IOC says Turin should think twice about having all medals ceremonies in central city

IOC says Turin should think twice about having all medals ceremonies in central city{mosimage}International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials have warned organizers of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, that plans to award medals in a central square of the Italian city instead of at race venues could damage athletes’ performances.

Inspectors told organizers (TOROC) to reconsider plans to award medals at Turin’s Piazza Castello because the distance skiers had to cover to receive them and drive back into the mountains could exhaust them before other races.

“I’m happy that TOROC have not yet decided to have one medals plaza because for some of the athletes, especially cross-country, it would be difficult to go down the mountain on a narrow road to the medals’ plaza and then compete the next day,” IOC inspector Arne Myhrvold said.

The city, site of events including ice skating and ice hockey, is dozens of kilometers away from the slopes where the skiing takes place.

Organizers had initially planned to award all 246 medals at the central square in front of about 8,000 spectators, making for impressive television.

“The idea is to involve the largest number of citizens to take part at the Olympic Medals Plaza,” said Marcello Pochettino, TOROC deputy chief executive officer.

Salt Lake City drew thousands to nightly medals ceremonies in the city during the 2002 Games. The ceremonies, which also featured live music, included awarding medals for ski and snowboard events that took place miles away at Park City, Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow.