★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Affection for the Paris 2024 Games remains strong in France, as 83% (vs. 15%) responded positively to a new poll about their perception of last year’s events. Moreover, 76% (vs. 23%) had a positive view of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, French Alps 2030.
The poll of 1,047 adults from 13-16 June by Toluna Harris Interactive France and Territoires d’Événements Sportifs (TES), also showed 86% (vs. 13%) in favor of major events being held in France, especially for their impact on tourism and upgrades to sports facilities. Some 72% felt such events also promoted the practice of sport, the image of France and the promotion of Paralympic sport.
Interestingly, 64% said they preferred to watch sports on television vs. attending in person (49%), but a majority (60%) of those under 35 wanted to be on-site in person.
● Aquatics ● The World Aquatics Championships, with 77 events, about 2,500 athletes from 206 national federations, opens on Friday in Singapore and will continue through 3 August.
Water polo will open the championships, continuing to 24 July. Open-water swimming will go from 14-29 July, artistic swimming from 17-25 July, high diving from 23-27 July, then diving from 25 July to 3 August and swimming from 26 July to 3 August.
● Athletics ● Interesting line-up for the annual Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the flat 400 m. She’s already no. 5 in the world in 2025 off her 49.43 at the Prefontaine Classic, and she is always a threat to the American Record of 48.70 by Sanya Richards-Ross from 2006.
In the men’s 400 m, teen star Quincy Wilson (17) has completed his high school season and will be in the open race; he’s run 45.27 this season after a world U-18 record 44.20 last year. He’ll be facing Tokyo Olympic 400 m winner Steven Gardiner (BAH), among others.
● Cricket ● The Times of India reported on a demand by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee that the Board members of USA Cricket resign so that “new independent members can be appointed to replace them.”
USOPC Senior Governance Advisor David Patterson insisted that a full replacement of the board is “by far the best course of action.” His electronic-mail message explained that if this does not take place, the USOPC will not open an application period for an organization to apply to be the recognized National Governing Body for cricket (there is none at present).
The Times report also stated that the International Cricket Council, the international federation for cricket, is in agreement with the USOPC, as USA Cricket has been under scrutiny for governance issues since 2018.
● Cycling ● Ireland’s Ben Healy broke away from a lead group with 42 km remaining in Thursday’s hilly, 201.5 km ride to Vire Normandie and won the sixth stage of the 112th Tour de France in 4:24:10. It’s his first career stage win at the Tour.
He was all alone at the finish, with American Quinn Simmons some 2:44 behind in second, followed by Michael Storer (AUS: +2:51).
Well back was the race-leader group, with Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel finishing eighth (+3:58) and then race leader Tadej Pogacar (SLO) much further back at +5:27. That differential gave the race lead to van der Poel by one second, with Remco Evenepoel (BEL: +0:43) third and four more within 1:59.
Friday’s 197 km stage to Mur-de-Bretagne is again hilly, with an uphill finish that could shake up the leaderboard once again.
¶
The women’s Giro d’Italia enjoyed a flat, 120 km stage on Thursday from Mirano to Monselice, won by Dutch ace Lorena Wiebes in 2:39:08 ahead of countrywoman Marianne Vos and 10 others given the same time.
Swiss Marlen Reusser was fifth and maintained her 16-second lead over Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini. Stage six on Friday will be hilly and stage seven has a major uphill finish that will likely decide the race.
● Football ● Paris-St. Germain is a big favorite to defeat Chelsea in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday at 3 p.m. local time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
PSG is listed at 3/5 on multiple sites and the best odds on Chelsea are just less than 4/1.
Perhaps just as important is the weather, with a high of 85 F forecast and 71% humidity. That’s down from the 90+ F temps during the semifinals – also at MetLife – but still uncomfortable.
¶
U.S. striker Tobin Heath, a key contributor to the dominant U.S. women’s teams over almost 15 years, announced her retirement from professional football on Thursday. She last played in 2022 and has been unable to overcome a serious knee injury since.
She joined the U.S. national team in 2008 and was a part of the Women’s World Cup champions in 2015 and 2019 and Olympic winners in 2008 and 2012, and bronze medalists at Tokyo 2020. She scored 36 goals and had 42 assists in 181 appearances. She played with 11 different club teams in the U.S. and England from 2004-22.
● Modern Pentathlon ● At the UIPM World Relay Championships in Alexandria (EGY), the home team won the senior Mixed Relay, thanks to teen star Farida Khalil and Paris Olympian Mohanad Shaban, who won the fencing, swimming and obstacle legs and then hung on during the Laser Run to edge France’s Mathilde Derval and Leo Bories, with a final score of 1,422 to 1,415.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
