★ 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 2024: Paris ● One of the signature legacies of the 2024 Games was the re-opening of the Seine River for swimming and it continues in 2026, with the opening of three areas for public enjoyment.
Designated areas at Bercy (near City Hall), Grenelle (views of the Eiffel Tower) and eastern Paris at Bras Marie opened on Saturday (4th), under the observation of lifeguards and only when water quality tests show adequate conditions.
● Russia ● Another instance of visa refusal keeping a Russian team from competing in Europe, this time in archery, as Spain declined to allow entry of Russians to the World Archery World Cup in Madrid from 7-12 July.
A Russian squad of 13 competitors and six coaches had been lined up to compete.
● Athletics ● “It feels, it sounds incredible. I just can’t really believe it.”
That was the reaction from 18-year-old Tate Taylor, the winner of the Pre Classic men’s 200 m in a lifetime best 19.75, no. 5 in the world for 2026, beating Paris Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT: 19.93). Headed to Texas Tech, he added:
“I really don’t even know what to say. … I was like, man, that’s just crazy ridiculous. I wasn’t going to expect to win this race. I knew it was going to be close. I told my dad, I told my coach, if they’re gonna beat me they’re gonna have to throw something crazy down to beat me, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to win.”
Even for the winners, it’s not all sunshine. Olympic and World champ Tara Davis-Woodhall took the women’s long jump at 7.13 m (23-4 3/4) and had three jumps over 23 feet, but said afterwards:
“Just to get here was a struggle this week. We’re dealing with some mental health problems. Just so you know, I have depression. I have anxiety. This week was really difficult. I couldn’t fathom just being here for some reason.
“I couldn’t get myself to like envision it, so the fact that I showed up today, the fact that I even gave myself a chance every single time. I have to show up for myself every single day because no one else will. My support team, oh my God, they’re the best people in the whole world. They just were here for me throughout the entire way and without them I wouldn’t be here and I’m just like grateful and thankful.”
● Cycling ● Favorite and four-time champion Tadej Pogacar (SLO) won the third stage of the 113th Tour de France as the race crossed over the border from Spain on Monday, and took the yellow jersey as the race leader.
Due to wildfires in the southern Pyrenees areas, the final 40 km of the 195.9 km route that started in Granollers in Spain and finished in Les Angles in France, was closed to spectators. There was an early crash, but the race finally came down to the major contenders with 11 km to go.
A pack of 10 raced to the finish and Pogacar crossed first in 4:45:11, two seconds up on two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN), Richard Carapaz (ECU) and France’s Paul Seixas. Pogacar and Vingegaard are tied on time, but Pogacar now gets the leader’s position on criteria.
● Equestrian ● The 136-member Federation Equestre Internationale published its annual report for 2025, showing an increase in total events staged last year, reaching an all-time high of 4,937. Of these, jumping continues to be the overwhelming leader:
● 1,790: Jumping ~ Olympic event
● 921: Endurance
● 868: Dressage ~ Olympic event
● 735: Eventing ~ Olympic event
● 315: Driving
There were small totals for Vaulting and for Para events. Jumping reached an all-time high in 2025 and the top countries holding events were the U.S. (613), France (522) and Italy (342).
In all, the FEI has 44,039 registered athletes, with the most in Jumping (24,958: 56.7%), followed by Endurance (6,205), then Eventing (5,498), Dressage (3,998) and Vaulting (2,022). France has the most athlete registrations with 5.494.
In terms of horses, there are 80,297 equine athletes registered, with 53,388 (66.5%) in Jumping, then 9,081 in Endurance and 8,866 in Eventing. France again led, with 11,313.
The federation’s finances showed CHF 87.103 million in assets (CHF 1 = $1.24 U.S.) and reserves of CHF 61.141 million. Revenues, including a portion of the International Olympic Committee television rights fee for 2024, totaled CHF 60.587 million and expenses were CHF 58.409 million for a surplus (after investment gains) of CHF 2.178 million. Essentially, the federation has a year’s worth of expenses in reserve.
Certainly solid, and positive considering the continuing growth in the number of events held, new athletes and horses registered.
● Sport Climbing ● While she finished third, American Emma Hunt became a barrier-breaker at the World Climbing Series Speed races in Krakow, Poland, winning her quarterfinal in 5.99, a world record and the first women to race under six seconds.
She broke the 2025 record of 6.03 by Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw, who ended up fourth in what she said was her final competition.
● Swimming ● Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh claimed a world record in a fourth event on Sunday with a brilliant 2:01.65 in the women’s 200 m Butterfly at the Canadian Swim Trials in Montreal. It was a mark she had been targeting, in part because it had been considered untouchable, as it was set in the “supersuit” era in 2009 at 2:01.81.
She told the CBC afterwards:
“That was the one world record that I’ve always dreamt of as a kid. To now do it is really incredible.
“As you can see my emotions, this is the absolute world [to me]. Growing up this is the one world record I thought I would never break and to do it tonight is really special in front of a home crowd. It means the absolute world and I’m in shock right now.”
She told the fans from the deck:
“Thank you so much for supporting me, you guys were the reason I broke it tonight. That last 50 was pure adrenaline and I could hear the crowd going crazy and I knew I was probably under or close to world-record pace so that’s really what kept me going.”
She won the women’s 400 m Medley on Monday in 4:27.35, the no. 8 performance in history; she now owns nine of the top 10. She also has her other world-record events on the program this week: the 400 m Free and 200 m Medley.
¶
★ 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, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
