VOX POPULI: Sport has a mission for peace – An appeal on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024

January 31, 2024

/This is an essay by Professor Helmut Digel of Germany, a handball player in his youth, but well known as the President of the DLV, the German track & field federation, from 1993-2001 and was a member of the IAAF (now World Athletics) Council from 1995 to 2015. As a professor of sport sociology, he taught at universities in Frankfurt, Tubingen and Darmstadt between 1978 and 2010. He now edits the online magazine Sport Nach Gedacht, from which he offers this article. His writing offers a sobering perspective, and his views are, of course, his alone./

As each new year dawns, it has long been customary to indulge in rhetorical debate about the weighty concept of ‘peace’. In the many annual speeches by politicians, the peace metaphor is an imperative to suit their populist interests. On television the issue of peace has its seasonal climax. News and entertainment programmes are shaped by it, musical tunes repeat year after year with peace as their refrain, and feature films are shown again and again in which a peaceful “happy ending” is celebrated.

The system of sport, which is very important for Western societies, is understandably no exception. In their speeches at the turn of the year, sports leaders politicians devote their attention to the issue of peace, fair play and the observance of human rights.

The turn of the year 2023/24 had a heightened significance compared to the change of previous years and presented a very special challenge. For more than two years, Russia’s terrorist war of aggression against Ukraine has had a lasting impact on the world’s cultural, economic and socio-political development. War results in the deaths of countless innocent people every day. In this war alone, 500,000 soldiers have already been killed. Every dead civilian and every injured combatant is one too many, and we all have to mourn the senseless deaths of countless Ukrainian and Russian fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.

A few weeks before the turn of the year, there was also the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas against innocent Jewish citizens, which has triggered an equally barbaric war between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah and resulted in almost endless suffering for many Israeli families. But it is also necessary to think of the many innocent Palestinians whose existence has been repeatedly threatened for several years by an Israeli state that even many self-critical Israeli citizens and internationally recognized Jewish political experts, philosophers and sociologists deny the status of a “democracy.”

“Artists admonish us” (Art posters from the international art park “798″ in Beijing)

If we consider that, in addition to Ukraine, Israel and the Gaza Strip, there are still currently more than 20 other armed conflicts with countless innocent victims. It must probably be stated by all of us that we are currently living in an extremely peaceless time which we could hardly have expected at the dawn of the twenty-first century. At the same time, we must recognise that viable and promising initiatives for a peaceful world and for resolving the many military conflicts around the globe are nowhere to be seen.

The very institutions of our society that tried to outdo each other in their peace during the Christmas season are characterized by a total failure in this regard. This applies to political institutions as well as to ecclesiastical and other religious ones, but also to all other relevant social institutions – including sport. No serious relevant peace efforts can be discerned. In politics, the concept of ‘diplomacy’ and wise diplomatic action seems to have become alien.

In Germany, a party that once defined itself as a “peace party” is locked with other political parties in a competition on the question of how many and with which weapons one should still support the war in Ukraine, even though everyone knows that weapons always result in the death of innocent people, that further arms deliveries will only prolong the duration of the war and that only the arms industry will be the winner – it can look forward to the increase in sales that it owes to its successful war lobbying work. Germany’s foreign policy supports the constant expansion of NATO’s sphere of influence and employs rhetorical threatening gestures that are anything but peacekeeping. And the Federal President and the Federal Government believe that their policies are resolutely countering the dangerously growing anti-Semitism in German society by not allowing a “but” in their support for the State of Israel. But because this support does not distinguish between the State of Israel and its Jewish citizens, who deserve our support, anti-Semitic tendencies in our society are reinforced rather than combated, and equal support for Jews and Muslims in a democratic state of Israel is prevented rather than promoted.

With regard to religions, one must also speak of a total failure. For two years now, the World Council of Churches of the Protestant Church has been waiting in vain for a peace policy initiative that speaks with one voice vis-à-vis international politics. Nor is there any sign of an effort on the part of international business associations to take economic action to end the conflicts. The efforts of the Catholic Church to take a peace measure against the war – together with the Orthodox Churches of the East – have not progressed beyond fruitless initiatives. At best, one can appreciate the open and clear address of Pope Francis, who in his Christmas address clearly expressed the deadly connection between weapons and war. His speech culminated in the statement that peace has never been established with the use of weapons, that guns kill, and that without guns there would be no wars. A “political ban on weapons,” which is now more urgent than ever, has never been more clearly stated.

The various institutional manifestations of Islam that can be found in the world have also failed in every way in relation to the current wars. From all other representatives of the religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and other religious communities, no significant peace initiatives can be observed either. Rather, we must speak of a total failure of the religious leaders. The same applies to the globally active economic institutions and organizations as well as to the world organizations of trade unions.

The IOC is the only international organization that adheres to its self-imposed peace mission and, in cooperation with the United Nations, is at least striving for a ‘temporary peace’ through the staging of its Olympic Games. However, its stakeholders, i.e. the international sports federations and the more than 200 National Olympic Committees, have hardly made any independent peace efforts. In fact, the opposite is often the case.

Particularly consequential is the fact that pacifism and large parts of the Christian canon of values have been overridden by the total failure of all relevant institutions. People who feel they belong to pacifism are discredited. Their peace initiatives are ridiculed in mass communication and misused as cabaret topics. Anyone who invokes the Ten Commandments as a believing Christian in connection with the war in Ukraine or in the armed conflict between Palestine and Israel is contradicted even by his own Christian institutions. In my view, the assumption that the validity of the Ten Commandments may be suspended during a war is unacceptable in every respect. There is certainly no evidence for this in the theological foundations of Christianity.

In view of this situation, it is more important than ever to remember, not least here in Germany, that there have been times when the blue dove of peace has been an almost everyday symbol of our society, that many houses in German and European villages and cities have been draped with peace flags, and that it has been no shame in the most diverse areas of our society’s life when people have been involved in peace initiatives.

This was and is especially true of the system of sport which, with its cultural significance and its concept of values, is committed to the “principle of association” [note 1] in a very special way. For modern sport, “competition” and “cooperation” are constitutional, and both must be held together by the principle of fair play. The imperative of “solidarity” is indispensable for the organisation of sporting competitions. That is why it was long overdue that the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” was supplemented by a “Communiter” (“Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”). However, IOC President Thomas Bach, who pushed through this continuation of modern Olympism on the occasion of the extremely problematic and in many ways endangered Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, did not receive any applause for it. Neither international politics nor large parts of sports policy recognized or heeded the significance of this step.

Initiatives of sport for the sake of peace in our world, as were still widespread in Germany and Europe in the second half of the last century – demonstrations against the torture measures in Argentina on the occasion of the Football World Cup, sporting peace marches, organizational efforts under the motto “Athletes for Peace” – have now receded into the distant past. An effort on my part to launch a sporting peace initiative on the occasion of the terrible war in Ukraine was welcomed by a Protestant regional bishop, who also holds the chairmanship of the World Council of Churches of the Evangelical Church, and he had promised to present this concern to the World Council of Churches as well. However, there has been no response from him to date. Sporting peace marches would be more urgent today than ever, and it would probably be one of the most noble tasks of all responsible sports politicians of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag to make clear demands in favor of diplomatic peace efforts on the occasion of the devastating wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. Unfortunately, the opposite can be observed.

The institutions of German sport are not aware of their autonomous role in relation to the peace mission and have submissively subordinated themselves to Berlin’s wrong political decisions. On the other hand, there is a ridiculous “armband culture” in rainbow colors, led by a Federal Minister of the Interior and Home Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, with whom violations of human rights are hypocritically dealt with. What goes unnoticed is that we are guilty of a division of human rights, which must be indivisible, not only from the point of view of the United Nations, but above all from an ethical, moral and Christian point of view.

When Ukrainian athletes refuse to shake hands with their Russian opponents at award ceremonies, this gesture and deliberate decision is applauded by the German mass media, while when Muslim athletes do the same to their Jewish opponents, these actions are denounced as a violation of the unwritten rules of the principle of fair play in international sport (quite rightly so, in my opinion), and condemned. While the IOC, under the leadership of its IOC President Bach, advocates the participation of innocent Russian athletes as ‘neutral athletes’ under clearly defined conditions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, German state policy, together with other European states, demanded the exclusion of all Russian and Belarusian athletes, without being supported by the vast majority of German sports organizations. including the athletes‘ representatives. However, I am not aware of any comparable demands for the exclusion of athletes from nations who are irresponsibly engaged in armed conflicts with other nations these days and thus continuously violate human rights.

Summer Olympics in 2024 could become a very special appeal for peace and represent a full memorial to peace. However, this would require all sports organisations to reflect on the values of the Olympic Charter, to respect the principle of the indivisibility of human rights, to actively oppose all forms of racism and discrimination, and to demonstrate and draw attention to their interest in a lasting peace with great unity. Peace congresses and peace marches and runs could be just as much a part of this as independent sporting events dedicated to the message of peace. Gestures of peace by individual athletes should also be welcome. Anyone who objects to the principle of solidarity should have to learn that they are thereby excluding themselves from the community of sport. Gestures of fraternization would be just as desirable as a committed accompaniment of all these measures through art, literature, science and music.

France’s Baron de Coubertin had a vision more than 100 years ago. In my opinion, this has by no means become obsolete. The desire for peace can be observed all over the world, and all those who have lost their loved ones in wars know what peace could have meant to them if it had been established at the right time.

All those responsible and involved in national and international sport are hereby called upon to take up the peace mission and the chance for peace before, during and after the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and to help create and preserve the peace desired by many people all over the world.

[Note 1: “Association” refers to the result of a process in which two or more cognitive elements (in this case two ideas) are brought into a constitutive connection with each other.]

Comments are welcome here and or direct to Prof. Digel here.

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

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TSX BULLETIN: ISU re-scoring of the Beijing 2022 Team Event appears to contradict its own rules!

Rich Perelman

January 30, 2024

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The International Skating Union’s Tuesday announcement of re-stated results for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Team Event was odd in that it removed only the points scored by Russian star Kamila Valieva and did not change any other scores in the women’s Short Program or Free Skate.

The ISU statement referred to Article 10.10 of the ISU Anti-Doping Rules, which speaks directly to disqualifications of competitors in events subsequent to a doping violation, notes that:

“[A]ll other competitive results of the Skater obtained from the date a positive Sample was collected … or other antidoping rule violation occurred, through the commencement of any Provisional Suspension or Ineligibility period, shall, unless fairness requires otherwise, be Disqualified with all of the resulting Consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.”

Under this section, Valieva was quite rightly disqualified and her points removed from the team scoring total (74-20 = 54). However, a deeper look at the rules makes things muddier.

● Rule 11.2.2 of the ISU Anti-Doping Rules is in a section titled “Consequences to Teams” and states:

“An anti-doping rule violation committed by a member of a team, including substitutes, occurring during or in connection with an Event may lead to Disqualification of all of the results obtained by the team in that Event with all Consequences for the team and its members, including forfeiture of all medals, points and prizes, except as provided in Article 11.2.3.”

The key phrase here is “in connection with an Event,” which in the Valieva case would indicate that her doping positive, revealed literally minutes after the Team Event finished on 7 February 2022, would appear to apply here. If so, the entire Russian team should be disqualified.

(The exception in 11.2.3 does not apply, since it lets a team continue without disqualification only if that team was not otherwise affected by the doping violation. Russia was most certainly impacted, since it would have won with a substitute for Valieva.)

● Even more important is Rule 353 of the ISU’s Special Regulations for Technical Rules for Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance.

In section 4, titled “Publication of Results,” the text is clear about scoring for disqualified competitors:

“Disqualified Competitors will lose their placements and be officially noted in the intermediate and final results as disqualified (DSQ). Competitors having finished the competition and who initially placed lower than the disqualified Competitor(s) will move up accordingly in their placement(s).”

This rule was in effect at the time of the Beijing Winter Games and clearly indicates that not only should Valieva’s points been deducted, but that other teams were affected:

● In the Short Program, Valieva won (10 points), but now all nine others should be advanced one place and have one point added to their totals.

● Same in the Free Skate, where Valieva won again, but the nine following skaters should all receive one more point.

This would make the final scores:

● 1. 67, United States (up from 65)
● 2. 65, Japan (up from 63)
● 3. 55, Canada (up from 53)
● 4. 54, Russia (down from 74)
● 5. 52, China (up from 50)

Canada should be the bronze-medal winner by reference to the ISU’s figure skating rules for scoring of disqualified athletes.

Have no doubt that a challenge to the ISU’s scoring – unless corrected – will come from Skate Canada on behalf of its team. The federation said so on Tuesday:

“Skate Canada is extremely disappointed with the International Skating Union’s (ISU) position on the long-awaited awarding of medals for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games Figure Skating Team Competition.

“The Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that in addition to a four-year ban from competition, the ban includes ‘the disqualification [of] all competitive results’ achieved by Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva since the positive test. The ISU in its recent decision is not applying Rule 353, which states that ‘competitors having finished the competition and who initially placed lower than the disqualified competitor will move up accordingly in their placement.’

“Skate Canada strongly disagrees with the ISU’s position on this matter and will consider all options to appeal this decision.”

And Russia is planning a new appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Russian Olympic Committee declared Tuesday:

“Our lawyers have already begun preparing the necessary documents for filing an appeal.

“We proceed from the fact that, in accordance with the current, applicable ISU rules, the consequences of the decision on sanctions in relation to an individual athlete, in this case Kamila Valieva, cannot be a basis for reviewing the results of a team tournament. Our legal position is based, among other things, on existing precedents in CAS practice.”

Noting Rule 353 cited above, this appears to be fantasy, but appeals can be filed.

The Russian news agency TASS quoted a statement from the International Olympic Committee that “the CAS decision brings clarity to this matter and the athletes competing in the team figure skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics can finally receive the medals they have been waiting for.”

Nope. Not yet.

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TSX REPORT: Valieva held to be doping at 2022 OWG; USOPC and WADA happy, Russia furious; ISU to meet on 7 February on finalizing results

Rich Perelman

January 30, 2024

tsx pix 2022-211 valieva, kamila 2 wiki (Ttckcv21) — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, in the middle of the final event to be decided at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games! (Photo: Ttckcv21 via Wikipedia)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Court of Arbitration says Valieva doped, banned for four years
2. Reax: USOPC, WADA cheer Valieva decision on behalf of skaters
3. Reax: “war has been declared on Russian sports”
4. Estanguet realistic on security challenges for Paris 2024
5. Paris 2024’s Jolly on managing the unmanageable Olympic opening

● The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced the decision in the Kamila Valieva doping case from the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, finding that the Russian skater did register a doping positive and suspending her for four years – as requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency – from 25 December 2021. This opens the way for the International Skating Union to finalize the results of the Team Event from 2022, with the U.S. in line to receive the gold medals after Valieva’s results are removed.

● Reaction from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency was all positive, with WADA stating “doping of children is unforgivable” and suggesting criminal penalties in the future.

● Reaction from Russia was predictably angry, with the Kremlin calling the decision “politicized” and the Russian Olympic Committee stating “war has been declared on Russian sports, and, as we see, all means are good.”

● Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet told Reuters that security continues to be a concern, but is optimistic that the Games have “tendency to pacify relations and leave a space for dialogue.” He is fine with the International Olympic Committee deciding who can compete, instead of the organizing committee or the host country.

● Thomas Jolly, the ceremonies director for Paris 2024 explained to AFP that the opening on the Seine cannot be rehearsed all in one piece and will come together only very late in the process. But it is being assembled now, in pieces.

● Panorama: Athletics (indoor world leads in France, hot 5000s in Boston) = Figure Skating (U.S. announces men’s and Pairs teams for Worlds) = Football (3: FIFA to visit 2027 Women’s World Cup candidates in the next month; quality of play was up at FIFA Women’s World Cup in ‘23; Greece implementing mobile-phone security system for matches) = Ice Hockey (Israel sweeps IIHF men’s U-20 Worlds/Division III-A in Sofia) = Modern Pentathlon (12 Belarusians approved as “neutrals”) = Swimming (Portugal’s Silva re-elected as Euro Aquatics President) ●

1.
Court of Arbitration says Valieva doped, banned for four years

At 3 p.m. Lausanne time on Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued its long-awaited decision in the doping case of Russian skater Kamila Valieva, with a clear decision in favor of the World Anti-Doping Agency:

“● The decision taken by the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency No. 9/2023 on 24 January 2023 in relation to Ms Kamila Valieva is set aside.

“● Ms Valieva is found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules of 24 June 2021 (the Russian ADR).

“● A period of four (4) years ineligibility is imposed on Ms Valieva, starting on 25 December 2021.

“● All competitive results of Ms Valieva from 25 December 2021 are disqualified, with all the resulting consequences (including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, profits, prizes, and appearance money).”

The impact will be to disqualify Russia from its gold-medal performance in the Figure Skating Team Event at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN), where Valieva won both the Short Program and the Free Skate.

The beneficiaries should be the U.S. team, which should be advanced to the gold medal, as well as Japan (bronze to silver) and Canada, which finished fourth and would now get the bronze medals.

The CAS statement added:

“According to Clause 4.1 of the Russian [Anti-Doping Rules], athletes are responsible for any Prohibited Substance found to be present in their samples and the presence of any prohibited substance amounts to an [adverse finding]. In this matter, a prohibited substance, Trimetazidine (TMZ), was found to be present in the sample collected from Ms Valieva on 25 December 2021 during the Russian National Championships in St Petersburg, Ms Valieva did not contest liability in that she accepted that, by reason of the presence of a TMZ in her sample, she had committed an ADRV under Clause 4.1 of the Russian ADR.”

Based on this, the three-arbitrator panel reviewed whether Valieva could establish, based on the written submittals and two sessions of oral argument, that she ingested the Trimetazidine unintentionally:

“Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS Panel concluded that Ms Valieva was not able to establish, on the balance of probabilities and on the basis of the evidence before the Panel, that she had not committed the ADRV intentionally (within the meaning of the Russian ADR).”

Valieva, then 15 and now 17, was sanctioned with four years of ineligibility from the date – 25 December 2021 – that she gave the sample that turned up positive.

This is the decision sought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (four years), with the International Skating Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency also part of the appeal; both would have accepted lesser penalties.

The decision is appealable to the Swiss Federal Tribunal on procedural grounds, and it can be expected that an appeal will be filed within the required 30 days, which will further delay any action on the finalization of the Beijing Team Event.

And the statement noted that the Court of Arbitration was not asked to deal with the question of the results, which will now be up to the International Skating Union and finally, the International Olympic Committee. The ISU Executive Board is next scheduled for an online meeting on 7 February.

The full decision was not published and since the arbitration rules allow for one party to maintain confidentiality if it desires, may never be. But that is in the future. For now, Valieva was found to have committed a doping violation and was ineligible to compete at Beijing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

2.
Reax: USOPC, WADA cheer Valieva decision on behalf of skaters

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland was more than thrilled by the CAS decision on Monday:

“Today is a day we have been eagerly awaiting for two years, as it is a significant win not only for Team USA athletes but also for athletes worldwide who practice fair play and advocate for clean sport.

“The incredible athletes of Team USA, including Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim [and] Vincent Zhou, have displayed remarkable fortitude. Their outstanding performances in Beijing will forever symbolize their commitment to clean competition.

“We take immense pride in the United States Figure Skating Team and their historic performance. Not only did they achieve their best-ever finish, score the highest number of points ever, and achieve firsts in three different disciplines, but they also embody the spirit and principles of the Olympic Movement.

“We now anticipate the day when we can wholeheartedly celebrate these athletes, along with their peers from around the world. Their moment is approaching, and when it arrives, it will serve as a testament to the justice and recognition they truly deserve.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency was similarly pleased:

“WADA welcomes the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold its appeal and impose a four-year period of ineligibility on the Russian Olympic Committee figure skater, Kamila Valieva, as well as disqualify her results from the date of the sample collection on 25 December 2021, including all her results during the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. WADA took this appeal to CAS in the interests of fairness for athletes and clean sport and we believe that has been delivered through this decision.

“The doping of children is unforgivable. Doctors, coaches or other support personnel who are found to have provided performance-enhancing substances to minors should face the full force of the World Anti-Doping Code. Indeed, WADA encourages governments to consider passing legislation – as some have done already – making the doping of minors a criminal offence.”

3.
Reax: “war has been declared on Russian sports”

The Russian Olympic Committee was furious over the decision, posting a message which included (computer translation from the original Russian):

“Unfortunately, the CAS decision is negative, but we can no longer count on the objectivity and impartiality of this international structure, and we know this from the example of those cases where the [Russian Olympic Committee] itself is involved as a party, including in the case of our suspension based on the decision of the Executive Board of the [International Olympic Committee].

“Of course, one can believe in a coincidence of circumstances when the test result was made public, immediately after the end of Russia’s victorious team figure skating tournament. As well as in pure coincidence, the ISU will make a decision on approving the medals of the Olympic tournament on February 7, the day of the 10th anniversary of the Games in Sochi. In fact, war has been declared on Russian sports, and, as we see, all means are good.

“With regard to the gold medals of our figure skaters, the Russian Olympic Committee has repeatedly emphasized that, in accordance with the applicable rules, the results of team competitions at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games do not depend on the outcome of the consideration of the individual case of Kamila Valieva, and the awards won by our team in Beijing are not legally subject to review.

“CAS did not consider the issue of team results in this process. This is the prerogative of the ISU and the IOC. The ROC will closely monitor further steps and decisions of international sports organizations and, if necessary, take appropriate measures to legally protect Russian interests.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the decision should be appealed:

“From my point of view, of course, it’s politicized.

“If there are any appeal mechanisms and so on, then, of course, they should be involved. We must protect the interests of our athletes to the end.”

The Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, Dmitry Svishchev, told the Russian news agency TASS:

“This decision was, unfortunately, expected for us. But at the same time, it is completely politicized. Valieva and her lawyers need to use all opportunities. We support Kamila, who has experienced so much pressure on herself in recent years.

“Many cases of CAS, which is largely affiliated with the International Olympic Committee, have been going on like a carbon copy lately. I think that we shouldn’t expect anything good in the case between the Russian Olympic Committee and the IOC.”

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin told TASS (computer translation here and following):

“We emphasize that not a single athlete should suffer from a biased attitude for the sake of someone’s political interests, international authorities must prioritize the protection of athletes, which, as we see today, is no longer a priority for some of them.

“The details of the CAS decision must be carefully studied from a legal point of view. The fate of the gold medal in the team event of the 2022 Olympic Games will be decided by the International Skating Union: we urge it to be independent and unbiased.”

The Russian figure skating team physician, Dr. Phillip Shevetsky told TASS:

“I was hoping for an objective and personal assessment of this whole situation, especially at a high legal level. One might assume that this is an absurd accident, but now we see a deliberately planned attack, because, despite the facts in Kamila’s favor, a decision of unprecedented cruelty has been made.

“The work to discredit Russian sports has been going on since 2006, and now they are trying to weaken us more than ever, to destroy us by all means.

“Kamila became a victim of unsportsmanlike wrestling, a bureaucratic sports machine. A unique athlete, there has never been and never will be, but this machine has done everything to destroy the most beautiful thing in sports. They erase all the best and ingenious, created by nature and great labor. And all this in order to take away the Olympic team gold from the Russians. They intend to do this in any way. If they need victory at such a price, then what kind of sport is this anyway?”

Legendary skating coach Tatyana Tarasova said:

“What can I say, there is no justice. It’s a shame that such an honest, wonderful, talented person like Kamila faced such cruel injustice in her youth. Hatred of our country spread to her.”

Beyond the decision announced Monday, more questions are raised for the ISU Council ahead of its 7 February meeting on how to deal with the disqualification of Valieva:

● Via her disqualification, the entire Russian team could be disqualified.

● Valieva’s 20 points (out of 74) could be removed, leaving Russia with the bronze medal with 54 points to 53 for Canada.

● Valieva’s 20 points could be removed and the scores for other skaters in the women’s Short Program and Free Skate could be re-allocated. This would change the final scores to 67 for the United States (gold), then 65 for Japan (silver), 55 for Canada (bronze) and 54 for Russia, in fourth place.

The ISU has promised a statement on Tuesday (30th).

4.
Estanguet realistic on security challenges for Paris 2024

Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet (FRA) told Reuters that security is always on the mind of the organizing committee:

“It’s hard to know six months down the line whether things are going to get worse or calmer.

“You have to stay in your place, not think that the Games are a magic wand that will solve all the problems and armed conflicts in our world, but with the deep conviction that they have a tendency to pacify relations and leave a space for dialogue and positive expression, and that each delegation, each qualified athlete must be respected.”

He has supported the IOC’s approach to the Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to compete as “neutrals,” subject to the IOC’s own checks, in addition to those of the relevant International Federation:

“I find it reassuring to see that, on such a complex subject, it’s not the organizing country that decides which countries can take part in an event.

“In 2014 in Russia (Sochi) and in 2022 in China (Beijing), at no time were these nations able to influence which countries could take part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and I think that’s healthy.”

He also acknowledged concerns over the safety of delegations such as Israel, now deeply involved against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after its deadly attack on 7 October last year, and which was victimized by a terrorist plot at the 1972 Games:

“We are taking a very strict approach to all the delegations, with the Prefecture of Police and the State working with the intelligence services.

“I’ve been to the Games (four times as an athlete), and we know that this is a delegation that, given what happened at the Munich Games in particular, is extremely closely watched and accompanied to guarantee its security at the time of the Games.

“The threat level is regularly updated so that the police and security services can guarantee that every participant in the Games and every spectator who comes to experience the magic of the Games will be in complete safety.”

As for protests during the Games period:

“Security remains a priority at the Olympics, and we expect that there will be demonstrations and demands. We are a free country where people can put forward their ideas, but we want them to be peaceful and respectful of all those who want to enjoy the festivities.

“We will manage the situation as it arises, and we need to be able to react immediately as best we can, respecting the integrity of everyone involved, not overreacting, and guaranteeing the continuity of the Games’ operations. We want to welcome the athletes in the best possible conditions.”

5.
Paris 2024’s Jolly on managing the unmanageable Olympic opening

The Paris 2024 opening ceremony will be a first in many ways: first ever outside a stadium, first on a river, first to have more than 150,000 spectators and probably the largest ever in terms of assigned security personnel.

The show itself is being led by Thomas Jolly, 42, a renowned French theatrical director, who is literally assembling the show on the fly:

“What’s unique about this show is that you can’t rehearse it on location. Actually you can’t rehearse it even once in advance.”

He explained in an interview with Agence France Presse last week that the staged elements are being developed and perfected inside enormous hangars, while the on-the-river elements are being worked out at a sailing center.

And then there is the Seine itself:

“There’s the issue of the Seine which is not the same depth in one place as another. The bridges don’t have the same strength, nor do the banks of the river.

“The wind doesn’t blow in the same way depending on where you are. There are places where fish spawn too, because we are trying not to disturb the natural environment.”

Jolly said that the show, expected to consume about three hours in all, including the on-the-water parade of 200-plus boats over a 6 km course, will integrate the entertainment elements, parade of nations and the protocol aspects, rather than staging them in discrete segments.

He was appointed as the artistic director in September of 2022 for the opening and closing of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, responsible for four shows on 26 July, 11 August, 28 August and 8 September.

But most of the public focus now is on the Olympic opening in July. The plan was developed by last July and then presented for review to all the groups that would be involved:

“All of these reviews were done to see if we could turn our dream into reality.

“They all agreed pretty unanimously on around 90 percent, so I have around 10 percent left of the project that I need to re-adapt.“

Any clues? He gave a hint:

“Around ten paintings will be spread out from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadéro. They will be crossed by delegations and hosted by artists from all disciplines: circus, dance, music, performance, plastic arts … The story that we have written tells a story of what France is and what will be the France. I want each spectator to feel represented.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● The indoor season is heating up, with multiple noteworthy world-leading marks, including Spain’s Mohamed Katir with a 3:51.91 men’s mile win at Val-de-Reuil (FRA), plus Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) triple-jumping 17.15 m (56-3 1/4). Britain’s Molly Caudery won the women’s vault at 4.83 m (15-10), the best so far this year.

The top men’s vault moved up to 6.01 m (19-8 1/2) for American star Chris Nilsen in a meet in South Dakota; he missed three times at 6.10 m (20-0).

At the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University, the 5,000 m races were hot, with Kenyan Edwin Kurgat winning the first section in 12:57.52, with American 1,500 m star Yared Nuguse getting a lifetime best – indoors or out – of 13:02.09 in third, moving to no. 6 all-time U.S. indoors.

In section two, South African Adrian Wildschutt won in a tight finish over Northern Arizona junior Nico Young, 12:56.76 (world leader) to 12:57.14, a collegiate record. That makes Young no. 4 all-time U.S. indoors (and moves Nuguse down to no. 7).

Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew won the women’s 5,000 m in 14:42.94, now no. 8 all-time world indoors, ahead of countrywoman Fantaye Belayneh (14:43.25). Americans Josette Andrews and Courtney Wayment finished 5-6 in 14:46.51 and 14:49.78, moving to no. 2 all-time U.S. indoor and no. 6, respectively.

● Figure Skating ● U.S. Figure Skating announced its men’s and Pairs teams for the ISU World Championships in March in Montreal (CAN), with the top three in each event moving on.

Men’s champ Ilia Malinin, runner-up Jason Brown and bronze winner Camden Pulkinen will compete, as will Pairs winners Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, bronze medalists Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez and Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, who led after the Short Program, but withdrew due to injuries. They filed a petition with the federation to be named for the team, which was accepted.

Pairs runner-ups Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov are not eligible for the Worlds this season since Efimova competed for Germany at the 2023 Worlds.

● Football ● FIFA announced its schedule for visiting the bidding countries for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands on for 30 January to 2 February; Brazil from 20-23 February and the U.S. and Mexico from 26-29 February.

The vote will be taken on 17 May at the FIFA Congress in Thailand.

FIFA released some new statistics on the 2023 Women’s World Cup, noting the increased level of play. Although the field increased from 24 to 32 and eight nations fielded teams in the Women’s World Cup for the first time, defenses were tighter than ever, across the board.

Goals-per-game were down to 2.56 per match for the entire tournament, down 9% from the 2.81 for 2015 and 2019. Amazingly, in the group stage, scoring was even tighter, down 12% from 2015 to just 2.65 a game in 2023 vs. 3.00 just eight years prior.

If you’re a Greek football fan, you better have a mobile phone. You will need one to get into a stadium.

After repeated failures to corral violence at matches, the Greek Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutsis explained to a parliamentary committee on Monday that a new system, to be implemented by 9 April, will require Greek fans to use a government-provided application to access stadiums:

“So far, we have not been able to do something that’s obvious: To identify people who are entering a stadium.

“With the help of a mobile phone, a person’s ID can be automatically cross-checked with a ticket. Anyone without a cellphone won’t get into the stadium.”

Greek stadia have been without fans since an attack on riot police on 7 December 2023 following a volleyball match that included the death of an officer after being hit by a flare. Stadia were closed to 12 February, but will reopen on 13 February.

Surveillance cameras will also be installed by 6 March, and Vroutsis said:

“From now on, when a supporter watches a soccer game, we will know his or her name, phone number, home address and assigned seat.”

The Associated Press reported additional measures will “include spot bans of supporters at stadiums following violent incidents, a national registry of members of soccer supporters’ clubs, and new rules banning stadium entry to minors under the age of 15 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.”

● Ice Hockey ● Remember the IIHF men’s World U-20 Championship in Division III-A that Israel was not supposed too attend because it was too dangerous?

The event was held in Sofia (BUL) and concluded on Sunday, with the Israelis winning the tournament with a 5-0 record, outscoring their opponents by 41-14. Mike Levin (ISR) was the top scorer in the tournament with nine goals and 17 total points. By winning, Israel is now promoted to the IIHF Division II-Group B for 2025.

Attendance at the event totaled 1,775 across 15 games, for an average of 118 each.

● Modern Pentathlon ● The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced the approval of 12 Belarusian pentathletes, plus four coaches and a therapist to participate as “neutrals” in the UIPM World Cup in Cairo (EGY) in March. None were named.

No Russians were approved and the statement did not indicate that any applied.

● Swimming ● European Aquatics re-elected Portugal’s Antonio Silva as its president with all 46 federations present in favor, at its Saturday Congress in Athens.

Silva was a controversial candidate due to allegations made against him in Portugal over ethics issues, including registering intellectual property apparently belonging to the national federation in his own name. He has suspended himself from his Portuguese Swimming Federation role, and the federation has been instructed to dismiss him by the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth.

European Aquatics was informed of the allegations in Portugal against Silva, but allowed him to stand for election again as the issues were limited to Portugal only.

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TSX BULLETIN: Court of Arbitration confirms Valieva doping, imposes four-year sanction

Rich Perelman

January 29, 2024

tsx pix 10918 court of arb for sport 750x500 — The Court of Arbitration for Sport

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At 3 p.m. Lausanne time on Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued its long-awaited decision in the Kamila Valieva doping case, with a clear decision in favor of the World Anti-Doping Agency:

“● The decision taken by the Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency No. 9/2023 on 24 January 2023 in relation to Ms Kamila Valieva is set aside.

“● Ms Valieva is found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules of 24 June 2021 (the Russian ADR).

“● A period of four (4) years ineligibility is imposed on Ms Valieva, starting on 25 December 2021.

The beneficiaries should be the U.S. team, which should be advanced to the gold medal, as well as Japan (bronze to silver) and Canada, which finished fourth and would now get the bronze medals.

The CAS statement added:

Valieva, then 15 and now 17, was sanctioned with four years of ineligibility from the date – 25 December 2021 – that she gave the sample that turned up positive.

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TSX REPORT: Malinin, Chock and Bates star at U.S. Figure Skating Nationals; Shiffrin injured in Cortina crash; no Russians at LA28?

Rich Perelman

January 29, 2024

tsx pix 2023-1210 malinin, ilia isu gp final (isu) — American teen star Ilia Malinin won his second U.S. title on Sunday. (Photo: ISU)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Malinin, Chock & Bates post big wins at U.S. Nationals
2. American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin injured in Cortina
3. Lia Thomas files against World Aquatics trans rules
4. Russian diving head sees no participation in 2028 Games either
5. U.S. biathlete Reid harassed for years by wax tech

● Ilia Malinin and the Ice Dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates starred at the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships in Ohio, with Malinin winning his second straight men’s Singles title by almost 30 points. Chock and Bates won their fifth national title, with a medal for a 12th straight year! Amber Glenn won the women’s title and Ellie Kim and Danny O’Shea won in Pairs.

● American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin crashed during Friday’s Downhill at Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, site of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and had to be airlifted off the mountain. Her injuries do not appear serious, so far, but she will be out of action for a while. Meanwhile, American Jacqueline Wiles surprised with her first World Cup medal – a silver – in six years in Saturday’s Downhill.

● Transgender swimmer and NCAA women’s champion Lia Thomas filed suit against the World Aquatics’ eligibility regulations at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking them to be taken down as unfair and disproportionate.

● The head of the Russian Diving Federation said that he did not see the country competing not just at the 2024 Olympic Games at Paris, but at the 2028 Los Angeles Games!

● The Associated Press reported on abuse against U.S. biathlete Joanne Reid by a wax technician working for the American ski federation. The U.S. Center for SafeSport suspended him, but he rejected the charges.

● World Championships: Luge (Austria stuns with four wins to Germany’s three!) = Ski Flying (Austria’s Kraft consistent enough to win gold) ●

● Panorama: Beijing 2022 (Valieva decision coming Monday) = Winter Youth Olympic Games (Four have three golds so far) = World Anti-Doping Agency (North Korea reinstated as compliant) = Alpine Skiing (Odermatt gets ninth win this season in Garmisch) = Athletics (3: Tefera and Welteji star in Astana; Bastien and Nesbitt win USATF Indoor multi-event titles; $600,000 prize pool for marathon trials) = Badminton (China wins three at Indonesia Masters) = Bobsled & Skeleton (Love wins at IBSF World Cup, while Germans win five) = Cross Country Skiing (Diggins wins, Klaebo wins two at Goms World Cup) = Cycling (Reijnhout and Pithie win World Tour races in Australia) = Football (FIFA confirms Rubiales’ three-year suspension) = Freestyle Skiing (2: Olympic champs win Ski Cross; Anthony continues sweep of Moguls World Cup) = Judo (Russian “neutrals” win four at Portugal Grand Prix) = Nordic Combined (Norwegian sweep continues in Schoach: 4 for 4) = Rugby Sevens (Ireland and Argentina win in Perth) = Snowboard (2: Grondin and Adamczykova take SnowCross wins; Bagozza’s dream PGS season continues in Simonhohe) = Ski Jumping (Pinkelnig and Prevc dominate Ljubno) = Ski Mountaineering (France sweeps World Cup Sprints) = Speed Skating (World and American records for Stolz, U.S. Team Pursuit) ●

1.
Malinin, Chock & Bates post big wins at U.S. Nationals

What would Ilia Malinin do? That was one of the big questions coming into the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and the 19-year-old delivered a spectacular victory by almost 30 points.

The defending champion in the men’s Singles, Malinin led the Short Program with a brilliant 108.57 total, way ahead of Maxim Naumov (89.72) and 2015 National Champion (and seven-time medalist) Jason Brown (89.02).

In the much-anticipated Free Skate, Malinin planned to open with a triple Axel, but completed his patented quadruple Axel, followed by three more quads. Even with a fall, he won the Free Skate with a score of 185.78 and took the overall title at 294.35.

Well back were 2015 champion Jason Brown (264.50, third in the Short and second in the Free Skate) and Camden Pulkinen (262.33, third in the Free Skate). For Brown, 29, it’s his second straight Nationals silver behind Malinin and his eighth career top-three finish (1-4-3). Pulkinen won his first Nationals medal.

Equally impressive in another way was the third straight national title for Ice Dance World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates. They steamed to the lead in the Rhythm Dance at 92.17, comfortably ahead of Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (83.19) and Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (80.91). Then, despite both falling ill, they completed the Free Dance in second place (123.75) to win with an overall total of 215.92. Carreira and Ponomarenko won the Free Dance at 126.85 and had a 210.04 total to move up from third in 2023 and win their second Nationals medal.

Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville finished third in the Free Dance (118.80) and took the bronze at 196.94, while Green and Parsons – second in 2023 – fell to fourth (193.83 total).

Chock and Bates won their fifth career U.S. title, with the first coming way back in 2015! They have also won a Nationals medal for a remarkable 12 straight years (5-6-1), starting back in 2013. Chock also won another bronze in 2011, with Greg Zuerlein, for 13 career U.S. podiums.

The women’s competition got confusing. Defending champ Isabeau Levito got off to a strong start, winning the Short Program at 75.38, trailed by Amber Glenn (74.98) and Clare Seo (67.41). But in the Free Skate, Levito was charged with four falls and scored only 125.30 even with seven triple jumps in the program, good for fourth.

Taking advantage was Glenn, who had six triple jumps, but missed on two others, but still scored 135.48 for second in the Free Skate and a 210.46 total that was good enough to win her first U.S. championship. It’s her third career U.S. medal (1-1-1), at age 24.

Levito’s total was 200.68, and she ended up third after 15-year-old Josephine Lee powered up from fifth in the Short Program to win the Free Skate (138.85) and take the silver at 204.13. She’ll be 16 on Saturday.

In Pairs, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea became the third different winner in the last three years, finishing second in both segments for a 187.76 total. They moved up from bronze in 2023 and it’s the first national title for both. Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were fifth after the Short Program, but won the Free Skate (126.43) to take the silver at 186.91 for their first Nationals medal together (Mitrofanov won bronze with Audrey Lu in 2022). Valentin Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez took the bronze with two fourth-place finishes, at 181.03.

On Sunday, Glenn and Levito were named to the U.S. team for the World Championships, as were Ice Dance winners Chock and Bates, Carreira and Ponomarenko and Bratti and Somerville.

2.
American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin injured in Cortina

A day after praising the ski courses at Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, where the 2026 Olympic Alpine events will be held, American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin fell and had to be hospitalized during Friday’s Downhill.

But Shiffrin had noted that the speed courses – Downhill and Super-G – are more treacherous for her than her favored technical events of Giant Slalom and Slalom:

“It’s been a place where I’ve had a really good feeling on my skis, and I feel comfortable on the track. That’s really helpful because it takes a little bit less mental energy to memorize all the bits and pieces of the course.

“For me, the hardest thing with downhill and super-G – just with speed in general – is the factor of memorizing all of the terrain pieces.”

On Friday, she was the eighth skier to start and according to the FIS account:

“[T]he overall World Cup leader suffered a fall near the top of the course approaching the Tofane Schuss. Shiffrin was unable to land a small jump in a patch of soft snow and slid into the safety netting. She was attended to by medics for about 10 minutes and then stood up, but limped off gingerly using her poles, unable to exert pressure on her left leg.

“The five-time overall World Cup champion was airlifted off the mountain by helicopter and according to the U.S. Ski Team taken by ambulance to a Cortina clinic for further evaluation.”

The Beijing 2022 Olympic gold winner Corinne Suter (SUI) also failed to finish, injuring her left knee and had to stop; she was airlifted off the course and suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her left knee. Italy’s Federica Brignone, a 24-time World Cup winner, crashed as well, but appeared to be undamaged.

In all, 12 of the 52 starters failed to finish, with the race won by Austria’s Stephanie Venier in 1:33.06, her second career World Cup gold after a 2019 win in Garmisch (GER)! Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami got her eighth World Cup medal of the season in second (1:33.45) and a rare three-way tie for third among Sofia Goggia (ITA), Valerie Grenier (CAN) and Christina Ager (SUI), all in 1:33.77.

Shiffrin posted on Instagram a few hours after the crash:

“Thank you everyone for your support and well wishes. At this point I’m just taking it day by day, and I’ll share more information or updates as I know more. Very thankful it’s not worse, but I’m pretty sore at the moment.

“I won’t be skiing the rest of this weekend, and I won’t be skiing in Kronplatz. Beyond that, it’s quite hard to say right now. Need a little time to process with my team and see how everything is feeling in the coming days! Thank you all!”

U.S. team coach Paul Kristofic said that Shiffrin was in reasonably good shape: “She doesn’t fall often. But it can happen. It just goes to show you how on the limit athletes push and how the courses push them. And they have to if they want to be competitive.”

The U.S. Ski Team posted on X (ex-Twitter): “@MikaelaShiffrin was taken by ambulance to the clinic in Cortina and is being evaluated for a left leg injury. Initial analysis shows the ACL and PCL seem intact. Further details to come.”

Alpine skiing has had a rough season for injuries, with Olympic women’s Slalom champ Petra Vlhova (SVK) and two-time Worlds silver winner Wendy Holdener (SUI) both out for the season due to crashes, as well as three-time World Champion Alexis Pinturault (FRA) and Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Shiffrin’s partner.

There were more surprised in Saturday’s Downhill, with Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel winning her fourth career World Cup gold and first ever in a Downhill at 1:33.50. She took the lead from Italian home favorite (and 2018 Olympic champ) Sofia Goggia, who timed 1:33.94. But completely unexpected was the silver winner coming from the third starting group, with American Jacqueline Wiles finishing in 1:33.85 for her third career World Cup medal, her first silver and the first since a bronze in the Cortina Downhill in 2018!

The Sunday Super-G had a more familiar ending, with Beijing Olympic champ Lara Gut-Behrami winning her fourth race of the season and 41st World Cup race of her career in 1:20.75, ahead of Venier (1:20.96) and France’s Romane Miradoli (1:21.16), with Mowinckel fourth (1:21.28). Lauren Macuga was the top American at 1:22.65 for 15th.

3.
Lia Thomas files against World Aquatics trans rules

The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Friday that an action by American transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was filed in September was now registered and has commenced.

Thomas, who swam as Will Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania during the 2018-19 season, transitioned to female during the Covid-19 pandemic and went on to win the NCAA women’s 500-yard title in March of 2022, dusting U.S. Olympians Emma Weyant, Erica Sullivan and Brooke Forde in the process.

She said afterwards that she wanted to swim at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials and try to make the American Olympic team for Paris.

World Aquatics adopted its “Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Categories” at its June 2022 Congress, with tight restrictions for male-to-female transgenders that include:

“They are androgen sensitive but had male puberty suppressed beginning at Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later, and they have since continuously maintained their testosterone levels in serum (or plasma) below 2.5 nmol/L.”

This essentially shuts out all male swimmers who want to make a transition to the female category after age 12. The Court announcement noted:

“Ms Thomas submits that the Challenged Provisions are invalid and unlawful as they discriminate against her contrary to the Olympic Charter, the World Aquatics Constitution, and Swiss law including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; and that such discrimination cannot be justified as necessary, reasonable, or proportionate to achieve a legitimate sporting objective.

“In bringing the matter before CAS, Ms Thomas seeks an order from the CAS declaring that the Challenged Provisions are unlawful, invalid, and of no force and effect.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has been in this area previously, most sensationally in 2019 when it decided Semenya vs. IAAF (now World Athletics) and that federation’s restrictions for the female category. The IAAF regulations at the time barred Semenya and others with hydroandrogenism (“differences in sex development”) – testosterone levels far in excess of female norms – from competing in events from 400 m to the mile given research which showed a competitive advantage to such athletes. The Court decision upheld those regulations:

“The Panel’s task is to determine whether the DSD Regulations, which are discriminatory, are necessary, reasonable and proportionate. …

“[T]he majority of the Panel finds that the DSD Regulations are discriminatory but that on the evidence currently before the Panel such discrimination is a necessary, reason and proportionate means of achieving the aim of what is described as the integrity of female athletics and the upholding of the “protected class” of female athletes in certain events.”

The World Aquatics regulations are stronger and based on the belief – not considered in the Semenya case – that any male-to-female transgender transition after male puberty provides physical advantages to that athlete which cannot be allowed.

Thomas’s chance to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in swimming are almost nil, as the event begins on 15 June and the case should take a lot longer than that. But it’s important, as other federations – in athletics, cycling, rowing and tennis, for example – have joined in, more or less at the same level as aquatics.

No hearing date has been set, and the Court statement did not indicate that any of the three arbitrators who will hear the case have been selected.

4.
Russian diving head sees no participation in 2028 Games either

On Thursday, Russian Diving Federation President Stanislav Druzhinin told the Russian news agency TASS that his athletes will not participate at the Paris Olympic Games as the top Russians will be barred by their connections to military and law-enforcement-affiliated sports clubs. And even if qualified:

“The question is how they will be treated there, will Do they feel like outcasts there, sitting separately from everyone and not communicating with anyone? In my understanding, this is how it will be. International competitions have turned into politics, unfriendly countries are trying to prove something, infringing on the rights of our athletes who simply want to compete equal to others.”

On Friday, he went a step further, telling TASS:

“My personal opinion is that we are unlikely to go to the Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We’ll see, but under the current conditions there can’t even be a conversation about a trip. They violate the sporting principle and are a manifestation of discrimination. There is absolutely no point in going.”

5.
U.S. biathlete Reid harassed for years by wax tech

The Associated Press reported in depth on a U.S. Center for SafeSport investigation into harassment of now-retired U.S. biathlon international Joanne Reid that began as early as 2016.

Reid, now 31, was a two-time Olympian in biathlon in 2018 and 2022, was abused and reported it at least as early as 2019, but an investigation only got going when teammate Deedra Irwin, a member of the Army National Guard in Vermont, told her superiors, who insisted on an investigation by SafeSport, in April of 2021.

According to the AP:

“Its 18-month investigation found that Petr ‘Gara’ Garabik had engaged in repeated sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact with Reid. The Czech citizen was suspended for six months and put on probation until December 2024.”

The report noted that Garabik “engaged in a pattern of sexualized behavior” with Reid, “including sexualized commentary and inappropriate sexualized touching, over the course of six years.” Reid told the AP that U.S. biathlon officials had not taken his actions seriously.

Garabik told the news agency that the allegations were “complete nonsense from the start.” He was not allowed to work with the U.S. teams in 2021.

Reid also told the AP that the SafeSport interview and investigation process was traumatic, having to relive the incidents. But she also got significant support after putting some of the details on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She last raced internationally in the 2022-23 season.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Luge ● Austria led the medal parade at the FIL World Championships in Altenberg (GER), displacing usual leader Germany, which won eight of the nine events at the 2023 Worlds.

Instead, Austria won both the women’s Singles and Doubles, with the unheralded Lisa Schulte – who hadn’t won a World Cup medal this season – taking the Singles title at 1:43.901, surprising German star Julia Taubitz, the 2021 World Champion (1:44.005) and Austrian teammate (and European champ) Madeleine Egle (1:44.076). Summer Britcher was the top American, in ninth at 1:44.581.

In Doubles, it was two-time World Cup winners Selina Egle and Lara Kipp who got the win in 1:24.761, with surprises for second and third. Latvia’s Anda Upite and Zane Kaluma finished second – also with no World Cup medals this season – in Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby got the bronze for the U.S. in 1:24.897. Forgan and Kirkby had won a Worlds bronze in 2022, in a special Worlds held only for that event, which was not on the Winter Olympic program.

In the Sprint events, Taubitz took the individual title – her second – in 37.702, ahead of Natalie Maag (SUI: 37.774) and Latvian Elina Vitola (37.813). American Ashley Farquharson finished fourth in 37.833 and Britcher was eighth in 37.923.

The Doubles Sprint belonged to Italy’s Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer (28.421), with Latvia 2-3 with Upite and Kaluma (28.438) and Marta Robezneice and Kitija Bogdanova (28.467). The U.S. was fourth again, with Maya Chen and Reannyn Weiler (28.482) and also sixth with Forgan and Kirkby (28.595).

The men’s seasonal leader, Max Langenhan (GER), last year’s runner-up, left no doubt, winning decisively at 1:47.813 to 1:48.574 for Nico Gleirscher (AUT) and 1:48.630 for Felix Loch (GER), who won his 21st career Worlds medal (14-5-2). American Tucker West finished an impressive fourth (1:48.695) and Jonny Gustafson was ninth (1:49.080).

The men’s Sprint went to Gleirscher (33.011), beating Langenhan (33.071) and Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods (33.124). West was ninth at 33.397.

Austria’s Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf (1:22.924) up better-known teammates Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl (AUT: 1:22.970) to win the men’s Doubles, ahead of favored Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, the three-time Olympic winners (1:23.279). Dana Kellogg and Frank Ike were ninth for the U.S. at 1:24.020.

Bots and Plume won the Doubles Sprint in 27.863 over Steu and Kindl (27.895), with Gatt and Schoepf third (27.973). Zach Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander finished 13th for the U.S. in 28.295.

In the Team event, the Germans won for the second straight time, in 3:10.869, but the U.S. got its third medal in the last six Worlds in second in 3:11.227, with Britcher, Kellogg and Ike, West and Forgan and Kirkby. Latvia was third (3:11.275).

Overall, the Austrians scored nine medals (4-3-2), with the Germans (3-2-2) and Latvians (1-2-4) both at seven. The U.S. got two medals, its best performance since 2017, when it won three!

● Ski Jumping ● Austria’s Stefan Kraft added to his sparkling career resume with his first victory at the World Ski Flying Championships, off the majestic 235 m hill at Bad Mittendorf (AUT).

Kraft had already won three World Championship golds on a Normal Hill (2017) and the Large Hill (2017, 2021), but after Ski Flying bronzes in 2016 and 2022, he got his first championship.

He did it without winning any of the three rounds, placing 2-4-2 to pile up 647.4 points, just ahead of his season-long pursuer, Andreas Wellinger (GER: 645.2).

Slovenian Timi Zajc, the 2022 silver winner in this event, looked like the winner after taking the first two rounds. But his third-round jump placed him only ninth and allowed Kraft and Wellinger to pass; Zajc ended at 642.7 points. Tate Franz was the top U.S. finisher at no. 20 (549.6).

Zajc did get a gold, however, in the Team Jumping, with Lovro Kos and brothers Peter Prevc and Domen Prevc, winning at 1,615.4, to 1,588.9 for Austria (with Kraft) and 1,549.9 for Germany (with Wellinger). It’s the second straight team win for the Slovenians and for Zajc and the Prevc brothers.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Winter Olympic Games 2022: Beijing ● USA Today’s Christine Brennan reported that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will deliver a decision on the Kamila Valieva doping case on Monday (29th). Stay tuned!

● Winter Youth Olympic Games ● The WYOG competition continues in the Gangwon Province in Korea, with four athletes with three golds so far: Antonin Guy (FRA: biathlon), Angel Daleman (NED: speed skating), Finn Sonnekalb (GER: speed skating) and Maja Waroschitz (AUT: alpine skiing).

Through Sunday, China had the total medals lead with 16 (5-8-3), ahead of Italy (10-2-3) and Austria (4-6-5) with 15 each. The U.S. has 13 (4-7-2), with the event continuing to 1 February.

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● The World Anti-Doping Agency announced that the national anti-doping organization of North Korea was reinstated as compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. It has been non-compliant since 2021.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency, the Olympic Council of Asia and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation continue to be non-compliant.

● Alpine Skiing ● A surprise at Saturday’s men’s FIS World Cup Super-G in Garmisch (GER), with France’s Nils Allegre, 30, winning his first World Cup medal, with a victory in 1:11.92, over Guglielmo Bosca (ITA, 30), who got his first career medal in second (1:12.10). Swiss veteran Loic Meillard was third (1:12.17), with seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI: 1:12.20) in fourth.

Odermatt moved up in Sunday’s Super-G, getting his ninth win of the season in 1:10.13, ahead of Raphael Haaser (AUT: 1:10.43) and Franjo von Allmen (SUI: 1:10.74). It’s the first career World Cup medal for the 22-year-old von Allmen. River Radamus was the top American, in eighth (1:11.09).

After 23 of 39 races, Odermatt has a big lead on Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA) in the seasonal standings: 1,406 to 684.

● Athletics ● Two world-leading distance races highlighted the first World Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2024 in Astana (KAZ), both by Ethiopian stars.

Two-time World Indoor 1,500 m champ Sam Tefera won the men’s 3,000 m in 7:33.80, beating countryman (and Steeple star) Getnet Wale (7:34.36). Diribe Welteji, the women’s World Road Mile champ from 2023, took the women’s mile in 4:23.76, a lifetime best, beating countrywoman Gela Hambese (4:24.44).

Elsewhere, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis won the men’s vault at 5.80 m (19-0 1/4), with American Cole Walsh fourth (5.60 m/18-4 1/2), and 100 m hurdles world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR) won a hot 60 m hurdles duel from Nia Ali of the U.S., 7.77 to 7.89. American Demek Kemp won the men’s 60 m in 6.55.

At the USATF Indoor Combined Championships held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Tokyo Olympian Steven Bastien defended his 2023 U.S. title, scoring 5,886 to win over Jack Flood (5,665) and Jakob Tordsen (5,494).

The women’s title went to Grand Valley State’s Cheyenne Nesbitt, scoring 4,475 to win over 2020 winner Annie Kunz (4.418), with Hope Bender third (4,392).

Prize money for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, coming on 3 February, was announced, with $80,000 each for the men’s and women’s winners.

A total prize pool of $600,000 will be offered, with $80,000-65,000-55,000-25,000-20,000-15,000-13,000-11,000-9,000-7,000 awarded to the top 10 placers for men and women.

● Badminton ● China took three wins at the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta, with eighth-seed Zhi Yi Wang coming through with a 21-14, 21-13 win over Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the women’s Singles, Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan taking the women’s Doubles over fellow Chinese Shu Xian Zhang and Yu Zheng in three sets (10-21, 21-19, 22-20) and top-seeded Si Wei Zheng and Ya Qiong Huang taking the Mixed Doubles, 21-15, 21-16 against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito.

Denmark’s Anders Antonsen won the men’s Singles by 18-21, 21-13, 21-18 over Canada’s Brian Yang, and the home crowd cheered on Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin to a 21-12, 20-22, 21-11 win in men’s Doubles vs. Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Brakeman-turned-driver Kaysha Love of the U.S. returned to the winner’s circle at the IBSF World Cup in Lillehammer (NOR), posting her second win of the season in the women’s Monobob race.

The 2023 Worlds two-woman bronze winner with American star Kaille Humphries, Love – a former UNLV sprinter – became a driver this season and won the opening World Cup race in La Plagne (FRA) in December. She won a silver in December and in Lillehammer, won in 1:48.52, ahead of Australia’s Breeana Walker (1:48.94) and 2018 Olympic two-woman winner Lisa Buckwitz of Germany (1:48.95). American star Elana Meyers Taylor finished 10th in 1:49.55.

In the Two-Woman racing, World Champions Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig won their first World Cup of the season in 1:43.62, ahead of teammates and Olympic champs Laura Nolte and Neele Schuten (1:43.81). Love and Azaria Hill took the bronze – their first medal this season – in 1:43.85. Taylor and Emily Renna took sixth in 1:44.36.

The Two-Man was a German sweep, led by World Champions Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer, who won their fourth race out of five on the season, in 1:40.63. Twice Olympic champs Francesco Friedrich and Alexander Schueller were second (1:41.01) and teammates Adam Ammour and Benedikt Hertel got third (1:41.08). Americans Frank Del Duca and Manteo Mitchell were fifth in 1:41.77.

Friedrich, also a double Olympic winner in the Four-Man, took that race in 1:39.50, with Lochner’s sled at 1:39.72 for second and Britain’s Brad Hall (1:40.15) third.

Germany also swept the Skeleton titles, with Beijing Olympic winner Christopher Grotheer (1:42.85) leading Beijing runner-up Axel Jungk (1:42.93) and Felix Seibel (1:42.95).

Women’s Olympic champ Hannah Niese won the women’s Skeleton in 1:45.94, just ahead of American Mystique Ro (1:45.99), who got her second silver of the season. Beijing Olympic bronze winner Kimberley Bos (NED) took third in 1:46.00.

● Cross Country Skiing ● The amazing Jessie Diggins (USA), the seasonal leader, scored another FIS World Cup win with a Sunday victory in the women’s 20 km Freestyle Mass Start in Goms (SUI).

It’s her fourth win of the season, finishing at the line with just 0.6 seconds to spare on Sweden’s Frida Karlsson, 45:26.3 to 45:26.9 and Swiss Nadine Faehndrich in third in 45:28.3. American teammates Sophia Laukli (45:35.8) and Rosie Brennan (45:42.2) finished fifth (even with an early fall) and seventh!

With her 19th career World Cup win, Diggins now has a 1,771-1,488 seasonal lead on Swede Linn Svahn, who won the Saturday Freestyle sprint.

In fact, the Swedes swept the Sprint and have won six of seven Sprints during this season. Svahn won for the fifth time – all Sprints – in 3:00.67, with teammates Maja Dahlqvist (3:02.83) and Jonna Sundling (3:02.89) close behind.

In the men’s division, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo – the two-time defending seasonal champ – had been sidelined by the flu, but came back in a big way with two wins. He took the Sprint in 2:36.42, just ahead of Lucas Chanavat (FRA: 2:36.50) and Haacard Taugnoel (NOR: 2:37.15).

Sunday’s 20 km Freestyle Mass Start was a tight race to the line between Klaebo and teammate Simen Hegstad Krueger, 39:25.2 to 39:25.9, with France’s Jules Lapierre third in 39:37.2. Gus Schumacher was the best American, in 14th (39:49.4).

● Cycling ● The UCI World Tour are now underway, with racing in Geelong, Australia for women on Saturday and men on Sunday.

The Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race of 140.8 km came down to three riders in the end, with Rosita Reijnhout taking the win in 3:53:31, beating Dominika Wlodarczyk (POL) and Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (DEN) to the line, with all three given the same time.

American Ruth Edwards was fourth, five seconds back of the leaders.

The men’s 174.3 km ride in and around Geelong for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race came down to a final sprint, with New Zealand’s Laurence Pithie winning his first UCI World Tour race in 4:17:40 over Natnel Tesfatsion (ERI) and German Georg Zimmermann, with the top 13 riders given the same time.

It’s the first win ever for a New Zealand rider in this race!

● Football ● A day after a Spanish court allowed criminal proceedings to continue against former Royal Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales, FIFA’s Appeal Committee confirmed his three-year ban from all football-related activities:

“After analysing the submissions presented to it and conducting a hearing, the Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeal, and to confirm the sanction imposed upon Mr Rubiales.

“Amongst other considerations, the Appeal Committee was comfortably satisfied that Mr Rubiales behaved in a manner contrary to the principles enshrined under article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code during and after the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

Rubiales can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. His criminal case continues in Spain.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The 2023 World Champion, Italy’s Simon Deromedis, got his first medal of the FIS World Cup season in the St. Moritz (SUI) Ski Cross final on Sunday, finishing ahead of the Beijing 2022 runner-up, Swiss Alex Fiva.

Canada’s 2014 Olympic winner, Marielle Thompson, won her first World Cup race of the season, with two-time Olympic medal winner Fanny Smith (SUI) second and seasonal leader Hannah Schmidt (CAN) taking third in the women’s final.

The FIS World Cup for Moguls and Dual Moguls was Waterville, New Hampshire, with the unstoppable Jakara Anthony – the Beijing 2022 Olympic Moguls winner – continued her romp through the schedule.

She won the women’s Moguls on Friday, scoring 81.22 to best Olympic runner-up Jaelin Kauf of the U.S. (71.71) and teammate Hannah Soar (67.93).

On Saturday, Anthony won the Dual Moguls competition over Kauf, while Olivia Giaccio won the bronze in the all-American bronze final. For Anthony, she has won 10 of 11 Moguls and Dual Moguls World Cups this season: 6/6 in Moguls and 4/5 in Dual Moguls, with only Kauf getting a win against her. Amazing.

The men’s Moguls was a third win this season for Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, the Beijing Olympic bronze winner, defeating Cooper Woods (AUS), 85.84 to 81.04. Canada’s superstar Mikael Kingsbury got third at 80.07.

Kingsbury came back to take the Dual Moguls final from Horishima; it’s Kingsbury’s 84th World Cup gold, the most ever. The all-Swedish bronze final saw Olympic champ Walter Wallberg win over Filip Gravenfors.

● Judo ● A big field of 624 judoka from 90 countries were on hand at the Portugal Grand Prix in Odivelas, with Japan taking top honors with nine medals and two wins.

Yoshito Ojo won for Japan in the men’s 81 kg class and Hikari Yoshikoka won in the women’s 48 kg division. Two other countries had two winners; Uzbekistan took golds with Dilshodbek Baratov in the men’s 60 kg class and Diyora Keldiyorova in the women’s 52kg, and Turkey grabbed wins at 90 kg for men with Mihael Zgank and in the women’s +78 kg division with Hilal Ozturk.

Absent from the medal table were four “neutral” winners – all Russian – including Yago Abuladze (66 kg), Danil Levrentev (73 kg), Matvey Kanikovskiy (100 kg) and co-World Champion Inal Tasoev (+100 kg).

A much stronger field is anticipated next week for the Paris Grand Slam, essentially a rehearsal for the 2024 Olympic Games.

● Nordic Combined ● Another sweep for Norway at the FIS World Cup in Schonach (GER), for both men and women. Eight-time Worlds gold medalist Jarl Magnus Riiber won both men’s races, giving him eight wins in 11 races this season. He took Saturday’s opener off the 100 m hill and 10 km race in 22:41.7, well ahead of Stefan Rettenegger (23:55.5) and Norway’s two-time Olympic champ Joergen Graabak (23:56.7).

On Sunday, Riiber won the 100 m/10 km race in 23:42.5, beating Graabak (24:15.7) and Rettenegger (24:36.0) for his fifth straight World Cup victory.

Norway went 1-2 in Saturday’s women’s 100 m hill/4 km race with 2021 Worlds runner-up Mari Leinan Lund winning in 10:44.6 over Ida Marie Hagen (10:57.6), with Nathalie Armbruster (GER) third (11:10.0). Annika Malachinski finished 11th for the U.S. in 12:33.0.

On Sunday, it was Hagen to the line first for her third win this season, in 22:47.2, with Leinan Lund second (23:25.0) and two-time World Champion Gyda Westvold Hansen third (23:50.3). Alexa Brabec was the top U.S. finisher, in 15th (27:12.1).

Riiber continues to lead the men’s seasonal standings with 1,070 points to 795 for Rettenegger, and Hansen and Hagen both have 560 points in the women’s competition.

● Rugby Sevens ● In Perth (AUS), Ireland scored its first podium finish of the season in the third leg of the HSBC women’s Rugby Sevens and won its first tournament with a 19-14 win over Australia in the final. Britain beat the U.S. in the women’s bronze-medal game, 24-10.

Argentina dominated the men’s final, winning 31-5 over Australia, with Ireland taking the bronze by 2-4-7 against Fiji.

The Argentines lead the men’s standings with 58 points after three stops, to 44 for Fiji and Australia. The women’s leader is Australia (also 58), with New Zealand at 46 and France at 44.

● Snowboard ● Canada’s Eliot Grondin, the Beijing 2022 Olympic runner-up, won his second SnowCross race of the season in the FIS World Cup in St. Moritz (SUI), beating Swiss home favorite Kalle Koblet and Beijing bronze medalist Omar Visintin (ITA) third.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic champ, Czech Eva Adamczykova, won her first race of the season, getting to the line ahead of Sophie Hediger (SUI) and Beijing runner-up Chloe Trespeuch (FRA).

At Simonhohe (AUT), Italy’s Daniele Bagozza came into this season with three career World Cup medals (2-1-0). He won his fourth medal of this season (!) and defeated Beijing 2022 Parallel Giant Slalom winner Benjamin Karl (AUT) in the final, and his third win! Austria’s Fabian Obmann took the bronze.

Austria’s Sabine Schoeffmann, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, finally got her first win of the season after medals in five prior races. She triumphed in the final over Zuzana Maderova (CZE) and Elisa Caffont (ITA).

● Ski Jumping ● The women’s FIS World Cup was in Ljubno (SLO), on the 94 m hill, with familiar faces on the podium. First came Austria’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Eva Pinkelnig on Saturday, winning for the third time this season, scoring 269.3 to 262.5 for Slovenia’s 18-year-old star, Nika Prevc. Canada’s Alexandria Loutitt got the bronze (258.9).

On Sunday, it was Prevc with her sixth win of this season at 276.8, ahead of Pinkelnig (271.7) and Slovenian teammate – and Beijing 2022 bronze winner – Nika Kriznar third (268.9).

With 13 of 26 events completed, Prevc has a 853-679 lead on Japan’s Yuki Ito this season, with Pinkelnig third (651).

● Ski Mountaineering ● The ISMF World Cup circuit was in Boi Taull (ESP) for a Sprint and Mixed Relay, with French stars Thibault Anselmet and Emily Harrop taking the individual titles.

Anselmet, a six-time World Championships medal winner, took the men’s Sprint decisively in 2:42.13, beating Swiss Arno Lietha (2:46.26) and Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP: 2:48.04). Harrop, a seven-time Worlds medalist, won the women’s title in 3:13.04 in a tight finish with Marianna Jagercikova (SVK: 3: 3.17) and Celia Perillat-Pessey (FRA: 3:22.82).

The Mixed Relay was a clear win for Alba de Silvesto and Michele Boscacci of Italy in 33:52.08, with Spain (33:58.10) and France (Harrop and Baptiste Ellmenreich: 33:59.15) following.

● Speed Skating ● Lots of fireworks at the ISU World Cup at the ultra-fast, altitude-aided track at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah, with American star Jordan Stolz – the three-time World Champion from 2023 – grabbing the world record in the men’s 1,000 m, an American Record in the 1,500 m, and watching his teammates in the Team Pursuit regain the world mark for the U.S.

Stolz stole the show on Friday, skating to a sensational 1:05.37 world record in the seventh pair out of 10, breaking Russian Pavel Kulizhnikov’s mark of 1:05.69 from 2020, also set at the Olympic Oval. China’s Zhongyan Ning was a distant second at 1:06.97.

On Saturday, Stolz was back at it and won the 1,500 m in 1:40.87, breaking Shani Davis’s American mark and winning over Ning again (1:41.78). A couple of hours later, Stolz got his third win, in the 500 m as the only one to break 34 seconds, at 33.96, a lifetime best. Worlds silver medalist Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) took silver at 34.05.

Shortly afterwards, the U.S. trio of Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran won the men’s Team Pursuit in a world record 3:33.66, re-taking the mark from Norway, which had skated 3:34.66 earlier in the season (taking the mark from the U.S., which had held it for three years).

Spectacular.

Stolz came back on Sunday to win the second 1,000 m race in 1:06.32, ahead of Tim Prins (NED: 1:06.40) for his fourth win of the weekend.

In the distances, World Champion Patrick Roest won the 5,000 m in 6:02.98, a lifetime best, ahead of World 10,000 m gold winner Davide Ghiotto (ITA: 6:04.23). Stolz competed in the 5,000 m too, finishing 15th in 6:25.58. In the Mass start, Beijing Olympic silver medalist Jae-won Chung (KOR: 7:42.35) beat Olympic winner Bart Swings (BEL: 7:42.40).

The women were busy too, with Olympic champ Erin Jackson winning again in the 500 m in 36.90, with fellow U.S. star Kimi Goetz getting second (37.08) ahead of Mi-sun Kim (KOR: 37.22).

Olympic 1,000 m champ Miho Takagi (JPN) doubled in the 1,000 m (1:12.77) and 1,500 m (1:51.60), with Goetz taking the 1,000 m silver (1:12.85), and three-time World Champion Brittany Bowe fourth in 1:14.01. World 1,500 m champ Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong was the 1,500 m runner-up in 1:52.04, with Goetz seventh and Bowe ninth.

Goetz returned for a win in the second 1,000 m in 1:13.08, beating reigning World Champion Jutta Leerdam (NED: 1:13.17), with Bowe fourth again (1:13.32).

The Dutch were 1-2 in the 3,000 m with Joy Beune (3:56.86) and Olympic champ Irene Schouten (3:58.20), and Olympic silver medalist Ivanie Blondin (CAN) winning over Schouten, 8:14.70 to 8:14.81.

In the women’s Team Pursuit, Canada won in 2:54.07, with the U.S. squad of Bowe, Mia Manganello and Giorgia Birkeland third in 2:57.66.

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TSX REPORT: Russian diving chief says his athletes would be “outcasts” in Paris; City of L.A. asked for 2028 arts funding; Rubiales headed to trial!

Rich Perelman

January 26, 2024

City of L.A.'s Department of Cultural Affairs ready to plan for 2028!

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Russian diving chief: we’ll be “outcasts” in Paris
2. City of Los Angeles asked for Olympic arts funding
3. Future Commonwealth Games to be studied in New Zealand
4. Spanish judge recommends trial of ex-RFEF chief Rubiales
5. IBU to ban and fine ex-chief Besseberg

● The head of the Russian Diving Federation said that 99% of the top divers in Russia can’t compete at Paris because they are affiliated with the military-related sports clubs, and believes that Russian athletes at the Games would be treated as outcasts.

● The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs asked for $237,808 in annual funding for two staff members and support costs to begin planning the City’s own cultural programs for the 2028 Olympic Games.

● There are still no bidders for the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games, but New Zealand is interested in exploring a possible 2034 bid. But will there even be a Commonwealth Games by then? The event may have to be disassembled until then.

● A Spanish judge approved moving ahead with the criminal case against former Royal Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales over the unwanted kiss to gave to midfielder Jenni Hermoso at the medal ceremony of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. Charges against three others can also be explored.

● The International Biathlon Union plans to sanction former President Anders Besseberg with a life ban and a hefty fine. This came out during testimony in Besseberg’s criminal trial in Norway for corruption, which is continuing.

● Panorama: Deaflympics (four nations, including U.S., to skip 2024 Winter Deaflympics) = Figure Skating (ISU to propose less-demanding skating?) = Football (UEFA’s head of football resigns over Ceferin bid for a fourth term) = Snowboard (Olympic champ Miki takes first World Cup win of the season at Rogla) ●

1.
Russian diving chief: we’ll be “outcasts” in Paris

The stream of reasons why Russian athletes will not – or should not – go to Paris for this summer’s Olympic Games continues, with the latest explanation from Russian Diving Federation chief Stanislav Druzhinen.

He told the Russian news agency TASS (edited computer translation from the original Russian):

“The athletes who took first place at the Russian Championship last year were selected for the World Aquatics Championships. At the same time, the eligibility criteria proposed by the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation say that only athletes who are not members of the Dynamo and CSKA societies and other organizations affiliated with security agencies can go to the competition.

“We have 99% of the athletes who could go to the World Championships in a neutral status who are members of those societies. And it makes no sense to send there people who took fifth or sixth place, because in this way we would violate the sports principle, and such a decision will not be understand by the guys who [should be] selected by right.”

Druzhinen also expressed concern over the way Russian athletes would be treated if they did quality and go to Paris, notably since the Russian Diving Federation would not be there to support them:

“In addition, we do not fully know the conditions of admission, because athletes have to go there individually. Will they need to sign any papers, how to send doctors, masseurs with them?

“The question is how they will be treated there: will they feel like outcasts, sitting apart from everyone and not communicating with anyone? In my understanding, they will.

“International competitions have turned into politics, unfriendly countries are trying to prove something, infringing on the rights of our athletes, who just want to perform on equal terms with others.”

A very small number of Russian athletes have qualified for Paris through various world championships, but even these will be re-checked for “neutrality” credentials by the International Olympic Committee. It is also possible that the Russian government will simply ban all Russian athletes from attending the Games; as the Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended for its takeover of Ukrainian sports organizations in the area invaded since February 2022, invitations would come from the International Federations directly to the athlete.

2.
City of Los Angeles asked for Olympic arts funding

“DCA is committed to executing a program which builds upon the City’s Olympic and Paralympic Games planning to support creative-sector jobs, free community programs, and youth arts and education opportunities that advance equity, inclusion, and readiness through the development of local artists, cultural producers, and vendors.”

That’s from a six-page memorandum filed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), asking for annual funding of $237,808 to begin the planning and execution of the City’s participation in the cultural program of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

This is not a request by the LA28 organizing committee, which has the responsibility to mount a cultural program during the Olympic Games, but from the City’s Cultural Affairs Department to begin organizing the City’s own programs:

● “DCA’s efforts for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games are an opportunity to support the arts and cultural sector during three time periods: during the four year time period leading up to the Games from the torch handoff; during the Games; and the development of a long-standing legacy for the sector subsequent to the completion of the Games.”

● “As the City looks ahead over the next four years, leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be many options and models to consider with regard to the provision of the Cultural Olympiad.

“A thematic Cultural Olympiad or Olympic Arts Festival is a community expectation, and DCA looks forward to exploring options of festivals and planning under a selected theme with the possibility of 28, 56, or 84 signature-activities which will meet popular enthusiasm to showcase LA as a highly talented, innovative, and multi-cultural arts community.

“Additionally, this will be an opportunity to explore numerous initiatives spanning the four years, including partnerships with City Departments and government agencies, opportunities for artists with disabilities, increased youth arts education, and collaboration with other local municipalities.”

The request noted that the DCA’s efforts on the cultural aspects of the 2028 Games have been in motion since 2020, in talks with past Olympic cities on their cultural programs, a visit to Paris to see the preparations for 2024 and 10 round-table discussions with local artists and organizations about 2028 programming. The goal:

“We all look to the Cultural Olympiad and related arts festivals and activities as opportunities to uplift the diversity of the region, build greater cultural equity and inclusion, stimulate cultural exchange, grow opportunities for youth arts education, and support capacity and legacy building in the arts that will last post-Olympic Games.”

And direct cooperation with the City of Paris is already underway:

“DCA is currently partnering with Paris on several arts projects, including the design and installation of a joint mural, a poetry relay, an Olympic poster contest between Los Angeles and Paris graphic design students, and participation in one of Paris’ largest festivals: Nuit Blanche.”

The memo further contends that the City is essentially obligated to cultural programming related to the Games:

The LA28 organizing committee will be invited to attend the development sessions “to provide an overview of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

To get going, the DCA is requesting the hiring of two staff managers directly related to the City’s own 2028 programming ($137,808) and support funding of another $100,000.

The first step will be an as-yet unscheduled discussion with the City’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

3.
Future Commonwealth Games to be studied in New Zealand

With the withdrawal of Australia’s Victoria state from the hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games last July, no new host has come forward, leaving the event in limbo. No bidders have come up for 2030, either, which would be the centennial of the event that began as the British Empire Games in 1930.

New Zealand looked like a possibility this week, with the 50th anniversary of the highly-successful Christchurch Games in 1974 being remembered, and current Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger asking for a review as to whether a 2030 bid might be worthwhile:

“I’m just floating it out there … what I’m asking for is a report from our guys to say ‘Phil, you’re dreaming’ or ‘no, you’re not’.”

At a meeting of the Christchurch City Council on Wednesday, Mauger underlined that he was interested in a study of the concept, not a bid:

“This could be a great opportunity for our city, so we need independent advice to consider it properly. That advice might say it’s a fizzer, but at least we’ve looked at it, and have the information in front of us. If we don’t ask, we don’t know.”

The motion passed by 10-7, but for a “future Games,” and not necessarily for 2030. There was a heavy debate on the idea, including heckling from the audience, with about 20 protestors objecting to the possible costs, environmental impact and the need for attention to other issues.

New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Nicki Nicols said it had “entered a formal dialogue with the Commonwealth Games Federation regarding a 2034 nationwide bid.

“This timeframe provides sufficient runway to engage government and other relevant agencies to develop an innovative and bold proposal for a potential 2034 bid, including undertaking a formal feasibility study.”

But that doesn’t help the Commonwealth Games for 2026 or 2030, and in December, The Times (London) reported that the Games could be disassembled into single-sport championships until a bidder for a comprehensive, multi-sport Games could be found, or the 2026 edition could be delayed until 2027 if a bidder is available.

In Christchurch, the City Council staff will undertake the feasibility study and report back.

Observed: The Commonwealth Games is in deep trouble, and it is worthwhile to ask if a bid for 2034 might be irrelevant if the event is not held in 2026 or 2030. Like so many regional events, the question is why is it important and/or relevant? That’s an increasingly difficult question to answer, especially if public funding is required, as it seems to be for almost everything outside of the Olympic Games or FIFA World Cup.

4.
Spanish judge recommends trial of ex-RFEF chief Rubiales

The fallout from former Royal Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales and his forcible kiss of midfield star Jenni Hermoso during the medal presentations following last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup reached a critical stage on Thursday.

A lengthy statement from the Audencia Nacional (National Court) included (computer translation from the original Spanish):

“The judge of the National Court Francisco de Jorge has proposed judging the former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis [Rubiales] for the non-consensual kiss of the Spanish national team player Jennifer [Hermoso] after the final of the last World Cup, held on August 20 in Sydney (Australia).

“The magistrate also proposes trying the sports director of the men’s team, Albert [Luque], the former coach of the women’s team Jorge [Vilda] and the former marketing manager of the Federation Rubén [Rivera] for the subsequent pressure to which the player was subjected to to agree to hold a public demonstration stating that the kiss had been consensual.”

The facts of the incident are by now well known. Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso on the lips during the awards presentation, then apologized in a video, then said he did nothing wrong. Hermoso said she was pressured to support Rubiales, but did not, and under growing pressure from Spain’s national women’s team, other women’s football players and administrators worldwide, player’s unions and significant public comment, finally resigned. The situation has been in the hands of the Spanish prosecutors, who are now in a position to proceed.

The statement added considerable detail to the impact of the ruling:

● “In the order to move to an abbreviated procedure, in which the investigation is concluded considering that all the pertinent procedures have been carried out, the judge concludes that the kiss on the player ‘was not consensual and was a unilateral and surprising initiative’ of the investigated.

● “The magistrate adds that the erotic purpose or not, or the state of euphoria and agitation experienced as a consequence of the extraordinary sporting triumph are elements whose consequence and legal consequences must be assessed in the oral trial before the body in charge of the prosecution.”

● “The judge explains that at this procedural moment his function is limited to appreciating that there is sufficient evidence of the commission of the events narrated in his record and that these events are criminally relevant, making an accusation perfectly sustainable.”

The efforts by Vilda, Luque and Rivera to get Hermoso to exonerate Rubiales in a video “could constitute a criminal offense.”

The next step:

“The resolution agrees to notify the Prosecutor’s Office and the accused persons so that they may request, within a period of ten days, the opening of an oral trial, formulating a document of accusation or, where appropriate, the dismissal of the case.”

CNN reported that “Defense lawyers for Rubiales and the other three men under investigation now have three days to try to halt an eventual trial by appealing to a different section of the court.”

If the criminal trial proceeds, Rubiales could be liable for a fine, or could be imprisoned for as many as four years.

5.
IBU to ban and fine ex-chief Besseberg

The Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reported Wednesday that the International Biathlon Union will seek to ban former President Anders Besseberg (NOR) for life and fine him NOK 1.1 million (about $108,415 U.S. today).

Biathlon Integrity Unit head Greg McKenna (GBR) stated in court testimony Wednesday:

“We have concluded that he should be banned for life from office and activities and receive a fine of up to 100,000 euros. We have also filed a motion for reprimand.”

Besseberg, now 77 and the President of the IBU from 1992 to 2018, resigned under pressure, with accusations of favoritism toward Russia and acceptance of favors, including gifts, travel and prostitutes. He is now on trial, facing Norwegian state charges of gross corruption.

An early witness was the now-Secretary General of the IBU, American Max Cobb. According to the Verdens Gang story, he was asked if he saw prostitutes at IBU events, and replied:

“It is very difficult to say whether those you see are prostitutes or not, since we never saw them in action, but I can say as much as that over several decades there were rumors about the behavior of Besseberg at the international competitions. This included prostitutes who he is said to have been offered by various event committees. This is information that persisted and came from many sources. …

“This was in the early 2000s. I was not a leader in the USA and I was not on the IBU board either. The entire biathlon community was familiar with the rumors surrounding hunting trips and prostitutes. So it wasn’t something that needed to be brought up.”

Asked about Besseberg’s leadership, Cobb explained, “He ruled in a strong way. It was almost dictatorial.”

Earlier in the trial, a police wiretap of a phone call by then-IBU Secretary-General Nicole Resch (GER) included her comments:

“He’s so crazy pro-Russia that I’m a little scared now. He no longer communicates neutrally at all. … Really a shame. He doesn’t want sanctions against Russia, he doesn’t want to do anything in principle.”

Besseberg said he did not agree with Resch’s characterization. The trial is continuing.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Deaflympics ● The 20th Winter Deaflympics is coming in March (2-12) in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum, with about 1,000 athletes from 40 countries expected to participate. However, it was reported Thursday that the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland will not come, citing security concerns in the region.

Erzurum Governor Mustafa Ciftci said Wednesday that the USA Deaf Sports Federation referred to security issues – notably the Israel-Hamas war – but believes the decision is political. That’s unlikely, given that the USADSF is not affiliated with the U.S. government.

In fact, the USADSF stated back in November that it would not attend, noting in part:

“The persistent lack of timely and reliable information in accordance with the Deaflympics Regulations have created significant financial, logistical, and security challenges that could no longer be tolerated. These factors have led USADSF and our National Sport Organizations to make difficult decisions about how much risk we are willing to carry and how much security – financial and otherwise – we are willing to compromise. Thus, based on the information available to us, the USADSF has determined that the United States will not participate in the 20th Winter Deaflympics.”

● Figure Skating ● A Thursday post by the Russian news agency TASS has the figure skating community talking (computer translation from the original Russian):

“The Technical Committee of the International Skating Union (ISU) is discussing proposals to simplify the rules in single and pair skating for the next congress of the organization, a source told TASS.

“In particular, there were proposals to reduce the number of mandatory jumps in the free skating program from seven to six, to allow the repetition of one jump three times – previously it was possible no more than twice, the number of cascades and combinations is proposed to be reduced from three to two, one rotation is replaced by a choreographic rotation. In pairs, it is proposed to reduce the number of supports with levels from three to two, and remove the solo jump.”

The matter is to be discussed at the 59th ISU Congress from 10-14 June in Las Vegas (USA).

This provoked a heated reaction from famed Russian coach Tatyana Tarasova:

“I’m surprised, of course, because in any kind of activity now the bar is only rising, and suddenly in a sport like figure skating it is lowered; utter stupidity.

“With such proposals, the ISU is trying to preserve the appearance, give the weak an opportunity to participate and win. They don’t care what it turns into, and what to do next, they will think later.

“More or less capable skaters will compete with those who can do everything. But perfection cannot be undone, no matter how much they love us. I think it’s a temporary measure of the stupidity they’re doing. Stupidity and unprofessionalism.”

And Tarasova, now 76, whose athletes have won 41 European and World Championships golds, said Russian skaters will continue to pursue the highest standards, alone if necessary:

“We will still learn something new, we will not stop. But within the limits of these rules. But we can host competitions according to our own [ideas]; this is our business, our question.”

No formal agenda for the June Congress has been posted as yet.

● Football ● More politics within the European Football Union (UEFA), as the organization’s Chief of Football, Zvonmir Boban (CRO) departed “by mutual agreement.”

Boban, 55, resigned in protest against a procedural move supported by UEFA’s Slovenian President, Aleksander Ceferin, which would allow Ceferin to run for a fourth term in 2027, after elections in 2016-19-23, holding that Ceferin’s first election, to a partial term, does not count against the term limits he introduced in 2017!

In an open letter, Boban wrote: “After expressing my deepest concern and complete disagreement with the proposal itself, the president answered that he sees no legal or moral-ethical problem in it – and that he will, without any doubt, proceed with this idea that I find fatal.”

The proposal to allow Ceferin to run again will be considered by the UEFA Congress in February.

● Snowboard ● Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom World Champion Tsubaki Miki of Japan was in a slump, heading into Thursday’s one-day competition in Rogla (SLO). She’d won medals in four of the seven races held so far this season … all bronzes.

But she rebounded on Thursday and won the second World Cup gold of her career, taking down Dutch rider Michelle Dekker in the final by just 0.03, as Dekker won her fifth career World cup medal. Austria’s Sabine Schoeffmann won the bronze – her fifth medal of the season – over seasonal leader Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) by 0.05.

The men’s PGS winner was seasonal leader – and Beijing 2022 gold medalist – Benjamin Karl (AUT), who won by just 0.02 against Italy’s 2023 Worlds Mixed Team champ Aaron March, with countryman Mirko Felicetti taking the bronze. It’s Karl’s third win of the season in eight races, heading home for Saturday’s Parallel Giant Slalom in Simonhohe (AUT).

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TSX REPORT: Cloud computing, A.I., changing Olympic broadcasts; WADA worries over doping in minors; 41 stars on U.S. men’s basketball list!

Rich Perelman

January 25, 2024

tsx pix 2024-124 exarchos yiannis news conf (ioc) — Olympic Broadcasting Services chief Yiannis Exarchos at Wednesday's news briefing from Korea (Photo: Screenshot of IOC video feed).

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Cloud computing, artificial intel changing Olympic broadcasting
2. WADA concerned over youth doping and reactions
3. USA Basketball announces 41 in men’s Olympic player pool
4. ROC chief: path back for Russia is through Asia
5. Sailing allows Russian, Belarus for Last Chance Qualifier

● Olympic Broadcasting Services chief Yiannis Exarchos explained the changes coming to broadcasting at the Paris Games, some of which are being tried at the ongoing Winter Youth Olympic Games in Korea. Technologies already in use are cutting the number of people required and could offer federations spectacular new options to show their own events.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency published a report on doping and youth, noting that while the number of positives is not large, the impact on youngsters of a positive test can be very hurtful. From 2012-23, there were 1,518 positive tests from 1,416 athletes, with the largest number of positives in athletes from Russia, India and China.

● A spectacular roster of 41 star NBA players was named by USA Basketball as candidates for the 2024 men’s Olympic Team. The list include 13 Olympians, all 12 members of the U.S. World Cup team from 2023 and 25 NBA All-Stars. Only 12 will make the team. Wow.

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee praised a youth competition in eastern Russia, and said the future of Russia’s re-entry into international competitions will go through Asia, and via youth events to begin with.

● World Sailing, following the directions of the IOC, agreed to allow Russian and Belarusian entries – subject to as-yet unpublished “neutrality” criteria – at the final Olympic qualifier, and if qualified, at the Paris Games. But nowhere else.

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (Strasser wins second straight World Cup Slalom) = Athletics (3: Lasitskene can’t believe she’s out of Paris; USATF Foundation to pay $100,000 to hammer throwers; Mexico’s Gonzalez gets another four-year doping ban) = Cricket (no protest for second South Africa match at U-19 World Cup) = Figure Skating (Russian team doctor wins defamation suit in Moscow vs. Germany’s ARD) = Football (2: four more Udinese fans sanctioned for racist chants; match in Cyprus called off for fans throwing flares on the field) = Sailing (World Sailing to allow Russians, Belarusians in last-chance qualifier) = Surfing (8x World Champion Stephanie Gilmore takes a year off) ●

1.
Cloud computing, artificial intel changing Olympic broadcasting

A fascinating – and somewhat scary – look into the future of Olympic broadcasting was shared at an online round-table session with Olympic Broadcasting Services chief Yiannis Exarchos (GRE) from the Winter Youth Olympic Games in the Gangwon Province of Korea on Wednesday.

Exarchos, the head of OBS since 2012, explained that a revolution in television production is underway, with more and more broadcasters adopting the “Olympic Cloud” technology used in Tokyo in 2021 (via Olympic sponsor Alibaba) to allow them to create their Olympic broadcasts at home instead of having to bring hundreds of staff to the site of the Games. They are being employed now:

“Many traditional fundamentals that we would have in the host city like the master control of the Games, distribution to broadcasters, creating graphics, creating and editing stories and so on, all these are not done in Gangwon. They are done back in the headquarters of OBS, in Madrid, where we have our technical facilities.

“This obviously leads into very significant savings, and also very significant help for the local organizers. We have less people on the ground, they need less support, less logistics, less transport, less accommodation, and this is the way to the future.”

Exarchos said 44.5% of the OBS production effort is remote in Gangwon, and that requests for remote distribution for Paris from right-holding broadcasters is up 279% from Tokyo in 2021. Moreover, the use of cloud technology for Games broadcasting is allowing a smaller footprint in the venues, replacing the familiar production van with servers and distribution links through cloud computing.

Already, systems of this type are proving themselves in Gangwon for curling and ice hockey. The same concept will be used in Paris for judo, shooting, tennis and wrestling. Exarchos: “It’s far more efficient and far more sustainable.”

The OBS chief also explained at length the impact of artificial intelligence (A.I.) on the broadcast process, already a major part of the OBS plan for Paris. He pointed to the 11,000 hours of content that OBS will produce in Paris:

“It’s a huge amount of content, and obviously to manage and create highlights out of it, customized highlights for different countries, different athletes, different sports, for different platforms, for social media for vertical videos and so on, this does require a huge capacity.

“And A.I. has started very credibly producing this capacity for us. So this scaling is giving us and our rights-holding broadcasters a lot of capacity and a lot of capabilities. …

“We will be using automated highlights for 14 different sports in Paris. … The difficulty for us is to create credible systems for many sports that are not, let’s say, so popular.”

A.I.-generated highlights will be created in Paris for athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, football, artistic gymnastics, handball, skateboarding, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.

He also discussed a fascinating project, to use A.I. for live production, using a multi-lens concept:

“This technology is not yet mature for the complexity that we have in the Olympic Games but I think that in a very short period of time, it will be quite mature for lower-level coverage, for simpler coverage, and will be extremely cost effective, and also very, very sustainable.

“So we will keep on testing these systems and see how we can actually use them at some point in the Games.”

This is an exciting concept, especially for smaller sports federations, to be able to better offer streaming coverage of their own events, on their own sites and others.

But Exarchos was also concerned about the danger side of A.I.:

“Risks around the protection of private identity and the privacy, risks around the protection of minors, risks around the protection of [intellectual property], risks around the protection of what is real and what is fake. I belong to the ones who believe that very, very fast the world should start reacting and putting a structure of regulation around several elements of A.I. and for us, all these things are a consideration.”

The IOC’s head of digital, Leandro Larrosa (ARG), noted that these technologies are allowing the IOC to feed its social-media channels – 40 of them, in nine languages – faster than ever. The organization’s total social audience grew from 90 million in 2022 to 115 million in 2023, despite not having an Olympic Games in that year.

Observed: Although Exarchos noted it, the impact of the cloud-computing elements on Olympic television production will have an enormous impact on the future staging of the Olympic Games. The substantially-reduced need for space, people, hotel rooms, food, transportation and everything else will reduce organizing committee costs significantly and make available resources for officials, media, sponsors and, yes, even fans, more abundant and at lower cost.

And as he signaled, while there are dangers, these technologies will only accelerate in the future.

2.
WADA concerned over youth doping and reactions

The World Anti-Doping Agency circulated a 29-page report showing concern over the impacts of a positive doping test on younger athletes, especially minors.

Prompted in 2021 by increasing reports of doping among minors, the WADA Intelligence & Investigations Department began a survey of the issue to find possible patterns and remedies. What they found was that while doping was hardly widespread, it could be devastating, especially in seven key areas:

● Trauma: “One of the major themes to emerge from the interviews was the deep trauma felt by Minors following a Positive Test and sanction. The Minors described the trauma they or a loved one felt when being removed from their sport and rejected by friends or family members, and how this rejection led to a significant psychological impact.”

● Isolation: “Another theme to emerge was a sense of isolation, which is not surprising given many had been part of a sports community for the better part of their childhood. The separation from their sporting community took such a toll that many exhibited signs of depression (e.g., difficulty getting out of bed, conducting normal activities, attending school).”

● Impact: “The interview of family members provided a unique perspective and highlighted the frustration and trauma felt by those within the Minor’s closest support network. Parents and siblings expressed a feeling of being victimized by rumors and innuendo regarding their alleged complicity in the violation. Some had been accused by other parents of being implicated in their child’s Positive Test, and this led to a sense of betrayal and further isolation. In one instance the impact was so significant that a parent considered removing their youngest child from the sport for fear that they would be stigmatized for being the sibling of a Minor who had tested positive.”

● Pressure to Succeed: “All Minors that were interviewed spoke about the immense pressure of competition and how this pressure impacted them before, during, and after their sanction. The pressure to continuously achieve better results also directly and indirectly influenced the decision of some to use banned substances or methods.”

● Pressure from Coaches: “One disturbing account came from a female Minor who recalled the extreme pressure she and other female athletes felt from the male coaches to keep their weight down. This pressure included an impossible expectation to slow down the effects of puberty because puberty would supposedly negatively impact their ability to compete.”

● Ignorance: “The lack of anti-doping knowledge and education was another theme present in the interviews. One Minor described being unaware that a recovery method they had been prescribed was a Prohibited Method. Consequently, when the Minor was notified of their doping violation, the shock triggered a mental health condition which left them scrambling and unable to mount a proper defense to the violation.”

● Abandonment: “A telling aspect from the interviews was the sense of abandonment felt by Minors following the Positive Test and eventual sanction. Some felt forgotten and were disappointed by the lack of communication and support they claimed to have received from their [anti-doping organizations].”

The study – “Operation Refuge” – collected data over 10 years and found that in-competition testing accounted for 60% of all tests, and the most tests being taken in China, Russia, France, South Korea, Germany, and Kazakhstan. The youngest subject was eight years old.

From 2012-23, there were 1,518 positive tests from 1,416 athletes. No data on the total number tested was given, but the study noted that “Minors produce a slightly less percentage of Positive Tests than the general population of other athletes.” For comparison, WADA’s 2020 doping violations report showed by sports group:

● Summer Olympic: 114,840 samples, 592 positives (0.005%), 418 violations
● Winter Olympic: 13,817 tests, 31 positives (0.002%), 19 violations

So, while the numbers are low, the individual impact can be quite high.

The most common prohibited drugs found in the tests were Furosemide (a diuretic), the stimulant Methylphenidate, and an anabolic steroid, Metandienone. The sports most impacted were weightlifting, athletics and aquatics, and the countries with the largest number of positives were Russia, India and China (no statistics provided).

The report notes that the best immediate solution is more education, but called for a “better, more unified coordination is required within the anti-doping community to improve the experience and protection of Minors within the anti-doping process.”

3.
USA Basketball announces 41 in men’s Olympic player pool

An enormous list of 41 players was announced by USA Basketball as candidates for the American Olympic Team this summer in Paris, which will include just 12 men.

USAB Men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill headed the selection process for the long list of star players, which includes 25 NBA All-Stars, 22 FIBA World Cup participants and 13 Olympians:

● Bam Adebayo (2020)
● Devin Booker (2020)
● Jimmy Butler (2016)
● Anthony Davis (2012)
● Kevin Durant (2012-16-20)
● Paul George (2016)
● James Harden (2012)
● Jrue Holiday (2016)
● Kyrie Irving (2016)
● LeBron James (2004-08-12)
● Damian Lillard (2020)
● Chris Paul (2008-12)
● Jayson Tatum (2020)

The player pool also includes standouts such as Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and others who have not been on a U.S. Olympic Team yet. All 12 members of the 2023 FIBA World Cup team, which placed fourth, are on the list.

In a complete understatement, Hill noted:

“Assuming everyone stays healthy and everyone’s interest level continues as it is, we have a chance to have a very special group, a team that has a lot of star power, but also a team that just has a lot of balance, a lot of versatility and will give us an opportunity of winning a gold medal in Paris.”

One player not on the roster is two-time Olympic gold winner Draymond Green, who has been suspended for violence twice already during the NBA season. Hill told The Associated Press:

“We all understand and certainly have great respect and sensitivity to this particular period in his career and he’s working through some things both on and off the court.

“We at USA Basketball, we want to support him on his journey. We just didn’t feel that playing over the summer gives him the best opportunity to do what he needs to do.”

The team will be coached by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga), Ty Lue (Clippers) and and Erik Spoelstra (Heat). Three exhibition games are on the schedule prior to Paris, on 10 July vs. Canada (in Las Vegas); 20 July vs. South Sudan (London) and vs. 2023 World Cup champs Germany on 22 July, also in London.

The American men will be trying for their fifth Olympic gold in a row and have an all-time Olympic record of 143-6.

4.
ROC chief: path back for Russia is through Asia

The Primosky Territory is at the far eastern end of Russia, opposite the northern Japanese islands, and according to Russian Olympic Committee chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov, will be the entry point for the return of Russian athletes to international competition:

“The projects that the Primorsky Territory is implementing are iconic, significant sporting events. The Children of Asia Games were a great success, they became the standard for holding this kind of international sporting events. Today we are at the finish line of the Children of Primorye project which will connect the closest countries in the Far East. The path for the return of Russian sports to the international arena lies through these countries, through Asia.

“The return of Russian sports will take place through children’s and youth sports. And this project fully corresponds to these tasks. This is the basis of the future Olympic Movement.”

Pozdnyakov spoke Wednesday at a presentation on the Children of Primorye program. The inaugural “Children of Primorye” winter-sports event will be held from 18-23 February, with athletes from Russia, Belarus, North Korea, China and some others.

Pozdnyakov also criticized the International Olympic Committee for its promise to independently check the “neutrality” credentials of athletes who could compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, saying “This shows the level of mistrust in the international sports federations, which allowed our athletes in a neutral status.”

No kidding.

5.
Sailing allows Russian, Belarus for Last Chance Qualifier

World Sailing announced Wednesday that “Those who meet the necessary eligibility criteria will be permitted to participate as AINs in competition for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, starting with the Last Chance Regatta qualifying event, to be held as part of the Semaine Olympique Francaise, 20-27 April, and finishing with the Olympic regatta in Marseille.”

No participation in any other events will be allowed, and Russian and Belarusian sailors who wish to compete must apply to World Sailing for approval, with the specific process still to be provided.

The announced policy follows the IOC’s recommendations, and the continuing ban on all other competitions for Russians and Belarusians will be re-examined at quarterly intervals, with the next review by the World Sailing Council on 22 February.

If any Russian or Belarusian sailors do manage to qualify for Paris, they will be subject to the IOC’s own review for “neutrality.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● From 2014 to 2022, German Slalom specialist Linus Strasser won three World Cup races. He’s now won two in four days after his gold-medal performance at the FIS World Cup Slalom at Schladming (AUT)!

It was a rainy Wednesday on the slopes and 19 of the 73 starters failed to both the two-race set, but Strasser was in front after the first run at 50.46, trailed by Timon Haugen (NOR: 50.56). On the second run, France’s Clement Noel took the overall lead from the third-to-last position, with a combined total of 1:46.22.

But Haugen was faster yet at 1:45.48 and then Strasser capped his best week ever with a seventh-place second run that sealed a 1:45.20 win. It was Haugen’s third career individual World Cup medal, all of which have been silvers!

Now second in the seasonal World Cup Slalom standings, Strasser said afterwards, “I keep the momentum up and try to continue, but first of all, I’m going to celebrate tonight.”

● Athletics ● Tokyo Olympic champ and three-time World Champion in the women’s high jump, Russian Mariya Lasitskene has been clear about the emotional impact of the war sanctions that have kept her sidelined since Tokyo:

“It’s impossible to come to terms with this, I still can’t understand my condition regarding the Olympic Games.

“I’m a sober person and I understand the impossibility of my trip to Paris this year. But I didn’t let go of this situation, no matter how stupid it looks. I have disbelief that this could happen, although we already went through this [ban on competing] in 2016 at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”

She won a meet in Moscow on Tuesday at a modest 1.90 m (6-2 3/4), telling reporters afterwards that domestic meets like this cannot compare with international competitions:

“But competitive practice is not the same now, no matter how hard the girls and I try to compete, it doesn’t give me those goosebumps, those experiences. And again, technically, physically, it’s not yet This is my level, I don’t need to bury myself even stronger and deeper now with worries that I only jumped 1.90 today.”

“You have to be grateful for this result, be grateful that I competed, that I finally pulled myself together on the second attempt at 1.83 meters [6-0]. I could have already started to get angry and nervous, but I still pulled myself together. It’s funny for me to say about the height of 1.87 [6-1 1/2], when there is a height of another level of 2 meters [6-6 3/4]. But now it is necessary to accept that now I am fighting with myself and with the bar at a height of 1.87-1.90, no matter how offensive and unpleasant it may be for me; this is a fact.”

The USA Track & Field Foundation announced a new grant of $100,000 to “Operation Hammer Sweep” to fund the top U.S. throwers in advance of the 2024 season:

“The initiative is designed to provide immediate additional support to the top 3 finishers at the ’23 USATF Outdoor Championships in the men and women’s events as well as those who placed in the 4-6 positions – a move aimed at deepening the field of contenders. The funds will be advanced to the athletes immediately to support their training toward Paris ’24.

“Brooke Anderson [sic], DeAnna Price, Janee’ Kassanavoid, Rudy Winkler, Daniel Haugh, and Alex Young will each receive immediate grants of $10,000. Brock Eager, Jordan Geist, Justin Stafford, Jillian Shippee, Annette Echikunwoke and Erin Reese will each receive immediate grants of $5,000.

“Under the OHSP24 framework, additional grants of $5,000 will be awarded to the top 3 finishers at the 2024 Olympic Trials.”

Kassanavoid and Price won the 2023 Worlds silver and bronze medals and Andersen and Kassanavoid went 1-3 in 2022. However, the U.S. has never won a women’s Olympic hammer medal and hasn’t won a men’s Olympic hammer medal since Lance Deal’s silver in 1996.

The Athletics Integrity Unit confirmed a doping ban for Rio 2016 women’s 20 km Walk silver winner Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez (MEX) for “tampering.” Now 35, she had been suspended from 2018-22 for use of a prohibited steroid, and admitted in 2020 that she lied when she claimed that she had consumed contaminated meat as the source of the positive test in October 2018, the last year in which she competed.

Gonzalez appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but lost, and imposed a ban from 16 November 2022 to 15 November 2026. Moreover, it imposed costs on her of CHF 1,000 for the court and CHF 6,000 to World Athletics “toward its legal fees and expenses incurred.” (CHF 1 = $1.16 U.S.)

● Cricket ● No protests at the second match for South Africa at the ICC men’s U-19 World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa on Tuesday; however, a rain-and-lightning-delayed match saw England (2-0) win by 34 runs over host South Africa (1-1).

The first South African match had been protested by a contingent of pro-Palestinian supporters, against South African player David Teeger, who had been demoted as captain by Cricket South Africa over fears of a wider incident. Cricket will be a medal sport at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

● Figure Skating ● A lawsuit filed in Russia by the team physician for the Russian figure skating squad at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games alleging defamation was decided in his favor against a German broadcaster.

The Russian news agency TASS reported that Dr. Phillip Shvetsky filed the action against ARD investigative reporter Hajo Seppelt (GER) in July, with a decision from a Moscow District Court issued in his favor on Wednesday.

The suit alleged that Seppelt, in a television program, defamed Shvetsky by suggesting his possible involvement in the December 2021 doping positive by Kamila Valieva, a case which is due to be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the coming weeks. Said Shvetsky:

“It was enough for us to refute five conjectures both in the video material published on the TV channel and in printed information that spread not only in Germany but throughout the world, accusing me of doping, presenting me as a representative of the doping system, a doping repeat offender and guilty of Kamila Valieva’s doping case at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

“The court ordered Mr. Hajo Seppelt to refute his facts in the same manner, which he spoke about on television and in the press, and to collect one ruble from him. After I receive an extract of the court decision and translate it into German, and how he will receive it, he will have a month to appeal.”

● Football ● Four additional Udinese fans were identified and sanctioned on Wednesday for racial abuse hurled at AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan (FRA) at their Serie A match in Udine on Saturday (20th).

All four – three men and a woman – were banned from attending any sporting event in Italy for five years, which is the maximum sentence available under Italian law. The Associated Press reported that “Ranging in age from 32 to 45, they were identified from the stadium’s security camera footage.”

Udinese will also be required to play its next home match – on 3 February against Monza – with an empty stadium.

The “fan” identified on Monday was banned for life by the Udinese club, which promised to do the same to others upon a review.

In Limassol, Cyprus, a match between Apollon and AEL was cancelled on Wednesday as some “fans” ran onto the field and threw flares at each other. Riot police were called in to help and the referee closed the match before it could start as safety could not be guaranteed.

● Surfing ● First, Olympic champ and five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (USA) said she would take some time off from competitive surfing. Now, Australian surfing star Stephanie Gilmore wrote on her Instagram page on Tuesday:

“I am planning to take this tour season off as a refresh for myself physically, mentally, and to enjoy following swells and free surfing in new places.

“I have some projects and trips I want to do, which haven’t been possible while traveling for the tour season. I am still passionate and dedicated to competing, and I have goals and dreams that I am still chasing – I’m excited for something fresh this year and I look forward to returning to competition in 2025.”

Now 35, Gilmore – a Tokyo Olympian – is considered the greatest women’s surfer ever with eight world titles in 2007-08-09-10-12-14-18-22 and racked up 34 victories on the World Surfing League Championship Tour. And, following her off-year, she may be back for more.

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TSX REPORT: French President Macron wants a top-5 medal finish for France in Paris; new stats show that’s quite possible!

Rich Perelman

January 24, 2024

tsx pix 2024-123 paris 24 mascots-arc de tri — If history holds, France will have a lot to cheer about this summer! (Image: Paris 2024)

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

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● Panorama: Paris 2024 (security “bubble” planned for Olympic Torch Relay) = Los Angeles 2028 (Equestrian Eventing inclusion depends on venue choice) = French Alps 2030 (Dubi: venue decisions must have local backing) = Television (NFL’s online playoff game viewing shows age split on streaming) = Russia (three more LIMS weightlifting suspensions) = Alpine Skiing (2: Odermatt comes from 11th to 1st in Schladming; good audience for NBC highlights show) = Football (2: Udinese penalized a game without fans for racist fan chants; modest audience for USA-SLO friendly) ●

≡ LANE ONE ≡

“Our Olympic top five target is more achievable than ever according to the latest forecasts, which show that France could have its best Games since 1900.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure, but it’s sound, healthy pressure.”

That’s French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, speaking to French judoka at the national training center in Paris, and looking forward to a possible top-five finish.

They might get it.

In fact, if history is a good guide, the French will set a record for its most medals in an Olympic Games since it hosted the second Games of the Olympiad way back in 1900.

An exclusive compilation by The Sports Examiner shows that, on average, host nations over the last nine Olympic Games have increased their medal totals from the prior Games by an average of 12.8 medals!

We have to start with the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul (KOR), since it was the first since 1972 not to have significant boycotts, although there were a handful of countries which did not attend. Starting with Seoul, host-nation medals have increased in every Games except one:

● 1988: +14 for host Korea (+6 more golds)
● 1992: +18 for host Spain (+12 golds)
● 1996: –7 for host U.S. (+7 golds)
● 2000: +17 for host Australia (+7 golds)
● 2004: +3 for host Greece (+2 golds)
● 2008: +37 for host China (+10 golds)
● 2012: +14 for host Great Britain (+10 golds)
● 2016: +2 for host Brazil (+4 golds)
● 2020: +17 for host Japan (+15 golds)

The average increase in total medals across the nine Games was 12.8 and the average increase in gold medals was 8.1. Six of the nine hosts increased their medal count by 10 or more.

What does this mean for France?

First off, the French will benefit from the sanctions against Russia, as its athlete total will be very small and its medal total will likely be the worst ever in any Olympic Games it has attended.

Second, French performance at the Games has improved since 1988, moving from just 16 in Seoul to 29 in Barcelona and 37 in Atlanta in 1996. The French enjoyed their all-time high in medals – excepting the 1900 Games in which France dominated in participation and won 102 medals – in 2008 in Beijing with 43, followed in Rio in 2016 with 42.

That total ebbed to 33 in Tokyo in 2021, but if the historical averages hold, the French can look forward – as hosts – to 46 medals in Paris this summer (33 + 13), and 18 golds, which would be – by far – its best ever since the 1900 Games.

At 46 medals, the French will be in the hunt for fifth place in total medals; discounting Russia, Australia was fifth with 46 medals in Tokyo, and France and Germany had 42 in Rio in 2016 (again, ignoring Russia). Looking at the last Games held in Europe – in London in 2012 – fifth place, with Russia included, was 44 medals for Germany (France had 35).

In terms of golds, France’s historical projection of 18 golds would have ranked fifth in Tokyo if Russia is excluded, fifth at Rio 2016 even with Russia and would have tied the Russians for fourth at London 2012.

And with the Russians to be mostly absent, look for the French – with swim star Leon Marchand a possible triple gold medal winner – to possibly exceed the averages and get close to 50 medals, likely good enough for fourth behind the U.S., China and Great Britain.

One more note, however. The French may be great in Paris in 2024, but expect a letdown in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. Over the last nine Games, host-country medal counts recede by 5.3 medals on average in the next Games, and by 9.7 medals in the following Games.

But for now, all looks good.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● A security “bubble” of as many as 100 security personnel will surround the Olympic Torch on its procession through France and its overseas departments from 8 May to 26 July. Moreover, 18 plainclothes agents will be assigned to security oversight of the relay and anti-drone technology will be employed to keep the route safe.

French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin noted that 13 initially-assigned torchbearers had been removed from the relay: 10 for having “significant criminal records” and three for concerns over ties to radical Islamist groups and the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● A further report, from the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), indicated that the push for changes for Eventing in 2028 came from the International Olympic Committee and its owned-subsidiary, Olympic Broadcasting Services:

“The objective was to make Eventing more attractive to fans and new audiences, and increase the media value by capitalising on the Cross Country phase which was a unique draw for the discipline. President [Ingmar] De Vos [BEL] clarified that Eventing’s place on the programme for LA28 was subject to having a single venue for all the equestrian disciplines, something he was very confident about, but that the focus on cost and venue optimisation by the IOC, along with proposed changes to the format were essential for the FEI and the future of Eventing at the Olympic Games.”

The Saturday seminar had participants from 36 member federations. The starting point for further discussions was specified:

“A proposal by OBS, which is favoured by the FEI Eventing Committee as in line with Olympic principles, sees the team competition run on the short format (Dressage, Jumping, Cross Country) with team medals awarded after the Cross Country while the Individual competition remains on the long format, as per previous Olympic Games, with the Jumping round held the day after the Cross Country to award the Individual medals. This would entail two medal days, with Team Medals awarded on Day Three after the Cross Country followed by Individual Medals on Day Four after the Final Individual Jumping Round.”

A plan is due back to the IOC by 1 March.

Olympic stat star Hilary Evans (GBR) adds to yesterday’s story that “cross-country is always the second phase and the competition always culminates with show jumping.” This is preserved in the current proposal by OBS.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● Responding to a FrancsJeux.com question about whether the famed ski resort Val d’Isere will be reinstated to the venue list for the 2030 Winter Games plan, the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi (SUI) explained:

“Our wish to see the French file reduce the number of sites was motivated by operational, budgetary reasons and linked to the experience of the athletes, who demand a real mix of sports at the Games.

“I understand the problem of the French Alps, it is the same as Switzerland for the Games in 2038. We have developed a principle, according to which fewer sites simplify the organization and reduce costs. But it is not up to the IOC to decide. The answer must be local. And it is clear that it is not possible to organize the Olympic Games despite local elected officials.”

● Television ● Fascinating data from the NFL’s Wild Card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs on 13 January, which was shown only on NBC’s Peacock subscription channel.

The game drew an audience of 22.86 million viewers, including home-city over-the-air showings in Miami and Kansas City. The Peacock-only audience was 21.5 million, an increase over the 2023 Wild Card game in the same time slot on NBC, but with 12% less households watching; that indicates fans went to out-of-home locations (bars, restaurants) to watch.

But for those who did watch online, the analysis from SportsMediaWatch.com was enormously informative:

“Notably, the Peacock game averaged 892,000 viewers in the demographic of kids and teens 12-17 — up more than three-fourths from last year (502K) and behind only Packers-Cowboys on FOX Sunday (1.03M) as the highest of any Wild Card Game the past two years, per a source. While the demographic accounted for just 3.9% of the audience, that is still considerably higher than last year (2.4%).

“The flip side of the growth in younger viewers is that the older audience dropped off by double-digits. The Peacock game averaged 10.47 million among adults 50+, down 14% from last year (12.21M). The 50+ demo, which accounted for a solid 60% of the audience last year, made up 46% this year.”

This is a lesson for all sports, demonstrating the strong interest in online viewing for younger folks is paired with much less viewing by those 50+. But while there were segment gains in the 12-17, 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 age groups, the total audience decreased because of the large base of older viewers in the U.S.

At least for now, on-the-air and cable still needs to be available if possible, as streaming is not yet the stand-alone answer.

● Russia ● The Russian news agency TASS reported that three more former Russia weightlifters were banned by the International Testing Agency based on data recovered from the RUSADA Moscow Laboratory in 2019.

They include 2010 European Championship 69 kg silver medalist Mikhail Gobeev, 2012 European Youth 69 kg Championship winner Armen Alekyan and 2013 Russian Cup 60 kg winner Dmitry Chaly, all banned for four years.

● Alpine Skiing ● Swiss Marco Odermatt, the two-time defending World Cup overall champion, looked dead after finishing 11th after the first run of Tuesday’s FIS World Cup Giant Slalom in Schladming (AUT).

Austrian home favorite Manuel Feller, a five-time World Cup winner in the Slalom, led the field at 1:05.01, almost a second (0.98) up on Odermatt, with Swiss Loic Meillard second (1:05.11).

But Odermatt was not deterred and flew down the Planai course and beat the rest of the field by almost half-a-second on the second run and barely out-lasted Feller with a 2:10.03 to 2:10.08 win for his eighth World Cup Giant Slalom win in a row (over two seasons)!

According to FIS, Odermatt has won 17 of his last 22 Giant Slaloms and has been in the top three in every one. There is a reason why he is the reigning Olympic and World Champion in the event.

Feller got second, his first Giant Slalom medal since December of 2022 and the sixth of his career. Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec, the 2022 Olympic runner-up, took the bronze at 2:10.32. River Radamus was the top American, in 23rd (2:12.89).

The Schladming World Cup will close with a Slalom on Wednesday.

Encouraging viewing audience for NBC’s delayed coverage of the FIS Alpine World Cup men’s Downhill from Kitzbuehel (AUT) on Saturday (20th) at 5 p.m. Eastern – up against NFL playoff football – of 550,000!

Most of the coverage was on the Peacock subscription channel.

● Football ● Reverberations continue from the racist chants aimed by Udinese supporters at AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan (FRA) on Saturday (20th). Maignan, who is Black, posted on X (ex-Twitter; computer translation from the original French):

“It was not the player who was attacked. It’s the man. He’s the father of the family. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. And I’m not the first this has happened to.

“We issued press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing has changed.

“Today, an entire system must take responsibility:
“– The perpetrators of these acts, because it is easy to act in a group, in the anonymity of a platform.
“– The spectators who were in the stand, who saw everything, who heard everything but who chose to remain silent, you are complicit.
“– The Udinese club, which only spoke of an interruption of the match, as if nothing had happened, you are complicit.
“– The authorities and the prosecutor, with everything that is happening, if you do nothing, YOU WILL ALSO BE COMPLICIT.

“I have already told you and if it bears repeating: I am not a VICTIM. And I want to say thank you to my club AC Milan, to my teammates, to the referee, to the Udinese players and to everyone who sent me messages, who called me, who supported privately and publicly. I can’t answer everyone but I see you and we are TOGETHER.

“It is a difficult fight, which will take time and courage. But it’s a fight we will win.”

Maignan and his teammates walked off the field briefly after the insults continued in the first half, but returned and won the game, 3-2.

The Udinese club has been ordered to play its next Serie A match without spectators, by a league judge, who noted that the club found one of the fans involved and banned him for life. The Associated Press reported:

“League judge Gerardo Mastrandrea noted that despite two announcements inside the stadium asking fans to stop the abuse, there were no reports of other supporters disassociating themselves from the racist chants. However, since Udinese cooperated with authorities and acted quickly to find the fans responsible for the abuse, the least severe sanction was applied.”

The sanction will be carried out for the 3 February match against Monza.

Modest television audience for the U.S. men’s National Team’s 1-0 loss to Slovenia in a friendly last Saturday (20th), with 291,000 watching on TNT at 3 p.m. Eastern, going up against the NFL pre-game shows and then the Baltimore vs. Houston divisional playoff that drew a combined 32.3 million on ABC and ESPN.

The Spanish-language broadcast of the match drew 240,000 for a combined audience of 531,000.

The TNT pre-game show 2:30 p.m. Eastern drew 191,000.

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TSX REPORT: Beamon’s ‘68 long jump gold on auction; equestrian federation asked for 2028 Eventing revamp; Australia opts for A/C in Paris

Rich Perelman

January 23, 2024

tsx pix 2024-122 beamon 68 gold front (christie's) — Bob Beamon's 1968 Olympic long jump gold medal (Photo: Christie's)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Beamon’s 1968 Olympic gold up for auction on 1 February
2. FEI told to revamp Cross Country for LA28 Games by 1 March
3. Australia to install optional air conditioners in Paris Village
4. USA Basketball names 11 Olympians to women’s training camp
5. World Aquatics approves eight “neutral” swimmers for Worlds

● World-record long jump star Bob Beamon is auctioning off his historic 1968 Olympic gold medal in February during a live auction at Christie’s New York. Will it approach the prices paid for Jesse Owens’ Berlin 1936 golds?

● The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has been instructed by the International Olympic Committee to re-format its Eventing discipline by 1 March, to reduce its costs and complex for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

● Although the Paris 2024 Olympic Village was designed without air conditioning for environmental reasons, the Australian Olympic Committee is ready to pay A$100,000 to add it for their athletes to ensure maximal performance.

● USA Basketball named 18 star players to a training camp, from which 12 will be selected to play in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February (even though the Americans have already qualified for Paris 2024). On the roster are 11 Olympians and four more who played on the 2022 FIBA World Cup championship team. Wow!

● The World Aquatics Integrity Unit has approved nine “neutral” swimmers – eight from Belarus – to compete at the upcoming World Aquatics Championships in Qatar, plus one Belarusian artistic swimmer, but that does not mean they will compete there.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (IOC releases athlete “expression” guidelines) = IOC (Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad conviction confirmed by Swiss court) = Russia (3: Friendship Games to have five sports in Belarus; WADA sets 2024 Russian dues; national flag deemed crucial for ROC chief) = Athletics (2: two more Kenyan doping positives; Christie and Melville win USATF Marathon Walk Relay) = Canoe-Kayak (ICF celebrates 100-year anniversary) = Lacrosse (ITA reports three doping positives from 2023 Worlds) = Rowing (Serbian federation suspended over debts) = Table Tennis (Ly and Takahashi take Pan Am Cup titles) ●

1.
Bob Beamon’s 1968 Olympic long jump gold up for auction
on 1 February

Bob Beamon’s astonishing world-record long jump of 8.90 m (29-2 1/2) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games is one of the world’s iconic individual performances in sport.

A medal favorite, Beamon qualified second to fellow American Ralph Boston, the 1960 Olympic Champion, who set an Olympic Record of 8.27 m (27-1 3/4), with Beamon at 8.19 m (26-10 1/2).

In the final – 18 October 1968 – Beamon was fourth in the order and after the first three jumpers all fouled, Beamon unleashed a mammoth jump that was so far, the optical measuring device installed for the Games could not be used. The jump was manually measured and was posted at 8.90 m, which Beamon did not immediately understand. When told by Boston that he had jumped 29-2 1/2, Beamon collapsed in astonishment.

At the start of the day, the world record had been 8.35 m (27–4 3/4) by Boston (1965) and Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, in Mexico City in 1967. Beamon crushed that mark and the competition was over. He did jump in the second round, reaching 8.04 m (26-4 1/2) and then retired.

It took 23 years for his mark to be surpassed, with Mike Powell of the U.S. winning an epic duel with Carl Lewis at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, reaching 8.95 m (29-4 1/2) to win.

Beamon, now 77, worked with youth in sports for many years in Miami and in art and music and is now selling that 1968 Olympic gold in a 1 February auction by Christie’s in New York City.

Called The Exceptional Sale, the 40-item program includes iconic furniture, tapestries and works of art, plus Beamon’s gold medal, an Elvis Presley guitar and a gold vest owned by Janis Joplin.

The Christie’s estimate is that the medal could bring from $400-600,000, which would be one of the highest prices ever paid for an Olympic medal.

Olympic writer and board member of the multi-national Olympin Collectors Club Karen Rosen (USA) notes that the highest prices known to have been paid for Olympic medals are both for Berlin 1936 gold medals won by American sprint icon Jesse Owens.

An Owens gold sold for an all-time record of $1,466,574 on 8 December 2013, and a second Owens gold went for $615,000 on 7 December 2019.

The Beamon ‘68 gold will be sold in a live auction by Christie’s on 1 February, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time. It’s lot no. 11.

2.
FEI told to revamp Cross Country for LA28 Games by 1 March

The respected British equestrian magazine Horse & Hound reported that the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has been asked to reconfigure its competition program for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

At issue is what to do about the high-profile Eventing discipline, which often has the Cross Country segment held apart from the arena-style setting for Dressage and Jumping. Per the report:

● “The [Eventing] discipline is not yet confirmed for the 2028 Games, although leading figures have ‘confidence’ it will be.”

● “In a pre-recorded video message, FEI president Ingmar de Vos [BEL] told the 2024 FEI online eventing seminar today (20 January) that eventing being included in the 2028 programme is subject to finding a venue that accommodates all equestrian disciplines on one site, including the cross-country phase.”

The IOC’s instructions to the FEI apparently came in the last half of December, with a proposal due by 1 March. The Eventing format – formerly known as the “Three-Day Event” – usually features Dressage first, then Jumping and finishes with the Cross Country test on the third day, with the final phase over a lengthy course. For Tokyo 2020, the Cross Country segment was planned for a 5,700 m course (~3.54 miles).

The course length often places the Cross Country aspect at a separate venue, which increases costs significantly and requires the horses to be transported. For 2028, the proposed equestrian venue is a temporary facility in the “Valley Sports Park” at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley.

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the Dressage and Jumping events were held in a specially-arranged arena at Santa Anita Park, but the Cross Country program was accommodated 115 miles south at Fairbank Ranch near San Diego, to ensure cooler weather for the horses.

The story noted that both the IOC and its Olympic Broadcasting Services subsidiary would prefer to have the Cross Country element as the final event in the Eventing program, with the medals awarded after the finish of that competition.

Observed: This is a normal part of the Olympic planning process and venues are always moved around for cost and convenience reasons. For 2028, the LA28 Web site still shows the bid plan from 2017, but the rowing and flatwater canoeing events are already known to be moved from Lake Perris in Riverside County (east of Los Angeles) to the Long Beach Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 rowing events.

Further moves – beyond equestrian – are expected, and venues have yet to be announced for Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing, as well as the five newly-added sports of baseball-Softball, Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse and Squash.

3.
Australia to install optional air conditioners in Paris Village

“We understand and support the idea of not having air conditioning because of the carbon footprint.

“But there is no question of sacrificing performance. At the [Australian Olympic Committee], we requested the services of a heat specialist to find out at what temperature sleep is best. As we explained to [the organizing committee], athletes must sleep during the day, as their events often take place in the evening. The daytime will be the hottest time.

“This is why we decided to install temporary air conditioners and fans in the athletes’ rooms. It’s an expense, but we can afford it.”

That’s Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll in an interview with The Telegraph (Australia), explaining why the AOC is following through on its decision from last November to add air conditioning to its athlete rooms at the Paris 2024 Olympic Village.

The cost is expected to be about A$100,000 or so (about $65,700 U.S.). The Paris Olympic Village was designed with flow-through cooling architecture so that air conditioning would not be added to each unit for environmental reasons, but the Paris organizers have said that temporary air-conditioning units could be added – at additional cost – for delegations that wished to have them.

It will be fascinating to see how many delegations decide to add air conditioning now that Australia has committed to it.

4.
USA Basketball names 11 Olympians to women’s training camp

The most dominant team in Olympic sport today has to be the U.S. women’s basketball team, which is on a 55-game Olympic win streak and has won seven Olympic golds in a row.

A lot of familiar faces are lining up to be on the 2024 U.S. women’s Olympic team, as USA Basketball announced an 18-woman training camp squad, with 12 to be selected for the 8-11 February FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Antwerp (BEL).

The U.S. women are already qualified for Paris, but are in the Qualifying Tournament to get ready for Paris. The squad that head coach Cheryl Reeve will have to choose from is an embarrassment of riches. USA Basketball noted the 11 Olympians in its announcement:

● 5 Golds (1): Diana Taurasi (2004-08-12-16-20)

● 2 Golds (2): Brittney Griner (2016-20), Breanna Stewart (2016-20)

● 1 Gold (8): Ariel Atkins (2020), Napheesa Collier (2020), Chelsea Gray (2020), Jewell Loyd (2020), and A’ja Wilson (2020), plus 3×3 Olympic champs Allisha Gray (2020), Kelsey Plum (2020) and Jackie Young (2020).

Further, four more players – Kahleah Cooper, Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney and Alyssa Thomas – were on the gold-medal-winning 2022 FIBA World Cup team (8-0), along with Atkins, Chelsea Gray, Plum, Stewart and Wilson.

The U.S. women will play Belgium, Nigeria and Senegal in their qualifier; there are also qualifying tournaments in X’ian (CHN), Belem (BRA) and Sopron (HUN).

The qualifying tournament team is not the team that will compete in Paris this summer. That process is a continuing evaluation and will undoubtedly add some other players to the mix such as collegiate stars like Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Angel Reese (LSU), Paige Bueckers (Connecticut) and others.

5.
World Aquatics approves eight “neutral” swimmers for Worlds

The 2024 World Aquatics Championships are coming to Doha (QAT) beginning on 2 February and the World Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) has approved eight swimmers and one artistic swimmer to compete under its “neutrality” rules.

Seven of the eight swimmers are from Belarus, including Ilya Shymanovich, the world short-course (25 m) record holder in the 100 m Breaststroke and gold medalist at the 2021 World Short-Course Championships. He was eighth in the Tokyo Olympic final in the 100 m Breast, but ranked no. 3 worldwide in the event in 2023 (58.41).

Tokyo Olympians Anastasiya Shkurdai (Fly) and Alina Zmushka (Breast) were also on the “neutrals” list. The one Russian swimmer was Ivan Girev, a Tokyo gold medalist in the 4×200 m Free relay.

World Aquatics told SwimSwam.com that four swimmers and one artistic swimmer have registered for Doha, all from Belarus. Vasilina Khandoshka is the artistic swimmer, the 2021 European Championships bronze winner in the Solo Technical.

As far as qualification for Paris is concerned, even if athletes are certified by an International Federation, the IOC will also verify their “neutrality” as regards supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The International Olympic Committee released its “Guidelines on Athlete Expression” for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with the same core requirements as for the Tokyo Games in 2021:

“Expressions are not permitted in the following instances:

“o During official ceremonies (including Olympic medal ceremonies, opening and closing ceremonies)

“o During competition on the field of play

“o In the Olympic Village”

The exception for near-the-field gestures introduced in Tokyo was continued for Paris, allowing for an “expression” or “gesture” when leaving the call room or being introduced, that is considered non-threatening, targeted at a specific group or disruptive. Specifically prohibited are the unfurling of a flag or banner, interfering with another athlete’s introduction and any physical harm to people or to property.

● International Olympic Committee ● Suspended IOC member Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, now the former Kuwaiti Defense Minister, had his Swiss forgery conviction confirmed in a December opinion that was published Monday.

The former Olympic Council of Asia chief was convicted in a Swiss court of forgery in September 2021 and given a suspended sentence of 30 months. On appeal in Geneva, his conviction and those of those associates was affirmed, but his sentence was revised from 14 months in prison and 15 months suspended, to a suspended sentence of two years and three years probation. Sheikh Ahmad, as he is known, has promised to appeal the finding to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

He was suspended for three years last July by the IOC for election interference at the Olympic Council of Asia, trying to get his brother elected as president. Although his brother did win, the election was nullified.

● Russia ● Long rumored, but not explicit until now: five sports at the World Friendship Games this September will take place in Belarus.

Most of the sports will be contested in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in Russia, but First Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of Belarus, Alexander Dorokhovich, said in a television interview:

“From September 15 to 29, the Friendship Games will be held in 25 sports in which we plan to take part. The Russian Federation has also contacted us so that five sports will take place in Belarus. These are rowing, kayaking and canoeing, modern pentathlon, track cycling and trampoline.

“We are considering the proposal, and are ready to participate and cheer for the outstanding performances of our athletes.”

The IOC has warned against participation in the BRICS Games and the World Friendship Games in September, calling the events “clearly politically motivated sports events in Russia.”

Russia has not paid its 2022 dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency of $1.27 million and there is a WADA working groups studying both the difficulty for financial transactions due to sanctions on Russia and the country’s disagreement with the amount.

But the dues for 2023 have been established by WADA at $1,335,860. If Russia does not pay, it could be another grounds to continue WADA sanctions.

Perspective: the comments of Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov – a four-time Olympic gold medalist in fencing – to the Russian news agency TASS about the importance of national symbols (flag, anthem, uniform) for Russian athletes:

“The most important factor that unites all athletes is the unification around the flag.

“Every athlete dreams of achieving outstanding results representing their country. Athletes are the most patriotic part of our compatriots; they train and prepare all their lives to perform under the national flag of his country and, in case of victory, hear its anthem.

“I am sure that this is and will be the case in the future, because it is impossible to imagine that an athlete performs individually at some competitions, then he will perform as a single person, he will not feel behind them is the support of their country. And those who perform with the flag and anthem feel it and will pass it on to their children.

“This is love for one’s country and patriotism. Patriotism is love for one’s country, we demonstrate that Russia is not just the place where we were born, but a country that we want to make better, richer and pass all this on to future generations. Perhaps I am saying this from the perspective of a 50-year-old man, but nevertheless, the main line runs from the very beginning, when a person begins to play sports and dream of victories on the international stage.”

● Athletics ● The hits just keep on coming. Two more Kenyan doping suspensions announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit: Hosea Kisorio, a 2:17:01 marathoner in 2023, for erythropoietin (EPO) with a three-year suspension, and Ayub Kiptum, a 60:34 half-marathoner, banned for three years for Testosterone.

U.S. walk stars Miranda Melville and Nick Christie combined to win the USATF Marathon Walk Mixed Relay in cold, rainy conditions on Sunday in Santee, California.

This race is now contested by World Athletics at its Race Walking Team Championships to be held in Antalya (TUR) on 21 April, and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The format has the male walker taking the first 12.195 km, then the woman taking the next 10 km, and then the male and female finishing with 10 km each for the 42.195 km total.

Melville, a six-time national champion and Rio Olympian, and Christie, a Tokyo Olympian and 16-time nationals winner, were easy victors in 3:13:27. Emmanuel Corvera and Celine Lepe finished second overall in 3:26:41 and Jordan Crawford and Jessica Heiser-Whatley were third (3:17:17).

The race essentially functioned as the U.S. Olympic Trials, with the actual qualification for Paris significantly depending on finishes at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships.

The top individual finishers were Christie (1:33:13), Crawford (1:41.54) and Corvera (1:42.46) for the men, with Robyn Stevens getting the fastest women’s time at 1:39:27, followed by Melville (1:40:15) and Lepe (1:43:43).

● Canoe-Kayak ● Happy Birthday to the International Canoe Federation (ICF), founded on 19 January 1924 in Copenhagen (DEN), with representatives from Denmark, Germany, Austria and Sweden.

Flatwater canoeing – now known as Canoe Sprint – was a demonstration sport at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris (FRA) and became a medal sport in 1936.

From the four federations that founded it, the original “Internationale Repräsentantenschaft für Kanusport” (IRK) has grown to 171 national members.

● Lacrosse ● The International Testing Agency published sanctions against three players on Monday, including two from the Haudenosaunee Nationals.

Austin Staats (CAN) was suspended for three months for “an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the prohibited substances carboxy-THC, cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine.” The substances were consumed out-of-competition and not used for competitive advantage, hence the reduced sanction period.

Oakley Thomas (CAN) was sanctioned for the same substances and for the same period. Both tested positive during the 2023 World Championship in San Diego, California on 1 July.

Peruvian player James Alexander Burleson-Porras was sanctioned for three months for a positive test for cocaine from 26 June 2023.

Lacrosse was added to the 2028 Olympic Games program for Los Angeles last October.

● Rowing ● World Rowing has suspended the Serbian Rowing Federation for debt:

● “This decision comes over significant financial debts being owed to World Rowing and various event suppliers by the Serbian Rowing Federation and relevant Serbian authorities serving as guarantors of the 2022 World Rowing Cup I and 2023 World Rowing Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.”

● “Legal proceedings against the Serbian Rowing Federation and official guarantors are also being launched.”

The suspension means, among other things, that Serbian entries for the 2024 Olympic Games and World Rowing Championships are not allowed. Ouch. For reference, Serbian rowers did not win a medal at the 2022 or 2023 World Rowing Championships.

● Table Tennis ● At the Pan American Cup in Corpus Christi (USA), Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, the 2023 Pan American Games runner-up, defeated the top two American women in the semis and finals to win her first Pan Am Cup gold.

Takahashi had won the 2018 bronze in this competition, but came from two sets down to get by Lily Zhang of the U.S. by 4-3 in the semis (11-8, 10-12, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8) and then won a see-saw battle with Amy Wang by 4-3 (11-5, 11-1, 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9) in the final.

Canada’s Edward Ly, 20, won the men’s title by 4-0 (11-2, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8) against Chile’s Nicolas Burgos and took 16 of the 17 games he played in the tournament!

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TSX BULLETIN: FEI told to revamp Cross Country for LA28 Games by 1 March

Rich Perelman

January 22, 2024

la 2028 emblems pair 750 2021-815 — Questions for equestrian for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

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≡ LOS ANGELES 2028 ≡

At issue is what to do about the high-profile Eventing discipline, which often has the Cross Country segment held apart from the arena-style setting for Dressage and Jumping. Per the report:

● “The [Eventing] discipline is not yet confirmed for the 2028 Games, although leading figures have ‘confidence’ it will be.”

Observed: This is a normal part of the Olympic planning process and venues are always moved around for cost and convenience reasons. For 2028, the LA28 Web site still shows the bid plan from 2017, but the rowing and flatwater canoeing events are already known to be moved from Lake Perris in Riverside County (east of Los Angeles) to the Long Beach Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 rowing events.

Further moves – beyond equestrian – are expected, and venues have yet to be announced for Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing, as well as the five newly-added sports of Baseball-Softball, Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse and Squash.

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TSX BULLETIN: Bob Beamon’s 1968 Olympic long jump gold up for auction on 1 February

Rich Perelman

January 22, 2024

tsx pix 2024-122 beamon 68 gold (christie's) — Bob Beamon's 1968 Olympic long jump gold medal will be auctioned on 1 February at Christie's New York. (Photo: Christie's)

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≡ MEMORABILIA ≡

Bob Beamon’s astonishing world-record long jump of 8.90 m (29-2 1/2) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games is one of the world’s iconic individual performances in sport.

A medal favorite, Beamon qualified second to fellow American Ralph Boston, the 1960 Olympic Champion, who set an Olympic Record of 8.27 m (27-1 3/4), with Beamon at 8.19 m (26-10 1/2).

Beamon, now 77, worked with youth in sports for many years in Miami and in art and music and is now selling that 1968 Olympic gold in a 1 February auction by Christie’s in New York City.

Called The Exceptional Sale, the 40-lot program includes iconic furniture, tapestries and works of art, plus Beamon’s gold medal, an Elvis Presley guitar and a gold vest owned by Janis Joplin.

The Christie’s estimate is that the medal could bring from $400-600,000, which would be one of the highest prices ever paid for an Olympic medal.

Olympic writer and board member of the multi-national Olympin Collectors Club Karen Rosen (USA) notes that the two highest prices known to have been paid for Olympic medals are both for Berlin 1936 gold medals won by American sprint icon Jesse Owens.

An Owens gold sold for an all-time record of $1,466,574 on 8 December 2013, and a second Owens gold went for $615,000 on 7 December 2019.

The Beamon ‘68 gold will be sold in a live auction by Christie’s on 1 February, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time. It’s lot no. 11.

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TSX REPORT: Athens 1896 winner’s medal sells for $111,960; Infantino asks for match forfeits for racism; 95th World Cup win for Shiffrin!

Rich Perelman

January 22, 2024

tsx pix 2022-331 infantino, gianni fifa congress — FIFA chief Gianni Infantino (SUI): racism requires match forfeits!

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Auction: $111,960 for Athens 1896 medal, $1,282,911 total!
2. Paris booksellers appealing Olympic removals
3. Warm temps for Orlando Marathon Trials on 3 February
4. Russia: Paralympic participation issues, 5,000 aths at BRICS?
5. LA28 progress on community initiatives confirmed

● The RR Auction of Olympic memorabilia closed with $1.28 million in sales, led by a $111,960 sale of a winner’s medal (in silver) from the 1896 Athens Olympic Games.

● The continuing tussle between the Paris Police and the second-hand booksellers along the Seine continues, with the police lowering the number to be removed for the Olympic opening and the booksellers headed to court.

● Early forecasts for the 3 February U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando show daily highs in the 70s, but morning temperatures in the 60s, reasonable for running. But wind could be a factor and more detail is needed.

● The Russian Paralympic Committee continues to fend off challenges in qualifying, now saying that it will not accept cycling requirements to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, about 5,000 athletes from 60 countries are expected for the BRICS Games in June, Russia’s WADA dues have not been paid and a weightlifter is now a three-time doping loser.

● A City of Los Angeles report states that the LA28 organizers have kept to their schedule of working group consultations on hiring, procurement and sustainability, with final recommendations due in early 2025.

● Spotlight: Football (Infantino asking for match forfeits for racist fan behavior) ●

● Panorama: Winter Youth Olympic Games (Pietschmann wins first gold) = Pan American Games (Lima bids for 2019) = Alpine Skiing (3: Sarrazin wins two more Downhills; Vlhova injured at Jasna as Shiffrin wins 95th; Mayer arrested at Kitzburhel) = Archery (Dror surprises Wijler in Nimes) = Athletics (2: Kelati and Teare win USATF Cross Country; 6 m for KC Lightfoot) = Badminton (Shi and Tai star with wins at India Open) = Biathlon (Norway sweeps men’s event, another French women’s 1-2 in Italy) = Cricket (modest protest at South Africa U-19 World Cup) = Cross Country Skiing (Valnes, Svahn and Karlsson win in Oberhof) = Curling (Mouat and Homan grab Canadian Open titles) = Cycling (Williams takes Santos Tour Down Under) = Football (2: U.S. men lose to Slovenia, 1-0; Sam Mewis retires) = Freestyle Skiing (3: Canada’s Schmidt sweeps Ski Cross at Nakiska; Wallberg, Kingsbury and Anthony sweep Moguls; Gremaud beats Gu again in Slopestyle) = Hockey (2: Belgium and Germany win men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers) = Ski Jumping (2: Kraft wins in PolSKI finale; teen Prevc takes Zao gold) = Ski Mountaineering (Bonnet wins twice in Arinsal World Cup) = Snowboard (2: James and Ono win Halfpipe openers; Ledecka sweeps Parallel Slaloms) = Speed Skating (Canada, Japan and U.S. dominate Four Continents) = Surfing (Olympic champ Moore retires, for now) = Swimming (Australian star Horton retires) ●

1.
Auction: $111,960 for Athens 1896 medal, $1,282,911 total!

A winner’s medal from the Athens 1896 Olympic Games – the first of the modern era – sold for $111,960 at the 437-lot RR Auction that finished on Thursday.

The 1896 medal, in excellent condition, was made of silver, as gold medals were not introduced until the 1900 Games in Paris and for all events in 1904 in St. Louis. It had been expected to sell for $100,000, but exceeded that with the buyer’s premium (the amount paid to the auction house).

But that was not the only significant sale in a program that drew a total of $1,282,911, as 14 more items sold for $25,000 or more (with the buyer’s premium):

● $83,188: London 2012 gold medal in boxing
● $67,759: Tokyo 1964 gold medal in football
● $56,250: Lake Placid 1980 Winter torch
● $55,000: Athens 1896 bronze medal, in original box
● $46,926: Oslo 1952 Winter silver medal
● $46,279: Paris 1924 gold medal in original case
● $43,161: Berlin 1936 gold medal in swimming
● $37,500: Lillehammer 1994 Winter torch
● $34,534: London 1948 gold medal in original case
● $29,198: Tokyo 1964 Torch Relay safety lantern

● $26,575: Atlanta 1996 gold medal in baseball
● $25,944: Los Angeles 1932 gold medal
● $25,005: Innsbruck 1964 Winter gold medal in ice hockey
● $25,000: Mexico City 1968 medal set in presentation box

The London gold that went for $83,188 was for the gold win by Cuban star Roniel Iglesias, who won at Light Welterweight in London and again in Tokyo in 2021 at Welterweight. The Tokyo ‘64 gold – and the competitor’s badge – was from Hungarian defender Kalman Ihasz.

Another unusual sale was for the exceptionally rare participation medal from the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games, its original box, in copper, that sold for $24,065. In contrast, a similar medal from Paris 2024 went for $4,520.

There were some unusual collectibles on sale as well, with a group of 13 stuffed-toy mascots – including six of “Misha” from Moscow 1980 – going for $405, and special medals presented by the City of New York to returning U.S. Olympians from 1912 and 1920, that sold for $309 and $1,059, respectively.

2.
Paris booksellers appealing Olympic removals

The tug-of-war over the removal – or not – of some of the open-air, second-hand book stalls along the Seine River in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games continues with a compromise offered last week by the Paris Police and a decision by the booksellers to challenge the action in court.

Last week, the Paris Police agreed to remove 428 stalls instead of 604 planned as an accommodation, although it will reduce the areas available to watch the Olympic opening on the Seine. There are 932 boxes in all, with those targeted to be taken for a short period that “does not exceed a few days for removal and a few days for the rest,” with the City of Paris responsible for the actual operations.

On Friday, the Cultural Association of Booksellers of Paris voted to challenge the plan in court, as noted on a post on X (ex-Twitter):

“#AG decision taken unanimously #JO2024 : booksellers challenge the dismantling of their boxes in court”

The head of the booksellers group, Jerome Callais, indicated a willingness to accept the compromise, which was rejected by his association. The removal would take place from 14-17 July and replacement beginning 29 July, three days after the Games opening. There were open questions on compensation and damages

Callais believes the police will, in its court response, revert back to its preferred plan of removing 604 stalls along the original dates, which would not see the boxes returned until 5 August.

3.
Warm temps for Orlando Marathon Trials on 3 February

The long-range weather forecasts for Orlando, Florida and the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday, 3 February are coming in, with reasonable conditions expected, but warming toward the finish.

Great concern was voiced about the original noon start time, but a compromise start at 10 a.m. was reached, with hopes for moderate conditions. The current forecasts:

● Accuweather.com: Low of 55 (F), high of 72, under cloudy skies, with a 25% chance of rain and light winds at 4 miles per hour.

● Weather.com: A little more severe, with a morning low of 59 F with clouds, rising to 75 F during the day, with 68% humidity and a 24% chance of rain. Winds are predicted at 10-15 miles per hour, which would impact the race. The evening low is projected at 60 F, with less wind and a 58% chance of rain.

Sunrise will be at 7:12 a.m.

The cooler the better, but these are far from oppressive conditions, especially with cloudy skies projected. While the U.S. has three qualifying positions clinched for the women’s race, allowing the top three finishers to be selected as the 2024 Olympic Team, U.S. men have two positions confirmed and better conditions would help to potentially get a third American under the automatic qualifying standard of 2:08:10. A third U.S. man could qualify on the basis of the World Athletics world rankings in the event, and rule changes by USA Track & Field allow it to select someone who does not finish in the top three in the Trials race if they are otherwise qualified to run in Paris.

4.
Russia: Paralympic participation issues, 5,000 aths at BRICS?

Pavel Rozkhov, the head of the Russian Paralympic Committee, said that some federations have added demands for “neutrality” status beyond those of the International Paralympic Committee:

“The demands that the IPC places on us regarding the non-sporting part of participation in competitions are quite correct, but some federations allow certain excesses, in particular the International Cycling Federation.

“The conditions that they put forward regarding the condemnation of [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine] are unacceptable for us, and until the criteria are changed, we will not participate in qualifying competitions. In sports such as wheelchair tennis and table tennis, the requirements are acceptable, but it is important where the tournaments will be held, because difficulties may arise in European countries.”

He added that the uniform style for Russian participants as “neutrals” is being negotiated:

“We were given demands that there should be a neutral uniform. Before the New Year, we sent sketches of the uniform. In swimming, shooting, powerlifting and athletics, we have already received approval, the rest are reacting more slowly.

“We will have a turquoise uniform, but this is only for now for the qualifying tournaments.”

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said Friday that about 5,000 athletes from 60 countries are expected to participate in the BRICS Games in Kazan from 12-23 June, in 29 sports:

“[W]e provide equal opportunities for athletes from all countries to freely participate in the tournament without sanctions and restrictions under flag of their country and with the singing of the anthem of the winning country.”

(“BRICS” countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.)

The IOC has warned against the BRICS Games and the World Friendship Games in September as “clearly politically motivated sports events in Russia.” Matytsin expects that none of the athletes competing in Paris would be present for the BRICS Games.

The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that the Russian contribution of $1.267 million for 2023 has not been received. Money transfer issues out of Russia have been blamed, but the Russians have contested the amount of their dues, as the amount was calculated from their membership in the Council of Europe, which it left in March 2022, after it began its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia, already held non-compliant because of differences in its legal system vis-a-vis the World Anti-Doping Code, can also be considered non-compliant because of its failure to pay dues. WADA formed a working group to consider this issue last November.

Weightlifter Egor Ivanov became a three-time loser with another suspension from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. He won a silver medal in the +105 kg class at the 2014 European Weightlifting Championships, then was disqualified for eight months in 2013. He then refused to take a doping test and was sanctioned for eight years in 2015 and now was hit again for three years and four months.

Now 29, the new sanction was from information recovered from the infamous Moscow Laboratory data recovered by the World Anti-Doping Agency in January 2019.

5.
LA28 progress on community initiatives confirmed

The LA28 organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games made an extensive set of promises in its Games Agreement with the City of Los Angeles, notably in the formation of working groups on sustainability and local hiring.

In a Friday report, the City’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legislative Analyst confirmed that the organizing committee had met its obligations and is continuing its development of hiring and working plans.

There are three specific groups which LA28 is now working with:

● Community Business and Procurement Working Group (14 members)
● Local Hire Working Group (16 members)
● Sustainability Working Group (13 members)

The goals are to establish specific goals for hiring and procurement and adopt a “Sustainability Plan” for the 2028 Games.

Beyond the formal meetings of the working groups, LA28 noted that it has been working directly with labor unions, specifying that it has:

“Hosted regular meetings throughout the year with the LA County Federation of Labor and its affiliates including, SEIU Local 721; LA/OC Counties Building and Construction Trades Council; IBEW Local 11; and Teamsters Local 396.”

The target date for the groups to complete their recommendations is 31 March 2025. The City report that three more working groups are also engaged:

“[T]he City and LA28 are currently collaborating to further advance and develop the following planning groups: the 2028 Games Mobility Executives, Public Safety Cooperative, and Games Energy Council.”

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

● Football ● Another set of racist incidents has the FIFA President asking for match forfeits:

“The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield Wednesday are totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable. There is no place for racism or any form of discrimination, either in football or in society. The players affected by Saturday’s events have my full support.

“In addition to the three-step process [match stopped, match stopped again and match abandoned], we need to enforce automatic defeat for the team whose fans committed racism and caused the match to be abandoned, as well as worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists.”

FIFA’s Gianni Infantino (SUI) made the remarks on Saturday, after AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan (FRA) – who is Black – left the field after racist yells from fans in Udine during the first half of Milan’s 3-2 win in Serie A on Saturday. He talked to the referee, then walked off the field, followed by his teammates, for a few moments, then returned. Maignan said later:

“They made monkey noises and it’s not the first time it’s happened to me. They must hand out very strong sanctions, because talking no longer does anything.

“We have to say that what they are doing is wrong. It is not the whole crowd, most fans want to cheer on their team and jeer you, that’s normal, but not this.”

Also on Saturday, Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer (JAM) said he was verbally abused by fans in Sheffield during a 2-1 win in an EPL Championship league match. He wrote later on X (ex-Twitter): “Couple fans doing monkey chants don’t define a fan base — I appreciate all the love and support I’ve received.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Winter Youth Olympic Games ● The Winter YOG in the Gangwon Province in Korea opened on Friday evening, with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) telling the athletes:

“Dear young athletes: this is your moment.

“You are following in the footsteps of sporting icons who made Olympic history right here at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

“Now it is your turn.

“Give it your best at your first Olympic competition. Make new friends. Live the Olympic values. Respect yourself. Respect your competitors. Respect the rules. Enjoy your Olympic experience!

“This is your time – to grow together – and to shine forever!”

The ceremony had 4,500 fans in attendance at the Gangneung Oval – plus teams and officials to fill the 8,000-seat facility – and 4,300 at the PyeongChang Dome. Freestyle skier Jeong-min Lee lit the Youth Olympic cauldron, while another cauldron was “digitally” lit by IOC’s sponsor Alibaba in the Gangneung Olympic Park.

The IOC noted the fourth Winter YOG in numbers:

“The Winter YOG are set to welcome 1,802 athletes from 78 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), taking part in 15 disciplines across 7 sports, as well as 1,734 team officials. … In total there will be 20,000 accredited people attending Gangwon 2024, including 627 media and 289 broadcast personnel, showing the strong interest in the event locally and globally.”

German Antonia Pietschmann won the first gold medal of the event, taking the women’s Singles in Luge over Alexandra Oberstolz of Italy. The Games will conclude on 1 February.

● Pan American Games ● Peruvian President Dina Boluarte confirmed Friday that she has sent a letter to Panam Sports, endorsing Lima’s bid for the 2027 Pan American Games, removed from Colombia on 3 January.

Boluarte said during a celebration in Lima, that the government is ready to “guarantee the financing of all costs related to the Pan American Games project.”

Asuncion (PAR) has already signaled its interest, and Lima successfully hosted the 2019 Pan Ams and can re-use those facilities. Letters of intent to Panam Sports on the 2027 event are due by the end of the month.

● Alpine Skiing ● France’s Cyprien Sarrazin continued his dream season at the FIS World Cup at Kitzbuehel (AUT), steaming to his third and fourth wins of the year in the Downhills on Friday and Saturday.

He had won one World Cup race before this season, but won no. 3 on Friday in 1:55.75, beating Florian Schieder (ITA: 1:55.80) and reigning World Cup champ and seasonal leader Marco Odermatt (SUI: 1:56.09). American Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished fourth in 1:56.01, 0.01 from the bronze medal.

Sarrazin kept up the pressure on Saturday, winning in 1:52.96, beating Odermatt (1:53.87) and Italy’s 22-time World Cup winner Dominik Paris (1:54.40). Cochran-Siegle was 16th.

Sunday’s Slalom saw Germany’s Linus Strasser get his first World Cup win in two years, coming from fourth on the second run to post a total of 1:40.36, enough to edge Kristoffer Jakobsen (SWE: 1:40.50) and Swiss Daniel Yule (1:40.56). It’s Strasser’s fourth career World Cup gold.

Tragedy at the women’s skiing in Jasna (SVK) as home hero Petra Vlhova, the Olympic Slalom champ from 2022, suffered a crash and a torn right knee ligament, ending her season after skiing out on her first run during Saturday’s Giant Slalom.

Vlhova was second overall in the seasonal World Cup standings, but will now be concentrating on her comeback at the end of the year.

The race was won by Sweden’s Olympic champ Sara Hector, who had the fastest times on both runs for a total time of 2:17.80. American star Mikaela Shiffrin, the overall World Cup leader, was second on both for silver (2:19.32), with the bronze going to Alice Robinson (NZL: 2:20.51). American A.J. Hurt finished seventh (2:22.40).

Sunday’s Slalom was another showcase for Shiffrin, who took her record 95th career World Cup win by taking an 0.52-second lead after the first run and finishing at 1:48.21 to best Croatia’s 19-year-old Zrinka Ljutic (1:48.35), who won her second career World Cup medal. Swede Anna Swenn Larsson was third (1:49.02); Paula Moltzan finished 18th in 1:51.60.

Retired Austrian star Matthias Mayer, 33, was arrested in Kitzbuehel on Thursday after “inappropriate behavior,” and was later released by Austrian authorities. The Austrian ski federation said in a statement, “Today we regret to note that Matthias Mayer has not yet overcome the health problems he has been struggling with for a long time.”

Mayer won the 2014 Olympic Downhill in Sochi and the Super-G in 2018 and 2022, plus a 2022 bronze in the Downhill; he retied in December 2022.

● Archery ● More than 1,100 archers stepped to the line for the Indoor World Series in Nimes (FRA), with surprises coming in the finals.

In the men’s Recurve gold-medal match, 18-year-old Roy Dror (ISR) surprised Tokyo Olympic Mixed Team silver winner Steve Wijler (NED), 6-4. Dror moved up after winning the U-21 title in Nimes in 2023.

Two-time Worlds medal winner Marcus D’Almeida (BRA) took the bronze, 7-3, over Britain’s Patrick Huston.

The women’s title went to Spain’s Elia Canales, the 2023 European Games runner-up, who won a shoot-off with German Charline Schwarz, 6-5, after a 10-9 win in the extra arrow. Michelle Kroppen, an Olympic Team bronze winner, took the bronze in Nimes with a 7-3 win over Victoria Sebastian (FRA).

● Athletics ● On a cold day, Weini Kelati followed up her American Record half marathon last week in Houston with a 32:58.6 win at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Mechanicsville, Virginia on Saturday.

It was her first national cross-country title and fourth career USATF national title, moving to the lead decisively after 4 km of the 10 km course and winning going away, with Emma Grace Hurley second in 33:35.9, Katie Camarena third in 33:40.3 and Allie Ostrander coming back to prominence in fourth in 33:52.5.

The top six men and women qualified for the U.S. team for the World Cross Country Championships on 30 March in Belgrade (SRB).

The men’s race was decided late, with nine in contention after 7 km, but triathlete Morgan Pearson – already qualified for Paris – and 1,500-5,000 m star Cooper Teare ahead of the field by the 8 km mark. Teare took over for the final kilometer and sailed to the win in 29:06.2, with Pearson dropping to fourth (29:15.5). Anthony Rotich came up for second (29:11.3) and Ahmed Muhamad got third (29:12.3). Defending champ Emmanuel Bor was firth in 29:26.5.

American Record man KC Lightfoot scored the first 6.00 m vault of the season (19-8 1/4) with a win at the indoor Alsup Open in Maryville, Missouri (USA). He made his first three heights on his first attempt, then 5.91 m (19-4 3/4) on his third try and 6.00 m also on his third.

● Badminton ● China placed four finalists in five divisions at the India Open in New Delhi, but no nation won more than once.

China got its lone win of the tournament in men’s Singles, as 2018 Worlds runner-up Yu Qi Shi (CHN) swept past Cheuk Yiu Lee (HKG), 23-21, 21-17. The Tokyo Olympic runner-up, Tzu Ying Tai (TPE), won the women’s title, defeating second-seeded Yu Fei Chen (CHN), 21-16, 21-12.

Koreans Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo won the men’s Doubles over home favorites Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (IND), 15-21, 21-11, 21-18, and Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara swept Shu Xian Zhang and Yu Zheng (CHN), 21-12, 21-13.

Sixth-seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA) won the Mixed Doubles over fifth-seeded Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei (CHN), 21-16, 21-16.

● Biathlon ● Norway continued its domination of the FIS men’s World Cup with the fourth win of the season for seasonal leader Johannes Thingnes Boe in Saturday’s 15 km Short Individual race in Antholz-Anterselva (ITA).

Boe dominated, beating older brother Tarjei Boe, 37:28.0 (0 penalties) to 39:04.1 (2), with German Johannes Kuehn (GER: 39:12.0/2) in third.

Sunday’s 15 km Mass Start was a Norwegian sweep, this time with Vetle Christiansen winning in 35:51.4 (1), ahead of Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (36:01.1/2) and Vebjoern Soerum (36:05.4/1). It’s Christiansen’s second win of the season and the ninth for Norway in 15 men’s races so far.

The women’s 12.5 km Short race was the first career World Cup win for Swiss Lena Hacki-Gross, finishing in 36:49.0 (0) to best French stars Julia Simon (37:09.2/2) and Lou Jeanmonnot (37:20.4/1).

France won its eighth race win of the season – out of 14 so far – with a second win for Simon in 34:2.5 (1), just ahead of teammate Jeanmonnot (34:51.4/0). It’s the third French 1-2 this season. Hacki-Gross got the bronze in 35:03.2 (1).

In the mixed relays, Germany won the Single Mixed Relay (6 km + 7.5 km) over Norway and Austria, and Norway took the mixed 4×6 km race over Italy and Sweden.

● Cricket ● The controversial ICC men’s U-19 World Cup opened Friday in South Africa without significant incident, but with a protest at the site of the South Africa vs. West Indies match at Potchefstroom.

The South African team opened with a 285-254 win over West Indies, led by Dewan Marais with 65 runs, Juan James with 47 and David Teeger with 44. Teeger – who is Jewish – had been the team captain, but was demoted by Cricket South Africa because he supports Israel’s response to the Hamas invasion of 7 October 2023, and the federation feared protests at South Africa’s matches. The match attendance was not large, but Teegar was applauded when he came up to bat.

There was a protest at Friday’s match of a few pro-Palestinian supporters carrying anti-Zionist signs, that swelled to more than a hundred for a prayer meeting at the site. The situation was peaceful and the match was not reported to be disturbed, with law and traffic enforcement on site.

South Africa will play England in its second match on Tuesday.

● Cross Country Skiing ● Norway’s Erik Valnes had a week to remember in Oberhof (GER), winning both the Sprint and the 20 km Mass Start, leading a Norwegian sweep in both events!

Valnes won his third event of the season in the Classical Sprint on Friday in 2:42.75, ahead of teammates Ansgar Evenson (2:43.15) and Even Northug (2:46.06), with American Ben Ogden in sixth (2:50.97).

In the 20 km Classical Mass Start, Valnes barely got to the line ahead of Martin Nyenget, 46:03.0 to 46:03.9, with Paal Golberg – the Worlds 50 km Classical winner in 2023 – third in 46:04.6. Valnes now has five career World Cup victories.

Sweden dominated the women’s racing, with a sweep of the Classical Sprint, led by Linn Svahn (3:04.05), followed by Frida Karlsson (3:04.38) and Jonna Sundling (3:06.11). It was Svahn’s fourth win of the season, three of which have come in the Sprint.

Karlsson, a 10-time World Championships medal winner, won her first World Cup race of the season in the 20 km Classical Mass Start in 51:33.6, just ahead of Katharina Hennig (GER: 51:35.9) and Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen (51:37.4). American Jessie Diggins, the seasonal leader, finished sixth in 51:43.1 and has a 1,579 to 1,300 lead on Svahn after 19 of 34 races.

In the relays, Norway won the men’s 4×7.5 km over Italy, while Sweden – with Svahn and Karlsson on the first two legs, took the women’s 4×7.5 km ahead of Germany and Finland.

● Curling ● The fourth stage of six in the Grand Slam of Curling was the Canadian Open in Red Deer, Alberta, with Scotland’s Bruce Mouat taking the men’s title with a 6-5 final win over Canadian Brendan Bottcher’s rink.

The 2022 Beijing Olympic silver winners, Mouat’s rink won their sixth Grand Slam of Curling title and ran out to a 4-2 lead after four ends and 6-3 after six and cruised home. It’s Mouat’s sixth career Grand Slam victory and first in the Canadian Open.

The women’s final matched Worlds winners in Canada’s Rachel Homan, the 2017 World Champion against Swiss Silvana Tirinzoni, skip of the four-time defending Worlds gold medalists.

This was a closely-matched battle, with Homan getting a single point in the second end and the Swiss tying it in the third. Homan edged ahead again in the fifth, 2-1, but Tirinzoni scored two in the sixth to grab a 3-2 lead. The Swiss added another score in the seventh (4-2), but Homan came back with a pair in the eighth to tie it at 4-4 and head to extras.

And Homan got the score in the ninth to win it, 5-4, and grab her 15th career Grand Slam victory and a third career Canadian Open title.

● Cycling ● The UCI World Tour season began with the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia, with a tight finish that went to the final stage on Saturday.

Australia’s Sam Welsford had the lead after the first of the six stages, winning the hilly opening race, but Italy’s Isaac del Toro grabbed the lead with a win in stage two and held it through stage four despite Welsford winning again in stages 3 and 4.

Britain’s Stephen Williams moved into a tie for the lead with countryman Oscar Onley after stage five – with Del Toro falling to fourth – so it came down to the final, 128.2 km ride from Unley to Mount Lofty, east of Adelaide.

The modest uphill finish was decided in a final sprint of four riders, with Williams taking the stage and the race title over Jhonaton Narvaez (ECU), Del Toro and Bart Lemmen (NED) in 3:05:26. Williams took the overall title by just 0:09 over Narvaez, 11 over Del Toro and 20 seconds ahead of Onley. It’s the first win for Williams, 27, in a World Tour multi-stage race.

● Football ● The U.S. men’s National Team lost to Slovenia in a Saturday friendly, 1-0, in San Antonio, Texas. Both teams used a lot of new players: 11 for the U.S. (seven starters) and 13 for Slovenia, and the only goal was from debutante striker Nejc Gradisar, who scored in the 26th minute from the left side of the box for the only score.

After a turnover by U.S. midfielder Bernard Kamungo, forward Danijel Sturm passed the ball ahead to Gradisar, who sent a shot past the charging U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte for the goal. The U.S. had chances, with 68% of possession and 15 shots to nine for the visitors, but could not beat keeper Igor Vekic.

U.S. midfield star Sam Mewis has retired. In a statement published by U.S. Soccer, she explained:

“Unfortunately, my knee can no longer tolerate the impact that elite soccer requires.

“Though this isn’t what I wanted, this is the only path forward for me. I want to thank everyone who has been on my team throughout this journey. Soccer has put so many wonderful things in my life, but the most wonderful thing has been the people. To all my family, friends, teammates, and fans, I truly feel that we did this together and I’m extremely grateful.”

Now 31, Mewis was a member of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners and scored twice during the tournament, and won an Olympic bronze with the U.S. in Tokyo in 2021. She was an NCAA champion with UCLA in 2013 and during her national team career, scored 24 goals in 83 appearances.

She will join the Men in Blazers Media Network as the editor of its new project, “The Women’s Game.’

● Freestyle Skiing ● The fourth stop on the FIS World Cup Ski Cross tour was in Nakiska (CAN) for racing on Saturday and Sunday, and the home team scoring wins right away.

In the men’s Saturday final, Canadian Olympian Reece Howden won his first race and second medal of the year, beating France’s Terence Tchiknavorian and 2021 World Champion Alex Fiva (SUI).

On Sunday, Swiss Jonas Lenherr got his sixth career World Cup win, crossing ahead of 2023 Worlds runner-up Florian Wilmsmann (GER) and Youri Duplessis Kergomard (FRA).

The first women’s race was another Canadian win for Hannah Schmidt, her second of the season, leading a 1-2 finish with 2014 Olympic champ Marielle Thompson, with two-time Olympic bronze winner Fanny Smith (SUI) in third.

Schmidt doubled her pleasure on Sunday, winning her third gold this season, over France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel – her fifth medal this season – with fellow Canadian Brittany Phelan third.

The Moguls and Dual Moguls skiers were also in Canada, at Val St. Come, with Olympic men’s champs Walter Wallberg and Mikael Kingsbury taking home the men’s trophies.

Wallberg, who won the Beijing 2022 Moguls title, won Friday’s Moguls contest, scoring 84.92 points to 82.37 for Canada’s Elliot Vaillancourt and 77.70 for Filip Gravenfors (SWE). It’s Wallberg’s first Moguls win of the season.

The Dual Moguls went to the 2018 Olympic Moguls gold medalist Kingsbury, the greatest World Cup winner in the discipline, who took his 83rd career gold by beating Gravenfors in the final. Australia’s PyeongChang runner-up Matt Graham took the bronze over two-time Worlds silver winner Benjamin Cavet (FRA).

The question in the women’s races was whether anyone could stop Australia’s Jakara Anthony, the Beijing 2022 winner and winner of all four Moguls races this season (and two of three Dual Moguls events)?

Nope.

Anthony won Friday’s Moguls by beating Beijing 2022 runner-up Jaelin Kauf of the U.S., 82.01 to 74.87, with Hinako Tomitaka (JPN) third with 74.19 points. Alli Macuga, Hannah Soar, Olivia Giaccio and Tess Johnson finished 4-5-6-7 for the U.S.

Anthony then beat Kauf in the Dual Moguls final to give her eight wins in nine events this season. Giaccio won the bronze over Rino Yanagimoto (JPN). Anthony, 25, now owns 16 career World Cup wins.

The second of five Slopestyle legs in the 2023-24 FIS World Cup was in Laax (SUI), with 2023 World Champion Birk Ruud (NOR) taking the win at 87.01 in the second round after leading everyone in round one at 85.76. American Mac Forehand got second for the second straight event, scoring 86.28 on his second-round effort. Canadian Max Moffatt (85.91) was third and Beijing Olympic champ Alex Hall of the U.S. was fourth (84.30).

The women’s competition was epic, with Beijing 2022 Slopestyle winner Mathilde Gremaud hitting an 86.00 on her first run and that was enough to hold off Beijing Big Air and Halfpipe winner (and Slopestyle runner-up) Eileen Gu (CHN: 78.13), with 19-year-old American transgender Jay Riccomini third at 60.46.

Gremaud has now won both events this season.

● Hockey ● The FIH Olympic qualifying tournaments for men concluded in Oman and Spain, with Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain qualifying for Paris.

In Muscat (OMA), Germany edged Great Britain in the final by 1-0 on a Martin Zwicker goal in the 56th minute. New Zealand won the crucial third-place game to also qualify for Paris with a 3-2 win over Pakistan.

In Valencia (ESP), Belgium and Spain were 1-1 until the final moments, with each scored a goal in the 58th and then Nelson Onana (BEL) scored off a penalty corner for the 3-2 winner. Ireland won the bronze with a 4-3 victory over South Korea.

The women’s qualifiers were held in Ranchi (IND) and Valencia, with Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Spain and the United States moving on to Paris.

The Ranchi final saw Germany score the first goals on the U.S. in the tournament and won, 2-0, on scores by Jette Fleschutz in the third minute and Sonja Zimmermann in the 20th. Japan beat India, 1-0, to get the bronze and also advance.

In Valencia, Belgium trailed Spain by 1-0 late in the match, but got goals from Louise Versavel and Charlotte Engelbert in the 56th minute to win, 2-1. Great Britain took a 2-0 lead on Ireland and won, 2-1, to qualify for Paris.

● Ski Jumping ● The final stop of the men’s POLSki Tour was in Zakopane, jumping off the 140 m hill on Sunday, with Austria’s three-time Worlds winner Stefan Kraft getting his seventh individual win of the season.

Kraft scored 332.3 to edge Andreas Wellinger (GER: 327.8) and Anze Lanisek (SLO: 327.3). Kraft now has a seasonal lead of 1,089 to 837 over Wellinger.

Saturday’s team competition was won by Austria, anchored by seasonal leader Kraft (1,146.6), over Slovenia (1,095.5) and Germany (1,062.8).

The final of two stops in Japan for the women’s World Cup tour was in Zao, jumping off the 102 m hill. Seasonal leader Nika Prevc (SLO) – still just 18 – won her fifth event of the year on Friday, scoring 235.2 to 223.1 for home favorite Yuki Ito (JPN). Canada’s Alexandria Toutitt was third (216.7) for her fourth medal of the season.

Sunday’s competition was canceled due to heavy weather. Slovenia won the team event on Saturday at 722.7, over Canada (709.7) and Austria (697.0).

● Ski Mountaineering ● Reigning World Champion Remi Bonnet (SUI) swept to victory at the ISMF World Cup at Arinsal (AND), taking both the Individual and the Vertical races.

Bonnet, 28, and a four-time career Worlds gold medalist, took the Individual on Saturday in 1:30:15.17, comfortably ahead of four-time Worlds medal winner Thibault Anselmet (FRA: 1:30:40.86) and teammate Xavier Gachet (FRA: 1:31:49.95).

Bonnet doubled on Sunday in the Vertical Race, winning in 26:07.47, trailed by 2019 World Champion Werner Marti (SUI: 26:57.80) and Anselmet (27:08.10). American Cameron Smith was seventh in 27:28.01.

France’s Emily Harrop won her 11th career World Cup gold in the women’s Individual race at 1:33:15.33, more than a minute-and-a-half ahead of Alba de Silvestro (ITA: 1:34:35.72) and more than three minutes up on Ceila Perillat-Pessey (FRA: 1:36:41.86).

De Silvestro came back to win the Vertical Race in 32:23.03, almost 10 seconds up on Harrop (32:32.60), followed by Marta Garcia (ESP: 32:49.83). It’s de Silvestro’s fourth career World Cup victory.

● Snowboard ● Three-time World Champion Scotty James (AUS) took his second win in three events in the FIS World Cup Halfpipe event in Laax (SUI) with his first-round effort at 94.00, head of teammate Valentino Guseli (92.25 in round two) and Ruka Hirano (JPN: 90.00). American Chase Blackwell got fourth at 88.00 in the second round.

Japan’s Mitsuki Ono, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, got her first win of the season, outscoring 16-year-old American newcomer Bea Kim, 81.75-77.50, as Kim won her first career World Cup medal. Japanese teammate Ruki Tomita got the bronze at 60.50, with American Chloe Kim, the Olympic gold medalist, a surprise fourth at 23.50. It was Kim’s first World Cup appearance in two seasons, and she had trouble on both runs.

Also at Laax were the opening Slopestyle events of the FIS World Cup season, starting with the first-ever World Cup win for Canada’s Liam Brearley, scoring 89.93 to beat Japan’s Ryoma Kimata (85.31) and Canadian teammate Cameron Spalding (83.90), who got his second career World Cup medal.

The women’s Slopestyle title went to American Julia Marino, 26, who took her fourth straight World Cup dating back to last season at 83.08 in her second run. Annika Morgan (GER: 80.75) claimed second and Austrian star Anna Gasser, the two-time Olympic Big Air gold winner, got third at 75.93.

Marino now owns nine World Cup goals all-time, with six in Slopestyle and three in Big Air.

The Parallel skiing crowd was in a new venue, Pamporovo (BUL), for Slalom racing on Saturday and Sunday. The all-Italian men’s final on Saturday saw Daniele Bagozza edge Edwin Coratti in the final by 0.62, while home favorite Radoslav Yankov took the bronze over Sang-ho Lee (KOR), the 2018 Olympic Parallel Giant Slalom runner-up. It was Bagozza’s second win this season.

Lee won Sunday’s race, besting Austria’s reigning World Champion Andreas Prommegger by just 0.08! Fellow Austrian Fabian Obmann won the bronze over American Cody Winters, who did not finish.

The women’s Saturday winner was Czech star Ester Ledecka, the two-time Olympic Parallel Giant Slalom gold medalist. It was the first event of the year for Ledecka, 28, beating two-time Worlds Slalom medalist Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER), who did not finish. Japan’s Tsubaki Miki took the bronze.

Ledecka doubled up on Sunday, this time crossing first ahead of 2023 Worlds bronze winner Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT), while Miki took the bronze again, this time over Cheyenne Loch (GER). It’s Ledecka’s 23rd career World Cup win.

● Speed Skating ● The ISU Four Continents Championships were held at the ultra-fast Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah (USA), with Canada, Japan and the U.S. dominating the action as expected.

Japan’s Olympic women’s 1,000 m gold medalist Miho Takagi was the only two-event winner, taking the women’s 1,500 m in 1:52.37, ahead of Mia Manganello (USA: 1:55.11) and fellow American Greta Myers (1:55.86). Takagi took the 1,000 m in 1:12.35, this time beating American Kimi Goetz (1:12.65) with four-time World Champion Brittany Bowe of the U.S. fourth in 1:14.26.

Takagi also helped Japan to the Team Sprint title – for her third win – in 1:24.32, just ahead of the American trio of Sarah Warren, Olympic 500 m champ Erin Jackson and Bowe, second in 1:25.00.

Jackson won the women’s 500 m in 36.82, with Goetz second in 36.93. Canada’s Valerie Maltais defended her Four Continents title in the 3,000 m (4:01.71), ahead of teammate Isabelle Weidemann (4:02.67) and American Manganello (4:02.85). Olympic Mass Start runner-up Ivanie Blondin (CAN) won her specialty by daylight in 8:42.56, beating Giorgia Birkeland of the U.S. (8:44.65).

Maltais also led the Canadians to the Team Pursuit title in 2:54.02, easily ahead of Japan (2:57.54) and the U.S. (3:04.32).

Canada got multiple men’s wins, starting with 2021 World Champion Laurent Dubreuil in the 500 m in 34.19, defending his Four Continents title from 2023. Japan grabbed the other medals with Olympic bronze winner Wataru Morishige in second (34.23) and Tatsuya Shinhama third (34.28). Connor Howe a two-time Worlds Team Pursuit silver winner, took the men’s 1,500 m in 1:43.19, ahead of Emery Lehman of the U.S. (1:44.03). Canada also won the Team Sprint.

But the U.S. was also busy, with triple World Champion Jordan Stolz winning the 1,000 m in a lifetime best of 1:06.27 (now no. 4 all-time), ahead of Taiyo Nonomura (JPN: 1:06.88) and Shinhama (1:07.04). Casey Dawson won the 5,000 m in 6:14.14, beating Canada’s Graeme Fish (6:14.16) and 2018 Olympic 10,000 m gold winner Ted-Jan Bloemen (6:14.22). Olympic silver winner Jae-won Chung (KOR) won the Mass Start – the only one to break up the Canada-Japan-USA wins – in 8:16.33, with Shomu Sasaki (JPN: 8:16.43) second.

The U.S. squad of Ethan Cepuran, Lehman and Dawson won the Team Pursuit (3:36.80) by a whisker over the Canadians (3:36.84).

● Surfing ● Five-time World Champion and the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore (USA) will step back from competition, and might retire. A Friday post on Instagram read:

“Surfing is a part of who I am, and it always will be. This is by no means the end. I’d like to think of this instead as an evolution, the start of the next chapter, a new beginning. – Riss”

Her agent told NBC Sports that she will compete in the World Surf League event in Hawaii at the Banzai Pipeline at the end of January and at the Olympic Games in Tahiti this summer, trying to defend her Tokyo Olympic gold from 2021.

Moore, 31, was born in Hawaii and spoke about starting a family, but possibly coming back to try for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She’s a five-time World Champion from 2011-13-15-19-21 and considered one of the best surfers ever.

● Swimming ● “I dearly wanted to swim in Paris but the hunger wasn’t there.

“I always want to give my all and I am not someone who just wants to make up the numbers, so this is the right time to step away.”

That’s Australian star Mack Horton, 27, announcing his retirement on Sunday, ending a career that included the 2016 Olympic gold in the men’s 400 m Freestyle and six medals at the World Championships, including a 4×200 m Free relay gold in 2019 and 400 m Free silvers in 2017 and 2019.

Horton refused to stand on the podium with Chinese winner Yang Sun at the 2019 Worlds, after Sun had been suspended from doping in 2014 and Horton believed him to be doping.

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TSX REPORT: Milan Cortina gets bidder to build sliding track; Queensland reviewing A$2.7 billion Gabba project; Kilde crashed out at 75 mph!

Rich Perelman

January 19, 2024

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Milan Cortina ‘26 gets a bidder to build sliding track!
2. IOC confirms Russian and Belarusian double check for Paris
3. Review of the Brisbane Gabba project underway
4. Cricket South Africa rejects anti-Semitism charge
5. Kilde’s crash at 75 mph requires second surgery

● A bidder to construct a new sliding track for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy was apparently found by Thursday’s noon deadline. The International Olympic Committee will still need to approve the timetable and an evaluation process will be used to determine if the project is actually feasible. But there is a bidder now, after no one stepped forward last summer.

● The IOC confirmed that it is running its own checks on the “neutrality” of any athletes from Russia or Belarus who will qualify to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. On Friday, the IV Winter Youth Olympic Games will open in Gangwon Province, Korea, with more than 1,800 athletes expected to compete.

● The Queensland government has begun a 60-day review of the controversial Gabba project for the 2023 Olympic Games in Brisbane, as the costs have ballooned to A$2.7 billion. A proposed arena, expected to cost A$2.5 billion, will also be evaluated for cost, efficiency and legacy.

● Cricket South Africa, which demoted David Teeger from the captaincy of the national men’s U-19 World Cup team because he is Jewish and supports Israel in its battle with Hamas, rejected any claims that it is anti-Semitic. The ICC men’s U-19 World Cup opens Friday in South Africa, with a Palestinian group expected to protest South Africa’s opening match over Teeger’s continuing place on the team.

● Norwegian ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde’s crash in Wengen requires another surgery on his shoulder and he shared an update on what happened in a post on X. The experience of multiple skiers there has caused the FIS Race Director to consider future scheduling more carefully.

● Panorama: France 2030 (Val d’Isere wants back into Winter Games program) = Athletics (European Championships prize purse revealed) = Esports (IESF Worlds qualifying includes 130 countries) = Football (2: Pulisic chosen U.S. men’s player of the year; FIFA 2026 World Cup match schedule coming on 4 February) = Hockey (Olympic qualifiers nearing conclusion) = Water Polo (USA Water Polo to train at Mt. SAC) ●

1.
Milan Cortina ‘26 gets a bidder to build sliding track!

After getting no interest from construction companies last summer, at least one bidder came forward by Thursday’s noon deadline to build a bobsled, luge and skeleton track in Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA) for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that “the Pizzarotti group from Parma, one of the construction giants in Italy” submitted a bid for the €81.6 million project (about $88.65 million U.S.), which would have to be built, tested and certified by mid-October 2025, and require special permission from the International Olympic Committee. The next step:

“Societa Infrastrutture Milano Cortina (Simico), which is the [governmental] contracting authority, has not issued any statement, not even to confirm the arrival of an offer, thus respecting the silence imposed by the procedure which now provides for the appointment of a commission to evaluate the requirements of the company, as well as the technical and economic offers.”

An evaluation of the bid(s) will be made and an award expected to be offered within 15 days, and the board of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation is due to meet on 30 January. The story quotes Milano Cortina 2026 board Chair Giovanni Malago (ITA) that “the conclusion of the matter will be between January 30th and February 6th.”

As for the IOC, its Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) told reporters during a Thursday news conference that the IOC Executive Board received a presentation about the progress of the Winter Games, which included a briefing on the issues related to the sliding venue. Dubi noted:

“This presentation allowed us to reiterate our position, which is unequivocal. First, we from the very beginning felt that this venue was extremely complex in terms of cost, in terms of legacy, in terms of timing, and we have promoted the use of an existing track. We know with certainty that a decision will be made soon, by the 31st of January.”

Stay tuned. Dubi also noted that the domestic sponsorship program for the 2026 Winter Games is progressing and that agreements will be signed on 26 January with the operators of existing World Cup events to manage the Winter Games competitions in Alpine Skiing (in Bormio and Cortina d’Ampezzo), in Cross Country Skiing (at Val di Fiemme) and Antholz-Anterselva (Biathlon).

2.
IOC confirms Russian and Belarusian double check for Paris

During the International Olympic Committee’s Thursday news conference from Gangwon (KOR), site of the ready-to-open Winter Youth Olympic Games, spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will have their eligibility re-checked.

The initial screening, through the qualification process, is being done now by the relevant International Federations, but questions have been raised about the “neutrality” of specific qualifiers and potential qualifiers in judo, taekwondo and wrestling. Adams explained:

“When we’re responsible for our own competitions as we will be [in Paris], run by the IFs but under our auspices in Paris, then we have to be doubly sure because we have the full responsibility. So that’s why we will be taking these extra measures on top, which I think will make everyone feel confident and much more comfortable with the situation.

“In terms of the process, I can only talk broadly because I don’t have the detail, but we are in the process of identifying and appointing independent analysts with a reputation for good work, with good governance and so on, who will go through each of those athletes to make sure they don’t breach our guidelines, and I think you can have some confidence that those people who have qualified have already been through one process and then will be going through a second process, run by the IOC but using an independent organization.” (Emphasis added)

No timetable has been given on the IOC’s verification process.

Adams was asked about any activity in terms of proposed changes to the Olympic Charter that would allow current IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) to be able to run for a third term. He said that no proposed changes in the text had been submitted so far, but that there was time to do so prior to the next IOC Session in Paris this summer.

The IV Winter Youth Olympic Games will open in Gangwon Province (KOR) on Friday, with Dubi expressing great satisfaction with the preparations and that young athletes will be able to experience the competitions in many of the venues used for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.

“For many, it’s actually a stepping stone into the future,” said Dubi, noting that 341 athletes from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games had competed in a prior Winter YOG, winning 53 medals in Beijing.

Some 1,812 athletes from 79 countries will compete in the Gangwon Province, with four host cities, in 81 events across seven sports. Teams from Algeria, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates will make their first appearance in a Winter YOG.

Tickets are free to all events outside of the Opening Ceremonies, and 350,000 tickets have been distributed so far, with some sessions expected to be full. Dubi noted, “in terms of public engagement, it’s already a success.”

The Games will close on 1 February.

3.
Review of the Brisbane Gabba project underway

The controversial renovation plan for the famed Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as the Gabba, has been the center of attention in the Brisbane 2032 development plan and, on Thursday, a 60-day review period for the concept began.

Originally developed in 1895, it seats 36,000 today and a demolition and rebuild for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane was included in the Queensland bid. Seating would be expanded to 50,000 and be used for athletics and ceremonies, and surrounding facilities would be added, but the cost has skyrocketed from an estimate of A$1 billion to perhaps A$2.7 billion (about $1.77 billion U.S.).

The plan was strongly backed by then-Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who retired on 15 December 2023 and was succeeded by prior deputy Steven Miles. The tumult over the rise in cost and the turbulence around the stadium – such as with a school that would have to be closed – led Miles to appoint former Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk to lead a 60-day review team, with a report due back to the Queensland government on 18 March.

Moreover, the plan for a temporary site for the tenant cricket and Australian Rules Football teams went into disarray when the City of Brisbane refused to pay a significant share of a temporary facility for their use during the four-year project.

Said Miles in an interview with ABC Australia:

“I have always taken independent advice whenever I have asked for it, that’s precisely what I’ll do here. [Quirk] will go in to determine to recommend to me the best possible solution for Queensland and I commit to take his recommendation.”

The review will also include the plan for a new, A$2.5 billion arena in the same area. Explained Miles:

“I want to also make sure [the projects] unite Queenslanders. I’m really concerned that this issue has been becoming more political and divisive than it ever should have.

“I hope this independent review can give all Queenslanders certainty that we have the right plan for Queensland, the right plan to deliver the best Games ever.

“But more importantly … the right plan to deliver what our state needs and I think really that comes down to transport connectivity. That was the promise of the Games and I want to make sure that delivers.”

The International Olympic Committee suggested during the bid stage that a re-build of the Gabba was not necessary and that using the existing facility that hosted athletics and ceremonies for the successful 2018 Commonwealth Games – Carrara Stadium in the suburbs of Gold Coast – would be satisfactory. Its capacity was increased to 40,000 with temporary stands.

It did not object to the Gabba plan so long as it is part of a long-range upgrade for the area and not specifically related to the 2032 Games.

4.
Cricket South Africa rejects anti-Semitism charge

The questions over the removal of David Teeger as captain of the South African U-19 team because he is Jewish continue as the ICC men’s U-19 World Cup begins Friday in South Africa.

The national federation, Cricket South Africa, rejected a charge of anti-Semitism by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies earlier in the week, telling CNN:

“Cricket South Africa finds the accusations of antisemitism levelled against it by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies as without any basis and rejects them with the contempt they deserve.”

However, Dr. Ali Bacher, 81, a former South African national team captain and who helped to unify the separate all-white and black cricket associations into the Unified Cricket Board and then helped organize the iconic 2003 ICC World Cup, is asking for more information.

Bacher, who is Jewish and related to Teeger through his wife, issued a statement that asked Cricket South Africa for “a comprehensive explanation of the decision-making process” to remove him as captain, notably since Teeger is still on the South African team.

ESPNCricInfo reported that the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance has been granted a permit to protest on Friday outside the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom where South Africa’s opening match will take place against West Indies. Bacher emphasized “it is the responsibility of CSA and South African law enforcement entities to ensure safety at all sporting events. The alternative is that the threat of using violence dictates policy.”

The federation agreed, and stated its agreement with the right to protest, but noted “that these cannot interfere with the matches or compromise the safety of players and fans. To this end, we are collaborating closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure that the tournament proceeds smoothly and without any disruptions.”

Meanwhile, the Italian apparel and footwear firm Diadora told The Times of Israel that a supposed director of the company’s South African operations has no ties to it, with a spokesman saying “Mr. Azhar Salojee [sic] has no role whatsoever in Diadora’s organization” and that his comments do not reflect Diadora’s views.

Azhar Saloojee was identified as a Diadora “director” in a Cricket South Africa legal review that cleared Teeger of any wrongdoing in comments supporting Israel during an awards ceremony in October.

5.
Kilde’s crash at 75 mph requires second surgery

Alpine skiing is not for the faint of heart as Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde demonstrated last Saturday, when he crashed during the second Downhill in Wengen (SUI) that required a helicopter to remove him from the course, to a hospital in nearby Bern.

Now 31, he has 21 wins and 48 World Cup medals in his 12-year career on the FIS World Cup circuit, two Olympic medals and two 2023 Worlds silvers in the Downhill and Super-G. He knows what he’s doing, but skied out near the finish in Wengen, with cuts to his face and leg and substantial shoulder injuries. His season is over.

But his medical issues are not. He shared a message on X (ex-Twitter) on Thursday that included:

“Thank you to everyone for your support … just a quick update from my end. I am now back in Innsbruck [AUT] with my mom and dad, and will be undergoing surgery again this afternoon for two torn ligaments in my shoulder.

“Considering the impact of the crash and the fact that I went into the net at 120 km/hr [~75 mph], I am doing surprisingly well. Of course, I am thankful there’s no fracture – but I did sustain multiple injuries, including a pretty severe laceration in my calf with some nerve damage that required urgent surgery, and a shoulder dislocation. I’ll spare you guys the graphic photos of the laceration here, because not sure many could stomach them. …

“This is just a bump in the road … it might be one of the bigger bumps I’ve encountered, but right now it’s just about taking one step at a time, day by day. It’s tough, but these opportunities show us what we’re made of. I’m looking forward to tackling this challenge and will try to enjoy the process as much as I can.”

Kilde was also visited by partner Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) and her family in the hospital and following the surgery will begin the healing and rehab process. But it’s not all fun on the slopes, even for the top professionals like Kilde.

He crashed during a third straight day of speed racing in Wengen, following a make-up Downhill on Thursday from an earlier canceled race, a Super-G on Friday and then the second – originally-scheduled – Downhill on Saturday, followed by a Slalom on Sunday. The Saturday Downhill saw 12 of the 57 starters fail to finish, and FIS Race Director Markus Waldner (ITA) told Swiss Radio, “it should absolutely be avoided to hold three speed events in a row at the same location. Because that’s really too heavy for the majority of the starting field.”

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: France ● The storied Val d’Isere site for alpine skiing had been axed from the French Alps bid for 2030 by the IOC, asking for a more concentrated groups of sites.

Now in “Targeted Dialogue” with the IOC with the goal of completing an agreement to allow selection at this summer’s IOC Session in Paris, the bid group is being asked by Val d’Isere to reconsider.

A new proposal was provided to the French Alps bid coordinators, offering a re-use of the Albertville 1992 site for both the men’s and women’s Slalom and Giant Slalom, and close-by accommodations. Skiing legend and Albertville 1992 Co-President Jean-Claude Killy has openly endorsed the return of Val d’Isere to the venue program, but the ultimate decision is yet to be made.

● Athletics ● Details of the first-time prize money program for the European Athletics Championships in Rome (ITA) were posted Thursday, with €50,000 (~$54,383) prizes given to the top performing winner in each of five event groupings for men and women!

The groups are Sprints & Hurdles, Middle & Long Distance, Throws, Jumps and Road-Combined Events-Relays, for men and women, with the award to be determined by reference to the point value on the World Athletics Scoring Table.

So, 10 athletes will win €50,000 each and the rest will get nothing. Wow.

● Esports ● The International Esports Federation announced that qualification-event entries for its 2024 World Championships in Riyadh (KSA) continue to grow and will comprise 609 teams from a record 130 countries, out of a total of 139 in the federation.

● Football ● U.S. Soccer named dynamic midfielder Christian Pulisic as its male Player of the Year for 2023, giving him a fourth career selection for the award, tying Landon Donovan for the most ever.

Pulisic won 53% of the vote, ahead of Yunus Musah (21.5%) and Ricardo Pepi (12.9%). Pulisic was named Best Player of the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League as the U.S. won its second-straight title and has been an important contributor for AC Milan in Serie A in Italy. He scored six goals for the national team and had three assists, the leading goal contributor on the team.

The match schedule and locations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will be announced in a special program on Sunday, 4 February 2024 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. The show will be carried on Fox Sports and Telemundo in the U.S.

● Hockey ● Olympic qualification tournaments are reaching their conclusions this weekend, in Oman and Spain for the men and India and Spain for the women.

In Muscat (OMA), Great Britain (3-0) and Pakistan (1-1-1) advanced from Pool A and Germany (2-0-1) and New Zealand (2-0-1) moved on from Pool B. The British will play New Zealand on Saturday and the Germans will face Pakistan in the semis, with the final and third-place games on Sunday. The top three teams qualify for Paris.

The second men’s tournament, at Valencia (ESP) has Pool A winner Belgium (3-0) faced Pool B runner-up South Korea (1-0-2) and Pool B winner Spain (2-0-1) taking on Ireland (2-1) in the semis on Friday. The medal matches will be on Sunday.

The women’s tournament in Ranchi (IND) has Germany and Japan – both 2-0-1 – advancing to the semis, along with the U.S. (3-0) and India (2-1) from Pool B. In Thursday’s semifinals, Germany edged India, 4-3, in the penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 tied and the U.S. got by Japan by 2-1. It was the first goal conceded by the U.S. in its four matches. Germany and the U.S. will play for the tournament title, with India and Japan playing for third and a spot in Paris.

In Valencia, Belgium and Ireland (both 2-0-1) moved on from Pool A and Spain won Pool B at 3-0, with Britain at 2-1. The Belgians got a 3-2 win over the British to move on to the final in the first semifinal, then Spain moved on after a 0-0 tie, but a 3-0 shoot-out win over the Irish. Britain and Ireland will play in the third-place game.

● Water Polo ● USA Water Polo announced an agreement with Mt. San Antonio College for use of its new aquatics complex for training and competitions.

The facility, located about 70 minutes east of Los Angeles, includes two pools, has spectator seating and is an impressive addition to the college, which recently also renovated its famed Hilmer Lodge Stadium for track & field and football. With a practice football field, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer fields, gymnasium and beach volleyball courts, it’s going to be a coveted training site for some National Olympic Committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

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TSX REPORT: IIHF rescinds Israeli exclusion; South Africa’s ANC calls Teeger “genocide supporter”; Mexico drops ‘36 bid, wants YOG

Rich Perelman

January 18, 2024

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IIHF removes restrictions, Israel in for U-20s in Sofia
2. Teeger’s removal as South Africa U-19 captain fully politicized
3. French military presence for Paris ‘24 to approach 20,000
4. Mexico ends 2036 Olympic bid, targets YOG
5. USA Badminton Chair and CEO suspended by SafeSport

● The International Ice Hockey Federation removed its restriction on Israel’s entry for the upcoming men’s World U-20 Championship in Bulgaria, citing security assures from Bulgarian authorities. But the IIHF will review future tournaments one-by-one.

● A provincial office of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, congratulated Cricket South Africa for removing teen David Teeger as the captain of the country’s men’s U-19 World Cup team and calling him a “genocide supporter.” This is fully political, as South Africa has sued Israel for “genocide” in the International Court of Justice. Cricket was recently admitted as a sport on the 2028 Olympic program for Los Angeles.

● French officials said that about 20,000 soldiers would be involved in security efforts for the Paris 2024 Games, especially for the Torch Relay and for the opening on the Seine. A report on construction for the Games indicates everything will be delivered on time, with just three venues reported behind schedule.

● Mexico will end its bid efforts for the 2036 Olympic Games and concentrate instead on getting a future edition of the Youth Olympic Games, possibly in 2030 or 2034.

● The U.S. Center for SafeSport has suspended both the former Chair and the chief executive of USA Badminton for retaliation against a staff member who reported abuse in 2021. It’s reported to be the first time that SafeSport has suspended a national federation head.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (French team uniforms unveiled) = Milan Cortina 2026 (Thursday deadline for sliding track bids) = Russia (no Paris entries for diving or open-water swimming) = Boxing (World Boxing stages first tournament) = Figure Skating (ISU awards finalists named) = Volleyball (Taiwan says Asian U-20 men’s champs removed under Chinese pressure) ●

1.
IIHF removes restrictions, Israel in for U-20s in Sofia

“Following recent exchanges and extensive discussions with all involved stakeholders, the IIHF has received from the Ministry of Youth and Sport in Bulgaria and the related Organizing Committee the required confirmation for the safety and security support needed to allow the Israeli National Team to take part in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division III, Group A (WM20IIIA), which will take place in Sofia in the period of 22-29 January 2024.

“Namely, the IIHF has received confirmation and details from the relevant authorities regarding all security measures that will be implemented to address the identified risks associated with allowing the Israeli national team to participate in this Championship.”

Wednesday’s announcement from the International Ice Hockey Federation came just a week after the federation’s removal of the Israeli team from the tournament for what it called “concerns over the safety and security of all participants in the Championships,” declaring that “Israel will not participate in IIHF Competitions for the time being.”

A firestorm of protests from Israel, an inquiry by the National Hockey League and others led to a second statement last Friday, in which the IIHF clarified that only the 2024 men’s World U-20 Championship in Division III, Group A would be affected. The action ended an emergency appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the Israeli Ice Hockey Association eight hours before a hearing was to be convened.

However, the IIHF made clear in its Wednesday update that only the men’s U-20 Worlds (Division III-A) has been settled:

“A one-week tournament with the participation of the Israeli National Team without any guarantee about safety and security of all people involved is irresponsible. Therefore, the IIHF will keep monitoring the situation and reviewing its upcoming Championships on a case-by-case basis. In close collaboration with our stakeholders and local authorities, we will strive to find the necessary conditions and support to allow the Israeli teams to participate. Further decisions will be taken and notified in February 2024.”

Still at issue, then, is the Israeli participation in the men’s Division II Worlds (Group A) in Belgrade (SRB) from 21-27 April. and the Division III women’s Worlds (Group B) from 24-29 March in Kohtia-Jarve, Estonia.

But for now, Israel is back in. Olympic Committee of Israel Chair Yael Arad, also a new member of the International Olympic Committee, told the Jerusalem Post:

“We are very excited by the international association’s announcement that it retracts its decision and invites the Israeli national team to participate in the tournament in Bulgaria. …

“This is not only a victory for Israeli sports but also for the people of Israel.”

2.
Teeger’s removal as South Africa U-19 captain fully politicized

On Monday, Neville Delport, the African National Congress Western Cape Provincial Secretary, issued a lengthy statement that fully politicized the ongoing controversy over the removal of 19-year-old David Teeger – because he is Jewish – as captain of the South African men’s U-19 cricket team for the upcoming International Cricket Council World U-19 Championship, which will be hosted in South Africa. It was headlined:

“ANC congratulates new Proteas U19 captain Juan James and Primrose Cricket Club and condemns DA’s defence of Israeli genocide supporter, David Teeger”

Western Cape is a South African province located in the southwest section of the country, and the statement was issued from there. Beyond congratulating James, it ended with:

“The ANC also condemns the Democratic Alliance (DA) for coming to the defence of the fired captain, David Teeger. Teeger was removed as the captain after having expressed his public support for the genocidal Israeli Defense Force.

“By threatening to take the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission if Teeger is not reinstated as captain, the DA have yet again proven to the public that they are on the wrong side of history as far as the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people is concerned.”

In South Africa, the African National Congress holds control of the 400-seat Parliament with 230 seats to 84 for the Democratic Alliance and 86 seats scattered among other parties. However, in the Western Cape, the DA has 24 seats out of 42, to 12 for the ANC. So, the issue is fully political now and tied to the South African government’s criticism of Israel and its filing at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in its response to the murderous 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza.

Zev Krengel, the Vice President of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said that at a meeting with Cricket South Africa – which removed Teeger as captain – the excuses melted away:

“They started the meeting by saying it was a report from the State Security Agency. When we challenged them on who wrote it they stepped down from saying it was a report to saying it was a briefing. When asked who gave the briefing they refused to tell us. They admit there’s no security report. So there’s only two options, anti-Semitism at CSA or massive political interference from the ANC.

“The last point I tried to make [at the meeting] is, can we agree that this is a sad day for Cricket South Africa, that the only way they felt they could run the tournament is to strip a Jew of his captaincy? None of them could agree. I feel it’s a sad day for CSA, a sad day for South Africa, and if the ICC does nothing about it it will be a black mark on the ICC’s name.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will not intervene, telling The Guardian (GBR): “Team selection including captaincy is an issue for members and not the ICC. An international federation is not constituted to intervene in team selections.”

The Times of Israel reported that during an inquiry into Teeger’s comments supporting Israel during an awards ceremony last October, attorney Wim Trengrove – who found Teeger had done nothing wrong – also found:

“In his ruling, Trengove noted that a director of Diadora South Africa, whom Trengove identified as Azhar Saloojee, had said that the firm ‘will not tolerate Mr. Teeger playing in any competition sponsored by Diadora.’ Diadora is a sponsor of the Jozi Cup, a community-based winter cricket club in South Africa.”

The newspaper’s inquiry about this to Diadora, an Italian apparel firm, went unanswered.

The U-19 World Cup begins on Friday (19th) and continues to 11 February, in five South African cities, with 16 teams and South Africa playing the West Indies in Potchefstroom. Teeger remains on the squad, but is no longer the captain.

Cricket (T20) was added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games program last October.

3.
French military presence for Paris ‘24 to approach 20,000

The French Army will provide about 20,000 soldiers to support the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to Gen. Pierre Schill, the Chief of the General Staff of the French Ground Forces.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, he explained:

“The Olympic Games will be an extremely important event for our country. The armed forces will be there at this important moment, and we will deploy almost 20,000 men and women from the armed forces and ground forces.”

Military support will accompany the Olympic Torch Relay that begins in France on 8 May, and during the Games period, “a part will be mobilized for the protection, in the broad sense, of the Olympic Games, in support of the internal security forces.”

There will also be a significant assignment of forces to secure the Olympic Opening Ceremony on the Seine River.

Nicolas Ferrand, the head of Solideo, the French government agency responsible for the construction of Olympic sites for the 2024 Games, told a French Senate commission on Wednesday:

“There are three sites out of 70 that are being monitored, without the schedule being at risk.

“Overall, the works are totally on time and they are within the budget given to us, and with the levels of ambition that were set.”

He noted that the sites concerned were a section of the Olympic Village, the renovation of the Grand Palais monument in Paris (site of fencing) and a training site for swimming in Colombes, now set to be finished in June.

Agence France Presse reported that the total attendance limit for the 26 July opening of the Olympic Games on the Seine is likely to be limited to 500,000 vs. the 600,000 limit suggested earlier.

4.
Mexico ends 2036 Olympic bid, targets YOG

“We had a talk with the International Olympic Committee and we saw that the competition is very tough.

“We are turning around to see if we can have the bid for the Youth Olympic Games, which is where we would have a great chance.”

“It would be before the 2036 Games … We are in talks with the IOC.”

That’s from Comite Olimpico Mexicano President Maria Jose Alcala, speaking at a Tuesday reception for sponsors, explaining that the country’s target of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games is, at present, judged to be unrealistic.

So the Youth Olympic Games, held so far in Singapore (2010), Nanjing (CHN: 2014), Buenos Aires (ARG: 2018) and coming to Dakar (SEN) in 2026, are now the target. The scale is far smaller, with about 4,000 athletes in 35 sports vs. 10,500 or more for an Olympic Games. No host has been named for the 2030 or 2034 Youth Olympic Games.

Mexico hosted the Pan American Games as recently as 2011 in Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. Alcala said Tuesday that there is interest from the state of Nuevo Leon, in the northeastern part of the country to explore bidding to replace Barranquilla (COL) as host of the 2027 Pan American Games:

“There is an approach from Nuevo Leon, they are the only ones who have approached us. That is still under discussion.”

Mexico announced an intention to explore an Olympic bid for 2036 last October.

5.
USA Badminton Chair and CEO suspended by SafeSport

The entries on the U.S. Center for SafeSport disciplinary database is typically cryptic, but clear:

● Kenneth ‘Ken’ Wong of USA Badminton was suspended as of 5 January for “retaliation” with probation and education required.

● Linda French of USA badminton was suspended as of 5 January for “Failure to report,” “Abuse of Process” and “retaliation” with probation and education required.

Wong is the former Chair of the USAB Board of Directors (2019-23), and has continued as an Independent Director; French – a two-time Olympian in the sport – was named USAB chief executive in April 2021. The suspensions were noted as “Subject to appeal/not yet final.”

USA Badminton issued a statement on 11 January, including:

“The USCSS Notices of Decision stipulate that Linda French and Ken Wong are prohibited from ‘… participating, in any capacity, in any event, program, activity, or competition authorized by, organized by, or under the auspices of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the National Governing Bodies recognized by the USOPC, a Local Affiliated Organization as defined by the Code, or at a facility under the jurisdiction of the same.’ The USAB board requested written clarification from the USCSS and received it on January 11, 2024.

“Effective January 11, 2024, Linda French, CEO of USA Badminton, is suspended without pay, and Ken Wong is suspended from the USAB board. Both Linda French and Ken Wong are suspended from USA Badminton.”

An Orange County Register story from investigative reporter Scott Reid noted that Wong’s sanction was for two years and French’s for five years, based on an incident with USAB chief of staff Alistair Casey, who wanted to report to SafeSport an abuse case in 2021. He did and was fired, later obtaining a $1 million wrongful-termination settlement from USAB. The retaliation counts against Wong and French were for the firing of Casey.

Reid wrote that the suspension of French was believed to be the first of a National Governing Body by SafeSport since its formation in 2018.

A suit for defamation was filed in Indiana last September by the USA Badminton general counsel, and is continuing.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The uniforms for the French team for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris were revealed on Tuesday, with vibrant looks from designer Stephane Ashpool (FRA) that will be provided by Le Coq Sportif.

The uniforms package, highlighted by the French flag colors of blue, white and red, will include competition uniforms, training apparel, ceremonies and casual wear, with an estimate of 162,000 total pieces. Four French federations – athletics, basketball, football and handball – will retain their current suppliers for the Paris Games, at a cost of €400,000 (about $435,356 U.S.) that will be paid to the CNOSF, the French National Olympic Committee.

Le Coq Sportif will also outfit Olympic competition officials and some Paris 2024 organizing committee staff.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano noted Wednesday that the deadline for construction companies to submit a bid for the construction of a sliding track in Cortina for the 2026 Winter Games was due by Thursday (18th) at noon.

Last summer, no bids were received to build a new Cortina track, leading to questions about using the now-abandoned Cesana Pariol (Turin 2006) track or holding the events on an existing track in Austria, Germany, Switzerland or Lake Placid in the U.S. According to the story (computer translation from the original Italian):

“The cost of the contract remained at 81 million and 610 thousand euros, of which 76.7 million were for works and 4.9 million for safety costs. The overall cost is however 118.4 million euros, because another 36.8 million expenses must be added. The main items are: administrative expenses 3.9 million, planning 8.9 million, VAT 12 million, laboratory tests 1.2 million.” (€1 = $1.09 U.S.)

The timetable is tight: construction to start in February, certification tests beginning by 15 March 2025, test events beginning 1 October 2025 and completion by 15 October. The 2026 Winter Games will begin on 6 February 2026.

The Milan Cortina organizing committee has said it will have a solution to the venue issue by the end of this month.

● Russia ● No Russian entries were received for February’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha (QAT), meaning that there will be no Russians in open-water swimming or diving at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Doha Worlds were the last opportunity for qualification in those disciplines. World Aquatics told the Russian news agency TASS:

“After consultation with the Aquatics Integrity Unit, we can confirm that there are currently no Russian athletes registered to participate in the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.”

● Boxing ● The first tournament organized under the auspices of World Boxing since its November Congress began in Sheffield (GBR) on Wednesday, the World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024.

Ninety fighters from 16 countries were registered; the federation has 14 members, but boxers from Antigua and Barbuda and Gambia were allowed to enter with permission of the World Boxing Executive Board.

● Figure Skating ● The finalists for the International Skating Union’s Skating Awards on 11 February were announced on Wednesday. Six categories will be awarded.

The nominees for “Most Valuable Skater,” defined as “the Single Skater or Pair or Ice Dance Couple who promoted Figure Skating – due to a successful competition season, creating (social) media attention and engagement in 2023,” included:

● Ilia Malinin (USA) ~ men’s 2023 Worlds bronze medalist
● Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) ~ women’s 2023 World Champion
● Shoma Uno (JPN) ~ men’s 2023 World Champion

Awards will also be made for Best Newcomer, Most Entertaining Program, Best Costume, Best Choreographer and Best Coach. The winners will be decided by a six-person jury of former champions, including American Brian Boitano.

● Volleyball ● More politics in sports, as Kyodo News reported a statement on Wednesday that Taipei City (TPE) was being replaced as the site of the 20-27 July men’s Asian U-20 Volleyball Championship at the request of China.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Taipei City was still shown as the event host, but the Taiwan volleyball federation said that the event was being moved to Indonesia. The Asian Volleyball Confederation was reported to have agreed on Monday to change the site at China’s request, with the Chinese federation saying it could not send a team to Taiwan due to “complexities in cross-Taiwan Strait political relations.”

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For our new, 920-event International Sports Calendar for 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Russian trampoline head: we’re not going to Olympics; Barranquilla stays out for 2027 Pan Ams; Shiffrin golden again!

Rich Perelman

January 17, 2024

tsx pix 2020-1214 shiffrin, mikaela 750 (twitter feed) — American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin

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

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

★ Closing Thursday: An Athens 1896 Olympic Champion medal and Steve Genter‘s Munich ‘72 medals trio highlight a 437-item, eye-opening show by RR Auction ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Russian trampoline chief: not going to Olympics
2. No movement from Panam Sports on Colombia request
3. Shiffrin golden in Flachau despite Kilde concerns
4. Two-time Olympic medalist swimmer Hali Flickinger retires
5. Lake Placid 1980 torch at $33,809 so far at RR Auction

● The head of the Russian Trampoline Federation said his athletes won’t go to Paris – if qualified – under the current regulations of the International Olympic Committee. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister said the emphasis now is on developing events in Russia for its athletes, a project which the IOC and others have already criticized.

● Despite a request from the Colombian President, Panam Sports shows no interest in revisiting its removal of the 2027 Pan American Games from Baranquilla. Bids are due by the end of the month, with Asuncion in Paraguay and Lima, Peru, apparently at the top of the list.

● Despite rushing to a Swiss hospital to be with her injured partner, Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, American skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin won her 94th World Cup gold in the night Slalom in Flachau, Austria on Tuesday.

● There was no formal announcement, just an Instagram post that mentioned in passing that two-time Olympic medal winner Hali Flickinger of the U.S. has retired and is selling real estate in the Phoenix, Arizona area!

● A major auction of 437 Olympic memorabilia items by Boston-based RR Auction will conclude on Thursday, with a rare torch from the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games attracting the most attention so far at more than $33,000.

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (FIS rips Lehmann for World Cup schedule critique) = Athletics (Birmingham’s Euro 2026 funding increased) = Snowboard (Bormolini and Hofmeister best in Bad Gastein Parallel Slalom) ●

1.
Russian trampoline chief: not going to Olympics

While the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced that 14 Belarusian athletes were approved as “neutrals” for international competitions (plus 16 officials) in the Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline disciplines, Nikolai Makarov, President of the Russian Trampoline Federation told the Russian news agency TASS:

“None of our athletes are going to go to the Olympic Games under the conditions that the IOC put forward to us.

“As for our athletes receiving neutral status, we are considering this possibility, but have not yet decided on this issue. Therefore, athletes from Russia are not yet among the participants in the qualifying stages of the World Cup, although we are conducting certain negotiations.”

In the last Trampoline World Championships in which the Russian Gymnastics Federation was allowed to compete – in 2019 – Russian led the total medal count with nine, winning five events. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Russian entries finished fifth and sixth in the men’s Trampoline final and seventh in the women’s.

Olympic qualification in Trampoline is possible through the FIG World Cup series in 2024, with events scheduled in Baku (AZE) from 23-25 February, at Alkmaar (NED) on 13-14 March, and in Cottbus (GER), from 22-24 March.

In the meantime, Russia continues planning for its own events. Asked about the possibility of a future Olympic Games in Russia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko telling reporters on Tuesday:

“Russia has always supported the Olympic Movement, now, unfortunately, it is very sick. We hope it will recover, and we will return to this issue. For now, on the instructions of the [Russian] President, we are developing new formats that do not depend on the desires of international sports officials.”

Russia has scheduled a BRICS Games in Kazan for 12-23 June 2024, and a World Friendship Games in Yekaterinburg and Moscow for 15-29 September. (“BRICS” = Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)

The International Olympic Committee has already railed against these events, and last December’s Olympic Summit specifically pushed back:

“[T]he Russian government, following a decree from the President of the Russian Federation, intends to organise clearly politically motivated sports events in Russia. …

“Furthermore, the Summit was informed that athletes would be very concerned about being forced into participation in such politically motivated sports events, thereby becoming part of a political propaganda campaign.

“The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Winter Olympic Federations (WOF) reaffirmed their recommendations to IFs not to be involved in any way in such politically motivated sports events. They confirmed that every IF should refuse to consider the inclusion of such events in its international sports calendar and should not acknowledge the results achieved by athletes at these events.

“The President of [Association of National Olympic Committees] and representatives of Continental Associations of NOCs declared that their organisations would in no way support the participation of athletes in such events.”

2.
No movement from Panam Sports on Colombia request

On 3 January, Panam Sports announced that the 2027 Pan American Games had been removed from Barranquilla, Colombia due to “countless breaches of current contracts,” including a failure to pay a $4 million installment of the Pan American Games hosting fee by the end of 2023.

Added emergency meetings of the Panam Sports Executive Committee were held over the next week, with a letter sent to the 41 member National Olympic Committees on 5 January, calling for letters of interest (with government support) by the end of the month to take over the 2027 Pan American Games.

Despite the request of Colombian President Gustavo Petro to meet with Panam Sports head Neven Ilic (CHI) and a statement that the $8 million owed by the Colombian government – the $4 million at the end of the year and $4 million due on 31 January 2024 – can be paid quickly, whispers from the latest meetings indicate that no change is forthcoming and Barranquilla is out.

In fact, Ilic, who is also an International Olympic Committee member, is expected to attend the IOC’s Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon (KOR), beginning Friday and continuing to 1 February. Nine countries from the Panam Sports region are sending 239 athletes to compete.

A strong bid for the 2027 Pan American Games is expected from Asuncion (PAR), as well as from Lima (PER), which successfully hosted the 2019 Pan Ams and Parapan Ams. There are also possible bids from Sao Paulo in Brazil – which hosted the event in 1963 and has shown interest in the 2031 Pan Ams – and from Guadalajara in Mexico, the 2011 host.

3.
Shiffrin golden in Flachau despite Kilde concerns

It hasn’t been an easy week for U.S. skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, but she did not let it get in the way of a significant win in Tuesday night’s FIS Alpine World Cup Slalom in Flachau (AUT).

Shiffrin’s schedule was scrambled with the injury to Norwegian star and partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, a calf injury and cuts on his face during a crash in Wengen (SUI) last Saturday and had to be airlifted to a Bern hospital. Shiffrin was at the hospital, then headed back to the Women’s World Cup tour in Austria.

Shiffrin herself had been ill and skipped the prior week’s speed races in Zauchensee (AUT).

On Tuesday, Shiffrin completed the first run in second place, trailing Beijing 2022 Olympic champ Petra Vlhova (SVK), 53.01-53.08. But the American star took the lead on the second run, posting a 56.27 time, meaning that Vlhova had to finish in 56.34 to tie, or faster to win. But the Slovakian star posted a 56.61 second run, seventh-best in the field, and Shiffrin had a 1:49:35 to 1:49.62 win. Swede Sara Hector was third (1:50.46) for her first career World Cup Slalom medal.

The amazing Shiffrin, 28, sets records every time she wins, and now has 94 career World Cup golds, the most in history, with 57 in the Slalom, also the most of any skier ever. It’s also her fifth win in Flachau.

She also has 148 career World Cup medals, closing in on the most ever, now just seven behind the record of 155 by Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who competed from 1973-89. Said Shiffrin after the win:

“I’m really proud of this evening and very thankful for my whole team. These last days have been very challenging. They’ve been so supportive and helped me go see Aleks.

“This is really emotional now. The last three days I feel like I lived a lifetime.”

4.
Two-time Olympic medalist swimmer Hali Flickinger retires

There was no announcement and no news conference. But SwimSwam.com reported on an Instagram post by two-time Olympic medal winner Hali Flickinger of the U.S. that included:

“I moved out here [to Phoenix] in 2019 and ended up never leaving!! Let me explain…

“The reason we moved was to continue my athletic career thinking I would only be here for a few years until heading back to the east coast where I am originally from. Well that didn’t happen!

“We came out in August and I fell in LOVE with Arizona. I belong wherever the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm!!

“In 3 weeks I bought a house, have since completed my athletic career, and now living here full time with no plans of leaving!!

“Never in a million years did I think we would decide to stay in AZ and continue to built our lives in a state we moved to knowing NOTHING about.

“We moved here with no family so thought for sure it was just a short pit stop but we have no plans on leaving! In fact our families love it so much that they most likely will eventually move be out here too!

“Life is strange sometimes and opens doors you don’t recognize till you are in them! Moving to Arizona was a magical change for us and we can’t imagine our lives any other way!! AZ is home.”

Originally from Pennsylvania, Flickinger, 29, ranked ninth in the world in 2023 in the 200 m Butterfly (2:06.80) and was a two-time Olympian in 2016 and 2020, winning bronze medals in Tokyo in the 200 m Fly and 400 m Medley. She was clearly a candidate for a third U.S. team in 2024, and moved to Arizona to work with legendary coach Bob Bowman at Arizona State. But life apparently got in the way.

She won four World Championships medals, including two 4×200 m Freestyle golds in 2017 and 2022 and silvers in the 200 m Fly in 2019 and 2022.

A finance major at Georgia, where she was on three NCAA champion teams, she married fellow Bulldogs swimmer Martin Grodzki (GER) in 2019. As she noted in her post, she is now selling real estate in the Phoenix area and onto the next chapter in her life. She finishes with bests of 2:05.65 in the 200 m Fly (no. 3 all-time U.S.) and 4:33.96 in the Medley, no. 8 in U.S. history.

5.
Lake Placid 1980 torch at $33,809 so far at RR Auction

A marvelous, 437-item auction of Olympic memorabilia is heading towards the close, with Olympic torches and medals the items of interest so far for Boston-based RR Auction.

Its opening auction of 2024 will close on Thursday (18th), with opening bids due on items by 6 p.m. Eastern time. Granted that auctions always get heated just before closing, the top bids in the auction as of 6 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday included:

● $33,809: 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic torch
● $23,582: 1896 Athens winner’s medal (silver)
● $19,489: 1936 Berlin gold medal
● $17,270: 1964 Tokyo gold medal and athlete badge
● $12,559: 1896 Athens second-place medal (bronze)

To have two excellent editions of 1896 Athens medals is impressive; silver medals were awarded to the winners and bronze to the runner-ups. The 1896 Athens bronze includes the original case in amazingly good condition; the custom of gold, silver and bronze medals did not appear until the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

The Lake Placid 1980 Winter torch is especially rare as only 140 were produced, and only 52 torchbearers participated in the relay.

For those looking to acquire a set of medals – gold, silver and bronze – from a Games, American swimmer Steve Genter’s trio of medals from Munich 1972 is available and had a modest high bid of $8,985 as of Tuesday evening. Genter won gold in the men’s 4×200 m Free relay, a silver behind Mark Spitz in the 200 m Free and the bronze in the controversial 400 m Free.

With the 2024 Paris Games coming this summer, 16 items from the 1924 Paris Games are available, starting with a gold medal, with a high bid so far of $7,321. A silver medal has drawn a top bid of $2,148.

In the memorabilia area, two items have done especially well so far: a 1908 London “Comite D’Honeur” badge now at $5,790 and a 1964 Tokyo badge for IOC President Avery Brundage (USA), at $5,087 so far. All will be finalized on Thursday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● After major crashes by stars Alexis Pinturault (FRA) and Kilde at the four days of racing at Wengen last week, Swiss-Ski chief Urs Lehmann criticized the heavy men’s Alpine World Cup calendar.

This was significantly due to the weather cancellations of six of the first seven races of the year, in Solden (AUT), the Zermatt-to-Cervinia Downhill and all three races at Beaver Creek, Colorado. One of the Wengen Downhills was a Beaver Creek make-up.

However, FIS was irritated with Lehmann’s comments and posted a message on Tuesday that condemned his actions, especially as a FIS Council member:

“The comments have harmed the reputation of the FIS Council, and are disrespectful to our Race Directors and to the whole FIS team who are working hard at the races to offer the best possible conditions for the athletes and their teams.

“The strength of the ski and snowboard family is that together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Together we can make sure that our sport develops. When that spirit of togetherness is regularly undermined by one-upmanship or power games, we all suffer. Our sport suffers.

“That is why FIS will always defend itself against such accusations.”

Lehmann lost to Swede Johan Eliasch for the FIS Presidency in 2022 in a four-way contest.

● Athletics ● Doubts about the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham (GBR) over finances have likely been resolved, with a grant of £600,000 from the West Midlands Combined Authority to the Birmingham City Council and, ultimately, to the organizing committee. (£1 = $1.26 U.S. today)

The WMCA contributed £13.7 million in March 2030 to support the event and now another £600,000. Further, the British government will add support of up to £680,000 to close the funding gap and ensure the event is held as planned.

● Snowboard ● Germany’s Ramona Theresia Hofmeister got back on the winning track after a rare loss with a victory in Tuesday’s Parallel Slalom World Cup in Bad Gastein (AUT).

The two-time Worlds Parallel Slalom medalist took the final by 0.18 seconds from Austrian home favorite – and Worlds bronze medalist – Sabine Schoeffmann in the final for her fourth win in the five races held so far this season, Italy’s Jasmine Coratti won her second medal of the season with the bronze as Julie Zogg (SUI) fell in the third-place final.

The men’s race went to Italian Maurizio Bormolini, who won his second World Cup gold of the season and defended his 2023 win here, this time over Austrian Arvid Auner. Fellow Austrian Fabian Obmann won his first medal of the season with the bronze over countryman and three-time Worlds Parallel Slalom gold medalist Benjamin Karl, who fell.

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TSX REPORT: The story behind the IOC’s “Olympic Tickets”; FIG OKs 30 Belarusians as neutrals; a reprieve for Israel after all?

Rich Perelman

January 16, 2024

tsx pix 2024-115 duffy-schubert-tomoa OG tix — A shared Olympic Ticket for Paris 2024 for sport climbers Colin Duffy (USA), Jakob Schubert (AUT) and Tomoa Narasaki (JPN) in men's boulder and lead. (Photo: @Olympics on Instagram)

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

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★ Closing Thursday: An Athens 1896 Olympic Champion medal and Steve Genter‘s Munich ‘72 medals trio highlight a 437-item, eye-opening show by RR Auction ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Where did the “Olympic tickets” idea come from?
2. FIG approves 30 Belarusians as gymnastics “neutrals”
3. IIHF chief says Israel still might play in Sofia
4. Targeted 2030 and 2034 Winter Games bid teams meet in Park City
5. Messi, Bonmati honored as FIFA’s “The Best”

● The now-ubiquitous “Olympic Tickets” for athletes qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games actually started in 2020, with a promotion for the African boxing qualifier organized by the International Olympic Committee. Pretty clever.

● The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced the approval of 14 Belarusian gymnasts – including multiple Olympic and World medalists – and 16 coaches and officials as “neutrals” for the purpose of competing in FIG events in 2024. However, with the European federation shutting Russia and Belarus out of its 2024 events, how will they qualify for Paris?

● The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said that it might still be possible for Israel’s team to compete in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U-20 World Championship Division III Group B in Sofia, with the help of Bulgarian officials.

● The President of one of the two French Alps regions that are targeted to host the 2030 Olympic Winter Games visited Park City, Utah last week to begin a cooperation project with the Salt Lake City organizers, targeted to host the 2034 Winter Games.

● FIFA announced its “The Best” winners for 2023, with Argentine icon Lionel Messi winning his eighth trophy for the men, and Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati winning for the women. Brazilian women’s star Marta was honored with a special award and the anti-racism actions of the Brazilian men’s team was saluted with the Fair Play Award.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (80% of torchbearers have been selected) = Athletics (Nilsen and Morris get world-leading vault wins in Reno) = Football (Saudis announce cliffside stadium for 2034 World Cup) = Swimming (743 U.S. Trials qualifiers so far) = Tennis (Bulgarian umpire gets 16-year ban for corruption!) ●

1.
Where did the “Olympic tickets” idea come from?

One of the really clever promotions developed in advance of the Tokyo Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee was the creation of an “Olympic ticket” given to athletes who secure qualification to the Games.

Now it’s everywhere, handed out at single-sport events like the Breaking World Championships in Belgium, the FIG Rhythmic World Championships in Spain, the ISA World Surfing Championships in El Salvador and so on. And also at team events like the FIBA men’s World Cup held last year in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan and the men’s and women’s FIVB Olympic qualifiers in Brazil and China, respectively.

And of course at major multi-sport events with qualifying events like the European Games in Poland and the Pan American Games in Chile.

But it all started prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games at the African Olympic Qualifying Tournament from 20-29 February 2020 in Diamniadio, Senegal. Of course, what better way to symbolize qualifying for the Olympic Games in boxing than to “punch” your ticket to the Games!

The idea came from the IOC’s @Olympics global social-media team as a prop to use for the IOC’s social-media coverage of the boxing qualifiers for Tokyo, remembering that the IOC took over the management of the boxing qualification process in place of the now-derecognized International Boxing Association (formerly AIBA).

Now, as the IOC has adopted an aggressive promotion of the Olympic qualifying process via Recommendation 6 of Olympic Agenda 2020+5: “Enhance and promote the Road to the Olympic Games,” which specifically notes:

“Depending on the definition, there are hundreds or even thousands of events which act as Olympic qualifiers. However, today, there are very few opportunities to connect these events with the Olympic Games through branding and other initiatives. The Olympic and OCOG brands effectively have no visibility and therefore the Road to the Olympic Games is not as visible as it should be.”

It doesn’t work for every sport, since individual qualification for the Games is often not determined by a finish in a specific event, but where an athlete might stand in world rankings, or in a national event in which a quota place is obtained in a domestic tournament, such as at a U.S. Olympic Trials. Maybe, in coordination with the relevant International Federations, these will be included in the future.

The “tickets” come in varying sizes, with smaller ones for individuals and larger ones for group photos and team events. It’s a fun idea and a worthwhile promotional tool that’s a great way to actually reward an athlete with a memento of the moment when they clinched their spot as an Olympian-to-be.

2.
FIG approves 30 Belarusians as gymnastics “neutrals”

The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique announced the approval of 30 Belarusian athletes, coaches and officials as “Authorized Neutral Athletes” who can come in FIG events in 2024.

The list included 14 athletes: seven in Trampoline, three in Rhythmic Gymnastics and three in Artistic, plus 10 coaches, four judges and two medical staff. Among the approved athletes were multiple international medal winners:

Rhythmic:
● Alina Harnasko: Tokyo 2020 All-Around bronze medalist, six-time Worlds medal winner (1-2-3)
● Anastasiia Salos: Three-time Worlds medal winner (0-0-3)

Trampoline:
● Andrei Builou, 2021 Worlds double gold medalist
● Ivan Litvinovich, Tokyo 2020 gold medalist
● Aleh Rabtsau, 2021 Worlds three-medal winner (2-0-1)

Harnasko and Litvinovich are clear medal possibilities for Paris, but although they have been approved by the FIG, they will not be allowed to compete at the European Championships, the clearest pathway, due to the continuing ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors by the European Gymnastics Union.

Harnasko’s options in Rhythmic are extremely limited if she is not able to participate in the Europeans, perhaps only as an invited athlete usually held out for smaller countries.

In Trampoline, there is a qualifying path through the 2024 Trampoline World Cup Series for both men and women and the three Belarus stars might be able to qualify that way.

No mention of any Russian applications was made by the FIG in its announcement of the approved Belarusians.

3.
IIHF chief says Israel still might play in Sofia

The International Ice Hockey Federation’s ban on Israel’s participation in the upcoming Division III-Group B U-20 World Championship on Sofia (BUL), might still be possible.

The IIHF issued a detailed explanation of its decision last Friday, including more specifics:

“This decision currently affects the Israeli National Team’s participation in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U-20 World Championship Division III Group B scheduled to start on 22 January 2024. This event has been originally planned to be held in Israel, but due to already existing safety and security concerns being moved to Bulgaria.”

However, IIHF President Luc Tardif (FRA) reportedly told Radio-Canada in a statement:

“We have already made good progress with the Bulgarian authorities on Friday. If all goes well and they confirm certain security guarantees on Monday [15th], we should be able to integrate the Israel team for the Under-20 World Championship.”

That would be good news, but no confirmation on Monday.

The IIHF has been bitterly criticized for the Israeli ban, with an inquiry also coming from the National Hockey League, and, of course, Israeli officials. The Olympic Committee of Israel is working on an appeal of the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

4.
Targeted 2030 and 2034 Winter Games bid teams
meet in Park City

All smiles during the Park City, Utah visit of one of the leaders of the French Alps bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games last week, Renaud Muselier, the President of the Provence Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA) region, one of the two regions working together.

The visit was part of a larger tour of Utah organized through the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. Asked if the French bid team had enough time to prepare the necessary documentation and government guarantees, he told reporters:

“All the things cannot be perfect because we go very fast. But we will be ready.

“We have snow, we have ski resorts, we have skiers. We know how to do (it), in fact. We know how to organize international competitions in the south of France.

“Everybody knows the Riviera. Everybody knows that. But not everybody knows that we are an Alps region.”

He also noted that the relationship between his bid team and the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games was in sync:

“[Salt Lake City] will be ready in 2030 … but they are so close to Los Angeles [2028], it’s not good for the USA. To the USA, the French, we are saying, ‘That’s OK. Go team.’”

Fraser Bullock, the head of the Salt Lake City bid and the Chief Operating Officer of the 2002 Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, said that the visit was “a first, where we have two preferred hosts for future Winter Games collaborating together in partnership. … We can learn from each other. We can support each other. And we started this great friendship today.”

Both bids are in “targeted dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee, essentially a collaboration to finalize the selection of each bid with vote of the IOC Session in Paris in July.

5.
Messi, Bonmati honored as FIFA’s “The Best”

The annual FIFA awards for “The Best” in 2023 were announced Monday, with Argentine icon Lionel Messi for the second consecutive year for the men and Spain’s Bonmati talking the women’s honors.

Messi captained the Argentine team in its dramatic FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar in late 2022, won the Ligue 1 title in France with Paris-St. Germain and then turned the U.S. football world upside down with his transfer to Inter Miami of Major League Soccer, becoming a national sensation.

He and Norwegian (and Manchester City) star Erling Haaland actually tied with 48 points under the scoring system that included votes from coaches, national-team captains, news media and fans, but Messi won the tie-breaking captains scoring and took his ninth The Best award.

He previously won in 2009-10-11-12-15-19-22. France’s Kylian Mbappe finished third, with 35 points.

Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati won for “The Best” women’s player, as a star for the FIFA Women’s World Cup winner, Spain. She rolled up 52 points to be a clear winner over Colombia’s 18-year-old scoring ace Linda Caicedo (40) and Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso (36).

Brazil’s Ederson won for The Best men’s goalkeeper, notably for his play for Manchester City, with 23 points, ahead of Belgian (and Real Madrid) star Thibault Courtois (20) and Morocco and Al-Hilal’s Yassine Bounou (16). England (and Manchester United)’s Mary Earps won for The Best women’s keeper for the second straight year, with 28 points to 14 for Cata Coll (ESP) and Australian Mackenzie Arnold (12).

A special award for lifetime achievement was presented to Brazilian women’s star Marta, who won The Best women’s player award six times.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola (ESP) won for the top men’s coach and England coach Sarina Wiegman (ENG) took the honors as the top women’s coach for the fourth time.

Brazil won the Fair Play Award for its statement against racism – especially against national team (and Real Madrid) striker Vinicius Junior in La Liga – by wearing all-black uniforms for the first time during the first half in a friendly against Guinea in June in Barcelona, Spain.

The FIFA-FIFPRO Women’s World 11 included American striker Alex Morgan, the only U.S. player to make either the men’s or women’s all-star team.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Paris 2024 organizers gave an update on the preparations for the Torch Relay, to begin in Marseille in May:

“Of the 11,000 Torchbearers (10,000 for the Olympic Torch Relay and 1,000 for the Paralympic Torch Relay), 80% have today received confirmation that they will be carrying the Torch on one of the two. The final identities will be revealed between now and April. Some will be kept secret until the last moment to maintain the surprise, notably of athletes and personalities.”

The selectees were chosen from more than 100,000 nominations developed from sponsor outreach projects. The actual torchbearers were designated with a quota of 50% men and women and representing all of the departments of France.

● Athletics ● The indoor track & field season is getting underway, with quality, world-leading marks in the vault at the annual Pole Vault Summit in Reno. Olympic silver winner Chris Nilsen won the men’s event at 5.90 m (19-4 1/4), over Zach Bradford and Thibault Collet (FRA), both at 5.92 m (19-1).

Two-time World Indoor Champion and Olympic and Worlds silver winner Sandi Morris took the women’s title at 4.82 m (15-9 3/4). Olympic champ Katie Moon of the U.S. and Anicka Newall (CAN) tied for second at 4.53 m (14-10 1/4).

● Football ● The Associated Press reported on just one of the new stadiums planned by Saudi Arabia for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, for which it is the only bidder.

This one is a 45,000-seat facility designed with a retractable roof to allow year-round use, but built on a 650-foot-high cliff in the new Qiddiya City project about 30 miles outside of the national capital of Riyadh. A lake is slated to be installed beneath it to help provide cooling to the air-conditioning system.

The Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal teams are expected to play their home matches there, with a giant LED wall for entertainment and promotion. That’s one of the 14 required stadia that will be used in 2034.

● Swimming ● SwimSwam.com reported on its tally of swimmers qualified so far for the mammoth U.S. Olympic Trials in June, to be held inside of the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

So far, some 743 swimmers have qualified for Indianapolis, with the field to be closed after 30 May 2024. The qualifiers so far include 408 men and 335 women:

● Bella Sims has qualified in the most events – 11 of the 14 to be contested – with Regan Smith and Katie Grimes at eight.

● Among the men, Kieran Smith and Carson Foster have qualified in eight each, with Shaine Casas at seven.

● The top men’s events by number qualified start with the 200 m Medley at 83, then the 200 m Medley (80), 100 m Free (67), 100 m Fly (65) and 100 m Back (63).

● The top women’s events by total qualifiers start with the 50 m Free (64), then the 100 m Breast (62), 100 m Back (56), 100 m Free (55) and 200 m Free (54).

The 2021 Trials in Omaha had a total of 1,543 qualifiers, with 892 in “Wave I,” which was a qualifier for the actual Olympic selection event known as “Wave II.” There were 651 swimmers who qualified directly for Wave II, with the numbers inflated somewhat by an extra year of swimming due to the postponement of the Tokyo Games.

● Tennis ● How about a 16-year suspension for corruption? That’s the penalty announced Monday by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for Bulgarian official Stefan Milanov “following 17 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).”

Milanov did not contest the charges and was also fined $75,000. The statement noted that the penalties concerned five matches he umpired in 2021:

“The charges included five breaches of Section D.1.b of the 2021 TACP – directly or indirectly facilitating any other person to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of an event; five breaches of Section D.1.m of the 2021 TACP – delaying or manipulating entry of scoring data from any Event for any reason; five breaches of Section D.1.n of the 2021 TACP – directly or indirectly attempting, agreeing or conspiring to commit any Corruption Offense; and two breaches of Section F.2.b of the 2023 TACP – failing to co-operate fully with investigations conducted by the ITIA.”

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TSX REPORT: IIHF explains Israel “restriction”; South Africa demotes Jewish cricket captain; IOC-USOPC-LA28 welcomes InBev sponsorship

Rich Perelman

January 15, 2024

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

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

★ On now: An Athens 1896 Olympic Champion medal and Steve Genter‘s Munich ‘72 medals trio highlight a 437-item, eye-opening show by RR Auction ★

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IIHF says Israel not suspended, NHL voices concern
2. South Africa demotes Jewish captain of Cricket U19s
3. AB InBev signs sponsorship with IOC, USOPC and LA28
4. Russian Olympic chief expects loss in IOC appeal
5. Another organizing committee in turmoil, in Taranto

● The International Ice Hockey Federation posted an explanation of its removal of Israel from the men’s Division III Word U-20 Championships on Friday, limiting the action to just the one tournament and promising to review its stance again. The National Hockey League had asked about the issue and former Czech star Bobby Holik, now an American citizen, said “This is just people finding ways to show their antisemitism.”

● Cricket South Africa demoted its men’s U-18 World Cup team member David Teeger – who is Jewish – as captain of the squad in fear of possible violence at the event, which it is hosting in five cities throughout the country. The South African government has filed a petition with the International Court of Justice alleging genocidal actions by Israel in response to the deadly invasion by Hamas on 7 October. Germany has interceded, as politics and sport are again intertwined.

● The International Olympic Committee announced a major sponsorship by AB Inbev for its Corona Cero beer through 2028 and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and LA28 announced a deal with Anheuser-Busch for Michelob ULTRA as their official beer, also through 2028.

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee expects to lose its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the IOC’s suspension after its absorption of four sports organizations in Ukrainian territory.

● The organization of the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy is in turmoil as organizing committee executives were thrown out, but now claim they personally own all of the plans made so far. It’s another regional games in trouble.

● World Championship: Ice Hockey (U.S. women sweep to IIHF U-18 Worlds win) = Sailing (Rindom wins, U.S.’s Rose surprises in ILCA 6 Worlds) ●

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (2: Odermatt wins two, Sarrazin one in Wengen; Huetter, Goggia and Gut-Behrami win in Zauchensee) = Athletics (3: Ngetich crushes world 10 km mark in Spain; American Record for Kelati at Aramco Half; U.S. Marathon Trials worth $12-15 million to Orlando) = Badminton (two wins for China at Malaysia Open) = Biathlon (Norwegian gold rush in Ruhpolding) = Bobsled & Skeleton (German domination continues in St. Moritz) = Cycling (Gigante takes women’s Santos Tour Down Under) = Fencing (2: Italy sweeps men’s Foil medals in Paris; Heathcock surprises in Sabre for U.S.) = Figure Skating (Italy wins two, history for Henrickx at Europeans) = Football (Sofi Stadium apparently confirmed to host 2026 World Cup games) = Handball (world-record attendance to open Euro Champs) = Luge (Four golds for Austria at Innsbruck) = Nordic Combined (Norway sweeps four races at Obertsdorf) = Ski Jumping (2: Kobayashi wins gold in Wisla; Ito wins for home fans in Sapporo) = Snowboard (Karl and Dalmasso take PGS wins at Scuol) = Swimming (Douglass clips 12-year-old American Record at Tyr Pro Swim) ●

1.
IIHF says Israel not suspended, NHL voices concern

In the face of severe blowback, the International Ice Hockey Federation posted on Friday a lengthy explanation of its Wednesday decision to remove the Israeli team from the men’s Division III World U-20 Championship in Sofia (BUL) from 22-28 January. The post included:

“The IIHF Council decided to restrict the Israeli National Team from participating in IIHF Championships on a temporary basis due to safety and security concerns it had for all Championship participants, specifically including the players and team staff from all participating teams. This decision currently affects the Israeli National Team’s participation in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U-20 World Championship Division III Group B scheduled to start on 22 January 2024. This event has been originally planned to be held in Israel, but due to already existing safety and security concerns being moved to Bulgaria.

“The decision is not a sanction against the Israeli Federation and does not affect the Israeli Federation’s status as a full member in good standing with the IIHF.

“IIHF Council will meet in February to assess the safety situation associated with the March and April Championships in which Israel is scheduled to participate and will meet in March to assess the safety situation associated with the April Championship in which Israel is scheduled to participate. This will allow the IIHF Council the ability to deal with each Championship on a case-by-case-basis taking into consideration the facts unique to each location where a respective Championship is scheduled to take place.”

The Israeli women’s team is slated – but was prohibited under the IIHF’s blanket edict of 10 January – to play in the IIHF Women’s Division III-B World Championship in Kohtla-Jarve (EST) from 24-29 March 2024.

The new IIHF explanation included further details of its decision and was important in that:

● It narrowed the decision to the men’s U-20 Division III-B Worlds.

● The IIHF claimed that the nature of the multi-purpose site in Sofia does not allow for closure from the public and is in “a student area with a high population from the affected regions.”

The IIHF notice added:

“The IIHF stands behind the Israeli Federation and wants to secure the safety of all players participating in its championship including players from Israel. …

“The IIHF completely understands that this is a difficult decision and is being made to prioritize security and safety of all involved parties first.”

The detailed notice tried to calm the situation after shrill condemnations from Israeli officials and others, including the National Hockey League. It posted a statement on Saturday which included:

“The NHL has significant concerns with the announcement from the IIHF on Wednesday regarding the Israeli National Team’s eligibility for, and participation in, upcoming IIHF events. We expressed those concerns to the IIHF and have attempted to get a better understanding of both the scope and underlying rationale for the decision that was made. …

“We urge the IIHF to take whatever steps necessary to address its concerns as expeditiously as possible so that Israeli National Teams are not unfairly excluded from future events for which they are eligible and have qualified.”

Bobby Holik, a two-time NHL All-star center and a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams with the New Jersey Devils of the NHL, was a Czech star who married an American women and began a U.S. citizen in 1996. He has coached and run hockey camps in Israel and told the New York Post the IIHF has bowed to anti-Semitism:

“This hockey situation presents a great opportunity for the [NHL] to make a stand and somehow confront the IIHF. To me, this is an extension of the Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS). It’s like, ‘Hey, we don’t want to be uncomfortable, we’ll just keep the Jews out of it.’

“This is just people finding ways to show their antisemitism. Nobody stands up. Nobody says anything. So they keep doing it. I could ask NHL and people in hockey to make a stand for Israel, but nobody wants to go that way. The NHL works closely, I believe, with the IIHF on Olympic Games and other things. I think they should somehow put a little heat on the IIHF.”

His comments came a day before the NHL statement was released on Saturday. Holik, 53, who lives in Wyoming, added relative to the IIHF’s ban:

“It is a security matter. Just work a little harder. Spend more money. There is no better thing to do than to invite Israeli teams where you have 16 or 17 year-old Israelis playing against others on the world stage to see that they are not genocidal people. They are people. I think that is the best way.

“Let’s give them the opportunity to mix with others in a safe environment. Trust me, if they are invited, the state of Israel would do everything possible to provide security so that the players are safe. I’ve been there. I cannot go into details, but our teams were always surrounded by security.”

2.
South Africa demotes Jewish captain of Cricket U19s

A stunning statement was posted by Cricket South Africa on Friday, a week in advance of the start of the men’s 2024 U-19 Cricket World Cup:

“As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament.

“We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 (SA U19) captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors.

“CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators.

“In all the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself.

“David will remain an important and active member of the squad and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament. The newly appointed captain will be announced in due course.”

The British newspaper The Telegraph explained it this way:

“Cricket South Africa has stood down its captain, who is Jewish, for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup because of comments he made in support of Israeli soldiers in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Palestine.”

Teeger praised Israeli soldiers responding to the 7 October invasion by Hamas at a Jewish Achiever Awards ceremony on 22 October. His comments were followed by an immediate complaint by the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance to the South African Sports Confederation and the South African Olympic Committee; a hearing found Teeger had done nothing wrong. Teeger said:

“It was therefore hurtful to read that my personal reflection on 22 October, 2023, of Israel’s response to the Hamas attack has been equated to supporting genocide or condoning hatred based on race, ethnicity or religion.

“Judging the conduct of the different sides during this war is a highly contested and complex matter with strongly held views on both sides. My personal and honestly held view is that Israel and its soldiers have not committed genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. In addition, this view is held by many people and democratic governments around the world, like the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, India, Australia and many countries in the European Union.

“Thus, my statements were not in support of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity because in my view Israel is innocent of all these allegations. On the other hand, I accept, that many people and governments, including the South African government, hold an opposing view. Disagreeing in a respectful manner on a contested and emotionally charged matter is a fundamental pillar of our democracy and Constitution. I respect the right of others to disagree with my view on Israel.”

The decision to remove Teeger as captain was met with immediate rebuke, starting with Karen Milner, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies National Chair:

“There is no basis for this decision, other than the fact that Teeger is Jewish.

“This is not the first time that Jews have been excluded from sporting bodies in our history. The SAJBD will do everything in its power to fight against this vicious prejudice.”

The removal of Teeger’s captaincy is all the more amazing given that the tournament – which begins on 19 January in Bloemfontein and Potchefstroom – is being played in South Africa, in five cities, having taken over for Sri Lanka in November after a suspension by the International Cricket Council. Cricket was added to the program of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee last October.

However, it also comes during an expanding political firestorm over the Hamas invasion of Israel and Israel’s continuing response. South Africa filed a petition with the International Court of Justice in the Hague (NED) alleging genocide on the part of Israel, prompting not only a furious defense, but also an intervention by Germany as a third party.

German spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a Friday statement:

“In view of Germany’s history and the crime against humanity of the Shoah, the Federal Government sees itself as particularly committed to the Convention against Genocide. This convention is a central instrument of international law to implement ‘never again.’

“The German government decisively and expressly rejects the accusation of genocide brought against Israel before the International Court of Justice. The accusation has no basis in fact.”

By intervening as a third party which has not been involved in the conflict, the Germans will be able to present their own case to the court.

Let it never again be said that sport and politics are not intertwined.

3.
AB InBev signs sponsorship with IOC, USOPC and LA28

A massive three-way sponsorship agreement was announced Friday in the beer category for Belgium-based AB Inbev, the parent of brands such as Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Michelob and more than a dozen others, and the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the LA28 organizing committee:

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, will become a Worldwide Olympic Partner (TOP Partner) through to 2028. Corona Cero zero-alcohol beer will be the global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games, highlighting the IOC and AB InBev’s commitment to responsible consumption and building a better world.”

This is the first time that a brewer has joined the TOP sponsor group, first established as a worldwide sponsorship opportunity in 1995. Anheuser Busch was a key sponsor of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the new deal significantly includes the LA28 Games.

The announcements of the IOC and USOPC-LA28 sponsorships also noted key brand decisions:

● “AB InBev is committed to accelerating continued progress towards responsible alcohol consumption and moderation worldwide and will work to further that effort by featuring Corona Cero, its fast-growing zero-alcohol beer brand, as the leading global Worldwide Olympic Partner brand.”

● “AB InBev Chief Marketing Officer Marcel Marcondes said: ‘… we expect Corona Cero to accelerate no-alcohol beer growth and moderation for fans all over the world. In the United States, we will support the Olympics through the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA 2028 with Michelob ULTRA, a superior light beer that celebrates an active lifestyle.’”

The USOPC statement highlighted the Anheuser-Busch connection:

“Anheuser-Busch, America’s leading brewer, today announced that Michelob ULTRA has become the exclusive beer sponsor of Team USA for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Milan Cortina 2026, and Los Angeles 2028, and will be the Official Beer Sponsor of the LA28 Games.”

For those not familiar, Michelob ULTRA – a light beer – debuted in 2002 and is ranked as “the No. 2 beer in the industry by volume.”

The sponsorship is welcome news for LA28, which announced three commercial partnerships in 2023 – Eli Lilly & Co., Oakley Eyewear and Ralph Lauren as an “official outfitter” – but none since late July. Eli Lilly is designated as a “Sponsor,” along with “Founding Partners” Comcast, Delta and Salesforce, so the addition of Anheuser Busch brings the Partner and Sponsor total to five.

Observed: That the IOC has agreed for a worldwide sponsor in the beer category – but only for a zero-alcohol brew, Corona Cero – it’s worthwhile to ask if other elements of the alcoholic-beverage category might open. That does not seem immediately likely and the promotion of Corona Cero as the IOC’s official beer surely signals that spirits will not be tolerated in the TOP sponsorship group.

4.
Russian Olympic chief expects loss in IOC appeal

The head of the Russian Olympic Committee said he expects to lose in their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee:

“I have skeptical expectations. The basis of any arbitration tribunal is trust, but there is none.

“I assume that the decision will be made quickly, and this indicates bias. At the heart of the problems that exist today between the ROC and the IOC, there is a geopolitical orientation, pressure.”

Stanislav Pozdnyakov told the Russian news agency TASS that the appeal will be handled by a Swiss attorney and not by any Russian officials, furthermore, than the hearing – from the Russian side, anyway – will be handled by videoconference and no Russian officials will be going to Lausanne to appear in person.

The appeal is scheduled to be heard on 26 January. The IOC suspended the ROC on 12 October, after the absorption of the Ukraine sports organizations in a portion of eastern Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson – invaded by Russia in February of 2022.

5.
Another organizing committee in turmoil, in Taranto

The 2026 Mediterranean Games are scheduled for Taranto (ITA) and according to the Rome daily, Il Fatto Quotidiano, are in trouble. Scheduled for June, the event will be the 20th edition of an event first held in 1951 and which had 3,298 athletes from 26 countries competing in 24 sports in 2022 in Oran (ALG).

Saturday’s story started with (computer translation from the original Italian):

“The former general director, banned from holding public office due to corruption charges, who wants to take away the projects. The old organizing committee practically suing the new one. The Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games were already a full-blown disaster, with monstrous delays and controversies. The usual big event that turned into the classic Italian fool. Now they risk becoming a farce.”

The event had been granted €275 million for new venues (~$301.55 million U.S.) which will apparently not be ready and the original organizing committee was disbanded by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) last summer. But the former chief organizer Elio Sannicarlo, in concert with 12 other former organizing committee staff, have apparently claimed that they – and not the new organizers – own the planning done to date and that its use must be purchased from them.

Reporter Lorenzo Vendemiale noted, “It seems like an absurd claim and will probably be dismissed that way,” but the matter could end up in court and cause more delays. In the meantime, the calendar continues to shrink.

Observed: This is just the latest regional games in chaos, after the 2026 Commonwealth Games, abandoned by the Australian state of Victoria last summer and the 2027 Pan American Games, removed by Panam Sports on 3 January from Barranquilla (COL) after multiple missed contract deadlines.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Ice Hockey ● The U.S. won its ninth gold at the IIHF Women’s U-18 World Championship in Zug (SUI), defeating the Czech Republic, 5-1.

After finishing group play with a 3-0 mark, the U.S. sailed past Germany, 4-0, in the quarters, then Finland by 4-2 in the semis and then won the final decisively on Sunday. Margaret Scannell (10:23) and Haley Box (11:37) scored in the first period, but Adela Sapovalivova got one back on a power play at 18:43 of the second period to tighten the game to 2-1.

But Kassidy Charmichael scored just 4:15 into the third for a 3-1 lead and Charmichael iced it with a power play goal at 13:05. Ava Thomas added an empty-netter for the Americans with 1:49 to play for the 5-1 final. The U.S. out-shot the Czechs, 39-20, with Layla Hemp stopping 19 shots in goal for the winners.

In all, the U.S. out-scored its opponents by 32-5. It was the sixth American win in the last nine editions of the tournament. The IIHF Directorate selected Sapovalivova (CZE) as the top forward, Chloe Primerano of Canada as the top defender and Czech Aneta Senkova as the top goalie.

Canada, which lost in the semifinals to the Czechs by 4-2, routed Finland for the bronze by 8-1.

● Sailing ● No doubt about the winner of the women’s ILCA6 (Laser Radial) World Championship in Buenos Aires (ARG), that finished last week: Tokyo Olympic champ Anne-Marie Rindom of Denmark.

She won four of the 11 races outright and was in the top 10 in four others to finish with a net of 58 points for her third Worlds gold – also in 2015 and 2022 – and her sixth career Worlds medal (3-0-3).

American Charlotte Rose, the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist, won her first Worlds medal and catapulted herself into Olympic contention with a second-place finish, scoring 75 net points with eight top-ten finishes and two wins! Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert, the 2018 and 2021 World Champion in this class, finished third with 78 net points and eight races in the top 10. But she could not match Rose’s two wins and fell back to third.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● Swiss star Marco Odermatt, the reigning World Cup overall champion and France’s sudden-star Cyprien Sarrazin, dominated the speed skiing in front of big crowds of as many as 30,000 at Wengen (SUI).

Odermatt beat Sarrazin in Thursday’s Downhill, then Sarrazin – who came into this season with a career total of two World Cup medals, at age 29 – won the Friday Super-G, 1:47.75 to 1:48.33, over Odermatt, with Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde third at 1:48.75.

The race was marred by a bad crash near the finish by two-time Combined World Champion Alexis Pinturault, who had to be airlifted from the site, delaying the race for about 25 minutes. He was reportedly to have ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

On Saturday, it was Odermatt beating Sarrazin for the second time in the second Downhill, 2:25.64 to 2:26.23, with Italy’s speed star Dominik Paris getting third (2:27.56). For Sarrazin, it was his fourth medal this season (2-2-0) after two medals all-time before. For Odermatt, it extended his World Cup lead and was his 31st career World Cup gold.

Kilde suffered a bad crash and injured his right leg near the finish of the Saturday Downhill and was also airlifted to a hospital.

Sunday was a Slalom, with Austria’s Manuel Feller – the 2017 Worlds runner-up – taking his third World Cup win in the fourth Slalom run this season! He had the third-fastest first run and second-fastest second run and that added up to a win in 1:50.28, just ahead of Norway’s Atle McGrath (1:50.38), the first-run leader. Fellow Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen took third in 1:50.49; Benjamin Ritchie was the top American, in 20th (1:52.49).

The women’s World Cup was in Zauchensee (AUT), with Austria’s Cornelia Huetter getting her fifth career World Cup gold in Friday’s Super-G in 1:13.17, barely edging Kajsa Vickoff Lie (NOR: 1:13.26) and Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami (1:13.38). It’s Huetter’s third medal of the season (1-1-1).

Italy’s 2018 Olympic Downhill winner Sofia Goggia took Saturday’s Downhill in 1:46.47, ahead of home favorite Stephanie Venier (1:46.57) and fellow Austrian Mirjam Puchner, who tied for third with Nicol Delago (ITA: 1:46.81). It’s the second win of the season for Goggia, and her 24th career World Cup victory.

Sunday brought another Super-G, with Beijing Olympic champ Gut-Behrami (SUI) taking her third win of the season in 1:14.25, beating Huetter (1:15.20) and Puchner (1:15.21). Lauren Macuga was the top U.S. finisher, in 10th (1:15.53).

● Athletics ● Another road world record, as Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich destroyed the women’s 10 km road race mark with a startling 28:46 win at the Valencia Ibercaja 10K in Spain on Sunday.

Ngetich had won 29:26, then the third-fastest time in history at Lille (FRA) on 18 November last year, but hot pacemaking gave Ngetich and fellow Kenyans Emmaculate Anyango and Lilian Rengeruk a shot at the record. Ngetich passed 5 km in 14:13, equal to the world mark set by Kenyan Beatrice Chebet on 31 December in Barcelona, with Anyango just a second behind (24:14: third performance all-time) and Rengeruk at 14:25, the no. 7 performance in history.

Ngetich, 22, broke away from Anyango after 7 km and ran alone to the finish in 28:46, the first time a woman has run faster than 29:00 on road or track. She mauled the only record of 29:14 by Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) from 2022 and Anyango, in second, finished in 28:57 to move to no. 2 all-time. Rengeruk finished third in 29:32, now the no. 4 performer ever.

The men’s 10 km was also hot, with Uganda’s Jakob Kiplimo, the 2020 World Half Marathon champ, winning easily in 26:48 to move to no. 6 on the all-time list. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew was second in 26:57, now no. 14 all-time, just ahead of Peter Njeru (KEN: 26:59).

At the Chevron Houston Marathon, Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi broke away after 35 km to win in a race record of 2:06:39, a lifetime best and an Olympic qualifying mark. He worked his way up through the pack and won by 21 seconds over Ayana Tsedat (ETH: 2:07:00). Adam Vadeboncoeur was the top American, in 2:18:04.

Ethiopian Jamal Yimer, twice fourth at the World Half Marathon Championship, won the Aramco Half in 60:42, edging Wesley Kiptoo (KEN: 60:43) and Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) and Abbabiya Simbassa of the both, both timed in 60:45.

Ethiopia’s Rahma Tusa broke away after 30 km in the women’s marathon and rolled to a 22-second win in the women’s marathon in 2:19:33, no. 4 in the world for 2023. Vicoty Chepngeno (KEN) was second in 2:19:55; the top American was Andrea Pomaranski in 14th (2:36:41).

The women’s Half was a treat, with Kenyan star Hellen Obiri setting a hot pace, but was unable to maintain it past 15 km, when Sutume Asefa flew by and stormed to the finish in 64:37, fastest in the world so far in 2024 and now no. 8 all-time. Obiri hung in for second in 66:07, trailed by Ethiopian Buze Diriba (66:24) and American Weini Kelati, making her debut at the distance.

Kelati’s fourth-place time was 66:25, an American Record, taking 14 seconds off the 66:39 mark by Keira D’Amato from 1 July 2023 at Gold Coast in Australia. Kelati won the USATF 10 km nationals in 2023 and was 21st in the Cross Country Worlds (10 km) in Bathurst last February. She was fourth on the track last year in the USATF 10,000 m, but may have found a home in the longer event.

Jason Siegel, the head of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, told reporters on Friday that the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials coming 3 February could be worth from $12-15 million in economic impact for the area.

The City of Orlando is encouraging spectators to watch the race from four downtown areas; the runners will run a 2.2-mile loop in downtown and then run four laps of an 8 km course that will finish on Rosalind Avenue.

● Badminton ● China scored two wins at the Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur (MAS), both in Doubles, as top-seeded Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang won the men’s final over India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, 9-21, 21-18, 21-17, and in the all-China women’s Doubles final, Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan swept aside Shu Xian Zhang and Yu Zheng by 21-18, 21-18.

Denmark’s Anders Antonsen took the men’s Singles title from seventh-seed Yu Qi Shi (CHN), 21-14, 21-14, and top-seed Se Young An (KOR) gave up the first set to Tokyo Olympic runner-up Tzu Ying Tai (TPE), but won by 10-21, 21-10, 21-18.

Japan’s second-seeded Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino won the Mixed Doubles in a 21-18, 21-15 sweep over Won Ho Kim (KOR) and Na Eun Jeong (KOR).

● Biathlon ● The French grip on the women’s IBU World Cup was finally slowed in Ruhpolding (GER), with Norwegian veteran Ingrid Tandrevold winning Saturday’s 7.5 km Sprint in 19:25.4 (0 penalties), ahead of Mona Brorsson (SWE: 19:43.6/0) and Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi (19.44.4/0). French stars had won five races in a row and Lou Jeanmonnot finished fourth in 19:50.2 (0). For Tandrevold, a four-time Worlds gold medalist on relays, it was her second win of the season and fifth medal.

Sunday’s women’s 10 km Pursuit went to Vittozzi, who won the season-opening event and got her second gold in 30:30.7 (1), ahead of Tandrevold (30:31.4/1) and fellow Norwegian Juni Arnekliev (30:39.8/0). Jeanmonnot was fourth again (31:01.8/2).

The men’s 10 km Sprint on Saturday was also a Norwegian victory for veteran Vetle Christiansen (22:27.2/0), beating Tommaso Giacomel (ITA: 22:44.1/1) and Norwegian star Tarjei Boe (22:47.3/0). American Campbell Wright had his best finish of the season in 12th (23:17.3/1).

Norway swept medals in Sunday’s 12.5 km Pursuit, with Johannes Dale-Skjevdal winning a tight finish over Christiansen, 30:38.0 (2) to 30:39.7 (3). Seasonal leader Johannes Thingnes Boe got his sixth medal in 12 races in third (30:40.2/2).

Norway won its fourth straight men’s 4×7.5 km World Cup relay this season in 1:09:49.6 (8), well ahead of Germany (1:10:34.6/7) and Italy (1:10.48.3/10). The French women took the 4×6 km relay in 1:08:44.5 (4), edging Sweden (1:08:53.2/3) and Germany (1:09:31.2 (3)

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The first IBSF World Cup of 2024 was in St. Moritz (SUI), with a continuation of the German domination from the end of 2023.

Johannes Lochner, the 2023 Worlds gold medalist, teamed with Georg Fleishhauer to take the Two-Man race in 2:10.74, just 0.25 up on Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich and Alexander Schueller (2:10.99). Swiss Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel got the bronze in 2:11.29. The top American sled was in 13th, with Frank Del Duca and Adrian Adams (2:12.73).

Sunday’s Four-Man was the third win in five races this season for Lochner, winning both runs and totaling 2:08.89 to defeat twice Olympic champ Friedrich (GER: 2:08.99) and Latvia’s Emils Cipulis (2:09.29). The top American sled was with Del Duca, in 14th (2:10.72).

The women’s Monobob was another win for 2018 Olympic champ Lisa Buckwitz (GER), her third in four races this season, in 2:22.78, leading teammate Laura Nolte (2:22.91) and Australia’s Breeana Walker (2:22.93). American star Elana Meyers Taylor was fourth (2:23.25) and Kaysha Love – the only one other than Buckwitz to win this season – was ninth (2:24.01).

The Two-Woman title was won by Germans Nolte and Neele Schuten, who took over on the second run and won at 2:16.59, just ahead of first-run leader Buckwitz and Lauryn Siebert (2:16.67). Swiss Melanie Hauser and Mara Morell grabbed third in 2:16.97; Americans Love and Azaria Hill finished sixth (2:17.85) and Meyers Taylor and Emily Renna timed 2:18.04 for eighth.

In Skeleton, Italy’s Amedeo Bagnis, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, won the men’s division in 2:14.07, easing past Beijing Olympic champ Christopher Grotheer (GER: 2:14.59) and Worlds bronze medalist Seung-gi Jung (KOR: 2:13.96). Bagnis is the fourth different winner in four races this season.

Kimberley Bos (NED) took the women’s Skeleton in 2:18.61 for her second straight win, again edging Valentina Margaglio (ITA: 2:19.34), with America’s five-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender getting the second U.S. medal of the season in third (2:19.45). American Mystique Ro was eighth (2:19.97). It was Uhlaender’s first World Cup medal since February 2013!

● Cycling ● The 2024 season of the UCI Women’s World Tour began in Australia with the Santos Tour Down Under, decided on the final day with a win for Australian Sarah Gigante.

The first two stages, on Friday and Saturday, were mass-finish sprints, so while Denmark’s Cecile Uttrup Ludwig led going into Sunday’s final stage, it was the final climb to the finish at Willunga Hill that would decide everything.

There were 25 riders who started within 10 seconds of the lead, but Gigante broke free with 2.2 km left of the 93.4 km ride from Adelaide and won the stage by 16 seconds over Nienke Vinke (NED) in 2:30:38. That gave the 23-year-old Gigante her first major win on the Women’s World Tour in 7:57:33, 20 seconds ahead of Vinke, 33 seconds up on Australian Neve Bradbury and 37 seconds clear of fourth-placer Amanda Spratt (AUS).

Ruth Edwards was the top American, in 16th (+1:21).

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup schedule resumed in Paris with men’s and women’s Foil, with China’s Qingyuan Chen winning the women’s final over Elena Tangherlini, by 15-13. Chen, the 2023 Asian champ, won her first FIE World Cup gold. Tangherlini, 25, earned her first major international medal.

Italy swept all four medals in the men’s Foil, with 2023 World Champion Tommaso Marini winning a 15-12 decision against 2018 World Champion Alessio Foconi. Teammates Guillaume Bianchi and Filippo Macchi won the bronze.

The U.S. team of Miles Chamley-Watson, Chase Emmer, Nick Itkin and Alex Massialas took the men’s team title, defeating Italy in the semis, 45-44 and Japan in the final, 45-39. Italy took the women’s gold with a 45-41 win over France, with Japan and Poland receiving the bronzes.

A Sabre Grand Prix was on in Tunis (TUN), and American Colin Heathcock, 18, won his first major international medal with a surprise gold via a 15-9 final win over home favorite Fares Ferjani (TUN). To get to the final, Heathcock defeated three-time Olympic Champion Aron Szilagyi of Hungary, 15-13!

Spain’s Lucia Martin-Portugues (ESP) scored her first Grand Prix gold at 33 with a 15-5 rout of Nisanur Erbil (TUR) in the women’s final.

● Figure Skating ● At the European Championships in Kaunas (LTU), the 2023 champions repeated in the Men’s Singles and Ice Dance, with Italy taking two titles.

France’s Adam Siao Him Fa defended his 2023 gold with a clear, 276.17 to 256.99 win over Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko, with last year’s silver winner – Matteo Rizzo (ITA) – in third at 250.87. Siao Him Fa won both the Short Program and the Free Skate.

Italy’s defending Ice Dance champs, Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri won their second title in a row and their fourth career European medals (2-0-2) with wins in Rhythm Dance and Free Dance on the way to a 214.38 total. Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were second in both segments and scored 210.82, with Alison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU) third at 203.37. In the last five Europeans, Guignard and Fabbri have finished 3-4-3-1-1.

In Pairs, a close competition saw Free Skate winners Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise take the title at 199.19, moving up from third after the Short Program. Georgia’s defending champs, Annastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, led after the Short Program, but finished fifth in the Free Skate to earn silver (196.14) and 2023 runner-ups Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini took a second medal for Italy at 195.68 for bronze.

Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx, the Worlds 2022 silver winner and 2023 bronze medalist, won her first European title and Belgium’s first title since 1947, when Micheline Lannoy and Pierre Baugniet took the Pairs gold! Hendrickx won both the Short Program and Free Skate on the way to a 213.25 total to dethrone defending champ Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO), who scored 206.52. Belgium got a second medal from Nina Pinzarrone (202.29) in third.

● Football ● There will apparently be 2026 FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium after all. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters on Friday during a news conference on other matters:

“We have actually just secured the World Cup in our region.

“For a few months we weren’t exactly sure if we were going to get it but we are. And that’s going to come up very soon.”

It had been previously reported that no agreement had been reached on using SoFi Stadium, owing to cost issues, including widening of the field to meet FIFA requirements for a full-sized pitch of 105 x 68 m (345 x 223 feet).

● Handball ● The men’s European Handball Championship kicked off last week, with what was reported as a world indoor record attendance mark of 53,586 at the Merkur-Spiel Arena in Dusseldorf (GER) to see France beat North Macedonia, 39-29 and Germany pound Switzerland, 27-14.

Those are the only games to be played in Dusseldorf; the remainder of the tournament will be held at more conventional arenas, with the final matches at the 19,750-seat Lanxess Arena in Cologne.

● Luge ● The FIL World Cup circuit hit Innsbruck (AUT), which doubled as the European Championships, and another strong showing for home team Austria!

Reigning men’s World Champion Jonas Mueller took the men’s Singles, with the fastest times in each race, totaling 1:38.655, ahead of teammate Nico Gleirscher (1:38.981). German Max Langenhan, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, won the bronze in 1:39.083; Jonny Gustafson was the top American, in ninth (1:39.807). It was Mueller’s first win of the season.

Austria’s Beijing 2022 bronze medalists Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl took the European title and their first win of the 2023-24 World Cup – after three silvers – in 1:18.690, edging Latvia’s Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (1:18.862). Germany’s three-time Olympic winners, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, finished third (1:18.986), with Americans Dana Kellogg and Frank Ike in eighth (1:19.389).

Austria’s Madeleine Egle won her third World Cup race of the season in the women’s Singles, finishing in 1:19.200 over two races, ahead of 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz (GER: 1:19.224) and Germany’s reigning World Champion Anna Berreiter (1:19.439). Americans Ashley Farquharson, Emily Sweeney and Summer Britcher finished 4-6-7 in 1:19.477, 1:19.602 and 1:19.678.

Two-time World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) won the women’s Doubles for the third straight time, in 1:20.178, ahead of Italy’s Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer (1:20.192) and American Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby (1:20.384), who won their second medal of the season.

Fellow Americans Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler were sixth in 1:20.553.

Austria took the team relay for their fourth win in five events, in 2:52.190 (M. Egle, Steu/Kindl, Mueller, Selina Egle/Lara Kipp), edging Germany (2:52.376), Italy (2:52.651) and the U.S. (Farquharson, Kellogg/Ike, Gustafson, Forgan/Kirkby), fourth in 2:52.838.

● Nordic Combined ● Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber won the first five events of the FIS World Cup season, and resumed winning in the 2024 opener in Obertsdorf (GER). He moved from second after jumping on the 106 m hill by winning the 10 km race in 25:21.0. Austria’s Johannes Lamparter, the reigning World Cup champ, moved from fourth second in 25:22.0, just a second behind. Stefan Rettenegger (AUT) got third in 25:24.3.

Riiber completed a weekend sweep by winning the 7.5 km Compact race on Sunday, leading after the jump phase and crossing first in 18:43.9, ahead of Rettenegger (18:46.1) and Germany’s Manuel Faist (18:55.7). That gives Riiber seven wins in the nine events held this season.

Norway continued undefeated in the women’s World Cup on Saturday, with Mari Leinan Lund getting her first win of the season, finishing the 5 km race in 14:36.0, comfortably ahead of teammates Ida Marie Hagen (14:59.5) and World Champion Gyda Westvold Hansen (15:52.1).

Sunday’s 5 km Compact race saw the same three medalists, with Hagen winning in 14:33.9, followed by Westvold Hansen (14:56.7) and Leinan Lund (15:14.8). So, six races this season, and six Norwegian wins.

● Ski Jumping ● The first of three stages of the inaugural PolSKI tour opened in Wisla (POL) off the 134 m hill, with Japanese star Ryoyu Kobayashi getting his first win of the season.

Kobayashi won the prestigious Four Hills Tournament by finishing second in all four events, but stepped up on Sunday to move up from fifth after the first round to first overall, scoring 144.1 for a two-jump total of 269.4. That beat first-round leader – and seasonal leader – Stefan Kraft (AUT: 264.3) and Germany’s Andreas Wellinger (262.4). Kraft now has 10 medals in 13 events held this season.

The PolSKI Tour continues in Szczyrk on Tuesday and Wednesday and finishes in Zakopane next weekend.

The FIS Women’s World Cup tour was in Sapporo (JPN), for two competitions off the 134 m hill, with the first going to four-time Worlds silver medalist Eva Pinkelnig winning her second meet of the season, scoring 195.7 points. She finished second on both jumps to beat Jenny Rautionaho (FIN: 193.3) and Eirin Kvandal (NOR: 192.5). Raitionaho, 27, won her first-ever World Cup medal; her prior best was a fifth at Engelberg and Garmisch in December.

The home fans got a chance to cheer on Sunday, as five-time Worlds medal winner Yuki Ito got her second win of the season, winning both jumps and scoring 230.1. Germany’s two-time Olympic silver winner Katharina Schmid was second (224.0) and Slovenia’s Beijing 2022 team gold medalist Nika Kriznar third (218.2).

● Snowboard ● Beijing Olympic Parallel Giant Slalom champ Benjamin Karl of Austria got his second win of the season in the World Cup Parallel Slalom in Scuol (SUI), racing to the line ahead of Beijing runner-up Tim Mastnak (SLO) in the final. Three-time World Champion Andreas Prommegger (AUT) won the bronze over Italy’s Roland Fischnaller.

Lucia Dalmasso won the all-Italian final over Jasmin Coratti, grabbing her first career World Cup victory, at age 26. Japan’s Tsubaki Miki took the bronze, in front of Claudia Riegler (AUT).

● Swimming ● Kate Douglass, the women’s 200 m Medley Worlds gold medalist highlighted the final two days of the Tyr Pro Swim Knoxville with an American Record in the 200 m breaststroke.

Douglass crushed a good field that included 2022 World Champion Lilly King in 2:19.30, breaking triple Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Soni’s 2012 U.S. mark and zoomed up to no. 4 all-time, with the no. 5 performance! King was second at 2:24.34.

Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky, who had already won the 1,500 m and 400 m Frees, took the 800 m Free by more than 12 seconds in 8:14.97, with Paige Madden second in 8:27.64. Austrian Freestyler Felix Auboeck also won three events, taking the 200-400-800 m triple; he won the 200 m Free in 1:46.70 on Friday and the 800 m Free on Saturday in 7:51.96. Olympic champ Bobby Finke finished third in 7:55.85.

Two-time Worlds 200 m Medley runner-up Carson Foster won both Medleys, taking the 400 m race over Finke in 4:13.04 to 4:18.61, and the 200 m final against Trenton Julian, 1:58.83 to 1:58.89. Shaine Casas, the 2022 Worlds 200 m Back bronze winner, doubled in the 100 m Butterfly (51.40 vs. 51.72 for Worlds 100 m Fly bronzer Dare Rose) and the 100 m Back in 54.53, beating 50 m Back World Champion Hunter Armstrong (53.97). Sprint star Michael Andrew took the men’s 50 m Free final in 21.87.

Canada’s four-time Worlds gold winner Summer McIntosh, 17, won the 200 m Free in 1:55.41 and the 200 m Medley in 2:07.16, just beating American Alex Walsh, the 2022 World Champion (2:07.63).

Worlds bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff won the 100 m Back in 59.06 over Claire Curzan (59.11), but Tokyo Olympic relay silver winner Curzan came from behind to win the 200 m Back in 2:07.38, ahead of Isabelle Stadden (2:08.42).

Canada’s Tess Ciepulcha won the women’s 400 m Medley over Ledecky, 4:41.54 to 4:44.82. Poland’s Kasia Wasick took the 50 m Free in 24.21, beating Americans Abbey Weitzeil (24.57), Douglass (24.67) and Rio 2016 100 m Free co-gold medalist Simone Manuel (24.82).

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TSX REPORT: Colombian President all-out to bring 2027 Pan Ams back; Israel banned by IIHF for its own “safety”; Biles dishes to Vanity Fair!

Rich Perelman

January 12, 2024

tsx pix 2024-111 gustavo petro astrid rodriguez 109 — Colombian President Gustavo Petro (l) and Sports Minister Astrid Rodriguez at a news conference asking to the 2027 Pan American Games to be given back to Barranquilla (Photo: Presidencia de Colombia)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Colombian President in full-court press to bring Pan Am Games back
2. Israel furious at ban by IIHF for “safety and well-being”
3. IOC offers slight loosening of athlete social videos for Paris
4. U.S. anti-doping detection “thousand-fold” better
5. Biles calls return to competition “exciting” but she was “petrified”

● Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, said the country will pay the $8 million it owes to Panam Sports right away and wants the 2027 Pan American Games to be held in Barranquilla. He plans to visit with Panam Sports chief Neven Ilic in the next few days, after the Pan Ams were revoked on 3 January.

● The International Ice Hockey Federation has banned Israel from playing in IIHF events for its “safety and well-being.” Israel Olympic Committee chief Yael Arad replied, “we are witnessing a precedent-setting and dangerous decision that stinks of antisemitism under the guise of safety for the athletes.” Is Russia behind this?

● The International Olympic Committee issued new social-media guidelines for Paris 2024, allowing athletes to post short videos now, but not any of the competitions or ceremonies. Very limited “thank you” messages will be allowed to non-Olympic sponsors during the Games period.

● The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency medical director said the ability to detect doping has increased a “thousand-fold” with the use of new technologies, as well as the development of the Athlete Biological Passport.

● A splashy Vanity Fair feature on gymnastics icon Simone Biles reviews her return to competition, her daily routine, her marriage to Packers safety Jonathan Owens and, of course, includes some spectacular photography.

● World Championship: Ice Hockey (Canada and U.S. breeze into women’s World U-18 Champs semis in Zug) ●

● Panorama: Doping (Spain’s CELAD says it has done nothing wrong) = Russia (World Taekwondo confirms Russian and Belarusian “neutral” participation) = NCAA (major new proposals on name-image-likeness, a huge fan database and coaching assistants) = Alpine Skiing (another win for Odermatt, this time in Wengen) = Athletics (Kenyan Chepchirchir hit for doping again) = Football (Girma named top U.S. women’s player in 2023) = Shooting (2: ISSF names Bessaguet and Vennekamp top shooters of 2023; USA Shooting confirms first five 2024 Olympians) = Swimming (Ledecky, King, Douglass star at Tyr Pro Swim Knoxville) ●

1.
Colombian President in full-court press
to bring Pan Am Games back

In a Tuesday news conference, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he will push for the restoration of the 2027 Pan American Games to Barranquilla, now a national priority (computer translation from the original Spanish):

● “We want to notify you that the 8 million dollars that, for the granting of rights to the Pan American Games, are ready. They could be turned at any time if the party to the agreement so considers it.”

● “The national government, unlike some articles that have appeared, has always been supporting the Pan American Games.”

● “Procedures, some of which we were not aware of – that is the truth – [and] non-compliance that could already been seen from the last government and fears of some officials who had who had to do with the transfer of resources at the end of the year has resulted in this bad news, let’s say, a decision by an official of the Pan American Games in America and that has led to this problem.”

● “The chancellor, Alvaro Leyva, has express authorization to communicate with Presidents of the Republic, with Chancellors, if necessary and fundamentally with the Presidents of the Olympic committees of each country throughout America, in order to prepare a majority, both in the Executive Committee of Panam Sports and the possible holding of an extraordinary assembly.”

Petro, who took office on 7 August 2022, added that he will make a side trip to Chile during a planned voyage to Antarctica and visit with Panam Sports President Neven Ilic (CHI) and to the Chilean Olympic Committee.

To this end, another emergency meeting of the Panam Sports Executive Committee was held on Thursday to discuss the issue further. A letter to the other 40 National Olympic Committees asking for interest in replacing Barranquilla as the site for the 2027 Pan Ams was circulated on 5 January, with a request for replies by 30 January.

The agreement to host the 2027 Pan American Games in Barranquilla includes a $2 million payment already made and payments of $4 million from the Colombian government at the end of 2023 and by 31 January 2024. Panam Sports announced the removal of the 2027 Games on 3 January, citing “countless breaches of current contracts.”

2.
Israel furious at ban by IIHF for “safety and well-being”

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced Wednesday that it has banned Israel from its events:

“After careful consideration, the IIHF Council has decided that, due to concerns over the safety and security of all participants in the Championships, Israel will not participate in IIHF Competitions for the time being.

“In accordance with IIHF’s duty of care to protect all participants at IIHF Competitions and its obligation to create corresponding health and safety policies, the IIHF Council, within its power found in IIHF Statute has decided to restrict the Israeli National Team from participating in IIHF Championships until the safety and well-being of all participants (including Israeli participants) can be assured.

“The IIHF Council took this decision after careful consideration and based on a risk assessment, discussions with the participating countries and discussions with the Hosts.”

Israel, an IIHF member since 1991, plays in the IIHF Division II-A in men’s events and Division III-B for women and was to play in the men’s Division II Worlds in Serbia in April and the Division III women’s Worlds in March in Estonia.

An appeal against the ban is forthcoming to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the Israel Ice Hockey Association and the Israel Olympic Committee. The Israel Olympic Committee chair, Yael Arad – a new member of the International Olympic Committee – responded furiously in a statement:

“Unfortunately, we are witnessing a precedent-setting and dangerous decision that stinks of antisemitism under the guise of safety for the athletes.

“In personal conversations I had with the chairman of the International Federation, I witnessed a disappointing lack of transparency and opacity driven by a hidden agenda that has no place in world sports.

“The International Olympic Committee is aware of and supports our positions, and we will not allow this to happen.”

The Times of Israel reported the reply of the Israeli Ice Hockey Association, which noted that “sources within the International Ice Hockey Federation suggest that the underlying cause of the decision appears to be the alleged capitulation of the Federation’s chairman, Luc Tardif [FRA], to political pressures, including influences from Russia.”

Tardif told the Russian news agency TASS that the exclusion of Israel from the men’s Division II Worlds is not related to the presence of the UAE in the tournament; the two countries re-established relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020:

“The IIHF does not compare both political situations, we do not consider these situations from a political point of view. The only question is whether we, the IIHF and the organizers, can guarantee the safety of our competitions: players, staff, judges, fans, including Israeli players and officials.

“The decision on Israel is not related to the participation of the UAE team in the World Championship. We will regularly analyze the situation with the tournament.”

Observed: Since the Israeli response to the Hamas attack against it on 7 October 2023, Russian sports officials have consistently campaigned against sanctions placed on it vs. none being placed on Israel.

It matters not to the Russians, of course, that they have been the invaders of Ukraine since February 2022 and the Israelis went into Gaza to end the continuing, deadly attacks against it, especially those of 7 October.

Those with a geopolitical view of the actions taken by Russia, and by South Africa, which has filed a case for genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice, see the development of the anti-Israel actions as part of a larger anti-U.S. campaign by Russia to try and bring together the BRICS countries (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) on the political and sports front. This is worth watching in the future.

And any involvement of Russia with the IIHF brings back memories of former, long-time IIHF President Rene Fasel, now 73, who was the IIHF President from 1994-2021. Born in Switzerland, he is an unabashed lover of Russia and obtained Russian citizenship in 2023. Although no longer directly involved in IIHF matters, he still wields influence.

3.
IOC offers slight loosening of athlete social videos for Paris

The International Olympic Committee announced a new version of its “IOC Social and Digital Media Guidelines” for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which allows video sharing on social-media sites during the Games:

● “From competition venues up to 1 hour before the start of your competition and after you have left the mixed zone/doping control station

● “from training venues and practice areas

● “from the Olympic Village

● “at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and/or

● “at the Champions Park.”

Video of the sports competitions and the awards ceremonies is prohibited, however, as are commercial posts (for money or as advertising), of the medical and doping-control areas and “using artificial intelligence (AI) or any AI generated content or outputs.”

Messages supporting non-Olympic commercial sponsors continue to be limited:

“During the Games Period, you may provide one simple “thank-you” message to each of your Non-Olympic Partner personal sponsors.

“A single thank-you message to each personal Non-Olympic Partner during the Games Period can be posted to multiple platforms (posting a single identical message to multiple platforms must take place at the same time). Some NOCs may permit athletes to post additional “thank-you” messages: please check with your NOC for further details.”

New rules for “other accredited persons” have also been included, with no video allowed of any ceremonies, the competition fields of play, the Olympic Village or training or practice areas. Videos must be of two minutes or less.

No photography or video of athlete or coach areas at the venues or in the Olympic Village are allowed.

4.
U.S. anti-doping detection “thousand-fold” better

In an interview with Triathlon Magazine Canada, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Medical Director Dr. Matthew Fedoruk expressed confidence in the continuing ability to find doping cheats, thanks to better and better tools.

He cited the Athlete Biological Passport, which tracks athlete chemistry over time, as well as better testing technology:

“A good example, in addition to the Passport, of how the science is keeping up is the increase of sensitivity of the testing over the last 10 years.

“We’ve seen roughly a thousand-fold increase in the ability to actually detect these prohibited substances in samples. With the advent of new instrumentation methodology we’re down to a trillionth of a gram of substance in a millilitre of urine. To put that in perspective, that’s like a few grains of sugar in an Olympic size swimming pool.”

Fedoruk noted, however, that the advances in technology have to be balanced against human biology:

“The thing that keeps me up at night is the detection of some of these complex substances that our bodies produce naturally that as anti-doping authorities we need to be able to differentiate what is supposed to be there, what our bodies produce, and what might be synthetic in nature.

“In many instances the molecules are virtually identical in nature, so you have to have tests in place to be able to differentiate those two in addition to using the biological passport to alert you when the markers might be abnormal.”

He also pointed out that the re-testing of older samples with advanced technology as much as 10 years later is a further deterrent. The International Testing Agency has added dozens of sanctions based on this kind of testing for the London 2012 Olympic Games and is now working on samples from Rio 2016.

USADA testing is also being expanded to younger athletes, but with new methods that can be used for wider testing use:

“Urine testing is the gold standard, but the question is do we need that level of testing at the age group level?

“Maybe we have the flexibility to implement things like dried blood spot testing or other types of testing that would analyze for a smaller subset of substances. I think as the science advances, the ability to use these innovative tools that maybe bring the cost down and allow us to apply tests to a wider range of athletes are coming through the pipeline.”

5.
Biles calls return to competition “exciting” but she was “petrified”

In a lengthy Vanity Fair cover feature posted on Wednesday (10th), gymnastics icon Simone Biles discussed her time off from gymnastics after her adventures at the Tokyo Olympic Games, her return to stardom at the 2023 Worlds, and her life now with husband (and Green Bay Packers safety) Jonathan Owens.

Of her difficulties in Tokyo, where she lost her spatial awareness during routines – “the twisties” – she faced a variety of attacks from those who felt she let the U.S. team down and others who acclaimed her as a mental-health advocate. Of the latter, she said:

“I was not okay with that. If I can be a lending hand and help people, then I’ll be open, honest, and vulnerable, but you cannot stick me in front of a crowd and say, ‘Do everything she’s doing.'”

Then came time off, which felt a lot different than the break she took after her four-gold, one bronze performance in 2016 at Rio:

“I wish I could sit here and tell you it was glorious.

“When I took a break after 2016, I had the time of my life. I was doing anything and everything. But after 2020, it was kind of depressing until I started therapy and got help. I felt like a failure. Even though I was empowering so many people and speaking out about mental health, every time I talked about my experience in Tokyo – because it obviously didn’t go the way that I had planned – it stung a little bit. But all in all, it was the best decision.”

She came back near the end of 2022 and told writer Leah Faye Cooper that she got back to her routine reasonable quickly. Copper summarized:

“By January 2023, she was back to the training schedule she currently maintains four days a week: Up at 6:20 a.m. and out the door by 6:45 for 7 a.m. practice. Home at 10:30, then lunch. She tends to her three bulldogs – Lilo, Rambo, and Zeus – then naps for an hour to an hour and a half. Then back at the gym from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays are half days, Sunday is off.”

And she returned with her customary flair to the world stage against in October in Antwerp at the FIG Artistic Worlds, winning four golds – Team, All-Around, Beam and Floor – and a Vault silver:

“I felt like I was back in my element and it was exciting, but I was truly petrified. I had the training to back it up because we worked really hard, [but] I wasn’t as confident or as comfortable as I wanted to be.”

But she appreciated the success:

“It was kind of surprising. Just taking [the] risk of allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of a crowd competing again was a win for me.”

Much more in the story, including a series of ultra-stylish images by photographer Adrienne Raquel of Biles in spectacular designer couture.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Ice Hockey ● The U.S. and Canada continued undefeated at the IIHF women’s World U-18 Championship ongoing in Zug (SUI), both winning their quarterfinal matches handily.

Canada (4-0) shut down Switzerland by 6-0, getting two goals in the first, one in the second and three more in the third period, including two goals from forward Sienna D’Alessandro, including the opening score. The Canadians out-shot the Swiss by 54-3.

The American women, also undefeated at 4-0, blanked Germany (0-4), 4-0, with two first-period goals from forward Josie St. Martin and a 58-7 edge in shots. Forwards Haley Box and Margaret Scannell got single goals in the second and third periods.

In the semis, Canada will now face the Czech Republic (3-1), which defeated Sweden by 4-2 in its quarterfinal and the U.S. will play Finland (3-1), a 2-0 winner over Slovakia. Those matches will take place on Saturday, with the medal matches on Sunday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Doping ● The Spanish national anti-doping agency – known as CELAD – said Wednesday that the accusations against it for possible doping cover-ups and inconsistent procedures were wrong:

“All these news items are untrue and are merely interested and biased conjectures as a result of sensationalist interpretations that are far removed from the regulations in force and from the right of every athlete.”

The statement also noted that it was not aware of any inquiry from the World Anti-Doping Agency, despite WADA issuing a statement on 5 January that included:

“WADA can also confirm that for several months, as part of its compliance monitoring program, it has been aware of ongoing problems related to CELAD, including several issues to do with testing and results management.”

● Russia ● An extraordinary meeting of the World Taekwondo Council confirmed that Russian and Belarusian “neutrals” will be allowed to compete in the federation’s events:

“The Council unanimously approved the participation of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in World Taekwondo recognised competitions with immediate effect, as long as the athletes have already been declared eligible at World Taekwondo promoted competitions in line with IOC recommendations.

“World Taekwondo had previously not allowed AIN athletes to compete in World Taekwondo recognised competitions due to the complexity of the eligibility verification process which requires a very strict process and funding. However, the Council agreed that AIN who had already fulfilled the eligibility criteria to compete in promoted competitions should therefore be eligible to compete in recognised competitions as well.”

The existing approvals of Russian “neutrals” have been criticized, with a 27 December 2023 letter from 193 Ukrainian athletes accusing, among others, Tokyo Olympic +87 kg gold medalist Vladislav Larin of supporting the Russian war against Ukraine. The letter also included:

“Additionally, several other Russian athletes close to obtaining Olympic licenses have also openly supported the war against Ukraine. Among them are taekwondo athletes Maxim Khramtsov, Polina Khan, Kristina Adebayo, Georgy Gurtsev, Tatiana Minina …”

The International Olympic Committee has stated in its regulations for Russian and Belarusian “neutral” athletes for Paris 2024 that it will conduct its own verification of “neutral” status.

The World Taekwondo Council report also included, ironically:

“The Council approved the World Taekwondo Risk Management Policy and creation of a Global Integrity Unit tasked with conducting the risk assessment as well as building out an integrity framework across World Taekwondo’s Continental Unions for awareness building and monitoring and enforcement of integrity practices aligned with the IOC’s approach to integrity in sport.”

● NCAA ● Details of the NCAA Division I Council proposals for name-image-likeness programs are out, with four areas identified for revision: voluntary national registration for NIL service providers, disclosure to schools of all deals of $600 or more for research purposes, standardized agreements and comprehensive NIL education. In addition, there was some attempt to reduce direct recruiting inducements:

“The proposals would also clearly define an NIL entity for purposes of NCAA rules and expressly prohibit contact between NIL entities and prospects until the prospect signs a letter of intent, participates in summer activities or practices with the team, or enrolls at the school and attends classes.”

The new proposals also better define the nature of school support for its players:

● “Schools would not be permitted to directly compensate student-athletes for the use of their NIL but could identify potential NIL opportunities for student-athletes and even facilitate deals between student-athletes and third parties.”

● “However, student-athletes should be able to retain their own representation if they choose and must ultimately retain independent authority over any resulting terms in the NIL agreement.”

● “Further, any entity that is associated with or closely aligned with a school would be subject to the same rules as the school itself when it comes to NIL and may not directly compensate a student-athlete.”

The proposals, offered during the ongoing NCAA Convention in Phoenix, could be ratified as early as April. NCAA President Charlie Baker said in his address to the delegates that he would continue to seek legislation on NIL:

“To maximize these opportunities, it will be important for Congress to provide special status to student-athletes. That way, schools and conferences can engage in NIL and enhanced educational support without turning the student-athletes into something they are definitely not, which is employees.”

Baker also explained a new initiative with sports technology firm KAGR to help identify as many as 10 million college sports fans in the next year and increase their engagement:

“With their help, we’re going to build one of the largest college sports fans databases in the country – and possibly the largest women’s sports fan database in the world.

“We should be able to provide timely, useful, actionable information to college sports fans about the teams, conferences, championships and sports they’re interested in on a personalized basis.”

Additionally, the Division I Council proposed a measure to eliminate marijuana from testing at the NCAA Championships, and will treat it like alcoholic beverages, with a “harm-reduction strategy.”

A potentially important change in coaching support was proposed, to “Permit noncoaching, sport-specific staff members in sports other than football and men’s and women’s basketball to assist in drills and other limited activities during practices.”

These items will be voted on in June.

● Alpine Skiing ● Swiss star Marco Odermatt, the reigning World Cup overall champion, won the Downhill in front of home fans on Thursday in Wengen (SUI) for his sixth World Cup win of the season.

He finished in 1:43.32, beating France’s Cyprien Sarrazin (1:43.90) and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR: 1:44.13), with American Ryan Cochran-Siegle finishing seventh (1:44.55). Sarrazin had won the prior Downhill race at the end of 2023.

With a Super-G, another Downhill and a Slalom still to go in Wengen, Odermatt now leads the seasonal standings overall and is in front in the discipline standings for the Downhill, Super-G and Giant Slalom! He’s now won nine medals this season in 13 World Cup races.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit announced a provisional suspension of Kenyan marathoner Sarah Chepchirchir for testosterone. The winner of the 2017 Tokyo Marathon in a still-lifetime best of 2:19:47, she already served a four-year ban from February 2019 to February 2023 for doping. Now 39, if she is suspended again, her sanction could be for eight years.

● Football ● U.S. Soccer named defender Naomi Girma as its Female Player of the Year on Thursday, the first pure defender to win the award in its 39 years.

Still just 23, she won the award in her third season with the National Team. The announcement noted that she “started all 16 games she played, helping lead the U.S. defense to its lowest ever goals against average (0.17 goals allowed per game) in a calendar year (minimum 10 games played).”

● Shooting ● The International Shooting Sport Federation named Clement Bessaguet (FRA) and Doreen Vennekamp (GER) as its men’s and women’s shooters of the year.

Bessaguet, 32, won second straight silver in the 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol at the 2023 World Championships, won at the European Games, and took medals in four of the six ISSF World Cup events.

Vennekamp, 28, won the 25 m Pistol gold at the 2023 World Championships and equaled the world record with 40/40, in Baku (AZE). She also won the ISSF World Cup Final silver medal in the same event.

USA Shooting confirmed on Thursday that five athletes have – subject to acceptance by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee – won places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Ivan Roe was named for the men’s 10 m Air Rifle; Mary Tucker and Sagen Maddalena were named for the women’s Air Rifle and Lexi Lagan and Katelyn Abeln will compete in the women’s 10 m Air Pistol event. Tucker, Maddalena and Lagan will all be competing in their second Olympic Games.

● Swimming ● Veteran stars shined on the second day of the USA Swimming Tyr Pro Swim Series in Knoxville.

Freestyle superstar Katie Ledecky won her second event of the meet in the women’s 400 m Freestyle in 4:03.46, a time only seven others bettered in all of 2023, and ahead of Paige Madden, whose time of 4:05.66 was her fastest since 2021.

Breaststroke star Lilly King, the Rio 100 m winner, won that race in 1:05.67, a time only six others swam better than last year (including her). She beat Ireland’s Mona McSharry (1:06.23), the world no. 7 last season, Tokyo Olympic champ Lydia Jacoby (1:06.62) and Kate Douglass (1:06.67).

Douglass, the World 200 m Medley gold winner in 2023, took the women’s 100 m Free title in 53.12, comfortably ahead of fellow Americans Gretchen Walsh (53.64), Rio 2016 champ Simone Manuel (53.73), Torri Huske (53.82) and 2023 national runner-up Abbey Weitzeil (54.00).

Canadian star Summer McIntosh, still just 17, won the 200 m Butterfly easily in 2:05.73, an event in which she is the reigning World Champion.

The men’s 100 m Freestyle was another showcase for Worlds silver winner Jack Alexy, who had the fastest qualifying time (48,28) and won the final in 48.24, besting Brooks Curry (48.68) and Matt King (48.91).

Worlds silver winner Nic Fink won the men’s 100 m Breaststroke over sprint star Michael Andrew, 1:00.36 to 1:00.41 and Austrian Martin Espernberger took the 200 m Fly in 1:56.58 to 1:56.97 for American Trenton Julian. Fellow Austrian Felix Auboeck took the men’s 400 m Free in 3:46.78, with 1,500 m winner Bobby Finke of the U.S. fourth (3:52.06).

The meet continues through Saturday. A late scratch was Olympic star Caeleb Dressel, who noted on his Instagram account that the due date for his first child is too close and that he is remaining with wife Meghan.

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TSX REPORT: Paris 2024 names first torchbearers; Hidalgo to swim in the Seine; 2027 Pan Am Games hosting fee reportedly $20 million

Rich Perelman

January 11, 2024

tsx pix 2022-726 paris 24 opcer promo pic — The Paris 2024 concept for the Opening Ceremony on the Seine (Image: Paris 2024)

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Paris 2024 names torch-bearing teams and runners
2. Gomis resigns from Paris 2024 amid anti-Israel post
3. Hidalgo promises to swim in the Seine!
4. Paris-area hoteliers worried, public-sector staff wants bonuses
5. Story states Pan Am Games hosting fee was $20 million

● The themes, teams and captains for the Olympic Torch Relay in Paris were revealed, with 69 teams of 24 scheduled to run during the procession across France and its overseas departments from 8 May to 26 July, the day of the opening ceremony. A separate relay will be held for the Paralympic Games from 25-28 August.

● Emelie Gomis, the French women’s basketball Olympic silver medalist from 2012, resigned from the Paris 2024 board and as a paid ambassador for the Terre des Jeux program in view of her anti-Israel post on Instagram on 9 October, two days after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel.

● Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo promised to swim in the Seine River prior to the Paris 2024 opening as a demonstration of the completion of the long-promised cleaning of the river, closed by law to swimmers since 1923! Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said there is no back-up plan for the opening, only the Seine.

● The Ile-de-France regional association of hotels and restaurants asked public officials – including Hidalgo – to stop being so publicly negative about the preparations for the Games. At the same time, public-sector employees are asking governments for Games-period bonuses to keep from striking.

● A story from a Colombian journalist stated that the host fee for the 2027 Pan American Games was $20 million and that the Colombian government’s failure to pay an agreed-to $4 million segment of the fee due by the end of 2023 was a key factor in the Games being taken away from Barranquilla.

● World Championship: Ice Hockey (Canada and U.S. undefeated in women’s World U-18 Champs pool play) ●

● Panorama: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (101-member Winter Youth Olympic Games team named) = U.S. Center for SafeSport (quadrennial athlete survey now underway) = NCAA (Division I Council passes new NIL policies) = Curling (Russian and Belarusian ban extebded) = Fencing (Ex-Russians Bida and Lokhanov asking for U.S. citizenship) = Football (Argentina and Brazil both fined over World Cup qualifier melee) = Swimming (Ledecky and Finke win 1,500s at Tyr Pro Swim Series Knoxville) ●

1.
Paris 2024 names torch-bearing teams and runners

The Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay will be uniquely organized, with teams of 24 individuals running in 69 segments and the captains of each team the designated torchbearer. Those teams and their captains were announced on Wednesday, with 69 teams named, with captains and the dates on which they will carry the flame.

The first team will represent “Disability Sport” on 10 May, captained by Antoine Avati, a Paralympic athlete, to underline the importance of the hosting of the first Paralympic Games to take place in France. France previously hosted the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games in Tignes-Albertville.

Teams representing all of the Olympic sports will be included in the Olympic Torch Relay, with another relay to be organized prior to the opening of the Paralympic Games. There will be 1-2 teams running each of the route, over eight-minute legs. Each is designed to be a showcase for the featured federation, for example with 24 skateboarders participating in their relay legs.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay will have 10,000 total torchbearers – mostly individuals – from 8 May to 26 July, the day of the opening on the Seine River.

The relay captains include athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers, some of whom are well known and some not. World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland will lead the rowing-themed relay segment on 21 July. Beijing 2008 BMX cycling winner Anne-Caroline Chausson, now 46, will lead the cycling segment on 19 June; five-time World Champion swimmer Camille Lacourt will carry on 19 July, and Rio 2016 women’s RS:X sailing gold medalist Charlene Picon will captain the sailing-themed team on 4 June.

The Paralympic Torch Relay will have 1,000 total torchbearers and run from 25-28 August.

2.
Gomis resigns from Paris 2024 amid anti-Israel post

The French newspaper La Provence reported Wednesday that London 2012 women’s basketball silver medalist Emilie Gomis (FRA) has resigned from her position as a member of the Paris 2024 board of directors and from her paid post as an ambassador of the Terre des Jeux program for the organizing committee.

Gomis posted an Instagram message two days after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October showing a map of France in 1947, 1967 and 2023 being covered by the Israeli flag and asking “What would you do in this situation?” This was prior to the Israeli response and was noted as clearly anti-Israel.

The Paris 2024 ethics committee reviewed the case and the organizing committee board noted Wednesday that it “considered that this publication contravened its duty of neutrality and no longer allowed it to be able to calmly carry out its missions with Paris-2024.

“Emilie Gomis, in a shared concern for appeasement and responsibility, wished to present her resignation from her mandate as member of the Board of Directors and ambassador of the Terre de Jeux 2024 label to Paris 2024 which takes note of this.”

An organizing committee statement cited by La Provence also added:

“The members of the Board of Directors and the General Assembly were thus able to note that Emilie Gomis condemned the attacks of October 7 in Israel, all forms of anti-Semitism or discrimination, contrary to her values. Emilie Gomis also shared his regrets regarding its publication and apologized.”

Gomis, 40, had already been dismissed from the Athletes Commission of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) over the same incident.

3.
Hidalgo promises to swim in the Seine!

Then-Paris mayor Jacques Chirac promised in 1990 that the Seine River, in which swimming had been banned since 1923, would be cleaned by 1993. But he did not keep that promise, even after becoming French President from 1996-2007.

Current Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has made the renovation of the Seine a signature priority ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, made the same promise on Wednesday, with the river-cleaning project nearing completion.

“We will swim in the Seine,” she said at the Paris City Hall, stating that prior to the opening of the Games on 26 July, “a big collective swim in the Seine” will be arranged.

“Everyone said it was impossible; we did it,” said Hidalgo, who has presided over a €1.6 billion project to clean up the Seine and its main tributary, the Marne, open for public swimming, at least at specific sites. Three sites for public use are envisioned to be opened after the Games period. (€1 = $1.10 U.S.)

During the Games, the Seine will host the open-water swimming competitions and the triathlons.

As for the opening ceremony, to be held on the Seine on 26 July, Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said in a radio interview:

“Today, with the artistic director for the ceremony, Thomas Jolly, we are working on an opening ceremony on the Seine. Our teams are not working on any other location.”

French President Emmanuel Macron had said in an interview that the ceremony could be moved in case of a security emergency.

4.
Paris-area hoteliers worried, public-sector staff wants bonuses

The worrying season prior to the Olympic Games has descended on Paris. The Ile-de-France Hotel and Restaurant Group (GHR) sent an open letter to all levels of governments – national, regional and local – asking to tone down their negative commentaries – “anxious communications” – about the Games.

Wrote GHR President Pascal Mousset:

“Why order Ile-de-France residents to remain teleworking during the Olympics? On the one hand, our workers cannot do it (as well as many others), and on the other hand, we do not wish to relive a situation which would be similar to that of confinements.

“Why acknowledge that transport will be a problem during the Olympics? A defeatist speech will not win us. Don’t we still have time to imagine alternatives and concrete solutions?

“In general, we would very much like all the authorities that you represent to hold, jointly and severally, a positive and responsible discourse. We cannot be helpless victims of dissonant and negative discourse.”

Mousset refers to multiple comments from government officials, including Paris Mayor Hidalgo and Prefect of Police Laurent Nunez, about conditions in Paris this summer, all expressing concern over security and transport, as well as Macron’s worries over the opening on the Seine.

At the same time, Agence France Presse reported that public-sector unions are pushing for extra pay during the Games:

“Tense negotiations between the government and police trade unions over Olympics bonuses are underway, with one union holding a first protest on Wednesday to demand a one-off payment of 1,500 euros per officer.

“Health workers, railway staff and other public sector staff from street cleaners to metro drivers are all formulating bonus pay demands, with Macron’s centrist government desperate to avoid strikes or disruption during the global showpiece.”

Observed: As veterans of Olympic and other major-event organizing committees know, nothing is easy. But the hoteliers and restauranteurs are also right: these things need to get worked out and the show must go on.

5.
Story states Pan Am Games hosting fee was $20 million

According to a story by Colombian journalist Jairo Giraldo Jimenez that appeared on the AIPS Web site Wednesday, the hosting fee for the 2027 Pan American Games agreed to by Colombia – with the event to take place in Barranquilla – was $20 million U.S.:

“Once the Atlantico capital was designated as the host of the grand event in 2021 and received the flag in 2023 in Santiago, Chile, the commitment of the national government was to pay a total of eight million dollars to Panam Sports, divided into two instalments of four million each.

“The agreed terms were as follows:

“● $2 million (already paid) from the Pumarejo [Barranquilla] City Hall.
“● $4 million by December 31, 2023, from the Ministry of Sports.
“● $4 million by January 31, 2024, from the Ministry of Sports.
“● $4 million for the year 2025.
“● $4 million for the year 2026.
“● $2 million for the year 2027.”

The $4 million payment due by 31 December 2023 was not paid and triggered the removal of the Games from Barranquilla. As noted in Wednesday’s post, a letter from Panam Sports has asked for National Olympic Committees with interest in the event to signal their interest by 30 January 2024.

Inquiries are being made by the Colombian Congress about the failure to make the payments, with the current Sports Minister, Astrid Rodriguez, being questioned; she took over the post in March of 2023. Another complication was the concern of Colombian President Gustavo Petro about the costs of the event, and a suggestion that the 2027 Pan Ams could be spread to venues also in the Caribbean.

The story noted interest from Paraguay, Brazil and Mexico for the 2027 Pan Ams, but also noted “that Chile and the United States are also expressing interest.” The U.S. reference is odd (and likely incorrect) with the 2028 Olympic Games coming to Los Angeles, but there are certainly American cities for which the Pan Ams would make sense at a future time. The U.S. has not hosted a Pan Ams since Indianapolis in 1987.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Ice Hockey ● Two-time defending champ Canada and the U.S. – eight-time champions – finished undefeated in pool play at the IIHF women’s World U-18 Championship ongoing in Zug (SUI).

Both teams were 3-0, with the Canadians outscoring their opponents by 29-1 and the Americans by 19-2. In the quarterfinals, Canada will play the Swiss (0-3) and the U.S. will face Germany (0-3). Third-seed Sweden (2-1) will play the Czech Republic (1-2), and fourth-seed Finland (2-1) will match up with Slovakia (1-2).

The semifinals will be re-seeded and be played on Saturday (13th) with the medal matches on Sunday (14th). The U.S. and Canada have faced off against each other in the final of this tournament 13 times previously.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC unveiled a 101-athlete team for the upcoming Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon (KOR) beginning on 19 January:

“USA’s delegation will include 101 total athletes representing ten National Governing Bodies and ranging in age from 13 to 18. Team USA will compete in alpine skiing, cross country skiing, freeski, freestyle dual moguls, snowboard, ski jumping, nordic combined, ice hockey, biathlon, bobsled, skeleton, curling, luge and speedskating over 13 total days of competition.”

This is the largest-ever U.S. delegation to the Winter YOG, having sent 95 in 2020, 62 in 2016 and 63 at the inaugural edition in 2012.

● U.S. Center for SafeSport ● The 2024 edition of the SafeSport Athlete Culture and Climate Survey is underway, with participants asked to relate abusive experiences or other misconduct.

The survey is being operated through 9 February by a third party, Pacific Research and Evaluation, to ensure complete anonymity for respondents, with the results due in May or June. The first survey of this type was done in 2020 and attracted almost 4,000 responses.

● NCAA ● The Associated Press reported that the NCAA Division I Council approved new policies concerning name-image-likeness programs:

“The policy calls for creation of a database of deals that could be accessed by athletes and schools, a registry of companies that want to work with athletes and recommendations for standardized components of a NIL contract.”

Further details are forthcoming; the action took place during the ongoing NCAA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

● Curling ● The World Curling Federation board extended the suspension of Russia and Belarus, through the end of the 2023-24 season:

“Both Member Associations had previously been excluded from participating in World Curling events until 31 December 2023. This has now been extended following ongoing concerns that their involvement would damage the integrity of the events due to the conflict in Ukraine.”

● Fencing ● USA Today reported that former Russian fencers Sergey and Violetta Bida – husband and wife – and Konstantin Lokhanov are pursuing U.S. citizenship, with a view to possible qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games.

The story said that USA Fencing and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee are supporting the request for fast-tracked citizenship. Sergey Bida, 30, was a Tokyo Olympian for Russia and won a Team silver medal in Epee and was the 2019 Worlds silver medalist in Epee. His wife, Violetta, also left Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and came to the U.S.; she is now pregnant.

Lokhanov, 25, stands 6-7 and was 24th in Tokyo in the men’s Sabre and was a member of the seventh-place Russian team entry.

Neither is guaranteed a place on the U.S. team if they do get citizenship. Both of the Bidas have had criminal charges filed against them in Russia for leaving the country as they were members of military reserve units.

● Football ● The 22 November violence at Brazil’s Maracana Stadium in Rio in the FIFA World Cup qualifier with Argentina has resulted in fines for both national federations. FIFA fined Brazil CHF 50,000 (CHF 1 = $1.18 U.S. today) and Argentina was fined CHF 20,000, both for “Order and security at matches.”

Those were the only fines those federations received. Argentina was also fined CHF 100,000 for team misconduct (delayed kick-off), discriminatory behavior by supporters and an invasion of the field of play for matches against Ecuador on 7 September and Uruguay on 16 November. Half of the fine must go to “a plan against discrimination” with the other half suspended for six months and one home match will be held with 50% of available seats.

Brazil was also fined CHF 5,000 for team misconduct (delayed kick-off) and security issues for an 8 September 2023 match against Bolivia, and CHF 15,000 for team misconduct in a game against Uruguay on 17 October 2023.

● Swimming ● The USA Swimming Tyr Pro Swim Series opened in Knoxville on Wednesday night, with the 1,500 m races. Superstar Katie Ledecky won the women’s race by more than 52 seconds in 15:38.81, the no. 17 performance all-time … of which she has all 17! Ashley Wall was second overall in 16:31.13 as the winner of the third section.

Tokyo Olympic champ Bobby Finke took the men’s 1,500 in 15:04.43, more than 10 seconds up on Austria’s Felix Auboeck (15:14.70), the 2021 World Short-Course 400 m Free gold medalist.

The meet has loads of big names, including Tokyo superstars Caeleb Dressel and Ledecky, using the meet as a check on their training progress heading toward the Olympic Trials in June, with competition continuing through Saturday.

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TSX REPORT: Panam Sports asks for new 2027 Pan Am Games hosts; 193 Ukrainian athletes sign petition to keep Russian war promoters out!

Rich Perelman

January 10, 2024

Ceremonia de clausura Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 / Closing ceremony Santiago 2023 Pan American Games — Colorful closing of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Andres Pina/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport).

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Panam Sports asks for Pan Am Games hosts for 2027 by 31 January
2. 193 Ukrainian athletes ask for exclusion of Russian war supporters
3. Russian Olympic Committee appeal vs. IOC coming on 26 January
4. USATF clarifies marathon Olympic selection rules
5. France Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City 2034 already talking

● Panam Sports wasted no time asking for new hosts for the 2027 Pan American Games after removing the event from Colombia last week, asking the other National Olympic Committees in the hemisphere to signal their interest by 30 January. Paraguay appears to be a sure bidder, with possible interest from Brazil and Mexico.

● A letter signed by 193 Ukrainian athletes asks the governments of France and Paris, along with the Paris 2024 organizers, not to allow specific Russian athletes who have supported Russia’s war against Ukraine to participate in this summer’s Olympic Games. Photographs of three athletes at pro-war events were included.

● The Russian Olympic Committee appeal against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 26 January. The suspension was directly linked to activities connected with the Russian invasion of eastern and southern Ukraine.

● USA Track & Field issued a more detailed selection procedure for the men’s and women’s marathon, with the Trials coming up on 3 February in Orlando. In the new document, issued on 27 December, the federation is freed from having to pick the top three finishers or one or more are not “qualified” on time or ranking.

● The French Alps and Salt Lake City bids were selected for “Targeted Dialogue” with the IOC in late November, an important step in becoming Olympic Winter Games hosts. Just six weeks later, a delegation from one of the French regions involved is visiting the Utah Olympic Park to exchange ideas and possible cooperation.

● Panorama: World Anti-Doping Agency (Gabon now complaint with World Anti-Doping Code) = Curling (World Curling now managing governance of Floor Curling) = Football (Brazilian judge restores elected CBF officials) = Swimming (USA Swimming memberships down in 2023, returning in 2024) = Triathlon (29 won $100,000+ in prize money in 2023) ●

1.
Panam Sports asks for Pan Am Games hosts for 2027
by 31 January

Moving on from removing the 2027 Pan American Games from Barranquilla, Colombia last week, Panam Sports President Neven Ilic (CRC) sent a letter last Friday to the other 40 National Olympic Committees in the Americas, asking for expressions of interest to host the 2027 Pan Ams:

“Panam Sports would like to know if your country is interested in hosting the XX Pan American Games in 2027. If you country wishes to host them, you must notify us in writing before January 31, 2024.”

The required documentation to be formally considered includes:

● Letter of intent from the National Olympic Committee.
● Letter of intent from the applying city.
● Letter of intent from the regional government (state or province).

In each case, a promise to respect the Panam Sports rules and an eventual host contract is required. Then there is the most important guarantee:

“A Letter signed by the highest governmental authority of the country in which the Applicant City is located in which the Government guarantees the financing of all costs related to the project of the XX Pan American Games 2027, together with respecting the Panam Sports Constitution, the Regulations of the Pan American Games and any agreements entered into by Panam Sports with the Applicant City and/or the Organizing Committee including, without limitation, the Host City Contract.”

A guarantee of access for athletes, officials and media to the country for purposes of attending the Pan Ams is also required.

While the Colombian government wants to get the Games back, a bid is expected from Paraguay, likely for the national capital of Asuncion. Mexico is also a possible destination, possibly for Guadalajara, which hosted the Pan Ams in 2011. A bid for Brazil for Sao Paulo to be the 2031 host could be moved up to 2027.

2.
193 Ukrainian athletes ask for exclusion of Russian war supporters

A letter was sent Tuesday by a group of 193 Ukrainian athletes to French President Emmanuel Macron, Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and to Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet, asking that specific Russian athletes not be allowed to compete at this summer’s Olympic Games because of war-supporting activities.

This is a new strategy, focusing on the International Olympic Committee’s regulations that Russian or Belarusian athletes who have supported Russian’s ongoing war against Ukraine not be allowed to compete in Paris. The letter specifically calls out three athletes with photographs at rallies:

● Vladislav Larin (taekwondo), Tokyo Olympic men’s +80 kg gold medalist
● Zaurbek Sidakov (wrestling), Tokyo Olympic men’s 74 kg Freestyle gold medalist
● Zair Uguev (wrestling), Tokyo Olympic men’s 57 kg Freestyle gold medalist

It also accuses nine others who “are close to obtaining Olympic licenses,” including Tokyo Taekwondo men’s 80 kg champ Maksim Khramtsov and Freestyle Wrestling men’s 97 kg winner Abdulrashid Sadulaev of complicity with the Russian war effort against Ukraine:

“We insist on not allowing these athletes and cancelling the licenses in these sports. An athlete who promotes war, an athlete who supports the actions of an aggressor country, should not have the right to compete for licenses at the Olympic Games.

“With this letter, we appeal to you to continue your support and advocate for the prohibition of participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in competitions for licenses at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Such a ban can only strengthen and promote the worthy goals of peace and equality embodied by the Olympic movement and sport in general, and prevent the XXXIII Olympic Games from becoming a propaganda event of the Russian regime. …

“As long as Russian forces bombard Ukraine, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and as long as Russian soldiers remain on Ukrainian soil, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not participate in sporting competitions.”

The message is signed by 193 Ukrainian athletes, including Olympic medalists such as Oleg Verniaiev (gymnastics) and Zhan Beleniuk (wrestling), and 2023 World Athletics women’s high jump winner Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

Observed: This is a clever new direction, alleging war support among athletes either qualified for Paris 2024 and close to it, in judo, taekwondo and wrestling. The IOC has said that it will conduct its own review of athletes from Russian and Belarus who are qualified by their respective International Federation before allowing their participation in Paris.

Having lost the battle with the IOC to exclude all Russians, the Ukrainian signatories are asking the French to keep them out, although Macron and Estanguet have emphasized that the question of participation is up to the IOC.

3.
Russian Olympic Committee appeal vs. IOC coming on 26 January

The appeal by the Russian Olympic Committee against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 26 January.

The suspension, on 12 October 2023, was in response to the Russian takeover of sports organizations that had been part of the Ukraine sports governance system prior to the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Per the IOC’s announcement:

“The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

Being on suspension means that the Russian Olympic Committee receives no IOC funding and will be bypassed in any and all communications with Russian athletes who might be qualified to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The ROC filed the appeal n 6 November.

4.
USATF clarifies marathon Olympic selection rules

A 27 December 2023 revision of the USA Track & Field selection procedures for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team has clarified who can make the team based on the outcome of the 3 February Olympic Marathon Trials.

The key to all of this is the qualifying approach of World Athletics. It has required qualification via difficult entry standards of 2:08:10 for men and 2:26:50 for women since November 2022, or via its “Road to Paris” quota place system, with the top 65 individuals (limited to three per country) considered qualified as of their standing on 30 January 2024. Further, an “unqualified” athlete may replace a “qualified” athlete if the replacement athlete has run 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women) in the qualifying window.

Got all that?

With 20 days to go to 30 January, the U.S. has three women’s qualifying spots already reserved on time, with 13 women bettering the 2:26:50 standard. Moreover, 19 American women ran faster than 2:29:30 (so far), allowing them to allow be eligible to compete in Paris.

The men’s situation is tighter, as only two have met the 2:08:10 qualifying standard – Conner Mantz at 2:07.47 and Clayton Young at 2:08:00 – both at the Chicago Marathon. There are 14 more who have run 2:11:30 or better in 2023, and it is possible that a third quota spot would be granted to the U.S. based on the World Athletics World Rankings. Of course, a third spot could come from a U.S. man running 2:08:10 or faster at the Trials race or before.

The prior selection procedure document stated:

“The top three (3) place finishers for both the men and the women at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials – Men’s and Women’s Marathon, February 3, 2024 (the ‘Selection Event’) will select themselves via head-to-head competition for positions on the 2024 Olympic Games Team for the 2024 Olympic Games, provided they are each a Qualified Athlete at the conclusion of the Selection Event.”

Now, the procedure reads differently (strikeouts and emphasis added):

“The top ~~three (3)~~ place finishers for both the men and the women at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials – Men’s and Women’s Marathon, February 3, 2024 (the ‘Selection Event’) will select themselves via head-to-head competition for each of the available U.S. quota positions on the 2024 Olympic Games Team for the 2024 Olympic Games, provided they athletes are each a Qualified Athlete (as defined above) or have achieved at least 2:29:30 (women)/2:11:30 (men) performance during the qualification period, as of at the conclusion of the Selection Event.”

Essentially, this frees USATF from the problem of committing to the top three placers at the Marathon Trials if one or more are not qualified, meaning they have not run 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women).

This is specifically noted in a following section, which previously stated:

“[I]f an athlete declines to participate on the Team or is not a Qualified Athlete at the conclusion of the Selection Event, USATF will offer that position to the next highest placing Qualified Athlete finishing in the Selection Event.”

With some technical changes, that process remains in place. A new section was added that restated what will happen in case the Trials can’t be held or is ended before its conclusion, now stating:

“USATF will select athletes who are either Qualified Athletes or have achieved at least 2:29:30 (women)/2:11:30 (men) performance during the Qualification Period.”

The new regulations further offer an opportunity for selection beyond the 30 January “Road to Paris” quota place system, now allowing “Any athlete ranked higher than the 81st athlete on the filtered Quota Place Road to Paris rank list on May 5, 2024 will be considered qualified.”

These changes are good in that they provide added clarity to the selection rules well in advance of the 3 February trials race in Orlando, Florida.

5.
France Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City 2034 already talking

The French Alps bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games and the Salt Lake City-Utah bid for the 2034 Winter Games were selected for “targeted dialogue” by the International Olympic Committee in late November, with a view to confirming their selections as hosts this summer.

About six weeks later, Salt Lake City will welcome a delegation from one of the two regions in the French bid – Provence Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA) – for a tour of the Utah Olympic Park on Thursday.

A legacy of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the park hosted bobsled, luge and skeleton and the ski jumping competitions (including in the Nordic Combined). An announcement of the tour explained:

“The visit – part of a larger tour of Utah organized through the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity – is aimed to exchange ideas and dialogue on ongoing Olympic and Paralympic legacy efforts, future Games hosting visions, and overall partnership opportunities between Utah and the French region.”

The French bid also includes the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes (AURA) region.

Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur Region President Renaud Muselier will lead the visitors and will meet with – among others – Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games Fraser Bullock, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation President Colin Hilton and Park City Mayor Nann Worel.

It’s a good start on how the two probable organizing committees can help each other; the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 organizing committees have also held mutual-aid discussions.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● Gabon completed the integration of the World Anti-Doping Code into its national legal framework and has been reclassified as compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

This means that the only non-compliant signatories to the Code as North Korea, Russia, the Olympic Council of Asia and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation. Nigeria and Venezuela are contesting WADA claims of non-compliance at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

● Curling ● Interesting and potentially impactful cooperation between World Curling and Rock Solid Productions, a Toronto, Canada company which has created surfaces and equipment to create curling competitions without ice.

“Floor Curling” and “Street Curling” are both captivating possibilities for a much more widespread interest in the sport and Rock Solid is now officially tied in with World Curling as a development partner.

World Curling has standardized rules for Floor Curling and will manage the governance of the discipline. World Curling Federation President Beau Welling (USA) explained:

“We’ve seen substantial membership growth over the last number of years but many of our younger members don’t have access to ice to practice. Floor curling has a track record of successfully introducing curling to the masses and this new partnership will allow us to take it one step further by introducing tournaments to the off-ice discipline.”

● Football ● A 4 January ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court justice restored Ednaldo Rodrigues as the head of the Brazilian football confederation (CBF), ending (for now) a possible clash with FIFA over government interference.

A lower court had ruled in December that a CBF election in 2022 was improperly held and removed Rodrigues and other electees, triggering concerns over governmental interference into sport, which has now been averted. The Brazilian Supreme Court will consider the ruling in full soon.

● Swimming ● USA Swimming reported a 3.9% decline in membership in 2022-23, but appears to be rebounding already in 2023-24.

SwimSwam.com reported that after the pandemic caused membership to drop considerably in 2020-21, total memberships rocketed back up (the federation’s membership years runs from 1 September to 31 August):

● 2019-20: 363,075
● 2020-21: 328,312
● 2021-22: 392,813
● 2022-23: 377,585

USA Swimming said that memberships for 2023-24 have already reached 297,000, on pace to easily surpass last year’s total.

● Triathlon ● Trirating.com provided a detailed examination of prize money won in the sport in 2023, with most of it coming from Ironman and Pro Triathlon Organization (PTO) races, but also from the World Triathlon Championship Series. The top earners:

1. $335,788: Anne Haug (GER)
2. $325,775: Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
3. $323,821: Ashleigh Gentile (AUS)
4. $281,700: Taylor Knibb (USA)
5. $246,760: Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)

A total of 29 athletes earned $100,000 or more in 2023, vs. 33 in 2022. In total, 818 athletes won prize money in 2023, vs. 762 in 2022.

Total prize money rebounded in 2022 after Covid-impacted years in 2020 and 2021, to $15.011 million, but was significantly down to $12.493 million in 2023. About a third came from Ironman and 70.3-branded races and 30% from PTO events. World Triathlon Championship Series races accounted for 14.7%.

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