SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Friday, 22 January 2019

Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened over the last 96 hours in Olympic sport:

LANE ONE

Wednesday: It’s worth taking time out to appreciate the greatness of American skiing ace Mikaela Shiffrin. She’s not only the finest women’s skier in the world, but at just 23, is in a position to set standards that could last for decades!

Friday: Sports and politics aren’t supposed to mix, but they do and are mixing badly. But even with continuous issues with countries refusing to allow athletes to compete from nations it doesn’t like – the latest is India’s refusal to allow Pakistani shooters to compete in the ISSF World Cup – the IOC’s backbone appears to be stiffening. This is a good development, and the International Paralympic Committee should get credit too.

THE BIG PICTURE

Tuesday: USA Gymnastics hired another chief executive, this time from the NBA, with a strong background in gymnastics – as a competitor – and already has experience working with a U.S. National Governing Body. Li Li Leung comes to USAG from a global sponsorships position with the NBA: excellent credentials to get the federation moving forward.

Thursday: The Paris 2024 organizers announced that they will ask the IOC to approve four added sports for its Games: Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing and Breakdancing. There are good reasons to add these sports, and to turn away sports like Baseball/Softball, Karate and others.

Friday: The International Boxing Association (AIBA) passed several noteworthy rule changes in its Executive Board meeting in Turkey, especially the introduction of a procedure to challenge bad judging decisions right after a bout is completed. But the federation is also still whining about its suspension by the IOC, by asking why the qualification procedure for Tokyo 2020 is not yet complete.

ALPINE SKIING

Monday: A record-tying 14th win in this World Cup season for American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, in the City Event in Stockholm (SWE).

ATHLETICS

Wednesday: Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen upset new 1,500 m world-record setter SamuelTefera (ETH) in the 1,500 m in the Dusseldorf World Indoor Tour meet. Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) laimed a world-leading time of 7.02 in the women’s 60 m, beating prior world leader Ewa Swoboda (POL).

Thursday: Preview of the USATF National Indoor Championships start Friday, and are back in New York – Staten Island this time – for the first time since 2002. The fields include five 2019 world indoor leaders and 10 defending champions, including double defender (1,500/3,000 m) Shelby Houlihan.

PREVIEWS

Alpine Skiing: World Cup resumes in Bansko (men) and Crans-Montana (women)
Badminton: Spanish Masters in Barcelona
Basketball: Final qualifying matches in the Americas sector
Bobsled & Skeleton: Final World Cup of the season in Calgary
Fencing: First Sabre Grand Prix of the season, in Cairo
Freestyle: World Cups in Aerials (Minsk), Ski Cross (Sunny Valley), Moguls (Tazawako)
Gymnastics: First Artistic World Cup in Melbourne
Judo: Grand Slam in Dusseldorf
Luge: Final World Cup of the season in Sochi
Nordic Skiing: World Championships are underway in Seefeld
Shooting: First ISSF World Cup of the season, in New Delhi
Snowboard: Parallel World Cup season titles on the line in Secret Garden
Speed Skating: World Sprint Championships in Heerenveen

UPCOMING

Highlights of the coming week, with previews in the coming days on TheSportsExaminer.com:

Cycling: UCI World Track Championships in Pruszkow, Poland

Football: U.S. women in the She Believes Cup vs. Japan and England

Nordic Skiing: World Championships in Cross Country, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping

We’ll have coverage of a busy week, with 26 events on the international calendar!