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PANORAMA: Senate committee advances “restore WADA” bill; Jamaica’s Campbell explains move to Turkey; USA Surfing gets major endowment

By
Rich Perelman
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North wing of the U.S. Capitol, containing the Senate Chamber (Photo: Wikipedia via Scrumshus).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Anti-Doping ● The U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced S. 233 – Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2025 – out of committee and to the Senate floor for consideration on Wednesday. The bill would permanently provide the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy authority to withhold membership dues payable to WADA if it fails to ensure athletes are competing in drug-free Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The bill’s primary backer, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) said in a statement:

“Since the [2021] Chinese doping scandal came to light, WADA has done everything it can to intimidate advocates for fair play and stonewall Congress.

“With the Commerce Committee passing my bipartisan Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act, we have sent a message to WADA that accountability and oversight are coming. We won’t be silenced by WADA or any international organization that tries to strong arm the United States in our mission to promote fair play in sports.”

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency head Travis Tygart added:

“We are more optimistic than ever that WADA will be fixed, and U.S. taxpayer funding will not be wasted by continuing to fund an organization lacking independence, transparency, and accountability.

“There can be no double standards when it comes to fairness in Olympic and Paralympic sport, and while we all want a strong, independent WADA, it has a long way to go to regain the confidence of all stakeholders, including the U.S. government, as evidenced by the approval of this act. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games soon to be held in the U.S., now is the time to make sure that we’re investing in truly fair sport and giving clean athletes a chance to win the right way.”

A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. House.

● Athletics ● In a video interview, Jamaican shot star Rajinda Campbell, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, explained his application to change allegiance to Turkey. Speaking about the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association:

“I don’t believe that they really understand that it is challenging, one, for track and field. We are not sprinters. So obviously, and I can say, I am still un-sponsored. Yeah. Yeah. You know the adidas contract that the J3 refused to sign? It would have made Track Jamaica 100 times better than where we are now. There were bonuses that benefitted the athlete, not the federation. There were certain things they wouldn’t have control over because it would be directed to the athlete, based on my understanding. And they went against that.

“So, in my eyes, they don’t care about us. So [I decided], it’s time to start. I literally started the year with the mindset of, ‘Yo, this year I’m doing it for me.’ Yeah. As a result, this is the decision I had to make.”

● Cross Country Skiing ● The German ski federation said Wednesday that Victoria Carl, 29, an Olympic Team Sprint gold and 4 x 5 km relay silver at Beijing 2022, tested positive at the World Military Games in March for the prohibited substance clenbuterol.

The Associated Press reported that Carl – the FIS World Cup runner-up in 2025 – “was erroneously given the combination drug Spasmo Mucosolvan containing ambroxol and clenbuterol instead of Mucosolvan containing just ambroxol.” The case is now in the hands of the German anti-doping agency, which will decide on suspensions and possible sanctions.

● Cycling ● Add USA Cycling to the U.S. National Governing Bodies integrating Paralympic sport:

“[T]he U.S. Paralympics Cycling program will officially become part of USA Cycling beginning on July 1, 2025.

“Up to now, USA Cycling and U.S. Paralympics Cycling were operating as two separate entities, collaborating on select initiatives while independently pursuing World, Olympic, and Paralympic medals. After careful consideration, key stakeholders from both organizations agreed that bringing together these two high-performing programs would strengthen support for current and future generations of athletes and maximize performance across all cycling disciplines.

“This move is fueled by a shared belief: integrating Paralympic and Olympic programs within a single National Governing Body creates the best pathway for sustained long-term success. Bringing all Olympic and Paralympic cycling operations together will enhance athlete support, streamline resources, and drive innovation across every discipline.”

● Surfing ● USA Surfing, in a battle with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to be certified by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport, told The Associated Press that the group has received a multi-million-dollar endowment.

Executive Director Becky Fleischauer told the AP that “USA Surfing has struck multiyear deals for financial backing from Kamaka Responsible Development, which builds housing communities, and with Orange County-based surf company Resin Services. Kamaka also plans to develop a wave pool that can be used for year-round training for USA Surfing athletes.”

Funding has been a weakness for USA Surfing in its application, but it has the backing of the U.S.-resident International Surfing Association.

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TRANSGENDER: U.S. Education Dept. finds California out of compliance with Title IX on transgenders in sports, demands corrections … or else!

By
Rich Perelman
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≡ DOE WARNS CALIFORNIA ≡

“Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the conclusion of its Title IX investigations into the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for allegations of discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex. In both cases, OCR has determined that CDE and CIF are in clear violation of Title IX.”

Wednesday’s announcement further specified the grounds:

“Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires schools to ensure equal opportunities for girls, including in athletic activities, but California has actively prevented this equality of opportunity by allowing males in girls’ sports and intimate spaces”

and what comes next:

“As a result of the noncompliance finding, OCR has issued a proposed Resolution Agreement to CDE and CIF to resolve their Title IX violations. OCR has offered both entities an opportunity to voluntarily agree to change these unlawful practices within 10 days or risk imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings.”

The announcement further described in detail its proposal as to what the California Department of Education (CDE) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) are required to do:

“(i) The CDE will issue a Notice to all recipients of federal funding (Recipients) that operate interscholastic athletic programs in California requiring them to comply with Title IX. This will specify that Title IX and its implementing regulations forbids schools from allowing males from participating in female sports and from occupying female intimate facilities, and that Recipients must adopt biology-based definitions of the words ‘male’ and ‘female’;

“(ii) The CDE will issue a Notice advising Recipients that any interpretation of California state law conflicting with the Department’s Resolution Agreement is preempted by federal law under Title IX;

“(iii) The CDE and CIF will rescind any guidance that advised local school districts or CIF members to permit male athletes to participate in women’s and girls’ sports to reflect that Title IX preempts state law when state law conflicts with Title IX;

“(iv) CDE will require all Recipients, including CIF, to restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes competing in female competitions;

“(v) To each female athlete to whom an individual recognition is restored, CDE will send a personalized letter apologizing on behalf of the state of California for allowing her educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination; and

“(vi) The CDE will require each Recipient and CIF to submit to CDE an annual certification that the Recipient and CIF have complied with Title IX. Accordingly, CDE will also propose to OCR a Monitoring Plan to ensure that Recipients are fully complying with Title IX.”

There is little chance of agreement from the California Department of Education or the CIF, as the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division sent a 28 May letter stating that the inclusion of Jurupa Valley transgender AB Hernandez in the CIF State Track & Field Championships – she won two events and was second in a third – was in violation of Title IX.

California’s reply came on 9 June:

“California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a pre-enforcement lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) in anticipation of imminent legal retaliation against California’s school systems. …

“Today, the California Department of Education notified U.S. DOJ that the state will not certify to its demands, which would require school districts to violate not only existing state law, but also the U.S. Constitution.

“In the lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta asks the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to uphold California’s anti-discrimination law and prevent the Trump Administration from taking retaliatory action, such as withholding or conditioning federal funding, over the state’s refusal to comply with U.S. DOJ’s unlawful demands.”

Further, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, filed a statement of interest in the 31 January 2025 suit, Save Girls’ Sports, et al. v. Thurmond, et al, which concerns students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside who lost opportunities in favor of transgenders, under California’s AB 1266, allowing participation in sports based on gender identity.

So, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice are essentially now attacking the California Department of Education (and the CIF) on three sides at once.

There appears to be little interest from the California side in agreeing to any of the demands from the Trump Administration and will send the cases through the courts. That appears to suit Education and Justice just fine; Wednesday’s Education Department announcement points to last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. vs. Skrmetti (23-477), where

“the Supreme Court acknowledged that a person’s identification as ‘transgender’ is distinct from a person’s ‘biological sex.’

“Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.“

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U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE: Audited 2024 financials show the USOPC now the first-ever billion-dollar National Olympic Committee!

By
Rich Perelman
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≡ USOPC 2024 FINANCIALS ≡

Make room for another billionaire. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s audited financial statements for 2024 were released on Wednesday, showing – for the first time – more than $1 billion in total assets:

● $661.199 million in investments
● $199.158 million in cash
● $53.580 million in restricted cash and investments
● $47.800 million in land, buildings and equipment
● $29.576 million in accounts receivable (royalties)
● $15.650 million in inventories, prepaid expenses, other investments

The total is a spectacular $1,018,116,000 – $1.02 billion for those preferring the decimal – up from $971.182 million at the end of 2023.

That the USOPC is a billion-dollar asset corporation is even more spectacular considering it is the only National Olympic Committee in the world which is not at least partially funded by its national government. Instead, the USOPC received income from six major categories in 2024:

● $213.641 million in broadcast revenue (from the IOC)
● $188.834 million in sponsorships-licensing (IOC and USOPC)
● $46.534 million in “special event revenue” (Paris 2024 related)
● $43.067 million in investment income
● $30.466 million in assets released from restrictions
● $29.846 million in contributions (cash and in-kind)

There was also $12.778 million in other items, for a revenue total of $565.166 million. Against this in 2024 was:

● $233.937 million in “athlete excellence”
● $49.567 million in “sport advancement”
● $50.708 million in “community growth”
● $50.030 million in “special event revenue” costs
● $51.534 million in fundraising, sales and administrative

That’s $385.566 million in expenses, so the USOPC had a surplus of $129.570 million for 2024.

The administrative cost of $27.795 million accounting for 7.2% of all expenses and 4.9% of revenue. The USOPC listed a total of 642 employees in calendar year 2024 on its IRS Form 990 tax return.

The USOPC financials also included some dramatic totals for the four-year quadrennial of 2021-24, which are partially impacted by the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021. For the four-year cycle:

● $1.607406 billion in total revenue
● $746.410 million from sponsorships-licensing (46.4%)
● $531.866 million from broadcast revenue (33.1%)
● $96.189 million in investment income (6.0%)
● $86.532 million in contributions (cash and in-kind) (5.4%)

That’s 90.9% of the total with the remainder from special-event income and other items.

Expenses were $1.346681 billion for the quad, with $787.054 million (58.4%) for “athlete excellence,” $172.199 million for “sport advancement” and $176.295 million for “community growth.”

Fundraising, marketing and administrative cost $211.133 million for the four years, or 15.7% of expenses, or 13.1% of revenues. Administrative costs of $133.222 million for the quad were 9.9% of expenses or 8.3% of revenues, indicating a downward trend from 2021 to 2024.

The future is also looking bright, as the statements note future “conditional” contributions not yet shown of $107.370 million already pledged, with most of it coming in 2025-26-27.

Way in the back of the financial statements is a fascinating page which details payments made to athletes and the National Governing Bodies as part of the “Athlete Excellence” programming. Four major categories make up the $191.040 million in spending in 2024:

● $55,714,653 in direct “Athlete Grants”
● $21,737,708 in “Athlete Services”
● $78,628,833 in “NGB Grants”
● $34,958,779 in “NGB Services”

This covers not only direct payments to athletes, but travel and Games support, insurance, medical support, coaching and more. A significant part of the money given to the National Governing Bodies also ends up in athlete stipends, but a combined total of all direct-to-athlete funding was not included.

There are a lot of numbers here, and a lot of money. The USOPC has reaped significant rewards from its long-term revenue-sharing deal with the International Olympic Committee – almost $785 million from 2021-24 – and its joint marketing venture with the LA28 organizing committee.

However, even with its billionaire status, the demands on the USOPC to pay more for NGB pipeline development, more for athlete medal performances and the looming possible implosion of the collegiate sports system for sports other than football and basketball, mean there is not close to enough money to achieve everyone’s goals and desires.

But for now, the USOPC can take a few minutes to celebrate – once again – a great 2024, and then get back to getting ready for the Milan Cortina Winter Games in February and LA28 coming soon after.

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PANORAMA: L.A.’s Metro transit facing “fiscal cliff”; Kipyegon tries for sub-4:00 mile Thursday; will Iran play in the U.S. at ‘26 World Cup?

By
Rich Perelman
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Cover slide for the L.A. Metro Transit Agency presentation on the upcoming "fiscal cliff"

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The next meeting of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board is on Thursday (26th), with one of the agenda items – item 13 – a “status report on the Workplan to Address the Fiscal Cliff” and adopting principles to deal with it.

A presentation to Metro’s Finance, Budget and Audit Committee on 18 June identified Metro Transit near-term projections showing growing deficits in Fiscal Years 2026-27-28-29-30, from $100 million in 2026 expanding to $2.3 billion by 2030.

Parts of these deficits are due to continued subway and rail expansion programs, inflation and Federal funding uncertainty. The projections do not include any 2028 Games funding issues, but the presentation noted that “Preparation for Mega Events” is causing “Short-term resource strain across the agency.”

The situation projects Metro General Fund balance to go negative in Fiscal Year 2026, amid declining revenues. Two of the drivers are future rail operations costing 2.2 times per hour what buses would cost, and a major funding gap – even if delayed – in the Zero-Emissions Bus program.

While trying to maintain service levels, the presentation states this is a “[c]ritical time for Board to consider major decisions to mitigate projected deficits in the coming years.”

The corollary is that Metro has no identifiable resources to throw at a 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games support program, waiting for Federal funding which is not in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

While the LA28 organizing committee is not responsible for spectator transit during the Games, it is counting on Metro to supply most of the transport service for its volunteer workforce.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Belarus is appealing the International Skating Union’s decision to limit its entries to 2026 Olympic qualifying to just 13 athletes across figure skating, speed skating and short track.

The appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was filed on 3 June. The question of Russian and Belarusian participation in 2026 is a prime issue facing new IOC chief Kirsty Coventry.

● Athletics ● Kenya’s three-time Olympic women’s 1,500 champion, Faith Kipyegon, 31, will make a highly-publicized try at a four-minute mile on Thursday (26th) at the Stade Charlety in Paris (FRA).

This “Breaking4″ project, underwritten by Nike, is a herculean task, with Kipyegon trying to improve her world record of 4:07.64 from 2023, set in Monaco. In terms of seeing the attempt:

“Nike will welcome fans to Stade Charléty in Paris on June 26 for the opportunity to support Faith’s historic attempt in person. Nike is also partnering with Box To Box Films to invite supporters from around the world to watch Faith’s moonshot on a livestream broadcast available on Nike’s YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Douyin accounts, as well as Prime Video.”

The on-line streaming will begin at 7:15 p.m. local time, which is 1:15 p.m. Eastern time or 10:15 a.m. Pacific. Her attempt will begin at 8 p.m. Paris time.

A 50-minute first episode of a documentary. “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile” is now available on Prime Video.

At the 64th Zlata Tetra – “Golden Spike” – meet in Ostava (CZE), 17-year-old Australian sensation Gout Gout got a lifetime best of 20.02 to win the men’s 200 m (wind 0.0), beating two-time Diamond League meet winner Reynier Mena of Cuba (20.19).

Australian teammate Peter Bol won the men’s 800 m in 1:43.80, and 18-year-old Kenyan sensation Phanuel Koech won the 1,500 m in 3:29.05, ahead of Isaac Nader (POR: 3:29.37) and American Josh Hoey (lifetime best 3:29.75), moving him to no. 5 all-time U.S. and the sixth American to break 3:30.

Americans went 1-2 in the men’s 110 m hurdles, with Dylan Beard out-leaning Olympic champ Grant Holloway, with both in 13.13 (+0.6). Chris Robinson of the U.S. won the 400 m hurdles in 48.05.

Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis won the men’s vault at 6.13 m (20-1 1/4), but missed three times at a world record 6.29 m (20-7 1/2). Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri won the shot at 21.70 m (71-2 1/2) with Jordan Geist of the U.S. third (21.09 m/69-2 1/2), while India’s Tokyo Olympic champ Neeraj Chopra took the javelin at 85.29 m (279-10) with Marc Minnicello of the U.S. in sixth (80.15 m/262-11).

Thelma Davies (LBR) won the women’s 100 m in a lifetime best 10.91 (+0.6) ahead of Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 10.92), with Cambrea Sturgis of the U.S. in fifth (11.19). World leader Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) won a major 400 m showdown in 49.15, beating Lynna Irby-Jackson of the U.S. (49.82) and Dutch hurdles star Femke Bol (49.98).

South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso moved to no. 2 in the world in the women’s 800 m at 1:57.16, beating Oratile Nowe (BOT: 1:57.49). Nigeria’s world-record holder Tobi Amusan took the women’s 110 m hurdles in a speedy 12.45 (+1.7).

Let’s call it “Allman joy” for U.S. discus star and Olympic champion Valarie Allman, who notched her 24th straight win with a final-throw victory at the Meeting de Paris on Friday.

She was trailing Dutch thrower Jorinde van Klinken’s fourth-round leader of 66.42 m (217-11), but Allman had one more throw in her and stole the event with a clutch toss of 67.56 m (221-8)!

She said afterwards:

“When your technique is off, it really throws you. I was doing the first part of the throw right, but I was still not getting it. As each round went on, it became more stressful, that is the beauty of the field events. It only takes one throw which can be in the last round, and that can be very exciting.

“This is not a good habit to leave everything ‘til last, at least it is not a habit that I like. I am very grateful to have be training and preparing for all sorts of situations. This is one of the scenarios we trained for, having two fouls, not being in the lead, and still coming out with a win.

“It is definitely a skill to be able to believe in yourself and knowing that you can still find yourself in the competition, but my heart was through the roof tonight.”

Next up for her is the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on 5 July. No. 25?

● Football ● Multiple reports speculating on what will happen with Iran, which has already qualified out of the Asian confederation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

There are no World Cup groups with matches played exclusively outside of the U.S., which has 11 of the 16 host cities. The closest in Group A, in which Mexico – as a host – is already assigned. Five of the six group games will be in Mexico City, Zapopan or Guadalupe – all in Mexico – with one game in Atlanta. So if Iran were maneuvered into slot A3 at the Final Draw in December, it could avoid coming to the U.S. completely in the group stage. But it would have to win the group to have Round of 32 and possibly Round of 16 games in Mexico City.

Israel is also in the picture, competing in UEFA Group I, with Norway, Italy, Estonia and Moldova, with the winner qualifying for 2026 and the runner-up to a playoff. So far, Israel is 2-1 and second with six points, behind Norway (4-0: 12), and has five games remaining: two each with Italy and Moldova and one more with Norway, finishing in mid-November.

Israel has played in the FIFA World Cup only once, in 1970.

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LANE ONE: Where does Thomas Bach rank among all the Presidents of the International Olympic Committee?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee from 2013-25 (Photo: IOC-Quinton Meyer).

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≡ THOMAS BACH IN REVIEW ≡

At 71 years, five months and 26 days, Thomas Bach (GER) is now the Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee, having completed his 12 years as the leader of the Olympic Movement on Monday.

His two terms saw plenty of controversy, upheaval and success, and while his legacy will still be shaped by future events, it’s not too soon to consider what he achieved and where he stands among the nine leaders of the Olympic Movement.

Bach came in at a time of turmoil, but also with money in the bank. At the end of the Jacques Rogge (BEL) tenure, in 2013, the IOC showed $3.448 billion in assets and $1.745 billion in reserves, designed to allow the organization to survive even with the cancellation of an Olympic Games or Winter Games.

But there was discontent, and disunity, as Rogge had been a fairly weak leader, especially compared to his predecessor, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had modernized the IOC dramatically over 20 years, but who had also been in charge as corruption had followed the expansion of the Olympic Games into a desirable political achievement.

So Bach sought to change things. And he did:

● Host City selection

The 1999 corruption reforms implemented in the wake of the selection of Salt Lake City as the host for the 2002 Winter Games had not ended the problem. Questions were raised about the 2009 selection of Rio de Janeiro (BRA) for the 2016 Olympic Games and possibly Tokyo in 2013 for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Further, the demands of the bid process required host cities and countries to spend millions chasing IOC members and creating ever more lavish spectacles to try and impress them.

Bach ended this with his signature reform, Olympic Agenda 2020, passed in December 2014. First among the 40 recommendations was to limit and simplify the process and where and how candidate cities could spend money. In 2019, public campaigning was essentially ended with the creation of Future Host Commissions for the Olympic Games and Winter Games, with which interested parties could enter “continuous dialogue” on possible candidatures.

After the 2015 election for the 2022 Winter Games in which four European candidates withdrew and Beijing (CHN) won over Almaty (KAZ) by 44-40, Bach saw the interest in bidding for the Games at an all-time low.

With Paris (FRA) and Los Angeles (USA) both interested in 2024, Bach arranged for a double award – the first time in a century for the IOC – for 2024 and 2028 and gave him time for more reforms. The last host election with competitive voting by IOC members was in 2019, as Milan Cortina (ITA) defeated Stockholm (SWE), 47-34, to host the 2026 Winter Games, with hosts set for 2028-2030 Winter-2032-2034 Winter.

Now, bidding costs are a tiny fraction of what they were previously, and losing bidders are not publicly humiliated by standing in a room watching some other city/region/country delegation celebrate.

The IOC membership does not like having this decision, in effect, removed from their hands, and there are changes being discussed. But Bach’s vision produced a healthy interest in hosting the Games that works, albeit with a lot less drama.

● Hosting of the Games

With the passage of Olympic Agenda 2020 and a series of smaller reforms packaged as “The New Norm” in 2018, the IOC completely changed its view of how the Olympic and Winter Games should be hosted.

New stadiums just for the Games were out and use of existing facilities was suddenly not only preferred, but required wherever possible. The IOC’s new approach was summarized as:

“The Games should adapt to the host, not the host to the Games

“The project must be aligned with local long-term socio-economic development plans. Existing venues should be used as much as possible, even if they are outside the main host region. New venues should be built only if there is a solid legacy and business case, in line with the needs of the population.”

If no existing venue was available, a temporary solution was now preferred, saving billions in expenditures on facilities that were not really needed. Moreover, the IOC’s new view allowed potential hosts to spread a Games more widely and take advantage of regional facilities, not just ones within a city.

● Russia and doping

A December 2014 documentary on the German ARD channel – “Secret Doping – How Russia Makes Its Winners” – exposed a massive Russian state-sponsored doping program that exploded in 2015.

A World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry report released in November 2015, led by the highly-respected IOC member Dick Pound (CAN), confirmed the scheme and led to a suspension of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

The IOC was caught in the middle, with the Rio Games coming quickly, and Bach eventually announced that the International Federations could decide at what level Russian athletes could participate. From 436 athletes in London in 2012, Russia had 282 in Rio and just one in track & field, long jumper Darya Klishina, who lived and trained in the U.S.

The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended for three months over the doping scandal in late 2017, allowing only “neutral” athletes for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea. By mid-2018, the IOC had helped to found the independent International Testing Agency, to actually carrying our doping programs at major events so that no accusations of bias could be alleged.

A 2017 IOC review commission head by IOC member Denis Oswald (RUS) disqualified 43 Russian athletes from the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, although 30 findings were reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But Bach and Russia would be at odds from here on.

● Russia and war

Russia’s place at the Olympic Games was impacted by the doping scandal for years and only the “Russian Olympic Committee” was allowed to compete at Tokyo 2020 in 2021. Then, just after the closing of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing (CHN), Russia invaded Ukraine and began an aggression which continues to this day.

The IOC led the response, recommending that athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, be removed from international competitions for their own safety, and banning all teams. This was complied with almost immediately.

As the Russian invasion dragged on and degenerated into stalemate thanks to Ukrainian resistance, Bach quietly oversaw a movement to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus who had not supported the war to be able to compete as “independent neutral athletes” in individual events. Eventually, just 17 Belarusian and 15 Russian athletes were allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Games, across 10 sports.

In response to the takeover by the invading Russians of regional sports organizations that had been under the control of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023. That ban still stands.

● Tokyo 2020 and Covid

Bach’s biggest challenge came with the arrival of the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic that forced the first-ever postponement of an Olympic Games, from 2020 to 2021.

There was a widespread belief that these Tokyo Games would never happen. But they did, without spectators and with unpleasant, antiseptic conditions that strained everyone’s patience. But they happened, and the Japanese government announced just 163 positives among 676,789 tests (0.02%).

Essentially the same playbook was used for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, with just 172 Covid positives reported out of 2,022,170 tests (0.01%).

Both Games came off, meaning Rogge’s rainy-day reserves did not have to be tested, although the IOC made loans to International Federations which could not wait until 2021 for the television revenue dividend they were expecting at the end of 2020.

If this sounds like a lot, these are just the most impactful highlights of the Bach Era. He was a decisive leader, but also encouraged discussion and consultation, even if he already had an idea of what the end result would be.

And he had a lot of other things going on:

● Under Bach’s leadership, the first IOC Refugee Olympic Team appeared in Rio in 2016 and the project continues to grow.

● Bach undertook a first-ever liaison with the electronic gaming community, eventually resulting in an agreement to create the first Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia. Originally slated for 2025, the first edition is now expected to be held in 2027.

● Given its financial resources and the growth of a professional staff beyond 500, Bach’s IOC built Olympic House in Lausanne to house its entire workforce and create an architectural statement on the size and power of the Olympic Movement.

He also championed much closer relationships with international organizations, especially those related to the United Nations, and other non-governmental organizations worldwide.

Bach also oversaw a continuing expansion of the IOC’s financial power, with broadcast rights increasing and also The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, which had 15 companies signed up for the 2021-2024 quadrennial ending with the Paris Games.

So Bach passed the torch to new IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) with $6.120 billion in total assets, with reserves of $4.880 billion.

So where should Bach be ranked among the nine IOC chiefs? TSX looked at the rankings question previously in 2020, asking whether Samaranch was the greatest IOC President ever.

My answer then was no, that Samaranch – who brought the IOC from carbon paper to computers during his time – must be ranked second, to French founder Pierre de Coubertin, the inspiration and driving force that brought the Games back from memory to reality.

Samaranch created the modern IOC, and Bach re-engineered it to fit 21st Century needs for economy, involvement and values. As he reminded audiences relentlessly, today’s Olympic Games must be “fully aligned with our Olympic Agenda reforms; Games that are younger, more urban, more inclusive and sustainable.”

So, for me, Bach ranks third, and well ahead of the other six:

(4) Sigfrid Edstrom (SWE: 1942-52)
(5) Jacques Rogge (BEL: 2001-2013)
(6) Henri de Baillet-Latour (BEL: 1925-42)
(7) Demetrios Vikelas (GRE: 1894-96)
(8) Avery Brundage (USA: 1952-72)
(9) Lord Killanin (IRL: 1972-80)

And what about Coventry? At 41, she is the youngest IOC chief since de Coubertin, the first woman, first African and with seven Olympic medals, the most decorated athlete ever to serve as the IOC’s leader.

She inherits an immensely powerful IOC, that dominates all of the Olympic Movement with the exception of football and FIFA, but that still has issues with Russia, the desire by top athletes for more money from their sports, and a rambunctious, talented membership that wants a lot more say in what happens than they had under Bach.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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SPOTLIGHT: A Locked-in Jack Wallace led the U.S. Sled Hockey Team Back to the Top of the World

By
Steve Drumwright
-
U.S. Para Ice Hockey star Jack Wallace (Photo: Joe Kusumoto-USOPC)

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Wallace scored a hat trick in the gold-medal game against Canada, helping avenge the loss from last year’s gold-medal game.

By Steve Drumwright
Red Line Editorial

Maybe it was extra motivation. Maybe it was being healthy and focused. Maybe it was being around friends and family. Maybe it was the chicken wings.

Or it could’ve been a combination of all the above.

Whatever the reason, Jack Wallace put together the tournament of his life at the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship, held 24-31 May in Buffalo, New York.

Wallace, who hails from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, scored a hat trick to help the U.S. defeat Canada 6-1 in the gold-medal game on 31 May, securing Wallace’s fourth world title and a record seventh for the Americans.

“No one in the world competes harder than us when we get down to it,” said Wallace, who’s played on the U.S. team since 2016, including in two Paralympic Winter Games. “We have such a high compete level on our team. When we can match that compete level with our awareness and our strategy of getting the puck to the middle of the ice and keeping them outside the middle of the ice – when we can match that intensity level with the focus and awareness and our game plan – really no one can touch us, and I think we kind of proved that.”

The Americans dominated from start to finish on home ice, outscoring their five foes 41-5. Besides a 4-3 nail-biter against eventual bronze medalist Czechia in the preliminary round, Team USA’s next closest games were identical 6-1 triumphs against China in the semifinals and Canada in the final.

Wallace had a big hand in those lopsided margins, finishing as the tournament’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. His 10 assists tied with two others for the most in the tournament. Only teammate Declan Farmer had more goals (10) and points (21).

The 26-year-old Wallace felt a bit of redemption in the win.

At last year’s tournament in Calgary, Alberta, he was splitting his focus.

After a pair of trips to the Paralympic Winter Games, and a pair of gold medals, Wallace had taken up sprint kayak in hopes of qualifying for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. That quest forced him to leave the sled team during worlds to compete in a kayak qualifier in Hungary.

Ultimately, Wallace missed a trip to Paris by eight-thousandths of a second. Then he returned to Calgary for the gold-medal game, where the U.S. fell to Canada 2-1. The loss snapped a three-year winning streak for Team USA at Worlds.

Wallace said he “felt pretty responsible for the loss” after having to leave mid-tournament.

“So I certainly felt really motivated and like I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder throughout the year to get back and kind of make up for it,” he said.

His hat trick in this year’s gold-medal game may seem like he was cashing in that chip on his shoulder, but Wallace said it was just being in the right spot at the right time.

“I don’t think it was anything that crazy,” Wallace said. “I had two tap-in goals and one kind of a lucky bounce to be totally honest. We were just focusing on those little things, getting the puck to the middle, getting the puck to the net, good things happen. It could have been anyone.”

A gold medal for Jack Wallace! (Team USA photo)

Last year’s intense double duty took a toll on Wallace. He developed tendinitis in both elbows from “severe overuse,” which necessitated treatment and physical therapy in the fall.

“I felt a bit like a shell of myself in last year’s gold-medal game, just not nearly as an effective player as I would want to be and that I think I am,” Wallace said. “So I think this year, coming in completely focused and solely ready to play hockey did me a lot of good.”

Playing in front of a home crowd helped, too. This tournament was the fourth time in 14 world championships that the U.S. played on home soil, but the first since 2015, when it was also held in Buffalo.

“It was awesome,” Wallace said. “The crowd was mostly all of our friends and families, so we all had some pretty big contingents in the crowd. That was really special to win in front of them. It had been a while since most of us had played in front of our families, let alone played in front of our families on home soil. So this was real cool.”

Wallace has an aunt and uncle who live in nearby Orchard Park, New York, so he gets to that region at least once a year.

Buffalo, of course, is known for its namesake chicken wings.

While Wallace’s favorite food is actually Buffalo chicken pizza, he makes sure to take in some of the popular wing joints whenever he’s in town. His go-to spot is one of the Bar-Bill locations for the honey butter barbecue sauce, but he ventured over to Wingnutz during Worlds.

“It definitely gave it a run for its money,” Wallace said.

While the gold at Worlds is still fresh in his mind, Wallace is already thinking ahead to February for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 – where the U.S. will compete for its fifth straight gold medal.

“We’re looking to do it again seven, eight months from now,” Wallace said.

Steve Drumwright is a journalist based in Murrieta, California. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.com on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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PANORAMA: Dentsu fined $2 million in Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging; French auditors say Paris 2024 cost $6.9 billion of public money, but Estanguet objects

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2020: Tokyo ● The Japanese ad giant Dentsu was fined ¥300 million – about $2.05 million – for its role in the bid-rigging scandal for Tokyo 2020 test events and then contracts for venue management during the Games period.

Former Dentsu executive Koji Hemmi was given a two-year prison term, suspended for four years, by the Tokyo District Court. He and Dentsu are appealing their convictions; the company admitted rigging the test-event contracts (worth ¥500 million), but not the venue management contracts for the Games, worth ¥43.1 billion in all.

Six companies – Dentsu, ad firms Hakuhodo and Tokyu Agency, and event producers Cerespo Co., Fuji Creative Corp., and Same Two – were indicted related to the rigged bids in 2018. Hakuhodo was convicted in 2024 and fined ¥200 million, and Cerespo was also convicted and fined ¥280 million; both have filed appeals.

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The French government’s Court of Auditors issued a report on Monday claiming that the public expenditures on the 2024 Games cost €5.96 billion (about $6.89 billion U.S.).

This included €2.77 billion (~$3.20 billion U.S.) on operations, including €1.40 billion on security for 35,000 military and police during the Games. In addition, €3.19 billion (~$3.69 billion U.S.) was spent on infrastructure.

The figures were challenged by Paris 2024 chief executive Tony Estanguet, who noted:

“Through its methodological choices, the Cour has in fact declined to examine the only question that would meaningfully inform public debate: How much public money would have been saved if the Games had not been held in Paris?

“It is undeniable that this amount would be far less than the €6 billion currently cited by the Cour. The organizing committee, as it already stated during the contradictory procedure, estimates that this figure does not exceed €2 billion, while the expected economic benefits of the Games are said to represent three to five times that amount.”

A more detailed report is expected in October.

Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan confirmed that public swimming in the Seine River will resume on 5 July, at three designated sites. The FrancsJeux.com site reported his comment:

“We did all the necessary work to improve water quality before the Games, to be ready for the Games, with a deadline and a requirement for results by 2024. Without the Games, we might never have made it. We were told we were doing all this for the athletes, but no: it was just a step. The Games are a unique acceleration tool to create conditions that will benefit the population.”

A parade on the river will take place on 26 July, marking the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

● Anti-Doping ● The World Anti-Doping Agency ridiculed comments by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart at last week’s Senate subcommittee hearing on the 2021 Chinese mass-doping incident involving trimetazidine:

“[T]he amount of food, the amount of contaminated drink that you would have to actually eat or consume to get these [TMZ] levels – was a few micrograms – I think we did the analysis based on the information that’s out there. It’s like 11 pounds of food, and over, I think, seven gallons of liquid in order to get the levels, and to think that Chinese athletes at the top of their game are going to do that type of diet the day before an event, or the day after one event, before the next day’s race, is just absolutely ludicrous.”

WADA said in a statement to the Russian news agency TASS:

“Mr. Tygart’s statement is not based on science or facts. It appears to have been made simply to support his pre-conceived narrative. The fact is that the traces of trimetazidine found in the athletes’ samples are consistent with the consumption of contaminated food or liquid. All scientific experts involved in the review of the circumstances of this case agreed with this.

“By presenting his sensational speculations as facts, Mr. Tygart misled the Senate subcommittee and the public. It is unfortunate that some media outlets have disseminated them without questioning their veracity.”

The tug of war continues.

● Equestrian ● The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) published its annual report for 2024, showing a lively sport with 4,721 international events in 2024, with 44,107 registered athletes and 79,647 registered horses. Events were down slightly in 2024 (-53), but athlete registrations (+1,996) and horses (+711) were up from 2023.

The overwhelming leader among the federation’s six disciplines is Jumping, with 24,879 athletes (56.4%) and 52,606 horses (66.0%). Eventing is next with 5,803 people and 9.343 horses, following by the third Olympic discipline, Dressage, at 4,423 people and 5,786 horses.

The U.S. had the most FEI competitions in 2024, with 541, just ahead of France (604), with Italy third at 340. The French had the most registered athletes (5,628) and horses (11,329); Germany was second in both: 3,706 and 8,881.

The linked financial statements showed an improvement for 2024, with total assets of CHF 82.882 million (CHF 1 = $1.23 U.S.), and reserves of CHF 25.475 million. Revenues were up to CHF 64.368 million, powered mostly by sponsorships of CHF 24.973 million. Expenses were CHF 67.094 million for an operating loss, but investment gains of CHF 4.131 million produced a year-end surplus of CHF 1.404 million.

The FEI’s finances are steady, but it remains dependent on sponsorships and to a lesser extent, on the IOC television rights dividend; for Paris 2024, this was CHF 12.848 million (about $15.8 million U.S.).

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ATHLETICS: Now Nigeria’s Ofili is changing allegiance to Turkey too, reportedly over federation incompetence, not money

By
Rich Perelman
-
Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili (Photo: LSU Sports)

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≡ MORE TURKEY TRACK STARS ≡

Following last week’s revelations that four Jamaican field-event stars would transfer allegiance to Turkey in time to be eligible for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili has also been reported to file for a change to Turkey.

Jamaican reporter Kayon Raynor posted on X:

“Nigerian sprinter @FavOfili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable @TvjNewscentre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the [Athletics Integrity Unit] @aiu_athletics of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation.

“Ofili stated that the Nigerian Ath. Fed. caused her to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after they did not confirm her number of doping control test & then missed competing in the 100m at the Paris Olympics after they did not enter her for the event. She was 6th in the 200m final.

“It’s further understood that Ofili impressed up on the AIU that her switch to Turkey was not for financial reasons.”

Ofili has run 10.93 and 21.96, both in 2022 and has run 10.99 this year.

Athletics Federation of Nigeria President Tonobok Okowa told reporters that the federation has not been formally informed by Ofili or World Athletics of the petition to switch to Turkey:

“If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful. But we are yet to get any official statement from her or any correspondence from World Athletics. She is a promising athlete with huge potential.

“We and the National Sports Commission have been working hard to get athletics and other sports in the country back on track. She is still our child, our sister, and our daughter. But it’s painful and hard to take for us. However, we will not stop her.”

Jamaica-based SportsMax reported Thursday that 2024 Olympic men’s discus winner Roje Stona and men’s shot put bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell had agreed to compete for Turkey, with additional reports on Friday that Olympic men’s long jump silver medalist Wayne Pinnock and Olympic men’s triple jump fourth-placer Jaydon Hibbert were also converting to Turkish eligibility.

Sportsmax reported Friday:

“All four athletes are said to be part of a broader initiative driven by Turkish sporting authorities and facilitated by a prominent American sports agent. According to sources, each athlete is set to receive a minimum of US$500,000, along with generous monthly stipends and six-figure bonuses for medals earned at global championships. Reports further suggest that the athletes have agreed to eight-year contracts, effectively committing to Türkiye through the 2032 Olympic cycle.”

There can be little doubt that Ofili would be eligible for similar support. Okowa said that Ofili had already been paid her training stipend for 2025.

Under World Athletics eligibility rules, there is a three-year waiting period for change-of-allegiance transfers to become effective, meaning all five could only represent Turkey in 2028, just in time for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Beyond that, however, the World Athletics rules also state that approvals of transfers are also conditional on:

“the Athlete demonstrating that as at the end of the waiting period:

● “i. they are or will be aged twenty or over; and

● “ii. they are or will be a Citizen of the Country or of the parent Country of the Territory which the Member represents; and

● “iii. they have or will have a genuine, close, credible and established link to that Country or Territory (e.g., through Residence there).”

All five athletes now switching to Turkey – Stona, Campbell, Pinnock, Hibbert and Ofili – have previously or are currently training in the U.S., and are likely to be primarily in the U.S. right through 2028. This makes sense, of course, as they will be preparing for an Olympic Games to be held in the U.S. as well.

But what does World Athletics do about star athletes whose day-to-day lives have little or nothing to do with their selected nationality?

The World Athletics Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, adopted in 2022, note that the federation has a responsibility

“to protect the credibility and regularity of National Representative Competitions, by ensuring that Athletes on a national representative team have a genuine connection with the Country or Territory represented, and do not switch either abruptly or frequently to other national representative teams for purely mercenary reasons.”

Will any of these questions be considered by World Athletics, or will these five – and perhaps others – simply be waived through?

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INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Zimbabwe’s Coventry welcomed as new IOC chief in Lausanne ceremony, as Bach honored

By
Rich Perelman
-
New IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) receiving the “key” to the Olympic Movement from Thomas Bach (GER) at the handover ceremony on 23 June 2025.

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≡ THE HANDOVER CEREMONY ≡

“Today is a day of gratitude. Today is a day of confidence. Today is a day of joy.”

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) summed up his 12-year run as one of the most consequential leaders in the history of the modern Olympic Movement by welcoming his successor, Zimbabwean swim star Kirsty Coventry, in an elegant, hour-long ceremony at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

After the perfunctory congratulatory videos and musical introduction, Bach spoke for almost 13 minutes on those themes of gratitude, confidence and especially joy:

“Today is a day of joy. The joy of passing the torch to a new generation. On this Olympic Day, a new chapter opens before us, full of opportunities, carried by fresh energy and renewed purpose. This is the moment to celebrate the enduring vitality of our shared mission, entrusted to us 131 years ago on this very day by our founder, Pierre de Coubertin.

“This gratitude, this confidence, this joy, fill me with a deep sense of peace. Today, I stand before you with a hopefully clear mind, but for sure with a full heart, knowing I have given all I could to the Olympic Movement.

“I have dedicated myself to our mission, to the values we all hold dear. And to serving you with integrity and commitment. This gratitude, confidence and joy allow me to pass on the torch wit serenity, knowing that together we have done everything we could to strengthen the Olympic values for generations to come.”

Of Coventry, 41, who Bach, now 71, worked with and then promoted as a future Olympic leader, he said:

“She has a new voice, that resonates with a new generation. This is why I say, full of confidence. From tomorrow on, with Kirsty Coventry, the Olympic Movement will be in the best of hands.

“This is why I am at peace. This is why my heart of full of gratitude, full of confidence, full of joy.”

Bach then handed the symbolic “key to the Olympic Movement” first used by Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) when he turned the presidency over to Jacques Rogge (BEL) in 2001 and by Rogge to Bach in 2013.

Coventry’s 10-minute remarks recalled her path from a young swimmer in Zimbabwe to the Olympic Games and now to the presidency, thanked those who have helped and mentored her along the way and looked to the future:

“How lucky are we? We get to work on creating a platform that is going to allow for generations to come, to allow for them to reach their dreams. It’s amazing. It’s incredible. And I can’t believe that in 1992, when I had the dream of going to the Olympic Games and winning a gold medal for Zimbabwe, that I’d be standing here with all of you, getting to make those dreams come true for more young people around the world. …

“We are the guardians of this incredible platform. And it’s not just about a multi-sport event. It’s a platform to inspire. It’s a platform to change lives. And it’s a platform to bring hope.”

She gave a final honor to Bach, awarding the rarely-bestowed Olympic Order in Gold; he will remain as IOC President through the end of the day on Monday. Coventry will be President as of 24 June 2025.

And she will be busy, as she has convened the IOC membership for a day-and-a-half “Pause and Reflect” program to discuss their shared path forward – including the many suggestions made by the other Presidential candidates – and then an IOC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

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INT’L OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Annual Report shows IOC distributed almost 74% of its revenues from 2021-24, and has $4.9 billion in the bank

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee

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≡ ANNUAL REPORT ≡

With the Presidential handover ceremony coming on Monday (23rd), the final deliverable of the Thomas Bach Era – the International Olympic Committee’s Annual Report for 2024 – was made available on Friday (20th).

Most of the 244 pages were a review of the very successful 2024 Paris Olympic Games and a celebration of many of the IOC’s programs and the themes of the Bach presidency, including the important Olympic Agenda and the myriad of social and environmental programs.

None of those things are possible without money, and there are 49 pages of financial statements at the back of the book which tell the tale of what Bach is leaving for his successor:

“• Since the adoption of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s commercial revenue from The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme and media rights has grown from USD 5.2 billion (2013–2016) to USD 6.9 billion (2017–2020/21) and now to USD 7.7 billion (2021–2024).

“• USD 7.5 billion has already been secured for 2025–2028, with a further USD 6.9 billion secured for 2029–2032 and USD 4.0 billion for 2033–2036.”

The IOC constantly states, and the Annual Report repeatedly underlines that the organization distributes 90% of its revenue for the benefit of the Olympic Movement. Well, not quite. Looking at the IOC’s financial statements during the 2021-24 timeframe (revenues include investment gains or losses):

● 2024: $4.621.3 billion revenue (Olympic year)
● 2024: $1.133.8 billion to reserves
● 2024: $196.3 million operating costs
● 2024: 71.2% distributed

● 2023: $1.122.5 billion revenue
● 2023: $201.2 million to reserves
● 2023: $185.5 million operating costs
● 2023: 65.6% distributed

● 2022: $2.339.0 billion revenue (Winter Games year)
● 2022: $222.8 million to reserves
● 2022: $173.9 million operating costs
● 2022: 83.0% distributed

● 2021: $4,194.2 billion revenue (postponed Olympic year)
● 2021: $843.8 million to reserves
● 2021: $189.7 million operating costs
● 2021: 75.4% distributed

The 2021 figure is a bit deceiving, since the television rights payable in 2020 for the Tokyo Olympic Games were deferred for a year and show up in 2021. That amount was $3.107.4 billion, so if the 2021 figures are restated (not possible to estimate what the amount to reserves would have been):

● 2021: $1,086.8 billion revenue (without TV rights)
● 2021: $189.7 million operating costs
● 2021: 82.6% distributed, not including reserves

Add all of these figures into a quadrennial total and you get:

● 2021-24: $12.070.5 billion revenue (with 2021 TV rights)
● 2021-24: $2,401.6 billion to reserves
● 2021-24: $745.3 million operating costs
● 2021-24: 73.9% distributed

● 2021-24: $8.963.2 billion revenue (without 2021 TV rights)
● 2021-24: $2,401.6 billion to reserves (assumed same)
● 2021-24: $745.3 million operating costs
● 2021-24: 64.9% distributed

(“Operating costs” include salaries, maintenance, meeting, transportation, depreciation and contracted services.)

So, the IOC distributed billions to outside groups and to external programs – essentially 75 cents of every dollar – but not quite 90%. The major recipients included three primary groups:

● Olympic Organizing Committees, with Paris 2024 receiving $1.991 billion in cash and services and Beijing 2022 receiving $970 million.

● International Federations, with summer federations receiving $590.1 million and winter federations getting $201 million.

● National Olympic Committees, through the Olympic Solidarity program, which received $590.1 million for 2021-24. In addition, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, through agreements dating back to 1996, receives a specific share of U.S. television rights and TOP monies, totaling $784.9 million from 2021-24.

Those three elements add up to $5.127.1 billion, or 57.2% of the IOC’s revenues (without the Tokyo 2020 TV rights included) from 2021-24.

The IOC also pays for a lot of other services, including in 2024:

● $437.198 million to its Olympic Broadcasting Services subsidiary
● $20.475 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency
● $9.142 million to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
● About $2.5 million to support the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC: $10 million per quadrennial)
● $2.000 million to the International Paralympic Committee

There is also support for the International Testing Agency, which was not separately shown.

The report confirmed that the IOC provided Olympic Scholarships to 1,560 athletes from 95 National Olympic Committees to summer-sport athletes, of which 599 actually competed at Paris 2024 (from 172 NOCs) in 24 sports. Those athletes ended up winning 75 medals (26-20-29) at Paris 2024.

Another 364 athletes from 77 NOCs received Olympic Scholarships in the 2023-24 season related to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina (ITA), and 226 teams of various types from 142 NOCs received IOC support from 2021-24.

The IOC Refugee Team had 37 athletes in Paris, competing in 12 sports, with Cameroon-born 75 kg boxing bronze winner Cindy Ngamba claiming the first-ever medal by a Refugee Team member!

As you would guess from these figures, the IOC is exceptionally healthy financially, showing $6.120 billion in total assets, with reserves of $4.880 billion. By comparison, when Bach was in his first year as President, at the end of 2013, the IOC had assets of $3.448 billion and reserves of $1.745 billion in reserves. It’s been a good 12 years.

Looking to the future, Bach has emphasized the digital revolution, telling the IOC membership last summer that despite calls for him to stay on, he needed to hand the reins to a younger leader. And he noted in his commentary his recipe for the future is to focus on young people:

“[I]f we want to stay relevant, we must meet them where they are.”

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PANORAMA: Roberts wins Paris 110H silver, is now unsponsored?! Senegal women’s hoopsters denied U.S. visas; three die in Algerian stadium crash

By
Rich Perelman
-
Paris Olympic men’s 110 m hurdles silver medalist Daniel Roberts, explaining how he is unsponsored (shared by FitzDunk on X).

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≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

● Athletics ● The latest reminder that track & field is a hard business, like all others. A post by U.S. hurdles star Daniel Roberts, the Olympic silver medalist in the 110 m hurdles in 2024, is making the rounds and includes some hard realities:

“[T]hese brands are about marketing above everything else. So being at the top does play a part in that but if your (sic) at the top but not much of a following and they don’t see you as marketable those results will not mean nearly as much.

“I know this because coming off my best year of my life, winning a silver medal at my second Olympics and running sub 13 for the first time, I’ve been dropped from my sponsor and had to live off of grants and prize money the past 6 months. It’s unfortunate but with track and field the way it is now athletes 100% have to focus on more than just competing well.

“Sorry for the Ted talk lol.”

Roberts was part of Grand Slam Track, as a contracted Racer, but which finished its season early; the GST bio showed him as sponsored by Nike. His Instagram page shows 23,326 followers.

Observed: This is one more, difficult-to-digest example of how track & field is a sport desperately in need of a comprehensive structure, including a format which allows athletes like Roberts to earn a seasonal, if not year-round, salary. Grand Slam Track is a step in that direction, but not yet the answer.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Senegal women’s national basketball team’s planned training camp in the U.S. was scrapped when visas were not available. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko wrote on Facebook:

“Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women’s national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the 10-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America.”

The Senegal women are coached by American Otis Hughley, Jr., who also coached the Nigerian women’s team from 2017-22 and came to Senegal from Alabama A&M, where he was the coach from 2022-25.

The U.S. State Department has pledged Olympic athletes and officials will be exempted from visa restrictions on U.S. entry for 2028 and related competitions.

● France ● Former French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, running unopposed, was elected as the new President of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), receiving 918 votes, with two abstentions and none against.

She has outlined three priorities, with the CNOSF fighting to maintain its funding levels in the midst of a budget crisis in France: “Defending sport, helping to place its benefits more at the heart of society, and preventing the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games from fading.”

Cedric Grosse, head of the French triathlon federation, is to be the new Secretary General.

● Figure Skating ● Japan’s three-time women’s World Champion Kaori Sakamoto, 25, said Friday that she will retire after the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

Sakamoto won a women’s bronze and Team silver at Beijing 2022 and will be one of the medal favorites in Milan in 2026. She explained during a rink opening in Kobe:

“I feel like I have less than a year left. I’ll be 29 at the following [2030] Olympics, which is out of the question. I’ll try to bring things to a close the year I turn 26.”

● Football ● Through its first 28 matches – ending Saturday, 21 June – the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has drawn 993,063 fans or an average of 35,467, in what can be seen so far as a modest success. The breakdown:

● Under 10,000 fans: 3 matches
● 10,000-20,000: 4 matches
● 20,000-35,000: 9 matches
● 35,000-50,000: 3 matches
● Over 50,000 fans: 9 matches

The 3,412 for Korea’s Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) in Orlando, Florida and the 5,282 in Cincinnati, Ohio for Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) and Pachuca (MEX) have drawn a lot of attention, but these are outliers.

The LA28 Olympic organizers will be cheered by solid crowds at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, with four matches played so far and announced attendance of 80,619 for Paris St. German’s 4-1 win over Athletico Madrid on 15 June, then 40,311 on 18 June, 53,699 on 19 June and 57,393 on 21 June.

In general, matches between well-known teams have done fairly well, but other games have not drawn much interest. Brazil and Australia have reportedly indicated interest in hosting a 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Horrific tragedy at the packed 5 July Stadium in Algiers (ALG), as three spectators fell to their deaths from the upper level after MC Alger clinched the seasonal Ligue 1 title with a 0-0 tie against Nadjem Magra on Saturday.

A portion of the restraining barrier on the upper level failed, resulting in fans falling to the level below.

Three hospitals received another 81 people with injuries, according to the Algerian Health Ministry:

“The Beni Messous University Hospital received 38 injured people, while three deaths were recorded. Ben Aknoun Hospital also received 27 injured people, while Bab El Oued Hospital received 16.”

● Luge ● Lake Placid, New York was selected to host its third FIL World Championships in 2029, previously in 1983 and 2009; 2029 will also be the 50-year anniversary of USA Luge.

≡ HIGHLIGHTS ≡

● Cycling ● Portugal’s Joao Almeida stamped himself as a one to watch at the Tour de France with a decisive win at the eight-stage UCI World Tour Tour de Suisse, his third multi-stage race win in a row.

Almeida was well back for much of the race, but won the fourth stage and was second in stage five to move into third place. He moved up to second with a win on the final climbing stage – stage seven – and then won the Individual Time Trial on Sunday to erase a 33-second deficit to France’s Kevin Vauquelin.

Almeida covered the 10 km, uphill time trial in 27:33.78 with Vanquelin a creditable fourth, 1:40.00 behind. So, Almeida won the race at 29:29:01, with Vanquelin 1:07 back and Oscar Onley (GBR) third at +1:58.

Almeida has now won the Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse and is ready for the Tour de France, where he finished fourth as a rookie in 2024. He’s definitely aiming for the podium this time.

A new race, the UCI World Tour Copenhagen Sprint in was held in Denmark, with Belgian Jordi Meeus winning the mass dash to the finish in the men’s 235.6 km race in 5:01:15, ahead of French entries Alexis Renard and Emilien Jeanniere.

The women’s race was over 151 km, with Dutch star Lorena Wiebes getting to the line first in 3:32:30, ahead of Elisa Balsamo (ITA) and Chiara Consonni (ITA).

At the UCI BMX World Cup in Papendal (NED), Paris Olympian Rico Bearman (NZL) won the first men’s race in 36.819, beating Mitchel Schotman (NED: 37.125), with American Cameron Wood fourth (38.340). Britain’s Ross Cullen took Sunday’s race in 33.984, with Wood second (34.473) and France’s Olympic silver star Sylvain Andre third (34.784).

Five-time World Cup champ Laura Smulders (NED) won a tight women’s Saturday final in 34.426, chased by two-time series winner Saya Sakakibara (AUS: 34.807) and two-time Worlds runner-up Zoe Claessens (SUI: 34.990). Tokyo Olympic champ Bethany Shriever (GBR) won Sunday’s race in 33.702, trailed by Sakakibara (34.149) and Molly Simpson (CAN: 34.298).

At the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole (ITA), Chile’s rising star Martin Vidaurre, 25, got his first career Cross Country Olympic race win in 1:27:42, dominating the field, with Mathis Azzaro (FRA: 1:28:05) second and Fabio Puntener (SUI: 1:28:21) in third.

U.S. star Christopher Blevins won the men’s Short-Course race again, his fifth victory in five events this season, in 20:13, just one second ahead of three challengers, led by France’s Paris 2024 XCO silver star Victor Koretzky.

The women’s racing was all about the flame-haired Dutch star Puck Pieterse. She won her second XCO race in a row in 1:29:08, way ahead of Samara Maxwell (AUS: 1:29:34) and Laura Stigger (AUT: 1:29:52). Pieterse won her third straight women’s XCC race, in 20:53, just ahead of Rio 2016 XCO winner Jenny Rissveds (SWE), with both timed in 20:53.

Canadian Jackson Goldstone won his third straight men’s Downhill final in 3:38.862, ahead of Troy Brosnan (AUS: 3:41.284), with Dylan Maples (USA: 3:43.590) in fourth. France’s Marine Cabirou, the 2015 World Champion, won the women’s race in 4:10.310, beating three-time World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT: 4:11.581).

● Football ● The U.S. men, already advanced to the quarterfinals, concluded group play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday against Haiti (0-1-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a 2-1 win.

The game started with Haiti on the attack, needing a win to try and advance out of the group. But the U.S. took advantage of that offensive mindset and in the 10th minute got some running room in the offensive zone and forward Brenden Aaronson sent a great cross from the left side all the way always to the far post and forward Malik Tillman headed it in for the 1-0 lead.

But a horrible mistake by U.S. keeper Matthew Freese in the 19th, kicking a clear-back by defender Tim Ream into the field of play and right to midfielder Louicius Don Deedson, who dribbled up – all alone – and sent a left-footed laser that settled in the far side of the goal for the 1-1 tie.

The U.S. had more chances during the remainder of the half, but it ended 1-1, with the U.S. holding 66% of possession and a 8-5 edge on shots.

In the second half, Haiti came out aggressively, but the U.S. had more and more control as the game wore on. U.S. defender John Tolkin almost scored on a free kick in the 50th from just outside box that curled wide.

The U.S. scored in the 64th on what appeared to be an own goal on a scramble in front of the net, but Tillman was called for a handball on a deflection off his arm. Tillman scored in the 67th, but was called offside and missed a pop-up try over Haitian keeper Johny Placide in the 74th.

Finally, another long lead by Tolkin from midfield found striker Patrick Agyemang on the left side, and as Placide came out early, Agyemang sent a left-footed, seeing-eye shot past him and into the goal for the 2-1 lead in the 75th. The U.S. ended with 66% possession and an 18-8 advantage on shots.

Trinidad & Tobago tied Saudi Arabia, 1-1, in a taut game in Las Vegas, so the Saudis (1-1-1) will advance to the quarters next weekend, along with the U.S.

● Gymnastics ● The rise of 16-year-old Rhythmic star Rin Keys continued at the USA Gymnastics National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island, as she swept the All-Around and apparatus honors.

A four-time FIG World Cup medalist, Keys – the defending champ – won the All-Around at 112.950, ranking first on three of the four apparatus. Evita Griskenas was second at 111.750, followed by Megan Chu at 111.600.

In the apparatus finals, Keys won Hoop at 29.250 to 28.550 for Chu; then Ball at 29.150 to 27.550 for Chu. Keys scored 29.000 to win Clubs over Griskenas (28.350) and then took the Ribbon at 28.400 to 27.650 for Ruby Freshwater.

Elijah Vogel won the men’s Trampoline final, scoring 58.500 to edge 2023 winner Alaksei Shostak (58.240) and 2022 champ Ryan Maccagnan (57.860). Alexandra Mytnik took the women’s title, at 54.460 over defending champion Sarah Webster (53.850) and Maia Amano (53.740).

At the FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup in Tashkent (UZB), home favorite Oksana Chusovitina thrilled the crowd with a second place in the women’s Vault – at age 50! 50! – at 13.275, with two-time European silver medalist Valentina Georgieva (BUL) – age 18 – winning at 13.450.

Algerian star Kaylia Nemour, 18, the Paris 2024 gold medalist on the Uneven Bars, won her specialty at 14.700, and also took the title on Beam at 13.300.

● Judo ● The IJF World Championships concluded in Budapest (HUN) with the Mixed Team event, with two first-time finalists and Georgia defeating South Korea, 4-1. Germany and Japan with the bronze-medal matches.

Japan, as always, led the medal table with 15 (6-4-5), with Russian judoka (as “neutrals”: 3-0-2), Georgia (2-2-1) and Korea (1-1-3) all with five.

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ATHLETICS: Jamaican media reports four field-event stars – Campbell, Stona, Pinnock and Hibbert – transferring to Turkey for big money

By
Rich Perelman
-
Jamaican long jump star Wayne Pinnock (Photo: Sona Maleterova for World Athletics).

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≡ TRANSFER OF ALLEGIANCE ≡

Jamaican media reported that four top Jamaican field-event stars – including three Paris 2024 Olympic medal winners – are in the process of transferring their athletic allegiance to Turkey.

Kingston-based SportsMax reported Thursday that 2024 Olympic men’s discus winner Roje Stona and men’s shot put bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell had agreed to compete for Turkey, with additional reports on Friday that Olympic men’s long jump silver medalist Wayne Pinnock and Olympic men’s triple jump fourth-placer Jaydon Hibbert were also converting to Turkish eligibility.

Sportsmax reported Friday:

● “All four athletes are said to be part of a broader initiative driven by Turkish sporting authorities and facilitated by a prominent American sports agent. According to sources, each athlete is set to receive a minimum of US$500,000, along with generous monthly stipends and six-figure bonuses for medals earned at global championships. Reports further suggest that the athletes have agreed to eight-year contracts, effectively committing to Türkiye through the 2032 Olympic cycle.”

● Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President Garth Gayle said in a statement on Friday:

“The transfer of allegiance of athletes is a process that involves the requisite national federations and requires the approval of World Athletics.

“The JAAA wishes to inform the public that, to date, it has neither been notified nor received a request for the transfer of allegiance of any of our Jamaican athletes, whether those mentioned in the referenced media reports or any others.”

World Athletics regulations on eligibility require a lengthy waiting period; from section 4.4.2 of the eligibility rules:

“[A]n Athlete may represent a Second Member with the approval of World Athletics in accordance with the Transfer of Allegiance Regulations, which approval shall be conditional upon:

“a. the Athlete observing a waiting period of three years from the date that the application for approval is made to World Athletics (during which period the Athlete must not represent any other Member in National Representative Competition or compete in any Other Relevant Competition); and

“b. the Athlete demonstrating that as at the end of the waiting period:

“i. they are or will be aged twenty or over; and

“ii. they are or will be a Citizen of the Country or of the parent Country of the Territory which the Member represents; and

“iii. they have or will have a genuine, close, credible and established link to that Country or Territory (e.g., through Residence there).”

So, the action by Turkey in June of 2025 is directly aimed at eligibility for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which will start on 14 July, with track & field to start on 15 July. This may not be finished.

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TABLE TENNIS: Presidential election loser Al-Mohannadi files actions with ITTF and Court of Arbitration over election voting process

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ ITTF ELECTIONS ≡

Qatar’s Khalil Al-Mohannadi, the Senior Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation, who has been an officer of the federation for most of the last 28 years, lost the Presidential election held at the ITTF Annual General Meeting on Doha on 27 May, 104-102, against incumbent Petra Sorling (SWE).

He was part of an unrestrained protest shortly after the vote was posted, with multiple people yelling and screaming at the ITTF officials running the meeting – as a candidate, Sorling was not in charge during the voting – that the vote was invalid because some federations joined online after the initial roll call to confirm a quorum.

The meeting was eventually suspended and with several elections still to be held, must be re-established before November 2025. The protesters promised a legal follow-up and on Friday, Al-Mohannadi announced it on X:

“Khalil Al Mohannadi officially challenges the elections of the International Table Tennis Federation

“President of the Qatari, Arab and Asian Federations in an official statement:
“– Appeal to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Tribunal
“– Formal claim before the [Court of Arbitration for Sport]
“– Revealing serious violations in voting, registration, and election supervision.
“– A demand to freeze electronic voting until integrity and transparency are ensured.

“‘We will not remain silent about manipulation…and we will continue to defend the legitimacy of our sport and our institutions’ – Khalil bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi”

The ITTF issued a statement on the election two days afterwards, on 29 May, which included:

● “[T]he ITTF would like to clarify that the election process was conducted in strict accordance with the ITTF Constitution and Statutes and in full respect of the Member Associations’ rights.”

● “In accordance with the ITTF Statutes (1.48.1.), each Member Association present at the AGM, not in arrears, has one vote, irrespective of whether it is present in person or online, at the time of the roll call or at a later stage during the AGM.”

● “In light of the above, the ITTF rejects the misconceived statement by some Member Associations to recognise any other result.

“The ITTF will not comment any further on the election process at this stage and will address any formal complaint it should receive in the appropriate forum.”

But Al-Mohannadi’s announcement in an accompanying photo included this important element, to accompany a complaint to the Court of Arbitration for Sport:

“This follows the submission of a formal complaint to the Nominations Committee, as required by the ITTF Constitution and Electoral Regulations, and within the legal time frame.”

Who is the head of the ITTF Nominations Committee? Fellow Qatari Abdulla Al-Mulla, who “led” much of the protesting with the microphone in his hand, yelling at ITTF Secretary General Raul Calin (ESP) and Executive Vice President Graham Symons (AUS).

The ITTF will defend, as it says, but Al-Mulla, Al-Mohannedi and others may also come under scrutiny from the independent ITTF Integrity Unit for their actions which closed down the Annual General Meeting.

In fact, Al-Mulla had a complaint filed against him with the Integrity Unit in July 2023, for actions in the Nominations Committee that were alleged that “he had obstructed the democratic process and the will of the majority of the NomCom members.” Interestingly, he was found not to have breached the ITTF’s rules by an independent tribunal in April 2024, with the decision granting him wide latitude to run his meetings as he saw fit. That might apply again, and if so, it would not be in Al-Mohannadi’s favor.

So the Integrity Unit may have more to say in this matter.

In any case, the ITTF continues in turmoil. The only thing that is sure is that the continuation of the Annual General Meeting later this year will not be held in Qatar.

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ATHLETICS: Tokyo 2025 Worlds adds luxury seating to highest stadium level, with tickets at up to 250% of regular prices! This might work …

By
Rich Perelman
-
Tokyo's 2025 World Championships tabled third-level seats (Photo: World Athletics).

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≡ 2025 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

Every event wants to sell as many tickets as possible at as high a price as possible. The Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships are selling tickets on the third level – the highest-up level – of the National Stadium along the finishing straight at three different prices:

● ¥4,000 per ticket for morning sessions (~$27.41 U.S.)
● ¥7,000 per ticket for weekday evening sessions (~$47.97 U.S.)
● ¥8,000 per ticket for weekend-holiday evening sessions (~$54.83 U.S.)

These are not the lowest-priced seats; those are on the same level, but around the turns and on the backstraight. But they are in the fourth category (of five): “Category B.”

Now, a new concept has been unveiled, using those third-level seats in a new style:

“Located centrally in the third-tier main stand, this new seating option offers a panoramic view of the Japan National Stadium. Designed with both comfort and convenience in mind, each pair of seats includes a dedicated table and occupies the space of three standard seats, providing additional room for spectators to enjoy the championships in a more relaxed setting.”

But the luxury comes at a higher price; remember that the tabled pair actually takes up three standard seats:

● ¥14,000 per tabled pair for morning sessions (~$95.94 U.S.)
(vs. $54.82 for two seats, or $82.23 for three)

● ¥28,000 per tabled pair for weekday evening sessions (~$191.89 U.S.)
(vs. $95.94 for two seats, or $143.91 for three)

● ¥40,000 per tabled pair for weekend-holiday evening sessions (~$274.13 U.S.)
(vs. $109.66 for two seats, or $164.49 for three)

So, this is a premium of 17%, 33% or 67% on the revenue from the sale of three seats in the same location, lessened, of course, by the cost of installations and removals (or 250% of the price of two seats for a weekend or holiday evening session).

But this could be a pretty nice way to watch the Worlds. You can watch the races on the home straight, with your snacks and drinks on the table, maybe also with a tablet to watch replays or results.

There are not a lot of these seats; it’s shown as a very small subset; see the circled “21″ section on the map below:

It will be fascinating to see how well these seats do with ticket buyers, both in Japan and from elsewhere. The dream of every ticket manager everywhere is to maximize revenue in creative ways, whether with hospitality or some sort of special arrangement.

And it’s hardly new. Those with long memories of NBA basketball can remember San Francisco Warriors games – as they were known at the time – at the 1960s Cow Palace, with rows of spectators in tuxedos and dresses, seated on one side of the court with tables in front of them, watching the game after enjoying dinner before … in their seats!

But those seats were close to the court and have been followed by dozens of teams creating similar dining tables for fans in prime sections. But Tokyo 2025’s small experiment for luxury seating at the top of the stadium will be watched closely for success, or indifference.

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ATHLETICS: Allman comes from behind for 24th straight discus win, amid three world leads and six U.S. golds at Diamond League Meeting de Paris

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic and World Champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

Stop no. eight on the 2025 Diamond League circuit was the annual Meeting de Paris, at the Stade Charlety, with some fabulous racing and world leads in three events:

● Men/1,500 m: 3:27.49, Azeddine Habz (FRA)
● Women/1,500 m: 3:57.02, Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN)
● Women/Steeple: 8:53.37, Faith Cherotich (KEN)

France’s 2025 European Indoor 1,500 m silver star Habz – also the world leader in the 1,500 m outdoors off his win in Rome two weeks ago – was the fan favorite in the men’s 1,500 m. He took over from the pacesetters and took the bell in front, chased by George Mills (GBR).

But Habz was too strong and pulled away to win in a brilliant 3:27.49, a national record and world leader, ahead of Phanuel Koech (KEN) who got a world junior (U-20) record of 3:27.72 in second. Mills got a lifetime best of 3:28.36 and Festus Lagat (KEN: 3:29.03) was fifth.

Twelve of the top 13 got lifetime bests in the race; Belgian Pieter Sisk ran 3:31.85 and was ELEVENTH! Habz moved to no. 6 all-time and Koech is no. 9.

The women’s 1,500 m saw Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom and Kenyan Chepchirchir in front after the pacesetters stepped off and they led at the bell. But then Chepchirchir took off and raced away to an outdoor world-leading 3:57.02 win.

Behind her, Haylom, Kenya’s Susan Ejore and Australian Linden Hall were jockeying for second into the straight, but Ireland’s Sarah Healy moved best and passed all three, finishing in a lifetime best of 3:57.15, no. 2 outdoors this year. Haylom (3:57.50), Hall (3:57.63) and Worknesh Mesele (ETH: 3:57.95) were 3-4-5; the top five are the fastest outdoors in 2025.

Olympic women’s Steeple bronze winner Cherotich (KEN) was coming off an impressive win at the Bislett Games in Oslo, and she and Tokyo Olympic champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) were at the front by 1,200 m. They ran together, unchallenged, to the bell, and the race was still in doubt into the straight. But Cherotich was the stronger and won in a world-leading and lifetime best of 8:53.37 with Chemutai at 8:54.41 and Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew third in 9:01.22.

Americans Gabi Jennings and Courtney Wayment got seasonal bests of 9:08.05 and 9:08.08 in 4-5 and Angelina Napoleon scored a lifetime best of 9:10.72 in seventh. Cherotich moves to no. 6 all-time with the no. 9 performance in history; Chemutai’s performance is no. 13 ever. Wow.

The U.S. had lots of success, starting with a come-from-behind win for discus star Valarie Allman!

Olympic champ Allman was looking for a 24th straight win and got out to the early lead at 64.88 m (212-10) in round one. But she was soon third, after Jorinde van Klinken (NED) reached 65.78 m (215-10) in round two, with 2019 World Champion Yaime Perez (CUB) out to 65.03 m (213-4). Van Klinken improved to 66.42 m (217-11) in round four, but Allman had one more throw in her and stole the victory in round six with a clutch toss of 67.56 m (221-8)! No. 24.

Japan’s Rachid Muratake (13.08: +1.4) out-leaned Dylan Beard of the U.S. (PR 13.08) to win the first heat of the men’s 110 m hurdles and Swiss star Jason Joseph won heat two (13.08: +1.1), passing Olympic champ Grant Holloway on the run-in (13.16). It was Holloway’s first race since finishing 10th at the Xiamen Diamond League on 26 April.

In the final, Holloway got his usual bullet start, but was in a battle with countrymen Trey Cunningham and Beard right through the 10th hurdle. On the run-in, Cunningham got the advantage and won in 13.00 (+1.1) – equaling his lifetime best – with Beard getting a lifetime best of 13.02. Holloway faded to fifth, however (13.11) as Joseph moved up to third (13.07) and Muratake was fourth (13.08). American Jamal Britt was sixth in 13.15.

Olympic champ Rai Benjamin had to avoid a let-down from his dominant, world-leading men’s 400 m hurdles win in Stockholm, and he trailed 2019 Worlds bronze winner Abderrahmane Samba (QAT) through five hurdles. But into the straight, Benjamin had the lead and ran away to win in 46.93. Samba was a clear second in 47.09, a seasonal best and American Trevor Bassitt, the 2022 Worlds bronze winner, out-dueled Matheus Lima (BRA) on the run-in for third, 48.14 to 48.26.

Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), the 2019 World Champion, got off best in the women’s 200 m, but American Anavia Battle, who has been excellent on the circuit, got to the lead on the straight and won again in 22.27 (+0.9). Britain’s Amy Hunt passed Asher-Smith on the straight and was second in 22.45, and McKenzie Long of the U.S. got third in 22.49. Americans Deajeah Stevens and Paris bronzer Brittany Brown were 4-5 in 22.66 and 22.77, with Asher-Smith at 22.88 in sixth. It was Battle’s fourth Diamond League win this year.

Current world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR) and former world-record holder Keni Harrison of the U.S. were in the women’s 100 m hurdles, but Paris fifth-placer Grace Stark has been a big story this season, winning in Shanghai and Stockholm and she dominated the race in Paris.

Out well, she got to the lead early and held it, finishing with a brilliant lifetime best of 12.21 (+0.7), no. 3 in the world for 2025 and now equal-fifth all-time (and the equal-fifth performance in history)! Amusan was a close second in 12.24, followed by Ackera Nugent (JAM: 12.30) and then Harrison at 12.48. American Alaysha Johnson was seventh in 12.66. Count Stark among the medal contenders for the Tokyo Worlds …. if you didn’t have her there already!

Five were still in contention at 4.73 m (15-6 1/4) in the women’s vault, with Tokyo Olympic co-champ Katie Moon of the U.S. the first to clear (second try) and two-time World Indoor winner Sandi Morris (USA) cleared on her third. Morris missed once at 4.78 m (15-8 1/4) trying to take the lead, then passed and then missed twice at 4.83 m (15-10), with Moon also missing her three tries, but taking the win. Emily Grove of the U.S. was third at 4.63 m (15-2 1/4).

And there was a lot more, under sunny Paris skies to start:

Six of the eight Paris 2024 finalists were in the men’s 800 m – placers 3-8 – but World Indoor 800 m winner Joey Hoey of the U.S. took the lead after the bell and was in front with Tshepiso Masalela (BOT) and Andreas Kramer (SWE) chasing. Around the turn, Hoey, Kramer and fellow American Bryce Hoppel were in the lead, but Spain’s 2024 European silver star Mohamed Attaoui – fifth in Paris – sprinted along the curb and passed everyone to win in 1:42.73, with Hoey (1:43.00), Hoppel (1:43.11) and Max Burgin (GBR: 1:43.61) following.

All of the questions in the men’s Steeplechase were about world-record holder Lamecha Girma (ETH), who failed to finish in the Paris Olympic final and hadn’t raced since. When the pacers finished, Girma was right at the front, with Tokyo Olympic fourth-place Getnet Wale (ETH).

Those two were well in front with 600 m to go, with Girma firmly in control at the bell and he rolled to a decisive 8:07.01 victory, no. 4 in the world for 2025. Behind him, Wale was passed coming off the final water jump by Salaheddine Ben Yazide (MAR), second in 8:1168, with Wale third in 8:12.58, a seasonal best.

The men’s 5,000 had Ethiopia’s two-time World Indoor 3,000 m champ Yomif Kejelcha looking for another stunning time, chased by Paris Olympian Graham Blanks of the U.S. and three-time Olympian Birhanu Balew (BRN) at the 3,000 m mark. But Kejelcha was all alone, and rolled to the line in 12:47.84, a seasonal best and no. 8 on the 2025 world list.

Balew passed Blanks at the bell for second and held on, 12:48.67 to 12:49.51. Nico Young of the U.S., so brilliant in his Bislett Games win, finished seventh in 12:55.71, right behind Morocco’s Steeplechase star, Soufiane El Bakkali (12:55.49 lifetime best).

Paris Olympian Jordan Scott (JAM) overwhelmed the field in the men’s triple jump in Oslo, jumping 17.34 m (56-10 3/4) on his first try, and was hot again in the opening round in Paris at 17.11 m (56-1 3/4). This time, he had company, as home favorite Jonathan Seremes (FRA) reached 17.08 m (56-0 1/2) in round two and 2024 World Indoor runner-up Yasser Triki (ALG) measured 17.02 mw (55-10 1/4w) in round three.

Things changed in round four as 2023 World Champion Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) bounded into the lead at 17.21 m (56-5 3/4), followed by France’s Thomas Gogois at 17.11 m and with a better second jump than Scott. But the Jamaican star rebounded in round six and took the win at 17.27 m (56-8) to get his third Diamond League win of the season! Donald Scott of the U.S. reached 16.84 m (55-3) and finished seventh.

The men’s javelin was essentially over in the first round, as Tokyo Olympic champ Neeraj Chopra (IND) took the lead at 88.16 m (289-3) and Germany’s 2022 European champ Julian Weber got close at 87.88 m (288-4) and neither improved and no one else got close. Brazil’s Mauricio da Silva got a national record of 86.62 m (284-2) in the third round for third.

Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) and 2019 World Champion Salwa Eid Naser (BAH) were matched up once again in the women’s 400 m, but Lynna Irby-Jackson of the U.S. and Dutch star Lieke Klaver were the early leaders. Coming out of the final turn, Irby-Jackson was holding on, but Naser got to the lead with 50 m to go, only to be finally passed by Paulino, who won in a meet record of 48.81. Naser was close at 48.85, then Chile’s Martina Weil surprised in third with a national record of 49.83, followed by Irby-Jackson (49.87). Fellow American Bella Whittaker was sixth at 50.18.

The usual star suspects were in the women’s high jump, with the event coming down to Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR), two-time Olympic silver winner Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) and 2022 World Champion Eleanor Patterson (AUS). They dispensed with the rest of the field by 1.97 m (6-5 1/2), with Mahuchikh clearing on her first try to take the lead. At 2.00 m (6-6 3/4), Olyslagers took the lead with a second-try clearance, and that was enough to win her second straight Diamond League gold.

Americans Vashti Cunningham (1.94 m/6-4 1/4) and Charity Nufnagel (1.91 m/6-3 1/4) finished fourth and sixth.

Another terrific meet. Next up is the sole U.S. Diamond League meet, the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, on 5 July.

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ANTI-DOPING: World Anti-Doping Agency reports all-time high of almost 239,000 Olympic-sport tests in 2023, with 0.57% or 1,732 “atypical findings”

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ WADA TESTING REPORT ≡

The annual World Anti-Doping Agency testing report for 2023 has finally been published, with good news that the amount of testing worldwide has reached an all-time high:

● 238,827 tests analyzed for Olympic-sport athletes
● 1,373 positive tests (0.57%)
● 359 “atypical findings” (0.15%)
● 1,732 tests needing follow-up (0.73%)

WADA also reported 50,038 tests for non-Olympic sports for a total of 288,865 tests. Possible issues were reported with 1,037 – or 2.07% – of these tests, a much higher rate.

Compared with recent years coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tests in the Olympic sports has skyrocketed, while the total number of adverse findings and “atypical” findings has also rebounded:

● 220,659 tests in 2018
● 227,032 tests in 2019
● 127,483 tests in 2020 (Covid)
● 207,008 tests in 2021
● 218,774 tests in 2022
● 238,827 tests in 2023

● 0.82% of 2018 tests with adverse-atypical findings
● 0.79% in 2019
● 0.61% in 2020 (Covid)
● 0.60% in 2021
● 0.70% in 2022
● 0.73% in 2023

The primary test method continued to be urine collection 80.8%, with blood sampling accounting for 19.2% and growing. Across all tests for all sports, 63.8% of those tested were men.

The most active of the 30 WADA-accredited labs worldwide in terms of samples analyzed were led – as usual – by Cologne (GER) at 24,301, followed by Seibersdorf (AUT: 22,402), Beijing (CHN: 21,204), Paris (FRA: 19.957) and Ghent (BEL: 14,029). The busiest U.S. lab was in Salt Lake City, Utah at 10,618.

In terms of the most-favored drugs to try and cheat with, anabolics continue in the lead. Across all samples, for Olympic and non-Olympic sports, the leading choices for doping:

● 1,660 occurrences of 3,724 total: anabolic agents
● 554 occurrences: diuretics
● 464 occurrences: stimulants
● 323 occurrences: hormone and metabolic modulators
● 312 occurrences: peptide hormones and growth factors

The leading sports for samples analyzed started, as always, with athletics:

● 41,593: Athletics
● 35,511: Football
● 24,969: Cycling
● 17,165: Aquatics
● 12,103: Weightlifting
● 10,390: Rugby
● 7,383: Tennis
● 7,335: Wrestling
● 6,531: Basketball
● 6,062: Rowing

Weightlifting had the highest total of adverse findings at 1.8% (214), followed by wrestling at 1.1% (82) and roller sport (1.0%: 11) as the only Olympic-sport federations at 1.0% or more. The largest number of adverse findings was in athletics, of course, at 332. Boxing (only five tests) and modern pentathlon had no adverse findings, and sailing and surfing had just one each.

Winter-sport testing totals were much lower; five had more than 1,000 tested:

● 7,753: Skiing (all disciplines)
● 4,442: Skating (all disciplines)
● 3,958: Ice Hockey
● 2,579: Biathlon
● 1,548: Bobsleigh & Skeleton

Ice hockey had 25 adverse findings (0.7%), curling was at 0.8% and luge had no adverse findings at all.

In other sports, those with percentages were over 2% – with 100 or more tests – included bodybuilding at 11% (156/1,410), powerlifting (4.2%: 155/3,712) and arm wrestling (6%: 19/264), kickboxing (3.4%), American football (2.9%), auto racing (2.5%) motorcycling, muaythai and wushu (2.3%) and billiards and sambo (2.0%).

It’s important to note that WADA does not do the testing itself. Tests are done primarily by national or regional anti-doping organizations (70.9%) and International Federations (24.6%).

Looking at the number of samples collected by country – meaning national anti-doping organizations – the leaders:

● 28,197: China (0.2% reported adverse findings)
● 15,153: Germany (0.4%)
● 11,368: France (0.9%)
● 10,395: Russia (1.0%)
● 8,826: Italy (0.9%)
● 8,036: Great Britain (0.4%)
● 6,798: United States (1.0%)
● 6,334: Japan (0.2%)
● 5,606: India (3.8%)
● 4,342: Canada (0.9%)

What does all this mean? In short: there’s more testing, better testing and not that many positives. But a single doper in a single event impacts a dozen or more athletes, and so the fight goes on. It’s not over and it’s not close to over. But the anti-doping community, by this report, is trying.

The report acknowledged that the time lag between the end of the testing period and this report was too long, and that the 2024 report should be available by the end of this year.

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PANORAMA: Pan Am Games 2027 to be 36 sports, but no basketball! Grand Slam Track athletes say they haven’t been paid, but not worried yet

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● It was fascinating to see the 10 June Senate Home Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs hearing, in which U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over lawlessness related to demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), telling LA28 organizing committee chief executive Reynold Hoover:

“The obvious question, I think, on the minds of most Americans, given that these two big events coming up in ‘26 [FIFA World Cup] and ‘28 [Olympic-Paralympic Games], are going to see basically the same political leadership in California, and L.A., don’t we just make a decision now to say they’re incapable of handling two big, high-profile events like this?

“And aren’t we better off as a nation just to make an acknowledgment of that, and move it to some place that actually will have law and order, that will have the proper amount of protections for American citizens and the tens of millions of visitors are going to come to both of those events?”

The demonstrations and violence in downtown Los Angeles has stopped, and a Change.org petition to move the 2028 Olympic Games started in April has attracted just three signatures.

More surprising, perhaps, is that Moreno should know better than to propose moving the 2028 Olympic Games somewhere else, since the contract to host the Games is with the City of Los Angeles?

Perhaps he can ask his older brother, Luis Alberto Moreno, a member of the International Olympic Committee for Colombia, and the former Colombian Ambassador to the U.S., who is also a member of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the 2028 Olympic Games.

In case you were wondering, Luis Moreno was born in Philadelphia – to Colombian parents – in 1953, while Bernie Moreno was born in 1967, in Bogota (COL).

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Applications are open to try out to be a volunteer for the Olympic closing ceremony and the Paralympic opening ceremony, both in the historic Arena di Verona.

Auctions will be in the fall, in Verona, and rehearsals only in February 2025 for the Olympic closing on 22 February, and then in late February into March for the 6 March Paralympic opening. Experience is not required: “we are looking for enthusiasm, dedication and team spirit.”

● Pan American Games 2027: Lima ● The program for the 16 July-1 August 2027 Pan American Games was confirmed by Panam Sports, with 36 total sports – the same number as for the 2028 Los Angeles Games – but with some differences.

For the most part, the sports are the same, but the Pan Am program will include the non-Olympic sports of basque pelota, karate and water skiing.

The 2028 added Olympic sports of flag football and lacrosse were not included, but basketball – which has been in the Games continuously since the first edition in 1951, is not shown. The FIBA men’s World Cup, the federation’s showcase event, follows shortly after, from 27 August to 12 September in Doha (QAT). No such conflict for the women, however.

Other sports which were in the 2023 Pan Ams in Santiago (CHI) were bowling, breaking and racquetball, with National Olympic Committees now having to decide if these sports will continue to receive funding now that they are not in the Pan American or Olympic sports programs.

● World Games 2025: Chengdu ● A creative medals set for the 2025 World Games was revealed on Wednesday, shaped like a panda head with familiar, rounded ears! A set of bamboo motifs is on the front and the reverse features the hibiscus flower, the “city flower” of Chengdu.

The 2025 World Games is expected to host about 4,000 athletes from 120 countries, competing in 34 sports and 255 events.

● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC’s graphic listing its TOP sponsorship partners no longer lists chipmaker Intel.

The company, which joined TOP in 2017 and continued through the Paris 2024 Games, has been losing a ferocious battle for market share with competitors such as AMD, TSMC, Nvidia and others.

Any of those companies might be a replacement for Intel, but the IOC has been silent on the matter. Following Paris 2024, TOP partners Atos, Bridgestone, Panasonic and Toyota also declined to renew. The current IOC list shows 11 partners or partner groups, down from a high of 15 for 2024.

● Athletics ● The Norwegian state television network, NRK, asked athletes who were part of the Grand Track Slam circuit if they had been paid prize money yet, on the sidelines of the Diamond League Bislett Games last week.

No, said those quoted in the story, including U.S. distance stars Cooper Teare and Nico Young, and Kenya’s 800 m Olympic champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who said:

“I haven’t received my prize money yet, but it may be coming. Why should they not come, they have to pay us who participate. I’ll have to be patient and wait.”

Teare told NRK he was impressed with the program, “[I]t’s a fantastic event. So it’s a shame that [the Los Angeles Slam] has been cancelled, because the two I was at were good. I hope it comes back next year.”

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced a ban handed down to French men’s 400 m hurdles star Wilfried Happio, 26, for 18 months for “whereabouts” failures. The suspension is from 30 January 2025 for reporting failures on 10 May 2024, 29 May 2024 and 17 October 2024. His results from 17 October 2024 are to be nullified, but his last race was on 14 September.

Happio finished fourth at the 2022 Worlds in Eugene and is a two-time Olympian, with a lifetime best of 47.41 from 2022.

Sad news of the passing of coach, administrator and marketer Steve Miller, who passed away in Portland (Ore.) on 15 June, at 81. Brash and confident, Miller coached Cal Poly from 1976-81, winning five NCAA Division II team titles in cross country (2) and track & field (3). He went on to Kansas State, coaching there to 1987, then returning a year later to serve as athletic director for four years.

He then went to Nike in 1991 and rose to Director of Global Sports Marketing, leaving in 2000. Miller headed the Professional Bowlers Association for five years and finished his career as the head of Agassi Graf Holdings in Las Vegas. He was deeply involved with USA Track & Field, lastly as a board member beginning in 2009 and chair in 2015 into 2020.

● Boxing ● World Boxing, the new IOC-approved international federation for the sport, is up to 111 members, adding Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Indonesia, Romania and Trinidad & Tobago, meaning these five countries can compete in the federation’s first World Championships in September in Liverpool (ENG).

● Canoe-Kayak ● The International Testing Agency reported a four-year ban of Francisca Laia (POR), a three-time World Championships medal winner for the use of DHCMT, a “synthetic drug that mimics the activity of testosterone in the body and enhances muscle growth and strength.”

The positive came from a test during the 2024 ICF World Sprint Championships, and Laia agreed to a ban from 30 May 2025 to 29 May 2029, with her results nullified from 25 August 2024.

Laia won Worlds silvers in the Mixed K-2 200 m in 2021 and women’s K-2 200 m in 2024, and a bronze in the Mixed K-4 500 m in 2024.

● Cycling ● Not widely noticed globally, but a big deal in the cycling world was the Union Cycliste Internationale’s note last Thursday (12th) that the UCI Management Committee rejected the inclusion of the OneCycling program as part of the UCI World Tour and UCI Women’s World Tour, through 2028. The announcement noted:

“While welcoming the fact that road cycling is attracting new investors, the UCI Management Committee nevertheless unanimously decided, following the [Professional Cycling Council]’s vote in this direction, not to respond to the request, as it stands, to include the OneCycling project in the UCI Women’s WorldTour and UCI WorldTour calendars.

“The project, which had been developed by certain teams and organisers, in collaboration with a sports investment fund, was deemed incompatible with the governance and regulatory framework of the UCI as well as lacking sporting coherence. However, the UCI wishes, as do all cycling’s stakeholders, to continue discussions with the representatives of this project in order to collaborate on the internationalisation of the UCI Women’s WorldTour and UCI WorldTour calendars and the economic development of our sport.”

The OneCycling concept is a sort-of breakaway program of multiple racing teams and some races, funded by an arm of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, to bring more money into the sport and lessen the dominant position of the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), which stages the Tour de France and other races.

● Equestrian ● U.S. rider Kaitlin Campbell was suspended by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) for prohibited substances found in a test of her horse, Castlefield Cornelious during the FEI Coachella Cup in Thermal, California last December.

The stimulant Octopamine and corticosteroid Dexamethasone were found in the test, and the horse is suspended for two months. Campbell, who rode for the U.S. at the FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Switzerland, is suspended, with no end date specified.

● Football ● The U.S. men faced guest nation Saudi Arabia on Thursday in group play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, in Austin, Texas, with both teams having won their opening matches.

The first half had very little offense, especially from the U.S., which had 72% possession but managed only two shots and got its first shot on goal in the 45th minute. The Saudis had two shots and had one that was saved by U.S. keeper Matthew Freese.

The American offense was better in the second half and after defender Chris Richards had a header saved in the 54th, he got the only goal of the game in the 63rd, as he got on the end of a perfect free kick by midfielder Sebastian Berhalter from outside the box to right in front of the goal, and tapped it in.

The U.S. ended with 67% of possession as the Saudis tried to find an equalizer, but the U.S. finished with five shots to three and 10 fouls to seven as the game became more and more physical. But it’s a win and on to the quarterfinals.

Both teams will finish Group D play on 22 June, with the U.S. playing Haiti in Arlington, Texas, while the Saudis will face Trinidad & Tobago in Las Vegas, Nevada.

● Ice Hockey ● Swiss forward Sven Andrighetto was named the men’s Player of the Year by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), receiving 34.6% of the vote, ahead of U.S. keeper Jeremy Swayman (18.6%), scoring ace David Pastrnak (CZE: 18.0%), Denis Malgin (SUI: 6.5%), American Clayton Keller (8.8%) and Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (6.5%).

● Judo ● At the World Judo Championships in Budapest (HUN), South Korea’s Paris bronze medalist Ha-yun Kim scored her first Worlds gold, winning the women’s +78 kg class over Mao Arai of Japan, who won her first individual Worlds medal.

Russian Inal Tasoev won his second Worlds gold at +100 kg as a “neutral,” winning over 2018 World Champion and Paris 2024 runner-up Guram Tushishvili (GEO). With only the Mixed Team event left, Japan has 14 total medal and six golds to lead all nations.

● Swimming ● Impressive, world-leading performance on Thursday by France’s 2023 World Champion Maxime Grousset, winning the national championships men’s 100 m Butterfly in 50.11, a national record. It keeps him in sixth place on the all-time list, but makes him the leading contender for medals at the Worlds in Singapore next month.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Transportation Secretary Duffy tells L.A. Metro his department is ready to help in 2028 IF Congress allocates funds (a big if)

By
Rich Perelman
-
L.A. Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn (center) at the Executive Management Committee hearing on 18 June 2025 (Metro video screenshot).

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≡ METRO AND MONEY ≡

Twenty minutes into Wednesday’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency Executive Management Committee meeting, Metro Chair Janice Hahn breathlessly announced to the audience:

“Hot off the press, I just got this letter from the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy.”

She proceeded to read it with considerable drama, adding an important comment of her own in the fourth paragraph (the comment is underlined):

“Dear Chair Hahn:

“Thank you for your letter highlighting the ongoing mobility needs of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation shares your desire to showcase the very best of the United States as it pertains to transportation throughout the Los Angeles Metro region during the Games.

“The Department also appreciates your ongoing coordination with DOT staff as you work through the projects and activities that are critical to the success of the Games. The Department continues to encourage the use of existing formula and competitive grants, as well as credit programs, for capital needs as the Los Angeles metro area prepares for the Games.

“We stand ready to help implement and offer technical assistance – we want money, not just technical assistance – should the House and Senate advance legislation in providing additional funding for mobility needs during the Games.

“The Department looks forward to our continued engagement with Los Angeles Metro, the LA28 team, our Federal partners and the appropriate House and Senate committees to address and work through plans as the Games draw near.

“We are all committed to making the Games a resounding success for the United States. If I can provide more information, don’t call me, call my assistant. Sean Duffy.”

Hahn appeared to modify the last sentence, but gushed in her usual, upbeat manner:

“That’s still, that, you know, that was a very, I thought that’s a very positive. It’s encouraging, because, you know, we’ve always said the Games are not just Los Angeles, it’s showcasing the United States of America.”

Hahn is right that even a response from Duffy is encouraging, coming on the heels of Metro’s request for $3.2 billion in Federal funding for transportation support for the 2028 Games being shut out of the Transportation Department’s budget request for Federal Fiscal Year 2026.

And as Hahn instantaneously noted, Duffy promised nothing.

That’s consistent with Duffy’s testimony during a 14 May hearing with the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on transportation. Responding to a direct question about FIFA World Cup 2026, the 2027 NFL Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic Games by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino), Duffy replied:

“I haven’t looked at the funding levels and what’s appropriate from the department’s
perspective but I want to make sure we have enough resources to make sure it’s seamless and I’d love to work with you if you have some ideas.”

Aguilar pressed for a commitment to $500 million, but Duffy said he’d be happy to chat later.

Observed: There was no airspace between what was in Duffy’s letter to Hahn and Duffy’s comments to Aguilar in May: no Federal money is coming to Metro for 2028 Games operations right now.

The good news for Metro is that the Trump Administration – as underscored by Duffy once again – will do what is necessary to make the Games work reasonably smoothly, and likely no more. So means some money in FY27 (October 2026 to September 2027) and enough to get by in FY28.

Compounding the issue is that the messaging around transportation for 2028 has been confused, with early comments from public officials and Metro about a “no-car Olympics” and now a “transit-first” Olympics, with, of course, no specifics.

What is true is that Metro can’t pay for the plan it wants to implement, and the Trump Administration and the Congress aren’t going to either. The reality is likely close to what LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman told the 144th Session of the International Olympic Committee about transportation for the Games, last March:

“[W]e are very confident in our ability to deliver, and let’s not get confused. Our venues are designed, and our city is designed, for people to drive their cars to events.

“They won’t drive them in the same quantities, at the same scale they do today, but that will also be a part of our delivery, because it would be a mistake not to take advantage of the venues that are designed and the use case they are designed for.”

So, whether Metro likes it or not, its role in the 2028 Games transportation mix is looking more and more to be part of the solution, but not all – or even most – of it.

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U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE: USA Badminton confirmed de-certified; USOPC pursuing Congress to stabilize collegiate sport

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ USOPC BOARD MEETING ≡

“I have to confirm that USA Badminton has been decertified as the National Governing Body, and as such, the USOPC has assumed oversight of badminton high-performance programs.

“You may know, we went through extensive process; our certification review group, which is the group that makes determinations about certifications of NGBs, met and evaluated all of the actions and activities that USA Badminton had taken since we issued our letter to them suggesting all of the deficiencies.

“They did not, unfortunately, satisfy the terms that were agreed upon, and that, automatically, essentially resulted in decertification.

“So, it is not an ideal situation for Team USA athletes. We are committed to providing funding and resources to help support these athletes, as we also seek to build or find partnership with an entity that can be a strong, healthy, ongoing concern to support the sport of badminton in this country.

“And I will only add that while we have no details to offer, I have a great deal of optimism that we’ll get there.”

That’s U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland during a Wednesday afternoon news conference, declaring the latest step in the USA Badminton saga … which is not over.

The case had been ongoing since 2019 with discussions for a couple of years prior. On 28 May, the USOPC asked USA Badminton to voluntarily resign as the National Governing Body of the sport in the U.S. That didn’t happen, so the USOPC de-certified the federation itself; Hirshland did not give a date and the filing has not yet been posted to the USOPC’s Governance document site.

While Hirshland said the search is on for a successor, USA Badminton has the right under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 USC §2205 et seq.) to ask for arbitration in the matter. USA Badminton has made no announcement concerning decertification on its Web site.

The news conference featured USOPC Chair and International Olympic Committee member Gene Sykes and Hirshland and Sykes spoke directly to the ongoing tug-of-war between the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, following the Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday:

“We applaud the Senate Committee for raising this subject and for seeking answers. We firmly support Travis Tygart and USADA for continuing to provide U.S. athletes with education and with levels of service that make participation and adherence to the World Anti-Doping Code as transparent and streamlined as possible.

“At the same time, we want to emphasize the importance of an effective global infrastructure, governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency that serves all athletes, while instilling confidence in competitors and fans alike. That is a goal we can all strive for, and the USOPC is a key partner to all who support this effort.”

Asked about the extra language about the supremacy of WADA in anti-doping matters that was added by the IOC to the Host City Contract for the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City during the award of the Games in Paris last year, Sykes explained:

“We did not feel any pressure at all. We were asked to include language that was already included in the Host City Contract, which had already been agreed to. …

“There’s nothing exceptional or extraordinary in any of that, and I don’t expect any issue with regard to the Utah performance or any odd doubt about the opportunity for Utah to host the 2034 Games.”

As for ever settling the conflict between the sides, Sykes took a “glass half full” approach:

“I actually have more optimism. I think the fact that both Travis Tygart and Dr. [Rahul] Gupta offered testimony in front of the Senate was useful. I think the Senate [subcommittee] asked the right questions about WADA behaving in a way that can offer respect for everybody in the Movement, for WADA, that WADA can be both professional and widely regarded as the arbiter of the World Anti-Doping Code. That’s what we’ve always wanted.

“And this is not the U.S. vs. WADA, it’s definitely not that at all. I think it’s a matter of making sure that WADA is able to do its job well, to the satisfaction of athletes all around the world, in all sports. And I’m optimistic that we’ll arrive at that conclusion. I think there are a lot of people who have that objective as well.”

Hirshland spoke at some length about the continuing turmoil at leading NCAA Division I universities in the aftermath of the House vs. NCAA settlement approval, noting

“The power of collegiate athletics was very clear during the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, where 75% of Team USA Olympians and 53% of our Paralympians were current or former collegiate athletes. … Their success really underscores the importance of preserving the pipeline that supports their development in these critical years of athletics.”

As for the prospects of Congressional action to support keeping Olympic-sport programs:

“We believe there is a meaningful opportunity to create policy that empowers institutions, athletic associations and conferences to continue investing in a broad portfolio of sports. We are engaged with these leaders in this conversation and with the right framework, we feel confident that Congress can help assure that Olympic and Paralympic sports, and the athletes who rely on them, are protected and not sidelined.

“We encourage thoughtful integration of compensation provisions alongside support for sports sponsorship within the [proposed] SCORE Act, ready to partner with the NCAA, the institutions and the NGBs in the effort to preserve and protect Olympic and Paralympic sport on campus.”

And she was optimistic:

“Today, we have no reason to believe that we don’t have real alignment there from all the parties, including members of Congress, who have indicated to us a very real concern for Olympic and Paralympic sport, and the preservation of the strength of our system, and what Team USA is benefitting from today. We know that the NCAA and the conferences are feeling the same.

“Now the challenge is, can we have language that doesn’t provide for the wrong incentives or unintended consequences that lead to sports being cut, or resources being allocated in a different way that would hurt or harm Olympic and Paralympic sport.”

Hirshland was also asked about access to the U.S. for the 2028 Olympic Games in view of increasing restrictions from the Trump Administration on entry to the country. She cited continuing assurances from Washington that the U.S. will be a responsible and welcoming host.

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U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE BULLETIN: USA Badminton confirmed de-certified

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ USOPC BOARD MEETING ≡

“I have to confirm that USA Badminton has been decertified as the National Governing Body, and as such, the USOPC has assumed oversight of badminton high-performance programs.

“You may know, we went through extensive process; our certification review group, which is the group that makes determinations about certifications of NGBs, met and evaluated all of the actions and activities that USA Badminton had taken since we issued our letter to them suggesting all of the deficiencies.

“They did not, unfortunately, satisfy the terms that were agreed upon, and that, automatically, essentially resulted in decertification.

“So, it is not an ideal situation for Team USA athletes. We are committed to providing funding and resources to help support these athletes, as we also seek to build or find partnership with an entity that can be a strong, healthy, ongoing concern to support the sport of badminton in this country.

“And I will only add that while we have no details to offer, I have a great deal of optimism that we’ll get there.”

That’s U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland during a Wednesday afternoon news conference, declaring the latest step in the USA Badminton saga … which is not over.

The case had been ongoing since 2019 with discussions for a couple of years prior. On 28 May, the USOPC asked USA Badminton to voluntarily resign as the National Governing Body of the sport in the U.S. That didn’t happen, so the USOPC de-certified the federation itself; Hirshland did not give a date and the filing has not yet been posted to the USOPC’s Governance document site.

While Hirshland said the search is on for a successor, USA Badminton has the right under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 USC §2205 et seq.) to ask for arbitration in the matter. USA Badminton has made no announcement concerning decertification on its Web site.

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PANORAMA: Iran war causes Israel’s Maccabiah to move to 2026; new investor, sponsor hunter for Grand Slam Track; Chusovitina competing at 50!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Ageless gymnast Oksana Chusovitina (UZB)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) confirmed the Eventing course for the 2028 Olympic Games will be arranged in and around Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, where Dressage and Jumping will also be held.

The FEI announced Alec Lochore (GBR) as the Eventing course designer; he was the Eventing Manager for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and FEI President Ingmar De Vos (BEL) noted:

“He holds excellent credentials as a first-class Eventing course designer but also as a technical delegate and an organiser. He was instrumental in advising the FEI on the cross-country feasibility at the LA28 equestrian venue at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and we are confident that, in cooperation with Mike Etherington-Smith [GBR], he will design a course that challenges the world’s best while showcasing the heart of our sport to a wider global audience. Work on the LA28 Olympic cross-country course will begin in the coming weeks.”

At the 1984 Games, Santa Anita was also used for Dressage and Jumping, but the cross-country element of what was then known as the Three-Day Event was held at Fairbanks Ranch in San Diego County to offer cooler conditions for the horses.

● Israel ● The XXII Maccabiah Games, first held in 1932, was slated to be held in July, but has been postponed to 2026 in view of the continuing hostilities with Iran.

The 2025 Games was scheduled for 1-22 in Israel, opening in Jerusalem and held in Tel Aviv and elsewhere, and was expected to draw about 8,000 athletes from 55 countries in open, Juniors, Masters and Disabled divisions. Maccabiah Chair Assaf Green said in a statement:

“Despite our strong desire to hold the Maccabiah in the summer of 2025 as a symbol of hope, we are forced to postpone it due to the complex security situation created by the attack on Iran, the instructions of the Home Front Command, the continued suspension of flights to Israel, and the necessary security measures required of all of us.

“Together with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and after considering several alternatives, we realized that although we are almost at the starting line, the most prudent step from a security, safety, and logistical perspective is to postpone the event by a year to a quieter and safer time.”

● Athletics ● Grand Slam Track announced a multi-year agreement with Sundial Media & Technology Group:

“SMTG will secure strategic commercial partnerships for Grand Slam Track’s 2026 season and beyond, with 10% of all related sponsorship sales secured by SMTG paid directly to Grand Slam Track Racers.

“Additionally, Grand Slam Track, and its signed Racers and Challengers, will be featured and celebrated across SMTG’s entire network of media entities, publications, and brands, with in-person activations at major events, and a spotlight shone on the biggest names in track.”

The partnership plan is to focus on creating “[i]nteractive digital content and athlete-driven storytelling across social and media platforms, [l]ive event experiences that blend competition with culture, music, and fan participation, [a] new media platform that allows fans to co-create, share, and own pieces of the narrative” and “[e]xclusive behind-the-scenes access into the lives and training of athletes.”

Also, Richelieu Dennis, Founder and Chair of The Sundial Group of Companies and Founder and Managing Partner of New Voices Fund, has invested into Grand Slam Track.

● Gymnastics ● A completely amazing confluence of a milestone birthday and a gymnastics meet this weekend in Tashkent (UZB) as Oksana Chusovitina – born on 19 June 1985 in Bukhara (then URS, now UZB) – will compete in the FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup in the women’s vault!

She first competed for the USSR, but her first Olympic appearance was for the “Unified Team” in 1992 as the Soviet Union was disassembled. She was a member of the Uzbekistan team from 1992-2005 and for the 1996-2000-2004 Olympic Games, then for Germany from 2006-12 (2008-12 Olympic Games) and from 2013 on, for Uzbekistan again (2016-20/21 Olympic Games).

Chusovitina won a women’s Team gold in 1992 and a Vault silver in 2007 for her two Olympic medals, and World Championships golds in 1991 in Team and Floor (USSR) and in Vault in 2003 for Uzbekistan. She owns 11 total Worlds medals from 1991-2011!

And she is not done. She said earlier this week:

“My number one goal is to get to Los Angeles [in 2028]. But there is so much time before then, so I’m not thinking that far ahead. I go step-by-step, from one competition to the next. If it happens, it happens. If not, then no. But I will try, and I will give it everything I’ve got.”

● Ice Hockey ● In a balloting for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s women’s player of the year, Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin fought off five U.S. candidates and emerged the winner with 33.1% of the vote.

American keeper Gwyneth Philips was second at 22.3%, 2023 winner Hilary Knight (20.2%), defender Caroline Harvey (12.9%) and keeper Aerin Frankel (7.3%).

Poulin was seventh in the voting in 2023, and third last year.

● Judo ● Olympic women’s 78 kg champion Alice Bellandi of Italy added her first Worlds gold on Wednesday at the IJF World Championships in Budapest (HUN), defeating Germany’s Anna Monta Olek in the final. It’s the third Worlds medal for Bellandi, who won bronze in 2023 and silver in 2022.

Russian “neutral” Matvey Knikovskiy won the men’s 100 kg class over Japan’s Dota Arai, the 2024 Worlds bronze winner in this class. The heavyweight divisions will be held on Thursday and the Mixed Team event on Friday.

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ANTI-DOPING: USADA chief Tygart says Chinese athletes would have had to eat 11 pounds of food, seven gallons of drink to get their 2021 TMZ levels!

By
Rich Perelman
-
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart at the 17 June 2025 Senate subcommittee hearing on the World Anti-Doping Agency (U.S. Senate video screen shot).

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≡ U.S. vs. WADA CONTINUES ≡

During Tuesday’s Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy hearing, “WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping,” Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) asked U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart the central question about the January 2021 Chinese doping incident and the subsequent acceptance by the World Anti-Doping Agency of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency’s insistence that the positive doping results were the result of contaminated food that contained the banned substance trimetazidine, or “TMZ”:

“As soon as the allegations came to light [in 2024], I got a letter out to WADA, demanding to know why they felt like they could ignore this doping, and their answer back to me was insufficient. And, of course, they blamed everyone but themselves, which is not a surprise to us.

“And they even said that there was no basis to challenge the contamination and that the source was TMZ. And so, they you go, and we find out, of course, that they have lied about this, and I know you’ve reviewed their response.

“I want for you to just talk for a minute about why it is completely implausible that the Chinese swimmers were unwittingly contaminated.”

Tygart was more than ready, with a detailed answer:

“We have attempted to get answers as you all have as to what really happened. We’ve seen what they have produced, which is very little.

“They appointed a very, you know, limited review of their own actions, and you don’t have to take it from me, you can take it from what he [ex-Vaud attorney general Eric Cottier] determined.

“He determined that they did not prove contamination and that it was just as plausible to be intentional use. You then couple that with the fact that WADA did no investigation, just blindly accepted the factual scenario that was provided by the Chinese.

“And, in fact, months before these positive tests showed up on their desks, they had interviewed a defector, a whistleblower from Russia – excuse me, from China – who had indicated to them that TMZ was being given in a systemic fashion to athletes, but yet WADA leaders never brought in their independent investigative unit. They have a 16-person, very experienced investigative unit; they were not involved at all with investigating the facts of this case.

“TMZ is a prescription medication in some countries. It does not just show up in the kitchen.

“It’s unbelievable to think that, you know, Tinker Bell showed up and sprinkled it within the kitchen. The Chinese didn’t find anyone using it. They didn’t find it in the food.

“And the amount of food, the amount of contaminated drink that you would have to actually eat or consume to get these [TMZ] levels – was a few micrograms – I think we did the analysis based on the information that’s out there. It’s like 11 pounds of food, and over, I think, seven gallons of liquid in order to get the levels, and to think that Chinese athletes at the top of their game are going to do that type of diet the day before an event, or the day after one event, before the next day’s race, is just absolutely ludicrous.

“And it’s why we’ve asked for the questions: why hasn’t this followed the process that, and the protocols that are in place.”

In fact, the testing of the Chinese athletes in 2021 was in the midst of a winter national championship meet – not just a training camp – in which the top swimmers were involved. 

The hearing was in support of S. 233, “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Act of 2025,” introduced on 23 January 2025 by Blackburn, and assigned to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, of which her subcommittee is a part. That bill would allow the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy to withhold U.S. dues to WADA unless specific governance reforms discussed during the hearing are implemented.

WADA has strenuously maintained that it did nothing wrong, showed no bias in favor of the Chinese athletes in this case and that Tygart, USADA, the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Congress are simply trying to play politics.

The war of words between the two sides continues unabated.

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MILAN CORTINA 2026: Luge federation votes to continue exclusion of Russians through the 2026 Olympic Winter Games

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FIL CONGRESS ≡

“At its 73rd Congress in Tampere, Finland, the International Luge Federation (FIL) has voted to continue the exclusion of Russian athletes from FIL competitions, including the qualification process for the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026. The decision was made through a democratic vote held on June 18, 2025.”

The vote was on whether to extend the existing ban on Russian participation, first passed in 2022 and extended in 2024. Two votes were taken:

● “The first vote asked whether to uphold the 2022 and 2024 resolutions. 24 delegates voted in favor of continuing the exclusion, while seven voted against and one ballot was invalid.”

● “A second vote followed, in which the Congress decided not to authorize the FIL Executive Board to develop an AIN program for neutral Russian athletes. As a result, Russian athletes and their entourage will not be permitted to participate in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Again, 24 delegates voted for the exclusion, while eight supported the possibility of participation under the AIN (Athletes with Individual Neutrality) concept.”

Commented FIL President Einars Fogelis (LAT):

“The Congress has made its position clear. This outcome reflects our collective responsibility to uphold fair and safe competition. We fully respect the diversity of views within our community, especially from our athletes.”

Winter federations have generally been in favor of keeping Russian and Belarusian athletes out of their competitions. The International Ski Mountaineering Federation is allowing a limited number of Russian neutrals to be eligible for Olympic qualifying races and the International Skating Union is allowing one entry per event in figure skating, speed skating and short track for Olympic qualifying events, but not for standard ISU events.

The federations for biathlon, skiing and now luge have kept Russian and Belarusian athletes away from their competitions. Following the International Olympic Committee’s request not to have Russian or Belarusian teams competing, the federations for curling and ice hockey have not allowed these teams to compete.

Russian reaction, was predictably disappointment and anger:

● Russian Luge Federation chief Natalia Gart told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I understood that there would be a vote, and I understood the possible outcome, how it would go.

“It all depends on the desire; you look for opportunities or reasons. Why were the Russian lugers treated so harshly? This is not the first time we have been treated like this, our lugers are already well-seasoned in this matter, but we are not going to give in.”

● Dmitry Svishchev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sport, told TASS:

“Unfortunately, this is expected. Although there is only one team discipline, why not allow individual athletes? I don’t understand this, it is difficult to explain. When the International Olympic Committee itself recommends allowing Russians, the federation does the opposite. This is harmful to sport.”

● Russia’s 2015 World men’s Singles Champion Semen Pavlichenko told TASS:

“Before talking to you, a journalist called me, and I told him that the decision to deny access was not unexpected for me, I had not followed it and did not know about today’s congress, and I have other things to do without it.

“But after that conversation ended, a couple of minutes later, something heated up inside me, and I thought: ‘Do we deserve this?’ I understand that they are trying to punish us for no reason. Somewhere they cannot fight Russia, which they hate, and therefore they want to hurt it at least in this way, through sports.

“At first, doping was invented as a pretext for our oppression, as if we were all so bad in this regard. Now, another way has been chosen to rein in these Russians. And now Russian athletes are in this situation because of bad people who fight in this way. Many of them tell us to our faces that we are friends, but behind our backs they do things that are not typical for friends.

“We have always had very good relations with the leadership of the international federation, FIL President Einars Fogelis is Latvian, we communicated very well with him in Russian. We had plans to hold international competitions in my native Bratsk. And now they are stabbing us in the back, to put it bluntly.”

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U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE: IOC’s 2024 financials show USOC revenue-share deal from 2012 working for both sides

By
Rich Perelman
-
NBC's "Rings Across America" tour ready to promote its Paris 2024 telecast (Photo: NBC Sports)

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≡ THE 2012 IOC-USOC DEAL ≡

In the aftermath of the revolutionary 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the International Olympic Committee took over television rights sales from the organizing committee and created a worldwide corporation sponsorship offer – The Olympic Program or “TOP” – which included usage rights from the IOC, the National Olympic Committees and the Olympic organizing committees.

From the start, a huge percentage of the IOC’s revenue from television rights sales and TOP came from American companies and so, amid rumblings of possible Congressional action, the IOC and the then-United States Olympic Committee agreed in 1996 on a revenue-split formula, with the USOC to receive:

● 12.75% of the U.S. television rights sales
● 20.00% of all TOP sponsorships

Over time, while the U.S. television rights continued to skyrocket in value, other countries began paying more too. And while U.S. companies like Coca-Cola continued with TOP, firms from other countries came in too.

So, the 1996 IOC-USOC deal started to cause chafing within some corners of the IOC membership, that the percentages were too rich.

The moaning got louder and louder and after the New York bid for the 2012 Games went out in the second round in 2005, and Chicago for the 2016 Games was eliminated in the first round in 2009, USOC officials felt a modified agreement was needed.

After a lengthy series of talks, a new agreement came in May 2012, modifying the deal from 2020 to 2040. The specifics have never been made public, but then-IOC Marketing Committee Chair Gerhard Heiberg (NOR) told the IOC Session that:

● USOC percentage of U.S. TV rights lowered from 12.75% to 7.0%
● USOC percentage of TOP sponsorships lowered from 20% to 10%

It is believed (but never confirmed) that the cuts also came with a “floor” of the minimum amount of revenue to the USOC during the 2021-24 quadrennial and beyond.

So, is it working?

The answer appears to be yes.

The IOC released its 2024 financial statements earlier than usual in 2025, as a part of efforts to place a bow on the close of the Thomas Bach Era, and so the payments to what is now the USOPC – “Paralympic” added in 2019 – can be compared to prior quadrennials.

The IOC’s year-by-year financial statement numbers from 2013-16, 2017-20 and 2021-24 on IOC payments to the USOC/USOPC for shares of the U.S. television rights and the worldwide TOP program:

2013 to 2016: $404.399 million paid to the USOC
[$259.463 million TV + $144.936 million TOP]
● 2013: $  32.139 million ($0 TV + $32.139 million TOP)
● 2014: $144.101 million ($98.813 mln + $45.288 mln)
● 2015: $  31.900 million ($0 + $31.900 mln)
● 2016: $196.259 million ($160.650 mln + $35.609 mln)

2017 to 2020: $664.554 million (+64.3%)
[$306.765 million TV + $357.789 million TOP]
● 2017: $  91.576 million ($0 TV + $91.576 million TOP)
● 2018: $213.785 million ($124.484 mln + 89.301 mln)
● 2019: $  88.240 million ($0 + $88.240 mln)
● 2020: $270.953 million ($182.281 mln + $88.672 mln)
(Showing the Tokyo 2020 TV rights payment as if made in 2020 instead of in 2021)

2021 to 2024: $784.923 million (+18.1%)
[$318.750 million TV + $466.173 million TOP]
● 2021: $117.211 million ($0 TV + $117.211 million TOP)
● 2022: $237.015 million ($122.400 mln + $114.615 mln)
● 2023: $109.811 million ($0 + 109.811 mln)
● 2024: $320.886 million ($196.350 mln + $124.536 mln)
(Tokyo 2020 television rights money paid in 2021 is shown in 2020)

So, while the USOPC saw revenue from the IOC increase hugely from Rio to Tokyo – thanks in significant part to a huge expansion of TOP revenue – the 64.3% run-up from 2016 to 2020 slowed dramatically to 18.1% for 2024.

The USOPC is getting more money, but so is the IOC, which – mostly – sends it elsewhere for its various programs, including support for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the International Testing Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

There were fears that the 2012 modification would hurt U.S. competitiveness, but that has not happened, at least not at Paris 2024, where the American team won a sensational 126 medals, the most ever except for Games held in the U.S.

It’s good news for the U.S., but never enough, of course. For the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, the expanded sports program means the USOPC will have to significantly add funding for baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash, and sport climbing for the Paralympic Games.

And USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland has said that she would like to see significant increases in the amounts paid to medal winners at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. And more has to be spent on development and training in advance of 2028.

Some added help will come from joint-venture monies from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP), the shared marketing effort by the LA28 organizers and the USOPC. The agreement promises $476 million to the USOPC from 2021-28, with $58 million paid annually from 2022-24 and $64 million paid in 2025-26-27-28.

It all helps.

But the prior hard feelings between the IOC and the U.S. have abated, as shown by an all-time high of four U.S. members of the IOC now – Anita DeFrantz, David Haggerty, Gene Sykes and Allyson Felix – and a 2034 Winter Games awarded to Salt Lake City, Utah.

So far, so good.

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PANORAMA: Coventry convening IOC members for “consultation”; Hill vs. Lyles race called off; more colleges cut sports and events

By
Rich Perelman
-
Sprint star Noah Lyles and speedy receiver Tyreek Hill (Photos: Diamond League AG and Up & Adams Podcast).

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≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● President-elect Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) is not wasting time as she gets ready to take charge of the IOC on 23 June – Olympic Day – in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Following up on her promise after election in March, she has called the IOC members to Lausanne for a day-and-a-half “consultation” on the “theme of ‘Pause and Reflect’” to begin discussions on key issues which remain hot: Russian and Belarusian participation at Milan Cortina 2026, protection of the women’s category, member involvement in IOC programs and especially in future host-city selections and so on.

The new IOC Executive Board will then meet on 25-26 June.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizing committee announced CDW as its 11th “Official Supporter” of the Games, becoming “Official IT Equipment Services and Solutions Provider” for the organizing committee and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

The agreement, announced last Thursday, covers both hardware and software support for both organizations.

● NCAA ● The state of Louisiana agreed to increase the tax on sports betting from 15% to 21.5% and agreed to share a quarter of the total tax revenue generated from in-state betting – estimated to be about $24.3 million – equally with the 11 public universities with football programs. The money must be used for athlete support, such as scholarships, insurance, medical coverage, facility enhancements and litigation fees.

North Carolina already has a betting tax-sharing plan.

Washington State announced Monday it is reducing its track & field program substantially:

“Earlier today, WSU Athletics leadership met with members of the men’s and women’s track and field team to inform them that the program will be shifting to a distance-focused approach. This change gives the WSU Track & Field program the best opportunity to remain competitive at the conference and national levels in distance events in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. It does mean, however, that field events (e.g., jumps, throws) will no longer be supported, effective immediately, and the number of sprint and hurdle opportunities will be limited moving forward.

“Impacted student-athletes will have their scholarships honored should they choose to remain at WSU. WSU understands the significant impact this decision has on Cougar student-athletes, coaches, and fans. Transition support and services will be provided to those student-athletes who choose to seek to continue their academic and athletic careers at other institutions.”

Distance running has been the signature element of Washington State’s program over decades, including stars like Gerry Lindgren, Samson Kimombwa, Henry Rono, Bernard Lagat and others. But the program, especially under ferocious head coach John Chaplin, was a national contender in all phases and won the 1977 NCAA Indoor men’s title.

This is yet another impact of the changes in collegiate athletics, now in view of direct payments to primarily football and basketball players of up to $20.5 million for the academic year beginning 1 July. Expect many more announcements of this kind.

SwimSwam.com reported that as efforts to raise money to endow the Cal Poly swimming and diving program reached only $10 million out of a $20 million requirement, the program is being cut.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong wrote: “I know this is difficult news for participants and supporters of the programs, and we want to recognize and again express our appreciation for the work they have done.

“This is an unfortunate reality given the approved NCAA House settlement, state budget and the tenuous situation moving forward for both the state and the NCAA. I want to reiterate that the significant and unequitable changes in the NCAA and the House settlement (and new organizations resulting from this settlement) had an impact that weighed heavily in this decision.”

● Athletics ● The Tyreek Hill sprint challenge to Noah Lyles was supposed to happen this weekend, but didn’t.

Lyles explained at the Sport Beach event in Cannes (FRA):

“We were very deep into creating the event. In fact, it was supposed to happen this weekend. Unfortunately there were some things, complications, personal reasons that it just didn’t come to pass, but we were full on.

“We were gonna have a big event, we were going to shut down New York Times Square and everything, we were gonna have all the billboards for the event, it was going to be a lot of fun.”

There were no more details; Hill, for his part, did race in a 100 m at the Last Chance Sprint Series meet at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California last Friday, winning heat five in 10.15 with a +1.2 wind reading, a lifetime best.

That did not scare Lyles in the least, but Hill, 31, did race the 100 for the first time in 12 years. Lyles has not run a 100 this season.

Arkansas sophomore and NCAA men’s 100 m champion Jordan Anthony, who won the SEC title in 9.95 and the NCAA West regional in 9.75w (+2.1), announced Tuesday that he is going pro in track & field and abandoning his promising wide receiver role on the Razorbacks football team.

At the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku (FIN), the U.S. saw a win for Dylan Beard in the men’s 110 m hurdles in 13.16 (wind: -0.1 m/s) and 2023 Worlds women’s hammer runner-up Janee Kassanavoid was third, at 73.15 m (240-0), behind Olympic champ Cam Rogers (CAN: 74.59 m/244-8).

Italy’s World Indoor champ Mattia Furlani won the men’s long jump at 8.11 m (26-7 1/4) and discus stars Kristjian Ceh (SLO: 2022 World Champion), Matt Denny (AUS: Paris Olympic bronze) and Daniel Stahl (SWE: Tokyo Olympic champ) all surpassed 70 m, with Ceh winning (70.61 m/231-8) over Denny (70.52 m/231-4) and Stahl (70.19 m/230-3).

● Judo ● Two more for Japan at the 2025 IJF World Championships, as Paris Olympic runner-up Sanshiro Murao won an all-Japan final in the men’s 90 kg class from 2024 World Champion Goki Tajima.

The women’s 70 kg final was the first Worlds gold for Shiho Tanaka, winning over 2022 Worlds runner-up Lara Cvjetko (CRO). Through 10 classes, Japan has six golds and 11 total medals Wow.

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ANTI-DOPING: USADA’s Tygart tells Senate subcommittee independent leadership and audits of WADA are needed to restore confidence

By
Rich Perelman
-
Dr. Rahul Gupta, former director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (U.S. Senate video screen shot).

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≡ U.S. vs. WADA CONTINUES ≡

“Nearly a year ago, I held a press conference with a bicameral, bi-partisan group of colleagues, demanding answers as to why the World Anti-Doping Agency betrayed its mission and allowed 23 Chinese swimmers to get away with doping.

“Unfortunately, almost a year after the explosive New York Times report exposing the scandal, WADA has failed to provide answers. Instead, all that they have provided are threats, stonewalling and intimidation.

“My message remains the same: my colleagues and I will not be threatened or silenced for promoting fair play and advocating for clean sport.”

That was Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) at the opening of Tuesday’s Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy subcommittee hearing titled “WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping.”

She set the stage for the 75-minute hearing by adding:

“In 2021, credible allegations emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance just months before the Tokyo Olympics. What did WADA do? Instead of launching a thorough investigation, they turned a blind eye. They accepted a deeply questionable explanation and allowed these athletes to go ahead and compete. Many of them went on to win medals.

“This wasn’t just a lapse in judgement. This was a cover-up.”

The hearing was in support of S. 233, “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Act of 2025,” introduced on 23 January 2025 by Blackburn, and assigned to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, of which her subcommittee is a part. That bill would allow the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy to withhold U.S. dues to WADA unless specific governance reforms are implemented.

The witnesses included the former head of the U.S. ONDCP, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, University of Baltimore law professor Dionne Koller and Katie McLaughlin, a Tokyo Olympic 4 x 200 m Freestyle silver medalist, who team finished behind China, with both under the prior world record.

Both Tygart and Gupta were specifically asked what will be take to restore confidence in WADA. Tygart noted that the integrity of the worldwide anti-doping system has been continuously under attack:

“This China scandal is happening on the heels of the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal. It is no wonder why the world’s athletes are incensed once again. …

“And how does WADA respond? Instead of acknowledging and fixing its failures, WADA has dug in to protect the Chinese and its backroom, secret decision-making process. If WADA had any legitimate answers, they would be here. This is the third time they have been invited, but declined to come to Congress.

“So, what can be done? First, disclose the entire Chinese TMZ [trimetazidine] dossier. Justice for athletes demands it.

“Second, the time for blind trust in WADA is over. WADA must be audited by independent experts. Finally … WADA must be independent. One of the core principles of an effective anti-doping system is that it must be free from sports influence. You cannot have the fox guarding the henhouse. …

“Unfortunately, WADA is not independent. WADA promised the U.S. it would make their President and Vice President independent; they have betrayed that promise and they did a classic bait-and-switch. We should continue to hold U.S. funding until this promise has been delivered.”

WADA President Witold Banka (POL) and Vice President Yang Yang (CHN) were re-elected unopposed for third terms for 2026-28 in May after a rule change to allow officers to serve the same number of terms as Board members.

Tygart added:

“We need a strong WADA. We support the mission. But we need a WADA that is truly independent, a global regular, not a lapdog to interests other than anything besides clean athletes and fairness in sport.”

Gupta explained his experience with WADA on the questions raised by the Chinese doping incident:

“When I, as the U.S. representative to WADA, asked questions, why we weren’t told, why no sanctions, why no transparency, we were met with deflection. The so-called independent investigator offered no recommendations, no accountability and no answers.

“This is not a technical lapse. It’s a governance failure, and it breaks faith with every clean competitor. The United States, as WADA’s largest public [government] funder and founder, could not in good conscience continue business as usual.

“That is we withheld our dues and demanded reforms. We need transparency in decision-making, true conflict-of-interest protections, independent oversight and a permanent U.S. seat at the table.

“WADA leaders responded by removing us from its Executive Committee, and that’s not because we broke rules, but because we dared to challenge a broken system. The United States was a democratically-elected member representing the Americas region; that is not how global institutions should operate. That is not leadership. That is fear of accountability.”

Gupta, then the head of the U.S. ONDCP during the Biden Administration, withheld the U.S. dues payment of $3.625 million for 2024 and it has not been paid yet.

In addition to McLaughlin’s concerns over the Chinese incident which may have cost her a gold medal in the Tokyo 4×200 m relay, a video of other athletes, notably star swimmers such as Ryan Murphy and Lilly King of the U.S., Mack Horton of Australia and others, voiced their concerns about WADA. Tygart noted:

“The confidence has been undermined and it’s coming on the heels of the Russian state-sponsored doping; if you see in my long testimony about the weightlifting, it was biathlon before that, it was track & field before that; here we go again. And we have to get this cleaned up to be effective going forward.

“I think the silver bullet on reform … is independence. And I think with independence, then flows transparency, accountability, effective use of resources, engaging in dialogue on how to better themselves, and than ultimately trust, which is the most important aspect for a system that is supposed to give confidence to athletes doing it the right way is the only way to win.”

Blackburn said near the end, “We do want to get this legislation across the line and get something on the books and be able to hold WADA to account. We know WADA and their allies are going to fight this.”

But the U.S., both at USADA and the Congress, appear ready for a long fight.

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ATHLETICS: Duplantis claimed a 12th world record in Stockholm, but can he catch Bubka for the most world records ever?

By
Rich Perelman
-
A happy Mondo Duplantis chats after his eighth world vault record! (Photo: World Athletics video screenshot)

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≡ NO STOPPING MONDO! ≡

Swedish vault star Mondo Duplantis got his latest world record in front of a thrilled home-country crowd in Stockholm at the Bauhaus Galan Diamond League meet on Sunday, flying over 6.28 m (20-7 1/4) on his first attempt … and then tearing off his shirt and running wildly around the track, to a standing ovation.

“It’s a magical feeling,” he said. “I wanted this so bad. I wanted to do this in front of everybody here in Stockholm, all my Swedes.”

At just 25, he appears unstoppable and the only questions appear to be:

(1) How long will he go on?
(2) How many world records will he set?

In truth, the real question may be, will he finish as the greatest vaulter of all time?

The reason to ask is because the track & field athlete with the most world records in history is another vaulter, former Soviet and Ukrainian star Sergey Bubka. According to the World Athletics Progression of World Records book (2024 ed.), the athletes with the most ratified world marks – combining indoor and outdoor – are:

● 27: Sergey Bubka (URS-UKR): pole vault, 1984-94
● 22: Paavo Nurmi (FIN): distances, 1922-31
● 22: Werner Hardmo (SWE), distances, 1943-45

In terms of counting, Bubka had an edge because when he competed, indoor and outdoor records were ratified separately. In 2000, the rule was changed and Duplantis can set a record anywhere, indoors or out, but does not get separate credit. And the American-born star has done with regularity, with 12 world records so far:

● 2020: 2 ~ 6.17 mi (20-2 3/4) and 6.18 mi (20-3 1/4)
● 2021: 0
● 2022: 3 ~ 6.19 mi (20-3 3/4), 6.20 mi (20-4), 6.21 m (20-4 1/2)
● 2023: 2 ~ 6.22 mi (20-4 3/4), 6.23 m (20-5 1/4)
● 2024: 3 ~ 6.24 m (20-5 1/2), 6.25 m (20-6), 6.26 m (20-7 1/4)
● 2025: 2 ~ 6.27 mi (20-6 3/4), 6.28 m (20-7 1/4)

That’s six set indoors and six set outdoors, and since getting over 6.19 m in March 2022, he has been hammering out world records quickly:

● 6.19 mi (2022): required 6 tries in 2020, 30 in 2021 and 15 in 2022 (51 total)
● 6.20 mi (2022): required 3 tries to clear, across 1 more meet
● 6.21 m (2022): required 2 tries (1 more meet)
● 6.22 mi (2023): required 9 tries (3 more meets)
● 6.23 m (2023): required 16 tries (6 more meets)
● 6.24 m (2024): required 7 tries (3 more meets)
● 6.25 m (2024): required 18 tries (6 more meets)
● 6.26 m (2024): required 2 tries (1 more meet)
● 6.27 mi (2025): required 3 tries (2 more meets)
● 6.28 m (2025): required 7 tries (3 more meets)

(The number of meets noted counts only competitions where he tried a world-record height, not every other meet he competed in between records.)

Duplantis is only 25; Bubka set records between the ages of 20-30 and competed into 2001, when he was 37.

Given that he’s collected 10 records from 2022-25 – 3 1/2 seasons – even at two per season, he’ll pass Bubka in 2033, when he would be 32. Notwithstanding injury, possible, very possible.

Of course, Duplantis already has two Olympic golds to one for Bubka, and two World Championships, where Bubka won six from 1983-97.

Duplantis is all alone in his event and there is no competitor on the horizon who can challenge him. But there is someone to chase.

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ATHLETICS: Grand Slam Track cancellation of fourth meet vaporizes more than 10,000 meet ticket sales with two weeks to go!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ GRAND SLAM TRACK ≡

The first-year Grand Slam Track circuit cut short its first year of operations last Thursday (12th), canceling the scheduled fourth meet at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, slated for 28-29 June.

That’s a shame as the meet was headed for a significant success at the box office.

Founder and Commissioner Michael Johnson explained in a statement:

“The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season, and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond. …

“As we’ve said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren’t comfortable, but what’s most important is the future and sustainability of the league.

“The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world’s premier track league.”

The internal calculus included prize money costs of $3.15 million that would have been due if the meet had been held, plus appearance fees to the 48-54 “Challenger” athletes not already under contract and production expenses for the site and television.

Still remaining are the costs of a settlement with UCLA on the rental fees and other expenses related to Drake Stadium, and refunds to ticket buyers for the meet, which was originally three days (27-28-29 June) and then condensed to two. The Grand Slam Track statement noted:

“Full refunds will be issued to fans who bought tickets for the 2025 Slam in Los Angeles, which will no longer take place. Refunds will process automatically, and be received within 10-14 business days. Fans with questions on this process should contact the UCLA Box Office directly at [email protected]”

However, as the meet was canceled 16 days out, there are fans who made travel arrangements to see the meet. Asked about any plans concerning those costs, Grand Slam Track declined to comment. The UCLA box office will no doubt be unhappily asked the same questions.

That’s the bad news. Even worse is the cancellation of a meet which could have brought fans back to Drake Stadium in large numbers for the first time in 35-40 years! Consider:

● The Sports Examiner was told that actual ticket sales for each day of the meet were over 5,000, or more than 10,000 for the two days.

● By comparison, the USATF L.A. Grand Prix held at Drake Stadium in 2023 sold about 2,600 tickets, with about 4,500 in the stands thanks to free tickets. The same meet in 2024 sold about 2,200, even though many free admissions bumped up the on-site audience to perhaps 5,500.

So, with 16 days to go, Grand Slam Track had sold more tickets for each day in 2025 than the Grand Prix had sold for both 2023 and 2024 combined!

That’s good.

Moreover, if sales had continued strongly – and the Grand Slam Track project had the benefit of known athletes who had already competed in the first three meets like Kenny Bednarek, Grant Fisher (two meets), Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and more – attendance at Drake Stadium could have approached levels not seen since the days of the Al Franken-promoted Jack in the Box Invitational in 1989 and 1990 and before that, the Pepsi Invitational from 1978-87. In the final five years of that meet (no meet in ‘88):

● 1990: Jack in the Box: 5,672 on 20 May
● 1989: Jack in the Box: 7,815 on 6 August
● 1987: Pepsi Invitational: 9,003 on 16 May
● 1986: Pepsi Invitational: 9,209 on 17 May
● 1985: Pepsi Invitational: 12,215 on 23 May

The 1985 meet was the last meet to draw more than 10,000 at Drake Stadium, and was driven by stars such as quadruple Olympic champion Carl Lewis and the appearance of Czech super-woman Jarmila Kratochvilova, the 1983 double world champion in the women’s 400 m and 800 m and, at the time, the world-record holder in both events. She had been unable to compete at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles due to the Russian-led boycott of the Games.

That was a long time ago and the drop-off in attendance from 1986 on tracked the decline of track & field as a spectator sport in Los Angeles. And it has been hard since; the last major invitational meets to draw more than 10,000 in the Los Angeles area were held in 2003-04-05 at The Home Depot Center (now the Dignity Health Sports Park) and promoted by the Anschutz Entertainment Group.

But the sales for the now-canceled Grand Slam Track meet at UCLA are a much-welcomed good sign for the future of track as a spectator sport in Southern California.

With the Grand Slam Track program over for 2025, the seasonal winners were sprinters Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden.

Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden won at all three stops and only Bednarek won all six of his races!

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PANORAMA: California sues U.S. Justice Dept. to keep its transgender rules; two board members sue USA Fencing; more skiing prize money

By
Rich Perelman
-
The tug-of-war over transgenders in sport is headed to the courts (Photo: Wikipedia via L E X).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The International Ice Hockey Federation released the names of the first six players named to the 12 men’s teams for the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament.

Plenty of NHL stars were on the lists, including Canadians Sydney Crosby (NHL Pittsburgh), Nathan McKinnon (Colorado) and Connor McDavid (Edmonton), Czech scoring star David Pastrnak (Boston), Germany’s Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton), Americans Jack Eichel (Vegas), Auston Matthews (Toronto) and the Tkachuk brothers, Brady (Ottawa) and Matthew (Florida), among many others.

The full, 25-man rosters are not expected to be confirmed until January 2026.

● Transgender ● The California Interscholastic Federation ignored the 2 June letter from U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon demanding “you must certify in writing by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 9, 2025, that you will not implement CIF Bylaw 300.D,” which allows transgenders to compete in the girls division in sports.

Instead:

“California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a pre-enforcement lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) in anticipation of imminent legal retaliation against California’s school systems. Last week, U.S. DOJ issued a letter requesting certification from California school districts that they will not comply with longstanding state anti-discrimination law that provides for the participation in sports for K-12 students consistent with gender identity.

“Today, the California Department of Education notified U.S. DOJ that the state will not certify to its demands, which would require school districts to violate not only existing state law, but also the U.S. Constitution.

“In the lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta asks the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to uphold California’s anti-discrimination law and prevent the Trump Administration from taking retaliatory action, such as withholding or conditioning federal funding, over the state’s refusal to comply with U.S. DOJ’s unlawful demands.”

This sets up a court process, which the Justice Department no doubt expected, in a case which may very likely end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fox News Digital reported on a lawsuit filed by two USA Fencing at-large directors – Andrey Geva and Abdel Salem – against Board Chair Damien Lehfeldt and other directors, asking for Lehfeldt’s removal for false statements to Congress during his 7 May 2025 testimony to the House Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee concerning USA Fencing’s policy concerning transgenders.

According to the report, the filing includes:

“Defendant Lehfeldt’s non-corporative [sic] demeanor in bad faith and untruthful and misleading statements at the congressional hearing on May 7 has prompted the Congress to consider decertifying USFA as [a National Governing Body], thus potentially risking Team USA’s qualification in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.

“His lies have alienated thousands of members in the fencing community who have provided more than 90% of USFA’s revenues.”

The filing also alleges that Geva, a former national coach, was attempted to be punished or removed by two other board members, and alleged “Lefheldt falsely announced Geva’s resignation from the board at a meeting on June 7.”

In a statement to Fox, USA Fencing commented: “This derivative lawsuit misrepresents our organization, and we will vigorously defend the organization in court; any attempt to disparage them will be addressed appropriately.”

● Athletics ● Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 59, father and coach of the three star track & field sons – Jakob, Filip and Henrik – was convicted on Monday of one count of assault against his daughter, Ingrid, and was acquitted of all other charges. He received a 15-day suspended sentence and a fine of NOK 10,000 (~$1,010 U.S.) as compensation.

The trial had been a sensation in Norway after the brothers broke away from their father as coach in 2022 and accused him of abuse in 2023.

● Skiing ● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) approved an increase in prize money for all of its disciplines – alpine, cross country, freestyle-freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboard – of up to 20% for the 2025-26 season.

FIS itself will add 10%, and local organizers will be able to add 10% as well.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Archery ● At the USA Archery National Field Championships in Noblesville, Indiana, two-time World Field Championships medal winner Matthew Nofel was a clear winner in the men’s Recurve class, scoring 706, way ahead of Ashton Probus (644). Wife Savannah Nofel took the women’s division title, scoring 682.

The Compound titles went to defending champs Dan Jasa (812) for the men and Paige Pearce (803) for the women.

● Athletics ● The comeback story of injury-plagued 2019 World men’s 800 m champion Donavan Brazier of the U.S. continues, with a win at the Portland Track Festival on Sunday in 1:43.81. It’s his fastest time since 2020!

The mark moves him to no. 18 on the 2025 world list and no. 5 among Americans, with the U.S. championships coming up at the end of July to select the 2025 World Championships team.

● Gymnastics ● Late apparatus final results from the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN), with Canada’s Lia Redick winning on Beam at 13.267, ahead of Americans Jayla Hang (13.233) and Hezly Rivera (13.000). Canada’s Lia Fontaine won on Floor (13.800), with Hang (13.433) and Gabrielle Hardie (13.133) taking silver and bronze.

Canada’s Felix Dolci won the men’s Vault at 14.066, then took the Parallel Bars gold at 13.800 and completed the sweep, scoring 13.933 on the Horizontal Bar. American Joshua Karnes was second on the Horizontal Bar, scoring 13.500.

● Judo ● Japan scored a fourth gold and eighth medal across eight total classes at the IJF World Championships in Budapest (HUN), as 2025 Asian champ Haruka Kajo defeated Canada’s Tokyo Olympic bronzer Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard in the final of the 63 kg class.

Russian Timiur Arbuzov won the men’s 81 kg class as a “neutral,” defeating three-time World Champion Tato Grigalashvili (GEO) in the final. Three more classes will be held for men and women and then the Mixed Team event on Friday.

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GYMNASTICS: FIG 2024 financial report shows very modest $19 million in 2024 revenue, but good reserves of $31 million U.S.

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FIG FINANCIAL REPORT ≡

Gymnastics is one of the three most popular sports in the Olympic Games, based on the interest shown by attendance, television viewers, media reportage and social-media interest surveys produced for the International Olympic Committee.

Because of this, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) is in the first tier of federations – FIG, World Aquatics and World Athletics – which receive the most money from the IOC’s distribution of television rights fees via the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

But it is by far the poorest of those three federations, judging from its latest financial statement, covering the calendar year 2024. The report shows amounts in Swiss francs (CHF 1 = $1.12 U.S. according to the exchange used):

● CHF 16.98 million in total revenues (~$19.02 million U.S.)
● CHF 21.53 million in total expenses (~$24.12 million U.S.)
● CHF 4.55 million loss (~$5.09 million U.S.)

The surprise is not in the annual loss; like many Olympic federations, FIG absorbs big income in the year of an Olympic Games from the IOC television revenue, then spends it down over the next three years until the next IOC transfer comes. FIG had a surplus of CHF 10.21 million in 2021 from the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, then had losses of CHF 2.46 million for 2022 and CHF 901,000 in 2023, and then again for 2024.

The surprise is that despite being so popular during the Olympic Games, that the FIG is unable to translate this interest – especially in women’s artistic gymnastics – into income in non-Olympic years. Compare FIG revenues to the other two top-tier federations: World Aquatics and World Athletics from 2021-23 (2024 statements not yet available for the other feds):

● FIG 2021: CHF 34.07 million or $38.16 million U.S.
● FIG 2022: CHF 20.99 million or $23.51 million U.S.
● FIG 2023: CHF 17.78 million or $19.92 million U.S.
● Total: $81.59 million U.S.

● Aquatics 2021: $62.12 million
● Aquatics 2022: $30.65 million
● Aquatics 2023: $76.11 million
● Total: $168.88 million

● Athletics 2021: $83.47 million
● Athletics 2022: $49.44 million
● Athletics 2023: $54.79 million
● Total: $187.70 million

Further to this disparity is that FIG’s documents show no payments of prize money at its World Championships – artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, acrobatic or others – where aquatics and athletics pay millions. For the 2023 Worlds:

● Aquatics: $5.670 million prize pool (1-8: $20,000 down to $2,000)
(this includes swimming, open water, diving, artistic and water polo)

● Athletics: $8.498 million prize pool (1-8: $70,000 down to $5,000)

The absence of prize money for the World Championships in gymnastics is all the more odd since small prizes are paid for events like the FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup for places 1-8: CHF 800-600-400-300-250-200-150-100! But those are paid by the host federation and not by the FIG.

Given its size and modest revenues, FIG maintains a conservative financial outlook and showed assets of CHF 68.829 million at the end of 2024, up from CHF 48.046 million, thanks to its “Olympic dividend.” It had reserves of CHF 27.656 million (~$30.97 million U.S.), down from CHF 32.207 million, due to the net loss in 2024.

By its own standards and those of the Olympic Movement, FIG is fairly stable financially, with no immediate concerns. But it is clearly the smallest of the three tier-one summer Olympic federations and shows no inclination (or plan) to change that.

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PANORAMA: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State share athlete pay plans; Hill runs 10.15 in first 100 in 12 years!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese inserted himself into the endless discussion about venue selection for the Brisbane 2032 Games, saying on the “Two Good Sports” podcast on Friday that rowing could be moved to Sydney and tennis to Melbourne:

“I’ve been meeting with [Brisbane 2032 chief] Andrew Liveris as well as with the Queensland Premier [David] Crisafulli about where it goes.

“For example, are we really going to do rowing in Rockhampton on the Fitzroy River when there are some pretty good facilities at Penrith [in Sydney]?

“There’s a debate over tennis and what’s needed there in Brisbane as well.”

The Queensland government is having none of it; a spokesman said Friday, “we are working with all levels of government to implement the 2032 Games Delivery Plan, which will see Rowing in Rockhampton and Tennis played at the upgraded Queensland Tennis Centre.”

● NCAA ● Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said last week that the $20.5 million distribution to its athletes will send $18 million to players in four sports only: football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball (despite a record of 14-16; average attendance: 3,518 this past season).

The remaining $2.5 million will be used to fund 91 new scholarships across all sports; Ohio State sponsors 36 teams in total.

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said last Thursday that revenue-sharing will be distributed to football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and women’s gymnastics, all of which had significant on-field success this season.

Observed: Note that both Ohio State and Oklahoma announced distributions to an equal number of men’s and women’s sports, a direct nod to Title IX in view of actions already filed, which are primarily about the unequal amounts of money to be paid … which were not announced.

Oklahoma State took what appears to be an interesting alternate path, with the “seven ticketed varsity sports” – football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, women’s soccer and men’s wrestling – to receive funding. A post from athletic director Chad Weiberg noted “Others will get additional scholarships.”

● Anti-Doping ● A Bolivian physician who asked to have the banned diuretic furosemide to be added to a custom supplement to given to Bolivian swimmer Maria Jose Ribera – who then tested positive – has been banned for six years for “administration and complicity.”

The International Testing Agency reported the suspension period from from 12 June 2025 until 11 June 2031.

● Athletics ● With Betsy Saina now pregnant, USA Track & Field named Jessica McClain to replace her on the American World Championships team for Tokyo in September.

McClain will be a first-time U.S. national team member, and was fourth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024. She ran seventh at the 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:22:43.

● Shooting ● Interesting agreement by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to share resources, best practices and cross-promotion ideas, with a special focus on medical issues, safeguarding and integrity.

Their first together was to “co-finance the attendance of legal delegates to the IOC Medical Conference and Prevention of Competition Manipulation Workshop in 2025.”

It would not appear that these federations would have much in common, so it will be fascinating to see what comes out of the agreement.

● Skiing ● U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the third class of Stifel Award winners, given to athletes and staff on six teams, in multiple categories.

“Athlete of the Year” honors went to Lauren Macuga (alpine skiing), Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher (cross country), Alex Hall and Rell Harwood (freeski), Chris Lillis (freestyle aerials), Jaelin Kauf (freestyle moguls) and Saylor O’Brien (para alpine).

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Judo ● Japan struck early and hard at the IJF World Championships in Budapest (HUN), which will continue through 20 June, winning three of the first four weights and winning a medal in all four.

Paris 2024 bronze medalist Ryuju Nagayama won his first men’s 60 kg title – after two bronzes – over Romain Valadier-Picard (FRA) and new star Takeshi Takeoka won the 66 kg class against Nurali Emomali (TJK). Two-time Olympic champ Hifumi Abe was defeated in the quarters, but came back to win a bronze medal.

Younger sister Uta Abe, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ at 52 kg, won her fifth Worlds gold, defeating Tokyo 2020 48 kg winner Distria Krasniqi (KOS) in the final. Italy’s Assunta Scutto finally moved up to gold in the women’s 48 kg division, taking Worlds bronzes in 2022 and 2023, then silver in 2024 and now gold in 2025, over Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ). Japan’s Wakana Koga won her third career Worlds medal with a bronze.

On Sunday, France’s 2024 Olympic silver star Joan-Benjamin Gaba won his first Worlds gold, in the 73 kg class, defeating 2022 Worlds bronzer Daniel Cargnin (BRA) in the final. Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani won the women’s 57 kg class, her first individual Worlds medal; she defeated two-time Worlds medal winner Momo Tamaoki.

● Sailing ● Spain’s Jordi Xammar returned to the podium at the 470 World Championships, this time in the mixed-crew event introduced at the 2024 Olympic Games, teaming with Marta Cardona to win off Gdynia (POL) with 48 net points, the same as Germany’s Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort.

The tie was broken by the Spanish finishing fourth in the final, medal race, ahead of the Germans in fifth. In all, the Germans won four races to Spain’s two. Barely behind with 49 net points was Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, who finished third in the medal race and would have won if they had been second!

It’s the second straight Worlds win for Xammar, who had Nora Brugman on board in 2024.

≡ HIGHLIGHTS ≡

● Artistic Swimming ● At the World Aquatics World Cup Super Final in Xian (CHN), China’s Haiyan Xu won the women’s Solo Technical, and then teamed with Yanjun Lin to win the women’s Duet Technical and the Duet Free.

Belarus’ Vasilina Khandoshka, the 2024 Worlds Solo Free bronzer, competing as a “neutral,” won the women’s solo Free, with Xu third.

Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez and Mirela Hernandez won the Mixed Duet Technical and the Mixed Duet Free. Mexico’s Diego Villalobos won the men’s Solo Technical, followed by Muye Guo (CHN) and Guo came back to take the Solo Free. China also won the Team Acrobatic, Team Technical and the Team Free.

● Athletics ● Great run from Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill at the Last Chance Sprint Series meet at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California on Friday, winning heat five of the men’s 100 m in 10.15 with a +1.2 wind reading.

That brings him into a tie at 114th in the world for 2025, and is a lifetime best. Now 31, his last recorded 100 was way back in 2013, running a very-wind-aided 9.98 (+5.0) for second in the National Junior College Championships. His prior legal best was 10.19 from 2012!

So Hill feels more confident than ever to try and race World Champion Noah Lyles, who hasn’t run a 100 m this season. However, Lyles hasn’t run as slow as 10.15 in a 100 since 2022, in a season opener in Florida. In fact, Lyles hasn’t run that slow after 1 May since he was in high school in 2016.

So, when’s the race and what are the stakes?

Former Oklahoma State All-American Alex Maier is having a big year, winning the U.S. Half Marathon title in March, runner-up at the USATF 10-Mile Champs in early April, the Dusseldorf Marathon in late April (2:08:33 lifetime best) and now the USATF National 4-Mile Championships in Peoria, Illinois!

He ran away from Casey Clinger and Biya Simbassa, 18:03 to 18:06 to 18:07 in the final half-mile, for his third career USATF title.

Taylor Roe, the 2022 NCAA Indoor 3,000 m winner for Oklahoma State, took the women’s title for her third 2025 USATF gold, winning both the Half Marathon and 10-Mile. In Peoria, she crushed the field in 19:40, with Amanda Vestri a distant second in 20:02. Molly Born was third in 20:11.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Familiar faces on the podium at the ICF Slalom World Cup in Pau (FRA), with superstar Jessica Fox (AUS) taking the women’s C-1 final in 107.62 (2 penalties) over Gabriela Satkova (CZE: 110.89/0). Evy Leibfarth of the U.S. was sixth (114.97/2).

German Ricarda Funk, the Tokyo 2020 women’s K-1 winner, won her 12th career World Cup title in 102.0 (0), trailed by Eva Pietracha (FRA: 103.22/2), with Paris 2024 bronze winner Leibfarth in fourth (104.19/0).

Britain’s Ryan Westley got his first career World Cup win in the men’s C-1 in 97.74 (0) over Yohann Senechault (FRA: 98.13/0). German Noah Hegge, the Paris Kayak Cross bronze medalist, won the men’s K-1 in 91.48 (0), beating Anatole Delassus (FRA: 92.70/0).

Spain’s Pau Echaniz took the men’s Kayak Cross final, and teammate Miren Lazkano won the women’s Cross title.

● Cycling ● Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar, winner of four of the prestigious spring one-day races, prepped to defend his Tour de France title at the eight-stage Criterium du Dauphine in France, winning the first stage, then falling as low as ninth by the end of stage three.

But when the mountains came, so did Pogacar, winning stage six by 1:01 and re-taking the lead, then taking stage seven by 14 seconds over two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and maintaining a 1:01 lead into Sunday.

The 133.3 km finale had a challenging uphill finish, won by France’s Lenny Martinez, with Pogacar keeping close to Vingegaard, both 34 seconds behind, with Vingegaard second. That gave the race win to Pogacar by 59 seconds in 29:19:46, with Vingegaard second (+0:59) and Florian Lipowitz (GER: +2:38) in third. Matteo Jorgenson was the top U.S. placer, in sixth (+7:28).

Swiss Marlen Reusser won the first stage of the Women’s World Tour’s Tour de Suisse and nursed just a three-second lead into Sunday’s fourth stage over Dutch star Demi Vollering.

The hilly final day was a showcase for Reusser, who attacked with 9 km left and rode away to a 3:19:36 victory on the 129.4 km route in and around Kussnacht. She won by 28 seconds over Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and Vollering and took the overall race title in 13:03:00, 36 seconds ahead of Vollering and 1:56 up on Niewiadoma in third.

The three-venue, six-race UCI BMX World Cup opened in Sarrians (FRA), with home favorite Arthur Pilard (FRA) winning by daylight over 2024 World Cup champ Izaac Kennedy (AUS), 31.105 to 31.564, with France’s Olympic silver winner Sylvan Andre third (31.65) and American Cameron Wood fourth (32.304).

Andre returned the favor on Sunday, winning stage 2 in 31.668 over Pilard (31.822) and Kennedy (32.405).

The Saturday women’s race was for Swiss two-time Worlds runner-up Zoe Claessens, winning easily in 34.156 over Olympic champ Saya Sakakibara (AUS: 35.084); American Payton Ridenour was eighth (37.387).

Canadian Molly Simpson, the 2023 Pan Am Games runner-up, won Sunday’s race in 34.555, ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ Bethany Shriever (GBR: 35.146) and 2024 Worlds bronze winner Delany Vaughn of the U.S. (35.765).

● Diving ● At the American Cup in Morgantown, West Virginia, 13-year-old U.S. national women’s 10 m champion ElliReese Niday scored a silver medal behind Japanese veteran Rin Kaneto, 354.45 to 326.40.

The men’s 3 m went to American Max Weinrich at 437.80, ahead of teammate Carson Tyler (432.00), and Joshua Hedberg of the U.S. won the 10 m at 434.95.

Japan’s Haruki Suyama and Senri Ikuma won the men’s Synchro 3 m at 352.28, and Tyler combined with Hedberg to win the Synchro 10 m, scoring 430.29.

Canada’s Mia Vallee was a clear winner in the women’s 3 m with 315.50 points, and American pairs won both Synchro events. Anna Kwong and Sophie Verzyl won the 3 m at 277.56, and Bayleigh Crawford and Daryn Wright scored 268.65 as the only entrants in the 10 m.

● Football ● The 18th CONCACAF Gold Cup opened on Saturday in group matches with Mexico edging the Dominican Republic, 3-2 before 54,309 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and will continue through 24 June. Playoff matches begin on 28 June.

The U.S. dominated its opener in Group D against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday in San Jose, California.

The Americans, losers of four straight, were on offense from the start, and finally got a goal in the 16th, as forward Malik Tillman scored off a left-footed cross by forward Jack McGlynn, which he brought down at the far post and then smashed into the near edge of the Trinidad & Tobago goal for a 1-0 lead.

After three more saves by Trinidad & Tobago keeper Marvin Phillip, a slow backwards pass by defender Alvin Jones was intercepted by U.S. forward Diego Luna, who sprinted toward the T&T goal and sent a perfect cross to an onrushing Tillman in front of the net, and he slammed it into the net with his right foot for the 2-0 lead in the 41st.

Minutes later, Luna again found himself with the ball, running again down the left side in the 44th and all alone. He then dribbled toward the middle and smashed a hard shot toward goal that deflected off the foot of striker Patrick Agyemang and into the net for the 3-0 halftime lead.

The U.S. had 77% of possession and a 13-0 shots lead in a game which could have been 5-0 but for sharp work by Phillip.

The second half was not as consistent or sharp for the U.S., but sub forward Brenden Aaronsen got a fourth goal, with a seeing-eye shot under Phillip from the left side of the box in the 81st. Then, in the 84th, sub striker Haji Wright got a one-on-one situation against a defender in the box, dribbled to the middle of the box and sent a right-footed laser into the net for the 5-0 final.

The U.S. finished with 71% possession and a 21-3 edge on shots. The next U.S. game is Thursday in Austin, Texas vs. Gold Cup guest team Saudi Arabia.

The FIFA Club World Cup, controversially expanded to 32 teams, opened on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a 0-0 tie between Inter Miami (MLS) and Al Ahly (Egypt) in front of 60,927. Group play will continue to 26 June, with playoffs starting on 28 June.

● Gymnastics ● At the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN), American women scored a 1-3 in the All-Around, with Jayla Hang winning at 55.300 and Hezly Rivera third (52.667), behind Canada’s Lia Fontaine (53.966). Dulcy Caylor of the U.S. was fourth (52.600).

The American women won the team title by 164.765 to 151.633 over Canada, with Brazil third at 151.466.

In the individual finals reported Sunday, Panama’s Karla Navas won on Vault (14.334) with Hang third at 13.850. Gabrielle Hardie of the U.S. won on the Uneven Bars at 13.600, with Hang second at 13.533.

Canada’s Felix Dolci won the men’s All-Around at 80.150, ahead of Joshua Karnes of the U.S. (79.900), with Troy Christopulos fifth at 78.250. The U.S. men won the team title, scoring 238.800 to 233.500 for the Canadians.

The individual finals reported on Sunday had American Junnosuke Iwai taking the Floor Ex at 14.033, and Brandon Dang and Karnes going 1-2 on Pommel Horse at 13.500 and 13.267. Argentina’s Daniel Villafane won on Rings at 13.700, with Christopulos sixth at 13.033.

● Rowing ● Great Britain scored three wins in the Olympic classes at the World Rowing World Cup I in Varese (ITA), taking the men’s and women’s Eights, plus a gold for Lauren Henry in the women’s Single Sculls (7:13.54).

Italy took wins in the men’s Quadruple Sculls and by Laura Meriano and Alice Codato in the women’s Pairs (6:54.18).

Simon van Dorp (NED) edged Jacob Plihal of the U.S. in the men’s Single Sculls, 6:43.01 to 6:45.05, and Switzerland won the Double Sculls (6:11.81). New Zealand’s Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor were clear winners in the men’s Pairs (6:17.87), while Australia won the men’s Fours, with the U.S. in fifth place (5:53.51).

China’s Yunxia Chen and Ling Zhang won the women’s Double Sculls (6:43.24), with Katheryn Flynn and Grace Joyce of the U.S. fourth (6:51.42). The Dutch won the women’s Quadruple Sculls (6:20.27), but the American quartet of Camille Vandermeer, Azja Czajkowski, Teal Cohen and Kaitlin Knifton won the Fours in 6:21.50.

The U.S. women’s Eight, which included all of the crew from the winning Four, was second to Britain, 6:01.56 to 6:03.50.

● Shooting ● China dominated the ISSF World Cup for Pistol and Rifle in Munich (GER), winning four events and taking seven total medals.

Kai Hu won the men’s 10 m Air Pistol title, giving him a third straight World Cup gold, after taking the events in Buenos Aires (ARG) and Lima (PER). France’s Jean Quiquampoix, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ, won the 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol.

Russian “neutral” Ilia Marsov and Norway’s Jon-Hermann Hegg traded places in the rifle events, with Marsov winning the 10 m Air Rifle over Hegg and Hegg taking the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions.

The women’s pistol winners included Inder Singh Suruchi (IND) in the 10 m Air Pistol event, beating Olympic silver winner Camille Jedrzejewsji (FRA), and China’s Yujie Sun on the 25 m Pistol final, ahead Paris Olympic champ Ye-jin Oh (KOR). 

The 10 m Air Rifle went to China’s 2024 World Junior Champion Zifei Wang, and Norwegian star Jeanette Hegg Duestad won the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions gold, with American Sagen Maddalena in fourth.

Hu and Qianxun Yao teamed to win China’s fourth gold, in the Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol, while India’s Arya Borse and Arjun Babuta took the Mixed Team 10 m Air Rifle final.

● Skateboard ● At the World Skate Tour: Street in Rome (ITA), Japan’s 2023 World Champion, Sora Shirai was the winner in a tight men’s final battle with countrymen Toa Sasaki – the 2024 World Champion – and Ginwoo Onodera, 188.07 to 187.93 to 187.16.

The women’s final went to Australia’s 2022 Worlds silver medalist, Chloe Covell, at 181.38 in a rout. Second was Funa Nakayama (JPN: 16.00) and Ibuki Matsumoto (JPN: 159.00) finished third.

● Sport Climbing ● Britain’s Erin McNeice, 21, scored a dominating win at the IFSC World Cup in Bouldering in Bern (SUI), winning the final with 99.5 points, easily ahead of American Annie Sanders (84.4) and Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Combined silver medalist Miho Nonaka (84.3). It’s McNeice’s third win of the season and her first in Boulder.

China’s Yufei Pan won his first career World Cup gold, in the men’s Boulder final, scoring 84.2 to edge France’s Mejdi Schalck (84.1), the 2023 Worlds runner-up. Japan’s Sorato Anraku was third (83.7), his fifth straight Boulder World Cup with a medal this season. American Colin Duffy was seventh.

● Swimming ● The Australian Team Trials in Adelaide concluded on Saturday, with the meet producing three world-leading performances:

● Men/50 m Free: 21.30, Cameron McEvoy
● Women/200 m Free: 1:54.43, Mollie O’Callaghan
● Women/200 m Back: 2:04.47, Kaylee McKeown

There were also four more swims now ranked no. 2 in the world for 2025, including Sam Short in the men’s 400 m Free (3:41.03), Lani Pallister in the 200 m Free (1:54.89) and Pallister in the 1,500 m Free (15:39.14, no. 3 performer all-time), plus Alex Perkins in the 50 Fly (25.36).

The on-fire Pallister also won the 800 m Free in a fabulous 8:10.84, moving her to no. 3 all-time, but also no. 3 on the world list for 2025 behind historic swims from Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Canada’s Summer McIntosh.

France scored a 1-2 in the men’s World Aquatics Open Water World Cup III in Setubal (POR), with Rio 2016 Olympic bronzer Marc-Antoine Olivier near the front throughout and then sprinting to the touch in 1:53:28.1 to 1:53:29.8 for Sacha Velly. Germany’s Oliver Klemet won the bronze in 1:53:33.6. Dylan Gravely was the top American, in 12th (1:53:40.2).

Australia’s Moesha Johnson, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, took the women’s 10 km race in 1:53:39.6, clearly ahead of Paris bronze winner Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA: 1:53:41.4) and France’s Carolina Laure Jouisse (1:53:43.1). Brinkleigh Hansen of the U.S. was 20th (1:57:57.4).

In the 3 km Sprint racing (1,500 m-1,000 m-500 m), Hungary’s David Betlehem won the men’s final in 6:12.0 over Logan Fontaine (FRA: 6:12.9), and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto won the women’s final in 6:41.6, over Jouisse (6:43.5).

● Water Polo ● After a 13-12 win over Australia in the opener of a three-game series, the U.S. men’s National Team lost, 13-12, to the Aussies on Wednesday (11th) in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Australia had a 7-6 lead at the half and 12-11 at the end of three, with Luke Pavillard scoring with 4:41 to go for the 13-11 lead, which proved to be the winning goal. Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic each scored four for the U.S.

On Friday at Chapman University in Orange, California, Australia won 14-11, despite four goals each from Daube and Nicolas Saveljic. The U.S. had a 7-5 halftime lead and the game was tied at 9-9 entering the fourth, but the Aussies put up five goals to one for the U.S. to take the victory.

● Wrestling ● The U.S. Freestyle teams for the 2025 UWW World Championships were mostly set at the Final X matches in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, with some familiar names and a shocker among the results.

Paris Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee won the men’s 57 kg final over Penn State frosh Luke Lilledahl, 7-2 and 6-0, while Zahid Valencia, the 2023 Worlds bronzer at 86 kg, defeated four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, 4-1 and 5-3.

Rio 2016 Olympic 97 kg champ Kyle Snyder swept his matches against Hayden Zillmer, 8-0 and 8-2. In the 125 kg class, NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson – who defeated Tokyo Olympic champ Gable Steveson in the NCAA finals this year – defeated Trent Hillger by 10-0 and then 20-14 in a wild second match.

The shocker came at 70 kg, where 2022 Worlds silver winner Yianni Diakomihalis was defeated by Minisink Valley (State Hill, New York) High School senior P.J. Duke, on hi way to Penn State in the fall. Diakomihalis won the first bout by 10-0, but Duke fought back for a 17-10 win in the second. Duke then won by pin in 4:07 in the third match to earn a Worlds team berth.

Four more first-time U.S. Worlds team members won places, with Real Woods (65 kg), David Carr (74 kg), Levi Haines (79 kg) and Trent Hidlay (92 kg) all winning. The 61 kg class final has been postponed to July due to injury.

The women’s team similarly has five veterans and five newcomers. Rio 2016 Olympic champ Helen Maroulis made her 15th U.S. team, this time at 57 kg with two pins of Amanda Martinez. Jacarra Winchester, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, advanced at 59 kg over Abigail Nette, losing the first match, but then winning by 9-7 and 10-0. Paris Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades won at 68 kg with 10-4 and 5-2 wins over Brooklyn Hays. Two-time Worlds medal winner Macey Kilty swept her matches at 65 kg and 2024 Worlds bronzer Kylie Welker defeated Dymond Guilford by 2-1 and 9-1.

Newcomers to the U.S. Worlds team will be Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg, defeating two-time Worlds silver winner Kayla Miracle, 14-8, 3-4, 8-4; Audrey Jimenez (50 kg), Felicity Taylor (53 kg), Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg) and Alexandria Glaude (72 kg). Glaude won by walkover, as Olympic 68 kg champ Amit Elor withdrew.

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ATHLETICS: A home world record of 20-7 1/4 for Duplantis at Stockholm Diamond League, as Benjamin (46.54) beats Warholm amid five world leads!

By
Rich Perelman
-
He did it again! Another world record for Mondo Duplantis (SWE) (Photo: Diamond League AG)

★ 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! ★

≡ STOCKHOLM DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

The Diamond League circuit was in Stockholm (SWE) for the annual Bauhaus Galan, with excellent conditions, clear skies and tremendous performances, including five world leads:

● Men/800 m: 1:41.95, Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN)
● Men/5,000 m: 12:44.27, Andreas Almgren (SWE)
● Men/400 m hurdles: 46.54, Rai Benjamin (USA)
● Men/Vault: 6.28 m (20-7 1/4), Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ World Record
● Women/Vault: 4.82 m (15-9 3/4), Sandi Morris (USA)

The men’s vault was all about Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis, who said in Oslo he was looking for a world record on home soil. It took 6.00 m (19-8 1/4) to shake off the challengers, with Kurtis Marschall (AUS: 5.90 m/19-4 1/4) finishing second and Menno Vloon (NED: 5.80 m/19-0 1/2) in third. Americans Keaton Daniel and two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks were fifth (5.70 m/18-8 1/2) and eighth (4.60 m/18-4 1/2).

Duplantis then moved the bar to a world-record 6.28 m (20-7 1/4) and thrilled his home crowd with a first-attempt clearance to break his own mark of 6.27 m (20-6 3/4) set indoors in France in February. For Duplantis, it’s his 12th world record – the first time in Stockholm – and he’s still just 25!

The meet highlight – beyond Duplantis, of course – was slated to be the men’s 400 m hurdles, with 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA), Paris Olympic champ Rai Benjamin (USA) and Tokyo Olympic champ Karsten Warholm (NOR) lined up in lanes 5-6-7. Warholm had overcome Benjamin in the final meters to get a 300 m world record in Oslo on Friday.

Warholm got out like a shot, as usual, shadowed by Benjamin and dos Santos and they stayed that way into the turn. Benjamin closed in into the straight, took over by the ninth hurdle and rolled in with a world-leading 46.54, the no. 10 performance in history (he has five of the 10).

Dos Santos got past Warholm for second in 46.68, with the Norwegian fading to third in 47.41.

The men’s 800 m featured Kenya’s 800 m Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who has won off of all kinds of pacing and he was being chased again on the final lap. But he remained in front with 200 m to go and could not be caught, finishing in a world-leading 1:41.95, with Algeria’s 2022 Worlds silver star Djamel Sedjati second (1:42.27) and World Indoor champ Josh Hoey of the U.S. getting a lifetime best of 1:42.43 in third, the top three times in the world for 2025. American Record holder Bryce Hoppel was ninth in 1:47.59.

Hoey moved to no. 3 all-time U.S., with the no. 3 performance ever!

Swede Andreas Almgren and Ethiopia’s Kuma Girma led the men’s 5,000 through 3,000 m, then through 4,000 m, with Australian Ky Robinson the closest challenger. Almgren kept pressing and had a big lead at the bell, and rolled home with a spectacular win in an outdoor world lead of 12:44.27! It’s a European record and he’s now no. 11 all-time! His best coming in was 12:50.94. Wow!

Girma followed well back in 12:57.46, then Robinson in 12:58.38. Americans Cole Hocker and Morgan Beadlescomb finished 7-8 in 13:09.36 and 13:13.37.

The women’s in-city pole vault on Saturday was another win for two-time World Indoor champion Sandi Morris of the U.S., who cleared a seasonal best – and world outdoor-leading – 4.82 m (15-9 3/4) on her second try. Swiss Angelica Moser cleared 4.63 m (15-2 1/4) for second; Americans Gabriela Leon (4.53 m/14-10 1/4) and Emily Grove (4.23 m/13-10 1/2) were fourth and sixth.

Lots of attention on the women’s 100 m with Olympic champion Julien Alfred (LCA) running and she delivered a brilliant performance, taking the lead quickly and cruising to a 10.75 win (wind: +0.9 m/s), the no. 2 time in the world this season. Well behind was Britain’s 2019 World 200 m champ Dina Asher-Smith (10.93) and then Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) at 11.00.

The U.S. also got wins in the women’s 400 m, 100 m hurdles and long jump:

Bella Whittaker of the U.S. was looking for a second straight Diamond League win in the women’s 400 m, but 2024 World Indoor silver winner Lieke Klaver (NED) had the lead at 200 m and around the turn. But Whittaker came on in the straight and won in 49.78, repeating the 1-2 finish from Oslo with Henriette Jaeger (NOR) pulling up for second in 50.07. Britain’s Amber Anning passed Klaver, 50.17 to 50.35, for third.

In the 100 m hurdles, a recall resulted in a yellow card for Alaysha Johnson of the U.S. Off the re-start, Olympic fourth-placer Nadine Visser (NED) got to the lead in mid-race, but was passed on the run-in by a surging Grace Stark of the U.S. and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, both Olympic finalists in Paris, in 12.33 and 12.37 (+1.4). Visser ended up third in 12.49 with Devynne Charlton (BAH) fourth in 12.59. Keni Harrison of the U.S. was fifth (12.69) and Johnson was eighth (12.84).

Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall ended the women’s long jump early, with the no. 2 mark in the world – 7.05 m (23-1 3/4) – in the first round. No one got close, with world leader Larissa Iapichino (ITA) reaching 6.90 mw in the third (22-7 3/4w) and Olympic bronze winner Jasmine Moore of the U.S. was third at 6.76 m (22-2 1/4). World Indoor winner Claire Bryant of the U.S. was fifth at 6.74 m (22-1 1/2) and Monae Nichols finished eighth at 6.55 m (21-6).

And there was a lot more:

The men’s 200 m suffered two recalls, but on the third try, Cuba’s Reynier Mena won with a strong home straight effort, in 20.05 (+2.0), for his second straight Diamond League win. Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh made his usual late rush for second (20.32), ahead of Kyree King of the U.S. (20.49).

Slovenia’s 2022 Worlds discus gold medalist Kristjian Ceh is on a roll and won his sixth straight meet, reaching 69.73 m (228-9) in the third round. Tokyo Olympic champ Daniel Stahl (SWE) was closest at 69.53 m (228-1) and Olympic bronzer Matt Denny (AUS) got third at 68.14 m (223-7).

The women’s 800 m was closely bunched with a 58.2 2 first lap, but with American Addy Wiley, 2023 World Champion Mary Moraa and British star Jemma Reekie at the front with 200 m to go. But everyone was close and while Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA) moved well off the turn, it was Olympic 1,500 bronzer Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) who had the most speed on the straight and won in 1:57.66. The next six crossed in 1.2 seconds, with Moraa second (1:57.83), then Sekgodiso (1:58.00). Wiley faded to seventh, but still in 1:58.86.

Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga led the women’s 3,000 m at 2,000 m in 5:40.61, and was battling Ugandan Sarah Chelangat most of the way, but Australia’s Linden Hall had plenty left on the final lap and sailed by both on the way to an 8:30.01 win, with Chelangat at 8:31.27. Nyaga faded to fifth (8:34.79), as Britain’s Innes Fitzgerald (8:32.90) and Hannah Nuttall (8:33.82) passed her in the final 200 m.

World Champion Femke Bol (NED) and Rio 2016 Olympic winner Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. faced off in the 400 m hurdles. Muhammad got off to her usual fast start, but Bol was in front by the fifth hurdle and built her lead. She crossed first with a convincing win in 52.11, second this year only to American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s 52.07 in Miramar in May. Muhammad got a season best of 52.91, followed by Panama’s Gianna Woodruff, in 53.99.

For Muhammad, 35, who said she will retire at the end of the season, it’s her fastest time since 2021!

Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) made her first four jumps in a row to lead in the women’s high jump at 1.99 m (6-6 1/4), along with two-time Olympic silver star Nicola Olyslagers (AUS). Poland’s Maria Zodzik was third at 1.93 m (6-4) and Vashti Cunningham of the U.S. tied for fourth, at 1.91 m (6-3 1/4). At 2.01 m (6-7), Olyslagers cleared and Mahuchikh missed twice, then asked for the bar to go to 2.03 m (6-8) and missed, giving the Australian the win.

The women’s discus was won by Germany’s Tokyo Olympic silver winner Kristin Pudenz with her opening throw of 64.85 m (212-9), over Jorinde van Klinken (NED: 64.33 m/211-0). American Lagi Tausaga, the 2023 World Champion, was eighth at 59.79 m (196-2).

Next up for the Diamond League is the Meeting de Paris, coming quickly on 20 June (Friday), at the Stade Charlety.

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ATHLETICS: Lemngole stuns with world-leading, sub-9 Steeple, as Georgia routs the field in the women’s NCAA Championships

By
Rich Perelman
-
Alabama’s record-setting Steeplechase champion Doris Lemngole (Photo: University of Alabama).

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≡ NCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

The women’s championship day of the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon had sunny skies and 69 F temperatures, in front of an enthusiastic but half-full (maybe) Hayward Field.

Georgia ran away with the team title, clinching the meet after the 400 m hurdles and scoring 73 points to 47 for USC, then Texas A&M (43) and Washington (31).

It’s the first-ever women’s NCAA title for the Bulldogs, but the third career for coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert, who won twice when head coach at USC.

Here’s what happened:

● 4×100 m relay: USC came in as the national leader and Madison Whyte took the race over on the third leg and ran away, passing to Jassani Carter, who ran clear to the line in 42.22, fastest in the nation this year.

South Carolina’s JaMeesia Ford made up a lot of ground on the anchor, but had to settle for second in 42.40, with Jasmine Montgomery bringing Texas A&M up for third in 42.89, with seasonal bests for the top three teams.

● 1,500 m: Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan (IRL), the fastest qualifier, led a tight pack at the bell, with Maggi Congdon (Northern Arizona) close behind. But into the final turn, O’Sullivan was sprinting and she raced away to win in sensational fashion in 4:07.94. Her final 400 m was covered in 58.43.

Congdon was second with 200 to go, but chasing O’Sullivan in the straight, was passed by a flying Margot Appleton (Virginia), 4:08.09 to 4:09.31. O’Sullivan was dead last – 12th – in the final in 2024, and now an NCAA national champion.

● 3,000 m Steeple: How fast would defending champion Doris Lemngole (KEN-Alabama) go? She ran to the front immediately, with only BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry anywhere close.

Those two were way out in front, with Lemngole about 4 m ahead with four laps to go, then Lemngole pushed harder and opened a 20 m edge with three laps left. The top three were decided with two laps left, as Angelina Napoleon (North Carolina State) was also alone in third.

Lemngole was chasing the world lead now, steaming through the final water jump and finishing in a collegiate record and world-leading 8:58.15! She’s the 14th to ever break 9:00 and she’s now no. 11 all-time! Wow!

Halladay-Lowry was a clear second at 9:08.68 – now the American leader and no. 7 all-time U.S. – and then Napoleon got third in 9:16.66. The top seven had lifetime bests.

● 110 m hurdles: National leader Habiba Harris (JAM) of Florida walked off the track prior to the start and did not compete. UCLA’s Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck (BEL) clobbered the first hurdle, fell and didn’t finish.

So out of an even field, Oregon’s Aaliyah McCormick moved to the lead over the eighth hurdle and scored a surprise victory in 12.81 (wind: -0.2 m/s). Texas A&M’s Jaiya Covington emerged for second, barely ahead of Marcia Sey (GBR) of Howard, with both in 12.93.

● 100 m: After a recall, the start was even, and qualifying leader JaMeesia Ford (South Carolina) was in front, but USC’s Samirah Moody came on in the final 10 m and got the win with the lean out of lane three, with both in 11.14 (11.136 to 11.139).

LSU’s Tima Godbless (NGR) got third, also with a good charge over the final 40 m in 11.19. The Trojans went 1-7-8 and scored 13 points in the team race.

● 400 m: Georgia needed points from national leader Aaliyah Butler and no. 3 Dejanea Oakley (JAM). And Butler was out hard, clearly in front at 200 with Arkansas’ Rosey Effiong and Oakley in second and third.

But as Butler ran away to win in a seasonal best of 49.26, Oakley came up to second with 50 m left, in 49.65, lifetime bests for both. Effiong was third at 50.51. Butler remains no. 4 on the world list for 2025, and Oakley is no. 7. And Georgia scored 18 points to take a solid lead in the team race.

● 800 m: National leader Michaela Rose (LSU) was the favorite and got to the front as she prefers, taking the bell in 56.08. BYU’s Meghan Hunter was tracking Rose and took second after the bell and was a meter back at 600 m.

Hunter was challenging into the straight, but coming hardest was Stanford’s Roisin Willis, the 2023 champion, who came from fourth at 700 m, passed Hunter and then Rose and steamed to the line in 1:58.13, a lifetime best and meet record. North Carolina’s Makayla Paige passed a fading Rose and Hunter for second in a lifetime best of 1:58.97. Hunter and Rose settled for 3-4 in 1:59.03 and 1:59.47. Willis moved to no. 9 in the world for 2025.

● 400 m hurdles: The 2023 champ, Savannah Sutherland (CAN), came in as the national leader and destroyed the field. She was leading by the second hurdle and ran the race of her life, winning all alone in 52.46, equaling Dutch star Femke Bol for no. 2 in the world for 2025!

It was also a collegiate record, erasing Sydney McLaughlin’s 52.75 from 2018, from her freshman year at Kentucky.

Behind Sutherland was Akala Garrett of Texas (54.66) and then Georgia’s Michelle Smith in 55.20 for third, clinching the team title!

● 200 m: South Carolina’s Ford and USC’s Whyte were together on the straight and stride-for-stride until the final 3 m, with Ford winning it in 22.21 (+1.6) and Whyte at 22.23. USC’s Dajaz Defrand got third with a strong final 50 m in 22.39.

● 5,000 m: National leader Pamela Kosgei (KEN-New Mexico) already won the 10,000 m, and was near the front, with teammate Marion Jepngetich (KEN), but at a slow pace. With two laps to go, there were at least 10 in contention.

The two Lobos started moving at the bell, with Kosgei pushing into the lead and into a sprint with 200 to go. North Carolina State’s Grace Hartman moved around the turn as did Vera Sjoberg (SWE) of Boston College.

But Kosgei had too much speed and moved away in the final straight to take the 5-10 double in 15:33.96, with a 64.48 last lap. Sjoberg crossed second in 15:34.77 and Stanford’s Sophia Kennedy edged Jepngetich and Hartman at the line, 15:35.08 to 15:35.14 and 15:35.39.

● 4×400 m relay: Georgia had the team title in hand and Oakley handed off first and Michelle Smith had the lead on the second leg and passed into the lead. Sydney Harris had the lead over Duke, Arkansas and USC on the third leg, but it was tight into the straight and Arkansas passed just ahead of the Bulldogs.

It was Effiong for Arkansas and Butler for Georgia, with Butler coming onto the straight and got to the lead with 50 m to go and won in 3:23.62 – fastest in the country – with Butler at 48.79! Effiong ran 49.17 and Arkansas finished in 3:24.25, with Whyte bringing USC in third in 3:26.01.

● High Jump: Elena Kulichenko (CYP) of Georgia, the defending co-champ, sealed the win at 1.96 m (6-5), clearing on her first attempt, her fifth straight make of the day.

That was enough to shake off her co-champion from 2024, Rose Yeboah (GHA-Illinois), who made 1.93 m (6-4), but could go no higher. Jenna Rogers (Nebraska and Alyssa Jones (Stanford) were 3-4 at 1.90 m (6-2 3/4).

● Triple Jump: A&M’s Winny Bii (KEN) – who finished 12th in 2024 – had the lead after three rounds at 13.96 m (45-9 3/4) on her first jump, ahead of San Jose State’s Emilia Sjostrand (SWE) at 13.87 m (45-6 1/4)

And no one could challenge either of them. In fact, Agur Dwol (Oklahoma) and Shantae Foreman (JAM-Clemson) also got their best marks in the first round, at 13.77 m (45-2 1/4) and 13.72 m (45-0 1/4)!

● Discus: Fresno State senior Cierra Jackson, no. 4 in the nation coming in, got a lifetime best of 65.82 m (215-11) in the first round, moved to no. 10 in the world for 2025 and won the event as no one got close. Florida’s Paris Olympian Alida van Daalen (NED) claimed second place in round three and then improved to 64.94 m (213-1) in round five. Shelby Frank of Texas Tech got a lifetime best to take third (63.37 m/207-11).

The final day of the women’s heptathlon saw Oklahoma junior – and 2023 winner – Pippi Lotta Enok (EST) get second in the long jump and fourth in the javelin and pass Notre Dame’s first-day leader, Jadin O’Brien, 5,380 to 5,326, going into the 800 m, with about a four-second lead.

Russian Sofia Iakushina of Texas A&M stood third at 5,164 after six events, with Destiny Masters (Wichita State: 5,111) in fourth.

In the 800 m, Alabama’s Katelyn Adel (SUI) fell after 15 m, and the race was recalled and reset. O’Brien was tracked by Enok and sprinted hard with 200 m to go, but did not get far enough away. O’Brien won the race in 2:12.42, with Enok at 2:14.12. So, Enok scored a lifetime best of 6,285 and O’Brien had to settle for second for the second straight year, at 6,256.

Iakushina was third overall at 6,058 as Masters faded to 10th, still with a lifetime best of 5,763.

Illinois completed a sweep of the wheelchair 100 m title races, as Hannah Dederick won the women’s final in 16.50 (+0.5), defending her title from 2024.

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ATHLETICS: Texas A&M and USC tie for NCAA men’s team title; Tharp goes 13.05, Ezekiel wins in 47.49 and Makarawu rolls in 19.84!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Auburn's NCAA hurdles champion Ja'Kobe Tharp (Photo: Auburn University).

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≡ NCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

The men’s championship day of the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon started in cool, 68-degree temperatures, with scattered clouds, but plenty of hot competition, and the team fight coming down to the 4×400 m relay. The action:

● 4×100 m relay: Defending champion and national leader Auburn got off well and although the passes weren’t perfect, Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) moved into the lead on the back straight and Dario Matau (RSA) extended the lead on the turn. The final pass to Makanakaishe Charanda (ZIM) was a bit of an adventure, but he stormed home in 38.33, well ahead of USC (38.46) and LSU (38.56).

Eight of the nine teams in the final ran under 39 seconds!

● 1,500 m: The pace was slow, but the running started at the bell with Adam Spencer (AUS-Wisconsin) and 2023 winner Nathan Green (Washington) leading and sprinting down the back straight.

Into the straight, Green moved ahead, with North Carolina’s Ethan Strand coming hard from sixth in lane two to challenge, but Green crossed the line with his second title in 3:47.26. It’s the fourth straight win for Washington in the event!

Strand finished in 3:47.33, followed by Ferenc Kovacs (HUN) of Harvard in 3:47.42, with Spencer fourth in 3:47.50.

● 3,000 m Steeple: Team implications in this race with national no. 2 Matthew Kosgei (New Mexico) needing to finish first or second to keep the Lobos in it. Iowa State’s Joash Ruto (KEN) tried to break the race with an attack with 5 1/2 laps to go, but the pack caught up in a lap.

Ruto and national leader Geoffrey Kirwa (KEN-Louisville) led with three laps to go and Kirwa took over with two laps left, and developed into a 5 m lead as he took the bell. Kosgei was out of contention, and U.S. Paris Olympian James Corrigan (BYU) was chasing Kirwa on the back straight. Corrigan got the lead off the final water jump and Corrigan sprinted to the tape in 8:16.41, with Kirwa second in 8:17.12. Kosgei was sixth in 8:23.70, dashing New Mexico’s team hopes.

● 110 m hurdles: Runner-up last year, Auburn’s Ja’Kobe Tharp got out well and took control of the race quickly and ran away from the field to win in 13.05 (wind: +0.1 m/s), a lifetime best and now no. 3 in the world for 2025.

Moving up in the mid-race as the only real challenger was Arizona’s Zachary Extine, who chased Tharp home in 13.13, also a lifetime best. Houston’s John Adesola (RSA) was well back in third at 13.28.

● 100 m: Team implications with Auburn, USC, Tennessee and LSU all with two entries, plus national leader (and NCAA indoor 60 m champ) Jordan Anthony of Arkansas.

Auburn’s Israel Okon (NGR) got into the lead at 20 m and it looked like he would sail away with an upset win, but he faded about 20 m from the finish and it was LSU’s Jelani Watkins coming forward, looking like the winner.

But Anthony was rolling in lane nine and got to the line first with a good lean, in 10.07 (+0.7). USC’s Max Thomas – in lane eight – was chasing Anthony and got second over Watkins, with both at 10.10. Ajayi was fourth for Auburn (10.13), worth another five points for the Tigers; Okon was seventh and scored two points for Auburn.

● 400 m: Alabama’s 2024 runner-up Samuel Ogazi (NGR) was brilliant from the start, taking the lead almost immediately and was unchallenged to the line at 44.84.

Behind him, Gabriel Moronta (DOM-South Florida) edged William Jones of USC for second, 45.47 to 45.53, in an unusually slow race for the NCAA final.

● 800 m: National leader Christian Jackson of Virginia Tech led at the bell, but everyone was close at 51.66. Jackson was passed by Arkansas’ Rivaldo Marshall (JAM) and then Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh on the turn, and he moved away and led into the straight.

Whitmarsh, second last year, was a clear winner in 1:45.84, and Oregon’s Matthew Erickson passed Marshall for second, 1:46.32 and 1:46.71. Arkansas scored seven, as Tyrice Taylor (JAM) was eighth. Jackson faded to seventh in 1:47.42.

● 400 m hurdles: Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel (NGR) ran a sensational 47.86 in the semis, ranking no. 3 in the world for 2025. And off the start, he blasted down the back straight and had the lead into the turn.

He was cruising in front into the straightaway, but was suddenly being pressed by Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott. But Ezekiel pulled away and won going away in 47.49, a lifetime best and now no. 2 in the world for 2025.

Scott scored a huge lifetime best of 48.29 in second – no. 8 in 2025 – followed by a personal best from Kody Blackwood of Texas, in third (48.66). USC’s Johnny Brackins was seventh in 50.15, scoring two points for the Trojans.

● 200 m: This race had lots of team implications and Tennessee’s T’Mars McCallum was off best, but Kentucky’s Carli Makarawu (ZIM) in lane nine got to the lead off the turn – in lane nine – and raced to the line the clear winner in 19.84 (+0.3), equal-second in the world for 2025!

Auburn’s Charanda made a surge in the final 50 m to close in, and was second in 19.92, followed by USC’s Garrett Kaalund (19.96) and then Anthony (20.01). McCallum was fifth in 2016 and USC scored nine points as Thomas was sixth (20.23).

● 5,000 m: Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen was in the lead through 3,000 m in 8:15.82 and the pace picked up with three laps to go. Matt Strangio (Portland) took over with two laps to go, with New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel (ERI) – second in the 10,000 m – shadowing.

Oklahoma State’s Brian Masau (KEN) – fourth last year – took the bell, with Samuel fighting on the back straight and Villanova’s Marco Langon was second, moving up on Masau.

In the straight, Masau had an extra gear and ran away to win in a personal record of 13:20.59 with a 55.77 last lap and 4:01.51 for his last 1,500 m. Samuel moved up late for second in 13:20.89 and Langan finishing third, falling at the finish, in 13:21.17, also a lifetime best.

● 4×400 m relay: USC entered with 40 points and only Arkansas (34) and Texas A&M (33) had an outside chance to take the team title, but only if the Trojans faltered.

A&M had the lead on the second leg once they broke for the pole. The Aggies passed second, but USC was way back in eighth place. Iowa, A&M and national leader South Florida were in front at the second exchange and Florida suddenly took the lead on the backstraight, with A&M chasing, with Auhmad Robinson on anchor.

Robinson got ahead of Florida and it looked like the Aggies might win it, but Moronta brought South Florida home in the final 5 m, winning in 3:00.42. A&M was second in 3:00.73, then Arkansas in 3:01.59. USC was way back, finishing eighth in 3:03.18, but scoring one point.

● High Jump: Seven jumpers cleared 2.20 m (7-2 1/2), but only one went higher: Ole Miss junior Arvesta Troupe, who cleared 2.23 m (7-3 3/4) on his second try, then 2.27 m (7-5 1/4) and that was the winning height, a lifetime best.

Behind him was a tie for second for Texas State teammates Kason O’Riley and Alden Hayes, both at 2.20 m. Kamyren Garrett (Illinois) equaled his all-time best at 2.20 m for fourth.

● Triple Jump: Oklahoma’s SEC champion, Brandon Green Jr. got the early lead at 16.74 m (54-11 1/4) and was first after three rounds. Teammate Floyd Whitaker got into second with a lifetime best of 16.41 m (53-10 1/4) in round three and Florida State’s Kyvon Tatham moved up to third, also in the third round at 16.23 m (53-3).

No one came up to challenge and they finished 1-2-3, but with Green getting out to 16.81 m (55-2) to improve on his final try.

● Discus: Amazing. Cal’s Mykolas Alekna won the Olympic silver in Paris and set a stunning world record earlier in 2025 at 75.56 m (247-11), his second world record toss. But he still had to win an NCAA title, finishing second in 2022 and third in 2023.

And he was in front, from a 66.44 m (218-0) throw in round one. But Jamaica’s Ralford Mullings (Oklahoma) took the lead at 67.60 (222-1) in round three and then improved to 69.31 m (227-4) in the sixth round to wrap up the upset victory. Alekna improved to 66.77 m (219-0) in the round five, but it wasn’t enough. Virginia Tech’s Uladzislau Puchko (BLR) got third at 63.94 m (209-9).

The 4×400 m relay decided the meet, and South Florida’s win at the tape pushed A&M to second and 41 total points. USC also scored 41 with their eighth-place finish and the two tied for the national championship. Arkansas, third in the 4×400, finished with 40 in third place. 

For USC, they swept the indoor and outdoor titles for coach Quincy Watts, the 1992 Olympic 400 m champion – the first that’s been done since 2015 – and won the outdoor title for the first time since 1976.

Also on the program was the collegiate wheelchair 100 m championship, which went to Illinois’ Evan Cornell, in 14.46.

The first day of the women’s heptathlon saw Notre Dame’s Jadin O’Brien win the 100 m hurdles in 13.33 and the shot at 14.44 m (47-4 1/2) to take a six-point lead into the 200 m over Wichita State’s Destiny Masters, the winner of the high jump at 1.84 m (6-0 1/2).

In the 200, O’Brien was fifth in the second section in 24.11 and Masters was seventh in the third section in 25.54. So, O’Brien led with 3,710 points and Oklahoma’s Pippi Lotta Enok (EST) moved into second at 3,685 and Masters slipped to third (3,572).

The final day of the meet– the women’s championship day – is on Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. Pacific time, televised on ESPN2.

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ATHLETICS: Washington’s Hana Moll clears collegiate vault record at NCAA Champs; South Carolina’s Ford steams 10.87 and 21.98 in 100-200 prelims!

By
Rich Perelman
-
NCAA champ and collegiate record holder Hana Moll of Washington (Photo: University of Washington).

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≡ NCAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

Day two of the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon featured the women’s semifinals and six finals, plus the final day of the decathlon for the men. In addition to the expected hot sprint times, the vault was the star attraction.

It took 4.49 m (14-8 3/4) to sort things out, as Washington’s 2024 NCAA Indoor champ Hana Moll took the lead with a first-try clearance. Defending champ Chloe Timberg of Rutgers and twin sister Amanda Moll – no. 2 in the world for 2025 – also cleared, on their third tries, and they ended as the top three.

At 4.59 m (15-0 3/4), Hana cleared again on her first try, while Amanda missed all three and settled for third. Timberg missed once, but moved up to 4.64 m (15-2 3/4) to try and take the lead, but missed twice and finished second. Now the winner, Hana Moll moved up to 4.79 m (15-8 1/2) to try and move to no. 2 worldwide … and got it on her third attempt!

That was a lifetime best and the collegiate record, barely brushing the bar, and the sisters are now 2-3 in the world this year! Pretty good after Hana barely survived her second height, 4.39 m (14-4 3/4), with a third-try clearance.

The only women’s running final was the 10,000 m, with North Carolina State’s Grace Hartman – a 3,000-5,000 m NCAA indoor scorer – pulling the field through 5,000 m in 15:38, ahead of frosh Pamela Kosgei (KEN-New Mexico) and Oregon’s Diana Cherotich (KEN).

Cherotich stepped off after 5,800 m and Kosgei took over past Hartman at 6,100 m and had a 25 m lead by the 6,400 mark, off a 72.6 lap. Kosgei took the bell about 70 m in front and crossed the line with a lifetime best and meet record of 31:17.82, adding to the New Mexico 1-2 in the men’s 10. Hartman, eighth in 2024, stayed consistent and was a clear second in 31:32.15, with Joy Naukot (KEN-West Virginia) also getting a lifetime best in third in 31:34.34.

There was lots of hot action in the qualifying:

● 4×100 m semis: Semi one saw Texas passed first onto the anchor, but was passed by national no. 2 Florida State with 50 m to go and won in 42.93. Then TCU came up in the final 10 m to get second, 42.97 to 43.01. National leader USC had some sloppy passing, but was an easy winner in semi two in 42.13, with Georgia second in 43.13, but later disqualified for a bad pass; LSU (43.30) was advanced into second.

Semi three had Baylor out early, but South Carolina blasted away on the last two legs to win in a season-best 42.55, but Texas A&M’s Jasmine Montgomery moved from fourth to second on the anchor to get second in 42.58.

● 1,500 m semis: A slow start meant a bunched field at the bell in semi one, with North Arizona’s Maggi Congdon taking charge over the final 200 m to win in 4:11.04. Margot Appleton (Virginia) and Oregon’s Silan Ayyildiz (TUR) were 2-3 in 4:11.64 and 4:11.65.

Washington’s Sophie O’Sullivan (IRL) rolled into the lead off the final turn and won semi two in 4:09.39, ahead of Oregon’s Mia Barnett (4:09.61) and Polish Olympian  teammate Klaudia Kazimierka (4:09.94).

● 3,000 m Steeple semis: Defending champion Doris Lemngole (KEN-Alabama) broke away with four laps to go and cruised to the semi one win in 9:26.44, the fastest semi ever. Michigan State’s Katelyn Stewart-Barnett (CAN) won a three-way race for second in 9:37.81.

North Carolina State’s Angelina Napoleon and Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) ran together at the front of semi two and finished 1-2 in 9:36.19 and 9:36.24.

● 100 m Hurdles semis: Belgian star Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck of UCLA was out fast and was not challenged in semi one and got a lifetime best of 12.71 (wind: +1.5 m/s), well ahead of Ana-Liese Torian (Auburn) in 12.88.

Oregon’s Aaliyah McCormick pulled away from the field in semi two in the last half of the race and won in 12.76 (+1.0), well clear of Texas’ Akala Garrett (12.93). National leader Habiba Harris (JAM-Florida: 12.84 [0.0]) got to the front by mid-race and she held on at the finish against Jaiya Covington (Texas A&M: 12.93).

● 100 m semis: A first-semi shocker as Florida’s Anthaya Charlton (BAH) ran away in the second half and scored a lifetime best – and national leader – in 10.87 (+1.4). USC’s Samirah Moody was close at 10.93, but TCU star Indya Mayberry was fifth in 11.24.

Semi two had incoming national leader Tima Godbless of LSU, and she got off best in lane three, but was edged at the line by Ohio State’s Leah Bertrand, with both running 10.91w (+2.2). With flying bright red hair, South Carolina’s 200 m star, JaMeesia Ford, stormed to a win in semi three, in 10.87 (+1.6), equaling Charlton’s time and taking a big 0.19 off her lifetime best!

Both are now no. 2 on the 2025 world list! USC’s Dajaz Defrand came up late to challenge and was second in 10.93.

● 400 m semis: World no. 4, national leader Aaliyah Butler (Georgia) was strong from the start and pulled away from Arkansas’ Rosey Effiong, 50.16 to 50.49. LSU’s Ella Onojuvwevwo (NGR) ran away from Arkansas’ Kaylyn Brown on the home straight to win semi two in 50.31, with Brown at 50.91.

Georgia’s Dejanea Oakley (JAM) ran away down the straight with semi three at 50.18, with Iowa State senior Rachel Joseph second in 50.77.

● 800 m semis: The 2023 winner, LSU’s Michaela Rose got to the lead right away and stayed there, going wire-to-wire, winning in 1:58.95, taking down the 1990 meet record of Suzy Favor (Wisconsin: 1:59.11). Duke’s Lauren Tolbert got a lifetime best of 1:59.39 in second.

BYU’s Meghan Hunter took control of semi two with 200 m to go and had the lead until the final 2 m, when she was passed by Makayla Paige (North Carolina), 1:59.92 to 1:59.96. Roisin Willis of Stanford, the 2024 runner-up, led at the bell, and ran away down the straight, winning in 2:00.33. Indiana’s Veronica Hargrave from fourth to second and was an automatic qualifier in 2:01.54.

● 400 m hurdles semis: The 2023 winner, Canadian Savannah Sutherland (Michigan), rolled over the field, winning by almost 40 m in 54.13, with Allyria McBride of Vanderbilt second in 56.26. Georgia frosh Michelle Smith took charge of semi two after the seventh hurdle and won in 55.65, with TCU’s Amelliah Birdow getting second at the line in 56.44.

Akayla Garrett of Texas came back from the 100 m hurdles to win semi three in 55.07, with Sanaa Hebron (Miami) moving into second in the final 20 m, and getting second at 55.73.

● 200 m semis: USC’s Madison Whyte took control off the turn and won semi one in 22.44 (-0.5), with Jayla Jamison (South Carolina) edging LSU’s Godbless, 22.54 to 22.59. Texas A&M’s Montgomery won semi two in 22.36, taking control into the straight and hanging on. Texas’ Keondra Davis got second with a lifetime best of 22.45.

South Carolina’s Ford, the national leader, got going right away and ran away from the field in 21.98 (+0.9), a lifetime best and fastest in the nation this year and now no. 3 in the world for 2025. USC’s Defrand also got a lifetime best, at 22.20 for second to move on to the final.

● 4×400 m semis: Collegiate record holder Arkansas passed first in semi one, but Michigan’s Sutherland was almost even after a 50.71 second leg. Tennessee gained a small lead at the final exchange, but Effiong took over (49.46) and the Razorbacks won easily in 3:26.08. Duke was second in 3:28.98 and Tennessee in third (3:32.03); Michigan faded to sixth (3:33.75).

LSU’s Rose ran into the lead on the second leg of the second semi, and had a 3 m lead at the exchange. South Carolina’s Sylvia Chelangat (KEN: 53.56) took the lead into the straight and then Ford took over, even with LSU and Auburn. Ford took over and broke away on the straight to win in 3:27.95. But the fight for second saw Texas A&M move up hard on the straight to get second (3:29.00) and UCLA in third (3:29.63).

Semi three had Georgia’s Butler (49.96!) taking the pole on the second leg and opening a 5 m lead on USC at the second exchange. The Bulldogs passed with a 3 m lead on Iowa at the final exchange, but it got tight into the final straight, with Georgia’s Oakley (51.20) staying steady to win in 3:26.89. USC’s Whyte ran down Iowa in the last 40 m to get second in 3:27.31.

The four remaining field-event finals:

● Long Jump: Stanford’s Alyssa Jones, third in 2024, popped into the lead right away at 6.70 m (21-11 3/4) in the first round and it looked like it might stand up. But Synclair Savage of Louisville – ranked seventh coming in – found the board and a lifetime best in the final round at 6.72 m (22-0 3/4) to steal the title!

National leader Alexis Brown of Baylor finished third at 6.63 m (21-9).

● Shot Put: Senior Mya Lesner of Colorado State, the national leader, was the only one to reach 19 m in the prelims, leading at 19.01 m (62-4 1/2) and no else could get close.

Illinois senior Abria Smith managed 18.85 m (61-10 1/4) for second and Nina Ndubuisi (GER-Texas) got third at 18.50 m (60-8 1/2).

● Hammer: Georgia’s 2023 champion Stephanie Ratcliffe (AUS), the SEC runner-up, got a seasonal best and the collegiate leader with her 71.37 m (234-2) throw in round four and that was enough to win. Shelby Frank of Texas Tech moved into second in the fifth round at 71.05 m (233-1).

● Javelin: Georgia’s Manuela Rotundo (URU) got the lead in round two at 60.35 m (198-0) and held on, until round six. That’s when Valentina Barrios Bornacelli (COL-Missouri) arched a lifetime best of 62.00 m (203-5) to win, as Rotundo could not match her as the final thrower. TCU’s Ireme Jepkemboi (KEN) got third with a lifetime best of 60.31 m (197-10).

The decathlon was all about Payton Bair, the Mississippi State junior, who was way out in front after the first day and stayed that way. He was fifth in the 110 m hurdles (14.27) and fourth in the javelin to enter the 1,500 m with a 426-point lead over Louisville frosh Kenneth Byrd.

Bair finished 10th in the 1,500 m in 4:35.69 and finished with a lifetime best of 8,363, best in the nation in 2025. Brad Thomas of UCSB held on to second, scoring 7,888, with Kansas State’s Emil Uhlin (SWE) getting a lifetime best of 7,859. Byrd finished fourth at 7,842.

Friday’s men’s championship day will start at 5 p.m. Pacific time, on ESPN.

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ATHLETICS: Grand Slam Track cancels final 2025 meet at UCLA, but second season eyed for 2026

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ GRAND SLAM TRACK ≡

/Updated/American Olympic sprint icon Michael Johnson’s great experiment with a high-profile, four-meet season – Grand Slam Track – has been cut short for 2025 with multiple reports of the cancellation of the fourth and final meet of the season, scheduled for 28-29 June at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

A BBC report said “Grand Slam Track (GST) is set to announce new investors to help fund its second season.”

The “Los Angeles Slam” was still listed, with ticket sales continuing as of 1:30 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday (12 June). The first three meets saw increasing interest from fans:

● I: 4-6 April in Kingston, Jamaica: Modest attendance all three days at the 35,000-seat National Stadium, but better on Saturday (10,000?) and Sunday than on Friday.

● II: 2-4 May in Miramar, Florida: Grand Slam Track claimed a sell-out, and the stands were mostly full at the 5,000-seat Ansin Sports Complex.

● III: 31 May-1 June in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Here was proof of concept at least at historic Franklin Field, with perhaps 18,000 filling the lower level of the home straight and most of the back straight in a 53,000-seat stadium. Condensing the meet from three days to two helped and the crowd was loud and enthusiastic.

However, television audiences in the U.S. were modest on The CW:

● 5 April (Sat.) in Kingston: 246,000
● 6 April (Sun.) in Kingston: 241,000

● 3 May (Sat.) in Miramar: 250,000
● 4 May (Sun.) in Miramar: 248,000

● 31 May (Sat.) in Philadelphia: 238,000
● 01 June (Sun.) in Philadelphia: 211,000

No figures were available from NBC’s streaming service Peacock, which are generally significantly less than broadcast.

The fourth meet at UCLA was in the notoriously hard-to-sell Los Angeles market, where the USA Track & Field-sponsored L.A. Grand Prix had sold just 2,600 tickets in 2023 and 2,200 in 2024 for one-day, nationally-televised meets.

/Update/Grand Slam Track confirmed the decision late on Thursday, with Johnson saying in a statement:

“The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season, and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond.

“We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far, delivering amazing races to a rabid fan base. As we’ve said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren’t comfortable, but what’s most important is the future and sustainability of the league.”

“The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world’s premier track league. Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition that we have become known for in our debut year.

“We are in conversations with potential host cities – many of whom have already thrown their names in the hat – to build out an exciting calendar of events for our fans across the globe. We are committed to calling Los Angeles home, and look forward to hosting a Slam in LA as part of the 2026 season.”

The circuit paid appearance fees to all competitors by contract, either for a season (“Races”) or single meets (“Challengers”) and in each of the 12 event groups, the eight competitors received $100,000-50,000-30,000-25,000-20,000-15,000-12,500-10,000 from first to eighth.

Now, Johnson will need to regroup and try to come back for 2026, but will need more promotion and a better fit of venues, schedule and athletes. The three meets held generated a lot of interest in the sport; Olympic 100 m champ Noah Lyles said on a podcast at the end of May:

“There might be a time maybe next year I’ll join, you know, who knows? I’m very open, I’m trying to stay very open ‘cause again, like I said, this is the first thing we’ve ever had [close] to a track and field league, and I would truly like to see it succeed.”

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ATHLETICS Young brilliant with 12:45.27 U.S. 5,000 record in Oslo, while Warholm gets 300 m hurdles world record at 32.67

By
Rich Perelman
-
American distance star Nico Young (Photo: Grand Slam Track).

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≡ BISLETT GAMES ≡

Quite a day in Oslo (NOR) for the famed Bislett Games, the latest stop on the Diamond League circuit and one with brilliant performances, including five world  outdoor leaders … and a world record:

● Men/5,000 m: 12:45.27, Nico Young (USA) ~ American Record
● Men/300 m hurdles: 32.67, Karsten Warholm (NOR) ~ World Record
● Men/Vault: 6.15 m (20-2), Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
● Women/Steeple: 9:02.60, Faith Cherotich (KEN)
● Women/10,000 m: 30:28.82, Yenawa Kefale Nbret (ETH)

The men’s 5,000 m was billed at a world-record attempt, after Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) set the meet record in 2024 at 12:36.73, making him the no. 2 performer in history. Countryman Yomif Kejelcha, the two-time World Indoor 3,000 m champ, was in charge after the pacesetters left after 2,000 m, and he and Kuma Girma established a lead at 3,000 m in 7:42.09. Girma led four Ethiopians at the front at 3,600 m, with Biniam Mehary in second, then Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet.

Suddenly, Britain’s George Mills rolled up to the front by 4,000 m, with American Nico Young up to fourth by 4,400 m. Mills took the bell and he and Young were 1-2 with 200m left, with Young taking the lead around the final turn and Mehary into second onto the home straight. And Young finished the job with a breakthrough Diamond League stunner in an outdoor world-leading, American Record and lifetime best 12:45.27, ahead of Mehary (12:45.93 lifetime best), Girma (12:46.61 lifetime best), Mills (12:46.59 lifetime best and national record) and Gebrhiwet (12:46.82).

Young’s time moves to no. 12 on the all-time list and is an American Record outdoors, better than Grant Fisher’s 12:46.96 from 2022. Fisher ran a world indoor record 12:44.09 in February. By the way, Young is 22. Fellow Americans Graham Blanks finished seventh in a lifetime best 12:48,20, and Cooper Teare was 13th in 12:57.05.

The final event, the men’s 300 m hurdles, was a clear world-record attempt with the Paris Olympic podium back: gold winner Rai Benjamin of the U.S., home favorite Karsten Warholm – the world-record holder at 33.05 from the Xiamen Diamond League meet – and 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA) lined up lanes 5-6-7.

Benjamin was out well and led into the straight, but Warholm flew past on the run-in and sprinted to a world record 32.67, with Benjamin a clear second in 33.22, then dos Santos (33.38) and Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba, the 2019 Worlds bronze medalist, at 33.84. American Trevor Bassitt was seventh in 34.65.

In the men’s vault, only world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and Greece’s Olympic bronze winner Emmanouil Karalius able to clear 5.82 m (19-1), with Kurtis Marschall (AUS) and France’s 2012 Olympic winner Renaud Lavillenie getting over 5.72 m (18-9 1/4) to finish 3-4. Duplantis won at 5.92 m (19-5), as Karalis missed and then went to 6.03 m (19-9 1/4), clearing on his third try.

Duplantis then cleared 6.15 m (20-2) on his second try and thought about going for 6.22 m (20-4 3/4), but retired instead, with the world outdoor lead.

The first world lead of the meet came on Wednesday with the women’s 10,000 m, and a 30:28.82 win for Nbret, 18, who had only run the distance on the road, with a best of 30:38 from 2024. She finished clear of Kenyan Miriam Chebet (32:30.90) and Chaltu Dida (ETH: 30:33.86).

Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (BRN) and bronze winner Faith Cherotich (KEN) headlined the women’s Steeple, and Cerhotich had the lead over Yavi at 2,000 m. By the bell, those two and Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani were ahead of the field, and Yavi got up for the lead after the final water jump. But Cherotich was equal and steamed home to win in a world-leading 9:02.60 to 9:02.76, with Bouzayani third in 9:06.84.

Courtney Wayment of the U.S. was sixth in 9:13.65, with Gabi Jennings and Val Constien in 8-9 at 9:20.85 and 9:32.87. Olivia Markezich was 11th (9:36.92).

The rest of the meet was pretty good too:

Cuban star Reynier Mena surprised a good field in the men’s 200 m, leading around the turn and fighting off challenges from Tokyo Olympic winner Andre De Grasse and unexpected Swiss Timothe Memunthaler from lane eight, winning in 20.20 (+1.5 m/s), with Mumenthaler second in a lifetime best of 20.27, then de Grasse in 20.33. Americans Vernon Norwood and Kyree King were 7-8 in 20.67 and 20.79.

The men’s 800 m had three entries with bests in the 1:41s, and Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) settling behind the pacer, with the bell taken in a fast 49.79. Wanyonyi would not be denied and won from the front in 1:42.78, a seasonal best, ahead of Mohamed Attaoui (ESP: 1:42.90), who passed Olympic bronze winner Djamel Sedjati (ALG: 1:43.06) on the straight for second.

The pacesetters for the men’s mile led through splits of 55.7, 1:53.1 and 2:52.5, then it was a sprint, with Isaac Nader (POR) getting to the line in 3:48.25, a national record, ahead of Cam Myers (AUS: 3:48.87) and Stefan Nillessen (NED), who just edged 2019 World 1,500 m champ Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 3:49.02 to 3:49.06. American Vince Ciattei was eighth in 3:49.37.

Jamaica’s Jordan Scott, a Paris Olympian, ended the men’s triple jump in the first round, taking the lead at 17.34 m (56-10 3/4) and no one got close. Tokyo Olympic champ Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR) came closest at 17.06 m (55-11 3/4) in round two, but they were the only one to clear 17 m. American Russell Robinson was eighth at 16.50 m (54-1 3/4).

Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg (CAN) showed he’s still on top, winning Wednesday’s hammer throw at 80.19 m (263-1) from the third round, ahead of Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR: 79.95 m/262-3), who got close in the sixth round.

There was a lot of interest in the women’s 100 m, with Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA) running the distance for the first time in 2025. She did not disappoint, getting out well, and winning a convincing victory in 10.89 (+1.1), moving to no. 2 in the world in 2025. Olympic 100 finalist Marie-Josee La Tou-Smith was second by mid-race and stayed there in 11.00m a season’s best, with 2019 World 200 m champ Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) a clear third in 11.08.

World Indoor champ Amber Anning (GBR) had the early lead in the women’s 400 m, but Dutch star Lieke Klaver and Norway’s Henriette Jaeger took the lead on the turn, with American Bella Whittaker chasing. Down the stretch, it was Whittaker with the speed, winning in 49.58, with Jaeger diving for second at 49.62 for a national record! Anning was a clear third at 50.24.

in the 400 m hurdles, Rio 2016 Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. said that she will retire at the end of the year, but she showed no signs of slowing down, leading wire-to-wire here and winning in 53.34, season’s best. She was challenged early by Norway’s Amalie Iuel, but it was Emma Zapletalova (SVK) who was a clear second off the turn, and finished in 54.44. Heptathlon star Anna Hall of the U.S. suffered a fall on hurdle 10 and was eighth in 1:08.99.

Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, the 2025 World Indoor winner, had only one good jump, but her 14.72 m (48-3 1/2) in the third round was good enough to win. Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore of the U.S. got untracked in round five and reached 14.41 m (47-3 1/2), but was passed by Olympic silver winner Shanieka Ricketts (JAM) in round six, at 14.57 m (47-9 3/4), with Moore slipping to third. Olympic champ Thea Lafond (DMA) finished fifth at 14.26 m (46-9 1/2).

Olympic women’s javelin champ Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) often leaves her best for the late rounds and she did it again, taking the lead in round five with a seasonal best of 64.63 m (212-0) to move ahead of Adriana Vilagos (SRB: 63/78 m/209-3). Olympic silver winner Jo-Ane du Plessis (RSA) was the first-round leader at 62.77 m (205-11), but could not improve.

The fast Diamond League June schedule continues with the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm (SWE) on Sunday the 15th, followed by the Meeting de Paris on the 20th.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. Metro request for $3.2 billion in Federal transportation funding help comes up empty in FY26 budget proposal

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ NO OLYMPIC MONEY IN BUDGET ≡

A 59-page “highlights” summary of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation outlined $147.1 billion in spending for the new budget year that begins on October 1, 2025.

There was no mention of any spending request for assistance to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, despite a highly-publicized ask for $3.2 billion from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

On Wednesday, Metro confirmed to The Sports Examiner:

“In response to your inquiry the President’s budget doesn’t include mobility-related funding recommendations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Consistent with Metro’s Board-approved 2025 Federal Legislative Program, we continue to advocate – with both Congress and the Executive Branch – for federal transportation funding to be provided for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games – in the FY2026 transportation spending bills that will be considered by Congress in the coming months.”

That’s bad news for Metro, but was telegraphed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in his 14 May testimony; responding to a direct question about FIFA World Cup 2026, the 2027 NFL Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic Games by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino), Duffy replied:

“I haven’t looked at the funding levels and what’s appropriate from the department’s
perspective but I want to make sure we have enough resources to make sure it’s seamless and I’d love to work with you if you have some ideas.”

Aguilar pressed for a commitment to $500 million, but Duffy said he’d be happy to chat later.

This is the second straight Transportation Department budget with no Olympic support for Metro; a $200 million request from the Senate for the FY25 budget did not make it into the final spending bill.

So, Metro is left to try and lobby Congress and the Trump Administration to try and add some money in during the legislative process over the summer. And both Metro and the LA28 organizing committee expect Federal assistance.

● Metro’s request for $3.2 billion included three areas identified in December 2022 as “Specific Games delivery need” items: the Supplemental Bus System, Countywide Mobility Hubs and Games Route Network Design and Implementation. Those three area were estimated to cost $755 million then, but the estimate for the same projects in May 2025 had risen to $2.306 billion based on the current “order of magnitude” estimates:

● $2,015.5 billion: Games Enhanced Transit System (buses)
● $80.0 million: Metro Mobility Hubs
● $210.9 million: Games Route Network

A note at the end of a 14 May 2025 report attachment memo, “Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS) Workstream Update,” stated that Metro has to get the money to operate its Olympic Games system from somewhere:

“Building upon the precedent set in the Games Agreements between LA28 and venue cities, where LA28 commits to reimbursing for increased municipal services, Metro is pursuing a reimbursement agreement for the Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS). This additional service represents a financial burden for Metro that would not otherwise be needed if not for the 2028 Games. This agreement will be part of the MOU that is executed between Metro and LA28.”

● In the meantime, LA28 also expects Federal assistance. At the 5 June news conference at the end of the sixth International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission meeting in Los Angeles, LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman’s reply to a question about transportation included:

“[W]we are very clear that [the free-flowing transit during the 1984 Olympic Games] was a great experience and we’ll do our best to replicate that. We feel very confident in the plan.

“Obviously, L.A. has invested unto itself a lot in infrastructure here, in transportation infrastructure, far more than existing in ‘84, and that, combined with the support of the Federal government around our transportation delivery, we feel very confident that it will be a different version of the success we had in ‘84 in terms of ingress and egress and access and experience when it comes to transportation.”

There is precedent for Federal support for transportation to support Olympic and Paralympic Games operations in host cities. According to a Government Accounting Office report in 2000:

● For Los Angeles 1984, no Federal money was sought or received for transportation support. Federal spending was centered on $45 million (1984 dollars) spent for security and safety services.

● For Atlanta 1996 (1999 dollars shown, original amounts were less):

“According to DOT officials, during the 1996 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Atlanta, an estimated 11 million spectators made an estimated 25 million transit trips on a transportation system that was principally funded and supported by the federal government.

“Specifically, DOT provided approximately $17 million to state and local transit and transit planning agencies to pay for the delivery, operation, and return of the 1,500 buses, which were borrowed from communities throughout the United States. These buses were used as the principal transportation system for Olympic spectators and Paralympic athletes. The local transit agencies allocated and used about $11 million for the regular Olympic Games and about $6 million for the Paralympics Games.”

The Federal government also spent about $1 million to provide 1,000 military service members as drivers, and $1.6 million was spent for highway signage by the Dept. of Transportation.

Three transit projects already being built in the Atlanta area with Federal funds were accelerated, with $114 million in spending.

● For Salt Lake City 2002:

Existing highway and mass transit projects were accelerated with an estimated $998 million in funding and $20 million to build two access roads for Games use.

In terms of spectator transportation assistance:

“As of April 2000, the federal government planned to provide about $77 million to assist with providing spectator transportation to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and to help enhance the access or use of venues for the Games.

“Specifically, federal transit officials plan to request $47 million in federal funding and support from Congress for a spectator transportation system, park and ride lots, and other infrastructure improvements associated with the 2002 Winter Olympics. As of April 2000, DOT had provided about $3 million for the spectator transportation system.

“Although the planned Olympic transportation system is to principally consist of borrowed transit buses, which was the case for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Salt Lake City system is estimated to cost 5 times as much.

“In total, SLOC plans to request about $91 million from the federal government for the spectator transportation system to be used during the Games. This funding would be used to pay for transporting the borrowed buses to and from Salt Lake City, additional bus drivers, bus maintenance, construction and operation of park and ride lots, and loading and unloading facilities that are planned to service four of the Olympic venues located in rural, difficult-to-reach areas.”

The $77 million figure included the $47 million request for spectator transit, the $20 million for access roads and $10 million for transportation plan development. A 2001 update showed a planned total cost of $48.5 million (in 2001 dollars) for spectator transportation system costs.

There was no follow-up GAO report on actual spending for the 2002 Winter Games. Obviously, however, the amounts being requested by Metro for 2028 are far, far more than what was provided from Washington for 1996 or 2002.

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SWIMMING: Canada’s McIntosh gets third world record in five days by smashing own 400 m Medley mark with 4:23.65

By
Rich Perelman
-
Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh (Photo: Canadian Swimming).

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≡ SUMMER McINTOSH ON FIRE ≡

She did it again: Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh broke a third world record at the Canadian Team Trials in Victoria, British Columbia on Wednesday, crushing her own 2024 mark in the women’s 400 m Medley with a 4:23.65 victory.

Her own record was 4:24.38. So, in the first five days of the meet, McIntosh:

● 7 June: won the 400 m Free in a world record 3:54.18
● 8 June: won the 800 m Free in 8:05.07, moving to no. 2 all-time
● 9 June: won the 200 m Medley in a world record 2:05.70
● 10 June: won the 200 m Fly in 2:02.26, the no. 2 performance ever
● 11 June: won the 400 m Medley in a world record 4:23.65

She did not contest the 200 m Backstroke on Wednesday, concentrating on the Medley. She said in her deck-side interview after her third record swim:

“Going into tonight, I knew I could do something really special because this has probably been the best meet of my career.

“World records are made to be broken. So by the time I leave this sport, I want to make sure that that record is as fast as possible.

“That really keeps me going, because I know there’s always going to be the next generation of kids growing up, and they’re going to be chasing the record. So I’ve got to give them my best effort to see how long it can stand.”

She decided to skip Thursday’s 200 m Freestyle, ending the meet with three records and five finals swims, all among the top three times in history!

McIntosh is believed to be the first since American star Michael Phelps to set three individual world records in a single meet; he set marks in four events – the 200 m Free, 200 m Fly, 200 m Medley and 400 m Medley – at the 2008 Olympic Games on the way to five individual wins and eight total golds, including relays.

Looking ahead to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore at the end of next month, McIntosh is expected to contest five events. The 200 and 400 m Medleys, 200 m Fly and 400 m Frees appear to be certainties and a fifth event would likely be the 800 m Free.

At the Paris Olympic Games, she won golds in the 200 m Fly, and the 200 and 400 m Medleys and a silver in the 400 m Free.

By the way, she’ll turn 19 in August.

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ATHLETICS: Baylor’s Ezekiel runs 47.86 to star on day one of NCAA Champs in Eugene, as New Mexico gets its needed 1-2 in the 10,000 m

By
Rich Perelman
-
Baylor 400 m hurdles star Nathaniel Ezekiel (Photo: Baylor University)

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≡ NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

The first of four days of the 103rd NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships got going at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with men’s semifinals and finals, in good, bright conditions when the meet began at 4 p.m.

The team title chances of New Mexico depended on the 10,000 m final, with a possible 1-2 with collegiate record holder Ishmael Kipkirui (KEN) and defending champion Habtom Samuel (ERI).

Through 8,000 m, Kipkirui and Samuel were fourth and eighth, with Tulane freshman Bernard Cheruiyot leading a huge pack still in contention. Samuel moved up with three laps to go, with Kipkirui fourth, then Alabama’s Dennis Kipruto taking the lead with two laps left.

At the bell, Washington State’s Evans Kirui (KEN) had the lead, but Texas Tech’s Ernest Cheruiyot (KEN) taking the lead with a full sprint, with Kipkirui chasing.

The tactics worked, as Kipkirui got to the front and sprinted away to win in a runaway in 29:07.70, with a 53.4 final lap! Samuel moved into second past Cheruiyot and got the 1-2 New Mexico needed, in 29:08.73, ahead of Ernest Cheruiyot (29:10.37). Not fast, but it’s the team points that count most.

In the qualifying:

● 4×100 m semis: Defending champion Auburn won semi three and took the national lead at 37.97, equaling the meet record! South Florida, which had run 38.05, won semi two at 38.12 over LSU (38.14). Heat one winner Tennessee had only the fifth-fastest time overall at 38.47.

● 1,500 m semis: Collegiate record holder and national leader Liam Murphy of Villanova was only sixth in heat one at the end of an all-out mass sprint off a super-slow pace, in 3:52.44, while Bradley senior Jack Crull won in 3:51.96. Wisconsin’s Adam Spencer (AUS) made a final rush down the home straight to win semi two in 3:41.67, and the faster pace eliminated Murphy.

● 3,000 m Steeple semis: National leader Geoffrey Kirma (KEN) of Louisville broke up the race in the second half and then jogged in in third place in 8:31.42 as Kristian Imroth (GBR-Eastern Kentucky) won semi one in 8:30.65, followed by Mathew Kosgei (KEN-New Mexico) in 8:31.14. Iowa State’s Joash Ruto (KEN) pushed the pace in semi two and ended up winning in a fast 8:22.94, followed by Furman senior Carson Williams (8:24.33 lifetime best), with Paris Olympian James Corrigan of BYU an easy qualifier in 8:24.97.

● 110 m hurdles semis: Semi one saw Florida’s Demaris Waters and then Texas A&M star Ja’Qualon Scott disqualified for false starts. On the third try, it was Baylor frosh Demario Prince (JAM) who ran away late to win in 13.27 (+0.8 m/s), over John Adesola (RSA) of Houston (13.43). Favored Ja’Kobe Tharp (Auburn), the 2024 runner-up, was a clean winner in semi two in 13.15 (+1.1), ahead of a lifetime best of 13.29 from LSU junior Jahiem Stern (JAM). 

Co-national leader Kendrick Smallwood of Texas won semi three in 13.26 in a close rush to the line against Zachary Extine (Arizona: 13.32).

● 100 m semis: Tennessee’s T’Mars McCallum emerged late in semi one to win in 10.03, ahead of USC’s Max Thomas (10.09) with just 0.1 m/s wind assistance. In semi two, national leader Abdul-Rasheed Siminu (GHA-South Florida) was anything but impressive as the field was close for most of the race. LSU’s Jelani Watkins surged in the final 15 m to win in 10.02, with Israel Okon (NGR-Auburn) getting second (10.07) and Siminu was fourth in 10.11 … and did not qualify for the final.

Semi three had SEC champion Jordan Anthony of Arkansas, but Auburn’s Kayinsola Ajayi (NGR) took over by 50 m and won in a lifetime best of 9.92 (+1.6)! Jaiden Reid of LSU got second in 10.02, with Anthony fading to fourth in 10.06, but he did qualify on time.

● 400 m semis: Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi (NGR), second last year, had the lead at 200 m in semi one, and cruised in, timing 44.77. Texas Tech’s DeSean Boyce (BAR) moved well in the final 60 m for second in 45.15.

UCLA’s Gabriel Clement led off the final turn of semi two, but was passed by Gabriel Moronta (DOM-South Florida: 45.10) and William Jones (USC: 45.12). Clement got a lifetime best of 45.35 in third and qualified on time for the final.

Semi three had Joseph Taylor of Duke coming into the lead around the final turn, and held on over Jayden Davis (Arizona State), 45.10 to 45.44, with early leader Nathan Kent (Navy) coming in third in a non-qualifying 45.46.

● 800 m semis: Oregon’s Matthew Erickson (CAN-Oregon), the NCAA Indoor champion, led through the bell, but faded after 600 m. Arkansas’ Tyrice Taylor (JAM) fought off Oregon frosh Koitatoi Kidali (KEN) for the win in 1:45.23 to 1:45.31, with Erickson finishing fourth (1:45.89) and qualifying on time.

The 2024 runner-up, Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh led a crowded field at the bell in 52.59, and he led into the final straight. But Cal Poly’s Aidan McCarthy squeezed by on the inside in the final 50 m to win the mass sprint in 1:47.25 to 1:47.29, the only qualifiers from this race.

Semi three had Arkansas’ Rivaldo Marshall (JAM), the 2024 NCAA Indoor champ, in front through 700 m, but was in an all-out sprint to the line against national leader Christian Jackson (Virginia Tech), who won in 1:47.09 to 1:47.14.

● 400 m hurdles semis: Semi one was a showcase for national leader Nathaniel Ezekiel (NGR), who took the lead right away and blew away the field in a lifetime best of 47.86, remaining no. 3 in the world for 2025! The tight race for second saw USC’s Johnny Brackins edge Bryce Tucker (Rutgers), with both timed in 50.14.

Tennessee frosh Saad Hint (MAR-Tennessee) was out hot and held on to win in 49.07, staying in front of Texas’ Kody Blackwood (49.09). Texas A&M’s Scott took off in semi three and although he tired in the final straight, won in 49.18. Texas Tech’s Oskar Edlund (SWE) came up for second in 49.66 and advanced.

● 200 m semis: Carli Makarawu (ZIM-Kentucky) led around the turn of semi one, but on the straight, USC’s Garrett Kaalund came on to win 20.01 (+0.4) to 20.14. Tennessee’s McCallum got the win in heat two in 20.03 (+1.4), with Texas’ Xavier Butler second in 20.12, South Florida’s Siminu was third in 20.26.

Semi three had national leader Makanakaishe Charamba (ZIM-Auburn), but Arkansas’ Anthony had the lead into the straight. Charamba moved up and won in 19.94 (+0.9), but Anthony had to strain to get second in 20.01, with USC’s Max Thomas at a lifetime best of 20.02 in third (and qualifying on time).

● 4×400 m semis: Arkansas and Iowa separated from the field by the anchor leg and took the automatic-qualifying places in 3:02.53 and 3:03.14.

USC and Ohio State led semi two on the third leg, but South Florida and Penn State passed both on the final pass. Kaalund got USC into the lead again coming into the home straight, winning in 3:02.76 – Kaalund split 44.22! – ahead of Penn State (3:03.39) and South Florida (3:03.54).

Semi three had LSU in front on the third leg, but Ogazi zoomed into the lead (45.5) and passed first for Alabama. But Florida’s Reheem Hayles got to the front on the far turn, only to be passed by Texas A&M’s Auhmad Robinson (44.58) down the straight and A&M won in 3:03.09. Alabama (3:03.58) and Florida (3:03.69) followed, and qualified for the final.

● Decathlon: The first day was about 2024 runner-up Payton Bair (Mississippi State), who was brilliant in the 100 m (10.25) and 400 m (46.00), winning both. He scored a first-day total 4,479, and his expected rival, Till Steinforth (GER) of Nebraska suffered a bad cramp in his 400 m race and could not continue. Brad Thomas of UC Santa Barbara was a distant second at 4,192.

There were five field-event finals on Wednesday:

● Vault: The vault got complicated, as five were still in at 5.63 m (18-5 1/2), but with varying clearances at various heights. Kansas junior Ashton Barkdull took the lead with a first-time clearance at 5.63 m, a lifetime best. Same for Bradley Jelmert of Arkansas State, who cleared on his third try. Texas A&M’s Alexsandr Sololev (RUS), the national leader, also made 5.63 m, then missed once at 5.68 m (18-7 1/2) and once at 5.73 m (18-9 1/2).

Barkdull kept going, clearing 5.73 m on his second try to stay in the lead. But Sololev had one try to 5.78 m (18-11 1/2) and made it for a lifetime best and the lead! Barkfull missed once at 5.78 m and twice at 5.83 m (19-1 1/2), giving Sololev the win.

● Long Jump: Defending champion JC Stevenson of USC fouled his first two tries and then failed to advance to the finals on his third try. The first round produced the event leaders right away with Paris Olympian Malcolm Clemons (Florida) got out to 8.04 mw (26-4 1/2 +2.2) and Blair Anderson (Oklahoma State) at 8.02 mw (26-3 3/4 +2.4).

That’s how it ended, with Arkansas’ Henry Kiner third at 7.96 m (26-1 1/2).

● Shot Put: Defending NCAA shot champ Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan (Ole Miss) finally got unleashed in the third round, reaching 20.34 m (66-8 3/4). National leader Jason Swarens (Wisconsin) was at 20.17 m (66-2 1/4) from the second round, in second place.

Robinson-O’Hagan improved to 20.41 m (66-11 1/2) in round four, but then North Carolina’s Thomas Kitchell uncorked a 20.74 m (68-0 1/2) leader in the final round. But Swarens had the final answer, exploding to 21.23 m (69-8) to take the win!

● Hammer: Minnesota went 1-2 with Kostas Zaltos (GRE) at 78.08 m (256-2) and national leader Angelos Mantzouranis (GRE), who reached 76.96 m (252-6).

● Javelin: National leader Devoux Deysel (RSA) of Miami (Fla.) led the javelin at 81.75 m (268-2) on his first throw, the only one to throw past 80 m on the day.

Florida’s Leikel Cabrera (CUB) was second from the first round, but reached 79.05 m (259-4) in round three to get second, ahead of Callan Saldutto (CAN-Missouri) and his best of 76.88 m (252-3).

The meet continues Thursday with the first day of women’s competition, on ESPN2 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

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PANORAMA: LA28 gets ASOIF vote of confidence; WADA’s Banka asks U.S. authorities to kill Enhanced Games! Title IX appeal vs. House settlement filed

By
Rich Perelman
-
Association of Summer Olympic International Federations President Ingmar De Vos (BEL) at the ASOIF General Assembly (Photo: ASOIF).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● A significant vote of confidence following today’s ASOIF General Assembly (more below) for the LA28 organizers from ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos (BEL), also the head of the International Equestrian Federation.

Asked at the follow-up news conference about the civic turmoil in Los Angeles, with continuing protests and demonstrations, De Vos focused more on LA28:

“We have been able to follow everything very closely. I must say, in general, when we had the IF Transition Seminar in January, we identified together with the International Federations, but also with the organizing committee, that there was serious delays in the delivery of these Olympic Games.

“And I would say when we were in Los Angeles [for the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission meeting last week], we were put back, I would say, in our comfort zone, and that we saw a lot of progress. A team that was expanding, a venue plan that was finalized – there are some little things to be done still, but the major venue plan has been finalized – in the meantime also, the events and the quotas have been sorted out. …

“So we are very confident in them.”

De Vos also spoke to the Trump Administration’s 4 June restrictions on entry to the U.S. from 12 countries and increased scrutiny for seven others:

“The organizing committee guaranteed us that they are very well connected with the government, and the fact already that there is a carve-out is already a very good indication that there is a clear willingness to allow important sport events in the United States, and in Los Angeles in this case, in the future.

“So we are quite confident that they will be able to tackle this, and we count on the organizing committee to do the necessary.”

As for the continuing civil unrest, especially in downtown Los Angeles:

“We believe that there is a lot of enthusiasm in Los Angeles for these Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we trust that the organizing committee and the IOC will do the necessary there, in the relationships that they have. They are in contact, again, with all the levels of the government that are relevant, but I am also believing very strongly in the state and the city and the people of Los Angeles.

“They want these Games, so they will contribute and they will facilitate that these Games can happen in the best circumstances.”

● Association of Summer Olympic International Federations ● The 49th ASOIF General Assembly was held Wednesday in Lausanne (SUI), with a series of presentations, including welcoming remarks from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) and President-elect Kirsty Coventry (ZIM).

Near the end of the agenda were elections for four seats on the ASOIF Council, the working body of the organization, with FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis (GRE), United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic (SRB), World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA) all elected for four-year terms. After four rounds of voting and two ties, a coin flip – with a CHF 5 piece – was used to elect World Athletics Senior Vice President Ximena Restrepo (COL) over Sport Climbing President Marco Scolaris (ITA) for the two-year term to finish out an open position.

● Enhanced Games ● At the ASOIF General Assembly, World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL) gave a detailed report, and continued his condemnation of the announced, pro-doping Enhanced Games in Las Vegas in May 2026:

“This initiative seeks to normalize the use of potentially dangerous performance-enhancing drugs in sport. It is not merely controversial, it is irresponsible and, of course, it is wrong.

“So, it threatens to erode decades of progress in athlete protection, of public health and the very ethos of sport. The event launched last month in the United States; one positive alignment out of all this has been the reaction of the rest of the world, I can say.

“So, we are really united against this misguided experiment. Governments, anti-doping organizations, sports federations and athletes have all come together to reject it and rightly so.”

He praised the new World Aquatics bylaw which penalizes participation or support of this project and called for action against the Enhanced Games:

“So WADA is now urging authorities in the United States to seek ways to prevent the Enhanced Games from going ahead as planned. And for the sake of athlete’s health and the purity of sport, of course, it must be stopped.”

● NCAA ● Exactly as expected, a group of eight women who objected to the House vs. NCAA settlement that was approved last week, filed an appeal against the settlement, saying it unfairly discriminates against female athletes in terms of the amounts to be paid to men, especially in football and basketball.

Attorney Ashlyn Hare told The Associated Press, “This is a football and basketball damages settlement with no real benefit to female athletes.” The appeal asked for a hearing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

● Athletics ● The annual Bislett Games in Oslo (NOR) comes tomorrow (Thursday), as the Diamond League tour continues in Europe. A world-record try in the men’s 300 m hurdles – a new event for World Athletics – will feature Olympic champions Karsten Warholm (NOR) and Rai Benjamin of the U.S., as well as 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos.

Another world-record try is slated for the men’s 5,000 m, with Ethiopians Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha both trying for the 12:36.73 mark by Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) from 2020.

And any time that Mondo Duplantis (SWE) is vaulting, a world record is always a possibility. The meet is only available in the U.S. on the FloTrack streaming service.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced a provisional suspension of Kenyan distance star Benard Kibet Koech, the Paris 2024 fifth-placer at 10,000 m, for a prohibited substance or method from an examination of his Athlete Biological Passport. He has a best of 26:43.98 from 2024.

Fellow Kenyan Daniel Kinyanjui was banned for five years from 11 February 2025 for using a prohibited substance (CERA: Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator); his results from 21 September 2024 are nullified, which includes his road 10 km best of 27:06 in Valencia in January.

USA Track & Field said it will not be sending a U-20 team to the Pan American Junior Championships, now slated for 11-13 July in Villavicencio (COL). Per the announcement:

“Considering that several members of the Pan Am U20 team would likely be minors, USATF has been working diligently since the announcement to determine the logistics involved and the viability of sending a team to this location with such short notice. Currently, with less than 30 days until travel, USATF does not have sufficient details from the organizers regarding transportation logistics, accommodations, or security support. Information on logistics is critical, as the U.S. State Department has listed Colombia as ‘Level 3 – Reconsider Travel,’ and the U.S. State Department prohibits U.S. government employees from using taxis or public transportation in Colombia due to safety concerns.”

Instead, “USATF will look to host a U20 Pathway to Elite Seminar for event winners from the 2025 USATF U20 Championships.”

● Judo ● The International Judo Federation re-elected Marius Vizer (ROU) as President for a sixth, four-year term. He was first elected in 2007 and ran unopposed.

● Swimming ● Two world leads at the Australian Team Trials in Adelaide, with Olympic women’s 200 m Freestyle gold medalist Mollie O’Callaghan dueling with Lani Pallister and winning in 1:54.43. Pallister is now no. 2 at 1:54.89.

In the men’s 50 m Free, Olympic champ Cameron McEvoy won in 21.30, tops in the world in 2025, trailed by 2016 Olympic 100 m winner Kyle Chalmers in 21.68, now equal-eighth.

Sam Short won the men’s 800 m Free in 7:40.95, now no. 3 in the world this year.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 organizers looking to partner with existing leagues, such as NFL, MLB, Dodgers, MLS, World Surf to stage Games

By
Rich Perelman
-
LA28 Chief of Sport Shana Ferguson, speaking to the ASOIF General Assembly on 11 June 2025 (ASOIF video screen shot).

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≡ ASOIF GENERAL ASSEMBLY ≡

The annual meeting of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) in Lausanne (SUI) brought together all of the federations which will be involved in the sports operations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Presentations by the upcoming organizing committees is always a key feature and the LA28 organizing committee was represented by two-person team of Chief Sport and Games Delivery Officer Shana Ferguson and Vice President of Sport Niccolo Campriani (ITA).

The energetic presentation over a half-hour recited some of the well-known aspects of the Games, but also expanded some details:

● Olympic competitions are slated for an announced total of 49 venues, and 77% of all sessions will be held in existing, permanent sites.

● As had been expected – but not previously announced – the UCLA Olympic Village will not be the only one, and will primarily serve the sports and venues within a 50 km (31 miles) radius.

● There will be three satellite villages to support the venues outside of that radius; based on the map shown in the presentation, these will serve surfing at Trestles, close to the San Diego County line, Anaheim, close to the Honda Center for volleyball, and Pomona for the L.A. County Fairgrounds, where cricket is to be played.

● Six cities, all outside of Southern California, are expected to be used for football preliminary matches.

● The LA28 competition schedule by session – not with times yet – is to be submitted for approval to the International Olympic Committee by 23 June, and published in July.

Ferguson explained that the long-used concept of using “event delivery partners” – outside companies to operate specific sports or venues is being actively worked on now at LA28.

This idea has been around forever; even at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the organizing committee has similar agreements with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the demonstration baseball competition and with Santa Anita Park for equestrian.

But there can be problems. Tokyo 2020 used this concept widely and it ended up in a huge scandal as bids for the operation of test events (followed by venue management contracts for the Games) were essentially directed to specific firms. Multiple criminal convictions were obtained.

For Paris 2024, this concept was also used, in a more limited way, with some great successes, and some less, especially due to the complexity of contract negotiations and change orders.

Ferguson explained that any decision to use an “event delivery partner” will depend on consideration of four issues, with at least one needed to indicate a possible partnership:

● Reducing costs due to unique experience or increasing revenues from specific sales expertise or audience databases.

● Reducing complexity due to the partner’s capabilities.

● Reducing risk – financial and operating – due to the partner’s experience in similar events.

● Enhanced product, by helping to “ensure the participation of the best athletes” and can provide world-class service levels for operations and presentation.

Given these requirements, only very select partners make sense, and Ferguson displayed a slide with some illustrative candidates (not signed as yet):

● Baseball: Major League Baseball, to drive player participation, and the Dodgers, for sport presentation.

● Flag Football: National Football League to drive awareness and revenue.

● Football: Major League Soccer, to better work with MLS stadium owners and operators and reduce operating complexities.

● Surfing: World Surf League, which already stages events at the Trestles and knows the venue well.

Another possibility is the Tiger Woods Foundation to be the event organizer for golf at Riviera Country Club, since it already runs the annual Genesis Open at that venue, and can sell to its existing customer base.

Comments in the room centered on the importance to the federations of maintaining control of their sports, whether working with LA28 directly or a delivery partner, as the IFs are responsible to the IOC to put on the competitions at the Olympic Games. Said ASOIF President Ingmar de Vos (BEL), head of the International Equestrian Federation:

“We basically support the approach of Los Angeles, because every event in the Olympic Games, every venue, is different. You have existing venues that already have a long tradition of delivering that specific sport, or discipline, and you have events or sports that are not as traditional in a country, or that are organized in temporary venues.

“So I think it is very important so that instead of focusing on one specific event delivery model, that it’s much better and much more efficient – and also much more cost efficient – to be flexible and to have a kind of a hybrid system.

“With regard to these ‘event delivery partners,’ there is one very important principle that has been recognized again today, by the IOC but also by the organizing committee of the different Games, is that the international federation is still the one point of access. The international federation has to give an approval for whatever event model is used in their venues.”

Also of interest was the evolving use – or not – of test events. Instead of a lengthy schedule of test events for each sport, the Paris 2024 concept of targeted events or rehearsals will be used, “based on a risk and opportunity analysis.”

Campriani addressed one of the major priorities for the federations: the hiring of a staff manager for their sport! Of the 36 sports on the program, managers for five have started, five have been hired, seven more have been identified, and hiring of the remaining 19 is either in process or ha not started. Most are expected to be hired by the middle of 2026.

Also, another formality was taken care of, as ASOIF approved the entry of World Boxing as an associate member as the provisional International Federation for the sport in Los Angeles by a vote of 27-2.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28’s Hoover asks for security funding; Ohio Senator Moreno calls for FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games to be moved

By
Rich Perelman
-
LA28 chief executive Reynold Hoover testifying before a Senate Subcommittee hearing on 10 June 2025 (Senate video screen shot).

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≡ SENATE SECURITY HEARING ≡

Tuesday saw the fourth straight day of protests in Los Angeles over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment actions, with a U.S. Senator asking if the area can host the assigned FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At a Tuesday morning Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs hearing titled “Match Ready: Oversight of the Federal Government’s Border Management and Personnel Readiness Efforts for the Decade of Sports,” LA28 chief executive Reynold Hoover told the panel:

“For the 2028 Games, LA28 is seeking a commitment by the federal government to fund 100% cost reimbursement for public safety staffing and the material costs associated with state and local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services personnel, including but not limited to the National Guard – all of which are essential to providing public safety support for a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games and Torch Relay. To be clear, this is not funding to LA28, rather it is reimbursement directly to those public agencies who are providing critical
security functions in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. …

“The House of Representatives included $1 Billion of funding for security, planning, and other costs related to 2028 Games as part of their 2025 Budget Reconciliation legislation. President Trump also included this funding in his initial budget submission to Congress. This is certainly welcome news and LA28 strongly supports the inclusion of this funding in any final package that the Senate considers related to the 2025 Budget Reconciliation package.”

The final questioner, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) was troubled by current events. Speaking to Hoover:

“It’s looks like law and order has completely gone downhill in Los Angeles and throughout California. You have a governor [Gavin Newsom] that refuses to follow the law, you have a mayor [Karen Bass] who doesn’t see a problem looting. They both blame it with issues around deportation, which obviously has nothing to do with why you would go in and pillage a store, or rob places. …

“The obvious question, I think, on the minds of most Americans, given that these two big events coming up in ‘26 and ‘28, are going to see basically the same political leadership in California, and L.A., don’t we just make a decision now to say they’re incapable of handling two big, high-profile events like this?

“And aren’t we better off as a nation just to make an acknowledgment of that, and move it to some place that actually will have law and order, that will have the proper amount of protections for American citizens and the tens of millions of visitors are going to come to both of those events?

“Why fight the upward battle of what is clearly an administration, both locally and at the state level, that’s just unwilling to follow basic civil protections?”

Hoover was resolute:

“Senator, I think there’s no place in the world like L.A. to host the world’s largest Olympics ever and I think my experience has been, in the year that I’ve been here, that both at the local level, the state level and the Federal level, the security coordination and the coordination and cooperation between all levels of government have been extraordinary, and I am confident that come July 14th of 2028, when we do the opening ceremonies in the Coliseum and the Stadium in Inglewood, the world will be watching and see America at its best.”

Moreno was unswayed:

“I share your optimism for America, but look, we also see the TV screens on today, and unlike previous big events like this, you usually didn’t have elected leaders who just refuse to follow the law. Basic elements: people on freeways, people breaking stones on the ground and throwing them at police officers, bricks being delivered, canisters being thrown, this is total and complete chaos and and we don’t even have any kind of event like this going on.

“The country’s a big place. We have a huge, diverse geography. We have places all over America that would be better equipped to handle this, and I just don’t see why we don’t just acknowledge the obvious, which is by the way, going to be an enormous cost to the Federal government, when you don’t have local officials who will do the bare minimum to protect their own citizens. How are they going to protect people coming in to visit, on top of when you look at threats that exist.

“You have drug cartels which are being squeezed by this administration that were made into billion-dollar entities by the Biden Administration , that have resources to wreak incredible amounts of havoc . You have the terrorists in the Middle East calling for the death of American politicians, including the President and Vice President of the United States. This presents an enormous challenge in normal situations.

“But when you have completely incompetent leaders, again, that’s just at the local level, but the state level, who feel that the Administration is doing too much to protect their citizens. I have to repeat that: you have the governor and the mayor saying the President of the United States is doing too much to protect businesses and to protect their own civilians. How are we not heading towards a complete and utter disaster?”

Hoover responded:

“Let me just answer your question this way, Senator. On the 2nd of July, 1979, I took an oath on the plain at West Point, to dedicate my life to public service. And I wasn’t looking for a job; they found me. This is my one-year anniversary, as I mentioned earlier; this is the end of my plebe year.

“But I came out of retirement to do this to unite the world, around sport. And unite L.A. and unite the nation. Our 50-state [torch] relay will hit all 50 states; it’s never been done before. That is the thread that will bind the nation to L.A. and the Games.

“The world will be watching. I think we have a great opportunity and I am confident in where we are now, in our state of planning, both from a security perspective and an operational perspective to deliver the world’s greatest Games and the largest Games ever. And I am confident that we will get there.”

Moreno wrapped up with praise for Hoover, but was also focused on who he wanted to hear from next:

“Just to be clear and I want to make this clear for the record, I have total, complete faith in you and your abilities. That’s not the question I have in mind, but you’re not able to do this, execute, without the help of local officials. It’s just not possible. Look, if it were you planning it, and you could put those two in a basement somewhere and have them give you their authority, to do what their job is supposed to do, I would be totally happy and ready to rock & roll to make this happen, but I have grave concerns unless we see movement.

“Mr. Chairman, I think what we should do, is ask those two people, the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California, to come in and explain how their behavior is going to be different in ’26 and ’28 to assure the American people that we are able to put on an event that is worthy of this country.”

Subcommittee chair Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) wrapped up noting that a lot has been done already and that the FIFA World Cup, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028 are important and need to be showcase events for the United States.

Observed: The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games aren’t going anywhere, as the International Olympic Committee’s contract is with the City of Los Angeles.

But the protests in Los Angeles over the work of ICE are going to continue and the deepening distrust between Los Angeles and California (Democratic) officials and the (Republican) Trump Administration is going to create significant funding and planning challenges. How those get overcome is an open question.

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PANORAMA: LA28 hiring entry-into-U.S. chief; another Summer McIntosh WR! U.S. Ski & Snowboard names Hall, Ferreira, Kauf to ‘26 OWG team

By
Rich Perelman
-

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

● Swimming ● Another sensational swim for Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh, 18, at the national swim trials in Victoria, with a second world record in this meet with a 2:05.70 win in the women’s 200 m Medley on Monday.

This smashed the highly-respected mark of 2:06.12 from 2015 by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu.

So, in the first four days of the meet, McIntosh:

● 7 June: won the 400 m Free in a world record 3:54.18
● 8 June: won the 800 m Free in 8:05.07, moving to no. 2 all-time
● 9 June: won the 200 m Medley in a world record 2:05.70
● 10 June: won the 200 m Fly in 2:02.26, the no. 2 performance ever

She was originally entered in three more events, but may not swim them all:

● 11 June: 400 m Medley (world leader at 4:26.98)
● 11 June: 200 m Back (world no. 9 at 2:06.52)
● 12 June: 200 m Free (world no. 11 at 1:56.17)

The Paris 2024 gold medalist in the 200 m Fly and 200-400 m Medleys, McIntosh was already the world-record holder is the 400 m Medley at 4:24.38 from the 2024 Canadian Trials. She’ll turn 19 in August.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● With so much angst over access and entry into the U.S. for the 2028 Olympic Games in view of continued tightening of the U.S. borders and visa processes, the LA28 organizing committee is paying attention now.

A new job posting for “Head of Global Mobility & Country Entry” went up on Tuesday, including:

“The Head of Global Mobility & Country Entry is a critical role on the People Management (PEM) team, supporting the enterprise wide goal of welcoming the world for the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games. With a core focus on developing and maintaining strong working relationships with Games stakeholders and Federal agency partners, the incumbent will act as the steward of LA28’s global mobility strategy and operational planning and execution to support and facilitate country entry for stakeholders, both before and during Games Time.”

The position will have the responsibility to:

“Lead all case management work for the [LA28 Center of Excellence], including but not limited to being the primary point of contact for all LA28 endorsed stakeholders, visitors, short term workers, and other entrants.”

Of course, qualifications must include:

“Extensive experience working within the federal U.S. immigration framework, including prior working relationships with or work experience from State Department, Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, and others.”

The starting salary is $115,000 to $130,000, and LA28 does not pay for relocation.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The drama over Czech star Ester Ledecka’s quest to compete in both the Parallel Giant Slalom qualifying and Alpine Downhill at sites which are 200 miles apart on the same day – 8 February 2026 – continues.

She began asking for help with the schedule in December; with the PGS qualifying starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Livigno Snow Park in Valtellina and the Downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo at 11:30 a.m., about 200 miles east.

The surprise winner of the 2018 PyeongChang women’s Super-G gold medal, and the Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom gold winner in 2018 and 2022, she has not succeeded so far.

But according to the French-language site, Dicolympique, she did get interest from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) – which governs both events – on a possible change in start times, with FIS chief Johan Eliasch (GBR), who is a pilot, volunteering to shuttle her between sites. Progress, but perhaps not enough (yet).

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The sole candidate for the presidency of the French National Olympic Committee, Amelie Oudea-Castera, told FrancsJeux.com that the larger-than-expected Paris 2024 surplus of at least €76 million (€1 = $1.14 U.S.) will help the CNOSF at a time when its budget is under attack.

The current French government’s budget crisis saw the national grant to the CNOSF shaved from €9.4 million to €2.4 million – a 74% decrease – but these new sources of funds will help, with 20% of the surplus going to the CNOSF.

She also revealed that the joint marketing agreement with the 2030 French Alps organizing committee will bring a minimum of €65 million (~$74.3 million U.S.) to the CNOSF, over time.

By contrast, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee will receive at least $476 million from 2021-28 under its agreement with the LA28 organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic Games.

● Archery ● The Russian Archery Federation said it has been approved by World Archery to compete in team events at the World Junior Championships in Canada in August. This continues a pattern by international federations to allow Russian and/or Belarusian youth and junior teams to compete internationally while maintaining a ban on senior-level teams.

The issue of Russian and Belarusian participation, most immediately at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, is expected to be taken up by new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) after she takes office on 23 June.

● Fencing ● USA Fencing announced its Hall of Fame inductees for 2026, including two automatic selections as Olympic gold medalists:

● Lee Kiefer: Two-time Olympic women’s Foil gold medalist
● Mariel Zagunis: Two-time Olympic women’s Sabre gold medalist

Elected to the Hall were:

● Kelley Hurley: 2012 Olympic women’s Epee bronze medalist
● Race Imboden: Two-time Olympic men’s Team bronze medalist
● Dagmara Wozniak: Rio 2016 women’s Team Sabre bronze medalist
● Jeanette Starks-Faulkner: 10-time Veterans World Champs medalist
● Laurie Schiller: 38-year Northwestern University coach
● Andy Shaw: Curator of the Museum of American Fencing

All will receive honors at the 2026 USA Fencing Summer National Championships.

● Football ● The U.S. men’s National Team faced Switzerland in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, looking to break a three-match losing streak, with a young team that had six players with six or less caps and two more with 20 or 21. It didn’t happen, in a 4-0 loss.

The 20th-ranked Swiss were sharp off the start, and off clever feed from above the box, a deflection gave forward Dan Ndoye an open shot from the left side and his strike in the 13th minute whistled past U.S. keeper Matt Turner for the 1-0 lead.

The Swiss found the net again in the 24th, with forward Johan Manzambi dribbling down the right side of the U.S. zone, turning toward the goal and then sending a cross right to the onrushing forward Michel Aebischer for the right-footed score and a 2-0 lead. At this point, the U.S. hadn’t recorded a shot.

The rout was on in the 33rd, as defender Ricardo Rodriguez got an uncontested shot from the left side that was saved by Turner, but it rolled out in front and was knocked in easily by striker Breel Embolo for the 3-0 lead.

The U.S. finally got a shot in the 35th, but Manzambi got the fourth Swiss goal in the 36th, drawing boos from the crowd, as he dribbled just inside the box and sent a rocket past Turner into the upper part of the net. The half ended with the Swiss holding 57% of possession and an 8-1 shots edge.

Five substitutes came in for the U.S. to start the second half and settled the U.S. defense down. But the Americans had few chances to score and finished with seven shots to 12 for the Swiss; the U.S. has zero shots on goal. Switzerland ended with 51% of possession.

The U.S. all-time record vs. the Swiss dropped to 1-5-4 (W-L-T). U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino (ARG) saw his record fall to 5-5. Next up is the first of three CONCACAF Gold Cup matches, on 15 June, against Trinidad & Tobago, in San Jose.

● Skiing ● U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the first four members of its 2026 Olympic Winter Games team:

● Two-time world champion Quinn Dehlinger: men’s Aerials
● Two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira: men’s Halfpipe
● 2022 Olympic gold medalist Alex Hall: men’s Slopestyle and Big Air
● 2022 Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf: women’s Moguls and Dual Moguls

USSS noted the selections were made by recent performance:

“The four athletes secured their spots by ranking as the top American among the top three athletes on the 2026 FIS Base List based on their 2024-25 season results. Both Hall and Ferreira won the top spots in slopestyle and halfpipe, respectively, while Kauf took the top spot in moguls, dual moguls and overall after the best season of her career, and Dehlinger finished third following his World Championships success.”

● Snowboard ● American snowboarder Sean FitzSimons received a three-month sanction from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for a “prohibited method.” But not for lack of trying to do the right thing:

● “FitzSimons received a saline and vitamin infusion on February 9, 2025 in an effort to self-treat flu-like symptoms. Intravenous infusions and/or injections greater than 100 mL per 12-hour period are classified as Specified Methods and are prohibited at all times” under the relevant anti-doping protocols.

● “Although no prohibited substances were administered, the treatment constituted a violation because it was over the permitted volume threshold of 100 mL in a 12-hour period and was not received during a hospital treatment, surgical procedure, or clinical diagnostic investigation.”

● “Before receiving the infusion, FitzSimons consulted with a trainer and medical professional at U.S. Ski & Snowboard about the appropriateness of intravenous infusions but was misadvised that he was permitted to proceed with the treatment. After receiving the treatment, FitzSimons discovered that he had committed a violation and promptly self-reported his violation to USADA two days later. FitzSimons qualified for a decreased sanction under Article 10.7.2 of the Code, which allows for such a reduction when an athlete admits to an anti-doping rule violation in the absence of any other evidence.”

His sanction runs from 1 May to 31 July 2025. FitzSimons, 24, competed for the U.S. at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, placing 12th in the men’s Slopestyle and 17th in the men’s Big Air event.

● Swimming ● At the Australian Team Trials in Adelaide, the absence of Olympic star Ariarne Titmus left the women’s 400 m Freestyle to Lani Pallister, who won in 3:59.72, moving to no. 4 on the 2025 world list and becoming only the seventh swimmer to break 4:00.

Although not quite as historic, Sam Short won the men’s 400 m Free in 3:41.03, moving to no. 2 in the world. Edward Sommerville, 20, won the men’s 200 m Free in 1:44.93, good to move to no. 4 in the world for 2025.

Alexandria Perkins is already a double winner, taking the women’s 100 m Fly on the first night in 56.42 (no. 3 in 2025) and then the women’s 100 m Breast final in 25.36, moving to no. 2 on the world list.

World leader (and world-record holder) Kaylee McKeown won the women’s 50 m Back in 27.33 after initially being disqualified in the morning heats, but was later reinstated.

● Taekwondo ● Uzbekistan’s Feruza Sadikova, a two-time Worlds bronze medalist at 62 kg in 2022 and 2023, has received a three-year suspension from 3 May 2025 to 2 May 2028, for refusing to provide a testing sample.

According to the International Testing Agency, “The athlete did not challenge her ADRV and agreed with the consequences proposed by the ITA,” which earned her a one-year reduction in what normally would be a four-year sanction … and leaving her possibly eligible to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games.

● Weightlifting ● Happy 120th to the IWF, which noted in a celebratory post:

“On June 10, 1905, in the German city of Duisburg, four founding members – Denmark, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – created what would be the predecessor of the IWF. The first name of the world body in charge of governing weightlifting (and wrestling at the time) was ‘Amateur Athletic World Union.’ Other nations slowly joined the new organisation, which had 16 members in 1913. In 1920, Weightlifting became the only sport governed by the Federation, and in 1972, the definitive name of ‘International Weightlifting Federation’ was adopted.

“Presently, the IWF has 195 Member National Federations in the five continents and organises world competitions in Olympic weightlifting.”

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TRANSGENDER: Biles apologizes to Gaines after calling her “truly sick” on X; is this feud over? The play-by-play recap!

By
Rich Perelman
-
In uniform: Simone Biles (l) and Riley Gaines

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ BILES vs. GAINES ≡

In case you missed it, or prefer not to look at it, the transgender-in-sports debate got personal between Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles and former All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, now an activist for women in sports.

Both get lots of attention, as Biles shows 1.9 million followers on X (ex-Twitter) and Gaines has 1.5 million. The play-by-play:

● 6 June from Biles on X:

“@Riley_Gaines_ You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!!

“But instead… You bully them…

“One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!”

● 6 June reply from Gaines:

“This is actually so disappointing. It’s not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces.

“You can uplift men stealing championships in women’s sports with YOUR platform.

“Men don’t belong in women’s sports and I say that with my full chest.”

● 6 June from Biles:

“bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male @Riley_Gaines_”

● 6 June from Gaines:

“And the subtle hint at “body-shaming” ???? Plzzzz I’m 5’5″”

● 8 June from Gaines, bringing up a vintage Biles tweet from 2017:

“Oop don’t you hate it when your past self completely undermines your current nonsensical argument?

“How has 2025 Simone reconciled with the fact 2017 Simone was a ‘truly sick bully’ by her own standard?

The October 2017 tweet from Biles read:

“ahhhh good thing guys don’t compete against girls or he’d take all the gold medals !!”

The tweet referred to a photo of a two-year-old boy playing on a baby trampoline, but the photo was not visible in the tweet, just the link.

By that point, the conversation had been taken over from activists from both sides, none of whom added much to the discussion.

● On Tuesday (10th), Biles posted a long apology:

“I wanted to follow up from my last tweets. I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.

“These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don’t have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect. I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women’s sports.

“My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful. Individual athletes – especially kids – should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.

“Xoxo Simone”

● Gaines replied thus:

“I accept Simone’s apology for the personal attacks including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She’s still the greatest female gymnast of all time.

“A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play sports. Competition, on the other hand and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of ‘competitive equity’ is nonsensical.

“Secondly, the boys are publicly humiliating the girls. To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong. You can’t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you’re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them. I am not ashamed to be a voice for the voiceless.

“Lastly, I agree with you that the blame is on the lawmakers and leaders at the top. Precisely why I’m suing the NCAA and support candidates who vow to stand with women. That’s why I joined @realDonaldTrump at the signing of his Executive Order. I didn’t see you there or championing this effort with your platform.

“Women’s sports can’t be used as an excuse for girl’s to center the feelings and validation of men and boys.

“I welcome you to the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes. Little girls deserve the same shot to achieve that you had.”

The war of words between the two may be done for now, but the issue continues.

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FENCING: USA Fencing removes LGBTQIA+ preference for site selection; adopts budget with $20,000 to try and finish disciplinary cases in 90 days!

By
Rich Perelman
-

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ USA FENCING ≡

In November 2022, USA Fencing’s Board of Directors announced the federation would “give preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that harm members of LGBTQ communities as well as states that do not have laws undermining the reproductive health of women.”

That policy has ended.

In a detailed report on its online Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, 7 June, a motion was approved to revise the site selection policy, deleting any direct reference to LGBTQIA+ or women’s reproductive rights issues, but including news references to “Accessibility” and “Safety and security of USA Fencing members and their families.”

The new Site Selection Policy also notes:

“USA Fencing will make every effort to work with cities to provide resources to ensure the safety, security, legality of presence and reasonable enjoyment of all USA Fencing members, event attendees and their families from all backgrounds.”

In early May, USA Fencing Board Chair Darren Lehfeldt was harshly questioned about the federation’s transgender policy in a U.S. House sub-committee hearing, but he was also asked about the site selection policy and the preference assigned to locations which met USA Fencing’s standards for state laws.

The stated preference is now deleted; USA Fencing had previously noted that its then-LGBTQ and pro-abortion policy could only be one factor among many others for site selection because “such a move would reduce the list of possible host cities to just over a dozen – with the possibility that additional states could pass similar laws in the future and further reduce the list.”

The USA Fencing Board also made a budget allocation of $20,000 for a software system that:

“will track disciplinary and SafeSport cases from intake to resolution, with a service-level goal of closing each case in under 90 days. Members will see clearer timelines, standardized communications and a self-service dashboard for checking a case’s status.”

The slowness of the U.S. Center for SafeSport has been a major complaint against the Center, as well as a lack of information about how cases are closed, in many situations temporarily shut down without any information to the relevant federation or to the complaining party. That can’t be solved with software, but USA Fencing’s own cases can be expedited and continuously updated on status and resolution.

The USA Fencing budget for 2025-26 was approved, with a projected $16.986 million in revenues and $15.716 million in expenses for an operating surplus of $1.270 million. However, other expenses such as event hosting and added general costs bring the projected surplus down to $412,808.

The budget narrative explained:

“This budget is both a reflection of where we are today and where we’re headed. It makes room for growth, acknowledges real-world cost pressures, and funds the people, programs, and partnerships that make this work possible.

“Our $17 million revenue target is bold but within reach. Our $16 million expense plan is built on smart, prioritized investments. We believe this budget puts us on a strong path to deliver greater value to our athletes, members, and partners—while positioning the organization for long-term success.”

The presented budget is $1.5 million in revenue above the current 2024-25 actuals with an increase of $1 million above 2024-25 actuals to date. Funding from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is shown at $1.239 million or just 7.3% of the total budget.

The main income coursed are events ($9.1 million), memberships ($3.8 million), sponsorships and merchandise sales ($1.8 million). Direct athlete support is planned at $255,000 (funds six athletes per weapon) plus $420,000 in national team support and $119,105 in international programs expense.

USA Fencing revenues in recent years included $17.3 million as of 31 July 2024, which includes $1.1 million equipment and airfares provided in-kind. This was a jump from $12.3 million ending July 2023 and $11.4 million ending July 2022.

Observed: USA Fencing is to be commended for remarkably transparent announcements of its Board meetings, decisions, prompt publication of its minutes and the attachments provided to Board members.

This is fairly unique among Olympic-sport organizations in the U.S., many of which “hide the ball” as much as possible from their own members, as well as the public.

Other federations which seek to build trust among its membership, and potential event sites and sponsors, would be wise to follow USA Fencing’s example. But few will.

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PANORAMA: Paris 2024 surplus balloons to $87 million! USATF combos cross country nationals with NXN; McIntosh swims no. 2 all-time in 800 Free!

By
Rich Perelman
-

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● As the Paris 2024 organizing committee approaches shut-down on 17 June, the surplus from operations will be considerably larger than announced.

FrancsJeux.com reported a projected figure of about €76 million or about $86.86 million U.S., up from the original estimates of €26.8 million. Revenues were a little higher at €4.494 billion and expenses a little lower at €4.418 billion.

Former Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said, “It’s money that goes to sport. It’s a legacy for sport. A very important legacy in a budgetary context that we know is very difficult.”

The French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) will get 20% of this surplus, with 60% to go to the Paris 2024 legacy fund. The International Olympic Committee receives 20%, which may well end up assisting the French Alps 2030 Winter Games!

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● If you ever wondered exactly what SiMiCo, the Italian government’s infrastructure company to support the 2026 Winter Games (and a lot more), its Commissioner, Fabio Saldini, summed it up in a single comment at the Sport Business Forum on Sunday in Cortina d’Ampezzo:

“We manage 3.4 billion euros of 96 works, 51 infrastructure 45 sports of which 31 are essential for the Olympics.

“46% of the works planned in Veneto, 23 in total, for a total value of 1,596,762,240.33 euros divided between 13 sports (261,433,134.61 euros) and 10 transport (1,335,329,105.72 euros).

“How is all this coordinated? I chose to deal with good people, high-level professionals, to live the territories and also share the contrasts. I chose to build a team, which is present in all the Olympic venues. We face reality for what it is, without excuses and giving the best of ourselves.

“We will be able to complete 100% of the planned sports works and all the essential infrastructure will be built – such as the roundabout of Bormio, Lot 0 of Cortina, Ponte Corona renovation – I realize that carrying out so many works in such a short time is not easy. I was appointed in February 2024; I understand that communities also have problems accepting the temporary inconvenience that is caused , I understand that those who are not satisfied with the administrative procedures appeal to the judiciary which is autonomous and independent and will decide what they want.

“I would just like to say that what we are doing is for the good of the territories, it is shared, and shows that it can be done in compliance with the times, costs and quality and will give rise to a territory different from the one that presented itself upon our arrival. It is not my job to say whether it is better or worse, it will certainly be different.”

Now you know.

● France ● The musical chairs in French sport following the 2024 Olympic Games have concluded for the time being, as former French Minister of Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amelie Oudea-Castera, 47, will run unopposed to become the President of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) in elections to be held on 19 June.

Her opponent, Didier Seminet, the head of the French Baseball and Softball Federation, withdrew on Saturday.

Paris 2024’s Director of Impact and Legacy, Marie Barsacq, moved from the organizing committee to become the French Sports Minister as of 23 December 2024.

● Athletics ● At the FBK Games in Hengelo (NED) on Monday, the headliner was Dutch star Femke Bol, the 2023 World Champion in the women’s 400 m hurdles, who won in 52.51 and broke her own meet record by more than a second.

But U.S. athletes also starred, with two-time World Champion Chase Jackson extending her world outdoor lead in the women’s shot, winning in 20.62 m (67-8), ahead of European Indoor champ Jessica Schilder (NED/20.16 m/66-1 3/4) and American Maggie Ewen (19.48 m/63-11).

World men’s 110 m hurdles leader Cordell Tinch of the U.S. won his race in 13.10 (wind 0), and Americans Chris Nilsen (men’s vault: 5.82 m/19-1) and Anavia Battle (women’s 200 m: 22.75 [-0.5]) also won.

Slovenia’s 2022 World Champion Kristjian Ceh beat Australia’s Olympic bronze winner Matt Denny in the men’s discus, 69.21 m (227-0) to 67.64 m (221-11) and women’s Tokyo Olympic Steeple champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) moved to no. 3 in the world this year with a win in 9:07.79. Two-time Olympic silver winner Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) won the women’s high jump at 1.97 m (6-5 1/2).

USA Track & Field will hold its Cross County National Championships in conjunction with the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland, Oregon on 6-7 December.

This allows USATF to select its team for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on 10 January 2026, a date which would normally be about when the USATF Cross Country meet is usually held.

The Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame induction was held on Sunday in Eugene, Oregon, with a 12-member class that combined for an amazing 55 NCAA championships:

● Amy Acuff (UCLA 1994-97: high jump)
● Cathy Branta (Wisconsin 1981-85: distances)
● Bert Cameron (UTEP 1980-83: 400 m)
● Joaquim Cruz (Oregon 1983-84: 800 m)
● Joe Falcon, (Arkansas 1984-89: distances)
● Diane Guthrie (George Mason 1991-95: long jump-heptathlon)
● Larance Jones (Northeast Missouri State 1970-74/now Truman: 400 m)
● Madeline Manning (Tennessee State 1967-72: 800 m)
● Scott Nielson (Washington 1976-79: hammer)
● Suziann Reid (Texas 1996-99: 400 m)
● Gillian Russell (Miami (Fla.) 1992-95: 100 m hurdles)
● Forrest “Spec” Towns (Georgia 1934-37: 110 m hurdles)

This Hall of Fame was established in 2022; this is the fourth class.

● Swimming ● Another Summer McIntosh burner at the 2025 Canadian Trials in Victoria, winning the women’s 800 m Free in a sizzling 8:05.07, a national record, moving her to no. 2 in the world this year and the no. 3 performance of all-time. Only  American Katie Ledecky is faster, with her world-record swims in 2016 and 2025!

In the men’s 100 m Fly final, Ilya Kharun won over Josh Liendo, 50.37 to 50.46, moving to nos. 2-3 on the 2025 world list.

● Water Polo ● The U.S. men defeated Australia, 13-12, in a re-run from the Paris Olympic quarterfinals on Sunday at Mr. San Antonio College, in the first of a three-match exhibition set, on Ryder Dodd’s score with less than a second left.

Australia led, 4-1 and 7-5 after the first two periods, but the Americans scored five goals in the third for a 10-7 lead. Despite two more fourth-period goals from Dodd and older brother Chase Dodd, the Aussies tied it with 19 seconds left. Ryder Dodd’s heroics – and his fifth goal of the match – earned the U.S. the win.

Two more matches with Australia come on 11 June in San Juan Capistrano and 13 June at Orange, California.

● Wrestling ● The National Wrestling Hall of Fame class of 2025 was inducted in ceremonies in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Saturday:

● Darryl Burley: two-time NCAA champion at Lehigh
● Matt Lindland: Sydney 2000 Olympic Greco silver medalist
● Terry Steiner: USA Wrestling Women’s National Coach since 2002
● Greg Wojciechowski: NCAA Champion at Toledo

Special awards were given to 1992 Olympian Mark Coleman (Medal of Courage), Van Stokes, a USA Wrestling Board member since 1989 (Order of Merit), Ken Mara as Meritorious Official, and Vision Quest author Terry Davis (Outstanding American).

The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award to four-time Ohio state champ Marcus Blaze, and the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award to four-time Tennessee state champion Piper Fowler.

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PANORAMA: House v. NCAA settlement approved; Paralympics wants new track, swimming federations; McIntosh crushes 400 Free world record!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Joy for American star Casey Kaufhold as the U.S. women defeated Korea for the first time in 20 tries, en route to a World Cup title in Turkey (Photo: World Archery).

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ SPOTLIGHTS ≡

● NCAA ● On Friday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the massive settlement in House vs. NCAA, which will allow schools to start paying its players directly, with 95% of a yearly payment of $20.5 million to go to football and basketball players.

All other sports are under threat, and the American Volleyball Coaches Association, College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America, National Wrestling Coaches Association and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released a statement:

“Today, the Honorable Judge Claudia Wilken approved a settlement agreement resolving three antitrust lawsuits related to compensation for college student-athletes. While Judge Wilken’s decision marks significant progress in addressing the evolving college sports landscape, we remain deeply concerned about the potential negative impact the settlement may have on broad-based sports programs.

“We are concerned that the new financial obligations placed on schools will force administrators to divert their attention and resources away from non-football and non-basketball sports – the programs where the majority of NCAA student-athletes participate. This is no hypothetical.

“Budget cuts and program eliminations have already taken place in anticipation of today’s outcome, and more are likely to follow. Furthermore, the settlement leaves unaddressed the critical issues of employment classification for student-athletes and the application of Title IX, creating further uncertainty and risk for our sports programs in particular.

“The future of college sports must not disproportionately benefit a small fraction of the NCAA student-athlete population while jeopardizing opportunities for others. Congress must intervene to address these pressing issues and ensure a balanced, equitable path forward for all student-athletes, including the protection of existing requirements of schools to maintain robust sport sponsorship and meaningful allocation of resources for non-football and non-basketball programs.”

All four are insisting that the sports sponsorship requirements for Division I classification be continued (16 for Football Bowl Subdivision) and the establishment of “proportional spending targets” to protect these sports.

● Swimming ● The U.S. nationals are over, but the Canadian Trials started on Saturday in Victoria, British Columbia, with star Summer McIntosh, 18, destroying the women’s 400 m Freestyle world record, for the second time.

She won by more than 13 seconds in a startling 3:54.18, shattering Australia’s Ariarne Titmus’ 3:55.38 mark from July 2023. Titmus’ swim broke McIntosh’s record of 3:56.08 from March of 2023. She said afterwards:

“To be honest, I just didn’t really feel a lot of pain in that race. I felt so strong throughout and that’s never been the case in the 400 freestyle for me. That last 100, I’m usually really, really hurting. But I flipped at the 200 and I was just cruising. I knew I was having a strong swim and I could tell by the crowd and the way they were cheering that I was probably close to the world record, so I really tried to push that last part for them.”

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Paralympic Games ● The International Paralympic Committee has been steadily working to have Paralympic sports governed by separate federations and not the IPC itself. It is now looking for independent governance of the two biggest sports of all:

“The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Sports are seeking partners interested in taking over the governance of the sports of Para athletics, Para swimming, or both.

“The Expression of Interest (EOI) is open to cities, national governments, sport organisations and other entities willing to assist with the transfer of governance and establishment of independent bodies for Para athletics and Para swimming.”

Para athletics accounted for about 25% of all participants in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and swimming had 13% of the athletes and 25% of the medal events. Interest must be signaled by 27 June 2025.

● Enhanced Games ● Another denouncement of the Enhanced Games, this time from the “OneVoice” group, representing the governmental representatives which are part of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Foundation Board and Executive Committee:

“[W]e firmly oppose the concept of the so-called Enhanced Games, which promotes the use of performance-enhancing drugs under the guise of competition and advancing sport science. Such initiatives not only endanger athlete health but also fundamentally contradict the values of clean sport and the global consensus enshrined in the World Anti-Doping Code.

“Furthermore, athletes, coaches and others associated with the Enhanced Games also needlessly risk being ineligible for other events and competitions, among other potential consequences.”

● Athletics ● The third and final disqualification of the Russian finalists at the 2012 Olympic women’s 800 m was competed Friday as the Athletics Integrity Unit reported that the appeal by Elena Guliyev against a four-year doping ban was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport:

“In reaching its judgement, CAS upheld the decision to disqualify the 34-year-old’s results from 17 July 2012 to 20 October 2014, confirming the loss of her reallocated Olympic silver medal. Guliyev (formerly Poistogova), who now represents Turkey, finished third in the Olympic 800-metres final on 11 August 2012 but her position was upgraded to silver after the original gold medallist – her former Russian team-mate, Mariya Savinova – was disqualified in 2017 for doping.

“That elevated South Africa’s Caster Semenya to gold and Guliyev to silver. Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo is now poised to be upgraded to silver and USA’s Alysia Montano to bronze.”

Guiliyev appealed a March 2024 decision by the Court of Arbitration, which instituted the four-year ban. The third Russian finalist, Elena Arzhakova, finished sixth, but was also disqualified in 2013 for issues dealing with her Athlete Biological Passport.

The process is not over, however:

“World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are now proceeding with the next steps: World Athletics’ Competition Department disqualifying Guliyev’s results and thereafter notifying the IOC that World Athletics has modified the relevant results and rankings on their website. The IOC may then proceed with the reallocation of Olympic medals and the update of the IOC database.”

USA Track & Field announced the U.S. marathon entries for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN), with Clayton Young (2:08:12 in 2024), CJ Albertson (2:08:17) and Reed Fischer (2:10:14) for the men and Betsy Saina (2:19:17), Susanna Sullivan (2:21:56) and Erika Kemp (2:22:56 in 2025).

On Thursday, the Chicago Marathon announced that Olympic eighth-placer Conner Mantz will try for the American Record of 2:05:38 at this year’s race on 12 October. Khalid Khannouchi’s mark has stood since 2002.

Mantz ran 2:05:08 for fourth at the 2025 Boston Marathon, on a non-record-eligible course.

● Boxing ● Algeria’s women’s Olympic 66 kg gold medalist Imane Khelif skipped the Eindhoven Box Cup in The Netherlands after early indications she might fight there.

World Boxing announced last week that sex screening will be required for all contestants in the women’s division, beginning on 1 July, and singled out Khelif – inappropriately, as it later apologized – as being required to take the test. She won the tournament last year.

Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem said in a letter:

“As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. Excluding athletes based on controversial ‘gender tests’ certainly does not fit in with that. We are expressing our disapproval of this decision today and are calling on the organization to admit Imane Khelif after all.”

● Figure Skating ● The Chinese pair of Wenjing Sun and Cong Han, the Beijing 2022 Olympic champions, have declared their return to competition.

They have not competed since 2022, with Han citing injuries; he is 32 now. The pair won the Olympic silver in 2018 and World Championships golds in 2017 and 2019.

● Gymnastics ● More from USA Gymnastics chief executive Li Li Leung, speaking to The Associated Press on her announcement that she will resign at the end of the year.

Saying she’d “like a little bit of a rest,” she added:

“The organization is in a great place right now. I feel comfortable about being able to hand it over in this situation, in this position, to my successor who can then build on all the achievements we’ve had so far.

“From a timing perspective, it would be completely unfair of me to say to the Board in 2027: ‘Hey I’m out. Now you have to figure out how to get us to L.A.’”

● Ice Hockey ● The International Ice Hockey Federation announced its men’s Player of the Year candidates, including two members of the historic U.S. World Championship team, leading scorer Clayton Keller and goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman.

Swiss forward Denis Malgin from the silver medalists tied for the most assists at the Worlds with 10 and teammate Sven Andrighetto led all goal scorers with seven.

Czech forward David Pasternak was the leading scorer at the Worlds with 15 points in eight games. Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon tied for third in Worlds scoring, at 13 points in eight games.

Voting among media and IIHF officials will close on 13 June.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Archery ● The important World Archery World Cup II in Antalya (TUR) was a trial for new scoring, with the center gold ring worth 11 points instead of 10, trying to better separate what are increasingly accurate archers in international competitions.

Two-time Worlds medal winner Marcus D’Almeida (BRA) stormed through the men’s Recurve division, winning the final over surprise runner-up Buianto Tsyrendorzhiev (KAZ), by 6-0, with Batistie Addis (FRA) finishing third.

The all-Korean women’s final saw Paris Olympic champ Si-hyeon Lim shut down Tokyo 2020 winner San An, 6-0. Casey Kaufhold of the U.S., the 2021 Worlds runner-up, took the bronze medal, 6-4, over Loredana Spera (ITA).

Kaufhold, Catalina GNoriega and Jennifer Mucino won the women’s team title, 6-2, over Italy, after getting past Korea’s Lim, An and Chae-young Kang in the semifinal. The match went to a fifth end and both sides shot 30, but the best American arrow – an 11 – was deemed closer to the center and earned the win.

World Archery reported that this was “the first time the USA has defeated Korea in a major competition after 20 attempts.”

South Korea won the men’s Team final over Germany, 5-4, and Olympic star Woo-jin Kim and Lim won the Mixed Team title, 6-2, over Germany.

In the Compound finals, France’s Nicolas Girard edged American Nick Kappers in the men’s final by 157-154, and Mexico’s Andrea Becerra won the women’s final, 159-151 over Seung-yeon Han (KOR). In the Mixed Team, an Olympic event for 2028, the U.S. pair of Alexis Ruiz and Curtis Broadnax took the gold over Germany’s Katharina Raab and Paolo Kunsch, 166-157.

● Athletics ● Fast sprinting at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston (JAM), with Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson moving to fourth in the world for 2025, winning the men’s 100 m in 9.88 (wind: 0.0), ahead of countryman Oblique Seville (9.97).

Bryan Levell (JAM) won the 200 m in a fast 19.79, but with +2.5 m/s wind, while World Indoor 400 m champ Chris Bailey of the U.S. taking the 400 m in 44.74. Paris Olympic bronze winner Rasheed Broadbell won the 110 m hurdles in 13.06 (+0.7), just ahead of American Trey Cunningham (13.08) with Eric Edwards of the U.S. in third (13.40).

Tina Clayton (JAM) continued her hot sprinting, winning the women’s 100 m in 10.98 (+1.8) with Jacious Sears of the U.S. second (11.04). Two-time World Champion Shericka Jackson (JAM) won the women’s 200 m in 22.53 (+1.0), with Caisja Chandler of the U.S. in third (22.92).

Lynna Irby-Jackson of the U.S. won the 400 m (50.23), and American Alia Armstrong took the 100 m hurdles in 12.54 (+1.1), ahead of World Indoor 60 m hurdles winner Devynne Charlton (BAH: 12.65).

Stunning result from the TOAD Fest in Brentwood, Tennessee on Saturday, with 2019 World 800 m Champion Donavan Brazier winning the men’s open 800 m in 1:44.70, his first recorded race since 2022! He ran away from Shane Streich (1:47.20) for the victory.

It’s Brazier’s fastest outdoor 800 since 2020, with a long series of injuries dogging him since the 2021 Olympic Trials.

At the women-only New York Mini 10K in Central Park, Kenyan star Hellen Obiri pulled away from American Weini Kelati and won Saturday’s race in 30:44. Kelati, the 10,000 m Olympic Trials winner in 2024, was a close second in 30:49, bettering the American road 10 km record of 30:52 by Shalane Flangan in Boston in 2016!

Fourth was Taylor Roe in 30:58, moving to no. 2 on the all-time U.S. list.

● Badminton ● Two wins for South Korea highlighted the BWF World Tour Indonesia Open in Jakarta (INA).

In the men’s Singles, 2019 Worlds runner-up Anders Antonsen (DEN) edged 2022 Worlds bronzer Tien Chen Chou (TPE), 22-20, 21-14, and Olympic champ Se Young An (KOR) came from a set down to beat two-time Asian champ Zhi Yi Wang (CHN) in the women’s final, 13-21, 21-19, 21-15.

Korea got a second win in the men’s Doubles, while China took the women’s Doubles and France won the Mixed Doubles.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Olympic champion Jessica Fox (AUS) was only ninth in the qualifying for the C-1 women’s race at the ICF Slalom World Cup in La Seu d’Urgell (ESP), but she was in great form in the final, winning in 98.42 seconds, with two penalties.

That was good enough, over Spain’s Miren Lazkano (102.52/4) and Czech Martina Satkova (102.80/0). It was Fox’s 53rd career World Cup victory and her 34th in C-1.

In the women’s Kayak final, Slovakia’s 2023 World U-23 C-1 champ Sona Stanovska was the winner at 93.50 (2 penalties), ahead of veteran star Camille Prigent (FRA: 94.31/0) and Monica Doria (AND: 94.61/2).

Seven-time Worlds medalist Luka Bozic (SLO) was a clear winner in the men’s C-1, timing 87.62 with no penalties, beating Paris silver medalist Adam Burgess (GBR: 88.79/0) and Paris Olympic winner Nicolas Gestin (FRA: 89.29/2). American Casey Eichfield was ninth (92.39/2).

The men’s Kayak final was a French 1-2 for Titouan Castryck (81.90/0) and Anatole Delassus (82.78/0), with Lucien Delfour (AUS: 83.56/2) finishing third.

Spain’s Manuel Ochoa won the men’s Kayak Cross final over Jonny Dickson (GBR), while Angele Hug (FRA) took the women’s final, with Tereza Kneblova (CZE) second.

● Cycling ● The four-stage UCI Women’s World Tour Tour of Britain had three different stage winners and three different leads after three days, with third-stage winner Cat Ferguson (GBR) winning the 143.8 km ride in and around Kelso in 3:42.37, and taking just a three-second lead into Sunday, over Ally Wollaston (NZL) and 12 seconds on Karlijn Swinkels (NED).

Dutch star Lorena Wiebes won Sunday’s mass sprint finish in 1:57:13 at the end of a flat, 82.2 km route in Glasgow, with Wollaston third and Ferguson seventh. With the intermediate and final time bonuses, Wollaston gained 13 seconds to six for Ferguson and won the overall title by four seconds in 10:36:45! Swinkels finished third at +0:22.

At the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Leogang (AUT), Czech star Ondrej Cink, now 34 and the 2015 Worlds XCO bronze winner finally got his first World Series gold in the men’s Cross Country Olympic race, winning in 1:25:05, 18 seconds up on Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Mathias Fluckiger (SUI: 1:25:23) and teammate Fabio Pintener (1:25:32).

American Christopher Blevins, the 2021 World Short Track champ, maintained a perfect record with his fourth Short Track win in a row this season, just barely winning over Martin Vidaurre (CHI), with both timed in 23:00, with Charlie Aldridge (GBR) third in 23:01.

Dutch star Puck Pieterse, the 2024 XCO World Champion, won her fifth career World Series gold in dominating fashion, 1:26:39 to 1:27:29 over Samara Maxwell (NZL), with Ramona Forchini (SUI: 1:28:05) in third.

Pieterse won her second straight Short Track race in 21:13, a clear winner over Maxwell (21:29) and Nicole Koller (SUI: 21:34). American Savilla Blunk was eighth in 22:05.

In the Downhill finals, Canada’s Jackson Goldstone won for the second straight time, in 2:57.229, ahead of five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA: 2:57.288) and Henri Kiefer (GER: 2:57.764). Canada also won the women’s race with a second straight victory for Gracey Hemstreet, over American Anna Newkirk and World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT), 3:21.962-3:22.827-3:24.389.

● Football ● The U.S. men faced Turkey in rainy East Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday in a friendly, starting beautifully, but disappointed for the last 88 minutes in a 2-1 loss.

Twenty-one-year-old midfielder Jack McGlynn – in his fifth cap – electrified the crowd with a sensational strike on the right side, taking a pass from forward Malik Tillman, dribbling toward the box and setting up a left-footed strike that flew into the far right side of the Turkish goal for a 1-0 lead after 59 seconds. It was officially credited as a second-minute goal.

But Turkey struck back. In the 24th, U.S. midfielder Johnny Cardoso was trying to clear a ball in front of the American net, but his pass bounced off the knee of forward Arda Guler and bounded into the net for a 1-1 tie. Then, striker Kerem Akturkoglu scored off another failed clearance in front of the U.S. net in the 27th to take the lead. Although the U.S. had 60% possession in the half, Turkey was the aggressor with nine shots to three.

The U.S. was the aggressor in the second half, and Tillman had a fabulous chance in the 61st, but his straight-on header in front of the Turkish goal was caught by debut keeper Berke Ozer. But the score did not change and it ended 2-1, with the U.S. getting 59% possession and finishing with a 13-11 shots edge (10-3 in the half), but coming up short for the third straight match.

The Americans will face Switzerland on Tuesday (10th) in Nashville, Tennessee next.

● Skateboard ● Japan’s 14-year-old Mizuho Hasegawa scored an impressive win at the World Skate Tour Park women’s final in Rome (ITA), with a build-up to a fourth and winning run.

Starting at 77.53 in the first round, Hasegawa scored 89.64 in the second round, but still had to overcome Arisa Trew (AUS), who scored 92.43 to take the lead. Hasegawa replied with a 92.80 to take the lead and finished with her 93.34 for the win. Trew remained in second and Cocona Hiraki (JPN) scored 91.62 on her last run to move up to third.

The men’s final had Spain’s Egoitz Bijueska (also 14!) take the lead on his first run at 92.54 and never relinquish it, improving to 94.50 in the final round to win. Japan’s Paris Olympian Yuro Nagahara was a clear second (92.30) with Gui Khury (BRA: 92.01) third.

● Sport Climbing ● Japan’s Olympic silver winner Soratu Anraku was going for a fourth straight win at the IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Prague (CZE), but France’s Mejdi Schalck, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, was almost perfect on his way to a 99.1 score and the win.

Anraku scored 84.1 and took second on criteria over Samuel Richard (FRA: also 84.1).

The women’s final was canceled due to safety concerns from strong winds, so the semifinal standings were used, with France’s 2023 Worlds silver winner Oriane Bertone (84.8) and Agathe Calliet (FRA: 69.7) finishing 1-2, and Melody Sekikawa (JPN: 69.5) in third.

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SWIMMING: U.S. Nationals wrap in Indianapolis with another Ledecky win, American record equaler for Walsh and three world leads!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Two impressive wins for Olympian Shaine Casas at the 2025 USA Swimming nationals! (Photo: USA Swimming).

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≡ USA SWIMMING NATIONALS ≡

The USA Swimming national championships in Indianapolis concluded on Saturday with more world leads, another American Record from Gretchen Walsh and, of course, another brilliant performance from Katie Ledecky.

● Women/1,500 m Free:
No doubt about the winner, as Freestyle superstar Ledecky won her third gold of the meet, up by almost two seconds at 100 m and expanding her lead from there. She won easily in 15:36.76, the no. 17 performance in history; she now has the top 23.

Jillian Cox, the two-time NCAA 1,650-yard champion at Texas, finished second in 16:05.88, which was only third overall, as 200 m Free champ Claire Weinstein had the fastest time in the morning sections in 16:01.96, no. 5 in the world in 2025, and would be in line to swim this event at the World Championships in Singapore if she chooses. Cox is no. 7 in the world this year and would go if Weinsterin passes.

Ledecky finishes the meet with wins in the 400-800-1,500 m Frees as expected and a place on the 4×200 m Free relay, which she also wanted.

● Women/200 m Medley:
Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Alex Walsh was the qualifying leader at 2:10.22, with 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Leah Hayes close at 2:11.22 and then surprise 200 m Fly winner Caroline Bricker at 2:11.63.

But it was Phoebe Bacon, the 2022 Worlds 200 m Back silver medalist, who got out well in the Fly and maintained a tiny lead of 0.07 after the Back leg. Walsh took the lead on the Breast leg, but Bacon held second, ahead of a charging Hayes. No trouble for Walsh to move ahead solidly on the final lap, winning in 2:08.45, no.2 in the world for 2025.

Hayes was moving up nicely on the final lap, but Bacon stayed strong and touched second in 2:09.22, no. 6 in the world this year. Bricker passed Hayes late for third, 2:10.12 to 2:10.83.

● Men/200 m Medley:
Paris Olympian Shaine Casas, the 2024 World Short-Course winner in this race, was the only one under 1:58 in the heats (1:57.70), but two-time Worlds runner-up Carson Foster was close at 1:58.15, and Tokyo 400 m Free bronzer Kieran Smith qualified fourth at 1:58.50.

Casas was out like a shot on the Fly, touching first ahead of Owen McDonald, and then Foster came up for third after the Back leg. Foster moved into second on the Breast leg, but Casas was sturdy and led on the turn by 0.83.

Foster moved right up on the Free and was almost even, but ran out of pool and Casas won in 1:55.73, fastest in the world in 2025! It’s his second title of the week, after the 100 m Fly.

Foster was right behind at 1:55.76 and no. 2 in 2025, followed by fast-closing Trenton Julian (1:57.59), who passed McDonald (1:57.98).

● Men/800 m Free:
Tokyo Olympic winner and Paris runner-up Bobby Finke said he would not contest the 400 m Medley – which he won earlier – at the Worlds in Singapore, and would concentrate on his signature distance Freestyles.

In the 800, Finke took the lead over 400 m Free winner Rex Maurer at 75 m, and was up by 3.22 seconds at 400 m. He won going away in 7:43.13, moving from no. 17 in the world to no. 5.

Maurer and 1,500 m Free runner-up David Johnston were battling for second, and within 0.4 of each other at 500 m, and were right together coming home, with Maurer getting the touch in 7:49.53 (world no. 13), to 7:49.85.

● Women/50 m Free:
Naturally, ex-Virginia stars Gretchen Walsh (the 2024 World Short Course champ) and Kate Douglass (the 2024 Worlds runner-up in this event) led the qualifying at 24.30 and 24.38, with Paris 2024 100 m Free runner-up Torri Huske at 24.42.

Douglass got off best in the final, but Walsh was strong underwater and came up with a slight lead and stayed in front – barely ahead of Huske and Douglass, with Walsh gaining a clear edge in the final 10 m and touching first in a world-leading 23.91, equaling Douglass’ American Record from 2024, and equal-eighth performer in history.

Huske got a lifetime best at 23.98 for second and Douglass was third in 24.04, followed by 2019 World Champion Simone Manuel at 24.39. The top three in the race are now the top three in the world for 2025.

● Men/50 m Free:
The 100 m Free winner, Jack Alexy, looked strong in the heats at 21.59, now no. 4 on the world list for 2025, followed by Jonny Kulow (lifetime best 21.75, no. 8) and Santo Cordonelli at 21.87.

Off the start, the field was even as they came up, but Alexy got to the lead by midway and was the clear leader with 10 m to go, touching with a lifetime best of 21.36, the world leader in 2025! He’s now no. 15 all-time and no. 2 in U.S. history.

A clear second was the 30-year-old Condorelli, who previously represented Canada and Italy at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, in 21.68 (world no. 8), just ahead of Kulow (21.73). 

There were also two fast swim-offs for national team places, with Paris Olympian Erin Gemmell winning the women’s 200 m Free over Anna Peplowski, 1:55.23 to 1:55.70. Gemmell’s time moves her to no. 3 in the world year, with Peplowski at no. 5. Gemmell will swim the individual 200 m Free in Singapore.

In the women’s 50 m Breast, McKenzie Siroky started fast and won in 30.05, a lifetime best and no. 5 in the world for 2025. Emma Weber was second in 30.55.

As expected, the meet produced a powerful showcase for the U.S., with 10 world-leading marks across five days:

● Men/100 m Free: 46.99, Jack Alexy (day 1)
● Women/100 m Free: 52.43, Torri Huske

● Men/200 m Free: 1:43.73, Luke Hobson (day 2)
● Men/200 m Back: 1:54.25, Jack Aikins
● Women/200 m Free: 1:54.92, Claire Weinstein
● Women/50 m Fly: 24.66, Gretchen Walsh ~ American Record

● Women/50 m Back: 26.97, Katharine Berkoff (day 3) ~ American Record

● Men/50 m Free: 21.36, Alexy (day 5)
● Men/200 m Medley: 1:55.73, Shaine Casas
● Women/50 m Free: 23.91, Walsh ~ equals American Record

Add in Ledecky’s three wins and this will, once again, be a strong American team at the World Championships in Singapore, starting at the end of July.

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SWIMMING: More brilliance from Ledecky and Smith, plus wins by new stars Mijatovic and McKean at USA Swimming nationals

By
Rich Perelman
-
World-record holder Regan Smith of the U.S.

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≡ USA SWIMMING NATIONALS ≡

The penultimate day of the USA Swimming national championships in Indianapolis saw yet another sensational swim by the great Katie Ledecky, but pleasant surprises from teen swimmers who may be stars at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The races:

● Women/400 m Free:
Superstar Ledecky led the heats at 4:03.16, with 200 m Free winner Claire Weinstein second at 4:07.45, the clear favorites in the evening.

Ledecky took a 0.90-second lead after 100 m of the final and was up 1.55 at 200 m and on world-record pace. She slowed slightly in the third 100 but extended to a 1.74-second lead, and finished with just more than a body-length win in 3:58.56, the no. 22 performance in history (she has 11 of them).

Weinstein was alone in second and got a lifetime best of 4:00.05, moving her to no.7 all-time, and remaining no. 4 on the 2025 world list. Tokyo Olympian Bella Sims was third in 4:07.11.

● Men/400 m Free:
Sixteen-year-old Luka Mijatovic (Pleasanton, Ca. high school) led the qualifying with a lifetime best of 3:45.89, moving to no. 10 on the 2025 world list, and setting national age-group 15-16 and 17-18 records!

Off the start in the final, Kieran Smith, the Tokyo Olympic bronze winner, was in lane one but had the lead at the 100 and 200 m marks. Rex Maurer, the Texas star who won the NCAA 500-yard Free title, took the lead by the 250 m mark, with Smith still close and 200 m Free winner Luke Hobson coming on for third. Maurer turned first at the 350 mark and rolled to a brilliant win with a lifetime best of 3:43.33, now no. 2 in the world for 2025. It’s also the fastest ever swum on U.S. soil and makes him the no. 3 performer in American history.

Smith and Hobson faded and Mijatovic came on and got second in 3:45.71, no. 11 in the world for 2025. Ryan Erisman moved well on the final lap for third in 3:46.01, with Smith fifth (3:47.17) and Hobson sixth (3:47.47).

● Women/100 m Breast:
Star Kate Douglass, the Olympic 200 m Breast winner, was the fastest qualifier in 1:06.27, followed by Rio 2016 Breast gold medalist Lilly King (1:06.57).

The final was King’s last race in the U.S., as she has announced her retirement at the end of this season. And she was out well, taking the lead halfway into the first lap and turning in front.

But Douglass was strong in the middle of the second lap and made up the deficit steadily and got to the lead with about 15 m left and touched first in a lifetime best 1:05.79, now no. 4 in the world for 2025. King was a clear second in 1:06.02, also a seasonal best and now no. 8 on the 2025 world list.

Alex Walsh, the Tokyo 2020 200 m Medley silver winner, was third in 1:06.50, and perhaps just as amazing as any of the top finishers was 47-year-old Gabby Rose, who made the final and finished seventh in 1:08.54!

● Men/100 m Breast:
The 200 m Breast winner, Josh Matheny, was the only one under a minute in the morning heats, at 59.80, with upset 50 m Breast winner Campbell McKean and runner-up Michael Andrew next at 1:00.18 and 1:00.27.

Off the start in the final, Matheny turned first in a tight race with McKean (+0.06) and Andrew (+0.27), but McKean got going in the middle of the final lap and got to the wall first in the final 10 m and finished in 58.96, for his second win of the championships and no. 3 in the world for 2025 and now equal-sixth all-time U.S.

Matheny was a clear second in 59.18, no. 8 on the season, with Nate Germonprez third (59.89) and then Andrew (59.99).

● Women/100 m Back:
World-record holder Regan Smith, 2022 World Champion and two-time Paris Olympic medalist in the event, led the qualifying at 58.06, ahead of the 50 m Back winner and American Record-setter Katharine Berkoff (58.75).

Berkoff had a tiny, 0.11-second lead at the turn in the final, but Smith moved up steadily and had the lead with 25 m left and touched the clear winner in 57.69, the no. 21 mark in history (she has 11 of them).

Second was Berkoff at 58.13 and Claire Curzan and Leah Shackley tied for third at 58.60.

Smith said in her Peacock interview afterwards that she was happy with the win, but also the other second-places in the 50 and 200 m Back and 200 m Fly, as she hadn’t done too much hard training this year. So, pretty good to make the team in four events for Singapore!

● Men/100 m Back:
With established stars Ryan Murphy and Hunter Armstrong taking the year off, nineteen-year-old Daniel Diehl had the fastest qualifier at 53.33, with 200 m Back champion Jack Aikins second-fastest at 53.35.

In the final, the field was incredibly close through 45 m, with Jack Wilkening touching first at the turn over 2024 Olympic Trials 5th-placer Tommy Janton and Diehl. It looked like Aikins and Diehl would duel for the win in the middle of the pool, but Janton – in lane one – kept steady and touched first in a shocker in a lifetime best of 53.00, now 11th in the world in 2025. He came in ranked 26th!

Aikins was second in 53.19, with Diehl in 53.35 and Keaton Jones fourth in 53.79.

The 2025 Nationals finish on Saturday with the men’s 1,500 m Free, the women’s 800 m Free, the women’s and men’s 200 m Medley and the 50 m Freestyles.

The meet is being shown on the USA Swimming Web site (both sessions) and NBC’s Peacock streaming service for the evening session at 7 p.m. Eastern.

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