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PANORAMA: Metro still nowhere on U.S. funds for ‘28 transport; USOPC lobbying Congress on college-sport funding; Reeves’ WRs confirmed

By
Rich Perelman
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Olympic weightlifting champion and new world-record holder Olivia Reeves of the U.S. (Photo: Int’l Weightlifting Federation).

★ 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 ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Raffi Hamparian, the Deputy Executive Officer for Government Relations for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed the continued bleak outlook for Federal funding for Metro efforts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games at Metro’s Executive Management Committee meeting on 17 July:

“We continue to be engaged with the Federal government, executive branch and legislative branch. Thus far, the news has not been fantastic with respect to the Olympics. We have petitioned the Federal government for inclusion in the [Fiscal Year] 2026 budget. We came up short.

“We’ve asked for this funding to be included in the spending [authorization] bill that I just talked about. No spending for the World Cup in that bill. No spending for the Olympics.

“At some point, our Federal partners have to saddle up with us and figure out how we’re going to do this. But to date, it’s a work in progress.”

L.A. Metro has asked for $3.2 billion in Federal funding for 2028, but no appropriations were made for 2028 Games support by either the Biden or Trump Administrations.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Plenty of optimism for the success of the 2026 Winter Games from International Olympic Committee Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) and 2026 organizing committee head Andrea Varnier in separate interviews with NBC Sports:

● Dubi: “I’ve got excitement more than concerns. You loved Paris (2024). You will adore Milano-Cortina, I think we start from a very strong Paris Games, and the expectations are immense, by the way. Let’s be very clear, the Games back in the traditional Alpine setting with the Alps and the Dolomites, there are a lot of expectations. I’m just back from Italy. What I really like at this stage is that from all political sides and at all authority levels, but also in the general public, you have a real sense of excitement.

“That sense that Italy is ready to party, and not only Milano and the regions, but more like what happened in France, where the Games will be the Games for the whole territory. You can feel that.”

● Varnier: “We’re entering a very interesting phase. After a lot of planning, we’re actually starting to build things – overlay and temporary stuff. This is a very good feeling that you start entering the venues – that was mostly on paper until a few days ago. Of course, when you start the operations, many challenges come about.

“There are a couple of sport infrastructures that are still under construction. Mainly the main hockey arena [in Milan] and the sliding center [in Cortina]. The sliding track is fully ready now. They’re working on the surrounding areas. So we’re monitoring this closely, because before the Games, we still have to perform some test events in these two venues.”

On the construction of the new bob-luge-skeleton track in Cortina, Dubi noted, “What they’ve done in terms of construction time to get to the pre-homologation [test runs in March], it was something we had never seen, so we were doubtful.

“They managed – by a very smart construction and very thoughtful engineering processes – to get to the point where they could have ice on this track, and they tested and validated the fact that it’s a safe track.”

Varnier previewed what promises to be a unique opening to the Winter Games, “So we are developing a potential plan to have some cluster activators. It will be Livigno, Predazzo, and, obviously, Cortina.

“So in the end, we try to have the athletes staying in these clusters do an actual parade in a venue, potentially with people watching, and then it will be the magic of broadcasters to make sure it will look like a single parade. So the athletes will be all participating. In this model, there will also be some segments that will be performed in the different venues, so that makes it like a community regardless of the distances.”

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The Associated Press reported that the USOPC is lobbying Congress to ensure that Olympic-sport – that is, non-football and basketball – funding at NCAA schools be maintained at the same percentage of the total budget in the future as it is now.

H.R. 4312, the “Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act” or “SCORE Act,” is moving through the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee and as currently written, requires universities to support a minimum of 16 varsity sports teams, equal to the current NCAA Division I rule.

But nearly all of the larger schools in the “Power 4 conferences” sponsor more than that and USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland asks:

“You look and you say, ‘Is that effectively going to thwart the issue of allocating too many resources to football and not enough to other things?’ And my assessment is, no, it’s not going to do that.

“The bill, as it’s written, would make it too easy for a school to starve 15 programs and invest in one. It’s important schools have the latitude to make decisions that are most effective for the school, but while also creating an environment that says ‘You don’t just need to be a football school.’ …

“We don’t want schools to starve Olympic sports by cutting them or starving them. We want them to continue to provide investment in the growth of these sports.”

● Aquatics ● At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Vaso Plevritou scored four goals and Greece stretched a 6-5 halftime lead into a 14-10 win over the U.S. in the women’s water polo semifinals on Monday.

Ryann Neushul, Jewel Roemer, Emma Lineback and Emily Ausmus each had two goals for the U.S., but it was not enough and they will play for the bronze medal on Wednesday. In the second semi, 2024 Worlds silver winners Hungary upset Olympic champion Spain, 15-9, taking an 11-4 first-half lead.

In Artistic Swimming, Russian “neutral” Aleksandr Maltsev finished a sweep of the men’s Solo events, taking the Solo Free at 229.5613 points, ahead of China’s Muye Gao (220.1926). Austrian sisters Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri won the women’s Duet Technical at 307.1451, ahead of sisters Yanhan and Yanjun Lin (CHN: 301.4057) and Russian “neutrals” Mayya Doroshko and Tatiana Gayday (300.2183).

This was the first time that a Russian pair had not won the Duet Technical or Duet Combined – in World Championships they were allowed to compete in – since 2001; Russian entries won in 2003-05-07-09-11-13-15-17-19, but were banned in 2022-23-24.

● Archery ● World Archery announced that the first leg of the archery World Cup in 2026 will be held in Puebla (MEX), instead of the 2025 location of Haines City, Florida (8-13 April). The World Archery statement included:

“Placing a major international tournament in the USA was seen as vital to World Archery’s ultimately successful campaign to add compound to the programme of the next Olympics.

“Given a lack of applications from US organisations in the last bidding cycle, an external event company with a viable location in the country was selected to organise the opening World Cup stage for 2025-2027.

“The inaugural edition of this event did not meet the expectations of teams or athletes, struggled with rising costs, and was unable to secure significant domestic buy-in outside of strong support from Visit Florida, the regional tourist office.

“Following stakeholder feedback, and in order to protect the quality and integrity of the Hyundai Archery World Cup, an agreement has been made between the event rights holder and World Archery Mexico to move next year’s tournament to Puebla.”

● Athletics ● Sad news of the passing of legendary distance coach Joe Vigil, 95, on 19 July. He was first noticed for his exceptional work at Alamosa (Co.) High School and then went on to Adams State University in Alamosa from 1965 to 1993. His teams won 19 NAIA and NCAA national championships, produced 425 All-Americans and 87 individual national title winners.

He helped to create the USATF Coaches Education Program, and served on U.S. national team coaching staffs for the 1988 and 2008 Olympic Games, as U.S. men’s coach for the 1984 World Cross Country Championships, 1991 Pan American Games, as head men’s manager at the 1983 Pan American Games and many others.

Following his Adams State career, he coached individual athletes to great success, including 2004 Olympic women’s marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor. Vigil, among many service posts, was a member of the USATF Board of Directors from 1984-88.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced more Kenyan doping suspensions, including a provisional suspension of Charles Kipkkurui Langat – already suspended to 10 September 2026 – for testosterone. He’s a 58:53 half marathoner from January 2023.

Ronald Kurgat, 39, a 2:12:55 marathoner, was banned for six years “from 20 February 2025 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Triamcinolone acetonide)” from a positive test on 27 October 2024 and a second on 15 December 2024.

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation confirmed that Olympic women’s 71 kg champion Olivia Reeves of the U.S. set world records in all three categories of the new, 69 kg weight class at the Pan American Championships in Cali (COL).

Reeves made all six of her lifts, creating new world marks of 119 kg in Snatch, 149 kg in Clean & Jerk and 268 kg for the total. She was the only lifter to set a world mark for the combined total during the competitions.

● Wrestling ● USA Wrestling announced that its just-completed Junior National Championships – formally the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals – set a record for the largest wrestling tournament ever held, with a total of 8,531 entries, 469 more than the record 2024 edition (8,062).

Held from 10-19 July on 30 mats on the floor of the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota, the tournament featured junior and U-16 tournaments in men’s Freestyle and Greco-Roman and women’s Freestyle. All six tournaments had at least 1,029 entries!

In a dual meet of mostly younger men’s Freestyle athletes in Budapest (HUN), a Russian team defeated the U.S., 6-4, on Monday under the aegis of the Professional Wrestling League.

The Americans earned wins at 79 kg (D.J. Hamiti), 86 kg (Marcus Coleman), 92 kg (Mike Macchiavello) and by Jay Aiello at 97 kg.

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ATHLETICS: Lyles pleased with 10.00 London 100 m second, but it’s not his best opener; says a friend, “the sport needs Noah”

By
Rich Perelman
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Noah Lyles winning the men's 200 m at the 2022 World Championships (Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics)

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≡ THE NOAH LYLES SHOW ≡

“I feel great after that, I feel extremely healthy and I am feeling no pain. I wanted the win but I think it was my fastest-ever season opener, so I will take that result today.

“You are going to see Oblique [Seville] out there and just be like, ok, do not let it get to your head, just go and try and chase them, just reel them in little by little, just like any race. And then of course there is the moment when you cross the line and you are like, I did not get it this time.

“But the most important thing was not to panic, to make sure that I hit all the positions regardless.”

That was 2024 Olympic 100 m champion Noah Lyles of the U.S. following his second-place finish in the London Diamond League men’s 100 to Jamaica’s Seville, 9.85 to 10.00 (wind: -0.6 m/s).

It was Lyles’ first 100 m of the year, following up on his 19.88 200 m win at the Monaco Diamond league – over Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT) – on 11 July, almost three months after his only other outdoor race, a 45.87 lifetime best in a 400 m in April. In fact, Lyles hadn’t run a 100 since his Olympic win in Paris.

But it’s not close to Lyles’ best 100 m to open a season:

● 2017: 9.95w on 15 April in Clermont, Florida
● 2018: 9.86w on 13 April in Gainesville, Florida
● 2019: 10.16w on 20 April in Clermont, Florida
● 2020: 9.93w on 4 July in Monteverde, Florida
● 2021: 10.08 on 17 April in Gainesville, Florida
● 2022: 10.39 on 9 April in Devonshire (BER)
● 2023: 9.95 on 15 April in Gainesville, Florida
● 2024: 10.01 on 13 April in Gainesville, Florida
● 2025: 10.00 on 19 July in London (GBR)

What’s true is that this is Lyles’ best 100 m opener ever outside of Florida! And his second races have usually been faster than his first ones. But that’s in the future.

Lyles has become a lightning rod in the track & field community, with ardent supporters of his high style and willingness to draw attention to himself, and harsh critics who complain even when he wins.

Former NCAA 100/200 m champion Joe Fahnbulleh, born in the U.S. but who has run for Liberia since 2021, is a friend of Lyles and defended him in an interview with British-based www.SportsBoom.co.uk, calling Lyles an athlete for the digital generation; an entertainer, a brand-builder, and a voice for track and field:

“People compare Usain Bolt to Noah Lyles in terms of charisma. Usain Bolt spoke with his time, good vibes, and being humble. That made the sport grow. And this day and age, when it comes to social media and the sport gaining more visibility and access, maybe the sport now needs someone like Noah to be out there, and wild. Noah has that.

“Of course, we have other athletes, but when it comes to the social media aspect of gaining clicks and views, Noah is doing it, and it’s bringing press. Good press, bad press, it is still press.”

Fahnbulleh also stressed there is more to Lyles than the bluster that draws so many reactions:

“Noah is a wonderful guy. He is a person you can easily talk to. The media paints a different picture of him, but he has his awesome sides. Off the track, Noah is a family guy, a wonderful guy, and a person who just loves to be around his friends. He always wants his friends to succeed.

“He works hard, trains hard, and what people do not understand, they try to put down. I can say he has his moments on track and off track.

“We have seen him try to promote track and field through his podcast, through events, etc. All round all, he is a good guy. If you get to meet him and know his story, and take off what the media says, you will see he is a wonderful guy.”

And Fahnbulleh emphasized that Lyles also understands – with clarity – the responsibility he has to those who come to see him run:

“No matter what the day is or what you are feeling, you have to get out there and get it done. People are paying for tickets to come see you run. Maybe you do not feel like practicing every day, but it does not matter. The stadium is packed, and I have to put up a show. …

“Usain was perfect for his time. And Noah is perfect for this one.”

Lyles is qualified for both the 100 and 200 m for the USA Track & Field National Championships in Eugene from 31 July-3 August, with declarations to compete due on Wednesday and Thursday, 23-24 July. As the 2023 World Champion in both events, he has a direct entry into the World Athletics Championships in both events, but has said he will run at the Nationals.

After all, the show must go on.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: If you want to understand how complex Los Angeles is (and why), listen to Rick Cole

By
Rich Perelman
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Los Angeles Deputy City Controller Rick Cole, during his farewell remarks to the L.A. City Council on 25 June 2025 (L.A. City video screen shot).

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≡ UNDERSTANDING L.A. ≡

If you are among the many who are confused about the drama and tension in Los Angeles “just” three years in front of the 2028 Olympic Games, this is for you.

Rick Cole is one of the longest-serving and most respected public officials in the history of Southern California. Now 72, he has been the Mayor of Pasadena, and the city manager for the cities of Azusa, Ventura and Santa Monica. He served as a Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles from 2013-15 and as the Deputy City Controller from 2022 until retiring at the end of June.

His retirement from the City of Los Angeles wasn’t about retiring, but to spend more time in his position as a Pasadena City Council member, a post he won last December.

Cole was recognized for his outstanding service by the Los Angeles City Council on 25 June 2025, and he gave a short address to the Council and to the many co-workers and friends in the Council Chamber.

His commentary is one of the best summaries ever presented of the challenges Los Angeles faces, and he also offered ideas on how to meet them:

“I’ll never forget the awe I felt walking into these chambers on December 21, 1985. I was Senior Deputy to [Councilman] Richard Alatorre on his first day in office.

“Now, after four decades of public service, I’ve never been so alarmed about our future. You know the converging challenges facing this city.

“A state of emergency on homelessness. A devastating firestorm. A crisis in affordable housing. Thousands of City jobs eliminated. And a Federal administration literally at war with the government and the people of Los Angeles.

“Those are the headlines. Then there are the insidious threats of a weakening economy, a crumbling infrastructure, grotesque inequality of wealth, and failing public trust in government’s ability to confront these existential challenges.

“If we can’t pave our streets, repair our sidewalks, house our homeless, trim our trees, light our bridges, and fix our firetrucks, how can we host an Olympics in just three years?

“L.A. is a complex city with four million people. Over 400 square miles. More than forty departments, more than 40,000 staff. On a good day, it’s an incredibly difficult city to manage. And lately we haven’t had many good days.

“What makes this all so much harder is that L.A. is not designed to work.

“That’s not a criticism. That’s an historic fact. Because a hundred years ago, the authors of the City Charter designed this government to avoid the corruption they saw in Chicago and New York.

“They deliberately designed a government where authority was widely dispersed. To avoid abuse, they made power diffuse.

“L.A. worked despite the flawed Charter! It was the climate, the power of industry and entertainment, and above all, the incredible diversity and creative spirit of the people of L.A. that made this city the embodiment of the California dream.

“But things that can’t go on forever, don’t.

“For decades, this city has ridden the cycles of boom and bust, making short-term decisions with long-term consequences. For decades, this city systematically underinvested in modernizing its infrastructure. For decades, city government systematically underinvested in training, technology, equipment and facilities. For decades, city government has perpetuated outmoded practices that are simply unsustainable in the world we live in.

“This is a moment of truth. I know some people say: we’ve had hard times before and L.A. has always come back stronger.

“It’s tempting to rely on our resilience, to hope this too shall pass. But that’s not the world we live in. Hope is not a plan.

“Two months ago in these Chambers, Mayor [Karen] Bass recognized the gravity of this moment.

“She said, ‘We need a fundamental overhaul of City government to deliver the clean, safe and orderly neighborhoods that Angelenos deserve in the place they call home – and to reverse decades of failure on homelessness.’

“She’s right! That’s exactly what’s needed to meet the moment: bold, systemic change.

“It’s time to redesign L.A. to work.

“Mayors need a Chief Operating Officer to work across department silos. Rigorous, innovative citywide management is why cities like Long Beach, Glendale, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Pasadena can deliver far more effective and efficient outcomes.

“Your department general managers need to be freed from micro-managment. Empower them to actually run their departments, so you can hold them accountable for doing the job they’re paid to do.

“L.A. needs a Chief Financial Officer to put our fiscal house in order. We need a two-year budget and a real, five-year capital plan. Time to shift from base budgeting to performance budgeting. Allocate resources to what actually works – away from what doesn’t. It’s not rocket science!

“You can’t have a world-class workforce unless you invest in world-class training, technology, equipment and facilities.

“It’s past time to reform an antiquated Civil Service system designed for the world of typewriters and radios, while today we live in a world of artificial intelligence and digital data.

“Empower your workers! No level of pay can compensate for working in a mind-numbing bureaucracy. You have dedicated public servants who strive to keep this City running – despite everything! Why not truly partner with labor? Unleash the innovative spirit of front-line workers to redesign services to live within our means.

“Maybe you have different ideas, maybe better ideas. What L.A. can’t settle for is anything less than bold systemic reform.

“Los Angeles is the economic engine and the cultural soul of Southern California. A world-class city deserves a world-class city government. One that’s designed to work.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary leadership. Beneath the broken sidewalks is a broken system. Because I’ve worked with each and every one of you, I know that together, you can begin to repair both!

“So I implore you: Carpe Diem! Seize the day!”

Cole’s comments are about the City of Los Angeles and not at all about the private, LA28 organizing committee which is planning the 2028 Games, but which will inevitably rely on the City for many services such as security, transportation management, sanitation and many, many more.

No matter how good the LA28 organizers are, a successful 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will inevitably require a quality effort from the City of Los Angeles, not to mention agencies in Los Angeles County, the State of California and the U.S. Federal government.

Cole’s insight – and advice – offers a keen insight into what is holding the City back right now, but that he hopes will be fixed soon, regardless of the impending worldwide focus on Los Angeles in 2028.

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PANORAMA: Handball asks IOC to re-admit Russian teams; Grand Slam Track still owes rent to Miramar; four Worlds open-water golds for Wellbrock!

By
Rich Perelman
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German open-water star Florian Wellbrock, the first to win four open-water golds at a single World Aquatics Championship! (Photo: World Aquatics).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● World University Games ● Following a frantic first weekend of of the 2025 World University Games – Rhine-Ruhr 2025 – the dominant American swim team has the U.S. at the top of the medal standings with 36 total, including 13 golds, eight silvers and 15 bronzes.

The U.S. swimmers have 23 medals along (12-5-6); Italy and Japan are next best with six each.

Overall, China has 23 (8-12-3), followed by South Korea (22: 7-4-11). The competitions continue through the 27th.

● Russia ● According to the Belarusian Handball Federation, the International Handball Federation has asked the International Olympic Committee how to bring Russian and Belarusian teams – banned since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine – back into competitions:

The Belarus federation cites a letter from IHF President Hassan Moustafa (EGY):

“The IHF contacted the IOC, emphasizing on behalf of the entire international handball family the importance of the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in international handball competitions in the interests of further development and popularization of our favorite sport around the world.

“Following an exchange of information with the IOC, on June 5, 2025, the IHF presented to the International Olympic Committee a scenario for the possible return of the national teams of Russia and Belarus to international handball competitions. Despite repeated reminders, we are still waiting for an official response from the IOC. As soon as we receive any feedback from the International Olympic Committee, we will inform you about it.”

IOC President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) has indicated more discussion of Russian and Belarusian eligibility will take place in September.

● Athletics ● Forbes reported that Grand Slam Track has not paid its rental fee for the Ansin Sports Complex facility in Miramar, Florida, the site of the second Slam. Contributor Cory Mull wrote:

“The startup track and field league currently owes the City of Miramar $77,896 for its facility rental from its Miami Slam, which took place from May 2-4 at the complex, I have learned from a public records request, and the first of three payments from the rental agreement is due on July 18. …

“The City of Miramar rewrote a new payment plan that indicates Grand Slam Track now owes $30,000 on July 18, another $30,000 on August 18 and the third and final payment of $17,896 on September 18.”

Mull also wrote that “The City of Miramar is owed another $14,928.50, according to public records” for city ticket fees for the three days of races at the 5,000-seat facility.

Grand Slam Track held meets in Kingston (JAM), Miramar and Philadelphia, with the Los Angeles meet canceled.

The British government has backed a bid for London – with funding – for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, now open to bid. The BBC reported that national government funding of £35 million and another £10 million from the London government, about $60.36 million U.S., has been committed for the event.

Beyond the famed London 2012 Olympic Games, London hosted a sensational 2017 World Athletics Championships, and Saturday’s Diamond League meet at the Olympic Stadium drew a full house of 60,000. The government is also looking to have the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships as well.

An Instagram post from Thursday (17th) from Athlos states that the women’s long jump competition at the Athlos NYC meet will take place in New York’s Times Square on 9 October.

The main meet will be held at Icahn Stadium on 10 October.

● Swimming ● Canadian star Penny Oleksiak, 25, the Rio 2016 women’s 100 m Freestyle co-gold medalist and seven-time Olympic medal winner, was provisionally suspended by the International Testing Agency for three “whereabouts” failures during a 12-month period.

The ITA is proceeding with its inquiry, but Oleksiak has skipped the ongoing World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Aquatics ● German star Florian Wellbrock, the winner of the men’s 10 km open-water race at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, completed a historic sweep, taking the 5 km title, the new, 3 km Sprints and anchoring the winning 4×1500 m relay for four golds in four events!

Wellbrock won the 5 km gold, again over Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri, 57:26.4 to 57:29.3, with 2017 World Champion Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA: 57:30.4) in third. Dylan Gravley was the top American, in 17th (58:15.9).

The sprints had three, knockout rounds, of 1,500 m, 1,000 m and a final of 500 m. Wellbrock won all three of his races, and took the final in 5:46.0, over Olympic 10 km bronzer David Betlehem (HUN: 5:47.7) and Olivier (5:51.1). American Ivan Puskovitch was seventh (6:07.2).

Australia’s Olympic 10 km runner-up Moesha Johnson, who won the women’s 10 km, also took the 5 km race, touching in 1:02:01.3, again over Ginerva Taddeucci (ITA: 1:02:02.3) and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto (1:02:28.9). Mariah Denigan was the top U.S. finisher, in 13th (1:04:08.6).

Kajimoto won the final 500 m race in the 3 km sprints, in 6:19.9, again over Taddeucci (6:21.9) – her third silver – then Johnson and Bettina Fabian (GER), tied for third at 6:23.1.

Wellbrock and Paltrinieri faced off on the anchor of the 4×1500 m relay, with the German inheriting a 10.2-second lead, but won by just 2.1, 1:09:13.3 to 1:09:15.4. The U.S. was 10th at 1:10:27.2. Taddeucci swam second for Italy, meaning she won four silver medals in four events in Singapore, also a Worlds first.

It wasn’t easy. Swimswam.com reported Wellbrock’s comments to reporters after the 3 km sprints:

“The conditions here are tough, everybody knows it’s hot outside, and the water temperature is crazy, close to 31 degrees (87.8° F). … The combination of this heat and the water temperature is so tough. A whole week of 10K, 5K, relay, knockout, it feels like a washing machine.”

World Aquatics regulations state that the maximum temps for open-water racing is 31 C.

In Artistic Swimming, Russian Aleksandr Maltsev won the men’s Solo Technical as a “neutral,” scoring 251.7133, ahead of Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez (241.1667); China’s Huiyan Xu won the women’s Solo Tech at 272.9917, beating Belarus’ Vasilina Khandoshka (260.5416 as a “neutral”).

China won the Team Free Routine at 348.4779, ahead of Japan (334.7232); the U.S. was fourth at 318.0808.

In the women’s water polo quarterfinals, Olympic champion Spain survived in a penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands, 11-11 (4-2), just as it did during the 2024 Olympic tournament, in their semifinal penalty-shootout over the Dutch. Hungary defeated Italy, 12-9, the U.S. crushed Japan, 26-8 and Greece edged Australia, 8-7.

In the Monday semis, Greece will face the U.S. and Spain and take on Hungary.

The men’s Sunday quarterfinals saw Greece advance with a 17-11 win over Italy and Spain thrash Montenegro, 14-5, in the upper bracket. Olympic champ Serbia handled the U.S., 14-9, and Hungary surprised Olympic runner-ups Croatia, 18-12, in the lower bracket.

● Badminton ● At the BWF World Tour Japan Open in Tokyo, 2018 Worlds silver man and third-seed Yu Qi Shi (CHN) was a straight-sets winner over Alex Lanier (FRA), 21-17-, 21-15 in the men’s Singles final, while Olympic champ Se Young An (KOR) dominated second-seed Zhi Yi Wang (CHN), 21-12, 21-10, in the women’s final.

China took the women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, while Korea got a second win in the men’s Doubles, over Malaysia.

● Basketball ● The 16th FIBA women’s U-19 World Cup was held in Brno (CZE) with the three-time defending United States trying for a 11th win and 10th in the last 11 tournaments.

The group stage was no problem, as the American teens won their games by 134-53, 79-49 and 114-40, then stomped China, 122-57 in the Round of 16. It got a lot closer then, with a 70-65 win over France and 70-58 over Spain to reach the final.

That was against Australia, which edged Hungary (82-76) in the quarters and Canada by 87-75 in its semifinal.

The U.S. got out to a 50-40 halftime lead in the final, but the lead was down to seven at the end of three quarters. The Aussies got to within four at 64-60 in the final quarter, but the Americans were steady and ended with an 88-76 gold-medal victory.

Guard Saniyah Hall led the winners with 25 points, and guard Jennifer Davidson had 21, both on 8-16 shooting from the floor. This was the fourth time that the U.S. had handled Australia in the final, also in 1997, 2019 and 2021. Spain won the third-place in a thriller, edging Canada, 70-68.

● Cycling ● Slovenia’s three-time winner and race favorite Tadej Pogacar came into the weekend races of the 112th Tour de France with an opportunity to take the race in hand.

On Friday, the nearly-all-uphill, 10.9 km Individual Time Trial was all his, won in 23:00.19 over prime rival (and two-time winner) Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: +36.69), to extend his lead to 4:07 against Vingegaard and 7:24 over Olympic road and time trial champ Remco Evenepoel (BEL).

Saturday was a misery-inducing quadruple climb over 182.6 km, with an uphill finish to Superbagneres in the Pyrenees, with 25-year-old Dutchman Thymen Arensman getting his first career Tour stage win in 4:53:35, following a solo attack from 37 km out. Riding with Pogacar, Vingegaard surged with 4 km left, but Pogacar was game and out-sprinted him to the line, 1:08 behind Arensman and adding to his overall lead, now 4:13 over the Dane. Evenepoel did not finish, abandoning the stage about halfway through.

On Sunday, Belgian road race champ Tim Wellens took off at the top of the final climb of the day on the 169.3 km race to Carcassonne and soloed the last 42 km for a dominant win in 3:34:09. Fellow Belgian Victor Campenaerts followed 1:28 later and then a large pack was 1:36 back. Following 6:07 behind were the race leaders, including Pogacar and Vingegaard, so heading into Monday’s rest day, Pogacar is ahead by 4:13.

Tuesday’s stage is flat, leading to a mean, 42 km climb up to Mont Ventoux, gaining 1,840 m of altitude to the finish. This stage will say a lot about whether anyone has a chance to catch Pogacar.

● Football ● The UEFA women’s European Championship quarterfinals in Switzerland saw tightly–played football and a stunning comeback by England.

First up was undefeated Norway and Italy, with Cristiana Girelli opening the scoring in the 50th and then winning the game in the 90th, 2-1. Sweden had England down 2-0 until Lucy Bronze scored in the 79th and Michelle Agyemang in the 81st to tie and a seven-round penalty shoot-out was needed for defending champion England to advance, 3-2.

Home Switzerland was scoreless with Spain for most of the game, but the Spanish got two goals in the last 24 minutes to win, 2-0. Finally, 2022 runners-up Germany had to play with 10 from the 13th minute on after defender Kathrin Hendrich pulled the hair of France’s Griedge Mbock Bathy for a penalty, with Grace Geyoro promptly converting. But the Germans evened it in the 25th and the game went to a seven-round penalty shoot-out, with the Germans winning, 6-5.

England and Italy will meet in Geneva on Tuesday (22nd) in one semi and Spain and Germany will play on Wednesday. The final is on Sunday in Basel.

● Gymnastics ● At the USA Gymnastics U.S. Classic in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Claire Pease moved up from winning the junior-level All-Around to taking the senior All-Around title, scoring 54.600, ahead of Simone Rose (54.200) and Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson (53.250).

Pease also won on Vault (14.050); Myli Lew won on Uneven Bars (14.050), Ashlee Sullivan took the Beam title (13.550) and Reese Esponda on Floor (13.950).

Italian star Sofia Raffaeli dominated the All-Around at the FIG Rhythmic World Cup in Milan (ITA), scoring 118.250, ahead of Germany’s 18-year-old 2023 Worlds and 2024 Olympic winner Darja Varfolomeev (117.450). Megan Chu was the top American, in eighth (108.050), with Rin Keys 12th (107.450).

There were four different winners in the apparatus finals, with Raffaeli taking Hoop at 30.500, Varfolomeev winning Ball at 30.300, Bulgarian star Stiliana Nikolova winning Clubs at 29.400 and Italian Tara Dragas scoring 28.800 to win on Ribbon.

● Rowing ● “RowFest,” the week-long US Rowing national championships on Ford Lake in Ann Arbor, Michigan, finished on Sunday, with 2,541 entries across 403 events from youth to masters categories.

In the open nationals on 12-13 July, Thomas Phifer won the men’s Single Sculls in 7:32.10, over Victor Corja (7:36.08), while Dylan Green and Craig Hoffman won the Double Sculls in 7:00.07, with Conrad Palmer and Charles Jones second in 7:07.32. Green came back for a second win in the Quadruple Sculls.

In the men’s Pairs final, Paul Marcy and Tom Peszek won easily in 7:22.52, over Phillip Granitto and Thomas Koetzner (7:27.03).

The women’s Single Sculls was the first of three wins for Eva Frohnhofer (8:17.80), over Suzanne Maddamma (8:20.61), and then Frohnhofer teamed with Charlotte Forman to take the Double Sculls (7:47.53), over Natalie Timinskas and Elaine Tierney (7:52.09). Tierney, Frohnhofer and Forman were also on the Quadruple Sculls winner.

Timinskas got a gold with Avery Ericksen by winning the women’s Pair in 8:06.75, ahead of Tiara Dye and Lindsey Troftgruben (8:19.26), but Troftgruben got a gold later on the winning women’s Eight.

● Sailing ● The annual Olympic Classes Regatta in Long Beach, California offered a preview of conditions for the IQ Foil and Formula Kite events for 2028, among racing opportunities for all 10 classes.

The Formula Kite men’s regatta had Olympic silver winner Toni Vodisek (SLO) the easy winner, with just 12 net points across 14 races and 10 wins! Britain’s Conor Bainbridge was a distant second at 48. Dutch star Jessie Kampman, the 2024 Worlds bronze winner, took the women’s tournament with 15 net points (10 wins), with Si Wang (CHN: 40) second.

China had six of the seven entries in the men’s IQFoil racing, with Jingye Huang winning six races and scoring 11 net points to edge Kun Bi, who had three wins and 13 net points. The women title went to Wenqi Li (CHN) with seven wins and nine net points, ahead of teammate Zheng Yan (17 net points).

The women’s ILCA 6 racing saw 2025 Worlds bronze medalist Eve McMahon (IRL) win with 45 net points, followed by Hannah Snellgrove (GBR:56) and Worlds silver medalist Agata Barwinska (POL: 56).

The men’s ILCA 7 was win by 2020 European champ Elliot Hanson (GBR, ahead of 2024 Worlds bronzer Michael Beckett (GBR), with both at 38 points, but with Hanson winning three races, to two for Beckett. Two-time World Champion Pavlos Kontdes (CYP: 53) was third.

In the Mixed 470, five of the six entries came from the U.S. with Justin Callahan and Lara Dallman-Weiss (11 net) winning over Nikole Barnes and Ryan Squire (18).

Three classes finished on Sunday, with Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid of the U.S. taking the men’s 49er class at 26 points to 32 for Keanu Prettner and Jakob Flachberger (AUT: 32). Sweden’s 2023 World Champions, Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, won the women’s 49erFX racing with seven wins and 19 net points, edging Paris Henken and Helena Scutt of the U.S. (28 net).

Britain’s two-time World Champions John Gimson and Anna Burnet won 10 races and the Nacra 17 title with 16 net points, ahead of Laura Farese and Matthaus Zochling (26).

● Sport Climbing ● At the IFSC World Cup in Lead in Madrid (ESP), 17-year-old American Annie Sanders won the women’s title, reaching the top, for her second win of the season and fifth medal. She edged Laura Rogora (ITA: 48+ second) and fellow American and Olympic silver winner Brooke Raboutou (48+ third).

Korea’s Do-hyun Lee won the men’s Lead title at 40+, giving him his first World Cup win in Lead; he’d won three times in Boulder! Spain’s Alberto Gines, the Tokyo 2020 Combined gold medalist, was second (40), ahead of Satone Yoshida (JPN: 39+) with 2023 Worlds Combined silver winner Colin Duffy of the U.S. in fourth (also 39+).

● Weightlifting ● The U.S. and Colombia overpowered the field at the Pan American Championships in Cali (COL), with the Americans collecting six wins, the most in the tournament, and 10 total medals (6-4-0).

The Americans winners included Olympic 61 kg bronzer Hampton Morris in the men’s 65 kg at 318 kg, a Pan American record, with Morris setting a world record in the clean & jerk (181 kg). At 110 kg, Kolbi Ferguson won at 388 kg and Aaron Williams took the +110 kg title (411 kg).

Wesley Kitts, a two-time U.S. Olympian and five-time U.S. record holder, retired from the sport during the competition, leaving his shoes on the platform during the 94 kg competition. “Truthfully, I was ready to go. I wasn’t really done, but I didn’t really get a choice this time. I have to do what’s right for me and my family and that means weightlifting is over for now.”

Miranda Utley (58kg), Olympic gold medalist Olivia Reeves (69 kg) and Mattie Rogers (77 kg) were the women’s American winners.

Colombia claimed three wins and a tournament-high 11 total medals, including Sebastian Olivares (men’s 71 kg), Marcos Bonilla (men’s 94 kg) and Yenny Sinisterra (women’s 63 kg).

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ATHLETICS: Alfred sensational at 21.71 world lead in the women’s 200 m; Seville beats Lyles in London Diamond League

By
Rich Perelman
-
Paris Olympic 100 m champion Julien Alfred (LCA) (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

The Olympic Stadium track at Saturday’s Novuna London Athletics Meet was wet most of the time, with rain early, but receding during the main part of the afternoon meet, with mild, 69 F temperatures. This was the 11th stage of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League, with the usual massive crowd in London of about 60,000, which produced three world-leading marks:

● Women/200 m: 21.71, Julien Alfred (LCA)
● Women/Mile: 4:11.88, Gudaf Tsegay (ETH)
● Women/4×100 m: 41.69, Great Britain

The sun came out for the women’s 200 m, the next-to-last event of the day, and Olympic 100 m champ (and 200 silver winner) Julien Alfred (LCA) was out hard from lane seven. She had the lead into the straight and extended to win in a world-leading 21.71, a lifetime best and now equal-ninth all-time! She ran into a 0.6 m/s headwind (!) and is now more than 2/10ths ahead of the rest of the world.

Britain’s Amy Hunt was second in the middle of the straight, but was passed by 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith in the final 5 m, 22.25 to 22.31, a lifetime best for Hunt.

Two-time World Indoor champion Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) took off from the start of the women’s mile, with teammate Birke Haylom and both were way ahead of the pacesetter. By 1,000 m, Australia’s Paris 1,500 m silver winner Jess Hull passed Haylom and ran up on Tsegay, but Tsegay ran away over the final 150 m and ran hard to the finish to win in the no. 2 time ever in 4:11.88! Hull was second in 4:13.68, now no. 5 all-time, then Sarah Healy (IRL: 4:16.26) and Sinclaire Johnson of the U.S. with an American Record 4:16.32! She eclipsed Nikki Hiltz’s 4:16.35 from 2023.

Tsegay’s 400 m splits were 59.23, 2:03.45 (63.52), 3:07.98 (64.53), then 63.80 for the final 409 m.

The women’s 4×100 m was an impressive win for Great Britain – with help from the crowd – with Daryll Neita on anchor in a world-leading 41.69. Jamaica, running a good team, but not their best, was a clear second in 42.50.

Two of the featured races came at the end of the program in the men’s 100 and 1,500 m:

● The men’s 100 m had the crowd silent for the start, but Jamaica’s Oblique Seville was off like a shot and no one was close. He won in 9.86 (wind: -0.6 m/s), second-best to his 9.83 earlier this season. Olympic champ Noah Lyles – in his 100 m season opener, a day after turning 28 – ran past everyone else in the final 20 m to get second in 10.00, followed by Zharnel Hughes (10.02) and Ackeem Blake (JAM: 10.08).

● The sun was out for the final event, the men’s 1,500 m, with British stars George Mills and Josh Kerr leading 18-year-old Kenyan wunderkind Phanuel Koech a close third with two laps to go. The order was the same at the bell, on a hot pace, with Kerr surging past Mills with 300 to go, followed by Koech, who passed Mills on the inside!

Koech had the lead into the final turn, with Kerr chasing into the home straight, while Mills and Cam Myers (AUS) falling on the turn. Koech was simply too strong and won in 3:28.82, to 3:29.37 for Kerr for a seasonal best and no. 6 on the world for 2025. The carnage behind the top two hurt the rest of the field, with Isaac Nader (POR) third in 3:31.55.

The rain and cooler temps earlier in the meet held the marks down, but the competition was fierce:

American relay gold medalist Vernon Norwood was leading Olympic silver winner Matthew Hudson-Smith(GBR) coming into the home straight of the men’s 400 m, but out of nowhere came Charles Dobson (GBR), who raced past everyone and won easily in a lifetime best 44.14, no. 6 in the world for 2025! Hudson-Smith was second in 44.27, then world leader Zakithi Nene (RSA) in 44.29 and Norwood in 44.34, a seasonal best.

The men’s 800 m saw Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) following the pacer at the bell at 49.21, with Britain’s Max Burgin right behind. But 2023 Worlds winner Marco Arop (CAN) powered into the lead by the 600 m mark and into the home straight, with Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui closest. But Wanyonyi had another gear, and passed Arop on the inside (!) in the final 50 m and won in 1:42.00, with Arop at 1:42.22. Attaoui was passed by Burgin (1:42.36) and American Bryce Hoppel (1:42.71) and finished fifth in 1:43.01. Comebacking Donavan Brazier of the U.S., the 2019 World Champion, was sixth in a season’s best of 1:43.08.

In the men’s 4×100 m, run to help teams qualify for the World Championships, Jamaica – anchored by world 100 m leader Kishane Thompson – won in 37.80, followed by Great Britain, with Hughes on anchor at 38.08.

The Paris medal winners were all back in the men’s long jump, with silver medalist Wayne Pinnock (JAM) reaching a seasonal best 8.20 m (26-11) in the third round to take the lead from Olympic champ (and world leader) Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE: 8.19 m/26-10 1/2), and it stayed that way. Carey McLeod (JAM) was third at 8.10 m (26-7).

World-record setter Mykolas Alekna (LTU) blasted a fabulous 71.70 m (233-7) throw in round three of the men’s discus to take the air out of the event – and get a Diamond League record – and won easily. Slovenia’s Kristjian Ceh, the 2022 World Champion, had been the leader at 68.37 m (224-3) from the second round, and he finished second, moving out to 68.83 m (225-10) in round six. Lawrence Okoye (GBR: 67.24 m/220-7) got third.

Britain’s Jemma Reekie led the women’s 800 m down the final backstraight with the crowd roaring, ahead of 2019 World Champion Halimah Naakayi (UGA) and Paris 2024 bronze medalist Georgia Hunter Bell. Naakayi moved hard to take the lead in the final straight, but it was Hunter Bell storming to the lead and ran away to win in 1:56.74, now no.2 in the world for 2025! American Addy Wiley passed Naakayi for second in 1:57.43 to 1:57.62. Reekie faded to sixth in 1:58.76.

Ethiopians were first through seventh by 3,000 m in the women’s 5,000 m, with a total of 10 in the front pack. The top 10 were still grouped together with 600 m to go, then Medina Eisa, Fantaye Belayneh and Fotyen Tesfay took off after the bell and were 1-2-3 with 200 m to go. Into the straight, Belayneh moved ahead and looked like the winner, but Eisa surged with 60 m to go and ran away to win in 14:30.57, with Belayneh at 14:30.90. Australia’s Rose Davies rolled past Tesfay to get a national record in third at 14:31.45, then Tesfay at 14:32.55.

World leader Femke Bol (NED) was a dominant winner in the women’s 400 m hurdles, taking charge by the fifth hurdle and stormed home in 52.10, with Olympic fourth-placer Jasmine Jones (USA) getting a season best of 53.18 in second, and Andrenette Knight (JAM: 53.79) third.

The conditions hindered the women’s high jump, with only four to clear 1.93 m (6-4) and only Britain’s three-time Olympian Morgan Lake was over 1.96 m (6-5). Australia’s Eleanor Patterson, Christina Honsel (GER) and Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) were 2-3-4 at 1.93.

In the women’s vault, four were able – in the wet conditions – to clear 4.73 m (15-6 1/4), with Paris Olympian Olivia McTaggart (NZL) leading with her second-try clearance, followed by Tokyo Olympic co-champ Katie Moon of the U.S., Angelica Moser (SUI) and Emily Grove of the U.S. No one could clear 4.84 m (15-10 1/2), so it ended in that order!

World no. 2 Larissa Iapichino (ITA) got out to 6.89 m (22-7 1/4) in the fourth round to lead the women’s long jump, but Tokyo Olympic champ Malaika Mihambo (GER) popped into the lead at 6.93 m (22-9) in the fifth round. Iapichino had a good response in round six, getting to 6.92 m (22-8 1/2), but came up just short. Hilary Kpatcha (FRA) was third at 6.86 m (22-6 1/4) in round five; World Indoor champ Claire Bryant of the U.S. was the first-round leader at 6.78 m (22-3), but ended up fourth at that distance. American Monae Nichols was fifth at 6.74 m (22-1 1/2).

The Diamond League is now in hiatus for almost a month, for a national championships break, before returning on 16 August in Chorzow (POL) for the Skolimowska Memorial. The U.S. nationals are in Eugene next week.

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MEMORABILIA: Louganis medals from 1976-84-88 sell for combined $430,865 at RR Auction summer sale!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Diving icon Greg Louganis' 1984 Olympic 3 m Springboard gold, sold at the RR Auction July 2025 sale (Photo: RR Auction).

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≡ RR AUCTION SUMMER SALE ≡

On and off of various sales platforms for several years, three Olympic medals offered by American diving icon Greg Louganis finally found new homes at the close of the RR Auction summer sale, which concluded Friday evening (prices include the buyer’s premium):

● $201,314: 1988 Olympic 10 m Platform gold
● $199,301: 1984 Olympic 3 m Springboard gold
● $30,250: 1976 Olympic 10 m Platform silver

That’s a combined $430,865! Louganis, now 65, acknowledged as the greatest diver in Olympic history, also won two other Olympic golds, in the 3 m (1988) and 10 m (1984), which were not on sale.

It’s a heroic close to the story of these medals, which will now move on to new owners. These medals were the centerpiece of a fine auction which included multiple other star attractions that finished over $10,000:

● $124,998: Paris 2024 torch and Olympic gold medal (athletics)
● $64,850: 1952 Oslo Winter Games torch
● $43,750: 2006 Turin Winter Games gold medal (ice hockey)
● $20,133: 1936 Berlin Olympic IOC Chain of Office
● $18,778: 1972 Sapporo Winter Games torch

● $18,750: 1932 Lake Placid Winter Games IOC badge
● $18.750: 1932 Los Angeles Olympic gold medal (with box)
● $18,750: 1956 Melbourne Olympic torch
● $18,749: 1904 St. Louis Olympic bronze medal (tug of war)
● $14,619: 2004 Athens Olympic gold medal (boxing)

● $12,501: 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games gold medal sample
● $12,501: 1938 FIFA World Cup winner’s medal
● $12,479: 1968 Mexico City Olympic gold medal (fencing)
● $10,664: 1984-1998-2002 Olympic/Winter Games torch set
● $10,313: 1972 Munich Olympic gold medal (rowing)

The Oslo Olympic Winter Games torch is especially rare, as it was used in the first Winter Games torch relay, and only 95 were made. The exceptionally gaudy 1936 Berlin IOC Chain of Office has been widely seen in recent auctions, but finally sold here for $20,133.

A total of 169 items sold, including some unique souvenirs of Olympics past:

● A participation medal from the 1896 Athens Games went for $1,880.

● The 1924 Paris Olympic winner’s diploma issued to American swim star Johnny Weissmuller for the men’s 100 m Freestyle, sold for $1,059.

● A 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games participation medal for the gymnastics exhibition went for $364.

● The 1970s Snoopy “Support The Olympics … Hug An Athlete” poster brought $275!

● A plaque-mounted section of the track from the 2012 London Olympic Games went for $168.

It’s another strong result for RR Auction, and a happy ending for Louganis’ search for the right home for three of his Olympic medals.

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ATHLETICS: Olympic champ Lyles in hot 100 at London Diamond League, plus star-filled showdowns in the men’s 800 and 1,500 m

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic men’s 100 m champ Noah Lyles will make his seasonal debut at the distance in London on Saturday (Photo: Atlanta City Games).

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≡ LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

The Novuna London Athletics Meet will fill the Olympic Stadium on Saturday (19th), with a strong program in the 11th stage of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League, with the men’s 100 m sure to be the focus.

American star Noah Lyles, the 2023 World Champion and 2024 Olympic champ, turned away Paris Olympic winner Letsile Tebogo (BOT) in the men’s 200 m in Monaco last week. Now he has Tebogo and a lot of others to deal with in London:

● Oblique Seville (JAM): World no. 2 (9.83) in 2025
● Akani Simbine (RSA): Olympic fourth in 2024
● Letsile Tebogo (BOT): Olympic sixth in 2024
● Ackeem Blake (JAM): World no. 6 (9.88) in 2025
● Jeremiah Azu (GBR): 2025 World Indoor 60 m Champion
● Louie Hinchliffe (GBR): 2024 NCAA Champion
● Zharnel Hughes (GBR): 2023 Worlds bronze medalist

It’s Lyles’ season opener in the 100 m; he won in London in 2024 in a then-lifetime best of 9.81 before his 9.79 Olympic triumph in Paris.

Almost as compelling is the men’s 1,500 m at the end of the program, with home stars 2023 World Champion Josh Kerr and 2022 World Champion Jake Wightman. Norway’s Narve Nordas, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, is in, as is 2025 world no. 3, George Mills (GBR: 3:28.36). But there will be a lot of focus on the newest wunderkind, Kenyan 18-year-old Phanuel Koech, who set the World Junior Record at the Paris Diamond League at 3:27.72, reportedly just his third time running the distance!

There is a lot more to check out, of course:

● Men/400 m: Olympic silver winner Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) will face off with world leader Zakithi Nene (RSA), American vet Vernon Norwood and Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori.

● Men/800 m: Another showdown with Paris Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi, 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN), 2023 Worlds bronze winner Ben Pattison (GBR), American Record holder Bryce Hoppel, plus comebacking 2019 World Champion Donavan Brazier of the U.S.

● Men/Long Jump: The Paris podium is in: winner – and current world leader – Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE), runner-up Wayne Pinnock (JAM) and 2025 world no. 2 Mattia Furlani (ITA).

● Men/Discus: Terrific line-up with Paris winner Roje Stona (JAM), world-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU), 2022 World Champion Kristjian Ceh (SLO) and Tokyo Olympic champ Daniel Stahl (SWE).

● Women/200 m: Home favorite and 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith will be challenging Olympic runner-up Julien Alfred (LCA), the 2025 world leader at 21.88.

● Women/800 m: British stars Georgia Hunter Bell (Paris 1,500 m bronze), Jemma Reekie (2024 World Indoor silver) and Tokyo 1,500 m runner-up Laura Muir are all in, facing 2019 World Champion Halimah Naakayi (UGA) and Addy Wiley of the U.S., among others.

● Women/Mile: Ethiopia’s two-time World Indoor 1,500 m winner Gudaf Tsegay once again faces Paris 1,500 m runner-up Jess Hull (AUS), fellow Ethiopian Birke Haylom, Rome Diamond League winner Sarah Healy (IRL) and Sinclaire Johnson of the U.S.

● Women/400 m hurdles: Paris bronzer Femke Bol, the 2025 world leader at 51.95, is the headliner, with Paris fourth-placer Jasmine Jones of the U.S. and world no. 7 Andrenette Knight (JAM).

● Women/High Jump: Ukraine’s Olympic champ, world record holder and world leader Yaroslava Mahuchikh faces 2022 World Champion and Paris bronzer Eleanor Patterson (AUS) will tangle again.

● Women/Long Jump: Another test for surprise World Indoor champ Claire Bryant of the U.S., against Tokyo Olympic winner Malaika Mihambo (GER), 2025 world no. 2 Larissa Iapichino (ITA) and British hep star Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Those are just some of the highlights. The main part of the meet is from 9-11 a.m. Eastern time, or from 2-4 p.m. London time; coverage is available in the U.S. only on FloTrack.

The circuit will retire for almost a month, for a national championships break, before returning on 16 August in Chorzow (POL) for the Skolimowska Memorial.

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PANORAMA: Asian Games to have 460 events in 2026! Ofili leaving Nigeria over lack of support; Pogacar crushes stage 12 to lead Tour de France

By
Rich Perelman
-
Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogacar celebrating his World Road Champs win in 2024 (Photo: Wikipedia via Albinfo).

★ 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 ≡

● Asian Games 2026: Aichi-Nagoya ● The Olympic Council of Asia approved the program for the 2026 Asian Games, with 10,000 athletes to compete in 41 sports – five more than the LA28 Olympic Games – and 460 events (compared to 351 in Los Angeles in 2028).

Compared to the 36-sport LA28 program, the Asian Games will also include breaking, combat sports (3), esports, kabaddi, karate, sepak takraw and wushu. LA28 added sports Flag football and lacrosse are not on the Aichi-Nagoya program.

The OCA also agreed to elections for a new president at its Congress in January 2026, as 78-year-old Raja Randhir Singh (IND) – elected in 2024 – has been in ill health and is unable to fulfill the office. The election will be only for the remainder of his term. Qatar Olympic Committee head Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani instantly announced his candidacy.

● World University Games ● The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 World University Games opened on Wednesday in front of a full house at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg. About 8,000 athletes representing more than 2,000 universities are slated to compete in 18 sports and 234 events.

The Universiade flame was brought into the arena by German legend Heide Rosendahl-Ecker, now 78, the 1972 Olympic double gold medalist and handed to six younger athletes who lit the six Games “fire towers.”

On Thursday, Eva Eun-kyung Sandersen (DEN) won the first event of the Games, in the women’s Poomsae-Individual Freestyle in taekwondo. The Games will continue through the 27th.

● Athletics ● Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, the former LSU star and Paris women’s Olympic 200 m sixth-placer in 2024, is reported to be changing her affiliation to Turkey. Former Nigerian star Olusoji Fasuba, who ran 9.85 for the then-African men’s 100 m record in 2006, told Britain-based SportsBoom that the issue is not money, but support:

“We’ve got to remove this idea that it’s always about money. It’s about treatment. When athletes feel neglected or disrespected, they lose their connection to the system, and that’s when they leave.

“If you want loyalty, you need to treat people like they matter. Give them reason to believe they’re part of something. It’s not about grand gestures two weeks before a national competition; it’s about consistent, meaningful support.

“Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Qatar all have better programs in place. These countries sell stability, structure, and care. Until we match that, we will keep losing our best people.”

He explained further:

“Start with structure. Create real programs-not just cheques and camps before major events. If you do that, athletes with dual nationalities will start choosing Nigeria again. But right now, what’s the incentive?

“If we keep papering over the cracks, we’ll lose an entire generation. It’s not about blaming athletes. It’s about creating something they want to be a part of.”

Ofili, just 22, has bests of 10.87 (this year) and 21.96 from 2022 and figures to be a contender for top honors for years to come.

● Cycling ● In warm conditions of 86 F or more, three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar put his stamp on the 2025 edition with a crushing victory in Thursday’s 12th stage, a challenging, 180.6 km ride with two major climbs that finished uphill at the Hautacam ski resort in the Pyrenees.

Pogacar blew away the field over the final, uphill 11 km, winning the stage in 4:21:19, a full 2:10 ahead of two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 2:23 up on Florian Lipowitz (GER). With race leader Ben Healy (IRL) back in 25th, Pogacar re-assumed the race lead with a 3:31 margin on Vingegaard and 4:45 on Remco Evenepoel (BEL).

Pogacar will also be a strong contender in Friday’s short, 10.9 km, uphill Individual Time Trial, before two more climbing stages on Saturday (182.6 km) and Sunday (169.3 km). If Pogacar really is stronger than all the others, the race could be decided by Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that “Tour de France riders applauded for a minute before the 12th stage on Thursday in memory of Samuele Privitera, the 19-year-old Italian who died after a crash while racing in Italy the day before.

“Privitera crashed in the first stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta in the northwestern municipality of Pontey on Wednesday.”

● Swimming ● Italy’s Ginerva Taddeucci, the Paris bronzer and Worlds women’s 10 km silver winner, expressed her frustrations after her race, telling Il Fatto Quotidiano:

“We were very angry, Greg [Paltrinieri] and I were saying how disrespectful they were to postpone a race … a bit like what happened to the men, and without them ever mentioning the water problems, especially a year after the Seine [in Paris].

“With the temperatures, World Aquatics always gives us problems, either too cold for wetsuits, or too hot. I hope something changes with the election of the athletes’ representative; many things need to change, it’s all wrong.”

Paltrinieri suffered a fractured left ring finger during the 10 km race, where he also won silver, and will while he can tape it to compete in the 5 km, he cannot race in the pool with any kind of tape; he will return to Italy for treatment.

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FENCING: Open letter from 447 fencers rips FIE for ending neutrality checks on Russia, Belarus athletes

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ ATHLETE BLOWBACK ≡

“We write to express our deep concern and disagreement with the FIE’s recent decision to stop conducting independent, thorough checks on Russian and Belarusian athletes applying for Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status, instead accepting only a signed declaration of peace and neutrality.

“This approach fails to provide sufficient safeguards to ensure that the fencing piste is not used in ways that could undermine the integrity and neutrality of our sport. By removing comprehensive background checks, the FIE risks allowing individuals whose affiliations or actions conflict with the values of neutrality and non-violence to compete under a neutral status. This risks creating a perception of inaction or inconsistency within the international sports community.

“The FIE’s decision contradicts the core principles of fencing—respect, integrity, and fair play—and deviates from the approach originally taken by the international sporting community, including both the FIE and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which established strict eligibility criteria for Russian and Belarusian athletes following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.”

That’s the opening of a lengthy letter signed by 447 fencers, of which 338 are currently active and to which 208 signed their name – the rest did not wish for their identities to be disclosed – protesting the Federation Internationale de Escrime’s decision to drop “neutrality checks” on Russian and Belarusian fencers.

The Global Athlete athlete activist group published the open letter to the Federation Internationale d’Escrime on Thursday, which repeated a March 2023 declaration that “The international community is acutely aware that for Russian and Belarusian athletes, there is no distinction between the athlete and the state.”

The letter is clear about its aims:

“As athletes, we are not mere participants—we are the sport, and we share responsibility for upholding its values. Therefore, we call on the FIE to:

“● Immediately reverse its decision to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes and resume thorough reviews and checks for every athlete applying for AIN status;

“● Align its policies with the broader Olympic community’s standards on neutrality and eligibility;

“● Ensure meaningful athlete consultation in decisions affecting the ethical integrity of international competitions.

“We emphasize that our position is not directed against individual athletes but is founded on a commitment to fairness, transparency, and consistency in governance. We recognize that these athletes are not the architects of this war and acknowledge the burden that strict sanctions and requirements impose on them. Yet, this burden is minimal compared to the suffering endured by every Ukrainian.”

The FIE decided the new policy during its 26 June 2025 Executive Committee meeting over what it said were cost concerns to have Russian and Belarusian applications independently checked for “neutrality.” The internal announcement came in a 7 July 2025 information letter, followed by a public announcement on its Web site on 11 July. The 2025 World Championships begin on 22 July in Tbilisi (GEO).

First among the signatories, of course, was Ukrainian star Olha Kharlan, who was infamously disqualified at the 2024 World Championships for not shaking hands with a Russian opponent, then was promised a place at the Paris Olympic Games by then-International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER).

Also signing were American stars, Olympic champion Lee Kiefer and Olympic medalist Gerek Meinhardt, and fencers – current or retired – from Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and, of course, Ukraine.

Observed: This will have no impact on the FIE, of course, continuing in the grip of President-in-absentia Alisher Usmanov (RUS), who has donated more than $98.5 million to the federation between 2008-21.

However, this kind of activity could have an impact on the IOC and its new President, Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), who has indicated action on the question of Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2026 Winter Games will come up at the IOC Executive Board meeting in September.

The next step for the protesters is to invite Coventry for direct discussions, as well as other IOC Executive Board members, to make their voices heard well before September’s meeting.

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ATHLETICS: AIU announces provisional doping suspension of Kenyan women’s marathon world-record holder Ruth Chepngetich

By
Rich Perelman
-
Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, the new women’s world-record holder at 2:09:56 in Chicago, on 13 October 2024! (Photo: Bank of America Chicago Marathon)

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≡ MORE KENYAN DOPING ≡

“The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepng’etich, for the Presence and Use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) relating to a sample collected from her on 14 March this year.”

Thursday’s stunning announcement included an explanation by AIU chief Brett Clothier (AUS):

“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. Chepng’etich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing.

“In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.”

The AIU statement also included a technical explanation:

● “HCTZ is a diuretic, used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. Under the WADA Code, it is a class S5 Prohibited Substance (Diuretics and Masking Agents), prohibited at all times and a Specified Substance. Diuretics may be abused to mask the presence in urine of other Prohibited Substances.”

● “A Specified Substance has a standard sanction of two (2) years’ ineligibility (subject to possible reduction or increase in accordance with WADA Code provisions).”

Chepngetich, now 30, won the 2019 women’s World Championships marathon in Doha (QAT) in 2:32:43, infamously started at midnight because of the heat. But she is best known for her stunning 2:09:56 Chicago Marathon win last October, in which she not only set the world record, but became the first woman to run under 2:11 and under 2:10!

She owns three of the top-10 women’s marathon times in history: 2:09:56 in Chicago last year, 2:14:18 in Chicago in 2022 (no. 5) and 2:15:37 in Chicago in 2023 (no. 9). She contested the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon, but did not finish.

In 15 career marathons, she has won nine times, been second twice, third once and ninth once in the 13 races she finished.

Her last race was a 1:06:20 runner-up finish at the Lisbon (POR) Half on 9 March of this year, five days before she took her positive test on 14 March.

Kenyan doping has been an enormous problem, with 139 individuals listed on the AIU’s roster of ineligible persons through 30 June 2025, more than any other country. Now, Chepngetich and Felix Kirui have been added since then.

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LANE ONE: Exclusive review of 2025 world championships shows Norway, Germany, U.S. project as top Olympic Winter Games medal winners

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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≡ 2026 MEDAL PROJECTIONS ≡

Now that the Olympic Winter Games 2026 medal designs have been revealed, who is going to win them?

The true answer is no one knows just yet, but a clue as to the spread of medals and placings at the Milan Cortina 2026 Games can be taken from compiling the 2025 world championships results in the eight sports and 116 events to be held next year.

So, here it is!

The Sports Examiner reviewed each of the winter-sport worlds held in 2025, compiling the medal winners in 114 of the 116 events held (can you guess two that weren’t; check the end of the story). The compilation showed that 25 countries won the 342 medals in 2026 Winter Olympic events, shown in order of total medals (gold-silver-bronze):

● 41 ~ 17-13-11: Norway
● 35 ~ 8-15-12: Germany
● 33 ~ 15-10-8: United States
● 31 ~ 12-9-10: Switzerland
● 27 ~ 9-9-9: Canada

● 22 ~ 4-10-8: Japan
● 21 ~ 9-5-7: Netherlands
● 18 ~ 8-4-6: France
● 17 ~ 8-6-3: Italy
● 16 ~ 7-3-6: Sweden

● 16 ~ 3-7-6: Austria
● 9 ~ 3-4-2: Great Britain
● 8 ~ 0-4-4: China
● 7 ~ 1-1-5: South Korea
● 7 ~ 0-3-4: Finland

● 6 ~ 1-2-3: Czech Rep.
● 6 ~ 0-2-4: Poland
● 4 ~ 3-1-0: New Zealand
● 4 ~ 3-1-0: Slovenia
● 4 ~ 1-1-2: Australia

● 3 ~ 1-1-1: Belgium
● 3 ~ 0-2-1: Kazakhstan
● 2 ~ 1-1-0: Spain
● 1 ~ 0-1-0: Latvia
● 1 ~ 0-1-0: Ukraine

Seventeen of these are European countries, with four from Asia and two each from the Americas and Oceania. No Russians or Belarusians are shown in the medal counts and some of them could be in Milan Cortina, depending on the International Olympic Committee’s decision on the issue and the International Federations; that’s a wild card in these results.

There’s a lot of similarity in this list to the results of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing (CHN), contested during a Covid-19 lockdown:

● 37: Norway
● 27: Germany
● 25: United States
● 18: Sweden
● 18: Austria

In 2018 in PyeongChang (KOR):

● 39: Norway
● 31: Germany
● 29: Canada
● 23: United States
● 20: Netherlands

Beyond the 2025 World Championships medal winners, what about the countries with fourth- and fifth-place finishers this year, right behind the Worlds medalists this year? The U.S. came out well here:

● 32: United States
● 22: Italy
● 18: Canada
● 18: Norway
● 17: Austria
● 17: Switzerland

● 16: France
● 13: Sweden
● 11: Germany
● 9: Japan
● 9: China

Is this what will happen? Of course not. But it offers a backdrop to the competitions to come, and a guide to who will the nations to watch in Italy in 2026.

One more thing: a salute to long-time friend Luciano Barra, the chief operating officer of the Turin 2006 Winter Games organizing committee (among many important posts), who created these compilations in past years.

Rich Perelman
Editor

(What about those events for 2026 for which no Worlds event was held in 2025: the new men’s Team Sprint in Nordic Combined and the new men’s Super Team in Ski Jumping. The Figure Skating Team Event standings – not a Worlds event – were compiled from the scores of the four individual events.)

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PANORAMA: Elite beach volleyball coming to Newport Beach; Acura to support U.S. Bobsled; official laundry service for fencing?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Bobsled engineering tests under way at the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio aeroacoustic wind tunnel in East Liberty, Ohio (Photo: American Honda).

★ 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 ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Paris 2024 Endowment Fund announced Tuesday a series of programs to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the successful Olympic and Paralympic Games, using a portion of the €76 million (about $88.6 million U.S. today) organizing committee surplus.

Events will mark the anniversary of the Olympic opening on 26 July, Paralympic Day on 6 September and National Sports Day on 14 September. The 26 July program includes the unveiling of the “Monument of Champions” – supported by the City of Paris as well – listing the names of the Paris 2024 medal winners. Also, the opening ceremony statues of the 10 “illustrious women” will be inaugurated on the Rue de la Chapelle. An allocation of €6.36 million has been made for these projects.

The “Parc des Jeux” program with sports and cultural activities will also be re-activated at the Parc Georges Valbron, with a special concert on 26 July.

● Beach Volleyball ● In another sign of the wide impact of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Volleyball World announced a 12th Elite 16 event for 2025, to be held in Newport Beach, California, from 7-11 October.

The tour will be in Brazil for tournaments in Joao Pessoa from 17-21 September and Rio de Janeiro from 24-28 September, before coming north. Elite 16 events carry prize money of $300,000, split evenly between men and women; it’s the first Elite16-level tournament in the U.S. since October 2018, in Las Vegas. A follow-on 4×4 tournament for men and women on 12 October will have a $250,000 prize purse.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● “USA Bobsled/Skeleton today announced a multi-year Official Premier Technology and Official Automotive Partnership with American Honda, strengthening support for the organization’s world-class athletes through 2030. The collaboration brings together the elite performance of USA Bobsled and Skeleton athletes with the advanced engineering capabilities of the U.S.-based research and development (R&D) teams at Honda.”

Tuesday’s announcement confirmed that the Honda Auto Development Center in Raymond, Ohio will assist with sled development and performance efficiency, and wind-tunnel testing is already being done at Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO), in East Liberty, Ohio.

The partnership is branded for Acura, Honda’s “premium performance division,” and is a welcome assist for USABS, for the Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina in 2026 and French Alps 2030.

● Cycling ● No change in the leaderboard at the 112th Tour de France after Wednesday’s 11th stage, a hilly, 156.8 km route in and around Toulouse, with Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR) winning the final sprint with Mauro Schmid (SUI), both in 3:15:56.

Race leader Ben Healy (IRL) was 24th, in a large pack that finished 3:28 back, including nos. 2-3-4 Tadej Pogacar (SLO: +0:29, who survived a small crash), Remco Evenepoel (+1:29) and Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: 1:46).

Expect fireworks on Thursday with a brutal, 180.6 km double climb, finishing with a climb from 456 m to 1,519 m at the Hautacam ski resort in the Pyrenees! An uphill Individual Time Trial follows on Friday.

● Fencing ● USA Fencing announced Poplin as the “Official Laundry Service” of the federation. How is that supposed to help? Here’s the pitch:

“The service’s convenient app lets you schedule a pickup, hand off your sweaty gear to a trusted Poplin Pro, and get it back fresh and folded as soon as the next day. Translation: you can schedule a pickup from your hotel during a NAC [North American Cup], snag a mid-trip ‘laundry refresh,’ and still fly home Monday morning with clothes that smell sweet, not sour. It’s also a great option for officials and coaches who spend long stretches away from home and need a quick clothes reset.”

Now, that’s service that geared to the needs of your customers!

● Freestyle Skiing ● Sad news from Norway, where Audun Groenvold, 49, who won a 2005 Worlds bronze in Ski Cross and a 2010 Olympic Winter Games bronze, died Tuesday night after being hit by lightning on 12 July (Saturday).

Following his skiing career, he had been involved in coaching, selling sports equipment and as a television analyst. He is survived by his wife Kristin, and three children.

● Swimming ● Familiar faces topped the podium at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with the men’s and women’s 10 km open-water races both finally held at a water quality delay, but in hot conditions of about 85 F or even a little higher on Wednesday afternoon.

The men’s race saw Tokyo Olympic 10 km winner Florian Wellbrock (GER) was at or near the lead for most of the race and had teammate Oliver Klemet for company on the final lap, with Kyle Lee (AUS) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) following.

The Italian moved up to second, but was never able to challenge Wellbrock, who won his third Worlds 10 km gold (also in 2019 and 2023) in 1:59:55.5, with Paltrinieri, the 2022 World Champion, second in 1:59:59.2, his eighth career Worlds open-water medal (2-5-1).

Lee outlasted Klemet for third, 2:00:10.3 to 2:00:10.4; Joey Tepper was the top American, in 12th at 2:01:53.8. Of the 78 starters, 16 did not finish or were lapped.

The women’s race was all about Australia’s Moesha Johnson, the Paris Olympic silver winner. She had the lead by the third of six laps and maintained a steady lead over Italy’s Ginerva Taddeucci and Monaco’s surprising Lisa Pou, who separated from the rest of the chasers on the final lap. At the touch, Johnson won by 2:07:51.3 to 2:07:55.7 to 2:07:57.5. It’s Johnson’s first individual Worlds medal; Taddecci moved up one position from her Paris Olympic bronze last year, while Pou got her first career Worlds medal.

Mariah Denigan was the top American, finishing 14th in 2:11:54.1; 16 of the 69 starters did not finish.

● Table Tennis ● As a follow-up to hosting its first United States Smash in Las Vegas last week, the International Table Tennis Federation and its commercial arm, World Table Tennis, announced Tuesday that a combined business and training center will be launched in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

This is part of a grow-the-game effort in the U.S. and the Pan American region by the ITTF, with the commercial and federation activities opening by the end of 2025 and the WTT Global Training Center in the second quarter of 2026.

● Water Polo ● Group play in the men’s tournament at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore concluded on Wednesday, with Italy, Spain, the U.S. and defending champ Croatia all finishing at 3-0.

The play-in games to the quarterfinals will be held on Friday (18th) and the quarters on the 20th (Sunday), with the U.S. facing the winner of Paris Olympic champ Serbia (2-1) and Japan (1-2).

● Wrestling ● USA Wrestling confirmed a dual meet of younger national men’s Freestyle team members against Russia on Monday (21 July) in Budapest (HUN), in coordination with the Professional Wrestling League:

“The teams are meeting in a neutral site in Budapest due to the logistical convenience for both federations. Some of the U.S. athletes in the dual meet also will compete in the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial UWW Ranking Series Event in Budapest, July 17-18. Based upon the success of PWL 9, there is hope that more dual meets can be organized, including a return to matches in Russia and the United States.”

United World Wrestling allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutrals” under the UWW flag; those who have shown support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are considered ineligible.

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PANORAMA: Nike joins Special Olympics Int’l in three-year tie-up; MLB players might play at LA28; Louganis medals auction ends Thursday!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Special Olympics banner at the 2023 World Games in Berlin (Photo: Special Olympics Int’l/Dillon Vibes).

★ 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 ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Positive comments on the possibility of Major League Baseball players participating in the 2028 Olympic tournament, now scheduled for six days at the start of the Games.

Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters, “I think it is a opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. Obviously the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, it’s a big deal.”

MLB Players Association chief Tony Clark said, “There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.”

● Special Olympics ● Major announcement from Washington, D.C.-based Special Olympics International, with Nike signing on for a three-year partnership, a first for the apparel and shoe giant, with a focus on promotion of the Sports Olympics Unified Sports project where players with and without intellectual disabilities compete together:

● “This partnership will be delivered through Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools (UCS). The support to UCS will help advance Nike’s commitment to powering the future of youth sport where all youth have access to sport.”

● “The partnership will concentrate on four key communities: Oregon, Berlin, Johannesburg, and Tokyo. Nike will engage its employees as volunteers in all four communities as a key element of the partnership, beginning with employee volunteer opportunities at both Special Olympics Oregon and Special Olympics Berlin Summer Games this July.”

● “Over the course of the three-year partnership, Nike and Special Olympics will collaborate on updating Special Olympics’ Global Unified Sports Coach courses and train-the-trainer materials, leveraging Nike’s three decades of youth sport coaching experience and deep insights with global partners and experts focused on quality coaching that’s inclusive and welcoming to all youth. They will also work to recruit more Unified Sports coaches to more closely reflect community demographics—with the ambition of training and certifying more than 600 additional volunteer coaches across the four key communities.”

Special Olympics International also announced that chief executive Mary Davis (IRL) will retire at the end of the year, concluding 10 years at the head of the organization and 47 years in the Special Olympics movement. David Evangelista (USA) has been named as her successor, currently the Regional President & Managing Director, Europe Eurasia for Special Olympics.

● Memorabilia ● Time is running out for the RR Auction of Olympic memorabilia that will close on 17 July (Thursday). The bidding always get heavy at the end, but multiple items are already with bids of $10,000 or more by Tuesday afternoon:

● $53,148: 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympic torch (8 bids)
● $26,329: 2024 Paris Olympic torch and gold medal set (10)
● $19,976: 1984 Greg Louganis Olympic 3 m diving gold (11)
● $18,782: 1988 Greg Louganis Olympic 10 m diving gold (15)
● $15,520: 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympic torch (16)

A very rare Oslo 1952 Winter Games torch is at $9,889, a triple torch collection (1984 Olympic-1998 Winter-2002 Winter) is at $8,531, a Paris 2024 torch is at $8,480 and Louganis’ 1976 10 m silver medal is at $4,784.

Open bidding is available up to 6 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday (17th), with conditions beyond that time (consult the auction catalog details here).

● Aquatics ● The men’s and women’s 10 km open-water swimming events continue to be in doubt as World Aquatics announced that pollution levels are still too high for competition on Wednesday morning (16th).

So, pending better results, the races have been moved to the afternoon of the 16th, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with a scheduled off-day on the 17th. Ticket refunds are available for those not wishing to see the events at the re-scheduled times.

● Athletics ● USA Track & Field, which has shed some of its staff in a budget-saving exercise and seen others depart, hired Running USA Executive Director Jay Holder to be its Chief Content and Communications Officer. Holder had been an independent director of USA Track & Field since January; that director position is now vacant.

Holder was the head of Running USA from November 2023, coming from seven years with the Atlanta Track Club and 10 years in local television producer roles in New York, Charlotte and Syracuse.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced the suspension of Kenyan marathoner Felix Kirui for “2 years from 8 July 2025 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Triamcinolone acetonide). DQ results from 4 May 2025.”

This will nullify his lifetime best 2:10:45 win in the Durban (RSA) Marathon, on 4 May.

● Football ● FIFA announced that the “first ticket draw” for assignments to be able to buy tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be on 10 September 2025. Those wishing to buy tickets must register on the FIFA ticketing site:

“There will be several distinct ticket sales phases from the start of sales on 10 September 2025, through to the final match on Sunday, 19 July 2026. Each phase may differ in purchasing processes, payment methods and ticket products, and full details on each phase will be released in the coming months.”

Hospitality packages which include tickets, are already on sale.

Sergio Marchi (ARG), the President of FIFPRO, the worldwide football player union, blasted FIFA and the just-concluded FIFA Club World Cup, including:

“FIFPRO cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnection with the true reality that most footballers around the world are going through.

“What was presented as a global festival of football was nothing more than a fiction staged by FIFA, driven by its president, without dialogue, without sensitivity and without respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts. A grandiloquent staging that inevitably recalls the ‘bread and circuses’ of Nero’s Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the curtain the inequality, precariousness and lack of protection of the real protagonists deepens. …

“The tournament also took place under unacceptable conditions, with matches being played in extremely hot weather and at temperatures that put the physical integrity of the players at risk. This situation must not only be denounced, but must also be strongly condemned. Under no circumstances must this happen again at next year’s FIFA World Cup.”

● Gymnastics ● Belgian star Nina Derwael, 25, the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist on the Uneven Bars, announced her retirement, effective immediately. Across eight years, she won four World Championships medals (2-0-2) all on the Uneven Bars and five European Championships medals (4-1-0), including the Uneven Bars and Balance Beam at the 2025 Euros in Germany.

“I have achieved everything I wanted to. I proved what I was capable of. Recently, I have increasingly found myself asking: ‘Hasn’t it been enough? Is it worth risking my body?’ Ultimately, I have to conclude that it has been enough.”

● Swimming ● Three brilliant Virginia stars – Olympians all – Kate Douglass, Alex and Gretchen Walsh announced the “Olympic Endowment Scholarship for Women’s Swimming Fund,” to also receive a 50% match from the Virginia Athletics Foundation to create a scholarship for a women’s swimmer at the school.

● Water Polo ● At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, the U.S. women’s national team completed a 3-0 group stage with a 26-3 rout of Argentina and finished with a 52-19 goals-against total.

Now into the quarters (19th), the Americans will face the winner of the Japan (1-2) vs. Great Britain (2-1) match on the 17th. Australia, Hungary and Spain – all 3-0 – won the other groups.

● Wrestling ● The final spot on the U.S. men’s Freestyle team for the 2025 World Championships was filled on Monday, as Bishop McCort (Johnstown, Pa.) High School senior (and Oklahoma State commit) Jax Forrest defeated 2023 World Champion Vito Arujau in the men’s 61 kg class, 4-3, 7-2.

It will be Forrest’s first seniors Worlds team; he won a Worlds U-17 55 kg silver in 2022.

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SWIMMING: Sterling 2024 financial report from USA Swimming, with $51 million revenue; no. 4 among all U.S. national federations!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ USA SWIMMING FINANCIALS ≡

In a little more than a year, USA Swimming hosted a groundbreaking Olympic Trials in an NFL stadium, won 28 medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, saw its long-time chief executive and a possible new chief executive both leave, as well as its chief operating officer.

Through all of this, it has confirmed its place as one of the most successful and financially stable U.S. National Governing Bodies.

The USA Swimming 2024 financial statements have been released, with a short summary attached to the formal, audited statements, showing a federation with impressive resources for a sport which has no professional circuit or league and whose television presence is limited to its own USA Swimming Network and NBC’s Peacock streaming service:

● $51.06 million in revenue
● $46.23 million in expenses
● $4.82 million surplus for the year

● $74.60 million total assets
● $50.50 million net assets/reserves

The driving force behind the financials is membership, with $24.31 million in member dues, up from $23.40 million in 2023. The federation reported 376,479 individual members and 2,798 club members in 2024.

Next was “sports and events” which rose from a modest $630,197 (net) in 2023 to a net of $6.58 million in 2024, thanks to a $5.152 million surplus from the record-setting U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis in June.

USA Swimming paid $4.21 million in direct athlete support in 2024 ($2.23 million from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) and another $4.23 million in national team and sport development travel expenses.

So, how does USA Swimming match up with the other U.S. National Governing Bodies?

Research by The Sports Examiner shows that, according to the latest available financial statements for 2024 or 2023, USA Swimming ranks no. 4 in revenue, and no. 6 in net assets.

The following list – based on publicly-available information – shows the 23 U.S. Olympic-sport NGBs with revenues of $10 million or more from their latest audited financials (2023 or 2024 as noted):

● $623.21 million: U.S. Tennis 2024 ($733.98 million net assets)
● $192.19 million: U.S. Soccer 2024 ($77.98 million net assets)
● $67.79 million: USA Hockey 2024 ($58.38 million net assets)
● $51.06 million: USA Swimming 2024 ($50.50 million net assets)
● $50.43 million: U.S. Ski & Snowboard 2024 ($83.98 million net assets)

● $49.43 million: USA Volleyball 2024 ($41.39 million net assets)
● $36.73 million: U.S. Equestrian Foundation 2023 ($21.31 million net assets)
● $36.71 million: USA Track & Field 2023 (–$4.93 million net assets)
● $30.90 million: U.S. Figure Skating 2024 ($109.50 million net assets)
● $27.75 million: USA Gymnastics 2023 (–$2.25 million net assets)

● $23.58 million: USA Baseball 2023 ($8.59 million net assets)
● $22.36 million: USA Lacrosse 2023 ($25.02 million net assets)
● $21.95 million: USA Basketball 2023 ($39.17 million net assets)
● $21.43 million: USA Climbing 2023 ($14.19 million net assets)
● $20.80 million: USA Triathlon 2023 ($10.01 million net assets)

● $19.93 million: USA Wrestling 2023 ($15.25 million net assets)
● $17.92 million: USA Water Polo 2023 ($5.54 million net assets)
● $17.30 million: USA Fencing 2024 ($4.31 million net assets)
● $16.75 million: USA Rowing 2023 ($3.73 million net assets)
● $15.95 million: USA Rugby 2023 ($1.04 million net assets)

● $13.79 million: USA Sailing 2023 ($9.17 million net assets)
● $13.35 million: USA Softball 2023 ($7.77 million net assets)
● $11.79 million: USA Cycling 2023 ($10.56 million net assets)

The U.S. Tennis Association is the organizer of the annual U.S. Open championships in New York, which generate more than $500 million in annual revenue. Soccer is also highly professionalized, for both the men’s and women’s national teams; those are the two NGBs with more than $100 million in annual revenue.

Of the top 23, 20 are summer Olympic sports and three are Olympic Winter sports, with swimming no. 3 in revenue and assets among all of the summer-sport governing bodies. Impressive.

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MILAN CORTINA 2026: Olympic Winter Games medals revealed, with symbolic designs of two halves and two textures

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games medals (Photo: Milan Cortina 2026).

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≡ MEDALS REVEALED ≡

“The official medals of the upcoming 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games have been unveiled in Venice, designed as two halves that symbolize the culmination of an athlete and Para athlete’s journey and of all those who have walked beside them along the way. Created by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS), Official Sponsor of the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.”

Tuesday’s announcement included the usual barrage of photographs and videos on the medals, how they were designed and being manufactured. The two-halves, two-textures design also salutes the dual hosting of Milan and Cortina.

The Olympic medals have the two-halves front and the Olympic rings; the Paralympic medals have the same design, but with the Paralympic agitos.

The words “XXV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES” are incised on the medal’s edge, with an indicator of first place (one bar), second (two) or third (three), and the IPZS maker’s identification mark (IPZS is the Italian state mint).

On the back, the Olympic medal continues the two-halves design, with the Milano Cortina 2026 logo on top and the name of the sport and event. The Paralympic reverse also has the logo and sport and event, but adds braille as well. The Olympic lanyards are blue and the Paralympic lanyards are red.

The key facts:

● 1,146 medals will be awarded in 195 events across both Games
● Olympic Winter Games: 245 gold, silver and bronze medals (735 total).
● Winter Paralympic Games: 137 gold, silver and bronze medals (411 total)

● All medals are 80 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick
● Gold medals are .999 silver + 6 g gold (506 g: 17.85 oz)
● Silver medals are .999 silver (500 g: 17.64 oz)
● Bronze medals are copper (420 g: 14.82 oz)

The medal boxes and medal trays are being specially designed Versalis (Eni), already working on the Olympic and Paralympic torches and an Official Supporter of the Games.

Milan Cortina 2026 will be the 25th Olympic Winter Games, and as the medal designs are completely up to the organizing committee, they have varied greatly over time. They have also gotten bigger and bigger. The 2026 medals will be 80 mm in diameter, a third larger than the 60 mm-wide medals for the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina. But the 2026 awards are not close to being the largest; the top 15 (no data available on the 2022 Beijing medals):

● 107 mm: 2006 Turin (ITA)
● 100 mm: 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER)
● 100 mm: 2010 Vancouver (CAN)
● 100 mm: 2014 Sochi (RUS)
● 92.5 mm: 2018 PyeongChang (KOR)
● 92 mm: 1992 Albertville (FRA)
● 85 mm: 2002 Salt Lake City (USA)
● 80 mm: 1980 Lake Placid (USA)
● 80 mm: 1998 Nagano (JPN)
● 80 mm: 2026 Milan Cortina (ITA)

● 78 mm: 1994: Lillehammer (NOR)
● 72 mm: 1976 Innsbruck (AUT)
● 71 mm: 1952 Oslo (NOR)
● 71 mm: 1984 Sarajevo (YUG)
● 70 mm: 1964 Sapporo (JPN)

The weight of the medals has also become an issue, with the 2018 PyeongChang medals weighing in at 586 grams for the gold, a neck-straining 20.67 ounces! The 2026 medals will be a more svelte 506 g or 17.85 oz. for the gold medals.

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ATHLETICS: Athletics Integrity Unit reports 97.8% of all Paris 2024 Olympic finalists tested out-of-competition before the Games!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ AIU ANNUAL REPORT ≡

At the Olympic Games and the World Championships, it’s the medal winners who get almost all of the attention. And, in its 2024 Annual Report, the Athletics Integrity Unit was happy to note that it had the medal winners and medal contenders under surveillance:

● “A total of 10,112 doping controls – including 7,080 out-of-competition (OOC) tests – were conducted on the 1,876 [athletics] athletes who competed in Paris (average of 5.4 tests/athlete).”

● “97% of medallists in Paris were included in one of the AIU testing pools (87% in the main Registered Testing Pool and 10% in second-tier pools). All medallists in Paris had at least one OOC test before competing.”

● “Of the 319 finalists in Paris, 224 (70%) were part of AIU’s RTP and another 53 (total of 87%) were monitored by the AIU either as part of the second-tier AIU testing pools or through express recommendations to NADOs [national anti-doping organizations]. Only seven of the 319 finalists were not tested out-of-competition prior to the Olympic Games.”

This was, of course, only part of the AIU effort in 2024, which included a much wider testing program:

● 12,982 samples from 3,744 athletes from 139 countries
● 64.5% were out-of-competition tests
● 51% men and 49% women
● 522 competitions at which the AIU did testing
● 838 athletes in the highest-level Registered Testing Pool

● 47% of tests on African athletes
● 26% of tests on European athletes
● 12% of tests on North American athletes
● 10% of tests on Asian athletes
● 2% of tests each on Oceania and South American athletes

In terms of testing by events, distance athletes made up 63% of all testing followed by sprints at 14%. Middle distances (8%), throws (7%), jumps (6%) made up most of the rest, with combined events at 2%.

Out of all this testing, there were 405 doping cases of some type which were flagged in 2024:

● 100 AIU cases and 305 national-level cases
● Of the 100 AIU cases: 44 violations, 36 pending, 20 closed (no violation)
● Of the 100 AIU cases: 9 refusal to sample or “whereabouts” failure

● Of the 305 national cases: 233 were doping positives (117 steroids), 23 had atypical findings and 49 were non-analytical (38 refusal to sample or “whereabouts”).

Education was also an increasing focus, with the AIU preferring sessions with small groups. It did 74 seminars in 2024 in 14 languages, and, importantly, reached 610 of the 838 athletes in the Registered Testing Pool one-on-one during the year.

The AIU did this for a cost of $11,897,586, most of which went to staff costs ($4.60 million) and testing ($4.48 million). Another $627,266 was spent on disciplinary efforts and legal fees. Revenue, from road-race testing fees and “recovered expenses” from Russia and Kenya totaled $3.84 million, so World Athletics picked up $8.06 million to underwrite the 2024 effort.

As thorough and impressive as the AIU report was, it did not detail the situation in its ineligible list, which included 660 persons, including athletes, coaches and support personnel. The leading countries with individuals on the list included (as of 1 July 2025):

● 139: Kenya
● 129: India
● 61: Russia
● 29: China
● 20: Turkey

● 18: Italy
● 18: South Africa
● 17: Ukraine
● 15: Ethiopia
● 14: Morocco

● 14: United States
● 11: France
● 10: Kuwait
● 10: Nigeria

Taken together, the top three countries account for 49.8% of the list. Wow. Kenya is now under direct AIU supervision, India has been told by the International Olympic Committee that its 2036 Olympic bid is damaged by its doping situation, and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency continues to be suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

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SPOTLIGHT: Progress of Paralympic Movement on display at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

By
Bob Reinert
-
The U.S. women’s 2004 Paralympic gold-medal-winning wheelchair basketball team, inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame (Photo: USOPC/Mark Reis).

★ The Sports Examiner is delighted to present this important contribution from our patron, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, with a focus on American Paralympic stars. Opinions expressed are those of the USOPC. ★

Susan Hagel, Marla Runyan and Stephanie Wheeler of the 2004 U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team reflected on the honor of being inducted.

By Bob Reinert
Red Line Editorial

When Susan Hagel began competing internationally in 1973, the world of adaptive sports was much different than it is today.

At the time, national team members were expected to compete in multiple sports to develop skill levels and increase the likelihood of earning medals. For Hagel, that meant practicing with the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team when she wasn’t honing her skills as an archer.

“You had to kind of prove your mettle, per se, in the different sports,” Hagel recalled. “The basketball team was made up of women doing other sports. So, if you weren’t competing in your primary sport, you were expected to be on the basketball court.”

In 1976, Hagel won gold in Para archery during her Paralympic Games debut in Toronto. By her sixth and final Games in 1996, she had won four golds and two bronzes across Para archery and wheelchair basketball, while also competing in track and field during the 1980 Games in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

For her versatility, Hagel earned a spot into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2025, making her one of the 14 inductees that was honored this past Saturday (12th) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Along with Hagel, the Class of 2025 included three other Paralympic icons: sled hockey goalie Steve Cash, track-and-field star Marla Runyan and the entire 2004 U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team. Cash did not attend the induction ceremony.

Despite accomplishments that stretch across six decades, Hagel was taken aback by her selection to the Hall of Fame.

“I was really surprised and shocked at this honor being given to me,” Hagel said. “I think it took quite a while for it to actually kind of sink in.”

Being a part of a Hall of Fame is nothing new for Hagel. She currently serves as a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame committee, helping her stay active in the Paralympic Movement.

“I feel very proud of that in that I always was trying to establish opportunities for other people and wanting to advance the sport and being a mentor to people who are starting out,” Hagel said. “I think that progress that’s happened is just wonderful, but there’s still a lot of progress to be made. But we’re heading in the right direction.”

Like Hagel, Runyan competed in multiple sports during her international career, starring at track and field while also dabbling as a cyclist.

During her Paralympic debut in Barcelona 1992, Runyan brought home four gold medals in track and field. Over two Paralympic appearances, she earned five golds and one silver.

In 2000, Runyan made history by becoming the first visually-impaired athlete to make the U.S. Olympic Team. She placed eighth in the 1,500-meter in 2000 before earning a ninth-place finish in the 5,000-meter four years later.

She is still the only U.S. athlete to compete in the Paralympics and Olympics.

Runyan, who recently graduated from Syracuse University College of Law, said she hadn’t spent much time reflecting on her athletic career, so the Hall of Fame selection caught her off guard.

“It’s truly an honor, especially given my career was some time ago,” Runyan said. “You just get caught up in day-to-day life. It’s easy to forget all that work. The recognition, to me, is so important because it’s acknowledging what it took.”

The honor forced some self-reflection from Runyan, who realized how momentous the 1992 Paralympics were, but not because of the medals she won.

“The friendships with the other Para athletes … those are really special,” Runyan said. “I felt like there was just this connection that I developed from that experience. I remember in those ’92 Games the opening ceremonies and walking into the stadium.”

The Paralympic Movement was relatively new when Runyan competed. In the years since her completive career ended, she has continued to do her part.

In 2017, she began working with the Boston Marathon to establish new divisions in the race for adaptive athletes. Three years later, Boston became the first major marathon to have divisions for classified Para athletes, adding them for vision, lower-limb and upper-limb impairments. Runyan also advocated for increased prize money for the wheelchair division.

“Disparity, to me, just doesn’t have a place anymore,” Runyan said. “It never did. The athleticism is what I always want to put up front.”

Stephanie Wheeler entered the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2004 Paralympic gold medal-winning U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team. She called that the most connected team she’d ever experienced.

“We all obviously had this goal of wanting to win a gold medal in Athens,” Wheeler said. “But more important and more long-lasting, I think [were] the bonds and the friendships that developed over the course of time we were together.”

The Americans hadn’t won a gold medal in the sport since 1988, and they had an inauspicious start in Athens, opening the tournament with a one-point loss to Australia.

They rallied from there to defeat three-time defending champion Canada in the semifinals and got their revenge in the gold medal game against Australia with a 56-44 win.

“We genuinely cared about each other and genuinely liked being around each other,” Wheeler said. “I think all of that makes a huge difference when you’re trying to do something as hard as winning a gold medal.

“We were pushed because we had never been in those moments before together. But I think it made it more exciting.”

The induction ceremony in Colorado Springs on Saturday marked the first time since the 2004 podium appearance that all the team members and staff had been in the same room together.

“I think that speaks volumes to just how connected our team was,” said Wheeler, “and how much we wanted to be here for each other.”

Wheeler won another gold medal as a player in 2008 and coached the U.S. to another gold in 2016. Since 2009, she has led the University of Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball program.

Prior to the induction ceremony, Wheeler said she and her teammates were experiencing a sense of disbelief and honor.

“You never think about something like this happening when you’re playing your sport,” Wheeler said. “You’re just thinking about being the best you can possibly be when the moment demands it. You’re never thinking something like this is going to come out of it.”

Bob Reinert spent 17 years writing sports for The Boston Globe. He also served as a sports information director at Saint Anselm College and Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a contributor to the USOPC on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

For more, please visit the USOPC Paralympic Educational Hub.

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PANORAMA: Triathlon appears to be the first gold on tap at LA28; open-water 10 km delayed for pollution at Singapore Worlds; Healy leads Tour de France!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Venice beach, site of the first scheduled medal event of the 2028 Olympic Games: triathlon (Photo: LA28).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● A few more notes from the Monday announcement of the by-sport and by-session schedules for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles:

● First event: The first competitions will be on 12 July, a couple of days before the opening, for the team sports of cricket (Pomona Fairgrounds), handball (Long Beach Arena) and field hockey at the Dignity Health Sports Center, all starting at 9 a.m. local time. Look for some preliminary football matches to be added later that might be even earlier.

● First medal: The first event to be completed appears to be one of the triathlons, on 15 July at Venice Beach, starting at 7:30 a.m. (if the weather and the water are OK). Next up appears to be Canoe Slalom racing in Oklahoma City, with the session on 14 July running from 9 a.m. to noon local time and 7-10 a.m. L.A. times.

● Last event: The final events shown on the schedule are at SoFi Stadium in swimming, at 4:30 p.m., possibly the 4×100 m medley relays, ending just 90 minutes before the closing ceremonies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. No time is shown for the final-day marathon, which could end even later, but would be running in late-afternoon heat in Los Angeles.

A total of 844 ticketed sessions are currently scheduled. There will be many tweaks on the road to 2028, but that’s what the Monday announcement shows now.

LA28 and the City of Los Angeles announced Monday that the PlayLA program, powered by $160 million from the International Olympic Committee, has reached the one million mark in registered participants.

● Aquatics ● Water quality for open-water swimming isn’t an issue only for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Seine River, as World Aquatics postponed the open-water opener of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Monday:

“The Women’s 10km event was originally scheduled to take place on 15 July 2025 at 8:00 a.m. Following a review involving representatives from World Aquatics, the Singapore 2025 Organising Committee, the World Aquatics Sports Medicine Committee, and the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Technical Committee, the decision was made to postpone the race in the utmost interest of athlete safety.”

Water samples on Sunday (13th) showed unacceptable pollution levels, so the women’s and men’s 10 km races are now slated for 16 July (Wednesday); an off-day is scheduled for the 17th.

Swimswam.com reported that entries for the swimming portion of the World Aquatics Championships show 30 Russians – 18 men and 12 women – admitted as neutrals by World Aquatics. Russia had one swimmer at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

● Cycling ● Monday’s eight-climb stage across 165.3 km to the uphill finish at Le Mont turned the 112th Tour de France inside out. A breakaway group of 29 finally came down to five men and then to British star Simon Yates – the Giro d’Italia winner – who attacked with 3 km left and won in 4:20:05 for his third career Tour stage win.

Behind him was Thymen Arensman (NED: +0:09), then stage 6 winner Ben Healy of Ireland (+0:31). The race leaders were way back, with Tadej Pogacar (SLO: +4:51) in ninth and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: +4:51) in 10th.

So, Healy took the yellow jersey going into Tuesday’s rest day, 29 seconds up on Pogacar, and 1:29 ahead of Remco Evenepoel (BEL), 1:46 up on Vingegaard and 2:06 ahead of American Matteo Jorgenson.

● Football ● The FIFA Club World Cup ended Sunday with an excellent crowd of 81,118 – biggest of the tournament – at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Paris-St. Germain.

Overall, the expanded event had a total attendance of 2,491,462 or 39,547 per match, far beyond what this event drew previously as a small tournament on the FIFA schedule. But, even with NFL stadiums available for most of the matches, some marquee European clubs playing and a lot of pre-event hype, it was far behind the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar – also with 32 teams and 104 matches – that drew 3,404,252 spectators or 53,191 per match.

The semifinals and finals were all held at MetLife – the site for the World Cup final in 2026 – which drew strong crowds of 70,556 and 77,542 for the semis and then a close-to-capacity crowd for the final. FIFA has the idea to hold the tournament again in 2029.

● Rowing ● World Rowing found a replacement for Rio de Janeiro (BRA), which withdrew suddenly in May as the host of the 2025 Beach Sprint Finals in October. Instead, Antalya (TUR), which is already hosting the European Beach Sprint Finals from 8-13 October, will also hold the World Rowing Beach Sprint finals from 6-9 November.

The Beach Sprint has been added to the 2028 Olympic program, as the Lightweight classes in rowing were eliminated.

● Triathlon ● Australian Matt Hauser won the men’s World Triathlon Championship Series race in Hamburg (GER), then came back to help his Australian team take Sunday’s Mixed Relay and earn the 2025 World Championship gold.

The Aussies were seventh entering the final leg, with Hauser trailing 2021 European Champion Dorian Connix (FRA), as Olympic champion Cassandra Beaugrand had given the French an 18-second advantage over Australian third leg Emma Jeffcoat. But Hauser made up 16 seconds on the swim and was essentially even starting the 1.6 km run. He completed the two laps in 4:23 to 4:27 for Connix to end a 1:16:52 to 1:16:55 victory. Germany was third at 1:16:59; the U.S. was eighth at 1:17:52, with Taylor Spivey, Chase McQueen, Erika Ackerlund and John Reed.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 marks three years to go with first release of sports schedule and session times

By
Rich Perelman
-
Artist’s rendering of track & field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at the 2028 Olympic Games (provided by LA28)

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≡ LA28 SCHEDULE RELEASE ≡

If you like to think ahead, now is the time to get out your calendar and sketch out your plans for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. On Monday, marking three years to go before the opening on 14 July 2028, the organizing committee released the first presentation of the sports schedules by day and by session.

There will be some changes, but the basic outline of the Games is now available. By sport (use of “dates” indicates off days in the schedule), there are 50 sports or disciplines with schedules in Los Angeles:

● Aquatics/Artistic: 5 days from 25-29 July
● Aquatics/Diving: 11 dates from 15-28 July
● Aquatics/Open Water: 2 days from 17-18 July
● Aquatics/Swimming: 9 days from 22-30 July
● Aquatics/Water Polo: 11 dates from 12-23 July

● Archery: 8 days from 21-28 July
● Athletics/T&F: 10 days from 15-24 July
● Athletics/Road: 3 dates from 27-30 July
● Badminton: 10 days from 15-24 July
● Baseball: 6 days from 15-20 July

● Basketball/3×3: 7 days from 16-22 July
● Basketball/5×5: 18 dates from 12-30 July
● Boxing/prelims: 9 days from 15-23 July
● Boxing/finals: 4 days from 27-30 July
● Canoe/Sprint: 5 days from 25-29 July

● Cricket: 16 dates from 12-29 July
● Cycling/BMX-Free: 2 days from 28-29 July
● Cycling/BMX-Race: 2 days from 15-16 July
● Cycling/Mtn. Bike: 2 days from 17-18 July
● Cycling/Road: 3 dates from 19-23 July

● Cycling/Track: 6 days from 25-30 July
● Equestrian: 13 dates from 15-29 July
● Fencing: 9 days from 15-22 July
● Flag Football: 8 days from 15-22 July
● Football/semis-finals: 5 dates from 24-29 July

● Golf: 10 dates from 19-29 July
● Gymnastics/Artistic: 10 dates from 15-25 July
● Gymnastics/Rhythmic: 3 days from 27-29 July
● Gymnastics/Trampoline: 1 day on 20 July
● Handball: 16 dates from 12-28 July

● Hockey: 17 dates from 12-29 July
● Judo: 8 days from 15-22 July
● Lacrosse: 6 days from 24-29 July
● Modern Pent.: 4 days from 15-18 July
● Rowing/Classic: 8 days from 15-22 July

● Rowing/Coastal: 2 days from 24-25 July
● Rugby Sevens: 6 dates from 12-18 July
● Sailing: 11 dates from 16-28 July
● Shooting: 11 days from 15-25 July
● Skateboard: 6 dates from 18-27 July

● Sport Climbing: 6 days from 24-29 July
● Squash: 10 days from 15-24 July
● Surfing: 4 days from 15-18 July
● Table Tennis: 15 days from 15-29 July
● Taekwondo: 4 days from 26-29 July

● Tennis: 10 days from 19-28 July
● Triathlon: 3 dates from 15-20 July
● Volleyball/beach: 14 days from 15-29 July
● Volleyball/indoor: 16 days from 15-30 July
● Weightlifting: 5 days from 25-29 July

● Wrestling: 7 days from 24-30 July

In Oklahoma City (2):
● Canoe/Slalom: 9 days from 14-22 July
● Softball: 7 days from 23-29 July

As is the norm, several team sports will start early, with baseball, cricket, football, handball, hockey and Rugby Sevens all starting on Wednesday, 12 July.

There are no dates or venues announced yet for the track & field walks or the cycling road races, and no venue yet for mountain biking. Preliminary football matches will be held outside of Los Angeles from 12-22 July.

The session schedule is broken down by venue group, a handy way to gauge what one could see within the same general area; this especially helpful for multi-venue sites such as the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Dignity Health Sports Center in Carson or the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Center in the San Fernando Valley.

Observed: The LA28 organizers made some clear choices about how the Games will flow, no doubt in consultation with NBC, as well as the International Olympic Committee and the International Federations.

The first week, usually the best for television audiences in the U.S., features track & field and artistic gymnastics, scheduled to be programmed consecutively:

● Gymnastics: the four finals days on 17-18-19-20 July are from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the 17th starting at 5:15 p.m.

● Track & Field: the same four days have afternoon sessions starting at 4 p.m. and finishing about 6:40 p.m., so some overlap, but not much. The session on the 17th runs longer, to 7:15 p.m. Everything will be in sunshine.

Baseball is in the first week – 15-20 July – set up to replace the annual All-Star Break with a few more days thrown in. Same for Flag Football, also in the first week from 15-22 July, so whatever NFL players are involved can get back for training camp. This is not by coincidence.

The second week is now devoted to swimming and the team sports, with track & field ending on Monday (24th) and swimming overlapping, starting on the 22nd, with just  one open day after the end of artistic gymnastics.

Further, the schedule also points to clear hot spots for transportation. The downtown Los Angeles and Exposition Park areas will be overloaded during the first week. Expo Park, especially, will need significant park-and-ride support (as in 1984) to handle:

● 67,000: Coliseum seating after adding the track
● 22,000: BMO Stadium capacity for flag football and lacrosse
● 16,000: Argue/LA84 Swim Stadium for diving

Now, the BMO Stadium seating could be reduced to create a more intimate setting for flag and lacrosse, but the building now has seating for 22,000 for football (soccer). The seating estimate for diving is based off of the renderings created by LA28 and could be way off. But it’s 100,000 people or so in a tight space; nothing the Coliseum has not handled before by itself, but there will be three venues running concurrently for the first week, with a lot of moving parts and next-to-no on-site parking.

Offering this much detail three years out is a good milestone for LA28 and sets up the discussions which need to be had an a fairly early stage.

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PANORAMA: USOPC welcomes 14 new Hall of Famers; 1.1 million TV audience for Pre Classic; U.S.-Russia in wrestling dual next week

By
Rich Perelman
-
American sprint star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden winning the 2025 Pre Classic women's 100 m (Photo: Diamond League AG).

★ 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 ≡

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The Class of 2025 was inducted into the USOPC Hall of Fame in ceremonies in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, with 14 superstar inductees: five Olympians, one Olympic team, three Paralympians, one Paralympic team, two legends, one coach and one special contributor:

● Olympian: Gabby Douglas (artistic gymnastics)
● Olympian: Allyson Felix (track & field)
● Olympian: Bode Miller (alpine skiing)
● Olympian: Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball)
● Olympian: Serena Williams (tennis)
● Olympic Team: 2010 Four-man Bobsled Team

● Paralympian: Steve Cash (sled hockey)
● Paralympian: Susan Hagel (Para archery-track & field-wh’chair basketball)
● Paralympian: Marla Runyan (Para track and field)
● Paralympic team: 2004 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team

● Legend: Anita DeFrantz (rowing-LAOOC-IOC)
● Legend: Flo Hyman (volleyball)
● Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (basketball)
● Contributor: Phil Knight (Nike founder)

This group represented the U.S. at a combined 42 Olympic and Paralympic Games, winning 51 total medals, including 35 golds!

From 119 nominees, a panel narrowed the finalists to 42, with more than 300,000 votes cast by U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family and fans.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979, with the first class inducted in 1983; the 2025 class was the 18th. The ceremony was attended by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), among many others.

● Athletics ● Another strong audience for track & field on NBC as the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, 5 July drew an average of 1.1 million, according to NBC. This compares to (all on NBC):

● 2024-May: 1.166 million
● 2023-Sep.: 744,000 and 755,000 for 2-day Diamond League final
● 2022-May: 977,000
● 2021-Aug.: 1,177,000 (Covid schedule impact)

Track & field meets have done well on NBC, but with much smaller audiences elsewhere.

● Gymnastics ● The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced a revision of its rules for allowing participation of Russian and Belarusian gymnasts, with “refinements” to the rules regarding “government affiliation” and “[a]ctive support for the regime, including public statements, interviews and social media activity.”

Due to the changes, “previously rejected applications [may] be resubmitted.”

Russian Gymnastics Federation head Oleg Belozerov said. “We are satisfied that our arguments were taken into account by the members of the executive committee.”

● Wrestling ● The Russian news agency TASS reported that a dual meet between younger wrestlers of the U.S. and Russia will compete in a dual meet on 21 July in Budapest (HUN) within the framework of the Professional Wrestling League.

These are not the first-line, senior national teams from either country, and only in the 10 men’s Freestyle weight classes. Mikhail Mamiashvili, President of the Russian Wrestling Federation, told the Russian news agency TASS that two more matches will be held, one in Russia and one in the U.S.

The last time the U.S. and Russia met in a dual meet was in 2013 in New York as part of an international effort to return wrestling to the Olympic program.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Archery ● At the World Archery World Cup IV in Madrid (ESP), Mexico’s 21-year-old Matias Grande announced his arrival, winning the men’s Recurve gold with a 6-0 shutout of France’s Baptiste Adams. Korea’s Chae-young Kang, a four-time Worlds Team gold medalist, won the women’s Recurve with a 6-5 shoot-off (10-9) thriller against Hsin-Tzu Hsu (TPE).

France won the men’s Recurve Team title by 6-2 over the U.S. squad of Brady Ellison, Trenton Cowles and Christian Stoddard. Korea won the women’s Team final over China, with the American women – Catalina GNoriega, Casey Kaufhold and Jennifer Mucino – taking the bronze over Chinese Taipei, 6-2.

The U.S. struck gold in the Recurve Mixed Team, with Mucino and Ellison teaming up to defeat Korea, 5-3, in the final.

In the men’s Compound final, 2013 World Champion Mike Schloesser (NED) scored a 146-144 win over Turkey’s Emircan Haney, and 2022 World Games champ Ella Gibson (GBR) won the women’s final, 148-147 against India’s Jyothi Vennam. The Compound Mixed Team, which will be an LA28 event, went to Schoesser and Sanne de Laat (NED) over South Korea, 155-153.

● Athletics ● At the Sunset Tour Los Angeles meet on Saturday evening, Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Senayet Getachew moved to no. 6 on the world list for 2025 with a 30:36.67 win in the women’s 10,000 m, beating countrywoman Asayech Ayichew (30:47.24, no. 9).

Josette Andrews won the women’s 1,500 m in 4:00.10, now no. 5 in the U.S. in 2025 and Meghan Hunter got a lifetime best of 1:58.21 to take the women’s 800, now no. 4 in the U.S. this year.

Isaac Updike won the men’s Steeple in 8:13.64, now no. 2 U.S. in 2025, and Kenyan Brian Musau, the 18-year-old NCAA 5,000 m champ for Oklahoma State, won the 5,000 m in a lifetime best of 12:59.82. Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson set a national record in winning the men’s 800 m in 1:44.40.

At Sunday’s international meet in Marseille (FRA), American Demarius Smith won the men’s 400 m in a lifetime best of 45.19, followed by the returning Randolph Ross, in 45.41.

Ross, now 24, was the 2021 and 2022 NCAA 400 m winner for North Carolina A&T, was third at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, and won a 4×400 m relay gold for the U.S. at Tokyo 2020 (best of 43.85). But he was suspended for three years in 2022 for “whereabouts” failures, and became eligible on 1 July.

He’s still short of the USATF Nationals automatic qualifying standard of 45.20, with a week remaining before the cut-off date of 20 July, and likely needs to run faster to get in.

Amanda Vestri scored her first win and third national championships medal of the season at the USATF women’s 6 km Championship in Canton, Ohio. She ran away from the field after about 1.5 km and won in 18:28.57. Annie Frisbee was a distant second in 18:3526, with Fiona O’Keeffe third in 18:37.18.

Vestri was second in this race in 2024 and had already finished third at the national Half Marathon champs in March and second at four miles in June. Now, she has her first national title.

● Cycling ● At the 112th Tour de France, race favorite and three-time champion Tadej Pogacar (SLO) popped back into the lead on Friday, winning the hilly Friday stage of 197 km to the Mur-de-Bretagne. A group of seven raced on the uphill finish and Pogacar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) crossed in the same time of 4:05:39.

With Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel back in 22nd (+1:20), Pogacar took the yellow jersey once again, with a 54-second lead on double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (BEL) and 1:11 on Kevin Vanquelin (FRA).

Saturday’s 171.4 km race to Laval was the expected mass finish, with Italian sprint star Jonathan Milan edging Wout van Aert (BEL) in 3:50:26; the top 51 finishers were awarded the same time. Sunday’s 174.1 km ride to Chateauroux was another sprinter’s stage, with Belgian Tim Merlier winning his second stage of the Tour in 3:28:52, ahead of Milan, with the top 63 riders recording the same time.

So, heading into Monday, it’s Pogacar, Evenepoel (+0:54) and Vanquelin (+1:11), followed by Vingegaard (+1:17) and American Matteo Jorgenson (+1:34). (Monday is a rest day, as usual; thanks to Dr. Bill Mallon for a correction.)

The 36th women’s Giro d’Italia finished in Imola on Sunday,with a happy ending for the home fans with a win for Italian star Elisa Longo Borghini.

Swiss Marlen Reusser finished fifth in Thursday’s stage, and maintained the overall lead, then was given a yellow card and fined CHF 750 for “intimidation, insults directed to a rider and behavour that endangers others” in the final sprint against Italian Katia Ragusa, who finished ninth.

German Liane Lippert won Friday’s 145 km, hilly sixth stage from Pauliena Rooijakkers (NED) in 3:53:01 to 3:53:03, with the main contenders in a large group, and Reusser continuing in the lead. Things changed on Saturday, with the major uphill finish of the 150 km route to Monte Nerone. Australia’s Sarah Gigante won her second stage of the Giro, attacking with 2.5 km and racing away from Longo Borghini (+0:45). Canada’s Isabella Holmgren was third (+1:14) and then came Reusser at +1:17.

That gave Longo Borghini, the defending champion, the lead by 22 seconds on Reusser, with Gigante third at 1:11, with only the 134 km, hilly finale remaining. Lippert won again, out-dueling Dutch star Anna van der Breggen to the line in 3:40:07, with Reusser and Long Borghini leading the chase pack, eight seconds behind.

Even with a four-second time bonus, Reusser had to settle for second, 18 seconds behind Longo Borghini (24:37:03), who won her fourth medal in this race (2-1-1). Gigante stayed in third at +1:11; Ruth Edwards was the top American, in 46th.

Two-time Olympic champion Tom Pidcock (GBR) starred in the men’s Cross-Country Olympic race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal (AND), winning his first medal of the season in 1:20:30, well ahead of France’s Luca Martin (1:20:53) and fellow Brit Charlie Aldridge (1:21:22).

New Zealand’s Sammie Maxwell kept her streak alive as the only woman to win medals in all six XCO races this season, getting her second win in 1:25:31. That was nine second up on Swiss Alessandra Keller (1:25:40) with Sweden’s 2016 Rio Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds third (1:25:46).

American Christopher Blevins had won all five men’s Short Track races this season, but was finally stopped by 2023 Worlds U-23 winner Martin at the line, with both in 22:00. Mathis Azzaro (FRA: 22:02) got third. Keller, the 2022 Worlds XCC runner-up, took the women’s race in 20:32, with Evie Richards (GBR) second in 20:36.

Five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA) stopped Canadian Jackson Goldstone’s streak in the men’s Downhill at four in a row, winning in 2:34.367. Goldstone was a close second in 2:35.646 and French two-time Worlds winner Loris Vergier third (2:36.534). Four-time Worlds medalist Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) got her 11th career World Cup win in 2:56.835, ahead of three-time World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT: 2:58;651 and Norway’s Mille Johnset (2:58.825).

● Football ● Temperatures of 81 F (with 69%) humidity greeted the final of the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with underdog Chelsea scoring three first-half goals from forward Cole Palmer (ENG: 22nd and 30th) and striker Joao Pedro (BRA: 43rd), despite only 30% possession in the half against Paris St.-Germain.

The second half had no scoring, and PSG became increasing frustrated, with a red card for a bad hair-pull by midfielder Joao Neves (POR) in the 85th minute, and an on-field pushing-and-shoving match that included PSG manager Luis Enrique (ESP) and star keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (ITA).

PSG ended with 66% possession in front of a big house of 81,118, but Chelsea ended with a 10-8 edge on shots. Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez (ESP) was superb in goal, with five saves.

The 14th edition of the UEFA women’s European Championship is in Switzerland, with the group stage finishing on Sunday and the quarterfinals set to start on 17 July.

Norway (Group A), Spain (B), Sweden (C) and France (D) all went 3-0 in their groups, with Spain leading the scoring with 14 total goals while giving up three. In the quarters:

● 16 July: Norway (3-0) vs. Italy (1-1-1)
● 17 July: Sweden (3-0) vs. England (2-1)
● 18 July: Spain (3-0) vs. Switzerland (1-1-1)
● 19 July: France (3-0) vs. Germany (2-1)

The semis will be on 22-23 July and the final on 27 July, in Basel.

● Sailing ● Britain swept the IQ Foil World Championships in Aarhus (DEN), with Andy Brown and Emma Wilson taking the medal races.

Wilson, the Paris 2024 bronze medalist and the 2024 Worlds runner-up, was the best during the week with 28 net points, then won the third and final medal race to win the overall title. Tamar Steinberg (ISR) earned the silver medal, finishing 3-1-3 in the three medal races, then Theresa Steinlein (GER) with the bronze (1-3-4).

Brown was second in the first medal race, but won the second and earned his first Worlds medal. France’s Tom Arnoux was third and second for silver, with Nicolo Renna third and second for the bronze.

● Shooting ● At the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato (ITA), Italy’s 55-year-old, triple Olympic silver medalist Giovanni Pellielo hit his last 43 targets in a row to win the men’s Trap final at 48/50! That was just enough to get past Britain’s Matthew Coward-Holley, 30, the Tokyo 2020 bronzer, who scored 46/50. American Walton Eller, the Double Trap Olympic winner in 2008, finished fourth.

Australia’s Laetisha Scanlan, fourth in Paris, won the women’s Trap final, scoring 45/50, to best Paris silver star Silvana Stanco (ITA: 43). American Rachel Tozier finished sixth. Scanlan and Mitchell Iles teamed up to win the Trap Mixed Team gold, 45-41, over Spain.

● Sport Climbing ●/Updated/ American Sam Watson, the Olympic bronze winner, claimed his fifth career IFSC World Cup, in Chamonix (FRA), winning the men’s Speed final in 4.65, to 4.87 for Rishat Khaibullin (KAZ), with American Zach Hammer taking the bronze at 4.96.

Poland’s Olympic Speed gold medalist Aleksandra Miroslaw took the women’s title, timing 6.19 to 6.46 for Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (INA). American Emma Hunt, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, grabbed the bronze (6.35).

In the Lead finals, Japan’s 18-year-old sensation, Soratu Anraku, won his 11th career World Cup by reaching the top. Spain’s Alberto Gines was second at 43+ and Italian Filip Schenk also scored 43+, for third. Korea’s 2021 World Champion Chae-hyun Seo took the women’s Lead final at 44+, just ahead of American Annie Sanders (43+) and Britain’s Erin McNeice (42+). Brooke Raboutou of the U.S. was fourth (40+).

● Table Tennis ● The first appearance of the World Table Tennis United States Smash – with a $1.55 million prize purse – concluded Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada, with China reaching four of the five finals, and winning three.

In the Singles finals, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN), a Tokyo 2020 Team bronze winner, upset top-seed Shidong Lin (CHN) in the semis, 4-3, and faced no. 2, two-time Paris 2024 team gold winner Chuqin Wang (CHN). It was all Wang, winning 4-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10). The women’s final had unseeded Yi Chen (CHN) facing four-time Worlds Team gold medalist Yuling Zhu – now affiliated with Macau – with Zhu taking a 4-2 win (7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8)!

The all-China women’s Doubles final had Yidi Wang and Man Kuai overcoming Yingsha Sun and Manyu Wang in a struggle, 14-16, 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9. In the Mixed Doubles final, China’s Shidong Lin and Kuai won in straight sets in a highly competitive match with Koreans Jonghoon Lim and Yubin Shin, winning 13-11, 16-14, 11-6.

The men’s Doubles was a confident win for Korea’s Jae-hyun An and J-H Lim, 4-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6, against French brothers Alexis LeBrun and Felix LeBrun.

● Triathlon ● France celebrated a women’s 1-2 at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Hamburg (GER), with 2024 European silver winner Leonie Perault overcame Olympic champ and countrywoman Cassandra Beaugrand on the 5 km, to win in 56:25 to 56:29. Beaugrand had the lead on the run, but Perault had the fastest run by nine seconds and erased a five-second deficit. Britain’s 2023 World Champion, Beth Potter, finished third in 56:32, with Taylor Spivey the top U.S. finisher in 10th (56:59).

Australia’s Matthew Hauser, the defending champion, got his fourth career WTCS gold, had the fastest 5 km time by seven seconds – surging in the final 800 m – and won the Sprint format race by seven seconds – 50:07 to 50:14 – over Portugal’s 2020 Worlds runner-up Vasco Vilaca. Italy’s Alessio Crociani was third (50:36); John Reed was the top American, in 14th (51:29).

● Volleyball ● Bulgaria its first-ever FIVB women’s World U-19 Championship, beating the defending champion U.S. for the second time in the tournament, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27, in Osijek (CRO), after reaching the medal round for the first time ever.

It was the fourth straight medal for the Americans, who won in 2019 and 2023, and finished third in 2021. Poland slammed Turkey, 3-0, for the bronze.

● Water Polo ● Group play has started in the World Aquatics Championships tournaments in Singapore, with the U.S. men winning their opener, 18-9, over Canada in Group C. Brazil is next on Monday and then host Singapore on Wednesday (16th).

The American women are in Group B and have registered wins over China (15-7) and the Netherlands (11-9), with Emily Ausmus scored three goals in each. The last U.S. group match will be Tuesday (15th) against 0-2 Argentina.

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FOOTBALL: After a hot Club World Cup, Infantino looks to domed stadiums for daytime matches at 2026 FIFA World Cup (full analysis)

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 ≡

The FIFA Club World Cup that concludes Sunday has made at least one direct impact on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in Canada, Mexico City and the U.S.: beware of heat.

High summer temperatures in the U.S. caused more than a dozen games to be played in sweltering heat and/or humidity, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) – while calling the tournament a great success – added during a Saturday appearance in New York:

“We have seen how America has embraced all different communities from the entire world.

“Of course, the heat is definitely an issue, it’ an issue all over the world. I remember last year we were in Olympic Games in Paris; the games – the football games, even other sports, but speaking about football – so the games being played during the day were played in very hot conditions.

“We need to look at what we can do better. We introduced cooling breaks; it’s obviously very important. We watered the pitch; we can see how we can do things better.

“In America, as well as in Canada for next year – in Vancouver – we have stadiums as well which are covered , so we’ll definitely use these stadiums more in the day. But, of course, these are questions that we have to study.”

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez (ARG) played in Tuesday’s semifinal against Brazilian club Fluminense in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 96 F temps at kickoff at 3 p.m. Eastern time, and reflected days later:

“The other day I got a bit dizzy during a play. I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy. Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous … The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow.”

So, how is that going to work for 2026? Well, there are 16 venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada. Out of these, there are four domed stadiums and one roofed facility, at which 39 of the 104 matches of the tournament will be played:

Fully enclosed:
● Arlington (9 matches): AT&T Stadium (Groups F, J, L)
● Atlanta (8): Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Groups A, C, H, K)
● Houston (7): NRG Stadium (Groups E, F, H, K)
● Vancouver (7): BC Place Stadium (Groups B, D, G)

Roofed, not fully enclosed:
● Inglewood (8): SoFi Stadium (Groups B, D, G)

In the group stage of 72 matches, 25 will be played at one of these five facilities; at least one match in 11 of the 12 groups will be played there (none in Group I). Of the 32 playoff matches, 14 will be played at one of the five. One of the quarterfinals will be in Inglewood, the semis will be in Arlington and Atlanta; the final will be played in open-air Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, also the site of the Club World Cup final.

Observed: FIFA will want to schedule 2026 World Cup matches, if possible, at times when the playing teams – especially in Europe – will be in favorable time slots for their home markets (and broadcasters). That’s going to be harder now if daytime matches are going to be avoided, given the time differences with the U.S.

Chelsea’s 3 p.m. Eastern match in the final on Sunday airs at 8 p.m. in London and 9 p.m. in continental Europe. Waiting for the sun to go down in open-air stadium moved the games deep into the night in Europe.

So, look for some possible changes in stadium match assignments – which have already been made – to better spread roofed stadiums among the groups. The final draw for the World Cup will be in December.

FIFA held discussions on Saturday with representatives of several player unions (apparently not including the 66,000-member global union FIFPRO), with an agreement on changes to the International Match Calendar (IMC) and player rest:

“There is a consensus that there must be at least 72 hours of rest between matches, and that players should have a rest period / holiday of at least 21 days at the end of each season. This period should be managed individually by each club and the respective players also depending on their match calendars and taking into account applicable collective agreements.

“Furthermore, a rest day per week should also be planned, whilst being managed pragmatically. In addition, it was discussed that player travel – especially long-haul intercontinental trips – and the climatic conditions under which matches are played, should be considered when defining policies for the upcoming IMC.”

The Club World Cup has created significant unrest among player organizations and with some European leagues over its place in the calendar and the size (32 teams) and length of the tournament, over an entire month. The tournament is supposed to be organized again in 2029.

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ATHLETICS: Sensational 44.10 world U-18 400 m record for Quincy Wilson, world-leading 19.83 for T’Mars McCallum at Ed Murphey!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Quincy Wilson finishing his sensational 44.10 men’s 400 m at the 2025 Ed Murphey Classic (Photo: AthleticLive).

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≡ ED MURPHEY CLASSIC ≡

Normally, a fun, relaxed, mid-summer meet in Memphis, Tennessee, the placement of the World Athletics Championships in September this year and the associated, ultra-late USA Track & Field Championships starting on 31 July made Saturday’s annual Ed Murphey Classic a critical final tune-up for dozens of U.S. and international stars.

And amid hot afternoon temperatures and a cooler evening, they did some startling things:

● Paris relay Olympian Quincy Wilson, still just 17, had managed a best of 45.27 this season, coming off his 2024 explosion, with a world U-18 record of 44.20. But he started on fire in Memphis, making up the stagger on Tokyo Olympic champ Steven Gardiner (BAH), then moving confidently through the turn and pulling away from 2023 national champ Bryce Deadmon to win in 44.10!

That’s equal-fourth in the world for 2025, and came exactly 51 weeks since his 44.20 in 2024. It’s another world U-18 mark for Wilson and the no. 2 time in world junior (U-20) history. He’s right on schedule! Deadmon was second in 44.39; Gardiner did not finish.

● Tennessee’s T’Mars McCallum, no. 2 on the world list coming in, but who finished fifth at the NCAA 200 m, blasted the turn and won the afternoon race in 19.73 (+1.8 m/s), to re-take the world lead in the event!

He also won the earlier men’s 100 m in 9.87w, with a barely-over-the-allowable wind of +2.1 m/s. Fellow Vol Davonte Howell (CAY) was second at 9.93w, then came back to win the evening 100 m in 10.07.

● Two men’s 110 m hurdles races were run, with Eric Edwards winning the afternoon race in 13.20 (+1.9) over Ja’Qualon Scott (13.37), then Scott winning in the evening at 13.12w (+3.3), with Jamal Britt (13.16w) second and Scott third at 13.34w.

● McKenzie Long, the former Mississippi star, showed she is back with an afternoon win in the women’s 100 m in 10.88w (+3.7), the zooming to no. 2 in the world for 2025 with a 200 m win in the evening in 21.93 (+1.2), ahead of Nigeria’s Favour Ofili (22.00) and Olympic bronzer Brittany Brown (22.17).

● Shafiqua Maloney (VIN), the Olympic women’s 800 m fourth-placer, took the 800 m here, wire to wire, in 1:58.13, ahead of former American Record holder Ajee Wilson (1:59.53). Tokyo Olympic champ Athing Mu-Nikolayev was with the leaders into the final straight, but faded to fifth in 2:00.42.

● The women’s 110 m hurdles races were both sizzling, with Alaysha Johnson steaming to a 12.32 (+1.9) winner in the afternoon, then blasting to a 12.27w victory in the evening, but with +2.1 m/s wind.

Superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was scheduled to run the women’s 400 m, but pulled with due to illness. Recovering Britton Wilson won in 50.54, her best since 2023.

On the infield:

● Paris Olympian and U.S. indoor champ Russell Robinson was just behind his seasonal best to win the men’s triple jump at 17.29 m (56-8 3/4), which would be good for no. 3 in 2025, if not for his earlier 17.30 m (56-9 1/4).

● Tripp Piperi came from behind in the sixth round to win the men’s shot at 21.88 m (71-9 1/2) overtaking Chuk Enekwechi (NGR: 21.67 m/71-1 1/4) and Roger Steen (21.66 m/71-0 3/4).

● Cuba’s Davisleidis Valazco won the women’s triple jump at 14.61 m (47-11 1/4) to move to no. 3 in the world for 2025.

This was some meet, with the winners getting to pop open a bottle of champagne on the infield … except for the 17-year old Wilson (his coach opened the bubbly)!

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LOS ANGELES 2028: LA28 CEO Hoover’s report to new State Senate Committee highlights LA28’s preparations right now: “significant progress”

By
Rich Perelman
-
LA28 organizing committee chief executive Reynold Hoover (Cal State Senate committee video screen shot).

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

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≡ THREE YEARS TO GO ≡

The Games of the XXXIV Olympiad are scheduled to open on 14 July 2028, three years from now and the wheels of government are starting to turn, with more attention being paid to the event.

On 4 July, U.S. President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which allocated $1.0 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for use in security, planning and other costs related to the 2028 Olympic Games.

Last Thursday (10th), the new California Senate Special Committee on International Sporting Events: Olympics, Paralympics and World Cup Soccer, held its first hearing, on “California Goes for the Gold: Overview of the Challenges and Opportunities of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The nearly-three-hour session, chaired by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), included four panelists, with a focus on what government is doing about the 2028 Games, as well as the LA28 organizing committee:

● City of Los Angeles: Paul Krekorian, Executive Director, Office of Major Events
● County of Los Angeles: Fesia Davenport, Chief Executive Officer
● Visit California: Ryan Becker, Senior Vice President of Communications & Strategy
● LA28: Reynold Hoover, Chief Executive Officer

Hoover, in his now-familiar, affable, low-key style, explained where he sees the organization of the event as this point after a year on the job. He gave a very thorough primer on the Games and the effort so far, starting with:

“As I look backwards over the last year, I can say without a doubt that your organizing committee in L.A. is strong and getting stronger every day … We’ve made significant progress.”

As the committee was brand new to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hoover emphasized the basics:

● “Let me just start out by saying the organizing committee is a nonprofit organization. We get no money from the Federal government. We ask no money from the State, and we don’t get local funding; all of our revenue and all of our operating costs – we have a $7.1 billion budget – comes from sponsorship, comes from [International Olympic Committee] flow-through money – money that comes from broadcasting – comes from licensing sales, merchandising sales and ticket sales.

“So when we talk about funding and things like that, it is not money that comes to us. So money that the State brings to the table or money that the Federal government [brings] to the table, does not come to us. It is for State and local and our partners who are actually part of the delivery, whether it’s at the County or at the State or at the City level.”

● “Part of my kind of my plebe [first] year, if you will, has been to go out and rebuild relationships in the community and to be and to be as transparent as I can. …

“We’ve met with the unions to talk about training opportunities and how we can train the workforce to prepare. we continue to work with the City and the County over procurement to how we make sure that we bring economic opportunities to small businesses, to micro businesses, so that the entire community lifts up. …

“It is my goal that people will look at LA28 as more than just an organizing committee, but as a civic organization that is really a part of the community that is trying to uplift our community as a whole, to uplift the state of California and the nation.”

● “We actually say it’s seven Super Bowls a day, simultaneously for 30 days, which is just unprecedented. This will be the largest Olympics ever and also the largest Paralympics ever, and the first time we’ve had Paralympics in Los Angeles.”

● “I mentioned our $7.1 billion budget that we are raising; we are well on our way. We just announced yesterday our eighth sponsorship, with Uber, who will be our our rideshare partner and our on-demand delivery partner as well.

“And the eight sponsors that we’ve announced this year outpaces all of what we did last year. We are well on track to hit our [target] numbers at $2 billion by the end of the year, just in sponsorship alone, so we feel very good about where we are on the revenue side of the business.

“In terms of ticket sales, we have about four seasons of Dodger Stadium to sell in terms of tickets, so it’s about maybe 13 million tickets to sell. and we will go out to public sale next summer.”

● “We will do a 50-state torch relay. It’s never been done before, and we believe that that torch relay is the thread that’s going to bind the nation to L.A. and California. And it’s a way that we are going to unify the world. And the world will see that we are L.A. strong and California is strong.”

Hoover also mentioned the 2017 economic impact study which projected an $18 billion total economic impact, $6 billion in labor income, $1.6 billion in Federal tax revenue and $700 million in state and local tax revenues. This is being updated now.

Hoover also shared a personal insight about taking his position, coming out of retirement after rising to the rank of Lt. General in the U.S. Army:

“There is no better way to capstone nearly 40 years in uniform than to come back and unite the world around sport at a time when we need it the most, and not only unite the world, but unite the nation around sport.

“There is nothing like it when you watch those Olympic and Paralympic athletes on the field of play, it gets in your heart. It really does. and we are so excited to bring that to California and to Los Angeles. there is no other place in the world that can host the Games of this size and this magnitude.”

He also talked for the first time publicly – in some detail – about government funding, which has been a sizable issue, not only about security, but also transportation and local readiness:

“There are four really lines of effort at the Federal level that we’re working with very closely with the Administration. On the security funding side, again, we don’t get any of that money. That all goes to state and local first responders.

“We continue to advocate with the Administration as well as on the Hill for 100% reimbursement to our state and local partners who are providing security services for the Games. We’re very pleased that in the President’s bill that $1 billion was allocated this year, in this most recent bill to help us with that initial funding requirements for security.

“On the transportation side, we work very closely with Caltrans, as well as L.A. Metro on our transportation requirements to support the Games. and we believe that transportation funding from the Federal government will be forthcoming at some point in time. But we continue to advocate for that.

“Visas and consular affairs and consular operations is top of mind for all of us. We’re very pleased that the Administration, even though they’ve put a travel ban out, that they have carved out specific exemptions for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we have a very good relationship with the Department of State, and both between us and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, we’re working very closely to make sure that all of the athletes and all of the people that are supporting the Games and people that want to come and visit and visit L.A. and visit the region will have the opportunity to do that.

“And then finally, with telecommunications, we work closely with the [Federal Communications Commission] both on cyber but as well on spectrum management. So we’ll actually end up pulling about 250,000 miles of cable to put in our own network, that we will leave behind. And we’re asking the Federal government for some assistance, because that is a legacy project. at the State level.”

One of the themes of the session from the committee members was how people can get involved in the Games in their own communities, whether close to the venues, or far away. Hoover spoke about this also:

“The first is there are a number of opportunities for fan fests, and those are opportunities to have big screen TVs and all kinds of other things that gets the community engaged around the Olympics. And we can certainly provide additional help in trying to plan those and get those together.

“Our volunteer program. You know, when you went to Paris, the volunteers to me were the ones that made – besides the athletes and Paralympic athletes – the volunteers were the ones that made it. They were the first people you saw at the airport. They were on every street corner. They were at every metro stop. They were at every venue. …

“They were always happy. They came from all over the world. If they didn’t know the answer to a question, they would take you to the person that did. They needed 43,000 volunteers, and in Paris, they had over 300,000 applicants for volunteers from across the world. That spirit of volunteerism is just an amazing, powerful, uniting event, and we want to bring that to L.A.

“And so we are actually starting our volunteer program early. We will kick that off this summer, about 18 months ahead of schedule from what the IOC would be asking for, because we want that spirit of volunteerism and we believe that we can take that base of volunteers and turn that into a viable workforce, that we can then turn back to the community for, again, a lasting legacy economic benefit.

“And we’re really excited about that. The education program is training that we’ve been talking to some of the unions about, about how we can provide training opportunities today so that our volunteers and our workforce.

“By the way, we’ll probably need somewhere between 45,000 to 50,000 volunteers. Our own headquarters will grow to about 4,000, a little over 4,000 full-time employees, that those people will have skills and jobs that we can transfer to the communities.

“And so we’re working on ways to be able to do that. and then finally, I mentioned the torch relays. And I think that’s another opportunity in addition to just the 50-state Olympic torch relay, there will be a subset relay that we will also do for the Paralympic Games as well. And so there are tremendous opportunities across the board for your communities to get engaged.”

He said that the torch relay would likely start in April 2028 and run about 100 days, with a 14-day Paralympic relay.

Krekorian explained the role of the City of Los Angeles Major Events office, which has been quiet during the City’s tumultuous budget debate:

“Our function with regard to the Games is to coordinate all City efforts relating to preparation. We’re kind of the hub of the wheel. We have many departments, virtually all of the City departments who are doing work relating to the Games. so we’re the place where that all comes together and is coordinated, and it’s my job to make sure that it’s happening on schedule and effectively. Our goal, of course, is to make sure that we have the most successful Olympic and Paralympic Games that we possibly can have, but it’s also our responsibility to ensure fiscal oversight, both over the City’s own expenditures as well as the expenditures of the organizing committee.”

And he noted that L.A. will have its own volunteer program:

“[T]he city will probably need its own volunteer force of 15 to 20,000 people, Paris had 13,000. Their Metro system had another volunteer program. So when you take all that together and you have 75,000 people who raise their hands and say, ‘I want to do something good for my community.’”

Davenport spoke to L.A. County’s role in supporting the Games venues in its jurisdiction, and a critical role in support services, including security and public health. She also noted planning on use of 188 parks within the County, for fan festivals and in-community programming.

Becker talked at length about the tourism opportunities and challenges, and while not a sponsor of the organizing committee – he mentioned “$50 million” as the price – planning is ongoing with the FIFA World Cup coming in 2026 and the Games in 2028 for promotions – ads, influencers and other campaigns – for visitors to extend their stays beyond coming just to the events.

There were the inevitable questions about how LA28 was going to get free tickets into the hands of area resident so they everyone could experience the Games. Hoover noted that discussions have started on philanthropic efforts to create these kinds of possibilities. In Paris in 2024, the City of Paris itself bought tickets from the organizing committee for this purpose; that’s currently out of the question for the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and the State of California in the face of deep budget challenges.

Observed: This Senate committee has a long learning curve ahead of it, showcasing little knowledge of Los Angeles’ Olympic history, or who plays exactly what role. Look for more hearings in the future.

Hoover is emerging as an articulate, engaging spokesman for the organizing committee, but the comments of Senators indicated the enormity of another problem that LA28 – and the City and County of Los Angeles – are facing and will continue to face: meaningfully informing elected officials and staffs in the State Assembly, State Senate, state agencies, the 88 cities – mayors, city councils and staffs – inside Los Angeles County, and those in surrounding countries such as Ventura, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside.

A lack of information is bad enough, but mis-information and dis-information can create serious problems, and if they take hold, can be difficult to dislodge before the Games (or ever). A glaring past example was furnished during the hearing.

Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Los Angeles) said she watched “rocketman” Bill Suitor fly into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at age 13 from her childhood home near L.A.’s Belmont High School during the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games, but said she had no way to get into any of the Games events that followed. That was her only Olympic moment. 

In fact, Rubio and members of her family could have attended any of the seven morning sessions of track & field at the nearby Coliseum during the Games … for $8 a ticket; there were at least 10,000 unsold tickets for every one of those sessions. But she, or her parents, either didn’t know, didn’t want to know, didn’t care to find out … or her parents didn’t want to go.

LA28 will have a significant challenge to penetrate Southern California households at a level deep enough to ensure that people know how they can attend the Games, get involved … or stay away from the Games if they want to. To succeed, that effort will have to start soon.

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ATHLETICS: Lyles edges Tebogo in 19.88 in Herculis Monaco men’s 200 m, fab Wanyonyi 800 m win among world leads in five events

By
Rich Perelman
-
Dutch superstar Femke Bol (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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

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≡ HERCULIS MONACO ≡

The Diamond League annual stop for the Herculis Monaco meet had a full house of about 16,000 at the Stade Louis II, with world-leading (outdoor) performances in

● Men/800 m: 1:41.44, Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN)
● Men/High Jump: 2.34 m (7-8), Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR)
● Men/Triple Jump: 17.52 m (57-5 3/4), Jordan Scott (JAM)
● Women/1,000 m: 2:29.77, Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN)
● Women/400 m hurdles: 51.95, Femke Bol (NED)

All eyes were on the men’s 200 m with Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT) in lane six and the late-entering World Champion Noah Lyles of the U.S., opening his 200 m season in lane seven. Off the start, the two were even, and Lyles held the advantage into the straight. Tebogo came on and was even, maybe even just ahead, but Lyles powered to the line and was the clear winner in 19.88 (wind: -0.8 m/s) to 19.97 for Tebogo and 19.99 for Auburn’s NCAA runner-up Maka Charamba (ZIM).

Plenty of smiles from Lyles, but no big celebration; he looked strong and had a clear race plan that he executed well when Tebogo came up. Impressive. He said afterwards:

“The audience was amazing and showed a lot of love. That is always helpful for your first race. I put myself in the fire for that one coming back against Tebogo. I didn´t feel any pressure, I don´t see any reason to put pressure on myself, that´s what we love to do. I pray for times like this to be out here and do what I love. I come out here and I give my best.”

The much-anticipated men’s 800 m had the entire Paris final on the line, and Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi stuck close to the lead and took over past the bell, reached in 49.21, on world-record pace. Wanyonyi and Algerian Slimane Moula were 1-2 on the backstraight, but World Indoor winner Josh Hoey of the U.S. moved up hard into the turn and took second. Into the straight, it was Wanyonyi completely in charge and while Hoey gave chase, the Kenyan crossed with a world-leading 1:41.44, the no. 10 performance of all-time.

Hoey was a clear second in a lifetime best of 1:42.01, now no. 2 all-time U.S. with the no. 2 performance (and no. 11 all-time world)! Algerian Djamel Sedjati got third (1:42.20) with Australia Peter Bol scoring a national record of 1:42.55 in fourth. American Record holder Bryce Hoppel was seventh in 1:43.51.

Four were in the men’s high jump at 2:30 m (7-6 1/2), with World Indoor winner Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR) over on his first try, and European silver winner Jan Stefela (CZE) on his second. JuVaughn Harrison of the U.S., the 2023 Worlds silver medalist, missed all three and finished third, with Jonathan Kapitolnik (ISR) fourth; they both cleared 2.27 m (7-5 1/4).

Then, Stefela made 2.32 m (7-7 1/4) as Woo passed. Woo made 2.34 m (7-8) on his first and Stefela missed. So, Stefela went to 2.36 m and missed twice and was second. Woo tried twice at 2.37 m (7-9 1/4), but missed twice, but grabbed the world outdoor lead!

Jamaica’s Paris Olympian Jordan Scott was only third through four rounds of the triple jump, then exploded in round five at 17.44 m (57-2 3/4), a lifetime best and an outdoor world leader! That surpassed Algeria’s 2024 World Indoor runner-up Yassir Triki (17.21 m/56-5 3/4) and World Indoor champ Andy Diaz (ITA: 17.15 m/56-3 1/4).

But Scott wasn’t done, blasting out to 17.52 m (57-5 3/4) in the final round to get a lifetime best! Triki also improved in the final round to 17.23 m (56-6 1/2), as did Diaz, to 17.19 m (56-4 3/4), but still in third.

The women’s 1,000 m had lots of talent, including 800 m World Champion Mary Moraa (KEN) and Paris 1,500 m silver winner Jess Hull (AUS), and Hull took the bell, ahead of Britain’s Jemma Reekie. But the big move came from 2024 Olympian Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN), taking over on the backstraight and into the final turn.

Hull kept close, but Chepchirchir raced away and won in 2:29.77, moving to no. 4 on the all-time list (and the fourth under 2:30). American Addy Wiley charged down the straight and finally passed Hull for second and got an American Record in 2:30.71 (no. 8 all-time), followed by Hull (2:30.96) and then Sinclaire Johnson of the U.S. in fourth (2:31.30). Reekie was fifth in 2:31.44.

Dutch star Femke Bol trailed Rio 2016 champ Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. through seven hurdles, but took the lead on the eighth and stormed home in a world-leading 51.95. Muhammad remained no.4 in 2025 with a seasonal best of 52.58 and fellow American (and Paris silver winner) Anna Cockrell was a clear third in 52.91, now no. 5 in 2025.

Everyone was on world-record watch in the men’s vault, of course. Five were jumping in the men’s vault at 5.92 m (19-5), with Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis, Greece’s Olympic bronzer Emmanouil Karalis and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall over, London 2012 Olympic winner Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) out and two-time Worlds winner Sam Kendricks of the U.S. missing twice and passing to the next height.

At 6.00 m (19-8 1/4), Kendricks missed and was out, Marshall missed all three and Duplantis cleared on his first try. Duplantis cleared 6.05 m (19-10 1/4), then Karalis missed once, and twice at 6.10 m (20-0) and was out. So, the Swede headed for world-record tries at 6.29 m (20-7 1/2), but missed three times.

The U.S. claimed one more win in the men’s 110 m hurdles. Cordell Tinch of the U.S. came in as the only sub-13 performer this season, but 2022 Worlds silver medalist Trey Cunningham had the lead by the second hurdle. Tinch moved up, fellow American Dylan Beard moved up, but Cunningham held on and got to the line first in 13.09 (-0.9). Tinch was a tight second in 13.14, then NCAA champ Ja’Kobe Tharp (13.17), as Beard faded to fifth in the run-in, also in 13.17!

There was a lot more action, including a couple of world-record tries:

The line-up showed a possible challenge to two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali (MAR), but he was out to make a world-record challenge and had more than 40 m on the field with two laps left. But El-Bakkali slowed, and Japan’s Ryuji Miura moved up hard on the final lap, and actually got the lead after the final barrier! But El-Bakkali sprinted back into the lead and won, 8:03.18 to 8:03.43, a national record for Miura. Edmund Serem (KEN) got third in a lifetime best of 8:04.00; Americans Matthew Wilkinson (8:10.23 lifetime best), James Corrigan (8:14.76) and Kenneth Rooks (8:28.23) finished 9-11-15.

Four men broke away at the 2,800 m mark in the men’s 5,000 m, with two-time World Indoor 3,000 m winner Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) leading world leader Andreas Almgren (SWE). Kejelcha pushed and crossed 3,000 m in 7:39.47, with Almgren stepping off the track. With four laps to go, Kejelcha’s lead expanded, with countryman (and 2016 Olympic bronzer) Hagos Gebrhiwet and Birhanu Balew (BRN) 50 m behind!

The lead was 80 m and growing with two laps to go, and Kejelcha took the bell all alone and finished in 12:49.46. The chasers were caught and it was France’s Jimmy Gressier who got second in 12:53.36, with Balew third in 12:53.51 and Mohamed Abdilaahi (GER) got a national record of 12:53.63 in fourth.

Australian teen sensation Gout Gout won the U-23 men’s 200 m in 20.10 into a 1.9 m/s headwind, ahead of Botswana’s Busang Kebinatshipi (20.28).

Olympic women’s 100 m champ Julien Alfred (LCA) had to work hard out of the blocks, just behind American Jacious Sears, but she zoomed to the lead by 40 m and won going away in 10.79 (-1.4), with Sears second in 11.02. Zoe Hobbs (AUS) was third in 11.02, then American Aleia Hobbs in 11.14. Maia McCoy of the U.S. was seventh in 11.19.

NCAA women’s 400 m champ Aaliyah Butler looked ready to upset Paris Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino (DOM), running up on her in the first 200 m and leading off the turn. But Paulino kept coming and got to the lead in the final stride, crossing in 49.06, with Butler getting a lifetime best of 49.09 (no. 3 in 2025 and no. 5 all-time U.S.), followed by Jamaican champ Nickisha Pryce, with a seasonal best of 49.63.

Devynne Charlton (BAH) and Grace Stark (USA) had the early lead in the women’s 100 m hurdles, but Stark hit a hurdle, and Jamaica’s Tokyo Olympic bronzer Megan Tapper took over and won easily in 12.34 (-1.1), equaling her lifetime best! Swiss Dita Kambundji came up for second in 12.43, with Americans Masai Russell (12.57), Stark (12.64) and Alia Armstrong (12.68) finishing 4-5-6.

In the women’s shot, Canada’s Sarah Mitton took the lead in round two at 20.00 m (65-7 1/2), but was passed by world leader Chase Jackson of the U.S. at 20.06 m (65-9 3/4) in round five. But it was two-time European champ Jessica Schilder who came up aces in the sixth, exploding to 20.39 m (66-10 3/4) to steal the victory!

Maggie Ewen of the U.S. was sixth (18.98 m/62-3 1/4) and Jaida Ross was seventh (18.83 m/61-9 1/2).

The Diamond League continues in London (GBR) on the 19th, then takes a month off.

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PANORAMA: France still in love with Olympics; World Aquatics Champs starting in Singapore; McLaughlin-Levrone in Memphis on Saturday

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower (Photo: Ibex73 via Wikipedia)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Affection for the Paris 2024 Games remains strong in France, as 83% (vs. 15%) responded positively to a new poll about their perception of last year’s events. Moreover, 76% (vs. 23%) had a positive view of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, French Alps 2030.

The poll of 1,047 adults from 13-16 June by Toluna Harris Interactive France and Territoires d’Événements Sportifs (TES), also showed 86% (vs. 13%) in favor of major events being held in France, especially for their impact on tourism and upgrades to sports facilities. Some 72% felt such events also promoted the practice of sport, the image of France and the promotion of Paralympic sport.

Interestingly, 64% said they preferred to watch sports on television vs. attending in person (49%), but a majority (60%) of those under 35 wanted to be on-site in person.

● Aquatics ● The World Aquatics Championships, with 77 events, about 2,500 athletes from 206 national federations, opens on Friday in Singapore and will continue through 3 August.

Water polo will open the championships, continuing to 24 July. Open-water swimming will go from 14-29 July, artistic swimming from 17-25 July, high diving from 23-27 July, then diving from 25 July to 3 August and swimming from 26 July to 3 August.

● Athletics ● Interesting line-up for the annual Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the flat 400 m. She’s already no. 5 in the world in 2025 off her 49.43 at the Prefontaine Classic, and she is always a threat to the American Record of 48.70 by Sanya Richards-Ross from 2006.

In the men’s 400 m, teen star Quincy Wilson (17) has completed his high school season and will be in the open race; he’s run 45.27 this season after a world U-18 record 44.20 last year. He’ll be facing Tokyo Olympic 400 m winner Steven Gardiner (BAH), among others.

● Cricket ● The Times of India reported on a demand by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee that the Board members of USA Cricket resign so that “new independent members can be appointed to replace them.”

USOPC Senior Governance Advisor David Patterson insisted that a full replacement of the board is “by far the best course of action.” His electronic-mail message explained that if this does not take place, the USOPC will not open an application period for an organization to apply to be the recognized National Governing Body for cricket (there is none at present).

The Times report also stated that the International Cricket Council, the international federation for cricket, is in agreement with the USOPC, as USA Cricket has been under scrutiny for governance issues since 2018.

● Cycling ● Ireland’s Ben Healy broke away from a lead group with 42 km remaining in Thursday’s hilly, 201.5 km ride to Vire Normandie and won the sixth stage of the 112th Tour de France in 4:24:10. It’s his first career stage win at the Tour.

He was all alone at the finish, with American Quinn Simmons some 2:44 behind in second, followed by Michael Storer (AUS: +2:51).

Well back was the race-leader group, with Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel finishing eighth (+3:58) and then race leader Tadej Pogacar (SLO) much further back at +5:27. That differential gave the race lead to van der Poel by one second, with Remco Evenepoel (BEL: +0:43) third and four more within 1:59.

Friday’s 197 km stage to Mur-de-Bretagne is again hilly, with an uphill finish that could shake up the leaderboard once again.

The women’s Giro d’Italia enjoyed a flat, 120 km stage on Thursday from Mirano to Monselice, won by Dutch ace Lorena Wiebes in 2:39:08 ahead of countrywoman Marianne Vos and 10 others given the same time.

Swiss Marlen Reusser was fifth and maintained her 16-second lead over Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini. Stage six on Friday will be hilly and stage seven has a major uphill finish that will likely decide the race.

● Football ● Paris-St. Germain is a big favorite to defeat Chelsea in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday at 3 p.m. local time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

PSG is listed at 3/5 on multiple sites and the best odds on Chelsea are just less than 4/1.

Perhaps just as important is the weather, with a high of 85 F forecast and 71% humidity. That’s down from the 90+ F temps during the semifinals – also at MetLife – but still uncomfortable.

U.S. striker Tobin Heath, a key contributor to the dominant U.S. women’s teams over almost 15 years, announced her retirement from professional football on Thursday. She last played in 2022 and has been unable to overcome a serious knee injury since.

She joined the U.S. national team in 2008 and was a part of the Women’s World Cup champions in 2015 and 2019 and Olympic winners in 2008 and 2012, and bronze medalists at Tokyo 2020. She scored 36 goals and had 42 assists in 181 appearances. She played with 11 different club teams in the U.S. and England from 2004-22.

● Modern Pentathlon ● At the UIPM World Relay Championships in Alexandria (EGY), the home team won the senior Mixed Relay, thanks to teen star Farida Khalil and Paris Olympian Mohanad Shaban, who won the fencing, swimming and obstacle legs and then hung on during the Laser Run to edge France’s Mathilde Derval and Leo Bories, with a final score of 1,422 to 1,415.

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ATHLETICS: Lyles suddenly enters Monaco Diamond League, will face Paris 200 m champ Tebogo, on Friday

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic and World Champion sprinter Noah Lyles of the U.S. (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ HERCULIS MONACO ≡

In what has already been an exciting 2025 track & field season, triple 2023 World Champion and Paris 2024 100 m gold medalist Noah Lyles has been largely missing.

He ran a couple of indoor 60 m races in late January and early February, and got a 400 m lifetime best of 45.87 in Florida on 19 April. Since then, nothing. Until tomorrow.

Lyles had long indicated he would run the 100 m at the Diamond League meet in London (GBR) on 19 July, but has suddenly jumped into the 200 m at the Herculis Diamond League in Monaco tomorrow (11th). He’s no stranger there, having won the 200 m twice with a second in the 100:

● 2018: 200 m 1st in 19.65
● 2019: 100 m 2nd in 9.92
● 2022: 200 m 1st in 19.46

Next level: consider that Lyles has only opened his 200 m season outside of the U.S. twice, with Diamond League meets in 2018 in Doha (19.83: 1st) and Rome in 2019 (19.72: 2nd)!

Botswana’s supremely confident Letsile Tebogo, the Paris 200 m gold medalist at 19.46, is the world leader in the 200 m this year after his sizzling 19.76 win at the Prefontaine Classic last Saturday and has won seven of his last eight 200 m finals. The lane draw has Tebogo in lane six and Lyles in his favored lane seven.

That’s going to be the headline race tomorrow, but there is a lot more:

● Men/800 m: Was the race of the meet until Lyles popped up, with Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN: 1:41.95 this year), Paris silver man Marco Arop (CAN), bronzer Djamel Sedjati (ALG), American record holder Bryce Hoppel, World Indoor winner Josh Hoey and more. Wow!

● Men/Steeple: The Paris podium of Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR), Kenneth Rooks of the U.S. and Abraham Kibiwot (KEN) is all in, plus Ethiopian stars Getnet Wale and Samuel Firewu.

● Men/5,000 m: Two-time World Indoor champ Yomif Kejelcha (12.47.84 this year) should be ready for another insanely-fast time, along with 2023 World Champion Hagos Gebrhiwet, world leader Andreas Almgren (SWE: 12:44.27), European champ Dominic Lobalu (SUI) and more.

● Men/110 m hurdles: World leader Cordell Tinch of the U.S. (12.87) plus countrymen Trey Cunningham, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, NCAA champ Ja’Kobe Tharp and world no. 3 Dylan Beard (13.02), plus Swiss record holder Jason Joseph (13.07)!

● Men/High Jump: Paris Olympic re-match with winner Hamish Kerr (NZL) and American Shelby McEwen, 2023 Worlds runner-up JuVaughn Harrison of the U.S., and two-time World Indoor winner Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR).

● Men/Vault: World-record watch with Mondo Duplantis (SWE) chasing 6.29 m (20-7 1/2), against Paris runner-up Sam Kendricks of the U.S. and bronzer Emmanouil Karalis (GRE).

● Women/100 m: Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA: 10.75 in 2025) is in, to be chased by Americans Jacious Sears (10.85) and Aleia Hobbs (10.89) and Liberia’s Thelma Davies (10.91).

● Women/400 m: Paris Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) will face world no. 4 Aaliyah Butler (49.26) of the U.S. and Jamaican champ Nickisha Pryce (49.97 this year).

● Women/1,000 m: 800 m stars including World Champions Mary Moraa (KEN) and Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) will face Australia’s 1,500 m Olympic silver winner Jess Hull (AUS) and others.

● Women/100 m hurdles: American-record-setter and Paris Olympic champ Masai Russell leads this field (12.17), but Olympic fifth-placer Grace Stark (12.21) is not far behind, not to mention two-time World Indoor winner Devynne Charlton (BAH).

● Women/400 m hurdles: Dutch star Femke Bol, the 2023 World Champion and no. 2 in 2025, against Rio 2026 Olympic winner and world no. 4 Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S., in her final season.

● Women/Shot: World leader at two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. lines up against two-time World Indoor winner Sarah Mitton (CAN) and Paris Olympic champ Temisi Ogunleye (GER).

The meet will be shown in the U.S. only on the FloTrack service, free for this meet; next up will be London on the 19th.

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SPORTS LAW: Euro Court of Human Rights grants Semenya a “better” review, but upholds limited review of Court of Arbitration decisions

By
Rich Perelman
-
South Africa's Olympic and World Champion Caster Semenya

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≡ SEMENYA vs. SWITZERLAND ≡

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights gave a major victory to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday, with a minor win for South Africa’s two-time women’s 800 m Olympic champion Caster Semenya.

The headlines over Semenya vs. Switzerland were primarily about Semenya, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic women’s 800 m gold medalist, who filed an action against World Athletics (then-IAAF) and its regulations for athletes with “Differences in Sex Development” in 2018 with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Then:

● CAS rejected the case in a lengthy opinion in April 2019, with the outcome summarized as:

“[T]he majority of the Panel accepts that the IAAF has discharged its burden of establishing that regulations governing the ability of female athletes with 46 XY DSD to participate in certain events are necessary to maintain fair competition in female athletics by ensuring that female athletes who do not enjoy the significant performance advantage caused by exposure to levels of circulating testosterone in the adult male range do not have to compete against female athletes who do enjoy that performance advantage.”

● Semenya appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal in May 2019, which decided in August 2020 that it “dismissed the appeal, concluding that the impugned award was not incompatible with substantive public policy.”

● Semenya then filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights in May 2021, summarized as:

“It would therefore appear that, as formulated in her application, the applicant’s complaint, based without distinction on Article 6 § 1 and Article 13, concerns the alleged insufficiency of the Federal Supreme Court’s review of the CAS award.”

● In July 2023, a deeply-divided ECHR ruling held for Semenya in one area:

“The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development (DSD).”

● Switzerland appealed in October 2023, asking for a Grand Chamber hearing in front of a panel of 17 judges. A hearing was held on 15 May 2024 and the decision was issued on Thursday.

So, in terms of Semenya’s continuing complaint that the World Athletics rules on limiting testosterone levels of women with biologically high levels are unfair, the Grand Chamber held by 15-2:

“229. It would therefore appear that although the CAS expressed very serious concerns, thereby rendering ambiguous its reasoning in relation to proportionality, the Federal Supreme Court conducted only a limited review of this aspect of the award.

“230. It is thus apparent that the examination of this fundamental and detailed aspect of the applicant’s dispute by the Federal Supreme Court, within its competence to review the compatibility of the award with substantive public policy, was not subjected to the particularly rigorous examination called for by the circumstances of the case. …

“238. In sum, the specific characteristics of the sports arbitration to which the applicant was subject, entailing the mandatory and exclusive jurisdiction of the CAS, required an in-depth judicial review – commensurate with the seriousness of the personal rights at issue – by the only domestic court having jurisdiction to carry out such a task. The review of the applicant’s case by the Federal Supreme Court, not least owing to its very restrictive interpretation of the notion of public policy, which it also applied to the review of arbitral awards by the CAS, did not satisfy the requirement of particular rigour called for in the circumstances of the case. In these circumstances, the Court concludes that the applicant did not benefit from the safeguards provided by Article 6 § 1 of the Convention [for a fair and public hearing].”

So, the Swiss Federal Tribunal is now required to take a “more rigorous look” at the reasonableness of the World Athletics DSD regulations. That is going to be more difficult now:

(1) The World Athletics rules have changed and become even more stringent;

(2) There is new research on the topic, which would impact the finding made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in 2019.

But the wheels are in motion, and a new process will be required for the Swiss Federal Tribunal. How it will approach this is anyone’s guess. It is worth noting that the discussion in the CAS decision was on Semenya’s complaint of unfair treatment; an equally-compelling discussion could also be had on the rights of normal-testosterone-level women competing against Semenya and others with differences in sex development.

Semenya’s other complaints on the World Athletics regulations, as torture or degradation, and interfering with her right to a private life, were dismissed. 

Semenya did not ask for damages in the case, but required expenses of €482,514 (~$564,013 U.S.), which was seen as excessive. A grant of €80,000 (~$93,512 U.S.) was made.

While this case was important for Semenya and others in her (DSD) class, it had other very important aspects.

One was that this was NOT a transgender case, for which World Athletics is currently in the process of issuing new regulations with a sex-screening test (a cheek swab) to be mandatory instead of testosterone measurements. The International Olympic Committee is also to be re-engaged on this issue, to “protect the female category.”

Second, this was a critical win for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the sports arbitration system, as the Grand Chamber did not touch the very limited grounds for review of CAS decisions by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. From paragraph 130:

“The Court notes that it follows from section 77(1) of the Federal Supreme Court Act and section 190(2) PILA that, in the area of international arbitration, Swiss law provides for a civil-law appeal to the Federal Supreme Court against awards of arbitral tribunals which have their seat in Switzerland.

“Such appeals allow for not only an assessment of whether the awards comply with certain procedural requirements, but also for a substantive review of whether they are compatible with public policy within the meaning of section 190(2)(e) PILA (public policy within the meaning of that provision having both a procedural and a substantive aspect.”

The Grand Chamber respected the Swiss law in regard to the limited jurisdiction of the Swiss Federal Tribunal on CAS appeals, and did not force a revision that would have opened a flood of appeals in normal course from CAS decisions.

Ultimately, that will be one of the key holdings on this case, although in the background of the higher-profile Semenya case, which – after seven years – continues.

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SPORTS LAW: Court of Arbitration for Sport gets only a third of its funding from IOC, but FIFA contributes too; about 13% of cases concern doping

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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≡ COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT ≡

The International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) posted their 2024 financial statements, answering the often-asked question about how much of the Court of Arbitration for Sport is paid by the International Olympic Committee.

Total operating revenues were CHF 24.15 million (CHF 1 = $1.26 U.S.):

● 57.1%: CHF 13.78 million paid by the parties
● 32.5% CHF 7.85 million from the IOC
● 10.4% CHF 2.50 million from FIFA
● 0.0%: CHF 0.26 million from other sources

So, the majority of revenues came from filing fees by the parties, and less than a third from the IOC, and a little more than 10% from FIFA.

Why FIFA? In fact, 322 of the 842 ordinary and appeal proceedings at the Court were “employment-related” contractual actions, most of which came from football players or clubs. So, FIFA, as a significant beneficiary of having a single forum in which these disputes can be heard, is a contributor to ICAS.

Costs were primarily arbitration costs (CHF 12.05 million) and personnel (CHF 8.80 million). ICAS had a small operating loss in 2024, but had investment gains and ended the year with a modest surplus. Assets were CHF 61.31 million, with reserves of 9.42 million.

Since 2020, the number of actions at CAS has risen considerably; the record of 609 in 2019 was shattered with 957 in 2020 and 996 in 2021, then less due to the pandemic, and back up to 942 in 2023 and 917 in 2024.

The report’s breakdown of the 917 cases showed:

● 322 on employment-related issues
● 165 on disciplinary issues (81 on doping)
● 155 on contract-related issues
● 49 on eligibility
● 47 on transfer issues
● 45 on governance
● 41 anti-doping procedures
● 40 on training compensation
● 21 Ad Hoc procedures (Olympic Games)
● 19 others
● 13 mediation procedures

Based on the breakdown, it appears that 122 cases (13.3%) were doping-related and more than 458 were related to player-club disputes.

A filer at the Court of Arbitration for Sport has similar costs to filing a lawsuit elsewhere, starting with filing fees for cases of CHF 1,000 and then administrative costs of hearing the case:

● Up to CHF 50,000: CHF 100 to 2,000
● CHF 50,001-100,000: CHF 2,000 + 1.50% above 50,000
● CHF 100,001-500,000: CHF 2,750 + 1.00% above 100,000
● CHF 500,001-1.0 million: CHF 6,750 + 0.60% above 500,000
● CHF 1,000,001-2.5 million: CHF 9,750 + 0.30% above 1,000,000
● CHF 2,500,001-5.0 million: CHF 14,250 + 0.20% above 2,500,000
● CHF 5,000,001-10 million: CHF 19,250 + 0.10% above 5,000,000
● Above CHF 10.0 million: CHF 25,000

In addition, each arbitrator on the cases much be paid, on an hourly basis, which increases based on the value of the case:

● CHF 300 per hour: cases up to CHF 2.5 million
● CHF 350 per hour: cases CHF 2.5+ to 5.0 million
● CHF 400 per hour: cases CHF 5.0+ to 10.0 million
● CHF 450 per hour: cases CHF 10.0+ to 15.0 million
● CHF 500 per hour: cases above CHF 15.0 million

There are also travel and accommodations for arbitrators who have to travel. For the parties, the costs of lawyers to prepare and try the matters is additional, and often not cheap.

While there is significant focus on CAS in the anti-doping sphere, many more of its cases are commercial contract disputes – notably in football – and over significant sums of money. CAS has its detractors, but what it does do well is offer a defined forum for bringing entities into arbitration that may have been difficult to file against anywhere.

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PANORAMA: Uber joins LA28 for rideshares and deliveries; 4,018 doping tests prior to Aquatics Worlds; 90 F temps for Club World Cup semis

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizing committee announced an “Official Partner”-level agreement with Uber, to be the “Official Rideshare & On-Demand Delivery Partner” for the organizers and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

This is a significant, second-level LA28 sponsorship, below only Founding Partner status. Uber joins AECOM, Cisco, Fanatics, Lilly, Nike and Ralph Lauren at this level. The announcement foresees a critical role for Uber:

“Uber will deploy its advanced mobility solutions to design, implement and optimize rideshare operations across Los Angeles to help stakeholders navigate the city effortlessly. With venues spread across the city and beyond, Uber will lend its expertise to LA28 and its transportation partners providing tech capabilities, operational best practices, and a strategic network of pickup and drop-off locations to support a seamless and multi-modal mobility experience across the greater LA region.

“As the world’s largest food delivery service operating across six continents, Uber Eats will power the Olympic and Paralympic Village’s on-demand delivery program, delivering to athletes during their stay. LA28 plans to feature Uber Eats mobile ordering within-venue at select locations, enhancing the spectator experience.”

And there was this:

“LA28 is committed to hosting a transit-first Games, and Uber will provide comprehensive rideshare solutions including cars, bikes, and scooters to support multi-modal journeys to and from LA28 venues and mobility hubs.”

This will be interesting, especially in access and security controls for not only Uber drivers, but also vehicles and passengers. The announcement also noted Uber will be an ad buyer on NBC’s Olympic and Paralympic coverage.

One of the hidden aspects of the build-up to an Olympic Games is the quiet but expansive pre-event programming which goes on a host region.

Multiple National Olympic Committees have already made arrangements for pre-Games training, auxiliary housing, hospitality and other programs in the Los Angeles area. But there is also actual training going on. The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) just completed its first “LA 2028 Development Training Camp Pilot Programme” in Mission Viejo, California.

Completed last month, it brought delegations from Fiji, Samoa, and Tuvalu to the Marguerite Aquatic Complex in Mission Viejo for swimming and Laguna Hills High School Stadium for athletics for a 10-day training camp in June.

The project was designed to accelerate development for athletes and coaches on the road to LA28, by offering access to world-class training facilities and Olympic-level coaching expertise. There will be many more of these.

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● With a huge venue construction program for the 2032 Games now approved, Infrastructure Australia data shows that the need for a projected 98,500 construction workers by next March and only 43,800 workers expected to be available, for a shortage of 54,700.

The expectation is that workers from other Australian states – and some from outside the country – will come in to fill the need. The Queensland government is also aware that housing and other services will be needed and is saying it will activate programs to meet the challenge.

● Sports Medicine ● The Associated Press reported Wednesday that a ruling from the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on South Africa’s two-time women’s 800 m champion Caster Semenya’s appeal against the World Athletics regulations on hyperandrogenism is expected on Thursday.

The federation’s rules sidelined Semenya and other female runners due to (naturally) high levels of testosterone, believed to provide such athletes with “differences in sex development” an advantage over other women. If the ECHR rules in her favor, it will send the case back for more review, starting at the Swiss Federal Tribunal. If she is turned down, her case is over.

● Aquatics ● World Aquatics noted the depth and breadth of its anti-doping program and the amount of testing which has been undertaken on its behalf by the International Testing Agency prior to the World Aquatics Championships that will start on 11 July.

“In total, 4,018 anti-doping tests have been conducted on athletes participating in the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 since 1 January 2025, resulting in an average of two tests per athlete.

“Additionally, all newly approved Neutral Athletes have been tested at least four times within the last 12 months, including at least one test conducted by World Aquatics.”

Testing figures showed that Chinese and Russian athletes were the most heavily-sampled swimmers over the last 12 months:

● 8.80 average tests per Chinese swimmer
● 8.20 average tests per Russian swimmer
● 4.13 average tests per U.S. swimmer
● 4.00 average tests per Australian swimmer
● 3.60 average tests per French swimmer

As an example, China’s Olympic 100 m Freestyle champion Zhanle Pan has been tested eight times in 2025: four each by World Aquatics and by others. American Katie Ledecky has been tested seven times: three times by World Aquatics and four times by others.

The top six most-tested swimmers were all Chinese, tested 11 or 12 times this year, four of which were by World Aquatics.

● Cycling ● Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (NED) won the flat, 33.0 km time trial in and around Caen in stage 5 of the 112th Tour de France, finishing in 36:42.02, ahead of race favorite Tadej Pogacar (SLO: +16.68), who took over the race lead.

Behind those two was Edoardo Affini (ITA: +33.06) and so Pogacar now has a 42-second lead on Evenepoel, 59 seconds on Kevin Vauquelin (FRA) and 1:13 on two-time winner and main rival Jonas Vingegaard (DEN). American Matteo Jorgenson is fifth, 1:22 back. Evenepoel was a disastrous 67th in the first stage, but has climbed back into contention in the last two stages.

In Washington, D.C., three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond received his Congressional Gold Medal, originally granted in 2020, but delayed until now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. LeMond said:

“I am honored beyond words to receive this Congressional Gold Medal. I stand here knowing this honor isn’t mine alone. It belongs to every teammate, every supporter, every family member and to all of the extraordinary Americans whose courage and sacrifice made my life and career possible. I am proud to be an American, and I thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart.”

At the women’s Giro d’Italia, the uphill-finishing, 142 km fourth stage reinstated Swiss Marlen Reusser as the race leader. Australia’s Sarah Gigante won the stage in 3:56:22, with Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini and Reusser both 25 seconds back, with prior leader Anna Henderson (GBR) in 47th (+9:56).

So, Reusser, Longo Borghini (+0:16) and Gigante (+0:34) are 1-2-3, with a hilly stage and a major uphill finish in stage seven ahead.

● Football ● The semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup concluded on Wednesday with both matches played in high heat with 3 p.m. kickoffs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and Chelsea (GBR) and Paris St.-Germain (FRA) advancing to the final.

On Tuesday, temperatures were reported at 95 F as Chelsea for goals from Joao Pedro (BRA) in the 18th and 56th and shut down Brazilian club Fluminense, 2-0, with a crowd of 70,556 in the 82,500-seat venue.

Wednesday’s game started in 92 F temps and was delayed for 10 minutes due to the late arrival of team buses. It was a rout for PSG, up 2-0 after nine minutes and finished off Real Madrid (ESP) by 4-0, before 77,542.

The final will be Sunday, also at MetLife, with cooler temperatures expected and a high of 83 F.

The tournament will be declared a success by FIFA, but there are clear issues to be dealt with ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including questions concerning kickoff times and high temperatures, field quality, ticket costs, and availability and visa access for fans of the 47 visiting teams to the U.S., which will provide 11 of the 16 venues.

● Modern Pentathlon ● At the UIPM World Relay Championships in Alexandria (EGY), France took the men’s title with Leo Bories and Mathis Rochat winning in obstacle and swimming, then hanging on in the Laser Run (in third place) to win, 1,488 and 1,486, over the Czech Republic.

Egypt, with teen star Farida Khalil and Malak Ismail, won the women’s relay with 1,314 points to 1,286 for Hungary, also winning at obstacle and swimming.

● Shooting ● A great start for the U.S. at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato (ITA), with four-time Olympic champion Vincent Hancock taking the men’s Skeet gold in shoot-off with 2013 Worlds bronze winner Henrik Janssen (SWE), 7-6, after a 53-all tie after 60 targets in the final.

It was an all-American show in the women’s final, as 2024 World Cup Final champ Sam Simonton won, 56-53, over 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi. It’s Simonton’s second career World Cup gold.

Trap qualifying begins on Thursday.

● Swimming ● Swimswam.com reported that USA Swimming has elevated Jake Grosser, the Managing Director for Marketing and Communications, to the position of Chief Operating Officer.

Grosser moved up after Shana Ferguson left the organization to go to the LA28 organizing committee. Nikki Warner was promoted to Senior Director of Communications, replacing Grosser’s position on the communications side.

USA Swimming is still looking for a new chief executive, after not renewing Tim Hinchey’s contract last year, then selecting Delaware athletic director Chrissi Rawak, who withdrew after nine days as CEO-designate, before she actually began the job.

● Taekwondo ● Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Rashitov, the men’s 68 kg Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo and Paris, was banned for two years for whereabouts failures by the International Testing Agency.

Still just 23, he accepted the penalty, from 13 May 2025 to 12 May 2027, will ahead of the qualifying period for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Observed: That Rashitov, who has one World Championships medal – a 2023 bronze – would just give away two years between Games leaves one to consider how important the Olympic Games is to him and how unimportant everything else is. That’s not a healthy thing for taekwondo, or many other sports in which the same is true.

At the World Taekwondo World Cup Team Championships in Chuncheon (KOR), China won the men’s title over South Korea, then the Korean women defeated China, and finally, Uzbekistan defeated Morocco for the Mixed Team gold.

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TRANSGENDER: U.S. sues California on lack of Title IX compliance, asks for permanent injunction against transgenders

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ U.S. vs. CALIFORNIA ≡

As promised by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit on Wednesday against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation over its allowance of transgender girls to compete in its high school sports competitions, under state law.

The 24-page complaint (8:25-cv-1485) was filed in Federal Court for the Central District of California, in Los Angeles and asks for, “[a] declaratory judgment that Defendants’ policies, practices, and actions violate Title IX and Defendant CDE’s Title IX contractual assurances” plus a permanent injunction against further violations and an order to:

“(1) Issue directives to all California CIF member schools prohibiting the participation of males in athletic competitions designated for females;

“(2) Implement a monitoring and enforcement system to ensure compliance with Title IX’s requirement of equal athletic opportunity;

“(3) Establish a process to compensate female athletes who have been denied equal athletic opportunities due to Defendants’ violations, including correcting past athletics records; and

“(4) Submit regular compliance reports to the Court and the United States for a period of no less than five years.”

Monetary penalties were also requested, but with no specific amount given.

The case is laid out in the introduction, which includes:

● “4. Defendants’ policies and actions are harming girls by denying girls the opportunity to compete in student sports on a level playing field in which they have the same opportunities as boys. Defendants’ athletics policies and practices unfairly force girls to compete against boys in competitions designated for girls. These policies and actions discriminate based on sex and harm female student athletes under Defendants’ educational charge.

● “5. Not only do Defendants’ policies and actions eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls but they also require girls to share intimate spaces, such as locker rooms, with boys, causing a hostile educational environment that denies girls educational opportunities. …

● “7. The inherent physiological differences between the two sexes generally make them not similarly situated in athletics. These physiological differences exist regardless of a person’s subjective ‘gender identity.’”

The suit points to the regulations which have been implemented around Title IX with respect to athletics, in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), specifically:

“The Athletics Regulation first declares a general prohibition on the use of sex in athletics, providing that ‘[n]o person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be treated differently from another person or otherwise be discriminated against in any interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics offered by a recipient, and no recipient shall provide any such athletics separately on such basis.’ 34 C.F.R. § 106.41(a).

“[D]ue to the physical advantages males generally have over females, the Athletics Regulation permits recipients to separate athletic teams by sex: ‘[A] recipient may operate or sponsor separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport.’ 34 C.F.R. § 106.41(b).”

California, of course, passed AB1266 in 2013, which is now codified as Calif. Education Code sec. 221.5(f):

“A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Following the announcement of Pres. Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14201 – “Keeping Men Out Of Women’s Sports” on 5 February 2025, the CIF asked California State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond about the conflict with the state law, also codified as CIF Bylaw 300.D. Thurmond replied:

“CIF should continue to comply. Going forward, we appreciate your continuing efforts to protect transgender student-athletes from discrimination and harassment.”

The suit cites five situations in which transgender athletes – all unnamed in the suit – competed in the girls division, starting with AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, who won the California State High School track & field titles in the girls’ high jump and long jump and was second in the long jump. Also cited were four more athletes, two more in track & field in the Southern Section and Central Coast Section, a three-sport in the North Coast Section and a volleyball player in the Central Coast Section.

In a video posted on X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared with Education Secretary McMahon and noted that California is not the only target regarding Title IX infractions:

“We’ve suited Maine, we’re in litigation with Minnesota, we’ve sent multiple letters, and if you do not comply, you’re next. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice, we will protect girls in girls sports.”

No reply announcements were posted by the California Education Department, or the CIF.

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TSX SPECIAL: It’s here! Our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and more now posted!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ TSX CALENDAR ≡

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina is coming and the full schedule of winter-sport World Cups and qualifiers is now available … all in one place! It’s all in the latest update to our TSX calendar – an exclusive 699-event listing– for 2025, 2026 and a few of the larger events beyond to 2034.

Our updated International Sports Calendar focuses on sports and events on the Olympic and Winter Games program for 2026 and 2028, plus a few other meetings and multi-sport events.

Please note: this listing will change! However, this edition is a good place to start for following many of the events coming up in the rest of a busy year ahead.

Two calendars are included in the single PDF download: an 15-page listing in chronological order and a 16-page listing by sport (and in date order within each sport).

It’s free! Get your download right now, right here!

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PANORAMA: Milan Cortina ‘26 budget reported now up to €2 billion; three dozen Russian & Belarusian “neutrals” entered in 2025 FIE Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Rome daily Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that a government review of the finances of the 2025 Winter Olympic organizing committee shows that the budget has apparently expanded again to about €2.0 billion (~$2.34 billion U.S.).

This is €300 million above the €1.7 billion “lifetime budget” adopted in April, with €248 million of the increase attributed to the Winter Paralympic Games, for temporary infrastructure (€66.2 million), rents and services (€39.3 million), transportation (€30.5 million) and television support (€24.4 million), plus another €79.1 million for logistical support for the overall Games effort and some smaller items.

Another €43 million was allocated to government agencies for safety and security measures for the Games, and not part of the organizing committee’s budget.

● Russia ● Russian athletes refused to sign declarations required by the Polish hosts ahead of the World Rowing U-23 Championships in Poznan, scheduled to start on 23 July, and will not compete.

The Russian news agency TASS reported that, according to the head of the Russian Rowing Federation:

“[T]he Poles insisted that all Russian rowers sign declarations before participating in the competition, in which they had to indicate that they do not receive Russian state funding, as well as sponsorship funds from companies or individuals associated with the Russian Federation. Russian rowers must also sign that they have not expressed and do not intend to express support for actions in Ukraine, the state policies of Russia and Belarus and their leaders.”

World Rowing allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE), which allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals, and as teams, has allowed the entries of two-time women’s Olympic Team Sabre gold medalist Sofiya Velikaya, two-time 2016 Olympic gold medalist Yana Egorian and Tokyo 2020 Team Sabre gold medalist Olga Nikitina, among others, to the 2025 FIE World Championships in Georgia, beginning 22 July. A total of 17 men and 18 women “neutrals” are entered in the six individual events, plus a few more in the team competitions.

The FIE, whose elected president is Russian Alisher Usmanov, decided in June to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to be entered as neutrals simply by signing a promise that they have not been and were not now in support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, eliminating independent reviews.

At the same time, the FIE confirmed that Ukraine’s four-time women’s World Sabre Champion and six-time Olympic medalist, Olha Kharlan, will not compete at the Worlds. She posted a short note, stating “‘Neutrality’ is coming on the World Championship in Tbilisi. Well done, FIE” over an entry sheet with the names of the “neutral” entries.

Ukrainian federation president Mykhailo Illiashev told RBC-Ukraine:

“From the very beginning, we have emphasized that this entire process of verifying Russian fencers for neutrality is a farce. Now, I hope, this has become clear to all the other foreign federations that pretended the selection was legitimate.

“This brazen decision became possible because all previous complaints from the Ukrainian Fencing Federation were ignored, including by the International Olympic Committee.”

● Cycling ● Slovenian race favorite Tadej Pogacar scored his first win of the 112th Tour de France with a tight victory over Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel in Tuesday’s fifth stage.

The hilly, 174.2 km route to Rouen finished with a sprint of six riders, with Pogacar scoring his 100th professional race win and 18th Tour de France stage victory in 3:50:29. Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard was third (same time) and Oscar Olney (GBR) was fourth.

Van der Poel and Pogacar are now tied for the race lead, with the Dutchman still wearing the yellow jersey, on criteria. Wednesday’s fifth stage is a flat Individual Time Trial of 33 km in and around Caen.

● Football ● Goal.com reported that following the U.S. loss to Mexico, 2-1, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Houston, players responded to the defeat differently.

Midfielder Tyler Adams said, “I told every player after the game how proud I was just of the growth of every single individual. … To come together as a new group and make a final? It’s a positive and we’ll make sure it carries forward.”

Defender Chris Richards, one of the best players in the tournament overall, was not as positive:

“I think everyone grieves differently, but I think some people – and I know myself personally it hurt – but maybe it’s something that needed to happen.

“You take it on the chin and you keep pushing forward. And I promise you we won’t lose anymore finals against Mexico. I threw my medal away. There’s no point in having a silver medal. I think, as a nation, we strive for greatness. And I think, as individuals, we do, too. So, going forward, that’s what we’re going to do.”

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TRANSGENDER: California “respectfully disagrees” with U.S. Dept. of Education resolution on trans athletes, invites court showdown

By
Rich Perelman
-
The California Interscholastic Federation's special rule on transgenders for qualifying to the 2025 State track & field meet.

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≡ CALIFORNIA SAYS NO ≡

“The California Department of Education (CDE) received the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR’s) June 25, 2025 Letter of Finding and Proposed Resolution Agreement in the above-referenced OCR matter.

“The CDE respectfully disagrees with OCR’s analysis, and it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement.”

That’s the text of a 7 July 2025 letter from California Department of Education General Counsel Len Garfinkel, rebuffing the demand by the U.S. Department of Education on 25 June to agree to a six-point action plan as part of a resolution agreement from the Education Department’s finding that the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation are in violation of Title IX by discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex.

The DOE’s view was crystalized thus:

“Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires schools to ensure equal opportunities for girls, including in athletic activities, but California has actively prevented this equality of opportunity by allowing males in girls’ sports and intimate spaces.”

The CIF sent it own reply to the Education Department, referring to Garfinkel’s letter and declining to accept the resolution agreement.

California has had, since 2013, a law (AB1266) which states:

“A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon replied to both letters on X:

“California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports.

“Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that “it’s an issue of fairness” was empty political grandstanding.

“@CAgovernor, you’ll be hearing from @AGPamBondi”

California Governor Gavin Newsom talked about the transgenders-in-sports issue on a podcast discussion with conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk in March, saying:

“I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that.

“It is an issue of fairness, it’s deeply unfair. We’ve got to own that. We’ve got to acknowledge it.”

One of the resolution points demanded by the Education Department was to have female-at-birth athletes receive all awards “misappropriated” by transgenders. The CIF, in a very clever move, ruled that any placement or award made by Jurupa Valley transgender AB Hernandez in the girls high jump, long jump or triple jump at the CIF Southern Section qualifying meet and at the California State meet would also be given to the next-in-line female-at-birth athlete. So, with Hernandez winning two events and placing second in a third, female-at-birth competitors were also given the same places and awards at State, and no one lost a qualifying place to Hernandez from the Southern Section meet. 

Transgenders in track & field have not only been involved in the California Interscholastic Federation, but also at the state meets in Oregon and Washington, although the Education Department’s attention has been on California.

Next up, apparently, will be a filing in Federal court from the U.S. Justice Department.

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ATHLETICS: Kipyegon came to the Pre Classic for a women’s world 1,500 m record, so Chebet said, why not me too, in the 5,000?

By
Rich Perelman
-
A world women's 5,000 m for Kenyan star Beatrice Chebet! (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ PRE CLASSIC QUOTES ≡

Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic had everything you could want in a track meet: bright skies, a full house and fantastic performances, with two world records and world-leading performances in nine events.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet was clear about chasing a world record in the women’s 5,000 m, which meant she would be the first to run under 14 minutes, and she did it, in 13:58.06, with a 61.8 final lap in 75 F temperatures! She said afterwards:

“I’m so happy; after running in Rome [14:03.69, no. 2 ever], I said I have to prepare for a record, because in Rome I was just running to win a race, but after running 14:03, I said that I’m capable of running a world record.

“So, let me go back home, and then come to Eugene. When I was coming here to Eugene, I was coming to prepare to run a world record, and I said I have to try. I said if Faith [Kipyegon] is trying, why not me?

“And today, I’m so happy because I’ve achieved being the first woman to run under 14. I’m so happy for myself. Discipline and hard work, my coach and my husband have been there assisting me in everything I’m doing in training and supporting me, and Faith has been a close friend to me.”

Kipyegon closed the meet by lowering her own world mark by 0.36 in the women’s 1,500 m, in 3:48.68, just nine days after her 26 June 4:06.91 “Breaking4″ mile time trial in Paris. She reflected:

“This is the time I was expecting when I was in Paris, I say that it’s still possible to run under 3:49, and I’m just so grateful. I thank God, I thank my management, I thank my coach and all of the support system who have been supporting me through this journey, so it feels amazing.

“I think the changes were that I was preparing myself for something special, which was to run under four minutes in a mile and I think I pushed myself, getting better and better toward the 1500, so I knew it was possible to still run under 3:49. I’m grateful to God that I made it today because I talked about it last week, and here I am breaking the world record.

“For me, I try to be consistent. I try to follow what my coach is telling me to do, to be better and better every year, so I’m grateful that I’ve started to break the four minutes like in Paris last week and coming here and running the 1500. This is the road to Tokyo and I would say I am in the right direction.”

“To be honest, the ladies are pushing me too because they are running quick now and I’m happy that when I broke a world record, they are all running very fast, and that is what I wanted, to motivate the younger generation to come and do even better.

“For them to follow me, it feels so great that they are pushing me as well to break records. These ladies are amazing, I love them. I love competing with them and I normally tell them, let’s push each other and we can still break barriers.”

Kipyegon ran 61.9, 2:03.4 (61.5) and 3:04.7 (61.3) through 1,200 m and ran her last 400 m in 59.1! Paris Olympic 1,500 m silver winner Jess Hull (AUS: 3:52.67 in third) put Kipyegon in perspective:

“For someone to show up and just keep doing it over and over again, she’s phenomenal. She’s a great athlete, physically on the track, but what she must think, and her thought processes and her mind, she’s a champion in every aspect, so it’s just incredible to have someone at my side like that on the start line, that I can really look up to every capacity.

“She’s amazing. It’s incredible to see her starting to get the respect she deserves beyond the track and field fanatics; the world is starting to see what an incredible woman she is.”

Although not a record-setter, Jamaica’s Olympic men’s 100 m silver winner Kishane Thompson impressed with his 9.85 (+0.4) win:

“I’m the only one that can stop me. I don’t say that to brag, but to be honest, once I better my execution, amazing things are going to happen.

“It’s not just one component, it’s putting all of them together, from the start to the finish. Because I can work on one component, but if I can’t put them together it doesn’t make sense.

“It was a fierce competition, they ran me to the line. I’m really appreciative of it, it will help me to get better, step by step, and vice versa for everyone. It’s work, mental and physical. And you got to trust yourself, trust the process, trust the team, trust the coach, and so forth.”

By contrast, men’s hammer American Record-setter Rudy Winkler (83.16 m/272-10) had no expectations at all:

“My training this week was very bad, so I kind of came into this like zero expectations of like ‘whatever I throw, I throw,’ so I was super surprised by that today.

“I train out in Washington D.C. so we had some of the worst humidity and heat in the country this past week, so that was really tough.

“I was coming back yesterday in my pre-meet so I was like, ‘right I just need to get some throw in and see how I’m feeling tomorrow.’ And then in my warmups today I was like ‘right, I’m back to where I was and can throw far today.'”

“I know I always throw well here. My last American records was here at Trials in 2021. It feels good to be back. I love Eugene. I love the stadium. It’s always fun to throw here.”

The happiest star of the day was clearly Tara Davis-Woodhall of the U.S., the Paris women’s long jump champion, who went from third to first on her final jump, a world-leading 7.07 m (23-2 1/2):

“That was incredible, that’s what competition is about. I haven’t been the last jumper in a long time, since the new order, so it was really good to have all eyes on me and put myself under that pressure. I loved it.

“You have to have a good competition to bring eyes. You have to have that dynamic of ‘Who’s gonna win? Who’s gonna win?’ and when people say field events are boring; was that boring to you?

“I was all over the place on this runway. I’m trying to figure some new things out. I’ve got so much more speed, so much more power. 7.07, I’m okay with it. Another season’s best, I’m stepping up two centimeters further, I can’t complain.”

“This is insane, the crowd was silent when they were waiting for that jump, and that was perfection. The energy, it’s here. You’re cheering for everyone that comes out. This is one of the most knowledgeable stadiums ever.”

Maybe the most relieved athlete of all was Jamaican women’s hurdles winner Ackera Nugent (12.32):

“The race was okay. My allergies are killing me, but I was able to hold it together. I knew that with the ladies I would be lined up with that I have to be at my A game. So, I came out here today and followed the instructions of my coach and I executed.”

Just some of the best post-race comments from Pre. Next up on the Diamond League schedule is the Herculis meet in Monaco on Friday, 11 July.

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PANORAMA: Swimming in Seine starts Saturday, stops Sunday; logo for 2026 Cross Country Worlds in Florida; kissing defense vs. doping wins in court!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Seine River was triumphantly re-opened to public swimming at three locations on Saturday as promised by the City of Paris, but then closed again on Sunday.

The Seine cleaning project was a major focus of the City’s preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games, with open-water swimming and the triathlons held there, and the re-opening on Saturday was celebrated with plenty of swimmers.

But rain on Sunday created potential overflows of the cleaning system and caused the river to be closed once again. Under good conditions, Seine river swimming will continue through August.

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● While there was plenty of debate and turmoil over the 2025-26 City of Los Angeles budget, completed with a pending $1 billion deficit in sight, the $14.10 billion spending plan did include a specific allocation related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In a list of miscellaneous expenditures, $5,281,868 was allocated for “2028 Games Project Public Right of Way Improvements.” This was not requested by Mayor Karen Bass, but added by the City Council during its budget hearings and accepted by the Mayor in the final resolution.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The famed 1956 ski jump at Cortina d’Ampezzo, used for the 1956 Winter Games, is being renovated and restored, along with the construction of a multipurpose building, but will not be a venue for the Games.

The jump will be restored by next February, but the building and stands will be finished later; the 2026 ski jumping will be held at the Predazzo in Val di Fiemme, with 106 m and 134 m hills.

● Athletics ● The logo for the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida was unveiled, ahead of the 10 January 2026 event:

“The WXC Tallahassee 26 logo highlights Florida’s global identity as the Sunshine State, and features an orange, the state fruit, and orange blossoms, the state flower, reflecting Florida’s deep agricultural heritage. The lush greenery includes the sabal palm, Florida’s official state tree, reinforcing Tallahassee’s scenic natural beauty and its 700 miles of trails. The depiction of water represents Florida’s abundant rivers, lakes and expansive coastline statewide.”

The Apalachee Regional Park course will welcome more than 400 runners from 45 countries, returning to the U.S. for the first time since 1992.

● Basketball ● The U.S. women had to fight hard to win the FIBA AmeriCup in Santiago (HI), finally overcoming undefeated Brazil by 92-84 in the final. Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes scored 27 in the final to lead the U.S. and received the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament. She averaged 14.0 points per game and 3.4 rebounds.

The AmeriCup title qualifies the U.S. for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Mexican forward Gabriela Jaquez, who plays for UCLA, won the Rising Star award, averaging 12.0 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.

The American men’s U-19 FIBA World Cup champions were honored after Sunday’s 109-76 win over Germany in the championship final, with the Most Valuable Player award going to BYU guard A.J. Dybantsa, who averaged 14.3 points per game and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field.

The U.S. also set a record for the highest per-game scoring average in the history of the tournament, with 114.6 points per game, replacing the 1987 Yugoslavian team that averaged 108.9. The previous best by a U.S. team was 104.7 by the 1979 champions.

● Cycling ● Belgian sprint star Tim Merlier won stage 3 of the 112th Tour de France on Monday, leading all 181 riders across the line in the 178.3 km flat course ending in Dunkerque in 4:16:55.

Merlier won the chaotic finish over Italy’s Jonathan Milan and German Phil Bauhaus at the line; second stage winner Mathieu van der Poel (NED) maintained his overall lead on defending champ Tadej Pogacar (SLO: +0.04) and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN: +0:06).

First stage winner Jasper Philipsen (BEL) had to abandon the race after a crash at an intermediate sprint mark about 60 km from the finish.

There was outrage from the second stage, finishing in Boulogne-sur-Mer in northwest France, as spectators were photographed watching the race from a cemetery, with some actually standing on gravestones to see the riders.

At the eight-stage women’s Giro d’Italia, Swiss Marlen Reusser won the opening time trial, then Britain’s Anna Henderson took the 92 km uphill climb to Aprica in 2:24:30, just ahead of Dilyxine Miermont (FRA), the only one close.

With 26 seconds or more on the rest of the field, Henderson is the race leader by 15 seconds over Reusser and 31 seconds in Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA).

● Fencing ● The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency against the clearance of French fencing star Ysoara Thibus of a doping charge by the International Fencing Federation (FIE).

Thibus, the 2022 World Foil Champion, tested positive for Ostarine, a prohibited substance with effects similar to testosterone, on 14 January 2024. She was cleared by the FIE’s doping panel, which “determined that Ms Thibus was found to bear no fault or negligence and did not impose any period of ineligibility.” Thibus was then able to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

WADA appealed the finding, “rejecting the Athlete’s explanations that the most probable cause for the ADRV was a contamination through kissing with her then partner, who had been using a product containing ostarine without her knowledge.” The outcome:

“The CAS Panel considered the evidence and noted that it is scientifically established that the intake of an ostarine dose similar to the dose ingested by Ms Thibus’ then partner would have left sufficient amounts of ostarine in the saliva to contaminate a person through kissing. The Panel also accepted that Ms Thibus’ then partner was taking ostarine from 5 January 2024, and that there was contamination over 9 days with a cumulative effect.”

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FENCING: International federation ends independent checks of “neutral” athletes, requires only a written promise now by Russians and Belarusians

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ “NEUTRAL OATHS” ADOPTED ≡

The International Fencing Federation, with a President-in-absentia in Alisher Usmanov of Russia, disclosed in a new information letter that it has ended the process of the reviewing and confirmation of the “neutral” status of fencers from Russia and Belarus:

“During its meeting of 26 June 2025, the Executive Committee discussed the complexity of the current process which has proven to be burdensome and particularly costly, as a significant amount of financial resources has been allocated to it.

“This process essentially involves a Group (Eligibility Review Group), consisting of Executive Committee members, collecting information about the applicants. A cyber security company then reviews this information and provides its findings to an independent lawyer, who reviews the information, and issues a report with his conclusions to the Group. Ultimately, the Executive Committee decides whether to grant or not the AIN and Neutral Athletes Support Personnel status.

“In light of this, the Executive Committee has decided to simplify the process, to make it quicker and less expensive. Applicants for the status of AIN and Neutral Athletes Support Personnel are now required to submit to the Group a signed Application, which includes a declaration under oath confirming that:

“a. they support and will support the peace mission of the Olympic Movement;

“b. they have not made and will not make any public statements supporting the war, including in media or in social media;

“c. they did not and will not participate in pro-war demonstrations or events;

“d. they have not displayed and will not display any symbol supporting the war:

“e. they will respect the Olympic Charter, FIE Statutes, Ethical Code, Safeguarding Policy, Rules and any directives from the FIE;

“f. they will respect the FIE Anti-doping rules and the World Anti-Doping Code;

“g. they will meet all anti-doping requirements applicable to them;

“h. they will respect the clothing and fencing equipment requirements;

“i. if they are granted the AIN or Neutral Athlete Support Personnel status, they agree to participate in FIE competitions under the ‘AIN’ acronym and under Neutral Athlete
Support Personnel status. With regards to Protocol, the FIE flag and anthem will be used”

Further, the FIE has now decided – in contravention of the International Olympic Committee recommendation from February 2022 – to allow Russian and Belarusian teams to compete once again:

“During its meeting of 24 April 2025, the Executive Committee decided to allow neutral teams, composed of athletes who have been granted the AIN status by the FIE Executive Committee, to participate in FIE Senior team competitions, starting from the 2025 Senior European Championships.”

The 2025 FIE World Championships will be held from 22-30 July at Tbilisi (GEO).

Observed: This is no great surprise from the FIE, long controlled by the Russian Usmanov, whose personal donations to the federation totaled about $98.5 million U.S. from 2008-21, but stopped after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

So, the financial pressure on the federation appears to be quite real, but then so is the continuing war by Russia.

It will be fascinating to see whether the IOC becomes concerned, under new President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), of having its recommended ban on “Russian” and “Belarusian” teams overturned by the one Olympic-sport federation with a Russian president.

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FOOTBALL: Mexico claims CONCACAF Gold Cup final with 2-1 win over U.S.; Club World Cup closing with better crowds, discount tickets

By
Rich Perelman
-
The CONCACAF Gold Cup Trophy

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≡ CONCACAF GOLD CUP ≡

Defending champion Mexico faced the U.S. for the eighth time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in front of a full house at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, and came away with a second straight trophy, 2-1.

The U.S. got off to a dream start amid the haze from the pre-game fireworks, with forward Sebastian Berhalter sending a right-footed line drive into the middle of the box on a long free kick to defender Chris Richards right in front of the goal and his header bounced off the underside of the crossbar and was across the goal line for a 1-0 lead at the 3:32 mark!

But Mexico dominated possession – 65% in the first half-hour – and continuously worked the U.S. side, looking for an opening. U.S. keeper Matt Freese had to make two saves, under constant pressure. Finally, in the 27th, midfielder Marcel Ruiz fed the ball into the box and striker Raul Jimenez quick-shot a left-footed strike that whooshed into the U.S. net, just under the crossbar, for the 1-1 tie.

The Americans took more possession after 35 minutes, and almost got a score at 45+1 as defender Alex Freeman got on the end of a long ball by Berhalter into the box and headed it as Mexican keeper Angel Malagon came out, with the ball bouncing off the side of Malagon’s head!

The half ended 1-1, with Mexico at 64% possession, a 7-3 edge on shots and 5-2 on shots on goal.

Mexico started the second half in control again, with only an occasional U.S. foray toward the Mexican goal. Off all the possession, Mexico scored in the 77th; off a corner, defender Johan Vasquez sent a header which was headed on by midfielder Edson Alvarez into the net for the 2-1 lead. It was initially called offsides, but then declared good after a video review.

The U.S. pressured for an equalizer and off a great service from defender Tim Ream, striker Patrick Agyemang couldn’t get a shot off in a scrum in front of the Mexican net at 90+2. But it ended 2-1 for Mexico, the aggressor throughout the game, with 60% of possession and finishing with 16-6 edge on shots.

It’s the 10th Gold Cup for Mexico, which won its sixth final over the U.S. (vs. two losses), and the first time for a back-to-back win since Mexico did it in 2009 and 2011.

The FIFA Club World Cup is coming to a close, with attendance improving for the big-name clubs in the quarterfinals.

The group stage saw attendance at 56.35% of capacity, which improved to 63.28% for the Round-of-16 games. It got better again for the quarterfinals on 4-5 July (capacities in parentheses):

● 43,091 (60,219) in Orlando for Fluminense (BRA) 2, Al-Hilal (KSA) 1
● 65,782 (67,594) in Philadelphia for Chelsea (ENG) 2, Palmeiras (BRA) 1
● 66,937 (71,000) in Atlanta for Paris St. Germain (FRA) 2, Bayern Munich (GER) 0
● 76,611 (82,500) in East Rutherford for Real Madrid (ESP) 3, Borussia Dortmund (GER) 2

That’s 95.8% of capacity (269,549/281,313), with the final three games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford: Fluminense vs. Chelsea on Tuesday (8th) and Paris St. Germain vs. Real Madrid (9th), with the final on Sunday (13th).

Some of this was influenced by enormous ticket price cuts; The Associated Press reported Saturday:

“FIFA cut standard ticket prices for the semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday to $13.40 from $473.90 earlier in the past week.”

Prior games saw similar discounts, including for the quarterfinals. Through 60 matches, total attendance was 2,262,846 for an average of 37,714 per match. That’s not spectacular, but continues to demonstrate the interest in the giant, brand-name European clubs.

While the “need” for this tournament will be hotly debated within the football community, especially by the European clubs and leagues, the discussions about what was learned for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take center stage, with questions about heat, match times, field quality and much more.

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PANORAMA: IOC flags issues for India on 2036 Olympic bid; Lappartient unopposed on third UCI term; Brazilian table tennis star refused visa for U.S. Smash

By
Rich Perelman
-
Union Cycliste Internationale President David Lappartient (Photo: IOC video screen shot).

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2036 ● India sent a large delegation of nearly 20 officials to Lausanne to meet with the International Olympic Committee in its quest to land the 2036 Olympic Games, and was told – according to a report – that it had work to do:

“Sources told The Indian Express that during the meeting – the first of its kind after India expressed interest to host the mega event – the IOC flagged concerns over governance issues at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA); the rampant doping menace; and the country’s poor performance at the Olympics. At last year’s Paris Games, India finished at 71st spot with just six medals.”

India is pitching Ahmedabad as its candidate city, and is among more than a dozen cities, regions or countries discussing bids for 2036, 2040 or 2044 with the IOC. There is no present timetable for naming a 2036 host, as the IOC is revisiting its selection procedures.

● World University Games 2025: Rhine-Ruhr ● The International University Sports Federation (FISU) posted a Friday statement on the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes for the 2025 WUG in Germany, explaining, “FISU will continue to follow the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the respective International Federation (IF).”

Russian or Belarusian athletes can only compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” and

● “The invitation to compete at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games was only proposed for certain sports (based on the current participation status of that sport at the IOC and relevant International Federation). None of these sports are team sports.

● “Should the IF allow the participation under the status of Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs), their eligibility will be assessed by the relevant International Federation.”

The number of “AIN” athletes from Russia and Belarus were not specified.

● Cycling ● The Union Cycliste Internationale confirmed that at the UCI Congress in Kigali (RWA) on 25 September, incumbent President David Lappartient (FRA) will run unopposed:

“With regard to the Presidency, only David Lappartient, current UCI President, submitted a candidacy for the position. In accordance with Article 40, paragraph 3 of the UCI Constitution, his election for a third four-year term will be confirmed without a vote.”

● Table Tennis ● World men’s Singles silver medalist Hugo Calderano, who competes for Brazil but travels with a Portuguese passport, reported on his Web site that he was unable to get a U.S. visa to be able to compete at the World Table Tennis U.S. Smash tournament in Las Vegas:

“Hugo submitted his application, but given the longer than usual confirmation time by US authorities, he contacted Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He was then informed that he was no longer eligible for visa waiver because he had traveled to Cuba in 2023 to compete in the Pan American Championships and the qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, events organized by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

“Given the situation, Hugo made every effort to obtain an emergency visa, counting on the support of the United States Table Tennis Association (USATT) and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). The emergency appointment was approved, but there was no availability for a consular interview that would allow him to arrive in time for the start of the competition.”

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Athletics ● Paris Olympian Martha Araujo (COL) defended her heptathlon title at the World Combined Events Gold Decastar in Talence (FRA), scoring 6,451 to top Americans Taliyah Brooks (6,365) and Michelle Atherley (6,283).

Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme was a clear winner in the decathlon, scoring 6,478 to 8,236 for defending champ Johannes Erm (EST).

● Badminton ● At the BWF World Tour Canada Open in Markham, third-seed Kenta Nishimoto (JPN) won his third career Tour gold over home favorite Victor Lai (CAN), 21-13, 21-14. Japan’s Manami Suizu completed the Singles sweep with a 21-12, 21-14 win over Thuy Linh Nguyen (VIE) in the women’s final.

Thailand won twice in Doubles, taking the women’s title and the Mixed Doubles, with Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat beating Presley Smith and Jennie Gai (USA), 21-14, 21-17. Chinese Taipei won in men’s Doubles.

● Basketball ● The U.S. scored its ninth win in the FIBA men’s U-19 World Cup in Lausanne (SUI), sailing past Germany, 109-76, in the Sunday final. It’s the fifth win in the last seven tournaments for the U.S., which was really only challenged by Canada in the quarterfinals, winning by 108-102.

In the final, the U.S. was up by 56-47 at the half, but a 28-10 third quarter decided the issue. Michigan center Morez Johnson Jr. led the U.S. with 15 points on 5-6 shooting in the final.

The U.S. overwhelmed its first six opponents at the FIBA women’s AmeriCup in Santiago (CHI), meeting 6-0 Brazil in the final. This was a struggle all the way. The Americans were up, 25-22 at the quarter, down 47-45 at the half, still down 66-65 after three, but got the lead with an 11-3 run at 76-69 and held on to win by 92-84. Indiana Fever forward Damiris Dantas poured in 35 for Brazil, while Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes scored 27 for the U.S.

The American women won their group games by 108-47, 80-43, 80-62 and 104-48, then took playoff wins against the Dominican Republic (110-44) and Canada (65-53) before the final.

● Beach Volleyball ● Top-seeded Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists, won the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 women’s final in Gstaad (SUI), beating Tina Graudina and Anastaija Samoilova (LAT) by 21-19, 21-18. It’s the eighth World Tour win for Nuss and Brasher together.

Sisters Anouk Verge-Depre and Zoe Verge-Depre won the all-Swiss third-place match, 21-17, 21-11, over Tanja Huberli and Leona Kernen.

The men’s title went to third-seeds Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (QAT), the Tokyo Olympic bronze winners, winning two tight sets from 24th-seeds Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson (SWE), 21-19, 22-20.

Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot (NED) took third with a 21-23, 21-17, 15-10 win over George Wanderley and Andre Stein (BRA).

● Cycling ● The 112th Tour de France got underway in Lille on Saturday, with the first two stages mostly for the sprinters.

Belgium’s Jesper Philipsen won the opener, the 184.9 km course in and around Lille, in 3:53:11 in a final sprint over Biniam Girmay (ERI) and Soren Waerenskjold (NOR), with the top 33 given the same time. A notable casualty was Italian time trial star Filippo Ganna, who did not finish after a crash; Slovenian star Primoz Roglic, the four-time Vuelta a Espana winner, also had trouble and finished 79th (+0:39). Belgium’s double 2024 Olympic winner Remco Evenepoel had a first-day disaster, in 67th (+0:39).

The slightly hilly, rainy second stage of 209.1 km to Boulogne-sur-Mer ended with a mass sprint of 26, with Mathieu van der Poel (NED) winning his second career Tour stage in a duel with the race favorites, Tadej Pogacar (SLO) and Jonas Vingegaard (DEN), all timed in 4:45:41. That gives van der Poel the yellow leader’s jersey, at least for now.

Stages 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday are both expected to be for the sprinters, with a flat, Individual Time Trial in Caen for stage 5.

The unstoppable Jackson Goldstone (CAN) won his fourth UCI Mountain Bike World Series Downhill in a row in La Thuile (ITA), finishing just ahead of France’s two-time World Champion Loris Vergier, 3:27.134 to 3:27.738, with five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA) third in 3:28.173.

German Nina Hoffmann took the women’s Downhill in 3:57.934, well ahead of World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT: 4:00.928) and Gracey Hemstreet (CAN: 4:01.130)

● Fencing ● The USA Fencing summer nationals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin offered championships in division as young as age 10 all the way to past 80. Included were the Division I tournaments for all three weapons for men and women.

This was not a selection “trials” event, so many of the top American stars did not compete. But some did, notably 2023 World Champion Eli Dershwitz, returning to the piste for the first time since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He won the men’s senior Sabre title, 15-9, over Samuel Rightler. Henry Lawson won the men’s Epee over Gabriel Feinberg, 15-5, and Borys Budovskyi won Foil over Ethan Gassner, 15-13.

The women’s Epee final had 2024 Pan American champion Hadley Husisian outlasting defending champion Catherine Nixon, 15-11. Katerina Luna won the Foil title over JoJo Conway, 15-4, and the Sabre victory went to Siobhan Sullivan over Aria Bevacqua, 15-3.

● Gymnastics ● At the FIG Trampoline World Cup in Coimbra (POR), Olympic champ Ivan Litvinovich (BLR as a “neutral”) won the men’s title, scoring 66.37 over Paris runner-up Zisai Wang (CHN: 65.77).

Belarus’ Katsiaryna Yarshova (also “neutral”) won the women’s final, 58.06 to 57.41 over Russian “neutral” Anzhela Bladtcheva.

In the non-Olympic Double Mini, American Ruben Padilla won the men’s final at 31.900 and Kennedi Roberts of the U.S. took the women’s gold, scoring 27.300.

● Modern Pentathlon ● The UIPM World Cup Final was in Alexandria (EGY), with happy fans as home heroes won both the men’s and women’s titles.

Moutaz Mohamed, 20, the two-time World Junior champ, took the men’s title, scoring 1,583 points to 1,574 for Matej Lukes (CZE). Moutaz won the swimming, but started the Laser Run in fourth place, down 0:23. But he won the event in 10:00.33 and crossed first.

The women’s gold went to teen star Farida Khalil, 14, who won the obstacle and the swimming and started second (by 0:01) in the Laser Run. But her sixth-fastest time got her to the finish line first, with 1,470 points. That was comfortably ahead of Olympic bronze winner Seung-min Seong (KOR: 1,443) and Blanka Guzi (HUN: 1,440). In her four World Cups in 2025, Khalil finished 1-2-1-1.

● Sport Climbing ● Two Olympic quarterfinalists races for the women’s title at the IFSC World Cup in Speed in Krakow (POL), with Indonesia’s 2023 World Champion Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi winning over American Emma Hunt, 6.27 to 7.56.

The third-place match saw Olympic champ Alexandra Miroslaw (POL) top countrywoman Natalia Kalucka, 6.36 to 6.64.

Indonesia completed a sweep with gold and silver in the men’s final, as Raharjati Nursamsa set an Asian Record of 4.73, over Kiromal Katabin, who fell. Japan’s Omasa Ryo of Japan took the bronze at 5.48 over Zach Hammer of the U.S., who fell off near the top.

● Table Tennis ● Men’s star Kanak Jha tied the record for most men’s national Singles titles with his sixth at the USA Table Tennis national championships in Ontario, California. He defeated Nandan Naresh, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, to defend his 2024 title and add to his wins in 2016-17-18-19.

Nikhil Kumar and Sid Naresh won the men’s Doubles by 3-1 over defending champions Daniel Tran and Nandan Naresh.

The top two seeds met in the women’s final, with no. 2 Sally Moyland winning by 4-1 over Amy Wang, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8, 2-11, 11-8. It’s Moyland’s first national title, in her third finals appearance, and second time against two-time winner Wang.

Wang and Abigail Yu won the women’s Doubles with a 3-0 sweep of Moyland and Jessica Reyes-Lai. For Wang, it was her fifth straight U.S. Doubles title.

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ATHLETICS: History at the Pre Classic with brilliant 13:58.06 world record by Chebet and 3:48.68 from Kipyegon among nine world leads!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Paris Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 m gold medalist: Kenya's Beatrice Chebet (Photo: Diamond League AG).

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≡ PREFONTAINE CLASSIC ≡

The 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon was designed to be special and it was, started with mid-70s temperatures and sunshine, leading to two world records, an American Record, lots of drama and world-leading performances in nine events!

● Men/200 m: 19.76, Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
● Men/Mile: 3:45.94, Niels Laros (NED)
● Men/10,000 m: 26:43.82, Biniam Mehary (ETH)
● Men/Shot Put: 22.48 m (73-9), Joe Kovacs (USA)
● Men/Hammer: 83.16 m (272-10), Rudy Winkler (USA) ~ American Record
● Women/1,500 m: 3:48.68, Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ~ World Record
● Women/Steeple: 8:45.25, Winfred Yavi (BRN)
● Women/5,000 m: 13:58.06, Beatrice Chebet (KEN) ~ World Record
● Women/Long Jump: 7.07 m (23-2 1/2), Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA)

The women’s 5,000 m was set up to challenge Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay’s 14:00.21 world record, and there were four in contention with eight laps left, with Olympic champ Beatrice Chebet (KEN) and Tsegay ahead of Kenyan Agnes Ngetich, the star of the Grand Slam Track circuit. Those three were alone a lap later, with Chebet leading. They passed the bell at 12:56, with Ngetich letting go, but Chebet still strong. Then Chebet exploded, blew away Tsegay, passed three lapped runners (in a 5,000!) and smashed the world record at 13:58.06, the first time ever a woman has run under 14 minutes!

Ngetich was second in 14:01.29 (no. 3 performer all-time), then Tsegay at 14:04.41 (no. 5 performance all-time). Kenyan Margaret Akidor was fourth, but was back at 14:30.34; Weini Kelati was the top American, in 10th at 14:38.15.

Kenya’s three-time Olympic 1,500 m winner Faith Kipyegon – coming off her “Breaking4″ attempt – headlined the women’s 1,500 m, and with two laps to go, Kipyegon, Olympic silver winner Jess Hull (AUS) and Diribe Welteji (ETH) had broken away. It was Kipyegon and Hull with 500 m to go and at the bell, then Kipyegon expanded the lead on the backstraight and roared to the finish alone in a world record of 3:48.68, smashing her own mark of 3:49.04 from 7 July 2024, almost exactly a year ago!

Welteji passed Hull around the bend and was second in 3:51.44 (now no. 8 all-time), with Hull at 3:52.67. Americans Nikki Hiltz (3:55.96) and Sinclaire Johnson (3:56.93 finished 5-6.

Those were the world records, but there were seven more world-leading performances:

Paris Olympic 200 m champion Letsile Tebogo (BOT) was in front off the turn, but was pressured on the straight by American Courtney Lindsey. But as Lindsey slowed, Tebogo had plenty left and won in a world-leading 19.76 (wind +0.7 m/s), over Lindsey’s seasonal best of 19.87 and Alexander Ogando (DOM: 19.94).

The men’s Bowerman Mile saw Olympic 1,500 m bronzer Yared Nuguse pressing pacesetter Abraham Alvarado from the start, with world 1,500 m leader Azzedine Habz (FRA) the main challenger with 600 m left. Nuguse and Habz were alone at the bell, and Nuguse pushed hard on the back straight, building a 5 m lead.

Inevitably, Nuguse tired down the straight and while Habz could not capitalize, 20-year-old Niels Laros (NED), a Paris Olympic finalist, charged down the straight on the inside and leaned hard to win in a national record (and world outdoor leader) 3:45.94 to 3:45.95 for Nuguse. Habz was third in 3:46.54 and then Paris winner Cole Hocker in 3:47.43.

Ethiopia swept the men’s non-Diamond League 10,000 m, with 18-year-old Biniam Mehary, the Paris Olympic 5,000 m sixth-placer, out-leaning 2024 Olympic 10,000 m silver winner Berihu Aregawi, in a world-leading 26:43.82 to 26:43.84, with Tokyo 2020 10,000 m winner Selemon Barega third in 26:44.13. Conner Mantz was the top American, in 12th at 27:35.22.

Three-time Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs had been fairly quiet this season, but he blew up the men’s shot with a world-leading 22.35 m (73-4) in the second round, then improved to 22.48 m (73-9) in round three!

Nigeria’s Chuk Enekwechi got an African Record of 22.10 m (72-6 1/4) in round two, but was passed for second by Roger Steen of the U.S., with a lifetime best in round five at 22.11 m (72-6 1/2)!

The first fireworks of the day came in the morning, in the men’s hammer that started at 10 a.m. Olympic champ Ethan Katzberg (CAN) had the early lead at 80.16 m (263-0), but then two-time U.S. Olympian Rudy Winkler bombed his third throw out to a world-leading and American Record 83.16 m (272-10) and no one else came close! Winkler is now no. 18 all-time and upped his own American mark of 82.71 m (271-4) from 2021.

He also had following throws of 80.87 m (265-4) and 81.08 m (266-0), any of which would have won as Katzberg stayed second with his initial toss. Two-time U.S. Olympian Daniel Haugh finished fourth at 78.55 m (257-8).

Paris Olympic winner Winfred Yavi (BRN) and Uganda’s Tokyo Olympic winner Peruth Chemutai led the women’s Steeple with four laps to go, but with Olympic bronzer Faith Cherotich (KEN) close. Yavi took the lead and made a move with 500 m to go and she took the bell with a 3 m lead. That expanded to 20 m by the final water jump and won going away in a world-leading 8:45.25, the no. 3 performance in history!

Yavi was pushing so hard, she nearly tripped in the final two steps, but stayed up. Cherotich was second with a lifetime best of 8:48.71 (no. 4 all-time), then Chemutai in 8:51.77. American Gabi Jennings was sixth at 9:06.61, a lifetime best.

The women’s long jump had Tokyo Olympic champ Malaika Mihambo (GER) in front at 7.01 m (23-0) in the fourth round, with World Indoor winner Claire Bryant of the U.S. second at 6.80 m (22-3 3/4) and Paris Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall third at 6.75 m (22-1 3/4). But Davis-Woodhall got the last chance, and made the most of it. With the crowd clapping behind her, she got all of the board and soared to a world-leading 7.07 m (23-2 1/2) win, with +1.9 m/s wind aid! She really is the drama queen of the event.

The U.S. scored wins in six more events:

The women’s 100 m placed Grand Slam Track star and world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden against Paris champion Julien Alfred (LCA) and 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson. The race was only about Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred and the American nursed a small lead all the way to the tape, winning in 10.75 (wind: -1.5 m/s) to 10.77, with Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 10.90) third and Jamaican champ Tina Clayton (11:02) fourth.

Richardson, running only her second 100 of the season, was eighth, but in a seasonal best of 11.19.

In the non-Diamond League women’s 100 m, Jacious Sears of the U.S. won in a seasonal best of 10.85 (+1.7), moving to equal-4th on the 2025 world list, ahead of Aleia Hobbs (10.90) and Liberia’s Thelma Davies (10.96).

Paris 400 m hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had her eye on the American Record of 48.70 in the women’s 400 m and she had the lead by 200 m. She charged down the straight, but gave back a little of her lead to Aaliyah Butler in the final meters to win in 49.43, a seasonal best. Butler followed in 49.86, then Bella Whittaker in 50.81.

Two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. scared her recent American Record, winning the women’s shot at 20.94 m (68-8 1/2), the no. 2 throw in American history. World Indoor winner Sarah Mitton (CAN) reached 20.39 m (66-10 3/4) and Jaida Ross of the U.S. got third with a lifetime best of 20.13 m (66-0 1/2) for third.

Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. took the air out of the women’s discus early, reaching 69.48 m (227-11) in the first round! Two-time Olympic champ Sandra Elkasevic (CRO) settled into second in at 66.97 m (219-8) in round one, then Allman improved to 70.68 m (231-11) in round four! That secured her 26th win in a row.

Fellow American Cierra Jackson moved into second with a lifetime best at 67.82 m (222-6) in round five – her only fair throw – leaving Elkasevic in third. 

The men’s Invitational Mile was a fabulous win for ex-North Carolina star Ethan Strand, the NCAA Indoor mile runner-up, who won in 3:48.86 – no. 2 in 2025 – just ahead of Vince Ciattei (3:49.68) and Gary Martin (3:49.73).

Plenty of drama in the rest of the events:

Jamaican Olympic runner-up Kishane Thompson took over the men’s 100 m by the 40 m mark and roared away to an unchallenged 9.85 (+0.4) win. American Trayvon Bromell got a good start, but Britain’s Zharnel Hughes came on late to get second 9.91 to 9.94.

Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the men’s 400 m, holding off Khaleb McRae of the U.S. into the straight, then World Indoor winner Chris Bailey in the final 50 m, in a season’s best 44.10 to 44.15. Jacory Patterson of the U.S. moved up for third in 44.31, with McRae in 44.45.

Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, the 2022 Worlds winner in Eugene, held off Paris winner Rai Benjamin of the U.S., 46.65 to 46.71, with NCAA winner Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR: 47.88) in third. Benjamin was coming on around the turn, but dos Santos scored his first win over Benjamin since the 2022 Worlds and only his third win all-time, in 12 races against the U.S. star.

The men’s vault was down to three by 5.80 m (19-0 1/4), with two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks and fellow American Austin Miller over, along with world-record man Mondo Duplantis (SWE). Only Duplantis could go higher, clearing 6.00 m (19-8 1/4) on his second try, then heading straight to a world-record try of 6.29 m (20-7 1/2), missing three times.

The non-Diamond League men’s discus was won by world-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU), the only one to reach 70 m to 70.97 m (232-10) in the second round. Ralford Mullings (JAM) was next best at 68.98 m (226-4), with Sam Mattis the top American in fifth at 65.06 m (213-5).

The women’s 800 m had Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu-Nikolayev, but World Indoor silver winner Jemma Reekie (GBR) led at the bell, with world leader Tsige Duguma (ETH) taking over on the backstretch and holding off Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA) down the final straight, 1:57.10 to 1:57.16. Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi moved up for third in 1:57.89; Reekie was seventh (1:58.86); Mu-Nikolayev fell back with 200 m to go and was 10th in 2:03.44.

The non-Diamond League women’s 100 m hurdles had former world-record holder Keni Harrison out well, but overtaken by Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, who held on to win in 12.32 (+0.4), ahead of current world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR: 12.38), with Harrison third (12.50), just ahead of Paris Olympic winner Masai Russell (12.50). Americans Alia Armstrong and Tia Jones both fell early on.

The non-Diamond League women’s hammer saw Canadian Olympic champ Cam Rogers score a win and national record at 78.88 m (258-9) in the fourth round, taking over from world leader Brooke Andersen of the U.S., who reached 76.95 m (252-5) in the final round.

The Diamond League heads right back to Europe, with the Herculis meet in Monaco on 11 July.

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PANORAMA: Australia, Queensland agree on Brisbane 2032 funding split; UCI ready vs. doping at Tour de France; Mexico to meet U.S. in Gold Cup final

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The Australian national government and the state government of Queensland announced an agreement on the details of the previously-agreed-on A$7.1 billion in spending for infrastructure related to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (A$1 = $0.66 U.S.).

The national government will contribute A$3.435 billion, with A$3.665 coming from Queensland, to build or revamp 17 venues for 2032, with the Australian government to spend A$1.2 billion on the new stadium to be built in Victoria Park.

● Youth Olympic Games: Gangwon 2024 ● The International Olympic Committee announced it would return its 20% share of the small surplus achieved by the organizing committee of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon (KOR) last year, which totaled roughly $1.4 million U.S. (1.85 billion Korean won).

Of note was the organizing committee’s revenue of about $55.3 million U.S., of which the IOC reportedly provided $34.1 million. Expenses were about $53.9 million.

● Cycling ● The Union Cycliste Internationale announced a heavy program of doping and cheating controls ahead of the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday.

In addition to 350 out-of-competition doping tests undertaken by the International Testing Agency in the weeks prior to the race, another 600 tests are expected to be done on the 184 riders across the 21 stages of the race, plus enhanced efforts on intelligence gathering.

The UCI will carry out “technological fraud” controls on the bikes used for the Tour, looking primarily for propulsion systems. Bikes will be checked before each stage with magnetic tablets, cheating during races will be monitored by video, and bikes from the race and section leaders will be checked after each stage. Some 192 x-ray checks were conducted in 2024; more than 600 have been made so far during the 2025 UCI World Tour season, up 24% from 2024.

● Football ● Defending champion Mexico defeated Honduras, 1-0, in Santa Clara, California on Wednesday night, advancing to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against the U.S. on Sunday, in Houston, Texas.

After two team-on-team melees in the 0-0 first half, striker Raul Jimenez scored for Mexico in the 50th minute for the only goal of the game. Closely fought, Mexico controlled 56% of possession and had a 10-6 edge on shots, in front of a huge crowd of 70,975.

This will be the eighth Gold Cup final between the U.S. and Mexico, with Mexico holding a 5-2 edge to date.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union’s first Extraordinary Congress in Lausanne (SUI) approved the revised ISU constitution, which will streamline its structure and processes. A total of 94 of the 98 delegations voted in favor.

Importantly, the new framework also creates an independent Skating Integrity Unit, with responsibility not only for doping, but also for ethics, competition integrity and safeguarding. The Disciplinary Committee will be completely separate. A separate Elections Committee and a committee on financial affairs will also be installed.

A new rule-making process was also adopted, clustering changes into – in theory – only one time in each four-year Olympic cycle, giving more certainty to athletes in their planning and training.

The changes will go into effect after the ISU Congress in June 2026.

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ATHLETICS & CYCLING: Star-laden Diamond League Pre Classic on Saturday in Eugene, as 112th Tour de France starts in Lille

By
Rich Perelman
-
Another win and another world-leading performance from U.S. superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Miramar (Photo: Grand Slam Track).

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≡ STARS ON SATURDAY ≡

Olympic-sport fans are looking forward to two exciting events on Saturday, with the one-day Pre Classic track & field meet in Eugene, Oregon and the start of the Tour de France, with another showdown between Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar and Danish champ Jonas Vingegaard eagerly anticipated.

The 112th Tour comes first on the 5th of July, with the start in Lille, in northeastern France, with a full complement of 23 teams and 184 riders. The race is expected to be settled among three stars:

● Tadej Pogacar (SLO): Winner of the Tour in 2020-2021-2024 and second to Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023. At 26, he’s in his prime and the definite favorite, having won his two multi-stage races in 2025, the UAE Tour in February and the Criterium du Dauphine in France in June. He also won four major Classics races in Europe in March and April and was in the top three in all seven of his efforts.

He has the benefit of a superb running mate on his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad in 2025 Tour de Suisse-Tour de Romandie-Itzulia Basque Country winner Joao Almeida (POR), who would otherwise be among the favorites himself!

● Jonas Vingegaard (DEN): Winner over Pogacar in 2022 and 2023 and second in 2021 and 2024, so between the two, they have been first and second in four straight Tours!

Vingegaard, returning from a bad crash at the Itzulia Basque Country races in 2024 and a concussion during Paris-Nice 2025 in March, says he is healthy, and was second to Pogacar at the Criterium du Dauphine in June. His Team Visma-Lease A Bike is strong, including American stars Matteo Jorgenson and Vuelta a Espana winner Sepp Kuss and 2025 Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates (GBR).

● Remco Evenepoel (BEL): Last year, Evenepoel dominated at the Paris Olympic Games, winning both the Road Race and the Time Trial! He finished third at the 2024 Tour de France behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, so he knows what he is up against. He also won the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, and has to be considered if either of the two-time champions ahead of him should falter.

The 21 stages of this year’s Tour have most of the climbing stages in the second half of the races, with opportunities for the sprinters early:

● Flat stages (7): 1-3-8-9-11-17-21
● Hilly stages (6): 2-4-6-7-15-20
● Mountain stages (6): 10-12-14-16-18-19
● Individual Time Trials (2): 5-13

The race finale will return to Paris, after skipping 2024 due to the Olympic Games.

NBC has coverage of the Tour, primarily on its Peacock streaming service, with stages shown on NBC on 5-6-20-26-27 July.

The 50th Prefontaine Classic to be held Saturday started out as a fund-raising meet to support the construction of a new western grandstand at Hayward Field, in 1973 and 1974, but renamed after the tragic death of distance icon Steve Prefontaine on 30 May 1975.

Since then, the meet has grown into the top invitational in the U.S. and is the only Diamond League stop in the United States. Nike requires its top athletes to include it on their annual schedules, making it one of the best meets in the world.

The same is true for 2025, with multiple highlight events:

● Men/100 m: Jamaica’s world-leader (9.75) and Olympic silver winner Kishane Thompson vs. world no. 3 (9.84) two-time Worlds bronze winner Trayvon Bromell and 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman.

● Men/200 m: Another showdown between Grand Slam star Kenny Bednarek, the Olympic silver winner, and Paris gold medalist Letsile Tebogo (BOT).

● Men/400 m: Paris Olympic champ Quincy Hall, runner-up Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) and bronze winner Muzala Samukonga (ZAM).

● Men/Mile: Olympic 1,500 m winner Cole Hocker and bronzer Yared Nuguse are in, plus world 1,500 m leader Azzedine Habz (FRA), 2019 World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 2022 Worlds winner Jake Wightman (GBR) and even double Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher!

● Men/400 m hurdles: Olympic champion (and world leader) Rai Benjamin of the U.S., 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA) and 2022 Worlds bronze winner Trevor Bassitt of the U.S.

● Women/100 m: Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA), runner-up Sha’Carri Richardson, Grand Slam Track winner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and world no. 3 Tina Clayton (JAM)!

● Women/400 m: Five of the nine have run in the 49s this season, but can Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone get the American Record of 48.70? She’s going to try.

● Women/1,500 m: Fresh from her “sub-4″ try, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon may be in for a world-record try here. The Olympic silver (Jess Hull/AUS) and bronze (Georgia Hunter Bell/GBR) will be there too.

● Women/Steeple: The Paris podium is all here: Winfred Yavi (BRN), Tokyo winner Peruth Chemutai (UGA) and Kenyan Faith Cherotich.

● Women/5,000 m: Paris Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet (KEN) and world-record holder Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), among others.

● Women/100 m hurdles: Paris Olympic winner Masai Russell, world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR), two-time World Champion Danielle Williams (JAM) and double-Grand Slam winner Ackera Nugent (JAM).

● Women/Long Jump: The Paris Olympic medal winners are all here: Americans Tara Davis-Woodhall (gold) and Jasmine Moore (bronze) and German silver winner Malaika Mihambo.

There’s more, with world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE) in the non-Diamond League men’s vault, American Record-setter and world leader Chase Jackson in the women’s shot and Olympic champ Valarie Allman looking for her 26th straight win in the women’s discus.

Wow!

The meet will be shown live on NBC and Peacock at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: IOC auctioning 2028 Olympic television rights in India; has Lausanne already returned LA28’s favor in adding cricket?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Will the IOC play cricket with LA28 on added TV rights sales in India? (Photo: Wikipedia).

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≡ CRICKET’S 2028 IMPACT ≡

“The sport that the Indian population cherishes the most is cricket. I think we’re here in a place where this is a game-changer not just for India, but it’s also a game-changer for the Olympic Movement.

“Bringing cricket back into the Olympic sports program, basically creates a new cricket competition. So whoever is going to be the winner of that bid will be bringing to the Indian fans, for the first time ever, cricket back into the games. So that’s our historical moment, but it’s also something very special, because the games are not just about will not be just about cricket, but we believe that also, whoever is going to be the media rights holder will also become the catalyst for growth of other Olympic sports around India, and, you know, hopefully inspire young girls and boys in across India to maybe take on, take upon a more active lifestyle and embrace new sports that they may not have known existed before.”

That’s International Olympic Committee Managing Director of Television and Marketing, Anne-Sophie Voumard (SUI), telling Indian television CNBC-TV18 that the IOC is opening the television rights sale for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles for bid.

The rights for Paris 2024 were purchased by Viacom18 for $31 million U.S. and Voumard expects quite a bit more for 2028:

“Because of the vibrancy of the media market in India at the moment, we deliberately chose to open a formal, transparent tender, where we’re going to be inviting everyone with the same conditions. In terms of value we expect, I cannot disclose any value that is confidential information, but the expectation is that the amount will be a multiple of that [$31 million] amount.”

Voumard confirmed that the IOC is talking with Indian companies as potential TOP sponsors, explaining what the Olympic Movement does and how it operates, but also how an Olympic sponsorship can help advance company objectives.

The television bidding process is expected to have bids returned to the IOC by 13 August.

Observed: Figures like $200 million for Indian television rights for 2028 were bandied about when T20 cricket was being discussed as a possible addition to the 2028 Olympic program in Los Angeles.

The LA28 organizers have decided to hold the tournament – with six teams each for men and women – in a temporary facility at the expansive Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, a complex used to large crowds.

Now, Los Angeles in specific and Southern California in general is not cricket country. The addition of cricket by LA28 as an added sport was essentially a gift to the IOC to allow it to get a deeper relationship with India, a growing international power in sport.

With the sport in for 2028 and sure to be added for Brisbane 2032 – where cricket is big business – will the IOC share some of its increased TV rights with LA28?

They may already have.

The 2028 Host City Contract showed that LA28 would receive $898 million in television rights revenue and from $437-637 million in TOP sponsorship revenue. However, with the loss of Toyota as an IOC sponsor at the end of 2024, the latest LA28 budget shows a TOP sponsorship share back down to $437 million. Not good for LA28.

But, the revised LA28 budget does show an increase in the TV rights share to $948 million, an increase of $50 million. A share of the Indian increase, perhaps?

In truth, if the IOC does receive significantly more for the Indian television rights, it should willingly share half with LA28, because the Los Angeles organizers did them a real favor, not just for 2028, but setting the floor for 2032 and well beyond.

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LOS ANGELES 2028: Huge security funding win for LA28 as $1 billion allocated for Olympic security; also $625 million for the 2026 FIFA World Cup!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ FROM THE “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” ≡

The U.S. Congress completed work Thursday on H.R.1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which included a huge funding allocation to support the U.S. hosting aspects of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the hosting of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

The funding language was buried deep in the bill, in the section relating to the Department of Homeland Security:

“SEC. 90005. STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE.

“(a) State Homeland Security Grant Programs.

“(1) In general. In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until September 30, 2029, to be administered under the State Homeland Security Grant Program authorized under section 2004 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 605), to enhance State, local, and Tribal security through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other activities:

“(A) $500,000,000 for State and local capabilities to detect, identify, track, or monitor threats from unmanned aircraft systems (as such term is defined in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code), consistent with titles 18 and 49 of the United States Code;

“(B) $625,000,000 for security and other costs related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup;

“(C) $1,000,000,000 for security, planning, and other costs related to the 2028 Olympics; and

“(D) $450,000,000 for the Operation Stonegarden [anti-terrorism] Grant Program.”

The bill is expected to be signed into law on Friday, 4 July, by President Donald Trump.

It is not clear exactly what the World Cup and LA28 Games money can be spent on, but the umbrella is pretty broad, considering it includes “security and other costs” for the American aspects of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and “security, planning and other costs” related to the 2028 Games. So:

● Is this the answer to some of the prayers of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, for funding related to spectator transportation for 2028?

● Is this just for security planning and execution, meaning it will really be controlled by the U.S. Secret Service, the lead agency on security for the 2028 Games since it was named as a National Special Security Event (NSSE) in 2024?

No one knows, but this is a major development in the Federal funding of the FIFA World Cup and especially the 2028 Games. A U.S. General Accounting Office report in 2000 described prior Olympic spending, which included:

● For Los Angeles 1984, $50 million (in 1984 dollars) was allocated for security support for the Games and $45 million was actually appropriated.

● For Atlanta 1996, the Federal government spent about $609 million (in 1999 dollars) on the Games, including $96 million for safety and security measures ($36 million for the Department of Defense). Most of the money was spent on highway and other infrastructure projects; of the $609 million total, just $17 million was spent on spectator transportation.

● For Salt Lake City 2002, Federal spending of $1.254 billion was planned, with $1 billion for highway and transit infrastructure projects already planned, but accelerated. Spending on the Games for security was expected to cost $161 million, plus $77 million on spectator transportation systems.

The $254 million in Games support costs had ballooned to $342 million by the time of a 2001 GAO update (2001 dollars shown at $341 million due to rounding):

● $185 million for Safety and Security
● $106 million for Transportation
● $27 million for Venue Construction
● $19 million for Staging and Operations
● $4 million for Housing and Infrastructure Support

The security cost went up considerably due to added protections after the terrorist incidents of 11 September 2001.

So, the Federal government has significantly stepped up the funding for 2026 and 2028, with the question now of how it will be spent, when, and by who? And what additional spending will be in the Fiscal Year 2027 and 2028 spending bills?

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TRANSGENDER: Will the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on transgender cases impact the IOC’s “protection of the female category” effort?

By
Rich Perelman
-
The United States Supreme Court (Photo: Wikipedia via the U.S. Capitol).

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≡ U.S. SUPREME COURT TAKES TRANSGENDER CASES ≡

The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari Thursday in two cases involving the rights of transgender girls to play on girls sports teams on school:

● Little v. Hecox is an Idaho District Court case, challenging the state ban – enacted in 2020 – on transgender athletes, in this case at Boise State University, and requirements for sex testing. The law was blocked by the U.S. District Court and the injunction was affirmed by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2023. The State of Idaho asked for Supreme Court review.

● West Virginia v. B.P.J., an action by a teen transgender girl in middle school against the 2021 West Virginia law banning transgender athletic participation. A U.S. District Court granted a preliminary injunction against the law in 2021, then changed and agreed with the law. The law was stayed on appeal in February 2023 to the U.S. Fourth Circuit, now appealed by West Virginia to the Supreme Court.

Both cases were brought under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause, and the West Virginia v. B.P.J. case brings in questions concerning possible violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibiting discrimination in educational programs.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, in U.S. vs. Skrmetti (23-477) in favor of a Tennessee law banning “gender-affirming care” – puberty blockers and hormone treatments – for transgender minors. Specifically, the majority decided that the Tennessee law does not amount to sex discrimination under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause.

So, the Court will wade into the transgenders-in-sports question which has a reported 27 states with laws banning transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams. Many other states have laws in the opposite direction, including the State of California, which in 2013 adopted AB1266 regarding elementary and secondary schools, which included:

“A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

This is an important case and one which will have wide impact, even up to and including the Olympic Movement. However:

● It does not apply to professional sports.
● It does not apply to U.S. National Governing Bodies.

It will, however, have a wide-ranging effect on how transgender cases are looked at, especially with regard to age.

This is critical.

As an example, World Aquatics took the lead among Olympic sports federations, announcing in March 2023 its “Policy on Eligibility for the Men’s and Women’s Competition Categories,” which includes:

“Male-to-female transgender athletes (transgender women) and athletes with 46 XY [differences in sex development] whose legal gender and/or gender identity is female are eligible to compete in the women’s category in World Aquatics competitions and to set World Aquatics World Records in the women’s category in World Aquatics competitions and in other events recognised by World Aquatics if they can establish to World Aquatics’ comfortable satisfaction that they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later.”

Further:

“[T]he athlete must produce evidence establishing that:

“i. They have complete androgen insensitivity and therefore could not experience male puberty; or

“ii. 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.”

Now, however, a push is on for sex screening to determine whether an athlete should be able to compete in the female category. An August 2024 comment in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports explained:

“Today, 25 years later, there is ample evidence that biological sex is a crucial differentiator in ensuring fairness and influencing safety for female athletes. The participation of male-born competitors (e.g., transgender women) and athletes with certain XY DSDs in female sport is a growing concern. These athletes experience male-typical development from testes producing testosterone, with resultant physiological differences creating athletic advantages and safety risks [4–6], even in athletes with XY DSDs who might have been observed as female at birth.

“The ethical failures of sports federations in the past cannot be allowed to obstruct accessible solutions to such an important issue in women’s sport. The ethical framework that governs modern genetic testing is thorough and, importantly to overcome the shortcomings of the past, it emphasizes individual consent, confidentiality, and dignity. Current technology enables a screening procedure for ‘sports sex’ that involves a simple cheek swab to determine sex chromosomes. This screen can be performed reliably and quickly and should be done in duplicate to ensure reliable results.”

The use of a sex-screening test was also promoted in October 2024 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem (JOR):

“In order to ensure, fairness, dignity and safety for all, including females – women and girls, females – we would need to maintain a female-only category in sports, while at the same time also having more ‘open’ categories for those wishing to play sports in categories that do not respond to the sex they were born into.

“That is one thing. The other thing is, as requested by many women and girls in sports, is to bring back – or actually not bring back – is to introduce sex screening, which as you know was discontinued in 1999.

“So that should be sex screening have become a lot more reliable now, cheap, can be administered in a confidential, dignified manner, should be introduced … as an element of – what was that called – eligibility, in female sports.”

It will be against this background that arguments will be made to the U.S. Supreme Court.

But they will also be made in the working group that new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) promised at her 26 June news conference:

“There was an overwhelming support … that we should protect the female category.

“And with that, we are going to … not revisit, that we’re going to set up a working group, made up of experts and International Federations. It was agreed by the members that the IOC should take a leading role in this, and that we should be the ones to bring together the experts, bring together the International Federations, and ensure that we find consensus.

“We understand that there will be differences, depending on the sport, but it was fully agreed that, as members and as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and that we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders.”

The IOC typically does not move swiftly in these matters, preferring lots of consultation and discussion. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, takes cases with a timeline clearly in mind, with a decision to be issued by the end of June in 2026.

Will Coventry’s own timetable now be shaped to allow the Supreme Court to have its say on the matter, as one more element to be considered in the IOC’s own policy?

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FOOTBALL: “Moonman” Luna scores two in 2-1 U.S. Gold Cup semi win over Guatemala; U.S. women shut down Canada, 3-0

By
Rich Perelman
-
U.S. men’s scoring star Diego Luna (Photo: U.S. Soccer on X).

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≡ U.S. MEN AND WOMEN WIN ≡

In the opening semifinal of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U.S. men tangled with upset-minded Guatemala in very warm – 88 F – conditions in St. Louis, in front of a highly pro-Guatemalan crowd.

And the energetic Guatemalans started on offense, but the first significant foray for the U.S. turned into a goal in the fourth minute, as midfielder Luca de la Torre’s shot from the top of the box was saved by Guatemalan keeper Kenderson Navarro. But his punch rebounded right in front of the net, where forward Diego Luna stopped it, controlled it and slammed home a left-footed shot to the far side of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Luna struck again in the 15th, taking the ball above the box, using a step-over to the right to create space and then burying a right-footed rocket just inside the left post of the Guatemalan goal. 2-0.

Not surprisingly, Guatemala got busy and had multiple shots at U.S. keeper Matt Freese and striker Rubio Rubin scored in the 29th, but was called for offsides. Rubin sent another shot at the corner of the net in the 34th, but Freese saved it. Freese had to make two more saves in the 44th and 45th on Guatemalan charges in the box. The half ended with the U.S. at 52% possession, but only six shots to 15 for Guatemala.

Guatemala came out with energy in the second half, desperately seeking a goal, but the U.S. maintained good energy and had some chances as well, especially for striker Patrick Anyemang.

Finally, Guatemala’s pressure paid off with a right-footed strike from the center of the box by sub midfielder Olger Escobar, who took the ball in the box from substitute striker Arquimides Ordonoez, to close to 2-1 in the 80th.

With the pro-Guatemala crowd roaring, the U.S. defense held, and Freese saved a seeing-eye shot from the top of the box by defender Jose Morales in the 92nd. The Guatemalan pressure in the second half meant the visitors finished with 51% of possession and a 20-12 shots edge.

It’s the 13th Gold Cup final for the U.S., in the 18th edition. Mexico and Honduras followed with the second semi, in Santa Clara, California later on Wednesday. The final will be at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on 6 July at 7 p.m. local time.

The U.S. women, following up on two straight 4-0 wins over Ireland, faced Canada in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, and continued a strong run of first-half scoring, in warm (84 F) and humid (61%) conditions, starting just a half-hour after the men!

The U.S. was up by 2-0 in both of the Ireland games, and forward Sam Coffey put the U.S. up in the 17th on a right-footer shot from the middle of the box, off of a loose ball off of defender Avery Patterson – standing right next to her – on a dramatic free kick from beyond the box by midfield star Rose Lavelle.

Then, Claire Hutton got her first international goal in the 36th off a header from another perfect corner kick into the middle of the box from Lavelle. The half ended 2-0 – for the third straight match – with the U.S. at 62% possession and with an 8-5 lead on shots.

The U.S. continued on offense in the second half, taking the first eight shots, through the 65th minute, but no more goals. Finally, in the 89th, it was sub defender Tara McKeown with a pass to an open sub striker Yazmeen Ryan got to open space and smashed a left-footer into the net for the third goal.

U.S. keeper Claudia Dickey got the shut-out, saving Canadian sub striker Nichelle Prince’s on-line shot at 90+2. The Americans finished at 66% of possession and an impressive 22-7 shots edge, including 14-2 in the second half.

That’s five wins in a row for the women’s national team, with a combined score of 18-0!

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ATHLETICS: Belt-tightening at USA Track & Field continues, as top staff continue exits; USATF also sues ex-Chair Mike Conley!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ INSIDE USATF ≡

As the tumult of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and the 2024 Olympic Games subsided, a half-dozen long-time USA Track & Field staff members were let go or left, including events manager and chief of content Adam Schmenk and two other key event staff.

In January of this year, Chief Communications Officer Aarti Parekh and long-time Chief of Athlete Services and International Teams Aretha Thurmond – and others – exited. In June, Communications Manager Natalie Uhl moved on to TrackTown USA after almost four years in Indianapolis.

Also in June, the LA28 organizing committee hired Michael Nussa, the USATF General Manager of High Performance and a former assistant coach at Tulane, as the sport manager for track & field for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Nussa joined USATF as the High Performance Programs Manager in August 2018 and had been promoted to head the High Performance division in February of 2025.

A close observer told The Sports Examiner that as many as 17 of the 95 employees USATF had as of the start of 2024 had left or been terminated. And not replaced.

Amy Begley, a 2008 Olympian in the women’s 10,000 m and a five-time national champion, joined USATF in September 2023 as the Director of Long Distance Running Programs, was promoted to replace Nussa, now covering both track & field and long-distance.

In 2024, USATF staged three branded “Journey to Gold” meets, the April Bermuda Grand Prix, the Los Angeles Grand Prix in May and the NYC Grand Prix in June. All three were canceled for 2025, with the Bermuda Tourism Authority deciding not to continue its support, and USATF saying in a statement it was not the organizer of the New York meet. The L.A. meet was canceled without notice or comment.

Why the contractions?

Money.

This is the carnage which has followed the difficult finances of USA Track & Field since 2022, when it provided a long-promised $9.9 million subsidy to the 2022 World Athletics Championships organizers in Eugene, Oregon.

The federation’s financial statements detail the drop in USATF’s net assets:

● 2021: $8.53 million
● 2022: $548,002
● 2023: –$4.93 million

That’s a loss of $13.46 million from 31 December 2021 to 31 December 2023, and a negative net worth.

Just as alarming is that revenues have remained – since the start of the landmark, 20-year Nike sponsorship agreement came into effect in 2014 – essentially static:

● 2014: $35.05 million
● 2015: $30.40 million
● 2016: $38.43 million
● 2017: $33.67 million
● 2018: $36.71 million
● 2019: $37.24 million
● 2020: $23.30 million (Covid impact)
● 2021: $35.52 million
● 2022: $36.54 million
● 2023: $36.71 million

If inflation is taken into account, the situation is even worse. One dollar in 2014 is worth about $1.36 today, so the $35.05 million revenue from 2014 represents $47.67 million in 2025 (+36.0%). But USATF revenue has advanced by just 4.7% over the 10 years.

USATF does not usually publish its financial statements until the end of the following year, so no public reporting on 2024 has been made. But knowledgeable sources have told The Sports Examiner:

(1) USATF suffered a loss in 2024 as well.

(2) The October 2024 agreement to absorb Paralympic track & field into USATF as of 1 January 2025 will provide a $3.7 million boost from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, against which $3.2 million is expected to be spent.

And the new Board of Directors, with new Chair Curt Clausen, the 1999 Worlds 50 km Walk bronze medalist, is taking a much more active role in reviewing, guiding and trying to rebuild the finances of the federation.

And that means less people and fewer meets, at a time when hopes are high to use the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as a boost for the sport.

However, USATF has not been completely on the defensive, filing an 18 June 2025 complaint against former Board Chair Mike Conley, the 1992 Olympic triple jump gold medalist, for breach of fiduciary duty during his time as Chair.

The action arises from the November 2023 complaint against USA Track & Field filed by former USATF staff member and Board member Jim Estes, whose consulting role with the Chattanooga Sports Commission bidding for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials led to the disqualification of the Chattanooga bid and the awarding of the event to Orlando, Florida. This action (Marion (Ind.) County Superior Court/Civil Division cause no.: 49D01-2309-CT-034614) is continuing. 

The USATF complaint against Conley alleges:

“communications between Conley and Estes [that] indicate a high level of coordination and collusion between them, in direct contravention of Conley’s ethical and legal obligations to USATF while Chairman of its Board of Directors.

“Equally troubling is Conley’s ongoing refusal in the litigation discovery process to
comply with USATF’s request for documents and communications relevant to Estes’ lawsuit. Conley’s refusal to comply with USATF’s document requests has impeded USATF’s ability to defend itself in the ongoing litigation and risks subjecting USATF to potential sanctions by the Court. As of the date of the filing of this Third-Party Complaint, Conley still has not provided USATF with any documents and communications relevant to these legal proceedings.”

Further, that “Conley was actively feeding Estes information regarding internal management and Board discussions related to USATF and USOPC’s ongoing investigation of Estes.”

USATF also alleges that Conley is continuing to refuse to cooperate with the provision of information in his possession relayed to the Estes case. So the prayer states:

● “USATF suffered, and continues to suffer, significant monetary, reputational, and legal procedural harm and damage as a direct result of Conley’s prior and continuing breach of his fiduciary duties.

● “WHEREFORE, the Third-Party Plaintiff USATF prays that the Court enter judgment in its favor and against Third Party Defendant Michael Conley, and award USATF all damages, prejudgment interest, costs, attorneys’ fees, and all other appropriate relief as is just and proper.”

The Estes vs. USATF case is still in discovery, so it’s not close to trial, and Conley’s cooperation will be important, so this new filing is going to push Estes’ action back. This is sad, and not close to over.

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PANORAMA: Why Kipyegon ran 4:06.42 “and” 4:06.91 on her sub-4 try; Grand Slam Track schedules athlete payments; modest Club World Cup attendance

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Athletics ● The mystery over the “official” time of 4:06.42 for Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon at the Nike “Breaking4″ event and the shown 4:06.91 event time was explained by Runner’s World.

The 4:06.91 time was the standard measurement of the time from the firing of the starter’s pistol to the time that Kipyegon crossed the finish line. The 4:06.42 time is a “chip time” from when Kipyegon actually began her race effort, to the time she finished.

This is seen often in mass road races, where some runners do not cross the start line for quite a while, but not in something as short as a mile. But now you know.

The Times of London reported on an e-mail message from Grand Slam Track Senior Director of Racing Kyle Merber sent to athlete agents on Tuesday (1st) concerning appearance and prize-money fees owed to athletes who competed in the Kingston, Miramar and Philadelphia Slams:

“We’d like to provide the following update regarding payments for the athletes who competed in Grand Slam Track events this year. Our plan is to make payments for Kingston prize money before the end of July and the remaining payments due by the end of September, which includes the honoring of Los Angeles appearance fees.”

The final meet, scheduled for UCLA’s Drake Stadium in Los Angeles for 28-29 June, was canceled over financial concerns, despite more than 10,000 tickets being sold for the two days combined, with more than two weeks to go.

● Football ● Much attention continues to be paid to the attendance figures at the FIFA Club World Cup, with the first round of playoff matches completed.

The group stage had 1,667,819 in attendance across 48 matches for an average of 34,746.

For the eight Round-of-16 playoff matches, Inside World Football offered a table showing 342,006 in attendance for an average of 63.28% of capacity (550,744). Of the eight matches:

● 2 had from 20-26,000
● 2 had from 30-35,000
● 1 had from 40-45,000
● 3 had from 60-65,000

OK, not great. Eight matches are left.

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the guilty verdicts against former Fox International Channels head Hernan Lopez and Full Play Group SA dealing with television rights, wire fraud and money laundering for multiple major football tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and Copa Libertadores. Full Play was also convicted on charges related to Olympic qualifying matches and the Copa America tournament.

All of the convictions had been thrown out in September 2023 by District Judge Pamela Chen (Eastern District of New York), citing a May 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision. But the appeals court ordered her to reinstate the convictions and to continue the proceedings in line with their opinion.

Lopez’s attorney promised to continue their appeals.

● Swimming ● The ancient suit by U.S. swimmers Michael Andrew and Tom Shields and Hungarian star Katinka Hosszu against World Aquatics (then FINA) for restrictions of trade over a planned 2018 meet in Italy, will apparently come to trial at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California beginning on 12 January 2026.

World Aquatics has energetically opposed the suit and it appears to be thrown out at one point, but a September 2024 ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held the matter to be sufficient to be tried.

● Table Tennis ● After the disruption, screaming and shouting that caused the International Table Tennis Federation’s Annual General Meeting in March to be suspended, the ITTF is obligated to convene the meeting once again to finish voting on several offices. On Wednesday, the federation noted:

“Given the complexity of this situation, the ITTF engaged a leading law firm to ensure the continuation of the AGM is managed in full compliance with ITTF statutes and Swiss law, where the federation is headquartered. The date and details of the AGM’s continuation will be announced as soon as possible.”

It can be expected that at the re-convened meeting, a continued challenge to the Presidential vote will be made. ITTF Senior Executive Vice President Khalil Al-Mohannadi, the loser in the election by 104-102, has already announced an appeal to the ITTF Tribunal and to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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MILAN CORTINA 2026: NHL player participation in 2026 Olympic Winter Games finalized

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ NHL PLAYERS RETURN ≡

After missing the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Winter Games, National Hockey League players will return to the Olympic play at Milan Cortina 2026 under an agreement signed on Wednesday in Zurich (SUI).

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly explained multiple points of the deal with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players’ Association:

● “There were a bunch of issues that are typically dealt with between the NHL, the IIHF and the IOC that needed to be dealt with, and we ultimately got those done. We’re thrilled. It’s all good.”

● “I think we broke new ground a little bit in terms of our commercial rights associated with the Olympics, use of the integrated marks and content capture that we probably haven’t had in the past. I think those are all advances in terms of what we’re doing. We will have the ability to utilize Olympic content in a different and better way than we have in the past.”

● “I know that’s been speculated on by others in the media that it would be some hybrid [on ice size]. No, it’s 200 by 85 [feet]. I think that will be the case going forward as well.”

The agreement also included protocols for player accommodations in the Olympic Village, arrangements for one guest per player, injury insurance, and for the NHL’s role in tournament operations. The NHL will also have options to purchase additional tickets and reserve added accommodations.

As for the future, there was no guarantee of participation at French Alps 2030, but Daly said:

“We have every intention of going to 2030. We expect to be there, but for better or worse that’s a whole different negotiation.”

NHL players first participated in the Winter Games at Nagano 1998 and have played in five Winter Games – 1998-2002-06-10-14 – with Canada winning three times, Sweden once and the Czech Republic once.

The 12 teams to compete in Milan have been confirmed and placed into three pools:

● Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czech Rep., France
● Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
● Group C: United States, Germany, Latvia, Denmark

Ice hockey will be played at the new Palaitalia Santa Giulia arena with some preliminary matches at the temporary Milano Rho arena.

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PANORAMA: Int’l Testing Agency did 44,400+ tests in 2025, saw 532 positives; tragic father-son doping incident; Cal gets $26M endowment for swimming!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● International Testing Agency ● The ITA announced its 2024 results, including significant increases – in an Olympic year – for testing:

● “In 2024, more than 44,400 samples were collected from over 17,200 athletes from 216 countries and at over 1,100 international sports events, marking a 10% increase in testing volume compared to 2023.”

● “Reports submitted via the ITA’s confidential platform REVEAL [1,042] rose by 68% in 2024, marking a significant increase in actionable intelligence received by the organisation.”

● “The ITA also evaluated and processed 532 potential anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs).”

The number of nations tested was way up: 216 vs. 185 in 2023, with 55% collected out-of-competition and 45% in-competition. Testing by sex remained constant at 65 male and 35% female.

In terms of the violations:

“Of the 532 potential ADRVs managed in 2024, 232 led to sanctions, 105 are ongoing, and 181 were reviewed but not pursued as ADRVs. Additionally, the ITA reviewed 827 Whereabouts Failures, of which 437 were recorded, 77 were referred to NADOs, and 313 were dismissed after explanation.”

● Anti-Doping ● A terrible case of in-family doping, reported by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency:

“After receiving information from a whistleblower, USADA initiated an investigation that uncovered evidence demonstrating that Michael Vowell, 49, administered his own prescription testosterone gel to his minor child, Seth Vowell, 16, at the 2023 USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships on December 10, 2023.”

The steroid testosterone has been banned for decades, and the penalties were severe:

“Michael Vowell’s actions constituted anti-doping rule violations for possession of a prohibited substance, administration of a prohibited substance, and complicity. He accepted a lifetime period of ineligibility for his violations. Based on the circumstances of the case, Seth Vowell qualified for a reduced two-year period of ineligibility for his testosterone use anti-doping rule violation.”

● Archery ● USA Archery named a veteran Recurve team for the World Archery Championships in Gwangju (KOR) in September, including all three Paris women’s Olympians: 2021 Worlds runner-up Casey Kaufhold, Catalina GNoriega and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez.

Five-time Olympic medalist and 2019 World Champion Brady Ellison leads the U.S. men’s Recurve team, along with 19-year-old Christian Stoddard and Trenton Cowles.

James Lutz, the 2024 World Cup Final Compound winner, leads the American Compound squad, with first-time Worlds Team members Curtis Broadnax and Jesse Clayton. Alexis Ruiz, a Mixed Team winner at the 2023 Worlds, leads the women’s Compound squad with Olivia Dean and Sydney Sullenberger.

● Athletics ● A new world outdoor lead for Tokyo Olympic co-champ Katie Moon of the U.S., who cleared 4.83 m (15-10) at the Maximum Velocity Born to Run Invitational in Chula Vista, California last Sunday.

U.S. sprinter Celera Barnes, the 2025 U.S. Indoor 60 m champ, won the women’s 100 m in a swift 10.79, but with over-the-allowable wind of 2.5 m/s.

The Athletics Integrity Unit posted its sanctions list for June, with 19 listings: seven Kenyans, six from India, two from France and one each from Brazil, Turkey, New Zealand and Nigeria.

Kenya and India continue to be the most sanctioned countries by the AIU, with no actions taken against either as yet.

● Football ● In view of the high temperatures and lightning delays at some FIFA Club World Cup matches in the U.S., British Columbia Premier David Eby said he has written to FIFA that Vancouver would be happy to take on additional matches if FIFA wanted to move some for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Vancouver’s B.C. Place and BMO Field in Toronto are the Canadian venues for 2026; three venues in Mexico will be used and 11 in the U.S.

● Swimming ● One of the best ways to assure the future of an in-danger university sports program is an endowment. The storied swimming, diving and water polo programs at Cal are apparently safe now, thanks to a $26 million commitment from Ned and Carol Spieker; Ned played water polo at Cal and became a titan in commercial property.

It’s the third program at Cal to be endowed, joining men’s and women’s golf, and rugby.

● Volleyball ● The Cuban Volleyball Federation said that the U.S. denied visa applications for the Cuban women’s national team to play in the NORCECA Final Four tournament in Manati, Puerto Rico from 16-21 July.

The Associated Press reported the federation “said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee, and several coaches, had their visa request denied and will be unable to attend the tournament.”

The Trump Administration’s proclamation of 4 June 2025 directed the U.S. State Dept. to “partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals” from seven countries, including Cuba and eliminated entry from 12 others.

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SAFESPORT: Annual report for 2024 shows Center for SafeSport made an actual violations decision on just 11.7% of all cases, all-time

By
Rich Perelman
-

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≡ SAFESPORT ANNUAL REPORT ≡

/Updated/The U.S. Center for SafeSport issued its 2024 annual report on Monday, two months after chief executive Ju’Riese Colon was dismissed, and demonstrated why so much concern has been voiced over the performance of the Congressionally-created organization in 2017.

On page 20 and 21 are tables which detail the number of reports coming into the Center and what happens to them:

● The number of reports from the Center’s opening in 2017 through the end of 2024 was 32,238, with significant increases to the highest levels ever coming in the past three years:

● 2022: 5,687
● 2023: 7,533
● 2024: 8,098

The 2020 total, influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, was 2,310, rising to 3,708 in 2021.

● After a rearrangement of outcome categories in 2024, the breakdown of what happened demonstrates the frustration with the Center for those who reported potential abuse. Out of a total of 24,636 cases (not reports) – no timeframe was given, so this may be from the start of the Center in 2017 – the outcomes included:

● 7,610 (30.9%): jurisdiction declined
● 4,734 (19.2%): no jurisdiction
● 1,120 (4.5%): jurisdictional hold

● 5,716 (23.2%): administrative hold
● 2,583 (10.5%): administrative closure

● 2,654 (10.8%): violation found
● 214 (0.9%): no violation found

So, the Center was only able to come to an actual, on-the-merits decision in 11.7% of the cases submitted, finding either a violation or that no violation had occurred.

Of the other 88.3% of cases, 50.1% were declined or the Center decided it had no jurisdiction and it held or placed on “administrative closure” on 38.2% of all cases.

(Please see further below for the Center’s response to these calculations.)

What the tables in the report do not say is how long it took to resolve cases, which have dragged on for years in some instances. Moreover, those making reports and National Governing Bodies have loudly complained that they have not received information on the disposition of most cases – as shown by the statistics – especially those which were held or had “administrative closure.”

That’s a total of 38.2% or 9,419 cases “held” in some way by the Center in total. There can be little doubt why the frustration level, as expressed in both House and Senate committee hearings in March 2024, with SafeSport has been so high.

Former NWSL soccer player Mana Shim, now Chair of the U.S. Soccer Federation Participant Safety Task Force, told the House subcommittee hearing:

● “First, we need increased transparency by SafeSport. The lack of information sharing is standing in the way of protecting athletes from abuse. If SafeSport does not share information about the allegations it receives, its investigative process, or any findings it might make, we cannot develop an understanding of what appropriate safety measures can and should be instituted.”

● “Second, we need to limit the number of SafeSport investigations that end in administrative closure. Administrative closure is when SafeSport closes a matter without any findings, resolution on the merits, sanctions, or public record of the allegations.

“The administrative closure process leaves parties in limbo indefinitely or, worse, allows sexual predators to fall through the cracks and remain in the sport without restriction. This problem is made worse by the sheer volume of cases SafeSport ‘resolves’ in this manner. In soccer, approximately 89% of all cases involving sexual misconduct with no criminal disposition are administratively closed.”

● “Third, we need to ensure that U.S. Soccer and other NGBs can take action when SafeSport does not. When SafeSport administratively closes a matter, it maintains exclusive jurisdiction. If an NGB like U.S. Soccer tries to take any sort of action to protect athletes, SafeSport will report them to Congress and initiate an investigation against the NGB. We believe that NGBs should be allowed to take some form of action in cases following an administrative closure so they can ensure abuse does not occur in the future.”

When the Center did make a decision on the merits, only 5.5% were appealed arbitration (89 of 1,614), and 83% of those ended with a confirmation of a violation.

Where the Center has acted, it had 2,224 individuals on its Centralized Disciplinary Database as of the end 2024, with 90.4% classified as ineligible for a specified time period, or permanently ineligible. The remainder were on suspensions or other restrictions.

/Update/ The Center for SafeSport’s Vice President/External Affairs, Hilary Nemchik, took exception to the above calculations; her comment is reprinted for the benefit of our readers:

“We caught your column on the Center’s annual report and wanted to request correction on some misleading information:

● “The presentation of data on cases where the Center makes a finding based on merits misleads readers and dominates the headline. You’ll note that 4,734 cases end up being outside of our jurisdiction, that we declined 7,610 discretionary cases to NGBs, and that 1,120 are on hold pending someone’s reentry into the Movement, that leaves 11,172 cases from which the Center makes a finding or no finding of a violation. Can you please correct your calculation?

● “You state ‘That’s a total of 38.2% or 9,419 cases ‘held’ in some way by the Center in total.’ That is inaccurate. The Center bifurcated outcomes into ‘administrative holds’ and ‘administrative closures’ to provide more clarity as part of wide-ranging process changes announced in April of 2024, and for the first time has provided detail as to the numbers behind the specific reasons for these outcomes. This new data on the reasons for these holds and closures is absent from the piece and provides important context. Your calculation includes 2,583 administrative closures, which are cases that are not being ‘held’ and are considered closed absent extraordinary circumstances. Importantly, this report outlines for the first time the number of ‘admonishments’ under the administrative closure category (1,476) which do not constitute a finding, but do put individuals on notice.”

In terms of finances, SafeSport had $25.24 million in revenues in 2024, with $20.00 million from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and $2.93 million in Federal grants accounting for 90.8% of the total. Expenses were $23.43 million, so there was a net surplus of $1.81 million. The Center showed $17.80 million in net assets.

Colon’s situation became untenable due to an investigator being hired despite knowledge of questionable or even criminal actions in his prior employment (he was indicted on criminal charges in Pennsylvania). But she told both the House and Senate subcommittees in 2024 that the Center would need $30 million in annual funding to keep up with the expanding caseload.

SafeSport is well short of that figure, and its yearly report can only be cause for concern, especially for claimants and National Governing Bodies, who see reports going in, but very little action coming out.

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