★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Los Angeles City Council continued to 13 March consideration of a non-binding resolution urging “the LA 28 Organizing Committee, and the International Olympic Committee, to ensure that all leadership roles are held by individuals who consistently reflect the Olympic movement’s commitment to integrity, accountability, and respect for all people” and asking for another “review” of LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman’s “involvement” with the late felon, Jeffrey Epstein.
Council member Monica Rodriguez, sponsor of the resolution, was not present at Friday’s session.
● Athletics ● The 2022 men’s 100 m World Champion and 2024 Paris bronze medalist, Fred Kerley, was suspended for two years to 11 August 2027 for “whereabouts” failures on 11 May 2024, 13 June 2024 and 6 December 2024, with another failure on 7 December not considered.
An Athletics Integrity Unit Disciplinary and Appeals Tribunal called Kerley’s conduct “negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless.” Kerley said technical failures with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s reporting application caused his 11 May miss and blamed the Doping Control Officer for “not attempting” to locate him on 6 December. In fact, the Doping Control Officer had knocked on his door, rang the doorbell multiple times and called him three times.
Kerley, 30, can appeal the sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He has agreed to compete in the doping-friendly Enhanced Games in May.
¶
World Athletics has rejected ratification of five world junior (U-20) records on the basis of false age claims. The Athletics Integrity Unit noted “date of birth” concerns on five women’s marks made by three athletes:
● Mile: 4:17.13, by Birke Haylom (ETH) in Oslo (NOR) on 15 June 2023.
● 5,000 m: 14:23.71, by Haylom in Eugene (USA) on 25 May 2024.
● 5,000 m: 14:21.89, by Medina Eisa (ETH), in Brussels (BEL) on 14 September 2024.
● 1,500 m Indoor: 3:58.43, by Haylom in Boston (USA) on 4 February 2024.
● 3,000 m Indoor: 8:32.34, by Melknat Wudu (ETH) in Boston (USA) on 4 February 2024.
Canadian Running reported that no sanctions for age manipulations have been issued by World Athletics or the Athletics Integrity Unit, yet.
¶
USA Track & Field posted a lengthy statement from chief executive Max Siegel on the situation concerning the mishap at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta and the dilemma concerning selections of the women’s team for the Half Marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Denmark in September.
The statement notes that as regards selection, “[t]he spots are eligible for the top five finishers and are offered in ascending order. If all the athletes decline, the spots are offered based on world rankings.” However, the runners who probably would have gone 1-2-3 – Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Edna Kurgat – finished 9-12-13 after unknowingly being led off the course by the lead vehicle. So:
“Additionally, although they have all graciously and publicly stated they would decline their spots on the team, we felt strongly that the three official top finishers should be awarded for their efforts. On Monday, we sent an emergency request to World Athletics, outlining what happened. While we had hoped to share the results of this request with everyone today, we have learned the outcome will require a vote by the World Athletics Council. This vote is scheduled for the World Athletics Council meeting which will take place in Poland prior to the World Indoor Championships on March 18-19. Due to the nature of the request, we cannot share the details publicly until a vote has occurred.”
There is a clue to the request a little further in the statement:
“World Rankings bonuses and time bonuses are real concerns the athletes have voiced. While we cannot change the time on the clock, we hope that the outcome of our conversations with World Athletics addresses this.”
Note also that the World Athletics World Rankings are also a selection criteria. But the next step is to wait.
● Figure Skating ● Olympic women’s champion Alysa Liu will not defend her 2025 World Championships win at the 2026 Worlds in Prague (CZE).
Fellow Olympians Amber Glenn (fifth in Milan) and Isabeau Levito (12th) will compete, along with Sarah Everhardt, who finished fifth at the U.S. championships and will appear at the Worlds for the first time.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS women’s World Cup in Val di Fassa (ITA) was expanded and added a second Downhill race to make up for the cancellation at Crans-Montana on 28 February, but that only opened another opportunity for Italy’s Laura Pirovano. At 28, she had never won a World Cup medal, but won both Downhills in front of home fans.
She took Friday’s opener in 1:21.40, barely in front of Olympic silver winner Emma Aicher (GER: 1:21.41) with Olympic champ Breezy Johnson third (1:21.69). Americans Jackie Wiles (1:22.15) and Allison Mollin (1:22.19) were 11th and 13th.
Pirovano won on Saturday in 1:20.91, this time beating Olympic Super-G bronzer Cornelia Huetter (AUT) by 0.01 (1:20.92), with 2022 Olympic champ Corinne Suter (SUI: 1:20.96) third and Johnson fourth (1:21.55). Wiles was 15th (1:22.05).
Italy completed its sweep in Sunday’s Super-G with Elena Cutoni winning her fourth career World Cup gold in 1:29.07, just ahead of Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (1:29.33) and Asja Zenere (ITA: 1:29.34). Keely Cashman was the leading American, in 17th (1:30.27) and seasonal World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin – looking for some more points – was 23rd (1:30.76).
¶
The men’s World Cup in Kranjska Gora (SLO) started with the second World Cup gold of the season for Brazil’s Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, this time in the Giant Slalom in 2:11.95, after leading the first run. Swiss Loic Meillard, the Olympic bronze winner, was second (2:12.49) and Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT: 2:12.75) third. River Radamus was the top U.S. finisher, in 20th (2:14.63).
Pinheiro Braathen was on the podium again in Sunday’s Slalom, but in third (1:38.89) behind Norwegians Atle McGrath, the 2025 Worlds silver winner (1:38.85) and Henrik Kristoffersen, the Olympic bronze medalist, in 1:38.86. Americans Benjamin Ritchie (1:39.82) and Jett Seymour (1:39.90) finished 19-20.
● Athletics ● Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo followed up on his World Cross Country Championships win in style, getting a world record in the men’s Half Marathon, timing 57:20 at the EDP Lisbon Half in Portugal on Sunday.
Kiplimo had set a world mark of 57:31 in Lisbon in 2021, but that was lowered by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha to 57:30 in 2024. Kiplimo ran a blistering 56:42 in Barcelona in February 2025, but the record time was disallowed for pacing assistance by a lead vehicle.
So Kiplimo returned to Lisbon and chopped a more believable 10 seconds off the existing record. He broke away from Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) after 15 km and won alone; Kipkorir was second in 58:08, moving him to no. 12 all-time!
Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH) was an easy winner in the women’s race, in 1:04:48, no. 2 on the 2026 world list.
¶
Hot vaulting continued at the World Indoor Tour Silver Perche Elite in Rouen (FRA), as both World silver medalist Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) and Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen cleared 6.06 m (19-10 1/2), with Karalis winning by his first-time clearance.
Guttormsen made it on his second try for a national record, and moved to equal-fifth all-time indoors. American stars KC Lightfoot (5.80 m/19-0 1/4) and Sam Kendricks (5.70 m/18-8 1/4) were sixth and eighth.
¶
At the Race Walk Tour Gold Dudinska 50 in Dudince (SVK), Sweden’s three-time Worlds medalist Perseus Karlstrom got a lifetime best in the new half-marathon distance and a runaway win in 1:24:58 with Jerry Jokinen second, but far back in 1:28:17. The men’s marathon went to Hungary’s Bence Venyercsan in 3:03:45, also a lifetime best and well in front of Karl Junghannss (GER: 3:04:33).
Peru went 1-2 in the women’s half-marathon, but it was Evelyn Inga – eighth in the Paris 20 km – who won easily in 1:33:49 and two-time World Champion Kimberly Garcia was second in 1:34:17, both lifetime bests. Mexico’s Sofia Ramos took the marathon in 3:35:37, a national record, and well ahead of Spain’s Laura Monje (3:39:11).
● Badminton ● At the $1.45 million BWF World Tour All-England Open in Birmingham, Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Yi Lin won the men’s Singles in a 21-15, 22-20 sweep of Lakshya Sen (IND), while Olympic champion Se Young An (KOR) went down to China’s Zhi Yi Wang, 21-15, 21-19.
South Korea won the men’s Doubles, China took the women’s Doubles and Chinese Taipei won the Mixed Doubles title.
● Baseball ● Pool play continues in the sixth World Baseball Classic through 11 March, with defending champion Japan already clinching a spot in the playoffs with a 3-0 record in Group B.
The Japanese pounded Chinese Taipei (13-0) in their opener, then needed three runs in the seventh to squeeze past South Korea, 8-6 and then two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to get a 4-3 win over Australia.
The U.S., runner-up in 2023, slammed Brazil by 15-5 in their opener and then cruised past Great Britain, 9-1 in their second game. They play Mexico on Monday in Houston. Italy is also 2-0 in Group B.
Puerto Rico, playing at home in San Juan, shares the Group A lead with Cuba, both with a 2-0 mark. In Group D, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are both 2-0.
● Biathlon ● The seventh of nine stages in the IBU World Cup was in Kontiolahti (FIN), with wins for Olympic medal winners Eric Perrot (FRA) and Sturla Holm Lagreid (NOR). Perrot won the men’s 20 km Individual on Friday in 44:55.7 (0 penalties) over Lagreid (45:25.6/0), with Maxime Germain the top American in 22nd (49:13.5/2).
Lagreid won the 15 km Mass Start on Sunday in 34:39.7 (0), beating Perrot, who finished in 34:56.2 (1). Norway’s Vetle Christiansen was third in both races; Campbell Wright of the U.S. was 13th (35:56.7/3). Of course, it was Norway and France finishing 1-2 in the men’s 4×7.5 km relay.
As usual, it was Sweden and France dominating the women’s racing. Four-time Olympic medalist Elvira Oeberg (SWE: 41:46.4/0) won the 15 km Individual over sister Hanna Oeberg (42:27.7/1), then Olympic gold and silver winner Julia Simon took the 12.5 km Mass Start in 34:40.0 (1), with Elvira Oeberg second (34:45.6/2) second and Swedish teammate Anna Magnusson in third (34:48.9/1).
Sweden bested France in the 4×6 km relay, with the U.S. 12th.
● Cricket ● India defended its title in the ICC T20 World Cup held in Mumbai (IND) with a decisive victory over New Zealand, 255/5 (20 overs) to 159 (19 overs). It’s the third title overall for India in the 10th editions of the men’s T20 World Cup.
Cricket – T20 – will be played as a medal sport at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
● Cross Country Skiing ● The amazing six-golds Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo continued his hot streak at the FIS World Cup in Lahti (FIN), taking two more wins, both times at the head of a Norwegian 1-2.
He won the Freestyle Sprint in 2:49.84, ahead of Lars Heggen (+0.42), the dominated the 10 km Interval Mass Start in 23:22.6, well ahead of Martin Nyenget (23:44.7). Gus Schumacher was the top American, in 15th (24:22.0).
Olympic Sprint runner-up Jonna Sundling (SWE) won the women’s Freestyle Sprint, 3:07.00 to 3:07.17 over teammate – and Olympic winner – Linn Svahn. Double Olympic winner Frida Karlsson won the 10 km Interval Mass Start in 25:57.6, beating Svahn (26:01.7) and American seasonal leader Jessie Diggins of the U.S. (26:03.8).
Diggins remains in the overall World Cup lead after 23 of 28 events: 1,898 to 1,634 over Swede Moa Ilar.
● Cycling ● The UCI Track World Cup season opened in Perth (AUS), with Germany’s Moritz Augenstein taking the men’s Elimination Race and the Madison, with Roger Kluge. The speed events were split with Paris 2024 runner-up Matthew Richardson (GBR) winning the Sprint over Leigh Hoffman (AUS) and Malaysia’s Mohd Awang, but Awang coming back to win the Keirin over Richardson.
The men’s Omnium went to Shunshuke Imamura (JPN), with the U.S.’s Graeme Frislie taking the bronze.
China’s Liying Yuan won the women’s Sprint and led a win in the Team Sprint, while home fans cheered Australian wins in the Team Pursuit and for Alessia McCaig in the Keirin. Mexico’s Yareli Acevedo won the Elimination Race and also took a bronze in the Madison, with Sophia Arreola.
¶
The famed Strade Bianche road races ran Saturday in and around Siena (ITA), with Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar attacking with about 79 left out of the hilly, 203 km course and winning by 1:00 in 4:45:15. It’s Pogacar’s fourth win in this race, previously in 2022 and now three in a row in 2024-25-26.
France’s Paul Seixas overtook Mexico’s Isaac del Toro in the final km to get second by nine seconds (+1:00 to +1:09). Matteo Jorgenson was the top American, in eighth (+2:20).
The women’s route of 133 km ended up with eight contesting the medals, finally ending with Swiss Elise Chabbey getting the biggest win of her career, in 3:35:42. Her final sprint edged Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and Franziska Koch (GER), both awarded the same time.
● Football ● The U.S. won the SheBelieves Cup with a final, 1-0 win over Colombia in Harrison, New Jersey, but it wasn’t easy.
The Colombians packed in their defense and the first half ended 0-0. After an hour, the frustrated U.S. had 67% of possession, but just five shots to eight for Colombia and both with just one shot on goal.
But the U.S. continued on the attack continuously, but got nowhere until the 82nd when sub forward Jaedyn Shaw sent a right-footed cross from the left side to substitute striker Alyssa Thompson at the top of the box. She had space and ripped a right-footed laser that found the net, just underneath the crossbar for the 1-0 lead.
That’s how it ended, with the U.S. finishing with 67% possession and nine shots to Columbia’s 10. The Americans won all three games in the tournament by 2-0, 1-0 and 1-0. Canada won on penalties over Argentina after a 0-0 draw, and finished second in the tournament (1-1-1) ahead of Colombia (1-1-1) and the Argentines (0-2-1).
● Gymnastics ● At the FIG Artistic World Cup in Baku (AZE), Algeria’s Paris 2024 Olympic Uneven Bars gold medalist Kaylia Nemour won her speciality, scoring 15.233. Russian “neutral” Anna Kalmykova won on Vault at 13.716 and Japan’s Mana Okamura swept the second day, taking the Beam gold (14.133) over Nemour (13.800) and Floor at 13.533.
The first-day men’s wins went to Belarusian “neutral” Yahor Sharamkou (14.533); Bulgarian David Ivanov on the Pommel Horse (14.066), Russian “neutral” Ilia Zaika on Rings (14.600).
The final day saw Ukraine’s two-time Worlds medal winner Nazar Chepurnyi win on Vault (15.549), then Colombia’s Paris 2024 Horizontal Bar silver man Angel Barajas won on the Parallel Bars (14.600) and Paris 2024 bronze winner Chia-hung Tang (TPE) won on the Horizontal Bar, scoring 15.366).
¶
At the USA Gymnastics American Cup in Henderson, Nevada, China won the final round mixed-team title, scoring 57.250, ahead of the U.S. (54.700) and Japan (54.100).
In the Nastia Liukin Cup women’s competition, Josie Lynch won the All-Around at 39.125, also winning the Beam at 9.825. The other apparatus winners included Avery Schlichting on Vault (9.925), Elizaveta Grebenkova on the Uneven Bars (9.825), and Ariana Barksdale on Floor (9.900).
● Judo ● Japan was the big winner at the IJF World Tour Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz with three women’s golds, from Mitsuki Kondo at 48 kg, Iroha Oi at 52 kg and Ayami Takano at 57 kg.
No other country won more than once. Georgia’s three-time World Champion Tato Grigalashvili won the men’s 81 kg class, Rio 2016 Olympic women’s gold medalist Rafela Silva won the 63 kg class and two-time Olympic medalist Michaela Polleres (AUT) won at 70 kg.
The U.S. won a medal in the men’s 73 kg division with a bronze for Jack Yonezuka.
● Luge ● The final FIL World Cup of the season was in Altenberg (GER), with German racers taking the Singles titles.
Felix Loch won the men’s Singles in 1:46.069 – his fifth win of the season – over Italian star Dominik Fischnaller (1:46.433) and David Gleirscher (AUT: 1:46.503). Loch clinched the seasonal title as well, with 801 points to 685 for Austria’s Jonas Mueller. Jonny Gustafson was the top American, in 15th (208).
Merle Fraebel got her third win of the season in the women’s Singles in 1:43.790, just ahead of Olympic winner Julia Taubitz (1:43.927) and Kendija Aparjode (LAT: 1:43.933). Summer Britcher of the U.S. was eighth 1:44.772. But Taubitz won the seasonal title – her fifth straight – 634 to 630 over Fraebel, with Britcher the top American, in fourth (482).
Austria was 1-2 in the men’s Doubles with Olympic runner-ups Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl timing 1:45.154 and Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schopf close at 1:22.880. Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won the seasonal title with 636 points, over Steu and Kindl (605). Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa of the U.S. were 12th (281).
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp got their fourth win of the season in the women’s Doubles, 1:23.783 to 1:23.934 over Germans Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina. Egle and Kipp were seasonal winners as well, 795 to 653 for Eitberger and Matschina. Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby of the U.S. finished ninth at 350.
● Nordic Combined ● At the FIS World Cup in Lahti (FIN), triple Olympic winner Jens Oftebro (NOR) kept going, winning the Gundersen 130 m jumping and 10 km race in 22:48.9, barely ahead of brother Einar Oftebro (22:52.2) and home favorite Ilkka Herola (22:59.2).
The Finnish crowd was thrilled with the women’s Gundersen 130 m/5 km win for home favorite Minja Korhonen (18), who beat Norwegian star Ida Marie Hagen at the line, 13:48.8 to 13:49.3, for her seventh medal of the season, but first win! American Alexa Brabec was third in 14:07.5 to win her eighth medal of the season.
● Rugby Sevens ● The HSBC Sevens Series is in Vancouver (CAN) for the fifth of six stops this season, and South Africa and Fiji winning the men’s pools, and New Zealand and Australia winning the women’s pools with 3-0 records.
The playoffs produced no surprises on the women’s side, with New Zealand and Australia meeting for the title, and the Kiwis won a tight, 24-17 battle. The U.S. out-scored France, 35-21, for third. New Zealand leads Australia, 98-92, in the seasonal standings.
The men’s final was all South Africa, which raced to a 24-0 lead over Spain and finished with a 38-12 victory over surprise finalist Spain. Fiji won the third-place game, 29-10. Fiji and South Africa now lead the series, tied at 86.
● Ski Jumping ● The 15th stop on the FIS World Cup tour was in Lahti (FIN), jumping off the 130 m hill, with Olympic Normal Hill winner Philipp Raimund (GER) winning on Friday for the first time this season! He scored 129.3 points to edge Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig (128.6).
On Saturday, it was Tschofenig with his third win of the season, at 299.4, with Slovenian Olympic Large Hill winner Domen Prevc (SLO: 298.8) in second. Prevc had won six World Cups in a row before this weekend.
No such upsets in the women’s jumping, as younger sister Nika Prevc won twice. She won on Thursday, scoring 296. 7 to beat double Olympic winner Anna Stroem (NOR: 282.5), and then again on Friday at 282.0, with Stroem at 267.5. Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama was third in both events.
Nika Prevc now has 16 wins on the season and has clinched the FIS Crystal Globe with five events remaining.
● Snowboard ● The third of five stops on the FIS World Cup circuit in Snowcross was in Erzurum (TUR), with two-time World Junior Champion Leon Ulbricht (GER) winning the first men’s final over four-time World Juniors medal winner Aidan Chollet (FRA). On Sunday, Chollet got to the line first over Ulbricht, with younger brother Jonas Chollet getting the bronze.
Olympic Mixed Team medalist Lea Casta (FRA) was busy, winning the first women’s event with Chloe Trespeuch (FRA), a two-time Olympic medalist, second, and then Casta finished second on Sunday to Britain’s 2021 World Champion, Charlotte Bankes.
¶
Home fans at the World Cup Halfpipe in Sapporo (JPN) were happy with the win for home favorite – and Olympic champion – Yuto Totsuka, who won at 91.50 over Valentino Guseli (AUS: 89.00) and Olympic bronzer Ryusei Yamada (JPN: 85.50).
Japan swept the women’s podium, with Olympic bronze winner Mitsuki Ono (87.00), Sena Tomita (78.50) and Sara Shimizu (78.00).
¶
At the World Cup Parallel Slaloms were held in Spindleruv Myln (CZE), Italian star Maurizio Bormolini won his third World Cup race in a row and fifth of the season, beating Ryusuke Shinohara (JPN) in the final.
The women’s race went to Japan’s Tsubaki Miki for her third World Cup gold this season, over Zuzana Maderova (CZE), who won her fourth medal of the season.
● Speed Skating ● The home-standing Dutch and Norway were the big winners at the ISU Allround and Sprint Championships in Heerenveen (NED).
In the men’s Sprint, two-time Olympic runner-up Jenning De Boo (NED) won the first 500 m from Olympic champ Jordan Stolz of the U.S. and the first 1,000 m from Stolz, then the second 500 m as well. Stolz won the second 1,000 m but De Boo took the Sprint title with 134.670 points to 135.500 for Stolz.
Stolz was also in the men’s Allround, and won the 500 m easily, then finished 11th in the 5,000 m, won by Norway’s Olympic champ Sander Eitrem. Stolz came back to win the 1,000 m decisively over Eitrem, but in the 10,000 m, Stolz finished eighth while Eitrem was third and Czech Olympic winner Metrodej Jilek won by almost four seconds. Added up, Eitrem won the Allround title with 145.804 points to 146.117 for Jilek with Stolz fourth at 147.170.
The women’s Sprint was a showcase for Dutch star and Olympic 500 m champ Femke Kok. She swept the 500s and 1,000s and totaled 146.670 for a decisive win over Dutch teammate Suzanne Schulting (148.935) – second in all four races – and Marrit Fledderus (NED: 150.305) in third. Sarah Warren of the U.S. was 21st.
In the Allround, triple Olympic medalist Ragne Wiklund (NOR) was the most consistent. She was fifth at 500 m, third at 1,500 m, but won the 3,000 and 5,000 m races to total 157.457 and that was enough to win. Dutch Mass Start ace Marijke Groenewoud was fourth at 1,500 and then second in the 3,000 and 5,000 m to score 158.086 for second over Japan’s Miho Takagi (158.287).
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 45-sport, 910-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
