Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened this week in Olympic sport:
LANE ONE
Wednesday: It’s about time that an expert panel talked about the opportunities to sponsor Olympic-sport athletes, and the first L.A. Sports Summit is going to do just that. The panel will be led by four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist John Naber and be held at the Omni Hotel on 24-25 June. We have all the details; this is long overdue.
Friday: The FIFA Women’s World Cup is finally here, so let’s take a deep look at the top contenders and how the elimination round will shake out. The U.S. and France are co-favored, but the U.S. has a weakness and France won’t have enough left in the tank at the end to win. Our pick: Germany, for a third World Cup win.
HEARD AFTER HALFTIME
Monday: Caster Semenya wins a round at the Swiss Federal Tribunal as the IAAF’s women’s eligibility rules are suspended for now; a new world leader in the women’s hammer; the number of cases filed against USA Gymnastics in the Nassar affair is revealed; no 2036 Olympics for Berlin and how about a 73-year-old surfing Olympian!
Thursday: World-leading 13.06 for Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts at NCAAs, the IAAF has a hot reply to the Swiss Tribunal, possible new NCAA women’s sports in Acro and Wrestling, and Denver voters require a vote for a future Games there … which they really need to have anyway.
ATHLETICS
Thursday: Just a sensational meet at the IAAF Diamond League stop in Rome, with Americans Michael Norman and Noah Lyles staging an epic battle in the 200 m, won by Norman in 19.70-19.72. At just 21, he’s the third best 200/400 man in history! Check out the other two and full results of a meet with eight – count ‘em! – eight world-leading marks.
Friday: Fabulous NCAA men’s final in Austin, with Florida’s Grant Holloway breaking Renaldo Nehemiah’s 40-year-old collegiate record with a 12.98-13.00 win over Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts. Plus a 9.86/19.73 double for Texas Tech’s Divine Oduduru (NGR), a 44.23 victory for Houston’s Kahmari Montgomery and a world-leading 2:59.05 4×400 m win for Texas A&M! Wow!
FOOTBALL
Wednesday: A concise preview of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, with the pertinent facts and figures and not a lot of other stuff. (The other stuff is in Friday’s Lane One!)
Wednesday: While the U.S. women are getting ready to play for the World Cup title, the U.S. men lost to Jamaica, in a lackluster 1-0 friendly in Washington, D.C. Oy.
SPORT CLIMBING
Wednesday: Ever heard of Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret? You will; she’s the favorite for the first-ever women’s Olympic competition in Tokyo next year. This week she’s in Vail, Colorado to try and complete a perfect season in Bouldering: can she go six-for-six?
TRIATHLON
Wednesday: The fourth ITU World Series race is in Leeds (GBR), with double Olympic champ Alistair Brownlee returning to the starting line and American Katie Zaferes trying to keep her season perfect; she’s won the first three races this year!
VOLLEYBALL
Monday: The United States women’s national team is one of four with a 5-1 record at the top of the Nations League standings. This week, the Nations League comes to Lincoln, Nebraska for Korea, Germany and Brazil.
WATER POLO
Friday: The U.S. and Italy are the only undefeated teams left, heading into the semifinals of the FINA World League Super Final in Hungary, with the winner qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo tournament. So far, the U.S. is 4-0 and outscored its opponents, 60-26!
WRESTLING
Friday: The first of two Final X tournaments will select (finally) the U.S. team for the 2019 World Championships. Saturday’s show in Piscataway, New Jersey featires 92 kg World Champion J’Den Cox and Worlds medalists Nick Gwiazdowski and Tamyra Mensah-Stock, among others. A match-by-match preview.
PREVIEWS
Cycling: UCI BMX Supercross in a special stadium in Saint Quentin (FRA)
Cycling: UCI Mountain Bike Downhill in Leogang (AUT): another Rachel Atherton win?
Shooting: U.S. Shotgun Championships underway with Trap competitions this week
Swimming: FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup has smaller fields this week in Setubal
Taekwondo: Seventeen World Champions in the Rome Grand Prix this weekend!
UPCOMING
Highlights of the coming week, with previews in the coming days on TheSportsExaminer.com:
● Athletics: The IAAF Diamond League continues in track-mad Oslo!
● Football: The FIFA Women’s World Cup continues in France!
● Wrestling: Final stop of the Final X tournaments, in Lincoln.
And many more events in what is already a frantic worldwide summer of sports!
