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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 6 OctOber 2018
World Cup Diary:
In this May 20, 2018, file photo, Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja
Wilson (22) tries to get a rebound between Connecticut Sun
forward Alyssa Thomas, left, and guard Courtney Williams dur- The olympic rings are craned into position at the Obelisk, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday,
ing a WNBA basketball game, in Uncasville, Conn.
Associated Press
World Cup Diary:
Wilson talks winning urge IOC to shelve charter
gold at the World Cup
By A'JA WILSON
For The Associated Press
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — We
did it! What a great feeling it was bringing home
the gold and winning a World Cup championship.
It was an incredible few weeks that I will never for- The Olympic body's Ath- the multi-nation athlete Human Rights, and was
get .
I mean every game feels like it's a big time game,
but the gold medal game was huge. There was a
focus at shoot around that day and it carried over
to the game. We got off to a great start and didn't
look back.
I've played for USA Basketball before and it's al-
ways a powerful feeling. There's a sense of pride I
get when I have that USA across my chest. We are
representing something much bigger than just us.
It's for our country. There isn't much like it.
I mean don't get me wrong. When we won a
national championship at South Carolina a few
years ago, it was so emotional for me because of
the passing of my grandmother, who had meant
so much to me. So that win will always have a very
special meaning for me.
But this time, winning the World Cup and hearing
the anthem play after they put that medal around
your neck, wow. To be able to do it with coach
(Dawn) Staley I'm super happy and proud of her.
It was so awesome to play for her again and we
definitely had a lot of fun doing it.
After the confetti fell and we celebrated a little
bit at the arena we went back to the hotel and it
was one final moment for us to have fun in Tener-
ife with our family and friends. Then it was an early
long flight back to the U.S. to go home for a little
bit, but there isn't too much time to celebrate.
I'm heading to China shortly to play in that league
this winter. Also starting a foundation for kids with
dyslexia — something very important for me.
Oh yeah, there's also an AAU team I'm getting
going.q
Oct. 4, 2018, two days ahead of the III Youth Olympic Games.
Players' union, rights activists
By GRAHAM DUNBAR in the United States, Britain, Olympic swimming cham-
GENEVA (AP) — A coali- Canada and Germany in pion and sports minister for
tion of athletes, their global asking the IOC to shelve Zimbabwe.
trade union, and human the proposal. Still, the SRA activist group
rights activists want the IOC "We are not convinced that said in its letter to the IOC
to postpone an athlete the athlete voice has been the charter fell short of the
charter due to be adopted adequately sought out ... United Nations Guiding
next week. let alone fully integrated," Principles on Business and
letes' Rights and Respon- group said in an Oct. 2 let- "likely to mischaracterize or
sibilities Declaration is set ter to IOC president Thomas ignore certain rights."
for approval at a meeting Bach published on Friday. The players' union also
in Argentina to help safe- "This is not a process that compared the IOC unfa-
guard athletes from issues can be rushed to adoption vorably with FIFA, which
including sexual and physi- in less than a year." has made "binding policy
cal abuse, doping, and dis- The Sports and Rights Alli- commitments to human
crimination. ance activist group, which rights" and has an indepen-
However, the World Players includes Amnesty, Human dent advisory board.
Association urged the Inter- Rights Watch and Trans- Coventry spoke at the two-
national Olympic Commit- parency International, also day Olympism In Action fo-
tee on Friday to delay the claimed the IOC promoted rum, where she was joined
project, claiming it failed to the project without head- on stage by British former
properly consult athletes or ing expert advice. cyclist David Millar. He
experts, and would "curtail The Olympic project was served a two-year ban for
fundamental athlete rights steered by its in-house ath- doping before joining the
rather than protect them." lete commission which in- World Anti-Doping Agency
"The IOC's proposed dec- cludes IOC members elect- athlete panel.
laration does not come ed by their fellow competi- Millar questioned the "hun-
close to respecting the in- tors in ballots at Summer dreds of millions" the IOC
ternationally recognized Games and Winter Games. spends on its Olympic
human rights of athletes," "This is one of those proj- Channel broadcasting
the union's executive direc- ects and programs that project compared to a $16
tor, Brendan Schwab, said are coming out of maybe million annual contribution
in a statement , adding it a more dark side in sport," to WADA's operating bud-
"relegates athlete rights Kirsty Coventry, who repre- get.
beneath the rules of sport sents athletes on the IOC "It's up to the IOC to lead
governing bodies, and fails executive board, told an by example and give the
to give the victims of hu- Olympic conference in athletes hope that they
man rights abuse access to Buenos Aires. are doing their best to help
an effective remedy." "We all want sport to create the athletes," Millar told the
The union, representing change and to create op- audience of international
85,000 athletes in more portunities for athletes and sports leaders. "And I'm not
than 60 countries, was this is what we have come sure if that's the case at the
joined by athlete groups up with," said the two-time moment."q