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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizing committee named Peter Rice as the “Head of Ceremonies and Content for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
According to the announcement, the British-born Rice “began his career at 20th Century Fox in 1989, ascending through the company in various roles prior to his 2017 promotion to President of 21st Century Fox. Following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Rice assumed the role of Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Chairman of General Entertainment for The Walt Disney Company.” He left Disney in 2022 and is an independent producer.
He will report directly to LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman.
● Commonwealth Games ● Commonwealth Sport President Dr. Donald Rukare (UGA) praised the progress of the Glasgow 2026 organizing committee with a year to go on Wednesday, explaining:
“In record time, they’ve hit key milestones that would traditionally take years. They’re not just planning a Games, they’re redefining how we imagine and deliver global sporting events, and doing it with energy, authenticity, and global significance.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be significantly compressed to just 10 sports, in a handful of venues, as a way to cut spending and pay for most of the event with the abandonment fee paid by the Australian state of Victoria, which walked away in July 2023.
Just as importantly, Rukare repeated the impact of the new, cost-conscious approach:
“In another sign of the Games’ renewed relevance and vitality, we were delighted to announce earlier this year that no fewer than seven countries expressed interest in hosting the 2030 edition, the centenary of the Commonwealth Games. That level of enthusiasm is unprecedented.”
● World University Games: Rhine-Ruhr 2025 ● The swimming competitions at the 2025 WUG concluded on Wednesday, with an overwhelming performance by the United States swimmers.
The squad, selected and administered by USA Swimming, won a sensational 50 medals in the pool (27-12-11), far ahead of Japan (15: 3-5-7) and Italy (13: 3-4-6). Three U.S. swimmers won six medals each: Leah Shackley (5-1-0), Isabel Ivey (5-0-1) and Maxine Parker (5-0-1); Matt King and Leah Hayes also won five golds each (5-0-0).
Overall, the U.S. has 72 medals (28-20-24) to lead all nations, with China at 44 (19-20-5) and South Korea at 38 (14-7-17). The WUG will conclude on Sunday.
● Russia ● The Russian news agency TASS reported a comment from the International Olympic Committee that confirmed the IOC’s position that eligibility for Russian and Belarusian teams is up to the relevant International Federation:
“Each international federation is the only body authorized to hold its international competitions outside the Olympic Games. Therefore, we kindly recommend that you contact the IHF.”
The International Handball Federation asked the IOC about allowing Russian and Belarusian teams back into competitions; the IOC’s February 2022 message after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a recommendation – but not an order – that federations not allow Russian or Belarusian teams to compete. So, the next move is up to the IHF; the IOC is considering what to do about Russian and Belarusian entries for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which it does control.
● Aquatics ● At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Greece’s women’s water polo team scored its first Worlds gold since 2011 with a 12-9 victory over Hungary on Wednesday.
The Greeks had an 8-4 lead at half and held on for the win, thanks to three goals each from Foteini Tricha and Eleni Xenaki. Fourth at the 2024 Worlds and seventh at the Paris Olympic Games, it’s only the second medal for Greece in Worlds history!
Olympic champs Spain won the bronze medal from the U.S., 13-12, taking a 4-2 lead in the first period and matching the Americans essentially score for score the rest of the way. Emma Lineback had five scores for the U.S. and Anni Espar scored four times for Spain. The U.S. has now been fourth two times in a row, at Paris in 2024 and now in Singapore.
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In Artistic Swimming, the Mixed Duet Technical went to Russian “neutrals” Aleksandr Maltsev and Mayya Gurbanberdieva, scoring 233.2100 to 230.4634 for Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez and Mirela Hernandez. This was Maltsev’s third win of the meet.
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Swimswam.com reported that about 10 members of the USA Swimming team were too sick to travel from the training camp in Phuket (THA) to Singapore as planned on Tuesday, due to food poisoning.
The swimming portion of the Worlds begins on Sunday.
● Athletics ● British sprint star Zharnel Hughes, the 2023 Worlds men’s 100 m bronze winner, told the British Mirror that he is still waiting for about $130,000 in prize money from Grand Slam Track:
“I think the appearance fees have come through but in regards to the actual racing [prize money] it hasn’t come through yet. I’m just looking to see if we get paid by August or September, hopefully it’s in the accounts by then.
“I think people enjoyed it but obviously now the payments have been delayed and they fell short by not having the last one [meet], people may be more hesitant to try out next season. We have to see how it goes next season.”
Grand Slam Track indicated in early July that prize money for the opening meet in Jamaica would be made by the end of July and for the other two meets by the end of September.
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More doping suspensions from the Athletics Integrity Unit, including two more Kenyans:
● Roncer Kipkorir Konga, a 58:08 half-marathoner from 2023, provisionally suspended for using testosterone;
● Morine Gesare Michira, a 68:13 half-marathoner from 2024, banned “for 2 years from 26 June 2025 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Higenamine and Octodrine).”
Eritrea’s Berhane Tesfay, a 2:07:07 marathoner from 2023, was provisionally suspended for the use of Erythropoietin (EPO).
● Cycling ● The hilly 17th stage of the 112th Tour de France ended with a mostly flat final quarter, leading to the expected mass sprint, and ended with the second stage win of this Tour for Italian star Jonathan Milan.
He crossed in 3:25:30, just ahead of Jordi Meuss (GER) and Tobias Andresen (DEN) with the first 130 riders given the same time. So, the race continues with defending champ Tadej Pogacar (SLO) as the race leader, in front of two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) by 4:15, with Florian Lipowitz (GER: +9:03) in third.
Thursday’s stage is a brutal, triple climb route of 171.5 km, with a steep uphill finish to the Courchevel ski resort, a major, late chance for Vingegaard to try and close the gap.
● Fencing ● The 2025 World Fencing Championships are underway in Tbilisi (GEO), with unheralded Ryan Choi of Hong Kong winning the men’s Foil title, 15-9, over Russian “neutral” Kirill Borodachev, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team silver winner. Prior to the Worlds, Choi had won one FIE Grand Prix event in his career, in May of this year.
In the women’s Epee, Ukraine’s Vlada Kharkova, the 2022 European Champion, won her first career Worlds medal, defeating Estonia’s Tokyo 2020 bronze winner Katrina Lehis in a tight, 15-14 final.
The U.S.’s Alexander Massialas, the Rio 2016 Olympic runner-up, reached the men’s Foil round of 16; fellow Americans Kasia Nixon, Hadley Husisian and Margherita Guzzi Vincenti did the same in the women’s Epee.
● Football ● At the UEFA women’s championship semifinal in Zurich (SUI), favored Spain locked up with Germany in a struggle which saw a 0-0 first half in which the Spanish had the better chances – and 75% of possession – but could not score.
Spain continued to control the second half, but neither team could score. Both had chances, with German forward Klara Buhl’s free kick in the 85th sailing barely wide of the Spanish goal, and Spanish keeper Cata Coll saved another shot from Buhl at 90+4, which rebounded for a Carlotta Wamser shot that Coll also saved! Spain’s sub striker Salma Paralluelo almost found the corner of the German net a 90+1, but keeper Ann-Katrin Berger saved it … barely.
Spain finished regulation time with 70% of possession and a 17-10 shots lead, but in a tie. In extra time, neither side could score in the first period, with Spain taking three shots and Germany one.
Finally in the 113th, Germany could not clear and substitute forward Athenea del Castillo sent a pass through to the right side of the box for star midfielder Aitana Bonmati. She instantly smashed a right-footed shot from a difficult angle – near the end line – that barely got past the near post and could not be stopped by Berger for the 1-0 lead.
That’s how it ended, with Spain enjoying 67% possession and a 22-15 shots edge, but most importantly, the only goal of the game.
So, World Champion Spain advances to its first-ever UEFA Women’s Euro final, to face defending champion England on Sunday. It will be the fourth final for England (1-2); Spain had previously won only one medal in this tournament, a bronze in 1997.
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