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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Japan ● A first-ever Winter Games parade for Japan’s Olympians and Paraympians was held Saturday in Tokyo, with organizers saying around 50,000 people lined the streets in the Nihombashi area.
Kyodo News reported that among the athletes participating were now-retired Olympic Pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who demonstrated some of their lifts – on pavement – during the parade, drawing loud applause.
● Athletics ● Although USA Track & Field has been silent, the “race” to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials appears to be between St. Louis, Missouri, which has said it is bidding, and Phoenix, Arizona, which hosted a USATF inspection team earlier this month.
The hype is once again over economic impact, with Visit Phoenix’s Joel Koester claiming that hosting would bring “800 athletes and 200,000 fans, generating $17 to $32 million for the city” in March 2028. The race would be held in and around Hance Park in downtown Phoenix.
The two cities couldn’t be more different in March weather patterns:
● Phoenix: Daily highs (1st to 31st) from 74-82 F; daily lows from 52-57 F; chance of rain 11-7%
● St. Louis: Daily highs (1st to 31st) from 51-62 F; daily lows from 33-43 F; chance of rain 20-32%
A USATF decision is expected to be made in June, but must be further approved by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
● Football ● FIFA opened a major office in Coral Gables, Florida in the Miami area to organizing the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so it was not so unusual to see FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) as the commencement speaker for Miami Dade College.
Founded in 1960 as a two-year community college, it began offering four-year degrees in 2003. The commencement ceremony was held at Loan Depot Park, home of the Miami Marlins baseball club. Infantino told the graduates:
“My message to all of you is exactly this: Work hard always. Be resilient always. Be positive always. Be honest. Be helpful. Be happy. Because we have to be happy, because the team that wins the [FIFA] World Cup wins once every four years. You are winning it today, and you can win it every day as of now with your actions, with your activities, with the smile you can give to every girl and every boy, every man and every woman.”
● Shooting ● The continuing move by International Federations to take on the Paralympic element of their sport expanded with the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) agreeing Friday to extend governance to World Shooting Para Sport, currently a department of the International Paralympic Committee. The terms also recognize the run-up to the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles:
“[T]he transfer of shooting Para sport from IPC to ISSF will only take effect following ratification by ISSF Member Federations at the ISSF General Assembly, scheduled for late 2026. Subject to ratification, the ISSF would assume responsibility for the entire governance, management and administration of shooting Para sport from early 2027, while leaving discretion to the ISSF on matters of integration of shooting Para sport.
“For that reason, the ISSF proposes to implement the integration process progressively over a two-year integration period in 2027-2028 (for example by limiting any changes which may affect the calendar, competition structures and the qualification system for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games). This two-year integration period will ensure stability, continuity and minimal disruptions for athletes, Member Federations, organisers, and stakeholders for both ISSF and the shooting Para sport community.”
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Athletics ● Four world-leading marks at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (KEN) on Friday, with Paris 2024 200 m champ Gabby Thomas of the U.S. continuing her undefeated African tour with an altitude-aided 21.89 win over fellow American Cambria Sturgis (21.93). Thomas also won the 100 m over Sturgis, 11.91 to 11.15.
Thomas also doubled at the Addis Ababa (ETH) Grand Prix on the 18th, in 11.13 and 22.15.
Norway’s three-time Olympian Amalie Iuel took the women’s 400 m hurdles lead at 54.12, a lifetime best, and Olympic and World Champion Ethan Katzberg (CAN) won the men’s hammer in a world-leading 82.43 m (270-5), his sixth-best meet ever. Home favorite Kelvin Loti won the men’s 800 m in 1:43.63 to take over the world lead, ahead of countryman Alex Ngeno (1:44.12).
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala moved to equal-5th on the 2026 world list with his men’s 100 m win in 9.96 and South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile is now no. 2 on the world 200 m list with his win in 19.77, ahead of Jamaica’s Bryan Levell (19.93). Now to be overlooked was 800 m superstar Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) and his 1,500 m win in 3:34.11 – a lifetime best by more than a second – ahead of Reynold Kipkorir (3:34.73).
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At the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Gracie Hyde of the U.S. posted a win and took the world lead in the women’s Steeple at 9:22.19. She had already made the U.S. team for the World Athletics Road Running Championships with a second-place finish in the women’s road mile earlier in the week.
Two-time World Indoor medalist Roger Steen, who won the World Shot Put Series title for the second year in a row, also won the Relays shot at a seasonal best of 21.93 m (71-11 1/2). He’s now no. 2 on the 2026 world outdoor list.
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At the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold Multistars event in Brescia (ITA), Swiss two-time World Indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer grabbed the world lead in the decathlon, winning with 8,361 points over Jose Ferreira (BRA: 8,057).
Ehammer won the 100 m, long jump, 400 m, 100 m hurdles and the vault to win easily and get his fifth-highest score ever!
Sweden’s Lovisa Karlsson scored 6,190 to win the heptathlon with a lifetime best, over Jessica Barreira (POR: 6,077).
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While Sabastian Sawe was thrilling the marathon world in London, a new American star emerged as a surprise at the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, as Vinny Mauri won in his debut at 2:05:54!
He ran collegiately for Arizona State and then for Notre Dame, with bests of 3:41.22 for 1,500 m and 13:34.03 indoors for the 5,000 m. He’s now the no. 4 American all-time behind Conner Mantz (2:04:43 ‘25), Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:38 ‘02) and newly-eligible Zouhair Talbi, who ran 2:05:45 in Houston on 11 January. Wow!
● Boxing ● Host Brazil and China topped the medal table at the World Boxing Cup I in Foz do Iguaca (BRA) with four wins each.
The Brazilians won four golds and three silvers in the men’s classes, with wins for Luiz Oliveira (60 kg), Yuri Reis (65 kg), Wanderley Pereira (80 kg) and Isias Filho (90 kg). China won one men’s gold with Jiamao Zhang (55 kg) and women’s victories for Xinyu Qi (51 kg), Yunman Gan (54 kg) and Liu Yang (70 kg).
Brazil topped the medal count with nine in all (4-5-0), followed by Kazakhstan with six (2-1-3). The U.S. won three medals, with a silver for Salim Ellis-Bey in the men’s 60 kg final and two women’s bronzes for Noelle Haro (51 kg), and Simona Winkler (70 kg).
● Cycling ● The 112th edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege in Belgium got crazy right away with a 54-rider breakaway forming just km into the 259.5 km race and was as much as 3:40 ahead of the peloton and Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar, trying to tie a record for the most “Monument” wins in a single season.
But the peloton reformed after another 150 km and Pogacar was back in contention.
He attacked with 35 km to go and broke away from everyone except 19-year-old French teen sensation Paul Seixas. Those two rode side-by-side until 14 km to go, then Pogacar attacked on the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons and broke free and finished in 5:50:28, 45 seconds up on Seixas and 1:42 up on the chase pack, with double Paris Olympic champ Remco Evenepoel (BEL) in third overall.
The victory gave Pogacar three wins in a row in this race and three Monument wins this spring – Milan-Sanremo, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liege-Bastogne-Liege – which had only been done twice before, by the legendary Eddy Merckx (BEL) in 1969 and 1975. No one has ever won four Monuments in a single season; Merckx and Pogacar have won three and the Slovenian will go for the record in October at Il Lombardia in Italy, where he is the five-time defending champion!
The women’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege (156.0 km) saw Dutch star Demi Vollering break away with 34 km to go and she sailed to the finish alone in 4:10:22. Countrywoman Puck Pieterse won the three-way second for second at +1:29 over Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and two-time winner Anna van der Breggen (NED).
It’s the third win in this race for Vollering, previously in 2021 and 2023; she’s won a medal in this race for the sixth straight year. Pieterse finished second for the second straight year.
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In the final UCI Track World Cup of the season in Nilai (MAS), it was once again Dutch sprint star – and triple Olympic champion – Harrie Lavreysen who was in the middle of the action everywhere. He won the Sprint over Trinidad & Tobago’s Nicolas Paul, with home favorite Mohd Awang (MAS) taking third. Awang won the Keirin with Lavreysen second and Paul third and Lavreysen won a Team Sprint bronze with Italy taking the gold over China.
Japan’s Naoki Kojima won the men’s Omnium, edging American Grant Koontz, 128-127. German Moritz Augenstein, the 2025 Worlds Scratch Race champion, teamed with Roger Kluge to win the Madison and China won the men’s Team Pursuit.
Norway’s Anita Stenberg doubled in the women’s Elimination Race and the women’s Omnium, out-pointing World Champion Lorena Wiebes (NED).=, but Wiebes teamed with Lisa Van Belle to take the Madison gold. Britain’s Olympic bronzer Emma Finucane won the women’s Sprint over World Champion Hetty van de Wouw and New Zealand won the Team Pursuit.
China took wins in the women’s Team Sprint and in the Keirin with Lijuan Wang beating Luz Gaxiola (MEX) and 2025 Worlds runner-up Finucane.
● Sailing ● Italy and Australia were the big winners at the annual Semaine Olympique Francaise raced off Hyeres, with the Italians scoring three golds, in the 49erFX class with Sofia Giunchigla and Giulia Schio, the women’s IQFoil with Paris 2024 champion Marta Maggetti winning the final over series leader Tamar Steinberg (ISR), and in the mixed-crew Nacra 17 with Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, coming from second to first over the two finals races to win.
Australia won two classes with Paris Olympic gold medalist Matt Wearn winning the men’s ILCA7 at 24 points, to 41 for Michael Beckett (GBR). The second Aussie win came in the IQFoil, as Olympic runner-up Grae Morris took the final over Federico Pilloni (ITA).
World Champion Maximilian Maeder (SGP) took the men’s Formula Kite final over Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi (27), and Zaiding Wen and Tian Liu (CHN) scored 52 points to take the men’s 49er title, with Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL: 61) second.
World Champion Laurian Nolot (FRA) dominated the women’s Formula Kite, winning the final and tallying just 15 points across the 14 qualifying races
American Charlotte Rose won the women’s ILCA6 class, winning two races, but ending with 55 points to 56 for Irish sailor Eve McMahon, and winning with a sixth-place finish in the second final, while McMahon was eighth.
Spain’s veteran star Jordi Xammar teamed with Marta Cardona to win the Mixed 470 class, 22-27 over Britain’s Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris.
● Swimming ● At the second World Aquatics World Cup, this time in Ibiza (ESP), Hungary’s Paris 2024 Olympic bronze winner David Betlehem was a decisive winner in the men’s 10 km, touching in 1:52:39.9, ahead of France’s Sacha Velly (1:52.44.2) and Italian teammate 1:52.45.0). Dylan Gravely was the top American, in ninth (1:52:56.2).
Betlehem also won the 500 m final in the 3 km Sprints in 5:43.0, ahead of Italian star Gregorio Paltrinieri (5:45.2), the 5 km-10 km silver winner at the 2025 Worlds.
World Champion Moesha Johnson (AUS) won the women’s 10 km in 1:58:51.3, almost five seconds up on Spain’s Angela Martinez (1:58:56.3). Mariah Denigan (2:02:55.5) and Brinkleigh Hansen (2:05:08.0) were 14-15 for the U.S.
Johnson doubled up in the 3 km Sprints, winning the final in 6:19.8, ahead of German Lea Boy (6:22.80). Hansen was fifth in 6:27.9.
● Triathlon ● Britain’s 2023 World Champion Beth Potter braved 80 F conditions at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Samarkind (UZB) on Saturday to take the win in 1:53:17, ahead of 2025 Worlds runner-up Leonie Periault (FRA: 1:53:26).
Britain’s 2020 World Champion, Georgia Taylor-Brown, led by about 34 seconds after the bike phase, but Potter ran down everyone with the fastest split in the field (33:36) by 10 seconds. Only Periault (33:46) was even close and she was a clear second over Jeanne Lehair (LUX: 1:54:20). Taylor-Brown was fourth (1:54:32) and American Taylor Spivey was fifth (1:54:53).
Hungary’s Marton Kropko was first out of the water in the men’s race and led after the bike phase, but dropped out with an ankle injury during the run. American Chase McQueen dropped back during the run and moving to the front were Vasco Vilaca (POR), Henry Graf (GER) and Charles Pacquet (FRA).
It was Vilaca, the 2025 Worlds bronze winner, with the most speed and he won his first World Championship Series gold in 1:43:33 over Graf (1;43:37) with Paquet in third (1:43:41). Seth Rider was the top American finisher in 27th (1:46:44); McQueen finished 40th in 1:50:23.
● Wrestling ● Lots of changes on the podium at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the men’s Freestyle division seeing only two repeat winners from 2025: Luke Lilledahl at 57 kg, defeating Paris Olympic silver winner Spencer Lee by 5-4, and in the 125 kg finale, where Wyatt Hendrickson faced Demetrius Thomas again and won again, with a pin at 0:27.
The other eight classes all have new winners from 2025, with Marcus Blaze at 61 kg; Bo Bassett at 65 kg (beating 2025 winner Joseph McKenna); Ridge Lovett at 70 kg; two-time national 70 kg champion James Green at 74 kg; Chance Marsteller at 79 kg (defeating 2025 winner Evan Wick); four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, now at 86 kg; Michael Macciavello at 92 kg and Stephen Buchanan at 97 kg.
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The women’s Freestyle division had five champions from 2025 on the top of the podium again, but not always at the same classes. Cristelle Rodriguez won at 53 kg this time after taking the 55 kg crown last year, and two-time Worlds runner-up Kayla Miracle won at 65 kg after taking the 62 kg title in 2025. Amanda Martinez repeated as the winner at 57 kg, Abigail Nette won again at 59 kg, and Alexandria Glaude took the title at 72 kg.
Rodriguez defeated Olympic 50 kg gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, who had to retire due to injury during the final.
Isabella Mir finished second at 65 kg in 2025, but moved up to 68 kg and won gold and Adaugo Nwachukwu also moved up from silver to gold, at 62 kg. Everest Leydecker lost to Rodriguez at 55 kg in 2025, but won the class this time, and Dymond Guilford took the 76 kg title.
The outstanding wrestler was at 50 kg, as Katie Gomez won her final at 5-0 over veteran Erin Golston, who finished second for the second year in a row.
All of the men’s and women’s Freestyle winners advance to the “Final X” tournament to decide the U.S. team for the UWW World Championships later this year.
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The men’s Greco-Roman division saw seven new champions in the best two-of-three contests to determine the American team for the 2026 UWW Worlds with Max Nowry at 55 kg, Dalton Roberts at 60 kg, Xavier Johnson at 63 kg, Otto Black at 67 (up from second last year), Benjamin Peak at 72, Joel Adams at 77 and Timothy Young at 97 kg.
Three men repeated (sort of) as U.S. open victors, with Kamal Bey winning at 82 kg, up from his 77 kg victory last year, and Beka Melelashvili taking the 82 kg title, up from 77 kg in 2025. Cohlton Schultz repeated as the 130 kg winner, defeating Adam Coon again.
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