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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Los Angeles Times reported that the Starbucks Workers United union sent a 22-page complaint to the International Olympic Committee, accusing Starbucks of treating its workers – specifically about union relations – in ways which “conflict with the Olympic Games’ code of ethics.” The story noted:
“Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in response to a request for comment Monday that ‘allegations by Workers United have all previously been debunked and are without merit.’”
Starbucks joined the LA28 domestic sponsorship program as a Founding Partner in September and is not a sponsor of the International Olympic Committee.
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The well-received “Mind Zone” for athlete relaxation that debuted at Paris 2024 will return for the 2026 Winter Games:
“Each of the six Olympic Villages at Milano Cortina 2026 will host its own dedicated area, offering activities such as mindfulness and visualisation through virtual reality, guided breathing exercises and art therapy sessions. The spaces, with the exception of Bormio, will be staffed by qualified IOC and International Federation safeguarding officers, trained in mental health first aid, who will be on hand for confidential conversations and further guidance if needed.”
The space will be branded for the IOC’s Athlete365 project and sponsored by Powerade.
● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The 2030 organizing committee board published its first end-to-end budget for the Games, showing €2.1 billion in total expenses (~$2.44 billion U.S.), with matching revenue.
Funding will come from the International Olympic Committee (30%), from the organizing committee from sponsorships, tickets and hospitality sales (44%) and from government support (26%).
● Deaflympics 2025: Tokyo ● Deaflympics activist and former participant Howie Gorrell notes that entries for the 2025 Dealympics in Tokyo (JPN) from 15-26 November include four Olympians:
● Nina Cutro-Kelly (USA: judo) from Tokyo 2020.
● Diksha Dagar (IND: golf) from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
● Terence Parkin (RSA: swimming) from Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
● Aleksey Shemarov (BLR: wrestling), from London 2012, competing as a “neutral.”
About 3,000 athletes from up to 80 countries and territories will compete in 21 sports.
● Basketball ● Amazing piece of history sold by RR Auction on 8 October in an autographs and artifacts sales, a December 1895 questionnaire filled out by Dr. James Naismith for the Handbook of Canadian Biography, in which answered the query on his “Record in journalism, science or art” as the “Originator of Basket Ball, author of rules &c.”
The single-page document sold for $17,840, including the buyer’s premium. Naismith invented the game at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA in 1891; he was later the basketball coach at Kansas from 1898-1907 and the track coach there from 1900-06. He passed away in 1939, but saw his game included in the Olympic Games as a medal sport for the first time in 1936, after being a demonstration event in 1904 and 1924.
● Football ● Facing pressure from players and fans, Spain’s La Liga canceled the controversial move of the 20 December match between Barcelona and Villareal to Miami, Florida. According to the league statement:
“LALIGA announces that, following conversations with the promoter of the Official LALIGA Match in Miami, the decision has been made to cancel the organization of the event due to the uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks.
“LALIGA deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the international expansion of Spanish soccer, will not be able to move forward. Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players, and the visibility of Spanish soccer in a strategic market such as the United States.”
Relevent Sports, the match promoter, told the Spanish league that the event needed to be postponed.
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At the FIFA women’s U-17 World Cup in Morocco, the U.S. went to 2-0 and clinched a spot in the round-of-16 playoffs with a 5-2 win over China. The Americans trailed, 1-0, but had a 3-1 lead by half and Lauren Malsom and Nyanya Touray both scored twice.
● Gymnastics ● Women’s qualifying finished on Tuesday at the FIG Artistic World Championships, with Russia’s 2021 World All-Around champion Angelina Melnikova – competing as a “neutral” – compiling the highest score at 54.566.
Japan’s Aiko Sugihara qualified second (54.099) and Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, the Olympic Uneven Bars gold medalist, third at 53.865. American Dulcy Caylor, 17, was fifth at 52.675 and advanced to the final, as did Leanne Wong, the 2021 Worlds silver winner, in ninth at 51.865. In the apparatus qualifying:
● Vault: Melnikova led at 14.499, with China’s Yelen Deng second (14.250); Jocelyn Roberson of the U.S. advanced in eighth place at 13.599. Wong was a non-qualifying 22nd at 13.066.
● Uneven Bars: Nemour, as expected, led at 15.533, way ahead of Fanyuwei Yang (14.566) and Melnikov (14.500). Skye Blakely of the U.S. advanced in seventh (14.166); Wong is the second reverse (11th) at 13.900.
● Beam: China’s Qingyang Zhang led all qualifiers at 14.366, trailed by Flavia Saravia (BRA: 13.833) and Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (13.833). Caylor qualified in sixth (13.333) and Blakely was ninth (first reserve), scoring 13.200.
● Floor: Maneca-Voinea, embroiled in the fight over the Olympic Floor bronze in Paris with Jordan Chiles of the U.S. and Romanian teammate Ana Barbosu, led at 13.666 with Rina Kishi (JPN: 13.566) second and Ruby Evans (GBR: 13.566) third. Caylor qualified eighth at 13.266; Wong was a non-qualifying 13th (13.066).
The men’s All-Around comes Wednesday with the women’s A-A on Thursday.
● Skiing ● “The package includes curated VIP experiences that bring you closer than ever to the sport. With unique access to the team and the mountains, including skiing with legends, private luxury après-ski opportunities, five-star accommodations, custom U.S. Ski & Snowboard apparel and exclusive first track resort ski and snowboard experiences, the new hospitality program is your opportunity to experience the speed, culture and emotion from the inside.
“U.S. Ski & Snowboard has long run donor-focused, high-end hospitality programs around World Championships and Olympic Winter Games. The addition of The Crest Club offers the most dedicated sports fans, partners and donors the opportunity to experience the exclusive insider-only program at additional destinations and surround themselves within the action of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and international athletes.”
That’s the build-up for the new “Crest Club,” launched as a “offers a five-star, white-glove experience that only the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team can provide,” in conjunction with Horizon Sports & Experiences.
Three events are offered for 2025-26: the women’s FIS Alpine World Cup races at St. Moritz (SUI) from 10-14 December; men’s FIS Alpine World Cup races at Kitzbuehel (AUT) from 20-25 January 2026 and the FIS Freestyle World Cup in Moguls, Dual Moguls and Aerials in Deer Valley, Utah from 18-26 January 2026.
Prices? You need to inquire directly.
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U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced Tuesday that “the U.S. Army as the official armed forces partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, honoring the 10th Mountain Division,” famed for its World War II exploits in Italy.
According to the statement, USSS “athletes will don an Army/10th Mountain Division patch on team outerwear. In addition, the U.S. Army/10th Mountain Division will invest in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athlete influencer program to highlight the division’s foundation in alpine history and have a presence at the Stifel Copper Cup presented by United, an Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Nov. 27-30 and the Stifel Lake Placid Finals, a COOP FIS Cross Country World Cup, March 20-22.”
● Tennis ● At its online Annual General Meeting last Thursday, the International Tennis Federation voted to change its name to World Tennis starting on 1 January 2026. According to the announcement, “the name change is designed to better reflect the organisation’s role as the sport’s global governing body and guardian, as well as the essential role it plays alongside its member nations to grow and develop tennis worldwide.”
The federation began as the International Lawn Tennis Federation in Paris in 1913, and changed to the International Tennis Federation in 1977.
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