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Coming soon: the sports marketing spectacle of the 21st Century … or a train wreck?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 27, 2017 – The 2028 Olympic Games have been awarded to Los Angeles. The 2026 FIFA World Cup could be assigned to the joint bid of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. next June. And now the United States Olympic Committee is considering a bid for the Olympic Winter Games for 2026 or 2030.

Is all this too much of a good thing? A back-to-back-to-back hosting of these three events would be a first for any country and points to one significant problem. What is it? Get the details in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 6/Anti-Doping: WADA report shows doping positives rose in 2016!
= p. 7/Alpine Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn & Ted Ligety in World Cup season opener;
= p. 9/Figure Skating: Ashley Wagner & Karen Chen ready for Skate Canada International;
= p. 11/Football: England and Spain to face off in final of FIFA U-17 World Cup in India;
= p. 14/Shooting: Legendary Kim Rhode equals world record to win World Cup Skeet title!

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Triathlon star Katie Zaferes is all about being prepared

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 25, 2017 – American triathlon star Katie Zaferes finished second at the Triathlon World Series Grand Final this year and is second on the International Triathlon Union’s points list.

Sure, talent is important. But preparation has a lot to do with it.

She shares how she gets ready for a race long before she lands in a city, and her goals for the future … and her weakness for ice cream. All the details are in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 6/Anti-Doping: German TV documentary starts new inquest on Chinese doping!
= p. 9/Ice Hockey: U.S. and Canadian women continue their pre-Olympic tour;
= p. 11/Shooting: U.S. already with a medal in World Cup Final in New Delhi;
= p. 15/Football: Clash of unbeatens Brazil and England in U-17 World Cup semis!
= p. 16/Swimming: Italians sweep FINA 10 km Open Water season titles!

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Anita DeFrantz on the 1980 boycott: “It still is extremely painful”

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 23, 2017 – Anita DeFrantz rose to fame by suing the United States Olympic Committee to allow American athletes – including her – to compete at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

She failed, but that was the catalyst for a long career in the Olympic Movement, including a senior role with the organizing committee for the revolutionary 1984 Games in Los Angeles, then becoming a member of the International Olympic Committee and an activist for athletes and women in sport.

She reflected on the 1980 experience and what came after at the launch of her memoir, written with Josh Young, entitled My Olympic Years. We have a selection of her comments in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 6/Figure Skating: Nathan Chen & the Shibutanis strike gold in Moscow Grand Prix!
= p. 14/Fencing: Bronze for Race Imboden and gold for the U.S. men’s Foil team in Cairo;
= p. 15/Football: U.S. men eliminated by England in U-17 World Cup quarterfinals;
= p. 15/Football: U.S. women crush Korea, 6-0, in friendly in North Carolina;
= p. 17/Triathlon: American Sophie Chase wins her 1st ITU race: the American Champs!

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After Innsbruck’s repudiation, is the IOC whistling past the Olympic graveyard?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 20, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee is staying cool after the repudiation of the Winter Games bid by Innsbruck and the Tyrol region of Austria last Sunday. Everything will be OK.

But one member – Switzerland’s Rene Fasel – has recognized the danger to the Games: its size. In an interview, he noted some astonishing facts on costs and says action is needed. Olympic historian Dr. Bill Mallon has done the same and shared the figures on how the Games have grown.

The worst part: the IOC itself recognized this before … and has done nothing about it. We have the details in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 7/Triathlon: Pan American Championships this weekend in Ecuador;
= p. 9/Football: U.S. men’s U-17 squad faces England in World Cup quarterfinals;
= p. 9/Football: U.S. women cruise past Korea, 3-1, in New Orleans.

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Innsbruck’s message to the IOC: Even a zero-cost Games isn’t worth the hassle

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 18, 2017 – The failure of the referendum supporting a bid for the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck and the Tyrol region of Austria wasn’t just a rejection of sky-high costs for the Games.

It was rejection of the Olympic concept itself … because the bid as envisioned could well have earned a surplus!

How? We have the stunning details in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 5/Fencing: Double Olympic gold medalist Mariel Zagunis welcomes a baby girl!
= p. 5/Gymnastics: Olympic star Simone Biles announces new coach!
= p. 8/Fencing: Top-ranked Alex Massialas leads U.S. in men’s Foil World Cup;
= p. 9/Figure Skating: Nathan Chen & the Shibutanis in action in first ISU Grand Prix meet!
= p. 12/Football: Tim Weah’s hat trick leads U.S. to 5-0 win in FIFA U-17 World Cup!

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It’s all in the mind for Slopestyle World Champion McRae Williams

By
Rich Perelman
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McRae Williams was all up in the air over winning the 2017 World Slopestyle title! (Photo courtesy McRae Williams)

PALM DESERT, October 16, 2017 – In Freestyle Skiing, it seems younger is always better. Until 26-year-old McRae Williams stunned everyone – including himself – with a World Championships win last March, making him one to watch for the 2018 Winter Games.

We asked Williams about his career season and it turns out a book changed his outlook on life and sport. What book? What did it say?

We have the details in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 7/Bobsled: U.S. names women’s national Bobsled squad for 2017-18 World Cup;
= p. 14/Fencing: U.S.’s Lee Kiefer wins season-opening Foil World Cup in Cancun;
= p. 14/Football: U.S. plays Paraguay Monday in FIFA men’s U-17 World Champs;
= p. 15/Gymnastics: U.S. & Evita Griskenas dominates Pan Am Rhythmic Champs;
= p. 16/Sport Climbing: New U.S. Lead star Ashima Shirashi wins World Cup silver!

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U.S. Soccer is based in Chicago; to succeed, it must learn from the Cubs

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 13, 2017 – It’s a quiet time in the offices of the U.S. Soccer Federation in Chicago, where the stunning failure of men’s National Team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup is still sinking in.

Across town, however, there is jubilation as the World Champion Cubs will continue their title defense in Los Angeles against the Dodgers after eliminating the Washington Nationals in their National League Division Series finale on Thursday.

The Cubs went 108 years between World Series wins, but they are the champions now. Perhaps the soccer folks can learn something from them. We explore the situation and check the facts in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 8/Curling: U.S. quartet advances to playoffs in World Mixed Championships;
= p. 10/Football: U.S. loses final group match, but is in the world U-17 knock-put round!
= p. 10/Swimming: Better late than never, Katinka Hosszu & Chad le Clos win FINA World Cup cluster titles!

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Is there real money in Olympic sport? For FIFA, yes; for others, not so much

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 11, 2017 – If the root of all evil, as it is said, is money, then it’s no wonder why the biggest scandals in international sport involved FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.

Because that’s where the money is.

We explore just how much money FIFA has, notably in comparison to some of the other international federations who publishing their financials, such as the governing bodies for cycling and swimming, among others. The details are in our Lane One commentary, plus:

= p. 6/Football: U.S. men’s national team fails in Trinidad & will miss the 2018 World Cup;
= p. 8/Anti-Doping: More than 1,000 re-tests from Vancouver 2010 found just one doper!
= p. 8/Athletics: See why Tirunesh Dibaba needs to see her accountant after winning Chicago;
= p. 9/Beach Volleyball: Interesting new U.S. women’s combo in 3-star tourney in China;
= p. 12/Football: U.S. men remain undefeated in FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

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Sebastian Coe says track & field has to be radical to stay relevant; how about competent?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 9, 2017 – Olympic middle-distance icon Sebastian Coe was elected to head the international federation for track & field in 2014. After three years of dealing with continuing scandals regarding doping and alleged criminal activity by his predecessor, he says he’s got the IAAF in position for potentially “radical” reforms.

Fine, but how about doing the things that successful professional leagues already do to make their sports worldwide juggernauts?

We have three suggestions in our Lane One commentary, plus coverage of a stunning World Gymnastics Championships and more:

= p. 6/Gymnastics: Stunner by U.S.’s Morgan Hurd to win the women’s All-Around!
= p. 9/Football: U.S. really needed a win vs. Panama and Christian Pulisic delivered;
= p. 11/Athletics: American stars Galen Rupp & Jordan Hasay superb at Chicago Marathon;
= p. 14/Football: U.S. stomps India in New Delhi to open FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup!
= p. 15/Judo: Sweet surprise bronze medal for U.S. judoka Hannah Martin in Tashkent!

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It Takes a Village if the IOC is going to reform the Games

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 6, 2017 – The head of the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is now pressuring the organizers and the government to cut their budgets.

Australian IOC member John Coates has said he would like to see the cost of the 2020 Games slashed by as much as $1 billion. He said this week that he’s now looking into ways to trim some costs from the Olympic village.

He’s talking pennies in a billion-dollar project. The solutions are obvious, but no one wants to face reality. We have the details in our Lane One commentary, plus coverage of the World Gymnastics Championships and more:

= p. 5/Gymnastics: China goes 1-2 in men’s World Champs All-Around;
= p. 8/Athletics: American stars Galen Rupp & Jordan Hasay in Chicago Marathon;
= p. 10/Football: U.S. starts play Friday in FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in India.

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Will home cooking power a Korean medal parade next February?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 4, 2017 – Traditionally, countries which host an Olympic Games can expect their athletes to win more medals at home than in Games held elsewhere.

So what can be expected from Korean athletes at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games to be held – probably – next February in PyeongChang?

We survey the data from the last 20 years to see what the impact has been of “home cooking” on Winter Games athletes from the hosting country. The finding are in our Lane One commentary, plus the low-down on a major surprise at the World Gymnastics Championships:

= p. 5/Gymnastics: Shock as World Champion Kohei Uchimura withdraws from Worlds!
= p. 8/Football: U.S. men desperate for a win vs. Panama in World Cup qualifier on Friday;
= p. 10/Short Track: Are Korea’s Lim and Choi just too good, or ready too soon?
= p. 12/Diving: U.S.’s Brooke Schultz wins two at Pan American Junior Champs;
= p. 14/Surfing: U.S. juniors win World Surfing Championships team title!

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It really doesn’t pay to be a gymnast

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, October 2, 2017 – The FIG World Championships in Artistic Gymnastics are set to start Monday evening in Montreal in the historic Stade Olympique in an event that will have cost millions of dollars to stage.

But the gymnasts competing won’t see much of it. The prize money offered by the International Gymnastics Federation is just embarrassingly low.

How low? Find out in our Lane One commentary, plus your weekend report on the Olympic sport weekend that was:

= p. 5/Rowing: New faces on the podium at successful World Rowing Champs in Sarasota!
= p. 8/Swimming: Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu wins six events at swimming’s World Cup no. 4;
= p. 10/Equestrian: U.S. grabs silver at the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona;
= p. 12/Weightlifting: IWF suspends nine countries for year for 2008-12 Olympic doping!
= p. 15/Judo: Teddy Riner keeps winning, but new U.S. medalist in Zagreb World Cup!

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The “other” anthem protest: Wayne Collett, Vince Matthews and the 1972 Games

By
Rich Perelman
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Wayne Collett and Vince Matthews of the U.S. on the men's 400 m victory stand at the 1972 Olympic Games (Photo: Associated Press via Wikipedia)

PALM DESERT, September 29, 2017 – The current furor over sitting, standing, protesting and counter-protesting of the U.S. national anthem is old news for long-time observers of the Olympic Games.

While the 1968 victory stand demonstration by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos is well remembered, a non-demonstration on the victory stand by 400 m medalists Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett four years later in Munich is mostly forgotten. But it shouldn’t be.

We have a first-hand account of the circumstances, the event and the aftermath from Collett himself as recalled in 1977 in our Lane One commentary, plus an up-to-date report on a busy weekend coming up in Olympic sports:

= p. 6/Rowing: What to look for in the finals of the World Rowing Champs in Sarasota!
= p. 10/Swimming: Record-setting Sarah Sjostrom back for swimming World Cup no. 4 in Hong Kong;
= p. 12/Equestrian: U.S. looks for a medal in the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona;
= p. 14/Alpine Skiing: An injury and training update on the U.S.’s Alpine stars;
= p. 17/Judo: France’s Teddy Riner, winner of 134 straight matches, headlines the World Cup in Zagreb!

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Smorgasbord in the 21st Century: the Olympic Channel

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, September 25, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel celebrated its first birthday last week. With more than $100 million invested this far, is it a success?

It’s kind of like a smorgasbord: a lot of choose from, but hard to say that it’s really memorable. We check on what’s good, what can be improved and how the project might really make an impact in our Lane One commentary, plus an up-to-date report on the weekend in Olympic sports:

= p. 6/Athletics: Kenyan star Eliud Kipchoge wins Berlin Marathon in a downpour!
= p. 7/Cycling: Chantal Blaak’s surprise win tops Dutch trifecta in World Road Champs;
= p. 11/Athletics: London 1,500 m champ Asli Cakir Alptekin banned for life for third doping offense;
= p. 12/Cycling: U.S. track cycling star & eight-time World Champ Sarah Hammer retires;
= p. 12/Gymnastics: U.S. women’s squad named for World Artistic Championships.

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Winter Games warm-up: Five names to know (Part 3)

By
Rich Perelman
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Erin Hamlin, triple World Championships medalist (Photo: Sandro Halank via Wikimedia Commons)

PALM DESERT, September 22, 2017 – There have been only two Winter Games in Asia, both in Japan: Sapporo in 1964 and Nagano in 1998.

Between the two, the United States won 21 medals, but thanks to the athletes we’ve been profiling over the last couple of weeks, Team USA stands to win a lot more in PyeongChang in February.

We take a look at five more American stars in Freestyle Skiing, Luge, Snowboarding and Speed Skating in our Lane One commentary, along with previews of this weekend’s top attractions in international sports:

= p. 7/Athletics: Another world record coming in Sunday’s Berlin Marathon?
= p. 8/Cycling: Going Dutch: Annemiek van Vleuten and Tom Dumoulin win Worlds Time Trials;
= p. 16/Football: Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan key U.S. win in friendly over New Zealand.

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EXTRA: Our updated, 728-event Olympic sport calendar for 2017-18

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, Sep. 20, 2017 – We’re working on a software upgrade, but we had enough time to update our massive calendar of international events. In fact, the International Olympic Committee lists 41 sports on the program of the Olympic Games and 15 more for the Olympic Winter Games.

So, how best to keep track? By using The Sports Examiner’s updated, 728-event roster of events for the remainder of 2017 and on into 2018!

Compiled from the official calendars of the international sports federations and U.S. national governing bodies, this list includes information available as of this week. There are many summer-sport events not yet listed, but for a comprehensive list of winter-sport events leading to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang (KOR), we have you covered.

You’ll find World Championships, regional championships (especially in the Americas), World Cups, Grand Prix and U.S. championship events in an easy-to-use, chronological format across 17 pages.

Additions and amendments are welcome, so don’t be shy with comments and questions and feel free to share this with others who can benefit from it. Special thanks to Garry Hill of Track & Field News and Fred Baer for pointing out where to find the IAAF Diamond League schedule for 2018!

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Los Angeles has the 2028 Olympic Games, so what’s next? Hibernation?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, September 18, 2017 – As the parties and parades pass on and the recognition that Los Angeles will organize an Olympic Games 11 years into the future sets in, the question is well asked: What now?

What should the start-up organizing committee in Los Angeles be doing? Hibernate?

It’s instructive to look at how the prior L.A. organizers in 1932 and 1984 handled the start-up period. In fact, the 1932 Games were awarded nine years prior, so what did they do?

We have the answers in our Lane One commentary, along with highlights of an interesting weekend in international sports:

= p. 7/Triathlon: Flora Duffy completes dream season with second World Series title!
= p. 11/Cycling: Do you know who Hannah Roberts is? BMX Freestyle fans know …
= p. 12/Figure Skating: Nathan Chen sharp in season debut in U.S. International Classic;
= p. 13/Football: Julie Ertz keys U.S. women’s win in friendly over New Zealand;
= p. 15/Volleyball: Brazil wins, as U.S. men are fourth in Grand Champions Cup.

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Winter Games warm-up: Five names to know (Part II)

By
Rich Perelman
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Will American biathlete Lowell Bailey (center) be partying in PyeongChang like it's 2017?

PALM DESERT, September 15, 2017 – For decades, the U.S. showed only a middling interest in the Olympic Winter Games. And then the Games came to Salt Lake City in 2002.

The U.S. national governing bodies revved up like never before and American athletes won an unheard-of 34 medals. There has been very little fall-off since, and a powerful team is expected for PyeongChang next February.

We continue with a look at some of the people you’ll be hearing about, ready to make history in Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Bobsled, Snowboarding and Figure Skating. Some you have heard of, but some, probably not. And there is more:

= p. 7/Anti-Doping: 17 organizations demand Russia be banned from PyeongChang!
= p. 9/Diving: U.S. Platform diving star David Boudia to continue on for 2020;
= p. 9/Gymnastics: Riley McCusker out of World Champs training camp due to injury;
= p. 10/Athletics: Multi-eventers in Talence, France for annual Decastar meeting;
= p. 12/Volleyball: U.S. comes from ahead to lose to Iran in Grand Champions Cup.

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Can the IOC learn from shows like “Lets’s Make A Deal” and “The Match Game”?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, September 13, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee’s annual meeting is underway in Peru and along with handing the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games to Paris and Los Angeles, the members are considering how to further change the Games bid process for the future.

IOC chief Thomas Bach has already said the current system “produces too many losers.” Perhaps a lesson from a classic game show like “Let’s Make a Deal” or “The Match Game” might help: no one goes home empty-handed!

And there are lots of events besides the Olympic Games which could be of interest to cities which show some interest in bidding.

Check our list to see if you recognize all or any of them in our Lane One commentary, plus a look ahead to the weekend with big events coming in cycling, triathlon, volleyball and more:

= p. 5/Cycling: Britain’s Chris Froome declares his intentions for the World Championships!
= p. 6/Triathlon: Flora Duffy looking for second straight world title, in Rotterdam;
= p. 7/Volleyball: U.S. men start 1-0 in Grand Champions Cup in Japan;
= p. 8/Cycling: BMX Freestyle Park World Cup comes to Edmonton;
= p. 10/Football: U.S. women in two-game friendly series vs. New Zealand.

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Winter Games warm-up: Five names to know (Part I)

By
Rich Perelman
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Olympic Winter Games snowboard halfpipe favorite Chloe Kim of the U.S.

PALM DESERT, September 11, 2017 – We’re barely finished with summer and it’s less than five months from the start of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

So, to get you ready for the Games, let’s introduce some of the U.S. stars who will be relentlessly promoted on NBC and elsewhere to get you interested in watching. Today’s first installment includes medal contenders in Alpine Skiing, Snowboard, Figure Skating and Speed Skating. Can you guess who they are?

And we had a wild weekend of Olympic sport competitions, with great U.S. performances on four continents, including two medals in snowboarding! Yes, snowboarding in September! Highlights:

= p. 6/Tennis: Next generation of American women break through at U.S. Open!
= p. 7/Cycling: Historic win by Britain’s Chris Froome in Vuelta a Espana;
= p. 10/Shooting: U.S. on target with 12 medals in World Shotgun Championships!
= p. 12/Athletics: Nick Willis & Jenny Simpson win Fifth Avenue Miles, again;
= p. 20/Snowboard: Chloe Kim & Lindsey Jacobellis get World Cup wins down South!

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