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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Pan American Games ● The II Junior Pan American Games opened in Asuncion (PAR) in the Ueno Defensores del Chaco Stadium on Saturday (9th), with more than 4,000 athletes from 41 countries competing in 334 events in 28 sports, supported by 3,500 volunteers.
The Pan American flame was lit by Paraguayan golf star Fabrizio Zanotti, the 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist.
Paraguayan rower Nicole Martinez won the first event of the Games, the women’s Single Sculls, in 7:50.02, ahead of Chile’s Felipa Rosas (8:00.58). The Games will conclude on 23 August.
● Lake Placid ● The annual audit of the Olympic Regional Development Authority for the year ended 31 March 2025 showed a $50.16 million loss, up from $47.37 million for 2023-24, despite revenues increasing to record $71.18 million, more than $6 million ahead of the prior year. Increased visitation to the area’s three ski resorts powered much of this upswing.
Expenses also increased, from $112.48 million to $121.34 million, with notable increases in event costs ($7.56 million from $4.38 million) and personnel ($54.8 million from $52.81 million) and depreciation. In addition to the usual winter-sport events – including the IBSF World Championships – Lake Placid hosted a UCI Mountain Bike World Series stage in the first of a three-year contract.
However, the overall finances of the ORDA improved by $36.65 million for the year thanks to $73.27 million in capital contributions from the State of New York, to a net total of $480.73 million.
The last economic impact study, from 2022-23, showed direct visitor spending of $133.8 million and a total economic impact (including indirect and induced spending) of $341.8 million.
● Figure Skating ● “[F]rankly, at this point in time in my life, I’ve already accomplished enough in skating that I’m quite satisfied with my career.”
That’s American skating icon Nathan Chen in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, confirming that he is done with competitive skating and is looking forward to attending medical school. Now 26, the Beijing 2022 men’s Singles and Team gold medalist and triple World Champion, he graduated from Yale in 2025. He told The Times:
“The basis of being a doctor, I think, is to help people. I think that’s something that I didn’t necessarily feel as an athlete, that I felt was a little bit lacking.”
● Ski Jumping ● Lake Placid will not hold the planned FIS World Cup on 13-14 December 2025 due to renovations to the supports for the observation deck on the 128 m large hill. Per the announcement:
“The planned work will block access to the athlete pathway to the in-run, an essential standard outlined by FIS World Cup regulations.
“While the jump and tower remain structurally sound, the steel structure – originally built for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games – will require extensive scaffolding similar to that on a skyscraper. According to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), the corporation that looks after venues used at those Games, this is ‘a complex project expected to take approximately 15 weeks.’”
Instead, the World Cup event will be switched to Klingenthal (GER).
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Cycling ● An important step for American Brandon McNulty at the Tour de Pologne, coming from behind on the final day to win the seven-stage race by 29 seconds!
Originated in 1928, no American had ever won this race or even won a medal. France’s Paul Lapeira won stage 2 and continued in the lead through stage 5. The hilly stage six was won by Poland’s Victor Langellotti, who entered Sunday’s Individual Time Trial with seven-second lead on McNulty, who had moved up five places on Saturday.
McNulty, however, was supreme in the time trial, winning in 14:31.3, up more than 12 second on the field and more than 46 seconds ahead of Langellotti. So, the American finished in 25:10:57, up 29 seconds on Antonio Tiberi (ITA) and 37 seconds on Matteo Sobrero.
The stage win was the 27-year-old McNulty’s sixth in a UCI World Tour stage, but his first race win in a multi-stage event.
● Swimming ● Two big names were the focus of the USA Swimming Summer Nationals in Irvine, California, with two-time Worlds Backstroke gold medalist Hunter Armstrong impressing in the men’s 50 m Freestyle finals last Tuesday.
Jamie Jack (AUS) won the final in 21.63, with Armstrong getting a lifetime best of 21.76 for second, with Tokyo Olympic champ Caeleb Dressel third in 21.94, a seasonal best.
Armstrong, however, did not show for his 100 m Free heat and was disqualified for not scratching and therefore missed the 100 m Backstroke and the 50 m Butterfly as well. He said afterwards:
“I have never officially scratched a prelim swim in my career, but the meet information stated clearly that a no show would disqualify you for the day. I’ll be reading that more carefully from now on, as I assumed this meet followed the same procedures as others I’ve competed in.
“I was given the option to buy back into the session for $200, but I was informed of my ineligibility 15 minutes before I was supposed to race the 50 Fly, and with the 100 Back right after, I decided to put my energy into cheering on my teammates instead. Based on my 50 Free, I was really looking forward to racing Caeleb in the 50 Fly, so I’ll likely time trial it tomorrow to see what I can do. And at $20 for a time trial, that’s a much better deal than paying the fine.”
In the men’s 50 m Fly final, Australia’s Ben Armbruster won in 23.00, ahead of Dressel (23.38); the Australian also won the 100 Fly earlier, in 50.91.
● Triathlon ● The USA Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin saw clear wins for Jacob Capin and Jenna Campbell for Saturday’s Olympic-distance event, but Sunday’s Sprint was washed out.
Capin was second-fastest on the bike and no. 9 on the run and finished in 1:58:00, well ahead of Logan Thralls (1:58:21) and Mirco Fuhrmann (1:59:22). Campbell had a 17-second lead out of the water, was no. 2 on bike and rolled home in 2:11:34, with Kirsten Sass was back at 2:13:39 and then Fiona Davoudi (2:17:37).
As for Sunday: “due to the historic rainfall in Milwaukee, flooding and course damage throughout the course, limited emergency response teams to support the event, potentially unsafe water conditions, as well as impending weather for Sunday, it would not be possible to safely organize Sunday’s races for the Paratriathlon and Sprint Distance National Championships.”
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