Rio state declares 'public calamity' over finances 50 days before the Olympics

It would be comic, if it wasn't so tragic.

http://ift.tt/1XuBuX7

Quote:

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The Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has declared a financial emergency less than 50 days before the Olympics.

Interim Governor Francisco Dornelles says the "serious economic crisis" threatens to stop the state from honouring commitments for the Games.

Most public funding for the Olympics has come from Rio's city government, but the state is responsible for areas such as transport and policing.
Interim President Michel Temer has promised significant financial help.

The governor has blamed the crisis on a tax shortfall, especially from the oil industry, while Brazil overall has faced a deep recession.
The measure could accelerate the release of federal emergency funds.

Rio state employees and pensioners are owed wages in arrears. Hospitals and police stations have been severely affected.

What has gone wrong in Brazil?

Rio state is responsible for the expansion of the metro for the Olympics

In a decree, Mr Dornelles said the state faced "public calamity" that could lead to a "total collapse" in public services, such as security, health and education. He authorised "exceptional measures" to be taken ahead of the Games that could impact "all essential public services", but no details were given. The state has projected a budget deficit of $5.5bn (£3.9bn) for this year.

Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter the state's decision "in no way delays the delivery of Olympic projects and the promises assumed by the city of Rio".

There are also concerns over an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects, and the impact it could have on the city's tourism.
Rio expects about 500,000 foreign visitors during the Olympics.

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Rio state declares 'public calamity' over finances 50 days before the Olympics

Gymnasts in the Media (Advertising, Magazines, TV, etc.)

Lately I’ve noticed that gymnasts are appearing much more in advertising and the media – and sometimes in the most unexpected places! Sometimes the gymnasts you wouldn’t expect to see, either.

For instance, last night I was walking past Aeropostale in the mall and I noticed this advertisement in the window and took a photo:



Then I checked their website and they are really promoting Aly. They especially seem to be promoting Aly for her, er, dancing skills:

http://ift.tt/1sINQ19

I guess Aly is pretty famous in America and she really is a good role model whatever your opinion on her gymnastics.

A short time ago I posted this commercial in the American Appreciation Thread:





I was quite surprised to see Sam in this commercial and I suspected (as did some of the commenters) that maybe they couldn’t afford to hire Shawn or Nastia. There were certainly comments on Sam’s Onodi.

The next appearance by a gymnast was the most unexpected. I was in Barnes & Noble and picked up the latest “Summer Reading” issue of the literary magazine Tin House. I don’t normally buy literary magazines because they are quite expensive, but I noticed several articles that interested me.

Then I noticed an article in the table of contents that took me by surprise. It is an article (actually more of an opinion piece by Marin Sardy) on Svetlana Boginskaya. The article is called Lightning, or Feathers - A Former Competitive Gymnast explores how Svetlana Boginskaya turned the gymnastics world on its head. The first line is: What you noticed first about Svetlana Boginskaya when she stepped up to an apparatus was the length of her limbs.

Of course I bought the issue. Unfortunately you can’t read the article online but you can obtain a copy in either paperback or Kindle form here:

http://ift.tt/1sINK9P

Of course if you have a Barnes & Noble nearby you might be able to find the issue and read it as you drink a latte.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Gymnasts in the Media (Advertising, Magazines, TV, etc.)

Vika, stoi!

Post a glorious video to commemorate the Queen here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj3Ig58YxNQ

Vika, stoi!

Do You Want to Be NTC This Year (or any other)?

Yes and no.

Yes because I could make the changes I would like to see (least important but most annoying: no more pink leos). More World Cup appearances. Lure Miss Val away from NCAA to be NT choreographer. Ensure that home gyms for NT members have top notch equipment and offer assistance to them in obtaining it if they don't. Work on E scores. Too many to list here.

No because...crushing the dreams of too many.

Do You Want to Be NTC This Year (or any other)?

Last two World Cups before Rio - Anadia & Mersin

Anadia, Portugal - June 23-26

Nominative registration:
http://ift.tt/1XaTeqq

This should be a good one. Obviously a lot of people want to have one more comp under their belt before the Olympics.


Mersin, Turkey - July 1-3

Nominative registration:
http://ift.tt/1XaTDZT

This one considerably less impressive with a few exceptions.


On the bright side, Oleg Verniaiev isn't registered for either of them. :rolleyes:

Last two World Cups before Rio - Anadia & Mersin

Filling the Olympic rosters - MAG and WAG

As the first teams have been officially named (Japan MAG and WAG), seems like the time to start keeping track.
Please contribute whatever info you have:

• regarding official selections obviously, but also
• 'unofficial' (e.g., Vodkatina's proclamations, lol),
• training squads,
• selection processes,
• announcement dates,
• etc.

Women

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

China

• Shang Chunsong
• Fan Yilin
• Mao Yi
• Wang Yan
• Liu Tingting
• Alts: Tan Jiaxin, Luo Huan, Liu Jingru

France

Germany

Great Britain

Italy

Japan - Official

• Sae Miyakawa
• Mai Murakami
• Aiko Sugihara
• Asuka Teramoto
• Yuki Uchiyama
• Alts: Marina Kawasaki, Natsumi Sasada

Netherlands

Russia - Very Unofficial

• Per Vodkatina declarations: Mustafina, Komova, Afanasayeva, Paseka are on the team
• Contending for the 5th spot is: Melnikova, Seda, Kharendova, Spiri, Kapitonova?

United States

• Qualifiers to Olympic Trials TBD at P&G National Championships 6/24-6/26
• Team and 3 reserves to be named following Olympic Trials July 10

INDIVIDUALS

Algeria - Farah Boufadene (continental place)
Argentina - Ailen Valente
Armenia - Houry Gebeshian
Australia - TBD (Larissa Miller or Emily Little seem most likely?)
Austria - Lisa Ecker
Belarus - Kylie Dickson
Chile - Simona Castro
Columbia - Catalina Escobar
Croatia - Ana Derek
Cuba - Marcia Vidiaux
Egypt - Sherine El-Zeiny (continental place)
Greece - Vasiliki Millousi OR Argyro Afrati
Guatamala - Ana Sofia Gomez
Hungary - Zsofia Kovacs OR Noemi Makra
Iceland - Irina Sazonnova
India - Dipa Kamarkar
Ireland - Ellis O'Reilly
Jamaica - Toni-Ann Williams
Korea - TBD
Mexico - Alexa Moreno OR Ana Lago
New Zealand - Courtney McGregor
North Korea - Hong Un Jong
Panama - Isabella Amado (Tripartate Invitation)
Peru - Ariana Orrego
Poland - Katarzyna Jurkowska-Kowalska OR Gabriela Janik
Portugal - Filipa Martins
Romania - Larissa Iordache OR Catalina Ponor
Slovenia - Teja Belak
Spain - Ana Perez OR Claudia Colom
Switzerland - TBD (Steingruber presumably)
Slovakia - Barbora Mokosova
Sweden - Emma Larsson
Trinidad & Tobago - Marisa D.i.c.k
Turkey - Tutya Yilmaz
Ukraine - Angelina Kysla
Uzbekistan - Oksana Chusovitinia
Venezuela - Jessica Lopez
Vietnam - Phan Thi Ha Thanh

Reserves

1. Marina Nekrasova (AZE)
2. Farah Abdul Hadi (MAS)

Men's list to come...

Filling the Olympic rosters - MAG and WAG

Another sex scandal

But this one involves an administrator who would not have had access to athletes.
from http://ift.tt/1Ud5h4c
The article is in French, so here is the google translation:

Quote:

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Child Pornography: a former leader of gymnastics federations accused
Claude Aubertin, who was at the head of Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique and Quebec, had already been convicted in 1992 in a child prostitution case, learned the Press .
The news came in the middle of the Canadian Gymnastics Championships: the former president of the Quebec and Canadian gymnastics federation has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. The man has never had close contacts with children, ensure the sports federations, which however will investigate to make sure it has no victims.
"It was total shock," said the CEO of Gymnastics Quebec, Serge Castonguay.
Yet this is not the first time that Claude Aubertin, 77, who has worked in the world of the gym for 40 years, been the subject of accusations of this nature. The Press has discovered that the man had was sentenced in 1992 to a suspended sentence of two years in prison in a child prostitution case. This was before being elected head of Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique and Quebec. The federations claim that at the time, they were not aware of anything.
"We did not know. At that time, there was no background check, "says Serge Castonguay. Consequently, not only Mr. Aubertin has been able to continue to move in the world of sport, but it has even attained its highest levels chairing Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique Quebec in 2003 and until 2013, despite his criminal record.
Only this week when Claude Aubertin was arrested by the team investigating the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet of the Sûreté du Québec, as his colleagues discovered everything.
"We never saw coming train. We could never have imagined. " - Serge Castonguay, Director General of Quebec Gymnastics
Press joined Mr. Castonguay in Edmonton for the Canadian Championships, where the news came as a bombshell. "He was a gentleman who was very well known throughout Canada," he adds.
Yesterday, the septuagenarian was formally charged with possession and distribution of child pornography and having accessed child pornography, before a judge of the court of St. Jerome.
Police seized computer equipment during a search conducted earlier this week at his home in Val-des-Lacs, in the Laurentians.
He will remain detained at least until Wednesday, the day of its next appearance before a judge.
NOT "IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ATHLETES"
Claude Aubertin was immediately suspended from office in Quebec Gymnastics and Gymnastics Canada, where he always sat as a director.
"It was never in direct contact with the athletes," says Mr. Castonguay, which states that checks will still be made to ensure that it has had no inappropriate behavior with gymnasts.
"We are obviously shocked and saddened by the news and are cooperating fully with the ongoing police investigation. " - Richard Crépin, president of Gymnastics Canada board, in a statement
Note that the suspect was neither coach nor official, but administrator.
"His children were doing gymnastics. He has been involved as a parent and as a director, "says Castonguay.
Mr. Aubertin has also served on the board of several teams as a volunteer at the time when his children it entailed, including IMCO club Plateau, now known as the gymnastic club Centre Père Sablon. He sat still on the board in the mid-2000s, although his children were long adults.
"It was never in direct contact with our athletes and it has not been alone with them in our office," says the Director of the Centre Père Sablon operations, Yolaine Rousseau.
Claude Aubertin will return to the court next week.

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Aubertin was a member of the Boards of Directors of Gymnastics Canada, Gymnastics Quebec and the Organizing Committee of 2017 Worlds

Gymnastics Quebec issued an official statement during nationals last weekend: http://ift.tt/1Ud50hM

Gymnastics Canada's Official statement is here: http://ift.tt/1Ud3Um9

Neither statement acknowledges anything other than the inescapable fact of criminal charges.

Another sex scandal