Is it time for the IOC to consider a Do-It-Yourself Olympic Games?

U.S. General George S. Patton has some advice for the IOC's current bid-city problems!

U.S. General George S. Patton has some advice for the IOC’s current bid-city problems!TSX HEADLINES – for July 9, 2018: The iconic World War II U.S. General George S. Patton used to quote Napoleon’s maxim, L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace: “Audacity, audacity, always audacity.”

With Graz’s withdrawal from the 2026 Winter Games race and the field shrinking, could this be the right time for the International Olympic Committee to simply dispense with bidders and stage the Games itself?

It would need to partner with a city and country through a National Olympic Committee for all of the necessary services, but what a way to prove that the “new norm” it touts so strongly is actually the way to host a Games in the 21st Century.

We explore the current situation and the possibilities in our Lane One commentary, plus a full report on a heavy weekend of Olympic-sport action worldwide:

(1) WORLD CUP: A tournament dominated by Europe is ending the way it should, with an all-European final four. How many times has this happened in the 21 editions of the World Cup? The answer, the new odds on each team winning and the statistical report you won’t see anywhere else!

(2) ATHLETICS: A preview of the IAAF World Junior (U-20) Championships, set to start on Tuesday in Finland, with a strong U.S. team trying to top the medal count for the fourth straight time. Watch out for thrower Alyssa Wilson!

(3) BASKETBALL: The U.S. won its fifth straight FIBA U-17 men’s World Cup with six consecutive routs, ending with a 95-52 win over France. Did the U.S. end up averaging more than 100 points a game?

(4) SWIMMING: Double World Champion Chase Kalisz ended the Tyr Pro Swim Series with a six-meet sweep of the 200 m Fly, 200 m Medley and the 400 m Medley! But he was only one of nine stars who won two or more events in Columbus.

(5) TABLE TENNIS: No American has ever won an Olympic medal in this sport. But new stars in the men’s and women’s Singles events could change that in the years to come; find out more, especially about 18-year-old Kanak Jha!

This issue includes an ON DECK preview of Athletics; SCOREBOARD reports on Football ~ Badminton ~ Basketball ~ Beach Volleyball ~ Cycling ~ Gymnastics ~ Sport Climbing ~ Swimming ~ Table Tennis ~ Volleyball, plus AGENDA, our exclusive calendar of upcoming international events!