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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Rome daily Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that a government review of the finances of the 2025 Winter Olympic organizing committee shows that the budget has apparently expanded again to about €2.0 billion (~$2.34 billion U.S.).
This is €300 million above the €1.7 billion “lifetime budget” adopted in April, with €248 million of the increase attributed to the Winter Paralympic Games, for temporary infrastructure (€66.2 million), rents and services (€39.3 million), transportation (€30.5 million) and television support (€24.4 million), plus another €79.1 million for logistical support for the overall Games effort and some smaller items.
Another €43 million was allocated to government agencies for safety and security measures for the Games, and not part of the organizing committee’s budget.
● Russia ● Russian athletes refused to sign declarations required by the Polish hosts ahead of the World Rowing U-23 Championships in Poznan, scheduled to start on 23 July, and will not compete.
The Russian news agency TASS reported that, according to the head of the Russian Rowing Federation:
“[T]he Poles insisted that all Russian rowers sign declarations before participating in the competition, in which they had to indicate that they do not receive Russian state funding, as well as sponsorship funds from companies or individuals associated with the Russian Federation. Russian rowers must also sign that they have not expressed and do not intend to express support for actions in Ukraine, the state policies of Russia and Belarus and their leaders.”
World Rowing allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.
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The International Fencing Federation (FIE), which allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals, and as teams, has allowed the entries of two-time women’s Olympic Team Sabre gold medalist Sofiya Velikaya, two-time 2016 Olympic gold medalist Yana Egorian and Tokyo 2020 Team Sabre gold medalist Olga Nikitina, among others, to the 2025 FIE World Championships in Georgia, beginning 22 July. A total of 17 men and 18 women “neutrals” are entered in the six individual events, plus a few more in the team competitions.
The FIE, whose elected president is Russian Alisher Usmanov, decided in June to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to be entered as neutrals simply by signing a promise that they have not been and were not now in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, eliminating independent reviews.
At the same time, the FIE confirmed that Ukraine’s four-time women’s World Sabre Champion and six-time Olympic medalist, Olha Kharlan, will not compete at the Worlds. She posted a short note, stating “‘Neutrality’ is coming on the World Championship in Tbilisi. Well done, FIE” over an entry sheet with the names of the “neutral” entries.
Ukrainian federation president Mykhailo Illiashev told RBC-Ukraine:
“From the very beginning, we have emphasized that this entire process of verifying Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce. Now, I hope, this has become clear to all the other foreign federations that pretended the selection was legitimate.
“This brazen decision became possible because all previous complaints from the Ukrainian Fencing Federation were ignored, including by the International Olympic Committee.”
● Cycling ● Slovenian race favorite Tadej Pogacar scored his first win of the 112th Tour de France with a tight victory over Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel in Tuesday’s fifth stage.
The hilly, 174.2 km route to Rouen finished with a sprint of six riders, with Pogacar scoring his 100th professional race win and 18th Tour de France stage victory in 3:50:29. Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard was third (same time) and Oscar Olney (GBR) was fourth.
Van der Poel and Pogacar are now tied for the race lead, with the Dutchman still wearing the yellow jersey, on criteria. Wednesday’s fifth stage is a flat Individual Time Trial of 33 km in and around Caen.
● Football ● Goal.com reported that following the U.S. loss to Mexico, 2-1, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Houston, players responded to the defeat differently.
Midfielder Tyler Adams said, “I told every player after the game how proud I was just of the growth of every single individual. … To come together as a new group and make a final? It’s a positive and we’ll make sure it carries forward.”
Defender Chris Richards, one of the best players in the tournament overall, was not as positive:
“I think everyone grieves differently, but I think some people – and I know myself personally it hurt – but maybe it’s something that needed to happen.
“You take it on the chin and you keep pushing forward. And I promise you we won’t lose anymore finals against Mexico. I threw my medal away. There’s no point in having a silver medal. I think, as a nation, we strive for greatness. And I think, as individuals, we do, too. So, going forward, that’s what we’re going to do.”
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