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TSX REPORT: FIFA expanding 2026 World Cup to 104 matches! WADA asking for more sanctions power, unimpressed with Russian progress

By
Rich Perelman
-
The FIFA World Cup 2026 venue map (Photo: FIFA)

★ 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 ≡

1. FIFA to approve mammoth, 104-match World Cup for 2026
2. WADA chief Banka asks for stronger anti-doping treaty
3. Russia confirmed as still non-compliant with WADA Code
4. Activists asking vote on 2030 Commonwealth Games in Alberta
5. U.S. Swimmers offered $1 million bonus to sweep Paris relays

The FIFA Council approved a format of 12 groups of four for the 2026 World Cup, which will expand the tournament from 64 in Qatar to a staggering 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.! At the World Anti-Doping Agency Annual Symposium, President Witold Banka of Poland urged a revision of the UNESCO anti-doping treaty that would allow sanctions against countries, just as sanctions are now leveled at athletes. Moreover, he specifically noted that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is not yet compliant, even with the Court of Arbitration for Sport sanctions expiring at the end of last year, and pointed to the Kamila Valieva doping case from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games as a problem. In the Canadian province of Alberta, activists are asking why the hosting – and cost – of a 2030 Commonwealth Games in Calgary and Edmonton would be a good idea, with one group starting a petition to ask for a referendum on the project … which is currently only in the exploratory stage. USA Swimming wants to improve its relays performance at the World Championships and Olympic Games and announced a $500,000 bonus for the swimming and open-water team if the U.S. wins all seven Olympic-program relays at the 2023 Worlds and $1 million for a sweep at Paris 2024!

● Panorama: Aquatics (Phelps leads 2023 Hall of Fame Class) = Athletics (Goucher says she blew the whistle on Salazar) = Badminton (USA Badminton pays $1 million to settle harassment claim) = Baseball (2: Dominicans one-hit Israel, 10-0, in World Baseball Classic; good TV audiences so far) = Basketball (Hill says U.S. World Cup team forming) = Biathlon (Roeiseland and Herrmann-Wick retiring) = Boxing (Kremlev rips Women’s Worlds boycotters) = Gymnastics (Verniaiev suspension ends early) = Water Polo (Italy and Spain win men’s World Cup groups) ●

1.
FIFA to approve mammoth, 104-match World Cup for 2026

There will be no doubt that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be the biggest ever … by far.

The FIFA Council, meeting in advance of the FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, approved the international match calendar for 2025-30, clearing a 56-day period for players to join national teams, play in the 2026 World Cup and then return, back to the same schedule as for 2010, 2014 and 2018.

With the number of teams expanding from 32 to 48 for 2026, it was originally thought that the group stage would feature 16 groups of three teams. But after the brilliant group stage at Qatar 2022, the format reverted to the familiar four-team groups – 12 now needed – and the final games of each group played concurrently to help alleviate collusion. This also ensures that all teams play at each three matches.

With the added teams, the 2026 tournament will expand by 62.5%, from 64 matches to 104 and establish all-new records for attendance, world viewership and revenues. Suddenly, the $11 billion revenue target for the 2023-26 quadrennial seems achievable.

The World Cup Final is now scheduled for 19 July, with the opening on 11 June – 39 days in all – and with the top two teams from each of the 12 groups advancing, plus eight of the 12 third-place teams, into a new round of 32. The tournament will be played at 16 already-selected sites, with three in Mexico, two in Canada and the other 11 in the U.S.

A new FIFA club competition is also to debut in 2024 to match up the winners of the continental confederation championships. A 32-team FIFA Club World Cup will begin in 2025.

The 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali will take place on Thursday (16th), with Gianni Infantino (SUI) standing unopposed for re-election as President.

2.
WADA chief Banka asks for stronger anti-doping treaty

“The Convention does not have an effective enforcement mechanism so violating it has virtually no consequences. Even Russia has remained a compliant state party despite WADA revealing an extensive institutionalized doping program in that country and despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport acknowledging the active role of the Russian Government in the doping scandal. How is this possible? UNESCO must hold resistant Governments to account and protect other Governments and their athletes from those who violate the rules.”

That’s World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL) from his keynote address at the WADA Annual Symposium in Lausanne, urging a toughening of the United Nations Education Science and Culture Organization’s 2005 International Convention Against Doping in Sport.

The goal is to “hold to account” governments with weak anti-doping policies, just like athletes are subject to sanctions under the World Anti-Doping Code:

“Again and again, I have been told by athletes: ‘We want everyone involved in anti-doping to be held to the same standards as we are.’ That means Anti-Doping Organizations, coaches, doctors and WADA accredited laboratories. All these groups are held accountable by the World Anti-Doping Program… whether it is through the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA’s robust compliance monitoring program or stringent lab assessments.

“That leaves Governments, at least the ones that are apathetic or resistant. This is where we need to do much more. The importance of Governments in anti-doping cannot be overstated. Through legislation, policies, regulations, administrative practices and funding, they can take actions that are not available to the Sport Movement or to WADA. Governments can, in particular, restrict the availability or use of doping substances, increase border controls and fund Anti-Doping
Organizations. …

“Recently, I was at a meeting of senior Government officials where one Sports Minister was very vocal that his nation was compliant with the UNESCO Convention. I did not find this Minister’s intervention very convincing. So, I did a little research. What did I find? Let me put it this way… how many antidoping tests did this country carry out in 2022? The answer: Zero. How much education? Zero. How many investigations? Zero. So, the question is, how can a country be compliant with the UNESCO Convention if it does nothing in these important areas? How is that possible? While a [National Anti-Doping Organization] or National Olympic Committee acting as a NADO is held accountable through the Code, there is not much it can do if a government does not respect the Convention or does not provide adequate funding.”

Banka also noted that the WADA budget is now at an all-time high of $50.2 million and that $4.5 million in research grants will be distributed in 2023, 2024 and 2025. But he is looking for more:

“Governments and the Sport Movement cannot be expected to shoulder the financial
responsibility alone. To help address this situation, we are actively seeking national, continental and global partnerships. Last year, we announced our first such partnership. I am happy to say we hope to have more good news to reveal in the coming weeks.”

The first sponsorship agreement was signed in April 2022 with the Africa-based broadcaster SuperSport.

3.
Russia confirmed as still non-compliant with WADA Code

Banka went into some detail on the status of Russia, leaving no doubt of his view:

“I would like to provide a clear update on Russia and the status of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, RUSADA. First, I reiterate our support for the people – and, in particular, the athletes – of Ukraine in face of this continued Russian aggression. We stand – and will continue to stand – with Ukraine.

“Meanwhile, RUSADA remains non-compliant. That is related to the 2020 decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to declare RUSADA non-compliant and implement a number of consequences on Russian sport for a period of two years. We wanted four years and tougher consequences. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that.

“RUSADA will remain non-compliant until it fulfills each of the reinstatement conditions in full as laid out by CAS and until we have been able to verify that. We will continue to follow the agreed process. However, I must say that trust in the independence of the anti-doping system there remains very low. For example, the way the case of the [Russian] figure skater Kamila Valieva has been dealt with, has not been encouraging.

“The unnecessary delays in the case feed that distrust. Moreover, we have seen the coach in question [Eteri Tutberidze] receive awards from the highest office in the land. So much for the protection of young athletes, of children! We believe the first instance decision by RUSADA’s disciplinary tribunal is wrong. That is why WADA has appealed it to CAS.

“That decision raises questions as to the competence of their national hearing panel. It certainly does not build confidence. This is something we will continue to take very seriously.”

Banks also noted that the continuing data mining and sample testing from the infamous Moscow Laboratory information system (LIMS) from 2019 has yielded 181 sanctions against Russian athletes, 88 who have been charged with a doping offense and 212 cases that continue to be evaluated.

As far as the Valieva case is concerned, WADA Director General Olivier Niggli (SUI) told reporters:

“It is very difficult now to predict how long it will take, because many different factors affect the case, in particular, how the lawyers of the athlete will conduct the case.

“We would like to do everything possible to get the case resolved as quickly as possible. But the case is very complex, it combines three appeals. I would be very optimistic if I said that we will get a decision before the end of the year, there are still many unknown factors in the case now.”

Russian Anti-Doping Agency Director General Viktoria Loginova told the Russian news agency TASS:

“[I]n order to ensure independence, we are taking exhaustive measures that the World Anti-Doping Code and other WADA documents prescribe for us. Unfortunately, we hear such statements [from WADA] not for the first time. I hope this does not greatly demotivate our team, which, despite the huge number restrictions and difficulties, performs its work at a high level and in full compliance with international standards.”

4.
Activists asking vote on 2030 Commonwealth Games in Alberta

“People are struggling to put food on the table and pay their electricity bills, and the government, whether that be provincial or municipal, is now thinking about spending billions of dollars on what is essentially a big party.”

A familiar refrain from Peter McCaffrey of the Alberta Institute last week, initiating a push-back against the newly-announced study of a possible bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, primarily in Calgary and Edmonton.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has an online petition up, asking for signatures to demand a referendum in the province on the bid, prior to any money being spent on it.

There’s no bid yet, no budget, but more details are expected by the summer, with a possible award of the 2030 host from the Commonwealth Games Foundation as early as the end of the year.

In 2018, a potential Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games was defeated in a citywide referendum with more than 56% voting against it. Calgary very successfully hosted the 1988 Winter Games and Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games bids are quite interesting now since the requirements only specify that two sports must be held: athletics and swimming. The rest of the program is up to the bidder; in this century, the number of sports has been as low as 16 (in 2006: Melbourne) with 21 expected in Australia (Victoria) in 2026. The last Commonwealth Games in Canada was in Victoria (B.C.), in 1994.

5.
U.S. Swimmers offered $1 million bonus to sweep Paris relays

The American relay performance at the Olympic Games and World Championships has been good, but not great in recent seasons, so USA Swimming is trying to do something about it.

Bonus money:

At the 2023 World Championships:
● $500,000 for the pool and open-water swimmers to win all seven Olympic relays.
● $150,000 for a medal in all seven.

At the 2024 Olympic Games:
● $1,000,000 for the pool and open-water swimmers to win all seven relays.
● $250,000 for a medal in all seven.

The events include the 4×100 m Freestyle relay for men and women, 4×200 Free relay for men and women, the 4×100 m Medley relay for men and women and the 4×100 m Mixed Free relay.

Said Lindsay Mintenko, the USA Swimming National Team Managing Director:

“This is an unprecedented incentive program with the ultimate goal of extraordinary relay success. While many might see swimming as an individual sport, we at USA Swimming know that a team focus is the very core of our success. We have a proud tradition in Olympic and World Championship relays, and we hope to foster that culture and camaraderie in the next wave of athletes.”

At Tokyo in 2021, the U.S. won both men’s 4x100s, was fourth in the men’s 4×200 Free, won silvers in the 4×200 m Free and 4×100 m Medley and was third in the women’s 4×100 m Free. No bonus.

At the 2022 World Championships, the U.S. won five of seven – men’s 4×100 m Free, men’s 4×200 m Free, women’s 4×200 m Free and 4×100 m Medley, and the Mixed Relay, plus a silver in the men’s 4×100 m Medley and bronze in the women’s 4×100 m Free. A repeat in 2023 will be worth $150,000, split among the entire team.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Aquatics ● The International Swimming Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2023 on Tuesday, led by the greatest swimmer in history, American Michael Phelps.

The induction ceremony on 30 September in Ft. Lauderdale will include 13 new members, from eight countries:

● Swimming: Cesar Cielo (BRA)
● Swimming: Kirsty Coventry (ZIM)
● Swimming: Missy Franklin (USA)
● Swimming: Kosuke Kitajima (JPN)
● Swimming: Michael Phelps (USA)

● Artistic: Natalia Ischenko (RUS)
● Diving: Minxia Wu (CHN)
● Water Polo: Heather Petri (USA)
● Open Water: Stephane LeCat (FRA)

● Coach: Bob Bowman (USA, swimming)
● Coach: Chris Carver (USA, artistic)

● Contributor: Sam Ramsamy (RSA)

● Paralympian: Trischa Zorn (USA).

Cielo was a supreme sprinter, setting two world marks and winning the 50 m Freestyle at Beijing 2008 and bronzes in the 100 m Free in 2008 and the 50 m Free in 2012. Coventry won eight Olympic medals (2-4-2) across five Olympic Games from 2000-16 in the Backstroke and Medleys (all in 2004 and ‘08). Backstroke star Franklin won five Olympic medals (4-1-0) and 11 Worlds golds. Kitajima set seven world records and doubled in the 100 and 200 m Breaststroke events in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. Phelps won 28 Olympic medals, the most ever, including 23 golds and set an astonishing 39 world records.

Ishchenko was a five-time Olympic champion and 19-time Worlds winner, from 2005-16, in Solo, Duet and Team events. Wu won five Olympic golds in 2004-08-12 and eight Worlds golds in Springboard diving. Petri was a key member of the 2012 Olympic champs, silver medalist in 2008 and 2020 and on the 2004 bronze-medal team. Lecat was the FINA World Cup Series winner three times, in 1997-99-2000.

Bowman coached Phelps and was an assistant U.S. Olympic coach in 2004-08-12 before serving as head coach in 2016. Carver was a renowned artistic swimming choreographer and guided the U.S. team to the 1996 Olympic Team gold.

Ramsamy was a key figure in isolating South Africa’s apartheid regime in sports, then becoming one of its leaders after integration in the 1990s. He continues to serve as the First Vice President of World Aquatics.

Zorn, who is blind, has won an amazing 55 medals, including 41 golds, in Paralympic Games competition, beginning in 1980.

● Athletics ● U.S. distance star Kara Goucher told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was the person who informed the U.S. Center for SafeSport about two incidents of “inappropriate touching” during massages by then-Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar and that the allegations eventually led to his lifetime ban.

Goucher, 44, a two-time Olympian in 2008 and 2012 and the 2007 World Championships silver medalist at 10,000 m, appeared to promote her memoir, The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team.

Salazar was suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2019 and then banned for life by SafeSport in 2021. He said in a statement:

“Any claim that Ms. Goucher was sexually assaulted by me is categorically untrue. I am deeply saddened by Ms. Goucher’s false claim. I worked with Ms. Goucher as her coach for nearly seven years, from October 2004 to September 2011, when Ms. Goucher was 26 to 33 years old. We had a strong professional relationship, and Ms. Goucher and her husband became friends with my wife and family during the time we worked together. Ms. Goucher achieved a number of professional successes during my coaching of her, but when I became unable to provide the coaching and support that Ms. Goucher needed to achieve her goals, Ms. Goucher left and retained another coach. I have never sexually assaulted Ms. Goucher and never would have done so.”

● Badminton ● ESPN and ABC News reported that USA Badminton “secretly paid $1 million to settle a dispute with a former employee who says he was terminated in retaliation for reporting allegations of sexual abuse by a prominent coach.”

The agreement, from January of this year, paid former federation senior staff member compliance officer Alistair Casey after he alleged that he was harassed and fired in 2021 for reporting old allegations of sexual abuse within the sport to the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

It’s worth noting that USA Badminton’s 2021 financial statements – the last publicly available – showed the federation with less than $366,000 in assets and cash-on-hand of $351,542. It had total revenues of $552,485 for the year, and did not note any significant future events “that would require recognition in the financial statements or disclosure in the related notes to the financial statements.”

That would make a $1 million payout truly extraordinary and perhaps covered by insurance, against a potentially even greater liability in a trial.

● Baseball ● The next-to-last day of competition in the two U.S.-based pools in the World Baseball Classic saw tournament favorite Dominican Republic get back into contention for the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Israel in a seven-inning game due to the 10-run rule.

Third baseman Manny Machado hit a third-inning home run and drive in three runs for the Dominicans, who are now 2-1 and will play Puerto Rico (2-1) on Wednesday for the right to advance to the quarterfinals. Venezuela is atop Pool D in Miami with a 3-0 mark and will play 1-2 Israel, which was shut out for the second straight game, this time with one hit, after being held to none on Monday against Puerto Rico. Nicaragua lost to Venezuela, 4-1, and will finish last in the group at 0-4.

In Pool C in Phoenix, the U.S. had the day off after pummeling Canada, 12-1, to move to 2-1. The Canadians bounced back to beat Colombia, 5-0, and are also 2-1 with Colombia at 1-2.

Great Britain (1-3), seen as the weakest team in the group coming in, battled Mexico  (2-1) to a 1-1 tie through six innings in the nightcap, but catcher Alexis Wilson singled in shortstop Alan Trejo in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 lead and that’s the way it ended. The pool will be decided on Wednesday as Canada faces Mexico and the U.S. plays Colombia.

Television audiences for the Classic have been pretty good, with last Saturday night’s U.S.-Great Britain game drawing 1.479 million on FOX. The Saturday day game between Mexico and Colombia on FS1 drew 758,000 and Sunday evening’s U.S.-Mexico match-up had an average of 791,000 viewers. The Sunday early-evening game with Venezuela and Puerto Rico drew 599,000, the only other game above the half-million mark.

● Basketball ● The U.S. men had a tough time at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Australia, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games, but finishing seventh after a quarterfinal loss to France, its worst finish ever.

The American team schedule is now set for 2023, with USA Basketball men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill telling reporters on Monday that exhibition games have been set for Malaga (ESP) against Slovenia (12 August) and Spain (13 August), and in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on 18 and 20 August against Greece and Germany. The U.S. will open World Cup play in the Philippines on 25 August.

As to the players, Hill explained:

“I understood when taking this job that it would be challenging and certainly not ceremonial at all.

“There’s a tremendous amount respect for the international game and certainly a lot of work that that goes into giving ourselves a chance to win gold. The expectations are tremendous. Anything less than gold is looked upon as a failure. I’m aware of that. But I love the challenge. …

“Players have been very, very receptive. I think in recent weeks, we’ve started to intensify that and looking to really get some momentum there and some commitments, possibly, here in the stretch run going into the [NBA] playoffs.”

A member of five USA Basketball national teams, Hill expects to have the roster finalized by late June or early July. The World Cup draw is on 29 April.

● Biathlon ● Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Germany’s Denise Hermann-Wick both announced their retirements on Tuesday, in advance of this week’s final World Cup stop in Oslo (NOR).

Roeiseland, 32, was the 2021-22 overall World Cup champion and won a staggering 17 World Championships medals (13-0-4) from 2016-23; 11 of her golds were on relays. She won seven Olympic medals (3-2-2), including golds in Beijing in 2022 in the 7.5 km Sprint, 10 km Pursuit and the Mixed Relay. Going into this weekend’s events, she also owns 19 World Cup victories.

Herrmann-Wick, 34, won the Beijing 15 km Individual race and a bronze in the 4×6 km Relay. She owns nine World Championships medals (2-6-1), including a 2019 victory in the 10 km Pursuit and a 2023 win in the 7.5 km Sprint. She owns 11 World Cup wins in biathlon.

She changed sports after being a cross-country skier from 2009-17, winning an Olympic relay bronze in Sochi in 2014 and taking six World Cup medals (0-3-3). Given her success in biathlon, she made an informed choice!

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Championships begin in New Delhi (IND) on Wednesday, with 65 countries – down from 77 initially expected – sending more than 300 boxers, competing for a prize purse of $2.4 million.

IBA President Umar Kremlev (RUS) didn’t miss an opportunity to taunt those countries who are boycotting the event in protest for how the IBA has been operated and its expanding issues with the International Olympic Committee, including its continued place on the Olympic program:

“We, as the International Boxing Association, are defending our independence, we don’t need to be dictated to, we will figure it out ourselves. We call for getting rid of those people who are trying to destroy the culture of sports that has been prepared and created for hundreds of years. Those people who are trying to destroy it do not exist; these jackals are not here.

“Boxers from those countries that did not come to the World Boxing Championship would like to participate, but officials prevented them. We provided all athletes with the opportunity; it is clear that all athletes want this. But there are some, as they say, sports officials who are politicians who blocked the arrival of athletes.”

● Gymnastics ● A break for Ukraine, as two-time Olympian and Rio 2016 Parallel Bars gold medalist Oleg Verniaiev had his doping suspension for Meldonium cut from four years to two years, allowing him to compete again immediately.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Tuesday that after being suspended as of 5 November 2020 from a positive from an out-of-competition test, Verniaiev’s appeal was granted in part, based on his claim that the doping finding came as a result of contaminated food products. But now:

“[T]he Panel deliberated and concluded that while the [adverse doping finding] was upheld there was grounds for a reduction in the period of ineligibility from four years to two years. Accordingly, the Athlete was subject to a two-year period of ineligibility starting on 5 November 2020 which has now concluded.”

Verniaiev missed the Tokyo 2020 Games as a result of the suspension, but is now eligible to compete in Paris.

● Water Polo ● Play concluded at the World Aquatics men’s World Cup in Division I in Croatia and Montenegro, with Italy and Spain winning the team titles.

In Group A, Italy finished with a 16-10 win over the U.S. and a 5-0 record (17 points). The next three teams – the U.S., Hungary and Croatia – all finished 3-2, but the U.S. was classified second and Hungary third on the tie-breakers. Italy, the U.S. and Hungary advance to the Super Final to be held in Los Angeles in June.

In Group B, Spain was the winner at 4-1, with Greece second (3-2), followed by Serbia (3-2) and Montenegro (3-2). The top three advanced to the Super Final.

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TSX REPORT: IOC insists Russian re-entry not yet about 2024; USADA survey says 25-32% of foreigners dope; $1.5 million for a Louganis ‘84 medal?

By
Rich Perelman
-
From the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's survey of American athletes on doping (USADA graphic)

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC says FIE re-admission of Russia not about 2024
2. USADA survey: 25-32% of foreign athletes are doping
3. Paris 2024 public transport plan: do as you are told
4. FIFPro survey showed 11% in favor of winter World Cup
5. Korea’s Seoul looking for 2036 Olympic bid, but without Pyongyang

The International Olympic Committee continues to defend its “exploration” of possible returns to competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes, and actions in favor of that position by International Federations, but says Paris 2024 eligibility has not yet been discussed. It urged governments to stay out of sports, even though governments often pay most of the expenses for their National Olympic Committees. A U.S. Anti-Doping Agency survey done in 2022 showed that American athletes think a quarter of foreign athletes in their own sport are doping, and up to a third in other sports. The survey noted that the biggest deterrent to doping is still sanctions and bans. In Paris, the regional transit authority told a Sunday news conference that 15% more trains will be added to the system for the 2024 Games and that spectators should follow instructions to go to events and not do as they normally would in Paris. It also wants the attendance for the Opening on the Seine to be limited to 500,000 people due to the transport capacity from the site. A small survey of players who competed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar showed overwhelming aversion to another “winter” World Cup, with just 11% in favor. Players also complained about too little prep time with their national teams and not enough recovery time when rejoining their clubs. The mayor of Seoul, Korea said a bid for the 2036 Olympic Games is in the works, but without any ties to North Korea, ending any symbolic “peace mission” via the Games.

● Panorama: Memorabilia ($1.51 million so far for ‘84 Louganis gold) = Athletics (3: Dick Fosbury passes at 76; Chepngetich repeats in Nagoya; Aregawi no. 2 10 km ever in Spain) = Baseball (World Baseball Classic) = Football (Berhalter cleared in inquiry) = Skiing (challenge to FIS Presidential election withdrawn) = Swimming (Ledecky gets U.S. record in short-course 1,650 yards) = Water Polo (U.S. plays Italy for title in World Cup Group A) ●

1.
IOC says FIE re-admission of Russia not about 2024

“The IOC has taken note of the FIE decision. The consultations with all the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement – the athlete representatives, the 206 National Olympic Committees and the International Federations – as part of the democratic decision-making process, are still ongoing.

“In this context it is important to note that participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is not part of the discussions, which are instead focused on the upcoming international competitions, for which the IFs have the sole authority. We also note that, with regard to the conditions for participation in international competitions, the FIE refers to the respective IOC recommendations.”

The International Olympic Committee’s continuously-expanding Q&A on solidarity with Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and the status of athletes from these countries was appended on Monday with two new sections dealing with last week’s vote by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to re-admit Russian and Belarusian athletes, subject to the IOC’s recommendations and on British Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lucy Frazer sending letters to IOC sponsors to enlist their help in keeping Russian and Belarusian athletes out of international competitions.

The IOC has previously stated in the same document, “No decision has been taken on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” but the pathway is clear. The IOC continuously cites the recommendations of two volunteer “reporters” of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the need to make sure that Russian and Belarusian athletes are not inconvenienced by the war being waged against Ukraine.

The new reply to Frazer’s letter to Olympic sponsor demonstrates this with clarity, including:

“It is not up to governments to decide which athletes can participate in which international competitions. This would be the end of world sport as we know it today. …

“In accordance with how sport is organised around the world and with the Olympic Charter, it must be the sole responsibility of sports organisations to decide which athletes can take part in international competitions based exclusively on their sporting merit. In accordance with this, Olympic sponsors are not involved in this decision-making process.”

Notwithstanding intervening events, the Russian/Belarusian question will be a focus point for the upcoming IOC Executive Board meeting on 28-30 March, along with the status of the International Boxing Association and boxing on the Paris 2024 sports program.

2.
USADA survey: 25-32% of foreign athletes are doping

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released the highlights of a fascinating survey taken last May by 994 American athletes across 76 different sports on views of doping, the anti-doping experience and the work of the USADA. Some of the findings:

● 92% support the USADA’s mission against doping and 87% said “USADA’s results management and adjudication process is fair”

● 64% reported that sanctions were the most effective personal deterrent to doping. 18% cited the risk of detection and 18% said education was most helpful. Asked about their sport in general, 63% said among sanctions, outright bans were the best deterrent; in risk of detection, 41% also said unpredictable testing, and on education, 30% said in-person education from a USADA staff member was most effective.

● On perceptions of doping within their own sport, respondents said 10% of American athletes are doping and 25% of foreign athletes are doping. Asked about other sports, the numbers went up to 21% for Americans and 32% of foreign athletes who are doping.

● However, 53% said that the current science is behind “athletes’ ability to intentionally dodge a positive test,” and 32% said it was even. That’s 85% saying athletes have a 50/50 or better shot to dope and evade being caught. But, 68% also said they thought that testing identifies “most” doping in elite sport.

● Not surprisingly, 59% thought the testing of international athletes was “too infrequent” and 66% thought the testing of U.S. athletes was “just right,” but 25% wanted more testing.

● Asked about anxiety and doping, 86% were worried about whereabouts information filing, 88% about positives from contaminated supplements, 73% from positives from contaminated pharmaceuticals and 42% from contaminated meat.

● Whistleblowing: 10% of the respondents said they knew of a foreign athlete who was doping and 5% said they knew of a U.S. athlete who was doping, but 70% did not report it. Reasons: fear of retribution, fear that their identity would be disclosed and worry that the USADA would not act on the information provided.

Interestingly, 36% thought that doping leads to an “uneven playing field,” and 28% said it did “to a moderate extent.” That 64% saying there is an impact. Some 36% said a little or nor at all.

The 994 respondents were 56% female and 44% male and were 80% from Olympic sport and 20% from Paralympic sport. The survey was sent to 2,918 athletes in all, so it had a 34% response rate, with 58% of the replies from athletes who had competed in the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

The survey was done in collaboration with the University of North Carolina-Greensboro Center for Athlete Well-being and Prevention Strategies.

3.
Paris 2024 public transport plan: do as you are told

“To go to a site, forget how you usually go there and go there as you are told to do.”

That’s Laurence Debrincat, the Director of Studies and Olympic Games at the regional transport authority, Ile-de-France Mobilites (IDFM), speaking as part of a Sunday news conference discussing the transportation plan for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

There was the usual hyperbole about how massive the transit challenge will be and that the train routes and capacities are planned to be expanded by 15%. The commitment of the IDFM is to provide public transit services for 100% of the ticketholders for all 25 of the venues in the region.

For the Stade de France, site of athletics and the Olympic closing ceremony, the usual pattern for football and other events is for 60% of the attendees to use public transport. The plan for 2024 is for 100%. A mobile application suggesting less-tried routes and 5,000 assistants in stations are planned to help spectators.

Laurent Probst, the IDFM chief executive, explained that there is a specific transport plan for each of the 750 competition sessions: “It’s as if we had 50 matches per day for two weeks,” with up to 500,000 spectators expected on peak days such as 28 July and 2 August.

Transport for accredited guests, media and staff will required 1,000 buses, and the IDFM has asked the French government for permission to employ hundreds of cameras and artificial intelligence to quickly sense problems, whether with crowding, mechanical issues or persons in trouble.

Then there is the opening along the Seine on 26 July, which has been promoted as open to 600,000 people. The IDFM has been campaigning to bring that number down to 500,000 or less, based on the capacities of the transport system and the availability of specific bridges in view of security concerns. Said Probst, “To manage all of this, we will need less than 500,000 spectators, otherwise we won’t get there.” The request is being studied by the Paris 2024 organizers.

4.
FIFPro survey showed 11% in favor of winter World Cup

A post-World Cup 2022 survey of 64 players by the FIFPro players trade representative showed only 11% in favor of another November-December World Cup and majorities asking for more preparation time and recovery time before returning to their clubs.

The data has to be viewed with respect to the fact that the 32 competing teams had 832 players (23 per squad), so the survey covered only 7.7% of the total in the tournament. But it provides some worthwhile reflection on one of the most unusual World Cups ever. According to the report:

● 86% of the players wanted at least 14 days of preparation and most wanted 14-21 days. The late date of the 2022 World Cup was to minimize the heat in Qatar, but took place in the middle of the European league seasons.

● 61% of respondents wanted at least 14 days of recovery time before returning to club play. In some cases, it was only a few days.

● 52% of players reported an injury or were worried about injury due to the packed calendar, and 44% “experienced extreme or increased physical fatigue” after reporting back to their clubs.

FIFPro Secretary General Jonas Bear-Hoffmann (GER) told reporters:

“What we had this time was clearly not acceptable and shouldn’t be a viable option for anybody. What becomes very obvious from the report is that obviously the idea of scheduling a tournament like the World Cup [in the European] mid-season would require much more significant changes to the calendar if that was ever to be done again. I think that is very clear.

“And obviously that is impossible without significantly altering the schedule of leagues and other club competitions.”

There was also an interesting player reaction to the expansion of stoppage time: they hated it. The average first half was extended from around two minutes to 4:06 and the average second half stoppage time went from about four minutes to 7:55, meaning an average of 14:01 beyond the 90-minute match time. Only 31% of the survey liked the new stoppage time format.

The quest for the 2030 FIFA World Cup took another turn as multiple reports stated that Ukraine will be dropped from the bid by Spain and Portugal, with Morocco – the surprise semifinalists from Qatar – to be added.

This is in part due to the continuing Russian invasion, which would make hosting a portion of the FIFA World Cup in Ukraine extremely difficult – if not impossible – by 2030, also in view of the recent corruption allegations against Ukrainian Football Association President Andriy Pavelko and that splitting the hosting between Europe and Africa is politically attractive.

A South American bid to return the events to where it began in 1930 from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay is formidable and then there is the Saudi-led bid with Egypt and Greece, which would once again require scheduling to accommodate Gulf-region weather, away from the summer.

An explosive Saturday story in the Swiss Neue Zurcher Zeitung (New Zurich Times) newspaper reported that Qatari officials arranged to record a meeting held in a Qatar-owned building in 2017 between FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) and then-Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. According to the story, “The meeting was so unusual that two special prosecutors are still investigating Lauber and Infantino in the matter.”

The NZZ report contends that Qatar was interested in the meeting due to worries that it might lose the World Cup over corruption in the election and its human-rights environment, and that Lauber – as Swiss Attorney General – had jurisdiction over Switzerland-based FIFA.

Lauber eventually resigned in 2020 over failing to disclose two prior meetings with Infantino. The story notes, regarding the bugging effort:

“The actions were presumably criminal. The secret recording of meetings is illegal and spying on behalf of a foreign country is prosecuted as «espionage» – this also includes the planned recruitment of the Swiss Attorney General.”

Infantino has said he had no knowledge of any surveillance operations against him.

5.
Korea’s Seoul looking for 2036 Olympic bid, but without Pyongyang

Seoul Mayor Se-hoon Oh told Reuters that his city – host of the 1988 Olympic Games – is planning on bidding for the 2036 Olympics, but without any ties to North Korea.

A symbolic joint bid had been discussed before the IOC handed the 2032 Games to Brisbane (AUS), but Oh said in an interview, “I think the strategy for 2032 was doomed to failure because of unpredictable inter-Korean relations.”

An actual bid would have to come from the National Olympic Committee of South Korea; according to the report:

“An official with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) said it had not received formal statements of intent from either Seoul or the southern city of Busan on a 2036 bid.”

With the IOC bid process now much more informal and private, chatter about a 2036 bid has been heard from many countries, including, but not limited to Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar and others.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Memorabilia ● Olympic diving icon Greg Louganis, now 63, has been running an auction on his Web site since 1 March, offering three of his five Olympic medals to raise money for the Damien Center, an Indianapolis, Indiana AIDS service organization.

Up for sale through the end of March are his 1976 Montreal Platform silver, his 1984 Los Angeles Springboard gold and the 1988 Seoul Platform gold.

Through Sunday, the Montreal (asking $350,000) and Seoul (asking $750,000) medals had not drawn any bids, but two bids have come in for the 1984 Los Angeles gold, now at $1.51 million!

That’s big money for Olympic gold; a February auction of a 1980 Olympic Winter Games men’s ice hockey gold won by center Steve Christoff of the U.S. “Miracle on Ice” team went for $375,961, including the bidder’s premium.

● Athletics ● /Updated/Dick Fosbury, whose success with the back-to-the-bar approach to the high jump changed the event forever, passed away on Sunday at age 76, according to his agent, Ray Schulte:

“It is with a very heavy heart I have to release the news that longtime friend and client Dick Fosbury passed away peacefully in his sleep early Sunday morning after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma.”

Born in Portland, Oregon, Fosbury was not the first to use the “flop” technique in the 1960s, but he made it famous, and after a Medford newspaper photo caption in 1964 read “Fosbury Flops Over Bar,” he became synonymous with the style. He quickly became the Oregon State school record holder, then won the 1968 NCAA high jump, the Olympic Trials at Echo Summit and finally, the Olympic gold in Mexico City with an Olympic (and American) Record of 2.24 m (7-4 1/4).

He won the 1969 NCAAs, but left the sport after the 1971 season. But his legacy is permanent.

Fosbury was an engineer in his professional life, but remained very active in Olympic affairs, as President of the World Olympians Association 2007-11, as a Vice President of the U.S. Olympians Association from 2004-2016 and as President of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association from 2016-21.

(Thanks eagle-eyed reader Paul Roberts, who noted that Fosbury won the 1969 NCAA meet, not 2019 as originally posted!)

Kenya’s 2019 World Champion Ruth Chepngetich defended her title in the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in 2:18:08, moving to no. 3 on the world list for 2023. She won by more than three minutes over Japan’s Ayuko Suzuki (2:21:52) in her fourth-fastest performance ever, good for a $250,000 winner’s payday.

In Spain, Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, the world-record holder at 5 km, won the Villa de Laredo 10 km in 26:33, the second-fastest ever run. He passed 5 km in 13:10 – on world-record pace – and finished in 13:23 to miss Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto’s 26:24 in Valencia (ESP) from 2020. He won by almost two minutes over Ireland’s Efrem Gidey (28:17).

● Baseball ● The Asian pools in the World Baseball Classic have concluded, with Australia to meet Cuba and Japan to face Italy in Tokyo later this week in the first two quarterfinals.

The final game in Pool B saw Korea drub China, 2-22, in a game shortened to five innings, so the final standings had Japan at 4-0, Australia at 3-1, Korea at 2-2, the Czech Republic at 1-3 and China at 0-4.

This was much clearer than Pool A, in which all five teams ended at 2-2 (!), and the tie-breakers on runs allowed per defensive outs showed Cuba the “winner,” followed by Italy, the Netherlands, Panama and Chinese Taipei.

The quarterfinals are in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday, with Australia playing Cuba and then Italy taking on Japan. The semifinals and finals will be in Miami.

In the Phoenix Pool (C), Great Britain stunned with a 7-5 win over Colombia on Monday afternoon, putting them at 1-2 with a game to play against Mexico. Colombia (1-1) has games remaining with Canada and the U.S.

The Canadians and American faced off at Chase Field Monday night, with the U.S. exploding for nine runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to a two-run double from third baseman Nolan Arenado, a triple by center fielder Cedric Mullins and a three-run homer by designated hitter Mike Trout. The lead grew to 12-1 in the second, including a triple by second baseman Tim Anderson and a home run by shortstop Trea Turner. Lance Lynn threw five innings of one-run ball for the Americans; the game ended at 12-1 after seven innings as the U.S. had a 10-or-more-run lead and moved to 2-1.

In Pool D in Miami, Venezuela remains on top at 2-0, and Puerto Rico defeated Israel, 10-0 (four pitchers combined for an eight-inning perfect game!), to move to 2-1. The Dominican Republic sailed past Nicaragua, 6-1, on Monday to improve to 1-1, as are the Israelis. Nicaragua is 0-3; games remain to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

● Football ● U.S. Soccer announced Monday that the inquiry into a 1992 personal conduct incident by former coach Gregg Berhalter – at age 18 – had been completed by an outside law firm and:

“U.S. Soccer’s process for determining who will serve as Sporting Director is ongoing, and interviews are underway. The Sporting Director will lead the process of determining who will serve as head coach of the Men’s National Team. Given the investigators’ conclusion that there is no legal impediment to employing him, Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to serve as head coach of the Men’s National Team.”

The report specified:

“In the case of Mr. Berhalter, our Investigation uncovered no facts to show that U.S. Soccer knew of the 1992 Incident when it hired Mr. Berhalter; no facts to show that similar incidents occurred at any point in the last 31 years; no facts to show that the 1992 Incident has any nexus to the present or to the workplace; and no facts to support a claim that Mr. Berhalter presents a risk of harm to others. Moreover, each U.S. Soccer employee we interviewed spoke positively about Mr. Berhalter, and no witness indicated that Mr. Berhalter in any way presents a danger to others.”

Berhalter, now 49, was hired as the U.S. men’s National Team coach in 2018, finishing in 2022 with a 37-11-12 (W-L-T) record, a 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup win and a playoff-round finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

● Skiing ● The Court of Arbitration for Sport reported that the national ski federations of Austria, Croatia, Germany and Switzerland have withdrawn their appeal of the International Ski & Snowboard Federation Congress in 2022 at which Sweden’s Johan Eliasch was elected.

A hearing had been held in December, but no opinion will now be issued and Eliasch’s election will stand.

● Swimming ● U.S. Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky made an appearance at the 2023 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Championships in Orlando and won the 1,650-yard Freestyle in a short-course pool (25 yards) in 15:01.41, an American Record. It’s not a world-record event, but the mark is faster than Ledecky’s world 1,500 m short-course record of 15:08.24 from 2022 (not eligible for record consideration in a 25-yard pool).

The 1,650 distance is the ”yards” equivalent of the 1,500 m (1,640.3 yards) and is usually contested only in college meets. But here was Ledecky winning in the best time ever, and now owning the top seven times in history. The prior best was Ledecky’s 15:03.31 from 2017, when she was swimming at Stanford.

● Water Polo ● The World Aquatics men’s World Cup Group A tournament in Zagreb (CRO) will conclude on Tuesday (14th), with the U.S. in contention to win and facing undefeated Italy in the final match.

The Division I tournament split the top 12 teams from the FINA World Championships into two groups, with the top three in each advancing to the Super Final, to be held in Los Angeles in June. The U.S. is 3-1 and in third place, behind Italy (4-0) and Croatia (3-1), having lost to Croatia, 16-14 and beating Japan (13-11), France (12-9) and Hungary (15-9). Having beaten Hungary, the U.S. is assured of moving on to the Super Final.

In Group B in Podgorica (MNE), Australia has completed play with a 4-1 record and a penalty loss for 13 points. That will win the group, with Greece (3-1: 9), Serbia (2-1 + a penalty win: 8) and Montenegro (2-2: 6) trailing.

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For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Shiffrin gets World Cup wins record; British MP asks IOC sponsors to keep Russia out; Oz’s McKeown takes 200 Back WR

By
Rich Perelman
-
Record-setter: American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association; copyright Reese Brown)

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Shiffrin sets 87th World Cup for career record (at 27)
2. FIE vote to re-admit Russia and Belarus hailed and criticized
3. Britain’s Culture Secretary asks IOC sponsors to help keep Russia out
4. Canadian Soccer posts its contract offer to national teams!
5. Ex-Fox Int’l Channels CEO convicted of football rights bribes

American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin set the record for most career FIS Alpine World Cup wins with her 87th in Are, Sweden, on Saturday, passing Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark. The International Fencing Federation (FIE) voted in a special Congress to re-admit Russian and Belarusian athletes, under undefined “strict neutrality” conditions and whatever the International Olympic Committee Executive Board says at the end of the month. Lucy Frazer, the British Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has written to multiple Olympic sponsors, asking them to pressure the IOC to keep Russia and Belarus out of international competitions. Canada Soccer posted a story on its Web site which summarized the contract demands of its Women’s National Team, and its offer to them for interim funding and for long-term funding. Striker Janine Beckie said she felt “disrespected” by the public disclosure, done just prior to an appearance by women’s team members before the Canadian Parliament. The former head of Fox International Channels and an Uruguayan firm were convicted of bribery in purchasing rights to major CONCACAF and South American football championship and World Cup qualifying match rights, the latest in the U.S. Justice Department’s multi-year efforts against corruption in the sport.

● World Championships: Short Track (Dutch women dominate) ●
● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (Odermatt clinches World Cup title) = Athletics (2: 10 world leaders at NCAA Indoors; Hill wins USATF Masters 60) = Badminton (Korea wins two at German Open) = Baseball (Ohtani keys Japan at World Baseball Classic) = Biathlon (Wierer sweeps in Oestersund) = Cross Country Skiing (Krueger and Haga win Oslo 50 km, Diggins third!) = Cycling (2: Slovenian stars Pogacar and Roglic win Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico) = Fencing (Westend Grand Prix) = Freestyle Skiing (Mobaerg and Smith take Ski Cross golds) = Gymnastics (Yulo shines at Apparatus World Cup) = Modern Pentathlon (Elgendy and Gulyas star in World Cup) = Shooting (U.S. closes with Team Trap win) = Ski Jumping (Raw Air tour starts in Oslo) = Snowboard (Bankes sweeps two at Sierra Nevada) = Swimming (McKeown world record in 200 Back) ●

1.
Shiffrin sets 87th World Cup for career record (at 27)

She did it!

Completing a two-day sweep of the women’s World Cup races in Are (SWE), American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin won the Slalom on Saturday for her 87th career World Cup win, taking over the most-wins record from Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86 from 1974-89).

As with the Giant Slalom on Friday, Shiffrin was in charge from the start, leading after the first run, 50.93 to 51.62 over Swede Anna Larsson and then as Larsson faded on the second run, winning by a huge – for alpine skiing – 0.92-second margin over Swiss star Wendy Holdener, 1:41.77 to 1:42.69. Larsson finished third in 1:42.72 and American Paula Moltzan was fourth in 1:43.31.

Shiffrin, still just 27, got the record in just 12 years on the World Cup tour and broke it in the same place she got her first win – Are – in 2012: Are. Her wins by season:

● 2012-13: 4
● 2013-14: 5
● 2014-15: 6
● 2015-16: 5
● 2016-17: 11
● 2017-18: 12
● 2018-19: 17
● 2019-20: 6
● 2020-21: 3
● 2021-22: 5
● 2022-23: 13

She has now clinched her fifth overall World Cup title (record is eight) and her seventh seasonal Slalom title and second Giant Slalom title. The Federation Internationale de Ski & Snowboard (FIS) noted she has won 87 of her 245 World Cup career starts, a sensational 35.5% winning percentage, and won 137 total medals (55.9%). She said after Saturday’s race:

“What an unbelievable day. I am so proud of the skiing I did both runs today. I am so proud of the team this whole season, every step of the way being strong and focused and positive and having the right goals and helping me manage my own focus and the distractions as well, it’s been incredible.

“It’s pretty hard to describe and not over yet which is even more ridiculous.

“I still had the same feeling on the start of this run that I have every race. I shouldn’t feel pressure but somehow I feel something in my heartbeat, that’s the anticipation we want to feel as ski racers and I have it and it’s stronger than ever. I am just getting started.”

Her record-setting is not over, of course. She now owns 136 career World Cup medals, with Stenmark’s total of 155 within sight next season. Shiffrin is also tied for the most-ever Giant Slalom wins at 20 with Swiss Vreni Schneider (1984-95).

She will complete the season at the World Cup Final in Soldeu (ROU), with the Downhill and Super-G on 15-16 March and the Slalom and Giant Slalom on 18-19 March.

2.
FIE vote to re-admit Russia and Belarus hailed and criticized

Friday’s vote to re-admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to international fencing competitions in an online Extraordinary Congress of the Federation Internationale de Escrime (FIE) has drawn the expected reactions from different parts of the world:

● Canadian Fencing posted Friday, in pertinent part:

“We are extremely disappointed in the result of this vote and want to reiterate our support to our fencing friends of Ukraine.

“In the coming weeks we will consult our high performance athletes and coaches to determine how we can best support any athlete or team that decides to refuse to fence against an athlete or team from Russia or Belarus. We understand that this will be a difficult decision for any athlete to make with Olympic qualification at stake, and will work with our athletes to ensure that they are supported.”

● The German Fencing Federation’s post was more detailed, including a comment from President Claudia Bokel, a former IOC member (2008-16) as a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission (DeepL.com translation):

“‘This result is on the one hand based on geopolitics, we have seen that the assembly of the NOCs of Africa and Asia have already agreed to participate, on the other hand based on the question of whether there should continue to be a general ban on all athletes,’ Bokel further clarified the situation. …

“The German Fencing Federation will now face further problems with the consequences of this decision when organizing international competitions in Germany. The German Fencing Federation is now awaiting an inquiry from the International Fencing Federation as to whether entry of Russian and Belarusian fencers to Germany can be guaranteed, as otherwise there would probably be a threat of withdrawal of international fencing competitions in Germany.”

● The Ukrainian Fencing Federation issued a statement which included:

“We are deeply shocked and outraged by this decision and we immediately convene a meeting of the Presidium to decide our response to the decision of the FIE and its possible appeal.”

The Russians, of course, were happy.

Two-time Olympic Sabre champ Sofya Velikaya, 37, told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I am very happy with the decision, I believed that this should happen, and I want to thank colleagues from different countries who voted for our return. Sport should provide equal rights and conditions, and common sense finally prevailed. Despite the fact that this is the most wonderful news lately, we understand the upcoming difficulties.”

Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said:

“The International Fencing Federation rightly allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions under the auspices of the FIE. This is an important decision that speaks of the tendency of international federations to conduct constructive work on the eve of the qualifying season in the Olympic cycle.”

Russian Fencing Federation chief Ilgar Mammadov, was more circumspect, noting that the International Olympic Committee Executive Board may have more to say about it at the end of the month:

“I always say that until you get on a plane, you don’t fly to the Olympic Games. I am grateful to my colleagues from national foreign federations for those who supported us both openly and behind the scenes and helped. Serious work was done, this is the work of a great team of people. Nothing changes with us – the Russian championship is in April. We are getting ready, we are training,”

Turin 2006 Olympic 500 m speed skating gold medalist Svetlana Zhurova, now a State Duma member, was also cautious (DeepL.com translation):

“I think we have to wait to see what those 46 countries who voted against will do; will there be boycotts, will they take the admission decision for granted. In Latvia they suggested to deprive tennis players who play in tournaments with Russians of state financing, will there be a similar decision for fencers now? We must check the reactions of all countries and then think about it ourselves. Now there are a lot more people who are categorically against playing in neutral status, we must wait to see how our society reacts to the adoption of such a proposal.”

And Dmitry Svishchev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, is waiting to see Russian athletes actually compete:

“We see a positive movement from the international federation in relation to our athletes. But until we see specific examples of the admission of athletes, it’s too early to rejoice. We have already seen statements about the desire to admit Russians from the same IOC, after which there was silence to a certain extent. In this regard, we need to continue working on domestic competitions, look at the opportunity to compete in Asian tournaments and where Russian athletes are given the opportunity to compete.

“But the signal of the International Fencing Federation is clear to us, they could not create competitive competitions in the absence of Russian athletes. I am sure that other international federations will face the same problems.”

3.
Britain’s Culture Secretary asks IOC sponsors
to help keep Russia out

“I have written to the worldwide sponsors of the Olympic Games, including Coca-Cola, Samsung and Visa, calling on them to join 35 like-minded nations and press the IOC for a continued ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting competitions.

“As we’ve seen this week, Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine is continuing. We’ve had what is believed to be the biggest missile strike on cities across Ukraine in some time. We must continue to ensure that Russia and Belarus cannot use sport for their propaganda purposes.”

That’s from Lucy Frazer, the British Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, tweeting on Saturday a new front in the effort to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes out of international competitions and out of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Portions of a letter sent by Frazer to the companies was shared in a story in The Guardian on Friday, including:

“We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes.

“As long as our concerns and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable ‘neutrality’ model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition.

“Noting the IOC’s stated position that no final decisions have been made, we have strongly urged the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly.”

The IOC Executive Board is scheduled to meet on 28-30 March in Lausanne.

4.
Canadian Soccer posts its contract offer to national teams!

In a fascinating strategic, negotiating and political move, just days after Canada Soccer and the Canadian Women’s National Team announced an interim funding agreement that will keep the women playing toward this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the federation posted the details of its collective bargaining offer to both the men’s and women’s teams.

Per the federation:

“Here is the reality: If accepted by the Player Associations, the collective bargaining agreements will pay both National Teams the same amount for playing a 90-minute match and both National Teams will share equally in competition prize money. Additionally, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will become the second-highest paid women’s national team among FIFA’s 211 Member Associations.”

The concept of the agreement follows the U.S. Soccer Federation deal with its men’s and women’s player associations to pool the money won by both at the FIFA World Cup and split it equally. Beyond this, the proposed agreement as described would pay (in Canadian dollars; C$1 = $0.72 U.S.):

“● $3,500 per match per player, plus win bonuses up to $5,500 per player depending on the rank of the opposing side.

“● An equal amount ($1.15 million) to each National Team for their qualification to their respective FIFA World Cup.”

The post further notes that the interim agreement will play the women’s team for 2022 “on the same financial terms as the Men’s National Team.” The post also gives the payments for the men’s and women’s teams from 2012 to 2019:

● “From 2012-2019 total staffing and program spending on all Men’s Teams was $37,423,185 compared to $37,073,407 on all Women’s Teams over the same eight-year period.

● “From 2012-2019 total player compensation from Canada Soccer for the Men’s Senior Team (MNT) was $2.92 million. For the same eight-year period player compensation from Canada Soccer for the Women’s Senior Team (WNT) was $2.96 million.”

The post also listed “all nine of the demands made by the Women’s National Team,” dealing with budgets for World Cup preparations, sharing the budget of the men’s team, “compensation for friends and family travel,” and single occupancy rooms for future training camps, and a chef at the Women’s World Cup this summer.

The posting came shortly before some of the Women’s National Team players were to appear before the Canadian Parliament. Striker Janine Beckie was outraged, telling the lawmakers:

“We feel quite disrespected by the way they went about their business this afternoon. We believe what was talked about in good-faith bargaining between our players association and [Canada Soccer] should have stayed between the players association and the Canadian soccer association.

“And there were terms and numbers and pieces within their statement today that has not even been communicated to us. So that was a bit of a shock to us.”

A Canada Soccer spokesperson said, “Throughout this process, our priority has been to negotiate privately, through our respective legal counsel, and finding the most responsible way to a resolution. We did that for months.

“Unfortunately in recent weeks, information was shared and circulated with media that failed to include full and important context.”

5.
Ex-Fox Int’l Channels CEO convicted of football rights bribes

“Former 21st-Century Fox Executive Hernan Lopez and Argentine sports marketing company Full Play Group S.A., were convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies for their participation in schemes to bribe executives of soccer’s highest governing bodies—FIFA, CONMEBOL, and, in Full Play’s case, CONCACAF—for the media and broadcasting rights to lucrative soccer tournaments. …

“When sentenced, Lopez faces up to 40 years in prison and millions of dollars in penalties to be determined by Judge [Pamela] Chen. Full Play faces millions of dollars in financial penalties. Co-defendant Carlos Martinez was acquitted on both counts.”

The U.S. Department of Justice detailed the convictions in a Thursday announcement, explaining the Lopez – the former head of Fox International Channels, now 52 – and Buenos Aires-based Fair Play:

“Full Play, a sports marketing company incorporated in Uruguay, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and owned by father-and-son defendants Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, participated in numerous schemes to pay bribes to officials of CONMEBOL and CONCACAF in exchange for media and marketing rights to various soccer events, including World Cup qualifier and friendly matches, the Copa Libertadores, and multiple editions of the Copa América, a national team tournament administered by CONMEBOL. Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, charged in the first indictment in the case unsealed on May 27, 2015, remain fugitives.

“Lopez, a formerly high-ranking executive of Fox subsidiaries responsible for developing and carrying out Fox’s sports broadcasting businesses in Latin America, joined Full Play and other co-conspirators in a scheme involving the annual payment of millions of dollars in bribes to officials of CONMEBOL in exchange for the lucrative broadcasting rights to the Copa Libertadores, the region’s most popular club tournament, among other events. Lopez also relied on loyalty secured through the payment of bribes to certain CONMEBOL officials to advance the business interests of Fox, including to obtain confidential bidding information for the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments in the United States, rights that Fox successfully obtained.”

According to the Justice Department, the inquiry into football corruption has yielded substantial returns:

“Criminal charges have been brought against more than 50 defendants from more than 20 countries, resulting to date in guilty pleas by more than 30 individual and corporate defendants and trial convictions of 3 individuals and 1 corporation. In addition, 2 corporations have resolved via deferred prosecution agreements and 3 corporations have resolved via non-prosecution agreements.”

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Short Track ● The ISU World Championships in Seoul (KOR) could have reasonable been predicted as a Korean showcase after they won five events and nine medals at Montreal in 2022. But it didn’t work out that way.

Instead, it was the Dutch women who dominated, winning all four events and the Mixed Relay on the way to eight medals (5-1-2) to six for the hosts (2-3-1). Canada also won six (0-1-5); the U.S. was shut out and has not won a Worlds medal since 2014.

In the women’s 500 m, Xandra Velzeboer defended her 2022 World title, leading a Dutch sweep, 41.977-42.450-42.567, ahead of Suzanne Schulting and Selma Poutsma. American Corinne Stoddard was fifth in 43.386.

Velzeboer came back to win the 1,000 m in 1:29.361, beating Olympic champ Schulting in the process, with Korea’s defending champion Min-jeong Choi eventually taking silver after Schulting was disqualified.

Schulting, the 2021 World Champion at 1,500 m, won her second title in the event, beating defending (and three-time) champ Choi, 2:31.949 to 2:41.448. Canada’s Kim Boutin won her fourth Worlds medal in the event in third, and her second bronze (0-2-2). Americans Kristen Santos-Griswold and Stoddard were sixth and seventh (2:31.933 and 2:32.042). Schulting, Velzeboer, Poutsma and Yara van Kerkhof won the 3,000 m Relay in 4:09.56, with Korea second and Canada third.

Korea’s Ji-won Park did his part, winning the men’s 1,500 m, finishing in 2:17.792 to 2:17.898 for Pietro Sighel (ITA), his first Worlds medal at the distance. Sighel then won his first career Worlds gold, taking the 500 m sprint from Beijing 2022 bronze medalist Steve Dubois (CAN), 41.166-41.223. Jens van’t Wout was third (41.243).

On Sunday, Park came back to win the 1,000 m in 1:27.741, beating Jens van’t Wout (BEL: 1:27.974) and Dubois (1:28.069).

Teun Boer, Schulting, van’t Wout and Velzeboer won the 2,000 m Mixed Relay in 2:41.646, with China and Italy winning the silver and bronze.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The next-to-last stop on the men’s FIS Alpine World Cup circuit for 2022-23 was in Kranjska Gora (SLO), for two Giant Slalom events that settled the seasonal title.

Seasonal World Cup leader Marco Odermatt (SUI) won his 10th race of the season on Saturday in 2:16.65, ahead of France’s Alexis Pintuarult (2:16.88) and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen (2:17.02). River Radamus was the top American in 15th (2:19.29).

On Sunday, Odermatt won his third straight World Cup race and clinched both the overall World Cup title – his second straight – and the Giant Slalom title (also his second in a row). He finished in 2:20.91 after leading the first run by 0.28; Norway’s Kristoffersen moved from third to second on the second run (2:21.23) and France’s Pinturault (2:21.61) won his third medal of the season.

Odermatt has also won the seasonal Super-G title and could end up second in the Downhill final standings after the World Cup Final races in Romania this week.

● Athletics ● The final major indoor meet of 2023 was the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the sprinting and jumping events benefitting from the 5,312 feet of altitude, leading to world-leading marks (two ties) in nine events:

● Men/200 m: 20.12, Matthew Boling (USA/Georgia)
● Men/400 m: 44.75 (=), Elija Godwin (USA/Georgia)
● Men/Heptathlon: 6,639, Kyle Garland (USA/Georgia)

● Women/60 m: 6.94 (=), Julian Alfred (LCA/Texas)
● Women/200 m: 22.11, Favour Ofili (NGR/LSU)
● Women/200 m: 22.01, Alfred
● Women/60 m Hurdles: 7.72, Ackera Nugent (JAM/Arkansas)
● Women/4×400 m: 3:21.75, Arkansas ~ World Best
● Women/Long Jump: 7.03 m (23-0 3/4), Jasmine Todd (USA/Florida)
● Women/Triple Jump: 15.12 m (49-7 1/4), Todd ~ American Record

Also worth noting was the men’s vault win for Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen, at a national record 6.00 m (19-8 1/2), the 15th man to clear 6 m indoors, and no. 2 in 2023.

Alfred’s 6.94 moved her to equal-second all-time with American Aleia Hobbs, who also ran at Albuquerque at the U.S. Nationals. Alfred’s 22.01 200 m win also moves her to no. 2 all-time; Ofili is now no. 5.

In the women’s 400 m, Britton Wilson moved to no. 2 all-time and set an American Record of 49.48 for Arkansas. She crushed the prior U.S. record of 50.15 set earlier this year by Talitha Diggs (who finished third in 50.49).

Wilson then added a spectacular 49.20 anchor on Arkansas’ historic women’s 4×400 m win in 3:21.75, the fastest time in history! However, it won’t be a world record – that’s 3:23.37 for Russia from 2006 – because of multiple nationalities on the team: Amber Anning (GBR), 51.47; Joanne Reid (JAM), 50.52; Rosey Effiong (USA), 50.57; and Wilson (USA), 49.20. Wow!

Moore’s American Record triple jump win places her no. 5 on the all-time indoor list.

Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones (BAH) won the men’s 60 m in 6.46, equaling his season’s best and no. 2 on the 2023 year list. In the 200 m, Alabama’s Tarsis Orogot (UGA) won section two in 2020, earning second overall; he and Udodi Onwuzurike (NGR/Stanford) ran 20.17 in the heats to move to equal-third on the year list. Florida’s Ryan Willie (USA) won section two in the men’s 400 m in 44.93, now no. 2 for 2023.

Arkansas senior Carey McLeod (JAM) won the long jump at 8.40 m (27-6 3/4), with Cameron Crump (USA/Mississippi State) second at 8.39 m (27-6 1/2) and Jeremiah David (USA/Florida State) third at 8.37 m (27-5 1/2) to stand 2-3-4 on the 2023 list. Jaydon Hibbert (JAM/Arkansas) won the triple jump at 17.54 m (57-6 1/2), a collegiate indoor record and now no. 3 for the year. Garland’s 6,639 hep moves him to no. 2 all-time, just six points short of Ashton Eaton’s 6,645 world record from 2012!

Arkansas won both the men’s and women’s team titles, with the men outdistancing Georgia and Florida, 63-40-34, and the women winning, 64-60 over Texas, with Florida third at 45.

At the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill, 29, won the men’s 25-29 60 meters in 6.70, easily the fastest time in the meet.

He won the final by 0.57 seconds over Dainen Bass (7.27), with the next-fastest time coming in the men’s 30-34 final by Chukwumereije Otuonye, who won in 6.95. Hill’s time ranks him equal-257th on the 2023 year list; his all-time indoor best is 6.64 from 2014. He has outdoor bests of 10.19 (2012) and 20.14 (2012).

● Badminton ● The BWF World Tour resumed after a month’s break, with Koreans shining at the German Open in Mulheim, advancing to the final in four of five events, and winning two.

Both were in doubles, with Sol Gyu Choi and Won Ho Kim (KOR) defeated countrymen Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo, 21-19, 18-21, 21-19 in the men’s final and Ha Na Baek and So Hee Lee (KOR) taking the women’s final from Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (JPN), 21-19, 21-15.

Hong Kong’s Ka Long Angus Ng won his second BWF World Tour title with a 20-22, 21-18 and 21-18 victory against Shi Feng Li (CHN) in men’s Singles and Japan’s top-seeded Akane Yamaguchi swept aside Se Young An (KOR), 21-11, 21-14.

China’s Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang won the Mixed Doubles, 21-4, 21-15, over Won Ho Kim and Na Eun Jeong (KOR).

● Baseball ● The first pool has been completed in Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic, with the Tokyo pool close behind, with Cuba and Japan emerging as pool winners.

The Cubans overcame the loss of their first two games to the Netherlands and Italy and ended up winning Pool A after a 13-4 win over Panama and 7-1 over Chinese Taipei in Taichung. Their 2-2 record was the same for all five teams in the pool and the tiebreakers – head-to-head record and runs against quotients – put them at the top. Italy followed and the Dutch and Panama ended up 3-4 and eliminated, as was Chinese Taipei.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani continued to shine for Japan, which finished its group at 4-0, winning its games by 8-1 over China, 13-4 over South Korea, 10-2 over the Czechs and 7-1 against Australia. Ohtani was 2-4 (2 RBI) in the first game, then 2-3 (1 RBI) vs. Korea, 1-3 (1 RBI) vs. Czechia and 1-2 (4 RBI) with a three-run homer against Australia: that’s 6-12 with eight runs batted in!

Australia (3-1) clinched the other playoff spot from Pool B (their first ever) with an 8-3 win over the Czechs (1-3) on Monday. Korea (1-2) will finish the Tokyo group against China (0-3) later on Monday.

The U.S.-based groups started on Saturday, with the American team winning, 6-2, over Great Britain in Phoenix in Pool C, while Colombia had to go 10 innings to beat Mexico, 5-4. Canada routed the British, 18-8 on Sunday, and Mexico came back to shred the U.S., 11-5.

First baseman Joey Meneses slugged a first-inning, two-run homer off U.S. starter Nick Martinez and then a three-run shot in the fourth against Brady Singer to pile up a 7-1 lead. Left fielder Randy Arozarena and designated hitter Rowdy Tellez each had three hits and Mexico scored four in the eighth to level their record at 1-1. The U.S. (1-1) plays Canada (1-0) on Monday.

In Pool D in Miami, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Israel all won their openers, then Venezuela right fielder Anthony Santander hit a three-run homer in the first and catcher Salvador Perez hit another in the second and piled up a 7-0 lead on Puerto Rico on Sunday evening. The Puerto Ricans closed to 9-6, but couldn’t get any closer, giving Venezuela a 2-0 record and a head start on the quarters. Perez went 4-4. Nicaragua (0-1) will play the Dominican Republic (0-1) and Israel (1-0) will face Puerto Rico (1-1) on Monday.

Quarterfinals will begin on Wednesday (15th) in Tokyo for Pools A-B, and on Friday (17th) in Miami for Pools C-D.

● Biathlon ● The penultimate stop on the IBU World Cup tour was in Oestersund (SWE), where someone other than Norwegian star Johannes Thingnes Boe won for the first time since December.

Boe, on the verge of his fourth World Cup title, did not compete in Thursday’s 20 km Individual race, won by German Benedikt Doll, the 2017 Sprint World Champion, for his fourth career World Cup gold. With no misses on the range, he finished in 48:32.4, ahead of Tammaso Giacomel (ITA: 49:52.5/1) and Vetle Christiansen (NOR: 49:54.9/1). American Sean Doherty was 14th in 51:55.0 (2).

On Sunday, Christiansen won his fourth medal of the season, and got his first win in the 15 km Mass Start in 35:17.0 (0), trailed by teammate Johannes Dale (35:26.1/1) and France’s Eric Perrot (35:29.3/1). Doherty was 26th (37:29.0/3).

The women’s 15 km Individual race was the second win of the season (15th career) for Italy’s four-time Worlds gold winner Dorothea Wierer, leading an Italian 1-2 with Lisa Vittozzi second, 41:19.6 (0) to 41:45.1 (0). Beijing Olympic champ Denise Herrmann-Wick took third (42:58.4/1); Joanne Reid was the top U.S. finisher in 42nd (46:33.1/1).

Wierer swept on in Sunday’s 12.5 km Mass Start, winning in 31:58.5, followed by France’s Lou Jeanmonnot (32:04.8/0) and seasonal leader Julia Simon (32:09.6/1).

● Cross Country Skiing ● The famed, annual 50 km Freestyle Mass Start race at Oslo’s Holmenkollen was a Norwegian sweep in 2023, with two-time World Champion Simen Hegstad Krueger leading the way in 1:55:01.5, followed by 2019 50 km World Champion Hans Christer Holund ( 1:55.07.2) and Martin Nyenget (1:55:14.1).

In fact, the top 10 placers were all Norwegian! The top U.S. finishers were David Norris (17th: 1:58:03.5) and Scott Patterson (18th: 1:58:03.9).

Sunday’s women’s race was a comeback win for Norway’s Ragnhild Gloersen Haga, 32, the PyeongChang 2018 10 km Individual gold medalist, who won the 50 km Free in a final sprint in 2:13:36.1, followed by countrywoman Astrid Slind (2:13:36,4) and then the amazing Jessie Diggins of the U.S., in 2:13:36.6.

It was the first women’s World Cup 50 km race and with the third-place finish, Diggins moved up to second in the seasonal standings, 1,635 to 1,548 behind Norway’s Tiril Weng, with six races left in the season. Diggins won the seasonal title in 2020-21 and was second last season.

● Cycling ● Slovenian star (and two-time Tour de France winner) Tadej Pogacar, took control of the 81st Paris-Nice race and would not let go, forging a 12-second lead going into Sunday’s final, hilly stage that ended with a descent down the Col d’Eze into Nice.

Pogacar won the uphill-finishing fourth stage by a second over France’s David Gaudu, then won the major climbing stage of the race on Saturday, finishing up the Col de Couillole in another duel with Gaudu, winning by two seconds in 3:56:08 over 142.9 km.

He left no doubt on Sunday, attacking with 18 km left and winning the final stage by 33 seconds in 2:51:02 over Vingegaard and Gaudu. The final standings showed Pogacar winning by 53 seconds in 24:01:38 with Gaudu second and Vingegaard (+1:39) third. American Neilson Powless was sixth (+3:17) and Matteo Jorgenson was eighth (+3:19).

Meanwhile, at Italy’s 58th edition of the Tirreno-Adriatico, Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, the three-time winner of the Vuelta a Espana, won three consecutive stages to take an 18-second lead into Sunday’s final stage ending in San Benedetto del Tronto.

Roglic took the hilly fourth stage in a sprint over Julian Alaphilippe (FRA), then won the uphill finish to Sassotetto in stage five in another sprint and sprinted home in stage six to Osimo, beating Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR) and Joao Almeida (POR) to the line.

Almeida entered Sunday 18 seconds back and Geoghegan Hart some 23 seconds behind, on a 154 km ride that started with five climbs and then a flat last half. That meant a huge sprint for the finish, won by Jesper Philipsen (BEL) in 3:32:36, with Dylan Groenewegen second, but no change in the overall standings.

Roglic (28:38:57), Almeida (+0:18) and Geoghegan Hart (+0:23) finished as they started; it’s Roglic’s second win in this race (also in 2019), but his best performance since his La Vuelta win in 2021.

● Fencing ● The Westend Grand Prix for Epee in Budapest (HUN) was the feature of this week’s schedule, with some fresh faces on the podium.

Italy’s Gabriele Cimini won the men’s competition with a 15-13 final score over Yonatan Cohen of Israel. Gaelan Billa (FRA) and Valerio Cuomo (ITA) shared the bronze. It’s Cimini’s first win in a Grand Prix or World Cup, and the first international medal ever for Cohen, 19.

Poland’s Renata Knapik-Miazga won the women’s gold, defeating Anna Kun (HUN), in the final, 11-10. Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA) and Nelli Differt (EST) were the bronze medalists. It’s the first-ever Grand Prix medal for Knapik-Miazga; she had won four World Cup bronzes from 2010-20. Kun also claimed her first Grand Prix medal and her best finish ever in a major international competition.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The next-to-last Ski Cross World Cup was in Veysonnaz (SUI) on Sunday, after Saturday’s qualifying had to be canceled due to heavy snow.

For the first time this season, Sweden’s all-conquering Sandra Naeslund didn’t win, due to a knee injury that kept her out. So, six-time Worlds medalist Fanny Smith got the gold, followed by Jade Grillet Aubert (FRA) and Tiana Gairns (CAN); Aubert won her first medal this season and Garins won her first career World Cup medal.

In the men’s final, Swede David Mobaerg claimed his third win of the season (fourth career), getting to the line ahead of Japan’s Ryo Sugai (second silver of the season) and Canada’s Reece Howden, the seasonal leader. The World Cup tour will conclude next week.

● Gymnastics ● The third of four FIG Artistic Apparatus World Cups was in Baku (AZE), for the annual AGF Trophy meet.

Ukraine’s 2021 Worlds All-Around bronze medalist, Ilia Kovtun, the Parallel Bars winner in the first two events, won two medals on Saturday, but both were silvers. He was runner-up to Milan Karimi (KAZ) on Floor, 14.200 to 13.033, with American Riley Loos third (13.733).

Then Kovtun finished second on Parallel Bars to Floor (2019) and Vault (2021) World Champion Carlos Yulo (PHI), 15.400 to 14.366, with American Curran Phillips finishing fifth (14.500). Kovtun won all four Parallel Bars Apparatus World Cup in 2022, so his six-meet win streak was ended.

Home favorite Nikita Simonov (AZE) won on Rings, 14.633 to 14.500 over Mahdi Ahmad Kohani (IRI); Loos was eighth at 14.000.

On Sunday, Yulo won his second gold, this time on the Vault at 14.933, slightly better than Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.816). Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov won on Pommel Horse for the second World Cup in a row (15.300), ahead of Ireland’s 2022 World Champion Rhys McClenaghan (13.933). On the Horizontal Bar, Israel’s Alexander Myakinin, the 2020 European bronze medalist, was the winner at 14.200, over Kazuki Matsumi (JPN: 14.033) and Croatia’s Tokyo 2020 silver winner, Tin Srbic (13.666). Phillips was fifth (13.133).

The women’s events included a third straight World Cup medal for 47-year-old Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) in the Vault, scoring 13.433 behind winner (and 2022 Worlds bronze medalist) Coline Devillard (FRA). China’s Qiyuan Qiu won the Uneven Bars at 14.700 over Giorgia Villa (ITA: 14.600).

Italy’s Villa won on Beam ahead of Marine Boyer (FRA), 13.966-13.866, but Boyer took the win on Floor, 12.833 to 12.800 for Arianna Belardelli (ITA).

● Modern Pentathlon ● The UIPM World Cup opener was in Cairo (EGY), with home star Ahmed Elgendy getting the men’s win in the final event.

Teammate Mohanad Shaban started the Laser Run with a 25-second lead on Hungary’s Csaba Bohm, with Elgendy third. But the battle for gold came down to Elgendy and Bohm, with the Egyptian star – the Tokyo silver medalist – coming through for a tight, 1,516 to 1,514 win. Elgendy finished in 10:07.90 after winning the swimming, but 12th in fencing and 10th in riding. Bohm finished in 10:12.90, third-fastest in the field, but not enough to win. Czech Martin Vlach had the fastest Laser Run (10:01.60) to move up to third.

Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, also started behind on the Laser Run, but ended as a decisive winner. France’s Elodie Clouvel, the Rio 2016 silver medalist, had a 16-second lead going in, but Gulyas promptly took over and ended with the fourth-fastest time in the final event (11:52.80) while Clouvel faded to 13th (12:13.20), but held onto second. Gulyas finished at 1,403 points to 1,398 for Clouvel, and 1,392 for Salma Abdelmaksoud of Egypt.

The Mixed Relay saw Gintare Venckauskaite and Titas Puronas (LTU) start 25 seconds back in the Laser Run, but moved from fourth to first, passing Mexico, Egypt and Korea. Puronas left the final shooting stage first and managed to win (1,373 total), with Mexico’s Mariana Arceo and Manuel Padilla getting silver (1,364) and Haeun Jang and Soengjin Kim (KOR: 1,361) taking the bronze. The U.S. pair of Phaelen French and Tyler Evans finished eighth (1,023).

● Nordic Combined ● After sweeping the two individual events at the FIS World Championships, Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber kept the party going at the next-to-last World Cup of the season in Oslo.

On Saturday, he won the 134 m jumping and 10 km race in 23:40.4, ahead of Germany’s Julian Schmid (25:36.9) and seasonal leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT: 25:38.3). American Niclas Malacinski was 28th in 28:44.2.

Sunday’s 138 m/10 km event was another Riiber victory – his sixth of the season – in 22:45.7, with Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger second (24:18.4) and Schmid third (24:23.2). Lamparter was sixth, and Malacinski finished 35th (27:13.5).

The women’s 106 m/5 km competition turned out like all the others this season, with a win for Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen, in 13:42.3, trailed by teammate Ida Marie Hagen (14:29.1) and Japan’s Anju Nakamura (14:36.7). American Annika Malacinski (sister of Niclas) was 20th in 17:37.9.

Hansen won all 10 World Cup events and took the seasonal title with a perfect score of 1,000 points, to 589 for Nathalie Armbruster (GER) and 542 for Hagen. Wow.

● Shooting ● The ISSF World Cup for Shotgun in Doha (QAT) concluded with the Trap events.

Turkey’s Oguzhan Tuzun, 40, took the men’s title with a 33-30 win in the final over 2019 World Champion Matthew John Coward-Holley (GBR), with India’s Prithviraj Tondaiman third (20). It’s Tuzun’s fifth career World Cup victory, stretching back to 2004!

Australian Penny Smith, sixth at Tokyo in 2021, won her third individual World Cup gold, beating Slovak star Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova, 39, the Tokyo Olympic gold winner, 1-0 in a shoot-off, after a 28-28 tie. American Alicia Gough won the bronze (20).

The U.S. finished off the tournament with a 6-0 win in the Mixed Trap final, as William Hinton and Gough hit 27-30 targets to shut out Kuwait. The U.S. finished on top of the medal standings with six, including three golds, plus two silvers and a bronze.

● Ski Jumping ● The sixth Raw Air Tournament is on, starting in Oslo and then continuing to Lillehammer and Vikersund in Norway with 12 events across 10 days. The men’s finals in Oslo began with Slovenia’s three-time Worlds medal winner Anze Lanisek taking his fifth career World Cup win at 260.2 points, ahead of three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft (AUT: 254.4) and German Karl Geiger (253.5), the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist.

Kraft won on Sunday, scoring 266.1 to 257.8 for Lanisek and 257.7 for Poland’s Dawid Kubacki. The show moves to Lillehammer on Monday.

The women’s 134 m final on Saturday was the second win of the year for Austrian Chiara Kreuzer (260.1), beating Ema Klinec (SLO: 254.6) and Norway’s Anna Stroem (253.1).

Klinec got the win on Sunday – her first of the season, after seven silvers – scoring 238.2 to best Kreuzer (232.2) and Stroem (231.6).

● Snowboard ● The SnowCross season continued in Sierra Nevada (ESP), with home favorite Lucas Eguibar taking the first men’s final on Saturday, beating Italy’s Worlds bronze medalist Omar Visintin and teammate Lorenzo Sommariva to the line.

Swiss Kalle Koblet logged his first career World Cup win on Sunday, over Eguibar and Loan Bozzolo (ITA), who got his second career World Cup medal.

The women’s Saturday final saw Britain’s 2021 World Champion Charlotte Bankes get to the finish line first, ahead of France’s Beijing 2022 runner-up (and seasonal leader) Chloe Trespeuch and American star (and six-time World Champion) Lindsey Jacobellis, now 37. It’s the first World Cup medal of the season for Jacobellis, following up on her Worlds bronze earlier in the month.

Bankes and Trespeuch went 1-2 again on Sunday, this time with Manon Petit-Lenoir third, her first medal since December. Bankes now has the seasonal lead with three events remaining.

● Swimming ● At the New South Wales State Championships in Sydney (AUS), Olympic hero Kaylee McKeown set a world record in the women’s 200 m Backstroke, winning in 2:03.14.

That’s 0.21 faster than American Regan Smith’s swim (2:03.35) at the 2019 Worlds in Gwangju (KOR), and the first time ever that an Australian has held this record. McKeown, 21, won the 100 and 200 m Backstrokes in Tokyo and the 200 m Back at the 2022 World Championships.

She also won the 100 m Back in 57.84, the no. 10 performance in history; she’s the world-record holder already at 57.45 (2021). McKeown (4) and Smith (6) together own the top-10 times in history.

Sprinter Shayna Jack won the women’s 100 m Free in a world-leading 53.12, then won the 50 m Free in a world-leading 24.26, with Tokyo Olympic winner Emma McKeon second at 24.69 (fourth in 2023). McKeon won the women’s 100 m Fly in 57.07, no. 2 on the world list this year. Olympic and World Champion Ariarne Titmus won the women’s 400 m Free in 4:01.94, no. 4 in the world for 2023.

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TSX EXTRA: Shiffrin ties Stenmark in Are; FIE votes for Russian re-entry

By
Rich Perelman
-
American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (Photo: Reese Brown courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE TICKER ≡

1.
Shiffrin takes Are Giant Slalom for 86th World Cup win

American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin won the FIS World Cup Giant Slalom in Are (SWE) on Friday, leading from the first round and skiing into history with her 86th career World Cup win, tying Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark (1974-89) for the most ever.

Shiffrin, 27, who had already clinched her fifth career overall World Cup title, had a 0.58-second lead hearing into the second run and although sixth-fastest, secured the victory with a total of 1:54.64 to 1:55.28 for Italy’s Federica Brignone, the fastest-second-run skier. Said the winner:

“It’s a little too much to comprehend. It’s a pretty spectacular position to be in. I don’t take it for granted, to be in this position where people are asking me about when I’m going to win 86 or 87. It’s a cool place to be, even though it can be difficult to focus sometimes.

“But today I felt like the focus was there when I needed it to be, so it was fun to ski, and that was how I hoped it would be. I’m always afraid I’m going to lose the lead, so when I saw the green light, I thought, that’s really exciting.

“Now everyone is going to ask about 87, and I’ll say ‘argh’.”

This was her 20th career win in a Giant Slalom, and Shiffrin also secured the seasonal title in the Giant Slalom discipline, to go along with the overall World Cup and the Slalom title.

She has a chance to take the record for herself on Saturday in the Slalom, where she has won more races than any other skier in history: 52.

2.
FIE votes to re-admit Russians and Belarusians

The Federation Internationale de Escrime voted, 89-46, in an online Extraordinary Congress to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes to its international competitions in the second half of April, “subject to possible future IOC recommendations/decisions, and in compliance with conditions of neutrality and individual eligibility.”

The FIE vote was decried by federations which were against the measures, including USA Fencing, which issued a statement that included:

“USA Fencing is disappointed, frustrated and disturbed — though not all that surprised — at the outcome of today’s vote, wherein more than 60% of nations voted to allow fencers and officials from Russia and Belarus to return to international fencing competition.

“This vote comes just over 100 days after 77% of the members of this same body voted to extend the ban. What has changed in those 104 days? Many will speculate, but one thing is painfully clear: Russia has not ended its unlawful and immoral assault on Ukraine — an invasion that has resulted in thousands of senseless deaths, an unprecedented refugee crisis and the destruction of Ukraine’s sporting infrastructure, notably including the evacuation of its fencing athletes. …

“Today’s ‘yes’ vote by more than 80 delegates, while not a direct endorsement of Russia’s war, does send a message to the world that a majority of the international fencing community is ready to look the other way and welcome back fencers funded by and supported by the Russian government. Some of these fencers have direct ties to the military, and many have not publicly condemned the atrocities of their government. In addition, welcoming coaches, officials and representatives from Russia and Belarus back to the FIE may see individuals who are directly employed by, or linked to, the Russian government resume their participation as well.”

A British Fencing post noted, “There was no definition of neutrality given within the proposals by the FIE, and the IOC has yet to make its recommendations in this regard.”

The FIE has a Russian President, billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who stepped aside shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in view of sanctions from the European Union against his business interests. Greece’s Emmanuel Katsiadakis has served as Interim President since.

Fencing joins cycling, judo and tennis as federations which allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral status. The now-suspended International Boxing Association allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete without any restrictions.

InsideTheGames reported that the votes on the three resolutions on reinstatement were 89-46 with one abstention for individuals, 85-51 for teams (with three abstentions) and 88-48 for officials (with two abstentions).

The resolutions’ eligibility timing of mid-April takes into account a forthcoming meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board coming up on 28-30 March, at which the matter will no doubt be discussed.

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TSX REPORT: Excellent first-phase ticket sales for Paris 2024; Diack conviction confirmed in Paris; Wimbledon to allow Russians, Belarusians

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Paris 2024 sells 3.25 million tickets in first phase!
2. Papa Massata Diack’s French conviction confirmed
3. Russia’s Olympic gym star Melnikova “marking time”
4. Tokyo wrestling star Steveson aiming for WWE and Paris 2024
5. Wimbledon to allow Russians, Belarusians under conditions

The first phase of ticket sales for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games went well, with 3.25 million tickets sold, or 32.5% of the total available. The second phase begins with registration and a random draw for places in line for the next sale, to begin in May. In Paris, an appeals court confirmed the conviction – and five-year prison sentence – of Papa Massata Diack, son of the former IAAF President Lamine Diack, on corruption charges. Diack is still in Senegal and has never appeared in the French courts. Tokyo women’s Olympic Team event gold medalist Angelina Melnikova of Russia says that with the ban on international competitions, she feels she is “marking time.” Wrestling star Gable Steveson of the U.S. confirmed that his pro wrestling debut for the WWE is imminent, but that he also wants to try for a repeat gold in Paris in 2024! Wimbledon will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete in 2023, but under strict conditions now being formulated.

● Panorama: Olympic Games 2028 (World Rowing pitches beach sprint to LA28) = Commonwealth Games 2030 (Alberta study to start, with provincial funding) = Russia (2: 42 former Canadian Olympians protest neutrality option; USA Fencing dead set against Russian re-entry at FIE Congress) = Aquatics (Barelli ban extended) = Baseball (Ohtani stars in Japan’s WBC win) = Cycling (Slovenians could win at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico!) = Diving (Pat McCormick passes at 92) = Football (2: Infantino cleared of Swiss charges; French women’s coach Diacre fired) ●

1.
Paris 2024 sells 3.25 million tickets in first phase!

“With over 3.2 million tickets sold in less than three weeks, take-up exceeded all expectations, for which we are very grateful.”

That’s Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet in the new 2024 Olympic ticket brochure, which details the next stage in the sales program, which will now include all sports, all sessions and ceremonies.

The three-week first sales stage, of “ticket packs,” received plenty of media and public criticism, but it’s hard to argue with the results: 3.25 million tickets sold, or 32.5% of all Olympic tickets expected to be available. In fact, if the organizing committee’s calculations prove correct and the split between tickets sold individually and tickets sold as part of hospitality packages remains at 80/20, an impressive 40.6% of all available non-hospitality tickets were sold in the first phase. Some announcement highlights:

● “The French public, who made up two thirds of ticket purchasers, responded in their thousands. So did fans from abroad, with 158 different countries represented. A relatively high proportion were female and young: in this first phase, 45% were women and 44% were aged under 35.”

● “Tickets for all sports where tickets were available (there will be no tickets for surfing) were sold during this first phase of sales. Tickets for climbing and BMX freestyle sold out on the first day, while those for fencing, judo, breaking and track cycling were all snapped up in just a few days. The sports for which the most tickets were sold included football, athletics, rugby 7s, basketball and volleyball.”

● “During this initial sales phase, more than 400,000 tickets priced at €24 were sold. Around 70% of tickets sold cost less than €100 and 4.5% cost €200 or more.” (€1 = $1.06 U.S. today)

The next phase begins with registration opening 15 March, with “places in line” drawn by lot and actual sales opening 11 May. The brochure continues to promote “accessible” pricing with “All sports from 24€” and “From 50€: Numerous men’s and women’s finals sessions in individual and team sports such as Rowing, 3×3 Basketball, BMX freestyle, BMX racing, Climbing, Hockey, Skateboarding, Taekwondo, Archery and Water polo.”

Among the tickets to be available in the next phase:

● Opening Ceremony along the Seine from €90 to €2,700
● Closing Ceremony at the Stade de France from €45 to €1,600
● Athletics and Swimming finals from €85 to €980
● Basketball final from €125 to €980
● Gymnastics All-Around final from €125 to €680

If you want to take in the first appearance of break dancing in the Games, you can go for €50 to €160.

The ticket sales program is a key revenue driver for the Paris 2024 budget, which has been under pressure from inflation and supply-chain issues for more than a year. Whatever the criticisms, the first-round results were excellent, but many more sales are needed.

2.
Papa Massata Diack’s French conviction confirmed

A Paris appeals court announced Thursday the confirmation of the conviction for corruption and five-year prison sentence for Papa Massata Diack, the Senegalese son of the late ex-IAAF President and International Olympic Committee member Lamine Diack.

The court maintain the conviction and prison sentence for Papa Massata Diack, 57, who was not present and has remained in Senegal since arrest warrants were issued in 2016. His lawyers said he was under “legal supervision” in Senegal and not allowed to leave the country.

The younger Diack had the fine of €1 million reduced to €500,000 (about $530,000 U.S.). He was convicted as part of a scheme to extort millions of dollars from 23 Russian athletes in order to delay their doping convictions until after the London 2012 Olympic Games and/or the 2013 IAAF World Championships, held in Moscow.

The Diacks were also charged with siphoning off as much as $15 million due to the IAAF (now World Athletics) from sponsorship payments, and for influence-buying in Olympic host-city selections for 2016 and 2020.

World Athletics has sued to try and recover the sponsor funds that were stolen.

3.
Russia’s Olympic gym star Melnikova “marking time”

Further to Wednesday’s story on the motivational toll that the international competition has had on Russian men’s gymnastics stars are comments from women’s star Angelina Melnikova, 22, winner of three medals in Tokyo (Team gold, bronzes in All-Around and Floor). She told the Russian new agency TASS during the Russian nationals in Kazan:

“It has a very strong effect that there are no international starts. I feel as a professional athlete that I’m marking time, that is, I don’t have the opportunity to show my gymnastics. In order to show something more, you need somewhere then in a more serious place to implement it all. But here, at the Russian Championships, it’s hard to do it.

“I don’t count the medals of the Russian championships. The Russian championship for me, for us, for the whole team, has always been a test tournament before the main start. And now it’s all turned upside down, now this is the main start of the country, of the year. It’s hard.”

Despite an injury, she finished second in the All-Around to 17-year-old Viktoria Listunova, also a Tokyo 2020 Team gold medalist, 116.331 to 112.531:

“It worked out well today, I had a different mental attitude. I rehabilitated myself after yesterday, so to speak.

“I had a difficult preparation, so the competition is hard for me, plus I have an injury; my Achilles hurts. Every event I do, I think it might be my last, so it’s kind of tough mentally. My doctor and I decided that after the competition I should focus on treating my leg, it’s so hard to perform, of course.”

4.
Tokyo wrestling star Steveson aiming for WWE and Paris 2024

U.S. Freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson was one of the stars of the Tokyo 2020 Games, making a miracle comeback in the final second – yes, final second – to win the Freestyle 125 kg division over reigning World Champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia.

He left Olympic wrestling to develop a career with the WWE pro circuit and told MMAFighting.com that he is ready to debut with the show, but also has his eyes on returning to the Olympics in 2024:

“I miss being on the mats. I miss showcasing my skills every year and going out there and putting on a good show and going out there and winning the national tournament. I miss it. I still have that competitive fighter and hope to get back out there really soon.

“I know the Olympics is next year and I hope to be a part of that and keep moving forward and keep winning big titles for the USA also.

“I would love a second run. I feel I have a lot more left in the tank to showcase. I want to prove USA right and keep moving forward overall and become one of the best American amateur wrestlers ever, and I hope I can achieve the Bruce Baumgartner status of having a bunch of medals and having the accolades to show and be a part of WWE and be an entertainer, too.”

The legendary Baumgartner won two Olympic golds at 130 kg in 1984 and 1992, a silver in 1988 and a bronze in 1996.

Steveson blew through three opponents in Tokyo by 23-0 to reach the gold-medal final and had a 5-2 lead on Petriashvili until the Georgian scored six points to take an 8-5 lead with 90 seconds left. Steveson got a takedown with 10 seconds left to close to 8-7 and then took Petriashvili down again, flying over the top of him with a half-second left for a 9-8 win. The score was finalized at 10-8 after a Georgian protest was denied.

Only one wrestler has ever repeated an Olympic title in the super heavyweight division: Soviet Soslan Andiyev in 1976 and 1980.

5.
Wimbledon to allow Russians, Belarusians under conditions

Britain’s Daily Mail reported that the All England Club, organizers of the Wimbledon championships, will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete in 2023, after being banned under government edict in 2022.

The pro tennis tours – Association of Tennis Professionals and Women’s Tennis Association – penalized Wimbledon for not allowing Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutrals in 2022, as they were at other tournaments, including the other Grand Slams.

The newspaper reported, however:

“It is understood that players will be kicked out of the tournament if they show any support for the invasion, and they are also set to compete under a neutral flag.”

Moreover, a code of conduct is being considered:

“The details of that code have yet to be finalised but it is likely that any explicit show of support for Russia, such as carrying a flag or talking positively about the country, could lead to sanctions including a potential expulsion from the tournament.”

The British government is said to approve of the restrictions and to allow the Russian and Belarusian players to compete, in contrast to its enforced ban in 2022 when it would not allow them to enter the country.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● World Rowing visited the LA28 organizing committee last week to make its case for the replacement of the lightweight rowing events with the beach sprint event now accepted for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The federation has accepted the move of the primary rowing venue from Lake Perris in Riverside County to the Long Beach Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 Olympic rowing competitions. Because of the later installation of the Second Street Bridge, the course length will be shortened to 1,500 m instead of the normal 2,000 m.

A decision on the beach sprint event is expected this summer.

● Commonwealth Games 2030 ● A study for a possible Canadian bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games was announced Wednesday by Alberta cities Calgary and Edmonton and the Tsuut’ina Nation.

Commonwealth Sport Canada announced the Alberta bid as “preferred” with a decision not due before August to determine the costs and feasibility of a bid. GamesBids.com reported:

“Alberta’s Minister of Culture Jason Luan said his government is behind plans and has pledged CAD $2 million (USD $1.45 million) towards the exploration process. The City of Edmonton will spend CAD $1 million (USD $725,000) on the effort.”

● Russia ● A group of 42 former Canadian Olympians presented an open letter on Wednesday, calling for the continued exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes, denouncing the Canadian Olympic Committee’s support for the IOC’s exploration of a possible path for athletes against the Russian invasion of Ukraine to be allowed to compete as neutrals:

“We condemn the recent public statements issued by the COC supporting the ‘exploration of a pathway’ for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as ‘neutrals’ in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Opening the door to ‘neutral’ Russian and Belarusian participation … sends a message that the COC is no longer concerned with Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. No pathway should be considered for Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in the Olympic Games until Russia fully withdraws from Ukraine. …

“Refusing their participation in international sport is not simply a matter of denying athletes a choice to compete because of their passport, it is a rejection of an unlawful and inhumane war and a recognition of the role international sports plays in geopolitics.”

Canadian Sports Minister Pascal St-Onge told The Canadian Press:

“I’ve had many conversations with the COC. Their current position – and it’s our government’s position as well – is that there’s no reason to review the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at this point because the war is still ongoing, and we don’t see a path forward to neutrality. So our position is clear.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee, in a statement, however, said:

“Our position, consistent over the past year, is that we support the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sport while the invasion is ongoing. This is aligned with the recent statement, signed by Canada and more than 30 other Nations, that call for the continuation of the ban in the absence of clarity and concrete details on a workable neutrality model.”

As is now the norm, legendary Russian figure skating coach Tatyana Tarasova reacted to the letter thus:

“You never know who doesn’t want to see us. It always seemed to me that Canadians are a friendly, non-violent nation, they never showed themselves like that. But here they can be understood; of course, they want to win, including in figure skating, at least something in ice dancing. They don’t need extra competition. I can’t explain this statement in another way. …

“And I think that we will participate in the Games.”

On Thursday, USA Fencing posted a message from Treasurer Sam Cheris detailing the federation’s position against Russian and Belarusian reinstatement at the online FIE Extraordinary Congress on Friday. It included:

“I and USA Fencing are firmly against permitting the competitors of any country, some of whom are in or supported by its military establishment that is committing war crimes against civilians of another country, to compete.

“If these athletes wish to compete, let them resign any military ties and financing – renounce their citizenship and disavow their support for the atrocities.

“If these sound like drastic and extreme measures, they are – but invasion of a sovereign country and wanton killing of its civilians is also drastic and extreme, and extreme transgressions call for extreme responses.

“Many of these competitors are guilty, directly or indirectly, of supporting actively or passively their aggressor government. Those in Russia who passively watch give tacit approval to the current reprehensible activities. …

“Athletes from Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to compete in the individual or team events under some paper screen of fencing under the FIE flag or some other artifice creating a fiction of neutrality and individual eligibility. Everyone knows they are Russians fencing for Russia and Belorussians fencing for a country that is aiding and abetting Russia’s crimes.”

Cheris will read his statement into the record at the Congress, if allowed to do so. The FIE Congress will vote on reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals from “the second half of April” forward, notably after the IOC Executive Board meeting at the end of March.

● Aquatics ● The World Aquatics Ethics Panel, functioning independently from the federation itself, has added a third-year suspension of former European Swimming League (LEN) President Paolo Barelli (ITA).

Barelli, now 68, at one time a member of the FINA Council and head of both LEN and the Italian federation, was alleged to have falsified expense requests and failed to report conflicts of interest. The Panel ordered Barelli to repay the funds received under false pretenses and is now suspended through 14 August 2025.

● Baseball ● The Tokyo pool at the World Baseball Classic opened on Thursday, with superstar Shohei Ohtani pitching four innings, striking out five and giving up one hit as Japan rolled over China, 8-1, in front of 41,161 at the Tokyo Dome.

Ohtani thrilled the crowd at the plate, with two hits, a double, two walks and two runs batted in.

In the first game in Tokyo, Australia came back to beat South Korea, 9-8, with three runs in the seventh and three in the eight to overcome a 4-2 deficit. The three-run innings were keyed by two-on home runs from third baseman Robbie Glendinning (7th) and catcher Robbie Perkins (8th).

In Taichung (TPE), the Netherlands improved to 2-0 with a 3-1 win over Panama (1-1) and Italy surprised Cuba (0-2) with a 6-3 win in the 10th inning in its opener.

Play in Pools C (Phoenix) and D (Miami) will begin on Saturday. Quarterfinal matches will begin on the 15th.

● Cycling ● Two famed sprint stage races are nearly their climax in France and Italy, with Slovenian stars Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic in position to win both!

At the 81st edition of Paris-Nice, the leader after five stages is two-time Tour de France champ Pogacar, who won the critical fourth (climbing) stage to take over the top spot. He has a six-second lead on France’s David Gaudu and 46 seconds over Dane Jonas Vingegaard, the 2022 Tour de France winner.

At the 58th Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy, home favorite and time trial star Filippo Ganna led for the first three stages, but gave way after the fourth stage to German Leonard Kamna, who moved up as three-time Vuelta a Espana winner Roglic took the stage in a sprint finish against French star Julien Alaphilippe. Kamna has just a six-second lead on Roglic, eight seconds on Joao Almeida (POR) and 13 seconds on American Brandon McNulty.

Both races end Sunday.

● Diving ● Sad news that Pat McCormick (USA), one of the greatest divers in Olympic history, passed away at age 92 on Tuesday (7th).

McCormick was the first diver to win back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 3 m Springboard and the 10 m Platform, at Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956. Only American star Greg Louganis has done it since, in 1984 and 1988.

The 1956 Sullivan Award winner as the premiere amateur athlete in the United States, McCormick was a 27-time national champion has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame and many others. She remained involved with the sport for her entire public life, and participated in multiple Los Angeles Olympic bids, and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Games.

She is survived by her daughter Kelly McCormick Robertson, who won an Olympic 1984 silver and 1988 bronze in the 3 m Springboard, son-in-law Matt Robertson, and grandson, Tim McCormick.

● Football ● FIFA announced that the Swiss Attorney General’s office has closed its investigation of federation chief Gianni Infantino (SUI) over the use of a chartered jet in 2017 to fly from Suriname to Switzerland:

“It has been confirmed that the travel arrangements, made by the President’s Office and FIFA’s travel department, were in line with FIFA’s compliance rules and regulations – a decision that is in line with the ruling of FIFA Ethics Committee in August 2020 on this case. In addition, the [Office of the Attorney General] has acknowledged that the manner of communication in relation to these travel arrangements at the time were completely justified.

“Following the OAG’s judgement, the Swiss state shall bear all costs related to the investigation, while the FIFA President has also decided to waive any claim for damages, thus foregoing any potential compensation.”

The Swiss prosecutor’s office launched an inquiry into the matter in 2020, including potential criminal proceedings, which have now been dropped.

Four months before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and a day after French women’s national team coach Corinne Diacre (FRA) said she would stay as coach despite three stars leaving the team, she was fired by the French Football Federation on Thursday:

“The numerous hearings conducted have made it possible to establish a very important gap with some top players. This gap has reached a point of no return that damages the team’s interests.”

A star defender as a player, Diacre had been the coach of the women’s national team since 2017; the French women – a favorite going into the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, played in France – was eliminated by the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Her contract was to run past the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

But in February, center-back and captain Wendie Renard announced she would not play for France at the Women’s World Cup, quickly followed by striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto and forward Kadidiatou Diani. The search for a new coach will start immediately.

Diacre said of the complaints, “I endured, not without great suffering, the display of slander, untruths and ambitions of some and others.” But now she is out.

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For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Compete at the University Games for $2,595 plus airfare! C$100,000 sponsor gift for Canadian women’s team; Russians losing interest?

By
Rich Perelman
-
No Russians or Belarusians at the 2021 (2023) World University Games in China!

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Want to compete at the World University Games? It’s $2,595 + air!
2. Sponsor GE Appliances adds $100,000 for Canadian women’s team
3. Russian gymnasts losing interest due to competition ban
4. New Canadian hosting option for 2030 Commonwealth Games?
5. UEFA to refund all Liverpool tickets from Champions League final

With USA Swimming declining to field an American team for the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu (CHN), the U.S. International University Sports Federation has opened the door to any eligible U.S. swimmer (age 17-25, in college or a year after) to apply, but with a cost of $2,595 plus airfare! Canada Soccer sponsor GE Appliances donated C$100,000 to be used for the Canadian Women’s National Team to help in its labor dispute with the federation; it hopes other sponsors will follow. The head of the Russian artistic gymnastics team says motivation is becoming difficult for its athletes, with little or no prospect of being able to compete internationally, including at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With Hamilton, Ontario unable to get provincial support for funding a centennial Commonwealth Games in 2030, a possible bid from Alberta for Calgary and Edmonton is to be explored. UEFA announced that all Liverpool supporters who attended the almost-catastrophic 2022 Champions League Final will have their ticket purchase costs refunded.

● Panorama: Athletics (3: More than 3,000 get Six Star Medal at Tokyo Marathon; Omanyala’s 9.81 discarded; World Athletics finds women undercovered at Eugene Worlds) = Baseball (Netherlands and Panama win World Baseball Classic openers) = Football (2: Brazil wants Women’s World Cup ‘27; Relevent wins appeal on FIFA-USSF collusion case) = Shooting (Rhode wins two at ISSF World Cup) ●

1.
Want to compete at the World University Games?
It’s $2,595 + air!

Most American teams at international sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or Pan American Games or individual-sport World Cups, are selected and supported by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee or individual-sport National Governing Bodies.

But occasionally, they’re not. At least in swimming, the World University Games is one of those, taking place this year in Chengdu (CHN) after being postponed from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

SwimSwam.com shared a flyer from BTI Events, LLC, inviting student-athletes – at least 17 years of age and no older than 25 years of age on December 31, 2023 and either enrolled in college or within a year of graduation – to “compete for the USA!”

Without USOPC or U.S. National Governing Body support, the athletes (or friends and family) are responsible for the cost of competing:

● $2,595 for seven days in the athlete village
● “USA team apparel” included, but apparently not uniforms
● Marching in the Opening or Closing ceremonies
● Meals and ground transport included
● Cost of air travel to Chengdu is additional
● Chinese visa fees are additional (if any)

The U.S. member of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) is the U.S.-International University Sports Federation (US-IUSF), which has handed off the team logistics for the World University Games to BTI Events. While the USOPC used to support the WUG, it was dropped many years ago.

There are 18 sports in the WUG in 2023; USA Swimming is not supporting a team for this event, so it’s open to any eligible athlete who can pay for it. Team sports have usually been filled by individual university teams, but individual sports appear to be open. The U.S. men’s basketball team in Chengdu will be provided by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), with the women’s team coming from the University of Louisville.

2.
Sponsor GE Appliances adds $100,000 for Canadian women’s team

The continuing drama of the sixth-ranked Canadian women’s national football team and the national federation over labor issues has led to an added C$100,000 (~$72,452 U.S.) donation from sponsor GE Appliances Canada.

Bob Park, the GE Appliances Canada chief brand officer, told The Canadian Press:

“I think this dispute between Canada Soccer and the women’s national team had gone on for a fair amount of time. We really wanted to get involved, really to be a positive force in soccer.

“We’re really in soccer for one big reason, and we want to be known as a true corporate supporter of the game in Canada. In order to do that, we want to align with a partner, in this case Canada Soccer, and we expect that our brand values are shared and they exhibit those values in their actions.

“Of late, that’s been a little bit more of a challenge, so we wanted to offer up some solutions. … [It’s] really to encourage other sponsors or potential sponsors or current sponsors to come forward and pitch in as well.”

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that while an interim agreement was announced last week, it’s only a first step as far as the women’s team is concerned:

“The women say while they have told Canada Soccer they will play in the April FIFA window, their participation is contingent on ‘meaningful progress being made with respect to a number of bargaining issues.’”

3.
Russian gymnasts losing interest due to competition ban

The head coach of the Russian gymnastics program, Valentina Rodionenko, said that the international competition ban on Russian athletes is impacting athlete motivation. She told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I say right away: the lack of international starts has a big impact. You see, there is no incentive, so it’s difficult for them and us to make them work. It’s very difficult, purely psychological.”

Speaking specifically of Tokyo Olympic men’s Team gold medalists Nikita Nagornyy and Artur Dalaloyan:

“It’s very difficult to get these guys to work during suspension, because they understand that the Olympics in 2024 may be the last in their sporting life. This attitude, when you understand that you’re not getting into Paris, that’s it.

“Every day we receive reports that many countries are protesting. They are asking not to allow Russia, there is not only a political issue, there is a question of competition.”

Russian athletes won four medals in men’s Artistic Gymnastics in Tokyo (1-1-2) and four in the women’s division (1-1-2); both won the Team gold and bronzes in the Individual All-Around (Nagornyy and Angelina Melnikova). China also won eight total medals, and the U.S. won six.

4.
New Canadian hosting option for 2030 Commonwealth Games?

The inaugural edition of the British Empire Games was held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1930, but an effort to bring the 2030 Commonwealth Games back there imploded due to a lack of provincial funding support.

Now, a centennial Commonwealth Games may still be held in Canada, as reports indicate that a bid from Alberta – Calgary and Edmonton – is in the works.

A 2030 Hamilton event was projected to cost about C$1 billion; the Province of Alberta is willing to explore the possibilities of a bid for 2030 with two experienced cities. Calgary was the site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games and Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games and the 2001 World Athletics Championships.

Canada has hosted the Commonwealth Games four times: first in Hamilton in 1930, when Vancouver in 1954, Edmonton in 1978 and Victoria, B.C. in 1994. Since then, England and Australia have hosted twice, as well as Malaysia, Scotland and India, with a third Australian-hosted Games coming in Victoria in 2026.

The Interim Evaluation Report on the quite successful 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham (ENG) prepared by professional services firm KPMG and published in January noted that £654.1 million ($774.8 million U.S.) in public money was spent on the effort, but showed a significant return:

“In net terms, taking account of expenditure and resultant economic activity which would have been incurred anyway had the Games events not taken place in the West Midlands, this equates to a net [gross value added economic] impact of:

“– at least £200.9 million of net GVA in Birmingham [$238.0 million U.S.];

“– approximately £396.9 million of net GVA in the West Midlands (including Birmingham) [$470.2 million U.S.];

“– approximately £764.7 million of net GVA to the UK economy (including the West Midlands and Birmingham) [$905.8 million U.S.].”

5.
UEFA to refund all Liverpool tickets from Champions League final

Liverpool supporters who bought tickets for the disastrous 2022 UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France in the Paris area that was plagued by security woes and nearly became a deadly trap for spectators on one side of the stadium will have their purchases refunded.

UEFA announced Tuesday:

“Refunds will be available to all fans with tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z where the most difficult circumstances were reported. In addition, all fans who according to the access control data did not enter the stadium before 21:00 CEST (the originally scheduled kick-off time), or who were not able to enter the stadium at all, will be eligible for a refund. Finally, UEFA will offer refunds to all fans who purchased accessibility tickets along with those of their accompanying persons.

“Given these criteria, the special refund scheme covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the Final, i.e. 19,618 tickets. Due to the nature of the original ticket sales process, whereby Liverpool fans purchased tickets from Liverpool FC and not directly from UEFA, UEFA has requested that the club implements the refunds to ensure personal data protection and for ease of process. The club has kindly confirmed that it will implement the special refund scheme. Accordingly, UEFA will reimburse Liverpool FC the total value of these tickets and the club will then process the refunds to its supporters.”

The statement also noted that Real Madrid ticket buyers and non-affiliated purchasers can also apply for refunds directly through UEFA. Said UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis (GRE):

“We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair. We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period. We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● The World Marathon Majors program has a special designation for individual runners who complete all six of the races – Tokyo, Boston, London, Chicago, Berlin and New York – called the “Six Star Medal.”

A stunning total of 3,033 runners earned their medal at the Tokyo Marathon, the most ever in a single race. Some 40 finishers completed a second tour of all six races; five did it for a third time and one for a fourth time!

The Tokyo race had been especially elusive due to coronavirus restriction on entry to the country. The cumulative total of Six Star Medal winners is now over 11,000.

Something was wrong with the world-leading men’s 100 m mark of 9.81 from 2022 Commonwealth Games champ Ferdinand Omanyala (KEN) in Nairobi on 25 February.

The mark, as well as the breakthrough 9.94 runner-up time for Samuel Imeta, was supposedly into a headwind of 4.8 m/s, highly unlikely and pointing to timing or wind measurement issues for the race. Omanyala was not concerned:

“The season has just started and what matters for me is that I am at peak fitness. In all this, I believe God is saying something, which is that the world record is just around the corner. I can smell it and it will be sooner rather than later before I set it.”

World Athletics announced the results of a survey by digital agency Redtorch about the balance of reporting on men vs. women in athletics coverage from the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. In short:

“[T]he agency explored the differences in representation of female and male athletes in online news across English-speaking countries including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom and United States.

“Results showed a 42% female/58% male split in overall search returns when the spotlight was on specific athletes. However, when looking through the lens of individual disciplines, more significant differences were recorded: the biggest being a 32% female/68% male split among throwers.”

The review of search-engine returns of media reports showed a 59-41% split for men over women’s reports in running events, 56-44% for men over women in jumping events, 68-32 in throws, but 53-47 for women over men in road race reporting.

Moreover, the review of social media audiences showed women with a 56-44% edge. The federation added:

“Among World Athletics’ pledges for International Women’s Day in 2023 is to promote more, better, and fairer coverage of the sport’s female athletes by conducting and/or commissioning research across the entire media landscape, including a third online abuse study at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 , which will track abuse directed at male and female athletes on social media in order to better protect female athletes and take action against those who target athletes online.

“World Athletics will also continue to commission articles, features and other content throughout the year highlighting the ground-breaking women in our sport. This will include developing a podcast series to tell stories of pioneering women and the challenges they face, including protection of female sport, motherhood, mental health, and safeguarding.”

● Baseball ● The World Baseball Classic opened in Taichung (TPE) on Wednesday with the Netherlands defeating Cuba, 4-2, in the opener, thanks to a three-run sixth inning and a single from catcher Chadwick Tromp that scored second baseman Jonathan Schoop and right fielder Josh Palacios.

A full house of 15,540 at Taichung International Stadium saw the nightcap, with Panama pounding host Chinese Taipei, 15-4. The Panamanians scored five in the fourth and sixth in the sixth inning Second baseman Jonathan Arauz got three hits and two runs batted in and shortstop Ruben Tejada, right fielder Luis Castillo and first baseman Jahdiel Santamaria all had two hits and two RBIs.

Pool B begins on Thursday in Tokyo, with Australia facing South Korea and host Japan playing China.

● Football ● The Brazilian sports ministry announced Wednesday that the government, in concert with the national football federation, is preparing a bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Other known bids are expected from a consortium of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and also from South Africa. The U.S. has indicated interest in 2027, but more likely for 2031.

A potentially important lawsuit against FIFA and U.S. Soccer for restraint of trade in putting on foreign league matches on U.S. soil can go to trial.

New York-based Relevent Sports Group sued both FIFA and the U.S. federation for not allowing it to host an Ecuadorian Liga Pro match between Barcelona and Guayaquil in Miami in 2018. A District Court opinion in 2021 had disallowed the suit, but the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the finding, allowing the matter to proceed. The opinion noted that FIFA’s policy – announced in 2018 – that national league matches may not be played outside of the league’s home country, could be the result of collusion between it and U.S. Soccer:

“Relevent plausibly alleges that the 2018 Policy reflects a contractual commitment of head-to-head competitors to restrict competition.”

Relevent had tried to promote a LaLiga match between Barcelona F.C. and Girona FC. in Miami in 2018, but U.S. Soccer would not provide a sanction for the match.

● Shooting ● Great start for the U.S. at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Doha (QAT), with two wins and two silver medals in the first three events!

Ageless wonder and six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, now 43, triumphed in the women’s Skeet final, winning a shoot-off with fellow American Sam Simonton, 6-5, after a 38-38 tie. It’s Rhode’s 23rd World Cup gold and her second this year; her first was in 1996!

Two-time Olympic Skeet champ Vincent Hancock won silver in the men’s Skeet final, falling to Italy’s Rio 2016 gold medalist, Gabriele Rossetti, 39-38.

Then, Hancock and Rhode teamed up to win the Skeet Mixed Team title, 6-0, over France. The Americans each hit 12 targets without a miss!

Competition now turns to Trap and will continue through Sunday.

You can receive our exclusive TSX Report by e-mail by clicking here. You can also refer a friend by clicking here, and can donate here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: IOC’s Esports Series baffles gaming industry; FIFA pressed on possible Visit Saudi sponsoring; Shiffrin seeks record-tying ski win

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC’s Olympic Esports Series confuses U.S. pro gamers
2. Australia and New Zealand feds shun Visit Saudi sponsorship
3. Stoats top flowers to be Milan Cortina 2026 mascots
4. Shiffrin chasing Stenmark record in his native Sweden this week
5. USOPC receives $10 million gift to support mental health

The “established” esports industry of leagues featuring games like “League of Legends” and “Overwatch” have reacted with confusion to the International Olympic Committee’s new Olympic Esports Series, as they were passed over in favor of electronic versions of existing sports. But as the online business site Digiday reports, that may be exactly the right path for the IOC to take. The chief executives of the Australian and New Zealand football federations both rejected a so-far-unannounced sponsorship of Visit Saudi for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, citing the lack of freedoms for women in that country. Also unannounced are the mascots for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina (ITA), but Italian media reported that the public vote was in favor of the stoat pair offered by a school in Catanzaro, over a flower and snowdrop combo from a Milan school. American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin will try to tie Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 career World Cup wins this weekend … in Sweden, where a Giant Slalom and Slalom will be held in Are. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee received a sensational $10 million gift to aid its mental-health program from The Rieschel Family Foundation. It’s the largest single donation ever made to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation.

● Panorama: Russia (2: chess federation moves to Asia; ITF continues allowing Russians as neutrals) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (coaches of the year named) = Gymnastics (furious Russian reaction to Viner suspension) = Wrestling (path for NCAA women’s championship now open) ●

1.
IOC’s Olympic Esports series confuses U.S. pro gamers

While the Olympic sports world is looking on with interest to see how the International Olympic Committee’s stance on electronic sports is evolving, the professional gaming world – at least in the U.S. – may be confused.

The respected online trade site Digiday summarized the situation with a Tuesday look at the IOC’s new Olympic Esport Series that will culminate in June in Singapore:

“[M]any observers in the esports industry felt that the IOC’s announcement missed the mark. The event does not involve any traditional esports, such as ‘League of Legends’ or ‘Counter-Strike,’ nor does it include prominent sports-adjacent competitive games such as NBA 2K, FIFA or Rocket League. Some of the selected titles, such as ‘Tic Tac Bow’ and ‘Tennis Clash,’ are primarily mobile games with little to no structured competitive scene.”

But the story also noted in detail the IOC’s interests in esports which are far removed from the most popular competitive titles:

“As far as the IOC is concerned, all the grousing of esports-industry veterans might be little more than a distraction. Many of the most popular traditional esports are explicitly violent games, replete with guns, terrorists and pitched group combat, and thus inherently a bad fit for the Olympics, which operates on the mantra of ‘peace through sport.’ By focusing on games that emulate traditional sports, it’s more likely that the IOC is using its first esports event to target Olympics fans with an interest in gaming – not hardcore esports fans with an interest in the Olympics.”

This “nonstandard approach to esports” was also lauded for bringing esports closer to mainstream corporate sponsors that are already involved in the Olympic Games, and choosing some games which make sense for play on mobile devices – phones and tablets, making them more accessible worldwide – and not the heavy-duty gaming computers which are standard for the top-tier competitive games and leagues in the U.S.

The story’s bottom line:

“In other words, the Olympic Esports Series isn’t really an esports event – at least not in the sense that the word ‘esports’ has been used by the multitude of stakeholders building the franchised leagues and competing inside them.”

2.
Australia and New Zealand feds shun Visit Saudi sponsorship

FIFA has not announced a much-written-about sponsorship from Visit Saudi, the national tourism organization in Saudi Arabia, for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

But both of the host federations have now offered clear statements against such a commercial tie-in in view of the limits on women’s rights in that country. Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said Monday:

“Football Australia has consulted on this matter with key stakeholders, including government and commercial partners and it was an overwhelming consensus that this partnership does not align with our collective vision for the tournament and falls short of our expectations.

“Whilst the partnership has not been confirmed by FIFA, based on the consultations we have had with our community, key stakeholders and our own position, we would not be comfortable with it.

“While we await further clarity and information as to the details of the partnership from FIFA, we continue to convey this clear message on behalf of Football Australia, New Zealand Football, and our community.”

New Zealand Football chief exec Andrew Pragnell told reporters that a FIFA letter replying to concerns over the possible Visit Saudi sponsorship was hardly clear:

“It didn’t confirm nor deny the potential Visit Saudi sponsorship that has been reported in the media.”

“It did allude to the importance of treating all member associations equally and the importance of engagement as opposed to isolation. Other than that, it stated that they’d be reaching out through their media and partnerships team for further conversations.”

FIFA, for its part, continues to be quiet.

3.
Stoats top flowers to be Milan Cortina 2026 mascots

Again, no official announcements, but Italian reports confirm that the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games mascots are expected to be the stoats created by primary school students at the Istituto Comprensivo di Taverna in Catanzaro, in the south of Italy.

The stoats – ermines, related to badgers, otters and wolverines – received 53% of the public vote over a snowdrop and an edelweiss flower offered by the Istituto Comprensivo A.B. Sabin of Segrate in Milan.

The design contest was popular, with about 400 applications and 1,600 project ideas submitted, from 681 classes from 82 schools.

If confirmed, the as-yet-unnamed stoats will be the fifth straight Winter Games with animal mascots:

● 2010 Vancouver: Miga (sea bear), Quatchi (Sasquatch), Mukmuk (marmot)
● 2014 Sochi: Bely Mishka (polar bear), Snow Leopard, Zaika (hare)
● 2018 PyeongChang: Soohorang (tiger)
● 2022 Beijing: Bing Dwen Dwen (panda)

The Turin 2006 mascots were Neve and Gliz, a snowball and an ice cube.

4.
Shiffrin chasing Stenmark record in his native Sweden this week

Of course, it had to be: American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin possibly equaling or passing Swedish skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark’s record for career World Cup wins … in Sweden.

The FIS Women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit is in Are for races in Shiffrin’s two best events, the Giant Slalom and the Slalom. Those two comprise 71 of her 85 total World Cup wins (84%), and, really, 76 when counting the City Events and Parallel Slalom victories (89%):

● 52 Slalom
● 19 Giant Slalom
● 5 Super-G
● 3 Downhill
● 1 Combined
● 3 City Events (slalom-style)
● 2 Parallel Slalom

The races in Are are slated for Friday (Giant Slalom) and Saturday (Slalom), with Shiffrin needing one win to catch Stenmark – now 66 – who won 86 World Cup races from 1974-89. He was also a technical racer, winning 40 Slaloms and 46 Giant Slalom events. He was the 1980 Olympic champion in both events in Lake Placid (USA).

Stenmark has the all-time record for most World Cup medals with 155; Shiffrin has 134 so far.

Are is a special place for Shiffrin: she won her first World Cup race there, the Slalom in December 2012, and she added wins in 2014-15-18. She owns 11 World Cup golds this season: five of the eight Giant Slaloms and five of the nine Slaloms to far, plus one Super-G.

If she misses out this week, there’s the World Cup Final series in Soldeu (AND) from 15-19 March, which will include the full program of Downhill, Super-G, Slalom and Giant Slalom.

Already the overall World Cup and seasonal Slalom points champion for 2022-23, she can also wrap up the Giant Slalom title, currently leading Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami, 600-482, with two races left.

5.
USOPC receives $10 million gift to support mental health

“The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, in partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, today announced that Yucca and Gary Rieschel have committed $10 million in support of Team USA’s mental health program. The donation, made through The Rieschel Family Foundation, is the largest standalone gift in foundation history.”

The Reischels have been mental health supporters of the USOPC since 2020 and were the organization’s first Mental Health Ambassadors. Funding from the Reischels and others have allowed the USOPC to engage the services of more than 200 service providers across the U.S. in the mental-health sector and provide on-the-ground mental-health specialists for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing in 2022.

Gary Rieschel is a leading technology venture capitalist, and the Founding Managing Partner of Qiming Venture Partners, a Shanghai-based firm launched in 2006. He helped develop the venture capital sector in China during stints as a senior executive at Intel, Sequent Computer, Cisco Systems, and Softbank Corporation.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Russia ● “We won’t be able to play under the flag at FIDE competitions. There is no such ban in the Asian Chess Federation. If the Asian Championship is not a qualifier for the World Championship, we will play under the flag and with the anthem.”

That’s Russian Chess Federation Executive Director Alexander Tkachev, following the move of the Russian federation from Europe to Asia that was concluded in 28 February. The International Chess Federation (FIDE), which has a Russian President in Arkady Dvorkovich, is maintaining the IOC’s sanctions, which grudgingly permits Russian and Belarusian participation, but as neutrals, with no flag or anthem use.

Chess is not on the Olympic program, but is an IOC-recognized federation.

In tennis, International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty of the U.S. told Kyodo News that while the Russian and Belarusian federations have been suspended by the ITF, Russian and Belarusian players continue to be allowed to play as neutrals by the men’s and women’s professional tours (ATP and WTA). Haggerty said, “The current policy is balanced.”

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● Bobby Kersee, the legendary track & field coach of Allyson Felix and now Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Athing Mu and others, was honored on Monday as the USOPC’s Olympic Coach of the Year.

Kersee, who rose to national acclaim during his time as the UCLA women’s coach in the 1980s, has coached superstars such as Gail Devers and Jackie Joyner, whom he later married in 1986. His Los Angeles-based training group now includes hurdler Taylor McLaughlin (Sydney’s brother), Brandon Miller (800 m), sprinter Jenna Prandini and former 100 m hurdles world-record holder Keni Harrison.

David Hoff (sled hockey) was selected as Paralympic Coach of the Year. Mike Peplinski (curling) was honored as Developmental Coach of the Year and Jacob Roberts (speedskating) as Volunteer Coach of the Year.

Ryan Martin (wheelchair basketball) was named College Coach of the Year, and Jose Polanco, the USA Boxing Assistant Director of High Performance, as Service Provider of the Year.

Dr. Christine Brooks, a USA Track & Field sport science instructor, was tabbed as Coach Educator of the Year and Tom West (USA Rowing) won the Doc Counsilman Science & Technology Award winner for his development of specialized equipment for Paralympic rowers.

● Gymnastics ● “Furious” is perhaps the best way to describe the Russian reaction to the two-year suspension of famed Rhythmic Gymnastics coach Irina Viner by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

FIG announced Monday that the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation Disciplinary Commission had suspended Viner for two years, to be served AFTER the current sanctions on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine have concluded (whenever that will be). The issues:

“The proceedings related to the alleged retaliatory withdrawal of Ms Nataliya Kuzmina’s candidacy for the 2021 elections to the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, public statements made in media following the defeat of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which were deemed abusive and in violation of FIG Rules, as well as the Respondents’ failure to duly cooperate with the investigation.”

The genesis was the Tokyo 2020 competitions, in which Bulgaria snapped a five-Games win streak for the Russian women in the Group All-Around, 92,100 to 90.700, and Israel’s Linoy Ashram won the women’s All-Around individual gold, 107.800 to 107.650, over favored Dina Averina (RUS). Viner called the silver-medal scores “a disgrace” and then blocked Kuzmina’s re-election bid to the Rhythmic Technical Committee; Kuzmina had oversight of the Olympic judging panel in Tokyo.

The reaction came quickly on Tuesday, with the Russian federation stating it is considering an appeal. And:

● State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin visited a rhythmic gymnastics training facility named for Viner and told her and other coaches and athletes:

“People like you have already written themselves into history. … No one will be able to erase your name, the names of our athletes. There is no rhythmic gymnastics in the world without you. …

“Everything the U.S. is doing now to maintain its hegemony, to keep power in its hands, it is, of course, unfair, dishonest, and will eventually lead to their collapse. The world should be a just, multipolar world.”

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

“Considering how much Irina Aleksandrovna Viner has done for the development of rhythmic gymnastics, FIG should have at least take this fact into account. Especially in such a sport, where, in fact, Russia has always been ahead of the rest of the planet, and everyone else has already followed it. And here it is – the gratitude of colleagues, so to speak. We, of course, never expect that they are kind, but to do this with the actual founder of modern rhythmic gymnastics is already too much. I think that we need to consider the option of appealing this decision. It does not at all correspond to the era that Irina Viner personifies in world sports. I think that this punishment is directly related to her position on matters of principle.”

● Alexander Zhukov, honorary president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC):

“I regard this as yet another example of political interference in sports. Irina Alexandrovna was punished for criticizing refereeing at the Olympic Games, which was absolutely fair. The contribution that Viner made to the development of rhythmic gymnastics cannot be compared with someone else. The International Gymnastics Federation, having removed the Russians from their competitions a year ago, chopped off the branch on which it sat. And after the decision to disqualify Viner, another step was taken towards the abyss.”

● Wrestling ● In a major move forward for women’s wrestling, the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship group announced that the NCAA’s requirements – across Division I, II and III – to make women’s wrestling a championship sport have been met.

NCWWC Executive Committee Chair Lisa Goddard McGuirk, noted, “With the help of our coalition partners, Wrestle Like a Girl, USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Coaches Association we are proud to share that 43 teams have reported meeting their divisional Bylaw goals.”

Assuming the NCAA approval process moves ahead without incident, it is possible that national championships in women’s wrestling could come as soon as two years from now.

You can receive our exclusive TSX Report by e-mail by clicking here. You can also refer a friend by clicking here, and can donate here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Poll finds Paris 2024 ticketing pricey and problematic; Paris mayor says no Village air conditioning! World Baseball Classic V is here!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Poll says Paris 2024 tickets too expensive (so far)
2. Paris Mayor adamant: no air conditioning in Olympic Village
3. Russia pushing ahead with possible IOC rival group
4. Fifth World Baseball Classic gets underway Wednesday
5. USOPC review commission asking for documents

Poll findings published over the weekend showed 82% dissatisfaction with the cost of tickets made available so far for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the complexity of the initial “ticket pack” sales program. More tickets will be available later in the year. While the Paris 2024 organizers have suggested that National Olympic Committees willing to pay for air conditioning at the Olympic Village could do so, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has objected on environmental grounds and says she will not permit it. Russian plans to form a new “association of sports organizations” based on a Russia-China alliance is moving ahead, with a first test of interest in a summertime university sports festival in Yekaterinburg. The fifth edition of the underrated, but always exciting World Baseball Classic starts Wednesday in Chinese Taipei, then in Tokyo a day later. Four groups of five teams will play a round-robin, with the top two in each group heading to the quarterfinals. The Dominican Republic, the U.S. and Japan are considered the favorites. The Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympics is getting going and has asked for documents to be forwarded that relate to its wide study mandate over reforms, participation and finances of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the U.S. National Governing Bodies.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (poll favors Russian participation in 2024) = International Olympic Committee (2023 Session dates) = African Games (Accra 20213 moved to 2024) = Athletics (USATF 15 km nationals) = Curling (Thiesse and Dropkin win U.S. Mixed Doubles title) = Figure Skating (judging criticism in Russia too) = Football (NFL-style referee announcement trials continue) = Golf (Ko wins second straight World Champs) = Ice Hockey (wrong anthem played for Hong Kong at IIHF Div. III Worlds) ●

1.
Poll says Paris 2024 tickets too expensive (so far)

A poll taken last week of 1,005 French adults showed 82% consider the currently-available ticket prices for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games “not accessible in terms of price” and 79% found the ticketing process “complicated.”

The survey reflected the first phase of the ticketing program, in which buyers had to purchase three-event “packs” from a menu of events and price levels that did not include all events, or the major ceremonies. Agence France Presse reported:

“Successful applicants have been obliged to buy places for three events at the same time, with many finding sports priced at a minimum 80 euros [~$80 U.S.], meaning a family of four could face a bill of nearly 1,000 euros [~$1,069].”

Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet had previously noted on RTL Radio, “We’re not more expensive than London in 2012. It’s the same for the football and rugby World Cups. These are the prices.”

The Paris organizers are facing financial headwinds from inflation and supply-chain issues with only about a year to go and ticket and hospitality revenues are the last major segment of revenue to come in.

The organizers expect to have 10 million tickets available for the Games and promoted one million – 10% – to be available for 24 euro (~$26) and about half to be offered for 50 euro or less. But only 30% of the ticket stock is available in the first phase, which began on 15 February.

Phase two will begin in May, with all sessions promised to be available, and can be purchased individually. The last scheduled offer will come at the end of the year, to be followed by the inevitable sales of seats not purchased by sponsors and teams in 2024.

The poll continued to show good support for the Games overall, with 69% in favor of the event, and 64% expecting that it will create new economic opportunities. However, 64% believed that the organizing committee may not be able to put on the Olympic and Paralympic Games and come through without a deficit.

2.
Paris Mayor adamant: no air conditioning in Olympic Village

The newest argument about the Paris 2024 Games is over the lack of air conditioning built into the Olympic Village, now under construction in the Saint-Denis area. The issue arose in January, with SOLIDEO construction chief Nicolas Ferrand explaining:

“We are building rooms where it will be six degrees cooler than the outside temperature.

“It’s a question for society. Do we collectively accept being at six degrees less and having an excellent carbon footprint, or do we say it’s not okay, and we’re ready to downgrade the carbon footprint?”

Ferrand said if the requirements were changed, air conditioning could be added. The geothermal cooling plan is touted to save 45% on emissions compared with air-conditioned spaces.

Last week, a story in the French newspaper, Le Parisien, noted that the Paris 2024 organizers would be fine with teams installing their own cooling facilities, at their own expense. But Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party) came out against the idea last Friday, insisting “that the Games of Paris are exemplary on the environmental level.

“The buildings were designed to face the climate of 2050. I will not go back on these ambitions and, as president of the SOLIDEO, I can guarantee that we will not change trajectory and that there will be no changes in the construction program of the village regarding air conditioning.”

The worry is that a summer heat wave could send temperatures as high as 40 C (104 F) during 2024. Expect this debate to either warm up or cool down this summer.

3.
Russia pushing ahead with possible IOC rival group

While still mostly barred from international competition thanks to a February 2022 request from the International Olympic Committee, the Russian government continues to talk up the creation of a rival “association of sports organizations” anchored by Russia and China.

Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Khakimov, briefed reporters on Monday following his return from meetings in Beijing:

“The proposal to create an association of sports organizations was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit in Samarkand. Now work is underway to implement this idea. In principle, the reaction of the partners is positive, we are expected to make appropriate conceptual considerations, as is customary in the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organisation].

“Member states oppose violations of the principles of Olympism, and this is a clear common position. At the same time, partners, and this is logical, would not like to be the objects of some unfriendly, albeit indirect, actions. All these nuances must be taken into account in the work to create conditions for promoting cooperation in this area, given the unifying power of sport.”

The first test of the concept will come this summer, as the Russians organize an “International University Games” in Yekaterinburg, which was supposed to host the World University Games in 2023, but saw it removed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(Adding to the irony is that the FISU President is Russian Oleg Matytsin, now the Russian Sports Minister, but who stepped away from his FISU role in view of the sanctions on Russians that would have made his position impossible.)

Founded in 2001, the SCO’s full members include China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia as observers and other Asian and Muslim-majority countries as “dialogue partners.” Khakimov also projected that the “BRICS” countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – would participate.

4.
Fifth World Baseball Classic gets underway Wednesday

One of the best international team-sport competitions that nobody talks about is the World Baseball Classic, created in 2006 to showcase national team play, but which has suffered from a lack of enthusiasm and promotion from co-owners Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association.

National-team play is almost unknown in professional baseball, save for the annual Caribbean Series. And while it is pretty much irrelevant in the U.S., it is a huge deal in Japan, where the “Samurai Japan” squad enjoys a huge following and will include Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

The 2023 edition starts on 8 March in Asia, with a record 20 teams in the tournament this time, playing a round-robin within four groups of five:

● Group A in Taichung (TPE): Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Italy, Netherlands, Panama

● Group B in Tokyo (JPN): Australia, China, Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea

● Group C in Phoenix (USA): Canada, Colombia, Great Britain, Mexico, United States

● Group D in Miami (USA): Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

The 10-game round-robin series in each group will run through 12 March in Taichung, 13 March in Tokyo and 15 March in the two U.S. cities. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals: two in Tokyo and two in Miami. The semifinals and finals will be played in Miami on 19-20-21 March.

Japan won the first two Classics, in 2006 and 2009; the Dominican Republic swept through the 2013 Classic and the U.S. won in 2017. The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2021 edition and postponed it to this year.

In the U.S., the games will be shown on FOX, FS1. FS2, Fox Deportes or Fox’s Tubi streaming service, a considerable exposure boost from the prior Classics, when the games were solely on the MLB Network.

The sharpies have the Dominican Republic (+200), U.S. (+250) and Japan (+350), as the favorites, with Puerto Rico (+1100) and Venezuela (+1600) next in line.

5.
USOPC review commission asking for documents

The Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics, formed by the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, is finally getting going.

A one-page circular has been sent to various sports governing bodies, reviewing the Act’s listed areas of review and stating:

“The Commission welcomes the submission of any information that is relevant to the areas of study. Please follow the instructions provided in the submission form.”

The 16-member body is chaired by former U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Advisory Council chair Han Xiao and University of Baltimore law professor Dionne Koller, and includes a mix of former athletes, sports administrators, ex-public sector officials and policy experts.

The Act requires that at least one public hearing be held and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The concept came from a bill introduced by former Colorado Senator Cory Gardner, to review the reforms made at the USOPC and National Governing Bodies level in view of the Larry Nassar gymnastics abuse scandal, but will also cover an analysis of participation, the functions of the National Governing Bodies and the USOPC finances.

One area where the USOPC should get an A+ is for “ongoing efforts by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to recruit the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the United States,” with the Los Angeles 2028 Games on the horizon and Salt Lake City poised to be named host for the 2030 or 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Paris 2024 ● The French all-sports newspaper L’Equipe reported Sunday on more questions from the Odoxa poll which also covered ticketing issues. Of note was a question on Russian participation, with 28% favoring Russians competing under their own flag, but 44% preferring a neutral status.

● International Olympic Committee ● The dates for the postponed 140th IOC Session in Mumbai (IND) have been set for 14-17 October 2023.

While no longer expected to select the host for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, the Session will likely approve or amend the final sports program for Los Angeles 2028 and could vote to remove boxing from the Paris 2024 Games. The matters to be determined will be proposed by the IOC Executive Board, which will next meet at the end of March.

● African Games ● After a lengthy tug-of-war on marketing issues and whether preparations for the 2023 African Games in Accra (GHA) can be completed on time, the event has been set for 8-23 March 2024, in Accra.

The African Union, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the Association of African Sports Confederations agreed on the new dates and to remain in Accra. The placement of the event in 2024 itself will create a scheduling and training challenge for athletes trying to qualify for Paris 2024 via the event and then peaking again four months later.

● Athletics ● Multi-time U.S. champions Hillary Bor and Emily Sisson added to their trophy cases on Saturday with wins in the USATF 15 km national championships in Jacksonville, Florida.

Bor, a three-time national champion and two-time Olympian in the Steeple, won his second career USATF road title by breaking away from the field with Asfaha Mekonen after 8 km. Bor shook his challenger at about 12 km and cruised home in 43:11 for his fifth national title. Mekonen was passed by Leonard Korir and Brian Shrader, with Korir sprinting home for second (44:51), Shrader third (43:59) with Mekonen fading to sixth.

Sisson entered as the two-time defending champion in this race and was never really challenged, winning in 48:26. Emma Grace Hurley was also running by herself in second (50:04), with Jessa Hanson also alone to finish third in 51:15.

● Curling ● The vastly experienced, but new pair of Cory Thiesse (nee Christiansen) and Korey Dropkin took their first title together at the USA Curling Mixed Doubles National Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan over the weekend.

The pair raced through both the round-robin and the playoffs and finished with a perfect 9-0 record after an 8-3 win in the final over Sarah Anderson and Andrew Stopera.

Thiesse had previously teamed with 2018 Olympic champ John Shuster in Mixed Doubles, winning the 2019 national title and the U.S.’s last Worlds Mixed Doubles medal, a bronze in 2019. This was Dropkin’s third Mixed Doubles U.S. win and will be his third trip to the Worlds. He teamed with Anderson to finish fifth in 2015 and 13th in 2018.

● Figure Skating ● Even in Russia, there are complaints about judging in figure skating. Famed coach Tatyana Tarasova complained to the Russian news agency TASS about the results of the junior women’s competition at the Russian Grand Prix last week:

“The whole room is screaming: ‘Shame on the judges!’ They want them to wait to have rotten tomatoes thrown at them. The girl [runner-up Daria Sadkova] fell twice, and according to the technical evaluation she beat [fourth-place Sofia] Titova – who did quads, skated perfectly – unfairly. All lies, there were no short cuts, I’m sitting near the rink, a rare disgrace. They say that the judges are professional, but it’s not true.”

Some things are the same the world over.

● Football ● The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the rule-setting body for football worldwide, approved the continuing trial of NFL-style announcements of video-review outcomes to both the in-stadium and viewing audiences:

“The 12-month trial exclusively relating to VAR decisions at FIFA tournaments began at the FIFA Club World Cup 2022 in Morocco earlier this year, and it will also be implemented at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May to June 2023. A decision will then be made as to whether the trial will be continued at other FIFA tournaments later this year.”

The development of a less-expensive video review system was also endorsed so that all matches could benefit from the technology. After more ugly scenes at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year:

“It was also agreed to establish a working group to focus on further ways of improving discipline and reducing aggression towards match officials, players and team officials at grassroots and amateur level. In this regard, The FA reported on a trial approved by The IFAB and implemented at grassroots level, where referees wear body cameras that record all communications with players and coaches.”

● Golf ● The LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore closed Sunday with a rain delay, but finally a second straight win for Korea’s Jin-young Ko, again by two strokes.

After only a par 72 in the opening round, Ko took over, shooting 65-65-69 to finish – for the second year in a row – at -17 or 271, two shots better than American Nelly Korda (-15) and three better than Americans Danielle Kang and Allisen Corpuz, and Japan’s Ayaka Furue (-14).

It’s Ko’s 14th LPGA Tour win, but her first since winning the 2022 World Championship.

● Gymnastics ● The International Gymnastics Federation confirmed no change in sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials at its Executive Committee meeting last Friday in Lausanne (SUI):

“Unfortunately, the conflict in Ukraine, which started just over a year ago, is still going on. Considering the exceptional circumstances related to this conflict, the FIG Executive Committee has decided, based on the new Article 13.3 of the FIG Statutes in force since 1 January 2023, to confirm the measures taken on 26 February 2022 and on 4 March 2022, in particular the measure according to which Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, including judges, are not allowed to take part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions until further notice.”

● Ice Hockey ● Most folks don’t think about protocol until it goes wrong. So it was at the IIHF men’s Division III World Championship Group B tournament in Sarajevo (BIH) after Hong Kong defeated Iran, 11-1 on 28 February.

Instead of the Chinese anthem, now required by the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a song linked with public protests of the Chinese takeover in 2019 was played for about 10 seconds before being changed. The government-approved anthem was then played. The IIHF’s statement explained:

“The IIHF has interviewed the necessary organizing committee staff/volunteers involved in the incident and have determined that the incident was not intentional, but rather an inadvertent error.

“An apology was made to Team Hong Kong representative at the [post-game] directorate meeting, and it was immediately accepted.”

Apparently, the song initially played had been selected based on an online search.

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TSX REPORT: Shiffrin clinches fifth World Cup title, U.S. teen star Stolz wins three skating golds; rival boxing federation coming?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Triple gold medalist Jordan Stolz of the U.S. - 18 - celebrates at the ISU World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen (Photo: ISU)

★ 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 ≡

1. Shiffrin clinches fifth World Cup title in Kvitfjell
2. U.S.’s Stolz stuns with triple gold at ISU Speed Skating Worlds
3. Africa sides with IOC on Russian and Belarusian participation
4. Kremlev doubles down as rival boxing federation forming
5. Seven torches and Berlin 1936 “Chain of Office” lead auction sale

American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin secured her fifth career seasonal Alpine World Cup championships – the Crystal Globe – at Kvitfjell in Norway with three top-10 finishes this weekend. At 27, she ranks equal-third all-time; the record is eight. At the ISU Single Distance World Championships in the Netherlands, American teen Jordan Stolz made history by winning three individual events, the 500-1,000-1,500 m, beating multiple Olympic medalists along the way. Wow! The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa came out in favor of International Olympic Committee efforts to allow “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at Paris 2024; that’s a long way from their boycott of the 1976 Montreal Games over a New Zealand rugby tour. International Boxing Association chief Umar Kremlev – a Russian – continues to insist that Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete without restrictions. In the meantime, the head of Boxing New Zealand indicated that a new association of national boxing federations may hold its own competitions for those boycotting the IBA’s events in view of its Russian and Belarusian policy and deteriorating relationship with the International Olympic Committee. A small auction of memorabilia that concluded Saturday saw sales of seven Olympic torches and a crazy “Chain of Office” made for IOC members at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

● World Championships: Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard = Nordic Skiing = Ski Mountaineering ●
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (France and Germany open facilities for Ukraine) = Anti-Doping (cat meds cause positive!) = Athletics (3: Thiam gets Pent world record at Euro Indoor; Kincaid and McColgan win The TEN; Gelmisa 2:05:22, Wanjiru 2:16:28 to win Tokyo Marathons) = Biathlon (Norway’s Boe and Roeiseland sweep World Cup) = Cycling (Pidcock and Vollering win Strade Bianche) = Fencing (Gallo and Battai wins Sabre World Cups) = Football (Canada and women’s team reach interim agreement) = Freestyle Skiing (Kotovskyi and Scott win Aerials) = Gymnastics (Voinea wins two at Apparatus World Cup) = Ice Hockey (U.S. star scorer Decker retires) = Judo (Japan wins four in Tashkent) = Rugby (Argentina and New Zealand win Sevens Series) = Swimming (McIntosh: two more world junior records at Tyr Pro Swim) = Triathlon (Brits Yee and Potter sweep season World Tri Series opener) ●

1.
Shiffrin clinches fifth World Cup title in Kvitfjell

American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin made more history with excellent finishes in Downhill and Super-G races that confirmed her fifth career overall World Cup title, a feat which only three others have done.

Shiffrin began the skiing at Kvitfjell (NOR) on Friday with a fourth in the Super-G, behind Cornelia Huetter (AUT: 1:26.83), Italy’s Elena Curtoni (1:26.84) and former World Cup champ Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI: 1:26.95). Shiffrin finished in 1:26.99, just 0.04 from a medal and just 0.16 from another win.

On Saturday, home favorite Kajsa Vickhoff Lie logged the first-ever win by a Norwegian woman in a World Cup Downhill, in 1:32.36, beating out Italian star Sofia Goggia (1:32.65) and Swiss Olympic Downhill champ Corinne Suter (1:32.77). Shiffrin tied for fifth (1:33.15), with teammate Breezy Johnson an impressive eighth (1:33.23).

Those places gave Shiffrin 1,792 points with seven races to go, ahead of Gut-Behrami (996) and Petra Vlhova (SVK: 975). It’s two in a row for Shiffrin after winning three straight in 2017-18-19. She joins Marc Giradelli (LUX: 1980-96) with five; only Annemarie Moser-Proell (AUT: 1969-80) with six, and Marcel Hirscher (AUT: 2007-19), with eight, have more.

Goggia’s runner-up finish also clinched her third straight season title in the women’s Downhill, and fourth in her career.

Sunday’s Super-G saw an Austrian sweep, with Nina Ortlieb, Stephanie Venier and Franziska Gritsch finishing in 1:29.25, 1:29.37 and 1:29.63. It’s the first podium sweep on the Alpine World Cup tour this season.

Shiffrin finished seventh in 1:30.23 and now has 1,828 points to 1,007 got Gut-Behrami. Next week: a Giant Slalom and Slalom – Shiffrin’s favorites – at Are (SWE).

2.
U.S.’s Stolz stuns with triple gold at ISU Speed Skating Worlds

“He’s unbelievable. It’s like trying to beat Michael Jordan or something, I assume. I feel privileged to go against a skater this good. He’s doing things that we would have deemed impossible.”

He’s just 18, but now you can say – without doubt – that American speed skating prodigy Jordan Stolz is a star. No less than Canadian Olympic silver medalist Laurent Dubreuil just said so.

At the ISU World Single Distance Championships at the famed Thialf ice arena in Heerenveen (NED), Stolz completed a sweep of the 500 m World Junior and World Single Distance titles on Friday, skating 34.10 in the final pair to beat Dubreuil by a huge, 0.36 margin and Japan’s Olympic bronze medalist Wataru Morishige by 0.38 (34.48). It’s one of the best performances below 1,000 m altitude of all time.

On Saturday, Stolz stole the show again, winning the 1,000 m (he won the World Juniors in that event too) in 1:07.11, beating Beijing Olympic champ Thomas Krol (NED: 1:07.78), again a brilliant low-altitude mark. Britain’s Cornelius Kersten was a surprise third; American Cooper McLeod was 10th (1:08.82).

More of the same in the 1,500 m on Sunday, as Stolz took the lead in the next-to-last pair at 1:43.59, and two-time Olympic champ Kjeld Nuis (NED) could not match him, skating 1:43.82 in the final pair for second. Krol was third in 1:44.30.

It’s the first time any one skater has won three individual titles in the 22 editions of the World Single Distance Championships, first half in 1996. Said Stolz, “I guess I wrote some history.”

Olympic silver winner Patrick Roest (NED) won the men’s 5,000 m in 6:08.94, defeating Italy’s Olympic 10,000 m bronze winner Davide Ghiotto (6:11.12) and Olympic Mass Start champ Bart Swings (BEL: 6:13.06). Ethan Cepuran was the top American in 12th (6:26.09).

Giotto won Italy’s first-ever Worlds Single Distance gold in the 10,000 m, finishing in 12:41.35 to beat Sochi 2014 winner Jorrit Bergsma (NED: 12:55.64) and Canada’s Beijing Olympic victor Ted-Jan Bloemen (13:01.84).

Swings also won the Mass Start, as he did in Beijing, with 60 points to 40 for Bart Hoolwerf (NED) and 23 for Andrea Giovannini (ITA). Cepuran was 10th for the U.S.

Debreuil led Canada to the Team Sprint title over the Dutch, 1:19.26 to 1:19.67, but the Dutch won the Team Pursuit, 3:38.26 to 3:38.43 over Canada. Norway got the bronze in both; the U.S. was sixth in the Sprint and seventh in the Pursuit.

Canada’s Ivanie Blondin, the Beijing ‘22 Mass Start runner-up, was the individual star of the women’s Worlds, leading her team to golds in the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit and then a silver (again) in the Mass Start.

The U.S. was second in the Team Sprint, with McKenzie Browne, Kimi Goetz and Olympic 500 m champ Erin Jackson, and third in the Team Pursuit, with Giorgia Birkeland, veteran star Brittany Bowe and Mia Kilburg.

The Dutch won individual golds in the women’s 500 m, by Femke Kok (37.28), with teammate Jutta Leerdam third; Leerdam in the 1,000 m (1:13.03) ahead of teammate Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (1:14.26) and in the Mass Start by Marijke Groenewoud (60), beating Blondin (40) and triple 2022 Olympic gold winner Irene Schouten (22).

For the U.S., Jackson was fifth (37.62) and Goetz eighth (37.89) in the 500 m; Goetz, Bowe and Jackson were 4-5-8 in the 1,000 m (1:14.48-1:14.68-1:15.63). Kilburg was fourth in the Mass Start.

Norway’s Ragne Wiklund won the women’s 3,000 m in 3:56.86, beating Schouten (3:57.40) and six-time World Champion Martina Sabilkova (CZE: 3:58.35). Kilburg was 14th (4:11.57). Olympic champ Schouten won the 5,000 m in 6:41.25, ahead of Wiklund (6:46.15) and Sabilkova (6:47.78).

The Dutch dominated the medal table with 17 (7-7-3), ahead of Canada (7: 3-3-1) and then the U.S. (3-1-1) and Norway (1-2-2) with five.

3.
Africa sides with IOC on Russian and Belarusian participation

“The members came out unanimously in favor of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in all international competitions.”

That’s from a Friday news release from the Association of National Olympic Committee of Africa (ANOCA), which also included:

“The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, the Honorable Mustapha Berraf [ALG] reiterated this position by affirming that ANOCA aligns itself with the position of the International Olympic Committee and its President Dr. Thomas Bach.

“It will thus be a question of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in complete neutrality without any sign of identity in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“ANOCA has given its agreement to reaffirm that politics cannot put pressure on Sport and withdraw from it all its nobility values which revolve around peace, unity and Solidarity.”

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) also pledged allegiance to the International Olympic Committee’s concept of exploring a pathway for “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes for Paris 2024:

“ASOIF is ready to collaborate with the IOC and National Olympic Committees on clarifying a workable definition of ‘neutral athletes’ as a necessary step to further explore the Russian and Belarusian athletes’ potential participation in the Olympic Games. This is a highly complex matter for the International Federations (IFs) in terms of their specificity and the particular qualification process. Different solutions may be required for different sports.”

ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti (ITA), who chaired today’s meeting, insisted, “It is important to recall that decisions in sport matters must ultimately remain as the remit of sport organisations. Consultation is preferable to public resolutions if we seek to facilitate solutions. The autonomy and the role of sport organisations are vital to maintain the dialogue open in this difficult time.”

Observed: For long-time watchers of the Olympic Movement, the position of the African National Olympic Committees is remarkable. In 1976, 29 countries – 22 from Africa – boycotted or withdrew from the Games because a New Zealand rugby team had toured then-expelled South Africa – then under apartheid rule – earlier that year. The boycott came about because the IOC would not ban the New Zealand team, even though rugby was not then an Olympic sport. No talk about neutral athletes then.

It will be fascinating to see what a future African response to war might be if it is once again on their continent, instead of in far-away Europe.

4.
Kremlev doubles down as rival boxing federation forming

“The IOC can give recommendations. Their Charter clearly says that it is impossible to punish the athlete, or to infringe on his rights.”

That’s International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev (RUS), declaring last Friday that Russian and Belarusian boxers can compete, unimpeded, in IBA events, regardless of what the International Olympic Committee says. He told Reuters:

“We, as an international association, must protect each athlete. And we must understand that for athletes the most important thing is when the anthem plays and when their country’s flag is raised.”

In the meantime, Stuff.co.nz reported Boxing New Zealand President Steve Hartley stating that five or six of its athletes will compete in the upcoming Women’s World Championships in India starting on 14 March, but possibly in a neutral capacity:

“It comes down to athlete welfare. They’re going into a toxic environment, and do we want to put more pressure on their shoulders?

“We want to make sure they’re comfortable. Even though we don’t agree with them going we must support them because we’re so far down the rabbit hole.”

He said, however, that things are changing:

“I was on a Zoom meeting this morning [20 February] with 20 countries and none of them are going to go to IBA events from now on.

“We won’t be supporting our men’s boxers to go [to the IBA Worlds in Uzbekistan]. … There will be an alternative event anyway. Things are moving very quickly with the [Common Cause Alliance] and we’re organising other events in lieu of the IBA events.”

The Common Cause Alliance is a group of about 20 countries – including New Zealand – which has challenged Kremlev’s leadership, saying that the IBA’s directives will kill boxing’s place on the Olympic program, possibly for Paris in 2024. Hartley said the alternative event will be staged in the Netherlands, and noted:

“There is a lot happening, and it will happen very quickly after the [Women’s] World Champs.

“The big one is the IOC making an emphatic statement. They’ve got to make an emphatic statement very soon … they’ve encouraged us to do everything we’re doing and advised us, but they could help more.”

The IOC Executive Board is scheduled to meet on 28-30 March, with boxing’s future on the agenda. It is possible that the Common Cause Alliance could be the core of a possible new federation that the IOC would recognize to handle boxing on the Olympic program.

5.
Seven torches and Berlin 1936 “Chain of Office” lead auction sale

More than a third of the lots available in the Judge Carlos Velarde estate auction sold, with Olympic torches drawing the most interest. Seven items sold for more than $10,000:

● $55,000: Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter torch
● $32,500: Berlin 1936 IOC Chain of Office
● $30,000: Melbourne 1956 Olympic torch
● $24,000: Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter torch
● $20,000: Innsbruck 1976 Olympic Winter torch
● $15,000: Rome 1960 Olympic fencing gold medal
● $11,000: Mexico City 1968 weightlifting silver medal

The Lake Placid torch is extremely rare and is highly prizes. Seven torches and two small, replica torches sold, but the Berlin ‘36 “Chain of Office” was easily the most unusual item.

Produced for the members of the International Olympic Committee by the Berlin 1936 organizing committee, it’s a gaudy, bronze chain of interlocking rings with a large plaque picturing the head of Zeus at the bottom and six smaller plaques on the sides picturing images from ancient Greek artifacts and coins then housed in a Berlin museum.

Worn only at the 1936 Games, it sold for the opening bid of $32,500. Wonder if the buyer will wear it? In public?

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● The first snow-sport World Championships ever to be held in Georgia concluded on Saturday at the FIS Freestyle & Snowboard Worlds in Bakuriani.

The U.S. scored two wins on the final weekend in Freestyle, starting with 18-year-old Hanna Faulhaber moving up from fourth at the 2021 Worlds Halfpipe to the top of the podium! She was third after the first round (89.75), then second after round two (93.75), the uncorked a winning third-round run of 95.75 for the win. She out-scored Britain’s 2021 bronze medalist Zoe Atkin (94.50 in round two) and Canada’s Beijing Olympic bronze winner Rachael Karker (92.25 in round one).

Troy Podmilsak, 18, was competing in his first Worlds and had only jumped in nine World Cup events in his life, winning one medal – a bronze – back in October 2022. But he was sensational in the men’s Big Air final, scoring 91.25 on his first run and 96.50 on his second to total 187.75, good enough for the gold medal. Austria’s Lukas Muellauer was second at 184.50 and Beijing 2022 Olympic winner Birk Ruud (NOR) was third (183.50).

The women’s Big Air winner was French star Tess Ledeux, winning her third Worlds gold (Slopestyle 2019, Big Air 2021) by 186.75-175.00 for surprise silver medalist Sandra Eie (NOR). Canada’s Megan Oldham (174.00) was third for her second medal of the championships; she was second in the Slopestyle final.

The men’s Halfpipe title went to Beijing Olympic ninth-placer Brendan Mackay (CAN) over Finland’s Jon Sallinen, 97.25 to 95.75, with American Alex Ferreira third – as he was in Beijing in 2022 – scoring 93.00. Dylan Ladd of the U.S. finished sixth (81.25), and teammates Tristan Feinberg (76.75) and two-time Olympic champ David Wise (70.00) were eighth and ninth.

In Snowboard, the SnowCross Team final had Britain’s Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale as the winners over Jakob Dusek and Pia Zerkhold (AUT) in second and France in third. The U.S. duo of Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner, Olympic winners in Beijing, finished fourth.

The Snowboard Halfpipe final was a battle of teenagers, as Korea’s 16-year-old Cha-eun Lee final-round run of 93.50 was enough to beat Australia’s 17-year-old Valentino Guseli’s final run score of 93.00. Swiss Jan Scherrer was third (89.25); American Chase Josey was eighth (82.25).

The men’s Big Air gold went to another 71-year-old, Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa (177.25), beating Mons Roisland (NOR: 157.25) and Swiss Nicolas Huber (150.50).

The women’s winners were familiar veterans on the World Cup tour. China’s Xuetong Cai, 29, won her third Worlds gold in Halfpipe (90.50), well ahead of Elizabeth Hosking (CAN: 85.50) and Japan’s two-time World Junior champ Mitsuki Ono (83.00).

In the women’s Big Air, Austria’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Anna Gasser, 31, won her second Worlds golds in the event (also 2017), scoring 162.50 over Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN: 161.25, her fifth career Worlds medal) and Australia’s Tess Coady (153.25).

Austria topped the medal table with 13 (3-6-4), followed by the Swiss (10: 3-2-5) and the U.S. and Canada (both 3-3-3) with nine each. Fourteen different countries won golds and 19 won medals.

● Nordic Skiing ● The massive 43rd FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships concluded in Planica (SLO), with Norway dominating the medal table as expected.

In Cross Country Skiing, Sweden finished with four wins in the six women’s events, taking 1-3 in the 30 km Classical Mass Start on Saturday, with Ebba Andersson winning her second gold (also the 15 km Skiathlon) in 1:22:18.0. Norway’s Anne Kalva won her first individual medal of these Championships in second (1:23:11.0) and Frida Karlsson (SWE:1:23:12.2) was third. Rosie Brennan was the top U.S. finisher in fifth (1:23:15.8) and Hailey Swirbul was 18th (1:26:31.3).

The men’s 50 km Classical Mass Start was the fourth Norwegian 1-2 in the men’s events – that all of the individual competitions – with Pal Golberg winning his fourth medal of the Championships (3-1-0) in 2:01:30.2, just ahead of Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (2:01:31.2) and Swede William Poromaa (2:01:31.4). Scott Patterson of the U.S. was 16th in 2:01:10.4 and David Norris was 22nd (2:05:49.1).

Norway won both of the relays, with the men taking the 4×10 km by almost a minute over Finland, 1:32.54.7 to 1:33:41.6, with Germany third (1:33:54.5). The U.S. was seventh (1:36:05.4). The Norwegian women won the 4×5 km relay by more than 20 seconds over Germany, 50:33.3 to 50:53.8. Sweden finished a distant third (51:02.0) and the U.S. was fifth (52:07.6), with Jessie Diggins turning in the third-fastest leg in the race (11:55.0).

Klaebo won five medals (3-2-0), Golberg had four and Simen Hegstad Krueger had three (3-0-0) for Norway. Sweden’s Andersson won four medals in the women’s races (2-0-2) and Karlsson also had four (0-2-2).

In Nordic Combined, Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber won his eighth career Worlds gold and earned golds in all four events in Planica by winning the Large Hill (138 m) + 10 km event. He led the jumping portion and started with a 36-second lead in the cross-country section, finishing in 23:42.6 to win by more than a minute over teammate Jens Oftebro (24:44.0) and Austria’s Johannes Lamparter (24:47.3). Ben Loomis was the top American, in 31st (29:09.7).

Norway won all five events in the Nordic Combined and six of the 15 medals. Germany and Austria each won four medals; that’s 14 of the 15. Japan won the other.

In Ski Jumping, the men’s Large Hill (138 m) final, 22-year-old Timi Zajc continued a very successful event for the home team on Friday, winning Slovenia’s first-ever Large Hill Worlds gold by scoring 287.5 to best Japan’s Beijing runner-up Ryoyu Kobayashi (276.8) and Poland’s two-time Worlds gold winner Dawid Kubacki (276.2). Erik Belshaw of the U.S. was 26th at 237.6.

On Saturday, Slovenia finished up with a gold in the men’s Large Hill Team event (1,178.9), with Zajc getting another gold, over Norway (1,166.0) and Austria (1,139.4). The U.S. was eighth at 975.4.

In the final medal table, Norway won 27 of the 72 total medals distributed (12-10-5) with Germany (3-6-3) and Sweden (4-3-5) getting 12 each. The U.S. had two medals, both from Diggins, with one on a relay with Julia Kern.

● Ski Mountaineering ● Stars Remi Bonnet of Switzerland and Axelle Gachet-Mollaret of France both won their second races of the 2023 ISMF World Championships in Boi Taull (ESP) in the Individual Race on Saturday.

Both had won the Vertical Race earlier and Bonnet won his fourth career Worlds gold in 1:19:20.7, well ahead of Italians Matteo Eydallin (1:21:11.9) and Robert Antonioli (1:21:49.5). Christopher Jones of the U.S. was 40th (1:40:39.2).

Gachet-Mollaret was an even more decisive winner, 1:16:05.9 to 1:19:13.6 for Alba de Silvestro (ITA), with Giulia Murada third (1:19:55.5). American Rea Kolbl was 18th (1:29:58.6).

In the men’s Team race, Antonioli and Eydallin (ITA) took the gold in 1:56:28.7, ahead of France (1:57:20.6) and the second Italian team (2:00:21.0). The top U.S. team was 17th in 2:29:54.5, with Jules Goguely and Jones.

The women’s Team event was a third gold for Gachet-Mollaret, and Emily Harrop, winners in 2:12:48.9, over Murada and de Silvesto (ITA: 2:15:53.4) and the second French team (2:17:48.8). The U.S. was seventh, with Emmiliese von Avis and Grace Staberg finishing in 2:59:54.1.

In the Mixed Team race, France’s Harrop and Thibault Anselmet won in 26:46.5, ahead of Murada and Nicolo Canclini (ITA: +10.3) and the second French team of Gachet-Mollaret and Robin Galindo (+12.3).

In the senior events, the French entries won four, Switzerland two and Italy and Spain one each. The French scored 11 medals to nine for Italy: that’s 20 of 27 total medals awarded.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Paris 2024 ● As the war against Ukraine continues, European sports ministers are committing to more aid for Ukraine. Last week, French Olympic Games Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera pledged €1 million for aid that will include a “Games preparation center” to aid in athlete training.

In Germany, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said last week that Ukrainian athletes would receive permission to use the country’s Olympic training centers – there are more than 16 – to prepare for the Paris Games.

● Anti-Doping ● Too weird not to be true. A statement from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last week noted that “Katerina Nash, a Czech cycling athlete residing in Truckee, Calif., has returned an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance that was not specifically listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, which she was exposed to through no fault of her own.”

What? Check this out:

“During USADA’s investigation into her case, Nash provided USADA with records of a prescription liquid pet medication containing capromorelin, an appetite stimulant. She was administering the medication orally to her dog each day during the final weeks of her pet’s life in an effort to maintain weight. Due to the difficulty of administering oral pet medication, Nash would frequently come into contact with the liquid medication via her hands, and the medication bottle did not warn users about the risk of contamination from transdermal exposure.”

The USADA lab work showed that the trace amounts of capromorelin in Nash’s samples exactly matched the pet medication scenario. So, no sanction was made. USADA chief Travis Tygart used the incident to ask for the World Anti-Doping Agency to eliminate the need for reporting such adverse findings, as now required:

“If there is no question that an athlete comes into contact with a prohibited substance from a completely innocent source and there is no effect on performance, USADA continues to advocate that there should not be a violation or a public announcement.”

● Alpine Skiing ● Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde wrapped up the seasonal men’s World Cup Downhill title with a 1:31.60-1:32.21 win over James Crawford (CAN) in Aspen, Colorado on Saturday.

It’s Kilde’s sixth World Cup Downhill win of the season and his fifth career seasonal title in the discipline (including two in a row now).

Seasonal World Cup leader Marco Odermatt (SUI) was third (1:32.23), with Bryce Bennett the top American in 10th (1:32.64).

In Sunday’s Super-G, seasonal leader Odermatt took his ninth win of the season in 1:06.80, just 0.05 ahead of Andreas Sander (GER) and 0.34 up on Kilde (1:07.14). It’s Sander’s first-ever World Cup medal … at age 33! Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the top U.S. finisher in 14th (1:07.96).

● Athletics ● The European Indoor Championships took place in Istanbul (TUR), with the organizers donating €1 from every ticket purchased since 7 February for earthquake relief efforts. The meet was a good one, with three world-leading marks and a world indoor record:

● Men/Triple Jump: 17.60 m (57-9), Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR)
● Women/Long Jump: 7.00 m (22-11 3/4), Jazmin Sawyers (GBR)
● Women/Pentathlon: 5,055, Nafi Thiam (BEL) ~ World Record

Thiam’s world mark came in just her eighth career indoor pentathlon, and include lifetime indoor bests in the 60 m hurdles, shot and 800 m. It’s her third European pentathlon title, to go along with two Olympic and two World Championships golds in the heptathlon. She was chased all the way to the end by Poland’s Adrianna Sulek, who scored 5,014 for the no. 2 performance ever; both surpassed Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska’s 2012 mark of 5,013 for the World Indoors. American Anna Hall’s 5,004 from the U.S. Nationals is now no. 4 all-time.

The women’s long jump had been hot in qualifying, with Ivana Vuleta (SRB) reaching 6.98 m (22-10 3/4), but Sawyers became the 19th woman to jump 7 m indoors with her fifth-round effort that proved to be the winner. Larissa Iapichino (ITA) got a national record of 6.97 m (22-10 1/2) to grab silver, with Vuleta third at 6.91 m (22-8).

Pichardo’s mighty 17.60 m came in the third round and moves him to no. 21 all-time indoors.

The men’s 60 m had an Italian winner, but it was not Tokyo Olympic champ Lamont Marcell Jacobs, but teammate Samuele Ceccarelli in 6.48, with Jacobs second in 6.50 (no. 7). Ceccarelli ran 6.47 in his semi, good for no. 3 on the 2023 world list.

Norway’s 400 m hurdles superstar Karsten Warholm won the 400 m in 45.35, his no. 2 time of 2023, and said he plans to run more flat 400s this season. Countryman and fellow Olympic champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen defended his 2021 Euro Indoor 1,500 m title as expected, outdueling Britain’s Neil Gourley, 3:33.95 to 3:34.23. Ingebrigtsen than doubled back in the 3000 m, winning in 7:40.32 over Spain’s Adel Mechaal (7:41.75).

Swiss Jason Joseph won the 60 m hurdles in 7.41, no. 3 on the 2023 world list behind Americans Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts.

Dutch high jumper Douwe Amels moved to no. 4 on the year list at 2.31 m (7-7) and four men cleared 5.80 m (19-0 1/4) in the vault, with Sondre Guttormsen (NOR) the winner on misses. World leader and Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou won the long jump at 8.30 m (27-2 3/4).

Italy’s Zane Weir, fifth at Tokyo in 2021, won his first major title and zoomed to no. 2 on the 2023 list in winning the men’s shot at 22.06 m (72-4 1/4), over Tomas Stanek (CZE: 21.90 m/71-10 1/4), now no. 4 in 2023. Two-time World Decathlon champ Kevin Mayer (FRA) won the heptathlon at 6,348 to move to no.2 on the 2023 year list, with Norway’s Sander Aae Skotheim (6,318) moving to no. 3.

The women’s 60 m saw Swiss star Mujinga Kambundji, last year’s World Indoor Champion, win in 7.00, no. 3 in 2023 and her second-fastest indoor 60 ever. Dutch star Femke Bol won the 400 m as expected, in 49.85, the no. 7 performance in indoor history. There have been 10 indoor sub-50s in history and Bol has three of them.

World leader and defending champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) won the women’s 800 m in 1:58.66, well clear of Anita Horvat (SLO: 2:00.54). Britain’s Laura Muir won the 1,500 in 4:03.40 for her third Euro Indoor title in the event, a clear winner over Claudia Bobocea (ROU: 4:03.76), now no. 6 on the 2023 world list.

Finland’s Reetta Hurske showed she’s no fluke, equaling her seasonal best – no. 3 in the world for 2023 – in winning the 60 m hurdles in 7.79.

Ukrainian star Yaroslava Mahuchikh defended her 2021 Euro indoor high jump crown at 1.98 m (6-6). Finland’s Wilma Murto moved to no. 3 on the year list to win the vault at 4.80 m (15-9). Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo won her second European Indoor title – also in 2021 – at 19.76 m (64-10), now no. 3 on the 2023 year list.

World leads in both the men’s and women’s 10,000 m at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, California on Saturday evening, with an American Record to boot!

Britain’s Eilish McColgan ran away from American Alicia Monson on the final lap of the women’s race to win in 30:00.87, now no. 12 all-time and no. 2 ever in European history. Monson continued a career year with an American Record of 30:03.82, a lifetime best by 56 seconds! She is no. 14 all-time and broke Molly Huddle’s mark of 30:13.17 from 2016.

Elly Henes and Natosha Rogers got lifetime bests in third and fourth at 30:48.26 and 30:48.69.

Woody Kincaid took the lead from Joe Klecker just before two laps to go and held on for as world-leading win in 27:06.37 to 27:07.57. Kincaid finished in 56.92 and moves to no. 5 (sixth-fastest performance) on the all-time U.S. list, while Klecker is now seventh (no. 8 performance).

Kenya’s Athanas Kioko was third in 27:23.84 and American Connor Mantz was fourth in 27:25.30.

The first of the World Marathon Majors, the Tokyo Marathon, was held on Sunday, with Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru moving to no. 6 all-time with a brilliant 2:16:28 victory.

Only four were in contention by 20 km, and Wanjiru and Tsehay Gemechu (ETH) were the only contenders left after 30 km. Wanjiru broke away after 35 km and sailed home with a 28-second win, in the seventh-fastest women’s marathon in history. Gemechu’s second-place time of 2:16:56 makes her only the eighth woman to break 2:17 in history.

Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere was third in 2:19:11, with Americans Betsy Saina (ex-Kenya) fifth in 2:21:40 (now no. 9 all-time U.S.) and Lindsay Flanagan eighth in 2:26:08.

The men’s race saw a huge pack run hard through the first half, with a breakaway pack finally forming at 37 km. Canadian Cam Levins had the lead at 40 km, but was passed by four others and then Ethiopians Deso Gelmisa, Mohamed Esa and Tsegay Getachew raced ahead, with Gelmisa finally breaking free to get to the tape in 2:05:22, with Esa right behind and given the same time.

Getachew finished third in 2:05:25, then Kenya’s Titus Kipruto (2:05:32) and Levins (2:05:36), who set a national and North American record. The top eight were under 2:06.

● Biathlon ● The seventh of nine IBU World Cup stops was in Nove Mesto (CZE), with Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe’s domination unbroken.

Boe won 11 of 14 races prior to the World Championships break, won three of four individual races at the Worlds and won his seventh and eighth in a row with two victories, in the 10 km Sprint and 12.5 km Pursuit.

Norway went 1-2-3-4 in the Sprint, with Boe leading older brother Tarjei Boe to the finish line, 22:39.6 to 23:09.6 (no penalties for either). Vetle Christiansen was third (23:54.8/1); Sean Doherty was the top American in 18th (24:54.4/1).

In the Pursuit, it was Boe and Boe going 1-2 again, in 31:25.1 (2) and 31:59.7 (1), with Swede Martin Ponsiluoma third (32:36.1/5). Doherty was 24th in 34:38.6 (3).

Reigning World Cup women’s champion Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR) hadn’t won a World Cup medal this season due to injury, but came back at the Worlds to win a bronze … and now won both races in Nove Mesto. In fact, the top three in both the women’s Sprint and 10 km Pursuit were identical: Roeiseland, teammate Ingrid Tandrevold second and France’s Anais Chevalier-Bouchet third! Roeiseland won by more than 20 seconds in the Sprint, but only by 2.2 in the Pursuit.

France won the Mixed 4×6 km relay over Sweden and Norway. Roeiseland and Christiansen won the Single Mixed Relay, with Switzerland and Latvia second and third. The U.S. was 16th, with Doherty and Joanne Reid.

● Cycling ● On the UCI World Tour, the famed Strade Bianche races in and around Siena (ITA) on Saturday saw some history as Britain’s star-on-the-rise Thomas Pidcock won the biggest race of his career, attacking decisively with 23 km to go in the hilly, 184 km race in 4:31:41. That was 20 seconds up on Valentin Madouas (FRA) and 22 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Tiesj Benoot.

No British rider had ever won a medal in this race before, and Pidcock, who won a Tour de France stage in 2022, is becoming a force.

The women’s Strade Bianche, 136 km in length, was the fourth win in the last five for a Dutch ride, this time for Demi Vollering, winning a sprint to the line with defending champ Lotte Kopecky (BEL). Both were timed in 3:50:35, 18 seconds up on American Kristin Faulkner (+0:18).

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup was good to first-time winners, starting with the men’s Sabre in Padua (ITA), as home favorite Michele Gallo, 21, won his second career World Cup medal – and first gold – over Kazakhstan’s Artyam Sarkissyan, 15-9. Sarkissyan won his first career World Cup medal.

Hungary won the team event, 45-30, over Italy.

In the women’s Sabre World Cup in Athens (GRE), Hungary’s Sugar Battai, 19, won a tight battle with four-time World Champion Olga Kharlan (UKR), 15-14, to win her first career international medal! France defeated Korea, 45-29, in the team final.

● Football ● Canada Soccer announced an interim agreement with its sixth-ranked women’s national team over funding, retroactive to the 2022 season. The women’s team had threatened to strike prior to the SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., but was told that legal action would be taken against them.

The interim agreement was reported to be in line with the men’s team compensation on per-game incentives and results-based compensation. A long-term collective bargaining agreement is still to be completed, but this is a positive step with Canada’s looking forward to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS Freestyle World Cup continued in Engadin (SUI) with Aerials on Sunday, and a second win this season for Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi. He scored 136.76 to edge 2023 World Champion Noe Roth (SUI: 133.11) and 2021 Worlds runner-up Chris Lillis (USA: 128.00). Fellow American Quinn Dehlinger, the 2023 Worlds silver medalist, was fifth (93.21).

Worlds silver medalist Danielle Scott (AUS) won her third World Cup event of the season and maintained her World Cup lead in the women’s competition, scoring 98.70. She led an Australian 1-2 with Laura Peel second (94.65) and World Champion Fanyu Kong (CHN: 92.00) third. American Winter Vinecki was fourth (82.21).

● Gymnastics ● The second FIG Artistic Apparatus World Cup was in Doha (QAT), with six different winners on six apparatus for the men, but two wins for Romania’s Sabrina Voinea for the women.

Although he won once, two-time World Champion Carlos Yulo (PHI) was the men’s star with three medals (1-1-1). He won the Floor Exercise at 14.833 over Worlds runner-up Kazuki Minami (JPN: 14.200), finished second on Parallel Bars to Ukraine’s Worlds All-Around bronze Ilia Kovtun, 14.966 to 14.933, and won the bronze on Vault (14.883), behind Armenia’s 2022 Worlds gold medalist Artur Davtyan.

Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov scored an upset, 15.400-15.033, win over reigning Pommel Horse World Champion Rhys McClenaghan (IRE); China’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yang Liu won on Rings, 15.366-15.033, over Turkey’s Adem Asil, the 2022 World Champion, and Yuya Kamoto (JPN) won on the Horizontal Bar, upsetting Tokyo Olympic runner-up Tin Srbic (CRO), 14.333 to 14.300.

Voinea won the women’s second day – Beam and Floor – scoring 13.766 and 13.600. On Friday, France’s 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Coline Devillard won on Vault (13.800), with 47-year-old Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) getting bronze for the second meet in a row (12.216). Ukraine’s Anna Lashchevska won on the Uneven Bars, scoring 13.500; she was also the silver winner on Saturday on the Beam.

After two Apparatus World Cups, only Davtyan (Vault) and Kovtun (Parallel Bars) won at both. Next up is the third leg, in Baku (AZE) next week.

● Ice Hockey ● Brianna Decker, 31, a key member of three U.S. Olympic women’s hockey squads and six-time World Champion, announced her retirement last Thursday.

Decker, a forward, scored 81 goals and 170 points in 147 games with the U.S. team, and was fourth in IIHF Women’s World Championship all-time scoring with 68 points.

She was the top scorer on the American Olympic squads in 2014 (silver) and 2018 (gold), but suffered a broken left leg in the opening match of the Beijing 2022 Games against Finland and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament, in which the U.S. won silver.

She is beginning a new career as a coach.

● Judo ● Japan and Uzbekistan dominated the IJF World Tour Tashkent (UZB) Grand Slam, winning seven of the 14 weight classes between them.

The Japanese won all four of their golds in the women’s division, by Momo Tamaoki (57 kg), 2022 World Champion Megumi Horikawa (63 kg), Rika Takayama (78 kg) and 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Wakaba Tomita (+78 kg). The three Uzbek wins were all by men: Murodjon Yuldoshev (73 kg), 2022 World Champion Davlat Bobonov (90 kg) and Alisher Yusupov (+100 kg).

Women’s 70 kg World Champion Barbara Matic (CRO) reached the women’s 70 kg finals, but was defeated by Austrian Michaela Polleras.

● Rugby ● Both the men’s and women’s Sevens Series were in action in Vancouver (CAN), with New Zealand and Australia meeting in the women’s final for the third time in five tournaments this season.

Both were 3-0 in group play, along with the U.S. In the playoffs, New Zealand edged Canada, 10-5, and then routed France, 36-7, to reach the final. Australia had little trouble with Fiji, 29-5, in the quarters and then squashed the U.S., 38-0, in the semis. In the final, the Black Ferns managed a 19-12 win over the Aussies to win their fourth tournament in a row and maintain their place atop the seasonal standings, 98-84, over Australia.

The U.S. rebounded and won the bronze-medal match over France, 19-7, and now stand third overall with 82 points with two tournaments left.

New Zealand and Argentina went 3-0 in men’s pool play, and Argentina moved into the final with playoff wins of 19-14 over Fiji and 14-7 against Ireland. In the upper bracket, it was Australia eliminating New Zealand, 17-7, in the quarters and then France winning the semi by 26-12 over Australia.

The Argentines would not be stopped and won the final by 33-21 over the French for their second tournament win of the season. Australia won the third-place game over Ireland, 20-5, so New Zealand remains on top of the standings at 120 points, followed by Argentina (108) and France (95).

● Swimming ● The Tyr Pro Swim Series in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida drew many of the U.S.’s stars for the 34-event program, with four swimmers taking home three or more wins.

Three of those four were women, with four-time Worlds gold medalist Regan Smith winning four events: the 50-100-200 m Backstrokes and the 100 m Butterfly. Ten-time World Championships gold medalist Lilly King swept the 50-100-200 m Breaststroke events and Abbey Weitzeil, the U.S.’s best sprinter so far this season, won the 50-100 m Frees and tied for the win in the 50 m Fly.

The U.S. World Championships trials aren’t until the end of June, so we’re still in the training phase of the season. That makes Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky’s swims pretty interesting, as she won the 800 m Free and the 400 m Medley in good times, but also posted noteworthy times in the 100 m Free (2nd in 54.01) and just behind Canadian teen star Summer McIntosh in the 200 m Free (2nd in 1:54.96).

McIntosh, still just 16, showed she is still improving, winning the 200 m Free over Ledecky in a World Junior Record of 1:54.13 (no. 8 performer all-time), the 200 m Fly in a World Junior Record of 2:05.05 (no. 11 all-time) and the 200 m Medley.

American Katie Grimes, 17, the 2022 Worlds 1,500 m silver medalist, won the 400 m and 1,500 m Freestyles and came back for a silver in the 200 m Back and bronze in the 200 m Medley!

The men’s star was Tokyo Olympic 400 m winner Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia, who won the 400-800-1,500 m Freestyles. Two others won two events: American Michael Andrew in the 50 m Breast and a tie for the win in the 50 m Fly, and Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter in the 100 m Free and tying with Andrew in the 50 Fly.

Tokyo Olympic distance star Bobby Finke of the U.S. won the 400 m Medley, and was third in the 1,500 m behind Hafnaoui. The backstroke events were a display of American power as 2022 World Short-Course winner Justin Ress took the 50 m title; 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Hunter Armstrong won the 100 m event and 2022 World Champion Ryan Murphy won the 200 m Back.

● Triathlon ● The first leg of the World Triathlon Championship Series was in Abu Dhabi (UAE), with Britain’s Tokyo Olympic runner-up Alex Yee winning the men’s title with a strong finishing run.

The Sprint format (750 m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run) started with France’s two-time World Champion Vincent Luis first out of the water. As many as 50 riders were together during the bike phase, then Luis and Yee found themselves 1-2 in the early stages of the run. As the pack shifted, Yee finally took off and finished in 52:53, with Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca six seconds behind and Brazil’s Manoel Messias third (53:06) and Luis fourth in 53:11. It’s Lee’s fifth World Triathlon Series victory.

The women’s race was twice as nice for Britain, with Beth Potter winning her first World Triathlon Series title, leading a 1-2 finish with teammate Sophie Coldwell in 57:56 and 58:14. The American pair of Taylor Spivey and Summer Rappaport finished 3-4 in 58:27 and 58:35. The two British stars had a 10-second lead at the start of the final lap and the 2022 Commonwealth Games third-placer, Potter, surged ahead in the final 500 m, ending with the second-fastest run of the day.

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LANE ONE: What are the responsibilities of athletes to peace, and to Ukraine, and of the IOC to athletes when it talks of Russian re-entry?

By
Rich Perelman
-
The bombed-out Altair Arena in the Donetsk region of Ukraine (Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter)

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

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As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into a second year, the International Olympic Committee faces another, grave crisis that it did not expect.

The coronavirus descended on an unprepared world and required the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to be postponed, and it was eventually held in 2021. The Beijing Winter Games was held, under quarantine, in 2022.

Four days after the closing of that Games, Russia invaded Ukraine in an aggression designed to destroy the Ukrainian state. So far, it has failed badly.

Neither a pandemic or war is accounted for in the Olympic Charter. The medical advances in 2020 and early 2021 allowed the Tokyo and Beijing Games to take place, safely, under stringent conditions.

There’s no such solution for Russia’s war against Ukraine, placing the IOC in – what it readily describes – as an impossible position of trying to figure out a way forward that lives up to its world view as expressed in the Charter.

Doping? Yes. Strictly against it. “Competition manipulation,” especially as regards betting? Yes. Strictly against it. Nothing about war.

There is the Declaration of Athletes Rights and Responsibilities from October 2018, which includes Athlete’s Right no. 7:

“The protection of mental and physical health, including a safe competition and training environment and protection from abuse and harassment.”

And there is Athlete Responsibility no. 5:

“Respect the rights and well-being of, and not discriminate against, other athletes, their entourage, volunteers and all others within the sporting environment, and refrain from political demonstration in competitions, competition venues and ceremonies.”

In the same document, the IOC says Ukrainian athletes have had their rights violated – including by murder by a foreign power – and then says it has to respect athletes from that country on the field of play.

So, in a hypothetical 1944 Olympic Games in London – which was selected in June, 1939 prior to the Nazi invasion of Poland in September – today’s IOC would have insisted that German and Japanese athletes compete as “neutrals” alongside Soviet, British and American teams. And refugee teams from countries like China and Poland, where the Japanese and Germans had already murdered millions, would also be asked to compete and “refrain from political demonstration” in competitions and ceremonies.

What kind of cruel, twisted joke is that, even hypothetically?

And that is exactly the possibility that the IOC is considering for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with its discussion of “neutral” athletes from Russia and Belarus, rejected out of hand by Ukrainian athletes and officials in a Wednesday story from The Associated Press.

And screams of Nazism are not far from this conflict, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin has relentlessly used the term on Ukraine, which was part of the USSR forces against Nazi Germany in World War II.

An impressive AP story from 23 February highlighted 2,000 intercepted telephone calls home from Russian soldiers at the front in Ukraine. It noted:

“Maxim and his mother discuss the opposing narratives about the war on Ukrainian and Russian television. They blame the U.S. and recite conspiracy theories pushed by Russian state media.

“Maxim and his mother believe that it’s the Ukrainians who are deluded by fake news and propaganda, not them. The best way to end the war, his mother says, is to kill the presidents of Ukraine and the U.S.”

Maxim’s mother told her son, based on state television reporting, “It’s the Americans driving this, of course! Look at their laboratories. They are developing biological weapons. Coronavirus literally started there. … Biden’s son is the mastermind behind all of this.”

That’s the reality of Russia, and it is promoted continuously into the sports milieu. At Wednesday’s “We are together. Sport” conference in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko told attendees:

● “We have seen how, at the behest of the Anglo-Saxons, all international organizations, starting with the IOC, began to put obstacles to the participation of our athletes in international sport competitions, and they continue to do so.”

● “We faced double standards in sports at international competitions after the stunning success in Sochi [Winter Games 2014], which they could not forgive us for. There was a lot of mythology, they tried to make us look like a country that built its victories on doping. There were a lot of lies, manipulations and traditional methods used by countries unfriendly to us.”

● “We have a lot of international competitions this year despite the fact that countries unfriendly to us are trying to exclude us from the world sport system. But they didn’t succeed; we see that in the Friendship Games and the All-Russian Spartakiade, the Games of the Future, the Children of Asia and many other competitions take place no matter what. Countries come, some of them with apprehension, though, because they are afraid of sanctions.

“But we know that time will put everything in its place, we know that no international competition is complete without our athletes.”

That’s the Russian view of the ban on international competitions being held in the country and on the IOC’s requested ban on its athletes (and Belarusians).

It has been widely surmised that the IOC’s demands for “neutrality” – no national symbols, flags or anthems, and no evidence of direct support for the war – will be enough for Russia to refuse to participate, in whatever fashion, in Paris next year.

Don’t be so sure. On Thursday, the Russian news agency TASS carried this from 1996 Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics All-Around silver medalist Yana Batryshina, now 43:

“Our athletes have to go to the Olympics. With a neutral flag, without a flag at all, without a uniform, but go. Because so much effort and work was put into participating in the Games, for the sake of realizing one’s dream. I’m ready to grab by the scruff of my neck and shake anyone who thinks a neutral flag is a betrayal of the country.

“I can’t listen to these people who don’t understand what the Olympics mean to athletes. And with such words they just kill the athletes, tear their hearts apart.”

And what about the choices that having “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes in competition creates for athletes from not just Ukraine, but those everywhere who detest the Russian aggression, destruction and murder that threatens to overshadow Paris 2024?

This discussion was front-and-center in front of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games over China’s treatment of the Xinjiang Uyghurs – remember them? – until a Russian doping scandal over teen figure skater Kamila Valieva hijacked everyone’s attention. Remember Charter Rule 50.2:

“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

So now the impossible choices loom before athletes who didn’t ask to be put in a compromising moral and political situation.

Now, the IOC is forcing them to ask what is their responsibility to peace when they are supposed to be concentrating on competition.

There’s no doubt about the culprit. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (POR) told the U.N. Council of Human Rights – whose volunteer rapporteurs applauded the IOC’s support of Russian re-entry – last week:

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights we are living today.

“It has unleashed widespread death, destruction and displacement.”

In March 2021, with chatter about a boycott of the Beijing Winter Games over China’s human-rights violations circulating, American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin told CNN:

“The Olympics is big, and it’s something that you shoot for, and you don’t want to miss it.

“And you certainly don’t want to be put in the position of having to choose between human rights, like morality versus being able to do your job, which on the other hand can bring light to some issues or can actually bring hope to the world at a very difficult time.”

If Russian and Belarusian athletes – who are nearly all (if not all) supported by their governments and often members of police or military units – are allowed to compete in Paris, it will create a brutal, unpleasant and what should be an unnecessary choice for 10,000 other athletes.

What is the IOC’s responsibility to them – the 10,000 – as those athletes consider their bitter options, amid the requirements of Rule 50 and the “Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play”?

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: Dubi says IOC in no rush to award 2030 Winter Games; Norway to boycott boxing Worlds while IBA asks sanctions against boycotters

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Dubi says IOC in no rush to award 2030 Winter Games
2. IBA asks for sanctions against boycotting federation officials
3. Norway becomes 11th association to skip IBA Worlds
4. IOC’s Olympic Esports Series to feature nine sports, games
5. L.A. City timetable on Cornelius Johnson home resumes

The International Olympic Committee’s Executive Director for the Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, said in an interview that the IOC is not in a hurry to name a host for the 2030 Winter Games, especially since it has candidates with all of the required infrastructure. He remains confident in the progress of the Milan Cortina 2026 project. The International Boxing Association referred for sanctions five senior officials from national federations that plan to boycott the upcoming Women’s World Championships in India that start 14 March. Norway joined the list of those not coming, now totaling 11 national federations, and the head of the Canadian federation said there are countries which will withdraw a fighter if asked to compete against a Russian or Belarussian. The IOC announced more details of its first Olympic Esports Week in June in Singapore with details of nine games to be contested, in nine different sports, including two ports which have never been on the Olympic program. In Los Angeles, the clock is running once more on the City Council to decide whether to declare the Cornelius Johnson home and Olympic Oak a cultural and historic landmark; the Council has until 26 May, but no committee hearing on the designation has been held, or even scheduled yet.

● World Championships ● FIS Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard = FIS Nordic Skiing = ISMF World Championships ●
● Panorama: Russia (German NOC against Russian re-entry) = Football (Women’s World Cup to have Fan Festivals at all sites) = Ski & Snowboard (USSS reaches $20 million travel fund goal) ●

1.
Dubi says IOC in no rush to award 2030 Winter Games

In an interview with The Associated Press, International Olympic Committee Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) said the organization is in no hurry to select a host city (or region) for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

He explained that the IOC Executive Board – which was reacting to its Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games – has decided to wait and figure out the best way to deal with not only the question of costs and venues, but also whether sites will have the desired weather to host a Winter Games.

“We need to have the right strategy,” he said, noting that an award seven years ahead – as has been the norm in recent decades – may not be necessary now. “[I]f anywhere you go, everything is ready, 100% built, no reason to award the Games seven years out. So we’re not really in a rush. We want to do the right thing.

“For example, should we rotate between Games hosts in the future? Is it something that is appealing for winter sports, appealing for those hosts? And we tend to believe it is the case. Northern Italy ’06, ’26, Sapporo, Salt Lake City is interested as well in the future. So is there a trend whereby once you have invested, you want to re-host in the future? So we need to look into that.”

As for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, although the organizing effort has gotten off to a rocky start, Dubi remains confident in the ultimate outcome:

“What is really critical is the constant monitoring. You have to hit all the milestones and this is how you control projects. So no reason to worry. But as in everything, inspect what you expect and this is what we are going to do.”

He also noted that the IOC is not standing in the way of the regional decision to install a new bobsled, luge and skeleton facility on the site of the closed Eugenio Monti sliding track used for the 1956 Cortina Winter Games as part of a larger development project:

“Territory shouldn’t adapt to the Games, but the Games should adapt to the territory.

“We were always clear with the IOC and our partners that if it’s built – and of course now the construction has started, or I should say rather the demolition, which is the first step – we are going to be users in the end because we always felt that it was not necessarily needed for the Games. Now there was a decision made and we respect this decision.”

2.
IBA asks for sanctions against boycotting federation officials

“Disciplinary proceedings were opened against Executive Director/CEO of USA Boxing Mike McAtee, President of Boxing Canada Ryan O’Shea, Czech Boxing Association President Marek Šimák, Swedish Boxing Association Chairman Per-Axel Sjöholm, and Boxing New Zealand President Steve Hartley. The BIIU will also investigate any role in the boycott by the officials of other national federations which have joined the participation boycott.”

The International Boxing Association announced Wednesday that it has asked for sanctions against five national federation officials whose countries are boycotting the IBA Women’s World Championships coming up on 14 March in New Delhi (IND).

The newly-set-up Boxing Independent Integrity Unit will be fully tested by this case. According to the IBA statement:

“The complaint is based on a violation of several articles of the Disciplinary and Ethics Code including article 24 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Code ‘Inciting a Boycott of a Competition’ related to the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in New Delhi, India, and the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“The International Boxing Association (IBA) reiterates that it will continue doing its utmost to protect the organization and all its member National Federations from any harm caused by individuals.”

The IBA, under Russian President Umar Kremlev, has defied the International Olympic Committee’s request that athletes from Russia and Belarus not be allowed to participate in international competitions, and if so, without any national recognition, flag or use of anthems in awards ceremonies. Kremlev has ordered that Russians and Belarusians can compete without any restrictions.

On Monday, Boxing Canada President O’Shea posted a statement confirming non-participation, which included:

“We know that the upcoming Women’s World Championships scheduled for March 14th-26th, 2023 in India will include both Russian and Belarussian [sic] athletes in the competition. Most recently, we have learned that there are a growing number of countries who have decided to boycott the World Championships to uphold the values of the Olympic Movement, and several other countries who will participate in the competition but will require their athletes to withdraw from competition if they draw a boxer from Russia or Belarus. Additionally, there are ongoing discussions amongst several Boxing Federations and their governments related to the legality of the prize money at stake for gold, silver, and bronze medalists.

“Given these circumstances, the Board of Directors of Boxing Canada have decided to uphold the decision of the IOC and the values of the Olympic movement and not participate in the 2023 World Championships. We understand the implications that this decision will have on our national team athletes and we are working diligently alongside our [High Performance Director] and national team coaches to find a suitable replacement tournament to continue developing our [High Performance] athletes in preparation for the Pan American Games Qualifiers as well as the 2024 Paris Olympics.”

Observed: This action by the IBA only continues to drive it away from the IOC and to threaten not only boxing’s place in the Los Angeles 2028 Games, but at Paris in 2024. A sport can only be removed by action of the IOC Session, which will meet in Mumbai (IND) in the fall, but the IOC Executive Board has already indicated it has no more patience for the Kremlev regime.

Kremlev’s comments in a 10 February post, after the announcements from the U.S. and Ireland that they would skip the Worlds, will be long remembered:

“This decision doesn’t belong to the athletes themselves. Not one of the sports administrators or politicians in the world is entitled to deprive athletes of their dream to become World Champions. Boxers dedicate their whole life to the sport, while administrators and politicians come to and go. Those, who are doing this to our athletes, are worse than hyenas and jackals, they violate the integrity of sport and culture. I urge all my colleagues to clear their organizations of such hyenas, as I can’t call them another way.

“IBA will do its utmost to help athletes from the USA to come and participate in the World Boxing Championships and will assist them, including financially. For this, we have our Financial Support Programme. We will fight for each and every country to give them a chance to participate in our tournaments representing their flag and anthem. For those administrators and politicians who are deciding for the athletes, shouldn’t be involved in the sport.”

3.
Norway becomes 11th association to skip IBA Worlds

Monday’s announcement from Norwegian Boxing Association President Odd Haktor Slake was short and direct:

“The Norwegian Boxing Association’s board has decided not to participate in IBA championships and events where Russians or Belarusians participate. This decision applies to all our boxers, clubs, judges and officials.

“In the immediate future and in practice, this will mean that we will not participate in the upcoming [World Championships] in India and Uzbekistan, or in the [European Championships] in Armenia.

“We in the Norwegian Boxing Association, together with the Nordic Olympic and Paralympic Committees and sports federations, take this opportunity to confirm our steadfast support once again to the Ukrainian people and their demand for peace. . #standwithukraine #stopwar”

The Norwegians have joined with Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.S., and, of course, Ukraine, in walking away from the upcoming Women’s World Championships in India that begin on 15 March.

This list may expand as reports have noted possible walkaways from Germany and other Nordic countries.

Non-participation in the IBA Worlds will have no impact on Olympic qualification, as the IBA is not involved in the process (despite its pronouncements to the contrary). For Europe, the first step in qualification will be the European Games in Poland this summer; qualification from the Americas will start with the Pan American Games in Chile.

4.
IOC’s Olympic Esports Series to feature nine sports, games

More details were released on the IOC’s first Olympic Esports Series, to be held in Singapore from 22-25 June, including the specific sports and games to be contested:

● Archery: “Tic Tac Bow”
● Baseball: “WBSC eBASEBALL: POWER PROS”
● Chess: “Chess.com”
● Cycling: “Zwift”
● Dance: “JustDance”
● Motor sport: “Gran Turismo”
● Sailing: “Virtual Regatta”
● Taekwondo: “Virtual Taekwondo”
● Tennis: “Tennis Clash”

Two of the sports selected are not now part of a recent, current or future Olympic sports: chess and motor sport. Baseball was part of Tokyo 2020 and Breaking will debut at Paris 2024. The other five are part of the current program. Additional sports and games could still be added.

Qualification play to reach the finals in Singapore has begun. It’s worth noting that the IOC regulations concerning Russia and Belarus apply here too:

“Each featured game in the Olympic Esports Series 2023 has its own competition format and entry requirements. In addition to this, these requirements will align with the current IOC recommendations on the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports, and should be followed by the IFs and publishers.”

More details on the actual format of the Olympic Esports Week finals is still to come in April. The IOC was quite pleased with the participation in the 2021 Olympic Virtual Series, with more than 250,000 entrants from more than 100 countries.

So far, no word whatsoever on any e-sports integration with the Olympic Games per se.

5.
L.A. City timetable on Cornelius Johnson home resumes

The clock is now running again on the continuing question of whether the Cornelius Johnson Residence and Olympic Oak at 1156 South Hobart Boulevard in Los Angeles will be designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument.

The time limit for an action by the (1) Planning and Land Use Committee [PLUM] and then by the (2) Los Angeles City Council was tolled back in August, but has now been restarted under order of new Mayor Karen Bass. The lack of action has worried proponents of the designation.

Historical preservation advocates Kim Cooper and Richard Schave wrote in a plea to the Council on 19 February to recently-appointed 10th District Council member Heather Hutt:

“Your district is home to one of the most remarkable living landmarks in Los Angeles, the Olympic Oak presented to gold medalist Cornelius Johnson at the 1936 Berlin Games. The tree, and the home where Johnson lived and trained, are under consideration to become a protected Historic Cultural Monument.

“But it is now more than six months since the Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously to recommend designation, and there has still been no scheduled PLUM Committee hearing. Meanwhile, the tree continues to suffer from neglect and the likely severing of roots when the other Johnson family home to the north was demolished for a large new building.

“Also, last month the property was listed on the MLS as a ‘fixer,’ with no mention of the special tree and the suggestion that an [Accessory Dwelling Unit] could be built in its place. On Saturday, February 18, 2023, the tree and home were featured on the national CBS Saturday Morning program, as a feel-good story for Black History Month.

“Isn’t this the perfect time to schedule the PLUM hearing and then on to full City Council to formally designate 1156 South Hobart Boulevard / Cornelius Johnson Residence and Olympic Oak as an Historic-Cultural Monument? Once declared a landmark, we believe it will be easier for a preservation minded owner to come on board to save the tree and reactivate the home as the living history they represent.”

The tree was in dire straits in 2022, but The Huntington – a library, art museum and botanical garden complex in San Marino, California – was allowed to install a watering system in September, 2022 at its expense, so that the tree can be saved.

The deadline for action by the City Council is now 26 May 2023.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● More surprises at the FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani (GEO), but also more medals for two celebrated women’s stars.

Sochi 2014 Olympic gold medalist Eva Adamczykova (nee Samkova) added to her glittering resume with a gold in the women’s SnowCross final, earning her third career Worlds medal and second gold, to go along with her 2019 victory. She’s medaled in three straight Worlds: gold-bronze-gold.

She beat Australia’s Josie Baff, 20, who had won two career World Cup medals coming in, and American legend Lindsey Jacobellis, 37, who won her eighth Worlds medal in this event (6-0-2), going back to 2005!

The men’s final went to Austrian Jakob Dusek, 26, in his second World Championships and who had won exactly one World Cup race in his career before Wednesday. Now he’s World Champion, ahead of German vet Martin Noerl and Beijing 2022 bronze medalist Omar Visintin of Italy.

The SnowCross event was moved up by two days due to rough weather coming in; the Worlds continue through Sunday, weather-permitting.

● Nordic Skiing ● At the 43rd FIS Nordic Skiing Worlds in Planica (SLO), Norway continued its march to the medal stand, but there was a shocker in ski jumping that relegated the Vikings to the silver.

The men’s 15 km Freestyle Individual was a Norwegian sweep, with Simen Hegstad Krueger winning his second gold of the Championships, after the 30 km Skiathlon last Friday. He finished in 32:17.3, just ahead of Harald Amundsen (32:22.7, his second career Worlds medal) and defending champ Hans Christer Holund (32:42.0, his fifth career Worlds medal). And Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, winner of the Sprint, was fourth (32:42.9)!

Scott Patterson was the top American, in 15th (33:50.4).

Norway is now four-for-four in the men’s cross-country events, with two to go.

Norway is also four-for-four now in Nordic Combined, winning the men’s Team Large Hill event (138 m hill and 4×5 km relay) in 47:20.4, ahead of Germany (47:29.4) and Austria (47:29.7). It’s the second gold for Normal Hill/10 km winner Jarl Magnus Riiber his third win in a row in the Team event; teammate Jorgen Graabak has also been on all three team winners in 2019-21-23.

Amazingly, Germany has won the silver three times in a row and Austria is also the bronze medalist four straight times in the event. For the Germans, Eric Frenzel and Vinzenz Geiger have also been on all three teams and Frenzel has won a medal in this event in five straight Worlds (2-3-0).

The U.S. was eighth in 51:23.6, with Stephen Schumann, Ben Loomis, Niclas Malacinski and Jared Shumate.

The shocker came in the women’s Large Hill (138 m) ski jumping, where Norway’s Maren Lundby – a two-time World Champion – and German Katharina Althaus, already a three-time winner (Normal Hill, Team, Mixed Team) in 2023, were upset by 19-year-old Canadian Alexandria Loutitt!

Loutitt won the World Junior Championships in early February and has a World Cup win to her credit this season, but no one was expecting her to win both rounds and score 264.4 points to eclipse Lundby (254.0) and Althaus (245.9). Wow.

Annika Belshaw was the top American finisher at 83.5 for 32nd place; she did not advance to the final.

● Ski Mountaineering ● At the ISMF World Championships at the Boi Tall resort in the Spanish Pyrenees, France’s Axelle Gachet-Mollaret and Swiss Remi Bonnet defended their world titles in the women’s and men’s Vertical Race competitions.

Defending champion Gachet-Mollaret win her seventh career Worlds gold and 14th career Worlds medal with a decisive 26:22.9 to 26:55.9 victory over Sarah Dreier (AUT), with Alba de Silvestro (ITA: 27:22.2) third. It’s the first Worlds medal for Dreier and sixth (!) for de Silvestro (and her medal in this event since 2015).

Defending champ Bonnet won by more than a minute, 21:54.7 to 22:54.9 over Belgian Maximilien Drion du Chapois, with France’s Gedeon Pochat Cottilloux third (23:05.2). It’s Bonnet’s third Worlds gold and his third straight Worlds medal in this race (bronze-gold-gold); he also won it in 2015.

The Worlds continue through Sunday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Russia ● “From our point of view, now is not the right time to allow athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete in international competitions again. The acts of war have intensified in recent weeks, especially the attacks on the civilian population. …

“In [19 January call with other National Olympic Committees] call, we clearly expressed our position and said that we can only imagine a re-admission – if it is decided – under very strict conditions.

“For example, true neutrality would have to be guaranteed, i.e. no flags, national symbols or colors should really be worn and anthems played. It remains to be seen how something like this could be guaranteed. Scenes like those in PyeongChang, Tokyo or Beijing are not allowed to appear in Paris. In addition, it would have to be ensured that no athletes from Russia or Belarus who actively support the war start. Then there is the question of doping tests: all athletes who are allowed to start must be sufficiently tested. And our athletes need to know what the qualifying routes to the Paris Olympics are like and have confidence that they will stay that way.”

That’s German National Olympic Committee chief executive Torsten Burmester in an interview posted on the DOSB Web site Tuesday. He acknowledged that it’s not going to be possible to arrive at a conclusion which will be universally admired:

“[T]hat will hardly be possible with this topic. As diverse as the opinions in society are, they are also in sport. We are not so naïve as to believe that we can find a position that unites all those involved in organized sport. Our aim is to formulate a position that is compatible with our values, with the values of sport, and that can endure.“

● Football ● FIFA announced that a FIFA Fan Festival will be mounted at each of the nine cities with a competition site at this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

That’s a first for the Women’s World Cup, with all sites free of charge.

● Skiing and Snowboard ● “[N]o other national governing body has an endowment that provides financial support specifically for its athletes’ travel needs.

“The Beattie Fund is part of the larger Marolt Athlete Endowment campaign, which also raises funds to support coaching, athlete education and sports career transition assistance, in perpetuity.”

That’s from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, which announced that the Bob Beattie Athlete Travel Fund – named for the first full-time coach of the U.S. alpine team – reached its goal of a $20 million endowment to support all levels of USSS teams in alpine, cross country, freestyle and snowboard. The announcement noted:

“The fund was created to specifically close the gap on funding of athlete travel costs to training camps, and domestic and international competitions. While in the past most of those expenses were covered by the team, in recent years a gap in funding created scenarios where athletes were paying to travel with the team.”

Impressive, and needed across other U.S. National Governing Bodies.

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TSX REPORT: Diggins storms to historic U.S. gold in cross-country skiing; Dentsu among six firms indicted in Tokyo 2020 bid-rig scandal

By
Rich Perelman
-
She did it! Jessie Diggins becomes the first American to win an individual FIS World Cross Country Championships gold!

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S.’s Diggins scores first FIS Nordic Worlds gold
2. Dentsu and five other firms indicted in Tokyo 2020 scandal
3. Ghana chaos leads to African Games postponement to 2024
4. Good TV audience for USA Gymnastics Winter Cup
5. Torch bidding heating up in Judge Velarde auction

The amazing Jessie Diggins made more history by winning the women’s 10 km Freestyle Individual race at the FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships, the first individual Worlds gold by an American cross-country skier! The Japanese ad giant Dentsu, along with five other ad agencies and event management firms, were indicted – along with seven individuals – by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for rigging bids for Tokyo 2020 test-event contracts and then for venue-management agreements for the Olympic Games held in 2021. All together, some 22 individuals have been charged in bid-rigging and sponsorship-bribery prosecutions so far. The troubled 2023 African Games has been moved to 2024, but will remain in Accra, Ghana, despite continuing worries over construction and planning. Placing another major event in the Olympic year may become a problem, as dates have not been set, and the Ghana economy continues to suffer. The USA Gymnastics Winter Cup in Louisville last Saturday drew almost a million TV viewers and was no. 2 against all other sporting events in the same time slot. An auction of Olympic memorabilia that is especially heavy on Olympic torches will conclude this weekend, with $45,000 already bid for a rare 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games model.

● World Championships: Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard = Ski Mountaineering ●
● Panorama: Ukraine (IOC fund reaches $7.5 million) = Alpine Skiing (Nyman retires) = Athletics (Burns fifth prep sub-4:00 indoors) = Football (FIFA anti-doping report shows only six adverse findings) = Gymnastics (Gymnastics Canada dismisses chief executive) ●

1.
U.S.’s Diggins scores first FIS Nordic Worlds gold

There was just one final on Tuesday at the FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships in Planica (SLO), but it was a history-maker – again – for American star Jessie Diggins.

Sweden had swept the golds in the first three women’s events in cross country, the Sprint, 15 km Skiathlon and the Team Sprint, but Diggins – now 31 – swept into the lead of the 10 km Freestyle Individual race after 2 km and would not let go, winning in 23:40.8.

That was well ahead of Skiathlon runner-up Frida Karlsson (+14.0) and Skiathlon winner Ebba Andersson (+19.5), giving Diggins her second medal of the Championships after the Team Sprint bronze with Julia Kern.

Diggins had a lead of less than three seconds at halfway and five seconds at 7,7 km, but was the strongest over the final quarter of the race to win decisively. Overjoyed, she said afterwards:

“This was one of the best races of my life. I didn’t want to believe it until the race was finished but I when I finally got up off the snow I realized this was the best race of my life and I knew that because of how it felt; it was really special.”

Diggins is the most decorated American cross-country skier in history, now owning an Olympic gold and Worlds gold, with three total Olympic medals (1-1-1) and six Worlds medals (2-2-2), also including a 2013 win in the Team Sprint. She is the only American to ever win an individual-event gold at the FIS Cross Country Worlds; she and Kikkan Randall were the first Americans to ever win an Olympic gold in Cross Country as well, in the PyeongChang 2018 Team Sprint.

And Diggins is the first skier from outside of Europe to win a FIS Cross Country Worlds race since 2017!

She isn’t done, with the 30 km Mass Start coming on Saturday; she won the Olympic silver in that race in Beijing last year. Amazing.

Rosie Brennan of the U.S. finished 15th in 24:54.9; Sophia Laukli was 25th (25:25.0), and Kern finished 34th (26:09.9). The Nordic Worlds continue through Sunday.

2.
Dentsu and five other firms indicted in Tokyo 2020 scandal

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, in conjunction with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, announced indictments on Tuesday in the massive bid-ridding scandal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee.

At the top of the list was Dentsu, Inc., the advertising and marketing giant, which is alleged to have worked with the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee to determine which companies would be selected to organize test events on behalf of the organizers, and then manage the competition venues during the Games.

Dentsu, ad agencies Hakuhodo, Inc., and the Tokyu Agency, and event management firms Fuji Creative, Cerespo and Same Two, Inc. were all named. Seven individuals were also indicted, starting with Yasuo Mori, former deputy executive director of the Tokyo 2020 Games Operations Bureau, alleged to be the internal contact within the organizing committee. He and a former Dentsu executive, Koji Hemmi (also indicted), were apparently the key arrangers.

Reports on the scandal describe the scheme as a coordination between Mori, Dentsu and the other companies to decide who would be assigned (in 2018) the 26 different contracts to organize test events, with the agreements worth a cumulative ¥538 million (about $3.95 million U.S. today). A total of just nine companies were awarded the 26 assignments.

In the next phase, those companies which organized the test events then were assigned contracts for venue management during the Tokyo Games, reported to be worth, cumulatively, about ¥40 billion (about $293.6 million U.S. today).

This kind of collusion runs afoul of Japan’s anti-monopoly law; Fair Trade Commission investigator Go Okumura told reporters on Tuesday, “We determined that this is a malicious and serious case that will have a broad impact on people’s lives.” Almost half of the 26 contracts drew only one bidder, not a surprise if the outcome was arranged in advance.

The Associated Press reported:

“The maximum penalty for a company convicted of bid-rigging is a fine of up to 500 million yen ($3.7 million). An individual, if found guilty, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 5 million yen ($37,000).”

The total number of individuals being prosecuted so far for this scandal and the sponsorship bribery project masterminded by ex-Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi currently numbers 22.

3.
Ghana chaos leads to African Games postponement to 2024

The 2023 African Games have been in trouble for a while and an agreement was reached last week with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa to delay the event to 2024.

The event had been on thin ice over difficult economic conditions in Ghana, with Accra slated to host the event and considerable worry over whether facilities and planning would be completed. Moreover, the African Union (AU), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC) had all been insisting on their own rights to the event, creating further confusion.

Three-time Nigerian Olympic sprinter Deji Aliu told Lagos-based The Punch:

“This is a sad development, staging the African Games in the same year as the Olympics will affect the athletes and this is a big mess on the part of the Ghana Minister of Youth and Sports, this is one of the biggest competitions in Africa and it’s more like the African Olympics.

“Any time they put the African Games in 2024, it will mess up the schedules for the athletes. It is difficult for an athlete to prepare for two big events in one year, it is very demanding.”

No date was given for the 2024 Games, still to be held in Accra, but it already has an impact for the International Olympic Committee, which is looking for an event for qualifying African boxers for Paris 2024. It is using other 2023 continental events, such as the Asian Games, European Games and Pan American Games, for qualification, but a new solution will be needed for Africa (assuming boxing remains on the Paris 2024 program).

4.
Good TV audience for USA Gymnastics Winter Cup

It’s hardly the national championships or the Olympic Trials, but the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky last weekend was a modest hit on television.

NBC’s Saturday highlights program at 1 p.m. Eastern time drew a very respectable 948,000 average audience, up 32.6% from 2022, which drew 715,000 in exactly the same day and time!

The Winter Cup ranked no. 2 among sports telecasts during its time slow, beaten only by the 1.117 million for Michigan State-Iowa men’s college basketball game on ESPN.

There wasn’t as much interest for the U.S. women’s national team match against Brazil in the final SheBelieves Cup game, with 454,00 tuning in on TNT. That was an improvement on the 373,000 for USA-Japan on TNT on 19 February; the first game vs. Canada was not shown on English-language cable.

None of the Spanish-language broadcasts of the three SheBelieves Cup matches reached the 200,000 viewer floor for published Nielsen ratings.

5.
Torch bidding heating up in Judge Velarde auction

A small auction of 61 lots of Olympic memorabilia from the estate of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carlos Velarde will close Saturday (4th), but some of the bidding for the strong collection of Olympic torches has already been hot.

A very rare Lake Placid 1980 torch has already attracted a $45,000 bid, and a Melbourne 1956 Olympic torch has drawn $30,000 so far. A torch from the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games already has a $20,000 bid.

The collection offers an excellent opportunity for the beginning collector, with 17 different torches with starting prices of $3,750 or less, ranging from 1968 to 2018.

Velarde’s collection features the 1968 Mexico City Games with five different torches on sale, all between $2,000-3,000 to open, and three Olympic medals. A 1968 silver for weightlifting has already reached $11,000, while a boxing bronze has a $7,000 bid. A Rome 1960 gold medal for fencing has attracted a bid for $12,000.

There are also three excellent lots of participation medals, already having bids from $700 to $1,000, covering (in three different groups) from 1912 to 2008, with some missing.

The wildest item? Has to be a stunning Berlin 1936 “Golden Chain of Office” given to International Olympic Committee members, cast in bronze with six small plaques linked together in a truly gaudy piece. Bidding starts at $32,500!

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● The Freestyle Slopestyle finals highlighted Tuesday’s FIS Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani (GEO), with Olympic champions on top of the podium.

In the women’s Slopestyle final, Swiss Mathilde Gremaud entered as the Beijing 2022 winner and was the 2021 runner-up. She took the lead on her first run, scoring 87.96 to pass Norway’s Johanne Killi (84.71) and Canada’s 2021 Worlds bronze medalist, Megan Oldham (80.88).

Everyone had trouble on the second run, with only Oldham able to improve, to 87.75 and moving into second. No one else broke 60 and Gremaud took her first Worlds gold to add to her Olympic triumph last year.

The men’s Slopestyle gold and silver winners from Beijing – American Alex Hall and Nick Goepper – are not at the Worlds, so the field was open … for another Olympic winner.

Norway’s Birk Ruud, the Beijing Big Air gold medalist, stood third after the first round, then unleashed a special run that scored 90.75 to move into the lead and no one could catch him. He led a Norwegian 1-2 as Christian Nummedal scored 87.07 on his second run to secure silver, leaving first-round leader (and defending champion) Andri Raggettli (SUI) for the bronze.

Hunter Henderson was the top American, in sixth (81.45).

Rudd had won the Worlds Slopestyle silver in 2019, but this was his first Worlds gold. He’ll have a chance for a second in the Big Air final.

● Ski Mountaineering ● This sport will debut at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games and has started its 2023 ISMF World Championships at Alta Ribagorca (ESP). The Sprints came first, on Tuesday, with the silver medalists from 2021 moving to the top of the podium.

In the women’s race, Marianna Jagercikova (SVK), 37, finally got her first Worlds gold, winning in 3:11.034 over defending champ Marianne Fatton (SUI: 3:14.005) and France’s Emily Harrop (3:16.248). Jagercikova, second in 2021 and previously in 2019, earned her third career Worlds medal, all in the Sprint. For Harrop, a seven-time winner on the World Cup circuit, this was her first Worlds medal.

Defending men’s champ Iwan Arnold (SUI) was eliminated in the quarterfinals, opening the door for a new winner. Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll, third in 2017, fourth in 2019 and runner-up in 2021, finally got the gold he had been looking for, winning in 2:35.218. He had more than six-and-a-half seconds on silver medalist Thibault Anselmet (FRA: 2:41.881), with Robin Galindo (FRA) third in 2:46.811. It’s Anselmet’s first individual medal at the Worlds and Galindo’s first international medal!

The ISMF Worlds continue through Sunday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Ukraine ● The International Olympic Committee provided a recap of its Solidarity Fund for the Ukrainian Olympic program, with $7.5 million contributed so far – $6 million from the IOC itself – and about 3,000 athletes and coaches benefitting from the support.

More than 115 grants have been made to assist Ukrainian athletes and teams to train and compete; multiple National Olympic Committees have hosted Ukrainian teams in archery, athletics, biathlon, curling, gymnastics, handball, karate, rowing and swimming.

● Alpine Skiing ● American speed racer Steven Nyman, 41, announced his retirement, to follow the FIS World Cup races in Aspen, Colorado, this weekend.

Nyman made his World Cup debut in 2002, was a member of four U.S. Winter Olympic teams, five World Championships teams and won 11 medals on the World Cup circuit, including three wins. All three were in Downhills, at the same spot: Val Gardena (ITA), in 2007, 2013 and 2015. His best Worlds finish was a Downhill fourth in 2015. He said:

“As a kid I dreamt of the Olympics and racing on the World Cup and in World Championship events. I exceeded those dreams many fold – standing on the top step of World Cup podiums, competing in multiple Olympic Games and World Championship events. …

“My time is done and I’m ready to move onto the next phase and challenge myself in other ways using the knowledge and experience I have gained through ski racing.”

● Athletics ● Worth noting in the rush of results from the weekend, the fifth U.S. high schooler to break 4:00 in the indoor mile: Connor Burns (Southern Boone HS of Ashland, Missouri), who ran 3:59.11 for eighth at the Boston University Last Chance Indoor Qualifier on Sunday.

Burns moves to fourth on the all-time high school indoor mile list, behind Hobbs Kessler (3:57.66 in 2021), Drew Hunter (3:57.81 in 2016), and Colin Sahlman (3:58.81) in 2022. Alan Webb was the pioneer, running 3:59.86 as a prep in 2001. Burns broke 4:00 outdoors last season, at 3:58.83, ranking no. 7 all-time.

● Football ● The sport may have issues, but doping does not appear to be one of them. FIFA released its doping-control report for July 2021 to the end of 2022, showing six adverse findings in 5,596 samples, collected across 2,921 tests.

Four of the adverse findings resulted in suspensions, one is pending and one was subject to an exemption and no penalty was assessed.

● Gymnastics ● After months of complaints and an investigation into a “culture of abuse” within the sport in Canada, Gymnastics Canada chief executive Ian Moss was released last Thursday by the organization’s board, which promised change. Interim Chair Bernard Petiot said in a statement:

“We have heard loud and clear the cultural and behavioural wrongdoings that have hurt individuals and our sport. We acknowledge and respect the ripple effect of these wrongdoings and we are moving ahead – today.”

Moss joined the organization as High Performance Director in mid-2017 and was named as interim chief executive in May of 2018, and has been in that position since.

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TSX REPORT: Russian ski star Stupak wants an athlete conference; Dentsu chief admits Tokyo bid-rigging; Wheaties box & star vaulter Bob Richards dies

By
Rich Perelman
-
Two-time Olympic vault champ Bob Richards was the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box (left, in 1958), and also appeared on a bike in 1965. (Photos: General Mills boxes via Smithsonian Magazine and Pinterest).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Stupak calls for athlete conference; Slovakia split on Russia
2. Dentsu chief admits Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging
3. Speed skating to stay in Milan in 2026
4. US Sailing takes new tack, so Cayard resigns
5. Two-time Olympic vault winner Bob Richards passes at 97

Russian cross-country skiing star Yulia Stupak, a 2022 Olympic Winter Games relay gold medalist, said there should be an athlete’s conference to decide whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete and is sure they will allow it. But she also said it will never happen. Ukraine’s government slapped 50-year sanctions on Russia’s two current International Olympic Committee members and its two Honorary Members. In Slovakia, the government wants to keep Russia and Belarus out of international competitions, but the National Olympic Committee maintains the IOC line that participation should not depend on country of origin. In Tokyo, the head of the ad giant Dentsu is reportedly to have confirmed that the company was involved in rigging bids for Tokyo 2020 test-event contracts and Games venue management contracts worth millions. In Milan, an agreement will apparently shortly be announced that the 2026 Winter Games speed skating venue will be temporarily arranged in the giant Fiera Milano Rho exhibition center, avoiding a costly move to the 2006 venue in Turin. US Sailing’s Board of Directors created a new structure for the national team effort, splitting the team development from fund-raising, causing current Executive Director Paul Cayard to resign, despite raising more than $18 million since coming on in 2021. The only man to win two Olympic pole vault titles, Bob Richards, passed away at age 97 in Texas on Sunday. He was a three-time Olympian, a pastor, motivational speaker and the first athletes to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties box, in 1958.

● World Championships: Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ●
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (Lehanneur to design torches) = Athletics (2: American 400 m Record for Diggs; Hawaiian lei ceremony for L.A. Marathon) = Football (4: Messi and Putellas win Players of the Year; Montagliani re-elected as CONCACAF head; Mexico defeats U.S. for CONCACAF men’s U-17 title; French star Renard and others quit France) = Gymnastics (Moldauer wins U.S. Winter Cup All-Around) ●

1.
Stupak calls for athlete conference; Slovakia split on Russia

Russian cross country skier Yulia Stupak, a Beijing 2022 gold medalist on the women’s 4×5 km relay and a four-time Olympic Winter Games medalist, is now calling for a skiers’ conference to decide whether Russians should compete internationally. She told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I think it would be right to gather several athletes from each country and discuss the situation on neutral territory. I am a million percent sure that personally there would be no claims from foreign athletes against us. But I think that it is unlikely that anyone will agree to such a conversation, and it will hardly depend on us.”

Athletes from Ukraine – which had seven entries in the Beijing cross-country events, might not be so enthusiastic. Stupak also said she has no interest in being a “neutral athlete”:

“I heard that work is underway to allow us to be neutral. There is talk that we will have to sign some kind of paper. We won’t sign. We’re really tired of infringing on our rights and humiliating the dignity of a Russian athlete. I’m a Russian athlete, I love and respect my country. And if they give me a neutral status, then I won’t sign any paper.”

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a 50-year sanctions bill against specific Russian citizens, including several sports figures. Included are current International Olympic Committee members Shamil Tarpishchev and Yelena Isinbayeva and honorary members Vitaly Smirnov and Alexander Popov. None are currently active athletes.

What is now becoming a familiar divide is playing out on Slovakia, with the government against Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the National Olympic Committee in lock-step with the International Olympic Committee, saying participation cannot depend on nationality.

Brussels-based EURACTIV.com, which closely follows European politics, noted Foreign Minister Rastislav Kacer’s comments, that included:

“When they say we shouldn’t confuse politics and sport – that’s exactly why they shouldn’t be there. One country kills for unjustifiable and fabricated reasons, the other fights back. To compete is not an entitlement, but a privilege.”

A statement from the Slovak NOC, however, repeated the IOC’s message that it is unacceptable to “refuse participation of athletes in sporting events based on their nationality,” and added:

“The condition is that the participating athletes do not support military conflicts and that their overall conduct is not contrary to the ethics of sport, Olympism and the Olympic Charter.”

The Slovak Smer-SD party, affiliated with the European Socialists, held a media briefing in front of the Slovak NOC office with council member Richard Takac making the obligatory outrageous statement:

“Sport should bring people together. A certain group of people are abusing the situation. Maybe just Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian athletes, if they were to come together at the Olympics, would show politicians that it’s not about how politicians decide what’s going on in Ukraine.”

2.
Dentsu chief admits Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging

Another major break in the expanding bid-rigging scandal at the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, this time from the Japanese ad giant Dentsu. Kyodo News reported Monday from sources:

“Dentsu Group President and CEO Hiroshi Igarashi admitted to prosecutors in voluntary questioning Friday his company was responsible for rigging bids over contracts to plan and run pre-games test events and operate competitions during the Summer Games in 2021.”

Tokyo prosecutors, working in coordination with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, are considering indictments against Dentsu, ad agencies Hakuhodo, Inc. and Tokyu Agency, Inc., and event management companies Cerespo Co., Fuji Creative Corporation and Same Two, Inc.

Already arrested are former deputy executive director of the Tokyo 2020 Games Operations Bureau, Yasuo Mori, and a former Dentsu executive, Koji Hemmi, both accused of coordination the bidding program for 26 test events bid for in 2018, which led to much larger contracts for venue management during the Tokyo Games. The test-event contracts involved ¥538 million (about $3.95 million U.S. today) and the Games venue management agreements were worth about ¥40 billion (about $293.6 million U.S. today).

The bid-rigging scandal is separate, but much larger than the bribery-for-sponsorship program allegedly run by former Tokyo 2020 Executive Board member Haruyuki Takahashi, also a former Dentsu senior director. That investigation is continuing.

3.
Speed skating to stay in Milan in 2026

The question of the speed skating venue for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games has apparently been settled, as Italian media reports that the giant, 20-hall Fiera Milano Rho Exhibition Centre will host the sport on a temporary basis.

The exhibit center was opened in 2005 with 345,000 sq. m (about 3.7 million sq. ft.) of exhibit space and has plenty of room for both the event and spectators. And with a new housing project doubling as the Olympic Village, no problem on athlete housing in the Milan area.

The originally-selected Ink Rink Pine, an open-air facility opened in 1984, was expected to have a roof installed, but the project ballooned in cost to more than $50 million U.S. from the originally-expected $36 million. The location in Baselga di Pine was 240 km northeast of Milan (about 150 miles), so the change will bring more events into the city.

An official announcement is expected shortly, and is reported to have been approved by the IOC and the International Skating Union.

Suggested alternatives to Baselga di Pine included use of the speed-skating rink in Turin, site of the 2006 Winter Games, but this would have required the installation of a new ice surface costing perhaps $15 million. The ISU has consistently repeated its desire for an indoor facility to allow for a more consistent surface for the competitors.

Although hardly free, the convention center site appears to be a reasonable-cost resolution.

4.
US Sailing takes new tack, so Cayard resigns

“Previously, the Executive Director of US Olympic Sailing was responsible for both leading team operations as well as garnering financial support for the team. In this new structure, duties would be streamlined and separated into two roles. A Head of Olympic Operations will focus full-time on this part of the role, while a second position will give fundraising for the team the necessary attention it deserves.”

Friday’s announcement from US Sailing was characterized as an “operational  restructuring,” but has turned into a full-blown replacement as Executive Director Paul Cayard, 63, a six-time Worlds medalist in the Star Class and the 1988 World Champion, resigned on Monday.

The Associated Press reported that Cayard was told “just minutes before a board of directors meeting that he would be asked to focus on fundraising while someone else ran the team.” Cayard told the AP:

“I am very proud of my team and what we achieved to date. Unfortunately, the current board of US Sailing recently restructured the Olympic Department, including my role as executive director. The new structure is not what I signed up for, nor something I am willing to be part of. I am not a quitter, but I do know when it is time to go.”

He said he had raised $18 million to support the U.S. Olympic sailing project since taking over in March of 2021.

The U.S. medal performance in the sport has declined. American sailors won four medals at the Sydney Games in 2000, then two in 2004 (Athens), two in 2008 (Beijing), then none in 2012 (London), one in 2016 (Rio) and none again in 2020 in Tokyo.

5.
Two-time Olympic vault winner Bob Richards passes at 97

The only man to win two Olympic golds in the pole vault, Bob Richards, passed away on Sunday at age 97 in Waco, Texas, as shared by his son Brandon on Facebook:

“Family, friends and pole vault community, I am heartbroken to say that my father passed away early this morning. He passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He is in a better place now and at peace.

“We lost a national treasure today, Bob Richards. My dad was one of if not the oldest Olympian at 97 years old. He was a skinny poor kid from Illinois with stuttering speech. Began reading the Bible and preaching to help overcome his stuttering impediment. He then became a pastor and traveled around the country giving sermons to thousands while he competed in the pole vault at the University of Illinois. He was known as the ‘Vaulting Vicar’ and the ‘Pole Vaulting Pastor’. A three-time Olympian and Two-Time Olympic Champion, He won the Bronze medal in 1948 and Gold in 1952 and 1956. He also won 12 indoor and 11 outdoor National Championships. After the Olympics, he became a spokesman for Wheaties and was featured on the box for 13 years.”

Richards made three Olympic teams, in 1948 (vault bronze), 1952 (vault gold) and 1956 (vault gold, did not finish in the decathlon) and had very impressive lifetime bests of 1.91 (6-3 1/4) in the high jump, 4.72 m indoors (15-5 3/4) in the vault in 1954, 7.09 m (23-3 1/4) in the long jump and 7,381 in the decathlon.

After his second vault win, he became the first athlete to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties box, in 1958. He wasn’t the first athlete; Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig was pictured on the back of the box in 1934, and he wasn’t the first Olympian; that was Babe Didrikson in 1935. But he was highly visible and highly active in promoting track & field and the pole vault, in which he had four sons compete.

An ordained minister, Richards was an accomplished motivational speaker and son Brandon noted that he gave more than 25,000 speeches to all kinds of groups. He also ran for President on the Populist Party ticket in 1984, receiving just 66,324 votes nationwide.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle and Snowboard ● The Snowboard stars were back in action at the FIS Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard Championships in Bakuriani (GEO), with Britain’s Mia Brookes, 16, turning all the heads with a spectacular victory in women’s Snowboard Slopestyle.

The winner of just one career medal in World Cup competition – in January – Brookes was sitting in second place going into her second (and final) run. She went for broke, including a never-before-landed 1440 spin – that’s four full rotations – on her third jump and nailed it, then completed three more tricks to finish with a 91.38 score and the lead.

New Zealand’s Olympic champ – and defending World Champion – Zoi Sadowski Synnott had to settle for second at 88.78 from her first run, with Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) – the 2015 World Champion – third at 83.05. Said Brookes:

“I honestly feel like I’m going to cry. I have never been so happy in my life. I can’t even speak I’m that happy.”

“I was at the top of the course and my coach said, ‘If you want to win this just try the 1440.’ I tried the 1260 in practice, I came around and almost went 1440, so I knew it was possible on this jump. I tried it once before in Absolute Park but this is the first time I’ve stomped it so I am super happy.”

Norway’s Marcus Kleveland came in as the defending men’s World Champion from 2021 and made it two in a row, scoring 87.23 on his second run to win over Japan’s Ryoma Kimata (83.45) and American Chris Corning (82.18). It’s the third Worlds medal for Corning, who won the 2019 Worlds gold and the 2017 Worlds bronze.

Brock Crouch finished eighth for the U.S. (71.63) and Jake Canter was 11th (69.55).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Paris 2024 ● The Paris organizers announced that the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torches and cauldrons will be created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur.

His work includes both the artistic and the commercial, including product design, interior design, transportation projects and architecture. He expects to be able to show the designs by the end of 2023.

● Athletics ● In addition to all of the World Indoor Tour hoopla, a slew of collegiate conference indoor meets produced outstanding marks and multiple records.

First was an American Record in the women’s 400 m from Florida’s Talitha Diggs, who won the Southeastern Conference title at 50.15, shattering the 50.34 best by USC’s Kendall Ellis from the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Diggs is now equal-8th all-time.

St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred (Texas) moved into a tie for the no. 2 spot on the women’s 60 m world list with a 7.03 win in her heat at the Big XII meet, then blew away the field in the final in a collegiate record of 6.97, moving to no. 8 all-time. She’s the 14th ever to dip under 7.00.

Alfred then came back to set a world-leading mark in the 200 m, winning in 22.26, making her the no. 4 indoor performer ever, with the equal-9th performance in history.

Jasmine Moore, Florida’s NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump and triple jump champ in 2022, zoomed to no. 2 on the 2023 world list in the long jump by winning the SEC at 6.91 m (22-8), now equal-7th all-time U.S.

In the men’s sprints, Texas Tech’s Terrance Jones (BAH) moved to no. 2 on the 2023 men’s 60 m year list with his 6.46 heats win at the Big XII meet, then won the final in 6.48. Teammate Courtney Lindsey (USA) won the men’s 200 m in 20.13, both the world and American leader. The winners of the ACC (Cameron Miller/USA: 20.27) and SEC (Jacory Patterson/USA: 20.29) moved to nos. 3-4.

The top two marks this year in the 400 m came from the SEC Championships, with Americans Elija Godwin (Georgia) and Patterson winning their sections in 44.75 and 45.50, now 1-2 on the 2023 world list. Godwin moved to no. 6 on the all-time indoor list.

In the men’s long jump, Cameron Crump (USA/Mississippi State) and Wayne Pinnock (JAM/Arkansas) went 1-2 in the SEC final and jumped to 2-3 on the 2023 world list at 8.39 m (27-6 1/2) and 8.31 m (27-3 1/4).

Now this should be fun. Hawaiian Airlines announced its agreement to be the Exclusive Airline Partner of the Los Angeles Marathon. Among its programs:

“Hawaiian Airlines, which has been connecting Los Angeles and Hawai’i since 1985, will bring its signature Hawaiian hospitality to the marathon course with ‘The Hawaiian Mile.’ At the race’s 25-mile mark, participants will be welcomed with live music and refreshments, while the top elite runners will be presented with a haku lei.”

Those elites move pretty fast, so the airline will need to recruit some speedy runners to ensure the flower ceremony does not impede the race!

● Football ● FIFA named Argentina’s Lionel Messi its men’s Player of the Year, along with national team manager Lionel Scaloni as its Coach of the Year on Monday. Argentina’s keeper, Emiliano Martinez, won for Goalkeeper of the Year.

Spanish midfielder Alexis Putellas repeated for women’s Player of the Year and England’s Mary Earps won for best women’s keeper. Sarina Wiegman (NED) won for women’s Coach of the Year for her work with European Champion England.

The Puskas Award for the best goal was given to Marcin Oleksy of Poland, an amputee who plays with a left-leg prosthetic in a special league.

American striker Alex Morgan was the runner-up to Putellas in the women’s voting and was the only American selected to the Women’s World 11 for 2022. The voting results are here.

Canada’s Victor Montagliani was re-elected, unopposed, as CONCACAF President last week during the 38th CONCACAF Congress, for the term of 2023-27. He has been the confederation head since 2016.

The CONCACAF men’s U-17 tournament in Guatemala concluded with the same result as the last four, with Mexico hoisting the trophy after a 3-1 win against the U.S. in Guatemala City.

Both pitched shut-outs in the semifinals, with Mexico stomping Panama, 5-0, and the U.S. blanking Canada, 2-0 last Friday.

In Sunday’s final, Mexico’s Stephano Carrillo got the only first-half goal on a penalty to give Mexico a 1-0 lead, extended to 2-0 in the 51st via a Luis Navarette header. The U.S. counter-attacked furiously and got close with a 69th-minute header for a goal from Pedro Soma, but Mexico got the final score at 90+2 from Isaac Martinez on a penalty. It’s the ninth title in this tournament for Mexico, the most by any country.

Dissension inside the French women’s national team has led to three of its stars renouncing their positions, including skipping this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The first to leave was center-back and captain Wendie Renard, 32, who wrote on Instagram last week (Deepl.com translation):

“I have defended the blue white and red jersey 142 times with passion, respect, commitment and professionalism. I love France more than anything. I am not perfect, far from it, but I can no longer support the current system which is far from the requirements of the highest level.

“It is a sad day but necessary to preserve my mental health.

“It is with a heavy heart that I come to inform you of my decision to step back from the French team. Unfortunately, I will not make this World Cup in such conditions.

“My face can hide the pain but my heart is suffering… and I don’t want to suffer anymore.

“Thank you for your support and respect for my decision.”

She was quickly joined by forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who also asked for unspecified changes at the national-team level. Katoto explained that she felt “no longer aligned with the management of the France team and the values transmitted” and “I therefore make the decision to put my international career on hold until the necessary changes are applied.”

Fifth-ranked France, eliminated by the U.S. in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals, was expected to be a contender in Australia and New Zealand next summer. The French will face Canada next, in April.

The sixth-ranked Canadian women threatened a strike for better funding ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., but played under protest as the Canadian federation indicated legal action would be taken against them if they did not play.

On Monday, Canada Soccer President Nick Bontis resigned, saying “I acknowledge that this moment requires change,” with both the men’s and women’s national teams exceedingly unhappy with their contractual arrangements with the federation.

Bontis has said that the federation does not have the financial resources to meet the demands of the two national teams.

● Gymnastics ● At the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, Tokyo Olympian Yul Moldauer won the men’s All-Around and qualified for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Moldauer scored 85.342 points, competing consistently, and finished comfortably ahead of Fred Richard (Michigan: 84.602), Asher Hong (Stanford: 81.948), Ian Lasic-Ellis (Stanford: 81.905) and veteran Shane Wiskus (81.200). The top five finishers were named to the National Team,

In the apparatus finals, Ohio State’s Kameron Nelson and Stanford’s Curran Phillips both won two events and were named to the National Team, along with four others.

Nelson won on Floor and Vault and Phillips took wins on the Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar, with Illinois’ Ian Skirkey winning on Pommel Horse and veteran Alex Diab getting the Rings victory.

Taylor Christopulos (Nebraska), Joshua Karnes (Penn State) and Riley Loos (Stanford) were named to the National Team, along with Skirkey, off of their standing on a 10-point grading from both days of the Winter Cup.

The women’s Winter Cup winners included Lexi Zeiss in the All-Around (53.200), ahead of Ashlee Sullivan (52.750) and Nola Matthews (52.600). The apparatus winners included Joscelyn Robinson on Vault (13.750 average), Zoe Miller on Uneven Bars (13.900), Skye Blakely on Beam (13.400) and Kallya Lincoln on Floor (13.600).

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TSX REPORT: Three Valieva appeals officially filed; Canada CEO wants only anti-war Russians; sixth vault record for Duplantis: 20-4 3/4!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Sweden's Olympic and World Champion Mondo Duplantis coming back to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017 for the USATF L.A. Grand Prix.

★ 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 ≡

1. Court of Arbitration for Sport registers three Valieva appeals
2. Canada’s Shoemaker only wants anti-war Russians
3. Beijing skiing champ Stupak can’t understand anti-Russian comments
4. Duplantis clears sixth world vault record: 20-4 3/4!
5. Three world leads in Birmingham Indoor Tour Final

At long last, the doping controversy surrounding Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva and the Team Event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where it will be decided in the coming months, now more than a year after the competition ended. The World Anti-Doping Agency, International Skating Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency all filed appeals against the decision of the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, which let Valieva off with a one-day suspension. Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker told the CBC that while Russians are still competing in tennis and in the NHL, finding a way for them to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games may not be achievable; University of Lausanne emeritus professor Jean-Loup Chappelet thinks they will not be there as the conditions placed on their participation will be refused by the government. In Russia, Olympic cross-country relay gold medalist Yulia Stupak said, “I honestly do not understand why they behave this way” about athletes who talk about keeping Russian athletes out of competitions. In France, Swedish pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis claimed yet another world record, this time clearing 6.22 m (20-4 3/4) on Saturday. There were three world-leading marks at the World Athletics World Indoor Tour finale on Saturday, including a 0.09-second miss for Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in her try for a world indoor record in the women’s 3,000 m.

● World Championships: Freestyle & Snowboard = Nordic ●
● Panorama: Russia (invited to ALBA Games) = Alpine Skiing (Schwarz and Ginnis win at Palisades Tahoe) = Athletics (2: Thomson and Tuliamuk win USATF Half titles; Kerley celebrates 200 m win in Oz) = Basketball (U.S. into FIBA World Cup) = Cycling (3: Evenepoel wins UAE Tour; Van Baarle and Kopecky win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad; Lavreysen and Wollaston star at track Nations Cup no. 1) = Fencing (Massialas gold, Kiefer bronze in FIE World Cups) = Football (Panama qualifies for Women’s World Cup) = Gymnastics (Japan wins three at Cottbus World Cup) = Ice Hockey (Canada wins Rivalry Series, 4-3) = Luge (Germany and Austria dominate final World Cup) = Rugby (New Zealand wins men’s Sevens in Carson) = Shooting (India tops World Cup medal table) = Wrestling (U.S. Freestylers win UWW Ranking Series team title in Egypt) ●

1.
Court of Arbitration for Sport registers three Valieva appeals

The formal process for the resolution of the Kamila Valieva doping case and the final results of the figure skating Team Event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games has started, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport registered three appeals against the decision of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee:

“The CAS arbitration proceedings have commenced. In accordance with the Code of Sports-related Arbitration (the CAS Code), the arbitration rules governing CAS procedures, the Appellants will first file their Appeal Briefs within 20 days following the expiry of the time limit for the appeal and then the Respondents will in turn file their written Answers.

“Among the procedural issues to be determined is the possible consolidation of the three appeals and its consequences, in particular with respect to the appointment of the 3-member Panel of arbitrators that will decide the matter. Once appointed, the Panel will issue procedural directions for the next phase of the proceedings including the holding of a hearing.

“Following the hearing, the Panel will deliberate and issue an Arbitral Award containing its decision and the grounds for it. At this time, it is not possible to indicate a time frame for the issuance of the decision.”

Two of the appeals were expected, but it not certain whether the Russian Anti-Doping Agency would appeal the finding of its independent Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, but it did. The appeals are from:

(1) The World Anti-Doping Agency, which is asking for a four-year ban and a disqualification of all results from 25 December 2021. If successful, this would disqualify the Russian team from the figure skating Team Event at Beijing 2022.

(2) The International Skating Union, which asks for “sanctioning the Athlete with a period of ineligibility, to be determined at the discretion of CAS, starting from 25 December 2021, and disqualification of all results achieved by the Athlete during this period, as well as deciding the consequences, to be determined at the discretion of CAS, of the ADRV committed by the Athlete on the result of the Team Event in Figure Skating at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Beijing, and determining the final result of that event.”

(3) RUSADA is asking the for “finding the Athlete to have committed [a doping violation] under the RUSADA Anti-Doping Rules (RUSADA ADR), and sanctioned with ‘the appropriate consequences (which may include or be limited to a reprimand) in respect of such ADRV pursuant to the RUSADA ADR’.”

RUSADA’s appeal has a political aspect to it, as the agency is trying to have WADA declare it compliant once again with the World Anti-Doping Code, so part of the reason for its filing is to show good faith with the Code, as well as to maintain its own political standing at home. RUSADA Director General Viktoria Loginova told the Russian news agency TASS (DeepL.com translation):

“Having examined the reasons for the decision, RUSADA considers that the athlete’s side failed to prove, at the level established by the rules, the complete absence of her guilt. As at the stage of submitting the case to the CAS, RUSADA is convinced that the athlete is guilty of violating the rules, but it is minimal, and a reasonable sanction could have been a warning.”

The Court of Arbitration of Sport told TASS: “The IOC is not a party to this proceedings. The IOC did not inform or request to participate in this case.”

2.
Canada’s Shoemaker only wants anti-war Russians

“If there’s some way of having exemptions for those athletes who can prove to us that they’re opposed to the war, we’d be willing to consider what the international community has in mind.”

That’s from Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker, in comments last week to the CBC. He noted:

“As a society we seem to have accepted that there’s such a thing as innocent athletes from Russia. Tennis players competing at the Australian Open. Nearly 200 NHL players participate and earn paycheques in Canadian arenas all throughout the winter time.

“So we’re going down this path of whether there’s a possible way of defining a neutral athlete in a similar vein.”

But he was not optimistic that an acceptable solution will be found:

“I don’t know if it’s achievable. I think we’ve asked for a lot of things to be addressed that would be really threading a needle.

“I would weed out any athlete tied to the Russian military. They, by definition, should not be considered. We also can’t overlook the importance of making sure that we haven’t somehow elevated the importance of inclusion of those athletes over the needs of Ukrainian athletes.”

There are observers who think that, in the end, Russian athletes will not be in Paris in 2024.

Well-known University of Lausanne emeritus professor of public management Jean-Loup Chappelet (SUI) was asked by FrancsJeux.com about the current situation:

“[T]he IOC is trying to buy time. It is waiting to see what will happen with this war. If it does not stop in time before the Paris 2024 Games, it will have to face moral and legal questions.”

So, will the Russians get to Paris?

“I don’t think so. It is already a given that they will not be in the team sports, because they cannot participate in the qualification process. In the individual disciplines, I do not see them going to the Paris 2024 Games, even if they managed to qualify. The IOC will make the conditions of participation very difficult. In the end, Russia will not accept them. Its authorities already affirmed that they refused the conditions mentioned by the IOC.”

And there is a new three-and-a-half-minute video, from Ukrainian Sports Minister and National Olympic Committee head Vadym Guttsait, which includes graphics stating:

● “While someone dreams of a white flag at the Olympics, our country dreams of a peaceful sky above its head.”

● “The white flag of Russia not belongs at the Olympics”

It ends with a graphic: “#boycottrussiansport”.

3.
Beijing skiing champ Stupak can’t understand
anti-Russian comments

Beijing 2022 Olympic cross-country skiing relay gold medalist Yulia Stupak, 28, told TASS she can’t understand why other athletes want to keep them out of competitions:

“[I]t’s unpleasant that they don’t want to see us there. I think that athletes have to keep a respectful relationship with each other. If I were in their shoes, I would never speak out badly. …

“[H]ave any Russians ever said anything bad about them? But they are totally disrespectful to us now, we see their statements about boycotts. I think it’s not nice. We’ll be back anyway, so it’s better if we keep a cool atmosphere.

“I get a lot of messages [from other athletes]. I even get the impression that on camera they talk about the boycott, but in fact no one is against us coming. They just can’t say it on camera because it’s a political issue. Okay, I understand these political, unsportsmanlike games, but let it be on their conscience. We’re cool here.”

As for the ongoing FIS Nordic World Championships in Slovenia, Stupak said, “I’m not interested, I don’t even want to watch,” and added:

“There should be a cool atmosphere inside, because I have not done anything bad to any of the Swedish girls, I honestly do not understand why they behave this way. Can the World Championships be considered complete without ours? No, of course not, and in most sports where Russian athletes are the main competition.”

4.
Duplantis clears sixth world vault record: 20-4 3/4!

There is little doubt that Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis is the world’s greatest pole vaulter, or that he will be the greatest vaulter in history when he retires a dozen years from now. But it is still a thrill to watch him jump.

He set his sixth world record on Saturday in the All-Star Perche meet in Clermont-Ferrand (FRA), organized by France’s 2012 Olympic champ and former world-record holder Renaud Lavillenie.

In his third appearance in this meet – he won in 2018 and 2020 – Duplantis started at 5.71 m (18-8 3/4) and cleared on his first try, then cleared 5.91 m (19-4 3/4) on his second. He won the event with a first-try clearance at 6.01 m (19-8 1/2), with Kurtis Marschall (AUS) finishing second at 5.91 m.

On to the record: 6.22 m, one cm higher than his World Championships clearance in Eugene last summer. The first two were misses – making eight straight misses at this height, all this season – then cleared brilliantly with perhaps another six inches of hip height – and was hugged by Lavillenie in the pit while the crowd went berserk!

On his 60th career 6.00 m-plus jump, Duplantis got his fifth indoor mark and sixth overall world record:

● 6.17 mi (20-2 3/4i) in Torun (POL: 8 Feb. 2020
● 6.18 mi (20-3 1/4i) in Glasgow (GBR): 15 Feb. 2020
● 6.19 mi (20-3 3/4i) in Belgrade (SRB): 7 Mar. 2022
● 6.20 mi (20-4i) in Belgrade (SRB): 20 Mar. 2022
● 6.21 m (20-4 1/2) in Eugene (USA): 4 Jul. 2022
● 6.22 mi (20-4 3/4i) in Clermont-Ferrand (FRA): 25 Feb. 2023

Duplantis now owns eight of the top 10 vaults of all time and the top six; next best is Lavillenie’s then-world record of 6.16 m (20-2 1/2) indoors in 2014. And Duplantis is still just 23.

5.
Three world leads in Birmingham Indoor Tour Final

The World Athletics World Indoor Tour closed with a bang on Saturday in Birmingham (GBR), with three world-leading marks and the final rankings for the World Indoor Tour events. First, the world leaders:

● Men/60 m hurdles: 7.35, Grant Holloway (USA)
● Women/800 m: 1:57.18, Kelly Hodgkinson (GBR)
● Women/3,000 m: 8:16.69, Gudaf Tsegay (ETH)

Ethiopia’s Tsegay was the headliner, taking a shot at the world indoor mark of 8:16.60 by countrywoman Ginzebe Dibaba from 2014. She won by almost 15 seconds, but appeared to be fading from record contention until a strong finish and a final lap of 31.51 brought her to the no. 2 performance in history, just 0.09 off the record. She said afterwards:

“It was so close. My body is more tired from the traveling, but I am sure that I will get the world record next time.”

This was Tsegay’s second near-record this money, as her 4:16.16 mile win in Torun (POL) was also no. 2 ever, behind Dibaba’s world mark of 4:13.31 from 2016. Tsegay’s 5:31.06 split at 2,000 m was the no. 3 performance ever, behind Dibaba in 2014 and Gabriela Szabo (ROU) in 1998.

Hodgkinson shaved 0.53 off her prior world leader, but stayed at no. 6 on the all-time indoor performers list, now with the equal-10th performance in history. No one has run as fast as she has indoors since 2002! She won by 2.65 seconds over Catriona Bisset (AUS: 1:59.83) with American Allie Wilson sixth in 2:01.13.

Holloway continued his undefeated streak in the 60 m hurdles, winning by 0.12 over fellow American Daniel Roberts (7.47), with Americans Michael Dickson and Freddie Crittenden fifth and sixth in 7.60 and 7.61. Holloway’s time is the equal-eighth performance ever and his fourth in that time. He’s now won 28 straight races at this distance.

Britain’s Neil Gourley moved to no.2 on the 2023 world indoor list in winning the men’s 1,500 m in 3:32.48 – a national record – ahead of national records for Adel Mechaal (ESP: 3:33.28) and Andrew Coscoran (IRL: 3:33.49). Gourley is no. 9 all-time indoors in the event.

Jereem Richards (TTO) won the men’s 400 m over Vernon Norwood of the U.S., 45.84-45.92; New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr and Mexico Erick Portillo went 1-2 in the high jump at 2.28 m (7-5 3/4) and 2016 World Indoor Champion Marquis Dendy of the U.S. won the long jump at 8.28 m (27-2; no. 4 this season), with Will Williams third (USA: 8.03 m/26-4 1/4).

British star Dina Asher-Smith ran 7.03 in heats and 7.05 in the final to win the women’s 60 m, and Britain got another win from Laura Muir in the women’s 1,000 m in 2:34.52, no. 2 in the world for 2023. Canada’s Alysha Newman won the vault at 4.73 m (15-6 1/4).

The World Athletics Indoor Tour final event rankings were decided:

● Men/400 m: Jereem Richards (TTO)
● Men/1,500 m: Neil Gourley (GBR)
● Men/60 m hurdles: Grant Holloway (USA)
● Men/High Jump: Hamish Kerr (NZL)
● Men/Long Jump: Thobias Montler (SWE)

● Women/60 m: Aleia Hobbs (USA)
● Women/800 m: Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)
● Women/3,000 m: Lemlem Hailu (ETH)
● Women/Pole Vault: Alysha Newman (CAN)
● Women/Triple Jump: Liadagmis Povea (CUB)
● Women/Shot Put: Sarah Mitton (CAN)

The Tour winners will receive $10,000 and automatically qualify for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2024 by wild card.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard ● The greatest Moguls skier in history extended his list of records at the FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani (GEO).

Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury, now 30, came into this Worlds with three Worlds golds to his credit in 2013, 2019 and 2021 and made it four – and three in a row – with an 89.82-88.90-88.52 win over Australia’s Matt Graham and Swede Walter Wallberg.

Wallberg had won at the Beijing ‘22 Winter Games and Graham was the runner-up at the 2019 Worlds, but Kingsbury was better again, for his sixth career Worlds gold.

He made it seven on Sunday with a third win in Dual Moguls, defeating Wallberg in the final and winning both golds in a third straight World Championships! Australia’s Graham won the bronze.

The women’s Moguls situation was similar, with two-time World Champion Perrine Laffont (FRA) looking to add a second gold after her 2019 victory, but a bronze in 2021. She was dominant, scoring 87.40 in the finals to win easily over American Jaelin Kauf (83.56, the first American medal in the event since 2015) and Austria’s Avital Carroll (80.19). Laffont’s second Worlds win makes her only the fourth to achieve the feat.

The women’s Dual Moguls saw the exact same result: Laffont for gold, silver for Kauf and bronze for Carroll. Laffont won both Moguls events for the first time in a single Worlds for her fifth career Worlds victory. Kauf now has four Worlds medals, three silvers and a bronze, but is still only 26.

In Aerials, Swiss Noe Roth moved up from bronze in 2019 to take the men’s gold with 118.59 points to 114.48 for unheralded American Quinn Dehlinger (20, 114.48) – who came in with exactly one career World Cup medal to his credit – and China’s Longxiao Yang (110.18) in third. Dehlinger’s medal was his second as he won a gold as part of the U.S. Team Aerials squad.

China had won a medal in women’s Aerials in eight straight Worlds until missing out in 2021, but PyeongChang 2018 bronze winner Fanyu Kong restored order with a win in Bakuriani, scoring 85.30 in the finals, over 2017 runner-up Danielle Scott (AUS: 83.84) and Ukraine’s Anastasiya Novosad (82.84).

The Ski Cross competitions were – like in the World Cup – more of the Sandra Naeslund show. The Swedish star has won all nine women’s Ski Cross events on the World Cup circuit this season and did not falter in Georgia, defending her 2021 World title and grabbing her third Worlds gold, including her 2017 win. Austria’s Katrin Ofner was second and Swiss star Fanny Smith third, winning her sixth career Worlds medal.

Naeslund struck again in the Team Ski Cross final, teaming with David Mobaerg to win over Canada’s Marielle Thompson and Reece Howden, with Italy’s Federico Thomasoni and Jole Galli third.

The men’s Ski Cross final was an upset, as Italian Simone Deromedis won the gold, followed by Florian Wilsmann (GER) and Erik Mobaerg (SWE). It was the first win for Deromedis in a World Cup or a World Championships race!

● Nordic Skiing ● The 43rd FIS Nordic Skiing Championships are on in Planica (SLO), with competitions in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and the Nordic Combined.

As expected, Norwegian men and Swedish women are on the medal stand in cross country through the first four events. Superstar Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men’s Classical Sprint for his seventh career Worlds gold in 2:56.07, ahead of countryman Paal Golberg (2:58.29) and Jules Chappaz (FRA: 2:58.31).

In the 30 km men’s Skiathlon, it was a Norwegian sweep, with Simen Hegsted Krueger winning his fourth career Worlds medal, but first gold in 1:09:40.3 over Klaebo (1:09:52.5) and Sjur Rothe (1:09:54.4). Scott Patterson was the top American, in 19th, in 1:13:00.2.

Sunday’s men’s Team Freestyle Sprint was another Norwegian win, for Golberg and Klaebo in 17:28.14, ahead of Federico Pellegrino and Francesco De Fabiani (ITA: 17:30.62). The U.S. duo of John Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden were 10th (18:12.87).

The women’s Classical Sprint saw Swede Jonna Sundling defend her 2021 Worlds gold in 3:21.67, ahead of teammates Emma Ribom (3:22.54) and Maja Dahlqvist (3:26.12). Americans Rosie Brennan and Julia Kern made it to the semis.

The women’s 15 km Skiathlon was a Swedish 1-2 for Ebba Andersson (38:11.8) and Frida Karlsson (38:33.8), with Norway’s Astrid Slind third (38:59.8). Brennan was the top American, in 19th, at 40:34.7.

The women’s Team Freestyle Sprint was a win for Sweden, with Ribom and Sundling (19:40.73), with Norway’s Anne Kalva and Tiril Weng close behind (19:43.15), and then the U.S. pair of Kern and Jessie Diggins (19:46.06). It’s Diggins’s fifth World medal, and third in the Team Sprint, after a gold in 2013, bronze in 2017 and now a bronze in 2023, as the most decorated U.S. cross-country skier in history.

In the Nordic Combined, familiar faces from Norway took the golds in the Normal Hill (100 m) events. Two-time defending champ Jarl Magnus Riiber won the men’s 100 m/10 km combo in 24:36.3, ahead of Julian Schmid (GER: 24:55.7) and Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT: 24:57.3). Ben Loomis was the top American, in 27th (27:15.4).

Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen has won every World Cup event this season – all nine – and defended her 2021 Worlds gold with a 14.27.1 win in the 100 m/5 km event, ahead of Nathalie Armbruster (GER: 14:38.6) and Japan’s Haruka Kasai (14:42.8). Annika Malacinski was the best U.S. finisher, in 22nd in 18:30.1.

Little doubt about the Mixed Team event, with Norway fielding both Riiber and Hansen, plus Jens Oftebro and Ida Marie Hagen, winning in 37:38.2 (100 m hill/4×5 km) to 38:26.0 for Germany and 38:38.2 for Austria. The U.S. was seventh (41:59.1) with Loomis, Alexa Brabec and Annika and Niklas Malacinski.

In Ski Jumping, the women’s Normal Hill (100 m) came first, with a win for German star Katharina Althaus, who won her first Worlds individual gold, scoring 294.1 to edge seasonal World Cup leader Eva Pinkelnig (AUT: 246.9) and Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem (246.0). Annika Belshaw was 31st as the top American finisher (95.2) and missed the finals by one place.

Althaus won a second gold in the women’s team event, with Anna Rupprecht, Luisa Goerlich and Selina Freitag, scoring 843.8 to outdistance Austria (831.1) and Norway (828.6). The U.S. was 10th and did not make the finals.

The men’s Normal Hill (100 m) title went to Poland’s Piotr Zyla, defending his 2021 victory with 261.8 points to 259.2 for Andreas Wellinger (GER) and teammate Karl Geiger (257.7). Andrew Urlaub was the best U.S. finisher, in 26th (227.1).

Sunday’s Team Normal Hill (100 m) final saw Germany win at 1,017.2 points, with Wellinger, Geiger, Althaus and Freitag. Norway and Slovenia were close, at 1,004.5 and 1,000.4. The U.S. was 10th (412.2) and did not make the final.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Russia ● Russian athletes aren’t welcome in most places, but Venezuela – led by controversial Socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro – is an exception.

TASS reported last week that Russia has been invited to April’s 35-sport ALBA Games (ALBA stands for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America), to be held in Venezuela for the first time since 2011. The alliance includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela.

● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS World Cup men’s tour resumed with technical races in Palisades Tahoe, California (formerly Squaw Valley), hosting men’s World Cup races for the first time since 1969.

Saturday’s Giant Slalom saw the first win of the season for Austria’s Marco Schwarz, who moved from fifth to first on the second run, passing seasonal World Cup leader Marco Odermatt (SUI), 2:23.63 to 2:33.66! Norway’s Rasmus Windingstad (2:23.99) was third; the top U.S. finisher was George Steffey (21st: 2:26.40).

Sunday’s Slalom had France’s Clement Noel in the lead after the first run (52.19), but it was former U.S. team member A.J. Ginnis – now skiing for Greece – who got his first-ever World Cup win (1:47.46), moving from fourth to first on the second run. It’s only the second World Cup medal of his career, both coming this season, in addition to his surprise World Championships Slalom silver. Norwegians Alexander Steen Olsen (+0.01) and Timon Haugan (+0.06) went 2-3, with Noel tied for fourth (1:47.71).

The women’s World Cup was in Crans-Montana (SUI) for speed races, with the Downhill moved from Saturday to Sunday due to fog and soft snow. No problem for Italian star Sofia Goggia, who won her fifth Downhill of the season in 1:26.81, followed by teammate Federica Brignone (1:26.96) and France’s Laura Gauche (1:27.22), who won her first career World Cup medal at age 27.

● Athletics ● Aliphine Tuliamuk, the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials winner, took her second USATF Half Marathon national title on Sunday in Ft. Worth, Texas, running away from the field in 1:09:36. She broke away from Lauren Paquette after 15 km and sailed home to a 15-second win; Nell Rojas was third in 1:11:08.

Tuliamuk tweeted after the awards ceremony: “I came for the cowboy hat.”

The men’s race was tight right to the end, with the same three podium placers as 2022 in the mix. Jacob Thomson, last year’s bronze medalist, kicked best, winning his first USATF national title in 1:02:38, ahead of defending champ Leonard Korir (1:02:39) and last year’s runner-up, Futsum Zienasellassie third, also in 1:02:39.

At the Maurie Plant meet – outdoors – in Melbourne (AUS) on Thursday, World men’s 100 m champ Fred Kerley of the U.S. loafed the turn and then stormed into the lead in the men’s 200 m, raising his arm in victory some 40 m before the finish! He won in 20.32, with U.S. 400 m star Vernon Norwood tweeting “Fred should be disqualified for celebrating” and writer David Melly posting about the celebration, “Somewhere in Michigan, a high school track official’s head is exploding watching this video.”

A high school runner doing something similar was disqualified in Maryland this weekend.

More seriously, Kenya’s Commonwealth Games men’s 100 m champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya won in Nairobi in an altitude-aided – but still speedy – 9.81, followed by Samuel Imeta in 9.94, only the second Kenyan ever to run under 10 seconds.

● Basketball ● The U.S. men’s national team, mostly made up of G League players and free agents, came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half and stormed past Uruguay, 88-77 in Montevideo (URU) on Thursday to clinch a spot in the 2023 FIBA men’s World Cup.

The Americans had five in double figures, led by guards Langston Galloway with 21 and Xavier Moon, with 17.

The U.S. played its final qualifying game on Sunday in Santa Cruz do Sul (BRA), and trailed the hosts, 39-35 at half and 62-54 at the end of three quarters. The Americans got within five near the end, but lost, 83-76. Galloway led with 19 points, but the U.S. was only 5-17 on free throws. Brazil forward Bruno Caboclo had 26 to lead all scorers.

The U.S. finished 9-3 in Group F, ahead of Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil, all 8-4. Canada (11-1) clinched a World Cup spot as the winner of Group E. The FIBA World Cup will be played in August and September in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

● Cycling ● The UCI men’s World Tour has sprung back to life with the seven-stage UAE Tour that concluded Sunday, with Belgian star Remco Evenepoel in charge from the third stage on.

He was second on the uphill-finishing third stage and took a seven-second lead, expanded to just nine seconds through the end of stage six, over Australia’s Luke Plapp. The 153 km finale on Sunday was flat except for an uphill finish, which was won by Britain’s Adam Yates in 3:29:42. But Evenepoel stayed close and finished second (+0:10) to clinch the overall win in 23:25:26. Plapp finished second (+0:59) and Yates zoomed up to third overall (+1:00). American Sepp Kuss finished fifth overall, 2:06 behind the winner.

The Spring Classics season has started in Europe with Saturday’s 78th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad from Ghent to Ninove, and a decisive win for Dutch rider Dylan Van Baarle, who broke away with 16 km remaining in the 207.3 km race. He finished in 4:54:49, 20 seconds up on the rest of the field, led by Arnaud de Lie (BEL); it was the first win for a Dutch rider in this race since 2011, but the 12th straight in which a Belgian rider won a medal!

The women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was a 132.2 km course, with home favorite Lotte Kopecky crossing the line first for Belgium, in 3:33:55. She broke away with 12 km to go and won by 11 seconds over Dutch star Lorena Wiebes and Italy’s Marta Bastianelli.

The first of three UCI Nations Cup track events was in Jakarta (INA), with double Olympic gold medalist Harrie Lavreysen (NED) at the front once again.

Lavreysen won the Sprint and Team Sprint in Tokyo and he was the winner in Jakarta in both the Sprint and the Keirin (where he won an Olympic bronze). He teamed up with Jeffrey Hoogland and Roy van den Berg for second in the Team Sprint, won by Australia, led by double Commonwealth Games gold medalist Matthew Richardson.

Pursuit star Tobias Hansen (DEN) also claimed two golds, first in the Team Pursuit and then in the Omnium. The two-time World Champions in the Madison, Germans Theo Reinhardt and Roger Kluge, took their specialty, and Japan’s Elya Hashimoto won the Elimination Race.

New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston won three women’s golds, taking the Omnium and the Elimination and as part of the Team Pursuit winners. France’s reigning World Champion, Mathilde Gros, won the Sprint and was second to Mina Sato (JPN) in the Keirin.

Denmark’s Tokyo 2020 runners-up, Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth, won the Madison.

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup in Cairo (EGY) had both a men’s and women’s Foil competition, with three medals for the U.S.

The 2016 Rio silver medalist, American Alexander Massialas scored the final three points of the match to edge Italy’s 2022 Worlds runner-up Tommaso Marini, 15-14 in the final, winning his fifth career World Cup gold and second this season.

Olympic champ Lee Keifer won the bronze in the women’s division, losing to Italy’s 2014 Worlds silver medalist Martina Batini in the semis, 15-13. In the all-Italian final, 21-year-old Martina Favoretto won her first international gold with a 15-7 decision.

In the Team finals, Japan defeated Italy for the men’s gold, 45-35, and the U.S. women quartet of Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub fell to Italy, 45-26 and earned silver.

In Heidenheim (GER), the FIE World Cup was for men’s Epee, with Japan’s Koki Kano defeating Alexis Bayard (SUI) in the final, 15-9. It’s Kano’s second career World Cup gold, but the first career World Cup medal for Bayard. France defeated Italy, 45-38, in the Team final.

● Football ● The final qualifier for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is Panama, which scored a 1-0 win over Paraguay in Hamilton (NZL) on Thursday.

The game was scoreless through halftime, but striker Lineth Cedeno broke through for Panama in the 75th minute on a header from a free kick by Marta Cox to get the lead. They held on with some strong goalkeeping from Yenith Bailey to preserve the win and move to Group F in the Women’s World Cup, where they will face Brazil, Jamaica and France.

● Gymnastics ● The 46th Turnier des Meisters – Tournament of the Masters – and also a FIG Apparatus World Cup – in Cottbus (GER) fielded a strong line-up of stars, with Japan winning three golds.

Men’s Olympic Floor Exercise gold medalist Artem Dolgopyat (ISR) won his specialty, scoring 14.466 to best Japan’s Tokyo Team silver medalist Kazuma Kaya and Milan Hosseini (GER), both at 13.866. Abdulla Azimov (UZB) was the upset winner of the Pommel Horse (14.866), with Greece’s three-time World Champion Eleftherios Petrounias winning on Rings (14.966).

On Sunday, Armenia’s 2022 World Champion Artur Davtyan took the Vault, scoring 15.133; Ukraine’s Ilia Kovtun – the 2022 European Championships runner-up – was first in Parallel Bars at 15.366 and Shhei Kawakami (JPN) won on Horizontal Bar at 14.266.

The women’s Vault win went to Manila Esposito (ITA: 13.233), with ageless (actually 47) Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) third (13.016), while 2022 European runner-up Alice D’Amato (ITA) took the Uneven Bars with a score of 14.500.

Japan’s Mana Okamura won the Beam at 14.133 over teammate Urara Ashikawa (14.066) and another teammate, Azuki Kokufugata took the Floor Exercise title at 13.633.

● Ice Hockey ● The 2022-23 Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canadian women ended with a thud for the U.S., dropping the two February games by a combined 10-1 score.

Last Monday (20th), Canada won by 5-1, in Trois-Revieres, Quebec, going up 2-0 after one period and out-scoring the U.S., 3-1 in the third. On Wednesday in Laval, Quebec, it was worse, with Olympic hero Ann-Renee Desbiens pitching a shutout for Canada, and turning away 25 U.S. shots. The Canadians took a 1-0 lead after a period, but scored four in the second and the issue was decided. Blayre Turnbull scored twice for Canada.

So, after winning the first three games of the series by 4-3, 2-1 and 4-2, Canada took the final four games by 3-2, 3-2, 5-1 and 5-0. Next up: the IIHF Women’s World Championships in April in Canada.

● Luge ● The FIL World Cup season concluded in Winterberg (GER), with Germany and Austria fielding the winning sleds this time.

Max Langenhan (GER) didn’t win a medal until the sixth World Cup of the season, but then took off and won the last six races, including in Winterberg in 1:43.364 over Jonas Muller (AUT: 1:43.543) and teammate Nico Gleirscher (1:43.603). That tough early season cost Langenhan the seasonal title, won by Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller (812 points) over perennial star Felix Loch (GER: 767) and Langenhan (685). American Tucker West was 10th (459).

In the men’s Doubles, three-time Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt closed with their fourth straight win, all against five-time World Champions Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, this time by 1:26.690 to 1:26.747. Austrians Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schopf won their fourth medal of the season in third (1:26.822).

In the seasonal standings, Wendl and Arlt won the title from Eggert and Benecken, 1,014-955. The U.S. pair of Zachary Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander finished ninth (476).

Austria’s Madeleine Egle hadn’t won a World Cup since winning the first three races of the season, but she managed a final victory in the season finale, 1:52.843 to 1:53.067 over teammate Lisa Schulte, with Anna Berreiter (GER: 1:53.088) getting her fifth medal in third. The women’s title went to Julia Taubitz (GER) at 947 points, her fourth straight, with teammates Dajana Eitberger (852) and Berreiter (789) following. American Emily Sweeney was fifth (602).

Fellow Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp won their fourth race of the season in the women’s Doubles, 1:28.169 to 1:28.508 over current World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal; Italians Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer took their 11th medal of the season in third (1:28.554), and won the seasonal title with 1,010 points, over Egle and Kipp (915). The top American pair of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby finished fifth (635).

● Rugby ● The HSBC men’s Sevens Series was in the soggy Los Angeles area, at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, for the fifth stop on the 10-leg 2023 tour, with Samoa, Ireland, Fiji and Great Britain all sailing through their pools with 3-0 marks.

However, only Fiji advanced to the semifinals, and was promptly eliminated by Argentina, 20-17, while seasonal leader New Zealand defeated Australia, 33-17. Going into the final, both teams had won once this season, and New Zealand dashed off to a 12-0 lead and 17-0 at half. Argentina closed to 17-12 with two minutes left, but the All Blacks Sevens scored once more for the 22-12 final.

Fiji won the third-place match, 21-19, over Australia. New Zealand continues at the top of the standings halfway through the season, with 107 points, ahead of Argentina and South Africa (86 each), Fiji (84) and Samoa (81).

● Shooting ● The ISSF World Cup for Rifle and Pistol in Cairo (EGY) concluded last Thursday, with Hungary’s Veronika Major winning her second gold, this time in the 25 m Pistol final.

Major, who previously won the 10 m Air Pistol event and has won multiple European Championships medals, out-scored 2018 Worlds bronze winner Doreen Vennekamp (GER), 28-27, despite missing two of her final five shots.

The men’s 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol final saw Massimo Spinella (ITA) upset 2022 European Champion Clement Bessaguet (FRA), 32-20.

In the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions women’s final, Tokyo Olympic Champion Nina Christen (SUI) was a convincing winner over Norway’s Tokyo fourth-placer, Jeanette Duestad, 17-13. The men’s final saw India’s 2021 World Junior Champion Aishwary Tomar defeat Alexander Schmirl (AUT), by 16-6.

India topped the medal table with seven total (4-0-3), ahead of Germany with four (0-2-2) and Hungary with three (2-1-0).

● Wrestling ● At the Ibrahim Moustafa UWW Ranking Series event in Alexandria (EGY), the U.S. came away with four total wins and the men’s team title.

The U.S. men’s Freestylers had six finalists, but only the all-American final at 92 kg produced a U.S. victory. Kollin Moore defeated Nate Jackson on criteria after a 0-0 final, and the other four U.S. finalists all lost and settled for silvers: Joey McKenna (65 kg), Cody Chittum (70 kg), Vincenzo Joseph (74 kg), and Zahid Valencia (86 kg). The U.S. piled up 155 points to lead all scorers, with Ukraine second (117).

The U.S. women earned golds from Jacarra Winchester at 55kg, Forrest Molinari (68 kg) and Kennedy Blades (76 kg), and a silver from Emma Bruntil at 65 kg, and finished third in the team standings (120), behind Ukraine and China.

Georgia got three wins and took the team honors in Greco-Roman with 166 points, to 161 for Kazakhstan (161); there were no U.S. entries.

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LANE ONE: With the best of intentions, the IOC has lost its way

By
Rich Perelman
-
Henri Vidal's Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel (Cain, after having murdered his brother Abel), in the Tuileries Garden, Paris (Photo: Wikipedia)

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It is profoundly depressing to see smart people do inexplicably foolish things. To lose their sense of order, of balance, of insight.

It’s the sadness of hearing, over and over again, the illogical approach of one of the most effective leaders in the history of the International Olympic Committee, President Thomas Bach of Germany, to the question of Russian and Belarusian re-entry into international sport, let alone participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Bach has, through his Olympic Agenda 2020, reduced the costs of bidding for the Games by more than 90% and eliminated the humiliation of bid cities and countries which were not selected. Bach has led the campaign to reduce the cost of the Games, especially by insisting that bids use existing or temporary facilities as much as possible. Under Bach’s leadership, the International Testing Agency was created to take over International Federation anti-doping programs, and now is wholly or partly responsible for 21 of 28 summer Olympic sports. The Olympic Channel was created as a still-expanding promotional tool and the Youth Olympic Games – which appeared to have little value – has become a proving ground for new sports and events, and countries that wish to demonstrate their abilities as hosts.

These are good things and the IOC’s commercial success has allowed more and more funding for such programs. Deftly, where the Games went to China twice, Russia once and a barely up-to-the-challenge Brazil between 2008-22, the host selections since then have been for Paris, Milan Cortina, Los Angeles, Brisbane and likely Salt Lake City or Stockholm for 2024-32.

But now there is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, begun exactly a year ago – 24 February 2022 – four days after the close of the Beijing Winter Games – in which the 2014 invasion of the Crimea region (and a subsequent “annexation” by Russia) has been extended to eastern Ukraine in which two new Russian “People’s Republics” have been declared (imposed) on Donetsk and Luhansk.

And it is Bach who is leading the charge to find a way to bring Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials back into international sport. The “Declaration of the Olympic Summit,” organized by the IOC last December noted:

● “The Summit emphasised that participation in sports competitions must be based exclusively on the sporting merits of an athlete and respect for the rules of sport.”

● “All athletes had to be protected from political interference. The integrity of sports competitions had to be ensured. This led the IOC to act against its mission to unify the entire world in peaceful competition, since it had to prohibit athletes from participation because of their passport only.”

Bach and the IOC have lost their way. Their own guiding document, the Olympic Charter, states in Rules 1 and 2, what are – supposedly – their guiding principles, including:

● 1.1: “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised in accordance with Olympism and its values.”

● 2.1: “The IOC’s role is: to encourage and support the promotion of ethics and good governance in sport as well as education of youth through sport and to dedicate its efforts to ensuring that, in sport, the spirit of fair play prevails and violence is banned”;

● 2.11 “to oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes”;

● 2.18 “to promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse.”

The Russian war against Ukraine violates all of these – fair play, violence, political abuse of Ukrainian sport and athletes, safe sport and the protection from harassment and abuse – such as in killing athletes and coaches, destroying their homes, practice fields and livelihoods.

Oh, but the IOC holds on only to 2.11: “to act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement.”

Again, Bach and the IOC have lost the plot. The discrimination is by Russia (aided by Belarus) against Ukraine, not the other way around.

But the IOC pretzels the issue and relies – stunningly – on two honorary volunteers who are appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council “to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation.” Let’s remember that the U.N. Human Rights Council’s membership currently includes China, Cuba, Qatar, Vietnam … and, oh yes, Ukraine. You think the Ukrainians would agree with this section of the Olympic Summit Declaration:

“A letter by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance of the United Nations Human Rights Council. They express ‘serious concern about the recommendation to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials such as judges from international competitions, based solely on their nationality, as a matter of principle. This raises serious issues of non-discrimination.’”

That the IOC would rely so heavily on such statements by volunteer observers shows the abject weakness of its position. Bach’s indulgence of everything the U.N. does speaks poorly to any review of the U.N.’s effectiveness in achieving its primary objective, from Article 1 of the U.N. Charter:

“To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace …”

The U.N. has been, since its inception, spectacularly ineffective in stopping wars all over the globe, and because of the role of the USSR and now Russia as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, no sanctions can be placed on Russia as it has an unimpeachable veto.

Furthermore, the Russians read the U.N. Charter and the Olympic Charter, too. If the IOC really, really, really means to be politically neutral – per the Olympic Charter – then there should be no restrictions on Russian or Belarusian athletes and officials at all!

Speaking of the resolution of the 27-nation European Parliament condemning Russian and Belarusian re-entry into international sport, passed 444-26 (37 abstentions) on 16 February, Russian State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova, the 2006 Olympic Speed Skating gold medalist in the women’s 500 m, told TASS on 20 February:

“If [the call of the European Parliament] turns out to be effective, then the IOC can end its existence, it can no longer be considered an independent organization.”

If the IOC is committed to being absolutely, completely, totally neutral, it must allow free participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and teams, including anthems and flags.

But that is not what the Olympic Charter says. As we have seen already, the Charter states that the IOC must “oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes” and “promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse.”

Russia and Belarus have discriminated in every possible way against the rights of Ukrainian sport – and in violation of the U.N. Charter, which may come as news to its Human Rights Rapporteurs – with the actions of these governments confirmed by their National Olympic Committees.

In fact, in Rule 27, the Olympic Charter requires National Olympic Committees:

● 2.5: “to take action against any form of discrimination and violence in sport,” and

● 5: “[T]he NOCs may cooperate with governmental bodies, with which they shall achieve harmonious relations. However, they shall not associate themselves with any activity which would be in contradiction with the Olympic Charter.”

Can the Russian and Belarusian NOCs be more egregiously in contravention with the Olympic Charter than supporting the war against Ukraine? And in Rule 59.1.4 of the Charter, the IOC Executive Board has the authority to suspend a National Olympic Committee. But the IOC has not done so.

Bach’s absolute insistence that the IOC’s raison d’etre is to bring the entire world together in a peaceful festival of sport, regardless of the situation, not only contravenes the Olympic Charter, but flies in the face of the IOC’s own history and precedents.

Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey – the World War I aggressors – were not invited to the 1920 Antwerp Games. Germany and Japan – the World War II aggressors – were not invited to the 1948 London Games.

Ancient history? Then how about the Seoul Games of 1988, threatened almost right up to the Opening Ceremony by a possible boycott from the USSR and the Warsaw Pact, and boycotted in fact by North Korea and Cuba.

Did then-IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) look for ways to get a token presence from either country to Seoul? No. He was trying to make the Games a success, and recognized that kowtowing to the ridiculous demands of North Korea, or to try and get some Cuban athletes to jeopardize their own safety by disobeying their repressive Communist regime and coming to Seoul was not just futile, but dangerous.

And the Seoul Games were a remarkable success. Wrote now-Honorary IOC Member Dick Pound (CAN) in his 1994 retrospective, Five Rings Over Korea, “The few holdouts were not significant.” He added, presciently to the current morass:

“It would be naive to think that the Olympics were a fulcrum from which the rest of the world moved. In the ultimate application of realpolitik, the self-interest of states will override an event even as important as the Olympic Games. …

“The few renegades were identified as such and their absences noted, with regret, but without much sympathy, except for the sacrificed athletes who were the meat in a rather stale diplomatic sandwich.”

Today, it is Russia and Belarus who are the renegades and have sacrificed their athlete’s opportunities by befouling the Olympic Movement and mocking the Olympic Charter.

After the Covid-impacted Tokyo Games and the unsatisfying Beijing Winter Games amid human rights issues in China and the still-unresolved Kamila Valieva Russian doping case in figure skating, the IOC needs an unqualified hit in Paris.

Samaranch understood this in Seoul; let’s hope that his successor, Bach, is just as wise.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: IOC reiterates Russian sanctions; Nuguse wins in 3:33.69 in Madrid; U.S. wins SheBelieves Cup

By
Rich Perelman
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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC confirms Russian sanctions in “grim” anniversary message
2. Paris 2024 enjoys some first-phase sell-outs, but some complaints
3. World Indoor Gold Madrid: Nuguse 3:33.69, Roberts 7.39!
4. Portugal and Haiti advance to FIFA Women’s World Cup
5. U.S. wins SheBelieves Cup with 2-0 win over Brazil

In a message posted two days before the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee confirmed the continuing sanctions against Russia and Belarus, with no mention of the continuing discussions concerning re-entry. The Australian government admitted an administrative error in not signing on to the 34-nation resolution against Russian and Belarusian participation, upping the total to 35. The Paris 2024 organizers announced ticket sales to buyers in 112 countries in its first week of “pack” sales, but (as always) there were complaints. In Madrid, new U.S. men’s 1,500 m record holder Yared Nuguse won in 3:33.69, the no. 3 performance in U.S. indoor history. In the FIFA play-in tournament in New Zealand for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Portugal and Haiti won their games and will enter this summer’s tournament. The no. 1-ranked U.S. women defeated Brazil, 2-1, to win the SheBelieves Cup with a 3-0 record as Mallory Swanson got her seventh goal of the season.

● World Championships: FIS Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ●
● Panorama: Olympic Winter Games 2022 (ISU joins Valieva appeal) = On Screen (TV audience for USATF Nationals and ISU Four Continents) = Athletics (Devon Allen still hurdling) = Boxing (Ukraine to boycott IBA Worlds) = Football (CONCACAF men;s U-17s) = Gymnastics (World Junior Champs in Turkey still on!) = Weightlifting (Kazakhstan bans six for doping) ●

1.
IOC confirms Russian sanctions in “grim” anniversary message

In an eight-paragraph statement released Wednesday – two days before the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – the International Olympic Committee confirmed that the sanctions against Russia and Belarus “remain firmly in place.”

Importantly, the message did not contain any mention of the IOC’s ongoing discussions about a possible re-entry of Russian or Belarusian athletes to international competition. It did make some interesting comments about the IOC’s role:

● “On this grim anniversary, the Olympic Movement joins calls for peace and stands ready to make its modest contribution to any peace-building efforts.”

● “[T]he IOC sanctioned the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, who are solely responsible for this war, in an unprecedented way: no international sports events organised in Russia and Belarus; no flag, anthems or other national symbols whatsoever displayed; and no government or state officials accredited for any international sports events.”

● “The Olympic Games cannot prevent wars and conflicts. Nor can they address all the political and social challenges in our world. This is the realm of politics. But the Olympic Games can set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and one another. They can inspire us to solve problems by building bridges, leading to better understanding among people. They can open the door to dialogue and peace-building in ways that exclusion and division do not.”

The message reiterated the call “Give Peace a Chance,” and noted that it has continued to support Ukraine during the conflict:

“[T]he IOC has tripled its Solidarity Fund for Ukraine so that the athletes have every support to overcome the tremendous challenges they are facing to make their Olympic dream come true. Some 3,000 athletes have already benefitted from the help the IOC Solidarity Fund is offering through the NOC of Ukraine. These efforts take the form not just of financial aid, but also logistical support and ensuring that Ukrainian athletes can continue to take part in competitions by providing travel support, training facilities, accommodation, equipment and uniforms, amongst other things.”

The Australian government said that an administrative error was responsible for the country not being included in the 34-nation statement issued Monday from Great Britain, calling for Russian and Belarusian athletes not to be permitted to participate in international competitions.

Reuters reported that the Australian “government was in accord with the sentiments expressed in the statement.”

2.
Paris 2024 enjoys some first-phase sell-outs, but some complaints

“Launched on 15 February, the first phase of ticket sales for the Olympic Games ‘Make Your Games’ packs has got off to a flying start with strong demand extending to 112 different nations. Some sports and disciplines have already sold out in less than a week, including climbing, fencing, judo, breaking, skateboarding, BMX racing and BMX freestyle. But fear not, more tickets for these sports/disciplines will be available in the next phase of sales.”

The Paris 2024 organizers saluted the first week of ticket sales as a success, but did not provide any totals on the numbers of tickets sold so far in the first-phase “package” sales effort. It was reported that French customers bought two-thirds of the tickets sold so far.

There has been some negative chatter, of course, as is always the case in the initial sales phase. FrancsJeux.com noted on Wednesday:

“The Paris 2024 OCOG reminds us in its latest press release: one million tickets are offered at an entry price of 24 euros, for all sports (with the exception of surfing, which is not ticketed). and on all sales phases. But the organizers omit to specify that nearly half of this million places are not intended for the general public. They have already been acquired by the State and local authorities, as part of a ticket office with a social vocation.”

A story in the Paris daily Le Monde characterized the public reaction to the tickets available and their prices:

“[M]any people have had difficulty with regard to the prices of the tickets. ‘Sport for all they say: That needs to be reviewed,’ ‘A disgrace,’ ‘It is not the Olympic Games for everyone:’ The frustrated tweets have flooded in. …

“Many people have said they have given up when confronted by the amounts to pay. Quoted on Monday by Le Parisien, the Organizing Committee assured that tickets priced at €24 were still available for canoeing, rowing, rugby and tennis and that athletics, wrestling, water polo and volleyball were accessible from €50. When single tickets are sold from May 11, tickets for €24 should be available again.”

The Paris 2024 announcement noted, however, the next phase – with more on offer – is coming in May:

“The sales period itself will start on 11 May, with tickets available for the ceremonies and all sports, including finals of the most sought-after events.”

3.
World Indoor Gold Madrid: Nuguse 3:33.69, Roberts 7.39!

New American men’s 1,500 m indoor record holder Yared Nuguse made an emphatic statement that his performance at the Millrose Games in New York was no fluke, winning impressively at the World Athletics World Indoor Gold meet in Madrid (ESP) on Wednesday.

Nuguse set U.S. records in the mile (3:47.38, no. 2 all-time) and the 1,500 m (3:33.22 en route) at Millrose and stormed to victory in Madrid in 3:33.69, overtaking home favorite (and Worlds 1,500 m bronze winner last year) Mohamed Katir on the final straightaway. Katir finished in 3:34.32, with countryman Adel Mechaal third in 3:34.82 and American Grant Fisher fourth in 3:34.99, a lifetime best.

Nuguse’s win is the no. 3 performance in U.S. indoor history, and Fisher moves to no. 5 on the all-time U.S. indoor list.

Daniel Roberts got the only other U.S. win in the meet, in the men’s 60 m hurdles, winning the final in 7.39, a lifetime best and the 14th man (and 11th American) to ever run under 7.40! Roberts beat Cuba’s Roger Iribarne (7.48) and fellow American Freddie Crittenden (7.51), with Michael Dickson of the U.S. fifth in 7.52.

Women’s World Shot champ Chase Ealey of the U.S. suffered a rare loss, throwing 19.64 m (64-5 1/4), second to Canada’s Sarah Mitton, who got her second-best throw ever indoors to win with 19.76 m (64-10).

Finland’s Reetta Hurske won the women’s 60 m hurdles in a national record of 7.79 to move to no. 3 on the year list.

World leaders Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) and Liadagmis Povea (CUB) won the men’s long jump (8.15 m/26-9) and women’s triple jump (14.65 m/48-0 3/4), respectively.

4.
Portugal and Haiti advance to FIFA Women’s World Cup

All but one of the contestants for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in July and Australia are now set, with two slots filled on Wednesday in the inter-confederation play-in tournament in New Zealand.

In the Group A final in Hamilton, Portugal defeated Cameroon, 2-1, dominating the game, but only winning in stoppage time on a penalty kick! An early goal from Diana Gomes in the 22nd minute looked like the game-winner, but Cameroon tied it in the 89th minute (!) on a Ajara Nchout score.

However, there were 11 minutes of all-on stoppage time and at 90+2, Cameroon defender Estelle Johnson was called for a hand ball in the box while trying to stop a shot and after a video review, Portugal was awarded a penalty. Carole Costa buried the shot and the Portuguese held on to win, despite 19 fouls and five yellow cards for Cameroon.

Portugal will play in the difficult Women’s World Cup in Group E, with the no. 1-ranked U.S., Vietnam and the Netherlands.

In the Group B final in Auckland, Haiti defeated Chile, 2-1, with Melchie Dumornay scoring at 45+1 and 90+8 for a 2-0 lead. Chile got a goal in at 90+11 by Maria Rojas, but the game ended after 16 minutes of stoppage time with Haiti heading to its first Women’s World Cup ever.

The Haitians now advance to Group D at the Women’s World Cup, facing England, Denmark and China.

There is one more spot remaining, in Group C, with Paraguay and Panama to play in Hamilton on Thursday.

5.
U.S. wins SheBelieves Cup with 2-1 win over Brazil

After a rough end to its 2022 season, there was concern about whether the U.S. would end up winning its fourth straight SheBelieves Cup in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday evening. No worries; the U.S. beat Brazil, 2-1, to finish with wins in all three games.

But it was not easy. Brazil had a great chance in the first half as midfielder Kerolin Nicoli sent a hard shot from right to left from just outside the U.S. goal that just went wide in the 30th minute. The U.S.’s Alex Morgan scored in the 45th, but was called offside.

Then, just as in the game against Japan, the U.S. got a score just before the half, as a Lindsey Horan lead pass found scoring ace Mallory Swanson, running between defenders. Her shot was blocked, but ricocheted out to the top of the box, where Morgan was waiting and after a dribble, sent a left-footed laser into the left side of the net for the 1-0 lead at 45+3. The Americans had 56% of possession and just a 7-6 edge on shots, but had the one that counted.

Brazil went on offense as soon as the second half started and midfielder Adriana nearly tied it as she smashed the crossbar from the top of the box in the 50th minute. Then Morgan almost scored for the U.S., sending a back-kick in front of goal almost over the head of Brazilian keeper Lorena in the 53rd, but the inventive try was saved.

The Brazilian pressure continued, but the U.S. finally got out on the break in the 63rd, as midfielder Rose Lavelle dribbled to the top of the box, then dished to the right to Swanson who finished past Lorena in the 63rd for a 2-0 lead. It’s her seventh goal in five games this season and 32nd of her career for the U.S.

Brazil kept coming. A Nicoli blast in the 82nd had to be saved by U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher, then a brilliant cross by substitute defender Bruninha found substitute striker Ludmila for a header between two defenders in the 90th minute that sailed past Naeher to cut the deficit to 2-1, but that’s how it ended.

The U.S. ended with 52% of possession and a 19-14 edge on shots, but gave up its first goal of the year. In six games, the Americans have a 14-1 goals-against total.

In the first game, Japan schooled Canada, 3-0, with Kiko Seike scoring in the 26th and Yui Hasegawa converting a penalty kick in the 41st for a 2-0 halftime lead. Jun Endo scored the final goal in the 77th. Japan had 55% of possession and a 13-3 edge on shots. The Canadians were obviously out of sync, impacted by their continuing struggle with their federation over pay and support issues.

The U.S. won its sixth title in the eight editions of this tournament, winning all three games. The final standings:

1. 9 points, United States (3-0, 5-1 goal differential)
2. 3 points, Japan (1-2, +1)
3. 3 points, Brazil (1-2, -2)
4. 3 points, Canada (1-2, -3)

The American women had trouble scoring at the end of 2022, but Swanson has been a revelation, scoring seven of the U.S.’s 14 goals – in just five games – so far this season. Any game plan against them in the future now has to account for Swanson, as well as Morgan.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● The first-ever running of the Snowboard Mixed Team Parallel Slalom at the 2023 FIS Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani (GEO) was golden for the Italian duo of Aaron March and Nadya Ochner, who swept to victory on Wednesday.

Paired against Austria’s men’s Parallel Slalom gold medalist Andreas Prommegger and women’s bronze medalist Sabine Schoeffmann in the final, both March and Ochner won their races by 0.74 and 0.29 seconds, respectively, to take the gold.

Swiss Parallel medalists Dario Caviezel and Julie Zogg defeated the second Italian team, of Maurizio Bormolini and Lucia Dalmasso to win the bronze.

Weather permitting, the Freestyle men’s and women’s Freestyle Aerials finals will be held on Thursday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● The International Skating Union announced that it has also appealed the one-day sanction penalty against Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva levied by the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. The announcement included:

“The ISU conducted a full review of the RUSADA decision and case file has decided to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The ISU is of the opinion that all young athletes must be protected against doping. Such protection cannot happen by exempting young athletes from sanctions.

“Within the appeal, the ISU is seeking a period of ineligibility at CAS’s own discretion, starting from 25 December 2021 and disqualification of all results achieved during this period including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.”

The ISU joins the World Anti-Doping Agency in the appeal of the Russian decision; it is possible that the IOC could appeal as well.

● On Screen ● Pretty good television audience for the USATF Indoor National Championships from Albuquerque, New Mexico last Saturday on NBC, with an average of 954,000 tuning in from 4-6 p.m. Eastern time.

That’s a little lower than the 2021 audience on NBC, on the same day (Saturday) and time slot of 990,000, but well down from the 1.448 million audience last year, when the show was on Sunday at noon. The 2023 Nationals audience was also down slightly vs. the 2023 Millrose Games on 11 February (972,000).

Also on was the ISU Four Continents Championships in figure skating from Colorado Springs, Colorado, also on NBC, but on Sunday at 4 p.m. It averaged 783,000 viewers, in contrast with the European Skating Championships on 5 February – 742,000 – but well below the 1.223 million for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships highlights program on 5 February.

● Athletics ● Two-time Olympic hurdler Devon Allen told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he intends to continue his track & field career in 2023, after spending the NFL season on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Allen said he plans to compete at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut and the Penn Relays in Philadelphia in April.

● Boxing ● To the surprise of no one, the boxing federation of Ukraine said that it would not participate in the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships in view of it allowing Russian and Belarusian fighters to compete. It’s the ninth federation to announce it will not compete in the IBA Worlds.

Oleg Ilchenko, the Ukrainian federation vice president told a Ukrainian publication:

“Our athletes and representatives of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine do not perform where representatives of Russia and Belarus will perform.”

Ilchenko added that Ukrainian boxers would boycott the Paris 2024 Games if Russian and/or Belarusian fighters are allowed to enter.

● Football ● In the CONCACAF men’s U-17 Championship, taking place in Guatemala, the semifinals are now set, after Canada and Panama each won their quarterfinal on Wednesday.

The Canadians defeated Puerto Rico, 3-0, scoring twice in the first half and once in the second and with a 19-6 edge in shots and 67% of possession. Canada and the U.S. will play in the semis on Friday. The sides played in the group stage, with the Americans winning, 1-0.

The Honduras-Panama game was tight, with no score at halftime. But in the 50th minute, Honduran defender Brayan Vaquedano scored an own goal to put Panama up, 1-0, and a Jonathan Pierre goal at 90+1 made it 2-0. Russel Cruz scored at 90+3 for Honduras to cut it to 2-1, but it ended there. The game had only 13 total shots, but 40 fouls and seven yellow cards. Panama is now into the semis against Mexico on Friday.

● Gymnastics ● This is a little hard to believe, but the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique announced that the Turkish Gymnastics Federation plans to go ahead with staging the second Artistic World Junior Championships in Antalya from 29 March to 2 April.

Antalya is about 340 miles to the west of the earthquake area and so not impacted as much by the devastating earthquakes that have hit Turkey and Syria earlier this month.

● Weightlifting ● The Kazakhstan anti-doping agency identified doping violations by six weightlifters and has imposed sanctions of up to eight years in the case involving Tokyo 2020 men’s bronze medalist Igor Son.

Son won the men’s 61 kg bronze, lifting a combined total of 294 kg, but in an out-of-competition test on 2 March 2022, he tested positive and as he had previously been suspended for doping in 2015 after the World Junior Championships, but had his sanction reduced as he showed it came from a dietary supplement.

This time, he was banned for eight years, until 28 March 2030. As the test came after the Games, his medal and awards are not impacted.

Son was one of six lifters to be sanctioned, also including Alexey Drozdov (2021 World Junior 61 kg silver medalist), Ablay Auelkhanov (2021 World Junior 55 kg champ), Yulia Potassova, and Rufina Chalkarova (2021 World Youth Champs +81 kg winner), who received four-year suspensions to 28 March 2026. Karina Zhunuspayeva was disqualified until 21 October 2025.

The Kazakh anti-doping authority also caught Taekwondo fighter Zhassurbek Israilov, who tested positive for meldonium and will be disqualified until 18 November 2025.

Observed: Although the IOC’s comments regarding the International Weightlifting Federation in specific have been positive since its 2022 elections, this is a reminder that doping has not been eradicated from the sport.

Weightlifting has had its athlete quota reduced to 120 total athletes in Paris for 2024 from 260 in Rio in 2016 and 196 in Tokyo in 2021. It is not on the program for Los Angeles 2028 at present, but could be reinstated this year.

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TSX REPORT: WADA takes Valieva case to CAS; IOC brushes off European Parliament condemnation; Crouser’s 76-8 1/2 may not be ratified

By
Rich Perelman
-
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, in the middle of the final event to be decided at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games! (Photo: Ttckcv21 via Wikipedia)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. WADA takes Valieva appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport
2. IOC brushes aside European Parliament resolution
3. USA Boxing “clarifies” comical IBA claim of Paris qualifying
4. Coalition pushes against Biden Admin transgenders-in-sports plan
5. Crouser’s 76-8 1/2 shot stunner may not be a world record

The World Anti-Doping announced its formal appeal of the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee’s one-day sanction of figure skater Kamila Valieva in advance of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, asking for a four-year ban instead. The procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport will finally begin closure on a process that has taken more than a year. The International Olympic Committee dismissed the resolution of the European Parliament on its exploration of the possible re-entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as incompatible with its human-rights standards, but says no decision has been made on entry for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Poland will also boycott the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in India in March, and USA Boxing posted a notice re-affirming that the IBA’s “qualification procedure” for 2024 has nothing actually to do with the Paris Games. A coalition of more than two dozen organizations sent an open letter to the U.S. Education Secretary, urging against adoption of regulations to allow “biological boys and men to compete in girls’ and women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms and other intimate facilities.” Ryan Crouser’s sensational 76-8 1/2 world shot put record set last Saturday in Idaho may not be ratified as an “absolute” world record since it was made with a rubber-coated shot instead of an all-metal ball specified in World Athletics rules. But Crouser’s training has shown him that even greater distances may be coming.

● World Championships: Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard ●
● Panorama: Olympic Games 2028 (ITA and USADA working together) = Baseball (Japan win in WBC could be worth $444M) = Fencing (new discipline committee formed to settle complaints) = Football (CONCACAF men’s U-17s in quarters) = Shooting (ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup) ●

1.
WADA takes Valieva appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport

“[T]he World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has carefully reviewed the full reasoned decision and file related to the case of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater, Kamila Valieva.

“Accordingly, WADA considers the finding by the disciplinary tribunal of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency that the athlete bore ‘no fault or negligence’ to be wrong under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code in this case and has exercised its right to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Within the appeal, WADA is seeking a four-year period of ineligibility and disqualification of all the athlete’s results from the date of the sample collection on 25 December 2021. As it has sought to do throughout this process, WADA will continue to push for this matter to proceed without further undue delay.”

What will hopefully be the last chapter in the seemingly-endless saga of the Team Event of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games figure skating competition has begun in earnest, with WADA filing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday.

They could – remarkably – be joined by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, as well as the International Skating Union, and the International Olympic Committee. Once Valieva’s positive test for the prohibited substance trimetazidine was reported on 8 February 2022, she was provisionally suspended by RUSADA, but that ban was overturned the next day on appeal to the separate RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, allowing her to compete in Beijing.

The 13 January 2023 decision to impose only a one-day sanction on Valieva also came from the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, and not RUSADA itself; given Russia’s doping history, RUSADA has suggested it might also contest the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee’s finding.

It has not been more than a year since the Team Event was concluded, but the results have never been finalized and no awards ceremony has been held. The U.S. was the runner-up on the ice, followed by Japan and Canada, and all are awaiting the conclusion of the drawn-out inquiry, decision and appeal.

WADA had previously filed to remove the case from RUSADA last November given the long delays, but is in a better position now with its appeal with a formal decision in place that acknowledges that Valieva did, in fact, commit a doping violation.

2.
IOC brushes aside European Parliament resolution

The International Olympic Committee whisked aside the condemnation by the European Parliament of its discussions on the possible re-entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes into international competition.

In a statement quoted by the Russian news agency TASS, the IOC noted:

“First it should be clarified that there is no IOC decision ‘to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in qualifications for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.’ There is an exploration of a primary concept for conditions of participation. No decision has been taken.

“Regrettably, the European Parliament neither takes into account nor addresses the serious concerns expressed by two Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council. …

“The request of the European Parliament for ‘multifaceted isolation’ of all Russians and Belarusians clearly contradicts this statement.

“The European Parliament declaration is also in clear conflict with the autonomy of sports organizations, which is an essential part of the European Sports Model and a fundamental principle that has been recognized by EU institutions on many occasions.

“Furthermore, the [European Parliament’s] declaration is in clear contradiction with the unifying peace-building mission of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Charter, endorsed multiple times by the European Union and its member states.”

The 27-nation European Parliament resolution was passed by 444 votes in favor, 26 against and 37 abstentions.

This isn’t over.

3.
USA Boxing “clarifies” comical IBA claim of Paris qualifying

After the issuance of a hard-to-believe document by the International Boxing Association, claiming to outline a qualification procedure for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games over which it has no relationship, USA Boxing Executive Director Mike McAtee posted a notice on Monday evening which included:

“USA Boxing wishes to clarify the ‘qualification process’ announced today by the International Boxing Association (IBA) to our members.

“IBA does not have the right to state a qualification process per their suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019.

“The IOC reaffirmed this qualification criteria today, reiterating that ‘the only valid boxing qualification system for Paris 2024 is the one approved by the IOC EB in September 2022, published and distributed to NOCs and boxing National Federations on 6 December 2022. Following an investigation and report by an IOC Inquiry Committee in 2019, recognition of the International Boxing Association was suspended by the IOC. This suspension is still in force today.’

“The upcoming Elite World Championships are not a qualification pathway to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.” (Emphasis in original)

In addition, it was also reported last week that Poland will not be participating in the IBA’s World Championships for women in India in March; RingSide24.com noted that “Germany and the Scandinavian countries” would not compete, joining Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and the U.S.

4.
Coalition pushes against Biden Admin transgenders-in-sports plan

A group of 28 organizations, including the Independent Women’s Law Center, the Independent Women’s Voice and American Civil Rights Project, have warned:

“Last year, the Biden administration proposed new regulations that rewrite Title IX to extend the meaning of ‘discrimination on the basis of sex’ to include ‘gender identity.’ As part of that proposed rulemaking, the Department also announced that it intends to propose yet another round of regulations addressing Title IX and athletics.”

A 13-page public letter issued Tuesday urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona “to abandon the U.S. Department of Education’s plans to force America’s public schools, colleges, and universities to allow biological boys and men to compete in girls’ and women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms and other intimate facilities.”

The letter explains that “the Department has clearly already decided that a student’s chosen gender identity shall replace his or her biological sex in determining the programs – including athletic competitions – in which the student may participate,” and outlines multiple grounds on which the decision is not only wrong, but will be open to legal challenge if issued.

Further:

“Beyond the many legal constraints presented by the Department’s anticipated rulemaking, there are undeniable biological differences between males and females that give biologically male student athletes competitive advantages in particular contests against biologically female student athletes. Those advantages do not disappear because the male athlete wishes to participate in an athletic event as a female.”

The proposed new regulations could be issued this spring. Lawyers are in waiting.

5.
Crouser’s 76-8 1/2 shot stunner may not be a world record

Track & Field News obtained the details of Ryan Crouser’s sensational 23.38 m (76-8 1/2) performance at the Simplot Games last Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho, reporting that the mark – made indoors – may not be ratified by World Athletics as a world record.

Although indoor marks are allowed as “absolute” world records where the competition conditions are similar – Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis set a world men’s vault mark indoors last year – the regulations for the shot put require a metal ball for outdoor competitions, but allow a plastic or rubber casing for indoor events.

On that basis, World Athletics may not ratify the 23.38 m throw as an “absolute” world record.

However, Crouser does not appear to be worried. He threw the 23.38 m on his first try, without a wind-up, then switched to his new “Crouser Glide” technique in which he adds a step to his spin technique to try and develop extra power behind the ball.

The rest of his series was 22.48 m (73-9), foul, 22.04 m (72-3 3/4), 22.60 m (74-1 3/4) and 22.26 m (73-0 1/2). The 22.60 m throw in round five was the equal-7th performance of all time.

Crouser told T&FN Managing Editor Sieg Lindstrom about the new technique:

”In training I just called it ‘step across,’ but the Crouser Slide, that’s what the guys that I train with at Arkansas jokingly call it and that name seems to have kind of stuck. And I did that in the later rounds. The most surprising thing is the 23.38 came off of a static.

“But I’m excited cuz the slide in training is about 77cm [c30 inches or 2½ feet!] over my static. But then of course in a meet there’s a little bit more to go wrong. The slide was much better this week than it was at Millrose.

“I mean, it’s trying to make up a lot of ground. Look at how many times I’ve thrown with a standard technique. So it’s a matter of closing the gap and hopefully we can get that spread in the future off of what I’ve seen in training.”

Wow.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● Austria and Switzerland dominated the FIS Snowboard Parallel Slalom World Championships in Bakuriani (GEO) on Tuesday, with the two countries winning five of the six medals.

Austrian star Andreas Prommegger, now 42, won the 2019 Worlds in both the Parallel Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom, and added the Slalom in Bakuriani by defeating countryman Arvid Auner (26) in the final by 0.44 seconds. Canadian Arnaud Gaudet (22) won the third-place race over Fabian Obmann (AUT).

Swiss Julie Zogg (30) was also the 2019 World Champion in the Parallel Slalom and added a second gold on Tuesday, beating countrywoman Ladina Jenny (29) in the final by 0.24, with Austrian Sabine Schoeffmann (30) taking the bronze over Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER).

Guess these events aren’t for kids any more.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Paris 2024 Games are coming next year, but the planning for 2028 is already going strong.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency concluded two days of meetings last week, specifically focused on the run-up to Los Angeles 2028. According to a Tuesday statement, the discussions involved:

“[L]eaders from each organization discussed operational best practices, including increased coordination of testing and investigative efforts related to athletes in both the ITA and USADA testing pools. Participants also discussed opportunities for increased efficiency, scientific collaboration, athlete education, and much more. Through ongoing strategic collaboration, the ITA and USADA will be able to design and deliver the most extensive anti-doping program to date at the Games in 2028.”

● Baseball ● While national-team baseball has not really caught on in most parts of the world, it’s a big deal in Japan, especially heading into the fifth World Baseball Classic, which will start on 8 March.

The national team, known as “Samurai Japan” won the first two Classics, in 2006 and 2009, and finished third in 2013 and 2017. Kyodo News reported that Kansai University professor emeritus Katsuhiro Miyamoto estimated that another Japanese win could generate “about 59.6 billion yen ($444 million) in economic effects.” Said Miyamoto:

“Many Japanese people are hoping to see a WBC victory for Samurai Japan at a time when there is so much depressing news such as the coronavirus, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continued inflation.”

● Fencing ● Recent turmoil at USA Fencing, in which elected President Peter Burchard was removed after a year in office in a Board of Directors vote that was not part of the agenda in an October 2021 meeting, and a clumsy Tokyo Olympic team environment in which men’s Epee alternate Alen Hazdic was kept away from the Olympic Village after a sexual misconduct claim was made against him, has led to changes at the federation’s 16 February Board meeting.

A new “Grievance and Disciplinary Committee” was set up, with full power for decision-making, but with appeals to the Board possible. This impacts all USA Fencing members, and would have been a forum for Burchard, Hazdic and others if it had been in operation two years ago. The group is to be made up of six members, with four appointed by the Board (but none of which are Board members) and two members nominated by the Athlete Council.

Further, a replacement of what is now known as the “Chair” position (the elected President position has been eliminated) requires the opportunity for the incumbent Chair to be able to address the Board, something which was denied to Burchard when he was ousted in 2021.

A new section was proposed that would require that agenda items for Board meetings be noticed beforehand (which would have prevented the Burchard removal) unless a vote of the Board is made to add an item (which would have allowed the insurrection to take place anyway).

Burchard is still at At-Large Member of the Board and at least got to see that his unceremonious removal has led to some structural changes. These by-law changes will require a public comment period before being formally enacted.

● Football ● The CONCACAF men’s U-17 Championship in ongoing in Guatemala and into the quarterfinals on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final coming on Sunday.

The group winners included top-seeded Mexico (2-0-1), the U.S. (3-0), Costa Rica (2-0-1) and Honduras (3-0). In the first playoff round, Mexico defeated Nicaragua, 6-0; the U.S. shut out the Dominican Republic, 7-0, and Honduras blanked Bermuda, 6-0. Costa Rica was upset by Puerto Rico, which won on penalty kicks (4-2) after a 1-1 tie.

In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, Mexico got two second-half goals from Jose Urias to secure a 3-0 victory over El Salvador, and the U.S., which had outscored its four opponents, 16-1, coming into the game, got on top in the seventh minute of its game vs. host Guatemala with a score by Brian Romero, added a second from Keyrol Figueroa in the 28th, but led only 2-1 at half as Olger Escobar scored for the home team in the 45th. 

The second half got crazy quickly, as Aiden Harangi scored for the U.S. in the 51st, Guatemala’s Gabino Vasquez got it right back in the 52nd and then Figueroa got his second in the 53rd for a 4-2 lead. Guatemala’s Carlos Aguilar closed it to 4-3 in the 74th, but Tata Habroune scored for the U.S. in the 83rd for the 5-3 final and a trip to the semis.

Wednesday’s quarters have Honduras facing Panama and Puerto Rico vs. Canada. The semis will be on Friday, in Guatemala City.

● Shooting ● The ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Cairo (EGY) is halfway through, with India scoring three wins in 10 m events so far.

Slovakia’s Juraj Tuzinsky – the Rio 2016 fourth-placer – won the men’s 10 m Air Pistol final, 17-15, over Paolo Monna of Italy. Hungary’s Veronika Major sailed past 2010 World Champion Zorana Arunovic (SRB) in the women’s 10 m Air Pistol title match, 16-6, for her second career World Cup gold, but first since 2019. Greece’s Anna Korakaki, the 2018 World Champion, was third.

Arunovic won another silver in the 10 m Air Pistol Mixed Team final, with Damir Mikec, losing to India’s Rhythm Sangwan and Varun Tomar, 16-10.

India took top honors again in the 10 m Air Rifle Mixed Team final, with Narmada Raju and Rudrankksh Patil defeating Hungary, 16-6. Patil then followed up with the men’s 10 m Air Rifle individual gold, 16-8, over Maximilian Ulbrich of Germany.

Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh won the women’s 10 m Air Rifle gold, also 16-8, over Nana Christen (SUI). Competition continues through Thursday.

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For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Euro Parliament rips IOC on Russia re-entry; 34 sports ministers ask IOC to reconsider; IBA issues fantasy Paris 2024 regs

By
Rich Perelman
-
UCLA freshman Greg Foster anchoring UCLA to a 39.29-39.37 win in the 440-yard relay against USC at Drake Stadium before a record crowd of 15,514 on 29 April 1977!

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

★ Thanks! Our 28 donors have now covered 61% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. European Parliament rips IOC for Russian re-entry concept
2. Sports ministers issue statement vs. IOC on Russian re-entry
3. Boxing Worlds boycott expands with Dutch, Swiss
4. IBA issues own “qualification” program for Paris 2024
5. Remembering hurdles champion Greg Foster

The European Parliament, representing 27 nations, rebuked the International Olympic Committee for its exploration of a return to competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes, even as neutrals. A formal statement from the 10 February online meeting of sports ministers from three dozen countries urged the IOC not to allow Russian or Belarusian athletes back into competition and said the onus lies with Russia to end the war they started. The boxing federations from the Netherlands and Switzerland said they would not compete in the International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Championships in India in mid-March, bringing to eight the number of countries skipping the event. Meanwhile, despite the IOC stating last September that the IBA would not be involved in the qualification process for boxing at the 2024 Paris Games, the IBA issued its own “qualification pathway,” naming its own world championships as the primary qualifier. The document is no value, of course, as the IOC is the sole, worldwide owner of the Olympic Games. Sad news that UCLA great and four-time World Champion Greg Foster (USA), one of the greatest high hurdlers in history, passed away on Sunday at age 64 after a lengthy battle with medical issues over the last five years.

● Panorama: International Testing Agency (21st summer Olympic federation signs up) = Russia (another Palestine equestrian) = Athletics (CJ Ujah owns UK Sport £10,665!) = Badminton (Canada-U.S. 1-2 in PanAm Cup) = Canoe/Kayak (Fox-Leibfarth 1-2 in C-1 Slalom ranking race) = Football (FIFA Foundation donates earthquake relief) ●

1.
European Parliament rips IOC for Russian re-entry concept

The International Olympic Committee received its harshest criticism yet from its exploration of conditions under which Russian and Belarusian athletes might re-enter international competition as part of a 31-point resolution of the European Parliament issued last Thursday (16th).

The “European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2023 on one year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine” includes a list of recitals reflecting the body’s view of the war, including:

● “whereas Russia has been carrying out an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022; whereas this war of aggression constitutes a blatant and flagrant violation of the UN Charter and of the fundamental principles of international law”;

● “whereas the liberation of Ukrainian territories has led to the discovery of overwhelming evidence of structural and widespread human rights violations and war crimes committed by Russian forces and their proxies”;

● “whereas Russia’s war of aggression shows its colonial attitude towards its neighbours; whereas as long as Russia remains an imperial state, it will continue its efforts to maintain the ever-looming threat of aggression on the European continent; whereas numerous international actors have recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state which uses means of terrorism.”

In the convoluted European Union system, the European Parliament is the 705-member legislative body that has members elected directly from each of the 27 member countries. It is designed as the voice of the people.

The resolution specifically calls out the IOC in item 24:

“Reiterates its condemnation of the recent decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in qualifications for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games under a neutral flag, which runs counter to those countries’ multifaceted isolation and will be used by both regimes for propaganda purposes; calls on the Member States and the international community to exert pressure on the IOC to reverse this decision, which is an embarrassment to the international world of sport, and to adopt a similar position on any other sport, cultural or scientific events.”

This section is not an outlier, but rather part of the resolution’s concept of isolating Russia, also included in item 19, “Calls on the [EU] Council to maintain its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus,” and in item 21:

“Calls on the EU and its Member States to take further action to continue the international isolation of the Russian Federation, including with regard to Russia’s membership of international organisations and bodies such as the United Nations Security Council.”

The resolution was passed with 444 votes in favor, 26 against and 37 abstentions. The IOC posted no response to the resolution through Monday evening.

2.
Sports ministers issue statement vs. IOC on Russian re-entry

Following up on the 10 February online meeting of national sports ministers of 26 nations hosted by Great Britain, a formal statement was published Monday by the British Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Signed by representatives of 34 countries – including Amelie Oudea-Castera, Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France – the declaration included (expanded for readability):

● “We firmly believe that, given there has been no change in the situation regarding the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and as an imperative for fairness and solidarity towards the Ukrainian athletes whose facilities have been destroyed and who have had to leave their country (or stay to fight for the defence of Ukraine in which very many have lost their lives), there is no practical reason to move away from the exclusion regime for Russian and Belarusian athletes set by the IOC in their statement of 28 February 2022.”

● “In our collective statement of 4 July 2022, in view of the non-discrimination principle, we recognised that Russian and Belarusian nationals could be allowed to compete as ‘neutral’ individuals, subject to conditions to ensure they are clearly not representing their states. …

“However, in Russia and Belarus sport and politics are closely intertwined. We have strong concerns on how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes to compete as ‘neutrals’ – under the IOC’s conditions of no identification with their country – when they are directly funded and supported by their states (unlike, for example, professional tennis players).

“The strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern. Our collective approach throughout has therefore never been one of discrimination simply on the basis of nationality, but these strong concerns need to be dealt with by the IOC.”

● “As long as these fundamental issues and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable ‘neutrality’ model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition.

“Noting the IOC’s stated position that no final decisions have been made, we strongly urge the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly.

“We also note that Russia and Belarus have it in their own hands to pave the way for their athletes’ full return to the international sports community, namely by ending the war they started.”

Of the 36 nations participating during the conference, Australia, Hungary and Switzerland did not sign on (neither did Ukraine, as the object of the statement). Two countries not previously listed joined in: Liechtenstein and Romania.

This statement is important and serious, notably for the agreement of French Olympic and Paralympic Minister Oudea-Castera, and leaves many options that the IOC would not like open as the calendar moves inexorably toward July 2024.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Lee Satterfield was a signatory and in a separate statement added:

“The United States will continue to join a vast community of nations to hold Russia and Belarus – and the bad actors who dictate their actions – accountable for this brutal war. Russia has proven, time and again, it has no regard for and is incapable of following the rules – in international sport and in international law.”

3.
Boxing Worlds boycott expands with Dutch, Swiss

The list of countries declining to compete in March’s International Boxing Association Women’s World Championships in New Delhi (IND) from 15-31 March continues to expand, with Switzerland and the Netherlands signaling their disinterest over the weekend.

The Dutch Boxing Federation posted its decision on Sunday (19th), explaining in part:

“The Dutch Boxing Federation Board unanimously voted not to send delegations to IBA competitions that violate the IOC sanctions. This includes the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.

“The current position of the International Boxing Association on participation of Russian and Belarusian boxers in international competitions under their respective national symbols as well as the permission to organize boxing competitions in Russia and Belarus has led to blatant violations of the IOC sanctions at IBA competitions. …

“The long-standing concerns shared by the IOC and many National Boxing Federations around IBA’s governance, its financial transparency and sustainability, and about the integrity of its refereeing and judging processes are now exacerbated due to a flagrant breach of the IOC’s sanctions related to the violation of the Olympic Truce by the government of Russia with the assistance of the government of Belarus. This is another example of IBA’s inability or unwillingness to work towards its reinstatement as an Olympic International Sports Federation.”

The list of countries now skipping the Women’s World Championships in March started with the U.S. and now includes Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. And there are still 3 1/2 weeks to go before the Women’s Worlds.

The IBA has stated that nearly 400 women boxers from 77 countries will take part in March’s World Championships; the IBA claims to have 204 national federations as members.

4.
IBA issues own “qualification” program for Paris 2024

On 8 September 2022, the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board published the details of the qualification system for boxing for Paris 2024, including:

“[T]he new qualification system is based on direct qualification through selected competitions, including the use of National Olympic Committee (NOC) regional multisport events as Olympic boxing qualification tournaments. The responsibility for the boxing competitions in the following events will therefore not lie with the IBA, and alternative arrangements will be put in place with the respective event organisers:

“● Pan-American Games – Santiago 2023
“● European Games – Krakow 2023
“● Pacific Games – Honiara 2023
“● Asian Games – Hangzhou 2022 (taking place in 2023)
“● ANOCA (Africa) multisport event to be confirmed

“Following the continental phase of the quota place allocation, two world qualification tournaments are planned to be held in 2024.”

The IBA was clearly left out. But that’s not the way the IBA wants it.

So, on Monday, the IBA indulged itself in fantasy with the publication of its own “qualification pathway” for Paris 2024, ignoring the IOC’s September announcement and declaring that the “decision was unanimously taken by National Federations at the IBA Ordinary Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE” last December.

The IBA’s document – completely irrelevant as regards the Olympic Games, of which the IOC is the sole worldwide owner – specifies, of course:

“Athletes will qualify for the Olympic categories on the basis of:

“a. Their placings in the IBA World Championships.

“b. Their final ranking in the IBA World Ranking List of 31 December 2023 and 31 March 2024 for each Olympic Category.

“c. Their placings in the World Qualification Event.

“d. Their placings in the Continental Elite Championships.

“e. Host country places.

“f. Universality places”

It’s an astonishing slap at the IOC, and only further damages the sport’s chances of being included not just in 2028, but also in 2024.

The IOC shot back, telling the Russian news agency TASS:

“As announced by the IOC in June 2022, the IBA will not participate in the Paris 2024 boxing qualification and tournament. The only current qualification is the system approved by the IOC Executive Board in September 2022, published and circulated to National Olympic Committees and National Boxing Federations on December 6, 2022.”

Boris van der Vorst, head of the Dutch Boxing Federation was an immediate critic of the IBA’s tactics, stating on Twitter:

● “IBA, suspended by the IOC since 2019 & stripped of the privilege to govern Olympic boxing for unresolved breaches of the Olympic Charter, has just released a statement from a parallel universe, where it overruled the IOC on the qualification system for Paris 2024.”

● “I will not focus specific claims of the IBA, since the statement is composed entirely of lies. It is incredibly disruptive & damaging to the boxers, coaches, and boxing administrators, who are trying to prepare for the real Paris 2024 Boxing Qualification Events”

● “The IBA leadership is destroying boxing as an Olympic sport.”

The IOC Executive Board is next slated to meet in March. It cannot remove boxing from the Paris 2024 program; that can only be done by a vote of the IOC Session, which will next be held in Mumbai (IND) in the fall. But the IBA’s actions may now have crossed the point of no return.

5.
Remembering hurdles champion Greg Foster

The famed late UCLA head track & field coach Jim Bush, a five-time NCAA men’s team championship winner, who trained star quartermilers such as Wayne Collett, John Smith and Maxie Parks, said in 1980 of Greg Foster: “The greatest all-around track athlete I have ever coached.”

That was coming into Foster’s senior year as the best athlete Bush never recruited. Foster simply wrote to Bush during his senior year at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, saying he wanted to come to UCLA. Oh yes, he had equaled the national prep record in the 120-yard hurdles at 13.2. No trouble finding a scholarship for him.

Foster came to Westwood as the team’s no. 2 high hurdler behind 1976 Olympian James Owens, but they became a dangerous pair with Owens winning the ‘77 NCAA meet and Foster finishing third, despite stumbling over the last hurdle.

By 1978, Foster was the best hurdler in American history, winning the NCAAs in an American Record 13.22, ahead of a Maryland freshman named Renaldo Nehemiah (13.27). Nehemiah surpassed Foster, setting a world record of 13.00 in 1979 and forcing Foster to memorably split a hurdle at that year’s NCAA meet, but it is less remembered that Foster won the 200 m!

And Foster won the 1980 NCAA hurdles title, was third in the 200 m and anchored the fourth-place 4×100 m relay, ending his college career with three national titles and 43 career points. He held school records in the 200 m, hurdles and on the relay. One of the greatest Bruins of them all.

Foster, 64, passed away on Sunday, 19 February, at the end of a long and difficult stretch of medical issues that included beating the AL Amyloidosis disease twice, in 2016 and 2018, and then a heart transplant in January 2020 in St. Louis.

He will be remembered as a tremendous competitor, and while Nehemiah left for the NFL after the 1981 season, Foster continued to even greater heights, winning IAAF World Championship golds in 1983-87-91 when the event was only held every four years. He won the Olympic silver in 1984 in Los Angeles, the Goodwill Games in 1986 and 10 national titles: four outdoors and six indoors. He won the World Indoor 60 m hurdles in 1991.

He set world indoor records in the 50 m and 60 m hurdles, ranked no. 1 in the world in the 110 m hurdles five times and was in the world top-3 a sensational 13 times in 15 seasons between 1977 and 1991, finishing with a best of 13.03, still no. 32 ever. He finished 30-31-1 vs. Nehemiah.

Beyond his enormous speed and hurdling – impressive for someone 6-3 in height – “Fos” – as he was known – had an infectious smile and a big laugh and exuded a playful charm that quickly changed to a serious tone when he was in training or preparing for a race. His bookish appearance from the enormous glasses he wore in college changed to a smile and a thick moustache (and contact lenses) during his professional career.

His last race was an indoor hurdles event in 1995 and he become quickly involved in the management side of the sport, working with other athletes and giving them the benefit of his experience. Eventually, his health deteriorated.

He is survived by his three sons, Brandon, Bryce and Bradley, who worked diligently to help him through his final, difficult years. Said Bush in 1980, “I just can’t say enough about this young man.”

True then, true now, as we remember him. Rest in peace, Fos.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● The combined FIS Worlds in Freestyle and Snowboard are ongoing in Bakuriani (GEO), with no events on Monday, but the Snowboard Parallel Slalom scheduled for Tuesday. The events continue through 5 March.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Testing Agency ● The ITA announced last week that it had agreed to handle the testing program for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

Formed in 2018, the ITA has quickly become – as the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency had hoped – the go-to solution for International Federations.

With the addition of the FIVB, the ITA is now handling part of all of the anti-doping program for 21 of the 28 Olympic-program federations; the only ones not using the ITA are the federations for athletics, football, modern pentathlon, rugby, sailing, shooting and tennis (7).

Among the winter-sport federations, the ITA is involved with bobsled & skeleton, luge, skating and ski mountaineering, but not with biathlon, curling, ice hockey and skiing & snowboard.

● Russia ● The transfer of Russian equestrians to Palestine continues as Maria Madenova, 26, was confirmed to have changed affiliation. A show jumper, she is the fourth Russian equestrian to change, with the FEI her registration was effective as of 31 January 2023.

● Athletics ● British sprinter C.J. Ujah was sanctioned for doping for 22 months from 6 August 2021, costing his team the Tokyo Olympic silver medal in the men’s 4×100 m.

Now, he stands to lose future funding unless he returns £10,665 (about $12,843 U.S. today) to UK Sport, which included in a statement:

“The panel found that Chijindu Ujah was in automatic breach of the eligibility policy owing to his previous admission of an anti-doping violation.

“In line with the available powers, the panel determined that Chijindu Ujah would be ineligible to receive public funding or publicly funded benefits with effect from 6 August 2021 to 6 June 2023.

“In addition, the panel noted that a previous eligibility panel met on 31 October 2019 and determined that Chijindu Ujah owed outstanding funds to UK Sport. The sum of £10,665 remains outstanding and until that sum is paid in full, he will remain ineligible to receive public funding.”

So, doping does not pay, at least in Britain.

● Badminton ● Canada swept aside the U.S., 3-0, in the finals of the Pan American Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. However, both the U.S. and Canada are qualified for the BWF Sudirman Cup – the World Mixed Team Championships – in May.

Mexico defeated Brazil for the bronze medal, 3-2.

● Canoe/Kayak ● The second weekend of Canoe Slalom ICF ranking races in Penrith (AUS) continued with the Australian Open that concluded on Sunday.

The home team was dominant, winning three of the four Olympic-event races, with Tokyo Olympic champ Jessica Fox winning the C-1 event in 104.84 seconds, ahead of American teen Evy Leibfarth (19; 111.53 seconds) and France’s Marjorie Delassus (113.71).

Fox won the bronze in the K-1 final (105.22), behind France’s Camille Priget (104.58) and New Zealand’s Rio 2016 silver medalist Luuka Jones (104.88). Leibfarth was 10th after suffering 100 seconds in penalties (207.85); her time on the course was fourth-fastest.

Australians won both men’s events, with Timothy Anderson winning the K-1 in 94.01 and Tristan Carter beating Daniel Watkins in the C-1, 103.97 to 106.16.

● Football ● The FIFA Foundation is providing $1 million to aid earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, not specifically for sports purposes, but “to purchase and distribute essential humanitarian items, as well as to provide emergency and temporary shelter and protection.”

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TSX REPORT: World records for Crouser, Bol, Price; AR for Hobbs at USATF Nationals! How the Olympics impacts the NBA

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic and World Champion shot put star Ryan Crouser (USA) (Photo: University of Arkansas)

★ 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 ≡

1. World records: Crouser reaches 76-8 1/2; Bol storms to 49.26!
2. Unbelievable women’s finish highlights World Cross Country
3. World best for Price, American Record for Hobbs at USATF Indoor
4. Shiffrin ends Alpine Worlds with silver; Odermatt wins second gold
5. Does the Olympics have an impact on the NBA? Yes!

Shot put superstar Ryan Crouser of the U.S. stunned everyone – including himself – with a world record throw of 23.38 m (76-8 1/2) in a special competition at the high school all-star meet Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho on Saturday. He continues to go where no one has gone before in this event. At the Netherlands national championships on Sunday, Dutch star Femke Bol won the women’s 400 m in a world record of 49.26, breaking a 35-year-old mark! In Australia, the World Cross Country Championships saw favored Ethiopian star Letsenbet Gidey look like a sure winner in the women’s 10 km race until she collapsed in the final meters and was passed by Kenyan Beatrice Chebet for the win! Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo had no late-stage difficulties and won by nine seconds; Kenya won both the men’s and women’s team titles. At the USATF Indoor Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico, American Records were set in the women’s 60 m (Aleia Hobbs), weight (DeAnna Price) and pentathlon (Anna Hall) with Price setting a world best twice! World-leading marks were set in five events; women’s high jumper Vashti Cunningham won her seventh indoor national title. In France, the FIS Alpine Worlds concluded with American star Mikaela Shiffrin won a silver medal in the women’s Slalom, men’s World Cup seasonal leader Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the Giant Slalom and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen won the Slalom. For those who question whether the Olympic experience means anything to NBA players, ESPN senior writer Brian Windhorst said last week that the formation of NBA “super teams” begin with Team USA.

● World Championships: Biathlon = Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ●
● Panorama: Commonwealth Games (Hamilton appears out for 2030) = Athletics (2: Coe says Russian re-entry starts with doping; Norman headed for 100 m) = Basketball (Griner signs with Mercury) = Bobsled & Skeleton (Humphries wins season Monobob title) = Cycling (BMX Freestyle World Cup) = Freestyle Skiing (Naeslund still unbeaten) = Football (2: Women’s World Cup play-in finals set; U.S. wins in SheBelieves Cup) = Gymnastics (Trampoline World Cup) = Judo (Tel Aviv Grand Slam) = Luge (German World Cup sweep) = Ski Jumping (more Pinkelnig medals) = Ski Mountaineering (World Cup) = Speed Skating (U.S.’s Stolz and Goetz win World Cup medals) ●

1.
World records: Crouser reaches 76-8 1/2; Bol storms to 49.26!

Olympic and World Champion Ryan Crouser said earlier this year that he had been working on a tweak to his spin technique – the “Crouser Glide” – that added an extra step to allow him to generate more power.

Imagine what he will do when he perfects that.

On Saturday, in a special competition at the 43rd Simplot Games, an enormous high school all-star indoor meet held at the Holt Arena at Idaho State in Pocatello, Crouser stepped into the ring and – using no wind-up – blasted the shot out to 23.38 m or 76-8 1/2, a centimeter further than the 23.37 m (76-8 1/4) world record he reached at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021.

Wow! Crouser skipped the USATF Nationals in Albuquerque to return to Pocatello, where he set the national high school indoor mark of 77-2 3/4 with the 12-lb. shot in 2011. Said Crouser after the world record:

“It reminded me of 2011, when I was a little bit shorter and a lot skinner. I was having flashbacks – there was a lot of noise.

“It’s fantastic to be back at such a fantastic meet. Professional meets don’t have an atmosphere like this. The high school athletes have such a passion for the sport, and Pocatello cares so much about the event. It’s an atmosphere that is unmatched anywhere in the world.”

Crouser’s grip on the event is astonishing. Only three other men have reached 23.00 m (75-5 1/2) in history, but there’s no comparison in the number of times:

● 9: Ryan Crouser (USA: 2021-23)
● 2: Randy Barnes (USA: 1990)
● 1: Ulf Timmermann (GDR: 1988)
● 1: Joe Kovacs (USA: 2022)

Crouser now owns six of the top 10 throws of all time. Saturday’s mark – assuming no hiccups in ratification – will be the absolute world record, as World Athletics allows indoor marks in events such as the shot, where there is little (if any) difference in conditions.

On Sunday, Dutch star Femke Bol broke an ancient world mark in the women’s 400 m, winning the Dutch indoor nations in Apeldoorn (NED) by more than a second (!) in 49.26!

That crushed Czech Jarmila Kratchvilova’s mark of 49.59 set in 1982 and is the fastest Bol has ever run, indoors or out; her outdoor best – from winning the 2022 European Championships – is 49.44. Second went to her training partner, Lieke Klaver in 50.34.

Bol’s 49.26 would rank her equal-22nd on the all-time outdoor list and is as fast as Allyson Felix ever ran; Bol is still just 22. She started her season with a world best for 500 m in 1:05.63 on Boston on 4 February, and now this. She said afterwards:

“I was hoping for a 49.5 here, but 49.26? I really have no words for this. It is my first world record at a real distance. Could it be even faster? This was almost a perfect race.”

2.
Unbelievable women’s finish highlights World Cross Country

Held for the first time since 2019, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, Saturday’s World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held in hot conditions and under threat of heavy weather in Bathurst, Australia, but the races got in, and were impressive.

The women’s 10 km race started in 95-degree (F) heats and saw favored Ethiopian star Letsenbet Gidey – the world-record holder in the 5,000 m-10,000 m and Half Marathon – in control on the fifth and final lap. She looked like a sure winner, but less than 100 m from the finish, she was passed by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and collapsed on the course.

Chebet, the World Junior Cross Country champ in 2019 and Worlds 5,000 m silver medalist in 2022 in Eugene, sprinted to the line and won in 33:48, trailed by Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH: 33:56) and Agnes Ngetich (KEN: 34:00). Gidey was disqualified after an Ethiopian supporter ran onto the course and helped her up; she did trot across the line.

Kenyan and Ethiopian runners took the first nine places, and Kenya won the team title with 16 points to 25 for Ethiopia and 41 for Uganda. Either Kenya or Ethiopia have won the last 14 women’s Worlds team race. The U.S. finished fifth (103), with Ednah Kurgat the top finisher in 18th (35:36), followed by Weini Kelati in 21st (35:48).

The men’s 10 km race was more straightforward, although a storm came in and lowered the temps to 73 degrees (F), but with considerable wind. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, the 2019 Worlds Cross Country runner-up, took the lead on the fourth lap and was never headed, winning by nine seconds in 29:17 over Ethiopia’s Tokyo 10,000 m fourth-placer Berihu Aregawi (29:26), with 2019 World Cross Country Champion Joshua Cheptegei (UGA: 29:37) third and Kenya’s two-time World Cross champ Geoffrey Kamworor fourth (also 29:37).

Kenya won the team title with 22 points, to 33 for Ethiopia and 37 for defending champ Uganda. The U.S. was sixth, led by Sam Chelanga in 21st (31:04), then Emmanuel Bor (32nd: 31:37) and Andrew Colley (36th: 31:44). Kenya, the dominant force in this event, winning all but twice from 1986 to 2011, won for the first time in 12 years.

The men’s 8 km U20 race was won by Kenya’s Ishmael Kipkirui in 24:29 and Kenya won a tight team battle with Ethiopia, 22-23. The U.S. men were third (81), led by Emilio Young in 16th, Marco Langon in 19th and Max Sannes in 21st, the first U.S. junior men’s medal since 1982!

The women’s 6 km U20 event went to Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (20:53), which also won the team title with 15 points to 22 for Kenya. The U.S. women were third (54) – the first-ever women’s team medal in the Juniors race – with Ellia Shea (10th), Irene Riggs (12th), Karrie Baloga (19th) and Zariel Macchia (19th) all in the top 20.

Kenya won the 8 km Mixed Relay in 23:14, with Ethiopia second (23:21), Australia third (23:26) and the U.S. in fifth (24:32).

3.
World best for Price, American Record for Hobbs at USATF Indoor

It turns out that Anna Hall’s American Record in the women’s pentathlon on Thursday was just the start of the record-setting at the USATF Indoor National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico that ended Saturday. Friday saw a world best in the women’s Weight from DeAnna Price and the final day had a near-world record from women’s sprint star Aleia Hobbs in the 60 m among five events with world-leading marks:

● Men/Weight: 25.44 m (83-5), Daniel Haugh
● Women/60 m: 6.94, Aleia Hobbs ~ American Record
● Women/Long Jump: 6.99 m (22-11 1/2), Tara Davis Woodhall
● Women/Weight: 26.02 m (85-4 1/2), DeAnna Price ~ World Best
● Women/Pentathlon: 5,004, Anna Hall ~ American Record

Price appears to be fully recovered from a broken ankle in 2021, smashing the 25.60 m (84-0) world best by Americans Gwen Berry in 2017 and Jeaneah Stewart on 20 January this year on her third throw of 25.77 m (84-6 3/4). Then she exploded in the fifth round, getting out to 26.02 m (85 4 1/2) to claim the top two throws in history. Brooke Andersen, the 2022 World Champion in the hammer, finished second at 24.97 m (81-11 1/4).

Running in the thin air in Albuquerque, Hobbs continued her undefeated season, winning her heat in 7.02, then taking charge of the final by 20 m and winning by daylight in 6.94, just 0.02 from Russian Irina Privalova’s world marks, set in 1993 and 1995. Hobbs is now no. 2 all-time, with the equal-fourth performance (Privalova has all the others), and get an American Record, eclipsing Gail Devers’ 6.95 from 1993 and Marion Jones from 1998.

Haugh’s win in the weight moved him to no. 4 on the all-time list and no. 3 on the all-time U.S. list. Davis Woodhall’s long jump mark is her fourth-farthest-ever and moved her to equal-19th all-time indoors and the no. 4 American.

There were other shining marks, notably Vashti Cunningham’s 2.00 m (6-6 3/4) win in the women’s high jump, her best in two seasons and her fifth career meet at 2.00 m or higher. It was her seventh U.S. national indoor title.

In the men’s sprints, J.T. Smith won the 60 m in 6.53 to move to no. 8 on the 2023 world list, after Noah Lyles dropped out with a minor leg hurt. Justin Robinson and Noah Williams went 1-2 in the 400 m; Robinson ran 45.40 in the final and Williams won his heat in 45.42 for nos. 3-4 in the world this season. Bryce Hoppel had to come from behind to take the 800 m over Isaiah Harris, 1:45.92-1:46.42 to defend his 2022 national indoor title.

Josh Thompson appeared to win the men’s 1,500 around the last turn in 3:42.31, but was disqualified for a modest foul on Henry Wynne in the final 70 m, giving the win to Sam Prakel in 3:42.62, with Wynne second (3:42.90). Prakel won the 3,000 m the day before in 8:12.46. Freddie Crittenden and Robert Dunning came to the line together in the 60 m hurdles final, with Crittenden called the winner by 7.485 to 7.489 (7.49 officially), both now no. 4 in the world for 2023.

Shelby McEwen won the men’s high jump at 2.24 m (7-4 1/4) and Sam Kendricks, back from injury, won the men’s vault at 5.91 m (19-4 3/4) for his fourth national indoor title, moving to equal-2nd on the world list. Will Williams won the long jump (8.20 m/26-11) and Donald Scott took the triple jump at 16.96 m (55-7 3/4). Joe Kovacs came from behind to win his first USATF Indoor title at 21.55 m (70-8 1/2; no. 4 in the world for 2023) to squeeze by Jordan Geist (21.36 m/70-1).

One of the really stunning races on Saturday was the women’s 400 m final, where Hall – a day removed from nearly setting the world record in the pentathlon – got to the lead and won in 51.03, moving to no. 9 in the world for 2023. Amazing.

Unheralded Nia Akins won her first U.S. title in the women’s 800 m, sneaking through on the inside to win in 2:00.16 (no. 5 in 2023) ahead of surging Allie Wilson (2:00.33, no. 8). Nikki Hiltz won a tight finish in the 1,500 m from Sage Hurta-Klecker, 4:17.10 to 4:17.26, and Valerie Constien took the 3,000 m in 8:48.29.

Alaysha Johnson won her first U.S. crown, winning the 60 m hurdles in 7.83, just ahead of Tonea Marshall (7.85). It took Olympic and World Champion Katie Moon only five jumps to win the vault at 4.80 m (15-9), and Keturah Orji won her third American indoor title at 14.31 m (46-11 1/2). World Champion Chase Ealey took her third U.S. title in the shot at 19.87 m (65-2 1/4).

In all, there were 11 first-time U.S. champs in the meet. Prize money was available for the top five placers: $6,000-4,000-2,500-1,500-1,000.

4.
Shiffrin ends Alpine Worlds with silver;
Odermatt wins second gold

Canada pulled yet another upset at the FIS Alpine World Championships in France and it cost American star Mikaela Shiffrin a gold medal in the women’s Slalom on Saturday.

Shiffrin, who has won more Slalom World Cup races than anyone in history, led after the first run in 52.54 on the course in Meribel, ahead of Switzerland’s two-time Worlds Combined gold medalist Wendy Holdener (52.73) and Canadian Laurence St-Germain (53.15), who had never won a medal in a World Cup race. 

On the second run, German Lena Duerr had the lead at 1:43.84, with St-Germain up next and she did not let her opportunity got to waste. She whisked through the second-run course in 50.00, sixth-best on the day to that point and finished in 1:43.15. Holdener made an error and skied out, disqualified, leaving only Shiffrin.

The American star was not as sharp on the second run and finished in 51.18, only 29th best in the field and ended up at 1:43.72, with the silver medal. Duerr took the bronze.

Shiffrin ended the Worlds with a gold in the Giant Slalom and silvers in the Super-G and Slalom and a missed opportunity for gold in the Combined. Along the way, she dismissed her long-time coach, Mike Day, who left immediately rather than wait for the end of the season.

In all, Shiffrin now has 14 career World Championships medals (7-4-3), now no. 2 all-time and only one behind German Christl Cranz (12-3-0), who skied during the Nazi period from 1934-39.

St-Germain was Canada’s second Worlds winner, along with men’s Super-G champ James Crawford, who has never won a World Cup race in his career.

The men’s Giant Slalom last Friday had a familiar winner: seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI), who previously won the Downhill. Second after the first run, Odermatt ranked fifth on the second run, but it lifted him to victory as first-run leader Marco Schwarz (AUT) had the 18th-fastest second run. Odermatt ended up at 2:34.08 to 2:34.40 for fellow Swiss Loic Meillard, with Schwarz – the Combined silver winner – holding on to third at 2:34.48.

River Radamus was the top American, in 12th (2:36.68), followed by Brian McLaughlin in 20th (2:38.64).

Sunday’s men’s Slalom finale at Courchevel had more twists and turns. Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, a 30-time winner on the World Cup tour and the 2021 bronze medalist in the Slalom, was in 16th place after the first run, but flew through the second with the fastest time on the course to win in 1:39.50, his second Worlds gold after the Giant Slalom in 2019. Former U.S. skier A.J. Ginnis, who changed his affiliation to Greece in 2021 after being left off the U.S. team, won the silver – the first Alpine Worlds medal for Greece – in 1:39.70, ahead of Alex Vinatzer (ITA: 1:39.88).

Luke Winters was the top American, in 30th (1:42.89).

Norway won the most medals overall, with nine (2-3-4), although the Swiss led in golds, with three, and seven medals overall (3-3-1), tied with Austria (0-3-4). The U.S. got three medals from Shiffrin and the Team Parallel gold for four total (2-2-0).

5.
Does the Olympics have an impact on the NBA? Yes!

If you thought that the Olympics or FIBA World Cup has little to no impact on the NBA, think again.

During last Thursday’s ESPN talk show, “Pardon the Interruption”, host Tony Kornheiser asked ESPN NBA Senior Writer Brian Windhorst about why superstar Kevin Durant wanted to go to play with the Phoenix Suns. Said Windhorst:

“The genesis of all super teams, Tony, is pretty much Team USA.

“The relationship that Kevin Durant has with Devin Booker, which is something he was attracted to, especially as things fell apart in Brooklyn, was where this came from. Especially in Tokyo, when those guys got together a couple of years ago [at the Olympic Games].

“It wasn’t quite the [2020 NBA] Orlando bubble that they had. I mean, we had vaccines at that point, there was a little more confidence, but in Japan, they had a complete lockdown. I was there, and so those teams pretty much were in the hotel or the gym. And, definitely, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant bonded there. They were key members of that team.

“Durant was heroic in carrying that team to the gold medal. It was a real accomplishment. Booker came right out of the [NBA] Finals and to be able to pivot to that and get that gold medal; he played well later in the Olympics, and they kept in touch.

“And I believe they even worked out with each other last summer. And so, I think when Durant looked for something that was not Brooklyn, and also it helped that there was a brand new owner that, frankly, was willing to pay more than the old owner was in terms of trade value, it sort of aligned itself. And we’ll see whether this marriage … actually works this time, instead of the Kyrie [Irving] experience.”

Relationships count and gold-medal relationships appear to count for a lot.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● The IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER) concluded on Sunday, with Sweden sweeping the Mass Start races and dealing Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Boe his first individual loss in these championships.

Boe had won the Sprint, Pursuit and Individual races, but it was Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson – third in the Pursuit and Individual races – who won the 15 km men’s Mass Start in 36:42.8, with no penalties. 

That was crucial, with teammate Martin Ponsiluoma (36:53.4/2) winning the silver and Boe third at 37:21.6, suffering from three penalties. The win was Samuelsson’s first Worlds gold, to go along with two career silvers and six bronzes!

The women’s 12.5 km Mass Start was the second win and fourth medal of the Championships for Swede Hanna Oeberg, who won in 36:48.0 despite two penalties. Ingrid Tandrevold (NOR) was second in 36:52.8 (1) for her first medal of the Worlds, with France’s Julia Simon getting her second in third (37:08.8/3).

In Saturday’s relays, France won the men’s 4×7.5 km race, finishing in 1:21:48.8, with Norway second in 1:22:27.6, with Boe making up almost 11 seconds on anchor, but not enough to challenge. Sweden finished third in 1:23:28.7; The U.S. team of Sean Doherty, Paul Schommer, Maxime Germain and Vincent Bonacci finished 12th (1:27:27.4).

The women’s 4×6 km relay was a win for Italy, anchored by Lisa Vittozzi in 1:14:39.7, a clear winner over Germany (1:15:04.4) and Sweden (1:15:35.4). The U.S. finished 15th in 1:22:35.7, with Deedra Irwin, Joanne Reid, Chloe Levins and Kelsey Dickinson.

Norway and Sweden dominated the event, winning 13 and 11 medals, respectively. The Norwegians finished with five golds, five silvers and three bronzes; Sweden went 3-3-5. France and Italy both won four medals as only six countries won a medal among the 12 events. The U.S. was shut out for the second straight Worlds.

Boe was amazing, winning seven medals in all (5-1-1); teammate Sturla Holm Laegreid won five (1-3-1) and Samuelsson, Oeberg and Vittozzi all won four each.

● Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard ● The FIS Worlds in Freestyle and Snowboard got going in Bakuriani (GEO) on Sunday, with the U.S. scoring another team win in Freestyle Aerials.

Both Ashley Caldwell and Chris Lillis were back from the Beijing Olympic gold medalists and added Quinn Dehlinger instead of Justin Schoenefeld, and won, 331.37 to 320.71 over China, repeating the finish in Beijing. Ukraine won the bronze at 255.56. Caldwell and Lillis were also on the 2021 Worlds bronze winners in this event.

In the Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom, it was Poland’s Oskar Kwiatkowski – who scored his first two World Cup wins just this season – who got to the finish line first in the final vs. Swiss Dario Caviezel. Austria’s Alexander Payer won the bronze over countryman – and Beijing Olympic champ Benjamin Karl.

The Worlds will continue through 5 March.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Commonwealth Games ● The concept of holding the centennial Commonwealth Games where it all began – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – appears to be over.

The Hamilton100 bid group said last week that it was unable to secure Provincial funding commitments – apparently more than C$500 million – to host the event in 2030, a century after the British Empire Games were first held there in 1930.

Neil Lumsden, the Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, said in a statement, “To date, we still have not received key details that would outline the overall financial risk and municipal commitment to the project.”

Ontario’s lack of interest mirrors that of British Columbia, which sunk the Vancouver bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games last October by declining to provide financial support and guarantees. 

● Athletics ● Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the World Cross Country Championships in Australia, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) said that Russian re-admission to the sport starts with its performance on an agreed-to path to cure rampant doping abuses:

“The [World Athletics] Council will discuss the roadmap for reinstatement but specifically around the egregious attack on the integrity of our sport through doping. Only on the basis of that conversation, or that discussion, would we move on to the second discussion. …

“The Council last February made (a) judgment [on] the situation in Ukraine and the inability of Ukrainian athletes to be competing openly and fairly and with the kind of integrity that we demand in our competitions.

“It was decided by the Council it was inconceivable that Russia athletes can compete, so the Council will make a decision about whether that position that we decided upon in February still pertains. But, as far as I’m concerned, the principles still sit there.”

World 400 m Champion Michael Norman announced that he will switch his focus to the 100 m this season. He told NBC Sports:

“We’ve always had this idea that once I develop and accomplish the goals that I want to do in the 400 m, that the goal will be to drop down to the 100 m.

“I can comfortably say that I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve in the 400 m and I can start challenging myself and trying something new in attempting to medal and break records in the 100 m. …

“The plan for 2023 is more of a setup for 2024. Everything I’m doing now is setting good habits in preparation for the Olympics. So when it comes to Olympic year, I can just keep building.”

He’s already no slouch in the 100, having run the distance just four times from 2020 on and timing 9.86, 9.90w, 9.98 and 9.97 and winning two of the four. At just 25, he ranks equal-24th all-time in the 100 and equal-11th all-time U.S., all with 400 m training.

His 9.86 best would have ranked equal-sixth in the world for 2022, and equal-fourth best in the U.S. He’s a contender, but as he said in the interview, “In a world where things go absolutely terrible, then I will be defending my title in the 400 m, but if things go the way that I plan it to go, then I’ll be fighting for a new title.”

● Basketball ● True to her word, Brittney Griner was reported to have signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, returning to the team she had played her entire, nine-year WNBA career with.

Griner was imprisoned by the Russian government for 10 months on “drug smuggling” charges from last February into December, when she was finally released on a prisoner swap with the U.S.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The final leg of the 2022-23 IBSF World Cup was in Sigulda (LAT), with American star Kaillie Humphries winning the Monobob race and the seasonal title!

Humphries, the Olympic Champion in this event, won a tight duel with Germany’s Kim Kalicki, 1:46.52 to 1:46.96, with a tie for third between Canada’s Cynthia Appiah and China’s Ying Qing (1:47.10). On the season, Humphries scored four wins and won a medal in seven of eight races to total 1,712 points to 1,590 for German Laura Nolte and 1,506 for Appiah. Nicole Vogt of the U.S. finished seventh (1,056).

In the Two-Woman final, Nolte won for the third time this season in 1:41.73, ahead of Kalicki (1:41.87) and Humphries and Kaysha Love (1:41.97). That finish cemented their seasonal places: 1. Nolte, 1,697; 2. Kalicki, 1,672; 3. Humphires, 1,634. American Nicole Vogt was eighth (888).

There were two races in the Two-Man event, as the Four-Man title was decided last week for German ace Francesco Friedrich (again). In the first race, Beijing silver medalist and 2023 World Champion Johannes Lochner (GER) won for the third straight World Cup, this time with Georg Fleischauer aboard, in 1:40.37 over Friedrich and Alexander Schueller (1:40.73), and Maximilian Illmann and Joshue Tasche completing the German sweep (1:40.75).

On Sunday, Lochner and Friedrich were 1-2 again, in 1:39.90 and 1:40.26. Swiss Michael Vogt for the bronze in 1:40.34. That was good enough to give Lochner the seasonal title with 1,742 points to 1,656 for Friedrich and 1,582 for Britain’s Brad Hall in third.

In the men’s Skeleton final, Britain’s World Champion Matt Weston won for the fourth time in a row in 1:40.39, over teammate Marcus Wyatt (1:40.75) and Chrsotpher Grotheer (GER: 1:41.02). Despite this, Grotheer won the seasonal title with two wins and five medals with 1.656 points to 1,605 for Weston and 1,531 for Wyatt. American Austin Florian was eighth overall with 1,200 points.

The women’s victory in Sigulda and the season title went to four-time World Champion Tina Hermann, who won the racing at 1:43.65, just ahead of PyeongChang 2018 runner-up Laura Deas (GBR: 1:43.70) and Kim Meylemans (BEL: 1:43.88). Hermann piled up 1,622 points for the seasonal crown, beating Kimberley Bos (NED: 1,562) and Canada’s Miraela Rahneva. American Kelly Curtis finished sixth overall with 1,184 points.

● Cycling ● The opener in the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup was in Diriyah (SAU), with four medals out of six won by the U.S.!

In the men’s Park final, two-time World Champion Logan Martin (AUS) came out on top, followed by Americans Marcus Christopher and Brian Fox.

The women’s Park final was a U.S. 1-3, with Hannah Roberts – the three-time World Champion – winning and fellow American Perris Benegas, the 2018 World Champion, third. China’s Jaiqi Sun finished second.

● Football ● Ten teams are vying for the final three spots in the FIFA Women’s World Cup play-in tournament in New Zealand, with eight teams in action on the weekend, narrowing down to three play-in finals.

In Group A, Cameroon defeated Thailand, 2-0, on Saturday to advance to Wednesday’s final against Portugal. Gabrielle Onguene scored both goals, in the 79th and 81st minute to break the scoreless deadlock. The winner of the Cameroon-Portugal game will advance to the Women’s World Cup to play in Group E, which includes the U.S.

In Group B, Haiti dominated Senegal, 4-0, taking a 1-0 lead at half, and with Roselord Bagella scoring twice in the 64th and 66th to assure the win. The Haitians will play Chile on Wednesday.

In Group C, Paraguay outlasted Chinese Taipei, 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 tie after extra time. Panama shut out Papua New Guinea, 2-0, and will meet Paraguay on Thursday.

The second day of the SheBelieves Cup was on Sunday, with the American women facing Japan in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a struggle, but the U.S. came away a 1-0 winner.

Japan controlled much of the early possession and the Americans had trouble trying to break down the packed-in defense, although Lynn Williams forced Japanese keeper Ayaka Yamashita to punch a line drive off the crossbar in the 15th minute.

The game appeared headed to halftime at 0-0 when Mallory Swanson struck again for the U.S. A seeing-eye pass from Alex Morgan from midfield created a race for the ball between Swanson and defender Shiori Miyake, which Swanson won, and with Yamashita coming out to cut down the angle, Swanson sent a right-footed shot past her to the left side of goal and a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute. It was Swanson’s sixth goal of the year already.

The U.S. had 55% of possession in the first half, but managed only those two shots – Williams and Swanson – compared to six for Japan.

The second half was more of the same, with Japan controlling much of the possession, but unable to score. Midfielder Fuka Nagano hit the top of the crossbar with a dangerous ball in the 79th minute, just over the outstretched hand of U.S. keeper Casey Murphy. Two minutes later, midfielder Yui Hasegawa flicked a right-foot shot through two U.S. defenders that required Murphy to come up with a quick save in the middle of the box.

The U.S. mounted an occasional attack, but found little space against the organized Japanese defense, and Japan kept pressing in the final half-hour. Substitute Jun Endo hit a left-footed laser from the left side of goal in the 93rd that sent Murphy sprawling for the save, but that was the last good chance for Japan.

In its fourth game of the year, the U.S. has won by a combined score of 12-0. The Americans finished with 51% of possession and up, 15-5, on shots.

Brazil faced Canada in the second game, also a struggle, with the Canadians scoring the only first-half goal in the 31st minute on a header from defender Vanessa Giles off a cross from midfielder Jessie Fleming.

Canada scored the only goal in the second half, with substitute striker Evelyne Viens getting a 71st-minute goal on a right-footer in the box off a Cloe Lacasse pass, for the 2-0 final.

Canada had 51% of possession, but Brazil had 14 shots to 10. It didn’t help.

The final day of the tournament comes Wednesday in Frisco, Texas, with Canada (1-1) vs. Japan (0-2), and the U.S. (2-0) facing Brazil (1-1), needing only a draw to win the title.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The Ski Cross World Cup circuit was in Reiteralm (AUT), with the amazing Sandra Naeslund continuing her perfect season.

Naeslund, the 2022 Olympic champ and a two-time World Champion, won her eighth and ninth races of the 2022-23 tour, without a loss, on Thursday and Friday (16-17). She defeated Marielle Thompson (CAN) – the last skier to defeat her – and Daniel Maier (GER) in the first race and Sonja Gigler (AUT) and Joei Galli (ITA) in the second. Naeslund has now win 17 straight World Cup races over the last two seasons.

The men’s finals were won by Swede David Mobaerg – his second win of the season – and Jonas Lenherr (SUI). American Tyler Wallasch, 28, won the bronze on Friday, his first career World Cup medal!

● Gymnastics ● The first Trampoline World Cup – the AGF Trophy – of the season was in Baku (AZE), with Brazil’s Camilla Gomes winning the women’s title over Lea Labrousse (FRA), 54-860 to 53.970 in the final. Ava Hernando was seventh for the U.S. (50.560).

The men’s final had Danil Mussabayev (KAZ) winning with 59.240, over Jorge Martin (ESP: 58.530) and 2022 Worlds silver winner Allen Morante (FRA: 58.530) in third. Elijah Vogel of the U.S. finished fifth (56.660).

● Judo ● France and Canada topped the medal standings at the IJF World Tour Tel Aviv Grand Slam (ISR), with 398 athletes from 52 countries in attendance.

The French won both of the lightest-weight divisions, with Luka Mkheidze taking the men’s 60 kg class and Blandine Pont winning the women’s 48 kg division. Margaux Pinot won the women’s 70 kg class for their third gold in the tournament.

Canada, Israel and Georgia each won two classes, with Jessica Klimkait and Christa Deguchi meeting in the all-Canada final at 57 kg and 2021 World Champion Klimkait winning; Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard won the women’s 63 kg class.

The home crowd was wild for wins by 2019 World Champion Sagi Muki at 81 kg, and Raz Hershko in the women’s +78 kg. Georgia got wins from Vazha Margvelashvili in the men’s 66 kg class and Beka Gviniashvili at 90 kg.

● Luge ● The penultimate FIL World Cup of the season was in St. Moritz (SUI), with Germany continuing to dominate the podium: four events, four wins.

Max Langenhan, the 2023 Worlds silver medalist, won his fifth World Cup in a row in the men’s Singles in 2:13.596, ahead of two-time Olympic champ Felix Loch (GER: 2:13.607), with Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods getting his third medal of the season in third (2:13.915).

The men’s Doubles was once again a battle between triple Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt and five-time World Champions Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken. For the third World Cup in a row, it was Wendl and Arlt winning, 1:47.183 to 1:47.228. Latvia again for the bronze, with Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (1:47.424).

PyeongChang 2018 silver medalist Dajana Eitberger took the women’s Singles in 1:48.396, ahead of 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz (1:48.406) and 2023 World Champion Anna Berreiter (1:48.467) for a German sweep.

German’s World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal won their second race in the last three World Cups, 1:49.577 to 1:49.579 – 2/1000ths! – over Worlds bronze winners Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer of Italy in the women’s Doubles. Latvia scored another bronze with Viktorija Ziedina and Selina Zvilna (1:50.703).

That’s eight medals for Germany and four for everyone else. The Germans won the Team Relay with Eitberger, Langenhan and Wendl and Arlt. The U.S. team of Emily Sweeney, Tucker West and Zachary Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander won the silver, 2:51.301 to 2:51.555.

The World Cup season concludes next week in Winterberg (GER).

● Ski Jumping ● Both the men’s and women’s tours were in Rasnov (ROU) for jumping off the 97 m hill, and good results for Germany.

In the men’s competition held on Saturday, two-time Olympic gold medalist Andreas Wellinger continued his hot streak with his second win in the last three events, scoring 240.4 to edge Ziga Jelar (SLO: 240.2) and Beijing 2022 bronze medalist Karl Geiger (GER: 237.9).

There were two women’s events, with Germany’s Katharina Althaus getting her fifth win of the season at 251.0, with seasonal leader Eva Pinkelnig second (AUT: 238.6) and Norway’s Erin Maria Kvandal third (233.3). Anna Odine Stoem of Norway won on Friday – her second win of the season – scoring 98.1 points in the single-round competition, with Pinkelnig second again (97.1) and teammate Julia Muehlbacher (95.7) third.

Pinkelnig, 34, continues her amazing season, now medaling in 17 of 21 events held so far!

● Ski Mountaineering ● The fifth ISMF World Cup stop was in Bolzano (ITA) for the Marmotta Trophy, with France dominating the women’s racing.

Axelle Gachet Mollaret, the four-time World Champion, led a 1-2 French finish in the women’s Individual race, winning in 1:39:13, well ahead of teammate (and 2022 World Cup runner-up) Emily Harrop (1:39:43). In the Sprint, Harrop led a sweep in 4:06, ahead of Lena Bonnel (4:13) and Celia Perillat-Pessey (4:13).

The men’s Individual race was a tight win for Italy’s two-time World Cup champ Matteo Eydallin (1:31:12.8) over countryman (and three-time World Cup winner) Robert Antonioli (1:31:17.7). Two-time World Cup champion Arno Lietha (SUI) won the Sprint in 3:09, beating Spain’s 2022 World Cup runner-up Oriol Cardona Coll (3:21).

Next up is the ISMF World Championships at the Spanish resort in Boi Taull in Catalonia from 28 February to 5 March.

● Speed Skating ● The ISU World Cup season concluded in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL), with another win for American teen Jordan Stolz.

Stolz won his second 1,500 m World Cup title of the season, winning in 1:45.44, ahead of Beijing Olympic champ Kjeld Nuis (NED: 1:46.16), and added silver medals in the 500 m (34.73 behind Japan’s Yuma Murakami: 34.69) and 1,000 m (1:08.64 behind Dutch skater Wesly Dijs: 1:08.52).

Norway’s Sander Eitrem won the men’s 5,000 m in 6:15.06, with American Casey Dawson seventh (6:29.11). Bart Hoolwerf (NED) won the Mass Start race in 8:19.32, with Ethan Cepuran of the U.S. fifth in 8:19.66.

Stolz finished fifth in the seasonal standings in the 500 m, third in the 1,000 m and third in the 1,500 m, and he’s just getting going.

The U.S. women won the Team Sprint with McKenzie Browne, Olympic champ Erin Jackson, and emerging star Kimi Goetz in 1:27.92, ahead of Canada (1:28.73). That was Goetz’s fourth event, after a silver in the 1,000 m, fourth in the 500 m and fifth in the 1,500 m.

The two-time European Champion Vanessa Herzog won the 500 m in 37.96, ahead of Korea’s Min-sun Kim (38.08), with Goetz fourth (38.14) and Jackson sixth (39.23). Olympic silver winner Jutta Leerdam won the 1,000 m in 1:14.94 with second at Goetz at 1:15.54 and three-time World Champion Brittany Bowe fourth in 1:15.82. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund won the 1,500 m (4:02.79), with Goetz fifth (1:57.98) and Bowe eighth (1:48.99), and Wiklund doubled back in the 3,000 m (4:02.79). Japan’s Momoka Horikawa won the Mass Start in 8:58.39, with American Mia Kilburg fifth (9:03.65).

In the seasonal standings, Jackson finished third and Goetz fifth in the 500 m; Goetz was third in the 1,000 m and ninth at 1,500 m. Kilburg was fourth in the Mass Start.

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TSX REPORT: Shiffrin wins first Worlds Giant Slalom gold; Ukrainian video asks for Russian exclusion; Utah passes Winter Games finance guarantees!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Leaders of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee receive applause from the Utah Legislature following the passage of bills to aid the area's bid for the 2030 or 2034 Olympic Winter Games (Photo: Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games)

★ 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 ≡

1. Shiffrin wins first World Champs Giant Slalom gold
2. Ukraine campaigns against Russian inclusion with brutal video
3. German canoe federation opposes IOC’s Russian inclusion idea
4. Utah legislature passes financial guarantees bill for Winter Games
5. Sweden’s 2030 bid called “front-runner” by Associated Press

The amazing Mikaela Shiffrin won her seventh career FIS Alpine World Championships gold in the Giant Slalom on Thursday, now tied for the second-most medals in history with 13. The Ukraine Foreign Ministry released an angry, pointed, two-minute video insisting that Russia not be re-entered into international competitions. The German canoe federation called out the International Olympic Committee on the Russian and Belarusian re-entry issue, saying its position is “not in line with the Olympic Movement.” The Utah legislature passed a resolution in favor of bringing the 2030 or 2034 Olympic Winter Games back to Salt Lake City, and pass a law which allows Governor Spencer Cox to sign a host city contract with the requisite financial guarantees. The Associated Press called Sweden the “sudden front runner” for the 2030 Winter Games, but a member of the Swedish Olympic Committee noted that the financial details and public support for such a bid are far from assured. A feasibility study is due in June.

● World Championships: Biathlon ●
● Panorama: Tokyo 2020 (2: ex-ADK Holdings chief admits bribery; Dentsu bid-rigging troubles continue) = Paris 2024 (National Assembly transport worries) = Brisbane 2032 (Gabba funding agreed) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (Paralympic programs expanded) = Memorabilia (61-item auction underway) = Athletics (2: Hall’s 5004 no. 2 pentathlon ever; French court throws out Worlds bribery case) = Boxing (IBA rips boycotting federations) = Football (U.S. beats Canada in SheBelieves Cup) = Gymnastics (arrest of alleged child abuser) ●

1.
Shiffrin wins first World Champs Giant Slalom gold

Although she has won 19 Giant Slalom races in World Cup competition, American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin had not won a FIS World Championships gold in the event … until Thursday, when she held on at the bottom of the second run to win by just 0.12 seconds.

Shiffrin, who won a Super-G silver at this year’s Worlds, had gone silver-bronze-silver in the Giant Slalom at the 2017-19-21 Worlds, so perhaps she was due. And she roared through the first run in Meribel (FRA) in 1:02.54, forging a 0.12-second lead over France’s two-time World Champion in the event, Tessa Worley.

Then the wait was on, with Shiffrin starting 30th on the second run. Super-G winner Marta Bassino (ITA) jumped from 13th to first in what turned out to be the third-fastest second run, totaling 2:07.93. Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel took the lead out of the no. 26 spot and then was passed by Italian star (and winner of the Combined) Federica Brignone, starting 28th, at 2:07.25. Worley pushed hard, but fell close to the end, leaving Shiffrin to go next.

Shiffrin skied hard and almost lost control at the end, but managed to get across the line with the no. 12 time on the second run, but her 2:07.13 total was good enough for the win and her seventh career World Championships gold. She was relieved:

“It’s unbelievable. I just thought I was going to lose it on the second run. I know how close it can be and I knew how hard I had to push and I didn’t know if I could do it.”

Still just 27, Shiffrin won her 13th career World Champs medal, tying her for no. 2 all-time with Swede Anja Parson (7-2-4 from 2001-11) with 13 total medals (7-3-3). Only Christl Cranz (12-3-0), who skied for Nazi Germany from 1934-39, has more Worlds medals with 15.

Shiffrin will have one more medal chance, in her best event, the Slalom – which she has four times at the Worlds – on Saturday morning.

Defending champ Lara Gut-Behrami finished fourth in 2:07.44 and Bassino was fifth. Nina O’Brien was the second American, finishing 11th in 2:08.56. Katie Hensien was 23rd at 2:09.93.

The men’s Giant Slalom comes on Friday, with Mathieu Favre (FRA) the 2021 winner and Swiss Marco Odermatt leading the seasonal World Cup standings in the event.

2.
Ukraine campaigns against Russian inclusion with brutal video

As the Russian offensive in Ukraine continues, keeping Russian athletes out of international sports competitions is of high importance to the Ukrainian government, shown by a powerful, two-minute video posted by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

Titled, “The Return of Russian Athletes,” it asks why the International Olympic Committee is considering changing its February 2022 stance of keeping Russia out of international competitions. Against the backdrop of devastation and explosions, the screen titles showed:

“Did Russia end its aggression?

“Did Russia withdraw from the Occupied Territories of Ukraine?

“Did it stop committing war crimes?

“NO”

The video states that Russian attacks have killed 231 Ukrainian athletes so far, including 11-year-old gymnast Katya Dachenko, and 343 sports facilities.

Over images of Russian athletes being congratulated, the screen titles showed:

“A significant number of Russian athletes are servicemen of the Russian Army.

“At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 45 out of 71 Russian medals were won by military athletes

“Russian Olympians support an aggressive war

“Russian NOC made a statement in support of the ‘Special Military Operation’”

And in the conclusion, on top of video of more missile attacks, the screen reads:

“Does the IOC suggest that Ukrainians compete with

“THE OCCUPIERS and

“WAR CRIMINALS?

“What Olympic principles are we talking about when a rapist and his victim are invited to the ring?

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE

“We call on the world to boycott any sports events with any Russian participation”

It ends with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying, “We must safeguard the Olympic Movement, and I believe, I really believe that we will.”

The final shot is of a black screen with white text:

“Share the call for a boycott with the hashtag #BoycottRussianSport”.

3.
German canoe federation opposes IOC’s Russian inclusion idea

From within Germany came a call by the national canoe federation, the Deutsche Kanu Verband (DKV) to continue the complete ban against Russian participation. In a statement, the federation President, Jens Perlwitz noted:

“We are aware that a reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into the world of sports, as suggested by the IOC, would be extremely difficult.

“Since nothing has changed in the situation in Ukraine since last year and peace is currently not foreseeable, there are hardly any possibilities for reintegration. I was particularly moved by the letter from the Ukrainian canoe president Igor Slivinsky, which describes the situation in Ukrainian sport very clearly. That’s why my sympathy goes out to Ukraine.

“The IOC is required to clarify fundamental questions in sport. You have to think hard about whether a state that is waging aggressive war is allowed to be part of the Olympic family, whether that state is allowed to host the Olympic Games and whether athletes from that state are allowed to participate in the Games. In our opinion, the current trend emanating from the IOC is not in line with the Olympic Movement.”

The DKV statement also lists questions proposed by the Athleten-Deutschland group:

“[F]rom the point of view of the athletes, the following questions arise, the answers to which could be a prerequisite for the approval of independent athletes:

● “How can real neutrality be guaranteed and pro-Russian political statements by the athletes avoided?

● “How to ensure independence of athletes whose preparation is supported by the Russian state?

● “How are coaches and coaches of the athletes dealt with?

● “How should the attitude of Russian athletes and athletes’ coaches to the war be credibly tested?

● “What happens if German athletes do not compete against Russian athletes for reasons of conscience?

● “How do such decisions affect the promotion and nominations of athletes?”

Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that the World Taekwondo federation could take up Russian reinstatement as early as April. Quoting World Taekwondo President Chung-won Choue (KOR):

“The IOC will have more specific discussions on the issue at the Executive Committee meeting at the end of March. Depending on the results, we will allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in WT competitions starting in April.”

Choue noted, however, that he is not in favor of having Russian athletes compete in Asian events:

“I don’t think other Asian countries would want this and [World Taekwondo] is also against this. If athletes from the two countries who need world ranking points can participate in WT events, then they won’t have to go to the Asian Games.”

4.
Utah legislature passes financial guarantees bill for Winter Games

The already-strong bid for the 2030 (or 2034) Olympic Winter Games by the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games got stronger on Thursday with a unanimous resolution from the Utah State Legislature and the passage of a bill enabling required guarantees required by the IOC.

The resolution H.C.R. 8 passed the Utah House by 65-0 (10 abstentions) and 27-0 (2 abstentions) in the Senate. It included assurances that the state would ensure the provision of “sufficient power and telecommunications infrastructure,” security, medical services, accessibility and other items, while not promising to pay for any of them.

The bill, H.B. 430, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Act, passed 67-0 (8 abstentions) in the House and 27-0 (2 abstentions) in the Senate and creates a new “Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Coordination Committee” to advise the Legislature on issues related to the 2030 or 2034 Games. Further, an “Olympic and Paralympic Venues Grant Fund” was created – replacing the existing “Winter Venues Fund” – that could receive both private and public funds, to be used for venue improvements. No actual funding was allocated in the bill.

A new section on contracts provides authority to Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) to enter into a hosting agreement with the IOC or the International Paralympic Committee, specifically to provide state guarantees for:

● “amounts owed by the state to a site selection committee for claims by third parties arising out of or relating to the games”;

● “a financial deficit accruing to the state as a result of hosting the games”;

● “other terms necessary for the state to host the games”;

● “make a host assurance on behalf of the state that is necessary for the state to host the games.”

The language also expects an eventual organizing committee to carry insurance against a deficit as well, and to protect Utah taxpayers, any contract signed by the organizing committee must “include in any agreement signed by the host committee that the state is not liable for the host committee’s failure to perform the duties under the agreement.”

This is an important step in the promotion of the Salt Lake City bid for 2030 (or 2034) and was concluded during a visit by new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes and chief executive Sarah Hirshland. It is not believed that any other bid for the 2030 Winter Games has obtained these funding guarantees as yet.

5.
Sweden’s 2030 bid called “front-runner” by Associated Press

In Sweden, the possibilities to be named as the 2030 host site seem quite real now, in view of the problems in Japan with the continuing Tokyo 2020 scandals and declarations by the USOPC that it prefers a 2034 hosting in Salt Lake City.

A Wednesday story from The Associated Press headlined “Sweden emerges as sudden front-runner to host 2030 Olympics,” quoted Swedish Olympic Committee Executive Board member Hans von Uthmann:

“We had a meeting in Lausanne in mid-January after the holidays. On our journey back we realized, ‘Hey, there really is an opening.’”

However, Sweden is not in the same position as it was when it submitted its bid for the 2026 Winter Games, won by Italy’s Milan Cortina bid, 47-34, in 2019. Von Uthmann noted:

“We are humbly aware that we are in the midst of an extremely difficult finance situation in Sweden, not to mention the NATO application,” and “there are many questions and we need to convince and show the Swedish population that this is actually to the advantage of Sweden.”

The questions over government guarantees and public support are issues to be solved, and a referendum may be required. A feasibility study is set to be completed by June, with no new venue construction expected to be required. Stockholm’s 2026 bid had the bobsled, luge and skeleton events at the track in Sigulda, Latvia.

Sweden is also not excited about the IOC’s exploration of possible re-entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes into international competition, the current burning issue in the Olympic Movement.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● The Single Mixed Relay, with one man and one woman competing – each taking either the first and third legs (each 3 km), or second (3 km) and fourth (4.5 km) – was held for the fourth time in the IBU World Championships and for the third time, Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Johannes Thingnes Boe won, this time in Oberhof (GER).

As in 2019 and 2020, they took the gold, this time by 13.8 seconds over Austria’s Lisa Theresa Hauser and David Komatz, 35:37.1 (2 penalties) to 35:30.9 (0). Italy was third in 36:28.1; the U.S. duo of Deedra Irwin and Paul Schommer finished 38:07.0 (2).

Boe continues an unbelievable Worlds, having won the 10 km Sprint, 12.5 km Pursuit, 20 km Individual and the two Mixed relay events: five in all. He can still win two more, with the men’s 4×7.5 km relay on Saturday and the 15 km Mass Start on Sunday.

He’s now no. 2 all-time in Worlds medals won with 29 (17-9-3) behind former teammate Ole Einar Bjorndalen, who won 45 (20-14-11) from 1997 to 2017.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2020: Tokyo ● The former head of the Tokyo-based ADK Holdings advertising agency, Shinichi Ueno, admitted in a Friday court hearing that his firm paid then-Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi about ¥14 million (almost $104,000 U.S.) in bribes in order to help it be selected as a marketing agent.

ADK eventually became the agency to assist Tokyo-based parking service operator Park24 Co., which became an Olympics sponsor. The bribes were paid between November 2019 and January 2022.

The bid-rigging scandal over test events and venue management contracts continues to boil, with Japanese ad giant Dentsu, Inc., and event management firm Cesespo – both of whom got Tokyo 2020 contracts – banned from government contracts for a year by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Osaka prefecture.

NHK Television reported that Dentsu worked directly with the Tokyo organizing committee to develop the test-event bid document, and was then (1) a successful bidder on multiple events, and (2) may have suggested (or directed) who else should be awarded specific contracts.

The total value of the test-event and Games management contracts have been estimated at ¥40 billion, or about $304 million U.S.

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● More worries over transportation for the Paris Games, with several members of the French National Assembly voicing concerns following a fact-finding report. Stephane Peu (Communist Party) told reporters:

“Things are, I hope, improving, but we are in a very worrying situation. There is a multiplicity of uncoordinated actors on the subject: the RATP [public transport authority], IDFM (Ile-de-France Mobilities), the Grand Paris [Express] company, the [organizing committee] … Everyone was in their corner, in their corridor, and didn’t speak to each other. And when they spoke, it was to say that what was wrong was the fault of the other.”

Construction worries on new lines, coordination of venue bus services and having enough people to do the job are all worries.

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● A funding agreement between the Australian national government and the state of Queensland has been reached on the redevelopment of the Gabba stadium and surrounding arena, a centerpiece of the 2032 Games plan.

The deal on who pay for what was reported Friday morning in Australia, to cost a total of about A$7 billion (about $4.8 billion U.S. today), with Sports Minister Annika Wells saying in a radio interview:

“The Australian government are going to pay for Brisbane Live and the Queensland government are going to fund their redevelopment of the Gabba.

“It’s almost exactly a 50:50 split when it comes to the money that we’ll be investing across these two venues, but also the 19 other venues that are going to get built or upgraded.”

The Brisbane Live project is a new arena expected to seat 17-18,000; Wells explained:

“We wanted to leave an iconic piece of history that Brisbane taxpayers could point to and say: ‘we would not have had that but for hosting the Games.’ After the Olympics and Paralympics have packed up and moved on … Brisbane people [will] experience live music and cultural stuff for decades to come.”

The new arena is expected to cost about A$2.5 billion (~$1.7 billion) with another A$1 billion to help with other, related projects. Queensland will now have to fund the Gabba rebuild itself, originally expected to cost A$1 billion, but now projected at A$2.7 billion (~$1.85 billion U.S.).

The Gabba re-development program includes not only work on the stadium, but a major revamp of the surrounding area, tying it in with a nearby transit station as a new civic hub that will also include the new arena.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● Interesting announcement about a new program with the NCAA that will create a College Wheelchair Track & Field Championships in cooperation with the 2023 Drake Relays in April.

Men’s and women’s 100 and 200 m races will be held, plus additional men’s races in the 400 m and 800 m. A high school wheelchair 400 m race is also scheduled. Per the announcement:

“[T]he 100-meter races will occur during the 2023 Drake Relays where winners will be awarded with the inaugural 2023 Para-College Wheelchair National Champion trophy. The University of Michigan will provide travel and participation resources to all qualified wheelchair athletes who earn a top-three place finish or top-eight time to compete at Drake.”

Two other new Paralympic-inclusion programs were announced, including a first-ever College All-Star Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team, and wheelchair events will be incorporated into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and

“the USTA’s National Collegiate Wheelchair Championships will have a presence at the NCAA Division I Championships in Orlando this May. In addition, the ITA will look to add a wheelchair event within the 2023 ITA National Fall Championships, which serves as the final tournament of the season for college singles and doubles players.”

● Memorabilia ● A 61-item auction is now underway through 4 March, highlighted by an impressive collection of 37 Olympic torches and Olympic participation medals from 1896 to 2008!

Ingrid O’Neil Auctions of Corona Del Mar, California is offering items from the estate of long-time Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carlos Velarde, who passed away in 2018 at age 88. Velarde was a devoted collector who kept his memorabilia in a special “Olympic Room” and attended multiple Olympic Games and track & field World Championships as a member of the Track & Field News tour.

The auction has some exciting items, including nine items with initial asking prices of $10,000 or more:

● $45,000 for a 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Torch (rare!)
● $40,000 for a 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Torch (300 made)
● $32,500 for a 1936 Berlin “chain of office” for IOC members
● $30,000 for a 1956 Melbourne Olympic Torch
● $24,000 for a 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Torch
● $20,000 for a 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Torch
● $15,000 for a 1964 Tokyo Olympic Torch
● $14,000 for a 1904 St. Louis participation medal
● $12,000 for a 1960 Rome Olympic gold medal in fencing

There are also three medals from Mexico City 1968 (gymnastics, weightlifting and wrestling) and a 1992 Barcelona bronze medal. Three nice sets of participation medals are also offered, from 1912-36 (six total), 1948-72 (six) and 1980-2008 (seven), with initial bids from $700 to $1,000.

The auction is open until 4 March at 8 p.m. Pacific time.

● Athletics ● The first day of the USATF National Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico nearly produced a world indoor record from combined-events star Anna Hall.

The NCAA Indoor pentathlon champion for Florida in 2022 and the World Outdoor heptathlon bronze medalist in Eugene last summer, Hall set personal bests in the 60 m hurdles (8.04) and high jump (1.91 m/6-3 1/4) and won all five events on the way to her first national indoor title and a score of 5,004 points, just missing the world mark of 5,013 by Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska from 2012. It’s the no. 2 performance in history and the world leader for 2023.

Hall did get an American Record, busting Sharon Day-Monroe’s mark of 4,805 from 2014, also set in Albuquerque’s high altitude. Hall is only the third woman in history to score 5,000 points or more.

The men’s heptathlon has two-time NCAA Division II winner Will Daniels in the lead after four events, 3,430 to 3,390 over Tokyo 2020 decathlon Olympian Steven Bastien with the 60 m hurdles, vault and 1,000 m remaining for Friday.

In the race walk finals, Miranda Melville was a clear winner in the women’s 3,000 m in 13:37.69 to 13:49.29 for Maria Michta-Coffey. It’s Melville’s second USATF gold in the event, also winning in 2019, to go along with four silver medals.

Nick Christie won the men’s 3,000 m in 11:56.67, easily beating Daniel Nehnevaj (12:19.23). Already the 2023 U.S. 35 km Walk champion from January, Christie won his fourth indoor national title, also in 2018-19-20, with two of those also in Albuquerque.

The meet continues on Friday and Saturday.

The French Cour de cassation, the highest appeals court in the country, dismissed a corruption case related to the awarding of the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships, lodged against Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, now the President of the Paris-Saint-Germain football club.

The indictment was handed down in May 2019, accusing Al-Khelaifi of two payments totaling $3.5 million in 2011 to the marketing company headed by Papa Massata Diack, the son of then-IAAF President Lamine Diack, both of Senegal. The court did not rule that the payments were not made, or that they weren’t bribes, but that since the meetings and transactions took place in Qatar, Monaco or Senegal, they are outside of French jurisdiction. Both Diacks were convicted of crimes in Paris courts; Lamine Diack died in 2021; the son has never left Senegal and was tried and convicted in absentia.

The 2017 Worlds went to London; the 2019 event did go to Doha in Qatar.

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association reiterated its anger with the national federations of at least six countries – including the U.S. – which have declined to participate in the federation’s World Championships for women in March and for men in May.

A Thursday post by Secretary General George Yerolimpos (GRE) included:

“As you will have seen and heard, some nations have taken it upon themselves to take the decision to boycott our flagship World Boxing Championships in New Delhi and Tashkent. Decisions to do so have been made in a vacuum and do not reflect the views of their athletes, coaches, technical officials, and administrators within these National Federations.

“The confusion and misinformation within these National Federations has resulted in a steady stream of complaints from athletes, coaches, technical officials, and administrators that do not support this decision and need immediate support in making sure they can attend these events. …

“IBA has declared its utmost commitment to doing whatever possible including financial aid through its Financial Support Program (FSP) to ensure that all boycotting National Federation athletes are able to fight for glory and achieve their dream of becoming a World Champion. Any athlete or coach of a boycotted National Federation who would like to attend, as it is an open event, can directly register for the World Boxing Championships by contacting [email protected].

“To the leadership of National Federations that choose to use geopolitics as a means to play political games within boxing, IBA stands by the fact that athletes, coaches and officials from a country shall not be liable for any conduct of the management of their national federations or any political games.”

Missing the IBA Worlds has no impact on Olympic qualification, as IBA events will not be used for that purpose, and the Paris qualifying process is being handled directly by the IOC.

● Football ● The 2023 SheBelieves Cup had extra drama with the top-ranked U.S. women coming off a rough end to 2022 and the no. 6 Canadian women calling a strike over equal-pay conditions, but relenting when their federation threatened legal action.

The Canadian women wore their warm-up jackets inside out to hire the Canada Soccer logo and wore purple T-shorts bearing the words “Enough is Enough.”

A pre-game protest circle was formed by both teams prior to Thursday’s match in Orlando, Florida to call further attention to the Canadian women’s situation. The actual game had the U.S. on the offensive and in complete control from kick-off, with a save by Canada’s Kailen Sheridan keeping midfielder Ashley Sanchez from scoring in the third minute and then a Mallory Swanson goal in the seventh, rocketing home a cross from forward Trinity Rodman that was deflected by striker Alex Morgan to a waiting Swanson for the 1-0 lead.

U.S. midfielder Lindsey Horan’s header in the 17th hit the post, but the Americans went up 2-0 in the 34th on an awful back-to-goal pass by Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles – under pressure from Morgan – that was intercepted in the box by Swanson, who ripped a shot past keeper Sheridan.

The Canadians played their usual, physical style, but weren’t able to mount a severe threat until stoppage time, when forward Janine Beckie sent a swerving shot that had to be deflected by U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher in the 46th. The half ended with the U.S. with 52% of possession and a 9-2 edge on shots.

The second half saw no goals, although Sheridan saved a third U.S. score on a kick save of a drive by Ashley Hatch in the 75th. The play got chippy as it usually does between these teams; the U.S. ended with 52% of possession and a 14-6 final advantage on shots, amid 23 total fouls.

In the opener, world no. 9 Brazil defeated 11th-ranked Japan, 1-0, on a goal by Debinha in the 72nd minute.

The tournament continues on Sunday (19th) from Nashville, Tennessee, with the U.S. and Japan at 3:30 p.m. Eastern and Canada and Brazil at 6:30 p.m.; the finale is on the 22nd in Frisco, Texas, with Canada vs. Japan at 4 p.m. and the U.S. and Brazil at 7 p.m.

● Gymnastics ● Ottawa Police reported Wednesday that 27-year-old women’s coach Benjamin Cooper of Toronto has been charged with sexual assault, child pornography, harassment and five counts of sexual abuse of persons under 16. The incidents took place between 2014-22 and involved seven individuals aged 14-17.

He was arrested on Wednesday; Gymnastics Ontario posted a statement that noted it had opened an investigation of Cooper, and suspended him, in April 2022 after receiving information about his activities.

This may not be all; the Police statement included, “Police are concerned there may been more victims in the Ottawa and Kingston areas. We are asking victims to contact their local Police Service for more information.”

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TSX REPORT: FIFA’s $11 billion target for 2023-26 is 23% committed; 3,000 m world record for Girma and seven world leads in Lievin!

By
Rich Perelman
-
FIFA's Annual Report shows a projected $11 billion in revenue for 2023-26!

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. FIFA’s $11 billion 2023-26 budget is 23% committed
2. Russia says no official invites to Asian Games yet
3. Girma gets 3,000 m world record at Hauts-de-France!
4. First-time champs Schmid and Tviberg win Worlds Parallel GS
5. UEFA Champions League security report notes Saint-Denis area crime

The staggering $11 billion revenue target announced late last year for FIFA’s 2023-26 has been detailed in its Annual Report for 2022, with increases of more than $900 million each expected from television rights and sponsorships and a tripling – to $3 billion – of ticket sales and hospitality from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Already, 23% of the total has been contracted: $2.534 billion. The Russian Olympic Committee said that neither it nor any of its national sports federations have been formally invited to compete at the 2023 Asian Games in China, despite reports from diving and wrestling earlier in the week. At the Hauts-de-France indoor meet in France, Ethiopian star steepler Lamecha Girma broke the 25-year-old world record in the men’s 3,000 m in 7:23.81, the highlight of a meet with seven world-leading marks, including women’s vaulter Katie Moon of the U.S. At the FIS Alpine World Championships in France, Germany’s Alexander Schmid and Norway’s Maria Therese Tviberg – neither of whom have ever won a World Cup race – won golds in the Parallel Giant Slaloms. American star Mikaela Shiffrin announced she was separating from her long-time coach Mike Day as of the end of the season; Day left immediately! In the thick independent report on the security chaos and near-mass injury incident at the Champions League Final last May in Paris, some unusually candid descriptions of the “locals” around the Stade de France – where track & field will take place at Paris 2024 – were included, highlighting another potential security headache for the organizing committee and law enforcement. Hopefully, passions for Olympic track & field will not be as high as for football … this time.

● World Championships: Biathlon ●
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (design critique) = Aquatics (Worlds tickets on sale) = Football (SheBelieves Cup starts) = Ice Hockey (Fasel a Russian citizen) = Speed Skating (Stolz wins World Junior Allround) ●

1.
FIFA’s $11 billion 2023-26 budget is 23% committed

On Tuesday, FIFA announced superb results for the 2019-22 quadrennial, ending with a record $7.568 billion in revenue, some 18% higher than the prior (2015-18) period and 17% higher than forecast.

The full, 362-page Annual Report contained fascinating data about FIFA’s projections for its future, which is projected to be much, much richer. Revenues are expected to increase to $11 billion for the 2023-26 period, when the FIFA World Cup will return to North America for the first time since 1994, with matches to be played in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. in an expanded, 48-team tournament.

About two-thirds of the way in, the details of how FIFA will grow its revenues by 45.3% were provided:

● $4.264 billion for television rights (up $964 million)
● $2.693 billion for sponsorships (up $927 million)
● $3.097 billion for tickets and hospitality (up $2.589 billion)
● $669 million for licensing royalties (up $66 million)
● $277 million for other income (up $14 million)

Some of this money has already been contracted:

● 43% of the television rights: $1.833.52 billion
● 26% of the sponsorships: $700.18 million

That’s $2.533.70 billion or 23.03% of the $11 billion total, so there’s a ways to go.

The startling increase in the tickets and hospitality numbers, from $949 million in 2019-22 to $3.097 billion for 2023-26 is relying on the expansion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With 48 teams, the tournament was expected to go from 64 matches to 80. But after the spectacular group-stage competition in Qatar, new formats are being discussed that could create a FIFA World Cup with as many as 104 matches and a revenue bonanza.

FIFA plans to spend $10.9 billion or 99% of the total:

● $5.618 billion on competitions
● $3.923 billion in development and education
● $850 million on administration and legal
● $342 million on marketing and broadcasting
● $167 million on governance

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is forecast to cost FIFA $3.839 billion to stage, or 35.2% of the total projected costs; FIFA is organizing the event itself. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is forecast at $435 million.

The FIFA Forward Programme is slated to cost $2.250 billion or 57.3% of the development and education budget. This includes $1.688 billion to be given to member federations, $360 million to the regional confederations, $65 million to smaller (zonal) associations and $137 million in travel and equipment support.

Asked at the end of the 2022 World Cup how realistic the $11 billion target is, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino (SUI) replied:

“Let me say, we are bullish on the power of football, so to say. About what we believe that the impact of football – or soccer, as it’s called where we are going to play the next World Cup, or at least in a part of the countries – we are more than bullish, we are convinced that the impact of the game will be massive.”

2.
Russia says no official invites to Asian Games yet

After a Tuesday statement from the head of the Russian Diving Federation that Russian athletes had been invited to compete in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN) in September, and a report from the Russian Wrestling Federation that it had also been invited to compete in China (but with no other details), the Russian Olympic Committee applied the brakes.

In a statement to the Russian news agency TASS, the ROC explained:

“At the moment, no invitations with clearly defined conditions for participation in international competitions, including the Asian Games in 2023, have been received by either the ROC or the all-Russian sports federations.

“As soon as official information about certain decisions on this issue appears, the ROC will immediately work it out with the relevant all-Russian sports federations.”

The International Olympic Committee asked all International Federations and continental associations of National Olympic Committees not to allow Russian or Belarusian competitors to participate in their events back on 28 February 2022, four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. In December, the Olympic Council of Asia – the owner of the Asian Games – said it would be willing to extend invitations to Russian and Belarusian competitors to compete in its events, which the IOC agreed only to study.

There is considerable concern in Asia about how such invited athletes would compete and whether they would take places (and medals) away from Asian athletes. Randhir Singh (IND), the acting head of the Olympic Council of Asia – who made the offer to compete at the IOC’s Olympic Summit in December – said in a January interview:

“They won’t interfere in our medal system or Asian quota for the Olympic Games. The IOC will work out quota (policy) with us at the OCA and the international federations. And there will be separate medals. …

“We are devising a philosophy where they’ll… be able to compete in (events) where we can take them on numbers. Not in combat sports like wrestling, for instance. If our wrestler from Asia gets knocked out in the first round, then we lose out on qualification. But if there is a points system like in athletics, shooting … these kinds of sports are where they’ll be able to compete. This is all being worked out.”

3.
Girma gets 3,000 m world record at Hauts-de-France!

The brilliant 1998 world indoor record of 7:24.90 by Kenyan Daniel Komen was on the line at the Hauts-de-France indoor meet in Lievin on Wednesday night in a staged attempt that resulted in Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma and Spain’s Mohammed Katir both breaking the mark!

Girma, 22, the Tokyo Olympic Steeple silver winner, was in full command by 2,000 m and was pressed by Katir, the 2022 Worlds 1,500 m bronze medalist. But Girma held the lead over the final six laps and finished in 7:23.81, shaving 1.09 seconds off Komen’s mark, with Katir at 7:24.68, the no. 2 performance in history.

Kenyan Jacob Krop was third (7:31.35) with American Grant Fisher fifth in 7:35.82, moving to no. 7 all-time U.S.

That was one of seven world-leading marks at the meet:

● Men/1,500 m: 3:32.38, Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
● Men/3,000 m: 7:23.81, Lamecha Girma (ETH) ~ World Record
● Men/Long Jump: 8.41 m (27-7 1/4), Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)

● Women/800 m: 1:57.71, Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)
● Women/1,500 m: 3:57.47, Gudaf Tsegay (ETH)
● Women/Pole Vault: 4.83 m (15-10), Katie Moon (USA)
● Women/Triple Jump: 14.81 m (48-7 1/4), Liadagmis Povea (CUB)

Ingebrigtsen’s mark is the no. 11 performance all-time indoors and he owns three of them, including last year’s world record on the same track in 3:30.60. He was well ahead of runner-up Azeddine Habz (FRA: 3:35.27). Tentoglou increased his world lead by one cm on his fourth attempt, leaving Sweden’s Thobias Montler (8.06 m/26-5 1/2) and American Marquis Dendy (7.94 m/26-0 3/4) well behind.

Britain’s Hodgkinson lowered her own world-leading women’s 800 m mark to 1:57.71, her second-fastest ever indoors and enough to shake off Kenya’s Mary Moraa (2:00.71). Tsegay had also already been the world leader in the women’s 1,500 m, but ran strongly in the second half to lower the time to 3:57.47, winning by more than four seconds. It’s the no. 8 performance all-time indoors and she has five of them.

New leaders in the field included Olympic champ Moon (nee Nageotte), who took over at 4.83 m (15-10), beating incoming world leader Tina Sutej (SLO), second at 4.78 m (15-8 1/4). Povea also increased her own world lead on her third jump, her best ever indoors.

In the sprints, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala won the men’s 60 m over Olympic 100 m champ Lamont Marcell Jacobs (ITA), 6.54 to 6.57 and Karsten Warholm (NOR) won the 400 m in 45.51. Americans Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts were 1-2 in the 60 m hurdles in 7.39 and 7.43; Holloway was only 0.01 behind his world-leading mark from earlier this season in Boston.

Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis won the men’s vault at 6.01 m (19-8 1/2) and Dutch star Femke Bol won the women’s 400 m in 50.20, the no. 2 mark in the world for 2023 behind her own 49.96.

Not many Americans in this meet as the USATF National Indoor Championships come up this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, beginning today (16th) with the combined events and walks.

4.
First-time champs Schmid and Tviberg win Worlds Parallel GS

Germany’s Alexander Schmid has never won a FIS Alpine World Cup race, but he’s the 2023 World Parallel Giant Slalom champion after defeating Austria’s Dominik Raschner in the men’s final of the FIS Alpine World Championships on Wednesday in Meribel (FRA).

Schmid won all eight of his races and finished ahead of Raschner by 0.50 and 0.90 seconds in the final to win the event. Timon Haugen, who was a member of Norway’s Team Parallel runner-up squad, took the bronze, defeating Adrian Pertl (AUT), by 0.01 seconds and then 0.19 seconds in the small final. Raschner and Haugen both won their first Worlds individual medals.

The women’s Parallel Giant Slalom went to Norway’s Maria Therese Tviberg, who has never won a FIS Alpine World Cup medal, but sailed through three rounds of the Worlds Parallel Giant Slalom without a hitch and into the final. There, she faced Swiss star Wendy Holdener, already a five-time Worlds medal winner. They tied in the first race, with both timed in 23.24, but Tviberg was much the better in the second run, 22.78 to 23.45 and earned her first Worlds gold and second medal in two days, after taking silver in the Team Parallel event.

Tviberg’s teammate, Thea Louise Stjernesund, won the bronze over Marie Lamure of France, so three of the four members of the Norwegian Team Parallel silver medalists won individual medals on Wednesday. The winning U.S. team’s entries, Nina O’Brien and River Radamus, did not advance out of the first round.

The women’s Giant Slalom, with American Mikaela Shiffrin one of the favorites, comes on Thursday.

Shiffrin made news on Wednesday, releasing a statement that “After working with Mike Day for seven seasons, I’ve decided to move forward with new leadership on my team for the next phase of my career.”

Day had been coaching Shiffrin since July of 2016 and was with her last week at the FIS Alpine Worlds in France; the change was to be effective at the end of the season. Said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Patrick Riml (AUT):

“Mikaela wants to do something different going forward. She wants a new challenge. And she informed Mike and Mike decided to go home. It’s a shock for me that he took off.”

Shiffrin has the Giant Slalom and Slalom remaining on her 2023 Worlds program and four stops remaining on the FIS Alpine World Cup after that to finish the 2022-23 season.

5.
UEFA Champions League security report notes Saint-Denis area crime

The 220-page UEFA-commissioned independent report on the security debacle at the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Stade de France last May identified major issues with the planning and preparations for the match, especially from UEFA and local law enforcement services.

But the report also was unusually blunt about the activities of “locals” living in the Saint-Denis area surrounding the stadium, which will be a centerpiece of Paris 2024 and the site of track & field and the Closing Ceremony for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. From page 177:

“8.2.6.1. The Panel has received widespread evidence that groups assumed to be French residents – locals – were present around the Stade de France and in its general vicinity. Some were involved in attacks on supporters and others in the vicinity of the stadium, and in trying to gain entry to the stadium without tickets, some successfully, by breaking-in, or by climbing fences or jumping turnstiles. According to evidence from [French Football Federation], these problems were apparent from around 13:00 on match day, and continued through the day and evening, including after the match.

“8.2.6.2. The Stade de France is situated in an area with significant social deprivation, and a high crime rate. There has been a history of social unrest and problems between sections of the local community and the police and other authorities. This history has included tensions accompanying major football matches occurring at the Stade de France.

“8.2.6.3. The 2015 Council of Europe mission to France, reported on the problem of attacks on foreign football supporters by locals (albeit not specific to Saint-Denis), and the Panel received credible evidence of such attacks on supporters at previous international and domestic fixtures at the Stade de France.

“8.2.6.4. The Prefecture de Police, FFF and [Consortium Stade de France stadium operator] have all commented on the unprecedented scale of this problem on the night. It is difficult for the Panel to comment on the scale of these problems in the past, however crime targeted at supporters and attempts to force entrance to the ground were foreseeable. These incursions led to gate closures which amplified the throughput problems already encountered.

“8.2.6.5. The Panel notes that no effective action was taken to prevent these issues or when these problems became apparent in the early afternoon of [match day]. The Panel further notes evidence that police officers near to the scene of attacks on supporters failed to intervene, and that the attacks continued in various places around the stadium, and on routes to transport hubs and at the stations, long after the match finished.”

This is not good, although behavior at football matches is often quite different than for track and field, with a major meet – the Diamond League’s Meeting de Paris – held at the Stade de France from 1999 to 2016.

But the report notes a spectator (and visitor) issue that’s just another headache for the Paris 2024 organizers and the City of Paris, Ile-de-France and national security services to deal with. Questions will continue to be asked.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● The women’s 15 km Individual race has been held twice this season at the IBU World Cup, with Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg and Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi the winners, and both ended up on the podium in that event in the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER).

Oeberg won in 43:36.1 after taking a penalty on the first stage that left her in 33rd place. But she shot clean the rest of the way and took the lead on the final loop to win over teammate Linn Persson (43:46.4/0) and Vittozzi (44:04.1), who suffered a penalty on the final loop.

Oeberg was the 2018 Olympic champ in this event and had won it at the 2019 IBU Worlds as well, plus a silver in 2021. Persson won her second medal of the 2023 Worlds, after a bronze in the 7.5 km Sprint. Vittozzi won her sixth career Worlds medal (0-3-3), after getting a 2019 silver in the Individual event as well.

Deedra Irwin was again the top American, finishing 20th in 47:10.6 (1). Joanne Reid was 61st in 52:13.4 (6); Kelsey Dickinson finished 67th (52:58.0/2) and Chloe Levins was 68th (53:08.9/4).

The Single Mixed Relay comes next on Thursday, with the men’s and women’s relays on Saturday and the Mass Start races on Sunday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Not everyone is thrilled with the new Paris 2024 pictograms and the “Look” of the Games. Lindon Leader, the Design Director for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a Senior Design Director at Landor Associates in the 1990s and a respected strategic branding and design consultant headquartered in Utah, was not impressed.

Leader explained:

“The Look of the Games is exceedingly busy and needlessly complex, especially compared to the Paris Games’ absurdly simple symbol. The pictogram system is a disaster. A function of pictograms is to facilitate accurate, efficient wayfaring even at a mere glance and from a distance.

“These bowls of spaghetti are difficult to decipher when right in front of one’s nose. I expect there to be a lot of lost souls at Paris 2024 venues. Furthermore, the Olympic Games are not about sports equipment, they are about people.”

Sacre Bleu!

● Aquatics ● Ticket sales have begun for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, from 14-30 July, with pricing now available for all sessions.

For swimming, finals-session tickets range from ¥14,000 down to ¥4,000 (about $104 down to $30 U.S.) for a single day, with a “Platinum Seat” for all sessions (eight days) next to the pool at ¥300,000 (~$2,237 U.S.).

Very limited seating is offered for diving, with only non-reserved seats available for single-day sales at ¥3,000 and ¥1,500 (~$22 to $11 U.S.), and semifinals and finals seats at ¥2,000 (~$15 U.S.).

Artistic Swimming finals tickets range from ¥10,000 down to ¥4,000 (~$75 to $30 U.S.), with Water Polo final-round seats going for ¥5,000 to ¥3,000 (~$37 to $22 U.S.).

What about High Diving? Standing-room only tickets are offered at ¥2,000 a day (about $15 U.S.).

All pretty reasonable.

● Football ● The eighth SheBelieves Cup begins Thursday in Orlando, Florida, with ninth-ranked Brazil meeting no. 11 Japan at 4 p.m. and the no. 1-ranked U.S. women facing No. 6 Canada at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

There’s considerable drama here, as the American women lost three straight games late last year for the first time in decades, while the Canadian women declared a strike over equal pay conditions last week, only to be threatened with a lawsuit by their federation if they did not play in this tournament! They decided to play, under protest.

All games are on HBO Max and Peacock in English and Universo in Spanish. The U.S. matches on the 19th and 22nd are also to be shown on TNT.

The second doubleheader comes on Sunday (19th) from Nashville, Tennessee, with the U.S. and Japan at 3:30 p.m. Eastern and Canada and Brazil at 6:30 p.m.; the finale is on the 22nd in Frisco, Texas, with Canada vs. Japan at 4 p.m. and the U.S. and Brazil at 7 p.m.

The U.S. has won this tournament five times in seven editions; Brazil was second in 2021 and Canada third in its only other appearance.

● Ice Hockey ● To the surprise of no one who was paying attention, the Russian news agency TASS confirmed that former International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel of Switzerland, 73, was granted Russian citizenship in January 2022.

President of the IIHF from 1994 to 2021, Fasel made no secret of his admiration for Russia, which hosted the IIHF men’s Worlds three times during his tenure. TASS reported that 46% of a Russian premium apple-growing company was “passed to Fasel” last week.

● Speed Skating ● Another impressive performance for emerging American star Jordan Stolz at the ISU World Junior Championships held in Inzell (GER) last weekend.

Stolz, 18, won seven medals in all, taking the World Junior titles in the men’s 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m and the Team Sprint (with Jonathan Tobon and Auggie Herman) plus bronzes in the 5,000 m and Mass Start. He won the Allround title easily at 142.914 points, to 147.222 for Korea’s Ho-jun Yang.

The women’s competition was highlighted by the youngest Allround Junior Champion ever, 15-year-old Angel Daleman of the Netherlands. She won the women’s 1,000 m-1,500 m-Mass Start, was on the winning Team Sprint and Team Pursuit squads and took an additional silver and bronze, scoring a medal in every event!

She won the Allround title by 158.636 to 160.903 over American Greta Myers, 18, who also had an excellent meet, with bronzes in the 1,000 m and 1,500 m and a silver on the American Team Sprint squad.

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TSX REPORT: Alpine Team Parallel gold for the U.S.; what of the Belarus dissidents? FIFA collects $7.6 billion in 2019-22 revenues!

By
Rich Perelman
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Good as gold: the happy U.S. team that just won the FIS World Championships Team Parallel event! (Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard via Twitter)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S. stuns with Alpine Team Parallel gold!
2. Belarusian dissident athletes waiting for IOC support
3. FIFA reports record $7.6 billion in 2019-22 revenue
4. Britain, Canada, Czechs, Sweden join boycott of IBA Worlds
5. Ile-de-France wants €200 million more for Paris ‘24 transport

The U.S. Team Parallel squad of Nina O’Brien, River Radamus, Paula Moltzan and Tommy Ford pulled off yet another surprise at the FIS Alpine Worlds with a gold-medal victory over defending champ Norway in the final! Belarusian athletes who have defied the Lukashenko government are feeling no love from the International Olympic Committee, which has mostly ignored them since taking an anti-government stance concerning the controversial 2020 elections and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. FIFA reported a sensational 2019-22 quadrennial with a record $7.6 billion in revenue – same as the IOC for 2017-21 – and now with reserves above $3.9 billion. Britain, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Canada have joined the U.S. and Ireland in skipping the International Boxing Association’s 2023 Women’s World Championships in March in protest against what they see as IBA’s mismanagement of the sport that has boxing on the edge of being thrown out of the Paris 2024 Games. Valerie Pecresse, the head of the transport authority for the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris, said that an additional €200 million is needed from the national government to deal with the requirements of the 2024 Olympic Games, and wants attendance at the Olympic opening cut from 600,000 to 500,000 in view of the transport facilities available.

● World Championships: Biathlon ●
● Panorama: Russia (2: Asia comes calling; replace WADA?) = Athletics (2: Millrose TV audience; Bol again eligible) = Football (2: UEFA Champions League riot report; Jean-Bart life ban reversed at CAS) = Shooting (U.S. Spring Shotgun Selection) = Triathlon (Quigley wins Tritonman) ●

1.
U.S. stuns with Alpine Team Parallel gold!

The FIS Alpine World Championships in France continued with its hard-to-believe finishes and upsets in the Team Parallel competition, in which two men and two women skiers race on Slalom courses with the winner determined by the most victories, or the least time in case of a tie.

As defending champion, Norway was a clear favorite, winning 4-0 over Belgium in the first round, 3-1 against France in the quarterfinals and 3-1 against Austria in the semis. Against them was the U.S., which tied Poland, 2-2, in the first round, but advanced by being 0.02 better on the clock! The U.S. won its quarterfinal over Italy by 3-1 and then sailed past Canada, 3-1, in the semifinals.

In the gold-medal match, substitute Kristin Lysdahl lost to American Nina O’Brien in the opening race by 0.13, but Alexander Steen Olsen beat River Radamus of the U.S. by 0.04 to tie the match at 1-1. Then there was a tie (!) between Paula Moltzan and Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) at 22.74, leaving each team with two points and the U.S. with an 0.09 margin.

The final race was between Tommy Ford of the U.S. and Timon Haugen of Norway, but Haugen went early, tripped at the start and was unable to impact Ford at all, who skied to a 1.50-second win and the gold medal for the U.S., 3-2.

It was the first-ever medal for the U.S. in the event, which debuted in the FIS Worlds in 2005, and the first American medal at the FIS Worlds not won by Mikaela Shiffrin since 2019. It was the first U.S. FIS Worlds medal for the men since Ted Ligety and Travis Ganong won medals in 2015!

Canada won the bronze, defeating Austria on the tie-break, 45.30 to 45.97.

The Worlds continue with men’s and women’s Parallel events on Wednesday. Moltzan broke her hand during her run and will not compete in the Parallel event, and her availability for the remainder of the Worlds is questionable.

2.
Belarusian dissident athletes waiting for IOC support

“The head of the Belarusian federation put a lot of pressure on me. He said that I should stop my political activity and stay quiet. I had those sorts of conversations a lot.

“Everything got worse after the war started. We started getting checked by the sports ministry for everything. And I realized that either it would be my last year as an athlete or I would have to leave the country.”

That’s ex-Belarusian Olympic archer Karyna Kazlouskaya, in an interview with the multi-lingual German broadcast service Deutsche Welle – “DW” – explaining how her life has changed since she joined the anti-government protests after the controversial August 2020 “elections” that saw Alexander Lukashenko win a sixth term.

Still just 22, she fled to Poland in April to continue her archery career; DW reporter Jonathan Crane noted:

“For the purposes of international competition, they are effectively stateless, ostracized for their political views. Even if other athletes from Belarus are eventually allowed to compete in Paris, Kazlouskaya won’t be among them as things currently stand.”

She says that two letters sent to the International Olympic Committee that described her situation have gone unanswered.

Her story is similar to that of sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, now a Polish citizen, who criticized her coaches during the Tokyo Games, then was ordered to go home by Belarusian officials, but refused to get on the plane and sought out Japanese police protection that eventually ended in asylum in Poland. She told DW:

“The athletes and coaches that currently represent the Belarusian team were chosen according to political principles and not athletic ones.

“Only people loyal to the regime are in the team at the moment, people who were approved by the KGB [secret police]. That violates the principles of Olympism and the rights of athletes like me. It looks like we don’t have any rights.”

She applied for an Olympic Solidarity grant from the IOC, but heard nothing. She added:

“It’s clear that I won’t be representing Belarus again. But at the very least I want my country to be free and for the war to stop.

“I would just like the International Olympic Committee to hear our voices, the voices of the athletes who have faced repression. For them to hear our voices and to exercise our rights in some way.”

3.
FIFA reports record $7.6 billion in 2019-22 revenue

Turns out that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar helped the federation reach a financial milestone as well, with a new revenue record of $7.568 billion for the 2019-22 period, 18% higher than the 2015-18 earnings period and 18% higher than the revenue forecast.

Where did the money come from?

● $3.43 billion from World Cup television rights sales
● $1.80 billion from World Cup sponsorship sales
● $949 million from World Cup tickets and hospitality sales
● $769 million from world Cup licensing rights sales
● $246 million from other revenue (other events, film & video rights, Museum)
● $383 million from other income (host country contributions, rentals)

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar accounted for 83% of the total revenue pool, or $6.31 billion.

The budgeted revenue for the period was $6.44 billion, and the expected expenses of $6.34 billion ended up at $6.30 billion; the surplus was an unexpectedly high $945 million. The biggest expense items:

● $2.54 billion for competitions and events
● $2.58 billion for development and education
● $147 million for football governance
● $767 million for FIFA administration
● $269 million for marketing and broadcasting

Costs related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup amounted to $1.83 billion, led by the prize purse of $440 million, operating expenses of $425 million and broadcasting costs of $248 million. The cost to FIFA of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, in contrast, was $155 million, or 8.5% as much.

FIFA now has $6.795 billion in assets, 55% more than at the end of 2018 ($4.389 billion) and reserves of $3.971 billion, up 45% from 2018 ($2.745 billion).

The budget for the next cycle of 2023-26 is an unprecedented $11 billion, with $10 billion to be programmed for football programming. The football development programs alone are budgeted to increase from $1.746 billion to $2.250 billion for 2023-26.

How does all of this compare with the International Olympic Committee? The IOC’s financial report for the 2017-21 period which included the postponed Tokyo Games also showed $7.6 billion in revenue, with $5.609 billion in assets and $3.362 billion in reserves.

4.
Britain, Canada, Czechs, Sweden join boycott of IBA Worlds

Four more countries joined the U.S. and Ireland in announcing they would not participate in the upcoming Women’s World Championships staged by the International Boxing Association from 15-26 March in New Delhi (IND).

USA Boxing stated that it would not be competing in the event due to the mismanagement of the federation – current off the program for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – and was joined by the Ireland federation last week; the event has no impact on Olympic qualification, which is being arranged by the IOC directly.

“We’ve joined that movement,” Boxing Canada president Ryan O’Shea told The Canadian Press on Tuesday. “That message is going to be very, very strong.

“Our plan now, as it has been from the beginning, is about qualifying our athletes for the Olympics. Our focus for both our males and females is the upcoming Pan American Games qualification because the Pan American Games in Chile are the first Olympic qualification.”

GB Boxing said Tuesday:

“The decision reflects ongoing concerns about the future of boxing’s place on the Olympic programme and the recent move by IBA to allow boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags, which contravenes resolutions passed by the IOC in February and December 2022.

“This has put further distance between the IBA and the Olympic Movement in addition to the significant, long-standing issues over sporting integrity, governance, transparency and financial management which the IOC has asked IBA to address to protect boxing’s place on the Olympic programme.”

The Czech Boxing Association said on Monday that it would skip both the women’s Worlds in India and the men’s Worlds in Uzbekistan in May.

Swedish Boxing Federation Chair Per-Axel Sjoholm said their focus was on the European Games, which is a qualifying event for Paris 2024:

“We do not accept IBA’s handling of the sport. There is no democracy or transparency. We have worked for several years to bring about a change, but without success. Then they made the decision themselves to allow Russia and Belarus to compete, moreover under national flags.

“Another reason is that the Olympics are much more important to us than the World Championships organized by IBA. So it was an easy decision for us in Sweden.”

The IBA has offered direct assistance to athletes from countries who are now not participating and has said it will pursue sanctions against “participating officials.”

5.
Ile-de-France wants €200 million more for Paris ‘24 transport

Although not demanded of the Paris 2024 Olympic organizing committee, the financial pressure on the 2024 Games continued on Monday as Valerie Pecresse (Republicans party), the President of the Regional Council of the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris, asked for an additional €200 million (about $215 million U.S.) for support of the public transit systems during the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Pecresse is also the head of Ile-de-France Mobilities (IDFM), the transit agency for the region, and insists that support for new metro and regional lines is needed. She is asking for €600 million in government support for the next year (~$644 million U.S.), with a third related to support for the Olympic and Paralympic period.

This is all part of a larger transit plan for the Ile-de-France region which extends past 2030, but the direct cost of the 2024 Paris Games is being carefully watched for fiscal and political reasons.

She also asked that access to the Olympic opening on 26 July 2024 to be reduced from the expected 600,000 to not more than 500,000, given that access to the bridges across the Seine River will be blocked as the ceremony passes through. That means that cross-Seine traffic will rely on public transit, which may be insufficient to handle the load.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist) said on Tuesday that the request is premature and that the logistics are still being arranged.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● He cannot be stopped. He cannot be contained. Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe won his fourth gold medal in four events at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER) with a Tuesday victory in the men’s 20 km Individual race.

Boe led a repeat of the podium in the 12.5 km Pursuit, as he won in 49:57.5 (2 penalties), ahead of teammate Sturla Holm Laegreid (51:08.2/1) and Swede Sebastian Samuelsson (51:08.6/1). Boe has now undefeated this year at 9-0 in individual races, winning the last six World Cup races and now three at the IBU Worlds. He has one more race, the 15 km mass Start on the 19th, to complete a sweep of the individual Worlds men’s races. Wow.

Sean Doherty was the top American finisher in 39th (56:02.9/3). Paul Schommer was 77th (59:48.3/6) and Vincent Bonacci was 80th (59:57.4/3).

The women’s 15 km Individual race comes on Wednesday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Russia ● An opening for the Russian U-17 women’s football team, which has been invited to compete in the South Asian Football Federation championship in Dhaka (BAN), from 20-28 March. The Russians will compete against teams from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.

Further, the head of the Russian Diving Federation, Stanislav Druzhinin said his athletes had been formally invited to compete in the Asian Games:

“The Asian Swimming Federation sent us an official letter with a proposal to apply for participation in the Asian Games, which will be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.

“Even though these competitions are not qualifying for the Olympic Games, we are interested in participating in them, our athletes need practice. In the near future we will send our application to the Asian federation.”

The heads of the Russian fencing and gymnastics federations said they had received no similar invitation.

The head of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, said that an invitation had been received to compete in China, without any further details. Mamiashvili also let loose with his opinion of the sports ministers meeting of last Friday (10th):

“The 36 countries are outcasts who have devoted their lives to destruction and edification. They are an overwhelming minority, it must be understood. They have departed from all human principles and morals, from the Olympic Charter.”

In the meantime, Russian two-time Olympic Biathlon relay gold medalist Dmitry Vasiliev (1984-88) told TASS that the World Anti-Doping Agency needs to be replaced, and accused Norwegian skiers of using Therapeutic Use Exemptions to cover up doping:

“They make up stories about the need for these drugs in terms of a preventative measure. But most people on the planet are susceptible to the disease; many have cancer cells in a dormant state. Does this mean that everyone should be allowed to use these drugs? That’s just the kind of slyness they’re covering up by telling beautiful stories. Or remember the Norwegian ban on doping tests for juniors and young men. What is this? The whole world lives by one law, and the Norwegians live by another, and yet they teach everyone.

“There was a story with the British track and field athlete Mo Farah, who may have used doping while working with the American coach Alberto Salazar. WADA then asked for a B sample, to which the British anti-doping agency responded that it wouldn’t give it back because the sample might be tainted. How did it end? Nothing. That is the answer to all questions, I don’t trust anyone there. It is necessary to annul WADA completely, to form its new staff without admitting any Western representatives.”

● Athletics ● Pretty good television audience for the 115th Millrose Games in New York on NBC on Saturday, with 972,000 tuning in to see eight world-leading performances and American Records from sprinter Abby Steiner, miler Yared Nuguse and Alicia Monson in the 3,000 m.

That ranked fourth in the 2 p.m. (Eastern) time slot, behind 2.536 million for the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open, 1.745 million on ESPN for Duke-Virginia basketball, and 1.112 million on ABC for NHL hockey (Washington vs. Boston).

Thus year’s audience was up 4.6% from the 929,000 that watched Millrose on NBC in 2022.

The NFL’s Super Bowl, of course, dominated on Sunday with an average of 113.0 million viewers on all FOX platforms and a total audience of 182.6 million, the third-most-watched television program in U.S. history.

Australian 800 m star Peter Bol, 28, the Tokyo Olympic fourth-placer with a best of 1:44.00 from last year, was cleared – for now – in his doping case when his B-sample did not return a confirming positive for Recombinant EPO as found in his initial sample.

While the first sample found a violation (Adverse Analytical Finding), the second test came back as an “Atypical Finding.” which requires further inquiry. So:

“The investigation into the matter remains ongoing. Sport Integrity Australia will, as part of its investigation, proceed to consider whether any anti-doping rule violation/s have been committed. It is not possible to provide a timeframe at this point.”

Bol’s provisional ban from 10 January has been lifted; he posted on his Instagram page, in part:

“Last month I told everyone that I was innocent and asked everyone in Australia believe me and let the process play out. I was hopeful that the process would exonerate me. Today, I am relieved to report that it did. … The relief I am feeling is hard to describe.”

● Football ● “On behalf of UEFA, I would like to apologise most sincerely once again to all those who were affected by the events that unfolded on what should have been a celebration at the pinnacle of the club season. In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of Liverpool FC for the experiences many of them had when attending the game and for the messages released prior to and during the game which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off.”

That’s from UEFA Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis (GRE), following the release of a 220-page independent report on the security disaster surrounding the UEFA Champions League Final on 28 May 2022 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

The report explained that the crowd crush at a south-end security perimeter was recognized beforehand, was poorly handled once problems arose and then:

“Thousands of supporters remained corralled in this unsafe environment, unable to progress or escape, as others unwittingly joined them at their rear. Those corralled were exposed to criminality, with some accounts of stolen match tickets and pickpocketing shared with the Panel. …

“Subsequently, a decision to delay kick-off was taken. The Panel has concluded this was the correct decision, although the lack of messaging to those outside the turnstile perimeter meant that it probably made little difference to the congestion. The dangerous conditions on the concourse outside the turnstiles were compounded by the police deploying tear gas at disorderly groups of locals, as well as using pepper spray on supporters trying to gain entrance with valid tickets. It is remarkable that no one lost their life.”

In answering the simple question of “what went wrong,” the report explained:

“The Panel has concluded that there were two overarching organisational failures that lie at the root of what went so disastrously wrong in Paris. Firstly, the UEFA ‘model’ for organising the UCLF22 was defective in that there was an absence of overall control or oversight of safety and security. Secondly, the safety, security and service model laid out in the [2016] Saint-Denis Convention, was ignored in favour of a securitized approach which was inappropriately based on incorrect assumptions that Liverpool FC supporters posed significant threats to public order. That inexplicable misconception resulted in a policing approach that lacked capacity for engagement, and which actively failed to integrate into a coherent multi-agency framework.”

A decided lack of police, transport and venue access planning, poor communications and multiple false excuses afterwards all contributed to the disaster. Some 21 recommendations were made at the close of the report, urging better planning and especially better communications and interoperability between the various stakeholders involved in the event, including local law enforcement.

A lifetime ban and a CHF 1 million fine against former Haiti Football Federation President Yves Jean-Bart for “acts of sexual harassment and abuse against female soccer players, including minors, as well as abuse of position in connection with his function as FHF President during the period 2014-2020” was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The decision against Jean-Bart was rendered by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee in November 2020, and appealed in January 2021. The CAS panel held a three-day hearing in March 2022, and found:

“In its award, the Panel of Arbitrators unanimously noted inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the statements of the victims and witnesses presented by FIFA. In addition, the Panel did not consider the information contained in documents prepared by third parties, such as [Human Rights Watch] and FIFPro, to be sufficiently evidentiary, as it was not corroborated or confirmed by other regularly administered evidence which could or would have served as a basis for investigative measures to verify its validity.

“In conclusion, the Panel of Arbitrators considers that the evidence against Yves Jean-Bart regarding the allegations of sexual abuse is inconsistent, unclear and contradictory and that, as a result, it is not sufficient to establish a violation of Articles 23 and 25 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”

● Shooting ● USA Shooting’s Spring Shotgun Selection matches in Tucson, Arizona concluded last week, with two Olympic legends leading the national team selections.

In men’s Skeet, two-time Olympic champ Vincent Hancock was second to Dustan Taylor, 248-247 (out of 250!) in the 10-stage qualifications rounds, then Hancock won the final over Taylor and Hayden Stewart to finish tied with Taylor at 250 points. By winning the final, Hancock, 33, was the overall winner, with Taylor second and Christian Elliott (247) finishing third.

The women’s Skeet featured six-time (3-1-2) Olympic medal winner Kim Rhode, 43, who shot 246/250 to lead the qualifying, ahead of 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi (240) and Sam Simonton (239). Rhode went on to win the final and ended with 249 points to 241 for Vizzi and 239 for Simonton.

In Trap, the 2022 World Champion, Derrick Mein, was second in the qualifying at 229/250, just behind Will Hinton (232) and ahead of Grayson Davey (225). But Mein won the final to take top honors, with Hinton second and Glenn Eller finishing third.

Rachel Tozier, 30, a rising star in Trap and the 2019 Pan Am Games runner-up, similarly finished second in the qualifying (223), but won in the final against qualifying leader Alicia Gough (225) and Ryann Phillips (216).

● Triathlon ● A big debut for U.S. Steeplechase Olympian Colleen Quigley, who not only earned her USA Triathlon elite license card at the Tritonman Triathlon in San Diego last weekend … she won the women’s division by 48 seconds!

Competing in a draft-legal “sprint” event with a 750 m swim, 20 km bike section and 5 km run, she came out of the water in 18th place, had the eighth-fastest bike time and then won the run in 19:02 to finish in 1:05:59. She is now eligible to race in the “elite wave” of USA Triathlon events with prize purses of $5,000 or more.

Quigley, 31, has been beset by injuries during her track career, but still expects to concentrate on the Steeple in a try for a second Olympic selection for Paris in 2024. She ranks no. 4 all-time U.S. in the Steeple with her 2018 lifetime best of 9:10.27, but now she might have other options.

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TSX REPORT: IOC asks NOCs to intercede on sports ministers statement; Russian Olympian becomes Palestinian; ranking Paris ‘24 pictograms!

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC asks for NOCs to tone down sport minister resolution on Russia
2. Russian equestrian now Palestinian; athletics deputy “talking trash”
3. Olympic Movement gives $1.03 million for earthquake aid
4. World 400 m hurdles champ Alison dos Santos likely out for ‘23
5. How about a ranking of the Paris 2024 pictograms!

Following the meeting of sports ministers from 36 nations last Friday, the International Olympic Committee sent a message to the National Olympic Committees in those countries, asking for intercessions to have their ministers forego signing a final statement. IOC President Thomas Bach, speaking at the FIS Alpine World Championships, said Russian and Belarusian re-entry discussions are only about international events and not yet about Paris 2024. A two-time Russian Olympian in equestrian, Vladimir Tuganov, 61, wants to get to Paris and is changing his national affiliation to Palestine! Meanwhile, the husband of high jump star Mariya Lasitskene ripped the deputy head of the Russian Athletics Federation for saying everyone still in the country agrees with the war in Ukraine. The IOC and other continental groups joined to donate more than $1 million for relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after last week’s brutal earthquakes. Brazil’s men’s 400 m hurdles star Alison dos Santos tore his meniscus last week and could be out for the season; he will have surgery this week. The editor-in-chief of SwimSwam.com undertook a ranking of all of the Paris 2024 pictorgrams; see if you agree!

● Panorama: Olympic Games 1984 (Lynne Niemiec Haddow passes) = Commonwealth Games 2022 (Raging Bull finds home) = Athletics (Australia refuses Worlds Cross Country visas) = Canoeing (Fox wins Slalom Ranking race) = Curling (Shuster and Peterson win U.S. titles) = Football (Saudi to finance Egypt & Greece stadia for 2030?) = Wrestling (nine now dead in earthquakes) ●

1.
IOC asks for NOCs to tone down sport minister resolution on Russia

Noted German investigative reporter Jens Weinreich obtained and published a message from the International Olympic Committee, asking National Olympic Committee officials to intercede with their governments to loosen the consensus of the sports ministers of 36 countries who met online last Friday (10th).

The message was from the IOC’s James Macleod (GBR), Director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations and included:

“Following yesterdays meeting of Sports Ministers, we have been made aware of many erroneous comments made during the meeting and subsequently in the media which have misrepresented the outcomes of the meeting itself. We understand now that a final statement is being negotiated this weekend and we would strongly urge you to get in touch urgently with your Minister to ensure that they either choose not to sign the statement, or at the very least, make sure that the wording reflects the Olympic Movement position as much as possible.”

The entire list of attendees was attached, with the full list of countries now revealed:

● Australia
● Austria
● Belgium
● Canada
● Croatia
● Cyprus
● Czech Republic
● Denmark
● Estonia
● Finland
● France
● Germany
● Great Britain
● Greece
● Hungary
● Iceland
● Ireland
● Italy
● Japan
● Latvia
● Lithuania
● Luxembourg
● Malta
● Netherlands
● New Zealand
● Norway
● Poland
● Portugal
● Slovakia
● Slovenia
● South Korea
● Spain
● Sweden
● Switzerland
● Ukraine
● United States

The 36 included two Asian countries, two from North America, two from Oceania and 30 from Europe. The final statement had not been released as of Monday evening, European time.

IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) told reporters at the FIS Alpine World Championships on Sunday, “We are in discussion, but we are not talking about Paris yet. We are discussing the sports competitions to be played this year. The subject of Paris 2024 will come later.”

The blowback on the Russian issue has been constant, with high-profile columnist Sean Ingle of The Guardian (GBR) asking on Monday, “So Mr Bach, will nothing ever be enough to ban Russia from the Olympics?” and adds:

“[H]is lopsided focus is bizarre. Because while he seeks ways to allow Russian athletes to compete, he says nothing about what – if anything – it would take to ban them.” Ingle reported:

“Insiders suggest that the IOC will instead place multiple conditions on entry, including banning the Russian flag and anthem and requiring its athletes to wear all-white uniforms. More significantly, anyone with links to the Russian military is also likely to be barred – which could result in 75% of their team and officials being declared ineligible.”

He observes that such conditions might be enough to have Russia refuse to come to Paris at all, which would be another violation of the Olympic Charter. No way to win.

Bach was supported by five-time Olympic Biathlon gold medalist Martin Fourcade of France, now an IOC member from the IOC Athletes’ Commission. He told Norway’s NRK Television:

“As an athlete representative and as a sportsman, I believe we should consider allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition. That is the main message. I have been elected to the IOC to defend athletes. And I feel a little bit like I’m not defending those athletes. Of course they are Russian and Belarusian, but they are also performers. I think they should also be defended on that basis.”

But fellow biathlete, Russian Vladimir Drachev, a four-time World Championships gold medalist and two-time Olympic relay medal winner, told TASS that while he liked Fourcade’s comments, it’s all for show (DeepL.com translation):

“In my opinion, these are all empty words, they will not lead to anything. It is clear that our athletes are not going to be admitted anywhere, so all this talk is just to stir up the public. You have to understand that the IOC is not an independent organization, it’s all talk.”

2.
Russian equestrian now Palestinian; athletics deputy
“talking trash”

Russian responses to the current ban on international competitions and the prospect of missing out on Paris in 2024 show the depth of their concerns.

On Sunday, TASS reported that Vladimir Tuganov, 61, and a two-time Olympic in equestrian from 2004 and 2012, retired as Vice President of the Russian Equestrian Federation and:

“At the end of 2022, the master of sports of international class Vladimir Tuganov changed his Russian sports citizenship to Palestinian, the transition was carried out as part of all the formal procedures necessary for this. Following the established rules, Vladimir Petrovich filed official applications for the release of his from all official positions held in the national federation.”

Vladimir Beletsky, the head coach of the Russian equestrian team, told TASS:

“Vladimir Petrovich Tuganov has been striving all his life to compete in the biggest sports competitions, including the Olympics. His base, the horses are now outside of Russia [in Germany]. Tuganov has no opportunity to continue his sport in his home country because the importation of horses into the Russian Federation is prohibited because of sanctions. He is a very experienced athlete who has done a lot for his country, and he does not have time to wait quietly for the Russians to return to international competitions, every year is expensive. He has not many years left in his sports career, so he wants to compete now and try to qualify for his third Olympics.

“Tuganov’s decision to change his sporting nationality was very difficult, he waited until the last minute for the Russians to return to the international arena. As long as he has a chance to show good results, he should use it. But as soon as Russian athletes will be admitted, Vladimir will come back for sure. There is no need to doubt the lack of patriotism here.”

Tuganov is not the pioneer; previously two other Russians, Alexandra Maksakova and Yegor Shchibrik, joined the Palestinian team.

Tokyo Olympic women’s high jump champ, Russian Mariya Lasitskene – now 30 – has publicly fretted about being able to compete again at the international level as she ages. The World Champion in 2015-17-19 and no. 5 all-time at 2.06 m (6-9), her clock is ticking.

In view of the IOC’s statements about “anti-war” Russians perhaps being able to compete again, her husband, sportswriter and Eurosport commentator Vladas Lasitskas, bitterly criticized All-Russian Athletics Federation deputy director Irina Privalova, a four-time Olympic medal winner in the sprints and hurdles (1992-2000), for these comments to Reuters:

“Athletes and any Russian citizen who does not support the President [Vladimir Putin]’s decision should not represent the country. I think those who don’t support [the Ukraine operation] have already left. The ones who remain are those who support it.”

Tweeted Lasitskas (DeepL.com translation):

“I think that after these words, Privalova should leave all her posts in the [All-Russian Athletics Federation]. Or [RusAF head Peter] Ivanov should kick her out if she doesn’t.

“Irina Anatolyevna, answer only for yourself and don’t talk trash. You did not communicate with the athletes on this topic in order to have the right to say something.”

3.
Olympic Movement gives $1.03 million for earthquake aid

The International Olympic Committee announced Friday that it was teaming with other sports organizations to provide financial aid to Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the destructive earthquakes on 6 February, killing more than 35,000. The statement included:

“[T]he International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) will donate a total of USD one million to help the Olympic community in the areas affected by the natural disaster. The IOC and OCA will each give USD 250,000, EOC will give EUR 250,000, while the ORF will make available an additional amount of USD 260,000 for immediate emergency assistance to the local population and refugees in Türkiye.”

The total is about $1.028 million, with IOC President Bach adding:

“Our first-response emergency assistance in Türkiye will channelled through the Olympic Refuge Foundation and their partners on site. In Syria, we will work with international [non-governmental organizations] and UN agencies that are able to access the affected areas. We have learnt that the biggest need at the moment is for food, medicine and tents.”

The Olympic Refuge Foundation already has multiple programs running in Turkey; the statement noted, that “the ORF contribution, originally planned to support the programme, will now be used for humanitarian assistance, such as providing clothes, blankets, food and shelter.”

4.
World 400 m hurdles champ Alison dos Santos likely out for ‘23

Brazilian 400 m hurdles star Alison Dos Santos, 22, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee on 6 February and could be out for the season.

As originally reported by O Globo, his knee locked up during stretching drills during a practice session in Sao Paulo and will require surgery, likely this week. Depending on the severity of the tear, he could return in six weeks, but it could also be six months or more, and sideline him for the season.

Dos Santos was named the top Brazilian male athlete of 2022 by the Brazilian National Olympic Committee and was preparing to move his training base to Florida for the 2023 outdoor campaign. Now, that’s all on hold. He said in a video:

“Passing by today to give you some not so good news. This week, I ended up having an injury to my knee, but nothing is impossible to treat. Is it connected how life works? I want to thank everyone who is sending messages, good vibes, doing their best to comfort me a little. And the life that follows! Let’s focus, nothing changes, we have our goals. And we’re going to get through this together, right guys?”

Dos Santos was the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist in 2021 and then dominated the 2022 season, going undefeated and winning the World Athletics Championships in Eugene in a sensational 46.29, the third-fastest time in history. He was targeting the world record of 45.94 by Norway’s Karsten Warholm in the Tokyo Olympic final this season.

5.
How about a ranking of the Paris 2024 pictograms!

Well, it doesn’t have to be all serious, does it? SwimSwam.com’s editor-in-chief Braden Keith decided to rank all 61 Paris Olympic pictograms in order (Paris 2024 says there 62, but Keith is sure there are only 61), in order from best to worst!

He was looking for visual appeal, design, how well each represents the sport and so on, including both the Olympic and Paralympic designs. His top 10:

1. Breaking
2. Wheelchair Fencing
3. Fencing
4. Surfing
5. Weightlifting
6. Archery and Para Archery
7. Boxing
8. Para Powerlifting
9. Wheelchair Rugby
10. Boccia

And the worst?

57. Volleyball
58. Sitting Volleyball
59. Artistic Swimming
60. Diving
61. Skateboarding

Keith’s short comments on each are fun; on Volleyball (no. 57), he observed: “I know what’s going on here, but only because I know. I don’t know if I hate this more-or-less than the sitting logo. But I do hate it.”

See if you agree or disagree!

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 1984: Los Angeles ● A key member of the Press Operations team for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, Lynne (Niemiec) Haddow has passed away from complications of ALS at age 69 in Hickory, North Carolina.

Niemiec came to the LAOOC in 1983 from the University of Texas Sports Information Department and immediately distinguished herself with her meticulous attention to detail and a keen grasp of the needs of not only American journalists, but also those from foreign countries. During the Games, she served as the Venue Press Chief for the heavily-covered volleyball competition at the Long Beach Arena.

Her thorough and complete approach made her a natural choice to be a co-Managing Editor of the massive, 1,552-page Official Report of the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad, completed in 1985.

She went on to an impactful career in cable television, with senior positions at Liberty Media in Texas, at Prime Network/HSE, the Fox regional sports networks, finally retiring in 2013 as the Vice President and General Manager of Fox’s international channels, with a particular focus on the Middle East and North Africa.

She is survived by her husband of 32 years, Mark Haddow, daughter Ryanne Haddow, daughter-in-law Emee Herbert and her father and mother-in-law.

● Commonwealth Games 2022: Birmingham ● The 32-foot-high mechanical bull that was a star of the Opening Ceremony and all during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is getting a permanent home at the New Street transit station in Birmingham.

The “Raging Bull” was never planned for such stardom, but the 2.5-ton salute to the historic “Bull Ring” marketplace in Birmingham that dates from the Middle Ages, captured the public’s imagination and was a must-see during the Games and for weeks afterwards in Centenary Square.

● Athletics ● Australia’s well-known, tight entry system has kept out some Ethiopian and Kenyan entries for Saturday’s World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.

The Ethiopian federation confirmed Friday that eighth junior athletes and six delegation members were refused visa to enter Australia, and Athletics Kenya said that four of its junior entrants and two officials were denied visas.

● Canoe/Kayak ● Many of the top Canoe Slalom racers are in Penrith, Australia for a series of ICF World Ranking Series races, with home favorite – and Tokyo Olympic champ – Jessica Fox winning last weekend’s Penrith Open C-1 title.

Fox and younger sister Noemie Fox finished 1-2 in the C-1 in 94.39 (0 penalty seconds) and 99.16 (2), with Marjorie Delassus (FRA: 101.18/0) third and American Evy Leibfarth fourth (103.58/2).

France’s Camille Priget, the 2020 European runner-up, won the K-1 in 90.70 (0), ahead of Noemie (91.78/0) and New Zealand’s Rio 2016 runner-up Luuka Jones (92.56/0), with Jessica fourth (93.24/2) and Leibfarth fifth (94.43/2).

The men’s victories went to Australia’s Brodie Crawford in the C-1 (91.19/0) and teammate Lucien Delfour in the K-1 (82.85/0) as the hosts won five of the six medals.

The Australian Open will be held at Penrith this week (17-19), also an ICF Ranking Series race.

● Curling ● The USA Curling National Championships concluded in Denver, Colorado, with PyeongChang 2018 Olympic gold medalist John Shuster claiming his eighth national title.

Shuster, with Chris Plys, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner and Colin Hufman, finished 5-2 in round-robin play, behind Danny Casper’s rink (6-1), which included Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, and Chase Sinnett.

In the playoffs, Shuster’s rink defeated Casper, 8-5, in the semifinals, while Korey Dropkin dropped Scott Dunnam’s squad, 14-5. Casper won the play-in game with Dropkin, 8-5, to advance to the final. But Shuster went up, 3-0, by the third end and clinched the title with three points in the eighth for the 8-3 final.

Shuster won for the eighth time as skip, with four titles for Hamilton and Landsteiner and a third for Plys. Shuster will advance to the WCF men’s Worlds in April as the American entry.

Tabitha Peterson won the women’s national title – her third overall and second as skip – with an 8-5 win over Delaney Strouse in the final. Peterson won in 2020, but missed the Worlds, which was canceled due to the pandemic. This time, playing with Cory Thiesse, Becca Hamilton and younger sister Tara Peterson, they went 7-0 in the round-robin, then beat Strouse in an amazing 11-10 comeback win, scoring four points in the 10th end!

Strouse defeated Sarah Anderson’s squad in the play-in game to the championship, 9-4, but Peterson once again pulled out some late magic to break a 5-5 tie in the ninth end with three points for the 8-5 final. They will represent the U.S. in the WCF women’s Worlds in Sweden in late March.

● Football ● Reports last week in European media claimed that Saudi Arabia has offered to pay for the hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, including construction of new stadia for co-bidders Egypt and Greece if … the Saudis would host 75% of the tournament matches.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. and the decision on 2030 is due in 2024.

There are multiple bids targeting 2030, including a very strong, multi-nation South American offer to play in five countries, celebrating the centennial of the event, first held in Uruguay in 2030. A European bid includes Portugal, Spain and Ukraine, and an African bid is in development, separate from Egypt’s tie-in with Greece and Saudi Arabia.

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling posted a sad update to its prior message concerning the horrific earthquakes in Turkey and Syria last week, with now nine wrestlers confirmed to be killed in the event.

UWW reported that 21 wrestlers were saved quickly and as many as 20 more were pulled from the rubble of a wrestling club.

You can receive our exclusive TSX Report by e-mail by clicking here. You can also refer a friend by clicking here, and can donate here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Ministers of 35 countries against Russia at Paris ‘24; IBA’s Kremlev calls U.S. & Ireland “hyenas and jackals”; eight world leads at Millrose

By
Rich Perelman
-
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to Friday's meeting of 35 sports ministers (Photo: Twitter page of Lucy Frazer, Secretary of State for Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)

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

★ Bravo! Our 26 donors have now covered 59% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Friday meeting of 35 nations on Russia in Paris sees “dissident” team
2. Russian spokeswoman says Paris ban idea not about Ukraine!
3. IBA’s Kremlev calls USA and Irish federations “hyenas and jackals”
4. Canada’s women football threatens strike, but will play SheBelieves Cup
5. Another Worlds shocker as Flury wins women’s Downhill

An online meeting held on Friday with the sports ministers of 35 countries (including a Department of State official from the U.S.) heard Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ask that Russia and Belarus not be allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A concept to allow “dissident” athletes to compete as refugees was floated by Poland; International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach brushed off the meeting as insufficient to meet its needs for human rights. Russia reaction was, of course, angry, with swimming federation head Vladimir Salnikov – an Olympic gold medalist himself – saying that the ministers had lost their sanity. Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin decried “government interference” in sport and the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the West has been trying to force Russia out of international sports for years and the Ukraine invasion is just an excuse! Umar Kremlev, the Russian President of the International Boxing Association, called the heads of USA Boxing and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association “hyenas and jackals” after the federations declared they would not be participating in the 2023 IBA Worlds for men or women; he also asked the sanctions be brought against them. Skipping the IBA Worlds has no impact on 2024 Olympic qualifying, since it is being handled by the IOC. The Canadian women’s national football team called a strike on Friday over equal-pay concerns and a lack of funding of Canada Soccer; they relented on Saturday under threat of a lawsuit against them for an illegal work stoppage. Canada will play against the U.S., Brazil and Japan this week in the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Nashville and Frisco, Texas. At the FIS Alpine World Championships in France, another shock as Swiss Jasmine Flury – with one World Cup Downhill victory in her career – won the women’s Downhill on Saturday. Swiss star Marco Odermatt – the seasonal World Cup leader – restored some order by winning the men’s Downhill on Sunday, but even so, it was his first World Cup or World Championship Downhill victory since he won the World Junior title back in 2018!

● World Championships: Biathlon = Skateboarding ●
● Panorama: Athletics (4) = Bobsled & Skeleton = Boxing = Cycling = Fencing (4) = Football = Freestyle Skiing = Luge = Nordic Combined = Short Track = Ski Jumping = Snowboard = Speed Skating ●

1.
Friday meeting of 35 nations vs. Russia in Paris,
sees “dissident” team

A Friday online conference of sports ministers and government officials from 35 nations agreed that Russia and Belarus should not field teams at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but in a strange way, may be coming to much the same position as the International Olympic Committee.

The meeting was coordinated by Britain’s Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, who tweeted afterwards:

“It was a very productive meeting between 35 nations, and I made the UK’s position very clear: as long as Putin continues his barbaric war, Russia and Belarus must not be represented at the Olympics.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke, telling the ministers:

“The mere presence of representatives of the terrorist state is a manifestation of violence and lawlessness. And it cannot be covered up with some pretended neutrality or a white flag.

“If the Olympic sports were killings and missile strikes, then you know which national team would occupy the first place. If Russian athletes are allowed to participate in any competitions or the Olympic Games, it just a matter of time before the terrorist state forces them to play along with the war propaganda. Russia is now a country that stains everything with blood; even the white flag.”

He also noted that while the IOC has suggested allowing athletes who have not “actively” supported the war might be allowed to compete, Zelensky noted that few have dared to come out publicly against the invasion:

“There is almost no such condemnation. There are only a few isolated voices that are quickly fading away.”

The discussions, which included Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, the Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland – and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, led Lithuanian minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene to say, “We are going in the direction that we would not need a boycott because all countries are unanimous” and added:

“We invite you not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in any international competitions, including the Olympic Games, while the war in Ukraine continues. Our position as sports politicians must be strong and united. We cannot allow it to be used. Pressure on Russia and Belarus is very important. Lithuania will support and join all initiatives and efforts to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from returning to international competitions if these [efforts] coincide with our clear and firm position.”

The question of “neutral athletes” from Russia and Belarus was a non-starter for some:

● “In a Russian context, there is no difference between sport and politics, and any sports performance is pure propaganda,” Norwegian Minister of Culture and Equality Anette Trettebergstuen said in a Verdens Gang interview, adding “Neutrality is not possible. It’s a dead end.”

● Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told reporters after a meeting with the country’s sports agency and the National Olympic Committee:

“We know that 70% of Russian athletes are soldiers. I consider it unacceptable that such people participate in the Olympic Games in the current situation, when fair play obviously means nothing to them.”

However, Kamil Bortniczuk, the Polish Minister for Tourism and Sport, told reporters afterwards:

“It may be a compromise for the IOC to create a team of refugees … not a neutral team, but a team of refugees in which people of Russian or Belarusian nationality who are dissidents against the regimes of Putin and Lukashenko, respectively, could take part.”

Bortniczuk said most of the ministers favored a total exclusion, saying “Most voices – with the exception of Greece, France, Japan – were exactly in this tone.”

The U.S. was represented by Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; a spokesperson explained:

“The Assistant Secretary outlined that the United States will continue to join a vast community of nations in our unwavering support for the people of Ukraine and hold the Russian Federation accountable for its brutal and barbaric war against Ukraine, as well as the complicit Lukashenka regime in Belarus.

“We will continue to consult with our independent National Olympic Committee – the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee – on next steps, and look forward to greater clarity by the IOC on their proposed policy toward Russia and Belarus.”

On Friday, the IOC Press Office said only, “We do not comment on the interpretations of individual participants in the meeting, the general content of which is unknown.”

IOC President Thomas Bach (GER), speaking at the FIS World Alpine Championships in France on Sunday, brushed off the meeting of ministers, told reporters, “Unfortunately, what they have not addressed, at least so far as we can see, are these human rights concerns [of Russian and Belarusian athletes]. There, we don’t have an answer but we have to take it seriously. …

“The IOC being committed to human rights, like the international sports federations, has of course to address these serious concerns. …

“Every Ukrainian athlete can be rest assured that we are standing in full solidarity with them and that all their comments are taken very, very seriously into consideration.”

2.
Russian spokeswoman says Paris ban idea not about Ukraine!

The response from Moscow came quickly after the announcements from the online meeting of ministers about Russian and Belarusian participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin told the Russian news agency TASS:

“This is a big challenge not so much for Russian and Belarusian athletes, but for the international Olympic Movement. If it, represented by the IOC and international sports federations, makes concessions and succumbs to influence, this will create a precedent and negatively affect the development of sports, its unity. I hope that this will be consolidated by the international federations, which have already supported the decision of the IOC. The National Olympic Committees must show that they are an independent force.”

“Moreover, history remembers how in the same 2003, the United States, together with the coalition, carried out military operations in Iraq, but then no one raised the question of the participation of American athletes in the Olympic Games in Athens.

“This is a direct intervention of ministers in the activities of independent international sports organizations, an attempt to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions, which is absolutely unacceptable. Moreover, more than a month ago, the National Olympic Committees of these countries supported the decision of the IOC on the participation of our athletes in competitions. These countries are putting pressure on the activities of independent public organizations, which they tried to accuse us of. Now we see an undisguised desire to destroy the unity of international sports and the international Olympic movement, to make sport a means of pressure in order to resolve political issues.

“The assessment is the most negative. It would be better to organize sports within countries and do everything necessary for sports to be an ambassador of peace and build bridges between peoples.”

Of the suggestion by Poland’s Bortniczuk of a possible dissident team for Russian and Belarusian athletes against the war in Paris, Matytsin told TASS:

“It shows the level of culture of the man concerned, and his desire to split the unity of the sport, to break all the principles and humiliate the athletes. But by doing so, he humiliated himself, not those he was addressing.”

Vladimir Salnikov, a former swimming world-record holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist, told the agency:

“It’s a pity that these countries have changed their sanity. They have lost it, and politics has firmly interfered in the sports of these countries. We will see the consequences, the situation may change. Let’s wait for the reaction of the International Olympic Committee, it must now express its position more specifically, then the further development of events is clear.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also let loose on Friday (Deepl.com translation):

“In fact, the task of a well-known group of Russophobes is to launch another campaign against some of our athletes, calling to boycott the competition otherwise. We consider such initiatives of fierce Russophobe-minded countries not only as an attempt to put pressure on the main international sports organization, but also as an attempt to split the international Olympic Movement.

“All this is a gross violation of generally recognized norms of international law in the field of sport and fundamentally contradicts the principled position of the Russian Federation, which traditionally stands for equal development of sports cooperation.

“We are sure that major international competitions without the participation of Russian athletes have naturally lost a lot in sports competition, the heat of the struggle, and the spectacle. This, in turn, leads to a drop in spectator interest and discredits all those who are bureaucrats from international sport.

“I would like to hope that this awareness reaches all sensible people in Western countries as well. And about motivation. We are told that the motivation for such anti-Russian steps is the desire to oppose what they call Russian aggression against Ukraine. It’s not. That’s not true. That’s not what drives you. You’ve been squeezing Russia out of world sport for years. And it has nothing to do with Ukraine. Every year you find new excuses.”

As far as “dissident” athletes are concerned, deputy head of the Russian Athletics Federation, Irina Privalova, a four-time Olympic medal winner in the sprints and hurdles (1992-2000), told Reuters:

“Athletes and any Russian citizen who does not support the President [Vladimir Putin]’s decision should not represent the country. I think those who don’t support [the Ukraine operation] have already left. The ones who remain are those who support it.”

3.
IBA’s Kremlev calls USA and Irish federations
“hyenas and jackals”

International Boxing Association President Umar Kemlev (RUS) tore into USA Boxing and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association after both announced last week that neither would participate in the 2023 IBA World Championships in view of the IBA’s continuing difficulties with the International Olympic Committee. Kremlev’s statement during a news conference on Friday in Morocco included:

“This decision doesn’t belong to the athletes themselves. Not one of the sports administrators or politicians in the world is entitled to deprive athletes of their dream to become World Champions. Boxers dedicate their whole life to the sport, while administrators and politicians come to and go. Those, who are doing this to our athletes, are worse than hyenas and jackals, they violate the integrity of sport and culture. I urge all my colleagues to clear their organizations of such hyenas, as I can’t call them another way. IBA will do its utmost to help athletes from the USA to come and participate in the World Boxing Championships and will assist them, including financially. For this, we have our Financial Support Programme.”

There was also a detailed response to the USA Boxing statement withdrawing from the IBA Worlds in 2023, which underscored its own actions and disputed that anything was wrong. With regard to the USA Boxing comments that the IBA has not complied with the IOC’s requests for changes in the federation “culture,” the IBA reply noted that “it is still of vital importance for the future of IBA that the governance culture is continuously improved” and contested the IOC’s statement that the “recent IBA Congress has shown once more that IBA has no real interest in the sport of boxing and the boxers but is only interested in its own power.”

The IBA replies also noted with regard to its sponsorship with the Russian energy giant Gazprom:

“The Gazprom sponsorship deal with IBA expired as of 31 December 2022 and IBA currently does not have a sponsorship deal with Gazprom. That being said, there are no sanctions on Gazprom, and nothing legally prevents IBA to cooperate with Gazprom. In addition, IBA has no relations with Gazprombank and Gazprom Neft.”

Although a renewal of the Gazprom agreement, described by Kremlev himself as a two-year, $50 million promotional deal, was not on the agenda of the last IBA Congress in the UAE in December, Kremlev asked for permission during his closing remarks to have the agreement renewed, and received no negative comments!

The IBA reply also included a referral for sanctions against USA Boxing and the IABA:

“IBA will request that the McLaren Independent Investigation Team (MIIT) which performs duties of the BIIU investigators to investigate the statement of USA Boxing Executive Director/CEO Mr. Mike McAtee and the leadership of the Irish Athletics Boxing Association whether there is a breach of the following articles of the IBA Disciplinary and Ethics Code.”

It is worthwhile to note that by skipping the IBA Worlds, there is no impact for either American or Irish boxers on qualification for their regional championships, or for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, since IBA events are not part of the process.

4.
Canada’s women football threatens strike, but will play SheBelieves Cup

The eighth SheBelieves Cup, a tournament hosted by the U.S., is scheduled to open Thursday in Orlando, Florida with a doubleheader featuring Japan and Brazil in the first match and the U.S. and Canada in the second.

The Canadians will be there, but under protest.

On Friday, the Canadian Soccer Players Association tweeted “The time is now, we are taking job action,” followed by a statement that was summarized by striker Janine Beckie:

“Saying that we’re outraged is an understatement. There’s not really words to describe how it feels to be here in camp with the national team and know we are not being given the same resources that our men’s team was given last year to prepare for their World Cup … I don’t like the word fair. But it is so incredibly unfair to the women, and the staff, and to everyone that supports this team, works for this team, is a fan of this team. We’ve had enough. It’s way, way, too far gone.”

The statement included:

“We have been told, quite literally, that Canada Soccer cannot adequately fund the Women’s National Team, and they have waited to tell us this until now, when we are less than six months from the World Cup. …

“If Canada Soccer is not willing or able to support our team, new leadership should be found.”

On Saturday, the Players Association tweeted another statement that included:

“Canada Soccer told us that they consider our job action to be an unlawful strike. They told us that if we did not return to work – and did not commit today to playing in Thursday’s game against the United States – they would not only take legal action to force us back to the pitch but would consider taking steps to collect what could be millions of dollars in damages from our Players’ Association and from each of the individual players currently in camp.

“As individual players who have received no compensation yet for any of our work for Canada Soccer in 2022, we cannot afford the risks that personal action against us by Canada Soccer will create. Because of this, we have advised Canada Soccer that we will return to training tomorrow and will play in the SheBelieves Cup as scheduled.”

Star forward Christine Sinclair tweeted:

“To be clear. We are being forced back to work for the short term. This is not over. We will continue to fight for everything we deserve and we will win. The She Believes is being played in protest.”

Canada Soccer posted its own statement on Friday, which said it had presented an “equity-based proposal” to both the men’s and women’s National Teams “several months ago, and we are still waiting for a definitive response.”

Canada is currently no. 6 in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and plays the no. 1 American women on Thursday in Orlando, then no. 9 Brazil in Nashville, Tennessee on the 19th and no. 11 Japan on the 22nd in Frisco, Texas.

5.
Another Worlds shocker as Flury wins women’s Downhill

The FIS Alpine World Championships in France kept serving up surprises, with 29-year-old Jasmine Flury of Switzerland – who had won one World Cup race in nine seasons – taking the women’s Downhill on Saturday at Meribel (FRA).

Just as shocking was silver medalist Nina Ortlieb (AUT), 27, who had logged one World Cup win in eight seasons, with 2021 World Champion and Beijing 2022 Olympic winner Corinne Suter (SUI) in third! It was tight, with Flury timing 1:28.03 to 1:28.07 for Ortlieb and 1:28.15 for Suter.

This followed the men’s Super-G on Thursday, where Canada’s James Crawford, 25, won gold after having totaled no wins and three World Cup medals in seven seasons on tour.

The early starters did best, with Flury starting second and Ortlieb fifth, ahead of the favored Sofia Goggia of Italy. Goggia, the 2018 Olympic Downhill champ and Beijing runner-up, was disqualified for straddling a gate, and after Suter moved into third as the eighth skier down, the podium did not change.

“Unbelievable, I still don’t get it. It feels unreal, crazy,” said Flury. “I don’t know, it still feels like a dream. I don’t know what is happening and with Corinne on the podium, I don’t know, more than a dream has come true.”

Isabella Wright was the top American finisher in 19th (1:29.71); Breezy Johnson did not finish and Tricia Mangan was 23rd (1:30.24).

Sunday’s men’s Downhill at Courchevel was won by World Cup seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI), one of the favorites, who took the lead as the no. 10 starter and no one could match him.

Although a better Giant Slalom and Super-G skier than a downhiller, Odermatt’s time of 1:47.05 could not be surpassed, not even by Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who got closest at 1:47.53, skiing from the no. 15 position. It was Odermatt’s first career win in a World Cup or championship Downhill since he won the World Junior gold in 2018! Kilde won his second career Worlds medal, both in these championships, after his Super-G silver earlier.

But there was one more surprise, however, as unheralded Cameron Alexander (CAN), who had a grand total of one career World Cup win – his only World Cup medal – took the bronze in 1:47.94, ahead of Marco Schwarz (AUT: 1:47.98).

The top U.S. finisher was Erik Arvidsson in 17th (1:48.66), with Ryan Cochran-Siegle in 24th (1:48.95) and Travis Ganong in 28th (1:49.25).

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe, 29, continue to expand his medal collection at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER), taking Saturday’s men’s 10 km Sprint for his 14th World Championships gold.

Boe led a Norwegian sweep, winning in 23:21.7 (1 penalty) ahead of older brother Tarjei Boe (23:36.5/0) and Sturla Holm Laegreid (24:01.6/1), with fellow Norwegian Johannes Dale fourth (24:05.3/1)!

It was the third Worlds gold for Boe in this event, previously winning in 2015 and 2019 and the first sweep in the event since Norway did it in 2009. Paul Schommer was the top American in 31st (25:32.1/2).

Boe continued his domination in the 12.5 km Pursuit on Sunday, winning in 33:34.5 (0 penalties), with Laegreid second (34:45.7/0) and Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson third (35:28.6/2). Boe has now won eight World Cup/World Champs races in a row and 13 of 16 held this season!

Schommer was the top American, in 52nd, at 40:53.2 (8).

The women’s 7.5 km Sprint saw Denise Herrmann-Wick, the Beijing 2022 15 km gold medalist, take her second career Worlds gold in 21:19.7 (0), ahead of Swedes Hanna Oeberg (21:21.9/0) and Linn Persson (21:45.9/0). It was the first German win in the event since 2012. Deedra Irwin was the best U.S. finisher, in 55th (23:58.5/2).

Seasonal World Cup leader Julia Simon (FRA) won the women’s 10 km Pursuit easily, finishing in 32:00.8 (1), nearly half-a-minute ahead of Herrmann-Wick (32:27.8/4) with Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR) in third in 32:38.5 (3). Irwin was the only U.S. finisher, in 57th in 38:32.4 (6).

For Simon, it was her first individual Worlds gold.

The Worlds continue through the 19th.

● Skateboarding ● The fifth World Skate Park World Championships at Sharjah (UAE) provided some history, especially by American Jagger Eaton.

The 21-year-old from Arizona became the first rider to win both the World Street Championship – he did that in 2021 – and the World Park Champion, winning on Sunday by scoring 93.00 in his final-round run.

He was just better than Brazil’s Augusto Akio (92.00) and Pedro Barros (90.00), with Australian Kieran Woolley fourth (89.50). Barros, 27, has now won Worlds Park medals in four of the five editions (1-2-1), while this was the first medal for Akio, 22.

The women’s champ was Britain’s Sky Brown, the 13-year-old Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist. She’s now 14 and was the only one over 90 points in the final, at 90.83, followed by another 14-year-old, Kokona Hiraki (JPN: 86.66), and 20-year-old Sakura Yosozumi (JPN: 85.15), with Japan’s Hinano Kusaki fourth (84.50). Brown is Britain’s first skateboarding Worlds gold medalist; Hiraki was the Tokyo silver medalist and Yosozumi now has a complete set of medals, winning in 2018, second in 2019 and now the bronze medalist. Bryce Wettstein, 19, was the top American, in fifth (84.40).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● Fabulous 115th Millrose Games at The Armory in New York, with eight world-leading performances and four American Records! First, the world leaders:

● Men/800 m: 1:44.98, Noah Kibet (KEN)
● Men/1,500 m: 3:33.28, Yared Nuguse (USA) ~ en route
● Men/Mile: 3:47.38, Yared Nuguse (USA)
● Men/Shot: 22.58 m (74-1), Ryan Crouser (USA)

● Women/300 m: 35.54, Abby Steiner (USA)
● Women/2,000 m: 5:39.86, Alicia Monson (USA) ~ en route
● Women/3,000 m: 8:25.05, Alicia Monson (USA)
● Women/Shot: 20.03 m (65-8 3/4), Chase Ealey (USA)

The records came from Nuguse in the 1,500 m and mile, from Steiner in the women’s 300 m and Monson in the 3,000 m.

Nuguse, who made the U.S. team for Tokyo 2020 but had to pull out due to a leg injury, was targeting the U.S. indoor mile record of 3:49.89 by Bernard Lagat from 2005, and took over with two laps to go, then stormed away from Britain’s Neil Gourley on the final back straight and roared home in 3:47.48, the second-fastest indoor mile ever! Gourley finished in 3:49.46, the ninth and 10th indoor miles to be run under 3:50 indoors, with Australia’s Olli Hoare third in 3:50.83.

Nuguse passed 1,500 m in 3:33.28, also an American Record, displacing Lagat’s 3:33.34 en route in his 2005 race, and moving Nuguse to no. 14 in the all-time world performers list.

Steiner trailed Brittany Brown until the final straight in the women’s 300 m, then turned on the jets for a 35.54 U.S. record, smashing Quanera Hayes’s 35.71 from 2017 and moving Steiner to no. 3 all-time. Brown was second in 36.13, the no. 10 performance all-time U.S.

Monson came into the meet also targeted the American Record, of 8:25.70 by Karissa Schweizer from 2020, and ran away from the field with three laps to go, finishing powerfully at 8:25.05, moving to no. 6 all-time (the top five are all from Ethiopia). Monson also led at 2,000 m in 5:39.86, no. 2 all-time U.S. behind Mary Slaney’s 5:34.52 from way back in 1985! Whittni Morgan (USA) got a lifetime best of 8:30.13 in second and North Carolina State star Katelyn Tuohy was third in 8:35.20, claiming the U.S. Collegiate Record from Schweizer (8:41.60) from 2018.

There was a lot more at this meet, including a statement by world-record holder Christian Coleman in the men’s 60 m, with a world-leading 6.47, beating Noah Lyles (6.53), who ran under protest after being called for a false start; he was eventually disqualified. Coleman turned on the jets past 40 m and was a clear winner; he bowed to the Armory crowd afterwards.

Kibet took over the men’s 800 only on the final half-lap, passing Isaiah Harris to win, 1:44.98 to 1:45.64. Britain’s Josh Kerr used his speed to take the men’s 3,000 m in 7:33.47, thanks to a 26.98 last lap, moving to no. 3 on the 2023 year list indoors. Luis Grijalva (GUA) was second in 7:33.86, a national indoor record. On the infield, Crouser debuted a new wrinkle in his technique, adding a step to his spin and reaching 22.50 m (73-10) in the first round, then 22.58 m (74-1) in the second for his best of the day. American Joe Kovacs was second, at 21.34 m (70-0 1/4).

Aleia Hobbs proved once again she’s the top women’s sprinter, coming on at 50 m to win the 60 in 7.02, over Tamari Davis (7.04), the U.S. outdoor nationals fourth-placer in 2022. Ajee Wilson won the women’s 600 m, passing Shamir Little with a half-lap remaining and winning in 1:24.85, the no. 9 performance in history. Little was second in 1:26.16, now no. 6 all-time U.S.

British star Laura Muir won the women’s mile, passing Josette Andrews (nee Norris) at the bell and pushing away, 4:20.15 to 4:20.88, the nos. 2-3 performances of 2023 (and the no. 5 performance all-time U.S. for Andrews). Muir passed 1,500 m in 4:03.08 to 4:03.21 for Andrews, also nos. 2-3 this season.

Olympic vault champ Katie Moon (nee Nageotte) won at 4.81 m (15-9 3/4), just a centimeter off the world lead, and Ealey easily won the women’s shot with her world-leading performance of 20.03 m (65-8 3/4) in the third round.

Dutch star Femke Bol, the European champ at 400 m and the 400 m hurdles last year, stunned again at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlelor in France, with wins in the women’s 200 m in 22.87 and the 400 m in a world-leading 49.96.

Her 400 m mark is the first indoor sub-50 clocking since 2006 and only the third this century! She is now the no. 4 indoor performer in history, with the no. six performance.

Increasing her world lead in the women’s high jump was Ukraine’s World Indoor Champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who cleared 2.02 m (6-7 1/2). It’s Mahuchikh’s 37th career 2.00-or-better clearance!

The men’s world 60 m lead – 6.49 – was equaled by Great Britain’s Reece Prescod at the ISTAF Indoor meet in Berlin (GER) on the 10th (Friday), but then surpassed later in the day. Swedish star Mondo Duplantis won the men’s vault at 6.06 m (19-10 1/2) for the no. 2 performance of the season.

German Shanice Craft set a world indoor best in the rarely-contested women’s discus at 65.23 m (214-10).

American Trayvon Bromell, the 2016 World Indoor Champion at 60 m, took the world lead later Friday at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, winning in 6.42 and moving him to equal-sixth on the all-time list and no. 5 all-time U.S. He had earlier taken the world lead at 6.46 in his semifinal!

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The penultimate stop on the IBSF World Cup tour was in Innsbruck (AUT), with five-time World Four-Man Champion Francesco Friedrich (GER) getting his fourth win of the World Cup season on Saturday in 1:40.65, with 2023 World Champs bronze medalist Brad Hall (GBR) taking his sixth medal in seven races in second (1:40.84).

The second Four-Man race had different times, but the same result: Friedrich winning in 1:40.17, with Hall second (1:40.36) and Johannes Lochner (GER: 1:40.54) third again.

The women’s Monobob was won by Lisa Buckwitz (GER), third at the Worlds, but getting her first World Cup win in 1:49.20 over Australia’s Breanna Walker (1:49.38). The Two-Woman racing was the second win of the season for Beijing 2022 Olympic champ Laura Nolte (GER: 1:45.18), with teammate – and 2023 World Champion – Kim Kalicki second (1:45.19). Swiss Melanie Hasler was third for the second race in a row (1:45.24).

The men’s Skeleton was a continuation of the rise of Britain’s Matt Weston, the 2023 World Champion, who won his fourth World Cup race (out of seven) in 1:42.96, ahead of Worlds bronze medalist Seung-gi Jung (KOR: 1:43.32).

Dutch star Kimberley Bos, the Worlds runner-up, won the women’s Skeleton in 1:46.35, with American Hallie Clarke getting her second medal of the season (1:46.63).

● Boxing ● Russia dominated the IBA Golden Belt Series in Marrakesh (MAR), able to compete with no restrictions under the IBA rules, winning 22 medals from 23 entrants.

Russian fighters won 12 divisions, won five silvers and five bronzes for 22 total, with Kazakhstan next with 10 (5-2-3). There were 201 fighters from 34 countries, spread across 25 weight classes, some with as few as four contestants.

The Russians won nine of 13 men’s weights: Edmond Khudoian (48 kg), Vasilii Egorov (51 kg), Dmitrii Dvali (54 kg), Vsevolod Shumkov (60 kg), Gabil Mamedov (63.5 kg), Pavel Sosulin (75 kg), Imam Khataev (80 kg), Sharabutdin Ataev (86 kg), and Ramazan Karnukaev (92+ kg), and had finalists in two other classes. There were three Russian women’s winners: Nadezhda Golubeva (60 kg), Nataliya Sychugova (63 kg) and Saltanat Medenova (81 kg).

The U.S. did not send any boxers to the tournament.

● Cycling ● The UCI Women’s World Tour was in the United Arab Emirates for the first UAE Tour, with Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini taking charge on the upslope finish to win the 107 km third stage in 2:48:24 – just ahead of teammate Gaia Realini (21) and head into the final day with a seven-second advantage.

The final stage was a flat 119 km ride into Abu Dhabi, with a mass sprint finish won by Charlotte Kool (NED) over Chiara Consonni (ITA) and Lorena Wiebes (NED) in 2:57:55. Longo Borghini was 32nd and Realini 69th, but all with the same time, so Longo Borghini was the overall winner, in 12:08:48, with Realini at +0:07 and Silvia Persico completing the Italian sweep (+1:18).

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup men’s Sabre tour was in Warsaw (POL), with a home win for Krzysztof Kaczkowski – and his first international medal – in a tight, 15-13 final over Georgia’s 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Sandro Bazadze.

In the team competition, Korea defeated Hungary, 45-37, in the final, with the U.S. squad of Eli Dershwitz, Colin Heathcock, Daryl Homer and Grant Williams picking up a bronze after their semifinal loss to Korea.

The women’s Sabre World Cup was in Tashkent (UZB), with an all-Greek final where Despina Georgiadou defeated Theodora Gkountoura, 15-10. American Elizabeth Tartakovsky, 22, won her first international medal with a bronze.

In Barcelona (ESP), Brazil’s Nathalie Moellhausen continued her hot streak in the women’s Epee, winning over Korea’s Young Mi Kang, 15-8, for her second win this year after her Grand Prix triumph on Doha (QAT) at the end of January, and her eighth career World Cup medal.

An FIE Grand Prix in Foil was held in Turin (ITA), with American Gerek Meinhardt edging Filippo Macchi, 15-14, in the final. Meinhardt had to beat teammate (and 2016 Olympic silver medalist) Alex Massialas in the quarters, then Rio Olympic champ Daniele Garrozzo (ITA) in the semis before getting to the final. Meinhardt, a two-time Worlds bronze winner, earned his fourth career Grand Prix gold. Macchi, 21, won his first career international medal!

The women’s title went to France’s 2022 World Champion, Ysaora Thibus, who out-dueled Erica Cipressa (ITA) in the final by 15-9; American Lee Kiefer, the Olympic champ in Tokyo, was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

● Figure Skating ● At the ISU Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs (USA), Japan won two of the four events, but the U.S. scored a home gold in Ice Dance.

Japan’s Kao Miura led the men’s scoring after the Short Program at 91.90, and won the Free Skate to take the title with a solid 281.53 points to 275.57 for Canada’s Keegan Messing, who was second in both programs. The top U.S. finishers were Jimmy Ma in ninth (221.04) and Maxim Naumov in 10th (218.71).

Korea dominated the women’s competition, going 1-2-4 with Haein Lee – runner-up in 2022 – winning the Free Skate to move from sixth to the gold (210.84), while Short Program leader Yelim Kim was third in the Free Skate and dropped to second overall (209.29). Japan’s Mone Chiba won the bronze (204.98), with Chaeyeon Kim fourth (KOR: 202.39) and Americans Bradie Tennell and Amber Glenn in fifth and sixth (199.91 and 192.50).

World Championships silver medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the Pairs title, scoring 208.24 and winning both the Short Program and Free Skate. Americans Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, runners-up at the U.S. Nationals, took the silver (201.11). Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez of the U.S. were fourth (169.09) and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea finished fifth (168.69).

U.S. Ice Dance stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates led after the Rhythm Dance at 87.67 and won the Free Skate to take their third Four Continents title at 220.81. Canada claimed silver and bronze with Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen (214.08) and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (200.00).

Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko and Caroline Green and Michael Parsons finished fourth and fifth (189.78 and 186.88).

● Football ● FIFA announced its Player of the Year finalists, with World Cup stars Lionel Messi (ARG), and Kylian Mbappe (FRA) both finalists, along with French striker Karim Benzema, who was injured and could not play in Qatar.

The women’s finalists include American striker Alex Morgan, English striker Beth Mead and Spain’s star midfielder Alexia Putellas.

The top men’s goalkeeper candidates are Yassine Bounou (MAR), Thibault Courtois (BEL) and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez. The women’s keeper finalists: Ann-Katrin Berger (GER), Mary Earps (ENG) and Christiane Endler (CHI).

The coaching finalists include Carlo Ancelotti (ITA/Real Madrid), Pep Guardiola (ESP/Manchester City) and Lionel Scaloni (ARG) for the men, and Sonia Bompastor (FRA/Olympique Lyonnais), Pia Sundhage (SWE/Brazil National Team) and Sarina Wiegman (NED/England National Team).

The winners will be announced on 27 February.

● Freestyle Skiing ● A light schedule this week, with Dual Moguls in Chiesa di Valmalenco (ITA), with a second win this season for Japan’s 2017 World Champion Ikuma Horishima, who defeated three-time World Champion Mikael Kingsbury of Canada in the final. Canadian Julien Viel, 21, won his first career World Cup medal in the third-place race, over American Dylan Walczyk.

The women’s final was the 24th career World Cup win for 2018 PyeongChang Moguls winner Perrine Laffont (FRA), who beat American 17-year-old Elizabeth Lemley in the final; it was Lemley’s second Dual Moguls medal this season. Japanese star Anri Kawamura took the bronze – her fourth medal in five Dual Moguls events – over American Olivia Giaccio.

● Luge ● The FIL World Cup circuit was in Winterberg (GER), with the home team continuing to dominate the action, winning seven of eight races in the standard and Sprint distances.

Max Langenhan, 23, the Worlds silver medalist, won his third straight World Cup race, this time in 1:45.687, beating World Champion Jonas Mueller (AUT: 1:45.987) and two-time Olympic champ Felix Loch (GER: 1:46.009). Langenhan also won the Sprint (36.161) over Mueller and Loch.

Three-time Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) won their third World Cup race of the season over 2023 World Champions Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken (GER), 1:27.141 to 1:27.571. Latvia’s Martins Bots and Roberts Plume won their third straight World Cup medal in 1:27.641. Wendl and Arlt won the Sprint (30.798), with Eggert and Benecken second and Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schopf (AUT) third.

Germany went 1-2 in the women’s Singles, with 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz taking her third World Cup win of the season in 1:51.683, with 2023 Worlds winner Anna Berreiter (1:51.891) and American Emily Sweeney third in 1:52.038. Taubitz also won the Sprint (38.989).

World champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) won the Women’s Doubles in 1:28.288, ahead of Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (AUT: 1:28.508) and Italy’s Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer (1:28.534). But it was Latvia’s Anda Upite and Sanija Ozolina who won the Sprint in 31.482, defeating Votter and Oberhofer (31.514).

● Nordic Combined ● The eighth stop of 10 in the 2022-23 FIS World Cup was in Schonach (GER: 100 m hill), with Austria’s Johannes Lamparter and Norway’s Jens Luras Oftebro dueling for the seasonal World Cup trophy. On Saturday, it was Oftebro with his third win of the season, in 23:06.0, with Lamparter second in 2314.1 and Kristjan Ilves (EST), 26, getting his first medal of the season and fourth career in 23:22.8.

Lamparter got the win on Sunday in 24:40.0, with Oftebro second (24:41.6) and Laurent Muhlethaler (FRA: 24:52.9) winning his first career World Cup medal at age 25.

Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen continued her perfect season in the women’s World Cup, winning her eighth straight in 13:49.8 for the 5 km race, with German Jenny Nowak getting her first medal of the season (14:52.1) in second. Japan’s Yuna Kasai, 19, also won her first medal of the season at 14:57.3.

Same on Sunday, as Hansen won in 14:11.9, ahead of Ida Marie Hagen (NOR: 14:42.5) and German Nathalie Armbruster (14:50.6). Hansen has one more race in March standing between her and an undefeated season.

● Short Track ● The 25th ISU World Cup season finale was in Dordrecht (NED), with a new award – the ISU Crystal Globe – to be awarded to the overall points leader throughout the six-event season.

As has been the theme this season, Korea’s Ji-won Park was the men’s star, winning the second 1,000 m race (1:25.359) and the 1,500 m (2:17.200). He was the easy winner of the seasonal Crystal Globe, winning nine races and scoring 1,068 points to best teammate Kyung-hwan Hong (674) and then Canadian stars Steven Dubois (668) and Pascal Dion (635).

Dubois and Dion went 1-2 in the first 1,000 m race, and China’s Xiaojun Lin won the 500 m in 40.693.

Dutch star Suzanne Schulting – who won medals in all four events in Beijing – came in with a big lead in the women’s seasonal standings and won with 1,062 points (eight race wins), to 776 for Courtney Sauralt (CAN) and Belgium’s Hanne Desmet. In Dordrecht, Schulting won a silver in the women’s 1,500 m behind Desmet (2:29.432 to 2:29.470). Canada’s Kim Boutin won the first 1,000 m race (1:29.807), with American Kristen Santos-Griswold second in 1:29.864. Sauralt won the second 1,000 m in 1:32.930. The 500 m sprint went to Xandra Velzeboer (NED) in 52.020, over Boutin (42.301).

Santos-Griswold had a noteworthy season and finished fifth overall with 700 points (seven medals!), and teammate Corinne Stoddard was 10th with 546.

● Ski Jumping ● The men’s World Cup tour was in Lake Placid, New York, jumping off the 128 m hill, with Germany’s Andreas Wellinger, the 2018 Olympic champ, taking the first victory of the season for Germany! He scored 264.5 points, beating two-time World Cup seasonal champ Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN: 256.0) and 20-year-old Daniel Tschofenig (AUT: 255.4) getting his first individual World Cup medal in third.

Seasonal leader Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR) got his 10th of the season on Sunday, scoring 287.6 points to win over Wellinger (GER: 276.1) and Austria’s three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft (275.3).

The women were in Hinzenbach (AUT: 90 m hill), with the home team sweeping both events. Seasonal leader Eva Pinkelnig won on Friday with 254.4 points, beating Slovenians Ema Klinec (250.5) and Nika Prevc (248.2). Teammate Chiara Kreuzer got her seventh career individual World Cup win – but first since 2020 – on Saturday, out-scoring Pinkelnig, 235.6-235.5! Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama was third at 234.8.

● Snowboard ● Halfpipe and Slopestyle events were held in Calgary (CAN), with Japan’s Ruka Hirano winning his third straight World Cup Halfpipe event on Friday, scoring 88.50 to 82.00 for Valentino Guseli (AUS) and 81.75 for Shuichiro Shigeno (JPN).

The women’s Halfpipe title went to Japan as well, with Misuko Ono winning her second straight World Cup at 89.75, comfortably ahead of Canada’s Elizabeth Hosking (86.00) and Berenice Wicki (SUI: 72.50). Ono is the only one to medal in all three World Cups so far this season.

Sunday’s men’s Slopestyle final was the second career World Cup win for Darcy Sharpe (CAN: 88.85), edging American Dusty Henricksen’s fourth career World Cup medal (USA: 82.66) and Cameron Spalding (CAN: 77.33), who won his first World Cup medal in third.

American Julia Marino, the Beijing ‘22 silver medalist, won her second straight World Cup, scoring 78.36 to beat Canadians Laurie Blouin (76.41) and Jasmine Baird (76.21).

● Speed Skating ● The ISU World Cup is concluding with two straight weeks of racing in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL), with a major breakthrough for American Kimi Goetz, 28, on Sunday.

Goetz was a Beijing 2022 Olympian, finishing 18th at 500 m and seventh in the 1,000. On Sunday, she got to the medal stand twice, with a bronze in the women’s 500 m and winning her first World Cup gold in the 1,000 m!

Korea’s Min-sun Kim won the 500 m, followed by 2018 European Champion Vanessa Herzog, 37.90 to 38.09. Goetz was next at 38.11, ahead of teammate and 2022 Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson (38.23).

In the 1,000 m, Goetz was in the final pair with Olympic champ Miho Takagi of Japan, but won a close race by 1:16.00 to 1:16.18 to get her first World Cup gold! Fellow American star Brittany Bowe, a three-time World Champion at the distance, was third in 1:16.43.

The U.S. won another medal with Mia Kilburg claiming a bronze in the women’s Mass Start in 9:34.61, behind 2021 World Champion Marijke Groenewoud (NED: 9:34.23) and Canada’s 2022 Olympic silver medalist Ivanie Blondin (9:34.47).

Groenewould also won the 1,500 m ahead of 2021 World Champion Ragne Wiklund (NOR), 1:56.67 to 1:57.83, with Takagi third (1:58.02) and Goetz sixth (1:59.19). Wiklund won the 3,000 m in a tight finish with Czechia’s triple Olympic gold medalist Martina Sabilkova, 4:05.96 to 4:06.04.

The Dutch men won the 1,000 m with Hein Otterspeer (1:09.24) edging teammate (and triple Olympic champ) Kjeld Nuis (1:09.52) and Nuis winning the 1,500 m in 1:46.71. Olympic champ Bart Swings (BEL) with the Mass Start in 8:12.17, with American Ethan Cepuran fourth (8:12.42) and Olympic bronze winner Davide Ghiotto won the 5,000 m in 6:17.45. Japan’s Wataru Morishige, the Beijing bronze medalist, won the 500 m in 34.78.

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TSX REPORT: Sensational poll shows 82% Utah Winter Games support; Paris Mayor Hidalgo confirms anti-Russian stance in Kyiv; Alpine Super-G shocker!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Flowers or stoats? The final choices for the mascots of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina! (Image: Milano Cortina 2026)

★ 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 ≡

1. New poll shows staggering 82% Utah support for Winter Games
2. Hidalgo doubles down against Russians; Bach regrets boycott threats
3. Canada’s Crawford stuns with upset men’s Worlds Super-G win
4. Boxing champ Jones pushes back against USA Boxing
5. World Aquatics re-assigns ‘25 Worlds from Kazan to Singapore

The Deseret News revealed a new, independent poll which showed 82% of Utah residents in favor of another Olympic Winter Games, as soon as 2030. The results were consistent with prior polls and are far ahead of the enthusiasm level from Japan’s Sapporo and possible new bidder Stockholm. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo visited Kyiv, Ukraine and confirmed her stance that Russian and Belarusian teams should not compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Russian war against Ukraine continuing. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach wrote to the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, chastising its promotion of a potential Paris 2024 boycott and that Russian or Belarusian participation has not really been discussed yet. At the FIS Alpine World Championships, Canada’s James Crawford pulled a stunner with a 0.01-second win in the men’s Super-G over Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. After USA Boxing’s statement on Wednesday that it would not send fighters to the International Boxing Association’s World Championships for men or women this year, former multi-divisional champion Roy Jones, Jr. – a dual U.S.-Russian citizen – circulated a message that supported the IBA and asked American boxers to contact him directly to arrange their participation! World Aquatics announced that Singapore will host the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, replacing Kazan in Russia; Russian officials claimed that the event would be held in Kazan in 2029 instead.

● Panorama: Olympic Winter Games 2026 (mascot contest) = Olympic Games 2028 (dual-venue opening also at Gangwon 2024!) = International Testing Agency (strategic plan) = Athletics (Budapest 2023 ticket sales; Oduduru doping charge) = Fencing (Fair Play award) = Football (Euro Super League promoters’ new proposal) ●

1.
New poll shows staggering 82% Utah support for Winter Games

“Support for bringing a Winter Games back to the state that held them in 2002 has reached 82%, with more than half of Utahns, 55%, saying they strongly approve hosting the Olympics again.

“As Utah’s efforts to land the 2030 or 2034 Winter Games continue, just 12% of Utahns disapprove of another Winter Games coming to the state, including 7% who strongly disapprove, while another 6% aren’t sure how they feel.”

That’s from a Wednesday report by Lisa Riley Roche of the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, on new polling from the newspaper and the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, from a survey of 802 registered voters between 23-30 January 2023. The margin is error was plus-or-minus 3.46 percentage points.

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute, noted: “No matter how old you are or what political party you belong to, Utahns want the Olympics Games back. The Olympic spirit has managed to find a permanent home in Utah and the clear consensus is that we want to be back on that world stage.”

The story reported that support for the return of the Winter Games has actually increased – slightly – since the last poll, in August 2022, which found 79% in favor.

While the International Olympic Committee has out off – for now – the decision on the host for the 2030 Winter Games until 2024, the bid for a second Salt Lake City Games is demonstrating advantages which are becoming difficult for competitors to match. Chief among these is the declaration that no venue or Village construction is needed, with the 2002 competition sites forecast to host all of the competitions in the expanding program, and the University of Utah essentially a permanent Olympic Village-in-waiting.

Just as critical may be the public support element:

● Sapporo’s well-regarded candidature has suffered from the blowback from aspects of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, including its cost to taxpayers and dual organizing committee scandals now unfolding in the criminal courts concerning the rigging of contracts for test events and venue managements, and bribes to obtain sponsorship designations.

A poll by the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper in December showed 67% of Sapporo residents against the bid for the 2030 Games, with 33% in favor; across the Hokkaido region, 61% were opposed.

● This week’s news that the Swedish Olympic Committee will study the feasibility of a 2030 Winter Games bid – ostensibly with Stockholm as the primary host – recalls the IOC’s survey of local attitudes towards the 2026 bid that lost to Milan-Cortina in Italy.

The IOC’s polling in February 2019 showed just 54% support in Stockholm, with 17% opposed and 30% with no opinion (!), and 55% support across Sweden, with 17% opposed and 28% with no opinion.

That’s hardly enthusiastic.

In the meantime, the IOC’s Future Host Commission is trying to figure out a possible rotation system for the Winter Games in view of its concern over climate reliability, and the IOC itself is dealing with other issues, including Paris 2024 qualifying events, the final sports program for Los Angeles 2028 and the continuing turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

So, nothing appears likely to happen quickly; even the dates of the 2023 IOC Session in India are not fixed after some electoral chaos within the Indian Olympic Association, but the meeting is expected to be in September or October. Nothing is expected to happen before then.

2.
Hidalgo doubles down against Russians;
Bach regrets boycott threats

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo reiterated her view that Russians should not be allowed to compete in international sports during a visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Thursday, and thought the IOC would agree as well.

According to a post by Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on his Telegram page, Hidalgo told the Kyiv City Council:

“I want to express to you my conviction and my will: As long as Russian forces continue to bomb you, target your civilian population and your infrastructure, while Russian soldiers occupy your territory, I do not want Russian athletes to compete in sports.

“This is my conviction as a mayor, as a political leader, and as a convinced European woman. I have no doubt that the International Olympic Committee will be able to support this position.”

At the European Union Summit in Brussels (BEL), French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters concerning Russia and Paris 2024:

“In the summer, we will have a reassessment, and we will take a stance depending on circumstances and what is happening on the ground.”

Reuters reported that IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) wrote to Ukrainian National Olympic Committee chief Vadym Huttsait, including:

“The participation of neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 has not even been discussed in concrete terms yet. …

“Therefore, your letter… to your fellow NOCs, to the International Federations, IOC Members and to future Olympic hosts, pressuring them in an attempt to publicly influence their decision making, has been perceived by the vast majority of them as, at the very least, extremely regrettable.”

A meeting of European sports ministers is scheduled for tomorrow (10th) to discuss the Russian and Belarusian participation situation.

In Athens, the Hellenic Olympic Committee adopted a resolution that included opposition to a Paris 2024 boycott, but the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from this summer’s European Games in Krakow (POL). Further, sanctions in place should be continued, but “[t]he possible return of athletes from Russia and Belarus should be done under strict conditions of participation, as also mentioned in the IOC statement of January 25, 2023.”

3.
Canada’s Crawford stuns with upset men’s Worlds Super-G win

Day four of the FIS Alpine World Championships was for the men’s Super-G at Courchevel (FRA) with another shocker, as Canada’s James Crawford won by 1/100th of a second over Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

Crawford, 25, has just three World Cup medals in his seven seasons on tour, but he came from nowhere to grab a bronze medal in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in the Alpine Combined. On Thursday, he was 11th on the start list, behind Combined winner Alexis Pinturault (FRA) and 39-time World Cup medalist Kilde.

Pinturault took the lead from World Cup seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI), 1:07.48 to 1:07.59, then lost it to Kilde, who skied next, at 1:07.23.

Crawford was aggressive from the start and crossed the finish in 1:07.22 to earn his first career Worlds medal. “Honestly, I’m in disbelief. I skied my best today. I really just tried to have the same mindset from top to bottom.

“I didn’t feel like I fatigued or got out of the rhythm. At the bottom where it was a little more challenging and steep, I managed to bring the same intensity as to the top. It panned out.

“Winning a race in general has been a dream of mine since I was young. For it to come in a World Championships is amazing.

“I’m a little bit lucky, we could have raced again and he [Kilde] could have won. He’s one of the best in the world. I have a huge amount of respect for him. I feel bad for beating him, but it’s unbelievable.”

Odermatt finished fourth, despite having won four World Cup Super-Gs this season, and still does not own a career World Championships medal.

The U.S. had finishers in 16th, 17th and 18th, from River Radamus, Kyle Negomir and Ryan Cochran-Siegle; Travis Ganong was 30th.

The Championships continue on Saturday with the women’s Downhill, and then the men’s Downhill on Sunday.

4.
Boxing champ Jones pushes back against USA Boxing

As noted in Thursday’s post, a lengthy USA Boxing announcement explained that the federation will not send boxers to the International Boxing Association’s 2023 men’s or women’s World Championships in view of the IBA’s non-compliance with the reform requests of the IOC and its direct ignorance of the IOC’s sanctions requests regarding Russia and Belarus.

Retired four-division World Champion Roy Jones, Jr. – who holds both American and Russian citizenship and has been an unabashed supporter of IBA President Umar Kremlev (RUS) – sent a message to journalists and others on Thursday, that included:

“Yesterday there was news that the USA Boxing refused to send its athletes to the upcoming IBA World Boxing Championships in India and Uzbekistan. I was bitterly disappointed to hear about the IBA World Boxing Championships boycott. On their official website, they give hackneyed statements that have nothing to do with reality!

“Today, on my own behalf, I would like to reassure the athletes, coaches and all boxing fans of the United States that this decision was made only by officials, and not by the boxers themselves.

“Moreover, I will personally organize help and support for national team boxers and coaches who would like to take part in these championships. …

“The officials themselves, who would like to make sports political, can continue to sit in their huge offices and talk about the importance of sports and their work, as well as continue to make statements. But we must not allow them to deprive our athletes of the right to represent their country because of the weak leadership. …

“Dear USA national team boxers and coaches, do not hesitate to contact me to organize your participation in the IBA Men’s and Women’s World Championships.”

It’s worthwhile to note that skipping the IBA’s World Championships in 2023 has no bearing on the qualification of American boxers for the 2024 Olympic Games, as the IOC has taken over the process from the IBA. The USA Boxing post noted:

“USA Boxing High Performance staff will continue to schedule international competition and prepare our boxers for the IOC Olympic Qualification Tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games, and will continue to collaborate with other like-minded National Federations for competition and training camp opportunities.”

Observed: The IOC will decide what to do about the IBA later this year, and it is possible that boxing could be dropped from the Olympic program in 2024 as well as 2028! The USA Boxing statement’s notice of working with “other like-minded National Federations” could be a signal for the formation of a possible new federation to challenge the IBA for governance of Olympic boxing if the IOC decides to go forward with the sport at all.

All of this is wrapped around the Russian situation in Ukraine, and the actions and attitude of Kremlev, who has said the IOC should not tell the IBA how to run its affairs. The IOC, of course, would agree except that if the IBA wants to be involved with boxing in the Olympic Games, then the IOC has every right to say how its own event should be operated by its partners, including the International Federations.

5.
World Aquatics re-assigns ‘25 Worlds from Kazan to Singapore

In 2019, the 2025 World Aquatics Championships was attributed to Kazan, Russia, following up on a successful edition of the event there in 2015. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, that hosting award was rescinded and on Thursday, World Aquatics re-assigned the hosting of the event to Singapore.

It will be third straight Worlds in Asia, following Fukuoka (JPN) this year, Doha (QAT) in February 2024 and now Singapore in 2025.

It’s part of a major push by Singapore for sports tourism, with existing facilities in place, including the OCBC Aquatic Centre, which has a 10-lane competition pool, eight-lane training pool, diving facilities and permanent seating for 3,000, expandable to 6,000.

Sport Singapore Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin said: “[T]he World Aquatics Championships 2025 is an exciting boost for Singapore aquatics. It will not only benefit sport in Singapore, but also activate the athletes, fans and the industry in Southeast Asia through engagement opportunities leading up to the event and the championships themselves. We will certainly be looking to the industry for innovative tech solutions for event operations and fan engagement in particular.”

More than 2,500 swimmers, divers, artistic swimmers and water polo players are expected to compete there, from World Aquatics’ 209 national member federations.

Thursday’s announcement triggered comments from Russian officials about the Worlds eventually being held in Kazan again. Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov told the Russian news agency TASS:

“The issue of the tournament’s postponement has already been discussed. Now, there is a proposal to move the Aquatics World Championships in Kazan to the year 2029.”

Tatarstan Sports Minister Vladimir Leonov said, “We maintain a dialogue with the international federation. The World Aquatics Championships in Kazan has not been cancelled, it was rescheduled to 2029.”

No such announcement has been made by World Aquatics.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Two finalists were unveiled for the 2026 Winter Games mascots, both created by primary-school students in Italy: “Flowers” and “Siblings.”

According to the organizing committee, “Approximately 400 applications and 1600 project ideas were received, 681 classes took part and 82 institutes collectively authored the graphic designs,” with the finalists selected by a committee. The ‘Siblings’ was created by the Istituto Comprensivo of Taverna (Catanzaro); ‘Flowers” was drawn by the students of the Istituto ComprensivoB. SABIN of Segrate (Milan).”

The “Flowers” concept pictures an edelweiss – a mountain flower – and a snowdrop, while the “Siblings” are stoats, also known as ermines (same family as the badger, otter and wolverine), native to Eurasia and parts of North America.

A public vote now follows, which will help decide which will be selected.

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The revolutionary Opening Ceremony concept proposed by Los Angeles for the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad – to have both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium as part of the event – has already inspired another Games.

During the IOC Coordination Commission visit to Gangwon Province (KOR), the host of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2024, a dual-venue program was explained, with celebrations taking place in both PyeongChang and Gangneung!

The 2024 Winter YOG is scheduled for 19 January to 1 February in 2024, with 1,900 athletes expected, competing in 81 events.

● International Testing Agency ● The ITA, which now serves as the turn-key anti-doping authority for dozens of International Federations, shared its 2023-26 Strategic Plan on Thursday, with six major initiatives.

Although no specific numerical targets were included, the key goals came in initiatives two and three, including:

● 2.1 “Design and develop anti-doping programs that are proportionate to the risks of the respective sport, balancing budgetary, program and regulatory requirements.”

● 2.3 “Develop partner acceptance standards with the goal of achieving full delegation of anti-doping programs to the ITA.”

● 3.4 “Engage with national, regional and international public and law enforcement authorities to facilitate information-sharing and synergies between national- and international-level anti-doping operations.”

The ITA is also looking for more money and a way to involve not only the Olympic Movement, but corporate partners as well “that align with the fundamental values of the ITA and want to contribute to clean sport.”

● Athletics ● Almost a quarter of the tickets for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest (HUN) have been sold, about 100,000 of the 420,000 available for the five morning and nine evening sessions from 19-27 August.

Hungarian Athletics Association President Miklos Gyulai said in an AIPS interview posted Thursday that purchasers have come from 70 countries so far, and that 3,500 volunteers have signed on to assist, with applications continuing to be accepted until 20 February.

The construction of the National Athletics Centre is being completed, and will seat 35,000 spectators with temporary additions only for the 2023 Worlds.

Bad news for Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru – the 2019 NCAA men’s 100 m and 200 m champion for Texas Tech, with bests of 9.86 and 19.73 from that year – who was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit on Thursday.

The AIU announced that it has charged Oduduru with doping violations for possession and use, and is asking for a six-year ban on the 26-year sprinter. He is implicated in the doping scheme alleged to be perpetrated by therapist Eric Lira, charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2022 under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, including:

“LIRA provided multiple performance enhancing drugs, including human growth hormone and erythropoietin, to athletes qualifying for and intending to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 2402 & 2403.”

Distribution to two athletes was cited in the Federal charge, one easily identified as Nigerian sprint star Blessing Okagbare, who was banned in 2022 by the AIU for 11 years. The AIU notice explains:

“Based on the information in the complaint, including text conversations imaged from Okagbare’s mobile phone by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and further evidence obtained from the AIU investigation, the AIU alleges that Oduduru is ‘Athlete 2’ identified in the complaint.”

The AIU will now have to prove its case against Oduduru, who last competed in 2021, including at the Tokyo Games, where he was disqualified in his men’s 100 m heat, and reached the semifinals in the 200 m.

● Fencing ● The International Fair Play Committee presented a special-recognition award to Germany’s Erika Dienstl, not for her exploits on the piste, but instead for a life-long contribution to the sport.

Dienstl, now 93, began fencing in post-War Germany in 1952, but her impact was especially felt after her retirement. She served as a Board member in the German national fencing federation from 1970-86, then as President from 1987-2001. She was the German Sports Association Vice President from 1982-2002, served as a member of the FIE Statutes Commission from 1989-2000 and the FIE Legal Commission from 2000-04.

In 1995, she was appointed to the IOC’s Sport and Environment Commission and was recognized with the Olympic Order in Silver in 1997.

Another example of the impact that those who support sport can have. The award was presented to Dienstl by CIPF Secretary General Sunil Sabharwal (USA).

● Football ● Reuters reported Thursday that Madrid-based A22 Sports Management, a driving force behind the European Super League proposed in 2021 that imploded almost immediately, announced plans for a new concept, a 60-80 team league, with multiple divisions and a minimum of 14 games per club.

The 12-club project from 2021 fell apart as nine clubs renounced their participation, with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Italy’s Juventus still committed. The European Court of Justice is considering the Super League’s lawsuit alleging monopoly practices now, with a preliminary, advisory opinion confirming that the European Football Association (UEFA) is within its rights to defend its programs against insurgents like the Super League.

Spain’s LaLiga issued a response which included:

“We are aware that A22, the Super League promoters, are pushing a story today presenting a manifesto with ten ‘principles.’ Our response: Don’t let them fool you. They’ve been telling tales for many years, this is just the latest attempt by big clubs to hijack European football.”

The European Leagues, the association of football leagues on the continent, stated:

“The Leagues fully support the current European club football model which is based on a open pyramidal structure with promotion and relegation from grassroots to professional at domestic level. This model is far from being broken and does not need to be fixed.”

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For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Bassino wins, Shiffrin silvers in Worlds Super-G; Paris 2024 unveils pictograms; USA Boxing will skip IBA’s World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ Thank you to our 24 donors, who have now covered 53% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Bassino wins women’s Worlds Super-G as Shiffrin gets silver
2. Paris 2024 introduces Games “Look” and pictograms
3. Citing IBA mismanagement, USA Boxing to skip World Champs
4. Four more arrests in Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging scandal
5. Four world leads in Torun as Tsegay runs 4:16.16 mile!

Another surprise at the FIS Alpine Worlds, as Italian Giant Slalom star Marta Bassino won the women’s Super-G gold over American Mikaela Shiffrin on Wednesday. Shiffrin’s silver ties her for the second-most medals in Worlds history, men or women. The Paris 2024 organizers introduce their visual scheme and pictograms, offering an energetic color palette and radical new sport icon designs. The war of words on Russian and Belarusian participation continued, with a French government spokesman saying the International Olympic Committee will likely decide the issue by summer, and that the French government supports maximal sanctions. USA Boxing issued a stern message, saying that it will not send boxers to the men’s and women’s world championships staged by the International Boxing Association, in view of its non-compliance with the reform requests of the IOC and its direct ignorance of the IOC’s sanctions requests regarding Russia and Belarus. Skipping these events has no bearing on the qualification of American boxers for Paris 2024. Tokyo prosecutors arrested four men, including a former Tokyo 2020 staff member, concerning the bid-rigging scandal for test-event and venue-management contracts for the Games. Four world-leading marks were posted at the World Athletics World Indoor Tour meet in Torun, Poland, including the no. 2 indoor women’s mile ever, by Ethiopian star Gudaf Tsegay.

● World Championships: Biathlon ●
● Panorama: Olympic Winter Games 2030 (Sweden might bid) = Olympic Games 2023: Brisbane (TV rights) = Athletics (Kazakhstan cheating?) = Triathlon (Quigley to try) = Wrestling (prep grapplers in Super Bowl) ●

1.
Bassino wins women’s Worlds Super-G as Shiffrin gets silver

Italy won its second gold in as many women’s races at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships, as Marta Bassino – much more of a Giant Slalom star – won the Super-G at Meribel (FRA), just ahead of American Mikaela Shiffrin.

With the 2021 Worlds podium all returning – Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI, starter no. 11), Corinne Suter (SUI, no. 12) and Shiffrin (no. 9) – the early starters raced hard, with Kajsa Lie (NOR) and Cornelia Huetter (AUT) sharing the lead at 1:28.39. Bassino started eighth and roared down the slope in 1:28.06, with Shiffrin next. She described her run this way:

“That was the best run I could do on this track and I had one turn where coming on to the pitch, I lost it all. This is a difficult track.”

Nevertheless, her 1:28.17 netted her a silver, her 12th career Worlds medal (6-3-3), tying Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt (5-4-3 from 1991-2005) for second most in Alpine Worlds history. Only German Christi Cranz, who raced during the Nazi era from 1934-39, has won more, with 15 (12-3-0).

Bassino, 26, has won four Super-G medals in World Cup competition, but ended up with her second career Worlds gold after winning the Parallel Slalom in 2021. Gut-Behrami started strong, but had trouble on the bottom half of the course and finished sixth; Gisin was 10th and Federica Brignone (ITA), who won the Combined, was eighth. Breezy Johnson of the U.S. finished 24th.

Shiffrin, still only 27, said afterwards:

“Of course I had some tough races, everyone talked about the Olympics, I think I answered 200 questions the last four weeks about ‘are you afraid the World Championships are going to be more like the Olympics and you won’t get a medal’ and ‘are you afraid of this?’ This Combined the other day I was like ‘oh no’ and then again everybody is like ‘So, is this the Olympics, is this the same thing, is it a curse?’ And I was like no! It just happens.

“It feels really, really nice to have a very strong performance on this hill in the super-G and I am looking forward to the [Giant Slalom] and the Slalom.”

The men’s Super-G at Courchevel is on Thursday, with the Downhills on the weekend.

2.
Paris 2024 introduces Games “Look” and pictograms

Visual style has been an important part of the Olympic Games for decades, and the Paris 2024 organizers made a splash Wednesday with the introduction of the visual theme of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 62 pictograms that will be used for the sports competitions.

The color scheme as shown emphasizes an electric blue, green (really turquoise), red (really pink), gold and violet, used with gradations to create an energetic feel, enhanced by shapes that echo the Art Deco movement that developed in France in the 1920s (in vogue when Paris last hosted in 1924).

The concept could be quite interesting in practice, even sassy, or could end up just being busy.

The Paris 2024 pictograms are a radical departure from the stick-figure concept that has dominated Olympic identification programs since Otl Aicher’s iconic Munich 1972 pictograms. The 2024 designs are mostly based on a slanted-line or “X” pattern – “an axis of symmetry” – and representations of the sport’s field of play and elements of the sport, such as equipment.

For example, the archery picto includes a target and four bows-and-arrows that form the “X”. Basketball has the key and the three-point line on each side of the “X” and a ball on the top and bottom. Sometimes, only a single, slanted line is used, such as for road cycling and diving.

The best might be fencing, with the three types of weapons – epee, foil and sabre – forming the “X” plus a vertical line, and two helmeted heads facing each other.

There are 47 Olympic pictograms, representing sports and disciplines, plus 15 more for the Paralympics, with eight of the Olympic icons to be re-used.

If the designs are analogous to any prior Olympic set, it might be Mexico City in 1968, with marks that symbolized the sports and their equipment, rather than people.

The concept was also to create stand-alone “emblems” that can be used in all types of programming, no doubt to include merchandise, both physical and digital.

On Russian and Belarusian participation in international sports, Dr. Olivier Veran, a neurologist and French government spokesman, told reporters following a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday:

“The IOC called for allowing Russian athletes to take part in certain international competitions under a neutral flag rather than the Russian flag. This decision does not concern the Olympic Games to be held in Paris in 2024. So far, there is no official position of the IOC. I will wait for international cooperation to take its course.

“Nevertheless, you know that France supports the full and unconditional application of sanctions.”

Veran said he expected the IOC to make a decision on the issue this summer.

In response to comments against Russian or Belarusian participation by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during a radio interview on Tuesday, the IOC told The Associated Press on Wednesday:

“There are no plans for a Russian or Belarusian delegation or the flags of these countries at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The only option that could be considered are individual, neutral athletes like we have seen last year at the French Open in tennis and recently again at the Australian Open in tennis and in other professional sports.”

3.
Citing IBA mismanagement, USA Boxing to skip World Champs

“USA Boxing’s conclusion [is] that any participation in the IBA World Championships would violate not only IOC sanctions reaffirmed as recently as February 2, but also the principles of fair play, integrity, and transparency.”

That’s from a 25-paragraph post from USA Boxing Executive Director and chief executive Mike McAtee from Wednesday, explaining in detail why the federation will skip the IBA women’s World Championships coming up in March and the men’s Worlds in May:

“Since the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) suspension of IBA’s recognition in 2019, many National Federations, including USA Boxing, have expressed growing concern with IBA’s inability to implement the necessary changes required by the [IOC’s] Lalovic Report for readmission into the Olympic Movement. IBA leaders have failed to follow the recommendations of their own experts which provided a clear pathway for athlete inclusion, fair play, proper governance, financial transparency, and responsibility.

“These ongoing failures forced the IOC to step in and oversee both the prior Olympic boxing program in Tokyo 2020 and the scheduled Olympic boxing program in Paris 2024. As USA Boxing has previously mentioned, IBA has failed to follow its stated Mission (to promote , support and govern the sport of boxing worldwide in accordance with the requirements and spirit of the Olympic Charter), has disregarded its own Constitution and published processes, has openly defied the ruling of the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), and has continuously failed to prioritize the needs of boxers.”

The post lists IBA failures in field-of-play management, including the lack of sanctions against individuals identified for scrutiny in the McLaren Global Sport Solutions reports, and the selection of officials for the 2022 IBA World Youth Championships; governance, including the controversial non-election for IBA President after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that Dutch Boxing Federation head Boris van der Vorst was inappropriately disqualified; finances, including the continued reliance on Russian energy giant Gazprom, and the IBA’s refusal to uphold the IOC’s sanctions against Russian and Belarusian fighters, who are now welcomed at IBA events.

At the IBA Golden Belt Series tournament ongoing in Morocco, Russian fighters have advanced to the finals in 11 men’s classes and six women’s classes. The U.S. is not participating.

The result:

“Based on IBA’s failure to meet the requirements of the Lalovic Report, failure to provide neutral third-party oversight, false and exaggerated statements from IBA leadership, opaque financial management and dependence on sanctioned companies, and allowing participation of athletes under sanctioned flags, anthems and colors, USA Boxing will not participate in the IBA’s 2023 Women’s and Men’s World Championships.”

None of this, however, impacts any American opportunities to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games, as the process is being run by the IOC. McAtee further notes:

“USA Boxing High Performance staff will continue to schedule international competition and prepare our boxers for the IOC Olympic Qualification Tournament at the 2023 Pan American Games, and will continue to collaborate with other like-minded National Federations for competition and training camp opportunities.”

4.
Four more arrests in Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging scandal

Tokyo prosecutors made four new arrests in the bid-rigging scandal over companies hired by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee to stage the test events prior to the Games and then to manage many of the venues during the Games.

The Deputy Executive Director of the organizing committee’s Games Operations Bureau, Yasuo Mori, is suspected of coordinating the contracts scheme as the “inside man” and was detained along with Koji Hemmi, formerly with Japan ad giant Dentsu Inc.; Yoshiji Kamata of event management firm Cerespo Co., and Masahiko Fujino from Fuji Creative Corporation. All three of these companies won test-event contracts. Kyodo News reported:

“It is suspected the rigging took place in connection with 26 open bids held in 2018 for the rights to plan test events. These were awarded to nine companies, including Dentsu and fellow ad giant Hakuhodo Inc., as well as a consortium, for a total of 538 million yen.” (¥538 million is about $409 million U.S. today.)

This is a separate investigation from the sponsorship-selection bribery scandal in which former Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi is accused of receiving as much as ¥198 million (~$1.51 million U.S.) to assure companies would be selected as official sponsors or supporters of the Games, sometimes at lowered fees.

5.
Four world leads in Torun as Tsegay runs 4:16.16 mile!

Although Ethiopian star Gudaf Tsegay missed the indoor world record for the mile, she still claimed two world-leading marks for 2023 and the no. 2 performance in history at Wednesday’s Orlen Copernius Cup in Torun, Poland, the third World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet of 2023.

The 1,500 m World Indoor Champion and 5,000 m World Champion last year, Tsegay, 25, had her sights on the 4:13.31 world mark by Ginzebe Dibaba (ETH) from 2016 and passed 400 m in 61.1, but then slowed to 66.1 on the second 400 m (2:07.2) and 64.1 (3:11.3) before finishing in 4:16.16 for a 64.9 over the final 409 m. She won by almost 13 seconds and moved to second on the all-time list behind only Dibaba’s mark. Tsegay also took the world lead in the women’s 1,500 m, passing in 3:59.48, the no. 13 indoor performance in history; she owns five of those.

The other world leads:

● Men/Long Jump: 8.40 m (27-6 3/4), Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)
● Women/800 m: 1:57.87, Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)

Olympic long jump champ Tentoglou got his big jump on his second try, initially pressed by Swede Thobias Montler (8.17 m/26-9 3/4), but the Greek star also produced excellent marks of 8.24 m (27-0 1/2) in the third round and 8.27 m (27-1 3/4) in the fifth for the top three jumps of the year!

Hodgkinson’s mark was her second-fastest ever indoors and she now has the top indoor times in the 600 m and 800 m.

Elsewhere, France’s Azeddine Habz vaulted to no. 2 on the men’s world 1,500 m list, winning in 3:35.59 over George Mills (GBR: 3:35.92) and Jesus Gomez (ESP: 3:36.33, now no. 4). American Daniel Roberts won the 60 m hurdles in 7.46 and Ernest John Obiena (PHI) took the men’s vault at 5.87 m (19-3).

Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu – the Tokyo 1,500 m fourth-placer – won the women’s 3,000 m in 8:46.92, in front of a top-four Ethiopian sweep, but only no. 13 on the world list.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Biathlon ● The IBU World Championships got underway in Oberhof (GER) on Wednesday with the 4 x 6 km Mixed Relay, with Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Boe making the difference on the final leg to give his team its fourth straight win in the event.

After opening legs by Ingrid Tandrevold, Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Sturla Holm Laegreid for Norway and Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer and Didier Bionaz for Italy, anchors Boe and Tommaso Giacomel were even, but Boe powered away for the fourth straight gold in the event for he and Roeiseland.

The Italians had a big lead on Norway through the women’s legs (+0:46), but Lagreid attacked and shot clean, while Bionaz had trouble on the range, giving Norway the lead. Boe fell back of Giocomel early, but made up the difference for a 1:04:41.0 (10 total penalties) to 1:04:53.5 (5) victory. France, in contention most of the way, won the bronze in 1:05:37.8 (9).

The U.S. team of Deedra Irwin, Joanne Reid, Paul Schommer and Sean Doherty finished 13th in 1:07:51.9 (7).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● The IOC’s delay in moving forward with the selection process for the 2030 Winter Games has caused Sweden – which lost in its 2026 bid against Italy’s Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo – to assess its chances again.

A feasibility study will be undertaken by the Swedish Olympic and Paralympic Committees and the Swedish Sports Confederation, due on 20 April.

Sweden’s bid for 2026 was considered technically quite good, but the bid suffered from modest public enthusiasm and concerns over budgets and sales of domestic sponsorships. Sweden is an obvious choice for a Winter Games, but has bid eight times previously, without success.

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The IOC announced a broadcast rights deal with Australia’s Nine Entertainment Co. for Olympic rights for the 2024-28-32 Games and the 2026 and 2030 Winter Games.

The rights deal will have interesting repercussions not only on television and online video channels, but also with Nine’s programming on talk radio stations 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR and its news publications that include The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times, WA Today and The Australian Financial Review. The IOC’s statement noted that Nine “has been awarded the exclusive free and subscription audio-visual rights and non-exclusive audio rights.”

Nine replaces Seven West Australia as the Olympic broadcaster there; it held the rights for 2016-18-20-22 in an agreement estimated at A$200 million (about $138.4 million U.S. today). The new agreement was reported in Australia to be worth A$305 million (~$211.13 million U.S.).

● Athletics ● Stern news from World Athletics:

“The Kazakhstan Member Federation has been placed on the Competition Manipulation Watch List following an investigation of suspicious competition results conducted by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

“This decision reflects the high degree of risk of results manipulation within the Member Federation’s territory and not the conduct of individual officials or specific cases.”

In other words, marks coming out of Kazakhstan are not to be trusted. It’s the eighth country to be on the AIU’s watch list, also including Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

● Triathlon ● Rio 2016 Olympic steeplechaser Colleen Quigley is continuing to train for a second U.S. Olympic berth in Paris in 2024, but then may head to triathlon.

She posted an Instagram note last Friday (3rd) noticed by triathlete.com that she’s going to try her first competitive triathlon on 11 February in San Diego, California in the Tritonman race, with a goal of being among the top three amateurs and within 5% of the winning (amateur) time, which would earn her a USA Triathlon pro license.

Quigley, 30, is the fourth-fastest women’s steepler in U.S. history, running 9:10.27 in 2018. She’s had recurring bad luck with injuries, which led to swimming and bike training, and interest in a new sport … after another Olympic shot for 2024.

● Wrestling ● It’s Super Bowl time, which also means USA Wrestling will be out with its list of players who were also wrestlers!

This year, Kansas City has four former wrestlers in linebacker Jack Cochrane, guard Nick Allegretti, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders and center Chris Humphrey, all of whom wrestled in high school.

Philadelphia has former two active prep stars in defensive end Robert Quinn and long snapper Rick Lovato, with defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu – also a prep grappler – on injured reserve.

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TSX REPORT: Paris Mayor now wants Russia out of 2024; Pinturault wins Combined again; NHL not sure about players at Milan Cortina ‘26

By
Rich Perelman
-
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (at right) interviewed on FranceInfo (public) radio on Tuesday (Photo: FranceInfo Twitter page)

★ 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 ≡

1. Paris Mayor Hidalgo now says no Russian athletes in 2024
2. Nordic countries and Austria against Russian and Belarusian re-entry
3. France’s Pinturault wins Worlds Combined in Courchevel
4. Bettman non-committal on NHL players in 2026 Games
5. Solid TV audiences for figure skating and track & field

Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, changed her stance on whether Russian or Belarusian athletes can compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Acknowledging that the decision is really for the International Olympic Committee, she told FranceInfo radio that it is “not conceivable” to have these teams in Paris while the war continues in Ukraine. She did suggest that dissident Russian or Belarusian athletes might be admitted to the Games on the IOC’s Refugee Team. The National Olympic Committees of five Nordic countries issued a statement against any changes in the current ban on Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport, and the Sports Minister of Austria took issue with his own National Olympic Committee, stating that Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot compete at Paris with the war continuing, and noting that many of the Russian and Belarusian athletes are actually army members! At the FIS Alpine World Championships in France, home favorite Alexis Pinturault won his second Worlds gold in the Alpine Combined, ahead of defending champ Marco Schwarz of Austria. National Hockey League Commission Gary Bettman said player participation in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games will depend on the conditions provided by the organizer, the International Ice Hockey Federation and IOC, similar to the issues raised in the past. NHL players have not been part of the Winter Games since 2014. NBC garnered good television audiences for figure skating and track and field broadcast last weekend, with highlights of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships averaging 1.223 million viewers!

● Panorama: Errata = Figure Skating (Kostomarov’s feet amputated) = Football (Bolivia added to 2030 World Cup bid) = Gymnastics (abuse in Canada) = Shooting (ISSF World Cup in Jakarta) = Triathlon (leading 2022 money winners) ●

1.
Paris Mayor Hidalgo now says no Russian athletes in 2024

Back on 26 January, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party) told France2 television, “I think that it’s a sporting moment and we shouldn’t deprive athletes of the competition. But I think and what I’m arguing for, as is a large part of the sporting world, is that there isn’t a delegation under the Russian banner.”

On Tuesday, she changed her tune during an interview with FranceInfo public radio:

● “As long as there is this war, this Russian aggression on Ukraine, it is not conceivable to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation that comes to Paris, while the bombs continue to rain on Ukraine.”

● “In fact, [a neutral status] does not really exist, because there are sometimes athletes who are dissidents. They march and compete under the refugee banner. The neutral banner was a [Russian] doping issue and that was the choice they [the International Olympic Committee] made. I am not in favor of this [neutral] option. I would find it totally indecent.”

● “In any case, we are not going to parade a country that is attacking another one and pretend that it does not exist. So I am not in favor of there being a Russian delegation to the Paris Olympics, especially if the war is still going on, which I do not want.”

Hidalgo did note that “It’s up to the IOC to decide. My wish is that there is none. I am not in favor,” and added, “I will express myself before, because we still have a little time before deciding.”

Hidalgo’s suggestion of assigning on-the-record, dissident Russian – and Belarusian – athletes to the IOC’s Refugee Team was also raised two weeks ago by The Sports Examiner, but has not been specifically mentioned by the IOC as a possible vehicle for their participation.

She was also asked about the complaints of a lack of air conditioning in the under-construction Olympic Village for the 2024 Games. “They will come, and they will see that they will be very well, … I have a lot of respect for the comfort of athletes, but I think a lot more about the survival of humanity.”

Hidalgo explained the Village “is entirely made with wooden buildings, with natural air conditioning” and that the “natural air conditioning works very well.

“Everyone will benefit, not only from these ideal conditions, but also from these first green Games that we wear and of which we will be very proud.”

2.
Nordic countries and Austria against
Russian and Belarusian re-entry

The National Olympic Committees of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, plus the Danish-affiliated territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland and Finnish-affiliated Aland Islands, issued a Tuesday statement confirmed their formal opposition to Russian or Belarusian participation at Paris 2024, including:

● “The situation with the war in Ukraine has not changed.

● “Therefore, we stand firm in our position, not to open for Russian and Belarusian Athletes and officials in international sports participation.

● “Now is not the right time to consider their return; that is our position.

● “We, the Nordic Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Confederations of sports, take this opportunity to reaffirm our steadfast support once again with the Ukrainian people and the demand for peace.

● “The Nordic Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Confederations of sports will work together and in close dialogue with relevant stakeholders to evaluate and continuously monitor the situation closely.”

In Austria, Minister of Sport Werner Kogler told Der Standard that the government is against the IOC’s position and that Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot be included in the Paris Games (translated from German):

“It is simply unreasonable for Ukrainian athletes to compete against Russian and Belarusian athletes in the fight for medals.

“Such a blatant breach of international law must result in consequences and sanctions in all areas. With all due understanding for the situation of one or the other Russian or Belarusian athlete – my sympathy. This applies first and foremost to the families of those Ukrainian athletes – there are said to be around 220 to date – who lost their lives on the battlefield or as a result of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“The IOC’s criticism of Ukraine’s boycott considerations must be rejected.”

Kogler explained that significant numbers of the Russian and Belarusian Olympic teams are, in fact, members of the military:

“In Tokyo, 45 out of 71 [Russian] medals were won by army personnel. At the Beijing Winter Games, a third of the participants of the Russian Olympic Committee team served in the army.”

3.
France’s Pinturault wins Worlds Combined in Courchevel

Alexis Pinturault is now 31 and has won a grand total of one medal – a bronze – in this season’s FIS Alpine World Cup. But he is a terror in the Combined.

On Tuesday, France’s Pinturault won his third consecutive FIS Alpine World Championships medal in the event, and won for the second time in front of a home crowd at Courchevel (FRA), winning by 0.10 seconds over Marco Schwarz of Austria.

Pinturault led from the start, with the fastest Super-G in the field at 1:08.25, but just 0.06 up on Schwarz, the defending champ in the Combined from the 2021 Worlds (where Pinturault was second).

Those two led off the Slalom racing, and they were close again, with Pinturault finishing in 45.06 for a 1:53.31 total and Schwarz just behind in 45.10 (1:53.41). Those turned out to be the nos. 3-4 fastest Slalom times, with Austria’s Raphael Haaser finishing third in the Super-G and third overall in 1:53.75.

American River Radamus stood fifth after the Super-G, then had the fifth-fastest Slalom, but moved up only to fourth in 1:54.00, missing a medal by 0.25. The U.S. also finished 9-10 with Erik Arvidsson (1:57.74) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (1:58.56).

It’s Pinturault’s seventh Worlds medal (3-1-3) to go along with 34 World Cup wins, three Olympic medals (0-1-2) and four seasonal World Cup titles in the rarely-contested Combined. Schwarz, 27, won his sixth Worlds medal (1-2-3) and third in the Combined (1-1-1), while Haaser, 25, won his first career Worlds medal.

The FIS Worlds continue with the women’s Super-G at Meribel on Wednesday.

4.
Bettman non-committal on NHL players in 2026 Games

Although Paris is next up on the Olympic calendar, the question of National Hockey League players participating in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games is still percolating.

Commission Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly talked with International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif (FRA) during the All-Star Weekend in Florida and told reporters that nothing has been settled:

“We each re-expressed our desires to work together on a variety of fronts.

“I know it’s important to the players and they’d like to play in the Olympics, but certain things are going to have to be done by some combination of the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the local organizing committee in order for that to be reality.

“If they do those things, which is not a whole lot dissimilar to what’s been done in the past, then we’ll be happy to go.”

Daly added:

“I think most importantly we were aligned with the IIHF in our conversation as to what the issues are and what needs to be done. We’re in lockstep on that.”

NHL players first participated in the Winter Games in 1998 and continued through 2014, with the NHL skipping the 2018 PyeongChang Games and then the 2022 Beijing Games due to worries over the coronavirus pandemic.

The historical issues for the NHL have been on scheduling – how long will the players be away – on who pays for travel and support costs for the players and on insurance coverage for injuries. An agreement will involve at least the NHL, NHL Players Association, the IIHF and the IOC, with the latter having picked up a significant part of the costs in the past.

5.
Solid TV audiences for figure skating and track & field

With no (tackle) football on television for the first time since August, auto racing, basketball and golf were the most-watched sports in the U.S., but three Olympic-sport events also did well:

● U.S. Figure Skating Championships highlights on NBC on Sunday (5th) drew 1.223 million viewers, consistent with its audience in non-Olympic years.

● NBC’s highlights package of the European Figure Skating Championships on Sunday at 2 p.m. – prior to the U.S. Champs show – drew a respectable 742,000.

● NBC’s two-hour live broadcast of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix from Boston on Saturday (4th) averaged 866,000, not at all bad for a non-championship event.

For comparison, NBC showed only one indoor track & field meet in 2021 and 2022; the USATF Indoor Nationals in 2021 averaged 990,000 viewers and the Millrose Games in 2022 averaged 929,000. NBC will have this week’s Millrose Games on Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern and the USATF indoors from Albuquerque, New Mexico on 18 February, also at 4 p.m.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Errata ● In Tuesday’s post, some readers saw an incorrect reference to American rower Jan Palchikoff as a 1976 Olympic rowing bronze medalist in the women’s Eights. In fact, Palchikoff was fifth in the Double Sculls; this has been corrected on the site.

● Figure Skating ● Turin 2006 Olympic Ice Dance champion Roman Kostomarov was reported to be fighting for his life in a Moscow hospital after a severe case of pneumonia that caused his feet to be amputated.

Kostomarov, now 45, partnered with Tatiana Navka to win two Worlds golds in Ice Dance in 2004 and 2005, was admitted on 10 January in critical condition and placed on life support. TASS reported that he continues to be in intensive care.

● Football ● The race for the FIFA World Cup in 2030 continues, with the South American bid from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay now adding Bolivia as a fifth host country.

A presentation in Buenos Aires (ARG) was held on Tuesday, with plans for Argentina to host the opening match and the final in Uruguay, which was the host for the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.

Other announced bids include Spain, Portugal and Ukraine together, and Morocco – bidding for the sixth time – and a possible a cross-confederation bid from Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia.

● Gymnastics ● A 19-tweet thread posted Monday by Gymnasts for Change Canada details public accusations of misconduct against 15 individuals and additional cases of sexual abuse, child pornography, psychological abuse and more and asked:

“What has not reached the surface yet? How many survivors are still being silenced?

“Judicial. Inquiry. Now.”

● Shooting ● The ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol in Jakarata (INA) concluded a little early on Saturday with the cancellation of the last events, but with Kazakhstan leading the medal table with 11 (3-5-3), followed by Korea (8) and Austria and Switzerland (7).

Three shooters won multiple golds: Jan Lochbihler (SUI) in the men’s 50 m Rifle/Prone final and in the Mixed Team event; Hungary’s Eszter Meszaros in the women’s 10 m Air Rifle and the Mixed Team final, and Korean Ye Jin Oh in the women’s 10 m Air Pistol and the women’s Team final.

Kazakhstan’s two individual golds were in the men’s 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol by Nikita Chiryukin, and the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions by Arina Altukhova.

● Triathlon ● Triathlete.com dug into the top money winners in the sport during 2022, including not only World Triathlon events, but also the Ironman series, Professional Triathlon Organization races and others. The money leaders:

Long Course (Half Ironman and up):
● Men: $480,000 for Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
● Women: $351,368 for Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)

Short Course (Olympic distance and Sprints):
● Men: $235,000 for Hayden Wilde (NZL)
● Women: $273,000 for Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR)

The study showed 62 money winners in Short Course men’s racing and 52 women in 2022.

You can receive our exclusive TSX Report by e-mail by clicking here. You can also refer a friend by clicking here, and can donate here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Shiffrin skis out as Brignone wins Worlds Combined; USOPC wait-and-see on IOC’s Russia ideas; new USRowing trans rules ripped

By
Rich Perelman
-
(Graphic courtesy ISU)

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

★ Bravo to our 24 donors, who have now covered 53% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Brignone wins Worlds Combined as Shiffrin misses late gate
2. Sykes letter to U.S. Olympic community: wait and see on Russia
3. Czechs say no on Russia in Paris; UCI backs IOC 100%
4. Five 1980s U.S. Olympic rowers rip new USRowing gender policy
5. United Kingdom Athletics pushing for “open” category for trans aths

At the FIS Alpine World Championships, Italian star Federica Brignone won the women’s Alpine Combined for her first Worlds gold, as defending champ Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. was disqualified three gates from the finish while leading on the clock. A very well-written letter from new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes sent in late January to athletes, U.S. National Governing Bodies and others explained a wait-and-see attitude on what the International Olympic Committee proposes on possible Russian and Belarusian participation in future international events. The Czech Olympic Committee – and the country’s prime minister – came out against Russian and Belarusian participation, but the UCI, the international federation for cycling, backed the IOC completely (and has allowed Russian and Belarusian riders to continue competing in its events as neutrals). Five former U.S. Olympic rowers denounced the new USRowing gender-identity regulations, effective last December, for adopting “a policy that so blatantly discriminates against female athletes in rowing.” The U.S. federations for rowing and fencing have now issued regulations allowing “say it and play it” gender competition choices. The British track & field federation, UK Athletics, issued its own gender-identity policy, stating that only those who are females at birth should be allowed to compete in the women’s category and that the men’s division should be changed to “open” to accommodate transgender athletes.

● Panorama: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (change the NCAA) = Fencing (IOC Ethics complaint) = Figure Skating (ISU awards) = Gymnastics (doping) = Judo (IJF awards) = Skateboarding (age 12 medalist!) = Wrestling (Turkish earthquake deaths) ●

1.
Brignone wins Worlds Combined as Shiffrin misses late gate

Plenty of drama on the first day of the FIS Alpine World Championships in France, as Italy’s Federica Brignone won the women’s Alpine Combined in Meribel, but only thanks to a late error from American star Mikaela Shiffrin.

A three-time Olympic medal winner (0-1-2), Brignone was easily the fastest in the Super-G, timing 1:10.28 to lead Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI: 1:10.99), with Shiffrin – the defending champion – in sixth, 0.96 seconds back.

On the Slalom, Brignone skied beautifully at 47.19 and with a total of 1:57.47, was going to be tough to catch. Gut-Behrami opted out of the Slalom and Shiffrin skied hard and actually took the lead on the checkpoints coming toward the finish.

But instead of a seventh career Worlds gold, Shiffrin lost her line three gates from the finish and was disqualified for missing a gate.

Meanwhile, Swiss Wendy Holdener ended with the fastest Slalom time (47.15) and moved from 15th to silver, with Austria’s Ricarda Haaser moving from eighth to bronze with the third-fastest Slalom (48.15). Holdener had won the Worlds Combined in 2017 and 2019, and took her third medal in the event, while Haaser, 29, had never won a World Cup medal in her career, let alone a World Championships medal before!

Brignone, 32, was the Beijing 2022 bronze medalist in the Combined, but took her first Worlds gold in any event and only the second Worlds medal of her career; she won a Giant Slalom silver way back in 2011.

Shiffrin knew she was going to have to take chances on the Slalom:

“The surface changed a little bit on those last gates. On inspection, I saw it was a bit more unstable on the snow and I had to be still strong with my position and the course, it doesn’t go straight to the finish, it keeps turning. I tried to be aware of that but I also knew that if I had a chance to make up nine-tenths on Federica – or more than that – I had to push like crazy. So, I did and I had a very good run.

“I am really happy with my skiing. It’s just at the end, letting it go a little bit too much too soon and then you don’t make it. It’s such short distance between the gates and you can’t make an error like that. Of course, I know that and I did it anyway. I am happy with the run.”

The men’s Combined comes on Tuesday and the event continues through the 19th.

2.
Sykes letter to U.S. Olympic community: wait and see on Russia

A 25 January letter reported on last week from new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes to the American Olympic community detailed the USOPC’s position on the International Olympic Committee’s continuing examination of the competition situation for Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The text of the letter is now available, and explains with clarity and considerable subtlety the USOPC position: nothing has been decided and let’s see what the IOC comes up with. Sykes’s letter included:

“I hope this note finds you well. And, while January seems to have flown by, it’s never too late to wish you a happy and healthy New Year.

“I felt it necessary to share with you the attached report that was issued today by the IOC Executive Board, and which outlines a summary from several consultation meetings they held last week and provides a statement of solidarity with Ukraine, reaffirms sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and confirms the status of athletes from these countries.

“Sarah Hirshland and I both participated in these sessions to voice our position as the USOPC, and I would like to share that thinking with you.

“We made it clear that our position has not changed. We remain committed to the principles of Olympism that are reflected through the strength of the sanctions that were put in place by the IOC nearly a year ago. We support these sanctions and believe they should continue to be upheld.

“We applauded the support that so many in our community – specifically our NGBs – offered to the Ukrainian Olympic Committee and their athletes. It has been an honor to host athletes and officials at our training centers in the United States, and alongside Team USA athletes, throughout this past year and we are prepared to do more to help them as they prepare for international competition. We are committed to doing our part to ensure that sport can survive and thrive in Ukraine well into the future.

“After listening to many athletes and constituents from around the United States, we recognize a real desire to compete against all the world’s best athletes – but only if that can happen in a way that ensures safe and fair play. And there is very real concern, even skepticism, about whether that condition can be met.

“As such, we encouraged the IOC to continue exploring a process that would preserve the existing sanctions, ensuring only neutral athletes who are clean are welcome to compete. This process will require careful management and will demand extra efforts to earn the confidence and trust of our community.

“If these conditions of neutrality and safe, clean, and fair competition can be met, we believe the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games can prevail. This will continue to be our guiding focus.

“I understand that media coverage stemming from these discussions has been confusing, and transparently – that’s because it is. This is an incredibly complex situation that is constantly evolving, and I encourage you to please reach to me or Sarah with any questions, concerns, or suggestions as we continue to navigate this together.”

Observed: The letter does not, as has been claimed in some reports, that the USOPC subscribes to the notion that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be returned to competition, but is waiting to see what the outcome will be of the IOC’s continuing discussions before making any judgement, or even collecting comments from athletes, coaches and other USOPC stakeholders. And it underscores the continuing concerns – for now forgotten because of the war in Ukraine – over whether the doping culture in Russia, especially, has been curtailed or reversed.

“Skepticism” is the key word, and rightly so. A decision comes later.

3.
Czechs say no on Russia in Paris; UCI backs IOC 100%

The International Olympic Committee’s continuing discussions over Russian and Belarusian athletes at Paris 2024 continues to attract attention from governments, with the Czech Republic being the latest to weigh in. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Monday:

“I can’t really imagine Russian and Belarusian athletes… competing in Paris at a time when Ukrainian athletes are dying while defending their country. Under these conditions, the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”

The Czech Olympic Committee issued a statement that included: “Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot compete at the Olympic Games. We can see no reason to change” the current sanctions. The COC, however, does not support a boycott, but noted “We will naturally respect the will of each athlete if they decide not to take part.”

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), however, adopted the IOC’s view en toto, issuing a statement a Friday statement, including agreement to allow “possible participation” by Russian and Belausian athletes:

“who fully respect the Olympic Charter would be able to participate. In other words: firstly, only those who have not gone against the IOC’s mission of peace by actively supporting the war in Ukraine would be able to compete; secondly, only those athletes who fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and all relevant anti-doping rules and regulations would be eligible. Verification will be carried out for each athlete entered.”

It should be noted that the UCI currently allows Russian and Belarusian riders to compete – as neutrals – on international cycling teams which are not registered in Russia or Belarus.

In Moscow, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin told the TASS news agency:

“We believe that Lausanne is beginning to realize that major international competitions cannot be held without the participation of Russian athletes. … We see how governments of some countries today openly declare interference in the decision-making process of international sports federations, try to take them hostage, exposing them to political conditions to boycott the Olympic Games. We are convinced that this directly contradicts the Olympic Charter and is aimed at destabilizing and destroying the Olympic family. History shows that boycotts never achieve their goals, and in the end only end with cruel punishment for athletes of several generations at once.”

In contrast, Russia’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cross Country Skiing men’s Sprint silver medalist Alexander Panzhinsky told TASS:

“Unfortunately, the IOC is an event agency that is paid for by sponsors, primarily American ones. Accordingly, whoever pays dictates the rules. As long as there is no alternative to the Olympic Games, we need to participate in them and create an alternative if we don’t want to obey.

“To chop off your shoulder and say that world sport will die without us is wrong, this will not happen, they will live without us. It will be worse for us at times, so we should not refuse the conditions put forward if they do not contradict the moral principles of the athlete. Everyone has to do it for themselves.”

4.
Five 1980s U.S. Olympic rowers rip new USRowing gender policy

/Updated/“USRowing rejected fairness for female rowers of all ages and levels with the release of its updated Gender Identity Policy on December 1. We are a group of former Olympic rowers, and we are enraged that USRowing would adopt a policy that so blatantly discriminates against female athletes in rowing.

“The updated policy permits males, with or without testosterone suppression, to compete in girls’ and women’s events. Only at the collegiate and elite level has USRowing allowed any restrictions. At that level, male rowers competing in the women’s category must comply with World Rowing’s policy, which requires 12 months of continuous testosterone suppression at no greater than 5 nmol/L, twice the high end of the normal range for females.”

That’s the start of an opinion piece posted last Thursday (2nd) on Newsweek.com by five former U.S. Olympic rowers from the 1980 and 1984 teams, decrying the “USRowing Gender Identity Policy” which allows athletes to compete “with their expressed gender identity” via registration with the federation. It also defines competition categories of “men,” “women” and “open” plus a “mixed” definition for Masters events only.

The federation notes specifically:

“This Gender Identity Policy is applicable only to athletes competing in domestic competitions hosted or sanctioned by USRowing. Any athlete competing for placement on an international team organized by USRowing, or athletes representing the United States in an international event, shall follow the rules consistent under the entity running that event, for example, World Rowing, or the International Olympic Committee. It is important to note that those rules may not be consistent with USRowing’s policy.”

World Rowing has much stricter requirements, as the opinion piece notes. The women write caustically of USRowing’s attitude toward science and its tactics in adopting the new policy:

● “Science has unequivocally proven that testosterone suppression—even for years—does not erase the physiologic advantages that males have over females. Every cell has a sex which influences all aspects of the body’s development. It is not biologically possible to change sex at the cellular level, even with hormone therapy. Suppressing testosterone, regardless of the degree, does not remove all the sex-based advantages that males possess, such as greater heart and lung size. Males as a sex are physically bigger, stronger, and faster. While some females can outperform some males, at any matched level many males outperform all females. By permitting males to compete against females, the updated USRowing policy grossly discriminates against its female athletes.”

● “To support its updated policy, USRowing cites concern for the mental health of trans athletes, noting that 45 percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year. Certainly, this is a startling statistic and anyone suffering with mental health concerns should receive professional medical attention. However, justifying a position of discrimination against females by using concern for the mental health of another group is an unfair and inappropriate burden for females to carry. In essence, females are told by governing bodies that they must subjugate their rights to support the mental health of others. This is nothing short of emotional blackmail and we have first-hand knowledge that many young females are afraid to speak their minds because of it.”

The solution? The women write:

“Promoting the rights of one group by destroying the rights of another does not represent a just solution. Trans athletes can fairly compete in a male/open category. We expect USRowing to immediately rescind its policy and replace it with one that recognizes the value of female athletes.”

The authors are Dr. Mary O’Connor (1980 team), Carol Brown (1976-80-84), Jan Palchikoff (1976-80), Patricia Spratlen Etem (1980-84) and Valerie McClain (1980-84). Brown won a bronze medal in the women’s Eights in Montreal in 1976; Palchikoff finished fifth in the Double Sculls (corrected: Palchikoff was not on the Eights as previously listed).

USRowing’s 1 December policy change joined USA Fencing’s “say it and play it” approach to gender identity, which it posted on 7 November 2022. As with rowing, the U.S. fencing regulations apply to competitions it sanctions, but unlike rowing, there are no gender identity regulations posted at the International Federation (FIE) level, allowing a man registered as a female to potentially compete in an FIE event!

5.
United Kingdom Athletics pushing for “open” category
for trans athletes

A three-page statement released Friday by the national governing body for track & field in Great Britain – UK Athletics – wants to reserve women’s competition only to those athletes who were registered female at birth:

“In recognition of the available scientific evidence, UKA believes that efforts should be made to:

“a. fairly and safely include transgender women in an “open” category, which would replace the current male category and be open to athletes of all sexes; and

“b. reserve the women’s category for competitors who were female at birth, so that they can continue to compete fairly.”

The federation was specific on the question of hormone suppression for women:

“UKA does not agree with the use of testosterone suppression for transgender women:

“a. Scientific evidence, as detailed in the SCEG Guidance is that transgender women retain a testosterone/puberty advantage over biological females regardless of the reduction of post puberty testosterone levels.

“b. There is currently no scientifically robust, independent research showing that all male performance advantage is eliminated following testosterone suppression.”

UKA also asked for a change in British law, specifically the “sporting exemption” to the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, based on a language change made in 2010, which repealed much (if not all) of the exemption from the 2004 bill. The BBC reported that “the UK government disagrees with UK Athletics’ stance that the law does not allow it to ban transgender women from female events on fairness grounds.”

World Athletics is in the process of reviewing its regulations for transgender women’s participation; the BBC reported that its “preferred option” is to allow trans women to compete in the women’s category with “blood testosterone [lowered] from the current maximum of five nanomoles per litre to below 2.5, and stay below this permitted threshold for two years rather than just one, as is the case now.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● A guest editorial posted at Sportico.com suggests siphoning sports betting money to support Olympic-sport development at the NCAA level.

Victoria Jackson, the 2006 NCAA 10,000 m champ for Arizona State and now a sports historian and Clinical Assistant Professor in History there, wrote in a 1 February post:

“Hey, NCAA … Embrace what you never have been, but could be: A federated sport-by-sport organization working alongside the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and each sport’s national governing body to better serve athletes and bring coherence and consistency to each sport. …

“Congress, NCAA, USOPC: Here is my moonshot. One new revenue stream to consider is a federal tax on sports betting to support Olympic development, with the federal funds running through universities to subsidize college sports teams.

“Regardless of how we feel about sports gambling, it is here to stay in the United States. The Cold War commitment to private funding of Olympic development in the U.S. is long overdue for abandonment and a federal tax on sports betting would release Olympic sports from some dependency on college football money. And, considering the ethical challenges of sports betting, it would offer at least one positive outcome of a potentially problematic industry. It also doesn’t hurt that sports betting is new, so introducing a tax on a new thing isn’t as earth shattering.”

Jackson has a lot more to say in her piece, but notes the widespread fear that as football and basketball continue to soak up more and more money in NCAA athletic departments across the country, non-revenue sports are and will continue to be endangered.

The idea of funding U.S. Olympic-sport development via a government-related mechanism is not new; a proposal to allow Americans to donate $1 for Olympic support via a Federal tax return check-off ($2 for joint returns) was discussed in Congress in 1984, but did not pass either the House or Senate.

● Fencing ● A formal complaint to the IOC Ethics Commission was made by long-time Swedish Olympic Committee and Federation Internationale de Escrime (FIE) officer Per Palmstroem on Sunday, reporting violations of the IOC Code of Ethics during the November 2022 FIE Congress held in Lausanne (SUI). As Palmstroem reported:

“The FIE organized its Ordinary Congress on 26 November 2022 in Lausanne. On the agenda was the item to vote to award the World Championships for juniors and cadets 2024. There was only one organizer to vote for: the Saudi Arabian Fencing Federation.

“The President of the Swedish Fencing Federation, Otto Drakenberg, asked for the floor to highlight some concerns regarding the organization of World Championships in Saudi Arabia:

“● LGBTQ people in Saudi Arabia face repression and legal challenges, how will the safety and protection of LGBTQ fencers be guaranteed?

“● Women in Saudi Arabia experience discrimination, how will the safety and protection of female fencers be guaranteed?

“● Saudi Arabia is at war [in Yemen], how will the safety and protection of the fencers be guaranteed?

“The concerns raised by President Drakenberg are all valid and should be included in the assessment process before a decision is made to award the Championships to Saudi Arabia. …

“As you can see on the film, President Drakenberg was immediately interrupted and disrupted by many of the delegates. The delegates tried to prevent President Drakenberg from expressing his opinion. Further, President Drakenberg did not get any help from any of the other delegates or from the members of the FIE’s Comex. On the contrary, FIE’s Vice-President Abdelmoneim Elhamy L Husseiny [EGY] joined the delegates in trying to silence President Drakenberg. But this did not stop President Drakenberg from continuing his speech. Bravely and persistently, President Drakenberg managed to say most of what he had intended to say and to put forward his proposal. I believe this was only due to President Drakenberg’s personal qualities and stamina.”

The complaint continued with a second charge:

“Further, the decision implies the failure of the FIE to protect the right of all fencers to participate in the World Championships. Accordingly, the FIE’s decision to award the World Championships to Saudi Arabia is an infringement of the Basic Universal Principle of Good Governance also on the grounds that the right of athletes to participate in sports competitions shall be protected and that no form of discrimination on whatever grounds, be it race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, shall be tolerated.”

Let’s see what happens now. The video – about three minutes – showcases some truly disrespectful behavior and considerable fortitude by Drakenburg.

● Figure Skating ● The International Skating Union announced its 2023 Skating Awards on Sunday in Zurich (SUI), with a strong American contingent winning recognition for their achievements during the 2021-22 season:

● Most Valuable Skater: Nathan Chen (USA)

● Most Entertaining Program: Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA)

● Best Costume: Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)

● Best Newcomer: Isabeau Levito (USA)

● Special Achievement: Ilia Malinin (USA)

● Best Coach: Patrice Lauzon (CAN)

● Best Choreographer: Shae-Lynn Bourne (CAN)

● Lifetime Achievement: Katarina Witt (GER)

Chen won the Beijing 2022 Olympic gold convincingly and has been a premier ambassador for the sport. Papadakis and Cizeron won for their 2021-22 season Rhythm Dance program to “Made To Love” and “U Move, I Move.” Chock and Bates won for their “Astronaut meets Alien” Free Dance costumes, the second time they have won this award.

Levito, in her first season on the ISU Grand Prix circuit at age 15, won three silvers and the U.S. national title. Malinin was recognized as being the first to complete a quadruple Axel in competition. Lauzon coached 11 Ice Dance entrants at the 2022 Winter Games, with six finishing in the top 10, including winners Papadakis and Cizeron. Bourne arranged programs for Chen, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, Malinin and many others. Witt, of course, was the two-time Olympic champ from East Germany in 1984 and 1988 and a four-time World Champion between 1984-88.

● Gymnastics ● Dipa Karmakar was the first gymnast from India to compete in the Olympic Games, making it to the finals of the women’s Vault, finishing fourth. Now, she’s suspended for doping.

The International Testing Agency announced Friday that Karmakar has been suspended for 21 months due to the presence of higenamine – a stimulant banned in the World Anti-Doping Code – in an out-of-competition test on 11 October 2021. She will regain her eligibility on 10 July 2023.

The unusual length of the suspension came as a result of the case-resolution agreement made with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the ITA. Karmakar wrote on Twitter:

“The result was positive for a banned substance which I unknowingly ingested and could not determine the source of. I decided to take a provisional suspension with the hope of a swift resolution with the international federation.

“I am happy that the matter has been amicably resolved. My [two-year] suspension has been reduced by 3 months and back dated by 2.5 months, allowing me to return to the sport I love in July 2023.”

● Judo ● The International Judo Federation announced its award winners for 2022, with Tato Grigalashvili (GEO) winning two awards!

Grigalashvili won the Male Judoka of the Year for 2022 after his 81 kg World Championships gold, and also was the co-winner of the “Moment of the Year” with his fellow Worlds finalist (and eventual silver medalist), Belgium’s Matthias Casse.

The Female Jukoda of the Year was Japan’s Uta Abe, who followed up on her Tokyo Olympic gold with a victory at the 2022 Worlds in the women’s 52 kg class, her third career World title.

● Skateboarding ● The bronze medal for Japan’s Ginwoo Onodera in the men’s World Street Championships in Sharjah (UAE) was especially impressive since he is … 12 years old.

He’s the youngest men’s Worlds medalist ever and actually led the semifinal round. He also showed strong nerves after a bad first run, nailing the second to stay in medal contention: “I went into it determined to nail all my tricks. I said ‘yes’ in my head after really pulling it off.”

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling posted terrible news following the earthquakes in southwest Turkey on Monday:

“The earthquakes have affected athletes who were participating in an international wrestling tournament in the [Kahramanmaras] province. The most recent reports have indicated that teams of France, Kosovo, and Uzbekistan have been transported out of impacted areas to safety. However, seven Turkish wrestlers have died, with many still unaccounted for as a consequence of the earthquakes.”

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TSX REPORT: Euro meeting Friday on IOC’s Russian re-entry idea; Belarus anti-war athletes ask for reinstatement; 2024 torch starts in Marseille

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 ≡

1. European meeting against Russian re-entry coming Friday
2. Belarusian anti-war athlete group asking for re-entry
3. Norway and its IOC member Jacobsen conflict on Russia
4. Paris 2024 torch relay to begin from Marseille
5. USOPC, U.S. Ski & Snowboard sued over snowboarder abuses

Russia’s war on Ukraine has completely overtaken the Olympic Movement in the aftermath of the International Olympic Committee’s declaration that a potential avenue to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally again should be explored. A Friday meeting of European sports ministers is the next event at which a potential boycott threat against the Paris 2024 Games will be discussed. The athlete-led Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation announced a declaration against the Belarusian regime, the war in Ukraine and asked for its member athletes to be able to compete, also asking for any Russian or Belarusian athletes who wants to compete again to sign an anti-war declaration. In Norway, which has seen resolute aversion to Russian and Belarusian participation, IOC Athletes’ Commission member Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen has been criticized for saying that the Norwegian Athletes’ Commission was in agreement with the IOC’s position that no athletes should be disqualified from the Games for holding a specific passport and that “we can discuss what practical considerations must be taken and put in place to potentially allow all athletes back into the sports arena.” She says she was only opening the door to further discussion, and while the Norwegian athlete group issued a statement saying Jacobsen did nothing wrong, it also admitted it was far too casual in its deliberations, undercutting Jacobsen’s comments. Meanwhile, the Paris 2024 organizing committee said that the Olympic Torch Relay would begin from Marseille in southern France. A suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles alleges sexual abuse and conspiracy against three former U.S. Snowboard stars by former national team coach Peter Foley, the U.S. Ski Federation, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and others.

● World Championships: Bobsleigh = Skateboard ●
● Panorama: Alpine Skiing = Archery = Athletics (3) = Badminton = Cross Country Skiing = Freestyle Skiing (2) = Judo = Luge = Nordic Combined = Short Track = Ski Jumping = Snowboard (2) = Wrestling ●

1.
European meeting against Russian re-entry coming Friday

“I’m convinced that a meeting that is planned for Feb. 10 will reach a conclusion of over 30 or maybe 40 sports ministers including those from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Japan to decisively reject the idea to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in the Games.

“Considering this I don’t think we will face tough decisions before the Olympics and, if we were to boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless.”

The most painful prospect in the Olympic world – boycott – is now being widely discussed in European circles, with Polish Sports and Tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk telling Reuters that nations are uniting against the idea of Russian or Belarusian athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Russian news agency TASS reported Ukrainian Sports Minister and President of the National Olympic Committee Vadim Gutsait saying Friday:

“Britain is calling a summit of European sports ministers on February 10 to discuss the issue of barring Russians and Belarusians. [National Olympic Committee] presidents from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland support Ukraine. These countries have already made statements, you know that.”

Sports ministers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said in a joint statement on Thursday:

“Any effort by the International Olympic Committee to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, even under a neutral flag, should be rejected.

“Efforts to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions under the veil of neutrality legitimize political decisions and widespread propaganda of these countries.”

Former Ukrainian star football striker Andriy Shevchenko, 46, wrote on Facebook last Thursday:

“There is no politics in sport. But this war is more than just politics.

“Sports competitions of a high level, like the Olympics, are opportunities to share a message to all people on Earth at once. If athletes from russia or belarus enter the arena, with or without flags, it reflects this statement from the Olympics Committee to the whole world – the war is over, you can forgive everyone and forget everything.

“But the war is not over. Every day destroys our cities, ruins the childhood of our kids and threatens our existence. …

“I urge Olympics to not allow russian and belarusian athletes to compete until the war in Ukraine is over, and to strong condemn russian aggression.”

2.
Belarusian anti-war athlete group asking for re-entry

The Belasrusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), an athlete group opposed to the Lukashenko administration and the country’s support of Russia’s war with Ukraine, issued a lengthy “Declaration of Belarusian Free Sports towards participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Movement,” on Friday, asking that the current sanctions against athletes of both countries be continued. It asks, in part:

● “Condemn the insufficient criteria mechanism proposed for the participation of Belarusian and Russian athletes in international competition, consisting of neutral athlete status, non-action of an athlete against the peace mission of the IOC by actively supporting the war in Ukraine, and compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.

● “Express disbelief at the possibility of fulfillment of the criteria by Russian and Belarusian pro-regime athletes, since such athletes alongside with the propaganda have already destroyed the Olympic spirit and made it impossible to compete with them in the spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. …

● “Invite the IOC to implement an effective system of verification of the Russian and Belarusian athletes for their possible participation in competitions. The verification mechanism should be based on the active anti-war position of an athlete, including but not limited to, the signing of the Anti-War declaration.”

The document further asks that Belarusian “free” athletes – who are against the regime – “be granted the right to participate in sports competitions” and be saved from persecution.

The Twitter post states that “More than 50 titled athletes and sports representatives have signed the Declaration.”

The IOC is well aware of the actions against athletes in Belarus, imposing sanctions in December 2020 and expanding them in March 2021, noting that the “NOC of Belarus had not appropriately protected the Belarusian athletes from political discrimination within the NOC, their member federations or the sports movement.”

The sanctions included an end to support payments to the Belarus NOC, to refuse accreditation to any Belarusian NOC officials, a ban on hosting events there, and non-recognition of the 2021 NOC elections; all of this was prior to the February 2022 sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

3.
Norway and its IOC member Jacobsen conflict on Russia

The Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) issued a statement on Friday that included:

“The NIF communicated a clear position in the consultation meeting between the IOC and National Olympic Committees on 19 January, that our position on the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sports is unchanged and stands firm.”

However, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, an IOC Athletes’ Commission member from Norway and a 2018 Olympic Team gold medalist in Cross Country Skiing, has drawn heat for saying at an IOC Athletes’ Commission meeting discussing the Russian and Belarusian situation:

“I am speaking on behalf of the Norwegian Athletes’ Committee, which encompasses the Olympic, Paralympic and non-Olympic sports. I would like to share a summary of our recent discussions on the very difficult topic that has been mentioned here before.

“And, coming from a neighboring country of Russia, we are well aware of the intensity and brutality of the ongoing conflict. Our national media, and also most of our people have taken a clear stand that they won’t let the Russians back into sport without really being able to separate the sanctions being made from the protective measures that have been taken place since February last year.

“And, with this backdrop we decided in the Athletes’ Commission to keep the discussion primarily based on the values and the ethics that the Olympic Movement is based on, because that’s the only way going forward.

“In our opinion, non-discrimination is inevitable. Our mission will continue to be a unifying force, and that should remain our focus. This means that no athlete should be excluded on the basis of their passport. And we want our joint athlete committees to gather around our values. Then, secondly, we can discuss what practical considerations must be taken and put in place to potentially allow all athletes back into the sports arena. Thanks.”

This has been a source of considerable angst in Norwegian media, with Jacobsen – who replaced American Kikkan Randall on the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2021 due to the latter’s cancer and recovery program – saying that she is “part of a probing process where one discusses whether the [Olympic] Movement is able to fulfill its mission” and only opening the discussion, rather than guiding it.

For its part, the Norwegian Athletes’ Commission has apologized for the casual nature of its ”handling” of the discussions about Russian and Belarusian athlete re-entry, and said Jacobsen did nothing wrong.

But it is a signal of how strong opinions are on Russia and Belarus while the war in Ukraine continues, and appears to be far from ending.

4.
Paris 2024 torch relay to begin from Marseille

The Olympic Flame will move from Ancient Olympia to France by ship, landing in Marseille to begin its journey through France toward Paris.

The exact dates and route of the Torch Relay won’t be disclosed until May, but the choice of Marseille is based on history. The original town was founded by Greek settlers in around 600 B.C.E. and was known as Massalia, eventually becoming an important trade port.

It’s the second-largest city and third-largest metro area in France, at 1.9 million (metro area) and will be the site of sailing and some of the football matches.

After the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Greece, the trip to Marseille will be made on the 190-foot, three-masted barque Belem, which first sailed in 1896, the year of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens. She is now a sail-training ship of the Caisse d’Epargne Belem Foundation.

5.
USOPC, U.S. Ski & Snowboard sued over snowboarder abuses

A civil lawsuit filed Thursday (2nd) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleges “molestation, exploitation, sexual abuse and harassment of world-renowned athletes associated with the United States Snowboard Team, at the hands of their trusted coach, Peter Foley, with the assistance, permission, and endorsement of United States Ski and Snowboard personnel and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.”

The 61-page complaint was filed on behalf of Rosie Fletcher (now 47, last FIS competition shown was in 2006), Erin O’Malley (45, retired 2003) and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (33, last FIS competition in 2014) against Foley, former U.S. Ski Federation chief executive Tiger Shaw, the federation and the USOPC, stating that Foley as a legendary snowboarding coach, abused these athletes while head of the federation’s snowboarding program from 1994 until his dismissal in March 2022, when these allegations surfaced. The complaint states:

“Foley’s predatory behavior was constant and well known to members and associates of the Team, the USSS, and the USOPC” and “Foley’s widespread sexual misconduct did not occur without the help of others. Foley’s abuse was reported to executives of the USSS and the USOPC on numerous occasions by multiple athletes who were coached by Foley, yet no action was taken. Instead, over time, organizations and individuals banned together with Foley to facilitate and conceal his pattern of unwanted sexual abuse.”

Fletcher was a three-time Olympic snowboarder for the U.S. in 1998-02-06, winning the bronze in Parallel Giant Slalom in Turin in 2006; O’Malley was a two-time FIS World Championships rider, in 1997 and 2001, and Chythlook-Sifsof was a 2010 U.S. Olympian in Snowboard Cross.

The complaint alleges violations of the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Battery, Battery, Sexual Assault, Assault, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Defamation, Sexual Harassment, Negligent Supervision and Retention, Conspiracy to Sex Trafficking, Negligence, and asks for damages.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The final weekend of the IBSF Bobsled Worlds in St. Moritz (SUI) started with the first World Championships gold for Germany’s Kim Kalicki, racing with Leonie Fiebig and winning the Two-Women event in 4:32.86-4:32.91-4:33.37 over teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Americans Kaillie Humphries and Kaysha Love.

Kalicki and Fiebig finished 2-2-1-2 in their four runs to 1-4-3-1 for Buckwitz and Kira Lipperheide and 4-5-1-3 for the Americans. It ended a two-Worlds win streak for Humphries, 37, who now owns an amazing 15 World Championships medals in her career, for the U.S. and Canada.

The second U.S. sled of Nicole Vogt and Jasmine Jones was 12th in 4:37.00.

The Four-Man story was a re-run for Germany, which won its fifth Worlds gold in a row and 22nd overall, with double Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich winning his fifth straight title in 4:19.61 over a surprising Latvian squad driven by Emils Cipulis (4:20.30) and Britain’s Brad Hall, who tied for the silver.

Friedrich’s sled finished 1-1-3-1, losing to Cipulis and Hall only on that third run. In his run of five titles in a row, Friedrich has had Candy Bauer and Thorsten Margis aboard on all five and Alexander Schueller on the last three. It was the first medal for Latvia in this event since 2019 and the first for the British since 1939!

The only American sled was piloted by Geoffrey Gadbois and was 18th (4:26.42).

● Skateboard ● At the World Skate Street World Championships in Sharjah (UAE), France’s Aurelien Giraud won his country’s first-ever Worlds medal and it was a gold, scoring strongly on two of his five trick performances.

Giraud stood third after the two runs, scoring 84.49 on his first try, then popped big scores on his second and fourth tricks – 93.36 and 91.48 – to total 269.33, almost two full points ahead of Portugal’s two-time Worlds bronze medalist, Gustavo Ribeiro (267.38) and Japan’s Ginwoo Onodera (263.04).

Two Americans made the final: 2021 World Champion Jagger Eaton was sixth at 179.15 and Chris Joslin was seventh at 179.08.

Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, 15, the 2022 World Champion and Tokyo Olympic runner-up, won a Worlds medal for the fifth time in a row, scoring 255.58 to beat Chloe Covell (AUS: 253.51) and Momiji Nishiya (JPNM: 253.30). Leal was only fourth after the first two runs, but had the first and third-best scores on her tricks at 85.04 and 87.22 to win the title.

Nishiya won a Worlds medal for the fourth straight time, with her third bronze in a row! Covell won Australia’s first women’s Street Worlds medal. American Paige Heyn was seventh at 211.71.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The final FIS World Cup event prior to the FIS World Alpine Championships in France next week was a Slalom on Saturday at Chamonix (FRA) with Swiss Ramon Zernhaeusern taking his fifth career World Cup win in 1:42.92.

A.J. Ginnis, the former American team member now skiing for Greece – he was born there – won his first career World Cup medal in second (1:43.95) with Daniel Yule (SUI) third in 1:44.00. American Jett Seymour was seventh in 1:44.59.

● Archery ● The amazing 57th Vegas Shoot at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, drew a record registration of 3,911 archers in 2023 – the biggest indoor tournament in the world – and included the final legs of the World Archery Indoor World Series.

In the men’s World Series Final, Dutch star Steve Wijler – a Tokyo 2020 Mixed Team silver medalist – took the seasonal title with a 6-5 win over Korea’s Pil-joong Kim in a one-arrow shoot-out, with both scoring 10, but Wijler’s arrow closer to the center!

Nicholas D’Amour of the U.S. Virgin Islands for the bronze with a 6-4 victory over Sachin Gupta of India.

Korea dominated the women’s medals, with Duna Lim taking the championship via a 7-3 victory over Spain’s Elia Canales. The all-Korean bronze-medal match had So-min Park beating Na-yeon Wi, 6-4.

● Athletics ● Strong performances at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, Massachusetts, including a world best from Dutch star Femke Bol among world-leading marks in four events:

● Men/Mile: 3:52.84, Neil Gourley (GBR)
● Men/60 m Hurdles: 7.38, Grant Holloway (USA)
● Women/500 m: 1:05.63, Femke Bol (NED) ~ World Best
● Women/1,500 m: 4:06.07, Heather MacLean (USA) ~ en route
● Women/Mile: 4:23.42, Heather MacLean (USA)

Bol, the 400 m hurdles silver winner in Eugene last year and the 400/400 m hurdles European Champion, broke away at the bell from Jamaica’s Leah Anderson and stormed away to win by almost three seconds, 1:05.63 to 1:08.34. Bol easily improved the 2006 mark by Russian Olesya Forsheva of 1:06.31.

World women’s 60 m leader Aleia Hobbs of the U.S. won her event over Makiah Brisco, 7.02 to 7.10, and Tokyo 200 m bronze winner Gabby Thomas dominated the 300 m, winning in 36.31. World Indoor women’s 800 m champ Ajee Wilson pushed hard off the final turn to win, 2:00.45 to 2:01.09 over Kaela Edwards, moving to no. 3 on the 2023 world list.

The women’s mile looked like a win for Canada’s red-hot Lucia Stafford as she took the lead on the final turn, but 2022 U.S. indoor champ Heather MacLean had one more surge left and came back to take the tape in a world-leading 4:23.42 to 4:23.52. MacLean also led at 1,500 m with a world leader of 4:06.07, with Stafford at 4:06.09. British star Laura Muir dominated the women’s 3,000 m, winning in 8:40.34 with American Melissa Courtney-Bryant closing hard for second in 8:41.09.

Devynne Charlton (BAH) won the women’s 60 m hurdles in 7.87 and Bridget Williams won the vault at 4.77 m (15-7 3/4), moving to no. 2 on the year list.

The men’s 60 produced the tightest of finishes, with Trayvon Bromell out strongly and trying to hold off 200 m superstar Noah Lyles. But Lyles got to the line first, with both timed in 6.51 (6.507 to 6.509), tied with two others for no. 2 in the world for 2023. Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards was so busy trying to fend off fast-closing Vernon Norwood of the U.S. in the men’s 400 m that Noah Williams snuck by on the inside in the last stride to win in 45.88, with Richards getting the same time and Norwood 0.4 back.

Spain’s 2022 World Indoor Champion Mariano Garcia won the 800 m by holding off Isaiah Jewett on the final half-lap, 1:45.26 to 1:45.75; they’re now 2-3 on the 2023 year list. The mile was also tight, with Neil Gourley (GBR) passing New Zealand’s Sam Tanner at the finish, 3:52.84 to 3:52.85 for nos. 1-2 in the world this year.

The men’s 3,000 m was another breakaway finish for Woody Kincaid, sprinting past the field on the final lap to win in 7:40.71 with a 29.16 last 200 m! World Indoor Champion Grant Holloway ran the two fastest times in 2023, winning his heat in 7.39 and the final in 7.38, ahead of Daniel Roberts (7.46, no. in 2023).

At the aptly-named Mondo Classic in Uppsala (SWE), World Champion Mondo Duplantis (SWE) grabbed the world lead with a win in the men’s Vault at 6.10 m (20-0). He made it on his third try and then missed at a world record of 6.22 m (20-4 3/4).

American K.C. Lightfoot was second at 5.91 m (19-4 3/4).

Britain’s Mo Farah, the four-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time World Champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 m, said last week he’ll compete in April’s London Marathon, then decide if he wants to continue, or retire.

He will turn 40 in March, but said “I’m not going to go to the Olympics. 2023 will probably be my last year. But if it came down to it, towards the end of the year, and you are capable and got picked for your country, then I would never turn that down.”

● Badminton ● At the Thailand Masters (Super 300) in Bangkok (THA), China scored two comeback wins to lead the medal parade, as Yi Man Zhang won the all-Chinese women’s final from Yue Han (CHN), 15-21, 21-13, 21-18, and Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang took the Mixed Doubles over Seung Jae Seo and Yu Jung Chae (KOR), 18-21,21-15, 21-12.

Chun-yi Lin (TPE) won the men’s Singles in an upset over Ka Long Angus Ng (HKG), 21-17, 21-14. Fourth-seeded Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin (INA) won the men’s Doubles with a 21-16, 21-17 victory against Ching Heng Su and Hong Wei Ye (TPE). The Thai women’s Doubles pair of Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard won their final against Ha Na Baek and So Hee Lee (KOR), 21-6, 21-11.

● Cross Country Skiing ● The FIS World Cup broke for the Nordic World Championships following the racing in Tolbach (ITA), with the Norwegian men and Swedish women sweeping the four events.

Seasonal leader Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won Friday’s Freestyle Sprint in 2:30.58 over teammate Haavard Taugboel (2:31.14) – his fifth individual career World Cup medal – and Italy’s two-time Olympic Sprint silver medalist Federico Pellegrino third (2:31.30).

Pal Golberg led a Norwegian sweep with his third World Cup win of the season in the Freestyle 10 km in 20:46.4, just 0.3 up on Simen Hegstad Krueger (20:46.7), with Klaebo (20:46.7) third.

Sweden’s Jonna Sundling got her second women’s Freestyle Sprint win of the season in 2:49.76, with teammate Maja Dahlqvist second in 2:50.41 and American star Jessie Diggins getting her fifth medal of the season in third (2:50.57).

Ebba Andersson completed the Swedish women’s sweep in the Freestyle 10 km in 23:24.7, with Diggins second in 23:38.0. Norway’s Ingvild Oestberg was third in 23:57.9. American Rosie Brennan was fifth in 24:03.7.

Diggins is now up to second in the seasonal standings, with Tiril Udnes Weng (NOR) leading with 1,505 points to 1,371. Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) is third at 1,353 and Brennan at 1,239.

● Freestyle Skiing ● Australia’s 2019 World Champion, Matt Graham, won the Moguls competition on Thursday in Deer Valley, Utah (USA), beating out Canadian superstar (and six-time World Champion) Mikael Kingsbury, 85.35-83.65, with France’s two-time Worlds silver medalist Benjamin Cavet third (81.82).

In Saturday’s Dual Moguls, Kingsbury came back to win his 78th World Cup gold – extending his own record – defeating Graham in the final. Sweden’s Walter Wallberg, the Olympic Moguls winner in Beijing, took third.

The women’s Moguls was another win for Beijing 2022 gold medalist Jakara Anthony of Australia, scoring 80.15 to best Beijing runner-up Jaelin Kauf of the U.S. (77.35) and France’s 2018 Olympic champ Perrine Laffont (77.17).

Laffont won the Dual Moguls on Saturday, beating Kauf to the line in the final, with fellow American Hannah Soar getting the bronze. It was Laffont’s 27th career World Cup win.

Friday’s men’s Aerials title went to Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi (138.32) for his third straight World Cup medal and first career win, ahead of China’s Tianma Li (119.47) and Shuo Chen (110.16). The women’s title went to two-time Worlds medalist Danielle Scott (AUS: 115.20), way ahead of Marion Thenault (CAN: 97.99) and China’s Fanyu Kong (94.11). American Kaila John was fourth (87.06).

Halfpipe and Slopestyle competitions were on at Mammoth Mountain in California, with American Birk Irving taking his second win and third medal of the season in the Halfpipe final, scoring 94.00. Canadian Brendan Mackay was second (93.00) and two-time Olympic champ David Wise (91.25).

China’s Kexin Zhang took her first win of the season in 93.50 in the women’s Halfpipe, followed by 2021 Worlds bronze medalist Zoe Atkin (GBR: 92.75) and Beijing bronze medalist Rachael Karker (CAN: 91.75).

In the Slopestyle men’s final, Norway’s Birk Ruud won for the second time this season at 94.80, followed by teammate Sebastian Schjerve (93.40) with his second career World Cup medal and 2021 World Champion Andri Ragettli (SUI: 92.80). Johanne Killi completed the Norwegian sweep in the women’s final, scoring 84.80, with Kirsty Muir (GBR: 82.00) and Ruby Star Andrews (NZL: 70.80) taking the other medals. Killi has now won all three World Cup events held this season; there are two more after the World Championships.

● Judo ● A massive field of 520 judoka from 82 nations came to the annual Paris Grand Slam, but it was the home team – France – which dominated the action.

The French scored four wins – twice as many as anyone else – led by 10-time World Champion Teddy Riner in the men’s +100 category, defeating Japan’s Hyoga Ota in the final. Three women won gold: Blandine Pont at 48 kg, Priscilla Gneto at 57 kg and 2011 World Champion Audrey Tcheumeo at 78 kg.

Georgia won two classes by 2021 World Champion Lasha Shavdatuashvili in the men’s 73 kg division and reigning World Champion Tato Grigalashvili at 81 kg. The Dutch won two men’s classes as well, with 2019 World Champion Noel Van’t End at 90 kg and two-time Worlds bronze medal winner Michael Korrel at 100 kg.

Kosovo’s Tokyo Olympic women’s 48 kg champ Distria Krasniqi won at 52 kg.

● Luge ● With the World Championships concluded, the FIL World Cup resumed in Altenberg (GER), with men’s Doubles Worlds winners Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken (GER) winning again, 1:23.517 to 1:23.688 over last week’s runner-ups, fellow Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt. Latvia’s Martins Bots and Roberts Plume got the bronze (1:24.376).

Worlds silver medalist Max Langenhan won his second straight World Cup men’s Singles title, 1:47.574 to 1:47.812 over Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller, with three-time Olympic champ Felix Loch, now 33, in third (1:47.906).

Women’s Singles Worlds runner-up Julia Taubitz also moved up to the top of the podium, winning in 1:45.727 over Worlds gold medalist Anna Berreiter (1:46.034) and bronze medalist Dajana Eitberger (1:46.057), for another German sweep. Italy’s Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer won their fourth World Cup race of the season in the women’s Doubles (1:25.650-1:25.701) over Worlds winners Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER).

● Nordic Combined ● Austria’s Johannes Lamparter, the 2021 Large Hill World Champion, won his third straight World Cup race, this time in Obertsdorf (GER: 137 m hill), in 23:25.0 for the 10 km cross-country race, with Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR: 23:44) second and Austria’s Franz-Josef Rehrl (23:47.3) third. It was Lamparter’s sixth win of the season!

On Sunday, German Julian Schmid, 23, got his third win of the season – and third of his career – in 22:52.7 for the 10 km race, ahead of Oftebro (22:53.4) and Rehrl (22:53.7). Lamparter leads Schmid in the seasonal standings, 1,045 to 944, with Oftebro at 924.

● Short Track ● The fifth of six stops in the ISU Short Track World Cup was in Dresden (GER), with Dutch star Suzanne Schulting back in the winner’s circle.

Schulting won medals (2-1-1) in all four events at the Beijing Winter Games and triumphed in the 500 m (43.203 over teammate Xandra Velzeboer: 43.254) and 1,000 m (1:30.391 over Hanne Desmet of Belgium: 1:30.443). American Corinne Stoddard was fourth in the 500 m (43.668). Schulting and Velzeboer also contributed to a Dutch win in the 3,000 m Relay.

Koreans won both women’s 1,500 m races, with Olympic champ Min-jeong Choi taking the first in 2:26.536, ahead of American Kristen Santos-Griswold (2:26.570). Gilli Kim won the second race in 2:38.406, with Santos-Griswold sixth (2:59.783).

The men’s 500 m was a noteworthy win for China’s Xiaojun Lin (41.329), who as Hyo-jun Lim, won the 2018 Olympic gold in the 1,500 m and a bronze at 500 m for South Korea! It was his first win since 2018, after being cleared by the International Skating Union to compete for China in June 2022. He also led China to the 5,000 m Relay gold. Korea’s Ji-won Park won the 1,000 m (1:23.231) and the second 1,500 m (2:18.263), with teammate June-seo Lee winning the first (2:28.291).

● Ski Jumping ● Both the men and women were in Willingen (GER), jumping off the 147 m hill, with Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud winning his eighth event of the season and extending his seasonal lead, scoring 296.6. Slovenia’s Anze Lanisek was second (293.9) and Dawid Kubacki (POL: 281.3) third. It was the 10th medal of the season for Lanisek and 12th for Kubacki.

Granerud completed his sweep on Sunday, scoring 273.0 to 252.3 for Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi (fourth medal of the season) and 249.2 for Daniel Andre Tande (NOR).

The first women’s event was the fifth win this season for Katharina Althaus (GER: 264.4), ahead of Ema Klinec (SLO: 256.3) – her fifth World Cup silver in the last seven! – and Japan’s seven-time Worlds medalist Sara Takanashi (245.7) getting her first medal of the season.

Japan swept the medals on Sunday, led by Yuki Ito, who got her sixth career World Cup win by scoring 233.3, followed by Nozomi Maruyama (229.0) and Takanashi (222.6).

● Snowboard ● Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo was the site of SnowCross competition on Friday and Saturday, with France’s Merlin Surget and Leo Le Ble Jacques taking gold and bronze, with American Jake Vedder in between. It was Surget’s first World Cup victory.

Britain’s 2021 World Champion, Charlotte Bankes, won the women’s final, just ahead of Faye Gulini (USA) and two-time Olympic medalist Chloe Trespeuch (FRA).

At the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain in California, Japan’s Ruka Hirano took the Halfpipe title at 91.50, ahead of Valentino Guseli (AUS: 85.25) and American Chase Blackwell (84.00). It was Hirano’s second straight win this season.

Japan completed its Halfpipe sweep via a win for two-time World Junior Champion Mitsuki Ono (90.75), scoring a victory over China’s two-time World Champion Xuetong Cai (86.75) and American two-time Worlds medal winner Maddie Mastro (82.00).

The Slopestyle finals on Saturday were canceled due to high winds, so the qualification results were made final: New Zealand’s Lyon Farrell (80.30) won over Justus Henkes of the U.S. (80.20) with Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa (79.68) third. For the women, American Julia Marino was declared the winner (78.59) from the qualifying, followed by Reira Iwabuchi (JPN: 77.14) and Annika Morgan (GER: 75.14).

● Wrestling ● The U.S. had a strong showing in the United World Wrestling Ranking Series Zagreb Open in Croatia, with the men’s Freestyle squad picking up the team title!

The American men won at 70 kg (Alec Pantaleo), 74 kg (Jason Nolf), 92 kg (Kollin Moore) and 97 kg (three-time World Champion Kyle Snyder) and had another finalist in Joey McKenna at 65 kg, as the U.S. scored 174 points to 140 for Iran.

Japan was an easy winner in the women’s Freestyle race with 191 points, scoring golds by Yui Sasaki (50 kg), Akari Fujimani (53 kg), Sae Nanjo (57 kg), Moe Kiyooka (55 kg), Sakura Motoki (62 kg) and Mahiro Yoshitake (65 kg).

The U.S. was second at 129 points, with wins from Skylar Grote (72 kg) and Yelena Makoyed (76 kg), with two-time Worlds bronze medalist Mallory Velte a finalist at 65 kg.

Iran won the men’s Greco-Roman competition with 195 points and four wins.

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TSX REPORT: IOC says talk of Russia or Belarus in Paris “premature”; White House supports suspensions for Russia and Belarus; sanctions for Iran?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Seating plan for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in swimming, to be held in the massive Lucas Oil Stadium! (Seating plan per Ticketmaster).

★ 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 ≡

1. IOC states no decision yet on Russia or Belarus at Paris 2024
2. Russia rejects IOC’s requirement not to support Ukraine war
3. White House Press Secretary calls for suspension of Russia and Belarus
4. IOC’s Bach warns Iran NOC on athlete abuse and restrictions
5. U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials all-session tickets on sale

The firestorm created by comments from the International Olympic Committee about its desire to see Russian and Belarusian athletes return to international competition continues to burn out of control, with the IOC posting a long question-and-answer piece on its Web site Thursday. Most of it was a repeat of prior statements, but it did state with clarity that any return of Russian or Belarusian athletes was only in the discussion stage and no decision on participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games had been made. Russian officials, of course, rejected any suggestion that its athletes would condemn the Ukraine invasion, and some said they felt the entire IOC approach was a charade meant to embarrass Russia. The White House Press Secretary said Thursday that the U.S. government supports the suspension of Russian and Belarusian governing bodies from International Federations and removing officials from any board or committee posts. A letter to the U.S. National Governing Bodies by new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes said that while further discussion was Russian or Belarusian participation was appropriate, it may be impossible to create the right conditions for that to take place. The IOC met with the Iranian National Olympic Committee, complaining about abusive practices against athletes in that country, and toward women, perhaps a prelude to sanctions as early as the March meeting of the IOC Executive Board. USA Swimming and the Indiana Sports Corporation announced the opening of all-session ticket sales for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with 17-session tickets available from $475 to $3,273.

1.
IOC states no decision yet on Russia or Belarus at Paris 2024

Facing increasingly shrill criticism of its continuing discussions about a possible pathway to re-admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions, the International Olympic Committee posted a 4,408-word “Q&A on solidarity with Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and the status of athletes from these countries” on Thursday.

The post essentially collated the IOC’s statements on the situation to date, including 21 references to resolutions and reports from the United Nations. But there was some new, definitive language on the current status:

● On whether Russian or Belarusian athletes will compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:

“This is premature. No decision has been taken on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The topic under discussion is about their participation in international competitions in Asia in the forthcoming summer sport season. In none of the documents published by the IOC will you find a reference to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport. With regard to the Ukrainian athletes, however, there is the full commitment to undertake all the solidarity efforts to have a strong team from the [National Olympic Committee] of Ukraine in Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026.”

and

“We cannot speculate about this question, not even knowing whether or how the first step will be taken. But one thing is very clear: We are not talking about Russian or Belarusian athletes, we are talking about neutral athletes respecting the strict conditions we have set, including no identification with their country and NOC whatsoever, and full compliance with the anti-doping regulations.”

● On who will make the decision on Russian or Belarusian participation:

“Currently, an exploration of a primary concept for conditions of participation is underway. No decision has been taken. What the details could look like will have to be worked out and decided on. It is premature to try to answer this question at this stage.”

● On the offer by the Olympic Council of Asia to offer competitive opportunities for Russian and/or Belarusian athletes:

“This concept is currently being explored, in particular for competitions in Asia. The Olympic Council of Asia has offered athletes with a Russian and Belarusian passport access to Asian competitions.

“However, no decision has been taken at this moment in time, and the recommendations from February 2022 remain in place.”

The post reiterated again the timeline of IOC sanctions and the support provided to Ukrainian athletes. And with regard to the mentions of a Ukrainian boycott of Paris 2024 if Russian or Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete, the statement noted:

“It is extremely regretful to escalate this discussion with a threat of a boycott at this premature stage. The participation of individual, neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 has not been discussed yet.”

It was underlined once more that the ultimate decision on whether any athlete will be eligible to compete at the Paris 2024 Games is primarily in the hands of the International Federations. In this regard, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Executive Committee stated on Thursday:

“FIBA has taken note of the recent announcements by the IOC and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and will continue participating in the consultation process, considering the Central Board decisions and the specificities applicable to basketball as a team sport.”

The International Table Tennis Federation told the Russian news service TASS that nothing has been decided:

“ITTF supports the recent statement of the International Olympic Committee and is currently considering options for the possible return of Russian and Belarusian players, but the timing has not yet been set.”

For its part, the Paris 2024 organizing committee said it would follow the IOC’s directions.

2.
Russia rejects IOC’s requirement not to support Ukraine war

Russian Olympic Committee President (and four-time Olympic fencing gold medalist) Stanislav Pozdnyakov once again stated that Russian athletes should not be required to demonstrate any lack of support for the country’s invasion of Ukraine in order to compete in Paris. He wrote on his Telegram page:

“We remain firmly convinced that Russian athletes should be allowed to participate in international competitions on equal terms with athletes from other countries without any additional conditions and restrictions. …

“Especially important is a clear indication of the inadmissibility of requiring athletes to express their political position as one of the conditions for their admission to participation in competitions.”

State Duma deputy and 2006 Olympic speed skating 500 m champ Svetlana Zhurova told TASS that the entire IOC exercise is a charade to embarrass Russian athletes:

“It was clear that they were not going to let us go to the Olympics right away, we shouldn’t have illusions, many of us thought that there would be a flag and an anthem.

“The IOC is now making its statements under great pressure, they are luring us, they say that ready to return the Russians, but under certain conditions. I think that soon they will demand that the Russians condemn the [Ukraine invasion] in order to participate in the Asian Games. I will not be surprised if they want to do it publicly, broadcast it on all channels and make a propaganda story out of it.”

Russian Fencing Federation head Ilgar Mammadov also expressed frustration, undoubtedly not helped by the IOC’s Thursday post:

“Give at least one document so that something can be said concretely. Today the opinion is one, tomorrow another, the day after tomorrow a third. When we receive at least one official document, we will be able to talk about something concrete. We can’t shake the air because the IOC shakes it.

“I am sure that these trumpets are made to divide the society into those who can ‘eat a bone’ and those who don’t need it. If, as the head of the IOC said, we shouldn’t be discriminated against on the basis of nationality, we should be allowed in, but that was rhetoric to nowhere. And if we shouldn’t be discriminated against, allow us as full members of the Olympic family to participate in the Games. But that’s not happening, because now they’re just testing our reaction. What they wanted, that’s what happens: the division ‘into red and white, ‘into white and black’.”

However, Russian Wrestling Federation chief Mikhail Mamiashvili was more optimistic (DeepL.com translation):

“I am convinced that the IOC will find a compromise solution and prove its viability. The viability, which cannot be covered by political pressure from the outside.

“Today Asia, tomorrow where? Today Russia, tomorrow where? What are we turning into? Today there are open calls for countries to boycott, which is contrary to the constitution, the IOC charter and the spirit of Olympism.

“I would like to remind you that we have already stepped on this rake and boycotts have not led to anything good.”

3.
White House Press Secretary calls for suspension
of Russia and Belarus

The U.S. government has not weighed in heavily on the Paris 2024 Olympic participation question … until Thursday. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her Thursday briefing:

“We have worked to hold Russia accountable for the brutal and barbaric war their forces are waging against Ukraine. So as part of those efforts, the United States has supported suspending Russia and Belarus’s sport national governing bodies from International Sports Federations; removing individuals closely aligned to the Russian and Belarusian states, including government officials from positions of influence and international sports federations, such as boards and organizing committees; [and] encouraging national and international sports organizations to suspend broadcasting of sports competitions into Russia and Belarus.

“In cases where sports organizations and event organizers, such as the International Olympic Committee, choose to permit athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in sports events, it must be absolutely clear that they are not representing the Russian or Belarusian state.

“And so that’s the stance that we are providing, and the use of official state Russian [or] Belarusian flags, emblems and anthems should be prohibited as well.”

Going further was a joint statement from the sports ministers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland that included:

“Attempts to return athletes from Russia and Belarus to international tournaments under the guise of a shield of neutrality are justification for the political decisions of these countries and their widespread propaganda, when sport is used as one of the means of diverting public attention from ongoing aggression.”

The Associated Press reported on a letter sent last Thursday (26th) to the U.S. National Governing Bodies by new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes, stating in part:

“After listening to many athletes and constituents from around the United States, we recognize a real desire to compete against all the world’s best athletes – but only if that can happen in a way that ensures safe and fair play. …

“As such, we encouraged the IOC to continue exploring a process that would preserve the existing sanctions, ensuring only neutral athletes who are clean are welcome to compete. This process will require careful management and will demand extra efforts to earn the confidence and trust of our community.”

The AP story also noted:

“Sykes acknowledged in his letter that the USOPC remains in solidarity with Ukraine and its athletes, and expressed ‘very real concern, even skepticism, about whether (conditions) can be met’ to allow Russians in.”

Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker, speaking to Dan Barnes of the Toronto Sun in a Monday story, had perhaps the best take:

“This whole situation will look very different if the war is still going on in 18 months.

“I think everyone’s reaction to a possible proposal to include athletes from Russia and Belarus is predicated on an assumption that hostilities would have stopped.”

Wrote Barnes:

“As long as Russian troops continue to occupy Ukraine, kill Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure, there cannot reasonably be any consideration of Russian and Belarusian participation in any Olympic Games.

“Full stop. Without peace, there is no inclusion.”

4.
IOC’s Bach warns Iran NOC on athlete abuse and restrictions

“The IOC President expressed the grave concerns of the IOC with regard to the humanitarian situation of a number of athletes, and the financial guarantees that athletes and teams have to provide to their National Federations before travelling abroad to participate in international sports competitions. The IOC President stressed the importance of non-discrimination in every aspect and insisted on the full observance of the Olympic Charter by the NOC.”

That’s from an unusually straightforward statement by the IOC on Thursday, noting a meeting held in Lausanne at the IOC’s request with members of the Iranian National Olympic Committee. Further:

“Intensive discussions took place with the IOC NOC Relations Department about the situation of the Iranian athletes and sport in Iran in general, and the role of the Iranian NOC in protecting the athletes and the members of the Olympic community within the current context of the country.”

The Iranians made the same pledge as they have to inquiries from other governing bodies, including International Federations, “to pursue and expand its efforts to safeguard the athletes’ rights.”

However, the statement also included, “The IOC President has requested a written report from the Iranian NOC on all these issues, and also asked for a further report about the status of women in sport in Iran,” in advance of a report from the IOC’s NOC Relations team to the next IOC Executive Board meeting in March.

This could be a prelude to a sanction of some kind, or simply a warning shot. Iran has been notorious for having its athletes avoid competing against Israelis, even to the point of asking its athletes to lose matches at the World Championships level. The financial guarantees required of athletes going outside the country to compete are designed to ensure they will not ask for asylum, at the risk of losing their family’s home or possessions.

And where women have occasionally be allowed to attend some sporting events, restrictions have been re-introduced to essentially eliminate the practice. In 2019, Sahar Khodayari, 29, set herself on fire after not being allowed to attend a football match in Tehran, where she dressed as a man to – unsuccessfully – fool the entry guards. She died days later, on 9 September, known as the “Blue Girl” in honor of the colors of her favorite team, Esteghlal.

5.
U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials all-session tickets on sale

The biggest show in American swimming is the Olympic Trials, coming in 2024 to the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a capacity of 32,000, which would reportedly be the largest crowd to ever see a swim meet indoors.

USA Swimming and the Indiana Sports Corporation announced the opening of ticket sales as of 1 February, with only all-session passes on sale to start. Three-day ticket packs will go on sale in June.

The seating plan shows the stadium cut in half, with the competition pool more or less in one end zone. There are 17 sessions in all: eight prelims and nine finals sessions, with multiple pricing options:

● Deck level: $3,272.77 (about $364 per day)
● 100 level: $2,234.67 (~$248 per day)
● 200 level: $1,703.30 (~$189 per day)
● 300 level: $1,258.14 (~$140 per day)
● 400 level: $598.33 to $915.04 (~$66 to $102 per day)
● 500 level: $598.33 to $915.04 (~$66 to $102 per day)
● 600 level: $475.17 (~$53 per day)

The Deck Level seating really is exclusive: just two rows in each of five sections, with a total of just 208 seats available (4 sections of 44 and one of 32) and about a third already gone!

The seating plan shows about a third of the stadium sections not available for sale, likely already reserved for sponsor, athlete and media use. The USA Swimming Foundation is also selling tickets and hospitality packages on a separate site:

● Section 125 or 126 (mid-pool): $2,300.00 (~$256 per day)
● 2-person Gold package (adults): $25,000
● 4-person Gold package (adults): $45,000
● 4-person Gold package (adults and children): $30,000

The Gold packages include tickets, accommodations at the close-by Westin Indianapolis for nine nights, daily hospitality, a swim in the Olympic Trials pool (!), various social events with champion swimmers and a special “Olympic Trials gift package.”

Should be quite a party!

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The rumor mill is heating up on sports which might be added to the 2028 Olympic program for Los Angeles and France’s Simon Pagenaud, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, is all for auto racing to join in:

“I think if you were to put countries behind racing, there would be more interest from people.

“A bit like we saw the World Cup of soccer was incredible, right? You saw countries just following the sport, following it because it’s their countries fighting against each other, fighting in sport.

“I watched it. I’m not someone that watches soccer, for example, every day. That final, I was on the edge having a heart attack (laughing). I think that’s sports. I think that’s what sports do. They bring emotion, passion, desire. That’s what life is about, right?

“The Olympics, I think, would do something incredible like that. I would welcome it. I don’t know in which form, but I think it would be fantastic.”

Nine sports are reported to be in consideration as added sports for 2028, including motorsport, but also baseball and softball, break dancing, cricket, flag football, karate, kickboxing, lacrosse and squash. If auto racing were to be included, the likely discipline will be karting.

● Athletics ● “We are going out of business.”

That was the opening of the final post on The Decathlon Association site, a labor of love for 79-year-old Frank Zarnowski, the long-time Mt. St. Mary’s University  and Dartmouth College economics professor, who has been part of the decathlon scene as coach, announcer, statistician and promoter since 1968. He wrote, in part:

“This will be the final post on our DECA< Decathlon Association web site. As I have been saying, 2022 is my final year. The website closes at year’s end after 22 seasons and the DECA Newsletter -since its start as a print and mail service – is put to bed after @1200 issues since our start in 1976. Health issues have gotten in the way of my decathlon adventures, so I am ending it here. I look forward to not having to type track results every winter/spring/early summer weekend. Whew!”

While his site was supposed to go down at the end of 2022, it’s still there, for the time being. Zarnowski’s relentless enthusiasm for the combined events – decathlon and heptathlon – and his informative, easy-to-listen-to public address announcing style made watching these events enjoyable and even dramatic.

With so much emphasis on the importance of athletes today, it is easy to forget those who helped to promote their sport, to create stories out of a blizzard of statistics, to chronicle the rise of new stars and cogently explain to so many exactly what was going on. “Zeke” as he was known, will be sorely missed. But he’s not going to stay away entirely:

“I may show up at an occasional meet and will always be a fan. I have enjoyed the past 55 (Yikes!) years.”

● Football ● Football – soccer – is becoming a little more like football – the NFL – as FIFA referees are actually now speaking directly to spectators on decisions made on replays, just as NFL officials do for American Football games.

This was introduced on Wednesday (1st) at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, during a match between Al Ahly (EGY) and Auckland City (NZL), with Chinese referee Ning Ma telling the crowd – in English – that he had reversed his original decision to award a penalty kick.

This is a trial; the next experiment could come at the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May and this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July.

● Gymnastics ● USA Gymnastics named its 2023 Hall of Fame class, with eight members, including two Olympians.

Danell Leyra was the All-Around bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games and won silver medals at Rio 2016 on the Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. He competed in five FIG World Artistic Championships from 2009-15 and won five career Worlds medals. Steven Gluckstein was a Trampoline Olympian in London 2012, participated in six World Championships and was an 11-time national champion.

Also selected as Jazzy Kerber, a two-time Rhythmic Worlds All-Around finalist and five-time Pan American Games medal winner, and coaches Cecile and Laurent Landi (artistic) and Vladimir Vladev (acro).

Lifetime Achievement Awards were made to acro coach and educator Tonya Case, and to the late Rome Milan, a coach, historian and USA Gymnastics Board member who passed away in 2021.

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TSX REPORT: What about Belarusian athletes? Africa might also welcome Russia; Australia and New Zealand ask FIFA about Saudi sponsorship?

By
Rich Perelman
-
A map of a troubled eastern Europe (Map: Family Search Wiki, under Creative Commons license)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Belarus decathlete Krauchanka asks IOC about repression there
2. Russian Minister says Africa may welcome its athletes
3. Tokyo prosecutors ask 30-month sentence in Tokyo 2020 case
4. Australia and New Zealand ask about “Visit Saudi” sponsorship
5. Is the next geopolitical sports blow-up coming in Turkey?

While the question of whether Russian athletes will be able to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games rages on, the question equally applies to Belarusian athletes, with Beijing 2008 decathlon runner-up Andrei Krauchanka – now living in Germany – asking how the International Olympic Committee squares atrocities against athletes by the Belarus government against allowing those who have kept quiet back into competition. The Russian Deputy Sports Minister said Wednesday that African competitions might also be open to its athletes, in addition to those in Asia. In Tokyo, prosecutors asked for sentences of 12-30 months for three executives of business-suit retailer Aoki Holdings in the Tokyo 2020 sponsorship bribery scandal; all three have already admitted their complicity. The football federations in Australia and New Zealand registered displeasure with reports that FIFA has agreed to a sponsorship for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in their countries from Visit Saudi, the country’s national tourism arm, in view of Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record, notably with women’s rights. The next possible political confrontation leading to non-participation could come at the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul (TUR) in early March, with the Turkish government complaining loudly about Sweden’s freedom-of-expression laws which have allowed the burning of the Quran. Turkey’s assent is required to allow Sweden to join the NATO military alliance, of which it is a long-time member.

1.
Belarus decathlete Krauchanka asks IOC about repression there

While so much focus has been on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the furor over whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Games, athletes in Belarus – Russia’s ally in the Ukraine action – have also been under pressure from that government.

Andrei Krauchanka, the Beijing 2008 silver medalist in the decathlon – now 37 – wrote about the situation, reported on Monday on Twitter:

“In addition to Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Fund together with free athletes must pose another very difficult question to the [International Olympic Committee]: how will the rights of dozens of Belarusian athletes who suffered from political persecution be restored?

“This part of the representatives of the Olympic movement defended the rights of athletes and the Olympic Charter in Belarus, and in response received repression, mockery of propaganda, lost access to sports infrastructure and state material support.

“More than a hundred athletes and representatives of sports cannot return to their homeland, more than 30 remain behind bars. Broken destinies, sports careers, lost nerves, property, the opportunity to perform at the Olympic Games, but preserved human dignity and personal pride. At the same time, the IOC never once inquired about the fate of these athletes.

“It turns out that those athletes who defended the Olympic Charter do not get to the games, and those who refused or supported the inhumane regime will go to the competition in peace.

“How is the IOC going to solve this situation, taking into account its peacekeeping mission, which it declares in the matter of the admission of Belarusian athletes to the Olympics in Paris? How will the losses suffered by the representatives of the Olympic movement due to political persecution be compensated?

“Until the issue of the repressed part of the Belarusian Olympic movement is resolved, no participation of the group of ‘loyalists’ can be allowed, because it is exclusively the national team of the totalitarian regime, and not the national team.”

The Twitter poster, Gabby Pieraccini (GBR), wrote that “After Krauchanka was detained by the authorities for several days, he and his partner, heptathlete Yana Maksimava, moved to Germany with their baby daughter. They are safe now and settled into German life but it is a mark of their bravery that they continue to speak out.” Krauchanka last competed in 2020, and has a best of 8,617 from 2017.

While there is no doubt that Belarusian athletes are largely ignored in the continuing turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IOC has not been inactive. The cries of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Fund concerning athlete abuse in the country was addressed in December 2020 by the IOC, which suspended all payments to the National Olympic Committee in Belarus (except for athlete training funds, to be paid directly), barred NOC officials from the Olympic Games and prohibited Olympic-related events from taking place there.

But that has not halted the continued abuse of Belarusian athletes by the government, as Krauchanka noted.

2.
Russian Minister says Africa may welcome its athletes

“The position of the Ministry of Sports is that the athlete should be in the head and the athlete should compete with the strongest. We will make every effort for that.

“We don’t forget to look towards Asia. China is starting to open up now, I think that by March the [coronavirus] restrictive measures will not be the same as now. There’s going to be a good competitive calendar with Asian countries, we’re working towards that.

“The Association of Asian National Olympic Committees is waiting for us in March. There is the same application from African countries, which are unanimous in offering to compete at their events. We are waiting for a decision from the International Olympic Committee, international federations, what will be the criteria for admission.”

That’s Russian Deputy Sports Minister Alexei Morozov on Wednesday, opening a new front on the Russian reinstatement issue.

The possible admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN) caused the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee to send an inquiry to the Olympic Council of Asia, noting that the announcement was made without any consultation of the OCA’s member nations:

“With Russian and Belarusian athletes participating, operating knockout events at the Asian Games can pose some problems. We will ask the OCA how it will handle those situations, and also in what sports Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Asian Games.”

Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova replied Wednesday to the IOC’s statement that the neutral-status sanctions on Russia were “not negotiable” (Deepl.com translation):

“This idea is driven, obviously, by demands that are unacceptable to our country. Such unsightly attempts to squeeze our country out of international sport are doomed to fail. But the problem is not even that, but that by fixating on squeezing our athletes – our sport out of the world sport – all these anti-doers are destroying the world sport movement.

“Those who are now the bureaucracy of world sport, who head the relevant Olympic committees and get paid for this not at all from the pockets of sponsors, should not forget that this is not their private business, not a private shop.”

3.
Tokyo prosecutors ask 30-month sentence in Tokyo 2020 sponsorship case

Prosecutors asked for a 30-month sentence for the 84-year-old former chair of business-suit retailer Aoki Holdings in his sentencing hearing on bribery charges related to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Hironori Aoki was described in the hearing to have “used the Tokyo Olympics for self-interest and trampled the public value of the tournament,” and called his bribery program “an extremely malicious act,” by a man who was “greedy and tenacious.”

Aoki was indicted, along with the company’s former vice-chair, Takahisa Aoki (77) and ex-executive director Katsuhisa Ueda (41) for bribes paid to former Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi, a former senior director of the giant Dentsu advertising agency. The payments totaled ¥28 million (~$217,505 today) between September of 2019 and March 2022. Kyodo reported:

“The three requested Takahashi to select their company as an Olympics sponsor and get them a contract, which would include preferential rights over providing official outfits for the Japanese team’s athletes, according to the indictment.”

The Tokyo prosecutors asked for an 18-month sentence for the younger Aoki and a year for Ueda. All three had admitted to the charges in December; the sentencing decision is expected on 21 April.

Takahashi is alleged to have received as much as ¥198 million (~$1.536 million U.S.) in bribes through five different arrangements.

4.
Australia and New Zealand ask about “Visit Saudi” sponsorship

“Football Australia understands FIFA has entered into a destination partnership agreement in respect to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

“We are very disappointed that Football Australia were not consulted on this matter prior to any decision being made. Football Australia and New Zealand Football have jointly written to FIFA to urgently clarify the situation.”

That’s from Football Australia on Wednesday, in response to media reports that the Saudi Arabian tourism company – Visit Saudi – has been signed as a major sponsor of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup that begins on 20 July.

Football New Zealand posted:

“New Zealand Football have been made aware of media reports suggesting that Visit Saudi, the official Saudi Arabia tourism authority, are set to be announced as an official sponsor of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the largest women’s sporting event in the world.

“If these reports prove correct, we are shocked and disappointed to hear this as New Zealand Football haven’t been consulted by FIFA at all on this matter.

“As FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 co-hosts, New Zealand Football and Football Australia have jointly written to FIFA to urgently clarify the situation.”

FIFA has said nothing about the matter, but coming little more than a month after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the reports have inflamed its critics, who are railing against Saudi involvement over “concerns over human rights in the country, women’s rights and the use of the death penalty.”

The BBC reported comments by Amnesty International Australia campaigner Nikita White, including:

“It would be quite the irony for Saudi’s tourism body to sponsor the largest celebration of women’s sport in the world when you consider that, as a woman in Saudi Arabia, you can’t even have a job without the permission of your male guardian.”

Reports note that the Visit Saudi sponsorship would provide significant new funds for women’s football development, a key FIFA goal.

5.
Is the next geopolitical sports blow-up coming in Turkey?

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Wednesday that Turkey won’t allow Sweden to join the NATO military alliance as long as the Scandinavian country permits protests desecrating Islam’s holy book to take place.”

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom noted that Turkey will hold a Presidential election in May that is expected to be hotly contested, and “in election campaigns many things are said.”

Turkey has been amenable to Finland’s admission to the NATO alliance, but has had reservations about Sweden, despite the two Scandinavian countries having jointly agreed to become members. This brings up the question, noted by Olympedia.org statistician Hilary Evans (GBR) about whether Swedish participation in the 2023 European Indoor Championships, to be held in Istanbul from 2-5 March might be in danger:

“The Swedish national team may miss the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Turkey due to the political situation between the two countries.”

Nothing is easy. Stay tuned.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Not quite final yet, but the French Senate approved on Tuesday – by 246-28 (and 64 abstentions) – a bill on Olympic security which will allow surveillance cameras to be used to alert authorities to crowd movements during the Games and into 2025 as an experimental measure.

Body scanners were also approved, but require permission of the person being scanned. Penalties were set for trespass into venues, with fines of €3,750 for the first offense and €7,500 for repeat offenses.

The law also reinforces the penalties in the event of intrusion into sports venues, with a fine of 3,750 euros in the event of intrusion committed by “a first-time offender“, but 7,500 euros in the event of a repeat offense.

● Russia ● It often takes weeks or months for athletes to get prize money from competitions and Russia is no different. Payments from last summer’s Spartakiad (August through October) still have not been made, but TASS reported that this is being resolved now.

Total prizes of RUB 620 million (~$8.87 million U.S.) are to be distributed, with 358,400 RUB to winners (~$5,125 U.S.), RUB 179,200 for silver (~$2,563) and RUB 107,500 for bronze (~$1,537). Smaller amounts were also made available for coaches.

Prizes for Russian national championships were RUB 125,000-75,000-37,500 for the top three places (~$1,787-893-447), with smaller amounts for coaches.

● Memorabilia ● The February auction from Laguna Nigel, California-based SCP Auctions includes some Olympic-sport items, notably a 1980 Olympic gold medal for ice hockey won by U.S. center Steve Christoff of the “Miracle on Ice” team.

Offered with a minimum bid of $75,000, it has already reached $258,926 with the auction closing on Saturday (4th). A Tokyo 2020 bronze medal is also on offer, with the winner’s identity only to be disclosed to the buyer. The minimum bid was $5,000 and it is currently at $6,655.

Most of the items are from Major League Baseball, the NFL and NBA, although the 1941 Heisman Trophy won by Minnesota halfback Bruce Smith is available and has drawn $177,157 so far!

● Archery ● Voting for the World Archery Athletes of the Year has begun, with fans able to cast ballots through the end of February in six categories, including the Recurve (Olympic) division.

The men’s Recurve candidates include the medal winners from the World Cup Final: Korea’s Woo-jin Kim (gold), Spain’s Miguel Alvarino (silver) and Tokyo Olympic champ Mete Gazoz (bronze). The women’s choices include the World Cup medalists San An (KOR: gold and Tokyo triple gold medalist), Mi-sun Choi (KOR: silver) and Chinese Taipei’s Chia-mao Peng (bronze).

The inaugural class of the World Archery Hall of Fame will also be selected, but by a special committee. All 10 of the initial candidates are worthy, with two to be honored. The list includes four Americans, led by Doug Easton, who founded an arrow and supply company a century ago that was turned into a sporting goods giant by his son, Jim Easton, later an important FITA (later World Archery) President who brought the elimination-round format to the sport. 

John Williams and Doreen Wilber, the two Americans who won the Munich 1972 Olympic golds in the sport’s return to the Olympic program, are nominated, along with Darrell Pace, the only two-time Olympic champion in the sport, in 1976 and 1984.

Britain’s Inger Frith, the FITA President who helped get archery back onto the Olympic program, is nominated, as is Korean Soo-nyung Kim, now 51, who won more Olympic medals than anyone else (so far), with six medals from 1988-2000 (4-1-1).

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit posted its sanctions list for January 2023, with 22 athletes shown, including nine Kenyans, four Americans, two Chinese, two Russians, two from Kazakhstan, and one each from Brazil, Turkey and Nigeria.

The American penalties, all previously announced, were handed out to 400 m stars Gil Roberts (16 months ineligibility) and Randolph Ross (3 years) and distance runners Hassan Mead (3 years) and Lindsey Scherf (4 years).

● Modern Pentathlon ● The “UIPM Obstacle Catalogue” that sets out the options for obstacle courses to be introduced in 2023 was released on Wednesday, offering 14 different choices for the eight obstacles to be included in a 60-70 m course for U-19, U-17 and Junior (19-21) competitions only.

The listed options include Steps, Big wheel, 1.5 m wall, Over-under, Over-under-through, Rings, Balance beam, Giant steps, Lisbon steps, Wheels, Monkey bars, Swinging globes, Tilting ladders and Finish wall. For championship competitions in 2023, six obstacles are fixed and the local organizers can choose two others to complete the courses.

The instructions direct construction of the obstacles with aluminum trusses for safety and reliability and:

“Obstacles must be subject to a risk assessment created and written by a Qualified Risk Assessor [an engineer] in coordination with the competition medical team before the course is open for training and/or competition. The risk assessment must identify general hazards and hazardous obstacle elements, evaluate the probability and severity of a potential injury, and develop risk mitigation plans associated with the use of obstacles by participants.”

The variety of different courses that the instructions allow will, of course, eliminate any possibility of record-keeping since each course is likely to be unique, eliminating a promotional angle for the sport.

● Swimming ● University of California women’s swimming coach Teri McKeever, who led four teams to NCAA team titles across 29 seasons, was fired on Tuesday following the referral of a report which included 147 interviews and reviews of 1,700 documents, and found “by a preponderance of the evidence that Coach McKeever discriminated against certain student-athletes, in certain instances, on the basis of race, national origin and disability” and that her behavior “toward some, but not all, student-athletes in some instances was abuse and violated University policy.”

Reporting by Scott Reid of the Southern California News Group found that 42.6% of Cal women’s swimmers who joined the team between the 2013-14 season and 2020-21 left before their eligibility was completed. McKeever was accused by multiple swimmers of bullying on a daily basis and being pressured to practice or compete despite injuries or sickness. She had been on paid administrative leave from 25 May 2022.

McKeever, 60, the U.S. Olympic women’s coach at London 2012, said in part in a statement:

“I deny and unequivocally refute all conclusions that I abused or bullied any athlete and deny any suggestion I discriminated against any athlete on the basis of race, disability or sexual orientation. There were and should be consequences for violating team rules, not showing up for scheduled appointments, misusing resources, not giving an honest effort and behavior that was not congruent with their individual or our team goals. But those consequences were not applied because of who someone was, only for what they did or didn’t do that hurt the team and the culture we were working hard to sustain.”

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TSX REPORT: Chaos as Russia criticizes IOC, IOC rips Russia, Ukraine rips both, $307 million in Tokyo bid-rigging, IBA election bribes alleged!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Henri Vidal's Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel (Cain, after having murdered his brother Abel), in the Tuileries Garden, Paris (Photo: Wikipedia)

★ 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 ≡

1. ROC chief says IOC’s conditions “unacceptable,” IOC slaps back
2. Ukrainian political advisor calls IOC “promoter of war”
3. Tokyo bid-rigging scandal had $307 million at stake
4. Van der Vorst alleges bribes in IBA election mess
5. Strong ratings for U.S. Figure Skating Nationals

A pretty rough day on Tuesday, as charges, criticism and replies flew between Moscow, Kyiv and Lausanne, as well as within the International Boxing Association. Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov continued his condemnation of the sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee, calling the continuing sanctions “unacceptable.” The IOC shot back with a statement that the restrictions are “not negotiable.” Meanwhile, a Ukrainian political advisor harshly criticized the IOC’s comments in support to exploring a path to re-integration of Russian and Belarusian athletes under specific conditions, saying it was a “promotion of violence.” The IOC rejected the “defamatory statements.” In Tokyo, it was reported that the total value of the contracts subject to the bid-rigging program with the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, for test events and the Games proper, was in excess of $300 million U.S.! Dutch Boxing Federation chief Boris van der Vorst, in an explosive interview in an Amsterdam newspaper, said that African federations were, in essence, bribed to vote against a re-vote for the IBA Presidency last year, that confirmed Russian Umar Kremlev as the federation’s head. And he detailed new issues in pressure being put on referees and judges to favor a specific country’s fighters. U.S. television viewership of the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals on NBC last weekend was good, led by 1.874 million who watched last Friday’s women’s Free Skate on NBC.

1.
ROC chief says IOC’s conditions “unacceptable,” IOC slaps back

The war of words between the Russian Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee over Russia’s exclusion from international sport got hotter on Tuesday, as Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov told reporters in Moscow:

“Are Russian athletes required to condemn the [‘special military operation’ in Ukraine]? This conclusion is wrong, they are not even in the current criteria, which we continue to consider unacceptable. This is not a direct reference to welcoming or not welcoming the [‘special military operation’].

“Russians must participate on the same conditions as athletes from other countries. We do not welcome additional conditions and criteria, especially those that include some kind of political component that is absolutely unacceptable for the Olympic Movement.”

Pozdnyakov also explained that he expected the process by which Russian athletes would be able to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games to take some time:

“Now the International Federations are consulting with the IOC, on the basis of which conditions and approaches will be worked out, which later the IOC will publish. The current agenda is unacceptable for the global Olympic Movement.

“Every sports competition is unique, so a one-size-fits-all approach is impossible. This is why the IOC allocated at least a one-month long period to take care of this work.”

And he added:

“Not only the [National Olympic Committee] of China supports the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, but also the vast majority of National Olympic Committees – which I would like to focus on– including the NOCs of those countries that, from a political point of view, are not Russia’s closest friends.

“But that’s why the role of the Olympic Movement is important in putting sport above politics. We welcome this approach from the vast majority of the world’s National Olympic Committees.”

Well, the IOC wasn’t happy with Pozdnyakov, and issued its own statement, reiterating:

“The sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian State and Governments are not negotiable. They have been unanimously confirmed by the recent Olympic Summit meeting on 9 December 2022.

“They are: No international sports events being organised or supported by an IF or NOC in Russia or Belarus. No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of these countries being displayed at any sports event or meeting, including the entire venue. No Russian and Belarusian Government or State official should be invited to or accredited for any international sports event or meeting.”

The IOC statement did not refer to its 25 January statement, which included a description of the minimum conditions under which Russian and Belarusian athletes might be allowed to compete again, in Asian competitions, including the neutrality provisions above and:

“[O]nly athletes who fully respect the Olympic Charter would participate. This means in particular: first, only those who have not acted against the peace mission of the IOC by actively supporting the war in Ukraine could compete. Second, only athletes who fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and all relevant anti-doping rules and regulations would be eligible. There must be individual checks carried out for all entered athletes.”

In the meantime, Russia took the first, small steps in organizing a multi-sport competition with athletes from BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, Iran, China, South Africa), Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, announcing the formation of a “university sports festival” organizing committee under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko. According to TASS:

“The International University Sports Festival with the participation of teams from the BRICS, SCO and CIS countries in Yekaterinburg. It will be held from 19 to 31 August in 15 sports. The preliminary list of educational institutions that will become potential participants in the festival includes 246 universities from 94 countries.”

2.
Ukrainian political advisor calls IOC “promoter of war”

Following up on last Friday’s remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticizing the IOC’s discussions on possible re-admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions, political advisor Mykhailo Podolyak raised the temperature with an angry Saturday tweet:

“#IOC proposes to the world promotion of violence, mass murders, destruction. That’s why it insists [Russian flag] athletes should participate in contests as real ‘ambassadors of death’ … Sport doesn’t exist outside politics – sport promotes it. Thus, the IOC promotes the [Russian flag] anti-human policy.”

And he doubled down in a Monday tweet:

“#IOC is a promoter of war, murder & destruction. The IOC watches with pleasure RF destroying [Ukraine flag] & then offers [Russian flag] a platform to promote genocide & encourages their further killings.

“Obviously ru-money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t have a smell of [Ukraine flag] blood. Right, Mr. #Bach?”

Reuters reported a statement in reply from the IOC:

“The IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms this and other defamatory statements.

“They cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion.”

Observed: It’s an astonishing, horrible, twisted environment in which both Russia and Ukraine are hurling insults at the IOC, but here we are. And the dangerous parallels with 1980 that followed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are beginning to build, only this time with a potentially different outcome: no boycott in the end, but athletes, coaches and team officials from Russia (and its allies) nose-to-nose in the Olympic Village and the competition venues in Paris with those from Ukraine (and its allies).

IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER) spoke last February about “protective measures” that were needed to maintain competitor security and keep governments from deciding who could compete where. These are still in force and rather than being relaxed, may need to be reinforced in order to have the Paris 2024 Games come off peacefully.

3.
Tokyo bid-rigging scandal had $307 million at stake

Kyodo News reported that there was a lot more than vanity at stake for Japanese ad giants Dentsu, Hakuhodo and others in the Olympic test event bid-rigging scandal. The 26 contracts available to operate test events for the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee were cumulatively worth about ¥538 million (about $4.13 million U.S.), eventually awarded to nine companies and a consortium.

But the much larger prize of contracts totaling as much as ¥40 billion – or about $307.4 million U.S. – was then available to operate the same venues during the Olympic Games itself, as long as the test events were completed successfully.

Tokyo prosecutors and the Japan Fair Trade Commission are examining the conditions under which the test-event contracts and then the venue management contracts were awarded. According to Kyodo:

“[A]lmost half of the 26 open [test-event] bids only had one bidder. Prosecutors suspect that the former [Tokyo 2020] operations executive and other officials repeatedly updated a list of firms to use in arranging successful bidders” and there was concern that there would not be a sufficient number of firms to handle all of the test events, let alone the Games.

4.
Van der Vorst alleges bribes in IBA election mess

“Earlier, the opposing party in Africa had organized a special congress and bound all African countries to it with envelopes with money for boxing equipment. After that conference, some African officials were stopped at the border because they were carrying too much cash. I myself received calls from African federation chairmen who said: you have a good story, but what are you going to pay me? That’s a match you don’t want to, and can’t win.”

That’s just one paragraph from an explosive interview by Dutch Boxing Federation head Boris van der Vorst in the Amsterdam-based daily, De Volkskrant, published last Friday (27th).

In it, van der Vorst, who ran for President of what is now the International Boxing Association (IBA) and lost to Russian Boxing Federation Secretary General Umar Kremlev in December 2020, challenged again in May 2022, but was declared ineligible by an IBA committee one day before the vote. That decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but instead of holding another election between van der Vorst and Kremlev, IBA held a vote to decide whether there would be a vote and it failed, confirming Kremlev in office.

Van der Vorst’s comments about Africa related to the election not to have an election, held in Yerevan, Armenia, a former Soviet Republic. Van der Vorst said:

“I was visited the night before by a deputy from a former Soviet country who said: ‘We are with you, but we are not allowed to vote for you. Tomorrow the voting devices will fail and then you will have to demand paper voting.’

“I didn’t get the chance to do that. But he was right: voting started and the boxes went down. Power failure. That lasted for three quarters of an hour and then suddenly there were 26 more voting countries in the room. Needless to say, I lost. We showed our teeth. That’s all we could do.”

As for refereeing and judging, a problem for boxing for decades, van der Vorst said it’s still going on:

“Shortly before [the repeat election], there had been a European boxing championship in [May in] Yerevan where the Armenian boxing federation put enormous pressure on judges to decide in favor of Armenian boxers. Seven Western European jurors who did not follow suit were sent home, arguing that their safety could not be guaranteed. That and the ruling of the CAS prompted the IOC to come up with an ‘enough is enough statement’ in June in which they actually turned away from the international boxing federation.”

Van de Vorst believes boxing will be held at Paris 2024, and in Los Angeles in 2028, saying “Boxing is too important to the IOC.”

For its part, the IBA told the InsideTheGames Web site:

“How does IBA respond to vague accusations and baseless attacks on our organisation from within?

“By reiterating the facts regarding our governance reforms and questioning the motive of Mr. van der Vorst and the unidentified sources of these wild accusations of bribery and threats.

“It is very simple, he cannot handle losing and refuses to do so with any dignity.”

5.
Strong ratings for U.S. Figure Skating Nationals

Audience data from Nielsen showed good interest in the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships from San Jose, California, even on a weekend dominated by the NFL’s conference championship games (all times Eastern):

● Fri., 27 Jan. (8:00 p.m.): 1.874 million on NBC (women’s Free Skate)
● Sat., 28 Jan. (2:30 p.m.): 1.017 million on NBC (Free Dance)
● Sun., 29 Jan. (3:00 p.m.): 961,000 on NBC (men’s Free Skate)

On cable:

● Thu., 26 Jan. (7:00 p.m.): 274,000 on USA Network (Rhythm Dance)
● Thu., 26 Jan. (10:00 p.m.): 242,000 on USA Network (women’s Short Program)
● Fri., 27 Jan. (5:00 p.m.): 211,000 on USA Network (men’s Short Program)
● Sat., 28 Jan. (8:00 p.m.): 421,000 on USA Network (Pairs Free Skate)

This was well down from the 2022 U.S. Nationals, which served as a qualifier for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and was held early in January, with a high of 2.338 million for the women’s Free Skate on Friday evening. The three shows on NBC averaged 1.631 million viewers, and the four shows on USA averaged 405,500.

The USA-Colombia men’s football friendly on Saturday in Carson, California drew a combined audience of 956,000, with 540,000 watching the Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo and 416,000 taking it in on TNT in English.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Aquatics ● World Aquatics announced its fifth “Centre of Excellence,” to be housed at the University of Technology Bahrain, with the federation also opening a regional office in the country.

New facilities will be built to accommodate swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming, with an eye toward events that can add to Bahrain’s sports tourism program. The federation currently has Centers in Thanyapura (Thailand), Dakar (Senegal), Cape Town (South Africa) and Davie (U.S./Florida).

● Football ● In a good sign, Australia’s opening match at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on 20 July against Ireland has been moved from the 42,512-seat Sydney Football Stadium to the iconic, 83,500-seat Stadium Australia, made famous at the 2000 Olympic Games.

The move is in response to good ticket sales for Australia’s opener in Group B; the Matildas will play their other group games in Brisbane and Melbourne.

U.S. Soccer announced the implementation of additional recommendations from the Yates Report on abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League, notably a “Safe Soccer” project which aims to review key hires before they are made, rather than disciplining malefactors after an incident.

Further, amendments to the federation’s Pro League Standards – applicable to Major League Soccer, NWSL, United Soccer League and all other affiliated with U.S. Soccer – will be offered for a confirming vote at the March USSF Annual General Meeting. These include, but are not limited to a player-safety officer for each league, dedicated human relations staff, added training, reporting of allegations and annual safeguarding reports.

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TSX REPORT: Russia angry about neutral status in proposed re-entry; Poland may lead Paris ‘24 boycott on Russia; Tokyo 2020 scandal confessions!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ Thank you to our 22 donors, who have now covered 51% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC’s Russia return idea sparks anger … in Russia!
2. Boycott talk spreads in nations against Russian re-integration
3. Dentsu staff admits to bid rigging of Tokyo 2020 contracts
4. FIFA sanctions four Uruguay players in World Cup fracas
5. LA28 Paralympic sports program includes 22, same as Paris

The story of Russian and Belarusian reinstatement for international competition continues to dominate the headlines, with a potential boycott of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games being suggested both from the Russian side, and from Ukraine and allies Poland, Estonia and others. In Tokyo, some employees of the Japanese ad giant Dentsu admitted complicity in the Tokyo 2020 test-event bid-rigging scheme to prosecutors. FIFA announced sanctions on the Uruguayan Football Association and four players for their protests to officials at the end of the FIFA World Cup group-stage game with Ghana, in which Uruguay ended up a goal short of being able to advance to the elimination stage. The International Paralympic Committee and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee announced that the same 22 sports to be contested at Paris 2024 will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, with the possible addition of sport climbing and surfing, to be decided later this year.

1.
IOC’s Russia return idea sparks anger … in Russia!

One would think that the International Olympic Committee’s controversial 25 January statement that a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return – under conditions – to international competitions in Asia should be seriously explored would be popular in Russia.

Well, not totally.

The conditions for any such reinstatement clearly include a total ban on any identification of either country – on flags or uniforms and no national anthems played for gold-medal winners – have sparked comments inside Russia, including suggestions that Russia should boycott (!) Paris 2024 itself rather than submit to these conditions (not to mention others such as an anti-war stance).

Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov wrote on his Telegram page (DeepL.com translation):

“Everyone who is now calling for us to boycott the Olympics, regardless of the arguments, should be clearly aware that this kind of demarche [initiative] is a direct path to the isolation of the entire domestic sport for at least two Olympic cycles. That is, the flag, the anthem, our athletes will not be at most competitive international competitions for 8 years. That is exactly what our opponents are trying to achieve by all means. And history knows no cases when the boycott had a positive effect on the development of sport in a particular country.”

However, two-time Olympic biathlon silver medalist (and four-time Worlds gold medalist) and former State Duma deputy Vladimir Drachev told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I am categorically against such conditions. This is a humiliation of the country, it is impossible to perform in a neutral status, without a flag and an anthem; they will surely force them to sign a declaration, according to which athletes will have to abandon their mother, father, and the country.

“If athletes want to compete in a neutral status, then you need to live in a neutral country. Naturally, such decisions can split the sports community, everything is being done for this. Theoretically, it is possible that some athletes will agree to this, the weak can always be found, even among the ranks of athletes.”

Drachev claimed a major difference in the current concept, vs. the doping sanctions which previously required Russian athletes to perform at the Olympic Games without use of their flag or anthem:

“Then the situation was completely different, now you have to perform either with a flag and an anthem, or not perform at all. All these are principles proclaimed by the West, including the action in which our hockey players must wear a sweater to promote LGBT people.”

The reference was to the 18 January promotion by the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers of “LGBTQ+ Pride Night,” in which special, rainbow-themed warm-up jerseys were worn. Defenseman Ivan Provorov (RUS) refused to participate in the salute, citing his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs, but did play in the game, a 5-2 win over Anaheim.

In a meeting of the Russian sports federations on Monday, Vassily Titov, head of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federations, told TASS:

“It is clear that for each sport, the international federations will develop their own admission criteria. But there are general principles that we tried to discuss today. There were different points of view, but everyone agreed that the most important thing is for the athletes to go [compete].”

As far as Russian and Belarusian participation in the Asian Games, Randhir Singh, the acting head of the Olympic Council of Asia told the Indian Express that Asian athletes are not going to give up any qualifying places for Paris 2024 to its guests:

“They won’t interfere in our medal system or Asian quota for the Olympic Games. The IOC will work out [an Olympic] quota with us at the OCA and the international federations. And there will be separate medals.”

Singh also noted that mandatory doping controls would be required for any such Russian or Belarusian athletes prior to competing in an Asian competition, and that they would not be entered in all sports:

“We are devising a philosophy where they’ll … be able to compete in [events] where we can take them on numbers. Not in combat sports like wrestling, for instance. If our wrestler from Asia gets knocked out in the first round, then we lose out on qualification. But if there is a points system like in athletics, shooting … these kinds of sports are where they’ll be able to compete. This is all being worked out.”

2.
Boycott talk spreads in nations against Russian re-integration

“On February 3, an extraordinary general assembly of the NOC of Ukraine will be held regarding a possible boycott of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to return to international sports tournaments before the end of the conflict in Ukraine. Everything goes to the fact that athletes will be returned to international tournaments, so that this event will have serious consequences.”

That’s from the Telegram page of Zhan Beleniuk, the Tokyo 2020 Greco-Roman wrestling gold medalist at 87 kg, also a member of the Ukrainian Parliament.

In Poland, the tone was also strident, with Minister of Sport and Tourism, Kamil Bortniczuk, telling a Friday news conference that Russia and Belarus should not be allowed to participate in Paris 2024:

“I can’t imagine such a scenario. … Poland and other countries may issue an ultimatum; this will depend on whether it will be possible to create an effective coalition of countries without whom the Olympic Games couldn’t go ahead.”

He cited Britain as a possible ally; the President of the Polish Olympic Committee, Andrzej Krasnicki, confirmed on Twitter that “until the end of the barbaric war in Ukraine, no Russian or Belarusian sportsman should take part in any international competitions, including the Olympic Games,” with a further reply:

“The Polish Olympic Committee was, is and will be in solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian nation and athletes. Our position is consistent with the position of Poland and the Polish authorities.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called the IOC’s idea “politically and morally wrong,” adding “Sport is a tool in Russia’s propaganda machine, ignoring that means siding with aggression.”

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), which would be expected to simply follow the IOC’s lead, posted a carefully-worded statement on Monday, which while generally agreeing with the IOC’s stance, which “[stressed] the importance of respecting the specificity of each federation and their particular qualification process for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” and that the matter would be discussed further at the ASOIF Council meeting on 3 March.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Friday message opposing the IOC’s re-entry ideas, included, “I invite Mr. Bach to Bakhmut. So that he could see with his own eyes that neutrality does not exist.” Another athlete death was reported there, from Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Geraschchenko:

“Volodymyr Androshchuk, Ukrainian track and field athlete, member of the national team, died in combat near Bakhmut. RIP, Volodymyr. We keep losing our best people.”

Androshchuk was a decathlete on the national U20 team, with a best of 6,491 points, from 2019.

3.
Dentsu staff admits to bid rigging of Tokyo 2020 contracts

“Several officials of Japanese ad giant Dentsu Inc. have admitted to collusion over bid rigging for contracts related to test events for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Kyodo News reported Friday that the admissions came voluntarily in interviews with prosecutors exploring illegal contracting at the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, adding that the scheme may have been operated by a Tokyo 2020 staff member working in coordination with some loaned employees from Dentsu working with the organizing committee. The Kyodo report added:

“In 2017, Dentsu, at the request of the games organizers, created a list of advertising agencies and other firms to categorize them into groups by their respective track records in each sport, according to the source. It is suspected that the list was used in arranging successful bidders.”

The arrangements first involved test events, held in 2018-19-20-21, which covered 26 bids for 56 events that were eventually awarded to nine different companies, with Dentsu and another large ad agency, Hakuhodo, getting multiple contracts. Following the test events, much larger contracts for venue management during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were forthcoming in many cases to the companies which had worked on the test programs.

This is the second set of scandals being investigated and is separate from the sponsorship selection program allegedly influenced by bribes paid – directly and indirectly – to Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Dentsu senior director.

4.
FIFA sanctions four Uruguay players in World Cup fracas

Remember the ugly incident at the end of the group-stage match between Ghana and Uruguay, where Uruguayan players berated the officials for not calling one or more penalties that could have allowed Uruguay to advance into the knock-out rounds?

On Friday, FIFA announced sanctions against the Uruguayan federation and four players, noting that:

“[T]he FIFA Disciplinary Committee found that the Uruguayan Football Association was responsible for the discriminatory behaviour of its supporters as well as for the misconduct, offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play of the members of its representative team.”

The sanctions included:

● “The Uruguayan Football Association – partial stadium closure (the stands behind the goals) at its next FIFA “A” international match as host association and a fine of CHF 50,000

● “Jose María Gimenez – a four-match suspension, performance of community football service and a fine of CHF 20,000

● “Fernando Muslera – a four-match suspension, performance of community football service and a fine of CHF 20,000

● “Edinson Cavani – a one-match suspension, performance of community football service and a fine of CHF 15,000

● “Diego Godín – a one-match suspension, performance of community football service and a fine of CHF 15,000″

Uruguay won the game, 2-0, but needed a third goal to advance on goal-differential in Group H vs. South Korea, which ended up second in the group despite losing to group-winner Portugal, 2-1, on the same day.

5.
LA28 Paralympic sports program includes 22, same as Paris

The International Paralympic Committee and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee in Los Angeles announced the “initial sports program” of the 2028 Paralympic Games, with the same 22 sports to be featured at the Paris 2024 Paralympics:

● Archery
● Athletics
● Badminton
● Blind Football
● Boccia
● Canoe
● Cycling
● Equestrian
● Goalball
● Judo
● Powerlifting
● Rowing
● Shooting
● Sitting Volleyball
● Swimming
● Table Tennis
● Taekwondo
● Triathlon
● Wheelchair Basketball
● Wheelchair Fencing
● Wheelchair Rugby
● Wheelchair Tennis

These sports will offer 549 different events in 2024; the specific events for Los Angeles will be determined later.

A record number of 33 sports asked for inclusion in 2028, with the possibility of two more:

“[T]he IPC granted LA28 the opportunity to explore the potential of including Para climbing or Para surfing, sports that have not been featured before at the Paralympic Games. Should LA28 put forward any sports for consideration, a final decision will be taken by the IPC Governing Board by the end of 2023.”

Nine sports which applied for the 2028 Games but were not selected included arm wrestling, Cerebral Palsy (CP) football, dance sport, golf, karate, powerchair football, sailing, wheelchair handball, and beach paravolley.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● Both the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency confirmed receipt of the written opinion of the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, which penalized figure skater Kamila Valieva only one day for her trimetazidine positive on 25 December 2021 due to “no fault or negligence” on her part as a minor, leaving her eligibility for the 2022 Winter Games in place. 

RUSADA told TASS, “We received the full text of the decision on the figure skater’s case from the committee. We will need some time to study the document, after which we will decide on further actions.” RUSADA had initiated a standard, four-year sanction on Valieva, but had its decision reversed by the independent review panel, and could join WADA is pursuing an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

● International Olympic Committee ● Sad news that long-time Australian IOC member Phil Coles passed away at age 91 on Saturday (28th).

Coles was a three-time Olympian in canoeing in 1960-64-68, joined the executive board of the Australian Olympic Committee in 1973 and was elected as an IOC member in 1982, serving until 2012, when he became an Honorary Member. He played an important role in getting Australia to attend the Moscow 1980 Games instead of joining the U.S.-led boycott, and helped Sydney win selection as the host of the 2000 Games. He was reprimanded – but not expelled – in the Salt Lake City bid scandal in 1999 for sharing information on other IOC members with the Utah bidders and was forced to resign from the Sydney 2000 organizing committee.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● As in most countries, the word “Olympic” – due to its commercial value – is controlled in the United States under federal law. The USOPC works diligently to ensure that uses are appropriate, and that commercial uses must be licensed.

So, the anti-aging experiment that millionaire software developer Bryan Johnson has undertaken – spending perhaps $2 million a year to stave off the body’s natural decay – is being publicized through the Web site rejuvenationolympics.com.

The site invites you to be a “Rejuvenation Olympian” by providing your e-mail, telephone number and asking for more information.

Is Colorado Springs calling yet?

● Athletics ● A novel “Battle of the Sexes” took place in Moscow (RUS) on Sunday, pitting male and female high jumpers against each other, with the winner determined by the World Athletics scoring tables.

Danil Lysenko, the 2018 World Indoor Champion, and now back from a four-year doping ban that ended last August, claimed a world-leading mark of 2.38 m (7-9 3/4) – now no. 11 on the all-time indoor list – to win from Tokyo Olympic women’s gold medalist Mariya Lasitskene, who cleared 1.93 m (6-4). Lysenko’s jumping in the 12-athlete, men-vs-women battle was 2.31 m (7-7), good for 1,188 points to 1,150 for Lasitskene. Daria Slepova cleared 1.90 m (6-2 3/4) for 1,121 points for third.

Although on an oversized, 307 m track in Seattle, how about the men’s mile at the University of Washington Invitational on Saturday, with eight members of the Washington team – same team! – all breaking 4:00!

All eight had run under 4:00 previously, but in the same race, reigning NCAA 1,500 m champ Joe Waskom – a sophomore – won in 3:51.90, followed by Brian Fay (IRL: 3:52.03), freshman Nathan Green (3:52.76), Kieran Lumb (CAN: 3:53.83), Sam Ellis (3:53.84), junior Luke Houser (3:55.98), Aaron Ahl (3:57.94) and Aidan Ryan (3:59.55).

For Waskom, it was the third-fastest collegiate mile in history, although on a track or more than 200 m, so it won’t show in the main all-time list. Wow!

Although already provisionally suspended since last October, Kenyan distance runner Betty Lempus – a 2:23:40 marathoner – was banned for five years due to tampering.

After winning the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris (FRA) on 5 September 22021 (65:46), she was caught for the presence of a metabolite of Triamcinolone Acetonide in her urine sample. She then “produced falsified medical documents to explain an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF),” including a treatment at a Kenyan hospital before the race. The Athletics Integrity Unit, working with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, found the lies and Lempus admitted to the drug positive and the tampering charge, reducing the mandatory six-year ban to five for cooperation.

Now 31, Lempus will be eligible again in late 2026.

● Freestyle Skiing ● Tragedy in Japan, as 2015 Halfpipe World Champion Kyle Smaine (USA) lost his life in an avalanche near Nagano on Sunday.

He and a second skier – not yet publicly identified – were killed in the snow on east slope of Mount Hakuba Norikura, while three others were able to escape. Smaine, 31, was on a marketing effort for Ikon Pass and Nagano Tourism.

He is survived by his wife, Jenna Dramise.

● Hockey ● At a news conference on the heels of the men’s Hockey World Cup won by Germany in Bhubaneswar (IND), reporters asked about the financial sustainability of the sport. Federation Internationale de Hockey chief executive Thierry Weil (FRA), who came from FIFA in 2018, explained:

“Hockey hasn’t got the needed commercial value yet. Once we get it, our sport will become financially sustainable. Media and marketing play a key role to promote our sport at the highest level. We are trying hard with broadcasters and other stakeholders to make our sport reach out to a global audience.”

It isn’t easy. The last available FIH financial statements are from 2021, showing CHF 15.29 million in assets and CHF 7.05 million in reserves, mostly thanks to the IOC’s quadrennial television rights payment of $15.14 million (CHF 1 = $1.08), received in 2020 and 2021.

The new FIH Pro League has been a money-loser since inception in 2018, but was close to break-even in 2021.

This is another federation which, if not for its quadrennial Olympic television dividend, would be in severe financial trouble.

● Skiing ● This is a story that everyone knew was coming at some point. The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) posted a lengthy story on Monday explaining how apparel maker Head – whose owner, Johan Eliasch (SWE) – is now the FIS President, provided clothing for FIS staff members for the 2022-23 season. In short:

“Despite repeated calls for quotes, FIS was not successful in finding an official clothing supplier for the 2022/2023 season. Facing the prospect of the season beginning without official FIS clothing being available, FIS management requested President Eliasch to ask Head to provide a quote for the clothing. President Eliasch (who is the owner of Head) was reluctant to do so because of the risk of a perceived conflict of interest. Eventually he agreed on the condition that the clothing would not bear any explicit Head branding and that the outfits would be offered at cost or below. President Eliasch made no financial gain – directly or indirectly – from the transaction.”

The story noted that the only apparel offer came for clothing for cross-country alone and not the other disciplines. The invoices – which FIS indicated were illegally obtained – showed 1,360 clothing items sold to FIS for €243,850 (about $264,735 U.S.); that’s expensive, but FIS’s statement noted the order was below the usual minimums and prices were high due to supply-chain issues.

All eyes will now be on FIS staff uniforms for 2023-24.

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TSX REPORT: Asian Games invite to Russia confirmed; Zelensky promises “marathon of honesty” on Russia; Shiffrin wins 85th!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Olympic Council of Asia confirms Russia’s Asian Games invite
2. Ukraine’s Zelensky rips IOC hypocrisy, invites Bach to front lines
3. Shiffrin stars at Spindleruv Mlyn, wins 85th World Cup race
4. U.S. to host Copa America for second time in 2024
5. U.S. Soccer re-shuffle continues as Stewart, McBride leave

The International Olympic Committee’s call for a possible pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes, under specified conditions, was echoed by the Olympic Council of Asia, which has offered to play host to them in qualifying events for Paris 2024, and other regional confederations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at the IOC in a Friday address, promising a “marathon of honesty” against “any attempts to bring representatives of the terrorist state into world sports,” with the country possibly to boycott Paris if Russian or Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete. American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin won her 85th career World Cup race on Saturday in a Slalom in the Czech Republic, but ended up second on Sunday, leaving her one short of tying the all-time World Cup wins record. A cooperation agreement between the South American football confederation CONMEBOL and the North and Central American and Caribbean group CONCACAF will see the Copa America organized in the U.S. in 2024 with six CONCACAF teams added to the 10 South American squads. Four South American women’s teams will be added to create a 12-team CONCACAF W Gold Cup in 2024. The U.S. Soccer Federation already has an interim men’s National Team coach, but is now also looking for a new Sporting Director and General Manager as both Earnie Stewart and Brian McBride are leaving, in unrelated developments.

1.
Olympic Council of Asia confirms Russia’s Asian Games invite

“The OCA believes in the unifying power of sport and that all athletes, regardless of their nationality or the passport they hold, should be able to compete in sports competitions. The OCA has offered to give eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to take part in competitions in Asia, including the Asian Games.

“The OCA remains on standby as the IOC continues to explore with International Federations the pathway for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions.”

Following the International Olympic Committee’s Wednesday announcement of the exploration of a conditional pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally, the Olympic Council of Asia confirmed its invitation for those athletes to compete there, away from European qualifiers which would include Ukraine.

Three other continental associations – the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, European Olympic Committees and PanAm Sports – fell right in line with the IOC, as did the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

Among the summer International Federations, only three – the International Gymnastics Federation, International Judo Federation and International Weightlifting Federation – confirmed support of the IOC’s position on their Web sites on Thursday or Friday.

The Chinese Olympic Committee, heavily involved in the organization of the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou in September, also parroted the IOC’s position:

“The Chinese Olympic Committee claims that athletes from all over the world should enjoy equal rights to participate in international competitions. Whether they participate or not should be determined based on their sports performance, without interference from political and war factors.”

In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party) told France2 television, “I think that it’s a sporting moment and we shouldn’t deprive athletes of the competition. But I think and what I’m arguing for, as is a large part of the sporting world, is that there isn’t a delegation under the Russian banner.

“I hope the war in Ukraine will be behind us by the time we host the Paris Games.”

2.
Ukraine’s Zelensky rips IOC for hypocrisy,
invites Bach to front lines

“Today we are starting a marathon of honesty, which will be aimed at clearing the leadership of international Olympic structures of hypocrisy and any attempts to bring representatives of the terrorist state into world sports.”

That was the opening of Friday remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemning the International Olympic Committee’s search for a pathway to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for, and compete in, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Also:

“One cannot but be disappointed by the statements of the current President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. I spoke with him several times. And I never heard how he is going to protect sports from war propaganda if he returns Russian athletes to international competitions.

“There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on. And we know how often tyrannies try to use sports for their ideological interests. It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.

“I do not want to get into what exactly motivated Mr. Bach to promote such an initiative. But we will do everything so that the world will protect sports from political and any other influence of the terrorist state, which is simply inevitable if Russian athletes participate in competitions. And especially – at the Paris Olympics.

“Ukrainian athletes are forced to defend the lives of their loved ones and the freedom of our people from Russian aggression. Russian strikes took the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian men and women who could have brought their talents to world sports.

“Russia must stop aggression and terror, and only after that it will be possible to talk about Russian participation in the context of the Olympic movement. Olympic principles and war are fundamentally opposed to each other.”

Zelensky added:

“And, by the way, I invite Mr. Bach to Bakhmut. So that he could see with his own eyes that neutrality does not exist.”

The BBC quoted Ukraine Sports Minister – and head of the country’s National Olympic Committee – Vadym Huttsait from his Facebook page, “If we are not heard, I do not rule out the possibility that we will boycott and refuse participation in the Olympics. … As long as there is a war in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be in international competitions.”

Kyodo News reported that Zelensky has written to multiple international federations, asking them to state their position on Russian and Belarusian participation, and their conditions.

Britain’s Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, said last week:

“I want to be clear that this position from the IOC is a world away from the reality of war being felt by the Ukrainian people – and IOC President Bach’s own words less than a year ago where he strongly condemned Russia for breaking the Olympic Truce and urged it to ‘give peace a chance’

“We will strongly condemn any action taken that allows President Putin to legitimise his illegal war in Ukraine – a position the IOC previously shared.”

Olympedia.org co-founder Dr. Bill Mallon tweeted that Ukrainian figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, a 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games Pairs contestant, was killed in Kharkiv on 23 January, the first Olympic-related casualty of the Russian invasion.

3.
Shiffrin stars at Spindleruv Mlyn, wins 85th World Cup race

American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin wasted no time getting after her 85th career World Cup win with a victory in the first of two Slaloms at Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE) on Saturday, taking charge on the first run and winning the second run to total 1:33.85.

Shiffrin beat Lena Duerr (GER: 1:34.45) and Wendy Holdener (SUI: 1:35.16) to the line, with teammate Paula Moltzan (1:35.74) fifth. It was her 52nd World Cup Slalom win, extending her own record.

On Sunday she had the opportunity to tie Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins ever at 86, and started perfectly, posting the fastest first run in 44.66, with Duerr second at 45.33. But Shiffrin had some trouble on the second run, ending up only 14th-fastest and dropping to second as Duerr got her second career World Cup win, 1:30.91 to 1:30.97, with 19-year-old Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) third – for her first World Cup medal – in 1:31.40. Moltzan was eighth (1:32.67).

Shiffrin has now won 11 races this season, the fourth time she’s won 10 or more, also in 2017 (11), 2018 (12) and 2019 (17), when she also won the overall World Cup title. She now leads the 2022-23 standings by 1,697 to 966 over Petra Vlhova (SVK), and also wrapped up her seventh Slalom seasonal title, the most ever.

The Alpine World Championships come next, with the World Cup to resume on 25 February with a Downhill in Crans-Montana (SUI) to begin the last 11 races of the season.

4.
U.S. to host Copa America for second time in 2024

In a positive move for the U.S. men’s team in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the South American confederation CONMEBOL announced that the 2024 Copa America – its highly-regarded regional championship – will be played in the United States for the second time, in 2024.

It’s part of a new collaboration with CONCACAF, the North and Central American and Caribbean confederation, revealed on Friday, to include:

● Copa America 2024: The 10 CONMEBOL teams will be joined by six CONCACAF teams, with the event to be co-organized by the two groups. The tournament was successfully held in the U.S. in 2016, with the American team coming in fourth, equaling its best finish in four participations.

Ecuador had been scheduled to host the 2024 Copa America, but could not due to internal security concerns.

● CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2024: Four CONMEBOL teams – Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay – will join eight CONCACAF teams for a 12-team, first-time tournament. The tournament will also be played in the U.S.

CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez (PAR) said: “We are determined to renew and expand our joint initiatives and projects. We want this passion to translate into more and better competitions and for football and its values to grow and strengthen throughout the hemisphere.”

This is a second major CONMEBOL cooperation initiative, after its 2021 agreement with UEFA developed after the implosion of the proposed European Super League.

For the U.S. men’s team in specific, inclusion in the 2024 Copa America is a major opportunity to play some meaningful games, since it is automatically qualified as a host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and will not have to qualify through the regular CONCACAF process.

5.
U.S. Soccer re-shuffle continues as Stewart, McBride leave

The U.S. men’s National Team is playing with an interim coach, Anthony Hudson, as Gregg Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022. Now the two people he reported to – U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Earnie Stewart and General Manager Brian McBride – have left the organization.

U.S. Soccer announced the departures on Thursday, with Stewart leaving after four and a half years with the federation to work with famed Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. A star striker for the U.S. during his playing days, he had been given a contract extension by the USSF, but was released from it.

McBride, also a National Team star forward with 30 goals scored for the U.S., had been the men’s National Team General Manager for three years. He had informed the federation that he would leave in January prior to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last November.

U.S. Soccer has hired the New York-based Sportsology Group to lead the search for a new Sporting Director, with the existing staff to report to USSF chief executive J.T. Batson. As for the men’s coaching situation, the announcement noted, “[t]he next U.S. Men’s National Team head coach will be hired by the new Sporting Director,” with Sportsology also developing a candidate list which can include Berhalter.

Hudson will remain the men’s coach until a new one is named. In essence, the USSF is beginning the march to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a clean start.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The IBSF World Championships began in St. Moritz (SUI), with the first British win in men’s Skeleton in 15 seasons as Matt Weston – great during the World Cup season – won his first World title at 4:28.71, ahead of surprise silver winner Amedeo Bagnis (ITA: 4:30.50) and Korean Seung-ji Jung (4:31.17).

Where Weston had won five World Cup medals this season and Jung, three, Bagnis had won none and had a best finish of eighth this season. But he had the second-fastest time on two of the four runs and was a clear silver medalist. Austin Florian was the top American in 19th (4:35.08).

A German was a likely winner of the women’s Skeleton, but Stephanie Kreher was hardly a consensus pick to win. Kreher had two seconds and a third in the World Cup, but finished 1-3-3-2 in the four runs to total 4:33.57, just 0.01 ahead (!) of Kimberley Bos (NED: 4:33.58) and 0.84 up in Mirela Rahneva (CAN). Hallie Clark was the top U.S. finisher in 10th (4:36.35). It was sixth Worlds win in a row by a German woman.

The Mixed Team gold went to Germans Kreher and Christopher Grotheer, over Weston and Laura Deas (GBR), 2:24.91 to 2:25.04; the top U.S. sled of Clark and Andrew Blaser was eighth (2:26.66).

As they had done during the World Cup season, German Laura Nolte and Olympic champ Kaillie Humphries battled in the women’s Monobob, with Nolte just 0.27 seconds ahead after two runs. On Sunday, Nolte won the third run and although fourth in the final race, had enough of a lead to hold off Humphries, 4:44.85 to 4:45.25. German Lisa Buckwitz won the bronze (4:45.57). Humphries now has 14 Worlds medals in her career (5-4-5) with one more event to go!

The Two-Man competition had been won by a German sled seven straight times, and Beijing runner-up Johannes Lochner (with Georg Fleischhauser) and Olympic winner Francesco Friedrich (with Alexander Schueller) were 1-2 after two runs, just 0.32 apart. That’s how they finished, with Lochner winning the third run and finishing in 4:21.84 to 4:22.33 for Friedrich. Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel (SUI) finished third (4:22.34); the top U.S. sled was 18th with Geoffrey Gadbois and Martin Christofferson.

The Worlds continue with the men’s Four and women’s Two this week.

● Handball ● Two of the favorites, defending champion Denmark and five-time winner France reached the final of the IHF men’s World Championship in Stockholm (SWE), with the Danes breaking open a tight game in the second half for a 34-29 victory and a third-straight world title.

Both teams survived tough semi-finals, with Denmark edging Spain, 26-23 and France beating Sweden, 31-26, before 19,128 at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm. In the final, it was only 16-15 for Denmark at halftime, and 25-24 with 14:02 left. But the Danes kept scoring, with three Rasmas Lauge Schmidt goals leading to a 31-27 lead and he scored once more for the 34-29 final. Lauge Schmidt ended with 10 goals and Simon Pytlick had nine for the winners. Nedim Remili had six to lead France, with the final played before 23,050!

Denmark’s Mathias Gidsel ended as the top scorer in the tournament with 60 goals, followed by Chile’s Erwin Feuchtmann (54).

The Danes’ three-peat in the first in IHF Worlds history; five others had won two straight. Denmark continued its streak of success: not just three titles in a row, but five finals in the last seven IHF Worlds and the semifinals or better in seven of the last nine.

Spain won the bronze with a 39-36 win over Sweden, its second consecutive third-place finish and fourth medal in the last eight Worlds.

● Hockey ● Two teams with gold-medal history faced off in the final of the FIH men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar (IND), with Germany winning its third World Cup in the last six in a shoot-out with defending champ Belgium.

The teams had played to a 2-2 tie in a group match and took a precarious ride to get to the final. The Belgians beat New Zealand, 2-0, in the quarters, but needed a 3-2 shoot-out win over the Netherlands in the semi to advance (after a 2-2 tie). Germany needed penalties (4-2) to get past England after a 2-2 tie in the quarters and then beat Australia by 4-3 in the semi.

In the final, Belgium went up 2-0 within 11 minutes on goals by Florent van Aubel and Tanguy Cosyns, but Niklas Wellen cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 29th. Then the Germans scored twice to take the lead, with Gonzalo Peillat (41st) and Mats Grambusch (48th) scoring, and looking like possible winners in regulation. Belgium’s Tom Boon got a very late score off a penalty corner in the 59th minute to send the game to a shoot-out.

After five rounds, the shoot-out was tied at three, with Wellen and van Aubel then scoring for a 4-4 tie. Thies Prinz made his second penalty shot for a 5-4 lead and when Cosyns couldn’t convert, Germany celebrated the win.

Germany won back-to-back World Cups in 2002 and 2006, then lost in the 2010 final, but returned to the winner’s circle in 2023. Belgium won its 2018 World Cup title in a shoot-out with the Dutch, but lost on penalties this time.

The Netherlands won the bronze with a 3-1 win over Australia.

Australia’s Jeremy Hayward was the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals; Wellen was recognized as the Player of the Tournament.

● Luge ● The 51st FIL World Championships were in Oberhof (GER) with lots to cheer about for the home team, which won eight out of nine events!

Germany swept all four women’s events, with Anna Berreiter leading a sweep in the Singles, 1:23.991-1:24.049-1:24.107 over 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz and 2018 Olympic runner-up Dajana Eitberger. The top American was Summer Britcher in 12th (1:24.784).

Eitberger led another sweep in the women’s Sprint, winning in 26.204, with Taubitz second (26.205 – by 1 1/000th!) and Berreiter third (26.232); Brittney Arndt of the U.S. was eighth (26.379).

The second-ever women’s Doubles championship was won by defending champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (1:17.619), ahead of Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (1:17.745) and Italians Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer (1:17.806). The top American finish was sixth for Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby (1:18.472).

Degenhardt and Rosenthal also won the Doubles Sprint – the first ever at the Worlds – in 31.205, over Egle and Kipp (31.221) and Voetter and Oberhofer (31.228). Forgan and Kirkby were sixth again (31.522).

The men’s Singles was the only event not won by a German slider; instead it was Austria’s Jonas Mueller – the 2020 Worlds silver medalist – winning in 1:25.478 to 1:25.582 for Max Langenhan (GER), with David Gleirscher (AUT: 1:25.599) third. Tucker West of the U.S. was 13th (1:26.463).

The Singles Sprint was the second win in the event for three-time Olympic champ Felix Loch of Germany – previously in 2016 – in 33.544 ahead of Mueller (33.617) and Langenhan (GER: 33.666). West was the best American finisher, in 12th (33.958).

Germany’s star Doubles teams of Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken and Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt went 1-2 in 1:23.517 and 1:23.668, with Yannick Mueller and Armin Frauscher third (1:23.709). The American pair of Zachary Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander finished seventh at 1:24.312. It was the fifth straight World title for Eggert and Benecken and fourth silver in the last five Worlds for three-time winners Wendl and Arlt.

The Doubles Sprint also went to Eggert and Benecken – their Worlds gold in the event – over Wendl and Arlt in 26.248 and 26.284. Mueller and Frauscher were third (26.317) and Di Gregorio and Hollander finished 10th (26.646).

The Team Relay was a tight win for the German quartet of Berreiter, Langenhan, Eggert and Benecken, 2:22.266 to 2:22.289 for Austria, with Latvia third (2:22.666) and the U.S. fifth, with Britcher, West, Di Gregorio and Hollander (2:23.229).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The men’s World Cup tour was in Cortina d’Ampezzo for two Giant Slaloms, with reigning World Cup champ – and seasonal leader – Marco Odermatt sweeping the weekend.

On Saturday, Odermatt won a tight battle with Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, 1:25.57 to 1:25.92, with Mattia Casse (ITA: 1:26.06) third, his third career World Cup medal. Then Odermatt dominated on Sunday, winning in 1:25.13 over Dominik Paris (ITA: 1:25.89) and Daniel Hemetsberger (AUT: 1:26.16) for his eighth win of the season.

Odermatt now leads the seasonal standings, 1,386-1,073, over Kilde and is the leader in both the Super-G and Giant Slalom.

● Athletics ● The indoor season heated up big time starting on the weekend, with Britain’s women’s 800 m Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson, still just 20, setting a world best for 600 m in Manchester (GBR) at 1:23.41, 0.03 faster than the 1:23.44 from 2004 by Russian Olga Kotlyarova.

At the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University, two American Records were set on Friday, as Tokyo Olympian Yared Nuguse won the men’s 3,000 m in 7:28.24, over Sam Atkin (GBR: 7:31.97) and shattering Galen Rupp’s 2013 mark of 7:30.16. Nuguse is now no. 9 on the all-time world indoor list.

Grant Fisher’s American Indoor 5,000 m record of 12:53.73 – set in 2022 – didn’t last the night, as Woody Kincaid, another Tokyo Olympian, won in a sensational 12:51.61, moving to no. 4 all-time in the event. It appeared that Joe Klecker was on his way to the win, with a 10 m lead with two laps to go, but Kincaid turned on the afterburners on the final lap and sped by for the victory and the record. Klecker was second in 12:54.99 – a lifetime best by more than nine seconds – now no. 3 all-time U.S. and no. 7 on the all-time world list.

Although not a record, U.S. sprint star Aleia Hobbs, sixth at the 2022 Worlds women’s 100 m, moved to equal-ninth all-time and become the 13th woman to eclipse seven seconds with a 6.98 win at 60 m in the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She’s now no. 3 in U.S. history as well.

● Badminton ● At the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta, China scored two wins, but so did the home team!

Indonesian fans celebrated wins from Jonatan Christie in the men’s Singles, winning the all-Indonesia battle with Chico Dwi Wardoyo, 21-15, 21-13, and in the men’s Doubles, as Leo Carnando and Daniel Marthin sailed past Ji Ting He and Hao Dong Zhou (CHN), 21-17, 21-16.

China’s wins came in the women’s Doubles, with Sheng Shu Liu and Shu Xian Zhang edging Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, 22-20, 21-19, and in Mixed Doubles in an all-Chinese final, as Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang defeated Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei, 21-15, 16-21, 21-19.

In the women’s Singles final, Se Young An (KOR) won a tense battle from Rio 2016 gold medalist Carolina Marin (ESP), 18-21, 21-18, 21-13.

● Beach Volleyball ● The Beach Pro Tour Finals were in Doha (QAT), concluding the first season of what used to be known as the FIVB World Tour, with a historic win for Americans Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng (nee Claes).

The pair reunited last October after playing apart for four years; they were twice NCAA Beach champions at USC, and found new vitality that created a late-season rush with Beach Pro Tour wins in Australia in November and December. In Doha, they battled through a series of tight matches, then won impressively in the final against Brazilian stars Duda Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos, 21-18, 21-16, for the tour title.

It’s the first time American women have won the world beach title since Misty May and Kerri Walsh way back in 2002!

Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon (NED) won the bronze medal with a 21-18, 21-10 win over Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho (AUS).

The men’s title went to Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) for the third time – previously in 2018 and 2021 – with a 21-18, 21-18 sweep of Michal Bryl and Bartosz Losiak (POL). Mol (25) and Sorum (27) added to their Olympic golds in 2020 (2021) and the 2022 World Championship, making them one of the most dominant pairs in the sport’s history, with more years ahead.

Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava (ITA) took the bronze over former World Champions Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen (NED), 22-20, 19-21, 16-14.

● Cross Country Skiing ● The ninth stop on the FIS World Cup tour was in Les Rousses (FRA) with a first-time winner this season in Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) in the men’s 10 km Freestyle on Friday, in 21:26.5, ahead of countryman Sjur Roethe (21:38.4) and Sweden’s William Poromaa (21:44.4). It was Amundsen’s first career World Cup gold, at age 24.

In the 1.3 km Freestyle Sprint, it was France’s Richard Jouve winning his second World Cup race of the season in 2:39.14, over seasonal leader Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (2:39.23) and fellow Norwegian Pal Golberg (2:40.05).

Klaebo won his 12th race of the season in Sunday’s 20 km Classical Mass Start in 49:29.1, barely edging Finn Iivo Niskanen (49:30.3) and William Poromaa (SWE: 49:30.4). He has a 1,706-1,584 lead over Golberg in the seasonal standings with nine races left.

Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, the 2021 Worlds bronze medalist at 10 km, won Friday’s women’s 10 km Freestyle in 24:08.8, beating Delphine Claudel (FRA: 24:22.2) and American Jessie Diggins (24:29.3), who won her fourth medal of the season (2-1-1). In the Freestyle Sprint, Kristine Skistad, 24, of Norway won her first career World Cup medal – a victory – in 3:01.97, just ahead of Swedes Emma Ribom (3:02.67) and Maja Dahlqvist (3:03.75). Julia Kern of the U.S. was fifth in 3:05.42.

Andersson won again on Sunday in the 20 km Classical Mass Start in 55:37.2, well ahead of Kerttu Niskanen – Iivo’s older sister – in 55:59.3 and Astrid Slind (NOR: 56:57.6). Diggins finished ninth in 57:57.1.

● Cycling ● Who is Marius Mayrhofer?

The 22-year-old German won his first career UCI World Tour race on Sunday in the eighth Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race in Geelong (AUS), winning the final mass sprint in 4:15:11, ahead of Hugo Page (FRA), Simon Clarke (AUS) and 22 others given the same time. Mayrhofer’s all-out sprint in the final 100 m brought him his career-best result.

In the sixth Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race for women on Saturday, the 140.8 km circuit that started and finished in Geelong (AUS) was won by perhaps another, new Dutch star in Loes Adegeest, 26, who won a final sprint against Australian star Amanda Spratt, the 2016 champion.

Both timed 3:52:47, with fellow Dutch rider Nina Buijsman third, four seconds back. Krista Doebel-Hickok was the top American, in ninth (also +0:04).

● Fencing ● The Epee elite were in Doha (QAT) for Grand Prix competition, with 2019 World Champion and Tokyo silver medalist Gergely Siklosi (HUN) getting his first career Grand Prix gold with a 15-10 win over Belgium’s Neisser Loyola, the 2022 Worlds bronze medalist.

The women’s gold went to Brazil’s 2019 World Champion, Nathalie Moellhausen, who defeated Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA), 15-8, in the final. Candassamy won her first Grand Prix silver after three prior bronzes.

● Figure Skating ● The U.S. Figure Skating National Championships were on in San Jose, with the youth movement much in evidence thanks to teenagers Isabeau Levito and Ilya Malinin.

Levito, 15, the World Junior Champion in 2022, was third in her first senior-level Nationals in 2022 and moved up to the top of the podium, winning both the Short Program and Free Skate to total 223.33 points, well ahead of two-time national champ Bradie Tennell, 24, making a nice comeback from nagging foot injuries (213.12), and Amber Glenn (207.44).

Malinin, 18, nicknamed the “Quad King” for his jumping ability and being the first to complete a Quad Axel in international competition, won the Short Program at 110.36, ahead of two-time Olympian Jason Brown (age 28; 100.25). In the Free Skate, Malinin finished second to 21-year-old Andrew Torgashev, 177.78-177.38, but took the title at 287.74, ahead of Brown (277.31) and Torgashev (256.56). Malinin’s program included four quads – with one fall – but was enough to win.

Like Levito, Malinin moved up to the top of the podium just a year after a second-place finish at the 2022 Nationals and has a bright future ahead of him. Brown earned a top-three finish for the seventh time in the last 10 years, while Torgashev earned his first U.S. Nationals medal. 

In Pairs, World Champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier had a huge lead after the Short Program and won their second U.S. title together with a final total of 227.97, to 196.86 for Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, and 184.01 for Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea. For Knierim individually, this was her fifth U.S. title and third for Frazier, both having medaled with other partners. Chan and Howe, fourth last season, moved up to silver this time.

Three-time Worlds medal winners Madison Chock and Evan Bates won a U.S. Nationals medal for the 11th straight year (!) and their fourth U.S. title with a dominant performance in Ice Dance. Chock and Bates scored 229.75 to finish ahead of Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (207.46) – moving up from fourth the last two seasons – and Christina Carrera and Anthony Ponomarenko (198.45). Chock and Bates have now finished first or second in five straight American national championships.

● Football ● The U.S. men’s National Team finished its January camp program with a friendly against Colombia before a big crowd of 27,000 in Carson, California that finished 0-0.

Interim U.S. coach Anthony Hudson employed a more experienced lineup, with six players with 10 appearances or more and only two debutantes. The first half had a lot of movement and speed, but no goals, as Colombia had 54% of possession and a 9-3 edge on shots, but the U.S. actually had the better chances to score.

The second half was slower, with plenty of fouls and fewer strong chances, although a free kick from defender Kellyn Acosta right at the 90-minute mark almost connected with a run from substitute striker Brandon Vazquez at the right side of the Colombian goal. Colombia ended with 55% of possession and a 12-5 edge on shots, but did not place U.S. keeper Sean Johnson in serious danger.

The U.S. is now 3-13-5 all-time against Colombia, with its last win in 2005.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The Moguls stars were in Val Saint-Come (CAN), with home superstar Mikael Kingsbury getting his second win of the season – and 75th career World Cup gold – on Saturday, scoring 85.37 to 81.69 for Beijing 2022 gold medalist Walter Wallberg (SWE) and 81.36 for Japan’s bronze winner, Ikuma Horishima.

The men’s Dual Moguls on Sunday saw Wallberg get his first-ever World Cup victory, beating Kingsbury in the final. Fellow Swede Filip Gravenfors, 18, took the bronze for his second career World Cup medal.

Japan scored its first win of the season in women’s Moguls, as 18-year-old Anri Kawamura ended the three-event win streak of Olympic champ Jakara Anthony (AUS), 82.25 to 81.88. American Jaelin Kauf, the Beijing 2022 silver winner, was third at 78.34. It’s Kawamura’s fifth career World Cup gold!

On Sunday, Kawamura completed her sweep of the weekend, winning the final from three-time World Champion Perrine Laffont (FRA), with Britain’s Makayla Gerken Schofield taking the bronze for her first career World Cup medal.

● Judo ● The Grand Prix Portugal in Almada drew a huge field of 544 judoka, with Korea taking four golds to lead the medal table.

The victories came from Joon-hwan Lee (81 kg) and Min-jong Kim (+100 kg) in the men’s classes and Mimi Huh (57 kg) and Hayun Kim (+78 kg) for the women.

Two-time Worlds medal winner Barbara Timo was one of two gold medalists for Portugal, as she won the women’s 63 kg class; Patricia Sampaio won the women’s 78 kg division. Uzbekistan also had two men’s class victors in Mukhriddin Tilovov (66 kg) and Obidkhon Nomonov (73 kg).

● Nordic Combined ● The 10th Seefeld Triple was on in Germany, with jumping off the 109 m hill and 7.5 km, 10 km and 12.5 km races to follow.

Seasonal leader Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR) was shut out of the medals on the weekend, with countryman Jens Oftebro taking the 7.5 km final in 18:33.7 with Austria’s Johannes Lamparter second (18.41.8) and Julian Schmid (GER: 18:47.8) third and Riiber fourth. In the 10 km final, it was 2021 World Champion Lamparter with his fourth win of the season in 25:19.2, ahead of Beijing Olympic champ Vinzenz Geiger (GER: 25:39.2) and Simon (25:41.9).

And Lamparter took Sunday’s win over 12.5 km in 30:26.4, to 30:42.9 for Schmid and 30:43.8 for Oftebro. Lamparter took the seasonal lead, with 895 points to 794 for Schmid and 764 for Oftebro, as Riiber fell back to fourth.

The women’s competition had two events, both of 5 km after the jumping, with Norwegian star Gyda Westvold Hansen continuing her perfect season with her seventh win in a row (in seven events!) and 14th in the last 15 World Cups, across two seasons. Neither was close, with Westvold Hansen winning, 14:47.3 to 15:13,0 over Natalie Armbruster (GER) on Friday and 14:58.6 to 15:34.5 ahead of Annika Sieff (ITA) on Saturday, with Armbruster third (15:34.6).

● Rugby Sevens ● The fifth HSBC Sevens Series tournament for men and fourth for women was in Sydney (AUS), with an emphatic double win for New Zealand.

In the men’s event, the All Blacks were 2-1 in pool play, but then won their quarterfinal, 12-0, over Samoa, 36-5 over France in their semi and 38-0 in the final against South Africa! Fiji defeated France, 29-5, in the third-place match. Wow!

New Zealand leads the men’s seasonal standings with 85 points, following finishes of 3-2-2-1 in their last five tournaments. South Africa is second at 76, followed by Samoa and France (68).

The New Zealand women – the Black Ferns – were even more dominant, winning all three pool matches and then storming through the playoffs by scores of 33-0 over Japan, 41-0 over Ireland and 35-0 in the final against France! Yikes!

The U.S. women lost to France in their semi, then won the third-place match, 12-5, over Ireland.

In four tournaments this season, the Black Ferns have finished 2-1-1-1 and lead with 78 points to 66 for Australia and the U.S.

● Ski Jumping ● The men moved to the giant, ski-flying hill at Kulm Mitterndorf in Austria – 235 m – for two events, with seasonal leader Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR) getting his sixth win of the season, 440.7 to 431.9 for three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft (AUT) and 425.4 for Domen Prevc (SLO).

Granerud doubles up on Sunday, winning with 455.5 points to 451.4 for Timi Zajc (SLO) and 446.4 for Kraft. It’s Granerud’s seventh win this season, out of 18 competitions held so far.

The women’s jumping was off the 111 m hill in Hinterzarten (GER), with home favorite and two-time Olympic silver winner Katharina Althaus taking the first event, 258.8 to 237.6 over Ema Klinec (SLO).

Norway’s Anna Stroem won on Sunday, scoring 254.7 for her second career World Cup win – both this season – with Klinec second (249.5) and seasonal leader Eva Pinkelnig (AUT: 244.7) third.

● Snowboard ● The last Parallel events prior to the World Championships in February were at Blue Mountain in Canada, with Giant Slaloms on Thursday and Friday. Austria’s Benjamin Karl, the Beijing 2022 gold medalist, got his first win of the season, beating Sang-ho Lee (KOR) and Pole Oskar Kwiatkowski in the first race. Kwiatkowski moved up to gold on Friday, ahead of Austrian Alexander Payer – who took the seasonal lead with the silver – and Italy’s 2015 World Champion Ronald Fischnaller on Saturday.

Swiss Ladina Jenny, the 2019 Worlds bronze winner, got her first win of the season in Thursday’s race, beating Lucia Dalmasso (ITA) and Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT) to the line. Germany’s 2021 Worlds silver winner Ramona Theresia Hofmeister won the second race over Swiss star Julie Zogg and Austria’s Daniela Ulbing.

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MILLER TIME: Russia’s Demonology

By
David Miller
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/It’s a pleasure to present this guest column by one of the most knowledgeable observers of the Olympic Movement, Britain’s David Miller. For more than 50 years, the former English footballer has covered the Olympic Games and the sports within it, including 15 years as the Chief Sports Correspondent of The Times of London, with stints at the Daily Express and the Daily Telegraph. Author of books on athletics, football and the Olympics, he was Official Historian of the IOC from 1997-2018. His opinions are, of course, his own alone./

First, swallow hard. With constitutional, fine intent yet agonisingly misguided concept, the International Olympic Committee – unique global institution purporting to uphold sporting and social honour – is alarmingly blind to Russia’s magnification of Adolf Hitler‘s abominable Krystallnacht of November 1938: a comprehensive blitz of entire Jewish business premises across Germany and Austria.

Ironically coinciding with the Holocaust anniversary, the IOC has reaffirmed its wish to ‘explore’ administrative loopholes for qualification acceptance of Russia/Belarus athletes for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Arithmetically, Ukraine civilian casualties – murdered, tortured, impoverished – will not equate with six million or more Jews, but maybe, say, one thousand deceased for every freestyle swimmer or boxer ‘welcomed’ in Paris. Fair deal? The risk of moral surrender which the IOC does not seem ready to address is not an historic insult to every living Ukrainian willing to risk life in defence of sovereignty, but the global political danger for neighbouring democratic nations. There is evidence, across centuries, of Russia’s empire ambitions, initiated by Peter the Great, which Vladimir Putin is on record for ambition to restore.

The Ukraine atrocity has not merely crushed retail businesses, but schools, hospitals, power generators, railway stations, wholesale civic construction … and countless women and children. Acceptable part-exchange for a Russian bronze medal?

The IOC’s alleged social principle – based on the convenient camouflaged proposal from the Olympic Council of Asia – that athletes innocent of support for an invasion should not be held accountable and barred from the Olympics (an experience of IOC President Thomas Bach when denied defence of his 1976 Olympic fencing title at Moscow ’80 by West Germany’s affiliation to the USA boycott) is in this case an additional reason for exclusion, rather than inclusion. Under prohibitive Russian law, protest against fake political propaganda risks imprisonment or even execution. Russia is not a free country.

The integrity of individual athletes which the IOC seeks to uphold is itself an issue which needs repetitive attention: not least in the matter of doping infringements incurred by juniors under direction of adult coaches and/or doctors.

Face the facts. While there are many honourable legitimate Russian athletes and administrators, many of whom I’ve known over six decades, the national concept that sporting achievement is a functional objective of state administration is a long-established principle since before Joseph Stalin. You cannot be buddies with war criminals.

Way beyond the IOC’s constitutional power – in the wake of Ukraine’s minister of sport requesting French Premier Emmanuel Macron to ensure Russia/Belarus exclusion from the Paris Games – it has stated: “Governments must have no control over Olympic qualification”. The IOC controls a Games, not governments. Was the Olympic eligibility for Athens ’04 of the United States and Great Britain held in question over the regime change invasion of Saddam’s Iraq? The IOC treads a near impossible path in handling mega political powers; the only absolute non-negotiable power of Lausanne is who runs in the race.

The fringe, supportive organisation Athletes of Ukraine has claimed the IOC is in breach of the Olympic Charter in seeking Russia/Belarus inclusion, especially in the light of Russian NOC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov claiming Olympic athletes should be honoured to fight in the invasion. AOU states: “The IOC is on the wrong side of history… its objective being to promote sport for the harmonious development of human kind… the Russian team is part of the Russian state and athletes are not politically free.”

Comments are welcome here and or direct to David Miller here.

TSX REPORT: IOC confirms search for Russian war non-supporter re-entry; idea called “unacceptable” in Russia; Paris ‘24 sponsor sales advancing

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC confirms Russian re-entry pathway being “explored”
2. Russia slams IOC’s ideas for re-entry: “unacceptable”
3. Paris 2024 close to sponsorship goal, starts charity ticket program
4. U.S. men’s youth movement falls to Serbia, 2-1, in friendly
5. World Athletics calls for new – paid – content creators!

The International Olympic Committee posted a statement confirming its discussions with other Olympic stakeholders about a pathway to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally again … if they do not support the Russian war against Ukraine. Nothing is decided yet, but the conditions proposed were rejected by Russian sports and political leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked French President Emmanuel Macron not to allow Russian athletes at Paris 2024. The Paris 2024 organizers held a news conference Wednesday, noting that their domestic sponsorship program has surpassed its original goal and will be more than 90% of the new, higher goal by the end of this year. A new program to collect an optional €2 donation from ticket buyers will allow Olympic and Paralympic tickets to be given to low-income area residents who would otherwise not be able to attend the Games. The U.S. men’s National Team played its first match since the 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing to Serbia, 2-1, in a friendly in Los Angeles that featured eight American players making their national-team debuts. World Athletics announced a fresh program to recruit content creators for Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube – who will be paid! – and could end up joining the World Athletics social-media team at this summer’s World Championships in Budapest.

1.
IOC confirms Russian re-entry pathway being “explored”

“A pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored.”

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board released a lengthy statement on Wednesday, confirming its discussions last week with other IOC members, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and athlete representatives concerning the continuing sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

After the usual recitals of support for Ukraine and a ban on events being organized in either country, no identification of either country at any event and no access for any state officials, then, “the vast majority of the participants in each of the consultation calls” agreed with six points, which included:

● “No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport.

● “A pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored.

● “Such strict conditions being:

“(i) athletes would participate in competitions as ‘neutral athletes’ and in no way represent their state or any other organisation in their country, as is already happening in professional leagues, particularly in Europe, the United States and Canada, and in some individual professional sports.

“(ii) only athletes who fully respect the Olympic Charter would participate. This means in particular: first, only those who have not acted against the peace mission of the IOC by actively supporting the war in Ukraine could compete. Second, only athletes who fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and all relevant anti-doping rules and regulations would be eligible. There must be individual checks carried out for all entered athletes.

● “In the event of any athlete failing to respect the eligibility criteria or failing to respect the strict participation conditions as set out above, the IF and/or the sports event organiser concerned should immediately remove them from the competition, suspend them from further competitions and report the incident to the IOC for its consideration for further measures and sanctions.”

Further, the statement expressly noted that the majority agreed to continue “the exploration of the above-mentioned concept by way of bilateral consultation, with each International Federation being the sole authority for its international competitions.”

This last point is critical, as some federations – World Athletics in the forefront – have had Russia on suspension since 2015, when the state-sponsored doping scandal erupted – and has been very careful to have its own standards met for reinstatement.

The statement then went on to quote supportive comments from the United Nations, a reflex especially favored by IOC President Thomas Bach (GER).

So, for now, nothing is going to happen right away and the IOC will continue to try to figure out a way to accommodate its passion of bringing the world together through sport, even during wartime.

Observed: The statement importantly thanked the offer of the Olympic Council of Asia to grant access to its competitions, but did not accept it.

Otherwise, the IOC is following up its Olympic Summit declaration from last December, along the lines suggested previously by Bach earlier in 2022. But there are considerable risks:

● The IOC’s position that re-entry should be possible for Russian and Belarusian athletes who are not “actively supporting the war in Ukraine could compete,” could create a terrible dilemma for athletes in both countries.

How is an athlete supposed to apply for such re-entry and now risk arrest or imprisonment or worse from his or her own national government? Neither the Russian or Belarusian governments would look favorably on such a declaration, and said so on Wednesday.

● The IOC’s position that not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete “based on their passport” is discriminatory appears to be nonsense, as nearly all such athletes are state-sponsored or even government employees in the guise of being in the civil service or the armed forces. How can the IOC say “No Russian and Belarusian Government or State official should be invited to or accredited for any international sports event or meeting” and allow athletes who are essentially (if not actually) state employees, to compete?

● The continued use of United Nations references and statements as mandatory guideposts is, in itself, a violation of the Olympic Charter in that the IOC is ceding its autonomy to another body and allowing its edicts to interfere with its independence.

It’s a cafeteria-style attempt to take the proof quotes it likes and use them in support of a position which is in conflict with some of the IOC’s own precedents. Russian politicians regularly point out that Yugoslav athletes were allowed to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Games after its civil wars began in 1991 and the country broke apart.

True, although they were under U.N. sanctions and competed as individuals and not for their “new” countries. But it is also true that Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were banned by the IOC from the 1920 Antwerp Games on account of World War I, and Germany and Japan were banned by the IOC from the 1948 London Games after World War II. South Africa was banned by the IOC due to its apartheid policies from 1964-88, in violation of the Olympic Charter (among other things), and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was held out of the Games in 1968-72-76 for its internal political situation. Is the slaughter of innocent Ukrainians and the collapse of its home sports infrastructure in an unprovoked territorial aggression any less brutal – even if not on the same scale (yet) – than these IOC precedents?

In fact, the IOC already has the tools it needs to accommodate Russian and Belarusian athletes ready to recuse themselves from their governments: the Olympic Refugee Team. Created under Bach’s leadership for the Rio 2016 Games, its mission is to support who are displaced from their native lands, exactly as those Russians and Belarusians who repudiate their government’s position on the war against Ukraine will be.

Perfect.

2.
Russia slams IOC’s ideas for re-entry: “unacceptable”

There was no shortage of unhappy Russian reactions to the IOC’s statement, starting with Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin:

“The IOC, in its decision, speaks about the possibility of admitting athletes, demonstrating the political flexibility of its position. At the same time, we consider it unacceptable to determine special conditions for participation for athletes that are inconsistent with the Olympic Charter, the principles of equality and fairness. No policy can and should not interfere in sports, there is no place for speculation about the [‘special military operation’ in Ukraine].

“It is an honor and pride for our athletes to play for their Motherland, it has always been so. The main task of the state is to provide the necessary conditions for the training and competitive processes of athletes, to form the ideology of pure peacekeeping sports; external pressure has given us another opportunity to evaluate our own resources and to do everything possible to strengthen the national system of sports.”

Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov wrote on his Telegram page:

“Today’s statement is an attempt to correct a mistake that has already resulted in groundless restrictions for Russian and Belarusian sports for almost a year and caused great damage to all international sports. The voice of common sense was heard. However, at the same time, we still categorically refuse to agree with any restrictions, additional requirements and sanctions that relate to the nationality of our athletes and are again offered to us as a condition for returning to the international arena.

“Now we will make an appropriate legal assessment of the theses that are set out in today’s information. Based on legal expertise, we will build further interaction with international sports organizations and federations. The priority for us is the same – ensuring the rights and interests of our athletes. On an equal footing, without discrimination.”

Dmitry Svishchev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, told the Russian news agency TASS:

“On the one hand, we can take positively the IOC’s movement towards the admission of athletes. This decision is long overdue, although our sport has suffered some damage because of the politicized recommendations previously made by the International Olympic Committee.

“But at the same time they propose to check every athlete, they deprive them of their national identity. On the one hand, the IOC declares unacceptability of discrimination based on nationality, but offers to check every athlete, depriving Russian athletes of the flag and anthem.”

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said:

“I consider it impossible to comment before consideration. We need to see what will be adopted. So far, one thing is striking – even in the wording of the initiative there is too much politics, which should be alien to the ideas of the Olympic Family.”

Svetlana Zhurova, now a State Duma member, but also the Turin 2006 gold medalist in the women’s 500 m in speed skating, told TASS:

“We don’t know the criteria that will be presented to athletes. First they will say one thing, then they will tell them to sign a paper that they are against it. And how will our fans look at those who go to the competition? The IOC is trying to divide us with ambiguous criteria.

“It was also with our athletes before the 2018 [Winter] Olympics in South Korea. They either allow or they don’t. [Speed skater] Viktor Ahn still doesn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to compete then.”

(Ahn was refused entry into the 2018 Winter Games over the continuing doping concerns in Russia.)

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chimed in Tuesday about Russians and Paris 2024. France 24 reported:

“Russian athletes should have ‘no place’ at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday as his country marked 11 months of war.

“‘I particularly emphasized that athletes from Russia should have no place at the Olympic Games in Paris,’ Zelensky wrote on Telegram following a telephone call with Macron.”

3.
Paris 2024 close to sponsorship goal; starts charity ticket program

In a “state of the Games” news conference on Wednesday, the Paris 2024 organizers noted the success of the domestic marketing program, which is expected to close in on its expanded goal by the end of 2023.

The original domestic sponsorship target was €1.1 billion (about $1.20 billion U.S.), but this was increased late last year to €1.226 billion (~$1.34 billion). Now, a total of €1.127 billion (~$1.23 billion or 92%) is expected to be raised by the end of this year, with additional opportunities to be sought in 2024 as well.

In terms of ticket sales, for which the process is just beginning, the organizers explained that 2.5 million accounts had been created by potential ticket buyers, with 10 million tickets to be available for the Olympic Games and 3.5 million for the Paralympics. Also:

● About 45,000 volunteers are expected to be used for the Games, with 10,000 of these coming from the national federations.

● Supplier contracts are expected to total €2.5 billion (~$2.73 billion U.S.), to about 1,634 vendors, 90% of whom will be from France and 85% from the Ile-de-France region.

● From July through September 2023, 17 test events are expected to take place, only three of which will be full competitions. Nine will be “operational tests” carried out by Paris 2024 and five will be events held by International Federations.

Paris 2024 also announced a program to collect funds from ticket buyers to provide tickets for those who would not otherwise be able to attend:

“Every purchaser will be invited to make a fixed donation of €2 when they pay for their tickets. The money donated will be used to pay for the tickets and travel costs of the scheme’s beneficiaries.

“The funds collected will be given to the French charity ‘Secours populaire’, which has had close links with sport and experience of charitable ticketing programmes over many years. ‘Secours populaire’ widens access to sport by covering the cost of annual registration fees, sports equipment, swimming lessons and sports holidays. It also enables thousands of people to attend major sports events, giving them the chance to make lifelong memories and discover new passions and vocations.”

Paris 2024 has already committed to providing 100,000 tickets for “disadvantaged members of society” and up to one million tickets will be made available for local authorities of areas with Paris 2024 venues to be linked to social projects.

Said three-time Olympic canoe slalom gold medalist Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024: “We want as many people as possible to be able to experience the Games and to feel the emotions and sense of togetherness that they bring. To achieve this goal, Paris 2024 has launched a number of initiatives to enable people living in low-income households, who are often excluded from major sports events, to attend the Paris 2024 Games in person.”

The first sales of ticket “packs” will begin on 15 February.

4.
U.S. men’s youth movement falls to Serbia, 2-1, in friendly

The first match by a U.S. men’s National Team since the FIFA World Cup in Qatar came Wednesday night in Los Angeles with a 46th-minute goal giving Serbia a 2-1 win in a friendly at the BMO Stadium in Exposition Park.

These were two young teams, with no club call-ups, that bore little resemblance to their World Cup teams of last November; the U.S. started eight players in their first national-team appearance and two more enjoying their second. But there was lots of speed and aggressiveness, that made for an entertaining game and a look at the future rosters of both countries.

The first half was a back-and-forth, attack and counter-attack affair, with both sides getting good chances, but failing to score early. U.S. keeper Gaga Slonina – at 18 years old, the youngest ever to start in goal for the American men – had to make an early save in the fourth minute off of Nemanja Stojic, but then the U.S. attack took hold. Serbian keeper Dorde Petrovic was under pressure from Brandon Vazquez, Cade Cowell and Aidan Morris, and then Vazquez – in his first match for the national team – scored a brilliant goal in the 29th, heading in a cross from the far right side from Julian Gressel for a 1-0 lead.

Slonina was quickly under attack in the U.S. goal and made a brilliant, back-to-back save in the 31st and another in the 36th. Serbia evened the match when Luka Ilic sent a free kick through the U.S. wall and right into the net in the 43rd minute. The half ended tied, with the U.S. enjoying 56% of possession and an 8-7 edge on shots.

Serbia struck right away in the second half, as striker Veljko Simic took charge of a loose ball above the box and raced toward the U.S. goal, sending a right-footed rocket past Slonina for a 2-1 lead in the 46th. Another Serbian score in the 51st minute was called offside as the U.S. defense looked shaky, but then Cowell hit the post twice inside of a minute in the 56th and just missed a goal in the 59th as the American offense came to life.

But the game became more static as the Serbs backed in the defense, and substitute keeper Dragan Rosic saved a 79th-minute attempt from U.S. sub striker Paul Arriola that was the best American chance in the final 30 minutes. The U.S. fell to 0-3-1 against Serbia all-time, even with 62% of possession and a 20-10 advantage on shots.

The U.S. will finish its January camp program on Saturday (28th) with a match against Colombia in Carson, California.

5.
World Athletics calls for new – paid – content creators!

Now this is pretty wild and could be a road to places where track & field hasn’t been yet. On Tuesday, World Athletics posted:

“World Athletics is looking for talented and enthusiastic individuals to create TikTok, YouTube and Instagram content for its platforms. We’re seeking out of the box ideas – unlike anything you’ve seen on World Athletics channels before – from creatives, presenters, editors, videographers, stats geeks, pundits, designers and more.”

Although no numbers were shown, the bottom line – yes, literally the last lines of the announcement – stated:

“This is a paid programme*

“*Depending on the proposal. Creators will be paid based on whether it’s a one-off piece of content or a series. Subject to contract between World Athletics and the selected creators.”

Now you know it’s serious. Some of the types of content that could be interesting were listed, including but not limited to:

“● Competition hype videos
“● Talking heads
“● Opinion pieces
“● Competition reviews
“● Athlete fan-cams
“● Memes
“● Statistical analysis”

In addition to money, it is also possible for one or more of those chosen to work with the World Athletics social-media team at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest this summer.

The post included a short hype video from world-record holders Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) and Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and World 200 m champ Noah Lyles (USA).

In the new BCW rankings of Olympic-sport social-media followers across six top platforms in 2022, World Athletics ranked fourth at 9,975,413, up 23% from its totals in 2021. This might be a way to move up.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● The semifinals are now set for the IHF men’s World Championship being held in Sweden and Poland, with Spain to meet defending champs Denmark in Gdansk on Friday and France to play host Sweden the same day in Stockholm.

In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Denmark hammered Hungary, 40-23, in Stockholm, with Mathias Gidsel getting nine goals for the winners and moving up to fourth in the tournament scoring rankings (and is the only one of the top four still playing).

Spain needed extra time to edge Norway, 35-34, in a game that required two extra periods. Tied at 25 at the end of regulation, the first overtime ended 4-4, with Spain winning, 6-5, in the second. Kristian Bjornsen had nine scores for Norway, but it wasn’t enough; Angel Fernandez Perez led Spain with eight.

Sweden controlled its game with Egypt, taking a 14-9 halftime lead on the way to a 26-22 win, led by Niclas Ekberg with six goals. A big crowd of 16,215 came to the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm to cheer the home team.

The final semifinal spot went to France in a 35-28 victory over Germany in Gdansk. The French won the second half by 19-12 after a 16-all tie at halftime; Ludovic Fabregas and Nedim Remili both had five goals for France.

Amazingly, these are the exact same semifinals as at the 2021 IHF Worlds, held in Egypt! Denmark edged Spain, 35-33, and Sweden beat France, 32-26, to meet in the final, won by the Danes for their second straight title, 26-24.

● Hockey ● Germany and the Netherlands advanced to the semifinals of the FIH men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar (IND), to meet Australia and Belgium on the 27th (Friday).

The Dutch, who lost to Belgium in a penalty shoot-out in the 2018 World Cup championship match, qualified for their fourth straight semifinal appearance with a convincing, 5-1 win over South Korea, breaking open a 1-0 game at half with three goals in the third period for a 4-0 lead and cruising in.

The Germans, winners in 2002-06 and runners-up in 2010, got back to the semis only via a penalty shoot-out against England, winning 4-3 after a 2-2 game at the end of regulation time. The Germans converted all four shots in the shoot-out, by Niklas Wellen, Hannes Mueller, Thies Prinz and Jan Ruhr to advance.

The last six World Cups have been won by the semifinalists: Netherlands in 1998, Germany in 2002-06, Australia in 2010-14 and Belgium in 2018. The most impressive streak belongs to Australia, which made the semis for the 12th straight time, dating back to 1978!

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● If there is a poster girl for the impact that Russia’s 2011-15 doping scheme and its war in Ukraine has had, it might be high jumper Mariya Lasitskene.

Now 30, she was the Tokyo Olympic champ in 2021 and won World Championships golds in 2015-17-19. But she has also has had to sit out the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the World Championships and European Championships in 2022 and the Diamond League circuit.

She jumped 1.96 m (6-5) on Wednesday to win the Russian University title in Moscow, then told reporters:

“My long-term experience of communicating with World Athletics says that you don’t need to set yourself up for a certain date now.

“I just set myself up for what I should do to do my best and be ready for any moment to return. If I determine for myself the date of an approximate return, then this will not make it easier for me.”

Asked if she is following the results of other star jumpers:

“I don’t follow. I didn’t even know what the best result of the season in the world was until I heard what the announcer said at the tournament in Chelyabinsk. I take care of myself, my results. I go from myself.”

Her 1.96 m clearance ranks her equal-third on the 2023 indoor world list, topped by Ukrainian star Yaroslava Mahuchikh at 2.00 m (6-6 3/4). Lasitskene ranks no. 5 all-time with her 2017 personal best of 2.06 m (6-9) outdoors.

● Beach Volleyball ● The World Beach Pro Tour Finals will be held in Doha (QAT) this weekend, with a unique trophy to be awarded, that extends the recycling theme that was jump-started at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

There, the medals were principally made from materials recycled from discarded mobile phones, tablets and computers, and the awards podiums from 24.5 tons of recycled plastic.

The Beach Pro Tour trophies are also made from recycled plastics collected from beaches worldwide; according to the FIVB:

“The trophy is designed by The New Raw, a [Dutch] design firm that specialises in transforming plastic waste into meaningful products that are 100 per cent circular. Representing the dynamic nature of volleyball, the trophy is sculpted with flowing curves and a sense of movement. The colour scheme represents the natural elements of the sport the sand and sea.”

● Figure Skating ● The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are ongoing in San Jose, California, with cable television coverage starting on Thursday with the Rhythm Dance on USA Network at 7 p.m. Eastern time and the women’s Short Program at 10 p.m.

On Friday, USA will have the men’s Short Program at 5 p.m. and NBC will carry the women’s Short Program at 8 p.m. Saturday has NBC showing the Free Dance at 2:30 p.m. and USA showing the Pairs Free Skate at 8 p.m. On Sunday, the men’s Free Skate will be on NBC starting at 3 p.m.

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TSX REPORT: IOC actively discussing Russian re-entry through Asia; new issues for Russia for WADA reinstatement; FIFA has 51.4 million social followers!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The logo of the Russian National Olympic Committee.

★ 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 ≡

+ Shiffrin gets no. 84 with Giant Slalom win in Kronplatz!
1. Russian sport re-entry through Asia in active discussion
2. UEFA and Russian Football Union to continue reintegration talks
3. New issues on Russian compliance with World Anti-Doping Code
4. FIFA leads Olympic sports in BCW’s 2022 social-media rankings
5. Ukraine wins Winter WUG Fair Play Award

Russia, Russia, Russia. Following up on December’s Olympic Summit in Switzerland, discussions are now underway with the International Olympic Committee, summer-sport International Federations and National Olympic Committees about a “pathway” to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris 2024 qualifying events in Asia, rather than Europe, despite the fact that such a process will displace Asian athletes from the Games! A meeting between the Russian Football Union and UEFA in Switzerland on Tuesday about a Russian return to European competition produced no breakthroughs, but the sides agreed to meet again in February. Even though the sanctions against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency have been concluded, RUSADA has not been reinstated yet and is again threatened with non-compliance over a Russian law which does not line up with the World Anti-Doping Code. It’s a problem. The newest edition of the BCW sports social-media rankings for 2022 show FIFA continuing as the leader among Olympic sports at 51.4 million combined across six popular platforms, but the International Cricket Council is no. 1 overall at 92.2 million! The International Committee for Fair Play, in concert with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) selected the 58-athlete Ukraine delegation as the winner of the Fair Play Award at the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid (USA) for its perseverance in even getting to the event, and then winning six medals.

BULLETIN:
Shiffrin gets no. 84 with second Kronplatz win!

There’s no stopping American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who won again in Kronplatz (ITA) with her 19th career Giant Slalom victory (and 84th career World Cup gold) on Wednesday.

Shiffrin stormed to the lead in the first run, finishing in 1:00.56, 0.51 up on Sara Hector (SWE), then came back in 1:02.72, third-fastest on the second run for a total of 2:03.28, a hefty 0.82 margin over Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR: 2:04.10), with Hector third (2:04.47). It was a good day for the U.S., with Paula Moltzan seventh (2:05.25) and Nina O’Brien in 10th (2:05.48).

Shiffrin’s quest to tie Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins in history this weekend – 86 – continues on 28-29 January with Slaloms – her best event – at Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE). Wow.

1.
Russian sport re-entry through Asia in active discussion

At the 11th Olympic Summit, held in Lausanne, Switzerland on 9 December, the published declaration noted a startling option for the re-entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes to competition in Asia, to allow qualification for the Paris 2024 Games:

“In the course of the debate, [Randhir Singh of India] the Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) stated that, on the Asian continent, the reasons for the protective measures no longer exist. The OCA offered to facilitate the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in competitions in Asia under its authority, while respecting the sanctions in place.”

This led to the following action item:

“The IOC to lead the further exploration of the OCA initiative concerning the participation of athletes who are in full respect of the Olympic Charter and the sanctions. This initiative to be discussed in the next round of IOC consultation calls with the IOC Members, the athletes’ representatives, the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees.”

Those discussions are underway. Last week, a series of online meetings were held, led by the International Olympic Committee, including President Thomas Bach (GER), and groups that included the International Federations for summer Olympic sports, and National Olympic Committees. The IOC Athletes’ Commission was also heard on the question of a pathway toward allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris 2024 qualifying events in Asia, which will ramp up in the spring.

This is only about Paris 2024, and while there was what was characterized as “overwhelming support” on the calls last week, they were not unanimous.

Not only were there objections from organizations which have their own ideas about Russian and Belarusian participation – whether in Asian qualifiers or elsewhere – but observers are questioning whether these discussions are being appropriately shared with athletes from Olympic Council of Asia member federations who would potentially be displaced by Russians and Belarusians from participating at Paris in 2024.

It is not hard to see how Russian athletes, especially, would keep dozens of Asian athletes home in individual sports such as aquatics, fencing, gymnastics, wrestling and others, where Russians are strong medal contenders at the Olympic level.

Having Russia participate in Asian qualifiers would solve the problem of having to potentially face Ukrainians, or other European countries which are aiding it – such as Poland – against the Russian invasion now coming up to a one-year anniversary.

But what about those Asian athletes and teams – in basketball, football, handball, volleyball, and water polo, for example – who will have to stay home in 2024 instead of qualifying to go to Paris, and see their spots taken by Russia or Belarus?

The body which should be the most concerned about this is the Olympic Council of Asia, the regional confederation which volunteered to look into hosting Russian and Belarusian athletes in the first place!

It is currently led by Singh, who took over as Acting President after the resignation of Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sabah in 2021, following his conviction for fraud in Switzerland, which is currently on appeal. Sheikh Ahmed’s 2019 term will expire this year and a new President will be elected.

Further, the first OCA Athletes Forum since 2018 will be held from 18-19 March in Bangkok (THA), against a possible backdrop of Russian and Belarusian athletes coming to compete against them in Paris 2024 qualifying events later in the year.

It will be fascinating to see what their opinion of Russian and Belarusian participation will be.

2.
UEFA and Russian Football Union to continue reintegration talks

One Russian national federation which has considered participation in Asia and rejected it is the Russian Football Union. Its governing board voted to seek reintegration into European (UEFA) soccer, where it has played for decades.

A meeting between UEFA and the RFU was held on Tuesday at the UEFA office in Nyon (SUI), with the RFU posting a statement that included:

“The key issue on the meeting’s agenda was the return of the Russian national teams and clubs to international tournaments.”

“Both sides have come to the terms of their further interaction and agreed to maintain contact. The next face-to-face meeting between the RFU and UEFA is scheduled for February.”

Both UEFA and FIFA barred Russian participation in international competitions on 28 February, four days after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The UEFA Executive Committee will meet on Wednesday (25th), although the Russian situation is not specifically listed for discussion.

3.
New issues on Russian compliance with World Anti-Doping Code

The sanctions imposed on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), as modified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ended with the close of the calendar year 2022.

But RUSADA has not been reinstated. And now there is a new issue.

Near the end of 2022, World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL) made it clear that while the sanctions on RUSADA would end with the start of 2023, the Russian agency still needed to be compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code in order to be in reinstated.

That hasn’t happened, as WADA informed RUSADA in September that – according to a report from the Russian news agency TASS – “the Russian federal law ‘On Physical Culture and Sport’ had not been amended to comply with the new WADA Code.”

The RUSADA Director General, Veronika Loginova, told the State Duma:

“It’s very important for us, the sanctions that were in effect are gone. But since there is a discrepancy, unfortunately, it can lead to new consequences. We haven’t been reinstated yet, and RUSADA doesn’t agree with the WADA position; we told them about it. There was a deadline of January 7; this comment [about the law] prevented us from meeting all the requirements for the audit.”

“We sent a letter of disagreement, and WADA considered our complaint. WADA supported the audit, which is a critical requirement. The new dispute with the compliance committee will not take place until March. And the Court of Arbitration for Sport is the last instance. The CAS issue will take about a year. The question of our reinstatement, I think, can be considered [to take] at least half a year.”

Deputy Sports Minister Andrey Fyodorov told the Duma:

“The Russian Sports Ministry views Banka’s statements regarding RUSADA as discriminatory. RUSADA has no influence whatsoever over the national legislation’s amendments.”

Nevertheless, RUSADA remains suspended.

4.
FIFA leads Olympic sports in BCW’s 2022 social-media rankings

The annual social-media rankings compiled by the worldwide communications agency Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) showed FIFA once again leading all Olympic-sport federations by an enormous margin.

The rankings measured followers across six major platforms – lnstagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube – with FIFA seeing a 25% increase to 51,433,519. The top 10:

1. 51,433,519: FIFA (up 25% over 2021)
2. 15,545,303: International Basketball Federation (+12%)
3. 12,459,334: Volleyball World (+35%)
4. 9,975,413: World Athletics (+23%)
5. 7,726,078: World Rugby (+17%)
6. 6,186,323: Badminton World Federation (+20%)
7. 4,321,373: Union Cycliste Internationale (+14%)
8. 2,834,401: World Table Tennis (+18%)
9. 2,735,097: International Judo Federation (+31%)
10. 2,697,755: United World Wrestling (+27%)

Among the non-Olympic sports, the International Cricket Council saw its followings grow to 92,211,411, way ahead of everyone else. Next was the FIS (automobile) at 3,714,819.

What’s the ICC’s secret? In part, it’s frequency, as the federation was the most active on several platforms:

● 30.57 posts per day on Facebook (no. 1)
● 28.00 posts per day on Twitter (no. 1)
● 10.04 posts per day on Instagram (no. 1)

Cricket was the audience leader on Facebook (37.04 million) and Instagram (25.64 million); FIFA led on Twitter (26.67 million) and YouTube (18.50 million).

5.
Ukraine wins Winter WUG Fair Play Award

The remarkable odyssey of the 58-athlete Ukrainian delegation to Lake Placid, New York for the 2023 Winter World University Games was acknowledged by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the International Fair Play Committee with the Fair Play Award:

“The award was given to Ukraine for the courageous participation of its team of athletes and officials in the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games Winter, under the difficult current circumstances. With the war raging in their country, most of Ukrainian athletes have faced enormous difficulties to train, compete, prepare and travel.

“Still, Ukraine has managed to come in Lake Placid with a strong delegation, which won six medals (gold in snowboard men’s Parallel Giant Slalom with Mykhailo Kharuk, who also won bronze in Parallel slalom, silver in biathlon single mixed relay and bronze in Nordic Combined men’s team Sprint, biathlon men’s 12.5 km Pursuit with Dmytrii Hruschak and Snowboard women’s parallel slalom with Nadiia Hapatyn).”

Vadym Stetsenko, the head of the Ukrainian Delegation and the country’s Students Sport Federation, received the Fair Play Award from International Fair Play Committee Secretary General Sunil Sabharwal (USA) and Executive Director Gabor Deregan (HUN)

A special Fair Play Award was presented to Lake Placid 2023 Executive Director Ashley Walden (USA) on behalf of the 1,600 volunteers who helped to make the Games a success.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Hockey ● The semifinals are coming into focus in the 15th FIH men’s World Cup, being held in Bhubaneswar (IND), with Australia and Belgium through and the last two quarterfinals coming on Wednesday.

After Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and England won the four groups and advanced to the quarterfinals, the eight second-and-third place teams played for entry into the quarters, with one rout and three thrillers.

Germany stomped France, 5-1, but the other three went to shoot-outs, with Spain eliminating Malaysia, 4-3, after a 2-2 tie; South Korea edging Argentina, 3-2, after a 5-5 tie, and New Zealand defeating host India, 5-4, after a 3-3 tie in regulation time.

On Tuesday, the first quarterfinals saw Australia get past Spain, 4-3, and defending champion Belgium dismiss New Zealand, 2-0. It’s the 11th straight World Cup for the Aussies to make it at least to the semifinals.

England and two-time winner Germany will face off on Wednesday, with the victor playing 2010-14 champs Australia in the semis, while the three-time champ Dutch will play South Korea for the opportunity to face Belgium.

With two goals in the quarterfinal win over Spain, Australia’s Jeremy Hayward is now the top scorer in the tournament with seven goals, ahead of Tom Boon (BEL) and France’s Victor Charlet, with six each.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● Veronika Loginova, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, told reporters on Tuesday that the agency expects to receive the written decision of the independent Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee on the Kamila Valieva case this week:

“In the coming days, this week, we are waiting for the full text of the decision of the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee. We will then make a decision. We must familiarize ourselves with the conclusions and arguments.”

The Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee reinstated Valieva in February 2022, a day after she had been suspended for a positive test for the banned substance Trimetazidine, allowing her to compete in the women’s figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, where she placed fourth. More recently, the same appeals board sanctioned Valieva for her positive test for only one day – the day she took the test – finding that she was not at fault, or negligent.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is also waiting for the full opinion and expects to appeal the sanction decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Loginova has said that RUSADA may also appeal it.

● Alpine Skiing ● While Mikaela Shiffrin was making history on the women’s circuit, the men’s World Cup was also holding a mid-week competition in Schladming (AUT), with France’s Clement Noel taking Tuesday’s Slalom in 1:48.97, over Ramon Zenhaeusern (SUI: 1:49.04) and Norway’s Lucas Braathen (1:49.35).

It’s Noel’s first win of the season and second medal; he now has nine career World Cup golds. It was the second straight bronze for Braathen, who has three wins and three bronzes this season, eclipsing his career total of five coming into 2022-23!

A Giant Slalom comes on Wednesday, with the tour moving to Cortina d’Ampezzo for the weekend, with two Super-G races scheduled.

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LANE ONE: Shiffrin passes Vonn with 83rd World Cup win, could tie Stenmark by Sunday!

By
Rich Perelman
-
From the FIS salute on Twitter to Mikaela Shiffrin's record 83rd career World Cup win, in Kronplatz (ITA) on Tuesday.

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The amazing Mikaela Shiffrin won her 83rd FIS Alpine World Cup race on Tuesday in the first of two Giant Slalom races at Kronplatz (ITA), and moving to no. 2 all-time, with the most wins ever by a woman.

Only Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark has more, with 86, and Shiffrin could tie that mark as early as Sunday, as the next three races are either Giant Slaloms or Slaloms:

● 25 January: Giant Slalom at Kronplatz
● 28 January: Slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE)
● 29 January: Slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE)

Shiffrin’s triumph on Tuesday wasn’t easy. She led after the first run, 58.72 to 58.85 over Beijing Olympic Giant Slalom bronze winner Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI), then Gut-Behrami produced a sensational second run of 1:02.21, meaning Shiffrin had to ski the second run in 1:02.23 or faster to win. She was up to the challenge, zooming to the fastest second run in the field of 1:01.89 to finish in 2:00.1 to 2:01.06 for Gut-Behrami. Italy’s Federica Brignone (2:02.04) was third.

Afterwards, Shiffrin spoke about her nerves watching Gut-Behrami – herself a former World Cup overall champ – start her second run:

“I saw her from the start and then I was thinking, ‘Why did I watch? I can’t go that fast.’

“I was a bit nervous for the second run but mostly I hate waiting. Finally when it was time to go, everything went quiet and I just pushed as hard as I could every turn. I was a little bit wild in some spots but it felt so clean. I thought I wouldn’t be faster, but I thought I could maybe be close and then somehow I got to the finish.

“It was pretty amazing to come to the finish and see that I was quite fast.

“I could hear that the other athletes were skiing well… I was like I could lose this, so I’m going to try to ski a very good run, and it was. It’s still hard for me to believe that I have the mental focus again to be strong on the second run. It’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Fellow American Lindsey Vonn, who was tied with Shrffrin at 82 wins, said:

“Reaching this milestone is an incredible accomplishment, one that I hope Mikaela is able to savor.

“Picabo Street inspired me to become an Olympian and I remember vividly how much of an impact she made on me. Throughout my career I always tried to be the role model for kids that Picabo was for me, and now it is Mikaela’s turn to carry that torch. As Americans, we have been able to produce incredible athletes, and I am excited to see who Mikaela will inspire to continue to push the limits of our sport.  Congratulations on raising the bar for all skiers to come.”

And Shiffrin now has Stenmark in her sights and barring a freak injury, will pass him sometime this season. But Shiffrin has compiled her records in a much shorter time frame:

Ingemar Stenmark (SWE):
● 86 career World Cup wins: 1973-89
● Retired at age 33
● Won 46 Giant Slaloms, 40 Slaloms

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA):
● 83 career World Cup wins: 2012-present
● Age 27
● Won 51 Slaloms, 18 Giant Slaloms, 5 Super-Gs, 3 Downhills and six others

Lindsey Vonn (USA):
● 82 career World Cup wins: 2001-19
● Retired at age 34
● Won 43 Downhills, 28 Super-Gs, 5 Combineds, 4 Giant Slaloms, 2 Slaloms

Shiffrin is in her 12th season on tour and has averaged almost seven wins a season and nine in her last seven (including this season). If she continues on the World Cup circuit through age 35 in 2030 – when the Winter Olympic Games might be in Salt Lake City – she could be at 140 or more wins!

As for chasing Stenmark, Shiffrin won her second race at Kronplatz on Tuesday, having also won there in 2019. She also has won before at Spindleruv Mlyn, also in 2019 in a Slalom.

So far this season, Shiffrin has nine wins in 25 World Cup races held so far – she has skipped a few – and has seven wins in the last 38 days, including five in a row from 18 December to 4 January.

This is not new for Shiffrin; in the 2017-18 season, she won eight races in 22 days, on the way to 12 victories that season, and 17 the next.

She is also rising quickly toward passing Vonn for the most World Cup medals by a woman, which would make her no. 3 all-time:

● 1. 155, Stenmark
● 2. 138, Marcel Hirscher (AUT: 2007-19)
● 3. 137, Vonn
● 4. 131, Shiffrin

As for the 2022-23 World Cup, Shiffrin now has a 1,417-861 lead over Gut-Behrami after 25 of 39 races, which would be her fifth World Cup overall title, which would move her to no. 2 on the women’s all-time list behind Austrian star Annemarie Moser-Proell (1969-80), who won six. The all-time mark is eight for Hirscher, trailed by Marc Giradelli (LUX: 1980-96), who won five.

Shiffrin is one of the all-time greats and on her way to – perhaps – being the best ever.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: IOC wants Milan ‘26 speed skating site moved on cost fears; Diack appeals French sentence from Senegal; UEFA in talks with Russia

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 ≡

1. Roof cost of Milan ‘26 speed-skating track might mean move to Turin
2. Papa Massata Diack appeal verdict due 9 March
3. Tuesday talks on Russia return to UEFA competitions
4. Lake Placid Universiade closes, on to Turin 2025!
5. Iden and Duffy named Global Triathlon Athletes of the Year

The expanding cost of putting a roof on the outdoor speed skating oval in Baselga di Pine for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games has become too much for the International Olympic Committee to bear, even though they are not paying for it! The IOC has told the Italian organizers to find another venue, which could a temporary site, or possibly the 2006 rink in Turin, which itself will have to be renovated with the re-installation of ice-making equipment. In Paris, the appeal of Papa Massata Diack’s convictions for embezzlement and corruption in the IAAF (now World Athletics) was heard on Friday, with the prosecutors asking for confirmation of a prison term and a fine of €1 million; World Athletics is asking for €41.2 million in damages for sponsorship money it never received as Diack and his father, then-IAAF President Lamine Diack, siphoned it off for their own purposes. On Tuesday, the Russian Football Union will meet with UEFA in Switzerland to discuss a possible pathway back to international competitions, which the Russians hope can be expanded to include the IOC. The 31st Winter World University Games closed in Lake Placid with smiles all around, with Turin the next stop in 2025. The U.S. team set a record for its most medals ever in a Winter WUG with 19. At the first Global Triathlon Awards in France, Norway’s Gustav Iden and Bermuda’s Flora Duffy were honored as the Athletes of the Year for 2022.

1.
Roof cost of Milan speed-skating track might mean move to Turin

Critics of the International Olympic Committee point to mammoth spending by host cities and their organizing committees for facilities which are not needed as proof the IOC is out of touch.

But the IOC has been singing a different tune and The Associated Press reported Sunday that the rise in cost for the Baselga di Pine outdoor track to have a roof constructed could end up moving the speed skating events to Turin, home of the 2006 Winter Games. The AP story included:

“Costs for the roof were initially slated at 50 million euros ($54 million), according to a project announced in November. But there were concerns that actual costs could rise by at least 50%.”

Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago, also the Board chair of the 2026 Milan Cortina organizing committee, said:

“The IOC said the investment was underestimated and not sustainable for the area and the IOC reserves the right to point the way in terms of executing the Games.

“I defended the original masterplan but there comes a time when you can no longer defend the undefendable. Everything that has happened since then, from COVID to the war (in Ukraine), has gone against us. Baselga is not a victim but rather one of the issues that arise systematically during the organization of an international event like the Olympics.”

The Baselga di Pine track opened in 1986 and has hosted the ISU World Junior Championships in 2019 and the European Speed Skating Championships in 2001.

A temporary facility is possible, but there is also the Torino Oval Lingotto, site of the 2006 Winter Games speed skating events, with a capacity of 8,500. However, the ice infrastructure was taken out of the Oval Lingotto and could cost about $16 million to be reinstalled.

Malago said a move to Turin was “not automatic. We will discuss all of the different possibilities.”

Ice-making facilities were removed from the Turin oval and it would cost an estimated 15 million euros ($16 million) to reinstall the system.

This is the second time the IOC has shown concern over construction costs for Milano Cortina 2026. It is still unhappy about the renovation costs of the historic Eugenio Monti sliding track for bob, luge and skeleton – used for the 1956 Winter Games – and has noted the presence of existing, World Cup-approved tracks in Innsbruck (AUT) and St. Moritz (SUI). However, the track is part of a regional sports and amusement re-development in the area and on that basis, is still expected to go forward.

Maybe.

2.
Papa Massata Diack appeal verdict due 9 March

As usual, Papa Massata Diack of Senegal was not in the Paris courtroom where his appeal was heard on Friday concerning the September 2020 conviction for corruption and embezzlement involving the IAAF (now World Athletics).

Six defendants were convicted at that time: Lamine Diack (SEN), the former President of the IAAF (since deceased), former IAAF anti-doping head Gabriel Dolle (FRA; also deceased), Diack’s legal advisor Habib Cisse (SEN), Russian athletics officials Valentin Balakhnitchev and Alexei Melnikov (neither of whom appealed and never left Russia), and Papa Massata Diack.

Cisse was present and asked for his conviction to be overturned, but Papa Massata Diack remains in Senegal, refusing to acknowledge the French courts and – thus far – protected by the Senegalese government, which will not allow him to be extradited.

FrancsJeux.com reported that Diack’s defense team argued that all of his activities were approved by the IAAF officials in charge at the time, but the prosecutors charged once again that Diack – father and son – set up a doping cover-up and embezzlement system that, for example, took a €65.5 million ($71.2 million U.S. today) sponsorship from Russian bank VTB in 2011 and saw that the IAAF received only €13 million (~$14.1 million).

The younger Diack was accused of receiving €15 million; the World Athletics attorneys asked for €41.2 million in damages and the World Anti-Doping Agency has asked for €300,000. The verdict against Diack in 2020 was for five years in prison and a fine of €1 million and the French prosecutors asked for a re-confirmation of that sentence.

The Paris Court of Appeal indicated that its decision would come about 9 March.

3.
Tuesday talks on Russia return to UEFA competitions

The Russian news agency TASS reported that a meeting between the Russian Football Union and the European football authority UEFA will take place on Tuesday at the UEFA offices in Nyon (SUI):

“On January 24, at UEFA’s office, a meeting is planned between the representatives of the RFU and UEFA where the potential possibilities of the return of Russian clubs and national teams to international tournaments will be discussed.

The RFU will be represented by Maxim Mitrofanov and Alexander Alayev.”

Mitrofanov is the RFU General Secretary and Alayev is the President of the Russian Premier League. RFU President Alexander Dyukov – also the Chair of the Russian energy giant Gazprom – said he wants to also invite representatives of FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to join the talks, looking for a defined pathway for Russian athletes in other sports to rejoin international competitions.

Russia has been barred from UEFA competitions as a consequence of the country’s invasion of Ukraine last February. There was discussion within the RFU about moving to compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but its Executive Committee voted against it and wants to an agreement to compete again in UEFA events.

4.
Lake Placid Universiade closes, on to Turin 2025!

“There can be no doubt: Lake Placid is the place of legends for winter sports. We are reminded of this, just walking into this building and seeing the reminders of the ‘Miracle on Ice.’ We knew this was and is a very special place. And we had the privilege to be part of it.

“Here, in winter, Lake Placid has brought unprecedented warmth to our Games. In a complicated world, full of conflict, this wonderful community has offered us an open heart. Let us not underestimate how lucky we are to have been able to enjoy these 11 days of joyous and peaceful celebration in sport.”

That’s the farewell message from FISU Acting President Leonz Eder (SUI) to the athletes, teams and spectators who enjoyed the 31st Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York that concluded on Sunday.

A total of 1,443 athletes from 46 countries attended, with a reported 516 of them winning medals! The U.S. had its best-ever showing at a Winter WUG with 17 medals (3-8-6), topping the 15 won in 1993.

Beyond the tie to the historic 1980 Olympic Winter Games through the use of the many of the same facilities, one of the two remaining speed skating track records still held by American star Eric Heiden – who won all five men’s events at that Games – was broken. Italy’s Riccardo Lorello won the men’s 5,000 m in 6:53.22, eclipsing Heiden’s mark of 7:02.29; silver medalist Daniele Di Stefano (ITA) was also under Heiden’s time, finishing in 6:55.20. Heiden still holds the Sheffield Oval mark of 14:28.13 – at the time a world record – for the men’s 10,000 m.

James McKenna, Chair of the Adirondack Sports Council, which oversaw the Games, said at the Closing Ceremony:

“New York State has shown to the world that international sporting events have the power to unite peoples and nations. Records were broken and friendships were made as the entire world watched. To all residents and businesses of Lake Placid and New York’s North Country for showing the world what wonderful hosts we are. It is impossible to relate all the comments and stories about the friendliness of our local communities and their willingness to help that have been shared.”

The traditional flag hand-over to the next Winter WUG host was made with Eder presenting the FISU flag to Stefano Lo Russo, the mayor of Turin (ITA), host of the 2025 FISU World University Games, and Lorenzo Lentini, the Italian University Sport Center delegate.

5.
Iden and Duffy named Global Triathlon Athletes of the Year

The first-ever Global Triathlon Awards were held in Nice, France, with Gustav Iden (NOR) and Olympic champ Flora Duffy (BER) taking home the men’s and women’s awards.

Iden, eighth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic triathlon, was the 2022 Ironman World Champion. Duffy, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ, won her fourth World Triathlon title in 2022, following up on wins in 2016, 2017 and 2021. She also took the Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 in Birmingham, England.

Chelsea Soldero (USA) won the Rookie of the Year award for her victory at the 2022 Ironman World Championship in her first try, and France was recognized with an Extraordinary Award for its outstanding results during the season. “Lifetime Kudos” awards for special contributions to the sport were presented to Bob Babbitt, the co-founder of Competitor Magazine and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and Swiss Nicola Spirig Hug, the London 2012 women’s Olympic gold medalist, Rio 2016 runner-up and a five-time European Champion between 2009-18.

This was not simply a World Triathlon event, but brought the entire Tri community together, with World Triathlon, Super League Triathlon, the Professional Triathlete’s Organisation, France’s Department 06 and Ekoi all as partners. That’s a lesson some other sports could learn from.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Handball ● The playoff situation has now been set at the IHF men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden, with Norway defeating Germany, 28-26, to win Group III and defending champ Denmark beating Egypt, 30-25, to win Group IV.

The quarterfinals on 25 January – in Stockholm and Gdansk – will feature six-time champ France (6-0) vs. Germany (5-1) and Sweden (6-0) vs. Egypt (5-1) in the top of the bracket, and Norway (6-0) vs. Spain (5-1) and Denmark (6-0) vs. Hungary (4-2) in the bottom half; seven European qualifiers and one from Africa.

The U.S. men defeated Belgium, 24-22, in Malmo (SWE) in its final game in the second round-robin group and finished 1-4 in Group IV and 2-4 overall, with its first wins ever in a World Championship! Alexandre Chan Blanco, Aboubakar Fofana and Ian Hueter each had four goals to lead the American attack, and the U.S. finished 20th overall, out of 32 teams.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● Shock in Australia as Olympic men’s 800 m fourth-placer Peter Bol, 28, the national 800 m record holder at 1:44.00 tested positive for the banned hormone Erythropoietin (EPO).

The doping positive came in an out-of-competition test by Athletics Australia last October, and he has asked for his second sample to be tested, which will happen in February. Bol said:

“To be clear, I have never in my life purchased, researched, possessed, administered or used synthetic EPO or any other prohibited substance. I voluntarily turned over my laptop, iPad and phone to Sport Integrity Australia to prove this.

“Above all, I remain hopeful that the process will exonerate me.”

Bol was the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist in the 800 m and was seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene.

● Shooting ● The final day of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Rabat (MAR) saw wins for the U.S. and Croatia.

The American women’s team of Julia Stallings, Aeriel Skinner and Rachel Tozier took the Team Trap event with a 6-0 victory over Kazakhstan in the final. The Croatian men, including 2012 Olympic champ Giovanni Cernogoraz (age 40), 2016 Olympic champ Josip Glasnovic (39) and 2013 Worlds silver medalist Anton Glasnovic (42), eased by Portugal, 7-1 in the men’s Team final.

The U.S. led the medal table with nine (5-2-2), ahead of Greece and Portugal, with three each.

● Ski Mountaineering ● The third World Cup of the 2022-23 season in Ski Mountaineering, to debut in the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 was the Comapedrosa Andorra held in Arsinal, with both Individual and Vertical races for men and women.

No doubt about the women’s Individual winner, two-time defending ISMF World Cup champ Axelle Gachet Mollaret (FRA), who won in 57:54, well ahead of countrywoman Celia Perillat-Pessey (58:24) and Spain’s Ana Alonso Rodriguez (58:47). France’s Thibault Anselmet, the 2022 overall World Cup runner-up, took the men’s race in 46:30, winning by 15 seconds over Remi Bonnet (SUI) and 48 seconds over Maximilien Drion du Chapois of Belgium.

Bonnet, the 2022 World Cup champ in the men’s Vertical race, moved up to the top of the podium in 11:34, ahead of Drion du Chapois (12:06) and Anselmet (12:09). France’s Gachet Mollaret completed a sweep in 14:30, in front of Austria’s Sarah Dreier (14:53, the 2022 World Cup runner-up) and Perillat-Pessy (15:01).

● Snowboard ● Now widely shared, two-time Olympic Halfpipe champ Chloe Kim helped a beginning snowboarder out of trouble at Mammoth Mountain in California a week ago Sunday.

The youngster was having trouble staying upright in windy conditions on a slope that was too advance for her, and Kim, 22, came to the rescue, showing her how to regain her feet and then finally just carrying her – piggyback – down to the end. She pointed out a lift that would take the beginner to an easier slope for her to continue learning to ride.

Pretty great; the video is just precious.

● Swimming ● USA Swimming named Bob Bowman and Carol Capitani as its men’s and women’s head coaches for the American team at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships this May in Fukuoka, Japan.

Bowman, forever known as the coach of superstar Michael Phelps, is the coach at Arizona State and has a recently-expanded stable of elite stars also training with him. He was the U.S. head coach at the 2007-09-13 FINA Worlds, the head coach of the 2016 U.S. Olympic men’s Team and on the U.S. Olympic staff in 2004-08-12-20.

Capitani is the women’s head coach at Texas and also has international experience as the women’s head coach of the 2013 Duel in the Pool and the 2017 World University Games. She was a member of the coaching staff for the 2022 FINA Worlds in Budapest.

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TSX REPORT: Lake Placid 1980 silver gets $86,136 at auction; $18.5 million in LA28 funds for youth sports proposed; new T&F transgender rules in review

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medal won by Cuban boxer Roniel Iglesias and sold by RR Auction last Thursday for $83,188 (Photo: RR Auction)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Two Olympic medals bring $80,000-plus for RR Auction
2. LA28 youth sports funding of $18.5 million projected for 2023-24
3. World Athletics proposing tighter transgender and DSD regs
4. U.S. women stomp New Zealand, 5-0, for two-match sweep
5. Lake Placid Winter Universiade concludes

A wide-ranging auction of Olympic memorabilia saw a Lake Placid Olympic silver medal go for $86,136 as the highest-priced item, but also $83,188 for a boxing gold from the Tokyo 2020 Games. The City of Los Angeles is planning to spend $18.5 million from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee on youth sports programs in 2023-24, having seen a 35.5% rise in participation since the subsidies began in 2018-19. World Athletics is circulating for comment a new, tighter set of regulations for participation by transgender women and those with differences in sex development, leaving a small window open for post-pubescent males who transfer to the women’s division. In New Zealand, the U.S. women’s National Team finished a to-game sweep of the Football Ferns with a 5-0 win on Saturday, with the U.S. enjoying a 22-0 shots advantage. The 2023 Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, finished up on Sunday with Japan (48) and South Korea (29) atop the medal table.

1.
Two Olympic medals bring $80,000-plus for RR Auction

Olympic medals led the way with the highest sale prices at the just-closed RR Auction of Olympic memorabilia, with two selling for more than $80,000, including the buyer’s premium:

● $86,136 for a 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games silver medal, won by Soviet defenseman Sergei Starikov, who later played in the NHL for New Jersey, and including the silver-medal diploma and a certificate of authenticity. It was only expected to sell for $15,000!

● $83,188 for a 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal, won by Cuban boxer Roniel Iglesias in the men’s 69 kg Welterweight class. Iglesias won a gold at Light Welterweight at London 2012 after a bronze in 2008 in Beijing. It was expected to bring $50,000.

There were 19 items that sold for more than $10,000, 15 of which were Olympic medals, with the remaining four all Olympic Torches. The other top sellers:

● $54,904 for a 1952 Oslo Winter Games gold medal, very rare.

● $44,588 for a 1988 Calgary Winter Games gold, won by Starikov. His Sarajevo 1984 gold also sold, for $20,139.

● $37,500 for a Beijing 2008 gold medal from the football competition, won by Argentina (no indication of the player to whom it was originally awarded).

● $35,851 for a Stockholm 1912 gold medal; the name of the medal winner is to be provided to the new owner only!

● $35,670 for a Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games torch, one of only 140 made.

● $25,005 for two 1952 Helsinki Olympic silver medals, won by South Africa’s Thomas Shardelow (1931-2019), from the 4,000 m Team Pursuit and 2,000 m Tandem events.

There were 19 items that sold for $125, the lowest winning price at the auction; these included two event programs from the Los Angeles 1932 Games, a Berlin 1936 ashtray, a Berlin 1936 pin, a pin set and a souvenir glass plate and a 1952 Helsinki volunteer merit medal.

A program from the Athens 1896, combined with a ticket, sold for $9,166, and two Calgary 1988 cowboy hats given to former IOC member Jim Worrall of Canada sold for $656. A Paris 1924 event program for swimming went for $250; a daily program from the 1906 Athens Intercalated Games sold for $368.

And yes, diver Greg Louganis’s swim trunks from the 1976 Olympic Games, expected to bring $1,000, sold for $6,504!

2.
LA28 youth sports funding of $18.5 million projected for 2023-24

A 200-page plan to spend $18,465,802 for the City of Los Angeles’ youth sports programming funded by the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee was submitted on Thursday (19th).

The program, approved in 2017, allocated $160 million of International Olympic Committee funds advanced to LA28 to be used for youth sports in Los Angeles, primarily to reduce costs and fees to the participants, as described in the proposal:

“Through the [Youth Sports Program], [L.A. City Recreation and Parks] is using the funding provided by LA 2028 to directly support and increase citywide youth participation in quality sport and fitness programming by removing financial barriers limiting access to participation.

“The YSP is structured to overcome these barriers to participation, including considerations to achieve gender equity and to increase access and opportunity for all young people, particularly the economically disadvantaged and physically impaired and to ensure enduring health and wellness benefits for all communities in the City of Los Angeles.”

The payment plan agreed on provides annual payments of the City’s Recreation and Parks Department of $19.2 million per year from July 2020 through June 2028. According to the proposal:

“Using FY2018-19 as our “baseline”, RAP had 61,925 youth participant enrollments in YSP programs at Recreation Centers during that fiscal year, and 31,013 youth participant enrollments in YSP programs at Aquatic Facilities. RAP projections for the 2023-24 fiscal year are for 86,695 youth participant enrollments to be enrolled in YSP subsidized programs at Recreation Centers, an increase of 40% over the baseline; and 39,244 youth participant enrollments to be enrolled in YSP Aquatics subsidized programs, representing a 27% increase over the baseline.”

League and classes programs are proposed:

● $11,362,104 for recreational leagues and classes (123 sites)
● $1,826,499 for aquatics swim classes (53 sites)
● $1,080,420 for Swim L.A. classes (10 sites)
● $432,600 for judo programs (20 sites)
● $428,792 for surfing (12 sites)
● $284.400 for tennis (20 sites)
● $256,320 for track & field (20 sites)
● $231,800 for skateboarding (10 sites)
● $214,705 for kayaking (5 sites)
● $209,000 for teqball (sites not specified)
● $144,416 for equestrian (9 sites)
● $74,432 for golf (8 sites)
● $47,082 for marathon training (sites not specified)

In addition, funds are specified for adaptive sports ($841,012), for marketing and outreach ($781,500) and $250,000 for the U.S. Center for SafeSport for “training and tools to ensure the safety of all youth participants in RAP sports and fitness programs.”

The plan is now in the hands of the Los Angeles City Council for approval or amendment.

3.
World Athletics proposing tighter transgender and DSD regs

The British newspaper The Telegraph reported that World Athletics circulated for comment last November a proposal to tighten its regulations for the participation of transgender athletes and those with differences in sex development (DSD).

The current World Athletics rules – upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport – specify a serum testosterone limit of 5 nmol/L, maintained for one year, for transgender athletes, and for hyperandrogenistic athletes competing in the women’s division in the 400-800-1,000-1,500 m and mile distances (including hurdles), for six months.

The proposed new regulations would tighten the testosterone limit to 2.5 nmol/L as World Aquatics has recently done, but for two years, and does not eliminate transgenders who have undergone male puberty as World Aquatics did. Part of the World Athletics communication to its federations includes:

“This preferred option would allow significant (although not full) reduction of anaerobic, aerobic performances and body composition changes, while still providing a path for eligibility of trans women and 46 XY DSD individuals to compete in the female category.”

The new regulations would apply to all events, not just the 400 m-to-mile events as in the current policy, adopted in late 2021. The note to the federations admits that trans women who have gone through male puberty “retain an advantage in muscle mass, volume and strength over cis women after 12 months” even with hormone reduction therapy.

The World Athletics Council could act on the proposal as early as March, depending on the reaction from its federations.

4.
U.S. women stomp New Zealand, 5-0, for two-match sweep

After losing three of their last four games in 2022, the no. 1-ranked U.S. women’s National Team ended their January advance trip to New Zealand with two dominant wins against no. 24 New Zealand, including a 5-0 shutout on Saturday (21st).

After a scoreless first half in the first game on Wednesday in Wellington, the U.S. got off to a faster start in Auckland, opening the scoring in the 22nd minute with Ashley Hatch pounding in a swerving pass from Trinity Rodman from 12 yards out. Midfield star Rose Lavelle made it 2-0 on a left-footed tap off a perfect cross from Sofia Huerta. The Football Ferns were aggressive, committing eight fouls against the U.S., but the Americans had 73% of possession in the half and an 8-0 edge on shots.

The second half was more of the same, with goals from Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh) in the 53rd, smashing a loose ball in the box into the net, and then Lavelle again in the 74th and Taylor Kornieck on a Lavelle assist in the 80th.

The U.S. ended with 70% possession and a 22-0 advantage on shots, despite 12 New Zealand fouls. Keeper Casey Murphy got credit for the shutout for the U.S., which won the two games by a combined 9-0 score.

Next up will be the SheBelieves Cup in February, against Canada, Japan and Brazil, all World Cup qualifiers.

5.
Lake Placid Winter Universiade concludes

The second Winter World University Games to be held in Lake Placid, New York finished up on Sunday after a successful, 10-day run that saw Japan run away with the medal count, ending with 21 golds and 48 total (21-17-10).

Korea finished second in total medals with 29 and in golds with 12 (8 silver and 9 bronzes), followed by France (18), and Poland and the U.S., with 17 each.

The big individual winner was Korean Short Track star Min-jeong Choi, the three-time Olympic Winter gold medalist from 2018 and 2022. In Lake Placid, she swept the women’s 500-1,000-1,500 m races and was on the winning 3,000 m relay. Four others win three golds and another medal for four total: Japan’s Sakutaro Kobayashi in Nordic Combined and Ryo Hirose in Cross Country Skiing, Pole Nicole Konderla in Ski Jumping and Czech Jan Zabystran in Alpine Skiing.

Niklas Malacinski was the top American medal winner with four (1-2-1), including a gold with Evan Nichols in the Nordic Combined Team Sprint; the other gold-medal winners were Bjorn Westervelt in the men’s 12.5 km Pursuit in Biathlon, and John Steel Hagenbuch in the 30 km Freestyle Mass Start in Cross Country Skiing.

In the final event of the Games, the Canadian men won the ice hockey gold with a 7-2 victory over the U.S. The Canadian women also won the ice hockey gold, 5-0, over Japan.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● We’re getting serious now in the IHF men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden, with second-phase round-robin play concluding on Sunday.

France won Group I with a 3-0 mark, defeating Montenegro, Iran and Spain, while Sweden was also undefeated, beating Hungary, Iceland and Portugal.

Germany and Norway both won their first two games in Group III and will face off on Monday. In Group IV, Egypt won its first two and Denmark was 1-0-1 and will also play Monday.

The U.S., which won its first World Championships game ever in the first round against Morocco, advanced to Group IV, but lost to Bahrain (27-32), and Denmark (24-33) and will play Belgium on Monday.

The quarterfinals will be played on the 25th, semis on the 27th and medal matches on the 29th.

● Hockey ● Pool play in the FIH men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar (IND) has concluded, with the group winners Australia (2-0-1), Belgium (2-0-1), Netherlands (3-0) and England (2-0-1) all moving to the quarterfinals. They will await the winners of play-in matches of the second and third-place teams in each group.

The quarterfinals will be on the 24th and 25th, with the semis on the 27th and finals in the 29th. The leading scorer so far in France’s Victor Charlet with six.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The first speed events of the women’s FIS World Cup season in Italy means it was time for Olympic Downhill champ Sofia Goggia to be back in gear. And she was!

Goggia won the first of two Downhills at Cortina d’Ampezzo for her fourth victory of the season and 21st of her career, in 1:33.47. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec was second (1:33.60) and Kira Weidle (GER) third in 1:33.83. American Mikaela Shiffrin was a very creditable fourth in 1:33.97 and Breezy Johnson finished an encouraging ninth in 1:34.25.

On Saturday, two-time World Downhill champ Stuhec advanced to the top of the podium for her 10th career win, in 1:04.73, ahead of Kajsa Lie (NOR: 1:04.99) and Elena Curtoni (ITA: 1:05.07. Shiffrin continued to rack up points with a seventh-place finish in 1:05.12; Johnson tied for 10th at 1:05.37.

Sunday’s Super-G was the first win in almost a year for two-time Olympic silver medalist Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway, who timed 1:23.22 to finish ahead of Cornelia Huetter (AUT: 1:23.52) and Marta Bassino (ITA: 1:23.69). Shiffrin was seventh again (1:23.84) and now has a 1,317 to 796 lead on Petra Vlhova (SVK) in the overall World Cup race.

The schedule gets better for Shiffrin now, with three Giant Slaloms and two Slaloms – her best races – on the schedule prior to the World Championships.

The men’s tour was in Kitzbuehel (AUT) for two Downhills and a Slalom, with home favorite Vincent Kriechmayr, the 2021 World Champion, winning on Friday in 1:56.16, trailed by Florian Schieder (ITA: 1:56.39) and Swiss Niels Hintermann (1:56.47). Travis Ganong of the U.S. tied for seventh in 1:56.62.

Saturday’s Downhill was the seventh win of the season for Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (1:56.90), who edged France’s Beijing 2022 silver winner Johan Clarey (1:57.57) and Ganong (1:57.85), who won his sixth career World Cup medal – at age 34 – in third (1:57.85).

The Slalom saw Swiss Daniel Yule win his sixth career World Cup race – all in this event – in 1:44.63, with Britain’s Dave Ryding second (1:45.03) and Lucas Braathen (NOR: 1:45.04) third.

● Archery ● The annual World Archery Indoor World Series (18 m) tournament in Nimes (FRA) had an all-French Recurve podium, with Thomas Chirault winning in a shoot-off with Baptiste Addis, 6-5, for the gold, and Clement Jacquey (FRA) winning the bronze, 6-2, over Alex Potts (AUS).

Italy’s Tatiana Andreoli, the 2019 European Games champ, won the women’s Recurve final, 7-2, over Katharina Bauer (GER). Britain’s Penny Healey took the bronze, 6-4, over Michelle Kroppen (GER).

● Athletics ● The USATF National Cross Country Championships in Mechanicsville, Virginia saw Emmanuel Bor take control of the men’s 10 km race just after halfway and surge to a five-second lead by 6 km and then 12 seconds by the 8 km mark.

He gave back most of the lead in the final 2 km, but won his first national cross-country title in 28:44, four seconds up on Andrew Colley and five seconds ahead of former champions Anthony Rotich and Leonard Korir, and then Sam Chelanga, all in 28:49.

The women’s race had six runners at the front at the half, who stayed together through the 8 km mark, then Ednah Kurgat jumped to the lead and powered away from the rest, taking a 12-second lead with one km to go and finishing in 32:07 for her first USATF national title. Makena Morley was second in 32:24, ahead of Emily Durgin (32:27) and Emily Lipari (32:32).

At the American Track League opener in Iowa City, Iowa, a couple of world-leading marks in the early season, as American C.J. Allen won the 400 m hurdles (!) in an impressive 48.88, the no. 2 performance in history, and Regan Yee (CAN) edged Molly Sughroue in the women’s mile in a world-leading 4:30.46 to 4:30.89.

In the men’s 1,000 m, Clayton Murphy won in 2:20.70, no. 2 in the world for 2023, Freddie Crittenden and Michael Dickson went 1-2 in the men’s 60 m hurdles in 7.53, the second-fastest performances this year (Crittenden is the world leader at 7.52), and Chuk Enekwechi (NGR ) won the men’s shot in 21.20 m (69-6 3/4), no. 3 on the year list.

High jump star Vashti Cunningham won the women’s competition at 1.97 m (6-5 1/2), now no. 2 in 2023.

● Badminton ● The important Yonex Sunrise Open in New Delhi (IND) saw global powers China and Japan each reach three finals, but sickness impacted the final results.

It was a tough day to be the no. 1-ranked player in the world, as Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) shocked Viktor Axelsen (DEN), 22-20, 10-21, 21-12 in the men’s final and Se Young An (KOR) stung no. 1 Akane Yamaguchi (JPN), 15-21, 21-16, 21-12, in the women’s title match.

In the men’s Doubles final, Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang (CHN) overcame Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh (MAS), 14-21, 21-19, 21-18, but the other two Doubles matches were canceled due to both Chinese pairs being ill.

In the women’s Doubles, Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (JPN) were given a walkover against Qing Chen Chen and Yi Fan Jia (CHN), and Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino (JPN) were also awarded a walkover against Yi Lyu Wang and Dong Ping Huang (CHN).

● Biathlon ● The sixth and final stop on the IBU World Cup tour prior to the World Championships in February was at Antholz-Anterselva (ITA) with the question: can anyone beat Norwegian star Johannes Thingnes Boe?

Nope.

Boe won his 10th and 11th races of the season – out of 14 held so far – with victories in the men’s 10 km Sprint on Friday (22:44.1 with one penalty) and the 12 km Pursuit on Saturday (31:24.4/2).

In both cases, he finished ahead of Swede Martin Ponsiluoma and Norwegian teammate Sturla Holm Lagreid: in that order in the Sprint (23:15.5/1 to 23:21.4/0) and with Lagreid second 32:04.6/0) and Ponsiluoma third (32:26.5/2) in the Pursuit.

Despite his dominance, Boe has not yet clinched the seasonal title, as he holds a 1,049-845 lead over Lagreid.

Three-time World Champion Dorothea Wierer of Italy was a popular women’s winner in the 7.5 km Sprint (20:59.6/0) – her first win of the season – over Chloe Chevalier (FRA: 21:02.4/0) and Sweden’s Olympic silver winner Elvira Oeberg (21:08.3/0).

Germany’s Denise Hermann-Wick took the 10 km Pursuit title for her second title this season in 29:53.1 (2), ahead of Italian Lisa Vittozzi (30:04.1/0) and Oeberg (30:10.3/2), who won her sixth medal in 14 races this season! French star Julia Simon’s seasonal lead is down to 811-735 over Oeberg.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The second week of sliding in Altenberg (GER) looked a lot like the first one, with wins – again – for Germany’s Johannes Lohner in the Two-Man, Brad Hall (GBR) in the Four-Man and American Kaillie Humphries in the women’s Monobob.

Lochner claimed his fourth straight win this season, this time with Erec Bruckert aboard in 1:51.50, and teammate (and Olympic champ) Francesco Friedrich again third (1:51.88). This time it was Swiss Michael Vogt in second , for his fourth medal of the season (1:51.55, with Sandro Michel aboard).

Hall, who drove to a sixth-place finish in the Beijing Winter Games in 2022, won for the third time on tour this season, in 1:49.32, ahead of twice-Olympic winner Friedrich (1:49.41) and Vogt (1:49.54).

Humphries and German Two-Woman Olympic winner Laura Nolte were 1-2 in the Monobob again, 2:00.61 to 2:01.13, with Australia’s Breeana Walker third (2:01.89).

Humphries doubled her pleasure in the Two-Woman race, teaming with Kaysha Love to win in 1:54.79, ahead of Nolte (1:54.81) and Swiss Melanie Hauser (1:55.36).

The Skeleton results were also eerily similar. The top three in the men’s race were the same as last week: Matt Weston (GBR: 1:54.16), and Germans Christopher Grotheer (1:54.51) and Axel Jungk (1:54.54). Four-time women’s World Champion Tina Hermann won again for her third win in six races this season (1:56.52), beating Janine Flock (AUT: 1:57.14) and teammate Susanne Kreher (1:57.15).

● Cross Country Skiing ● A lighter schedule this week, with a single individual Freestyle Sprint at Livigno (ITA), and Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo getting back to the top of the podium for his 60th career World Cup victory, extending his own record for the most career wins.

Klaebo won in 2:28.38, ahead of Richard Jouve (FRA: 2:28.73) and Janik Riebli (SUI: 2:29.82.

Sweden swept the women’s medals, with Jonna Sundling leading Maja Dahlqvist and Emma Ribom to the finish, in 2:45.70-2:46.75-2:47.00. It’s Sweden’s eighth win in 18 races so far this season, and the first sweep. Sundling scored her first World Cup gold of the season, and her sixth career victory. Julia Kern of the U.S. made the final and finished sixth (2:53.04).

In the women’s Freestyle Team Sprint, Sweden went 1-2, but the U.S. pair of Kern and Rosie Brennan finished third in 13:07.15, with winners Linn Svahn and Dahlqvist timing 13:06.10.

● Cycling ● The first event on the UCI men’s World Tour is the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia, with six stages that ended Sunday. It’s the first time this race has been held since 2020, before the explosion of the coronavirus, with Australian riders winning five of the prior seven editions.

The race developed with five different winners in the first five stages – a Prologue and then four stages – with the fifth on Sunday. Italy’s Alberto Bettiol won the flat Prologue, then hilly stage wins went to Paul Bauhaus (GER), Rohan Dennis (AUS), Pello Bilbao (ESP) and Bryan Coquard (FRA). Going into the Sunday finale, Australian Jay Vine was on top by 15 seconds – having finished 9-68-2-3-22 – over 2018 Vuelta a Espana champ Simon Yates (GBR) and Bilbao.

On the final, hilly, 112.5 km ride to the uphill finish at Mount Lofty, Vine and Yates battled to the line with Yates getting the stage win (2:41:16), but Vine ending up as the overall champ at 16:07:41 (now six of the last eight winners have been Australian). Yates finished 11 seconds back and Bilbao was third (+0:27). American Magnus Sheffield was fourth (+0:57), pretty impressive for a 20-year-old!

● Freestyle Skiing ● Busy weekend of action, starting with Halfpipe action in Calgary (CAN) and a win for Olympic champ Eileen Gu (CHN) on Thursday. She scored 90.00, 95.00 and 95.00 on her three runs and her best of 95.00 was a clear winner, with Beijing bronze medalist Rachael Karker (CAN: 89.00) and Hanna Faulhaber (USA: 77.25) following.

Saturday’s second event was another showcase for the Chinese star, as she scored 90.00, 93.50 and 91.75 on her three runs – all six were 90.00 or better on the weekend – to win easily over Karker (85.50) and Kexin Zhang (CHN: 81.75). Faulhaber was fourth again (79.25).

In the men’s Halfpipe, Finland’s Jon Salinen, 22, won his first career World Cup medal with a gold, scoring 96.00 to barely beat Canadians Brendan MacKay (94.50) and Simon D’Artois (93.00). Americans Alex Ferreira (the Beijing bronze winner), two-time Olympic champ David Wise, Birk Irving and Aaron Blunck finished 4-5-6-7.

Saturday was an American 1-2 as Ferreira won at 94.50, followed by Irving (93.00) and Noah Bowman (CAN: 90.50). For Ferreira, now 28, it was his fourth career World Cup gold.

Also in Canada – at Le Relais in Quebec – were the second and third Aerials events of the season, with American Quinn Dehlinger, 20, getting his first World Cup medal and victory, out-scoring Noe Roth (SUI), the 2019 Worlds bronze medalist, 122.62-121.24. Ukraine’s Dmytro Kotovskyi claimed the bronze at 120.81.

On Sunday, Roth moved up to the top of the podium, scoring 124.43 with the 21-year-old Kotovskyi taking silver (119.91) and American Chris Lillis – the 2021 Worlds silver winner – scoring 118.55 for bronze.

Home favorite Marion Thenault (CAN) took the first women’s event – with her second career World Cup gold – scoring 96.23 ahead of America’s 2017 World Champion Ashley Caldwell (92.00) and Ukraine’s Anastasiya Novosad (86.71), who won her second career individual World Cup medal.

Australia’s two-time World Champion Laura Peel won on Sunday at 109.15, ahead of Caldwell (93.06) and Novosad (90.59).

The third Slopestyle competition of 2023-23 was in Laax (SUI), with Swiss Andri Ragettli – the 2021 World Champion – scoring a 79.08-76.81 win over American Alex Hall – the Beijing 2022 gold medalist – with Olympic Big Air champ Birk Ruud (NOR) third at 75.63.

Johanne Killi (NOR) won again in the women’s competition, after taking the season opener last November. She scored 85.65 to edge 2018 Olympic winner Sarah Hoefflin (SUI: 81.53) and France’s 2017 World Champion Tess Ledeux (80.21).

Two rounds of Ski Cross for men and women were on in Idre Fjall (SWE), with the unstoppable Sandra Naeslund thrilling the home fans with her sixth straight win this season and 14th in a row over two seasons in the first women’s final, on Saturday. She finished ahead of Swiss Fanny Smith, with Germany’s Daniela Mayer third.

On Sunday, more of the same, as Naeslund winning in front of Katrin Ofner (AUT) and Canada’s Marielle Thompson.

The first men’s race also was a Swedish win, for David Mobaerg, ahead of 2022 Cross Alps Tour winner Reece Howden (CAN) and older brother Erik Mobaerg. Howden came back to win on Sunday, beating Erik Mobaerg and Tobias Mueller (GER) to the line.

● Nordic Combined ● Two races in the men’s World Cup were moved due to weather from Chaux-Neuve (FRA) to Klingenthal (GER), but while more weather difficulties scrambled the schedule, both races were held.

In the 140 m jumping and Gundersen 10 km race, Austria’s 2021 World Champion, Johannes Lamparter was the winner in 27:54.9, beating Norwegian star Jarl Magnus Rieber (28:01.9) and Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT: 28:17.8).

Lamparter won the second event, too, a Mass Start 10 km race after the jumping, with 146.2 points to 141 for Rehrl and 139.3 for Riiber. Riiber mains in front in the seasonal standings, with 698 points to 605 for Lamparter.

● Rugby Sevens ● Argentina and New Zealand took the titles at the HSBC Worlds Sevens Series tournaments in Hamilton (NZL), with the U.S. earning medals in both.

Argentina surprised the hosts in the men’s final with a 14-12 win for its first medal of the season, with the U.S. men edging France, 15-14, for its second-straight bronze finish and moving into third place in the seasonal standings, behind New Zealand, 63-61.

The Black Ferns won their second straight women’s tourney title with a 33-7 win over the U.S. women and continued in first place with 58 points. Australia is second with 54 after a third-place win over Ireland, 33-17. The American women stand third (50) after a silver medal finish that followed bronze medals in the first two events.

● Shooting ● The Trap section of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Rabat (MAR) concluded on Sunday,

In the men’s individual final, it was Britain’s 2019 World Champion Matthew John Coward-Holley who eked out a 32-31 win over 47-year-old Czech David Kostelecky – the 2008 Olympic winner – with Joao Azevedo (POR: 18) third and 37-year-old American Derrick Mein (13) – the 2022 World Champion – fourth.

Spain’s 2019 European Junior Champion Mar Molne Magrina won the women’s division, 29-26, over Safiye Sariturk Temizdemir (TUR), with American Rachel Tozier taking the bronze (20).

The American pair of Tozier and Mein won the Mixed Team event over Poland, 2-1 in a shoot-off after a 5-5 tie in regulation time. The World Cup ends on Monday with the men’s and women’s Team Trap events.

● Ski Jumping ● The men’s World Cup was in Sapporo (JPN) and Beijing 2022 gold winner Ryoyu Kobayashi gave the home fans what they wanted: his first win of the season – and 28th of his career – scoring 271.5 on Friday to beat Poland’s seasonal leader Dawid Kubacki (264.3) and Four Hills winner Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR: 262.6).

Austria’s Stefan Kraft, a three-time World Champion, took the win on Saturday off the 137 m hill, scoring 283.5 with Granerud moving up to second (277.9) and Kobayashi third (276.1).

Kobayashi got back on top on Sunday, scoring 280.9 to win decisively over Granerud (268.9) and German Markus Eisenbichler (256.9).

● Snowboard ● Difficult weather in Laax (SUI) wiped out the Halfpipe competition scheduled for Saturday, so the results from the qualifying round had to stand, with Ruka Hirano (JPN) winning his third career World Cup gold at 95.25, ahead of four-time World Champion Scotty James (AUS: 95.00) and Yuto Totsuka (JPN: 91.50).

The women’s title went to first-time winner Mitsuki Ono (JPN: 18), who scored 89.50 to beat China’s Shaotong Wu (89.00), who won her first World Cup medal. American Maddie Mastro scored her 10th career World Cup medal in third (82.50).

Sunday’s Slopestyle was a win for Norway’s 2021 World Champion, Marcus Kleveland, scoring 83.61 to beat American Dusty Henricksen (82.45) and Sven Thorgren (SWE: 80.23). Beijing Olympic champ Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won the women’s title at 81.30, with 16-year-old Mia Brookes (GBR) getting her first World Cup medal at 79,9 and Austria’s two-time Olympic Big Air winner Anna Gasser third (77.05).

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TSX REPORT: FIFA says five billion “engaged” with 2022 World Cup; 2024 Olympics to cost City of Paris €354 million; racist chants vs. Morocco

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ Thank you to now 17 donors, who have covered 38% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. FIFA says five billion “engaged” with Qatar World Cup
2. City of Paris cost for 2024 Games: €354 million net
3. Belarusian coach Maisevich charged in Tsimanouskaya incident
4. LA28 completing Los Angeles Games Agreement consultations
5. Nasty Algerian-Moroccan political fracas at CHAN 2023

A month after the close of the highly successful FIFA World Cup in Qatar, some of the viewing statistics are available, with 550 million viewers for the opening match and about 1.5 billion for the Argentina-France final. The total viewing audience is not yet available, but total “engagement” with the tournament approached five billion. The support cost for the Paris 2024 Games from the City of Paris itself is expected to be €354 million, after netting out expected revenues, much less than the recently-predicted €500 million by the French Court of Auditors. The Athletics Integrity Unit has filed charges under three sections of the World Athletics Integrity Code against Belarusian coach Yury Maisevich related to his conduct over the withdrawal of sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya – who sought asylum rather than return home – at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. The LA28 organizing committee is progressing on its public commitment to community-based coordination on purchasing, hiring and sustainability, according to a new report from the City of Los Angeles. Racist chants, references to slavery and a refusal to allow the Moroccan team – the defending champs – to make a direct flight into Algeria have marred the African Nations Championship football tournament for players competing on domestic clubs, with Morocco withdrawing and the Confederation of African Football now investigating.

1.
FIFA says five billion “engaged” with Qatar World Cup

The audience figures aren’t compiled yet, but FIFA released a 28-page package of facts and figures on its 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including some viewing totals:

● The dramatic final between Argentina and France was watched by almost 1.5 billion people worldwide, up from 1.15 billion for the 2018 final in Russia.

● The opening match on 20 November between Ecuador and Qatar had about 550 million watchers on over-the-air and streaming platforms.

● “Early figures suggest that around 5 billion people have engaged with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, following tournament content across an array of platforms and devices across the media universe. On social media, according to Nielsen, there have been 93.6 million posts across all platforms, with a 262 billion cumulative reach and 5.95 billion engagements.”

The total in-person attendance was 3,404,252 with an average of 53,191 (or 96.3% of capacity) across the 64 matches of the tournament. Some 98% of the tickets sold were used a mobile (on-phone) tickets and 411,724 tickets were re-sold, just 12.1%.

The hospitality package program was a big success with 257,000 packages sold, 61% of which went to non-Qatari buyers, with the highest interest from Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the U.S., UAE, Great Britain, India, Argentina, Brazil and Switzerland.

Media interest was strong:

● 2,955: Press-photo-non-rights broadcasters
● 7,888: Rights-holding broadcasters

That’s 10,843 in total. The press-photo breakdown was 1,834 writers and 726 photographers.

FIFA was heavily engaged in a social-media “protection service” which worked to identify abusive messages across five major platforms and report them to the service providers. More than 14 million messages were scanned for “abusive, discriminatory and threatening” content, with 18,323 posts flagged and reported. Monitors on these sites “hid” 286,895 objectionable comments on 1,828 team or player accounts.

2.
City of Paris cost for 2024 Games: €354 million net

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday that the net cost of the 2024 Olympic Games in the city would reach about “380 million euros of investment, i.e., on average, 0.65% of our annual budget. (€1 = $1.08)

That’s considerably less than the €500 million cost for Paris suggested by the French Court of Auditors, the government watchdog agency which has worried publicly about the potential cost of the Games for years. Its projections, released last week, forecast a €500 million cost for Paris.

The City government issued even more details later, telling Agence France Presse, “the net cost for the city is now established at 354 million euros with 503 million euros in expenditure and around 150 million euros in revenue, 90% of which is now secured.

“Expenditure is spread over eight financial years, between 2018 and 2025 … allowing the cost of the Games to be recouped and a very moderate impact on the city budget with an average share of 0.65% and a peak in 2024 representing 1.4% of the city budget.”

This money, according to Hidalgo, will buy, “for example, Porte de la Chapelle, to build an arena and two gymnasiums but also all the infrastructure for cycle paths, Olympic lanes, renovation of training sites [and] the Georges-Vallerey swimming pool … which hosted the 1904 Games.”

The newest issue is concern over air conditioning in the Olympic Village, Nicolas Ferrand, the head of the government construction group Solideo, told reporters on Tuesday:

“We are building rooms where it will be six degrees cooler than the outside temperature.”

He said that if the Paris 2024 organizers required air conditioning, it would be installed, but:

“It’s a question for society. Do we collectively accept being at six degrees less and having an excellent carbon footprint, or do we say it’s not okay, and we’re ready to downgrade the carbon footprint.”

3.
Belarusian coach Maisevich charged in Tsimanouskaya incident

Remember Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya? She’s the one who criticized her coaches at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 for entering her in the women’s 4×400 m without telling her and ended up being withdrawn from the Games and sent home, only to ask airport police to grant her protection. She eventually was granted asylum in Poland, where she now lives with her family.

The International Olympic Committee and World Athletics asked the Athletics Integrity Unit to examine the conduct of the Belarusian team officials who were with her in Tokyo. On Thursday, one of them – coach Yury Maisevich – was charged with alleged breaches of the World Athletics’ Integrity Code of Conduct:

“Maisevich, Belarus’ athletics head coach at the Games, has been charged with committing breaches of the following Integrity Standards in the Integrity Code of Conduct: Honesty (Rule 3.3.1), Dignity (Rule 3.3.10) and Protect Reputation (Rule 3.3.17). …

“The AIU alleges that, in respect of these circumstances of Tsimanouskaya’s removal from the Olympic Games, Maisevich did not act with integrity and acted in bad faith; failed to safeguard the athlete’s dignity and his actions constituted verbal and mental harassment; and that he brought athletics generally into disrepute. …

“Maisevich was one of two Belarusian officials whose Olympic accreditation was revoked by IOC regarding this situation. The other official, Artur Shumak, has not been charged.”

The AIU will now move forward with an action against Maisevich for a suspension of unknown length.

Tsimanouskaya, 26, now runs for Poland and competed in 2022, with bests of 11.31 and 23.31, well off her lifetime bests of 11.04 from 2018 and 22.78 from 2019. She did not run outside the country last year.

4.
LA28 completing Los Angeles Games Agreement consultations

City of Los Angeles staff filed an informational report with the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Tuesday (17th) concerning the progress of the LA28 Olympic organizing committee on its benchmarks for civic involvement, according to the Games Agreement signed with the City in 2022:

“LA28 notified the City on December 1, 2022 that it met the Phase 2 benchmark by identifying the organizations that will comprise the membership of each working group and invited 30 organizations to join one of the three working groups. LA28 is currently awaiting confirmations of participation from the invited organizations and will continue to evaluate additional member submissions.”

The exact membership of each group – Community Business and Procurement, Local Hire, and Sustainability – was scheduled for completion by 30 November 2022, but is still wrapping up with confirmations from the invited organizations. The first meeting dates for each group are to be finalized by the end of January, and the first meetings are to be in March.

Planning groups are also being formed; the report noted:

“[T]he City and LA28 are currently collaborating to further advance and develop the following planning groups: the 2028 Games Mobility Executives, Public Safety Cooperative, and Games Energy Council. Updates regarding the planning group activities will be presented to the City Council by April 30, 2023.”

5.
Nasty Algerian-Moroccan political fracas at CHAN 2023

The African Nations Championship football tournament for players competing on domestic clubs – known as CHAN – is ongoing in Algeria, but not without considerable controversy, including charges of racism.

Morocco is the defending champion and, of course, was a star at the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals. But the Moroccan team was not allowed to fly on its national airline – Royal Air Maroc – from Rabat to Constantine in Algeria as Algeria cut off ties between the two countries in August 2021.

In response, Morocco withdrew from the tournament. At the opening ceremony in Algiers on 13 January, it was reported “the Algerian regime invited Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zwelivelile Mandela, who delivered an anti-Morocco political speech attacking the country’s territorial integrity.” Mandela told the crowd, “Let us fight to free Western Sahara from oppression. … Don’t forget the last colony of Africa, Western Sahara.”

In addition, spectators at the ceremony chanted – in Arabic – “Give them bananas! Moroccans are animals!”

The incidents drew a response from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that included:

“The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) is under an obligation and a duty, in accordance with its Regulations and Statutes and those of FIFA not to participate or get involved in politics and to be neutral on matters of a political nature. …

“CAF will investigate and look into the political statements and events at the opening ceremony of the TotalEnergies CHAN Algeria 2022 and assess whether there was compliance with the CAF and FIFA Regulations and Statutes. CAF will give an update in this regard in due course.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● The award of rights to the European Broadcasting Union and Warner Bros. Discovery for the Olympic and Winter Games from 2026-32 did not include Russia or Belarus.

Russia has often negotiated separately, but now Belarus is also impacted as part of the sanctions involving the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian news agency TASS noted:

“The rights to broadcast the Olympics on the territory of Russia previously belonged to Telesport, a major operator in sports marketing, and it had already inked a contract to air the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“In September 2022, Telesport President Pyotr Makarenko told TASS that his company had purchased a package of rights to air the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.”

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● For those who remember recent history between the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and WADA, it was fascinating to review the announcement of the membership of the WADA Executive Committee and the Foundation Board.

These are the two bodies which control the agency, and neither lists an American member for 2023. There are two possible openings that could be filled on the Executive Committee by an American: an independent member – to be announced in March or April – and an Americas representative still to be named.

During the Trump Administration, the USONDCP refused to pay its agreed-upon WADA dues, asking for more representation on the ExCo and the Board; among the replies from WADA President Witold Banka (POL) was that at the regional (Americas) meetings where nominations were sought, no one from the U.S. attended.

The dues issue was smoothed out in 2021, but it is remarkable that no one from the U.S. is on either body, especially as an American has usually been on at least the Foundation Board.

● Athletics ● The woman who blew up the IAAF’s worldwide hyperandrogenism regulations in 2015 has now been provisionally suspended by India’s National Anti-Doping Agency for the presence of steroid-style drugs in an out-of-competition sample taken in December.

Dutee Chand, 26, the 100-200 m silver medalist at the 2018 Asian Games with bests of 11.17 (2021) and 23.00 (2018), tested positive for Andarin, Ligandrol and Enobosarm (Ostarine) – which are Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators that provide steroid-type benefits, but do not create male physical characteristics in the user – in a 5 December test in Bhubaneswar.

She was informed of the results on 3 January, facing a penalty of four years. She can challenge the finding, admit guilt and get a year off of the suspension or fight it and lose and be suspended for four years.

Chand was dropped from India’s 2014 Commonwealth Games team due to hyperandrogenism – testosterone levels outside the normal female range – and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In a 2015 ruling, the Court ruled that the IAAF rules were overly broad and required new regulations more narrowly targeted to impact only those athletes who had a demonstrable advantage due to their heightened testosterone levels.

Chand was then free to compete, and the IAAF’s new rules in 2018 did not impact her, as they related only to the 400-800-1,000-1,500 m and mile distances. She competed at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games, but did not make it out of the first round.

● Basketball ● The FIBA men’s World Cup is coming this summer, to Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, but a tremendous warm-up tournament will be held in Spain just two weeks prior.

The Spanish federation announced that no. 1-ranked Spain, the U.S. and Slovenia – with Luka Doncic – will play in a warm-up tournament on 11-12-13 August, in Malaga. The World Cup opens on 25 August, and the U.S. – which has yet to formally qualify – has been assigned to play in the Philippines and Slovenia in Japan.

● Figure Skating ● The International Skating Union Council met online on Monday and among other decisions, confirmed that “no ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event can take place in Russia during the 2023/24 Season.”

With the French figure skating federation now unable to host the 2023 ISU Grand Prix Final, new locations will be needed for the 17-19 November Grand Prix event and the 7-10 December Grand Prix Final.

● Shooting ● The ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Rabat (MAR) is continuing with the U.S. having scored three wins in the Skeet competitions, with Trap to follow.

Kim Rhode, the six-time Olympic medal winner in 1996-2000-04-08-12-16 – and 2012 Olympic Skeet champ – is hardly slowing down at 43, winning the Skeet final in Morocco, 37-36 over Greece’s Emmanouela Katzouranki. She added a silver in the women’s Team final, with 16-year-old Katharina Jacob and 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi, losing to Kazakhstan, 11-9, in a shoot-off after a 5-5 tie in regulation.

Jacob did get a gold, however, in the All-American Mixed Team final. She and Conner Prince defeated Vizzi and Christian Elliott, 7-3.

The men’s Skeet title went to Greece’s 42-year-old European silver medalist Nikolaos Mavrommatis, 38-37, over Egypt’s Azmy Mehelba, 31, the 2022 World Champion. The Team title went to the U.S. trio of Prince, Elliott and Dustan Taylor, which beat Kuwait, 6-4, in the final.

The Trap events continue through the 24th.

● Wrestling ● Money! United World Wrestling announced prize money for its Ranking Series tournaments of CHF 390,000 for 2023, about $425,725 U.S.:

“The gold medal winners at the four Ranking Series tournaments in 2023 will receive 1500 Swiss Francs with the silver medalists getting 750 Swiss Francs. The two bronze medalists will receive 500 Swiss Francs each.”

The Ranking Series is as close to a Grand Prix circuit as wrestling has, with the tournaments growing in popularity.

You can receive our exclusive TSX Report by e-mail by clicking here. You can also refer a friend by clicking here, and can donate here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 929-event International Sports Calendar for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Pricey Paris 2024 hospitality program unveiled; WADA says testing levels rebounded in ‘21; Bob Hersh passes at 82

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

★ Thank you to now 17 donors, who have covered 38% of our technical expenses for the first half of 2023. Please consider a donation. Thank you in advance. ★

★ To get The Sports Examiner by e-mail: sign up here! ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. OnLocation’s Paris 2024 hospitality packages announced
2. IOC picks joint EBU-WBD bid for 2026-2032 Games
3. WADA report shows 2021 testing levels heading back up
4. More than 500,000 tickets sold for ‘23 FIFA Women’s World Cup
5. Track & field’s Bob Hersh – “The Commissioner” – passes at 82

The Paris 2024 hospitality packages by OnLocation are now on sale, with a variety of programs available. They aren’t cheap, but the project will bring millions to the International Olympic Committee that might have gone to high-end tour operators previously. The IOC agreed to a joint proposal from the European Broadcasting Union and Warner Bros. Discovery that allows both to have rights to the Olympic and Winter Games from 2026-32. The World Anti-Doping Agency released its testing report for 2021, showing that testing volumes have not quite returned to pre-pandemic levels, but pretty close. FIFA announced that it has sold more than 500,000 tickets so far for July’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, and expectations are high to surpass the all-time attendance record set in France for the 2019 edition. Bob Hersh, an American lawyer who made enormous contributions to the sport of track & field and rose to Senior Vice President of the IAAF (now World Athletics), sadly passed away on Wednesday at age 82.

1.
OnLocation’s Paris 2024 hospitality packages announced

“Guests will have a chance to select from up to three different levels of service; availability will depend on the sport session and/or venue.

“● Gold (€€€): A prime location within the venue featuring a gourmet tasting menu and exclusive sports moments, with the opportunity to upgrade to a seated dinner in certain venues

“● Silver (€€): First-class hospitality with a gourmet buffet

“● Bronze (€): Informal and relaxed hospitality experience”

That’s some of the detail now available from the International Olympic Committee’s new hospitality program for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, being run by OnLocation, a veteran, New York-based company owned by the entertainment conglomerate Endeavor. OnLocation has been involved with the National Football League and other high-profile events for years and now has the Olympic project for Paris and beyond.

The initial offer site is now up and has event hospitality as well as accommodations-and-tickets programs available on a dedicated site. What does it cost? It costs quite a bit; some examples (€1 = $1.08 today):

● Athletics/03 August: This session includes the final of the women’s 100 m, with costs of €6,500 per person (plus tax) for Gold Level hospitality and a Category A ticket, €3,750 per person (plus tax) for Silver Level (and a Category A ticket) and €1,500 (plus tax) for Bronze Level and a Category B ticket, or €995 (plus tax) for Bronze and a Category C ticket.

For the men’s 100 m final on 4 August, the prices go up to €8,500 (A ticket), €4,900 (B ticket), €1,850 (B ticket) and €1,350 (C ticket).

The final two days with the 4×100 m and 4×400 m relays are less: €3,500-1,350-900-575 for 9 August and €4,900-1,850-1,350-750 for 10 August.

● Basketball/11 August: The women’s final has on-site options of €880 or €600 for Bronze hospitality and Category B or C tickets. No offer yet on the men’s final on the 10th.

● Football/09 August: This is the men’s final, with €950 for Bronze level hospitality and a Category “1st” ticket; no offer on the women’s final yet.

● Gymnastics/30 July: For the women’s Team final, the offers are €3,995 for Gold and a Category A ticket and €1,550 for Bronze and a Category B ticket at the Bercy Arena.

No on-site package is yet available for the women’s All-Around final, but for the three days of men’s and women’s apparatus finals, on-site programs go for €3,400 for Gold hospitality and a Category A ticket on 3 August, but €1,400 for 4 August (only Bronze-Category B offered) and back to €3,400 for 5 August.

● Swimming/28 July: The second day of swimming has a €2,950 package with Silver hospitality and a Category A ticket. Same for the 30th and 1-3-4 August, but the 31st is up to €4,250 for Silver and a Category A ticket! No on-site packages are shown for the 27th, 29th and 2nd.

● Closing Ceremony/11 August: This is at the Stade de France, with options of €4,750-2,150-1,500 for Gold (A)-Silver (B)-Bronze (C).

No offers are available – so far – for sailing or shooting, or surfing, which will take place in Tahiti.

Interestingly, none of these high-profile sports had a “season ticket” available for someone to take in all of the days of a single sport. Perhaps that will come later. No option for the Opening Ceremony has been posted yet.

The program is reportedly offering about 5,000 packages in total, incorporating about 750,000 tickets or only 7.5% of the total of 10 million Olympic tickets available. A less expensive off-site hospitality program is also available, centered at the Club House 24, at the Palais de Tokyo, in the middle of Paris, not far from the Eiffel Tower.

A separate group of accommodations-and-tickets packages are also available in 3-star and 4-star levels, mostly for three nights.

Observed: These are expensive packages and, of course, do not include airfare or – for the most part – accommodations. The IOC’s goal is to try and remove – as much as possible – independent tour packagers from the Olympic business and it will succeed to a large extent, but not completely. What this program will do is collect for the IOC and the Paris 2024 organizers millions of euros that previously went to high-end tour operators; more popularly-priced tours will continue on without much change.

As this is a first-time venture, how well these programs are managed will have a major impact on their future success.

2.
IOC picks joint EBU-WBD bid for 2026-2032 Games

After working with the European Broadcasting Union of public entities to air the Olympic Games in Europe beginning in 1956 and then moving to the completely private Discovery for 2018-24, the IOC chose a middle path by accepting a joint proposal of EBU and Warner Bros. Discovery for the Olympic and Winter Games from 2026-32.

The agreement gives both groups wide access to the Games. The EBU public broadcasters will be back in the Olympic business for “free-to-air rights on television and digital platforms.” As for Warner Bros. Discovery, “it will continue to be the only place to present ‘every moment’ of the Games on its streaming and digital platforms, such as its leading sports and entertainment streaming service discovery+, and hold full pay-TV rights, including for its owned and operated Eurosport channels.”

The announcement noted that EBU’s rights were for 39 territories in Europe, while Warner Bros. Discovery has exclusive rights in 43 territories and non-exclusive rights in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway and Sweden.

No terms were disclosed; the contract for 2018-24 was for €1.3 billion (about $1.4 billion U.S.).

3.
WADA report shows 2021 testing levels heading back up

After the pandemic wiped out most of the worldwide competition schedule – and the accompanying drug testing – in many sports, the World Anti-Doping Agency saw testing levels in 2021 that approached pre-pandemic levels.

The new report showed testing numbers returning, but not at 2019 levels in 2021, but pretty close:

Olympic-sport tests:
● 2019: 227,032
● 2020: 127,483
● 2021: 207,008

Total tests:
● 2019: 278,047
● 2020: 149,758
● 2021: 241,430

Olympic-sport Adverse Findings:
● 2019: 0.67%
● 2020: 0.48%
● 2021: 0.49% (222)

Despite the advances in other forms of testing, urine specimens constituted 80.5% of all samples collected.

The largest sports by number of tests:

● 31.671 ~ Football (68 or 0.2% adverse findings)
● 31,178 ~ Athletics (184 or 0.6%)
● 20,617 ~ Cycling (146 or 0.7%)
● 16,263 ~ Aquatics (88 or 0.5%)
● 10,002 ~ Weightlifting (100 or 0.9%)

All of the summer Olympic sports had at least one adverse finding in 2021; the winter sports of bobsleigh & skeleton, curling and luge all had zero!

The worst sports for adverse findings were, not surprisingly, bodybuilding at 14.0% (97 out of 676) and arm wrestling: 9.0%, with 16 out of 177.

4.
More than 500,000 tickets sold for ‘23 FIFA Women’s World Cup

FIFA announced that ticket sales for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand surpassed the 500,000 mark, with the 64-match tournament to start on 20 July.

This will be the first Women’s World Cup with 32 teams and the record attendance of 1.131 million from the 2019 tournament in France – in 52 matches – is expected to be passed.

Fans from 120 countries have purchased tickets, led by Australia and New Zealand – of course – but then also the U.S., England, Qatar, Germany, China, Canada, Ireland and France among the top 10.

The tournament will get a dress rehearsal in New Zealand from 17-23 February as FIFA stages a play-in tournament for 10 teams with three spots available in the Women’s World Cup to come from: Portugal, Cameroon, Thailand, Chile, Haiti, Senegal, Chinese Taipei, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay or Panama.

5.
Track & field’s Bob Hersh – “The Commissioner” – passes at 82

One of the most influential individuals in track & field in the 20th century and into the 21st, Bob Hersh, passed away on Wednesday at age 82 after a lengthy battle with cancer at Long Island, New York.

Starting as a team manager in high school and then at Columbia University, Hersh went on to become a prolific writer, announcer, statistician and critic of the sport and eventually part of its power structure, rising to Senior Vice President of the IAAF.

Among the U.S. track & field cognoscenti, he was universally known as “The Commissioner.” Why? He explained it in a 2018 interview with USA Track & Field on his induction into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame:

“[I]n the 1980s I developed the USA/Mobil Indoor Grand Prix. That was a program that brought together the meets on the North American indoor circuit, and there were more than a dozen of them at that time. I designed the Grand Prix, I wrote the rules, and I was the scorer and administrator; they actually at one point gave me the title of Commissioner.”

Hersh was a lawyer by trade, graduating from Harvard Law School and was a long-time counsel for the Equitable Life Assurance Society in New York. But he found plenty of time to immerse himself in his favorite sport.

He served the U.S. federation – as The Athletics Congress, then USA Track & Field – as Records Committee Chair (1981-88), Rules Committee Chair (1989-2001) and General Counsel (1989-97); he was an indispensable board member from 1981-2015.

Hersh served as the U.S. representative on the IAAF Council from 1999-2015, and was elected as Senior Vice President in 2011, the highest position in the federation ever held by an American. He was awarded the IAAF Silver Order of Merit in 2015 and until fairly recently was the head of the World Athletics Doping Review Board, which reviewed the eligibility of Russian athletes asking to compete as neutrals.

He was also the public address announcer for six Olympic Games – beginning in 1984 – and nine World Championships, but he was much more fun to talk to when he could express his opinions on many subjects, not just track & field.

Hersh was serious about the sport, but was a wonderful friend to so many who were involved in any capacity: athlete, coach, journalist, commentator, statisticians and fans. His staggering contribution to the sport, at times boisterous but over time more subtle and targeted, demonstrates the importance for every sport to attract people of integrity, talent and devotion to help make it better. Sometimes, it’s not all about the athletes.

He is survived by his wife Louise, who was with him for so many great moments they shared together at meets, and with friends from around the world.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● The IHF men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden has moved into the second round, with 24 of the 32 teams advanced to more round-robin play.

Spain (Group A), France (B), Sweden (C), Germany (E), Norway (F), Egypt (G) and defending champ Denmark (H) all went 3-0 in their matches. The U.S. lost its last group-play game to Egypt, 35-16, but advanced to the second round-robin in Group IV.

The second group matches will conclude on the 23rd and the quarterfinals will start on the 25th; the medal matches will be on the 29th.

● Hockey ● The 2023 FIH Men’s World Cup continues in Bhubaneswar (IND), with only the Netherlands still undefeated at 2-0 among the four groups and one more match to go. The top 12 teams will advance to knock-out rounds that begin on the 22nd.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Lombardy Region President, Attilio Fontana, had reassuring comments on the organization of the 2026 Winter Games after a Monday meeting on the progress of the project:

“I feel like I can say that even those concerns that had been highlighted for some works will definitely be overcome.

“We certainly do not fear the Cassandras who, even in these hours, inexplicably, seem to hope that ‘everything will go wrong’: sportingly speaking, given that the theme is the Olympics, I can only confirm how our team is close-knit and compact and that, through a team game, it will get to the finish line by centering the goal of making itself ready for the 2026 Games.”

● World University Games ● The Winter World University Games in Lake Placid is heading toward the close on Sunday, with Japan the big winner through the first seven days.

The Japanese squad has won 31 total medals, way out in front, with France second at 11, Poland with 10 and the U.S. with eight. In fact, Japan has more golds – 15 – then France had total medals! Japan dominated the Nordic Combined, with eight total medals (4-3-1) and has won eight in Speed Skating (3-2-3): that’s more than half of their total.

The host U.S. (1-5-2) has won one gold, with Evan Nichols and Niklas Malacinski taking the Nordic Combined Team Sprint (Normal Hill).

● Athletics ● The University of Southern California announced Wednesday that it has renamed its track and field facility as Allyson Felix Field, replacing the long-time name of Cromwell Field.

The seating facility surrounding the track remains Loker Stadium, named after donor Katherine Loker, which opened in 2001. The field had long been named for legendary USC coach Dean Cromwell, who won 12 NCAA Track & Field Championships at USC during his tenure from 1909-13 and 1916-48. He was an assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic team in 1936 and has been identified as responsible for removing Jewish sprinters Sam Stoller and Marty Glickman from the U.S. 4×100 m relay team, possibly on anti-Semitic grounds; he never apologized for the incident. He was also the head coach for the 1948 U.S. Olympic track & field team.

USC announced in 2019 that it was reviewing the naming of the field for Cromwell in 1984 in view of his racial views. The news release of the field being named for Felix does not mention Cromwell. Felix graduated from USC, but never ran for the track team as she turned professional out of high school. Now retired, she won 11 Olympic medals (7-3-1) and 20 World Championships medals (14-3-3) in the 200 m, 400 m and relays.

● Cycling ● The road cyclists are back, with the finish of the UCI Women’s World Tour Santos Tour Down Under in Australia on 15-16-17 January.

Only the second of the three stages was even moderately hilly and the top eight riders were within 15 seconds of each other going into the final ride from Adelaide to Campbelltown. Australian Grace Brown – the 2022 Worlds Time trial runner-up – outleaned countrywoman (and three-time winner) Amanda Spratt at the tape and took the overall title at 8:03:29 to 8:03:39, with fellow Australian Georgia Williams third (+0:19). American Krista Doebel-Hickok was fifth (+0:29).

It’s Brown’s first win – and first medal – in this race!

● Football ● The U.S. women will play this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup group-stage matches in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand and so they are on tour there now, playing friendlies against the Football Ferns.

On Wednesday in Wellington, the U.S. claimed a 4-0 win, with all of its goals coming in the second half. Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh) got the first goal of the match in the 52nd minute on a header, followed quickly by an Alex Morgan goal in the 60th, Swanson again in the 62nd and finally a Lynn Williams score in the 72nd.

The American women controlled the match with 74% of possession and a 15-2 shots advantage. U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher recorded her 51st career shutout.

The U.S. now holds an 18-1-1 record all-time vs. New Zealand and they will play again on Saturday (21st) in Auckland.

● Swimming ● A modest audience for NBC’s delayed highlights package of the Tyr Pro Swim Series aired on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, up against live NFL playoff action, with an average of 345,000 viewers.

The Miami at Buffalo game against it drew 30.87 million viewers for CBS.

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LANE ONE: Valieva clearance by RUSADA appeal board brings U.S. skaters a step closer to their medals

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Court of Arbitration for Sport

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As the one-year anniversary of the revelation that Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva had returned a positive doping test comes up on 8 February, the endless inquiries and appeals appear to finally be coming to a close.

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s announcement last Friday that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee had returned a decision holding Valieva – now 16 – to be at “no fault or negligence” for the positive test is an important step forward.

WADA had already filed, under its authority in the World Anti-Doping Code, to remove the cases from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency after months of waiting for a resolution to the case. Now it has one, so the next steps are clearer.

Based on the WADA statement, and statements made by others, what we know is:

● The RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee found that Valieva had, in fact, committed a doping violation. This is critically important.

● It found “no fault or negligence” on her part, which allowed the Disciplinary Committee – under the World Anti-Doping Code – to let her essentially skip any penalties; she was sanctioned with only a suspension of one day’s ineligibility for 25 December 2021, the day she took the test.

● The RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee is separate and independent of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. This may sound strange given the names, but the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee is, essentially, an appeals panel for decisions made by RUSADA. And the main agency and the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee have not been on the same page for a long time on this case.

● The Russian Anti-Doping Agency itself says it may appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee in the Valieva case! Said RUSADA chief Veronika Loginova:

“After reviewing the reasoning part of the decision of the disciplinary committee in this case, RUSADA will consider the possibility of appealing it. We expect to receive the full text of the decision in soon and without any delay.”

Strange? Not really. Consider the timeline a year ago:

● On 7 February 2022, during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Valieva’s positive test for trimetazidine – a prohibited substance – was confirmed by the Swedish laboratory doing the test, at a very low level of 2.1 ng/mL.

● On 8 February 2022, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency notified Valieva that she was provisionally suspended. Valieva immediately appealed.

● On 9 February 2022, the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee appeals board reversed the suspension and lifted the provisional suspension, allowing Valieva to compete in the women’s figure skating competition in Beijing.

So, RUSADA and its appeals division were not in agreement on the Valieva case a year ago and they aren’t now.

There’s all kinds of speculation about what will happen next and how Valieva’s status as a “Protected Person” – a minor – under the World Anti-Doping Code will help her. Based on what we know now, the case appears to be rather straightforward, but will surely be complicated by the full opinion of the Russian Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee.

Let’s try to sort this out:

(1) Based on the WADA announcement last Friday, even the Russian Disciplinary Committee agrees that there was a doping violation by Valieva as shown by her 25 December 2021 test that showed trimetazidine in a low concentration of 2.1 ng/mL. This would suggest that Valieva’s B-sample also tested positive for the drug.

She tested negative on 30 October 2021, 13 January 2022 and 7 February 2022.

(2) The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s 41-page opinion in Beijing, issued on 17 February 2022, concerned only Valieva’s provisional suspension and her ability to compete in Beijing, and not whether a suspension after a full investigation should be imposed. However, that CAS decision provides a roadmap for what happens now, a year later.

(3) For athletes who are not “protected” – that is, adults aged 18 or older – the World Anti-Doping Code imposes suspensions for use of banned substances such as trimetazidine, usually of four years. Showings that a doping positive was caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or drink has sometimes caused suspensions to be lifted, but the contamination process must be specified in detail: what was ingested, where and how and with proof. For example, American sprinter and long jumper Jarrion Lawson successfully ended a suspension in 2020 with proof of contaminated beef he ingested from a specific restaurant.

(4) However, for a “Protected Person” such as Valieva – due to her age – the standard of proof for contamination is lower. In the World Anti-Doping Code, section 10.6.1.3:

“Where the anti-doping rule violation not involving a Substance of Abuse is committed by a Protected Person or Recreational Athlete, and the Protected Person or Recreational Athlete can establish No Significant Fault or Negligence, then the period of Ineligibility shall be, at a minimum, a reprimand and no period of Ineligibility, and at a maximum, two (2) years Ineligibility, depending on the Protected Person on the Protected Person or Recreational Athlete’s degree of Fault.”

(5) So now the question turns to the level of proof for Valieva to “establish” that she had “no significant fault or negligence,” permitting just a day’s sanction instead of a suspension of a few months.

WADA is hardly convinced that Valieva somehow drank – once – from the same glass that her grandfather (who apparently takes trimetazidine for a heart condition) used, or touched the glass in a way that would innocently introduce the drug into her body. WADA contended during the Beijing hearing:

“The position of the two [Russian] scientific experts was, in essence, that the concentration in the Athlete’s sample was compatible with contamination. The experts conceded, however, that the [positive doping finding] was also compatible with the end of the excretion period after a full dose of Trimetazidine. …

“The Athlete failed to provide evidence that her explanation is ‘most likely’: a) First, there is no independent and/or documentary evidence that the Athlete’s grandfather used Trimetazidine. There is, without limitation, no proof of purchase, no underlying medical records, and no prescription; b) Second, there is no scientific evidence as to whether the specifics of the AAF (in particular the concentration of Trimetazidine) are compatible with the athlete’s explanation of the accidental exposure.”

(6) What did the RUSADA investigation show and how did the Disciplinary Committee consider the evidence on appeal? This is why the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee is needed, in that it handed down a penalty at the absolute low end of the scale – a one-day sanction – while a suspension of up to two years is also possible for “Protected Persons.”

(7) WADA may actually be in a better position now than it was in November, when it removed the case from RUSADA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, under section 13.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code. In that circumstance, “WADA may elect to appeal directly to CAS as if the Anti-Doping Organization had rendered a decision finding no anti-doping rule violation.”

It appears that now, even the new Russia Disciplinary Committee decision found that there was a doping violation by Valieva. If so, the burden is now on her to “establish” her lack of fault and not on WADA to prove that there was a violation and that she was at fault.

So, with WADA appeal coming, a Court of Arbitration for Sport panel – yet to be assigned – will have to weigh the level of fault that Valieva had in ingesting enough trimetazidine to create the doping positive.

With a normal suspension for a “Protected Person” of up to two years (24 months), if the CAS panel found her just 6.2% responsible, she could be assigned a ban of 45 days (6.2% of 730 days is 45) from the date of the positive test – 25 December 2021 – that would include 7 February 2022, when she finished competing in the Team Event in Beijing.

A more likely – and less pointed – ban would be three months, which would make Valieva ineligible for both the Team Event and the women’s Singles, disqualifying the winning Russian team and nullifying her fourth-place finish in the women’s competition.

All of this is really about Valieva’s eligibility to skate in the Team Event and whether Russia should be awarded the gold medal, or be disqualified. There is another inquiry into any mischief by the entourage around Valieva, but this is separate.

The Russian Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee found a way to give Valieva a free pass for her doping violation prior to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, in February of 2022 and now in January of 2023. It’s far from sure that she will get the same lenient treatment in front of a non-Russian panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In the meantime, however, everyone – including the American, Japanese and Canadian skaters that went 2–3-4 in the Team Event – have to continue to wait.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: Russian anti-doping agency says Valieva at “no fault” for doping; FIFA inquiring into Argentina’s behavior after win; U.S. handball history!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. RUSADA found Valieva at “no fault” in doping probe
2. Six more Moscow Lab Russian doping positives!
3. FIFA opens inquiry into Argentina’s conduct during final
4. Papa Massata Diack corruption appeal opens in Paris
5. Japan takes first medals at Winter Universiade in Lake Placid

The Russian decision on the Kamila Valieva doping situation from the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games was disclosed Friday by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which said the Disciplinary Committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency found she was not at fault and penalized her only one day as a sanction. The matter is now turning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with WADA expected to appeal, along with others. The Athletics Integrity Unit announced six more Russian doping positives, including a new positive from the London 2012 Games, all based on data from the infamous Moscow Laboratory database, in which data was manipulated as part of a state-sponsored scheme from 2011-15. FIFA announced a series of sanctions from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and opened an inquiry into the antics of the winning Argentinian team following their victory over France in the final. In Paris, an appeal of a corruption conviction against Senegalese middleman Papa Massata Diack has begun; he was convicted of working in cooperation with his father, the late IAAF President, Lamine Diack, to cover up Russia doping positives and to secure bribes to influence the selection of Olympic host cities for 2016 and 2020. At the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, Japan won the first medals of the Games last Friday in the Mixed Classical Team Sprint in cross-country skiing.

1.
RUSADA found Valieva at “no fault” in doping probe

“The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has been informed by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) that its disciplinary tribunal has now rendered a decision in the case of Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) figure skater, Kamila Valieva. The tribunal found that although the athlete had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, she bore ‘no fault or negligence’ for it. As such, the tribunal imposed no sanction except for the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection (25 December 2021).”

WADA posted its statement on Friday, publicly disclosing the finding of the independent Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, which the Russians had said previously they would not announce publicly.

This is not a great surprise, since the RUSADA Disciplinary Committee is the same group that reversed her suspension by RUSADA’s administration and allowed her to compete at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games last February. The question is, what happens now.

WADA’s statement noted:

“The decision in this case comes in the wake of WADA’s announcement on 8 November 2022 that following an unacceptable delay by RUSADA in rendering a decision in this matter, the Agency had referred it directly to CAS. In that referral, WADA sought a four-year period of ineligibility for the athlete. Following a full review of the RUSADA decision, WADA will consider what its next steps will be so that the matter is dealt with as quickly as possible and without further undue delay.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport matter is still in its early stages, so there may not be much additional delay, although the parties will now wait for the acquisition of the full decision from the RUSADA Disciplinary Committee.

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart told USA Today that “WADA and the [International Skating Union] have to appeal this decision for the sake of the credibility of the anti-doping system and the rights of all athletes. The world can’t possibly accept this self-serving decision by RUSADA.”

They might not be the only ones. Veronika Loginova, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency told TASS:

“RUSADA has not yet received the full text of the decision of the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, namely its reasoning part. We will conduct a legal assessment of the rationale for the decision taken by the committee. After reviewing the reasoning part of the decision of the disciplinary committee in this case, RUSADA will consider the possibility of appealing it. We expect to receive the full text of the decision in soon and without any delay.”

Russian politicians were, of course, pleased. But State Duma member Svetlana Zhurova told TASS:

“These are intermediate decisions, everyone understands this, and, most likely, in the end everything will be decided in court. But, if earlier foreign lawyers could defend us, and this led to good results, now it will be more difficult – many of them have been banned from doing this.

“On the other hand, it is important that the Disciplinary Committee made just such a decision. The position is clear, and it is formulated on an evidence base. Further, most likely, WADA will consider this, and we understand that they will try to play this situation in their own way.”

The International Olympic Committee told TASS:

“The IOC welcomes WADA’s announcement to conduct a full review of RUSADA’s decision in order to consider further action and the possibility of resolving the case as soon as possible without further undue delay.

“Since this concerns a test that was conducted outside the Olympic Games, but which has an impact on the results in the team tournament and individual competitions at Beijing Winter Olympics, the IOC hopes that the case will be resolved as soon as possible. This is also in the interests of all participants, especially athletes who have not yet been able to receive their medals from the Games in 2022.

“Only the completion of the case will allow the International Skating Union to establish the final results of the team tournament and the IOC to decide on the distribution of medals.”

2.
Six more Moscow Lab Russian doping positives!

The hits just keep on coming. Even after the International Testing Agency closed its books on doping re-analysis from the London 2012 Olympic Games, the independent Athletics Integrity Unit posted more 2012 doping sanctions on Friday, based on information from the manipulated (LIMS) database of the infamous Moscow Laboratory from 2011-15:

● “Russian athlete Yelena Churakova has been banned for 2 years from 11 January 2023 for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method. DQ results from 20 June 2012 until 28 February 2013.”

This is London doping positive no. 74, the most of any Games in history. Churakova was a 2012 semifinalist in the women’s 400 m hurdles and had a lifetime best of 54.78 from that year. She was caught for doping six different times between 20 June and 1 August of that year, but the database showed no positives. Now 36, her personal best reverts to 54.79 from 2011; she last competed in 2015.

● “Russian athlete Yevgeniya Kolodko has been banned for 2 years from 11 January 2023 for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method. DQ results from 4 July 2012 until 2 July 2016.”

Kolodko and doping were old friends, as she had previously been disqualified for doping and lost her bronze medal in the women’s shot (20.48 m/67-2 1/4). The new data showed two more positive samples for steroids during 12 days in July 2012, adding to her suspension. Now 32, she last competed in 2014, and her lifetime best reverts to 20.22 m (66-4 1/4) from 2012 and she loses her 2014 European Championships silver medal.

● “Russian athlete Yekaterina Strokova has been banned for 4 years from 11 January 2023 for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method. DQ results from 20 June 2012 until 11 January 2023.”

A discus thrower, Strokova had four non-recorded positives from tests in 2012-13-14, but did not compete in London 2012. Now 33, she competed in 2022 and is now likely done. Her lifetime best reverts to 63.52 m (208-5) in early 2012 from 65.78 m (215-10) in 2014.

● “Russian athlete Anton Luboslavskiy has been banned for 4 years from 11 January 2023 for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method. DQ results from 20 June 2012 until 11 January 2023.”

A 2008 Olympian as a men’s shot putter, he last competed in 2017 and his lifetime best remains 20.78 m (68-2 1/4) from 2012. Now 38, he tested positive for steroids in June and July of 2012, neither of which was recorded.

● “Russian athlete Anastasiya Kapachinskaya has been banned for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method.”

The 2003 World Champion in the women’s 200 m, she’s a three-time loser now, having previously been sanctioned in 2004 and 2011. Now 43, she last competed in 2013; due to her prior penalties and loss of results, no sanctions were added.

● “Russian athlete Yevgeniya Polyakova has been banned for 4 years from 11 January 2023 for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method. DQ results from 20 June 2012 until 11 January 2023.”

Now 39, she last competed in 2017 and was a 2008 Olympian, reaching the women’s 100 m semis and running on the winning women’s 4×100 m that was later disqualified for doping by others. She had a best of 11.09 from 2007.

Olympic statman Hilary Evans (GBR) tweeted:

“So with the news of the disqualification of hurdler Yelena Churakova from the 2012 Olympics, 46 Russian athletes have now been disqualified from an event at the those games.

“Although I should point that 4 of the disqualified owe their DQs to team mates doping rather than their own deeds”

3.
FIFA opens inquiry into Argentina’s conduct during final

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Argentinian Football Association due to potential breaches of articles 11 (Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and 12 (Misconduct of players and officials) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, as well as of article 44 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Regulations in conjunction with the Media and Marketing Regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, during the Argentina v. France FIFA World Cup final.”

That from a FIFA statement posted last Friday, which summarized multiple actions by the federation from the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The International Sports Journalists Association (AIPS) explained in a Saturday post:

“Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a lewd gesture with his goalkeeper of the tournament trophy after the match, before being filmed in the dressing room mocking France star Kylian Mbappe.

“Argentine players and officials also sang an offensive song about the media while celebrating at the mixed zone, one of the press areas, after their victory over France [at] Lusail Stadium in Doha.”

FIFA also handed out penalties to three member associations:

● Ecuadorian Football Association: A fine of CHF 20,000 and a “partial stadium closure” – the spectator areas behind the goals – for its next home match due to an offensive “chant” by Ecuador fans during the Ecuador-Qatar World Cup opener on 20 November 2022.

● Mexican Football Association: A fine of CHF 100,000 and one home match to be played without spectators due to anti-gay chants by Mexican fans during group matches with Poland (22 November) and Saudi Arabia (30 November). This is just the latest in a long line of sanctions due to the actions of Mexican fans.

● Football Association of Serbia: A fine of CHF 50,000 and a 25% stadium closure for its next home match due to chants by its fans during the Serbia vs. Switzerland group-stage match on 2 December.

An inquiry was also opened against Croatia for its aggressive actions against the referees following the end of the Croatia-Morocco third-place game.

4.
Papa Massata Diack corruption appeal opens in Paris

Although Lamine Diack, the former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) died in 2021, the convictions for corruption, fraud and extortion for hiding Russian doping positives reached in Paris from 2020 included his son, Papa Massata Diack, who is very much alive and continuing to live in Senegal, far away from French jurisdiction.

Reuters reported on Friday that the Papa Massata Diack’s appeal of those convictions has started, with the younger Diack’s lawyers saying that he is under “legal supervision” in Senegal. Their request for a further postponement was rejected by the French court. Per Reuters:

“French prosecutors have argued Papa Massata was at the centre of a corruption probe that spanned Europe, Asia and the Americas, and that included the awarding of the 2020 Olympic Games to Tokyo and the 2016 Games to Rio de Janeiro.”

Lamine Diack was head of the IAAF from 1999 until being forced to resign due to the corruption allegations, in 2015, after which he was under house arrest in Paris until his trial finished in 2020. In failing health, he was allowed to return to Senegal and died there in December 2021 at age 88. Diack was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1999-2013 and during that time was accused of buying votes on behalf of bid cities in the elections for the hosts of the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

5.
Japan takes first medals at Winter Universiade in Lake Placid

The 2023 Winter World University Games is underway in Lake Placid, New York, with weather delaying some of the first events on the schedule last Friday, but Japan claiming the first medal of the Games.

While the Alpine Super-G had to be postponed, the 8.1 km Mixed Classical Sprint Team event in cross-country skiing took place in snow and concluded at 10:57 a.m. Eastern time (Friday) with Ryo Hirose and Rin Sobue winning in 20:42.85, just ahead of Americans Finn Sweet and Ranae Anderson (20:51.87).

Event no. 2 was the men’s Snowboard Cross final at Gore Mountain, with Benjamin Gattaz (FRA) taking the gold over Jakub Zerava (CZE) and Leon Beckhaus (GER) at about 1:45 p.m. That was followed by the women’s final, with Swiss Sophie Hediger winning almost wire-to-wire over France’s Chloe Passerat and Kim Martinez over the 965 m course at 1:52 p.m.

The Winter WUG continues through the 12th, with 1,443 athletes from 46 countries competing in 85 events across 12 sports. The International Fair Play Committee is on site and will recognize acts of sportsmanship from Lake Placid during the Closing Ceremony; nomination information is here.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● Some history at the IHF men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden, with the first-ever win by a U.S. men’s team at the Worlds in 26 tries.

Prior to its opening Group G match against Morocco, the U.S. men had been 0-25 in their six prior World Cup appearances – the last was in 2001 – and had been out-scored by a staggering 778-377 (31-15 average).

But against Morocco on Friday in Jonkoping (SWE), the game was 12-12 at half, but the U.S. built up a 25-22 lead with eight minutes left. But Morocco scored three straight to tie it and after Alexandre Chan Bianco scored his fifth goal with 1:51 left put the U.S. up, 27-26, Rezzouki Reida scored his second goal with 1:10 left to tie it again for Morocco. It was up to Aboubakar Fofana of the U.S. to get the game-winner with 43 seconds left – his sixth goal of the game – and when Morocco could not score, the Americans celebrated a historic victory.

The U.S. men were brought down to earth on Sunday, as they lost to Croatia, 40-22. They have one more in the group, against Egypt (2-0).

Group play continues to the 17th, with a second round-robin before the playoffs begin on 25 January.

● Hockey ● The 15th FIH men’s World Cup has started in Bhubaneswar (IND), with 16 teams in competition, led by defending champion Belgium. The top seeds are host India, Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Group play will continue through the 20th, with the playoffs beginning on the 22nd.

● Ice Hockey ● For the first time since 2018, the IIHF Women’s U18 World Championship did not feature a Canada vs. U.S. final. Instead, it was home favorites Sweden facing Canada for the title in Oestersund (SWE) on Sunday, with Canada winning its seventh title via a 10-0 rout.

The Canadian women won Group A with a 3-0 record, beating the U.S., 3-1, and defeating Sweden, 4-2. Canada’s semifinal was a tight, 3-2 overtime win against Finland, while the Swedes surprised the U.S., 2-1.

But in the final, the Canadians jumped on top, out-shooting Sweden by 14-3 in the first period and piling up a 5-0 lead. Forward Caitlin Kraemer opened the scoring with goals at 5:16 and 5:41 of the opening period and got a third at the 12-minute mark to make it 5-0 and the rout was on. She scored a fourth in the third period on a power play, as Canada out-shot the Swedes, 40-21. Canadian keeper Hannah Clark got the shutout.

The U.S. took the bronze medal with a 5-0 shutout of Finland, continuing its streak of having won a medal in every edition of this event (7-7-1).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The first of three straight Super-G races on the FIS women’s World Cup tour was in St. Anton (AUT) on Saturday with Italy’s Federica Brignone getting her first win of the season – and 21st of her career, on a shortened course due to heavy snow – in 1:00.21. That was a clear winner over Swiss Joana Haehlin (1:00.75) and Beijing 2022 Olympic champ Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI: 1:00.87.

Sunday’s second Super-G was Gut-Behrami’s second win of the season and 36th of her career, with Brignone second, 1:17.26 to 1:17.41, and fellow Italian Marta Bassino third (1:17.45).

Seasonal leader Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. sat out, but is expected to be back in action on the 24th in Kronplatz (ITA), with two Giant Slaloms scheduled.

Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde was dialed in on the course in Wengen (SUI), winning Friday’s Super-G and then Saturday’s Downhill for his fifth and sixth wins of the season. He finished 0.27 ahead of Swiss Stefan Rogentin, 1:47.84-1:48.11 in the Super-G with seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI: 1:48.50) third, and then out-raced Odermatt in the Downhill in 1:43.14 (to 1:44.02). American Ryan Cochran-Siegle was sixth in the Super-G.

Sunday’s Slalom saw Norway win its fourth World Cup race in a row and 11th out of 20 this season with Henrik Kristoffersen logging his 30th career World Cup victory, 1:51.18 to 1:51.38 over Swiss Loic Meillard, with fellow Norwegian Lucas Braathen third (1:51.67).

● Athletics ● Sunday’s Chevron Houston Marathon winners were Kenyan Dominic Ondoro (2:10:36) by a second over Tsedat Ayana (ETH: 2:10:37) in the men’s race and Japan’s Hitomi Niiya in the women’s race, in 2:19:24.

Now let’s talk about the Half Marathon.

Another close men’s race saw Ethiopian Leul Gebresilassie – the London and Rotterdam Marathons runner-up in 2022 – edge Wesley Kiptoo (KEN) by 60:34 to 60:35 in a final sprint, but the women’s race had a record moment.

The women’s race was two impressive runaways. Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan – the 2021 Berlin Marathon runner-up and Milan Marathon winner, listed as Hiwot Gebremaryam – ran away from the field almost from the gun, winning in 66:28. Her primary chaser after 15 km was American Emily Sisson, who finished well back, but in 66:52, shattering her American Record of 67:11 from 2022. Britain’s Jessica Warner-Judd was further back in third at 67:19. American Molly Huddle was fifth in 70:01.

Sisson, 31, was 10th at the Tokyo Olympic 10,000 m and scored American Records in the Marathon (2:18:29) and Half Marathon in 2022, and now owns four of the top six Half times in U.S. history.

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw scared her own world mark of 29:14 – from 2022 – in the women’s 10 km road race with a 29:19 win at the Valencia 10K Ibercaja on Sunday in Spain. It’s the no. 2 performance in history; she won by 42 seconds.

Defending champions Nick Christie and Miranda Melville repeated their wins at the USA Track & Field 35 km Walk Championships on Sunday at Santee, California.

Christie won his third straight national title in 2:44:16, the no. seven performance in U.S. history (he has four of them) and won by 3:32 over Dan Nehnevaj (2:47:48), who moved to no. 6 on the all-time U.S. performer list.

Melville moved into the lead just past halfway and widened her lead over fellow walk star Maria Michta-Coffey to win in 2:57:22 to move to no. 2 on the all-time U.S. performer and performance lists. Michta-Coffey was a clear second in 2:58:39, a lifetime best at this new distance and the no. 3 performance in U.S. history. Stephanie Casey was third in 3:00.05, making her the no. 4 U.S. performer ever.

● Badminton ● The BWF World Tour $1.25 million Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur had all five leaders in the world rankings, and all five won!

Viktor Axelsen (DEN) defeated Kodai Naraoka (JPN), 21-6, 21-15 to win the men’s Singles, and Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) came from behind to defeat Se Young An (KOR), 12-21, 21-19, 21-11 in the women’s Singles.

Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto (INA) won the men’s Doubles over Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang (CHN), 21-18, 18-21, 21-13, but China won the women’s Doubles behind Qing Chen Chen and Yi Fan Jia (CHN), over Ha Na Baek and Yu Lim Lee (KOR), 21-16, 21-10.

In the Mixed Doubles final, top-ranked Si Wei Zheng and Ya Qiong Huang (CHN) struggled past Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino (JPN), 21-19, 21-11.

● Biathlon ● Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe came into the fifth stop on the IBU World Cup tour in Ruhpolding (GER) having won seven of the last nine races, and no one could stop him in Wednesday’s 20 km Individual, as he skied away from countryman Vetle Christiansen, 48:48.4 (2 penalties) to 48:58.3 (1).

On Sunday, the 15 km Mass Start, Boe racked up three penalties, but still won in 36:12.0 to 36:31.3 for Christiansen (two penalties), as Norway went 1-2-3-4. That’s 9 of 11 for Boe now.

The women’s 15 km Individual on Thursday was a win for Lisa Vitozzi (ITA), her first since 2019-20 and her seventh career World Cup gold.. She beat France’s Lou Jeanmonnot, 40:05.9 (0) to 40:44.9 (0), with Julia Simon (FRA) winning a medal in her fifth straight race! (40:51.1/1).

The 12.5 km Mass Start finally saw a won for Simon, who had medaled in five straight races, but without a victory. She finished in 32:52.0 (3) to 32:54.6 for Vitozzi (1). France’s Anais Chevalier-Bouchet claimed the bronze in 32:58.7 (1).

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Olympic women’s Monobob champ Kaillie Humphries scored her second win of the season in the first of two weeks of competitions at Altenberg (GER), beating Two-Woman Olympic winner Laura Nolte (GER), 1:57.92 to 1:58.47.

German Lisa Buckwitz, the 2018 Olympic gold medalist took the Two-Woman victory with Kira Lipperheide in 1:53.17 – their first win of the season – ahead of teammate Kim Kalicki (1:53.29) and Nolte (1:53.55), who tied for third with Humphries and Jasmine Jones.

Germany’s Johannes Lochner, the Beijing Two-Man and Four-Man silver winner, took his third straight World Cup win in the Two-Man, 1:49.20 to 1:49.63 over Britain’s Brad Hall, who won his third silver in five races this season. Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich was third (1:50.26).

In the Four-Man, it was Hall with his second win of the season in 1:48.22, ahead of Christoph Hader (GER: 1:48.31) and Lochner (1:48.48).

Britain scored a third win this season in the men’s Skeleton with Matt Weston getting his second victory in 1:52.44, over Olympic champ Christopher Grotheer (GER: 1:52.58) and teammate Axel Jungk (1:52.94). Four-time World Champion Tina Hermann (GER: 1:56.23) took her second win of the season, 1:56.23 to 1:57.27 over teammate Susanne Kreher, with European champ Kimberley Bos third (1:57.45).

● Curling ● The fourth of six events on the Grand Slam of Curling was the Canadian Open in Camrose, Alberta (CAN), with Beijing Olympic champ and six-time World Champion Niklas Edin (SWE) suffering a rare defeat in the men’s final.

Instead, it was three-time Grand Slam tournament winner Brendan Bottcher (CAN) – the winner of this tournament in 2019 – who got up by 3-2 after the third end and added points in the fourth and fifth and hung up for a 5-3 victory.

On the women’s final, it was Beijing Olympic silver medalist Satsuki Fujisawa (JPN) who took the early lead and never lost it, defeating 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Kerri Einarson (CAN), 5-3. Fujisawa’s rink went up 3-0 after two ends and got points in the fifth and seventh ends to clinch the title.

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup circuit resumed in Paris with men’s and women’s Foil competitions and a fourth career World Cup victory for American star Alexander Massialas, the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist.

Massialas defeated Hong Kong’s Ka Long Cheung, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, 15-13 in the semifinals and then took the gold with a 15-5 finals triumph over Italian Guillaume Bianchi, in his first World Cup final.

Italy won the team title, however, 45-42, with the U.S. squad of Massialas, Miles Chamley-Watson, Nick Itkin and Gerek Meinhardt.

In the women’s final, Alice Volpi, Italy’s 2018 World Champion, defeated American Lee Kiefer, the Tokyo Olympic champ, 15-13, in a thrilling final. It was Volpi’s seventh World Cup gold and 16th career medal. Kiefer won her 5th career World Cup silver and 19th career medal.

Italy defeated the U.S. in the women’s team final as well; Kiefer teamed with Jacqueline Dubrovich, Zander Rhodes and Stefani Deschner for the silver.

In the FIE Sabre Grand Prix in Tunis (TUN), Sandro Bazadze of Georgia was the men’s winner over Tokyo silver medalist Luigi Samele of Italy, 15-9, for his first career Grand Prix title. American Eli Dershwitz, the 2018 Worlds silver winner, was one of the two bronze medalists.

Greece’s 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Delpina Georgiadou won the women’s final, 15-10, over Lucia Martin-Portugues of Spain.

● Luge ● Stage five on the FIL World Cup tour was in Sigulda (LAT) for the second week in a row, with lots of medals for the home teams, but most of the wins for Germany.

Germany’s Max Langenhan won the men’s Singles from two-time Olympic champ Felix Loch (GER), 1:32.588 to 1:32.646, and three-time Olympic gold medalists Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won the men’s Doubles over Martins Bots and Roberts Plume, 1:24.022-1:24.084.

The women’s Singles winner was 2018 Olympic silver medalist Dajana Eitberger (GER), 1:22.999-1:23.093 over Elina Vitola (LAT), with 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz (GER: 1:23.143) third. The women’s Doubles was the third win this season for Italy’s Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer, 1:26.281 to 1:26.782 ahead of Anda Upite and Sanija Ozolina (LAT).

● Ski Jumping ● The men’s World Cup tour resumed after the Four Hills Tournament in Zakopane (POL), jumping off a 140 m hill at night, with Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud continuing his hot streak with his fourth win in the last five events.

Granerud scored 287.7 for the win over home favorite (and 2019 World Champion) Dawid Kubacki (286.6) and three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft (AUT: 278.5).

The women’s tour was in Japan for two competitions in Zao (102 m hill), with Canada’s Alexandria Loutitt, 19, getting her first medal and her first win (!), scoring 240.3 points. Austria took the other medals, with seasonal leader Eva Pinkelnig (231.8) and Chiara Kreuzer (228.6).

On Sunday, Pinkelnig won her fifth event of the season, 230.1 to 228.8 over German Selina Freitag; Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem was third (220.1).

● Snowboard ● The final competition in the FIS Big Air World Cup was in Kreischberg (AUT), with Japan sweeping the men’s podium and getting the women’s seasonal winner.

The men’s winner was Taiga Hasegawa, in a tight battle with teammates Ryoma Kimata and Kira Kimura, 186.00-182.50-181.75. The seasonal winner was Valentino Guseli of Italy, with 214 points, ahead of American Chris Corning (196).

The women’s winner was two-time Olympic champ Anna Gasser (AUT), who got her first win of the season, 179.75 to 176.50 over Olympic silver winner Zoi Sadowski Synnott, with Kokomo Murase (JPN: 174.50) third. The seasonal title, however, went to Japanese veteran Reira Iwabuchi, over Murase, 192-182, with Gasser third (180).

In Scuol (SUI), Poland’s Oskar Kwiatkowski won his first World Cup gold in the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom, defeating Mirko Felicetti (ITA) in the final, with veteran Andreas Prommegger (AUT) third.

Germany was 1-2 in the women’s Parallel Giant Slalom, with Carolin Langenhorst getting her first World Cup gold by beating 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Ramona Theresia Hofmeister in the final; Swiss star Julie Zogg was third.

● Swimming ● Four different women each won three events to highlight the Tyr Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, Tennessee that concluded on Saturday.

American Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky was an easy – but impressive – winner in the 200 m, 400 m and 1,500 m events, winning in 1:55.47, 4:00.20 and 15:37.99, the latter the no. 14 performance in history … all of them hers.

Ledecky was second in the 400 m Medley, losing to 17-year-old Katie Grimes, 4:35.92 to 4:36.09. Grimes also won the 800 m Free (8:27.73) that Ledecky did not contest, and the 200 m Butterfly in 2:09.58.

Ireland’s Mona McSharry, who swims for Tennessee, took a triple victory in the 50-100-200 m Breast and Canada’s three-time Backstroke World Champion, Kylie Masse, won the 50-100-200 m Back events.

The big sprint winner was four-time Olympic relay medal winner Abbey Weitzeil of the U.S., taking the 50 m Free in 24.74 and the 50 m Fly in 26.50. Rio co-Olympic 10 m Free champ Simone Manuel returned to competition after a year odd and finished a creditable third in the 50 m Free (25.19) and 100 m Free (54.81).

The men’s events saw a great competition between Olympic 800–1,500 m Free gold medalist Bobby Finke of the U.S. and Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, the Tokyo 400 m Freestyle winner. Hafnaoui won the 400 m Free in 3:47.71 with Finke third, and the 800 m Free in 7:53.10, with Finke second. Finke took the 1,500 m Free with a final-lap surge to overtake Hafnaoui, 15:06.53 to 15:07.07. Finke also won the 400 m Medley in 4:17.64, beating Tokyo Olympic silver winner Jay Litherland (4:17.97).

American Justin Ress, the 50 m Back World Champion, won that event in 24.49, over world-record holder Hunter Armstrong (24.70), but Armstrong won the 100 m Back in 52.68 over Rio 2016 Olympic champ Ryan Murphy (53.47). Bulgarian Lyubomir Epitropov, who also swims for Tennessee, won the 100 m (1:01.35) and 200 m (2:12.15) Breaststroke events.

The second installment of the Tyr Pro Swim Series comes 1-4 March in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

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TSX REPORT: Winter Universiade opens in Lake Placid; Litvinov admits doping, loses medal; Gold Coast playing politics vs. Brisbane on 2032 costs

By
Rich Perelman
-
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul opening the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, with FISU Acting President Leonz Eder (l) and Adirondack Sports Council Chair James McKenna (r). (Photo: Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games Organizing Committee)

★ 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 ≡

1. Winter World University Games open in Lake Placid
2. IPC to hear Russian suspension appeal in spring
3. Russia’s Litvinov admits doping, loses 2014 Euro hammer bronze
4. Gold Coast looking to upstage Brisbane in 2032
5. Morgan, Messi, Mbappe nominated for FIFA awards

The 31st Winter World University Games opened in Lake Placid, New York on Thursday evening, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul declaring the Games open, although the ice hockey tournament actually began on Wednesday. The appeals board of the International Paralympic Committee will hear the appeal of the Russian Paralympic Committee to be reinstated in the spring, after the IPC suspended it last November, something the International Olympic Committee has been loath to do with the Russian Olympic Committee. Russian hammer thrower Sergej Litvinov, 36, and son of the 1988 Olympic gold medalist of the same name, admitted to doping in 2012 on a Facebook post, and was promptly slapped with a suspension of two years by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and a nullification of his results that will take away his 2014 European Championships bronze medal. Politics over public spending is in full swing in Australia regarding the 2032 Olympic Games, where the Mayor of Gold Coast – the successful host of the 2018 Commonwealth Games – is campaigning for more events to be moved there from Brisbane, which is facing a possible multi-billion-dollar cost to revamp the Brisbane Cricket Ground (“The Gabba”) for future use as a world-class facility. FIFA’s nominations for its Players of the Year in 2022 were announced Thursday, including American Alex Morgan on the women’s side and men’s World Cup heroes Lionel Messi of Argentina and Kylian Mbappe of France.

1.
Winter World University Games open in Lake Placid

“Let the 2023 Winter World University Games begin!”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul opened the second Winter World University Games to take place in Lake Placid – after a 51-year hiatus – on Thursday evening inside the Olympic Center during a festive, two-hour Opening Ceremony.

Held in the famed Herb Brooks Arena where the “Miracle on Ice” took place during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, the ceremony began with a reading and performance from members of the Oneida Indian Nation and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.

The parade of nations – 46 are participating in Lake Placid – took about 48 minutes, with the biggest cheers for the U.S. team, for Ukraine and for cross-country skier Theo Mallett from Haiti, its first-ever Winter WUG participant.

International University Sports Federation (FISU) Acting President Leonz Eder of Switzerland told the teams and spectators that “Lake Placid is a special city that has created both legends and a legacy that endures.” Referring to the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, he noted:

“To see so many of you gathered here today is a proud and emotional moment, which should make these World University Games a truly festive occasion, especially after the cancellation of Lucerne 2021.”

Eder also asked for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the terrible recent weather in upstate New York and for those who have lose their lives to “senseless wars.”

Hochul noted in her remarks:

“After more than $550 million in state-supported renovations and investments in the North Country to prepare for the games, New York is ready to welcome athletes and spectators from all over the world to our state. I wish the best of luck to the athletes competing, and I thank FISU, the organizing committee and partners at every level of government for ensuring that this event is a resounding success.”

The unique Lake Placid 2023 “torch” – actually an LED display – was brought into the arena and then traveled to Brewster Park a short distance away where the Games cauldron was “lit.”

The competitions actually started on Wednesday, with Slovakia defeating Hungary, 4-0, in the first event. The U.S. men’s team was also in action and whipped Great Britain by 18-0 (not a typo!). The first medals will be determined on Friday morning, with the first ceremony likely for the women’s Alpine Super-G.

2.
IPC to hear Russian suspension appeal in spring

Unlike the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee from membership last November.

This was opposed by the Russians, of course, who filed an appeal, according to RPC President Pavel Rozhkov:

“The Russian Paralympic Committee has received a letter confirming that the IPC Appeals Tribunal received a motion, filed by the RPC and three Russian Para-athletes contesting the decision by the IPC General Assembly to suspend the RPC’s membership with the IPC. The letter states that the hearings will take place either in April or May, 2023.

“The Appeals Tribunal is also set to soon consider at its closed session the RPC’s motion to temporarily lift sanctions previously imposed in regard to Russian Para-athletes.

“In the event of a positive decision on this matter, Russian athletes will have an opportunity to participate in the qualifiers for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris as well as in other major sports tournaments before the appeal of the RPC’s membership status with the IPC is considered.”

3.
Russia’s Litvinov admits doping, loses 2014 Euro hammer bronze

A fascinating post this week from Russian hammer thrower Sergej Litvinov, a three-time national champion, 2014 European bronze medalist and son of the 1988 Olympic gold medalist and 1983 and 1987 World Champion of the same name.

Russian-born data scientist Elena Dyachkova – a long-time U.S. resident – shared a Litvinov (the son) Facebook post on Wednesday that included (as posted in English):

“I took doping in 2012 and took profit from the coverup system in Russia.

“2012 in end of April till end of May i took Oral-Turinabol and Oxandrolon.

“Before this I threw 79m [259-2] in February, I improved almost 2 meter with Doping. The hammer was going further without a good feeling, or a good technique. I felt it was wrong at that time. I lost all my technique feelings, [which I] was working so hard before and the hammer was still going far.”

He noted that he failed to make the Russian Olympic Team that year because of three fouls in the Russian championships. Then:

“After this year I didn’t took anything cause I understood that this isnt the sport I like. My motivation in my sport was to getting better and improve in a very hard technical event. I was interested in training methods, in technique and physiology of this sport. To improve without improvement in this 3 things, but with doping, makes no fun and [sense].

“I had pressure from the federation at that time, but at the end this was my decision and my fault.”

Litvinov got his lifetime best of 80.98 m (265-8) in June 2012 in Moscow, while he was doping. He did reach 80.89 m (265-4) the next year, apparently after his doping program was over. He retired after the 2019 season.

Noted Dyachkova, “Refreshing to see a public admission.”

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency announced on Thursday that, based on his admission, Litvinov is suspended for two years from 8 November 2021, and more importantly, his results will be nullified from 14 July 2012 to 25 February 2016, including his European Champs bronze, but maintaining his lifetime best of 80.98 m in June 2012.

4.
Gold Coast looking to upstage Brisbane in 2032

Although the Games of the XXXV Olympiad is labeled the “Brisbane Games,” Australian politics are already in play to shift more of the focus to the second-largest metropolis in Queensland, Gold Coast.

While much smaller than Brisbane by 2.47 million to 722,000, Gold Coast was the very successful host of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and third-term Mayor Tom Tate is campaigning to move more events there.

Already slated to host all or parts of beach volleyball, football, golf, judo, wrestling, open water swimming, triathlon, volleyball weightlifting and wrestling, Tate told Daily Mail Australia:

“Look at The Gabba [Brisbane Cricket Ground]. They want to spend A$2.5 billion [~$1.74 billion U.S.] to put an extra 8,000 seats in. That simply doesn’t make sense when you cannot deliver affordable housing.

“They should only refurbish it because this is taxpayers’ money and there are hard times right now so it’s not the time to rebuild. If you are going to burn dollars left, right and centre, people will look at you with disdain.

“I say they need to be respectful of taxpayers’ money. We already have a lot of the facilities such as Olympic pools, hockey fields and BMX, to name a few. Let’s focus on value-for-money and legacy for the whole of South East Queensland. After all, this all started out as a southeast Queensland bid.”

The Gabba project includes not only a seating expansion, but a renovation of the transportation to the area, to make it a centerpiece of a larger commercial sector. However, in the IOC’s 2021 feasibility study of the Brisbane bid, its review of the venue plan included “Consider using existing Carrara Stadium (40,000) in Gold Coast for Athletics” and limit The Gabba to ceremonies. Similar suggestions were made for the existing Optus Aquatics Centre instead of the planned, new Brisbane Arena for swimming and water polo, and the Gold Coast Hockey Centre for field hockey.

The Australian national government and the Queensland government agreed on a 50-50 split on infrastructure spending for the Games during the bid process, but with a change from the Liberal Party to Labor in 2022 elections, no formal agreement on spending has yet been concluded.

5.
Morgan, Messi, Mbappe nominated for FIFA awards

FIFA announced its Player of the Year award candidates for 2022, with the biggest stars of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar at the top of the list, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe.

The women’s Player of the Year list has 14 options, including U.S. star Alex Morgan and two members of the European Champion English team: scoring star Beth Mead and midfielder Keira Walsh.

The men’s list also has 14, including Mbappe and Messi, plus Brazil’s Neymar and Vinicius Junior, Croatian star Luka Modric and Egyptian scoring whiz Mohamed Salah from Liverpool FC.

The top goalkeepers list for women has six candidates, including American Alyssa Naeher and England’s Mary Earps. The men’s goalie list includes Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, Brazil’s Alisson Becker and Morocco’s Yassine Bounou.

There are 11 candidates for the top goal of the year, with Brazilian star Richarlison’s flying score against Serbia in the World Cup sure to be one of the top options. That and an Mbappe score against Argentina in the championship match are the only two World Cup goals on the list.

Public voting is open now on FIFA+ through 3 February, with the three finalists to be announced shortly thereafter.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● The 28th IHF men’s World Championship in Poland and Sweden opened on Wednesday with a 26-24 win for six-time champion France over Poland, in Katowice (POL).

The tournament features 32 teams, playing in a first round of eight groups of four. Two-time defending champ Denmark is in Group H; the U.S. is in Group G – in Jonkoping (SWE) – in the Worlds for the first time since 2001!

The Americans will start play on Friday against Morocco, followed by matches against Croatia and Egypt. The top three teams in each group will continue into a second pool-play round, leading to the quarterfinals on 25 January. The medal matches will be on the 29th.

● Ice Hockey ● The IIHF Women’s U-18 Championship has reached the playoff round in Oestersund (SWE), with Canada and the U.S. possibly on the road to another showdown in the finals.

Canada won Group A by defeating the U.S., 3-1, in the final round of group play, to finish 3-0, with the Americans at 2-1. Both advanced directly to the semifinals.

In the play-in quarters, Sweden defeated Slovakia, 6-1, and Finland edged the Czech Republic, 3-2, on Thursday. So, the U.S. will play Sweden in the second semi in a re-match of a group match, won by the U.S., 6-3, on 8 January. Canada will face Finland, which it defeated, 8-0, in group play.

The semis will be on the 14th and finals on the 15th.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The Los Angeles Times reported that Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, up for a second, five-year term, would serve only 2-3 years and resign prior to the 2028 Games.

Moore, made chief in 2018, told The Times he wanted to continue his reforms of the department with a re-appointment in 2023, but wanted to avoid a “haphazard” transition to a new chief just prior to the Games in 2028.

“Succession planning is obviously meant to provide for consistency, anticipated needs and capabilities and delivery that the public can trust. It’s such a critical role, and, in my view, it would be inappropriate for me to stay.”

● International Olympic Committee ● Olympic sailing gold medalist and former International Olympic Committee member King Constantine II of Greece passed away on Tuesday (10th) in Athens.

As Crown Prince Konstantinos, he teamed with Odysseus Eskitzoglou and Georgios Zaimis as helmsman of the keelboat “Nireus” which won the Dragon class in sailing at the 1960 Rome Games. Constantine became a member of the IOC in 1963, later resigning in 1974 but maintained as an Honorary Member until his death.

Although only 23 at the time, Constantine became the Greek King on the death of his father, King Paul, in March 1964. He ruled during a turbulent period in Greek politics, during which the military took over the government and Constantine tried – and failed – to win back power. He left Greece in December 1967 for London, and while he was technically still king into 1973, a referendum declared the country a republic, confirmed in 1974, with the military displaced.

He remained in exile until 2013, except for brief visits to Greece, including for the 2004 Olympic Games as an IOC member. He lives quietly until his death, due to a stroke, on Tuesday.

● Snowboard ● The fourth event in the FIS World Cup Parallel racing schedule was on Tuesday (10th) in Bad Gastein (AUT), with home favorite Daniela Ulbing delivering a victory in the women’s Parallel Slalom.

The 2017 World Champion, Ulbing, 24, defeated fellow Austrian Claudia Riegler by 0.72 seconds in the final, with Swiss Ladina Jenny winning over countrywoman Jessica Keiser for the bronze medal. It was Ulbing’s fifth individual World Cup gold.

The men’s Slalom was something of a shocker, as 28-year-old Maurizio Bormolini won his first World Cup medal in three years and got his first career World Cup gold! He defeated Austria’s Alexander Payer in the final; four of Bromolini’s five individual World Cup medals have come at Bad Gastein! German vet Stefan Baumeister won the bronze.

● Swimming ● The first full day of the Tyr Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, Tennessee saw U.S. Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky win one race, and just miss another win in an off-event.

Ledecky powered to an impressive win in the women’s 200 m Free in 1:55.47, a time that would have ranked her no. 6 in the world in 2022! She was a dominant winner over 2022 Worlds 4×200 m Free gold medalist Bella Sims (1:57.87). In the 400 m Medley, Ledecky was 5.31 seconds behind 2022 Worlds silver medalist Katie Grimes of the U.S. – age 17 – at the halfway mark (!), but closed hard to finish second by just 0.17, 4:35.92 to 4:36.09.

Another 17-year-old, Henry McFadden of the U.S. won the men’s 200 m Free in 1:47.23, ahead of Tokyo Olympic 400 m Free bronze medalist Kieran Smith (1:47.33). Smith was third in the 400 m Medley, which saw Olympic 800-1,500 m Free champ Bobby Finke of the U.S. overtake Tokyo silver medalist Jay Litherland on the final length, 4:17.64-4:17.97.

Women’s 50 m Back World champ Kylie Masse (CAN) was the winner in a tight battle with American Katharine Berkoff, 27.38-27.80, repeating their 1-2 finish at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.

Same in the men’s 50 m Back, as 2022 Worlds gold medalist Justin Ress held off fellow American and 2022 Worlds silver medalist Hunter Armstrong once again, 24.49-24.70.

Bulgarian Lyubomir Epitropov – who swims for Tennessee – and Ireland’s Mona McSharry – also a Volunteer – won the men’s and women’s 100 m Breast events in 1:01.35 and 1:06.80. The 100 m Fly finals were wins for Ella Jansen (CAN: 58.92), and American Luke Miller (52.24), with Backstroke star Ryan Murphy of the U.S. second in 52.41.

The meet continues through Saturday.

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LANE ONE: North Carolina awarded 2029 Universiade; is a Salt Lake City 2030 Olympic Winter Games next?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Award of the 2029 World University Games to North Carolina, from left: FISU Interim President Leonz Eder, North Carolina bid chief Hill Carrow, US-IUSF head Dan Guerrero and FISU Secretary-General Eric Santroid (Photo: FISU)

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In a decision that surprised absolutely no one, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) handed the 2029 World University Games to the U.S. bid from North Carolina at an Executive Committee meeting in Lake Placid, New York on the eve of the Winter World University Games that starts Thursday.

Unlike the contested vote held last November that saw the Korean Chungcheong Megacity bid selected by 14-7, the FISU Executive Committee simply “voted today to confirm” the award of the 2029 WUG to North Carolina, which had made it clear that it would not go through another bid process.

Asked after the November vote about the possibility of taking the 2029 Universiade, North Carolina bid chief Hill Carrow explained:

“They’re working on that as a possibility, and by they, I mean FISU.

“That wasn’t our preferred year, but we told them we absolutely would consider that. That’s something that, you know, we know we have what it takes, we would like to demonstrate that and like the opportunity to demonstrate that, [so] that’s not off the table at all.”

On the table was $25 million which the North Carolina legislature previously approved as start-up funding for an organizing committee for the WUG. That should still be available and after the disappointment of just two months before, Carrow was all smiles this time:

“The award of the 2029 FISU World University Games to our state and country is the culmination of an extensive, five-year effort by more than 1,000 individuals, 13 universities, five cities, five counties, the State of North Carolina, and 53 corporate and organizational sponsors to land this amazing event.

“As an event that features the best collegiate athletes from around the world, it is a natural fit for a state with 130 colleges and universities and more than 350,000 university students. North Carolina’s landing these Games is similar to a major corporate relocation as the FISU Games will deliver a local economic impact of over $150 million, but with the added benefits of significant international tourism and worldwide branding exposure for our state and local communities.”

The North Carolina bid is impressive. No construction is contemplated and 13 of the area’s universities are expected to be involved as venue and/or village hosts, including the University of North Carolina, Duke University and North Carolina State University.

In his November interview, Carrow added:

“Our expense budget was $136 million and we were showing $140 million in revenues, and that didn’t count contingencies that were built in, so I believe that if we’d adhere to our budget, we’d come out better than that margin.

“I already came to the table with two private sponsorships that would total probably at least $3.5 million, plus the counties and cities were working on a plan to put in another additional $5 million that would be a combination of cash and in-kind, and then we had $25 million from the state. So we were actually well along the way, and that was already cutting in to the $50 million or so that we had targeted to raise from sponsorships and broadcast rights. We were really good with that.”

He can reignite those now. It’s only the second time in the U.S. for the World University Games, previously in Buffalo, New York in 1993. With the Winter WUG in Lake Placid, the decade continues as a big one for the United States in international sport:

● 2022: World Athletics Championships in Eugene
● 2023: Winter World University Games in Lake Placid
● 2025: ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston
● 2026: FIFA World Cup in Canada-Mexico-USA
● 2028: Games of the XXXIV Olympiad in Los Angeles
● 2029: World University Games in North Carolina

Carrow and U.S.-International University Sports Federation chief Dan Guerrero – the former UCLA athletic director – can also use the 2029 WUG as the launch point for a team-sports-only rules change by FISU that could be a game-changing catalyst for wider interest in the WUG mopving forward.

Instead of the current FISU requirement for national teams in the Universiade, why not allow to allow actual university teams to compete based on the location of the school (and include their foreign-born players)?

You could see Kentucky play Oxford or the University of Melbourne, or UCLA against Shanghai’s Fudan University, or Kansas vs. Montreal’s McGill University, and so on. The opportunity to involve major university “brands” in the University Games would increase its value immensely – and not only in the U.S. – for sports such as basketball and volleyball.

That FISU took only 59 days to correct its error in not awarding North Carolina the 2029 Games back in November will not be lost on other sports organizations seeking to find quality hosts for their events.

Among these is the International Olympic Committee and its Future Host Commission for the Winter Games, which is suddenly facing a crisis as three of its four potential hosts for 2030 have either imploded … or are about to.

Embed from Getty Images

The Barcelona-Pyrenees concept in Spain died when the regions of Aragon and Catalonia could not agree on the division of sports to be held in each. The Canadian bid from Vancouver collapsed when the Province of British Columbia decided not to provide partial funding for the Games, which also ended any possibility of national government funding support.

Now, a mid-December poll by the Hokkaido Shimbun showed that 67% oppose of Sapporo residents oppose the bid for 2030 Winter Games, moving from tepid support in prior surveys to simply being against the bid altogether.

Resistance to a possible Winter Games in Europe for 2030 remains an issue, as a concept floated last week for a tri-national bid in the Mont-Blanc region from France, Italy and Switzerland was immediately torpedoed by the city of Chamonix in France, whose mayor said there was no interest in the plan at all.

That leaves Salt Lake City, which like North Carolina, has no construction requirements at all and would use the venues from the 2002 Winter Games and the University of Utah’s student residences as the Olympic Village. Although the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has been clear that it prefers a 2034 designation to clear domestic marketing space after the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, that’s not the vibe from the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, which wants 2030, and is backed by wide public support across the state.

If the marketing issues with Los Angeles can be worked out – and these have been under discussion for a while now – the IOC, despite announcing a delay to naming the 2030 host until 2024, might do well to reverse course and grab Salt Lake City while it can.

The IOC used this reasoning to name Brisbane, Australia as the 2032 host, recognizing the long-term stability this would bring, while more tinkering with reducing the costs of the Games continues. In the Winter Games scenario, naming Salt Lake City now would give the Future Host Commission for the Winter Games more time to figure out its possible permanent-rotation scenario.

And the new USOPC Chair, Gene Sykes, is perfectly positioned to help, as both a brilliant financier at Goldman Sachs and past chief executive of the Los Angeles bid committee for 2024 that was awarded the 2028 Games.

The IOC would be wrong to simply assume that Salt Lake City is a permanent bidder that it can take for granted. What could change its mind? A coming recession is one possibility, although the Salt Lake City bid envisions no public financial support. How about an already-contemplated procedure to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at Paris in 2024 while the war against Ukraine rages on?

That could sour Utah public opinion against the IOC and a future Games quite quickly. And there are other such scenarios.

The expression in English, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” has been around since at least the 15th Century. The time might be right for the IOC to use it in the 21st.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: Shiffrin misses win no. 83 by 0.43; French auditors still worried about Paris 2024 budget; 2024 Olympic T&F schedule released

By
Rich Perelman
-
Could Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone win four gold medals at Paris 2024? (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Shiffrin second at Flachau, still at 82 World Cup wins
2. French government report echoes familiar Paris 2024 worries
3. All evening finals for track & field at Paris 2024
4. Modern Pent federation to roll out new obstacle format for juniors
5. Ledecky, Murphy, Manuel, Finke and more in Tyr Pro Swim

U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin was close, but finished second in the Slalom in Flachau, Austria on Tuesday, missing out on an 83rd women’s World Cup victory. She’s still tied with fellow American Lindsey Vonn at the halfway point of the season at 82. The French Court of Auditors told the national Parliament that worries continue over Paris 2024 security staffing, transport infrastructure and the budget, especially as 36.5% of the contingency fund has already been used. The track & field schedule for Paris 2024 has been released, with all evening finals this time, but no major changes in format. It is possible that hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone could compete in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles with not more than one race per day, and there is even a path to four gold medals for her! The Modern Pentathlon federation announced the first competitions to include obstacle-course racing, but only for the U17, U19 and Junior World Championships in 2023, with no prior trial events scheduled so far. The courses will be 60-70 m in length, with eight obstacles included, although what they will be has not been announced yet. Lots of big swimming stars are lined up for the first major U.S. event of 2023, the Tyr Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, Tennessee. Of special interest will be the return of Rio 2016 co-women’s 100 m Freestyle gold medalist Simone Manuel, who skipped competition in 2022 altogether.

1.
Shiffrin second at Flachau, still at 82 World Cup wins

Alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin will have to wait a little longer to break the tie between her and fellow American Lindsey Vonn for the most career women’s World Cup wins (at 82), as Shiffrin finished second in the night Slalom at Flachau (AUT) on Tuesday.

Beijing 2022 Olympic Slalom gold medalist Petra Vlhova had the fastest first run at 55.90, with Shiffrin close behind at 56.07. Germany’s Lena Duerr authored the best second run at 55.94, with Vlhova close behind at 56.04 for a two-run total of 1:51.95.

Shiffrin tied with teammate Paula Moltzan for the fourth-fastest second run (56.31) and ended up at 1:52.38, just 0.43 behind. Duerr won the bronze at 1:52.80 and Moltzan was fifth at 1:54.10.

The women’s World Cup circuit now focuses on speed racing prior to the break for the FIS Alpine World Championships that starts on 6 February. Next up:

● 14-15 Jan.: Downhill & Super-G at St. Anton (AUT)
● 20-22 Jan.: Super-G (2) & Downhill at Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA)
● 24 Jan.: Giant Slalom at Kronplatz (ITA)
● 28-29 Jan.: Giant Slalom & Slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn (CZE)

Shiffrin is no slouch in the speed events, with three career Downhill wins and five Super-G victories in her career, including a Super-G win this season at St. Moritz (SUI) on 18 December. She won a Super-G at Cortina in 2019.

Now at the halfway point of the season – 19 races out of 38 – Shiffrin has a 1,195-796 lead over Vlhova in the race for the overall World Cup title, with Shiffrin the defending champion and trying for a fifth career title.

2.
French government report echoes familiar Paris 2024 worries

The French Court of Auditors presented a report to the Parliament on Tuesday, with 15 recommendations concerning the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, repeating concerns it has noted for some time.

Former French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, told reporters: “We’re asking that the global security plan is finalised in the first trimester of 2023 so the reinforcement by internal security forces can be planned. We also recommend that the transport plan be finalised site by site.”

The report insisted on attention to “stabilizing private security needs and establishing alternative measures to remedy its probable shortcomings,” a concern long expressed. Moscovici added, “It’s doable but what the Court wants to say is that it is high time to get into the operational phase. It’s not too late but it’s tense.”

And on transport, the report pointed out: “Several infrastructure operations [in the Ile-de-France region] … present major risks due to already tight schedules with no real room for maneuver. If they were not completed for the Games, the result would be an unsustainable tension on the heavily used lines, with the associated risks of incidents and congestion for daily users.”

On the organizing committee front, the report worried:

“At the beginning of November 2022, only eleven of the 80 planned user agreements had been signed. … These successive delays now expose the committee to a proven risk, due to the resulting chain consequences on the preparation of the Games and, in particular, for the conclusion of the negotiations on the outsourced model of delivery of the Games.”

And concern continues on spending, with the Paris 2024 organizers under pressure from inflation and supply-chain issues. The report noted “substantial uncertainties about the final balance of the [Paris 2024] budget” and warned about having spent €115 million from the contingency of €315 million (36.5%); essentially “deferring savings measures likely to be taken later.”

3.
All evening finals for track & field at Paris 2024

The track & field schedule for Paris 2024 was released on Monday, with a change from recent Games in that all of the in-stadium finals will take place in the evenings.

Thanks to a more favorable time zone for European and American broadcasters, no more morning-session finals to allow prime-time viewing on those continents. Instead, finals at the Stade de France will be held in session starting between 6:05 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. local time, or 12:05 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Eastern time.

The road events will all be held in the mornings, with the walks at 7:30 in the morning and marathons on the last two days (10-11 August) at 8 a.m.

World Athletics noted in the schedule release:

● “Athletes looking to double up in the 100m & 200m, 800m & 1500m, 1500m & 5000m, or 5000m & 10,000m will be able to do so, without having to compete in more than one discipline on any given day.”

● “As announced last year, a repechage round in all individual track events from 200m to 1500m in distance, including the hurdles events, will be introduced at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In the new repechage format, athletes who do not qualify by place in round one heats of the 200m to 1500m will have a second chance to qualify for the semifinals by participating in repechage heats.”

The schedule maintains the usual rhythm of events, with the 100 m finals on day two (women) and day three (men), with the 200 m heats starting the day after. The Mixed 4×400 m is on days 1-2, with the 4×100 m and men’s and women’s 4×400 m on the final days. The distance races have the men’s 10,000 m and women’s 5,000 m early, the Steeplechase finals in the middle and the women’s 10,000 m and men’s 5,000 m at the end of the program.

The decathlon will be on the first two stadium days (Friday and Saturday) and the heptathlon on the final Thursday and Friday of the Games.

The morning sessions generally run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.

An interesting possibility for women’s 400 m hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S. is available as well: she could run both the 400 m and 400 m hurdles and not have more than one race per day. The events run concurrently, with the 400 m hurdles rounds on the 4th-6th-8th and the 400 m flat rounds on the 5th-7th-9th. The final of the 4×400 m relay is on the 10th; might she be interested – or be allowed – to run in the Mixed 4×400 m final on the 3rd, in a possible attempt for four golds in a single Games?

4.
Modern Pent federation to roll out new obstacle format for juniors

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced its first competitions to include the UIPM Congress-approved obstacle course events to replace riding, to take place later in 2023:

● 12-16 Jul.: World U17 Championships in Alexandria (EGY)
● 26-30 Jul.: World U19 Championships in Istanbul (TUR)
● 12-17 Sep.: World Junior Championships in Druskininkai (LTU)

Oddly, no events prior to these junior-level championships have been announced for young pentathletes to get acclimated to the new event. There are no obstacle-included competitions at all for senior athletes, who will be qualifying for Paris 2024, in which riding will continue to be included.

Modern pentathlon is not on the initial sports program for Los Angeles 2028 and the federation is hoping that a change from riding to obstacle will make the sport more appealing. It has had the lowest interest and impact of any sport on the program, according to the International Olympic Committee’s data report from prior Games.

The announcement also clarified the order of events: Fencing first, followed by Obstacle, Swimming and Laser Run. Competition guidelines were also produced, with actual competition rules not expected to be approved until 2024. Riding had been the third event, after fencing and swimming, another change in the event format.

The guidelines specify obstacle courses of 60-70 m in length, with eight obstacles; six to be fixed in the rules and two to be selected by the local organizers from a list of approved options (yet to be published). Failure of a second try at an obstacle means disqualification.

The points table shows scoring for times of 20.0 seconds (340 points) up to 190 seconds (3:10.0) and above, worth zero.

5.
Ledecky, Murphy, Manuel, Finke and more in Tyr Pro Swim

The first major U.S. swim meet of 2023 starts on Wednesday with the first Tyr Pro Swim Series event in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a number of big-name stars on the entry lists.

Perhaps most interesting is Simone Manuel, 26, the Rio 2016 co-gold medalist in the 100 m Free, who dropped out of competition after a disappointing 2021 in which she failed to make the U.S. team in the 100 m Free, but did in the 50 m Free. Overtraining syndrome was the apparent cause and Manuel moved to Arizona to train with Arizona State coach Bob Bowman and this will be her first time in competition since. She’s entered in the 50-100 m Frees, plus the 50 m Backstroke and 100 m Butterfly.

Then there is Freestyle distance superstar Katie Ledecky, who has produced some amazing January times in past seasons, entered in the 200-400-1,500 m Frees and the 400 m Medley.

Regan Smith, the 2019 200 m Back World Champion and 2022 100 m Back Worlds winner is also training at Arizona State, and will skip those events in favor of a huge program: 100-200-400 m Frees, 50 m Back, 100 m Fly and 200 m Medley.

Bobby Finke, the Tokyo Olympic 800-1,500 m gold medalist, will contest the 400-800-1,500 m frees and the 400 m Medley, and will face surprise Tokyo Olympic 400 m Free winner Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia in the Freestyle events. Backstroke star Ryan Murphy, fresh off World 25 m Champs wins in the 50-100-200 m Backstrokes, is in the 100-200 m Back events.

The meet will not be shown live on television; U.S. Swimming will have a live stream of finals on Wednesday and Saturday, and NBC’s Peacock streaming service will show Thursday and Friday finals. CNBC will have a highlights package on Saturday (14th) at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern and NBC will show highlights at 3 p.m. on Sunday (15th).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Deaflympics ● No result is – apparently – ever really final.

At the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne (AUS), Russians Rushan Dayanov and Stanislav Ivanov won the men’s beach volleyball title. But in September, an anonymous letter sent to the International Committee for Sports for the Deaf insisted that Dayanov can actually hear and the pair should be retroactively disqualified.

Ivanov is the current head of the All-Russian society of the Deaf and there is speculation that the move is really aimed at Ivanov, in order to deprive him of his 2005 beach gold. The accusation was made on the All-Russian Television for the Deaf by former (2013-18) ICSD President Valery Rukhledev (RUS), both of whom are now being sued for slander by Dayanov.

At stake is more than a gold medal from 18 years ago; in another demonstration of the importance which Russia has always placed on international sports success, Dayanov receives a pension from the Russian government for the victory in Melbourne, which would be taken away if the accusation was true.

● Modern Pentathlon ● Sad news from Hackettstown, New Jersey, of the death of Jeanne (Picariello) Murphy, 70, on Sunday morning from a hit-and-run driver who was later arrested.

A retired U.S. Army colonel, she was married to Centenary University President Bruce Murphy and the school noted in an announcement:

“During her 30-year career in the military, Mrs. Murphy served with distinction in many leadership roles. She was a member of the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors and chaired the USOC Multi-Sport Organizations Council for 10 years. For the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, she was designated Chef de Mission for the U.S. Paralympic Team. A former competitive runner and swimmer, Mrs. Murphy was the first woman ever selected to the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Team in 1975.”

Picariello Murphy was a member of the U.S. national team from 1975-78 and was a U.S. Army nurse for 10 years. She later served as chief of health promotion for the U.S. Southern Command in Panama and spearheaded Army health, wellness and support programs in Germany, Virginia, in the Pentagon and at the Army War College. During and after the Gulf War, she worked with combat troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. In 2005, she worked with the American Red Cross in Gulfport, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

A tragedy for a true pioneer.

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TSX REPORT: Sydney pushing to be seventh World Marathon Major; Russian doping receding? World Aquatics wins vs. ISL in court

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Sydney seeing gold in becoming a seventh World Marathon Major
2. RUSADA chief says Russian doping down due to education
3. Anti-Doping Kenya suspends 20 (!), with first-time public naming
4. U.S. District Court rules against ISL in suit vs. World Aquatics
5. NWSL hands down big sanctions in abuse cases

The World Marathon Majors circuit is looking to expand to a seventh race and Sydney, Australia is among the three cities identified as a possibility. Its motivation: money and prestige and it will try to lure Kenyan superstar Eliud Kipchoge to its 2025 race to show it is ready. The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency says that educational programs are starting to reduce the incidence of doping in sport there. In Kenya, however, the anti-doping agency publicly posted a list of 20 more doping disqualifications, now allowed under a new law. The long-running lawsuits by the International Swimming League and three swimmers against World Aquatics were dealt a likely death blow when both actions were dismissed in a summary judgement by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, declaring that there was no basis for a trial on either anti-trust or damages grounds in the plaintiff’s filings. The National Women’s Soccer League handed down sharp disciplinary measures in its player-abuse investigations, including lifetime bans on four coaches and fines of up to $1.5 million against several clubs.

1.
Sydney seeing gold in becoming a seventh World Marathon Major

What motivates companies and governments to spend money on bringing, or mounting, major sporting events to their communities?

Money, for one. Exposure for another.

Take the Sydney Marathon, created in 1999 and which hosted 4,484 finishers in the last pre-Covid year of 2019 and 3,451 in its return in 2022, and now a candidate to be added as the seventh World Marathon Major. Race Director Wayne Larden told the Sydney Morning Herald:

“It’s a big deal for a number of reasons. The main one is just the sheer volume of runners that take part in these events. Every single one of the Abbott World Marathon Major events is oversubscribed by between 250,000 and 400,000 runners.

“Which means when we become a major, our numbers are going to leap, with people wanting to get that seventh star. We are expecting a huge boost in numbers, a massive increase in economic impact.”

The “seventh star” refers to runners who have completed all of the World Marathon Majors – six so far – with the idea that Sydney would have thousands of runners coming to the race to get their status updated to include the new, seventh race.

The World Marathon Majors group announced in mid-2022 that it was looking to expand. But it won’t be easy.

The requirements include an expansion of the number of finishers to 15,000, spectator interest in the event and the entertainment and festival programming. And Sydney is not alone, with Chengdu (CHN) and Cape Town (RSA) also in the running.

Larden thinks that attracting Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner in history and the world-record holder at 2:01:09, could be the catalyst for turning the race into a spectator event:

“We are talking to Kipchoge’s management and have been since we got nominated. He wants to finish the six next year, so our goal is to try and get him to Sydney in 2024, as that big drawcard.”

Kipchoge is 38 and has said he wants to complete his own tour of the Majors and has yet to run either the Boston Marathon or New York City Marathon. He has won at Berlin and London four times each, once in Tokyo and in Chicago in 2014.

Larden is not alone in all this; he has the backing of state government tourism group Destination NSW [New South Wales] in its quest to be added to the Majors list in 2025.

2.
RUSADA chief says Russian doping down due to education

“Is the anti-doping culture changing in our country? This question worries many people, including those abroad.”

That’s Russian Anti-Doping Agency chief Veronika Loginova, speaking to the Russian news agency TASS on Sunday. She was optimistic.

“The sociological surveys that have been conducted suggest that it has changed considerably.

“At the last anti-doping forum held by RUSADA a month ago, more than 500 people registered, this never happened at all. Some athletes, while under suspension status, started participating in our anti-doping programs. I would take tennis player Teimuraz Gabashvili as an example, the banned thorasemide was found in his sample. He decided to tell everyone what led him to make the biggest mistake in his life.”

Loginova emphasized that preventing doping in the first place is now the focus of the agency’s work, while the testing and analysis efforts continue:

“When we find prohibited substances, we analyze almost every case of violation. It is very important to understand the reasons, whether the use of a prohibited substance was accidental, whether the violator had been previously trained in anti-doping. Each case is individual, it even happens that we then adjust our educational programs.”

The biggest target for testing so far has been athletics:

“We have about 20 percent of the total number of samples taken are athletics.

“When preparations were underway for the audit of the All-Russian Federation of Athletics, the question arose about the number of anti-doping rule violations in domestic athletics in recent years. is declining, which cannot but rejoice us.

“And I can say with all responsibility that testing is flawless. This applies to both planning and the process of doping sampling. We have very strict rules, everything happens in accordance with the standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency.”

Although the sanctions imposed by WADA technically ended in December, Russia’s re-admittance still remains in limbo, with WADA continuing to evaluate whether RUSADA is in compliance with its rules. As for athletics, Russia has been suspended since 2015 by World Athletics, but reports from the federation’s Russia Task Force indicate it is improving its procedures and will be evaluated again in March.

Even if approved for reinstatement – by WADA or World Athletics – the measures against the participation of Russian athletes due to the invasion of Ukraine remain in place.

3.
Anti-Doping Kenya suspends 20 (!), with first-time public naming

Thanks to a 2021 change in the Kenyan anti-doping laws, the names of 20 athletes provisionally suspended for doping offenses – prior to their appeals – were published by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), stretching from November 2021 to December 2022.

The list includes 15 track & field athletes, three bodybuilders, one football player and one judoka, with some notable names:

● Alice Aprot (29, women’s 10,000 m): twice national champion, best of 29:53.51 in 2016, fourth at Rio 2016′ for Letrozole.

● Michael Kibet (23, men’s 5,000 m): best of 13:11.08 in 2019; for erythropoietin (EPO).

● Michael Saruni (27, men’s 800 m): NCAA Indoor Champion 2018, Tokyo Olympian in 2021, best of 1:43.25 from 2018; suspended for refusing a test.

● Matthew Sawe (34, men’s high jump): national record holder at 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) from 2018; for the steroid Triamcinolone.

● Kumari Taki (23, men’s 1,500 m): World Junior Champion in 2016, best of 3:34.14 in 2020; for erythropoietin (EPO).

The rash of doping positives in Kenya – 58 are on the Athletics Integrity Unit’s Global List of Ineligible Persons as of 31 December 2022 has led to consideration of a suspension of the federation. However, a promise to pump $5 million a year for five years into ADAK has staved off such action by World Athletics, at least for now.

As in Russia, more athlete education is seen as the key to reforming the doping situation there.

4.
U.S. District Court rules against ISL in suit vs. World Aquatics

A pair of lawsuits filed in 2018 against World Aquatics – then known as FINA – by the International Swimming League and star swimmers Tom Shields and Michael Andrew of the U.S. and Katinka Hosszu of Hungary was dealt a likely mortal blow by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday.

Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley granted summary judgement to World Aquatics on all counts in both suits, essentially holding that ISL and the swimmers had not stated a case sufficient to even go to trial. They can appeal, but as the holdings were on technical grounds, their chances of success are poor.

The complaints alleged that FINA – as then known – interfered with the right of ISL and the swimmers to compete and earn money in competitions not authorized by FINA directly, and that FINA had interfered with ISL’s attempt to put on a prize-money meet in Turin in 2018.

Initially-threatening messages from FINA to its national federations in June 2018 that ISL should not be recognized and that federations could be suspended for doing so were rendered inoperative by a January 2019 directive that “[S]wimmers are free to participate in competitions or events staged by independent organisers, namely entities which are neither members of FINA nor related to it in any way.”

The lawsuits, however, continued, as ISL and the swimmers pursued an injunction against FINA for anti-trust violations and damages for the inability to compete in the 2018 meet that never happened. ISL put on full seasons of meets in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but as it is supported by Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, suspended operations in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion.

The Court found:

● On anti-trust grounds, “a reasonable trier of fact could find FINA and its member federations are separate economic actors capable of conspiring and that they actually conspired on a restraint of trade.”

However, the evidence did not show that ISL or the swimmers were kept from competing in a meet, but that FINA was well within its rights to control meets organized by its member federations. And:

“It is undisputed that top-tier swimmers are not bound by contract to swim only in FINA-sanctioned competitions. Indeed, the undisputed evidence is that ISL can and does sponsor top-tier swimming competitions without any affiliation with member federations. For example, in 2019, ISL hosted a swimming competition in Naples, Italy without affiliating with FINA or any member federation. And, ISL admits it does not need FINA to conduct its swimming competition business.”

● Further, the Court scolded ISL and the swimmers for not defining the “market” which FINA is said to control and prevent access to:

“FINA’s rules prohibited its member federations from affiliating with an unapproved entity, and a trier of fact could find that, for a brief time, FINA threatened suspension of any swimmer who participated in an unsanctioned event involving a FINA member federation. There is no rule (and never was) that allows FINA to penalize a swimmer who participates in a competition that is not affiliated with a member federation, and no evidence that FINA ever did, or even threatened to do so.”

And:

“The Court acknowledges the record is replete with evidence of FINA’s concern about
competition from ISL. But, so what? The antitrust laws do not require one competitor to help another compete with it; instead, they prohibit only unreasonable restraints of trade.”

● As to the requests for damages, the Court noted that ISL’s demand for damages was based on anti-trust violations which it found non-existent. As for the swimmers not being able to compete in Italy in 2018 and earn money there, there was no identifiable link between a foreign meet and anti-trust conduct in the United States. Game over.

Said World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam (KUW), “We are pleased that it brings an end to a period of uncertainty. And we are thankful for the clarity that the Court’s decision provides. This is an important decision and also a good decision, not just for World Aquatics, but for the Olympic Movement and beyond.”

The suit, when filed in 2018, had a chance of success, but with FINA’s change of stance a month later and the fact that ISL staged three seasons of events without interference from FINA, it had little chance of success going forward.

5.
NWSL hands down big sanctions in abuse cases

The National Women’s Soccer League handed down some serious sanctions on Monday – called “corrective actions” – against teams and individuals involved in abuse cases across the league. Commissioner Jessica Berman said:

“Those actions are fundamental to the future of our league, especially as we build a league that strengthens our players’ ability to succeed and prosper on and off the pitch. As part of our commitment to accountability and deterrence, the league has determined that further corrective action with respect to certain organizations and individuals identified in the Joint Investigative Report is appropriate and necessary.”

Four individuals were banned from the league for life:

● Richie Burke (ENG), former coach of the Washington Spirit;
● Rory Dames (USA), former coach of the Chicago Red Stars;
● Christy Holly (NIR), former coach of Racing Louisville;
● Paul Riley (ENG), former coach of the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage.

Eight other individuals were either banned for two years (2) or whose employment is conditional (6). Six clubs were fined:

● $1.5 million: Chicago Red Stars
● $1.0 million: Portland Thorns
● $200,000: Racing Louisville
● $100,000: North Carolina Courage
● $50,000: OL [Seattle] Reign and Gotham FC

The Washington Spirit was not penalized as the club was sold, under pressure from the league.

Berman noted, “The league and its clubs have taken meaningful steps to begin this structural reform, and understand and accept the continual commitment to enhancing league standards that are necessary to build a safe and positive environment for our players, staff, fans and partners.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● American skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin will go for her 83rd career FIS World Cup win in Flachau (AUT) in a night Slalom on Tuesday (10th) at 6 p.m. local time (noon Eastern).

She’s won this race four times previously, and is on a hot streak, having won six of the last seven World Cup races. She is listed, of course, as no. 1 on the start list for the first run, and has won four of the six Slaloms held this season on the women’s World Cup tour.

Shiffrin is tied with fellow American Lindsey Vonn for no. 2 all-time in World Cup wins at 82, behind only Swede Ingemar Stenmark, with 86.

● Athletics ● Kenyan Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba said that the country would aim to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships:

“Having lost the bid for 2025, we will prepare for 2029 and we believe we will be in a very strong position to put in a compelling bid. We cannot be such a major athletics powerhouse and we can’t bring world athletics to Nairobi. We will be banking on the goodwill from World Athletics, we will come up with a much stronger bid.”

Kenya’s 2025 bid for Nairobi scored poorly on its facilities compared to the new Tokyo 2020 stadium, and there are the doping issues that have plagued Athletics Kenya. A bid for 2027 is complicated by the country’s bid for the 2027 African Cup of Nations football championship.

● Short Track ● This has been a good season for American Kristen Santos-Griswold, with medals in all four ISU World Cup events, and swept to victory in both races of the 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m at the U.S. national championships at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah.

Fellow Olympian Corinne Stoddard finished second to Santos-Griswold in all six races and finished second to her in the overall women’s classification.

Brandon Kim won the men’s overall classification, ahead of Clayton DeClemente and Marcus Howard. Kim won both of the 500 m races and both 1,500 m races (four total). Howard and Caleb Park won the two 1,000 m races, with Kim and DeClemente second.

● Speed Skating ● New star Jordan Stolz, 18, dominated the U.S. Championships held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over the weekend, winning all three of his events in the 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m

A Beijing 2022 Olympian, Stolz set track records at the Pettit National Ice Center in all three events, winning by 0.69 (500 m), 1.71 m (1,000 m) and 3.19 (1,500 m). Stolz also finished third in the 5,000 m.

The second 500 m race was won by Beijing Olympian Austin Kleba in 35.09, the same time in which he was second to Stolz in race one. Olympic Team Pursuit bronze medalist Ethan Cepuran won the 5,000 m in 6:19.00, to 6:19.05 for fellow medal winner Casey Dawson. Cepuran won the 10,000 m in 13:09.04, with Dawson second at 13:14.33.

Conor McDermott-Mostowy won the first Men’s Mass Start with a time of 7:57.87, with Cepuran second by 0.18 seconds; Cepuran won the second Mass Start, with McDermott-Mostowy second.

Olympic medal winners Erin Jackson and Brittany Bowe starred in the women’s events. Jackson, the Olympic Champion, won both 500 m races in 37.48 and 37.76. Bowe, the Beijing ‘22 1,000 m bronze winner, took that event in 1:14.33, with fellow Olympian Kimi Goetz second in 1:14.73 after being second to Jackson in the first 500 m race (37.63). And Goetz took the national title in the 1,500 m in 1:55.99 for her third medal.

Olympian Mia Kilburg won the 3,000 m in 4:08.23 and Greta Myers won the 5,000 m (7:21.60). Kilburg won both Mass Start events for three wins in the event.

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LANE ONE: Parliament report says ₤1.9 billion bought little increase in post-London 2012 public fitness

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Union Jack (r) and the Cross of St. George, the English national flag (Photo: Thor via Wikipedia)

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One of the announced legacy goals of the London 2012 Olympic Games was to get more people involved in physical activity. That concept has become a popular rallying cry for other sports mega-events, but new disclosures in a report from the British Parliament underscore the realities of trying to get people to exercise.

A 19 December 2022 report titled Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity from the British House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts included this unhappy summary of the most recent efforts:

“The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London were a success in many ways. But ten years on, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has fallen short of the increase in grassroots sports and physical activity participation promised as part of the long-term legacy of the Games.

“The Department recognises that it relied too heavily on a national event to deliver increased participation and since 2015 has focused on local based approaches and encouraging the least active to become more active. While this shows some signs of working, disappointingly it has not translated into meaningful national level change.

“Despite Sport England spending an average of £323 million of taxpayers money each year since 2015 to increase participation in sport and physical activity and to support the sports sector, the percentage of active adults increased by only 1.2 percentage points between November 2016 and November 2019. Nearly two in five adults in England still do not meet the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for recommended activity.”

In fact, due in part to the pandemic, adult physical activity participation has regressed since the 2012 Games.

The Sport England agency, formed in 1996, measured adult physical activity in England from 2006-2016 according to a survey which measured participation in sport at least once per week. The percentage rose from 34.6% in 2006 to a high of 36.9% in 2012 – the year of the Games – and then declined to 36.1% by October of 2016.

A new measurement was introduced a month later – in November of 2016 – asking what percentage of the adult population in England was “active” for 150 minutes or more per week, regardless of the number of days. This yielded a higher number, with 62.1% in 2016, rising slightly to 63.3% – +1.2% – by November of 2019. Then came Covid-19 and the rate decreased somewhat, to 61.4% in 2020 and 2021.

Against these middling results was ₤1.938 billion in spending (~$2.34 billion U.S.) from the 2015-16 to 2020-21 fiscal years, an average of ₤323 million a year (~$390.35 million U.S.). The report further noted, with considerable worry:

“[T]he Department and Sport England have made little progress in tackling inequalities and barriers to people participating in sport and physical activity and Sport England’s spending data is not sufficiently granular to assess how well it targets spending at the least active. For example, it distributed £1.5 billion in grants in the five years starting 2016–17, but only knows which local authorities this funding went to for £450 million of this spending.”

Among those who were active, walking for exercise continued to grow, while the pandemic wiped out almost everything else. Comparing participation in November 2016 to November 2021:

● Walking: Up from 18.3 million (2016) to 24.0 million (2021)
● Active Travel: Down from 15.9 million to 11.9 million
● Fitness Activities: Down from 13.2 million to 11.4 million
● Running: Down from 6.9 million to 6.2 million
● Cycling: Up from 6.4 million to 6.5 million
● Swimming: Down from 4.9 million to 2.0 million
● Team Sports: Down from 3.5 million to 2.2 million

What did Sport England do, exactly, to get people to exercise? According to the report:

“The strategy promised to target funding at less active groups of the population, believing this would deliver the biggest gains for public spending. Sport England told us that, since 2015, it had adopted a variety of approaches to increase activity levels, from national media campaigns to working with local partners in 12 different UK cities as part of a pilot program to understand and address the barriers to getting people active.

“It explained that there had been some positive signs from this work and that insight from the pilots is helping it to make decisions at a national level. Its evaluation of the community pilots showed that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, inactivity reduced at a faster rate in local delivery pilot areas than in areas without the pilots.

“However, Sport England conceded it had found it hard to translate successes at local level and with specific groups into gains nationally. It explained that it expected that this will take time, particularly if tackling some of the most stubborn inequalities in society.”

And the proposed programs going forward did not inspire confidence:

“We asked Sport England how it can spark activity among the least active. It told us the answer was a combination of three key characteristics: motivation, confidence and opportunity. It noted that in the past government had over-relied on opportunity side, with a focus on building facilities and opening up clubs, assuming that people will then take up that provision.

“Sport England told us its new 2021 strategy had started to look at how to build people’s confidence and motivation to participate in sport by showing the public the benefits of being active and that ‘people like them’ can take part. Sport England said it intended to work within local communities to ensure initiatives were delivered through providers that were recognised and trusted in that community, because not everyone trusted a top-down programme from central government.

“However, when pressed, Sport England struggled to provide a tangible example of putting its motivation theory into practice.”

In polite language, the House of Commons report said that the efforts of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Sport England have been a failure.

That’s not entirely surprising, since the goal – highly worthwhile – of getting people to be more fit is extraordinarily difficult to achieve today, against the backdrop of games, notifications and messages on one’s mobile phone, tablet and/or computer, and more (sedentary) entertainment options than in all of human history.

In Britain, the new report has created plenty of critical headlines:

● BBC: ‘Little progress’ in tackling barriers to participation in sport – MPs

● SkySports: Government accused of wasting sports participation money after London 2012 Olympics: ‘Precious little to show’

● The Guardian: Government has broken pledge to get UK fitter after 2012 Olympics, says report

Let’s start by noting this is about the British government’s post-Games efforts to get people active, and has nothing to do with the long-disbanded 2012 Olympic organizing committee. And the government has not been able to leverage the Games into any lasting change in the public’s attitude towards physical activity – let alone physical fitness – since.

And the report states, quite clearly:

“Sport England acknowledges it relied too heavily on a national event to deliver increased participation and that elite sports success doesn’t necessarily inspire activity at a grassroots level.”

For those looking to use future increased public interest in fitness as a reason for bringing an Olympic Games or something similar to a community, the new Parliamentary report leaves no doubt that any suggestion that a major event will get people to exercise should be met with skepticism. Or just outright rejection.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: Shiffrin ties Vonn for most women’s World Cup wins; Paris ‘24 Opening tickets from €90-25,000! WTA still wants to meet with Peng

By
Rich Perelman
-
Defending World Cup overall champ Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Shiffrin wins in Kranjska Gora, ties Vonn as no. 2 all-time
2. Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony prices: €90 up to €25,000!
3. Chamonix not interested in 2030; Sapporo support at 33%!
4. Politics in play as Brisbane 2032 infrastructure deal stalled
5. WTA return to China needs “resolution to the Peng situation”

The amazing Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 82nd career FIS Alpine World Cup win on Sunday in a Giant Slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, tying fellow American Lindsey Vonn for the most wins ever by a woman in World Cup history. Shiffrin, still just 27, is only four behind Swede Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins ever, at 86. A French newspaper report says that tickets for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will go for as low as €90 for seats on platforms on the side of the River Seine and for as much as €25,000 for a spot on the river itself on a cruise ship! Most spectators – perhaps 500,000 more – will be able to watch for free from the roadsides above the river. The mayor of Chamonix, France said the town is not interested in being part of a tri-nation bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games suggested last Friday. A new poll in the Hokkaido Shimbun said that 67% of area residents are opposed to a Sapporo bid for the 2030 Winter Games, leaving Salt Lake City as the only viable 2030 option for the International Olympic Committee at present. In Brisbane, Australia, no agreement has been made between the Queensland government and the national government on funding for infrastructure programs related to the 2032 Olympic Games, notably the renovation of the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as “The Gabba.” Opposition party leaders are calling for the state and national governments – who are both governed by the Labor Party – to get going. The Women’s Tennis Association repeated its demand that the sexual assault allegations made by former women’s Doubles star Peng Shuai be investigated before any discussion can be had on reinstating tournaments in China.

1.
Shiffrin wins in Kranjska Gora, ties Vonn as no. 2 all-time

“I can’t believe it.

“I was so nervous this run, I have a rash on my face because I was so nervous. I don’t know why, maybe a little bit was because of 82. I really wanted to ski it well, and I did.

“I hope some day I can ski like that again because it was maybe the best thing I ever did in a GS.”

That’s American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who won the second Giant Slalom race at Kranjska Gora (SLO) on Sunday for her 82nd career World Cup win, tying her with fellow American Lindsey Vonn for the most ever by a woman and no. 2 all-time behind only Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark (86).

Shiffrin had a five-race win streak snapped on Saturday as she finished sixth in the first Giant Slalom race, behind winner Valerie Greiner (CAN: 1:55.01) – who scored her first World Cup victory – then Italian star Marta Bassino (1:55.38) and Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova (1:55.41).

On Sunday, Shiffrin was on fire from the start, posting the fastest first run at 55.30, up by 0.24 over Federica Brignone (ITA), then won the second run at 57.23 for a 1:52.53 total. Brignone, the Beijing 2022 silver medalist in this event, was second at 1:53.30 and Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami came from fifth to third on her second run with a 1:53.50 total.

Shiffrin’s 82 wins came come mostly in the technical events – Slalom (51), Giant Slalom (17), Parallel Slalom (2) and City Events (3) – but also in the Super-G (5) and Downhill (3), along with one in the Combined. The FIS report also noted Shiffrin’s amazing win rate:

● Shiffrin won her first World Cup race at age 17 in December 2012 and has taken only 233 starts to reach 82 wins: one victory for every 2.84 starts.

● Vonn won her first World Cup race at age 20 and her last at age 33, winning once per 4.82 starts over her 395-race career.

Shiffrin, still just 27, will be the favorite for win no. 83 on Tuesday (10th) in a Slalom at Flachau (AUT), where she has won in 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2021! As for Stenmark’s all-time record of 86, it’s clearly in danger this season, with 21 more races remaining. In the run for a fifth overall World Cup title, Shiffrin has built a 1,115-696 lead over Vlhova after 17 of 38 races.

2.
Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony prices: €90 up to €25,000!

The French daily Le Parisien reported Friday on pricing for tickets to the unique Paris 2024 opening ceremony to take place on a six km (~3.6 mile) route along the River Seine:

● €90 to €2,700 (~$96 to $2,874 U.S.): reserved seats on riverside platforms

● €4,250 to €5,500 (~$4,524 to $5,908 U.S.): reserved VIP seats on platforms

● €9,500 (~$10,112 U.S.): reserved seats on a bridge

● €25,000 (~$26,611 U.S.): seats on a cruise ship on the river!

The exact pricing will depend on the locations and position within the seating areas. The vast majority of viewing will be free, from the roadsides above the river.

The Paris organizing committee has said that about 10 million tickets will be available for the 2024 Games, with one million at €24 (~$26 U.S.) and about half available at €50 (~$52 U.S.) or less. In a ticket catalog provided to National Olympic Committees last September, the most sought-after final sessions had best-section prices of:

● €950 (~$1,011) Athletics
● €950 (~$1,011) Swimming
● €600 (~$639) Artistic Gymnastics
● €520 (~$554) Boxing (if held?)
● €390 (~$415) Beach Volleyball and Volleyball
● €390 (~$415) Diving
● €390 (~$415) Tennis
● €350 (~$373) Track Cycling
● €350 (~$373) Judo

No word yet on the Closing Ceremony, scheduled to be held at the Stade de France, also the home of athletics during the Games.

3.
Chamonix not interested in 2030; Sapporo support at 33%!

The concept of a French-Italian-Swiss combo bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games imploded the same day it was floated in a report in the Swiss Le Temps newspaper. The city of Chamonix (FRA), one of the key elements of the concept issued a statement that included:

“Following up on the many articles in the Swiss and French press this morning, Mr. Eric Fournier, Mayor of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, indicates that while cross-border cooperation with our Valais neighbors is at the heart of the concerns of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley, Mont-Blanc, the project of a common candidacy for the Olympic Games as relayed by certain media is not on the agenda.

“This comes from a private initiative and not from the political authorities of the Espace Mont-Blanc, which are currently actively working on the roadmap linked to the next European program with the central subject of adapting our economy to climate change.”

The idea had been to couple Chamonix – site of the first Winter Games in 1924 – with sites in Italy’s Aosta Valley and the Swiss canton of Valais (which includes prior Winter Games bidder Sion). That looks dead now.

The Sapporo (JPN) bid for the 2030 Winter Games is also in significant trouble as a new poll from the Hokkaido Shimbun showed only 33% in favor of the idea and 67% against:

● 12% support
● 21% somewhat support

● 15% somewhat opposed
● 52% opposed

That’s bad. The responses, from a telephone poll in December taken before officials said they were “pausing” the bid, showed that 48% of those against preferred spending on Covid-19 prevention and snow removal. Importantly, 23% said the expanding sponsorship sales and bid-rigging-for-test-events scandal from the Tokyo 2020 Games has soured them on another Olympic event.

Observed: This leaves only Salt Lake City as a viable bidder for 2030, with all existing venues, an existing Olympic Village at the University of Utah, a willing organizing committee-in-waiting and excellent city, county and state government support. With two other bids for 2030 already imploded (Barcelona-Pyrenees, Vancouver) and Sapporo on the way, it will be fascinating to see whether the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission changes its mind and designates Salt Lake City for “targeted dialogue” and selection in 2023 before anything else happens.

4.
Politics in play as Brisbane 2032 infrastructure deal stalled

The excitement of Brisbane’s selection as the host for the 2032 Olympic Games has settled down to political infighting, as the new, Labor government elected last May has not yet reached an agreement with the Queensland state government on funding for redevelopment and transportation projects related to the Games.

None of this directly impacts the delivery of the 2032 Games, as the International Olympic Committee specifically questioned whether a potential A$1 billion program to redevelop the Brisbane Cricket Ground (“The Gabba”) and the area surrounding it was actually needed. But the prior national government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Liberal Party: center-right) made a 50-50 funding commitment with Queensland and premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (Labor: center-left) on infrastructure programs, which have not been confirmed by Anthony Albanese’s administration.

So, the recriminations have started, with Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli (Liberal) telling SkyNews Brisbane last Thursday:

“If you remember, before the election, the election of a Labor government in Canberra was going to create this land of milk-and-honey, where everybody was happy and play nicely and 50-50 funding would be delivered for health and infrastructure and we wouldn’t have any arguments. Well, it hasn’t, and as a Queenslander who wants to see the Olympics as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver infrastructure, we are deeply concerned.

“We are now well into the election of the Albanese government. The State [Queensland] government still hasn’t been able to broker a deal to develop an organizing committee – effectively a coordination body for infrastructure – and I suspect the reason why is that the State government in Queensland see the Olympics as a vanity exercise, a red carpet, champagne – froth and bubbles – that’s not what it’s about.

“It’s about an opportunity to bring three levels of government together to create a dedicated infrastructure plan to make life better for Queenslanders, before, during and after the Games. It’s not just about the window of the Games, it’s about infrastructure delivery. …

“I want to see a 20-year tourism vision – before, during and after the Games – I want to see an infrastructure delivery strategy, I want to work out how we get small and family businesses to benefit from it, not just the multi-nationals. …

“I’m talking about not the Games themselves. I’m talking about the infrastructure to deliver and prepare for the Games. I’m talking about making sure we have the kind of rail and road network that Queenslanders can be proud of, I’m talking about a tourism infrastructure strategy where we unlock our natural environment to create world-class tourism that will drive for the nation.”

Observed: Crisafulli’s comments are not important in the blame game, as either the funding will get worked out or it won’t, and the Games will go on. But the discussion is instructive into how governments see events like the Olympic Games as a way to get infrastructure projects funded and built where they otherwise might not be. The then-mayor of London, Ken Livingstone (Labour), wanted to get the 2012 Games in order to infuse huge amounts of money into the re-development of East London, which was achieved under the Conservative government that followed him in 2008. The question of how Brisbane and Australia use the Games to advance the quality of life there appears to be the true legacy issue ahead of the Games of the XXXV Olympiad.

5.
WTA return to China needs “resolution to the Peng situation”

Retired Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, now 37, was all the news prior to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, as she accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her years earlier in a 2 November 2021 post on the Weibo social media site.

The post was removed and Peng, a Doubles champion in the French Open in 2014 and at Wimbledon in 2013, was out of public view for a couple of weeks after the accusation was posted. Inquiries about her safety were made by multiple groups, including the International Olympic Committee, which visited with her during the Winter Games.

The Women’s Tennis Association, in response to the incident, eliminated its tournaments in China – losing millions in broadcasting and sponsorship fees – insisting that her allegations be legitimately investigated. And that stance was confirmed on Friday, as Reuters reported a WTA statement that included:

“A return to the region will require a resolution to the Peng situation in which she took a bold step in publicly coming forth with the accusation that she was sexually assaulted by a senior Chinese government leader.

“As we would do with any of our players globally, we have called for a formal investigation into the allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet with Peng – privately – to discuss her situation.”

“We continue to hold firm on our position and our thoughts remain with Peng. The WTA continues to work towards a resolution.

“While we have always indicated we are hopeful we will be in a position to again operate WTA events in the region, we will not compromise our founding principles in order to do so.”

The WTA did confirm it had received information that Peng was “safe and comfortable,” but has not been able to meet with her. She was also invited to Lausanne to visit the IOC and the Olympic Museum, but that has also not taken place.

Peng’s story as overshadowed by the ruckus over the Team Event in figure skating and the Kamila Valieva doping situation, but her situation has not been forgotten by the WTA.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● Norway got its eighth win in 17 races on the men’s World Cup circuit as Lucas Braathen took his third victory of the season in the Slalom at Adelboden (SUI) on Sunday, ahead of teammate Atle McGrath, 1:49.31-1:50.02, with Linus Strasser (GER) third in 1:50.23. It was Braathen’s fifth career World Cup victory.

Seasonal leader and reigning World Cup overall champ Marco Odermatt won Saturday’s Giant Slalom for his sixth win of 2022-23, timing 2:30.68 to 2:31.41 for Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen and 2:32.34 for Swiss Loic Meillard.

● Athletics ● Very sad news from Southern California, where Don Ruh, the long-time head of the Mt. San Antonio College Relays, passed away on Friday, at age 90.

As its cross country and track & field coach Ruh shepherded the Mt. SAC Relays and the Mt. SAC track & field program through some of its greatest days, including hosting the U.S. national track & field championships in 1979 and 1980. He came to Mt. SAC in 1963 and took over the Relays from founder Hilmer Lodge and continued for 30 years until retiring in 1993.

Ruh also continued to expand the iconic Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational held each fall, bringing more than 10,000 runners to the campus in Walnut, California for dozens of races for runners from elementary school up to the collegiate level.

During that time, Mt. SAC’s role in youth sports continued to grow and Ruh was a key player in the creation of the annual Mt. SAC LA84 Foundation Youth Days – beginning in 1986 – one of the first post-Games programs supported with the financial legacy of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee following the 1984 Olympic Games. More than half a million athletes have benefitted from this program through clinics and competitions.

Said Patrick Escobar, then the lead program officer for the Foundation, working with Ruh for many years, “Through his commitment and passion he was instrumental in introducing hundreds of thousands of youngsters to the sport through the Mt. SAC LA84 Foundation Youth Days. Most importantly, he was an amazingly kind person who always took the time to mentor young people and to help where needed. He will be greatly missed.”

Ruh is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sandi, four children and six grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, 5 February at 11 a.m., in the Ruh Family Education Center at Heritage Hall, on the Mt. SAC campus.

● Biathlon ● Five-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Cup champ Johannes Thingnes Boe continued to dominate the men’s IBU World Cup with two more wins at the Pokljuka (SLO) stop on Friday and Saturday.

Boe won his sixth race of the season – out of nine held – in Friday’s 10 km Sprint in 23:55.9 (1 penalty) to 24:44.0 (0) over older brother Tarjei Boe and countryman Sturla Holm Laegreid (24:51.5/1) for a Norwegian sweep. In the 12.5 km Pursuit, J.T. Boe posted another dominant win in 31:43.2 (2) to 32:48.1 (1) for French star Quentin Maillet Fillon, with Tarjei Boe third (32:49.8/1).

The women’s racing in Pokljuka also had a double winner: Sweden’s three-time Beijing 2022 medal winner Elvira Oeberg. She won the 7.5 km Sprint in 20:25.2 (0) to 20:32.1 (0) for France’s Julia Simon and 20:43.9 (0) for three-time World Champion Dorothea Wierer (ITA).

Oeberg won the 10 km Pursuit more easily, in 29:41.6 (0) to 29:59.2 (1) for Wierer with Simon third in 30:04.0 (2).

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● German sleds swept all four Bob events at the famed track at Winterberg (GER), with Olympic Two-Woman gold medal driver Laura Nolte taking both women’s events and Germans winning five of six medals.

Nolte won the Monobob from Olympic champ Kaillie Humphries of the U.S., 1:59.54 to 1:59.72, with German Kim Kalicki third (1:59.73). Nolte teamed with Neele Schuten for the Two-Women victory in 1:53.74, ahead of sleds driven by Germans Lisa Buckwitz (1:54.09) and Kalicki (1:54.20). Humphries and Kaysha Love were fourth (1:54.43).

German stars Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich won the Two-Man and Four-Man events. Lochner took his second straight Two-Man World Cup win with Georg Fleischhauer aboard, with Swiss driver Michael Vogt getting his third medal of the season in second, 1:51.17 to 1:51.31. Britain’s Brad Hall was third for his third medal as well, in 1:51.44.

Friedrich, the two-time Olympic champ, won the Four-Man in 1:49.07, ahead of Hall (1:49.25) and Lochner (1:49.27).

Olympic champ Christoph Grotheer of Germany took the men’s Skeleton in 1:54.32 ahead of countryman Axel Jungk (1:54.71) and Britain’s Matt Weston (1:54.72), while Dutch star Kimberley Bos – Beijing ‘22 bronze medalist – won the women’s division in 1:57.18, ahead of Canada’s Mirela Rahneva (1:57.24) and Olympic champ Hannah Niese (GER: 1:56.34).

● Cross Country Skiing ● Not quite. In the seven-stage Tour de Ski finale in Val di Fiemme (ITA), Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won had the first six legs going into Sunday’s final race, a 10 km Freestyle Mass Start event.

That was already a record, but Klaebo did not get the sweep as he finished sixth, and countryman Simen Hegstad Krueger – a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Beijing – got his second victory of the season, finishing in 31:20.4, ahead of teammate Hans Christer Holund (31:25.2).

Klaebo won Friday’s Classical Sprint in 2:43.85 over Calle Halfvarsson (SWE: 2:44.11) and then Saturday’s 15 km Classical Mass Start in 39:59.2, ahead of countryman Pal Golberg (39:59.6).

Klaebo defended his Tour de Ski title from last season and now has three career Tour de Ski victories, one short of the record, winning with a combined time of 2:44:28.9 to 2:45:28.4 for Krueger and 2:45:50.2 for Holund.

The women’s Tour de Ski title went to Swede Frida Karlsson, who scored four medals in the seven races (2-1-1). The Classical Sprint was a Norwegian sweep, with sisters Lotta Weng and Tiril Weng 1-2 in 3:06.04 and 3:06.39, and Mathilde Muhrvold third (3:06.71).

Karlsson was second in Saturday’s 15 km Mass Start to German Katharina Henning, 44:26.7-44:27.4, with Kerttu Niskanen (FIN: 44:27.5) third and American Rosie Brennan fourth (44:27.7).

Karlsson’s total time of 3:09:31.4 edged Niskanen by 33.2 seconds (3:10:04.6), with Tiril Weng third and Brennan fourth (3:11:13.5). American star Jessie Diggins was 11th.

● Ice Hockey ● Canada won its 20th title in the IIHF World Junior Championship, held in Halifax and Moncton (CAN) with a 3-2 overtime win against the Czech Republic.

The Canadians lost to the Czechs, 5-2, in pool play, but came back to beat Slovakia in the quarterfinals (4-3 in overtime), stomped the U.S., 6-2, in the semis and then taking a 2-0 lead in the final into the third period. However, the Czechs scored twice to tie it and send the game to overtime. Forward Dylan Guenther scored the game-winner at 6:22 of the overtime on a pass from forward Joshua Roy on a 2×1 break.

It’s the second consecutive World Junior title for the Canadians, with the Czechs winning their first medal in the event since 2005.

The U.S. ended up third after a wild, 8-7 overtime victory against Sweden that saw nine goals in the second period! Forward Chaz Lucius got the medal-winner at 2:06 of the overtime on a rebound off Swedish keeper Carl Lindbom.

Canada’s Conner Bedard was the scoring leader with 23 points (9+14) and the goals leader and was named Most Valuable Player.

● Luge ● The FIL World Cup tour was in Sigulda (LAT) for the first of two weeks of races, with the home team scoring wins in both men’s competitions.

Kristers Aparjods, the 2022 European Champs runner-up, won the men’s Singles in 1:35.228, just ahead of Max Langehan (GER: 1:35.481) and seasonal leader (and Beijing bronze medalist) Dominik Fischnaller (ITA: 1:35.495).

Martins Bots and Roberts Plume teamed up for the men’s Doubles win (1:22.42) for their second World Cup medal of the season, beating three-time Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany (1:22.798).

Latvia got a third win in the women’s Doubles – a new World Cup event this season – with Anda Upite and Sanija Ozolina taking their second medal of the season in 1:24.926. That was a clear winner over first-time medalists Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirby of the U.S. (1:25.138) and Germans Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (1:25.261).

The only event Latvia didn’t win was the women’s Singles, the second win of the season for Dajana Eitberger, the 2018 Olympic runner-up, who won in 1:22.999. However, Latvia’s Elina Ieva Votola was second (1:23.093, ahead of 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz (GER: 1:23.143).

● Nordic Combined ● The FIS World Cup was back in action, in Otepaa (EST), jumping off a 97 m hill.

The two men’s races had a 10 km mass start race, with 2021 Large Hill World Champion Johannes Lamparter (AUT) winning his first gold of the season with 133.8 points – third in the cross-country race – to 124.1 for Ilkka Herola (FIN). The second event was a more conventional Gundersen-style race, with Germany’s Julian Schmid taking his third win of the season in 24:39.5 over Lamparter (24:41.1).

The first women’s event had to be canceled due to winds that made jumping impossible. On Sunday, Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen continued her stranglehold on the event, winning in 14:34.8 for her fifth time– without a loss – this season. German Natalie Armbruster finished second (15:01.4).

● Ski Jumping ● The finale of the 71st Four Hills Tournament in Bischofshofen (AUT) ended the way two of the first three did, with a win for Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud.

Granerud won the first two legs, then finished second to Pole Dawid Kubacki in Innsbruck (AUT), but came back to win on Friday, 313.4-305.5-303.7 over Anze Lanisek (SLO) and Kubacki.

Those three won 11 of the 12 medals in the Four Hills, with Granerud taking the title with 1,191.2 points to 1,158.2 for Kubacki and 1,129.0 for Lanisek. It’s a historic win for Granerud, the first Norwegian to win since Anders Jacobsen in 2006-07.

The women’s World Cup tour resumed in Sapporo (JPN), on a 137 m hill, with veteran stars claiming the golds. German Katharina Althaus, a two-time Olympic medal winner, took Saturday’s event at 263.8 points, ahead of Ema Klinec (SLO: 256.3) and seasonal leader Eva Pinkelnig (AUT: 249.7). On Sunday, it was Norway’s Silje Opseth with her third win of the season (232.1), with Klinec and Pinkelnig placing 2-3 once again, 227.3-225.7.

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