Damp welcome for athletes at London 2012

Rain expected to hamper Olympic proceedings.

LONDON: Athletes began arriving at the Olympic Village yesterday under leaden skies and persistent drizzle to what will be their home for the next three weeks and the scene of their quest for gold.

Consistent with the British summer so far, the weather was anything but golden to welcome the competitors with brooding clouds and umbrella-busting winds keeping the international flags flapping outside one of the entrances. With thousands of athletes still to arrive, the Olympic Park in Stratford still doesn't feel quite like the welcoming park organisers have envisaged.

Organisers tried to keep the enthusiasm going despite the drizzle, with many performers wearing green and blue ponchos to keep themselves dry.

Taekwondo global body pledges fair fight

Taekwondo's world body called for a fair and enjoyable competition at the London Games to help the Korean martial art stay in the Olympics following judging controversies which have hit the sport.

"For taekwondo to remain an Olympic sport, competition in London must be fair and enjoyable," said the head of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Choue Chung-Won.

He said the WTF had adopted electronic scoring vests and instant video replays to ensure transparency in judging. In London, six cameras will be installed including one in the ceiling. The WTF has also reduced the size of the court to make judgement easier.

Russian wrestles for gold after poison trauma

Russia's freestyle wrestling star Bilyal Makhov said that he has forgotten about his poison incident and is ready to compete for gold in London.

At one of the Olympic warm-up tournaments, Makhov felt unwell and was rushed to the local hospital where the medics extraordinarily diagnosed mercury poisoning. The doctors said that Makhov received a dose of mercury vapour which could have killed an ordinary man. But Makhov managed to battle back and stay alive. He staged a full recovery and is now one of Russia's best chances for gold at the London Games.

He refuses to suspect any of his rivals who were in contention for a place in the country's Olympic squad at the time and says he has now put the terrifying incident behind him."How can I suspect any of my comrades as we lived under the same roof, practiced together day by day and ate the same food?" said Makhov. “Now I just want to win in London."

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2012.