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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The Queensland government passed The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, with major provisions dealing with energy and home ownership, but also with the 2032 Olympic Games.
The bill allows the Brisbane organizing committee board to be trimmed from 24 to 15 members, “reducing bureaucracy and streamlining processes” and includes authorization to skip multiple planning approvals, “in a bid to ensure projects are not held up by potential legal challenges. It means final planning sign-off rests with the state government, rather than local councils.”
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC is looking for help, specifically someone who can handle some of the organization’s key operations away from sports, with the title of Chief Operating Officer:
“As a key executive partner to the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides leadership, thought partnership, and operational oversight to advance the culture, efficiency, and effectiveness of the organization’s daily operations.
“The COO oversees the USOPC’s strategic planning, finance, information & digital technology, procurement, and facilities management functions with a focus on internal business partnership. This role is responsible for ensuring alignment between strategic priorities and operational effectiveness. The COO should have an eye for efficient processes, while identifying strategic opportunities to create new value for the organization.”
The USOPC has handed the search to the Korn Ferry agency, with the position working out of the Colorado Springs downtown headquarters office.
● National Olympic Committees ● Elections at two major NOCs saw long-time Italian canoe federation chief Luciano Buonfiglio, a 1976 Olympian, elected as the head of his country’s NOC, known as CONI. He received 47 votes to 34 for Luca Pancalli, head of the Italian Paralympic Committee.
In Japan, Seiko Hashimoto, a speed skater in four Olympic Winter Games and cyclist at three Olympic Games, was elected Thursday as the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, for a two-year term. She served as the head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee from 2019-21 and successfully oversaw the transition of the event from 2020 to 2021 due to Covid-19.
She continues to serve as a member of the Japanese House of Councillors.
● Anti-Doping ● The World Anti-Doping Agency did not miss a chance to slap back at the passage of S. 233, the “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2025” out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday (25th).
WADA’s Thursday comment included:
“Boiled down, the bill effectively seeks to embed U.S. bias into WADA’s governance structure with the threat of withholding funding if this is not achieved. Not only is this ironic given [U.S. Anti-Doping chief executive Travis] Tygart’s unfounded allegations of bias to China in connection with the Chinese swimmer cases; it would also undermine WADA’s governance reforms and go against democratic values and principles of good governance. As an international regulatory body, WADA cannot give in to this cash-for-influence ultimatum from any country. One can only imagine what Mr. Tygart would say if China or Russia sought to pass similar legislation. If only he put as much effort into addressing the serious deficiencies with anti-doping in the U.S.”
The war of words continues, unabated.
● Alpine Skiing ● Switzerland’s two-time World Cup champion Lara Gut-Behrami, 34, announced she will retire after the 2025-26 skiing season. She plans to join her husband, Valon Behrami, who will become the sporting director at the Watford football club.
She’s a medal contender for Milan Cortina, having won Olympic gold in the 2022 Beijing Super-G and a Giant Slalom bronze, plus a 2014 Sochi Downhill bronze.
● Baseball ● Former major league shortstop Ruben Tejada of Panama was suspended for four years following a positive test for a metabolite of the prohibited steroid drostanolone from an out-of-competition test last November.
Tejada played for the Mets from 2010-15, then for the Cardinals and Giants in 2016 and Orioles in 2017, finally for the Mets again in 2019. He has been disqualified through 2 December 2028, but can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
● Fencing ● The NCAA Division I Council approved separate men’s and women’s fencing team championships on Wednesday, splitting the combined championship currently offered. The NCAA statement noted:
“For this change to take effect, it must also be supported by Divisions II and III because fencing operates as a National Collegiate Championship involving teams from all three divisions. Divisions II and III are expected to consider the proposal at their meetings in July.”
If finally approved, this is a major victory for USA Fencing, which has been lobbying for this expansion.
● Football ● Spain’s Audencia Nacional upheld the sexual assault conviction and fine against former Royal Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales stemming from the awards ceremony following the end of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.
Appeals by the prosecution to re-try the case, hoping for imprisonment, were dismissed, as were appeals against the acquittals of three other defendants from the Spanish federation.
Rubiales’ attorney said the €10,800 fine imposed on him will be appealed, based on a Spanish Supreme Court ruling.
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The U.S. women’s National Team was back in action on Thursday in Commerce City, Colorado, against Ireland, with another young squad that took charge quickly, with three quality chances in the first 12 minutes.
In the 18th, off a short corner, midfield star Rose Lavelle sent a cross to the back side of the Irish net, with defender Ashley Patterson there to head it in for the 1-0 lead.
In stoppage time, midfielder Sam Coffey got the ball at the top of the box, dribbled left and sent a seeing-eye, right-footed shot that found the right side of the net, even with a touch from keeper Courtney Brosnan, at 45+4. The half ended soon after with the U.S. up 2-0, enjoying 61% possession and an 11-0 edge on shots.
Lavelle scored in the 53rd from the center of the box off a right-to-left pass from striker Ally Sentnor and forward Alyssa Thompson soloed from midfield, dribbling to the left side of the Irish goal and sending a rocket to the far side for the 4-0 lead in the 63rd. That was the final; the U.S. had 67% possession and a 26-2 shots advantage.
The two sides will face off again on Sunday, in Cincinnati.
● Volleyball ● Ugo Valensi (FRA) will become the new head of Volleyball World, the private equity partnership with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), as of 4 August 2025.
He comes to the position from being the chief executive of Grand Slam Tennis, working with the world’s four premier tennis tournaments, and the Sportfive sports marketing agency. The growth of Volleyball World as a commercial venture to expand the sport’s impact worldwide has been impressive and Valensi will be asked to keep it going.
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