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PANORAMA: French Alps 2030 speed skating going Dutch; another sample-swap doping scandal; another doping charge vs. 2:04:48 Kenyan Kandie

By
Rich Perelman
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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The International Olympic Committee distributed awards related to the 2026 Winter Games in Rome on Tuesday, with the Olympic Cup – established by modern Games founder Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) in 1906 – awarded to the “People of Italy” for their support of Milan Cortina. Said IOC chief Kirsty Coventry (ZIM):

“These Games were not only organised in Italy – they were embraced by the Italian people.

“The arenas were full, the cheers loud, the atmosphere electric. You celebrated your champions and supported athletes from every nation. You showed the world that passion and respect can go hand in hand.”

The Olympic Order was awarded to multiple Italian government officials, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Ceremonies on Monday saw the Olympic Order given to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and five government ministers.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The 2030 organizing committee board confirmed Vincent Roberti, the Prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne since April 2023, will become the new Director General of French Alps 2030, beginning in June.

It was also announced that the speed skating events, for which there is no available site in the French Alps region, will look to hold the sport in one of its most celebrated venues: the 12,500-seat Thialf in Heerenveen (NED). It has been a 23-time ISU World Championships venue.

● Anti-Doping ● Think substituting urine samples in doping tests went out with the Russian state-sponsored doping program of 2011–15? Think again.

The World Anti-Doping Agency reported Tuesday on six doping violations reported against six Georgia national rugby team players and one staff members. “Operation Obsidian” “revealed five instances where sample substitution occurred, also finding that advance notice of testing was being given to players from the Georgia national rugby union team, with the involvement of employees of the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency (GADA).

“It also determined that doping control officers were not observing athletes notified for doping control and not witnessing urine passing, which are clear non-conformities under the rules.”

In response, the Georgian government is working with WADA to create a new anti-doping organization in the country.

● Athletics ● More Kenyan doping news, as the Athletics Integrity Unit announced a four-year ban against 27:34 10 km and 58:53 half-marathoner Hillary Chepkwony “from 8 December 2025, for the Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP case).” He last raced in June 2025, but his results are nullified back to 24 August 2024.

Kibiwott Kandie, now 29, was the Half Marathon Worlds silver winner in 2020 and ran 2:04:48 for the marathon in 2023. He was suspended in March 2025 for “Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection” and now has an added charge of “Tampering or Attempted Tampering with Doping Control.” He remains provisionally suspended; he last raced in August 2025.

A couple of world-leading marks in a mostly-quiet weekend, notably Japan’s Rachid Muratake – the Paris 2024 fifth-placer – running 13.05 in the 110 m hurdles in Osaka (JPN) on Sunday, and 24-year-old China’s Chenlong Yuan winning the Chinese Athletics Street Tour long jump in Nanjing (CHN) with a lifetime best of 8.33 m (27-4) on his third attempt.

● Badminton ● The USA Badminton Board voted, 7-3, to accept a “Reset Proposal” from the Badminton World Federation and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee of 23 April 2026.

The details of the proposal were not included, but the majority wanted to find a way forward and not have the organization de-certified as the U.S. governing body, while those against noted that issues with financial noncompliance, governance delays, and the lack of grassroots infrastructure are not being fixed.

● Cycling ● The 109th Giro d’Italia was finally in Italy, for the fourth stage, a 138 km ride to Cosenza with a giant climb in the middle. The long, gentle finish allowed for a mass sprint with Jhonatan Navarez (ECU) getting to the line first in 3:08:46, ahead of Orluis Aular (VEN) and Italy’s Giulio Ciccone. The first 42 riders received the same time.

It’s the third career Giro stage win for Navarez, previously in 2020 and 2024. The race leader is now Ciccone, with the top 25 all within 10 seconds.

British star Katie Archibald, 32, said she is retiring from competitive cycling to become a nurse:

“The draw of the real world has been pulling me for a while, but I’ve been too scared to leave the world I know and love and, ultimately, to let go of something I’m good at.

“I’ve fallen completely in love with the whole [nursing] thing, When I let my friends and teammates know I was retiring from sport, they assumed it was because I wasn’t coping doing both.”

Her career includes Olympic track cycling golds in the Team Pursuit in 2016 and the Madison at Tokyo 2020 with Laura Kenny. She won 17 World Championships medals, including wins in 2014-17-18-21-23-24-25 in the Team Pursuit (3), Omnium (2) and Madison (2).

● Swimming ● Fascinating note in the USA Swimming sponsorship extension with Speedo through 2028, for “National Team and National Junior Team programs.” In specific:

“The partnership expansion includes dedicated National Junior team kit entitlements, further investing in the next generation of American swimming talent as they progress through the high-performance pathway.”

Interesting to see the focus on juniors in the deal. Young, super-talented swimmers usually make the varsity quickly and compete at the highest level. A renewed interest in the “pipeline” is noteworthy.

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RUSSIA: Sports Minister Degtyarev says he expects Russia to be re-admitted in “virtually all sports” by the end of 2026

By
Rich Perelman
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Mikhail Degtyarev, now the Russian Minister of Sport and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (Photo: Wikipedia via the Office of the President of Russia)

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≡ RUSSIA STILL SUSPENDED ≡

“Despite the fact that we are not satisfied with the IOC’s decision, we will still be pragmatic.”

That’s Russian Sport Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, speaking with the Russian news agency TASS on Tuesday, commenting on the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation last week to lift sanctions against Belarus:

“Firstly, the lifting of sanctions against Belarus is a serious step forward. Secondly, this is the first time in years that the IOC publicly noted the constructive nature of cooperation with the ROC.”

“Our lawyers, as well as me personally, have already communicated with the IOC administration. A dialogue is underway. We are not changing any plans. We are preparing for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal this year and for the qualifying tournaments ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in the United States.”

Russia’s participation has been limited since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Degtyarev noted the progress so far:

“At one point, it seemed like everything was blocked for everyone. There was no plan to get out of this situation. Our team did everything possible to open the doors and return to competitions, at least as a neutral party.

“Now we’re restoring the flag and anthem, and the results are clear: this year, our athletes will be allowed to compete internationally in virtually all sports. This is my prediction, based on our negotiating positions and the communication we maintain with international organizations. Meanwhile, our anthem is already being played and our flag is being raised at many tournaments.”

Belarus continues to be returned to international competitions as federations follow the IOC’s recommendation, including announcement on Tuesday from World Boxing, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne and the International Volleyball Federation. World Athletics and the International Tennis Federation have pointedly said they are not changing their status on Belarus.

On Russia, a few federations have re-integrated their athletes without restrictions, including the International Judo Federation last October, World Taekwondo in January and World Aquatics in April. The IOC has indicated Russia’s status is different and remains restricted as far as it is concerned.

Further, IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) noted continuing inquiries by the World Anti-Doping Agency into accusations that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has links with the Russian government security services, which have been denied.

There is also political pressure building on Degtyarev. Former ice hockey star Vyacheslav Fetisov, himself a former Russia Sports Minister and since 2016 a member of the State Duma – the Russian national legislature – as well as a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings as a defenseman, told TASS:

“Until RUSADA is reinstated, it’s not entirely correct to talk about a full return of our Olympic Committee. Unfortunately, many promises were made, especially to the athletes, coaches, and us, the legends of Russian hockey, basketball, football, and other sports, that we would soon be able to enjoy the Olympic Games in a format with national representation, its symbols, and paraphernalia.

“We were promised that this would happen this summer, but it seems they somehow miscalculated. They’re trying to convince us that everything is fine, when in fact, it’s not.

“I’m upset for our athletes, coaches, and fans. Once again, we were promised something, and we failed to deliver.”

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Wednesday L.A. City Council meeting slated to approve ballot measure that could “fundamentally undermine” city’s Olympic operations

By
Rich Perelman
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The Los Angeles City Hall, a 1928 Art Deco downtown icon (Photo: Tim Ahern via Wikipedia)

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≡ L.A. BUSINESS TAX REPEAL ≡

The latest potential financial crisis to hit the City of Los Angeles will come up for City Council approval on Wednesday (13th) as a ballot initiative has collected sufficient signatures to be placed before Los Angeles voters.

The initiative proposed to repeal the City’s business tax effective 1 January 2028, which is based on gross receipts by businesses within the city and not on net income.

Given the continuing budget crises which Los Angeles faced in its 2025-26 budget and continues to deal with right now in the approval of the 2026-27 budget – which must be finished by 31 May – here’s how serious the new threat is to the 2028 Olympic Games, according to the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, Matthew Szabo:

“Eliminating the business tax would deal an irreparable blow, necessitating an immediate and lasting contraction of public services and fundamentally undermine the City’s ability to prepare for and host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (2028 Games).

“The sudden, permanent loss of $860 million on average in annual revenue starting in 2027-28 would coincide exactly with the final, most intensive preparation phase for the 2028 Games. This fiscal vacuum would jeopardize the city-wide mobility and transit enhancements currently being planned to accommodate millions of visitors. Furthermore, the projected deep cuts to public safety and public works services would severely degrade the City’s capacity to provide the essential security, sanitation, and emergency response levels required for a global event of this magnitude.

“By stripping the General Fund of its second-largest tax revenue source just as these international obligations peak, the repeal would shift the City from a position of growth and readiness to one of permanent structural austerity, leaving it ill-equipped to fulfill its commitments to the world stage.”

The initiative’s backers, who collected 79,317 public signatures, had their petition certified by the City Clerk on 23 March 2026 and it is in line to be placed on the 3 November 2026 election ballot. The measure was created by business interests to try and reduce the business tax burden in the City of Los Angeles, the latest chapter in a long tug-of-war between businesses and labor groups over costs, wages and benefits.

The Chief Administrative Officer’s report casts passage of the measure in catastrophic terms for the finances of the City:

● “The adoption of the proposed initiative ordinance repealing the business tax on non-cannabis business activity would result in an annual General Fund revenue loss of $860 million on average for the first five years starting in fiscal year 2027-28.

“The average annual loss would increase every year. The cumulative negative impact resulting from this tax repeal over the next ten years would be $9.6 billion. This would require immediate and significant reductions in City services and would severely impact the City’s long-term financial stability.”

● “The scale of the revenue loss – representing roughly 10 percent of the General Fund and 12 percent of all unrestricted revenue – is unprecedented. To manage a shortfall of this magnitude amid existing structural deficits and rising contractual obligations, the City would be forced to implement austerity measures far more severe than those seen during the Great Recession or the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While those previous crises were significant, they were ultimately transitory shocks followed by recovery. In contrast, the permanent elimination of the City’s second-largest tax revenue stream would open a massive, structural fiscal gap requiring immediate, ongoing service reductions.”

Just as a precaution if the measure is approved for a vote – for which it has qualified – the Chief Administrative Officer’s report states that the City would need to (1) start saving money immediately; (2) limit new hires to just six months of funding; (3) freezing all unfunded positions in the new budget; (4) prepare for a “fiscal emergency” in case of passage, including no new hires, a list of positions to be eliminated, deferment of contracts and capital projects, discussions with unions on cancellation of wage increases, and as for public safety, “suspend police sworn hiring for 2026-27 beginning with the cancellation of the January 2027 police class.”

The recommended City Council’s instructions would also include:

“Direct the City Administrative Officer to report to the City Council and Mayor on the impact the required cuts will have on the City’s preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games including its ability to meet its obligations as a Host City and provide the services required under service agreements established with the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28).”

Given the certification of sufficient signatures, the City Council appears to have no choice but to approve the initiative for the November ballot. Once placed there, the stakes for the City will be high, as well as for the security and services planning for the 2028 Games.

Also on Wednesday, the Council will consider a modification to the “Olympic wage” ordinance which was won by labor unions representing airport and airport-area hotel workers for raises in their minimum wages to $30.00 by 1 July 2028.

A motion by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson on 5 December 2025 asked to have the law changed to have the increases introduced more slowly, with the $30.00 wage taking effect on 1 July 2030.

The unions are strongly against the change and will no doubt rally many loud supporters at Wednesday’s meeting. But the City is also under pressure from businesses which are involved in airport operations and airport-area hotels, who are now paying these higher wages and benefits.

The City Council debate should be fascinating.

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PANORAMA: Cheapest FIFA World Cup tickets at $144 Monday, up to $8,017; speed star Brittany Bowe retires; tennis rejects Belarus return

By
Rich Perelman
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American speed-skating star Brittany Bowe at the 2026 U.S. Olympic Trials (Photo: Wikipedia via LaShawnda Jones-Harvest Photo).

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ SPOTLIGHT I ≡

● Speed Skating ● The International Skating Union posted Monday that American star Brittany Bowe has officially retired, after she indicated she would at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Now 38, Bowe has been a star for more than a decade, winning her first World Championships medal way back in 2013, a bronze in the women’s 1,000 m. Now, she is a four-time World Champion in the 1,000 m (three times) and the 1,500 m (once) and twice the World Sprint Champion in 2015-16.

She won Olympic bronzes in 2018 (Team Pursuit) and in the 1,000 m in 2022, and four world records, in the 1,000 m (three times) and one in the 1,500 m.

Pretty good for a former Florida Atlantic point guard and an eight-time World Champion in inline skating!

≡ SPOTLIGHT II ≡

● Football ● The site TicketData.com tracks ticket sales pricing for many events, including the FIFA World Cup 2026, and a Monday check of the least-expensive ticket pricing showed that with exactly a month to go before the tournament starts, the five lowest-priced games were:

● $144: Austria vs. Jordan (16 June) in Santa Clara
● $159: Capo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (26 June) in Houston
● $174: Jordan vs. Algeria (22 June) in Santa Clara
● $175: Algeria vs. Austria (27 June) in Kansas City
● $175: Uzbekistan vs. D.R. Congo (27 June) in Atlanta

The five highest-priced for “get-in” tickets:

● $8,017: Final (19 July) in East Rutherford
● $2,543: Colombia vs. Portugal (27 June) in Miami Gardens
● $2,250: Semi-final (14 July) in Dallas
● $2,173: Semi-final (15 July) in Atlanta
● $1,802: Quarter-final (11 July) in Miami Gardens

In terms of interest in the U.S., the 12 June opener against Paraguay in Inglewood is shown at $916 for the cheapest ticket available, with the 19 June match vs. Australia in Seattle at $1,008 and the group finale against Turkey in Inglewood on 25 June for $719.

FIFA was reported to place “Category 1 Front” seats for the World Cup Final at $32,970 and for the semifinals at $11,130 in Dallas and $10,635 in Atlanta.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Enhanced Games ● Roku Sports Channel will stream the doping-friendly Enhanced Games from Las Vegas on 24 May, beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Competitions will be held in swimming, track and weightlifting.

● Gymnastics ● First-time winners at the World Gymnastics Challenge Cup in Varna (BUL) claimed nine of the 10 victories, including all four on the women’s side.

Mara Slippens (NED) won on Vault (13.233 average), Israel’s Roni Shamay on Uneven Bars (13.200), Maria Drobniak (POL: 12.866) on Beam and Shantae-Eve Amankwaah (GBR: 13.233) on Floor.

Bulgaria took two men’s titles, with David Ivanov scoring 14.633 on the Pommel Horse and Daniel Trifonov on the Horizontal Bar (13.666). Other new winners included Victor Tournicourt (BEL) on Floor at 13.466, Malaysia’s Ng Chun Chen scored an average of 14.183 for the win on Vault and Turkey’s Altan Dogan won on Parallel Bars at 14.166. Veteran star Artur Avetisyan (ARM) won on Rings (14.233)

● Judo ● There were eight repeat champions at the USA Judo National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico over the weekend, including five on the men’s side, in Lenny Sheynfeld at 66 kg; Olympian Jack Yonezuka at 73 kg, Oleksandr Nyzhnyk at 90 kg, plus Daniel Liubimovski at 100 kg and Alex Semenenko at +100 kg.

The women’s repeaters were Toni Pepia at 52 kg, Paris Olympian Maria Laborde at 48 kg and 70 kg winner Nancy Nguyen.

New champions included Christopher Velazco in the men’s 60 kg class, Dominic Rodriguez at 81 kg and Daniel Barboza in the Open category; the new women’s winners were Danielle Pekler (57 kg), Emily Jaspe (63 kg), Laonna Cramer (78 kg), Jessica Alaynick at +78 and Hasmik Manaseryan (ARM) in the Open.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union released its candidate list for the upcoming 12 June elections at the ISU Congress in Tenerife (ESP), with President Jae Youl Kim (KOR) to run unopposed for a second term.

Kim has been busy with a modernization and reform agenda to make the federation more friendly to new technologies – he is, after all, the President of the Samsung Global Strategy Group – and to raise its profile on a continuing basis during the winter months.

● Skiing ● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) certified its list of candidates for elections at the FIS Congress in Belgrade (SRB) on 10-11 June. There are five candidates for President.

Incumbent Johan Eliasch is running for a second term, but while he was nominated by the British federation in 2020, he is now running as a candidate from Georgia. Candidates are nominated by national federations and according to the FIS Statutes, “Candidates must hold a valid passport with the nationality of their nominating Member Association.” He was born in Sweden.

He is being challenged by Anne Harboe Falkenburg (DEN), Victoria Gosling from Britain, Alexander Ospelt (LIE) and American Dexter Paine. Falkenburg, Gosling and Ospelt are or have just recently finished terms as the heads of the skiing federations. Paine was the Chair of U.S. Ski & Snowboarding for 13 years and has been a member of the FIS Council, on and off, for 10 years.

Eliasch has not been universally popular during his term, especially among some of the powerful European federations, in part due to his forceful approach, which has seen his project to centralize media rights in alpine skiing into a single unit completed, but not yet in effect. He has also pushed forward an essentially all-discipline “FIS Games” to start in 2028.

● Swimming ● Twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte is coming back to swimming, joining the staff at Missouri State as an assistant coach for the 2026-27 season.

Always competitive and sometimes controversial, he last competed in 2021; he will be working with veteran head coach Dave Collins, and associate head coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham. The Bears were the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference men’s champs and the women finished third.

● Tennis ● The International Tennis Federation replied Friday to the International Olympic Committee Executive Board recommendation that Belarusian athletes and teams be reinstated without restriction:

“The International Tennis Federation confirms that the IOC’s announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations’ suspensions which remain in place.

“The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF’s voting member nations (‘The AGM Council’) in accordance with ITF constitutional process.”

Russian and Belarusian players are shown as “neutrals” by the ITF.

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LANE ONE: Now that the IOC is focused on disciplines and venues, what sports will stay in for Brisbane 2032? Does 27 sports and 9,599 athletes work?

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Paris 2024 sports pictograms (Image: Paris 2024).

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≡ THE 2032 SPORTS PROGRAM ≡

At last week’s International Olympic Committee Executive Board news conference, President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) was clear about the need for changes to the sports program of the Olympic Games:

● “We feel we need to regain the control of the program and we’re the leaders, this is our product, so we should regain that control and we should look after it and we should figure out how we want, potentially, new sports, innovative sports and disciplines to come onto the program.

“But we’re also under the very big realization that we can’t continue to get bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, that’s not the answer either.”

● “When we add additional sports, additional disciplines that need new venues, that’s when really where we see additional costs and complexities coming into play. That’s where we potentially more widespread Games, which adds complexity to National Olympic Committees, broadcasters, to athletes, to ourselves.

“It changes the experience for all the stakeholder groups, so we’re looking at everything holistically: how does it all play into each other, and yes, how can we help contain and reduce the cost and the complexity and the economics of the Games.”

● “L.A., you know, is 36 sports; in London [2012], we were 26 sports. I’ve said this again, numerous times, I don’t think in Brisbane we’re going to see 36 sports, so this is the right time to have these kinds of conversations in a really transparent manner.”

So what gets cut? The Sports Examiner looked at this question last week, before the IOC news conference; with the benefit of the new instructions and direction … so what gets cut?

Coventry’s Olympic program working group has identified sports and disciplines that need their own venues as a key determinant. The Brisbane 2032 Host City Contract told the organizers to use the Paris 2024 Olympic program as their planning blueprint; that included 28 sports. The Paris organizers added four more – breaking, sport climbing, skateboard and surfing – with small athlete quotas, but these were not part of the IOC’s program.

So looking at the 47 disciplines in the 28 sports shown by the IOC at last week’s news conference, let’s see where the questions might arise.

The IOC’s list of summer Olympic sports and disciplines from the Paris 2024 Games (IOC video screen shot).

The IOC showed 18 single-discipline sports, based on the Paris 2024 program:

● Archery: 128 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Badminton: 172 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Boxing: 248 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Fencing: 212 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Football: 504 athletes ~ 6-7 venues
● Golf: 120 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Handball: 336 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Hockey: 384 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Judo: 372 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Modern Pentathlon: 64 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Rowing: 502 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Rugby Sevens: 288 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Sailing: 330 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Table Tennis: 172 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Taekwondo: 128 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Tennis: 172 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Triathlon: 110 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Weightlifting: 120 athletes ~ 1 venue

All of these sports are over 100 athletes except for modern pentathlon, which has changed its program – at the IOC’s request – to remain in the Games. It was able to combine with equestrian in Paris, but that element has been removed and pentathlon promotes itself as a single-venue sport now, with obstacle racing instead. It could be on the endangered list again.

The IOC list showed rowing as a single-discipline sport from Paris, but is adding the coastal beach sprint for LA28 with 64 athletes. This is likely to be cut unless ganged with another sport that can share the same venue.

Triathlon at 110 athletes needs to be paired with open-water swimming, and questions can be raised about golf if a quality course is not available in the host city. The rest appear fairly safe, but the number of teams or sizes of squads in some of the team sports could be reduced.

The list of multi-discipline sports included 10 federations:

● Aquatics/Artistic: 96 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Aquatics/Diving: 136 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Aquatics/Open Water: 44 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Aquatics/Swimming: 830 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Aquatics/Water Polo: 264 athletes ~ 1 venue

Having a separate venue for 44 athletes in open water looks like a place to cut, but could possibly be co-located with triathlon. Artistic and water polo need to be in the same venue; two separate sites might mean one has to go.

● Athletics: 1,810 athletes ~ 2 venues

There is one site for the stadium events and then at least a separate start for the marathons and walks if they finish in the stadium. World Athletics has already removed the marathons from its World Championships; if the IOC follows suit, the walks could also go. There were 172 marathoners in Paris and 97 walkers in the individual events, with many of the walkers also among the 50 who raced in the mixed relay. If the marathon goes, the walks – now contested at the half-marathon and marathon distances – will too.

● Basketball/3×3: 96 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Basketball/5×5: 288 athletes ~ 1 venue

The 3×3 game is growing in popularity, but it requires another venue. It could be cut.

● Canoe/Slalom: 82 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Canoe/Sprint: 236 athletes ~ 1 venue

As far as Brisbane 2032 is concerned, Slalom is a must-have as Jess Fox is an Australian national hero and the best Slalom canoeist in history. Normally, it would be a candidate for exclusion because it needs a special venue, but with Fox possibly still competing, it has to be in.

● Cycling/BMX Freestyle: 24 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Cycling/BMX Racing: 48 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Cycling/Mountain Bike: 72 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Cycling/Road: 180 athletes ~ 1-2 venues
● Cycling/Track: 190 athletes ~ 1 venue

Road and track are the traditional cycling disciplines at the Games and the BMX events and Mountain Bike are fairly new, in 1996 (Mountain Bike), 2008 (BMX Racing) and 2020 (Freestyle). Each requires its own venue and all three could be cut and save 144 quota places … and three venues. These will be hard to keep.

● Equestrian/Dressage: 60 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Equestrian/Eventing: 65 athletes ~ 1-2 venues
● Equestrian/Jumping: 75 athletes ~ 1 venue

Dressage and Jumping are quite popular, but Eventing requires a cross-country component which has often required a separate site, especially to deal with equine health and heat. It could be cut.

● Gymnastics/Artistic: 192 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Gymnastics/Rhythmic: 94 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Gymnastics/Trampoline: 32 athletes ~ 1 venue

Women’s artistic is one of the highlights of the Games, but rhythmic and trampoline are not nearly as popular and if not held at the same site as artistic, could be cut.

● Shooting: 340 athletes ~ 1 venue

Although the IOC recognizes rifle-pistol and shotgun as separate disciplines, they have generally been held at one site. However, this will not be true in Los Angeles for 2028, so questions can be raised about part or all of the sport if an existing facility is not available.

● Volleyball/Beach: 96 athletes ~ 1 venue
● Volleyball/Indoor: 288 athletes ~ 1 venue

Although the beach program is small, it has attracted far more interest than other disciplines of the same size, and, if needed, could be held indoors in an existing site, or in a small football stadium, saving cost.

● Wrestling: 288 athletes ~ 1 venue

Although Freestyle and Greco-Roman are shown separately, they are contested in the same venue at the same time. It’s essentially a single-venue sport.

Complicated? Of course. And even more so with the three sports held in Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles – sport climbing, surfing and skateboard – which believe they should now be a permanent part of the program. All three required separate venues and that’s a problem.

This does not address the five added sports for LA28 – baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Look for Brisbane 2032 to want cricket, which is a big deal in Australia, but not the others.

There will be some hard discussions, one of which could be about trimming the teams in some sports, such as water polo (13 per team), basketball (5×5: 12), football (18), handball (14), hockey (16) and rugby sevens (12). If all of these went to 10 entries instead of 12 for both men and women, 340 quota places would be saved.

Removing open-water swimming (44), cycling BMX Racing-BMX Freestyle-Mountain Bike (144), equestrian Eventing (65), gymnastics trampoline (32), and modern pentathlon (64) saves another 349 places.

If climbing (76), surfing (48) and skateboard (88) are not included for 2032 – all sexy to be sure, but requiring added venues – then the Olympic Charter target of 10,500 athletes comes down by 901 to 9,599 and eliminates from 10-12 venues from the Games, while still retaining a total of 27 sports (and frees up Olympic Village space).

The IOC’s program working group will be moving the numbers around just like this to try and figure out what to propose for Brisbane 2032. Think these ideas are dumb? They might be, but the choices will not be any easier.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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PANORAMA: Berlin Senate OKs future German Olympic bid; World Athletics says no to Belarus; Magnier wins two of first three Giro d’Italia stages

By
Rich Perelman
-
The 2027 United World Wrestling World Championships will return to Las Vegas (Graphic: UWW/USA Wrestling).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 1984: Los Angeles ● The LA84 Foundation, the living legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games, awarded $1.9 million in grants to 27 organizations in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Diego Counties, projected to reach 400,000 young people through sport.

Included are five grants for school-based programs, which “utilize structured sports activities during after-school hours that promote students’ academic, social and emotional success. They include Beyond the Bell, a sports program at 107 middle schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.”

There were grants to 19 organizations to provide access to less available sports, such as golf, lacrosse, surfing and equestrian. And an unusual in-school program:

“The Monarch School Project in San Diego County received funding to support the school’s athletic department. The K-12 school is the lone school in the nation dedicated exclusively to serving unhoused youth, and is designed to meet their students’ academic, social, emotional, and life skills needs.”

The LA84 Foundation was created from the Los Angeles share of the surplus from the 1984 Olympic Games and is dedicated to serving youth through sport.

● Olympic Games: Germany ● The Berlin candidacy for a future Olympic Games was unanimously approved by the city’s Senate last week. Per the announcement:

“The Berlin+ concept, presented by [Mayor Kai] Wegner and Sports Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) for a bid to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Olympics, assumes that 97 percent of all the sports venues needed for the competitions are already in place.

“Spranger estimated the cost of organizing the Games at 4.82 billion euros. In contrast, revenue of 5.24 billion euros is expected, meaning that a profit of around 420 million euros would be generated ‘for Berlin’s schools and grassroots sports.’” (€1 = $1.18 U.S.)

The German sports confederation (DOSB) will decide in September which of four cities or regions – Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Rhine-Ruhr – will be the national bidder for a future Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044.

● International Olympic Committee ● The annual report for the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity program was released, with increased funding for support for athletes, coaches, teams and National Olympic Committees.

A total of $650 million – up from $590 million – is allocated for the 2025-28 quadrennial.

It is not widely appreciated that the IOC does pay athletes directly, through the Olympic Scholarship program. For the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, 449 athletes from 90 National Olympic Committee received $5.7 million in funding. For 2028, more than 1,000 scholarships to athletes from 125 NOCs have already been allocated with more to be approved.

Teams were also supported: 175 teams from 122 NOCs received support grants for summer and winter sports. The largest number were in beach volleyball (27), volleyball (23) and 5×5 basketball (21).

The IOC is also supported its Refugee Olympic Team project with its first “Refugee Athlete Scholarships” for 2025-28, providing $1.2 million for 47 athletes working with 13 host NOCs, across 15 sports.

● Athletics ● While the International Olympic Committee has recommended bringing back Belarusian athletes and teams without restrictions, World Athletics is not in agreement.

The federation told the BBC last week:

“As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, World Athletics sanctions implemented in March 2022 excluding Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from competition remain in place.

“Our Council has made a clear decision that when there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations it can begin to review its decisions. We all hope this will be soon, but until that happens the council continues to be united in standing behind the decision it made in March 2022 and revisited in 2023 and 2025.”

Russ Hodge, the one-time world-record holder in the decathlon, passed away on 6 May at age 86, in Johnson City, New York. The son of 1936 Olympic high jumper Alice Arden, Hodge was a unique competitor in the decathlon, at 6-3 and 225 pounds. He had enormous speed – he ran 10.2 for the 100 m in 1970 – and strength, competing in the shot, discus and javelin while at UCLA in 1968 and 1969.

He made the 1964 U.S. Olympic team and finished ninth, then set the world record of 8,230 in Los Angeles in July 1966 (8,119 on today’s tables). Hodge fought injuries his entire career and missed the Olympic team in 1968, 1972 and 1976, but he won a Pan American Games silver medal in 1971. He was a four-time runner-up at the U.S. championships in 1965-66-70-71.

After his athletic career, Hodge was active in coaching and in the early vitamin and supplement business.

● Figure Skating ● At a sports conference in Lausanne (SUI) on Thursday, International Skating Union Director General Colin Smith (GBR) emphasized modernization, explaining:

“We can’t present Figure Skating the same way in 2026 as it was presented in 1966. The way we present our sport, the way our sports are consumed, is very different. Everything has moved on – and we need to evolve and move on as well.”

One important area to look for is the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), along with computer-vision tools “to support judging in Figure Skating, building on two years of behind-the-scenes camera-based machine learning. These systems will be used next season as a support tool for judges, with the potential to be progressively integrated into the formal scoring system.”

So: computerized judging is coming and the ISU is not alone, with World Gymnastics also working to find automated judging possibilities and remove the inevitable personal, prejudicial factors that are an inevitable part of human judges.

● Football ● “There’s always a risk of bad behaviour from a few dickheads at every public gathering, but police and security will be on site and there’ll be zero tolerance for it. The World Cup should bring us together, not keep us apart.”

That’s Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allen last week, reversing a decision of the Melbourne Arts Precinct, which had banned showing FIFA World Cup matches in Federation Square because of past chaos caused by “simply unacceptable and damaging behaviour” – including the throwing of flares – by some fans.

World Cup watch parties have been mounted there since 2006, but after the storming of venue barricades during the Australia-England semifinal in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the showing of the third-place match was canceled.

● Taekwondo ● Rio 2016 Olympic men’s 80 lg bronze medalist Maicon de Andrade Siqueira (BRA) was suspended for two years by the International Testing Agency for “whereabouts” failures. Now 33, his ban is from 19 January 2026 until 18 January 2028.

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling announced the 2027 World Championships will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center, from 11-19 September. The Worlds were last held in the U.S. in 2015, also in Las Vegas.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Archery ● China’s Mengqi Li won the men’s Recurve final over Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz (TUR) at the World Archery World Cup in Shanghai (CHN), 6-4. South Korea’s 2025 World Champion Chae-young Kang took the women’s title, 6-2, against China’s Jingyi Zhu.

South Korea won the men’s team title over Turkey, and India took the women’s team gold against China. But China’s Li and Yuwei Huang won the Mixed Team gold.

In Compound, Mexico’s Sebastian Garcia won the men’s final in a 145-145 shoot-off with Nicolas Girard (FRA), and Lisell Jaatma (EST) won the women’s gold, 145-144, over Andrea Becerra (MEX). American Alexis Ruiz won the bronze.

The American pair of Ruiz and James Lutz won the Compound Mixed Team final, 157-154 over Turkey; the event will debut in the Olympic Games in 2028. Turkey won the men’s Compound Team final, 234-231 over the U.S. trio of Lutz, Louis Price and Gaius Carter. And the Turks won the women’s Compound Team final over the U.S. (Ruiz, Kaylee Gurney, Olivia Dean), 233-232.

● Athletics ● The 2026 USATF 25 km Championships were held in Grand Rapids, Michigan in conjunction with the Amway River Bank Run on Saturday, with Andrew Colley winning in 1:14:00, followed by Bati Mohammad (1:14:19) and 2025 winner Casey Clinger (1:14:32). Colley ran away for the win in the final 3 km.

Emma Grace Hurley dominated the women’s race, winning in 1:22:51, to 1:23:39 for Kasandra Parker and 1:25:03 for Biruktayit Degefa (ETH).

At the annual World Athletics Race Walk Tour Gold races at Podebrady (CZE), Peru’s double 2022 World Champion Kimberly Garcia rolled to an impressive 1:31:44 win in the women’s Half Marathon, improving her best in the new event and winning big over Tokyo 2020 20 km Olympic champ Antonella Palmisano (ITA: 1:32:21).

Spain’s Lucia Redondo was third in 1:34:22, followed by American Lauren Harris, with a U.S. record 1:36:04. Ruby Ray of the U.S. was 25th in 1:48:06.

Italy’s Francesco Fortunato won the men’s Half in 1:23:00, over 2025 World 20 km champ Caio Bonfim (BRA: 1:23:40 and German Christopher Linke (1:23:46). American Nick Christie was 25th and got a U.S. record of 1:28:35!

● Canoe-Kayak ● The stars were out at the opening ICF Sprint World Cup in Szeged (HUN), with Olympic and World Championships medalists winning multiple events.

Paris Olympic C-2 gold medalist Bowen Ji (CHN) won the men’s C-1 500 m in 1:44.43, over Brazil’s C-1 1,000 m Paris silver medalist Isaquias Quieroz (1:44.73). The Paris C-1 1,000 m winner, Czech Martin Fuksa, tied with 2025 C-1 500 m World Champion Zakhar Petrov (RUS “neutral”) in 3:41.46 in the C-1 1,000 m.

Petrov and Ivan Shtyl won the 2025 Worlds C-2 500 m and won that event in 1:35.90. The Olympic K-2 500 m winners, Jacob Schopf and Max Lemke (GER) won that event in 1:27.12.

Five-time World Champion Fernando Pimenta (POR) won twice, taking the K-1 1,000 m over 2025 World Champion Balint Kopasz (HUN), 3:22.25 to 3:22.33.

The women’s star was Ukraine’s Lyudmila Luzan, who won four 2025 Worlds golds and won here in the C-1 200 m in 43.23 and with Anastasiia Rybachok in the C-2 500 m in 1:51.55.

World K-1 1,000 m champ Zsoka Csikos (HUN) won her specialty in 3:50.12 and 2025 World champ Melina Andersson (SWE) took the K-1 5,000 m in 24:46.25. Worlds K-1 500 m runner-up Natalia Drobot (AUS) won the K-1 500 m over New Zealand’s 2021 World Champion Aimee Fisher, 1:46.43 to 1:46.54.

● Cycling ● The first three stages of the 109th Giro d’Italia were in Bulgaria, with a major crash with less than 1,000 m to go on the flat, 147 km first stage that took down several riders. The expected bunch sprint formed up with France’s Paul Magnier getting the win in 3:21:08 over Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN) and Ethan Vernon (GBR).

The hilly, 221 km second stage saw a breakaway that was finally caught with 22 km left and then another major crash with 17 km left impacted many of the riders, with two hospitalized. The race was stopped and finally restarted, with race favorite Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and two others racing away to a 24-second gap. But as they concentrated on each other, the peloton caught up with 500 m left and it was Uruguay’s Guillermo Silva with the win in 5:39:25, ahead of Florian Stork (GER) and Giulio Ciccone (ITA); Vingegaard was 21st, in the same time.

Sunday’s third stage of 175 km to Sofia had a major climb in the first half and then a descent to the finish, and a group of three broke away and had a lead of more than three minutes. But with the downhill ride to the finish, the peloton finally caught up with just 500 m to go. Italian star Jonathan Milan attacked first, but was caught by Magnier and Dylan Groenewegen (NED), with Magnier winning his second stage at the line. The first 168 riders received the same time.

The “Maglia Rosa” leader’s jersey belongs, for now, to Silva by four seconds over Stork and Egan Bernal (COL).

At the 12th Vuelta Espana Femenina in Spain, home favorite Paula Blasi, 23, continued her rise on the UCI Women’s World Tour, taking her second victory and fourth medal of the year with a solid victory in the seven-stage ride in 22:17:03. Dutch star Anna van der Breggen was 24 seconds back and Marion Buinel (FRA: +0:49) was third.

Blasi didn’t win a stage and entered Saturday’s final stage behind sixth-stage winner van der Breggen by 18 seconds. But the final stage ended with a major climb and while Blasi was second to Petra Stiasny (SUI) by 23 seconds at the line, van der Breggen was 59 seconds back and that gave the Spaniard the overall win. Dutch riders had won this race five times in a row.

● Fencing ● The final Epee Grand Prix of the season was in Medellin (COL), with Japan’s Paris 2024 Olympic champ Koki Kano taking the men’s title with a 15-9 win over Matteo Galassi (ITA), and Italy’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Alberta Santuccio winning the women’s gold, 13-12, over Paris 2024 bronzer Eszter Muhari (HUN).

● Judo ● The IJF Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam in Astana (KAZ) welcomed 295 judoka from 36 countries, with France and Russia both winning three classes. The French earned wins by Blandine Pont (52 kg), Faiza Mokdar (57 kg), Clemence Eme (FRA), while Danil Lavrentev (men’s 73 kg), Inal Tasoev (+100 kg), and Elis Startseva (women’s +78 kg) were the Russian winners.

● Shooting ● A world record for Paris 2024 women’s Trap bronze medalist Penny Smith (AUS) at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Astana (KAZ) with 30 hits in 30 shots to win over Spain’s 2015 World Champion Fatima Gomez (25). Smith’s perfecto crushed the old mark of 24 by Wan-Yu Liu (TPE) from the Asian Championships in January 2026.

Turkey’s Tolga Tuncer, the 2024 World Cup Final bronze winner, took the men’s Trap, scoring 29 for another world record, to edge American – and 2022 World Champion – Derrick Mein, at 28. The world mark had been 27/30 by Muhammad Nadeem (PAK) at the 2026 Asians.

● Sport Climbing ● American Annie Sanders, 18, scored an impressive win over Slovenian star – and three-time Lead World Champion – Janja Garnbret at the World Climbing Series in Wujiang (CHN) in the women’s Lead final. Both scored 43+, but Sanders led the semifinal and was awarded the gold. It was sanders’ fourth career World Cup win.

Japan’s Asian Champion Neo Suzuki was a clear winner in the men’s final at 44+, over Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP: 39+), the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Combined champion.

China went 1-2 in the men’s Speed final, with 16-year-old Yicheng Zhao winning over 2025 World Champion Jianguo Long, 4.61 to 5.63. The all-American bronze medal race had 2024 Paris Olympic bronzer Sam Watson defeating Michael Hom, 4.71 to 4.98. Zhao improved the world record in the semifinals, winning in 4.54, taking 0.04 off of his 28 April mark of 4.58.

Poland’s Paris Olympic bronze winner Aleksandra Kalucka won the women’s final in 6.12, over Elizaveta Ivanova (RUS “neutral”: 7.62).

● Table Tennis ● The ITTF Team World Championships were held in London (GBR) to celebrate the centennial of the sport, in which the 1926 Worlds were also held in London.

Both the men’s and women’s finals pitted powerhouses China and Japan. The Chinese came in having won the last 11 men’s team titles in a row, and six straight on the women’s side. Japan was a seven-time men’s champion, but last in 1969, and an eight-time women’s winner, most recently in 1971.

China swept the men’s final, 3-0, and the women’s final by 3-2, coming back from a 1-2 deficit with wins by 11-time Worlds gold medalist Yingsha Sun and eight-time Worlds gold winner Manyu Wang.

● Taekwondo ● Brazil dominated the Pan American Championships held in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), winning five men’s golds and three women’s titles, including 2025 men’s 80 kg World Champion Henrique Marques, who defeated 2023 Worlds silver medalist C.J. Nickolas of the U.S. in the final, 2-1.

The U.S. won twice, with Isaiah Young at 87 kg and 2025 Worlds bronzer Jonathan Healy at +87 kg.

In the women’s classes, Brazil won three golds, including two-time Worlds silver medalist Caroline Santos at 62 kg. For the U.S., Faith Dillon earned the gold at 57 kg.

● Wrestling ● As expected, a powerful U.S. team dominated the Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa, winning 23 classes across the three disciplines.

The American men’s Freestyle golds started with Austin DeSanto (61 kg) and World Champion Zahid Valencia (86 kg) on Saturday; six more followed on Sunday, including Liam Cronin (57 kg), Real Woods (65 kg), Ridge Lovett (70 kg), Levi Haines (79 kg), Trent Hidlay (92 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg).

The American men’s Freestyle golds started with Austin DeSanto (61 kg) and World Champion Zahid Valencia (86 kg); the Sunday results will be posted when available.

In the women’s Freestyle, Americans won eight of 10 weights, with Katie Gomez (50 kg), Everest Leydecker (55 kg), Amanda Martinez (57 kg), Abigail Nette (59 kg), Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg), Kayla Miracle (65 kg), Precious Weiser (72 kg), and Kylie Welker (76 kg).

The U.S. took seven golds in the Greco-Roman discipline, by Max Nowry (55 kg), Landon Drury (63 kg), Benjamin Peak (72 kg), Joel Adams (77 kg), 2023 Pan Am Games champion Kamal Bey at 82 kg, Beka Melelashvili (87 kg) and 2023 Pan Am silver winner Cohlton Schultz at 130 kg.

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MEMORABILIA: Ingrid O’Neil’s 100th auction closes with $19,000 for Paris Olympic torch from 2024!

By
Rich Perelman
-
A parting gift sculpture given to IOC members by President Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2002 (Photo: Ingrid O'Neil Auctions).

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≡ INGRID O’NEIL 100 ≡

The 100th auction of Olympic memorabilia from Ingrid O’Neil closed on Saturday with the star being a limited-edition torch from the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris in 2024.

Citing the need for sustainability and concerns over costs, only 2,000 torches were made.and were not given to the torchbearers. These have been popular on the auction circuit when available; this edition was offered at $18,000 to start and sold for $19,000.

It was the only item to sell for more than $10,000; there were five others which sold for $5,000 or more:

● $9,500: 1996 Atlanta Olympic Torch, signed by Muhammad Ali
● $9,000: 1906 Athens Intercalated Games gold medal
● $8,000: 1980 Lake Placid Winter Trial Torch
● $6,000: 1924 Paris Olympic silver medal
● $6,000: 1960 Squaw Valley Winter silver medal

A unique souvenir of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles sold for $3,000: a numbered trumpet from the opening ceremony – one of 126 – complete with the hanging banner with the Star-in-Motion logo! A 1984 Olympic torch, with the original black carry pouch also sold for $3,000, and an Olympic Flame security lamp went for $2,800.

The 1984 trumpet did better than a 1980 Moscow Olympic bugle from the opening ceremony, which sold for $800.

A very impressive and rarely-seen sculpture commissioned by International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch and presented to IOC members at the time he left office in 2002 was up for sale. Nine inches high, it was created by Spanish sculptor Rosa Serra, it has the logos of 10 Games held during Samaranch’s tenure and “Gracias” and “Thank you” above the base. Made of bronze, it sold for $3,000.

There were some interesting and fun items as well:

● The first strongly-marketed mascot, Munich ‘72’s “Waldi” the dachshund, was popular, with a plush toy selling for $120 and a series of four Waldi souvenirs bringing $325.

● A tie tack souvenir of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles went for $100 and a 1956 Melbourne Olympics pin with a kangaroo and ostrich standing on the Olympic Rings went for $325!

● A football fan scooped up a “judge’s badge” from the first FIFA “World Championship” – before it was called “World Cup” – from Uruguay in 1930. Offered initially at $350, it sold for $1,100.

Congratulations to O’Neil for her 100th auction, helping to keep the marketplace for memories of the Games alive and well.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. Police Dept. budget for 2028 Games period projected at $1.15 billion in memo to City Council, but who will pay?

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ LAPD’s 2028 SECURITY COSTS ≡

The Los Angeles City Council is in the midst of reviewing the proposed $14.8 billion budget submitted by Mayor Karen Bass and the Budget and Finance Committee held hearing this week to work through 181 department memoranda on many of the specifics.

One of those was a nine-page explanation of the L.A. Police Department’s staffing plan and costs projected for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, modeled by the department’s “Major Events Group” (MEG). In short:

“Based on current staffing plans, MEG projects approximately $1.15 billion in police personnel costs across the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Games) operational period.

“Two figures should drive the understanding of that number:

“1. The Department can self-supply only about one-third of peak Games staffing demand. The remaining two-thirds must be filled by outside law enforcement at premium rates, which is the single largest driver of the total cost.

“2. Overtime and overtime-equivalent labor account for approximately $457.5 million, or roughly 40 percent of the total LAPD cost. Of that, $156.2 million is direct LAPD overtime and $301.3 million is outside law enforcement labor priced at the same overtime shift rate.”

The memo breaks down the costs into three parts:

● $732.2 million for direct deployment of LAPD and outside law enforcement for “Games Operations”

● $290.4 million for “Citywide Critical Core Policing”

● $128.7 million for “Other LAPD Critical Support Operations”

So, based on the memo, the actual police deployment for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is the $732.2 million item. The memo is clear, however, that this is not an all-inclusive cost:

“This estimate covers LAPD personnel and supporting outside labor costs only. It includes regular salary, overtime, and the labor, lodging, and per diem costs of outside law enforcement personnel required to fill the LAPD staffing gap. It does not include equipment, vehicles, technology, infrastructure, training, and planning above the current baseline.”

These cost estimates are based on a 66-day service program in 2028, essentially:

● 19 days of 5,366 officers: 24 June to 13 July for pre-Olympics
● 17 days of 6,703 officers: 14 July to 30 July for Olympic Games
● 15 days of 3,903 officers: 31 July to 14 August for switch-over
● 13 days of 4,324 officers: 15 August to 27 August for Paralympic Games
● 2 days of 3,903 officers: 28 and 29 August for close-down

The memo notes that the LAPD can supply 2,245 of the 6,703 personnel required at peak, of 33.5% during the Olympic Games. So, “The need to bring in outside law enforcement support is the single largest accelerator of Domain 1 Games Operations costs.”

Of the projected $732.2 million “Games Operations” cost, $378.2 million is estimated for the LAPD and another $354.0 million for outside officers brought in to support.

In budget testimony last week, LAPD Captain Shannon White explained that the cost projections are for the LAPD’s scope of responsibility for the Games, which is for activities inside the City of Los Angeles only. There are a host of venues and sites beyond the City borders which will require police support from other jurisdictions.

Budget & Finance Committee Chair Katy Yaroslavsky noted late Thursday:

“From at least my perspective, it was surprising to hear the Chief last week talk about how you all are going to be doing the primary security inside the event spaces and perimeters, which runs counter to what I had previously understood the Federal Government would be handling, and so I think we need to figure out internally what we’re asking LAPD to do, quickly.

“And I agree with you that time is of the essence here.”

There was a separate budget request for 407 vehicles related to Games security operations for $42.442 million, including 300 patrol cars, 28 logistics-support vehicles and 11 vehicles for temporary sub-station use. There was no action on this item for now, but the LAPD indicated that a decision will be needed in the coming months because of the time needed for the installation of upgrades, especially for patrol vehicles.

The budget review continues and must be completed and passed by the end of May. The 2028 staffing memo does not impact the current – 2026-27 budget – but will be part of the 2027-28 budget cycle.

The City Council is continuing its discussions with the LA28 organizers, who have indicated they are not expecting to pay for the cost of security – by the LAPD or others – inside the venues and are looking for Federal support.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Organizing committee announces “Cultural Olympiad” program, with heavy partnering emphasis

By
Rich Perelman
-
An LA28 design element accompanying its 7 May 2026 cultural program announcement.

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≡ “CULTURAL OLYMPIAD” ≡

“Spanning fashion, film, food, music, performance, and visual art, this is a program that grows from the city itself, connecting cultural institutions with local artists, community organizations and the neighborhood spaces where creativity already lives and breathes.”

Thursday’s LA28 announcement cites the “six disciplines” listed above as the building blocks of its “Cultural Olympiad,” noting clearly that the approach is not to mount an all-new program, but:

● “When Los Angeles welcomes millions from around the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the LA28 Cultural Olympiad won’t import a celebration. It will surface one that’s already here.”

● “The Cultural Olympiad is also taking shape in collaboration with civic agencies in the Los Angeles region; each committed to the Games not just as a moment, but as a mandate.”

● “The Official LA28 Cultural Olympiad Mark ensures that the creative institutions and community organizations that already define this city’s cultural life are recognized, amplified and connected to the world’s biggest stage — regardless of their size or resources. Applications open across the region in early 2027.”

There were some specific program elements cited:

● An LA28 poster program with eight Olympic and eight Paralympic, created by local artists “through a jury-led process.”

● A “Sport on the Silver Screen” series of 28 films to be offered in free screenings at multiple locations, “some paired with local food vendors and curated performances.”

● “An underwriting program will reduce or eliminate ticketing and entrance fees for some cultural programming.”

A digital integration program via a “Cultural Olympiad Calendar and Mapping” application, will launch in January 2028.

The key to the breadth of the “Cultural Olympiad” will be the “Official LA28 Cultural Olympiad Mark” that will identify programs mounted by other entities – such as the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs – “are recognized, amplified and connected to the world’s biggest stage.” Applications will open in early 2027.

Several local governments have already begun planning, notably the City of Los Angeles, which filed a 21-page plan with spending levels at $15-30-40 million, depending on funding, last October. The levels of programming as shown in the plan:

Framework A: Base level ($15 million: 8 components):
● 15 Council District-specific cultural festivals
● Arts development fee projects
● Mural conservation and legacy enhancement
● Mural works: new-conservation-apprenticeships
● New community activation grant category
● Community arts celebrations and exhibitions
● Youth arts education and engagement
● Make Music LA

Framework B: Expanded level ($30 million) adds (7):
● New Olympic & Paralympic murals
● Community celebrations-activations-viewing parties
● Cultural/neighborhood hubs and activations
● Disability arts and Paralympic celebration
● LA-Brisbane cultural exchange
● Transit corridor cultural programming
● Games venue cultural activation

Framework C: Full level ($40 million) adds (3):
● Olympic-Paralympic arts festival (seven weeks)
● International artist exchange
● LA River cultural activation

The City’s Department of Cultural Affairs believes that it can fund Framework A with its existing allocations, which may yet be subject to severe future cuts from the City. It will need to fund-raise for the other two levels.

Observed: LA28 is showing clear concern over spending. Asked in a Los Angeles City Council meeting if it would expand the $160 million commitment to the Parks & Recreation Youth Sports Partnership, the answer was no.

On spending more than $1 million on hiring a law school to monitor and promote human rights (which its plan noted has not been an issue at prior Games), the answer was no. 

Now, the long-awaited LA28 Cultural Olympiad announcement is initially shown as a modest program that will mostly bestow approval badges on local programs, funded by cities, countries and institutions.

This is hardly bold, but it is fiscally conscious. The 1984 Olympic Arts Festival was expansive, also dealing with multiple co-producers, generally arts producers themselves rather than governmental entities. The then-Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee had the resources to support it, with direct spending of $11.5 million, about $37.5 million today, and additional services provided by other departments.

LA28 is locked in a struggle with the City of Los Angeles and the Federal government over City reimbursements and security funding for the Games, with the amounts in the billions of dollars. The competitions, athlete villages, transportation, security and more are required. Spending on anything else now is problematic.

Clearly, the organizing committee understands this.

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PANORAMA: IOC puts Esports Games on hold, expands 2028 Q-Series to six events; 1.34 million applications for 2027 London Marathon!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The International Olympic Committee announced an expanded Olympic qualifier series for multiple sports in 2028: 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, climbing, flag football and skateboarding. The four stops:

● 04-07 May: Tokyo (JPN)
● 11-14 May: Shanghai (CHN)
● 01-04 June: Montreal (CAN)
● 08-11 June: Orlando, Florida

Now called the “Olympic Q-Series,” each stop will have a different mix of sports with athletes seeking to qualify for the LA28 Games. The 2028 schedule expands on the two events held in advance of the Paris 2024 Games.

● Olympic Games 2040 ● Britain is considering a bid for the 2040 Olympic Games, with a statement from the government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport including:

“Initial work examining whether the UK could host the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time since London 2012 will assess key factors such as potential cost, socioeconomic benefit and any bid’s chance of success.”

Multiple other events are also being considered.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● FrancsJeux.com reported that the Prefect of the Tarn-et-Garonne region, Vincent Roberti, in office since 2023, will be recommended to be the new Director General of the French Alps 2030 organizing committee.

He will be proposed for approval to the Games board on 11 May.

● Olympic Winter Games 2038: Switzerland ● The latest poll on the possible Swiss bid for the 2038 Winter Games shows 61% of respondents in favor. A gfs.bern poll showed 33% “clearly in favor” and 28% “somewhat in favor” and only 34% opposed.

The Swiss Olympic Committee and the Swiss government have been working together to craft a bid package that will be satisfactory to the IOC, which needs to be completed in 2027. If not, the IOC has said it will re-open bidding for the 2038 Winter Games.

● Goodwill Games ● Television entrepreneur Ted Turner, whose response to the Soviet Bloc boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles was the Goodwill Games, first held in Moscow in 1986, died Wednesday, 6 May 2026 at age 87.

Turner created the first “superstation” – nationally available via satellite – with his WTBS project in 1976, then reimagined television news with the creation of Cable News Network – CNN – in 1980. He added more CNN channels, Turner Network Television (TNT), Turner Classic Movies and others, eventually selling to Time Warner in 1996.

He came up with the Goodwill Games as a way to get the USSR and the rest of the world to come together in some way, at least in sports. After the 1986 opener in Moscow, the 1990 Games was held in Seattle, Washington, then in Saint Petersburg (RUS) in 1994, New York in 1998 and 2001 in Brisbane (AUS). A Winter Goodwill Games was held in Lake Placid, New York in 2000.

As the Olympic Movement had been patched back together by the International Olympic Committee, with mass boycotts ended after Los Angeles in 1984, the need for the Goodwill Games ebbed and ended. But the effort has been remembered as well-intentioned, something Turner was never short on.

● International Olympic Committee ● President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) confirmed at Thursday’s news conference that the IOC’s Esports Commission is on hold, as is the IOC’s future direction with digital sport. She explained:

“Esports is sitting under my Executive Office. I have been working with an expert in the field.

“But for now we are focusing in on our core business and trying to make strong future strategies for the core business first while still working very clearly on what potential there could be for esports and what that would look like.”

An “Olympic Esports Games” had been approved by the IOC Session in 2024, in cooperation with the Saudi National Olympic Committee, to begin in 2027. But the agreement with the Saudis was cancelled by mutual agreement in 2025.

Also, the IOC membership terms of World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) and Canadian Olympic Committee President Tricia Smith (CAN) have been recommended to be extended as allowed by the rules once a member reaches 70 years old. But by extending their terms, they can continue to serve while they are still in their offices. Coe will finish at World Athletics in 2027 and Smith at the COC in 2028.

● SportAccord ● After the postponement of the 2026 SportAccord convention in Baku (AZE) over the shooting conflicts in the Middle East, the event has been announced to be held there from 9-13 May in 2027.

● Memorabilia ● The 29th International World Olympic Collectors’ Fair is returning to the U.S. from 22-24 May at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with free admission on all three days.

A Saturday gala dinner and tour at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum ($90) and other activities are planned; the collector sales floor will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

It’s the third WOCF to be held in the U.S., previously in Chicago in 2011 and in Long Beach, California in 2018.

● Athletics ● The London Marathon announced that a record 1,338,544 applications were submitted for the 2027 London Marathon, with 1,008,091 from Britain, an 18% increase overall from requests for the 2026 race.

The announcement noted that the million-Brits total means “that 1.8% of the entire UK population has been inspired to get active and apply to take part in next year’s TCS London Marathon.” Further, 35% of the British applicants were aged18-29. Outside of Britain:

“There were a further 330,450 applications from non-UK residents – from more than 200 countries – including more than 92,000 from the US, over 34,000 from France, more than 21,000 from Ireland and over 14,000 from Germany.”

Charitable fund-raising from this year’s race has already been reported at £87.5 million (about $118.8 million U.S.) and is expected to rise about £90 million ($122.2 million U.S.) when reporting is finalized in September.

● Cycling ● The 109th Giro d’Italia begins on Friday, this year in Nessebar (BUL) with the first three stages in that country before moving to Italian soil for the fourth stage on 12 May. The 21 stages break down:

● Flat (8): Stages 1, 3, 4, 6, 12, 15, 18, 21,
● Hilly (7): 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17
● Climbing (5): 7, 14, 16, 19, 20
● Time Trial (1): 10

The route covers 2,149.4 miles in all, with two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) the clear favorite. This is his first Giro d’Italia; he won the Tour in 2022 and 2023 and the Vuelta a Espana last year. There are four prior medalists in the field: 2021 champion Egan Bernal (COL) and runner-up Damiano Caruso (ITA), 2022 winner Jai Hindley (AUS), and 2020 bronzer Wilco Kelderman (NED).

The race finishes on 31 May in Rome.

● Fencing ● The continuing fight over the direction of fencing with the Federation Internationale d’Escrime (FIE) and Russian President Alisher Usmanov – who recused himself from the office on the day after his last election – is now over a 5 May 2026 letter signed by 2,981 athletes and coaches.

The letter asks the IOC and the FIE Executive Committee for a third-party investigation into the FIE over governance, transparency and the reinstatement of background checks for “neutral” athletes. Further, the letter states “The governance failures and corruption within International Fencing Federation (FIE) are threatening the credibility and stability of the sport and must be formally addressed.”

On Thursday, the FIE responded, questioning whether some of the signatories agreed to be included and stated “we have always supported the principles of democracy, openness, transparency and equal treatment.” And it closed with:

“The FIE will always take the necessary actions to defend itself against any defamatory statements that harm its reputation.”

The IOC did not mention any actions regarding the FIE during its Thursday briefing.

“USA Fencing has commissioned Laura Karpman to compose the official fencing anthem for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. This marks the first time that a sport has had its own Olympic and Paralympic anthem.”

Karpman actually fences, having taken it up in 2020 in Epee and now using Foil. Some 1,082 USA Fencing members identified themselves as musicians, potentially available to help on the anthem. No timeline has been shared yet.

● Gymnastics ● Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu, 19, famously involved in the fight over the Paris 2024 women’s Floor Exercise bronze medal, has been provisionally suspended for “whereabouts” failures.

The International Testing Agency charged Barbosu with three missed tests over 12 months and the case is now with the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Barbosu and American Jordan Chiles have contested the Floor bronze in various legal forums since Chiles was awarded the medal during the victory ceremony in Paris, based on a protest by the U.S. team. Barbosu was awarded the bronze – and was presented with the medal by the IOC – after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in Paris, which did not consider all of the available evidence.

The Court of Arbitration was ordered by the Swiss Federal Tribunal to review the available evidence and reconsider the matter; this is ongoing.

● Luge ● Three-time Olympian Tucker West, 30, announced his retirement after a lengthy and successful career, including three World Championships medals in the Team Relay.

West was the top American men’s luger for almost a decade, winning World Cup (including Nations Cup) golds in 2017 (2), 2019 (1), 2023 (1), 2024 (1) and 2025 (1). His best Olympic finish was 13th in China in 2022. His best seasonal finish was sixth in the 2014-15 season.

● Swimming ● USA Swimming announced a deal with AI applications and agentic analytics firm Sigma as its “Official AI-Powered Business Intelligence Platform.” The goal:

“The platform will provide self-service analytics and AI-powered data workflows to coaches and clubs, enabling them to evaluate performance trends, manage operations more effectively, and support long-term athlete development at the local level.”

For Sigma, it’s a way to expose its computing products to the wide variety of USA Swimming members who might become AI users.

● Table Tennis ● SportBusiness further reported that the International Table Tennis Federation, following a $14 million loss in 2025, sold a 10% stake in its World Table Tennis commercial arm to “existing Chinese investors” for $12 million, to reverse a negative equity status of $8 million U.S.

The sale means the ITTF still retains a 75% ownership and control of World Table Tennis.

● Water Polo ● The U.S. women’s national team won Group A of the World Aquatics Division 1 tournament in Rotterdam (NED) that finished Wednesday.

The Americans were 2-1 in group play, losing to 3-0 Spain in a penalty shoot-out. In the second round, the U.S. was 3-0, edging The Netherlands, 12-10, Spain by 7-5 and Italy by 13-3. That moves them on to the World Aquatics Super Final in Sydney (AUS) in July. The Dutch finished at 2-1, Spain at 1-3 and Italy at 0-3, but all advanced to the Super Final.

The U.S. women, long dominant, finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and then fourth again at the 2025 World Championships.

● Weightlifting ● Belarusian lifter Yauheni Tsikhantsou, 27, the 2019 World Champion at 102 kg and Paris Olympic bronze medalist, was provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation by the International Testing Agency.

His sample from an out-of-competition test on 8 March 2026 returned a positive for Human Growth Hormone; Tsikhantsou can now ask for the B-sample to be tested.

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INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Exec Board recommends readmitting Belarus, but Russia stays on suspension

By
Rich Perelman
-
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) at a 7 May 2026 news conference (IOC video screen shot).

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≡ BELARUS YES, RUSSIA NO ≡

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers.”

Thursday’s announcement removes recommended limitations on Belarusian athletes and teams in place since the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, in which Belarus has been an ally, but apparently not directly involved in offensive operations.

The core principle, according to the statement is this:

“The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict.”

For the Paris 2024 Games and 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, Belarusian athletes who were allowed to compete were classified as “neutrals.”

For Russia, however it’s not the same. Per the statement:

“The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus. The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter. Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension, it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.

“The IOC EB also noted with concern the recent information that has led to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) looking into the Russian anti-doping system. The IOC EB would therefore like to obtain a better understanding of this situation.”

IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) noted during her Thursday news conference that there is no timeline for resolution of the issues with Russia and that there was “great concern” within the Executive Board about recent questions raised about past or present relationships between the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and the Russian national security services. As to an inquiry now started by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Coventry explained:

“We do not know how long it will take, but you also know that in 2016, I was still an athlete and it is of huge importance for me to do whatever we can do ensure that the field of play, whenever any athletes are coming back to competition, it is the cleanest and fairest field of play we can provide.

“We will work with WADA and WADA have assured us that they will keep us in the loop of anything that may come up.”

Coventry also said that the IOC Legal Affairs Commission, in its review of the suspended status of the Russian Olympic Committee, considers public statements – such as support for the war against Ukraine – from Russian Olympic officials.

Russian reaction was predictably unhappy. Russian sports minister and Russian Olympic Committee President Mikhail Degtyarev wrote on his Telegram page:

“[W]e are disappointed that the IOC Legal Commission was unable to reach a verdict on the Russian Olympic Committee’s case and has once again postponed it. As a reminder, the ROC long ago provided the IOC with a comprehensive set of documents demonstrating the elimination of all legal grounds for a further ban on the ROC. Our lawyers have submitted a request to the IOC regarding the status of these documents.

“We will decide on further steps based on the IOC’s comments. Linking the decision to reinstate the ROC to any unrelated issues is unacceptable.

“The reinstatement process has clearly been delayed, and we see no reason for it. This is especially true given the positive trend in admitting Russian juniors to international competitions in more than 20 sports, as well as swimmers, judokas, kickboxers, sambo and MMA wrestlers, and a number of other sports in all age categories, under the flag and with the anthem.

“Since the beginning of 2026, the Russian flag has been raised more than 80 times at world and European championships, cups, and tournaments. The Ministry of Sport and the Russian Olympic Committee will continue vigorous diplomatic and legal work to fully reinstate all Russian athletes.”

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INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: No sports cut yet, but a process for cuts by discipline; Youth Olympic Games 2030 on hold

By
Rich Perelman
-
The IOC’s list of summer Olympic sports and disciplines from the Paris 2024 Games (IOC video screen shot).

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≡ VENUES AND COST COUNT MOST ≡

No sports, disciplines or events were cut from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic program at the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting that concluded on Thursday.

At a news conference following the meeting, it was explained, however, how the cutting will be done.

By disciplines.

In the technical administration of sports on the program of the Olympic and Winter Games, there are sports – such as cycling – and disciplines within sports, which for cycling include road, track, mountain bike, BMX Freestyle and BMX Racing.

It is the disciplines rather than the sports which will be the method by which the 2032 Brisbane program will be shaped. IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) has convened a special Session of the IOC for 24-25 June, and explained:

● “The process in which we are going right now is really identifying, and in June, we will be voting on criteria, that we would have worked through with the International Federations, that they would have agreed, that could be very transparent in trying to analyze the sports as we move forward.

“That’s where we are and that’s sort of a phased approach, right; so we need to get that part first.”

● “As we get closer to June, we will not be deciding on the 2032 program in June but we do want to try and ensure that we have a decision made in Q4 of this year or Q1 early, at the latest, for 2032.

“I do think the size [of the Games] will change. I’ve said it numerous times; in L.A., we have 36 sports and … I think it’s fair to say that in Brisbane, we don’t expect to see 36 sports, and even in their Host City Contract, it’s not what they are required to deliver.”

IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey (SUI) explained that using a definition of a “discipline” as a unit of competition which requires its own field of play, the Olympic programs look like this;

● Olympic Games: 18 single-discipline sports, 10 multi-discipline: 47 total disciplines

● Winter Games: four single-discipline sports, 3 multi-discipline: 20 total disciplines

If approved by the IOC Session, it appears that cuts to the 2032 program will be made primarily at the discipline level. Ducrey noted:

“We are looking at breaking down the program into disciplines … to try and understand how we can de-complexify and reduce the size of the Games by using units which are very closely connected with one of the elements that creates the most challenges when it comes to delivering the Games and that’s the venue.

“So the very focus of the work we are doing is grounded into having the complexity of the Games as part of the analysis.”

Less venues means less sports, less transportation, media, technology, staff, volunteers and so on. Ducrey emphasized that the responsibility of the Olympic Program working group is to “control the size of the Games,” and to establish a clear and understandable “pathway” into and out of the Games program, a process which is anything but clear.

So the framework comes first, then the cuts.

Coventry did confirm that the program for the 2030 French Alps Winter Games will be voted on at the June Session, “but we have taken the decision: no summer sports and no crossover sports will be in that program, and so it will just be snow and ice [events].”

The future of the Youth Olympic Games is now in question, as Coventry reported on the working group studying the “YOG,” especially concerning a potential host selection for 2030:

“We took the decision, based off of a number of data points, especially being the one in and around the last and most recent survey that we have done with our International Federations, and with our National Olympic Committees, asking them how they feel about the YOG, what they see, how they view it, is it a pathway?

“And we got some inconclusive results back, really. And what we then decided is, we need to pause and have a real reflection on why we are doing the Youth Olympic Games?

“And we realized that across the Movement, it’s very disjointed. There’s not a true ‘North Star’ why we are doing the Youth Olympic Games, so the EB decided to pause the 2030 process right now, so there will not be an election in June, and rather, we need to take a step back and develop a youth strategy.

“This is extremely important. We want to engage with young people, we want to learn from them, we want to be able to encourage them to take part in sport. And we want to be able to engage with young people that allow for them to really give us good feedback on our Movement, and right now, the Youth Olympic Games is not answering a number of those questions.”

Ascunion (PAR), Santiago (CHI) and Bangkok (THA) were finalists for the 2030 YOG, an event which may never be held. Coventry confirmed the IOC’s support for the upcoming 2026 YOG in Dakar (SEN) and for the 2028 Winter YOG in Italy.

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PANORAMA: Ten of 11 U.S. World Cup cities report less hotel bookings than expected; table tennis sells equity to avoid financial disaster

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Athletics ● Aside from the excitement of the World Athletics Relays, there were some intriguing world-leading marks over the weekend, including two men at 44.02 at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens, Georgia.

Georgia frosh Jonathan Simms, who turned 19 in January, won the men’s 400 m at the line in a world-leading 44.02, in the same time as Alabama junior Samuel Ogazi (NGR). It’s a national record for Ogazi, and for Simms, moves him to no. 2 all-time on the world junior list, behind only American Olympic gold winner (and UCLA’s) Steve Lewis, who ran 43.87 at the Seoul Games in 1988!

Simms ran 45.12 as a prep in 2023, 45.44 to win the U.S. Junior title in 2025 and then exploded indoors at 44.62 at Clemson on 10 January. He finished a composite fourth at the NCAA Indoors, finishing second in race one while Ogazi won race two and had the fastest time at 44.57.

Paris Olympic 100 m gold medalist Julien Alfred (LCA) rolled to a 21.86 world-leading win in the women’s 200 m at the Texas Invitational last Thursday (30th), and won the 100 as well in 10.93.

Fellow Olympic champ – and American Record holder – Masai Russell took the world lead in the women’s 100 m hurdles at the Jim Green Invite in Lexington, Kentucky at 12.40, winning by 0.27 with just 0.5 m/s wind, after winning her heat in 12.47!

● Cross Country Skiing ● American Rosie Brennan, 37, wrote in a personal letter posted by U.S. Ski & Snowboard:

“I struggle with the word retirement because I hope to ski and race as long as I possibly can, but my time as a World Cup athlete has come to an end. I continue to battle my health with few answers, and that has taken a toll both physically and mentally.

“I dreamed of finishing on a high and on my own terms, and I feel some amount of disappointment that this isn’t that. But something that skiing has given me is a deep appreciation for challenging myself and finding joy in the process of learning, and this year provided plenty of that.”

A three-time U.S. Olympian, Brennan was a solid performer on the FIS World Cup circuit, earning two wins and 12 medals in her 13-season career. She scored her two wins on back-to-back runs in Davis (SUI) on 12 and 13 December 2020, taking the 1.5 km Freestyle Sprint and the 10 km Freestyle races. She was also a member of six relay medal-winning U.S. teams, including a win in 2022 in Falun (SWE).

● Football ● Reuters reported that FIFA has not yet secured a broadcast rights holder in both China and India – the world’s two most populous countries – for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on 11 June.

Against a FIFA offer of rights in India for $100 million U.S. for 2026 and 2030, an offer of $20 million for 2026 was made by Reliance-Disney and no deal has been struck. China, especially, is important for FIFA as the story noted it comprised 17.7% of the 2022 World Cup audience on broadcast and cable channels, and the two countries together were 22% of the worldwide digital streaming audience.

Concern over hotel bookings continue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the 11 U.S. host cities in a Monday report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

The survey showed 10 of the 11 U.S. host regions with high percentages “of respondents reporting booking pace below expectations and trailing a typical June or July” (approximate percentages from a bar chart):

● 88%: Kansas City
● 75%: San Francisco
● 75%: Seattle
● 75%: Philadelphia
● 75%: Boston

● 67%: Los Angeles
● 66%: New York-New Jersey
● 65%: Houston
● 65%: Dallas
● 54%: Miami

The only host city reporting better bookings and above a typical June or July was Atlanta: only 48% reported bookings below expectations.

There is hope for a late booking rush; the bottom line, however:

“World Cup hotel bookings track below expectations due to FIFA cancellations, international traveler headwinds, and new tax and fee proposals that are injecting uncertainty into travelers’ plans. Policy restraint and operational transparency can unlock remaining potential.

“Host cities like Philadelphia, New Jersey and others must avoid tax hikes that compound uncertainty, preserving jobs and revenue for a tournament still poised to deliver if late demand materializes.”

● Shooting ● At the ISSF World Cup for Shotgun events in Almaty (KAZ), Italy’s 2016 Olympic champ Gabriele Rossetti grabbed the men’s Skeet title and a world record with 35/36 targets in the final, to win over Sven Korte (GER: 34). The record had been 33, by Mohammad Aldaihani (KUW) and Eduard Yechshenko (KAZ), both from January of this year.

The women’s Skeet gold went to Kazakhstan’s Assem Orynbay, the 2023 World Cup Final winner, who equaled the women’s world record of 33, to best Paris Olympic team bronze winner Yiting Jiang (CHN: 30).

Orynbay equaled teammate Adel Sadakbayeva, who scored 33/36, also in January 2026.

● Table Tennis ● SportBusiness reported that the International Table Tennis Federation, with negative net equity after a huge loss in 2025, has sold a 10% interest in its commercial arm – World Table Tennis – to bolster its finances.

The ITTF showed $71.08 million in 2025 revenue, but spent $85.47 million and its auditor opinion included:

“Should the Group be unable to achieve profitable results in the foreseeable period, such condition would indicate that a material uncertainty exists, that may cast a significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

● Wrestling ● Impressive move from the mat to the sidelines for Oklahoma State coach David Taylor, named as the 2025 USA Wrestling/Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year.

As a wrestler, Taylor won the Tokyo 2020 Olympic men’s Freestyle gold at 86 kg and owns three World Championships golds as well from 2018, 2022 and 2023. He won a Worlds silver in 2021 and a bronze in 2024 (at 92 kg) and retired after the 2024 season.

He was hired at Oklahoma State later in 2024, and in 2025, led the Cowboys to a 13-1 dual record and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. His team was 15-1 in the 2026 season and was the national team runner-up. He also coached three U.S. World Champs team members in 2025: Jax Forrest (61 kg), eventual World Champion Zahid Valencia at 86 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Council demands seven-months-late “enhanced services” agreement with LA28 organizers in two weeks

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Los Angeles City Council in session on 5 May 2026 (City of Los Angeles video screen shot).

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≡ CITY COST RECOVERY ≡

The Los Angeles City Council approved two motions on Tuesday related to the 2028 Games by a 14-0 vote on Tuesday, one directly specifically at recovering City costs.

It directed the City staff to “finalize and present to Council within 14 days” an agreement with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee for the payment by the organizers of City costs related to the Games.

This is the “Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement” (ECRMA) which was due to be completed by 1 October 2025, but which has become bogged down in a disagreement over, significantly, security costs.

A March memorandum from City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto to the Council noted the delay and the prime issues:

● “The ECRMA as drafted by LA28 limits the obligation to reimburse City costs before LA28 is permitted to create its own legacy fund with the surplus.”

● “Thus, there are two remaining issues in the ECRMA that must be resolved in the City’s favor for LA28 to fulfill their promised ‘no cost to taxpayers’ foundational principle – (1) what happens if the federal government does not pay the assumed $1 billion and (2) what happens if the City’s extraordinary expenses exceed $1 billion?

“In either situation, the Office believes that all surplus funds must reimburse the City and its taxpayers first as promised before any surplus funds are available for a legacy or tribute fund.”

Tuesday’s motion directs the City Administrative Officer, City Legislative Analyst and the City Attorney to finish the ECRMA pronto with specific requirements:

● “LA28 shall reimburse the City for all Enhanced City Resources (ECR) exceeding the City’s ‘normal and customary’ operations required for and in direct support of the Games.”

● “Reimbursement shall include the costs of ECR at the time of delivery.”

● “LA28 shall reimburse the City for all LA28-requested infrastructure improvements beyond the normal and customary responsibilities of the City” and also

● “A payment schedule shall be established to provide advanced payment to the City for estimated costs of ECR based on when the costs are anticipated to be incurred.”

● “LA28 shall satisfy its financial and other obligations specified in the Host City Contract, the Games Agreement, the ECRMA, and any other relevant agreements with the City, prior to declaring or disbursing any surplus funds.”

The current agreement between LA28 and the City from 2021 requires LA28 to fund a “deficit” account of $270 million, to pay the City’s initial share of any deficit ($270 million) before the State of California’s responsibility to pay the next $270 million kicks in. But the City has unlimited liability beyond that.

The negotiations have dragged on now more than seven months past the originally-expected conclusion of this agreement and the City Council has become extremely worried that it will be stuck for a huge bill at the end, especially for security.

Last week, Captain Shannon White of the Los Angeles Police Department explained during the Council’s budget hearings, referring to the $1 billion Federal Olympic security appropriation in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (known as “OB3″):

“Salaries alone will greatly exceed what there is, what is available … that’s knowing what we will deploy as the City of L.A. from our own resources, can move beyond what OB3 can properly fund and knowing that other municipalities will be looking to attach to that [funding], as well as the City beyond just Fire, Police and DOT [transportation].

“When we ran those calculations, we exceeded the billion dollars on our own salaries that are deployed towards those Games, and so I would like to offer some clarity on that to make sure that as we’re moving forward, ‘maybe OB3 can take care of this,’ we certainly as the City of L.A. will greatly exceed what is available.”

Police Chief Jim McDonnell noted that “LA28 confirms that they have zero police or public safety budget, and while they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement.”

Something has to give, and soon.

The other motion passed by the City Council directs the Chief Legislative Analyst and Bureau of Contract Administration to report on whether the LA28 plan for procurement satisfactorily meets the Council’s requirements for local spending, with quarterly reports.

Further, the agencies are asked for “recommendations for policy, reporting, and enforcement mechanisms that the City Council may pursue to protect the City’s financial and economic interests, and to ensure that LA28 procurement commitments result in measurable, transparent, and equitable economic benefits for City of Los Angeles businesses.”

No timeline was included in the motion.

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LANE ONE: If the IOC is to trim sports and/or disciplines for Brisbane 2032, which ones might be in danger?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee

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≡ WHO GETS CUT? ≡

The sensational story by Japan’s Kyodo News on Sunday said that for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane (AUS), the International Olympic Committee, as an outcome of its “Fit for the Future” review will implement a “a significant reduction in the number of sports due to financial concerns” and, moreover, even those sports which remain on the program could see cuts in disciplines or events.

So, what could get cut?

There were 28 sports for the 2000 Sydney Games and the same for 2004 and 2008, going down to 26 for London 2012 and then moving back to 28 for Rio 2016, then zooming to 33 for Tokyo 2020, 32 for Paris 2024 and now 36 for Los Angeles 2028, the most ever.

Don’t look for track & field, artistic gymnastics or swimming to see cuts. They are the sports which drive the Games. For more than a decade, the IOC’s studies and the distribution of television rights shares to the International Federations have recognized basketball, cycling, football, tennis and volleyball as the next most popular and are grouped together to receive the same television rights share. All the other sports beyond those eight are in a lower tier; for example, the International Table Tennis Federation reported a $16.00 million TV rights share payment for 2024 and another $2.11 million received in 2025 for a $18.11 million total. There is a lot of money at stake.

The IOC has become sensitive to the use of stand-alone venues for small sports with limited numbers of participants, both on cost and sustainability grounds. Looking at that metric as one indicator of the sports or disciplines which might be on the chopping block, we see four sports and 15 additional disciplines which have less than 100 athletes involved for LA28:

Sports (4):
● 48: Surfing (introduced as a medal sport in 2020)
● 64: Modern Pentathlon (1912)
● 76: Sport Climbing (2020)
● 88: Skateboarding (2020)

Three of these sports are relatively new to the Games, all coming in for Tokyo 2020 as medal events. Climbing and skateboarding can be set up in temporary venues and are therefore, fairly cost effective. Surfing needs its own spot, with specific needs for quality waves and this could be an issue in some Games, but as far as 2032, fully a quarter of the World Surf League schedule is in Australia, so that’s not a problem.

Modern Pentathlon has been hanging on in the Games for a long time and stayed in for 2028 by eliminating equestrian and installing obstacle racing instead. Once held at the five different sites of swimming, fencing, equestrian, shooting and track & field, it is now held at its own site, and once again – based on cost and the small number of athletes involved – could be considered for exclusion. That would be a bitter pill to swallow after the sport changed at the IOC’s request, but it is possible. One indicator of IOC disrespect even after the change: the athlete quota went down from 72 for 2024 to just 64 for 2028.

Disciplines (15):
● 24: Cycling/BMX Freestyle (introduced as a medal sport in 2020)
● 32: Gymnastics/Trampoline (2000)
● 44: Aquatics/Open Water swimming (2008)
● 48: Cycling/BMX Racing (2008)

● 64: Rowing/Coastal Beach Sprints (2028)
● 65: Equestrian/Eventing (1912)
● 60: Equestrian/Dressage (1912)
● 72: Cycling/Mountain Bike (1996)
● 75: Equestrian/Jumping (1912)

● 82: Canoe/Slalom (1992)
● 94: Gymnastics/Rhythmic (1984)
● 96: Aquatics/Artistic Swimming (1984)
● 96: Basketball/3×3 (2020)
● 96: Volleyball/Beach (1996)
● 96: Wrestling/Greco-Roman (1896)

The entire sport of equestrian is included in this list of disciplines, as it is made up of three separate events: Dressage, Jumping and Eventing. The first two can be held in arenas and are quite popular. Eventing requires a cross-country element which must be held on an outdoor course, with significant resources to ensure horse, rider and spectator safety, including from heat. There are costs to this and it would not be a surprise to see Eventing considered for removal. It has been before.

All of the other disciplines listed as part of larger sports. Three cycling disciplines – BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing and Mountain Bike – have all come in over the past 30 years. All three require separate sites and while the BMX Freestyle can be in a temporary, in-city location, the venues for BMX Racing and Mountain Bike may have to be created at significant expense. With small numbers of athletes, they could be considered for elimination or reductions. The Olympic cycling core of road racing and track cycling are safe.

The small number of athletes in open-water swimming and the fact that it also requires its own site – sometimes combined with triathlon – means it could be removed. The sites for open water and triathlon in 2028 are different. The rowing Coastal Beach Sprints are new for 2028 and replace the Lightweight rowing classes, which the IOC did not like. It could also be cut for 2032, but seems like a popular event for Australia.

The Canoe Slalom discipline seems ripe for removal since it requires its own site, but then again, the IOC just welcomed Australian Slalom star Jessica Fox as an athlete member, one of the best ever in the sport.

Any consideration of Rhythmic and Trampoline gymnastics requires a balance between costs – they are fairly inexpensive to stage – and what they bring in as far as ticket sales and television viewing for a combined 126 athletes between the two.

Beach volleyball has proved its popularity and appears safe and 3×3 basketball should be fairly cost-effective to put on and could be held even in a small arena if desired, as opposed to the usual temporary outdoor court set-up.

The knock on Greco-Roman wrestling is that it is only for men, but United World Wrestling is moving toward introducing a women’s division in the future.

We’ll know more in the coming days as the IOC Executive Board meets on Wednesday and Thursday, with a news conference featuring President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) on Thursday to explain it all.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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PANORAMA: Montreal to mark 50 years after 1976 Games with “Nadia” celebration; Seixas youngest in 89 years to race Tour de France!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Parc Olympique in Montreal, central site of the 1976 Olympic Games, shown in 2015 (Photo: Picasa vis Wikipedia).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 1976: Montreal ● A series of exhibitions, tours, events and a commemoration on the anniversary of the closing ceremony will mark 50 years since the Montreal Games this summer.

The Games opened on 17 July 1976 and closed on 1 August and the competitions are especially remembered for the brilliance of Romania’s 14-year-old star Nadia Comaneci, who scored the first “perfect 10″ in the history of gymnastics on 18 July during the team competition on the Uneven Bars. She scored 10s six more times during the Games, and Soviet Nellie Kim also received 10s twice.

Comaneci will appear at a special celebration on 1 August on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park and all persons named “Nadia” who were born between 1976 and 1978 are encouraged to register, with 50 to be chosen by lot and invited to the event to meet her.

A 50th anniversary exhibition in the rotunda of the Stade Olympique will open on 16 May.

The 1976 Games was also remembered for a deficit of C$1 billion from construction, which required 30 years to finally pay off in 2006.

● Athletics ● LetsRun.com’s Jonathan Gault reported that the U.S. women’s 4×100 m relay team did not run in the Sunday second qualifying race at the World Athletics Relay due to an injury to third leg Samirah Moody.

● Canoe-Kayak ● The American Canoe Association, the National Governing Body in the U.S. for the canoeing and kayaking, introduced a new visual look for the federation last week, tying the ACA’s design motif into a series of “USA”-themed marks, with specific shield-style logos for 11 separate teams.

● Curling ● One of the great curling stars of all time, Swedish skip Niklas Edin announced his retirement from elite-level curling. He wrote in part on Instagram:

“Dream of that young foolish boy came true…and then some! Which leads me to make a tough and scary decision. To quit while ahead and have time to explore what else is out there!

“Don’t worry tho, I’ll be close to the game, watching, coaching, commentating and hopefully playing in the Rock League!”

Now 40, Edin won eight Worlds golds in 2013-15-18-19-21-22-24-26 – no one has won so many – plus a silver in 2017 and bronze medals in 2011 and 2012. On the Olympic level, he skipped his 2022 team to gold, won silver in 2018 and a bronze in 2014.

● Cycling ● French teen star Paul Seixas confirmed Monday that he will compete in the Tour de France, becoming the youngest rider in cycling’s showcase event in 90 years.

Seixas, 19, has been nothing less than a sensation in 2026, finishing second to Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar in the Strade Bianche in March, winning the six-stage Itzulia Basque County in April, the La Fleche Wallonne in Belgium on 22 April and was second to Pogacar in the famed Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in 26 April.

According to the French all-sport newspaper L’Equipe, Seixas would be the youngest rider in the Tour since 1937. The opening day is 4 July in Barcelona (ESP), when Seixas will be 19 yards, nine months and 10 days; France’s Adrien Cento, began the 1937 Tour at 19, three months and 26 days.

Pogacar will be the favorite, having won four Tours and will try to become only the fifth to win five Tours.

● Football ● FIFA confirmed during its 76th Congress in Vancouver (CAN), that a “virtual Extraordinary FIFA Congress, intended as a stand-alone event to appoint the hosts of the 2031 and 2035 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will take place on Monday, 23 November 2026.”

The U.S. is the lead country for the sole bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, with matches to also be played in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica.

● Swimming ● American star Gretchen Walsh set a fourth world record in the women’s 100 m Butterfly on Saturday at the Ft. Lauderdale Open, and said afterwards, she thought something special was possible:

“There’s never a time when it can’t be done if you just don’t put your mind to it.

“I didn’t go to the beach today, because I was thinking maybe there could be something special tonight. I was feeling confident after my warm-up, put on a new suit, and let the good juju flow my way.

“It was a time [54.33] I was wanting to go all summer [last year]. I think that doing it now, there is no time like the present for something like that, so I’m really, really happy.”

● Speed Skating ● A trio of greats have announced their retirements: Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen, Japan’s Miho Takagi, and Czech Martina Sabilkova.

Bloemen, now 39, was born in The Netherlands, but transitioned to represent Canada in 2014. He went on to set world records in the men’s 5,000 m and 10,000 m, an Olympic gold in the 10,000 m in 2018 as well as a 5,000 m silver.

He won eight Worlds medals, including the 2020 gold in the 5,000 m.

Takagi, 31, was a star from 2015 to 2026, winning 10 Olympic medals (2-4-4), including wins in the Team Pursuit in 2018 and the women’s 1,000 m in 2022. She won 16 World Championships medals (6-4-6), with three Team Pursuit golds, 1,000 m golds in 2024 and 2025 and a 1,500 m gold in 2024.

Sabilkova, 38, dominated women’s distance skating from 2007-24, winning an astonishing 27 World Championships medals (16-7-4) and another eight (5-2-1) in the World Allround Championships. She was the standard in the 3,000 m and 5,000 m and in Olympic competition, won both races in 2010 and the 5,000 m gold in 2014. Sabilkova also won two silvers and two bronzes, in 2010 and in 2022!

● Table Tennis ● On Saturday, during the ITTF World Team Championships in London (GBR), Jiaqi Zheng, the coach of the Chinese Taipei team wrote in a social media post that “an extremely serious and unacceptable incident occurred during the pre-match security check.

“A member of the security staff engaged in inappropriate physical contact with our player, including behavior that may constitute sexual harassment, and obstructed the player’s passage.”

The federation and others replied jointly:

“The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), World Table Tennis (WTT) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are deeply troubled by the account of a female athlete who reported experiencing inappropriate physical contact during an entry security check at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 today.

“Every athlete deserves to feel safe, respected, and protected at all times and in all spaces. What has been described is completely unacceptable. We want to be absolutely clear: the safety and dignity of our athletes are non-negotiable.”

The statement added:

“No party involved in the organisation of this event will tolerate any conduct that compromises the wellbeing of athletes, and we expect this matter to be treated with the full seriousness it deserves. ITTF, WTT, the LOC are working through a comprehensive review of the situation.”

The championships continue through the 10th.

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INT’L OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Japan’s Kyodo reports leaks ahead of IOC Exec Board meeting, no summer sports in winter, sports program trimmed

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ EARTHQUAKE COMING? ≡

Ahead of this week’s International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting in Lausanne (SUI), Japan’s Kyodo News reported Sunday on decisions on major issues being studied under President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) and her “Fit For the Future” program.

● Quoting a source “close to the matter,” the story noted that the idea of allowing some new sports into the Olympic Winter Games such as cross country and cyclo-cross will not be allowed and that the current Olympic Charter regulations requiring Winter Games sports to be held on snow or ice will be maintained.

While World Athletics and the Union Cycliste Internationale have been pushing for years to have these sports – generally held during the fall and winter months – to be allowed in the Winter Games, the winter-sport federations have been pushing back. Among other issues, if these sports were allowed, both World Athletics and the UCI would be in line for a share of the IOC television revenue distribution from the Winter Games.

The winter-sport federations are not interested in that.

● The Olympic program, which has exploded to an all-time high of 36 sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, is set to be trimmed for Brisbane 2032.

The story noted a “a significant reduction in the number of sports due to financial concerns” and, moreover, even those sports which remain on the program could see cuts in disciplines or events.

Coventry’s “Fit For the Future” program, announced last September, includes working groups on commercial partnerships and marketing; the Olympic program; protection of the female category, and the Youth Olympic Games. The IOC Executive Board announced in March the adoption of a program of sex-testing with a one-time SRY gene screening required to compete in the female category, beginning with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Under prior leader Thomas Bach (GER), the IOC adopted the “Olympic Agenda 2020″ and “Olympic Agenda 2020+5″ to try and deal with “gigantism” and the growth of the Games, which included 21 medal sports in 1972-76-80-84, then has grown enormously:

● 23 in 1988: Seoul
● 25 in 1992: Barcelona
● 26 in 1996: Atlanta

● 28 in 2000: Sydney-2004 Athens-2008 Beijing
● 26 in 2012: London
● 28 in 2016: Rio de Janeiro

● 33 in 2020: Tokyo
● 32 in 2024: Paris
● 36 in 2028: Los Angeles

Brisbane 2032 agreed in its bid to host 28 sports, reflecting the 2016 program; LA28 agreed to add skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing and then asked to add five more: baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash, for a total of 36.

Coventry has hinted at sports cuts, saying in a March news conference that some people will not be happy. More details of the possible cuts could come after Wednesday’s Executive Board session and certainly at Thursday’s news conference.

● The Kyodo story also stated that its Esports Commission has been put “on hold,” indicating a move away from an Olympic Esports Games, or any clear cooperation with the e-sports community.

This was also a major initiative by Bach, with formalized discussions, an IOC “ESports Series” and other programs and a 12-year agreement with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host an “Olympic Esports Games.” That was canceled in October 2025.

Kyodo source(s) were not named but were called “close to the matter.”

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ATHLETICS: Botswana saluted as great host for World Athletics Relays; host men’s 4×400 m relay wants the world record!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The victorious Botswana men’s 4x400 m, running the third-fastest time in history at 2:54.47! (Photo: Christel Saneh for World Athletics).

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≡ WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS ≡

No attendance figures were given, but the 25,000-seat National Stadium in Gaborone looked pretty full for both days of the World Athletics Relays in Botswana over the weekend and they saw their men’s 4×400 m scare the world record on the way to a happy victory in 2:54.57.

It’s the no. 3 performance of all time and within 0.28 of the U.S. World Championships winner in 1993 of 2:54.29:

United States: 2:54.29 (1993)
● 44.53: Andrew Valmon
● 43.59: Quincy Watts
● 43.23: Butch Reynolds
● 42.94: Michael Johnson

Botswana: 2:54.57 (2026)
● 44.26: Lee Eppie
● 43.50: Letsile Tebogo
● 43.62: Bayapo Ndori
● 43.09: Collen Kebinatshipi

(A U.S. team of Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew, Tyree Washington and Johnson ran a world-record 2:54.20 at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, but the mark was wiped out in 2008 due to a doping violation against Pettigrew.)

After Botswana won the rainy World Championships 4×4 in Tokyo (JPN) in 2025, they set their sights on more than simply winning the World Relays at home. Said Eppie:

“We sat down yesterday and agreed that we would not make any more mistakes because we wanted to run the world record, we didn’t care about the gold. We polished the mistakes before we got into the race and everything was perfect from start to finish.

“It’s still early in the season and we know by the end of the season, we are going to run faster than this. It felt good (the crowd cheering) and I don’t think any country has experienced this before so it was a great moment for us.”

Paris 2024 200 m champion Tebogo, who ran only in the final, was thrilled, saying of winning before a home crowd, “This was the best moment in my career, I’m sure there is more to come but this has been my biggest highlight so far. It is not about the medals at the Olympics or World Championships but how the crowd has held us together.”

Ndori felt the same, adding, “for a long time, fans have always watched us on TV but now they have that opportunity to watch us on home soil. We still have a long way to go with the South African team, we still have more chances to dominate beyond this event. It is so amazing to receive support from the fans because they came from different parts of the country to cheer us on.”

The U.S. did not send a men’s or women’s 4×400 m team to the World Athletics Relays and only the mixed relays will be included in the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest (HUN) in September. So the American and Botswanan 4x4s likely won’t face each other until the World Athletics Championships in 2027.

The U.S. team that won the men’s 4×100 m relay in an impressive 37.43 was also impressed by the turnout and enthusiasm of the crowd in Gaborone. Said leadoff man Ronnie Baker:

“This is my second time in Africa and if there was a World Championship here, it would be really cool with the crowd and the atmosphere. I was in Tokyo last year and it was loud but here, I could barely here the calls, it was just crazy and the atmosphere is really amazing.

“The crowd had us hyped and I was ready to go and it was definitely motivating to here them out.”

Same for Max Thomas on the second leg, adding, “It’s so loud and the whole atmosphere is just exciting. I would definitely come back here and race at any given time because it’s so exciting.” Third leg Lance Lang, who ran a tremendous turn, concurred:

“The crowd was great, I was here for the Golden Grand Prix and it was loud then but nowhere near how it was today. To run in front of a big crowd because they were supporting us too and it’s not like they were hating on us, they were giving us love too. We respect that, it felt good to be here.”

Anchor Pjai Austin held off South Africa’s Akani Simbine to win by just 0.06 and offered some perspective:

“It feels great, we have a lot of love for South Africa, you know Simbine, I have a lot of respect for him, he is a great sprinter and it feels great to come out here and showcase our talent.

“Coming here, there was a lot of pressure on us, you know we are always trash talking each other, and they said we brought our ‘C’ team or whatever, but I feel like whenever we step on the track, we get the job done.

“The medals have a great look, I didn’t expect them to be like this, the gold plus the diamond, it feels great.”

The medals featured a half-carat diamond in the logo, offered by meet title sponsor Debswana, one of the world’s largest diamond producers. Although the meet finances have not been disclosed, as for the event on the track, it appears a medal can also be presented to the host country and its fans.

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PANORAMA: Canada promises C$755 mil over five years for sport; FIFA World Cup accommodations demand still weak; Infantino running again

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Oklahoma City University announced last week it will serve as the “Olympic Village” for the 170 canoe slalom and softball athletes who will compete in Oklahoma City during the 2028 Olympic Games.

Founded in 1904, OCU is a private university and member of the NAIA, with 2,748 students and is conveniently located to the canoeing and softball venues. The canoe slalom competition will take place from 14-22 July 2028 and softball from 23-29 July.

● Canada ● The Canadian government heard the pleas of Canadian athletes, national sports organizations and the Canadian Olympic Committee and in its Spring Economic Update promised a significant new funding commitment beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year: (C$1 = $0.74 U.S.)

● C$660 million over the next five years and C$110 million per year after that to Canadian national sport organizations with the mandate to increase participation.

● C$50 million over five years to bring more events to Canada, including legacy construction projects.

● C$45 million over five years and C$8 million per year after that for athlete training support, including for mental health,

Said Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker, “We feel heard. Canadian athletes feel heard. It’s a generational investment in Canadian sport.”

● Aquatics ● The Bureau of European Aquatics is requesting “a delay of implementation of the recently approved AQUA bylaw concerning the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in international aquatic competitions.”

The appeal to World Aquatics is to delay to 1 September 2026 the return of Russian and Belarusian swimmers to full status, which would be after the 2026 European Championships from 9-15 August in Paris (FRA).

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit announced Friday that Canadian vaulter Alysha Newman, 31, has been banned for 20 months to 2 August 27 for “whereabouts” failures on 27 February 2025, 17 August 2025 and 23 August 2025, and a fourth on 14 November 2025, which was not reviewed the decision.

Newman, who won the Paris 2024 Olympic women’s vault bronze, agreed to a lighter-then-usual ban, and the decision notes:

“[T]he AIU accepts the Athlete’s assertion that she had decided to gradually bring her international athletics career to an end during 2025, a fact that is corroborated by her substantially more limited competitive schedule in 2025 when compared to 2024. Although she could and should have formally retired from the sport in 2025 (a fact she herself accepts in hindsight)14, the AIU accepts on balance that the Athlete had effectively decided to end her international competitive athletics career before the Whereabouts Failures occurred and that this is a sufficiently unique/exceptional factor that may be considered in assessing her level of Fault in the matter.”

● Football ● Weak accommodations demand for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has hit not only hotels, but also Airbnb offers, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that of the 11 U.S. cities hosting matches, only Boston has more than half of its Airbnb inventory booked so far.

The story reported AirDNA data showing Boston bookings at 55%, but others much lower. Philadelphia was shown at 42% for the group-stage period and others lower.

Hotel bookings have also been reported as down from projections.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) announced at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver (CAN) that he will run for a third and final term, and even before he spoke, he already had been endorsed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC: 47 federations), the African football confederation (CAF: 54) and the South American confederation CONMEBOL (10).

If all 111 of their federations vote for Infantino, he would have enough votes to be re-elected with no other help.

It wasn’t all roses. Infantino tried to create an on-stage handshake between Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman and Palestine federation chief Jibril Rajoub, but Rajoub would have none of it. The Palestine federation has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have the Israeli federation suspended from FIFA.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Artistic Swimming ● China claimed five wins in World Aquatics World Cup 3 in X’ian (CHN), with World Champion Huiyan Xu taking the women’s Solo Tech, Yanjun Lin and Xu winning the Duet Tech, Worlds silver winner Muye Guo winning the men’s solo Free, Yixin Cao and Haoyue Shi taking the Mixed Free, plus a win in the Team Technical.

German Klara Bleyer won the women’s Solo Free and Britain’s Ranjuo Tomblin won the men’s Solo Technical, then teamed with isabelle Thorpe in the Mixed Technical. Russian teams won the Duet Free, Team Acro and Team Free.

● Athletics ● Drew Hunter and Karissa Schweizer won the USATF 5 km Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 13:27.7and 14:58.4. Hunter broke away from a pack of seven at the front of the men’s race with 1,200 m to go and won a tight finish with Dylan Jacobs (13:28.0) and Cooper Teare (13:28.1).

Schweizer and Emma Grace Hurley were the clear leaders with 1,200 m to go and Schweizer managed a close win, 14:58.4 to 15:00.8. The top two in both the men’s and women’s race qualify for the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Denmark in September.

● Badminton ● At the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup finals in Horsens (DEN), defending champion China made it to the men’s final for the fourth time in the last five editions, and fought off a stiff challenge from France to win, 3-1 and repeat as champions for the first since five in a row from 2004-12.

In the Uber Cup for women, South Korea won its second title in the past three editions, taking down defending champion China, 3-1, and finishing withy a 6-0 record. It’s the third title overall for the Koreans, who have reached the semis or final in 10 straight editions.

● Beach Volleyball ● At the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 in Brasilia (BRA), Sweden’s 2025 Worlds silver medalists, Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson, scored a 21-16, 21-15 win over Bartosz Losiak and Michal Bryl (POL), the 2023 Worlds bronze winners, in the championship final.

In the third-place match, Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots (LAT) defeated Teo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat (FRA), 21-19, 21-16.

The women’s championship final went to 2025 Worlds bronze winners Carol Solberg Salgado and Rebecca Cavalcante (BRA), by 21-14, 21-18, over Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth (ITA).

The bronze went to 19th-seeded Savannah Cory and Devon Newberry (USA), who got past Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova (LAT), 21-15, 21-19.

● Curling ● At the World Curling Mixed Doubles World Championship in Geneva (SUI), Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt won Group A at 8-1 and Canada’s Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott took Group B at 8-1.

But in the playoffs, while the Aussies reached the final, Sweden’s Therese Westman and Robin Ahlberg got past the Canadians in the semis and moved on to the championship round. There, it was Gill and Hewitt who won, 8-4 and took their first Worlds gold, moving up from bronze in 2025.

Lott and Lott won the bronze, 11-3, over defending champion Italy. The U.S. pair of Rachel Kawleski and Colton Kauffman were 3-7 in Group B and did not advance.

● Cycling ● As expected, Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar rode away with his first Tour de Romandie title in Switzerland, winning four stages of the five-stage and prologue race. He starred on the climbing stages, winning nos. one, two, four and five. He finished in 20:05:42, 42 seconds up on Germany’s Florian Lipowitz and 2:44 ahead of Lenny Martinez (FRA).

Pogacar next plans to rise the Tour de Suisse and then the Tour de France, in July.

The 63rd edition of the hilly Eschborn-Frankfurt race ended in a mass sprint with home favorite Georg Zimmerman the winner in 4:59:34 with the top 44 riders all receiving the same time for the 211.4 km route..

British stars Tom Pidcock and Ben Tulett took second and third.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series opened in Yongpyong (KOR), with Swiss Dario Lillo taking the men’s win in 1:24:36, riding away from France’s Luca Martin (1:26:22). France’s Mathis Azzaro won the Short Track race in 24:09.

The women’s race was also a Swiss win, for Tokyo 2020 runner-up Sina Frei (1:27:03, decisively ahead of 2016 Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds (SWE: 1:27:29). American Madigan Munro was third in 1:27:31. Frei had already won the Short Track race in 23:20 over Britain’s 2021 World Champion Evie Richards (23:21).

American Asa Vermette took the men’s Downhill in 2:43.301 in a surprise over five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA: 2:44.869) and 2019 Worlds bronzer Amaury Pierron (2:45.364).

Four-time World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT) won the women’s race in 3:14.778, just ahead of Italy’s Gloria Scarsi (3:15.351).

● Diving ● The main question at the World Aquatics World Cup Super Final in Beijing (CHN) was whether China would win all nine events. Answer: yes.

Double Olympic gold medalist Zongyuan Wang won the men’s 3 m in front of 2025 World Champion Jiuyuan Zheng, 544.35 to 500.50 and the two teamed up to win the men’s 3 m Synchro by 40.11 points at 480.68. Yuming Bai took the 10 m gold and Zhihao Yang and Renjie Zhao won the 10 m Synchro by 44.4 points at 448.68.

Worlds silver winner Jia Chen beat World Champion Yiwen Chen in the women’s 3 m, 374.40 to 373.05 and they paired to win the 3 m Synchro by 31.11 points at 331.05. For the U.S., Anna Kwong and Sophie Verzyl made the 3 m Synchro final and were fourth.

Linjing Hiang won the women’s 10 m by 78.75 points at 397.95; 14-year-old Ellireese Niday of the U.S. made the final and was fourth at 292.65, scoring second-best on three of her five dives. In the 10 m Synchro, veteran star Yuxi Chen teamed with Wei Lu to win by 44.82 points at 366.12.

China won the Mixed Team Event by 41.20 points at 463.70, over Mexico. The U.S. was eight, scoring 360.70.

● Fencing ● Italy swept the FIE World Cup Foil in Istanbul (TUR), with Paris 2024 runner-up Filippo Macchi defeating Egor Barannikov (RUS “neutral”), 15-8 and in the all-Italian women’s final, two-time Worlds bronzer Martina Favaretto winning over two-time World Champion Arianna Errigo, 15-14.

The Italian teams won the men’s and women’s titles as well.

At the FIE Grand Prix Sabre in Incheon (KOR), France’s Sebastien Patrice defeated countryman Maxime Pianfetti, 15-9 for the men’s title, and Russian “neutral” Yana Egorian won the women’s tournament over American Maia Chamberlain, 15-7.

● Ice Hockey ● Sweden won its third title at the IIHF World boys U-18 World Championship in Slovakia, disappointing the home crowd in Trencin, 4-2.

The Swedes were only 2-2 in group play, but beat Canada (4-2) and the Czech Republic in overtime (4-3) to reach the final. The Swedes won this tournament previously in 2019 and 2022.

● Judo ● At the IJF World Tour Dushanbe Grand Prix in Tajikistan, the host country won three classes, all in the men’s division and all on the first day: Nurali Emomali (66 kg), Muhiddin Asadulloev (73 kg), and Somon Makhmadbekov (81 kg).,

Russia won three classes as well; Mongolia, Poland and Italy all won two golds.

● Sport Climbing ● In the World Climbing Series opener in Keqiao (CHN), the competition was in Boulder, with Japan’s World Champion Sorato Anraku – still just 19 – winning the men’s final over Dohyun Lee (KOR), 84.4 to 69.6.

France’s Zelia Avezou pulled a major upset in the women’s final, winning at 84.8 over 10-time Worlds gold medalist Janja Garnbret (SLO: 84.6). American Annie Sanders was fourth (69.5).

● Swimming ● Australia’s double World Champion Moesha Johnson dominated the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup in Golfo Aranci (ITA), winning the women’s 10 km in 1:54:12.1, ahead of Spain’s Angela Martinez (1:54.37.2) and taking the 3 km Sprint final in 6:18.6, over German Isabel Gose (6:19.8). American Brinkleigh Hansen was sixth in the 10 km (1:54.45.3) and fifth in the 3 km Sprint final (6:29.6).

The men’s 10 km was a win for France’s Sacha Velly in 1:49:07.5 over countryman and 2025 double Worlds bronze medalist, Marc-Antoine Olivier (1:49:07.8). American Dylan Gravely was 17th in 1:49:29.6). Worlds runner-up David Betlehem (HUN) won the 3 km Sprint in 6:00.4 over Paulo Strehlke (MEX: 6:01.7), with American Ivan Puskovitch in seventh (6:04.7).

Italy won the Mixed 4 x 1,500 m relay in 1:05:04.6, just ahead of France (1:05:05.7), with the U.S. eighth in 1:08:57.1.

● Weightlifting ● The U.S. led the medal table at the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN) with 13 medals (6-4-3), one more than powerhouse Colombia (12: 4-5-3).

The Americans took wins in the men’s 60 km with Gabriel Chhum, men’s 79 km with Caden Cahoy, women’s 53 kg with Miranda Ulrey, 63 kg with Sophia Shaft, 69 km with Paris 71 kg champ Olivia Reeves and 77 kg with four-time Worlds silver winner Mattie Rogers.

Ulrey lifted an American Record Snatch (96 kg), Clean & Jerk (120 kg) and total (216 kg). Paris men’s 61 kg bronzer Hampton Morris was second at 65 kg, lifting 315 kg total, but finishing behind two-time World Champion Francisco Mosquera (COL) at 320 kg.

Colombia’s Yeison Lopez, the Paris 89 kg runner-up, set world records at 88 kg for all three lifts at 181 kg, 216 kg and the 397 kg total.

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SWIMMING: Walsh breaks own women’s 100 Fly world record again at Ft. Lauderdale Open, as Marchand and Douglass each take four wins!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Another big splash for world-record holder Gretchen Walsh of the U.S.! (Photo: University of Virginia).

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≡ FT. LAUDERDALE OPEN ≡

The time and the place worked out perfectly for a major clash of titans at the Ft. Lauderdale Open in Florida over the weekend, topped by another world record for American star Gretchen Walsh.

The 50 and 100 m Butterfly World Champion in 2025, Walsh has owned the world record in the women’s 100 m Fly since 2024, when she won the U.S. Trials meet in 55.18, then lowered it twice in 2025, to 55.09 and 54.60. After leading the qualifying in the women’s 100 Fly, she crushed the final in 54.33, leading wire-to-wire and winning by more than four seconds!

Walsh also won the 50 m Fly in a world-leading 25.08, over former Virginia teammate Kate Douglass (25.24), the Olympic 200 m Breaststroke gold medalist.

As it turned out, Douglass dominated the women’s meet, with four wins:

● 50 m Freestyle: 24.21, beating Walsh (24.40)
● 100 m Freestyle: 53.01, with Walsh third (53.44)
● 100 m Breaststroke: 1:06.58, over Paris bronzer Mona McSharry (IRL: 1:08.66)
● 200 m Breaststroke: 2:20.94, over McSharry (2:24.82)

Not far behind was six-time Worlds gold medalist Regan Smith, who took the 100 m Back in 57.49, 200 m Fly in 2:05.00 and the 200 m Medley in 2:10.63. It took a lifetime best from Isabelle Stadden in 2:04.37 to become the no. 4 performer all-time to beat Smith in the 200 m Back in 2:04.37, with Smith at 2:06.38. Stadden was second in the 100 m Back in 57.55 and that moved her to no. 3 all-time in the event, and won the 50 m Back in 27.29, with Walsh third in 28.10.

Distance superstar Katie Ledecky was busy, winning the 800 m Free by more than 28 seconds in 8:12.68 and the 1,500 m Free in 15:25.62. Canadian star Summer McIntosh led from start to finish in the 400 m Free in 3:58.91 with Ledecky second in 3:59.02 and McIntosh also won the 200 m Free in 1:54.36, over Anna Moesch (1:56.55), Rio 2016 100 m Free co-champ Simone Manuel (1:56.80) and Ledecky (1:56.94).

No world records on the men’s side, but France’s Leon Marchand showed he’s still on top in his four events from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He won the 200 m Breast by more than three seconds in 2:09.04, the 200 m Fly by 2.01 seconds in 1:53.08 and the Medleys: 200 m in 1:57.28 and 400 m Medley in 4:09.33. American Carson Foster was second in the 200 Fly and both medley races.

Hungary’s 200 m Backstroke Olympic champion, Hubert Kos, who trains in the U.S., was a triple winner, in the 50 m Back in 25.12, the 100 m Back in 1:56.37 and the 200 m Back (of course) in 1:56.37.

Olympic distance star Bobby Finke won the 800 m Free in 7:53.17, just ahead of Harvard frosh Will Mulgrew (7:53.54) and took the 400 m Free in 3:51.09, with Mulgrew at 3:59.28. But Mulgrew won the 1,500 m Free in 15:05.30 with Finke at 15:13.62. Interesting.

Ilya Kharun, now competing for the U.S., won the 50 m Fly in 22.96 with Tokyo Olympic champ Caeleb Dressel second in 23.48 and Kharun beat Dressel in the 100 m Fly, 50.87 to 51.26.

American-born Jack Kelly, who competes for Ireland, won the 50 m Breast in 27.42 and the 100 m Breast in 1:00.35, to 1:01.94 for Kos.

Chris Guiliano won the 100 m Free in 48.43; Dressel won the B-final in 48.97. Mitchell Schott won the 200 m Free in 1:46.70 with Kos second in 1:47.29.

In an off year, this was quite a meet and shows Walsh, Douglass and Marchand – among others – showed they are not slowing down any time soon.

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ATHLETICS: Three world records for new mixed 4×100 m relay, two U.S. wins, awesome 4×400 m at exciting World Relays in Botswana

By
Rich Perelman
-
Jamaica’s first of two world records in the Mixed 4x100 m relay at the World Athletics Relays 2026 (Photo: Monirul Bhuiyan for World Athletics).

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≡ WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS ≡

A new event was the star of the 8th World Athletics Relays, held in Gaborone (BOT), the first major worldwide track & field event held in Africa. The mixed 4×100 m relay, which will be on the Olympic program in Los Angeles in 2028, had been won by Canada at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in 40.30, which was the nominal world record.

But the Canadian team of Eliezer Adjibi, Marie-Eloise Leclair, Duan Asemota and Audrey Leduc won heat one in 40.07, a respectable world-record time. The U.S. won heat two with Courtney Lindsey, Jada Mowatt, Kyree King and E’lexis Hollis in 40.36 and then Jamaica rolled out a high-quality quartet of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Tia Clayton and sprinted home in 39.99, another world record and the first time under 40 seconds.

That mark lasted a day, until Sunday’s final, as the same foursome won in a rout in 39.62 for the third world record in the event. Canada was second in 40.23 and the U.S. team was third in 40.33 for the American Record.

In the Mixed 4×400 m, the U.S. won heat one with Bryce Deadmon, Paris Peoples, Brian Faust and Bailey Lear, with Lear coming from behind to pass Spain’s Blanca Hervas, 3:09.82 to 3:09.89. Britain was faster in heat three, winning over Kenya, 3:09.69 to 3:09.87.

The final saw Jamaica’s Deandre Watkin pass first with Deadmon third, but Peoples ran a brilliant second leg in 49.19 (!) and gave the U.S. the lead. Finals sub Jenoah McKiver – who had run with Deadmon on the 2025 Relays winner – blew away the field on the third leg with a 43.50 split and had a clear lead over Jamaica at the final exchange. Lear finished in 49.66 and held on to win in 3:07.47, the no. 3 performance in history.

Jamaica was second in 3:08.24, no. 5 ever, then Great Britain at 3:09.84.

The Relays was also a qualifying event for the 2027 World Athletics Championships, with the first two in each heat advancing. The U.S. did not send 4×400 m teams and will expect to qualify on time, but did send 4×100 m squads.

The American men’s team of Ronnie Baker, Max Thomas, Lance Lang and Pjai Austin recorded a solid 37.77 to win heat one, ahead of Botswana (37.96), but Canada (37.56) and Germany (37.67) were faster in heat two and South Africa won heat three in 37.68.

The U.S. was in lane six in the final and was in sync and zoomed to a 37.43 win, with Baker brilliant off the start, a great turn by Lang and Austin just holding off South Africa’s Akani Simbine at the final (37.49), then Germany (37.76) and Australia (38.00). It’s the no. 8 performance in U.S. history and third-fastest at a World Athletics Relays. This was impressive and shows once again, passing matters.

The women’s 4×100 m relay was another story. Spain won heat one in 42.26, but the American team of Semira Killebrew, Jadyn Mays, Samirah Moody and Karimah Davis was only fourth in 43.33 and did not advance. China ran 42.62 to win heat two and Jamaica had the fastest time of the day at 41.96 to take heat three.

The U.S. did not compete in the second-day qualifier and will have to get a time or world rankings qualifier for the ‘27 Worlds.

In the final, Jamaica – with Olympic star Elaine Thompson-Herah on anchor, stormed to a 42.00 win, with daylight ahead of Canada (42.17) and Spain (42.31).

The 4×400 m races were spectacular, even without the U.S. Spain (3:24.44) and Canada (3:23.52) won the first two women’s heats, the Great Britain took heat three in a world-leading 3:21.28, just ahead of Norway (3:22.78 national record).

The final was even better, with Amalie Iuel powering the Norwegians into the lead with a 49.71 second leg, but Rocio Arroyo (50.51) moved Spain into the lead going into the final lap. But Norway’s Henriette Jaeger slammed the field with a 48.91 anchor and claimed the world lead at 3:20.96, another national record, now the 11st-fastest nation in history.

Spain got a national record 3:21.25 in second and Canada’s 3:22.26 was good for the bronze.

In the men’s heats, nine teams broke 3:00, with Australia taking down its national record from 1984 (!) with a brilliant 2:57.30, ahead of Botswana (2:57.52) and the Dutch in 2:58.22. South Africa won heat two in 2:58.04 and Qatar won heat three in 2:59.83.

The final was eagerly awaited, as Botswana brought Paris 200 m champ Letsile Tebogo onto the track for the second leg. Lee Eppie handed first to Tebogo in 44.26, but even with a 43.50 leg, Tebogo handed second as South Africa’s Lythe Pillay was credited with a stunning 42.66 leg to pass first.

Veteran star Bayapo Ndori got Botswana back into the lead after a 43.62 third leg and handed to Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, the 2025 World 400 m champ, who roared to a 43.09 finale and brought the home team the win in a sensational 2:54.47, with Zakithi Nene (43.65) and South Africa second in 2:55.07, then Australia in 2:55.20 and Portugal in 2:59.75.

For Botswana, it was a win for its adoring fans, and the no. 3 time in history, behind two U.S. wins. South Africa rang up the no. 5 performance in history and Australia, no. 6. Fantastic.

Observed: The attendance at the National Stadium was excellent under sunny skies and warm temperatures of about 80 F on Sunday. This was a success, notably for the brilliant running of the home team and the return of a powerful Jamaican squad.

For the U.S., the strong performance of the men’s 4×100 m team and a 37.43 win with a – to be honest – second-line team – is impressive. As was the mixed 4×400. Promising, very promising.

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PANORAMA: World Anti-Doping Agency says Russian doping sanctions now over 300; Kenya gifts marathon star Sawe a car and KSh 8 million!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Russia ● The World Anti-Doping Agency said that sanctions related to the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal from 2011-15 have surpassed 300, based on data recovered from the infamous Moscow Laboratory in January and April 2019.

Once the control center for Russian doping, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s Moscow lab database – the 24 terabyte “Laboratory Information Management System” or “LIMS” – was obtained after a lengthy effort in 2019 and doping violations have been confirmed continuously ever since. According to a Thursday statement:

“To date, there have been a total of 302 sanctions imposed against 291 Russian athletes (11 athletes having received two sanctions each for separate violations) by 23 Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) with an additional four charged but not yet resolved in terms of final judgement.”

Of the 302 cases, most were in weightlifting (107) and track & field (93). There were 19 in wrestling and less than 10 in 19 other sports:

● 6-9 (8 sports): Aquatics, biathlon, bobsled & skeleton, boxing, judo, powerlifting, rowing, volleyball.

● 1-5 (11 sports): Archery, canoe-kayak, football, ice hockey, kettleball, modern pentathlon, sambo, skating, skiing, taekwondo, triathlon.

And, of course, the Russian doping drama is not over, as WADA noted:

“To this day, RUSADA remains non-compliant and must fulfil the reinstatement conditions in full, as laid out by the December 2020 [Court of Arbitration for Sport] decision. To assess fulfillment of the reinstatement conditions, WADA must send a team to Russia to conduct an in-person audit, which to date has not been possible due to the ongoing geopolitical situation. In addition, a separate compliance case is pending before CAS regarding non-conformities in the Russian sports legislation.”

● Alpine Skiing ● American star Lindsey Vonn told The Associated Press it will be a while before she decides about her future in skiing:

● “I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do. I may retire. I may never race again and that would be completely fine, but I’m not in a position emotionally to make that decision at this point.”

● “Regardless, nothing would really happen until ’27-28 because I still have one more surgery left to take out the metal and to replace my ACL. That still needs to happen. Once I get my ACL fixed, then that’s another six months, so I have at least I would say a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%, even just training in the gym.”

She’s 41 now and has had eight procedures to save her left leg after crashes at the Crans-Montana (SUI) World Cup race and then at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. So she will wait:

“I don’t want to make a decision now because I think that would be rash and probably too emotional and I don’t want to make a mistake, you know?”

● Athletics ● Kenyan President William Ruto honored London Marathon winner and world-record setter Sasbastian Sawe in Nairobi on Thursday with a new car with a “1:59:30″ license plate and two payments totaling 8 million Kenyan shillings (about $61,932 U.S.).

Said Ruto:

“You have achieved what many thought impossible. You have made the impossible possible, and in doing so, you have inspired the entire nation and the world. You have not only broken a record, you have forced us to rethink the limits of human performance and endurance.”

Asked for comment on the product liability filing by former sprint star Abby Steiner in Massachusetts, a Puma spokesperson told Front Office Sports:

“Puma is aware that a case has been filed. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on active litigation. However, we strongly deny any allegation that our performance products cause injuries.”

The company noted that successfully equips stars such as world-record-holder vaulter Mondo Duplantis (SWE), Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh and many other athletes.

Puma’s reply to the complaint is due in August.

● Baseball ● A former Major League player from Cuba has been notified of an apparent doping positive according to the International Testing Agency. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez, 44, who played with the White Sox (2008-15) and the Padres and Rays in 2016, returned a positive for steroids mesterolone, metandienone, oxandrolone and stanozolol at the World Baseball Classic.

Ramirez won an Olympic gold with Cuba in 2004 and was on the runner-up WBC team in 2006. He played in just one game, striking out in his only appearance, but setting a record for the oldest player ever in the WBC. Maybe.

● Curling ● Pool play has finished at the World Curling Mixed Doubles World Championship in Geneva (SUI), with Italy the defending champion.

Group A saw Australia (8-1) atop the standings, with Sweden and Japan (both 7-2) also making it to the playoff round. Canada (8-1) led Group B, ahead of Italy (7-2) and Scotland (6-3). The U.S. pair of Rachel Kawleski and Connor Kauffman finished 1-8 and was 10th in Group B.

Group winners Australia and Canada are into the semis, with Italy and Japan facing off Friday to play the Australians, and Sweden and Scotland playing to advance against Canada. The semis will be on Friday and the medal matches on Saturday.

● Football ● At the FIFA Congress held in Vancouver (CAN), President Gianni Infantino (SUI) said that Iran will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will play in the U.S. as scheduled:

“And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility. Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world. You unite the world. We unite the world.”

Infantino also made no apologies for the strong ticket sales and high prices for the World Cup:

“We sold 100% of the inventory that we put on the market, which is more or less 90% of the global inventory so far. And of course, we are always putting tickets on the market.

“There are expensive tickets, yes, and there are also affordable tickets. And what is important is that all the revenues that we generate from the world go back to you, go back to the entire world and finance football in all of your countries.”

It was reported that the Canadian government has allocated an added C$145 million ($106.7 million U.S.) for security at the FIFA World Cup, which opens in about six weeks.

This is on top of C$220 million ($161.9 million U.S.) already being spent and does not count local and provincial costs for security for the six games in Toronto and seven in Vancouver.

● Ice Hockey ● At the 27th IIHF boys U-18 World Championship in Slovakia, the host team and the U.S. won their groups with 3-1 records, but while the Slovaks advanced to the semifinals with a 7-1 win over Denmark in their quarterfinal match, the U.S. did not.

Instead, the Americans were upset by 1-3 Latvia, 5-2, with the Latvians scoring once in the first and second periods, then taking a 4-1 lead in the third, including two empty-net goals in the final five minutes.

In the Friday semis, Slovakia will face Latvia and Sweden – which handled defending champ Canada in the quarters – will play the Czech Republic. The finals are on Saturday.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. Mayor Bass proposing rule change to allow more Airbnb rentals in 2028; motions on LA28 purchases, reimbursements headed to Council

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Los Angeles City Council chamber at City Hall (Photo: City of Los Angeles)

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≡ LA28 AND THE L.A. BUDGET ≡

Airbnb became a worldwide partner of the International Olympic Committee in 2019 and has not been shy in looking for ways to increase its profile.

It is now promoting a program to have the City of Los Angeles allow short-term rentals in second homes and investment properties; L.A. City regulations adopted in 2018 allow homeowners only to offer “primary residences” on short-term platforms such as Airbnb.

Now, however, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is proposing – as part of her new budget – a change to allow “vacation rentals,” that would be in effect through 31 December 2028, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Moreover, Bass is proposing to allow pre-payment of some or all of the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax to be collected, “in advance of the 2028 Olympics from any payer that wishes to assist the City in accelerating critical infrastructure projects.” Airbnb is promoting both proposals.

As much as $50 million could be at stake, at a time when the City desperately need revenue. If passed, Airbnb could get some FIFA World Cup business this summer and 2027 NFL Super Bowl action, prior to the 2028 Games.

Hotel worker unions are against the idea, as their members would not be involved in Airbnb properties and the availability of more homes for rent could lessen hotel room demand during the major events upcoming through 2028.

Two motions by Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson concerning the LA28 organizing committee were both waived by the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which he chairs.

His 15 April motion asks for “transparent procurement and contracting protocols” by LA28 regarding procurement and spending for the Games and his 17 April motion insists that the organizers reimburse the City for all costs beyond “normal and customary responsibilities” of the City.

The waiver should send both motions directly to the City Council for discussion, following the tension-filled 14 April meeting of the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Games with the LA28 organizers. No date for consideration has been set yet.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. Police Department tells City Council its salary needs alone will blow past $1 billion for 2028 Games

By
Rich Perelman
-
Los Angeles Police Captain Shannon White (l) and Commander Mario Mota, appearing at a City Council hearing on 29 April 2026 (Image: L.A. City video screen shot).

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≡ L.A. BUDGET HEARINGS ≡

The friction over City of Los Angeles costs for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games got hotter after Wednesday’s budget hearings with Captain Shannon White from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Events Group explaining that the $1 billion Federal security allocation in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (known as “OB3″) won’t be anywhere near enough to cover costs.

She and Commander Mario Mota explained in detail:

● Average daily deployment of police officers at the eight competition venues in the City of Los Angeles is currently estimated at 6,700, going down to 5,400 on low-demand days.

● A total of 66 days of operations are planned for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the changeover period between, with 700-800 patrol cars needing to be committed to Games security operations, including to secure the Games Route Network.

● The current estimate is that the total security force required will be on the order of 30,000 officers to be brought into the area to fulfill all of the expected law enforcement roles.

White was asked by Council Budget & Finance Committee Chair Katy Yaroslavsky if the Federal government – led by the Secret Service – was supposed to provide security for the Games, and replied:

“The Secret Service is the lead for that but the Federal government performs very specific operations. They will not perform patrol on our streets, and that’s probably more of what you’re looking for.

“It is an inaccurate statement, if that’s what’s been conveyed to Council to say that the Federal government will secure the entirety of those venues. The Federal government’s apparatus has been very specific with us about that they have clear roles that relate to security for our international delegations that come, some of the places where there are high-security assets within the venues, but when you talk about, as Commander Mota said, ‘cops on dots’ – with high visibility on the corners – when we talk about who is going to do enforcement, who is going to respond to radio calls, they don’t actually have the ability to enforce state laws for us.”

White further detailed the scope of the security operation for the Games as the LAPD sees it:

● “The most the Department is able to dedicate to the Games on a daily basis hovers around 2,400.” (The LAPD currently has approximately 8,677 sworn officers.)

● “As it’s been framed to us, we will have to use contract services in which we will need to pay any outside agencies coming into town, and that includes if they’re from outside of the region, we would have to cover their hotel costs, per diem and transportation.”

● “We’ve run the estimates for the rest of the region, which will bring it up to closer to 30,000 personnel needed for each 24-hour period needed. And that’s not including our specialized resources, so we’re looking at canines, bomb squad, haz-mat, etc.

“That also does not account for the Games Route Network, which covers significant mileage on our freeways and streets. The street part of the Network will be the responsibility of the Los Angeles Police Department or any entities that we bring in order to have oversight and direction.”

● Referring to the $1 billion Federal appropriation in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OB3″), White noted firmly:

“Salaries alone will greatly exceed what there is, what is available … that’s knowing what we will deploy as the City of L.A. from our own resources, can move beyond what OB3 can properly fund and knowing that other municipalities will be looking to attach to that [funding], as well as the City beyond just Fire, Police and DOT [transportation].

“When we ran those calculations, we exceeded the billion dollars on our own salaries that are deployed towards those Games, and so I would like to offer some clarity on that to make sure that as we’re moving forward, ‘maybe OB3 can take care of this,’ we certainly as the City of L.A. will greatly exceed what is available.”

Said Yaroslavsky, with understatement, “I think we need a better plan.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell in his opening remarks, also referred to the department’s needs:

“We requested funding to purchase vehicles, technology and specialized equipment to be able to do the Olympics. We appreciate the funding is provided for vehicles and some funding for technology but we need additional funding for technology and specialized equipment to prepare for the Olympics.

“For example, while funding is provided to purchase vehicles, funding was not provided for the technology equipment in the vehicles. While we anticipate funding will be available in the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025], it will not be released until the fall.

“In addition, the $1 billion [Federal] budget is for all agencies involved in the Olympics, not just the LAPD and will be restricted primarily to police officer overtime.

“LA28 confirms that they have zero police or public safety budget, and while they do have a security budget, it doesn’t cover law enforcement.”

The LAPD has asked for $42 million to acquire 407 vehicles for use during the Olympic period, about 300 of which would be “black-and-white” patrol cars.

Observed: Wednesday’s testimony offered the first public information provided about police deployment during the Games and Yaroslavsky was visibly irritated over the lack of clarity up to this point on who was responsible for what concerning security for the 2028 Games.

She was clearly under the impression that the Federal government was going to cover most of the needs, but the LAPD explained that (1) the $1 billion Federal grant in 2025 won’t come close to covering the needs of even the LAPD alone and that (2) the LA28 organizers have no money in its $7.145 billion budget for security funding of law enforcement.

Said Yaroslavsky, “It’s confusing and it’s starting to get frustrating.”

This issue is going to get hotter because the City of Los Angeles is on the hook for the first $270 million of any LA28 deficit, expected to be covered by an LA28 internal fund of $270 million. The State of California would pay the next $270 million of any deficit and then the City of Los Angeles has unlimited liability beyond that.

And the City cannot afford to pay it.

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PANORAMA: Is Int’l Table Tennis going bankrupt? London Marathon has record 59,830 finishers; FIFA adds $116 million for World Cup teams

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

● Table Tennis ● The International Table Tennis Federation published its 2025 financial statements, showing $71.08 million U.S. in revenue, but $85.47 million in expenses, notably due to new tournaments, with spending up by $21.363 million (43%) for the year!

This was noted during the ITTF Summit in London (GBR) as “reflecting investment in event delivery, record prize money exceeding US$11 million, enhanced broadcast production, and the build-out of operational capabilities to support an expanded global footprint.”

This meant a sizable loss of $14.39 million for 2025, vs. a surplus of $1.51 million for 2024. Worse, the federation’s balance sheet now shows a swing to negative equity of $8.0 million: $51.06 million in assets and $59.06 million in liabilities (absorbing some restricted funds). The ITTF had $6.801 million in reserves at the end of 2025.

Even with the IOC’s payment of $18.11 million as a share of the Paris 2024 television rights to the federation (to be spent over four years), the statement auditors noted:

“[T]he Executive Board has established a plan to execute specific measures to achieve a return to profitability, including – among others – a significant reduction in overhead and structure costs starting from the second half of 2026, along with a focus on more profitable events.

“Should the Group be unable to achieve profitable results in the foreseeable period, such condition would indicate that a material uncertainty exists, that may cast a significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

Yikes!

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● There is a lot of negativity right now around Los Angeles and the LA28 organizing committee, but it’s just not about the Olympics or Paralympics. Angelenos aren’t too happy with being in Los Angeles.

The 11th annual survey of Los Angeles resident attitudes about L.A. County by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs shows the lowest satisfaction index in the history of the poll:

“Los Angeles County residents are less satisfied with their quality of life than at any time in more than a decade. Those were the findings of the 11th annual UCLA Los Angeles County Quality of Life Index, a project of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The overall Index dropped to the lowest point in its history – 52 — while six of the nine categories which make up the Index also declined to their lowest point.

“Cost of Living concerns continue to drive the Index rating more than any other category, but it has been supplemented by declining scores for Education and Transportation/Traffic.

“The survey also quantified the experiences and opinions of County residents on a number of different timely issues including impacts of this past year’s ICE sweeps and other immigration actions; lasting impacts from last year’s wildfires; optimism and concerns related to housing and other affordability issues.”

The midway mark of the index is 55 and the satisfaction score was 59 in 2016 and 2017, but dipped below halfway in 2022 (53), rebounded slightly in 2023 (55) and down to 53 in 2024 and 2025 and now 52 in 2026. Eight of the nine categories of measurement showed a decline, and “Cost of Living” was by far the most important element to respondents – 68% – 10 points ahead of “Public Safety.”

The Games was not mentioned in the research summary at all. But it’s impacted by the pressures of everyday living in Los Angeles and will be right through the closing.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The 2030 Winter Games organizing committee confirmed Tuesday it is looking for an alternative to the Allianz Arena in Nice for ice hockey.

Mayor Eric Ciotti has objected to using the venue, which would eliminate home matches for the Nice club football team. So, a Tuesday statement from the organizers noted:

“With a focus on efficiency and budget optimization, the [organizing committee] has decided to broaden its investigations by examining the use of existing facilities in other major metropolitan areas such as Lyon or Paris, particularly those offering a minimum seating capacity of 10,000.”

A report will be made on 11 May and a decision is expected as soon as June. Facilities in Lyon and Paris have signaled interest for the 2030 Winter Games hockey matches.

● NCAA ● On Monday, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors advanced an initiative which:

“if adopted in its current form, would permit student-athletes up to five years of eligibility beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier. Under that model, Division I student-athletes would no longer be limited to only four seasons of competition within their five-year eligibility window.”

This would have a significant impact on the current chaos of the transfer portal in that “redshirt” years would be eliminated and everyone has the same timeframe to complete eligibility. If enacted, the “new rules are not expected to retroactively apply to student-athletes whose eligibility is or will be completed by the spring of 2026.”

The NCAA Division I Cabinet will meet in May for possible further action.

● Athletics ● The London Marathon did more than see the first in-competition sub-2:00 marathon:

“Guinness World Records has announced that the 2026 TCS London Marathon has broken the record title for the Largest number of finishers in a marathon, with a total of 59,830 beating 59,226 set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2025.”

That’s a lot of finishers and applications have opened for 2027. There has been talk of holding marathons on two consecutive days to allow more than 100,000 to run, but no agreement as yet.

● Badminton ● A major scoring change was approved at the Annual General Meeting of the Badminton World Federation, with matches to be played – beginning in 2027 – in the best two-of-three sets with scores to 15 points instead of 21, known as “3×15.”

Rally scoring is maintained and a match must be won by two points up to 20-20. After that, the next point wins. The measure passed by the required two-thirds majority of votes cast and will result in shorter matches in a more dependable timeframe, designed to maintain more fan interest.

● Boxing ● World Boxing announced its process for allowing Russian and Belarusian “neutrals” to compete:

“It means that delegations from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate with national flags, uniforms or anthems and will have to pass a detailed vetting process to be able to take part in World Boxing events.”

In terms of checks, the statement noted:

“World Boxing will work with an expert, independent third party to conduct a series of checks on all athletes from Russia and Belarus that are entered into its competitions to ensure they do not have a history of supporting the war in Ukraine, are not paid by the military or security forces, are not members of clubs linked to the army or police force and have not participated in any events organised by The International Military Sports Council (CISM) since the start of the war in Ukraine.”

The athlete review will not be used for Russian or Belarusian athletes ages 18 and younger.

The World Boxing Executive Board endorsed seven new member federations in Antigua and Barbuda, Cameroon, Curaçao, Gabon, Grenada, South Africa and Vanuatu, bringing the federation total to 175. They will need to be confirmed at the federation’s Congress in November to become actual members.

● Fencing ● The International Fencing Federation (FIE) and USA Fencing signed a Memorandum of Understanding to “establish a comprehensive cooperative framework on the road to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.”

Cooperation between IFs and their member national federations is simply assumed prior to major events, but given that the (recused) FIE President is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has been fighting sanctions since 2022, the MoU formalizes the relationship and “creates a joint ‘Fencing Road to LA28 Working Group’.” The two federations “will coordinate on major marketing and communications initiatives, athlete promotion and ambassador work. The two organisations will collaborate on content, events and activations as excitement builds towards LA28.”

● Football ● The FIFA Council, meeting in Vancouver (CAN), agreed to increase payments to the 48 participating teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, by 15% overall to a total of $871 million:

● “Preparation money: increase from USD 1.5 million to USD 2.5 million;

● “Qualification money: increase from USD 9 million to USD 10 million;

● “Additional team contributions: subsidies for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations totalling over USD 16 million.”

Rule changes for the World Cup included a change in yellow-card accumulation, with “single yellow cards … cancelled after the group stage and then again after the quarter-finals.” Also, a change already proposed was agreed, approving red cards for players “covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent” and “any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.”

A FIFA request for a police-escorted motorcade in Vancouver (CAN) for President Gianni Infantino (SUI) for the FIFA Congress was denied by the Vancouver Police Department. Deputy Chief Don Chapman said in a statement:

“Formal motorcades where traffic is stopped are reserved for heads of state.

“As the FIFA executive do not meet Internationally Protected Person (IPP) standards that would warrant such an escort (closing roads, intersections, not adhering to traffic devices, etc.), the request was declined.”

● Gymnastics ● USA Gymnastics announced its class of 2026 for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, including seven-time U.S. trampoline champion Logan Dooley; two-time World Artistic Championships team gold medalist Kara Eaker, 2019 Pan American Games Rhythmic Clubs gold medalist Camilla Feeley, Athens 2004 Olympic Team silver winner Courtney McCool Griffeth and three-time U.S. Acrobatic women’s Pairs champions, Maren Merwarth and Jessica Renteria.

Tim Klempnauer was honored for lifetime achievement, as an athlete, coach and former member of the USA Gymnastics Board.

The induction ceremony will be in August during the U.S. nationals in Phoenix, Arizona.

● Sport Climbing ● A new men’s Speed world record of 4.58 for Chinese teen Yicheng Zhao (16) at the Asian Breach Games in Sanya (CHN), shaving 0.06 off of American Sam Watson’s 4.64 in 2025.

Zhao set the mark in the Speed preliminaries on Tuesday; he won the event in a walkover as Antasyafi Al Hilmi (INA) false-started in the final.

● Swimming ● U.S. distance superstar Katie Ledecky was on fire at Wednesday’s opening night of the Ft. Lauderdale Open in Florida, storming to the no. 5 performance in history in the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle, winning in 15:25.62. She was more than a minute ahead of second-place, 15-year-old Sydney Hardy (16:42.76).

Ledecky surprised with an 800 m Freestyle world record at this meet last year, and now has the top 13 times in history in the 1,500 m Free.

It was reported that Konstantin Grigorishin, 60, the Ukrainian founder and funder of the International Swimming League, has been accused by the Ukrainian government of “Especially Large-Scale Misappropriation of Another’s Property,” which could result in imprisonment from 7-12 years.

About $1.54 million U.S. was said to have been embezzled from an energy distribution company in northern Ukraine between 2020-24.

He is considered to be, as of 25 February 2026, a “Person hiding from pre-trial investigation bodies.” The last ISL season was in 2021.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Unusual sponsorship deal sees JPMorganChase sign up with IOC for four years and LA28 and USOPC for two

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ JPMORGANCHASE ≡

Banks are one of the first sponsorship categories usually filled by major event organizing committees, not only for funding, but for lines of credit and payment flexibility.

The LA28 organizers did not have such a sponsor, from the early days in 2017 after it received the hosting rights for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, until now. On Tuesday, there were announcements from the International Olympic Committee, LA28 and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, all sent within five minutes at 9:00 to 9:05 a.m. Eastern time.

Banking giant JPMorganChase signed two agreements, one of the International Olympic Committee and one with LA28 and the USOPC. Per the IOC statement:

● “JPMorganChase becomes the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Asset and Wealth Management and Private Banking, Commercial and Investment Banking category.”

● “In the USA, the firm will be a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic Games in the Retail Banking category. Consistent with the IOC’s approach, revenues generated through the partnership will be redistributed to support sports organisations globally – including National Olympic Committees and their athletes, as well as Organising Committees for the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games.”

The joint LA28-USOPC statement added a couple of details:

● “JPMorganChase will support the LA28 Games by creating opportunities for athletes, empowering local businesses and investing in local communities. This includes plans to host financial health workshops at branches and other locations to help athletes plan for their financial futures beyond the LA28 Games.”

● “In addition to championing growth, opportunity and achievement, JPMorganChase will invest in technology and innovation through a new partnership with NBCUniversal to support the company’s multi-platform coverage of the LA28 Games. Together, JPMorganChase and NBCUniversal will highlight athlete journeys and the competitions of the LA28 Games in new and exciting ways.”

It’s an important sponsorship for both the IOC and the LA28 organizers.

For the IOC, it is their first banking partner, but it will be short-lived, as Commonwealth Bank has signed on to be the first major sponsor of the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee. The IOC announcement noted the “partnership includes the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28) and the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

It is also the 12th company to participate in the 2025-28 TOP program of worldwide sponsors, more than any TOP quadrennial except Tokyo 2020 (14) and Paris 2024 (15). And there are still two years left. Worries about the demise of TOP appear unfounded.

For LA28, having a major banking sponsor – Chase is identified as “Official Retail Bank” – will help not only with financial operations, but for services with Games clients such as the National Olympic Committees, International Federations and news media, as well as foreign guests.

It’s also the second Founding Partner announcement in 2026 for LA28, and its eighth Founding Partner in total, which surpasses the Paris 2024 Premium Partner total of seven. As the Founding Partner category entails commitments of more than $100 million, the LA28 commercial budget goal of $2.5 billion is at least at 84% now and perhaps at 88%.

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ATHLETICS: Former NCAA and U.S. sprint champ Abby Steiner sues Puma and Mercedes Benz over injuries caused by shoes

By
Rich Perelman
-
Sprint star Abby Steiner at the 2022 World Athletics Championships (Photo: Wikipedia via Erik van Leeuwen).

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≡ STEINER vs. PUMA ≡

“This is a product liability action seeking recovery for substantial personal injuries and damages suffered by Plaintiff after Plaintiff was seriously injured by products designed, engineered, tested, developed, manufactured, advertised, marketed, promoted, imported, sold and distributed by Defendants.”

That’s the opening of a 35-page complaint filed by one-time U.S. sprint star Abby Steiner in Massachusetts Superior Court last Friday (24th) against Puma and Mercedes Benz Grans Prix Limited, known as the MercedesAMG Petronas FI Team.

At the end, the complaint asks for:

“As a direct and proximate cause of Defendants’ negligence and wrongful misconduct as described herein, Plaintiff has suffered and will continue to suffer physical and emotional injuries and damages including past, present, and future pain and suffering, including the inability to compete in track and field at the national and Olympic levels. Plaintiff is entitled to recover damages from Defendants for these injuries in an amount which shall be proven at trial.”

Steiner was one of the bright stars of 2022, winning the NCAA 200 m title while at Kentucky in 2022 and then taking the USATF national 200 m gold. She finished fifth in the 2022 World Championships women’s 200 m and won relay golds in the 4×100 and 4×400 m relays. She had an unlimited future ahead of her.

But after lifetime bests of 10.90 and 21.77 in 2022 – wearing Nike spikes – her performances dropped to 11.19/22.07 in 2023 and 11.05/22.03 in 2024. She finished fifth at the 2024 Olympic Trials in the women’s 200 and did not make the Paris team. That was her last competitive race.

She signed a major endorsement deal with Puma after her 2022 triumphs, reportedly in the $2 million range. But it did not work out.

Now living in South Carolina, Steiner’s Boston attorneys filed suit against Puma in its U.S. headquarters state of Massachusetts and recited a list of complaints about their products. The Mercedes F1 team was included as it was apparently involved in the designs of shoes that Steiner claim injured her. Specifically:

● “Representations and warranties like those made by the PUMA DEFENDANTS and MERCEDES-BENZ GRAND PRIX LTD. mislead consumers, including Plaintiff, into believing the PUMA SHOES were adequately and appropriately testing and reasonably safe for their normal, intended use when in reality, they are unsafe, unreasonably dangerous, defective and capable of causing injury and harms to consumers during ordinary, anticipated and foreseeable uses.”

● “Relying upon representations and warranties made bythe PUMA DEFENDANTS and MERCEDES-BENZ GRAND PRIX LTD,, including those set forth herein and others, Plaintiff decided to wear the PUMA SHOES for training and in competitions with the reasonable expectation that they were properly designed, developed, tested, manufactured, marketed, promoted, advertised, sold and distributed free from defects of any kind, and that they were safe for their intended, foreseeable use during training and competitions.”

● “Despite this and in disregard of their obligations, the PUMA DEFENDANTS and MERCEDES-BENZ GRAND PRIX LTD. were aware that the PUMA SHOES had defects that made them unsafe, unreasonably dangerous, defective and capable of causing injury and harm to consumers during ordinary, anticipated an foreseeable uses.”

The complaint states that Steiner became injured, but only now understood the cause:

● “As a direct and proximate cause of her use of the PUMA SHOES for training and in competitions, Plaintiff developed severe and permanent injuries resulting in multiple surgeries, rehabilitations and recovery.”

● “As a direct and proximate caus of the severe and permanent injuries the PUMA SHOES caused Plaintiff, she is unable to run competitively, including at the professional and Olympic level.”

● “The proximate cause of Plaintiffs injuries was the defective, unsafe and negligent design, development, testing, manufacture, assémbly, sale and distribution of the PUMA SHOES and the inadequate, deficient and misleading safety, testing and performance statements, claims, warranties and representations associated with the PUMA SHOES, which, during reasonably anticipated use, present and unreasonable and unacceptably high risk of injury.”

And:

“Plaintiff brings this Complaint having only recently discovered the offending instrumentality that caused her injuries. Prior to this, the wrongful conduct and potential role played by PUMA SHOE designs, as well as their use of CFP [carbon fiber plate] and/or NF [nitrofoam] technology were not apparent, evident or objectively ascertainable by Plaintiff.

“Prior to this, Plaintiff did not know, nor could or should she have reasonably known, that she had been harmed or may have been harmed by Defendants’ conduct, and therefore the discovery rule applies.”

The next step will be a reply by Puma and Mercedes Benz Grand Prix, due in the Massachusetts Superior Court by 24 August; the case is Steiner vs. Puma North America, Inc et al, case no. 2681CV01095.

Observed: The complaint states that at 26, Steiner’s career is over. That is the saddest part of the matter, to see such a promising star lose out to injury, in her case, allegedly due to her sponsor’s shoes.

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PANORAMA: IOC says no to Milan Cortina deficit help; Sawe says a 1:58 marathon is possible; Boston says World Cup tailgating now OK

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Milan Cortina 2026 slogan: "IT's your vibe!" (Photo: Milan Cortina 2026)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Italian daily La Notizia reported Friday that a request to the International Olympic Committee to cover €100 million of the €310 million deficit expected from the staging of the 2026 Winter Games was rejected. (€1 = $1.17 U.S.)

The IOC’s response was, “We have already delivered far beyond what was agreed upon.”

The story further reported demands on the organizers from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI: €35 million) and the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP: €5.4 million) for trademark rights payments and commercial program shares.

The IOC also noted that it “has contributed significantly more than the benefits and rights alone, worth 925 million dollars, provided for by the Olympic Host Contract; including a direct contribution to the operating budget of the organizing committee,” which included cash to the organizers and services such as the host broadcasting program.

The story reported that half of the organizing committee deficit will be covered by the Italian national government and the remaining half will be split between the regions, with Lombardy and Veneto each taking half, with shares to also come from cities and provinces within their borders.

● World Games ● Russian Anna Arzhanova, head of the World Underwater Sports Federation since 2013 and an International World Games Association Board member since 2014, was elected as the fourth head of the IWGA at the Annual General Meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on 25 April.

She is listed by the IWGA as “from Serbia and Russia” and will serve from 2026-30, replacing Jose Perurena (ESP), who headed the organization for three terms from 2012. Arzhanova received 29 of 39 votes from the World Games federations.

● Athletics ● Strong marks at the Botswana Grand Prix in Gaborone on Sunday, just a week ahead of the World Athletics Relays coming to town, with a world-leading women’s 800 m win for home favorite Oratile Nowe in 1:58.42, ahead of Nigist Getachew (ETH: 1:59.06).

American Gabby Thomas got her fifth straight sprint win on her African tour, winning the women’s 100 m in a lifetime best of 10.95 (wind: -0.4 m/s) over countrywoman Cambria Sturgis (11.07). Kayla White of the U.S. won the 200 m in 22.68.

The men’s sprints were fast with Jerome Blake (CAN) taking the 100 m over teammate (and two-time Olympic 100 m medalist) Andre De Grasse, 9.93 to 9.95 with Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala in third at 9.95. De Grasse, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200 m champ, was speedy there, winning in 19.84, no. 3 on the 2026 world list.

In a Monday interview after his 1:59:30 world marathon record, Kenyan Sabastian Sawe confirmed to reporters that his sponsor adidas paid $50,000 to the Athletics Integrity Unit to test him 25 times out-of-competition before his win at the 2025 Berlin Marathon and similarly for the 2026 London Marathon:

“We came up with this idea, and I really like it, because doping has become a cancer in my country. And we said – from the management of my company, my coaches and also the whole group – we must get rid of doubts for individual results.

“The AIU agreed to start the -process and everything goes well. I think it makes me feel comfortable in athletics, because no one’s doubting Sabastian Sawe. I would like my fellow athletes to follow me and to show the world that we can run fast and clean.”

Sawe also confirmed that the record run was because of the competition with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who ran 1:59:41 for second:

“It was competitive, because Kejelcha was with me. We were patrolling each other. It wasn’t like, let’s see the time. I only realized I was running two hours when -finishing the race. It was near the finish line when I saw the time and I was so excited and tried to push and I did it.

“For sure, racing with Yomif made a difference. What I did yesterday, it’s because of him. He tried his best and I tried my best. We pushed to our limits and we ran sub-two.”

Sawe said he thought “it’s only a matter of time” until someone runs 1:58; he plans to run in a fall marathon, but did not specify which one it will be. He is the defending champion at the ultra-fast Berlin Marathon.

Sawe, runner-up Kejelcha and women’s winner Tigst Assefa (ETH) all wore the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which instantly shot up in resale price following the race.

The 14,000 seats in the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest (HUN) are apparently sold for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in September, so 7,000 temporary seats are being added to increase capacity to 21,000.

The venue had 36,000 seats for the highly-attended 2023 World Athletics Championships, including temporary seating, with 14,000 permanent seats retained afterward. Will still more temp seats be added?

● Football ● The Boston host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup said Monday that tailgating would be allowed at Gillette Stadium for World Cup matches.

The Boston host committee instructions for the event had banned the practice, but on Monday, the host committee said FIFA had relaxed its restrictions. The “Match Day Check List” page now includes:

“Please note that the traditional ‘tailgating’ is permitted for these events.”

The Norwegian Football Association, headed by FIFA critic Lise Klaveness has asked FIFA to cancel its FIFA Peace Prize, which was first awarded in 2025 at the FIFA World Cup Final Draw to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Klaveness said that FIFA, as an International Federation, must remain politically neutral.

● Ice Hockey ● At the IIHF World boys U-18 World Championship in Slovakia, the host team and the U.S. topped the groups as play moves to the elimination quarterfinals.

Slovakia finished 3-1 and had 10 points with an overtime loss to top Group A, with Canada (3-1: 9) second. The U.S. lost its first match in overtime to the Czech Republic, 3-2, but won its next three to finish 3-1 (10), ahead of the Czechs (3-1: 9).

In the quarters, Slovakia will face Denmark, the U.S. will play Latvia, Canada will play Sweden and the Czechs will play Finland. The brackets will be re-seeded for the semifinals; the final is on Saturday.

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ATHLETICS: Forty-year-old Allyson Felix says she’s on the comeback trail for LA28; amazingly, this could work!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic great Allyson Felix in 2021 (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA).

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≡ FELIX TO RETURN IN 2027? ≡

In an interview with TIME published on Monday, American Olympic star Allyson Felix, 11-time Olympic medal winner and now a member of the International Olympic Committee – now 40 – says she is ready to make a comeback.

She shared the idea with her brother and agent Wes Felix last June, but came out publicly only now. She told correspondent Sean Gregory:

● A lot of this is about Los Angeles, where she grew up, calling the concept “A Love Story With Los Angeles” and explaining “This is a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming. And it is the only thing powerful enough to pull me back.”

● She told Gregory, “So many of us have been told not to do the big, bold thing, You know, at this age, I should probably be staying home and taking care of my kids, doing all that. And just, why not? Let’s flip it on its head. Let’s go after the thing. Let’s be vulnerable.”

● Felix plans to return to training, with her longtime coach, Bobby Kersee, in October and would start competing again in 2027. She said of attending the Paris 2024 Games, “It was definitely mixed emotions.”

● “I know, at 40, I am not at my peak. I have no illusions about that. I’m very clear in what it is and what I want to see. And so I hope it’s seen that way. …

“I would probably be upset at myself if I just didn’t give it a try. However it turns out, I’ll still be there with my kids, hanging out and cheering everybody on.”

Felix would not be the first 40-year-old to compete at the Games; there have been more than 100 in track & field alone; Matt McGrath is the oldest U.S. track & field medalist ever at 48 when he won a men’s hammer silver at Paris 1924.

But she will be the first American 40-year-old with 11 Olympic medals to try a comeback:

● 2004: 200 m silver
● 2008: 4×400 m gold, 200 m silver
● 2012: 200-4×100-4×400 m golds
● 2016: 4×100-4×400 m golds, 400 m silver
● 2020: 4×400 m gold, 400 m bronze

Anyone who ever meets Felix is immediately impressed by her thoughtfulness, drive and the smarts that come from experience. Is she crazy?

Maybe crazy like a fox.

Coming back from injuries and losing most of 2020 to Covid, she made the American team for Tokyo 2020 (in 2021) in the 400 m finishing second at the Olympic Trials at 50.02 and then won a stunning bronze, running 49.46 at age 35. In 2022 she finished sixth at the U.S. nationals in 51.24 at age 36 and had a best during the season of 50.71. She won a Mixed 4×400 m bronze and a women’s 4×400 m gold at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

So has the event progressed beyond her? Yes, if you’re thinking about competing with 2025 World Champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the open 400; Felix’s best was 49.24 in 2015, now 30th all-time. But NO if you’re looking at perhaps a third-place spot or a relay team. Look at the times for third and sixth – usually the last relay spot – in the U.S. women’s 400 m nationals finals in recent years:

● 2022: 1st: 50.22 ~ 3rd: 50.67 ~ 5th: 50.84
● 2023: 1st: 48.74 ~ 3rd: 49.93 ~ 6th: 50.96
● 2024: 1st: 49.46 ~ 3rd: 49.78 ~ 6th: 50.68
● 2025: 1st: 48.90 ~ 3rd: 49.91 ~ 6th: 50.88

Can a 42-year-old Allyson Felix think about running in the mid-50 second range and making a sixth U.S. Olympic Team for 2028?

Possible, absolutely possible, especially in a preferred scenario where the U.S. Olympic Trials are held with a roaring crowd in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in what would be essentially a test event for the new track installed for the 2028 Games.

You will hear a lot of comparisons with Jamaican (and later Slovenian) sprint great Merlene Ottey, who was born on 10 May 1960 and competed all the way to age 51 in 2011. What did she do in her 40s? In the Olympic year of 2004, competing for Slovenia at age 44, she ran 11.09 for 100 m and 22.72 for 200, ranking 12th and 28th in the world that year. And she reached the Olympic semis in Athens in both events that summer.

Felix has a full business career, plus her IOC work and raising daughter Camryn, 7, and son Trey, 2 with her husband Kenneth Ferguson. But is this a silly, self-obsessed dream?

Not for Allyson Felix.

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ATHLETICS: Sawe’s 1:59:30 marathon was great, but it’s not even in the top 10 among the best world records!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Kenya's Sabastian Sawe on his way to a world record 1:59:30 at the 2026 London Marathon (Photo: TCS London Marathon).

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≡ WHERE DOES 1:59:30 RANK? ≡

Kenyan star Sabastian Sawe’s 1:59:30 world marathon record at the London Marathon on Sunday has to be one of the greatest performances in the history of track & field.

Right?

Maybe not.

Although historic, Sawe’s breakthrough race does not compare well on the World Athletics Scoring Tables.

Although imperfect, these tables have long been a statistician’s model for comparing track & field performances across events. The current version is the 2025 edition, an update from 2022 and based on the work of Bulgarian engineer and statistician Dr. Bojidar Spiriev (1932-2010), whose original tables were published in 1982.

The tables assign points to various performances in 162 events, but warns, “Due to obvious biological differences, it is not proposed to fully compare men’s and women’s performances.”

So if we look only at the 20 men’s Olympic events plus the mile (walks and relays excluded), the top scorers are:

● 1. 1,365 pts: M JT: 98.48 m (323-1) by Jan Zelezny (CZE) 1996
● 2. 1,356 pts: M 100: 9.58 by Usain Bolt (JAM) 2009
● 3. 1,353 pts: M PV: 6.31 mi (20-8 1/2) by Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 2026
● 4. 1,351 pts: M 200: 19.19 by Usain Bolt (JAM) 2009
● 5. 1.347 pts: M DT: 75.56 m (247-11) by Mykolas Alekna (LTU) 2025
● 6. 1,346 pts: M LJ: 8.95 m (29-4 1/2) by Mike Powell (USA) 1991
● 7. 1,341 pts: M 400H: 45.94 by Karsten Warholm (NOR) 2021
● 8. 1,334 pts: M SP: 23.56 m (77-3 3/4) by Ryan Crouser (USA) 2023
● 9. 1,328 pts: M Mar: 1:59:30 by Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2026
● 10. 1,321 pts: M 400: 43.03 by Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) 2016

That seems awfully low for Sawe, but there is a reason. In the 2022 tables, his 1:59:30 would have scored 1,341 points and ranked equal-seventh. But the 2025 edition preface notes:

“Due to the unprecedented fast improvement of the results in the marathon events, disproportions have occurred in the scoring tables. Therefore, the parameters had to be adjusted accordingly.”

This impacts the women’s list too, where fellow Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 from 2024 moved down from 1,339 points on the 2022 tables to 1,312 now. The top 10 women’s world records:

● 1. 1,382 pts: W DT: 76.80 m (252-0) by Gabrielle Reinsch (GDR) 1988
● 2. 1,372 pts: W SP: 22.63 m (74-3) by Natalia Lisovskaya (URS) 1987
● 3. 1,337 pts: W 400: 47.60 by Marita Koch (GDR) 1985
● 4. 1,333 pts: W LJ: 7.52 m (24-8 1/4) by Galina Chistyakova (URS) 1988
● 5. 1,331 pts: W Hep: 7,291 by Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) 1988
● 6=. 1,322 pts: W 1,500 m: 3:46.68 by Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 2025
● 6=. 1,322 pts: W 400H 50.37 by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 2024
● 8. 1,319 pts: W HJ: 2.10 m (6-10 3/4) by Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2024
● 9. 1,317 pts: W Mile: 4:07.64, by Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 2023
● 10. 1,314 pts: W 100: 10.49 by Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) 1988

Reinsch’s discus record was also discounted from the 2022 score of 1,390, but the others remained the same. Using the 2025 scoring tables, Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 now ranks 12th.

If we put the lists together – despite the warning in the tables – it looks like this, with Sawe’s 1:59:30 marathon ranking a combined 14th:

● 1. 1,382 pts: W DT: 76.80 m (252-0) by Gabrielle Reinsch (GDR) 1988
● 2. 1,372 pts: W SP: 22.63 m (74-3) by Natalia Lisovskaya (URS) 1987
● 3. 1,365 pts: M JT: 98.48 m (323-1) by Jan Zelezny (CZE) 1996
● 4. 1,356 pts: M 100: 9.58 by Usain Bolt (JAM) 2009
● 5. 1,353 pts: M PV: 6.31 mi (20-8 1/2) by Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 2026

● 6. 1,351 pts: M 200: 19.19 by Usain Bolt (JAM) 2009
● 7. 1.347 pts: M DT: 75.56 m (247-11) by Mykolas Alekna (LTU) 2025
● 8. 1,346 pts: M LJ: 8.95 m (29-4 1/2) by Mike Powell (USA) 1991
● 9. 1,341 pts: M 400H: 45.94 by Karsten Warholm (NOR) 2021
● 10. 1,334 pts: M SP: 23.56 m (77-3 3/4) by Ryan Crouser (USA) 2023

● 11. 1,337 pts: W 400: 47.60 by Marita Koch (GDR) in 1985
● 12. 1,333 pts: W LJ: 7.52 m (24-8 1/4), Galina Chistyakova (URS) 1988
● 13. 1,331 pts: W Hep: 7,291, Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) 1988
● 14. 1,328 pts: M Mar:1:59:30 by Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2026
● 15=. 1,322 pts: W 1,500 m: 3:46.68 by Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 2025
● 15=. 1,322 pts: W 400H: 50.37 by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 2024

So Sawe ranks 14th on the combined record comparison list. One thing the table so show is that Duplantis has only 4 1/4 inches to go to reach 6.42 m (21-0 3/4), which would give him 1,383 points and become the “best” world record of all (until the next revision)!

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PANORAMA: Phoenix vs. St. Louis for 2028 marathon trials; Pogacar storms to historic Liege-Bastogne-Liege win; 2:05:54 for U.S.’s Vinny Mauri?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogacar celebrating his World Road Champs win in 2024 (Photo: Wikipedia via Albinfo).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Japan ● A first-ever Winter Games parade for Japan’s Olympians and Paraympians was held Saturday in Tokyo, with organizers saying around 50,000 people lined the streets in the Nihombashi area.

Kyodo News reported that among the athletes participating were now-retired Olympic Pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who demonstrated some of their lifts – on pavement – during the parade, drawing loud applause.

● Athletics ● Although USA Track & Field has been silent, the “race” to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials appears to be between St. Louis, Missouri, which has said it is bidding, and Phoenix, Arizona, which hosted a USATF inspection team earlier this month.

The hype is once again over economic impact, with Visit Phoenix’s Joel Koester claiming that hosting would bring “800 athletes and 200,000 fans, generating $17 to $32 million for the city” in March 2028. The race would be held in and around Hance Park in downtown Phoenix.

The two cities couldn’t be more different in March weather patterns:

● Phoenix: Daily highs (1st to 31st) from 74-82 F; daily lows from 52-57 F; chance of rain 11-7%

● St. Louis: Daily highs (1st to 31st) from 51-62 F; daily lows from 33-43 F; chance of rain 20-32%

A USATF decision is expected to be made in June, but must be further approved by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

● Football ● FIFA opened a major office in Coral Gables, Florida in the Miami area to organizing the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so it was not so unusual to see FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) as the commencement speaker for Miami Dade College.

Founded in 1960 as a two-year community college, it began offering four-year degrees in 2003. The commencement ceremony was held at Loan Depot Park, home of the Miami Marlins baseball club. Infantino told the graduates:

“My message to all of you is exactly this: Work hard always. Be resilient always. Be positive always. Be honest. Be helpful. Be happy. Because we have to be happy, because the team that wins the [FIFA] World Cup wins once every four years. You are winning it today, and you can win it every day as of now with your actions, with your activities, with the smile you can give to every girl and every boy, every man and every woman.”

● Shooting ● The continuing move by International Federations to take on the Paralympic element of their sport expanded with the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) agreeing Friday to extend governance to World Shooting Para Sport, currently a department of the International Paralympic Committee. The terms also recognize the run-up to the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles:

“[T]he transfer of shooting Para sport from IPC to ISSF will only take effect following ratification by ISSF Member Federations at the ISSF General Assembly, scheduled for late 2026. Subject to ratification, the ISSF would assume responsibility for the entire governance, management and administration of shooting Para sport from early 2027, while leaving discretion to the ISSF on matters of integration of shooting Para sport.

“For that reason, the ISSF proposes to implement the integration process progressively over a two-year integration period in 2027-2028 (for example by limiting any changes which may affect the calendar, competition structures and the qualification system for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games). This two-year integration period will ensure stability, continuity and minimal disruptions for athletes, Member Federations, organisers, and stakeholders for both ISSF and the shooting Para sport community.”

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Athletics ● Four world-leading marks at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (KEN) on Friday, with Paris 2024 200 m champ Gabby Thomas of the U.S. continuing her undefeated African tour with an altitude-aided 21.89 win over fellow American Cambria Sturgis (21.93). Thomas also won the 100 m over Sturgis, 11.91 to 11.15.

Thomas also doubled at the Addis Ababa (ETH) Grand Prix on the 18th, in 11.13 and 22.15.

Norway’s three-time Olympian Amalie Iuel took the women’s 400 m hurdles lead at 54.12, a lifetime best, and Olympic and World Champion Ethan Katzberg (CAN) won the men’s hammer in a world-leading 82.43 m (270-5), his sixth-best meet ever. Home favorite Kelvin Loti won the men’s 800 m in 1:43.63 to take over the world lead, ahead of countryman Alex Ngeno (1:44.12).

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala moved to equal-5th on the 2026 world list with his men’s 100 m win in 9.96 and South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile is now no. 2 on the world 200 m list with his win in 19.77, ahead of Jamaica’s Bryan Levell (19.93). Now to be overlooked was 800 m superstar Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) and his 1,500 m win in 3:34.11 – a lifetime best by more than a second – ahead of Reynold Kipkorir (3:34.73).

At the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Gracie Hyde of the U.S. posted a win and took the world lead in the women’s Steeple at 9:22.19. She had already made the U.S. team for the World Athletics Road Running Championships with a second-place finish in the women’s road mile earlier in the week.

Two-time World Indoor medalist Roger Steen, who won the World Shot Put Series title for the second year in a row, also won the Relays shot at a seasonal best of 21.93 m (71-11 1/2). He’s now no. 2 on the 2026 world outdoor list.

At the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold Multistars event in Brescia (ITA), Swiss two-time World Indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer moved to no. 2 on the 2026 world list in the decathlon, winning with 8,361 points over Jose Ferreira (BRA: 8,057).

Ehammer won the 100 m, long jump, 400 m, 100 m hurdles and the vault to win easily and get his fifth-highest score ever!

Sweden’s Lovisa Karlsson scored 6,190 to win the heptathlon with a lifetime best, over Jessica Barreira (POR: 6,077).

While Sabastian Sawe was thrilling the marathon world in London, a new American star emerged as a surprise at the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, as Vinny Mauri won in his debut at 2:05:54!

He ran collegiately for Arizona State and then for Notre Dame, with bests of 3:41.22 for 1,500 m and 13:34.03 indoors for the 5,000 m. He’s now the no. 4 American all-time behind Conner Mantz (2:04:43 ‘25), Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:38 ‘02) and newly-eligible Zouhair Talbi, who ran 2:05:45 in Houston on 11 January. Wow!

● Boxing ● Host Brazil and China topped the medal table at the World Boxing Cup I in Foz do Iguaca (BRA) with four wins each.

The Brazilians won four golds and three silvers in the men’s classes, with wins for Luiz Oliveira (60 kg), Yuri Reis (65 kg), Wanderley Pereira (80 kg) and Isias Filho (90 kg). China won one men’s gold with Jiamao Zhang (55 kg) and women’s victories for Xinyu Qi (51 kg), Yunman Gan (54 kg) and Liu Yang (70 kg).

Brazil topped the medal count with nine in all (4-5-0), followed by Kazakhstan with six (2-1-3). The U.S. won three medals, with a silver for Salim Ellis-Bey in the men’s 60 kg final and two women’s bronzes for Noelle Haro (51 kg), and Simona Winkler (70 kg).

● Cycling ● The 112th edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege in Belgium got crazy right away with a 54-rider breakaway forming just km into the 259.5 km race and was as much as 3:40 ahead of the peloton and Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar, trying to tie a record for the most “Monument” wins in a single season.

But the peloton reformed after another 150 km and Pogacar was back in contention.

He attacked with 35 km to go and broke away from everyone except 19-year-old French teen sensation Paul Seixas. Those two rode side-by-side until 14 km to go, then Pogacar attacked on the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons and broke free and finished in 5:50:28, 45 seconds up on Seixas and 1:42 up on the chase pack, with double Paris Olympic champ Remco Evenepoel (BEL) in third overall.

The victory gave Pogacar three wins in a row in this race and three Monument wins this spring – Milan-Sanremo, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liege-Bastogne-Liege – which had only been done twice before, by the legendary Eddy Merckx (BEL) in 1969 and 1975. No one has ever won four Monuments in a single season; Merckx and Pogacar have won three and the Slovenian will go for the record in October at Il Lombardia in Italy, where he is the five-time defending champion!

The women’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege (156.0 km) saw Dutch star Demi Vollering break away with 34 km to go and she sailed to the finish alone in 4:10:22. Countrywoman Puck Pieterse won the three-way second for second at +1:29 over Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and two-time winner Anna van der Breggen (NED).

It’s the third win in this race for Vollering, previously in 2021 and 2023; she’s won a medal in this race for the sixth straight year. Pieterse finished second for the second straight year.

In the final UCI Track World Cup of the season in Nilai (MAS), it was once again Dutch sprint star – and triple Olympic champion – Harrie Lavreysen who was in the middle of the action everywhere. He won the Sprint over Trinidad & Tobago’s Nicolas Paul, with home favorite Mohd Awang (MAS) taking third. Awang won the Keirin with Lavreysen second and Paul third and Lavreysen won a Team Sprint bronze with Italy taking the gold over China.

Japan’s Naoki Kojima won the men’s Omnium, edging American Grant Koontz, 128-127. German Moritz Augenstein, the 2025 Worlds Scratch Race champion, teamed with Roger Kluge to win the Madison and China won the men’s Team Pursuit.

Norway’s Anita Stenberg doubled in the women’s Elimination Race and the women’s Omnium, out-pointing World Champion Lorena Wiebes (NED).=, but Wiebes teamed with Lisa Van Belle to take the Madison gold. Britain’s Olympic bronzer Emma Finucane won the women’s Sprint over World Champion Hetty van de Wouw and New Zealand won the Team Pursuit.

China took wins in the women’s Team Sprint and in the Keirin with Lijuan Wang beating Luz Gaxiola (MEX) and 2025 Worlds runner-up Finucane.

● Sailing ● Italy and Australia were the big winners at the annual Semaine Olympique Francaise raced off Hyeres, with the Italians scoring three golds, in the 49erFX class with Sofia Giunchigla and Giulia Schio, the women’s IQFoil with Paris 2024 champion Marta Maggetti winning the final over series leader Tamar Steinberg (ISR), and in the mixed-crew Nacra 17 with Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, coming from second to first over the two finals races to win.

Australia won two classes with Paris Olympic gold medalist Matt Wearn winning the men’s ILCA7 at 24 points, to 41 for Michael Beckett (GBR). The second Aussie win came in the IQFoil, as Olympic runner-up Grae Morris took the final over Federico Pilloni (ITA).

World Champion Maximilian Maeder (SGP) took the men’s Formula Kite final over Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi (27), and Zaiding Wen and Tian Liu (CHN) scored 52 points to take the men’s 49er title, with Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL: 61) second.

World Champion Laurian Nolot (FRA) dominated the women’s Formula Kite, winning the final and tallying just 15 points across the 14 qualifying races

American Charlotte Rose won the women’s ILCA6 class, winning two races, but ending with 55 points to 56 for Irish sailor Eve McMahon, and winning with a sixth-place finish in the second final, while McMahon was eighth.

Spain’s veteran star Jordi Xammar teamed with Marta Cardona to win the Mixed 470 class, 22-27 over Britain’s Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris.

● Swimming ● At the second World Aquatics World Cup, this time in Ibiza (ESP), Hungary’s Paris 2024 Olympic bronze winner David Betlehem was a decisive winner in the men’s 10 km, touching in 1:52:39.9, ahead of France’s Sacha Velly (1:52.44.2) and Italian teammate 1:52.45.0). Dylan Gravely was the top American, in ninth (1:52:56.2).

Betlehem also won the 500 m final in the 3 km Sprints in 5:43.0, ahead of Italian star Gregorio Paltrinieri (5:45.2), the 5 km-10 km silver winner at the 2025 Worlds.

World Champion Moesha Johnson (AUS) won the women’s 10 km in 1:58:51.3, almost five seconds up on Spain’s Angela Martinez (1:58:56.3). Mariah Denigan (2:02:55.5) and Brinkleigh Hansen (2:05:08.0) were 14-15 for the U.S.

Johnson doubled up in the 3 km Sprints, winning the final in 6:19.8, ahead of German Lea Boy (6:22.80). Hansen was fifth in 6:27.9.

● Triathlon ● Britain’s 2023 World Champion Beth Potter braved 80 F conditions at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Samarkind (UZB) on Saturday to take the win in 1:53:17, ahead of 2025 Worlds runner-up Leonie Periault (FRA: 1:53:26).

Britain’s 2020 World Champion, Georgia Taylor-Brown, led by about 34 seconds after the bike phase, but Potter ran down everyone with the fastest split in the field (33:36) by 10 seconds. Only Periault (33:46) was even close and she was a clear second over Jeanne Lehair (LUX: 1:54:20). Taylor-Brown was fourth (1:54:32) and American Taylor Spivey was fifth (1:54:53).

Hungary’s Marton Kropko was first out of the water in the men’s race and led after the bike phase, but dropped out with an ankle injury during the run. American Chase McQueen dropped back during the run and moving to the front were Vasco Vilaca (POR), Henry Graf (GER) and Charles Pacquet (FRA).

It was Vilaca, the 2025 Worlds bronze winner, with the most speed and he won his first World Championship Series gold in 1:43:33 over Graf (1;43:37) with Paquet in third (1:43:41). Seth Rider was the top American finisher in 27th (1:46:44); McQueen finished 40th in 1:50:23.

● Wrestling ● Lots of changes on the podium at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the men’s Freestyle division seeing only two repeat winners from 2025: Luke Lilledahl at 57 kg, defeating Paris Olympic silver winner Spencer Lee by 5-4, and in the 125 kg finale, where Wyatt Hendrickson faced Demetrius Thomas again and won again, with a pin at 0:27.

The other eight classes all have new winners from 2025, with Marcus Blaze at 61 kg; Bo Bassett at 65 kg (beating 2025 winner Joseph McKenna); Ridge Lovett at 70 kg; two-time national 70 kg champion James Green at 74 kg; Chance Marsteller at 79 kg (defeating 2025 winner Evan Wick); four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, now at 86 kg; Michael Macciavello at 92 kg and Stephen Buchanan at 97 kg.

The women’s Freestyle division had five champions from 2025 on the top of the podium again, but not always at the same classes. Cristelle Rodriguez won at 53 kg this time after taking the 55 kg crown last year, and two-time Worlds runner-up Kayla Miracle won at 65 kg after taking the 62 kg title in 2025. Amanda Martinez repeated as the winner at 57 kg, Abigail Nette won again at 59 kg, and Alexandria Glaude took the title at 72 kg.

Rodriguez defeated Olympic 50 kg gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, who had to retire due to injury during the final.

Isabella Mir finished second at 65 kg in 2025, but moved up to 68 kg and won gold and Adaugo Nwachukwu also moved up from silver to gold, at 62 kg. Everest Leydecker lost to Rodriguez at 55 kg in 2025, but won the class this time, and Dymond Guilford took the 76 kg title.

The outstanding wrestler was at 50 kg, as Katie Gomez won her final at 5-0 over veteran Erin Golston, who finished second for the second year in a row.

All of the men’s and women’s Freestyle winners advance to the “Final X” tournament to decide the U.S. team for the UWW World Championships later this year.

The men’s Greco-Roman division saw seven new champions in the best two-of-three contests to determine the American team for the 2026 UWW Worlds with Max Nowry at 55 kg, Dalton Roberts at 60 kg, Xavier Johnson at 63 kg, Otto Black at 67 (up from second last year), Benjamin Peak at 72, Joel Adams at 77 and Timothy Young at 97 kg.

Three men repeated (sort of) as U.S. open victors, with Kamal Bey winning at 82 kg, up from his 77 kg victory last year, and Beka Melelashvili taking the 82 kg title, up from 77 kg in 2025. Cohlton Schultz repeated as the 130 kg winner, defeating Adam Coon again.

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ATHLETICS: Sawe supreme in astonishing London Marathon world record-smasher in 1:59:30; Assefa gets women-only record of 2:15:41

By
Rich Perelman
-
Amazing 1:59:30 record-shattering marathon for Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe (Photo: TCS London Marathon).

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≡ TWO GET SUB-2 MARATHONS! ≡

Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge already showed in his October 2019 time trial that a sub-2:00 marathon is not just possible, but a reality with his 1:59:41 effort in Vienna (AUT).

On Sunday, it happened in competition as fellow Kenyan Sabastian Sawe won his fourth career marathon – without a loss – and crushed countryman Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 from 2023 with a brilliant 1:59:30 victory at the TCS London Marathon.

Sawe did not run alone; he had company in Ethiopian star Yomif Kejelcha, the two-time World Indoor 3,000 m gold medalist and two-time World Championships 10,000 m runner-up, who also smashed the two-hour barrier and finished second in 1:59:41. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, the world-record holder in the half-marathon at 56:42, ran 2:00:28 and was a distant third.

Astonishing.

Sawe, the defending champion, was in front from the start and stayed at or near the front the whole way. His amazing fitness (and Kejelcha’s) is shown by breaking the race down into 5 km segments:

● 5 km: 14:14 (6 in lead pack)
● 10 km: 28:35 (6) ~ 14:21 segment
● 15 km: 43:10 (6) ~ 14:35
● 20 km: 57:21 (6) ~ 14:11
● 25 km: 1:11:41 (6) ~ 14:20
● 30 km: 1:26:03 (3) ~ 14:22
● 35 km: 1:39:57 (3) ~ 13:54
● 40 km: 1:53:39 (2) ~ 13:42

Sawe passed the half in 1:00:29, so he ran the second half of the race in 59:01, which would be 15th on the world list for 2026 right now! Yowsah! He finished the last 2.2 km in 5:51.

Kejelcha was right with Sawe until just after the 40 km mark and Sawe pulled away to finish in 1:59:30 and Kejelcha 11 seconds back. The results completely re-wrote the list of top performances in history:

● 1:59:30 ~ Sabastian Sawe (KEN) ‘26 in London
● 1:59:41 ~ Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) ‘26 in London (debut)
● 2:00:28 ~ Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) ‘26 in London
● 2:00:35 ~ Kevin Kiptum (KEN) ‘23
● 2:01:09 ~ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) ‘22
/5/
● 2:01:25 ~ Kiptum ‘23
● 2:01:39 ~ Kipchoge ‘18
● 2:01:39 ~ Amos Kipruto (KEN) ‘26 in London
● 2:01:41 ~ Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) ‘19
● 2:01:48 ~ Sisay Lemma (ETH) ‘23
/10/

Said the winner:

“I feel good, I’m so happy. It is a day to remember for me. We started the race well, and I felt strong we approached finishing the end. When I got to the finish line, I saw the time and I was so excited.

“Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it. What I had done for four months, it has come today to be a good result.”

He won $55,000 for the victory, and bonuses for the course record ($25,000), the world record ($125,000) and a sub-2:02 time of ($150,000), for a total payday of $355,000. Kejelcha won $30,000 for second and the sub-2:02 bonus of $150,000 for a $180,000 total.

Sawe continued his perfect record in marathons, with four wins in four races: Valencia 2024, London 2025, Berlin 2025 and now London 2026. Will he try for another record on Berlin’s famously flat course?

The women’s race had defending champion Tigst Assefa facing two-time Boston winner Hellen Obiri (KEN) and 2021 London champ Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) at the front of the race from the start and they had a clear gap on the field by the 10 km mark.

They raced together past the half in 1:06:12, so records were on their mind. But while the pace slowed a bit, they stayed together right through the 40 km mark in 2:08:27.

Assefa finally ground down her chasers and won in 2:15:41, improving her women-only marathon record of 2:15:50 from her London ‘25 victory. Obiri got a lifetime best of 2:15:53 in second and Jepkosgei was third in 2:15:55.

It’s Assefa’s third-fastest marathon in her career and the no. 15 performance in history. It was her eighth career marathon, with four wins and three seconds, including a 2024 Olympic silver and 2025 Worlds silver. Obiri moved to no. 12 on the all-time list.

Assefa won $55,000 for the win, got the $25,000 course-record bonus, the $125,000 world-record bonus and a $75,000 time bonus for a $280,000 payday.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Dept. of Transportation 2028 Games plan shared, with added traffic officers and equipment needed

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ CITY TRANSPORT PLAN ≡

Almost two years after a City Council motion in 2024 to present a transportation plan for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation (“LADOT”) filed an 11-page outline of its ideas last Tuesday.

Publicly posted on Friday, the document notes that the LADOT has a lead responsibility for “first mile-last mile” access to Games venues and for “Open Streets” programming within the City limits:

● First/Last Mile projects are slated for seven areas, most of which are in downtown Los Angeles, but also in eastern Hollywood and in Westwood, near the UCLA campus. All seven are in construction (1), final design (2) or the design phase (4). The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority provided $40.85 million for fund four of the projects.

● “Open Streets” programs “redefine typical uses of streets to create car-free spaces for people, typically on foot and using non-motorized wheeled devices such as bicycles and scooters. Open Streets have become an effective strategy in the global movement toward livable cities, promoting sustainable transportation, easing congestion, and enhancing public health, which is why they are a key transportation strategy for the 2028 Summer Games.”

Federal funding grants of $139 million for Los Angeles County and $6 million for the City to support such events for the 2026 FIFA World Cup period (3 locations) and in 2028 (6 locations). For 2028, the designated areas include downtown Los Angeles, North Hollywood, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area and Hollywood.

The report identified further City efforts to help with transportation during the Games period:

● “Games Route Network” travel lanes with “specialized street signs and striping, traffic signal modifications, and optimized signal timing to prioritize GRN traffic” plus lane and parking modifications and parking enforcement.

● “Games Enhanced Transit Service” (GETS), the major spectator transit program, with LADOT involved in “designation of transit-only arterials, signal timing adjustments,
curbside management strategies, and, in some cases, a temporary rerouting of existing transit services.”

● Mobility Hubs to connect spectators and transportation to venues, primarily at 13 Metro stations and 85 additional “satellite hubs identified through a planning effort to support transit access goals.”

● Wayfinding and signage, for “signage, pavement markings, lighting, and other environmental elements – to support intuitive, multilingual navigation to venues and surrounding areas of interest such as cultural destinations, commercial districts, parks, and mobility hubs.”

● “Traffic Officers to patrol and enforce the major traffic corridors and collateral streets by issuing citations and impounding offending vehicles is essential to optimize the flow of traffic and remove vehicles that could pose a threat to public safety.” A request for $450,000 for equipment has been made for the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, for the 2027 NFL Super Bowl as well as the 2028 Games.

A request for 110 additional traffic officers and supervisors has also been requested and if not available, “LADOT will not be able to enforce parking violations during the 2028 Games events or respond to any non-Games related service requests.”

There was also a $7 million request for repairs to the City’s traffic signal system, which has been “degraded” due to continuing thefts of copper wire and significant deferred maintenance.

There are no immediate action items in the report; it is, for now, for information only in response to the requirement for a plan of action.

Observed: The report notes that there is no current impact to the City’s General Fund for the items listed in the report, but the question will be asked by the City Council members whether any of the listed action items are directly related to the 2028 Games and therefore eligible for reimbursement by the LA28 organizing committee. There clearly are some, notably wayfinding, traffic officers and added equipment.

While the plan is matter-of-fact – there isn’t a laugh in it – it underscores the reality that there is a considerable amount of coordination that has already taken place and more  is coming. That’s good.

While the City does not have a formal, overall “plan” for the 2028 Games, individual departments have offered their own plans to the City Council, notably the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Bureau of Contract Administration and now the Department of Transportation. Other departments may also have programs in place, which have not yet been shared publicly.

Many of the programs listed in the LADOT report point not only to the 2028 Games, but shared efforts with Metro and other area transit agencies to realign public transit via the Games for 2029 and beyond. The question is whether they will work as planned, with some answers to come at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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SPORTS ECONOMICS: Sports ETA report shows youth and amateur events have more economic impact than spectator sports in 2025

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ SPORTS TOURISM ≡

It’s well known that sports tourism is big business, but the size was underscored by the Sports ETA “State of the Industry” report released on Tuesday (22nd). The short summary regarding 2025:

“The report reveals that sports tourism has evolved into a $274.5 billion total economic impact industry, generating $111.2 billion in direct spending, supporting 1.6 million jobs, and producing $20.5 billion in state and local tax revenue nationwide.

“In total, 339 million sports travelers generated 124.3 million room nights, reinforcing the industry’s role as one of the most powerful and reliable drivers of economic development in the United States.”

The most interesting aspect of the summary report is the type of events which generated the spending:

● “Participatory Sports Tourism driven by primarily youth and amateur events, generated $60.1 billion in direct spending and $149.1 billion in total economic impact, driven by 227.6 million travelers, supporting more than 880,000 jobs and producing $11.3 billion in state and local taxes.”

● “Spectator Sports Tourism driven by fans traveling to attend sporting events, generated $51.1 billion in direct spending and $125.4 billion in total economic impact, driven by 111.4 million travelers, supporting more than 730,000 jobs and producing $9.2 billion in state and local taxes.”

That’s not what many people would have guessed: 54% for participation events and 46% for spectator events. It will be fascinating to see how the FIFA World Cup may change that for 2026. The report noted that as for international travel for 2025:

● 3.6 million international travelers to the U.S.
● 3.4% increase in travelers over 2024
● $6.3 billion in direct spending

Traveler volumes have not only recovered from the pandemic, but have hugely surpassed 2019 levels:

● 2025: 339 million
● 2024: not available
● 2023: 205 million
● 2022: 192 million
● 2021: 175 million
● 2020: 96 million due to Covid-19
● 2019: 179 million

The significant lesson from the data is this: those national, regional or statewide youth or masters track, swimming or volleyball championships can be a lot less hassle and a lot more profitable than an Olympic Games, Olympic Trials or a World Cup (of any sport).

It may not seem immediately logical, but it certainly appears to be true.

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PANORAMA: LA28 cricket site breaks ground; $1.42 billion NBC revenue for Milan Cortina; ASICS shoed seven Boston top-10 finishers

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Wednesday (22nd) saw the groundbreaking ceremony for the Knight Riders Cricket Ground, at the Pomona Fairplex, which will also be the host site for 2028 Olympic competition.

The facility is being built for the Los Angeles Knight Riders of Major League Cricket, which began operations in 2023, but does not have a local field. All Major League Cricket matches have been played at fields in Texas or Florida or the Oakland Coliseum in California.

The new venue in Pomona is expected to eventually seat 10,000; it is anticipated to be available initially this summer, for three Knight Riders matches in the first week of July and seven matches total during the season.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Comcast Corporation announced its first quarter 2026 financial results, showing $1.420 billion in revenue attributable to the Winter Games, including $1.159 billion in advertising sales and another $262 million in domestic distribution revenue, much of which came from subscriptions to the Peacock streaming service.

NBC also had the NFL’s Super Bowl, of course, in 2026 and the one-day event brought in a total of $758 million in advertising sales, equal to 65.4% of the Winter Olympic total.

Powered in part by the Olympic and Super Bowl, Comcast’s Q1 revenue jumped to $31.5 billion, up from $28.4 billion in 2025. However:

“Adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] for Media decreased due to higher operating expenses more than offsetting higher revenue. The increase in operating expenses primarily reflects higher programming costs associated with the Milan Cortina Olympics and the NFL’s Super Bowl, as well as the impact of NBA rights in the current year period.”

The media segment which included the Olympic and Super Bowl revenue showed a loss of $426 million due to expenses related to those programs, compared with a $105 million profit in Q1 of 2025.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● With discussions continuing on the use of the Allianz Arena in Nice for ice hockey during the 2030 Winter Games, the Paris Entertainment Company, which runs the Adidas Arena (~8,000 seats) and Accor Arena (~15,000), has inquired about having the Olympic ice hockey tournament held there instead.

The new mayor of Nice, Eric Ciotti, has opposed using the Allianz Arena for the games as it will prohibit use by the Nice football team for matches. Lyon is also asking about being a replacement, with the organizing committee and the French sports ministry involved in the continuing talks.

● Athletics ● MarathonHandbook.com reported that five of the top 10 men and two of the top 10 women at Monday’s Boston Marathon wore ASICS shoes:

“Two of those [7] runners chose prototypes, one a Metaspeed Sky and the other a Metaspeed Ray, while the rest raced in the current Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, Edge Tokyo, or Ray.”

The other shoe brands in the men’s top 10 were Nike (2), adidas, Hoka and Xtep; women’s winner Sharon Lokedi (KEN) wore Under Armour’s Velociti Elite 3, there were two in Nike, and one each with adidas, Brooks, Hoka, New Balance and Puma.

● Basketball ● The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Central Board agreed on a modest change of position concerning Russian and Belarusian teams:

“Following the recommendation of the IOC [International Olympic Committee] to lift restrictions on the participation of the Russian and Belarusian athletes in youth competitions, Russia and Belarus have received an exceptional authorization to register U21 teams in conferences of the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League, to be played in China and Malaysia.

“The Central Board approved the preservation of the current status of Russian and Belarusian teams for all other competitions, including the Youth EuroBaskets 2026, until the next Executive Committee meeting, scheduled for September 2026.”

● Cycling ● Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar is after history once more with the fourth of five “Monument” races – the oldest of all: the 112th Liege-Bastogne-Liege – on tap for Sunday. The route is a hilly, 259.5 km route that starts and finishes in Liege.

The “Monuments” are the five ancient, one-day races in the sport, that go back before World War I and Pogacar owns 12 Monument wins, second all-time:

● Milan-Sanremo (ITA: 1907) ~ 1 Pogacar win, in 2026
● Ronde van Vlaanderen (BEL: 1913) ~ 3 wins in 2023-25-26
● Paris-Roubaix (FRA: 1896) ~ no wins
● Liege-Bastogne-Liege (BEL: 1892) ~ 3 wins in 2021-24-25
● Il Lombardia (ITA: 1905) ~ 5 wins in 2021-22-23-24-25

Only three Belgian riders – Rik Van Looy (1958-65), Eddy Merckx (1966-76) and Roger De Vlaeminck (1970-79) – have won all five and only Merckx has won each more than once.

Moreover, only Merckx and Pogacar have won as many as three Monuments in a season: Merckx in 1969-71-72-75 and Pogacar in 2025.

Pogacar was disappointed with a second-place finish at Paris-Roubax, but he can get a third Monument on Sunday as the two-time defending champion, and then target Il Lombardia on 10 October to get the record for most Monuments in a season!

● Football ● It is not only cities in the U.S. which are worried about FIFA World Cup 2026 costs.

Toronto’s The Globe and Mail noted Thursday that projected costs in 2018 for having six matches in Toronto were C$45 million ($32.9 million U.S.) and the bill is now C$380 million ($277.5 million U.S.).

For Vancouver, hosting seven matches was projected at C$240 million ($175.3 million U.S.) and now will cost C$624 million ($455.7 million U.S.). Or more.

All of this will impact discussions between the U.S. and its CONCACAF partners and FIFA concerning the 2031 Women’s World Cup, due to be awarded in December.

The U.S. women’s national team will make a rare trip outside North America to play two matches in Brazil, the host of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, on 6 and 9 June.

Ranked no. 2 by FIFA, the American women will play no. 6 Brazil first in Sao Paulo on 6 June and then in Fortaleza on the 9th. Both sites are World Cup venues. It will be the first trip for the U.S. women to Brazil since 2014.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 organizing committee says it sold four million tickets in first sale; next round slated for August

By
Rich Perelman
-
An LA28 mock-up of a design for "souvenir" tickets for the 2028 Games (Image: LA28; this was a design sample only, as all tickets are to be electronic).

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≡ GOOD FIRST TICKET SALE ≡

The Paris 2024 organizers set an all-time record of 9,556,792 tickets sold for the 2024 Olympic Games and a total of 12,132,647 tickets sold including the Paralympic Games, and raised more than €1.6 billion (about $1.87 billion U.S. today) from tickets, hospitality and licensing.

The LA28 organizers got a strong start, announcing Thursday that the first sales of tickets, first to “locals” in the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City areas, and then to a worldwide audience, was more than four million, solely for the Olympic Games.

According to the statement:

● “Tickets sold across 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories, with top international sales coming from the UK, Canada, Mexico and Japan.”

● “95% of all tickets under $100 were sold during the LA & OKC Locals Presale” and “Roughly half a million $28 tickets went to locals during the LA & OKC Locals Presale.”

● Artistic gymnastics sold faster than all other sports and four of the added sports for 2028 – flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash – sold all of the tickets made available in this session.

For comparison, the Paris 2024 initial sale, in March of 2023, sold 3.25 million tickets with only limited sessions available. A much larger inventory was made available in the fall of 2023.

LA28 is now planning its next sale for August, with registration for those not yet signed up, open to 22 July. A grand total of 14 million tickets, including Paralympics, is expected to be available for sale for the 2028 Games.

Observed: Of keen interest to budget watchers, the LA28 announcement said nothing about revenue realized or the average price of tickets sold.

Against a tickets and hospitality revenue target – Olympic and Paralympic Games combined – of $2.5 billion:

● An average ticket sale of $100 each means $400 million came in for the first sale;
● At $150 each, $600 million was received, or
● At $200 each, $800 million was received, or
● At $250 each, $1 billion was received.

That’s 16% or 24% or 32% or even 40% of the budget goal, so no matter how good the sale was, there is a long way to go. But this is a solid start and does not include hospitality sales, which are being handled by On Location.

For our exclusive review of the hospitality offerings for the 2028 Olympic Games, including pricing as of 4 April, refer to our story here. There are no bargain offers here.

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MILAN CORTINA 2026: Winter Games board told of €310 million deficit, requiring public funds; there’s an LA28 impact here

By
Rich Perelman
-
The barely-ready, but impressive Santagiulia Arena in Milan (TSX photo by Karen Rosen).

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≡ 2026 OWG BUDGET DEFICIT ≡

A presentation to government stakeholders of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Italy was reported to include confirmation of a deficit that could range from €130 to €310 million, requiring payments from multiple levels of government, including the participating municipalities, provinces, regions and the national government. (€1 = $1.17 U.S.)

The Italian newspaper La Notizia reported Tuesday on a 9 April 2026 meeting of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 board, detailing a current scenario reflecting €230 million in added costs and €80 of revenue shortfalls. It was also noted that the accounting will not be completed until at least the end of the year.

The story indicated the Milan Cortina 2026 organizing committee budget swelled from the forecast €1.4 billion to €1.7 billion ($1.64 billion to $1.99 billion). The added costs for the Milan Cortina organizers were noted to come from advances to complete construction projects, including the privately-financed Santaguilia Arena, the primary venue for ice hockey (pictured above), which were cited as making the difference in getting the site (barely) ready on time.

Essentially, the regions of Veneto and Lombardy are 50% partners in the deficit with shares within each divided among the resident municipalities and the regions themselves.

Veneto regional council member Giovanni Manildo said, “[Veneto President Luca] Zaia‘s Olympic legacy appears more burdensome than triumphant. At this point it will be crucial to press the IOC [International Olympic Committee] to provide at least a lifeline capable of limiting the damage.” The Veneto region put aside €143 million against a possible deficit at the Games.

The hope is that the IOC will take up €100 million of the debt, a request which will not be well received in Lausanne and would open up an endless request for the IOC to guarantee the finances of its hosts.

Observed: This is not what the Milan Cortina organizers hoped for, but there is a structure in place to take up the debt.

However, the impact of such a report now may also inform and possibly impact the negotiations between the City of Los Angeles and the LA28 organizing committee. L.A. City Council members are already worried about any coverage of a deficit by the LA28 organizers and this will only raise their concerns.

The Paris 2024 organizers met their budget and the government construction effort also came in on time and on budget. Apparently, not so in 2026, especially in Milan.

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PANORAMA: Putin wants IOC reinstatement of Russia now; Infantino says 5 million World Cup tickets sold; Eliasch faces four in FIS election

By
Rich Perelman
-
FIS President Johann Eliasch, running for re-election from Georgia! (Image: AIPS video screenshot).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Russia ● During an awards ceremony in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he is looking for more cooperation from International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) than from predecessor Thomas Bach (GER):

“I hope that the new leadership of the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations will overcome this legacy, the difficult and, as I have already said, shameful legacy of their predecessors, as quickly as possible.”

He further railed against sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine:

“Selective sanctions against Russian athletes, under the pretext of condemning Russia’s actions to protect our people and our interests in the conflict in Ukraine, while completely ignoring numerous other similar tragic armed conflicts around the world, have only exposed the corruption and political bias of a significant portion of international sports officials.”

While the IOC has recommended Russian youth athletes being reinstated, it suggested senior athletes or teams remain sanctioned. Further, media reports have raised new questions about political control of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which remains suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

● Athletics ● A high-level schedule of African meets is now being planned, according to Athletics Kenya’s Barnaba Korir. He told reporters:

“We are in the development stage of a new African Series for athletics. Kenya will take the lead, and we have Ethiopia, who have already upgraded the Addis Ababa Grand Prix to gold level alongside Botswana, South Africa and Nigeria.”

Kenya already hosts the World Continental Tour Gold-level Kip Keino Classic (24 April); South Africa will host the Silver-level Simbine Classic on 28 April and Botswana is hosting the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on 2-3 May.

Korir noted that an improved meet schedule can speed the development of African athletes on their own continent:

“We have to understand how European countries conduct their events, then come home and convince our sponsors and government that the only way to build sport is to cooperate and invest in its development.”

● Basketball ● The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) selected Japan as the host for the 2030 Women’s World Cup and France as host for the men’s World Cup in 2031:

“The Japanese capital, Tokyo, will host the 2030 tournament from November 26 to December 8. Three French cities – Lille, Lyon and Paris – will play host to the World Cup from August 29 to September 14, 2031, with the Final Phase to be played in Paris.”

● Cycling ● The 90th edition of La Fleche Wallonne – “The Flemish Arrow” – road race, this year a hilly, 200 km ride from Herstal to Mur de Huy in Belgium, with rising French star Paul Seixas won a final sprint on the final climb in 4:35:29 over Mauro Schmid (SUI), Ben Tulett (GBR) and Benoit Cosnefroy (FRA), all three seconds back.

In his three 2026 races, Seixas was second at Strade Bianche and won the Itzulia Basque Country stage race and now, La Fleche Wallonne.

The 29th women’s race was 148.2 km, finish at Mur de Huy, also determined on the final climb, with Dutch star Demi Vollering winning in 3:53:27 over countrywoman and defending champ Puck Pieterse (same time) and Spain’s Paula Blasi (+0:03).

Vollering won for the second time in this race, previously in 2023 and was second in both 2024 and 2025. She’s won a medal in five straight years.

● Football ● FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) said that more than five million tickets have been sold – out of about seven million expected to be available – for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will surpass the all-time attendance record of 3,597,042 from the 1994 World Cup, the only other held in the U.S.

The 1994 event averaged 69,174 attendees per match, which could be eclipsed if FIFA can sell most of its remaining tickets. FIFA disputed a report by The Athletic that a sales report showed ticket sales are slow for two matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California in June.

● Skating ● World Ice Dance champ Evan Bates of the U.S. was elected unopposed to the International Skating Union’s Athletes Commission, for a four-year term beginning 13 June, for the Ice Dance discipline.

● Skiing ● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) released the candidate list for President and the FIS Council, with five candidates declaring to run for President:

● Alexander Ospelt (LIE) ~ FIS Council member
● Anna Harboe Falkenberg (DEN) ~ FIS Council member
● Dexter Paine (USA) ~ FIS Council member
● Johan Eliasch (GEO) ~ incumbent
● Victoria Gosling (GBR) ~ GB Snowsport chief executive

Eliasch was elected in 2021, winning 65 votes out of 119, over Urs Lehmann (SUI: 26), Sarah Lewis (GBR: 15), and Mats Arjes (SWE: 13). Eliasch, born in Sweden and also a British citizen, was nominated by the British federation in 2021. He was nominated by Georgia this time; the head of GB Snowsport, Gosling, is now a candidate.

Paine was a FIS Vice President from 2014-22 and elected again in 2024.

The candidates will be reviewed by the FIS Nomination and Remuneration Committee and confirmed not later than 20 May 2026. The FIS Congress will hold elections on 11 June 2026, in Belgrade (SRB).

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Council adopts defensive measure against 2028 Games-related ADA compliance issues and lawsuits

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Los Angeles City Hall, a 1928 Art Deco downtown icon (Photo: Tim Ahern via Wikipedia)

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≡ ADA PREP AGAINST SUITS ≡

“[I]t is the [Department on Disability’s] contention that providing funding for DOD’s major events related work ultimately will decrease the City’s risk of non-compliance. Doing so will save hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars during the Games and beyond that would otherwise be expended on litigation costs, including settlements and judgments for noncompliance.”

The Los Angeles City Council agreed, approving by 12-0, a modest initial funding allocation and instructions to try and keep the City’s liability exposure down for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games:

“1. INSTRUCT the City Administrative Officer (CAO), in coordination with Department on Disability (DOD), to:

“Identify $66,107 for one Senior Management Analyst (with six-month authority) and $140,000 for Contractual Services.

“Report on all City costs, including DOD’s accessibility services, that will be reimbursable by LA28, once the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement has been finalized.

“2. DIRECT all City departments with major events-related responsibilities to report to the Office of Major Events on how they are accounting for and integrating the costs of ADA compliance into their work; and any resources, including staff and other expenses, that are needed to comply with ADA regulations and requirements.”

This $206,167 expenditure also covers services related to fan zones for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Zones. But the ask for the remaining two years for the Games will increase significantly according to the Department on Disability’s report from 21 November 2025:

● For Fiscal Year 2026-27: $328,435 for three staff positions and contracted services.

● For Fiscal Year 2027-28: $625,812 for three staff, contracted services and transportation and overtime.

● For Fiscal Year 2028-29: $2,312,991 for three staff, contracted services and transportation and overtime.

The requested three-year total is $3,537,236 and the Department on Disability is not at all sure that the costs will be reimbursed by the LA28 organizers under the Enhanced City Resources Management Agreement:

“The inclusion of City costs prior to the 2028 Games for planning activities is being discussed within the ECRMA negotiations; however, it is uncertain which costs and services could be considered reimbursable by LA28 until the completion of the ECRMA. That said, because the Department’s games related services are generally for City related Games events and not within the ‘Games footprint’ as it is currently understood, the Department anticipates that ECRMA related reimbursement for its services will be minimal, if any at all. The Department would be happy to work with the Office of Major Events and the CAO [City Administrative Officer] if reimbursement for its services is a possibility.”

The costs beyond the staff requested are for “facility accessibility assessments and auxiliary aids and services for effective communication to support the accessibility of City provided Major Events related programs and activities,” such as:

● Facility accessibility inspections and reports for ADA compliance
● Sign language interpreting
● Real-time translation captioning
● Live audio descriptions
● Printed materials in braille and large print

There will be more as the Games get closer and there is a deeper understanding of what the disability needs will be. The City, however, is legitimately worried about possible liability at venues within the City limits and is trying to head if off.

And the department report notes that this is likely a City cost to get ready that cannot be recouped from the LA28 organizers.

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PANORAMA: L.A. moves to fix sidewalks ahead of 2028; Nuguse, Wiley win USATF Road Mile Champs; FIVB takes over federation in India

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Los Angeles City Council approved Tuesday by 13-0, the spending of $5.282 million to “to repair sidewalks near 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues, fan zones and key access routes” as well as engineering studies for public rights-of-way to get ready for the 2028 Games.

This was not noted as an expense for which the City is asking for reimbursement from the LA28 organizers, but is certainly a way to help avoid City liability for slip-and-fall accidents for bad sidewalks, which has been an increasing problem in recent years. The projects are also seen as a way to train young workers in street repair, addressing a City shortage that has kept sidewalk repairs from being made.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● Discussions between the 2030 French Alps organizers, the city of Nice and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on venue sites moved forward but were not finished on Monday.

Per FrancsJeux.com, the building of an Olympic Village and a new ice rink appear to be going ahead. The use of the Allianz Riviera stadium to host ice hockey continues to be at issue, as it would prevent home matches of the OGC Nice team for several months. But the talks are continuing.

● Laureus World Sports Awards ● Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) and Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) won the Laureus World Sportsman and World Sportswoman of the Year awards in Madrid (ESP) on Monday evening, with Paris Saint-Germain winning the World Team of the Year.

Among the winners was American Chloe Kim, as the World Action Sportsperson of the Year, taking the 2025 World Snowboard Championships gold for the third time in the women’s Halfpipe. Romanian gymnastics icon Nadia Comaneci won the Lifetime Achievement Award, 50 years after being the first to score a perfect 10.00 in the Olympic Games, back at Montreal ’76.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● PennyMac, the USOPC and LA28 “Official Mortgage Supporter,” announced a “Welcome Home: Athlete Mortgage Program,” supporting Team USA athletes.

The project offers athletes dedicated home-loan experts, special loan savings options and financial training support to make good choices.

● Athletics ● The annual USATF Mile Road Championships was held Tuesday evening in conjunction with the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines, Iowa as part of Drake Relays Week, with Paris Olympic 1,500 m bronze winner Yared Nuguse getting to the front of the men’s race by the halfway point and winning in 3:54.06 to 3:54.62 over the late-charging two-time defending champ Vince Ciattei. Drew Hunter was third in 3:55.29, moving up from sixth at the three-quarters mark.

Addy Wiley, who won the World Indoor women’s 800 m bronze, took the women’s title in 4:25.42, ahead of Gracie Hyde, the 2024 NCAA Division II 1,500 m champ for Adams State (4:25.64). Both passed Gracie Morris, the leader at 1,320 yards, who finished third in 4:25.75.

Prize money was paid to 10 places, with $10,000-7,500-3,000-2,500-2,000 for the top five.

On Monday, an indoor vault was held at the Jordan Creek Town Center, with U.S. record holder KC Lightfoot equaling his 2026 season best at 5.91 m (19-4 3/4) to win the men’s competition. Two-time World Indoor Champion Sandi Morris edged three-time World Champion Katie Moon on misses in the women’s event, with both clearing 4.75 m (15-7), moving to no. 8 on the world indoor list for 2026.

● Basketball ● The FIBA Women’s World Cup Draw was completed on Tuesday, with the 16 teams drawn into four groups (world rankings shown in parentheses):

● Group A: Japan (10), Spain (6), Germany (11), Mali (18)
● Group B: Hungary (19), Korea (15), Nigeria (8), France (2)
● Group C: Belgium (5), Australia (3), Puerto Rico (13), Turkey (16)
● Group D: United States (1), Czechia (17), Italy (14), China (4)

The tournament will take place in Germany from 4-13 September; the U.S. is the four-time defending champion, and has won 30 straight games in the tournament.

● Volleyball ● India has designs on hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, but after being cited as a “high risk” for doping in athletics on Monday, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) took over the Indian federation on Tuesday:

“[T]he FIVB Board of Administration has determined that the legal and administrative requirements established by the FIVB have not been respected by the interim leadership of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI).

“As such, the VFI’s provisional recognition has been revoked with immediate effect, granting temporary administrative competence to a Steering Committee – comprising representatives from the FIVB and the Indian Olympic Association – to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of volleyball activities in India.

“The welfare and support of athletes remains the FIVB’s top priority, and to this end, the Steering Committee has been mandated to ensure continuity, stability and proper governance during this transitional period. Their responsibility spans the following court-mandated areas: establishment of the Athletes’ Commission; conduct of State Association elections, and the alignment of the VFI Constitution with applicable legal and governance frameworks.

“Further, the Steering Committee will work to implement a transparent, merit-based national team selection, coordinate upcoming international and national competitions, and provide technical and high-performance support through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, including the deployment of international coaching expertise.”

Not good.

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TABLE TENNIS: Independent ITTF integrity unit cites 13 for conduct violations for near-riot during 2025 Annual General Meeting

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ INTEGRITY UNIT REPORT ≡

The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation held last 27 May in Doha (QAT) was highlighted by the Presidential election, where incumbent Petra Sorling (SWE) was re-elected by a 104-102 margin over Qatar’s Khalil Al-Mohannadi, a member of the ITTF Board since 1997.

That result led to a near-riot in the hall, with Al-Mohannadi’s supporters, and Al-Mohannadi himself, taking the microphone, making accusations of improper voting and demanding a re-vote of only those physically present, which would have disenfranchised those attending online. It would have also changed the results of the election; Sorling was hustled out of the meeting hall for her safety.

The uproar was so severe that the meeting had to be suspended and was only completed – ironically – online in November. In the meantime, the propriety of the vote was confirmed by the ITTF Integrity Tribunal and an appeal by Al-Mohannadi and the Qatar federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was withdrawn in January.

The ITTF’s Independent Integrity Unit took up the question of ethical and rule violations by those attending the meeting and on Tuesday, issued a report charging 13 individuals with conduct issues:

“A. Notices of Charge issued under the ‘standard track’ [Integrity regulations]

● “Abdulla AL-MULLA (QAT) – 14 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for three matters.”

● “Khalil AL-MOHANNADI (QAT) – 13 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 10 for three matters”

● “Imre KOVACSICS (HUN) – 11 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, 9, and 10 for three matters”

● “Emad HUSSAIN (IRQ) – 8 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for two matters”

● “Ahmed AL-MOHANNADI (QAT) – 6 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for two matters”

● “Mohamed Nabil JEMAIL (TUN) – 5 charges across Chapters 1, 6, and 9 for one matter”

● “Alaor AZEVEDO (BRA) – 4 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

● “Nabil ALFAKIH (YEM) – 4 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

“B. Referrals made to the Appropriate Person under the Alternative Procedure for Minor Violation:”

● “Mohammed Abdullah AL-SALEH (QAT) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

● “Stephen Camillo Wani GORE (SSD) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

● “Viktor HUSZAR (HUN) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

● “Muzamil Abdul Aziz SULEIMAN (SUD) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”

● “Said Ahmed ZAHARIAT (COM) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter – AGM disruption”

Their cases will now be taken up by the ITTF Integrity Board, but the Independent Integrity Unit is asking for anyone with more information to come forward. The list of those charged appears to account for all or almost all of those who took over the microphone at the Annual General Meeting and asked for the vote to the changed, re-taken or thrown out.

Further, the ITTF Independent Integrity Unit noted:

“A number of complaints were received by the Integrity Unit against former ITTF Secretary General, Mr. Raul CALIN [ESP], for his role in the elections and AGM.

“The Inquiry Team found no evidence within the scope of the Project Gibb inquiry that Mr. CALIN breached any provisions of the ITTF Statutes, rather only unsupported allegations.

“These allegations were directed at him in the lead up to the Doha AGM, at the AGM itself, in the aftermath in Doha, and subsequently until the AGM Continuation, with much of it being abusive and personal in nature, and therefore wholly unacceptable.”

The abuse at Calin – now the Secretary General of World Archery – during the meet got so intense that he had to leave. ITTF Executive Vice President Graham Symons (AUS) chaired the remainder of the meeting with exceptional calm and patience, but recognizing that no further business could be done, suspended the meeting, ending the clash.

No timeline on sanctions was provided in the statement.

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FOOTBALL: FIFA offering more tickets for sale amid reports of slow L.A. sales; Airbnb offers free rides in Philadelphia

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP ≡

It was reported by The Athletic that a 10 April sales report noted that 40,934 seats had been sold for 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium for the 12 June opening match between the U.S. and Paraguay and that 50,661 had been purchased for the 15 June match with Iran and New Zealand.

On Tuesday, FIFA announced a new sale of tickets beginning on Wednesday:

“At the start of sale, tickets will be available across categories 1 to 3 and the front-row seat categories, depending on the match. This ticket drop is part of the ongoing Last-Minute Sales Phase, which runs until the end of the tournament.”

FIFA has been criticized for high ticket prices; The Associated Press noted, “FIFA’s December sale priced U.S.-Paraguay tickets at $1,120, $1,940 and $2,735, and Iran-New Zealand seats at $140, $380 and $450.”

The FIFA announcement stated that buyers in this round of sales will be able to purchase a specific seat at a match:

“Users will be able to see the matches and categories for which tickets are available, select specific seats and proceed with their purchase, and they will receive confirmation once payment is completed. Fans will be able to choose directly from the seat map option to select specific seats or use the ‘Book the best seat’ feature.”

In previous rounds, buyers had bought into a seating category rather than a specific location. Additional tickets will continue to be released in the future; the tournament begins on 11 June.

As for the Iranian team, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said Tuesday in an Iranian media report:

“If the safety of the national team’s players in the United States is ensured, we will travel to the World Cup. However, the decision on participation will be made by the government and the Supreme National Security Council [of Iran].”

The Philadelphia Soccer 2026 host committee and FIFA World Cup tournament Supporter Airbnb announced that Aribnb will “provide complimentary rides home on SEPTA’s (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) B (Broad Street Line) after all six FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia. The free-ride-home program is designed to expand access to safe, reliable transportation and help ensure all fans can fully participate in the FIFA World Cup experience.”

Six matches will be played at Lincoln Financial Field; the announcement noted:

“Complimentary rides home from NRG Station for FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will begin at halftime and continue for two (2) hours following the end of the match. Regular fares will apply for all travel to the matches.”

This is the latest in the transportation saga for the FIFA World Cup, with transit service in Boston priced at $95 round-trip and $90 (bus) or $150 (train) by New Jersey Transit to matches at MetLife Stadium.

Never one to miss an opportunity, FIFA is now offering stadium tours during the tournament, so far at six sites, in Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia and Seattle, on multiple dates.

Prices range, so far, from $54.31 to $89.66 – depending on location – for a 90-120 minute tour that offers “a behind-the-scenes experience, with access to areas such as locker rooms, media zones, premium areas and pitch viewpoints.”

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PANORAMA: Overwhelming support in Rhine-Westphalia for Olympic bid; is Jamaica’s Thompson-Herah back? U.S. 50 m Breast record for Mathias!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Jamaican Olympic sprint superstar Elaine Thompson-Herah (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images for World Athletics).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● After a bruising budget battle in 2025 which ended with a $14.10 billion allocation for the 2025-26 fiscal year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass submitted a proposal for $14.85 billion in spending for 2026-27.

The spending plan, which will be reviewed in detail by the City Council, adds 510 police officers and adds money for street and sidewalk repairs. Homelessness measures continue to be a major effort in the City. The budget plan announcement does not mention the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, amid a continuing fight by the City Council over funding from the LA28 organizing committee.

● Olympic Games: Germany ● The Olympic bid referendum in North Rhine-Westphalia, covering 17 cities and towns, passed easily in all 17, including with 57.4% in support in Cologne, the largest city in the region.

Majorities over 60% were seen in Dortmund (68.3%), in Dusseldorf (67.2%) and even higher in Duisburg (73.0%), Wuppertal (72.2%), Mönchengladbach (74.5%), Gelsenkirchen (74.2%), Recklinghausen (72.9%), and Aachen (76.3%). In Herten, 73.8% were in favor, but the turnout was only 12.5%, below the required 15% for passage. The 1972 Olympic sailing city of Kiel also passed the referendum by 63.5%.

The German sports confederation (DOSB) will determine which of four candidates will be the national bidder for 2036 or 2040 or 2044, yet to be determined. Munich’s referendum passed and Hamburg will vote on 31 May. Berlin is not holding a vote.

● Archery ● A showdown between two of the world’s best highlighted the U.S. Archery Team Qualifier, Easton Foundation Gator Cup in Newberry, Florida, as two-time Worlds silver medalist Marcus D’Almeida (BRA) faced five-time Olympic medalist Brady Ellison of the U.S.

The windy weather didn’t help, but D’Almeida managed a 6-4 win. American women’s star Casey Kaufhold won the women’s Recurve final with a 6-2 victory over Ana Luiza Caetano (BRA). Defending champion Mike Schloesser (NED) won the men’s Compound title again, 147-146 over James Lutz of the U.S.

American Olivia Dean won the women’s Compound division, 147-143, over Tanja Gellenthien (DEN).

● Athletics ● Interesting results from Velocity Fest 26 in Kingston (JAM), with a men’s 100 m win for 2025 World Championships 200 m bronze medalist Bryan Levell, in 9.90, equal-second in the world for 2026.

How about this: Jamaica’s Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 100-200 m Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah, now 33, won heat two of the women’s 100 m in 10.92, third on the 2026 world list and her fastest since 2023! She skipped the final, won by Lavanya Williams (10.96) over Jonielle Smith (10.99). But Thompson-Herah appears to be back in action.

● Football ● The shuttle system in Kansas City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was also announced last week, with very modest pricing.

Tickets from 15 boarding points to the FIFA Fan Festival at the World War I Memorial and Museum will be $5 for a day pass, $25 for a week or $50 for the tournament.

A ride from the fan fest or from four other park-and-ride lots to Arrowhead Stadium is $15 round-trip, limited to those who have tickets. All of these services will require advance booking via a World Cup-specific mobile application; the fleet for the World Cup program will include 200 buses.

● Swimming ● An American Record for rising star Van Mathias in the men’s 50 m Breaststroke with a 26.39 heats win at the Bergen Swim Festival in Norway on Sunday morning.

His mark betters the 26.45 by Nic Fink from the 2022 World Championships, and moves Mathias to no. 8 all-time. Mathias won the final in 26.46.

The former Indiana All-American had already won the men’s 100 m Breast in a lifetime best of 58.19 – a world-leading time – to move to no. 2 all-time U.S. and no. 5 all-time, and the 50 m Butterfly, in a lifetime best 22.99.

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ANTI-DOPING: Ruckus over Russian doping as state-directed, and an AIU warning to India, classified as “extremely high risk” for doping

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ RUSSIA, INDIA WARNINGS ≡

The athlete activist site Global Athlete and FairSport, an agency which focuses on supporting anti-doping work, have taken up the work of the Russia-focused news site, The Insider, and issued a joint statement on Monday (20th) concerning tie-ins between the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and the Russian government. The statement included:

“It confirms that Russian sport is not simply influenced by the state; it is directed by it.

“The findings link individuals connected to Russian state security structures, including the FSB [Federal security service], directly to the anti-doping system and sport in general.

“It also reveals a dangerous evolution that the same networks associated with state operations and poisoning of dissidents are now intertwined with the public-facing image of ‘new’ Russian sport. The idea that this system has changed is no longer credible.”

The conclusion noted:

“This is not about rule-breaking at the margins. It is about a system where athlete results, anti-doping processes, and sporting outcomes operate within a structure influenced by state security interests. …

“A full ban on Russia from international sport is now the only credible response.”

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been slowly re-integrated into international sport, with the aquatics, judo and taekwondo federations re-admitting all of their athletes without restrictions. The International Olympic Committee has endorsed re-integrating youth and junior athletes, but there is continued worry about doping. The direct challenge from the Global Athlete and FairSport letter will be on the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has not reinstated Russia, and on the IOC, which is on that path.

The Athletics Integrity Unit issued a stern statement concerning India, which has designs on hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, but has been plagued by doping issues, especially in track & field. India, along with Kenya, are now consistently the nations with the highest number of ineligible persons on the AIU’s roster of sanctions (with Russia third).

The AIU notice stated in part:

“Indian athletes must now comply with more stringent anti-doping stipulations following the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) recategorization from ‘Category B’ to ‘Category A’, under Rule 15 of the World Athletics’ Anti-Doping Rules.

“This decision, recently taken by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Board, relates to the consistently ‘extremely high’ risk of doping in India which has ranked in the top two for the most Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) in athletics between 2022 and 2025.

“In 2022, India recorded 48 ADRVs (ranked 2nd); in 2023, 63 (ranked 2nd); in 2024, 71 (ranked 1st); and for 2025, India has recorded 30 ADRVs so far (ranked 1st) (note: there will be a substantial time lag in reporting the final ADRV numbers).”

Said AIU Chair David Howman (NZL):

“The doping situation in India has been high-risk for a long time and, unfortunately, the quality of the domestic anti-doping programme is simply not proportionate to the doping risk.”

The AIU did have good news for Bahrain, lowered from category “A” to “B” with Howman noting, “The BAA [Bahrain Athletics Association] is to be congratulated on the vast improvement of the anti-doping situation in Bahrain.”

However, due to insufficient testing of athletes by “Category B” the national federations in Botswana, Peru and Cuba, their athletes are now subject to minimum testing obligations for entries in major events like the World Athletics Relays in 2026 and the World Athletics Championships in 2027 in China:

“The athletes for each of these teams must have a minimum 3 out-of-competition tests in the lead-up to the relevant event to be eligible to compete.”

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ATHLETICS: Brilliant Boston Marathon repeat wins for Kenya’s Lokedi and Korir, in a race record 2:01:52!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Kenyan marathon star John Korir, at the 2025 Chicago Marathon (Photo: Bank of America Chicago Marathon-Kevin Morris).

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≡ BOSTON MARATHON ≡

With an excellent field and good weather predicted, there was high hope for a fastest-ever Boston Marathon in the 130th running, but someone needed to break the race open at a fast pace.

Running with sunny skies and with temperatures starting in the mid-40s, enter Ethiopia’s 2024 Berlin Marathon winner Milkesa Mengesha.

By 20 km (12.4 miles) , seven men had formed a lead pack with Ryan Ford (USA) in front, with Paris Olympian Lemi Berhanu (ETH) leading at the half in 1:01:43, with seven-second lead over defending champion John Korir (KEN), Mengesha and Americans Ford and Clayton Young, ninth in Paris.

Mengesha had the lead over Berhani at 25 km (15.5 miles), then took off. By 30 km (18.6 km), Mengesha had a 12-second gap on a chase group of five including Korir, Paris Olympic bronze winner (and 2021 Boston champ) Benson Kipruto (KEN), new American threat Zouhair Talbi and even World Champion Alphonce Simbu (TAN).

Mengesha was well in front, but the chasers kept contact and edged closer and by 20 miles (32.1 km), Korir had moved away from the chasers and had run down Mengesha.

And then he just kept going. The rest of the chase pack also passed Mengesha and the question was whether anyone could catch Korir.

Korir exploded to a 21-mile (33.8 km) lead of 22 seconds and the race was over. Could he crush the race record of 2:03:02 in the wind-blown 2011 race by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai?

By 22 miles, Korir, still just 29, was up by 26 seconds on Kipruto, with Simbu close. The lead was 33 seconds for Korir at 23 miles and 39 seconds by 24 miles.

Rolling to the finish, Korir was all alone and crossed in a race record 2:01:52! For course as hilly as Boston, this is special and is the seventh-fastest marathon ever run; because of the nature of the course – with its downhill sections – Boston is not included in the all-time lists of best marks.

It was an amazing run. He’s the 12th man to win back-to-back titles and will get $200,000 for winning and with a $50,000 bonus for the course record.

Kipruto and Simbu were together, racing to the line, but Simbu sprinted late to cross second in 2:02:47 with Kipruto in 2:02:50!

Among the Americans, Talbi, the ex-Moroccan, finished sixth in 2:03:45 and Charles Hicks was seventh in 2:04:35; Young was 11th (2:05:41) and Ford was 12th (2:05:46).

The women’s race held together with a lead pack of 16 runners by the half in 1:11:02 with Americans Carrie Ellwood in the lead, ahead of Dakotah Popehn.

American Annie Frisbie, eighth in this race in 2025, took the lead at 25 km, but with the large pack continuing to run together. The front pack was nine by 30 km with American Jessica McClain – eighth at the 2025 Worlds marathon – but with defending champion Sharon Lokedi (KEN) right behind her.

Lokedi made a break at 21 miles and strung out the lead pack, with fellow Kenyans Loice Chemnung – fourth in Chicago last year – and Irine Cheptai – the 202r Hamburg winner and fourth in Boston in 2025 – following and everyone else trailing.

Lokedi kept pouring on the pressure, but Chemnung kept in contact. Lokedi stayed on the gas and pulled away after the 21 1/2-mike mark and was eight seconds in front by 23 miles.

She crossed in 2:18:51, the sixth straight win for a Kenyan woman. Chemnung was second in 2:19:35, then Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) moved up for third in 2:20:07.

Lokedi’s second straight win follows two wins in a row for her friend Hellen Obiri (KEN); she’s the ninth to win back-to-back titles. In her eight career marathons, she won in New York in 2022 and now in 2025 and 2026 in Boston. She’s been on the podium in six of her eight career marathons.

McClain – seventh in Boston in 2025 – was the top American in fifth in 2:20:49, fastest ever for a U.S. women in Boston history, replacing Shalane Flanagan’s 2:22:02 from 2014. Frisbie was eighth in 2:22:00, ahead of Emily Sisson (2:22:39) and Carrie Ellwood (2:22:53).

Prize money for the top 10 was $150,000-75,000-40,000-25,000-18,000-13,500-10,500-8.500-7,000-5,500,plus the course-record bonuses.

Don’t get comfortable; the London Marathon comes Sunday with more fast performances coming.

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PANORAMA: German Olympic Rhine-Ruhr referendum wins easily; $150 train fares for New Jersey World Cup games; U.S. women’s football pounds Japan, 3-0

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic and World Champion sprinter Noah Lyles of the U.S. (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Stephane Hatot, a vice president of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), was found to be selling Paris 2024 memorabilia online under another name and resigned last week after his side business was reported in the all-sports newspaper L’Equipe.

Hatot offered for sale a Marie Antoinette costume from the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, a mascot doll given to Paralympic medal winners and not otherwise available, and other items “sold by the dozens” according to the story on sites such as eBay or Vinted. He was reported to have acquired 12 hard-to-find Paris Olympic torches.

The CNOSF said in a statement that “Should any elements that could constitute a criminal offense be established, the CNOSF will immediately file a report under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.”

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The City of Santa Monica approved by a 6-0 City Council vote a new “framework” for special events, approving first a “Pitchside Club” sponsored by Michelob Ultra during the FIFA World Cup, at the Santa Monica Pier, with a license fee and service charge of $1.286 million.

Also approved were a two-day Fall 2026 Goldenvoice Music and Cultural Festival, for up to 35,000 attendees daily with a fee of $1.344 million and $2 per daily ticket sold.

For the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic period, the already-proposed Santa Monica Nations Village and International Broadcast Hub at Crescent Bay Park was approved. This is a long-term, 103-day usage that will also include hospitality houses for participating National Olympic Committees; the license fee for this program is $1.150 million, to be produced by promoters Silverback LLC and Loidl LLC.

The new regulations standardize the City’s approach to special events, which had been negotiated as single entities previously. Santa Monica had previously approved negotiations to lease the Annenberg Community Beach House to the French NOC (CNOSF) for use as “Club France” during the 2028 Games.

Santa Monica and the LA28 organizers could not come to an agreement on having beach volleyball there; it will be held in Long Beach instead.

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● Queensland Sports Minister Tim Mander said Wednesday that rowing will be held on the Fitzroy River, amid complaints of tidal issues and crocodiles in areas of the river. He explained:

“We are very committed to rowing. It is going according to plan. We are all the processes are taking place.

“What’s happening with the evaluation of the venue in Rockhampton? It’s the same thing that’s happening at every venue where there will be an event. …

“We believe that it is the right place. Everything that we’ve done so far suggests that there are no major obstacles. There’s no reason to be looking at an alternative when you have the confidence level that we have.”

● Olympic Games: Germany ● A second win for a German region to bid for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic Games as voters in the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr region approved going forward in a regional referendum held Sunday.

GamesBids.com reported that amid 32% turnout – about 1.4 million people – “roughly two-thirds of those who cast votes said ‘yes.’”

A referendum in October 2025 saw about 66% vote in favor of a future bid for Munich, which hosted the 1972 Olympic Games. Hamburg will have its vote on 31 May; Berlin will not have a referendum. A decision on the German candidate from among those four is expected to be made by the German sports confederation (DOSB) in September.

● Aquatics ● World Aquatics and the Aquatics Integrity Unit published a summary of their anti-doping testing work in 2025, showing 5,345 samples collected from 1,786 athletes from 117 countries.

Of these, 77.4% were in swimming and open-water swimming and in all, 4,073 tests were collected out-of-competition and 1,272 in-competition. The effectiveness of the program, however, cannot be judged as the number of doping positives and actual doping violations were not reported.

● Athletics ● At the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon Sunday, a human-shaped robot ran the distance in 50:26, far faster than the best-ever men’s of 56:42 by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo in 2025 (not ratified for technical reasons; Kiplimo has the world record of 57:20 in 2026).

The robots ran on a separate, parallel course, with people on the other side. Several dozen robots “competed” with one falling and another running into a barrier. Some “ran” autonomously and some were remote-controlled. A controlled robot finished in 48:19, but the 50:26 finisher was self-guided. Both were made by Honor, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

● Basketball ● Brazil’s Oscar Schmidt, the greatest scorer in Olympic basketball history, passed away at age 68 on Friday in Sao Paulo after battling a brain tumor for 15 years.

He is remembered as a scoring machine not only in league play (he never played in the NBA, but in Brazil and Italy), but across five Olympic appearances, leading all scorers at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games. He averaged 42.3 points a game in 1988, the highest ever, and scored an Olympic-record 55 against Spain in Seoul. He is the all-time leading career scorer in both the Olympic Games (1,093) and the FIBA World Cup (906).

A shooting guard at 6-8, he played until age 45, and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

● Figure Skating ● Olympic Pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announced their retirement from competitive skating on Friday, posting online:

“While we are bringing our competitive careers to a close, we feel we have given it everything, with no regrets. We will continue taking on new challenges to have more people in Japan come to know pairs skating.”

Miura is 24 and Kihara is 33 and they finish as two-time Olympians, Olympic gold medalists, two-time World Pairs Champions (2023, 2025) and two-time silver medalists (2022, 2024).

● Football ● New Jersey Transit announced staggering fares for the eight matches to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, with match-day train service from Penn Station in New York available to ticket holders only for $150 round-trip. The usual fare is $12.90.

A shuttle bus service from two sites in New York or one park-and-ride lot in New Jersey, is available for $80 round-trip.

NJ Transit head Kris Kolluri said Friday, “In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million (per game), we have to charge $150.”

The announcement noted, “Customers should expect heavy ridership and crowded conditions on the trains and along major corridors before and after matches. Employers are encouraged to support work-from-home and flexible scheduling on matchdays, where feasible, recognizing that not all roles allow for this flexibility.”

FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi (AUT) criticized the fares:

“The NJ Transit current pricing model will have a chilling effect. Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.

“Furthermore, to arbitrarily set elevated prices and demand FIFA absorb these costs is unprecedented. No other global event, concert or major sporting promoter has faced such a demand.”

Four of the matches will be on Saturday or Sunday, with the others on Monday (1), Tuesday (2) and Thursday (1).

● Luge ● Want to get a great tractor cheap? USA Luge is working to raise $50,000 by raffling off a Massey-Ferguson GC1725 Tractor with Loader and Backhoe, with 500 entries at $100 each.

Massey-Ferguson and Eklund Farm Machinery are USA Luge sponsors and behind the promotion. The drawing will be held in the fall, or when all of the tickets are sold!

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Athletics ● Plenty of hot sprinting at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida, with a world-leading 100 m from Georgia’s Adajeah Hodge (IVB) in 10.77, ahead of Florida State’s Shenese Walker (JAM: 10.80) and American Alexis Brown (South Carolina: 11.04). Alexandra Webster (USA) moved to no. 2 on the 2026 world list, winning her heat of the 100 m hurdles in 12.71.

The U.S. women’s 4×100 m team of Melissa Jefferson, Anavia Battle, Kayla White and Sha’Carri Richardson blazed to a world-leading 41.70.

Lex Brown of the U.S. took the world women’s long jump lead at 7.07 m (23-2 1/2), to move to no. 7 all-time U.S. outdoors; she’s the 12th American to jump 7 m outdoors.

The men’s racing was just as strong, starting off with the 4×100 m Olympic Development race, with a Gainesville Elite team of Jordan Anthony, Trayvon Bromell, Jake Odey-Jordan (GBR) and Noah Lyles winning in a world-leading 37.78, followed by a U.S. team of Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King and Max Thomas in 37.86!

A Pure Athletics team of Chris Robinson, Jereem Richardson, Caleb Dean and Khaleb McRae took the world lead at 2:57.33 in the 4×400 m, with a Gainesville Elite team with 2022 World 400 m Champion Michael Norman leading off and running a reported 44.7 split, in second in 2:58.50.

Last year’s NCAA champ, Jordan Anthony, won the men’s Olympic Development 100 m in 9.91 and Auburn’s Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) took the invitational 100 m in 9.90w (+2.9 m/s).

World 200 m Champion Lyles moved to no. 3 on the 2026 world list in the 200 m with a 19.91 win, ahead of Max Thomas at no. 4 at 19.98. In the second race, it was Tate Taylor (San Antonio Harlan HS) winning in 20.05 to break Lyles’ high school record of 20.09 back in 2016!

Canadian star Christopher Morales Williams won the 400 m in a then-world-leading 44.30, just ahead of Brazil’s 2022 World 400 m hurdles champ Alison dos Santos (44.38). NCAA Indoor hurdles champ Ja’kobe Tharp moved to no. 2 in the world in the 110 m hurdles at 13.09 and 2022 Worlds 400 m hurdles bronze winner Trevor Bassitt took the world lead at 47.82.

At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, a fast but windy 100 m saw Arkansas’ Jelani Watkins win in 9.82 (+2.8) ahead of Eddie Nketia (USC-AUS) in 9.84. Arizona State’s Jayden Davis took the world 400 m lead at 44.29, just ahead of veteran star Vernon Norwood (44.58).

Hakim McMorris, the 2026 U.S. indoor hep champ, got a lifetime best and world lead in the decathlon at 8,420.

USC’s Madison Whyte and Arkansas’ Sanaria Brown went to 1-2 on the 2026 world list in the women’s 400 m at 49.64 and 49.86, while Washington’s Hana Moll, the 2025 NCAA winner, rolled to no. 2 in the world for 2026 at 4.80 m (15-9).

Lithuania’s Beatrice Juskeviciute took the women’s heptathlon at 6,323, the world leader in 2026.

Just 12 miles away from Mt. SAC is Azusa Pacific University, where the Bryan Clay Invitational was going on at the same time, with more noteworthy performances, like a world leader in the men’s Steeple from Geoffrey Kirwa (Louisville-KEN) at 8:08.10.

In the men’s 5,000 m, Habtom Samuel (New Mexico-ERI) broke his own collegiate record, winning in a world-leading 13:03.47, and BYU super-frosh Jane Hedengren moved to no. 2 outdoors in winning the women’s 5 in 14:50.50 (she’s run 14:44.79).

● Canoe-Kayak ● Tokyo Olympic women’s C-1 200 m champion Nevin Harrison was a winner in her specialty at the ACA Sprint National Team Trials in Chula Vista, California, winning in 47.224, over Audrey Harper (48.024).

Harper went on to win the women’s C-1 500 m (2:10.004) and teamed with Andreea Gizila to win the C-2 500 m in 2:13.160. Elena Wolgamot, a U.S. national team member, won the women’s K-1 200 m (42.287) and the K-1 500 m in 2:00.903. She took a third gold with Arezou Motamedi, winning the K-2 500 m race in 1:51.474.

Paris Olympian Jonas Ecker dominated the men’s Kayak events, winning the 200 m (35.205), 500 m (1:42.547) and 1,000 m (3:40.205) and the K-2 500 m with Aaron Small (1:35.005). Brothers Ryan and Jonathan Grady won three events: Ryan took the C-1 500 m (2:02.223; Jonathan won the C-1 1,000 m (4:12.298) and they teamed together to win the C-2 500 m in 1:59.747. Kenny Kasperbauer won the C-1 200 m in 41.345.

● Curling ● At the USA Curling Mixed Fours National Championship in Denver, Colorado, Evan Workin’s squad scored three points in the ninth end to break a tie with two-time defending champion David Falco’s rink and win by 7-4 in the final. Workin won his second title, previously in 2018.

Nina Roth’s rink won the bronze over Darrick Kizlyk, 7-3.

● Cycling ● Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (BEL) won the 60th Amstel Gold Race in The Netherlands in a final sprint to the line in Valkenburg over defending champion Mattias Skjelmose (DEN), 5:59:40 to 5:59.41 for the 257.2 km route.

Evenepoel moved up from third last year and he and Sjkelmose finally broke free of all other challengers with 22 km to go. France’s Benoit Cosnefroy was third, 1:59 back of the winner.

The women’s race (158.1 km) was a runaway win for Spain’s Paula Blasi, who won in 4:02:15, 27 seconds up on Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and Demi Vollering (NED). Blasi attacked with 23 km left and claimed the biggest win of her career thus far, at age 23.

At the UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong, men’s sprint stars Harrie Lavreysen (NED) and Britain’s Matthew Richardson starred again, with three-time Paris 2024 medalist Richardson getting two wins and Lavreysen, the triple Paris gold winner, getting one.

Richardson won the men’s Sprint over Kaiya Ota (JPN) while Lavreysen won the Keirin, again over Ota. Richardson got a second gold in the Team Sprint with Harry Ledingham-Horn and Joseph Truman, while Lavreysen’s Dutch team took silver.

Dutch teammate Philip Heijnen won the men’s Omnium and then teamed with Yoeri Havik to win the Madison. Italy’s Matteo Fiorin won the men’s Elimination Race with Havik third.

British sprint star Emma Finucane, also a triple Olympic medalist in 2024 (1-0-2) took three medals in Hong Kong, winning the women’s Sprint, taking third in the Keirin and second in the Team Sprint behind China. China’s Liying Yuan won the Keirin and took a second gold in the Team Sprint.

Japan’s Tsuyaka Uchino won the Omnium, France’s 2025 Worlds runner-up Marion Borras and Valentine Fortin took the Madison and Anita Stenberg (NOR) won the Elimination Race.

● Diving ● An international field came to the American Cup in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with wins spread out to three continents.

Britain’s rising star, Jordan Hudson, took the men’s 3 m final in a tight finish with Americans Luke Sitz and Quentin Henninger, 434.05 to 433.15 to 430.75. Joshua Hedberg of the U.S. won the 10 m Platform final at 441.30.

Henninger and Jack Ryan teamed to win the Synchronized 3 m with 343.77 points. In the men’s 10 m Synchro, Ukraine’s Oleksii Sereda and Mark Hyrtsenko won at 390.60.

Sophie Verzyl of the U.S. Won the women’s 3 m Springboard final at 329,40 and the women’s Platform title was a clear win for Britain’s Eden Cheng, at 340.20.

In the synchronized events, Americans Anna Kwong and Verzyl won the 3 m title with 276.87 points, but Australia’s Lauren Flint and Laura Hingston took the Platform gold, scoring 284.70.

● Fencing ● At the FIE Foil World Cup in Cairo (EGY), Japan’s Kazuki Iimura won his first World Cup gold in the men’s final by 15-10 over Tokyo Olympic bronzer Alexander Choupenitch (CZE), with American Nick Itkin winning a bronze. The women’s gold went to Italy’s two-time Worlds bronze winner Martina Favaretto over teammate Martina Batini, the 2014 Worlds runner-up, 15-10.

Italy won the men’s team title over Hong Kong, with the U.S. (Itkin, Alex Massialas, James Bourtis, Bryce Louie) winning the bronze. 45-34, over Spain. Italy also won the women’s team gold, defeating France, 45-40. The U.S. (Lauren Scruggs, Lee Kiefer, Katerina Lung, Carolina Stutchbury) took the bronze, 42-38, over Japan.

At the Epee Westend Grand Prix in Budapest (HUN), Estonia’s Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Katrina Lehis won the women’s final, 12-11, over Paris 2024 bronzer Eszter Muhari (HUN), and Paris 2024 Team gold medalist David Nagy (HUN) took the men’s win, 15-12, against Yerlik Sertay (KAZ), who won his first career Grand Prix medal.

At the Sabre men’s World Cup in Padua (ITA), Russian “neutral” Kamil Ibragimov beat “neutral” teammate Pavel Graudyn, 23-15. Hungary’s Sugar Katinka Battai won the women’s Sabre World Cup in Athens (GRE), over Russian “neutral” Yana Egorian, 15-9.

● Football ● The U.S. women faced off with no. 5 Japan for the third match in a row in cold conditions – amid snow on the sidelines – in Commerce City, Colorado on Friday evening, with a scoreless first half that turned into a 3-0 American win.

The U.S. had 70% of possession in the first half and a 9-1 edge on shots, but there was no score. Midfielder Claire Hutton got close with a shot off the crossbar in the 39th minute.

Starting the second half, the U.S. was energized and it paid off in the 47th as a corner by striker Rose Lavelle was headed by substitute defender Kennedy Wesley to fellow defender Naomi Girma in front of the goal and she headed it in for a 1-0 lead.

That was quickly followed by a gorgeous lead pass by attacking midfielder Trinity Rodman, moving on the right side and sending a ball that placed Lavelle ahead of the defense and she did not miss from the right of goal to the far side for the 2-0 edge in the 56th.

A final goal was added by Wesley – her first international score – who banged home a clever cross from sub striker Jaedyn Shaw inside the box in the 68th for the 3-0 win. The U.S. ended with 65% of possession and a 15-5 shots advantage as Claudia Dickey got the shutout in goal for the Americans in an altogether impressive performance.

● Gymnastics ● At the World Gymnastics Rhythmic World Cup in Baku (AZE) for the AGF Trophy, Ukraine’s European All-Around champ Taisiia Onofriichuk got her second win of the season, scoring 115.650 to win over Paris Olympic gold medalist Darya Varfolomeev (GER: 114.750) and Bulgaria’s 2024 European A-A winner Stiliana Nikolova (114.050). Megan Chu of the U.S. was 19th (104.200).

Varfolomeev won three of the four apparatus finals, taking gold on Ball (28.900), Clubs (29.900) and Ribbon (28.800). Onofriichuk won on Hoop, scoring 28.650.

● Judo ● Brazil dominated the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN), winning five golds with Tokyo Olympic bronze winner Daniel Cargnin taking the men’s 73 kg class, Clarice Ribeiro winning the women’s 48 kg division, Paris bronzer Larissa Pimenta winning at 52 kg, 2025 Worlds bronzer Shirlen Nascimento at 57 kg and Nauana Silva victorious at 70 kg.

Brazil’s Rio 2016 Olympic champ Rafaela Silva reached the final of the women’s 63 kg class, but ran into Canada’s 2021 World Champion Jessica Klimkait, who won the final.

The U.S. scored a gold from 21-year-old Dominic Rodriguez at 81 kg, and won silvers at 60 kg by Jonathan Yang, at 83 kg by Jack Yonezuka, at 90 kg from John Jayne and at +110 kg from Alex Semenenko. Ari Berliner (66 kg) and Johan Silot (81 kg) won men’s bronzes and Maria Celia Laborde took bronze in the women’s 48 kg.

● Rugby Sevens ● In the first of three rounds of championship play at the HSBC Sevens Series in Hong Kong, South Africa dominated the men’s final over Argentina, 35-7, while Spain edged New Zealand, 32-28, for third.

The women’s final was another New Zealand-Australia battle, with the Kiwis winning, 19-14; all seven women’s finals this season have been between these two. France swamped Canada, 35-7, for third. Stage two will be next week in Valladolid (ESP).

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MEMORABILIA: Ingrid O’Neil’s 100th auction heavy on affordable items, but has Paris 2024 and Milan Cortina 2026 torches available!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The gloriously Art Deco participation medal from the Lake Placid 1932 Winter Games, offered at auction by Ingrid O’Neil (Image: Ingrid O’Neil Auctions).

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ INGRID O’NEIL AUCTION 100 ≡

The 100th auction from famed California Olympic memorabilia auction promoter Ingrid O’Neil is live and the 386-lot offer will continue online through 9 May 2026.

There is a wide variety in this auction, with an emphasis on affordability, with starting prices of many items at $100 or less. But there are 20 with starting prices, or bids already made at $5,000 or more:

● $55,000: 1992 Albertville Winter torch
● $18,000: 2024 Paris Olympic torch
● $15,000: 1956 Melbourne Olympic torch
● $15,000: 1994 Lillehammer Winter torch
● $15,000: 2026 Milan Cortina Winter torch

● $10,000: 1932 Lake Placid Winter bronze medal
● $10,000: 1956 Stockholm Olympic equestrian bronze medal
● $9,000: 1964 Innsbruck Winter silver medal
● $9,000: 1988 Calgary Winter silver medal
● $8,500: 1906 Athens (Intercalated) Olympic gold medal

● $8,000: 1980 Lake Placid Winter “trial” torch
● $6,000: 1906 Athens (Intercalated) Olympic silver medal
● $6,000: 1924 Paris Olympic silver medal
● $6,000: 1960 Squaw Valley Winter silver medal
● $6,000: 1984 Los Angeles Olympic gold medal

● $6,000: 1998 Nagano Winter torch
● $6,000: 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch
● $5,000: 1932 Lake Placid Winter participation medal
● $5,000: 1948 London Olympic torch
● $5,000: 2022 Beijing Winter torch

The elegant, curved Albertville torch is a perennial hot item as only 130 were made. This auction also includes torches from both recent Games: a Paris 2024 torch starting at $18,000 and a Milan Cortina 2026 torch, starting at $15,000.

There is also the rare 1932 Lake Placid Winter Games participation medal – in an elegant Art Deco style – offered at $5,000 to start. By contrast, a participation medal from the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games is available with a modest starting bid of just $200. Antwerp 1920 is also available, starting at $400.

With the 2028 Los Angeles Games just a couple of years away, look for more interest in 1932 and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic items and this auction has some interesting ones. From 1932, there are tickets and programs, but also a tie tack ($100 starter), a button for Arden Milk – a major L.A. dairy – starting at $100, banners, postcards and more.

From 1984 are a torch ($3,000 starter), but much more, including an Olympic Flame safety lantern ($2,800 starter) and how about a trumpet (one of 126!) from the 1984 Olympic opening ceremony, complete with flag! It starts at $3,000.

Fans of Olympic mascots may be interested in a foot-long model of Munich ‘72’s “Waldi,” the first commercially-popularized mascot of the Games, along with three “Waldi” keychains; the package starts at $200.

Maybe the most poignant item is a list of the events for the 1940 Olympic Games to be held in Helsinki (FIN), but canceled due to World War II. It starts at $300.

Lots to choose from and congratulations to O’Neil on her 100th auction! It continues to 9 May.

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VOX POPULI: Are the 2028 Olympic Games Becoming an Elitist Event?

By
Nick Patsaouras
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Former Southern California RTD President Nick Patsaouras and his 2024 book, “The Making of Modern Los Angeles.” (Photos courtesy Nick Patsaouras.)

[Nick Patsaouras, originally an electrical engineer, was president of the Southern California Rapid Transit District during the 1984 Olympic Games, and has served as a Board member with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Board of Zoning Appeals and others. His 2024 book, The Making of Modern Los Angeles (ORO Editions) chronicled an insider’s view of the growth of the city. His opinions, are, of course, solely his own.]

During the last few days people seeking Olympic tickets were price shocked. And the whiplash was of Olympian magnitude. A number of L.A. City Council members claimed they have been misled on ticketing.

The LA28 organizing committee promoted $28 tickets for everyone, but these seats were limited mostly to a ‘locals-only-presale’ and sold out quickly. When global sales started, most buyers saw mostly only expensive seats priced at $300-$700. For some high-demand events (gymnastics, swimming, track finals, ceremonies), the only seats left were $1,000-$5,000+ premium rows. Included was a 24% service fee.

One thing is certain, the availability of affordable seats for the events people most want to attend is extremely limited. High-profile sports are pushed into the $300-$700 range, even for qualifying rounds, all adorned with an extra 24 percent service fee.

Frankly, this service fee is like a shadow tax on participation, and it affects those with less disposable income. The perception that the Games are structurally exclusive is reinforced. It is not presented as a tax, but as a service fee. It is not debated or voted on in public but is a mandatory fee that cannot be avoided if you want tickets.

Rightfully, it is seen as a ‘stealth surcharge’ which pushes borderline affordable tickets out of reach since they become meaningfully more expensive.

The handling of a $5,000 ticket should be the same as a $28 ticket, and therefore, if gouging is not involved, the service charge should be commensurate to the price of the ticket.

Unfortunately, L.A. city leaders have abdicated their fiduciary responsibilities for a long time and have allowed the LA28 committee to run amok. The cracks in the Olympics glass are getting bigger each day; fears of Olympics deficits, specter of traffic Armageddon, ticket gouging, lack of accountability and transparency on the part of the LA28 organizers, the Wasserman scandal, Mayor Karen Bass` unrealistic pronouncements – “car-free” and “Games for all” – while the taxpayers are responsible for any possible deficits that may lead L.A. to bankruptcy.

A backlash intensified following LA28’s launch of global ticket sales for the 2028 summer Olympic Games. This occurred after a prior presale, limited to residents of Greater Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, generated criticism regarding pricing, associated fees, and the availability of tickets.

A Culver City resident, Liz Kinnon, posted a letter in the Los Angeles Times explaining why she is no longer interested in buying tickets. “I registered early for presale tickets. I was notified I had a time slot. After many attempts to log in promptly (on my very dependable laptop) at my allotted time. I continued to get error messages. Between this, the lack of ticket availability, the prices (!), and the exorbitant service fee, I am out. Nope.”

LA28 committed to offering $28 tickets to uphold its public promise of “low-cost access,” yet this initiative was not implemented on a large scale. For the organizing committee, the $28 tickets served as an important symbol of affordability for political purposes, but it knew the economic impact was minimal. With these tickets vanishing quickly, the next thing people saw were tickets for preliminary events at $200-$400, mid-tier seats at $300-$700, and premium seats at $1,000-$5,000 plus. And, of course, the added outrageous service fee.

It was a brutal awakening. In a single click, people went from $28 Olympics to $700 Olympics.

For Los Angeles, a city already struggling with affordability, homelessness, inequality, and public trust, this is another hard hit.

Reflecting on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, I recall that making tickets affordable was seen as an important community value, going hand in hand with service, responsibility, respect, and entrepreneurship. In contrast, LA28 now presents ticket affordability primarily as a marketing point.

In 1984, tickets started at $3 ($9.70 in today’s dollars), and good seats for many major events were under $20. It was the objective of the organizing committee to keep prices low, fill venues, and build civic enthusiasm and pride.

The 1984 Olympics promoted community inclusion with affordable tickets, making the event accessible to many residents. In contrast, the 2028 Games feature expensive tickets and high fees, raising concerns that exclusivity and commercial interests are eclipsing the original spirit and limiting access for many in Los Angeles.

Residents near venues feel excluded despite bearing the burdens. For example, residents around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will face traffic, noise, and disruption, but may not be able to afford events happening in their own neighborhood.

We should also take into consideration that the facilities and infrastructure were built and are maintained with taxpayers` money.

Those near SoFi Stadium, UCLA, USC, Long Beach, and the Coliseum will face road closures, traffic, parking limits, noise, and security barriers. These impacts are mandatory. The pricing model leads to local disruption but favors elite access.

The LA28 Board mainly consists of wealthy and high-status individuals, making an elite Games seem likely. Its makeup is not a cross-section of Los Angeles, but a cross-section of elite Los Angeles. They include, among others, Casey Wasserman, entertainment executive, sports owner, and investor with multiple outlets reporting his net worth in the billion-dollar range; Ken Moelis, founder of Moelis & Company, a global investment bank, consistently listed by Forbes as a billionaire; José E. Feliciano, co founder of Clearlake Capital; Jeffrey Katzenberg, co founder of DreamWorks, former Disney studio head; Marc Stern, longtime investor and vice chair of The TCW Group; Mark Attanasio, founder of Crescent Capital and owner of the Milwaukee Brewers; along with high-net-worth members Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments; Jessica Alba, founder of The Honest Company; Jeanie Buss, former controlling owner of the Lakers; Elaine Chao, former Cabinet secretary with deep corporate ties; Maria Hummer-Tuttle, philanthropist with major assets; and Patrick Dumont, president of Las Vegas Sands (with family wealth in the billions).

Finally, the question of why LA28`s budget is $7.145 billion, vs. $5.24 billion for Paris 2024 (in today’s dollars) must be answered. And the only way to get the answer is for LA28 to open its books to the public.

Elite governance and lack of understanding of the Olympics spirit continue while locals bear the burdens. Unfortunately, the LA28 Committee did not heed Mayor Bass’ pronouncement of a “Games for all.” And the burdens get heavier with Wasserman, the chairman, remaining a source of controversy over his Jeffrey Epstein-related associations.

Comments are welcome here.

[≡The Sports Examiner encourages expressions of opinion – we really do – but preferably based on facts. Send comments to [email protected]. We do not guarantee publication of any comment, but all comments submitted will be considered and your submission implies your agreement to publication (and light editing if needed to meet our grammatical and punctuation standards) at our sole discretion. Please include your name and hometown on any comment submitted for publication.≡]

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Council increases financial pressure on LA28 organizers via a new, pay-as-you-go motion

By
Rich Perelman
-
Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Image: L.A. City video screenshot).

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≡ PAY NOW, PLEASE ≡

Combine a city in a difficult financial environment with an unlimited guarantee for losses stemming from an Olympic and Paralympic Games in which it has little control over the private-sector organizing committee, and extreme irritation over what the organizing committee has promised so far on local procurement and you have a Friday motion from Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

The introduction noted:

“The delivery of the 2028 Games will require substantial City resources, including public safety, transportation, sanitation and other essential services that extend beyond the City’s normal operations. Ensuring that the City is fully reimbursed for these Enhanced City Resources, including costs at the time of delivery and infrastructure improvements requested by LA28 beyond what the City has already planned, is critical to protecting the City’s General Fund and maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

The motion itself included these financial conditions:

“I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council instruct the City Administrative Officer (CAO) and Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), and request the City Attorney, to [finalize and present to Council within 14 days an Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement (ECRMA) between the City and the Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028 (LA28) which advances financial protections for the City, which shall include the following:

● “a. LA28 shall reimburse the City for all Enhanced City Resources (ECR) exceeding the City’s ‘normal and customary’ operations required for and in direct support of the Games;”

● “b. Reimbursement shall include the costs of ECR at the time of delivery;”

● “c. LA28 shall reimburse the City for all LA28-requested infrastructure improvements beyond the normal and customary responsibilities of the City;”

● “e. A payment schedule shall be established to provide advanced payment to the City for estimated costs of ECR based on when the costs are anticipated to be incurred.”

The final paragraph added:

“I FURTHER MOVE that the Council instruct the CAO and CLA to negotiate an amendment to the Games Agreement to ensure LA28’s contingency funds are available for ECR expenditures incurred by the City that are not reimbursed by any relevant entities, prior to those contingency funds being declared Surplus and disbursed to any Legacy Entity.”

The last addition responds to a memorandum from City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, who wrote to the Council last month that “The ECRMA as drafted by LA28 limits the obligation to reimburse City costs before LA28 is permitted to create its own legacy fund with the surplus.”

Responding to LA28’s negotiating position, Council member Monica Rodriguez introduced a motion last Wednesday to codify that the City be reimbursed by LA28 to the extent of any funds available:

“I THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council instruct the Chief Legislative Analyst, in coordination with the City Administrative Officer and the City Attorney, to prepare language for establishing a new section within the City Charter through the ongoing Charter reform process that codifies a ‘Zero-Cost Principle for the LA28 Games,’ ensuring that the City shall not incur unreimbursed costs associated with hosting the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and no Legacy Fund shall be established until the City is reimbursed.”

Conveniently, the Los Angeles City Charter is undergoing a revision process right now. The Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement was supposed to have been completed by 1 October 2025, but is overdue.

Harris-Dawson’s motion would add an advanced funding and payment schedule to the requirement that LA28 pay for the City’s Games-related costs, essentially in advance, instead of being reimbursed afterwards. The Games Agreement already calls for LA28 to set aside $270 million in funds in a specific fund to cover the City’s first bloc of liability for a Games deficit.

The worry from City Attorney Feldstein Soto mentioned specifically the 2028 Games costs for security, which are projected to be as much as $1 billion for the City and which LA28 has not committed to pay. Both the City and LA28 are expecting the U.S. Federal government to pay this cost and while talks are ongoing, a Federal commitment to cover the City’s security costs has not been made as yet. Further, while $1 billion in Federal funds for security for the Games was made in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, no allocation has been included in the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget plan.

The Harris-Dawson motion was seconded by Council members Ysabel Jurado and Traci Park and was forwarded to the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, chaired by … Harris-Dawson.

No date for the next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee has been announced.

Observed: The Council members are angry with the LA28 organizers on multiple fronts, not only on costs, but on guarantees of local spending in the organizing committee’s procurement plan, with the LA28 strategy document on human rights released but not yet discussed publicly.

Then there are ticket prices and the disclosure in the purchasing process of 24% in service fees, included in the overall prices paid by buyers. Time ran out in the Ad Hoc Committee meeting before that was discussed in depth, with Council member Katy Yaroslavsky stating briefly, “The tickets are not affordable. The 24 percent surcharge is not affordable” and asking why a City fee was not attached to help pay for City services.

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PANORAMA: Brisbane 2032 confirms first sponsor; IOC’s Coventry asks Europe to keep neutrality in sport; N.J. governor upset on FIFA transit costs

By
Rich Perelman
-
(Image: International Olympic Committee.)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● As had been previously leaked, Commonwealth Bank (CommBank) was announced Thursday as the first commercial partner of the 2032 Brisbane organizing committee.

The company is Australia’s largest bank, originally created as a government bank in 1911 and fully privatized in 1996.

The agreement has implications for the International Olympic Committee, where it has been reported that JPMorgan Chase is in discussions about becoming a TOP sponsor. The presence of CommBank would necessarily limit JPMorgan Chase rights to just the 2028 Los Angeles Games, absent an ultra-creative work-around to allow both to share the Olympic Rings after 2028. 

● International Olympic Committee ● IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) spoke to the EU Sport Forum in Paphos, Cyprus in a recorded video message, emphasizing the importance of sport autonomy, including:

● “Sport – and the Olympic Games in particular – offer the opposite of the division we see in this world. They offer a rare space where people meet not as adversaries, but as fellow human beings. A much-needed space of peaceful competition.”

● “The athletes reminded us what excellence, friendship and respect look like in a world that sometimes forgets these values. They showed us what humanity can be at its very best, inspiring generations around the world with the Olympic spirit.

“Athletes can only inspire us if they are able to compete. They can only do so if we keep sport strictly neutral ground. If politics does not take over on the field of play. For all of us, this means that we must protect the autonomy of sport. So that we can tell all the athletes, no matter where they come from: yes, you can compete freely, without political interference beyond your control.”

● “And so I call on the EU and its Member States to stand by these principles that you have recognised so often: respect the autonomy of sport and support the political neutrality of the IOC and of the Olympic Games. Because only then can the power of sport truly unfold.”

There was no indication in this message of any change in the IOC’s stance on Russia and Belarus, which currently has encouraged International Federations to return youth and junior athletes to international competition, but not senior-level athletes or teams.

The IOC announced a team of 25 athletes to serve as “Athlete Role Models” for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (SEN) in October. These included Americans Christopher Bak for rowing and Ricardo Torres Jr. for boxing.

● Athletics ● Kenyan distance star Rhonex Kipruto, now 26, the one-time road world-record holder at 5 km and 10 km, is a confirmed doper according to a decision announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Thursday announcement of the decision on his appeal of a six-year sanction for blood doping ended with a reduction in his ban to five years:

“The CAS Panel considered the scientific evidence and expert opinions submitted by the Parties and found that the Athlete’s blood profile was the result of blood manipulation, constituting a doping infraction. …

“The Panel also reviewed the six-year period of ineligibility that was imposed, made up of four years for an intentional ADRV [doping violation] plus two years for aggravating circumstances. The aggravating circumstances submitted by World Athletics included several instances of blood doping and that the Athlete engaged in a deliberate and sophisticated doping regime. The Panel determined that, bearing in mind the principle of proportionality, the aggravating circumstances warrant an additional period of ineligibility of one year instead of two.”

His results, including the world-record runs in 2020, were nullified. However, his ban will now end on 10 May 2028, prior to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The bankruptcy plan for Grand Slam Track was approved Thursday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware and will now proceed with the filing of claims from those owed money and the distribution of the amounts available from primary investor Winners Alliance.

A separate action by the committee for unsecured creditors is still alive and will be heard later as to whether it will be allowed to proceed.

● Football ● New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill complained on X about the cost of hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches:

“FIFA is charging fans up to $10,000 for a single ticket to the final.

“They’re charging over $200 for ‘premium’ parking at the American Dream Mall – while eliminating parking at MetLife Stadium. They’re set to make $11 billion off of the World Cup overall.

“But New Jerseyans should foot a $48 million bill for transportation costs? Not happening.”

In a second post, she added: “I’m not going to burden New Jersey taxpayers with that bill for years. FIFA must cover the cost of transportation. But if they don’t – I’m not going to let New Jersey come out on the losing end of this.”

Instead, while the rate plan for New Jersey Transit is to be announced on Friday, it has been reported at more than $100 per person for each of the eight matches, compared to the usual fare of $12.90. FIFA replied in a statement:

“We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor’s approach today on fan transportation. The original FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Agreements signed in 2018 required free transportation for fans to all matches.

“Recognizing the financial strain this placed on the host cities, back in 2023 FIFA adjusted the Host Agreement requirements across all host cities as follows: All Match Ticket holders and accredited individuals shall be able to access transport (public or additionally planned transport) at cost to allow travel to Stadiums on match days.”

New Jersey Transit chief executive Kris Kolluri told NJ.com. “It will cost us $48 million. We will charge FIFA fans for those tickets, and it will not be subsidized by our commuters.”

● Sport Climbing ● World Climbing, the international federation for sport climbing, confirmed a major increase in prize money across the 13 IFSC World Cup events, with 38 individual events now set to pay €20,000 per event, down to eight places: €6,000-4,000-2,800-2,000-1,600-1,400-1,200-1,000. (€1 = $1.18 U.S.)

This is way up from the €11,700 per event in 2024; some 2025 events used this higher prize payout. This will total €760,000 for the World Cup, plus another €90,000 for nine speed-relay events to a rise to €850,000 in all. Another €9,000 will be distributed to World Climbing Series Rankings seasonal winners.

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