NHL Players’ Return to the Winter Olympics May be Closer than Expected

On February 8, 2020, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted that “the [International Olympic Committee] and [International Ice Hockey Federation] indicated a willingness . . . to address NHL issues to get players to go to 2022 Olympics.” This is a significant change in the NHL’s previous anti-Olympic stance.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea marked the first time in 20 years that NHL players were absent. The players were overwhelmingly in favor of playing in the 2018 games; however, the NHL balked at the …

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NCAA Agrees: Student-Athletes Can Receive Funding for Olympic Training

The NCAA has determined that elite collegiate athletes may receive funding for Olympic training without risking their eligibility under the organization’s amateurism rules.

The Division I Counsel, a 40-person committee that oversees the NCAA, came to this decision at the NCAA 2020 Convention in Anaheim, California. As we have previously reported, the NCAA’s rules of amateurism currently prohibit college athletes from being financially compensated for their athletic performance. However, in a slight modification to this provision, the Division I counsel decided that elite …

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Russia Banned From 2020 and 2022 Olympics, 2022 World Cup for Doping Violations

Russia has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from participating in or hosting various sporting events, including the 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup.

As we reported earlier, the Russian track-and-field team was banned from the 2016 Summer Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations. This ban was a result of a systematic doping cover-up and the lack of compliance from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). The Russian Olympic team was later banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics due to extensive doping …

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The IRS Takes Gold in Rio

America’s Olympic Medalists in Rio will return to an unpleasant reality: a tax bill. Each medalist will be taxed on their award from the U.S. Olympic Committee and the monetary value of the medal itself. The U.S. Olympic Committee awards cash prizes to medal winners in the following amounts: $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze. According the IRS, all cash prizes and awards are taxed as income earned abroad. The awards are treated the same as a lottery payout or casino …

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Middleweight Champion’s Unraveling “Taylor” Made for an Evaluation of Boxing’s Legal Vagaries

This past week, 2000 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist and two-time middleweight champion Jermain (Bad Intentions) Taylor, who was once expected to usher in a new era in the middleweight division following back-to-back decision wins over long-reigning champion Bernard (The Executioner) Hopkins, was arrested for the second time in six months on gun-related charges.  In late August 2014, Taylor was arrested in connection with shooting his cousin and subsequently indicted on related felony charges.  His second arrest came at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade …

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London 2012 Olympics will Feature Most Sophisticated Anti-Doping Testing in History

Olympic competitors who plan to run the risk of taking performance-enhancing substances before or during the London Summer Olympics are facing “the most sophisticated anti-doping operation in the history of the Games.”  A private sponsor will be aiding in the drug testing this year—a first in Olympics history—by providing facilities for scientists to conduct the testing. More than 6,250 samples of blood and urine will be tested (as compared to 4,500 samples tested inBeijing), with approximately 150 scientists running tests around the clock.

The list …

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Olympic Competitors Facing Hi-Tech Drug Tests and Sedative Bans

Olympic competitors who plan to run the risk of taking performance-enhancing substances before or during the London Summer Olympics are facing “the most sophisticated anti-doping operation in the history of the Games.” A private sponsor will be aiding in the drug testing this year—a first in Olympics history—by providing facilities for scientists to conduct the testing. More than 6,250 samples of blood and urine will be tested (as compared to 4,500 samples tested inBeijing), with approximately 150 scientists running tests around the clock.

The list …

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