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EXTRA/FINA Worlds Day 3: Ledecky vs. the clock, Efimova vs. King and much more

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 25, 2017 – Day three of the FINA World Championships in swimming will have three riveting rivalries to watch:

  • Olympic champion Lilly King of the U.S. against Russia’s reigning World Champion Yuliya Efimova in the women’s 100 m Breaststroke;
  • American Olympic champions Matt Grevers (2012) and Ryan Murphy (2016) trying to chase China’s Jiayu Xu in the men’s 100 m Backstroke;
  • Katie Ledecky against the clock in the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle!

We have previews of each event, links to the live results, a review of Monday’s highlights and the records and results summaries in this EXTRA edition of The Sports Examiner.

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TSX’s Weekend Fab Five: A Jamaican you know and one you don’t

By
Rich Perelman
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The Sports Examiner’s best Olympic-sport performances of the weekend … includes two fine Jamaican performances, but also a powerful start by the formidable U.S. swimmers:

=> No. 5: Usain Bolt, Evan Jager and Ajee Wilson

At the IAAF Diamond League meet in Monaco, Jamaican icon Usain Bolt showed that he is quite capable of winning the 100 m World Championship in London in a couple of weeks. But American Evan Jager ran the no. 2 time in U.S. history in winning the Steeplechase from Kenya’s Jairus Birech and Ajee Wilson set an American Record in the 800 meters in a tight finish with Olympic medalists Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba.

=> No. 4: British diver Tom Daley

The 2009 World Champion in the 10 m Platform event, Britain’s Tom Daley famously imploded last year and failed to make the Olympic final in Rio. In 2017, he was expected to challenge for a medal, but China’s Aisen Chen – gold medalist in Rio – was a prohibitive favorite. Instead, Daley’s first two dives gave him a lead he would never relinquish, and a second World title, in Budapest.

=> No. 3: U.S. women’s hockey team wins FIH World League semi

True, it was only a semi-final tournament, but the sixth-ranked U.S. women fought their way through second-ranked England and then out-lasted Germany in the final, winning two shoot-outs in a row to claim the win and move on to the final later this year.

=> No. 2: U.S. into the CONCACAF Gold Cup final … against Jamaica?

Turnarounds came this weekend in the Gold Cup as the U.S. powered through Costa Rica and reversed the humiliating loss last November with a 2-0 at AT&T Stadium in Texas. Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Kemar Lawrence curled a free kick into the Mexican goal to send the Reggae Boyz to their second straight Gold Cup final with a 1-0 upset.

One more winner from these results will be the advertising directors of Mexican radio and television sportstalk shows, which are sure to see their audiences increase!

=> No. 1: United States swimmers

The American swim team had an astonishing first day at the FINA World Championships with three gold medals, four total medals and five American records. Katie Ledecky won two golds on the first day and Caeleb Dressel set two American records, wiping out two marks from the plastic-suit era in one day.

When is being the best in the world not good enough?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 24, 2017 – The United States swim team led the medal count at the 2015 World Championships … and was considered a near-failure.

Sometimes, even being the best isn’t good enough. But USA Swimming changed its approach and had an Olympic Games for the ages in Rio last year.

Now a new development could change the way U.S. sports federations think about the years between Olympic Games: NBC’s Olympic Channel.

Can it really make a difference? We examine the possibilities in our Lane One commentary, plus full coverage of the FINA World Championships in Aquatics and much more:

= p. 5/Aquatics: U.S. opens swimming with four medals & five U.S. records!
= p. 15/Football: Jamaica stuns Mexico and will meet U.S. in Gold Cup final!
= p. 16/Cycling: Chris Froome wins fourth Tour de France with brilliant time trial;
= p. 18/Athletics: Bolt wins, but Ajee Wilson sets new U.S. women’s 800 record!
= p. 25/Beach Volleyball: Kerri Walsh Jennings injured in World Tour Olsztyn;
= p. 28/Hockey: U.S. women victorious in World League semi-final tournament!

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EXTRA: Swimming starts at World Champs with Katie Ledecky in 400 m Free

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 22, 2017 – Diving, synchronized swimming and open water events are all fun and interesting.

Now come the swimming events that everyone has been waiting for at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.

The pool program gets off to a roaring start on Sunday with American superstar Katie Ledecky (pictured) possibly ready to better her own world record in the women’s 400 m Freestyle, plus the men’s 400 m Free and the men’s and women’s 4×100 m Freestyle relays.

We have previews of each event, links to the live results and television listings and even the prize money – and world record bonus – breakdown in this EXTRA edition of The Sports Examiner.

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The Sports Examiner’s Weekend Watch List: The Katie Ledecky Show

By
Rich Perelman
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The best of Olympic sport on television this weekend is from, in reverse order, Paris, Arlington, Pasadena and Budapest:

=> No. 3: Cycling/Tour de France: Stages 20-21

 Stage 8: Saturday, July 22 on NBCSN at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time from France.
¶ Stage 9: Sunday, July 23 on NBCSN at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time from France.
¶ Why watch? British star Chris Froome is closing in on his third straight Tour de France win, but he’s not free and clear yet, especially from France’s Romain Bardet, just 23 seconds back in the overall standings, after more than 80 hours of racing. Remember, no Frenchman has won the Tour since 1985, so he will have plenty of supporters!

=> No. 2: Football/CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals

¶ Saturday, July 22 on FS1/Univision/UDN at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time from Arlington, Texas;
¶ Sunday, July 23 on FS1/Univision/UDN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, from Pasadena, California.
¶ Why watch? The U.S. men’s soccer team faces Costa Rica, which humiliated the Americans so badly in their last game in November that Jurgen Klinsmann was fired and Bruce Arena re-hired. That’s on Saturday.

On Sunday is upstart Jamaica, trying to make its second consecutive Gold Cup final vs. defending champion Mexico, with a suspended coach and more drama than all the telenovelas on television put together, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

=> No. 1: Swimming/FINA World Championships

Sunday, July 23 on NBCSN at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time from Budapest, Hungary.
¶ Why watch? The swimming action is finally starting, with American superstar and world record holder Katie Ledecky swimming in the 400 m Freestyle, and the men’s and women’s speed relay, the 4×100 m Freestyle, all from Budapest.

When technology went too far: Swimming’s fantastic plastic suits

By
Rich Perelman
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Introduction of Speedo's LZR Racer plasticized swimsuit in February 2008 ~ when technology overtook swimming.

PALM DESERT, July 21, 2017 – The swimming portion of the FINA World Championships starts on Sunday with American superstar Katie Ledecky possibly ready to better her own world record in the women’s 400 m Freestyle.

But there are plenty of records that will not be approached, as they are reminders of the short but devastating era when technology got ahead of the swimmers. The plastic-suit era saw a wholesale rewriting of the record books and because it took two years before the suits were banned, half of today’s records date from 2008 and 2009.

We have the details in our Lane One commentary, plus full coverage of the FINA World Championships in Aquatics and much more:

= p. 5/Aquatics: Ashley Twichell takes gold for U.S. in Open Water 5 km!
= p. 13/Football: U.S. men reach Gold Cup semis, face Costa Rica on Saturday;
= p. 14/Cycling: Britain’s Chris Froome leads Tour de France with three stages left;
= p. 16/World Games: 31-sport, 222-event with 111 nations starts in Wroclaw!
= p. 17/Athletics: Usain Bolt’s last pre-World Champs tune-up in Monaco today!
= p. 21/Basketball: No. 1-ranked U.S. women’s U-19 starts World Champs in Italy;
= p. 21/Weightlifting: Pan American Champs starts in Miami!

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Phelps is racing sharks for fun, Owens raced horses because he needed money

By
Rich Perelman
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This is not a mirage: Jesse Owens really is getting ready to race a horse in 1938.

PALM DESERT, July 19, 2017 – The silly Michael Phelps vs. a Great White Shark show coming Sunday is designed to be fun and entertaining. But man vs. beast was no joke for another Olympic champion 81 years ago.

Jesse Owens won four gold medals in Berlin in 1936, but he couldn’t find a job when he returned to the U.S. So, he had to race horses to pay his debts.

We remember Owens’ pain in his own words in our Lane One commentary, plus full coverage of the FINA World Championships in Aquatics and much more:

= p. 5/Aquatics: U.S. scores first medals in Budapest in diving, open water and synchro!
= p. 11/Fencing: Strong U.S. team headed for Leipzig and 2017 World Champs;
= p. 13/Football: U.S. men in Gold Cup quarterfinals in Philadelphia tonight!
= p. 14/Cycling: Decision time in the Alps for the 2017 Tour de France!
= p. 17/Triathlon: Flora Duffy joins elite company with third win in a row!

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The IOC changed its future, now what about the Paralympics?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 17, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee made a decisive move for the future with its decision to select host cities for both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games.

Now the International Paralympic Committee is getting ready to find its future through the election of a new governing board and a new president. But what is the IPC’s vision for the future?

Can it continue to grow? Will it do the one thing that will bring its athletes into the spotlight, unhindered by the shadow of the Olympic Games?

We check in on the IPC and its future in our Lane One commentary, plus a full coverage of the FINA World Championships in Aquatics and much more:

= p. 5/Diving: China still strong, but not invincible so far in Budapest!
= p. 11/Athletics: Sensational shot put series from U.S. & Olympic champ Ryan Crouser;
= p. 17/Cycling: Tour de France is getting serious now; are you paying attention yet?
= p. 23/Triathlon: U.S. scores silver in first-ever Relay World Championship race!
= p. 25/Wrestling: U.S. men’s Freestylers go 25-0 in Grand Prix of Spain!

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The International Olympic Committee, and its money

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 14, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee gives away 90% of all of its revenue to support the Olympic Movement.

Is this, to paraphrase 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, “lies, damned lies or statistics”?

We comb through the IOC’s just-released annual report to find out the facts from the figures in our Lane One commentary, plus a full coverage of the FINA World Championships in Aquatics that starts today:

= p. 5/Phil Hersh: IOC and NBC reinforce Peter Ueberroth’s Olympic legacy;
= p. 9/Aquatics: Previews of FINA World Champs diving, open water and synchro events;
= p. 14/Athletics: U.S. World Champs team warming up at Diamond League Rabat;
= p. 17/Swimming: Ryan Lochte returns from suspensions & two swimmers get BMWs!
= p. 18/Wrestling: 17 U.S. wrestlers in new United World Wrestling rankings!

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Remembering UCLA’s Jim Bush, who knew the power of effort and encouragement

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 12, 2017 – Do we die a little bit inside when one of our mentors passes away?

For so many athletes who were coached, encouraged or advised by UCLA’s great track & field coach, Jim Bush, the world is a little less bright after he passed on Monday, aged 90. He had gathered with alumni and friends last April, knowing that his time was short and wanting to touch those whom he knew and loved best one more time.

A personal recollection of Coach Bush is in our Lane One commentary, plus a full analysis of the historic 130th Session of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne:

= p. 6/Olympic Games: IOC approves L.A. and Paris for 2024/2028, IF they can agree …
= p. 8/Aquatics: Massive FINA World Champs start Thursday; our Water Polo preview!
= p. 9/Football: U.S. men’s team faces group leader Martinique in Gold Cup action;
= p. 11/Athletics: Christian Coleman only in 100 at Worlds; Bolt’s next race is …
= p. 12/Table Tennis: Tizzy over Chinese walkout about coaching still percolating.

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Ronald Reagan’s advice for the IOC and future Olympic bids

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 10, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee is on the verge of selecting host cities for two Olympic Games at the same time for the first time since 1921. But is this going to help solve the IOC’s problem in attracting bid cities for the future?

The issue is money, and U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s approach to dealing with Soviet promises of nuclear arms control applies equally to what the IOC must do in the future with its candidate cities.

We have the details – and the data – in our Lane One commentary, plus the details of a wild week of U.S. successes and disappointments in races and games around the world:

= p. 5/Athletics: Allyson Felix, Kerron Clement & Aries Merritt star for U.S. in London;
= p. 8/Basketball: U.S. men win bronze at FIBA U-19 World Cup in Egypt;
= p. 9/Beach Volleyball: U.S. duo of Phil Dalhausser & Nick Lucena win Gstaad 5-star!
= p. 21/Table Tennis: Kanak Jha & Lily Zhang repeat as U.S. champs;
= p. 22/Volleyball: U.S. women beat China, start 3-0 in FIVB Grand Prix!

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What did the IOC’s Evaluation Commission really say about L.A. and Paris?

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 7, 2017 – The International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission gave glowing endorsements to both the Los Angeles and Paris bids for the 2024 Olympic Games in their report released on Wednesday.

But were both bids as perfect as they seemed? Both are excellent … but not perfect, and the Commission did pick up on some of the underlying issues. And there’s a big monetary mistake that’s a plus for both cities!

We have the details in our Lane One commentary, plus a full report on what’s going on in the five-ring circus:

= p. 6/Athletics: Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.62 just one of five world leaders in Lausanne!
= p. 9/Basketball: U.S. U-19 men crush Mali and head to world Cup semis vs. Germany!
= p. 11/Swimming: Ready for the Global Association of Professional Swimmers?
= p. 12/Athletics: Star-studded Diamond League meet with Farah & Felix on Sunday;
= p. 15/Football: U.S. men face Panama in Gold Cup opener in New Jersey!

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What is fairness? The IAAF, Caster Semenya and “intersex” athletes

By
Rich Perelman
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Testosterone chemical structure formula

PALM DESERT, July 5, 2017 – South Africa’s reigning Olympic 800 m champion Caster Semenya has been a lightning rod for controversy since her 2009 World Championship at age 18 that raised questions about her status as a woman.

The IAAF required her to be medicated to reduce her unusually high testosterone level, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport told the IAAF it had to come back with better scientific evidence and suspended the federation’s rules on testosterone. Now the IAAF has its report in hand; what does it say and what’s next?

The background and the issues going forward are in our Lane One commentary, plus a full report on what’s going on in the five-ring circus:

= p. 6/Shooting: Mother and son both make the U.S. National Team in Air Pistol!
= p. 7/Swimming: USA Swimming names World Champs team for Budapest;
= p. 9/Athletics: World-record holder Wayde van Niekerk in Lausanne meet Thursday!
= p. 13/Basketball: U.S. men’s U-19 World Cup team faces Mali in Round of 16;
= p. 13/Cycling: Star rider Peter Sagan throws an elbow and is DQ’d in Tour de France!

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The unbearable sadness of watching the world’s greatest swim team

By
Rich Perelman
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PALM DESERT, July 3, 2017 – USA Swimming’s Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis was the swim meet of the year, producing 48 top-five marks in the world, eight world-leading times and two American Records.

But it was also depressing, because the stands were only half-full at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. Who is to blame for this? What wasn’t done? Who should be fired?

It’s a lot more complicated than that and we explore the issues in our Lane One commentary, plus a full report on a hot weekend in Olympic sport:

= p. 5/Swimming: Full coverage of a sensational 2017 Phillips 66 Nationals!
= p. 9/Athletics: A great day for U.S. hurdler Devon Allen, and then a false start …
= p. 10/Basketball: U.S. men’s U-19 team wins first two World Cup games by 217-116!
= p. 13/Cycling: Has anything important happened at the Tour de France yet? Yes!
= p. 18/Gymnastics: Laura Zeng wins fifth straight U.S. Rhythmic All-Around title.

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