Rebecca Adam | |
---|---|
10th president of Comite International des Sports des Sourds | |
In office 2018–2021 | |
Preceded by | Valery Rukhledev |
Rebecca Adam is an Australian lawyer and business executive. [1] She was President of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) between 2018 and 2019,who also served as a former President of Deaf Sports Australia. [2] On 1 August 2018,she was appointed as the 10th ICSD president replacing Valery Rukhledev who was found guilty of embezzlement from the All-Russian Society of the Deaf and was sacked from May 2018. [3] The appointment of Rebecca Adam created further controversy among the deaf sports authorities which cautioned to sue against ICSD in International Olympic Committee. [4] [5] She became only the second woman after Donalda Ammons to be elected as President of International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.
Rebecca Adam held the position of ICSD Legal Commission and established the Women in Sports Commission while she was working as President of Deaf Sports Australia. In 2011,after resigning from the position as President of Deaf Sports Australia,she was appointed to the ICSD Board of Directors. [6]
On 31 July 2018,Valery Rukhledev announced his resignation as ICSD President following the alleged embezzlement of $803,800 from the All-Russian Society of the Deaf for which was reprimanded and arrested for involving in forgery charges while he was serving as the post of the society as well as the post of ICSD President. [7] He was kept in house arrest for more than 2 months until 23 July 2018. [8] He was replaced by Rebecca Adam on 1 August 2018 after being unanimously selected for the position until 2021 during the ICSD committee meeting. [9] However this incident created further controversy as top Deaf sports movements criticised the appointment of Rebecca Adam without proper consent and approval. [10] The arrest of former president,Rukhledev cautioned concerns over Italy in hosting the 2019 Winter Deaflympics but was later confirmed that the games would proceed despite the change in administration. [11] On 13 September 2018,on a press release the newly appointed ICSD President Rebecca Adam confirmed that the 2019 Winter Deaflympics would take place as planned and scheduled during December 2019. [12] [13]
The Deaflympics,also known as Deaflympiad are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athletes compete at an elite level. Unlike the athletes in other IOC-sanctioned events,athletes cannot be guided by sounds. The games have been organized by the ComitéInternational des Sports des Sourds since the first event in 1924.
ComitéInternational des Sports des Sourds (CISS) is the apex body organizing international sports events for the deaf,particularly the Deaflympics. It is also called the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. The organization was founded in Paris by Eugène Rubens-Alcais,who organized the first "International Silent Games" in 1924. Alcais was himself deaf and was the president of the French Deaf Sports Federation.
Craig Andrew Crowley is the 8th President of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf,served between 2009 and 2013.
Belarus participated at the Deaflympics from 1993 until it was banned in 2022,and won 87 medals. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) banned athletes from Belarus from that year's Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul,Brazil.
Russia participated at the Deaflympics after making its debut in 1993,until it was banned in 2022. Russia is just behind United States for winning the most medals in Deaflympics history. In the 2017 Summer Deaflympics held in Turkey,Russia was the medal topper with a record haul of 199 medals. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) banned athletes from Russia from that year's Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul,Brazil.
Turkish Deaf Sports Federation is the official national sport governing body of deaf sports in Turkey.
Eugène Rubens-Alcais was a French deaf activist in the field of sports. He is known for introducing the Deaflympics in 1924 for deaf sportspeople. He was determined to establish international competitions for the deaf,as they were considered as intellectually disabled people during his lifetime. Alcais believed that deaf athletes should have their own independent international competitions and promoted the idea in his own deaf sports magazine called The Silent Sportsman. In 1924,he was instrumental in hosting the inaugural Summer Deaflympics in his home country,France. Alcais is also the founder of ComitéInternational des Sports des Sourds,the world governing body of deaf sports. He is often called the "father of Deaflympics" or "father of Olympics for the deaf".
Antoine Dresse (1902-1998) was a Belgian deaf sport activist and the co-founder of the Comite International des Sports des Sourds,which is the world governing body of deaf sports. Antoine Dresse has also represented Belgium at the Deaflympics from 1924 to 1939. Dresse competed for Belgium in tennis and in the track events. Antoine served as the first founding secretary-general of the CISS from 1924 to 1967.
John Michael Lovett AM was a former Australian government administrator who made the breakthrough in the development of deaf sports in Australia. He was also the former President of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf,served as the 7th president from 1995-2003 until his death.
Valery Nikititch Rukhledev is a Russian sports activist. He is also a 6 time gold medalist in wrestling for the Soviet Union at the Deaflympics from 1969 to 1977. He served as the president of the Comite International des Sports des Sourds from 2013 to 2018. He retired from the position as President of ICSD on 31 July 2018 after being charged on embezzlement charges in a corruption scandal,in which he was accused of embezzling $803,800 from the All-Russian Society of the Deaf. He was later replaced by Australian Rebecca Adam as ICSD President on 1 August 2018 which created further controversy in the Deaf sports world.
The 2011 Winter Deaflympics officially known as the 17th Winter Deaflympics was originally scheduled to be held from 18 February 2011 to 26 February 2011 in VysokéTatry,Slovakia. This was the first time that Slovakia was selected to host a Deaflympic event. But the multi-sporting event was cancelled due to the lack of preparations,lack of readiness and reluctance by the Deaflympic Committee of Slovakia prior to the event. The event was also cancelled mainly due to the alleged fraud by the former President of the Deaflympic Committee of Slovakia,Jaromir Ruda. The Winter Games was cancelled and was postponed to 2015,which was the 18th Winter Deaflympics.
Donalda Kay Ammons is an American educator and author. She served as a teacher at several deaf schools in the United States. Ammons was also the former President of the Comite International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) from 2003 to 2009.
Shi Ce is a Chinese deaf female table tennis player. She has represented China at the Deaflympics four times from 2005 to 2017. Shi Ce has been regarded as one of the finest athletes to have represented China at the Deaflympics,having won 14 medals at the event since making her debut in the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.
Beryl Atieno Wamira is a Kenyan female deaf track and field athlete. She competed in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics and in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics representing Kenya. She has won a total of 3 medals in her Deaflympic career including a Junior deaf world record breaking gold medal in the women's 200m event during the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.
Tereza Kmochová is a Czech deaf female alpine skier. She has represented Czech Republic in Winter Deaflympics,Winter Universiade and in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. She generally competes in the women's combined,slalom,giant slalom,Super-G events at international alpine skiing competitions. She is considered one of the finest deaflympic alpine skiers to have competed at the Deaflympics and also regarded as a finest athlete to have represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics with a record haul of 10 medals including 7 gold medals. In the 2015 Winter Deaflympics she created history after winning gold medals in all five events such as giant slalom,super combined,slalom,downhill and Super-G.
Peggy de Villiers is a South African deaf swimmer. She represented South Africa at the Deaflympics in 2009 and 2013. She made her Deaflympic debut at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics and claimed 4 medals including a gold medal in the 50m backstroke event with a world record breaking timing of 31.11 for deaf swimming at that time. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in the women's 50m butterfly and women's 100m butterfly categories. She completed her undergraduated swimming career with the University of West Florida as a member of the college team.
Trude Raad is a deaf Norwegian track and field athlete. She generally competes in the discus throw and hammer throw events at the International competitions. Trude has represented Norway at the Deaflympics in 2009,2013 and 2017 and has won 4 gold medals in her Deaflympic career. She was also a champion in the women's hammer throw event at the Deaflympics on 3 consecutive occasions. She broke her own deaf world record in the women's hammer throw at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics with a distance of 66.35m,the previous best was 65.03m
Nele Alder-Baerens is a German female distance runner and marathon runner. She is regarded as one of the finest long-distance runners from Germany to have represented the nation at the Deaflympics. Nele Alder-Baerens has represented Germany at the Deaflympics in 1997,2001,2005,2017 and in 2022 has clinched 5 medals in her Deaflympic career including 2 gold medals. She is also the defending champion in the women's marathon at the Deaflympics. Nele also currently holds few deaf world records in the women's Athletics.
The 2019 Winter Deaflympics,officially known as the 19th Winter Deaflympics or XIX Winter Deaflympics,was the 19th edition of the Winter Deaflympics,and took place between the 12–21 December in Sondrio Province in Northern Italy. The opening ceremony was held in Sondrio on 12 December and curling competition began a day prior to the start of the Winter Deaflympics. Sporting events apart from curling commenced on 13 December.
Matthew James Klotz is an American male deaf swimmer and reality television contestant. He has represented the United States at the Deaflympics and in other international events including the Deaf World Championships. He is a world record holder in swimming for deaf and is considered one of the finest deaf swimmers to represent USA after the retirements of Marcus Titus and Reed Gershwind. He made his Deaflympic debut at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.