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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The petition for a referendum against the Los Angeles City Council’s “Olympic Wage” ordinance failed to get enough signatures to be listed on the June 2026 ballot.
The Los Angeles City Clerk announced Monday that “proponents of the referendum petition were required to collect a minimum of 92,998 valid voter signatures. Based on the County’s examination, 84,007 signatures were found to be valid and 56,767 were found to be invalid. Therefore, the petition has failed to meet the sufficiency requirements of the City Charter.”
This means that the “Olympic Wage” ordinance is now effective, which will rise to $30.00 per hour for Los Angeles airport and workers at larger hotels by 1 July 2028 via annual increases. The count is subject to a challenge within 30 days.
The increased wages place pressure on hotels who are participating – with already-agreed rates – with the LA28 organizing committee for accommodations for officials, media and technical staff for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some may try to remove themselves from the organizing committee’s program and re-negotiate their rates for 2028.
● Sports Cities ● The annual Burson ranking of top sports cities retained Paris at the top of the list for 2025, followed by upcoming Olympic host Los Angeles, then New York, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Miami, Milan and Manchester.
The U.S. led all countries with 19 in the top 100. Also in the top 50: Washington (12), Chicago (15), Las Vegas (16), Boston (17), Philadelphia (26), Salt Lake City (31), Dallas (34), Indianapolis (36), Atlanta (40), Houston (41), Detroit (44) and San Francisco (45).
● Archery ● Compound events concluded at the World Archery Championships in Gwangju (KOR), with Mexico’s Andrea Becerra moving up from two silvers in 2023 – women’s final and women’s Team – to golds in 2025.
Becerra won the women’s Compound title, 147-146, against El Salvador’s Sophie Paiz. She then joined Marianna Bernal and Adriana Castillo to win the women’s Team gold, 236-231 over the American trio of Olivia Dean, Alexis Ruiz and Sydney Sullenberger.
India won the men’s Team gold, 235-233, over France. The Recurve shooters are next up; the championships continue through the 12th.
● Athletics ● NBC announced its broadcast schedule for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, with all sessions shown on Peacock, weekend sessions live on CNBC and weekday sessions on USA Network.
NBC will have time-delayed shows on the first Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern and highlights on the final Sunday (21st) at noon Eastern.
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The ATHLOS NYC meet in New York on 10 October will be broadcast on ION, adding cable after only online service in 2024. Per the announcement:
“Athlos NYC’s broadcast on ION will also include a pre-show, ‘Icons on ION,’ before the official event broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET.”
The agreement with ION is for multiple years and will include the ATHLOS League in 2026. The 2025 meet will also be shown on X and YouTube.
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Stephen A. Schwarzman, head of the giant Blackstone Group investment firm, announced 100 winners of his 20th class of USATF Foundation grantees, with 65 stars to receive $40,000 each and 35 more to receive $30,000 more; a total of $3.65 million.
The 65 recipients of the $40,000 grants include big U.S. stars such as Valarie Allman, Kenny Bednarek, Ryan Crouser, Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, Grant Holloway, Chase Jackson, De’Anna Price, Sha’Carri Richardson, Masai Russell and more … including 800 m teen sensation Cooper Lutkenhaus!
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Tokyo 2020 women’s shot put runner-up Raven Saunders had not been seen this season, with her last competition on 22 August 2024 at the Athletissima in Lausanne (SUI). It turns out that she “has accepted a 30-month sanction for accruing three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.
“At the time of the Whereabouts Failures, Saunders, 29, was included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP), which consists of a select group of elite athletes subject to certain Whereabouts requirements in order to be located for out-of-competition testing. Within a 12-month period, Saunders accrued three Whereabouts Failures: the first on April 19, 2024, the second on May 17, 2024, and the third on December 26, 2024.”
Her suspension dates back to 26 December 2024, so she will not be eligible again until 26 May 2027. The extended penalty comes as she was previously banned for 18 months from August 2022 and February 2024, also for “whereabouts” failures.
● Cycling ● Pro-Palestinian protesters cut short another Vuelta a Espana stage on Tuesday, as police could not fully disperse them and the race was “finished” 8 km short of the original distance.
The hilly, 167.9 km route that ended at Mos. Castro de Herville was won by Colombian star Egan Bernal, winning a final sprint against Spain’s Mikel Landa with both timed in 3:35:10, with Brieuc Rolland (FRA) third, seven seconds back. Landa attacked with 60 km to go, with four chasing, but only Bernal finally able to follow.
The race leader, Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and challenger Joao Almeida (POR) were both 5:52 back and Vingegaard retained his 48-second lead. Stage 17 offers a difficult, uphill finish at 1,755 m at the Alto de El Morredero, ending a 143.2 km route.
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The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Cross Country Short Track races were on Tuesday in Zermatt (SUI), with Paris 2024 Cross Country silver winner Victor Koretzky defending his 2024 Worlds gold with a 21:26 to 21:27 win over American Christopher Blevins, the 2021 Short Track winner. France’s Mathis Azzaro led into the final lap, with Koretzky and Blevins close and those three dueled to the line.
The women’s race was a clear victory for Swiss Alexandra Keller, the 2022 Short Track runner-up, who got to the lead by the end of the seventh lap and held on to win – accompanied by the sound of cowbells from home fans – in 20:43, ahead of Sweden’s Rio 2016 Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds (20:47). Canada’s Jennifer Jackson was third (20:57); Savilla Blunck was the top American, in sixth in 21:08.
● Football ● The U.S. men faced another 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Japan, in Columbus, Ohio, with a much improved performance, thoroughly dominating in a 2-0 win.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino (ARG) changed five starters from the 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday, adding in Folarin Balogun, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Cristian Roldan and Alex Zendejas.
And the U.S. was better, both offensively and defensively, in front of keeper Matt Freese. Then, Zendejas struck in the 30th with a left-footed a rocket into the Japan net from the middle of the box off a seeing-eye cross from midfielder Max Arfsten from the far left side. At the half-hour mark, the U.S. already had six shots to three for Japan.
Freese saved a blast by forward Junya Ito in the 35th, also off a long pass, but the U.S. defense held steady – and Freese was terrific with four saves – and took the 1-0 lead to halftime. The Americans ended with 63% possession and an 8-7 edge on shots.
The U.S. controlled possession to start the second half and midfield star Christian Pulisic sent a left-footed screamer in the 54th that was kicked aside by Japan’s keeper, Keisuke Osako. But the pressure kept up and in the 64th, on a lead pass from Pulisic got striker Balogun clear on the left side of goal and he sent a left-footed liner past Osako for the 2-0 lead.
Substitute forward Jack McGlynn smashed a shot from just inside the box off the crossbar in the 78th and Damien Downs smashed a shot off Osako in the 86th off a give-and-go with fellow sub Diego Luna.
The U.S. finished with 55% possession and a 19-11 edge on shots, and a much better feeling about themselves.
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