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ATHLETICS: Insane discus performances in Ramona: Denny 242-11, Mattis 237-8 American Record, Sion loses after 30 straight wins!

By
Rich Perelman
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History for Australian discus star Matt Denny! (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ THE RAMONA WINDS ≡

It was blowing out in Ramona, Oklahoma, the favorite wind tunnel for discus throwers from around the world on Thursday at the Oklahoma Throws World Invitational on Thursday!

After Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna got a world record 75.56 m (247-11) heave in 2025, there was great anticipation for 2026. And it was wild.

In the men’s competition, the “Lefty” event was won by American Reggie Jagers, who got his no. 2 throw ever at 69.09 m (226-8) to win. Then came the main men’s event, with Paris 2024 bronze winner Matt Denny (AUS) reaching 72.01 m (236-3) on his opening throw.

German Steven Richter reached 69.90 m (229-4), a lifetime best in round one, but he was just warming up. He got another PR in round two at 70.06 m (229-10) and then exploded in round three to take the lead at 74.00 m (242-09) to move to no. 4 all-time!

In the meantime, U.S. Olympian Sam Mattis bombed a 72.45 m (237-8) throw in the second round to briefly take the lead (until Richter’s third-round throw). The 72.45 m broke the long-standing American Record of 72.34 m (237-4) by Ben Plucknett from 1981!

Richter had another enormous throw of 73.96 m (242-8) in round four, so he was leading Mattis and Denny with two rounds left.

Denny had other ideas and sent a massive fifth-round throw out to 74.04 m (242-11) and regained the lead with the no. 7 throw in history!

In the sixth round, 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO) – who had been the world leader coming in with another win at Ramona on 29 March – finally got loose and reached 72.61 m (238-2) to move into third and pass Mattis.

That’s how they finished, with Olympic champ Roje Stona (JAM) fifth at 70.66 m (231-10) and 2025 Worlds bronzer Alex Rose (SAM) sixth at 70.43 m (231-1). This was reportedly the first competition ever with six men past 70 m (229-8).

Denny and Richter had the seventh and eighth throws in history over 74 m (242-9). Of the top 10 throws in history, eight have come at Ramona, in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The women’s competition made news too, as Dutch star Jorinde van Klinken, the 2025 Worlds runner-up, reached 68.98 m (226-3) in round four to win and she had two more over 68 m. Countrywomen Alida van Daalen got a lifetime best at 67.99 m (223-0), an improvement of more than five feet!

In sixth was Olympic and World Champion Valarie Sion (nee Allman) of the U.S., who managed 65.18 m (213-10) in round three with five other fouls, going got the big one every time. It was Sion’s first loss after 30 straight wins, dating back to 1 September 2023.

The meet continues with more discus events on Saturday and Sunday!

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TSX SPECIAL: It’s here! Our updated, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 54 sports and disciplines for 2026 and beyond now posted!

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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≡ TSX CALENDAR ≡

Spring is here and sports are exploding everywhere, with the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina already a memory. So it’s time for the most comprehensive schedule anywhere of Olympic-program sports and events to be available … all in one place!

It’s all in the latest update to our TSX calendar – an exclusive 681-event listing – for all of 2026 and a few of the larger events beyond to 2034, with 54 Olympic-program (Olympic and Olympic Winter) sports and disciplines shown, plus major meetings and conferences and multi-sport events out to 2034.

Please note: this listing will change! However, this edition is a good place to start for following many of the events coming up in the rest of a busy year ahead.

Two calendars are included in the single PDF download: an 15-page listing in chronological order and a 16-page listing by sport (and in date order within each sport).

It’s free! Get your download right now here!

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VOX POPULI: The specter of a traffic Armageddon is looming for the 2028 Olympic Games

By
Nick Patsaouras
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Former Southern California RTD President Nick Patsaouras and his 2024 book, “The Making of Modern Los Angeles.” (Photos courtesy Nick Patsaouras.)

[Nick Patsaouras was president of the Southern California Rapid Transit District during the 1984 Olympic Games, and parts of this comment are drawn from his 2024 book, The Making of Modern Los Angeles (ORO Editions). His opinions, are, of course, solely his own.]

In today’s world, “Armageddon” refers to a worst-case scenario, a total breakdown of normal functioning. That is exactly where the LA28 Olympic mobility plan finds itself. Los Angeles Metro requested nearly $2 billion in Federal funds for its plan, and expected to receive it, but the Trump administration’s budget unveiled last Friday excluded it.

Without those funds a fluid, Mayor Karen Bass‘ proclamation of a “no-car Games” is impossible. To fully understand the shortcoming, consider this: to create a bus fleet suitable for the Games, it must temporarily acquire, operate and store nearly 1,750 additional buses (the number has been scaled down from 3,000 to 2,700 to 1,750, whenever a critical milestone was not met). At the same time thousands of operators, mechanics and support personnel have to be hired, trained and State-certified.

It is a shock beyond Metro’s ability to absorb it. Without these funds, Los Angeles’ transportation system could hit the breaking point. “Without the full level of funding requested, the complete scope of the Games Enhanced Transit System would not be feasible, as the cost of operating this temporary system exceeds Metro`s available operating resources,” the agency has said.

In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, terminal gridlock was feared but did not occur. Athletes and fans were not stranded, because years of preparation by the Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD) delivered a flawless transportation plan that yielded easy and unobtrusive travel.

The 1984 Olympic organizing committee Chair Paul Ziffren appointed me to the Olympic Citizens Advisory Commission and under his direction, as President of the Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD – Metro`s predecessor) board of directors along with RTD planners, John Dyer, general manager, and Art Leahy, chief of bus operations, a complex transportation plan was devised. A second bus fleet from scratch was created, one that provided direct service to the major Olympic venues. Noteworthy is the fact that there was no rail network in 1984.

Then, the added 550-bus Olympic fleet ranked as the fourth largest public transit district in California. Its operation required more than one thousand workers, including four hundred temporary drivers who had to be hired, trained and certified. To their credit, RTD administrative employees left their desks and worked in the field as passenger assistants, providing fare exchange and information, and supervised bus traffic and security at the various terminals.

Complexity had been added to the transportation obligation with the Games being held in twenty-four venues spread over two hundred miles. In most past Olympic cities, events were scheduled in one central location. The numbers were staggering. Some seven hundred thousand visitors were expected to arrive in Los Angeles each one of the 16-day Olympic period. Most popular events, like track and field, were set for the Coliseum in Exposition Park, USC for swimming and diving, and UCLA for tennis and gymnastics – all known for severe parking shortages and dreadful traffic. RTD carried 40 percent of all spectators to these sites.

The system was tested for efficiency for months. Platoons of buses would arrive or depart from the Coliseum every ten seconds; reserved bus lanes were established; freeway ramps near Exposition Park had to be open only to buses; and bus operators had the opportunity to radio timely status reports to the State Traffic Coordination Center enabling immediate responses to bottlenecks.

Of course, traffic Armageddon was predicted to loom over the region during the 1984 Games but never materialized because of the planning and execution of the RTD’s plan. However, LA28 is another story. The sharp difference is today’s slow planning and lack of funding. So slow, in fact, that I rang the alarm bell in May 2025.

A wasteful chase for $3.2 billion in Federal funds for capital improvements that have a weak nexus to the Olympics has eaten up four years, a time interval that should have been dedicated to developing a coherent mobility plan. The remaining time before the Games is short and unprecedented in Olympic history for locking up funds, the vital blood flow for success.

Seleta Reynolds, Metro’s Chief Innovation Officer and head of Games mobility planning, stated at a January Metro Board meeting that finding and preparing the real estate where the buses will be staged involves a lead time of two years, meaning the agency would need “a chunk of funding available by the summer”; that is a couple of months away!

The known Olympic mobility plan, thus far, is an odd strategic error that will likely cause stagnation, obstruction, and congestion. Rather than directing the spectators away from vulnerable Metro hubs, it directs the flow to those hubs and lines, overwhelming them. Instead, spectators should be directed to large satellite bus-based park-and-ride hubs that can be scaled up to meet surges in a way that Metro Rail cannot. Shockingly, officials who traveled to Paris and viewed how stretched-to-the-limit the city’s rail capacity was, although it is five times the size of Metro Rail, thought that it was a good idea to double down on making Metro Rail stations the biggest mobility hubs for the 2028 Games.

A traffic Armageddon is unavoidable because Southern California’s transportation system is built around nineteen million residents, massive freight corridors, and chronic congestion. The 2028 Games must simultaneously support residents, goods movement, and Olympic demand, an impossible situation. The overlay of a second Olympic transportation system on top of the first is not possible without funds, timely and strategic planning.

On the monetary side, troubled Los Angeles can face exposure, and possible bankruptcy, that may result from LA28 funding shortcomings, precipitated among other challenges by a traffic nightmare. The organizing committee is privately funded for $7.1 billion, but only on paper (LA28 is hiding the books so far). Public guarantees kick in if that budget fails. The monetary exposure is carefully spelled out in the City’s guarantee agreement: if LA28 runs a deficit, Los Angeles is responsible for the first $270 million in losses. The California Legislature agreed to backstop the next $270 million, which means that statewide taxpayers must cover losses from $270 to $540 million. What most people do not know is that if losses exceed $540 million, every additional dollar is the responsibility of Los Angeles’ taxpayers, thus making the city`s financial exposure essentially unlimited.

In sum, we are faced with a dire situation, no clear path of successful operations and avoidance of financial jeopardy. And as unbelievable as it might sound, the Memorandum of Understanding between Metro and LA28, a document with number of ambiguities, was just signed in March. A startling revelation in the MOU is the statement “Metro shall not be obligated for any Metro Enhanced [Olympic] Services, in full or in part, unless and until sufficient New Consideration [funds] is designated, dedicated or committed to Metro.”

So, where do we stand, considering the MOU was signed in March and Trump excluded money in his budget for Metro to provide Olympics service last Friday? The silence is deafening from all quarters, including the Los Angeles Times.

The gap between LA28’s mobility plan and the system L.A. will have is widening to the point where discomfort has now reached a state of a worst-case scenario.

Comments are welcome here.

[≡The Sports Examiner encourages expressions of opinion – we really do – but preferably based on facts. Send comments to [email protected]. We do not guarantee publication of any comment, but all comments submitted will be considered and your submission implies your agreement to publication (and light editing if needed to meet our grammatical and punctuation standards) at our sole discretion. Please include your name and hometown on any comment submitted for publication.≡]

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 human rights policy released by City of L.A., organizers release procurement policy with 182 areas of spending identified

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ HUMAN RIGHTS & PROCUREMENT ≡

A long-delayed release of the LA28 organizing committee’s Human Rights Strategy document came Tuesday evening (7th) in a City of Los Angeles document notice, linking to a 35-page report submitted on 19 December 2025.

The document was due by 31 December 2025 under the terms of the 2021 City Agreement with LA28 and was apparently delivered on time, but was not made public until now.

The requirement was for LA28 to identify potential risks related to the Games, and “processes and measures to address and remedy any adverse impacts.”

The 35-page LA28 strategy report reference a series of international norms in the area, including the International Olympic Committee Framework on Human Rights, issued in 2022, and lessons learned from prior organizers, such as Paris 2024.

The report identifies eight primary areas of focus, with the LA28 role identified primarily as one of preparation, training, and availability of communications so that someone who sees something can say something to the right people, quickly.

The report notes extensive existing programs to combat human rights abuses at the Federal, state and local level and adds specific tactics to each area of concentration:

● 1. Human Trafficking

“LA28 intends to publicize redress mechanisms for individuals to raise concerns and seek remediation. LA28 will also maintain a reporting hotline and website for individuals or groups to report, including anonymously, Games-related problems for which other reporting mechanisms do not exist. The LA28 reporting channels will be well-publicized and accessible. …

“Informational materials, such as brochures, posters, and/or digital content, will be available at event venues, non-Games venues, and online. For example, hotels, motels, and inns are required to post notices to combat human trafficking in conspicuous locations. Bystanders will be able to report concerns to authorities and other stakeholders with technology tools like multilingual hotlines to facilitate reporting and assistance for trafficking victims or others who have suffered human rights violations.”

Due diligence guidelines for vendors, sponsors, and contractors and required background checks will be implemented as well.

● 2. Labor Rights

“LA28 expects our contractors and subcontractors to uphold labor rights. … To this end, LA28 is promoting strong partnerships between government, employers, labor unions, community-based organizations, and others. LA28 has initiated discussions with all these stakeholders to collaborate on upholding wage, safety, contract, collective bargaining, and other rights for individuals involved in our delivery of the Games, and we intend to continue those discussions in the run-up to 2028.”

Local unions are in a continuing struggle with Los Angeles-area businesses over minimum wage increases and have been vocal in demanding that LA28 take their side. The organizers have not engaged in such discussions, at least not publicly, so far. So future discussions may or may not be friendly. This is an area that bears close watching.

● 3. Accessibility

“Looking ahead, LA28 will develop and implement a formal Accessibility Working Plan to promote an Olympic and Paralympic Games that are inclusive, barrier-free, and aligned with domestic and international best practices.”

● 4. Unhoused Communities

LA28 is not going to solve the vast Los Angeles homeless problem, but this is an area where using existing venues makes a big difference. The report notes:

“The prospect of relocating unhoused residents due to construction or redevelopment of land into sporting venues is reduced in Los Angeles because no major construction of permanent facilities is needed to host these Games. If the need arises to relocate individuals due to safety requirements, LA28 will inform key stakeholders, like City and County authorities and advocacy groups, that have the expertise, resources, and authority to work with unhoused communities, with as much advance notice as practicable, so that they can take appropriate actions in support of these individuals.”

What the City of Los Angeles is doing about homelessness is an issue that will partly be decided in the upcoming vote for Mayor and multiple City Council offices.

● 5. Civil Rights and Voice

The U.S. constitutional guarantees for “Freedom of speech, association, and peaceful assembly” were noted. In terms of protests, it’s up to the City of Los Angeles:

“During the Games, the City plans to provide free speech zones at each site hosting Games events and at other locations across the City, where communities will be able to freely express their views (excluding hate speech) and/or protest peacefully.

“Before the Games, the City of Los Angeles has indicated it intends to host ‘days of dialogue’ with communities and with the Consular Corps resident in Los Angeles to reinforce its commitment to allowing residents and visitors to express their views peacefully.”

● 6. Public Safety

“LA28 will work collaboratively with local law enforcement and LA28-contracted firms to deliver appropriate security-related training and readiness routines to address the potential escalation of situations quickly and smoothly. LA28 is also developing policies to manage specific situations, such as screening and management of altercations and crime at venues or Games-related events. …

“LA28 internal operational planning includes safeguarding measures like ‘lost children’ protocols at all Games sites and provision of safe spaces for persons with special needs, such as children or elderly persons, at many venues, and we will publicize these measures in numerous ways. We are preparing to provide hydration stations; adequate numbers of restrooms; cleaning of facilities; and access to sufficient food and beverages for spectators, athletes, and the workforce at sites.”

Primary responsibility, of course, rests with local police departments and the overall security planning for the Games is being led by the U.S. Secret Service.

● 7. Safeguarding Athletes

This is primarily up to others: “During the Games, the IOC and IPC oversee implementation of a range of safeguarding mechanisms,” with LA28’s workforce being responsible to watch and report issues which arise.

● 8. LA28 Staff and Volunteers

“LA28 is also preparing its staff to be active participants in the effort to prevent abuses during the Games. We conduct background checks for staff and volunteers for accreditation and critical Games-time roles. For individuals interacting with minors, we will work with the governing bodies on additional protections. For the limited youth volunteer tracks (e.g., ball girls and boys), LA28 will establish safeguards and additional protections in accordance with best practices and applicable laws and regulations.”

Observed: The document is a responsible reply to the Games Agreement requirement, but recognizes that much of the responsibility in this area is with governmental entities. As such, the report will not satisfy those who want to use the Games for their own causes and purposes.

On Wednesday, LA28 released a 19-page procurement plan, which has been continuously demanded by L.A. City Council members, insistent that the organizing committee spend as much of its $7.145 billion budget with local businesses as possible. The concept:

“This LA28 Procurement Plan shares how the Games-related expenditures will be deployed responsibly and in alignment with the LA28 Impact & Sustainability Plan (I&S Plan), including the target to ensure 75% of addressable spend is local within the Greater Los Angeles area and 25% of addressable spend is with small businesses.”

The first question, of course, is “what is addressable spend”? The plan explains:

“LA28’s local and small business targets are based on addressable spend. Addressable spend refers to the portion of LA28’s total expenditure that can be fulfilled in the local market.

“Not all operational needs translate into addressable spend. A sizable portion of LA28’s requirements may be satisfied through partner sponsorships, IOC contributions, sport federation requirements or existing public infrastructure, with some spending being required to go to specific organizations based on regulatory requirements or supply rights agreements.”

That said, the plan reiterates the LA28 position that “RAMP” is the primary marketplace for organizing committee contracts:

“LA28 uses a well-known platform, the City of Los Angeles’ Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP.org). RAMP is the only platform where all competitive procurements will be published.”

Importantly, LA28 commits in the plan to offer contracts through RAMP that can allow for more vendors to participate:

● “Right-sizing contract requirements to avoid unnecessarily favoring large incumbents;

● “Prioritizing local and small businesses through targeted outreach, capacity-building and evaluation criteria;

● “Strategically unbundling large contracts into smaller, more accessible opportunities;

● “Establishing enforceable subcontracting requirements for prime contractors; and

● “Creating pre-qualified vendor pools and multiple award contracts to streamline engagement.”

At the back of the plan are five pages of small type identifying 41 areas and 182 lines of goods and services for which the organizing committee expects to contract and a breakdown of specific item groups within each, the general outline of spending and the relative size of expenditures in each.

This looks impressive as shown, but the actual impact on local businesses will depend on what is actually needed, where and when.

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PANORAMA: LA28 statement on high ticket service fees; fire at 2016 Rio velodrome; Pogacar chasing cycling history at Paris-Roubaix Sunday!

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 2016: Rio de Janeiro ● There was a major fire at the Olympic velodrome on Wednesday, requiring a major response. Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere told reporters, “The structure of the velodrome itself is preserved and the track has not been hit at all.”

The Associated Press reported that the fire was mostly on the fabric roof of the building, which has also been burned previously.

The International Fencing Federation had been holding some bouts of the ongoing Cadet and Junior World Championships at the site; all competitions have been moved to the main site, the Arena Carioca 1.

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Part of the reaction to the opening of LA28 ticket sales has been not only the cost, but also the handling fees which are part of the listed prices.

A New York Post review noted service charges of 24% – $504.63 – on a package of tickets costing $2,100 as shown on the check-out breakdown (ticket pricing on the LA28 buy site shows the total price, including taxes and fees). An LA28 statement provided to the Post included:

“The service fee is based on the percentage of the ticket price you pay.

“LA28’s ticket program is rooted in heavy analytics and extensive market demand research around entertainment and live sports in the U.S. Tickets are comparable to – or well under in many cases – professional sporting and major entertainment events in the U.S.

“Pricing is based on a variety of factors and heavily informed by what fans have told us, as well as venue capacity, type of session, seat location and historical demand.”

“That said, LA28 tickets go up to the thousands in select cases for the most premium seats at a handful of the most anticipated events. The most expensive tickets represent a small portion of the overall inventory, and there are also accessibly priced options at these same sessions we know will draw headlines.

“Roughly 5% of tickets are over $1,000. More than 75% of all Olympic tickets – which includes finals – are under $400, and nearly 50% of all Olympic tickets are under $200.”

● NCAA ● A Yahoo! Sports report published Wednesday said the NCAA is beginning the process of exploring new eligibility rules, based partly on age, that would limit collegiate participation to five years only:

“According to the concept, NCAA athletes would have five full years of eligibility from the time of their 19th birthday or their high school graduation, whichever is earliest.”

Exceptions would be made for maternity, military or religious service. “Redshirt’ seasons would be eliminated; the proposal as reported does not impact the ability to transfer.

The proposal will be considered by the NCAA Division I Cabinet next week; the timeline beyond that is unclear. The NCAA has been deluged with lawsuits by athletes trying for added years of eligibility and while the NCAA has won many of these suits, the cost of litigation is substantial, outcomes are unpredictable depending on the state involved, and are continuing to increase.

● Cycling ● Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar is chasing history on Sunday at the 123rd running of Paris-Roubaix – the “Hell of the North” – a brutal 258.3 km route from Compiegne to Roubaix, including 30 cobblestone sections.

Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel has won this race the last three years, with Pogacar second by 1:18 in 2025. It’s the only Monument race he hasn’t won.

The “Monuments” are the five ancient, one-day races in the sport, that go back before World War I and Pogacar owns 12 Monument wins, second all-time:

● Milan-Sanremo (ITA: 1907) ~ 1 Pogacar win, in 2026
● Ronde van Vlaanderen (BEL: 1913) ~ 3 wins in 2023-25-26
● Paris-Roubaix (FRA: 1896) ~ no wins
● Liege-Bastogne-Liege (BEL: 1892) ~ 3 wins in 2021-24-25
● Il Lombardia (ITA: 1905) ~ 5 wins in 2021-22-23-24-25

Only three Belgian riders – Rik Van Looy (1958-65), Eddy Merckx (1966-76) and Roger De Vlaeminck (1970-79) – have won all five and only Merckx has won each more than once.

Moreover, only Merckx and Pogacar have won as many as three Monuments in a season: Merckx in 1969-71-72-75 and Pogacar in 2025. With Pairs-Roubaix on Sunday and Liege-Bastogne-Liege on 26 April, Pogacar has cycling history within reach!

● Football ● A 38-stop “Canada Celebrates” program of activities, including live viewing, music, food and cultural programs was announced, from 1 June to 19 July, with seven stops from 9 April to 26 May as part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour.

Seven major cities will be visited in April and May, then a parallel tour of eastern and western Canadian cities will host celebrations during the FIFA World Cup tournament itself:

● Eastern: Newfoundland (1), Nova Scotia (1), Prince Edward Island (1), New Brunswick (1), Quebec (1), Ontario (8).

● Western: Yukon (1), British Columbia (6), Alberta (1), Saskatchewan (1), Ontario (4).

FIFA World Cup 2025 matches will be held on Vancouver and Toronto.

● Water Polo ● In the World Aquatics men’s Division I World Cup in Alexandroupolis (GRE), Hungary and Italy topped the groups with 3-0 records. The U.S. finished 0-3 in Group B and will play in Group D, in which only the winner will advance to the Super Final.

All four teams in the second-phase Group C – Hungary, Italy, Greece and Spain – have qualified for the Super Final, in Australia, in July.

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ATHLETICS: May 8 Diamond League meet in Qatar moved to June in view of Iran war, “should conditions allow”

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ DOHA DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

The continuing war in Iran has caused significant changes to the schedules of many international sporting events and on Wednesday, track and field’s Wanda Diamond League was hit.

With the opener scheduled for Doha (QAT) on 8 May and Iranian missiles shot at the country, the inevitable outcome was at least a postponement, confirmed Wednesday:

“In recent weeks, the Diamond League has been monitoring the situation in Doha, working in close coordination with meeting organisers, Qatari authorities and other stakeholders.

“In the interests of athlete and spectator safety, a decision has now been taken to postpone the meeting. Should conditions allow, it will now be held on June 19.

“As temperatures are expected to be higher in Doha in June, the meeting will also be moved from the Qatar Sports Club to the Khalifa International Stadium.

“The stadium, which hosted both the Diamond League and the World Athletics Championships in 2019, is temperature regulated, allowing athletes to compete safely even in hotter conditions.”

The statement noted that the situation will continue to be evaluated in view of the conflict in and around Iran.

So, the Diamond League schedule now looks like this:

● 16 May (Sat.): Shanghai (CHN)
● 23 May (Sat.): Xiamen (CHN)
● 31 May (Sun.): Rabat (MAR)

● 04 June (Thu.): Rome (ITA)
● 07 June (Sun.): Stockholm (SWE)
● 10 June (Wed.): Oslo (NOR)
● 19 June (Fri.): Doha (QAT) ~ new date
● 28 June (Sun.): Paris (FRA)

● 04 July (Sat.): Eugene (USA)
● 10 July (Fri.): Monaco (MON)
● 18 July (Sat.): London (GBR)

● 21 Aug. (Fri.): Lausanne (SUI)
● 23 Aug. (Sun.): Chorzow (POL)
● 27 Aug. (Thu.): Zurich (SUI)

● 04-05 Sep. (Fri.-Sat.): Final in Brussels (BEL)

There are still 15 meets in all (16 meet days), held across almost four months, in 13 countries – China and Switzerland have two each – and on five different days of the week.

● 4 on Sunday: Rabat, Stockholm, Paris, Chorzow
● Monday: none
● Tuesday: none
● 1 on Wednesday: Oslo
● 2 on Thursday: Rome, Zurich
● 4 on Friday: Doha, Monaco, Lausanne, Brussels I
● 5 on Saturday: Shanghai, Xiamen, Eugene, London, Brussels II

This is a continuing weakness of the Diamond League schedule, as fans – unlike those in other sports – cannot count on seeing a meet on a predictable, consistent schedule, instead of the usual arrangement reminiscent of the 1969 comedy, “If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium.”

But with some luck, there will be a Doha meet in the 2026 Diamond League; the meet has been held annually since 1997 and was part of the inaugural Diamond League season in 2010. It has always been held in May except for the Covid-impacted 2020 season, when it was held in September.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Council member Rodriguez joins chorus for financial transparency from LA28 amid security cost worries

By
Rich Perelman
-
Los Angeles City Council member Monica Rodriguez (Photo: Rodriguez Council Office).

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ RODRIGUEZ’S LETTER ≡

“With just 830 days remaining until the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the City of Los Angeles still lacks clear, enforceable protections over hundreds of millions of dollars in public exposure.

“This is not a minor gap; it is a critical failure that must be fixed now. Bankruptcy cannot be the legacy of these Games.”

That’s from a letter sent by Los Angeles City Council member Monica Rodriguez, a self-styled budget hawk, to LA28 organizing committee chief executive Reynold Hoover, which was obtained and reported by Scott Reid of the Southern California News Group, apparently before the organizing committee had seen it.

Reid’s story quotes significant parts of the letter, including:

● “The Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement (ECRMA) must guarantee that the City is fully reimbursed for all costs before a single dollar is directed to an LA28 Legacy Fund. Taxpayer protection comes first. Every dollar owed to the City must be reconciled and paid before any surplus is retained or repurposed.”

● “These costs are uncertain, volatile, and likely to increase. Federal support is not guaranteed, and jurisdictions across the country will be competing for the same limited funding. These projections also fail to account for real-world risks like emergencies, weather events, and unforeseen operational demands that could increase the City’s financial burden.”

● “At the same time, the City is expected to stand behind these commitments without meaningful financial transparency into LA28’s financial operations. Under the current framework, LA28’s expenses, including executive compensation, bonuses, and vendor contracts, are reimbursed ahead of the City’s costs, yet the City lacks adequate visibility into how those funds are being spent. That is unacceptable.”

Rodriguez’s letter echoes a similar memorandum of concern from 24 March 2026 from City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, which is one of the City agencies involved in the negotiation of the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement:

● “[T]here are two remaining issues in the ECRMA that must be resolved in the City’s favor for LA28 to fulfill their promised ‘no cost to taxpayers’ foundational principle – (1) what happens if the federal government does not pay the assumed $1 billion and (2) what happens if the City’s extraordinary expenses exceed $1 billion?”

● “The ECRMA as drafted by LA28 limits the obligation to reimburse City costs before LA28 is permitted to create its own legacy fund with the surplus. … The City requires unambiguous language in the ECRMA to foreclose any scenario in which funds might go back to the wealthy backers and investors of the LA28 organization without reimbursing taxpayer-funded extraordinary costs.”

Rodriguez demanded more information from LA28, asking for “complete transparency” into LA28 spending, calling it a matter of “public responsibility.”

The Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement was due to be completed, per the 2021 Games Agreement between the City and LA28, by 1 October 2025. Although $1 billion for security costs related to the 2028 Games was authorized in the Federal Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget, there was no additional funding identified in the 2026-27 Federal budget highlights document released last week.

(Update: A earlier version of this story had a misspelling of Feldstein Soto’s name; this has been corrected.)

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UTAH 2034: Organizing committee concentrating now on youth classroom and sports impacts, but will offer its first “Games Plan” outline in June

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ STEERING COMMITTEE ≡

Tuesday’s meeting of the Utah 2034 organizing committee’s Steering Committee did not have any splashy announcements, but confirmed continuing, behind-the-scenes progress on the organization of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

There was a lot of discussion about the learning trip of a large delegation to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a total of 81 people attending, including State of Utah officials, representatives of four of the Games host communities and seven of the host venues.

This was a unique opportunity for the Utah folks, who will also be able to see the French Alps 2030 Games and how their approach will differ. It was noted that where the Milan Cortina organizers were able to meet their goal of 1.3 million tickets for the Olympic Games, the Utah 2034 projection is to have about 2.9 million tickets available.

As for the behind-the-scenes work:

● The Utah 2034 “Games Plan,” which is a more formalized blueprint of how and where the Games will be staged, is expected to be completed in its first edition on or about Olympic Day – 23 June 2026 – and released to the public.

● Discussions have started with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee on the marketing joint venture which will stand up following the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Utah 2034 will only be able to begin sponsorship sales in 2029.

● A new technology infrastructure to help manage the Games development and then staging is being developed, in coordination with the International Olympic Committee.. This is an exciting project for Utah 2034 because of its long lead time to the Games, allowing exploration of new concepts in the tech field.

● A significant effort to energize and impact youth in the area and beyond is being developed for a 2026 roll-out. Chief executive Brad Wilson explained:

“Our objective is a pilot program in at least six school districts – rural to urban school districts – across the state this year, and it will evolve into a full-blown Olympic values-based education program, starting in 2027.

“It is remarkable to me that we are this far out, we’re going to be impacting the lives of school children across the state of Utah. And lastly, I would just say that our objective is not just to end inside the borders of this state of Utah. But as this program builds momentum, we want this curriculum to become available to school teachers coast-to-coast, in school districts all across America, that they can build on the momentum that we’ve got for 2034.”

Wilson also noted the desire to create a strategy to engage more young athletes, but not just Americans, to use the full set of facilities available now and that will be used for the Games. It was pointed out that 106 athletes competing at the Olympic Winter Games trained in Utah – from 20 nations – and who won a total of 26 medals. The existing Youth Sports Alliance will be a key element in youth engagement going forward.

The Steering Committee meeting, which was public, ended and a Utah 2034 Board meeting followed, which was private. Afterwards, Utah 2034 Executive Chair Fraser Bullock told reporters that the organizing committee is not doing any detailed Games planning, but has other goals right now:

“We’re leaving the bulk, the vast majority of the planning of the Games, to start four to five years out, so we recognize that because we don’t want to spend unnecessary resources at this point in time.

“So we’re focusing on a couple of key areas that are important. One is to generate revenues, and we have our Podium34 program ongoing that’s very successful [$250 million raised so far] and providing us the funding that we need in these early years.

“Number two, we’re gearing up for when we can raise more money, so we’re focused on the revenue side, and that’s not the Games day-to-day planning, per se, but they are important elements of putting on a Games.

“Then, operationally, we’re focused on the technology like we talked about, because that needs to be done so far in advance that it needs to start now. And finally, a big area of focus for us is to have an impact on our communities, because we don’t want to waste the next eight years and just have an impact in 2034. We want to have an impact all the way along. And that’s why we’re kicking off our education program, our youth-sport program; those aren’t elements of planning, those are elements of having an impact on our community.”

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PANORAMA: A Paris 2024 insight on Olympic tickets; U.N. support for IOC sex-screening test; most expensive U.S. city to see a ‘26 World Cup game?

By
Rich Perelman
-
American ski star Lindsey Vonn (Photo: Wikipedia via Palsternakka).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● With the LA28 organizers opening ticket sales last week for Southern California and Oklahoma City residents and for worldwide sale this week, there’s a story worth reading about one person’s Paris 2024 experience.

Torched.la covers the “mega-event” preparations for the City of Los Angeles, with a focus on what government agencies are doing, planning and reacting to. Alissa Walker’s 3 April story reported how Anne Stark Ditmeyer, an American designer living in Paris, went to 24 Paris 2024 events – Olympic and Paralympic – and counseled:

“Don’t be worried if you don’t get the first drop. I didn’t buy any of my tickets until three months in advance.”

She had a wonderful time during the Paris Games and her experience is instructive for any major event you have ever thought about attending.

The continuing war between business and labor in the City of Los Angeles has a new front, in the coming June elections, as a petition to place an initiative to remove the City’s business tax has been certified as having the required number of signatures.

The petition was verified on 23 March 2026 and now has to move through the process to be included on the June ballot. If passed, it will end the City’s business tax as of 1 January 2028 and create an $800 million-plus hole in the City’s budget and could cripple some services.

The initiative is backed by business interests trying to reduce the tax burden in the City, and has been seen as a reaction to the increase in wages mandated by the City Council for hospitality workers to $30.00 per hour by 1 July 2028.

● Transgender ● United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem (JOR) welcomed the International Olympic Committee’s initiative to institute sex testing for women’s sport. After all, she called for it in 2024.

In a statement last week, Alsalem explained:

“I welcome this policy as a necessary, proportionate and legitimate step to ensure the protection of women and girls, in line with international human rights law and standards. Evidence-based approaches, including the recognition of the material reality of sex, must guide the development, monitoring, and review of sport policy at all levels. …

“Contrary to reports, the policy does not disqualify anyone from participating in sports or competing professionally in categories corresponding to their biological sex. Rather, it ensures that women and girls are not disadvantaged or excluded from meaningful and fair competition in their own category.”

● Russia ● Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said that 116 athletes who might have qualified for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy but for the sanctions on Russia from the International Olympic Committee will receive cash bonuses. He told the Russian news agency TASS:

“We’ve amended the regulations governing payments to Olympic Games participants. We’ve decided to maintain payments to previous medalists who were disqualified from participating in the 2026 Games. Olympic champions will receive 500,000 rubles, silver medalists 350,000 rubles, bronze medalists 250,000 rubles, and participants 150,000 rubles. The list includes 116 athletes.”

Converting to U.S. dollars, these awards would be $6,376, $4,463, $3,188 and $1,913.

● Alpine Skiing ● Will American star Lindsey Vonn race again after her crashes, agony and surgeries prior to and during the Olympic Winter Games? She told Craig Melvin of NBC’s “Today” show:

“I don’t know the answer to that question because I know I’ll be happy if I do ski race again. That’s no question. But I don’t know. It might be fun to do one more — one more run. We’ll see.”

Asked directly about a comeback:

“I mean, much to my family’s dismay, yes. I think it’s just something that – I mean, I’ve been, like I said, so isolated and not able to really live life outside of skiing.”

“Like, I’m still kind of trapped in this, like, I didn’t have my Olympic dream situation … I need to walk and be out in public and, you know, be living life. And I think that will give me a different perspective. Right now I can’t say what the future holds because I can’t – my mind can’t get there yet. …

“I can move on. I mean, it’s not a question of can I. I already have, you know? And I already retired for six years. Like, I know what it’s like to not be a ski racer anymore. It’s just that ski racing is something I love to do. And I had so much fun this season that – and I never got to – I never got a final run.”

● Athletics ● World Athletics announced Tuesday:

“The marathon will remain a discipline at the World Athletics Championships in 2027 and 2029, but from 2030 it will move to its own standalone championships. From 2031 onwards, the marathon – or any other road running distance – will no longer form part of the World Athletics Championships.”

Instead, there will be a World Athletics Marathon Championship beginning in 2030, with men and women competing in alternate years. The initial race is aimed to be in Athens (GRE), site of the first modern Games in 1896; the 2026 Athens Marathon is on 8 November.

The plan is to see the Athens Marathon upgraded over time to elite status and to use the original, 1896 course – 40 km at the time – as much as possible. The choice of date in 2030 will be fascinating – along with prize money – considering the existing slate of fall major marathons in Chicago, Berlin and New York, plus the speedy course in Valencia (ESP) already in their long-time calendar slots.

● Boxing ● Paris 2024 women’s 57 kg champion Yu-ting Lin (TPE) won a women’s 60 kg bronze at the Asian Boxing Elite Championships, reaching the semifinals before losing on a 4:1 decision to North Korea’s Un Gyong Won, in Ulaanbaatar (MGL).

Lin was boxing at a new weight, after having been cleared by World Boxing to compete in the women’s division, following a sex-screening test now required by the federation. This was her first tournament since Paris 2024 and coach Tzu-chiang Tseng explained:

“Yu-ting hasn’t competed in a long time, and it was evident that her physical condition wasn’t quite up to par. Losing this time isn’t a bad thing; at least there’s room for improvement and a clear path forward.”

● Football ● The airline perks-tracking site Upgraded Points came out with a ranking on costs of attending a group-stage FIFA World Cup 2026 match and found Boston to have the biggest total bill, and Miami the smallest. The exercise was for one person, “calculated the expected price of a 3-day, 2-night trip in each of the 11 U.S. host cities during the group stage. That total includes a good seat, nearby lodging [Airbnb], airfare, rideshares, food and drinks during the stay, and 1 replica jersey.” The results (the story identified some of the matches selected):

● $8,929: Boston (for Scotland-Morocco)
● $7,139: Philadelphia (for Brazil-Haiti)
● $5,630: Los Angeles (for Belgium-Iran)
● $5,624: San Francisco
● $5,383: Houston
● $5,268: Atlanta
● $4,996: Dallas
● $4,716: Kansas City
● $3,260: Seattle (for Egypt-Iran)
● $3,082: New York
● $2,614: Miami (for Uruguay match)

Remember, this is for a group-stage match, with tickets purchased on the resale market, with significantly inflated costs.

An accompanying survey of 2,400 people across 22 countries measured sentiment about the U.S. as a host country, with 66.1% saying immigration events have made them more hesitant to go to the U.S. and 36.7% saying they are less likely to go to the U.S. vs. another country as host.

Reuters reported that the Unite Here 11 labor union that represents food service workers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, a FIFA World Cup 2026 venue, “warned workers could strike if their concerns are not addressed.”

The union’s demands, made to FIFA and to stadium owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment included “A public commitment that ICE and Border Patrol will play no role in the tournament, protections for union jobs and working conditions, and support for affordable housing for hospitality workers.” It also wants AI and automation not to be used to replace jobs now filled by union workers.

● Nordic Skiing ● U.S. Ski & Snowboard will take over the U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, adding to its existing administration of the American Para alpine and snowboard teams, added in 2023.

The USOPC has operated the U.S. Para Nordic program since 2014, but will now hand it off to the U.S. National Governing Body for the FIS Nordic Skiing disciplines. The U.S. Para Nordic squad won 10 medals at the recent Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina (ITA), the most in program history!

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 chief exec Hoover says initial ticket sales “exceeded all expectations” at State Assembly hearing; L.A., Metro ask for State money

By
Rich Perelman
-
The 6 April 2026 hearing of the California Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic And Paralympic Games and the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism (California State Assembly video).

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≡ ASSEMBLY HEARING ≡

A second meeting of the California Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic And Paralympic Games, joined with the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism provided mostly an overview of the planning for the Games.

However, LA28 chief executive Reynold Hoover did offer some positive news on the beginning of ticket sales, so far only for Southern California and Oklahoma City residents:

“We just went on sale this past week; I will say in this room that we have exceeded all expectations in our revenue projections and our ticket sale projections. We have exceeded what Paris [2024] sold in their first days – in terms of Olympics – and we’ve actually outpaced all recent Olympics.

“And I think what that tells you is, it’s the power of the Games. … People want to come to L.A. and be a part of history.”

Hoover also detailed some of the progress on other organizing committee programs:

● He said that some 250,000 individuals have registered to volunteer for the Games, from many countries; “about 50,000 of them are Angelenos.” The plan is to register as many as 500,000, and to eventually select about 60,000 for the Games (Olympic and Paralympic).

● The LA28 staff total is now more than 650, eventually to rise to 1,000 by the end of the year. About 5,000 staff in total are expected to actually work at Games time.

● The Olympic Torch Relay is planned to be the largest ever held in the U.S., visiting all 50 states over the course of 100 days.

On transportation during the Games, a favored tactic implemented for the 1984 Games will return. Said Hoover:

“I think the Mayor is going to require deliveries after hours. So, during ‘84, commercial deliveries from 11 o’clock at night to, like, four or five o’clock in the morning, so that will take big trucks and delivery trucks off the roads.”

He also noted the now-available possibilities for remote work; “Mayor [Karen] Bass has already said she will ask people to remote work, those that are able to do that.” And he added that, compared to 1984, the availability of artificial intelligence to maximize the effectiveness of traffic routes related to the Games, will also be a help. Hoover said, “I feel very confident that both our athletes and the spectators, all of the officials, the Olympic Family, will be able to move around L.A.”

Assembly member Tom Lackey (R-34th District) thought more remote-work encouragement will be needed:

“I know that the Mayor has asked for people to do the stay-at-home, and if she could use a little stronger language – like direct them to stay home – or give them some kind of incentive to stay home, that’s the only thing that’s going to work, in large scale, in my opinion. … That’s the only way this is going to work, is if people will cooperate with us.”

There were many questions to Hoover, accompanied by Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans, about small business opportunities for the Games, and these questions were also asked to Paul Krtekorian, the Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Office of Major Events.

Krekorian explained the current program to use the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP) for businesses to see LA28 postings for contracts, as well as many others. But Krekorian was also looking for some State help for the 2028 Games, for cultural programming.

While LA28 will stage its mandated cultural program related to the Games, the City of Los Angeles has developed a community-based program, and “I’m confident that we’ll have significant support for those [cultural] programs, but it won’t be enough, and I can tell you that right now. It will not be enough, so one of the things we’ve asked you to consider is supporting some of those programs with state funding.”

He noted that the City is reaching out for philanthropic support as well within the Southern California community.

The final panelist, by video, was Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authoritychief executive Stephanie Wiggins, who is also looking for more money.

First, she said that Metro expects a attendee split of 40% from California, another 40% from around the U.S. and about 20% of international visitors. Further, of the 1,700-plus buses expected to be needed for the Games period, “we have, through pledges from across the country, already secured over half of the required buses.”

But Wiggins was also clear:

“We will need to secure additional funding to deliver [service] for the Olympic Games. We simply do not have the ability to fund operations ourselves. …

“Metro and our Games Mobility partners will need to make key investments to our system to be ready for the surge in users of our system and we are asking for the State’s help in funding some key legacy improvements.”

The ask is for $379 million for construction of station and line improvements and transit management, with Metro already having done – at its own cost – the engineering and environmental preparation work.

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PANORAMA: Could Lyon replace Nice for the 2030 Winter Games? Utah 2034’s “Podium34″ already at $250 mil! Fencing double-double for U.S.’s Jaelyn Liu!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Another fencing Cadet-Junior double gold for American teen Foil star Jaelyn Liu! (Photo: Bizzi Team via USA Fencing).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● With the new mayor of Nice, Eric Ciotti, saying that the venues and athlete village sites for the 2030 Winter Games should be changed, the mayor of Lyon – where the organizing committee has its headquarters – is ready to help.

Grégory Doucet, in office since 2020, is reported to be ready to offer facilities in Lyon for curling, figure skating and other ice sports, as well as the ceremonies. It’s only an offer at this stage, but offers the organizing committee options if the relations with Ciotti get frostier.

● Olympic Winter Games 2034: Utah ● The first-of-its kind “Podium34″ project called on philanthropy from the Utah community to support the organizing committee of the 2034 Winter Games with funding to start operations and to create new community and Games programs.

Formally announced in September 2025, but information earlier, the goal had been to raise $200 million. By the time of the launch last year, the published goal was $300 million. On Monday, Utah 2034 confirmed that the current level of commitment has reached $250 million and that the $300 million plateau will likely reached by the end of the year.

And the new goal will be?

● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC announced that long-time member Craig Reedie (GBR) passed away at age 84; no date was given.

A badminton player in his competitive days, he later became the President of the International Badminton Federation, later the Chair of the British Olympic Association. He was elected to the IOC in 1994 and from 2014-19 was the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, steering through the minefield of the Russian state-sponsored doping program. He became an Honorary Member of the IOC in 2021.

● Athletics ● The annual Stawell Gift race, begun in 1878, is a throwback to the earliest days of track & field, a 120 m straightaway race on grass with ropes between the lanes, in Stawell (AUS). In 2026, American sprint stars Christian Coleman (2019 100 m World Champion) and Sha’Carri Richardson (2023 World 100 m Champion) were in the event and Richardson claimed a historic win.

The race is run with handicap starts and Richardson, who advanced to the final by just 0.007, started 10 m back of Emma Carr, but moved up smartly during the race and got to the front late, winning in a race-record 13.08 over Charlotte Nielsen (13.13 with a 9 m handicap). Richardson is only the third woman to win from a scratch start and collected the winner’s share of A$40,000 (~$27,627 U.S.); the women’s race started in 1989.

Australian Olufemi Komolafe won the men’s race in 11.93 with a 5 m handicap; Coleman was eliminated in the semifinals.

● Cycling ● A group of riders who sailed through a train-stop red light during the Ronde van Vlaanderen on Sunday – including winner Tadej Pogacar (SLO) – are the subject of an inquiry by Belgian officials.

Those who crossed early had to slow down to allow the peloton to catch up after the tracks were clear. Sanctions could include a fine and suspension.

● Fencing ● If you haven’t heard this name already, get used to it: Jaelyn Liu.

The Dallas-based American teen once again collected FIE World Championships golds in the women’s Foil in both the Cadet and Junior classes in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) on Saturday and Sunday, repeating her double golds from 2025 and becoming the first fencer to win a Cadet-Junior double-double!

This was her last year of eligibility in the Cadet class (under 17 as of 1 January) and juniors are eligible to age 20. She now has three Cadet Foil World titles (2024-25-26)and the 2025 and 2026 Junior Worlds golds, plus a team title in 2025. She already won her first FIE World Cup individual gold, in Hong Kong on 10 January of this year.

● Gymnastics ● Algerian star Kaylia Nemour was a double winner at the FIG Artistic World Cup in Cairo (EGY), taking the Uneven Bars – where she is Olympic champion – at 14.033 and then winning on the Beam – where she is the 2025 Worlds silver winner – scoring 14.266.

Spain’s Laia Font won the women’s Vault at 13.533 and China’s Qinqin Ke took the Floot at 12.966.

China also scored twice with men’s wins, with two-time Olympic Rings winner Yang Liu winning on Parallel Bars at 14.366 and teammate Hongyan Li winning on the Horizontal Bar (14.400).

Armenia claimed wins on Pommel Horse for 2025 European champ Hamlet Manukyan (14.800) and for 2022 World Champion Artur Davtyan on Vault at 14.666. Greek star Eleftherios Petrounias, the 2016 Olympic Rings winner, won his specialty at 14.366. Russian “neutral” David Marinov won on Floor, scoring 14.233.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union Council meeting announcement noted that it “received an update from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on reintegration of athletes under the age of 17 from both Russia and Belarus into the international community. No timeline is currently available for a further update in this regard.”

The ISU 60th Ordinary Congress will be held from 10-12 June 2026, with elections due for President, Vice Presidents and other members.

● Volleyball ● Four-time Olympic medalist Jordan Larson, now 39, retired after her Saturday match with LOVB Omaha of League One Volleyball. One of the standout outside hitters in U.S. history, Larson starred as an All-American at Nebraska and went on to a sensational career with the American national team.

“The Governor” helped the U.S. win the 2014 FIVB Women’s World Championship and four Olympic medals: silver in 2012, bronze in 2016, gold at Tokyo 2020 and a silver at Paris 2024. She also played on club teams in Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey, China and Italy in addition to the U.S. She said in an interview:

“Looking back, beyond the wins, the losses, and the medals, what I am most proud of are the relationships and experiences I have gained along the way.

“I have learned so much from so many people, from coaches and teammates to the fans who supported me throughout the journey. I was just a girl from a small town who was given the chance to live out her dream, and I am deeply grateful for how this game has shaped me both on and off the court.”

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PANORAMA: Ueberroth family trust filing notes dementia diagnosis; no major 2028 Games funding in 2027 Trump budget plan; Pogacar wins Flanders!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogacar celebrating his World Road Champs win in 2024 (Photo: Wikipedia via Albinfo).

★ 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 1984: Los Angeles ● A quiet, sad case over a family trust originally filed in April 2025 in Orange County, California came into public view last week as The Athletic reported on a filing by Vicki Ueberroth Booth, to remove Michael McKee as the trustee.

Ueberroth Booth is the daughter of Peter Ueberroth, the head of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Games and afterwards, Commissioner of Major League Baseball. He is now 88 and his wife Ginny, 86, have both seen their health erode and Peter was diagnosed with dementia in March 2024. McKee has been working with Ueberroth’s Contrarian Group since at least 2018.

Ueberroth Booth is asking the court to remove McKee as trustee after certain transactions were made, allegedly without the knowledge or input from others. Her attorney, Gabrielle Vidal, noted in a statement, “Filing this petition – and bringing sensitive and private family matters into a public forum – was not a decision made lightly, but a necessary one to protect their parents, safeguard what they built, and ensure that their wishes are honored.”

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● On Friday, the Trump Administration’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 was released and the 92-page summary noted $12.5 billion in funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, of which a listed activity is to “keep U.S. citizens safe during large-scale events such as the 2028 Olympics.”

There is a small addition of $36 million for the U.S. Secret Service budget, of which a part will be used for preparation for operations for the 2028 Presidential campaign and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There was no listing of a major allocation for security cost reimbursement to local agencies for the 2028 Games, something the City of Los Angeles and the LA28 organizers are asking for.

There was no mention of any additional funding for transportation support for the 2028 Games, with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency looking for $2 billion in support for the Games, down from its original request of $3.2 billion.

The released blueprint is only that, as the Congress will finally decide what gets funded.

● Pan American Games ● Applications are in for the third Junior Pan American Games in 2029, with three candidates now confirmed: Rosario (ARG), Guatemala City (GUA) and Panama City (PAN).

The three bidders must submit a formal proposal by 15 June and the actual candidates will be certified by 19 June. The selection will be made in August at the Panam Sports General Assembly in Lima (PER).

● SportAccord ● The annual SportAccord convention, which brings together the business and political worlds of the Olympic Movement has been postponed. Slated for 24-28 May in Baku (AZE), the ongoing conflict in Iran has made travel too difficult.

SportAccord announced that it is committed to holding the event, which draws about 1,700 attendees, in Baku, but at a later date.

● Basketball ● The Class of 2026 for the Naismith Hall of Fame was announced Saturday, with the 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic Team to be enshrined 30 years after dominating the Atlanta Games.

Also to be inducted in August are 2016 Olympic gold medalist Elena Della Donne, 2000 team member Chamique Holdsclaw, 2008 and 2012 gold winner Candace Parker and men’s 2004 gold medalist Amar’e Stoudamire.

Among the coaches, long-time NBA coach Mike D’Antoni (2008 and 2012) and Gonzaga’s Mark Few (2024) were Olympic assistants.

● Weightlifting ● The clean-up of doping issues in weightlifting is continuing with the International Testing Agency noting lifetime bans on former Pakistan federation head Hafiz Imran Butt and coach Irfan Butt imposed by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport:

“[T]he CAS ADD found that both athlete support personnel had been directly involved in the administration of prohibited substances, including steroids, to Pakistani athletes, including minors, and had played central roles in large-scale doping in Pakistan, having actively and continuously engaged in doping practices.”

The offenses took place between September 2014 and November 2016.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Athletics ● As the outdoor season gets going, some noteworthy world-leading marks included a 9.89 men’s 100 m from Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi at the national championships in Gaborone on Friday. He posted the same time – a lifetime best – in both his heat and the final!

LSU’s Ella Onojuwevwo (NGR) ran the women’s 400 m in a lifetime best of 49.59 to win at the Battle on the Bayou and take the world outdoor lead. BYU frosh Jane Hedengren took the world women’s 10,000 m lead at 30:46.80 to win at the Stanford Invitational and move to no. 7 all-time U.S.

Olympic women’s hammer champ Cam Rogers (CAN) got a huge third throw at the Texas Relays, reaching 81.13 m (266-2), making her the no. 2 thrower of all time! Only Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk has throw further at 82.98 m (272-3) in 2016. Rogers’ mark is the no. 8 throw in history (Wlodarczyk has three meets and seven throws further)!

At the Miramar Invitational in Florida, 2024 Olympic men’s 100 m silver winner Kishane Thompson (JAM) won the men’s 150 m – apparently on a turn – in 14.92; statisticians note that Usain Bolt passed 150 m in 14.44 en route to his 2009 world 200 m record of 19.19. Bolt also ran 14.35 for 100 m on the straight in 2009.

The men’s 100 m was won in a wind-aided 9.84 by Ackeem Blake (JAM); Lavanya Williams (JAM) won the women’s 100 m in 10.99w. American Jamal Britt got a world-leading win in the 110 m hurdles in 13.07 and Monae Nichols of the U.S. took the world lead in the women’s long jump at 6.95 m (22-9 3/4) and won with a wind-aided 7.07 m (23-2 1/2).

On the roads, at the Urban Trail de Lille races in France, 10,000 m World Champion Jimmy Gressier (FRA) won the men’s 5 km in 12:51, the world lead in 2026 and the equal-third performance of all-time! He finished just ahead of Addisu Yihune (ETH: 12:54, no. 5 all-time) and fellow Frenchman Yann Schrub (12:57, no. 7 all-time). Ethiopia’s Khairi Bejiga won the 10 km in 26:51.

Ethiopia swept the medals in the women’s 5 km, with Marta Alemayo (17) winning in 14:15, also moving to no. 3 in history. She was well ahead of Hawi Abera (14:22), who is the sixth-fastest ever! The women’s 10 km was another burner, this time for Kenya’s World Cross Country champ Agnes Ngetich – the world-record holder – a runaway winner in 28:58, the no. 3 performance ever.

● Curling ● The 67th World Curling men’s World Championship concluded in Ogden, Utah, with a familiar face on top once again: Sweden’s Niklas Edin.

Edin’s Swedish side, Canada (Matt Dunstone) and Scotland (Ross Whyte) all tied for the best mark in the round-robin at 10-2, with the U.S. (2018 Olympic champ John Shuster) also qualifying for the opening playoff round.

The U.S. advanced over Switzerland, 9-8, in the top of the bracket and faced Sweden, with the score knotted at six after 10 ends. Edin managed to score two in the 11th for the 8-6 win and a place in the final.

Canada and Dunstone edged Italy by 9-7 in the play-in, then took on Whyte in the semis and Dunstone again managed a 9-7 win and a place in the final.

The Swedes were up right away in the final, by 4-1 after three ends and the sides traded two-point ends in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, with Edin up 8-6 after eight. Both scored once more but Edin won his eighth Worlds gold with a 9-6 final. Canada hasn’t won this title since 2017 and has finished second in six of the last eight championships.

The bronze-medal match was a see-saw affair, with Scotland up 3-0 after one, but it was 5-5 after five ends. Shuster closed to 7-6 after eight, but the Scots came up with four in the ninth for an 11-6 win.

● Cycling ● The second “Monument” race of the season was the 110th Ronde von Vlaanderen – Tour of Flanders – in Belgium, a 278.2 km route from Antwerp to Oudenaarde with the famous cobbled sections to irritate the peloton.

But it did not stop Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar. He attacked with about 55 km to go, breaking away with 2023 World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (NED), double Olympic winner Remco Evenepoel (NED) and Belgian star Wout van Aert.

About 3 km later, Van Aert and Evenepoel had been dropped and it was van der Poel – a three-time winner of this race – and defending champ Pogacar, going for his third win. Finally, with about 17 km left, Pogacar attacked and it was over. He won in 6:20:07, with van der Poel at +0:34, Evenpoel at +1:11 and van Aert at +2:04.

Pogacar has already won Milan-Sanremo and will go for a third Monument this season next week at Paris-Roubaix.

The women’s Tour, over 164.1 km, was a decisive win for Dutch star Demi Vollering, who won this race for the first time in 4:16:37, attacking with 18 km left. She finished 0:42 up on France’s 2024 Olympic Mountain Bike winner Pauline Ferrard-Prevot and Puck Pieterse (NED).

● Sailing ● The Olympic-class Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta off Palma de Mallorca (ESP) was extra-competitive in 2026, with multiple classes coming down to the final race. But only the French managed more than one winner.

Nicolas Goyard won the men’s IQ Foil final, ahead of Noah Lyons of the U.S., and Lauriane Nolot, the 2023 World Champion, won the Formula Kite final. The other eight titles were evenly distributed.

Paris Olympic Laser champion Matt Wearn (AUS) took the ILCA7 class win, and two-time World Formula Kite champ Maximilian Maeder (SGP) won the men’s Formula Kite final. In the men’s 49er class, Germans Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger won a tight battle with Americans Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid for gold and silver.

The other women’s winners were Tamar Steinberg (ISR) in the IQ Foil; Georgia Lewin-Lafrance and Antonia Lewin-Lafrance (CAN) in 49erFX, and Ireland’s Eve McMahon in ILCA 6.

The Mixed 470 win was by Spanish three-time Worlds medal winner Jordi Xammar, now with Marta Cardona; the Nacra 17 victory was taken by Sweden’s 2023 Worlds bronze winners Emil Jarudd and Hanna Jonsson.

● Ski Mountaineering ● The final ISMF World Cup of the season was in Villars-sur Ollon (SUI), with Swiss Remi Bonnet and France’s Axelle Gachet Mollaret dominant as usual.

World Champion Bonnet won the Vertical Race in 23:31.2, almost 30 seconds ahead of the field and then won the Individual Race in 1:27:43.1, more than 1:15 up on the pack. Gachet Mollaret, who won both events at the 2023 Worlds, took the women’s Vertical in 27:19.6, 15.2 seconds ahead of teammate Emily Harrop, and then the Individual Race in 1:30:53.7, ahead of Harrop by 57.5 seconds.

In the Sprints, Swiss Jon Kistler, an Olympic silver winner on the Mixed Relay, was the men’s winner in 2:32.8, beating France’s Olympic bronze winner Thibault Anselmet (2:33.8). Harrop, the Olympic silver winner, took the women’s Sprint in 2:56.1.

Spain’s Ana Alonso and Oriol Cardona Coll, the Olympic relay bronzers, won the Mixed Relay in 33:55.6 by more than 12 seconds.

● Swimming ● Two Paris 2024 Olympians dominated the USA Swimming Open Water Nationals in Sarasota, Florida: Mariah Denigan and Ivan Puskovitch.

Denigan, third in the women’s 10 km open-water champs in 2025, won the 10 km women’s title on Thursday, in 2:03:54, edging Brinkleigh Hansen (2:04:02 and five-time Worlds medal winner Ashley Twichell (2:04:04).

Denigan then came back on Friday to win the 3 km Knockouts, winning the 500 m final over 2024 World Junior 5 km champ Hansen and Brooke Travis. And Denigan completed the sweep by winning Saturday’s 5 km race in in 1:00:46, ahead of Twichell (1:00:53).

Puskovitch did the same, winning the 10 km title in 1:55:05, just ahead of defending champion Dylan Gravley (1:55:08) and Colin Jacobs (1:55:25). He then won the 3 km Sprints over Jacobs and finally took the 5 km win in 56:02, with Gravley second in 56:10.

● Table Tennis ● The reigning World Champions were on top at the ITTF World Cup in Macao, as China’s Chuqin Wang won the men’s final over Sora Matsushima (JPN), 4-3, and Yingsha Sun took the women’s final from teammate Manyu Wang, 4-1.

For Wang, this was his first World Cup gold after finishing third in 2024 and 2025. For Sun, it continued her dominant run in this event, with her third straight win. Wang was second for the second time, also in 2024.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Beyond simple tickets are hospitality “packages,” with a variety now on sale and many more to come in the future

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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≡ TICKETS ON SALE II ≡

While the LA28 ticket sale has started only to registered buyers in Southern California only, anyone can buy tickets via hospitality packages being sold by On Location, the exclusive hospitality agent for the International Olympic Committee and for LA28.

The hospitality concept is simple: tickets and some extras, for an added price. For the Los Angeles area, the most prized add-on is parking, but this is not being offered with any of the packages. Instead, there are three levels offered, varying on the specific site:

● Leisure: This is the most prevalent package available so far, and varies somewhat by site. At the core is an on-venue, restricted-access hospitality lounge and some food service. At the Crypto.com Arena for artistic gymnastics, the offer is “Light LA street food, a welcome drink and soft drinks included; additional Food and Beverage offered pay-as-you-go.” Expedited venue entry may be available.

● Premium: This has access to “in-venue lounge near your seats” and “Chef-curated regional cuisine” plus “Craft cocktails, wine, beer a soft drinks” with available before and during the event, plus an “LA28 Olympic Games gift.” Priority entry to the venue may be available.

● Signature: Only available at a new sites, this level has “Lounge access with adjoined or adjacent seating,” priority access to the venue, “Tailored a la carte dishes crafted by LA chefs” plus “Sommelier-selected champagne and wine, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.” There is service before and during the event, plus a gift, of course.

So what does this cost? It’s not cheap, but neither are tickets without hospitality either.

A lengthy review of the On Location offers available on Friday (3rd) and Saturday (4th) showed a wide variety of packages on sale. Interestingly, many of these offers were not for the “best seats in the house,” but rather a mix of categories, even down to the fourth tier (D) of ticket locations. Also, there are multiple sports for which no hospitality sales have yet been made available and some events for which the “best seats” – “A” category – will be sold at a later date.

But there are a lot of packages that can be bought. Here’s our survey of 3-4 April for pricing ranges (low to high); please note that ALL packages are for TWO people (no offer to buy a single ticket package):

(Important: this is a list of available packages and pricing on the dates and times that the survey was made, and is not an indication of current availability or pricing.)

Aquatics/Artistic Swimming:
● B category seating for 2 and Leisure-level hospitality
● $575 for preliminary sessions, up to $995 for finals

Aquatics/Swimming:
● B category for 2 + Premium
● $2,000 for prelims, up to $4,000 for finals
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $800 for prelims, up to $2,250 for finals

Aquatics/Water Polo:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $350 for prelims, up to $750 for finals

Archery:
● Shared suite seating for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for most sessions ($350 for one session)

Athletics:
● A category for 2 + Premium
● $3,125 for prelims, up to $9,750 for finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $950 for prelims, up to $2,500 for finals

Baseball:
● A category for 2 + Signature
● $2,000 for prelims, up to $5,000 for bronze-medal game
● B category for 2 + Premium
● $1,350 for prelims up to $3,750 for semifinals
● C category for 2 + Premium
● $1,150 for prelims, up to $3,500 for semifinals

Basketball:
(several sessions not offered yet)
● B category for 2 + Signature
● $1,350 for prelims, up to $8,500 for men’s semifinals
● C category for 2 + Premium
● $1,000 for prelims, up to $6,500 for women’s gold-medal game
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for prelims, up to $2,500 for men’s semifinal

Basketball/3×3:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $500 for prelims, up to $1,250 for finals

Boxing (two venues):
● B category for 2 + Leisure for prelims
● $450 to $750 per session
● A category for 2 + Signature for medal rounds
● $4,000 to $5,000 for semifinals and finals

Cycling/BMX Freestyle:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $650 for qualifying, $950 for finals

Cycling/Track:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $625 for prelims, up to $950 for finals

Fencing:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for prelims, up to $900 for finals

Flag Football:
(men’s gold-medal game not on sale)
● A category for 2 + Premium
● $1,250 for prelims, up to $1,500 for finals
● D category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $950 for finals

Football (Rose Bowl only; some games not shown):
● D category for 2 + Leisure
● $850 for prelims, up to $1,500 for men’s final

Golf:
● A category for 2 + Premium
● $850 for women’s first round, up to $2,500 for men’s final round

Gymnastics/Artistic:
(later sessions already sold out; some women’s sessions not offered yet)
● B category for 2 + Premium
● $1,000 for prelims, up to $3,000 for finals
● D category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $1,500 for finals

Handball:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $425 for prelims, up to $950 for finals

Hockey:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for prelims, up to $1,250 for finals

Judo:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $$450 for prelims, up to $750 for finals

Lacrosse:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $525 for prelims, up to $2,150 for finals
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $350 for prelims, up to $1,750 for finals

Modern Pentathlon:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $650 for prelims, up to $850 for finals

Rugby Sevens:
(not all sessions on sale)
● A category for 2 + Premium
● $1,500 for semifinals, up to $2,250 for finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $1,125 for finals

Skateboarding:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $900 for prelims, up to $1,150 for finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for prelims, up to $850 for finals

Sport Climbing:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $750 for finals

Table Tennis:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $650 for prelims, up to $1,500 for finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $550 for prelims, up to $950 for finals

Taekwondo:
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $350 for prelims, up to $450 for finals

Tennis/Center Court:
(Offers as low as $450 for prelims for smaller courts)
(Men’s gold-medal final not shown for sale)
● A category for 2 + Premium
● $1,750 for some sessions, up to $3,750 for some finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $650 for some sessions, up to $1,250 for some finals

Volleyball/Beach:
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $1,850 for women’s gold-medal match

Volleyball:
● C category for 2 + Leisure
● $475 for prelims, up to $1,500 for finals

Weightlifting:
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $425 for early sessions, $625 for late sessions

Wrestling:
● A category for 2 + Leisure
● $650 for prelims, up to $1,125 for finals
● B category for 2 + Leisure
● $450 for prelims, up to $750 finals

Six sports were shown as “Popular”: athletics, basketball, gymnastics (artistic), swimming, tennis and volleyball.

No options were shown for the opening ceremony; packages for the closing were at $9,500 in A category and Premium (for 2) and $5,000 for E category and Premium (for 2).

Multiple sports were not shown with any availability, such as badminton, BMX cycling, canoeing, cricket, diving, equestrian, mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics, rowing, shooting, squash, surfing and others; these will come later.

There are a lot of options, for those who are looking for a different Olympic experience, and in some cases, possibly an option to the pricing of the top standard ticket tiers. There will be a lot more packages to be offered in the future with “best of house” seating, but not available yet. And anyone can buy these right now. 

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 ticket sale begins, with a mix of some low-cost ones and some very high-priced ones to fill a $2.5 billion budget line

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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≡ TICKETS ON SALE I ≡

In simplest terms, the $7.145 billion budget for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee is really easy to understand. The organizers will receive about $1.4 billion from the International Olympic Committee, and are looking for $2.5 billion from domestic sponsorships, another $2.5 billion from tickets and hospitality, about $350 million in licensing and $400 million from other items such as hotel reimbursements, requested equipment and services and so on. That’s it.

So far, domestic sponsorship commitments are said to be at $2 billion, with two years to go. Good. Now, ticket sales have started with the “pre-sale” to people living in the Southern California area, with sales to all others starting on 9 April.

The opening of the sales window to selected, registered users has generated lots of interest and the usual opening glitches, but many people have reported that (1) they can pick tickets and (2) LA28 seems able to take their money.

There are a lot of Olympic tickets to sell, perhaps 12 million, which means the “average ticket” would need to be sold for $208.33 each to reach $2.5 billion. That’s why they are so expensive.

Readers have sent in messages with some details of some sports and some of the prices are breathtakingly high. For the 16 July afternoon session of track & field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, there are nine price categories (seating zone maps are as shown on the LA28 sales sites):

● A: $2,460.76
● B: $2,046.50
● C: $1,364.33
● D: $1,116.27
● E: $744.18
● F: $620.15
● G: $403.10
● H: $186.05
● I: $104.19

For the swimming at SoFi Stadium, prices for the opening session of qualifying races on 22 July includes eight price categories:

● A: $1,116.27
● B: $806.20
● C: $558.14
● D: $372.09
● E: $279.07
● F: $161.24
● G: $93.02
● H: $49.61

The 30 July finals session, of course, is more expensive:

● A: $1,860.45
● B: $1,395,34
● C: $1,116.27
● D: $744.18
● E: $558.14
● F: $310.08
● G: $186.05
● H: $104.19

Wrestling, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, costs less. For the qualifying session on 24 July which includes quarterfinals of some classes:

● A: $396.90
● B: $167.44
● C: $86.82
● D: $28.00

The 30 July session with a mix of qualifying, bronze and gold-medal matches costs more:

● A: $682.17
● B: $310.08
● C: $155.04
● D: $74.42

What about the big team sports? For basketball at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, a preliminary session with two women’s game (teams unknown) costs:

● C: $267.50
● D: $184.50
● E: $152.69
● F: $76.34
● G: $50.90
● H: $28.00

Prices for the women’s bronze-medal match on 28 July are higher:

● A: not on sale yet
● B: not on sale yet
● C: $731.64
● D: $489.88
● E: $407.17
● F: $203.58
● G: $133.61
● H: $106.88

The prices for the men’s bronze-medal match on 29 July are a lot higher:

● A: not on sale yet
● B: not on sale yet
● C: $1,819.53
● D: $1,215.15
● E: $1,011.56
● F: $508.96
● G: $343.55
● H: $106.88

As for football at the Rose Bowl, a women’s quarterfinal listed for 21 July is shown as:

● A: $380.62
● B: $275.17
● C: $188.36
● D: $138.75
● E: $101.54
● F: $28.00

The men’s semi on 24 July and women’s semi on 25 July are both priced thus:

● A: $839.51
● B: $610.09
● C: $417.81
● D: $306.19
● E: $188.36
● F: $28.00

The women’s gold-medal game on 29 July:

● A: $1,304.66
● B: $944.94
● C: $647.30
● D: $473.63
● E: $281.40
● F: $106.50

These prices include, as per California law, all fees and taxes.

If you are looking for a document with an overview of sessions and prices, there isn’t one. LA28 confirmed that no overall ticket catalog is available, for the first time in memory, perhaps ever. The catalog for the initial Paris 2024 sale in 2022 is available here.

Observed: LA28 is getting its ticket process started much earlier than other organizing committees, which helps to generate a lot of revenue earlier in the process that will earn some interest and help to fund operations.

In terms of prices:

● An LA28 announcement reported on 15 January 2026 noted that LA28 said that one million tickets to be available at $28 and stated that there will be “a third of tickets priced under $100.”

● In its report to the International Olympic Committee in Milan on 3 February, our report noted that LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman “reiterated that one million tickets will be available for $28 and two-thirds of all tickets will be priced under $200.”

An LA28 statement to the Los Angeles Times’ Jim Rainey on Friday indicated that half of all tickets would be at $200 or less, so the pricing spread may have changed somewhat.

Are prices high? Yes, they are. Very high for many of the finals and semifinals in the more popular sports. LA28 is a once-in-a-lifetime company and will go out of business permanently sometime in 2029 or early 2030, never to rise again. It has no need to generate everlasting future loyalty among its customers.

It does have an absolute responsibility and a promise to its financial guarantors – the City of Los Angeles and State of California – not to have a deficit and as it is not receiving government funding for its operations, it has to change a lot for sponsorships and for tickets.

Too much? That’s in the eye of the beholder. What is true is that major events like the NFL Super Bowl and now the FIFA World Cup are pricing tickets not simply for their revenue requirements, but to take for themselves money that would be made on the secondary, resale market. If a ticket priced at $100 is actually worth $500 on the open market, sellers are now pricing tickets close to the expected resale value to try and capture that money for themselves.

That’s not a defense of the pricing, it’s an explanation. What is also true is that for pricing at these levels, the organizing committee will be expected to offer a seamless and satisfying fan experience. And the tickets do not come with parking, or public transport and do not include food, drinks or souvenirs. Those are all extra.

For comparison, a visit to Disneyland today costs from $104 to $224 to visit the park. It’s not cheap either.

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PANORAMA: Milan Cortina ‘26 exhibit at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum; new Russia-Ukraine gymnastics flare-up over awards and anthem

By
Rich Perelman
-
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado (Photo: USOPM).

★ 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 ≡

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum ● Just weeks following the conclusion of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy, the USOPM in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is opening “It’s Your Vibe: Team USA at Milano Cortina 2026.”

The exhibition, named after the Games motto, offers some unique items, including:

● “The U.S. flag carried on the ice by Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight following Team USA’s victory in women’s ice hockey.”

● “A competition skinsuit worn by Olympic speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy.”

● “A complete set of official Olympic and Paralympic pins from Milano Cortina 2026.”

● A collection of official Olympic and Paralympic mascot plush figures Tina and Milo – the most popular souvenirs of the Games – including a podium plushie!

There is a lot more, including an Olympic Torch Relay uniform; an Olympic torch and Games medals are expected to be added in the future. The exhibit was made possible through the funding of Judi and Jack Johnson and the David and Eula Wintermann Foundation. It will be open beginning 4 April for a limited – but not yet specified – time.

● Alpine Skiing ● The 2026 U.S. Ski & Snowboard nationals in Vail, Colorado concluded on Tuesday with the Slalom events, with Cooper Puckett, 23, winning the men’s title in 1:33.89 ahead of Jett Seymour (1:34.51) and Jevin Palmquist (1:34.57).

Veteran women’s stars went 1-2, with A.J. Hurt winning in 1:34.05, over Nina O’Brien (1:34.23) and Kjersti Moritz third (1:34.85). It’s the fifth national title for Hurt and second straight in the Slalom.

● Cycling ● The 80th Dwars Door Vlaanderen in Belgium ended with a sprint victory for two-time World Time Trial Champion Filippo Ganna (ITA), who passed Belgian star  Wout van Aert in the final meters to win in 3:48:27 over the 184.6 km course from Roeselare to Waregem.

Van Aert, second last year, attacked on the hilly course with 30 km to go and was clear of the field, but Ganna tirelessly worked his way closer and finally sailed by just before the finish. Norway’s Soren Waerenskjold finished third, as the top 47 riders received the same time.

The women’s race – the 14th – came down to a three-way sprint with Swiss Marlen Reusser, the 2025 Worlds Time Trial gold medalist – winning at the line in 3:09:12 over the 128.8 km course. She finished just ahead of 2023 champ Demi Vollering (NED) and countrywoman Lieke Nooijen, who gapped the field by seven seconds.

Coming Sunday is the famed Ronde van Vlaanderen – the 110th Tour of Flanders – for men and women.

● Football ● The 19 March meeting of the FIFA Council announced that the approvals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosting awards for 2031 and 2035 will be delayed to the end of the year at an Extraordinary Congress.

The 2031 bid, led by the U.S. and including Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico, was reported last week to be due in part to worries by American host cities over the economic performance (or lack thereof) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, versus the millions spent to ready the stadia and regions for the event.

Moreover, The Athletic reported that “FIFA has not received crucial government guarantees from the White House,” which it requires on access, duty-free imports and other fee waivers, along with security support.

What is true is that the enthusiasm for the 2031 bid will be judged with reference to what happens in the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 World Cup.

● Gymnastics ● In what appears to be a new chapter in the Russia vs. Ukraine struggle, World Gymnastics “acknowledges the incident involving AIN athlete Sofiia Ilteriakova during the Hoop Final award ceremony at the 2026 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia (BUL) on 30 March 2026.”

The event was won by Ukrainian star Taisiia Onofriichuk with the 15-year-old Ilteriakova second, and on the awards stand, the Russian did not face the Ukrainian flag, standing upright and looking straight ahead, without turning during the Ukrainian anthem.

The World Gymnastics statement added:

“The matter is currently under review and all relevant information is being carefully assessed. Any next steps will be considered in accordance with the applicable regulations and established procedures.”

The Russian national coach, Tatyana Sergaeva, told the Russian news agency TASS that Ilteriakova was confused and “flustered” in her first international senior-level competition.

● Shooting ● Peru’s Alessandro De Souza Ferreira equaled the world record of 27 in the men’s Trap final of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tangier (MAR), winning the gold over Driss Haffari (MAR: 25).

Italy went 1-2 in the women’s Trap final, with 2018 World Junior Champion Erica Sessa also equaling the world record in the final, scoring 24 hits to edge London 2012 Olympic champion Jessica Rossi (22).

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MILAN CORTINA 2026: Int’l Testing Agency says no Milan Cortina Olympic positives out of 3,053 tests on 1,848 athletes; it’s still not enough

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ ITA WINTER GAMES REPORT ≡

There were no official announcements of doping positives during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, and on Wednesday, the International Testing Agency said … there weren’t any:

“At this stage, no anti-doping rule violations have been asserted based on the results of the testing conducted during the Games.”

The ITA’s statement summarized the testing program this way:

“Altogether, 3,053 samples were collected both in- and out-of-competition from the opening of the Olympic Villages on 30 January to the Closing Ceremony on 22 February. These samples, comprising 2,180 urine samples, 768 blood samples and 105 Dried Blood Spot (DBS) samples, stemmed from doping controls conducted on 1,848 athletes, representing 63.4% of all participants, a clear increase compared to the 55% of athletes tested during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.”

This followed an intensive testing regimen prior to the Games, an area which the ITA has stressed to ensure testing of essentially all the medal candidates before the Games:

“During the pre-Games phase, 92% of participating athletes had been tested at least once in the six months leading up to the Games, based on testing conducted by the responsible anti-doping organisations in accordance with the testing recommendations issued by the ITA ahead of Milano Cortina 2026.”

The ITA had a team of 20 at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, helping to oversee the collection and processing of in-competition and out-of-competition samples, which each accounted for 50% of the samples taken. That’s unusual for a Games-time testing environment, where the in-competition collection programs usually dominate.

The top countries tested were those with the top teams, starting with the U.S., Italy, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

The sports with the most tests started with ice hockey, then cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating and alpine skiing.

The ITA keeps all samples for 10 years and will re-analyze at least some of the samples in the future, using improved equipment available at that time.

Observed: This is a showy and happy report from the ITA, and its effort to coordinate an effective anti-doping program prior to the Games is an essential component of its success.

However, it is still astonishing that in a smaller event such as the Olympic Winter Games, with 2,884 athletes entered, that not everyone is tested. Furthermore, it is also remarkable that every athlete is not required to attend a mandatory anti-doping seminar at one of the Olympic Villages, preferably featuring athletes from their own country of region to impress the importance of clean sport.

The only Olympic-sport organization which can support this is the International Olympic Committee and it should insist that athletes taking part in the Games are at least fully aware of what their responsibilities are, as (1) athletes, (2) mentors for other athletes and (3) role models for those they do not meet, but who see them.

Only then can the IOC, the ITA, the World Anti-Doping Agency and others say that they have not just tested, but have tried to teach the importance of anti-doping to those participating at the Games.

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FOOTBALL: U.S. men lose again, this time to Portugal, 2-0, in Atlanta, while FIFA World Cup field fills out with the final six teams

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ PORTUGAL 2, U.S. MEN 0 ≡

The U.S. men took the field against no. 6 Portugal on Tuesday, again in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium with six changes from his line-up in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Belgium, and as with the start of the Belgium game, the U.S. generated chances.

Portugal did not have Cristiano Ronaldo on the field, as was the case with their 0-0 draw with Mexico last Saturday. The crowd of 72,297 was especially loud for a strong strike from  U.S. midfield star Christian Pulisic in the 36th minute, which just missed the left edge of the Portugal goal from just outside the box.

On the ensuing possession, a U.S. turnover in the midfield led to a Portugal break into the U.S. box and veteran forward Bruno Fernandes backheeled the ball to running mate Francisco Trincao, who sent a perfect shot from the middle of the box past a diving U.S. keeper Matt Freese for a 1-0 lead in the 37th.

Portugal had the ball for 62% of the time in the half, but it was the U.S. that generated eight shots – three by Pulisic – to just three for Portugal. The Americans had three changes at half, and Portugal brought in seven new players (11 substitutes allowed in this friendly).

The chances were more limited at the start of the half, but Portugal struck again in the 59th, as from a Fernandes corner, substitute forward Joao Felix was able to take the ball down at the top of the box, set up and send a bounding ball to the far left corner of the net for a 2-0 lead.

The U.S. had no ability at all to create solid chances on offense and Portugal, even with so many changes, found holes in the American defense and got several more good looks at Freese.

But there were no more goals and the game ended 2-0, with Portugal steady at 62% possession and more shots in the second half to leave the U.S. with a 12-11 edge.

The U.S. has two more friendlies prior to the World Cup, against Senegal on 31 May in Charlotte, North Carolina, and against Germany on 6 June in Chicago.

The remainder of the World Cup qualifying was concluded on Tuesday, with some amazing results to complete the field of 48:

● For Group A: Czech Republic defeated Denmark, 3-1 on penalties, after a 2-2 tie, in Prague (CZE). The Czechs will join Mexico, South Africa and South Korea, in their first World Cup since 2006. .

● For Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina defeated Italy by 4-1 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie, in Zenica (BIH). Bosnia & Herzegovina, in the World Cup for the second time, will join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. The Italians – four-time champions – will have missed three World Cups in a row.

● For Group D: Turkey defeated Kosovo, 1-0, in Prishtina (KOS). The Turks will join the U.S., Australia and Paraguay. It’s Turkey’s first appearance since finishing third in 2002, and third all-time.

● For Group F: Sweden defeated Poland, 3-2, in Stockholm (SWE). The Swedes will play with Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia.

● For Group I: Iraq’s Aymen Hussein got the go-ahead goal in the 53rd and that was enough for a 2-1 win over Bolivia in Guadalupe (MEX), to join France, Norway and Senegal. Iraq was out-shot 16-7, but is making its second trip to the World Cup, also in 1986.

● For Group K: Democratic Republic of the Congo beat Jamaica, 1-0, after extra time, in Guadalajara (MEX), joining Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan. It’s the second-ever appearance for the D.R. Congo in the World Cup.

In terms of 48 teams by region, Europe leads with 16, followed by Africa (10), Asia (9), CONCACAF and South America (6 each) and Oceania (1). 

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PANORAMA: Georgia’s Hodge made eligible early for “AIU assistance” (vs. someone); NFL forming professional Flag Football leagues!

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 ≡

● Archery ● U.S. Olympic medalists Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold won the Recurve titles at the 2026 Vegas Shoot indoor championship, the final leg of the World Archery Indoor World Series.

Ellison won the Vegas Shoot men’s title for the 12th time and third in a row, scoring 886 points to 885 for Santiago Arcila (COL) and Brazil’s three-time Worlds medal winner Marcus d’Almeida. Kaufhold also won her third straight, with 884 points to finish ahead of teammate Catalina GNoriega (880).

The Compound winners were Mike Schloesser (NED) for the men and Ella Gibson (GBR) for the women, the latter winning in a five-way shoot-off!

● Athletics ● Two weeks ago, The Sports Examiner reported on the curious situation of a two-year doping suspension for Adaejah Hodge (IVB), who won the NCAA Indoor women’s 200 m title for Georgia. She tested positive for two metabolic modulators at the 2024 World Athletics U-20 Championships in Peru and was banned from 28 August 2024.

But no one knew it, as the ban was never posted on the Athletics Integrity Unit’s list of ineligible persons. Suddenly, however, she was eligible as of 28 January 2026 and ran for Georgia two days later. And no one knew anything about it.

TSX asked the Athletics Integrity Unit about the secrecy and received this curious reply:

“The AIU’s policy is to announce provisional suspensions and sanctions as soon as possible. Indeed, since its inception in 2017, the AIU has implemented the ground-breaking policy of Public Disclosures regarding all disciplinary matters.

“There are, however, some exceptions to this rule – where Public Disclosure may be delayed – and one of these was the Adaejah Hodge case in which the athlete provided Substantial Assistance to an important ongoing investigation. Announcing her case earlier could have jeopardized the other investigation.

“The timing of the AIU’s announcement related solely to this case and the related investigation – nothing else.”

And no, the AIU was not forthcoming about the subject(s) of the inquiries which Hodge assisted with. Whatever she said was worth a seven-month reprieve that allowed her to become an NCAA champion.

● Flag Football ● Monday marked the next step in the development of Flag:

“The NFL announced today that it is partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. The new professional league will launch with support from a broad and influential investor pool, including NFL clubs, established institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players.”

TMRW Sports helped create the TGL golf project, but no timeline was offered other than to note it “is expected to align with the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” where Flag will debut as a medal sport in the Olympic Games.

Flag is a key strategic element for the NFL to broaden participation in American-style football to women and girls.

● Modern Pentathlon ● On 15 March, the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) voted to dissolve and become a part of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).

This places obstacle racing as part of the modern pentathlon federation, which has incorporated an obstacle component into its event program, replacing equestrian. The UIPM’s goal is to use obstacle racing as a vehicle for growth.

However, along with the absorption of FISO has come a dispute between it and the International Adventure Racing Association, a separate federation for “adventure racing,” defined as “a multi-discipline sport that originally developed as a multiday, non-stop, expedition-style event in which natural and varied terrain was to be navigated and traversed by teams with minimal outside assistance.” Events can range from hours to up to 10 days, on unmarked courses and can include on-and-off-trail running or trekking, mountain biking and paddling.

FISO has said it governs adventure racing and the IARA, formed in 2023, says it governs the sport. And the IARA has made its position known, with Chair Ross Phillips (GBR) declaring in a 16 March message to the UIPM, seen by The Sports Examiner:

“IARA’s desire has always been to represent the sport of Adventure Racing without the distractions of having to fend off hostile takeovers or by becoming embroiled in political machination associated with mergers it wants nothing to do with. That remains the case. Please be aware, IARA will not back down. We will continue to work strongly for the removal of Adventure Racing as one of the sports listed as a UIPM discipline.”

This is hardly a timely fight for the UIPM, which is working to retain its place in the Olympic Games past 2028 in view of the “Fit for the Future” review by the International Olympic Committee, with a report on the program due in June.

● Nordic Combined ● It’s no secret that the International Olympic Committee has had the Nordic Combined on the possible chopping block for some time. It did not add women’s competitions for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games and a decision may come as soon as June for French Alps 2030.

French athletes attending the biathlon and Nordic Combined national championships in Premanon in eastern France, stood together in a demonstration of support for retaining the Nordic Combined for future Olympic Winter Games. They posed behind a giant sign reading “Sauvons Le Combine Nordique!” – “Let’s save the Nordic Combined!” – and signed a petition noting that the discipline has been part of the Winter Games since the very first edition in 1924!

As for the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, it is optimistic, with Lasse Ottesen (NOR), the FIS Race Director, telling FrancsJeux.com, “Over the last two years, we’ve broken records in terms of youth participation, for both men and women. We’re seeing very positive results.”

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FOOTBALL: FIFA’s Infantino assures Iran it will be safe playing in U.S.; transit games as city bus operators hike costs for World Cup games

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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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 ≡

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) made a surprise visit to the Iran vs. Costa Rica friendly in Antalya (TUR) on Tuesday – won by the Iranians by 5-0 – and met with the Iranian team and offering assurance they will play their FIFA World Cup matches as scheduled, in Inglewood and Seattle.

He told the Mexican daily El Financiero:

“We live in the real world and we know about the extremely difficult situation that the Iranian team is in, but we are working to do everything possible to ensure that they play their matches at the World Cup in the best possible conditions.”

In an Instagram post, Infantino wrote about his meeting with the Iranian team:

“I congratulated Team Melli once again on their qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and for making millions of people in IR Iran and around the world proud. Representing a nation comes with great responsibility, and I encouraged the players to continue inspiring their fans and making their people dream on the global stage.

“Football brings unity and hope, even in the most challenging circumstances, and FIFA will continue to support the team to ensure the best possible conditions as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup. I look forward to seeing them deliver a positive message of humanity and togetherness to the world.”

He told reporters later, “I saw the team, I spoke with the players, with the coach, so everything is fine,” and added that “the matches will take place where the draw is drawn.”

Iran is slated to play New Zealand on 16 June and Belgium on 21 June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and then on 27 June vs. Egypt in Seattle, Washington.

Beyond the sky-high price of tickets for 2026 World Cup matches, the costs of getting to a stadium by public transit is shaping up as costing more, too. Consider:

● In Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority confirmed that rail service to Foxborough Stadium for any of the seven World Cup matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium will cost much more than usual.

While rail service tickets to Foxborough usually costs $8.75, the price for service on days with New England Patriots games and other events at the stadium is usually $20. Now, service for World Cup matches is being planned at $75.

Rail tickets for the Brazil vs. France friendly on 26 March were $30. But for the World Cup, the concept is to sell tickets which will allow not just transportation to the matches, but throughout the network. Rail passes will go on sale on 8 April and the MBTA said the price has not yet been fixed.

● In Los Angeles, the L.A. Metropolitan Transportation Authority said direct service to the World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood from nine stations throughout the area will cost the same as regular Metro fares: $1.75 each way.

Bargain, right? Maybe.

The key is getting to the station and for many people that means parking at or near the station and then getting to their car once they return. That’s where the cost comes in:

“Parking reservations are now available, and pricing will differ by location. Early-bird pricing is currently in effect, ranging from $55 – $95, plus a service fee. Compared to the other parking pricing where rates will be more than two and three times the Metro rates, fans are encouraged to make their plans and book early for discounted Metro parking rates.”

The instructions note that paying for parking means “you are guaranteed a parking space and three round-trip rides to and from the stadium on the day of your match.”

A check of the parking prices showed no change in costs from match to match and pricing varying, depending on location, from $58.99 (including fees) from the North Hollywood Station or Pierce College Station, to $69.71 for the Harbor Gateway Center, to $101.89 for the three stations fairly close to the stadium: Hawthorne/Lennox, Crenshaw Station and El Camino College.

No matter where you are, it will cost you.

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FOOTBALL: In “The Big Bounce,” Rothenberg narrates the rise of football (soccer) in the U.S., from ‘84 to ‘94 to MLS, Brandy Chastain and more

By
Rich Perelman
-
Former U.S. Soccer President Alan Rothenberg, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 L.A. Sports Awards (TSX photo).

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≡ ‘THE BIG BOUNCE” ≡

In “The Big Bounce: The Surge That Shaped the Future of U.S. Soccer,” lawyer turned soccer impresario Alan Rothenberg traces, step by step, the rise of a game which had been forecasted for so long as the future in American sport … and finally got there.

Today’s Major League Soccer, National Women’s Soccer League and the 2026 FIFA World Cup and upcoming 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the U.S. were only distant – and not very realistic – dreams in the early 1980s.

Michigan-born, Rothenberg was a highly-respected and successful attorney in Los Angeles, with a small experience as an investor in the North American Soccer League’s ill-fated Los Angeles Aztecs for three years in the late 1970s, Rothenberg was approached by Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee President Peter Ueberroth in 1980. Rothenberg opened the book this way:

“Peter Ueberroth changed my life – and set in motion the events that truly launched soccer in the United States as a major sport. … If you were in the sports business world in Southern California, you heard plenty of informed speculation about how these Olympics would be a bust, financially at least.

“There was fear and panic from some quarters. But not from Peter.”

Rothenberg accepted the role of “Commissioner of Soccer” for the 1984 Games, a position that made him one of 23 staff senior executives of the sports in the Games, but with only part-time duties until 1984 came along. There were staff to handle the day-to-day chores.

His book places you essentially on his shoulder as he walked through about 15 years that changed the status of soccer (football) in the U.S. Staging the 1984 Olympic football tournament was about overcoming doubts from FIFA about using large venues like Pasadena’s Rose Bowl and Stanford Stadium as well as putting the event together. Then this happened:

“Going into the first game at the Rose Bowl, Italy against Egypt on July 29, we obviously weren’t going to print up 103,300 tickets and assume a sellout. … We printed up about 30,000 tickets and hoped they’d all move.

“The afternoon of the match, which started at 7:30 p.m., we could see a lot of fans streaming into the stadium. We were flooded. People were coming. I was wondering what was going to happen if we ran out of tickets. We wanted to avoid a riot. …

“So, we hurried down into the bowels of the Rose Bowl and found old rolls of tickets, like you would see at old movie theaters. It was time to improvise. They would do. … Official attendance for the game was 37,430, though I’m sure the actual number on hand was easily 50,000 or more.”

The Games went beautifully and Rothenberg wanted to do something special, especially with a sell-out coming for the France vs. Brazil final, which drew 101,799 fans in Pasadena. Despite a lid of $10,000 for any purchase by a commissioner (or any department head), Rothenberg signed 10 purchase orders for $9,999 each to get a huge fireworks show at the end of the final match.

And the crowds, the venue, the fireworks and more moved FIFA’s President, Joao Havelange (BRA) and Secretary General Sepp Blatter (SUI):

“The FIFA hierarchy saw the mighty Rose Bowl filled with cheering fans, 100,000 strong, and for the first time felt confident thinking ahead to bringing world soccer’s crown jewel, the World Cup, to the United States.”

Rothenberg remembered:

“Those Olympics also turned out to be the launching pad for the explosion of soccer in the United States – with me unexpectedly thrust front and center.”

FIFA awarded the 1994 World Cup to the U.S. in 1988 and Rothenberg was not involved. But FIFA came calling and asked Rothenberg to take over the organizing committee in 1990. He also needed to become the President of U.S. Soccer and that came to pass, also in 1990, when he defeated unpopular incumbent Werner Fricker.

Now, Rothenberg was still practicing law full-time, was the head of the U.S. federation and charged with making sure the 1994 World Cup was a blazing success.

First, he ensured that the American women’s team was supported for the first FIFA women’s World Championship – later recognized as the first World Cup – in China in 1991. And the U.S. won with an entertaining brand of attacking soccer led by midfielder Michelle Akers. Based on that, Rothenberg asked Havelange in 1992 to add women’s football to the program of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. It was added.

Now back to the 1994 World Cup. Rothenberg notes, “FIFA expected us to be in small stadiums and we had to persuade them, as well as some of the bidding cities, that we could fill large stadiums.”

He recruited a combination of executives who were soccer experts with limited business experience, some ‘84 Olympic staffers and experts in areas like advertising, music and television. It worked.

But a test was needed and so the “U.S. Cup” was created in summer 1993, with Brazil, England and Germany invited, along with the U.S. And the test was aced:

“The crowds were large and enthusiastic, the matches came off without a significant hitch, and the U.S. team was highly credible, beating England and staying competitive with Germany and Brazil in losses.”

He and his organizing committee could see the success ahead of them in 1994, but finances were always a concern. So a “Family Ticket Sale” was opened early on, to pick up ticket revenue from anyone the organizers had an address for. The allocations sold out quickly, but:

“[R]ather than holding one big press conference and declaring a sellout, we got creative. This was where some shamelessness came in. We went city by city. … We basically stretched a one-say story out over two weeks.”

The result: “Every time we released another batch of tickets, they sold out instantly.”

Rothenberg asked FIFA to be able to sell very high-priced tickets, but FIFA – worried about credibility with fans – said no. Marketed very quietly, the organizers “created effectively the first premier ticket package, which consisted of a good seat (all that buyers really cared about), a match program, a parking pass, and a hot dog. That as it.”

He also had the idea of pricing all 100,000 tickets for the final at the Rose Bowl at $1,000, meaning a $100 million gate. FIFA said no.

There were a lot more bells and whistles to make the ‘94 World Cup stand out. The Final Draw was in Las Vegas, with comic star Robin Williams as the emcee (Rothenberg used the occasion to pitch investors on what became MLS). No Olympic Torch Relay, but a World Cup Trophy Legacy Tour. “SoccerFest” was created as a fan festival in L.A. during the World Cup, based on the NFL Experience, but outdrew it. The Three Tenors concert staged first in Rome for the 1990 World Cup, was replicated, but in Dodger Stadium.

Rothenberg also never forgot U.S. Soccer’s needs. When Chicago Mayor Richard Daley asked about how the city could land the opening game, an arrangement was made for U.S. Soccer to lease and eventually buy an aging mansion to use as its headquarters. The federation only just moved to a new headquarters and training center in Atlanta.

The World Cup was not just great, but monumental. Wrote Rothenberg, “[W]e completely changed the way the World Cup was presented to the public.” The organizing committee also realized a sensational $50 million-plus surplus, which was turned into the U.S. Soccer Foundation – which helped with the seed money for MLS – and that still supports the sport today.

That’s the first half of the book and the second half details how the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta did for women’s football what the 1984 Games in Los Angeles had done for the men, leading to the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup – whose organizing committee he chaired, after he finished his U.S. Soccer presidency – and the start of the rise of women’s football in the U.S.

He also reviews the difficulties in getting Major League Soccer going and the long road between the start in 1996 and today’s league, dominated by Argentine icon Lionel Messi.

Rothenberg summed up the whole process this way:

“For the men, a successful 1984 Olympics led to a record-breaking 1994 World Cup, which led to a professional league, MLS; which after some incredibly difficult early years has taken hold and continues to grow dramatically.

“Similarly for the women, a successful 1996 Olympics. Followed by a record-setting 1999 World Cup, has led to a professional league, NWSL, taking hold and beginning to experience ‘hockey stick’ growth, following years of difficulties for it and its failed predecessors.”

And, whether as the head of those revolution-starting World Cup organizing committees, or during two dramatic terms as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1990 to 1998, Rothenberg was there. His easy-to-read book lets you tag along.

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PANORAMA: LA28 ticket sales start this week; AIU bans NYC Marathon winner Korir for five years; FIFA sells out World Cup sponsorships

By
Rich Perelman
-
Slovenia’s 2022 World discus champ Kristjan Ceh (Photo: Matthew Quine for Diamond League AG).

★ 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 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizers announced that in addition to the “Official Secondary Ticket Marketplace” providers AXS and Eventim, “other verified resale platforms will include Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets.”

The statement noted that “LA28 cannot verify the validity of any tickets sold outside of its verified network and cautions fans to wait for the launch of the verified LA28 resale program before buying or selling resale tickets to LA28 events.”

Ticket sales will begin on 2 April for buyers in Southern California zip codes and those in Oklahoma City for the events there.

● Alpine Skiing ● The U.S. Alpine nationals are in Vail, Colorado, with Isaiah Nelson and River Radamus sharing the men’s Super-G title in 1:08.38 for both, and Bradshaw Underhill third in 1:08.64. The men’s Giant Slalom went to Norway’s Johs Herland (2:34.98) with Erik Read (CAN: 1:20.84) in second.

The women’s Super-G was a close win for World Cup vet Keely Cashman (1:11.69), with Tricia Mangan second (1:11.84) and Logan Grosdider in third (1:12.34). Sunday’s Giant Slalom was a win for Elisabeth Bocock (2:05.10) just ahead of older sister Mary Bocock (2:05.25) and Katie Hensien (2:05.39).

The racing finishes on Tuesday with the Slaloms.

● Athletics ● A huge throw for 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO) in the men’s discus in the thrower’s paradise of Ramona, Oklahoma on Sunday, reaching a world-leading 72.26 m (237-1) on his first throw.

He threw 68.76 m (228-10) on Saturday, but with better winds on Sunday, he also hit 72.05 m (236-4) on his second throw. His big first throw is close to his all-time best of 72.36 m (237-5) from 2023 (making him no. 6 all-time).

The Athletics Integrity Unit banned Kenyan marathon star Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon winner and two-time runner-up, for five years, after the anti-anemia drug CERA (Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator) was found in samples taken on 3 October, 13 October and 21 October 2025.

Korir, 32, admitted the positives and had a multi-positive sanction of six years reduced by one year for cooperation. He will be eligible again on 7 January 2031 and his results since 3 October 2025 – including his NYC Marathon third-place finish – are nullified.

● Cross Country Skiing ● At the U.S. Spring Nationals in Craftsbury, Vermont, Olympic medal star Ben Ogden won the men’s Sprint in 3:12.11 over JC Schoonmaker and Gus Schumacher, and Schumacher took the 40 km Freestyle Mass Start in 1:35:06.3, ahead of John Steel Hagenbuch (+0.9) and Kevin Bolger (+3.4).

The women’s Sprint went to Canada’s Katherine Weaver (3:51.33) over teammate Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (+1.72). The women’s 40 km Free was a tight finish between winner Novie McCabe (1:44:20.9), Kendall Kramer (+0.6) and Alayna Sonnesyn (+1.0).

● Curling ● The men’s World Championship is on in Ogden, Utah, with about a third of the round-robin play completed. So far, Sweden’s seven-time World Champion Niklas Edin’s rink is on top at 4-0, ahead of the Swiss (Marco Hoesli) at 3-1.

The U.S. rink, skipped by 2018 Olympic champ John Shuster, is 2-3 so far, and in eighth place. The top six will advance to the playoffs.

● Diving ● American three-time Olympian Jessica Parratto, 31, announced her retirement from the sport on Monday. She wrote on Instagram:

“The time has come to officially retire from the sport I love While this decision may not come as a surprise to many, making it official gives me a sense of closure on something that has been such a defining part of my life. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been part of this journey.”

She won a memorable Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver with Delaney Schnell in the women’s 10 m Synchro and a Worlds bronze with Schnell in 2023. They finished sixth at the Paris 2024 Games. Parratto won a total of 11 U.S. national titles.

● Fencing ● The U.S. Fencing Foundation released its 2025 annual report, reporting more than $412,000 raised from 540 individual donors and a $2.48 million endowment total into early 2026.

No financial statements were included, but the report 27 elite athletes were funded and nine personal coaches, plus 60 entries to North American Cup (NAC) were funded, as well as 31 “Fencing the Gap” grants to clubs across 25 states for grass-roots development programs.

● Figure Skating ● Powered by more than 93,000 votes online, the International Skating Union presented its awards for the 2025-26 season.

Japan’s Olympic silver winner Yuma Kagiyama won for Most Entertaining Program, while World Champion Ilia Malinin of the U.S. won for Best Costume.

Japan’s Ami Nakai, the Olympic women’s bronze medalist, won for Best Newcomer (selected by an ISU jury) and Ice Dance Olympic champs Laurence Founier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) won for Skaters of the Year (based on a points system).

Coach of the Year honors went to American Philip DiGuglielmo, who guided Olympic champ Alysa Liu this season. The Best Choreographer award recognized France’s Benoit Richaud, for a second time, also in 2024.

● Football ● FIFA announced that all 16 of its global sponsorship packages for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have now been sold and only two regional Supporter Tier packages remain available.

Inside World Football reported Monday:

“The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plans to charge fans around $75 per person for a round-trip ticket from Boston South Station to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, a mere 27-mile journey. For context, that same ticket costs $20 for a New England Patriots or Revolution game. It was bumped to $30 for last Thursday’s France-Brazil friendly. Come the World Cup, it more than doubles again.”

The story’s final line: “The grift is real. And it’s just getting started.”

● Freestyle Skiing ● The U.S. nationals in Moguls skiing was in Palisades Tahoe, California, with Charlie Mickel taking the men’s Moguls final with 82.38 points, over Asher Michel (81.35). The Dual Moguls went to Michel, who won the final against Camden Lewis.

The Women’s Moguls final was a tight win for Kylie Kariotis (70.34) over Kasey Hogg (70.16), but Hogg won the Dual Moguls final over Evelyn Harris.

● Gymnastics ● Ukraine’s two-time Worlds bronze medalist Taisiia Onofriichuk (UKR) won a tight battle for the All-Around title at the World Gymnastics Rhythmic World Cup in Sofia (BUL) that finished Monday.

Onofriichuk scored 116.600 to edge home favorite and 2025 Worlds runner-up Stiliana Nikolova (BUL: 116.200) and six-time Worlds gold medalist Sofia Raffaelli (115.700). Rin Keys was the top American in 11th at 108.700.

In the apparatus finals, Onofriichuk won on Hoop (30.400), on Ball (29.000) and on Ribbon (29.200). Bulgaria’s Eva Brezalieva won on Clubs (29.650), with Keys fourth (29.000). Keys also finished fifth in Hoop (28.750).

● Shooting ● At the ISSF World Cup in Tangier (MAR), Finn Timi Vallioniemi won the men’s Skeet final, scoring 31/36, just ahead of Domenico Simeone (ITA: 29). American Dustan Taylor was seventh.

Britain’s Bethany Norman, 19, won the women’s Skeet for her first major international win, ahead of 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi of the U.S., 28-27, in the final.

Competition continues with the Trap events this week.

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LANE ONE: With Grand Slam Track fading away, what does AI say about T&F’s problems in the U.S.? One man asked …

By
Rich Perelman
-
At the starting line of the 2025 World Athletics Championships (Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics).

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≡ TRACK & FIELD’S FUTURE? ≡

With last week’s agreement of the creditors committee to a plan to pay them a average of 14-16% instead of 1.5% of what they are owed, it appears that the Grand Slam Track bankruptcy case will be settled in the coming weeks.

The result is that the entity will fade away for some time – maybe forever – as Winners Alliance pumps some more money into an effort to find investors again through the end of the year and try and put on one or more meets in 2027.

There were doubters about Grand Slam Track from the beginning, of course, and some objected to the use of the term “league” as the format had nothing to do with traditional teams. The public debut of the Grand Slam Track concept was at a Los Angeles event on 18 June 2024, with founder Michael Johnson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Carl Lewis and more.

A little less than five months later, former sprinter and now coach Rae Edwards shared a fascinating series of posts on X, asking ChatGPT what to do about track & field in the United States.

Edwards knows something about this was he was a 10.00 (2010) and 20.17 (2009) man, placing third in the 2009 U.S. nationals at 100 m and was a member of U.S. teams at the 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games. He later transferred allegiance to Nigeria and won an African Championships 100 m bronze in 2014. He competed through 2016 and then came back for a couple of meets in 2019.

He’s a coach in Texas and has been active on social platforms and especially on YouTube with his RaesTakeTV series, tackling issues in track and beyond.

On 13 November 2024, he posted three times on X, reporting on his request to ChatGPT about the status of track & field in the U.S. Here’s what the bot came back with:

“Track and field is technically a professional sport, but it lacks the visibility, infrastructure, and commercial appeal that many other pro sports enjoy. Here are a few key reasons why it struggles to reach the level of mainstream professional recognition:

“1. Limited Revenue and Sponsorships:
“Unlike team sports such as football or basketball, track and field doesn’t generate as much revenue through ticket sales, TV rights, or merchandise. Consequently, it’s less attractive to major sponsors, which limits funding for athletes and events.

“2. Lack of a Consistent League Structure:
“While there are professional track meets and circuits like the Diamond League, the sport lacks a unified, year-round league similar to the NFL, NBA, or European soccer leagues. This fragmented approach makes it harder to build continuous fan engagement or loyalty.

“3. Inconsistent Exposure and Broadcasting:
“Track and field events, other than the Olympics or World Championships, rarely receive prime TV spots or major media coverage. This means that fans don’t get to follow athletes consistently throughout the year, leading to lower overall engagement.

“4. Athlete Visibility and Brand Building:
“Many track and field athletes aren’t household names, making it challenging to attract a broad fan base. Without strong individual brands and personalities, it’s difficult to create fan loyalty and ongoing excitement around the sport.

“5. Limited Team Dynamics:
“Team dynamics often attract fans in other sports, as fans can connect to a local or favorite team. Track and field is primarily an individual sport, which makes it harder to build the same type of fan allegiance.

“6. Olympic Focus:
“Track and field’s strong association with the Olympics means the public often views it as an ‘every-four-years’ sport, focusing primarily on the Olympics rather than year-round events.”

(Don’t look for the posts; Edwards was banned from X and the posts are not available. He shared them with TSX at our request.)

Edwards felt that the “Athlete Visibility and Brand Building” aspect was really important.

I would suggest that nos. 2 – “Lack of a Consistent League Structure” – and 5 – “Limited Team Dynamics” – are the main culprits.

With a four-meet program spread over less than three months, Grand Slam Track was hardly a weekly feature on the sport schedule. Moreover, it has no team structure at all.

Looking at other sports which created start-up leagues, Major League Soccer started in 1996, with 10 teams playing 32 games each from April through September. The WNBA started in 1997, with eight teams playing 28 games each from mid-June to the end of August. They have both grown significantly, albeit in fits and starts and both have attracted significant investment.

The Diamond League has shown good staying power in Europe, but modest success elsewhere; there is only one stop in the U.S., for the annual Prefontaine Classic. U.S. track is in a continuing period of on-field excellence, perhaps as good as in any period in history, but in a long, continuing malaise as a spectator sport.

Edwards’ idea was clever and the chatbot neatly summarized the status of the sport in the U.S.

Johnson said he had raised $30 million to form his “league.” He really raised about $12 million and went bust. But he might be right about the $30 million, to create a 6-8 team league and a weekly dual or triangular meet schedule over 12-14 weeks, culminating in a true team champion.

That might solve the puzzle posed by ChatGPT. Any takers?

Rich Perelman
Editor

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PANORAMA: L.A. to spend $5.3 million to fix sidewalks for 2028; fan dies as Mexico City’s Banorte Stadium reopens; IIHF prez Tardif to retire

By
Rich Perelman
-
IIHF President Luc Tardif (FRA) (Photo: Chris Tanouye/IIHF).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● To those who say that the Los Angeles City Council is not preparing for the 2028 Games, a Friday motion popped up to spend $5.282 million for “the repair of pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, etc.) for the LA28 Games.”

The motion would authorize “the Department of Public Works and/or the City Engineer, or designee, to utilize existing and future contracts as appropriate, including emergency pre-qualified on-call contracts, to accelerate repairs.”

This expenditure was included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget “for proactive infrastructure repairs near 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues, fan zones, and key access routes,” and the City “has since conducted a comprehensive infrastructure inventory and assessment near Games venues that identifies sidewalk repairs and related infrastructure improvements needed to ensure corridor safety and accessibility.”

The motion was referred to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Olympic & Paralympic Games, and can be expected to move ahead since funding was already included in the City’s budget.

The spend is actually as much about liability avoidance as any beautification effort as the City has been repeatedly hit with lawsuits over crumbling infrastructure and pedestrian injuries.

● Figure Skating ● American Ilia Malinin rebounded spectacularly from his Olympic experience in Milan to dominate the men’s skating at the ISU World Championships in Prague (CZE) and on Sunday, the International Skating Union paid him a special honor:

“In recognition of his record-breaking feat to land seven quadruple jumps in a single program, the International Skating Union proudly presented the sport’s first-ever ‘Trailblazer on Ice’ Award to the athlete widely known as the ‘Quad God.’ The historic moment took place during the Exhibition Gala of the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 in Prague.”

It was a surprise announcement and was presented by ISU President Jae-Youl Kim (KOR), along with a commemorative ring.

● Football ● The famous Estadio Azteca, now known as the Banorte Stadium, was opened for the Portugal-Mexico match on Saturday after undergoing renovations, and will host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sadly, the re-opening day also saw a death just prior to the start of the match, as an unidentified fan, possibly drunk, apparently tried to jump from the second level to the first level of seats, along the exterior of the stadium and fell to the parking area below.

Portugal and Mexico played to a 0-0 tie before 84,130.

● Ice Hockey ● Writing on his 73rd birthday, International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif (FRA) wrote that he will not seek a second term as federation President in October:

“With the IIHF in a strong and stable position, I feel it is the right time to pass the puck to a younger leader. After much deliberation, I have made the decision not to seek re-election as IIHF President, as I believe that it is time for a new leader to take the reins and continue to move our sport forward. I am taking the opportunity to announce this today as I want to ensure that our organization and future leaders prepare themselves for the road ahead.”

This will touch off a scramble, with the IIHF successfully re-integrating the NHL back into Olympic hockey, but dealing with the NHL on preserving the IIHF World Championships as the World Cup of Hockey gets re-started and the question of whether to re-admit Russian teams and on what terms.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Artistic Swimming ● At the World Aquatics World Cup in Paris (FRA), Russian “neutrals” won the women’s Solo Technical (Vasilina Khandoshka) and both Duet events (Maya Doroskho and Elizaveta Minaeva in the Duet Tech, and Doroshko and Alekjsandra Shmidt in the Duet Free), and the Mixed Technical, with Alina Rumiantseva and Zakhar Trofimov. Russian “neutral” teams won the Tech Technical and Team Free.

Germany’s Klara Bleyer won the women’s Solo Free, while China’s Muye Guo won the men’s Technical and men’s Free. Italy’s Filippo Pelati and Lucrezia Ruggiero won the Mixed Free and Ukraine won the Team Acrobatic event.

● Athletics ● The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, California produced more strong races, including a win for Shelby Houlihan in the women’s race, in 30:50.10, the world leader this year. She was well ahead of Jessica McClain’s 31:15.49 in second.

The men’s 10 was a national record 26:58.58 for Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi, followed by a national record of 26:57.07 for Australia’s Ky Robinson and a third national record of 27:20.52 for Mike Foppen (NED).

A trio of women’s world-leading marks at the USATF Winter Throws Championships in Tucson, Arizona, as discus star Valarie Sion (nee Allman) won her 30th straight discus final at 66.02 m (216-7), Rachel Richeson took the hammer at 76.86 m (252-2) and Madison Wiltrout got a javelin lifetime best at 61.29 m (201-1).

The men’s winners included Reggie Jagers in the discus at 65.83 m (215-11), Rudy Winkler in the hammer (80.60 m/264-5) and Marc Minnichello in the javelin, reaching 75.32 m (247-1).

At the Continental Tour Gold Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne (AUS), 2025 World Indoor 60 m runner-up Lachlan Kennedy (AUS) scored wins in the 100 m (10.03) and 200 m (20.38), beating 18-year-old Gout Gout (20.43) in the process.

American star Jacory Patterson took the world lead in the 400 m at 44.41 and Australia’s 19-year-old Cam Myers won the 1,500 m in a world-leading 3:30.42. Home favorite Claudia Hollingsworth took the women’s 1,500 m in 4:01.30, beating World Indoor 1,500 m winner Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR: 4:01.52).

World Champion Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) won the women’s high jump at 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) and Paris Olympic champ Nina Kennedy (AUS: won the vault at 4.72 m (15-5 3/4) over U.S. stars Hana Moll (4.56 m/14-11 1/2) and Amanda Moll (4.36 m/14-3 1/2).

Pretty interesting women’s 800 m at the Clyde Hart Classic in Waco, Texas, with Makenna Herbst winning in 2:04.22, ahead of the supposedly-retired 2016 Olympic 400 hurdles champ Dalilah Muhammad, in a lifetime best of 2:04.51, ahead of 400 m star Alexis Holmes (2:05.64).

It was reportedly the first 800 for Muhammad in 11 years!

● Cycling ● Danish star Jonas Vingegaard took control on the difficult fifth stage of the 105th Volta a Catalunya in Spain and raced to his second big victory in a month after winning Paris-Nice in mid-March.

Vingegaard won the five-climb fifth stage of 153.1 km with a steep uphill finish and took the race lead, then won the four-climb, 158.2 km sixth stage and created a 1:22 lead over France’s Lenny Martinez. That’s how they finished as Sunday’s final stage into Barcelona was the usual sprint finish (Australia’s Brady Gilmore won), with the first 34 riders given the same time.

Vingegaard’s final time was 25:56:36, with Martinez 1:22 back and German Florian Lipowitz third at +1:30. Matthew Riccitello was the top American, in ninth (+5:25).

Friday’s 68th E3 Saxo Classic in and around Harelbeke, Belgium was a second win of the season for Dutch star and two-time defending champion Mathieu van der Poel, who attacked with 42 km left on the 208.8 km course and won in 4:45:15, three seconds up on Per Strand Hagenes (NOR) and Florian Vermeersch (BEL). American Magnus Sheffield was 12th.

The 88th edition of the famed In Flanders Field (nee Gent-Wevelgem) in Belgium was held Sunday, with a spirited breakaway by 2024 runner-up van der Poel and Belgium’s 2021 champion Wout van Aert about 36 km from the end of the 240.8 km ride to Wevelgem, but they were caught with about 1,000 m to go.

Instead, it was Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen, an Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate of van der Poel, who won the final, mass sprint in 5:08:03, ahead of Tobias Andresen (DEN) and 2023 winner Christophe Laporte (FRA). Van Aert was 30th and ver der Poel, 35th.

The women’s race of 135.2 km belonged for the third straight year to Dutch star Lorena Wiebes, who won the final sprint over Fleur Moors (BEL) and Karlijn Swinkels (NED) in 3:31:21.

At the USA Cycling BMX National Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Payton Ridenour repeated as the women’s winner, over 2024 runner-up Carly Kane and 2024 bronzer Lexis Colby. The men’s winner was 2024 champion Kamren Larsen, beating Drew Polk and Rayne Lankford.

At the USA Cycling nationals in BMX Freestyle in South Jordan, Utah, veteran stars took both events, with 2018 World Champion Justin Dowell winning the men’s title over Marcus Christopher and six-time World Champion Hannah Roberts winning the women’s gold, ahead of Angie Marino.

● Fencing ● American William Morrill, 19, took the FIE men’s Sabre World Cup in Budapest (HUN) for his first World Cup victory, getting past Matteo Neri (ITA) by 15-13 in the championship final. France defeated Romania, 45-34, to take the team gold. The U.S. was fourth (Daryl Homer, Antonio Heathcock, Colin Heathcock, Grant Williams), losing to Korea in the bronze-medal match by 45-26.

The FIE women’s Sabre World Cup in Tashkent (UZB) was won by Russian “neutral” Alina Mikhailova, who defeated Bulgarian Yoana Ilieva in the final, 15-6. The Russian “neutral” team won the team title over the U.S. (Maia Chamberlain, Lola Possick, Aleksandra Strzalkowski, Siobhan Sullivan), 45-32.

At the FIE Epee World Cup in Astana (KAZ), Ukraine’s 2018 Worlds bronze winner Roman Svichkar won the men’s final over Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Kurbanov, 15-12, and 2022 World Champion Sera Song (KOR) took the women’s final by 15-11 over Estonia’s Katrina Lehis, the Tokyo Olympic bronze winner.

France won the men’s team final over Italy (45-44) and South Korea won the women’s team title over the U.S. (Hadley Husisian, Charlene Liu, Catherine Nixon, Tierna Oxenreider) by 45-34.

● Figure Skating ● As expected, Olympic gold medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) dominated the Ice Dance at the ISU World Championships in Prague (CZE), winning by more than 19 points.

Already the leaders following the Rhythm Dance, the French duo won the Free Dance at 138.07, way ahead of Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck (ESP) at 125.31, then Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN: 125.07) and Americans Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik (lifetime best 124.99).

That gave Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron a total of 230.81, the no. 2 score ever and for Cizeron, his fifth Worlds gold (first with Fournier Beaudry). Gilles and Poirier remained in second place and won their third straights Worlds silver! They now have five medals (0-3-2) in the last six editions.

Zingas and Kolesnik won the bronze by placing fourth in both segments and getting a lifetime best score of 209.20, just ahead of Britain’s 2025 bronze winners, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (208.98). The U.S. duo’s first Worlds medal extends the American medal streak in this event to 11 straight Worlds.

● Football ● The U.S. men faced world no. 9 Belgium in a friendly in Atlanta, Georgia in a strong test of preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The Americans were on offense early and had some excellent chances, but no scores.

In the 39th, defender Antonee Robinson struck a magnificent corner that sailed over most of the Belgian defense and came to midfielder Weston McKennie, whose right-footed strike sent the ball to the far side of the net for a stunning 1-0 lead.

Unfazed, Belgium rallied with a brilliant equalizer in the 45th, as a rocket from forward Jeremy Doku was saved by U.S. keeper Matt Turner, but rebounded out beyond the box. Defender Zeno Debast then sent a right-footed laser through two defenders and into the far corner of the goal, too fast for Turner to react. It was 1-1 and the half ended with Belgium in 59% possession and a 13-8 shots edge.

After a couple of good U.S. chances to open the second half, a block on Doku went to midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers, who pushed the ball back to midfielder Amadou Onana, who hit a blast from the top of the box that skipped past Turner for a 2-1 lead in the 53rd. Quickly afterwards, Belgium was on the attack again and Turner saved a Doku blast and then a header by defender Thomas Meuiner was swatted. But defender Tim Weah was called for a hand ball and striker Charles de Ketelaere converted the penalty for a 3-1 lead in the 59th.

The Belgians took complete control in the 68th, on a brilliant strike from sub striker Dodi Lukebakio, who dribbled from the right side into the middle of the box and delivered a line-drive left-footed score to the top of the net for a 4-1 lead. Lukebakio scored again from the middle of the box in the 82nd for the 5-1 lead.

U.S. sub forward Ricardo Pepi stole a clearing pass in the Belgian box in the 87th and the ball rolled to sub striker Patrick Agyemang, who slammed it home for the 5-2 final. The U.S. actually ended with 51.5% of possession, but Belgium had 21 shots to 12 for the U.S.

The Americans are back at it on Tuesday against no. 5 Portugal, also in Atlanta. The Portuguese, without Cristiano Ronaldo, played in Mexico City Saturday to a 0-0 draw.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS World Cup in Silvaplana (SUI) saw the conclusion of the Slopestyle and Halfpipe seasons, with Olympic champ Birk Ruud (NOR) getting his second win of the season in the men’s Slopestyle, and winning with 83.52 points over Estonian teen star Henry Sildaru (79.41) and American Mac Forehand (78.47). Ruud won the seasonal title at 280, with Sildaru second at 220 and Forehand at 184.

Swiss Sarah Hoefflin, the 2018 Olympic gold medalist, took the women’s Slopestyle win with 80.07, ahead of Kirsty Muir (GBR: 75.54), but Muir was the seasonal winner with 280 points, to 211 for Elena Gaskill (CAN) and 210 for Lara Wolf (AUT).

Sunday’s Halfpipe saw New Zealand’s Luke Harrold get his first win of the season (93.25) over Olympic runner-up Sildaru – age 19 – at 88.00 and Finn Jon Sallinen (85.25). New Zealand’s Finley Melville Ives, the 2025 World Champion, won the seasonal title over American Hunter Hess, 280 to 265.

Olympic women’s bronzer Zoe Atkin (GBR) won the women’s finale at 86.75, beating Mischa Thomas (NZL: 80.75); Atkin also won the seasonal title with 360 points to 290 for 16-year-old Indra Brown (AUS).

● Ski Jumping ● The FIS World Cup was in Planica (SLO) for jumping off of the giant, 240 m ski-flying hill, with another good week for the Prevc family.

Both Domen (men) and Nika (women) have clinched their seasonal titles and Domen the first men’s event on Friday at 471.4 points, ahead of Ren Nikaido (JPN: 451.3) and Daniel Tschofenig (AUT: 443.5). In Sunday’s finale, Beijing 2022 gold medalist Marius Lindvik took the win at 459.5, just ahead of Domen Prevc (453.9) and Johann Andre Forfang (NOR: 441.3).

Domen finished with 2,143 points to 1,194 for Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN) and 1,159 for Tschofenig.

The women jumped on Saturday, and with a crowd of 30,000 cheering her on, Nika delivered another win, her record 18th of the season, to score 405.3, over Olympic silver winner Eirin Kvandal (NOR: 388.1) and 361.7 for Nozomi Maruyama (JPN). Overall, Nika amassed 2,676 points to 1,870 for Maruyama and 1,628 for double Olympic champ Anna Stroem (NOR).

● Ski Mountaineering ● The very busy ISMF World Cup in Puy-St. Vincent (FRA) also included a Youth World Championships, but in the senior events, Swiss star Remi Bonnet took the Individual Race in 1:26:17.9, almost a minute ahead of William bon Mardion (FRA: 1:27:14.8), and won the Vertical Race in 20:43.8 over Anselme Damevin (FRA: 21:10.7).

Olympic bronze winner Thibault Anselmet (FRA: 3:09.2) took the Sprint over Thomas Bussard (SUI: 3:15.2).

The women’s Individual race was a big win for multi-time World Champion Axelle Gachet Mollaret (FRA: 1:15:53.9), winning over Alba De Silvesto (ITA: 1:18:29.0), and then taking the Vertical Race in 24:23.0, beating teammate Emily Harrop (24:50.7) and De Silvestro (25:29.6).

In the Sprint, Harrop (3:37.9), the Olympic runner-up, led a French 1-2 ahead of Margot Ravinel (FRA: 3:45.7).

● Snowboard ● The FIS World Cup in Silvaplana (SUI) featured the close of the Slopestyle and Halfpipe seasons, with Japan’s Olympic champ Yuto Totsuka winning for the third time in the last four Halfpipe events at 94.00, ahead of Val Guseli (AUS: 91.00) and Chase Blackwell of the U.S. (88.75). Totsuka won the seasonal Halfpipe Crystal Globe with 460 points to 430 for Guseli.

The women’s Halfpipe went to American two-time Worlds medalist Maddie Mastro, for her first medal of the season (85.00) with teammate Maddy Schaffrick second (78.25). Korea’s Ga-on Choi, the Olympic winner, was the seasonal champ with 300 points, to 296 for Japan’s Rise Kudo.

The men’s Slopestyle event was cancelled, so Olympic winner Yuming Su (CHN) took the seasonal title at 140 points to go with his Big Air title. American Judd Henkes (139) was just a point behind.

The women’s Slopestyle final was also cancelled due to high winds, so 16-year-old American Lily Dhawornvej won the seasonal title with 169 points to 160 for Japan’s Olympic bronze winner Kokomo Murase.

● Swimming ● Texas won its second straight NCAA men’s title in Atlanta, Georgia, scoring 445 1/2 points to 416 for Florida and 351 for Indiana.

Canadian Josh Liendo, the 2024 Olympic 100 m Fly runner-up, was the big individual winner. Swimming for Florida, he won the 50-yard Free, 100-yard Free and 100-yard Fly, plus legs on four medal-winning relay teams.

There were multiple double winners, including Maximus Williamson (Virginia) in the 200-yard Free and 200-yard Medley; Hungary’s Olympic Back champ Hubert Kos (Texas) in the 100-yard and 200-yard Back events, and 100-200-yard Breast winner Yamato Okadome (JPN-Cal).

Tunisian distance stars Ahmed Hafnoui (Tokyo 2020 400 m Free gold) and Ahmed Janouadi (2025 World 800-1,500 m golds) – swimming for Florida – both won, in the 500-yard Free and 1,000-yard Free, respectively.

The big stars of the 2025 World Championships were in strong form at the World Athletics Open Water World Cup opener in Somabay (EGY), with German Florian Wellbrock winning the men’s 10 km in 1:50:59.5. touching cleaning ahead of 2025 Worlds Sprint runner-up David Betlehem (HUN: 1:51:04.1) and Domenico Acerenza (ITA: 1:51:05.6).

World Champion Moesha Johnson (AUS) was all alone in the women’s 10 km in 1:58:26.1, with Italy’s Worlds runner-up Ginerva Taddeucci a distant second in 1:59:14.7. Germany, with Wellbrock on anchor, won the Mixed 4×1,500 m relay in 1:09:24.6 over Hungary (1:09:26.9).

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FIGURE SKATING: U.S.’s Malinin takes third ISU Worlds gold in a row in rebound from Olympics, asks for more skater input for the future

By
Rich Perelman
-
U.S. star Ilia Malinin celebrating his 2026 U.S. national title (Photo: Wikipedia via Spirited Michelle)

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≡ ISU WORLD CHAMPS ≡

American skating star Ilia Malinin, still just 21, entered the 2025 ISU World Championships as the two-time defending champion. And despite his difficulties at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, he dominated the field and won a third straight title in brilliant fashion on Saturday.

Competing at the O2 Arena in Prague (CZE), Malinin already had a big, 111.29 to 101.85 lead on second-place Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA) following the Short Program. As Malinin waited, Olympic silver winner Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) – sixth in the Short Program – mounted a charge with a brilliant Free Skate, scoring 212.87, no. 10 ever at the time and taking the lead at 306.67, a seasonal best.

Two skaters later, Olympic bronze winner Shun Sato (JPN) also performed superbly, scoring 192.70 – just behind his Olympic effort – and moved up to second behind Kagiyama at 288.54. Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko – third after the Short Program – scored 173.93, suffering a fall, and dropped and Siao Him Fa also struggled, with a fall and scoring only 169.71 and dropping back.

That left Malinin in the same situation was in Milan: last skater, with a big lead coming in. But he met the moment, with a quad Flip, quad Lutz, another quad Lutz, a quad Toe Loop and quad Salchow and more, including his trademark back flip. He said later there was no need for his astonishing Quad Axel. 

The result was a brilliant 218.11, the no. 7 Free Skate score in history – he has four of the seven – and a total of 329.40, the no. 6 score ever. Said the winner:

“I felt really relieved that the season is finally done after the long ups and downs for this whole season. I’m very glad to be here at the World Championships. It was a different change of mindset to come here. All I wanted to do was to skate for myself and enjoy every moment on the ice and just have fun out there. That’s exactly what I did.

“I think this was probably one of the easier World Championships I’ve been to, just because of the amount of pressure I had at the Olympics. Going here I felt like there was almost no pressure at all. I’ve just completely blocked out all the expectations, all the pressure that people put on me. I was really here just to skate for myself and enjoy every moment of these World Championships, and I think I did exactly that.”

He’s still just 21, with Kagiyama at 22, Sato is 22 and then there is Kazakh Mikhail Shaidorov, the Olympic champion, who is also just 21. Wow. Those four have won eight of nine medals in the last three Worlds!

Malinin won his third straight Worlds gold, matching fellow American Nathan Chen, in 2018-19-21 and 12 others before him. He’s the sixth American to win at least three in a row.

Kagiyama won his fifth silver in the last six championships (plus a bronze) and Sato won his first Worlds medal to go along with the Olympic bronze.

The other two Americans, Andrew Torgashev (249.41) and Jacob Sanchez (241.74) placed 10th and 12th overall.

Malinin also voiced some concern over the future of the sport and the changes being instituted by the International Skating Union:

“[T]hey want to change from seven jumps to six jumps. We have to set up our programs completely differently, and especially with last season, how they weren’t sure with how many jumps were going to be there.

“I personally had problems with having to go from six jumps to seven jumps, and that honestly caused me a lot of problems with my previous competitions.

“But in the end, I think that the ISU and everyone who is in charge of making these decisions should really listen to the athletes because to be honest, we’re the reason the ISU is blowing up and really here.

“And because without the skaters, the ISU would not be able to have all of us and this recognition. That’s what I think about it. I think the ISU should really reconsider all of these changes and really give an opportunity and a voice to all of us athletes to really come together and realize what’s better for the sport.”

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SPORTS MEDICINE: South Africa’s Olympic 800 champ Semenya promises class-action suit against new IOC sex-screening rules

By
Rich Perelman
-
South Africa's Olympic and World women's 800 m Champion Caster Semenya.

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≡ NEW IOC WOMEN’S RULES ≡

As soon as the International Olympic Committee announced its new rules on “protection of the female category” on Tuesday, everyone knew the next test will come in multiple courts.

The IOC announced, in summary, that for the Los Angeles 2028 Games and onward:

● “Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening.”

● “It is not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programmes.”

An appeal of the rules to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is sure and perhaps the first stop, but look for a filing with the European Court of Human Rights as well. And in front of one or both will be South Africa’s two-time Olympic women’s 800 m champion, Caster Semenya.

The 2012 and 2016 Olympic winner and World Champion in 2009-11-17 is now 35 and has been in essentially continuous litigation against World Athletics, whose newest rules adopted in 2025 mirror the IOC’s new rules. Semenya had taken testosterone-reduction treatment from 2010-15, but this was ended with the 2025 ruling in the Dutee Chand case in India. New regulations were issued in 2018 and Semenya has been fighting successive sets of regulations since then.

Semenya told Britain’s Sky News:

“If we have to say women must stop taking part in Olympics, so be it. I will encourage athletes to come together as a class action … because this does not make sense. It does not save women’s sport.

“This regulation is totally shameful. It’s something that her [IOC chief Kirsty Coventry/ZIM] as a president should have not allowed such to happen.”

Asked about the IOC’s insistence that individuals with male-trait “Y” chromosomes have significant advantages throughout their lives relative to sport, Semenya slapped back:

“Based on what? There’s no scientific proof about what has been said. It’s an ideology. …

“There is no respect for women. The minute you start asking a woman to be tested to take part in sports, that’s not dignity. “Testing a girl, a child, it is harmful and it is shameful.”

There are multiple studies on the topic and World Athletics adopted an SRY-gene test in mid-2025, which was fully implemented for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) last September. That rule has not yet been challenged in a court, but may yet be.

Semenya has lost at every stage of her battle with World Athletics, losing the key case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April 2019, where the panel found that she was, in fact, discriminated against, but:

“[T]he majority of the Panel accepts that the IAAF has discharged its burden of establishing that regulations governing the ability of female athletes with 46 XY DSD to participate in certain events are necessary to maintain fair competition in female athletics by ensuring that female athletes who do not enjoy the significant performance advantage caused by exposure to levels of circulating testosterone in the adult male range do not have to compete against female athletes who do enjoy that performance advantage.”

Semenya’s appeal was dismissed by the Swiss Federal Tribunal, so she tried the European Court of Human Rights, which noted that the Swiss court had made a significant review, but still found that “limited” and remanded the case back to the Swiss last October for further examination.

Now it looks as if she wants to continue her fight by starting a new one.

Observed: Asked specifically during Tuesday’s announcement for the documentation behind the IOC’s new rules, IOC medical director Dr. Jane Thornton (CAN) said none would be provided and referred to available lists of papers and studies on the topic.

The leader in this space has been World Athletics, with President Sebastian Coe (GBR) announcing the policy recommendation in March 2025, saying:

“We’ve been to the Court of Arbitration on our DSD [differences in sex development] regulations; they’ve been upheld and they’ve again been upheld after appeal, so we will doggedly protect the female category and we’ll do whatever is necessary to do it and we’re not just talking about it.”

The IOC has now joined them, and U.N. Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls Reem Alsalem (JOR), who also asked for this kind of test in October 2024.

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PANORAMA: Canadian report says sport deeply underfunded; FIFA dumps a lot more World Cup hotel rooms, this time in Canada

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Having already been approved at the Executive Management Committee of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Metro Board approved on a consent vote, the Memorandum of Understanding with the LA28 organizing committee concerning transportation services for the 2028 Games.

The key element of the memorandum of a reliance on outside funding to support any enhanced service program during the 2028 Games:

“Metro Enhanced Services will be funded, if at all, from supplemental grants and awards and/or any cost savings derived from regulatory relief that Metro receives, and/or other new value to Metro pursuant to this Metro MOU (collectively, ‘New Consideration’).

“Notwithstanding any other provision of this Metro MOU to the contrary, whether expressly or by implication, Metro shall not be obligated for any Metro Enhanced Services, in full or in part, unless and until sufficient New Consideration is designated, dedicated or committed to Metro.

“Without limiting the foregoing, to whatever extent that there is insufficient New Consideration to fully support Metro Enhanced Services, the Parties shall collaborate in good faith to mutually agree upon potential service adjustments to preserve performance of Metro Enhanced Services and to the maximum extent commercially reasonable Metro shall perform a pro rata portion of the Metro Enhanced Services commensurate with the actual New Consideration.”

● Canada ● The Future of Sport in Canada Commission delivered its 952-page final report, “Transforming Sport in Canada: Time for Action,” on Tuesday, covering a broad spectrum of topics, including elite sport in the country. The bottom line:

“Sport in Canada stands at a defining moment. The current sport system – fragmented, inconsistent, and too often unsafe – does not meet the expectations of Canadians. The proliferation of organizations and overlapping mandates led to inefficiencies, duplications, a lack of alignment, and confusion, while conflicts of interest, a lack of transparency, and limited oversight of sport organizations has further undermined trust in the sport system.”

In chapter 15, it was noted:

● “According to a Deloitte study commissioned by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, 90% of National Sport Organizations depend on federal government funding as their primary source of revenue. On average, government funding represents between 47% and 50% of the revenue of National Sport Organizations receiving government funds.”

● “The chronic lack of funding in the Canadian sport system has contributed to the safe sport crisis and undermined National Sport Organizations’ ability to fulfill their basic functions. Inadequate resources negatively impact both the accessibility and quality of their programs.

“In the face of this funding crisis, many organizations have reduced programs and activities, and some may even be forced to cease operating if the funding gaps persist.”

● “It is clear to the Commission that there is an urgent need for an injection of funds to ensure that National Sport Organizations can continue operating. We believe that core funding for sport organizations should be adequate to support core operational requirements and address long-term priorities.

“Importantly, all future funding allocations for national-level sport organizations must be determined in accordance with a new funding strategy that balances support for high-performance and broader sport participation.”

The Commission report recommends the “Government of Canada urgently increase the core funding allocated to National Sport Organizations to account for inflation since 2005. Thereafter, it must regularly review and adjust the funding” regularly based on need and inflation.”

The next step is up to the Canadian government at multiple levels; the report stated that “the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee Budget 2024 Request, a five-year forecast shows that National Sport Organizations will accumulate a collective deficit of roughly $134 million [~$96.7 million U.S.] attempting to meet their core mandates.”

● Badminton ● Spain’s Carolina Marin, 32, the 2016 Olympic women’s Singles champion and a three-time World Champion, announced her retirement due to continuing right knee issues.

The won Worlds golds in 2014, 2015 and 2018 and a Worlds silver in 2023. She won 10 times on the BWF World Tour and was a finalist 22 times, between 2018-24. She suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the semifinals and had to withdraw (including forfeiting the bronze-medal match).

● Cycling ● The 143.7 km women’s Ronde van Brugge was held Thursday, with a mass sprint finish won by Britain’s 19-year-old Carys Lloyd, getting to the line ahead of two-time winner Elisa Balsamo (ITA) and Nienke Veenhoven (NED). It’s the fifth straight medal in this event for Balsamo.

It’s the first big career win for Lloyd, in 3:31:23.

● Football ● FIFA continues to release hotel rooms it has booked for the 2026 World Cup period, with 70-80% of its reserved rooms in Vancouver, British Columbia returned. Paul Hawes, president of the British Columbia Hotel Association, noted while this is a normal occurrence prior to a convention or other large event:

“In this case, however, the volume released is higher than typically expected. It appears consistent with what is being seen in other host cities across North America.”

In Toronto, Greater Toronto Hotel Association head Sara Anghel said a significant number of rooms had been released and commented:

“No one is happy with the decision to drop the blocks, and as we see, it’s becoming a pattern across North American cities. So, you know, let that be a lesson … for future host countries or cities.”

FIFA has been confirmed to release large blocks of rooms in Mexico City and Philadelphia so far as well.

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FIGURE SKATING: Malinin shines with third-highest Short Program ever, as Germans Hase and Volodin take impressive Pairs gold at ISU Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
-
Figure skating World Champion Ilia Malinin of the U.S. (Photo: spiritedmichelle via Wikipedia).

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≡ ISU WORLD CHAMPS ≡

At the ISU World Championships in Prague (CZE), a crowd of 13,444 came out to the O2 Arena Thursday night to watch the men’s Short Program and the Pairs Free Skate. That meant American star Ilia Malinin, the two-time World Champion, and he started his effort for a third impressively.

He opened with a quad Flip, followed with a triple Axel and a quad Lutz and triple Toe Loop and, of course, included his patented backflip on the way to a lifetime best Short Program score of 111.29!

His prior best was 110.41 at the 2025 Worlds, and it’s the third-highest score ever, behind only the 113.97 by American Nathan Chen in 2022 and 111.82 by Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) in 2020. Wow. He said afterwards:

“I got to the ice and was in this zone and let everything happen. I was definitely coming back to prove myself that it [his Olympic performance] was a one-time thing, but now I realize this is much more than just skating. It’s being able to go and enjoy and have fun.”

Malinin raced to a significant lead over 2024 Worlds bronze winner Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA: 101.85) and Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko (96.49), with the Free Skate to come. Americans Andrew Torgashev (89.07) was seventh and Jacob Sanchez was 10th (85.15).

It’s worth remembering that Malinin also had a big lead in the Olympic men’s competition after the Short Program, but had trouble – including a couple of falls – in the Free Skate.

In the Pairs Free Skate, Olympic bronze winners Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER) had the lead at 79.78, just slightly up on Georgia’s Olympic silver winners Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (79.45), with Canadians Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud in third (75.52).

Pereira and Michaud promptly took the lead in the Free Skate with a lifetime best of 140.57 and a total of 216.09, their first-ever score over 200 points! Metelkina and Berulava suffered a fall that marred an otherwise elegant program, but their 138.96 moved them into the lead at 218.41, and Georgia’s first-ever Worlds Pairs medal!

Hase and Volodin needed 138.64 to win, and they were sensational, rolling through their routine with just a minor error and scored 148.55 (no. 8 ever) and a total of 228.33, their best ever and the no. 7 score in history, for the gold.

The German stars completed their step-by-step move up the podium: third in 2024, silver last year and now the first Germans to win a Pairs gold since 2018.

U.S. national champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, unable to skate in Milan due to citizenship requirements for Efimova, scored just 0.08 points short of their seasonal best at 135.22 in the Free Skate (fifth best!), and 202.51 overall, finishing sixth.

Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman finished 12th at 179.60; Emily Chan and Spencer Howe had a difficult Free Skate (three falls) and ended at 169.91, in 16th.

The ISU Worlds continue on Friday with the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance and the Women’s Free Skate. U.S. coverage is offered on NBC’s Peacock streaming service and USA Network.

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INT’L OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Coventry announces requirement for SRY gene testing for women’s events for LA28

By
Rich Perelman
-
Int’l Olympic Committee Health, Medicine and Science Director Dr. Jane Thornton (CAN) at the IOC’s 26 March 2026 briefing (IOC video screen shot).

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≡ “FEMALE CATEGORY” RULES ≡

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) said that the “protection of the female category” would be one of her priorities and on Thursday (26th), the IOC announced a new policy for women in the Games:

“The policy explains that, for all disciplines on the sports programme of an IOC event, including the Olympic Games and for both individual and team sports, eligibility for any female category is limited to biological females.

“Eligibility for the female category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY gene.

“Based on scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the presence of the SRY gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced male sex development. Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods.

“Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the female category. Unless there is reason to believe that a negative reading is in error, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime test.”

This new policy, which replaces a 2021 policy which allowed federations to pretty much do whatever they wanted, follows the lead of World Athletics, which implemented this same policy and required female contestants for its 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) last September to comply within about three months and this was successfully achieved.

In terms of the basis for the decision, the IOC’s announcement noted:

“The working group reviewed the latest scientific evidence, including developments since 2021, and reached a clear consensus. Male sex provides a performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power and endurance. To ensure fairness, and to protect safety, particularly in contact sports, eligibility should therefore be based on biological sex.

“The group also agreed that the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available to verify biological sex is screening for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles.”

There is a small exception, for “athletes with a diagnosis of Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or other rare differences/disorders in sex development (DSDs) who do not benefit from the anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.”

Dr. Jane Thornton (CAN), the IOC’s Health, Medicine and Science Director, said at a follow-up news conference:

“We reached consensus that male sex confers performance advantage in all sports and events that rely on strength, power, and/or endurance. And to protect fairness in such sports and events, as well as safety, particularly in contact sports – so combat, collision and projectile sports – that it would be necessary and adequate to base eligibility in competition on biological sex.”

She noted findings that testosterone jumps in males occur three times – in utero, in infancy and in adolescence and continuing from there – and with highly circulating testosterone, “males have larger and stronger skeletal and bone, larger and stronger hearts, larger lung size, more red blood cells and lower body fat than females trained to an equivalent level.

“Together, these attributes afford males individual sex-based performance advantages in sports and events that rely on strength, power and endurance. … Finally, the XY transgender athletes and athletes with certain XY differences and disorders in sex development have anatomical and physiological advantages in line with being male.”

She noted that there is no indication that testosterone suppression or other hormonal treatments eliminates this advantage. And:

“When the working group looked at the magnitude of advantage, that at the elite level, the magnitude is different, depending on the sport or event, but 10-12% advantage in most running or swimming events, 20% male performance advantage in most throwing and jumping events, and male performance advantage can be greater than 100% in events which involve explosive power, so collision, lifting and punching sports.

“This varies across sports, but in particular in contact sports, the strength and power differential between male and female may increase safety risks to female athletes.”

The announcement also specified that the policy relates specifically to Olympic events:

“This policy should be adopted by IFs and other sports governing bodies, such as NOCs, National Federations and Continental Associations, when exercising their responsibility in implementing eligibility rules in relation to IOC events only.”

How the testing is going to be done, who keeps the records and the inevitable legal challenges are all yet to be sorted through. But Coventry’s IOC has made its stand on women in sport, and interestingly, came to the same conclusion as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem (JOR), made in 2024, calling for the re-introduction of sex-screening, which the IOC had abandoned in 1999.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: L.A. City Attorney demands LA28 guarantee City’s security costs, especially if not Federally funded

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ L.A. CITY-LA28 AGREEMENT ≡

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto rang the alarm bell over City costs for security for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Tuesday, in a memorandum made public Wednesday night. It included:

“The City has no control over LA28’s expenses, which are paid first, including the salaries, bonuses, and vendor amounts LA28 may choose to expend. Neither party has any control over what the City’s extraordinary expenses ultimately will be even if there are no weather-related issues, security incidents, emergencies or other unanticipated contingencies.

“Nor does either party have any control over the timing or actualization of federal reimbursement to the City. The last LA28 budget was $7.15 billion, but LA28 acknowledges that the latest budget does not include the City’s estimated $1 billion of security funding.

“Although the City’s security cost could potentially be reimbursed by federal funding set aside for law enforcement agencies dedicating services related to the 2028 Games, the City will be competing with multiple agencies for those funds, and, as a result, may not receive sufficient funding to fully reimburse the City for its own use of law enforcement resources.

“Thus, there are two remaining issues in the ECRMA [Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement] that must be resolved in the City’s favor for LA28 to fulfill their promised ‘no cost to taxpayers’ foundational principle – (1) what happens if the federal government does not pay the assumed $1 billion and (2) what happens if the City’s extraordinary expenses exceed $1 billion?

“In either situation, the Office believes that all surplus funds must reimburse the City and its taxpayers first as promised before any surplus funds are available for a legacy or tribute fund.”

The memorandum explained that the LA28 organizers submitted a proposed Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement on 26 February for review by multiple City offices, including the City Attorney. Feldstein Soto noted that the 2021 “Games Agreement” between the City and LA28 is specific in stating that “any Surplus resulting from the planning, organizing and financing and staging of the 2028 Games” will be divided with 20% going to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and 80% to a new entity to be formed by LA28, governed by a board of directors comprised of an equal number of LA28 and City designees.

Feldstein Soto stated that as to the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement proposed by LA28:

“The ECRMA as drafted by LA28 limits the obligation to reimburse City costs before LA28 is permitted to create its own legacy fund with the surplus.”

She writes further:

“The City requires unambiguous language in the ECRMA to foreclose any scenario in which funds might go back to the wealthy backers and investors of the LA28 organization without reimbursing taxpayer-funded extraordinary costs.”

The memo also demands that the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement includes “transparent audit rights and procedures in response to the heightened risk exposure to the City and LA28 especially given the recent claims against LA28’s chairman, Casey Wasserman.”

This is an angry memorandum and has gone to the unusual step of publicly demanding LA28 “[u]phold the zero-cost principle and promise to the Council and the public.” The Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement was due to be completed, according to the 2021 Games Agreement, by 1 October 2025 and the Feldstein Soto memo notes that what may have been a first draft from LA28 was submitted on 26 February 2026.

The City Attorney report has been initially referred to the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, chaired by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson; it may end up being referred to others as well.

What is true is that LA28, especially chief executive Reynold Hoover, has been lobbying the Trump Administration for security funding and $1 billion was included in the budget passed in summer 2025, for the Federal fiscal year of 2025-26. More is expected in the next budget, due to be released in draft form in the coming weeks. LA28 is also lobbying for Federal support of transportation funding for the Games, but has been much less successful so far.

This is another new element of drama in what appears to be a receding level of trust between the City and the LA28 organizers, but also one that once worked through, can rebuild relations as well.

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PANORAMA: IOC Exec Board hears working group results Thursday; San Jose State may be sued on transgender; Sakamoto leads women’s Short Program

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic House in Lausanne, home of the International Olympic Committee (Photo: IOC).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● As promised, the IOC’s “Fit for the Future” working groups, created last September, are coming to a conclusion of their work, and the IOC Executive Board will meet online on Thursday to discuss the progress, followed by a news conference.

The four groups include:

● Commercial Partnerships and Marketing
● Protection of the Female Category
● Olympic Program
● Youth Olympic Games

The “Protection of the Female Category” group has drawn a lot of interest and no matter what the recommended outcome, legal challenges are likely from one side or both.

● Transgender ● On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education “issued a Letter of Impending Enforcement Action to San Jose State University (SJSU) for its ongoing refusal to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).

“In January, the Department found that SJSU’s policies allowing males to compete in women’s sports and access female-only facilities deny women equal educational opportunities and benefits. OCR [Office of Civil Rights] submitted to SJSU a proposed Resolution Agreement with terms that would have resolved its Title IX violations. SJSU refused to sign it or attempt to negotiate its terms, and has taken no other action to ensure the safety of its female students and deliver equal educational opportunities.”

The letter included a 10-day deadline, which if not met, could mean “referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and risk of termination of SJSU’s federal funding.”

The notice specified the background as:

“OCR found that beginning in 2022, SJSU actively recruited and allowed a male to compete on the women’s indoor and beach volleyball teams and reportedly instructed members of the coaching staff not to tell the female players that the athlete was a male. As a result, female athletes on the team shared women’s locker rooms and hotel rooms with the male student while being unaware that he is a member of the opposite sex.”

● Athletics ● Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said that Russian youth and junior athletes will be considered for return to international competition by World Athletics in July:

“We’ll see how close we are to the start of international competitions in July at the next World Athletics Executive Committee meeting, where the issue of allowing our juniors and young men to compete based on the IOC decision will be discussed. World Athletics has sent out a circular stating that everyone can travel to Russia for competitions. Over the past two years, we’ve hosted 10 international competitions with athletes from more than 25 countries.”

As for seniors, the TASS story noted, “Russian track and field athletes will be barred from competing in World Athletics competitions starting in 2022, even as neutral athletes, due to the situation in Ukraine.”

It was reported that a two-day “Double London Marathon” is being considered for 2027, which would allow for more than 100,000 runners to participate on 24-25 April 2027. The (one-day) race had 56,540 finishers in 2025 and the elite races would be held on both days, separately for men and women.

The Athletics Integrity Unit banned Tanzanian marathoner Jackline Sakilu “for 10 years from 17 September 2025 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance” including Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, and other metabolites of Testosterone. She had four different doping positives over more than year in 2024 and 2025 and this resulted in the extra-long sanction.

Now 39, Sakilu did not finish at the Paris Olympic marathon in 2024 and has a best of 2:21:17 from March of 2024.

● Cycling ● The 50th edition of the Ronde van Brugge – the Tour of Brugge in Belgium – took place over a flat, 202.9 km route on Wednesday, with a final sprint to the line won by 2019 champion Dylan van Groenewegen (NED), edging home favorite and two-time winner Jasper Philipsen and German Max Kanter, all in 4:15:37. The top 30 riders all received the same time.

The top American was Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost), finishing ninth.

● Figure Skating ● The ISU World Championships opened in Prague (CZE), with three-time World women’s champ Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) showing excellent form and leading a Japanese 1-2 at 79.31 and Olympic fourth-placer Mone Chiba at 78.45.

They were trailed by Americans Amber Glenn (72.65) and Isabeau Levito (72.16), with three American Sarah Everhardt in ninth at 68.74.

The Pairs Short Program saw Olympic bronze winners Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER) lead at 79.78, just slightly up on Georgia’s Olympic silver winners Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (79.45). Canadians Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud stand third (75.52) and the Americans were 6-7-11.

Emily Chan and Spencer Howe scored 69.02 as the U.S. leaders, followed by national champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov (67.29). Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman were 11th at 64.42.

The Pairs Free Skate and the men’s Short Program are slated for Thursday.

● Football ● To no one’s surprise, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over its decision to award the Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco by a forfeiture score of 3-0.

Per the Court of Arbitration statement, “the FSF appeal seeks to set aside the CAF decision and declare the FSF winners of AFCON. It also requests an immediate suspension of the time limit to submit an appeal brief until the CAF decision is notified with full grounds. The CAF decision rendered on 17 March 2026 was operative only.”

On 18 January, Senegal’s team walked off the field to protest a penalty awarded in stoppage time at the end of the match, but eventually returned and won the game, 1-0, in extra time. It has been surmised that the field exit by Senegal was the basis of the forfeiture, but as noted, the full, written decision has not yet been made public.

FIFA announced the start of the final phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beginning 1 April at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Tickets will be released continuously through the tournament – beginning 11 June – as they become available.

● Gymnastics ● World Gymnastics announced the introduction of the Seiko Rhythmic Gymnastics Real-time Judging Visualization System, at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Sofia (BUL) on 28-30 March.

This is not an automated judging system, but a way to show “the timing and details of each judge’s deductions.” All relevant scenes can be relayed quickly for quality control of the judging marks. It is, if successful as planned, to be used at the 2026 Rhythmic World Championships from 12-16 August 2026 in Frankfurt (GER).

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ATHLETICS: World Athletics allows seven (!) U.S. women in World Road Running Champs Half Marathon after trials-race mess

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ U.S. HALF MARATHON TEAM ≡

After a wild mix-up in the final stages of the U.S. women’s Half Marathon Championships race in Atlanta that saw the top three finishers drawn off the course by an errant lead vehicle due to an emergency in the area, USA Track & Field asked World Athletics to essentially let everyone affected into the World Road Running Championships.

And the World Athletics Council agreed.

World Athletics announced on Wednesday:

“World Athletics has agreed on a strictly one-off basis that USATF will be able to select seven athletes rather than the usual four athletes for the women’s half marathon event at the WRRC in September.

“An extraordinary set of circumstances at the half marathon championships in Atlanta, Georgia, culminated in the breakaway lead pack of three athletes in the women’s race (Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, Ednah Kurgat) being led off course and finishing outside of the automatic qualifying positions.

“In working to find a solution, World Athletics has been sympathetic to the impacted athletes who would otherwise miss out on competing at the WRRC Copenhagen 2026, and understanding of the unprecedented situation USATF – one our leading Member Federations – has found itself in.”

The corresponding USA Track & Field statement explained:

● “The team spots will be offered to the three athletes who were led off course – Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat – along with the top three official finishers from the championship race: Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels. A final spot will go to an athlete based on world rankings as of May 5.

“While only four athletes will be eligible to contribute to team scoring, all seven entrants will be eligible to earn World Athletics ranking points.”

● “For the World Championships, Team USATF will designate 4 scoring athletes and 3 non-scoring athletes. The scorers will be determined with input from the athletes once the final team is known and all athletes have accepted their place on the team.

“Non-scoring athletes will be recognized as official members of Team USATF and eligible for individual ranking points, but will wear a distinct team kit and may not form a pack with scoring athletes during competition.”

● “USATF will cover all expenses associated with the additional entries. Should any non-scoring athletes finish in a prize-eligible position, USATF will also provide the corresponding prize money.”

The World Road Running Championships will be held in Copenhagen (DEN) on 19-20 September, with the women’s Half on the 20th.

Observed: Well, now we have a precedent, despite the World Athletics designation of this on a “strictly one-off basis.”

The unusual nature of the incident at the U.S. Half Marathon Championship race on 1 March will make it hard for a similar request in the future. The radio call that an Atlanta police officer was down and needed assistance about a block from the course caused a shift in personnel at the key intersection where the race was supposed to cross a footbridge, but because emergency vehicles were in the area now, the motorcycle escort and lead vehicle did not cross the bridge, leading the front runners astray.

But someone will come up with some other problem in the future, maybe not from the U.S., but from somewhere else.

For USATF, this is a resolution which should keep them – and the Atlanta Track Club – out of court. The Atlanta Track Club has already matched the prize money that the top three would have won if they had continued on to the finish, about a mile away at the time of the incident. USATF is covering the rest of the costs as if the three race leaders had finished 1-2-3.

This isn’t quite over, as the admonition that the designated U.S. non-scorers – whoever they end up being – “may not form a pack with scoring athletes during competition.” This is to maintain the integrity of the team scoring, with four runners per team. This is also a reason for the different uniforms.

It’s a reasonable solution to a bad situation and easier to do since we’re talking about a road race here and not lanes on a track. Lucky.

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ALPINE SKIING: Shiffrin courts disaster, rebounds to clinch record-tying sixth World Cup title in Norway

By
Rich Perelman
-
American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin (Photo: Reese Brown/U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

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≡ FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP ≡

The situation was clear. In the final race of the FIS Alpine World Cup season, American star Mikaela Shiffrin only had to finish in the top 15 – the scoring places – to assure herself of enough points to win the overall FIS World Cup, for a record-tying sixth time.

She came in with 1,386 points to 1,301 for Germany’s Emma Aicher, in her break-out season, but Shiffrin, 31, noted Tuesday that the Giant Slalom course at Hafjell (NOR) did not look easy.

And starting seventh, Shiffrin’s first run at Hafjell in Norway was anything but smooth and she finished at 1:09.45, in fourth place. It got worse.

She dropped quickly in the standings and after the 16th starter – Aicher – Shiffrin stood 17th and out of the points and Aicher – timing 1:08.16 – was third!

If Aicher, 22, could ace the second run and win, and if Shiffrin didn’t move up, Aicher could steal the seasonal title.

But it didn’t happen. Shiffrin got better – a lot better – on the second run and her 1:09.36 ended up as the seventh-fastest in the field and assured her of being in the points. In fact, when Italian Asja Zenere and U.S. teammate A.J. Hurt were both slower, immediately following, Shiffrin, she had clinched at least 16 points and secured the seasonal Crystal Globe.

Aicher, no longer in contention, skied the final run in 1:10.67 and ended up 27th (last), and dropped from third to 12th in 2:18.63. Poetically, Shiffrin’s total time of 2:18:81 placed her 11th. The seasonal chart showed Shiffrin with 1,410 points to 1,323 for Aicher and 1,049 for Swiss Camille Rast.

Shiffrin was typically gracious on X right afterwards:

So what did Shiffrin achieve? She equaled Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Proell’s women’s record of six World Cup seasonal titles. Moser-Proell won from 1971-75 and in 1979. Shiffrin won in 2017-18-19, in 2022 and 2023 and now again in 2026.

It’s about the only record she didn’t have, as she already has the most World Cup wins by anyone at 110 and a total of 18 Crystal Globes for her six seasonal and 12 discipline titles.

In terms of the final race, Canada’s Valerie Greiner led after the first run and won in 2:16.79, easily ahead of Mina Holtman (NOR: 2:17.22) and Austria’s Julia Scheib (2:17.36). Nina O’Brien of the U.S. tied for eighth (2:18.46), Hurt was 18th (2:19.39) and Paula Moltzan was 25th at 2:20.55.

Scheib won the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe with 720 points, to 511 for Rast. Shiffrin finished fourth at 422.

The men’s season finished with a Slalom and Norway’s Timon Haugan got his second win of the season in 2:03.75, moving up from third after the first run. Swiss Loic Meillard, the first-run leader, ended up second in 2:04.19 and Finland’s Eduard Hallberg took the bronze in 2:04.78.

With an eighth-place finish, Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath won the seasonal Slalom title, 584 to 520 over France’s 2022 Olympic champ, Clement Noel.

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PANORAMA: Debswana Diamonds titles World Athletics Relays for $1.17 mil; World Figure Champs start Thursday, FIFA hit with filing on ticket prices!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games ● Tuesday marked the 105th anniversary of the first “Meeting International d’Education Physique Féminine de Sports Athlétiques,” held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, from 24-31 March 1921.

Organized by French women’s activist Alice Milliat and International Sporting Club de Monaco director Camille Blanc, about 100 women from five countries competed in 10 track & field events, with the express goal of getting the International Amateur Athletics Federation to hold women’s events in the Olympic Games.

It led to the 1922 “Women’s Olympiad” in Paris – later the “Women’s World Games” – and more events for women and finally, the IAAF relented and women’s events were eventually introduced at the 1928 Amsterdam Games.

● Athletics ● The Botswana-based Debswana Diamond Company – a partnership between the government and DeBeers – is the title sponsor of the now-Debswana World Athletics Relays in Gaborone (BOT) on 2-3 May.

The announcement notes a 16 million-pula contribution (about $1.168 million U.S.) for title sponsorship for the event. Debswana chief executive Andrew Motsomi explained:

“This partnership represents a powerful opportunity to elevate the World Athletics Relays and contribute to the continued growth of athletics in Botswana, while amplifying our global brand presence.

“As the world turns its attention to Botswana, the home of the men’s 4x400m world champions, we are proud to help showcase world-class competition on our soil. This moment also allows us to share the background of Botswana’s natural diamonds – a story rooted in positive impact, sustainability and national development – alongside the sporting excellence that defines our nation.”

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said that World Athletics voted at its Council meeting last week to remove the remaining sanctions related to doping on the Russian Athletics Federation:

“The RusAF has completed the so-called three-year ‘quarantine’ under a program stipulating special conditions: all of the set 34 strategic conditions and operational requirements have been fulfilled, new management standards have been introduced, anti-doping work has been restructured, and regional structures have been updated.”

Russian Athletics Federation head Pyotr Fradkov explained that as for Russian athletes competing again:

“We continue to engage with World Athletics on the return of Russian athletes to the world stage, and there are positive signs. We are exploring all possible scenarios and are continuing discussions with [World Athletics head] Sebastian Coe [GBR] regarding the full reinstatement of Russian athletes.”

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned over the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

● Cycling ● Following the death of Swiss 18-year-old rider Muriel Furrer from a crash at the 2024 World Road Championships in Switzerland, where she was not attended to for more than an hour after her incident, the Union Cycliste Internationale has asked for mandatory location sensors, using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to allow tracking of all riders.

Union Cycliste Internationale President David Lappartient (FRA) explained in a letter sent last week to all teams and races, “It will be phased in and mandatory across different categories.”

The UCI is not requiring that its own system be adopted, but that a system which meets its requirements is installed, with a deadline of 30 April for teams to specify how they will implement it. Many installed systems – weighing as little as two ounces – are placed under the saddle.

● Figure Skating ● The ISU World Championships get started in Prague (CZE) on Wednesday, with some of the Olympic winners missing, but many ready to compete. Among the favorites:

● Men: Two-time defending World Champion Ilia Malinin (USA) is entered after his Olympic Free Skate failure, facing Olympic silver winner Yumi Kagiyama (JPN) and bronzer Shun Sato (JPN).

● Women: Retiring three-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) will try for a fourth gold after Olympic silver, and will compete with teammate and Olympic bronzer Ami Nakai and American Amber Glenn, whose dynamic Olympic Free Skate catapulted her to fifth overall. U.S. Olympian Isabeau Levito, 12th in Milan, is in the field too.

● Pairs: Olympic silver winners Anastasiia Metelkina & Luka Berulava (GEO) and bronze medalists Minerva Hase & Nikita Volodin (GER) are back, and Americans Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov, who could not compete in Milan, will challenge.

● Ice Dance: Olympic champs Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) are in and will try for their first Worlds gold as a duo. Olympic bronze winners Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (CAN) figure to be their best competition.

NBC’s Peacock streaming service will show the event in the U.S., with afternoon coverage (some delayed) on USA Network or NBC.

The International Skating Union unveiled its awards finalists, with Glenn, Malinin and Kagiyama all finalists for “Most Entertaining Program” and Glenn, Malinin and Gilles and Poirier the finalists for “Best Costume.”

The award winners will be announced at the end of the Championships, on Sunday.

● Football ● “Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and Euroconsumers have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“FIFA holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market. For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; fair and transparent access to tickets is essential.”

The complaint alleges six abuses of the sales process – under European law – by FIFA and is asking for an immediate end to dynamic pricing to sales to European consumers, a freeze on pricing at the December 2025 levels and to publish data on remaining tickets and locations before the April ticket sale is opened.

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ALPINE SKIING: Shiffrin wins season-ending Slalom, but race for the seasonal Crystal Globe will go down to Wednesday’s Giant Slalom

By
Rich Perelman
-
Record-setter: American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association; copyright Reese Brown)

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≡ SHIFFRIN vs. AICHER ≡

American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin did what she needed to do and won the final FIS World Cup Slalom at Hafjell (NOR) on Tuesday, but it was not enough to win the seasonal title.

The race with German Emma Aicher will come down to the final race of the season, on Wednesday, also at Hafjell, in the Giant Slalom finale.

But Shiffrin was superb on Tuesday, taking the first run in 1:07.79, ahead of two-time Olympic Slalom medalist Wendy Holdener (SUI: 1:08.89), with Aicher in fourth place.

Shiffrin had the sixth-fastest second run and won easily in 2:07.61, with Holdener staying in second (2:08.93) and Aicher moving up to third in 2:08.97. American Paula Moltzan, third after the first run, fell back to fifth overall in 2:09.44. Said Shiffrin:

“This season has been so exciting, quite like a whirlwind with all the wonderful races that we had, and with the Olympics and everything.

“It’s been really pushing at a high level for a long time, and I am grateful for it. I’m grateful to have the chance to be getting into the start each time, and to push my own level.”

She sets records every time she races and Tuesday was no exception. She won her record 110th World Cup race and record 73rd Slalom and won the Slalom discipline seasonal title for a record ninth time. She won nine of the 10 Slaloms held this season, the most ever for a single event by a women’s skier.

The race left Shiffrin in first place in the overall season standings with 1,386 points, to 1,301 for Aicher, meaning Aicher would have to win Wednesday’s Giant Slalom and Shiffrin would have to be 16th or lower.

Looking a little more closely at the last five Giant Slalom World Cup performances for each (“DNQ” means did not qualify for a second run):

● Shiffrin: 6th-5th-4th-3rd-5th
● Season: 398 points ~ 4th overall

● Aicher: DNQ-19th-DNQ-10th-4th
● Season: 113 points ~ 17th overall

Shiffrin, however, is taking nothing for granted:

“I’m actually not confident at all, you saw today anything can happen. I never skied on this slope in GS, it looks not super easy.

“So, I have to have good tactics, a good mentality, to try to have some energy in the muscles, and then to give full gas, like big energy. But nothing is secure, we just breathe and see.”

The men’s Giant Slalom season ended on Tuesday, with Brazilian Olympic winner Lucas Pinheiro Braathen winning his second World Cup G-S of the season and taking the seasonal title with 547 points to 495 for Swiss overall winner Marco Odermatt and teammate Loic Meillard (486).

The Brazilian led after the first run in 1:11.24, then maintained a strong second run – eighth best in the field – to win in 2:20.65. Meillard, third after the first run, finished in 2:21.23 for second and Norway’s Atle McGrath moved up from fifth to third in 2:21.52.

River Radamus was the top American, in 14th place (2:23.24).

It was the first-ever Crystal Globe for Brazil; Pinheiro Braathen won the Slalom seasonal title in 2023 for Norway and has a shot to do so again on Wednesday in the Slalom finale.

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ATHLETICS: Grand Slam Track agrees with unsecured creditors on new plan to allow “reorganization” to go through

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ GRAND SLAM TRACK ≡

Prior to the Grand Slam Track hearing at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on 12 March, the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors filed a motion to be able to file a complaint against the league and its primary funder, Winners Alliance, and seek millions of dollars in damages specifically against Winners, an arm of the Professional Tennis Players Association.

That got the attention of Grand Slam Track and Winners, and a Monday afternoon filing disclosed:

“Subsequent to the hearing, the Debtor [Grand Slam Track], the Committee, and Winners Alliance engaged in intensive settlement discussions and reached an agreement regarding the modified terms of the Plan, which the Committee now supports.”

This means that the amended reorganization plan now submitted is expected to be approved, meaning:

● Athletes, owed about $7.0 million, will receive $4.9 million or about 70% of the amount due, down from 85% in the prior filing.

Grand Slam Track did make payments of as much as 50% of amounts due to athletes previously; for those performers, the added amount from the plan means they will receive as much as 85% of the total amounts they were owed.

● General Unsecured Creditors, owed about $12.9 million, will receive an estimated 14-16% of their claims, up from just 1.5% before, from a fund of $1,264,550 plus a return of $500,000 paid to founder Michael Johnson as a pay-down of a personal loan which he made to Grand Slam Track in May 2025.

That additional money for the General Unsecured Creditors is coming from the amount owed to athletes, and the return of the payment to Johnson, which had been objected to as preferential treatment. Moreover, according to the new plan, the list of claimants “shall not include any Claims of Winners Alliance, the Debtor’s former or current officers, directors, or Insiders,” impacting claims by Johnson and Grand Slam Track President Stephen Gera.

A letter from the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors to its members explained:

“The Committee carefully considered the potential alternative of attempting to obtain standing from the Bankruptcy Court to pursue identified litigation claims and causes of action against third parties.

“After carefully considering this potential alternative and its strengths and weakness, the Committee concluded that the recoveries offered to all unsecured creditors under the Plan are superior to any likely alternative, including, without limitation, the pursuit of potential litigation claims against third parties.”

With this in hand, the submission to the Bankruptcy Court was approved by Judge Karen B. Owens and the plan confirmation ballots are being circulated for approval. Once returned, by 9 April, the plan will be approved and the distributions will begin.

What happens to Grand Slam Track?

Winners Alliance, despite having thrown more than $18 million into the project, is ready to do more. The filing explains the go-forward plan:

“The Reorganized Debtor’s long-term go-forward business plan involves raising sufficient funds to host at least one event in 2027.

“To the extent the Reorganized Debtor is unable to raise sufficient funds to host at least one event in 2027 and to implement its go-forward longer term business plan successfully, the Reorganized Debtor will wind down its business affairs and discontinue operations.

“The Reorganized Debtor’s long-term viability will not impact recoveries to Creditors under this Plan, as the New Value Contribution will be made available for Distributions in accordance with this Plan irrespective of whether the Reorganized Debtor is ultimately able to raise sufficient funds to implement a long-term business plan (in addition to the funds the Reorganized Debtor will receive from Winners Alliance to conduct its fundraising process through December 31, 2026).”

This promising but ultimately unhappy chapter in track & field history now appears to be winding up, although it remains to be seen if there are others who want to underwrite another version of Grand Slam Track.

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PANORAMA: Shiffrin racing for historic women’s World Cup title Tuesday; Johnson still owed $2.478 million from Grand Slam Track

By
Rich Perelman
-
American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The race for the women’s FIS World Cup seasonal title – the Crystal Globe – has come down to the final two races of the season, on Tuesday and Wednesday in Hafjell, Norway.

Right now, American star Mikaela Shiffrin is in front with 1,286 points, with German Emma Aicher – the 2026 Olympic Downhill silver winner – right behind at 1,241. The remaining events are better for Shiffrin, but Aicher is capable. This season:

Aicher:
● 24 Mar.: Slalom ~ 1x silver, 3x bronze
● 25 Mar.: Giant Slalom ~ no World Cup medals

Shiffrin:
● 24 Mar.: Slalom ~ 8x gold, 1x silver (season winner)
● 25 Mar.: Giant Slalom ~ 1x bronze

Points are scored down to 30 places, with 100-80-60-50-45-40-36-32-29-26 for the top 10.

With a win on Tuesday in the Slalom, Shiffrin could lock up the seasonal title, if Aicher finishes sixth or worse. With eight wins so far, Shiffrin has tied her own mark for most Slalom wins in a season (also in 2018-19); if she gets a ninth, it will be the most ever for a women’s skier in a single event, breaking her own mark.

If Shiffrin, 31, does win, it will be her sixth seasonal Crystal Globe and she would tie Annemarie Moser-Proell (AUT: 1969-80) for the most ever, maybe the only major record she does not yet have. New star Aicher is looking for her first seasonal World Cup, at age 22, having been 15th last season.

● Athletics ● The head of the Italian track & field federation, Stefano Mei, noted Italy’s strong performance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and told reporters, “This week, we will be discussing with the Italian government the possibility of hosting the World Championships in Rome in 2029 or 2031.”

Rome’s Stadio Olimpico was the site of the second IAAF World Championships way back in 1987, but Rome successfully hosted the 2024 European Championships. Mei added, “We’re presenting ourselves with a strong business card after the last five seasons.”

Bids for 2029 and/or 2031 are due by 3 April, with a decision anticipated in September. The 2027 meet will be held in Beijing (CHN).

Worth noting from the World Athletics Council meeting prior to the World Indoors was the announcement of Odisha in India and Astana in Kazakhstan to host the Indoor Championships in 2028 and 2030.

This will be especially important for India, trying to be named as the host of the 2036 Olympic Games and showing that it is lining up events ahead of time to show its developing abilities. The centennial Commonwealth Games will be held in Ahmedabad in 2030.

The selection of Odisha is also a signal of an expectation that India will get its doping problems in athletics under control. India, along with Kenya, has had the highest number of ineligible persons on the Athletics Integrity Unit list for several years running.

Reviewing the Grand Slam Track latest filing of assets and liabilities shows that founder Michael Johnson is still owed a lot of money. He is shown as a creditor for:

● $2,245,565.46 for an unsecured loan to the project
● $205,766.67 for unpaid wages
● $26,772.23 for unreimbursed travel expenses

The total is $2,478,104.36; if the plan of reorganization which proposed by Grand Slam Track goes through, he will receive about 1.5% of this – $37,171.56 – as his share of the proposed payment to unsecured creditors.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The USA Bobsled & Skeleton national championships were held in Lake Placid, New York, with Grady Mercer and Seth Baylus winning the Two-Man in 1:53.25 and Sydney Milani taking the women’s Monobob in 2:13.16.

In Skeleton, Austin Florian won the men’s Singles title in 1:49.40, and Michelle Toukan was the women’s winner in 1:53.30, ahead of Kendell Wesenberg (1:53.40).

● Cycling ● The come-from-a-crash to win performance by Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar to take Saturday’s 117th Milan-Sanremo meant that he – at 27 – has now won four of the five famed “Monument” races in cycling.

These are the five ancient, one-day races in the sport, that go back before World War I:

● Milan-Sanremo (ITA: 1907)
● Ronde van Vlaanderen (BEL: 1913) ~ a.k.a. Tour of Flanders
● Paris-Roubaix (FRA: 1896)
● Liege-Bastogne-Liege (BEL: 1892)
● Il Lombardia (ITA: 1905)

These are the most prestigious one-day races in the sport, ranking only behind the Grand Tours: Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.

Only three Belgian riders – Rik Van Looy (1958-65), Eddy Merckx (1966-76) and Roger De Vlaeminck (1970-79) – have won all five and only Merckx has won each more than once. But Pogacar is catching up quickly, with one at Milan-Sanremo, two Tour of Flanders, three wins at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and five at Il Lombardia. All he needs is Paris-Roubaix, coming on 12 April.

● Fencing ● At the FIE Foil Grand Prix in Lima (PER), two-time World Champion Alice Volpi won her third career Grand Prix gold with a 15-11finals victory over American Lauren Scruggs, the Pais 2024 silver medalist. Volpi barely got to the final, winning over 18-year-old American newcomer Katerina Lung, by 15-14, in the semis. It’s Lung’s first international medal!

Italy’s world no. 2 Guillaume Bianchi won the men’s tournament with a 15-12 victory over Russian “neutral” Kirill Borodachev.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union is asking fans to help shape its future, with a “Global Fan Survey” to inform the federation on what fans want in four key areas:

● “Fan interest, engagement, and connection to ice-skating
● “Viewing habits and how audiences follow ISU events
● “Digital and media consumption trends
● “Perceptions of the sport and opportunities for growth”

The 10-minute questionnaire is being offered in eight markets, in seven languages – English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin – and is available here, through 17 April. For those who provide an e-mail address, there is also a drawing for some signed Olympic memorabilia.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: “Superbloom” design concept for 2028 Games pulls from city stories and landscapes to form a scalable, colorful grid

By
Rich Perelman
-
A conceptual look of the LA28 “Superbloom” scheme applied to a road race (Image: LA28).

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≡ ”L.A. IN FULL BLOOM” ≡

“If you remember the Games, you remember this visual wrapper. And, think of LA28, we want our Games to feel like a celebration, and every decision that we made reflects back to our city. So it goes beyond decoration … we want to pull from the city to inform every design decision.”

That’s the introduction to the “L.A. in Full Bloom” design concept of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee, explained to reporters in a Monday morning webinar, by Ric Edwards, LA28’s Vice President of Brand and Executive Design Director.

“When we thought about our North Star, we landed on a phenomenon called the ‘Superbloom,’” a fairly rare explosion of wildflowers in color in the Southern California deserts.

Geoff Engelhardt, the LA28 Head of Brand Design, explained that the “Superbloom” concept was engineered to work within the existing infrastructure of the Southern California area:

“We took this wonderful North Star concept and we started to synthesize how the design elements, how the toolkit comes to life. And ultimately, as Ric said, we looked to the city for inspiration.

“And we were inspired by different thematics and stories that really make this city great. And what we were able to do was develop 13 blooms, which are representative of 13 stories and 13 thematics.”

Seven of these were named, including “World Stage,” “Desert Vegetation,” “The Flame,” “Hollywood” as in the sign, “The Light,” “Culinary Crossroads,” and “First People.” The shapes across the 13 bands of the “Bloom” are explained as “an emotive representation of a concrete or abstract fixture directly derived from the individual bloom”:

Engelhardt said that the 13 individual “blooms” were woven together to develop a 12-row linear grid, the Superbloom, which was then – uniquely – tied together in a loop to make it infinitely expandable both horizontally and vertically.

The color palette will be used to “re-imagine” the look and feel of the competition venues to make them seem and feel new to visitors in 2028, even for facilities like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, now more than 100 years old (a concept for an indoor diving facility is shown below).

The design system has been described and regulated in a 250-page document which will guide other users in actually applying it to sites, but also signage, uniforms, souvenirs and all kinds of other items involved with the 2028 Games.

Asked about their references to the past, it was noted that discussions were had with designers involved with the Olympic Games in Athens (2004), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Paris (2024), but no one who worked on the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, famous for the “Festive Federalism” design program. Edwards said the design team, however, consciously decided to “lean into the legacy” of the ‘84 Games, notably in the color palette.

As for the dozens of LA28 logos with the changing “A,” these will all be available for use as part of the program, especially with the availability of digital signage in so many of the Games venues, allowing for multiple marks to work with the multiple elements of the Superbloom program.

A small “Superbloom” collection of merchandise has been introduced, including shirts, hoodies, caps and a pin, from $14 to $120.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 organizers introduce “Look of the Games,” using the Southern California “Superbloom” as the base of inspiration

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Los Angeles 2028 design theme: "Superbloom" (Image: LA28)

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≡ DESIGN AND LOOK ≡

Following a consistent path of trying to push forward Games-critical programs such as sports scheduling, ticket sales and volunteer recruitment as early as possible, the LA28 organizing committee introduced baseline elements of its design concept on Monday, more than two years ahead of the Games. The key element:

“At the heart of the Look of the Games is the concept of the Superbloom, a rare and electric occurrence in which dormant wildflower seeds, awakened by just the right conditions.”

This is a Southern California desert phenomenon of an explosion of wildflowers, painting huge areas with color, created by heavy earlier rains. The design program, in short, uses “13 blooms that make up the full Superbloom are inspired by the people, cultures and landscapes of LA. Its energetic warmth is meant to make all feel welcome.”

The early release gives “Games stakeholders” a lot of lead time to use the design concept “into their own materials” according to the organizing committee’s statement.

The program starts with a palette of four key colors:

● “Poppy” (orange)
● “Scarlet Flax” (magenta)
● “Bluebell” (blue)
● “Sagebrush” (green)

These are arranged, layered and pulled into patterns into “blooms” which can be adapted to multiple forms and uses.

The program also includes serifed and sans-serif typefaces:

As the announcement underscores, this is a format and a baseline which will be used in many ways at the Games. The long road ahead for the design effort was underlined by the absence of any use or showcase of any of the dozens of LA28 emblems or the Olympic Rings or the Paralympic Agitos.

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PANORAMA: Diggins wins fourth career World Cup X-C title at home; U.S. World Champs dominate NFL in flag matches; new 50 m free world record!

By
Rich Perelman
-
American cross-country skiing star Jessie Diggins (Photo: Wikipedia via Stein Langorgen).

★ 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 ≡

● Iran ● As part of its continuing internal repression amid the continuing attacks from the U.S. and Israel, the Iranian regime hanged 19-year-old national team wrestler Saleh Mohammadi and two additional Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemiand and Saeed Davoudi, on 19 March, allegedly for killing two police officers earlier in the year.

United World Wrestling said in a 27 February statement that Mohammadi was at risk and called for a “fair, transparent, and impartial trial, conducted in full respect of fundamental rights, and reaffirms its opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances.”

The International Olympic Committee, in a statement to Fox Digital, said:

“The IOC, as a civil, non-governmental organization, has neither the remit nor the ability to change the laws or political system of a sovereign country. This is the legitimate role of governments and the respective intergovernmental organizations.

“The IOC is a sports organization whose remit and success is based on bringing the world together in peaceful competition. We have to be realistic about the IOC’s ability to directly influence global and national affairs.

“At the same time, we will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sports diplomacy. The IOC remains in touch with the Olympic community from Iran.”

The activist group Global Athlete called for the IOC “to immediately suspend the Iranian National Olympic Committee and all Iranian national sports organizations,” in view of the execution.

● Athletics ● In the continuing Grand Slam Track bankruptcy case, the schedule of assets and liabilities filed on Friday shows the circuit’s total indebtedness now stands at $41.579 million, up from $40.680 million on 22 January.

The added debt came from new money to fund the bankruptcy proceeding from Winners Alliance, which us also the largest creditor of all and wants to put more money in to “re-start” the project.

The new filing shows five priority unsecured claims and 340 non-priority claims, with Winners Alliance owed the most at $12.113 million, beyond another $5.020 million in secured claims.

The next hearing is slated for 16 April, at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

● Baseball ● The World Baseball Classic championship game had the most viewers for a non-World Series game in the U.S. since the 2015 All-Star Game, with an average viewing audience of 10.78 million on FOX and FOX Deportes.

In fact, 2026 produced the top three most-watched telecasts in WBC history, with the U.S.-Dominican semifinal at 7.37 million and U.S.-Mexico pool match at 5.02 million. Seven games were at 2.98 million or more, compared to only two others ever before (both finals).

The entire WBC averaged 1.29 million viewers per game on FOX-FS1-FS2, way ahead of the 2023 tournament, at just 506,000.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS World Cup Final started in Kvitfjell (NOR) with the Downhill and Super-G events, and the third win of the season for Italy’s Laura Pirovano in the women’s Downhill on Saturday.

As the 14th starter, she rolled through the course in 1:30.85 and took the lead from American Olympic Champion Breezy Johnson (1:31.10) with German Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER: 1:31.10) in third. Fellow American Jackie Wiles was 14th in 1:32.03. Pirovano won her third Downhill in a row and took the season title, 536-453 from German Emma Aicher, with Johnson third (413) and Lindsey Vonn fifth (400) despite her injuries.

On Sunday, Italian star Sofia Goggia got her 29th career World Cup win in the Super-G, in 1:29.23, just ahead of 2022 Olympic Downhill champ Corinne Suter (SUI: 1:29.55) and Weidle-Winkelmann (1:29.83). Aicher was fourth and moved to within 45 points of American Mikaela Shiffrin (22nd) for the overall World Cup lead. Keely Cashman was the top American, in 10th (1:30.78). Goggia won the seasonal Super-G trophy, her first.

The men’s Downhill on Saturday was the 25th career World Cup win for Dominik Paris (ITA), winning in 1:45.37, followed by Olympic champ Franjo von Allmen (SUI: 1:45.56) and Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr (1:45.97). American Ryan Cochran-Siegle was 16th (1:47.09). Swiss star Marco Odermatt had already won the seasonal title; he finished with 706 points to 515 for von Allmen.

The Super-G on Sunday was a repeat: Paris won, in 1:26.81, beating Kriechmayr (1:26.88) with Raphael Haaser (1:27.19) taking third. Swiss star Marco Odermatt had already clinched the seasonal Super-G title. Olympic silver winner Cochran-Siegle was 12th (1:28.60).

● Badminton ● At the BWF World Tour Orleans Open in France, the all-French men’s Singles final saw second-seeded Alex Lanier defeat Toma Junior Popov, 21-11, 21-13, while Nozomi Okuhara (JPN) took the women’s gold, 21-15, 21-15 over Pitchamon Opatiniputh (THA).

China won the men’s Doubles, Japan took the women’s Doubles and the home French got a second gold in the Mixed Doubles.

● Biathlon ● The final stage of the IBU World Cup was in Oslo (NOR), starting with another win for Norway’s suddenly dominant Sturla Holm Laegreid, who won his fourth race in a row with a victory in the 10 km Sprint in 25:21.4 (1 penalty), ahead of France’s Olympic relay gold medalists Emilien Jacquelin (25:25.3/1) and Eric Perrot (25:26.0/1). Campbell Wright of the U.S. was 11th (26:19.1/2).

The 12.5 km Pursuit was nearly the same: Laegreid won again, in 30:31.4 (0), followed by Perrot (30:31.4/0) and then Jacquelin (31:42.6/2). Wright was 13th (33:16.2).

The “Laegreid Express” was finally stopped on Sunday, as Norwegian teammate Johan-Olav Botn won the 15 km Mass Start in 37:15.6 (0), followed by Phillip Nawrath (GER: 37:19.3/0) and Perrot (37:29.3/2), with Lagreid fourth (37:36.2/1). Wright was 12th (38:57.8/4). Perrot won the seasonal trophy with 1,198 points, to 929 for Laegreid; Wright was 13th (604).

The women’s races featured Sweden’s famed Oeberg sisters. The 7.5 km Sprint went to four-time Olympic medalist Hanna Oeberg in 20:20.4 (0), followed by Italy’s Olympic Pursuit winner Lisa Vittozzi (20:40.5/0) and then Elvira Oeberg in third (20:40.5/0). Margie Freed was the top American, in 13th (21:39.0/0).

The 10 km Pursuit was more of the same: Hanna won in 30:14.0 (3), followed very closely by France’s Olympic Individual winner Julia Simon (30:14.5/1) and then Elvira in 30:37.2 (1). Freed was 28th as the top American again (33:02.1/3).

On Sunday, the 12.5 km Mass Start, Vittozzi won her third gold of the season in 34:58.9 (1), over Hanna Oeberg (35:03.1/1); Freed was 21st (37:27.3/2). France’s Lou Jeanmonnot won her first seasonal title, scoring 1,135 points to 958 for Hanna Oeberg.

● Cross Country Skiing ● The FIS World Cup finished up in Lake Placid, New York, with a celebration for retiring American star Jessie Diggins, who won her fourth career seasonal World Cup title!

The races, however, continued Sweden’s run of success, with Olympic Sprint champ Linn Svahn winning the 10 km Classical in 29:04.4, ahead of double Olympic champ Frida Karlsson (29:05.8) and Norway’s Heidi Weng (29:26.5). Diggins was fifth in 29:36.9.

Saturday’s Freestyle Spring was a Swedish sweep, with Svahn (2:52.58), Jonna Sundling (+0.46) and Maja Dahlqvist (+1.54). Diggins was ninth, reaching the semifinals.

On Sunday, the 20 km Freestyle Mass Start was another Swedish 1-2, for Sundling (48:17.1) and Svahn (48:20.6), with Weng third (48:21.3). Diggins – despite a late crash – was 12th in 48:33.6 in what is promised to be her final competitive race.

All together, Diggins totaled 2,303 points to 1,922 for Moe Ilar (SWE), and 1,623 for Dahlqvist. Diggins finishes, at age 34, as the greatest American cross-country skier of all time, with four FIS World Cup seasonal titles in 2021-24-25-26, 31 World Cup wins, four Olympic medals (1-1-2) and seven World Championships medals (2-3-2). She and Kikkan Randall, the Olympic Sprint winners in 2018, have been the bedrock on which the American cross-country program has been built.

The men’s seasonal race was already clinched by Norwegian superstar Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, and he was back from a crash last week to win the 10 km Classical in 26:44.5, beating teammates Andreas Ree (26:59.2) and Mattis Stenshagen (27:08.5). Gus Schumacher of the U.S. was seventh in 27:25.0.

Italy’s 2017 World Champion Federico Pellegrino took the Freestyle Sprint in 2:35.01, ahead of Lars Heggen (NOR: +1.24) and Anton Grahn (SWE: +1.28). JC Schoonmaker of the U.S. made it to the semifinals.

Klaebo was challenged in the 20 km Mass Start, but got to the line first ahead of teammate Harald Amundsen, 41:57.0 to 41:57.8. The Norwegian sweep was completed by Einar Hedegart (41:59.5), with Schumacher 20th as the top American (43:09.6). Klaebo was the seasonal overall winner with 2,301 points, to 1,848 for Amundsen and 1,443 for Pellegrino; Schumacher was seventh (1,113).

● Curling ● The World Curling Women’s World Championship finished in Calgary (CAN), with Switzerland (Xenia Schwaller, skip) and Kerri Einarson’s Canadian squads topping the round-robin standings at 11-1 and 10-2.

In the playoffs, the Swiss defeated Sweden (Isabella Wrana) in the semifinals by 8-5 and Einarson swamped Japan and Satsuki Fujisawa by 11-3. In the championship, Schwaller struck first with two points in the second end, only to be matched by Einarson in the fourth. But the Swiss got two in the fifth, were tied at 4-4 in the seventh and then hit for two points in the eighth, to lead by 6-4. Einarson got to 6-5 in the ninth, but a final point from the Swiss gave them a 7-5 victory and the Worlds gold.

This was the third straight Canada-Swiss Worlds final, with the Canadians (Rachel Homan) winning in 2024 and 2025. Swiss teams had won the four titles before that.

Wrana and Sweden won the bronze, 8-5, over Japan. The U.S., skipped by Delaney Strouse, was 2-10 and did not advance.

● Cycling ● Even a crash with 33 km to go could not stop Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar from claiming his first win in the famed UCI World Tour Milan-Sanremo.

Pogacar crashed along with eight others with 33 km left, but was back in contact with the peloton just six km later and attacked with 24 km left. The only ones to follow were two-time Olympic Mountain Bike champ Tom Pidcock (GBR) and defending champ Mathieu van der Poel (NED) and the Dutchman gave way with 8 km left. It came down to a sprint and Pogacar won – after being second the last two years – in 6:35:49 over the 298 route from Pavia to Sanremo, with Pidcock in the same time. Van der Poel led a parade of riders four seconds back.

Pogacar has now won four of the five Monument races, missing only Paris-Roubaix, coming up on 12 April.

Belgian women’s star Lotte Kopecky won the women’s Milan-Sanremo – 156 km from Genova to Samremo – in 3:47:17, winning a sprint duel to the line over Noemi Ruegg (SUI), Eleonora Gasparrini (ITA) and Dutch star Puck Pieterse, who attacked on the final climb, but was caught for the final sprint.

At the Pan American Championships road races in Colombia, Costa Rica’s Jason Huertas won a mass sprint to the line in the men’s 197.6 km road race in and around Monteria, with Cesar Macias (MEX) second and Leonardo Cobarrubia (ARG) third, all in 4:31:44.

The women’s road race (120.6 km) was a mass sprint finish, won by Catalina Soto (CHI) over Julieta Benedetti (ARG), both in 2:59:20, with the first 25 riders given the same time.

The men’s Time Trial (43.1 km) was won by Walter Bargas (COL: 48:56..03) over Eder Frayre (MEX: +0:54.38), and the women’s Time Trial was a U.S. 1-2 with Kristen Faulkner winning in 38:31.21 and Emily Ehrlich second (+31.84).

● Flag Football ● The World Champion U.S. men’s team had no trouble routing two teams of NFL players three times in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles on Saturday, held at BMO Stadium, which will be the site of the Olympic competition in 2028.

The U.S. won the first game, against Wildcats Flag Football Club by 39-14, with quarterback Nico Caseres completing 4-5 passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns; Darrell Doucette competed 3-3 passes for 27 yards and also had a rushing touchdown. Wildcats quarterback Joe Burrow completed 13-20 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown.

The second game was a 43-16 win for the U.S. over Founders FFC, with Caseres completing 14-14 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns; Doucette was 4-4 for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Jalen Hurts was 7-11 for Founders for 69 yards and Tom Brady was 6-8 for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wildcats beat Founders, 34-26, with Burrow 7-7 for 87 yards and two touchdowns; Hurts was 10-15 for 155 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause. In the final, “championship” game, the U.S. defeated the Wildcats again, 24-14, with Caseras 10-14 for 93 yards and a touchdown; Douchette also threw a touchdown on his one pass play. Douchette also rushed four times for 46 yards and scored twice for the winners. Burrow was 10-14 for 76 yards and a touchdown.

● Freestyle Skiing ● At the FIS Big Air World Cup in Tignes (FRA), Olympic champ Tormod Frostad (NOR) got his first medal of the season, winning at 186.50, ahead of teammate Leo Landroe (171.00) and American Troy Podmilsak (170.50). Podmilsak won the seasonal title with 260 points, over Luca Harrington (NZL: 200).

The women’s Big Air was a second-straight win for Canada’s Naomi Urness (166.75) in her first World Cup season in the event, winning over Anni Karava (FIN: 166.00). Urness also took the seasonal Crystal Globe, scoring 340 points to 230 for Karava.

In Slopestyle, Italian Miro Tabanelli got his first medal of the season – a gold – scoring 83.31 in the best-of-two rounds event, ahead of Olympic champ Birk Ruud (NOR: 83.08). British star Kirsty Muir won the women’s event (82.78) against Canadian Elena Gaskell (76.60).

The Ski Cross World Cup in Craigleith (CAN) saw the second win of the season for Youri Duplessis-Kergomard in the first men’s final, over Canada’s Jared Schmidt. On Sunday, Italy’s Federico Tomasini got his first medal of the season, crossing ahead of Kaleb Barnum (CAN).

The first women’s final was a win for Olympic silver medalist Fanny Smith (SUI), crossing ahead of Hannah Schmidt (ITA). On Sunday, Swedish superstar – and two-time Olympic champ – Sandra Naeslund won for the ninth time this season, beating Marielle Berger Sabbatel (FRA) and Smith to the line.

The season finishes next week in Sweden.

● Judo ● Eight countries earned wins at the IJF World Tour Tbilisi Grand Slam in Georgia, led by Israel, which took three golds, from Izhak Ashpiz in the men’s 60 km class, Timna Nelson Levy in the women’s 57 kg and Raz Hershko in the women’s +78 kg division.

France (including 2017 World Champion Audrey Tcheumeo at 78 kg), Georgia, Turkey and Russia each won twice.

● Ski Jumping ● The FIS World Cup moved to the giant ski-flying hill in Vikersund (NOR) – 240 m – for men and women’s competition, with Austrian Olympic Team gold medalist Stefan Embacher winning the first men’s event, scoring 459.1 points, beating Japan’s Tomofumi Naito (446.8) and Norway’s Johann Andre Forfang (443.7). American Tate Frantz was 17th.

The women’s Saturday jumping was the third win of the season for Norway’s Eirin Kvandal (425.9), ahead of Frida Westman (SWE: 420.5) and seasonal champion Nika Prevc (SLO: 411.3).

On Sunday, dangerous wind conditions cut the women’s jumping to one round, won by Kvandal at 236.2, over Prevc (232.1) and double Olympic champ Anna Stroem (NOR: 223.2).

The men’s event was canceled because of the wind.

● Ski Mountaineering ● The ISMF World Cup in Val Martello (ITA) was shortened by the cancellation of the Individual Race due to unsafe conditions. The Mixed Relay was held on Saturday, with Austria’s Johanna Hiemer and Paul Verbnjak winning easily in 35:42.3, well ahead of Alba De Silvestro and Michele Boscacci (ITA: 36:08.4).

Sunday’s Sprint was another win for Olympic champ Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP: 2:56.8), over Arno Lietha (SUI: 2:58.9). French Olympic runner-up Emily Harrop won the women’s Sprint in 3:21.5, with Olympic fifth-placer Giulia Murada (ITA: 3:29.3) in second.

● Snowboard ● At the FIS World Cup in Flachau (AUT) for Slopestyle, Canada’s Eli Bouchard got his first medal of the season, winning at 81.11 points, ahead of American Justus Henkes (76.91), also winning a first medal this season. The women’s winner was 2023 World Champion Mia Brookes (73.25) over two-time Olympic champ Anna Gasser (AUT: 72.43). American Lily Dhawornvej took the bronze at 66.61.

The Parallel Slalom World Cup in Winterberg (GER) concluded the season, with Korea’s 2018 Parallel Giant Slalom runner-up Sang-ho Lee winning the final over Christoph Karner (AUT). Italy’s Maurizio Bormolini had already wrapped up the seasonal men’s title.

The women’s race was a fourth win this season for Italian Lucia Dalmasso, the Olympic Parallel Giant Slalom bronzer beating Olympic silver winner Sabine Payer (AUT) in the final. Japan’s Tsubaki Miki won the overall seasonal title, with Dalmasso second.

● Swimming ● A sensational world record in the men’s 50 m Freestyle, as Australian star and Olympic champ Cameron McEvoy posted a brilliant 20.88 to win at the China Open in Shenzhen, with $10,000-8,000-6,000 prizes for the top three finishers.

McEvoy, 31, took out the 20.91 mark by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo from the supersuit era, in 2009, and finished well ahead of American star Jack Alexy (21.57) and Rio 2016 100 m Free champ Kyle Chalmers (AUS: 22.01).

McEvoy had gone 21.06 in 2023 and now has four of the top 11 times in history.

At the NCAA women’s championships in Atlanta, Georgia, Virginia won its sixth straight title, with 589 points, ahead of Stanford (380.5) and Texas (376.5).

U.S. Olympic star Torri Huske was the big individual winner, taking the 100-yard Fly (48.49), 50-yard Free (20.66) and 100 yard Free (45.17). Virginia’s Claire Curzan was the other multiple individual winner, in the 100-yard Back (48.24) and 200-yard Back (1:46.10). Virginia won all four relays.

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ATHLETICS: American Lutkenhaus, 17, wins World Indoors 800 gold; Charlton equals 60 hurdles world record as U.S. wins 18 medals!

By
Rich Perelman
-
A World Indoor gold for American teen Cooper Lutkenhaus! (shown winning his heat; photo: Adam Nurkiewicz for World Athletics).

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≡ WORLD INDOOR CHAMPS ≡

The final day of the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun (POL) had tons of energy and intensity, and a big day for the U.S. with an impressive 18 total medals.

But it was a 17-year-old Texan who shined brightest, in the men’s 800 m. American champ Cooper Lutkenhaus, 17, had been the best through the heats, and took the lead of the start. Belgian Elliott Crestan, the 2025 runner-up, had a small lead at 400 m – 51.91 to 52.02 – then Lutkenhaus took over again.

But Crestan pushed – along with Australia’s Peter Bol – and Crestan took the bell in 1:18.06. Lutkenhaus waited, then went to the lead and was not headed, holding on to the finish in 1:44.24 to 1:44.38 over Crestan.

Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui passed Bol around the turn and was third (1:44.66), with Bol fourth (1:45.14).

Lutkenhaus’ win is the third straight for the U.S., after Bryce Hoppel and Josh Hoey, and he’s now the youngest individual medalist in World Indoors history! He ran with poise way beyong his years. He now has three of the 10 fastest indoor 800s in American history.

The rest of the meet was just as dramatic:

● Men/1,500 m: Spain’s Mariano Garcia, the 2022 World 800 m champ, was at the front of a close pack with three laps to go and Garcia and World Champion Isaac Nader (POR) led with 400 m left.

Garcia and Nader took the bell and the leader extended the down the backstraight, and no one could catch either of them. Garcia’s form almost failed in the final straight, but he flailed his arms and kept his balance to win in 3:39.63 to 3:40.06.

Australia’s Adam Spencer got third over Sweden’s Sam Pihlstrom, 3:40.26 to 3:40.59. American champ Nathan Green was sixth in 3:40.78.

● Men/4×400 m: The morning heats saw the U.S. lead the first race with Elija Godwin, Demarius Smith and Chris Robinson, but T.J. Tomlyanovich was passed on the final lap by both the Dutch (3:04.66) and Portugal (3:04.75) to finish third in 3:04.85, but advanced as a time qualifier. Belgium (3:05.25) won heat two over Hungary (3:05.67).

The U.S. subbed in Justin Robinson to start and world-record man Khaleb McRae for the anchor in the final. Belgium (Jonathan Saccor: 45.83) and the U.S. were 1-2 after the first leg (46.15 for Robinson), with Chris Robinson taking the lead with a lap to go and gave a huge lead (45.16) to Smith. But as Belgium’s Julien Watrin closed, Smith pushed away (45.56) and McRae had a clear lead on the anchor.

Belgian star Alexander Doom was chasing, but McRae rolled to the win in a dominant in 3:01.52 (and 44.65), the no. 7 performance in history. The Belgians ran 3:03.29 for silver and Jamaica was third in 3:05.99.

● Men/Long Jump: Defending champion Mattia Furlani opened with a quality 8.16 m (26-9 1/4) jump, but was quickly passed by world leader Bozhidar Saraboyukov (BUL) at 8.22 m (26-11 3/4). Then Gerson Balde (POR) passed Furlani, at 8.17 m (26-9 3/4).

Furlani improved in round two to 8.25 m (27-0 3/4) to re-take the lead, but he was passed again, first by Cuban Jorge Hodelin (8.26 m/27-1 1/4) and then Saraboyukov again, at 8.31 m (27-3 1/4).

Fulani finally got back to the lead in the fifth round, equaling his lifetime best at 8.39 m (27-6 1/2), but Balde – eighth in this meet last year – exploded in round six, taking over at a world-leading – and lifetime best! – 8.46 m (27-9 1/4). Furlani had the last chance, but could not respond and settled for silver. Balde is now equal-8th all-time indoors. Wow.

Americans Jeremiah Davis moved up to fifth in round five at 8.21 m (26-11 1/4) and that’s where he finished. Teammate Steffin McCarter (7.89 m/25-10 3/4) finished 12th.

● Men/Shot: New Zealand’s Tom Walsh was looking for a fourth Indoor gold, after wins in 2016, 2018 and 2025, but he was second after three rounds to American Jordan Geist after three rounds, 21.64 m (71-0) to 21.21 m (69-7). U.S. champ Roger Steen was a close third at 21.17 m (69-5 1/2) in round three.

Walsh was improving, however, to 21.28 m (69-9 3/4) in round four, then took the lead at 21.66 m (71-0 3/4) in round five. Geist had two more fouls – four in a row – then did not improve and Walsh was the winner for a fourth time! He finished with his best of the day – 21.82 m (71-7 1/4) – for a finishing touch.

Steen also improved, to 21.22 m (69-7 1/2) in round five and 21.49 m (70-6 1/4) in the final round, but had to settle for bronze. Third American Josh Awotunde reached 20.96 m (68-9 1/4) for sixth.

● Women/800 m: What would Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) do? Already the world-record holder indoors at 1:54.87, and she took the lead right away. Nigist Getachew (ETH), Audrey Werro (SUI) and American Addy Wiley were in line, but Hodgkinson was running away at the bell.

She was unchallenged to the bell in 1:55.30 – the second-fastest time in history – and Wiley was in third with 100 m to go, with Werro the clear silver medalist in 1:56.64 and then Wiley with the bronze in 1:58.36, a lifetime best and no. 3 all-time U.S. Getachew was fourth in 1:59.73.

Hodgkinson claimed Britain’s first-ever win in this event in World Indoor Champs history.

● Women/1,500 m: Paris 1,500 m runner-up Jessica Hull got out to the lead right away, but then Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom sailed away, taking a lead of more than two seconds by the 600 m mark. At 800, Haylom was 3.31 up at 2:05.30 over Paris Olympic bronzer Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) and Hull.

By the bell, the gap had closed to 0.26 with Hunter Bell and Hull moving in and then they took over on the turn. Hunter Bell had the lead with a half-lap left and was unchallenged to the line in a world-leading 3:58.53 – no. 9 all-time – with Hull at 3:59.45. American Nikki Hiltz used her usual late charge to get third at the line in 3:59.68 – no. 3 all-time U.S. – over Agathe Guillemot (FRA: 3:59.71). Haylom finished fifth in 4:01.34 and American Gracie Morris in seventh in 4:03.75.

● Women’s 60 m hurdles: Two-time European champ Nadine Visser (NED) led the heats at 7.82 along with world-record holder (and two-time defending champ) Devynne Charlton (BAH). Americans Alia Armstrong (7.85) and Danae Dyer (7.90) both advanced easily. In the semis, Visser won the first race in 7.82, then home favorite Pia Skrzyszowska (POL) and World 100 m hurdles winner Dita Kambundji (SUI) were 1-2 in a fast 7.76, taking the 2026 world lead! Dyer was fourth (7.92).

Charlton blasted out of the blocks and won heat three – taking back the world lead while looking relaxed – at 7.74, with Armstrong second in 7.84.

Charlton was in lane six in the final, with Skrzyszowska inside her in five and Kambundji in four and Charlton was out and never headed, blasting to the finish and equaling her own 2024 world record in 7.65! It’s her third World Indoor gold in a row, the first time ever in this event!

Behind her, Visser was second but Skrzyszowska rushed to the line and Visser got the silver as both timed 7.73 (7.723 to 7.728), and Kambundji was fourth 7.75. Armstrong finished sixth in 7.85. Visser won her second Worlds Indoor medal, after a bronze in 2018.

● Women/4×400 m: Poland won heat one over the Netherlands, 3:28.06 to 3:28.11, while the U.S. – Paris Peoples, Brianna White, Abbey Glynn, Shamier Little – won heat two in 3:28.36 over Great Britain (3:29.31).

For the final, the U.S. had Bailey Lear, Rosey Effiong, Peoples and Little, with Lear and Effiong back from the 2025 winning team. Lear got to the lead early and the U.S. passed second (51.47) to Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka. Effiong (50.83) settled into second behind Myrte van der Schoot (NED) and took the lead with 100 m to go and she passed to Peoples in the lead.

Peoples (52.02) led Nina Franke (NED) by a meter with 50 m to go but passed to Little by … only a little. Little had three chasers and was steady through the first lap and she held everyone off for the win with a final push in the final 20 m to take gold in 3:25.81 (50.99). Dutch anchor Eveline Sallberg was a clear second in 3:26.00 and Spain passed Poland for bronze in 3:26.04 to 3:26.17.

● Women/Vault: Things cleared up at 4.80 m (15-9) as 2024 World Indoor champ Molly Caudery (GBR) and 2025 World Indoor runner-up Tina Sutej (SLO) both cleared on their first attempts and took the lead. No one else cleared and there was a three-way tie for the bronze among Amalie Svabikova (CZE), Imogen Ayris (NZL) and 2025 bronzer Angelica Moser (SUI).

The bar went up to 4.85 m (15-11) and Caudery got over on her second try for the win, with Sutej missing her tries and getting silver. American Jessica Mercier got a lifetime best of 4.70 m (15-5) and finished ninth. U.S. champ Chloe Timberg was 12th at 4.35 m (14-3 1/4).

● Women/Long Jump: World leader and 2024 European bronze medalist Agate de Sousa (POR) took the lead in round three at 6.82 m (22-4 1/2), then backed that up with a 6.81 m (22-4 1/4) in the fourth. Just behind, with a seasonal best of 6.80 m (22-3 3/4) was Natalia Linares (COL), but Italian star Larissa Iapichino, the 2025 European Indoor champ, got untracked in round five and took the lead at 6.84 m (22-5 1/4)!

That did not faze de Sousa, who responded at the end of the round with her best of the day at 6.92 m (22-8 1/2). Iapichino improved to 6.87 m (22-6 1/2) on her last try, but had to settle for silver. American Jasmine Moore, the Olympic bronzer in 2024, was seventh at 6.70 m (21-11 3/4) and Monae Nichols was eighth (6.66 m (21-10 1/4).

● Women/Pentathlon: American Anna Hall, the 2025 World Heptathlon champ, led the 60 m hurdles at 8.18, was second in the high jump at 1.84 m (6-0 1/2) and fifth in the shot (14.23 m/46-8 1/4) to stand second after the morning session at 2,926 points. Dutch star Sofie Doktor, the 2024 Worlds bronze winner, was second in the hurdles and won the high jump and shot.

In the long jump, Dokter won again at 6.52 m (21-4 3/4) with Hall in fifth (6.21 m (20-4 1/2), so the Dutch leader had a 3,956 to 3,878 lead on Kate O’Connor (IRL) and 3,841 for Hall in third, with one event left.

The 800 finale was going to Hall against the clock and she won in 2:06.32, the fastest ever in the World Indoor pent, with Ireland’s 2025 runner-up Kate O’Connor closest in 2:10.26. Doktor was fifth in 2:12.27 and that was enough for Doktor to win with a world-leading 4,888 to 4,860 for Hall for silver. O’Connor took the bronze at 4,839.

Allie Jones of the U.S. did not finish, scoring 2,994 through four events, then did not start in the 800 m.

/Updated/This was a strong American team, but hardly the best, but the U.S. dominated with 18 total medals (5-7-6) with the next best performance from Australia (0-2-3), Spain (1-2-2) and Italy (3-2-0) with five each.

On the placing table, scoring all events from first to eighth (8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1), the American squad scored 164 points to 58 for Poland, 54 for the Netherlands, and 52 for Jamaica.

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BOXING: World Boxing approves Paris Olympic champ Lin for competition in female category going forward

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ LIN PASSES SEX TEST ≡

World Boxing confirmed on Friday that Olympic women’s 57 kg champion Yu-ting Lin (TPE) is eligible to compete in the female category:

“World Boxing can confirm that, following an appeal by the National Federation, the boxer is eligible to take part in the forthcoming Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia, 29 March – 10 April 2026.

“The appeal process was conducted in line with World Boxing’s Sex Eligibility policy which was introduced in August 2025 and includes mandatory sex testing, to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to participate in its competitions.”

The process was hardly straightforward, as the decision came as the result of an appeal:

“Following an initial test in 2025, the National Federation for boxing in Chinese Taipei began an appeal process on behalf of one of its boxers and submitted a series of medical documents that were reviewed and analysed by World Boxing’s Medical Committee.

“Following the conclusion of the appeal process, and in line with World Boxing’s Sex Eligibility policy, World Boxing wrote to the CTBA. The letter stated: ‘The World Boxing Medical Committee considered and evaluated the medical documentation presented and determined that the boxer was deemed to be female and eligible to compete in the female category.’”

World Boxing adopted a comprehensive testing policy in August 2025 that includes:

“all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition need to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to determine their sex and their eligibility to compete in either the male or female category. The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, which reveals the presence of the Y chromosome that is an indicator of male biological sex.”

An appeal process is also included, with evidence reviewed by the World Boxing Medical Committee.

In Lin’s case, she competed in the women’s division and won World Championships medals when the sport was governed by AIBA/IBA in 2018 (54 kg gold), 2019 (57 kg bronze), and 202 (57 kg gold). At the 2023 Worlds, Lin won a bronze medal at 57 kg, but was disqualified by the IBA – without any further documentation – for failing “eligibility” requirements.

Much more attention has been paid to Algeria’s women’s 66 kg Olympic winner Imane Khelif, also disqualified by the IBA for “eligibility” in 2023, but had already won a Worlds silver in 2022 competing under the AIBA/IBA rules.

Khelif has said she would also take the required World Boxing text, but it also preparing to debut as a professional fighter on 23 April in Paris. She is licensed to fight as a woman by the French federation.

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ATHLETICS: Duplantis wins fourth straight World Indoors vault, Ehammer gets world hep record, seven medals (no gold) for U.S.!

By
Rich Perelman
-
One more world title for Sweden’s vault icon Mondo Duplantis! (Photo: Christel Saneh for World Athletics).

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≡ WORLD INDOOR CHAMPS ≡

The second day of the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun (POL) had the women’s 60 m and the men’s 60 m hurdles as the featured events, running all three rounds on the same day!

In the women’s 60, the morning qualifying was led by Jamaica’s Brianna Lyston (heat six) and Olympic 100 m champ Julien Alfred (LCA: heat 4), both in 7.06. Just behind were Italy’s Zaynab Dosso, American Jacious Sears and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, all at 7.07. American Jaslyn Gardner was fourth in heat one (7.27) and was eliminated.

In the semis, 2024 World Indoor winner Alfred was behind Sears at 40 m, but sped up and leaned at the line for first in 7.04, with Sears also in 7.04, then Lyston at 7.05. The second semi was fast, with Dosso winning in 7.00 and impressive, with Asher-Smith (7.03) equaling her lifetime best (and the national indoor record). Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith got a lifetime best of 7.03 to emerge in the final 20 m to win semi three, ahead of Patrizia van der Weken (LUX: 7.05).

Alfred was in five for the final, with Smith outside in six and Dosso, Asher-Smith and Sears inside. Dosso had the best start in the middle of the track and was being pressured by Sears, with Alfred coming. At the line, Dosso leaned hard, Sears continued though and they were 1-2 in 7.00 and 7.03, with Alfred leaning to get the bronze, also in 7.03.

It’s a third straight medal for Dosso: bronze in 2024, silver in 2025 and now gold. Sears won her first international championship medal.

In the men’s 60 m hurdles, the morning qualifying was led by American Trey Cunningham, the 2022 Worlds 110 m hurdles runner-up, at 7.45 by winning heat six. Fellow American Dylan Beard won heat two in 7.50. In the semis, Wilhem Belocian (FRA) – the World indoor 2025 runner-up – got out well in race one and won easily in 7.42, with Beard second in 7.46, but appeared to hurt his right leg at the finish. Cunningham was in semi two and raced away from the field, winning in 7.35. That’s a lifetime best and now no. 5 all-time and no. 3 all-time U.S.! Jamaica’s Demario Prince was a distant second in 7.53.

Polish fans cheered for Jakub Szymanski in semi three, taking the lead after hurdle two and finishing in 7.42. Beard was hurt and scratched out of the final.

In the final, Cunningham was in lane four, with Belocian in three and Szymanski in five. Szymanski was out well, Cunningham hit the first hurdle and Szymanski held on to win on the lean in 7.40. Spain’s Enrique Llopis was out well and got the silver in 7.42, with Cunningham in third in 7.43. The top five were within 0.05.

● Men/400 m: In the two-section final, it was Chris Robinson of the U.S. getting out in front and holding on from Attila Molnar (HUN), 45.55 to 45.71.

Khaleb McRae of the U.S., the world-record holder, was in lane five with Christopher Morales Williams (CAN) – the fastest ever – outside of him in six. McRae was out well and had the lead at the bell. McRae moved away on the backstraight, but Morales Williams came on hard on the straight and won in 44.76. McRae held on for silver in 45.03, then Jereem Richards (TTO: 45.39) was a clear third and on time, won the bronze.

● Men/3,000 m: World 5,000 m champ Cole Hocker of the U.S. was one of the favorites, but this was a loaded field, including American teammate and 2024 runner-up Yared Nuguse and Britain’s 2024 winner Josh Kerr.

There were 12 in contention with three laps left and Addisu Yihune (ETH) in the lead. At the bell, it was Yihune, Kerr and Ethiopian Steeple star Getnet Wale leading, then Kerr burst to the lead and Hocker moved up to third. On the final turn and to the line, it was Kerr sprinting and getting to the finish first in 7:35.56. Hocker sprinted hard and just got past France’s Yann Schrub at the line, in 7:35.70 to 7:35.71, with Nuguse fifth in 7:47.08.

A second World Indoor 3,000 m gold for Kerr and Hocker got his second World Indoor silver; he was second in the 2024 World Indoor 1,500 m.

● Men/High Jump: European Indoor champ Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR) cleared four straight bars up to and including 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) and that was good enough for the gold medal. The only other man to clear 2.30 was Mexico’s Erick Portillo, who got a lifetime best on his third try and took the silver. Both missed all three tries at 2.33 m (7-7 3/4).

Tying for third were Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR) and Raymond Richards (JAM), both getting over 2.26 m (7-5).

● Men/Vault: All eyes were on world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE), but Australia’s two-time Worlds bronzer Kurtis Marschall and Greek Worlds silver winner Manolo Karalis were also perfect through 5.85 m (19-2 1/4).

Things started shaking up at 5.95 m (19-6 1/4), with Karalis clearing right away and Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen and American champion Zach Bradford also clearing. Four other missed and passed to 6.00 m (19-8 1/4), and Duplantis made only his third jump of the day at 6.00, a make that placed him in the lead.

Marschall cleared on his first to equal his lifetime best, Karalis on his second and no one else could clear, although Guttormsen passed (!). Bradford finished fifth. Now to 6.05 m (19-10 1/4), with Karalis over right away and Duplantis passing; Marschall and Guttormsen both missed their tries, with Marschall taking the bronze.

Now to 6.10 m (20-0), with Duplantis over immediately and Karalis passing. On to 6.15 m (20-2), and Duplantis cleared. So Karalis came back at 6.20 m (20-4), a height he had never cleared. He missed as he hit the bar with his chest and then passed to the next height, with two tries left.

Duplantis kept the pressure on, clearing 6.25 m (20-6) on his first try, and Karalis missed twice to settle for the silver medal. So, Duplantis had his fourth World Indoor gold – 2022-24-25-26 – and decided not to try for more.

American Chris Nilsen, the Tokyo 2020 runner-up, cleared 5.70 m (18-8 1/4) and was ninth.

● Men/Heptathlon: Leader Simon Ehammer (SUI) won the 60 m hurdles with a heptathlon-world best of 7.52, with American Heath Baldwin next best at 7.80, a lifetime best. Ehammer then led the vault at 5.30 m (17-4 1/2) and was set to challenge the world indoor record in the 1,000 m, of 6.645 by Ashton Eaton of the U.S. in 2012.

Going into the final event, Ehammer had 5,808 points to 5,453 for Baldwin and 5,409 for fellow American Kyle Garland. Ehammer paced evenly and won in style, finishing fourth in the race and finishing with a world-record 6,670!

Baldwin finished third in the 1,000 and grabbed the silver medal at 6,337, and Garland won the bronze at 6,245. It’s Baldwin’s first international medal; Garland got a bronze to go along with his Worlds decathlon bronze last year.

● Women/400 m: This was a two-section final and the home crowd roared for  Pole Natalia Bukowiecka as she passed by 2024 runner-up Lieke Klaver (NED) to win in 50.83, to 51.02.

Heat winner Lurdes Manuel (CZE) got to the lead in the second semi and rolled to the line to win in 50.76, a lifetime best and good for the gold medal! Haiti’s Wadeline Venlogh was second in 51.07 as Norway’s Henriette Jaeger faded on the turn and Bukowiecka and Klaver ended up with silver and bronze.

● Women/3,000 m: The race immediately slowed to a tactical crawl, Micol Majori (ITA) passing 1,500 m 4:48.03. By 2,000 m, Steeple star Norah Jeruto (KAZ) was just in front of Australian Olympic 1,500 m runner-up Jess Hull, but still slow. So slow, in fact, that Hull was tripped and fell into Ethiopia’s defending champ Freweyni Hailu at the 1,250 m mark (Spain’s Marta Garcia was eventually disqualified).

Hailu regained contact quickly by 1,700 m, with Jeruto continuing to lead Hull at 2,000 m. Italian star Nadia Battoclietti – the Olympic 10,000 m silver medalist – went by Jeruto on the inside at 2,300 m, and took the lead from Hull, with American Emily Mackay in third.

Battoclietti, Hull, Mackay and Alishign Bawerke (ETH) were at the front with two laps left and Hull took over with 300 m to go. At the bell, it was Hull and Battoclietti and Mackay, with Battolcetti taking over on the turn and she rolled home to win in 8:57.64 and Mackay holding off Hull at the line for silver, 8:58.12 to 8:58.18.

American Margot Appleton was 14th in 9:12.57. Mackay won the bronze in this event in 2024 and now has silver.

● Women/Triple Jump: Venezuela’s world-record holder Yulimar Rojas was back in action, but it was Cuba’s Lleyanis Perez, the 2025 World Indoor and outdoor champ, to the front in round one at 14.88 m (48-10). And Perez extended to 14.95 m (49-0 3/4) – equaling Rojas’ world lead – in round two.

Rojas fired up into second in round four to reach 14.86 m (48-9), with Senegal’s Saly Sarr into third at 14.70 m (48-2 3/4). Neither could improve and Perez was the winner for a second straight year and with a medal for the third straight year.

American Jasmine Moore, the Olympic bronzer, finished seventh at 14.33 m (47-0 1/4) in the first round. Teammate Ryann Porter was 16th at 13.01 m (42-8 1/4).

● Mixed 4×400 m: Belgium’s Jonathan Saccor got out to the lead on the first leg and passed first, but behind him, American Jevon O’Bryant passed to Sara Reifenrath, who was flattened in a collision with Jamaica and the Netherlands. That essentially eliminated the U.S. and the Dutch, who finished 4-5.

The Belgians ran away and won with a world-best 3:15.60, with Spain second in 3:16.96. Jamaica finished third, but was disqualified for a lane violation on the first exchange, so Poland took the bronze in 3:17.44. The U.S. ended up fifth in 3:21.35.

Not a lot of qualifying on Saturday, but the performances were impressive:

● Men/800 m: American star Cooper Lutkenhaus was the fastest qualifier, winning semi two in a fast 1:44.29, ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:44.48). Sean Dolan of the U.S. was third in heat three in 1:46.45 and did not advance to the final.

● Women/800 m: World-record holder Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) and American Addy Wiley were the top two in qualifying, both in semi one, in 1:58.53 and 1:58.75. Swiss Audrey Werro, the Diamond League winner last year, won semi three in 1:59.27 and was next fastest.

One more day to go, as the World Indoors concludes on Sunday; the meet is being shown in the U.S. on NBCD’s Peacock streaming service and NBCSN (where available).

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ATHLETICS: Gold for U.S. sprint star Anthony and shot icon Jackson as World Indoor Champs open in Poland

By
Rich Perelman
-
Seiko's official photo finish of the men's 60 m final at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

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≡ WORLD INDOOR CHAMPS ≡

The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun (POL) got going on Friday, with the men’s 60 m the featured event.

There were no surprises in the heats, and in the semis, Jamaica’s Bryan Levell won semi one in 6.53, with an amazing tie for second – to the 1000ths – for Simon Verherstraeten (BEL) and Taymir Burnet (NED) in 6.56 (6.553!).

American Trayvon Bromell, who won this meet in 2016, was fastest in the heats at 6.52, and lined up against Paris 100 m silver winner Kishane Thompson (JAM). Bromell was off perfectly and led after a step and rolled through the finish in a world-leading 6.42 (!), with Thompson a clear second in 6.47. Bromell equaled his lifetime best, equal-sixth all-time.

Ex-world leader Jordan Anthony, the U.S. champ, was in semi three, and was smooth and quick, winning over defending champion Jeremiah Azu (GBR), equaling his lifetime best at 6.43, to 6.45.

The final had Anthony in four, Azu in five, Bromell in six and Thompson in seven. Anthony had a good start and no one could head him. Azu stayed close, but Bromell was not in contention early and did not move up to challenge.

Anthony ran 6.41, now the world lead in 2026 and now equal-fourth on the all-time list and the equal-eighth performance all-time! A long review of the photo showed Thompson moving up to get second over Bromell, both in 6.45 (6.447 to 6.448). Azu closed well for fourth in 6.46.

Anthony won the NCAA Indoors for Arkansas in 2025, turned pro later in the year and now is the U.S. Indoor and World Champion in the 60. At 21, he is one to watch, for sure.

● Men/Triple Jump: Defending champion Andy Diaz (ITA) got to the lead in round one with a world-leading 17.47 m (57-3 3/4) and stayed there through the first three rounds, ahead of Jamaica’s Jordan Scott, at 17.33 m (56-10 1/4). Algeria’s Yassir Triki, the 2024 runner-up, solidified his hold on third in the fourth round at 17.30 m (56-9 1/4).

None of the top three could improve and Diaz won back-to-back golds, and Scott won his first international championship medal. American Russell Robinson reached 16.53 m (54-2 3/4) and finished 10th.

● Women/High Jump: Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) and World Champion and defending indoor champ Nicola Olyslagers (POL) were the headliners and those two were both perfect through 1.99 m (6-6 1/4), as was Angelina Topic (SRB), the 2025 Worlds bronzer and Ukraine’s Yuliia Levchenko.

The bar went to 2.01 m (6-7) and Mahuchikh upped the ante immediately and cleared … and no one else could! She tried 2.06 m (6-9), but missed all three, but collected her second World Indoor gold, previously in 2022.

The other three had the same cards – no misses through 1.99 – and shared a three-way silver! American Charity Hufnagel was ninth at 1.89 m (6-2 1/4).

● Women/Shot Put: Two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. has a silver and two bronzes in this meet, but no golds. But she got after it early and took the lead at 19.96 m (65-6) in round two.

She then extended to 20.14 m (66-1) in round four, as two-time defending champion Sarah Mitton (CAN) moved into second position in the fourth at 19.78 m (64-10 3/4). Neither could improve and they finished 1-2 and Jackson got her first World Indoor gold! Swede Axeline Johansson got a national record at 19.75 m (64-9 3/4) in third.

Abria Smith of the U.S. reached 18.66 m (61-2 3/4) in round one, then improved to 18.86 m (61-10 1/2) in round four, to finish seventh.

Lots of qualifying on day one, of course:

● Men/400 m: Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams, the fastest ever in this event at 44.49 (but not the world record holder due to an equipment technicality), led all qualifiers at 45.51, with the U.S. advancing both entries to the semis: official world-record man Khaleb McRae won heat six in 46.09 and Chris Robinson won heat two in 46.34.

In the semis, Robinson trailed Brazil’s Matheus Lima coming into the final turn, but Robinson turned on the jets to win in 45.46 and qualify for the final; Lima was second in 45.71. Morales Williams sprinted into the lead off the final turn in semi two and won in 45.35, with Brian Tinega (KEN: 45.75) in second.

Hungary’s Attila Molnar was semi three in 45.81 and McRae led from the start in semi four and won in 45.39, the second-fastest of the day.

● Men/800 m: Belgium’s Elliott Crestan, second last year, led the qualifying from heat three in 1:45.51. Sean Dolan of the U.S. qualified on time in 1:46.17 as third in heat six and teen Cooper Lutkenhaus advanced as second in heat two in 1:46.24.

● Men/1,500 m: Heat three produced the best times, with Spain’s Mariano Garcia winning in 3:38.19. U.S. champion Nathan Green was third in heat one in 3:40.97 and advanced, but Luke Houser was fourth in heat two (3:43.87) and did not advance to the final.

● Women/400 m: Lurdes Manuel (CZE) led with a 51.08 to win heat six; the U.S. qualified Bailey Lear (51.87) in third in heat four to the semifinals. Rosey Effiong (52.13), third in heat two, did not advance.

In the semis, Manuel got a lifetime best to win easily in 50.96; Lear was third in 52.07 and did not advance to the final. Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka was a clear winner in semi two in 51.41, then Dutch star Lieke Klaver, the 2024 World Indoor silver winner, won semi three in 51.23. Norway’s Henriette Jaeger won heat four in 50.95 and ex-American Wadeline Venlogh (HAI) got into the final with a second-place 52.04.

● Women/800 m: Eloisa Corso (ITA) had the fastest qualifier, from heat six, in 1:59.07. Addy Wiley of the U.S. won heat three in 2:00.85; Valery Tobias was disqualified in heat four for a lane infringement (stepping on the line). World record holder Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) won heat one in 2:00.32.

● Women/1,500 m: Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom won heat two in 4:10.66 and was the fastest on the day. American Gracie Morris was third in heat three in 4:12.57 and was a time qualifier. U.S. champ Nikki Hiltz was second in heat one (4:16.32) and advanced easily.

The men’s heptathlon started on Friday, with Swiss star Simon Ehammer, the 2024 winner, taking the 60 m (6.69) and the long jump (8.15 m/26-9) and scored 3,698 points. American Kyle Garland, the 2025 Worlds decathlon bronzer, won the high jump at 2.14 m (7-0 1/4) and has 3,660.

Third is American Heath Baldwin, at 3,510, who was second in the high jump. The 60 m hurdles, vault and 1,000 m are on Saturday.

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FOOTBALL: FIFA Council approves expanded, $14 billion revenue target for 2027-30, following up on $13 billion from 2022-26

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FIFA ROLLING IN DOUGH ≡

Using its expanded line-up of worldwide tournaments, including Club World Cups for men and women, FIFA is projecting a $14 billion revenue haul from 2027-30, expanding on its jump to a projected $13 billion from 2022-26.

It expects more in television rights and sponsorships than the current cycle, but less from tickets and hospitality since the men’s World Cup is not in the U.S.:

● $6.064 billion in broadcast rights (+800 million from 2023-26)
● $4.592 billion in sponsorships (+1.246 billion)
● $2.659 billion in tickets and hospitality (–$938 million)
● $458 million in licensing (+$58 million)
● $227 million in other income (–$166 million)

Of this $14.000 billion total, 26% is contracted now, but this does include 36% of the $4.592 billion in sponsorships, as of 31 December 2025. So FIFA is off to a good start, with a heavy schedule ahead:

● 2027: FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil
● 2028: FIFA Women’s Club World Cup (site tbd)
● 2029: FIFA Club World Cup (site tbd)
● 2030: FIFA World Cup in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Morocco, Portugal, Spain

The budget section describes broadcast assumptions for the 2030 World Cup to include the currently-planned 48-team, 104-match program, not the proposed one-time, centennial expansion to 64 teams (128 games) requested by the South American hosts, currently allocated one match each.

The U.S. World Cup television rights will be up for 2030, with Fox having held the U.S. English-language rights from 2015 to 2026.

FIFA expects to spend $3.303 billion on the 2030 World Cup alone.

Revenue in 2027 is forecast at $1.202 billion, with $800 million to be spent on the Women’s World Cup and other, smaller events.

FIFA’s 2025 revenue was $2.661 billion, about 9% above budget, thanks to the new Club World Cup:

● $2.126 billion revenue
● $1.000 billion broadcast rights from DAZN
● $669 million in sponsorships
● $411 million in tickets ($261 million) and hospitality ($150 million)
● $5 million in licensing
● $41 million in concessions, parking, host city fees

The tournament cost $839 million to stage and another $1.0 billion in prize money and $287 million for a to-be-established “solidarity” fund. That accounts for all $2.261 billion in revenue.

The remaining $535 million in FIFA revenues last year was mostly from sponsorships ($296 million), and smaller amounts from the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and some licensing.

Interestingly, FIFA lost money in 2025, with $3.169 billion in expenses:

● $2.043 billion on competitions and events
● $748 million on development ane education
● $51 million on football governance
● $72 million on marketing and broadcasting expense
● $254 million on FIFA governance and administration

This is normally the case for FIFA, losing money in the first three years of a quadrennial, then enjoying a huge cash injection from the men’s World Cup in the final year.

However, to say that FIFA is rich is beyond doubt. The financials show total assets of $9.479 billion and reserves of $2.699 billion, riding a wave of popularity for its biggest events and the benefit of holding the new 2025 Club World Cup in the U.S. and having the 2026 World Cup mostly in the U.S., along with Canada and Mexico.

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PANORAMA: L.A. Metro forwards LA28 agreement to Board; FEMA hands out $625 million in Federal World Cup support; AAU Sullivan Award finalists!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The AAU Sullivan Award (Photo: AAU).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Executive Management Committee of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved the draft Memorandum of Understanding with the LA28 organizing committee, which will be forwarded to the full Metro Board for approval.

Seleta Reynolds, Metro’s Chief Innovation Officer, noted that the document clearly defines what Metro’s roles are:

“Baseline services are the services that we have in play every day for the riders that we move around in this county. Enhanced services would be anything different or extra that we would do specifically to serve the event in 2028.

“It also does not obligate Metro to provide any enhanced services absent outside funding. It’s very clear that we are not providing these services on the backs of our existing riders, at the expense of our baseline services.”

The Memorandum does not yet include three annexes to be negotiated on security and other matters.

The Metro staff noted that it is continuing to pursue $379 million in State funding related to the 2028 Games, as well as Federal funding. Metro will receive $9.6 million in Federal funds to support its 2026 FIFA World Cup transit efforts.

● Paralympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● NBC said it had a strong audience for the 2026 Winter Paralympics, with 22.7 million total viewers:

“The record 22.7 million total viewers for Milan Cortina 2026 is up 90% vs. Beijing 2022 (11.9 million) and up 47% vs. the Summer Games in Paris in 2024 (15.4 million).

“Milan Cortina Paralympic viewership on NBC and Peacock averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.1 million viewers, up 24% vs. Beijing.

“Primetime coverage on NBC and Peacock on Saturday, March 7, from 8-10 p.m. ET, averaged 1.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched Winter Paralympics telecast on record. The program included highlights of the Opening Ceremony and the first day of competition.”

And as expected, the sled hockey final between the Americans and Canada was also a big draw:

“Team USA’s 6-2 win over Canada in the sled hockey gold medal game on March 15 averaged a TAD of 1.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and CNBC (11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET), making it the most-watched sled hockey game on record, surpassing the prior record of 869,000 viewers set at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games when Team USA defeated Russia, 1-0, in the gold medal game on NBC (12 p.m.-2:20 p.m. ET).”

● AAU Sullivan Award ● The nominees for the 96th AAU Sullivan Award are down to nine:

● Olivia Babcock, volleyball (Pittsburgh)
● Azzi Fudd, basketball (Connecticut)
● Blake Horvath, football (Navy)
● Alysa Liu, figure skating (2025 World Champion)
● Tatyana McFadden, para track & field (2025 NYC Marathon runner-up)
● Fernando Mendoza, football (Indiana)
● Mikaela Shiffrin, alpine skiing (2025 Team Combined World Champion)
● Braden Smith, basketball (Purdue)
● Zahid Valencia, wrestling (2025 World 86 kg Champion)

The list has three Olympic athletes and one Paralympian; the winner will be announced on 7 April at the New York Athletic Club.

● Athletics ● The World Athletics World Indoor Championships will commence on Friday in Torun (POL), with 674 athletes from 118 federations set to take part. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) was enthused at Thursday’s news conference and also had news about the future:

“This is the 21st edition of the World Indoor Championships and the pinnacle of our global indoor season.

“I’m delighted to announce right here that the World Athletics Council this morning awarded the next two editions to Odisha in India in 2028 and Astana, Kazakhstan in 2030. So the future of the World Athletics Indoor Championships is looking bright and assured.”

One of the heavy favorites in indoor women’s 800 m world-record holder Keely Hodgkinson (GBR), who explained, “This is the one medal I don’t have, so it would be really great to box that one off. I will be happy to make the start line this time but until I cross the finish line I’m not going to jinx anything.”

American Anna Hall, the 2025 World Champion in the heptathlon is also looking for a first indoor title:

“These will be my first World Indoor Championships and I am so excited to be here. I have wanted to do these championships for a very long time.

“When you are chasing a first gold [in 2025], you think that when you win a world title you are going to be this crazy, different person. It didn’t change much at all, although I now get great introductions. But I definitely still feel unsatisfied and I have many things I want to chase.”

The meet takes place over three days and will be shown in the U.S. on NBC’s Peacock streaming service and the revived NBCSN channel, where available.

● Boxing ● World Boxing announced Executive Board approval of nine more national federations, bringing the total to 168. The new federations are in Belarus, Cyprus, Mozambique, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Tanzania, Tonga and Zambia. Regarding Russia and Belarus:

“World Boxing will seek guidance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the conditions for participation in its competitions. It is expected these will follow the AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) – deployed by the IOC for Russian and Belarusian athletes that competed at the recent 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina.

“Adopting the AIN procedure would mean that boxers from Russia and Belarus will participate as individual athletes without a flag or national anthem. World Boxing will also conduct a series of checks to ensure that Russian and Belarusian boxers who want to participate in its competitions do not have a history of supporting the war in Ukraine and are not members of clubs linked to the army or police force.”

There are now 44 federations which have Executive Board approval, but still must be confirmed by the World Boxing Congress, later this year.

● Curling ● The World Curling women’s World Championship is continuing in Calgary (CAN), with the top six of 13 teams moving on to the playoffs. Through nine matches so far in the round-robin, Switzerland – skipped by Xenia Schwaller – and Canada (two-time Worlds medalist Rachel Einarson) are both 8-1, followed by Japan (Satsuki Fujiwara: 6-2) and Sweden (Isabella Wrana) and South Korea (Eun-ji Gim) at 6-3.

The U.S. team, skipped by Delaney Strouse, is at 1-8, with three matches left.

● Football ● The FIFA Council confirmed that the 2026 World Cup should be played as planned, including Iran’s matches in Inglewood, California and Seattle, Washington, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) explaining:

“FIFA is looking forward to all teams participating at the FIFA World Cup to compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect. We have a schedule. We will soon have the 48 competing teams confirmed, and we want the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled.”

Bids for the 2031 and 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup for Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and the U.S. (2031), and England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (2035), will be voted on at an Extraordinary Congress before the end of 2026.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Wednesday that it has “awarded $625 million to empower all 11 cities hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to bolster security preparations ahead of the tournament, in close coordination with the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

The money is primarily for security purposes, although it can also be used “to pay for increased police and emergency response at FIFA venues, hotels and transportation hubs.”

Not every host region received the same amount; shares were based on the number of matches and size of the stadia involved. FEMA also recently distributed $250 million to support host-area defenses “to detect, identify, track or mitigate the unlawful use” of drones.

Both allocations came from the 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

The FIFA Council announced a decision on the request to exclude or punish Israel for allowing club play in territory claimed by the Palestinian Football Association:

“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.

“FIFA should continue to promote dialogue and offer mediation between the Palestine Football Association and The Israel Football Association at an operational level. In this context, FIFA will continue to facilitate structured engagement and monitor developments.”

On a distinct matter, a filing against Israel by the Palestinian association for racist conduct at matches held in Israel was upheld by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and the Israeli Football Association was fined CHF 150,000, but has the right to appeal.

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LANE ONE: Pathetic statement implies the United Nations is for transgenders in women’s sports; another U.N. expert said no in 2024!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ SEX SCREENING PUSHBACK ≡

Under pressure from women athletes and seeing the results of some research work compiled by World Athletics and other International Federations, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) announced shortly after taking office in June 2025 that she would set up a review of the “protection of the female category.”

This resulted in a September 2025 formation of a “Protection of the Female Category Working Group,” to “consist of experts and IFs. The names of the members of the working group will remain confidential for now to protect the integrity of the group and their work.”

Shortly before, on 30 July 2025, World Athletics – the leader among the federations in research and regulations in this area – issued a new requirement for anyone wishing to compete in the female category for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN):

“All athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the World Championships are required to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY gene – a reliable proxy for determining biological sex. This is to be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test, whichever is more convenient.”

There have been occasional stories in European outlets that the IOC’s working group will lean in the direction of the same kind of qualification requirement for the Olympic Games, at least in some sports.

Coventry, asked repeatedly about this, said in December:

“We’ve got the working group and they’re working very well, with all of the stakeholders … we’re going to find ways of trying to find a consensus that has all aspects covered. It’s maybe not going to be the easiest thing to do, but we are going to try our best to be sure than when are talking about the female category, we are protecting the female category and doing that in the most fair way and in finding a consensus for everybody to be able to at least believe in and get behind in.”

She expected to be able to announce results of this work by the end of the first quarter or 2026, or perhaps just a little later, so now is the time for the opponents to get out their megaphones.

And they have.

A 25 February 2026 “Joint Statement on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination in Sport” from the United Nations Human Rights Council condemns the movement toward sex screening and insists that – essentially – transgender women should be allowed to compete in women’s competitions. It says so plainly:

“Discrimination on grounds of sex and gender is prohibited. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has clarified that discrimination against women includes discrimination based on gender, as also affirmed by the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, and that the Convention’s protections extend to trans and intersex women in their right to participate in sport.

“The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights has warned that indiscriminate bans of trans, genderdiverse and intersex women from women’s sport – or categorising them as ‘male’ – is inconsistent with international human rights standards. United Nations mandate holders have further cautioned that rigid, binary definitions of sex risk reinforcing harmful stereotypes and eroding progress toward substantive gender equality.”

And for extra emphasis, there was this:

“[B]lanket bans on the participation of transgender women in the female category raise serious concerns. Such measures presume uniform advantage without adequate evidence, rely on categorical exclusions rather than individualised assessment, and risk imposing disproportionate burdens on a small and already marginalised group.

“Mandatory genetic sex testing likewise raises concerns in relation to privacy, bodily integrity, informed consent and data protection, particularly where athletes are compelled to undergo testing under threat of ineligibility and where sensitive personal data may be processed or disclosed without adequate safeguards.”

This is nothing new and has already been rejected, notably by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In considering the case of athletes with “differences in sex development” in the Semenya vs. IAAF in 2019, the panel noted:

● “[T]his case involves a complex collision of scientific, ethical and legal conundrums. It also involves incompatible, competing rights.”

● “The Panel considers that, once it is recognised that the reason for organising competitive athletics into separate male and female categories rests on the need to protect one group of individuals against having to compete against individuals who possess certain insuperable performance advantages derived from biology rather than legal status, it follows that it may be legitimate to regulate the right to participate in the female category by reference to those biological factors rather than legal status alone.”

That’s the whole issue in a nutshell. The Court of Arbitration panel’s conclusion was this:

“Claimants were unable to establish that the DSD Regulations were ‘invalid’. The Panel found that the DSD Regulations are discriminatory but the majority of the Panel found that, on the basis of the evidence submitted by the parties, such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics.”

That was in 2019. The scientific research has advanced considerably since then as have the World Athletics regulations.

Beyond the Court of Arbitration holding, which has not been reversed in any further hearing by multiple other courts, there was another voice that should be considered.

The U.N. Human Rights Council’s statement attempts to present a “United Nations” position on the matter, but very conveniently – actually, pathetically – skips and does not mention the findings of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem (JOR).

She reported in August 2024 on this exact issue and said in an October 2024 news conference:

“In order to ensure, fairness, dignity and safety for all, including females – women and girls, females – we would need to maintain a female-only category in sports, while at the same time also having more ‘open’ categories for those wishing to play sports in categories that do not respond to the sex they were born into.

“That is one thing. The other thing is, as requested by many women and girls in sports, is to bring back – or actually not bring back – is to introduce sex screening, which as you know was discontinued in 1999.

“So that should be sex screening have become a lot more reliable now, cheap, can be administered in a confidential, dignified manner, should be introduced … as an element of – what was that called – eligibility, in female sports.”

Alsalem also dealt specifically with the worries of the new U.N. statement, back in 2024:

“According to international human rights law, differential treatment on prohibited grounds may not be discriminatory if it is based on reasonable and objective criteria, it pursues a legitimate aim its effects are appropriate and proportional to the legitimate aim pursued and it is the least intrusive option to achieve the intended result.

“Maintaining separate-sex sports is a proportional action that corresponds to legitimate aims within the meaning of article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and does not automatically result in the exclusion of transgender persons from sports, nor does it require invasive sex screenings.

“When combined with other measures, such as open categories, fairness in sports can be maintained while ensuring the ability of all to participate – a course of action followed by several professional sports associations.”

Coventry wants a general consensus on this issue and is looking for common ground in a sporting world where athletics and swimming are in a different reality than equestrian.

The IOC’s findings will be delivered soon enough, and need not take any more time to consider the ill-conceived, one-sided and childlike protests from the pro-transgender crowd in one corner of the U.N. bureaucracy.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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PANORAMA: Next World Baseball Classic in ‘29 or ‘30?; Clark MVP of U.S. 5-0 romp in FIBA qualifiers; fly Iran from Mexico for World Cup L.A. games?

By
Rich Perelman
-
The 2026 FIFA World Cup “Trionda” ball by adidas (Photo: adidas).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto (CAN) announced its 2026 Olympic display on Monday, which includes the pucks used for the gold-medal, overtime goals scored by Americans Megan Keller and Jack Hughes.

Hughes had remarked in an ESPN story that he would like the puck himself, to give to his father. The Hall of Fame announcement included a comment from President Jamie Dinsmore:

“These donated items represent defining moments on the world’s biggest stage and carry powerful stories of national pride and hockey history at its highest level.

“The Olympic ’26 display will help ensure that these unforgettable Olympic moments are preserved for our guests from around the world to experience.”

The Hall of Fame has received items related to the Games from the International Ice Hockey Federation, since the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature NHL players.

● Russia ● Russian President Vladimir Putin once again campaigned for Russia to be re-integrated without conditions into international sports. During a Wednesday meeting with government members, Putin said:

“With the recent change of the [executive] team within the International Olympic Committee, I would hope they would stop their tricks and stop using international sports as a tool of political struggle.”

Russia has placed high hopes in better treatment from IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) than from predecessor Thomas Bach (GER). Under Coventry, the IOC has told the worldwide sports federations they could re-integrate Russian and Belarusian “youth” athletes and teams as they see fit, despite the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine. But no decisions have been made on allowing Russia to return to the Games on any basis other than as “neutrals.”

● Baseball ● The sixth World Baseball Classic concluded on Tuesday evening with Venezuela’s 3-2 win over the U.S., with the real winner being the tournament itself.

The Associated Press reported that “This year’s WBC drew 1,619,839 fans for 47 games, a 24% increase over the previous high of 1,306,414 in 2023. The initial tournament in 2006 drew 740,451 for 39 games.”

The question now is what happens next. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said:

“There’s no resemblance to where we started in 2006. This one, I feel like it went to a different level. …

“The issue for us is whether we do it in ‘29 or in ’30, three years or four years? I’m getting a lot of email from people today saying don’t make us wait four more years for this.

“I do think a three- or four-year cycle is probably about right for the event. The timing is going to turn on what we do with respect to related sorts of international efforts. I remain optimistic about the Olympics and obviously if we play in the Olympics it’s a short time from July of ‘28 ’till the spring of 29 and that’s something we’ll have to take into account. I’m not saying it’s outcome determinative, but it’s something we’ll have to think about.”

Discussions have swirled around an expanded All-Star break in 2028 to accommodate the All-Star Game and the six-day Olympic tournament in Los Angeles. The World Baseball Classic took just 13 days from start to finish, played in Tokyo (JPN), San Juan (PUR) and in Houston and Miami in the U.S. and could be wholly or partially fit into a mid-season break in the future.

● Basketball ● The Olympic and World Champion U.S. women’s team cruised through the remaining two games of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan (PUR), defeating New Zealand on Sunday, 101-46 and then easing past Spain on Tuesday by 84-70. The U.S. finished 5-0.

Guard Rhyne Howard had 18 points to lead the Americans against New Zealand, with guard Caitlin Clark scoring 14. Spain, fifth in Paris in 2024, was a bigger challenge, but got off to a 43-32 lead halftime edge and won by 14. Guard Kahleah Cooper led with 20, followed by guard Kelsey Plum with 18 and forward Dearica Hamby, with 14.

Clark, playing for a U.S. senior team for the first time, was recognized as the Most Valuable Player, averaging 11.6 points per game. She was joined on the All-Star Five by Plum among the U.S. players.

The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 will take place in Berlin (GER) between 4-13 September.

● Football ● The Town of Foxborogh, Massachusetts approved on Tuesday the license for seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to be held at Gillette Stadium, in view of the guarantees it received for funding of an expected $7.8 million in security costs. It had been unwilling to approve the matches unless these costs were agreed to be paid by someone other than the town.

The newest idea to handle the Iranian team situation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Inside World Football suggested placing Iran in Mexico except for game-days against New Zealand and Belgium on 15 June and 23 June and then have the team take a short flight to Los Angeles International Airport and then bus to SoFi Stadium.

For the third match against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June, Iran could fly there from Mexico, or should they move to Canada? The Group G winner plays in Seattle on 1 July and the runner-up in Arlington, Texas on 3 July in the Round of 32; a third-place team could play in Vancouver (CAN) or East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The on-the-field result of the 18 January 2026 African Cup of Nations final in Rabat (MAR), where Senegal defeated Morocco by 1-0 after extra time, was reversed by the African Football Confederation and Morocco was handed the win on a 3-0 forfeit.

According to the confederation statement published Tuesday:

“The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (‘the Match’), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).”

During the match, the Senegal team walked off the field to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco in the 98th minute and stay away for about 15 minutes. Senegal finally returned, the penalty was missed and Senegal won in the 94th minute on a Papa Gueye goal.

Sanctions against the Moroccan federation in the same holding for multiple other issues, including ball boys continuously removing the Senegal goalkeeper’s towel ($50,000 fine), interference with the referees around the video review area ($100,000 fine) and the use of “laser pens” by supporters ($10,000 fine).

Senegal’s federation has called the decision a sham and has promised an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Iranian media reported that the women’s national team, including five members who initially asked for asylum in Australia, but decided to return, are in Iran. They flew into Turkey and took a bus into Iran and were met by officials at the border.

Two players stayed in Australia after Iran was eliminated in the Women’s Asian Cup tournament, and continue to be supported there.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union is inviting inquiries and then bids to acquire all of the federation’s broadcast and sponsorship and licensing rights in a single package.

It’s a move to try and free the ISU from the marketing task and try to lock up value for the long term. No specifics were given and interested parties are asked to signal interest by 26 March.

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OLYMPIC GAMES: Marketing guru Burns explains how Olympic sponsorship cannot be viewed in traditional sports terms

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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≡ UNIQUELY OLYMPIC ≡

“Deloitte, an IOC TOP Partner, measures fandom across four key areas: addressable value, digital brand value, extendibility, and cultural relevance. FandomIQ tracks real-time fan engagement by detecting sentiment spikes during live matches. Analytics platforms analyze ticket sales, merchandise purchases, social media sentiment, Net Promoter Scores, and customer lifetime value. The New England Patriots even examine behavioral patterns at Gillette Stadium to predict retention.

“All of these tools work effectively. And all of them assume something that doesn’t exist in the Olympic context: a fixed, ongoing, identity-defining allegiance to a specific competitive entity.

“The Olympics don’t provide any of these things. Most viewers can’t name a single athlete in most Olympic sports before the competition begins. They don’t follow archery or judo between Olympic cycles. There’s no season, no fixture list, no league standings. The behavioral infrastructure that traditional fandom relies on simply isn’t present.”

That’s from a brilliant and important Linkedin essay by American marketing expert Terrence Burns, who has contributed to successful Olympic sponsorship campaigns ranging from Allianz to Delta Air Lines to Samsung and has been a strategist for six winning Olympic bids over 30 years.

In a lengthy piece, he explains – in a clear, concise way – how Olympic marketing is different and has to be different from the traditional sports marketing approach used for professional leagues in baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, tennis and so on.

Just some highlights; please take the time to read it all. But:

● “Unlike professional competitions, the Olympics are organized by country rather than by club. Viewers don’t need to choose a franchise or follow a season-long rivalry. Identification is immediate and temporary.

“That structure gives even casual viewers a reason to invest emotionally, without requiring any of the ongoing allegiance that traditional fandom depends on.”

● “I’ll agree that Olympic team sports like basketball and ice hockey do carry some of that tribal energy. People pick sides; they want their country to win. But those teams, that specific collection of athletes, only exist for a few weeks.

“They don’t play a season together, and they don’t have a home arena. There are no season tickets, and the roster changes every four years. Whatever tribal attachment forms, it forms fast, and then the team dissolves. That’s a different phenomenon than following the Lakers or the Maple Leafs across an 82-game season.”

● “Nielsen data consistently show that the Olympic primetime audience is about 56 percent female, nearly the mirror image of the NFL Super Bowl (54 percent male). The most anticipated Paris 2024 event, according to Gallup, was women’s gymnastics.

“The Science Media Centre in Spain found that a significant portion of Olympic viewers don’t follow any sporting events between Games; they engage intensely for two weeks and then disappear from the sports scene for four years. A fan engagement model based on season-ticket retention doesn’t address these viewers.”

Burns follows through on what this means for potential sponsors who have interest in investing in the Olympic Games – or Olympic sports – but can’t see the parallels to annual leagues:

“If the goal is to create year-round engagement plans based on 365-day content cycles, that misunderstands the cyclical nature of Olympic connection. What’s most misguided, in my view, is the effort to reduce the Olympic audience to just a sports audience, even though many of the viewers I’ve described don’t see themselves as sports fans at all.

“Most people who love the Olympics come for the stories, for human achievement, for national pride expressed through participation rather than winning, and for the rare experience of the entire world focusing on the same thing without arguing.”

And Burns is clear – where so many others aren’t – about how to approach the Games:

“And to those who’d say I’m being romantic about the Olympics, that at the end of the day it’s a sports property and needs to be marketed like one: the Olympics generate more reach than any sports property on earth. Five billion people for Paris.

“That reach exists precisely because the Olympics aren’t just a sports property. Treat them like one, and you voluntarily shrink your addressable audience to the fraction that behaves like traditional sports fans, abandoning the majority of people actually watching. …

“People who love the Olympic Games aren’t just fans of a sport. They’re part of a celebration of what humanity can become when it chooses to unite. Any marketer who tries to reduce that to the same tactics used to sell beer during Thursday Night Football is missing the point and letting down every brand that invests in the Games.”

Observed: Burns’ commentary – and there is much more – is a needed, and accessible, addition to help guide interest in the Olympic Movement, not only the Olympic Games, but the Paralympic Games and some of the individual sports and programs that are part of each event.

In a word, the Games are “different” and Burns does an excellent, concrete and informed job of explaining what “different” is. Well done.

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FOOTBALL: Hotel analytics firm sees weak demand for FIFA World Cup visitors and spending as FIFA cancels room bookings

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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≡ WORLD CUP TOURISM ≡

“I’m not as optimistic as I was three months ago, but I’m not ready to call it a bust.”

That’s Harry Carr, senior vice president of commercial optimization at Pivot Hotels & Resorts, speaking for a 12 March post by hospitality and real estate analytics firm CoStar titled “Hoteliers’ optimism weakens as US World Cup demand softer than expected.”

The story’s main findings:

● “There’s little doubt among hoteliers and analysts alike that the World Cup will bring positive hotel demand to each of the 16 host markets.”

● “The latest forecast from CoStar and Tourism Economics projects a 1.7% increase in U.S. revenue per available room for the months of June and July, driven by a 12.7% increase in RevPAR [Revenue Per Available Room] at U.S. host markets for those months.”

● “But questions and concerns about hotel demand not being as positive as expected continue to pile up as the tournament nears, dampening the sentiment surrounding the blockbuster event.”

For example, Carr said that FIFA is returning some of its blocked rooms now, in some cases, the entire block at a hotel, with no reservations made at all. The cut-off dates have been 120 out in some properties, 90 days – mid-March – in others:

“I think it’s just they overcalculated. I don’t know if it’s just the demand itself or the current conditions that are pushing it away, but we are much less bullish about World Cup than we were three months ago.”

Another operator noted pick-up rates by FIFA of just 15%.

Hotels are reacting. Lior Sekler, chief commercial officer at HRI Lodging, said, “We’re opening transient, we are removing length-of-stay restrictions, we’re offering inventory to groups outside of FIFA. We’re kind of like business as usual.”

Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality market analytics at CoStar, opined:

“The overall numbers are likely going to be a little bit disappointing if the trends hold that we’re talking about today. … Maybe what’s going to happen is that we’re going to see this tale of two World Cups, that what happens in June is underwhelming and what happens in July is on par or better.”

That would be after the group-stage matches conclude and the tournament moved into the elimination stage starting on 28 June and continuing to the final on 19 July.

A Forbes.com review noted comments from CoStar Senior Director of Hospitality Market Analytics Chantal Wu, who said that accommodations demand during the tournament will boost RevPAR by a modest 1.2% in June and 1.5% in July. That’s down from a 1.7% projected increase for tournament time just a month ago, and “only a quarter of the boost received when the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994.”

This does not mean that no one is coming. Wu said:

“For some of the larger international gateway markets – Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York – we’re projecting double-digit RevPAR growth for both June and July.”

She did say that Kansas City is projected for a small REVPar decline in June (0.1%) ad 6.3% in July, due to its location and that it is not an international gateway.

But this is not the name-your-price rush that had been expected, based on FIFA’s projections of a 50/50 domestic-international tourism split. And while the demand for tickets is great, to the extent that international travelers do not come, they will be quickly absorbed by local or national demand … who may not even stay in a hotel.

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PANORAMA: Venezuela wins WBC, 3-2, over U.S.; ITA reports 852 therapeutic-use exemptions asked in 2025; Iran talks Mexico for FIFA World Cup

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 ≡

● Anti-Doping ● The International Testing Agency unveiled a reporting “dashboard” on the applications for Therapeutical Use Exemptions – being allowed to take a banned substance in order to treat a specific medical condition – which shows 3,528 applications between 2019 and 2025.

These are only for TUE applications that come to the ITA, and the number has expanded as the agency has become the doping administrator for an expanding number of federations. In recent years, there were 631 in 2023, 777 in 2024 and 852 in 2025.

Of the total of 3,528 from 2019-25, 2361 were approved (66.9%), 903 were not needed or withdrawn (25.6%), 75 were denied (2.1%) and there are 186 cases pending (5.3%).

The sports with the most applications included equestrian (379), cycling (323), gymnastics (227), archery (208) and aquatics (193); track & field is not included since it has its own Athletics Integrity Unit.

The no. 1-requested exemption? It’s for Methylphenidate, a stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with 944 requests among the 3,528 total applications.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit announced another Kenyan doping sanction on Tuesday, with Nancy Jalegat Meto suspended “for 2 years from 5 February 2026 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Furosemide).”

Meto is a 2:19:31 marathoner, from December 2021. Now 40, she has not raced since.

● Baseball ● The World Baseball Classic championship match pits the U.S. and Venezuela in Miami, 73 days after Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces.

The Venezuelans were on offense early, and a hit, walk, wild pitch, and sacrifice fly by Maikel Garcia scored Salvador Perez for a 1-0 lead in the third. Wilyer Abreu gave them a 2-0 lead in the fourth with a solo home run, and the U.S. offense was silent.

Four Venezuelan pitchers had allowed just two U.S. hits and down to their final four outs, Bobby Witt Jr. drew a two-out walk from Andres Machado and then Bryce Harper exploded with a massive home run to center field and a 2-2 tie!

But Venezuela was not deterred the took the lead again in the top of the ninth, on a walk to Luis Arraez and a center-field double by Eugenio Suarez that scored pinch-runner Javier Sanoja for the 3-2 lead.

Daniel Palencia pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and Venezuela won its first World Baseball Classic title, with the U.S. losing in the title game for the second WBC in a row.

Venezuelan pitching, which gave up seven runs to the Dominican Republic in pool play and five to Japan in an 8-5 quarterfinal win, yielded only two runs to Italy and two to the U.S. in the semis and finals.

● Cycling ● Although it’s not supposed to be, professional cycling is often a contact sport, such as the attack on American Matteo Jorgenson after the difficult penultimate stage of the 61st Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy last Saturday.

Jorgenson, riding for the Dutch team Visma-Lease A Bike, finished third in that sixth stage, ending in Camerino, but was met at his team bus and attacked by Spanish rider Javier Romo (Movistar team-Spain), who grabbed Jorgenson by the neck and screamed at him.

The incident was apparently generated by an action taken by Jorgenson during the race, but which was not seen on the race broadcast. The two were separated and Jorgenson continued into the bus and moved on to the Sunday finale, where he moved up from third overall to second.

A team spokesman said later of the in-race situation, “It was just a race incident, nothing special.” There was no report of further escalation on Sunday, with Jorgenson finishing second overall and Romo, 12th.

● Fencing ● USA Fencing announced it will be participating as a part of the America250 celebrations taking part this year:

“Plans include live fencing experiences and demonstrations at America250 events, athlete appearances by U.S. Olympians and Paralympians at celebrations nationwide, collaborative storytelling through the Our American Story program highlighting the diverse backgrounds of the fencing community, volunteer engagement through the America Gives initiative, and patriotic celebrations at USA Fencing’s national events leading up to and including the Fourth of July.

“USA Fencing’s 2026 Summer Nationals and July Challenge, held June 28 through July 6 in Portland, Ore., will feature America250 activations during the event.”

America250 “Programming Partners” with Olympic ties include the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the U.S. Soccer Federation and now, USA Fencing.

● Flag Football ● Exhibition matches between the World Champion United States men’s team and two teams of current and former NFL players will take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday (21st), the site of the 2028 Olympic competition.

The “Fanatics Flag Football Classics” was to be played in Riyadh (KSA), but was relocated in view of the conflict in Iran and is slated for 1-5:30 p.m. Pacific time. The games will be played under International Federation of American Football (IFAF) rules and refereed by IFAF officials.

NFL owners have approved the participation of team players for Olympic competition; the exhibitions will offer an interesting contrast between a championship flag team and NFL players.

● Football ● Given the continuing conflict, Iranian representatives in Mexico said they were trying to get FIFA to move their 2026 World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum telling reporters Tuesday:

“They are discussing with FIFA whether it’s feasible because they were going to hold the (games) in the United States. They are looking into whether they can hold (them) in Mexico, and we will inform you when the time comes. Mexico has relations with all countries in the world. We’ll see what FIFA decides and then we’ll announce it.”

FIFA’s statement was straightforward: “FIFA is looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on Dec. 6, 2025.”

Iran plays New Zealand and Belgium in Inglewood, California in its first two matches and then Egypt in Seattle in its third group match. None of those teams seem interested in moving.

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