Powered By Blogger

Search This Blog

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

LONDON 2012: Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., qualified for the semifinals of the men’s 100-metre freestyle at the Olympics with the fifth-fastest time in heats



LONDON—Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., qualified for the semifinals of the men’s 100-metre freestyle at the Olympics with the fifth-fastest time in heats.
The top 16 advanced to the evening semifinals. The top eight from there swim in Wednesday’s final.
Scott Dickens of Burlington, Ont., made it into the 200-metre breaststroke semifinals by finishing 13th. Audrey Lacroix of Pont-Rouge, Que., was 15th in the women’s 200-metre butterfly to advance.
Hayden, a silver medallist at the world championships last year, posted a time of 48.53 seconds. He was .34 seconds behind fastest qualifier Nathan Adrian of the U.S.
The Canadian is competing in his third Olympics. He won the world championship in the 100 freestyle in 2007.
Katerine Savard of Cap-Rouge, Que., was 19th in women’s butterfly and did not advance.




Monday, July 30, 2012

LONDON 2012 WOMEN'S SOCCER: Canada will face Sweden in the group finale of the London 2012 Women's Olympic Football Tournament this 31 July



Canada will face Sweden in the group finale of the London 2012 Women's Olympic Football Tournament this 31 July. The two sides will meet in Newcastle, England for a 14.30 local kick off at St. James' Park. The Canada-Sweden match will kick off at the same time as the Japan-South Africa match in Cardiff at Millennium Stadium.
Canada can still finish first, second or third in its group. Currently in third place behind Sweden and Japan, Canada will move up to either first or second with a win, but will remain in third place with a draw or a loss. Should Canada finish first or second, it will automatically qualify for the quarter-final phase; should Canada finish third, it will have to await the results of the other two groups to confirm that it advances to the next phase (all group finales will be played on 31 July).
This marks the 17th international meeting between the two sides, with the rivalry dating back 25 years to 5 July 1987. The two sides have split their encounters evenly since 2006 (three wins apiece).
Of note, the match marks a homecoming for Canadian head coach John Herdman, who was born in Newcastle and grew up attending football matches at the historic St. James' Park.
From the goal out, Canada's Olympic squad features Karina LeBlanc and Erin McLeod as goalkeepers, Emily Zurrer, Carmelina Moscato, Robyn Gayle, Rhian Wilkinson, Candace Chapman, Chelsea Stewart and Lauren Sesselmann as defenders, and Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Desiree Scott, Christine Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt, Melissa Tancredi, Kelly Parker, Jonelle Filigno and Brittany Timko from the midfield up through to the attack.

Twelve teams will compete at the London 2012 Women's Olympic Football Tournament from 25 July to 9 August. Teams are split into three groups, with Great Britain, Brazil, Cameroon and New Zealand in Group E, Canada, Japan, South Africa and Sweden in Group F, and Colombia, France, Korea DPR and USA in Group G. In the London 2012 group phase, Canada will face Japan on 25 July, South Africa on 28 July, and Sweden on 31 July.
For full coverage of Canada's road to the London 2012 Olympics, fans can follow all the news at CanadaSoccer.com. Fans are also encouraged to connect with Canada's national teams via twitter.com/CanadaSoccerENfacebook.com/CanadaSoccerflickr.com/canadasoccer, and youtube.com/canadasoccertv.

LONDON 2012: The Canadian faces that will deliver Games from London; Jennifer Hedger will anchor CTV’s live afternoon coverage, along with co-host James Duthie, Michael Landsberg and Daren Millard













With thousands of hours of coverage in more than 10 languages planned from Canada’s official media consortium — which includes CTV, TSN and Sportsnet — and special coverage from CBC and Global, here are the faces of the country’s top broadcasters who will bring the best of the Games home. MEDIA CONSORTIUM CTV bid $63 million for sole rights to the title of Canada’s official broadcaster, along with consortium partner Rogers Communications, which includes its flagship channels TSN and Sportsnet.
Jennifer Hedger will anchor CTV’s live afternoon coverage, along with co-host James Duthie, Michael Landsberg and Daren Millard. That means their channels will feature exclusive live coverage of all the major events and be the go-to programming of the opening and closing ceremonies. CTV will broadcast 22 hours a day, while TSN and Sportsnet will have 15 hours of Olympics coverage.
CTV’s prime-time coverage will be helmed by longtime Olympics host Brian Williams, a mainstay on TSN’s weekly broadcasts. Williams first broadcast from the Olympics at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal.
CTV News National chief anchor Lisa LaFlamme will broadcast live from London, while TSN host Darren Dutchyshen has a four-hour highlights show.
TSN host Jay Onrait will anchor SportsCentre in London with Dan O’Toole in Toronto.
Sportsnet’s Brad Fay has more highlights, with Ken Reid anchoring Connected from London.
During the day, host Dave Randorf, who usually covers CFL on TSN, and two-time speed skating gold medalist Catriona Le May Doan will have live sports coverage for eight hours in the morning on CTV.
TSN’s Kate Beirness and Sportsnet’s Don Taylor will each have six hours of live events in the morning.
Into the afternoon, co- hosts James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger will be helming CTV’s live coverage, along with TSN’s Michael Landsberg, regular host of Off The Record, and Sportsnet’s Daren Millard, who hosts Hockey Central.
Throughout the consortium’s coverage will be pro athletes and former Olympians turned analysts, including sprinter Donovan Bailey, soccer star Kara Lang and rowing champ Marnie McBean. They’ll be joined by more than 20 other pros covering 12 different event types. All told, the consortium will broadcast more than 5,500 hours thanks to a production team of 1,200 people working in London, Toronto and Montreal. They’ve packed a lot of gadgets too, including 29 high definition cameras and 60,000 metres of cable in the Olympic venues alone, enough to run the track 150 times. CBC Chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge will anchor The National from London, with reports on the ground from correspondents Susan Ormiston, Scott Russell and Nahlah Ayed. CBC News: Morning host Heather Hiscox will head daily coverage from London with updates from the sports desk in Canada.
Metro Morning host Matt Galloway will have regular five-minute live hits on CBC Radio, with national sports host Scott Regehr. GLOBAL Global’s Europe bureau chief Sean Mallen and Washington bureau chief Eric Sorensen will report live from London for the Games.
Allison Vuchnich will provide daily updates for all Global stations.

LONDON 2012: Canadian Raonic proceeds now to a second-round encounter with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — fifth-seeded here and Wimbledon semifinalist — in a confrontation that should have happened during Davis Cup play back in February



WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—Sports fall in and out of fashion.
Those that have disappeared — presumably forever — from the Olympic menu include: croquet, cricket, polo, something called roque, tug-of-war, motor boating, underwater swimming, tandem cycling and live pigeon shooting. Now, live seagull shooting, we’d approve of that. Even, maybe, live IOC peacock shooting.
A couple that have had an up-and-down history are golf and rugby, both to be welcomed back four years hence in Rio. Rugby rocks, man.
There’s a constituency which believes tennis should be sent to Coventry also, too posh and big-bucks for the Games, though that’s never been an anti-populist liability for, say, toffee-nosed dressage or Dream Team basketball.
Tennis, which the ancient Olympians never played, has had an intermittent record with the Games: one of the Original Nine sports when the modern Olympics were resurrected in 1896, dropped in 1924 — largely due to the emergence of professional leagues and the ban imposed by the International Lawn Tennis Federation on any player who turned pro — then reintroduced in 1988.
It still feels a little bit too white-sheep for the Games, despite a new-found enthusiasm for participation among some of the biggest stars on the pro circuit, who don’t need the relatively scant financial rewards on offer but clearly covet the glory of medals, so much more show-offy than a Wimbledon platter or a U.S. Open trophy or any other of the flashy Grand Slam tournaments.
“I don’t think you can ever have too many big events,’’ argues Milos Raonic, the 21-year-old who made his Olympics debut on Monday with a rain postponed first-round win over Japan’s Tatsuma Ito. “A lot of us players really look forward to this. It’s an icing on top of a player’s career.
“Some players can say they’ve won numerous Grand Slams but being able to add this is a bonus. It is a rare opportunity and it really is a great opportunity for us to be able to represent our nation as proudly as we can on such a big stage, not just to tennis fans.’’
Raonic did that quite splendidly way over on Court 16, dispatching the 69th-ranked Ito in a 68-minute encounter, his cannonading bounce-thumps off the purple-sheathed back wall and the spew of chalk splatter along court lines providing both visual and auditory evidence that the Canadian was well on his signature serve.
Also, the score: A mostly tidy 6-3, 6-4 result that bounced Ito out of the Games.
Raonic proceeds now to a second-round encounter with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — fifth-seeded here and Wimbledon semifinalist — in a confrontation that should have happened during Davis Cup play back in February, had the pride of Thornhill not withdrawn citing a knee injury.
“It’s going to be a good match,’’ the strapping Raonic, ranked world No. 25, predicted. “I was bummed out not to have a chance to play him earlier in the year. But right now I don’t think there’s a bigger stage for us as far as national pride goes. For me to have this opportunity again, I think it’s a big one.
“Really, my job is to go out there, take care of my serve, try to create opportunities. But I’ll have to go out there going for the win. He’s not going to give it to me.’’
It was, predictably, Raonic’s overpowering serve that served him well against Ito. Raonic finished with 11 aces and 23 winners, converting two of three break-point opportunities.
“A few things were a little disappointing about it, but in general the goal was to win and I got through. I wish I could have stayed a bit more on top of myself. I felt in the second set, when I needed to — not only during the points but before the points — I was activating myself, forcing myself to move a bit more.’’
Raonic, of course, was just here a month ago, ousted from the cathedral of tennis in a second-round loss to American Querrey, four sets stretched over two days.
Not mental, he said, of the sacred Wimbledon factor that can easily mess with a young player’s mind. It’s all about the grass surface. “I think it’s just a lack of experience on it. It’s such a few weeks of the year that we play on it. I don’t think I have more than 10 matches on grass total in my career.’’
Raonic’s Olympics are a bit isolated. He checked out of the athletes’ village after the opening ceremonies and moved into a rented house close by here.
Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak, also making her Olympics debut, cruised through her first-round match, dispatching New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-1, while Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil topped Romania’s Horia Tecau and Adrian Ungur in doubles, 6-3, 7-6 (9).

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen under fire after smashing world record, the Real Star or Suspected Doping?




LONDON—Up until last weekend, outspoken Australian Stephanie Rice was the best women’s medley swimmer in history.
Suddenly, the new best is out in front of her. Way out in front. And Rice sounds like she’s still trying to figure out who she is.
“I just wanted to get in there in the semis tonight,” Rice said after a slow morning heat. “I knew I was in there against Ye Shiwen. Or however you pronounce her name.”
Ye sports a pair of linebacker shoulders on a tiny 16-year-old frame. After the heats she tootsy-footied through the media throng carrying a small pair of UGGs boots. She was wide-eyed at all the attention.
Ye came into these games a glittering but still unpolished jewel — a powerful freestyler still trying to master the more complicated strokes in the individual medley.
Suddenly, she is the breakout star of these games. Given her low profile outside the sport and the chequered history of China’s swimmers, that’s got people talking. They’re not accusing yet, but they are inserting an audible, arched eyebrow into all comments.
Ye made headlines Saturday when she completed the final 50 metres of the 400 IM — her weaker event — in a blistering 28.93.
“Out of control,” Rice said of the feat, and then lowered to a comic tone. “I didn’t see it. I was way behind.”
Ryan Lochte, the gold medallist from the U.S. team, completed that same distance in that same discipline in 29.1 seconds. This may now be the only power event in world sport in which a woman is the best, period. A girl, really.
Asked if Lochte was taking any stick for his swim, teammate Michael Phelps said: “She outswam me, too. We were all pretty shocked.”
If the legend of the U.S. dream team — the real one — dies here in London, a 140-pound girl will have been the one to drive home the sword.
Ye herself was blasé.
“I didn’t feel at my best. The water was too cold.”
The water is 29C.
Ye shattered Rice’s 400-metre IM world record by more than a second — a seismic shift. It was the first women’s swimming world record broken since the banning of full-body, high-tech swimsuits.
Questions? Everyone has a few.
Asked about doping, Rice first hemmed, but refused to haw.
“I have no idea. I wouldn’t want to get into that at all …” — and then, without pausing, she sort of got into it — “ … I mean, 58 (seconds over the final 100 metres) is an insanely fast swim.”
Ye’s take: “There’s absolutely no problem with doping. The Chinese team has always had a firm policy of anti-doping.”
Despite the sophistry involved in the use of the word ‘policy’, that’s demonstrably untrue. In the 90s, more than 40 Chinese swimmers were caught cheating, inevitably meaning others went undetected. Earlier this year, another 16-year-old Chinese, Li Zhesi, was caught blood doping and tossed from the Olympic squad.
Ye didn’t do herself any favours when she credited her rise to “good, scientific-based training.”
As a child, Ye was apparently tapped for swimming by a teacher who noticed her unusually large hands. China has become famed for plucking very young children on the basis of physical traits and pushing them into sports that can make use of them, rather than leave it to the crapshoot of a kid’s own interests.
Whatever the secret, she took the bookies by surprise as well.
Before the Games started, Ye was on 3/1 odds to win the 200 IM. After dominating Monday morning’s heats, William Hill reduced that price to a virtual lock — 1/20. Those are the shortest odds on any swimmer at the Olympics. The final will go off Tuesday night.
It’s churlish to heap a pile of global suspicion onto the shoulders of a Grade 11 student. Right up until it turns out to be founded in some fact. Then it turns into a frenzy of indignation. That’s a more predictable pattern than the sun rising.
Given her age, her history and her stunning times, Ye’s ascendance understandably prompts a great deal of brow folding.
John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association, told Britain’s the Guardian the performance was unbelievable.
“We want to be very careful about calling it doping,” Leonard said. “The one thing I will say is that history in our sport will tell you that every time we see something, and I will put quotation marks around this, ‘unbelievable’, history shows us that it turns out later on there was doping involved. That last 100 metres was reminiscent of some old East German swimmers, for people who have been around a while. It was reminiscent of 400-metre individual medley by a young Irish woman in Atlanta.”
For now, let’s let the doping experts do their jobs. Until they prove otherwise, we can do ours — enjoying the incredible capacity of the human race to meet and surpass every physical barrier placed in front of it.


MORE ON THE WEB

Teenage girl puts sword in Michael Phelps and the U.S. dream team
London Olympics left with big hole thanks to empty seats





FULL LONDON 2012 COVERAGE


LONDON 2012 FENCING: Fencing controversy forces Korean to sit on piste for ages, eventually costs her medal




The Olympic fencing tournament was thrown into an incredibly emotional, dramatic and elongated controversy when a semifinal bout of the women's individual epee competition was won on a final touch with 1 second remaining and the losing fencer launched an appeal of the decision which eventually cost her a place on the podium.
Yet it was the appeal of the decision itself which led to incredibly acrimony and one of the lengthiest delays in recent Olympic memory. Here's how everything unfolded:
With time running out in one of the two semifinal matches for the women's individual epee competition, South Korea's Shin A Lam led Germany's Germany's Britta Heidermann by a single point. Officially, Heidermann had just one second to launch an attack and score a touch, which would advance her on to the gold medal match to face the Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina, a lack of time which all but ensured that Shin would advance.
Instead, the timing mechanism on the piste became stuck, giving Heidermann extra time to complete her attack and win the bout, which earned her the spot in the gold medal bout. Officials, unsure what to do without a true, official protocol to follow, eventually decided to award the victory to Heidermann.


As one might expect, Shin and her coaches were enraged with the decision, and launched an immediate appeal. Yet the appeal itself proved to be incredibly lengthy and also contained a unique bylaw that required Shin to remain on the piste throughout its duration. Unable to leave the playing surface, Shin bawled uncontrollably for the first 10-15 minutes, often shading her head in a towel while occasionally looking out to the crowd before rubbing her eyes again.
At long last, after more than 30 minutes of a delay that included the Korean federation having to expedite a payment for the use in the official appeal, Shin's attempt to overturn the result failed. That brought a crushing end to a ridiculously long period marked by piquant discussion between Olympic and Korean officials and occasional announcements trying to explain what was going on to the spectators in the crowd.

Clearly, Shin should have had a chance for the gold medal; if the timing mechanism didn't get stuck, the clock would have run out and she would have advanced. Yet denying Heidermann a shot without some kind of a playoff-style bout might have been equally cruel.
Either way, the fencing tournament somehow ended up with an unfortunate and completely unforeseen loser which will lead to plenty of gripes and arguments going forward from multiple national federations, to be sure.
Just to rub salt in the wound, Shin was forced to come back out and fence for the bronze medal almost immediately. In that bout, after jumping out to an early lead, the Korean fell to China's Sun Yujie, who claimed the bronze by a score of 15-11.
There was little consolation for that result for Shin, particularly after she quite rightfully should have been fencing for a gold medal, a position which would have guaranteed her at least a silver. Still, throughout her bout — just as during the delay — the Korean was applauded and cheered by fans, and she earned a rapturous applause as she went and was consoled by her coach after the bronze medal defeat.
Somehow, that might not go far enough to making the Korean federation feel better about being royally worked over en route to missing out on a medal.
Related Olympics video Sports:

More Olympics coverage on  Sports:
Value of Olympic medals may shock you
Actor James Caan has a special reason to root for U.S. boxer
Bizarre scenario where fans could boo own national anthem

LONDON 2012: Canada women beat Britain 73-65 in Olympic hoops




LONDON, Great Britain -- Shona Thorburn scored 18 points to lead Canada to a 73-65 victory over Britain in the women's Olympic basketball tournament on Monday.
Britain has now lost both games in its first Olympics since 1948.
Courtnay Pilypaitis and Kim Smith added 11 points each for Canada (1-1).
Natalie Stafford and Johannah Leedham had 15 points each for Britain, which led 61-57 late in the fourth quarter.
But Thorburn drove to the basket to tie at 61-61 with four minutes left as Canada finished the game on a 16-4 run. Thorburn hit a 3-pointer to the burst to put Canada ahead 66-61. She also scored the last three points of the game, all free throws.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

World Top Tennis Starts in Toronto 2012: ROGERS CUP LIVE! TO BRING TENNIS TO THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO


Unique downtown viewing experience for Rogers Cup presented by National Bank to take place at Yonge-Dundas Square and 121 King St. W.

Toronto, July 25, 2012 – Tennis Canada, in partnership with Rogers Communications, National Bank and Sportsnet, announced Wednesday the return of Rogers Cup LIVE!, a unique downtown Toronto viewing experience for Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. Combining a fun, festive atmosphere with the live broadcast of the world’s top tennis stars as they take to the courts in Toronto and Montreal, the second year of Rogers Cup LIVE! will hit two central downtown locations – Yonge-Dundas Square and 121 King Street West at the corner of King and York.

“Bringing the flavour of our event to the downtown core is something we’ve always strived for,” said Karl Hale, tournament director, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. “With the support of Rogers, National Bank and Sportsnet we are now able to transfer some of the excitement of our tournament to a wider audience in two of the busiest areas of the city.”

Rogers Cup LIVE! will kick-off at Yonge-Dundas Square on Monday, August 6 with an appearance from an ATP World Tour player at 12 Noon ET and will run daily at that location until Wednesday, August 8. In addition to the live broadcast on a large video screen, there will be interactive tennis activities and contest giveaways, including tickets to come see the event in person. Spectators will also be able to try their hand at the sport, as a mini-tennis court and a smash cage will be set up for people to test their skills.

On August 9-10, all the entertainment of Rogers Cup LIVE! will move to the financial district at the new National Bank Flagship located at 121 King Street West on the corner of King and York. The same festivities will continue, along with the addition of a “Taste of Tennis” which will include a lunchtime barbeque on Thursday and ice cream sampling on Friday (**while supplies last**).

The hours of operation for Rogers Cup LIVE! are as follows:

Monday, August 6 – Wednesday, August 8
Yonge-Dundas Square

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Thursday, August 9 – Friday, August 10
National Bank Flagship – 121 King St. West (Corner of King and York)

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For a link to the full 2012 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank English Canada broadcast schedule click here.

Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will be held from August 4-12 at Rexall Centre in Toronto and from August 4-13 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. For tickets or more information visit http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=94d2a0a8f7&e=3a4a38a850.

About the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 132nd anniversary of the men’s event from August 4-12, 2012 at Rexall Centre in Toronto and its 120th anniversary of the women’s event from August 4-13, 2012 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. As an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, Premier WTA tournament and Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.

About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association responsible for leading the growth, promotion and showcasing of tennis in Canada. Tennis Canada owns and operates two of the premier events on the ATP and WTA Tours; Rogers Cup presented by National Bank men’s and women’s events that rotate annually between Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. In addition, Tennis Canada owns and operates seven professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports nine other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs at the Centre of Excellence in Toronto, Uniprix Stadium in Montreal and the North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com.

Media Contacts (Toronto):
Sarah Grossman, Manager, Communications and Media Relations
(416) 650-7922, sgrossman@tenniscanada.com
Nicole Watts, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
(416) 665-9777 ext. 4092, nwatts@tenniscanada.com

GRÂCE À LA COUPE ROGERS EN DIRECT!, LE TENNIS ENVAHIT LE CENTRE-VILLE DE TORONTO
Une façon unique de vivre la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale à la place Yonge-Dundas et au 121, rue King Ouest
 

Toronto, le 25 juillet 2012 – Tennis Canada, en collaboration avec Rogers Communications, Banque Nationale et Sportsnet, annonçait mercredi le retour de la Coupe Rogers EN DIRECT!, une façon unique de regarder la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale au centre-ville de Toronto. Cette année, la Coupe Rogers EN DIRECT!, qui est une façon agréable de voir à l’œuvre les meilleurs joueurs et joueuses du monde sur les courts de Toronto et de Montréal, occupera deux places de choix au centre-ville, soit la place Yonge-Dundas et le 121, rue King Ouest, au coin de King et York.

« Donner à notre tournoi une vitrine au centre-ville est une chose que nous avons toujours voulu réaliser », mentionnait Karl Hale, directeur de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale de Toronto. « Grâce à la collaboration de Rogers, de Banque Nationale et de Sportsnet, nous pouvons maintenant faire vivre la magie du tournoi à un plus grand nombre de spectateurs dans deux points chauds de la ville. »

Le coup d’envoi de la Coupe Rogers EN DIRECT! sera donné le lundi 6 août, à midi, à la place Yonge-Dundas en compagnie d’un joueur de l’ATP World Tour et les activités s’y poursuivront jusqu’au mercredi 8 août. Outre la diffusion des matchs en direct sur un écran géant, des activités interactives et des concours seront organisés. Ainsi, les spectateurs pourront d’initier au mini-tennis, tester la puissance de leur smash et courir la chance de remporter des billets pour assister au tournoi.

Les 9 et 10 août, la Coupe Rogers EN DIRECT! se déplacera vers le quartier financier de Toronto, plus précisément au nouvel édifice de la Banque Nationale, au 121 sur King Ouest, au coin de King et York. Les mêmes activités seront proposées en plus d’un « Goût du tennis », comprenant un barbecue le jeudi, à l’heure du lunch, et une dégustation de crème glacée, le vendredi (**jusqu’à épuisement des stocks**).

Voici l’horaire de la Coupe Rogers EN DIRECT! :

Du lundi 6 août au mercredi 8 août
Place Yonge-Dundas

de 11 h à 17 h et de 19 h à 21 h

Jeudi 9 et vendredi 10 août
Banque Nationale, 121, rue King Ouest (au coin de King et York)

de 9 h à 17 h

Cliquez ici pour consulter l’horaire complet de la télédiffusion anglophone de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale.

La Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale se déroulera du 4 au 12 août, au Centre Rexall, à Toronto, et du 4 au 13 août, au Stade Uniprix, à Montréal. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements et pour vous procurer des billets, visitez le http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=e21b83a822&e=3a4a38a850.

À propos de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale
La Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale est un tournoi de catégorie mondiale que possède et administre Tennis Canada. Le volet masculin célèbrera sa 132e année d’existence du 4 au 12 août 2012 au Centre Rexall, à Toronto, tandis que le volet féminin, qui célèbre son 120e anniversaire, sera disputé du 4 au 13 août 2012, au Stde Uniprix, à Montréal. En tant que tournoi du Circuit masters 1000 de l’ATP et épreuve de catégorie Premier 5 du WTA, la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale mettra en vedette les meilleurs joueurs et joueuses du monde. La Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale est le troisième plus ancien tournoi de tennis après Wimbledon et les Internationaux des États-Unis. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements et pour vous procurer des billets, visitez le http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=8cb867973b&e=3a4a38a850

À propos de Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada, dont les origines remontent à 1890, est une organisation sportive nationale sans but lucratif responsable du développement, de la promotion et de la mise en valeur du tennis au pays. Tennis Canada possède et administre deux des plus prestigieux tournois de l’ATP et du WTA Tour; les volets masculin et féminin de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale, dont la présentation alterne chaque année entre le Centre Rexall, à Toronto, et le Stade Uniprix, à Montréal.  De plus, Tennis Canada possède et administre sept tournois professionnels sanctionnés par l’ITF et soutient financièrement sept autres tournois professionnels au Canada. Tennis Canada administre des centres nationaux d’entraînement au Centre de l’excellence, à Toronto, et au Stade Uniprix, à Montréal. Tennis Canada est membre de la Fédération internationale de tennis, du Comité olympique canadien, du Comité paralympique canadien et de l’Association internationale de tennis en fauteuil roulant. De plus, Tennis Canada administre, commandite et choisit des équipes pour la Coupe Davis, la Fed Cup, les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques et forme des équipes nationales pour les juniors, les vétérans et les joueurs de tennis en fauteuil roulant. Tennis Canada investit ses excédents budgétaires dans le développement du tennis. Pour obtenir plus amples renseignements sur Tennis Canada, visitez notre site Web sur http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=46dab940b8&e=3a4a38a850.

Renseignements (Toronto) :
Sarah Grossman, gestionnaire des communications et des relations médias
(416) 650-7922, sgrossman@tenniscanada.com
Nicole Watts, coordonnatrice des communications et des relations médias
(416) 665-9777, poste 4092, nwatts@tenniscanada.com

TENNIS CANADA’S WEEK ON TOUR
A look at the key events for the week of July 23

July 23-29
Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships – Lexington, Kentucky USA
Women’s ITF Challenger – $50 000
Heidi El Tabakh (Toronto, ON)
Marie-Ève Pelletier (Repentigny, QC)

July 23-29
Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships – Lexington, Kentucky, USA
ATP Challenger – $50 000
Philip Bester (Vancouver, BC)
Erik Chvojka (Montreal, QC)

July 23-29
4 Trofeo “Stefano Bellaveglia” – Orbetello, Italy
ATP Challenger – $35 000
Peter Polansky (Thornhill, ON)

July 28 – August 5
Olympic Games – London, Great Britain
Stéphanie Dubois (Laval, QC)
Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON)
Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC)
Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON)
Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC)

July 29 – August 4
Citi Open – Washington, D.C., USA
WTA Event – International
Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, QC)

July 27 - 29
Pocomo Wheelchair Tennis Classic – Coquitlam, Canada
ITF Futures Series


Here are the top two Canadians in each category as of July 23, 2012:

WTA Rankings                                                                                              
Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC): no. 54
Stéphanie Dubois (Laval, QC) :  no. 142

Doubles
Marie-Ève Pelletier (Repentigny, QC) : no. 116
Sharon Fichman (Toronto, ON): no. 123

ATP Rankings
Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON): no. 25
Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC): no. 85

Doubles
Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON): no. 1
Adil Shamasdin (Toronto, ON): no. 108

ITF Junior Rankings – Girls
Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, QC, 18 years old): no. 2
Carol Zhao (Richmond Hill, ON, 17 years old) no. 17

ITF Junior Rankings – Boys
Filip Peliwo (Vancouver, BC, 18 years old): no. 1
Brayden Schnur (Pickering, ON 17 years old): no. 107

Wheelchair Women’s Division
Yuka Chokyu (Vancouver, BC): no. 31

Wheelchair Men’s Division
Joel Dembe (Hamilton, ON): no. 37
Philippe Bédard (Montreal, QC) : no. 69

Wheelchair Quad Division
Gary Luker (Stoney Creek, ON) : no. 18
Adrian Dieleman (Ancaster, ON) :no. 25


About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association responsible for leading the growth, promotion and showcasing of tennis in Canada. Tennis Canada owns and operates two of the premier events on the ATP and WTA Tours; Rogers Cup presented by National Bank men’s and women’s events that rotate annually between Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. In addition, Tennis Canada owns and operates seven professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports nine other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs at the Centre of Excellence in Toronto, Uniprix Stadium in Montreal and the North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=0bfedd4cb7&e=3a4a38a850.

 


-30-

 
Media Contacts:
Montreal
Louis-Philippe Dorais                                               Valérie Tétreault
Director, Communications and Marketing                   Coordinator, Communications
514-273-1515 x232                                                 514-273-1515 x259
lpdorais@tenniscanada.com                                     vtetreault@tenniscanada.com

Toronto
Sarah Grossman                                                      Nicole Watts
Manager, Communications and Media Relations          Coordinator, Communications
416-650-7922                                                         416-665-9777 x4092
sgrossman@tenniscanada.com                                 nwatts@tenniscanada.com


 

LA SEMAINE DE TENNIS CANADA
Aperçu des événements clés dans la semaine du 23 juillet
 


23 - 29 juillet
Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships – Lexington, États-Unis
Challenger ITF féminin –50 000$
Heidi El Tabakh (Toronto, ON)
Marie-Ève Pelletier (Repentigny, QC)

23 - 29 juillet
Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships – Lexington, États-Unis
Challenger ATP – 50 000$
Philip Bester (Vancouver, BC)
Erik Chvojka (Montréal, QC)

23 - 29 juillet
4 Trofeo “Stefano Bellaveglia” – Orbetello, Italie
Challenger ATP – 35 000$
Peter Polansky (Thornhill, ON)


28 juillet – 5 août
Jeux olympiques – Londres, Grande-Bretagne
Stéphanie Dubois (Laval, QC)
Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON)
Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC)
Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON)
Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC)

29 juillet - 4 août
City Open – Washington, États-Unis
Tournoi WTA – catégorie “International”
Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, QC)

27 - 29 juillet
Pocomo Wheelchair Tennis Classic – Coquitlam, Canada
Série Futures ITF



Voici les deux meilleurs joueurs canadiens de chaque catégorie (23 juillet 2012) :

Classements WTA
Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, QC) : 54e
Stéphanie Dubois (Laval, QC) : 142e

Double
Marie-Ève Pelletier (Repentigny, QC) : 116e
Sharon Fichman (Toronto, ON) : 123e

Classements ATP
Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON) : 25e
Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC) : 85e

Double
Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON) : 1er
Adil Shamasdin (Toronto, ON) : 108e

Classements juniors féminins de l’ITF
Eugenie Bouchard (Westmount, QC, 18 ans) : 2e
Carol Zhao (Richmond Hill, ON, 17 ans) : 17e

Classements juniors masculins de l’ITF
Filip Peliwo (Vancouver, BC, 18 ans) : 1er
Brayden Schnur (Pickering, ON, 17 ans) : 107e

Fauteuil roulant - femmes
Yuka Chokyu (Vancouver, BC) : 31e

Fauteuil roulant - hommes
Joel Dembe (Hamilton, ON) : 37e
Philippe Bédard (Montréal, QC) : 69e

Fauteuil roulant – quad
Gary Luker (Stoney Creek, ON) : 18e
Adrian Dieleman (Ancaster, ON) : 25e



À propos de Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada, dont les origines remontent à 1890, est une organisation sportive nationale sans but lucratif responsable du développement, de la promotion et de la mise en valeur du tennis au pays. Tennis Canada possède et administre deux des plus prestigieux tournois de l’ATP et du WTA Tour; les volets masculin et féminin de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale, dont la présentation alterne chaque année entre le Centre Rexall, à Toronto, et le Stade Uniprix, à Montréal. De plus, Tennis Canada possède et administre sept tournois professionnels sanctionnés par l’ITF et soutient financièrement neuf autres tournois professionnels au Canada. Tennis Canada administre des centres nationaux d’entraînement au Centre de l’excellence, à Toronto, et au Stade Uniprix, à Montréal, et au North Shore Winter Club, à Vancouver. Tennis Canada est membre de la Fédération internationale de tennis, du Comité olympique canadien, du Comité paralympique canadien et de l’Association internationale de tennis en fauteuil roulant. De plus, Tennis Canada administre, commandite et choisit des équipes pour la Coupe Davis, la Fed Cup, les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques et forme des équipes nationales pour les juniors, les vétérans et les joueurs de tennis en fauteuil roulant. Tennis Canada investit ses excédents budgétaires dans le développement du tennis. Pour obtenir plus amples renseignements sur Tennis Canada, visitez notre site Web sur http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=711071a004&e=3a4a38a850.
 

 
-30-

Renseignements :
Montréal
Louis-Philippe Dorais                                               Valérie Tétreault
Directreur, communications et marketing                   Coordonnatrice, communications
                   514-273-1515, poste 232                      514-273-1515, poste 259
lpdorais@tenniscanada.com                                     vtetreault@tenniscanada.com

Toronto
Sarah Grossman                                                      Nicole Watts
Gestionnaire, communications et relations médias       Coordonnatrice, Communications
416-650-7922                                                          416-665-9777, poste 4092
sgrossman@tenniscanada.com                                  nwatts@tenniscanada.com


LA COUPE ROGERS SUR LES ONDES DE RADIO-CANADA, RDS2 ET RDS INFO
Deux finales sous les étoiles, les dimanche et lundi soirs à Radio-Canada

Montréal, le 19 juillet 2012 – L’édition 2012 de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale sera de retour à la télévision et jouira de quatre jours de télédiffusion en direct sur les ondes de Radio-Canada, notamment pour deux finales en soirée du tournoi ATP à Toronto et du tournoi WTA à Montréal, respectivement le dimanche et lundi, et quatre autres jours à RDS2 et RDS Info.

« Nous sommes fiers de compter sur des télédiffuseurs de qualité qui possèdent plusieurs années d’expérience dans la retransmission des matchs de notre tournoi, » a déclaré le directeur de la Coupe Rogers, monsieur Eugène Lapierre. « Chaque année, nous avons de nouveaux défis, mais année après année, les amateurs nous prouvent leur passion pour le tennis et nos cotes d’écoute continuent de s’améliorer. »

Le directeur des sports de Radio-Canada a souligné l’importance de la couverture à la télévision publique. « Cette année, la télévision française de Radio-Canada propose la couverture la plus exhaustive qu’elle n’ait jamais accordée à des compétitions de tennis en diffusant près de 24 heures de reportages en direct répartie sur quatre jours, dont quatre soirées en heure de grande écoute », a déclaré monsieur François Messier.

De son côté, le vice-président de la programmation, du développement des affaires et du service multimédia chez RDS, Robert Turcotte, était aussi fier de sa collaboration. « RDS diffuse les plus importants événements sportifs internationaux, y compris les quatre tournois du Grand Chelem de tennis », mentionnait monsieur Turcotte. « La Coupe Rogers est reconnue mondialement pour la qualité de son tournoi et de ses participants et nous sommes heureux d’y être associés depuis déjà une vingtaine d’années. »

C’est RDS2 et RDS Info qui amorceront la télédiffusion à Toronto dès le lundi 6 août. Radio-Canada télédiffusera ses premiers matchs le vendredi 10 août et poursuivra jusqu’à la finale. Les deux finales seront disputées sous les étoiles pour la première fois de l’histoire du tournoi, soit les dimanche 12 août et lundi 13 août et seront présentées sur les ondes de Radio-Canada.

Nous vous invitons à cliquer ici pour consulter l’horaire complet de diffusion de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale de nos partenaires francophones.

Un communiqué détaillant les télédiffuseurs du Canada anglais a été émis plus tôt aujourd’hui.

À propos de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale
La Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale est un tournoi de catégorie mondiale que possède et administre Tennis Canada. Le volet masculin célèbrera sa 132e année d’existence du 4 au 12 août 2012 au Centre Rexall, à Toronto, tandis que le volet féminin, qui célèbre son 120eanniversaire, sera disputé du 4 au 13 août 2012, au Stade Uniprix, à Montréal. En tant que tournoi du Circuit Masters 1000 de l’ATP et épreuve de catégorie Premier 5 du WTA, la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale mettra en vedette les meilleurs joueurs et joueuses du monde. La Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale est le troisième plus ancien tournoi de tennis après Wimbledon et les Internationaux des États-Unis. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements et pour vous procurer des billets, visitez le http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=ebcbbf008f&e=3a4a38a850.

À propos de Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada, dont les origines remontent à 1890, est une organisation sportive nationale sans but lucratif responsable du développement, de la promotion et de la mise en valeur du tennis au pays. Tennis Canada possède et administre deux des plus prestigieux tournois de l’ATP et du WTA Tour; les volets masculin et féminin de la Coupe Rogers présentée par Banque Nationale, dont la présentation alterne chaque année entre le Centre Rexall, à Toronto, et le Stade Uniprix, à Montréal.  De plus, Tennis Canada possède et administre sept tournois professionnels sanctionnés par l’ITF et soutient financièrement sept autres tournois professionnels au Canada. Tennis Canada administre des centres nationaux d’entraînement au Centre de l’excellence, à Toronto, et au Stade Uniprix, à Montréal. Tennis Canada est membre de la Fédération internationale de tennis, du Comité olympique canadien, du Comité paralympique canadien et de l’Association internationale de tennis en fauteuil roulant. De plus, Tennis Canada administre, commandite et choisit des équipes pour la Coupe Davis, la Fed Cup, les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques et forme des équipes nationales pour les juniors, les vétérans et les joueurs de tennis en fauteuil roulant. Tennis Canada investit ses excédents budgétaires dans le développement du tennis. Pour obtenir plus amples renseignements sur Tennis Canada, visitez notre site Web sur http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=7feba18a9d&e=3a4a38a850.


-30-


Renseignements :


Montréal
Louis-Philippe Dorais                                                  Valérie Tétreault
Directeur, communications et marketing                       Coordonnatrice, communications
514-273-1515, poste 232                                              514-273-1515, poste 259
lpdorais@tenniscanada.com                                        vtetreault@tenniscanada.com

Toronto
Sarah Grossman                                                         Nicole Watts
Gestionnaire, communications et relations médias        Coordonnatrice, Communications
416-650-7922                                                              416-655-9777, poste 4092
sgrossman@tenniscanada.com                                   nwatts@tenniscanada.com


ROGERS CUP PRESENTED BY NATIONAL BANK TO BE BROADCAST ON RADIO-CANADA, RDS 2 AND RDS INFO
Sunday night and Monday night finals broadcast in primetime on Radio-Canada

Montreal, July 19, 2012 – The 2012 edition of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will be back on television with four days of live coverage on Radio-Canada, including both finals from the ATP event in Toronto and the WTA event in Montreal respectively on Sunday and Monday evenings, as well as four additional days on RDS2 and RDS Info.

"We are proud to be able to count on quality broadcasters who have many years of experience showing the matches at our tournament," said Rogers Cup Tournament Director Eugène Lapierre. "Every year we are faced with new challenges, but year after year, our fans show their passion for tennis and our ratings continue to improve." 

The Sports Director at Radio-Canada underlined the importance of public television coverage. "This year, Radio Canada french television will offer its most extensive coverage of any tennis event ever with more than 24 hours of live reporting over four days, including four nights of primetime coverage," said  François Messier.

For his part, the Vice-President of programming, business development, and multimedia services at RDS, Robert Turcotte, was also proud of his collaboration. "The Rogers Cup is internationally renowned for the quality of the event and its players and we are happy to be associated with the tournament for the last 20 years."

RDS2 and RDS Info will begin broadcasting on Monday August 6. Radio-Canada will begin its coverage on Friday August 10 and continue through to the Monday night final. Both ATP and WTA finals will be played under the lights for the first time on Sunday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 on Radio-Canada. 

A full broadcast schedule for French Canada can be found here.

A separate release outlining the English Canada broadcast schedule was issued earlier today.

 About the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
The Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 132nd anniversary of the men’s event from August 4-12, 2012 at Rexall Centre and its 120h anniversary of the women’s event from August 4-13, 2012 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. As an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, Premier WTA tournament and U.S. Open Series event, the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. The Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.

About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association responsible for leading the growth, promotion and showcasing of tennis in Canada. Tennis Canada owns and operates two of the premier events on the ATP and WTA Tours; Rogers Cup presented by National Bank men’s and women’s events that rotate annually between Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. In addition, Tennis Canada owns and operates seven professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports seven other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national training centres at the Centre of Excellence in Toronto and at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: http://tenniscanada.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d329ef9f1d1bca85c44b72a8f&id=b2b2959437&e=3a4a38a850.

 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

LONDON 2012: Caster Semenya rightly chosen to bear South Africa's flag at opening ceremony








Semenya was chosen to represent her country during Friday's opening ceremony. (US Presswire)

South Africa is your feel-good nation for the 2012 Olympics.
First it was the reveal that double-legged amputee Oscar Pistorius would get to run at the Games, and now it's been announced that Caster Semenya will carry the country's flag during the opening ceremony Friday night.
Why's the latter so important and so symbolic?
You might need a refresher on the hell Semenya's been through to appreciate the gesture her country is affording her.
Semenya is the 5-7, 21-year-old middle-distance runner who's been dogged -- and "dogged" is putting it lightly, really -- by allegations, suspicions, mockings and outcries that she ... is a he. Or was. Or could've been something in between. Physical appearance paired with impressive times at the 2009 World Championships (1:55.45 was the fastest time for a female that year) led to many people -- including fans, some otherwise disinterested parties, and even those inside the world of track and field -- calling for Semenya to take a gender test. She was an uncomfortable, world-wide-known case the track and field world was, unfortunately, all too familiar dealing with. For decades the sport has faced the problematic and deceptive cases of men participating as women. Semenya was received as the latest fraud even before she was proven innocent female.
The International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) plan of action against Semenya was received as sloppy, publicly insensitive and certainly racist in some circles. Global track and field has had its number of embarrassing moments over the decades; Semenya's unwanted public crusade was among the most blundering.
To be fair, some of the skepticism was in bounds. As Semenya began to rise in the international track and field realm in '08 and '09, her finishes kept getting better and better. The ascension of her career and reduction of her times called for investigation, if for no other reason than such spurts of accomplishment are inevitably tied to drug use these days. Semenya's gold medal in the 800 meters at the '09 World Championships in Berlin sparked everything, but it was actually announced before said race that she would undergo a gender examination. In 2011, after her name and private parts were cleared by the IAAF, she won silver in the same event in Daegu, South Korea.
To be clear, Semenya wasn't merely perceived as a transgendered athlete looking to compete in the Olympics, which is still an uncomfortable subject with years to go before regularity becomes commonplace at the Games. Nope, this was a competitor who was picked apart by discriminatory eyeballs because she looked too much like a man, and thus, she must be a man. A man competing in a women's sport, illegally and immorally winning medals. Aside from the vital benefits of becoming a world-class runner, puberty did Semenya no favors. Her face and body molded into form that most around the world couldn't definitely discern into the appropriate appearance of a woman.
Semenya could only wait and be herself. Could only abide by the skeptics and let her body be poked, scoped, groped and tested for dope -- because if she was indeed a she, then certainly some performance-enhancing drugs were part of the picture, right? Yeah, that line of thought was parallel to the disbelief over Semenya's sex.
Imagine getting your identity and sex challenged to that end. Imagine your worst day during grammar, middle or high school -- the one time you were picked on the hardest, past the point of rolling tears -- then multiply that by all the articles and vocal doubters from Africa to America to Asia and back again.
Once her name was cleared, she began growing her hair out, an act which signaled public mandate more than personal choice.
Look more like a girl now, please, so we're all a little more comfortable when we watch you run.
Praise to South Africa for picking Semenya to grip its flag and walk proudly among the world's best female athletes later this week. Pistorius would've also been a fine choice, but here, we've got a decision that was three years in the making. The woman has gone through a worldwide embarrassment that, to me, is much more emotionally trying than Pistorious' battle.
Pistorius has had to prove to people he runs like a regular man; Semenya had to prove she didn't.
The common thread: All along, South Africa stood by its prodigal track talents. Even during Semenya's 11-month ban from regulated track competition (as she endured tests, cleared tests, and ultimately was allotted to run with females again), her country never wavered.
Still, unfortunately, she has dissenters today. I shutter to think what Twitter will look like the moments before, during and after her 800-meter runs in a couple of weeks. Semenya is the favorite to win the event in London, and idiot fans who don't know her backstory will once again create a conversation only capable of being held in the confines of the shallow end of the gene pool -- the opposite side of which Semenya resides.