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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, said Friday he is not optimistic about Russian athlete competing at the 2026 Winter Games:
“It’s quite a difficult question. If we look retrospectively at the number of international federations that allow Russians to compete, it’s not high, to be honest.
“Therefore, the prospects are difficult, there are many more of them in relation to the 2028 Games. In 2022, I couldn’t even imagine that Russian athletes would be banned from participating in any status, anything is possible.”
Russia had 15 athletes competing as “neutrals” at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Asked about the possibility of sanctions being lifted, Pozdnyakov said:
“Of course, there are prospects, I have spoken about this many times, unfortunately, the IOC today is not a completely independent organization, and this issue depends entirely on the global agenda.
“Our task is to prepare the Olympic reserve, which will represent Russia at the next major competitions. As for our relations with the IOC, we have not interrupted them, we have informal, but constant contact. We are looking for those opportunities that we can use to restore the ROC.”
● International Olympic Committee ● The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), whose President, Mustapha Berraf (ALG), had proposed that Thomas Bach (GER) have his term as IOC President extended, now is asking for a new honor. At Thursday’s ANOCA Executive Committee meeting:
“Acknowledging Dr Thomas Bach’s leadership of the Olympic Movement over the past 12 years and his unmatched skills to sail the Olympic ship amid heavy storms and challenges in all areas including political, health and economic into safe harbour, President Mustapha Berraf proposed that the IOC President be made ‘Honorary IOC President for Life.’
“This proposal was warmly welcomed by EXCO members, who requested their colleagues, IOC members in Africa, to push this forward on behalf of the African Olympic and Sports Movement, considering the tireless efforts he has constantly made in the supreme interest of athletes, their coaches and entourage. It was unanimously agreed that the exceptional management of this iconic leader and his legendary foresight in rising to the challenges occasioned by the persistent inexplicable conflicts that have been rocking the entire planet, as well as his exemplary merit and astuteness must be revealed to the Youth of the World. The entire African continent will thus be eternally grateful to him.”
Such status can only be made by the IOC Session, which will next meet in Greece in March to elect the next IOC President.
● India ● A concerted push is coming in sports, as India bids to host the 2036 Olympic Games. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister said at a conference on Thursday:
“[W]e must create world-class sportspersons.
“To develop such talent, we initiated Khelo India. With the help of Khelo India, young sportspersons should get the opportunities to play. We will have to identify sports talent and provide them with the necessary facilities. These talented individuals, in the coming days, will become athletes like [Paris men’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions bronze medalist] Swapnil Kusale.
“We undertook a project named KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification), through which more than one lakh [100,000] talented sportspersons have been identified. From this pool, further talented individuals were selected and provided with special assistance under Targeted Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).”
He noted, “We aim to host the 2036 Olympics in India and we plan to be in the top 10 in the medals tally.” India won six medals at Paris 2024.
● Archery ● Five-time Olympic medal winner Brady Ellison of the U.S. won his third World Field Championship at Lac La Biche (CAN), defeating Ryan Tyack (AUS) in the final by 60-52.
Matt Nofel of the U.S. won the bronze with a 5-4 shoot-out win over Patrick Huston (GBR) after a 53-53 tie. Ellison previously won in 2014 and 2016 and won the 2018 World Fields bronze, in one of his favorite tournaments.
Italy’s Roberta di Francesco won the women’s gold with a 57-47 win over Gaby Schoesser (NED), and teammate (and defending champion) Chiara Rebagliati took the bronze, 58-57, over German Elisa Tartler.
In the Recurve team finals, Slovenia defeated Italy to win the men’s gold, 61-58, and Italy won a shoot-off with the U.S. (Alex Zuleta-Visser, Paige Pierce and Fawn Girard) to take the women’s title, 14-11 after a 53-53 tie.
Italy also won the Recurve Mixed Team event, 76-67, over Australia.
● Athletics ● At the USATF 10 km Championships, incorporated into the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York, Biya Simbassa won his second title in 28:18, six seconds ahead of Hillary Bor (28:24), who won the USATF road titles earlier this season at 10 miles and 20 km.
The two were well in front by midway and fueled until the last mile, with Simbassa finally pulling away. Sam Chelanga was third in 24:34.
Jessica McClain won the women’s national title in 31:40, pulling away in the second half of the race. Natosha Rogers (32:00) passed Emma Grace Hurley (32:05) with about 3 km left for second.
● Badminton ● Host China won four of five titles at the 2024 China Open, a BWF World Tour 1000 event, in Changzhou (CHN). Hong Yang Weng won the men’s Singles over Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, 21-17, 21-12 and Zhi Yi Wang took the women’s Singles, 21-17, 21-15, against Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki.
China’s Yi Jing Li and Xu Min Luo won the women’s Doubles and Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang took the Mixed Doubles. Malaysia’s Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzuddin won the men’s Doubles.
● Canoe-Kayak ● The fifth and final leg of the ICF Slalom World Cup was in La Seu (ESP), with Olympic champion Jessica Fox (AUS) taking the women’s C-1 in 104.30 seconds (0 penalties) for her third win of the season and for the seasonal title.
She was followed by Gabriela Satkova (CZE: 104.41) and Olympic bronze winner Kimberley Woods (GBR: 106.38/0). In the K-1 final, Spain’s Rio 2016 gold medalist Maialen Chourraut won in 100.30 (2), ahead of 2019 World Champion Eva Tercelj (SLO: 102.67/2) and American Evy Leibfarth (102.69/0), the Olympic C-1 bronze medalist.
Tokyo C-1 runner-up Mallory Franklin (GBR) won the Kayak Cross race, ahead of Woods.
The men’s C-1 win went to Spain’s Miquel Trave (93.51/2) over Britain’s Ryan Westley (94.16/0), while Tokyo winner Jiri Prskavec (CZE) took the K-1 in 87,47 (0), ahead of Mathieu Desnos (BRA: 88.80/0).
Tokyo men’s Kayak Cross runner-up Joseph Clarke (GBR) took the Kayak Cross win over Spain’s David Llorente.
● Cycling ● The Olympic champions ruled at the first day of the UCI World Road Championships, centered in Zurich (SUI).
In the men’s 46.1 km Time Trial, defending champion – and Olympic champ – Remco Evenepoel (BEL) was the last to start, but got on top right away, already six seconds ahead at the first checkpoint and winning in 53:01.98, ahead of Italy’s two-time World Champion Filippo Ganna (53:08.41), who finished second for the second straight year. Fellow Italian Edoardo Affini was third in 53:56.42; Brandon McNulty was the top American in 10th (+1:58.03).
In the women’s 29.9 km Individual Time Trial, Australia’s Grace Brown – the Paris winner, who has said she will retire at the end of the season – was also the last to start and had the edge over Demi Vollering (NED) at the first checkpoint. But Brown fell behind Vollering at the second split, then poured it on to the finish to win in 39:16.04, ahead of Vollering (39:32.83) and America’s defending champ Chloe Dygert – also the bronze winner in Paris – in 40:12.46.
Brown had been second in 2022 and 2023, but left no doubt this time. Dygert won her third Worlds Time Trial medal, after wins in 2019 and 2023.
● Football ● North Korea won its third FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, 1-0, over Japan, at Bogota (COL), in a defensive-minded match.
Striker Il-Son Choe, 17, who scored the only goal in the 1-0 semifinal win over the U.S., scored here in the 15th minute to give North Korea a 1-0 lead, and that was enough. The Koreans, winners of this tournament in 2006 and 2016, managed only nine shots in the game, with Japan getting only five. Choe won the Golden Boot award, with six goals in the tournament.
It’s the second Women’s U-20 silver in a row for Japan, after winning in 2018, and a medal in their fourth consecutive Women’s U-20.
The U.S. women’s squad won the bronze-medal match against the Netherlands, 2-1, on more late heroics in extra time.
The Americans went up 1-0 in the 10th minute on a score from midfielder Ally Sentnor for her third goal of the tournament, on a hard shot from beyond the 18-yard line. But the Dutch tied it in the 26th, as midfielder Robine Lacroix was set up by striker Fleur Stoit on a through-ball for the easy finish from 10 yards out.
But the Dutch did not produce much offense from there and although the U.S. continued to press, the game ended 1-1 after 90 and went to extra time. In the 119th, Sentnor was on the prowl again and her shot was deflected in front of the Netherlands’ goal and rolled to forward Maddie Dahlien on the left side, who sent a cross back toward the middle of the penalty area. The pass hit defender Nayomi Buikema and rolled into the net for an own goal and the bronze medal for the U.S.
The Americans finished with a 26-11 shots advantage and won their first medal in this tournament since 2012.
¶
Following the great success of the UEFA Euro 2024 men’s tournament, which drew a sensational 2.68 million spectators to 10 venues, the German football federation announced Friday that it would seek the 2029 UEFA Women’s Euro for the third time, previously in 1989 and 2001.
AFP reported that Portugal, Denmark and Sweden are also interested, with the host to be announced in December 2025.
● Skateboarding ● At the World Skate Games in Rome (ITA), the Park finals were held on Sunday, with Brazil’s Raicca Ventura winning her first Worlds medal – a gold – scoring 93.73 on her second run. It was Brazil’s first-ever women’s Worlds medal in Park.
That was good enough to win over Japan’s 2023 runner-up Hinano Kusaki (91.44 on her third run) and Spain’s Naia laso (90.14 on her third run). Japan has won at least one medal in all seven Park World Champs now.
The men’s final was a Brazilian 1-2 for Paris bronzer and 2022 Worlds silver winner Augusto Akio (93.53 on his third run) and 2018 World Champion Pedro Barros (90.72 on his third run). Denmark’s Viktor Solmunde was third with his first-round 90.58, Denmark’s first Worlds Park medal.
Barros has now won five medals (1-3-1) across the first seven Park men’s finals.
● Sport Climbing ● American Natalia Grossman won her 11trh career IFSC World Cup Bouldering gold, in Prague (CZE). She finished at 3T4Z ~ 17/18 as a clear winner over Naile Meignan (FRA: 2T4Z ~ 8/11) and Oceania Mackenzie (AUS: 2T3Z ~ 8/6).
Korea’s Do-hyun Lee won his second career IFSC World Cup gold and defended his 2023 win in Prague in the men’s final (2T4Z ~ 3/19), ahead of France’s Manuel Cornu (2T3Z ~ 5/10). Paris Combined winner Toby Roberts (GBR) was third at 2T2Z ~ 6/2.
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