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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday after owners’ meetings that the question of whether major league players could participate in the 2028 Olympic tournament is still open:
“There was conversation about the Olympics. I would say this: I think we’ve made some progress with L.A. 2028 in terms of what it could look like. …
“We have some other business partners that we need to talk to about changes that would need to be made in order to accommodate the Olympics. I think we’re going to go forward with that process.”
One of those partners is undoubtedly FOX, which has the rights to the MLB All-Star Game through 2028. It is possible that the 2028 Olympic tournament could take the place of the All-Star Game on the schedule. The 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta will be held on 15 July; the 2028 Olympic Games will be held from 14-30 July.
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President Donald Trump’s 4 June proclamation, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” included bans on 12 countries and restrictions on seven more:
● “(f) After reviewing the report described in subsection (d) of this section, and after accounting for the foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives of the United States, I have determined to fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants.
● “(g) I have determined to partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants.”
Egypt was also identified for further scrutiny. There were, however, “categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers” and in section 4:
“any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.”
How this section is interpreted and implemented will be closely monitored by the International Olympic Committee and National Olympic Committees and International Federations. Cuba has already protested vehemently the denial of visas for Panam Sports meetings in Miami and Puerto Rico and the inability of the Cuban men’s team to compete in the FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers in Puerto Rico, and asked the IOC and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for assistance.
● Olympic Games: Future ● As promised, Poland is developing a bid to host an Olympic Games in 2040 or 2044, with a roadmap to be presented in the fall, according to Minister of Sports and Tourism Slawomir Nitras.
“We will try to organize the Games in Poland. I would very much like the Olympic Games to be held in Warsaw in 2040, but if they take place in 2044, it will be a reason to be proud. The first draft of the strategy, which will be submitted for public discussion, will be presented in October of this year.”
● International Olympic Committee ● Although his term as IOC President will conclude on 23 June, don’t expect Thomas Bach (GER) to fade into the sunset.
While he was elected as IOC Honorary President last year, he will also continue an operating role as the President of the Olympic Refuge Foundation, announced Tuesday:
“The Foundation Board will continue to be led by IOC President Thomas Bach, who has been the Chair since the ORF was created in 2017. Following a recommendation of IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry [ZIM], Bach was re-elected as Chair by the Board members. The ORF Board also extended the term of UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi [ITA] as Vice-Chair of the Foundation.”
● Anti-Doping ● Fascinating post by re-elected World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL), who posted on X:
“Following my re-election, we’re focused on the future with some key priorities:
“✔ More audits, more transparency – All anti-doping organizations must meet the same high standards. Audit reports will be published, because transparency builds trust.
“✔ More appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – Fairness and consistency are essential. If needed, we’ll increase the number of appeals to protect the integrity of the system.
“✔ Investing in science and technology – We’re upgrading ADAMS, boosting cybersecurity, and embracing innovation like AI and dried blood spot testing to stay ahead.
“The mission continues — for clean sport, for athletes, for the future.”
These promises will be closely watched as WADA has been pilloried over the 2021 Chinese swimming mass-positives incident for not being transparent about its response and not filing an appeal of the China Anti-Doping Agency’s decision not to impose even temporary suspensions on those who tested positive for trimetazidine.
● Enhanced Games ● Responding to the World Aquatics’ ban on athletes or officials involved in pro-doping events such as the Enhanced Games, founder Aron D’Souza (AUS) said the Enhanced Games organization will provide support for athletes who compete in his event:
“We will support any natural or enhanced athlete denied the option to make this choice – both by providing them with an opportunity to compete and win – or by providing legal support against World Aquatics in the case of any challenge.
“This ban isn’t about protecting athletes. It’s about protecting a monopoly. World Aquatics hasn’t paid its athletes for decades. Now, faced with real competition and real momentum, they’ve fallen back on threats and bullying tactics.”
● Transgender ● California State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond issued a statement Wednesday in response to a demand from the U.S. Justice Department that it comply with Federal policy concerning transgender athletes in California schools:
“The DOJ assertions are not in themselves law, and the letter by itself cannot be an enforcement mechanism. The letter does not announce the passage of any new federal law.
“In fact, the CIF policy that the DOJ letter refers to reiterates California law, which protects students from discrimination based on gender identity, and which requires that students be permitted to participate on athletic teams that are consistent with their gender identity.”
A separate notice to local education agencies (LEAs) also noted:
“As we review the requested certification, we want to assure you that the California Department Education (CDE) and the LEAs in our state that receive federal funds have already provided the requisite assurances to funding agencies that programs and services are in compliance with the U.S. Constitution. In addition, LEA compliance with the Equal Protection Clause and other laws is monitored annually through the state’s federal compliance monitoring process and multiple accountability mechanisms. The DOJ letter references no law that would authorize the agency to require another ‘certification’ or one of this kind from LEAs.
“The CDE plans to respond to the DOJ on behalf of the state and its LEAs by the requested date, and we will share a copy of our response with you for your information once we have submitted it.”
The Justice Department letter asked for a reply by Monday, 9 June.
● Athletics ● The medal designs for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships were revealed, with the front featuring a stylized stripe design – like lanes on a track – which incorporates the letters “TYO” as the Tokyo city code. The vibrant concept is to convey ambition, momentum, and growth.
The back is mirrored, with a band for engraving for each winner’s name, country and event. The personalization will be done in the National Stadium and completed for the formal awards ceremony on the following day.
Following the popular introduction of separate medal presentations at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest (HUN), “[t]he medal ceremonies at WCH Tokyo 25 will be held at the Medal Plaza, an open-air plaza situated just outside the southern area of Japan National Stadium.”
● Boxing ● Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko, the two-time Olympic champion, and then a multi-time featherweight and lightweight professional champion, announced his retirement on Thursday.
Now 37, he was 396-1 as an amateur and won the 2008 Olympic Featherweight title and 2012 Olympic Lightweight gold. He also won Worlds golds in 2009 and 2011.
He turned pro in 2013 and had an 18-3 record, winning featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight titles in 2013, 2016 and 2018.
● Ice Hockey ● The International Ice Hockey Federation named its finalists for the IIHF women’s Player of the Year award for the 2024-25 season, including Canadian star Marie-Philip Poulin and five U.S. players.
The American finalists include forward Laila Edwards, goaltender Aerin Frankel, defender Caroline Harvey, Hilary Knight and keeper Gwyneth Philips.
The vote will be by more than 100 individuals comprised of IIHF officials and news media; voting will conclude on 13 June, with the winner to be revealed shortly afterwards.
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