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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizers will be back in front of the Los Angeles City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Monday, with the focus on the organizing committee’s December 2025 “Human Rights Strategy” plan. Per a review report by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst:
“The LA28 Human Rights Strategy relies on support and collaboration with existing resources, programs, and laws enforced by federal, state, and City agencies responsible for associated prevention, mitigation, and remediation efforts.
“While LA28 commits to collaborating with public and private stakeholders in its support of human rights protections, the LA28 Human Rights Strategy does not identify funding to support and advance these protections.”
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) published its candidate list for its 11 June 2026 Congress in Salzburg (AUT), including four candidates for President:
● Martins Dambergs (LAT)
● Heike Groesswang (GER)
● Ander Mirambell (ESP)
● Dr. Nelson Christian Stokes (JAM)
The well-respected outgoing chief, Ivo Ferriani (ITA), has been president since 2010 and served four terms, also being elected to the International Olympic Committee. Groessewang is the current Secretary General of the IBSF.
● Football ● A FIFA team met with Iranian football officials in Istanbul (TUR) to confirm arrangements for the FIFA World Cup and Iran’s matches in Southern California and Seattle.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom (SWE) said in a statement:
“We’ve had an excellent meeting – a constructive meeting together with the Iran FA. I think we’re working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“We’ve had the opportunity to discuss some of the operational matters, like we do with every Member Association. But I’m very happy that we were able to have this positive exchange, and both the Iran FA and FIFA are very happy with the meeting and looking forward to welcoming Team Melli in the USA, Canada and Mexico.”
At the top of Iran’s concerns are U.S. visas, as some of its players and staff apparently have ties with the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, an organization banned in the U.S. as terrorists. The Iranian team is training in Turkey and plans a training camp in Tucson, Arizona.
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FIFA announced a broadcast rights sale to China for four World Cup events – the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups and 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups – for a reported $60 million, a fraction of the $250-300 million originally asked by FIFA.
Chinese broadcasters noted that with these tournaments to be held in North America, Europe and North Africa, the matches will mostly be on during the middle of the night and early morning in China, drawing substantially reduced audiences. FIFA currently has no broadcast agreement for India for the 2026 World Cup.
● Wrestling ● “United World Wrestling will allow Belarusian and Russian wrestlers to compete without restrictions at upcoming UWW competitions with immediate effect.”
This decision was announced on Friday, with UWW becoming the fourth federation to allow Russian re-integration, after judo, taekwondo and aquatics. The International Olympic Committee recommended returning Belarusian competitors and allowing Russian junior athletes to be re-integrated, but maintains Russian senior-level athletes as “neutrals” and subject to review for neutrality for support of the war against Ukraine.
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U.S. Olympic gold medalist Amit Elor bore a son named Aryeh Elor Galvao on 23 January 2026, with her fiancé, Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete Micael Galvão. The couple named the son after her maternal grandfather, a Holocaust survivor.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Athletics ● Good season-opening results for multiple American stars at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo (JPN) on Sunday, including 9.95 (+0.6 m/s) for Noah Lyles to win the men’s 100 m, with 18-year-old Tate Taylor next at 10.04. Said the winner:
“I’m happy with the race, I’m happy with the time. It’s a great way to start the season.
“It wasn’t my fastest, but it was definitely in my top five fastest season openers, so I’d say it was very worth the journey and I’m excited that I got to have it in a fun place like Tokyo.”
Americans Jordan Anthony and Courtney Lindsey went 1-2 in the 200 in 20.05 and 20.28 into a 1.3 m/s headwind and 400 m hurdles Olympic champ Rai Benjamin took the 400 m in 44.69, with Vernon Norwood third in 45.22.
Olympic silver winner Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) won the javelin at 85.24 m (279-8), ahead of Marc Minichello of the U.S. (81.84 m/268-2).
The women’s 400 m was a big win for Britain’s Yemi Mary John in a lifetime best of 49.85, ahead of American Bailey Lear, who also got a PR in 50.42. Kenya’s Purity Chepkirui won the women’s 1,500 in 4:16.11, with Shelby Houlihan of the U.S. second in 4:16.25. Alia Armstrong took the 100 m hurdles in 12.75 (-0.9).
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Sweden’s four-time Worlds medalist Perseus Karlstrom was in top form at the World Athletics Race Walk Tour Gold races in Rio Maior (POR), rolling to an impressive win in the men’s half marathon in 1:25:27, way ahead of runner-up Matheus Correa (BRA: 1:27:06) and Noel Chama (MEX: 1:28:16).
The women’s race was equally decisive, as Mexico’s Alegna Gonzalez won in 1:32:15 – the fourth-fastest ever in the new event – with teammate Karla Serrano second in a lifetime best of 1:35:22 and Greece’s 2023 Worlds bronzer Antogoni Ntrismpioti in third (1:36:33).
● Badminton ● At the BWF World Tour Thailand Open in Patumwan, Anders Antonsen (DEN) came from a set down to win the men’s Singles over Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA), 9-21, 24-22, 21-18. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi swept the women’s final over Yu Fei Chen (CHN), 21-14, 21-18.
Indonesia won the men’s Doubles, China took the women’s Doubles and Denmark won in the Mixed Doubles.
● Canoe-Kayak ● Hungary claimed seven wins to lead all nations at the ICF Sprint World Cup in Brandenburg (GER), winning four men’s events with two-time World Champion Balazs Adolf in the C-1 5,000 m, Tokyo Olympic champ Sandor Totka in the K-1 200 m, World Champion Balint Kopasz in the K-1 1,000 m and in the K-2 500 m with Levente Kurucz and Worlds K-4 silver medalist Bence Fodor.
The three women’s wins came in the C-1 500 m with 2025 World C-4 gold medalist Agnes Kiss, the C-1 5,000 m by C-4 Worlds winner Zsofia Csorba and Kiss and Bianka Nagy in the C-2 500 m.
Tokyo Olympic C-1 1,000 m champ Isaquias Queiroz (BRA) won the C-1 500 m final and Paris C-1 1,000 m champ Martin Fuksa (CZE) won that event. Australia’s Thomas Green, the Tokyo K-2 1,000 m gold medalist, won the K-1 500 m.
Ukrainian star Liudmyla Luzan, who won four golds at the 2025 Worlds, won the women’s C-1 200 m easily, and 2021 World K-1 500 m champ Aimee Fisher (NZL) won that event. Sweden’s Melina Andersson won the women’s K-1 5,000 m, in which she is the reigning World Champion.
American finishers includes Jonas Ecker in seventh in the K-1 1,000 m and Audrey Harper and Andreez Ghizila, fifth in the women’s C-2 200 m.
● Cycling ● Favored Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) decided he had to do something about being 6:22 down to race leader Afonso Eulalio (POR) after six stages of the 109th Giro d’Italia. So, in stage seven, he did.
The 244 km stage to Blockhaus had a major climb in the middle and then a nasty uphill finish and Vingegaard was ready, attacking with 5 km left – on the ascent – and only Giulio Pellizaarri (ITA) could follow. But Vingegaard won easily in 6:09:15, with Felix Gall (AUT) second at +13 and then Jai Hindley (AUS: +1:02) with Pellizarri fourth. Eulalio was 15th at 2:55 and Vingegaard moved into second, down 3:17.
Saturday saw a hilly stage of 155 km to Fermo, with Ecuador’s Jhonatan Navarez breaking the race open with a solo attack from about 10 km out. He won in 3:27:26 for his second stage win in this Giro, 32 seconds up on Andreas Leknessund (NOR). Vingegaard gained a couple of seconds in 24th.
On Sunday, the 184 km route to Corno alle Scale was largely flat until a final climb in the final 11 km to the 1,465 m final altitude. On the climb, Ciccone attacked with 7.5 km left, with Einer Rubio (COL) going with him. But Vingegaard and Gall caught up with 3 km left and then Vingegaard went alone to the finish in the final 1.8 km, getting his second win in three days in 4:20:21. Gall was 12 seconds back, with Eulalio in fifth at +0:41.
So Eulalio retains the maglia rosa, now ahead of Vingegaard by 2:24 and Gall by 2:59, with a 42 km, flat Individual Time Trial coming Tuesday.
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At the three-stage fifth edition of the Itzulia Women in Spain, Dutch rider Mischa Bredewold took the opening stage in a four-way sprint in 3:30:55, then was second in a mass sprint finish in the second stage, to Dominika Wlodarczyk (POL). The combination of bonus seconds gave Bredewold a 16-second lead over countrywoman Yara Kastelijn heading into Sunday.
The hilly, 113.1 km ride in and around San Sebastian ended with a 10-way sprint won by Wlodarczyk in 2:59:01, with Bredewold sixth in the same time and a five-second midway bonus. So, she won the overall title in 10:15:56, by 21 seconds over Kastelijn and Lauren Dickson (GBR), who finished third.
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Japan swept the BMX Freestyle Park World Cup finals in Montpellier (FRA), with 14-year-old Shirai Rena taking the women’s title with a 89.60 score, followed closely by China’s 21-year-old Sibei Sun (88.90) and American six-time World Champion Hannah Roberts at 85.86.
Rim Nakamura, the 2022 World Champion, won the men’s Park final with a splendid 95.10 performance, just ahead of 2018 World Champion Justin Dowell (93.55) of the U.S. and 92.60 from American Marcus Christopher, the 2025 Worlds runner-up.
● Fencing ● Italy’s 2024 Worlds silver medalist Martini Batini won the women’s FIE Foil Grand Prix in Shanghai (CHN), defeating Japan’s Paris Olympic Team bronze winner Yuka Ueno, by 15-11.
Russian “neutral” Kirill Borodachev won the men’s final, 15-9, over Poland’s Andrzej Rzadkowski.
● Gymnastics ● At the World Gymnastics Rhythmic World Cup in Portimao (POR), 2022 World All-Around champ Sofia Raffaeli was a clear winner in the All-Around, scoring 113.250, to out-distance Israel’s Daniela Munits (111.550). Rin Keys was the top American, in eighth at 106.050.
In the individual apparatus finals, Raffaeli won on Hoop at 29.250, with Keys taking the bronze at 28.300. Fellow Italian Tara Dragas won the Ball final, scoring 29.600 to 28.900 for Raffaeli, and the Ribbon at 29.950; American Natalie de la Rosa was seventh at 26.900.
Israel’s Alona Tal Franco took the Clubs title at 29.650, with Keys seventh (27.550).
● Modern Pentathlon ● A tight men’s finish at the UIPM World Cup in Pazardzhik (BUL), with 2024 Worlds relay gold winner Changwan Seo (KOR) doing just enough in the Laser Run to win over 2025 Worlds bronze medalist Matej Lukes (CZE) and Worlds runner-up Mathis Rochat (FRA).
Rochat led into the Laser Run, with Seo starting 20 seconds behind and Lukes, 49 seconds back. But Lukes was the fastest on the course and Seo was fourth-best, meaning the Korean got to the line less than a second ahead, with Rochat following just three seconds back. Scores: Seo 1,595 to 1,594 for Lukes and 1,592 for Rochat.
It was not quite as close in the women’s final, with 2022 Worlds bronzer Ilke Ozyuksel (TUR) winning by 1,459 to 1,451 over Hungary’s two-time Worlds runner-up Blanka Guzi wih Egypt’s Ganah Elgindy third (1,446). Those three started two, three and six seconds behind Sumin Shin (KOR) in the Laser Run and quickly took over, with Ozyuksel the fastest of the three to earn her first World Cup individual gold.
● Sailing ● At just 19 years old, Singapore’s Max Maeder continues to dominate the Formula Kite World Championships, held this year in Viana do Castelo (POR). Finishing on Saturday, Maeder – the 2023 and 2024 World Champion – won 17 of 19 races and was second in the other two for a net point total of just 16.0.
Swiss Gian Stragiotti was a distant second at 40.0 and then 2025 World Champion Riccardo Paniosi (ITA: 64.0). The top American was Noah Runciman, in 16th (159.0).
Defending champion Jessie Kampman (NED) took the women’s title again, scoring 19.0 net points to edge France’s two-time winner Lauriane Nolot (23.0) and American six-time Worlds winner Daniela Moroz (72.0).
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The 49er-49erFX-Nacra 17 World Championships were held off Quiberon (FRA), wittriathlonh a first-time men’s winner in New Zealand’s Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush, leading into Sunday’s final race and then making a mad dash for the finish to get fifth and end up with a net score of 31.0 points, good enough for their first Worlds gold.
Close behind were Austrians Keanu Prettner and Jakob Flachberger (37.0) and then three-time Worlds winners Bart Lambrieux and Floris van de Werken (31.0).
The women’s 49erFX title went to Norway’s Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland by 46.0 to 47.0 over defending champs Paula Barcelo and Maria Cantero, thanks to finishing ahead of them in the final race on Sunday. Barcelo has now won four medals in the last seven Worlds (2-1-1).
Italy’s Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei won the Nacra 17, despite a re-start in the final race on Sunday. But they finished with 61.0 points to 69.0 for Tim Mourniac and Aloise Retornaz (FRA: 69.0) and 75.0 for defending champs John Gimson and Anna Burnet (GBR). It’s the first Worlds gold for Ugolini and Giubilei after a silver in 2025 and bronze in 2024.
● Triathlon ● Reigning World Champion Matt Hauser (AUS) got off to a great start at the World Championship Triathlon Series in Yokohama (JPN), leading after the first transition and was never headed, winning by 20 seconds in 1:38:48, posting the second-fastest swim, fifth-fastest on the bike and fourth-fastest in the 10 km run.
Alone in second was 2025 seasonal runner-up Miguel Hidalgo (BRA: 1:39:08) and then Aussie Luke Willian (1:39:16). Braxton Legg was the top American finisher, 10th at 1:41:01. It’s Hauser’s fifth career Championships Series gold.
The women’s race saw Swede Tilda Mansson dueling with 2023 World Champion Beth Potter (GBR), with Mansson ahead into the 10 km run and with a final sprint, getting to the line first in 1:50:13 to 1:50:15 for Potter. Jeanne Lehair (LUX: 1:50:36) finished third; the top Americans were Rio 2016 Olympic champ (and now 40) Gwen Jorgensen (7th: 1:51:18) and Taylor Spivey (8th: 1:51:38).
It was Mansson’s first WTCS gold.
● Wrestling ● At the USA Wrestling Senior World Team Trials in Louisville, Kentucky, the winners moved on to the Final X selection meet on 19 June for the UWW World Championships, to be held in September.
Several major stars were using this meet to get to Final X, including Paris Olympic gold medalist and eight-time Worlds winner Amit Elor, wrestling in her first meet in a year, following maternity. She piled up an 11-0 lead and then pinned Precious Wieser with 29 seconds left in the women’s 72 kg class to advance.
Two-time Worlds medalist Macey Kilty also advanced, at 62 kg, pinning Claire DiCugno in 1:06 and World U-17 champ Morgan Turner won at 50 kg by 10-8 over 2025 Worlds team member Felicity Taylor. At 65 kg, 2023 Worlds bronze winner Jennifer Page defeated Emma Bruntil, 4-2.
In the five men’s classes, Paris Olympic runner-up Spencer Lee won a 13-3 technical fall at 57 kg over Anthony Knox; World U-23 champ Jax Forrest took the 61 kg final by 11-1 over Benjamin Davino; 2023 World Champion Zain Retherford edged Caleb Henson, 2-1, at 70 kg and two-time NCAA champ David Carr won at 74 kg by 9-7 over Jayden James.
At 125 kg, 2023 Worlds bronze winner Mason Parris was pinned early by Isaac Trumble, but after a challenge, the decision was reversed with Trumble called for a choke. Parris rallied to take a 14-6 lead and held on for a 14-12 win.
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