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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games: Future ● It was reported that the German sports confederation (DOSB) has sent a 26-page questionnaire to the four cities/regions seeking to be the national bidder for a future Olympic Games, to be returned by 4 June.
The five major areas of interest are international appeal and national acceptance; sports and operations, vision and legacy, costs and financing, and proposed infrastructure projects. The four competing groups are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region, for a Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044.
The DOSB will decide which Games to bid for and expects to select a city or region on 26 September.
● Athletics ● Sad news of the passing of 1956 Olympic men’s 1,500 m champion Ron Delany (IRL), who won immortality with a blazing kick to win in Melbourne, on 11 March at age 91.
He was a four-time NCAA winner at Villanova for coach Jumbo Elliott, in 1956 (1,500 m), 1957 (mile), and 1958 (880 yards and mile). He set world indoor records in the mile in 1958 (4:03.4), then twice in 1959 (4:02.5 and 4:01.4). He finished with bests of 1:48.0 (880 yards: 1961), 3:41.4 for 1,500 m (1956) and 3:57.5 for the mile, in 1958.
● Baseball ● World Baseball Classic pool play concluded with two dramatic, but one-sided games to fill out the quarterfinal bracket.
In Group A, Canada sailed past Cuba, 7-2, to win the group at 3-1 and advances along with host Puerto Rico. Cuba finished at 2-2 and did not advance to the playoffs for the first time in its World Baseball Classic history.
In Group B, Italy pounded Mexico by 9-1 before a mostly-disappointed crowd of 39,894 in Houston. That left Italy (4-0) as the surprise group winner and the U.S. (3-1) second and moving on to the quarterfinals. Mexico finished at 2-2.
The quarters start on Friday:
In Houston:
● 13th: U.S. vs. Canada
● 14th: Puerto Rico vs. Italy
In Miami:
● 13th: South Korea vs. Dominican Republic
● 14th: Venezuela vs. Japan
The semis will be on 15-16 March in Miami and the final on 17 March.
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The U.S. vs. Mexico game on Monday (9th) drew a big television audience of 4.72 million on broadcast television on FOX in the U.S. and 5.02 million when including FOX Deportes.
Sports Media Watch reported that’s the biggest audience for any U.S. broadcast of World Baseball Classic ever, and “averaged an audience on par with last year’s League Championship Series games.”
● Cross Country Skiing ● Six-time Olympic gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo was injured after a crash in the semifinal heat of the men’s Classical Sprint at the FIS World Cup in Drammen (NOR).
American Ben Ogden, the Olympic Sprint silver winner, tripped and fell across Klaebo’s skis and Klaebo fell backward and hit his head on the melting snow. As required, he was taken to a hospital, but was apparently not seriously injured. The fall ended Klaebo’s streak of six straight World Cup race wins.
Norway’s Ansgar Evensen won the Sprint in 2:31.24, ahead of Jiri Tuz (CZE: +0.31) and Kristian Kollerud (NOR: +0.34).
The women’s Sprint went to Sweden’s 2022 Olympic champ Jonna Sundling, in 2:59.64, ahead of Kristine Skistad (NOR: +0.77) and Nadine Faehndrich (SUI: +1.59). American seasonal leader Jessie Diggins reached the semifinals.
● Cycling ● Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) is destroying the field in the 84th running of Paris-Nice, with a 3:22 edge after five of the eight stages.
He was seventh after stage three, then zoomed to a 41-second win in the hilly fourth stage and routed the field by 2:02 on the hilly fifth stage, with a 20 km solo to the finish. Vingegaard was third in this race in 2023, but is primed to win now. Colombia’s Daniel Martinez is second, but well back at +3:22 and no one else is within five minutes of the Danish star.
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At the 61st Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy, home favorite Giulio Pellizzari lead after four of seven days by just two seconds over Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro and 21 seconds on Slovenian star – and two-time winner – Primoz Roglic. American Matteo Jorgenson is fourth at +0:34.
Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel won both stage two and stage four, but sits 15th at +1:06 after a rough opener in the individual Time Trial. The last two stages have some significant climbing, so the race remains open.
● Football ● U.S. Soccer will have its FIFA World Cup 2026 training center at Great Park in Irvine, California in Orange County, about an hour south of SoFi Stadium, where the American team will play two of its three matches.
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