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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● British television producer Ben Winston and experienced Olympic and Paralympic show producer Scott Givens (USA) were named by the LA28 organizing committee as Executive Producer and Creative Director, respectively for ceremonies for the 2028 Games. Also:
“FulFive, a new entity composed of Fulwell Entertainment and FiveCurrents, will produce the iconic Ceremonies and be led by Givens and Ryann Lauckner as Co-CEOs of the venture.”
Winston produced the handover ceremony for LA28 that was part of the Paris 2024 Olympic closing ceremonies.
● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● The Swiss Federal Tribunal turned away the appeal from Russian skater Kamila Valieva to overturn her doping ban that disqualified her results from the 2022 Winter Games, and she was ordered to pay CHF 7,000 in court costs and CHF 8,000 each to the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Skating Union (CHF 1 = $1.25 U.S.). Per The Associated Press:
“Five Swiss federal judges stated in their verdict published on Thursday that the fresh arguments by Valieva’s team were conjecture and highly questionable, while the [2022] scientist’s report was not conclusive evidence.”
The scientific report, commissioned by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, said that her positive was more likely from intentional use but that contamination was not “impossible.”
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Russian Ice Hockey Federation chief Vladislav Tretiak told the Russian news agency TASS that further discussions about Russian team eligibility with the International Ice Hockey Federation are worthless:
“I believe that it is useless asking them [IIHF] about this since we’re not even invited to the congresses; we only participate in them online. They’ve made it clear to us that until the special military operation ends, we won’t be allowed in under any circumstances.”
● SportAccord ● Kelly Fairweather (RSA), who has been the International Olympic Committee Sports Director, the chief executive of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), is joining SportAccord as Managing Director.
Fairweather’s enormous experience across the Olympic Movement is seen as a key to help rebuild and expand the SportAccord convention and new programs which bring the business side of international sport together.
● Athletics ● “Earlier this year World Athletics uncovered the systematic theft of money from the organisation by two employees and a contracted consultant.
“While one of the employees left the organisation before their theft was discovered, another employee and a consultant had their contracts terminated following an internal investigation.
“Detailed cases have been prepared and handed over to the relevant judicial and legal authorities for criminal investigation.”
The Thursday announced noted the thefts totaled about €1.5 million (~$1.74 million U.S.) and was uncovered “by World Athletics’ finance department during the first annual auditing process under a new financial leadership team.” New internal controls have been introduced and the federation will try to recover what it can through the courts.
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USA Track & Field announced its nominees for its athletes-of-the-year award, with fan voting how open through 10 November. The nominees for the men’s and women’s track and field categories, for the Jesse Owens and Jackie Joyner-Kersee Awards:
Men:
● Rai Benjamin ~ 400 m hurdles World Champion
● Ryan Crouser ~ Shot World Champion
● Cole Hocker ~ 5,000 m World Champion
● Noah Lyles ~ 200 m World Champion, 100 m bronze
● Cordell Tinch ~ 110 m hurdles World Champion
Women:
● Valarie Allman ~ Discus World Champion
● Tara Davis-Woodhall ~ Long Jump World Champion
● Anna Hall ~ Heptathlon World Champion
● Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ~ 100/200 m World Champion
● Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ~ 400 m World Champion
● Katie Moon ~ Vault World Champion
Voting is also being held in the Paralympic men’s and women’s categories.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal by sprinter Issam Asinga (SUR’ ex-U.S.) from a doping positive in 2023. Asinga, then 18, set the world on notice with World Junior Record of 9.89 in the 100 m and still no. 5 all-time among juniors at 200 m at 19.97.
But he tested positive at an out-of-competition test on 18 July 2023 and was suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit. He claimed that the positives came from products provided to him by Gatorade during an athlete-of-the-year ceremony. But:
“After considering the evidence, the CAS Panel found that the athlete had failed to establish that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that the gummies he ingested prior to his anti-doping test were contaminated with GW1516.” Thus, his four-year ban stands from 9 August 2023.
● Taekwondo ● In the final weight classes to be decided at the 2025 World Taekwondo Championships in Wuxi (CHN), Uzbek Najmiddin Kosimkhojiev won his first career Worlds medal – a gold – over Brazil’s Olympic 68 kg bronzer, Edival Pontes, 4-2, 5-3 in the men’s 74 kg final.
Turkey’s Merve Duncel won her second Worlds gold – adding to her 2023 49 kg class win – with a 6-2, 2-0 victory in the women’s 53 kg final over Saudi Dunya Abutaleb, the 2022 Worlds 49 kg bronze winner.
Overall, China won nine medals (0-1-8) while Turkey (3-2-1) and South Korea (2-2-2) each won six.
● Wrestling ● The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026, which includes wrestlers Ben Askren, Tervel Dlagnev, Lee Roy Smith and Shannon Williams-Yancey.
Asken was a Beijing 2008 Olympian and a two-time NCAA champion at Missouri in 2006-07. Dlagnev, competing as a heavyweight, was a two-time Olympian and was elevated to the bronze medal at the London 2012 Games, and won World Championships bronze medals in 2009 and 2014. Smith was a 1983 Worlds silver medalist at 62 kg and won the 1980 NCAA title for Oklahoma State at 142 lbs.
He becomes the third Smith family member in the Hall of Fame, with brothers John Smith and Pat Smith, inducted in 1997 and 2006. They are the second family trio in the Hall, with the Peerys (father Rex and sons Ed and Hugh Peery).
Smith is also retiring next year as the head of the Hall of Fame, a position he assumed in 2004. Williams-Yancey won Worlds silvers in 1991-93-94-97 among seven Worlds appearances and was a four-time U.S. national champion.
Enshrinement will take place on 5-6 June 2026 at the museum, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
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