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INTEL REPORT: Brisbane to “future-proof” the Olympic Games; Bach striving for stability; first protests in Tokyo; Sweden clubs U.S. women, 3-0

By
Rich Perelman
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It's official: Brisbane signs the Host City Contract for the 2032 Olympic Games (Photo: IOC/Greg Martin)

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Updates from, in and around the Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020:

● International Olympic Committee ● Tuesday’s IOC Session vote for Brisbane as the host of the Games of the XXXV Olympiad in 2032 was historic for several reasons, but perhaps most importantly as a template for future hosts. Said IOC member and Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates at the end of Brisbane’s presentation:

“[Brisbane] sets out to demonstrate hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is truly within the capacity – and budgets – of other like places and mid-size cities all over the world. And in so doing, helping the IOC to future-proof the Olympic Games. What an important outcome this would be.”

It’s not important, it’s a paradigm shift; in 2032, Brisbane will be the smallest metropolitan area to host the Games in 80 years, since Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Comparing the 2021 population figures of the host cities (in millions):

● 1950s: Helsinki ‘52: 1.5; Melbourne ‘56: 5.0.
● 1960s: Rome ‘60: 4.3; Tokyo ‘64: 37.4; Mexico City ‘68: 21.9.
● 1970s: Munich ‘72: 6.0; Montreal ‘76: 4.2.
● 1980s: Moscow ‘80: 12.5; Los Angeles ‘84: 13.1; Seoul ‘88: 25.0.
● 1990s: Barcelona ‘92: 5.5; Atlanta ‘96: 6.0.
● 2000s: Sydney ‘00: 4.9; Athens ‘04: 3.7; Beijing ‘08: 20.9.
● 2010s: London ‘12: 14.3; Rio ‘16: 13.5.
● 2020s: Tokyo ‘20: 37.4; Paris ‘24: 12.6; Los Angeles ‘28: 13.1.
● 2030s: Brisbane ‘32: 2.6.

That is fairly astonishing; the last host even close to Brisbane’s size was Athens in 2004 and that was a difficult, budget-challenged Games to say the least. The vote was 77-5 with three abstentions in Brisbane’s favor and at the post-Session news conference, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke to the achievement of such a relatively small region landing the Games:

“It’s something our city and our state has always aspired to, bur we never thought it was possible. But under the Olympics’ ‘New Norm,’ we have over 80% of our venues, we have cooperation with all three levels of government and we’ve got agreements to do the infrastructure that is already needed for our city, which will complement the Games.

“We’ve very excited. We’re over the moon and we’re absolutely honored.”

Coates noted that while Brisbane was the only city presented to the IOC Session for approval, as many as five other cities or regions were in discussions with the IOC’s Future Hosts Commission, but with projects not as well developed as Queensland’s.

IOC President Thomas Bach was asked about what appear to be happy times ahead for the IOC, with host cities out to 2032 and a strong financial situation even though the pandemic. Bach wasn’t sure:

“I hope you’re right. I was also thinking that, at least starting with Tokyo, we will have a tranquil period. Even before Pyeongchang, I was thinking until a certain moment that it will be tranquil after Rio and you know what happened. Then in Korea, you know what happened , then with the pandemic, so I keep my fingers crossed , then for the rest of my mandate, but even more for my successor that it will be indeed a more tranquil period.

But the Olympic Movement is living in the middle of society and we are not living in a tranquil world. We are living in a very fragile world at this moment and therefore we have to react to this and to find the right way for the Olympic Movement. …

“Once the health crisis is over, we will see the social, the political, the economic, the financial consequences of the pandemic, so the policy we have applied in the IOC in the last couple of years was to create stability.

This is why from the beginning of my term, we have concluded long-term contracts with rights-holding partners and sponsors. We have been looking to make our procedures more flexible, always in order to create stability as far as we could in this very turbulent and fragile world.”

It was noted that Bach inherited the selection of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games, Rio in 2016, PyeongChang in 2018 and Tokyo for 2020 when he was elected in September of 2013. Under his watch, however, Beijing was selected for the 2022 Winter Games and that event promises to be anything but placid given the political stance of China today. But for Paris, Milan Cortina, Los Angeles and now Brisbane, the future is bright.

The IOC published its 2020 Annual Report online during the Session, detailing a difficult year during the pandemic, but underscoring its excellent resources.

In 2020, the IOC took in $623.8 million, down slightly from 2019 ($694.5 million), and spent $798.7 million for a loss of $174.9 million before investment gains, which reduced the actual loss to $55.0 million.

No matter; the IOC ended 2020 with assets of $5.71 billion, up 7% from 2019 and reserves of $2.47 billion. The report noted that contracts worth $4.1 billion are already in place for the quadrennial of 2029-32.

The IOC spent $127.2 million on its Olympic Solidarity programs in 2020, including direct-to-athlete payments to 1,600 Olympic Scholarship holders.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee received $88.7 million in TOP sponsorship payments in 2020 (separate from television rights fees).

● Tokyo 2020 ● Competitions have finally started in Tokyo and there was a shocker right away in football; of note:

● Football: In Group G of the women’s tournament, Sweden pummeled the U.S., 3-0, ending a 44-match unbeaten streak for the American women that dates back to January 2019. It was also the first loss by the U.S. with Vlatko Andonovski as coach; he took over at the end of 2019 following the U.S. win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The usually active U.S. defense was lax and Sweden’s Sofia Jakobsson sent a cross in front of the U.S. goal in the 25th that found the head of Stina Blackstenius for a 1-0 lead. The Swedes pressed the U.S. in the midfield and slowed its usually potent attack. Blackstenius scored again in the 54th minute and Lina Hurtig scored on a header in the 72nd minute for the final goal.

Sweden had a 52-48% edge on the U.S. in possession – rare – and a 16-13 edge on shots, a good measure of the dominance in the game.

In the other Group G match, Australia defeated New Zealand, 1-0, and the U.S. will play New Zealand on the 24th and Australia on the 27th.

● Protests: The expected protests of going to one knee prior to their match – allowed under the IOC’s new guidelines – came in the football matches with Great Britain and Chile and with the U.S. and Sweden.

● Withdrawals: Covid positives leading to withdrawals from the Games were reported for Fernanda Aguirre of Chile (taekwondo) and Candy Jacobs (NED: skateboarding).

American beach volleyballer Taylor Crabb tested positive over the weekend after he arrived in Japan and is in the Covid protocol. He and Jake Gibb are scheduled to play their first match on Sunday; Crabb may be replaced by Tri Bourne.

Australian equestrian showjumper Jamie Kermond was reported to have tested positive for cocaine and has been provisionally suspended and will not compete in Tokyo.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC announced that about 230 members of the U.S. delegation are expected to march in the Opening Ceremony on Friday, with Sue Bird (basketball) and Eddy Alvarez (baseball) elected as flag bearers.

The IOC changed the protocol for the ceremony to allow two flag bearers as long as both a man and women are included. Bird is a four-time basketball gold medalist and Alvarez plays in the Miami Marlins minor-league system, but won a silver medal in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games as a member of the 5,000 m four-man short track speedskating team.

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THE BIG PICTURE: Brisbane approved for 2032 Games; WHO chief rejects “zero cases” standard; LA28 to “create an amazing Games experience”

By
Rich Perelman
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Winner: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holding the placard announcing Brisbane as the host for the 2032 Olympic Games (Photo: IOC live-stream screenshot)

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For the second consecutive time, the International Olympic Committee selected a host city for the Olympic Games 11 years beforehand, with Brisbane, Australia confirmed as the host of the Games of the XXXV Olympiad in 2032.

The IOC Session, meeting in Tokyo, was asked for a yes-or-no vote on Brisbane, which had prepared an aggressive bid in earnest at the urging of Australian IOC member John Coates, who also led the IOC’s working group on the reformation of the Games bidding process.

But it was officials from Queensland, led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who did the actual work on the bid, developing a plan, lobbying the IOC in Lausanne and pressing their case with the newly-formed IOC Future Hosts Commission. All of that led to a recommendation to the IOC Executive Board that “Brisbane” should be designated as the targeted host for 2032 subject to providing the IOC’s required guarantees and specifics on venues, accommodations and so on.

In Tokyo, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined the presentation by satellite from Canberra, and Palaszczuk, Australian Sports Minister Richard Colbeck, Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Coates were present in the room.

Norwegian IOC member Kristin Kloster Aasen, head of the Future Hosts Commission for the summer Games, told the IOC members that “We have the best possible project on the table before us,” that includes 84% existing and temporary venues and political solidarity, even from the leading opposition party in Australia. The bottom line:

“As the world continues to experience challenging times, we believe that we have before us the chance to seize a unique opportunity to secure the future of the Olympic Movement and provide the athletes of the world with an excellent welcome in 2032.”

The Brisbane presentation was introduced by Coates, who promised “diligent, grateful and enthusiastic hands” to produce the event. Morrison emphasized that “we know what it takes to deliver a successful Games in Australia” and praised the efforts of the Japanese organizers to make the Tokyo Games a reality. He stressed the country’s diversity – “We’re like a giant-sized Olympic Village, all together” – and the detailed financial and sustainability commitments of all levels of Australian government.

Palaszczuk pointedly noted, “The Games will accelerate our future by providing the infrastructure much sooner than otherwise would be the case, by focusing and fast-tracking investment of all governments.” Long-term community needs are built into the Games plan. And:

“We want to show the world that mid-sized cities and regions can host the Games without financial distress or missed deadlines. The keys are long-term planning, bi-partisan support and making the most of a city’s natural and built resources.”

Along with comments from Schrinner, the Brisbane presentation ran about 50 minutes and was impressively produced and delivered by its elected officials, augmented with multiple information slides and video clips.

A grand total of seven questions or comments were offered, all of which were handled satisfactorily. The vote was taken and the completely anticlimactic announcement was made that Brisbane will be the host city for 2032.

There was loud applause, followed by a video link to an outdoor viewing site in Brisbane (where it was about 6:30 p.m.) – complete with fireworks – and the signing of the Host City Contract. Australia has its third Games, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

The second day of the IOC Session in Tokyo began with a keynote by World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom (ETH), who declared, “The pandemic is a test and the world is failing.”

Over a 35-minute address, he urged wealthier nations to share Covid vaccines with less-developed nations, saying “The most vulnerable remain unprotected.” He asked for governmental, commercial and charitable help in manufacturing 11 billion vaccines to reach 70% of the world’s population by the mid-2022. His comment on Covid and the Olympic Games in Tokyo:

“The mark of success in the coming fortnight is not zero cases. And I know that some cases have already been detected. The mark of success is making sure that any cases are identified, isolated, traced and cared for as quickly possible. And normal transmission is interrupted. That is the mark of success for every country.”

This was followed by a lengthy series of reports on future Games:

● Beijing 2022: The Winter Games organizers provided a detailed report, with venue development well in hand. Beijing 2022 noted that it now has 45 marketing partners at all levels and that a remarkable 1.12 million applied to be volunteers for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Games are being promoted with events in China during the Tokyo 2020 Games period. Oh yes, the dreaded “playbooks” are being prepared at this time, but it is hoped (and expected) that spectators will be present.

● Paris 2024: The Paris organizing committee, led by canoeing Olympic Champion Tony Estanguet, underlined its continuing progress: “We are ready to take the baton on the 8th of August; we are on budget: more than half of our targeted revenue is signed and secured … we are on time on our three main pillars: celebration, legacy and engagement.”

The details included construction on the agreed timeline (one venue already completed!), agreements for 47,000 hotel rooms available at the same pricing promised in the bid documents, and with no minimum-stay requirements. The Paris 2024 licensing program is underway, with 15 companies involved and an online store opening later this summer.

About 50 members of the 2024 staff are and will be in Tokyo as observers.

● Milan Cortina 2026: The presentation was led by Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) President Giovanni Malago, who noted that the 2026 effort is already benefitting from having held world championships at the expected venues in Biathlon in 2020 in Anterselva and the Alpine Skiing Worlds in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2021.

A new approach to “exponential organization” is being developed, in which the organizing committee itself will hire only 600 people and partner with four “local organizing committees” situated in the four Games venue clusters. This concept is designed to reduce human resource costs and to emphasize high performance, along with maintaining and further developing the “local delivery partners” who already know their areas so well. There are 90 staff members at present and up to another 131 could be hired this year.

Malago also noted the development of the logo, with 870,000 votes cast from Italy and elsewhere to select the first popularly-voted emblem for the Winter Games.

The Veneto regional government has confirmed that the 1956 Cortina sliding center will be renovated, but not for the Games in specific, but for a larger entertainment park for the area. It will be used in 2026 by the organizing committee as a temporary tenant only.

● Los Angeles 2028: This was the first in-person report by LA28 to an IOC Session, with Chair Casey Wasserman, Chief Revenue Officer Kathy Carter and Chief Operating Officer John Harper participating. Wasserman underlined the unique situation of Los Angeles, host to the Games already in 1932 and 1984:

“L.A. is a Games-ready city … We have an incredible culture of innovation, creativity and story-telling and we’re excited to tell the stories of the Olympic Games to the world. And we intend to host a fiscally-responsible and sustainable Games using the best that L.A. has to offer, and as you all know, we are privately funded. …

“We’re going to take advantage of these extra four years to put ourselves in a position to create a truly Games-changing experience.”

He noted the emphasis has been on the graphical brand launch and sponsorship marketing as foundational elements, and he tied the business programming to the LA28 philosophies:

“We think it’s important for the organization to be guided by our ‘truths’. We use these to guide us every day … we’re optimistic and believe in making great things possible; we believe that diversity makes us stronger, and we should celebrate our differences; we know that co-creating and innovating with others will shape a more progressive future. At our core, we will represent Los Angeles and welcome the world. We recognize that people are what matter most and are proud of our opportunity to leave a legacy, and finally, we are squarely rooted in sport. We believe in the power of sport and the spirit of competition and achievement. …

“Our mission is clear and our vision is bold. The mission, very simply, is to create an amazing Games experience for everyone. And our vision is ambitious, to create what’s next by harnessing sport, community and the power of our differences.”

On the unique branding program, utilizing an ever-changing “A” in the LA28 emblem, he explained:

“As we thought about how to bring our story to life, we thought about how Los Angeles is a place of constant re-invention and re-imagining what’s possible. At our core, L.A. is an infinite canvas to pursue your wildest dreams. And we knew that everyone had to be a part of the L.A. story. L.A. defies singular definition, so there would be no singular way to represent our Games.

“And finally, the Games are not about one sport, one team, one idea or one theme, so we would need a collection of voices to tell the LA28 story … The best way to capture our community’s essence is through a collection of voices.”

Carter explained the venue plan, with five major “sports parks” containing most of the venues, with no permanent construction required. On the commercial side, she noted the unique collaboration that has LA28, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and domestic broadcaster NBCUniversal working together as a single sales entity, opening a new vista for engagement and attracting new fans to the Olympic Movement. The on-site slide showed logos of already-committed partners Delta Airlines, Comcast, Salesforce and Deloitte and licensees Nike, Ralph Lauren, Getty Images and hospitality provider On Location.

Nicole Hoevertsz (ARU), the head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission, gave a positive review for the organizing committee’s work, especially the contribution to youth programs operated by the City of Los Angeles. She noted that LA28 currently has 90 employees.

The elections portion of the Session included the re-election of five IOC members who had served for eight years (approved by 78-0), and a change of status from Athletes’ Commission member to an individual member for Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), approved by 78-2. Coventry, also the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in her country, is seen as a possible future leader of the Olympic Movement.

Aruba’s Hoevertsz, already a member of the Executive Board, was elected as a Vice President of the IOC by a 72-7 margin, to replace the term-limited Anita DeFrantz (USA). For the IOC Executive Board, Robin Mitchell (FIJ) was re-elected by 75-4; Denis Oswald (SUI) was re-elected by 71-7 after the withdrawal of Norway’s Kristin Kloster Aasen, then Kloster Aasen was herself elected by 71-6.

(DeFrantz served for two terms as a Vice President, and is eligible to run again in two years.)

The Session also elected Craig Reedie (GBR) – the former head of the International Badminton Federation and the World Anti-Doping Agency – as an honorary member beginning in 2022; he was age-limited at the end of this year. Crown Prince Frederik (DEN), who resigned earlier this year, was elected as an honorary member as well.

The Games competition actually started, with softball matches in Fukushima and host Japan defeating Australia, 8-1, ending the game by the mercy rule after five innings. Minori Naito and Yamato Fujita homered for the winners.

The U.S. was in action in the second game, with Cat Osterman, 38, a gold medalist from 2004 and 2008, shutting out Italy on a six-inning one-hitter, 2-0, with Monica Abbott, 35, earning the save for a scoreless seventh.

During the second part of Monday’s Session, a series of reports were heard, including a short, hopeful greeting from the Tokyo 2020 organizers. The IOC noted that “Coordination Commission Chair John Coates told the IOC Members that the work done, both on permanent and temporary facilities, is of the highest quality, and that the conditions in the Village, training venues and competition fields of play are perfect.”

Other highlights:

● The IOC approved a request from President Thomas Bach (GER) to change the Olympic motto, of “Citius, Altius, Fortius” – better known as “Swifter, Higher, Stronger” and adopted in 1894 – by adding “Communiter” or, in English: “Swifter, Higher, Stronger – Together.” The vote was unanimous.

● The International Testing Agency noted that it will collect approximately 5,000 urine and blood samples both in and out of competition, in collaboration with Tokyo 2020 and the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA), at the Games The collections will be obtained via an anti-doping workforce of 250 Doping Control Officers and 700 chaperones.

● The Milan Cortina organizers for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games asked for and received approval to add Ski Mountaineering to its program. Five events would be held – a sprint and an individual event for men and women and a mixed event – with a total of 48 athletes. Those athletes will be included in the overall quota of 2,900.

● Also looking to the future, six International Federations received full recognition from the IOC, including the International Cheerleading Union (ICU), International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), International Sambo Federation (FIAS), International Federation Icestocksport (IFI), World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO) and World Lacrosse (WL). This does not mean these federations are any closer to being part of the Olympic program, but are now part of a large group of “recognized” federations which receive some modest IOC support.

Some modest revisions were made to the Olympic Charter, including a requirement that National Olympic Committees must have functional Athletes’ Commissions – with voting rights – by the end of 2022, and the responsibility for organizing committees to hold test events was modified to include programs short of “full competitions” – such as school events – in agreement with the relevant International Federation as a potential money-saving measure.

Tokyo 2020’s Wednesday update on Covid-19 cases showed the total up to 79, with eight new cases. Japanese residents account for 46 (58%), while the other 33 are non-residents (and four of these are in training camps).

By group, 42 are contractors, 20 are “Games-related personnel” (coaches, officials), eight are athletes, five media and four Tokyo 2020 staff and volunteers.

At Monday’s post-Session news conference, IOC member and Athletes’ Commission chair Coventry was asked about the recent change to the Olympic Charter’s Rule 50 guidelines, allowing “expression” prior to competition, but continuing the ban at ceremonies and in the Olympic Village. She explained:

“What athletes were asking were for more opportunities to be able to talk about things that were important to them. And with the results of the last month, and allowing for there to be athletes expressing themselves before the start of competition, my hope is that athletes will still respect each other and will live by our Olympic values, which are their Olympic values because now they are now Olympians.”

There were lots of headlines on Tuesday about Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto “not ruling out” the last-moment cancellation of the Games at a Monday news conference, but what he actually said was:

“We can’t predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases. So we will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases.

“We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks again. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises.”

The SwimSwam.com site added a really cheeky follow-up about the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, including:

“Bookmakers have rated the chances of Tokyo ending early as short as 4/1 which, according to Power, puts an implied 17% probability on the Games ending early” and even odds on which sports might be canceled given their close-contact nature! Wrestling (36%), Karate (33%) and Judo (33%) had the best odds.

● Athletics: Before the pandemic, the biggest concern about the Tokyo Games was heat, and the marathons and race walks were moved to Sapporo, where the weather was expected to be cooler.

On Sunday, however, high temperatures hit 91 F in Sapporo and rose to 93 F on Monday. Temps were expected to cool to the mid-80s during the Games, with lows from 70-72 F, still warm for the long-distance events.

Regardless of Covid, the heat is apparently going to be an issue in Sapporo.

● Beach Volleyball: Ondrej Perusic of the Czech Republic has been identified as a Covid-positive case and with his first match with partner David Schweiner against Latvia on the 26th, is in danger of missing the Games. The pair are medal contenders, having won three medals (1-1-1) on this season’s FIVB World Tour in five starts, including a win on Doha (QAT) in March. Perusic and Schweiner sport a shiny 19-6 won-loss record on the season.

● Swimming: A terrible administrative mix-up resulted in six Polish swimmers getting on the plane for Tokyo and then being told that they could not compete at the Games and had to return home.

Poland qualified two individual women and nine men for the Games and five relay teams. Under FINA regulations, it was allowed to enter 17 total athletes, but the Polish federation instead sent 23 athletes to Tokyo. Six were told upon arrival that they would have to return.

In a lengthy letter explaining the situation and the arithmetic, Polish Swimming Federation chief Pawel Slominski began by noting (per Google Translate):

“I express great regret, sadness and bitterness about the situation related to the qualification of our players for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Such a situation should not take place, and the reaction of the players, their emotions, the attack on the Polish Swimming Federation (PZP) is understandable to me and justified.”

A letter from the Polish team asked for resignations of Slominski and the entire federation board, but that won’t get them into the pool in Tokyo.

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: IOC’s Bach: “I can admit that we did not know how complex this would be”; expert says Covid positives “are actually extremely low”

By
Rich Perelman
-
IOC President Thomas Bach during his remarks to the 138th IOC Session (Photo: IOC)

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News, views and noise from the non-stop, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The International Olympic Committee’s 138th Session began in Tokyo on Tuesday, with President Thomas Bach (GER) thanking the Japanese government and the organizing committee for their “determination and dedication in these challenging times.”

In his report to the Session, Bach recounted the emotional roller-coaster of the last year:

“We faced a choice: cancellation or postponement. There was nothing in between. … Cancellation would have been the easy way forward. We could have drawn on the insurance that we had at the time and moved on to Paris 2024. But in fact, cancellation was never an option for us. The IOC never abandons the athletes.

“Therefore, we took the unprecedented decision to postpone the Olympic Games. Today, I can admit that we did not know how complex this would be. The only certainty we had was rather than cashing in on the insurance, we would have to invest much more, to make these Olympic Games possible.

“There was no blueprint. Nobody had ever done this before. We could only take this decision because of the full, mutual trust between our Japanese partners and us. In fact, we came to an agreement with then-prime minister Abe Shinzo in a phone call which lasted only about half an hour. This agreement still stands today. … We did it together. We did it for the athletes.”

Bach also explained why he never wavered or expressed any doubt about making the Games a reality in 2021:

“How could we have convinced all the other stakeholders to remain committed to the Olympic Games if if we would have even deepened their already-serious doubts. Our doubts would have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Olympic Games could have fallen to pieces. This is why we had to keep these doubts to ourselves. And this, today I can admit and say it, these also weighed on us. It weighed on me.

“And in order to arrive at this day today, we had to give confidence . We had to show a way out of this crisis. We had to provide stability. We had to build trust. We had to give hope. … And today I would like to thank all our stakeholders for having indeed trusting in us.”

Bach recounted the IOC’s $800 million in additional spending on the postponed Games and its $1.7 billion contribution of cash and services to the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

The Session has a long, two-day agenda, but IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper (BEL) outlined the progress being made already on the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 program approved earlier in the year.

Specially noted was the creation of a IOC-controlled, centralized ticketing and hospitality program through On Location beginning with Paris 2024, and a promise that IOC programs to provide centralized planning in technology, transportation, venue planning and management and perhaps other areas are under development.

Reports from the future organizing committees and IOC elections will take place tomorrow.

Covid-19 is very much the pre-Opening story of the Tokyo Games, and the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 organizers staged a one-hour news conference on Sunday at the Main Press Center in Tokyo concerning the Covid-19 and heat countermeasures amid reports of additional infections among Olympic-related personnel.

Hide Nakamura, head of the Main Operations Center for the Tokyo organizers explained:

“No matter how well we are prepared, every once in a while we will find some people being tested positive. We don’t think we will be able to avoid that. But what’s important is that when we face that situation systematically, we introduce isolation so that spreading will not occur.”

IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) followed up on the procedures:

“This is rigorous. This is thorough. This is very strict. … Testing is the way to avoid any spread. Testing is the way to ensure safety for all of us. There is no such thing as zero risk; on that, we all agree. At the same time, the mingling and crossing of populations is incredibly limited. And we can ensure that transmission between the various groups is almost impossible. We keep the risk to an absolute minimum level. That is the core of our message. …

“Once a case is identified, there is a whole procedure to ring-fence that individual and the potential other individuals, so that when the new athletes are coming in or those that are already in the Village, know that the situation is under control. This is how we build trust and confidence is by action, extensive actions, demonstrating that there is no stone uncovered. It’s a Covid-safe environment.”

Pierre Ducrey (SUI), the IOC’s Olympic Games Operations Director, noted that more than 30,000 screening tests have been completed since 1 July and that “This is probably the most controlled population at this point in time anywhere in the world.”

As of Tuesday (20th), a total of 71 Games-related coronavirus positives had been reported since 1 July, with 15 reported on Saturday (17th) and 10 on Sunday (18th). Of these, half (36) are Games contractors, 19 are “Games-related personnel” such as coaches, team officials and sports officials, five are media, four are Tokyo 2020 staff and seven are athletes. Several of these positive results were from testing upon arrival in Japan; only 31 of the 71 total are from outside of Japan.

South African football players James Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi as well as a team video analyst were identified as Village Covid-positive cases and were being isolated according to plan; their “close contacts” are being tested and will only be able to compete if they test negative just prior to their events. IOC member Seung-min Ryu of South Korea was also identified as Covid-positive from his arrival test and is being isolated.

The IOC held another Covid information session on Monday featuring Dr. Brian McCloskey (GBR), chair of an independent panel advising the IOC on Covid-19 mitigation measures for Tokyo, who had a message for those expecting no cases in Tokyo:

“What we’re seeing is what we expected to see, essentially. If I thought all the tests we did were going to do were going to be negative, then I wouldn’t bother doing the tests in the first place. We do the tests because they are a way of filtering out people who might be developing infections, who might become a risk later, to identify them early. We take them apart from other people, we monitor and look after them and we look after the contacts.

“So it is expected as we go through the different layers of filtering, we see cases coming out. … Each layer of filtering is a reduction in risk for everybody else, and that’s what we expect to see. And the numbers we’re seeing are actually extremely low. They’re probably lower than we expected them to be, if anything.”

As for an athlete missing the Games due to a positive test in Tokyo: “It’s something that could happen. We try very hard to make sure it doesn’t happen; we manage it as well as we can. … There are no absolute certainties in this world.”

Is the Olympic Village safe? “Yes.”

The U.S. team has also been hit with Covid positives for athletes not yet in Tokyo, including:

● Men’s basketball guard Zach LaVine was placed into USA Basketball’s protocol on Monday and will not travel with the rest of the team to Tokyo, but could join in a few days.

● 3×3 Basketball player Katie Lou Samuelson was placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocol on Saturday and will not go to Tokyo. She will be replaced by Jackie Young of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, who was part of the U.S. 3×3 team at the 2019 World Beach Games.

● Women’s artistic gymnastics alternate Kara Eaker (18) tested positive at the team’s pre-Games training camp, despite reportedly being vaccinated two months ago. Fellow alternate Leanne Wong has also been isolated as a precaution.

● Tennis player Coco Gauff (17) announced on Twitter that she has tested positive and withdrawn from the Games.

● Track & field’s Katie Nageotte, the U.S. Trials winner in the women’s pole vault, has contracted food poisoning and had an allergic reaction to antibiotics, but will apparently be OK for the Games.

Elsewhere around the Games:

● Per Kyodo News: “Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada resigned on Monday from the creative team for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics after admitting that he bullied children with disabilities many years ago.” A four-minute piece composed by Oyamanda that was slated to be included in the early part of the ceremony will not be used.

● Toyota Motor Corp., an International Olympic Committee TOP Partner, announced it would not be airing commercials related to the Games in Japan during the Olympic period for “various reasons.” A spokesman noted that “We will fully support the athletes and contribute to the games by providing vehicles and through other means”; Toyota is supplying 3,340 vehicles for the organizing committee.

● Basketball: The Court of Arbitration for Sport has declined the appeal of U.S. players Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams to play for Nigeria in Tokyo. The international federation for basketball, FIBA, “declined under the applicable rules” and added, “In any event, the players would have to wait for a three-year period since their last game with the USA to be eligible to play at the Olympics, as per Bye-law to Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter.”

● Football: The German men’s football team walked off the field during a Saturday practice match, with a team tweet stating “The game has ended 5 minutes early with the score at 1-1. The Germany players left the pitch after [defender] Jordan Torunarigha was racially abused.”

The Honduran twitter response: “Game ended in the 87th [minute] due to abandonment because of a German player alleging a racist insult from a Honduras team member. Regarding this matter, the Honduras Football Federation states that the situation was a misunderstanding on the pitch.”

German coach Stefan Kuntz said that the Honduran team came over the German bench and apologized, saying that the matter was closed.

● Swimming: The Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstated Russian swimmers Veronika Andrusenko and Aleksandr Kudashev, saying the FINA suspension for doping based on evidence from the Moscow Laboratory data recovered by WADA covering the period of 2011-15. This will allow Andrusenko to compete in the women’s 200 m Free and Kudashev in the 200 m Butterfly.

Tunisian open-water star Ous Mellouli, slated to swim in the 10 km in Tokyo, announced on his Instagram account (translated from the original French):

“After a month of ordeal, I lose all hope of reconciliation or of winning my case. So I decided to retire from international competitions and boycott the Tokyo Games.”

He had been in a dispute with the Tunisian swimming federation with allegations of forgery and theft, and a formal hearing. Mellouli was the 2008 gold medalist in the men’s 1,500 m Free, then won the 2012 10 km open-water event and a bronze in the 1,500 m Free in the pool. Tokyo would have been his sixth Olympic Games!

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● Former Vice President Mike Pence challenged the Biden Administration to demand that the Beijing Winter Games be relocated.

Speaking at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday, Pence said:

“President Biden should make a clear and unequivocal demand that the 2022 Winter Olympics be moved from Beijing unless China comes clean on the origins of COVID-19 and immediately ends persecution of the Uyghur people.

“The Olympics should only take place in countries that respect fundamental human rights and the well-being of mankind.”

● Athletics ● The all-time U.S. men’s and women’s javelin lists were shaken by sensational American throwing on Saturday at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Michael Shuey, second at the Trials, came from behind on his final toss to reach a lifetime best of 85.67 m (281-1), moving him to no. 9 on the 2021 year list and no. 4 on the all-time U.S. list. Trials winner Curtis Thompson was second at 81.04 m (265-10).

American Record holder Maggie Malone, already no. 3 on the 2021 world list, extended her own record to 67.10 m (221-1) on her first throw, adding almost two feet to her 66.82 m/219-3 from earlier this year. That keeps her third on the year list, but underscores her as a serious medal contender.

How about something fun for a change?

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, you can check out U.S. Olympic steepler Mason Ferlic “unboxing” his Tokyo gear … and it’s quite a haul!

The coronavirus claimed another event as a victim, as the Kenyan government announced that the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi (KEN) next month will not allow spectators to attend.

This is an especially devastating situation for Kenya and Nairobi, which has been speculated as a possible site for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, with the 2021 U-20 meet as a measure of the possibilities.

● Football ● The concept of holding the FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup every two years instead of every four got a vote of confidence from the Confederation of African Football. Although the concept is only to be studied by FIFA, the CAF is already an enthusiastic backer.

● Rowing ● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has commission a high-profile law firm to conduct an investigation into the U.S. Rowing men’s national team program and in particular, complaints about the style of coaching by longtime head coach Mike Teti.

The Associated Press reported considerable conflict among the men’s rowers about Teti, whose approach has been called both “intense” and “intimidating.” US Rowing chief executive Amanda Kraus said that the review “is not an investigation of any particular coach at US Rowing. It is a high-level assessment of the culture of our men’s and women’s training centers in an effort to ensure that our athletes’ concerns are being addressed and that fairness and transparency are always at the core of how we operate.”

Teti, now 64, is a member of the National Rowing Hall of Fame as both a rower and a coach.

● At the BuZZer ● Another major auction of Olympic and other sports memorabilia is getting set for 22 July (Thursday) in France.

The 581-lot Sportlympic VII offer includes 10 official torches, from Berlin 1936, London 1948, Rome 1960, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Moscow 1980, and Athens 2004, with expected pricing from €2,000-8,000.

Of special interest is a winner’s medal from the 1920 Antwerp Games, with a projected sale price of €16,000-20,000.

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LANE ONE: What if athletes could sell their name-image-likeness and no one cared? USOPC and LA28 are trying to solve this Olympian-sized problem

By
Rich Perelman
-

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(For our Highlights of the weekend’s top events, click here)

As the Games of the XXXII Olympiad get ready to open this Friday in Tokyo, about 11,091 athletes will be in competition, or a few days away from starting their journey as Olympians.

Of these, some 613 athletes – 5.5% of the total – are members of “Team USA,” under the supervision of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who will look after them carefully during their limited stay in Tokyo. The USOPC will then do the same for the U.S. team for the Paralympic Games that will start on 24 August.

If the predictions are right, more than 100 American team members will win medals at the Games, but most will not. But almost all of them will have been challenged to find enough funding and support to have made it to Tokyo.

Amid the recent news of NCAA athletes being able to cash in on their name, image and likeness, Olympic-sport athletes who are not competing for universities have had this opportunity for years – since the Olympic amateurism rules disappeared in the early 1980s – and have still found funding a major challenge.

The stories of Olympic hopefuls surviving on unemployment payments, food stamps and, more recently, GoFundMe campaigns are legion. But rather quietly, an experimental program is underway to try and help.

It’s called the Athlete Marketing Platform (AMP), introduced by the USOPC in November of 2020. It’s a pilot program, essentially a “digital marketplace” that is designed to connect “Team USA sponsors and licensees directly with athletes, providing incremental revenue opportunities and marketing exposure for Team USA athletes.”

The program was announced as created in cooperation with the USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council and the National Governing Bodies Council, but the implementation is actually in the hands of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP) joint venture between the USOPC and the Los Angeles 2028 organizing committee.

That makes a lot of sense, since LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman’s own worldwide agency – not the organizing committee – is one of the leading athlete-management, artist-promotion and brand-support firms in the world.

That expertise and the opportunity to do more than athletes can do on their own has attracted attention from almost as many athletes as are on the U.S. Olympic Team for Tokyo: 527 in all:

Olympic sports and disciplines (33/372 athletes ~ 70.6%):
● 47 Track & Field
● 36 Rowing
● 34 Volleyball
● 22 Cycling
● 22 Fencing
● 18 Swimming
● 18 Gymnastics
● 16 Rugby
● 15 Triathlon
● 12 Hockey and Sailing
● 10 Softball and Water Polo
● 9 Shooting and Weightlifting
● 8 Canoe-Kayak and Wrestling
● 7 Diving and Karate
● 6 Archery, Judo and Table Tennis
● 5 Taekwondo
● 4 Basketball, Modern Pentathlon and Skateboarding
● 3 Artistic Swimming, Badminton and Football
● 2 Boxing, Climbing, Equestrian and Tennis

Olympic Winter sports and disciplines (6/58 athletes ~ 10.1%):
● 14 Skiing
● 11 Figure Skating
● 9 Bobsled
● 7 Curling
● 6 Biathlon and Luge
● 5 Speedskating

Paralympic sports (8/97 athletes ~ 18.4%):
● 29 Para Track & Field
● 17 Para Cycling
● 15 Wheelchair Basketball
● 11 Wheelchair Rugby
● 9 Goalball
● 7 Para Swimming
● 5 Para Alpine Skiing
● 4 Para Powerlifting

The first-stage trial is for March 2021 to March 2022, and it works in three parts:

(1) A guaranteed base payment for group marketing rights.

(2) New revenue streams such as royalty fees for consumer products through licensed merchandise.

(3) Potential for incremental revenue via individual marketing deals.

The group marketing rights piece provides a payment of $1,250 – in two installments – for USOPC commercial partners to use an athlete’s name-image-likeness as part of a group to “to show their support for Team USA.” Nothing more than the use of a photo is needed and the fee will be paid even if no sponsor uses the athlete’s image. Easy.

If an athlete who is part of the program has their name, image and likeness on any Team USA merchandise, then the athlete will earn a royalty on all sales. It’s not going to be a lot, but it’s a start.

The great potential in this program is with the “individual marketing” opportunity, where athletes can get involved directly with sponsors or other USOPC affiliates. The program outline states “AMP makes the connection, and the athlete negotiates the payment and terms.”

This direct exposure to sponsors, suppliers and affiliates of not only the USOPC, but potentially also of the National Governing Bodies and the thousands of companies who are not now involved at all in the U.S. Olympic Movement is the break that Olympic athletes, most of whom know a lot about their sport but not as much about branding, media relations and endorsements, are hoping for.

Is this the solution to the financial challenges of U.S. athletes? No, not yet. But it’s an unprecedented move in the right direction and has the possibility to show the way to better match athletes without the wide exposure of an Allyson Felix, Katie Ledecky or Simone Biles to companies that couldn’t afford to sign them anyway.

In many ways, the Athlete Marketing Platform and the new name, image and likeness opportunities for NCAA athletes who aren’t the dominant football or basketball stars are concepts in parallel. Athletes in both groups badly need exposure and the creation of a true marketplace for their services.

Watch for these two “markets” to become more closely intertwined over time, as a merger could benefit both the collegiate and Olympic-focused performers and the local, regional and smaller national brands and companies that could actually find effective promotional options that they can actually afford.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HIGHLIGHTS: Pogacar sails to second straight Tour de France win; U.S. women Olympians crush Nigeria, U.S. men edge Spain in exhibitions

By
Rich Perelman
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A happy Tadej Pogacar (yellow jersey) on his way to a second Tour de France title (Photo: ASO/Charly Lopez)

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Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world/updated/:

● Athletics ● /Updated/ Some notable names popped up at the American Track League stop at Trabuco Hills High School in California in 90+ degree temps on Sunday, with some hot running in the sprints.

American Candace Hill collected a wind-aided double, winning the women’s 100 m in 10.99 (+2.5 m/s) and the 200 m in 22.30 (+2.2). A big Jamaican squad was led by star  sprinter Yohan Blake, who barely beat countryman Rasheed Dwyer to the line as both were timed in 20.22 (+1.8), with Jevaughn Minzie third in 20.29. Minzie won the 100 m earlier in a windy 10.09 (+2.3) with Chris Royster (USA) also in the same time.

Jamaica’s Megan Tapper won the women’s 100 m hurdles in 12.48w (+3.6) ahead of Evonne Britton of the U.S. (12.72). In the women’s 400 m, Tovea Jenkins (JAM) won over Jaide Stepter (USA), 51.63-51.87 and Jamaican Ronda Whyte took the women’s 400 m hurdles in 55.57.

American Khallifah Rosser won the men’s 400 over Jamaican Nathon Allen, 45.74-45.89.

Brannon Kidder of the U.S. won the men’s 800 m in 1:45.26 with Craig Engels third in 1:47.15, then Engels helped pace the “Moustache Mile,” won by steepler Isaac Updike in a lifetime best of 3:58.26. American Sinclaire Johnson won the women’s 800 in 2:00.63.

The only field event as a “mixed” shot put, but the men’s and women’s individual winners were Darrell Hill (USA) at 21.35 m (70-0 1/2) and Chase Ealey of the U.S. with a seasonal best of 19.45 m (63-9 3/4).

In the evening distance races, titled the “Sound Running Sunset Tour,” Americans Taryn Rawlings and Raevyn Rogers went 1-2 in the women’s mile with lifetime bests of 4:28.93 and 4:29.26. American Josette Norris got a lifetime best of 3:59.72 in the women’s 1,500 m – the ninth American woman under four minutes – beating Jessica Hull (4:00.73) and Nikki Hiltz (4:02.94). Colby Alexander for a lifetime best in the men’s 1,500 m with an impressive 3:33.65, ahead of Luis Grijalva (GUA: 3:35.32, national record) and Johnny Gregorek (3:36.37).

● Basketball ● The U.S. women’s squad has been one of the most dominant on the planet, winning the last six Olympic tournaments and winners of 49 straight games in Olympic play.

But following its 93-85 loss to the WNBA All-Stars, the U.S. lost again on Friday (16 July) to Australia, 70-67, playing without star center Liz Cambage, who withdrew from the team for mental health reasons.

The American women had the game in hand at halftime, leading 41-28. But the U.S. went stone cold in the second half, and was outscored 23-15 in the third quarter – narrowing the gap to 56-51 – and then 19-11 in the fourth.

The U.S. shot 2-18 from the three-point line and 37.3% overall, but held a 41-28 rebounding edge in the game. Breanna Stewart scored 17 to lead the U.S., followed by A’ja Wilson with 12; Diana Taurasi sat out for the second consecutive game with a hip strain. Ezi Magbegor led Australia with 17 and the Opals forced the U.S. into 15 second-half turnovers.

/Update/ The U.S. women finished up with a win on Sunday vs. Nigeria, leading 20-4 after the first 6:23, then 29-15 at the quarter, 55-34 at half and 73-51 after three quarters. The final was 93-62, and the U.S. had five scorers in double figures: Wilson with 16, Stewart with 14, Brittney Griner with 12 and Jewell Loyd and Sylvia Fowles with 10 each. While the Americans shot 53.8% from the field, Nigeria was held to just 32.8% and had no one reach 10 points.

These teams will play each other in Tokyo in the group stage; Nigeria could be augmented by Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike, who have petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sport a refusal by FIBA to allow them to change playing allegiance from the U.S.

The U.S. men’s Olympic Team named replacements for Covid-hit Bradley Beal and the injured Kevin Love, with guard Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs and center JaVale McGee (Denver). Still to join the team are NBA Finals participants Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday of Milwaukee and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.

/Update/ On Sunday, the U.S. men finished their exhibition schedule with an encouraging 83-76 win over Spain in Las Vegas, taking control of the game in the third quarter. Spain led by 38-36 at the half, but the U.S. out-scored Spain by 21-12 to create a 57-50 edge at the end of the third and held tight in a 26-26 fourth quarter for the win.

Both teams shot poorly, with the U.S. making 43.1% of its field goals and the Spanish, only 38.2%, but badly out-rebounding the Americans by 42-22. Damian Lillard led the U.S. with 19 points, followed by Keldon Johnson – in his first game with the team – with 15, then Kevin Durant with 14 and Zach LaVine with 13. Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio led all scorers with 23, with Willy Hernangomez adding 11 and center Marc Gasol with 10.

Not much attention has been paid to the other exhibition games in Las Vegas, but they offered an important preview of the Olympic tournament:

● 10 July: Australia 87, Argentina 84
● 12 July: Nigeria 94, Argentina 71
● 13 July: Australia 108, Nigeria 69

Australia beat the U.S. in a 2019 exhibition match prior to the FIBA World Cup and is clearly a prime contender for Tokyo. Nigeria’s win over the U.S. and its throttling of Argentina mark it as a team – with seven NBA players and coached by NBA veteran Mike Brown – to be watched carefully at the Games.

● Beach Volleyball ● While the top teams are in Tokyo, the FIVB World Tour goes on and the U.S. swept both the men’s and women’s titles at the two-star tournament in Rubavu in Rwanda, with wins for Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk and Emily Day and Sara Hughes.

In the men’s final, Brunner (36) and Schalk (35) defeated fellow Americans Chase Budinger and Troy Field in straight sets: 25-23, 21-15. It was the first World Tour win ever for the duo of Brunner and Schalk. For Brunner, it took 64 World Tour events to score his first gold, and 77 for Schalk, who played for Canada for most of his career; this was just his ninth tournament playing for the U.S.

Russians Maksim Hudyakov and Aleksandr Kramarenko won the bronze medal over countrymen Anton Kislytsyn and Daniil Kuvichka by 21-11, 21-15.

Day (33) and Hughes (26) won their first World Tour title as a pair, overcoming Germany’s Chantal Laboureur and Sarah Schulz in three sets: 19-21, 21-13, 16-14. It was Day’s first World Tour win ever, in his 93rd tournament; for Hughes, it was win no. 3.

Germans Sarah Schneider and Svenja Muller won the bronze over Valentyna Davidova and Diana Lunina (UKR) by 21-19, 21-19 to take the bronze medal.

● Cycling ● Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar – still just 22 – won his second straight Tour de France on Sunday, pedaling to Paris with a huge lead and joining a select fraternity of 21 men who have won this race more than once.

Pogacar essentially clinched the race on Thursday with his win on the final mountain stage, but there were still three days left. On Friday, countryman Matej Mohoric won his second stage of the race, with a 25 km breakaway on the 207 km route from Mourenx to Libourne, finishing 58 seconds up on Christophe Laporte (FRA) and Casper Pedersen (DEN).

Saturday’s 30.8 km individual time trial was a showcase for Belgian Wout van Aert, who won his second stage of the 2021 Tour, posting a 35:53 time. That was 21 seconds better than Kasper Asgreen (DEN) and 32 seconds faster than Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 57 seconds up on Pogacar.

That reduced Pogacar’s margin to a still-impressive 5:20 over Vingegaard and 7:03 on Richard Carapaz (ECU) going into Sunday’s 108.4 km sprint into Paris, and it finished there, the biggest time win in this race since 2014, when Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) won by 7:37. Australia’s Ben O’Connor was fourth (+10:02) and Wilco Kelderman (NED) was fifth (+10:13).

Sunday’s race was all about whether Britain’s Mark Cavendish – at 36 – could break his tie with Belgian great Eddy Merckx for the most stage wins in the history of the race (34). Everyone knew the storyline, but no one was conceding Cavendish anything.

And it came down to the final meters of the race, with Cavendish in position to strike, but he was not as fast to the line as van Aert, 26, who won his second straight stage – and third of the Tour (and sixth of his career) – just ahead of countryman Jasper Philipsen, with Cavendish a disappointed third, banging his handlebars in anger. For Philipsen, it was his sixth stage finishing second or third, but with no wins; at 23, he will have more chances.

Pogacar and Cavendish made the headlines for this year’s Tour, surpassing the horrific crash-filled first week and especially the opening stage mess in which a spectator pointed a homemade sign toward the television cameras and caused a huge pile-up that affected the race dramatically. Fan behavior was an issue during the Tour and more attention will have to paid to this in the future.

There was also chatter about possible technical fraud when some riders heard “strange noises” from the rear hubs of some bikes, and the Bahrain Victorious team had its hotel and bus searched and some training files taken by French police on Wednesday (14th). It was later confirmed by authorities in Marseille that an investigation had been initiated on 3 July concerning “acquisition, transportation, possession and importing of a prohibited substance or method for use by an athlete without justification by members of Team Bahrain Victorious, currently in action at the 2021 Tour de France.” Team members Mohoric and Dylan Teuns (BEL) won stages in the race.

The USA Cycling Track National Championships were on this weekend for riders from 11 and up at the outdoor velodrome in Breiningsville, Pennsylvania, with some familiar names back on top of the podium.

John Croom, who won the 2019 Time Trial, ended up with three golds on the weekend, taking the Individual Pursuit, the Elimination Race and the Omnium, plus a bronze in the Scratch Race. The Points Race is still to come on Monday.

James Alvord took the men’s Sprint title over Evan Boone, but then saw Boone win the Keirin, with Tommy Quinn second. Alvord came back for a second win in the 1,000 m Time Trial over Ryan Jastrab. Kyle Perry won the Scratch Race.

Veteran star Mandy Marquardt, who did not make the Olympic Team, repeated her triple victory from the 2019 Championships, taking the Sprint, Keirin and 500 m Time Trial. Colleen Gulick logged two wins, in the Elimination Race and the Omnium, while Elspeth Huyett won the Scratch Race. As with the men, the Points Race will be on Monday.

● Football ● /Updated/The CONCACAF Gold Cup continues in the group stage, with Groups A and B finishing today (18th) and Groups C and D completing play on Tuesday (20th).

In Group A, Mexico (2-0-1) got a 26th-minute goal from Luis Rodriguez and made it stand up for a 1-0 win in Dallas over a dogged El Salvador (2-1) squad that competed strongly in a game with 41 total fouls. Mexico ended with 54% of the possession and had a 16-11 edge on shots. That gave Mexico the group title and both teams will move on to the playoffs. In Frisco, Guatemala (0-2-1: 4th) and Trinidad & Tobago (0-1-2: 3rd) finished with a 1-1 draw.

In Group B, the U.S. jumped on Canada right away in Kansas City, with Shaquell Moore scoring what is believed to be the fastest goal in team history in 20 seconds off a brilliant cross from the left of goal by Sebastian Lleget. It was 1-0 at half, but Canada was on the offensive throughout the second half and the U.S. had Daryl Dike and James Sands leave the field due to injury – with the U.S. playing with 10 men – for short stretches in the final 10 minutes. But the Americans (3-0) held on for the 1-0 victory despite only 46% of the possession and getting six shots to 14 for Canada (2-1).

Haiti (1-2) defeated Martinique (0-3), 2-1, in Frisco in their final game.

In Group C, Costa Rica and Jamaica are both 2-0 and will advance to the playoffs; they play each other for the top seed in the group. In Group D, Qatar (1-0-1) sailed past Grenada (0-2), 4-0, and Honduras (2-0) scored two second-half goals to edge Panama (0-1-1), 3-2. Honduras will advance and Qatar likely will, with a +5 goal differential over Panama (but the Panamanians play Grenada, while Qatar faces Honduras).

Playoffs will begin on 24 July with the quarterfinals, followed by semis on 29 July and the final on 1 August.

● Golf ● /Updated/American Collin Morikawa came from one shot down entering the final round of the 149th British Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England to win by two shots over Jordan Spieth (USA) and four over Spain’s Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen (RSA).

Morikawa shot a four-under 66 on the final round to end at -15, as Spieth and Rahm also shot 66s. Oosthuizen had the lead after each of the first three rounds, but had to settle for a third consecutive top-three finish at a major after seconds at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

At 24, Morikawa has now won two majors – also the 2020 PGA Championship – and will be playing in Tokyo at the Olympic Games. Born in Southern California and with a Japanese surname, an Olympic showdown between he and Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) could be one of the highlights of the Games in golf-mad Japan.

● Sport Climbing ● The IFSC schedule was busy this week with World Cup events in Chamonix (FRA) on 12-13 July and Briancon (FRA) on 17-18 July, both for Lead only.

In Chamonix the competition was for Lead only, with American Sean Bailey scoring his second straight World Cup win and third of the season, scoring 34+ holds in the final to 32 for Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA) and 32 for Martin Stranik (CZE). Italy scored in the women’s division with Laura Rogora winning over American Natalia Grossman, Top to 41+, with Aleksandra Totkova (BUL) third at 38+.

In Briancon, Bailey had the top score in the semis, but Russian Dmitrii Fakirianov took the final (39+) over Stranik (37+) and Swiss Sascha Lehmann (35); Bailey ended up sixth (27).

Grossman was one of five who got to the top of the wall, but had the best qualifying score and was the winner, her third win of the season and first in Lead! Slovenia’s Lucka Rakovec was second, with Eliska Adamovska (CZE) third.

● Volleyball ● /Updated/At the FIVB women’s U-20 World Championship in Belgium and the Netherlands, Italy swept to an impressive victory, winning all eight of its matches and 24 of its 26 sets!

The Netherlands, Serbia, Italy and the U.S. all won their groups with 3-0 records. In the second-round round-robin, the Netherlands (3-0) and Russia (2-1) advanced to the semifinals in the first group, while the U.S. (1-2) and Brazil (0-3) moved to the 5-8 playoffs. Italy (3-0) and Serbia (2-1) were the best of the second group, beating up on Poland (1-2) and the Dominican Republic (0-3).

In the championship semis, Italy swept Russia, 3-0, and Serbia skipped past the Netherlands, 3-1, to meet again in the final in Rotterdam. Once again, the Italians swept, winning 25-18, 25-20 and 25-23. Russia defeated the Dutch, 3-2, to win the bronze.

It was the first win for Italy in its third final in this tournament and fourth medal overall in the 20 editions of this championship.

In the fifth-place playoff, the U.S. swept the Dominican Republic, 3-0, and Poland did the same to Brazil. The American women managed a tight win for fifth, coming back from 0-2 against the Poles for a 14-25, 18-25, 25-16, 29-27, 15-13 victory.

Italian setter Gaia Guiducci was named Most Valuable Player and Best Setter. The all-tournament team also included Best Outside Hitters Loveth Omoruyi (ITA) and Jolien Knollema (NED); Vita Akimova (RUS) as Best Opposite; Emma Graziani (ITA) and Hena Kurtagic (SRB) as Best Middle Blockers and Martina Armini (ITA) as Best Libero.

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

THE BIG PICTURE: Bach optimistic about the Tokyo Games and Japanese reception as 0.1% of athletes and officials test positive so far

By
Rich Perelman
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IOC President Thomas Bach at Saturday's news conference in Tokyo (Photo: Screenshot of IOC video)

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“We are very much aware of the skepticism, obviously, a number of people have here in Japan … and therefore my appeal to the Japanese people to welcome these athletes here for their competition of their life and to acknowledge that there it is not for any prize that these athletes are coming here.

“They have like the same interest as the Japanese people that these Games are safe and secure and for this, they accept and even welcome measures, restrictive measures, which make these Olympic Games the most restricted sports event – not only in Japan, as you know – but in the entire world.”

That was International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) during an in-person news conference at the Main Press Center of the Tokyo Games, asked about his message to the Japanese people as the Games get ready to start. Pressed further, Bach explained:

“You will always have different opinions. That such a discussion is becoming more heated and more emotional in the situation of a pandemic is something we have to understand. Many people feel under stress, they have to face uncertainty and that there, you react with some skepticism, that you react with some strong arguments, I think this is human life.

“Therefore, what we can do, only, is to try to get the attention of these people and to try to enter into a dialogue with these people, to get not only to get the emotions across, but to try also to gain the confidence – their confidence – in these strict Covid measures. And they can also see, the Japanese people, that even in this time, you are organize sport events and safe sport events, if you look at the many sports events which are underway now in Japan and in Tokyo at this very moment.”

Bach noted that as of Friday (16th), some 15,000 athletes and officials have arrived, with 15 positive tests upon arrival, or 0.1%. The Tokyo 2020 organizers, to their credit, are posting daily Covid-19 positives statistics, with 44 from 1 July through the 17th:

● 28 contractors
● 10 “Games-concerned personnel”
● 3 media
● 2 Tokyo 2020 staff
● 1 athlete

IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) further explained that while the Olympic Village was built to house 17,000, it will actually house not more than about 9,000 at any one time during the Games due to new rules on entry and exit and other measures.

Bach was also asked about New Zealand transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, and noted:

“The rules for the qualification have been established by the International Weightlifting Federation before the qualification started and these rules apply. You cannot change rules during an ongoing competition.

“At the same time, the IOC is in an inquiry phase with all the different stakeholders – the medical experts, the social experts, human rights experts– and, of course, international federations, to review this rule and then finally to come up with some guidelines, which cannot be rules because this is a question which [has] no one-size-fits-all solution. This is a question which differs from sport to sport.”

A banner flown outside the Korean team’s tower in the Olympic Village was removed at the IOC’s request; Bach stated that under the new Rule 50 guidelines, the Village is a protected area from “any kind of divisive messages.”

Asked about his outlook for the Tokyo Games, Bach remained steadfastly optimistic:

“I would like once more, to ask and to invite, the Japanese people, humbly, to welcome and support the athletes from around the world. … Like the Japanese people, they have overcome so many obstacles to be here, finally. So the Japanese people can feel with them, and the athletes can feel with the Japanese people.

“And I’m actually very confident that the Japanese people will, once the Games are starting – at least, I hope, maybe before – not only welcome them and support them because this is what the Japanese people have demonstrated since the brilliant Olympic Games of Tokyo 1964.”

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THE TICKER: Bach asks to revisit fans if Covid lessens; NBC has 900 staff in Tokyo; USOPC redesigning the U.S. flag?

By
Rich Perelman
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The latest news, notes and quotes from the worldwide Five-Ring Circus:
/Updated for Basketball and Swimming/

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) hit the ground running once his quarantine period was up in Tokyo, meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday (14th) and Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Yuriko Koike on Thursday. Of note:

● The IOC noted a report from the Tokyo 2020 organizers “about the 8,000+ people involved in the Games who travelled to Japan between 1 and 13 July. All were subject to the Tokyo 2020 screening testing regime, and all underwent pre-departure tests and health checks. Only three tested positive for COVID-19 after arrival and were immediately isolated, while the close contacts have been subject to the relevant quarantine measures.”

Bach noted that 85% of Village residents are expected to be vaccinated and 70-80% of news media attending the Games.

● Kyodo News reported that Bach asked Suga if the decision on banning spectators could be revisited if the Covid infection rate improved over the next week. The Tokyo area reported 1,308 new cases on Thursday (15th), the highest single-day report since 21 January.

Tickets were originally sold for 750 sessions, but only about 26 – all outside Tokyo – are expected to have any spectators at all during the Games. Attendance at the Opening Ceremony may be limited to about 1,000 guests, down from an original estimate of 10,000; if true, this would eliminate most of the news media from attending.

Emperor Naruhito is expected to attend the ceremony and formally open the Games.

The IOC confirmed the implementation of the new Olympic Oath for Tokyo, with the revised wording as:

“We promise to take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play, inclusion and equality. Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without doping, without cheating, without any form of discrimination. We do this for the honour of our teams, in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport.”

In addition, the oaths will be taken by six people instead of three: two athletes, two coaches and two judges. This is all part of the IOC’s drive for gender equality as well as “solidarity.”

The IOC also detailed changes in the medal ceremonies, with the presenters already at the podium instead of walking with the medal winners, athletes taking their medals from a tray and placing around their own necks, and group photos will be dispensed with after the ceremony. All in the name of Covid-19 prevention.

More and more of the preliminary team sizes have been announced for Tokyo. In addition to the 613 announced for the U.S. and 582 for Japan, 488 are expected from Australia, 431 for China, 376 from Great Britain, 371 from Canada and 335 from Russia, although not under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee as part of the sanctions from the doping scandal from 2011-15. New Zealand expects to have 211 in all.

Because of the special Tokyo rules allowing reserves to be used in some team sports, the actual number of athletes from these large countries will likely grow slightly by the end of the Games.

The Pan Am Sports Organization has opened its first-ever training camp for smaller countries in the hemisphere, with 113 athletes and coaches from 26 NOCs gathered in Tachikawa. Athletes from athletics, judo, swimming and volleyball are present.

American star Allyson Felix announced that she has teamed with her apparel sponsor Athleta – The Gap’s sports brand for women and girls – and the Women’s Sports Foundation to award $200,000 in grants – in $10,000 chunks – for women who need financial help with childcare during Olympic training or competition.

Hammer thrower Gwen Berry and Sabre fencing star Mariel Zagunis have already been awarded grants.

Comment: A very impressive program that if properly promoted, should have a positive effect on the still-emerging image of the Athleta brand.

Molly Solomon, the NBC’s Olympics Executive Producer, told reporters on Wednesday (14th) that some 900 staff are now in Tokyo and prepping for the Games.

With no fans at most venues, Solomon noted the new possibilities:

“We believe there’s an opportunity to bring viewers closer to the action than ever. And it’s sports like swimming, gymnastics, track, basketball, beach volleyball, you’re going to hear the sounds of the games like you’ve never heard them before – from the thrashing and splashing in the pool to those intimate conversations between competitors and coaches.”

And there will be a tie-in with the U.S. as well:

“Our largest footprint [in the U.S.] will be at Universal Resorts in Orlando. We, alongside the USOPC, are putting together a two-week long watch party in primetime where family members of Team USA will attend and be able to watch coverage and cheer for their loved ones together. … the bottom line is if Americans can’t travel to Tokyo, we intend to bring America to Tokyo.”

Solomon also noted that while NBC reporters won’t be out and about in Tokyo during the Games, many pieces were prepared prior to the pandemic and NBC will have images from drones flying in the city during the Games.

The NBC coverage team includes 178 total announcers, analysts, hosts and reporters, with 79 in Tokyo, 98 in various facilities in the U.S., in Connecticut, Florida and New York and one in London.

Another U.S. network, Discovery, is also televising the Games, but to Europe, where it is the rights-holder for 50 countries and will broadcast in 19 languages.

In addition to coverage by sub-licensed broadcasters throughout Europe, Discovery will also stream some 3,500 hours of coverage itself, with 150 announcers and analysts.

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The Paris organizers announced the opening of a web site which National Olympic Committees, National Paralympic Committees and national federations can use to find pre-Games training camps and facilities in advance of the 2024 Games.

The site offers 770 different sites to consider, located in 410 different areas and in 95 of the 110 “departments” of France. The organizing committee has confirmed the facilities and their quality with the “Terre de Jeux 2024” label.

Comment: This is a strategically-important economic outreach effort by Paris 2024, offering a wide range of facilities three years out, with the goal of keeping as much of the economic impact of the pre-Games training period in France vs. facilities in any of its neighbors. Whether this works or not is to be determined, but it’s an impressive, forward-thinking step.

● Games of the XXXVI Olympiad: 2036 ● “Our objective is (to host) the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036,” Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu told reporters Tuesday. “I am convinced that we will win.”

This will be the sixth try for Istanbul, which bid for the 2000-04-08-12 Games and looked like a possible winner for 2020, but Tokyo was elected instead.

They’re not the first in, as London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced an interest in 2036 or 2040 just before his re-election in May of 2021. With Brisbane (AUS) set to be selected for 2032 when the IOC Session meets next week, other countries will begin to focus on 2036 or 2040, including India and a possible joint Korean bid.

● XXVI Olympic Winter Games: 2030 ● Perhaps the leader for the 2030 Winter Games has confirmed its interest, as the Mayor of Barcelona – in concert with snow sites in the Pyrenees Mountains – wants to bid for the Games.

The letter to Alejandro Blanco, the head of Spain’s National Olympic Committee, addressed the need for local consensus on the bid and a “sustainable” approach. Essentially, the ice events would be held in Barcelona – site of the hugely successful 1992 Olympic Games – and the snow events would be three hours away in the mountains.

A Barcelona-Pyrenees bid would be extremely attractive, but would place the Winter Games in Europe twice in a row, which has not happened since the 1992 and 1994 events in France and Norway.

Sapporo (JPN) is also a likely bidder as is Salt Lake City, Utah in the U.S., which would first have to overcome the sponsorship marketing conflict with the LA28 Games, and possibly Vancouver in Canada, site of the successful 2010 Winter Games.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC is full steam ahead for Tokyo and has operations underway at the Olympic Village. But the Tokyo Games has not slowed its continuing activities in remaking itself. On 6 July, a message from USOPC Athlete Services chief Bahati VanPelt to thousands of U.S. athletes and alumni began:

“The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has become one of the first national Olympic governing bodies to unify the management of Olympic and Paralympic sport, and in 2019 officially changed its name to reflect this. Working together with branding transformation company, Landor & Fitch, they are exploring a visual identity and messaging refresh to further mark this evolution, and demonstrate greater inclusion and unity.”

A lengthy survey sought feedback, including a suggestion of a new graphical representation of the U.S. flag, with five stars and five stripes (below, at right) instead of the current 13 stars and 13 stripes (at left), used in varying contexts:

San Francisco-based Landor & Fitch is one of the world’s most respected branding consultancies, and is part of the WPP advertising and communications giant. But when the current 13-star and 13-stripe edition was chosen in a 2010 re-brand campaign, it was specifically noted that the 13+13 format was, in fact, a still-official national flag, adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and adopted in part because using 50 stars was impractical given the small sizes of some logo uses.

Five stars and five stripes is not an approved flag, but as VanPelt noted, it’s designed to “demonstrate greater inclusion and unity.”

Comment: Just one question: at a time when the USOPC’s finances and those of the National Governing Bodies are still in recovery from the pandemic, how much is all this costing?

● Athletics ● Tickets for the Oregon22 World Championships are now on sale, with pricing all over the lot, depending on the day, time and seat.

There are seats for day sessions as low as $8 on the site, which warns that “Ticket prices may fluctuate, based on demand, at any time.” There are re-sale seats being sold as high as $4,090 for a “Row A” seat looking over what appears to be the finish of the men’s 100 m!

There are no “all-session” tickets, so no way to sit in the same seat for the entire meet; that’s too bad.

The World Athletics Doping Review Board has approved another 20 Russian athletes to compete in international meets, bringing the total for the year to 143. The Russian squad for Tokyo, however, remains limited to 10.

● Basketball ● First it was the U.S. men’s Olympic team losing to Nigeria and Australia, then on Wednesday, the WNBA All-Stars put a rare defeat on the U.S. women’s Olympians, 93-85, primarily on a 27-19 fourth quarter.

The All-Stars were led by Arike Ogunbowale with 26 points (5-10 from three), with Jonquel Jones (18) and Courtney Williams (15) also in double figures.

The U.S. has only had one practice so far and Diana Taurasi not available due to an injury. Center Brittney Griner led the U.S. with 17 points, followed by Breanna Stewart with 15 and Sylvia Fowles with 12. The All-Stars out-rebounded the U.S., 41-37 and the U.S. had 15 turnovers to just seven for the WNBA stars.

More exhibition games are coming: the U.S. women will play Australia on the 16th and Nigeria on the 18th prior to heading to Tokyo.

Reports indicate that two American players, Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams, petitioned FIBA to play with Nigeria and were denied due to their long involvement with USA Basketball national teams.

ESPN reported that “Each player was given consent by USA Basketball to play for Nigeria, paid an administrative fee of $10,000 to do so and holds a Nigerian passport.”

Both can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is set up to handle such cases.

Ogwumike’s sisters Chiney and Erica are eligible and expected to play for Nigeria.

/Update/ Australia announced that star center Liz Cambage has withdrawn from the team for Tokyo, citing mental health issues.

The U.S. men’s Olympic Team defeated Argentina, 108-80 in Las Vegas, for its first exhibition win in three tries.

The Americans ran off to a 33-19 lead after one period and had a 58-42 halftime edge. The U.S. had five in double figures, led by Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant with 17 each, with Zach LaVine scoring 15, Damian Lillard with 13 and Bam Adebayo with 12. The U.S. had a 40-34 rebounding edge. Argentina got 16 from former NBA star Luis Scola.

Beal entered the Covid protocol after the game and will not travel to Tokyo, and forward Jerami Grant is in the “health and safety protocol”  as a cautionary measure. No replacement has been named as yet.

Friday’s exhibition with Australia was canceled “out of an abundance of caution“; Sunday’s game with Spain is still on.

● Cycling ● The Tour de France stormed toward the conclusion with Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar getting ready to ride into Paris as a two-time winner of cycling’s biggest race.

Pogacar erased any hopes by winning the mountain stages on Wednesday and Thursday, first riding away from Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: +0:03) and Richard Carapaz (ECU: +0:04) in the final meters of the uphill finish of the Col de Portet, then doing it to both again on the uphill finish to Luz Ardiden on Thursday, this time by two seconds.

The wins were Pogacar’s second and third on this year’s Tour and he now has a 5:45 lead on Vingegaard and 5:51 on Carapaz, with Australian Ben O’Connor fourth (+8:18). Only a crash on the final legs will keep Pogacar from defending his 2020 victory.

Friday brings a 207 km sprint stage, followed by an individual time trial (30.8 km) on Saturday and the 108.4 km ride into Paris on Sunday. The two sprint stages offer Britain’s Mark Cavendish a chance to break the record for most career stage wins in the Tour; he’s won four times in 2021 and is tied with Belgian great Eddy Merckx, who won 34 stages between 1969-74.

A survey by The Cyclists’ Alliance released on Wednesday reported that women riders who did not receive a salary increased from 17% in pre-pandemic 2018 to 34% in 2021. The pandemic was substantially to blame and there was an increased disparity in pay between teams competing on the UCI Women’s World Tour and the continental events.

● Football ● The BBC reported that five individuals have been arrested over online racial abuse following the UEFA Euro 2020 last Sunday.

A report on an arrest in Chelsea noted that a 42-year-old man was arrested “on suspicion of displaying threatening, abusive or insulting written material that is likely to stir up racial hatred.”

As for the violence that took place prior to, during and after the Italy-England final:

“The UK Football Policing Unit said, as of 13 July, 897 football-related incidents and 264 arrests had been recorded across the country in the 24-hour period surrounding the final.”

The Euro 2020 final drew huge television audiences in England and Italy, of course, but also a sensational average of 6.49 million viewers on ESPN, better than all of the U.S. Olympic Trials events held in June and the highest-viewed UEFA Euro title game in U.S. history.

The Ministry of Health in Brazil released a final tally on incidents of Covid-19 at and around the Copa America football tournament. The final total was 179 cases, just 13 more than the total released in late June.

Some 28,772 tests were made of people involved in the event from 11 June to 10 July, with 0.6% positives. Infections included 36 players or staffers from five of the national teams, 137 workers, and six officials of the CONMEBOL federation.

Brazil hosted the tournament without spectators, after co-hosts Argentina and Colombia were relieved of the event due to coronavirus issues in those countries.

At the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Panama and Qatar drew 3-3 and Honduras stomped Grenada, 4-0 in the last pair of first-round games. In Group A, El Salvador defeated Trinidad & Tobago, 2-0, and Mexico got its first win, by 3-0 over Guatemala.

In Group B, the U.S. was expected to drum Martinique in Kansas City and got off to a good start as Darryl Dike’s header gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute. He got another after a rebound of a shot off the post in the 23rd minute, but it was called an own goal by defender Samuel Camille, and the first half ended at 2-0.

Miles Robinson made it 3-0 in the 50th, heading in a cross from Eryk Williamson and the win was secure. Dike got what was officially his second goal in the 59th minute, taking the ball at the top of the box and dribbling through, then lobbing the ball into the net (4-0). Kellyn Acosta was called for a penalty in the 64th minute, and Emmanuel Riviere scored for Martinique to close to 4-1. Gyasi Zardes ran onto a long ball in the 70th minute and as the defender fell, he sent a laser across to the far corner for a 5-1 U.S. lead. The final score came from Nick Gioacchini in the 90th minute off of a Gianluica Busio cross, to end at 6-1.

Earlier, Canada had only a 1-0 lead over Haiti at halftime, but ended up with a decisive 4-1 win, with Cyle Larin scoring in the 51st minute and on a penalty in the 74th. Haiti was red-carded four minutes later and Junior Hoilett converted the resulting penalty for the final goal.

The U.S. will face Canada on Sunday afternoon to decide the group winner and seeding; both have 2-0 records and will advance to the quarterfinals.

CONCACAF is not happy with Cuba:

“Concacaf has considered the circumstances surrounding the Cuba men’s national team not traveling to Miami, Florida, for their Gold Cup Preliminary Round (Prelims) match against French Guiana, scheduled for Saturday, July 3.

“While COVID-19 related travel and visa challenges were a factor, Concacaf has received further information which highlights that other administrative issues at the Cuba Football Association contributed to the team not traveling, and subsequently forfeiting their Prelims match against French Guiana.

“Concacaf has referred this matter to its Disciplinary Committee.”

● Gymnastics ● Rio Olympic Parallel Bars champion Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) will not defend his title in Tokyo as he has been suspended for four years due to a positive meldonium test on 26 August 2020.

He has denied doping and is planning to appeal to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, already set up in Tokyo. Verniaiev, 27, is suspended from 5 November 2020 and if upheld, the ban would keep him out of the Paris Games in 2024.

● Swimming ● /Updated/ FINA announced provisional suspensions of Russian swimmers Alexander Kudashev and Veronika Andrusenko, based on evidence from the Moscow Laboratory stemming from the Russian doping scandal from 2011-15.

At the Russian Trials in April, Kudashev won the 200 m Fly and Andrusenko won the women’s 200 m Free. Both were entered in these events for Tokyo.

(Thanks to FINA Treasurer Dale Neuburger for clarifying Andrushenko’s entry for Tokyo.)

● Volleyball ● The future of the historically-significant Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) appears to be bright after it was purchased by Bally’s Corporation, with the events to be shown on the Bally’s regional sports networks line-up.

Formed in 1983, the AVP was a major attraction in the U.S. and attracted the best players in the world for years before imploding in 2010. Donald Sun, a former technology executive, bought the tour in 2012 for $2 million. The tour had as many as 31 events in 2008, but only three in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and three so far in 2021.

What’s in it for Bally’s? The announcement noted the AVP will be “a significant opportunity for the company to gamify and incorporate interactive content into beach volleyball, which, in turn, will drive traffic to Bally’s platforms and promote customer acquisition.”

They’re betting on it.

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation had expected to conclude its Constitutional Congress prior to the Tokyo Games … but that’s not happening. Reports note that 28 August is projected as a new date to continue debate on the new constitution, which was debated but not passed on 30 June.

The IOC has continuously warned the IWF that its place at the Tokyo Games is in jeopardy unless its financial and governance issues are cleaned up. So far, not yet.

● The Last Word ● You can’t make this up, really you can’t. Russia’s TASS News Agency reported:

“The Kremlin has confirmed that it complied a list of recommendations for national Olympic athletes at the upcoming Tokyo Games with answers to potentially inflammatory and politically-loaded questions, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

“‘Unfortunately, many people want to make politicians out of [the athletes] and drag them into politics,” said Peskov.

Areas of “concern” apparently include “Crimea, harassment, the BLM movement, and doping abuse.”

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LANE ONE: FBI Inspector General report rips FBI offices and agents for lack of action for months after allegations against Larry Nassar

By
Rich Perelman
-

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Wednesday’s long-awaited report of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to respond properly to allegations of abuse against former USA Gymnastics volunteer team physician Larry Nassar. Advised in July 2015 of the issue:

“[T]he Indianapolis Field Office did not advise state or local authorities about the allegations and did not take any action to mitigate the risk to gymnasts that Nassar continued to treat. Instead, the Indianapolis agents and Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) determined that, if the FBI had jurisdiction, venue would likely be most appropriate in the Western District of Michigan and the FBI’s Lansing Resident Agency, where [Michigan State University] is located and where Nassar treated patients.

“Accordingly, the AUSA advised the Indianapolis Field Office on September 2 to transfer the case to the FBI’s Lansing Resident Agency. However, the Indianapolis Field Office failed to do so, despite informing USA Gymnastics on September 4 that it had transferred the matter to the FBI’s Detroit Field Office (of which the FBI’s Lansing Resident Agency is a part).”

For those who ask “what the hell happened” in the Nassar investigation, there it is.

But it gets worse. The report explains:

● USA Gymnastics reported the same allegations to the FBI’s Los Angeles office in May 2016, which opened an investigation, but also did not report the abuse to local authorities.

● In August 2016, Michigan State received a separate complaint, the Indianapolis Star ran an expose in September of Nassar’s years of abuse, and the MSU Police obtained a search warrant of Nassar and found masses of child pornography in his possession. Only then did the FBI’s Detroit Office seem to understand Nassar’s crimes, and he was removed from all of his positions and arrested in November 2016. But:

“According to civil court documents, approximately 70 or more young athletes were allegedly sexually abused by Nassar under the guise of medical treatment between July 2015, when USA Gymnastics first reported allegations about Nassar to the Indianapolis Field Office, and September 2016,” although some had been abused previously.

The report goes on to describe sloppy procedures by Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge W. Jay Abbott (since retired) who:

“[provided] a reporter with an inaccurate statement that claimed, among other things, that ‘there was no delay by the FBI on this matter’ and that the Indianapolis Field Office had provided a ‘detailed report’ to both the FBI Detroit and Los Angeles Field Offices. Further, these inquiries resulted in an official with the Indianapolis Field Office proposing factually inaccurate changes to the white paper created in 2017 that sought to place blame on others for the Indianapolis Field Office’s failures.”

Abbott also met then-USA Gymnastics chief executive Steve Penny in late 2015, at which time they discussed the Chief Security Officer position at the U.S. Olympic Committee (as then named); Abbott applied for the position in 2017, but was not selected. He later denied that he had applied.

In summary:

“senior officials in the FBI Indianapolis Field Office failed to respond to the Nassar allegations with the utmost seriousness and urgency that they deserved and required, made numerous and fundamental errors when they did respond to them, and violated multiple FBI policies.”

The FBI’s Los Angeles office made some of the same errors.

The report was compiled with interviews of more than 60 people, including survivors, but Penny refused to cooperate in a second voluntary interview and an FBI agent in the Lansing, Michigan office who retired in 2018, declined to be interviewed.

The key question concerning the FBI is why it didn’t act decisively once Penny met with Abbott and others on 28 July 2015? The chronology:

● 27 June 2015: USA Gymnastics was advised by a coach of abuse against three gymnasts.

● 03 July 2015: USA Gymnastics engaged an investigator to determine the facts.

● 25 July 2015: The investigator’s report indicated “an unambiguous claim of sexual abuse” with incidents involving minors as far back as 2011.

● 28 July 2015: One day after Penny requested a meeting with the FBI, he, a USAG attorney and the USAG Board Chair – Peter Vidmar at that time – met with the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, as “USA Gymnastics decided that the FBI was the most appropriate law enforcement agency to contact because the alleged sexual misconduct potentially occurred in multiple places throughout the United States, as well as in other countries.”

So what happened? The report indicates that nothing happened on the FBI’s end:

● The FBI’s Indianapolis office did not see why it has been asked to assist, since “there did not appear to be clear violations of federal law or a nexus to Indianapolis.”

● FBI officials who attended the 28 July meeting said the USAG officials were instructed to contact local law enforcement as well, but Penny and Vidmar both stated that “that no one from the FBI Indianapolis Field Office told USA Gymnastics to contact local law enforcement.”

● However, on 26 July, Penny had contacted an officer he knew at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit “because Penny wanted to report a child sexual abuse allegation.” The officer stated he contacted the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana by e-mail and the attorney did get in contact with the Indianapolis office of the FBI. But very little happened.

● A series of attempts to arrange interviews with the three gymnasts were made and one gymnast was interviewed by telephone on 2 September. On 4 September, Abbott informed Penny that the case was being transferred to FBI Detroit, which would have jurisdiction over Nassar at his place of work, but not even the results of the interview were forwarded.

Everybody blamed everyone else for the delay. As for the phone interview, the FBI’s confused and incomplete notes were much different than the information obtained by the USAG investigator.

FBI Indianapolis didn’t think it should handle the case, since no crime was alleged there. It contacted the Detroit office (Eastern District of Michigan), but since Lansing was in the jurisdiction of the FBI/Western District of Michigan, it was determined the case should go there.

But nothing happened. Penny’s inquiry with FBI Los Angeles in May of 2016 started a new process, and then came the Indianapolis Star story on Nassar on 12 September 2016 that served as a catalyst in the case being taken seriously. The Los Angeles and Lansing office investigations started in earnest in October 2016.

The report spends 29 pages on the multiple failures of FBI offices in Indianapolis and Los Angeles and specific FBI personnel, including the continuing concern over jurisdictional issues vs. the need for investigation and support of the victims:

“[W]e determined that there were no law enforcement reasons for the Indianapolis Field Office or the Los Angeles Field Office to not promptly notify state and local authorities of the Nassar allegations; to the contrary, we believe that there were strong law enforcement reasons to do so.”

Recommendations are made at the end of the report and a closing response from Assistant Director Douglas Leff stated:

“We accept in full the OIG’s recommendations and take especially seriously the findings that certain FBI employees did not respond to allegations of sexual abuse adequately and with the utmost urgency in 2015 and 2016. At Director Wray’s direction, the FBI has taken immediate action to ensure that the failures of the employees outlined in the Report do not happen again.”

That didn’t help the victims, but the report does clear away the reasons for the FBI’s delay in dealing seriously with the Nassar matter, and allowed him to continue his abuse.

The report may have a minor impact on the continuing court-ordered settlement conference at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, but does not significantly change the tug-of-war between USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, its insurers and the Survivors’ Committee.

Many years from now, studies of the Nassar case and the failure of law enforcement will be classified in terms of a lack of “quality control.” But that review ignores the more human issues of why criminal abuse of minors was allowed to go on for months after the FBI was apprised of the allegations, and why allegations apparently first surfaced in 2015 when Nassar had already been abusing gymnasts for six or more years before?

No report on that yet.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Olympic Village opens in Tokyo; Bromell wins Diamond League 100 m; U.S. men’s basketball loses again, to Australia

By
Rich Perelman
-
Now open: the Tokyo Olympic Village! (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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News, views and noise from the non-stop, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) reiterated again that while it could have canceled the Tokyo Games last year due to the coronavirus, it has no interest in doing so. He told Kyodo News in an online interview:

“We, the IOC, will never abandon the athletes, and with the cancellation, we would have lost a whole generation of athletes. So therefore, a cancellation for us was not really an option.”

The story also noted:

“Bach said calling off the Olympics and receiving money from its insurance was the ‘easiest way’ at the time, but the IOC did not choose that path and invested more to make the games happen.”

The Olympic Village in Tokyo opened on Tuesday, but with few occupants thanks to the Covid-19 protocols.

The facilities for the 11,000-plus athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees will fill slowly as the coronavirus countermeasures allow entry only five days prior to the start of competitions and athletes must leave two days after their final day of competition.

The Village itself is located on the Harumi waterway and covers almost 109 acres with 24 separate buildings, to be sold as local housing. The International Olympic Committee announcement of the opening estimated that 85% of all Village residents will have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. A special clinic to handle Covid cases has also been established.

Kyodo News reported that the Main Media Center and International Broadcast Center in Tokyo have opened at the Big Sight convention facility, noting:

“Due to the coronavirus, the number of press members traveling to Japan for the Olympics and Paralympics has also been cut to 4,600 from the initially expected 8,400.”

The Main Media Center facility still include a large bullpen area for 750 people, in keeping with prior Games.

Local concern over the coronavirus is manifesting itself in multiple ways in and around the Games:

● The Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu posted signs on its elevators last week, designating them for “Japanese only” and “foreigners only,” but took them down quickly in view of heavy criticism.

The hotel management said the signs were meant “to separate the flow of movements of guests related to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games from that of general guests” and apologized for any “misunderstanding.”

● On Tuesday, police announced that four electricians – two from Britain and two from the U.S. – were arrested on suspicion of using cocaine last week. They are contractors for Aggreko Events Services Japan, a local affiliate of Tokyo 2020 Official Supporter Aggreko who had completed their 14-day quarantine period and were drinking at a local bar and “trespassed” at a local apartment, prompting police to respond. Kyodo reported that “The games organizers said it has issued a warning to Aggreko Events Services Japan and urged it to ensure no such similar incidents occur.”

Japan’s Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa added, “Nonessential outings at night will not be tolerated, even after the quarantine period is over.”

● A Lithuanian athlete who had tested negative, then positive, then negative for the coronavirus tested negative again last Saturday and was allowed to join his team at its pre-Games camp.

The IOC posted “sport-specific regulations” for the Games on Saturday, primarily around the issue of handling Covid-related withdrawals from competitions. In general:

“(1) No athlete or team should be designated as “‘disqualified’ for COVID-19 reasons, instead ‘Did Not Start (DNS)’ or an equivalent sport-specific designation will be used where the athletes or team cannot take part in competition

“(2) The minimum result of the athlete/team will be protected, considering the phase of competition at which they could not compete

“(3) Where possible the place of an athlete or team unable to compete will be filled by the next most eligible athlete or team, allowing events to go ahead where possible and medals to be competed for on the field of play”

This has specific applications for different sports, but for events with multiple rounds, Covid withdrawals will generally mean the next-in-line athlete according to the qualifying criteria will be advanced.

● Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● The LA28 organizers announced a high-profile, 18-member Athletes’ Commission to “serve as strategic advisors to expand upon athlete services and experiences” for the Games. The list is impressive:

Olympians Allyson Felix, Queen Harrison, Nastia Liukin, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Apolo Ohno, Adam Rippon, Alex Shibutani, Howard Shu and Brenda Villa and Paralympians Scout Bassett, Samantha Bosco, Allison Compton, Lex Gillette, Alana Nichols, Ileana Rodriguez, Rico Roman, Oscar “Oz” Sanchez and Ahkeel Whitehead.

The group will be chair by swimming superstar Janet Evans, the LA28 Chief Athlete Officer.

Felix, Muhammad, Rippon, Bassett, Gillette and Sanchez all designed LA28 “emblems” with their own distinctive “A.”

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC released its official roster of 613 members of the U.S. Olympic Team for 2021, expected to be the largest team at the Games.

This squad will be larger than the team in Rio (558) and has 329 women and 284 men, with 193 returning Olympians and 104 Olympic medal winners. The team comes from 46 states and the District of Columbia, with California (126), Florida (51), Colorado (34) and Texas (31) as the largest contributors.

Of the 339 events at the Games, the U.S. will compete in 268; swimmer Katie Grimes is the youngest athlete at age 15, while equestrian Phillip Dutton will be competing at age 57.

Team USA includes one seven-time Olympian (Dutton), six five-time Olympians – equestrian Steffen Peters, basketball players Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, track athletes Abdi Abdirahman and Allyson Felix, and fencer Mariel Zagunis – 15 four-time Olympians, 39 three-time Olympians and 130 two-time Olympians.

The team will actually expand slightly in Tokyo, as alternates are not counted as Olympians. But with the revised rules for this Games, alternates will be allowed to fill in and compete on a more liberal basis, which will add to the final tally.

● Athletics ● The final Diamond League meet before the Olympic break was back in Gateshead (GBR) on Tuesday, with good racing, but only very modest marks.

The one world-leading individual-event mark was in the rarely-run women’s mile, with American Kate Grace coming hard off a slow pace on the final turn to run away from the field in 4:27.20, easily beating Katie Snowden (GBR: 4:28.04) and American Helen Schlachtenhaufen (4:28.13). It’s Grace’s sixth-fastest mile ever.

The sprints were featured, with American Trayvon Bromell winning the men’s 100 m, separating from a good field by 35 m and won in 9.98. Britain’s C.J. Ujah and Zharnel Hughes went 2-3 in 10.10-10.13 and American Fred Kerley fifth, also in 10.13.

Jamaica’s reigning Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah took charge of the women’s 200 m on the turn and cruised home the winner in 22.32, ahead of Jodie Williams (GBR: 22.60), Blessing Okagbare (NGR: 22.61) and American Tamara Clark (22.62).

The men’s 110 m hurdles was a re-match of the Jamaican Trials, with Ronald Levy and 2016 Rio gold medalist Omar McLeod running together to the 10th hurdle and then Levy sprinting to the final as McLeod stumbled to win, 13.22-13.42. American Robert Dunning was fourth (13.71).

Britain’s Cindy Sember won the women’s 100 m hurdles in 12.69, following up on her win in the Diamond League opener on the same track. American Payton Chadwick was second at 12.75, followed by Nadine Visser (NED: 12.78).

The men’s 800 m was a test for American Olympians Clayton Murphy and Bryce Hoppel and they were in front on the final backstraight. But then Isaiah Harris – fourth at the U.S. Trials – took the lead with 200 m to go. Into the straight, Harris ran away from everyone in 1:44.76, ahead of the late-charging Wyclife Kinyamal (KEN: 1:44.91) and Peter Bol (AUS: 1:45.22). Hoppel and Murphy faded to fifth and sixth in 1:45.45 and 1:45.72.

Britain’s Elliot Giles won the Emsley Carr Mile with a lifetime best of 3:52.49. The men’s 3,000 m was a showdown between Australian Stewart McSweyn and Spain’s Mohamed Katir, who broke free by 2,000 m when the pacesetter left. A 58.8 lap brought McSweyn to the bell, and Katir took the lead with 200 m left and sailed home with a 55.8 final lap and a decisive win in a national record 7:27.64, no. 2 on the 2021 world list. McSweyn was second in 7:28.94.

Men’s Triple Jump world leader Pedro Pablo Richado (POR) was easily the most efficient competitor on the day. He sailed into the lead at 17.29 m (56-8 3/4) on his first jump, then passed on the sixth-round shoot-out and got a huge winner at 17.50 m (57-5). Italy’s Tobia Bocchi was second at 17.04 m (55-11).

Ageless (actually 37 years old) Donald Thomas (BAH) – former World Champion – won the men’s high jump at 2.25 m (7-4 1/2). The men’s javelin was less than expected, with 2012 Olympic champ Keshorn Walcott (TTO) leading through five rounds in 82.81 m (271-8). Germany’s 90 m machine Johannes Vetter managed only 82.13 m (269-5) in the first five, but then sailed the spear to 85.25 m (279-8) in the round-six shoot-out to win the event, with the best throw of the day. German Julian Weber actually got “second” via the sixth-round bests of 77.16 m (253-2) to 76.74 m (251-9).

In the women’s 400 m, Jamaican Stephenie Ann McPherson won easily in 50.44, taking the lead on the backstraight and out-classing Jodie Williams (GBR: 50.94). Dutch star Femke Bol once again ran away from the field in the women’s 400 m hurdles, winning in 53.24, her sixth straight win in 2021 and once again defeating American Shamier Little (54.53) and Jamaica’s Janieve Russell (54.66).

American Sandi Morris, Finland’s Wilma Murto and Holly Bradshaw were the only ones to clear 4.61 m (15-1 1/2) in the women’s vault, and Morris made it over 4.71 m (15-5 1/2) on her second try, as did Bradshaw. Murto missed all three and the bar went to 4.76 m (15-7 1/4) and Morris cleared and Bradshaw passed. At 4.81 m (15-9 1/4), both missed, so Morris won thanks to her clearance at 4.76 m.

Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, the 2019 Worlds silver medalist, led the women’s long jump through the first five rounds at 6.77 m (22-2 1/2), ahead of Fatima Diame (ESP: 6.67 m/21-10 3/4) and Olympic favorite Milaika Mihambo (GER: 6.62 m/21-8 3/4). In the shoot-out, Mihambo improved to 6.65 m (21-10), but Belk-Romanchuk claimed the win at 6.67 m (21-10 3/4).

The Athletics Integrity Unit is not the sort of organization you would expect to talk smack on Twitter, but on Monday it posted:

“The [world] changed. We didn’t.

“Despite increased logistical challenges, the AIU was able to complete nearly 70 percent of out-of-competition tests planned in 2020.

“We made a commitment that we would do everything we could to keep #Athletics clean. We are delivering. Are you?”

Woah! The AIU has been busy; as of 25 June, its global list of ineligible persons runs 15 pages and includes nearly 600 athletes, coaches and support personnel suspended for doping and other violations.

American sprint star Noah Lyles is always up to something. Now:

“I’m thinking about how I’m going to get the Olympic rings tattoo. I don’t want the basic rings I want an artistic flare to it. Anyone got any ideas”

Lots of replies to that tweet!

● Basketball ● The U.S. men’s Olympic Team dropped its second straight exhibition game, this time to Australia, 91-83, in Las Vegas. Once again, the game came down to the final moments and the visitors made the plays.

The U.S. played better than in its 90-87 loss to Nigeria, and led 27-24 at the quarter and 46-37 at the half. But the Aussies outscored the U.S. by 32-18 in the third and 22-19 in the fourth to emerge with an eight-point win.

Australia shot 52.9% on field goals and 10-24 (41.7%) on three-pointers, much better than the American shooting of 46.2% for the game and 13-36 (36.1%) on threes.

Star guard Patty Mills had 22 for the winners, followed by 17 from Joe Ingles and 12 from Matisse Thybulle. Damian Lillard led the U.S. with 22, Kevin Durant had 17 and Bradley Beal had 12.

The U.S. does not have Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday available yet as they are playing in the NBA Finals. The U.S. has three more exhibition games in Las Vegas: vs. Argentina tonight, vs. Australia again on 16 July and vs. Spain on 18 July.

● Cycling ● The Tour de France was back in business on Tuesday, beginning its final week with a brutal 169 km course with three imposing climbs in the Pyrenees Mountains, including the 1,395 m Col de la Core.

But this does not deter Austrian Patrick Konrad, who became the third rider in his country’s history to win a stage at the Tour de France, winning by 42 seconds after running away over the Col de la Core and unchallenged over the final 35 km. A chase group of five could not catch him and Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) ended up second, just ahead of Michael Matthews (AUS) in third.

Leader Tadej Pogacar lost no time to the other race contenders and continues with a 5:18 lead over Rigoberto Uran (COL), 5:32 over Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 5:33 over Richard Carapaz (ECU).

Wednesday’s route is a punishing, 178.4 km triple climb from Muret to the Col du Portet at Saint-Lary-Soulan, with another misery-inducing climbing route on Thursday before a sprinter’s stage on Friday.

● Football ● The group stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup is continuing, with three of the four groups completing their first of three rounds.

In Group A, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago played to a scoreless tie (!), and El Salvador defeated Guatemala, 2-0. (Guatemala replaced Curacao as the latter had too many Covid cases to field a complete team.)

In Group B, the U.S. used a Sam Vines goal in the eighth minute to beat Haiti, 1-0, and Canada clubbed Martinique by 4-1.

In Group C, Jamaica topped Suriname, 2-0 and Costa Rica dispatched Guadeloupe by 3-1. Group D opens tonight with Panama playing guest entry Qatar and Honduras facing Grenada, with both games in Houston.

UEFA announced “disciplinary proceedings” have started in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 final last Sunday in London, with four charges listed against the English Football Association:

• Invasion of the field of play by its supporters
• Throwing of objects by its supporters
• Disturbance caused by its supporters during the national anthem
• Lighting of a firework by its supporters

And there is more:

“Separately, and in accordance with Article 31(4) DR, a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation into events involving supporters which occurred inside and around the stadium.”

These are separate from inquiries in England concerning the social-media harassment of the three Black English players who missed penalty kicks at the end of the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

● Skiing ● Less than a month after completing a 23-year stint as President of the Federation International de Ski, Gian Franco Kasper (SUI) passed away at age 77 on Friday (9th).

Kasper had been at the center of world skiing for 46 years, first as Secretary General and then as President from 1998-2021. On his watch, FIS expanded considerably, both in athletic and financial terms and he left the federation in a strong position financially and as the undisputed leader in terms of winter sports.

He was an IOC member from 2000-18 and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency from 2003.

Kasper was outspoken and that got him into trouble quite often. But he also had keen insight into skiing’s role in the growth of winter sports. Asked about increasing the federation’s revenues, he shot back:

“We do not care about making as much money as possible. Marketing to generate money for sports? At any time! But to generate money from sports, we do not do that. We are first and foremost [an] advertising agency for winter tourism.”

That’s a lesson worth applying in many other sectors.

● Swimming ● FINA announced the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport that confirmed the nullification of results that had been manipulated at two meets in Uzbekistan in November 2020 and April 2021.

“The FINA Executive’s decision was made after receiving evidence establishing that certain results from these two events had been manipulated by the Uzbekistan Swimming Federation in an attempt to qualify Uzbek swimmers for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“Following this CAS award, the FINA Ethics Panel will now investigate whether further sanctions should be imposed on the Uzbekistan Swimming Federation and any other implicated party.

“It is imperative that FINA recognise aquatics competitions to ensure that the results are not manipulated, that the results are valid and reliable, and that the competitions comply with the standards set out in the FINA rules. FINA cannot accept a lessor [sic] standard.”

FINA recognized the role of whistleblowers in the matter, without naming them. Indian swimmer Likith Prema, especially, made his concerns about the timing at the April meet publicly known with video evidence; that helped to kickstart the FINA inquiry.

● Weightlifting ● Another marijuana case has popped up prior to Tokyo, but this time Arley Mendez of Chile will be able to compete.

He had been suspended for marijuana use (THC) from an in-competition test on 12 May 2021 received a reduced penalty of one month from 29 June to 28 July 2021. Since the Olympic competition in his class – men’s 81 kg – takes place on 31 July, he can compete as his eligibility was already confirmed.

● At the BuZZer ● The 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama is progressing, somewhat under the radar, but with a major announcement that ticket sales began on 7 July, one year prior to the opening of the Games.

About 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries will contest 34 sports from 7-17 July, with the Opening Ceremony at Protective Stadium at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex; tickets range from $63.75-103.80.

How about Tug of War at the University of Alabama, Birmingham? Tickets are $16.75 or $19.75 depending on the session. Aerobic Gymnastics? $24.75 to $29.75 for morning and afternoon sessions and $29.75-34.75 for evening sessions.

Flying Disc fans can see preliminary rounds for $16.75 or $19.75 and $24.75 for the finals!

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

LANE ONE: Tokyo’s spectator ban looks better in view of Euro 2020’s online and in-the-streets violence

By
Rich Perelman
-
Henri Vidal's poignant 1896 statue of Cain, in the Tuileries Garden in Paris

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(For our Highlights of the weekend’s top competitions, click here)

The Olympic Games in Tokyo is almost here, with just 11 days before the Opening Ceremony, to be held in a spectator-free Olympic Stadium.

After the mayhem attending Sunday’s UEFA Euro 2020 final in and around Wembley Stadium in London, perhaps that’s the right call regardless of the coronavirus situation.

In case you missed it, the violence started prior to the 8 p.m. kickoff of the Italy-England final, with “fans” assembling as early as noon in multiple locations in London, some already drunk. A crowd pushed its way past security fencing about two hours prior to the match and some made their way into the stadium. Reuters reported:

“Around two hours before the game, fans burst past stewards and some reached the concourse while bottles were thrown in from outside the perimeter.

“Some security staff were attacked, witnesses told Reuters, and entry to the stadium was halted for over 20 minutes while order was restored at the entrances.”

Some of the “fans” reached the interior of the stadium and took up seats in ticketed sections, leading to confrontations with fans – some with children – who arrived to see the game. Eventually, the chaos gave way to some football.

The game itself was a classic, with England’s Luke Shaw scoring in the second minute and Italy tying the game in the 67th on a Leonardo Bonucci goal. After extra time, the match was decided by penalty kicks, with England up 2-1, but then missing three in a row and Italy winning, 3-2. Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was named the Player of the Tournament.

But then more mayhem. In all, London police said 49 arrests were made and 19 officers were injured at Wembley Stadium, with a limited crowd of 67,000 in attendance. Riot police came to ensure order at Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square before and after the match.

There were reports of random attacks on trains, and widely-condemned social-media abuse against Black players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who missed their penalty attempts.

The head of the Football Association, Prince William, said:

“I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”

The Daily Mail further noted that “after the game there were more shambolic scenes as Wembley Way was turned into a ‘bombsite’.

“Experts said the police have serious questions to answer about the lack of officers to deal with the violence at Wembley and the West End, that saw mass brawls, bottles thrown and the smashing of shop windows.”

This was not supposed to happen in England today, a country with a horrific history of violence attached to its football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s that reached its zenith in the Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels in 1985 before the European Cup final between England’s Liverpool and Italy’s Juventus. Liverpool “supporters” broke down a fence separating the fan bases and the ensuing riot saw 39 killed and more than 600 injured. Police arrested 34 and 14 “fans” were later convicted of manslaughter. UEFA banned English clubs from European competition for five years, and Liverpool for six years.

The situation in Italy was also bad, following its triumph and first European title since 1968. Reports confirmed:

● A man crashed his car and died in Sicily while rushing to join celebrations in downtown Caltagirone;

● In Milan, 15 people were hurt during post-match “partying” and one man blew three fingers off of his hand when a firework exploded;

● There was a report of a killing near the southern Italian town of Foggia, where an assassin shot his victim in a celebrating crowd and then drove away on a motorbike.

This is how sport brings us together?

Bonucci, who scored the tying goal, didn’t help in his post-match comments:

“We are just enjoying seeing 58,000 people leaving even before the trophy presentation, it was something which really delighted us. The trophy now is coming to Rome.

“They thought it was staying here in London, and they’re unhappy. I feel bad for them, but once again Italy has given them a lesson.”

The game drew a huge television audience in Britain, with a peak of 30.95 million viewers and an average audience of 29.85 million throughout. That’s the largest audience since the funeral of Princess Diana back in 1997. In Italy, the average audience of 18 million represents a 73.7% share, meaning nearly three-quarters of all televisions that were on in the country were tuned to the match.

The vast majority of those viewers caused no violence. But there was still plenty of mayhem to go around.

Nor was Sunday’s final the only incident during the tournament. On Friday, UEFA’s Control Ethics and Disciplinary Body issued a sanction against the Hungarian Football Federation for “discriminatory behaviour of supporters” at matches held in Budapest on 15 and 19 June and at the Germany-Hungary match in Munich on 23 June:

“- To order the Hungarian Football Federation to play its next three (3) UEFA competition matches as host association behind closed doors, the third of which being suspended for a probationary period of two (2) years as from the date of the decision, for the discriminatory behaviour of its supporters. The Hungarian Football Federation has also been fined €100,000.

“- To order the Hungarian Football Federation to implement the following directive in the above-mentioned matches in which it will play as host association: to display a banner with the wording “#EqualGame”, with the UEFA logo on it.”

The response of Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook was “The committee that makes a decision like that is a pitiful and cowardly body. They should be ashamed of themselves.”

This is sport contributing to unity? Solidarity? Tolerance?

No. But it has been with us for a long time, in many places. Even in “laid-back” Los Angeles, 76 people were arrested, 30 buildings were damaged and eight police officers injured in and around a crowd of about 1,000 near Staples Center after the Lakers won the 2020 NBA title last October 11.

Japan is expected to do well at the Tokyo Games, and many of its huge, 582-member team are sad that their home fans will not be able to cheer them on. Perhaps Tokyo is doing even more of a service to sport that already realized by completing a first-of-its kind experiment in hosting a 33-sport event that may be devoid of fans, but also of mayhem and riots.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

HIGHLIGHTS: Italy wins Euros on penalties; Argentina beats Brazil in Copa America final; Kuss wins Tour stage 15; Nigeria shocks U.S. men’s basketballers

By
Rich Perelman
-
First American to win a Tour de France stage since 2011: a happy Sepp Kuss! (Photo: ASO/Pauline Ballet)

(★ Friends: Thank you to our 32 donors, who have covered 40% of our new bill for server and support costs. If you enjoy the coverage, please donate here. Your enthusiasm is why this site continues. Thank you. ★)

Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world/updated/:

● Athletics ● Sweden’s World Champion Daniel Stahl extended his world lead in the men’s discus with a mighty toss of 71.40 m (234-3) in a small meet in Bottnaryds (SWE). He opened with 70.27 m (230-6), which only one other person has reached this year, then extended to 71.40 m, his third world-leading throw this year.

Stahl has been everywhere; this was his 13th meet of the year and now has four throws past 70 m (229-8) this season. The 71.40 m on Saturday is his second-longest throw ever and is the 15th-longest throw in history. And, excluding himself, this was the longest throw in the world since 2013!

● Basketball ● The U.S. men’s Olympic Team was defeated by Nigeria, 90-87, in an exhibition game in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, a shocking start for the American squad for Tokyo.

Nigeria, coached by NBA veteran Mike Brown and with five NBA players on its roster, made 20 of 42 three-pointers and was led by Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat) with 21 points, followed by Caleb Agada (17) and Ike Nwamu (13).

The U.S., still missing some players who are in the NBA Finals, was 26-63 from the floor (41.3%) and 10-24 (41.7%) from the three-point line. Kevin Durant led with 17 points – but just 4-13 from the floor – plus 15 from Jayson Tatum and 14 from Damian Lillard.

The game was tight throughout: Nigeria led by 66-64 after three quarters and extended to 85-77 with 1:43 left and held on. The U.S. was out-rebounded, 46-34, losing to an African team for the first time ever in international play.

“I think with four days of practice, there were a lot of things I liked out there, but in a way, I’m kind of glad it happened,” said U.S. head coach Gregg Popovich. “That loss means nothing if we don’t learn from it. But it could be the most important thing in this tournament for us, to learn lessons from this and see what we did to move on, because it’s a great group of guys, high character, and we’ll figure it out.”

The U.S. will get a further test on Monday vs. third-ranked Australia on Monday at 8 p.m. Easter time, to be televised on NBCSN.

In the FIBA men’s U-19 World Cup in Riga, Latvia, the U.S. sprinted ahead of France in the fourth quarter of the championship game, then held on for a 83-81 win.

The U.S., Serbia and Canada all went 3-0 in their group games, then the American men defeated Korea, 132-60, and Senegal, 88-58, to reach the semifinals. Facing undefeated Canada, the Americans managed a 92-86 win, after lading by 49-38 at halftime. Canadian forward Caleb Houstan led all scorers with 23 points and Louisiana Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. led the U.S. with 16 and TCU guard Michael Miles had 15.

France rallied from 14 points down to defeat Serbia in the other semi, with guard Jayson Tchicamboud scoring 19.

The final was tight, with the U.S. holding a 21-19 lead at the quarter, but with France up by 42-37 at half and 64-59 at the end of three. The U.S. went on a 10-4 run to start the fourth quarter and edge ahead, 69-68 and extended to 75-68 with 4:30 left. But the French fought back, with Louis Lesmond scoring five points in the last 1:34, but it was not enough. Purdue guard Jaden Ivey and Lofton had 16 points each to lead the winners, with 12 from LSU guard Adam Miller. France’s Victor Wembanyama led all scorers with 22. The U.S. enjoyed a 43-29 rebound edge.

Canada defeated Serbia for the bronze medal by 101-92.

The U.S. finished 7-0 and 7-1 Gonzaga center Chet Holmgen was named as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 blocks, hitting 62.0% from the field (53.8% on three-pointers) in just 21 minutes a game.

The All-Star Five included Holmgren, Lofton, Wembanyama of France, Canadian (and Purdue) center Zach Edey and forward Nikola Jovic of Serbia.

The U.S. has now won eight times in the 15 editions of this event, and four of the last five, winning in 2013-15-19-21.

● Beach Volleyball ● The last major FIVB World Tour event prior to Tokyo was the Gstaad four-star in Switzerland, with a major surprise on the men’s side.

Dutch pair Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot came in seeded 41st, but ran through the tournament to score get their first World Tour win together in just their seventh event together. They defeated Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in a tight, 23-21, 19-21, 15-10 match in the final. It was the sixth final of the season for Younousse and Tijan, with two wins.

The all-Russian third-place match saw 2019 World Champions Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy defeat countrymen Nikita Liamin and Taras Myskiv, 21-16, 21-12.

The women’s final was an all-Brazilian affair, with Agatha Bednarczuk (38) and Duda Lisboa (22) dispensing with Ana Patricia Ramos and Rebecca Cavalcanti, 23-21, 21-18. It’s the seventh World Tour title for Agatha and Duda in their four years as a pair on the circuit, and their fifth medal on the World Tour this season (2-1-2).

World Champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) won the bronze medal with a 21-13, 13-21, 17-15 win over Anastasija Kravcenoka and Tina Graudina (LAT).

● Cycling ● The Tour de France concluded its second week on Sunday, with Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar continuing his grip on the race, but with an American stage winner for the first time in 10 years on Sunday.

Saturday’s stage 14 winner was Bauke Mollema (NED), who broke away from the field with 43 km to do on a difficult, six-climb stage over 183.7 km, finishing in 4:16:16. That was 1:04 ahead of Patrick Konrad (AUT) and Sergio Higuita (COL) and 1:06 up on Mattia Cattaneo (ITA). Pogacar could not keep up and finished 18th, 6:53 behind the winner, but maintained a 4:04 advantage over France’s Guillaume Martin, who was 11th in the stage.

Sunday’s 15th stage ran for 191.3 km, through the Pyrenees, including the highest peak on the Tour for 2021, the Port d’Envalira at 2,406 m, then attacking the Col de Beixalis before descending into Andorra at the finish. A huge breakaway group of 32 riders tore away from the peloton within the first 20 km and had an advantage of up to 11 minutes midway through the race.

At the front, it was Colombian star Nairo Quintana who crested the Port d’Envalira first, but was joined on the descent and then dropped with 20 km to go by David Gaudu (FRA), 41-year-old Alejandro Valverde (ESP) and American Sepp Kuss, 26. Kuss simply exploded and moved away from both of the others and steamed over the Col de Beixalis and into Andorra for his first career Tour de France victory and the first stage win by an American since Tyler Farrar in 2011. Kuss is the 10th American all-time to win a Tour stage.

Kuss finished in 5:12:06, with Valverde second (+0:23) and Wout Poels (NED: +1:15) third; Gaudu was seventh, in the same group. Further back, Pogacar was attacked relentlessly by challengers, but fenced them all off and the race leaders finished together some 4:51 behind the winner.

Pogacar goes into Monday’s rest day with a 5:18 lead over Rigoberto Uran (COL), with Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) third (+5:32) and Richard Carapaz fourth (+5:33). France’s Martin had trouble and dropped back to ninth.

The 32nd Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile finished in Cormons with another American win, this time for Coryn Rivera, 28, who beat three others to the line in 2:56:40 over 113 km. She could be in the mix in the Tokyo road race in a couple of weeks.

Saturday’s 122.6 km ninth stage finished with a brutal ascent up Monte Matajur finishing at 1,294 m from a baseline of 134 m. South Africa’s Ashleigh Moolman broke away on the climb and separated from Dutch stars Demi Vollering and race leader Anna van der Breggen in the final 8 km. Moolman, who was second going into the stage, won by 1:26 over both, and cut her deficit to 1:23 behind van der Breggen heading into Sunday. Italy’s Marta Cavalli was the only other rider close by, some 1:39 behind the winner.

The final stage saw Rivera sprint to the finish ahead of Lizzie Deignan (GBR), Elise Chabbey (SUI: +0:03) and overall winner van der Breggen (NED). For van der Breggen, who is retiring after this season, it was her fourth career “Giro Donne” win – in 2015-17-20-21 – tying Italy’s Fabiana Luperini (1995-98) for the most ever.

Van der Breggen finished a comfortable 1:43 ahead of Moolman, 3:25 up on Vollering and 6:39 ahead of Deignan.

The UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup in St. Petersburg (RUS) showed off a powerful Russian squad, but with the medals widely distributed.

Russian women went 1-2 in the Sprint, as Anastasiia Voinova swept Yana Tyshchenko in both finals races and those two combined with Nataliia Antonova to win the Team Sprint. Two women won two individual events: Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda took the Keirin and the 500 m Time Trial, and Portugal’s Maria Martins won the Elimination Race and the Omnium.

Ireland’s Kelly Murphy won the Individual Pursuit and then won the Team Pursuit with Lara Gillespie, Mia Griffin, and Alice Sharpe. Russians Gulnaz Khatuntseva and Diana Klimova won the Madison.

On the men’s side, Russians Lev Gonov and Ivan Smirnov won the Madison and also took the Team Pursuit over Italy, with the additions of Glen Syritsa and Egor Igoshev. In the Sprint, Kevin Quintero (COL) came from one race down to beat Mikhail Iakovlev (RUS), but Iakovlev, Danila Burlakov and Ivan Gladyshev took the Team Sprint.

France’s Tom Derache, the bronze winner in the Sprint, took the Keirin; Canadian Quentin LaFargue won the 1 km Time Trial and Scotland’s Kyle Gordon won the Individual Pursuit. Italian Carloalberto Giodani won the Elimination Race, and Yauheni Karaliok (BLR) took the Omnium over Portugal’s Iuri Leitao, 177-166.

The massive U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships was held in Winter Park, Colorado, with competitions in classifications as young as 11-12 and up to 80-89!

In the professional Cross Country races, Keegan Swenson won the men’s national title over Stephan Davourst, 1:22:14 to 1:24:36 in the four-lap race and Tokyo Olympian-to-be Erin Huck took the women’s crown, beating Alexis Skarda, 1:11:31 to 1:13:46.

The Short Track races on Sunday saw Savila Blunk win by six seconds over Gwendalyn Gibson, 30:01-30:07, with Rose Grant and Evelyn Dong well back in third (30:34) and fourth (30:35).

Swenson doubled back to win the men’s Short Track title, just ahead of Davoust, 29:19-29:37, with Cole Paton third (29:47).

In the Pro Downhills, Dakotah Norton won the men’s title over Aaron Gwin and Luca Shaw by 3:28:24-3:29.89-3:31.72. The women’s race was a win for Kailey Skelton (4:11.35), beating Ella Erickson (4:25.65) and Kialani Hines (4:26.08).

● Football ● The classic Copa America final in Rio de Janeiro pitted Lionel Messi and Argentina against Neymar and Brazil, but it was an Angel Di Maria goal in the 22nd minute that made the difference for Argentina in a 1-0 victory.

It was the 15th Copa America victory for Argentina, now tied with Uruguay for the most ever, but its first since 1993. For Argentinian icon Messi, it was his first championship with the national team after five Copa Americas and four World Cups (although he did win the Olympic tournament in Beijing in 2008).

The final was dominated by Brazilian possession, especially in the second half, but the hosts were chasing the game since Rodrigo De Paul’s long pass found Di Maria at the right of the Brazilian goal. With keeper Ederson out to cut down the angle, Di Maria popped the ball over his head and into the goal for his first-ever score for the national team.

The game got increasingly physical in the second half, with 41 total fouls called and nine yellow cards. Brazil led in shots, 13-6, but could not get by Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez.

Messi was co-high scorer with four goals and had five assists and was both the tournament’s high scorer and Best Player.

/Updated/The UEFA Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium in London was a classic match between Italy and England, with the home team trying to win its first international title since 1966, when it won the FIFA World Cup.

And the partisan crowd of more than 67,000 went into dreamland as a perfect cross by Kieran Trippier from the right side of the box flew over the Italian back four and found Luke Shaw to the left of goal and his left-footed volley flew into the goal for a 1-0 lead in the second minute! It was the fastest goal in history of the European Championship.

Italy had 65% of the possession in the half and out-shot England, 6-1, but was unable to get a goal against a tight defense and keeper Jordan Pickford.

The Azzurri kept the pressure on from the start of the second half, but missed the net repeatedly. But from a corner in the 67th minute, a wild flurry developed on front of the goal and Marco Verratti got off a header that hit the goalpost, but the rebound was available for Leonardo Bonucci, who scored for a 1-1 tie.

Italy remained dangerous, Domenico Berardi running behind the defense in the 74th minute and off a long volley, launched a shot that went over the goal. But neither side could score and regulation time ended 1-1. Italy had held the ball for two-thirds of the time and had a 14-4 shots advantage, but only the one goal.

In extra time, Italy continued the pressure and had a 3-1 shots advantage, but could not get the ball into the goal. England was more offensive-minded in the second extra period, but Italy controlled the last half of the period and it ended 1-1, with Italy finishing at 19-6 on shots.

The penalty shoot-out started off with two makes, then the drama started. Andrea Belotti’s try was saved by Pickford and Maguire made his for a 2-1 England lead. But Bonucci scored (2-2) and Marcus Rashford hit the left post! Federico Bernardeschi made his shot, but Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma guessed right and saved Jadon Sancho’s shot, leaving Italy up 3-2.

Italy’s Jorginho was ready to ice it in the fifth round, but Pickford guessed right and deflected his shot off the post, giving England a chance to tie with Bukayo Saka. The strike wasn’t hard enough and Donnarumma flew to his left and saved the penalty, giving Italy a 3-2 win and the European title. Donnarumma was named the Player of the Tournament.

The Italians, who did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, are now on a 34-match unbeaten streak and won its second European title (also in 1968) in four times in the final. A lesson for any country which has aspirations in football.

UEFA fined the England Football Association €30,000 (~$36,000) after multiple incidents, including a fan aiming a laser pointer at Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel during the Euro 2020 semifinal at Wembley Stadium in London last Wednesday.

The fan aimed the laser at Schmeichel when he was readying for Harry Kane’s penalty kick in extra time; Schmeichel saved the shot, but Kane scored on the rebound for the deciding play in England’s 2-1 win.

UEFA’s statement included: “The UEFA Control Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has decided to fine the English Football Association €30,000 for the use of laser pointer, disturbances during the national anthems and setting of fireworks.”

The CONCACAF Gold Cup opened on Saturday, with games at nine venues across five states in the U.S. and Mexico playing to a surprising 0-0 tie with Trinidad & Tobago in Arlington, Texas.

The U.S. will open vs. Haiti this evening in Kansas City, to be followed by games on the 15th (Martinique) and 18th (Canada). Group play will end on the 20th, with the playoffs from 24 July to 1 August.

● Gymnastics ● The second FIG Rhythmic World Challenge Cup was in Moscow (RUS), and a showcase for Olympic favorite Dina Averina.

She swept all four events, winning over fellow Russian Lala Kramarenko by 27.200-26.300 in Hoop, by 28.900-26.700 in Ball, 29.250-28.250 in Clubs and 25.700-23.500 in Ribbon. Sister Arina Averina was unable to compete due to a leg injury, but is promised to be ready for Tokyo.

Russia also won the group events over Uzbekistan and Japan in 5 Balls and 3 Balls + 2 Clubs.

● Table Tennis ● The U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada saw the men’s and women’s Singles title matches pit the top two seeds against each other.

The men’s title went to top-ranked Xin Zhou, who defeated Sharon Alguetti, in five sets by 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6. It was the first U.S. title for Zhou, ending a string of four straight fr Kanak Jha, who is prepping for Tokyo.

The women’s final saw second-seed Amy Wang upset five-time national champ Lily Zhang, also in five sets by 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 16-14, 11-7. It was Wang’s first U.S. title.

● Tennis ● Wimbledon concluded its 134th edition on Sunday, with a historic win for Serb Novak Djokovic, who took his sixth title and 20th Grand Slam victory, tying him with Roger Federer (SUI) and Rafael Nadal (ESP) for the most career Slams among men.

Djokovic has now won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the same year; the last to do that – and win all four Slams in a single year – was Australian icon Rod Laver in 1969.

Djokovic defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in four sets: 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3; it was the no. 1 seed vs. no. 7.

The women’s Singles title also went to the no. 1 seed, Australian Ash Barty, who defeated Czech Karolína Plískova (no. 8) in straight sets, 6–3, 6–7, 6–3. Barty was the first no. 1 seed to win the tournament since Serena Williams (USA) in 2016.

In men’s Doubles, Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic triumphed over Marcel Granollers (ESP) and Horacio Zeballos (ARG), 6–4, 7–6, 2–6, 7–5. In women’s Doubles, Su-wei Hsieh (TPE) and Elise Mertens (BEL) overcame Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina, 3–6, 7–5, 9–7. It was Heish’s second straight Wimbledon title; she played with Barbora Strycova (CZE) in 2019.

The Mixed Doubles title was won by Neal Skupski (GBR) and Desirae Krawczyk (USA) over Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Harriet Dart, 6–2, 7–6.

● Volleyball ● The 21st FIVB women’s World U-20 Championship is underway in Belgium and the Netherlands, with 16 teams competing in four groups, with the pool winners advancing to the championship second round.

Serbia, Italy and the Netherlands all won their groups with perfect 3-0 records, and the U.S. women also finished 3-0, with victories over Russia (3-1), Thailand (3-0) and Turkey (3-0). The second stage will start on the 13th.

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THE TICKER: Fan video matrix to replace fans in stands in Tokyo; four world leads in Monaco Diamond League; Cavendish ties Merckx for Tour de France stage wins!

By
Rich Perelman
-
A happy Mark Cavendish (GBR), who tied the record for the most career Tour de France stages with 34 (Photo: Tour de France)

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The latest news, notes and quotes from the worldwide Five-Ring Circus/updated/:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● “You need not feel alone in these stadia. Billions of people around the entire globe will be glued to their screens, and they will be with you in their hearts.

“I hope that you can feel this support from all these people, who are your true fans, who are your family, your friends and your supporters.”

That was International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in a video message for athletes coming to Tokyo, in the aftermath of the banning of spectators from almost all of the Olympic stadia.

The IOC announced a blizzard of engagement programs for the Games, including a video matrix to be shown inside venues, a “virtual cheer” tool on the digital services of some broadcasters, and a video link for athletes at some sites to connect with up to five family or friends once they come off the field.

A new game site – The Tokyo 2020 FanZone – will offer trivia contests, a “fantasy challenge” involving fan-selected teams of 10 athletes from any sport and even a “bracketology” game for each team sport. Sponsors such as Coca-Cola and Intel will have their own fan-support programs and Samsung will give each athlete a free S21 5G commemorative phone.

In the aftermath of the banning of fans from the Games venues in the Tokyo area, spectators will also not be allowed in the Hokkaido prefecture, which includes Sapporo, where football matches will be held.

Kyodo News reported that fans are now banned from the Games in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa and Hokkaido. The prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima and Shizuoka are – for now – planned to allow limited spectator attendance.

On Friday, four Japanese citizens filed for a injunction against the Games in Tokyo District Court, “arguing that going ahead with the games during the coronavirus pandemic violates the constitutionally guaranteed right to live.”

Kyodo also reported that one Israeli athlete tested positive for Covid upon arrival and is in quarantine. A Lithuanian swimmer tested negative on arrival for his team’s training camp outside Tokyo, then positive on a subsequent test. A third test came back negative, but he will be tested again on Saturday.

An attempt to put out the Olympic flame in the northeast city of Mito was reported last Sunday (4th), but was unsuccessful. Reuters reported that 53-year-old Kayoko Takahashi aimed a water pistol as the torch went by and shouted “extinguish the torch fire, I’m against the Tokyo Olympics.”

She was arrested immediately “on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.”

News media expecting to be in Tokyo continue to voice concerns over access to athletes and others, restrictive rules concerning housing and transport and requirements to detail their reporting routine for monitoring by the organizing committee.

At last week’s online International Sports Journalists Association (AIPS) conference, AIPS President Gianni Merlo (ITA) spoke at length about the restrictions, including “We, the press, are not the enemy of Japan.”

A review of the conference noted “the certainty that journalists will be followed at all times, giving away privacy, and the condition to report all the people they meet, put in danger the freedom of press. All is part of the so-called coronavirus package, but is it, really?”

Juan Ignacio Gallardo, the director of the Spanish daily newspaper of sport, Marca, told the attendees:

“There is an idea of clubs and athletes, especially the elite ones, that journalism can be replaced by social media, but the fan knows how to perfectly spot the difference between propaganda and information. Journalism is a vital link in the chain. Putting barriers to journalism is ultimately putting barriers to fans. I think that we all agree on something: we are in a scenario where there are more and more obstacles, difficulties and barriers to access to athletes.”

The Australian’s European correspondent Jacquelin Magnay (AUS) tweeted:

“The rules are so grim the Olympics risk having no journalists wanting to cover future Games. Not allowed to speak to a Japanese person, not allowed to walk. Spied on at every minute. And journalists are double vaxxed, with 8 tests in 7 days.”

Replied Michael Payne (GBR), the first IOC marketing director and a continuing keen observer of the Games:

“Well the next host nation might be real happy with the new protocols. Hold tight.”

That would be Beijing (CHN), host of the Olympic Winter Games in 2022. Yep.

In case you were wondering, the Court of Arbitration for Sport is opening two offices in Tokyo: one for general disputes and another concentrating on anti-doping matters.

All hearings will be held online, with 13 arbitrators in the “Ad hoc division” and another eight dedicated to the anti-doping cases. Rapid turnaround is promised: “The CAS Ad hoc Division will be able to render decisions within 24 hours in case of urgent matters.”

Athletes are being supported in appeals to the CAS in Tokyo, free of charge by the Japan Sports Arbitration Agency in cooperation with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. They are ready.

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The French-language site FrancsJeux reported that an administrative court in Paris finally rejected two appeals by local residents against the development of a portion of the massive Parc Georges Valbon for new housing. The first use will be for media covering Paris 2024, then for 1,200 units of housing in Dugny.

This clears the way for SOLIDEO, the public authority responsible for infrastructure projects related to the Games, to go ahead with the construction program. Already, the Mayor of Dugny has asked for assurances that it will be completed on time in April, 2024.

● Athletics ● /Updated/The Wanda Diamond League meet in Monaco saw brilliant racing and world-leading marks in the men’s 800 m, 1,500 m and Steeple and the women’s 1,500 m, plus possible previews of multiple Tokyo finals.

The opening race was another world-record attempt in the men’s 400 m hurdles with new recordman Karsten Warholm. He was out like a shot once again from lane seven, but didn’t have quite as much in reserve down the stretch and won in 47.08, the equal-12th-fastest race of all time (he has six of the top 13).

Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, looking like a near-lock for the bronze medal behind Warholm and Rai Benjamin of the U.S. was second in 47.51.

The men’s 800 m saw the revival of London 2012 silver medalist Nijel Amos of Botswana, who took over from Canada’s Marco Arop in the final 75 m and won in a world-leading 1:42.91. He barely out-lasted Emmanuel Korir (KEN: 1:43.04) and Arop (1:43.26 lifetime best). Those three ran away from everyone else, including Americans Clayton Murphy (7th: 1:44.41) and Bryce Hoppel (11th: 1:47.74).

In the men’s 1,500 m, Timothy Cheruiyot was trying to be so brilliant that Athletics Kenya will overlook his fourth-place finish at the Kenyan Trials and name him for Tokyo. He took the lead after 800 m as expected, then towed the field through the final lap and fought off a challenge from Spain’s Mohamed Katir all the way to the finish and won in a world-leading (and lifetime best by 0.13) 3:28.28! Cheruiyot ran his last 400 m in a sensational 53.71 and remains at no. 7 on the all-time list. Put him on the team.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was third in 3:29.25 and Stewart McSweyn (AUS) was the fourth man under 3:30 at 3:29.51. There were 10 lifetime bests among the 13 finishers, with national records for Katir, McSweyn and Marcin Lewandowski (POL: 3:30.42). Yowsah!

The men’s 3000 m Steeple was a nightmare. The bell rang for the final lap, but with 800 m to go instead of 400 m, and Kenyan Benjamin Kigen sprinted through the lap, only to see the bell rung again! He had nothing left and Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma was confused as well, but trotted down the backstraight with a big lead. He picked it up going into the water jump and then Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot moved in on a desperate sprint, only to have Girma speed up to win in a world-leading 8:07.75. Kibiwot was second in 8:07.81, followed by France’s Djilali Bedrani (8:11.17) and Mehdi Belhadj (8:12.43). American Hillary Bor was fifth (8:14.69, a seasonal best), with Kigen fading to seventh (8:15.09).

The women’s 1,500 m was a classic and another world leader, with Dutch star Sifan Hassan taking over as the leader with 600 m left. But with 150 m to go, Kenya’s reigning Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon launched her attack, went wide and got by with 110 m left and won in 3:51.07, a national record, a lifetime best and the no. 4 time in history. She was ecstatic!

Hassan was second in 3:53.60, with Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu third in 3:56.28. Americans Heather MacLean and Cory McGee were 10th and 11th in 4:03.63 and 4:04.20.

The men’s 100 m also had a wild finish, with American Ronnie Baker charging to the finish in 9.91 (+0.3 m/s), decisively defeating Akani Simbine (RSA: 9.98), Lamont Marcell Jacobs (ITA: 9.99), Andre De Grasse (CAN: 10.00) and formerly undefeated Trayvon Bromell (USA: 10.01) in fifth, American Fred Kerley was sixth in 10.15. Baker’s win makes him at least a co-favorite now with Bromell for a medal in Tokyo.

Jamaican superstar Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce took off at the start of the women’s 200 m and was joined on the straight by Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV), but Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) came on like a freight train in the last 60 m to edge Ta Lou, 22.23-22.25 (+0.7 m/s). Fraser-Pryce fell back to third in 22.48; Americans Dezerea Bryant and Tamara Clark went 5-6 in 22.79 and 22.95.

The women’s 800 m saw a blistering 54.80 lap for the pacesetter, then Jamaica’s Natoya Goule took over with 300 to go. But coming into the home straight, it was Britain’s Jemma Reekie and American Kate Grace, but British 1,500 m star Laura Muir went out to lane three and sprinted to the line in 1:56.73, a lifetime best and no. 5 in the world this year. Reekie also got a PR in 1:56.96 and Grace finished in a lifetime best of 1:57.20 – her third in nine days – to move to no. 7 on the all-time U.S. list.

In the women’s Steeple, Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng broke away from the pack with four laps remaining, with American Emma Coburn, world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Winfred Yavi (BRN) with the only ones in contact. Kiyeng pushed the pace with 600 m to go, with Coburn well ahead of Chepkoech and Yavi. But Kiyeng was out of gas with a lap to go and the race tightened dramatically. Kiyeng found a reserve and won in 9:03.82 as Coburn fell over the final water jump, allowing Chepkoech (9:04.94) and Yavi (9:05.45) to finish 2-3. Coburn held on for fourth at 9:09.02. What does this mean for Tokyo? That this event is up for grabs.

The women’s vault came down to World Champion Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS), Olympic Champion Katerina Stefanidi (GRE) and U.S. Trials winner Katie Nageotte. Nageotte took the lead with a first-time clearance at 4.90 m (16-0 3/4); Stefanidi missed all three tries and Sidorova missed once and passed. At 4.96 m (16-3 1/4), Sidorova missed twice and was out. Nageotte also missed three times, but enjoyed the win.

Olympic triple jump favorite Yulimar Rojas (VEN), the only woman to surpass 15 m this season, won at 15.12 m (49-7 1/4), but fouled on her sixth-round jump, so Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts “won” at 14.29 m (46-10 3/4). Czech Barbora Spotakova – the world-record holder – came into the sixth round throw-off third, but got her best at 63.08 m (206-11) and stole the win from Pole Maria Andrejczyk, who had the best throw of the day at 63.63 m (208-9).

The men’s high jump saw Django Lovett (CAN) and Russian Mikhail Arimenko clear 2.29 m (7-6), but missed all three times at 2.32 m (7-7 1/4). To break the tie, they tried 2.32 m again and this time Arimenko got over for the victory. Sweden’s Thobias Montler grabbed a personal best of 8.27 m (27-1 3/4) in the second round to lead the men’s long jump, but was passed by Jamaican Tajay Gayle in the fifth round at 8.29 m (27-2 1/2). But in the sixth-round jump-off, it was Greece’s world leader, Miltiadis Tentoglou who got the only fair jump at 8.24 m (27-0 1/2) and that proved to be the winner.

Pretty impressive stuff! The last Diamond League stop before the Olympic break will come on the 13th in Gateshead (GBR).

The last World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet before the Olympic break was the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar (HUN), with major showdowns across the board. At the top of the results list were two world-leading wins:

● Men/High Jump: 2.37 m (=) (7-9 1/4), Maksim Nedasekau (BLR)
● Men/Triple Jump: 17.92 m (58-9 1/2), Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR)

Nedasekau had to jump that high to beat Russians Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Arimenko, who both cleared 2.33 m (7-7 3/4) , while Nedasekau also made 2.35 m (7-8 1/2); he joins Ivanyuk at 2.37 m on the 2021 year list. Pichardo dueled with indoor world-record setter Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR), getting a world-leading 17.82 m (58-5 3/4) on his second jump, matched by Fabrice Zango in the third round. But Pichardo had more to offer, reaching 17.92 m (58-9 1/2) in round four.

There were major sprint developments, with South Africa’s Akine Simbine winning the men’s 100 m in 9.84, no. 2 on the 2021 world list and an African Record. He ran away from Americans Mike Rodgers (10.00), Marvin Bracy (10.02) and Isiah Young (10.04) in places 2-3-4 with Justin Gatlin sixth in 10.21.

In the women’s 100 m, defending Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah made a statement with a 10.71-10.82 win over countrywoman Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce, with Marie Josee Ta Lou (CIV) third in 10.86 and Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare fourth in 10.89. Wow! Thompson moved to no. 2 on the 2021 world list and Ta Lou to no. 5.

In the men’s 200 m, Canada’s Andre De Grasse scored an impressive win over Americans Kenny Bednarek and teen Erriyon Knighton, 19.97-19.99-20.03, making sure he is being considered among the medal favorites.

Same for Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in the women’s 200 m, beating superstar Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), 21.96-22.15, with former World Champion Dafne Schippers (NED) third (22.70).

The Bahamas got a win in the men’s 400 m from Steven Gardiner, who got the best of Americans Bryce Deadmon, Michael Norman and Michael Cherry, 44.47-44.58-44.65-44.69.

The women’s 400 m was another Jamaican win, for Stephenie Ann McPherson, who ran 49.99 to beat American Wadeline Jonathas (50.70).

In the 110 m hurdles, World Champion Grant Holloway of the U.S. scored a clear win over main rivals Orlando Ortega (ESP), Russian Sergey Shubenkov and Jamaican Ronald Levy, 13.08-13.15-13.19-13.25. Puerto Rico’s world leader in the women’s 100 m hurdles, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, ran the second-fastest time in 2021, winning in 12.34, well ahead of Elvira Herman (BLR: 12.67) and Americans Gabbi Cunningham (12.75) and Sharika Nelvis (12.80).

The unstoppable Femke Bol (NED) won another fast women’s 400 m hurdles, this time over American Shamier Little, 52.81-52.85, with Jamaican Janieve Russell third in 53.68. Bol is now undefeated in five hurdles races this season.

Britain’s Elliot Giles won the men’s 800 m over Jamie Webb (GBR) and world-leader Clayton Murphy of the U.S., 1:44.89-1:45.12-1:45.20. Ethiopia went 1-2-3-4-5 in a fast 3,000 m, won by Muktar Edris in 7:30.96. New Zealand’s Tom Walsh won the men’s shot at 22.22 m (72-10 3/4) and Sweden’s Daniel Stahl won the discus at 67.71 m (222-1).

USA Track & Field named a powerful 130-member team for Tokyo, with English Gardner – sixth in the women’s 100 m final – in the relay pool as Sha’Carri Richardson was not selected.

Richardson was disqualified due to a doping positive for marijuana use and so her results disappear from the Trials; the U.S. will send Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels and Jenna Prandini in the individual 100 m, with Gabby Thomas, Aleia Hobbs and Gardner in the relay pool.

Gabbi Cunningham, fourth in the women’s 100 m hurdles, replaced Brianna McNeal, who lost her appeal against suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

In the women’s high jump, winner Vashti Cunningham and fourth-placer Rachel McCoy both had the Olympic standard and were selected, along with Tynita Butts-Townsend, who stood 30th in the World Athletics world rankings and was the next-highest American.

In the women’s discus, Kelsey Card (fourth at Trials) was added based on the world rankings, as was fourth-placer Ariana Ince in the javelin. Race walker Robyn Stevens was also added via her world ranking.

On the men’s team, 1,500 m winner Cole Hocker just missed the Olympic standard, but was admitted based on his world ranking. No U.S. javelin throwers had the Olympic mark, but Trials 1-2 finishers Curtis Thompson and Michael Shuey made it on world rankings. Same for Trials winner Nick Christie in the men’s 20 km walk.

Sad news from Britain that Adrian Metcalfe, a 45.7 400 m runner in 1961 and Olympic silver medalist in the 4×400 m in Tokyo ‘64, passed away on 2 July at 79.

For those who did not see him run, they heard him for decades as a broadcaster for ITV in the 1970s and 1980s. He was also a important executive, helping to found Eurosport.

● Cycling ● The 108th Tour de France is heading into its penultimate weekend, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar (SLO) continuing to control the race. But it was 36-year-old British star Mark Cavendish who stole the headlines:

● At the 10th stage on Tuesday (6th), he once again outfought a huge group to the finish line at the end of 190.7 km in Valence for his 33rd career Tour stage win and the third of this race! That left him only one behind career leader Eddy Merckx (BEL), whose 34 career stage wins was considered unapproachable. Belgians Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen finished 2-3; it was Philipsen’s fourth top-three finish of the race so far.

● Friday’s 13th stage was a long, hilly 219.9 km route from Nimes to Carcassonne, but with a long, easy finish made for sprinters … and Cavendish. The day was hot and windy, which made the ride precarious, but Cavendish was expertly led by his Deceuninck-Quick Step team onto the final turn in perfect position with about 300 m to go. Then, he was suddenly passed by several riders and seemingly in trouble. But with strong work from teammate Michael Morkov (DEN), Cavendish got a clear lane and barely got to the line first to win his fourth stage in the race and equal Merckx’s career mark of 34.

Cavendish will have a couple more chances to grab the stage-win record for himself in stages 19 and 21. But for now, he has equaled the amazing Merckx, the greatest competitive cyclist of all time.

(Let’s note that Merckx won his stages with the goal of winning the Tour de France, which he did five times in six years between 1969-74. Cavendish is strictly a sprinter; his best overall finish at the Tour is 130th in 2011.)

In the mountain stages:

● During Wednesday’s 11th stage, the riders were faced with the brutal 1,894 m Mont Ventour twice during the 198.9 km route ending in Malaucene. But it hardly flustered van Aert, who took control on the second time over Mont Ventour, with about 40 km left and sailed through the downhill to finish 1:14 up on Kenny Elissonde (FRA) and Bauke Mollema (NED). Pogacar was fourth, 1:38 behind, but lost nothing to the pack, ending the day up 5:18 over Rigoberto Uran (COL).

● The hilly 12th stage was decided on the final hill with about 18 km to go on the road to Nimes. German Nils Politt boke away and won by 31 seconds over Imanol Erviti (ESP) and Harry Sweeney (AUS).

After Friday’s 13th stage, Pogacar has maintained his 5:18 lead over Uran and is 5:32 up on Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 5:33 ahead of Richard Carapaz (ECU). There are two mountain stages coming up on the weekend before Monday’s rest day.

The Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile is heading toward the finish, with Dutch star Anna van der Breggen continuing in control with the race ending Sunday in Cormons.

Stage 5 was a mass sprint finish with Lorena Wiebes (NED) collecting the win ahead of Emma Norsgaard (DEN) and stage 3 winner Marianne Vos (NED). The looping, 155 km stage 6 was another mass finish, with Norsgaard moving up for the win this time, edging American Coryn Rivera and Vos at the line. The more strenuous hills of the 109.6 km seventh stage was another group finish, with Vos getting her second win, beating Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) and van der Breggen, all in 2:48:31.

Friday’s eighth stage was a flat, 129.4 km route to Mortegliano, perfect for the sprinters. As with stage 5, it was Wiebes handling the finish best, winning her second stage of the race, ahead of Norsgaard, Maria Vittoria Sperotto (ITA), Lisa Brennauer (GER) and Vos.

Van der Breggen heads to the final two stages with a commanding 2:55 led over Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) and 3:07 over Demi Vollering (NED).

The Union Cycliste Internationale confirmed on Tuesday that

“With regards to the Presidency, only David Lappartient [FRA], the current UCI President, submitted his candidacy. Pursuant to article 40, paragraph 3 of the UCI Constitution, his election for a second four-year term will be confirmed without being put to vote.”

The UCI Congress, which will include elections for other positions on the UCI Management Committee, will be held on 24 September in Leuven (BEL).

● Football ● After all of the tumult over where to play and more than 160 Covid positives among the team and officials, it will be Brazil and Argentina in the final of the Copa America. In Tuesday’s semifinal, Argentina and Colombia played to a 1-1 tie and it was Argentina winning on penalty kicks by 3-2.

The final will be played on Saturday (10th) at 9 p.m. local time in the famed Maracana Stadium in Rio, but without fans. The third-place match between Colombia and Peru will be tonight (9th) in Brazilia.

Brazil has been dominant in the Copa America, winning five of the last nine editions. Argentina last won in 1993 and lost in four of the last six finals (2004-07-15-16). The two giants have been multiple times in this championship final, most recently in 2004 and 2007, with Brazilian victories by penalties (‘04) and 3-0 (‘07).

The UEFA European Championships will finish in front of more than 60,000 delirious fans at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday (11th) with England looking for its first major tournament win since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

The opponent will be Italy, which defeated Spain on penalties, 4-2, on Tuesday. Italy also won in 1968 and was a losing finalist in 2000 (to France) and 2012 (to Spain).

England went to extra time with Denmark after a 1-1 tie in regulation. Striker Harry Kane had a penalty kick in the first extra-time period saved by Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel, but the rebound came straight back to the charging Kane, who banged it into the net in the 104th minute for the 2-1 final.

England, playing at home in 1996, got as far as the semifinals, but has never before played in the Euro championship match.

● Swimming ● A shocker out of the European Junior Championships in Rome (ITA), with Romanian 16-year-old taking the men’s 100 m Freestyle in a world-leading 47.30.

David Popovici broke his own World Junior Record of 47.56 set in a lead-off relay leg earlier in the meet and now looms as big trouble for defending Olympic champ Kyle Chalmers of Australia, World Champion Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. and prior world leader Kliment Kolesnikov, who swam 47.31 to win the Russian Championships in April.

Wow!

The International Swimming League announced its schedule for 2021, with the 10 clubs competing in 11 quadrangular matches to be held from 26 August to 30 September, all at the Piscina Felice Scandone in Naples.

A six-match playoff series with eight clubs will be held in November, leading to a final in January 2022 at a site to be determined.

● Volleyball ● The FIVB released final testing figures from its men’s and women’s Nations League, held in a sequestered environment in Rimini, Italy from late May to late June: no positives among the teams, officials and broadcasters. In detail:

“The VNL bubble hosted over 1,000 participants with 572 volleyball players competing across a total of 248 matches throughout the month-long competition. The bubble also hosted a TV production team of more than 100 people.

“In total, 2,250 PCR and 7,920 antigen tests were performed at the event over the course of 38 days … All participants were required to produce negative test results both prior to their departure to Italy and upon arrival. Further in-competition tests were also compulsory for all participants every four days, along with an exit PCR test before departure.”

As it turned out, the only Covid positive was a bus driver for the German men’s team; he was quarantined and the German squad received additional testing.

A good signal for Tokyo.

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LANE ONE: Hey, ESPN (and others), could you educate yourselves on the Olympic world before you talk about it?

By
Rich Perelman
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John Banner as Sgt. Schultz in the 1960s sitcom classic "Hogan's Heroes"

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One of the genres in which ESPN has been unsurpassed is the sports talk show. Whether in the morning, mid-day or late afternoon, you can find all kinds of people talking in depth about all kinds of sports.

Except Olympic sports, of course.

This was demonstrated once more on Wednesday (7th) during ESPN’s popular “Pardon the Interruption” show, as former Washington Post reporters Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon moved from subjects they know well – the NBA and golf – to why Sha’Carri Richardson was left off the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.

After Wilbon started the show by noting that this was “National Tell the Truth Week,” the two descended into a discussion about Richardson, her suspension for marijuana during the U.S. Olympic Trials and why USA Track & Field didn’t name her to the Olympic team for the women’s 4×100 m relay.

Asked by Kornheiser if USATF made a mistake, Wilbon did tell the truth:

“Tony, I don’t know.”

But it got worse from there. Both criticized the World Anti-Doping Code rule about marijuana – which continues to be widely debated – then Wilbon went into dreamland:

“We know the rule, should the rule still be there – no – because the country has spoken, and continues to speak about this, state by state, saying ‘we’re not having this any more, it’s not going to be illegal.’ And so once the United States of America, state by state, says this, then you know, [U.S. Anti-Doping Agency] and [World Anti-Doping Agency] and all these agencies and they need to get with the program.”

What? The U.S. does not speak with one voice on marijuana: it is illegal at the Federal level across the country and is allowed for recreational use without penalty in just 18 states out of 50 (13 other states have decriminalized it, so you would get a fine, but no jail time).

In Japan, where the Olympic Games will be held, marijuana is illegal and punishable by prison terms of up to five years. So WADA is supposed to get with whose program?

Kornheiser commended Richardson for taking responsibility for the violation, but then doubled down on misinformation, making this astounding legal observation:

“My problem overall is that it is a rule and it is not the law. OK, the law – as you point out – varies from state to state, including the state in which she consumed marijuana, Oregon, where it is legal for her to do it. But she cannot seek redress from the courts because it’s not a law. It’s a rule, there’s no due process that she can ask for.”

Maybe Kornheiser should be drug tested. For someone who has been a decorated journalist for a lifetime, Kornheiser simply ignored the widely-available facts about the worldwide anti-doping program:

● The rules under which Richardson was penalized are law. The U.S. Congress specifically said so in 2006 at 21 U.S. Code §2001 titled “Designation of the United States Anti-Doping Agency” and which states that USADA shall:

“serve as the independent anti-doping organization for the amateur athletic competitions recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and be recognized worldwide as the independent national anti-doping organization for the United States” and

“ensure that athletes participating in amateur athletic activities recognized by the United States Olympic Committee are prevented from using performance-enhancing drugs or prohibited performance-enhancing methods adopted by the Agency”

As USADA is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, it is bound to uphold its rules, with the force of law.

● State laws have nothing to do with competitions in Olympic sports, organized by a U.S. National Governing Body, as the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials were. It doesn’t matter if the Trials were in Oregon or Oklahoma.

● Richardson had clear due process options, including an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which hears such cases routinely. But she accepted a one-month suspension – the third handed out this year by USADA for marijuana – because (1) there was no chance of her being exonerated and (2) there are five Wanda Diamond League meets coming up in August and September at which she could earn up to $10,000 for winning an event, starting with a return to Eugene on 21 August, where the women’s 100 m is a featured event.

Is the “PTI” show so bereft of resources that it has no one it can contact for information about Olympic sports when the need arises? ESPN’s talented Olympic writer for 13 years, Bonnie D. Ford, left last December and – so far as can be observed – has not been replaced.

Despite ESPN’s disinterest, there are people in the U.S. who know something about the Olympic Movement. ESPN is not the only media outlet which has made these mistakes, but it does stick out.

Kornheiser was partly right when he said of Richardson, “She’s a star. You know it the moment you see her, she’s a star, and this is a television show.”

Richardson is a star and on the rise. But saying that the Olympics is a television show ignores a few other facts:

(1) In television, people get paid for appearing as performers. That doesn’t happen with the U.S. Olympic Team. There are bonuses for medals, but no money for just making the team.

(2) Don’t tell English Gardner and Aleia Hobbs, who made the team as “relay pool” athletes, to run in the prelims or in case of injuries, that it’s just a TV show. It isn’t for them. Gardner ripped her anterior cruciate ligament in 2017 and was out 13 months, then tore a hamstring at the 2019 Worlds in Doha and three months ago, went through a brutal battle with Covid-19. Should she give up her spot?

Hobbs was thrown out for a false start in the 100 m heats, collapsed in tears, but protested that she made no aiding movement and was reinstated for the final! She’s no. 9 on the world list for 2021 at 10.91.

Making the Olympic team is a zero-sum game, but for some it’s just a TV show. And for them, it’s no wonder that rules, laws, international anti-doping efforts and a strategic view of future fame and fortune make no difference.

Speaking of TV shows, one of the endearing characters in the 1960s sitcom Hogan’s Heroes was the bumbling guard Sgt. Schultz, played by John Banner. In the face of obvious espionage activity by Hogan and his crew, Schultz’s standard reaction was “I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing!”

Banner has long passed, but perhaps Schultz could make a comeback? As a sports TV talk show host?

Rich Perelman
Editor

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THE BIG PICTURE: Japan extends state of emergency to 22 August, so Tokyo Games will be mostly without spectators

By
Rich Perelman
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Will there be any fans at Tokyo 2020's Olympic Stadium for the Games? NOPE. (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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“In response to the state of emergency, stricter measures with regard to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have also been decided by the three Japanese parties. No spectators will be allowed into any venues in Tokyo during the Olympic Games.

“Under this policy, in areas where emergency measures are not in force, local government authorities will meet and decide specific measures in consultation with the local governors based on the situation in each area.”

The first Olympic Games to be postponed will likely be the first Olympic Games with few or no spectators.

A five-party meeting of the Japanese national government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee held this morning (Thursday) noted that the new declaration of a state of emergency in the Tokyo area through 22 August makes having spectators at venues in the Tokyo area impractical. A short, joint statement was issued, but there will be more details to come.

Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported that 920 Covid-19 infections in the Tokyo prefecture were recorded on Wednesday and another 896 on Thursday, continuing a high level that has worried the government. So:

“In addition to Tokyo, the Olympics will be held behind closed doors at venues in Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, three prefectures near Tokyo, Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa said at a press conference. Some other venues of the Olympics are located outside the metropolitan area.”

Said Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto:

“It is extremely regrettable that the games will be staged in a very limited manner in the face of the spread of novel coronavirus infections. I am very sorry for ticket holders and local residents who were looking forward to the games.”

A decision on whether to allow spectators for the Paralympic Games will be made after the Olympics conclude on 8 August.

The government action also impacts many other elements of life in the Tokyo area:

“Major commercial facilities including department stores will also be asked to close by 8 p.m. Attendance at large events such as sports games and concerts will be capped at 5,000 people or 50 percent of the venue’s capacity, whichever is fewer.”

Observed: That the Tokyo Games have become a political issue rather than strictly a medical one is demonstrated by allowing up to 5,000 spectators at sporting events such as Nippon Professional Baseball games or J-League football matches, but banning all Olympic spectators in the prefectures in and around Tokyo.

The worriers won the day and the Games will go on without spectators other than possibly at some outlying venues. Japan’s infection rate is low compared with other countries, but too high for a country which prides itself on being well organized.

These will be issues to be resolved in the national elections coming in the fall in Japan. But for the athletes coming to Japan to compete, the experience will be difficult. Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov told TASS:

“Our vanguard is already there and has informed us about the strict measures regarding personal movement. Almost all of the safety measures are already in place and all surveillance cameras are operating.

“Any person leaving the territory of the so-called ‘bubble’ is immediately approached by a special service staff requesting that he or she return back to the original premises. I want to call on everyone and all athletes to follow all of the previously issued directives.”

Or else.

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MILLER TIME: As the Olympic Family gathers in Tokyo, will unity yield to protests?

By
David Miller
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The U.S. team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang. (Photo: Jon Gaede)

/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./

With the International Olympic Committee inexorably negotiated into a partial concession – acceptance of athletes’ protest by “expression” – it must be hoped that Tokyo’s reluctantly re-scheduled Olympic Games do not become a circus cavalcade of demonstrations, whether vocal, physical, banners or flags, ominously likely to be led by rampant elements in USA.

Admittedly, there is little political or social innocence throughout the world today, even beyond the new, four-century headline-hugging “introspection” now being promoted by campaigners in America. Yet there are twenty or more nations, from China, Hong Kong and Russia, to much of Africa and South and Central America where thousands of lives are daily in jeopardy. In Britain, the fifty-year-old “Windrush” scandal – the immigrant West Indies boat bringing post-war Caribbeans to bolster UK labour recovery, many of whom despite decades of contribution, now deemed illegal residents.

However, the IOC is remaining loyal to the ancient sacrosanct Greek idealism of the Olympic Games: an integrated festival of peaceful sport, at which, in the modern context, ninety percent of the 10,000 participants have no prospect of a medal but the humanitarian ambition of integrating with all other creeds, races and philosophies. The Games, distinct from all other sport, must never be allowed to become an ad-hoc social courtroom.

And tell me: do marriage couples ever contemplate momentarily corrupting their wedding ceremony to confront family and guests with raised glove fists, banners and slogans? The Olympic Games are likewise a celebration of joyous unity: cause for legitimate domestic or international protest at the Games should be conducted in conventional manner, scheduled conferences within the appointed city, yet in no manner directly associated with the sporting arena, where all are mutually respectful.

Most Olympians should recognise that, while talent has lifted them to an elite status, their passage has usually been dependent on extensive taxpayer public funding: a precious bonus unavailable to, say, the average worker daily grinding by public transport to anonymous, repetitive yet responsible duty. Olympic athletes are simultaneously admired yet beneficiaries.

In Tokyo, maybe some women hammer-throwers will have pink hair in solidarity with gender equality or gay rights, or springboard divers will take the knee on the platform – if they all feel they must. Yet will the IOC accept “silent” expression?

Thomas Bach, ninth President of the IOC, Olympic fencing champion from 1976, is committed to upholding the ethic of Rule 50, excluding tangible protests on a medal podium or the competition arena. This principle has the approval of a majority of the Athletes Commission. Without this steadfast ethic, the Olympic Games, unique social festival, descends to be no more than bear-baiting.

I was a member of Britain’s football training squad for Melbourne ’56, though unselected for the fifteen to travel. Three or four of us in the squad were genuine amateurs – as then still vainly required by the IOC when many in track and field or football were clandestine professionals within “amateur” clubs. A known “professional amateur” was preferred to me for Melbourne. I didn’t protest.

Comments are welcome here and or direct to David Miller here.

HEARD AT HALFTIME: Tokyo 2020 could reduce spectator capacities or just ban everyone; Russian Lysenko banned four years; gymnastics bankruptcy case slowing?

By
Rich Perelman
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The Olympic Flame inside the new Olympic Stadium in Tokyo (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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News, views and noise from the non-stop, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The Tokyo 2020 organizers are postponing the decision on spectators at the Games as far as possible after announcing that the results of a new ticket lottery to select domestic spectators will be released on 10 July instead of 4 July as expected.

Continuing concern over the coronavirus in Japan continues to pressure the organizing committee, with the governor of the Hokkaido prefecture – which includes Sapporo – asking to ban outdoor spectators for the marathons and race walks.

Further consideration is being given to reducing the latest spectator allowance of 50% of venue capacity with a cap of 10,000, to a maximum of 5,000. Another proposal, for a ban on spectators for events ending after 9 p.m. would result in about 40% of the sessions being without fans. A meeting on this could be held on Thursday.

Athlete delegations continue to arrive in Japan; so far, two Ugandan delegation members and a Serbian rower have tested positive for Covid-19 in testing made upon arrival. All were immediately isolated.

The athlete delegations and other organizations at the Games will be overseen by a corps of some 3,000 CLOs – Covid Liaison Officers – who are expected to ensure compliance and coordinate responses to the coronavirus control measures.

Responding to the need for flexibility at the Games, the International Olympic Committee announced a change in roster management for football, handball, hockey, rugby sevens and water polo. Team “alternates” were previously allowed to participate only a permanent replacements for another athlete, but will now be able to be used on a match-by-match basis.

The announcement did not say if these added athletes will also receive medals, but this is the procedure for athletes in swimming and track & field – for example – who participate in the preliminaries of relay events.

The Russian Olympic Committee announced that it expects to send a 335-member team to Tokyo, significantly bigger than at Rio in 2016, but still not of the size it had in 2008 or 2012.

Still under sanction by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the “Neutral Athletes from Russia” squad is larger than the 282 allowed to compete in Rio under the shadow of the exploding state-sponsored doping program from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. But even with 335 athletes, the total is far smaller than the 455 sent to Beijing in 2008 or the 436 for London in 2012.

How tough will it be in Tokyo? Russian Olympic Committee chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov told TASS:

“Our vanguard is already there and has informed us about the strict measures regarding personal movement. Almost all of the safety measures are already in place and all surveillance cameras are operating.

“Any person leaving the territory of the so-called ‘bubble’ is immediately approached by a special service staff requesting that he or she return back to the original premises. I want to call on everyone and all athletes to follow all of the previously issued directives.”

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin “promised to pay special attention to legal support for Russian athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, because the issue of politicization in sports is still high on the agenda.”

This is a barely-veiled reference to the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, which was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2020 and which gives U.S. authorities extra-territorial jurisdiction to go after doping violations in events in which American athletes compete.

Said Putin, “The interests of our athletes must be protected from any arbitrariness, including decisions that some countries try to impose on the whole world far beyond the bounds of their national jurisdictions.”

In contrast, Japan will have its largest-ever team at the Games, with an expected 582 athletes in all.

Canadian boxer Mandy Bujold won a reprieve from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to compete in Tokyo after she missed part of the qualifying period due to pregnancy.

Bujold competes in the 51 kg (Flyweight) division and was on her way to compete in Tokyo in 2020 when the Games was postponed. Due to the continuing effects of Covid-19, the Americas Qualifying Tournament in 2021 was canceled and the IOC’s Boxing Task Force used a ranking system based on 2018 and 2019 results … when she was off for maternity. Refused special entry by the Boxing Task Force, she appealed to the CAS and will be added to the field.

The Boxing Task Force has not indicated how it will handle a field of 26 entrants instead of 25.

The U.S. Equestrian Team announced its Jumping team for Tokyo, including veteran medal winners McLain Ward (2004-08 gold, 2016 silver), Kent Farrington (2016 silver), Laura Kraut (2008 gold) and Jessica Springsteen. The latter was an alternate in 2012 but will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo. Oh yes, she is also the 29-year-old daughter of rock & roll star Bruce Springsteen.

● European Championships ● The 2022 edition of the multi-sport European Championships has been finalized for Munich (GER) as a 50-year celebration of the 1972 Olympic Games there, which was overshadowed by the massacre of 11 members of the Israeli delegation.

A more joyous program is expected next year, with 4,700 athletes from 50 countries competing in 176 medal events over 11 days from 11-22 August. The sports include athletics, beach volleyball, sprint canoeing, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis and triathlon.

● World University Games ● The International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced that its bidding process for future events, starting with the 2027 World University Games would be an open competition.

FISU had adopted a more informal approach since 2016 “because of the high demand to host the events – previously known as Universiade – which led to many cities being rejected despite their strong efforts in producing a good bid.”

Now, any city or region which wishes to bid can do so, with a deadline of 31 January 2022 for the 2027 and 2029 World University Games and Winter World University Games. This directly impacts the North Carolina bid for the 2027 WUG, which is already well advanced and offers the FISU further access to the U.S. market after the 2023 Winter WUG will be held in Lake Placid, New York. A Korean bid for 2027 is being prepared; it is unknown whether other cities will jump in.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit won a four-year suspension of Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko, a former World Indoor Champion, for whereabouts failures and tampering with the “results management process” by submitting false documents.

The total suspension was six years from 3 August 2018, but was reduced by two years in a Court of Arbitration for Sport holding for his cooperation against other Russian officials. Lysenko will be banned from both the Tokyo Games and the 2022 Worlds in Eugene.

Lysenko and his late coach Evgeniy Zagorulko – who passed away in April – cooperated against five other officials of the Russian Athletics Federation, who received suspensions from four to eight years.

The AIU has also provisionally suspended Ecuadorian sprinter Alex Quinonez as of 25 June for “whereabouts” failures, with the case referred to the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal. The 2019 World Championships bronze medalist in the 200 m, with a best of 19.87, appears now to be ineligible for Tokyo.

U.S. sprint star Wallace Spearmon has retired at 36. Athletics International noted that he achieved lifetime bests of 9.96, 19.65 and 45.22 and won World Championships medals in the 200 m in 2005 (silver), 2007 (bronze) and 2009 (bronze).

The World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet, the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar (HUN) is on today; the live timing site is here.

The U.S. national 10 km championships were held in Atlanta on Sunday in conjunction with the famed Peachtree Road Race, with Sam Chelanga breaking away from a half-dozen others in the final 800 m, winning in 28:44 over Fred Huxham (28:45) and Clayton Young third in 28:48.

The women’s race belonged to Sara Hall – the 2019 champion – who dueled with Emily Durgin into the final 1,500 m, then surged away to win in 31:41. Durgin was second in 31:49 and Anne Frisbie was third in 32:06.

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association (AIBA), suspended by the IOC, has announced that it is expanding its weight classifications from 10 to 13 for men and from 10 to 12 for women.

Said AIBA President Umar Kremlev (RUS): “I truly believe we must deliver more opportunities to our athletes; the new divisions will encourage more people from various countries to take up boxing, and allow more nations to win medals. The more medals we have, the more governments will pay attention to our sport and fund it around the globe.”

In the meantime, when the IOC stepped in to manage the Tokyo boxing program after suspending AIBA, the men’s weight classes for the Games were cut from 10 to eight and women’s classes were expanded from three to five. How do these match up?

● Cycling ● Dutch star Anna van der Breggen, 31, has said she will retire at the end of this season, but she is determined to go out on top. Already a two-time winner on the UCI Women’s World Tour, van der Breggen is dominating the 32nd Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, winning her second stage in the first four on Monday.

This was the 11.2 km individual time trial on an uphill course ending at the Cascate Del Toce in Formazza in the Italian Alps. Van der Breggen aced it, crushing everyone and winning by 1:06 over countrywoman Demi Vollering and 1:17 over Australia’s Grace Brown. After four of the 10 stages, van der Breggen has a monstrous 2:51 lead over Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 3:03 over Vollering and 5:53 over British star Lizzie Deignan. If she can hang on, van der Breggen would enjoy a fourth win at the “Giro Donne,” and tie for the most ever. But the race will continue through Sunday.

● Football ● The U.S. Women’s National Team posted a second straight 4-0 win over Mexico on Monday before 27,758 fans in East Hartford, Connecticut, with all of the scores coming in the first half.

Lindsay Horan scored in the sixth minute, Carli Lloyd scored in the 11th minute and the U.S. could have had two more goals before a Christen Press shot was blocked, but then ricocheted off Mexican defender Reyna Reyes for an own goal in the 37th minute. Tobin Heath concluded the scoring two minutes later with a twisting shot that made it 4-0. The U.S. ended with 72% of the possession and a 27-5 edge on shots.

The win gives the U.S. women a 44-game unbeaten streak heading into the Tokyo Games and “new” coach Vlatko Andonovski is 22-0-1 in his first 23 games as U.S. head coach since the end of 2019.

When the Copa America tournament was moved from expected hosts Argentina and Colombia to Brazil, the expectation was of course that the home team would make it to the championship match.

That has happened with Brazil’s 1-0 win over Peru in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (5th). Lucas Paqueta scored in the 35th minute on a volley from 10 meters, off an assist from Neymar for the only goal of the game, advancing Brazil to Saturday’s final in Rio.

It’s fitting that the original hosts – Argentina and Colombia – will meet in the second semifinal on Tuesday (6th) in Brasilia. The third-place game will also be in Brasilia, on Friday (9th).

The legal fight over sanctions from the implosion of the European Super League continues, as the Madrid Commercial Court/17th Chamber ordered UEFA to cancel all sanctions against the unrepentant Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus clubs.

The court further ruled that UEFA cannot force the dissolution of the Super League and ordered sanctions by the English and Italian leagues against the participating clubs dropped.

The next stop is the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

● Gymnastics ● USA Gymnastics filed its report of operations for May, as its proceeding at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana drags on. Thus far, the case has resulted in $14.116 million in legal fees, of which $8.485 million (60.1%) has been paid. Unpaid invoices go as far back as February of 2019.

The case has slowed precipitously in the last four months, with total legal billings of “just” $378,605 during that time. The parties – USA Gymnastics, its insurers, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Survivors’ Committee – have been engaged in court-ordered settlement discussions with Judge James W. Carr since last year, but without resolution.

● Swimming ● Eddie Reese, the famed head coach of the University of Texas, announced last Friday that he would not be retiring and will return to coach the Longhorns for a 44th season in 2021-22.

He had announced his retirement in March, after coaching his team to a 15th NCAA team title, but changed his mind and will stay. Wyatt Collins, who was going to take over, will remain as Reese’s assistant at Texas, no doubt with a pay raise.

Three of Reese’s swimmers – Townley Haas, Drew Kibler and Gunnar Bentz – made the U.S. team for Tokyo. Reese has coached 22 Olympic gold medalists to date.

● Weightlifting ● The IOC released an unhappy statement on Monday noting the results of the International Testing Authority report about doping cover-ups at the International Weightlifting Federation and the inability of the IWF Constitutional Congress to agree on a new governing document.

“The IOC EB expressed its concern on both issues and decided that these developments, along with other concerns previously noted, would be addressed during a meeting planned for after the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. A letter to this effect was sent to the IWF.”

At stake is weightlifting’s place on the program for Paris 2024. And the stake is being sharpened.

More doping positives mean more sanctions and the IWF announced Tuesday that an independent disciplinary panel has issued decisions against the national federations of Vietnam and Colombia.

Regarding Vietnam, four athletes tested positive and received four-year suspensions and because of this, Vietnam’s Tokyo Games entries were reduced from eight to two (one male, one female).

Regarding Colombia, three athletes registered positives in January 2020 and received four-year bans. So, Colombia’s Tokyo entries were reduced from eight to three (two male, one female).

In addition, the national federation of Turkey was also reduced to two entries for Tokyo as a result of the International Testing Agency report on cover-up activities alleged against federation chief Hassan Akkus. This action is ongoing.

The IWF has re-allocated the quota places left open by these penalties here.

● At the BuZZer ● The Commonwealth Games Archery and Shooting Championships, to be held in India next January, separately from the main Commonwealth Games program in Birmingham (GBR), has been canceled due to the “uncertainty” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is unfortunate, but ironic in that India threatened to boycott the Birmingham event if shooting was not included. Shooting is an optional sport for organizers and not included by Birmingham in its program proposal.

India withdrew its threat by agreeing to stage the shooting events at its own expense, so long as the medal tally was included as if the competitions were being held in Birmingham. The archery events were added later. But they’re gone now.

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LANE ONE: Why marijuana is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list, and Sha’Carri Richardson’s future looks even brighter

By
Rich Perelman
-

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The disqualification and suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson after winning the women’s 100 m at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials last month for marijuana use has brought wide confusion among those who support its recreational use.

Maybe the facts would help?

Marijuana has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list since it first appeared in 2004. The question of whether it should be listed has been hotly debated since then, as detailed in “Cannabis in Sport: Anti-Doping Perspective” in the 1 November 2011 issue of Sports Medicine.

Written by Marilyn Huestis of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse and Irene Mazzoni and Oliver Rabin of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the article details the reasons for listing marijuana. The highlights:

● “Cannabis is often portrayed as a substance that has detrimental effects on performance.”

● However: “Smoked cannabis can decrease anxiety, fear, depression and tension. THC [the main psychoactive drug in cannabis] is anxiolytic [used to reduce anxiety] at low doses, the doses reportedly consumed by athletes.”

● “In human volunteers, THC and cannabis also increased impulsive responses leading to more risk-taking behaviour but without affecting decision making. In this regard, and from a sports perspective, Martinez suggested that cannabis smoking reduces anxiety, allowing athletes to better perform under pressure and to alleviate stress experienced before and during competition.

“Furthermore, cannabinoids play a major role in the extinction of fear memories by interfering with learned aversive behaviours. Athletes who experienced traumatic events in their sports career could benefit from such an effect. For these reasons, Wagner described cannabis as ergogenic [enhances performance]. The endocannabinoid system is also involved in the modulation of mood. … In adolescents and young adults, cannabis also helps in coping with negative mood and emotional distress.”

This is why marijuana is on the WADA Prohibited List.

This is supported by the real-life example of Canadian snowboard star Ross Rebagliati. He won the Snowboard Giant Slalom at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano (JPN), but was disqualified after testing positive for marijuana use (which he blamed on secondhand smoke). He was reinstated because marijuana was not on the prohibited-substances list at the time – WADA was formed the next year – and Rebagliati has continuously touted its positive effects. In a 2015 news story, he maintained “that cannabis is a performance enhancer, and that usage can be helpful for some activities such as extreme sports, as it improves muscle relaxation, reduces anxiety, and extincts fear memories (e.g., negative experiences) leading to enhanced performance. It may also improve sleep time and recovery, which may favour performance when an athlete is facing multiple competitions in a short period of time.”

The Sports Medicine article also noted the potential health risks due to marijuana’s “negative influences on coordination, movement and time estimation” and that in many countries, its use is prohibited. But:

“Although some anti-doping officials proposed also banning cannabis for out-of-competition testing, this appeared beyond the anti-doping mandate and it was believed to violate athletes’ privacy. For these reasons, cannabis use is prohibited only in-competition.”

This is what happened to Richardson. Her post-competition sample on 19 June – after she won the 100 m – was found to contain a THC level higher than 180 ng/mL, the threshold level for a positive test and so she was disqualified and accepted a net suspension of one month.

And to Richardson’s credit, she took responsibility. In an interview on NBC’s Today Show, she said “I want to take responsibility for my actions. I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do … and I still made that decision.”

She explained that the news of her biological mother dying a week before the Olympic Trials was hard on her, as was the stress of the event. And she went further:

“As much as I’m disappointed, I know that when I step on the track, I don’t represent myself. I represent a community that has shown me great support, great love, and I failed you all. So I apologize for the fact that I didn’t know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions.

“I greatly apologize if I let you guys down, and I did.”

This is pretty remarkable for a 21-year-old, but it is an important step on her road as a professional athlete. She knows the anti-doping rules, which are part of the pain of competing in Olympic-focused sports like track & field. And unlike some critics who rarely even look at track, swimming, gymnastics and the other sports on the Tokyo program other than in an Olympic year, she is already looking ahead. She tweeted:

“I’m sorry, I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year”

and

“2022-2025 undefeated,” playing off a tweet by Trials shot put runner-up Raven Saunders that Tokyo starts an unprecedented five-year run of major track & field competitions, with the World Championships in Eugene in 2022, World Championships in Budapest in 2023, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and World Championships in 2025, perhaps in Kenya. Opportunity indeed.

Richardson may yet be in Tokyo, if USA Track & Field selects her for the 4×100 m relay, for which she is eligible as her suspension will be over. But her eyes are on the future, not the past. Too bad the critics of her suspension aren’t as professional and forward-looking as she is.

For WADA, the debate over cannabis will continue and the Agency chides the U.S. continually about how its NCAA programs and professional leagues refuse to accept the World Anti-Doping Code as is done in many other countries. But, as the NBA and WNBA stars who are part of the U.S. squad for the Games are being told right now, WADA rules apply to them in Tokyo and they must comply … or risk being disqualified.

By the way, the Wikipedia entry for “Cannabis in Japan” begins with:

“Cannabis is illegal in Japan. The drug was outlawed in 1948. Use and possession are punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine.”

The debate over the benefits and pitfalls of marijuana will continue for years. Richardson has perhaps another 15 years of good sprinting in her; Olympic favorite Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica is 34 now. The question is whether those jumping up and down about Richardson’s suspension this year will even be aware that the World Championships will be in the U.S. next year.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HIGHLIGHTS: Pogacar takes over the Tour de France, Mahuchikh takes world HJ lead and Bol threatens McLaughlin in Diamond League Stockholm

By
Rich Perelman
-
Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar on his way into Paris to win the 2020 Tour de France (Photo: Chabe1 via Wikipedia)

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Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world:

● Athletics ● The Wanda Diamond League continued in Scandinavia, this time at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm for the annual Bauhaus Galan, with a world-leading performance by Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the women’s high jump.

The all-conditions world leader in 2021 with her indoor clearance of 2.06 m (6-9), Mahuchikh cleared four straight heights with one try, then took two to master 2.01 m (6-7) and three to get over 2.03 m and take the world lead from American Vashti Cunningham (2.02 m/6-7 1/2). She needed it to fend off Australian Nicola McDermott, who also cleared 2.01 m for a lifetime best and a national record! Mahuchikh, Cunningham and McDermott now stand 1-2-3 on the 2021 world list.

Other major statements were made:

● Women’s 400 m hurdles: Dutch star Femke Bol set her third national record in a month, winning in 52.37 over American star Shamier Little (lifetime best 52.39) and moving to no. 2 on the 2021 world list. Bol is also no. 4 all-time (Little is no. 5) and is a clear threat to American stars Sydney McLaughlin (51.90 world record) and Dalilah Muhammad (52.42 in 2021).

● Women’s 800 m: Cuba’s Rose Almanza out-dueled Jamaican star Natoya Goule in 1:56.28-1:56.44, close behind the world-leading 1:56.07 by American Athing Mu at the U.S. Trials. It was a lifetime best for Almanza, 28, and Goule is now no. 3. American Kate Grace, coming off a lifetime best in Oslo, got another at 1:57.36, but had to settle for third.

● Women’s Steeplechase: Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi, the 2015 World Champion, showed she is going to be in the mix in Tokyo, winning in 9:04.34 to move to fourth on the world list for 2021. She won by almost five seconds over German Gesa Krause (9:09.13), with world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech third (9:10.52). American Leah Falland, who fell at the Trials, got a lifetime best of 9:16.96.

● Men’s 400 m hurdles: Sure, Karsten Warholm (NOR) and Rai Benjamin of the U.S, get the headlines, but Brazil’s Alison dos Santos is now clearly no. 3, claiming a fourth national record in his last four races, winning in 47.34, making him no. 14 all-time. Rio Olympic bronze medalist Yasmani Copello (TUR) was well back in second at 48.19, a season’s best.

● Men’s 800 m: Kenya’s Ferguson Rotich underlined his status as a medal contender for Tokyo, winning in 1:43.84 and moving to equal-5th on the 2021 world list. He beat a good field that included Canada’s Marco Arop (1:44.00) and Britain’s Elliot Giles (1:44.05), with Isaiah Harris of the U.S. fifth (1:44.51).

● Men’s Long Jump: Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle won at 8.55 mw (28-0 3/4w) with just a 2.3 m/s aiding wind, beating Cuban star Juan Miguel Echavarria (8.29 m (27-2 1/2) and Swede Thobias Montler, who got a lifetime best of 8.23 m (27-0). Gayle also had a legal jump of 8.27 m (27-1 3/4), showing he has to be accounted for in Tokyo.

In other events, American Ronnie Baker – second at the Trials – won the men’s 100 m in 10.03, ahead of Italy’s Marcell Jacobs (10.05), with American Isiah Young fourth (10.13). Kirani James (GRN), the 2012 Olympic Champion, won the 400 m in 44.63 ahead of Deon Lendore (TTO: 44.73) with Americans Vernon Norwood and Wil London fourth and fifth (44.83-44.86).

Kenyan star Timothy Cherioyot, inexplicably fourth at the Kenyan Trials, won the men’s 1,500 m in 3:32.30, beating Ignacio Fontes (ESP: 3:33.27) and Ronald Kwemoi (KEN: 3:33.53).

It’s not right to say that a 6.02 m (19-9) win for Mondo Duplantis (SWE) is routine, but he makes it look that way. He beat American Sam Kendricks, who got a season’s best of 5.92 m 919-5) in second, with French star Renaud Lavillenie equaling his season’s best (5.92 m) in third.

In the men’s discus, Sweden’s Daniel Stahl won again, this time at 68.64 m (225-2), ahead of Slovenian Kristjian Ceh (66.62 m (218-7).

Jamaica’s new sprint star, former quartermiler Shericka Jackson, won the women’s 200 m in 22.10, ahead of Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV: 22.36) and a lifetime best from Beatrice Masilingi (NAM: 22.65). Remember, Masilingi is allowed to run the 200 m, but not the 400 m, for having extra-high testosterone levels as regulated by World Athletics.

The women’s long jump saw a 7.02 mw (23-0 1/2w) jump by Malaika Mihambo (GER), but Ivana Spanovic (SRB) won on the sixth-round shoot-out with her best of the day at 6.88 m (22-7). New Zealand’s Valerie Adams, the 2008-12 Olympic champ, won the shot at 19.26 m (63-2 1/4).

● Basketball ● Four different FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments were on this weekend to fill the field in the men’s tournament in Tokyo.

In Kaunas (LTU), Slovenia punched its ticket for the Games by defeating the host team, 96-85 thanks to 31 points (plus 11 rebounds and 13 assists) from NBA superstar Luka Doncic and 18 from forward Vlatko Cancar.

In Split (CRO), Brazil had a 17-14 first-quarter lead over Germany, but 28 points from Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner was too much and the Germans pulled away with a 75-64 victory. Coming off the bench, Wagner hit 9-12 from the field and 7-11 on free throws in just 28 minutes to key the German surge. Forward Robin Benzing added 13 points and center Johannes Voightmann had 11 rebounds for the winners. Former NBA star Anderson Varejao led Brazil with 14 points.

/Updated/In Belgrade (SRB), host Serbia pounded Puerto Rico, 102-84 and Italy beat the Dominican Republic, 79-59, to reach the final. The Italians used 58% shooting in the first half to craft a 57-45 halftime lead, and extended it to 80-63 after three quarters. But the Serbs made a game of it with a 32-22 final quarter for a 102-95 final. Forwards Achille Polonara had 22 and Simone Fontecchio had 21 points for the winners. Serb forward Danilo Andjusic had 27 to lead all scorers.

/Updated/In Victoria (CAN), the Czech Republic crushed Greece, which had the third of the four Antetokounmpo brothers – Kostas – but was overrun in the first quarter by 32-22 and the third quarter, by 31-11 and lost, 97-72. The Czechs had five players scoring in double figures, led by center Patrick Auda (20), along with center Jan Vesely (16), forward Jaromir Bohacik (15), center Ondrej Balvin (14) and guard Tomas Satoransky (12). The Czechs shot 52.7% from the floor to just 45% for Greece.

● Cycling ● Tour de France defending champ Tadej Pogacar (SLO) is not going to be easy to take down in his effort for back-to-back titles, as he showed during the bruising, eight-climb, 150.8 km Stage 8, the first day in the Alps for the 2021 race.

Standing fifth and 3:43 behind leader Mathieu van der Poel (NED) entering Saturday’s first day in the Alps, Pogacar dropped his main rivals one-by-one over the two final climbs, up the Col de Romme and Col de Colombiere. Canada’s Michael Woods had control of the race in the final 18 km on the Col de Colombiere, with Dylan Teuns (BEL) joining him with 17 km to go, with Spain’s Ion Izagirre not far behind. Pogacar was gaining on them and had shredded the contenders behind him.

At the finish, it was Teuns with the win in 3:54:41, followed by Izagirre, Woods and Pogacar, 44-47-49 seconds behind. But van der Poel finished 21:47 behind the winner, Kasper Asgreen (DEN) was 27:56 back, Matej Mohoric (SLO) was 28:41 back. French hero Julian Alaphilippe did better, finishing “just” 18:55 behind the leaders. That left Pogacar up by 1:48 over Wout van Aert (BEL) and 4:38 ahead of Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ).

On Sunday, the course was cold and rainy, with a miserable, five-climb, 144.9 km route up to the ski resort of Tignes. A mass breakaway was organized just 30 km into the stage, but after 65 km, four riders – Nairo Quintana (COL), Ben O’Connor (AUS), Woods and Wout Poels (NED) – far ahead of everyone else.

One by one the lead group narrowed until O’Connor dropped Quintana with about 20 km left and ascended to the finish by himself, winning in 4:26:43 in his first Tour de France. Italy’s Mattia Cattaneo was second (+5:07) and countryman Sonny Colbrelli (+5:34) was third. O’Connor was so far ahead on the final climb that it looked like he might take the yellow jersey from Pogacar, but the Slovenian mounted a charge in the final 3.5 km to move up to sixth and retain a 2:01 margin over O’Connor, now in second place. The next closest is Rigoberto Uran (COL) at 5:18 back, heading into Monday’s rest day.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, one of the pre-race favorites but who was badly injured in earlier crashes, withdrew before the start of today’s stage.

The biggest race of the year of the UCI Women’s World Tour, the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile – the “Giro Donne” – is underway in Italy, with a Team Time Trial on Friday and the first individual stage on Saturday, a 100.1 km flat ride with a massive uphill finish to Prato Nevoso.

Dutch star – and three-time champion – Anna van der Breggen took control of the race with a brilliant 5 km ride to the crest of the Colle del Prel that saw her win by 1:22 over Ashleigh Moolman (RSA).

Demi Vollering (NED) won a duel with Italy’s Marta Cavalli for third, finishing 1:51 and 1:53 behind van der Breggen. The win gave van der Breggen a 1:26 lead over Moolman, 1:57 over Vollering and 3:31 ahead of Britain’s Lizzie Deignan.

Sunday’s hilly, 135 km race into Ovada was another Dutch win, this time for Marianne Vos, a three-time winner of this event, who out-lasted countrywoman Lucinda Brand and German Liane Lippert at the finish. Van der Breggen was in a huge chase group that finished 3:18 back and maintained a lead of 1:21 over Moolman and 1:57 over Vollering.

Monday will be a 11.2 km individual time trial on a rising course; the 10-stage race finishes on 11 July.

The fourth stage of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was at the familiar course at Les Gets (FRA), with stars Mathias Flueckiger (SUI) and Loana Lecomte (FRA) maintaining their places at the top of the podium.

Flueckiger won his second straight men’s Cross Country title by a 25-second margin over Ondrej Cink (CZE) and 35 seconds over Jordan Sarrou (FRA), building most of his margin on the first two laps and then cruising home. Flueckiger is the only men’s rider to medal in all four races this season. Flueckiger also won the Short Track race on Saturday, barely beating Sarrou, 19:34 to 19:35, with Cink (CZE) third in 19:37.

The women’s race was a fourth straight win for French star Lecomte, who also ran away from the start, forging a 12-second lead after the first lap! She won in 1:27:23, 51 seconds ahead of 2016 Olympic gold medalist Jenny Rissveds (SWE) and 1:10 up on Britain’s Evie Richards. Two-time defending World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot was fourth.

However, Ferrand-Prevot did take the women’s Short Track race decisively, timing 20:28 to 20:32 to Sina Frei (SUI) and 20:41 for Rissveds.

/Updated/In the Downhills, France’s Thibaut Daprela won from Germany’s Max Hartenstein in the men’s race by 3:33.424-3:35.840, while Britain’s 2018 Worlds silver winner Tahnee Seagrave just barely fought off France’s 2019 World Champion, Myriam Nicole, 4:10.556-4:10.818.

The Pan American Track Cycling Championships concluded in Lima (PER) during the week, with Colombia dominating the action for both men and women.

Sprinter Kevin Quintero ended up winning the Individual Sprint, Keirin, the 1,000 m Time Trial and anchoring the Team Sprint. Bryan Gomez won the Points Race and Brayan Sanchez won the Individual Pursuit (with Gomez second). Mexico’s Ricardo Pena took the Omnium, but in all, Colombians won eight of the 10 events.

The women’s events saw Juliana Gaviria win the Sprint, Martha Bayona win the 500 m Time Trial and Lina Hernandez take the Individual Pursuit and the Omnium. Mexico scored wins in the Keirin (Yuli Verdugo), Points Race (Yareli Acevedo) and in the Madison. The gold medal count was six for Colombia, three for Mexico and one for Barbados.

● Diving ● FINA Diving Grand Prix in Bolzano (ITA) was the first in-person event in the series in 2021, with limited entries, but good results for the hosts.

Italy claimed wins in three synchronized events: the men’s Synchro 3 m with Giovanni Tocci and Lorenzo Marsaglia, the Synchro 10 m, with Andreas Larsen and Eduard Timbretti Gugiu and the women’s Synchro 3 m, with Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani.

The Mixed 3 m Synchro title went to the Swiss pair of Guillaume Dutoit and Madeline Coquoz.

Brazil captured both 10 m Platform events, with Isaac Souza taking the men’s event and Ingrid Oliveira winning the women’s. Spain’s Alberto Arevalo Alcon won the men’s 3m Springboard and Inge Jansen (NED) won the women’s 3 m title.

● Fencing ● The USA Fencing National Championships are on in Philadelphia, with competition through the 12th, but with the elite division this weekend.

Most of the U.S. team prepping for Tokyo were not competing, so the door was open for new champions. The women’s championships were held on Saturday, with 17-year-old Hadley Husisian winning in Epee over Michaela Joyce in the final by 15-8. World Junior Champion May Tieu won the women’s Foil division with a 15-11 defeat of Maia Weintraub in the final, and 2018 World Juniors silver medalist Chloe Fox-Gitomer won the women’s Sabre over 2016 national champion Kamali Thompson, in a tight, 15-14 final.

/Updated/The men’s Division I finals saw a remarkable finish in Epee, as 54th-ranked Matthew Comes edged Skyler Liverant – ranked 124th coming – in the title match, 15-14. Two-time U.S. champ Nick Itkin – headed to Tokyo – won his third Foil title with a 15-7 defeat of 2019 National Champion Adam Mathieu, and in Sabre, 10th-ranked Colby Harley won the Sabre title with a 15-10 win over no. 17 Noah Te Velde.

● Football ● The UEFA Euro 2020 tournament has reached the semifinal stage, with Denmark’s tournament starting with the near-death of star midfielder Christian Eriksen but now headed to Wembley Stadium in London on 7 July after a 2-1 win in Baku (AZE) over the Czech Republic in Baku on Saturday. A header by Thomas Delaney in the ninth minute and a laser shot by Kasper Dolberg in the 42nd minute were enough to get a match-up with England.

The English continued their streak of not conceding a goal in the tournament with a 4-0 thrashing of Ukraine in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in Saturday’s second game, increasing its scoring edge for the tournament to 8-0. Harry Kane scored in the fourth minute and again in the 50th to give him three goals for the tournament.

The Denmark-England semi will be played in front of 60,000 delirious fans in London; England last reached the semis in 1996 (when it finished third); Denmark won the tournament in 1992, its last appearance in the semis.

The first semifinal on 6 July, will pit traditional powers Italy and Spain. The Spanish played Switzerland to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes (with the Swiss giving up an own goal), then won on penalty kicks, 3-1. Spain’s wins in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals both required extra time or longer.

Italy out-lasted Belgium, 2-1, in a hard-fought quarterfinal in Munich, with all of the goals in the first half. Nicolo Barella scored in the 31st minute, followed by Lorenzo Insigne in the 44th minute and that was enough. Belgian pressure throughout the second half could not produce a goal and the FIFA no. 1-ranked team was eliminated. Going into the game, Belgium was 4-0 and had out-scored its opponents 8-1. But Italy, which did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is back as a force in world football.

The Copa America continues in Brazil, with the reports of Covid positives now receding as the knock-out stage eliminates teams. The last report showed 166 positives related to teams and officials, but on the field, only four teams are left from the original 10: Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Colombia.

In the quarter-finals, Brazil got a goal from Lucas Paqueta in the first minute of the second half and held on for a 1-0 win over Chile in Rio de Janeiro. Peru and Paraguay played to a 3-3 result before going to penalties, with Peru winning, 4-3.

On Saturday, Uruguay and Colombia played to a scoreless tie with Colombia advancing on penalties, 4-2. Argentina had a difficult time breaking down the Ecuadorian defense in the first half, but finally got a goal from Rodrigo De Paul in the 40th minute and late scores from Lautaro Martinez in the 94th minute and Lionel Messi at 90+3 to win, 3-0.

Brazil and Peru will meet on Monday in Rio and Argentina and Colombia will play in Brasilia on Tuesday.

● Gymnastics ● The FIG Rhythmic World Challenge Cup in Minsk (BLR) was a showcase for seven-time European Championships medalist Alina Harnasko of Belarus.

She won the All-Around at 103.700, ahead of Russian Lala Kramarenko (103.300) and Anastasiia Salos (BLR: 102.500). Harnasko won in Hoop (27.700), Ball (28.600) and Clubs (27.500), while Kramarenko was the winner in Ribbon (24.500) and was runner-up to Harnasko in Ball (27.100) and Clubs (26.800) and third in Hoop. Salos was the runner-up in Hoop (27.400) and in Ribbon (23.550).

● Shooting ● The massive ISSF World Cup in Osijek (CRO) finished on Saturday, with Russia ending the 10 days of competition atop the medals table with 18 and seven wins, ahead of Italy and Germany with 10 each; Italy had six wins in all.

Lots of team events during the final week, with Russia defeating France in the men’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions, and the Russian women sailing past Austria’s in the women’s final. Poland had an easy win in the final of the Mixed 50 m Rifle/3 Positions over Croatia.

In the 25 m Pistol program, the husband-and-wife duo of Christian and Sandra Reitz won the 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol Mixed Team title and Reitz led the German men’s team to a win over the Czech Republic in the men’s team final. The Czech women won the 25 m Pistol team event over Ukraine.

In Trap, France won the men’s event over the Czechs, the British won the women’s team event by beating Russia, and the Mixed Team title went to Italy, over Russia.

The individual events went to Russia’s Yulia Karimova in the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions over teammate Yulia Zykova; France’s Olympic silver medalist Jean Quiquampoix won the men’s 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol over Olympic champ Reitz, 35-34, and India’s Rahi Sarnobat took the women’s 25 m Pistol title.

Italy swept the Trap events, with 2019 Worlds silver winner Mauro De Filippis taking the men’s event and 2018 Worlds bronze medalist Silvana Stanco leading a 1-2 finish with Jessica Rossi, 46-44, in the women’s final.

● Sport Climbing ● The IFSC World Cup in Villars (SUI) offered events in Lead and Speed, with Olympic favorite Janja Garnbret (SLO) continuing her march to Tokyo.

She won the Lead event convincingly, reaching the top in both the semifinal and final, finishing ahead of Laura Rogora (ITA: Top) and American Natalia Grossman (42+). It’s Garnbret’s fourth World Cup win this season.

Garnbret was 13th in Speed, her worst event, with a Russian 1-2 in the final, as Ekaterina Barashchuk (7.30) outpaced Iullia Kaplina (8.39).

American Sean Bailey took the men’s Lead title with 38 holds in the final, ahead of Alexander Megos (GER: 35+) with Colin Duffy of the U.S. in third. It’s Bailey’s second World Cup win in five weeks; he also took the Bouldering title in Salt Lake City at the end of May, making him a potential medal threat for Tokyo, but he isn’t on the U.S. team! Duffy is, and Megos has also been selected.

Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo, the world-record holder, won the Speed title at 5.32 in the final, beating Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS: 7.35).

● Weightlifting ● /Updated/The USA Weightlifting National Championships continued in Detroit with five Tokyo-bound Olympians all winning their classes.

In the men’s classes, U.S. Olympians won at 73 kg, 81 kg and 109+ kg. Clarence Cummings, Jr. repeated as national champion at 73 kg, making all six of his lifts and totaled 315.0 kg for the win, with Mohamed Omar second at 284 kg. Harrison Maurus won at 81 kg, also defending his title from 2020, lifting a combined total of 350 kg, to 319 kg for Matt Rattray. Veteran Caine Wilkes scored his sixth national championship with a total of 394 kg, ahead of Alejandro Medina (363 kg).

In the lighter classes, Howard Roche Cintron won at 55 kg (211 kg), Hampton Morris took the 61 kg class at 271 kg, and Ryan Grimsland won a tight battle at 67 kg, totaling 296 kg to edge Jordan Wissinger (293 kg) and Jacob Horst (292 kg).

Beau Brown was the winner at 334 kg at 89 kg; Jason Bonnick won at 96 kg with a 343 kg total (over 2010 champion Phil Sabbatini with 342!) and Ryan Sester took the 102 kg crown, lifting 352 kg. Ian Wilson was an impressive winner at 109 kg, lifting 380 kg combined to win by 28 kg for his second national title, but first since 2012!

Tokyo-bound stars Katie Nye and Mattie Rogers headlined the women’s champions. Nye won her second national title – and first since 2018 – with a combined 240 kg total at 76 kg, well ahead of Allee Tallman (227 kg). Rogers won her fifth national crown across three weight classes with a 255 kg total at 81 kg, just ahead of Jessie Stemo with 250 kg.

Katie Grob won the lightest class, 45 kg, lifting 130 kg; Hayley Reichardt took the 49 kg division with 183 kg, just ahead of Maddison Pannell, who lifted 182 kg, and Janyce Okamoto won at 55 kg with 177 kg while runner-up Maria Hayden claimed 176 kg.

Kelly Wild defended her 2020 title at 59 kg, just edging Shayla Moore by 200 kg to 199, by completing her third Clean & Jerk try at 115 kg, after missing twice at 112 kg! The 64 kg class was just as tight, as Jaclyn Long managed 205 kg for a second national title, making four of six lifts, while Lydia Scott claimed 204 kg (2 of 6) and Taylor Lumpp totaled 203 kg (3 of 6).

Meredith Alwine defended her 2020 title at 71 kg, lifting 239 kg to win by 15 kg; Laura Alexander took the 87 kg class with 237 kg and Mary Theisen-Lappen won at 87+, lifting a combined 267 kg for a 50-kg margin of victory.

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THE TICKER: IOC allows “expressions” during athlete intros; Richardson suspended a month for marijuana; IWF can’t agree on a constitution

By
Rich Perelman
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Sha'Carri Richardson in happier times, before her one-month suspension for marijuana from the U.S. Olympic Trials (Photo: Adam Eberhardt for TrackTown USA)

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The latest news, notes and quotes from the worldwide Five-Ring Circus:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board adopted a five-page set of guidelines to Olympic Charter rule 50.2 concerning protests and demonstrations at the Tokyo Games that maintains most restrictions, but opens a new opportunity.

What’s clear is that most of the old restrictions still apply. “Expressions are not permitted in the following instances:

● “During official ceremonies (including Olympic medal ceremonies, opening and closing ceremonies)

● “During competition on the field of play

● ”In the Olympic Village.”

What is new is “expression” in a new forum:

“On the field of play prior to the start of the competition (i.e. after leaving the ‘call room’ (or similar area) or during the introduction of the individual athlete or team) provided that the expression (for example, gesture) is:

“I. consistent with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism;

“II. not targeted, directly or indirectly, against people, countries, organisations and/or their dignity;

“III. not disruptive (by way of example only, the following expressions are considered disruptive: expressions during another athlete’s or team’s national anthem and/or introduction, as this may interfere with such other athlete’s or team’s concentration on and/or preparation for the competition; physical interference with the introduction of another athlete or team or the protocol itself (for example by unfurling a flag, a banner etc.); causing (or assuming the risk of causing) physical harm to persons or property, etc.); and

“IV. not prohibited or otherwise limited by the rules of the relevant National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or the competition regulations of the relevant International Federation (IF).”

The regulations further explain that “It should be recognised that any behaviour and/or expression that constitutes or signals discrimination, hatred, hostility or the potential for violence on any basis whatsoever is contrary to the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”

There is a procedure for discipline, which includes the right to a hearing, but with sanctions to be handled by the IOC itself, not by another party, such as a National Olympic Committee or International Federation.

Today’s posting of these guidelines was a surprise is that it did not come from the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission as had been indicated earlier, but from the IOC and its Athletes’ Commission, chaired by swimming gold medalist Kirsty Coventry (ZIM).

Observed: This is really clever and allows the IOC to claim, correctly, that it has loosened its rules, but in such a narrow forum as to limit the impact of any demonstrations or protests in most of its sports.

The time for on-field egress and introductions is short and for those interested in protesting, the attention of the television cameras is what’s important. Introductions on television in the most popular sports – swimming, gymnastics and athletics – are usually just a few seconds long and are at a time when the athletes are most concerned about their competitions. Maybe a few gloves with embroidered slogans will be worn. There may be more opportunities in team sports, but this will also depend on how the teams will actually be introduced in Tokyo.

This is a much more compact forum than the two-plus minutes of a national anthem on the awards podium, or during the hour-plus march into the stadium during the Opening Ceremonies.

Rest assured, however, there will be those who will challenge these guidelines, but the IOC has set up a fairly clear process and promises a proportionate response to any violations. Whether this works or not is yet to be seen, but once again, the IOC has shown it is not to be underestimated in creating an innovative solution to a difficult issue that allows more flexibility but also limits its exposure to difficulties.

The question of spectators and Tokyo is up for grabs again, as reports surfaced of another review next week about whether spectators should be allowed.

The coronavirus infection rate is the prime issue and Tokyo continues under a state of “quasi-emergency” that will expire on 11 July. A new lottery for ticket holder has been completed, which will reduce total attendance to 2.72 million at the Games, or about 35% of capacity.

Kyodo News reported that 10 U.S. news organizations have protested restrictions on interviews of spectators and other regulations as a “clear overreach” since Japanese domestic media will not have the same restrictions.

Their request is for “routine newsgathering” to be allowed as long as media observe masking and distancing requirements. The report noted that about 4,600 foreign media are expected for the Games now, about half of the original number.

Kyodo noted, “The committee later said it had sent a reply to the editors seeking their understanding over the restrictions.”

● Athletics ● “USADA announced today that Sha’Carri Richardson, of Clermont, Fla., an athlete in the sport of track and field, has accepted a one-month suspension – as permitted under the applicable international rules – for an anti-doping rule violation for testing positive for a substance of abuse.

“‘The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels; hopefully, her acceptance of responsibility and apology will be an important example to us all that we can successfully overcome our regrettable decisions, despite the costly consequences of this one to her,’ said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart.”

Richardson tested positive for marijuana at the Trials on 19 June, after winning the women’s 100 m in sensational fashion in 10.86. The rules are quite clear:

“The 2021 World Anti-Doping Code newly classifies THC as a “Substance of Abuse” because it is frequently used in society outside the context of sport. If an athlete who tests positive for a Substance of Abuse establishes that their use of the substance occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, the athlete will receive a three-month sanction. However, if the athlete satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by USADA, the sanction may be further reduced to one month.”

This is the third such sanction issued in 2021 for this kind of violation; Kahmari Montgomery, former U.S. champion in the men’s 400 m, received the same sanction from 30 April 2021.

For Richardson, her sanction began on 28 June, the date she was provisionally suspended. However, her results from the Trials “have been disqualified, and she forfeits any medals, points, and prizes. Beyond the one-month sanction, athlete eligibility for the Tokyo Games is determined by the USOPC and/or USA Track & Field eligibility rules.”

This means her win at the Trials in the 100 m is voided and Javianne Oliver is the winner (10.99), followed by Teahna Daniels (11.03) and now Jenna Prandini (11.03), who finished fourth. The USA Track & Field selection rules require that the top three finishers in each event at the Trials – if they have met the Olympic qualifying standard – go to the Games.

Interestingly, however, the women’s 100 m in Tokyo starts on 30 July … after her sanction is over! Richardson could be entered in the 4×100 m if desired; that’s up to USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Richardson said she used marijuana to cope with grief from the death of her biological mother.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport also knocked Rio Olympic 100 m hurdles Champion Brianna McNeal (USA) out of the Tokyo Games, finding that she “had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) pursuant to Article 2.5 of the 2019 WA Anti-Doping Rules (‘Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any part of Doping Control’) and a five-year period of ineligibility beginning on 15 August 2020 was imposed on her.”

With her appeal of the World Athletics suspension continuing, McNeal was allowed to run at the U.S. Olympic Trials and finished second to Keni Harrison in 12.51. Fourth-placer Gabbi Cunningham (12.53) is the expected replacement.

The women’s 400 m in Tokyo also received a shock with the withdrawal of Namibian sensations Christine Mboma – the world leader and World U-20 record holder – and Beatrice Masilingi due to testosterone levels too high to all competing in the women’s division in races from 400 m to the mile.

This is the same issue which has sidelined 800 m stars Caster Semenya (RSA), Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) and Margaret Wambui (KEN) for “differences in sex development.”

Both are shown as eligible in the 200 m, which is not covered by the World Athletics regulations for DSD. Mboma ran a world-leading 48.54 time at the Szewinska Memorial in Poland on 30 June and Masilingi ran 49.53 in the Namibian Championships on 11 April, ranking no. 3 on the 2021 world list.

Defending Olympic champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) has indicated she will run only the 200 m in Tokyo since the 400 m heats and the 200 m final are on the same day. This leaves the 400 m field open with Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson (49.61) and American Quanera Hayes (49.78) the fastest eligible entries, with Allyson Felix (50.02) at no. 5.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has found Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), the 2019 World Championships women’s 400 m gold medalist guilty of an anti-doping violation and suspended her for two years effective 30 June 2021, but to conclude in about 14 months after counting her provisional suspension from June to October of 2020.

Naser, now 23, was penalized for whereabouts failures, including a comical situation in which she gave the wrong address to a doping control testing officer, who then almost found her, but failed to do so. A World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal finding that she was not responsible was overturned.

She could be eligible to return in time for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Norwegian star Karsten Warholm was pretty happy with his world-record win at the Bislett Games in Oslo on Thursday:

“I knew that I had a fast time in my body; it feels like it as been there for a long time but you never know when it is right to do it. And it is one thing to know you have it in you and another to go out and do it.

“It is very special to do it here in Bislett in front of a great crowd including my friends and family. This is my first 400 m hurdles of the season so I really think there is more in the tank.

“It might take another world record to win the Olympics. There are such a lot of great guys out there at the moment who will all be aiming to do it and win gold. I am happy that there is such great competition.”

● Cycling ● The Tour de France has continued without significant incident this week, with a big move made during Stage 5 by defending champion Tadej Pogacar (SLO).

After falling behind race leader Mathieu van der Poel (NED) by 39 seconds after stage 4, Pogacar turned on the jets during the Stage 5 individual time trial and won the 27.2 km flat route, timing 32:00, 19 seconds ahead of everyone else. He ended the day second by just eight seconds.

Stage 6 was another sprinter’s course, a flat, 160.4 km route finishing in Chateauroux. Once again, it was Britain’s Marc Cavendish, 36, who got to the line first, winning his 32nd career stage at the Tour, two short of the all-time record by Eddy Merckx (BEL). Cavendish out-lasted Belgian Jasper Philipsen and Frenchmen Nacer Bouhanni and Arnaud Demare.

On Friday, the route from Vierzon to Le Creusot was a hilly, long, 249.1 km test with most of the action in the final third. Slovenia’s Matej Mohoric broke away from the peloton with 18 km left and got his first career Tour de France stage win in 5:28:20. He finished 1:20 up on Jasper Stuyven (BEL) and 1:40 up on Dane Magnus Cort, van der Poel and four others.

That left van der Poel still in the yellow jersey, now 30 seconds up on Belgian star Wout van Aert, 1:49 ahead of Kasper Asgreen (DEN), then 3:01 ahead of Mohoric and 3:43 up on Pogacar, who finished 5:15 back on the stage.

The female spectator who caused a massive crash on the first stage of the Tour by holding up a sign for the television cameras has been arrested and will be tried in October.

The 30-year-old French woman turned herself in on Wednesday and was arrested and placed in custody by the French authorities. The local prosecutor told reporters that she woman was contrite.

The Tour organizers had threatened to sue her, but withdrew the threat. Reports indicate that the criminal process could result in a fine of €1,500 (roughly $1,781) fine for involuntarily causing injury and putting the life of others at risk.

● Football ● The U.S. women’s National Team continued its prep for Tokyo with a convincing 4-0 victory over Mexico on Thursday evening in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Sam Mewis opened the scoring 21 minutes into the first half and Christen Press added a second goal at the 39-minute mark for a 2-0 halftime lead. Tobin Heath, returning from months of injuries, scored in the 74th minute and Press got a final goal in the 85th.

The U.S. had 58% of the possession in the game and enjoyed a 27-5 edge on shots; Alyssa Naeher and Adrianna Franch each played a half in goal for the American women. The U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 43 games

The U.S. women have one more tune-up match against Mexico next Monday, also in East Hartford, before heading to Tokyo. The U.S. women are 38-1-1 all-time vs. Mexico.

● Water Polo ● The U.S. battled Montenegro to the end, but came up short, 9-8, in the FINA men’s World League Super Final in Georgia.

The two came out of the same group, with Montenegro beating the U.S., 10-6, in their opening match. But both moved smartly through the playoffs, with the U.S. edging France, 12-11, then beating Italy – the Group A winner – by 10-8 to reach the final.

Montenegro was 3-0 in group play, then crushed Kazakhstan, 18-6 and doubled by Greece, 8-4 in its semifinal. Greece later defeated Italy, 10-8, for the bronze medal.

In the championship match, Montenegro got off to a 2-0 lead and that proved to be enough. The second quarter was 2-2, the third quarter was 3-3 and a 3-2 edge in the fourth was not enough to force overtime.

The difference maker was Aleksandar Ivoviv, who scored five goals on seven shots for the winners, including two penalty shots. Hannes Daube scored three times for the U.S., aided by Ben Hallock with two and Johnny Hooper, Alex Bowen and Max Irving with one each.

Ivovic was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, with American Ben Holland named best keeper; the top scorer was Japan’s Yusuke Inaba.

It was the third men’s World League victory for Montenegro, which also won in 2018. The U.S. claimed its third silver, also in 2008 and 2016; the U.S. has never won the World League.

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation’s Constitutional Congress was contentious as expected, but did not achieve final approval of a new constitution for the federation.

A brief IWF statement indicated that a majority of the delegates from 119 countries (vs. 192 members of the federation) approved of the document, but the required two-thirds approval level was not met.

The amendments suggested by the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Testing Agency were approved, requiring a member federation to be suspended if three (or more) of its athletes or support personnel receive an “anti-doping rules violation” from international competition within a 12-month period. Disciplinary measures were removed from the IWF Executive Board and will be handled exclusively by an independent sanctions panel.

The IWF indicated it would reconvene the Congress again with the aim to approve a constitution prior to the start of the Tokyo Games on 23 July, with open questions on athlete representation, gender representation and more governance issues. The IOC will be watching with interest.

● The Last Word ● It’s a good time to be an Olympian! Lots more people are paying attention around this time with the Games coming in three weeks, so with many outdoor events again taking place in the U.S., former Olympians are suddenly showing up everywhere.

On Saturday, a 5 km Independence Day Run in Redondo Beach, California will salute 1984 Olympic medalist Innocent Egbunike (Nigeria), 1988 Olympic double gold medalist Steve Lewis, men’s long jump world-record holder and 1991 World Champion Mike Powell, plus 1968 Olympic high jumper Rey Brown, 1984 Olympic high jumper Doug Nordquist, 1988 Olympic sprinter Pam Marshall and 2021 Olympic Trials 400 m finalist Shae Anderson of UCLA.

More such events are coming; support a local Olympian near you!

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ATHLETICS: He did it! Warholm claims 400 m hurdles world record at 46.70 at Bislett Games!

By
Rich Perelman
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The official timing photo shows how far Karsten Warholm was in front on his way to a world record of 46.70 in the 400 m hurdles (Wanda Diamond League timing photo by Omega)

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The Wanda Diamond League resumed in Oslo (NOR) with the annual Bislett Games on Thursday, with three and a quarter hours of events leading up to the men’s 400 m hurdles and the seasonal debut of two-time World Champion – and national hero – Karsten Warholm.

Making his seasonal debut at this distance, Warholm sprinted out of the blocks from lane seven and ran smoothly over all 10 hurdles and was way out in front when he crossed the line at 46.70, bettering American Kevin Young’s winning time from the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona of 46.78.

That’s just five days after American Rai Benjamin won the U.S. Trials at 46.83, now the no. 3 performance of all time, and the two are scheduled to meet in Monaco on 9 July.

Behind Warholm, cheered lustily by a limited crowd of about 5,000, was Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, who set a national record of 47.38, closed hard and is now no. 3 on the world list.

It was the climax of an impassioned meet with other world-leading marks in the men’s Mile and 3,000 m, and sensational performances from American Kate Grace (women’s 800 m) and star Kenyan star Hellen Obiri (women’s 5,000 m):

● Men’s Mile: Australia’s Stewart McSweyn was the big favorite in the men’s mile and he delivered, taking over from the pacesetter running 57.70 for the penultimate lap and then finishing in 3:48.37, a new national record and the world leader for 2021. Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski passed Australia’s Jye Edwards in the final 10 m for second in 3:49.11, also a national record and Edwards was third at 3:49.27. Very, very impressive.

● Men’s 3,000 m: The race was a showcase for Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, the 2019 Worlds 10,000 silver medalist, who took over from the pacesetter with three laps to go and simply punished everyone else on the way to a solo victory in world-leading time.

Only Kenya’s Jacob Krop could run with him, as Kejelcha ran 58.44 and 58.20 to get to the bell and then dropped Krop on the final turn, winning by 30 m, in 7:26.25, not just the world leader for 2021, but now no. 7 ever. His final lap was 56.35!

● Women’s 800 m: The race looked good for 2019 World Champion Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), clearly in charge on the final lap, but American Grace – only seventh in the U.S. Trials final – stormed around the final turn and ran away to a lifetime best of 1:57.60: no. 5 on the 2021 world list and no. 9 on the all-time U.S. list. Oh, if she’d had this race a few days earlier …

● Women’s 5,000 m: World Champion Obiri wanted to show her fitness in the women’s 5,000 m and she led most of the race after the pacesetter retired. She broke the race open, with countrywomen Margaret Kipkemboi and Beatrice Chebet, Ethiopia’s Fantu Worku and Britain’s Eilish McColgan for company. After laps of 70 or a little less from 1,200 to go to the bell, Obiri took off on the backstraight and held on to beat Worku, 14:26.38 to 14:26.80, at the tape, after a 61.26 last lap. It was a season’s best for Obiri and moves her to no. 4 on the 2021 world list. Kipkemboi was third in 14:28.24 and McColgan got a national record of 14:28.55 in fourth. Those stand nos. 4-5-6-7 in 2021.

And there was more:

On Canada Day (!), it was Rio silver medalist Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown going 1-2 in the men’s 200 m in 20.00 and 20.38 into a headwind of -1.0 m/s. American Vernon Norwood was fifth in 20.74.

The usual suspects were back on the men’s vault runway, with world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE), World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. and 2012 Olympic champ Renaud Lavillenie (FRA). Those three were the only ones to clear 5.81 m (19-0 3/4) and then Duplantis was way over on his first try at 5.91 m (19-4 3/4). Lavillenie missed three times, but Kendricks made it on his third for a season’s best. Duplantis finally won it at 6.01 m (19-8 1/2), then went for a new world mark at 6.19 m (20-3 3/4), but missed all three tries.

Algeria’s Yasser Triki had the best performance in the men’s triple jump through five rounds at 17.24 m (56-6 3/4), then saw Tiago Pereira (POR) and Andy Diaz (CUB) both foul and take his final jump as the winner! Triki did take his final jump and got to 17.23 m (56-06 1/2) to nearly match his best of the day.

Olympic favorite – and world leader – Daniel Stahl (SWE) led the men’s discus at 68.65 m (225-2), ahead of Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh (66.68 m/218-9) through five rounds. But in the winner-take-all sixth round, Ceh got out to 65.72 m (215-7) … and Stahl threw the same! So Stahl’s best throw was the decider!

The women’s 100 m was won by Marie-Josee Ta Lou in 10.91, a season’s best and now equal-8th on the 2021 world list. She ran away from Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.06) with American Javianne Oliver fourth in 11.18.

Dutch star Femke Bol won the 400 m hurdles won easily in 53.33, a lifetime best and national record, keeping her fourth on the world list for 2021. Germany’s Malaika Mihambo had the best mark in the first five rounds of the women’s long jump – 6.86 m (22-6 1/4) – and then won the sixth round at 6.83 m (22-5) to actually win the event.

Germany’s Christin Hussong won the women’s javelin at 62.62 m (205-5) and by throwing 60.95 m (199-11) in the final-three face-off in the sixth round.

The Diamond League show moves to Stockholm (SWE) on Sunday for the annual Bauhaus-Galan and then to Monaco on the 9th and Gateshead (GBR) on the 13th.

At the Irena Szewinska Memorial meet in Bydgoszcz (POL) on Wednesday, Namibia’s 18-year-old sensation Christine Mboma won the women’s 400 m in a world-leading 48.54, a World U-20 Record and underlining that she will be a medals contenders in Tokyo. She ran 49.24 and 49.22 at altitude, but now moved to no. 7 on the all-time list with her fourth world-leading time of the season. Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic was a not-very-close second in 51.91.

Spain’s Orlando Ortega won the men’s 100 m hurdles in 13.33 into a headwind, American Chris Nilsen cleared 5.92 m (19-5) for a season’s best in the men’s vault and New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh reached 21.46 m (70-5) in the shot. Poland’s Olympic hammer favorite – and world leader – Pawel Fajdek won at 82.77 m (271-6), the third-furthest throw of the year … all of which are his!

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LANE ONE: U.S. women’s gymnastics Olympic Trials beat every show on television, but Sha’Carri Richardson (11.8 million video views) is the new U.S. star!

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. Olympic Trials women's 100 m champ Sha'Carri Richardson, one of the hottest women on YouTube! (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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Two weeks of U.S. Olympic Team Trials concluded Sunday evening, with Simone Biles winning the All-Around title and the interest of television viewers nationwide, on NBC.

The final evening of gymnastics was the most-viewed show of the evening, drawing an average of 5.752 million views across three hours of competition and the naming of the U.S. team at the end. Viewership peaked at 6.6 million viewers during Biles’ floor exercise routine in the final rotation.

But Biles wasn’t the biggest star of the Trials. Not even close.

What’s true is that the women’s gymnastics coverage won all five of its hours on NBC against ABC, CBS and FOX, and track & field came on strong with more than half of its network hours drawing more than three million viewers. The final ratings averages for the four Trials sports programs showed (Nielsen ratings via SpoilerTV):

(1) 5.287 million viewers average for Gymnastics (5 hours)
(2) 3.183 million viewers average for Track & Field (8 hours)
(3) 2.713 million viewers average for Swimming (11 hours)
(4) 2.076 million viewers average for Diving (3 hours)

The final numbers showed even better viewership for track & field than the early reports; the top draws among the 27 hours of Trials television:

(1) 5.752 million viewers: Gymnastics on 27 June (Sunday)
(2) 4.590 million viewers: Gymnastics on 25 June (Friday)
(3) 3.972 million viewers: Track & Field on 21 June (Monday)
(4) 3.535 million viewers: Swimming on 20 June (Sunday)
(5) 3.526 million viewers: Track & Field on 20 June (Sunday)

The top diving show drew 2.446 million on 13 June, a Sunday. It’s worth noting that the top draws in track & field were for the sessions that included the men’s 100 m final on 21 June and the women’s 100 m final – with Sha’Carri Richardson – on 20 June.

However, there was a huge drop-off for events on NBC’s cable outlets vs. the over-the-air flagship:

(1) 573,500 viewers average for Track & Field (6 hours)
(2) 461,000 viewers for Gymnastics (1 hour)
(3) 287,250 viewers average for Swimming (8 hours)

(There was no audience information available for two hours of men’s gymnastics coverage on NBC’s Olympic Channel or the early-morning coverage of the men’s 10,000 m or women’s 5,000 m on the Olympic Channel.)

The track & field cable audience on NBCSN peaked at 842,000 viewers on 24 June and even the heat-delayed final night that began at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time drew 379,000 viewers, ranking no. 59 on the day.

Swimming’s top audiences on cable came on 17 June with 436,000 viewers and 19 June, with 424,000 viewers.

What do all these numbers tell us? Perhaps:

● There is latent interest in these Olympic-focused sports for events which are directly related to the Games – that is – they were important and meant something. That might be good news for the future, if those responsible can figure out how to capitalize on this in non-Olympic years.

● The postponed Tokyo Games could draw a very significant audience on NBC when it begins on 23 July. NBC’s average primetime audience in 2016 from the Rio Games averaged 25.4 million viewers; that will be hard to duplicate with today’s viewers spread out over even more cable channels and streaming services. But U.S. viewers will have live coverage of events available not just on NBC, but also NBCSN, NBC’s Olympic Channel, CNBC, USA Network, the Golf Channel, plus Telemundo and Universo in Spanish and streaming at NBCOlympics.com and on the Peacock subscription service.

There are even more numbers to contemplate. NALAthletics.com founder George Perry collected data on the track & field video clips posted and viewed on NBC Sports’ YouTube channel, so let’s go a step further and check out all 127 clips posted from the Trials. There were 12 that got more than one million views as of Wednesday evening (30th):

● 7,924,697: “Sha’Carri Richardson, now America’s fastest woman, scorches her Olympic Trials final”

● 2,495,640: “Simone Biles nails double double dismount, wows with Trials Day 1 beam routine”

● 2,154,306: “14 year old Joshua Hedberg makes Olympic trials finals with terrific performance”

● 2,050,119: “Simone Biles COMMANDS U.S. Olympic Trials on Day 1 with dominating performance”

● 1,936,120: “A Usain Bolt record falls as high schooler Knighton beats Noah Lyles AGAIN in 200m trials semi”

● 1,606,745: “DeAnna Price demolishes U.S. hammer record to make Tokyo team”

● 1,457,342: “Sha’Carri Richardson runs away with 100m semifinal at Olympic Trials”

● 1,439,994: “Sha’Carri Richardson makes a STATEMENT with dominant 100m heat at trials”

● 1,200,513: “Noah Lyles posts world’s fastest 200m of 2021, clinches first Olympic spot”

● 1,136,587: “Teenager Hailey Hernandez locks up surprise Olympic spot”

● 1,078,981: “51.90!! Sydney McLaughlin vs. Dalilah Muhammad epic results in ANOTHER world record”

● 1,010,422: “Sha’Carri Richardson’s unforgettable, show-stopping 100m win at Olympic trials”

Richardson got four of the top 12 with a combined 11,832,455 views (and counting!). Biles had two million-plus clips and was in five clips in all with a combined 5,955,184 views.

Of the clips with more than a million views, eight were from track & field, and two each from gymnastics and diving. The top swimming clip wasn’t a winning performance from superstars Caeleb Dressel or Katie Ledecky, or even Simone Manuel’s emotional win in the 50 m Freestyle (495,227 views). Instead, it was the 948,787 views of “13 year old Kayla Han’s INCREDIBLE comeback win at US Swimming Trials.” This was from Wave I, the qualifying meet for the actual Olympic Trials and showed Han winning the B-Final of the women’s 400 m Medley and setting a national age-group record with a sensational last 50 m swim.

Ryan Crouser’s world record in the men’s shot put got 916,548 views for 16th place, after a Trayvon Bromell win in a 100 m heat (982,086), Han’s comeback, and the women’s 400 m final, won by Quanera Hayes with Allyson Felix second (936,033).

Of the 127 clips, NBC posted 53 from track & field, 41 from swimming, 18 from gymnastics and 14 from diving.

Richardson, with her flowing colored hair – orange at the Trials, blue earlier in the season – is set to be the breakout U.S. star of the Games, based on the video viewing numbers, which continue to climb. She is the U.S.’s only medal contender in the women’s 100 m against Jamaican stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah and Nigerian Blessing Okagbare. And she has promised to “represent my people” at the Games, although exactly what this means isn’t clear.

These were two good weeks of viewing for Olympic-sport fans, who will be joined by many more for the Games. And these are good times for NBC, which is reporting ad sales right at its highest level ever for an Olympic Games. But it might be the best of times for Biles and Richardson, the stars of the U.S. Trials.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: AP updated Gwen Berry protest story; Tokyo virus controls tightened further; NHL unsure about ‘22; more Tour de France crashes

By
Rich Perelman
-
World 400 m hurdles leader Rai Benjamin (USA) (Photo: Paul Merca for Tracktown USA)

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News, views and noise from the non-stop, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

● Lane One update ● Monday’s Lane One column on press coverage of protests over performance noted that The Associated Press story titled “Message sent: Berry turns away from flag during anthem” sent Saturday afternoon (26th) could have been updated later to feature more of the competition results.

It was. Eagle-eyed reader Alan Mazursky noted that the link to the original AP story went inactive, and the story was updated later in the day. Where the original story included “[Gwen] Berry’s reaction to the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was as notable as anything on the track on a blazing-hot Saturday,” the updated version read, “Berry’s reaction to the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ took its fair share of the spotlight on a blazing-hot second-to-last day at trials that also featured some blazing-fast times.”

This was followed by four paragraphs of competition highlights – up from two in the original – which did expand on Gabby Thomas’s 21.61 win in the women’s 200 m, and added Grant Holloway’s 12.81 semifinal win, just 0.01 off the world record, and Erriyon Knighton’s win over Noah Lyles in the men’s 200 m semis, in a World U-20 Record of 19.88.

The updated story was 25 paragraphs instead of 24, with the same 18 paragraphs about Berry’s protest, the circumstances and reaction, two about hammer winner DeAnna Price and five about the other seven events in the afternoon and evening session.

Rewrites and updates of this kind are normal for wire services, but the story’s overall emphasis on Berry confirmed the interest in protests over performances.

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The presence of two Ugandan team members who arrived in Japan with the coronavirus is causing even tighter controls on teams who will come to the Games over the next month.

Tokyo 2020 “Games Delivery Officer” Hidemasa Nakamura said during an interview that everyone traveling with an infected person – for example, on an airplane – will be isolated and tested before being allowed to enter the country.

In addition, Japanese authorities said Monday that delegations from countries hit with the Delta variant will be required to have Covid-19 tests every day for a week prior to coming to Japan and will be quarantined in the country for three days upon arrival. This is a significant tightening of the rules and adds to the burden of coming to compete in Tokyo.

The Japanese government and the Japan Post mail service, inspired by the 110 mail boxes painted gold in 2012 to honor British Olympic and Paralympic champions, announced that it will do the same for Japanese winners from this summer’s events. Kyodo News reported:

“Every time a Japanese athlete wins a gold medal at the Olympics or Paralympics, a mailbox will be replaced by a golden one in a location linked to them such as their hometown or training base.”

A report in Japan noted that bonuses of ¥5,000,000-2,000,000-1,000,000 (~ $45,227-18,091-9,045 U.S.) will be paid for gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games and that the Japanese baseball team will receive twice as much for gold, with the additional prize coming from a “business unit of the national baseball team.”

Kyodo News reported that the Japanese Olympic Committee announced that it is creating “a special team tasked with patrolling social media accounts of athletes to shield them from any potential hateful comments during the Tokyo Games …

“If realized, it will be the first time that the JOC has created such a unit for Japanese Olympians. The envisioned team is expected to consult with investigative authorities if it finds online comments are especially malicious, according to the official, who declined to be named as a formal announcement has not yet been made.”

Observed: If this concept is implemented successfully, look for it to be another legacy of the Tokyo Games in our digital times that will spread not only to National Olympic Committees, but also national federations and could be a new – and popular – sponsorship category for companies specializing in social-media “editing” in the future.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee announced its bonuses for Olympic medal winners in Tokyo (5 Brazilian Reals = $1 U.S.):

“Olympic champions in individual modalities will be awarded R$ 250,000. The reward for the silver medal will be R$150,000 and the bronze R$100,000. Teams with up to six athletes will have the following amounts to be divided: R$500,000 (gold), R$300,000 (silver), and R$200,000 (bronze). The athletes in team sports will receive R$750,000 (gold), R$450,000 (silver), and R$300,000 (bronze), also to be divided.”

Brazil expects to take not less than 272 athletes to the Games, and the total might increase slightly with entries to be finalized in the next week.

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman (USA) said during a Monday news conference that “We have real concerns about whether or not its sensible to have our players participating and us shutting down for an Olympic break.”

The NHL skipped the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games after participating from 1998-2014. Issued with the coronavirus are at the top of the list of concerns, after the league and its players agreed to allow participation as part of an extension of their collective bargaining agreement.

Said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly: “We agreed that if the conditions were right and we could reach an agreement on all the material issues that we would commit and support going to the Olympics. That remains our position.”

● Athletics ● It took 58 years, but American Phil Shinnick finally had his 1963 California Relays long jump mark of 8.33 m (27-4) recognized as a world record by World Athletics.

The mark was never ratified as there were no wind readings taken of Shinnick’s jumps; the official responsible had been told only to measure jumps taken by Olympic champion Ralph Boston (USA). But Shinnick stunned everyone that day and felt the wind was slight. USA Track & Field recognized his jump as an American Record in 2003 and Shinnick won his case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in May to become an official world-record holder. He later represented the U.S. at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

World Athletics has decided to “relocate” the 23-24 April 2022 World Race Walking Team Championships awarded to Minsk, Belarus, in view of the continuing political protests there:

“The Council decision comes as a result of a report prepared by the World Athletics Risk Committee, which concluded that uncertainties around diplomatic relations and international travel restrictions with regard to Belarus would impact significantly on the staging of the championships in Minsk next year.”

A new venue is expected to be agreed to and approved by the end of July.

On Saturday, World Athletics announced that 61 additional Russian athletes have been approved as neutral competitors in international competitions. This brings the total to 121 Russians approved in all, with five rejections.

The cap on the Olympic Games of 10 athletes from Russia remains in place.

Now that the U.S. Olympic Trials have been completed, it’s worthwhile to take a snapshot of the world leaders for 2021 in Olympic events. After a stunning eight days of competition, the U.S. now has the leading marks in 14 individual events:

● Men (7): 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 110 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles and shot put.

● Women: (7): 200 m, 800 m, 400 m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, hammer and heptathlon.

In addition, the U.S. will be favored in the men’s 4×100 m and 4×400 m, the women’s 4×400 m and the Mixed 4×400 m in Tokyo. Amazing.

More from the Jamaican Nationals, where superstar sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce followed up on her 10.71 100 m win with a 21.79 lifetime best to take the 200 m, followed by a lifetime best 21.82 from Shericka Jackson and 22.02 from reigning Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah. They are now nos. 2-3-7 on the world list for 2021, intermingled with four Americans.

Stephenie Ann McPherson won the 400 m in a PR 49.61, ahead of Candice McLeod (49.91 PR) and Roneisha McGregor (50.02 PR), nos. 5-7-10 on the 2021 list, and ex-LSU star Natoya Goule won the women’s 800 m in 1:57.84 a season’s best and no. 6 on the world list.

Tragedy from Qatar, where Sudan-born sprinter Abdalelah Haroun passed away at age 24. He was the 2017 World Championships bronze medalist, but the Qatar Olympic Committee announced on Saturday (26th) that he had died, reportedly in an auto accident.

● Basketball ● USA Basketball announced the 12-member U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, which includes all-NBA players: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).

The U.S. coaching staff is led by head coach Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs) with assistant coaches Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), Lloyd Pierce (formerly Atlanta Hawks) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

The U.S. men are overwhelming favorites to capture a fourth straight Olympic gold, with Durant coming back for his third Olympic team. Green and Love were also previous Olympic team members in 2016 and 2012, respectively.

Controversy erupted immediately, with former 13-season NBA player Jalen Rose, now an ESPN commentator, stating on a podcast that Love was selected “because of tokenism” and:

“Don’t be scared to make an all-black team representing the United States of America. I’m disappointed by that. Anybody that watched the league this year knows Kevin Love did not have a stellar season, was not the best player on his team, and did not necessarily deserve to be on this squad.”

Rose apologized on Monday, saying “you know why I’m apologizing right now? To the game. Because I’m what the game made me … like Katt Williams said, ‘Sometimes, playas mess up,’ so I apologize to the game. That’s who I apologize to.”

● Boxing ● As the Tokyo Games get closer, so does the decision day for the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which has been on suspension from the International Olympic Committee since 2019.

AIBA President Umar Kremlev (RUS) held an online news conference on Monday, announcing that an in-depth financial audit by a “major accounting firm” is to be conducted and that Professor Ulrich Haas (GER) – already leading the governance reform of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – will chair an independent Governance Reform Group including legal and governance experts.

A study by McLaren Global Sports Solutions into the refereeing and judging problems which have plagued the sport is underway.

Kremlev struck a major partnership agreement with the Russian energy giant Gazprom which he says has eliminated the federation’s $16-plus million debt. Now he is working to show the IOC that AIBA can be a reliable partner going forward.

● Cycling ● The crashes continued in the 2021 Tour de France on Monday, leading to a mild protest at the start of Tuesday’s stage.

Monday’s 182.9 km race from Lorient to Pontivy should have been a typical final sprint, but ended up more like the demolition derby, with three major crashes. Race contender Geraint Thomas (GBR) was involved in a mix-up just 37 km into the race and suffered a dislocated shoulder, but was able to continue and finished 26th. Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, one of the race favorites, went down hard on his left side in the final 10 km, but finished despite considerable bleeding from his left shoulder. He finished 92nd. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar fell too, with about 3.9 km remaining and slipped to 35th. Even on the final sprint, Slovakian star Peter Sagan and Caleb Ewen (AUS) touched wheels and went down, with Sagan getting up to finish 80th. Ewan, however, had a broken collarbone and finished last, later withdrawing.

Belgian Tim Merlier won the stage over countryman Jasper Philipsen and France’s Nacer Bouhanni, but that was hardly the story of the day.

On Tuesday, a minor protest was organized by German Andre Greipel, who “weaved through to force the protest after a kilometre of racing.

“After a minute’s pause, and no clear message from those on the road, the race resumed with Alaphilippe quickly appearing on his own at the front in the green jersey.”

The Tuesday stage of 150.4 km from Redon to Fougeres was fairly flat and a sprinter’s special, with a historic finish as Britain’s Marc Cavendish – now 36 – got to the line first for his 31st career Tour de France stage win, three behind all-time leader Eddy Merckx (BEL). Cavendish won the final sprint from Bouhanni and Philipsen. The race’s overall leader remains Mathieu van der Poel, now eight seconds ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (FRA), then 31 seconds up on Richard Carapaz (ECU: +0:31) and Wout van Aert (BEL: +0:31).

Meanwhile, the fan who moved onto the course to get seen on television during the first stage and caused a massive pile-up is being looked for, but has not yet been found.

The race organizers announced plans to sue the fan, but without identification, nothing can be done.

● Football ● The Copa America tournament in Brazil and UEFA’s Euro 2020 are now into elimination matches. The Copa America finally completed its group stage, with Argentina and Brazil both winning their groups with 3-0-1 records. The playoffs will see Argentina vs. Ecuador and Uruguay vs. Colombia in the top half of the bracket and Brazil and Chile and Peru and Paraguay in the lower half. The title game will be on 10 July.

The Euro quarterfinals are now set, with Belgium and Italy to meet in Munich on 2 July and Switzerland vs. Spain on 2 July in St. Petersburg in the top half of the bracket. Ukraine and England will face off on 3 July in Rome and Denmark vs. the Czech Republic in Baku on 3 July.

The final will be on London on 11 July.

● Gymnastics ● While the U.S. Olympic Trials in Artistic Gymnastics dominated coverage over the weekend, USA Gymnastics also held the U.S. National Championships in St. Louis for Rhythmic and Trampoline and Tumbling.

In Rhythmic, established stars Laura Zeng and Evita Griskenas went 1-2 in Clubs and Ribbon, and Griskenas won in Ball with Zeng second. Zeng won a third title in Hoop, with Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins second. In the All-Around, Zeng won at 95.900 and earned a trip to Tokyo, along with Griskenas, second at 95.650.

In Trampoline, Nicole Ahsinger won the qualifying round with a 102.18 total and that earned her a second Olympic berth in Tokyo on a quota place from the 2019-20 World Cup series. She also won the Trampoline final at 155.830, ahead of Charlotte Drury (155.245). Jeffrey Gluckstein won the men’s trampoline with a 170.365, topping Cody Gesuelli’s 162.895, but Aliaksei Shostak had already been selected based on his performance at the 2019 World Championships on a re-allocation of available places.

● Swimming ● FINA issued new rules on harassment designed to make all of its sports safer and more equitable. The “harassment and abuse” regulations cover 14 pages and specifically define harassment to include “Any acts of hazing, neglect, psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual harassment.” The regulations also prohibit sexual abuse, which is separately defined.

Sanctions can include a warning, probation, ineligibility and “other loss of privileges, no contact directives, requirement to complete educational or other programs, return of FINA awards, or any other restrictions or conditions as deemed necessary or appropriate.”

On doping, FINA reported that “it expects to surpass a total number of 2’000 out-of-competition anti-doping tests [in 2021] prior to the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.”

● Water Polo ● In the FINA World League Super Final in Tbilisi (GEO), the U.S. has advanced to the semifinals, along with Italy, Greece and Montenegro.

The U.S. finished second to Montenegro (3-0) in Group B with a 2-1 record while Italy won its three games in Group A, with Greece (2-1) second. In the quarterfinals, Greece eliminated Georgia by 20-8, and Montenegro outscored Kazakhstan, 18-6.

The U.S. scratched by France, 12-11, overcoming a 5-2 first quarter deficit with five unanswered scores in the second period. Italy edged Japan, 15-12, piling up a 12-7 lead after three quarters.

The semis will be held on Wednesday, with Greece challenging Montenegro (4-0) and the U.S. against undefeated Italy (4-0).

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation issued a statement on Tuesday that after allegations of anti-doping violations by the International Testing Agency, both Nico Vlad (ROU) and Hassan Akkus (TUR) have “stepped aside” from their positions on the IWF Executive Board, and will not attend the Tokyo Games.

The IWF will meet in a Constitutional Congress on Wednesday, looking to approve a new governing document that will lead the federation out of its issues on doping, discipline, finances, athlete and female representation and more. If a new Constitution is approved, elections will follow, possibly in October.

The IOC has warned the IWF repeatedly that its place in the 2024 Paris Games and beyond is at stake depending on its actions on governance and all other matters.

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LANE ONE: Coverage of U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials shows protests are perceived as more important than performances

By
Rich Perelman
-
Sydney McLaughlin's world record in the 400 m hurdles was barely noticed by news media (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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/Updated 6/29/2021: see below/If you are a track & field fan who thinks the sport has a chance to once again raise its profile and popularity in the U.S., guess again.

Last Saturday (26th) was a brilliant day for the sport at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, despite temperatures of up to 101 degrees. Consider:

● World Champion DeAnna Price set two American Records in the women’s hammer;

● World Champion Grant Holloway (12.81) and Worlds runner-up Rai Benjamin (46.83) ran the second-fastest times ever in the men’s 110 m and 400 m hurdles;

● Gabby Thomas ran the fastest women’s 200 m in 33 years and the third-fastest time in history in 21.61, and

● Teenager Erriyon Knighton won his semi in the men’s 200 m in 19.88, beating World Champion Noah Lyles and erasing Jamaican legend Usain Bolt’s World U-20 Record of 19.93 from 2004.

But Eddie Pells of The Associated Press – the world’s largest and most important news agency – wrote a widely-distributed review of the day mostly about hammer throw third-placer Gwen Berry turning away from the U.S. flag when the national anthem was played at its scheduled time, which coincided with the women’s hammer awards ceremony. Wrote Pells:

“Berry’s reaction to the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was as notable as anything on the track on a blazing-hot Saturday, the second-to-last day at trials.”

Headlined “Message sent: Berry turns away from flag during anthem,” 18 of the 24 paragraphs in the story were about Berry’s protest, the circumstances and reaction. Price got two paragraphs for winning the hammer, Thomas one, and everybody else was noted in another paragraph. The story had no mention of Holloway, but may have been expanded later /see update below/.

Embed from Getty Images

A companion story provided 3-6 paragraph summaries of each event, updated during the day.

On Sunday, more of the same, with Pells sending short reports of each event on a day when Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record in the women’s 400 m hurdles and world-leading marks were made by heptathlete Annie Kunz, women’s 800 m winner Athing Mu and men’s 200m winner Lyles.

This is where track & field, and almost all of the other Olympic-program sports are in the U.S. today. The sports themselves – with some exceptions, such as Simone Biles in gymnastics, the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams and the U.S. women’s football team – are irrelevant, and the focus is on which athletes protest, when and how and what the reactions are or will be.

Berry won the women’s hammer at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru and raised her fist during the playing of the national anthem, drawing a sanction from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for violating the terms of the agreement she signed prior to the event to obey its rules. Later, the sanction was withdrawn and an apology was made and the USOPC now allows “non-divisive” demonstrations at the Trials and the Olympic Games.

American fencer Race Imboden took a knee during the victory ceremony for the men’s Team Foil at the Pan Am Games and received the same treatment. Since then, that’s where the attention has gone, regardless of the performances on the field.

The AP reported on 20 June of Lyles raising a partially-gloved fist when he was introduced for the final of the 100 meters, with reporter Pat Graham writing:

“In what went down as the first notable demonstration of the track trials, Lyles made a subtle gesture, wearing a black glove — minus the fingers — on his left hand, and raising his fist when he was introduced before the race.”

On 24 June, the AP’s Pells wrote a 20-paragraph story titled, “Berry opens at Olympic Trials: ‘I want to impact the world.’” There was one paragraph about the women’s shot put final and a mention of Emma Coburn’s win in the women’s Steeplechase and Allyson Felix qualifying for the women’s 200 m final. Twelve paragraphs were about Berry.

Expect much more of the same once the Olympic Games begin in Tokyo next month.

Let’s be clear about two things:

● Protests in the style of Tommie Smith and John Carlos from 1968 are now allowed by the USOPC and Berry, Lyles and others can do so if they wish. For better or worse, it’s within the rules now.

● Pells, a 28-year veteran of The Associated Press, is not to be faulted for covering the U.S. Track & Field Trials as he sees fit. He describes himself as “Fast, flexible, fair and creative.” No argument.

But his coverage and the modest attendance of non-endemic news media at the Trials in Eugene show where track & field is today in the public’s eye. In the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper historically friendly to track & field, Saturday’s events received 15 short lines in Sunday’s print edition in “The Day in Sports” round-up section. Today’s paper covered Sunday’s heroics in all of 22 lines, plus nine lines noting the heat delay and that heptathlete Taliyah Brooks was “carted off the field in a wheelchair,” with an accompanying photograph.

The final day of the U.S. Trials in women’s gymnastics received the entire top third of the same page, with a photograph of superstar Biles and a reported-on-site story from Hall of Fame writer Helene Elliott.

It’s worth noting that this “Olympic sport” coverage was on page seven of an eight-page section, following a front-page story on Tokyo Olympics-bound skateboarder (!) Nyjah Huston and heavy coverage of baseball’s Dodgers and Angels, the Clippers-Suns NBA playoff series, the NHL Stanley Cup final, golf and the Drew League summer basketball series.

The Olympic Trials did well on television, but look which sports did best on NBC on average viewers per hour:

● 4.990 million viewers avg.: Gymnastics (5 hours)
● 2.732 million viewers avg.: Swimming (11 hours)
● 2.545 million viewers avg.: Track & Field (8 hours)
● 2.076 million viewers avg.: Diving (3 hours)

Is it any wonder that NBC pushes women’s gymnastics – all of the viewers above are for the women’s Trials only, which won all of its hours against the other networks – and swimming harder than track & field? (Cable ratings will not be available for a few days, but will be shared later.)

The fall of track & field and the other Olympic-focused sports in the U.S. has been going on for a long time, despite their dominance at the once-a-quadrennial Olympic Games. There are high hopes of a revival, especially for track & field, in the run-up to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles and with the World Athletics Championships coming to Eugene a year from now.

But if so, there will have to be a reawakening around these sports, or even coverage (and interest) of the protests will disappear. And as for 2028, the third Los Angeles Games may have no more impact – or legacy – than as a summertime, pop-up Disneyland or Universal Studios: something to do to say you did it. And nothing more.

Berry told reporters at the Trials that track & field is only the stage for her activism. Where are the activists for her sport?

Rich Perelman
Editor

Update 6/29/2021: Eagle-eyed reader Alan Mazursky noted that the link to the original AP story went inactive, and the story was updated later in the day. Where the original story included “[Gwen] Berry’s reaction to the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was as notable as anything on the track on a blazing-hot Saturday,” the updated version read, “Berry’s reaction to the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ took its fair share of the spotlight on a blazing-hot second-to-last day at trials that also featured some blazing-fast times.”

This was followed by four paragraphs of competition highlights – up from two in the original – which did expand on Thomas’s 21.61 win in the women’s 200 m, added Holloway’s 12.81 semifinal win, just 0.01 off the world record, and Knighton’s win over Lyles in the men’s 200 m semis, in a World U-20 Record of 19.88.

The updated story was 25 paragraphs instead of 24, with the same 18 paragraphs about Berry’s protest, the circumstances and reaction, two about hammer winner Price and five about the other seven events in the afternoon and evening session.

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GYMNASTICS: Biles wins again to wrap up Tokyo selection; Lee, Chiles, McCallum will accompany her, plus Skinner and Carey as individuals

By
Rich Perelman
-
On to Tokyo: gymnastics superstar Simone Biles (USA)

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The U.S. Olympic Trials in Artistic Gymnastics in St. Louis concluded on Sunday with the second All-Around for the women, starring– of course – Simone Biles. She, Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles were well in front on Friday, scoring 57-plus, and three others in the 56s:  Grace McCallum, Kayla DiCello and MyKayla Skinner.

First Rotation:
Biles and the other prime contenders for the U.S. team started on Vault, with Biles scoring 15.400, just slightly less than on Friday (15.466). She was followed by Lee at 14.600, 0.200 better than on Friday and Chiles, scoring 14.933, just 0.033 less than in the first All-Around.

The fight was behind these three leaders, with DiCello, a surprise fourth in the first All-Around, scoring 14.833 on Vault. McCallum followed with a 14.766, keeping her in the mix; she was fifth on Friday.

Meanwhile, Riley McCusker, who was so brilliant on the Uneven Bars on Friday in her only event, fell on her first movement and scored only 13.566 as compared to 14.800. Will this end her chances for Tokyo?

Skinner scored 13.500 on Uneven Bars, an improvement from 13.466 on Friday. Jade Carey, on the team as a specialist through the FIG Apparatus World Cup program, had a tough time on the Uneven Bars on Friday (11.300), but rebounded with a nice routine and a 13.733 score.

Second Rotation:
Chiles started the Uneven Bars and improved to 14.433 from 14.300 on Friday. DiCello had trouble with a bad release, and scored just 12.800 (vs. 13.966). McCallum improved on Bars from 13.833 to 14.000, a real help for her.

The Uneven Bars and Biles have not always been on the best terms, but she had the no. 2 score on Friday at 14.600. She had a gaffe on an early move on the low bar, and had a skip on the landing, and scored significantly lower at 13.833. Lee followed her brilliant Friday routine (15.300) with not quite as perfect a program, but still the high scorer at 14.900.

Skinner moved to Beam, and had some difficulties, but stayed on and scored 13.400, down from the 14.133 she scored previously. Carey improved from Friday, scoring 14.433.

Third Rotation:
McCallum had a slight wobble on Beam, but scored 13.800, just short of the 13.866 she got on Friday. Biles, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist, fell in mid-routine, and scored 13.700, well behind the 15.133 she scored on the first night. Lee was excellent with a triple somersault mid-routine and another on the dismount, and matched her 14.733 from Friday. Chiles was solid and stuck the dismount after a somersault and a full twist, scoring 13.900, down from 14.233.

Leanne Wong drew a lot of notice for her 14.233 on Floor, followed by Skinner, who executed a powerful tumbling routine on Floor, but stepped out on an early pass that cost her 0.300, resulting in a score of 13.500 vs. 13.866 on Friday.

Fourth Rotation:
McCallum flew out of bounds on an early tumbling run, suffering a significant deduction, earning 13.500 vs. 14.166 on Friday. Biles was sensational as always on Floor, developing sensational power on her patented double somersault with three twists tumbling run. But she stepped out with one foot on her first two tumbling runs, still scoring 14.600 vs. 15.366 previously. Lee followed with an elegant routine, with no major errors, earning 13.933, a bit step up from Friday’s 13.233.

Chiles was excellent on her Floor routine, hitting her tumbling passes and staying in control, bursting into tears as she walked off the podium. She shortly had reason to be happy, as she was rewarded with a score of 14.233, up 6/10ths from the first All-Around. DiCello skipped out of bounds on the first tumbling pass, scoring 13.500 vs. 13.966 from Friday.

Skinner was on Vault, displaying great speed and power, scoring 15.266 with just a step on the landing. That was better than her Friday score (15.133) and second only to Biles on Vault on the night. Wong was very good on her Vault, scoring 14.700, the same as on the first night.

Sunday’s All-Around scores actually showed Lee beating Biles (!), 58.166-57.533, with Chiles third at 57.499, a step above all others. The two-session scores had Biles the winner at 118.098, followed by Lee (115.832) and Chiles (114.631).

Then came the contenders for the final spots; McCallum was fourth at 112.564, Skinner fifth at 112.264 and DiCello in sixth at 111.231.

At the Trials, the two-Session event winners were Biles on Vault, Lee (30.200) on Bars, Lee on Beam (29.466) and Biles on Floor (29.966.)

The pressure of Sunday’s Trials was enormous and it showed on the competitors, but at the end, the Tokyo team was named with a view to the best scoring potential in the Team event. Biles, Lee and Chiles were obvious selections; the USA Gymnastics selection panel announced McCallum as the fourth member, plus Skinner as an individual competitor. The latter scored 30.399 on Vault on Sunday, second only to Biles’ 30.866.

Carey had already qualified as an individual. They’re on the plane, and the U.S. women will be favored to win a third straight Olympic Team gold in a little more than a month.

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ATHLETICS: World record for McLaughlin, world leaders for Lyles, Mu and Kunz as Trials close in hot Eugene

By
Rich Perelman
-
Double Olympic gold medalist and world-record setter Sydney McLaughlin (USA) (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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The final day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene took place in scorching, 100-plus degree temperatures, after the men’s 5,000 m final had been held in the morning. The highlights as they happened:

● Men’s High Jump: The jumping really began at 2.27 m (7-5 1/4), which left four men vying for three spots in Tokyo: 2012 Olympic champ Erik Kynard, NCAA champ JuVaughn Harrison, 2019 NCAA Indoor champ Shelby McEwen and Darryl Sullivan, with Kynard still needing the Olympic standard of 2.33 m (7-7 3/4).

Harrison, McEwen and Sullivan all cleared 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) on their first try, but Kynard missed. He missed a second try and then passed to 2.33 m (7-7 3/4), where he missed for a third time and was eliminated. Now Harrison, McEwen and Sullivan were jumping for fun.

Sullivan was “only” fourth at the NCAAs for Tennessee, but he and Harrison sailed over 2.33 m on their first tries, with Sullivan equaling his lifetime best. McEwen missed twice and passed, keeping his options open. The bar went up to 2.36 m (7-8 3/4) and Harrison still had the long jump ahead of him, but kept going, missing his first try. He and Sullivan both missed twice, then asked for the bar to go up to 2.39 m (7-10). Sullivan missed and was done, then McEwen came back for a final jump and missed as well. Harrison decided that after 90 minutes in the heat, he needed to get ready for the long jump, starting an hour later.

● Women’s Heptathlon: Only Kendell Williams, the 2017 national champion, and two-time champ Erica Bougard came into the meet with the Olympic Standard of 6,420, but veteran Annie Kunz, the 2020 U.S. Indoor Pentathlon champ, was determined to get there.

Kunz led after the first day at 4,042, and was second in the long jump at 6.50 m (21-4) and fifth in the javelin at 45.06 m (147-10). That wasn’t good enough to hold onto the lead, as Williams moved ahead by winning the long jump (6.73 m/22-1) and second in the jav (47.41 m/155-6). But Kunz could get to Tokyo with a 606-point 800 m, meaning she has to run 2:37.19 or faster in the heat. Her lifetime best of 2:14.90 is fine, but what about running in 105 degrees?

Bougard stands third at 5,716 and has almost a 300-point lead over Ashtin Mahler (5,419).

In the 800 m finale, Kunz ran brilliantly and finished ahead of Williams in 2:15.24 to not only get the Olympic standard, but won the event overall at 6,703, a huge lifetime best and the 2021 world leader! She scored lifetime bests in four of the seven individual events to finish ahead of Williams (6,683, a personal best) and Bougard (6,667) in third. Kunz is now no. 5 in U.S. history and Williams is now sixth.

● The Heat ● At 3:16 p.m., USA Track & Field announced that the record heat in Eugene required a delay in the competition, to 8:30 p.m. for the men’s Long Jump and 9:02 p.m. for the Heptathlon 800 m. The heat reached 111 degrees (F), but was 99 when the competition continued.

● Men’s Long Jump: The first event to start after the heat delay, LSU’s Harrison took the lead in the first round at 8.24 m (27-0 1/2), which might be good enough to make the team. But he didn’t stay in the lead for long as Marquis Dendy – the 2016 World Indoor Champion – boomed out to 8.38 m (27-6), his best mark since 2016!

Rio Olympic champ Jeff Henderson jumped 8.08 m (26-6 1/4) in the first round, a good opener, but then he was pushed to fourth by Damarcus Simpson, who jumped a lifetime best of 8.19 m (26-10 1/2).

Dendy reached 8.19 m (26-10 1/2) in round three, but then Harrison got most of the board this time and landed in the lead at 8.47 m (27-9 1/2) – a lifetime best – and no. 2 in the world for 2021. Then Steffin McCarter of Texas inserted himself into the race for Tokyo, equaling his lifetime best at 8.26 m (27-1 1/4), pushing Simpson to fourth and Henderson to fifth. Rio Olympian Jarrion Lawson passed on all three jumps and did not advance to the final.

The top three did not change in the last three rounds; Florida State’s Isaac Grimes moved ahead of Henderson in round five at 8.09 m (26-6 1/2) and finished fifth. And it ended with Harrison completing his NCAA-Olympic Trials double in the high jump and long jump and on his way to Tokyo. For Dendy, making the team this time is especially sweet: he made the U.S. Worlds team in 2013-15-17, but now he gets to go to the Games.

● Women’s 400 m hurdles: Shamier Little got lane 5, Sydney McLaughlin was in lane 6 and world-record holder Dalilah Muhammad was in seven, with temperatures at 94 degrees.

McLaughlin got out well, but McLaughlin was right with her through five hurdles. Around the turn, Little came into contention, but chopped over the eighth hurdle and fell back. Muhammad led to the ninth hurdle, but McLaughlin charged ahead and poured on the speed to run through the tape in world record 51.90, the third straight time the two have produced a world record.

Muhammad was second in 52.42, and Little slowed dramatically in the straight and was passed late by NCAA champion Anna Cockrell for third, 53.70 – a lifetime best – to 53.85.

McLaughlin now owns two of the four fastest times ever – Muhammad has the other two – and Muhammad’s 52.42 was the equal-sixth fastest of all time. They may go faster in Tokyo.

● Women’s 800 m: There was an early fall with Nia Akins going down and Chanelle Price, Athing Mu and Ajee Wilson at the front. Price led at the bell in 57.44 with Mu and Wilson right behind.

Then the race ended. Mu took over with 300 m, with Price second and Wilson third and was running easily away from the field. The 2016 trials winner, Kate Grace, came up for second on the final turn as Wilson faded and then Mu took off.

She stormed away from the field and was 20 m clear at the finish in 1:56.07, the world leader for 2021 and the no. 2 performance in U.S. history. All this at age 19.

Behind her, Raevyn Rogers came up for second in a lifetime best of 1:57.66 – now no. 9 all-time U.S. – and Wilson ran herself back onto the team from fifth to third in 1:58.39. Michaela Meyer ran a lifetime best 1:58.55 for fourth; Price was fifth (1:58.73) and Grace finished seventh (1:59.17).

● Men’s 1,500 m: Josh Thompson took the lead with Cole Hocker, with Matthew Centrowitz in lane two and running comfortably. Eric Avila and Sam Prakel led through 400 m, but the pack remained bunched right into the home straight for the bell.

Centowitz, trying to stay out of trouble for the sprint to come, took the lead just before the bell and was ahead of Prakel, Colby Alexander and Thompson when the running really started. With a half-lap remaining Centro was in control and still running easily, with Prakel and Thompson trailing. But off the turn came Oregon frosh Cole Hocker, the NCAA winner, who sprinted past all but Centrowitz … and then passed Centrowitz on the straight in 3:35.28 to 3:35.34. Hocker finished in 52.5.

Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse used his closing speed to come from the middle of the pack to run past Craig Engels and get third in 3:36.19 to 3:36.69.

Hocker’s 3:35.28 is a lifetime best, but he does not have the Olympic standard of 3:35.00. He’s only 47th on the 2021 year list, so it will take some days to determine whether he goes to the Games. Centrowitz and Nuguse are on their way.

● Men’s 200 m: World Champion Noah Lyles was in the middle of the track in lane five and he blasted right from the gun and had the lead heading into the straight from Kenny Bednarek outside of him in seven.

Normally, it would be race over for Lyles, but he was losing his lead in the final 50 m as Bednarek closed and prep star Erriyon Knighton stormed from fifth to third as they crossed the line. The clock showed a new world leader for Lyles in 19.74, with Bednarek running a lifetime best of 19.78 for second and Knighton breaking his own World U-20 Record at 19.84. Fred Kerley, already on the team in the 100 m, ran a lifetime best of 19.90 for fourth; Isiah Young ran 20.03 and got fifth.

The meet concluded with stunning results and a powerful U.S. team named; the performances resulted in world-leading performances in 11 events, five American Records and two World Records:

World leaders:
● Men.200 m: 19.74, Noah Lyles
● Men/800 m: 1:43.17, Clayton Murphy
● Men/110 m hurdles: 12.81, Grant Holloway (in semis)
● Men/400 m hurdles: 46.83, Rai Benjamin
● Men/Shot Put: 23.37 m (76-8 1/4), Ryan Crouser (World Record)

● Women/200 m: 21.98, Gabby Thomas (in heats)
● Women/200 m: 21.94, Gabby Thomas (in semis)
● Women/200 m: 21.61, Gabby Thomas
● Women/800 m: 1:56.07, Athing Mu
● Women/400 m hurdles: 51.90, Sydney McLaughlin (World Record)
● Women/Pole Vault: 4.95 m (16-2 3/4), Katie Nageotte
● Women/Hammer: 79.98 m (262-5), DeAnna Price (American Record)
● Women/Hammer: 80.31 m (263-6), DeAnna Price (American Record)
● Women/Heptathlon: 6,703, Annie Kunz

American Records:
● Men/Shot Put: 23.37 m (76-8 1/4), Ryan Crouser (World Record)
● Men/Hammer: 82.71 m (271-4), Rudy Winkler

● Women/400 m hurdles: 51.90, Sydney McLaughlin (World Record)
● Women/Hammer: 79.98 m (262-5), DeAnna Price
● Women/Hammer: 80.31 m (263-6), DeAnna Price

Now, on to Tokyo, eventually. But between now and then, many of the Trials stars will be out to make a living at the Diamond League meets coming up in Oslo (1 July), Stockholm (4 July), Monaco (9 July) and Gateshead on 13 July before the Olympic break.

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HIGHLIGHTS: Fraser-Pryce wins Jamaican Champs in 10.71; crashes and Alaphilippe mark start of Tour de France; U.S. women take third straight FIVB Nations League title

By
Rich Perelman
-
Three-peat: U.S. women celebrate a third straight FIVB Nations League title in Rimini, Italy. (Photo: USA Volleyball)

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Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world/updated/:

● Archery ● The third and final World Archery World Cup of 2021 was in Paris (FRA), in a last tune-up prior to Tokyo and the U.S. team continuing its hot shooting.

In the men’s Recurve (Olympic) division, the elimination rounds saw two U.S. shooters – World Champion Brady Ellison and Olympic team member Jack Williams – advance to the semifinals, facing Federico Musolesi (ITA) and Patrick Huston (GBR), respectively. Both Americans won by 6-2 scores and advanced to the final, where Ellison recorded a 6-2 win. Musolesi defeated Huston, also by 6-2, for the bronze medal.

The men’s team event ended with Belgium and Germany in the gold-medal match, won by the Germans, 6-2. In the bronze-medal match, France defeated Malaysia by 5-3.

In the women’s division, Olympic Trials winner Mackenzie Brown sailed into the semifinals as well, facing Elena Osipov of Russia. The match came down to an extra arrow and Osipov moved on with a 10-9 advantage. Mexico’s Ana Vasquez and India’s Deepika Kumari faced off in the other semi, with Kumari winning by 6-2.

Kumari continued her hot shooting and shut out Osipov, 6-0, in the final. Brown had another cliff-hanger, but this time won over Vasquez on the extra arrow, 10-9.

Mexico and India were not done, however, matched in the Recurve Team gold-medal event, with India winning by 5-1. France won the women’s Team bronze, 5-3, over Belarus.

The Mixed Team event saw India and the Netherlands reach the final, with another Indian win, by 5-3. Spain and Mexico shot for the bronze medal, with the Mexicans taking the win, 5-1.

Even without a medal, the U.S. teams made it to the quarterfinals in all three events.

● Athletics ● Hot sprinting was expected at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston, and Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce did not disappoint. On Friday, the two-time Olympic 100 m gold medalist won in a speedy 10.71 over surprising Shericka Jackson – better known as a 400 m star – in 10.82, with defending Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah third in 10.84. Jackson set a lifetime best of 10.77 in the semis.

The men’s 100 m saw Tyquendo Tracy upset 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake, 10.00-10.01, with Oblique Seville logging a personal best of 10.04.

In the men’s 400 m hurdles, Jaheel Hyde impressed with a win in a lifetime best of 48.18, no. 6 on the world list for 2021. Janieve Russell won the women’s 400 m hurdles in 54.07, moving to no. 5 in the world this year.

Elsewhere during this national championships break in the international schedule was a world lead in the discus by Sweden’s World Champion Daniel Stahl at 70.55 m (232-5) in Kuortane (FIN). Stahl was pushed to the limit by Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, who scored a national record of 70.35 m (230-9) in round three to briefly take the world lead, before Stahl reached 70.21 m (230-4) in the fourth and 70.55 m in the final round!

At the same meet, Germany’s Johannes Vetter demonstrated he is healed from a hip injury, winning with a monster 93.59 m (307-0) toss to win the men’s javelin. It was his ninth throw over 90 m this year and he is the only one to throw that far.

China’s Rio Olympic silver winner Lijiao Gong extended her world lead in the women’s shot to 20.39 m (66-10 3/4) at the Chinese Nationals in Chongqing; she now owns the top four throws of the year.

At the British Championships in Manchester, sprint star Dina Asher-Smith won the women’s 100 m in 10.97 and Holly Bradshaw won the women’s vault, jumping to no. 3 on the 2021 world list at 4.90 m (16-0 3/4) on her first attempt.

Reigning Olympic champion Mo Farah tried once again for the 27:28.00 Olympic qualifying standard in a specially-constructed 10,000 m race, and won in 27:47.04, meaning he will not be named to the British team for Tokyo.

In Osaka, Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya won the men’s 110 m hurdles in a speedy 13.06, moving him to no. 3 on the 2021 world list, behind Grant Holloway of the U.S. and reigning Olympic champ Omar McLeod (JAM).

● Cycling ● The opening of the 108th Tour de France in Brest was one to remember, but for all the wrong reasons.

There were two major crashes during the late stages of the hilly, 197.8 km route. With about 45 km remaining, a female fan stepped onto the course and held out a sign for the television cameras with German rider Tony Martin running right into it and falling, causing a mass crash for dozens of riders. The peloton stopped to allow them to catch up, but there were injuries and a loss of time for some of the race contenders, including Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic and Dutch star Wout van Aert. ASO, the race organizers, promised legal action against the spectator … if she can be found.

The second smash-up came from within the peloton with about 6 km remaining, with a touch of wheels sending riders flying off the road and towards the spectators. The riders recovered to finish, but four-time champion Chris Froome (GBR) ended the stage 14:37 behind the winner.

The race finally came down to the final climb up and over the Cote de la Fosse and French star Julian Alaphilippe attacked on the climb with 2.3 km left and no one could match him. He seized the yellow jersey for the third consecutive Tour, winning by eight seconds over Michael Matthews (AUS), Roglic and Jack Haig (AUS). After the finishes were finally sorted out, Alaphilippe had 12-second overall lead on Matthews, and major contenders lost time, including Richard Carapaz (ECU: +0:23) and Richie Porte (AUS: +2:23).

Sunday’s second stage was another hilly course in Brittany, this time 183.5 km with an uphill finish to the Mur-de-Bretagne. The final ascent, with just 2 km remaining, would be decisive and Australia’s Porte and Colombia’s Nairo Quintana both attacked but could not shake the front group. Italy’s Sonny Colbrelli tried go break away with 900 m left, but it was Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel who was best prepared, and his attack with about 500 m left was the winner.

Van der Poel won by six seconds, with defending champ Tadej Pogacar (SLO) and Roglic going 2-3, followed by Wilco Kelderman (NED) and then Alaphilippe (+0:08). With the time bonuses figured in, van der Poel took the race lead by eight seconds over Alaphilippe, 13 seconds over Pogacar and 14 seconds over Roglic.

Not as chaotic, but still dramatic was the eighth edition of La Course by Le Tour for women, which will turn into a full-blown multi-stage race in 2022. This was a hilly, 107.4 km race from Brest to Landerneau, that ended with a mass sprint of eight riders.

Multiple breakaways were retrieved by the peloton during the race, with the last one compressed just before the fourth and final climb of the Cote de la Fosse. On the way to the uphill finish, the eight leaders settled for a sprint with Dutch star Demi Vollering getting to the line just ahead of Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (DEN), Dutch legends Anna van der Breggen and Marianne Vos and Australia’s Grace Brown, all timed in 2:50:29.

After being delayed due to coronavirus conditions in Peru, the Pan American Track Cycling Championships started on Friday in Lima, continuing through Tuesday.

Powerhouse Colombia dominated the first two days, with Kevin Quintero winning the Keirin and leading the Team Sprint win. Jordan Parra won the Elimination race and anchored the Team Pursuit win as well. Trinidad & Tobago’s Akil Campbell won the Scratch Race.

The women’s racing saw Colombia win the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit and Ambar Joseph of Barbados take the Scratch Race.

● Football ● The Copa America continues to play and continues to suffer from coronavirus infections.

Through last Monday, the South American confederation – CONMEBOL – announced that 22,856 tests had been administered in total, with 166 positives so far, or 0.7% of those tested. That’s up from 140 the week before, so the infection rate is slowing.

A total of 17 players have tested positive since the tournament began; of that number, 15 were available to play following a quarantine period. The tournament is being played without spectators; half of the 10 teams have reported at least one positive test among their delegation.

On the field, the group stage will finish today (27th), with Argentina (7 points: 2-0-1 W-L-T) leading Group A, followed by Paraguay (2-1-0) and Chile (1-1-2). Host Brazil is 3-0-0 in Group B, ahead of Colombia (1-2-1) and Peru (1-1-1).

The quarterfinals begin on 3 July and the title match will be on 10 July in Rio.

UEFA’s Euro 2020 finally completed the group stage with Italy (3-0), Belgium (3-0), the Netherlands (3-0) all undefeated, and England (2-0-1), Sweden (2-0-1) and France (1-0-2) winning their groups.

In the Round of 16, Italy eliminated Austria in extra time, 2-1 and Denmark stomped on Wales, 4-0, in Saturday’s matches. On Sunday, the Czech Republic surprised the Netherlands, 2-0, in Budapest, after the Dutch had to play with 10 men – following a red card for a hand ball – for the final 38 minutes of the game. The Czechs move on to play the Danes.

Sunday’s marquee match was a high-profile clash of Belgium and Portugal in Seville; no. 1-ranked Belgium finally solved the Portuguese defense with a Thorgen Hazard strike in the 42nd minute that twisted away from keeper Rui Patricio for a 1-0 halftime lead. The second half was uneven and chippy, but Portugal almost evened it with a header by Ruben Dias in the 82nd minute and then Raphael Guerrero hit the right post on a strike a minute later. Portugal mounted attack after attack and Joao Felix shot wide of goal at 90+4 on its last chance. Defending champion Portugal ended with a 23-6 edge in shots, but with a 1-0 loss and elimination.

The quarterfinals begin on 2 July and the tournament will finish on 11 July.

● Golf ● The Women’s PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club saw Americans Lizette Salas and Nelly Korda tied for the lead entering the final round at -15, five shots clear of the field. But then Korda took off, with birdies on 3 and 14 and eagles on 5 and 12 to go to -6 for the day and -21 for the tournament with four holes remaining, and a five-shot lead.

Korda gave back two shots with a double-bogey on 15, but sailed home at -19 (269), with a 68 for the day and finishing three shots up on Salas (71 for 272 total), with Hyo Joo Kim (KOR) and Giulia Molinaro (ITA) tied for third.

Korda, still just 22, won her first major and her sixth win on the LPGA Tour.

● Gymnastics ● The FIG Trampoline World Cup in Coimbrs (POR) was a 1-2 finish for Belarus on the men’s side, with reigning Olympic champ Uladzislau Hancharou winning over Aleh Rabtsau by 62.505-61.380. France’s Allan Morante was third (60.500).

Hancharou and Rabtsau teamed up to win the Synchro event, 50.450-50.150, over Russia.

Russia went 1-2 in the women’s final, as Susana Kochesok won with 55.770 points to Iana Lebedeva (55.270), with Palina Shadzko (BLR) in third. France’s Lea Labrousse and Marine Jurbert won the women’s Synchro with 47.460 points, ahead of Australia (46.990).

● Shooting ● A full-program ISSF World Cup for pistol, rifle and shotgun is ongoing in Osijek (CRO), with events continuing through 2 July.

The U.S. highlight came from Will Shaner, who won the men’s 10 m Air Rifle with a 250.5-249.2 score against Russia’s 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, Vladimir Maslennikov. In the other men’s individual events, Iran’s Javad Foroughi won the 10 m Air Pistol, and Italy’s Tammaro Cassandro won in Skeet. Ukraine’s Rio Air Rifle silver medalist Serhiy Kulish won the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions by 460.0 to 458.6 over Russia’s Rio silver medalist Sergey Kamenskiy.

In the men’s team events, Italy won in 10 m Air Pistol, Russia took the 10 m Air Rifle, and Italy won in Skeet.

In the women’s competitions completed so far, Antoaneta Konstadinova (BUL) took the 10 m Air Pistol title, Hungary’s Eszter Meszaros won the 10 m Air Rifle, and Russian Zilia Batyrshina won the Skeet event.

The women’s team competitions saw Bulgaria win the 10 m Air Pistol, Iran take the 10 m Air Rifle and Russia win in Skeet.

In the Mixed Team events, Russia won in the 10 m Air Pistol, Hungary won the 10 m Air Rifle competition and Chile defeated Ukraine in the Mixed Team Skeet.

● Sport Climbing ● The IFSC World Cup in Innsbruck offered the fourth Bouldering competition of the season and the first in Lead, but suffered from rainy conditions that hindered some of the events.

In the men’s Bouldering, Japan swept the top places, with Yoshiyuki Ogata winning with two tops and two zones (2T2Z 7/7), over two-time World Champion Tomoa Narasaki (1T3Z 2/11) and Kokoro Fujii (1T1Z 2/2). It was Ogata’s second career World Cup win. American Nathaniel Coleman was sixth (0T1Z 0/2). Delayed by rain, local regulations for public events required the event to end after the third problem.

The women’s final was marred by rain that also shortened the event to three problems, but Olympic favorite Janja Garnbret (SLO) still won easily, solving all three problems to win (3T3Z 3/3). American Natalia Grossman, 20, was second (3T3Z 9/9), her fourth medal in four Bouldering event this season (2-1-1). The 2017 World Games champ, Serbia’s Stasa Gejo was third (1T3Z 2/6).

Austria’s Jakob Schubert, the 2018 World Champion, won the opening Lead event of 2021, but just barely, reaching 47+ holds to 47 for Italy’s Stefano Ghisolfi and 38+ for Swiss Sascha Lehmann. The women’s title went to Garnbret, who reached the top, ahead of American Brooke Raboutou (40) and Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi (33+).

There was a strange outage on the video coverage of the Bouldering semi-finals, with a Twitter posting that noted:

“The video of the men’s and women’s Boulder semi-finals in Innsbruck has been temporarily removed from our YouTube channel.

“It will be edited and re-uploaded as soon as possible.”

This was followed by a notice from ORF, the Austrian national broadcaster:

“We acknowledge that, for a brief moment, we chose to display the sport of climbing in the wrong way. We commit ourselves to keep working for a fair, equal and better representation of women’s sports.

“Our apology goes out to Ms. Johanna Farber, the International Federation of Sport Climbing, Austria Climbing, and all those who felt concern and discomfort for our actions.”

As one poster on Twitter put it, “There were close-up camera shots of a female competitors backside. This wasn’t just the a shot of chalk handprints on black shorts though, it did feel like the competitor was being sexualised. I’m pleased IFSC is editing this out.”

Farber, an Austrian climber, was seventh in the semi-finals and did not advance to the final. She posted on Instagram, “having this slowmotion clip shown on NATIONAL TV and youtube livestreaming is so disrespectful and upsetting. … we need to stop sexualizing women in sports and start to appreciate their performance.”

● Swimming ● The famed Sette Coli meet at the Foro Italico in Rome (ITA) produced noteworthy times just a month ahead of the Tokyo Games.

Of special interest was the comeback of Swedish superstar Sarah Sjostrom after her surgery to fix a broken elbow suffered in a fall last February. She won the 50 m Fly (a non-Olympic event), the 100 m Fly and was second to Femke Heemskerk (NED: 53.03, no. 8 in 2021) in the 100 m Free, all with encouraging performances:

● 50 m Free: 24.25 (2nd), close to 24.07 season’s best from February
● 100 m Free: 53.47 (2nd), no. 17 on the world rankings
● 50 m Fly: 25.42, no. 3 on the world rankings
● 100 m Fly: 57.65, only a little slower than her 57.34 in February

Sjostrom is the reigning Olympic champ in the 100 m Fly, and won silver in the 200 m Free and bronze in the 100 m Free in Rio.

Hungary’s Kristof Milak, the world-record holder in the 200 m Fly, won that event in 1:53.18, a time only he has bettered this season (1:51.10 at the European Championships). Countryman David Verraszto won the men’s 400 m Medley in a speedy 4:09.57, no. 3 on the 2021 world list, while Italian Nicolo Martinenghi won the men’s 100 m Breast in 58.29 to move to no. 4 on the year list and equal-fourth all-time!

Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni won the women’s 100 m Breast in a national record 1:05.67, now no. 4 on the year list, just behind Americans Lilly King, Lydia Jacoby and Annie Lazor. Italian Freestyle star Simona Quadarella moved to no. 3 on the women’s 1,500 m year list with a win in 15:48.31, behind Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Australia Maddy Gough.

Two-time World Champion sprinter Therese Alshammer had hopes of making a seventh Swedish Olympic team, this time only in the 4×100 m Free relay, but her 57.99 second-place finish in heat nine was considered too slow. Now 43, she owns two Olympic silvers and a bronze from the 2000 Games in Sydney, in the 50-100 m Frees and the 4×100 m Free relay.

Results from the Uzbekistan Open in Tashkent (UZB) last April, at which multiple Olympic qualifying times were achieved have been annulled by FINA, according to reports from India.

Complaints about manipulation of the times given at the event surfaced quickly and Indian swimmer Likith Prema provided video evidence demonstrating “that timings were tampered with to suit home swimmers.”

Observed: Even in our high-tech age, nothing can be taken for granted.

● Volleyball ● The U.S. women’s team continued its perfect record in the FIVB Women’s Nations League: three titles in three seasons.

After finishing with a 14-1 record in round-robin play in a sequestered environment in Rimini, Italy, the U.S. sailed into the playoff rounds as the top seed. In the semifinals, the U.S. squeezed past Turkey in contested sets, winning 25-21, 25-23 and 25-20. Brazil defeated Japan, 3-1, in the other semi.

The championship match saw Brazil take the first set, 28-26, but the Americans rebounded to win the next three – and the title – by 25-23, 25-23 and 25-21. American star Michelle Bartsch-Hackley was named Most Valuable Player, just as she was in 2019.

The all-tournament designations went to Americans Jordyn Palmer (best setter), Justine Wong-Orantes (best libero) and Bartsch-Hackley as Best Outside Hitter, along with Brazil’s Gabriela Guimaraes. Brazil also had three selections, with Tandara Caixeta selected as Best Opposite and Carol Gattaz as Best Middle Blocker, along with Turk Eda Erdem Dundar.

Said U.S. captain Jordan Larson: “It’s a really hard tournament. I am really proud of our team that kept fighting and kept competing through this whole five weeks. It’s been fun but long.”

The men’s Nations League saw Brazil win the round-robin at 13-2, trailed by Poland and Slovenia at 12-3 and France at 11-4. The U.S. finished seventh at 8-7.

In the semifinals, Brazil and Poland both won in straight sets. Brazil cruised past France, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-19, while the Poles defeated Slovenia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23.

Sunday’s medal matches saw Brazil win its first Nations League title by thrashing Poland: 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-14. France swept Slovenia for third, 3-0.

Co-Most Valuable Players were Wallace de Souza (BRA) and Bartosz Kurek (POL). The awards for positions went to Michal Kubiak and Yoandy Leal (outside hitter), Kurek and de Souza (opposite hitter), Fabian Drzyga (POL) for setter, Thales Hoss (BRA) for libero and Mateusz Bienek (POL) and Mauricio Souza (BRA) for middle blockers.

● Water Polo ● The FINA men’s World League Super Final in Tbilisi (GEO) began on 26 June and will continue to 1 July. Group A comprises Japan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Italy, with Group B including Montenegro, USA, Greece and France.

Italy won its first two matches to sit atop Group A, ahead of France and Greece (both 1-1). Montenegro beat the U.S., 10-6, in the opener of Group B and is 2-0, with the U.S. at 1-1 after defeating Japan, 15-7. Georgia is also 1-1 and plays the U.S. on Monday. Playoff matches will start on Tuesday.

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ATHLETICS: Chelimo’s 52.83 last lap wins men’s 5,000 m with Fisher and Kincaid doubling back from 10,000 m in hot conditions in Eugene

By
Rich Perelman
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Olympic Trials 5,000 m winner Paul Chelimo leading Emmanuel Bor and Hassan Mead in the heats (Photo: Paul Merca for TrackTown USA)

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The final morning of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene saw the men’s 5,000 m final begin in 88-degree (F) heat, with a slow start and a fast finish.

Garrett Heath, the 2019 Pan Am Games fourth-placer, led the field at the start, but gave way to Rio silver medalist Paul Chelimo after four laps, with 10,000 m winner Woody Kincaid close behind.

Chelimo ran easily with laps of 64.2 and 64.4, then Kincaid took over with 7 laps to go, then let Emmanuel Bor go in front with six laps left (again 64.1). Chelimo then went back into the lead, with Hassan Mead close, then Bor, Kincaid and NCAA champion Cooper Teare of Oregon.

The pack stayed close as the pace did not increase; Chelimo led at 8:07.49 through 3,000 m. Then the pace relaxed further, back to 67.6 and 69.3, bunching the field with three laps to go.

BYU’s Conner Mantz took over as 11 men were together with two laps to go after a 64.2 lap that did little to sort things out. Running to the front at the bell, it was Chelimo and 10,000 m runner-up Grant Fisher and Teare leading, taking off after a 63.7 lap.

On the backstraight, Chelimo and Fisher dueled together with Kincaid, Teare and Bor close and around the turn, Bor was dropped and the all-out sprint was on. On the straight, Chelimo was out in lane three to force Fisher and Kincaid wider, with Teare broken only in the final 40 m.

Chelimo ran the last lap in 52.83 to finish in 13:26.82, ahead of Fisher (13:27.01) and Kincaid (13:27.13) with Teare at 13:28.08 and Bor in 13:30.03. The top five were the only ones with the Olympic standard in this event and the race confirmed their class.

Chelimo is outstanding in hot conditions, winning in scorching heat in Sacramento in 2017 in 13:08.62 and considering his tactical acumen, will be a contender again in Tokyo. “I didn’t taper too much for this race, you know?” said Chelimo afterwards. Of Tokyo, he said, “Be ready to put it all out there.” Can’t wait.

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ATHLETICS: Price hammers two U.S. records, Holloway (12.81) and Benjamin (46.83) author no. 2 performances ever! Wow!

By
Rich Perelman
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History for DeAnna Price in the women's hammer throw in Eugene: two American Records!

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Day six of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene saw temperatures reach 100 degrees (F), with the 20 km race walks and the women’s 10,000 m held in the morning. But the results from the afternoon and evening matched the heat:

● Women’s hammer: World Champion DeAnna Price came in as the world leader and the American Record holder and underlined both with authority.

Throwing in the afternoon heat at 4 p.m., she opened at 77.82 m (255-4), the no. 6 throw in U.S. history, to take the lead, then improved to 78.61 m (257-7), the no. 2 throw ever by an American. Not far behind was Brooke Andersen, who got out to 77.72 m (255-0) in round two, now the no. 10 throw in U.S. annals.

That only fired up Price, who exploded in round three with an American Record throw of 79.98 m (262-5), also the world leader for 2021 and no. 2 all-time behind world-record holder Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) from 2016!

But Price wasn’t done. After a foul in the fourth round, the sent the ball-and-chain out to 80.31 m (263-6) for another American Record and the no. 7 throw of all time! She’s the second woman – after Wlodarczyk – to eclipse 80 m and she now owns the top five throws in U.S. history. Yowzah!

Andersen did not improve and stayed second, and will be a medal contender in Tokyo. Gwen Berry, no. 3 on the 2021 world list, reached 73.50 m (241-2) in the first round and no one else could throw that far. She made her second Olympic team and is also a medal contender at her best. Janee Kassanavoid was fourth at 73.45 m (240-11).

● Women’s javelin: Also in 100-degree heat, three-time Olympian Kara Winger took the lead right away at 61.47 m (201-8) in the first round, trailed by American Record holder Maggie Malone, who reached 60.74 m (199-3) in round two.

Avione Allgood-Whetstone got a lifetime best of 58.94 m (193-4) in the third round to move into third, but well short of the Olympic qualifying standard of 64.00 m (210-0).

Malone got hold of her fifth-round throw and sent the winning throw out to 63.50 m (208-4), while Winger stayed put and Allgood-Whetstone stayed in third. Malone was far off her best in tough conditions, but if right, will be a medal contender in Tokyo.

● Women’s pole vault: The jumping really started at 4.60 m (15-1), with contenders Sandi Morris, Katie Nageotte, Jenn Suhr, Olivia Gruver and Morgann LeLeux the only ones left. The team was decided at the next height – 4.70 m (15-5) – with Nageotte clearing on her first try and LeLeux making it on her third. They’re on their way to Tokyo.

Morris, the Rio silver medalist, missed her three times at 15-5, but ended up third and on the plane as Grover’s suffered from a miss at the opening height of 4.35 m (14-3 2/4). Suhr missed once at 15-1 and that left her in fifth place.

Nageotte continued on, clearing 4.80 m (15-9) on her first try, while the overjoyed LeLeux missed and then retired. Nageotte continued on to 4.95 m (16-2 3/4) to extend her existing world lead and sailed over on her second try for the no. 8 vault in U.S. history (she’s already third on the list) and equal-second outdoors!

She missed three times at a world-record height of 5.07 m (16-7 1/2).

● Women’s long jump: NCAA champion – and world no. 2 – Tara Davis of Texas took charge as the no. 7 jumper in the first round with a 6.92 m (22-8 1/2), but her lead didn’t last long.

There are those who believed 34-year-old Brittney Reese, the 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 silver medalist might not be ready to chase another medal in Tokyo, but as the next jumper in the order, she replied to Davis with a windy 6.94 m (22-9 1/4w) jump to take the lead. She added a legal mark of 6.91 m (22-8) in round three for emphasis and then went nuts.

In round four, Reese landed out at 7.11 m (23-4) and then to 7.13 m (23-4 3/4) to not only extend her lead, but get her best (legal) jumps since 2017! From 16th on the world list in 2021 entering the Trials, she’s now no. 3! She finished with 7.02 mw (23-0 1/2w).

Tiffany Flynn, who does not have the Olympic qualifying standard, moved to third in the fourth round at 6.75 m (22-1 3/4), a lifetime best (and no. 27 on the 2021 list). But in the fifth round, Quanesha Burks, the 2020 U.S. indoor champion, launched out to 6.96 m (22-10) for second, to which Davis responded immediately with 7.04 m (23-1 1/4) to regain second place. Flynn responded with another lifetime best of 6.80 m (22-3 3/4), but she remained in fourth.

Davis also finished at 7.02 m (23-1/2) and finished second with Burks third. All are on to Tokyo, with Reese once again in the mix for gold.

● Men’s 400 m hurdles: Khallifah Rosser ran hardest on the start in lane eight, but favored Rai Benjamin ran patiently to come even at the fifth hurdle. But then Benjamin exploded into the turn and ran away from the field, winning by an expanding margin in a staggering 46.83, the no. 2 time in history – and the 2021 world leader – just 0.05 from the world record!

“I knew I was going to run 46,” Benjamin said afterwards. He’ll have more chances to take Kevin Young’s world record of 46.78 from the 1992 Olympic Games.

Behind him was Kenny Selmon, who made his first Olympic team after an up-and-down year in a lifetime best of 48.08 and David Kendziera was third, also with a personal best of 48.38. Rosser ended up fifth with a season’s best of 48.81.

● Women’s 200 m: World leader Gabby Thomas started in lane six, with Allyson Felix outside her in seven. Off the gun, Thomas was on fire, passed Felix on the turn and was joined by Jenna Prandini off the turn into the straight.

But Thomas had all the strength on the straightaway and finished with her arms in the air, stopping the timer at 21.61, her third world-leader in three races and the no. 3 time in history! Only Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 21.34 and 21.56 in Seoul in 1988 have ever been faster!

Prandini was sensational with a lifetime best of 21.89 (no. 9 all-time U.S.) for second and the battle for third was won by Ohio State’s Anavia Battle, who was third at the NCAA Championships a couple of weeks ago! Now she’s on the Olympic team, with a lifetime best of 21.95, ahead of Alabama’s NCAA runner-up Tamara Clark (21.98) and Felix (22.11).

Thomas authored one of the greatest series of races in the event at 21.98, 21.94 and 21.61 and is one of the favorites for a medal in Tokyo.

● Men’s 110 m hurdles: In the first semi, World Champion Grant Holloway broke fast, hurdled perfectly and ran through the line in a sensational 12.81 with an aiding wind of +1.8 m/s, the no. 2 time in history behind only Aries Merritt’s 12.80 from 2012. He regained the world lead and a threat to the world record in the final!

Trey Cunningham was second (13.21) and Jamal Britt was third (13.27). Sam Bixley of Washington State, disqualified yesterday during the false-start festival, appealed and was advanced to the semis, but finished ninth in 13.99.

Devon Allen won semi two in 13.10 (+1.2), ahead of Daniel Roberts (13.25) and Michael Dickson (13.29). Jarret Eaton was fourth in 13.32, but made the final.

All eyes were on Holloway nearly two hours later for the final, but there was another recall, with no one disqualified. Off the gun, Holloway and Roberts were in front right away and Holloway raced away with a clear lead and won decisively in 12.96 (+0.4). Roberts was second through most of the race, but Allen came on late and got second at the tape at 13.10, with Roberts at 13.11. Cunningham was fourth in 13.21, equaling his personal best.

After the first day of the women’s heptathlon, veteran Annie Kunz is in the lead at 4,042 points, trailed by Taliyah Brooks (3,946) and favored Kendell Williams (3,924) and then Erica Bougard (3,912). Only Williams and Bougard have the Olympic standard (6,420), but Kunz and Brooks are capable if everything goes right tomorrow.

There was qualifying only in the men’s 200 m and women’s 400 m hurdles, with lots of noteworthy action.

The men’s 200 m semis started with a strong turn from Kenny Bednarek and he powered down the straight for a 19.90 win (+0.9 m/s), ahead of Isiah Young’s 19.99 seasonal best and a 20.02 lifetime best from Andrew Hudson. Fred Kerley – already on the team in the 100 m – started slowly, tending to a small injury, then turned it on in the final 100, but still ended up fourth in 20.08.

World Champion Noah Lyles headlined the second semi and started brilliantly in lane eight, taking control around the turn and leading into the straightaway. But he was run down by 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton in the final 60 m, who won in 19.88, erasing Usain Bolt’s 2004 mark of 19.93! And Knighton was pointing to the clock in the final 10 m!

Lyles was second in 19.91, with world leader Terrance Laird third in 20.22. Kerley did make it through on time for the final.

The semifinals in the women’s 400 m hurdles started with world leader Sydney McLaughlin running hard from the start and was even with the hard-charging Nnenya Hailey over the eighth hurdle, but then ran away down the straightaway. McLaughlin’s easy style still produced a 53.03 time, second this year only to her own 52.83 from earlier this month.

Hailey scored a lifetime best of 54.24 in second and Cassandra Tate was third in a seasonal best of 55.24.

Semi two had world-record holder Dalilah Muhammad (lane 6) and world no. 2 Shamier Little (lane 5) going head-to-head. It took three starts to get a fair gun, and Muhammad got out fast as expected, with the lead through the seventh hurdle. Little gained on the far turn and was even with Muhammad on the final straight, passing Muhammad on the run-in for a 53.71 win, with Muhammad at 53.86 for a season’s best. USC’s NCAA champ Anna Cockrell was third in 55.10. The final will be epic.

What a day! The Trials finish tomorrow, with the men’s 5,000 starting at 10 a.m. to beat the heat.

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GYMNASTICS: Malone storms to Trials win, with Wiskus, Mikulak, Moldauer and Yoder named to men’s Artistic team for Tokyo

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. National All-Around and Olympic Trials All-Around champion Brody Malone (Photo: USA Gymnastics)

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The U.S. Olympic Trials in Artistic Gymnastics for men concluded Saturday in St. Louis, with Stanford’s Brody Malone now the clear leader of the American men’s team for Tokyo.

Malone won the first All-Around competition on Thursday and romped to a second win on Saturday, scoring 86.350 – 1.10 points better – for a two-day total of 171.600, exactly three points better than Yul Moldauer.

Malone won the High Bar with a two-day total of 29.250 and was second on Floor (29.100) and Rings (28.450) and third on Parallel Bars (28.500) to go along with sixth-place finishes on Pommel Horse and Vault. In 2021, he swept the NCAA, U.S. National Championships and now the Olympic Trials.

Muldauer won on Parallel Bars (28.500) and was second on Pommel Horse (28.350), but lost his chance at the title with a 13th-place total on High Bar. Shane Wiukus (168.150) and Sam Mikulak (166.750) followed in third and fourth overall and were named to the team. Both looked like locks, but Mikulak fell off the Pommel Horse on his last event to throw some drama into the selection process. He finished just 0.050 points ahead of Brandon Briones (also Stanford: 166.700).

Briones, Akash Modi (6th: 166.050), Allan Bower (7th: 165.450), and Cameron Bock (10th: 163.300) were named as alternates.

There was also an individual spot for a specialist and Alec Yoder was named for the Pommel Horse; he won the two-day competition scoring 29.600. Alex Diab, a Rings specialist, won that event at 29.400, and was named as alternate.

All are first-time Olympians except for Mikulak, now 28, who made his third Olympic squad.

The U.S. Trials will end tomorrow night with the second women’s All-Around, starring Simone Biles.

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ATHLETICS: Sisson crushes women’s 10,000 m field in 85-degree heat as Christie and Stevens win morning walks

By
Rich Perelman
-

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Saturday’s morning session of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon featured the men’s and women’s 20 km walk and the women’s 10,000 m, moved to 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. due to a heat wave that was expected to reach 101 degrees (F) in the afternoon.

In the men’s 20 km Walk, 2018 national champion Nick Christie led wire to wire, finishing I 1:30:48, trailed by Daniel Nehnevaj – who was second almost the entire race – in 1:31:59. Emmanuel Corvera was third (1:34:38).

The women’s 20 km Walk was also a clear victory, also from the start, for Robyn Stevens, in 1:35:13, followed by nine-time national outdoor champion Maria Michta-Coffey (1:39:25) and Miranda Melville (1:40:39).

No U.S. walker has met the Olympic qualifying standards of 1:21:00 for men or 1:31:00 for women, or is higher than 68th in the World Athletics World Rankings, making Olympic selection unlikely.

The women’s 10,000 m was held at 10 a.m. in about 85 degree heat, with 41 starters in a waterfall start, including a brand-new “American” in Weini Kelati, whose application for a change of allegiance from Eritrea was approved on Friday. She was the NCAA 10,000 m champ for New Mexico in 2019.

Lauren Hurley led the first four laps, then two-time World Championships finalist Emily Sisson took over and strung out the field with laps of 74-75 seconds instead of 78-79 for the first four. By 4,000 m, Sisson created a front group of 14, with five straight laps in the 75s (31:28 pace).

Sisson turned it up to 74.7-74.1-74.2 through 6,000 m and the lead pack was down to eight. She moved to 73.8 and 74.2 to 6,800 m and Sisson, Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer and Alicia Monson were breaking away from Natosha Rogers, Rachel Schneider and Sara Hall.

By 8,000 m, Sisson, Cranny, Schweizer and Monson were five seconds clear of Schneider and then Sisson started to break away with a 72.6 lap that Monson matched best with Cranny and Schweizer falling back. Sisson poured it on, running 72.4 to take control by 25 m with less than three laps to go. Cranny fell behind Monson and Schweizer, making it clear who was going to make the team.

Sisson increased to pace to 71.5, then 71.3 at the bell, with a 50 m lead over Monson and Schweizer, with Cranny well back in fourth. Sisson won in a stunning 31:03.82, a Trials record, and her second-fastest ever … amazing in the heat.

Schweizer – who was already on the team in the 5,000 m – came on for second with a 68.81 final lap and finished in 31:16.52 in only her fifth 10,000 m ever. Monson got third in 31:18.55 and Cranny was fourth in 31:35.22. All have the Olympic standard and are headed for Sapporo, where it is expected to be cooler than in Tokyo.

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GYMNASTICS: Biles dominates U.S. women’s Trials, wins three of four events to lead Lee and Chiles in first All-Around

By
Rich Perelman
-
Simone Biles at the 2016 Olympic Games (by Agencia Brasil Fotografias via Wikipedia Commons)

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The U.S. Olympic Trials in Artistic Gymnastics for women got going on Friday in St. Louis, with all eyes on superstar Simone Biles trying for a second Olympic Games after winning four golds and a bronze in Rio five years ago.

In early June, the main contenders faced off at the U.S. Nationals, with Biles winning the combined All-Arounds at 119.650 over Sunisa Lee (114.950) and Jordan Chiles (114.450). In St. Louis, they started from scratch once again.

First Rotation:
Biles and Lee started on the Uneven Bars, with Lee compiling the high score at 15.300 and Biles (14.600) third after a 14.800 performance by Riley McCusker on her only event of the night. Chiles began on Beam, recording a 14.233 score for the early lead, while MyKayla Skinner lit up the Vault, scoring 15.133 to lead after the first rotation.

Second Rotation:
Biles moved to the Beam and confidently took the lead, scoring a 15.133. Lee was next at 14.733 and Chiles scored 14.233.

Third Rotation:
Chiles was on Floor, scoring 13.633, while Skinner collected a 14.133 on Beam to move into fourth on that apparatus. Jade Carey took the lead on the Vault, scoring 15.200 in one of the two events she hopes to compete as a specialist in Tokyo. Lee scored a modest 13.233 on Floor, followed shortly after by a sensational 15.366 for Biles that put her in the overall lead. Kayla DiCello’s 13.966 on Floor placed her third behind Biles in that event, as Grace McCallum scored 14.166 for second.

Fourth Rotation:
Chiles finished with a quality Vault, scoring 14.966 and finishing the night at 57.132. Lee scored 14.400 on her Vault, and totaled 57.666 for her first-day effort. Everyone was waiting for Biles on Vault, and she did not disappoint, scoring a sensational 15.466, the highest score on any apparatus in the session, for a total of 60.565 points to win the first All-Around.

Skinner finished on Floor, scoring 13.866 for a first-day total of 56.598 points, placing her fourth in the overall standings for the night, behind Biles, Lee and Chiles. McCallum finished with a 14.633 in the Vault to move into fifth place overall (56.498) and DiCello totaled 14.600 and stands sixth at 56.298.

For comparison, Biles led after the first day at the U.S. Nationals in early June with 59.550 points, trailed by Lee at 57.350, Chiles at 56.900 and Leanne Wong at 55.300.

The men will finish with a second All-Around on Saturday; the women will go once more on Sunday.

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ATHLETICS: Bor and Finley claim Steeple and discus titles; Thomas and Prandini scream to 21.94-21.99 women’s 200 m semis wins; Mu and McLaughlin scary

By
Rich Perelman
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Hillary Bor is headed back to the Olympic Games after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials Steeplechase! (U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, via Wikipedia)

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Day six of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene featured 90-degree heat and had two finals – in the men’s discus and the men’s Steeple – and a passel of qualifying events.

The discus was the first final and 2019 World Champs finalist Sam Mattis took the lead right away at 62.51 m (205-1). The 2017 Worlds bronze winner and two-time U.S. champ Mason Finley fouled his first throw – after fouling his first two throws in qualifying yesterday – but got a fair toss of 60.70 m (199-2) in round two, sitting in fifth.

Mattis’s first throw held up as the leader through three rounds, but then Finley got untracked and went to the lead on his fourth throw of 62.80 m (206-0). Feeling good, he then extended his lead to 63.07 m (206-11) in round five and it looked like no one would catch him.

The desperation of the sixth round produced the best throws of the day for Josh Stroychen in sixth and James Plummer in seventh, but a foul for Finley. Then 2018 national champ Reggie Jagers got the throw he was waiting for at 62.61 m (205-5) to move from fifth into second place and on the team with three throwers left. That’s the way it ended: of the 12 finalists, the only three with the Olympic qualifying standard made the team – Finley, Jagers and Mattis – are on to Tokyo.

The men’s Steeple ended the program, and two-time Olympian Donn Cabral led the pack through the first four laps with Rio Olympian Hillary Bor and Sean McGorty close. Benard Keter and Daniel Michalski came to the front with three laps remaining, but the pack was still together. Cabral and Bor led with two laps left, with Mason Ferlic now third, but Isaac Updike came up to lead Bor at the bell.

It was still anyone’s race, but six men separated themselves on the back straight and then Bor and Keter raced away with 200 m to go and into the final water jump. The two were together into the straight and when Keter made an awkward clearance on the last barrier, Bor raced away with an 8:21.34 win. It will be his second Olympic appearance after finishing seventh in Rio.

Keter was second in 8:21.81 and Ferlic used a great last water jump to separate from Michalski and Updike to claim third, 8:22.05-8:22.54-8:24.72. Cabral finished sixth in 8:25.95.

The healthy qualifying program included:

● Men’s 200 m: Things got hot immediately, as ex-prep star Erriyon Knighton ran hard from the gun in lane 4 and managed a remarkable win over World Champion Noah Lyles (in lane 7), and took away Lyles’s 2016 American Junior Record by 5/100ths, timing 20.04! Lyles was second in 20.19, ahead of ex-400 m star (and now 100 m Olympian) Fred Kerley (20.41).

The other heats weren’t nearly as fast, with Isiah Young beating Kenny Bednarek and Josephus Lyles in heat two, 20.21-20.22-20.39, and LSU star Terrance Laird – still the world leader – winning heat three in 20.44. The final heat was a win for Andrew Hudson in 20.40, with Georgia’s Matthew Boling (20.47) and 2008 Olympic 400 m champ LaShawn Merritt (20.53) third.

The semifinals and finals come Sunday.

● Men’s 1,500 m: The first semifinal was a wild dash into the final straight, with two-time U.S. champ Craig Engels moving out of a box and into lane two to break free and sprint to a win in 3:38.56. Notre Dame’s collegiate record holder Yared Nuguse was second in 3:35.60, as the top eight finished within 1.27 seconds.

In the second semi, the entire pack ran together almost to the bell and then Johnny Gregorek and reigning Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz took the lead as the running really started. Oregon frosh Cole Hocker, the NCAA champ, went to the lead with 250 m to go and he and Centrowitz raced together to the finish, with Centro winning in 3:42.96 – a 52-second last lap – and Hocker close at 3:43.00. Josh Thompson ran hard over the last 60 m to come up to third (3:43.61), as did Henry Wynne and Sam Prakel, leaving Gregorek in sixth and out of the final. Prep record holder Hobbs Kessler was eighth in 3:45.50.

● Men’s 110 m hurdles: The first three heats went as expected: World Champion Grant Holloway won the first race in 13.11, followed by Daniel Roberts in 13.22 and Devon Allen in a tight finish with Michael Dickson, with both in 13.26.

Then came the fourth heat with four recalls and resets, and then a disqualification of Sam Bixley of Washington State on the fifth recall for a slight flinch. On the sixth try, it was Iowa’s Jaylan McConico who looked best and edged Jarret Eaton, 13.35 to 13.51.

● Men’s 400 m hurdles: Khallifah Rosser led for the first nine hurdles in semi one, but Kenny Selmon came on in the home straight and won in 48.51, with Rosser at 49.04 and Isaiah Levingston third in 49.34. T.J. Holmes, a 48.20 man from 2019, did not have it and was last in 53.98. Amere Lattin, who won his heat yesterday, was disqualified after the meet ended last night for running on the lane line inside him.

Worlds silver medalist Rai Benjamin was the focus of semi two, and he ran away from the field right away. He had a 15 m lead over David Kendziera coming into the straight and then cruised him, literally jogging home in 48.51. Wow! USC’s Cameron Samuel passed Kendziera late for second, 49.01-49.05.

● Men’s High Jump: It took 2.19 m (7-2 1/4) to move to the final and 2012 Olympic champion Erik Kynard and LSU’s JuVaughn Harrison both advanced without incident.

However, Jeron Robinson, a three-time U.S. champion who has cleared 2.30 (7-6 1/2) this season, missed all three times at 2.14 m (7-0 1/4) and was eliminated.

● Men’s Long Jump: The top 12 included Rio fourth-placer Jarrion Lawson, who had to win a reversal of a drug suspension last year to be able to compete. He had two fouls, then unleashed the best jump of the day with a windy 8.12 mw (26-7 3/4 +3.2 m/s). He finished ahead of nine others over 26 feet, including Steffin McCarter (8.10 mw/26-7w), Marquis Dendy (8.09 mw/26-6 1/2w), LSU’s two-event star Harrison (8.06 m/26-5 1/2) and reigning Olympic champ Jeff Henderson in seventh (8.02 mw/26-3 3/4w).

Triple jump winner Will Claye was last at 7.18 m (23-6 3/4); 2012 Olympian Marquise Goodwin, now a Chicago Bears receiver, was 19th with 7.57 m (24-10).

● Women’s 200 m: Former Oregon star Jenna Prandini blew away the field from the start of semi one, with a huge lead off the turn and then striding home in 21.99 (-0.3 m/s), just 0.01 off the world leader from Gabby Thomas yesterday. Veteran Morolake Akinosun made up the stagger on Allyson Felix in lane eight through the turn, but Felix had plenty in reserve and moved confidently into second at 22.20 to assure a better lane for the final. Dezerea Bryant was third (22.37) ahead of Akinosun (22.44). Cam Sturgis of North Carolina A&T ended up seventh in 22.68.

Semi two had Thomas in lane six, and she stormed to the lead immediately and won easily in another lifetime best – and 2021 world-leading time – in 21.94 (+1.8)! Ohio State’s Anavia Battle was a distant second in 22.32 and Alabama’s Tamara Clark was third (22.35). Akinosun did qualify for the final on time.

● Women’s 800 m: All eyes were on Athing Mu, who let Chanelle Price lead the race for almost 700 m, with 2016 Trials winner Kate Grace just behind and Hanna Green in the mix. Into the final straight, Mu turned on a little speed and ran away from Grace to win in 1:59.31 to 1:59.43, with Price third in 1:59.90. Green got mixed up with Sage Hurta, who fell behind her, but still managed to get fourth in 2:10.19, but will miss the final. Mu looked so easy it was (and is) frightening.

The second semi saw Allie Wilson and Ajee Wilson running 1-2 at the bell and breaking away from the field with 300 m to go. Raevyn Rogers moved from the back into third with 200 m to go, but Ajee Wilson ran away from everyone down the straight and cruised home the winner in 1:59.49. Rogers came on strong for second at 1:59.66 and Allie Wilson was third (1:59.94). The final is Sunday.

● Women’s 400 m hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin was the star attraction of heat one – and the only one with the Olympic standard of 55.40. This race had three recalls, and the starter was holding quite a long time. On the fourth try, McLaughlin cruised around the track in 54.07, ahead of Nnenya Hailey – running hard all the way from lane eight – got an Olympic qualifier in 55.05!

World no. 2 Shamier Little was in lane seven in heat two, running just inside the Rio bronze medalist Ashley Spencer. The two ran together to hurdle eight, when Spencer chopped her step and Little cruised in at 55.22, with Spencer at 55.92. Cassandra Tate, the 2015 Worlds bronze medalist, was the class of heat three, winning decisively in 56.11, with NCAA champ Anna Cockrell second in 56.83. World-record holder and reigning Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad looked to be in perfect health – after months of injuries – in winning heat four in 55.51.

● Women’s Javelin: No surprise as the American Record holder, Maggie Malone, led the list at 59.62 m (195-7), followed by former American Record holder, Kara Winger, with 58.78 m (192-10. They are the only ones who have the Olympic qualifying standard of 64.00 (210-0).

Saturday’s program includes finals in 20 km walks and men’s 10,000 m in the morning, then the first day of the women’s heptathlon and then finals in the women’s hammer, women’s javelin, men’s vault, women’s long jump, men’s 400 m hurdles, women’s 200 m and the men’s 110 m hurdles.

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THE TICKER: Tokyo 2020 could still ban spectators; U.S. Soccer posts 17-tweet reply to HBOMax’s“LFG” film; Tour de France starts Saturday

By
Rich Perelman
-

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The latest news, notes and quotes from the worldwide Five-Ring Circus:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● A modest rise in coronavirus infections in the Tokyo area and reports of two infected members of the Ugandan delegation has resulted in further concerns about the Olympics as a spreader event.

Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto told reporters on Friday that further tightening of the counter-measures will be made and that the decision to allow some spectators into the venues could be revisited if the infection rate continues to rise.

On Wednesday, Tokyo 2020 announced a new ticket lottery for the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and eight sports across 97 sessions: Athletics (16 sessions), Baseball (16), Football (30), Golf (8)), Modern Pentathlon (2), Rugby (8), Softball (7) and Surfing (8), in order to accommodate the new spectator capacity limits. Ticket holders who are selected will be able to print their tickets out at home on 6 July.

On Thursday, the head of the Imperial Household Agency said that Emperor Naruhito is concerned that the Games may lead to a rise in infections, but Yasuhiko Nishimura also noted that he has “not heard such words directly from his majesty.”

NBCUniversal told reporters on Tuesday that its advertising sales effort for the postponed Tokyo Games has reached $1.2 billion so far, just shot of the $1.25 billion it had sold for the event in 2020.

Adweek reported “Currently, NBCUniversal has more than 120 advertisers lined up for Tokyo – roughly 20 more than the 100-plus it had in Rio – and more than 80 of those advertisers did not participate in the Rio Games. It has seem the biggest increase in technology, pharmaceutical and social categories, which are doubling or tripling the business from Rio.”

The total U.S. audience for the Games is expected to top 200 million.

● Athletics ● The 2021 Wanda Diamond League schedule is being revised, with the two meets due to be held in China now cancelled due to travel restrictions and coronavirus issues in China.

The meets were scheduled for Shanghai on 14 August and another location to be determined on 22 August. There might be exhibition events held after the Diamond League Final in Zurich on 8-9 September, but this will depend on the travel situation at that time. The events that were to be held in the two meets will be re-distributed to the remaining events.

There was more Diamond League news on Wednesday, as Hayward Field in Eugene was selected to host the 2023 Diamond League final, the first time the culminating event will be held outside of Europe.

Jamaica’s two-time Olympic 200 m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, 39, announced her retirement on Wednesday, finishing a brilliant career that saw her win a total of eight Olympic medals and five World Championships titles both indoor and out.

Campbell-Brown had been competing in U.S. meets in 2021, but managed bests of only 11.20 in the 100 m and 23.73 in the 200 m. She has lifetime bests of 10.76 – no. 11 all-time – from 2011 and a 200 m best of 21.74 – also no. 11 – from 2008.

She won the Olympic 200 m titles in 2004 and 2008 and won World Championships golds in the 100 m in 2007 and the 200 m in 2011. She also ran on Jamaica’s Olympic-winning 4×100 m in 2004 and on silver-medal teams in 2000–12-16.

It’s not well remembered that she was also the SEC champion in the 100 m and 200 m for Arkansas back in 2004, but her only scoring in the NCAA meet was on the fifth-place 4×100 m team in that year.

● Basketball ● USA Basketball formally announced its women’s national team for the Tokyo Games, which will try to win a seventh consecutive Olympic tournament.

The team includes enormous experience: two players who will be five-time Olympians (Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi), four-time Olympian Sylvia Fowles, three-time Olympians Tina Charles, second-time Olympians Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart, plus six first-time Olympians. The U.S. women are 66-3 all-time in Olympic competition and have won 49 games in a row.

The women’s 3×3 team will include Stefanie Dolson (Chicago Sky), Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces) and Katie Lou Samuelson (Seattle Storm), who will enter the event as the favorites after going 6-0 at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament earlier this year. It’s worthwhile to note that all four are playing in the WNBA, while the U.S. men’s team – which did not qualify – had no current NBA players.

● Cycling ● It’s time for the 108th Tour de France, which will start on Saturday in Brest in the Brittany region, then head east to the Alps, south to the Pyrenees and finally back to Paris on 18 July.

The 21 stages include two time trials, eight flat stages, five hilly to medium mountain stages and six punishing mountain stages over a total distance of 3,417.5 km (2,123.5 miles). The race will be televised in the U.S., mostly on NBCSN, with some weekend stages on NBC.

The 139 registered riders include former winners Chris Froome (GBR: 4 wins), Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali (1), Britain’s Geraint Thomas (1) and last year’s winner, Tadej Pogacar (SLO).

Pogacar and countryman Primoz Roglic are among the favorites for 2021, along with Thomas, Richard Carapaz (ECU), Richie Porte of Australia and home favorite Julian Alaphilippe, who led for 14 stages in 2019 before yielding to eventual winner Egan Bernal (COL). Pogacar, Roglic and Porte went 1-2-3 last year.

Chelsea Wolfe of the U.S. is an alternate for the BMX Freestyle event in Tokyo, and may not compete. But her goal was to not just win, but make her feelings known on the podium.

Fox News reported earlier this week:

“‘My goal is to win the Olympics so I can burn a US flag on the podium. This is what they focus on during a pandemic. Hurting trans children,’ Wolfe wrote on Facebook on March 25, 2020, along with a link to a PinkNews story about the Trump administration’s stance on transgender girls in female athletics.”

The story noted that “Wolfe identifies as a transgender woman.” If she gets her chance, she will face sanctions from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, as its guidelines for prohibited behavior include the “Defacing, distorting, or causing physical harm to a national flag.”

● Football ● The latest chapter of Euro 2020’s “bottlegate” came Friday when tournament organizers UEFA announced that “teams, players and coaches will be asked in advance if they would object to having the bottles placed in front of them at press conferences on religious grounds.”

French star Paul Pogba, who is Muslim, removed a bottle of a non-alcoholic version of Heineken during his news conference last week.

The U.S. Soccer Federation posted a 17-tweet response to the HBOMax documentary film “LFG” about the U.S. women’s National Team’s win at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France that was available to see on Thursday (24th).

The federation started with “there is a concerning level of dishonesty about U.S. Soccer and the USWNT’s compensation that we feel must be addressed. Specifically, lawyer Jeffrey Kessler presents a misleading and inaccurate account of the facts.” And it continues (presented as posted):

● Kessler’s own admission in the movie that certain things he says are “a little bit of an exaggeration” pertains to a lot of the misleading information he presents, conveniently without context or specific details. So, we’d like to talk about real facts. 2/17

● Kessler claims that “merely for showing up and playing a game, the men get more per game than the women.”

The facts: The men’s and women’s teams are represented by different unions and knowingly requested and agreed to different compensation models. 3/17

● The USWNTPA asked for and agreed to a contract that provides a guaranteed salary of $100k and benefits, plus a bonus for matches. The men’s contract is pay-for-play – meaning they only get paid when they play. No guaranteed salary. No benefits. 4/17

● Are the bonuses smaller than the USMNT game bonuses? Yes, b/c the USWNTPA negotiated for a $100k salary and benefits. Kessler conveniently leaves out those 2 things and only compares bonuses. He also fails to mention the $90k+ salary U.S. Soccer pays for playing in the NWSL. 5/17

● This structure was preferred by the USWNT as it ensures security and stability. If a player gets hurt on Jan. 2, she still gets paid her full salary (and NWSL salary). During COVID when there were no games USWNT still got paid every 2 wks + benefits. USMNT got paid $0. 6/17

● While negotiating their last agreement signed in 2017, the USWNTPA turned down a pay-to-play structure, the exact same way the men’s team is paid. 7/17

● At the time, a player rep told http://SI.com that “equal isn’t the right word. It would be equitable, because we are asking for a different structure.” https://ussoc.cr/t7m4e 8/17

● Kessler also alleges differences in hotel accommodations for the USWNT and USMNT, joking the USWNT stays at Motel 6.

The facts: The USWNT consistently stays at some of the finest hotel properties in the world and has for 20 years. 9/17

● Kessler claims the WNT “almost never travel in charters” and “the last one they did was after the World Cup.”

The facts: The WNT & MNT have chartered the exact same amount of flights from ‘18 to now (18 each). 6 for WNT were post-WWC, including most recent in April 2021. 10/17

● Kessler says that FIFA doesn’t pay the players World Cup prize money directly and insinuates that since FIFA gives the money to the Federations, we haven’t provided it fairly to the players.

The facts: U.S. Soccer paid 100% of the WC prize money to the WNT. 11/17

● The amount of prize $$ for the Men’s WC and Women’s WC is set by FIFA, not U.S. Soccer. We agree it should be equalized. We are also open to the teams sharing their prize $$ with each other if they choose. 12/17

● USSF has pressed FIFA to eliminate the gap in prize money – which right now is $34m ($38m for MWC winner and $4m for WWC winner) – and will continue to do so. Kessler says we should pay the difference from past WCs and any future differences. A total of almost $100m. 13/17

● The facts: Asking us to pay the difference in FIFA prize money would take millions away from developing USYNT players, coaches & referees. We would have less money to develop the next generation and grow the sport, and it could even bankrupt USSF. 14/17

● Kessler also consistently distorts the facts on revenue generation and TV ratings in his commentary in the movie. 15/17

● Our USWNT and USMNT are among the highest paid in the world, with the USWNT making more than almost every men’s national team globally. We’re confident that working together we can reach an agreement that benefits everyone moving forward. 16/17

● We remain committed to building on the success of our teams and continuing to grow soccer here in the U.S. at every level of the game. 17/17

This is a remarkable – although not unprecedented – use of Twitter, and a corresponding news release is not shown on the USSF Web site, and will be a point of debate among public relations professionals for years to come.

As for the actual dispute between the women’s team and the federation, the equal-pay lawsuit was dismissed on summary judgement by U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner on 1 May 2020. Klausner wrote in part, “the WNT both played more games and made more money than the MNT per game” and “the reality [is] that the MNT and WNT bargained for different agreements which reflect different preferences, and that the WNT explicitly rejected the terms they now seek to retroactively impose on themselves.”

The decision has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

● Shooting ● On Wednesday, USA Shooting posted a news release which began with:

“USA Shooting was notified by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) today that Olympic Team Nominee Keith Sanderson has been excluded from the U.S. Delegation for Tokyo due to a suspension handed down by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. In accordance with the guidance provided by, and in cooperation with the USOPC, Tokyo Alternate Jack Leverett III has been promoted to fill this quota place in Men’s 25M Rapid Fire Pistol and will compete alongside his brother Henry Leverett.”

Matt Suggs, USA Shooting’s chief executive, added: “USA Shooting remains committed to the safety of our athletes, staff, and volunteers and SafeSport is an important part of that commitment. Since the launch of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, 20 cases have been filed in connection with USA Shooting, and this is the first suspension of any kind for a USAS staff member, volunteer, coach, or athlete.”

The U.S. Center for SafeSport site lists Sanderson as suspended as of 1 June 2021 for “Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Harassment.” A statement from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee noted that his suspension is for three months.

Sanderson, 46, competed in 2008, 2012 and 2016 in the 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol event, finishing with a best of fifth in Beijing.

● Swimming ● The 21 June notice of the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision to suspend Chinese star Yang Sun after a re-hearing imposed a suspension of four years and three months:

“The new Panel found Sun Yang to have acted recklessly in particular when he refused to allow the blood samples to leave with the Sample Collection Personnel, causing the abortion of the out-of-competition anti-doping control of 4-5 September 2018.”

That’s the same conclusion as the first panel reached, but Sun actually did quite a bit better due to an intervening change in the FINA rules. As a second-time violator of the anti-doping rules, he had been suspended for eight years as per the FINA rules in place at the time when the first decision was released, in December 2020.

Since then, FINA’s rules were amended so that sanctions for a second offense are more flexible and can reflect “the entirety of the circumstances.” Thus, the penalty was changed from a full eight years to 51 months. Sun’s sanction runs from 28 February 2020 and will finish at the end of May in 2024, leaving him eligible – at age 33 – to compete in Paris in 2024.

New FINA President Husain Al Musallam (KUW) struck a cordial note on Thursday about the future relationship between the federation and the International Swimming League during a conference call with reporters:

“For me as president of FINA, my door is open for ISL or any other commercial operation. We will work with ISL if ISL would like to work with FINA.”

This is a sea change from the initially-hostile relations between the two, and two lawsuits against FINA by ISL and by a group of its swimmers are still pending in Federal Court in California. However, ISL has held two seasons thus far without sanctions from FINA and is preparing to begin a third after the Tokyo Games.

ISL posted no reply to Al Musallam’s comments on its Web site or Twitter feed.

● The Last Word ● Legacy can be a tough part of Olympic hosting, as the folks in Korea are finding out.

The Alpensia Resort, which was the site for biathlon, cross-country skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping and bobsleigh, luge and skeleton at the 2018 Winter Games, was sold by its government-owned operator to a private-sector buyer for 710 billion won or about $628.93 million U.S.

The deal is slated to close in August, but there are doubts whether the buyer, a specially-created subsidiary of electronics parts maker KH Feelux, can conclude the deal. The property – which opened in 2009 – had been up for sale multiple times and condominiums in what had been the Olympic Village, did not sell as hoped.

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ATHLETICS: Coburn and Frerichs 1-2 in women’s Steeple; Ramsey and Saunders earn women’s shot berths; world-lead 21.98 for Gabby Thomas!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Emma Coburn, the 2017 World Champion in the 3,000 m Steeple (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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The second half of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials started up on Thursday with lots of qualifying, but finals only in the women’s shot and the women’s 3,000 m steeplechase.

The women’s shot put was immediately thrown into chaos when Felisha Johnson – the U.S. leader and no. 4 on the world list at 19.45 m (63-9 3/4) – had three fouls and did not advance to the final. The qualifying leader was Raven Saunders, fifth in the 2016 Rio Games, with a season’s best of 19.16 m (62-10 1/2), now no. 10 on the 2021 world list.

In the final, the first-round leader was Jessica Ramsey, who reached an outdoor lifetime best at 19.45 m (63-9 3/4), just a couple of inches short of her all-time best. But everything changed in round three, when Saunders sent the 4 kg ball arcing past the last  chalk line to 19.96 m (65-6), a lifetime best and moving her to no. 4 on the all-time U.S.  list, with the seventh-best throw ever! She also moved to no. 2 on the 2021 year list.

But that only fired up Ramsey, whose fourth-round toss reached 20.12 m (66-0 1/4), a lifetime best and making her no. 4 in U.S. history with the equal-sixth-furthest throw in American history. Rio Olympic champ Michelle Carter is the only other American to throw that far (twice) in the last 10 years! Ramsey replaced Saunders as no. 2 for 2021.

Ohio State’s NCAA champ Adelaide Aquilla upset Maggie Ewen for the third ticket to Tokyo, 18.95 m-18.92 m (62-2 1/4 to 62-1).

In the Steeple, 2017 World Champion Emma Coburn was the favorite, along with American Record holder Courtney Frerichs, who was at or on the lead for the first four laps. Coburn, who usually hangs back, moved up to second with three laps to go and ready to pounce. With two laps left, Frerichs, Coburn and Leah Falland separated from the rest, but then Falland fell over the next barrier.

Coburn took the lead with a lap and a half left and she and Frerichs led at the bell, with Coburn in front by 3 m and expanding her edge. It was over on the backstraight and Coburn charged home in a Trials record 9:09.41, with Frerichs in 9:11.79.

Falland got up and ran with Marissa Howard on the last lap, but both faded and Val Constien came up to get third in a lifetime best of 9:18.34. Howard finished fifth and Falland was ninth.

In the early qualifying, the women’s hammer also had a surprise with UCLA junior Alyssa Wilson exploding to 73.75 m (241-11), now no. 12 on the 2021 list. It’s a lifetime best of more than 10 feet.

The qualifying was led by World Champion DeAnna Price at 77.10 m (252-11), followed by Wilson and Janee Kassanavoid at 72.89 m (238-6). Brooke Andersen and Gwen Price, nos. 2-3 on the world list, also qualified easily. The final is Saturday.

In the afternoon and evening events:

● Men’s 1,500 m: Prep sensation Hobbs Kessler (3:34.36) announced on Wednesday that he has turned professional and focused on trying to make it to Tokyo instead of competing at Northern Arizona in the fall. He ended up winning heat one in 3:45.63 with a well-timed move out of a box on the final straight, moving into lane two to edge Josh Thompson (3:45.67).

Reigning Olympic 1,500 champ Matthew Centrowitz was the focus of heat two, but Oregon’s NCAA champ Cole Hocker led from start to finish, winning in 3:39.72, with Waleed Suliman (3:39.92), Craig Engels (3:40.03) and Centrowitz (3:40.09) following easily. The third heat was a classic mass finish with Sam Prakel winning in 3:39.02 and Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse jetting ahead of the rest in 3:39.09. Henry Wynne (3:39.10) was third and veterans Johnny Gregorek (6th: 3:39.36) and Ben Blankenship (9th: 3:42.46) also advanced to the semifinals.

● Men’s 5,000 m: The first heat turned into a final-lap sprint with six runners trying for five auto-qualifying spots. Down the final straight, Eric Jenkins had the best sprint and won in 13:43.18, followed by Grant Fisher (13:4341) and 10,000 m winner Woody Kincaid (13:43.81). Jenkins finished in 55.06.

Heat two had nine runners in contact at the bell, but Rio 5,000 m silver medalist Paul Chelimo had control of the race, with Emmanuel Bor on his right shoulder. The pace increased, but Chelimo was unchallenged, winning in 13:36.66, ahead of Nico Young (13:36.74) and Hassan Mead (13:36.80) with Bor fourth (13:36.84).

● Men’s 400 m hurdles: Some strange things going on in the heats, as Kenny Selmon won heat one in 49.03 ahead of Oklahoma’s Isaiah Livington (49.06), but with Quincy Downing clobbering the hurdle inside of him (!) as he came over the eighth flight, falling and finishing last. In heat two, superstar Rai Benjamin went out too casually and stutter-stepped hurdles two and three and didn’t get to the lead until the straightaway … and still ran 49.12, ahead of David Kenzeira (49.19).

World leader Sean Burrell of LSU was the headliner in heat three, but after Quincy Hall grabbed his leg after the second hurdle and fell to the track, Burrell fell over hurdle eight! Amere Lattin won the heat in 49.81, followed by T.J. Holmes (49.90). Heat four was a mad dash among collegians, with Cameron Samuel (USC) beat Jonathan Harvey (Oregon), Charles Brockman (Texas) and Trevor Bassitt (Ashland), 49.89-49.95-49.98-49.99.

● Men’s Discus: The qualifying leaders were Legend Boyesen-Hayes at 62.59 m (205-4), followed by 2018 U.S. national champion Reggie Jagers (62.55 m/205-2) and Sam Mattis (62.15 m/203-11). But 2017 Worlds bronze medalist Mason Finley was way off his game, reaching only 59.64 m (195-8) after two fouls, but qualifying as 10th out of 12.

● Women’s 200 m: Five heats to advance 16 to the semis, with Sha’Carri Richardson and Javianne Oliver – 1-2 in the women’s 100 m last Saturday – skipping this event. North Carolina A&T star Cam Sturgis flew down the straight to win in 22.37 (+1.7 m/s) over a season’s best from Teahna Daniels (22.54). Ohio State’s Anavia Battle, third at the NCAAs, won heat two in 22.37 (+1.2), over Dezerea Bryant in 22.71.

The revelation was Jenna Prandini in heat three, steaming around the turn and relaxing into the straight in a lifetime best of 22.14 (+1.9) – old, 22.16 from 2018 – and moving to sixth on the 2021 year list. Brittany Brown was second (22.49) and 400 m winner Quanera Hayes was third (22.58). Even faster was Gabby Thomas, running a world-leading 21.98 in heat four (+0.7)! She zoomed the turn and then pushed through the straight, blasting her old best of 22.17 from earlier this year. Thomas is now no. 10 in U.S. history and the 11th American woman to break 22 seconds.

Allyson Felix headlined the final heat, but NCAA runner-up Tamara Clark led off the turn and won in 22.54 (+1.0), with Morolake Akinosun (22.48) second and Felix finishing third (22.56, time qualifier).

● Women’s 800 m: In heat one, Chanelle Price, the 2014 World Indoor Champion, led through 400 m in 58.7, through 600 m and then worked the straight right to the wire in 1:59.86, her sixth-fastest race ever!

Athing Mu showed why she is the most feared athlete in this event, controlling her race and winning in 2:00.69 over Hanna Green (2:00.79). American Record holder Ajee Wilson won heat three in 2:00.55, winning a sprint finish over Allie Wilson (2:00.71, no relation) and Michaela Meyer (2:00.75). Favorites Sabrina Southerland (2:00.85) and Raevyn Rogers (2:00.75) won heats four and five.

● Women’s Pole Vault: Ten athletes cleared 4.50 m (14-9) to qualify, including stars Jenn Suhr, Sandi Morris and Katie Nageotte, plus contenders including Morgann LeLeux and Olivia Gruver. Three made it at 4.40 m (14-5 1/4), so there will be 13 in the final.

● Women’s Long Jump: Twelve advanced to the final, with no surprises. Four-time World Champion Brittney Reese led the qualifiers with a season’s best – right on time – at 6.86 m (22-6 1/4), followed by Quanesha Burks (6.81 m/22-4 1/4). Texas star Tara Davis reached 6.68 m (21-11) in the second round, and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta was ninth with a seasonal best of 6.54 m (21-5 1/2). Triple jump winner Keturah Orji also made it in at eighth at 6.54 m (21-5 1/2).

The women’s 400 m hurdles qualifying will be held on Friday, but CeCe Telfer – a transgender runner with a best of 57.53 from 2019 – was removed from the Trials for not meeting the World Athletics standards for eligibility. The World Athletics rules require that transgender athletes competing in events from 400 m to the mile have a testosterone level of 5 nmol/L or less, maintained for at least 12 months. The Associated Press reported, “USATF said it had been notified last week that Telfer had not met the conditions and the federation passed along that information to the runner.”

Telfer ranked no. 130 on the 2019 world list and her 57.53 best would rank no. 123 in 2021.

Friday also has a lot of qualifying events, but finals in the men’s discus and men’s 3,000 m steeplechase. The weekend schedules are almost all finals.

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GYMNASTICS: Rising star Brody Malone leads first day of Olympic Trials ahead of Wiskus, Moldauer and Mikulak

By
Rich Perelman
-

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The U.S. Olympic Trials in Artistic Gymnastics got underway in St. Louis on Thursday with the first men’s All-Around program. Both the men’s and women’s programs will send four-person teams to Tokyo, with the U.S. earning an extra individual competitor in the men’s and women’s competitions. Jade Carey has also earned a place at the Games (still to be confirmed) by virtue of her performances at the FIG Apparatus World Cups over the past two seasons.

The USA Gymnastics selection procedures state that the top two athletes from the combined two days of All-Arounds will be named to the team (with some qualifications), with the remaining places and replacement athletes to be determined by the “Athlete Selection Committee.”

Thursday’s men’s first All-Around saw NCAA and national champion Brody Malone dominate once again, winning on Floor (14.600, tied with Sam Mikulak) and High Bar (14.450), on his way to a first-day winning total of 85.250, ahead of Shane Wiskus (84.300), Yul Moldauer (83.200), veteran Mikulak (83.200) and Malone’s Stanford teammate Brandon Briones (82.700).

Wiskus won the Parallel Bars at 14.500 and Donnell Whittenburg was especially impressive on Vault, winning at 15.050. The specialists who shined included Alex Diab on Rings, winning at 14.500, and Alec Yoder on Pommel Horse, winning at 15.050.

Malone’s score was down a bit from his spectacular National Championships performance, where he scored 86.250 on the first day, followed by 84.450 on the second day.

The men will go again on Saturday; the women – led by Simone Biles – will go tomorrow.

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THE LATEST: ITA report shows IWF mishandled, covered up or bungled 142 doping cases from more than a dozen countries from 2009-19

By
Rich Perelman
-
Former International Weightlifting Federation president Tamas Ajan (HUN). (Photo: IWF)

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A 50-page report released Thursday about doping and the International Weightlifting Federation from the International Testing Agency documented a years-long program of doping positives going unpunished due to “administrative oversight due to poor organisation skills, to jurisdictional mix-up, to passivity, and on to blatant cover-up.”

In addition to a lengthy review of some 146 cases from 2009-19 which required investigation, the report specifically alleges direct violations of the World Anti-Doping Code against:

● Former IWF President Tamas Ajan (HUN) for “Complicity and Tampering with multiple” doping violations;

● Current IWF Vice President Nico Vlad, also the current President of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation; and

● Hassan Akkus, President of the European Weightlifting Confederation and former President of the Turkish Weightlifting Federation.

The IWF issued a statement in which Interim President Dr. Michael Irani noted:

“While the IWF is thankful for the ITA’s clear acknowledgement that such craven acts could not be repeated under its independent results management process, thanks to the arrangements in place for some time now, today’s report shows just how dark the dark days of our sport were. To all those athletes who were cheated of the opportunity to compete fairly, I would like to offer the IWF’s unreserved apology.”

Astonishingly, however, the statement did not include resignations or suspensions of Vlad or Akkus, both listed as current members of the IWF Executive Board!

The ITA inquiry was commissioned in November 2020 and took eight months, as a reaction to the German ARD network documentary “Lord of the Lifters” from January 2020 and the subsequent investigation by McLaren Global Sport Solutions, filed in June 2020, which detailed numerous doping, financial and governance problems in the federation.

The ITA focused on 146 questionable doping cases identified by the World Anti-Doping Agency and was able to review some 75 GB of IWF data, conducted interviews with 15 people, reviewed 14 whistle-blower reports and “produced over 75 investigative, interview or human source intelligence reports.”

Of the 146 questionable cases, four were listed by WADA itself and 142 were positives in the WADA registry from weightlifting that had not been resolved. Of the 142:

● 67 were found to have been properly handled by the IWF, but WADA was never informed;

● 23 cases are being handled by the ITA currently, all from 2019;

● 12 cases were resuscitated by the ITA and are being reviewed;

● 6 cases were under the jurisdiction of anti-doping organizations other than the IWF; these have been handed over to the correct authority for further review;

● 5 cases were not doping violations at all;

● 29 cases cannot be reviewed since the 10-year statue of limitations has passed, and/or the applicable samples have been destroyed.

The report went into considerable detail on some of the methodologies used to work out positive doping results. This included:

“For the vast majority of samples on the WADA List, the [Doping Control Form], and hence the athlete’s identity, had not been matched in ADAMS [data reporting system] by the IWF or other responsible [testing authority]. The only information available to WADA (and the ITA) was the laboratory result contained in ADAMS, with limited information.

“The ITA’s investigation found evidence that in some instances the IWF deliberately avoided matching DCFs with sample codes so as to purposely omit to link the [adverse findings] to the athlete in ADAMS, with a view to circumvent WADA’s scrutiny.”

But the efforts went much further, including simply ignoring WADA’s requests for information, backdating test reports, substituting samples and other activities regarding multiple federations:

● Azerbaijan: 23 samples provided by 18 Azeri lifters in 2013 came back positive, but three of those athletes were permitted to compete in the IWF World Championships that year. Wrote Ajan in a December letter following the Worlds:

“What we have done for your athletes and Federation is something the IWF has never done before and not willing or able to do in the future. The knot tightens around my neck and my 45 years work could go down in a blink.”

● Egypt: 11 of the 29 “lost cases” took place between 2009-10, but when asked about this, the Egyptian federation “explained that the current EWF administration was not
involved back then and that archives were lost during the civil uprising that took place in
Egypt around the same period, so no conclusion could be drawn on those cases.”

● Thailand: “Between 2011 and 2012, it appears that 93 [Thai] athletes tested positive for anabolic steroids. TAWA [the Thai federation] stated that the athletes who tested positive belonged to provincial clubs and the large number of cases were a result of an initiative taken by TAWA and the Sports Authority of Thailand to ‘get rid of or to minimize positives cases of weightlifting in Thailand’.

“In 2015, upon inquiry by WADA, TAWA provided the IWF with an Excel spreadsheet
containing the names and sanctions imposed on 85 athletes (18 male, 67 female). This
document indicated that the athletes were sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of two
years each. Based on the IWF Records reviewed by the ITA, these numbers did not alarm the IWF, nor trigger any reaction. In hindsight, the ITA finds that the recurrence of waves of ADRVs in Thai weightlifting speaks to the nonchalance of the IWF to the systemic issue of the prevalence of doping in some regions.”

● Turkey: Akkus “colluded with the IWF to change the responsible authority (i.e. the Results Management Authority) for 17 Turkish athletes from the IWF to the [Turkish Weightlifting Federation]” in 2013.

“The purpose of this plot was to avoid the TWF being sanctioned by the IWF under the regime of sanctions imposed on Member Federations … Considering that, for [IWF] sanctions, only IWF cases are taken into account and not national [doping violations], the requalification of the sanctions to national-level allowed the TWF and its official to avoid being banned from participating in any IWF activities for a period of up to 4 years and allowed the TWF to avoid the payment of a fine of up to USD 500,000.”

● Ajan and Vlad were involved in a scheme in 2012 to allow Romanian lifter Roxana Cocos to compete in the women’s 69 kg class at the London 2012 Games, at which she won a silver medal. She had tested positive in April 2012 and had substituted samples in 2010 and 2012. She was disqualified in 2019 after re-tests of her samples were done, but Ajan and Vlad had allowed her to compete despite knowing she was ineligible due to her anti-doping rules violations.

● The report further notes that Ajan’s obstruction was responsible for delaying the processing 50 cases from 2014 and before, including the 29 which have been classified as irretrievable.

The report further noted:

“During its investigation, the ITA came across evidence of wrongdoing which was outside the scope of the ITA’s mandate. This included identified misconduct such as, but not limited to, contractual malfeasance, a fishy transfer market for athlete nationality, and indications of misappropriation and financial impropriety related to fines imposed in doping cases.”

It’s another black eye for the IWF and for Irani, who has been a member of the “IWF Medical Committee” since 1992. The federation has a Constitutional Congress and elections coming up prior to the Tokyo Games.

Weightlifting’s place on the Olympic program is at stake and what the IWF does about Vlad and Akkus will be placed in the balance when the International Olympic Committee decides what to do about this great sport and its continually-unscrupulous leadership.

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LANE ONE: NBC enjoying strong Olympic Trials ratings; could this be a preview of a Tokyo ratings bonanza to come?

By
Rich Perelman
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Nearly 3.8 million U.S. fans watched races like Clayton Murphy's men's 800 m win at Monday's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials! (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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Less than a couple of weeks ago, the NCAA Track & Field Championships were held in the rebuilt Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon with the main portions of each session shown live on one of the ESPN networks. The ratings were modest:

● 09 June: 206,000 viewers on ESPN2 (no. 122-rated cable program that day)
● 10 June: 236,000 viewers on ESPN2 (no. 125)
● 11 June: 233,000 viewers on ESPN2 (no. 130)
● 12 June: 234,000 viewers on ESPNU (no. 96)

By comparison, ESPN was showing the final two games of the NCAA Women’s College World Series on the 9th (Wednesday) and 10th (Thursday), drawing 2,081,000 and 1,565,000 viewers.

A bad omen for the U.S. Olympic Trials? NBC worked with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the national governing bodies for diving, swimming, track and gymnastics to create two full weeks of programming, in part to highlight the selection process for these high-profile U.S. teams, but also to rev up viewers for the 17-day Olympic smorgasbord coming from Tokyo beginning on 23 July.

No reason to worry. It appears that American fans are getting ready for the Games. Check out the gaudy ratings results of the Olympic Trials programming so far:

Diving:
This was the most limited sport to be shown, with three hours on NBC over 12-13 June, showing the individual finals:

● 12 June (Sat): 8 p.m. = 1.757 million viewers (no. 3 vs. ABC/CBS/FOX)

● 13 June (Sun): 7 p.m. = 2.027 million viewers (no. 3)
● 13 June (Sun): 9 p.m. = 2.446 million viewers (no. 4)

True, the diving did not score well against the other over-the-air primetime programs, but it was competitive and averaged 2.076 million viewers per hour shown. A good opener.

One hour of diving from 12 June was shown on CNBC and drew 174,000 viewers, ranking no. 77 among all cable programs shown that day. Who knew that diving was on CNBC?

Swimming:
USA Swimming’s primetime Trials sessions from Omaha were staged from 13-20 June and held their own against other network programming:

● 13 June (Sun): 8 p.m. = 2.198 million viewers (no. 4)

● 14 June (Mon): 8 p.m. = 2.878 million viewers (no. 3)
● 14 June (Mon): 9 p.m. = 2.818 million viewers (no. 2)

● 15 June (Tue): 8 p.m. = 2.994 million viewers (no. 2)
● 15 June (Tue): 9 p.m. = 2.804 million viewers (no. 2)

● 16 June (Wed): 8 p.m. = 2.748 million viewers (no. 2)
● 16 June (Wed): 9 p.m. = 2.748 million viewers (no. 2)

● 17 June (Thu): 10 p.m. = 1.861 million viewers (no. 3)

● 18 June (Fri): 9 p.m.= 1.894 million viewers (no. 4)

● 19 June (Sat): 9 p.m. = 2.109 million viewers (no. 1)

● 20 June (Sun): 8 p.m. = 4.905 million viewers (no. 2)

Truth be told, the huge Sunday evening rating is due in part to the lead-in (and spillover) of the end of the U.S. Open in golf, which had 7.435 million viewers at 7 p.m. All of the finals were shown live in the Eastern and Central time zones, but delayed in the Mountain and Pacific zones on five of the eight nights.

All together, the swimming beat at least one other network on six of eight nights and two or more networks on five of eight and averaged 2.732 million viewers across 11 hours.

Preliminaries and early races of one evening session (17 June) were shown on NBC’s to-be-shuttered NBCSN and did not do nearly as well; all of the prelim sessions were shown delayed:

● 13 June (Sun) = 321,000 viewers (no. 80-rated cable program that day)
● 14 June (Mon) = 185,000 viewers (no. 120)
● 15 June (Tue) = 270,000 viewers (no. 75)
● 16 June (Wed) = 204,000 viewers (no. 95)
● 17 June (Thu) = 243,000 viewers (no. 122; heats)
● 17 June (Thu) = 436,000 viewers (no. 41; finals)
● 18 June (Fri) = 215,000 viewers (no. 125)
● 19 June (Sat) = 424,000 viewers (no. 45)

Still not bad for mostly preliminaries!

Track & Field:
The ongoing U.S. Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field began on 18 June and were either intermixed or followed the swimming trials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The numbers so far:

● 18 June (Fri): 10 p.m. = 2.168 million viewers (no. 2 vs. ABC/CBS/FOX)

● 19 June (Sat): 10 p.m. = 2.373 million viewers (no. 1)

● 20 June (Sun): 9 p.m. = 2.969 million viewers (no. 2)
● 20 June (Sun): 10 p.m. = 2.918 million viewers (no. 2)

● 21 June (Mon): 8 p.m. = 3.786 million viewers (no. 1)

Pretty impressive numbers over the weekend to see the women’s and men’s 100 m finals and a stunning Monday audience that was the highest-viewed program on network television!

The cable numbers for track & field on NBCSN reflect the fact that the sessions were live and not delayed as with swimming, and a lot better than the NCAA meet:

● 18 June (Fri): 7 p.m. = 507,000 viewers (no. 33-rated cable program that day)
● 19 June (Sat): 8 p.m. = 715,000 viewers (no. 13)

Figures for Monday’s cable hour were not yet available. But across the first five hours of the track & field coverage, NBC has drawn an average of 2.843 million viewers, with four days of the Trials still to go beginning on Thursday.

Look for Thursday and Friday viewership to be down, since the broadcasts will only be on cable (NBCSN), but NBC will have Saturday and Sunday’s coverage (live in the east, delayed in the west).

Next up are the U.S. trials in gymnastics, to be held in St. Louis from 24-27 June. NBC will show all four days live, with the women’s competition – starring superstar Simone Biles – on Friday and Sunday, and the men’s program on Thursday (NBCSN) and Saturday (Olympic Channel and NBC). Will Biles and the women’s trials get U.S. Open numbers?

Even with 2-4 million viewers for these Trials events, this is a far cry from the Olympic audience that can be expected next month. For the Rio Games in 2016, NBC’s average primetime audience was a staggering 25.4 million average nightly, and the 2012 audience from London was even larger.

Whether this kind of viewership can be obtained for an Olympic Games in an Asian time zone is yet to be determined, but the ratings for the PyeongChang Winter Games in Korea in 2018 were 17.8 million per night on NBC only and 19.8 million average in primetime across all of its Olympic programmed networks. That was down from the ratings for prior Games in Europe or North America, but still far ahead of its competition.

For now, sports like diving, swimming and track are enjoying interest and viewership they do not normally see in the U.S. Hopefully, the leadership at USA Diving, USA Swimming and USA Track & Field are planning how to make these levels the norm instead of the once-every-four-years exception.

Rich Perelman
Editor

(Ratings data from Nielsen via SpoilerTV.com)

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THE BIG PICTURE: USOPC releases its Games-time protest rules, with hat or mask messages, raised fists, kneeling, advocating against police violence and more all approved

By
Rich Perelman
-

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“It is important for all U.S. delegation members at the Games to remember that the [International Olympic Committee] and [International Paralympic Committee] rules govern all Games participants, including U.S. delegation members. The USOPC’s new delegation rules do not replace those international rules, rather, they supplement them by better defining the USOPC’s own requirements and commitments.

“As it pertains to IOC Rule 50 and IPC Handbook section 1, paragraph 3, subsection 2.2, we support and respect each athlete’s right as an individual and as an American to make their own decision on this topic, though we can’t control the actions others may take in response. We have confidence that our athletes will make the best choice for themselves.”

That’s from an 11 June 2021 letter from Bahati VanPelt, the head of Athlete Services for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, introducing its delegation rules for demonstrations at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Across seven pages, the rules outline what is to be considered appropriate based on a
“collaborative effort between the Team USA Council on Racial and Social Justice and USOPC.” The rules specifically acknowledge and emphasize that the IOC and IPC’s rules may be much different and applied differently. But it does say what the USOPC’s views of demonstrations are.

● In the area of “Racial & Social Justice [R&S] Demonstrations,” permitted actions are defined as:

“A Demonstration, which does not include any Impermissible Elements, that is explicitly aimed at (1) advancing racial and social justice; or (2) promoting the human dignity of individuals or groups that have historically been underrepresented, minoritized, or marginalized in their respective societal context.”

This is followed by a list of six specific examples of approved actions:

“• Wearing a hat or face mask with phrases such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ or ‘Trans Lives Matter’ or words such ‘equality,’ ‘justice,’ ‘peace,’ ‘respect,’ ‘solidarity,’ or ‘inclusion.’

“• Orally advocating for equity/equal rights for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals,

“• Holding up one’s fist at the start line or on the podium.

“• Kneeling on the podium or at the start line during the national anthem.

“• Advocating for equal treatment of underrepresented, marginalized, or minoritized groups around the world, or against systemic barriers to such equal treatment.

“• Advocating for communities free from police violence, or against systemic police discrimination against Black individuals or other marginalized populations.”

In these instances, “The USOPC will not sanction Participants who engage in R&S Demonstrations at Games Venues.”

● There is also a detailed list of “impermissible” actions, which are specified to include:

“Any element of a Demonstration that (a) advocates specifically against other people, their dignity, or their rights, which may include Hate Speech, Racist Propaganda, or threatening, abusive, or Discriminatory Remarks; (b) physically impedes or discourages Games or medal ceremony participation by another Participant; (c) causes physical harm to others or to property; or (d) violates applicable laws.

“Impermissible Elements include, for example, the use of slurs, discriminatory remarks or gestures that denigrate, ridicule, or mock a person or persons based upon their race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, nationality, or country of origin.

“These are further examples of conduct that will be considered an Impermissible Element:

“• Wearing a hat or face mask with a hate symbol or hate speech on it. *A list of recognized hate symbols can be found at https://www.adl.org/hate-symbols.

“• Using language expressing hatred or Discriminatory Remarks towards a historically minoritized or marginalized group, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities.

“• Making hand gestures affiliated with hate groups, like white supremacist or terrorist signs.

“• Violent protests or acts that damage property at the Games Venue or physically threaten or harm other people.

“• Actions/behaviors physically impeding athletes’ right to compete, such as blocking lanes by laying on a track or otherwise interfering with a competition.

“• Display of historically discriminatory signs or flags, such as the Confederate flag.

“• Defacing, distorting, or causing physical harm to a national flag.

“• Protests aimed explicitly against a specific country, organization, person, or group of people.”

In addition, the rules also state that “supporting or opposing a political group, environmental issue, or animal rights issue” is not part of the “R&S” demonstration definition and is subject to discipline. The sanctions protocol includes:

“If a Participant engages in a Demonstration that includes Impermissible Elements at a Games Venue, then the USOPC will determine a proportionate consequence for the violation of these Rules based on the severity of the violation.”

There are procedures in place for this, possibly including a hearing if requested by the protestor. The USOPC’s possible sanctions cover a wide range, specified as (1) a warning, (2) limits on access to the venues or Olympic Village, (3) expulsion from the Games; (4) a ban from participating on future USOPC programs; (5) loss of USOPC funding in the future and (6) requirement of a formal apology “or completion of training or education on diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

And then there is the IOC and IPC. The USOPC rules state no less than six times – in seven pages – that it is not the ultimate arbiter on protests at the Games; a typical example:

“Any sanctions under the International Rules will be determined by the IOC/IPC (and/or the IF), not the USOPC. The USOPC will not participate in imposing any sanctions on R&S Demonstrations. In imposing any sanctions itself, the USOPC will take into account any IOC/IPC/IF sanctions also being imposed.”

The rules also note, specifically, that there may be reactions to protests:

“Participants should be aware of the possibility that third parties may react to a R&S Demonstration themselves, that some of these reactions may be negative, that the USOPC will not be able to prevent those third parties from making statements or taking actions of their own, and that each Participant must make their own personal decision about the risks and benefits that may be involved. The USOPC has resources available through Athlete Services to support athletes (e.g., mental health, security).”

The USOPC has staked out its position, clearly in contradiction to the recommendations of the IOC Athletes’ Commission from April, which after months of discussions and quantitative surveys concluded to “Preserve the podium, [Field of Play] and official ceremonies from any kind of protests and demonstrations, or any acts perceived as such.”

The question of sanctions was handed over to the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission, which has not yet released its regulations for how disciplinary measures will be handled in Tokyo. As the USOPC’s rules have acknowledged, whatever the USOPC might not do to a protesting athlete, the IOC might well decide to do.

And, it owns the Games.

In addition to the lists of medal winners and record-setters at next month’s Games in Tokyo, watch also for lists of protests and protestors, which will be kept with equal attention in what IOC chief Thomas Bach has lamented as our “aggressively divisive” world.

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Tokyo Olympic Village toured; USOPC has at least three five-time Olympians; $2 million in Russian fines for T&F World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
-

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News, views and noise from the non-stop, worldwide circus of Olympic sport:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● News media were given a tour of the Olympic Village over the weekend, getting an introduction to the 21-building complex on the Tokyo waterfront. Kyodo News reported special attention has been paid to food service:

“The seats in the main dining and casual dining halls have been reduced by a third to around 3,000 and 280, respectively, to avoid crowds, while transparent acrylic panels will be installed at tables. …

“The main dining hall will provide about 700 options ranging from Japanese, Western and Asian to halal, vegetarian and gluten-free cuisine to cater to various preferences, cultures and religions, with nutritional information per serving displayed. It will offer 45,000 meals a day.

“The casual dining hall, meanwhile, will offer 3,000 meals a day of Japanese cuisine, using ingredients from all of the country’s 47 prefectures.”

Get ready for all kinds of minute details about the Olympics, reportedly breathlessly from Tokyo. On Sunday, it was reported that alcoholic beverages will be allowed to be brought into the Village, but only for in-room consumption. However, condoms will not be distributed as at past Games, but only on departure as an awareness-raising exercise against AIDS.

Whether alcoholic beverages will be sold at the sports venues is still under consideration. One important factor is whether such drinks will lead to behaviors inconsistent with the coronavirus restrictions.

On Saturday, a Ugandan team member arriving in Tokyo tested positive for the coronavirus, the first such case from an Olympic visitor. The rest of the delegation moved on to the host town in Izumisano and will undergo daily testing.

The infected team member had been vaccinated prior to coming to Tokyo, as had all of the other members of the arrival group.

The Ugandans were the second group to arrive for the Games, after the Australian softball team. A team of 14 Danish rowers was the third to arrive, on Sunday, and moved on to their host town of Ogata in Akita Prefecture.

The Indian Olympic Association is upset with the Tokyo organizers for extra precautions being taken for 10 delegations where specific variants, such as the Delta variant, are widespread. Tokyo 2020 has asked that India and nine other delegations not interface with any others for three days upon arrival.

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● Board chair Susanne Lyons and chief executive Sarah Hirshland briefed reporters on Monday on last week’s USOPC Board meeting, noting the organization’s focus on the Tokyo Games, as well as the 2022 Winter Games coming next February in China.

In addition, Lyons noted a significant effort being undertaken on oversight of the U.S. National Governing Bodies. A now-separate “NGB Oversight Committee” has begun a detailed certification renewal program that will review the actions and compliance activities of each National Governing Body; Lyons was happy to report that “We’re seeing significant progress in the area of NGB compliance and governance.”

That’s an area of major emphasis for the USOPC in the wake of the passage of the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act in 2020 and in advance of the eventual operation of the Commission on the Study of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics in the fall.

Also on the agenda was fund-raising; Lyons explained:

“We talked about the long-term opportunities to grow the [U.S. Olympic and Paralympic] Foundation. We hope to leverage the lead-up to L.A. ‘28 – when we are hosting the Games on U.S. soil – and we hope to use that time to strengthen and grow philanthropic support of Team USA.”

This is another area of concern for the EOPAAA Commission, which will review not only how the USOPC’s money is spent, but what revenues it has and what can be done to increase funding. There are a lot of recommendations for spending USOPC money, but not many about how to raise more.

Lyons also touched on an important, but little-noticed element of Olympic Movement politics: Americans who serve on boards or commissions of International Federations and related organizations. There are more than 100 U.S. members of various bodies around the world, and support from the USOPC can help them not only be more effective, but can pave the way for upward movement within federations and to bring more U.S. reps on board. This is routinely done in many European NOCs, but has only intermittently been a U.S. priority. It’s crucial in today’s swirling context of international sports politics.

With the naming of women’s basketball stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, plus Sunday’s qualification of Allyson Felix in the women’s 400 m, the U.S. will have at least three five-time Olympians on its team.

How rare are five-time Olympians? According to Dr. Bill Mallon, a founder of the encyclopedic Olympedia.org results and research site, there have been only 418 five-time Olympians in summer Games history: 4.0%. Counting all Olympians with five or more Games – the record is 10 – there have been just 561 out of 114,887 summer Olympic participants through 2016, or 4.8%. That exclusive company indeed.

● Archery ● Monday saw the completion of the World Archery final qualification tournament for the Tokyo Games in Paris (FRA), with the individual matches for men and women.

The men’s winner was Russian Galsan Bazarzhapov, who defeated Moldova’s Dan Olaru, 6-2, in the final. Finland’s Antti Vikstrom won the bronze medal over Oleksii Hunbin (UKR), 6-4.

Romanian Madalina Amaistroaie defeated Sylwia Zyzanska (POL) by 6-4; Czech Marie Horackova won the bronze match over Evangelina Psarra (GRE), 7-3. The top seven men and five women won qualification to Tokyo.

● Athletics ● Here’s a positive outcome of the long-running suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation by World Athletics: $2 million of the fines paid by RusAF will be paid to athletes at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and the 2023 Worlds in Budapest (HUN).

Some $1 million each will be added to the prize pool for each Worlds, expected to be in addition to the $7.53 million paid out at the 2019 World Championships in Doha (QAT).

Sergey Shubenkov, Russia’s 2015 men’s 100 m hurdles World Champion, was cleared by the Athletics Integrity Unit of doping resulting from a positive test from 15 December 2020. The AIU announcement included:

“AIU accepted that the positive finding resulted from his unintentional ingestion of residue from medication being used to treat a family member.

“The AIU charge was referred to a three-person panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, which found that it was a ‘genuinely exceptional’ case, accepted the Athlete’s plea of No Fault or Negligence and rejected the AIU’s request that a period of ineligibility be imposed. Accordingly, no sanction has been imposed.”

Shubenkov, now 30, has not run outside of Russia since 2019; he won the Russian Cup in Sochi in 13.29 on 29 May. If fit, he could be a medal contender in Tokyo.

● Football ● A lot more Covid cases have popped up at the Copa America in Brazil. The South American confederation CONMEBOL reported on Monday that there are at least 140 positives found during the tournament, way up from 66 reported last Thursday.

In context, however, the incidence rate is still low. Some 15,235 tests have been conducted, so the infection rate is only 0.9%. The CONMEBOL report noted, “Most of the affected are workers, members of squads and outsourced staffers. In comparison with the previous figures, the incidence of the coronavirus is lower, which is a clear sign that preemptive measures and health protocols are working as expected.”

Group play will continue through the 28th, with elimination games starting on 2 July.

At Euro 2020, the best news came last Friday as Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen was released from the hospital after surgery to install implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to guard against further cardiac arrests. Eriksen suffered an attack during the 12 June match vs. Finland and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Eriksen actually visited the Danish team before heading home to recuperate. After losing its first two group-stage games by one goal each, Denmark advanced to the knock-out round by clubbing Russia, 4-1, on Monday in Copenhagen.

UEFA is looking into “potential discriminatory incidents” at games held in Budapest, Hungary, at which “Anti-LMBTQ” banners were apparently seen. An “ethics and disciplinary inspector” has been appointed to investigate the incident. Reuters noted that “Hungary’s parliament passed legislation last week that bans the dissemination in schools of content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, amid strong criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties.”

UEFA also announced that it would not sanction German keeper Manuel Neuer for wearing a rainbow armband, calling it “symbol of diversity and thus a good cause” and not a political symbol, which would normally draw a penalty.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) spoke out strongly against the European Super League concept, but is definitely behind a new “Super League” concept … in Africa.

With a goal of further raising the profile, attractiveness and finances of football in Africa, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is studying the options. Infantino apparently had the idea as far back as 2019, with 20 permanent members and others who could join via qualification.

New CAF chief Patrice Motsepe (RSA) has acknowledged the need for reforms, noting:

“There is a poor perception of CAF concerning its adherence to governance, auditing, ethical, financial and management good practices. These negative perceptions may, to some extent, be confirmed by the incriminating and damning audit which identified irregular, unethical and improper transactions and conduct.”

CAF has been beset by scandals of all kinds for many years, even with many outstanding players coming from African countries.

The infamous anti-gay chant used by Mexican fans has now led to sanctions from FIFA:

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Mexican Federation with a fine of 60,000 Swiss francs and the condition that they play their next two official home games behind closed doors as a consequence of the anti-gay chants heard in the matches against the Dominican Republic and the United States, played in Guadalajara on March 18 and 24, respectively.”

The penalty is in response to the chant being heard during a CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament game, not from the recent CONCACAF Nations League semifinals and finals in Denver. In those instances, the games were stopped and anti-discrimination messages from CONCACAF were shown on the scoreboard and announced publicly. Another inquiry over the same issue is being made into the Mexico-Iceland friendly on 29 May in Arlington, Texas.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told reporters that only visitors who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in that country.

The tournament is expected to be played in full stadiums.

● Gymnastics ● The USA Gymnastics operations report for May was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Tuesday, showing legal fees in the ongoing proceedings have now reached $14.116 million, of which $8.485 million has been paid. Of that unpaid total, 90% is more than three months in arrears.

USA Gymnastics showed cash on hand of $6.953 million at 31 May, but is still in the midst of a fight with more than 500 plaintiffs from the Larry Nassar scandal, its insurers and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee since the 15 December 2018 filing with the Bankruptcy Court.

● Volleyball ● The FIVB Women’s Nations League completed round-robin play on Sunday, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs in the sequestered environment in Rimini (ITA).

The U.S. finished on top at 14-1, but losing its final match to China, followed by Brazil (13-2), Japan (12-3) and Turkey (11-4). China was fifth at 10-5.

Brazil will play Japan in the first semi on 24 June, and the U.S. will play Turkey afterwards. During the round-robin, Brazil shut out Japan, 3-0 and the U.S. got past Turkey, 3-1 on 14 June.

● Weightlifting ● The New Zealand Olympic Committee confirmed on Monday that Laurel Hubbard, 43, has been selected for the Tokyo Games in the women’s 87+ kg class.

Hubbard is a transgender athlete and competed as Gavin Hubbard until transitioning to female in 2015, following the International Olympic Committee’s regulations that require such athletes regulate their testosterone levels to below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least 12 months.

However, other federations – such as World Athletics – have championed 5 nmol/L as more appropriate, and there is an ongoing debate about the propriety of allowing athletes to transfer to the women’s division after having gone through puberty as a man. The “normal” healthy testosterone level is considered to be 9.2 to 31.8 nmol/L for men, but between 0.3 and 2.4 nmol/L for women.

Hubbard has followed the regulations, and ranked seventh in the International Weightlifting Federation’s final qualifying list for Tokyo. Regardless of what happens in Tokyo, this is another issue that the IWF – and the IOC – will have to confront after the Games.

● At the BuZZer ● The next big event to come to the United States might not be the 2030 Olympic Winter Games for Salt Lake City, but the Rugby World Cup.

USA Rugby is making a bid for the men’s 2027 or 2031 World Cup, or the women’s 2029 World Cup. It’s a massive event, as the 2019 edition in Japan saw 1.83 million tickets sold, 242,000 international visitors come matches in 12 cities across 44 days. A World Rugby-commissioned study indicated that the total economic impact of the tournament was £4.3 billion, or about $5.98 billion U.S. Bid documents are due in January.

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ATHLETICS: Murphy springs men’s 800 m stunner, Purrier St. Pierre wins women’s 1,500 and Nilsen takes men’s vault at hot Trials in Eugene

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic Trials winner and new world men's 800 m leader: Clayton Murphy (USA)

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Day four of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene featured 91-degree temperatures once the competition began, but it did not dull the competitiveness of the six finals:

● Men’s 800 m: NCAA champ Isaiah Jewett, a notorious front runner, took the lead immediately and led through splits of 25.25, 50.60 and 1:15.66, with World Champion Donavan Brazier and Rio bronze medalist Clayton Murphy right behind.

But the race was all in the last 200, as Jewett slowed in the last 60 m and Murphy unleashed a withering kick, flying by and winning in a seasonal best and world-leading 1:43.17. Jewett held on for second, getting a lifetime best of 1:43.85, but Brazier did not have his usual overdrive gear and had faded off the final turn. Instead, it was former Kansas star Bryce Hoppel who made the team with a season’s best of 1:44.14, with Isaiah Harris fourth in 1:44.58. Brazier fell all the way back to eighth and last, jogging across in 1:47.88.

● Men’s pole vault: All 12 jumpers made the first two heights and 11 made 5.60 m (18-4 1/2). The real jumping started at 5.80 m (19-0 1/4) with Chris Nilsen, Matt Ludwig and K.C. Lightfoot clearing on their first trials. Jacob Wooten made it on his second try, but World Champion Sam Kendricks missed on his first try and since making the top three is all that matters, passed to the next height of 5.85 m (19-2 1/4).

Order was restored as Kendricks cleared on his first try, as did Nilsen and Lightfoot. Ludwig, Wooten and Kyle Pater, unable to make the team unless they cleared a higher height, passed to 5.90 m (19-4 1/4). No problem for Nilsen, but Kendricks missed, as did Wooten, Ludwig, Light and Pater, leaving Nilsen as the winner, with Kendricks and Lightfoot in a tie for second and on the team. Nilsen tried 6.00 m (19-8 1/4), but missed three times in the heat.

● Men’s triple jump: With London and Rio Olympic champion Christian Taylor sidelined by injury for the rest of 2021, his former Florida teammate – and 2012 and 2016 silver medalist – Will Claye has been expected to take over. And he was ready.

Claye took the lead on his first jump, reaching 16.95 m (55-7 1/2), almost a foot better than the rest of the field. No one challenged him until the third round, when Donald Scott bounded out to a season’s best of 16.98 m (55-8 1/2) to take the lead. No problem for Claye: he re-took the lead immediately at 17.10 m (56-1 1/4) heading into the finals.

Scott was unimpressed and struck back in round four, reaching 17.18 m (56-4 1/2) for the lead, and then Claye improved to 17.14 m (56-2 3/4) but was still second. No one else had jumped past 55 feet until Chris Benard got out to 16.84 m (55-3) in round five.

Those three made the team, but Claye sent a final message on the last jump of the competition, sailing out to 17.21 m (56-5 3/4) – a season’s best – to win with Scott second. Both will have to jump a lot farther for a medal in Tokyo.

● Men’s javelin: None of the entrants came in with the Olympic standard of 85.00 m (278-10), with Curtis Thompson the American leader in 2021 at 81.44 m (267-2). He put everyone on notice with a first-round throw of 80.34 m (263-7), and Michael Shuey responded best at 79.24 m (260-0) in the third round.

Two-time national champion Riley Dolezal saved his best for last and moved up to third in the sixth round at 77.07 m (252-10), and that’s the way they finished. Thompson wanted the Olympic standard on his last throw and improved to 82.78 m (271-7). That’s still short, but places him 17th on the world list for 2021; as the Olympic field is designated for 32 entries, he could be invited to complete the field in Tokyo.

● Women’s 1,500 m: Favorite Elle Purrier St. Pierre led a single-file pack through 400 m in 64.79, and then a 64.41 lap to reach 800 m in 2:09.19. She increased the pace to 62.21 to reach 1,200 m in front, running with Cory McGee and the rest of the pack strung out behind.

In the final 300 m, Purrier St. Pierre poured it on and moved away from everyone, finishing in a lifetime best of 3:58.03 – still no. 5 on the 2021 world list – with McGee staying second, also in a lifetime best of 4:00.67 (no. 10 in 2021)! Behind them was a charging Heather McLean, who not only grabbed third in a lifetime best of 4:02.09, but got the Olympic standard in the process and will go to Tokyo! She out-lasted Shannon Osika by 0.09 (4:02.18).

Former World Champion Jenny Simpson did not have her usual finishing magic and faded to 10th in 4:07.76.

● Women’s 5,000 m: Former Arkansas All-American Taylor Werner led a bunched field through the first 3,000 m, then gave way to Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer. The running finally started after 3,400 m, with Schweizer increasing the pace from 79 seconds a lap to 71, with Cranny and Rachel Schneider in close attendance.

With two laps to go, Schweizer increased the pace to 70, with Cranny, Schneider and Rio Olympian Abbey Cooper chasing, but separating from the rest. At the bell, Schweizer had upped the pressure with a 67.9 lap with the three others close, but the rest out of the chase. It was Cranny in the end, with a 63.73 last lap to Schweizer’s 64.12 for a 15:27.81-15:28.11 final. Schneider held off Cooper, 15:29.56 to 15:31.05, for third. Rio Olympic Triathlon champ Gwen Jorgensen finished ninth in 15:50.62.

Pretty impressive in the very hot conditions.

Heats were held in the men’s Steeple, missing Rio silver medalist Evan Jager due to injuries. Isaac Updike did much of the work as the race leader in the first heat, and won in 8:21.01, just ahead of 2019 U.S. champ Hillary Bor (8:21.09) and Daniel Michalski (8:22.03). Sean McGorty, one of the pleasant surprises of 2021 in the U.S. (8:20.77), had his right shoe come off on the second lap, lost contact, but then worked his way back and finished ninth in 8:25.95.

The second heat was slower, with Mason Ferlic leading for much of the race, with Benard Keter winning at the tape in 8:29.04-8:30.78. As a result, McGorty ended up being the final time qualifier.

Monday concluded the first half of the Trials. Competition resumes on Thursday with finals in women’s Steeple and women’s shot.

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LANE ONE: Tokyo Games will have spectators, as organizers and Japanese government hold true to promised reference to domestic sports

By
Rich Perelman
-
The "Gracias" pin sent, with a certificate of appreciation, to the tens of thousands of 1984 Olympic Games organizing committee staff and volunteers by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

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(For Sunday’s Highlights of international competitions, click here. For our U.S. Olympic Trials coverage, click for swimming or track & field.)

On Sunday, 13,091 fans attended a Nippon Professional Baseball game in Sendai, while 7,726 saw a game in Tokorozawa and 7,636 were at Neiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo to see the Yakult Swallows defeat the Chunichi Dragons, 2-1.

In Japan’s first division football conference, the J-League, 9,312 saw the match in Kashima on Sunday, 4,810 attended the game in Saitama and 3,736 were in Sapporo on Saturday.

Thus, in what should have been a surprise to no one, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee – in concert with the regional and national Japanese governments – approved a plan on Monday to allow domestic spectators to attend the Olympic Games in Tokyo next month:

“[T]he IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan agreed for the spectator limit for the Olympic Games to be set at ‘50 per cent of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people’ at all venues, taking into consideration the government’s restrictions on public events.

“The IOC and IPC were informed about and support the policies the three Japanese parties have decided on.”

So, make no mistake, this was a decision by the Japanese organizers and the government to allow a limited number of spectators, not the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee. And it is exactly in line with organizing committee advice months ago that the decision on allowing (only) domestic spectators would closely follow what is being done for domestic sporting events, such as the NPB and the J-League.

Credit to Tokyo 2020 for saying what it expected to do and then doing it. Same for the Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee issued a joint statement of support for the plan.

There are conditions, of course, and if the Covid-19 situation changes in Japan, this policy will have to change as well. Spectators will be restricted:

“[M]asks should be worn in venues at all times; speaking in a loud voice or shouting will be prohibited; congestion should be avoided by means of appropriate announcements; and visitors should leave venues in a staggered manner. Spectators will be requested to travel directly to venues and return home directly, and to take all necessary precautions when moving between prefectures.”

At a follow-up news conference in Tokyo, organizing committee chief Seiko Hashimoto said that a new ticket lottery will have to be held as there are more tickets already sold than the capacity limits will allow for. Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto indicated that “the number of tickets will likely be reduced to about 2.72 million from 4.48 million sold before the pandemic, and the revenue from them will be less than half of the initially projected 90 billion yen ($820 million).”

Further, significant reductions were also made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in concert with the national government, announcing on Saturday that all six “public viewing sites” for the Games in Tokyo have been canceled and some will be converted into mass vaccination sites.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday that if another state of emergency is declared – Tokyo’s current state of emergency ended on Sunday (20th) and a “quasi-state of emergency” continues for Tokyo and other prefectures through 11 July – no spectators will be allowed during the Games.

This comes amid continued concern in Japan about the virus, but also a modest rise in support for holding the Games. A Kyodo News poll over the weekend showed 86.4% were worried about a rise in infections because of the Games, only 30.8% said the Games should be canceled. Some 40.3% would prefer the Games be held without spectators. And, tellingly, if a state of emergency was to be declared again, only 35.8% supported canceling the Games and 55.7% said the Games should go on with added counter-measures such as no spectators.

All of this is against a backdrop of 59.9% who were unhappy with the government’s response to the pandemic. The support for the Games is much higher.

So, what is the actual impact of the spectator policy? Using the Wikipedia page for Tokyo 2020 as an easy reference, the only Tokyo venues which might get to the 10,000 limit would be the new Olympic Stadium (68,000 capacity), Tokyo Stadium (49,970) for football, Rugby Sevens and part of the Modern Pentathlon, and the temporary venue for rowing, canoeing and equestrian eventing at the Sea Forest Waterway, where bleachers for 20,000 were projected.

The other venues are all much smaller:

● 5,000 or less: 4 ~ meaning 2,500 spectators or less;

● 5,001-10,000: 9 ~ meaning 5,000 spectators or less;

● 10,001-15,000: 7 ~ meaning 7,500 spectators or less.

Muto said that the 10,000 spectator cap would apply to the Opening Ceremony, but would not include the teams or Olympic officials, meaning the total number of people inside the new National Stadium would be 20,000 or so.

It would have been easier for the Tokyo organizers and the Japanese government to simply ban all spectators and just move on. It would have been easier – and possibly financially advantageous – for the IOC to cancel the Games in 2020 amid the outbreak of the pandemic. Neither did so; they should get credit for that.

There is still a long way to go in the saga of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the 16th Paralympic Games to follow. But the Tokyo 2020 organizers have gone far beyond what has been asked of any Olympic Organizing Committee since perhaps the 1948 Games in a still-recovering London in putting on this massive event despite the historic challenges of the pandemic and the postponement.

After the astonishing success of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch commissioned a special “Gracias” pin with his initials “J.A.S.” that was distributed along with a certificate of appreciation to the entire Games workforce to recognize their achievement in reinvigorating the Olympic Movement. Perhaps the IOC should do the same for the Tokyo organizers, volunteers and all those in government who will make the Games work, but this time offer thanks before the Games begin!

Rich Perelman
Editor

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SWIMMING: Dressel finishes sensational U.S. Swimming Trials with third win and a possible seven medals in Tokyo; Manuel scores 50 m Free win

By
Rich Perelman
-
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel (USA)

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The final day of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha was all about Caeleb Dressel just 21.04 seconds into the race.

That’s how long it took for Dressel to win the men’s 50 m Freestyle, with the fastest time in the world this year and tying his own American Record swim from the 2017 World Championships. He equals the fourth-fastest performance in history.

He was chased home by Michael Andrew, who finished in 21.48 and remains the fourth-fastest swimmer at this distance in the world in 2021, and just 0.02 off his all-time best. Andrew is now headed to his first Olympic Games, in three events.

American sprint icon Nathan Adrian finished third in 21.73, ahead of Bowe Becker (21.78); Adrian equaled his season’s best, but won’t make it to Tokyo.

Dressel won the 50 m Free, 100 m Free and 100 m Fly, with world-leading marks in the 50 Free and 100 Fly, and will be a favorite in all three at the Games. In addition, he is positioned for medals in the men’s 4×100 m Freestyle, 4×200 m Freestyle and 4×100 m Medley and perhaps also the Mixed 4×100 m Medley. That’s a possible seven medals, but the U.S. will not be favored in all of the relays.

The women’s 50 m Free final was another emotional high as Rio 50 m Free silver medalist Simone Manuel touched first in 24.29 to make the Tokyo team, a seasonal best by a big 0.21 and now no. 11 in the world for 2021. She just out-touched 100 m Free winner Abbey Weitzeil by 0.01 (24.30), with Torri Huske third (24.46) and Linnea Mack fourth (24.49).

The men’s 1,500 m ended the program with the 800 m Free winner Bobby Finke swimming away to a huge win in 14:46.06, a lifetime best and no. 4 on the 2021 world list. Michael Brinegar, the 800 m runner-up, took over second place halfway through and finished a clear second in 15:00.87. Jordan Wilimovsky, already on the open-water team, was third in 15:05.29.

The U.S. Trials ended with outstanding results, including eight world-leading marks by six swimmers:

● Men/200 m Medley: 1:55.26, Michael Andrew
● Men/100 m Fly: 50.17, Caeleb Dressel
● Men/50 m Free: 21.29, Caeleb Dressel in semis
● Men/50 m Free: 21.04, Caeleb Dressel

● Women/400 m Medley: 4:33.81, Emma Weyant
● Women/100 m Fly: 55.66, Torri Huske (American Record)
● Women/100 m Breast: 1:04.72, Lilly King (in semifinals)
● Women/1,500 m Free: 15:40.50, Katie Ledecky

There were also four American Records and a tie:

● Men/50 m Free: 21.04 (=), Caeleb Dressel
● Men/100 m Breast: 58.19, Michael Andrew, in heats (old, 58.64, Kevin Cordes 2017)
● Men/100 m Breast: 58.14, Andrew, in semis

● Women/100 m Fly: 55.78, Torri Huske, in semis (old, 55.98, Dana Vollmer 2012)
● Women/100 m Fly: 55.66, Huske

The U.S. dominated the pool in Rio with 33 medals and 16 golds, but it will not be easy in Tokyo with outstanding competition from Australia, Canada and Europe. But Dressel and Katie Ledecky are going to be two of the brightest American stars in the first week of the Games.

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ATHLETICS: Winkler hammers American Record at U.S. Trials, while Bromell (9.80), Harrison (12.50), Norman (44.07), Hayes (49.78) and Felix (50.02) star

By
Rich Perelman
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World record holder Keni Harrison is now on her way to Tokyo!

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Day three of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Eugene’s rebuilt Hayward Field was scheduled to last eight hours, from the decathlon 110 m hurdles through the final of the men’s 100 m, but it was worth it! The highlights, as they happened:

● Men’s hammer: The first final of the day saw the world’s no. 2 thrower, Rudy Winkler, set a meet record of 80.75 m (264-11) in the first round, his third-best throw ever and further than he ever threw prior to 2021!

He then unleashed his second throw further than anyone in American history: 82.71 m (271-4), erasing Lance Deal’s 1996 mark of 82.52 m (270-9)! It’s still no. 2 in 2021, but moves him to no. 20 on the all-time list. Wow!

Winkler came back to 80.98 m (265-8) in round three, a distance only he and world leader Pawel Fajdek (POL) have reached in 2021. Second and third were Daniel Haugh (76.93 m/252-4) and Alex Young (76.01 m/249-4), nos. 7 and 9 on the year list so far.

No let-up for Winkler, who reached 82.10 m (269-4) in round four, the no. 7 throw in U.S. history. Haugh improved in round five to 78.97 m (259-1) to strengthen his grip on second, Winkler finally showed he was human, throwing 79.61 m (261-2), a distance only four other American throwers have ever reached.

Young uncorked his best of the day in the final round at 78.32 (256-11) – a lifetime best – finishing third. That inspired Haugh, who got a lifetime best himself at 79.39 m (260-5), moving to no. 6 in U.S. history. Winkler then finished at 80.28 m (263-5), and will lead both Haugh and Young to Tokyo. Impressive.

● Women’s 100 m hurdles: The semifinals started with a non-false start, but on the re-start, LSU star Tonea Marshall stormed to the lead and never gave it back, winning in 12.50 (+1.2 m/s), holding off Christina Clemons (12.51), with Rio 2016 champ Brianna McNeal third in 12.56. Because McNeal is running under a stay of her doping suspension while her appeal is ongoing, a ninth runner will be added to the final.

Marshall, injured during the 4×100 m at the NCAA Championships last week, held out of the hurdles final and that looks like a good decision right now.

In semi two, world-record holder Keni Harrison was in front from the gun and ran away with the race in 12.50 (+1/3 m/s), same as Marshall. NCAA champ Anna Cockrell was second in 12.59 and Payton Chadwick was third in 12.64.

In the final, Harrison got a good start and took control of the race by hurdle three, winning by daylight in 12.47 (+0.8 m/s). Three lunged at the line for second, with McNeal getting there in 12.51, Clemons leaning perfectly for third (12.53) and Gabbi Cunningham fourth, also in 12.53 (actually, 12.521-12.526). Cockrell was fifth in 12.58 and Marshall was sixth in 12.63.

Cunningham – who missed by 5/1000ths – may yet be on the team pending McNeal’s appeal of her doping suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

● Men’s 100 m: World leader Trayvon Bromell and the legendary Justin Gatlin were in the same heat and in the same semi. Off the gun, Bromell got an excellent start and his small lead after 20 m got bigger and he won in 9.90 (-0.3 m/s), with Kenny Bednarek overtaking Gatlin in the final 10 m, as Gatlin leaned too early, 9.96-10.00. The 9.96 was a lifetime best for Bednarek.

Noah Lyles, Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley were supposed to be the stars in semi two, and they finished 3-2-1 at the tape, with Kerley coming on in the final 10 m to win in 9.92 (+0.7 m/s), passing Lyles (9.97) and then Baker (9.94). Marvin Bracy-Williams, who had run 9.85 this year, pulled up after 30 m and had to talk across the line last in 17.82.

The final had Gatlin (at 39), Bednarek, Kerley, Bromell, Baker and Lyles in lanes 2-7 and Bromell got the best start and separated from the field in the final 10 m to win in 9.80 (+0.8 m/s). Baker and Kerley, on each side of Bromell, were right with him and finished 2-3 in 9.85 – lifetime best – and 9.86 – lifetime best – leaving the U.S. 1-2-3 on the 2021 world list.

Bednarek was fourth in 9.89, with Oregon’s Micah Williams fifth (possibly on the plane for relay duty) in 9.91. Lyles was slow off the start and was unable to mount his usual late charge, finishing seventh in 10.05. He’ll hope for better in the 200 m, Gatlin appeared to be hurt and jogged after 80 m, finishing in 10.87.

● Men’s 400 m: Michael Norman wanted to leave no doubt and he took off from the start, clearly in the lead heading into the far turn. He was challenged by Michael Cherry heading into the final straight, but Norman had the extra gear he’s famous for and ran away to win in 44.07, a seasonal best and still no. 2 in the world for 2021. Cherry had a lifetime best of 44.35, still no. 4 on the year in second.

Elija Godwin looked like a potential third-placer, but he faded badly in the final 75 m, while NCAA champ Randolph Ross stormed down the straight and passed Godwin (6th: 44.94), Vernon Norwood (5th: 44.92) and then North Carolina A&T teammate Trevor Stewart (44.74) to finish third in 44.74. With much more rest in Tokyo, Ross could challenge Norman for gold.

● Men’s decathlon: Former Georgia star Garrett Scantling, now 28, was fourth at the 2016 Trials, and dominated the field, piling up a 279-point lead going into the 1,500 m. He started the year with a lifetime best of 8,232 from 2015 and hadn’t competed in a decathlon since 2016 at the start of this year. But he scored 8,476 in April, and finished here in a startling 8,647, no. 2 in the world for 2021.

Former Big 10 champ Steven Bastien was third entering the 1,500 m and kept fourth-place Harrison Williams in his sights during the 1,500 m and ran away in the final 200 m to finish with the no. 2 time (4:22.21) and moved up to second with a lifetime best of 8,485, fourth on the year list. Williams finished fourth with 8,306; Rio seventh-placer Zach Ziemek, the 2018 national champion, scored a lifetime best of 8,471 (no. 5 in 2021) and ended up third.

● Women’s 400 m: All eyes were on Allyson Felix in lane eight and she charged from the start, taking the lead on the backstraight. But Quanera Hayes took control heading into the curve, passing Kendall Ellis for the lead. Wadeline Jonathas ran hard on the far turn and was even with Hayes heading into the straight, with Ellis third and Felix fading.

But while Hayes steamed home to win in a season’s best of 49.78, Felix charged from the back and passed Ellis in the final 20 m and then Jonathas at the line for second. Felix earned a season’s best 50.02, with Jonathas at 50.03 and Ellis at 50.10. Hayes moved from sixth to fifth on the 2021 world list and Felix – on her fifth Olympic team – is suddenly no. 8 in 2021, with her fastest time since 2017.

● Women’s high jump: The jumping really started at 1.90 m (6-2 3/4), with only five women left. Favorite Vashti Cunningham and Rio Olympian Inika McPherson both cleared 1.93 m (6-4) on their first try, joined by Nicole Greene on the second try, and Rachel McCoy on her third try, leaving four jumpers for three spots.

McCoy, Greene and McPherson all missed their tries at 1.96 m (6-5), but Cunningham sailed over, sending her to Tokyo. The other three all missed at 1.96, with McPherson second and Greene third; McCoy’s extra miss at 1.93 was the difference. Cunningham took three tries at 2.02 m (6-7 1/2), but missed all three times.

● Women’s triple jump: The three finalists with the Olympic standard were American Record holder Keturah Orji, former American Record holder Tori Franklin and Jasmine Moore. Orji took the lead right away at 14.40 m (47-3), then Franklin got a season’s best of 14.20 m (46-7 1/4) in round three, with Moore at 14.15 m (46-5 1/4) through three rounds.

That’s the way they finished, although Orji improved to 14.52 m (47-7 3/4) in round six and Franklin finished at 14.36 m (47-1 1/2).

The only qualifying-only event on the program is the women’s 3,000 m Steeple, with American Record holder Courtney Frerichs falling on the second lap of the first heat, but leading a couple of laps later in order to get out of trouble. She strung out the field and led a breakaway pack of five, with Marisa Howard and BYU’s Courtney Weymant closest. At the bell, Frerichs led by 5 m, but the pace clearly offered the chance for the Olympic qualifying standard of 9:30.00 and Grayson Murphy and Weymant surged off the last water jump to run 1-2 in 9:25.37 and 9:27.17 – getting the standard – with Frerichs jogging in third at 9:27.75. Howard was an auto-advancing fifth.

Former World Champion Emma Coburn had no interest in repeating Frerichs’s fall and she took off from the start and stayed out of trouble. She was joined by Leah Falland and Mel Lawrence in the breakaway after four laps and Coburn sailed home in 9:21.32, ahead of Falland (9:23.36) and Lawrence (9:29.30).

Worth noting: As this is the U.S. national championship meet for 2021, there is prize money at stake. The top eight places win $10,000-8,000-6,000-4,000-3,000-2,000-1,000-1,000 or $35,000 per event. Across 40 events, a total of $1.40 million is at stake.

The first half of the Trials concludes on Monday, with six finals, in the men’s 800 m, pole vault, triple jump and javelin, and the women’s 1,500 m and 5,000 m, before rest days on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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HIGHLIGHTS: U.S. women dominate FIBA AmeriCup and FINA Water Polo World League Super Final with title game wins

By
Rich Perelman
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The U.S. women team of all collegiate stars celebrates another FIBA Women's AmeriCup title! (Photo: USA Basketball)

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Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world/updated/:

● Archery ● The World Archery final qualifier for the Tokyo Games was in Paris (FRA) this weekend, prior to the World Cup from the 21st to the 27th, with the United States looking for top-three finishes that would allow a full team of three shooters in Tokyo.

The men, with World Champion Brady Ellison, Jack Williams and Jacob Wukie, led the qualifying round at 2,031 and advanced to the second round of the team elimination matches. First was Slovenia and a 6-2 U.S. win, then another 6-2 win over Spain in the quarterfinals.

With three team slots available, winning the semifinal sent the U.S. to Tokyo and the American trio shut out France, 6-0. With a spot in the Games – and two individual spots for Wukie and Williams – the U.S. men won the qualifying tournament with a 5-3 score over Indonesia in the final.

Jeff Henckels of Luxembourg was the men’s individual leader after qualifying, ahead of Russian Galsan Bazarzhapov, 682-675, with the elimination matches coming on Monday.

The U.S. women’s team of Mackenzie Brown, Casey Kaufhold and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez shot on Sunday, finishing third in the qualifying behind Mexico and India. In the elimination matches, the U.S. advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-2 win over the Czech Republic and then faced a powerful team from Turkey. The U.S. won the first end, 54-50, and the third end, 57-52. Turkey tied it by winning the fourth, 55-52, requiring an extra end. It couldn’t have been closer, as both teams scored 25 points, and the Americans squeezed out a victory with a closest-to-the-center measurement making the difference.

That brought the U.S. into the semifinals, with a win guaranteeing a full team in Tokyo. No problem, as the U.S. shut out Spain, 3-0, while Mexico advanced to the final (and to Tokyo) with a 5-1 win over Italy. In the final, the U.S. took the first end, 56-53, but then saw Mexico win the next two – 56-53 and 59-56 – and a 56-56 tie in end four to take the title, 5-3.

The women’s individual competition saw Poland’s Magdalena Smialkowska lead after the qualifying round at 653, ahead of Uzbek Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova (648). The elimination will be held on Monday.

● Athletics ● Although the U.S. Olympic Trials are center stage, meets are continuing around the world with excellent marks.

On Saturday in Madrid (ESP), Colombian World silver 400 m medalist Anthony Zambrano zoomed to a 44.51 win, now no. 6 on the world list. He edged reigning Olympic 400 m champ Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) who finally got his Tokyo qualifier at 44.56.

The triple jumps were outstanding, with Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso facing off with Portugal’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo in a memorable duel. Pichardo struck first, landing at 17.65 m (57-11) in the first round and then 17.59 m (57-8 1/2) in round two. But Zango got to 17.49 m (57-4 3/4) in round three, then exploded for 17.83 m wind-aided (58-6w) in round four to take the lead. Pichardo responded with a world-leading 17.69 m (58-0 1/2) with legal wind in round four, but could do no more and finished second.

Venezuela’s Olympic favorite Yulimar Rojas won the women’s TJ as expected, but had four jumps over 15 m (49-2 1/2) to dominate the event. She started with 15.19 m (49-10), then jumped 15.16 m (49-9), a foul, 15.19 m (49-9 3/4), 14.99 m (49-2 1/3) and finished with a wind-aided 15.34 m (50-4w) for the victory. She’s one of the near-locks for Olympic gold in Tokyo.

On Sunday in Chorzow (POL), the 2021 European men’s Indoor 800 m Champion Patryk Dobek (POL) won with a lifetime best and world-leading time of 1:43.73, all the more amazing because it’s his first year in the event! Britons Jamie Webb and Elliot Giles followed in 1:44.14 and 1:44.2, outdoor lifetime bests for both.

World men’s hammer leader Pawel Fajdek (POL) won at 82.14 m (269-6), a distance only he has reached this season and Isaac Makwala (BOT) won the men’s 400 m in 44.47, no. 6 in the world for 2021.

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay was after the world record in the women’s 1,500 and won in 3:54.01, the no. 2 performance in 2021, with only teammate Hirut Meshesha anywhere close (3:59.43). It’s a lifetime best for Tsegay and moves her up to no. 12 on the all-time list.

Namibian 400 m sensation Beatrice Masilingi showed that her high-altitude times are for real, winning in 49.88, just short of her 49.53 mark from April. Freweyni Hailu (ETH) won the women’s 800 m in a speedy 1:57.57 – no. 2 for 2021 – ahead of Catriona Bisset of Australia (1:58.09: no. 4) and Renelle Lamote (FRA: 1:58.11: no. 5). It’s getting crazy out there.

● Basketball ● The all-collegiate U.S. women’s team won the 16th FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and defended its 2019 title with a 74-59 win over host Puerto Rico at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan on Saturday.

The U.S. steamed through the group stage with a 3-0 record, then stomped the U.S. Virgin Islands by 97-46 in the quarterfinals. Then things got tougher. In the semifinals against Brazil, the U.S. was down, 21-13, at the end of the first quarter and 31-18 with two minutes left in the first half.

But five points from Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard helped get the U.S. to 33-25 by halftime, before the Americans took over. They out-scored Brazil by 25-10 in the third quarter and 21-17 in the fourth for a convincing 71-60 victory and a place in the final. North Carolina State center Elissa Anne Cunane led the U.S. with 19 points and Rhyne and Michigan forward Naz Hillmon-Baker had 12 each.

Puerto Rico defeated Group A winner Canada, 65-61, in the other semi to set up a rematch from Group B, where the U.S. had won earlier, 87-65. But Puerto Rico led the final at halftime, 36-34, before the U.S. got going for good. A 10-0 run in the middle of the third quarter put the U.S. ahead by 51-40 and coach Dawn Staley’s team had a 55-47 lead at the end of the quarter. A 19-12 final quarter sewed up the victory, with Howard scoring 22 points and South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston adding 17 and 19 rebounds. Cunane added 12 points and Hillmon-Baker had 12 rebounds.

The game did not end without more drama, however; USA Basketball reported:

“The USA was on the verge of closing out the win as Boston stepped to the free throw line at 1:59, and then the overhead lights in the arena went out. As staff worked to get the lights back on, the USA and Puerto Rico had enough light to shoot around on the court, while fans treated it like a concert, waving the flashlights on their cell phones. After about 15 minutes of that, an impromptu dance battle broke out between the two teams at half court, delighting everyone in the arena.”

This was the fourth U.S. women’s AmeriCup title, now equal with Cuba for the second-most, behind Brazil’s five total wins. South Carolina coach Staley headed the U.S. squad and also coached the 2019 winners; she’s 12-0 lifetime in this tournament!

In the bronze medal game, Brazil beat Canada, 87-82, in double overtime. The top four teams – the U.S., Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico – qualified for the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

Howard was named as the Most Valuable Player in the tournament, with Cunane, Jennifer O’Neill of Puerto Rico, Manuela Rios of Colombia and Clarissa dos Santos of Brazil on the All-Star 5. O’Neill ended as the tournament’s leading scorer at 16.8 per game and Boston led all rebounders at 9.3 per game.

● Canoe-Kayak ● The ICF Slalom World Cup tour was in Markkleeburg (GER), a late tune-up for the forthcoming Tokyo Games. And the stars were out in force.

In the women’s K-1, three-time World Champion Jessica Fox (AUS) confirmed her Olympic favorite’s status with a decisive win in 96.76 seconds (2 penalties). Germany’s three-time Worlds medalist Ricarda Funk was second (100.28 and 2 penalties) and teammate Elena Apel (103.00 with 2 penalties) was third.

Germany’s Andrea Herzog, the reigning World Champion from 2019, won the women’s C-1 in 103.91 seconds with no penalties, beating two-time Worlds medalist Teresa Fiserova (CZE: 108.26 with 2 penalties) and 2019 Worlds bronze winner Nadine Weratschnig (AUT: 112.80 with 2 penalties). Fox, a four-time World Champion in this event, finished fourth (115.18 with 2 penalties).

The men’s K-1 final was a win for unheralded Jakub Grigar of Slovakia in 88.91 with no penalties, over Felix Oschmautz (AUT: 90.92 with 2 penalties). France’s 2014 World Champion Boris Neveu was third, at 91.86 with two penalties.

In the men’s C-1, France’s 2011 World Champion, Denis Gargaud Chanut, edged 2012 Olympic silver medalist Sideris Tasiadis, 94.75-96.87, with neither suffering penalties. Slovenia’s 2017 World Champion, Benjamin Savsek, had the fastest time through the course, but with six penalties, he ended up third at 99.59 seconds in third.

● Cycling ● /Updated/The USA Cycling Road Nationals returned once again to Knoxville, Tennessee for racing in three events each for men and women.

In the men’s 34.9 km Individual Time Trial, veteran star Lawson Craddock won his first national title, finishing well ahead of Chad Haga, 41:33.9 to 41:51.4, with Tejay van Garderen third in 42:03.2.

The 2019 World Time Trial Champion, Chloe Dygert, won her first U.S. road cycling title in the 23.2 km Individual Time Trial in 30:11.2 over 23.2 km, breaking free from five-time U.S. Time Trial champion Amber Neben (30:38.7) and Leah Thomas (31:01.6).

In Friday’s Criterium races, Luke Lamperti took the men’s title in 1:17:02.3 in a mass finish over Samuel Bassetti (1:17:02.5) and Eric Young (1:17:03.2). The women’s title was won by Kendall Ryan (1:09:20) in another mass sprint, beating Megan Jastrab, Coryn Rivera and Alexis Ryan (all 1:09:22).

Sunday’s road races started with the women contesting a 114.6 km (9 laps) on a hilly course in and around Knoxville. Lauren Stephens, the 11th placer in the 2020 World Road Champs, won her first national title on a breakaway, finishing in 3:11:19, 1:06 up on Coryn Rivera and Veronica Ewers (both 3:12:25), followed by Krista Doebel-Hickok (3:12:29) and Tayler Wiles (3:12:30).

The men’s race was a 15-lap, 190.9 km program on the same course, with Sam Boardman, Kyle Murphy and George Simpson breaking away in mid-race and sprinting to a 5:45 gap on the rest of the field. Inevitably, their advantage dwindled and with four laps to go, Chad Haga, Robin Carpenter and Nate Brown had narrowed the lead to just 15 seconds. The lead group was caught and a new pack expanded to nine with two laps to go, then two-time U.S. Time Trial champ Joey Rosskopf attacked and built a 15-second lead with a lap to go. There was lots of action on the final lap, with six in contention into the final kilometer, but it was Rosskopf who crossed the line first in 4:38:12, ahead of Brent Bookwalter (4:38:15), Murphy (4:38:17), Alexey Vermuelen (4:38:18) and Lawson Craddock (4:38:22).

● Modern Pentathlon ● The UIPM World Championships finished last Monday with the Mixed Relay, a triumph for Sehee Kim and Changwan Seo of South Korea. They finished with 1,432 points, ahead of Anastasiya Prokopenko and Ilya Palazhov of Belarus (1,422) and Germans Rebecca Langrehr and Patrick Dogue (1,415).

Seo and Kim won the Fencing, second in the Riding and seventh in Swimming and with a sixth-best time in the Laser Run held off the Belarusian team, which had the fastest time in the field.

● Swimming ● The Olympic Marathon Qualifier was held in Setubal (POR), with 15 individual spots available, and won by Hungary’s Anna Olasz in 2:01:55.5, just inches ahead of Spain’s Paola Ruiz Bravo (2:01:58.0) and Canada’s Kate Sanderson (2:01:58.4).

Sunday’s men’s race was a 1-3 finish for Great Britain, as Hector Pardoe won by daylight in 2:02:07.60, with Athanasios Kynigakis (GRE) and Tobias Robinson (GBR) third touching almost together in 2:02:13.10. The amazing Ous Mellouli of Tunisia, now 37 and the gold medalist in the 1,500 m in the pool in 2008 and the 10 km open-water in 2012, qualified for his sixth Olympic Games with a 10th-place finish in 2:02:55.60.

(The U.S. has already secured its spots for Tokyo and did not compete at Setubal.)

● Volleyball ● The FIVB Nations League is moving toward the end of the long round-robin schedule, with the playoffs looming for both men and women. All matches are being played in a sequestered environment in Rimini (ITA).

The women’s Nations League has been a showcase for the Karch Kiraly’s United States squad, which cruised to a 14-0 record before dropping its last match to China, 25-10, 25-20 and 25-17. OK, so 14-1 isn’t too bad; the U.S. won 42 of 49 sets in its 15 matches.

Behind the U.S. are Brazil (12-2 with one game to play), Japan at 12-3, Turkey at 11-3 (playing Brazil later today); China (10-5) finished fifth and out of the playoffs. The semifinals are scheduled for 24-25 June.

In the men’s Nations League, Brazil continues to lead after four of five weeks of play, with an 11-1 record, trailed by Poland (10-2), Slovenia (9-3) and Russia, France and Serbia (all 8-4).

The U.S. has moved up to 6-6 – with three other teams – but only the top four teams will participate in the playoffs, on 26-27 June.

● Water Polo ● The 17th edition of the FINA World League Super Final underlined the dominance of the U.S. women’s team – the Olympic favorites – winning its seventh straight title and 11th in the last 12. In all, the U.S. has won 14 of the 17 tournaments all-time, including the 2021 edition held in Athens (GRE).

In the group stage, Canada was 3-0 to take Group A and the U.S. zipped through Group B with a 3-0 record and a 54-20 goals-against total. In the quarterfinals, the U.S. cruised past Japan by 20-6 and 17-8 against Russia in the semis. Canada was surprised in its semi, 14-10, by Hungary and ended up playing for third against Russia.

In the final, the U.S. had some trouble with Hungary, taking a 4-2 lead after a quarter and 6-3 at half, but leading only 9-8 in the fourth period. But the American squad scored the last five goals of the match and won by 14-8. Maggie Steffens led the U.S. in scoring with four goals, and Rachel Fattal and Maddie Musselman had three each. Russia edged Canada, 10-8, to win the bronze medal.

The U.S. finished with a 51-22 goals-against edge in the playoffs and 105-42 overall in the tournament. Musselman led the U.S. scorers with 18 goals, followed by Steffens with 16, Fattal with 15 and Stephanie Haralabidis with 13. The U.S. also had some of the best goalkeeping in the tournament, as primary keeper Ashleigh Johnson had the fourth-best save percentage at 52.9% and Amanda Longan saved 72.0 percentage of her chances (18-25), the best in the tournament!

Japan’s Yuri Arima led all scorers in the tournament with 23 goals.

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SWIMMING: Dressel crushes 50 m Fly field for second U.S. Trials win; Ledecky gets fourth Trials win in 800 m Free

By
Rich Perelman
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The penultimate day of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha showcased the two superstars of the American team for Tokyo: Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky.

Dressel left no doubt in his first event, the men’s 100 m Butterfly final, storming to a win by more than a second in 49.87 over Tom Shields (51.19) and Luca Urlando (51.19). Not quite as fast as his world-leading 49.76 in the semis, but still the no. 5 performance in history. Dressel now owns eight of the top 11 times in this event ever.

He then had the 50 m Freestyle semifinals 37 minutes later, and watched Michael Andrew dominate the first race, winning in 21.55 – no. 3 in the world for 2021 – trailed by Bowe Becker (21.83).

Dressel and 2012 Olympic 100 m Free champ Nathan Adrian – now 32 – were next to each other in semi two, with Dressel taking the lead at about 20 m and won by daylight in 21.51, making him no. 3 for 2021, with Adrian out-dueling Michael Chadwick for second, 21.78 to 22.01. Dressel is well positioned for win no. 3 tomorrow night, but can veteran Adrian out-swim newcomer Andrew for second?

There was no doubt that Katie Ledecky was going to win in the women’s 800 m Freestyle. And she delivered in 8:14.62 for her fourth win, with the second-fastest time of the season (she’s already the world leader). The race for the second spot was tight between open-water star Haley Anderson and 15-year-old Katie Grimes, who scored a huge lifetime best of 8:20.36 to get second, with Anderson at 8:20.51. Grimes is now no. 5 in the world for 2021.

Rhyan White finished second to Regan Smith in the women’s 100 m Backstroke, but got to the touch first in the women’s 200 m Backstroke final in 2:05.73, no. 3 in the world for 2021. Smith – the world-record holder in the event – got out in front and led at 150 m, but White passed her on the final lap as did Phoebe Bacon, who got second by 2:06.46-2:06.79, the nos. 4-5 performers on the year list. But Smith will not be swimming this event in Tokyo.

The winner of the men’s 800 m Freestyle – Bobby Finke – led the men’s 1,500 m Freestyle heats in the morning in 15:04.66, ahead of 400 m Free runner-up Michael Brinegar (15:07.93) and open-water star Jordan Wilimovsky (15:14.67). The final is Sunday.

In the women’s 50 m Freestyle, Rio co-100 m champ Simone Manuel had the second-fastest time in the morning heats, then won the first race, out-touching Erika Brown, 24.50-24.57 with Catie Deloof third in 24.68. Manuel will be the sentimental favorite for tomorrow.

Heats leader Abbey Weitzeil won the second semi in 24.27, no. 9 on the 2021 world list, just ahead of Torri Huske (24.45).

Only three events on the final night of the Trials tomorrow: the men’s and women’s 50 m Freestyles and the men’s 1,500 m Freestyle.

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

ATHLETICS: Richardson sensational in 10.64w and 10.86 in women’s 100 m at U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

By
Rich Perelman
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Sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson (Photo: Paul Merca for Tracktown USA)

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The second day of the U.S. Olympic Trials for track & field was packed with drama, with the spotlight firmly on the women’s 100 meters, and deservedly so. The highlights:

● Women’s 100 m: It was showtime for Sha’Carri Richardson in the semis and she zoomed to the front by 30 m and ran away in semi one and started celebrating with 20 m left, finishing in a wind-aided 10.64 (+2.6 m/s). She told NBC afterward, “I’m that girl” and right now, she is! Teahna Daniels was second in 10.84w and Jenna Prandini was third (10.96w).

Semi two started with a false start for former U.S. champ Aleia Hobbs (more on this later). On the re-start, it was Javianne Oliver who took charge in mid-race in a wind-aided 10.83 (+2.5 m/s), followed by Gabby Thomas (10.95w) and the fast-closing former Oregon star English Gardner (10.96w).

Between the semis and the final, Hobbs’s false start was reviewed and discarded, and she was assigned lane nine! Richardson was right in the middle of the track in lane five, but it was Oliver who blew away the field at the start. Richardson was undaunted and took over in mid-race and ran away from the field in 10.86, into a headwind of 1.0 m/s. She ran almost as fast into the stands after the final to find her family and celebrate her ticket to Tokyo.

Oliver was second in 10.99 and Daniels finished third in 11.03, with Jenna Prandini fourth in 11.11 and Thomas fifth in 11.15.

● Women’s discus: Valarie Allman came in as the overwhelming favorite in the final and the American Record holder and she was hot right from the start. She spun out to 69.45 m (227-10) in the first round and then 69.92 m (229-5), the nos. 3-4 throws in U.S. history, behind her American Record of 70.15 m (230-2) in 2020 and her 70.01 m (229-8) toss in qualifying.

The rest of the throwing was ordinary, with Micaela Hazelwood second at 62.54 m (205-2) and Rachel Dincoff third at 60.21 m (197-6). Hazelwood has not met the Olympic qualifying standard of 63.50 m (208-4) and will not go to Tokyo.

In the qualifying-only events:

● Men’s 100 m: Isiah Young broke first in heat one and cruised home, edged in the final 10 m by Kenny Bednarek, 10.07-10.08; Cravon Gillespie got third in 10.20. There was plenty of buzz for heat two, with the ageless Justin Gatlin – now 39 – in lane one and world leader Trayvon Bromell in eight, and Bromell exploded out of the blocks and was challenged by Gatlin on the way to the finish. Bromell finished in 9.84 wind-aided (+2.7 m/s), with Gatlin in 9.93 and Oregon’s Micah Williams third in 9.95. Wow!

Heat three went sideways at 30 m as teen star Jaylen Slade’s right leg buckled and he fell to the track; Marvin Bracy-Williams won in 10.00 (+2.0 m/s), over Chris Belcher (10.01). Slade said afterwards that he took a bad step and was not badly hurt. Three contenders faced off in heat four, and Ronnie Baker blasted out best, with World 200 m Champion Noah Lyles chasing and sudden sprint (instead of 400 m) star Fred Kerley coming on in the final 15 m. Baker won in 9.88 (+1.9 m/s), with Kerley edging Lyles, 9.93 to 9.95. Good news for Lyles: it was a seasonal best, as he had run only 10.03 in 2021.

● Men’s 400 m: Michael Cherry is having a career year and looked in perfect form as he came off the final turn in semi one slightly in front and then extended his lead to win easily in 44.50, his second-fastest ever (!). Georgia’s Elija Godwin was strong down the straight as well and was second in 45.10 and Texas A&M Bryce Deadmon got third in 45.17. LSU’s Noah Williams, who was the world leader in the early season, faded to seventh (45.73).

All eyes were on superstar Michael Norman in semi two, but Vernon Norwood – twice a World Championships relay gold medalist – blasted to the lead around the second turn and came into the straight in the lead. But Norman surged as Norwood fell back and Norman passed Wil London and held off NCAA star Randolph Ross to win in 44.73. Ross was second in 44.85, just ahead of London (44.92) and Trevor Stewart (45.05), with Norwood fifth in 45.12. Both Stewart and Norman will advance to the final as time qualifiers.

● Men’s 800 m: World Champion Donavan Brazier and Rio medalist Clayton Murphy were both in semi one and playing a waiting game to get in position for the final straight. They came off the final turn in traffic, but ran away from everyone else in the last 50 m, with Murphy winning in 1:46.26, Brazier second in 1:46.57 and Brannon Kidder third in 1:46.97.Quanera Hayes,

Front-runner Isaiah Jewett led most of the second semi, but coming around the final bend, former Kansas star Bryce Hoppel accelerated down the straight and he and Isaiah Harris finished 1-2 with Jewett third: 1:46.00-1:46.16-1:46.18. All three are on to the final.

● Men’s pole vault: The 12 finalists all qualified at 5.65 m (18-6 1/2), with World Champion Sam Kendricks and new star Chris Nilsen clearing all four heights without a miss.

● Men’s triple jump: Will Claye came in as the favorite and he led the qualifying at 16.85 m (55-3 1/2), ahead of Donald Scott (16.81 m/55-2) and Chris Benard (16.55 m/54-3 3/4).

● Men’s javelin: The qualifying round was led by Marc Anthony Minichello at 76.63 m (251-5), with 2021 U.S. leader Curtis Thompson second at 76.23 m (250-1). It took just 68.04 m (223-3) to reach the final in one of the U.S.’s weakest events.

● Men’s decathlon: The first day concluded with Harrison Williams posting the fastest time of 48.21, but he was only in sixth overall with 4,291 points at the halfway mark. The leader is Garrett Scantling with 4,494, trailed by Georgia’s SEC champion Kyle Garland (4,424), who skipped the NCAA Championships to compete here. Veteran Zach Ziemek is third (4,409).

● Women’s 400 m: Kendall Ellis took the lead around the final turn of semifinal one, with Allyson Felix ready to strike down the straightaway. Felix got to the lead with 50 m to go, but Ellis pushed hard and won – as Felix backed off – in 50.83 to 51.01. UCLA’s Shae Anderson was third in 51.27 and advances to the final. Phyllis Francis, the 2017 World Champion, finished seventh in 52.12.

Lynna Irby went out hard in semi two, but Quanera Hayes caught Irby with 100 m to go and won in a much-faster 50.07. Former NCAA champ Wadeline Jonathas came up in the final 10 m to get second in 50.24, with Kaylin Whitney third (50.35) and Irby a time-qualifier for the final in fourth (50.58).

● Women’s 1,500 m: The first semi was slow, with Elle Purrier St. Pierre kicking best to finish in 4:09.18, just ahead of 2011 World Champion Jenny Simpson (4:09.92) and Dani Aragon (4:09.94). The second race was more honest, with Nikki Hiltz winning in 4:05.87, edging Cory McGee in the final meters in 4:05.96, with Sinclaire Johnson third in 4:06.04.

● Women’s 100 m hurdles: World-record holder Keni Harrison ran powerfully in the first heat to win in 12.49, only 0.01 off her seasonal best; only three others have run faster in 2021. Taliyah Brooks came on during the run-in to edge Christina Clemons in heat two, 12.61-12.64.

NCAA champion – and now a professional – Anna Cockrell won heat three in a blanket finish in 12.63, out-leaning Rayniah Jones of Central Florida (12.64) and Payton Chadwick (12.66). Rio Olympic champ Brianna McNeal, competing under a stay from the Court of Arbitration for Sport while she appeals a five-year suspension for tampering with doping protocols, was superb in winning heat four in 12.50, ahead of Gabbi Cunningham (12.67) and Tonea Marshall (12.76).

Sunday’s finals include the men’s hammer, women’s high jump, women’s triple jump, the men’s decathlon, women’s and men’s 400 m, the women’s 100 m hurdles and the men’s 100 m.

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

SWIMMING: Dressel blasts to world lead and no. 3 time ever in 50 m Fly at 49.76, while Lazor shocks King in women’s 200 m Breast final!

By
Rich Perelman
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American sprint star Caeleb Dressel (Photo: FINA)

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There were four finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on Friday, but the day and the night belonged to sprint superstar Caeleb Dressel.

His tight win in the men’s 100 m Freestyle on Thursday night seemed to relax him and he re-wrote the all-time list in the men’s 50 m Butterfly in the heats and semifinals!

In the morning, he blew away the field, winning in a world-leading 50.17, the no. 9 performance of all time, saying afterwards “We’ve still got to clean some stuff up.” especially on the finish.

He was more than ready in the semis, finishing the evening’s program with a dominant win in 49.76, the third fastest time ever, behind his world record of 49.50 from the 2019 World Championships semifinals in Korea and his 49.66 in the Worlds final. Dressel owns this event: he has seven of the top 10 times in history.

And there is still the final to go! Tom Shields was a distant second among the qualifiers at 51.20, followed by Coleman Stewart (51.54).

In the women’s 200 m Breaststroke, Annie Lazor just barely missed beating 100 m Breast winner (and Olympic champ) Lilly King in the semis, but got her in the final. King was out strongly and led at the 100 m mark, but Lazor took over on the third lap and never let up, splitting 35.97 and 36.20 over the last two laps to 37.02 and 36.55 for King. Their final times were 2:21.07 for Lazor (no. 3 on the 2021 world list) and 2:21.75 for King (still no. 5). Emily Escobedo was third in 2:22.64.

Rio double Olympic Backstroke champ Ryan Murphy showed he’s planning a double-double for Tokyo with a clear victory in the men’s 200 m Backstroke. Already the 100 m Back winner, he led wire-to-wire to win in 1:54.20, moving to no. 2 on the year list, ahead of Bryce Mefford, moving up from fourth in the 100 m Back final. Mefford’s time of 1:54.79 ranks him no. 5 in 2021; Austin Katz finished third in 1:55.86.

Michael Andrew claimed the world lead in the semis of the men’s 200 m Medley at 1:55.26 and was on world-record pace after the first three legs in both the heats and semis. Same in the final, with Andrew storming to the lead and winning by a second and a half over 2017 World Champion Chase Kalisz in 1:55.44 (but well of the record of 1:54.00). Kalisz used his brilliant Breaststroke leg to move from fifth to second and stayed there, finishing in 1:56.97, with Kieran Smith – who won the 200 m and 400 m frees – third in 1:57.23. World-record holder Ryan Lochte, trying for fifth Olympic team, was seventh in 1:59.67.

The women’s 100 m Freestyle was marked, of course, by the absence of 2016 Rio co-champion Simone Manuel, but former national champ Abbey Weitzeil led all the way and won in 53.53, a couple of 100ths better than her semifinal time. Erika Brown was a steady second and made the team at 53.59, beating veteran Olivia Smoliga, who will go to a second Olympic Games on at least relay duty in third (53.63). Natalie Hinds was fourth (53.64) and also on the plane for relays; 200 m Free runner-up Allison Schmidt finished sixth in 54.12.

In the women’s 200 m Backstroke semis, superstar Regan Smith had the fastest time, winning semi two in 2:07.23, ahead of Phoebe Bacon from semi one (2:07.46), Rhyan White (2:08.39 in heat two) and Kathleen Baker – remember her foot injury – was third in semi two in 2:08.58 and onto the final. Hali Flickinger, the winner of the 200 m Fly, was the final qualifier in 2:09.81.

The U.S. Trials continue though Sunday; Saturday’s finals include the men’s 100 m Fly, women’s 200 m Back and men’s 800 m Free.

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

ATHLETICS: He did it! Crouser explodes to world record 23.37 m (76-8 1/4) to mark U.S. Olympic Trials opening day!

By
Rich Perelman
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Shot Put superstar Ryan Crouser (USA)

Track & field’s U.S. Olympic Trials got going in Eugene, with a historic moment in the first five minutes of the meet:

In the shot qualifying, Rio Olympic champ Ryan Crouser got the Trials off to an explosive start, just after noon, when he stepped up as the fifth thrower and reaching a stunning 22.92 m or 75-2 1/2, the no. 5 throw of all time! Crouser wasn’t done either, throwing 22.64 m (74-3 1/2) in the second round, a distance only nine others – including Crouser – have ever reached. His opinion?

“I am really excited based on the fact that I was able to throw my second farthest throw ever. It was a static throw. I can add a chunk to that with a full throw. It was really easy. I was nervous hopping in that first round. Iron some stuff out this evening, and find some patience.”

He still had the final to go.

Crouser left no doubt that he was on the team with his first throw, reaching 22.61 m (74-21/4), followed two throwers later by World Champion Joe Kovacs, who sent the ball to 21.55 m (70-8 1/2). Crouser followed up with 22.55 m (73-11 3/4), while Kovacs improved slightly to 21.56 m (70-9).

In round three, Crouser was great again, out to 22.73 m (74-7), meaning all of his throws were better than everyone else’s best throw. Kovacs responded with an improvement to 22.06 m (72-4 1/2) to end any debate about second place.

Throwing now in reverse order in the finals, Kovacs threw 21.38 m (70-1 3/4), but then Crouser got the throw of his life on the final throw of the fourth round. He spun and yelled and the sphere landed further than ever before: a stunning world record of 23.37 m or 76-8 1/4!

Crouser didn’t get break the record, he annihilated the mark of 23.12 m (75-10 1/4) by Randy Barnes (USA) from 1990 at the Pepsi Invitational in Los Angeles. It’s a record Crouser was sure would come, but he didn’t know when. Here’s how dominant Crouser is: he owns five of the top 10 throws of all time.

Moreover: only 30 men in history have thrown the shot 22.00 m (72-2 1/4). Crouser has – by himself – 134 throws at 22.00 m or more. Astonishing, and the greatest of all time.

After foul in the fifth round, Crouser finished at 22.62 m (74-2 1/2) in perhaps the greatest series of all time: 22.61 m (74-2 1/4), 22.55 m (73-11 3/4), 22.73 m (74-7), 23.37 m (76-8 1/4 world record), foul, 22.62 m (74-2 1/2).

Behind him was Kovacs with his best throw coming on his last, at 22.34 m (73-3 1/2) and Payton Otterdahl, who made a late charge to 21.92 m (71-11) in the fifth round to finish ahead of Darrell Hill (21.89 m/71-10).

In the men’s 10,000 m, the starting field of 25 was barely dented through 8,000 m, with 16 men in contention. Georgetown All-American Robert Brandt was leading through 8,800 m, but the pace suddenly increased to 66.0 on the next lap as Reid Buchanan took over, trailed by Grant Fisher and Joe Klecker. Fisher then took charge with a 63.33 lap to reach the bell, and then it was a mass sprint with 10 men still in it on the final lap. It was Woody Kincaid who found a 53.47 final lap to win in 27:53.62, followed by Fisher (27:54.29), Klecker (27:54.90) and then Ben True in fourth (27:58.88) and BYU’s Connor Mantz in fifth (27:59.37). Marathon Trials winner Galen Rupp moved from seventh to sixth on the final lap and finished in 27:59.43. Brandt was 12th in 28:09.92.

In the qualifying:

● Men’s 400 m: The heats were insanely fast, with North Carolina A&T’s Trevor Stewart powering down the straight to win heat one in 44.75 over LSU’s Noah Williams (45.21). Michael Cherry, no. 4 on the 2021 world list, looked easy and won heat two in 44.86, ahead of Ryan Willie (45.34) and Texas A&M’s Bryce Deadmon (45.46). LaShawn Merritt was fifth in 45.81 – pretty good for a heat – and was the last qualifier to the semis (at age 34).

Tokyo favorite Michael Norman headlined heat three, but Georgia’s Elija Godwin – third in the SEC, but who didn’t make it to the NCAAs – started in lane eight and had a huge lead coming into the straight and held on to win in 44.61, with Norman at 45.18. In heat four, NCAA sensation (and world leader at 43.85) Randolph Ross had to run from lane seven, and looked to be in trouble off the last turn, but moved up to qualify third in 45.61. Wil London won at the line in 45.46, in the same time as Vernon Norwood (45.46).

● Men’s 800 m: Former BYU star Abraham Alvarado surprised 2019 NCAA champ Bryce Hoppel in heat one, 1:48.35-1:48.38, holding him off on the final straight. The second heat was fast, with World Champion Donavan Brazier charging past three others in lane one in the final 100 m to win in 1:45.00 – wow! – with Brannon Kidder second in 1:45.06 and Isaiah Harris third in 1:45.25, with Erik Sowinski at 1:45.47 in fourth!

Heat three was slow and another mass sprint, with Michael Rhoads of the U.S. Air Force winning in 1:48.64, ahead of Sean Dolan of Villanova (1:48.68) and Brandon Miller of Texas A&M (1:48.75). Rio medal winner Clayton Murphy and NCAA champ Isaiah Jewett were the expected leaders in heat four, and Jewett led at the bell and right through the finish (1:47.83), with Murphy right alongside (1:47.84).

● Men’s hammer: American leader and world no. 2 Rudy Winkler led the men’s hammer qualifying at 79.13 m (259-7), but the no. 2 American on the season, Sean Donnelly (79.27 m/260-1) – no. 5 on the world list – failed to record a valid mark and was eliminated.

● Women’s 100 m: The racing got crazy right away, as Gabby Thomas – known for the 200 m – won the first heat in a lifetime best of 11.00 (+0.8 m/s), beating former national champ Aleia Hobbs (11.04) and Dezerea Bryant (11.09). Cam Sturgis of North Carolina A&T then showed that her NCAA win was no fluke, beating big names like Jenna Prandini (11.22) and Tianna Bartoletta (11.27) in 11.15 into a 0.7 m/s headwind.

Javianne Oliver, an under-appreciated sprinter, won heat three in 10.96 (+1.1 m/s) ahead of Kayla White (10.99) and Teahna Daniels (11.02). Then came Sha’Carri Richardson – in flowing golden hair – in heat four, who blew away the field in a sensational 10.84 (+0.9 m/s), way ahead of Mikiah Brisco (11.15) and English Gardner (11.17). Impressive; very, very impressive.

● Women’s 400 m: The modest crowd at Hayward cheered hard for Allyson Felix in the first heat, winning in 50.99, ahead of veteran Jessica Beard (51.10). Quanera Hayes romped to a huge lead by 300 m in heat two, then cruised into the finish in 52.34, just ahead of Taylor Manson (52.37). A lot of questions were to be asked in heat three, but 2019 NCAA champion Wadeline Jonathas had the best answer with a strong finish to win in 50.64 – fastest of the day – over Lynna Irby, who had a huge lead at 300 m, then struggled a little down the straight. Former USC star Kendall Ellis controlled heat four and won in 51.02, with UCLA’s Shae Anderson second in 51.32. Four-time NCAA 400 m champ at Texas and Rio 4×400 m gold medalist Courtney Okolo was fourth in 52.37 and did not advance to the semis.

● Women’s 1,500 m: The 2011 World Champion and 2016 Olympic bronze winner, Jenny Simpson, won the first race on the track on Friday in the 1,500 m heats in 4:11.34. Dani Aragon won heat two in 4:13.34 and 2021 U.S. leader Elle Purrier St. Pierre took heat three in a bunch finish in 4:11.78, with a 62-second final lap.

● Women’s 5,000 m: Abbey Cooper, who made the Rio 2016 team as Abbey D’Agostino, ran away with the first heat, taking dead aim at the Olympic qualifying standard of 15:10.00 and gritting her teeth for the last four laps, finished in 15:07.80. That was way ahead of Rachel Schneider in second (15:23.45) and allows Cooper to simply try and finish in the top three in the final to make the U.S. team.

Seven runners ran together at the bell in the second heat and four separated with 120 m to go, with Josette Norris winning in 15:32.58, ahead of Karissa Schweizer (15:32.63), Elise Cranny (15:32.71) and Elly Henes (15:32.75), with a 57.7 final lap for the leaders.

● Women’s high jump: The 12 qualifiers to the final all cleared 1.87 m (6-1 1/2), including favored Vashti Cunningham and 2016 Olympian Inika McPherson.

● Women’s triple jump: Favorite Keturah Orji led all qualifiers at 14.29 m (46-10 3/4), ahead of Jasmine Moore (14.04 m/46-0 3/4) and former American Record holder Tori Franklin (13.84 m/45-5).

● Women’s discus: The star coming in was American Record holder Valarie Allman and she caught the wind on her second-round throw and got out to the no. 2 throw in the world in 2021 and the no. 2 throw in U.S. history at 70.01 m (229-8). That was the top mark, with Rachel Dincoff following at 61.63 m (202-2) and 2012 Olympian (and former American Record holder) Gia Lewis-Smallwood third (60.94 m/199-11).

The U.S. Trials continue through the 27th; Saturday’s finals include women’s discus and the women’s 100 m.

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For our 649-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

THE TICKER: Squabbling continues over Tokyo attendance, French government worried about Paris 2024 costs; Houlihan out of U.S. Trials

By
Rich Perelman
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Will there be any fans at Tokyo 2020's Olympic Stadium for the Games? NOPE. (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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(For coverage of Thursday’s Olympic swimming trials in the U.S. and Australia, click here.)

The latest news, notes and quotes from the worldwide Five-Ring Circus:

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● There is no let-up in the announcements, pronouncements and posturing about the Tokyo Games, especially now concerning whether spectators will be allowed and if so, how many. The recent headlines:

● 16 June: The state of emergency in Tokyo and eight other prefectures, including Hokkaido, in which Sapporo – site of the marathons and walks – is located, is scheduled to end on Sunday, 20 June. A “quasi-state of emergency” will remain in place until 11 July, 12 days prior to the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Wednesday’s announcement also noted that up to 10,000 spectators would be allowed at sporting events in the “quasi-state,” but this does not apply to the Games.

● 17 June: Kyodo News reported that the “Japanese government is considering setting a cap of 10,000 spectators” at Olympic venues.

● 17 June: Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters he would like to see spectators at the Games.

● 18 June: Vaccinations for Olympic staff, volunteers and domestic news media started at multiple centers around Tokyo.

● 18 June: The Tokyo 2020 organizers said Friday that the number of “overseas-based staff and officials” allowed to come to Japan for the Games will be cut from 78,000 to 53,000, primarily through cuts to “Olympic family members.” If true, the originally-expected total of about 180,000 such visits will have been cut by an impressive by 70.5%.

Comment: This is a signal to future organizing committees of how many people are really needed to organize a Games vs. the usual demands for more and more accreditees.

● 18 June: An online meeting on Monday (21st) is expected to resolve the policy over spectator attendance at the Tokyo Games.

● 18 June: The head of the Japanese government committee on coronavirus control advised that holding the Games without spectators is the best way to prevent problems. Shigeru Omi included this recommendation in a set of proposals to the government on further virus control, as the infection rate has seen a recent decline.

Stay tuned.

The International Olympic Committee published the third-edition “playbooks” for both broadcasters and press on Wednesday (16th), outlining many of the same restrictions – and possible penalties – as in the third edition of the playbook for Athletes and Officials.

Media members will be required to observe a limited quarantine for three days after arrival, but can perform their Games-related duties if “You test negative for COVID-19 every day; and you operate under a higher level of supervision by Tokyo 2020, which may involve use of GPS data (subject to your consent) or direct supervision where necessary, to confirm your movements.”

A booking system is required to go to any venue and requests must be made in advance, for up to 10 sessions per day, offering some options for coverage, but not for any breaking news.

The World Anti-Doping Agency noted a significant rise in the number of anti-doping tests now being done as the pandemic recedes in some areas:

“The latest figures … show that 24,430 samples were collected in May 2021 by 152 ADOs, which is the highest number of samples collected since the pandemic started in March 2020.”

Out-of-competition testing is also up, even compared to 2019. Testing in April 2021 totaled 14,560 vs. 12,713 in 2019 and in May, the totals increased to 16,149 vs. 13,691 for the same month in 2019, the highest number of out-of-competition samples collected the prior 29 months.

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The French government’s Court of Auditors released a summary of its review of the financial standing of the 2024 Games, noting caution over the agreed-to budgets of the Paris 2024 organizers (€3.9 billion, about $4.63 billion U.S.) and Solideo, the government-formed construction unit (€3.4 billion, about $4.04 billion).

It not surprisingly warned that (as translated) “respect for these envelopes is an essential stake, in itself and as one of the criteria for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in particular in the face of the expectations of public opinion.” The report also worried about ticket revenues and sponsorship sales if Covid-19 issues remain in France.

● XXV Olympic Winter Games: Milan Cortina 2026 ● The IOC announced that its Executive Board has endorsed a recommendation from the Milan Cortina organizers to include Ski Mountaineering in the Games, with five events and 48 total athletes within the overall athlete total of 2,900..

The IOC has noted that while the number of competitors in the Olympic Games must be controlled at 10,500, it feels there is room to expand the Winter Games. The proposal for Ski Mountaineering is for 2026 only, as the sport is quite popular in Italy, and must be approved by the IOC Session in Tokyo.

● Athletics ● It wouldn’t be the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials if there wasn’t some controversy and Thursday brought considerable drama around American 1,500 m and 5,000 m record-holder Shelby Houlihan.

She announced on an Instagram post that she had been suspended for doping due to a finding of nandrolone in her system – a prohibited substance – during a test last December, possibly from eating a burrito with tainted pork. She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which informed her that her suspension was upheld, for four years from 14 January 2021.

Houlihan can appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which has only limited jurisdiction to modify or overturn a decision and on this basis, USA Track & Field allowed her to run at the Olympic Trials, tweeting “Given there is an active appeal process, USATF will allow any athletes to continue competing until the process is completed.”

This brought a furious reply from the Athletics Integrity Unit, which included:

“[A] final and binding CAS decision confirmed that Ms Houlihan committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations… Ms Houlihan’s status during the period of ineligibility means that participation in any Competition or activity authorised or organised by a World Athletics Member Federation, such as USATF (i.e., the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field) is strictly prohibited.”

USA Today reported that the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee “stepped in Thursday evening” to assure adherence to the CAS decision. Houlihan was removed from the start list from Friday’s heats of the women’s 1,500 m.

It’s worth noting that this is different than the case of 2016 Rio women’s 100 m hurdles champ Brianna McNeal, who was also suspended for “Tampering with any part of Doping Control” back in April. In her case, the suspension was imposed by the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal and is under review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Houlihan’s suspension was confirmed by CAS and is considered “final and binding,” even with the limited appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal available.

The Olympic Trials at the rebuilt Hayward Field at the University of Oregon will be allowed to host about 9,000 spectators according to announcements earlier in the week. Tickets are still available, running from a low of $52 to a high of $175 for the best seats on the final day.

On the track, Nigerian star Blessing Okagbare sizzled at the Nigerian Championships in Lagos, winning the women’s 100 m in a startling 10.63, but with a +2.7 m/s wind, over the allowable for record purposes.

That’s the same time as the wind-legal 10.63 for Jamaica’s Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce earlier in the year and the fastest time – under any conditions – since world-record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner back in 1988. Rosemary Chukwuma was second in 11.07 and Grace Nwokocha third in 11.11. Wow!

In Nairobi (KEN), Geoffrey Kamworer, the world record holder in the Half Marathon and 2015 Worlds 10,000 m silver medalist, won the Kenyan 10,000 m title in 27:01.06 to punch his ticket to Tokyo. It’s the fastest time ever run in the event in Kenya, and at 5,495 feet above sea level no less!

Rodgers Kwemoi was second in 27:05.51, his second-best time ever, and Weldon Kipkirui Langat was third in 27:24.73 and also qualified for Tokyo.

In the women’s 5,000 m, reigning World Champion Hellen Obiri qualified for Tokyo, but finished second to Lilian Rengeruk in another fast final, 14:52.18-14:52.51. Twice World Championships medalist Agnes Tirop was third in 14:53.91 as seven runners broke 15 minutes at high altitude.

Rio Olympic silver medalist and 2017 World Long Jump Champion Luvo Manyonga was suspended for four years from 23 December 2020 for “whereabouts” failures, his second such violation of the World Anti-Doping Code.

This is a decision of the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal and is appealable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Manyonga had previously been suspended in 2012-13 for methamphetamine use and has battled drug addiction and depression. Even with these problems, he still finished fourth at the 2019 World Championships in the long jump and his seasonal best of 8.37 m (27-5 1/2) ranked sixth in the world. He has not jumped in a competition since the 2019 Worlds.

● Basketball ● The FIBA Women’s AmeriCup has rolled into the semifinal round, after disqualifying Argentina on Tuesday for multiple positive Covid-19 tests and cancelling its games against Venezuela and the U.S.

That left the U.S. – playing with an all-collegiate team – as the winner of Group B with a 3-0 record, trailed by Puerto Rico (2-1), Venezuela (1-2) and the Dominican Republic (0-3). Canada won Group A at 4-0, followed by Brazil (3-1), Colombia (2-2), the U.S. Virgin Islands (1-3) and El Salvador (0-4).

In the quarterfinals, Canada crushed the Dominicans, 90-53; Puerto Rico edged Colombia, 77-69, the U.S. stomped the Virgin Islands, 97-46 and Brazil defeated Venezuela, 90-59. That leaves Canada and Puerto Rico and the U.S. and Brazil in the semis to be played later today (Friday). The medal matches will be on Saturday.

● Boxing ● The crazy, uneven process of selecting boxers for the Tokyo Games reached the U.S. team, with three more athletes added last week … and all professionals.

A lengthy notice was posted by USA Boxing, explaining the process of selection which was thrown into disarray by the coronavirus.

After USA Boxing held its Olympic Trials in 2019, the winners were supposed to move on to an Americas Olympic Qualifying tournament in April 2020 that was canceled. A World Olympic Qualifier tournament was also canceled. So the IOC’s Boxing Task Force changed the qualification program to use ranking points based on past competition results.

This allowed only six of the 13 U.S. Olympic Trials winners to be eligible for selection, essentially those with international competition records prior to late 2019. An added quota was created to assign places to individual boxers – not countries – based on their ranking points from 2017-19.

USA Boxing asked to allow countries to name their fighter rather than using rankings from fighters no longer in Olympic boxing. The Boxing Task Force refused, a filing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not succeed and so USA Boxing accepted the naming of three current professionals to the U.S. team for Tokyo:

● Duke Ragan (57 kg/125 lbs., now 3-0); 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist

● Keyshawn Davis (63 kg/138 lbs., now 4-0); 2019 Worlds silver medalist

● Troy Isley (75 kg/165 lbs., now 1-0); 2017 Worlds bronze medalist

USA Boxing noted that while its rules do not allow professional boxers to be part of its national teams, the IOC’s rules prevail in this instance. But seven boxers – Anthony Herrera (men’s 52 kg), Andrea Medina (women’s 57 kg), Bruce Carrington (men’s 57 kg), Charlie Sheehy (men’s 63 kg), Joseph Hicks (men’s 75 kg), Rahim Gonzales (men’s 81 kg) and Darius Fulghum (men’s 91 kg) – never got the chance to get to Tokyo.

● Football ● The U.S. Women’s National Team finished up its “Summer Series” with a 2-0 win over an athletic Nigeria team in the new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas on Wednesday (16th).

The Americans dominated the game, with 72% of the possession, but had a hard time with the Nigerian defense and some athletic defending, especially by keeper Tochukwu Oluehi. The U.S. got 14 shots to seven for Nigeria, but could only score in extra time at the end of each half.

Christen Press sailed a shot in at the 45+2 minute mark for a 1-0 lead and Lynn Williams finally got around a tired Nigerian back line to line-drive a shot for the 2-0 final at 90+4, with an assist to Press.

Trying to get ready for Tokyo, the U.S. defeated Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria from a combined 7-0 as coach Vlatko Andonovski considered the selection of the 18 members of the Olympic squad. The U.S. women will have two more tune-ups, both against Mexico, on 1 and 5 July, both in East Hartford, Connecticut.

U.S. Soccer Federation chief Cindy Parlow Cone, a former U.S. Women’s National Team member, told reporters during a Tuesday news conference:

“You all know that largest hurdle is the massive and frankly unfair difference in FIFA World Cup prize money for men and women, a funding source that U.S. Soccer does not control. It’s solely controlled by FIFA. As it stands, the women’s team wants U.S. Soccer to pay for past and future discrepancies in FIFA prize money. This is well over $50 million for the past two World Cups and an unknown amount for the future.”

She was clear that “to make up the difference in FIFA prize money is untenable, and would likely bankrupt the Federation.”

The women’s team sued in a class action filing under the U.S. Equal Pay Act, but the action was dismissed by summary judgement in May 2020 by U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner; this is now under appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The U.S. women’s team’s collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of the year and the men’s national team has been playing without one since 2018 (which has continued in operation since). USSF chief executive Will Wilson indicated that good progress has been made on both agreements.

One of the most anticipated games at Euro 2020 was the Germany-France match in Munich (GER) on 15 June, won by the World Cup Champion French by 1-0 after an own goal by Mats Hummel in the 20th minute.

But the match almost got stopped before it started as a publicity stunt by Greenpeace went all wrong and a paraglider trying to fly over the stadium with an anti-oil message instead lost control and ended up flying into the stadium, hitting two camera guide wires, then falling towards the stands and finally on the field. Two stadium workers were slightly injured, but it could have been much worse.

The flyer was arrested and removed from the field and later released while charges are pending against him. Security measures for the tournament were beefed up. Greenpeace, in a rare action, apologized.

Meanwhile, a smaller uproar has been caused by the removal of bottles of sponsor drinks – Coca-Cola and Heineken – from the dais at post-match news conference. Last Tuesday, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo removed two bottles of Coke and held up a bottle of water instead. On Wednesday, French star Paul Pogba removed a Heineken bottle, noting that he does not drink as a practicing Muslim, and Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli moved the Coke bottles aside and put his own water bottle on the table.

UEFA released a statement noting, “UEFA has reminded participating teams that partnerships are integral to the delivery of the tournament and to ensuring the development of football across Europe, including for youth and women.” Any sanctions against the players would be made by the national federations, not UEFA.

As of Thursday, the number of Covid-19 cases at the Copa America tournament in Brazil has risen to 66. The Brazilian health ministry stated that 6,521 tests had been made, with 27 team members (players and officials) and 39 tournament staff infected. Teams with positives apparently include five of the 10 teams: Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile. No matches have been canceled as yet.

● Weightlifting ● Doping continues to dog the International Weightlifting Federation, which announced actions against two national federations:

● 11 June: The International Testing Agency – which manages the IWF’s anti-doping program – asked the IWF’s Independent Sanctioning Panel for action on the national federation of Colombia, after three athletes tested positive for steroids on 20 January 2020. All three received four-year suspensions and Colombia could be banned from weightlifting at the Tokyo Games.

● 17 June: The Independent Sanctioning Panel suspended Romania for one year, which will keep it out of the Tokyo weightlifting competition. Five doping violations from 2012 were cited, uncovered only in 2019 as a result of the IOC’s re-testing program.

On a positive note, the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s suspension of Thai weightlifters was lifted, due to their compliance with a number of conditions. The Thai federation remains suspended into 2023 and cannot participate in the Tokyo Games.

● The Last Word ● It doesn’t have anything to do with the Olympic Games directly, but the International Olympic Committee announced details of its Olympic Forest project in Mali and Senegal:

“It will involve planting around 355,000 native trees across approximately 90 villages in Mali and Senegal – host of the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 – and will cover a combined area of around 2,120 hectares (~5,239 acres).”

This is part of the “Great Green Wall” initiative in the Sahel region, and is a key element of the IOC’s program to be “climate positive.” Its statement notes:

“The IOC has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2024, and by 45 per cent by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement. By compensating for more than 100 per cent of the IOC’s residual emissions, the Olympic Forest will help the organisation become ‘climate positive’ by 2024. The Olympic Forest is expected to sequester 200,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (t CO2e), which is more than the IOC’s estimated emissions for the 2021-2024 period.”

It’s an important program and a worthwhile contribution to the often-less-attended African continent. But let’s not say that the IOC has “eliminated” its emissions, but is compensating for them by activities elsewhere.

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SWIMMING: Dressel storms to win in men’s 100 m Free, but Manuel fails to qualify; two more world leads as Oz Trials conclude

By
Rich Perelman
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Three World Championships gold medals in two hours for Caeleb Dressel (USA).

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There were four finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on Thursday, but all eyes were on Caeleb Dressel in his first final of the week in the men’s 100 m Freestyle. And he delivered.

Dressel powered to the lead right away and made the turn just ahead of Brooks Curry and Ryan Held in 22.46 and then held a small advantage to the wall to win in 47.39, second in the world for 2021.

He was pressed all the way, with Zach Apple (47.72: no. 5 in 2021), Blake Pieroni (48.16) and Curry (48.19) following for the top four places that will earn relay duty in Tokyo. Bowe Becker (48.22) and Held (48.46) may also be on the plane; the U.S. will be the favorite in the 4×100 m Free relay.

In the men’s 800 m Free, Bobby Finke – the no. 2 American in 2021, but the 800 m and 1,500 m national champion in 2019 – swam a steady pace to win in 7:48.22, the no. 8 performer on the world list. Behind him was a fight to the touch with Michael Brinegar overtaking Ross Dant in the final 20 m to grab second in 7:49.94, with Dant at 7:50.66 and open-water star Jordan Wilimovsky fourth in 7:53.07. It was Dant’s second third-place finish – also in the 400 m Free – missing a Tokyo spot by 0.13 and 0.72.

The men’s 200 m Breast final came down to the final 25 m, with five swimmers within a meter of each other. Nic Fink charged to the touch and got clear in the final 5 m to win in 2:07.55, now no. 6 in the world for 2021. A member of the U.S. World Championships team way back in 2013, Fink – at 27 – is a first-time Olympian.

Right behind him were Andrew Wilson, a member of the 2019 U.S. Worlds team, Will Licon – an 11-time NCAA champion at Texas from 2015-17 – and Rio fourth-placer Kevin Cordes. The first to break was Cordes with about 35 m left, then Wilson (in lane 2) and Licon (in lane 6) reached for the wall, with Wilson getting there first (2:08.32) and Licon just 0.18 later.

Hali Flickinger came in as the favorite in the women’s 200 m Fly final, sitting no. 3 on the world list for 2021, almost a second faster than Backstroke star Regan Smith and Charlotte Hook. Smith gave her an argument, and Flickinger grabbed the lead only at the final turn and then went back and forth on the final lap until the last 20 m, winning in 2:05.85, the no. 2 performer in 2021 and a lifetime best by 0.02. Smith was close at 2:06.99 and is now fourth on the 2021 list. Hook was third at 2:07.92, staying at no. 11.

The shocker in the women’s 100 m Free semifinals was that 2016 Olympic champ Simone Manuel qualified only sixth in the morning heats, and then failed to advance out of the semis, to the final. Swimming in semi one, Manuel was last off the start but was third at the turn, but didn’t have her normal surge in the final 20 m and faded to fourth in 54.17, well back of her seasonal best of 53.83 from late May.

The winners were veterans Olivia Smoliga and Natalie Hinds, who tied for the best mark at 53.55, a lifetime best for both; Smoliga had a prior best of 54.15 and Hinds, 54.29, and more can be expected in the final. Former national champ Abbey Weitzeil won heat two in 53.66, ahead of Catie Deloof (53.77). Allison Schmitt, already on the team from the 200 m Free, made the final at 54.08.

Olympic 100 m Breaststroke champ Lilly King was the top qualifier the women’s 200 m Breast semifinals, with only her training partner Annie Lazor close, just 0.09 behind at the final turn in the second semi. But King stayed steady and got to the wall first in 2:22.73, with Lazor at 2:22.80; both have faster seasonal bests. Emily Escobedo won the first semi and had the third-fastest time overall (2:23.87), ahead of Ella Nelson (2:24.80).

Reigning Olympic champion Ryan Murphy looked like he might have been in trouble in the men’s 200 m Back semis, only third at the final turn in semifinal two. But he rocketed his underwater and popped up in the lead and won in 1:55.60, a seasonal best and no. 4 on the world list for 2021. Austin Katz won the first semi in 1:56.26 (no. 10 in 2021), just ahead of Bryce Mefford (1:56.57), the second and third-best times on the evening.

The final race of the night was perhaps the most amazing, as sprint star Michael Andrew – the fastest in the heats at 1:56.25, no. 2 in 2021 – destroyed the field in the second semifinal. He blazed to the lead from the start and was ahead of world-record pace through 150 m, slowing slightly to finish in 1:55.26, fastest in the world for 2021 and moving him to no. 5 on the all-time list! Carson Foster was second in 1:57.77, two and a half seconds back.

Chase Kalisz, the 2017 World Champion in the men’s 200 m Medley, took care of business in the first semi, using his famed Breaststroke prowess to shoot to the lead on the third and win in 1:57.19, moving him to no. 9 in the world for 2021. He was trailed by 200 m Free and 400 m Free winner Kieran Smith (1:57.61) and then Ryan Lochte, trying for a fifth Olympic Games, in 1:58.66 (and making the final).

The U.S. Trials continue though Sunday; Friday’s finals include the women’s 200 m Breaststroke, men’s 200 m Backstroke, men’s 200 m Medley and the women’s 100 m Freestyle.

The Australian Swimming Trials concluded in Adelaide with six finals, and two more world leaders from stars Kaylee McKeown and Emma McKeon.

McKeown got her third world leader of the meet in the women’s 200 m Back, winning in 2:04.28, a slight improvement on her pre-Trials mark of 2:04.31. She was more than two seconds clear of Emily Seebohm in second – 2:06.38 – which still ranked no. 3 on the 2021 world list!

McKeon concluded her domination of the women’s sprints with a world-leading win in the 50 m Free, just out-touching two-time Olympic relay gold medalist Cate Campbell, 23.93 to 23.94. They’re now 1-2 on the year list and McKeon moves up to no. 7 on the all-time list. Cate’s younger sister Bronte Campbell was third in 24.46 (no. 13 in 2021).

Distance star Ariarne Titmus won the women’s 800 m Free in the fastest time in the world … outside of Katie Ledecky. She finished in 8:15.57 and ranks no. 2 worldwide, while runner-up Kiah Melverton timed 8:19.05 and is now no. 3 for 2021. It’s a lifetime best for both, and Titmus remains at no. 7 all-time (prior best: 8:15.70) while Melverton moved up to no. 21.

The men’s finals included the 50 m Free, won by veteran Cameron McEvoy in 22.07, no. 33 on the world list for 2021, and the men’s 1,500 m Free, won by Jack McLoughlin in 14:52.69 (no. 6 on the world list), with Samuel Short second in 14:57.22 (no. 12). The men’s 100 m Butterfly was taken by Matthew Temple – also the winner of the 100 m Fly – in 1:55.25, now no. 12 for 2021.

The meet finished with world-leading marks in nine events – two men’s and seven women’s – and a world record for McKeown in the women’s 100 m Backstroke. No doubt whatever that the Dolphins will be tough to beat in Tokyo.

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