainment, on Facebook.com) 20. "Pockie Ninja II Social" (by NGames Ltd., on Facebook.com) 21. "Jetpack Joyride" (by Halfbrick, on Facebook.com) 22. "Social Empires" (by Social Point, on Facebook.com and iOS) 23. "Bil ve Fethet" (by Peak Games, on Facebook.com) 24. "Ruby Blast Adventures" (by Zynga, on Facebook.com and iOS) 25. "Pyramid Solitaire Saga" (by King.com, on Facebook.com)

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