ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Former Olympic champion Johann Olav Koss reflects on the Turin Olympics / US speedskating Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek gives cheque to Koss's "Right To Play" charity

Record ID: 331839

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Former Olympic champion Johann Olav Koss reflects on the Turin Olympics / US speedskating Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek gives cheque to Koss's "Right To Play" charity
  • Date: 26th February 2006
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 24, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OF US SPEED SKATER OLYMPIC GOLD WINNER JOEY CHEEK AND NORWEGIAN SKATE LEGEND JOHANN OLOV KOSS SITTING ON BENCH PUTTING ON SKATES (2 SHOTS) GIRLS WATCHING WIDE OF KOSS, CHEEK STANDING ON SKATES BESIDE RINK HOLDING A RED BALL ZOOM OUT FROM CHEEK AND NETHERLANDS OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT PIETJE (NEL) VAN VLIET INTRODUCING KOSS/ KOSS SKATING OUT ON ICE PEOPLE WATCHING WIDE OF CHEEK, KOSS AND VAN VLIET ON THE ICE PAN FROM CROWED APPLAUDING TO CHEEK, KOSS AND VAN VLIET ON ICE WIDE OF CHEEK, KOSS AND VAN VLIET ON THE ICE TWO SHOT OF CHEEK AND KOSS TALKING PEOPLE WATCHING CHEEK AND KOSS UNVEILING CHEQUE FOR 310.000 USD PAN FROM WIDE OF CHEEK, KOSS AND VAN VLIET ON ICE SKATING TO CROWDS STANDING AROUND THE RINK DOING "THE WAVE" WIDE OF CHEEK, KOSS AND VAN VLIET SKATING SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE WATCHING ZOOM OUT FROM CROWED TO CHEEK AND KOSS SKATING SHANKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE ZOOM OUT FROM CHEEK SMILING TO KOSS, CHEEK HOLDING CHEQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "I think it has been a great games. It is seriously been a very, very active games with a lot of athletes trying their best and there has been excellent results. There has also been many surprises actually, which is great for the sports and for the atmosphere. I think that Italy has done great in their home games. That has been all enjoyable so we truly enjoyed it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "Alpine skiing was somewhat of a surprise we thought. Particularly coming from Norway. We where extremely happy with (Kjetil Andre) Aamodt gold medal winner in Super G. I think Ireen Wust the Dutch skater on the 3,000 was a great surprise and all the Dutch they where happy with that of course. It was still a excellent competition so that has been a good quality mark." WIDE SHOT KOSS SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "Well the American team has been very strong. The Italian team I have to say in the speed skating as well as the Dutch women has been kind of the three countries standing out particularly. Everything from Joey (Cheek) been kind of the number one and Shani Davies and Chad Hedriks of course but Fabriz (Enrico) has been the number one with his two gold medals and a bronze medal so he is so far the best male skater." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "I think we still got a lot of medals, Norway, but we haven't got all the gold medals we where hoping for so I think that it is very disappointing for them who wants them. But we also realised that to win a gold medal is extremely difficult. We kind of got that experience now, because we have had so many in the previous three, four games so, I think that people realized that it is extremely hard and it will put us in focus for 2010." (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "I do not think it is increasing. I think it is a steady level. What I like about it is that the anti doping agency and the IOC and the sporting governing bodies are getting more and more serious in catching the cheats because we have to get them out of the sport. We have to be very serious about it. Still there are some sports that are suffering and I don't like it. It should certainly not overtake the movement because the Olympics is pure, it should be pure, and that it should stand for sportsmanship and respect for one and other" KOSS TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOSS SAYING: "There has been a lot of great venues. They are beautiful in their settings and an incredible environment. I think that everybody's questions around this, like where are the people because it has been complicated to get there. We have seen the last week that there has been a incredible amount of people turning up to watch the events and great results have driven people out. So I think that one good thing is that when the Olympics leave it hasn't created enormous environmental change in the community which is a great legacy of these games".
  • Embargoed: 13th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7GRLLD4B7H4QVS905YS82NSJA
  • Story Text: He has four Olympic gold medals, broken three world records along the way, has a medical degree from an Australian University and Norwegian Johann Olav Koss is still only 38.
    After ending a sparkling career which culminated with three gold medals and three world records in front of his home crowd at the 1994 Lillehammer Games -- he also won gold and silver at the 1992 Albertville Games -- Koss needed a change of direction.
    The skating legend's main focus since his retirement from the skating world has been his "Right To Play" charity which was founded to help children in refugee camps play and battle apathy, crime and sexual abuse.
    At the Dutch Olympic home in Turin, Koss "The Boss" was joined by US speedskating Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek. The young American won the men's 500 metres and later announced he was donating his U.S. Olympic Committee's 25,000 US dollars prize money to Koss' group.
    Cheek has since been asking sponsors and others to match his donation and handed Koss a cheque for 310,000 US dollars.
    Koss later reflected on the Turin games, nominating his compatriot Kjetil Andre Aamodt's gold medal performance in the Super G, Ireen Wust of Netherlands winning the 3,000 metres speedskating, Cheek's gold medal and the performances of Enrico Fabris, Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick, the medal winners in the men's 1,500 metres speedskating final, as the highlights of the games.
    He said Norway's performance was good although they did not win as many gold medals as they had targeted.
    "But we also realized that to win a gold medal is extremely difficult. We kind of got that experience now, because we have had so many in the previous three or four games so I think people realized that it is extremely hard and it will put us in focus for 2010."
    Askled about doping, Koss did not think the problem was increasing.
    "What I like about it is that the anti doping agency and the IOC and the sporting governing bodies are getting more and more serious in catching the cheats because we have to get them out of the sport," he said.
    Koss praised Turin's staging of the games and the sensitive handling of the environment around the venues.
    "When the Olympics leave it hasn't created enormous environmental change," he added.
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