More than 100 medical experts, academia and scientists on Friday have called for the Rio Olympic Games to be postponed or moved because of fears that the event could speed up the spread of the Zika virus around the world. Their assessment counters the view of some leading experts of infectious disease who say that as long as the necessary precautions are taken there is no reason to cancel the Games. On Thursday, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, declared there was no public health reason to cancel or delay this summer's Games. In a public letter posted online, the group of 150 leading public health experts, many of them bioethicists, said the risk of infection from the Zika virus is too high. The letter was sent to Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, and urged that the Games, due to be held in Rio de Janeiro in August, be moved to another location or delayed.
Poland's Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj edged past Britain's Katherine Grainger and Victoria Thornley in the final meters of the race to snatch the gold medal in the women's double sculls at the Olympic rowing regatta on Thursday. The nail-biter saw the two boats neck-and-neck for much of the race. Britain led Poland by just .64 seconds at the halfway mark and appeared poised to win.
Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy will not compete in this summer's Rio Olympic Games, citing health fears over the Zika virus, he said on Wednesday.
The seven participants due to represent Pakistan at next month's Games have all been given wildcard entries.
Five-time chess world champion Anand and nine-time world champion Sethi will be mentoring the high-profile athletes signed up by Olympic Gold Quest, who are looking to improve India's showing from the last Games in London when they won six medals.
The Congress on Thursday said the country will give a befitting reply to the tears of the wrestlers who sought justice from the BJP government.
Meet India's top athletes at Olympics 2024.
Eyeing a third Olympic medal, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu will now move her base from Hyderabad to Bengaluru to train under the legendary Prakash Padukone in the build-up to the Paris Games.
Australia has backed a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommendation that Russia be banned from international athletics, including the 2016 Olympics, after a report alleged systemic state-backed cheating.
Check out the gold medallists on Day 15 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday:
The disappointment of missing out on an individual Olympic double has not left Allyson Felix, but the world 400 metres champion could still win three gold medals at the Rio Games.
Still undecided about the events they will be competing in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Indian athletics trio of OP Jaisha, Lalita Babar and Sudha Singh will take a final call after the Mumbai Marathon slated for January 17.
Having missed the World Championships in Belgium in October, Karmakar has a tough road ahead of her to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024, but she wanted to stay positive and focus on her training.
India will be represented by a record 121 athletes, including 54 women, at the Olympics.
The goal-keeper eyes coaching role post retirement.
In a nod to the domination of her sport, Simone Biles has already entered the debate as the greatest gymnast of all-time even though she has yet to turn a single somersault on the Olympic stage.
Check out the gold medallists on Day 11 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
Check out the gold medallists on Day 13 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday:
Sakshi Malik revealed that her family is getting threats.
Britain's Mo Farah capped his illustrious competitive racing career with a fourth-place finish at the Great North Run half-marathon in Newcastle on Sunday.
"So it's all about how I feel after Rio, if I feel I can really put my body through one more season. If I'm going to be focused and I'm going to be determined. That will determine if I compete after Rio. So we'll see how it goes."
Bahrain's Ruth Jebet blew away the competition to win the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase gold on Sunday, but narrowly missed out on the world record. Jebet ran a bold race, bursting into the lead after a few laps and setting a blistering pace to win in 8 minutes, 59.75 seconds, just shy of the 8:58.81 world record set by Russia's Gulnara Galkina at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Bhupinder Singh Bajwa will be the chairman of the panel with hockey Olympian M M Somaya and former international shuttler Manjusha Kanwar being the other two members.
In a nerve-wracking contest, India beat Pakistan in penalty-shootout to clinch the coveted hockey gold at the Asian Games in Incheon on Thursday. This triumph ensures the Indian hockey team a berth at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Bajrang Punia, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and her wrestler husband Satyawart Kadiyan, arrived at the minister's house for the meeting on Wednesday morning.
Manavjit set to be disqualified from Olympic Qualifiers after his gun stock fails test
Leander Paes will make it to his seventh Olympic Games after the All India Tennis Association on Saturday announced that that the veteran would partner Rohan Bopanna in the men's doubles at the Rio Games in August.
Her 21-,month ban period will end on July 10 this year as it was counted from the day (October 11, 2021) the sample was collected. Her results have been disqualified from October 11, 2021 onwards.
JR through his art is paying a playful tribute to the Olympians who have trained day and night to achieve success and are nothing short of superheroes!
Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, cited the pressure of living up to expectations and a need to protect her mental health for her decision to pull out of events in Tokyo, where she won a bronze on the balance beam and a silver in the team competition, from which she withdrew after one vault.
It's final. The speculation over Mary Kom, the five times world champion's, participation at Rio is over.
Set to return after an injury-induced break, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is aware the road to Paris will be "challenging" and she needs to be "smarter" in her pursuit of coveted gold medal in the French capital.
Belgium are on red hot form and have stunned strong gold medal contenders and world champions Australia.
Lionel Messi will not chase a second Olympic football gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said on Monday.
Through their triumphs and struggles, these athletes have not only rewritten the narrative of women in sports but have also ignited a flame of empowerment and inspiration, asserts Laxmi Negi.
A company working on the Olympic village that will receive athletes in Rio de Janeiro next year has housed some of its own workers in conditions that public prosecutors compared to slavery.
The protesting wrestlers will not face any sort of vendetta politics and they will get the required support from the new federation, outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Thursday after the panel backed by him emerged victorious in the keenly-followed elections.
Apart from the senior competition, the U-17 and U-23 Asian Championships are set to return to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for a second straight year. The tournament will take place from June 10 to 18.
A Moroccan Olympic boxer was arrested on charges he sexually assaulted two women in the Olympic Village, Rio de Janeiro police said on Friday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances