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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The Australian national government and the state government of Queensland announced an agreement on the details of the previously-agreed-on A$7.1 billion in spending for infrastructure related to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (A$1 = $0.66 U.S.).
The national government will contribute A$3.435 billion, with A$3.665 coming from Queensland, to build or revamp 17 venues for 2032, with the Australian government to spend A$1.2 billion on the new stadium to be built in Victoria Park.
● Youth Olympic Games: Gangwon 2024 ● The International Olympic Committee announced it would return its 20% share of the small surplus achieved by the organizing committee of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon (KOR) last year, which totaled roughly $1.4 million U.S. (1.85 billion Korean won).
Of note was the organizing committee’s revenue of about $55.3 million U.S., of which the IOC reportedly provided $34.1 million. Expenses were about $53.9 million.
● Cycling ● The Union Cycliste Internationale announced a heavy program of doping and cheating controls ahead of the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday.
In addition to 350 out-of-competition doping tests undertaken by the International Testing Agency in the weeks prior to the race, another 600 tests are expected to be done on the 184 riders across the 21 stages of the race, plus enhanced efforts on intelligence gathering.
The UCI will carry out “technological fraud” controls on the bikes used for the Tour, looking primarily for propulsion systems. Bikes will be checked before each stage with magnetic tablets, cheating during races will be monitored by video, and bikes from the race and section leaders will be checked after each stage. Some 192 x-ray checks were conducted in 2024; more than 600 have been made so far during the 2025 UCI World Tour season, up 24% from 2024.
● Football ● Defending champion Mexico defeated Honduras, 1-0, in Santa Clara, California on Wednesday night, advancing to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against the U.S. on Sunday, in Houston, Texas.
After two team-on-team melees in the 0-0 first half, striker Raul Jimenez scored for Mexico in the 50th minute for the only goal of the game. Closely fought, Mexico controlled 56% of possession and had a 10-6 edge on shots, in front of a huge crowd of 70,975.
This will be the eighth Gold Cup final between the U.S. and Mexico, with Mexico holding a 5-2 edge to date.
● Skating ● The International Skating Union’s first Extraordinary Congress in Lausanne (SUI) approved the revised ISU constitution, which will streamline its structure and processes. A total of 94 of the 98 delegations voted in favor.
Importantly, the new framework also creates an independent Skating Integrity Unit, with responsibility not only for doping, but also for ethics, competition integrity and safeguarding. The Disciplinary Committee will be completely separate. A separate Elections Committee and a committee on financial affairs will also be installed.
A new rule-making process was also adopted, clustering changes into – in theory – only one time in each four-year Olympic cycle, giving more certainty to athletes in their planning and training.
The changes will go into effect after the ISU Congress in June 2026.
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