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TSX REPORT: Russians ask about athlete security in Paris; LA28 looking to add Paralympic sports; Brisbane’s A$2.7B Gabba project to be reviewed

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Russia’s Pozdnyakov asks about athlete security at Paris 2024
2. LA28 discussing adding Paralympic sports, too
3. Brisbane’s Gabba redevelopment plans to be reviewed
4. Lyles, Kipyegon puzzled by World Athletics’ awards expansion
5. USOPE honors Neuburger, Retton and Baumgartner

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee asked about what the security arrangements would be for Russian athletes who participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games since neither the Russian government, Russian Olympic Committee or its national sports federations will be involved.

● Andrew Parsons, the International Paralympic Committee President, said that the LA28 organizing committee is looking to add sports to its Paralympic Games program as well.

● The new leadership of the Queensland Labor Party said that the A$2.7 billion redevelopment project for the Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba) will be reviewed by an independent panel, for need and cost.

● The surprise awarding of six “World Athlete of the Year” award – instead of two – by World Athletics caught the awardees off guard, and Noah Lyles and Faith Kipyegon both commented on it after Monday’s ceremony.

● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Endowment, the investment group for the 1984 Olympic surplus, announced three award winners for 2023, including ‘84 Olympic gold medalists Mary Lou Retton and Bruce Baumgartner, and long-time executive and administrator Dale Neuburger.

● World Championship: Handball (Sweden and Denmark into Women’s Worlds semis) ●

● Panorama: Football (Turkish club president punches referee in the face!) ●

1.
Russia’s Pozdnyakov asks about athlete security at Paris 2024

Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov raised the issue of safety and security of Russian “neutrals” who would compete in Paris, noting that the ROC will not be involved due to its suspension by the International Olympic Committee:

“The Foreign Ministry in its comments always says that the issue of security is critical in this situation. This was also mentioned at the board of the Ministry of Sport.

“This will be handled neither by the national federation, nor by state services, nor by the national Olympic committee, which is cut off from the process by these [IOC] recommendations.”

Pozdnyakov is quite right about this. The IOC’s rules for Russian and Belarusian athlete participation in Paris cut the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian national sports federations out completely, explaining:

“The registration (accreditation and sport entries) of Individual Neutral Athletes and their support personnel will be coordinated jointly between the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, the relevant [International Federation] and the IOC.”

The IOC also released last weekend part of the text of the Conditions of Participation agreement that all athletes will be required to sign to be entered in Paris, which now includes “the provisions of the Olympic Charter, including the peace mission of the Olympic Movement” and “My compliance with such rules supports the mission of the IOC and of the Olympic Games to promote unity and peace.”

This is not a specific rebuttal of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the participation regulations state with clarity:

“Only those Individual Neutral Athletes and support personnel who have not acted against the peace mission of the Olympic Movement by actively supporting the war in Ukraine may be invited to participate in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”

This language will be a barrier to some Russian athletes agreeing to compete in Paris even if eligible, and at least one member of the State Duma – two-time Olympic gold medal hockey star Vyacheslav Fetisov – has said that “a general decision could be made on the issue of Russian participation in the Olympics” by the Russian government.

The Chair of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennady Zyuganov, joined the chorus against the IOC on Wednesday:

“I am of the opinion that if you go to international competitions, you must represent your country, your club, hold your flag high. When everything else is imposed on you, this is absolutely not normal. The IOC decision does not correspond one iota with the Olympic Charter.

“When a person comes and performs with some kind of badge and it is not clear what country he represents, it’s sad and insulting for the Olympic Committee and these competitions.

“What the Americans, British and Europeans are doing in the International Olympic Committee is they are simply getting rid of it. But we have Asia, Africa, Latin America, we have the opportunity to hold our own games. If we do this energetically, I am sure that they will retreat.”

Russia will host two large, multi-sport competitions in 2024, before and after the Paris Olympic Games, the BRICS Games (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) in Kazan from 12-23 June and then the World Friendship Games in Moscow and Yekaterinburg from 15-29 September, with some event possibly also held in Minsk (BLR).

2.
LA28 discussing adding Paralympic sports, too

The Los Angeles 2028 organizing committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games added five sports for its Olympic program – baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash – to create the largest Olympic Games in history, of 35 or 36 sports depending on how boxing ends up being treated.

Now it appears that it will also ask for added sports for the Paralympic Games, which will be staged in Los Angeles for the first time in 2028. In an interview with the FrancsJeux.com site, International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons (BRA) spoke first about the Paris 2024 Paralympics sports program (computer translation from the original French):

“It is the same as at the Tokyo Games in 2021, but while representing a certain evolution. The new sports introduced in Tokyo, badminton and taekwondo, are now more mature in the Paralympic movement. The sports program is, for me, the best we can present.

“In Los Angeles 2028, it will be a different matter, because we want to add sports. In the agreement that we concluded with the IOC until 2032, it is specified that an organizing committee can add additional sports of its choice, without exceeding the maximum of 23 sports and 4,350 athletes. Paris 2024 did not wish to do so. For Los Angeles 2028, the question is debated. The Americans are discussing the possible addition of surfing and rock climbing. They must make us a formal proposal.

“After Brisbane 2032, we could have more sports and athletes, depending on the agreement we have renegotiated with the IOC.”

The Tokyo Paralympic Games had 22 sports and 539 events; the Paris plan is also for 22 sports, but with 549 events. If LA28 adds sports, it will be hosting the largest-ever Paralympics in terms of the number of sports contested.

The largest athlete total at a Paralympics was 4,520 at Tokyo in 2021; some 4,440 are expected for Paris.

Parsons was also enthusiastic about the way Paris is promoting ticket sales:

“I really like the Paris 2024 ticketing strategy, with affordable places and a day pass system. Now the job must be to ensure that Parisians, the French, but also the rest of the world, buy tickets for the Paralympic Games.

“From the start of next year, we will need to boost promotion. It should not be done through the prism of the Olympic Games. People should not come to the Paralympic Games because they could not go see the Olympic events. The Paralympic Games must benefit from specific promotion.”

3.
Brisbane’s Gabba redevelopment plans to be reviewed

The most controversial element of the 2032 Olympic Games building plan by the Queensland government is the redevelopment of the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known locally as the Gabba.

The project budget has ballooned to A$2.7 billion (about $1.77 billion U.S.) and was championed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who will step down on Friday. On Wednesday, Premier-to-be Steven Miles said that the project will now be reviewed by an independent, to-be-formed committee:

“Every other time I’ve asked those questions the advice back has been the Gabba redevelopment is absolutely necessary to host Brisbane 2032.

“But I think it’s reasonable for us to be absolutely assured of that before we finalize those tenders.”

The plan has been to demolish the Gabba and construct a new facility and surrounding area by 2030, with the Australian Football League’s Brisbane Lions and Queensland Cricket to be relocated … somewhere.

But the cost of the new plan and the disruption (and cost) to the two existing teams has drawn heavy local criticism. In its review of Brisbane’s bid for 2032, the International Olympic Committee also objected, noting that the existing Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast was very successfully used for track & field at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick told reporters on Wednesday that a 60-day review would be completed before moving forward:

“We’ll be conducting a review of investment into Olympics infrastructure. … I think we need to pause. We’re going to pause on the projects.

“We’re just going to have a review. We’re going to take our time to consider that and we’re going to set up an independent authority.”

4.
Lyles, Kipyegon puzzled by World Athletics’ awards expansion

When World Athletics announced its 2023 award winners on Monday (11th), it departed from its usual presentation of a single World Athlete of the Year for men and women. Instead, there were six winners, one each for track, field and out-of-stadium for both men and women.

It was explained in the announcement thus:

“The adaptation of the World Athlete of the Year honours awarded this year follows feedback received during the voting process. Many sensational performances – including an extraordinary 23 world records – were achieved in 2023. When it came to compiling the votes, athletes, fans and World Athletics Family members commented that it was incredibly hard to limit the vote to just one athlete, because of the various disciplines and the vast differences in skill sets required. As a result, for 2023 the World Athlete of the Year awards have been divided into three event categories: track, field and out of stadia.”

Not everyone was happy about this, especially since even the nominees were told of the change.

American Noah Lyles, the winner for men’s track, was asked after the ceremony, “What does it feel like, ‘Athlete of the Year: Track’” and made his feelings known:

“Not what I expected it to be like. Let’s put it like that. Not what I expected. I’ll just leave it there.

“It’s definitely that word ‘track’ that threw me and I’m pretty sure a lot of other people off. Nobody being prepared for what really happened tonight. I think everybody was caught off-guard especially when we heard all of our names being called, one after the other. It was a little confusing in the moment what was actually happening. Yeah.

“I don’t think I’ve digested what really happened. I’ll put it like that.

“Give me a few weeks and then I’ll be able to actually break down what I think of what happened today. Because on one hand, I agree with the idea. I just wish we knew that this was what was going to happen instead of having it happen after the five finalists were already chosen, that groups were going to be made.

“Then I’m confused why we had the 10 athletes in the beginning, we’re all in different categories, and we were all led to believe we were fighting for the same trophy. So again, very shocking. Very big plot twist, big plot twist for sure.”

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, widely expected to be the women’s (single) athlete of the year, won for track also and told the Kenyan newspaper, The Nation:

“I was surprised as well but it’s all what it is, it’s still an award and looking forward to next year. I am grateful for the fans who voted for me.”

Lyles said he would have more comments in an upcoming podcast with fellow U.S. 200 m star Kenny Bednarek.

5.
USOPE honors Neuburger, Retton and Baumgartner

/Updated/Mary Lou Retton, the iconic gymnastics star of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, faced a serious medical challenge in October, uninsured and hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia, with her family raising $459,264 from 8,317 donors to cover her medical expenses.

Now, she was honored by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Endowment in New York on Wednesday with the William E. Simon Award, which recognizes “an individual or group who has made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”  Retton did not attend as she is still recovering.

The USOPE is the organization which received the then-U.S. Olympic Committee’s $93 million share of the surplus from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and has invested the funds for the benefit of U.S. athletes and programs. Grants since 1986 to the USOPC and affiliated organizations have totaled $374 million over the past 37 years and the USOPE’s net assets now stand at approximately $235 million.

Wrestling star Bruce Baumgartner, the Freestyle gold medalist at 130 kg in Los Angeles and in Barcelona (1992), silver medalist in Seoul (1988) and bronze medal winner in Atlanta (1996) received the General Douglas MacArthur Exemplary Service Award for exemplary service to the USOPC and athletes. Baumgartner was wrestling coach and athletic director at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, is the current President of USA Wrestling and played an important role in helping return wrestling to the Olympic sports program after it was voted off in 2013.

The World Aquatics Treasurer, Dale Neuburger, who has served Olympic sport over his entire career, received the George M. Steinbrenner III Sport Leadership Award. Neuburger was a staff member of USA Track & Field, but became a key member of the swimming community in the United States, as President of USA Swimming, President of the United States Aquatic Sports umbrella group, as a member of the FINA Bureau and now two-term Treasurer of World Aquatics, and as Chair of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He served as a director of the then-U.S. Olympic Committee for eight years.

The awards were presented at the New York Athletic Club.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Handball ● Sweden and Denmark joined the semifinals for the 26th IHF Women’s World Championship, being held in Denmark, Norway and Sweden on Wednesday, meaning all three hosts, the defending champion and the 2021 silver-medal winners are still in the tournament.

Playing in Herning (DEN), Sweden won its quarterfinal vs. Germany by 27-20, taking a 16-6 halftime lead. Olivia Mellegard, Linn Blohm, Jamina Roberts and Nathalie Hagman all scored five goals for the winners, while Amelie Berger, Alina Grijseels and Viola Stockschlaeder all scored four for the Germans.

The Danes thrilled the home crowd of 11,031 – biggest of the tournament – in Herning with a tight, 26-24 win over Montenegro. Emma Friis and Anne Hansen scored five goals each and Denmark had a 13-10 halftime lead and held on, as Dijana Mugosa scored six for Montenegro.

Thus, Friday’s semifinals in Herning will feature:

● Denmark (5-1) vs. Norway (5-1)
● Sweden (6-0) vs. France (6-0)

The Danes won the bronze medal in 2013 and 2021 and will face the defending champions in Norway, which also won in 2011 and 2015 and was runner-up in 2017. The Swedes made the semis for the first time since 2017 (fourth), but have never won a Women’s Worlds medal. Undefeated France won the 2003 and 2017 titles and was second in 2009, 2011 and 2021.

The finals will also be played in Herning, on Sunday (17th).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Football ● A terrible incident in Ankara (TUR) in a Turkish league match on Monday (11th), where Caykur Rizespor scored for a 1-1 tie at 90+7 with home team MKE Ankaragucu, and Ankaragucu club president Faruk Koca ran onto the field and punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face, requiring hospitalization.

Meler was also kicked by “fans” and removed for treatment; the Turkish Football Federation shut the league down, with games to resume on 19 December. Meler was released from the hospital with minor injuries on Wednesday.

TFF Chair Mehmet Buyukeksi told reporters after the game, “The matches in all leagues have been postponed indefinitely. This attack is a night of shame for Turkish football.

“Football matches are not a war, there is no death at the end. Not all teams can become champions at the same time. We all need to understand this. We invite everyone to take responsibility.”

Koca was due to be arrested for the incident, as were two others for kicking Meler; three others were released, but must keep police informed of their whereabouts. Koca, a former member of the Turkish parliament – also resigned as Ankaragucu president.

Pierluigi Collina, the legendary Italian referee who is now the Chair of the FIFA Referees Committee said in part, in a statement:

“[V]iolence, verbal and physical abuse against referees is a ‘cancer’ that may cost football its life.

“A referee cannot be beaten because of a decision they took, even if it’s wrong. His or her car cannot be bombed or set on fire because of a penalty kick.

“Unfortunately this is not an exaggeration, as car bombs and cars being set on fire is something that has happened in some countries, and not so rarely. …

“The image of Halil Umut lying on the ground, with his hands protecting his head while he was kicked by his assaulters, as well the image of the bruise under his eye, are horrific. But even more horrific is to know that there are thousands of referees around the world who are verbally and physically abused at lower levels of the game across the world, without being reported by media.”

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Could Lyles win four Paris golds? Tokyo 2020 bid-rigging controller sentenced; 7,085 abusive social comments at Women’s World Cup

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

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Lyles looking for fourth gold in 4×400 in Paris?
2. Pozdnyakov calls IOC’s Paris conditions “illegitimate”
3. Tokyo 2020 “inside man” for bid-rigging gets suspended sentence
4. Analysis: 4.5% of Women’s World Cup social comments flagged
5. Rio 2016 weightlifting gold winner banned for 8 years

● U.S. sprint star Noah Lyles was asked about a possible try at a fourth gold at the Paris 2024 Games in the 4×400 m relay and replied he’s ”not going to say no to that.” But it’s a longshot.

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee called the International Olympic Committee’s restrictions on Russian participation in Paris in 2024 “unacceptable” and “illegitimate.”

● The internal coordination of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee’s bid-rigging scandal for test events and then venue management during the Games received, like everyone else in the case, a suspended sentence.

● The report of the FIFA Social Media Protection Service for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup noted that about 230,000 comments out of 5.1 million monitored were flagged for review, with 7,085 comments identified as abusive. The biggest target? The U.S. women’s team.

● Just as the International Testing Agency is beginning its re-analysis of the Rio 2016 doping samples, a 2022 doping suspension that resulted in the disqualification of the Rio 2016 weightlifting gold medalist from Kazakhstan at 77 kg for a prohibited method – urine substitution – was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

● World Championship: Handball (France and Norway advance to semis) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (surfing confirmed for Tahiti) = On Screen (reasonable audiences for swimming and figure skating on U.S. TV) = Archery (new streaming service announced for 2024, right behind a new betting deal) = Athletics (World Athletics offering online meet-up with Indian heartthrob Chopra) = Basketball (U.S. to play two pre-Olympic exhibitions) = Freestyle Skiing (Canada’s Schmidts make Ski Cross history in Arosa) = Swimming (Whiffen and Ponti wins three individual golds each at Euro Short Course) = Tennis (Simon to move to Chair as new CEO coming to WTA) = Wrestling (World champ Elor among five UWW women of the year nominees) ●

1.
Lyles looking for fourth gold in 4×400 in Paris?

World Athletics men’s track Athlete of the Year Noah Lyles (USA) – winning of three World Championships golds in the 100, 200 and 4×100 m in 2023 – thinks there could be one more in Paris next summer!

In an interview with the French all-sports newspaper L’Equipe, he said:

“I’ve never had somebody tell me something that has thrown my out-of-the-box thinking to inside-the-box, but that was like: okay, I’m not going to say no to that.

“Because after what I did at Budapest and seeing what my body can handle, if I train for it, okay, let’s take a shot. It’s the last race, there’s nothing to lose. If I’m in shape for it and I’ve trained for it all year, sure let’s take a crack at it.

“If they allow me, if they need me and they are willing – let’s go, let’s take it.”

Lyles has very little recent experience with a full lap of the track. His lifetime best is 47.04 from his high school days in 2016, and he ran an anchor leg this season on a 4×400 m at the Florida Relays for his AdiPure team that finished in 3:02.99; his split was 47.60.

There is also the question of how Lyles would be asked to be on the Olympic 4×400 m, since those entrants usually come from the final of the men’s 400 m. But U.S. coaches are not shy about borrowing stars from the 400 m hurdles, as Rai Benjamin anchored this year’s World Championships gold medalists in 44.01!

2.
Pozdnyakov calls IOC’s Paris conditions “illegitimate”

The head of the Russian Olympic Committee, four-time Olympic fencing gold medalist Stanislav Pozdnyakov, maintained his continuing criticism of the International Olympic Committee’s sanctions against Russian athletes, including last Friday’s announcement of the conditions under which certain “neutral” Russian athletes can participate. He said Tuesday:

“I stated back in late March, when the IOC voiced its initial recommendations for international sports federations, that they were unacceptable. They are absolutely illegitimate and lack any legal foundation.

“As of today, many heads of sports federations have tried to adjust the requirements, finding limited success here. However, as we can see the IOC stands firm regarding its conditions, which the overwhelming majority of Russian athletes view as unacceptable in order to participate in the [2024 Olympic] Games, while only a few ‘neutralized’ athletes will be able to compete.

“The Russian Olympic Committee is temporarily suspended and that is why we will not be taking part in this event. However, we intend to discuss this issue at the [15 December ROC] meeting.”

Asked about the decision of any Russian athlete who would agree to compete in Paris under the IOC’s regulations, he added:

“Each person chooses his own path in this life. In some cases, this path does not coincide with the expectations of the majority of the public. Each person will be responsible for his choice for the rest of his life.”

3.
Tokyo 2020 “inside man” for bid-rigging gets suspended sentence

Yasuo Mori, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee’s Deputy Executive Director of the Games Operations Bureau, received a suspended sentence for being a central figure in the bid-rigging scandal.

Mori, 56, admitted to the scheme in July and received a sentence of two years in prison, suspended for four years. The ruling, by Tokyo District Court Presiding Judge Kenji Yasunaga, was clear that Mori “took the lead in arranging bid-rigging among operators, leveraging his influence as an executive,” working with six leading advertising and event production firms that included marketing giant Dentsu and ad firms Hakuhodo and Tokyu Agency. Six other individuals were prosecuted; everyone involved in the case confessed their roles and have received suspended sentences.

Yasunaga also noted that “It cannot be denied that his sense of responsibility to lead the Olympics to success” was a driver of his conduct, to arrange the selection of firms that were considered to be reliable for the delivery of test events for the Games and then for contracts for venue management during the Games, which were delayed from 2020 to 2021.

The contracts combined were worth some ¥43.7 billion, or about $300.04 million U.S. today; the bid-rigging effort was arranged mostly between February and July 2018.

The bid-rigging case is separate from the sponsorship sales scandals, in which Tokyo 2020 Executive Committee member Haruyuki Takahashi – a former senior director at Dentsu – arranged for companies to receive Tokyo 2020 designations and licenses in return for bribes. Takahashi has admitted receiving funds, but maintains that these were legitimate consulting fees. His trial is expected to begin later this week.

The dual scandals seriously impacted the post-Games public view of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and played a significant role in the implosion of the Sapporo bid for the 2030 Winter Games, now expected to go to France.

4.
Analysis: 4.5% of Women’s World Cup social comments flagged

The FIFA Social Media Protection Service report on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand showed issues with about 4.5% of more than 5.1 million social-media posts monitored during the tournament.

The project covered posts on X (ex-Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for the month of the tournament, monitoring references to 697 players and coaches with 1,805 active accounts and others for a total of 2,111 accounts in all, with 37% on Instagram, 24% on Facebook and 22% on X. The study noted:

“FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 saw discriminatory, abusive or threatening content targeted at over 150 players, but two teams stood out as key targets – the USA and Argentina.

“The profile of the USA squad (coming into the tournament as winners of the previous two tournaments), made them a target for online abuse. This was heightened by the perception of players not singing the National Anthem being called out as unpatriotic and anti-American.”

In fact, abusive comments about the U.S. team – concentrated on 2-3 players especially – totaled nearly 4,000 in all, more than twice as many as Argentina (about 1,600). Some 67% of the identified threatening accounts came from North and Central America, and 21% from Europe.

There were 102,511 posts that were reviewed and another 116,820 comments were hidden on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Messages flagged as abusive were classified as generally abusive (23.3%), homophobic (20.4%), sexual (15.0%), sexist (13.7%), racist (9.9%) and 14 other, smaller categories. More than 150 players were targeted.

There were 7,085 posts which were verified as abusive and reported to the platforms, dominated by X (87.3%), with Instagram (6.1%) and TikTok (4.5%) following. From these, the identity of 628 account owners was verified and another 2,007 had a high probability of identification, and evidence was sent to FIFA-member associations and to law enforcement.

The highest level of abuse came on 6 August, when the U.S. was eliminated in its playoff match with Sweden.

In comparison with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar:

“Whilst FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a bigger event in terms of viewership and overall volume of messages mentioning player handles, a relative comparison demonstrates that players at FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 were subject to a higher percentage of discriminatory, abusive or threatening content.

“Although a lower raw number, the smaller total engagement around FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 means that comparatively, players were 28.5% more likely to receive verified abuse or threat:

“● 0.14% of posts / comments captured for analysis during FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 by the SMPS monitoring system were confirmed to be abusive (7k out of 5.1m).

“● 0.10% of posts / comments captured for analysis during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 by the SMPS monitoring system were confirmed to be abusive (19k out of 20m).”

On Tuesday, the German football federation (DFB) said it is coordinating with government prosecutors to identify online abusers and refer them for investigation and possible criminal charges.

This is a reaction to racist comments aimed as Germany’s black players on the winning FIFA men’s U-17 World team in early December. The DFB stated that 14 comments involved “incitement to hatred” and four individuals are being considered for prosecution.

5.
Rio 2016 weightlifting gold winner banned for 8 years

The International Testing Agency has begun its re-analysis of samples from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but noted Tuesday the disqualification of the men’s 77 kg gold medalist in weightlifting.

Kazakhstan’s Nijat Rahimov’s urine substitution violations prior to the Rio Games in 2016 was discovered during the investigation of International Weightlifting Federation doping cover-up activities. He won the Rio gold with a combined total of 379 kg, but was disqualified in March 2022 and the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Anti-Doping Division imposed an eight-year penalty against him.

Now the Appeals Division of the Court of Arbitration has confirmed the holding and the eight-year sanction, as this was Rahimov’s second doping offense. His results from 2016-21 were nullified and China’s Xiaojun Lu should be recognized as the gold-medal winner.

The Russian news agency TASS reported that the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a decision of the Russian Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee and imposed a four-year ban on lifter Rodion Bochkov, the 2019 European Championships bronze medalist at 109 kg.

Now 30, Bochkov is banned for four years from 28 November 2023, less the year he was provisionally suspended from May 2020 to May 2021.

Interestingly, the CAS decision reversed a holding of the Russian Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, which said Bochkov had not committed a violation. This is the same Russian appeals board which imposed only a one-day sanction on Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva after her doping positive on 25 December 2021. That case is now being decided by a CAS panel after an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency, International Skating Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency itself.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Handball ● France and Norway advanced to the semifinals of the 26th IHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark and Norway with decisive victories on Tuesday.

The French (6-0), the 2017 World Champions and runners-up in 2021, took an 18-16 halftime lead over the Czech Republic (3-3), but expanded their edge in the second half and won by 33-22. Estelle Nze Minko led the French with five goals, while Czech star Marketa Jerabkova took the tournament lead with six in a losing cause (now 52 total).

France will play the winner of Wednesday’s semi between Sweden (5-0) and Germany (4-1).

In the lower bracket, defending champion Norway (5-1) finally pulled away from previously unbeaten Netherlands (5-1) to win, 30-23, before the home crowd in Trondheim. Stine Skogrand was the hero for the home team, scoring nine goals, while Dione Housheer and Antje Malestein had four each to lead the Dutch.

The final quarterfinal will feature host Denmark (4-1) taking on Montenegro (3-2) in Herning. The semis and finals will be played in Herning on the 15th and 17th.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson confirmed that Olympic surfing next summer will be held in Tahiti. He explained that after a meeting held Sunday with environmental groups, “The solution we managed to get adopted tonight will allow the Games to be held here.”

A new judging and scoring tower will be installed, but only to essentially replace the existing – and worn – wooden tower, using carefully-engineered barges that will minimize any damage to beach coral.

● On Screen ● Competing against the NFL on television is always daunting, but both swimming and figure skating shows on NBC did reasonably well with American viewers last weekend.

On Saturday (9th), a highlights package from the USA Swimming U.S. Open drew an average audience of 690,000 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on NBC.

On Sunday, the figure skating audience returned as always for highlights of the ISU Grand Prix Final from Beijing (CHN) at 4:00 p.m., with 648,000 viewers on NBC, just about the same as for all of the other skating broadcasts this season.

The second football friendly between the U.S. women and China did not draw as much interest on Tuesday (5th), with 172,000 viewers on TruTV at 8 p.m. Eastern.

● Archery ● First came the 4 December announcement of an agreement with FeedConstruct for the collection and marketing of betting data on archery.

Then on Thursday, World Archery released details of an expanded online streaming program on “archery+” that will centralize coverage of all of World Archery’s major tournaments in one place. This is a subscription service, priced at €49.99 annually, with a discounted rate of €29.99 for the 2024 outdoor season.

Yes, the two concepts are eventually designed to work together, with archery moving swiftly towards a new level of fan engagement that will involve real-time betting. The development of these programs will be watched carefully by other federations.

● Athletics ● World Athletics has promised to do more to promote its stars. On Tuesday, it unveiled a one-week promotion of India’s Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and World Champion in the men’s javelin.

A free sign-up form will enter respondents into a random drawing, from which 15 will be selected for “an exclusive online video meet and greet and virtual autograph session with Neeraj Chopra taking place on 20 December 2023.” Entries will be received until 6 p.m. (Central European Time) on 18 December 2023.

Why Chopra? Because he’s the most “connected” track & field athlete in the world, with 7,935,289 Instagram followers as of Tuesday.

Of course, signing up also brings you into the World Athletics database, as noted on the sign-up page: “By submitting your details, you are agreeing that World Athletics will send you information and special offers relating to athletics and athletics events.”

● Basketball ● The U.S. men’s Olympic Team will warm up with games against South Sudan on 20 July and FIBA World Cup Champion Germany on 22 July next year, with both games to be held at the O2 Arena in London.

● Freestyle Skiing ● History at the FIS World Cup Ski Cross races in Arosa (SUI), as brother-and-sister Jared and Hannah Schmidt of Canada both won on Tuesday!

Hannah won the women’s final with ease as the other three competitors got tangled up in an early crash. France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel got back into form best to grab second, ahead of Canada’s 2014 Olympic gold winner Marielle Thompson.

It’s Hannah’s first career World Cup gold and only her second career World Cup medal at age 29. Berger Sabbatel is the only racer with medals in each of the first three races of the season (0-2-1).

Jared, 26, won his second World Cup race in a row – also last week at Val Thorens (FRA) – and his fourth career World Cup medal by beating countryman Reece Howden – the 2022-23 seasonal champ – to the line. Sweden’s Erik Mobaerg, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, got the bronze.

● Swimming ● The European Short Course Championships (25 m) finished Sunday in Otopeni (ROU), with the highlight the men’s 800 m Freestyle world record by Ireland’s Daniel Whiffen.

Whiffen won three events – the men’s 400-800-1,500m Frees – but he wasn’t the only big winner.

Swiss Noe Ponti, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 m Butterfly, won the 50-100-200 m Fly triple, the only other swimmer to take three individual golds. France’s Mewen Tomac won the 50-100 m Backstroke double and ex-Russian Anastasiia Kirpichnikova – now competing for France – won the women’s 800-1,500 m Frees, as she did for Russia in 2021.

Dutch star Kira Toussaint won the 50 and 100 m Backstroke titles and Britain’s Abbie Wood won both the 200 and 400 m Medleys.

Seven athletes won three total golds, including relays. In addition to Whiffen and Ponti, Ben Proud (GBR: 50 m Free + 2 relays), Niccolo Martinenghi (ITA: 50 m Breaststroke + 2 relays), Lorenzo Mora (ITA: 200 m Backstroke + 2 relays), Michelle Coleman (SWE: 50 m Free + 2 relays) and Louise Hansson (SWE: 100 m fly + 2 relays) all won three events.

Four athletes won five total medals: Hansson (3-1-1), Mora (3-0-2), Freya Anderson (GBR: 2-0-3) and France’s Beryl Gastaldello (1-3-1)

Britain (9-8-6) and France (7-10-6) each won 23 medals to top the table, with Italy (22: 7-12-3) next. The Netherlands (11: 6-0-5) was the only other country to win 10 or more.

● Tennis ● Steve Simon, the face of the Women’s Tennis Association during the “where is Peng Shuai” incident with China, will become Executive Chairman and a new chief executive will be hired to lead the organization’s day-to-day operations.

President Micky Lawler, who has served since 2015, will leave at the end of the year.

The announcement underscored the importance of the new WTA Ventures arm, created in conjunction with equity investor CVC Capital Partners as the commercial division of the women’s tour.

Simon, who became Chair and CEO in 2015, told The Associated Press:

“My focus will go to, obviously, governance. Managing the respective boards and councils. Working directly with the CEOs of the daily business of the tour. I’ll be able to spend more time on the geopolitical issues that remain very prevalent to the sport and do affect the business.

“I will spend more time working on the strategic direction of the organization and the challenges that face the organization.”

He noted the continuing growth of the WTA business profile:

“I believe we were a $64 million business in ’16, and we’ll be a $128 million business this year. And we’re due to double that by 2027 with our current business plan projections.”

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling announced the five nominees for women’s Wrestler of the Year:

● Aisuluu Tynybekova (KGZ) ~ World 62 kg Champion
● Yui Susaki (JPN) ~ World 50 kg Champion
● Akari Fujinami (JPN) ~ World 53 kg World Champion, Asian Games champ
● Amit Elor (USA) ~ World 72 kg Champion in senior, U20 and U23
● Buse Tosun (TUR) ~ World 68 kg Champion

Fan endorsements for their favorites can be made here.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Paris 2024 budget steady, Gomis may be fired for anti-Semitism; Queensland Premier Palaszczuk retires, six T&F Athletes of the Year!

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

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Paris 2024 confirms budget, to consider Gomis’ anti-Semitic post
2. Surprise: Queensland’s Palaszczuk retires as Premier
3. Coe sees 2024 as year of “acceleration” for track & field
4. Lyles, Kipyegon, Duplantis among World Athletics awardees
5. WADA holds Nigeria, Venezuela, Tunisia, OCA non-compliant

● The Paris 2024 board approved a balanced budget at €4.397 billion, but also will consider expelling Board member (and Olympic basketball medalist) Emilie Gomis for an anti-Semitic post after the Hamas attack on Israel.

● The face of the Brisbane bid for the 2032 Olympic Games, Annastacia Palaszczuk, announced her retirement after nine years as Queensland Premier, on Sunday, as of the end of this week. What will this mean for the controversial, multi-billion-dollar redevelopment of the Gabba stadium?

● The World Athletics Council approved new working groups to review policies on transgenders, Russian and Belarusian participation, implementation of its World Plan and announced dates for the 2025 World Road Running Championships in San Diego and 2026 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee.

● Instead of two World Athletics athletes of the year, six were named on Monday in Monaco, including American Noah Lyles as the men’s track athlete of the year.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed non-compliant status on Nigeria, Tunisia and Venezuela and a $500,000 fine against Olympic Council of Asia. But will WADA’s sanctions be honored?

● World Championship: Handball (Women’s Worlds quarterfinals set) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (4: Belarus welcomes IOC decision; Baltic countries don’t; Heraskevych asks about eligibility of three Russian wrestlers; Klitschko decries IOC policy) = African Games (ANOCA lines up Egypt and D.R. Congo for 2027-31) = Canada (“Future of Sport” commission to look into abuse) = Alpine Skiing (U.S.’s Johnson in whereabouts inquiry) = Archery (Schloesser scores 121 10s in a row, but loses Indoor World Series final) = Boxing (IBA charts independent course, with first pro title fight) = Football (2: U.S. Soccer’s player of the year nominees; 2024 Copa America pools drawn) = Luge (Mazdzer retires at Lake Placid) = Rowing (Zeidler, Grant and Craig win Crew of the Year honors) = Swimming (Whiffen takes men’s 800 m Free short-course record) = Water Polo (U.S. women sweep Spain in friendlies) = Weightlifting (USA Weightlifting skips Venezuela, will compete in Europe) ●

● Errata: Some readers of yesterday’s post saw a reference to Brazil’s iconic Estadio Maracana as “Estadio Macarena”! Thanks to reader Scott LeTellier for volunteering the correction. ●

1.
Paris 2024 confirms budget, to consider Gomis’ anti-Semitic post

The Paris 2024 organizing committee board met Monday and confirmed the fourth review of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Board budget, with an increase to €4.397 billion (about $4.73 billion U.S.), an increase of €17 million (~$18.29 million U.S.), about a 0.4% increase:

“The joint review carried out since September 2023 has made it possible to consolidate all the assumptions in the revenue plan and to make marginal adjustments to income, which has risen very slightly thanks mainly to increased income from financial investments made possible by the rise in interest rates and a cash surplus. …

“While part of the residual reserve was mobilised in 2023, during the budget review (EUR 154 million, including EUR 60 million linked to inflation), to cover costs that are now known, it was decided to maintain the residual reserve at a protective level (EUR 121 million) to deal with the uncertainties of implementation over the next nine months. As a reminder, the Court of Auditors recommended in its last report that this reserve be maintained at a minimum level of EUR 100 million.”

Legacy planning of the community involvement programs – Club Paris 2024 (4.6 million members), Terre de Jeux 2024 (4,500 communities), and Generation 2024 (8,700 schools) – was confirmed, with the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), the French Paralympic Committee and the national federations to take charge of the programs.

Planning to support the Paris 2024 staff as they move on to new work after the organizing committee closes down was also approved to begin.

A serious matter concerning anti-Semitic behavior of a board member was also discussed. Emilie Gomis, 40, a London 2012 silver medalist in women’s basketball, has been a member of the Paris 2024 board since October 2022, and is a paid ambassador for the Terre de Jeux program.

The Paris 2024 Ethics Committee delivered a report on an Instagram post by Gomis on 9 October, which described it as (computer translation of the original French):

“[A]n illustration in which there are maps of France in 1947, in 1967 and in 2023, on which the tricolor flag which initially covers almost the entire French territory is gradually replaced by the Israeli flag, until that it only survives on a very small part of this territory. These cards are illustrated with the following text written in large letters: ‘What would you do in this…situation?’ …

“The questioning that accompanies these images tends to legitimize actions aimed at defending oneself against an invader and repelling him. More precisely, while the publication in question took place two days after October 7, 2023, before the intervention of the Israeli army in Gaza, this question has the object and effect of justifying the acts committed against the Israeli population by the Hamas, which ‘are among the most serious violations of international humanitarian law,’ as expressed by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

“The publication in question can also be legitimately interpreted as suggesting that the France of 2023, whose map is dominated by the Star of David, is also ‘invaded by Jews.’”

She apologized weeks later, but the Ethics Committee agreed that she be excluded from the board and her contract as a Terre de Jeux ambassador be terminated. A special meeting of the board has been called to consider this action “in the next few days.” The French National Olympic Committee has also referred her action to its Ethics Committee, as she is a member of the Elite Athletes Commission.

Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet told reporters that work on the reduced-size judges tower in Tahiti for the surfing competitions has resumed, with a smaller barge being used to ensure no harm to the coral in the area.

The new tower is timed for completion in May in time for a test event ahead of the Games.

2.
Surprise: Queensland’s Palaszczuk retires as Premier

Annastacia Palaszczuk, the Queensland Premier and the face of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic bid and of the state’s controversial redevelopment program for the Brisbane Cricket Ground (the Gabba) and surrounding area, unexpectedly announced her retirement on Sunday (10th).

Palaszczuk, 54, said she would retire as Premier at the end of this week, and from her Parliamentary seat at the end of 2023. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2006, became the leader of the Labor Party in 2012, and became Premier in 2015, winning three terms.

Her successor as Premier will be determined by the Labor caucus; Palaszczuk endorsed Deputy Premier Steven Miles, but Treasurer Cameron Dick and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman are also to be considered. Miles said on Saturday cited the 2032 Olympic Games as one of his priorities if selected as Premier:

“We need to work better with our partners to deliver the legacy benefits of the Olympics and Paralympics.”

Palaszczuk told reporters:

“If you were wondering, I turned my mind to this when I was trying to have a holiday with my partner. Everyone deserves a break.

“Finally, my mind was made up at national cabinet last week when I saw so many new faces. Renewal is a good thing. …

“I have no job come January. But look, I think I will be out there promoting Queensland in some form or capacity. Look around you, this state has so much to offer.”

Palaszczuk’s personal poll numbers have been falling, while the Labor Party support in the state have held steady, with elections coming in October 2024.

Observed: Palaszczuk could certainly think about a future with the Brisbane Olympic organizers at some time in the future, but not now. The immediate question for whoever becomes Premier is what to do about the widely debated and increasingly unpopular A$2.7 billion (~$1.77 billion U.S.) Gabba redevelopment project for 2032, which must get going fairly soon.

3.
Coe sees 2024 as year of “acceleration” for track & field

“The year 2024 is going to be one of change. In a decade from now, I want people to look back at 2024 and say the decisions the sport made that year not only future proofed athletics, but significantly accelerated its popularity and value.”

That’s World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) after the World Athletics Council meeting in Monaco that finished last Friday. The Council set up review groups on multiple hot-topic areas:

● A Working Group on Gender Diverse Athletes was established to continue the federation’s review of its regulations for transgender athletes and those with “differences in sex development.”

The Chair will be Doriane Lambelet Coleman (SUI), a two-time AIAW scorer for Cornell at 800 m and now a Duke University law professor, who has written extensively on the legal aspects of doping and of transgender and gay and lesbian athlete rights. The group’s report is due by the end of 2024.

● A Working Group on the status of Russians/Belarusian in International Competitions and Events, to recommend to the Council on future actions concerning athletes from the countries:

(1) “Whether the sanctions are sufficient or if they should be replaced, added, or varied with other sanctions to be imposed pursuant to Article 13 of the World Athletics Constitution.”

(2) “Consider the conditions and criteria that would need to be in place to permit at some point in the future participation of Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel, Member Federation Officials and other Officials to participate and/or attend World Athletics Series Events or the Olympic Games.”

This group is chaired by four-time Olympic triple jumper Dr. Francis Dodoo (GHA), a long-time Professor of Sociology and Demography at Penn State, who attended Washington State, and previously taught at Maryland, Vanderbilt and Tulane.

● A World Plan Implementation Taskforce will be chaired by U.S. member Willie Banks, who drove the development of the World Plan for Athletics 2022-2030. The members of the group were not announced.

● An anti-doping protocol for athletes from countries considered the most likely to have doping issues was agreed, with minimum standards for testing to include the first of three required out-of-competition tests to take place 12 weeks prior to a major event such as an Olympic Games or World Championships.

The final test should be concluded at the time that entries are finalized, to ensure time for substitutions in case of a positive test.

The Council also approved the use of the results of the World Athletics Relays in Nassau (BAH) in May to used for first-round seeding at the Paris Olympic Games as an inducement for federations to send world-class teams.

Dates were announced for the 2025 World Road Running Championships in San Diego, California (USA) for 26-28 September 2025, and for the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida (USA) for 10 January 2026.

4.
Lyles, Kipyegon, Duplantis among World Athletics awardees

World Athletics announced its annual award winners on Monday, naming six superstars as its World Athletes of the Year:

● Men/track: Noah Lyles (USA) ~ World 100/200/4×100 m Champion
● Men/field: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ World Vault Champion
● Men/road: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) ~ World record 2:00:35 marathon

● Women/track: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ~ World 1,500/5,000 m Champion
● Women/field: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) ~ World Triple Jump Champion
● Women/road: Tigist Assefa (ETH) ~ World record 2:11:53 marathon

In addition to the astounding marathon records by Kiptum and Assefa, Duplantis extended his own world marks indoors and outdoors and Kipyegon set women’s world records at 1,500 m, the mile and 5,000 m!

The naming of six World Athletes of the Year was a new concept, brought on by voters; per the announcement:

“The adaptation of the World Athlete of the Year honours awarded this year follows feedback received during the voting process. Many sensational performances – including an extraordinary 23 world records – were achieved in 2023.

“When it came to compiling the votes, athletes, fans and World Athletics Family members commented that it was incredibly hard to limit the vote to just one athlete, because of the various disciplines and the vast differences in skill sets required. As a result, for 2023 the World Athlete of the Year awards have been divided into three event categories: track, field and out of stadia.”

The “Rising Stars” awards went to Kenyans Emmanuel Wanyonyi (World 800 m silver) and Faith Cherotich (Women 3,000 m Steeple bronze medalist). The Fair Play award went to Ethiopian distance star Letsenbet Gidey, who comforted Sifan Hassan (NED) after she fell in the final strides of the women’s 10,000 m at the World Championships.

5.
WADA holds Nigeria, Venezuela, Tunisia, OCA non-compliant

The detention slips are piling up as the World Anti-Doping Agency announced last week that the national anti-doping agencies in Nigeria and Venezuela are now non-compliant, the anti-doping agency of Tunisia has been “watchlisted” for non-compliance and a fine of $500,000 has been confirmed against the Olympic Council of Asia.

Both Nigeria and Venezuela have been identified with failures to meet “critical requirements” and the Tunisian agency has a disconnect between its national legal system vis-a-vis doping and the World Anti-Doping Code.

In all three cases, the penalties include exclusion as a host of any WADA events, or to sit on the WADA Board or committees and three sanctions which would touch the athletes from those countries:

● “[N]ot be awarded the right to host regional, continental and World Championships, and Events organized by Major Event Organizations;

● “[Its] flag will not be flown at regional, continental and World Championships, and Events, organized by Major Event Organizations (other than the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games);

● “[Its] flag will not be flown at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, until the reinstatement conditions set out below are met.”

Both Nigeria and Venezuela have contested the non-compliance holding and the case will move to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where a decision may or may not come prior to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Beyond these three, non-compliant countries include the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Gabon, and Russia as well as the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

The Olympic Council of Asia was fined $500,000 for its breach of regulations in allowing the North Korean flag to be flown at the Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN):

“It became clear during the Asian Games that the OCA did not take steps to comply with the terms of the DPRK’s non-compliance and that the DPRK flag was repeatedly flown at the event. Despite repeated reminders from WADA before and during the Games, the OCA refused to comply.”

Observed: This may seem like a purely technical game, but WADA’s credibility is at stake here. Nigeria has had significant doping issues and $500,000 for the Olympic Council of Asia – which includes China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as members – means nothing.

But will WADA’s sanctions be honored, or are they seen by these organizations – and others who watch these issues closely – as optional, meaning that the authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency is waning. WADA can count on support from the IOC and IPC for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but what about the International Federations and regional Games?

The first test may come in March at the 2024 African Games in Ghana.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Handball ● The quarterfinals are set for the 26th IHF Women’s World Championship, being held in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, with the three medal winners from 2021 – Norway, France and Denmark – all still in the hunt:

● 12 Dec.: France (5-0) vs. Czech Republic (3-2) in Herning (DEN)
● 13 Dec.: Sweden (5-0) vs. Germany (4-1) in Trondheim (NOR)

● 12 Dec.: Netherlands (5-0) vs. Norway (4-1) in Herning (DEN)
● 13 Dec.: Denmark (4-1) vs. Montenegro (3-2) in Trondheim (NOR)

The semifinals will be held on 15 December and the medal matches on the 17th, all in Herning.

Now through two full rounds of play, Romania’s Eliza Buceschi is the top scorer with 47 goals in 63 shots, followed by Marketa Jerabkova (CZE: 46) and Senegal’s Soukeina Sagna (40).

Attendance through 96 matches, which includes playoffs down to 32nd place, has averaged 2,756 (264,609 total).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Belarus was finally heard from on the participation requirements distributed by the International Olympic Committee on Friday:

“We welcome the admission of Belarusian athletes to the Games in Paris 2024, however, the decision taken does not fully satisfy the interests of the Belarusian sports community.

“Existing strict restrictions, including participation in competitions without national symbols, a limited number of qualifying competitions, and the exclusion of athletes competing in team events, all these conditions continue to be extremely discriminatory towards the athletes of our country.”

The presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, meeting on Monday, expressed their regret at the IOC’s decision to allow certain Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters, “It’s a very disappointing decision, and I still hope that it could be revised, it could be corrected.

“We already see reactions from various federations, and I think that Olympic principles have nothing to do with terror, murder, or destruction. So, it’s highly discouraging to see such decisions right now, in the critical stage of the war in Ukraine.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said:

“To my mind, if nothing changes, it would be very difficult to see Ukrainian or Latvian athletes competing there. But this is, of course, a decision that needs to be taken by the governments and sports communities in every country and, of course, it has to be well coordinated and well thought through with like-minded nations, including Ukraine, the Baltic nations, and other European nations that are not happy with these decisions.”

Ukrainian Skeleton Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych posted Monday the names of three Paris-qualified Russian wrestlers whose support of the war against Ukraine has been called into question:

“The IOC has already noted that 8 athletes with a Russian passport have already qualified for Paris 2024.

“Among them are representatives of freestyle wrestling. [97 kg Abdulrashid] Sadulaev, [57 kg: Zaur] Uguev and [74 kg Zaurbek] Sidakov.

“All three were participants in a rally at the Luzhniki Stadium on March 2022.”

Ukrainian boxing great Wladimir Klitschko, twice heavyweight champion and younger brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, posted on X (ex-Twitter):

“The IOC has decided that russian and belarusian athletes will take part in the Paris Olympic Games under a “neutral” flag. This false neutrality serves to conceal war crimes. The russian flag is not white, it’s covered in blood. This decision taints the Olympic spirit.”

● African Games ● The African Games has met with controversy as Ghana has had considerable difficulty organizing the 2023 edition, attributed in 2018 but plagued by delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic distress in the country. It is now scheduled for 8-23 March 2024, in Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

However, the future of the African Games appears brighter, with a Monday announcement of a meeting between Mustapha Berraf (ALG), the head of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the sports ministers of Egypt – Prof. Ashraf Sobhy – and Francois-Claude Kabulo, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Result:

“[T]he three parties jointly decided to support Egypt’s bid to host the 2027 African Games. This decision is in line with the shared desire to promote sporting excellence in Africa and meet the international standards of Games in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

“The Democratic Republic of Congo reasserts its commitment to the African Sports Movement by opting to host the African Games in 2031.”

Cairo hosted previously in 1991; the Democratic Republic of the Congo has never hosted the event.

ANOCA head Berraf, 69, bears watching as he was the International Olympic Committee member who asked President Thomas Bach (GER) to consider serving a third term during the recent IOC Session in India. Brokering hosts for the next two editions of the African Games amid the current difficulties with Ghana’s 2023/24 hosting is a significant triumph.

● Canada ● Canadian Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough announced a three-member “Future of Sport” commission, to be followed by a national conference on the findings:

“Over 18 months, the Commission will engage and seek input from the sport community, including survivors and victims of maltreatment in sport. The process will be trauma-informed, human rights-based and forward-looking. The Commission will be independent, transparent and flexible. It will develop recommendations for the Government of Canada to improve safety in sport and the sport system in Canada.”

Abuse complaints, both emotional and physical, have been leveled at multiple national federations over the past year. Qualtrough said that C$10-15 million may be required (C$1 = $0.74 U.S.), more than four times what the U.S. Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics was granted by the U.S. Congress.

● Alpine Skiing ● U.S. women’s Downhiller Breezy Johnson, a seven-time World Cup medal winner, is being investigated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for “whereabouts” violations that could lead to a suspension.

Athletes competing at the world-class level are required to register their “whereabouts” so that they can be located for unannounced, out-of-competition testing. Three “whereabouts” failures within a 12-month period constitute a violation, which could result in a two-year suspension. She is not competing while the inquiry is on, ensuring that if she is suspended, it would be at an earlier date.

● Archery ● Close, but no cigar. In the (non-Olympic) men’s Compound tournament at the World Athletics Indoor (18 m) World Series stop in Taoyuan City (TPE) for the Taipei Open, Dutch star and three-time Worlds medal winner Mike Schloesser completed the qualifying round with a perfect score of 600.

It’s the fourth time he has scored 600 in a round (60 arrows x 10 points), but then he extended his streak by shooting 60 more 10s in his elimination matches in the round-of-32, round-of-16, quarterfinals and semifinals: 120 in a row!

But in the final against Prathamesh Jawkar (IND), he lost by 149-148. Schloesser hit a 10 on his first shot, but then a nine, ending his streak at 121. He scored six more 10s in a row, then a nine that lost the third end, and even with six more 10s to close – 13 out of 15 – Jawkar scored the upset. But it was a memorable achievement.

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association held a Congress, a Global Boxing Forum and a Champions Night fight card in Dubai (UAE) over the weekend, depicting an organization charting a future not focused on the Olympic Movement.

The IBA appeal against its expulsion by the International Olympic Committee at the Court of Arbitration for Sport will not be decided until 2024. In the meantime, the IBA staged another Champions Night program included seven bouts, four of which were pro-format contests of eight to 12 rounds. Russian Albert Batyrgaziev, the Russian Olympic Featherweight (57 kg) defeated Cuba’s three-time World Champion Lazaro Alvarez in a 60 kg bout to win the first IBA professional title.

The Forum announced a new scoring concept, which would have three judges viewing on a screen and a fourth as a video reviewer using slow motion; this is to be introduced in parallel with the current scoring system as a test.

The Congress voted to return Switzerland as a member federation, agreed to accept new members Norfolk Island Boxing Association and Tuvalu Amateur Boxing Association, and accepted a new “U.S. Boxing Federation,” described as founded by four-class professional champ Roy Jones Jr. to replace USA Boxing, which left the IBA.

● Football ● U.S. Soccer announced the nominees for its Player of the Year awards, which includes fan voting that will count for 15% of the total weight in scoring.

The men’s nominees include goalkeeper Matt Turner, midfielder Yunus Musah and forwards Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic.

The women’s nominees are defenders Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox and Naomi Girma, midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Sophia Smith.

Voting began Monday and will conclude on Monday, 18 December at noon, Eastern time.

The draw for the 2024 Copa America, to be played in the U.S. for the second time, was held in Miami (USA) last Thursday (7th) with four groups of four to begin play next 20 June:

● A: Argentina (defending champ), Peru, Chile, CONCACAF team
● B: Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Venezuela
● C: Bolivia, Panama, United States, Uruguay
● D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, CONCACAF team

Two CONCACAF entries will come from playoffs to be held early in 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the 4-6 July quarterfinals, then semifinals on 9-10 and the medal matches on 13 July (third) and 14 July (championship).

● Luge ● Four-time U.S. Olympian and surprise 2018 PyeongChang silver medalist Chris Mazdzer retired following last weekend’s FIL World Cup in Lake Placid, New York. But he gave the fans a thrill by not just sliding down the course one more time, but finishing 12th overall in the men’s Singles in 1:43.358, just 0.773 away from the bronze medal.

Now 35, with a wife and a two-year-old son, he knew the time was right:

“I can’t dedicate the time it would require to be an exceptional luge athlete and have a job and have a family. Something had to give, and honestly, looking back, I’ve had a fantastic career, and I’ve had a bunch of amazing life experiences. I think this is the way to do it. Let’s go out at home.”

● Rowing ● The World Rowing Awards were announced Monday, honoring men’s Single Sculls star Oliver Zeidler of Germany and British Lightweight Pairs rowers Imogen Grant and Emily Craig.

Zeidler won the 2023 Worlds gold in his specialty, for his third men’s Single Sculls gold. He also swept the three World Cups in the event in 2023, making him a clear choice.

For the Women’s Crew of the Year, Grant and Craig also collected a Worlds gold in their event, defending their 2022 Worlds win and set a world-best time for their race during the second World Cup.

Former Italian Olympian Francesco Fossi was named as Coach of the Year for guiding Dutch men’s crews in the Double Sculls and Quadruple Sculls to world titles, and American Caryn Davies – a three-time Olympic medalist and four-time World Champion in the women’s Eights – was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal for achievement, sportsmanship and impact.

● Swimming ● A world short-course record was the highlight of the European Short Course Championships in Bucharest (ROU), with Ireland’s Daniel Whiffen storming to a 7:20.46 in the 800 m Freestyle.

That shattered the mark of 7:23.42 by Australia’s seven-time Olympic medal winner Grant Hackett from way back in 2008. Whiffen, 22, won a Commonwealth Games silver in 2022 in the men’s 1,500 m Freestyle and was a Tokyo Olympian in the 800 and 1,500 m Frees. He had already won the 400 m and 1,500 m Frees at the meet. Said Whiffen of the record performance:

“That world record, I think it’s one of the oldest in the books. To beat [Hackett’s] record is just amazing. I look up to him every day.”

● Water Polo ● The U.S. women’s team, which finished a depressing seventh at this year’s World Championships, swept bronze medalist Spain in a two-game exhibition series in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.

The first game, held last Thursday (7th) saw Jewel Roemer score twice and Ashleigh Johnson make 11 saves in a 9-7 win. Spain had a 3-2 halftime lead, but the Americans scored four times in the third quarter for a 6-4 lead heading into the fourth. The U.S. lead expanded to 9-5 with two late scores for Spain to make it close.

On Saturday, Jenna Flynn scored three times, Jovana Sekulic and Jordan Raney each got two and with 11 more saves from Johnson, won the fourth quarter by 2-0 for an 11-9 win. The game was tied 6-6 at half and 9-9 after three, but Flynn and Raney scored the only goals of the fourth.

● Weightlifting ● In view of the “Do Not Travel” advisory for Venezuela from the U.S. Department of State from July 2023, USA Weightlifting asked the International Weightlifting Federation for special permission to avoid the 2024 Pan American Championships in Caracas.

The State Department’s warning begins with “Do not travel to Venezuela due to crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Reconsider travel due to wrongful detentions, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure,” and went on from there. The country is ruled by a Socialist government with difficult relations with the U.S.

On Monday, USA Weightlifting announced that its request to compete in the European Championships instead was approved:

“USA Weightlifting is extremely thankful that IWF President Mohammed Jalood and European Weightlifting Federation President Antonio Conflitti are allowing Olympic-eligible Team USA athletes to compete in the 2024 European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, instead of the Pan American Championships in Caracas, Venezuela.

“We’re appreciative that all parties involved have prioritized our delegation’s safety and understand the significant logistical challenges our team faced in traveling to Caracas for the competition. We’re additionally thankful for the assurance that results earned at the European Championships will count for Olympic qualifying.”

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Both Russia and Ukraine upset with IOC’s Paris 2024 policy; U.S.-Mexico Women’s World Cup bid sees $3B revenue!

By
Rich Perelman
-
American teen star Ilia Malinin won his second U.S. title on Sunday. (Photo: ISU)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Russians hardly excited about IOC’s opening for Paris 2024
2. Ukraine to weigh value of Paris participation
3. U.S.-Mexico bid sees $3 billion FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 blockbuster
4. Milanin, Chock & Bates take first Grand Prix Final golds
5. International Testing Agency begins Rio 2016 re-testing

● Although the International Olympic Committee is allowing some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Russian response to the announcement was anything but enthusiastic.

● The reaction from Ukrainian officials, starting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was furious and bitter. A discussion on whether Ukraine will participate in Paris will come later.

● The joint U.S.-Mexico bid for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup projects a staggering $3 billion in revenue, more than five times the amount from this summer’s Australia-New Zealand spectacular.

● U.S. stars Ilia Milanin and Madison Chock and Evan Bates got significant wins at the ISU Grand Prix Final in China, with Milanin moving to no. 3 all-time with his lifetime best score of 314.66.

● The International Testing Agency announced that it is beginning the re-test of samples from Rio 2016. Its re-analysis effort of London 2012 resulted in 73 new doping violations!

● World Championship: Handball (five quarterfinalists confirmed so far) ●

● Panorama: Pan American Games (Olvera and Mac Neil honored as top athletes) = Alpine Skiing (2: Shiffrin gets World Cup win no. 91 in St. Moritz; Odermatt wins in Val d’Isere) = Archery (Chinese Taipei sweeps Taipei Indoor Open) = Athletics (2: Nuguse and Hiltz win Honolulu miles; Russia’s Sidorova retires) = Beach Volleyball (U.S.’s Nuss & Kloth take Pro Tour Final) = Biathlon (Boe brothers win two golds each in Austria) = Bobsled & Skeleton (Love wins Monobob World Cup in La Plagne) = Boxing (Crocklem, Lugo, Felix, Simon defend U.S. national titles) = Cross Country Skiing (Diggins does it again with 10 km win) = Fencing (Massialas scores seventh World Cup Foil gold) = Freestyle Skiing (3: Naeslund, newcomers win in Ski Cross; Ferreira and Gu win Halfpipe season openers; Kingsbury extends own Moguls wins record) = Luge (U.S.’s Di Gregorio & Hollander with historic Doubles win) = Rugby Sevens (Argentina and Australia win in Cape Town) = Short Track (two wins each for Santos-Griswold and Pierre-Gilles in Beijing) = Ski Jumping (Geiger counts two wins in Klingenthal) = Snowboard (2: James and Cai win Halfpipe openers in China; Hasegawa and Sadowski-Synnott win in Big Air) = Speed Skating (Takagi takes two, Jackson and Stolz one each in World Cup) = Table Tennis (China sweeps to first Mixed Team title) = Weightlifting (North Korea dominating IWF Grand Prix II) ●

1.
Russians hardly excited about IOC’s opening for Paris 2024

On Friday, the International Olympic Committee published its regulations for allowing individual Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Among those who were the least impressed were the Russians.

“Should [our] athletes go to the Olympic Games in Paris? It will be up to the athletes and the professional community to decide. Late publication of criteria? Nothing has surprised me for a long time, since I know the goal of those who do this is to cause us as much damage as possible in everything.”

That’s Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, writing in Sport-Express on Friday.

State Duma deputy – and 2006 Olympic speed skating gold medalist – Svetlana Zhurova told the Russian news agency TASS tied the IOC’s announcement on Friday to Russian President Vladimir Putin saying he would run for re-election:

“I see this as a savage attitude towards us, one might even say provocative, because the decision was made on the day when the president announces his candidacy for the elections. And this despite the fact that people just recently said that they were going to take decision in March. And now they have suddenly changed their decision.”

Dmitry Svishchev, the Chair of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, distrusts the IOC’s announcement:

“On the one hand, someone may perceive this decision as positive. But, in my opinion, this is another IOC game. Now they are waiting for a response, monitoring this, analyzing everything. And it is not clear why the decision announced now, although they promised to do it in March next year. This is another round of the game that the IOC has been playing with our athletes for a long time.

“Although this is a movement towards the athletes who have qualified, we remember that the IOC promised to check everyone before the Games themselves, and even during them. Therefore, there are no guarantees for our athletes yet.”

And two-time Olympic ice hockey winner and Hockey Hall of Fame member Vyacheslav Fetisov, also a State Duma member, ominously warned that a blanket decision could be made for Russian athletes later:

“Firstly, it’s not a fact that even they will be allowed in, secondly, they may come up with additional criteria, and thirdly, many guys even in this status cannot go, because they will not have time to qualify, and teams are not allowed to compete at all.”

The TASS story added that “a general decision could be made on the issue of Russian participation in the Olympics.”

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin was more optimistic:

“Of course, those athletes who have achieved success in competitions and won the right to participate, they will probably participate. We always root for ours, these are our athletes, members of our sports family, a product of our sports system, no matter how they tried to shred it, to create a split within Russian society, to pit some athletes against others. …

“It is quite difficult to limit us, these attempts have been made more than once in our century-old history. … Despite this, one of the most powerful sports systems has been created in the country. And today, these sanctions allow us to evaluate our capabilities once again. We do not deny that participation in the Olympics is an athlete’s dream, but the conditions that are offered to us are absolutely discriminatory and run counter to the basic Olympic principles of the international sports family. The heads of international sports federations and the IOC are damaging the image of the Olympic Games themselves.”

Several national federation heads made statements. Russian Diving Federation head Stanislav Druzhinin told TASS:

“This decision does not change anything, with these criteria the sporting principle is not respected. We cannot send the strongest athletes, we will have to send those who take fifth to eighth places. The Diving Federation will still not send athletes to international competitions.

“We have different selection criteria, if we had the opportunity and the sports principle was respected, we would do the same. We cannot send a person who is listed in CSKA or Dynamo, and if they ask you to sign all sorts of papers, then that’s for sure not about us, we will not violate the current [national] sports legislation.”

The head coach of the Russian artistic gymnastics team, Valentina Rodionenko continued her negative view:

“There is no need to talk about any breakthrough. The IOC, having admitted our athletes to the Olympics, retained the same severely humiliating conditions that were previously sounded in recommendations to international federations. I believe that we do not need to go to Paris under such conditions.

“As for the gymnasts, we still need to try to qualify through the [FIG Artistic] World Cup stages. I think that it will be very difficult to show a high result. The athletes will be forced to perform under great psychological pressure with ambiguous judging, I think.”

All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics Irina Viner was also negative:

“Such humiliating conditions without a flag and anthem are unacceptable to us. Moreover, in many sports our athletes have already lost the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics. In rhythmic gymnastics, after the ban of the European Gymnastics Union, we were deprived of the opportunity to fight for the only ticket next spring.”

Even more strident was Maxim Agapitov, President of the Russian Weightlifting Federation:

“The conditions for the admission of Russian weightlifters to international competitions are impossible, unacceptable, discriminatory, violate human rights and the Olympic Charter, call for violating the legislation of the Russian Federation. This kind of provocation is not considered by [the Russian Weightlifting Federation] as an opportunity to participate in the festival, which by some absurd accident is called the ‘Olympic Games.’

“Neutral status is also not considered by our athletes in exchange for admission. We are ready to compete on equal terms for all athletes in competitions organized in accordance with the organization’s charter and other regulatory documents. Corruption, fraud, manipulations with doping and nepotism, combined with dependence on the money of the International Olympic Committee, determined the solidarity of their views and compliance. This, in turn, ensured that the international federation carried out all the political ‘recommendations’ of the IOC, despite their mutual destructiveness.”

2.
Ukraine to weigh value of Paris participation

As expected, the Ukrainian reaction to the IOC’s participation guidelines for Russian and Belarusian athletes was bitterly negative.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X (ex-Twitter):

“Ukraine has launched a marathon of honesty, and I urge you to join.

“The International Olympic Committee needs honesty. Honesty it has unfortunately lost. While Russia kills and terrorizes, representatives of the terrorist state have no place at sports and Olympic competitions.”

Dmytro Kuleba, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, posted:

“The IOC essentially gave Russia the green light to weaponize the Olympics. Because the Kremlin will use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda warfare. I urge all partners to strongly condemn this shameful decision, which undermines Olympic principles.”

The interim Sports Minister, Matviy Bidnyi, told Reuters:

“The decision to participate should be made based on what it will bring to the country, what the reaction will be and how much it will bring us closer to victory.

“We should not make rash decisions. It will be a balanced decision and we have to communicate it to the public. We will weigh the pros and cons very carefully. …

“If we continue to see the absolutely non-constructive position of the IOC, to continue to tolerate the participation of the henchmen of the bloody [Russian] regime, this will make our participation impossible.”

Ukrainian officials have spoken about organizing a potential boycott of the Paris Games by other countries, but have not pushed this in comments following the IOC’s Friday announcement.

3.
U.S.-Mexico bid sees $3 billion FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 blockbuster

FIFA confirmed that bid proposals for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup were received Friday from the three expected bidders, from Brazil, a joint proposal from the U.S. and Mexico and a three-country offer from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The stunner? A projected $3 billion in revenue, some 526% of the record revenue from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The highlights:

● The Belgium-Germany-Netherlands bid offers 13 stadiums, including Brussels, Charleroi, Genk, Ghent (BEL), Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Gelsenkirchen (GER) and Dutch sites in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Enschede, Heerenveen and Rotterdam.

As for finance, the proposal states, “BNG2027 aims to Break New Ground for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 by hosting the most commercially attractive women’s tournament to date, increasing revenues by at least 50 per cent compared to the 2023 edition.”

That would be a minimum of $285 million above the $570 million generated by Australia-New Zealand 2023, or $885 million total.

● Brazil’s proposal includes 10 stadiums in Belo Horizonte, the national capital of Brasilia, Cuiaba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, the iconic Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Paulo.

No specific financial projections was included.

● The U.S.-Mexico bid aims to be a blockbuster for the women’s game as the 1994 U.S. World Cup was for the men’s side:

“We know that a FIFA Women’s World Cup of the scale offered by the United States and Mexico will unlock the full potential of this tournament at a unique moment in time, capitalizing on economic opportunity by bringing over 4.5 million fans into stadiums, capturing the highest TV viewership ever for a women’s sporting event and generating over $3 billion in total revenue.”

The stadium offer puts up most of the 11 U.S. stadia offered for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Boston (Gillette Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Houston (NRG Stadium), Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium), Los Angeles area (Rose Bowl), Miami (Hard Rock Stadium), New York/New Jersey (Metlife Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), San Francisco area (Levi’s Stadium) and Seattle (Lumen Field).

The expanded selection from Mexico includes Guadalajara (Akron Stadium), Mexico City (Estadio Azteca) and Monterrey (BBVA Stadium) from 2026, plus new options in Leon (Leon Stadium), and Queretaro (Estadio La Corregidora).

And the commercial opportunity was underlined again:

“$3 billion is on the table in this U.S. and Mexico-hosted Competition, with the opportunity to make this the largest, most commercially successful women’s sporting event the world has ever known. We have the ability to dramatically raise the stakes for women’s football and benefit Member Associations and the sport not just in North America but around the globe for years to come.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation announcement emphasized:

“What is laid out in the NEW HEIGHTS bid represents the art of the possible. The bid proposes an integrated partnership model that brings host cities, stadiums, partners and FIFA together, allowing the ecosystem to collectively tap into greater economic benefits and drive the women’s game forward. The cities and infrastructure included in the bid represent just a fraction of those across both countries that have the experience and capabilities necessary to host. The facilities detailed in the bid materials act as examples, or an initial proposal, knowing that there are tens of other cities across the two nations equipped and ready to host if called upon.”

FIFA will undertake a review of all three proposals; the host selection will be made by the FIFA Congress in Bangkok (THA) on 17 May 2024.

4.
Milanin, Chock & Bates take first Grand Prix Final golds

American teen star Ilia Malinin put on a show to remember at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Beijing (CHN), winning his biggest international prize yet with a spectacular performance and a win by more than 17 points over Japan’s two-time World Champion Shoma Uno!

After leading by 88/100ths following the Short Program, Malinin packed his Free Skate program with quadruple jumps and immediately fell on his patented opening quad Axel. But he followed up with a quad Lutz-triple toe, quad Salchow and toe, a quad Lutz-Euler-triple Salchow and the triple Lutz-triple Axel sequence and scored a lifetime best of 207.76 points for a personal-best total of 314.66! He said afterwards:

“I’ll be honest, after the fall I was quite really disappointed in myself. I really wanted to come out here and show that quad Axel to everyone. Even though it didn’t happen, I still had to focus on the rest of the program and get through it.

“I was not really sure [of the win] because I thought that the fall would really take away a lot of the points. I’m pretty surprised with how high the technical score was. It was something that I’ve never thought I would see. And in that case, with that fall, I think that there’s still room for a lot more for the technical score.”

Uno finished second in the Free Skate and totaled 297.34 for second, with teammate Yuma Kagiyama a clear third at 288.65.

Malinin, still 19, moved up to the no. 3 performer all-time, with the sixth-highest score in history. Observed former Chicago Tribune Olympic reporter and figure-skating authority Phil Hersh:

“This scoresheet is just WOW. Yes, Ilia Malinin fell on 4A. But he followed with five other clean quads, two opening combos in bonus area, to win the Grand Prix Final by 17 points over 2 time world champion Shoma Uno of Japan, who skated well. Now 2026 Oly favorite? I say yes.”

Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the 2023 World Champions, finally won the Grand Prix Final on their seventh try (!), scoring 221.61 points and winning both the Rhythm Dance and the Free Dance, both with season-best scores. They had won four silvers in this event, but claimed their first gold.

“I guess seven is our lucky number,” said Chock. “This has been a goal of ours for a long time. We’ve been to seven finals, and all of them have been wonderful. But I think this one is the best one so far. Bates added: “This week, we really skated our best. So we’re really pleased with the way everything went.

Worlds silver winners Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy took the silver at 215.51, and Canadian stars Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier – the reigning Worlds bronze medalists – won bronze with 213.58 points.

Two-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) was an easy winner in the women’s competition, taking both the Short Program and Free Skate to win with 225.70 points, giving her wins in all three of her Grand Prix events this season. Belgium’s Leona Hendrickx, the Worlds silver and bronze medalist, was second after Short Program and held on, scoring 203.36. Japan’s Hana Yoshida moved up from fourth to the bronze with a second in the Free Skate, scoring a total of 203.16. American Isabeau Levito finished fifth at 191.86.

The Pairs was won by Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER), who led after the Short Program, then finished second in the Free Skate, but totaled 206.43 points, just enough to edge Free Skate winners Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA: 205.88) and Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxine Deschamps (204.30).

5.
International Testing Agency begins Rio 2016 re-testing

Look for some of the results from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be revised, as the International Testing Agency announced Friday that it is beginning its “re-analysis” program.

This effort severely changed the results of the London 2023 Games – the first for the re-analysis effort – as noted in the statement:

“As a result of this program, 73 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) were sanctioned leading to the withdrawal of 31 and the reallocation of 46 Olympic medals in four sports.

“The majority of these positive re-analysis results stemmed from a detection method for anabolic steroids that was introduced after the Games in 2012. This detection method was available to the anti-doping laboratory in Rio for the initial analysis of the samples collected during the Olympic Games in 2016.”

The effort now will again use the most updated techniques available, seven years after the close of the Rio Games in a two-step effort:

“The ITA’s re-analysis program for Rio 2016 is organised in two phases. The first phase focuses on samples from athletes who are still actively competing. It is to be completed before the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in parallel with the ITA’s Paris 2024 Pre-Games initiative, to ensure that samples from athletes potentially participating in the upcoming Games are re-analysed before the event.

“The second phase will take place in 2025 so that all re-analysis including potential results management procedures stemming from positive results, will be performed before the statute of limitations in July 2026.”

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● The 26th IHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is almost through the second round of pool play now, with several of the quarterfinalists now set.

The four second-round groups will complete play on Monday (11th), with five quarterfinalists qualified:

● Group I: Sweden (4-0)
● Group II: Norway (4-0), France (4-0)
● Group III: Germany (4-0), Denmark (4-0)

In Group I, Montenegro (3-1) and Croatia (2-1-1) are vying for one spot with one game left; in Group IV, the Netherlands (4-0) leads, but with Spain (3-1), the Czech Republic (3-1) and Brazil (2-2) all still with playoff possibilities.

Norway is the defending champion from 2021, with France (2nd), Denmark (3rd) and Spain (4th) all still in the mix.

The quarterfinals will be held on 12-13 December in Trondheim (NOR) and Herning (DEN); the semis on 15 December in Herning and the final on 17 December in Herning.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Pan American Games ● The Panam Sports Awards were held on Saturday evening in Miami (USA), with top performers from the Santiago Games honored for outstanding performances.

The best athlete winners were Osmar Olvera, the triple diving gold medalist from Mexico for the men and Maggie Mac Neil, Canada’s seven-medal-winning female swimmer, including five golds.

The top team honorees include the Colombian men’s baseball squad and the women’s football gold medalists from Mexico. Colombia’s Erika Lasso received the Fair Play Award for her help in bringing an injured competitor in the women’s 48 kg class off the tatami on her back.

The award for the top National Olympic Committee went to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, with led the medal table once again, with host Chile honored as the Most Improved NOC, with 79 medals. Additional awards were made to legacy stars and for the Parapan American Games.

● Alpine Skiing ● The irrepressible Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) made more magic, this time at St. Moritz (SUI) with her record 91st career World Cup win, this time in a Downhill, ahead of four-time World Cup discipline champ Sofia Goggia of Italy.

Shiffrin’s Saturday win came from the third position in the order, finishing in 1:28.84 on the Corviglia course and taking the lead from two-time World Cup winner Federica Brignone (ITA: 1:29.01). But it was only after Goggia – skiing 10th – finished in 1:28.99 that the American star felt able to celebrate.

It’s Shiffrin’s third win of the season – the most on tour – and fourth Downhill gold in World Cup competitions. Fellow American Isabella Wright finished 12th (1:29.67).

Goggia opened the St. Moritz program with a Friday victory in the Super-G in 1:16.43, her 23rd career World Cup gold, ahead of Cornelia Huetter (AUT: 1:17.58) and Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami (1:17.65), with Shiffrin fourth (1:17.71).

Sunday’s Super-G was wiped out by heavy snow.

The men’s World Cup racing was at Val d’Isere (FRA), for a Giant Slalom and Slalom, with reigning World Cup champ Marco Odermatt (SUI) taking the first race in 2:13.93, leading after the first run and logging the 10th-fastest second run.

Austria’s Marco Schwarz was fourth after the first run, but moved up to second at 2:14.91, followed by Andorra’s Joan Verdu (2:15.25), winning his (and his country’s) first World Cup medal. American River Radamus was 10th (2:16.76).

The Slalom scheduled for Sunday was canceled due to heavy weather.

● Archery ● The third stop of the World Archery Indoor World Series was the Taipei Open in Taoyuan City (TPE), with a medal sweep for the home team!

The men’s final (all arrows at 18 m) saw Yu-Hsuan Tai defeat Chih-Chun Tang, 6-4, in the final, and Yu-Yang Su take the bronze, 6-4, over Cheng-Hao Hung.

Same for the women’s final, as Chien-Ying Lei skipped past Hsin-Yu Su, 6-4, and Chih-Yu Lin won the bronze-medal match by 7-1 against Yi-Ching Chiu.

● Athletics ● A heavyweight road mile in Honolulu scared the world road record, but ended with a compelling win for American star Yared Nuguse.

Saturday’s out-and-back Kalakaua Merrie Mile saw World Running Championships mile winner Hobbs Kessler of the U.S. lead, but challenged by Nuguse and Vince Ciattei, who passed him on the final surge to the tape. Nuguse won in 3:56.58, just short of Kessler’s now-ratified world mark of 3:56.13 from the World Roads, with Ciattei second in 3:56.81 and Kessler third in 3:57.12.

The women started out 30 seconds ahead of the men and were caught in a “battle of the sexes” challenge. U.S. track champ Nikki Hiltz pushed away from the women’s field with about a quarter-mile to go and won decisively in 4:28.07, with Japan’s Nozomi Tanama second in 4:29.79 and American Weini Kelati third (4:30 official time).

Russian women’s vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova, the 2019 World Champion and Tokyo Olympic runner-up, announced her retirement on Saturday, writing on her Telegram page:

“Unfortunately, over the past few years I have completely stopped enjoying athletics. So yes, I am officially ending my sports career.”

Sidorova’s last competition was a domestic event in August of 2022; she was the 2022 outdoor world leader at 4.91 m (16-1 1/4). She ranks no. 3 all-time at 5.01 m (16-5 1/2) from 2020; she announced she was pregnant in May of this year.

● Beach Volleyball ● The 2023 Beach Pro Tour Final was in Doha (QAT) and showcased the emerging American stars Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth.

Seeded second, they won their third tournament of the year, sweeping aside eighth-seeded Svenja Mueller and Cinja Tillmann (GER) by 21-17, 21-14. Nuss and Kloth won a Challenge tournament in March, then took the title at the Uberlandia (BRA) Elite 16 in April, then lost two Elite 16 finals in a row in Hamburg and Paris before a Worlds bronze in October.

The Americans were on fire throughout, not losing a set in either pool play (10-0) or the playoffs (2-0). Wow!

Brazil’s 2022 World Champions Ana Patricia and Duda Lisboa won the bronze over Mariafe Artacho and Taliqua Clancy (AUS) in three sets, 21-13, 18-21 and 15-12.

The men’s final saw third-seeded David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig (SWE) won the men’s title over Tokyo Olympic and 2022 World Champions Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) in straight sets, 21-16, 21-17. For Ahman and Hellvig, it was their fourth Elite 16 or higher win of the season in six finals in 11 major tournaments, including the World Championships. Mol and Sorum reached their seventh major final in 2023, of which they won three. These two teams are the early co-favorites for Paris.

Pan American Games winners George Wanderley and Andre Stein (BRA) took the bronze by 21-17, 21-17 against Tokyo Olympic bronze winners Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (QAT).

● Biathlon ● The Norwegian Boe brothers scored their first wins of the season in the IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen (AUT), each taking one race.

Older brother Tarjei, the 2010-11 World Cup winner, won the men’s 10 km Sprint in 24:37.5, with no penalties, ahead of countryman Sturla Holm Lagreid (24.42.4/0) and Swede Sebastian Samuelsson (24:47.5/1).

Saturday’s 12.5 km Pursuit belonged to five-time Olympic gold medalist Johannes Thingnes Boe, who won his 75th individual World Cup race in 33:05.1 (1), at the head of a Norwegian sweep. He was followed by Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (33:27.7/3) and Tarjei Boe (33:33.5/2). Tarjei took the seasonal lead after five of 21 races.

The women’s racing had two new winners for this season, but familiar faces on the podium. Ingrid Tandrevold, a four-time Worlds relay gold medalist, took the 7.5 km Sprint in 20:59.9 (0) for her second career World Cup win. Sweden’s Beijing silver medalist Elvira Oeberg was close behind at 21:04.8 (1) and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA: 21:19.6/1) grabbed third.

Oeberg, who also won a Beijing Olympic silver in the 10 km Pursuit, scored her eighth career World Cup win in Saturday’s Pursuit race, finishing in 29.44.6 (1), more than 11 seconds up on Swiss Lena Haecki-Gross (29:55.8/1) and Tandrevold (29:58.5/1). It was the third career World Cup medal for Haecki-Gross, now 28.

Sunday’s relays were a Norwegian sweep; the men (4×7.5 km) won over France by 1:15:38.5 (5) to 1:16:07.2 (6) and the women finished the 4×6 km course in 1:07:39.0 (6) to 1:08:10.6 (10) for Sweden.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The IBSF World Cup was in La Plagne (FRA) with a surprise in the men’s two-man and an impressive start for a new American star.

A non-German sled won the two-man race for the first time since December of 2021, as Swiss Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel won in 1:58.51, with the fastest final run to move up from second to first. That was good enough to dislodge German World Champions Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer (1:58.58), who led after the first run.

Double Olympic champions Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis finished third in 1:58.94, pressed hard by Americans Frank Del Duca and Hakeem Saboor (1:59.08).

Friedrich logged his first win of the season in the four-man, timing 1:56.14 to beat Lochner (1:56.58) and fellow German Adam Ammour (1:56.69). Lochner had won the first two races this season.

The women’s racing opened for the 2023-24 season, with the U.S. going 1-4, with new driver Kaysha Love – a former UNLV sprinter and a Worlds bronze medalist brakewoman with Kailee Humphries in 2023 – winning her first Monobob World Cup medal with a victory in 2:07.92, coming from fifth to first on her second run!

Swiss Melanie Hasler grabbed second (2:08.13), moving from seventh after the first run, and Andreea Greco (ROU) moved up to third from sixth (2:08.21). American star Elana Meyers Taylor, now 39, a two-time World Champion in the two-woman sled and back from maternity, led after the first run, but finished fourth overall (2:08.23).

Beijing Olympic champ Laura Nolte (GER) took the two-woman win with Neele Schuten in 2:02.24, winning both runs, ahead of teammates (and World Champions) Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig (2:02.36). U.S. sleds went 3-4, with Meyers Taylor and Emily Renna third in 2:02.46 and Love and Azaria Hill impressively fourth in 2:02.55.

The men’s Skeleton winner was Korea’s Worlds bronze medalist Seung-gi Jung, who had the fastest first run and third-best on the second to finish in 2:00.61, ahead of World Champion Matt Weston (GBR: 2:00.69) and Marcus Wyatt (GBR) and Christopher Grotheer (GER: 2:00.94), who tied for third.

The women’s Skeleton was full of surprises, with Tabitha Stoecker combining the second and fifth-fastest runs to win in 2:05.13, ahead of American Mystique Ro (2:05.20), who won her first World Cup medal, at age 29! Dutch star Kimberley Bos, the Olympic bronze winner, was third here in 2:05.22; the top four were separated by just 0.10 seconds!

● Boxing ● Nine national champions were crowned at the USA Boxing national championships held at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana that concluded on Saturday.

The U.S. has five boxers already qualified for Paris from their medal finishes at the Pan American Games in Santiago (CHI):

Men:
● Jahmal Harvey (57.0 kg)
● Joshua Edwards (92+ kg)

Women:
● Jennifer Lozano (50.0 kg)
● Jajaira Gonzalez (60.0 kg)
● Morelle McCane (63.5 kg)

In these classes, the winners in Lafayette are Olympic alternates for Paris. The winners of the other eight classes advanced to a January evaluation camp, where they will be confirmed (or replaced) for the Paris 2024 World Qualification Tournaments in March (in Italy) and May (in Thailand). The finals in Lafayette:

Men:
● 57.0 kg (125): Jordan Fuentes d. Isaias Navarro, 3:2
● 63.5 kg (139): Dedrick Crocklem d. Vershaun Lee, 5:0
● 71.0 kg (156): Keon Davis d. Carlos Flowers, 4:1
● 80.0 kg (176): Nathan Lugo d. Obed Bartee-El, 5:0
● 92.0 kg (203): Malachi Georges d. Daniel Brown, 5:0
● 92+ kg (203+): Ali Felix d. Steven Williams, 5:0

Of the seven winners, Crocklem, Lugo and Felix defended their 2022 national titles, and Davis moved up from the 2021 silver at 71 kg.

Women:
● 60.0 kg (132): Lisa Greer d. Neida Ibarra, 3:1
● 66.0 kg (146): Stephanie Simon d. Stacia Suttles, 4:1
● 75.0 kg (165): Christine Forkins d. Talia Halvorsen, 5:0

Simon won her third straight championship in a rematch with Suttles. Greer moved up from second in 2022.

Only nine of the 13 classes had finals due to a timing issue in the Friday semifinals in four classes. Thus, Alex Espinosa (men’s 51 kg), Sheelyn Patricio (women’s 50 kg), Sierra Martinez (women’s 57 kg) and Kayla Gomez (women’s 65 kg) – winners of their semifinals in re-contested bouts on Saturday – will have their title fights in Colorado Springs, Colorado prior to the USA Boxing selection camp in January.

● Cross Country Skiing ● Norway continued its domination of the FIS men’s World Cup with two more wins at Oestersund (SWE), but with a third-place surprise for the U.S.! Sunday brought another win for U.S. star Jessie Diggins.

Norwegian stars had won the first four races of the year with four different athletes, and a fifth – fourth-time World Cup champ Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo – taking his 69th career World Cup gold with a 3:12.06 win in Saturday’s Classical Sprint, ahead of teammate 2021 Worlds Sprint silver winner Erik Valnes (3:15.41) and Americans James Clinton Schoonmaker (3:16.86) and Ben Ogden (3:19.12).

This is a milestone for the 23-year-old JC Schoonmaker, whose prior best finish in a World Cup race was seventh, twice. Moreover, it’s the first World Cup by an American man since 2 December 2018, when Erik Bjornsen scored a bronze in a 15 km Classical Pursuit in Lillehammer (NOR).

A sixth different Norwegian winner took Sunday’s 10 km Freestyle Interval Start, with Harald Amundsen finishing in 23:36.1, comfortably ahead of Simen Hegstad Krueger (23:44.2) and Didrik Toenseth (23:50.4) for a medals sweep. In fact, Norway went 1-5 and seventh!

The women’s Classical Sprint saw Sweden’s Emma Ribom, who won the season-opening Sprint in Finland, score again in 3:38.88, followed by Norway’s Kristine Skistaad (3:39.48) and fellow Swede Linn Svahn (3:39.69). Americans Rosie Brennan (3:40.92) and Jessie Diggins (3:42.32) finished 4-5.

Sunday’s 10 km Freestyle Interval Start was a runaway for Diggins, her second win in three races this season and still the overall leader. She won in 27:05.6, ahead of Norway’s Heidi Weng (27:28.6) and Victoria Carl (GER: 27:34.7). Americans Rosie Brennan (27:53.1) and Sophia Laukli (28:05.3) finished fifth and eighth. It’s Diggins’ 15th individual World Cup gold.

● Fencing ● American Olympic medalists Alexander Massialas and Lee Kiefer both collected medals as the FIE World Cup season resumed.

At the FIE men’s Foil World Cup in Tokoname (JPN), Rio silver medalist and world no. 1 Massialas defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Hamza, 15-4, to win his second straight World Cup to open the season. He now has seven career World Cup golds.

France defeated Italy by 45-35 in the men’s Foil final in Tokoname on Sunday.

Kiefer, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, reached the final of women’s Foil World Cup in Novi Sad (SRB), and lost a taut final to two-time World Champion Alice Volpi of Italy, 15-13. This was Volpi’s eighth World Cup win and the 22nd career World Cup medal for Kiefer (5-6-11).

In Sunday’s team event, Kiefer, Jacqueline Dubrovich, Zander Rhodes and Lauren Scruggs took the women’s Foil gold in Novi Sad, defeating Italy, 45-37, in the final.

At the Epee World Cup in Vancouver (CAN), France’s Luidgi Midelton – ranked 80th – won his first World Cup gold in the men’s final with a 15-12 victory over no. 27 Zijie Wang (CHN), who won his first-ever international medal! Coraline Vitalis completed the French sweep, taking the women’s final by 13-12 over Argentina’s Isabel Di Tella, 13-12. It’s the second career World Cup win for Vitalis, with the first way back in 2018; Di Tella scored her first World Cup medal.

In the team finals, Estonia beat the U.S. (Anne Cebula, Margherita Guzzi Vicenti, Kat Holmes, Catherine Nixon) in the women’s gold-medal match, 36-32, and Japan defeated Italy in the men’s final by 32-27.

The FIE Grand Prix for Sabre in Orleans (FRA) produced another surprise men’s final as Germany’s Matyaz Szabo, 32, and who had one career Grand Prix medal – a silver from 2015 – coming in, won the title by defeating first-time finalist Maxime Pianfetti, 15-10. The women’s gold was a classic match-up of stars, with Tokyo Olympic bronze winner Manon Apithy-Brunet of France out-pointing Ukraine’s four-time World Champion, Olha Kharlan, 15-12.

● Freestyle Skiing ● A very busy week, starting with Ski Cross at Val Thorens (FRA), with the schedule re-arranged for the weather, and Tristan Takats (AUT), 28, winning his first World Cup medal on Thursday, ahead of American Tyler Wallisch (29), who won his second career World Cup medal with a silver.

On Friday, Jared Schmidt (CAN) got his first career World Cup win, beating Sweden’s David Mobaerg, the 2019 World Junior Champion, with Austria’s Johannes Rohrweck third.

The women’s winner in the first race was Beijing Olympic champ Sandra Naeslund, ahead of Marielle Berger Sabbatel (FRA) and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Fanny Smith (SUI). On Friday, German Daniela Maier won her 10th career World Cup medal, but her first gold! Canada’s Brittany Phelan was second and Berger Sabbatel medaled in third.

In the Halfpipe season opener at Secret Garden (CHN), the U.S. shined with two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira scoring 91.00 on his opening effort, with no one else coming close. New Zealand’s Luke Harrold took second at 89.25 on his second try and American Hunter Hess winning the bronze at 88.75, also on his second attempt.

Olympic champ Eileen Gu (CHN) dominated the women’s competition, scoring 90.25 on her first run and then the winning 94.25 on her second. Well behind was 2023 World Champion Hanna Faulhaber of the U.S. (82.25) and then Canada’s Amy Fraser (79.25). American Riley Jacobs was fourth (70.50).

The second Moguls World Cup stop was in Idre Fjall (SWE), with Canadian all-time great Mikael Kingsbury sweeping both events to extend his own World Cup wins record to 81.

He won the Moguls final at 85.02, well ahead of Nick Page of the U.S. (79.55) and Filip Gravenfors (SWE: 79.53). Cole McDonald of the U.S. was eighth (75.86).

Kingsbury won Saturday’s Dual Moguls, defeating Rasmus Stegfeldt (SWE) in the final, with Japan’s Ikuma Horishima getting his second medal of the season, over Sweden’s Olympic Moguls champ Walter Wallberg.

Friday’s women’s Moguls winner was, for the second time this season, Australia’s Olympic winner Jakara Anthony (AUS: 79.74), out-scoring Rino Yanagimoto (72.42) and Americans Olivia Giaccio (72.16), Tess Johnson (71.19) and Jaelin Kauf (40.36).

● Luge ● The season-opening FIL World Cup was in Lake Placid (USA), with the U.S. doubles team of Zachary DiGregorio and Sean Hollander making some history.

With the no. 2 runs on both the first and second races, the pair won the Doubles World Cup in 1:27.630, over Beijing Olympic bronze medalists Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl (AUT: 1:27.682) and teammates Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf (AUT: 1:27.702).

It’s the first World Cup medal for a men’s U.S. Doubles team since December 2018 by Chris Mazdzer and Jayson Terdiman, and the first win since 2005 by Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin!

Latvia’s Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (37.872) won the Doubles Sprint over Steu and Kindl (37.877), with three-time Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER: 38.109) third. DiGregorio and Hollander placed sixth at 38.094.

Austria had a strong opening, with two-time Olympic relay medalist Madeleine Egle taking the Singles title at 1:28.710, followed by 2021 World Champion Julia Taubitz (GER: 1:28.898) and Americans Summer Britcher (USA: 1:29.117) and Ashley Farquharson (USA: 1:29.147).

Taubitz (37.451) took the Sprint, with Farquharson (37.550) second and 2019 Worlds bronze medalist Emily Sweeney of the U.S. (37.565).

The Austrian pair of Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (1:29.924), Worlds runners-up in 2023, won the women’s Doubles over Dajana Eitberger and Saskia Schimer (GER: 1:29.037) and Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer (ITA: 1:29.470). The new American duo of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby (USA: 1:29.574) was a promising fourth, and Maya Chen and Reannyn Weller (USA: 1:30.014) finished sixth.

In the women’s Doubles Sprint, Egle and Kipp won in 38.340, followed by the U.S.’s Forgan and Kirkby (38.443) and then Eitberger and Schirmer (GER: 38.477).

The men’s Singles was a won for Worlds runner-up Max Langenhan (GER) in 1:41.952, besting World Champion Jonas Mueller (AUT: 1:42.398) and Nico Gleirscher (AUT: 1:42.585); Americans Tucker West (1:42.588) and Jonny Gustafson (1:42.703) finished 4-5.

Langenhan also took the Sprint (33.257) in front of countryman and 14-time World Champion Felix Loch (GER: 33.560) and Austria’s Gleirscher (33.595).

● Rugby Sevens ● Round two of the HSBC Sevens was in Cape Town (RSA), with Argentina convincingly winning the men’s final over Australia by 45-12! The victors crushed Canada, 33-0, in their quarterfinal and then squeezed by Ireland, 26-19 in their semi. Fiji won the bronze with a 14-12 win over Ireland.

Ireland was the only undefeated women’s team in pool play at 3-0, but promptly lost in the quarterfinals to Australia, 24-14. The Australians then crushed the U.S., 33-5, to move on to the women’s final and edged France, 29-26, for the title. New Zealand took the bronze with a 19-7 win over the U.S.

With two of eight tournaments complete, Argentina has the men’s lead with 38 points to 30 for South Africa and Fiji. Australia has won both of the women’s tournaments so far (40 points), with France and New Zealand at 34 each.

● Short Track ● Beijing was the site for the third ISU World Cup this season, with two more wins for the amazing Kristen Santos-Griswold of the U.S., and a pair for Canadian sprinter Jordan Pierre-Gilles.

Santos-Griswold had won four individual medals (1-1-2) coming into the third of six ISU World Cup meets, but immediately put her mark on Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium with a 42.892 win in the first women’s 500 m final, beating China’s five-time World Champion Kexin Fan (43.117) for reportedly the first-ever U.S. women’s win in an ISU World Cup 500 m!

The American star then came back on Sunday to win her third World Cup gold of the season, in the 1,000 m in 1:30.249, leading a U.S. 1-2 with Corinne Stoddard second in 1:30.789.

Stoddard had earlier won a bronze in the 1,500 m final in 2:26.322, behind Gil-Li Kim (KOR: 2:25.830) and China’s Li Gong (2:26.142).

Two-time World 500 m champ Xandra Velzeboer (NED) won the second 500 m race in 42.128, over teammate Selma Poutsma (42.240) and the Dutch women won the 3,000 m relay in 4:06.722.

Pierre-Gilles, a Beijing Olympic relay gold medalist, won both 500 m races, in 40.711 over Quentin Fercoq (FRA: 40.875) and then over teammate, three-time Olympic medalist Steven Dubois (40.695).

Canada, with Pierre-Gilles and Dubois aboard, won the 5000 m relay in 6:55.964.

China’s Shaoang Liu, the Beijing Olympic 500 m winner, took the 1,000 m in 1:23.696, ahead of seasonal leader (and reigning World Champion) Ji Won Park (KOR: 1:23.708), and Korea’s Gun-woo Kim won the 1,500 m in 2:18.934, beating Beijing 1,000 m runner-up Wenlong Li (CHN: 2:19.009).

In the Mixed Team Relay, the Dutch squad of Teun Boer, Poutsma, Jens van’T Wout and Velzeboer won in 2:37.471, with China just behind at 2:37.494 and the U.S. – Andrew Heo, Marcus Howard, Santos-Griswold and Stoddard – third at 2:38.694.

● Ski Jumping ● The World Cup circuit for men was on the 140 m hill in Klingenthal (GER) for two competitions, with Austria’s three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft missing a fifth straight win by just 1.2 points in the opener.

Instead, it was German Karl Geiger, a nine-time World Championships medal winner, who won on Saturday, scoring 274.7 points to 273.5 for Kraft and 270.7 for Japan’s Beijing Olympic Normal Hill gold medalist Ryoyu Kobayashi.

On Sunday, Geiger doubled his pleasure with his 15th career individual World Cup victory, scoring 297.9 to win over Gregor Deschwanden (SUI) and German teammate Andreas Wellinger (291.3). It’s Deschwanden’s first career World Cup medal, at age 32!

● Snowboard ● The FIS World Cup Halfpipe season opened at Secret Garden (CHN), with Olympic silver winner Scotty James (AUS) winning his eighth career World Cup gold, scoring 91.25, ahead of the 2022-23 World Cup seasonal winner Ruka Hirano of Japan (88.25). Korea’s Chae-un Lee was third (87.50) and American Chase Josey (8.225) was fourth.

The women’s final was a 1-2 for the home team, with three-time World Champion Xuetong Cai winning at 93.25, with Jiayu Liu second (85.75) and American two-time Worlds medal winner Maddie Mastro (85.050) grabbing third and countrywoman Bea Kim fourth (75.00).

The third of four stages of the World Cup Big Air circuit was in Edmonton (CAN), with Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa, 18, winning at 181.00, for his third career World Cup victory. China’s Beijing Olympic champ, Yuming Su, took silver (177.25) and American Red Gerard (176.00) won the bronze. Gerard, the 2018 Olympic Slopestyle winner, collected his first World Cup medal since January of 2022.

New Zealand’s Beijing Olympic silver winner Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won the women’s competition at 183.25, ahead of World Slopestyle champ Mia Brookes (GBR: 167.00) and two-time Olympic Big Air gold medalist Anna Gasser (AUT: 159.25).

With the final Big Air stage coming next week at Copper Mountain’s Japan’s Kira Kimura and Brookes are the seasonal leaders.

● Speed Skating ● The fourth of six stages of the ISU World Cup, in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL) saw two wins for Japan’s Beijing Olympic 1,000 m champ Miho Takagi and two U.S. wins for stars Jordan Stolz and Erin Jackson.

Takagi took the 1,500 m on Saturday in 1:56.62, ahead of Olympic relay medalist Marijke Groenewoud (NED: 1:57.70), with Americans Brittany Bowe fifth (1:58.82) and Kimi Goetz ninth (1:59.87). Takagi came back on Sunday to win her specialty in the 1,000 m in 1:15.28, with three-time World Champion Bowe taking the silver and Goetz third in 1:16.20 for her third medal of the season in this event.

Jackson, the Olympic 500 m champ, was fourth in the first 500 m race (38.17), won by Min-sun Kim (KOR; 37.82), with Goetz fifth (38.45). But she roared back to win the second race in 37.80, with 2023 World Champion Femke Kok (NED: 38.13) second and Goetz fifth again, in 38.32.

In the women’s distance races, Norway’s Ragne Wiklund, the 2023 World Champion at 3,000 m, won that race in 4:06.69, with Groenewoud second (4:07.03) and Olympic gold medalist Irene Schouten third (4:07.74). Schouten, also the Olympic winner of the Mass start, took that race in 8:42.90, barely edging Canada’s Olympic silver winner Ivanie Blondin (8:42.94) and American Mia Kilburg-Manganello (8:42.95).

Stolz, the 2023 World Champion at 500-1,000-1,500 m, won the first-day men’s 1,000 m in 1:08.64, beating Ryota Kojima (JPN: 1:09.73, then took a silver in the 1,500 m behind Peder Kongshaug (NOR), 1:46.41 to 1:46.48.

In the 500 m races, Olympic champ Tingyao Gao (CHN) won the first race in 34.70 over Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil (34.77), the Beijing Olympic 1,000 m silver medalist, with Stolz fourth (34.82). But Dubreuil won the second race, 34.73 to 34.79, with Stolz sixth in 34.95.

Dutch star Patrick Roest, the 2023 World Champion, took the 5,000 m in 6:18.01, well ahead of Norway’s Olympic bronze winner, Hallgeir Engebraten (6:23.84). Italian Andrea Giovannini won his second Mass Start World Cup this season in 7:32.24, beating Jae-won Chung (KOR: 7:32.35, with Olympic winner Bart Swings (BEL: 7:32.46) in fourth.

The U.S. squad of Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran won the Team Pursuit in 3:44.85, ahead of Italy (3:45.39).

● Table Tennis ● As expected, China was the winner of the inaugural ITTF Mixed Team World Cup, held in Chengdu (CHN). The team of Zhendong Fan, Manyu Wang, and Yingsha Sun and Chuqin Wang scored a clear win over South Korea, 8-1, in the final on Sunday.

Japan clinched the bronze medal, with Sweden finishing fourth.

In the Stage 2 championship group, China defeated Slovakia (8-1), Chinese Taipei (8-1), France (8-1), Germany (8-1), Japan by 8-5 and then Korea by 8-1 in the final.

● Weightlifting ● North Korea is dominating the IWF Grand Prix II in Doha (QAT), winning three of the six men’s weight classes completed so far and four of the five women’s classes.

U.S. lifters Olivia Reeves (19) and Kate Vibert (24) finished 3-4 in the women’s 71 kg class, with Reeves setting world junior records in the Snatch (115 kg), Clean & Jerk (147 kg) and the 262 kg to warn the bronze medal. Vibert finished at 112 kg-142 kg and a 254 kg total.

Competition continues through the 14th.

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LANE ONE: “Ten Commandments of Thomas Bach” complete with admission of “neutral” Russians and Belarusians to Paris 2024

By
Rich Perelman
-
IOC President Thomas Bach (GER)

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

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Thomas Bach, the 69-year-old German two-term President of the International Olympic Committee, has completely reshaped the Olympic Movement, the Olympic Games and international sport in his 10 years in office.

He placed perhaps his finishing touch on Friday with the announcement of the specific conditions under which Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete as “neutrals” at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:

● Individual Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify through the existing procedures of the International Federations will be eligible to compete in Paris IF they meet the IOC’s now-published requirements. No teams will be allowed.

● This includes a neutral uniform without any national markings, no flags to represent the athletes and no anthem to be played for them at any ceremony.

● “Athletes who actively support the war will not be eligible to be entered or to compete,” and the IOC will “seek an independent evaluation of the eligibility of each qualified AIN proposed by the IF, and their support personnel.” And all anti-doping precautions will have to be taken.

The IOC’s statement and the six pages of regulations that were produced will restrict the Russian and Belarusian presence in Paris severely. However, their mere presence will create continuing turmoil, especially in Europe and in other countries that are outraged by any accommodation of Russian nations in view of the continuing war against Ukraine, aided by its ally, Belarus.

Bach understands the tensions he has created – and have no doubt that he is at the forefront of these decisions – and while brushing them aside as inconsistent with the “IOC’s values” – his words, heard over and over again – he and his organization are unapologetic.

Sort of.

In the fourth paragraph of Friday’s announcement, made just three days after the Olympic Summit, where the concept of Russian and Belarusian participation was confirmed, but without the details that have now been provided, this:

“Only a very limited number of athletes will qualify through the existing qualification systems of the IFs. Among the 4,600 athletes from around the world who have qualified for Paris 2024 so far, there are only 11 Individual Neutral Athletes (eight with a Russian passport plus three with a Belarusian passport). In comparison, to date more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified for Paris 2024.”

And the IOC’s very capable communications team reiterated with enthusiastic but calm language what it sells as validations of their stance, from international groups such as the United Nations, the G-20, the Non-Aligned Movement and that “At least 3,000 Ukrainian athletes and other members of the Olympic community of Ukraine have benefitted from the IOC Solidarity Fund.”

That’s as close to an apology as the IOC will make for its position. But the position is not about to change. Bach insists on it as a “demonstration” of the unity which the Olympic Movement brings to the world once every four years.

But questions large and small remain to be answered, with each situation a possible flashpoint between now and Paris 2024, or during them Games period:

● How will these athletes be accommodated in the Olympic Village in Paris, where Ukrainian athletes will also be living, eating and training?

● Will these athletes participate in the Opening Ceremony on the Seine River, further increasing the already extreme security issues? The IOC’s regulations specify a white flag with a newly-created “AIN” symbol on it. Imagine the crowd reactions every time that shows up in Paris.

● The conduct of the International Federations must also be examined. Questions have been raised about the “eligibility” of so-called “neutrals” in judo, taekwondo and wrestling. World Rowing somehow thinks that Pairs – two athletes in a boat – is an individual event; will that be allowed?

And the ability of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete will vary by sport. There will be none in track & field; World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) said on Friday:

“This is a decision that was supported at the Olympic Summit, which I attended. International federations have the priority right to make their own assessment of the selection of athletes. We have a clear position that has not changed.

“You can see Russian athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris. It’s just not going to happen in athletics. This position that our sport has adopted has not changed in any way. There is nothing to add here, this is our position, it was accepted almost unanimously by members of the athletics family.”

At his term as President of the IOC has passed its 10-year anniversary, we can now recognize “Thomas Bach’s Ten Commandments” for the Olympic Movement:

● Bidding for Olympic Games should not create losers, who waste millions for absolutely no return. The IOC now selects its hosts through a mostly-private discussion process.

● An Olympic Games must conform to the city, region or country where it is held, and not require unnecessary expenditures.

● If is considered best if no new venues or permanent constructions are undertaken for a Games, unless as part of an otherwise useful local development plan.

● Sport must go to where the people are, not require people to come to it. This was successfully demonstrated at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires at the free, open-air opening ceremony at the iconic Obelisco, and transferred to Paris 2024 with its opening on the Seine.

● Sport must appeal to youth, or in Olympic-speak, “be more urban” and “youth-oriented.” Thus the inclusion to the permanent program of skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing from 2028 and the IOC moving toward its own “e-sport Olympics.”

● Sport governance through the “solidarity model,” in which money is distributed through National Olympic Committees for development projects and athlete support, rather than simply paying athletes directly through prize money.

● Strict requirements for gender equality in terms of the number of men’s and women’s athletes competing, which will be reached at Paris 2024.

● Strenuous anti-doping measures, preferably handled by an independent agency; the IOC created the International testing Agency in 2018, which has quickly absorbed most of the anti-doping programming for Olympic-sport federations.

● Athletes are not responsible for the actions of their government, so long as they are not affiliated with their government. (Overlooked is the fact that governments fund every National Olympic Committee in the world except in the U.S.)

● The IOC should respect, follow and implement the directives and regulations of the United Nations.

These directives are pure Bach and have reversed decades of IOC preferences and policy, for example, the total participation bans on South Africa from 1970-91 and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from the Olympic Movement from 1975-80 for their governmental apartheid policies. That approach apparently does not apply any more.

Bach’s second term will end in 2025, and there are members who are trying to convince him to stay on for another term to 2029. He has not said whether he will or won’t accept the invitation, and support the required changes to the Olympic Charter.

His decision will once again revise his legacy, already secure as one of the most consequential leaders of the International Olympic Committee, for better in some areas, but not in others.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX REPORT: French sports minister says surfing will be in Tahiti; U.S.’s DeFrantz worried over Paris transit rules; 2026 sliding events in Lake Placid?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Could Lake Placid's Mt. van Hoevenberg track really host 2026 Winter Games events? (Photo from Mt. van Hoevenberg on Facebook)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Oudea-Castera firm on surfing and the Seine for 2024
2. DeFrantz concerned over extent of French security procedures
3. Ukraine sports minister says Russians in Paris “very difficult”
4. Lake Placid asks for Milan-Cortina 2026 sliding sports! What?
5. International Federations increasing spending on anti-doping

● French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said that the Paris 2024 surfing events will be held in Tahiti and that there is no “plan B” for the opening ceremony on the Seine River.

● Anita DeFrantz, the long-serving U.S. member of the International Olympic Committee, posted a note of concern over the security and transportation regulations now envision for Paris 2024. In a prior interview, Oudea-Castera called the Games-time rules “a necessary system.”

● While Russian response to the Olympic Summit’s formulation on Russian and Belarusian participation of “neutral” athletes has been muted, the interim Sports Minister of Ukraine continued to press for no Russian or Belarusian athletes in Paris, so as to “not allow Russia to use sport for military propaganda purposes.”

● The fight over the venue for bobsled, luge and skeleton at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games continues, significantly tied to national politics, with a decision due in January. Beyond the expected alternatives offered in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, a bid to host the sliding sports also came from Lake Placid in the U.S. Yes, for real!

● A new study of anti-doping expenditures by the summer International Federations showed that spending between 2015 and 2022 increased from $27.7 million to $51.4 million, and that 27 of the 33 IFs surveyed were working with the International Testing Agency for some or all of their anti-doping programs.

● Panorama: LA28 (Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse fields men’s and women’s teams) = Athletics (2: separate area for “content creators” will debut at Glasgow 2024 indoor champs; provisional suspension for doping against Uganda’s Chesang) = Figure Skating (Malinin lands first quad Axel in a Short Program at Grand Prix Final) = Football (2: USSF announces National Training Center site; venues for 2024 Copa America, to be held in the U.S., announced) ●

1.
Oudea-Castera firm on surfing and the Seine for 2024

Surfing is not moving from Tahiti and the opening ceremony in Paris is not moving from the Seine River.

That’s from France’s Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, who said Thursday about surfing:

“[T]here’s no Plan B. We’re on this path which is really the right one. We’re on the right path to have a new, resized judges’ tower.”

She emphasized that the new tower plan, essentially replacing the existing wooden tower – which is considered unsafe – with an aluminum version that she said had responded to the requests made by the local community. She was critical of the Saturday test with a barge that caused some damage to the corals:

“There was a test that was obviously not well prepared and could not be conducted properly. And unfortunately it damaged bits of coral, which is obviously completely regrettable.

“The next test must be meticulously prepared.”

Reuters reported a Paris 2024 organizing committee statement that also expressed optimism on the site:

“The French Polynesian Government and Paris 2024 are working on solutions that will enable the new tower to be set up which has been reduced in size and weight.

“This was the result of collective effort between Paris 2024 and French Polynesian government to reduce the impact of the tower on the natural environment. Technical meetings organised with all those involved in the project, and guided by the project manager on site, should enable solutions to be found rapidly.

“With less than a year to go before the surfing events are due to be held in Teahupo’o, those involved in the project are reaffirming more than ever their desire to work with the associations in a transparent manner to ensure that the Paris 2024 Games are a success for French Polynesia.”

Oudea-Castera told France Inter radio on Monday that the Paris 2024 opening will be on the Seine River, “There is no plan B, we have a plan A within which we have several alternatives.” This includes the finalized number of spectators, especially for the upper viewing area, which will be announced next year; the initial expectation of 600,000 could be scaled back to 400,000 due to transport consideration as well as for security. She further explained:

“We have a certain number of adjustment variables [for the ceremony itself]. This is the case for the artistic, which will only be finalized in the spring with the capacity to modulate, to reduce certain parts of this programming.

“The gauge will be stopped in the spring, we can modulate it; we also have a variable adjustment around the number of festivities points around the area and in Paris. … And we also have, in terms of the management of security perimeters, the possibility of modulating things.

“There are security measures that will be greatly enhanced during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. … We undoubtedly, during the opening ceremony, a very particular security challenge, we have known that since day one.”

Asked directly if there was discussion of a different site, she replied that “this is not the hypothesis on which we are working.”

The minister noted that “The terrorist threat, particularly the radical Islamist threat, it exists, it is there, it is not new. It is neither specific to France nor specific to the Games. And it is followed very closely, both by all the forces of the Ministry of the Interior and by the entourage of the President of the Republic. We are lucid about this threat and we are putting everything in order to reduce it as much as possible.”

2.
DeFrantz concerned over extent of French security procedures

The highly-respected Anita DeFrantz, a U.S. member of the International Olympic Committee since 1986, twice an IOC Vice President and the Vice Chair of the Coordination Commission for the 2032 Olympic Games, wrote Thursday about her concerns over the newly-announced transit restrictions planned for Paris in 2024:

“As an advocate for the Olympic movement and a believer in the power of sport to unite and inspire, I find the recent security measures outlined for the Paris 2024 Olympics concerning. While understanding the necessity of ensuring safety, the proposed restrictions raise important questions about balancing security with civic freedoms.

“The requirement for residents near Olympic venues to obtain a QR code to pass police barriers and the registration of visitors to watch from private spaces seem to overly restrict the daily lives of Parisians. The Olympics are a time of joy and global unity, but such stringent measures risk overshadowing the celebratory spirit of the Games.

“Furthermore, the closure of metro stations and limitations on motorised traffic, while necessary for security, must be implemented thoughtfully to ensure they do not unduly burden the residents and visitors who are there to experience the magic of the Olympics.

“As we approach the Paris 2024 Olympics, it is crucial that security measures are balanced with the need to maintain the open and inclusive atmosphere that defines the Olympic spirit. The Games should be a time for celebration, not constraint, and should bring people together, not keep them apart.

“Let’s hope for a resolution that upholds both the safety and the freedoms of everyone involved in this grand event.”

Oudea-Castera, in her Monday radio interview, also spoke to this issue and had a different view:

“Paris will not be in a state of emergency. The system on security and traffic perimeters is a necessary system, which is based on a legal basis and which is proportionate. It has nothing to do with the state of emergency where we stay at home, with constraints criminal, and throughout the country: it is zoned, it only involves a QR code for motorized travel in red zones. We must be careful!”

She also expressed confidence in the transport system, contrary to the gloomy predictions of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo:

“I have always said that we are stronger with a committed and hard-working city of Paris. We must not play against our side; if some do it we must be stronger than that. Today, the subject is to work as a team, so that everyone can bring all their experience to the equation.

“We will be ready. We have very important work to do to finalize the infrastructure, complete the last elements of the transport plans. But for the rest, there is no alert.”

3.
Ukraine sports minister says Russians in Paris “very difficult”

Tuesday’s Olympic Summit decision, with the International Federation representatives “asking” the International Olympic Committee to “declare eligible for participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 those [Russian and Belarusian neutral athletes] who have qualified or will qualify on the field of play” was hard to accept for Ukraine. Interim Sports Minister Marviy Bidnyi explained to Agence France Presse:

“As President Volodymyr Zelensky rightly said: ‘Obviously, any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.’ We are counting on a responsible decision and leadership from the IOC which will not allow Russia to use sport for military propaganda purposes.

“We respect the principle of neutrality, but neutrality is only possible in times of peace. When there is a war and one nation … destroys another, then ‘neutrality’ becomes irresponsibility.”

In Bidnyi’s view, “The refusal of the Russian passport is today the only possible way for an athlete to prove that Olympic excellence is his first priority, and that the athlete bears no part of the responsibility for the murders of Ukrainians.

“Morally, it is very difficult to enter the arena with those who want to kill you. And not figuratively, but actually kill you.

“Our athletes are constantly faced with provocations from the Russians and therefore cannot be in a normal emotional state. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I had to compete with Russians. It’s very difficult.”

He also noted that some 397 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed in the Russian invasion so far, as well as the destruction of more than 500 sports facilities.

The response from Russia on the Olympic Summit declaration has been muted, without any headlines from the Ministry of Sports or the Russian Olympic Committee.

At a sports medicine conference on Thursday, the director of the Department of High Achievement Sports of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation, Alexey Drozdov, said:

“We continue systematic preparations for the Olympic Games, because we do not yet have a clear understanding and response from the International Olympic Committee. We are not curtailing our programs, everything is being implemented in full.”

4.
Lake Placid asks for Milan-Cortina 2026 sliding sports! What?

How about this shocker from a long story from the Rome-based Il Fatto Quotidiario about the Italian political infighting over the bobsled, luge and skeleton site for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina (computer translation from the original Italian):

“The Milan-Cortina Organizing Committee confirmed ‘that it has long since started, following the direction expressed by its board of directors, a phase of analysis and in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the sliding centers present on the international scene. To date, the National Olympic Committees (NOC) of the United States, Germany, Austria and Switzerland have sent the necessary documentation for the analysis.’ There are therefore four foreign alternatives, but at least all three European ones (Koenigssee, Saint Moritz and Igls-Innsbruck) require IOC exemptions. Saint Moritz is in fact built every year with natural ice, the other two are in need of renovation.”

What?

The request comes from Lake Placid for the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track, which will welcome the opening of the FIL (luge) World Cup this weekend. The site has hosted the bobsled and/or skeleton Worlds in 1949-61-69-78-83-97-2003-09-12 and will again in 2025; it held the luge Worlds in 1983 and 2009 and hosted the Winter World University Games this past January (which did not have any of the sliding sports).

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland explained the bid in a Thursday session with reporters:

“Just this week, the New York State [Olympic] Regional Development Authority submitted a proposal to host the sliding events for the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2026.

“The organizers of Milan-Cortina are actively seeking solutions to support the sliding sports competitions at the 2026 Games, and I’m proud to say that the New York Olympic Authority has stepped up and that we’re fully supportive of their efforts to welcome the world in 2026 for this important element of the competition. …

“The USOPC stands firmly behind this bid effort and believes that their proposal presents a compelling solution to host an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate and support the effort to bring these prestigious events to the United States and are eager to understand the outcome of the decision by Milan-Cortina.”

Hirshland explained that the request for proposal from the Milan-Cortina organizing committee – sent to multiple National Olympic Committees which have such facilities in their countries – was received at the beginning of November and the deadline for submissions was 1 December.

The Milan-Cortina organizers expect to make a decision in January, with the local, regional and national political tug-of-war continuing, but the logical solution is in Europe. There is enormous doubt that a track could actually be built in the remaining time available in Cortina – and no company bid on the project when offered earlier this year – and the Cesana Pariol track for Turin 2006 was abandoned in 2012 due to operating losses of more than €1 million per year. Both will have major price tags attached to them, far more than using the facilities in Austria or Switzerland; the story notes, “Unofficially it seems that the foreign solution is now the most accredited.”

But in Lake Placid? Truth is always stranger than fiction.

5.
International Federations increasing spending on anti-doping

A significant survey report from the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) showed that total spending against doping increased from $27.7 million in 2015 to $51.4 million in 2022.

Most of these budgets were spent on testing and analysis:

● 54.1% ($27.8 million) on testing
● 18.0% ($9.3 million) on analysis
● 6.9% ($3.5 million) on results management and legal follow-up
● 4.7% ($2.4 million) on intelligence and investigations
● 3.3% ($1.7 million) on education
● 2.0% ($1.0 million) on Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs)

A total of $5.7 million (11.1%) was spent on administration.

In the future, most of the federations said that spending would increase on education and investigations.

A major change in federation anti-doping efforts has come with out-sourcing of some or all of their anti-doping programs to the International Testing Agency (ITA), founded in 2018. While 48% of the summer federations now use the ITA (as of 2022), the percentage of expected to rise to 64% within the next four years.

As of 2022, just two of 33 IFs did their own doping sample collections themselves, while 27 used the ITA, one used its own “integrity unit” and three used other anti-doping agencies. However, 14 did their own educational programs, while 16 used the ITA.

For the future, federations plan to implement more educational programs – 97% mentioned this in the survey – as a key to fighting doping in their sport. Testing remained a priority for 85% of federations.

In terms of impact, federations cited more intelligence-based testing (88%) and reducing costs through the use of new technologies (82%) as the key advances against doping.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Further to Thursday’s post concerning the concept of the cross-national Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse team as an entrant at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Christy Cahill, the Chief Brand & Communications Officer for World Lacrosse notes that the Haudenosaunee field both men’s and women’s teams.

The men have been extraordinarily successful at the World Lacrosse Championships, with bronze medals in 2014-18-23, with the women’s team competing at the 2009-13-17-22 Worlds, finishing 11th-7th-12th-8th.

● Athletics ● Interesting development in media operations from World Athletics, which announced that a separate accreditation will be created for “content creators” and a separate interview area at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow (GBR) next March. Said new World Athletics communications chief, Jamie Fox (GBR):

“Social media content creators are generating original and exciting content that attracts millions of views across the world, bringing a new generation of fans to athletics. So, we wanted to provide these innovators and entertainers with a space where they can embrace their creativity and develop content outside the confines of traditional media mixed zones. As we go forward, we will continue to develop and evolve this concept, delivering a best-in-class media operation for all involved.”

There have been clashes with traditional media and content creators in mixed zones at several events and a demand to separate the two, whose relationships with athletes, coaches and officials are often quite different. A separate area for content creators – adjacent to the media mixed zone – was arranged at this year’s USA Track & Field nationals in Eugene, arranged by the Tracktown USA organizers and which appeared to work reasonably well.

Prisca Chesang, 20, of Uganda, the 2021 and 2022 World Junior 5,000 m bronze medalist, with bests of 4:08.15 (1,500 m) and 15:05.39 (5.000 m) was provisionally suspended for the use of Furosemide, a strong diuretic.

● Figure Skating ● American teen star Ilia Malinin took the lead in the men’s skating at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Beijing (CHN), landing his patented quadruple Axel jump to lead the Short Program.

Malinin, 19, is the only one to land this jump in competition and hit it right away in his Short Program skate, adding a quad Lutz and scoring a lifetime best 106.90 to lead Japan’s two-time World Champion Shoma Uno (106.02) and teammate Yuma Kagiyama (103.72).

It’s the first time that the quad Axel has been done in a Short Program; Malinin said afterwards, “Overall I feel really great and I’m glad that I was able to do the quad Axel for the first time in the short program. … “I think that after Grand Prix of France it was an idea of mine for a long time [to include it]. I’m just very glad that I was able to do it under pressure.”

The Free Skate will be held on Saturday.

In Pairs, Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin took the lead in the Short Program at 72.56, ahead of Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (CAN: 71.22) and Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA: 70.30).

The competitions continue tomorrow with the women’s Short Program and the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance.

● Football ● U.S. Soccer announced that its new National Training Center will be located on about 200 acres in Trilith in Fayette County, Georgia, 25 miles south of Atlanta, with the federation explaining that the site was selected by

“meeting key criteria that included accessibility and proximity to Atlanta’s major international airport as well as downtown, optimal climate for year-round programming, the ability to drive economic impact locally, and the opportunity to be part of a diverse, growing community.”

The statement specifically credited the assistance of sponsor Coca-Cola, which “played an important role in U.S. Soccer’s decision to bring the National Training Center to the company’s corporate hometown.”

The facility will support all of USSF’s 27 national teams and nine “extended” national teams. The plan calls for 12 fields, more than 100,000 sq. ft. for indoor courts and 200,000 sq. ft. for support facilities, including offices for federation staff.

The National Training Center project was developed thanks to a $50 million gift from The Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, also the owner of the MLS Atlanta United FC and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

No projected opening date was given for the facility.

In the strange world of football, where the South American championship – Copa America – will be held again in the United States in 2024, the venues were announced this week, with 14 sites to host matches:

● Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium)
● Atlanta, Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
● Austin, Texas (Q2 Stadium)
● Charlotte, North Carolina (Bank of America Stadium)
● East Rutherford, New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
● Glendale, Arizona (State Farm Stadium)
● Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
● Inglewood, California (SoFi Stadium)
● Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium)
● Kansas City, Kansas (Children’s Mercy Park)
● Miami Gardens, Florida (Hard Rock Stadium)
● Orlando, Florida (Exploria Stadium)
● Paradise, Nevada (Allegiant Stadium)
● Santa Clara, California (Levi’s Stadium)

The tournament will include the 10 CONMEBOL teams and six from CONCACAF, including the U.S. and Mexico. The opening match will feature defending champion Argentina, playing in Atlanta on 20 June, and the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 14 July.

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TSX REPORT: Biden backs Haudenosaunee team for LA28; more Milan-Cortina worries over sliding and hockey; Germany bidding for 2036-40?

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Biden backs Haudenosaunee Confederacy team for LA28
2. Italian ministers still insisting on Cortina for sliding track
3. NHL concerns about 2026 focused on new arena
4. IOC’s Dubi explains France 2030 Winter venue shuffling
5. Germany to advance bid plans for 2036 or 2040 Games

● U.S. President Joe Biden announced support for the Haudenosaunee Nationals to be able to compete as a team in the LA28 Olympic lacrosse tournament, despite the players being from both the U.S. and Canada. Inspirational, but not likely.

● Despite direct instructions from the International Olympic Committee, Italian ministers continue to toy with the idea of having a bobsled, luge and skeleton run in Cortina for the 2026 Winter Games, despite no company having bid on the project earlier this year.

● Construction concerns in Milan Cortina are also worrying the National Hockey League, which has not yet determined whether its players will participate in the 2026 Winter Games, notably in view of the main ice hockey arena not expected to be finished until the end of 2025! And there are other issues.

● IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, explained why the French Alps bidders for the 2030 Winter Games are being pushed to re-arrange their venue plan as the “dialogue” part of the “targeted dialogue” process gets going in earnest.

● The German sports confederation (DOSB) unanimously agreed to work towards a plan to bid for a future Olympic Games, possibly as soon as 2036, or for 2040, or for Winter Games in 2038 (if the Swiss fail) or 2042. Is a 2036 bid realistic, a century after the 1936 Nazi Games?

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (French authorities promise scrutiny over pricing violations) = Athletics (2: Indian sprinter who ran alone caught for doping; Nike rescues UK Athletics) = Diving (Schnell, Gibson, Hedberg collect two wins each at Winter Nationals) = Figure Skating (Hersh notes Grand Prix scoring down in women’s Singles and Pairs without Russians) = Weightlifting (Morris sets U.S. 61 kg records at IWF Grand Prix II) = Wrestling (men’s Freestyle athlete of the year nominees include Taylor) ●

1.
Biden backs Haudenosaunee Confederacy team for LA28

The Los Angeles 2028 organizers proposed lacrosse as one of five added sports and won approval from the International Olympic Committee in October, noting that the sport has its origins as a tribal game in North America as early as the 12th Century.

At Wednesday’s session of the III White House Tribal Nations Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Joe Biden backed the idea of allowing a tribal confederation team to compete in 2028:

“Joining us today are members of the Six Nations Confederacy … which invented lacrosse nearly a thousand years ago. The game brought Tribes together, a force for peace, friendship, and healing. The Six Nations players are still among the very best in the world. …

“This fall, it was announced that lacrosse will once again be an official Olympic sport. And the Six Nations team asked to compete under its own Tribal flag. And today, I’m announcing my support for that request.

“Their ancestors invented the game. They perfected it for a millennia. Their circumstances are unique, and they should be granted an exception to field their own team at the Olympics.”

The Six Nations Confederacy is known in sporting terms as the Haudenosaunee Nationals – until 2022 as the Iroquois Nationals, formed in 1983 – with players from New York in the U.S. and Ontario and Quebec in Canada, which has competed as an independent, cross-national team in eight men’s World Lacrosse Championships in 1990-94-98-2002-06-14-18-23, winning bronze medals in the last three editions.

World Lacrosse and the Haudenosaunee Nationals issued a joint statement welcoming the possibilities:

“World Lacrosse and Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse express our sincere gratitude to President Biden and the United States government for their expressed support of Haudenosaunee inclusion in the lacrosse competition at the LA28 Olympic Games. Recognition of the cultural significance of lacrosse to the Haudenosaunee people – and the Haudenosaunee people to lacrosse – is an important step in our Olympic journey.

“The Olympic Games are the most powerful platform for promoting understanding and peace among nations. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the International Olympic Committee, LA28, and the U.S. and Canadian Olympic Committees to explore potential pathways for the Haudenosaunee to participate in the Olympics while respecting the Olympic Games framework.”

Canadian sports minister Carla Qualtrough also supported the concept, in a statement to The Canadian Press that included:

“When lacrosse returns to the Olympics in the 2028 Games, I hope to see the Haudenosaunee Nationals qualify and compete under their own flag.”

There are issues, of course. Attendance at the Olympic Games is through National Olympic Committees, such as the U.S. and Canada and does not recognize autonomous groups such as the Haudenosaunee.

White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President, Tom Perez, told The Associated Press:

“We’re hopeful the IOC will see it our way, as well. If we’re successful, it won’t simply be the flag of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy that marches in the Olympics, it will be the flag of Indigenous people across the world.”

An IOC spokesperson told AP that it would be the Canadian Olympic Committee and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee “to decide if they include athletes from Haudenosaunee in their respective teams, depending on the passport they hold.” Both the U.S. and Canada also field lacrosse squads and the two national teams have won all of the 14 Worlds held, with 11 titles for the Americans and three for Canada.

2.
Italian ministers still insisting on Cortina for sliding track

It seemed clear enough at the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee in India in October: the head of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games organizing committee said that the bobsled, luge and skeleton events would take place at an existing track outside of Italy.

At the Olympic Summit in Lausanne in Tuesday, paragraph 26 of the post-event Communique stated, flatly:

“The IOC expects the final decision to involve organising the sliding events in an already existing fully functioning sliding centre outside Italy in the near future.”

But Italian politicians will not give up. Reports from a Tuesday meeting of the organizing committee included Sports Minister Andrea Abodi telling The Associated Press:

“We’ll look at it in the next few days with [Finance Minister Giancarlo] Giorgetti and we’ll unravel the knots, I’m more than confident.

“There will be economic and technical evaluations and we will give the organizing committee clear directions – in accordance with the IOC.

“We have full collaboration with the IOC, we’ll find a solution. They are the owners of the Games, we’re the temporary managers so we have to respect the IOC’s rules, which we know. The IOC has always shown that they also understand our worries and problems.”

The Rome daily Il Fatto Quotidiano identified the political pressure coming from Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, also the minister for infrastructure, who believes a track could be constructed in Cortina as originally planned for perhaps €75 million (about $80.7 million U.S.), even though no one bid on the project at €85 million when it was offered earlier this year.

Then there is the abandoned track used for the Turin 2006 Winter Games, which would also need million in renovations. Existing tracks used for IBSF and FIL World Cup races are not too far away in either Austria (Igls) or Switzerland (St. Moritz). In any case, test events would be expected to be held in the early months of 2025.

But the Veneto regional government does not want to lose the sliding events from Cortina and the politics are messy and getting worse. The issue was supposed to wrapped up by the end of the year, but continued arguing into at least January now looks likely.

3.
NHL concerns about 2026 focused on new arena

More headaches for Milan Cortina 2026, this time from National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman (USA), after a Tuesday Board of Governors meeting in Seattle. Asked about the possible participation of NHL players, he explained:

“It’s not about making a decision, it’s trying to finalize the plans, some of which are beyond our control. It’s up to the International Olympic Committee and the IIHF to put things in place that need to be there. And, not insignificantly, they have a lot of work to do on the arena. I don’t think they’ve actually begun construction on it, which is a matter of some concern.’

“They’re projecting that it won’t be done until the fourth quarter of ’25 which is like six or eight weeks before the Olympics, if they’re on time; and I think they’re already late.

“But that’s nothing we can control, it’s an IOC and a Milano-Cortina organizer issue.”

The Athletic relayed additional details from Bob Nicholson (CAN), the former head of Hockey Canada, now with the Edmonton Oilers, and also a Vice President of the International Ice Hockey Federation:

“There’s still a lot of work to be done. There’s the three major issues: insurance [on player contracts], looks like there’s some avenues to get insurance done but it’s still not completed. The second one is the family program (traveling/housing players’ families) and where those funds will come from, they’re exploring options.

“And the third one is facilities. A lot of work to do. They need two facilities. They need one major facility. They haven’t broken ground on it yet. They’ve been looking at a second facility that has a lot of work to be done on it. And how many fans can get into it remains an unknown.”

In fact, the PalaItalia Santa Guilia arena is under construction, with the building itself to be turned over in December 2025. Privately financed, it is designed for 16,000 spectators, but worries about the finish date continue.

NHL players debuted at the Olympic Winter Games in 1998 and played in 2002-06-10-14, but not in PyeongChang (KOR) in 2018 or Beijing (CHN) in 2022. It is not yet clear whether the NHL will consent to use of its players for the 2026 Winter Games, but at least the discussions are continuing.

4.
IOC’s Dubi explains France 2030 Winter venue shuffling

Last month’s announcement that the French Alps bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games was advanced to “targeted dialogue” with the expectation that it would, in fact, host the Games. But there were also requirements to work on the streamlining of the bid package, which has led to significant changes in the master plan for venues.

Last Friday, it was announced that the famed Val d’Isere site for alpine skiing would not be used, concentrating all of the alpine events into Courchevel for the men and Meribel for women. Moreover, the Isola 2000 site for freestyle and snowboard was eliminated, placing Ski Cross and SnowboardCross with the other freestyle and snowboard sites at Serre-Chevalier and Montgenevre.

Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Executive Director for the Olympic Games, told Agence France Presse that this is all part of the new phase of getting the French bid ready for selection (computer translation of the original French):

“The additional complexity in winter is that there is no concentration [of venues]. We have to bring the whole world into a small box called, for example, the biathlon site in Grand-Bornand: thousands of media representatives, as many spectators as possible, gigantic television coverage and therefore production vans, temporary power, a security perimeter. …

“An Olympic site means providing capacities equivalent to those of an airport – with on one side the management of planes and baggage and on the other the spectators – on mountain and high mountain resorts. It’s a logistical challenge.

“Each time we manage to group activities into centers, we can pool resources, with three objectives: operational simplicity, lower costs, the experience of athletes, who want to be able to participate in the opening ceremony and meet their peers around the world.

“We had made the same request to Switzerland and Sweden to tighten up the plan: it is certainly not up to us to make the choice of sites and if the future organizers tell us ‘it’s this system and not any other,’, we are not going to oppose it. The proposals must reflect the local context, the political, social, ecological, economic dynamics, and it is the organizers who know this context. But we give the main logic.”

Val d’Isere is lobbying for a reversal of its elimination, and skiing icon Jean-Claude Killy has spoken out on its behalf. But the IOC will continue to exert pressure – as it is doing in Milan and Brisbane – for lowered cost and complexity everywhere.

And Dubi noted that there are multiple open questions for the French bid before it can be approved by the IOC Session in 2024. For one, there is no venue proposed for speed skating; in Milan, it will be located in a convention center. Said Dubi:

“We would like there to be an intention in the proposal that will be made at the end of February by the organizers. There are several solutions: a temporary site, as we are going to do at the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan, or going abroad.”

And more:

“Details will be needed on the construction schedules for the sites in Nice [athlete village and ice hockey]. It will also be necessary to detail transport and, on the budget side, secure the main cost lines and – if possible – obtain firm indications that the main French and regional companies will be involved. We were told that several of the sponsors of the Paris Games would happily start a campaign for 2030: this is what we will have to seek to obtain an operational budget largely financed by private funds.”

Observed: Veterans of Olympic organizing efforts know well what the French Alps bidders have found out: getting the Games is not the end, but a new beginning.

5.
Germany to advance bid plans for 2036 or 2040 Games

At the general meeting of the German National Olympic Committee (DOSB) in Frankfurt last Saturday, the attendees unanimously approved a motion to proceed with the exploration of a bid for a future Olympic Games, possibly for 2036 or 2040.

In an interview with the German ZDF channel, DOSB President Thomas Weikert explained (translated from the original German):

● “We started the process very differently than we have in recent years. The focus is not on where and how, but rather why we want to have the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany.”

● “We will submit a sensible and modest application and recognize that it is possible that the first attempt will not be successful.”

Recent German bids have foundered on a lack of public support, but Weikert said that polling has shown good support for a future Olympics, from 55-70% support, as well as the significant success of the multi-sport European Championships in Munich during the summer.

Moreover, following the recent trend toward limiting or eliminating construction, a bid would likely involved two or more regions of the country, with Berlin and Munich – with existing, world-class stadia built for the 1936 and 1972 Olympic Games – obvious choices for leading roles.

Weikert also noted that Winter Games bids for 2038 (if Switzerland falls through) or 2042 could also be possible. The ZDF story stated that “India and Qatar are clear favorites” for the 2036 Games, although perhaps a dozen possible sites are in discussion with the IOC.

A decision on where the sites for a potential Olympic bid is expected by next summer. There is considerable reluctance on bid for 2036 in view of the centennial of the infamous Nazi Games of 1936, but there is also the concept of using the anniversary to show how far Germany has come since that dark period.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● French tourism minister Olivia Gregoire said Wednesday that business will be heavily checked for violations before and during the Olympic period, especially for price gouging above listed amounts:

“There is an arsenal of extremely heavy fines and sanctions. It’s essential that tourists, whether French or coming from abroad, get their money’s worth.”

The French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, part of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs ministry, will increase its reviews of businesses and that from its 1,700 inspections so far in 2023, “As a result of these targeted inspections, 70% of the establishments inspected presented at least one anomaly.”

● Athletics ● Doping in India is a major issue and it was reported in the Indian Express that the lone finalist who actually ran in the men’s 100 m final at the Delhi State meet last September, Lalit Kumar, also tested positive for drugs.

Kumar was the only one of the eight finalists who competed in the final, as the other seven claimed injuries, but are widely suspected of not wanting to be drug tested after the race. An investigation is underway.

He tested positive for anabolic steroid drostanolone, but said that he did not dope, but that the culprit might be a protein supplement. He also said he did not have the money to pay for a test of his B-sample that would confirm or invalidate the doping charge.

Athletics Federation of India head Adille Sumariwalla – also a member of the World Athletics Council – told reporters:

“India’s reputation is at stake. Today we are number two [in doping]. If we don’t stop this, we will have an even bigger problem. We don’t want that to happen if we have to bid for the Olympic Games. We have to resolve this problem.”

Nike has come to the rescue of UK Athletics, the British national federation, with a cash infusion attached to a renegotiation of its sponsorship and uniform agreement for the British team.

The federation announced a loss of £3.7 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year, after a £1.8 million loss for 2021-22 and a precarious cash position. However, with new money from Nike, cash-in-hand was £6.5 million. UKA projects losses closing to £1.6 million for 2023-24, £400,000 for 2024-25 and break-event by 2025-26. (£1 = $1.26 U.S.)

● Diving ● The USA Diving Winter Nationals concluded on Wednesday in Knoxville, Tennessee, with women’s 10 m star Delaney Schnell grabbing individual and synchronized golds and a 16-year-old first-time national champ on the men’s side.

Schnell, who won a Tokyo silver in the women’s 10 m Synchro with Jessica Parratto, won the women’s 10 m Platform final, scoring 654.60 to 599.70 for Elise Praasterink and teamed with Parratto to win the 10 m Synchro title by more than 125 points at 597.18.

Joshua Hedberg, 16, a member of the 2022 Worlds team on Platform, was the men’s star and won his first individual national title in the men’s 10 m final at 897.85, ahead of Tokyo Olympian Brandon Loschiavo (844.75) and 2022 Worlds Mixed Synchro bronze medalist Carson Tyler (808.35). He and Tyler combined for the 10 m Synchro title at 825.21, out-scoring Jordan Rzepka and Loschiavo (771.45).

Sarah Bacon, the two-time Worlds silver medalist in the 1 m Springboard, defended her title in the women’s 3 m Springboard title over Hernandez, 648.00 to 580.60, and also earned a silver with Kassidy Cook in the 3 m Synchro final, behind Alison Gibson and 2022 Worlds 3 m bronze winner Krysta Palmer, 582.24 to 567.84.

Gibson got her second win of the meet in the women 1 m Springboard final at 510.45 with Hernandez second at 509.30.

Lyle Yost won the men’s 1 m Springboard at 743.65, with Jack Ryan second (723.65), and Pan Am Games Synchro bronze medalist Tyler Downs won a tight battle in the men’s 3 m Springboard final with 805.65 points to 804.25 for Grayson Campbell. Quentin Henninger and Andrew Capobianco (828.63) won the men’s 3 m Synchro final over Gregory Duncan and Tyler Downs (794.25).

In the Mixed Synchro 3 m final, Bridget O’Neil and Noah Duperre won a close duel with Jack Ryan and Palmer, 291.78 to 282.87. Tyler Wills and Bayleigh Crawford (288.96) took the Mixed Synchro 10 m, with Daryn Wright and Wills second – placing first and second in the same event! – at 281.94.

● Figure Skating ● American skating observer Phil Hersh, long the Olympic beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, now writes about (mostly) figure skating on his Globetrotting site and documented a trend in women’s skating:

“There is no doubt that the absence of the Russian women, who had utterly dominated the sport since 2014, has had a dramatic effect on jumping.”

He observed that during the 2021-22 season – the last in which Russian skaters were allowed to compete – 13 quadruple jump tries were made during the six ISU Grand Prix events. In the last two seasons, there have been just four quad attempts in the 12 events held.

He also points out that since the 2018-19 season, when new scoring was employed, four of the 10 lowest winning women’s Grand Prix scores have come this season, three last season and three in 2018-19. Scoring in Pairs is in similar shape. Hersh notes that while the exclusion of Russian over the invasion of Ukraine is worthwhile:

“The lower numbers clearly indicate a drop in the overall quality of singles and pairs. Only a Pollyanna would argue otherwise.”

● Weightlifting ● A couple of American Records for 19-year-old Hampton Morris, competing in the International Weightlifting Federation’s Grand Prix II in Doha (QAT), an Olympic qualifying event.

Morris placed fifth overall in the men’s 61 kg class, snatching 122 kg on his first try and lifting 170 kg on his first effort in the Clean & Jerk for a total of 292 kg. He missed his second and third tries in both lifts.

His 170 kg in the C&J and the 292 kg total were junior and senior U.S. records at 61 kg, and moved him into the top 10 in the IWF Olympic rankings, expanding the possibility of an Olympic berth in 2024.

The meet has been dominated so far by North Korea and China, with the Koreans winning both the men’s 55 kg and 61 kg classes and the women’s 45 kg and 55 kg divisions. China won the women’s 49 kg class and competition continues through the 14th.

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling released its nominations for the men’s Freestyle Wrestler of the Year on Wednesday:

● Ismail Muszukajev (HUN) ~ World 65 kg champion
● Zaurbek Sidakov (AIN/RUS) ~ World 74 kg champion
● David Taylor (USA) ~ World 86 kg champion
● Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN) ~ World 97 kg champion
● Amir Zare (IRI) ~ World 125 kg champion

Voting is open (apparently here) through 17 December with the winner to be announced on 18 December.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Olympic Summit “asks” IOC to allow Russia, Belarus in 2024; archery savior Easton passes at 88; NCAA proposes athlete trust funds

By
Rich Perelman
-
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER, at left) leading the 2023 Olympic Summit (Photo: IOC/Greg Martin)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Russia, Belarus confirmed for Paris by Olympic Summit
2. Russian pols offer muted response to Summit declaration
3. Archery savior, LA84 star Jim Easton passes at 88
4. NCAA chief proposes schools to pay athletes directly
5. LetsRun: No $20 million deal for Richardson!

● The International Olympic Committee’s report on Tuesday’s “Olympic Summit” in Lausanne produced a “request” by the International Federations to allow qualified Russian and Belarusian individuals to compete in Paris in 2024. But there are still details to be worked out and the final decision will not come until 2024.

● Russian reaction to the Summit was muted, although cautiously optimistic. Given the restrictions, the Russian team will be far smaller than in recent Games.

● Jim Easton, a brilliant engineer who built a sporting goods empire on new technologies and was the crucial change agent for archery that kept the sport in the Olympic Games, passed away at age 88. He was also a key player in the success of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

● NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a historic letter to schools that recommends a new subdivision of the richest football schools, with new regulations to allow direct-to-athlete payments of $30,000 or more per year.

● LetsRun.com co-founder Weldon Johnson wrote Tuesday that U.S. sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson did not get a $20 million sponsorship deal from Nike, dismissing the credibility of the site reporting it.

● World Championship: Handball (eight undefeateds left at IHF women’s Worlds after prelim round) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (ISA supports continued discussions on Tahiti tower) = Archery (World Archery engages firm to enable betting) = Athletics (3: AIU will appeal Jeruto loss; Blanks and Valby get collegiate records at 5,000 m!; global relays returning to Penn) = Boxing (IBA confirms Gazprom as “General Partner”) = Football (2: U.S. squeezes by China, 2-1, to finish 14-1-3 in 2023; modest TV audience for first USA-China friendly) ●

1.
Russia, Belarus confirmed for Paris by Olympic Summit

To the surprise of almost no one, the International Olympic Committee’s “Olympic Summit” in Lausanne confirmed, in the usual sober language, that select Russian and Belarusian athletes will be permitted to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, subject to an expected rubber-stamped approval by the IOC Executive Board next March.

The Summit “Communique” ran to 40 paragraphs and was mostly a recital of the major talking points about the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement that IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) has highlighted in his speeches over the past two years.

The action came in paragraphs eight, 11 and 14:

“8. The Summit was informed by representatives of the International Summer Sports Federations that, following the very strict recommendations of the IOC, Individual Neutral Athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport have participated in a large number of events respecting these strict conditions, and these events have largely been without incident, with only one notable exception [at the World Fencing Championships]. …

“11. The representatives of the International Summer Sports Federations asked the IOC to declare eligible for participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 those AINs who have qualified or will qualify on the field of play. They further asked for a decision as soon as possible to bring clarity to their entire Olympic qualification procedures and for all athletes concerned. …

“14. Following the above-mentioned requests, the IOC confirmed that the participation of such AINs in the Olympic Games could happen only under the existing strict conditions. Neither the qualification system developed by the respective International Federations nor the number of allocated quota places to a sport will be changed for AINs with a Russian or Belarusian passport. They will have to be in compliance with all the eligibility criteria applicable to any Olympic athlete.”

This carries forward the IOC’s recommendations from March, following what has essentially been a trial of those regulations by many federations during the summer: no identification of Russian or Belarusian teams by flags, anthems or uniform markings, no teams, added anti-doping requirements, and a verification of athlete “neutrality” carried on by the International Federations themselves, some of which have been vigilant and some not as much.

Further, the wording – on face value – allows the federations to admit Russians and Belarusians for Paris based on their own qualifying regulations and systems. As paragraph 11 notes, this has to be confirmed by the IOC itself, expected to formally come at the next Executive Board meeting, scheduled for March 2024, but which could come sooner.

There was also harsh language following up the IOC’s concerns about the organization of Russia’s “BRICS Games” next June in Kazan and the “World Friendship Games” in Moscow, Ekaterinburg and possibly Minsk in Belarus, scheduled for 15-29 December. Paragraphs 23 and 24 rejected these events:

“[T]he Summit was informed that athletes would be very concerned about being forced into participation in such politically motivated sports events, thereby becoming part of a political propaganda campaign.

“The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Winter Olympic Federations (WOF) reaffirmed their recommendations to IFs not to be involved in any way in such politically motivated sports events. They confirmed that every IF should refuse to consider the inclusion of such events in its international sports calendar and should not acknowledge the results achieved by athletes at these events.”

Observed: There is a lot of fine detail that remains to be added to the Russian and Belarusian participation process, but the outcome – and this is almost certainly the outcome, barring some horrific new developments in the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine – appears set. At least some Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in Paris in 2024 … if they want to.

That, too, is an open question. The Summit Communique, in discussing the development of ”clearly politically motivated sports events in Russia,” recognized the issue of athletes “being forced into participation in such politically motivated sports events, thereby becoming part of a political propaganda campaign.”

So the entire Olympic Movement – represented in the room on Tuesday – acknowledged the political propaganda aspects of athlete participation in events, and still welcomed Russians and Belarusians for Paris in 2024.

Bach has insisted on this formulation since the 2022 Olympic Summit, when out of nowhere came an offer from the Olympic Council of Asia to host Russian and Belarusian athletes in their events. That did not happen – the IOC decided not to allow Russians and Belarusians into this year’s Asian Games – but set the stage for March’s invitation to compete as neutrals.

And this is another win for Bach. One only need check the IOC’s photograph of the Olympic Summit meeting above to see who is running the show: attendees packed in  together on two sides of the room and Bach all alone at the front of the room. This is his show, have no doubt, fulfilling his repeated view that in order to be valid, representatives of every country must attend the Olympic Games, even those that ignore the Olympic Truce with an attempted takeover of another country.

It appears he will get his wish. Maybe.

There are many questions to be answered:

● Will the IOC simply accept whomever the federations say are qualified, or will there be a further review by the IOC itself?

● Will the IOC force federations which have said they will not admit Russians or Belarusians, such as World Athletics and the International Surfing Association, to allow at least a token presence in Paris?

● Bach personally intervened on behalf of four-time women’s World Sabre Champion Olha Kharlan of Ukraine following her 27 July disqualification at the 2023 FIE Worlds for not shaking hands with Russian Anna Smirnova after their round-of-64 match, and guaranteed her a place in Paris if she did not otherwise qualify. Any more of those coming? Perhaps on behalf of a Russian athlete this time?

● Will these athletes be allowed to participate in the Opening or Closing Ceremonies, which present the teams competing in the Games? If so, under what flag?

If the federations are given a free hand, then Bach will have essentially replayed the IOC’s policy for Rio 2016, when he gave the IFs a free hand to decide on Russian participation themselves after the Russian state-sponsored program from 2011-15 had been exposed and was under active investigation. Russian participation has been impacted by their scandals:

● 2012: 436 athletes in London as “Russia”
● 2016: 282 athletes in Rio as “Russia”
● 2021: 333 athletes in Tokyo as “Russian Olympic Committee”

Lurking in the background of this now fully-politicized issue is the question of whether Russian or Belarusian athletes will even come to Paris, now that some will be allowed. That decision is possibly not in their hands, but could be made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

2.
Russian pols offer muted response to Summit declaration

Early responses to the Olympic Summit from Russia have been calm, waiting for the added specifics to come next year.

The Chair of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, Dmitry Svishchev, offered cautious approval of the decision, recognizing more details are coming:

“This is the right decision, to allow Russian athletes to participate in international competitions, but this decision is somewhat belated.

“If the IOC supports this decision, it will allow our athletes to participate in competitions. The IOC wants to minimize the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games and is delaying the process in every possible way; they are afraid that suddenly there will be provocations and all sorts of problems with shaking hands. They need to make a decision and voice the conditions under which they will be allowed.”

State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova and Turin 2006 Olympic speed skating gold medalist told the Russian news agency TASS:

“There are federations that do not pay attention at all and have long allowed Russians and Belarusians. But the final decision will be made in March. From March to July, there will still be some opportunity to qualify if the international federations allow some of our athletes. Everyone thinks that maybe something will change in March, world politicians are changing their harsh rhetoric and softening it.”

3.
Archery savior, LA84 star Jim Easton passes at 88

A brilliant engineer, marketer and sports administrator who secured the future of archery in the Olympic Games, Jim Easton, passed away on Sunday (3rd) at age 88.

Easton became a force in the Olympic Movement in the 1980s, as the Commissioner of Archery for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, staging the 1983 FITA World Championships in Long Beach before the successful archery competition in 1984. He was so highly regarded at the LAOOC that he was – simultaneously – in charge of archery, was a Vice President of Technology and the Mayor of the Olympic Village at UCLA during the Games.

Already a long-time member of the FITA (now World Archery) Council, Easton was elected as President of the Federation de la Tir a l’Arc as it was then known, in 1989, as the sport was under pressure to modernize … or face removal from the Olympic program. Under his leadership, the championship format was changed from a competition with dozens of archers shooting 144 arrows to having medals decided in direct-elimination contests, perfect for television. The new presentation, inaugurated in the Olympic Games in 1992 in Barcelona (ESP), raised interest in the sport significantly and assured its future on the program.

In 1994, he became the first-ever FITA officer to be elected to the International Olympic Committee and served with distinction, including as an IOC Vice President from 2002-06. He was the FITA President until 2005.

All of this was in addition to his enormously-successful career as an engineer, first at Douglas Aircraft, then at his father’s arrow shaft company, Jas. D. Easton, Inc., which Jim turned into a multi-faceted sports manufacturer of the highest quality, producing world-class equipment for baseball, softball, cycling, golf, ice hockey, tennis, and, of course, archery.

Easton Sports was eventually broken up and sold in pieces, but Easton retained control of the Hoyt Archery company and the high-tech materials designer and fabricator Easton Technical Products, with facilities in Indiana and Utah.

Easton and his wife Phyllis used some of the proceeds from the business sales to fund numerous charitable programs, including archery development centers in the U.S. and Switzerland and gifts to his beloved UCLA and to other medical and research facilities, continued today by the Easton Foundations.

He was slowed by a stoke in 2010, but remained as active as possible in his businesses and philanthropic efforts. Easton is survived by his wife Phyllis, son Greg, daughter Lynn, and three grandchildren. Memorial services will be private. An  elegant and understated video tribute from Easton Bowhunting is here.

Observed: To those who knew him and worked with him, Easton was a role model. He was sharp, inquisitive, demanding, understanding, tight-fisted, generous, terribly serious and sometimes incredibly funny. And always disciplined and in balance.

He seemed to have an almost unending capacity for work, always highlighted by a breakthrough idea or a new process to make things better, very much a continuation of his lifelong ability to see the future through the prism of better engineering.

His vision for archery literally saved its position on the Olympic program and has created some of the truly gripping moments in Olympic history. But he shunned publicity, downplaying his own role even when he was literally the reason for success, and giving credit to his team whenever possible.

Easton’s approach will ensure he is under-appreciated in the future, but his impact on many successes, in his businesses, on the 1984 Olympic Games and on archery, is unmistakable and incomparable. Rest in peace.

4.
NCAA chief proposes schools to pay athletes directly

“We need to make several fundamental changes. First, we should make it possible for all Division I colleges and universities to offer student-athlete any level of enhanced educational benefits they deem appropriate. Second, rules should change for any Division I school, at their choice, to enter into name, image and likeness licensing opportunities with their student-athletes.

‘These two changes will enhance financial opportunities available to all Division I student-athletes. They will also help level what is fast becoming a very unlevel playing field between men and women student-athletes because schools will be required to abide by existing gender equity regulations as they make investments in their athletics programs.

“Third, a subdivision comprised of institutions with the highest revenues to invest in their student-athletes should be required to do two things.

“● Within the framework of Title IX, invest at least $30,000 per year into an enhanced educational trust fund for at least half of the institution’s eligible student-athletes.

“● Commit to work with the NCAA staff and their peer institutions in this subdivision to create rules that may differ from the rules in place for the rest of Division I. Those rules could include a wide range of policies, such as scholarship commitment and roster size, recruitment, transfers or NIL.”

That’s from a stunning letter sent to the more than 350 Division I colleges and universities on Monday by NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts. His three-page letter noted the enormous gap among Division I schools that budget as little as $5 million for athletics, and as much as $250 million. He stated that 59 schools spend more than $100 million each, with another 32 at $50 million or more and 259 at less than that.

This is a major departure for the NCAA, recognizing the enormous wealth generated most by football for the so-called “Power 5″ conferences: Atlantic Coast (14 schools, not including Notre Dame), Big 10 (14), Big XII (14), Southeastern (14) and whatever becomes of the Pacific-12 (12) in the future.

Those five groups include 69 schools (including Notre Dame) may not all be able to participate in the proposed new subdivision. But the concept – still a long way from reality – would continue the split that big-time football has created within Division I.

Baker’s recommendations accompany a significant lobbying effort by college officials to have the U.S. Congress pass national NIL legislation.

Observed: This is a very carefully conceived, very clever proposal which could help thread the Title IX needle, in view of enormous NIL payments being made to football players and very little to any women athletes outside of basketball.

Baker’s letter does not specify a male/female split of the half of a school’s athletes who would get the $30,000 or more annually in trust fund payments. So, with many football players getting significant NIL money directly (from donor collectives), the split of the $30,000+ payees could skew female and protect schools from Title IX “discrimination” claims.

This has a long way to go and there will be some Power-5 schools which will question their place in the new subdivision after another $7 million or so in athletics costs to support $30,000 a year for 250 athletes.

As has been the case for some time now, college athletics is all about football. If enacted in some fashion, Baker’s framework could keep schools out of court.

5.
LetsRun: No $20 million deal for Richardson!

So not everything you read on the Internet is true?

LetsRun.com co-founder Weldon Johnson posted a Monday story headlined, “Sha’Carri Richardson DID NOT Sign a $20 Million Endorsement Deal with Nike”.

He noted that “there’s no evidence to support the claim that she signed a five-year, $20 million deal with Nike, despite its circulation on the internet and social media” citing the original report from a site called EquityAtlas.org, which he identified as “a content farm, or a website designed to get search engine traffic.”

Johnson is quite right that no announcement came from Nike, nothing was posted by the often-loquacious Richardson and no trumpet sounds from HSI Sports, Richardson’s new management firm.

Nike has supported Richardson through her difficult seasons following her marijuana suspension at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, and her triumphs in 2023.

Richardson won the USA Track & Field Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award as the top female athlete of 2023 at last week’s USATF Annual Meeting.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ≡

● Handball ● The 26th IHF Women’s World Championship, in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, concluded preliminary pool play with 24 teams moving on to the main round, and eight undefeateds left:

● A: Sweden (3-0), Croatia (1-1-1)
● B: Montenegro (3-0), Hungary (2-1)
● C: Norway (3-0; defending champion), Austria (2-1)
● D: France (3-0; 2017 champion), Slovenia (2-1)
● E: Denmark (3-0; 2021 bronze medalist), Romania (2-1)
● F: Germany (3-0), Poland (2-1)
● G: Spain (3-0; 2019 runner-up), Brazil (2-1)
● H: Netherlands (3-0; 2019 champion), Czechia (2-1)

The main round action begins on the 6th and continues to the 11th; the quarterfinals, semis and finals are on 12-13 December, 15 December and 17 December.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The International Surfing Association commented on the newest developments in Tahiti over the construction of a new judging tower for the 2024 Olympic Games, including:

“The ISA was saddened and surprised to see that a test undertaken by the French Polynesian government resulted in the coral reef at Teahupo’o being damaged by a barge.

“As an International Olympic Federation, the ISA is responsible for the Olympic surfing competitions. Venue facilities and infrastructure are the responsibility of Paris 2024 Organizing Committee in coordination with the French Polynesian government.

“The determination that the old judging tower was not legally compliant was taken by the government of French Polynesia. As a result, the French Polynesian government and Paris 2024 decided to build a new tower.

“From the beginning of the proposal to host Olympic surfing in French Polynesia, the ISA has always insisted that the protection of the natural environment in Teahupo’o is a priority. This vision was agreed and is shared by all parties.

“The French Polynesian government has taken the decision to pause all further testing and preparations to draw lessons following the incident on the reef. The ISA welcomes this decision, and has urged intensified consultations to consider all available options.

“As life-long surfers, we are passionate about the need to protect the oceans, for us and for future generations. We are therefore committed to working with all parties in order to find a common agreement on running the competition while protecting the local, natural environment.”

● Archery ● World Archery announced a partnership with the FeedConstruct multi-national sports data company that will allow for betting to be integrated with World Archery events.

Said FeedConstruct head of content acquisition Narek Harutyunyan (ARM):

“Through this collaboration, we aim to elevate the popularity of archery as a betting market, providing accurate data insights for an enhanced fan experience. This partnership marks a significant milestone for both FeedConstruct and World Archery.”

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit announced that it has filed an appeal to the finding of no violation by Kazakhstan star Norah Jeruto, the 2022 World Champion in the women’s Steeplechase.

Jeruto was charged with a provisional suspension in April for irregularities vs. her Athlete Biological Passport profile, but the case was thrown out and she was reinstated in November.

Harvard junior Graham Blanks followed up his win at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a collegiate record in the men’s 5,000 m, winning at the Colyear-Danville Opener in Boston last Saturday (2nd), unleashing a finishing kick to win in 13:03.78. He covered the last 400 m in 57.04, pulling away from Stanford’s Ky Robinson (AUS: 13:06.42) and Sam Atkin (GBR: 13:06.66).

The women’s NCAA X-C winner, Florida’s Parker Valby, got the women’s collegiate record at 5,000 m as well, winning in 14:56.11 – the first collegian under 15 minutes – with fellow American Annie Rodenfels (15:03.97) a distant second.

Valby’s time is the fastest collegiate women’s 5,000 ever, breaking Colorado star Jenny Simpson’s 15:01.70 indoors from 2009.

The Penn Relays announced that, in conjunction with World Athletics, international relays will be held during the 25-27 April program in the men’s and women’s 4×100 and 4×400 m.

The events are a week ahead of the World Athletics Relays in Nassau (BAH) – a crucial Olympic qualifier – and offer a tune-up opportunity.

● Boxing ● After months of saying nothing, the International Boxing Association finally displayed the logo of Russian energy giant Gazprom once again on its web site as the “General Partner” of the federation.

IBA head Umar Kremlev (RUS) obtained a two-year agreement for $50 million to get the IBA out of debt and fund its prize money and development programs that it hopes will keep national federations affiliated to it. In the run-up to the withdrawal of recognition by the IOC in June, the IBA refused to confirm the source of its funding after that deal expired, but with the IOC’s dismissal now concluded, the IBA is showcasing Gazprom once again.

Now everyone knows.

● Football ● The U.S. women faced China again in their final match of 2023, this time in Frisco, Texas, with a much different line-up – seven changes – and overcame a slow start to manufacture a 2-1 win.

The first half started slowly, with the U.S. looking confused on offense with so many line-up changes, but maintaining about 70% of possession and taking five shots at goal to one over the first 20 minutes.

Defender Jenna Nighswonger blasted a good-looking shot from just beyond the box in the 30th minute that was saved. The U.S. attack continued, but didn’t really pose a threat.

In stoppage time, China got a shock goal off a free kick, with midfielder Jinjin Yan sending a pass across the front of the U.S. goal that found defender Siqian Wang on the far side, who headed it across for a right-footed finish by defender Mengyu Shen past U.S. keeper Aubrey Kingsbury and a 1-0 lead at the half.

It was only the third goal scored against the U.S. in the run of play this year, ending a half in which the Americans had 65% of possession and an 8-3 edge on shots.

The offensive intensity increased for the U.S. in the second half, but without impact until the 62nd. Off a corner, the ball bounced around inside the box, finally coming out to midfielder Emily Sonnett, who then passed to her left to midfielder Sam Coffey, who left-footed a rainbow over China keeper Huan Xu for the 1-1 tie. It was Coffey’s first international goal.

Attacking midfielder Lindsey Horan scored on a header off a Jaedyn Shaw pass in the 67th, but was correctly called offsides. But the continuing pressure paid off in the 79th, when off a free kick that popped up off the defensive wall, forward Sophia Smith headed a pass to the top of the box for Shaw, who sent a hard liner through a lot of traffic and into the net for the 2-1 winner.

There were more U.S. chances, by Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith, but without success. The U.S. finished with 64% possession and a 23-4 shots edge.

The match closed the book on 2023 for the U.S. women, who did not achieve their goals at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but finished with 14 wins, one loss (on penalties) and three draws. The team will welcome new coach Emma Hayes (GBR) in 2024 in advance of their appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The first friendly against the Chinese on Saturday, a 3-0 U.S. win, drew a modest audience of 276,000 on TNT at 3 p.m., going up against the college football championship weekend games. The ABC telecast of the Big XII game between Oklahoma State and Texas drew 7.89 million and the monster SEC Championship between Georgia and Alabama had a staggering 17.52 million viewers on CBS.

The TNT pre-game show at 2:30 p.m. Eastern drew 149,000.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Russian participation for Paris to be final in March; no Tahiti for Paris 2024? Commonwealth Games 2026 still homeless

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Bach says Russian participation decision in March
2. Coral damage places Tahiti surfing venue at risk
3. Coates says Brisbane 2032 to hold to 10,500 ath quota
4. Gold Coast ends drive for Commonwealth Games 2026
5. Weightlifting deepens anti-doping requirements for 2024

BULLETIN: Olympic Summit “asks” IOC to “declare eligible for participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 those AINs who have qualified or will qualify on the field of play.” Russia and Belarus are in. 

● International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach of Germany said last week that the final decision on Russian and Belarusian participation would come at the March Executive Board meeting. Tuesday’s Olympic Summit discussions will have an impact on the decision and criteria.

● A Saturday test of a barge to install a new judging tower in Tahiti for the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing competition damages some coral and has put the entire location into some question, according to local leaders. There may be alternatives, however.

● IOC Executive Board member John Coates of Australia said in an interview that Brisbane 2032 needs to hold to the 10,500 athlete quota, unlike Los Angeles 2028. However, he is in favor of cricket to be added, already popular in Australia.

● The possible rescue of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Australia by 2018 host Gold Coast is over, as Mayor Tom Tate said he is giving up in view of any support from the state or national governments. So far, no one has come forward to bid for 2026, or 2030 for that matter.

● Weightlifting was nearly thrown out of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games for its past doping issues, but was readmitted … as long as it stays clean. A new set of doping requirements will come into force in January to try and ensure that.

● Panorama: France 2030 (Killy decries removal of Val d’Isere from venue list) = Russia (141 doping positives so far in 2023 vs. 135 for all of 2022 and 37 in U.S.) = Athletics (2: India interested in 2029 Worlds; Cheptegei runs 2:08:59 in marathon debut in Valencia) = Bobsled (Humphries will skip this season with maternity) = Football (EURO 2024 to offer €331 million in prize money) = Gymnastics (European Gymnastics bans Russia and Belarus, defying FIG) = Ice Hockey (neck guards to become mandatory in 2024) = Luge (2: U.S. silver winner Mazdzer to retire; West among start-time winners in World Cup kick-off) = Snowboard (U.S. 2014 Olympian Jacob sentenced to six months for plane crash) = Table Tennis (Jha ban extended for violation) ●

● Errata: Some readers of Monday’s post saw Dominican sprint star Leguelin Santos credited with a London 2012 silver at 200 m; it was at 400 m. Thanks to ATFS Treasurer Tom Casacky (USA) for the sharp eyes. ●

1.
Bach says Russian participation decision in March

“We will take into account the recent U.N. decision in this case, which calls for an Olympic Truce and supports the IOC’s approach.

“The International Olympic Committee advocates the participation of Russian athletes who clearly did not support the military action in Ukraine, who do not serve in the army and who are willing to compete under neutral flag. Depending on what is heard at this Olympic Summit, the IOC Executive Board will make a decision in the coming months, that is, at its meeting in March.”

That’s International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach (GER), in a report of comments to reporters on Friday in Paris during the IOC Executive Board meeting there. The Olympic Summit is scheduled for Tuesday at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne.

As is the usual custom, Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov ridiculed the IOC’s entire process:

“We have not been waiting for anything for a long time. It is already clear that the scheme that was discussed in December exactly one year ago at the Olympic Summit is unworkable, and the IOC itself made adjustments to the March recommendations that are absolutely unacceptable. That scheme has been demolished. Everything else is ritual dancing.”

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

“The test itself is humiliating and lawless. This creates a precedent that you can be removed at any moment. The athlete has proven himself, and then anything can happen, and our athlete can be suspended on a formal basis. This should not be allowed.

“Even after 10 years, they can come up with some kind of check and deprive athletes of awards retroactively.”

As for the fiction that describing Russian or Belarusian athletes as neutrals is impactful, the Russian news agency TASS headlined a Monday story about the Tokyo Grand Slam victory by “neutral” Tamerlan Bashaev, the 2021 Worlds silver medalist at +100 kg, this way:

“Russian judoka Bashaev commented on the victory at the Grand Slam tournament in Tokyo”

Further, the story opened with:

“The winner of the Grand Slam in Tokyo, Russian judoka Tamerlan Bashaev, did not expect that South Korean Kim Min Jong would allow a counterattack in the final of the tournament. Bashaev told TASS about this over the phone.”

So much for “neutral” athletes being identified that way in their home countries.

2.
Coral damage places Tahiti surfing venue at risk

A Saturday test of a construction barge which would be used to construct the new judging tower at Teahupo’o in Tahiti went awry with damage to coral in the area, and new doubts about the ability to hold the Paris 2024 Olympic competitions there.

French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson told local station TNTV on Saturday:

“What was planned as a test went badly, I regret it like everyone else. We have two possible attitudes, either we give up, or we no longer do the Games. That’s not my mentality, I don’t think that’s what the people of Teahupo’o and the Tahitians want.

“Today, we broke coral, tomorrow, if we use these old devices [the existing wooden tower], these are lives that we are potentially putting in danger, I will not take this responsibility.

“If in the end there is no solution, since we will no longer be able to reuse the old foundations and the old tower, we will have to ask ourselves the question of the sustainability of the surfing events at Teahupo’o.”

The Paris 2024 coordinator, Barbara Martins-Nio (FRA), told Agence France Presse:

“The associations are right, accessibility to the site is complex, we would like to reach out to them by suggesting close technical collaboration in order to find peace of mind.

“I am confident that a technical solution exists, the challenge today is to find a communication channel that suits everyone and that takes into account the basic postulate, namely that a new tower and new foundations are the only solution. If we do not succeed, then we will have to collectively ask ourselves the question of what happens next.”

In response to complaints about the size and complexity of the originally proposed tower, a scaled-down version was accepted that would essentially replace the wooden stand, which stands about 800 m off the shore and is considered to be unsafe. Now, the question is whether surfing can be held in Tahiti at all.

It is worth noting that the 2017 World Surfing Games – the sport’s world championships – were held in Biarritz in southwestern France, a site originally thought to be the favorite for the Paris 2024 competition venue. The World Surfing League held a competition in southwestern France (Capbreton and Seignosse) in October 2019 as well.

3.
Coates says Brisbane 2032 to hold to 10,500 ath quota

“We’ve now got a situation that we’re going from 10,500 athletes in Paris (in 2024) to 11,242 in Los Angeles.

“That’s the problem for the future of the Olympic Games because we have to continue to look at cost minimisation and efficiencies in running the games.

“But it’s pretty clear to me with Brisbane, it’s clear to our organising committee and certainly me, that we need to reduce the numbers and get back to a manageable number of 10,500.”

That was International Olympic Committee Executive Board member John Coates (AUS) in an interview last week with The Australian, commenting on the expansion of the 2028 Los Angeles Games to 35 or 36 sports and at least 11,242 athletes and perhaps more. Coates is a member of the IOC’s Games Optimisation Group, dedicated to lowering the costs of the Games.

LA28 agreed with the IOC on 28 sports in its initial sports program, with weightlifting and modern pentathlon added back this year and boxing probably to be returned for 2028. That’s 31, and the IOC Session in India approved the LA28 request for five more sports: baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. That’s 36 in all, the most ever in an Olympic Games.

Coates was, however, highly enthusiastic about continuing to have cricket on the program for 2032, noting, “To get cricket on means another 1 billion people watching on top of the 4.5 billion that we attract already.”

Cricket is popular in Australia and would enhance its tourism lift from the Games from the Indian subcontinent.

4.
Gold Coast ends drive for Commonwealth Games 2026

“We did our best and that’s all people can expect. But it seems our vision for the Games does not align with that of the state or federal government.

“We also received fantastic support from great Australians like Gina Rinehart, Gerry Harvey and Katie Page, yet we couldn’t generate support from the state or federal governments.

“Our dual proposal with Perth would have saved Australia’s tarnished reputation, delivered billions into the national economy and given athletes, and para-athletes, a clear pathway towards other international competitions including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics and then on to the 2032 Games in Queensland.”

That’s from Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate on Sunday, in a statement, ending his quest to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the state of Victoria stunningly withdrew as the 2026 host in July. Tate added:

“Sadly, at the same time, our country’s reputation as a place that reneges on a global sports contract remains in tatters.”

Gold Coast successfully hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games and pitched a “streamlined” event that he claimed would cost about A$700 million (A$1 = $0.66 U.S.). But the Queensland government is focused on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which is generating considerable controversy on its own, including a split between municipal and state officials over a billion-dollar redevelopment project of the Gabba stadium in Brisbane.

Commonwealth Games Australia chief Craig Phillips told the Australian Associated Press:

“The people we spoke to in the Commonwealth Games family, I believe that the sentiment is very much still that the first priority is there is a solution here in Australia.

“But if that doesn’t materialise, then other options are certainly very much on the table.

“We have made it clear to the CGF that we feel an obligation to host, we would like to host. But if they come up with a better solution for themselves then ultimately so be it.”

That means going elsewhere, possibly in 2027 if a 2026 option is not found; the Commonwealth Games Federation currently has no site for the Games for 2026, 2030 or beyond, leading to questions about its possible demise.

5.
Weightlifting deepens anti-doping requirements for 2024

The International Weightlifting Federation had to sweat out whether it would be included in the program for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, in view of its rampant doping problems in the past and finance and governance issues over the past 10 years.

Now included, the federation is adopting procedures to try and break away from the culture of doping which dominated the sport for decades. A new anti-doping requirements program now specifies testing and education requirements for national federations, based on their “doping risk to the sport.”

Three levels of federations have been identified: “A” for the 29 federations for which the highest requirements are set, including Colombia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Thailand and Venezuela. The “B” has 31 listed federations, including China, Palestine, Russia and South Africa.

The largest group – “C” has 132 federations, including Canada and the U.S., which are considered to be at the lowest risk.

In order to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games, the 2024 IWF World Juniors or IWF World Championships:

● “A”: All entrants must be tested out-of-competition at least twice in the six months prior to the event, and complete a mandatory education program.

● “B”: Entrants must be test out-of-competition at least once, and are “strongly encouraged” to complete the education courses.

● “C”: No testing requirement, but also “strongly encouraged” to complete the education component.

The regulations are applicable as of 1 January 2024; the IWF’s anti-doping program has been contracted out to the International Testing Agency to ensure no manipulation of the process from within the IWF can once again occur. The IOC noted in its return of the sport for the LA28 Games that any slippage back into widespread doping could imperil its status.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030: France ● The selection of the French Alps bid to as the target for the 2030 Winter Games is already causing internal controversy. Following the instructions of the IOC to reduce the cost and complexity of the project, the skiing sites were narrowed, with the famed Val d’Isere alpine site eliminated to make the event more compact.

FrancsJeux.com reported on a letter from French skiing legend Jean-Claude Killy, the co-head of the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic organizing committee, railing against the Val d’Isere removal, including:

“I am saddened and scandalized by the peremptory decision to remove Val d’Isère from the 2030 Olympic Games. We have thus thrown away without analysis, without consultation and without rational basis an entire section of the history of ski racing. …

“Val d’Isère meets all these criteria. I think it is important to reconsider this decision.”

● Russia ● The Russian Anti-Doping Agency reported 14 suspected violations of anti-doping rules in November, bringing the 2023 total to 141. This is ahead of the 2022 total of 135.

This compares to 37 sanctions (and three public warnings) handed out by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency so far in 2023.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Federation of India is preparing to bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, based on discussions at its annual meeting last weekend. The 2025 Worlds has been awarded to Tokyo (JPN), with no decision on 2027 as yet.

India is also promoting a bid for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games and the 2036 Olympic Games.

There was great interest in the marathon debut of Ugandan star Joshua Cheptegei, the world-record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 m, at Sunday’s Valencia Marathon. He was with the leaders through the halfway mark, but faded in the second half and finished 37th in 2:08:59.

● Bobsled ● Canadian and American Olympic gold medalist Kaillie Humphries announced on X (ex-Twitter) that she is pregnant and will miss the 2023-24 IBSF season.

Humphries, now 38, and husband Travis Armbruster, are expecting their first child in June.

However, Humphries also expects to compete again, targeting the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina (ITA). She was the two-woman gold medalist for Canada in 2010 and 2014, and won bronze in 2018. She won the Olympic gold for the U.S. in the Monobob in Beijing in 2022.

● Football ● UEFA declared its prize money formula for the 2024 men’s European Championship, to be held in Germany, with a total of €331 million available (€1 = $1.08 U.S. today):

● “Participating fee: €9.25m
● “Match bonus: €1.0m for a win and €500,000 for a draw
● “Qualification to the round of 16: €1.5m
● “Qualification to the quarter-finals: €2.5m
● “Qualification to the semi-finals: €4m
● “The runners-up will receive an additional payment of €5m
● “The 2024 European champions will receive an extra payment of €8m”

This is the same amount as for EURO 2020; the maximum payout for an undefeated champion is €28.25 million.

● Gymnastics ● The 30th Congress of European Gymnastics, meeting in Sofia (BUL) surprised with a vote in conflict with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG):

“Athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus are not allowed to return to European Gymnastics competitions. European Gymnastics does not follow the FIG decision published on 19 July 2023.”

FIG decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as individual, “neutral” athletes if they meet the federation’s rules for neutrality concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is the IOC’s position, which has slowly been accepted by most – but not all – of the International Federations.

● Ice Hockey ● “The IIHF Council, on recommendation from its Medical Committee, has decided to mandate the use of a neck laceration protector, specifically designed for this purpose, at all levels of IIHF competitions. The neck laceration protectors are now mandatory for the senior categories in addition to the U20 and U18 categories, for which neck laceration protectors had already been enforced as per IIHF Official Rule Book.”

Monday’s statement from the International Ice Hockey Federation comes in the aftermath of the death of American player Adam Johnson, who died on 29 October after his neck was cut in an accident in a 28 October game while he was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers.

The implementation date for the neck protector “will go into effect for the senior categories will be determined by the supply situation.”

● Luge ● Chris Mazdzer, who won a sensational 2018 Olympic silver in the men’s Singles event, announced his retirement to follow this weekend’s FIL World Cup races in Lake Placid, New York.

A four-time Olympian, Mazdzer, 35, also won a World Championships bronze in the Mixed Team event in 2020 and collected 24 World Cup medals across 22 years in international competition. He was a seven-time USA Luge national champion. He said in a statement:

“Reflecting on my career, I hope I achieved my two goals: leaving the sport better than I found it and increasing awareness of luge in the United States. While I can’t objectively answer those questions, I feel a sense of accomplishment in these endeavors.

“Looking ahead, I am genuinely excited for the future of USA Luge. There are phenomenal athletes on the horizon, and I can’t wait to watch them this season and in the seasons to come. The momentum behind the scenes is exciting, and while it’s going to be challenging not to be directly involved, I am eager to witness the continued success and growth of the sport.”

The FIL World Cup “Kick-Off Start Competition” was held in Lake Placid, New York, ahead of the first races coming this weekend, with three-time U.S. Olympian Tucker West taking the men’s Singles title.

The event had two rounds, with a traditional luge start and a relay start, with West winning in a combined time of 7.42, ahead of Gints Berzins (LAT: 7.49). Latvian Sigita Berzina won the women’s Singles in 8.01, beating teammate Elina Ieva Vitola (8.04) and defending World Cup champ Julia Taubitz (GER: 8.05).

Triple Olympic men’s Doubles champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) won in 7.64, just 0.03 clear of Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner (ITA: 7.67) and 0.05 up on Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (LAT: 7.69). The women’s Doubles title went to World Champions Jessica Dengenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER: 8.22), comfortably ahead of American pairs Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby (8.31) and Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler (8.36).

● Snowboard ● Sochi 2014 U.S. Olympian Trevor Jacob was sentenced to six months in prison for a 2021 stunt in which he purposely crashed an airplane.

In late 2021, he arranged to jump from a single-engine airplane which had multiple cameras installed and which crashed in the giant Los Padres National Forest in southern California. After hiding the wreckage and telling the National Transportation Safety Board he didn’t know where it was, produced a video titled “I Crashed My Airplane” on YouTube as part of a sponsorship arrangement with Ridge Wallet.

Jacob pled guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, and was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He finished ninth at the 2014 Winter Games in the men’s Snowboard Cross event.

● Table Tennis ● Tokyo Olympian Kanak Jha, 23, the four-time U.S. champion, was banned for a year due to a violation of his suspension for “whereabouts” failures. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency:

“On December 1, 2022, USADA provisionally suspended Jha, 22, for committing an anti-doping rule violation by accruing three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period. Despite being provisionally suspended, Jha participated in an activity organized by a member organization of USA Table Tennis on December 14, 2022, which is against the rules for athletes who are provisionally suspended.”

Jha appealed the USADA finding of a violation of his provisional suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but was turned down, meaning his one-year suspension began on 23 March 2023.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: IOC’s Russia-and-Paris ideas could come Tuesday; report says Richardson in $20 million Nike deal; Brisbane 2032 political explosion

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Tuesday’s Olympic Summit could preview Russian decision
2. Report: Richardson signs five-year, $20 million Nike deal
3. IOC says Paris 2024 “well prepared” after visit
4. Brisbane mayor explodes, leaves 2032 Games Forum
5. Oregon beach volley and rowing athletes file Title IX suit

● The International Olympic Committee is holding its annual Olympic Summit on Tuesday, with a signal of how Russian and Belarusian athletes will be admitted – if at all – to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

● A report stated U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has signed a five-year, $20 million sponsorship deal with Nike. Great for her, but can she and others raise the interest in the sport, or will this be another missed opportunity.

● The IOC Executive Board completed its meetings in Paris on Friday and said it was satisfied with the preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games. There is the usual carping from Parisians about the impact of the Games, but the Paris 2024 finances appear good and that’s important.

● A political explosion has hit Brisbane 2032 over the billion-dollar renovation of the Gabba stadium, with the city’s mayor resigning from the political leadership forum coordinating the government’s efforts on the Games.

● A lawsuit filed Friday accuses the University of Oregon athletic department of Title IX non-compliance over facilities and support given to the women’s beach volleyball and rowing teams. It could be a major case in name-image-likeness issues within collegiate departments, or not much at all.

● World Championships: Football (Germany wins FIFA U-17 World Cup on penalties) = Handball (IHF Women’s Worlds continuing) ●

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (2: Brignone wins two in Tremblant; men’s races canceled by weather) = Athletics (2: Lemma wins Valencia in 2:01:48!; Santos banned three years for lying about his age in 2012) = Badminton (Japan wins two at Modi Invitational) = Basketball (U.S. women take FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup title) = Biathlon (France’s Jeanmonnot wins twice in Oestersund) = Cross Country Skiing (U.S.’s Diggins wins 14th World Cup individual gold) = Football (Rodman stars as U.S. shuts down China, 3-0) = Freestyle Skiing (2: Hall and Gremaud take Big Air titles; Anthony and Horishima take Moguls season opener) = Judo (Japan wins seven at Tokyo Grand Slam) = Nordic Combined (Riiber and Hansen sweep World Cup races) = Rugby Sevens (South Africa and Australia win season openers) = Ski Jumping (Kraft sweeps in Lillehammer) = Snowboard (2: Su and Gasser take Big Air titles in Beijing; Grondin and Trespeuch take SnowCross openers) = Speed Skating (Dutch win four at third World Cup stage) = Swimming (3: Douglass, Smith, Haughey win three at U.S. Open; Weinstein takes final open-water World Cup in Portugal; Klete Keller sentenced) = Taekwondo (two Olympic champs win at Grand Prix Final) ●

1.
Tuesday’s Olympic Summit could preview Russian decision

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has convened the 12th Olympic Summit for Tuesday, 5 December 2023. This meeting will be held at Olympic House, Lausanne, Switzerland.”

For those who watch the Olympic Movement closely, this is pretty big stuff. The IOC’s announcement included:

“Discussions will focus on several topics of interest to the Olympic Movement, including the unifying mission of the Olympic Games in the international community, the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, updates on other forthcoming editions of the Olympic Games, esports within the Olympic Movement, and digital engagement as well as the protection of athletes.”

Let’s translate the first part of that sentence, about “unifying mission of the Olympic Games.” That’s code for a formulation of the policy on whether to allow, and how to allow, participation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Make no mistake about this. Most of the major players in the Olympic Movement are expected to attend, led by IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER), the heads of nine International Federations – including World Athletics’ Sebastian Coe (GBR) who has been deadset against Russian participation while its invasion of Ukraine continues – and the National Olympic Committee President from China (Zhidan Gao) and Gene Sykes from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

It was from this meeting in 2022 that the IOC announced the group’s agreement for

“The IOC to lead the further exploration of the [Olympic Council of Asia] initiative concerning the participation of athletes who are in full respect of the Olympic Charter and the sanctions [on Russia and Belarus]. This initiative to be discussed in the next round of IOC consultation calls with the IOC Members, the athletes’ representatives, the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees.”

This was planned and executed. Expect more of the same on Tuesday. This is a private meeting, which will not be streamed or to which media can attend. There will be no news conference; only a statement will be issued.

It is expected to signal the IOC’s long-awaited view on what to do about Russian and Belarusian attendance in Paris, to be formalized later in the year. Bach has continuously claimed that only by having Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris can the IOC’s “mission” be fulfilled, so his view is clear. But the devil is in the details, some of which are to be expected Tuesday.

2.
Report: Richardson signs five-year, $20 million Nike deal

What is certain is that U.S. sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson, the women’s World 100 m Champion, has new representation in the commercial marketplace. An Instagram post on Friday explained:

“HSInternational Sports Management inc. (HSI) is pleased to announce World Champion, Sha’Carri Richardson @itsshacarri has retained HSI for management and agent representation.

“Managing Director of HSI, Emanuel Hudson @ekhsi said of the signing, ‘We look forward to assisting Ms. Richardson on her path to obtaining all her ultimate goals. This young woman is a bright light, as can be seen in the young girls and boys who look up to her. Sha’Carri’s next decade will be fruitful, and we are pleased she chose us to be a part of that journey.’”

She may also be the newest Nike star, as reports are circulating that she has signed a five-year, $20 million sponsorship extension with Nike, which has been supporting her for several years already.

Nike has said nothing, but the reports explain that the apparel and footwear giant plan a Richardson-endorsed line of clothing, and a focus by Nike – long identified with distance running – on new research and development of sprinting gear.

Observed: If true, this is a great deal for Richardson, who is not only a star sprinter, but has a charismatic personality that draws attention and makes her of interest even to non-track fans, as shown by her 2.97 million Instagram followers. To her credit, she has refined her style after a couple of tough years, and become much more endearing to the public.

She and Noah Lyles, the 100-200 m World Champion on the men’s side, give track and field a significant base of star power – along with shot putter Ryan Crouser and sprint/hurdler Sydney McLaughlin – to expand interest in the sport with an Olympic year coming in 2024 and the Los Angeles Games coming in 2028. But then the questions begin:

Is there a plan to make the sport bigger? There was no lasting legacy from the Carl Lewis era, or long-term plan following the close of Usain Bolt’s career.

Who’s in charge? USA Track & Field? Lyles? Richardson? An athlete “union,” possibly based on the meeting Richardson helped to organize at the 2023 USATF Nationals in July?

Anybody?

3.
IOC says Paris 2024 “well prepared” after visit

Friday’s final day of the IOC Executive Board meeting in Paris was devoted to a review of the current status of the preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games and IOC President Bach pronounced their satisfaction:

“This meeting and the reports from the IOC Coordination Commission reassure us that Paris 2024 is well prepared for the coming year. At the IOC we are committed to doing everything we can to contribute actively to these Olympic Games, which will be a turning point in history: more sustainable, more urban, more inclusive, with gender parity – Games wide open.”

The IOC’s statement on the meetings noted the new traffic control regulations, which will require special access arrangements for specific areas where the Games will be held:

“The announcement of the plans will allow local residents and businesses to consult with the authorities well in advance to ensure regular activities can co-exist with the Games.”

Ticket sales continue to be excellent, with 380,000 of the 400,000 new tickets available sold in 24 hours – 7.5 million sold in total so far – and another 50,000 placed on sale. Sales have been made to buyers from 197 countries, with Great Britain, the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands the biggest buyers outside of France.

The torch relay is also popular, with 90,000 applications for the 10,000 Olympic torchbearer spots and the 1,000 Paralympic torchbearers.

The Executive Board visited the almost-complete Olympic Village, which was noted to be on schedule for delivery to the organizing committee and will be used for housing after the Games.

Bach was happy, telling reporters, “I can safely state that, not only me, but the entire IOC Executive Board is also very satisfied with the state of the preparations.”

Also on Friday, the BBC posted a story titled, “Paris Olympics 2024: Locals ask if they’re worth the trouble,” which detailed complaints from Parisians about the Games: raises in public transport prices during the Games, the new access regulations for four Games zones, the continuing tug-of-war over the movement of the famous bookseller stalls along the Seine and so on.

One resident – “Evelyne” – was quite happy to tell reporter Hugh Schofield:

“Paris will be unbearable. Impossible to park; impossible to move around; impossible to do anything. [Mayor Anne] Madame Hidalgo has wrecked Paris, and I want no part of the Games.”

But Schofield also added the back story:

“There was always a solid corpus of French people who opposed the Games on the left-wing grounds that they are a colossal waste of money and serve mainly the interests of the multinationals.

“To them are now added all those who believe they will also be a monumental inconvenience.

“So should the organisers be worried? Probably not. Most of the concerns are either exaggerated or easily resolved. And what Games ever took place without mega-jitters in the months ahead?

“Take transport. Mayor Hidalgo certainly set Olympic hearts racing with her dire warnings about lack of preparation.

“But context is all. The mayor is in political difficulty. She is also the sworn enemy of both the sports minister and the (conservative) head of the Ile-de-France region, who has responsibility for suburban rail.”

Observed: And so on and so on. As Schofield rightly notes, it’s easy to find naysayers about an Olympic Games or any other major event. This is normal and many Parisians won’t be in the city anyway as late July and August are vacation time.

One of the things that can cripple an organizing committee is finances. So far, Paris 2024 remains on target, has signed 55 domestic sponsorships (all three levels) and is selling lots and lots of tickets, in fact, almost all of the tickets not designated for hospitality and sponsor use, and will sell more.

There will be problems in Paris, as with every Games. But the things that can sabotage the event – as Rio found out in 2016 – seem to be in reasonable, even good shape with eight months left. But there are still eight months left.

4.
Brisbane mayor explodes, leaves 2032 Games Forum

The Brisbane 2032 organizing committee has been quietly active, working on its domestic sponsorships plans and community involvement programs. The same cannot be said for the area’s politicians.

On Friday, Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner issued a lengthy statement withdrawing from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Intergovernmental Leaders’ Forum, explaining:

“I will no longer fall into line and support the State Government’s current Gabba plan.

“This week it became very apparent that the Intergovernmental Leaders’ Forum is a dysfunctional farce, a pointless talkfest established to placate key stakeholders while all the real decisions are made by the State Government behind closed doors.

“It has also become clear that there must be better options than demolishing and rebuilding the Gabba.

“The Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Brisbane and Queensland.

“But unless the State Government’s approach changes, this opportunity will be squandered through mismanagement.

“I believe that the Government has completely lost its way on the road to the Games.

“This has put the promised legacy for our city, our region and our state in serious jeopardy.”

And there is this:

“It’s clear that the Games have become more about over-priced stadiums rather than the promise of vital transport solutions.

“The State Government’s ham-fisted and foolish attempt to extort Brisbane ratepayers for tens of millions of dollars for a new RNA stadium was the final straw.

“This truly bizarre approach was undertaken because I had the temerity to back local fans and say Brisbane teams should play in Brisbane while the Gabba is torn down and rebuilt.”

The specific issue in the spotlight is the plan by the Queensland (state) government to rebuild the famed Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as the Gabba, at a cost currently estimated at A$2.7 billion (A$1 = $0.67 U.S.). While the Gabba is torn down and rebuilt for the 2032 Games and beyond, the Brisbane teams in Australian Football and cricket will need a home field starting in 2025.

The identified site is the Brisbane Showgrounds, which is operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (“RNA”), where a legacy facility can be expanded to seat 20,000, later to be scaled back to 12,000.

The Queensland government, which is doing the redevelopment project in coordination with the national government, said Thursday that it would put up A$47.5 million of the projected A$137 million cost.

The City of Brisbane and the RNA, and the local teams, are expected to fund the rest, but refuse to do so, since the redevelopment of the Gabba is the state’s idea and not theirs. Further, the IOC itself pointed out during the bid phase that track & field could be held elsewhere in Queensland in an existing facility, without the costly renovation of the Gabba.

And Schrinner picked up on the Paris 2024 idea to use the Seine River for the Games opening, adding:

“I have no doubt there are good alternatives to the full demolition and rebuilding of the Gabba, but the State Government has never genuinely looked for them with an open mind.

“If they won’t do it, let’s appoint an independent body that will.

“We could even look at alternatives for the opening and closing ceremonies, such as events along the Brisbane River that are open to all.”

The Gabba redevelopment, with a new arena and expanded transportation hub, is a centerpiece of the Queensland plan for Brisbane 2032’s legacy. The Queensland sports minister, Stirling Hinchcliffe, said he was “bewildered” by Schrinner’s departure from the prior plan.

This isn’t good.

5.
Oregon beach volley and rowing athletes file Title IX suit

“This is a sex discrimination class action against the University of Oregon (‘Oregon’) for depriving its female student-athletes of equal treatment, equal athletic financial aid, and equal opportunities to participate in varsity athletics in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (‘Title IX’).”

This is the opening of a 115-page complaint filed on Friday (1st) in the U.S. Federal District Court in Eugene, Oregon by 32 plaintiffs – 26 members of the Oregon women’s beach volleyball team and six members of the women’s rowing team – against the Oregon athletic department on the basis of unequal treatment. Among the many allegations:

● “To cite the most egregious example, Oregon gives more than a third of its male student-athletes – the men on its football team – unbelievably better treatment than it gives to any of its female student-athletes: palatial locker rooms, “fitting” rooms, and player lounges; state-of-the-art, personalized gear and equipment in seemingly endless quantities; preferential scheduling for training, practices, and games; chartered flights to away games; hotel stays before home games; huge quantities of food and travel per diems for more food, whether the money is needed or used for food or not; professional-quality practice and competitive facilities; their own theatre with seats upholstered in Ferrari leather, where they can watch movies and sporting events together; round-the-clock access to trainers and medical professionals; nearly-unlimited publicity, including to advance their name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities and income; highly-paid coaches and assistant coaches with plush offices and special amenities, including their own hot tub; and myriad other forms of support that one can hardly imagine.”

● “ In contrast, to cite the counterexample, the female student-athletes on Oregon’s women’s beach volleyball team are treated far worse than any of its male student-athletes. They are treated so badly that, on July 23, 2023, The Oregonian published a front-page investigative report, ‘Oregon Ducks beach volleyball players detail disparate treatment that experts say could violate Title IX,’ exposing the school’s discrimination against them, including Oregon’s failure to give them any athletic scholarships; adequate locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities; sufficient travel accommodations and daily allowances; appropriate equipment and supplies; even minimal publicity and recognition; and honest or fair recruiting support.”

● “According to its most recent publicly available [Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act] data for 2021-22, women were just over 49% of the varsity athletes at Oregon, but the school spent only 25% of its total athletic expenditures on them and only 15% of its recruiting dollars on them.”

The suit focuses on unequal treatment specific the women’s beach volleyball and rowing teams, but also notes an important issue regarding name-image-likeness (NIL) opportunities:

“Oregon provides its male and female student-athletes with a wide array of publicity and other treatments and benefits to increase their NIL-related training, opportunities, and income, both directly and by working with and through its NIL collective, Division Street … and Opendorse, the Oregon Ducks NIL Marketplace.

“Through these actions, Oregon provides its male student-athletes with much greater NIL-related training, opportunities, and income than its female student-athletes.”

The request for relief starts with the certification of the class and then asks the Court, in addition to damages and attorney’s fees, to:

● “Enter an order declaring that Oregon is discriminating against its current female varsity student-athletes on the basis of their sex by depriving them of equal treatment and benefits, equal athletic financial aid, and equal opportunities to participate in intercollegiate athletics in violation of Title IX and the Regulations promulgated thereunder.”

● “Issue a permanent injunction barring Oregon from discriminating against its female student-athletes on the basis of their sex by (a) denying female varsity student-athletes of equal treatment and benefits in Oregon’s intercollegiate athletics program, (b) depriving female varsity student-athletes of equal athletic financial aid, and (c) depriving female students of equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.”

The case is Schroeder, et al vs. University of Oregon, case no. 6:23-cv-1806.

Observed: This could end up being a critical, ground-breaking case concerning women’s athletes at NCAA institutions, or could be limited to the two teams at Oregon which have complained about their facilities and treatment.

It could also be a further incentive for the U.S. Congress to create a national NIL law, which is being sought – with great vigor – by the NCAA.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● The two undefeated teams playing in the final of the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia – France and Germany – could not be separated at the end of regulation play and had to go to penalties, with the Germans winning their first trophy in this tournament, 4-3.

Playing in Surakarta before 13,037 at the Manahan Stadium, the Germans scored first on a penalty by star forward Paris Brunner in the 29th and led, 1-0, at the half. They doubled their advantage to 2-0 on a 51st-minute goal by midfielder Noah Darvich, but could not make it stand up.

Midfielder Saimon Bouabre scored for France in the 53rd to close to 2-1 and after midfielder Winners Osawe was red-carded in the 69th – reducing Germany to 10 – midfielder Mathis Amougou tied it in the 85th. The game was tight, with France taking 14 shots to 12 for the Germans, although the French had 64% possession.

The French went up by 2-0 again in the shoot-out, the missed two in a row and the Germans got three straight goals to go up, 3-2. Joan Tinces tied it for France and Brunner’s try was saved, but with a chance to go ahead, Tidiam Gomis missed France’s fifth penalty and Almugera Kabar scored for the Germans to take the win, 4-3.

In the third-place game, Mali took a decisive 3-0 win over Argentina.

● Handball ● Pool play continues at the 26th IHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, with six of the eight groups having played two rounds, and Hungary and Montenegro (Group B), Norway (C), Slovenia and France (D), Germany and Poland (F), Brazil and Spain (G) and Netherlands and the Czech Republic (H) all at 2-0.

The preliminary pools continue through 5 December.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The women’s FIS World Cup was in Tremblant (CAN) for two Giant Slaloms, with Italy’s two-time Worlds medalist Federica Brignone taking Saturday’s race.

She led after the first run over Swede Sara Hector by 0.11, then had the third-best second run to finish in a combined 2:14.95, 0.21 better than Olympic Slalom champ Petra Vlhova (SVK), who had the fastest second run.

American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin collected a medal in her fourth straight race, moving from fifth to third on the second run and taking the bronze in 2:15.24, with Hector fourth (2:15.51).

On Sunday, the results were almost the same – Brignone won, with Shiffrin third – but this time the Italian came from sixth after the first run to win with the fastest second run in the race, finishing in 2:11.95. Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, the 2021 World Champion in this event, had the third-fastest first run and moved up with a final time of 2:12.28, while Shiffrin, second after the first race, had only the 18th-fastest second run and slipped to third (2:12.34).

A.J. Hurt of the U.S. finished ninth overall (2:13.35) and Paula Moltzan was 15th (2:13.89).

Both Friday’s and Saturday’s men’s Downhill, as well as Sunday’s Super G at Beaver Creek, Colorado (USA) had to be canceled due to heavy snow. No word on make-up dates yet.

● Athletics ● One of the greatest years in marathon history was called off by a 2:01:48 victory for Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma at the Valencia Marathon in Spain on Sunday, making him the fourth-fastest man in history with the sixth-fastest race in history.

Lemma, the 2021 London Marathon champ, won his sixth marathon in 25 tries, was part of a group of seven that passed halfway in 1:00:35. By 25 km, Lemma had the lead over Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) and Dawit Wolde (ETH), but with all three still in contention. But Lemma moved away after 35 km and had a minute lead by 40 km and was all alone at the finish.

Kenyan Alexander Mutiso moved up past the tiring Wolde for second, finishing with a lifetime best of 2:03:11 (no. 12 all-time) with Wolde in a lifetime best of 2:03:48 (25th all-time) in third. Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele, now 41, was fourth in 2:04.19 – his third-fastest ever – while Kandie fell back to sixth in 2:04:48, also a personal record.

Four of the 10 fastest marathons ever were run in 2023, with Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) grabbing the world record at 2:00:35 in Chicago after winning London in 2:01:25 in April. Two-time Olympic champ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) won Berlin in 2:02:42 and now Lemma in Valencia.

The women’s race was a runaway for Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, breaking away after 33 km and winning easily in 2:15:51 in her first marathon since January 2020! She’s now no. 7 on the all-time list, with the ninth-fastest women’s marathon ever.

Degefa led an Ethiopian sweep, with Almaz Ayana – the Olympic 10,000 m winner in Rio – also getting a lifetime best in 2:16:22, now no. 8 all-time, to finish second. Hiwot Gebrekidan was third (2:17:59 lifetime best, no. 24 all-time) and Kenyan Celestine Chepchirchir was fourth (2:20:46).

On Friday, Dominican sprint star Luguelín Santos was banned for three years from March 2023 to March 2026 for age manipulation. The Athletics Integrity Unit noted:

“The Dominican Republic athlete – the 400-metre gold medallist at the event (now known as the World Athletics U20 Championships) – admitted to competing in the 2012 age-group championships with a passport showing a falsified date of birth – 12 November 1993 – when in fact he born on that date in 1992.”

That made him ineligible for the World Juniors in 2012, and it got worse: “Santos also told the AIU that he had been directed to use the ‘special passport’ with the false birth year (1993) for competitions, but the genuine passport (birth year 1992) for all other official purposes.”

His London 2012 Olympic silver in the 400 m is not affected, since his age was not at issue. He also won an Olympic silver in Tokyo in the Mixed 4×400 m.

● Badminton ● Japanese players and teams made it to all five finals at the Syed Modi India International in Lucknow (IND), but came away with only two wins on Sunday.

Nozomi Okuhara (JPN), the 2017 World Champion, took the women’s Singles final over fifth-seed Line Kjaersfeldt (DEN), by 21-19, 21-16, and Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi (JPN) disappointed the home fans by defeating Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa (IND), 21-14, 17-21, 21-15.

In the men’s Singles final, Yu Jen Chi (TPE) came from behind to beat Kenta Nishimoto (JPN), 20-22, 21-12, 21-17 and Malaysia’s Hon Jian Choong and Muhammad Haikal (MAS) upset the top seeds, Japan’s Akira Koga and Taichi Saito (JPN) in the men’s Doubles final, 18-21, 21-18, 21-16.

In the Mixed Doubles gold-medal match, second-seeds Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Widjaja (INA) also had to come from one set down to win over fifth-seeded Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsumoto (JPN), 20-22, 21-19, 25-23.

● Basketball ● The U.S. women’s team of Kelsey Mitchell, Katie Samuelson, Dearica Hamby and Camille Zimmerman won the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup on Sunday with a 21-20, last-second win over Brazil in San Juan (PUR).

The American women beat Uruguay (17-12), Jamaica (22-13) and the Dominican Republic (21-10) in pool play, then slid past Ecuador (18-7) in the quarters, and defending champion Canada (21-15) in the semis. In the final, Brazil took the lead with 5:58 to play at 11-9 and extended to 19-13 before Samuelson hit two two-pointers to close to 18-19 and then Hamby tied the game with 0:49 to play. Brazil’s Vitoria Marcelino took the lead back with 44 seconds left and then Samuelson made one of two foul shots to even the score with 22 seconds to.

Finally, a pass from Mitchell to Hamby on the baseline resulted in a fade-away jumper for the win. Canada defeated Chile, 21-8, for the bronze.

The men’s tournament went to homestanding Puerto Rico with an 18-14 win over Brazil, as Angel Matias scored nine and Adrian Ocasio had five and a team-high seven rebounds. The Dominican Republic won the bronze with a 21-15 win over Mexico.

The Dominicans eliminated the U.S. team of Bryce Wills, Trey Bardsley, Devin Cannaday and Mitch Hann in the quarterfinals, 18-16.

● Biathlon ● The second weekend of IBU World Cup action in Oestersund (SWE) finished with a surprise sweep for unheralded Lou Jeanmonnot of France.

At age 25, she had won four World Cup golds on relays before this season and a couple of other medals, but scored her first-ever individual World Cup win in Saturday’s 7.5 km Sprint in 21:04.1 (0 penalties), over Karoline Knotten (NOR: 21:12.6/1) and Juni Arnekleiv (NOR: 21:21.7/1).

On Sunday, she won a tight battle with German stars Franziska Preuss and Vanessa Voigt, who also went 2-3 in the season-opening 15 km Individual race on 26 November. Jeanmonnot shot clean and finished in 31:41.3, just ahead of Preuss (31:41.6, one penalty) and 31:59.8 for Voigt (one penalty).

Fellow German Philip Nawrath won his first World Cup title – at age 30 – in the men’s 10 km Sprint in 24:02.0 (0), well ahead of Norwegian veteran Tarjei Boe (24:20.7/0) and Vebjoern Soerum (NOR: 24:21.8/0).

On Sunday, Nawrath almost scored another win, but had to settle for second behind Sweden’s 2018 Olympic Pursuit runner-up Sebastian Samuelsson, 31:38.4 (3) to 31:43.5 (2). Vetle Christiansen (NOR) took third at 31:45.6 (1).

Norway, with Boe and Christiansen aboard, won the men’s 4×7.5 km relay over France, 1:14:28.4 to 1:14:49.0, and the Norwegian women won the 4×6 km relay in 1:18:48.3, almost 42 seconds up on Sweden (1:19:29.9).

● Cross Country Skiing ● The U.S.’s amazing Jessie Diggins continued to shine in the FIS World Cup with a win on Saturday in Gallivare (SWE).

After Swedish stars had won the first three women’s races of the season, Diggins broke through with a dominant victory in the 10 km Interval Start Freestyle, finishing in 24:48.3, some 23.1 seconds up on Ebba Andersson (SWE: 25:11.4), followed by teammate Moa Ilar (25:13.9). American Rosie Brennan, who won two medals last week, finished sixth in 25:40.3.

Diggins won her 14th career individual World Cup gold, all of which have come in Freestyle races. She also took over the overall World Cup lead, with 347 points to 330 for Brennan after four of 34 events.

In the men’s race, Norway continued its win streak, now at four, of this season’s races, with a victory for four-time World Championships gold medalist Pal Golberg. He took the men’s 10 km Interval Start Freestyle in 21:56.7, ahead of teammates Harald Amundsen (22:00.9) and Iver Andersen (22:01.8).

It’s the first sweep of the season for Norway, which has now won nine of the 12 men’s-event medals won so far in World Cup action.

Norway won the men’s 4×7.5 km Free relay on Sunday in 1:11.50.5, well ahead of Sweden (1:12:07.9). The U.S. was fifth (1:12:36.0) with Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, Scott Patterson and Zanden McMullen.

Sweden won the women’s 4×7.5 km Free relay, with Ilar on anchor at 1:20:19.3, ahead of Germany (1:20:32.8) and the U.S. in third, with Diggins, Brennan, Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern finishing in 1:20:46.8.

● Football ● The U.S. women shut down China, 3-0, in a Saturday friendly at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with attacking midfielder Trinity Rodman scoring a goal and assisting on another.

The Americans got ahead quickly, 1-0, in the eighth minute as Rodman took a long lead pass down the left side and sent a left-footed pass toward the Chinese goal that was met by a charging striker Sophia Smith for the score.

The U.S. controlled the action, but could not get another score in the half. But in the 57th, midfield star Lindsey Horan sent a long pass from the left side into the penalty area, where it bounded over the head of substitute Jaedyn Shaw and then past Chinese keeper Huan Xu for a 2-0 edge.

Rodman herself scored in the 77th, after sub midfielder Midge Purce dribbled into the penalty area, pushed the ball forward to Shaw in front of goal, which deflected off a defender and came to Rodman for the finish on the left side.

The U.S. had a 20-2 edge on shots and controlled the ball for 64% of the match. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday (5th) in Frisco, Texas.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The second stage of the FIS World Cup Big Air circuit was in Beijing (CHN) on Saturday, with American Alex Hall getting his sixth career World Cup gold and third in Big Air.

Hall took the lead in round one at 91.75 and followed up with a steady 90.25 to total 182.00. That was just enough to hold off Edouard Therriault (CAN: 181.75) and Swiss Andri Ragettli (179.75), the 2021 Worlds Slopestyle gold winner.

Swiss Mathilde Gremaud, the Beijing bronze medalist in Big Air, took the women’s title at 175.50, comfortably ahead of Kirsty Muir (GBR: 167.25) and Flora Tabanelli (ITA: 160.75). It’s the 10th career World Cup gold for Gremaud.

The season openers for both Moguls and Aerials were held at Ruka (FIN), with familiar faces on the podium. On Saturday, Australia’s Olympic champ Jakara Anthony won the women’s Moguls, ahead of four Americans, scoring 83.12 on her first run and bettering that at 84.18 on her second. The U.S. parade included Elizabeth Lemley (79.68), Olivia Giaccio (76.35), Hannah Soar (73.16) and 2023 Worlds runner-up Jaelin Kauf (72.04).

Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, the Beijing 2022 bronze winner, won at 82.68, ahead of Olympic champ Walter Wallberg (SWE: 79.88) and eight-time World Champion Mikael Kingsbury (CAN: 79.08).

The Aerials finals on Sunday had China’s Quangpu Qi, 33, with his 14th career individual World Cup win, but first in four years, scoring 119.91 to edge Pirmin Werner (SUI: 119.00) and Dmytro Kotovsky (UKR: 117.00). American Chris Lillis, the 2021 Worlds silver winner, as fourth at 116.74.

Canada’s Marion Thenault took the women’s Aerials, scoring 99.05 for her third career World Cup gold, ahead of Danielle Scott (AUS: 88.47) and Zhanbota Aldabergenova (KAZ: 77.43). Americans Dani Loeb (63.80) and Kaila Kuhn (62.04) were 5-6.

● Judo ● A big field of 504 judoka from 84 countries came to the Tokyo Grand Slam, with the hosts finishing with seven golds in the 14 men’s and women’s weight categories, underlining their continuing dominance.

Japan took a 1-2 finish in the men’s 60 kg with two-time Worlds bronze winner Rjuyu Nagayama beating Tokyo Olympic champ Naohisa Takato; Olympic winner Hifumi Abe took the 66 kg win and Sanshiro Murao won the men’s 90 kg title.

World Champion Natsumi Tsunoda won the women’s 48 kg class, and Uta Abe – Hifumi’s sister and Olympic and World Champion – won at 52 kg.

Miku Takaichi defeated Kirari Yamaguchi for a Japanese 1-2 at 63 kg and Mao Arai won the +78 kg title.

Two Russian “neutrals” won men’s classes: Matvey Kanikovskiy at 100 kg and Tamerlan Bashaev at +100 kg.

Canada’s women’s 57 kg World Champion Christa Deguchi won her division, as did Tokyo bronze winner Sanne van Dijke (NED). Three-time World Champion Maya Aguiar of Brazil took another title at 78 kg.

● Nordic Combined ● Norway came into the second men’s stop on the FIS World Cup tour in Lillehammer (NOR) with three wins in three tries, and had no intention of letting up.

Four-time World Champion Jarl Magnus Riiber won the last two races in the first stop at Ruka (FIN), and continued on Saturday, taking the 98 m jumping and Gundersen 10 km in 25:38.0, followed by teammates Jens Oftebro (26:13.5) and two-time Olympic champ Joergen Graabak (26:14.8). It’s the second sweep for Norway in four races this season.

More of the same on Sunday, as Riiber won again, off the 140 m hill, finishing the 10 km cross-country segment in 25:55.3, over last year’s overall champ Johannes Lamparter (AUT: 26:29.1) with Graabak third (26:31.8). American Ben Loomis was 14th (27:56.2).

The women’s competitions in Lillehammer were also about Norway, as Gyda Westvold Hansen came in with an 11-race World Cup win streak, including all 10 events held last season. She was in form on Friday, winning the 98 m jumping and 5 km Gundersen race in 15:03.4, ahead of teammates Ida Marie Hagen (15:19.9) and Mari Leinan Lund (15:35.7).

Saturday was the same: Hansen won in 15:02.9, with Hagen second (15:49.6) and Lund third (15:56.7). Now 13 straight for the amazing Hansen.

● Rugby Sevens ● The HSBC Sevens schedule opened in Dubai (UAE), with South Africa defeating Argentina in the men’s final, 12-7, and Australia taking the women’s tournament by 26-19 against New Zealand.

New Zealand won the men’s third-place game from Fiji, 17-12, while France skipped past Canada in the third-place game, 26-5.

The U.S. won the men’s Pool at 2-1, but lost in the quarterfinals, 40-0, to New Zealand. The American women were third in Pool C (1-2) and were defeated by Australia, 32-5, in their quarterfinal.

● Ski Jumping ● Austria’s three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft won both events at the season-opener in Ruka (FIN) and kept it going in Lillehammer (NOR) on Saturday on the smaller, 98 m hill.

Kraft scored 296.7, winning round one and fifth in the second round, out-scoring German Andreas Wellinger (291.7) and Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig (287.3) in third.

Sunday’s jumping was off the 140 m hill, with Kraft taking his fourth win in a row at 318.2 points, just ahead of Wellinger (312.3) and Austrian teammate Jan Hoerl (311.3).

The women’s season opener was in Lillehammer on the 98 m hill, with Japan’s two-time Worlds runner-up Yuki Ito taking the victory with 244.6 points, moving up from fourth in round one. France’s Josephine Pagnier won her second career World Cup medal at 242.7 and Alexandria Loutitt of Canada got third (241.6).

Pagnier and Loutitt moved up on Sunday – also jumping off the 140 m hill – to gold and silver at 272.4 and 267.5 points, respectively, with Eirin Kvandal (NOR: 252.8) third. Loutitt won her fourth career medal, so she doubled her lifetime medal count this past weekend!

● Snowboard ● Second stop of the World Cup season for Big Air was in Beijing (CHN), with the home favorite – and 2022 Olympic champ – Yuming Su (19) winning his second career World Cup gold, scoring 184.50, beating Japan’s Ryoma Kimata (180.75) and Kira Kimura (175.75).

Two-time Olympic winner Anna Gasser of Austria won her 12th career World Cup gold with a 174.00 to 171.00 score over Tess Coady (AUS), the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, with 2023 Worlds silver medalist Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN: 170.50) just behind in third.

The SnowCross World Cup season opened in Les Deux Alpes (FRA), with Great Britain, France and the U.S. taking the medals in the team event on Saturday; the U.S. squad included Jake Vedder and the legendary, five-time World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis.

The individual event qualifying was canceled due to weather on Friday and moved to Sunday, with Canada’s Beijing Olympic runner-up Eliot Grondin taking the men’s victory over Olympic champ Alessandro Hammerle (AUT) and 2021 World Champion Lucas Eguibar (ESP).

France’s Beijing Olympic silver winner Chloe Trespeuch won the women’s final against 2018 Olympic gold winner Michela Moioli (ITA) and Belle Brockhoff (AUS), who won her 15th career World Cup medal.

● Speed Skating ● The third of six stages of the 2023-24 ISU World Cup was in Stavanger (NOR), with Dutch skaters taking four individual golds to lead all nations, but with five more medals for the U.S.

On Friday, Triple Olympic gold medalist Kjeld Nuis won the men’s 1,000 m in 1:08.76, just ahead of 2020 World Sprint Champion Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN: 1:08.88), and Marcel Bosker took the Mass Start win in 7:57.11, beating Livio Wenger (SUI: 7:58.11) and Olympic winner Bart Swings (BEL: also 7:58.51).

Japan’s Olympic 500 m bronze medalist, Wataru Morishige, won the 500 m in 34.65, just 1/100th ahead of Tingyu Gao (CHN: 34.66), with Shinhama third (34.71). Italy’s Olympic bronze winner, Davide Ghiotto, won the rarely-contested 10,000 m in 13:02.71, beating 2018 PyeongChang Olympic winner Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN: 13:12.33).

Teen star Jordan Stolz of the U.S. – the 2023 Worlds 500-1,000-1,500 m champ – won the 1,000 m in 1:44.67, a track record, well ahead of Nuis (1:45.34).

The Dutch women also swept Friday’s races, with Jutta Leerdam, the Beijing Olympic runner-up, winning the 1,000 m in 1:15.26, ahead of Olympic champ Miho Takagi (JPN: 1:15.52), with American Kimi Goetz fourth (1:15.88) and three-time World Champion Brittany Bowe sixth (1:16.08).

Triple Olympic gold winner Irene Schouten (NED) took the Mass Start in 8:36.25, ahead of Valarie Maltais (CAN: 8:37.19) and American Mia Kilburg-Manganello (8:40.01).

On Friday, Takagi won the 1,500 in 1:55.87, beating Dutch skaters Antoinette Rijpima-De Jong, the 2023 World Champion (1:56.95), and Marieke Groenewoud (1:56.99). Bowe finished fifth (1:58.07) and Goetz was ninth (1:59.12).

Korean Min-sun Kim took the 500 m in 37.73, just ahead of Olympic champ Erin Jackson of the U.S. (37.75, with Goetz fourth in 38.29. The 5,000 m went to the ageless (actually 36) Martina Sabilkova, the 21-time World Champion in the 3,000-5,000 m.

The U.S. placed second in the men’s Team Sprint behind Norway, 1:19.30 to 1:19.49, with Austin Kleba, Cooper Mcleod and Zach Stoppelmoor, while the women won in 1:27.92, with Sarah Warren, Jackson and Goetz.

● Swimming ● The Toyota U.S. Open concluded in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Kate Douglass and Regan Smith of the U.S. and Hong Kong star Siobhan Haughey each taking three wins.

Douglass won the 50 m Free and 200 m Medley on Thursday, then stormed to the 200 m Breaststroke title on Saturday in 2:21.87, beating 2022 World Champion Lilly King (2:23.98).

Haughey, the Olympic silver winner in the 100-200 m Frees in Tokyo, won the 200 m Free on Friday in 1:54.20, the no. 23 performance in the world for 2023, beating Katie Ledecky (1:56.29). On just 15 minutes rest., she returned to win the 100 m Breast in 1:06.05, beating Tokyo Olympic champ Lydia Jacoby of the U.S. (1:06.20). On Saturday, she took the 100 m Free in 52.94, ahead of Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzeil of the U.S. (53.17 and 53.53).

Huske was brilliant in the 100 m Butterfly on Friday, winning in a meet record of 56.21, the no. 7 performance in the world for 2023 and well ahead of Claire Curzan (56.76).

Ledecky came back on Saturday to win the 1,500 m Free in 15:46.38, the no. 7 performance of the year; she now has five of the seven. She ended up with two wins (800-1,500 m) and two seconds (200-400 m) in the meet.

Regan Smith of the U.S., who won all three Backstroke silvers at the 2023 Worlds (50-100-200 m), won the 100 m Back in 58.16, ahead of Curzan (58.35), and the 200 m Back on Saturday in 2:04.27, the no. 6 performance in 2023. Curzan was second again in 2:06.49, ahead of Canadian star Summer McIntosh (2:06.81). Smith then got her third victory about 90 minutes later in the 200 m Fly – in which she is the world leader for 2023 – in 2:06.72, well ahead of Lindsay Looney (USA: 2:09.31).

McIntosh got a win in the 400 m Medley – in which she is the world-record holder – in 4:29.96, the no. 3 performance of 2023 (she has all three).

The men’s racing included an encouraging win for sprint superstar Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. in the 100 m Fly, winning in 51.31, moving him to no. 21 on the 2023 world list. She just edged rising Canadian star Ilya Kharun, 18, who finished in 51.32, with teammate Josh Liendo third in 51.42. Kharun returned to win the 200 m Fly in 1:54.66.

Hungary’s 200 m Back World Champion Hubert Kos – who swims at Arizona State – won the 100 m Back in 53.19 over American stars Hunter Armstrong (53.72) and Ryan Murphy (53.74), then doubled back in the 200 , Back in 1:55.95, beating Kieran Smith of the U.S. (1:57.51).

Chase Kalisz, who won both the 200 m and 400 m Medley at the 2017 Worlds, won both here, taking the 400 m Medley in 4:10.42, well ahead of Worlds silver medalist Carson Foster (4:13.43).

The 100 m Free went to Matt King of the U.S. (48,30), beating Ryan Held (48.36); Germany’s Rafael Miroslaw won the 200 m Free in a meet record 1:45.92, and Olympic champ Bobby Finke of the U.S. took the 1,500 m free in 15:03.91.

Denis Petrashov (KGZ) won a tight finish in the 100 m Breast final in 59.46, over U.S. stars Michael Andrew (59.52) and Nic Fink (59.79). Matt Fallon (USA) set a meet record of 2:09.49 to take the men’s 200 m Breast final.

The final leg of the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup was in Funchal (POR) on Saturday, moved from Eilat (ISR) in view of the continuing conflict, with 16-year-old American Claire Weinstein breaking away to win over Bettina Fabian (ITA) and Oceane Cassignol (FRA) by 1:56.54.3 to 1:58:07.5 to 1:58:09.5. Americans Mariah Denigan (1:58:09.7) and U.S. open-water champ Katie Grimes (1:58:09.9) went 4-5.

Weinstein took the lead on the fifth of six laps and was never headed. The seasonal title was decided in the race for seventh, as Germany’s double World Champion Leonie Beck edged Rio Olympic champ Sharon van Rouwendaal, 1:58:11.0 to 1:58.11.1. That gave Beck the seasonal title by 2,140 points to 2,100.

The men’s race was an upset win for Worlds 5 km bronze medalist Domenico Acerenza (ITA), who moved past the pack on the final lap to swim away in 1:45:06.2, ahead of Nicholas Sloman (AUS: 1:45:11.7) and Tokyo Olympic runner-up Kristof Rasovszky (HUN: 1:45:15.5), as places 3-12 were separated by just 2.2 seconds.

Rasovszky won the seasonal title, however, with 2,500 points, with Marcello Guidi (ITA) second at 2,000.

Australia won Sunday’s 4×1,500 m mixed relay in 1:06:05.4, ahead of Italy (1:06:06.4) and France (1:06:06.5).

Two-time Olympic relay gold medalist Klete Keller, who was a member of the U.S. 4×200 m Free teams in Athens and Beijing, was sentenced to six months home detention on Friday, following a guilty felony plea in 2021 from his participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021.

He was sentenced by the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. to three years probation, with six months of home detention and a requirement of 360 hours of community service. He wrote to the judge, “I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal conduct, especially in a moment of political fervor.”

● Taekwondo ● Lots of familiar faces on the podium at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final in Manchester (GBR).

Italy’s Olympic champ Vito dell’Acquila took the men’s 58 kg class, beating Spain’s Adrian Vicente in the final, 2-0. Cheick Salle Cisse (CIV), the 2023 World Champion, took the +87 kg gold, 2-0, against Maicon Siqueira of Brazil.

The men’s 68 kg final saw Levente Jozsa (BRA) win over Javier Perez Polo (ESP), 2-1, and Korea’s Geon-woo Seo won the 80 kg class, defeating Egypt’s Seif Eissa (2-1). American C.J. Nickolas took the bronze.

Olympic women’s 49 kg champ Panipak Wongpattanakit won her class over 2023 Worlds bronze medalist Adriana Cerezo Iglesias (ESP), 2-1. China’s Zongshi Luo beat Faith Dillon of the U.S. in the 57 kg final, 2-0, and Sarah Chaari (BEL), the 2022 World 62 kg champ won over Mengyu Zhang (CHN) at 67 kg, by 2-0.

In the +67 kg division, Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Da-bin Lee (KOR) took the gold by walkover over Worlds 73 kg silver medalist Rebecca McGowan (GBR).

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Milan Cortina 2026 sliding-sport soap opera continues; no Winter Games rotation; LA28 events list coming in 2025

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Italian government still thinking about Turin track for 2026
2. IOC’s Winter Games rotation idea dead for now
3. LA28 events and sport quotas coming February 2025
4. Russia furious at IOC’s transfer of allegiance actions
5. Ethiopian marathon star Gemechu suspended for doping

● The endless search for a bobsled, luge and skeleton venue for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games went sideways again as the Italian government is again considering refurbishing the abandoned Turin 2006 track, with the decision coming next week.

● The concept of a permanent rotation of host cities or regions for the Olympic Winter Games is on hold, with the International Olympic Committee happy with the hosts it has lined up for 2030 (France), 2034 (Salt Lake City) and possibly 2038 (Switzerland).

● With the list of sports now complete, the International Federations are being asked to specify the events and number of athletes for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, with the final program and quotas to be fixed by February 2025. With the five added sports, the total number of athletes will run past the preferred 10,500 total, but will be kept as low as possible to reduce costs.

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee blasted the IOC for its approval of three transfers of allegiance by Russian athletes to France, Serbia and Israel, saying that Russia – whose Olympic Committee is suspended – was not consulted.

● More doping suspensions announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit, including Ethiopian women’s marathoner Tsehay Gemechu, ninth-fastest ever at 2:16:56 from March’s Tokyo Marathon.

● World Championships: Football (France and Germany face off for FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup) ●

● Panorama: Beijing 2022 (Valieva decision could be in February) = International Olympic Committee (2: Japan’s gift albums during Tokyo bid were acceptable; Kissinger saluted by IOC chief Bach) = Olympic Council of Asia (IOC ethics decision accepted and Singh continues as acting chief) = Paralympic Games (Russia wants to move from European to Asian confederation) = Figure Skating (ISU looking to help figure skater clear music for competitions) = Football (2: 2030 and 2034 World Cup bid agreements received; FIFPRO survey says 30% of Women’s World Cup players received $30,000 annually or less) = Swimming (Douglass wins two, McIntosh bests Ledecky at U.S. Open) ●

1.
Italian government still thinking about Turin track for 2026

What has supposedly a closed chapter in the organization of the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games in 2026 has been reopened … for a week.

At Thursday’s news conference following the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting in Paris, Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi (SUI) offered a surprise announcement about the venue search for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton:

“I don’t want to dwell too much into the detail here, but a decision will be made by the government on the 5th of December with respect to one project they are looking into: Cesana.

“I want to be crystal clear and re-affirm the following regarding Cesana. This is a project that the government has re-opened. As far as the IOC is concerned, and we insisted, including during the last Executive Board and the Session in Mumbai, that only existing and functioning venues should be considered at this point in time.

“We respect the decision of various levels of government to look into Cesana, nevertheless, we have also worked with the organizing committee so that they are in a position should this project not be adopted – and we feel that it will certainly be the case – to look outside of Italy. So they have contacted a number of NOCs and, here as well, we have been clear that it has to be an existing and functioning track. Obviously, these NOCs have great facilities to offer.”

The Cesana Pariol track was built for the Turin 2006 Winter Games at a cost of about €110 million (€1 = $1.09 U.S. today), but was abandoned in 2012.

The Milan-Cortina bid projected a new sliding track in Cortina to replace the famed Eugenio Monti track used for the 1956 Winter Games, but the project was abandoned in view of ever-increasing costs. The IOC has urged, even at the bid stage, to use an existing track in a neighboring country such as Austria or Switzerland, but was rebuffed.

When building a new Cortina track was finally dismissed, there was a call from politicians to keep any spending inside Italy and the Cesana Pariol idea was surfaced. However, this facility will also need renovation of €30 million or more and time is short, as test events are desired to be held in early 2025.

It was announced at the IOC Session in India in October that a site outside of Italy would be used, and when the Cesana idea was brought up again on 2 November, it was squashed by the IOC the next day, saying in a statement, “The IOC has been very clear over the last years that no permanent venue should be built if there is not a clear and viable legacy plan” and that “only existing and already operating tracks must be considered.”

Now it is here again, for at least a week. Available tracks are fairly close by, in Austria (Igls) and Switzerland (St. Moritz), both of which are regulars on the IBSF (bob and skeleton) and FIL (luge) World Cup calendars.

2.
IOC’s Winter Games rotation idea dead for now

With the selection of the French Alps bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games and Salt Lake City for 2034, and the preference for selection of Switzerland for 2038, the IOC has shelved its concept of a permanent rotation of Olympic Winter host cities.

Olympic Games Executive Director Dubi explained Thursday that the concept was discussed by the Winter Future Host Commission and during the Executive Board meeting:

“The discussion on rotation took place indeed in the [Future Host Commission], since it was a request from the Executive Board to look into two things. One, the future of the Winter Games and second, the possibility of rotation.

“However, it remained as a study, since we had very, very good proposals and one of the key features of the current process is that strategically, when the Executive Board sees an opportunity [that] it can decide to award more than one edition and this was supported as you remember in Mumbai with a further step, although different, but which was made for 2038.

“So, the notion of rotation once more was discussed; there are different ways and means to look into it, but currently, if we look into what has been decided yesterday, 2030, 2034, with an option or a hand that was crossing the table towards Switzerland in what is called a ‘privileged dialogue.’ So at this point in time, no need to go back to what will remain at this in time, very strong studies.”

Dubi expanded on this in his answer to another question, which showed that the IOC’s choices for 2030-34-38 could all end up – someday – as part of a permanent rotation:

“The objective here was to look into a distant future – 2050 – to understand which regions out of all those that have hosted the Games or could potentially host the Games would be reliable in the future.

“And don’t quote me on this, but I think we are somewhere at 11-12 reliable climatic regions; I’m not speaking about the city, but regions.

“So as a result, yes, we have to look into this and see where it is feasible in the future. Now, when it comes to this study’s impact on rotation, since the three that we’re looking into are climate reliable; if you connect the dots, you understand why I said we didn’t push on the notion of rotation.

“However, for sure, any future decision will have to be based on climate studies.”

The discussion from Wednesday’s news conference urged Sapporo or other hosts in Japan to look into a possible 2042 bid if the Swiss project for 2038 can be re-shaped as the IOC desires. With a three-continent rotation over the 2030-34-38-42 span, it is possible that the same host regions could begin a rotation beginning in 2046!?!

3.
LA28 events and sport quotas coming February 2025

In the aftermath of the inclusion of all five sports proposed by the LA28 organizing committee – baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash – the number of athletes for the third Los Angeles Games is now confirmed to sail past the IOC’s preferred limit of 10,500.

The IOC Sports Director, Kit McConnell (NZL) explained the process ahead:

“Firstly, we take a step back and as we discussed in Mumbai, the first time we had OCOG-proposed sports approved into the program was in Tokyo, where there also was included on team sport – baseball-softball – and there, we were above the 10,500, exactly 11,092 from memory.

“In Paris we included the OCOG-proposed sports – the four of them – within that quota of 10,500 while reaching gender equality as you know, but that was also because all of those sports were individual sports, which then allowed relatively low athlete quotas by sport.

“With Los Angeles, the package of sports they put forward, as you well know, included four out of five team sports and really represented a fantastic package that reached out to different groups around the USA and internationally, and we know the importance of team sports in the USA, and approving those as a package it was clear that we would have to go beyond the 10,500.

“We will obviously limit how far and also limit as far as possible any impacts on the existing sports currently within the program, and the actual and final numbers will be finalized now in that process I outlined at the start that will take us through to the first quarter of 2025. So, no working with each of those federations, we’ll work with them to look at the event program and the athlete quotas and all of that will be finalized at the start of 2025.”

At the IOC Session in October, it was projected that the number of added athletes from these five sports would total 734, bringing the total to 11,234; varying sources have shown as many as 11,656 athletes in Tokyo in 2021. In response, several International Federations are worried about reductions in the number of athletes to be allowed in their sports. McConnell tried to be reassuring on Thursday:

“We now need to work with each of the International Federations to finalize their respective event programs and athlete quotas. To do that, there was a framework established today as we do for each edition of the Games, and the federations are asked to consider any proposals in regard to the evolution of their program and athlete quotas within that framework. …

“It’s very much focused on the athletes, again, in terms of the competitions, the athlete input into the proposals and allowing us to not only showcase, but engage with the emerging generation of athletes in each sport. …

“We’re very conscious around costs and complexities, so any evolution of the event program will have to take into account the cost and complexity, and there we’re not looking – clearly – for any events which require new venues. All of the events from the respective sports will have to fit in to the existing competition structure and plan, and equally will have to work within the existing IF quotas.”

The framework stresses athlete and fan excitement, but also cost concerns, including:

● “Avoid any increase to the respective sport-specific quota allocation compared to the Paris 2024 programme

● “Demonstrate a positive and sustainable impact on the Games and host, focusing on ensuring compelling and high-value sessions, while reducing the cost and complexity of operations, e.g. number of competition and training days

● “Use only existing venues and fields of play with no major adaptations”

The discussions over the next 14 months will be interesting so say the least.

4.
Russia furious at IOC’s transfer of allegiance actions

At Wednesday’s IOC Executive Board meeting, transfers of allegiance were approved for nine individuals, including three Russians, with cyclist Valeriia Liubimova moving from Russia to France; wrestler Georgi Tiblov from Russia to Serbia and cyclist Mikhail Yakolev from Russia to Israel.

On Thursday, Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov went ballistic, writing on his Telegram page (translation by the Russian news agency TASS):

“The Executive Committee of the Russian Olympic Committee did not consent to the transfer of the Russian nationals mentioned in the IOC statement to the jurisdiction of other national committees. We consider it inadmissible to indulge in arbitrarily and selectively interpreting the Olympic Charter.

“The aggressive anti-Russian stance of destructive elements in the Olympic Movement keeps sterilizing international sports from political neutrality, but in return ‘allows’ functionaries to ignore and violate international law, their own regulations and common sense.

“Just think about it, a single sports organization has come to the point where it assumes the right, beyond its own jurisdiction, of imposing sanctions against sovereign countries, while possessing neither formal status nor even some signs of being a subject of the system of international relations.

“Just like in the case of the ROC’s suspension under a far-fetched pretext, another mockery of the Olympic Charter, we will demand legally justified explanations and will keep protecting our rights in line with established norms.”

The changes of nationality must be requested by the National Olympic Committee of the athlete’s new country, approved by the International Federation concerned and the NOC from which the athlete is transferring. However, the IOC noted that the Russian Olympic Committee is suspended, implying that it was not consulted.

More bad news for Russia, this time in badminton, as the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced the 11 November suspension of the National Badminton Federation of Russia.

The suspension was on the same grounds as the IOC’s suspension, for the takeover of Ukrainian sports organizations in the occupied areas of Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

The suspension will be confirmed or lifted by the BWF Annual General Meeting in April 2024 in China. Individual “neutral” athletes from Russia are still to be allowed into competitions.

The Russian federation stated, “We will, of course, prove the injustice of this decision by all legal means.”

5.
Ethiopian marathon star Gemechu suspended for doping

The 2023 Tokyo Marathon women’s runner-up, Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for “Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP).”

The AIU site does not include specifics, other than the charge is based on comparisons with her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), which records an athlete’s “normal” testing values. Now 24, Gemechu moved to no. 9 all-time on the women’s all-time marathon list with her 2:16:56 finish at Tokyo in March.

She finished sixth at the 2019 women’s World Cross Country Championships and was a Team gold medalist; Gemechu was disqualified in the Tokyo Olympic 10,000 m in 2021 and did not finish at the World Championships marathon in Budapest (HUN) this summer.

The AIU also suspended Kenyan distance runner Beatrice Toroitich, 41, for steroids: “Norandrosterone, 19-Noretiocholanolone, Clomifene, Canrenone.” She is a 2:27:41 marathoner from 2012.

A two-year ban was placed on Rwandan marathoner John Hakizimana, 27, the ninth-placer at this summer’s World Athletics Championships marathon (2:10:50) for the presence of the prohibited substance Triamcinolone acetonide. His suspension began on 27 October and was only two years as the review panel found his use was unintentional.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● The last two undefeated teams in the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup – France and Germany – will meet on Saturday for the trophy in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Both are 6-0 after winning their groups and moving through difficult elimination games. All together, the French have been more efficient, scoring 10 goals and giving up just one so far, while the Germans played nail-biter after nail-biter, winning their knock-out matches by 3-2 over the U.S., 1-0 over Spain and 4-2 on penalties in their semi vs. Argentina after a 3-3 tie. The Germans have scored 16 goals so far, but have conceded seven.

Paris Brunner and Max Moerstedt have both scored four goals for the Germans, while Joel Tincres is the only French player to reach three so far, while Ismail Bouneb has two.

Both sides have history in this tournament, with the French winning in their only final in 2001 and the Germans also in one final, but losing – as West Germany – in the first tournament way back in 1985. France won the 2019 bronze and the Germans took third in both 2007 and 2011.

On Friday, Mali is back in its second bronze-medal match in three editions, finishing fourth in 2017, and facing Argentina, which was fourth in 2013.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Kamila Valieva (RUS) doping case that involves the figure skating Team Event, may not be decided until mid-February.

In the minutes of the 27 November 2023 meeting of the International Skating Union Council, it was stated:

“The Council noted that the Court of Arbitration for Sport expects to publish its decision regarding the arbitration proceedings involving the ISU, WADA, RUSADA and Ms. Kamila Valieva by February 12, 2024.”

The continuing tug-of-war over Valieva’s positive test for trimetazidine on 25 December 2021 has held up the finalization of the results of the Team Event, won on the ice by Russia, with the U.S. second and Japan third. While the Russian Anti-Doping Agency imposed a four-year ban, the independent RUSADA appeals board gave her a one-day suspension which allowed her to continue competing at the Games. She finished fourth in the women’s competition.

The matter was filed on appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the World Anti-Doping Agency requesting a four-year ban, the International Skating Union asking for a two-year suspension and RUSADA asking for a sanction which would be as little as a warning.

● International Olympic Committee ● A question was raised at Thursday’s IOC news conference about the gift “albums” which were authorized by Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as an inducement/promotion for IOC members to vote for Tokyo as the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games.

Referred to by former Japanese lawmaker and now Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase in a 17 November speech, IOC spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) said there was nothing to investigate from its side, explaining “In any case, an album is a token of appreciation which is in line with IOC policy.”

Hase later retracted his remarks after being corrected on his facts by the Education Ministry.

The IOC issued a statement of condolence following the passing of Honour Member Henry Kissinger, the famed former U.S. Secretary of State from 1973-77 and a key player in ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam, opening relations with China and in improving relations with the USSR.

Kissinger died Wednesday at age 100; IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) said:

“When I was elected IOC President in 2013, I approached him and asked whether he would be ready to advise the IOC and me, as he had done through the IOC 2000 Commission. He immediately said yes. Since then, we spoke regularly and became friends. He gave me invaluable advice in all the many geopolitical issues the world and sport had to face in recent years. I will greatly miss a brilliant man and a warm-hearted friend. My thoughts are with his beloved wife Nancy and all his family.”

● Olympic Council of Asia ● The OCA’s member National Olympic Committees “ratified by two third majority the OCA Executive Board’s decision of 19th October 2023 to approve the report of the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer regarding the OCA elections held in Bangkok on July 8.”

This unusual confirmation means that the OCA elections in which Kuwaiti Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al-Sabah was selected to be OCA President is nullified and India’s Randhir Singh continues as the acting chief until constitutional reforms are put in place and a new elective Congress can be held.

The move sidelines the powerful Al-Sabah ruling family of Kuwait, which has run the OCA since its founding in 1982.

● Paralympic Games ● The Russian Paralympic Committee is discussing a move from the European confederation to Asia, based on the attitude of the European members. Said Russian Paralympic Federation chief Pavel Rozhkov:

“We continue consultations with the [International Paralympic Committee], with the European Paralympic Committees, there should be good from them. But we are still waiting for the IPC’s political decisions; they should at least express their position. Verbally they are not against it, but they took a pause to legally justify our transition to Asia. We are ready in principle.

“The Europeans are going to appeal to the IPC, to the court, to challenge the decision of the IPC General Assembly in Bahrain. Thanks to this decision, we were allowed in. There are European countries that support us, but the majority are indignant. In this situation, it is difficult to participate in competitions in Europe, we understand that.”

● Figure Skating ● A potentially important development was discussed at the ISU Council meeting this week, with the minutes noting:

“The Council confirmed that the ISU will cooperate with the company ClicknClear in relation to clearing music rights for Skaters. A first cooperation will take place for the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024. Further information will be published shortly.”

This has been an issue for skaters in recent years, with some performers sued for use without permission of the music owners. An easy-to-implement system would be a considerable improvement.

● Football ● The next step in the formal award of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, submission of the completed bidding agreement, has been concluded with all six proposed hosts of the 2030 event and the sole bidder for 2034, complying with the requirements.

Agreements for 2030 were received from Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with agreements for single matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The bid process will continue with meetings and visits of each potential host country, with the actual award to take place in mid-2024.

A survey by the FIFPRO players association of women who participated in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup showed that 30% of the players on 26 teams received $30,000 or less annually from their club and national teams.

This does not count FIFA’s payout for the Women’s World Cup, which guaranteed not less than $30,000 to each player, and the survey included 260 players from 26 of the 32 teams. The compensation spread was wide, with 15% saying they made more than $150,000, 49% earning less than $50,000, six percent less than $10,000 and eight percent less than $5,000 U.S.

Players also asked for more rest, both before the tournament (53% had 0-13 days rest) and after the tournament, with 60% having 0-13 days; a recovery period of 3-5 weeks was suggested.

● Swimming ● Canadian star Summer McIntosh, 17, won the women’s 400 m Freestyle over Katie Ledecky at the Toyota U.S. Open in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the no. 6 performance of 2023, in 3:59.42. The 2023 Worlds bronze medalist was in charge from the start and won comfortably, with Ledecky finishing in 4:02.38, ahead of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (4:06.32).

U.S. stars Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh and Torri Huske were 1-2-3 in the women’s 200 m Medley, with Douglass taking over on breaststroke and touching in 2:08.46 to 2:08.96 for Walsh – repeating their 1-2 from the 2023 World Championships – and 2:09.10 for Huske. It’s the no. 15 performance of the year for Douglass, who now has four of those marks.

The versatile Douglass then came back to win the women’s 50 m Free in 24.38, just short of her lifetime best by 0.02, beating Huske and 2023 Worlds fourth-placer Abbey Weitzeil, who tied for second at 24.41, with Rio 2016 co-gold medalist Simone Manuel seventh in 24.82.

The men’s 50 m Free sprint went to Michael Andrew in 21.80, touching ahead of Josh Liendo (21.90). Comebacking sprint superstar Caeleb Dressel won the B final in 21.99 (over Matt King: 22.05), which would have tied for fourth in the A final and is his fastest in the event since April of 2022.

Chase Kalisz, the 2017 World Champion, won the men’s 200 m Medley in 1:57.43, just ahead of Hubert Kos (HUN: 1:57.88), taking the lead on the breaststroke leg. Two 2022 World Championships men’s 4×200 m relay teammates went 1-2 in the 400 m Free, with Drew Kibler beating top-seed Kieran Smith, 3:47.58 to 3:48.72.

The meet continues through Saturday.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: IOC designates France, Salt Lake City and Swiss for Winter Games 2030-34-38; Allyson Felix up for election to Athletes’ Commission

By
Rich Perelman
-
International Olympic Committee Winter Future Host Commission Chair Karl Stoss (AUT) at Wednesday's news conference. (IOC video screen shot)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC Exec Board picks France, Salt Lake City and Swiss!
2. Analysis: experience and money behind the decisions
3. Salt Lake City team rejoices at designation for 2034
4. Felix one of 32 candidates for IOC Athletes Commission
5. Figure skating viewing up for Ziegler’s shock win in Osaka

● The International Olympic Committee Executive Board approved the recommendations of its Future Host Commission for the Winter Games for “targeted dialogue” for the French Alps bid for 2030 and Salt Lake City for 2034. It also surprised with the naming of the Swiss bid for “privileged dialogue” to work towards an award of the 2038 Winter Games. Sweden was left out, again.

● What happened and why? The IOC went with what it felt were sure hands for 2030 and 2034, giving France another Games just six years after Paris 2024 so at least some of the same staff – and sponsors – could continue, and taking advantage of the expertise in Salt Lake City, which has hosted winter-sport events since the 2002 Winter Games there. And there is an important financial incentive for the IOC to go to Salt Lake City in 2034.

● The overjoyed Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games will plot its next steps at a meeting on Friday and celebrate the IOC’s announcement with a ceremony at the Olympic and Paralympic Cauldron Plaza at the University of Utah.

● The IOC announced 32 candidates for four spots on the IOC Athletes’ Commission to be voted on in Paris next summer, with track & field superstar Allyson Felix of the U.S. on the ballot.

● The U.S. audience for the ISU figure skating Grand Prix hit a seasonal high for the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan, to see highlights of Ava Marie Ziegler’s surprise win.

● World Championships: Handball (IHF women’s Worlds open in Norway and Denmark) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (2: road restrictions coming in Olympic areas; three more Russians change nationality) = Olympic Games (Dubi warns of change of summer Games dates due to climate) = Pan American Games (Brazil’s Matera topped Parapan Ams with eight golds!) = World University Games (Para sport – wheelchair basketball – coming to WUG 2025 in Germany) = Canoe-Kayak (Leibfarth sweeps U.S. Slalom Nationals) = Swimming (U.S. Open to showcase stars like Douglass, Dressel, King, Ledecky and more) ●

1.
IOC Exec Board picks France, Salt Lake City and Swiss!

Salt Lake City’s confirmation as the International Olympic Committee’s “target” to host the 2034 Olympic Winter Games was the only expected outcome of Wednesday’s IOC Executive Board meeting in Paris.

Continuing to make up the new selection process on the fly, the Future Host Commission recommended – and the Executive Board approved – the selection of the French Alps proposal for 2030 for “targeted dialogue” and created a new concept of “privileged dialogue” for Switzerland’s bid for 2038. Sweden’s bid was, for a second consecutive time, left behind.

Winter Games Future Host Commission Chair Karl Stoss (AUT) detailed the reasons for the selections in a 56-minute news conference, including:

“The IOC will now start more detailed discussions with the preferred hosts, led by their [National Olympic Committees] with the aim to award the two editions at the 142nd IOC Session in July in Paris.

“In addition, the IOC Executive Board decided to grant the non-edition-specific project Switzerland 203x a special status by inviting it into ‘privileged dialogue’ for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038.

“Why? As you know, there are four current parties with an interest in hosting the Olympic Winter Games: France, USA, Sweden and Switzerland. Commission members were deeply impressed by all four projects: technical excellence, passion for Olympic Winter sport and commitment to the sustainability principles of Olympic Agenda 2020+5.

“What really stood out about the French Alps and Salt Lake City-Utah projects were the vision for the athlete’s experience, alignment with the regional and national socio-economic development plans, and the very strong support from the public and from the levels of government.

“The Commission felt strongly that the other interested parties would benefit from more time to optimize the athlete’s experience of their future Games, and to continue to build on the burgeoning foundations of public and political support.

“Switzerland 203x has great potential with its project aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and the principles of sustainability, cost reduction, environmental protection and legacy. Today’s decision was made on these positive elements.”

Stoss made specific mentions of the attractiveness of the French and American programs:

● “Positives for the French Alps project: the vision of the rejuvenation of the Alps and [to] bring sustainable tourism in this region; the Games plan: maximum use of venues, five to four clusters, alignment with the development plans and Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Experience and skills in winter sports hosting and best practices of Paris 2024, that means sustainability integrated in every area from transport to finance, aligned to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“And public, private sector and the highest possible government support.”

He noted that the French will be required to specify a venue for speed skating, not included in the present submittal, either on a temporary basis, or elsewhere in France or even in another country. A new ice hockey hall is proposed in Nice, but has not been confirmed; the bid organized from two regions: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes (AURA) and Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur (PACA).

● “Positives of the Salt Lake City-Utah: that was the vision of build on the legacies on 2002 and create a future for venues and sports programs. Games plan: very compact master plan, no capital investment required. Experience in U.S. of hosting major international events in most Olympic winter sports. Exceptional public support and the highest level of national, state and city government support.”

As for the Swiss concept, while Stoss commended the available venues and expertise in winter sports competitions, but underlined that further demonstrations of public support – possibly through a referendum – and business and political support are needed. Moreover, the Swiss plan to distribute the event across the country, without an Olympic Village, has to be refined. Said Stoss:

“They have to show us a more comprehensive venue plan. The venue master plan was spread all over the country and they have to bring it more closer to some hubs, that means maybe four clusters and to bring the Olympic spirit to the Olympic Villages. So at the moment, we don’t have Olympic Villages, we have just different accommodations all over the country, and we have to discuss now in the next few years, it means latest ‘til [the end of] 2027 to bring up this new master plan as well as hopefully the guarantees and maybe a referendum. … We will encourage them – go for a referendum – then the situation will be clear for all of us.”

There is a lot of work to be done on this project. If the Swiss program cannot be formulated by the end of 2027, the bidding for 2038 will be re-opened.

Sweden’s program was praised as sustainable and “technically excellent,” but the Commission believes more has to be done to drum up enthusiasm from the public, from government and from the business sector. The financial projections for domestic sponsorship and for ticket sales were felt to be too high.

Stoss also gave a rough timeline of the next steps, saying the selected bids “have now to do their homework”:

● Feb. 2024: Submission of more detailed plans
● Mar. 2024: Submission of the required guarantees
● Apr. 2024: Site visits
● May 2024: Future Host Commission evaluations reports
● Jun. 2024: IOC Executive Board review
● Jul. 2024: IOC Session vote

Multiple questions were asked about Sapporo (JPN), once the front-runner for 2030, but now in chaos. The Japanese Olympic Committee told the IOC it was not a candidate last October, but it would be welcome to bid for 2038 if the Swiss are not able, or for 2042 as there would interest in an Asian candidature on the basis of continental rotation.

The IOC Executive Board will continue to meet on Thursday and visit the 2024 Olympic Village on Friday.

2.
Analysis: experience and money behind the decisions

“This is one of the great opportunities for the French bid, to use all the sponsors from 2024, and they discussed already with some of the big companies in the country, and they would like to support it as well, so they have a really great [foundation] for the sponsorship. …

“With all the experience from Paris 2024 and to use it also for the next step to the Winter Games, that is a big advantage comparing to the other competitors here.”

That was IOC Future Host Commission Chair Stoss, speaking about the decisions which will likely place Olympic and Winter Games in the same countries six years apart for France (2024 and 2030) and the U.S. (2028 and 2034). And experience and money are at the heart of it.

The IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi (SUI), commended the Salt Lake City-Utah bid, noting:

“They have brought all the guarantees needed already, at this point in time, so it is extremely strong. …

“In Salt Lake City, we’ve had a partner now for three years now, and they’ve been incredibly patient, incredibly thorough and were able to rally everyone behind what is a superb project.”

In discussing both bids, Stoss and Dubi underscored the tie between the organizing expertise of the Paris 2024 team and the ability to turn that around for 2030. And for 2034, the IOC very much wants and needs a U.S. bid:

● The $7.65 billion, six-Games NBC television rights contract will expire in 2032 and the IOC can now offer a home Winter Games to NBC and/or other American broadcasters, and a possible Winter Games in Europe for 2038. The staging of the 2020 Olympic Games and the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games in Asia were ratings-killers for NBC.

● Stoss noted the strong desire of the Salt Lake City-Utah bid – and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee – for a cooling-off period between LA28 and its own hosting to allow for better domestic sponsorship sales options.

● Stoss also emphasized the continuing expertise of winter-sport organization in Utah, dating back to the highly successful 2002 Winter Games. The Utah Sports Commission reported that 2023-24 international competitions are already scheduled for biathlon, bobsled, luge, skeleton, cross country skiing, freestyle skiing, short track and speed skating.

There was no mention of the discussion within the Future Host Commission for the Winter Games on a possible permanent rotation of sites that will have natural snow into the foreseeable future. However, all three of the preferred bids for 2030-34-38 are in such places, allowing the IOC to continue its review of the possibilities while expecting to host its next three Winter Games in possible rotation locations.

And for the critics of the IOC’s choices of sites in places such as Beijing (CHN) in 2008 and 2022 and Sochi (RUS) in 2014, it will be difficult to harder to screech wildly about future Winter Games in France, the U.S. and Switzerland, with all three expecting to finance the events from IOC television rights, sponsorships, ticketing and licensing.

No doubt, there will be other things to complain about.

An interesting answer concerning the IOC’s compliance with its own regulations was given by Dubi. He was asked about Rule 33.4 of the Olympic Charter, which states:

“The election of the host of the Olympic Games takes place in a country having no candidature for the organisation of the Olympic Games concerned.”

Following the rule as written would prohibit the French bid for 2030 from being elected by the IOC Session meeting next July in Paris, right?

No, said, Dubi, replying that this rule only applies to a competitive election – “there are no other bids for the same Games” – and that the confirmation of an already-targeted candidature would not violate the Charter.

Really? Really?

3.
Salt Lake City team rejoices at designation for 2034

No election to watch, but there were – believe it or not – watch parties in Salt Lake City to view Wednesday’s news conference and hear the expected news that the effort to return the Games in 2034 had moved to the penultimate step.

Fraser Bullock, the Chief Operating Officer of the 2002 Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) and now the President and chief executive of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, said:

“The decision of the IOC to invite Salt Lake City-Utah into Targeted Dialogue as the Preferred Host for 2034 is a credit to our communities working together to create a welcoming region for sport across our state. For more than a decade, our state and community leaders have united towards this goal. The IOC has recognized our high level of preparedness, with all venues in place and active, as well as overwhelming support from our political and business leaders as well as the public.”

The IOC’s praise for the community support for the bid was echoed by elected officials as well:

● Utah Governor Spencer Cox:

“Our biggest strength as the State of Utah is our unity and partnership. Over the coming months, we will continue to showcase the remarkable attributes of our state and, most of all, our people. We look forward to a decision by the IOC in 2024 to welcome Salt Lake City-Utah as a future host for 2034.”

● Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall:

“The 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have the power to unify our communities and inspire future generations, champions, and leaders of tomorrow. We feel an immense sense of pride in our city today and anxiously look forward to a final decision from the IOC next year.”

The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Olympic Games is chaired by four-time Olympic speed skater Catherine Raney Norman, who led a concerted effort to include athletes in the development of the bid, and noted that “Our continued engagement of athletes in our planning and seeking new, innovative ways to enhance our communities through sport have been recognized by the IOC.”

A joint meeting of the SLC-UT governing board and strategic board will be held Friday (1st) at Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah, followed by a 6 p.m. celebration at the Olympic and Paralympic Cauldron Plaza at the stadium, with Cox, Mendenhall, SLC-Utah Committee officials and Utah-resident medal winners from 2002 through 2022 and future hopefuls.

4.
Felix one of 32 candidates for IOC Athletes Commission

The IOC also announced the candidates for the election of four members to the IOC Athletes’ Commission, with 32 athletes nominated by their National Olympic Committees.

The iconic Allyson Felix, 38, the 11-time Olympic medalist (7-3-1), was nominated by the U.S. and will be a strong candidate for election for an eight-year term; according to the IOC, “All athletes competing at Paris 2024 are eligible to vote in the Athlete365 House in the Olympic Villages during the Olympic Games.”

Further, elected members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission are also eligible for election as IOC members, so Felix could be on a path that will carry her onto the IOC itself.

The 32 candidates for the four slots include multiple Olympic stars, including Felix, taekwondo gold medalist Cheick Sallah Cisse (CIV), Australian canoe slalom four-time Olympic medalist Jessica Fox, Brazilian two-time gold medalist sailor Kahena Kunze, three-time Olympic medalist in BMX cycling, Mariana Pajon (COL), Argentina judo gold medalist Paula Pareto, golf gold medalist Inbee Park (KOR), two-time gold-medal-winning rower Valent Sinkovic (CRO) and three-time fencing gold medalist Aron Szilagyi (HUN).

The election is important for Felix and for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, as there are two American IOC members, Anita DeFrantz (71), elected in 1986, and David Haggerty (66), elected in his position as the President of the International Tennis Federation. A third member, cross-country skiing star Kikkan Randall, was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2018 and became an IOC member, but had to step away in 2021 in view of her continuing fight against cancer.

Seven members of the Athletes Commission will be concluding their terms as IOC members in 2024, including Russian women’s pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva, elected in 2016. This will leave Russia with one IOC member, Shamil Tarpischev, 75, who was elected in 1994 and may serve until age 80.

5.
Figure skating viewing up for Ziegler’s shock win in Osaka

Word about the unexpected win by American teen Ava Marie Ziegler at the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy in Osaka (JPN) apparently got around, as viewership for the NBC highlights show last Sunday (26th) reached a seasonal high.

An average of 808,000 viewers saw the show, which began at 3 p.m. Eastern time, directly against the NFL late window. That topped the 699,000 who watched the Skate America show in October and the 690,000 for the Grand Prix of Espoo in Finland on 19 November.

The FIS Alpine World Cup from Killington, Vermont – starring superstar Mikaela Shiffrin – which preceded the skating at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, drew a respectable audience of 508,000 vs. the NFL early window. NBC’s “Chasing Gold: Paris 2024″ show that ran at 2 p.m. Eastern and led into the skating, averaged 449,000 viewers.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Handball ● The 26th IHF Women’s World Championship got underway on Wednesday as three nations – Denmark, Norway and Sweden – will host matches, continuing to the gold-medal final on 17 December.

The opening matches were in Group C in Stavanger (NOR), with Austria holding on to beat South Korea, 30-29, despite 11 goals from Korea’s Bit-na Woo, and Norway thrashing Greenland, 43-11 behind seven scores from Camilla Herren.

In Group G in Frederikshavn (DEN), Brazil sailed past Ukraine, 35-20, with Mariana Costa and Bruna De Paula scoring seven goals each, and Spain out-classed Kazakhstan, 34-17, expanding a 14-8 halftime lead. The U.S. did not qualify.

The 32 teams in pool play will continue through 5 December, with 24 teams advancing to the Main Round (6-11 December) and then the quarterfinals on 12-13 December and the medal matches on 17 December.

Norway is the defending champion, defeating France in the final in 2021, with Denmark third by beating Spain in the bronze-medal match.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said Wednesday that traffic restrictions during the Games period will require QR codes to access specific areas which are in Games-related areas.

The codes will need to be used by motor vehicles and motorcycles, but not by pedestrians or bicycles.

There was some instant criticism, which Nunez brushed off, saying, “One can always be the little ugly duckling who sulks in the corner. We know we’ll have lots of those.”

The IOC Executive Board approved changes of nationality for nine athletes on Wednesday, including three more Russian athletes.

Cyclist Valeriia Liubimova is transferring from Russia to France; wrestler Georgi Tiblov from Russia to Serbia and cyclist Mikhail Yakolev, from Russia to Israel.

British rower Jamie Copus was approved for transfer from Great Britain to the U.S.

● Olympic Games: Future ● The IOC’s Christophe Dubi explained during Wednesday’s news conference that the Future Host Commissions are also concerned with climate issues for the Olympic Games as well as the Winter Games. As to future hosts, he noted:

“This question is also valid for the summer Games; for certain cities we had in the past, if we go to 2040, it will be very complicated to keep the dates we have today, between mid-July and end of August.”

● Pan American Games ● The biggest medal winners at the Parapan American Games in Santiago (CHI) were noted by the International Paralympic Committee on Wednesday, with swimmer Douglas Matera (BRA) topping the list with eight golds!

Matera won the 100 m Freestyle, 100 m Backstroke and 100 m Butterfly in category S12, the 50 m Freestyle and 400 m Free in S13, the 200 m Medley in class SM13, and was a member of the winning relay teams in the Mixed x100 m Free and Mixed 4×100 m Medley.

The leading women’s winners were five-time gold medalists Maria Carolina Gomes Santiago (BRA: swimming) and Karen Palomeque (COL: athletics). Santiago won the 50-100 m Free in class S12, the 100 m Breast in SB12 and was on the Mixed 4×100 m Free and Mixed 4×100 m Medleys. Palomeque won the 100 m and 200 m in T37, the 400 m in T38 and the T36/37/38 long jump, plus the universal women’s 4×100 m.

● World University Games ● Paralympic sport will debut at the World University Games in 2025 at Rhine-Ruhr (GER), with the addition of 3×3 wheelchair basketball. Eight men’s and eight women’s teams will compete at the Arena-Sportpark in Dusseldorf.

If successful, look for more such events to be added.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Tokyo Olympian Evy Leibfarth swept the women’s honors at the 2023 U.S. Slalom nationals held at Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City last weekend.

Still 19 and a Worlds bronze medalist in Slalom Cross in 2021, Leibfarth took the women’s C-1 final with a 101.59-second finish on her second run, well ahead of Isabella Altman (125.23). It was closer in the K-1 final, as Leibfarth’s best time cane on the first run at 95.82, with older sister Marcella Altman – also 19 – second at 100.84 on her second run.

And Leibfarth won the Slalom Cross, ahead of Marcella Altman.

The men’s races were won by three different paddlers, with Tokyo Olympian Zachary Lokken taking the C-1 final in 94.64 on his first run from Casey Eichfeld, the two-time Pan Am Games gold medalist from 2015, who completed runs of 94.96 and then 94.80 for second.

Joshua Joseph won the men’s K-1 in 90.82 (two penalties), just ahead of Tyler Westfall (93.07). Kaelin Friedenson took the men’s Cross gold, ahead of Isaac Zimmerman.

● Swimming ● The Toyota U.S. Open is on in Greensboro, North Carolina, with competition through Saturday (2nd) and some superstar entries, including the comebacking Caeleb Dressel, Olympic and World Champion Lilly King, USA Swimming athletes of the year Ryan Murphy, Katie Ledecky and Kate Douglass and Canadian superstar teen Summer McIntosh.

This is essentially a training check for the swimmers, but important with the Olympic year of 2024 on the horizon. Ledecky won the women’s 800 m on Wednesday evening in 8:15.91, the no. 12 performance of 2023, trailed by a lifetime best from Pan Am Games gold medalist Paige Madden (8:29.91).

Charlie Clark of the U.S. (and Ohio State) won the men’s 800 m in 7:50.49, with Tokyo Olympic champ Bobby Finke fourth overall in 7:54.90.

The meet can be seen on NBC’s Peacock streaming service on Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern, and delayed coverage on CNBC on Sunday (3rd) at noon Eastern and highlights the following Saturday (9th) on NBC at 5 p.m. Eastern.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: IOC Exec Board meets on 2030, Salt Lake Winter bids; Perec thinks four should light Paris torch; transit passes doubled for Paris 2024

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Olympic Cauldron Plaza at the University of Utah, commemorating the 2002 Olympic Winter Games (Photo: University of Utah)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC Executive Board expected to advance 2030-34 Winter hosts
2. France’s Perec suggests four Paris ‘24 torch lighters
3. Paris transit authority doubles Games-period fares
4. Cloud connectivity reducing Olympic TV infrastructure
5. Russia’s Kolesnikov: the Olympics is not everything

● The International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board begins a three-day meeting on Wednesday and is expected to advance Salt Lake City’s bid for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games and one or more bids for 2030 from France, Sweden and Switzerland.

● Triple Olympic gold medalist Marie-Jose Perec of France said she would be honored to be the final torchbearer for Paris 2024, but would prefer to see a four-person team light the cauldron at the opening next 26 July.

● The regional transit authority in France that includes Paris announced that public transit fees will be more-or-less doubled during the Olympic and Paralympic Games period in 2024 in order to help recoup €200 million in added costs.

● The Olympic Broadcasting Services team is gearing up for Paris 2024, with 8,300-plus staff producing 3,300 feeds from the International Broadcasting Center. However, new cloud technologies introduced at Tokyo 2020 will help to reduce the size of the IBC and the number of people from right-handing broadcasters who have to be in Paris to produce their domestic shows.

● Russian swimming world-record holder Kliment Kolesnikov, a two-time Olympic medal winner in Tokyo said that while the Olympic Games is an important achievement for an athlete, it should not be the most important thing in their lives.

● World Championships: Football (France and Germany advance to men’s U-17 World Cup Final) ●

● Panorama: Athletics (Cain settles suit vs. Salazar, Nike) = Basketball (Boylen named USAB Coach of the Year) = Football (Mexico draws big TV audience, not so much for USMNT) ●

1.
IOC Executive Board expected to advance 2030-34 Winter hosts

A three-day meeting of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board will commence Wednesday in Paris, with the star attraction being the report of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games.

A news conference is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Paris (12 noon Eastern time) – to be streamed live on the IOC’s YouTube channel – and IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) is expected to announce that one or more bidders for the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Winter Games will be advanced from the “continuous dialogue” stage to “targeted dialogue.”

In the new host-city selection process, the IOC eliminated the costly public beauty contests that had sometimes led to subtle, obvious or even direct bribery in favor of a private discussion protocol by which the IOC Executive Board would recommend where to stage future Olympic, Winter and Youth Games, with confirmation by vote of the IOC Session.

The entire bid concept for future Games has been completely revamped by the IOC under Bach, now emphasizing as little construction as possible, with venues now allowed to be spread even across multiple countries, with the implicit understanding that if necessary, a central “Olympic Village” would not exist.

The Future Host Commission for the Winter Games has said it is only considering one candidate for 2034: Salt Lake City (USA), which very successfully hosted the 2002 Winter Games. Its bid package is far advanced, even to the point that local, state and national government guarantees required by the IOC have been obtained, along with agreements for the use of the same venues as in 2002, along with Olympic Village housing at the University of Utah. Perhaps no bid in Olympic history has gone so far before any formal selection by the IOC, and Salt Lake City is broadly expected to be endorsed.

The 2030 situation is more complex, as three bids have been quickly assembled over the past few months, from two regions of southern France, and spread-out bids from Sweden and Switzerland. All three foresee mostly, if not totally, private financing of the event, and no all-new venues, with some refurbishments of existing sites.

The Swedish bid would place the bobsled, luge and skeleton events at the existing World Cup track in Sigulda (LAT), across the Baltic Sea, and center many of the other events around Stockholm. The Swiss bid is a national effort, using venues across the entire country that also host World Cup events; the bid has drawn good public and political support in place of the historic disinterest in Olympic events which would require public financing.

For 2030, the IOC might pick more than one bid for “targeted dialogue,” giving themselves a back-up option in case one country is unwilling to provide the myriad of guarantees on access, cargo, security and the like. The Olympic Charter does not allow the election of a future Games host in a Session held in that country, so if the French bid is advanced, the selection of the 2030 host may not be able to be made at the 2024 Session prior to the Olympic Games being held in Paris.

But Salt Lake City could be selected for 2034. The Future Host Commission for Winter has been asked to consider a permanent rotation of the Winter Games in locations which are forecast to be cold enough in the future to offer natural snow, and the Commission liked the idea of allocating 2030 and 2034 now to give it more time to consider this concept. If implemented, Salt Lake City could begin the rotation program in 2034 and host again in 2050.

Beyond the Winter Games selection, the Executive Board will hear reports about the International Federations and National Olympic Committees. On Thursday, progress reports on the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics (Gangwon), 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games and 2026 Youth Olympic Games (Dakar) will be heard. The Friday session will be devoted to Paris 2024, including a visit to the Olympic Village, which is nearing completion.

No report on Los Angeles 2028 is scheduled.

2.
France’s Perec suggests four Paris ‘24 torch lighters

France’s Marie-Jose Perec was a dominant force in the long sprints in the first half of the 1990s, winning Olympic gold in the 400 m at Barcelona and then the 200 and 400 m in Atlanta, plus 400 m World Championships golds in 1991 and 1995. She was the flagbearer for the French team at the opening of the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Now 55, she one of the obvious possibilities to be light the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris next summer, but told Agence France Presse that she has other ideas:

“If I were chosen, it would make me really happy. I would be very touched. But if it was up to me to choose, I wouldn’t just take one person to light the cauldron. I would take a man and a woman disabled sports as well as an able-bodied man and woman.

“I would mix people because that’s what France is today. We’re talking about inclusion. If you say that the [Olympics and Paralympics] are one, if you made this mascot and this logo, you have to follow your logic to the end.

“An inclusive team, I think that would be the most beautiful message that France could send in these dark times.

“Today, with what we’re going through, you can’t just put black or white. And women, we have to see them. It’s a decision that makes such a mark, which is very political. The whole world’s eyes are on you.”

The novel Paris 2024 opening ceremony will take place on 26 July on the Seine River, but the location and logistics of the cauldron and the lighting portion of the ceremony have not yet been revealed. The identity of the final torchbearer is usually a closely-guarded secret until the ceremony itself.

3.
Paris transit authority doubles Games-period fares

The Ile-de-France Mobilities authority, which runs the region’s public transit system, says that it will increase the service level by 15% during the time of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Someone has to pay for that, and the transit authority wants visitors coming to the Games to be the ones who do.

On Monday, Valerie Pecresse, President of the Ile-de-France Regional Council, announced that fares will be increased:

“During the Olympics and the Paralympics, the Ile de France region will dramatically increase its transport offer. It is out of question that the residents support that cost.

“We’re going to create a new pass, the Paris 2024 pass, that will allow visitors to travel through the whole Ile de France region. It will cost 16 euros a day, and up to 70 euros a week. It is the fair price.”

A single-trip ticket will be €4 from 20 July to 8 September, from a week prior to the Olympic opening to the day of the Paralympic closing. (€1 = $1.09 U.S.)

Current pricing is €2.10 for a single-trip ticket, €8.45 for a day, €30 for a week and €84.10 for a month-long pass, so the Games-period tickets will be 90% more for a single ticket, 101% more for a day and 233% more for a week.

The Ile-de-France Mobilities annual budget is €10.5 billion per year and €200 million in additional revenue is hoped for from these increases. Costs for holders of monthly, annual and special transit passes will not be affected by the special pricing.

4.
Cloud connectivity reducing Olympic TV infrastructure

Although not as obvious as the competition sites, the infrastructure required to televise the Olympic Games worldwide is perhaps the most complex task in the staging of the event. But advances in technology have helped to curb the continuous expansion of the space and people needed.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be broadcast across the globe, but primarily by a central team known as OBS, for “Olympic Broadcasting Services.” Formed in 2001, the core team of 160 staff in Madrid (ESP) grows to more than 8,300 during the Games and produces the basic coverage used by all broadcasters.

For decades, that meant that the signals from each of the competition and support sites were routed to a central International Broadcast Center, where rights-holding broadcasters set up their own studios to produce programming for their own country. NBC, as the American broadcaster, generally took up the most space.

But a major innovation for the Tokyo 2020 Games – held in 2021 – is changing this. Chinese technology giant and IOC sponsor Alibaba created, in conjunction with OBS, an “Olympic Cloud” system which allowed all of the signals captured at the Broadcast Center to be distributed via satellite and ground links to the home studios of broadcasters.

This groundbreaking advance allowed rights-holders to send fewer people to the Games – they could keep them at home – and reduce the ever-growing space needed for the IBC:

● 2016 Rio: 85,400 sq. m (about 919,000 sq. ft.)
● 2020 Tokyo: 45,000 sq. m (about 484,000 sq. ft.)
● 2024 Paris: 40,000 sq. m (about 431,000 sq. ft.)

Even so, the broadcast project is still extraordinary, with OBS to produce more than 11,000 hours of coverage, of which only about 4,000 will be the sports and ceremonies. The rest will be clips, highlights and loads of pre- and post-event coverage, including interviews and specially-created social-media content.

The production, in High Definition and Ultra High Definition (4K and 8K), will eventually offer 3,300 different feeds from the IBC, from 47 production units at 36 venue production compounds, more than 1,000 camera systems, more than 20 multi-camera replay systems and more than 3,600 microphones.

Bandwidth of 100 Gbps – gigabits per second – has been reserved for Olympic broadcast traffic.

The effort isn’t cheap. The IOC owns OBS and pays the television production costs for the Games, which ran to $439.6 million in 2021 alone.

All of this will support worldwide viewer on every kind of devise; 3.05 billion people watched some part of the Tokyo Games in 2021. Senior network executives and media analysts will be watching one metric especially closely: the share of viewing on over-the-air and cable television vs. viewing on streaming platforms. For Tokyo, 93% of all viewing was on television, but will the streaming revolution reach the Olympics in Paris?

5.
Russia’s Kolesnikov: the Olympics is not everything

The world-record holder in the men’s 50 m Breaststroke, Russian Kliment Kolesnikov, 23, won a Tokyo Olympic silver in the men’s 100 m Backstroke and a bronze in the 100 m freestyle. But he told the Russian news agency TASS that the Olympic Games is important, but not everything:

“It has not lost its meaning in general, the Olympics remains the best thing that can happen in an athlete’s life, but it is no longer the meaning of life; there is no need to link the two.

“By doing this, people then start to suffer from depression. It’s right to approach it simply as a competition, after which you forget about it all. Besides the Olympics and swimming, there are other things you can do and enjoy.”

He was asked if his attitude was forged after he competed in Tokyo in 2021:

“Absolutely. And not because of the fact that sanctions were imposed. It happened right after the Olympics. I had a change of heart about it all then. You prepare for them as a boy who has a dream to get there and win. But in the end you get into a tough, reality-filled adult life, where you realize that you are interesting only when you show something. So I’ve rethought my goals and objectives. I try to just catch a high from swimming, setting my personal records and world records.

“If you look from the athlete’s side, the Olympics are cool competitions, an unattainable level in terms of organization. It’s cool to be part of the swimming community, to see guys from different countries. But looking at it from the outside after the performance and realizing where it led to, it becomes awkward.”

Kolesnikov competed for the “Russian Olympic Committee” in Tokyo in 2021 and whether and under what circumstances he might be able to compete in Paris in 2024 is unclear.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● France and Germany entered the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup semis with perfect records and stayed that way – barely – and will meet in the final on Saturday in Surakarta (INA).

Argentina took a 2-1 halftime lead on Germany in the first semifinal on Tuesday (28th), on goals by striker Agustin Ruberto in the 36th minute and just before halftime at 45+4, overcoming a ninth-minute opener from forward Paris Brunner.

Brunner scored again in the 58th to tie the game on a right-footed shot from the top of the box that found the right side of the net and the Germans went up, 3-2, on forward Max Moerstedt‘s header in the 69th. It took a third Ruberto score, this time at 90+4 on a shot from the center of the box, to even the match and bring on the penalty shoot-out.

The Germans went up, 2-0 and 3-1, then Brunner completed the 4-2 shoot-out win on the fifth penalty shot, keeping them unbeaten at 6-0.

It wasn’t much easier for France (6-0), which was down to Mali by 1-0 at halftime on a stoppage-time rebound score from wing Ibrahim Diarra at 45+4. But the game changed in the 55th, as Mali defender Souleymane Sanogo was sent off with a red card after a video review of a foul. Now playing against 10, France scored a minute later on defender Yvann Titi’s header off a free kick into the middle of the box to tie the match.

And despite resolute defending, the French managed to get the lead in the 69th off a free kick, a swerving laser from attacking midfielder Ismail Bouneb that found the right side of the net for what turned out to be the game winner. Mali had 54% possession and a 20-9 edge on shots, but could not overcome Sanoyo’s red card, as midfielder Hamidou Makalou’s shot from distance hit the crossbar in the 89th.

Mali and Argentina will meet in the third-place game on Friday, also in Surakarta.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● A lawsuit filed by former distance star Mary Cain, now 27, against former coach Alberto Salazar and Nike has been settled, according to the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon.

Cain, a Bronxville (N.Y.) High School star who set prep records at distances from 800 m to 5,000 m in 2013-14 and represented the U.S. at the 2013 World Championships in the women’s 1,500 m at age 17, trained with the Nike Oregon Project under the direction of Salazar from 2013-16. She last competed in 2020 and has turned to triathlon in recent years.

Alleging emotional and physical abuse by Salazar and a lack of oversight by Nike, she filed suit in October 2021, asking for $20 million in damages. The Oregonian reported, “A clerk for the judge said a Nike attorney notified the court yesterday that the case had been resolved.”

● Basketball ● USA Basketball named Jim Boylen as its Coach of the Year on Tuesday, honoring his stewardship of a team of G-League players and free agents through the FIBA men’s World Cup qualifying process.

Boylen’s roster continuously changed for the six FIBA qualifying windows, but his teams – and a total of 52 players – compiled a 9-3 record and placed the U.S. in the FIBA World Cup, where it finished fourth overall and qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Boylen, 58, was the head coach at the University of Utah from 2007-11 and of the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 2018-20. He is currently an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers.

● Football ● There was strong interest in the CONCACAF Nations League last week … for Mexico, but not much for the U.S.

The second leg of the home-and-home with Trinidad & Tobago on Monday (20th) drew 305,000 viewers on TNT at 7 p.m. Eastern, after 152,000 watched the pre-game show.

But the Mexico-Honduras match on Tuesday did 2.08 million combined between UniMas (1.612 million) and TUDN (469,000). And the Argentina at Brazil World Cup qualifying match that turned into a riot and was delayed by almost a half-hour had 1.499 million on Telemundo and another 230,000 on Universo.

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TSX REPORT: Tax forms show money is tight at USATF; more Tokyo 2020 scandal? 87% of athletes trust the anti-doping system

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. USA Track & Field reserves down to $597,993 at start of 2023
2. More Tokyo 2020 questions: bid gift inquiry asked
3. USA Swimming: no contact with Russian federation
4. WADA’s 2022 annual report: 87% of aths trust the system
5. European study shows anti-doping education has impact

● USA Track & Field posted its 2022 tax return, showing that a long-promised $9.9 million contribution was made to the organizing committee of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, running its reserves down to $597,933 at the start of this year. Both revenues and expenses set all-time records, with the annual loss at $6.72 million.

● The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid is in the headlines again after a Prefectural Governor said that undisclosed government funds were used to enable “gifts” for International Olympic Committee members prior to the 2013 where Tokyo won the right to stage the Games. Prime Minister Kishida was asked to open an inquiry.

● USA Swimming said it has had no discussions with the Russian Swimming Federation about a dual meet next February, following the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Qatar, as Russian federation head Vladimir Salnikov had claimed over the weekend.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency published its annual report for 2022, noting that a survey of more than 1,500 athletes had 87% saying that they “trust that the anti-doping system enables clean competition and fair play.” The IOC and European governments continue to be the main WADA funders.

● An Italian-led study of the European Athletics mandatory “I Run Clean” education program showed that attitudes towards doping fell by 11% among athletes surveyed and 38% among coaches, a considerable success.

● Panorama: International Olympic Committee (“targeted dialogue” explained) = Paris 2024 (airports, Seine River to be closed for Olympic opening) = Athletics (Russian doping reported down in 2023) = Alpine Skiing (Shiffrin’s unbelievable career Slalom record) = Bobsled & Skeleton (IBSF celebrates its centennial) = eSports (Saudi prince elected head of IESF) = Fencing (FIE Congress recognizes year’s best) = Sailing (“Olympic Vision” concepts may include new rankings system) ●

1.
USA Track & Field reserves down to $597,993 at start of 2023

At the end of 2021, USA Track & Field reported net reserves of $8,533,319 on its IRS Form 990, the required tax return for non-profit organizations.

On Monday, nearly 11 months after the end of the year, the federation posted its 2022 Form 990, showing its net reserves were down by 93.0% to $597,993, after an overall loss of $6.72 million.

Why? A long-promised cash contribution to the success of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene of $9,903,723. A note on the cover of the return states this clearly, and it has left USATF with a difficult financial tightrope to walk, moving into an Olympic year with modest resources available to support its athletes, teams and programs. Compared with 2021:

● Assets were down from $46.08 million to $34.27 million, the lowest since 2013, when Nike’s sponsorship to 2040 was agreed.

● Cash available was down from $13.40 million to $1.80 million.

● Revenues were up from $33.77 million to $37.94 million, the most ever in a single year, which makes sense with the Worlds in the U.S. for the first time.

● Expenses were up from $34.14 million to $44.66 million, due to the World Championships payment, easily the highest expense total in USATF history (the prior high was $38.43 million in 2016).

There was a helpful increase in sponsorships in 2022 – helpful in a year when the U.S. hosted the Worlds – and extra donations to help ease some of the pain:

● Donations: $5.92 million in 2021, up to $7.95 million in 2022.
● Sponsorships: $20.21 million in 2021, rising to $23.30 million in 2022.
● Event rights and tickets: $3.94 million in 2021, down to $1.02 million in 2022.
● Membership fees: $1.428 million in 2021, up to $2.19 million in 2022.
● Sanction fees: $586,728 in 2021, nicely up to $1.06 million in 2022.
● Media revenue: $941,520 in 2021, up to $1.46 million in 2022.

The donations total included a “government grant” of $1.06 million and $3.88 million in in-kind goods and services, including apparel and other gear from Nike and a lot of airline credits.

The tax statement also detailed the amounts paid to athletes and volunteers:

● $2.52 million in prize money, to 670 athletes.
● $1.06 million in World Championships athlete payments (to 141).
● $406,580 in athlete travel funding (to 217).
● $312,467 in athlete travel funding (to another 400).
● $1.11 million in non-cash athlete travel support (to the 400).
● $748,000 in coaching stipends (to 90).
● $2.17 million staff/volunteer travel support (to 1,500).

As far as staff, 11 members of the 97 employees were shown with compensation of more than $100,000. Chief executive Max Siegel, who recently received a five-year contract extension, received $1.31 million for 2022, and has $405,347 remaining on a $952,730 loan he received from USATF to cover tax liabilities on his bonus shown in 2021 related to the long-term Nike sponsorship contract. USATF still owes $12.58 million in other commissions related to that sponsorship.

The organization’s cash was low and USATF had used $5.8 million of an $8.0 million line of credit as of the end of 2021. It maintains investments of $9.90 million as of the end of 2022.

More information may be available in the federation’s audited financial statement, expected to also be released this week, as the USATF Annual Meeting will be held from Thursday through Sunday in Florida.

Observed: USATF’s commitment to funding for the 2022 Worlds in Eugene was going to hurt its finances badly, and it did. Money is tight, and track & field is well behind other U.S. National Governing Bodies such as USA Swimming ($67.87 million in assets in 2022 and $41.28 million in reserves), the U.S. Soccer Federation ($171.7 million in assets in 2022 and $108.3 million in reserves) and U.S. Ski & Snowboard, which showed $99.56 million in assets and reserves of $75.44 million as of 30 April 2023.

2.
More Tokyo 2020 questions: bid gift inquiry asked

Scandal continues to dog the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with prosecutions continuing over bid-rigging of test events and venue management contracts and bribes over sponsorship selections, and now questions in the Diet (parliament) over gifts to members of the International Olympic Committee.

Tokyo was elected in 2013 by 60-36 over Istanbul (TUR) in the second round of voting, and Hiroshi Hase, a former Diet member and now the governor of the Ishikawa prefecture in central Japan said on 17 November that he was asked by then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “to make sure we win” and assuring Hase that there was money available for campaigning from Cabinet Secretariat discretionary funds, which are not made public. Per Kyodo News:

“Hase said he created albums costing 200,000 yen ($1,342) each for about 100 IOC members, containing photos from their athletic careers and other relevant information, while saying he ‘traveled around the world with the gifts.’”

Such items would be a breach of the IOC’s Ethics Code and could constitute a mis-use of the Cabinet Secretariat budget. Hase issued a statement about his comments, saying “They were statements based on facts that I had misunderstood, and I have fully retracted it,” and explained that he had been contacted by the Education Ministry, which pointed to mistakes in his original comment.

But that did not stop opposition politicians from asking current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida about the gifts and for an investigation on Monday (27th). Kishida responded:

“I would like to think about concrete responses after carefully considering the circumstances surrounding the retraction.”

While the gifts as described are a far cry from the outright bribery of IOC members that was alleged for the election of Rio de Janeiro for 2016, gifts of varying kinds had become part of the winner-takes-all bid fracas that has marked elections of bids for Olympic Games held in the 21st Century. The IOC reformed the process in 2019, ending direct elections and creating the current “dialogue” process through appointed Future Host Commissions for the summer and winter Games.

Japanese media saw Hase’s comments as a blow to the credibility of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. And it does not help discussions about a future Winter Games bid for Sapporo, likely now a possibility in 2038 at the earliest.

3.
USA Swimming: no contact with Russian federation

A Saturday post by the Russian news agency TASS quoted Russian Swimming Federation chief Vladimir Salnikov thus:

“I approached the U.S. Swimming Federation about holding a match meeting immediately after the world championships in Doha [in February 2024]. Now they are considering this proposal, but some people with whom I spoke, including the legendary American coach Mark Schubert, were very positive.

“As soon as we make progress in this direction, we will make an official statement.”

Asked for details on Monday, USA Swimming Chief Commercial Officer Shana Ferguson wrote in an e-mail:

“I can confirm to you that the leadership of USA Swimming has not spoken to the Russian Swimming Federation about this matter.”

The idea didn’t make a lot of sense in any case, as the U.S. is sending only 18 swimmers to Doha next February – including just five women – well short of the maximum team size of 52 and way short of the number required for a dual meet.

4.
WADA’s 2022 annual report: 87% of aths trust the system

One of the reasons that the World Anti-Doping Agency was founded in 1999 was to re-establish trust in Olympic sport that athletes are competing on a “level playing field” vis-a-vis doping.

That goal is being met, according to the 2022 WADA Annual Report, released on Friday (24th), as 87% of the 1,541 athletes surveyed “trust that the anti-doping system enables clean competition and fair play.”

The report also noted that surveys showed 74% of athletes believed that WADA “is concerned about athlete welfare” and 68% felt that WADA was interested in their needs and “is fair when dealing with athletes.”

WADA also won a grant of €1.43 million (about $1.56 million U.S.) to expand its investigational capabilities, an increasingly important aspect of its work.

In terms of the testing numbers, the latest figures were published earlier in the year and are from the pandemic year of 2020:

● 149,649 samples collected in 2022
● 935 adverse findings made (0.62%)
● 672 adverse findings from testing (71.9%)
● 263 adverse findings from investigations (28.1%)

The adverse findings came from 91 countries and 67 different sports and included 25 individuals who were support personnel, such as coaches.

The number of tests was way down in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and  the doping positives rate were down very slightly compared to the positives rate for the pre-pandemic year of 2019: 0.62% vs 0.68%.

WADA is quite careful with money. All of its efforts, including the testing, investigations and educational programs cost $42.8 million for 2022, against $47.7 million in revenue. The income came from the IOC ($24.196 million total) and governments ($23.143 million total), plus $2.37 million from the Montreal International promotion agency.

Europe continues as WADA’s main funder. In addition to the Swiss-based IOC contributing half the budget, the governmental contribution division is:

● 49%: Europe
● 29%: Americas
● 19%: Asia
● 3.0%: Oceania
● 0.3%: Africa

The European Union gave an additional $1.044 million and Saudi Arabia added $500,000 for research and investigations

Observed: This is a positive report, but many athletes still believe that doping is still rampant, at least in their own sports. WADA and the International Testing Agency have developed reasonably sophisticated means of targeting for out-of-competition testing those athletes most likely to compete for medals, but it also true that even at the Olympic Games – much less at world championships – not every athlete is tested.

With the advances in dried-blood-spot testing (DBS), which is a much easier test to administer and can be stored for a considerable time, testing everyone is a goal which should be set for 2028 at the latest. Every Olympic athlete should be tested, and DBS may make it possible for every athlete at every world championships to be tested as well, quickly and safely.

WADA has begun to look for commercial partners to assist in its work and the giants in the self-test industry – diabetics know all about blood-spot test kits made by Abbott, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche and others – could be approached to showcase their products as a sponsor of such testing worldwide.

5.
European study shows anti-doping education has impact

Does anti-doping education really work? A study of the European Athletics’ “I Run Clean” project shows that there is an improvement in attitudes against doping from seminar participants polled before and after their sessions.

The review, led by the Sapienza University of Rome (ITA), noted a change in the European Athletics approach:

“Unlike WADA’s voluntary ALPHA, or the Anti-Doping e-Learning (ADeL) platform that superseded it in 2018, European Athletics made the completion of I Run Clean a mandatory entry requirement for top athletes to participate in any of its championship events. The platform has attracted in excess of 49,000 users as of September 2023, more than 41,000 of whom have completed the entire programme.”

The 8 November report of the study, in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, described clearly positive impacts from the values-based education program, although hardly a complete abhorrence to doping. The study was done between November 2022 and February 2023, with 378 athletes and 278 coaches taking part, from Bulgaria (22.6%), Estonia (9.5%), France (21.8%), Germany (6.7%) and Italy (39.3%).

Among athletes (results rounded):

● Moral disengagement from doping dropped from 1.80 on a 5.0 scale prior to the workshops to 1.60/5.0 after the workshops, down 11%.

● Attitudes toward doping dropped from 1.75/5.0 prior to 1.55/5.0 post, also an 11% drop.

Among coaches:

● Moral disengagement from doping dropped from 2.30/5.0 prior to 1.50/5.0 post, down a significant 35%.

● Attitudes towards doping dropped from 2.10/5.00 prior to 1.30/5.0 post, down 38%.

The discussion noted rather concretely:

“The bottom-line measure of the success of any anti-doping education intervention is, of course, the impact on relevant psychosocial variables in the participants. The study clearly demonstrated the short-term effectiveness of the workshops. The results of the surveys administered in the two target groups studied (athletes and coaches) showed reduced risk factors …

“The presented results show the particular efficacy of the interventions focused on coaches, addressing the important need for coaches to provide positive role models and foster a clean sport environment. In fact, past evidence has shown that, besides peers, coaches are an important source of influence for athletes. …

“During a period when the paradigm of the fight against doping in sport expanded from testing and punishment to include values-based education, this novel project targeted practically all groups within athletics with a unique programme comprising expanded ‘top-down’ e-learning and newly designed ‘peer-to-peer’ workshops delivered by young volunteer ambassadors on athletes. The scientific literature has demonstrated the effectiveness of peer education in anti-doping interventions aimed at reducing positive attitudes and moral disengagement towards doping.”

Observed: It must be emphasized that one of the key differences between the “I Run Clean” program and others is that it was mandatory. So, along with the need to test everyone who competes in a major event, there is also the need to teach everyone about the dangers of doping and to stay away from it.

These needed improvements in the anti-doping system – both testing and teaching – across 100% of participant, coaches and entourage, will change the way championship events are run at multiple levels, requiring more time from athletes and support staff. But if doping is to be further reduced, the need for both elements is crucial and unavoidable. The costs are not too unwieldy, but the commitment will be hard to find in many quarters.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● The best indicator yet that one or more bids will be selected for “targeted dialogue” – meaning an effort to confirm selection as an Olympic Games host for a specific year – at this week’s IOC Executive Board meeting came on Monday with the IOC posting a story on “Electing Olympic and Paralympic hosts: Targeted Dialogue explained.”

The IOC Executive Board is scheduled to discuss Winter Olympic bids for 2030 and 2034 on Wednesday, with Salt Lake City (USA) likely to be tabbed for “targeted dialogue” for 2034 and France, Sweden and Switzerland vying for 2030.

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Le Parisien reported that airports within 150 km (93 miles) of Paris – including Roissy (Paris Charles de Gaulle), Orly, Le Bourget and Beauvais – will be closed from 7 p.m. to midnight on 26 July 2024 for the Olympic opening ceremony.

It was also confirmed that boat traffic on the Seine River – site of the opening – will be closed for the ceremony from about the 19th July through the ceremony. It won’t be a total loss, as some of the tour boats will be contracted for the ceremony anyway.

● Athletics ● The number of doping positives in Russian track & field is coming down, according to Russian Anti-Doping Agency head Veronika Loginova:

“Only four violations of anti-doping rules were detected in 2023, and more than 2,000 samples were taken. The statistics are such that we can both boast and rejoice. Last year we had seven cases of violations, this year only four. Now it’s almost the end of the year, and I hope that our statistics will remain like this.”

“If you and I remember, two years ago we had 14 violations. We see how much the situation is improving. It turns out that ARAF is working in the right direction.”

By contrast, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has posted six sanctions for U.S. track and field athletes in 2023 and two public warnings.

● Alpine Skiing ● Spectacular stat from NBC’s Nick Zaccardi on X (ex-Twitter):

“Starting with her first World Cup win at age 17 in December 2012, Mikaela Shiffrin has raced 101 slaloms among World Cup/World Championships/Olympics.

“Shiffrin in 101 slaloms: 60 wins (83 podiums)

“Rest of the world: 41 wins.”

Wow.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Last Thursday (23rd) marked the centennial of the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF), originally founded as the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et Tobogganing (FIBT).

The founding members in 1923 included Canada, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and the U.S., and over a century, there are now 74 national federations affiliated with the ISBF.

● eSports ● A noteworthy development in the continued rise of Saudi Arabia in international sports, as Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud was elected on Sunday as the president of the International Electronic Sports Federation (IESF).

Faisal won 98.6% of the vote (71 votes out of 72) and his term is through 2025. He has been the interim head of the IESF since 3 October.

● Fencing ● The FIE Congress met in Egypt and made awards to the top-ranked fencers and teams in each category for 2023:

● Men’s Epee: Davide Di Veroli (ITA) and France
● Women’s Epee: Marie-Florence Candassamy (FRA) and Korea
● Men’s Foil: Alexander Massialas (USA) and Japan
● Women’s Foil: Lee Kiefer (USA) and Italy
● Men’s Sabre: Sandro Bazadze (GEO) and Korea
● Women’s Sabre: Sara Balzer (FRA) and France

At the junior level, Americans Hadley Husisian (women’s Epee) and Colin Heathcock (men’s Sabre) were honored, along with U.S. teams in men’s and women’s Foil..

Montenegro was admitted as a member, bringing the federation total to 156.

● Sailing ● World Sailing concluded its Annual Conference, held in Malaga (ESP) last week, with the Council approving its “Olympic Vision,” which was not publicly released.

However, a preview came from the proposals from the World Sailing Classes Committee and the Olympic Classes sub-committee (OCSC), which noted:

● Concerns over “the requirement of supplied equipment” for all events;
● That new formats for LA28 be completed by the middle of 2025;
● Need for better coordination of media impact at the World Championships;
● A strategy for digital officiating is needed.

A fifth recommendation was also aimed at increasing sailing’s visibility:

“The OCSC recommends that the board prioritizes the implementation of the new ranking system, approved in 2018. The new rankings could be well used for media communication and building stars.”

The “Olympic Vision” paper is expected to be released soon.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Swiss in for 2030/2034 Winter bid; van de Vorst elected World Boxing chief; Brazil and U.S. 1-2 as Parapan Ams close in Santiago

By
Rich Perelman
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An amazing win for American teen Ava Marie Ziegler at the NHK Trophy in Japan! (Photo courtesy International Skating Union)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Swiss “sports parliament” approves 203x bid effort
2. World Boxing elects van der Vorst as President
3. South Africa out of 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup chase
4. Brazil tops Parapan American Games medal table
5. USA Fencing DEI preferences met in just 17 states

● The Swiss are in for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games as its “sports parliament” unanimously approved the bid for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Games. The International Olympic Committee is expected to possibly recommend one or two of the three 2030 bidders to advance this week.

● The in-formation World Boxing federation held its inaugural Congress in Germany and elected former Dutch Boxing Federation head Boris van der Vorst as its first President. A total of 25 national federations voted, and the organization’s first three sponsors were named.

● South Africa dropped out of the running for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, citing insufficient time to develop its complete proposal before the 8 December deadline. That leaves bids from Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. and a European bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

● The Parapan American Games concluded in Santiago, Chile, with Brazil setting a record for the most medals won with 343. The U.S. won 166 medals, its second-highest total ever, led by swimmer Taylor Winnett, who won seven medals.

● USA Fencing adopted a policy of placing its events in states which are highly placed on diversity, equity and inclusion by the Movement Advancement Project. As it turns out, only 17 states are “preferred,” and the federation notes that, owing to availability and budget issues, “we end up in some states on the ‘avoid’ list.”

● World Championship: Football (France and Germany continue perfect and into semis) ●

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (Gut-Behrami & Shiffrin take Killington titles) = Athletics (2: Pistorius paroled after serving 10 years; Kenya’s Borura gets three-year ban for doping) = Badminton (home team wins three at China Masters) = Beach Volleyball (Ramos and Lisboa win again in Pro Tour Elite 16) = Biathlon (Rees and Vittozzi win IBU World Cup openers) = Cross Country Skiing (Norway and Sweden sweeps golds) = Figure Skating (Ziegler, 17, stuns with women’s win at NHK Trophy) = Football (FIFA inquiry on Argentina-Brazil riot) = Freestyle Skiing (McEachran & Gremaud win windswept Slopestyle opener) = Nordic Combined (Oftebro and Riiber take opening wins) = Shooting (China leads medal count at ISSF World Cup Final) = Ski Jumping (Kraft sweeps Ruka opener) = Ski Mountaineering (Cardona wins, Ulrich surprises at opening World Cup) ●

1.
Swiss “sports parliament” approves 203x bid effort

Switzerland’s bid for a nationalized 2030 Olympic Winter Games was presented to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission on 21 November, but still had to be ratified by the more than 110 organizations which make up the SwissOlympic umbrella organization.

Nothing to worry about.

Friday’s vote was unanimous in favor of advancing the Swiss bids for both winter and summer mega-events. From the announcement:

● “They unanimously voted in favor of continuing the Switzerland 203x project, which envisages decentralized Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2030 (or 2034) in Switzerland. This means that Swiss Olympic can now enter into the final stage of dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the hosting of these Winter Games if the IOC also agrees.”

● “The project to hold the European Championships in Switzerland is also being pursued. Swiss Olympic has made a corresponding commitment to the summer sports associations. The target year for the Olympics depends on the Olympic project – 2030 or 34 are currently also possible, but holding both events in the same year is not an option.”

The Swiss idea for 2030 is grounded in the use of existing venues – now demanded by the IOC – and forecasts a relatively modest $1.6 billion (U.S.) budget.

The IOC Executive Board is expected to hear from its Future Host Commission on Wednesday (29th) and could approve a “targeted dialogue” towards making a 2030 award that day. France and Sweden are also bidding for the 2030 Winter Games and Salt Lake City in the U.S. is the leading candidate for 2034. The Future Host Commission has been authorized to make a recommendation for both 2030 and 2034 if they desire.

The budget for 2024 was also approved and offers an insight into the support available for a country of about 8.7 million people; a modest deficit of CHF 3.7 million is expected on revenues of CHF 126.7 million (about $143.5 million U.S.) and spending of CHF 130.4 million (~$147.7 million).

SwissOlympic will receive CHF 58.4 million (~$66.2 million U.S.) from the Swiss national lottery system.

2.
World Boxing elects van der Vorst as President

The in-formation World Boxing federation held its inaugural Congress in Frankfurt (GER) over the weekend, electing former Dutch Boxing Federation head Boris van der Vorst as its first President.

There were 25 national federations present, with van der Vorst receiving 26 votes (63.4%) to 15 for American Elise Seignolle (36.6%) for a two-year term. Said van der Vorst:

“Making sure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement is our number one priority and I look forward to working together with the newly elected board and all of our member National Federations to help us deliver this.”

Elections were also held for three Vice Presidents – Ryan O’Shea (CAN), Matt Holt (GBR) and Dinah Glykidis (AUS) were selected – and four additional members of the Executive Board.

The Congress reviewed the federation’s progress to date, with the delegates told that by the end of 2024, a total of 50 national federations are expected to be a part of the organization.

A projected budget for 2024 was also shared, with €861,575 in revenue from sponsorships, national federation dues, licensing, bid fees and start-up loans. An interest-free loan of $250,000 U.S. has already been secured. (€1 = $1.09 U.S.).

Expenses included administration and contractors, event management, anti-doping and €300,000 in contingency.

The revenue projections for sponsorships showed three categories to start and named equipment, apparel and technology support. World Boxing named Australia-based Sting in a four-year agreement for competition equipment. The company is also a supplier for the International Boxing Association.

The budget slide also identified Nike as its apparel sponsor and China’s Xempower (Nanjing Shanpao Sports Technology Co., Ltd.) as its technology provider.

3.
South Africa out of 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup chase

One of the four bidders for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup has withdrawn, leaving three bids to be considered.

South Africa decided that it will compete for hosting rights for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, with South African Football Association chief executive Lydia Monyepao saying “We felt it was better to present a well-prepared bid for 2031… rather than producing a rushed presentation.”

The completed bid file is due by 8 December, with submissions expected from Brazil, a joint Mexico-United States effort and a European conglomeration of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Each bid must offer a minimum of 10 stadiums, 40 team base-camp training sites and two sites in each proposed host city for a fan festival site.

FIFA will go through the bids, and will visit all three of the bid groups in February 2024 and an evaluation report will be made in early May, with the final award will be made by the FIFA Congress on 17 May 2024.

Brazil has never hosted the Women’s World Cup; the U.S. has hosted in 1999 and 2003, and Germany has hosted in 2011.

4.
Brazil tops Parapan American Games medal table

The VII Parapan American Games concluded in Santiago (CHI) on Sunday, with 1,943 athletes from 31 countries competing, 380 events held in 17 sports and Brazil once again leading the medal table with 343 total and the U.S. second with 166.

The Brazilians, who have led the medal table in five straight Parapan Americans (2007-11-15-19-23), sent the largest team at 324 total, with the U.S. the second-largest at 240, then Argentina at 206, Mexico at 186 and Colombia at 185.

The total of 380 events was the most ever at a Parapan American Games and the Brazilians won the most medals in the history of the event, with 156 golds, 98 silvers and 89 bronzes for a 343 total. The U.S. had its second-best performance ever in this event, with 166 total medals and 55 golds; the top 12 medal performances, dominated by Brazil:

● 343, Brazil in 2023
● 307, Mexico in 1999
● 307, Brazil in 2019
● 257, Brazil in 2015
● 228, Brazil in 2007
● 220, Mexico in 2003
● 212, Brazil in 1999
● 197, Brazil in 2011
● 185, United States in 2019
● 168, Canada in 2015 /10/
● 166, United States in 2023
● 165, Brazil in 2003
● 165, Mexico in 2011

The U.S. won medals in 15 of the 17 sports, with 159 total medal winners, with 51 winning more than one medal. The team leader was swimmer Taylor Winnett, 24, who won seven medals in all.

In terms of sports and athletes, the most popular was athletics, with 404 entries, followed by swimming (238), wheelchair basketball (185), table tennis (132) and badminton (100).

More than 300 Games records were set, along with five world records in athletics in various categories:

● Men’s 400 m: 46.48, Samuel Oliveira (BRA: T20)
● Men’s Long Jump: 7.74 m (25-4 3/4), Robiel Sol (CUB: T47)
● Men’s Javelin: 61.76 m (202-7), Jose Limos (COL: F37/38)
● Women’s Discus: 17.80 m (58-4 3/4), Elizabeth Rodrigues (BRA: F53)
● Women’s Discus: 41.16 m (135-0), Osiras Machado (MEX: F64)

At the closing ceremony, Chilean President Gabriel Boric spoke to reporters about the impact of both the Pan American and Parapan American Games:

“It has been truly emotional. I am moved to see the effort of the athletes and their families. I always highlight the families because, without them, it would have been difficult to move forward. I believe that this leaves us with a tremendous challenge as a state, to continue promoting sports more, beyond the Games themselves, 365 days a year.

“There is a legacy that is already made, which is the infrastructure. We have to take care of it, prevent it from deteriorating, and make it available to high-performance athletes and people who want to practice sports.”

Sorry to report that the PanAm and Parapan Am Games results site did not carry a listing of multi-medalists, so no information was available on the athletes or athletes who won the most medals overall.

5.
USA Fencing DEI preferences met in just 17 states

Back in June, the USA Fencing Board of Directors made a change in policy for the selection of the sites for its future events, based on an outside metric:

“USA Fencing’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion took another step in the right direction when the Board passed a motion to not negotiate arrangements to hold competitions or other events in any facility located in a jurisdiction rated ‘Negative’ by the Movement Advancement Project. Existing contracts will be honored, but future negotiations will consider the ratings of these jurisdictions.”

Last Tuesday, the federation explained the current situation for site selection, based on the “equality maps” created by the independent Movement Advancement Project think tank, which tracks LGBTQIA-related laws and policies. As of now:

Here’s the picture as it looks now, from the 21 November statement (those states in brackets have been listed already):

● “DO NOT ALLOW” (Negative Tally on Equality Maps: 11)
Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas.

● “AVOID WHERE POSSIBLE” (Low Tally on Equality Maps: 13)
Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming.

● “AVOID WHERE POSSIBLE” (Lowest rating on Center for Reproductive Rights Tracker: 14, but adding two to the above lists)
Alabama, Arkansas, [Idaho], [Indiana], [Kentucky], [Louisiana], [Mississippi], [Missouri], [North Dakota], [Oklahoma], [South Dakota], [Tennessee], [Texas], [West Virginia].

● “PREFERRED” (Medium or High on Equality Maps, High availability of Women’s Health: 17)
California, Colorado, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.

Not listed are eight states: Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Does this mean that no future USA Fencing events will be outside of the “Preferred” states? No:

“[We] remind you that some of our tournament locations have already been booked — and were under contract, or in advanced negotiations, before our new site selection priorities were in place, or before a given state moved down the rating.

“Also, our goal is to ‘give priority’ to more inclusive states, and we’re committed to that. But as the season comes together and we get a clear picture of our budget for the year, that might mean we end up in some states on the ‘avoid’ list.”

It’s a difficult balancing act for the federation, as the story noted that there are only 38 convention centers in the U.S. that can accommodate a national tournament, using 60 pistes or more. The U.S. Nationals for 2024 will take place in Columbus, Ohio next June.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● The two undefeateds remained undefeated and France and Germany advanced to the semifinals of the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, with three of the four quarterfinals decided by 1-0 scores.

France (5-0) played a tough match with Uzbekistan (2-2-1), facing packed-in defense, and taking 29 shots to six. But even so, the game was scoreless until the 83rd minute, when Ismail Bouneb finally broke through with a goal after teammate Mathis Lambourde’s header hit the crossbar.

The Germans (5-0) also had a tough time with Spain (3-1-1), scoring only on a Paris Brunner penalty in the 64th minute, after being fouled by defender Hector Fort. In typical style, the Spanish controlled the ball for 76% of the time and had 22 shots to five for the winners, but Germany marches on with its second one-goal victory in a row.

Argentina will play Germany in the second semifinal, comprehensively defeating Brazil, 3-0, with Claudio Echeverri scoring all three, in the 28th, 58th and 71st minutes. Possession was fairly even and shots were 12 each, but Echeverri was too much.

The French will play Mali, a 1-0 winner over Morocco thanks to an 81st-minute goal from Ibrahim Diarra, scoring after striker Ibrahim Kanate’s shot was blocked. The Malians controlled the match, with 61% of possession and 19 shots to five.

All of the semifinalists have been there before. France has won this trophy in 2001, Germany was runner-up in 1985, and Mali took silver in 2015, while Argentina has been third three times.

The semifinals will be held on Tuesday (28th), with both games in Surakarta. The final will be on 2 December.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS World Cup focus was strictly on the women this week in Killington, Vermont (USA) for a Giant Slalom and Slalom, with Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami winning her second Giant Slalom of the season.

New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, 21, the 2021 World Junior Champion, led the first run at 55.97, with Swede Sara Hector second and Gut-Behrami in third. But Robinson fell back to ninth-fastest on the second run and Gut-Behrami moved up, skiing the third-fastest second run for a total time of 1:53.05. Robinson held second (1:53.67), but U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin moved up from fifth to third, despite only the eighth-fastest second run, finishing at 1:53.86. American Paula Moltzan was eighth at 1:54.95. It’s the 39th career World Cup win for Gut-Behrami and the 140th career World Cup medal for Shiffrin.

On Sunday, the greatest Slalom skier in history – Shiffrin – took over, acing the first run in 48.27 and then winning the second run as well in 53.75 for a combined time of 1:42.02, 0.33 better than Olympic champ Petra Vlhova (SVK), who ran third and second on the two runs for a 1:42.35 final. Swiss Wendy Holdener was third (1:43.39) and Moltzan was eighth again, in 1:44.21.

For Shiffrin (who went to school in Vermont), it was her second win of the season, giving her a record 90 total World Cup wins and her 55th in Slalom. She is up to 141 career World Cup medals, no. 2 all-time and closing in on Swede Ingemar Stenmark’s career record of 155 from 1973-89.

● Athletics ● Six-time Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius (RSA) won parole on Friday (24th), 10 years after killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and being convicted in 2014 for “culpable homicide.”

Pistorius was a sensation as a Paralympic sprinter, winning Paralympic Games golds in 2004 (1), 2008 (3) and 2012 (2) in the 100-200-400 m and the 4×100 m, and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, reaching the semifinals.

Pistorius will be released on 5 January 2024.

The Athletics Integrity Unit has suspended Kenyan distance runner Esther Borura for three years for Nandrolone or Nandrolone precursors use, from 6 September 2023 and her results were nullified since 30 June 2023.

Borura, 23, moved to no. 19 all-time in the women’s 10 km in January, running 30:15 for third in Valencia (ESP). That result will stand.

● Badminton ● The home team won three titles at the China Masters in Shenzhen, with a total prize purse of $1 million.

China’s wins started with the women’s Singles, where third-seed Yu Fei Chen – the Tokyo Olympic champ – won over countrywoman Yue Han, who won the first set by 21-18, then retired due to injury while trailing 21-4 in the second set. It’s Chen’s fourth tournament win this season.

Second-seeded Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang (CHN) pulled off a mild upset of top-seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (IND) in the men’s Doubles final, 21-19, 18-21, 21-19, also their fourth title of the year.

In the Mixed Doubles, top-seeded Si Wei Zhang and Ya Qiong Huang (CHN) swept World Champion Seung-jae Seo and Yu-jung Chae (KOR), 21-10, 21-11.

Japan won the other two finals, with third-seed Kodai Naraoka (JPN) finally winning a BWF World Tour title in his fifth final, 21-13, 21-13, over countryman Kenta Nishimoto.

The all-Japan women’s Doubles final was won by Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida over fourth-seeds Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, 21-18, 21-11.

● Beach Volleyball ● The final Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 tournament of 2023 was in Joao Pessoa (BRA), with an all-Brazilian gold-medal match in the women’s division.

In the end, it was 2022 World Champions – and top seeds – Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa who prevailed over Carol Salgado and Barbara Seixas, 29-31, 21-16, 15-11. Although they had to settle for second at the 2023 Worlds, Ramos and Lisboa were great in 2023, winning five of the nine Elite 16 events, plus a silver and a bronze: seven medals in nine tournaments.

In the third-place match, China’s Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia won their third medal of the season (1-0-2) by defeating Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, 22-20, 20-22, 15-12.

The men’s final saw Swedes David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig back their silver-medal finish in the World Championships with their third Elite 16 win of 2023, defeating Samuele Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai (ITA) by 21-11, 21-18.

Ahman and Hellvig won at the Elite 16 tournaments in Tepic (MEX) in March and in Hamburg in August before their Worlds silver; in the nine Elite 16 events in 2023, they won three and took a silver in a fourth.

Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot (NED) won the bronze over George Wanderley and Andre Loyola Stein (BRA), 21-15, 21-19.

● Biathlon ● The IBU World Cup season opened with 10 days in Oestersund (SWE), starting with relays and the individual races on Saturday and Sunday.

In the men’s 20 km, German Roman Rees – 21st at the 2023 Worlds in this event – posting his first World Cup win in 51:27.2 (one penalty), beating teammate Justus Strelow (51:39.3/1) and four-time overall World Cup champ Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR: 51:52.2/2).

The women’s 15 km race went to Italian Lisa Vittozzi, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, who barely edged German veteran Franziska Preuss, 44:03.9 (1) to 44:04.0 (0). Fellow German Vanessa Voigt was third in 44:14.0. It’s Vittozzi’s fourth career World Cup win.

In the Single Mixed Relay (6 + 7.5 km), Sebastian Samuelsson and Hanna Oeberg (SWE) won in 37:46.9, with Sturla Holm Lagreid and Juni Arnekleiv (NOR: 38:00.7) second. The Mixed Relay (4 x 6 km) was won by France in 1:09.09.9, ahead of Norway (1:09:25.6) and Italy (1:09:49.6).

● Cross Country Skiing ● The FIS World Cup season opened with a major Nordic Skiing festival in Ruka (FIN), with Cross Country, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping events. And Norway and Sweden dominated the action.

The Norwegian men took immediate control, with wins in the Classical Sprint and the 10 km Classical, with Erik Valnes, the 2021 Worlds runner-up, winning the Sprint from France’s Richard Jouve and two-time defending World Cup overall champ Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, 2:37.96-2:38.79-2:39.66.

Teammate Martin Nyenget took the 10 km Classical race at 23:31.7, with Finn Iivo Niskanen close at 23:34.6 and Valnes third (23:41.4). It was Nyenget’s second career World Cup gold.

The 20 km Freestyle Mass Start on Sunday saw Jan Thomas Jenssen (NOR) finish off the weekend sweep, winning in 48:08.9, just ahead of Czech Michal Novak (48:09.6) and fellow Norwegian Harald Amundsen (48:11.0). It’s Jenssen’s first career World Cup medal – at 27 – and the first for Novak as well (also 27)!

The women’s Sprint went to 2023 Worlds silver medal winner Emma Ribom, just ahead of Olympic champ Jonna Sundling, 3:00.78 to 3:01.63. Norway’s Kristine Skistad was third (3:02.59); Americans Jessie Diggins, Juli Kern and Rosie Brennan finished 7-8-9 in the semis and just missed the final.

Triple Worlds gold medalist Ebba Andersson of Sweden got her sixth career World Cup win in the 10 km Classic, finishing in 26:46.7, with Brennan winning the silver (26:52.6) and Frida Karlsson (SWE: 26:56.6) getting third. Diggins was 11th in 27:38.0.

In Sunday’s 20 km Freestyle Mass Start race, the Swedes completed a gold-medal sweep with Moa Ilar winning her first individual World Cup race in 55:40.8, chased home by Americans Diggins (55:41.1) and Brennan (55:42.2). All three made a charge over the final 4 km, with Diggins third and Moa fourth and Brennan flying up from 10th! Diggins had the lead with 1.4 km left, then lost her right ski pole and glove, then suffered a facial injury when handed a replacement pole, but no glove!

Even with all that and sub-freezing temperatures, she moved up with the fastest final kilometer in the field, but finished just 0.3 seconds short of Ilar.

● Figure Skating ● Japan continued its master of the men’s competition, while U.S. teen Ava Marie Ziegler posted a shocking win at the ISU Grand Prix NHK Trophy in Osaka (JPN).

Japan’s men came into the final “regular” Grand Prix event with 1-2 finishes at Skate Canada International and the Grand Prix of Espoo and went 1-2 again with Beijing 2022 Olympic runner-up Yuma Kagiyama and bronze medalist Shoma Uno.

Kagiyama won the Short Program at 105.51, with Uno second (100.20), but Uno won the Free Skate, scoring 186.35, with Kagiyama well back at 182.88. But that was just enough to come away with a 288.39-286.55 margin for Kagiyama’s fourth career Grand Prix win. Five different Japanese men have now won nine medals in the six Grand Prix events this season!

American Cam Pulkinen finished fifth overall at 229.32.

The women’s event had American Lindsay Thorngren in front after the Short Program, scoring 68.93 to 63.44 for Belgian Nina Pinzarrone, with Ziegler fifth at 62.04.

Ziegler, 17, however, turned in a winning Free Skate, with seven triple jumps, scoring 138.46 as the eighth skater out of 12. No one came close to that score, with Pinzarrone second at 131.22 and Thorngren third at 129.80. That left Ziegler coming from fifth to first with her first 200 points-plus performance – 200.50 – in her second season with a Grand Prix appearance! She was ninth in her first appearance at the U.S. Nationals this year.

Thorngren ended up second at 198.73, also a lifetime best and her first career Grand Prix medal. Pinzarrone got third at 194.66, to go with her silver at the Grand Prix de France.

Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won their second straight Grand Prix gold in Pairs, scoring 202.51 and winning both the Short Program and the Free Skate. Italy’s Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise won their second Grand Prix medal this season in second (190.31) as did teammates Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (186.47). Americans Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy finished fifth (172.60).

Britain’s European Championships silver medalists Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson moved up from second at Skate Canada International to win the Ice Dance, by taking the Free Dance over Italy’s 2023 Worlds runners-up Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (214.56). Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU) finished third at 196.86; Americans Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville were sixth (183.43) and Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov (167.84) ended up eighth.

Next up is the Grand Prix Final from 7-10 December in Beijing (CHN).

● Football ● “FIFA can confirm that its Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).”

Friday’s statement referred to the brawl that broke out between rival fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) in advance of the Argentina-Brazil 2026 World Cup qualifier on 21 November.

Police intervened, using batons and bloodying some spectators, and the Argentine team left the field to calm the situation, delaying the start of the game by 27 minutes. Argentina won, 1-0, but must face possible sanctions for crowd control and delaying the match. Brazil’s federation will be reviewed for lapses in proper crowd control and security.

No timetable for a decision was noted.

● Freestyle Skiing ● The first Slopestyle event of the season was held in Stubai (AUT) was impacted by high winds and heavy weather that wiped out Friday’s finals, leaving the results of the qualification as the official results.

That was good news for World Champion Mathilde Gremaud (SUI), already the winner in the World Cup Big Air season opener in Chur in October. In Stubai, she led the qualifiers at 87.50 points, trailed by 2017 Slopestyle World Champion Tess Ledeux (FRA: 85.50) and the Ruby Star Andrews (NZL: 70.50)

The men’s qualifying leader – and therefore winner – was Canada’s Evan McEachran at 93.00 on his first run, with Beijing 2022 Olympian Mac Forehand and 2022 Olympic Champion Alex Hall of the U.S. coming in 2-3, with 90.50 (first run) and 88.75 (second run) scores.

Three-time Olympic Slopestyle medal winner Nick Goepper of the U.S. will end his retirement and return to competition in the Halfpipe. He won medals in 2014 (bronze), 2018 and 2022 (silvers), and told NBC Sports, “It took me a while to kind of find the love again. … I like new challenges, and I was really bored.”

Goepper, now 29, retired in January, but not for long.

● Nordic Combined ● Norway won 11 of the 22 men’s races in the 2022-23 FIS World Cup and is starting out in style this season with all three wins at the opener in Ruka (FIN).

Jens Luras Oftebro won the first race, in the new “Compact” format, where the skiers started six seconds apart in the 7.5 cross-country race, in rank order of the ski jumping results. Austria’s reigning World Cup champ Johannes Lamparter started first, but was overtaken by five others, starting with Oftebro, the Beijing 2022 Large Hill silver winner (19:24.6), just ahead of four-time World Cup overall winner Jarl Magnus Rieber (19:25.0). Joergen Graabak, the 2014-22 Olympic Large Hill champ, completed the sweep at 19:25.7.

Rieber claimed his 57th career World Cup win in the Gundersen 142 m Hill/10 km race on Saturday, finishing in 26:17.3, well ahead of Lamparter (27:11.1) with Graabak third again (27:43.5).

Rieber than dominated Sunday’s 142 m jumping and 10 km Mass Start, finishing second in the cross-country race and then winning the jumping for 173.8 points, well ahead of Lamparter (152.2) and fellow Austrian Stefan Rettenegger (145.7).

● Shooting ● The ISSF World Cup Final concluded in Doha (QAT), with China leading the final medals standing.

World Championships bronze medalist Florian Peter (GER) took the men’s 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol final. 35-33, over two-time Olympic bronzer Yuehong Li (CHN), while Chinese star – and four-time Worlds gold winner – Sixuan Feng won the women’s 25 m Sport Pistol title, 37-31, against German Doreen Vennekamp, a two-time Worlds gold medalist.

Lucas Kryzs (FRA), the 2021 World Junior runner-up, won the men’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions – barely – over China’s Yukun Liu, the 2017 World Junior Champion, 465.2 to 465.0! The key shot was the next-to-last, with Kryzs scoring 10.7 to 9.4 for Liu.

Norway won gold and silver in the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions, with 2022 Worlds bronzer Jeanette Duestad scoring 464.8 to 460.6 for Jenny Stene. American Mary Tucker finished seventh (409.2).

China won eight medals total (2-4-2), ahead of Italy (6: 1-3-2); the U.S. won one bronze.

● Ski Jumping ● Two competitions for men opened the season at Ruka (FIN) off the 142 m hill, with Austria’s three-time World Champion Stefan Kraft taking the first gold, scoring 326.2 for his 31st career World Cup victory.

Germany swept the next three places, with Pius Paschke (315.6), Stephen Leyhe (313.2) and 2018 Olympic Normal Hill winner Andreas Wellinger (311.5). It’s Paschke’s first career World Cup medal – at age 33 – and the sixth for Leyhe (31).

On Sunday, Kraft doubled up, winning with 363.5 points, taking the top scores in both rounds, ahead of teammate Jan Hoerl (340.9) and Wellinger (334.1), with Paschke fourth and Leyhe fifth.

● Ski Mountaineering ● The new ISMF World Cup season opened at Val Thorens (FRA), with World Sprint Champion Oriol Cardona of Spain collecting his seventh career World Cup win by more than three seconds over countryman Inigo Martinez (3:10.34) and France’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Anselmet Thibault (3:13.11).

Swiss Caroline Ulrich, 21, won her first World Cup senior gold in Saturday’s Sprint, moving up from just 23rd in qualifying, then winning her quarterfinal, second in her semi and then winning in 3:54.39, decisively ahead of Tove Alexandersson (3:57.96) and Marianna Jagercikova (SVK: 3:58.63).

Sunday’s Mixed Relay was won by France’s Emily Harrop and Thibault in 42:18.44, easily ahead of Ana Alonso and Cardona (ESP: 42:41.21) and Giulia Murada and Ernesto Canclini (ITA: 43:44.11).

● Swimming ● The head of the Russian Swimming Federation, four-time Olympic gold medalist Vladimir Salnikov, said he got some positive reaction to a proposal for a dual meet with the U.S. He told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I approached the U.S. Swimming Federation about holding a match meeting immediately after the world championships in Doha [in February 2024]. Now they are considering this proposal, but some people with whom I spoke, including the legendary American coach Mark Schubert, were very positive.

“As soon as we make progress in this direction, we will make an official statement.”

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Paris 2024 offers 400,000+ new tickets; Paris mayor Hidalgo says transport and homeless issues unsolved; Russia looking to 2028

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Paris 2024 flag flying atop the Eiffel Tower in June 2021 (Photo: Paris 2024)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Paris 2024 offering 400,000+ more Olympic tickets on 30 November
2. Paris Mayor Hidalgo says “not ready” on transit and homeless
3. Russia preparing for LA28, not expecting 2024-26 admission
4. Ukraine’s Abramenko puts 2018-22 medals up for auction
5. IBA’s Kremlev all about money, not Olympics

● The Paris 2024 organizers announced a new sale of 400,000-plus tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with newly-released tickets available for all sessions. It’s first-come, first-served starting on 30 November at 10 a.m. local time!

● Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city will not be ready with complete solutions to transportation or homelessness by the time of the Paris 2024 Games, drawing a quick slap back from the national transportation minister. The French army is gearing to provide 15,000 troops in Paris and elsewhere to assist with security in 2024.

● The director general of the Russian Olympic Committee said their focus was on Los Angeles 2028 rather than Paris 2024 or Milan-Cortina 2026. The head of the Russian Swimming Federation said Russian participation in Paris is “unlikely.”

● Ukrainian Aerials star Oleksandr Abramenko puts his 2018 Olympic Winter gold and 2022 silver medals on auction to help his family and Ukrainian military.

● International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev focused more on money than on being de-recognized by the International Olympic Committee at a Paris press conference, but still blames the IOC for IBA’s problems.

● World Championships: Football (Germany and France still perfect and into FIFA U-17 World Cup quarters) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (Greek Olympic champ Douskos will carry the torch first) = Olympic Games (will SpoGOMI be a future Olympic sport?) = Athletics (2: Crouser world record from May finally ratified; Uganda’s Chemusto hit for doping) = Boxing (World Boxing announces 2024 event schedule) = Cycling (German Le Tour winner Ullrich admits doping) = Equestrian (FEI lost more than CHF 6 million on investments in 2022, killing operating surplus) = Football (2: fighting breaks out at Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier in Rio; FIFA Women’s World Cup teams playing in Australia hit with 32.5% tax vs. none in New Zealand) = Shooting (ISSF World Cup Final has eight winners from eight countries so far) = Swimming (4: Ledecky, Douglass and Murphy named at Golden Goggles; Nowicki salutes Team USA impact; U.S. to send 18 to 2024 Worlds; Coughlin elected Vice Chair of USA Swimming) = Weightlifting (U.S.’s Morris sets American Records at World Juniors) ●

1.
Paris 2024 offering 400,000+ more Olympic tickets on 30 November

“There are new tickets for all sessions, including those that were sold out. This includes tickets that had been secured before the capacity for each competition site became definitive.”

As the planning for any major event, like the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, becomes more detailed, spaces that were held for contingencies like camera placements and security, are cleared and tickets can be offered.

The Paris 2024 organizers announced Wednesday a release of 400,000-plus tickets for all sports and all sessions that will go on sale on 30 November at 10 a.m. Central European Time, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The announcement confirmed that all sports are on sale, including Opening Ceremony tickets for €90-250-500 (€1 = $1.09 U.S.), with one-third at €50 or less and almost two-thirds at €100 or less. Also:

● Athletics will have 30,000 new tickets available.
● Basketball has 7,300 tickets available for Paris-area games.
● Equestrian has 14,000 new tickets available.
● Fencing will offer about 5,000 new tickets
● Judo, already popular, has 2,000 new tickets on offer.
● Swimming, which had been sold out, has 6,000 tickets available.
● Tennis has 24,000 new tickets on offer.

Closing Ceremony tickets will be offered at €45-250-600. A large number of Paralympic Games tickets are also available.

There will be additional ticket releases in 2024, but of varying size as tickets held for use by sponsors, news media and officials are made available. But this new release will be the last time that seats for all sessions will be available … while they last. Paris 2024 reported in May that it had sold about 6.8 million of the 10 million tickets expected to be available for the Olympic Games.

2.
Paris Mayor Hidalgo says “not ready” on transit and homeless

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is nothing if not visible. She appeared on the “Quotidien” program on the TMC television channel and made a strong statement:

“Two things for which we are not going to be ready,” then naming “transport” and “sheltering people without a fixed address.”

And she added:

“We still have problems in daily transport issues and we are still not reaching the comfort and punctuality needed for Parisians. There are places where the transport will not be ready and there will not be enough trains.”

She got a quick reply from the French Transportation Minister, Clement Beaune, who answered on X (ex-Twitter):

“Mrs Hidalgo is not there, does not participate in work meetings but has an opinion for others. What respect she has for our public officials and for Parisians!”

And he added on Thursday:

“Anne #Hidalgo adds dishonesty to indignity. The commitments we made for #JOP2024 will be kept. Despite herself.”

And Ile-de-France regional President Valerie Pecresse added:

“We will be ready. It is an immense collective work which should not be tarnished by an absent mayor. …

“We would have appreciated the presence of Anne Hidalgo on the mobility committees of the Olympic and Paralympic Games if she has any proposals to make on transport.”

Hidalgo has been under pressure for an undisclosed extension of an official trip to Tahiti in October.

French Army General Christophe Abad, the military governor of Paris, said Thursday that the military was prepared to offer 15,000 troops – 10,000 in the Paris area – in support of the 2024 Paris Games. The Associated Press reported:

“The military force of 15,000 nationwide will incorporate 7,000 troops already deployed on anti-terrorism patrols at transport hubs and other busy or sensitive sites, including places of worship, Abad said. The military could also be called upon to contribute additional troops if Paris Games organizers fall short in their efforts to recruit more private security staff.”

3.
Russia preparing for LA28, not expecting 2024-26 admission

The Director General of the Russian Olympic Committee said Thursday that he does not envision that Russian athletes will participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, or 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, but it looking ahead to Los Angeles in 2028.

Vladimir Sengleyev explained:

“We have been expecting that the situation will unfold this way and we started preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee has not voiced yet any legal decisions regarding these Games.”

“We also believe that the United States would not let their allies host us in Paris and Milan, but they can afford anything for themselves. The most vivid example was the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit [in San Francisco], which was attended by a delegation from Russia.

“Americans always want to have wins over Russians, we hope for this and we are getting prepared.”

He did say that he believed that Russian athletes will be able to compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (SEN) in 2026.

Sengleyev also noted how much harsher the sanctions are now than for the Russian teams for prior Games where they competed under special conditions:

“In South Korea [2018 Winter] and China [2022 Winter], the word ‘Russia’ in the name of our teams was there, we were representatives of Russia. And that neutral status was not really a neutral status, we represented Russia, an Olympic delegation was formed, there were no restrictions. The second interesting point is that in order to get neutral status now, the athlete and coach have to pass a verification, the most interesting thing is that it is a paid verification.

“There are a lot of hidden things organizationally and financially that our athletes will not receive. They cannot be representatives of the ROC or any other legal entity, in fact athletes have been banned from being seconded from our organizations. The law on physical culture and sports does not define the status of a neutral athlete, and we have no rights to send an athlete.

“Previously, the ban on the use of flags applied to venues, we all remember what the solemn meetings of the delegation were like. Now they have entered our territory, they want our athletes to have nothing to do with Russia, everywhere they write: ‘an athlete with a Russian passport.’”

As for the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the ROC over the IOC’s suspension, Sengleyev was not expecting a prompt resolution:

“I am confident that the CAS will drag out its decision on this issue. They are reluctant to listen to our cases. These are their machinations and we understand this.”

Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov, himself a four-time Olympic champion, said he does not see his swimmers participating in Paris:

“The current conditions make the participation of Russians in the Olympics unlikely.

“They say to send a leg first, then an arm, and after that they will allow full admission. This is, of course, a joke, we are having a dialogue, but the current criteria do not give us the opportunity to fully perform. There must be conditions for everyone equal, if we say that everyone is equal, but there are those who are more equal, then this is called discrimination.”

4.
Ukraine’s Abramenko puts 2018-22 medals up for auction

“[H]e pledges to donate a portion of the auction proceeds to relief efforts at home and provide much-needed aid and supplies for Ukrainians in need.”

That’s from the auction description of Ukrainian freestyle skier Oleksandr Abramenko, 35, who has offered his PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games gold medal in men’s Aerials and his silver medal from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in the same event.

Abramenko wrote in a message for the sale:

“I am selling them now to help my country during the war. Auctioning the medals was not an easy decision to make. They are really very valuable for me and for the sporting history of Ukraine. But like any other Ukrainian, I help the military meet their urgent needs. Furthermore, many people have suffered from the war, some have lost everything and are also in need of financial assistance.”

These were the only medals won by Ukraine at both Games. The auction continues through 2 December, with the 2018 gold starting with a minimum bid of $10,000 and at $16,016 on Thursday. The Beijing silver started at $5,000 and was at $7,321 on Thursday.

The auction also includes multiple Olympic medals from 1912 to 2014 and the gaudy 1936 IOC “chain of office” given to International Olympic Committee members.

5.
IBA’s Kremlev all about money, not Olympics

“We must change things so that people are able to practice more sports. Parents who send their children to a sports club must be sure that their children can earn a living from sports and when parents realize this, I think that everyone will then start to practice sport.”

Money. That was the primary talking point for International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev (RUS) at a news conference organized in Paris last week to promote the IBA. Appearing with French Olympic champ Estelle Mossely, the Rio 2016 women’s Lightweight winner, and Sofian Oumiha, France’s three-time men’s Lightweight World Champion, Kremlev was asked repeatedly about the IBA’s de-recognition by the IOC and its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But his replies had less vitriol than in past sessions and he spoke incessantly about the need to pay boxers:

“I hope that [the IOC] will be providing funding and I hope there will be pure gold medals. And so we hope that they will be providing prize money, because for the Olympic Games, it’s a huge draw, and it is the athletes that draw the viewers, not the IOC.”

He continued his delusional line about boxing’s status in the Olympic Games, saying at one point:

“Boxing is one of the cornerstones of the Olympic Movement, it is one of the two main sports at the Olympic Games. In the world, two sports are the most popular and attract millions of people in the world: football – soccer – and boxing. …

“If you remove boxing from the Olympic Games, boxers are not going to be the ones to lose out, but the Olympic Games are going to be less popular because boxing is the most popular sport. Look at professional boxers, they are much more popular than Olympic boxers. Those are just statistics.

“So whatever happens, boxing is not going to lose out. There’s also professional boxing where boxers can become global stars. The Olympic Games is about representing your own country; it is amateur sports.”

As for the appeal of IOC’s withdrawal of recognition of his federation:

“Well, we’re not very worried about that. We’re concerned more so for our boxers. We have legal experts that are responsible for this case. We support our tournaments, our boxers, we support also their participation in the Olympic Games.

“As it relates to the decision of the IOC, we believe that this decision was unfair, but we have legal experts who are dealing with this. We will be defending our rights, and if this doesn’t work with the [Court of Arbitration for Sport], we have a court in Switzerland that we can refer to, to defend our cause.

“But we will not allow for boxing’s destiny to be decided for it, it should be decided by boxers themselves. At the moment, even following the ruling or the decision handed down by the IOC, it’s not the Olympic Family that took this decision, but rather Olympic officials that have pushed this decision, because we can’t make decisions without meeting one another, without holding discussions.

“Again, we harbor no anger as it relates to this decision, but in boxing, often we say you have to take two steps back in order to have a knockout. Sometimes you come out on top, sometimes you come out second. Every boxer knows this, but boxing is our life and we’re going to be defending our rights, and that you can be sure of.”

And he continued to blame the IOC for the troubles suffered by the IBA (and predecessor AIBA) at the hands of AIBA President C.K. Wu (TPE), who was also an IOC member.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● The quarterfinals have been set for the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, taking place on Friday and Saturday:

Friday, 24 November:
● Brazil (3-1) vs. Argentina (3-1)
● Spain (3-0-1) vs. Germany (4-0)

Saturday, 25 November:
● France (4-0) vs. Uzbekistan (2-1-1)
● Mali (3-1) vs. Morocco (3-1)

The semis will be played on 28 November in Surakarta on the island of Java, with the final in the same venue on 2 December. Brazil is the defending champion from 2019, with France winning the bronze.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The 2024 Olympic Torch Relay will begin in Greece on 16 April, with Stefanos Douskos, the Tokyo 2020 men’s Single Sculls gold medalist, to be the first torchbearer.

The torch will move through Greece for 11 days, with Ioannis Fountoulis, a Tokyo 2020 men’s water polo silver medalist, the final torchbearer in Greece on 8 May. Within Greece, 600 torchbearers are expected to run with the flame across 500 km. The torch will proceed to France on 8 May with a 68-day relay to follow, using 10,000 torchbearers.

● Olympic Games: Future ● Mark it down as a new event destined to try for Olympic inclusion given the IOC’s push for environmental support: SpoGOMI. Per Japan’s Kyodo News:

“Britain on Wednesday won the first World Cup of a Japanese-invented sport scored on the basis of the variety and amount of litter collected.

“Host Japan finished runner-up as 21 participating countries collected litter in Tokyo’s Shibuya and Omotesando districts for 45 minutes each in the morning and afternoon.”

A total of 548 kg (more than 1,200 pounds) was collected.

The sport, launched in 2008, is called ‘SpoGOMI,’ derived from the word ‘sport’ and ‘gomi’ – the Japanese word for trash.”

● Athletics ● At long last, the 23.56 m (77-3 3/4) world record for U.S. shot put star Ryan Crouser from the L.A. Grand Prix back in May was ratified by World Athletics.

The long delay came from questions about the shot ring at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, originally a practice facility when it opened in 1969, but now used for competitions since a 1999 renovation added a regulation soccer field in the infield area. A survey had to be undertaken to ensure it complied with World Athletics rules, and after a long delay, was completed and the facility certified.

World marks were also approved from the Diamond League Final in Eugene by Mondo Duplantis (SWE) in the men’s vault at 6.23 m (20-5 1/4) and the 14:00.21 by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in the women’s 5,000 m.

More doping suspensions from the Athletics Integrity Unit, including 4.01.79 women’s 1,500 m runner Janat Chemusto (UGA), banned for four years for the use of norandrosterone, with her results nullified since 13 May 2023. Her best reverts to 4:08.5 from March.

Fouad Idbafdil of Morocco, a member of the Athlete Refugee Team and an 8:34.72 Steepler, was provisionally suspended for use of Erythropoietin (EPO).

● Boxing ● The new World Boxing federation will meet for its founding Congress on Friday and Saturday in Frankfurt (GER) and announced a 2024 competition schedule for 2024 on Thursday.

A four-stage World Boxing Cup will be held in Sheffield, England on 16-21 January, followed by second event in Pueblo, Colorado (USA) from 14-21 April. A third stage is scheduled for September and a finals event in England in November or December.

A “World Boxing Challenge” series is also scheduled, with three stages. The organization’s first world championships will be for U-19 boxers in the fall of 2024.

● Cycling ● The 2000 Olympic road race gold medalist and three-time World Champion, retired German cyclist Jan Ullrich publicly admitted doping in a panel discussion Wednesday in advance of the premiere of an Amazon Prime Video documentary, “Jan Ullrich – The Hunted.”

Now 49, Ullrich said:

“If I had shared my story earlier, I could have enjoyed many happy years. I lacked the courage. It’s liberating to finally admit it.”

He said that doping came into his Telekom team beginning in 1996 and increased in sophistication from there. At the time, cycling was rife with doping, most famously by American Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France from 1999-2005, but has been stripped of those wins.

Ullrich won the Tour de France in 1997, was second in 1996 and 1998, and was second to Armstrong in 2000-01-03 and third in 2005. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed his doping offenses in February 2012 and his results from May 2005 were erased, including a third-place finish at the 2005 Tour de France.

At his Wednesday appearance, Ullrich said he took to doping because so many others were at the time:

“Knowing that you don’t stand a chance from the start was the most challenging aspect. I’ve always been fair and never sought to deceive or gain an advantage.”

● Equestrian ● The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) concluded its General Assembly in Mexico City (MEX) with 96 federations attending in person or online, with FEI President Ingmar de Vos (BEL) noting significant rule changes, added research on horse health and concerns over finances:

“It was no surprise that 2023 was going to be challenging. General uncertainty in the global markets, rising costs and inflation in a post Covid era and the ongoing war in Ukraine inevitably had a toll on the FEI’s financial results for 2022.

“With a loss on our portfolio of almost 6million, we were able to limit the damage and absorb an important part of this loss, so that we are left with a final deficit of [CHF] 2.5 million. This had been anticipated to an extent, but I do want to reassure you that the FEI remains financially healthy.”

The financial statements showed total revenues of CHF 54.60 million for 2022, against expenses of CHF 50.98 million – a surplus of CHF 3.62 million – but a yearly loss of CHF 2.50 million after investment losses of CHF 6.12 million. The FEI ended 2022 with assets of CHF 72.18 million and reserves of CHF 20.58 million. The federation is not overly dependent on IOC television money for its survival, but has limited reserves.

De Vos also pointed to a significant increase in listed equestrian events in 2023, to 4,832, beyond the pre-pandemic levels and expected to rise to 4,923 for 2024.

The FEI Board approved the participation of Russian and Belarusian participation as “neutrals,” but without any specifics. The move was met with a formal statement of protest from 10 European nations, which was noted, but not acted upon.

● Football ● Violence among fans was again showcased with a brawl at the famed Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) on Tuesday in advance of a FIFA men’s World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Brazil.

The clash between supporters of the two teams took place at one end, just after the national anthems concluded, and saw police using their batons. Argentine star and captain Lionel Messi pulled his team from the field and moved to the locker room for 22 minutes in a bid to restore calm.

It worked, more or less, and the match was played, a tense affairs with 42 total fouls and a stunning 1-0 win for Argentina on a 63rd-minute goal by Nicolas Otamendi. It was Brazil’s third loss in its first six games (of 18) in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, now in sixth position, but with a long way to go. Said Messi after the game:

“Many players had family members and friends there, and when we understood that we couldn’t do anything for them, we left to calm things down. …

“We saw how they were hitting the people, as happened in the final of the Libertadores. Again repressing the people.”

He posted later on Instagram:

“Great victory at Maracaná, even it will be forever tarnished by the repression to the Argentinians, once again, in Brazil. This can no longer be tolerated, it’s madness and has to end now.”

Yahoo! Sports soccer columnist Henry Bushnell observed:

“The trouble seemed to stem from inexplicably poor crowd control. The Argentine fans were placed in a section surrounded by Brazilians on both sides and from behind. There were no barriers between the visitors and locals. Away fans are typically separated from home fans, at least by a sturdy line of security. Here, at an always-heated rivalry, there seemed to be nothing protecting them from one another.”

Britain’s Guardian reported that players who participated in matches in Australia at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup were required to pay a 32.5% tax on their earnings vs. none for those who played in New Zealand.

If teams played in both countries, they were taxed by Australia only for those games played there. The story noted:

“A Fifa spokesperson told the Guardian that participating national associations were duly informed of the tax situation before the tournament. However, there was no explanation as to why a single tax regime, for all players’ fees, was not agreed upon between Fifa and the World Cup co-hosts.”

● Shooting ● The ISSF World Cup Final is ongoing in Doha (QAT), with the eight events concluded thus far won by eight different nations!

In the men’s 10 m Air Pistol, German Robin Walter – the 2022 European Champion – registered a decisive win, 243.3 to 240.0 over Paolo Monna of Italy. Hungary’s Zalan Pekler scored his fifth career World Cup gold by taking the 10 m Air Rifle final, scoring 251.2 to 249.4 over Lazar Kovacevic (SRB).

China’s Xue Li, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, took the women’s 10 m Air Pistol final by 244.7 to 243.6 over teammate Nan Zhao, with Tokyo 2020 bronze winner Ranxin Jiang (CHN: 223.4) completing the medal sweep. In the 10 m Air Rifle, Poland’s Aneta Stankiewicz won a tight battle from Worlds runner-up Zhilin Wang (CHN), 253.3 to 252.6. Norway’s Tokyo fourth-placer Jeanette Duestad was third (230.2), and American Mary Tucker finished eighth (124.9).

The men’s Skeet title went to Emil Petersen of Denmark – the 2017 World Junior Champion – who won a shoot-off with 2022 World Champion Azmy Mehelba of Egypt, 26-25, after a 56-all tie after the first 60 shots. But Azmy’s older brother, Abdel, won the men’s Trap title, scoring 46 hits to 45 for Daniele Resca of Italy, the 2017 World Champion.

Assem Orynbay (KAZ) took the women’s Skeet title with a 51-50 win over Chiara de Marziantonio of Italy. Americans Dania Jo Vizzi, the 2017 World Champion, got third (41), ahead of teammate Kim Rhode (34), the six-time Olympic medalist, still going strong at 44.

Italy finally got a win, from Silvana Stanco, the 2018 Worlds bronzer, beating Spain’s 2015 World Champion Fatima Galvez, 38-37, with Italy’s 2012 Olympic champ Jessica Rossi third (29).

Competition continues through Sunday.

● Swimming ● USA Swimming named its stars of 2023 at the annual Golden Goggles Awards, held this year in Los Angeles, with superstar Katie Ledecky picking up her ninth Female Athlete of the Year award, but in a tie with fellow star Kate Douglass.

Ledecky won World Championships golds in the women’s 800 m and 1,500 m Freestyles, plus a 400 m Free silver and a 4×200 m Free silver. Douglass posted a sensational seven wins at the NCAA Championships for Virginia, then won six medals at the Worlds in Fukuoka, led by golds in the 200 m Medley and women’s 4×100 m Medley.

The top men’s star was backstroke giant Ryan Murphy, who won the Worlds 100 m Back, took silver in the 200 m Back, and led off the winning men’s 4×100 m Medley team and bronze-medal Mixed Medley team.

The Breakout Performer of the Year was men’s sprinter Jack Alexy, who took a surprise silver in the Worlds men’s 50 m and 100 m Freestyles and won three more relay medals, including a gold on the men’s 4×100 m Medley, all in his first Worlds.

The Perseverance Award went to breaststroke star Lydia Jacoby, the Tokyo 2020  women’s 100 m gold medalist, who suffered through illness and injuries, but came back to win the Worlds bronze in 2023, and a leg on the winning women’s 4×100 m Medley.

The Open Water swimmer was Katie Grimes, the Worlds 10 km bronze medalist, who also won for the female Race of the Year. The men’s Race of the Year went to Tokyo Olympic champ Bobby Finke, who won silver in the Worlds 1,500 m Free and bronze in the 800 m Free, both in American Record times.

The Coach of the Year was California’s Dave Durden, whose six swimmers in Fukuoka won a combined 20 medals, including Alexy and Murphy. A new award, the Alumni of the Year, went to Lenny Krayzelburg, the four-time Olympic backstroke gold medalist from Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

A special guest at the Golden Goggles was World Aquatics Executive Director Brent Nowicki (USA), who told the attendees:

“All of the National Team members out there, the eyes of the world staring at you when you walk out on that pool deck, my message to you this evening: Please do not underestimate the impact you have, in both actions and words, on our global swimming community.

“You are each leaders who will help us guide our sport more than you may ever know.

“And right now, the world needs you more than ever before. As we’re all seeing, the world is truly a fragile place. Perhaps it’s more fragile now than any one of us can ever remember. At World Aquatics, it is our hope – indeed, it is a core part of our mission – to provide a pool deck where countries can come together and embrace peaceful competition.”

USA Swimming announced a small, 18-athlete roster for the 2024 World Championships to be held in Doha (QAT). Five women and 13 men will compete, including Douglass – in five events – and Tokyo Olympian Claire Curzan, who will swim in six: 50 m Free, 50-10-200 m Back and 50-100 m Fly!

The men’s roster includes 50 m Back World Champion Hunter Armstrong, 50-100 m Worlds Breast silver winner Nic Fink and 400 m Medley runner-up Carson Foster.

The U.S. has qualified all of its relays for Paris with medals at the 2023 Worlds, relieving any need for qualifying performances, and the irregular dates of 2-18 February clash with the collegiate season and continuing training for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. The maximum-allowed team size for Doha was 28 total swimmers.

Natalie Coughlin, the 12-time Olympic medal winner and three-time gold medalist from 2004-08, was elected as Board Vice Chair and Chair-Elect. Now 41, she will be the federation’s Vice Chair through September 2025 and then Chair through 2029.

● Weightlifting ● The IWF World Junior Championships in Guadalajara (MEX) concluded on Wednesday, with Armenia, Mexico and the U.S. each winning three golds.

For the Americans, Gabriel Chhum won the men’s 61 kg class, taking top honors in the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and total at 262 kg, and Elijah Hein took the men’s 89 kg division at 351 kg. Katherine Estep won the women’s 64 kg class at 213 kg combined and also won the Clean & Jerk at 120 kg.

A notable silver-medal performance came from Hampton Morris of the U.S., the 2022 61 kg winner, who moved up to 67 kg and scored a silver medal at 303 kg combined, behind Armenia’s Gor Sakakyan (305 kg). In the process, Morris won the Clean & Jerk at 178 kg, setting a senior and junior American Record!

Isabella Rodriguez won a silver in the women’s 49 kg, lifting a combined 171 kg, just one behind Yi-Chen Huang (TPE). Ella Nicholson also got a silver at 76 kg at 227 kg combined, and Amanda Robles won a bronze at 87 kg (215 kg total).

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Olympic Truce passes U.N. by 118-0-2; Stockholm backs Sweden 2030 bid; Salt Lake City presents to IOC Commission

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Olympic Truce adopted 118-0-2 by United Nations
2. Stockholm endorses Swedish 2030 Winter Olympic bid
3. Salt Lake City pushes case for 2034 Winter Games selection
4. WADA files against Russia, South Africa at Court of Arbitration
5. U.S. men lose to Trinidad & Tobago, but advance in Nations Cup

● The Olympic Truce was approved by the United Nations on Tuesday by 118-0, with two abstentions from Russia and Syria. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach called the 2024 Games “our modest contribution to peace.”

● The City of Stockholm endorsed the Swedish bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, but made no formal guarantees on funding, as all three candidates for 2030 – France, Sweden and Switzerland – made presentations to the IOC Future Host Commission.

● Salt Lake City also presented its case, preferably for 2034, led by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who told the Future Host Commission they can be confident that an excellent Games will be delivered.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency filed actions with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Russia and South Africa, both of which are considered non-compliant due to inconsistencies between national legislation and the World Anti-Doping Code. A new campaign has been started in Europe against the use of steroids for cosmetic reasons.

● The U.S. men’s National Team lost to Trinidad & Tobago on the road on Monday, 2-1, having to play the last 51-plus minutes with 10 men due to a red card against defender Sergino Dest. However, the combined score of their two matches was 4-2 for the U.S. and sent the Americans on to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations Cup next March.

● World Championships: Football (Germany beats U.S., 3-2, heads to quarters at FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup) ●

● Panorama: Deaflympics (U.S. to skip Winter Deaflympics in Turkey over security concerns) = Russia (2: FEI to allow Russian and Belarus “neutrals”; Bach and Pozdnyakov feud over Friendship Games) = On Screen: (steady audience for ISU Grand Prix figure skating in Finland) = Athletics (2: Mboma set to return after lowering testosterone; Title IX suit against Huntington University dismissed, but open for refiling) = Cricket (ICC bans transgender women) = Ice Hockey (NHLPA head does not see Russian players in 2025 nations tournament) ●

● Schedule: This is Thanksgiving Week in the U.S., so The Sports Examiner will appear again on Friday. Happy holidays! ●

1.
Olympic Truce adopted 118-0-2 by United Nations

The Olympic Truce resolution for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, introduced by France, was approved on Tuesday at the United Nations by a 118-0 vote, with two abstentions.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) reiterated his belief in the Olympic Games as a symbol for peace, including:

“In this fragile world, this Olympic Truce Resolution is more relevant than ever. In these difficult times, this resolution is our opportunity to send an unequivocal signal to the world – yes, we can come together, even in times of wars and crises. Yes, we can join hands and work together for a better future. …

“The Olympic Games can contribute to this noble goal. Because the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. The Olympic athletes send the powerful message that: yes, it is possible to compete fiercely against each other and at the same time live peacefully together under one roof.

“This is our modest contribution to peace.”

The resolution itself included the call to action:

“Urges Member States to observe the Olympic Truce individually and collectively, within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations, throughout the period from the seventh day before the start of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad until the seventh day following the end of the XVII Paralympic Games, to be held in Paris in 2024, in particular, to ensure the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials and all other accredited persons taking part in the Games of the Olympiad and the Paralympic Games, and to contribute through other appropriate measures to the safe organization of the Games.”

That creates the Olympic Truce period for 2024 from 19 July – seven days prior to the Olympic opening – to 15 September 2024, seven days after the close of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

The modern “Olympic Truce” is designed to parallel the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, where a truce was called during the Games to ensure safe passage and participation for athletes and officials to and from Olympia. The IOC called for a revival of the Truce in 1992 and it was implemented for the first time for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer (NOR).

Bach’s address was preceded by Russian representative Maria Zabolotskaya, who told the delegates the IOC’s conditions on Russian participation were “completely unacceptable” and “the height of hypocrisy and cynicism the likes of which we have not seen in recent history has been the illegal barring of Russian athletes from international sporting competitions.”

Russia and Syria abstained on the resolution vote. The Ukrainian delegation asked that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and pointed to prior Russian violations of the Olympic Truce in 2008 (against Georgia) and 2014 (against Ukraine by occupying the Crimea).

2.
Stockholm endorses Swedish 2030 Winter Olympic bid

“Events such as the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games are beneficial for Stockholm and its people. They contribute to tourism, promote business, create jobs and community, and inspire young people to discover the diversity of sport. Now that we are submitting our municipal guarantee, our message is that the event will be carried out in a climate-wise, economically and socially sustainable manner.”

That’s Stockholm Mayor Karin Wanngard on Tuesday, in a statement following the agreement of the Stockholm City Council to support the Swedish nation-wide bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

The statement, however, was not unlimited, and included:

“The municipal guarantee is to be regarded as an expression of will on the part of the City to participate in and support the continued candidacy and to cooperate with the relevant authorities and actors. The decision does not include any financial commitments and is conditional that the [national] government provides financial and other necessary guarantees.”

The IOC’s Future Host Commission was in discussions with all three 2030 Olympic Winter bidders – France, Sweden and Switzerland – on Tuesday, ahead of the IOC Executive Board meetings next week in Paris. A briefing on the 2030 Winter bids is scheduled for 29 November (Wednesday), with a news conference to follow.

The IOC has approved the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games at the same time, and an announcement of which of the 2030 bids will move forward could come on Wednesday. Salt Lake City, host of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, is the prohibitive favorite to be selected for “targeted dialogue” towards a formal award next year for the 2034 Winter Games.

3.
Salt Lake City pushes case for 2034 Winter Games selection

Utah Governor Spencer Cox headlined the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games delegation that met with the IOC Future Host Commission by videoconference on Tuesday, promoting their already well-received bid, preferably for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

Cox told the Deseret News afterwards:

“Utah is a place where they can have confidence that not only can we pull off a Games, but we can focus on the things that matter. …

“The first time you do an Olympics, it’s all about just surviving, just making sure it all works and the events happen. We don’t have to worry about that. We know we can already do it, which means we get to focus on bigger and better things.”

He told KSL Newsradio:

“I made a promise to them [the IOC] that in 2034, no matter how crazy and chaotic the world is, that Utah will be a place where people can seek refuge where people can come together, where you can unify.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, up for election on Tuesday for a second term, stressed the bid’s focus on “driving sustainable change” for the future, and felt that the group’s message was well received by the Commission.

Fraser Bullock, the Chief Operating Officer for the 2002 Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC), and head of the current bid, was enthusiastic about the meeting:

“What a fantastic day. This is the culmination of years and years of work. … Our strategy has always been to stay ahead of the process, to be incredibly prepared, so they see they can count on us.”

The Salt Lake City bid group has gone well beyond what the IOC would ordinarily expect at this stage, not simply providing a plan and show community support, but formalizing the necessary government guarantees and signing up the competition and support sites, paving the way to an easy award of the Games by the IOC in 2024.

The IOC’s process, however, progresses in stages, with Salt Lake City stating its preference for 2034, but would accept 2030 if the IOC feels that none of the late-entry candidates for 2030 are worthy. That appears unlikely and there are high hopes that the IOC Executive Board will announce that Salt Lake City will enter a “targeted dialogue” phase to finalize its award of the 2034 Winter Games.

4.
WADA files against Russia, South Africa at Court of Arbitration

The World Anti-Doping Agency agreed in September to hold Russia and South Africa as non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code in view of the non-alignment of its national anti-doping legislation with the Code.

Unsurprisingly, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency has disputed the WADA holding of non-compliance, triggering a filing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to enforce the Code. However, the filing also tolls the compliance requirements and any penalties until the case is completed.

South Africa’s national anti-doping organization is in the same situation and has objected to WADA’s declaration of non-compliance and a filing was made by WADA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a determination.

The consequences of the non-compliance holding include, among other things, no hosting of major events and no use of the national flag at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games or continental or regional Games, or world championships.

On Monday, WADA announced a campaign co-funded by the European Union against the use of steroids for cosmetic purposes.

The “#Natural Is Enough” project has engaged a group of social-media influencers – three in Great Britain and one each in Germany, Italy and Spain – to push back against the use of steroids in everyday life:

“While the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) stated in its ‘2020 Status Report on Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs’ that males between the ages of 20 and 24 were found to be the main users of steroids, the problem affects most age groups and demographics.

“The Report added that 34% of the gym-goers surveyed in one study said they were aware of image and performance enhancing drug use in their gym or club, demonstrating that the problem is moving beyond the sporting environment.

“Over half of those who admitted to steroid use said they did so for cosmetic reasons, largely to mimic the beach-body images and other unrealistic ideals disseminated in popular culture via social media, TV, and other outlets. Others admitted using steroids to enhance their sport performance or to increase strength for the purposes of non-competitive bodybuilding.”

5.
U.S. men lose to Trinidad & Tobago, but advance in Nations Cup

The U.S. men’s National Team went into Monday’s game with Trinidad & Tobago in Port-of-Spain with a three-goal edge from last week first leg of their home-and-home CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.

As it turned out, they needed the cushion, although it didn’t start that way. As with the first match, the U.S. offense got started right away and after a couple of excellent saves by T&T keeper Denzil Smith, got a score in the 25th minute.

Defender Sergino Dest, open on the right side of the pitch, sent a perfect cross into the middle of the box, where defender Antonee Robinson had moved for a sharp header that rocketed into the net for the 1-0 lead.

But disaster struck the U.S. in the 39th, as Dest kicked the ball away after the referee signaled a Trinidad & Tobago throw-in for a yellow card and then got a second yellow for arguing about the booking. That disqualified him for the rest of the game, for the Nations League semifinal and left the Americans with 10 men for the remainder of the match: more than 51 minutes.

It did not take long for the home team to take advantage, as midfielder Reon Moore took a long pass from defender Alvin Jones on the right side, then Moore dribbled closer and scored past U.S. keeper Matt Turner on a right-side shot that cleared the near post.

The halftime tie was broken with the winning Trinidad & Tobago goal in the 57th, as Jones slammed a free kick from beyond the box that swerved into the top left corner of the U.S. goal, just off of Turner’s fingertips, for a 2-1 lead.

Trinidad & Tobago got off four more shots, but could not score again; four yellow cards were handed out from the 77th minute on as the game became increasingly physical. The match ended with 50% possession for both teams and 10 shots apiece.

The combined score of the two legs was 4-2 for the U.S. and moves them into the CONCACAF Nations League semis next March, and qualifies the team for the 2024 Copa America.

They will be joined by Panama, which beat Costa Rica, 3-1, in Panama City to win both legs with a 6-1 goals total, and Jamaica, which beat Canada in Toronto, 3-2 on a 78th-minute penalty by Bobby Decordiva-Reid and ended up in a goals-scored tie at 4-4, but won on away goals (3).

Honduras stunned Mexico, 2-0, in the first leg in Tegucigalpa, and had held the Mexico to a 1-0 lead into stoppage time at a rainy Estadio Azteca on Tuesday, then Edson Alvarez scored on a wild exchange in front of the Honduran net at 90+11 to tie the match and the standings between the teams.

The game had 28 fouls and seven yellow cards in regulation, with Mexico taking 32 shots to just four for Honduras. The Hondurans suffered a red card at the end of regulations and another at 115 minutes, but managed to hold Mexico scoreless in extra time (despite 36-5 on shots), so the decision went to penalties. Honduran keeper Edrick Menjivar stopped two Cesar Huerta shots in the fourth round, but was called both times for moving early, then Huerta scored for a 4-2 lead and after Andy Najar’s shot for Honduras went wide, Mexico survived and advances.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● Undefeated Germany led the qualifiers for the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup quarterfinals in Indonesia with a 3-2 win over the U.S., thanks to an 87th-minute game-winner from Bilal Yalcinkaya.

The Germans (4-0) will now face Spain, a 2-1 winner over Japan on a 74th-minute goal by Marc Guiu. The winner will play either Brazil – a 3-1 winner over Ecuador – or Argentina, which defeated Venezuela, 5-0.

In the upper bracket, Mali crushed Mexico, 5-0, and Morocco edged Iran, 4-1, on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie thanks to a goal by Nassim Azaouzi at 90+4! They will play on the 25th.

The last two round-of-16 games will be played Wednesday, with undefeated France (3-0) facing Senegal and England taking on Uzbekistan, with the winners also to meet on Saturday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Deaflympics ● The forthcoming XX Winter Deaflympics in Erzurum (TUR) is too close to the Hamas-Israeli conflict in Gaza and the Hezbollah-Israeli situation in Lebanon for the United States to send a team for the event, slated for 2-12 February. Tuesday’s announcement included:

“Over the past seven months, USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF) has been in frequent communication with the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) to coordinate our planning efforts for the United States delegation to the 20th Winter Deaflympics. During this span, USADSF has repeatedly stressed the urgency of timely and thorough information. However, despite our best efforts, we were unable to receive satisfactory responses to our questions and concerns in a timely manner, nor were we able to receive timely confirmation of venues and schedules. The decision to move the location of the event earlier this month further exacerbated and reinforced these concerns.

“Although the ICSD released additional details earlier this month on the new location in Erzurum, this information came far too late and without sufficient assurance for USADSF and to ensure our participation. The persistent lack of timely and reliable information in accordance with the Deaflympics Regulations have created significant financial, logistical, and security challenges that could no longer be tolerated. These factors have led USADSF and our National Sport Organizations to make difficult decisions about how much risk we are willing to carry and how much security – financial and otherwise – we are willing to compromise. Thus, based on the information available to us, the USADSF has determined that the United States will not participate in the 20th Winter Deaflympics.”

Canada withdrew from the event on 15 November, citing “The current geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East has left us with limited choices.”

● Russia ● The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Board, meeting in Mexico City last Saturday, agreed to lift its prohibition on Russian and Belarusian competitors:

“Whilst the sanctions prohibiting international competitions to be held in Russia and Belarus are to remain in place, the FEI Board decided to lift protective measures to allow future participation of Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials as neutrals. The conditions and timeline for implementation will be put forward for approval by the FEI Board during a teleconference in December 2023.

“The FEI Headquarters was tasked by the Board with establishing the conditions and timeline allowing individual Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials to resume participation in FEI Events as neutrals. In the meantime, Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials remain ineligible to participate in FEI Events.”

Most of the International Federations are allowing some participation by Russians and Belarusian as neutrals, following the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee, which has urged this status. Some federations, such as the International Surfing Association and World Athletics, have said no and maintain a full ban.

IOC President Bach was asked about the planned Friendship Games in Russia next September after his appearance for the Olympic Truce resolution and explained there are no plans to do anything about at this time:

“We are not there yet. We heard about the plans for organizing these Friendship Games by the president of the Russian Federation and by the Russian government. And the IOC, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency made their position very clear.

“Our sports events have to be organized by sports organizations and they have to respect the rules of sports organizations. And this is the contribution we are making right now in the discussion about such potential games, but again, we are not there yet. Therefore, it would be premature to discuss any consequences. So, there are all the options.”

Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov told the Russian news agency TASS:

“The Friendship Games are organized as a multi-sport event, the purpose and objective of which is the opportunity for athletes who were unfairly excluded from participation in competitions to perform in a well-organized, well-paid event.

“In the current situation, this is not only an obligation of the country’s sports leadership to give our athletes the opportunity to practice on conditions similar to the Olympic ones. The conditions put forward by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are unfair and illegal.”

● On Screen ● Figure skating fans continued to watch the ISU Grand Prix, with an average of 690,000 viewers on NBC on Sunday for a highlights package at 4 p.m. Eastern, directly again the NFL late window.

This was actually the second-best audience of the season, behind only the 699,000 who tuned in for Skate America highlights on 22 October. The ISU Grand Prix “regular season” ends this weekend in Japan for the NHK Trophy.

Last Thursday’s first match between the U.S. men and Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarters drew 348,000 on TNT at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time, but 869,000 in Spanish on Telemundo!

The first-leg Honduras vs. Mexico match on Friday on Spanish-language TUDN had 598,000 viewers on average.

● Athletics ● Namibian Christine Mboma, the Tokyo 2021 Olympic 200 m silver medalist, is now planning to return to competition. According to The Namibian:

“Head coach Henk Botha on Tuesday confirmed that the world athletic governing body has decided to allow Mboma to compete in the 100m and 200m events, but not in the 400m, 800m and 1 500m.

“‘She will only be able to compete in the other events in a year and a half from now,’ he said.

“Botha said the sprinter’s testosterone level has been lowered to an acceptable level to World Athletics.”

Mboma, who has a high testosterone level, is subject to the World Athletics rules on women with “differences in sex development,” requiring the lowering of levels to 2.5 nmol/L for a minimum of 24 months. She last competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, winning the bronze in the women’s 200 m.

The Title IX sexual abuse suit filed by former Huntington University runners Emma Wilson, Hannah Stoffel and Erin Manchess, which also alleged a doping program run by former coach Nicholas Johnson, was dismissed by Judge Holly Brady of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

However, the suit was not dismissed with prejudice and Brady allowed the plaintiffs until 6 December to re-file an amended complaint which includes other, necessary elements of a Title IX suit. She also dismissed 22 counts which alleged Indiana state law claims, which can also be re-filed in state court.

The case was originally filed in September 2022, with an amended complaint filed in December.

● Cricket ● Ahead of its debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the International Cricket Council announced Tuesday new regulations which bar men-to-women transgenders from playing in international matches who have gone through male puberty.

The ICC statement noted:

“It is based on the following principles (in order of priority), protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness and inclusion. The regulations will be reviewed within two years.”

The move sidelines Canadian batter Danielle McGahey, reported to be the first transgender play in the sport, who competed in a T20 qualifying series against Brazil in September.

The ICC move parallels similar regulations in aquatics, athletics, cycling, rugby and other sports.

● Ice Hockey ● Asked on a podcast if Russian players will be allowed to participate in the National Hockey League’s planned 2025 national-team tournament, NHL Players Association Executive Director Marty Walsh said, “Probably not.”

The tournament is still in the formative stages, but hockey powerhouses Finland and Sweden are dead-set against Russian participation with the Russian invasion against Ukraine continuing. Added Walsh:

“There’s a bigger issue at play here. You have other federations that won’t allow other players to play in the tournament. You have to take all of that into account. …

“I’m going to support my guys. It’s a really complicated situation. It’s complicated but yet very unfortunate. It’s an awful situation, you think about trying to separate sport from what’s happening in the world and it’s really complicated right now.”

Walsh noted that the tournament concept at present is for only NHL players to participate, as there is no agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to bring in other players.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Tahiti Olympic surfing tower agreed; WADA worried by Asian Games and Russia; Latvian track for Sweden 2030 moving ahead

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Paris 2024 settles judging tower issues, confirms Teahupo’o for surfing
2. WADA fines OCA on North Korea; Russia still non-compliant
3. Paris booksellers decry removal test of famed Seine River boxes
4. Latvia warms to use of Sigulda track for Sweden 2030 bid
5. Switzerland’s Eder elected as full-term FISU President

● The Paris 2024 organizing committee and the Tahitian government announced an agreement on the judging and scoring tower to be built for the 2024 Olympic Games, ending a long dispute. The original plan will be scaled back to essentially replace the existing wooden tower used for World Surf League event with an aluminum structure.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency announced a $500,000 fine against the Olympic Council of Asia for allowing the North Korean flag to appear at the Asian Games this year, in violation of WADA sanctions. And Russia is no closer to being considered compliant, with new issues being raised. And what about Russia’s “Friendship Games” in 2024? Trouble.

● A test removal of bookseller boxes from along the Seine River in Paris was successful and the city’s police will now consider which and how many of these boxes need to be removed for security purposes for the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony on the river. The booksellers, are, in a word, livid.

● Reports from Latvia indicate that the Sigulda sliding track for bob, luge and skeleton would be available for the Sweden bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, since there is no such track in Sweden now. The IOC’s review process for the 2030 bids will begin this week.

● The International University Sports Federation (FISU) elected Swiss Leonz Eder as its new President, after Eder had served as Acting President in place of Russian Oleg Matytsin. The longtime Secretary General, Eric Saintrond, announced he will retire in 2025.

● World Championships: Football (France and Germany undefeated at FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup, while U.S. advances to knock-out round) ●

● Panorama: IOC (Miller receives de Coubertin medal) = Alpine Skiing (2: Feller leads Austrian men’s Slalom sweep; Zermatt-Cervinia women’s races canceled) = Archery (Wiljer, Horackova win GT Indoor Open) = Athletics (5: North Carolina State wins again, Oklahoma State takes men’s NCAA X-C title; Ngetich runs women-only world 10 km record; Kiplimo ties world 15 km road record; walks star Schwazer loses doping appeal; Jamaica’s Taylor suspended for avoiding testing) = Badminton (China puts five in finals, wins three at Japan Masters) = Bobsled & Skeleton (Germany sweeps bob & skeleton season opener) = Figure Skating (2: Japan’s Miura and Sakamoto take Grand Prix Espoo titles; Russian skaters now giving gifts to media!) = Football (2: U.S. and Panama in good shape in CONCACAF Nations League quarters; Poland Israel U-21s observe moment of silence for 7 October victims) = Speed Skating (U.S.’s Jackson dominates women’s sprints at Beijing World Cup) = Taekwondo (Iran, Korea, Brazil take World Cup Team Championships) = Tennis (Djokovic wins record seventh ATP Finals) ●

● Schedule: This is Thanksgiving Week in the U.S., so The Sports Examiner will appear on Wednesday and Friday. Happy holidays! ●

1.
Paris 2024 settles judging tower issues, confirms Teahupo’o for surfing

The smoldering anger in Tahiti over the plans to build a 46-foot-tall aluminum tower for judging and scoring of the Paris 2024 surfing competitions appears to have been mollified by a downsizing of the project announced on Friday.

A 26-paragraph news release detailed the agreement between the Paris organizers and the Tahiti government to ditch the original project and essentially replace the existing wooden tower. The key areas of agreement:

● “The study of the different options concluded that it was not possible to certify the current wooden tower, even following renovation. The existing foundations could not be used in their current state. The wooden tower was created 20 years ago on the exceptional Teahupo’o site, and it has been of great value during competitions. … It is out of the question to expose anyone (workers, athletes, judges, journalists, etc.) to risks that could compromise their safety. “

● “[F]rom a legacy standpoint, the World Surf League has been using a Judges’ Tower for over 20 years. The construction of a tower compliant so safety standards is therefore necessary to enable competitions to take place at Teahupo’o in the long term.”

● “[T]he project for a new tower that is less imposing and substantially reduced in size and weight was judged to be the best option. This presents the advantage of being able to reduce the depth of drilling for the foundations of the tower and allow the use of a barge with a shallower draught during the construction phase.”

So, instead of the 46-foot tower with an undersea pipe for drinking and wastewater, a “leaner, smaller tower” will be built, more or less a direct replacement of the old wooden tower, but made with aluminum. The floor area will be reduced from 2,153 sq. ft. to 1,615 sq. ft., same as the old tower, reducing the weight from 30,865 lbs. to 19,842, the weight of the old tower and removing the undersea water transfer pipe.

In this way, the drilling and installations on the coral at the site will be minimized and studied showed that a new tower will be less invasive to built than to renovate the existing facility. The new tower will be certified for 10 years use.

The issue was a potential embarrassment for the Paris 2024 organizers and some discussion about moving the competition to a less desirable, but also less ecologically challenging area in Tahiti had taken place. But replacing the wooden tower with an updated, much more stable version appears to be a workable solution for the Games, for the government and for future competitions of the World Surf League and others.

2.
WADA fines OCA on North Korea; Russia still non-compliant

A major breach of protocol via-s-vis World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions took place at the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN), where North Korea sent a large team for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, and was able to use its flag and other symbols without incident.

WADA has held the North Korean doping control system as non-compliant and the sanctions specifically dictate that its flag and national symbols were not to be used. So, on Friday, the WADA Foundation Board confirmed a new sanction against the Olympic Council of Asia, the actual owners of the Asian Games:

“The OCA will be required to pay a fine in the amount of USD 500,000.”

If the fine is not paid within 12 months, it will be doubled and OCA representatives will be ineligible to participate on WADA committees or boards.

The WADA Board also still has the Russian Anti-Doping Agency on its mind, as its national anti-doping legislation does not conform to the World Anti-Doping Code:

“WADA is monitoring the progress being made by RUSADA as it seeks to satisfy the conditions of reinstatement as laid out by the CAS decision. In the meantime, RUSADA remains non-compliant with the Code.

“Separately, a fresh critical non-conformity was identified related to inconsistencies between the federal Russian sports legislation and the Code. At its meeting on 22 September 2023, the ExCo accepted the CRC’s recommendation to impose on RUSADA new consequences and reinstatement conditions. On that date, WADA sent RUSADA a formal notice specifying the relevant consequences and reinstatement conditions. RUSADA subsequently disputed WADA’s allegation of non-compliance, as well as the consequences and reinstatement conditions. Accordingly, WADA has recently filed a formal notice of dispute with CAS.”

WADA General Counsel Ross Wenzel (GBR) also explained that there are added complications:

“One of the points [of restoration] says that RUSADA must be independent, but in order to make sure of this, an independent compliance commission must conduct an in-person audit by visiting the country. In the current geopolitical situation, an in-person visit is fraught with difficulties.”

WADA also raised issues with the 2024 World Friendship Games to be organized by Russia and held in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and possibly also in Belarus. As the Russian Anti-Doping Agency remains non-compliant, WADA Director General Olivier Niggli (SUI) noted:

“WADA has significant reservations about this [event] from an anti-doping perspective. We have no information about what kind of anti-doping program, if any, will be in place during that event or which body will be implementing such a program given RUSADA is still non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. Under the Code an international event such as this should not be awarded to a country whose National Anti-Doping Organization is non-compliant so in that context, how can athletes have any confidence that they would be competing in a safe and fair environment?”

There are other national anti-doping agencies with Code problems, specifically in Tunisia, and “critical requirements” that are not being met by the anti-doping agencies in Nigeria and Venezuela. The sanctions are, once again, loss of flag privileges and a ban on hosting major competitions. The flag ban applies to Paris 2024. WADA also created “watchlist” conditions for The Bahamas and Cambodia, giving each four months to correct another disconnect between the Code and the national legal system.

Good news: the WADA budget was increased again at $54.49 million, continuing to rise as it undertakes more and more investigations and activities.

Observed: The North Korea situation is alarming, and the $500,000 fine is a yawner for the Olympic Council of Asia, which includes Gulf nations such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia as members, as well as China, India and Japan. Such a sanction will not scare host countries such as China – in which the 2023 Asian Games was held – from allowing further such demonstrations of WADA’s weakness if it suits their own political needs. As the WADA statement noted, “Despite repeated reminders from WADA before and during the Games, the OCA refused to comply.”

This is worrisome.

3.
Paris booksellers decry removal test of famed Seine River boxes

The long-running battle between the Paris police and the famed Paris booksellers along the sides of the Seine River added a chapter on Friday as a test removal of four book stall “boxes” was made by a crane, which lifted them safely 10 feet in the air.

For Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan, this was a key development:

“Today we are sure we can move – that is to say remove and then put back – boxes in good conditions in a reasonable time.”

The Paris police would like to remove 600 of the 900 seller’s boxes during the Olympic Opening Ceremony on the Seine next July for fear of being used for explosives, but have run into stiff opposition from the booksellers and some politicians.

Police chief Laurent Nunez said Friday that the boxes would “only be removed when strictly necessary, notably for security reasons. I am aware of the importance of bouquinistes as an attraction of the capital.”

Michel Bouetard, general secretary of the Cultural Association of Booksellers of Paris, was outraged:

“All this for a four-hour ceremony! The Olympic Games have achieved what the wars [World Wars I and II] have not been able to do: to make us disappear.”

Other booksellers were concerned that the boxes will not be returned for some time, if at all, and the question of the need to remove them has been raised by some politicians. The final decision on how many need to be moved and on what schedule is still to be finally determined.

4.
Latvia warms to use of Sigulda track for Sweden 2030 bid

The expected approval of the world-class Sigulda track in Latvia for use in the Sweden 2030 Olympic Winter Games bid is in process, according to reports in Latvian media.

GamesBids.com noted comments from Sigulda County Council Chair Liga Sausina on Latvian Public Broadcasting:

“Already for 2026, as a candidate to become the venue for the Olympic Games, a plan was developed for the construction of a new residential block, the so-called Olympic Village, which in the future will provide space for both the development of the housing stock and the opening of a new preschool educational institution. Likewise, the adjacent road infrastructure development is already planned.”

The Stockholm bid for the 2026 Winter Games lost to Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, but the Swedes are in the mix for 2030, with a spread-out bid that would include Sigulda since Sweden does not have a World Cup-class track for bobsled, luge and skeleton in the country. The International Olympic Committee’s desire to keep construction to a minimum for future Games therefore drives the need to look elsewhere, in this case across the Baltic Sea.

The terms under which the Sigulda track would be used were not revealed, but the track will require some upgrades, perhaps as much as €58 million (about $63.4 million U.S.), plus security and other expenses. A final approval will be required from the Latvian national government.

The Latvian approval is important as the 2030 bids from Sweden, Switzerland and France are expected to be discussed on Tuesday (21st) with the IOC’s Future Host Commission for the Winter Games. A recommendation for “targeted dialogue” could be made in advance of the IOC Executive Board meetings beginning on 29 November.

5.
Switzerland’s Eder elected as full-term FISU President

Russian Oleg Matytsin was elected as President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. But after becoming the Russian Sports Minister in January 2020, his FISU position became untenable in view of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency, as shortened by the Court on Arbitration for Sport.

So he stepped back from his FISU role in March 2021, with First Vice President Leonz Eder of Switzerland becoming the Acting President. But when the WADA sanctions were completed at the end of 2022, Russia was now in the midst of its invasion of Ukraine and Matytsin continued on the sidelines.

Now, Eder has come the FISU President in his own right, after the 38th General Assembly of 115 national federations unanimously confirmed him on Saturday for a full term from 2023-27.

Brazil’s Luciano Cabral was elected as First Vice President, confirming him in a role he had been serving on an acting basis. The U.S.’s Delise O’Meally, Secretary General of the U.S. International University Sports Foundation and the Vice President-International Relations for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee was re-elected as an Executive Board member.

The FISU board includes no one from Russia or Belarus.

FISU chief executive Eric Saintrond (BEL) also announced that he would retire in early 2025, after serving as Secretary General since November of 2007, notably helping to engineer the federation’s headquarters move from Brussels to Lausanne and nearly tripling the staff workforce.

The federation’s showcase event, the World University Games, is in good shape with hosts already selected for Torino 2025 (ITA: winter) and Rhine-Ruhr 2025 (GER: summer), followed by Chungcheong 2027 (KOR: summer) and North Carolina 2029 (USA: summer).

Observed: Despite the Russian issues, Eder maintained excellent continuity within FISU and the delayed Universiade in Chengdu (CHN) came off successfully in 2023. Now on his own, the continuing question of relevance will be raised, even with hosts sets through the end of the decade.

Because of its structure – using national university-sport federations – FISU has never been able to invite actual college teams to compete at the World University Games, although the US-IUSF has been able to field some teams with all-American rosters.

Imagine a University Games in North Carolina in which Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and others could take on Britain’s Oxford, Canada’s McGill University, China’s Fudan or The Sorbonne from France? A change in the rules would be needed, to allow teams in a specific country to included non-citizens of that country on the team, but it would increase the brand value of the University Games enormously, and create more synergies with national collegiate organizations, such as the NCAA in the U.S.

It’s a big step, but one which has enormous potential for FISU as it looks to the future.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● The group stage has concluded at the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, with the Round of 16 elimination matches set to begin on Monday (20th). The group winners and runners-up:

● A: Morocco (2-1-0 W-L-T), Ecuador (1-0-2)
● B: Spain (2-0-1), Mali (2-1-0)
● C: England (2-1-0), Brazil (2-1-0)
● D: Argentina (2-1-0), Senegal (2-1-0)
● E: France (3-0-0), United States (2-1-0)
● F: Germany (3-0-0), Mexico (1-1-1)

Only France and Germany finished with perfect records; the French beat the U.S. on Saturday, 30, to clinch Group E. The match was 1-0 for France until late goals in the 82nd and 86th minutes made the final, 3-0.

In the elimination rounds, the upper bracket looks like this:

● France vs. Senegal and England vs. Uzbekistan
● Mali vs. Mexico and Morocco vs. Iran

The lower bracket:

● Ecuador vs. Brazil and Argentina vs. Venezuela
● Spain vs. Japan and Germany vs. United States

The quarters will be played on 24-25 November, the semis on 28 November and the championship match on 2 December.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● David Miller, the long-time British sports correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, Daily Express and The Times, was awarded the IOC’s Pierre de Coubertin Medal for his service to the Olympic Movement as a journalist.

Miller, 88, received the award in London from retired IOC member Craig Reedie (GBR); IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) said in a statement, “Your writing ultimately served a higher purpose than to simply inform people of the latest scores and results. With your expert knowledge of the Olympic Movement, you always instinctively grasped the central idea of the Olympic mission: to unite the entire world in peaceful competition.”

Said Miller:

“When becoming a journalist, as would-be Olympian when member of the British 1956 Melbourne football training squad, and retiring from competitive sport at 22, my motivation was inspired by those such as national heroes, kindly present today, David Hemery, record-breaking Olympic 400 hurdles champion at Mexico ’68, and David Bedford, a 10,000 metres world record-breaker. They exemplified competitors who strove to integrate both competitor participation and administrative competence, in all sports, at a time of widespread disunity, for the benefit of competitors helplessly divided in the 19th and 20th centuries by the contrived conflict between amateurs and professionals: a calculated class divide supported by the IOC until its belated abolition in 1987.

“The principles of Hemery, Bedford and others motivated my focus over six decades as successive correspondent with national newspapers on issues rather than events: on a level playing-field for competitors with adequate financial backing only belatedly achieved by the 21st century – rather than my mere event coverage of 25 Summer and Winter Olympics, 14 FIFA World Cup finals and dozens of world championships in more than 20 sports across more than a hundred countries.

“My search for fair play was as much racial as class-conscious, with long-standing assistance together with iconic performers such as Mal Whitfield, Kip Keino, Arthur Ashe and Daley Thompson, they prominent in parallel with those with whom my commentaries collaborated, such as Nelson Mandela, Zhengliang He of China and Andrew Young from Atlanta, a key Luther King collaborator.”

● Alpine Skiing ● After cancellations due to weather at Soelden and Zermatt-Cervinia, the men’s alpine season finally got going with the Slalom at Gurgl (AUT).

And the home team was rewarded with a sweep, possibly thanks to a protest by an environmental group that disturbed the second run with five racers remaining.

Austria’s Manuel Feller, the 2017 Worlds Slalom silver winner, took the lead on the first run by almost a second over Clement Noel (FRA), 53.22 to 54.16, with Austria’s Fabio Gstrein third (54.21).

On the second run, climate activists sprayed orange powder on the snow; they were removed, but the racing was stopped for eight minutes. The delay did not impact Austrian Marco Schwarz, the 2021 World Slalom champ, who raced from fifth to first on his second run, but the top four had trouble, placing 21st, 25th and 18th on the second run with one disqualified.

But even with the 18th-best second run, Feller won at 1:47.23 to 1:47.46 for Schwarz and 1:48.28 for Michael Matt for the Austrian sweep.

After a break next week, the men’s racing will be in the U.S., with Downhills and a Super-G at Beaver Creek in Colorado on 1-3 December.

Rough weather called off the women’s Downhill on the new Zermatt-to-Cervinia “Gran Becca” course, with high winds making the run too dangerous on both Saturday and Sunday. This was the second straight week that the conditions on this new course were too difficult. FIS Race Director Peter Gerdol (SLO) explained:

“We hoped that after 11:00 (CET) the weather or the wind would be less strong and acceptable. At the end we checked the course, particularly in the last one or two hours and the wind (had) decreased a little bit, but still not enough to have a safe race and, as we always say, the safety of the racers is the first priority and that’s why we had to cancel today. …

“There is a commitment to continue this but of course we will need to, in the next weeks or months to sit together, all the stakeholders, the organising committee, the two ski federations and FIS of course, and make all the proper analysis to what happened and then the decision is for the future.”

● Archery ● Dutch star Steve Wijler won his second straight World Archery Indoor World Series (18 m) victory at the GT Open at Strassen (LUX).

Already the winner of the Lausanne Excellence Challenge, Wijler – the 2017 Worlds bronze medalist – shut down Britain’s Tom Hall in the final, 6-0. Countryman Willem Bakker won the bronze medal with a 6-4 win over Jerome Bidault, the Lausanne runner-up.

In the women’s final, Czech Marie Horackova won with a 7-1 finals triumph over Denisa Barankova (SVK), the Lausanne Excellence Challenge winner. American Casey Kaufhold won the bronze in a 6-5 (10-9) shoot-out versus Randi Degn (DEN).

● Athletics ● One dynasty continued and one was stopped at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Earlysville, Virginia on Saturday.

Florida junior Parker Valby, runner-up last year and in great form all season, ran away with the individual race, leading by nine seconds after 2 km of the 6 km race and won going away in 18:55.2. That was more than 10 seconds up on Alabama frosh Doris Lemngole (KEN: 19:05.7) and Notre Dame senior Olivia Markezich (19:10.0). Defending champ Katelyn Tuohy of North Carolina State, apparently ill, still finished fifth (19:23.0) and led the Wolfpack charge to a third straight NCAA team title. But it was close.

North Carolina State finished 5-18-21-31-48 in the team scoring for 123, but men’s superpower North Arizona was right in the hunt, led by Canadian senior Gracelyn Larkin in 13th place (11th for team scoring purposes). The Lumberjacks had five in the top 44 – 11-13-15-41-44 – but that’s 124 points and they had to settle for second. Oklahoma State was third (156), with Notre Dame (237) fourth.

It’s the third straight title for N.C. State, but by far the closest.

The men’s team title was expected to be close, but it wasn’t. Northern Arizona came in having won three in a row and six of seven, but beat Oklahoma State on a tiebreaker a year ago. And the Cowboys had plenty of pedigree, having won in 2009-10-12.

As the teams dueled, Stanford’s Ky Robinson (AUS), 10th last year but the NCAA 5,000-10,000 m champ on the track in 2023 – was in the lead by the 8 km mark of the 10 km course. But he was passed by New Mexico frosh Habtom Samuel (ERI), with Harvard junior Graham Banks following closely, and then Banks pushed ahead with about 400 m to go and was a clear winner in 28:38.7 to 28:40.7 for Samuel. Robinson was third in 28:55.7 and then came Oklahoma State frosh Dennis Kiprotich (KEN) in fourth in 28:59.7, ahead of Northern Arizona’s Drew Bosley and Nico Young.

But the Cowboys put five in the top 15 (4-8-10-12-15) for 49 points to 71 for the Lumberjacks (5-6-18-20-22), with BYU third at 196 and Arkansas at 211. Banks moved up from sixth in 2022 and is the first Ivy Leaguer to win the NCAA X-C title.

Kenya’s Alice Ngetich thought she set a women’s-only world 10 km road record of 29:24 at the Brasov Running Festival in Romania on 10 September, but the mark was wiped out as the course was found to be short. Ngetich said she would come back in 2024 and try for the record again.

No need.

She won the Lille 10 km race on Saturday in 29:24, a women’s-only race world record and the third-fastest time in history, behind only Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) and her 29:14 in February 2022 and 29:19 in January 2023.

Ngetich, sixth at the Worlds 10,000 m this summer, won by 10 seconds over countrywoman Emmaculate Anyango (29:34).

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the 2020 World Half Marathon champ, equaled the world road record for 15 km, winning the NN Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen (NED) in 41:05 on Sunday. He won by 1:39 over countryman Rogers Kibet (42:44) and equaled the mark by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei from 2018.

The long-running doping case against 2008 Olympic 50 km Walk gold medalist Alex Schwazer (ITA) appears to be over.

Schwazer said Friday that his appeal of an eight-year suspension for doping was turned down by the World Anti-Doping Agency, saying during an Italian reality TV show, “I’m really sorry, because I remain convinced that this decision is fundamentally wrong. It was not taken in a neutral way.”

Schwazer served a three-year, nine-month suspension for doping for erythropoietin (EPO) from July 2012 to April 2016, then was hit with an eight-year suspension for a second doping charge – for steroids – less than three months later in 2016. He has always maintained his innocence, but now will have to serve out his sanction, which will prevent him being able to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Jamaican sprinter Christopher Taylor, who won a Worlds men’s 4×400 m silver in 2022 and was sixth in the Olympic 400 m final for Tokyo 2020, has been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for 30 months from 16 November 2022 to 15 May 2025 for failing to comply with a doping sample collection procedure.

Taylor, now 24, has a best of 44.63 from 2022 and competed in the men’s 400 m at Tokyo and in Eugene at the 2022 World Championships.

● Badminton ● Pretty good performance for China at the BWF World Tour Japan Masters in Kumamoto (JPN), with finalists in all five events and three wins, all in Doubles!

And all three Doubles had all-China finals:

● Men: Ji Ting He and Xiang Yu Ren beat Yu Chen Liu and Xian Yi Ou, 21-14, 15-21, 21-15.

● Women: Shu Xian Zhang and Yu Zheng overcame Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan, 12-21, 21-12, 21-17.

● Mixed: Top-seeded Si Wei Zheng and Ya Qiong Huang beat third-seeds Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang (CHN), 25-23, 21-9.

China’s Yu Qi Shi lost the men’s Singles final to top-seeded Viktor Axelsen, 22-20, 21-17, and Indonesia’s Gregoria Tunjung (INA), the no. 6 seed, upset third-seed Yu Fei Chen in the women’s final, 21-12, 21-12.

● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The 2023-24 IBSF World Cup opened in Yanqing (CHN), site of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic events, with Germany’s star back at the top of the podium.

Only the two-man and four-man events were held, with 2023 World Champion Johannes Lochner taking his 12th career two-man title in 1:58.64, with Georg Fleischhauer aboard, ahead of Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich (GER, with Alexander Schueller: 1:59.26), and Swiss Michael Vogt and Sandro Michel third (1:59.54).

Two races were held in the four-man, with Lochner sweeping both. He won on Saturday in 1:57.04, just ahead of Friedrich (1:57.31), with China’s Kaizhi Sun driving (1:57.44). On Sunday, it was Lochner winning in 1:56.61, winning over Italy’s Patrick Baumgartner (1:56.92) and Friedrich (1:56.93).

The women’s sleds did not race; they will join at the next stop, at La Plagne (FRA) on 9-10 December.

The men’s and women’s Skeleton racers were in Yanqing, with another German sweep. Christopher Grotheer, the Beijing Olympic gold medalist, won in 2:01.20, followed by China’s Wenhao Chen (2:01.63) and Wengang Yan (2:01.68). Four-time World Champion Tina Hermann took the women’s racing at 2:01.81, followed by China’s Zhao Dan (2:03.83) and Canada’s Worlds bronze medalist, Mirela Rahneva (2:03.99).

● Figure Skating ● Japan continued its march through the ISU Grand Prix in the men’s and women’s Singles, winning their fourth and fifth golds of the season at the Grand Prix Espoo in Finland.

World Champion Kaori Sakamoto won her second Grand Prix gold of the season with a dominant win in the women’s Singles, scoring 205.21 to 190.21 for teammate Rion Sumiyoshi. Sakamoto won both the Short Program and the Free Skate, with the most surprising performance coming from American Amber Glenn.

Only 11th after the Short Program, Glenn – 12th at the 2023 Worlds – flew up to second in the Free Skate with a lifetime best score of 133.78, and rose to take the bronze medal! Teammate Starr Andrews finished 10th at 155.42.

Kao Miura, 18, won his first Grand Prix gold – after three silvers – at 274.56, winning the Short Program and finishing second in the Free Skate. Teammate Shun Sato won the Free Skate and almost closed the gap from the Short Program, finishing second at 273.34. Americans Liam Kapeikis and Jimmy Ma were ninth (196.94) and 11th (191.26).

Reigning Ice Dance World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. won their second Grand Prix title of the season and sixth of their career, barely holding off Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen of Canada, 209.46 to 206.32. Chock and Bates won both the Short Program and the Free Skate, but it was close. Two more American pairs finished 4-5: Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (188.76) and Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik (183.78).

Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won the Pairs, moving up from third after the Rhythm Dance by winning the Free Dance. Their score of 192.72 earned them their first Grand Prix gold, ahead of Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA: 188.60). Americans Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea were sixth at 152.16.

One more leg in the Grand Prix “regular season” in Osaka (JPN) for the NHK Trophy and then the Grand Prix Final on 7-10 December in Beijing (CHN).

In Russia, a new tradition of sorts has popped up: modest gifts for news media from the skaters!

According to the Russian news agency TASS:

“Recently, figure skaters have increasingly begun to pamper media representatives with small gifts. For example, at the Russian Grand Prix stage in Kazan, the winner of the tournament, Sofya Muravyova, gave all the journalists miniature hearts, hand-sewn by her mother. At the stage in Samara, Andrey Mozalev treated the journalists to chocolates, and the winner of the Samara stage, Ksenia Sinitsyna, gave the journalists ice cream.”

No, this is not a made-up story.

● Football ● The first legs of home-and-home match-ups in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals have been completed, with the U.S. and Panama in the best positions to advance to the semis. Results:

● U.S. 3, Trinidad & Tobago 0
● Panama 3, Costa Rica 0
● Honduras 2, Mexico 0
● Canada 2, Jamaica 1

The second legs will be played on Monday and Tuesday, with the U.S. at Trinidad & Tobago, and Panama hosting Costa Rica.

On Tuesday, Canada will host Jamaica and Mexico will be at home to face Honduras again. The quarterfinal winners will also advance to the 2024 Copa America.

The semis and finals will be played in March 2024.

Playing in a UEFA qualifying match, the U-21 teams from Israel and Poland stood in silence for the first minute of their game in Lodz (POL) on Friday, observing a moment of tribute for the victims of the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas.

UEFA had been requested to authorize a moment of silence, but did not do so, and the teams did so themselves. Poland won the game, 2-1.

● Speed Skating ● Four double winners highlighted the ISU World Cup II in Beijing (CHN), including U.S. sprint star Erin Jackson.

The Beijing 2022 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 500 m, Jackson won both sprints, beating teammate Kimi Goetz in the first race by 37.91 to 37.92, then dominating the second event in 37.54, with Min-sun Kim (KOR) second in 37.85; Goetz was fourth in 38.02.

In the men’s 500 m, Japan’s Wataru Morishige, the Beijing 2022 bronze medalist, swept both races, winning in 34.72 in the opening event, ahead of teammate Yuma Murakami (34.82), then stormed to a second win in 34.69, with 2021 World Champion Laurent Debreuil (CAN) second in 34.81 and Murakami third in 34.82.

The middle distance also had double winners, as Beijing 2022 Olympic 1,000 m champ Miho Takagi won the 1,500 m first in 1:55.52, with Goetz taking bronze (1:57.33) and former World Champion Brittany Bowe of the U.S. 10th (1:57.71). Takagi came back to win the 1,000 m over Goetz, 1:14.44 to 1:14.45, with Bowe sixth (1:15.95).

Dutch star Kjeld Nuis, a double winner in PyeongChang in 2018, took the 1,500 m in 1:44.80 over teammate (and six-time Worlds gold winner) Patrick Roest, who timed 1:45.86. Nuis won the 1,000 m on Sunday in 1:08.11, beating Norway’s 2018 Olympic 500 m gold winner Havard Lorentzen (1:08.99), finally back from injuries.

Roest came back to get the 5,000 m win in 6:11.40, finishing well ahead of Worlds 10,000 m champ Davide Ghiotto (ITA: 6:14.25). Italy’s Andrea Giovannini, the Worlds bronze medalist, took the Mass Start final in 7:39.52, ahead of Daniele Di Stefano (ITA: 7:39.91) and Olympic champ Bart Swings (BEL: 7:39.97).

The U.S. trio of Austin Kleba, Cooper Mcleod and Zach Stoppelmmoor scored a surprise win on the Team Sprint in 1:20.27, ahead of China (1:20.72).

The women’s distances saw Norway’s Ragne Wiklund, the reigning World Champion at 3,000 m, take that race in 4:03.41 over the ageless – and 21-time World Champion – Martina Sabilkova (CZE: 4:04.86); American Mia Kilburg-Manganello was 12th in 4:12.95. In the Mass Start, two-time World Champion Marijke Groenewoud (NED) won easily in 8:24.81, with Canada’s two-time World Champion Ivanie Blondin second (8:37.59) and Kilburg-Manganello fourth in 8:38.07.

Everyone is off for a week and the tour resumes on Stavanger (NOR) from 1-3 December.

● Taekwondo ● Iran, Korea and Brazil triumphed in the World Cup Team Championships Series titles in Goyang (KOR).

The defending champion Iranian men defeated Korea in the quarters, 2-1, then managed a 2-0 win over Korea and faced surprising Australia in the final, prevailing by 2-0. The Korean women beat China by 2-1 in their semi and then fought off Morocco, 2-0, in the final.

Brazil won in the Mixed Team final, 2-0, over Morocco.

● Tennis ● Superstar Novak Djokovic (SRB) suffered a shock loss to Italy’s Jannik Skinner in pool play at the ATP Finals in Turin (ITA), but fought back to get to the semis and then defeated Skinner, 6-3, 6-3, in the final for his record seventh ATP Finals title. Djokovic also clinched the year-end no. 1 ranking for the eighth time, another record.

In the Doubles final, defending champs Rajeev Ram (USA) and Joe Salisbury (GBR) came in seeded only sixth, but finished undefeated and beat Marcel Granollers (ESP) and Horacio Zeballos (ARG), 6–3, 6–4 for the championship.

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TSX REPORT: FIG’s neutrality rules put Russian gymnasts in blue; 1.89% of athletes surveyed on IOC sponsorship rules replied; Swiss all in for 2030!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. FIG rules for “neutral” gymnasts published, but with questions
2. IOC’s Rule 40 athlete survey received just 1.89% response!
3. Swiss confirm 2030 Winter bid, but with added options
4. Lyles and Richardson top USATF awards for 2023
5. U.S, men wait late, score 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago

● The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) published its detailed rules for Russian and Belarusian athletes to apply to be approved as “neutral” athletes for competitions in 2024. As written, the rules are quite strict, including the use of only light blue uniforms for any athletes who are approved, without any identifying symbols. This will be a process, with questions still to be answered.

● A post-Tokyo 2020 and post-Beijing 2022 survey compiled for the International Olympic Committee concerning athlete sponsorship visibility during the Games was offered to 14,254 Olympians. Just 269 replied, or 1.89%. But there were interesting indications from even that small sample, especially that athletes need education on the business side of their lives.

● The Swiss Olympic Committee completed its bid file for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games and will present it to the IOC’s Future Host Commission next week, but also to the Swiss Sports Parliament on the 24th for its approval. The Swiss also have the idea to bid for the multi-port European Championships, possible for 2026!

● Sprint stars Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson were named the winners of the USATF’s 2023 Jesse Owens and Jackie Joyner-Kersee awards for the top male and female athletes in the U.S.

● The U.S. men’s National Team could not get a goal on Trinidad & Tobago in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in Austin, Texas, but Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Gio Reyna scored within 7:23 of each other in the 82-86-89th minutes for a 3-0 victory.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (2: air taxi service rebuffed by Paris City Council; draft Olympic Truce resolution coming next week) = Commonwealth Games (Jenkins new CGF President as a 2026 solution is being sought) = World Anti-Doping Agency (new sanctions coming at Foundation Board meeting Friday) = Russia (IOC called “totalitarian” by Russian Olympic Committee) = Athletics (2: Kenyan anti-doping head says huge shock coming; British runner gets year ban for using a car during a race!) = Football (28th anniversary of the debut of FIFA.com) = Gymnastics (Biles vault formally added to Code of Points) ●

1.
FIG rules for “neutral” gymnasts published, but with questions

The rules for Russian and Belarusian gymnasts for participation as “neutral” individual athletes have been published by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastic, taking up eight pages of small type and effective as of 9 November.

The well-known prohibitions against Russian and Belarusian teams, doping requirements, and no national symbols are included. The key provisions are on what constitutes “neutrality,” with a significant prohibited list:

“Neutrality will be evaluated through the following criteria:

“1) No link with the Russian or Belarusian military or with any other national security agency

“Gymnasts/athletes and support personnel who are or become contracted or are or become in any way connected to the Russian or Belarusian military, including any affiliated entities, or with national security agencies since the beginning of the conflict (24 February 2022) cannot participate in FIG sanctioned events.

“2) No communication associated with Russia or Belarus

“Gymnasts/athletes and support personnel must refrain from any activity or communication, either verbal, non-verbal or written, associated with the national flag, anthem, emblem or any other symbol of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, their NFs or NOCs, or from any support for the war in Ukraine in any official venue or in the media (including interviews, social media, retweets and reposted messages on Twitter, forwarded messages, etc.) at any time since the beginning of the military aggression in Ukraine by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

“Gymnasts/athletes and support personnel must not make any public statements or comments or take any action or behave in any way that may prejudice the interests of the competition, its integrity or the participant’s neutrality required as a condition for participation.

“3) No support for the war in Ukraine

“Only gymnasts/athletes and support personnel who have not supported nor are supporting the war in Ukraine may participate in FIG sanctioned events.

“Gymnasts/athletes and support personnel employed by or contracted to the Russian and Belarusian military or national security agencies are considered as supporting the war.

“Any other form of verbal, non-verbal or written expression, explicit or implicit, at any time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, in particular public statements, including those made in social media, participation in pro-war demonstrations or events, and the wearing of any symbol in support of the war in Ukraine, for example the ‘Z’ symbol, are considered to be acts of support for the war in Ukraine.”

No two sets of “neutrality” rules are exactly the same between the various international sports federations which have posted them. Although the International Olympic Committee suggested a coordinated response to its 28 March recommendations on allowing individual “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally, the different sets of rules actually work in its favor as a real-time test of what works and what does not.

There is an application fee, the amount of which is not specified, but which must be received by the FIG prior to the review. There is no mention about how the fee is to be paid, especially since payment methods out of Russia and Belarus are more difficult now.

As to uniforms and music:

● “Women’s competition leotard, unitard or competition shirt must be of a solid light blue colour. Men’s competition singlet, unitard or competition shirt must be of a solid light blue colour. Men’s competition pants or shorts must be completely white.”

● “In Rhythmic Gymnastics, the hand apparatus must be completely white.”

● “[A]ny routine music used during the FIG Sanctioned event by an Individual Neutral Athlete must be neutral.”

All music must be approved by the FIG. And there are continuing restrictions:

“To adhere to the requirement of neutrality, Individual Neutral Athletes and their support personnel must refrain from any activity or communication associated with the national flag, anthem, emblem or any other symbol of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, their NFs or NOCs, or support for the war in Ukraine, at any official venue or in the media (including interviews, social media – retweets, reposting, etc.) prior to, during and following the international sports competition. This includes any national events related to their participation in the competition.

“They must not make any statements or comments, take any action, or conduct themselves in any manner that may be prejudicial to the interests of the competition, its integrity or the participant’s neutrality required as a condition of participation.”

The regulations are strict as written; it will be interesting to see what happens in actual practice.

2.
IOC’s Rule 40 athlete survey received just 1.89% response!

Prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, much attention was paid to Rule 40.3 of the Olympic Charter, which was amended in 2019 to allow more flexibility for athletes to showcase their personal sponsors who are not also Olympic sponsors.

No direct mention of the Games was allowed, but congratulatory messages were permitted if disclosed about two months prior to the Games. Not much, but more than the prior total ban on communications by non-Olympic sponsors.

As promised, the International Olympic Committee did a survey after the Tokyo and Beijing Games to ask about the new experience with the amended Rule 40. But very few were interested.

Completed in September, the 30-slide report by Publicis Sport & Entertainment, announced on Thursday, showed that of 14,254 athletes registered on the IOC’s Athlete365 portal, just 270 took the survey, or 1.89%. The report notes:

“For this project, there was a lower-than-optimal response rate, meaning that with [270] Olympians, less than 2% completed the survey. …

“Results are therefore limited to the participants of the survey and we refrain from drawing general conclusion of the entire athlete population. Nevertheless, some results are interesting to report because while limited in number, those who made the efforts to respond have important views that should be considered.”

The respondents were from 88 countries and 38 of 40 sports involved, with the most responses from France (8%), the U.S. (8%) and Italy (6%). By sport, the leading responders were from track & field (19%) and skiing and snowboarding (14%) and then aquatics (8%). No other sport registered more than 4%.

Of the group that responded, the results were uninspiring:

● Just 68% said they were “aware” of Rule 40, with 25% not aware and 7% didn’t remember.

● 55% said they learned about the Rule 40 regulations from their National Olympic Committee, and 17% from their agent or sponsor. Media reports informed another 15%.

● 68% of the respondents read the “Key Principles” document which explained the rules, about 60% read the two companion documents.

● Of the respondents, 50% posted a “thank you” message to their sponsors during the Games (Tokyo or Beijing), but 26% did not … and did not know that they could!

How important is all this? The research showed that among the 199 Tokyo Olympians who responded, 66% had sponsorship deals. Among the 71 Beijing Winter Olympians, 73% had sponsorship deals. Of those folks, 91% said that had one or more personal sponsorships with non-Olympic Partner brands.

As the report deadpans in a footnote, “The IOC should look to improve communication about this allowance, so athletes better understand what they can and cannot do at Games-time.”

Observed: Despite the trivial level of participation in the survey, it points to a glaring area which needs support, not only from the IOC, but the National Olympic Committees and especially national federations.

Athletes have to be educated on what it means to be a “professional.”

There are expensive, rigorous, years-long training programs and licensing requirements in many countries to hold positions which can influence other people’s lives, including architects, attorneys, engineers, physicians and many others. Athletes are being required, more and more, to know about the often highly technical rules against doping, but this is still in its infancy.

With this survey, with just 1.89% responding, and more than a quarter of those not even knowing they could post a message saluting their non-Olympic sponsors, there is an obvious need for education.

This has to happen at the grass-roots level, because sponsorships are being given to younger and younger athletes, especially in the U.S., where the name-image-likeness rules have driven sponsorships to the high school level and even earlier.

Here, the IOC is well positioned to help, with summaries of best practices and documentation of what it allows at the Olympic Games. But the real action is at the national federation level, where free courses could be offered at conventions and regional and national championships.

This is coming, and the National Olympic Committees which take leadership roles will have happier athletes who understand better how to manage their business affairs as well as their athletic efforts.

3.
Swiss confirm 2030 Winter bid, but with added options

“It is now up to the Sports Parliament to give the green light to those responsible for the project to continue, and then to the IOC to decide whether to invite us to the next phase of the dialogue.

“But the interest and the constructive and benevolent critical support of the project by the Swiss media and public delight us.”

That’s Swiss Olympic President Juerg Stahl during a Wednesday meeting with reporters, explaining that the Swiss bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games is very much alive. The concept, to use the existing winter-sports facilities, drops the tradition of a host city and would create a national plan for the Games.

The timeline is a little odd, as the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission for the Winter Games is expected to talk with the 2030 bidders from France, Sweden and Switzerland next Tuesday (21st), and the Swiss Sports Parliament to weigh in on the bid on Friday, 24 November.

Of significant note is that the Swiss concept for an Olympic Winter Games is aimed not only at 2030, but could be pursued for 2034 (against Salt Lake City) or 2038 or beyond. Prior Swiss bids have failed in referenda, but the 2030 plan is for a privately-funded Games using existing sites, and had 67% public approval in a recent poll. Noted Stahl:

“Having several regions reduces the risks. What also matters is to have relatively few investments to make and that there is little harm to nature.”

The expectations are that the IOC Executive Board will select candidates for “targeted dialogue” for 2030 and 2034 at its next meeting at the end of November.

The Swiss are looking at other events as well, with the ski federations already bidding for the 2028 FIS Games, with all of the Olympic disciplines and several more. And, there is interest in organizing the multi-sport European Championships that was very successfully held in Munich (GER) in 2022. Said Swiss Olympic Director General Roger Schnegg:

“The budget is obviously much smaller. But, here too, all of Switzerland could benefit from it. It is obvious that we would not organize the European Championships in 2030 if we got the Winter Games, but we see the possible synergies.”

But 2026 could be a possibility. Stahl emphasized, “We are very motivated to show that a small country like ours can do it.”

4.
Lyles and Richardson top USATF awards for 2023

USA Track & Field announced its major award winners for 2023 on Thursday, with Noah Lyles to receive the Jesse Owens Award and Sha’Carri Richardson selected for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award.

Lyles had a brilliant 2023, especially when it counted the most, winning three golds at the World Athletics Championships, in the men’s 100 m (9.83 co-world leader), 200 m (19.52) and anchoring the men’s 4×100 m relay (37.38 world leader).

He was undefeated in the 200 m, winning all eight races, including six finals, running a world-leading 19.47 at the Wanda Diamond League meet in London in July. He ran 12 100 m races, winning just seven, but after a third at the USATF Nationals, won all three of his races at the Worlds, including a lifetime best in the final at 9.83.

Richardson was also electrifying at the Worlds, and was busy all year, running 16 races in the 100 m and eight more at 200 m. She won the USATF title at 10.82 to make her first international team, then after barely making it into the Worlds final, won in a sizzling 10.65 to equal the world lead for 2023.

Not known as a 200 m star, Richardson qualified for Budapest with a second-place finish at the nationals, then won her heat at the Worlds, was second in her semi and ran a lifetime best of 21.92 to grab the bronze medal in the final. She followed up with a second gold, anchoring the U.S. women’s 4×100 m to a 41.03 win in the fastest time of 2023.

Shawnti Jackson, 18, the daughter of 2005 World men’s 400 m hurdles gold medalist Bershawn Jackson, was named the USATF Youth Athlete for 2023. She set a U.S. prep record in the women’s 100 m at 10.89, also the World U-20 leader for 2023, and reached the USATF Nationals semifinals. She won the USATF Junior title in the women’s 200 m at 22.48, then claimed the World U-20 leading time of 22.35 at the Pan American Junior Championships in August. Her 100 m mark ranked her second all-time on the World U-20 list and her 22.35 has her seventh all-time in the 200 m.

The USATF Nike Coach of the Year is Dennis Mitchell, who mentored sprint stars including Richardson, TeeTee Terry (10.83) and men’s 200 m star Kenny Bednarek, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, who clocked 19.79 in 2023, no. 7 on the world list and fifth at the Worlds and the Diamond League Final runner-up. Mitchell, 57, a great sprinter himself, was the Olympic 100 m bronze winner in 1992 and at the 1991 and 1993 World Championships, with a lifetime best of 9.91. He served a two-year doping ban from 1998-2000 for steroids, but has been a U.S. national teams relay coach since then.

These awards will be formally presented at the USATF Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, on 2 December.

5.
U.S. men wait late, score 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago

The U.S. men’s National Team was back in action at the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals on Thursday, facing Trinidad & Tobago in Austin, Texas and after a frustrating for 80 minutes, got untracked for a 3-0 win.

The American offense was in full flight from the opening kick, with the first 12 minutes spent continuously harassing the Trinidad & Tobago defense – with nine in front of the ball – and a wicked shot from defender Sergino Dest that was saved in the second minute.

The U.S. had 75% of possession through the first half-hour, but no goals. Then T&T  midfielder Noah Powder took the legs out from under U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie in the 37th and received a second yellow card, leaving the Soca Warriors with 10 players for the rest of the match. But T&T keeper Denzil Smith was equal to the challenge, smothering everything sent his way; the U.S. ended the half with 75% possession and a 7-0 lead on shots.

Trinidad & Tobago packed in the defense to start the second half, as Smith made a quick save on a through-ball from McKennie for attacking midfielder Malik Tillman in the 53rd minute and another save against Tillman in the 54th. And Smith rejected a rocket from midfielder Yunus Musah from the top of the box in the 57th.

In the 59th, midfielder Daniel Phillips was called for a foul in the box against McKennie for a penalty, but the call was reversed after a video review. By the 70-minute mark, the U.S. was up to 77% of possession and 14-0 on shots, but still no score. A laser from Dest in the 73rd was punched away by Smith, but was so hard, he needed some minutes to recover. A header from substitute striker Brenden Aaronson – off a Dest service from the right side – went just wide in the 79th.

Finally the break came in the 82nd, off a left-footed liner from defender Antonee Robinson from the left side that was re-directed by sub striker Ricardo Pepi with his right foot past Smith and into the far right side of the goal for the 1-0 lead.

The U.S. continued in possession, kept attacking and then Robinson was clear at the top of the box and ripped a left-footed riser into the top of the net for a 2-0 lead in the 86th. Suddenly, it was a rout, as Gio Reyna took a feed from striker Folarin Balogun in the box and sent a left-footer into the net for a 3-0 edge in the 89th. Three scores in 7:23, after nothing for 81.

The U.S. ended with 76% possession and a 26-1 shots advantage, and is now 22-3-4 all-time vs. Trinidad & Tobago. Matt Turner was barely troubled in goal for the U.S.

The second leg of the home-and-home matches will be on 20 November in Port of Spain; the U.S. is trying for a third straight CONCACAF Nations League title.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The occasionally-ballyhooed concept of air taxis circulating over Paris during the 2024 Games might be dead. The Paris City Council was highly negative about the creation of a take-off and landing platform in the city during a discussion on Tuesday, however the national transportation ministry to decide in early 2024.

The IOC announced that the draft resolution for the Olympic Truce for Paris 2024 will be introduced at the United Nations next Tuesday (21st). The draft is sponsored by the French government, supported by the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee and the Paris 2024 organizers.

The modern Olympic Truce was first introduced in support of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer (NOR).

● Commonwealth Games ● The Commonwealth Games Federation, meeting in Singapore, elected Chris Jenkins of Wales as its new President, garnering 74 votes to 10 for New Zealand’s Kereyn Smith, the sole opponent. The announcement noted Jenkins’ three commitments on the future of the Commonwealth Games:

● Guide the Commonwealth Games to a sustainable model to attract host cities.

● Develop and strengthen the Commonwealth Games Associations.

● Ensure all voices are heard.

As regards the sustainability of the Commonwealth Games, the concept is to “re-model the Games, reducing the costs of hosting and exploring innovative solutions which allow more countries to host.”

CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir (GBR) told reporters that the question of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is expected to be resolved in some form by February 2024:

“We have been working intensely with Commonwealth Games Australia. They are very, very keen to keep the Games in Australia and so we’re working to support them with their inquiries.

“And then there are three other regions that we are having conversations with but they are very much of a preliminary sort of stage. But our aim is to be in a situation early in the new year to make a call on where a Games might go in 2026, 2027 or whether or not we might do something a bit different.

“We have started looking at alternative models and we’ll be continuing on with that work as well as we seek a host for ‘26.”

The CGF also expanded from 72 to 74 members with the addition of Gabon and Togo.

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● The WADA Executive Committee met Thursday in Montreal, and although no details will be released until after Friday’s Foundation Board meeting, President Witold Banka (POL) posted a short report on X (ex-Twitter) that included:

“A number of decisions were made by the ExCo in relation to compliance cases against certain Code Signatories, with new consequences being introduced.”

Stay tuned!

● Russia ● The river of vitriol from Russia toward the IOC continued on Thursday, with Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov taking the microphone:

“Behind the screen of athletes’ interests, there is a policy of restrictions and bans on participation in competitions in the worst traditions of totalitarian regimes, which is what we observe. We hope that the IOC leadership will come to its senses and will comply with the ideals and principles that stood at the origins of the Olympic movement.”

Pozdnyakov added to the unhappy responses to IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) and his call for the International Federations to stay clear of Russia’s World Friendship Games in 2024, as a “politicized competition”:

“Any sporting event is free for anyone on the planet to attend.

“When illegitimate sanctions against Russian sports arose, the main need became to organize competitive practice for our athletes. The ban, which was introduced a year and a half ago, forced us to adjust the preparation plan, but did not limit the possibility of foreign athletes participating [in competitions] in Russia. Athletes who began to come to us say that competitions can and should be held here.

“We are eliminating the injustice that was committed by the IOC against our athletes. The Friendship Games, which will be held with great success next year, will serve two purposes: the peaceful mission of sport and the free participation of all athletes in competitions. And it is very important.

“They will eliminate the injustice of our athletes being excluded from international competitions. All three missions correspond to the Olympic ideals. Therefore, the speech of the head of the IOC is puzzling.”

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin echoed the explanation that the Friendship Games and other 2024 events are not designed to compete with the IOC:

“The first global project will be the ‘Games of the Future’ in Kazan. The Games of the BRICS countries in an open format will be held in Kazan in June, and the final big project in Russia will be the Friendship Games.

“We are not considering and have never positioned one, nor the second, nor the third event as a kind of alternative to anything else. These are independent new projects. They are aimed at creating a competitive environment here, ensuring Russian athletes participate in competitions on an international scale, which is still being hampered by some international federations and the International Olympic Committee.

“But we don’t have to prove anything to anyone. We have defined the standards for major projects. Russia was the host of the World Championships in football, athletics and aquatics, held two Universiades, and the Olympic Games in Sochi. I think everyone understands that Russia is a powerful and very reliable partner in the world of sports, and if we initiate something, we always act not against someone, but for. For development.”

● Athletics ● The Canadian site Athletics Illustrated cited comments from Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya head Sarah Shubutse that a major doping shock is coming:

“At the end of this month, we will sanction numerous athletes across part of our strategy in fighting the vice as we prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. We want to send clean athletes to the Olympics to avoid the shame the nation has received in recent major championships.”

She said that ADAK is getting better at finding the athletes they need to find:

“We are now getting to know their (athletes in hiding) information. We are gathering information about their training camps, their coaches and their managers.”

But be warned, a shock is coming.

Scottish ultra-marathoner Joasia Zakrzewski, 47, was banned by UK Athletics for 12 months for using a car for part of a race in which she “finished” in third place. The BBC reported:

“Zakrzewski accepted a medal and trophy for finishing third in the 2023 GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile race on 7 April.

“Tracking information later showed she travelled by car for about 2.5 miles before continuing the race.”

She was disqualified on 18 April, and the matter was referred to the UK Athletics disciplinary board.

● Football ● An anniversary reminder from Juan “Cheche” Vidal of the World Cup USA 1994 organizing committee on Thursday of the 28th anniversary of debut of the FIFA.com Web site. Per Vidal’s post on LinkedIn:

“[T]he actual birth of this pioneer sports information service on the internet was November 1994, when I presented the prototype of the portal to the then President Joao Havelange [BRA] and the then General Secretary Sepp Blatter [SUI] at the old FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

“My associate Alex Holt, also a colleague from the technology team of USA 94, helped me present the FIFA.com prototype. [Alex’s] historic role is still relevant, as he continues delivering information today as a senior editor of the official FIFA portal.

“Furthermore, FIFA.com was inspired on an even earlier technology milestone: the 1st ever official portal in the World Wide Web for an international sporting event, one of the groundbreaking solutions we developed for USA 1994 as part of a vision I had written in 1990.

“Interestingly, all the mission critical solutions created to run the 1994 World Cup were granted to FIFA as part of USA 1994’s legacy, a legacy that had a profound impact on the operations of FIFA World Cups for decades.”

Vidal founded a company which ran the FIFA.com service from 1995 to 2003, when FIFA took up the rights for themselves into the future. It’s another legacy of the under-appreciated 1994 World Cup organizers in the U.S., which changed the future of football not only in the United States, but as Vidal notes, created FIFA’s digital future as well.

● Gymnastics ● The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced that the Women’s Technical Committee has approved the Yurchenko double pike vault as the “Biles 2″ elements in the FIG Code of Points after Simone Biles performed it at the World Artistic Championships in Antwerp (BEL). From the announcement:

“From now on the ‘YDP’ will be called the Biles 2, the FIG Women’s Technical Committee (WTC) announced this week. The ‘2′ is because Biles pioneered a different vault named for her in 2018.

“The Biles 2 vault is the fifth skill named for the U.S. superstar, approaching a record in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points. Only five-time Olympic champion Nellie Kim (URS), with seven, has more. Kenzo Shirai (JPN) and Saeedreza Keikha (IRI) each have six elements named for them in the men’s Code of Points.”

Biles’ new vault is one of four elements to be named for their creators following the Antwerp World Championships; Georgia Godwin (AUS) and Kaylia Nemour (ALG) had elements named for them on the Uneven Bars, and Alissa Moerz (AUT) had an element named on Floor Exercise.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Queensland sets hefty Brisbane ‘32 legacy targets; U.S. swimmers in world top-10 in 33 of 34 events in 2023! Russia screams at IOC again

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Brisbane 2032 legacy vision underlines Games limitations
2. U.S. swimmers finish in top-10 in 33 of 34 events in 2023
3. Compromise: U.S. marathon trials to start at 10 a.m.
4. Russia hits back at Bach’s slap at Friendship Games
5. Saudi funding to re-arrange pro cycling?

● Queensland released a 68-page Legacy Strategy plan for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, looking ahead to how the event could impact the area not only for the 10-year lead-up, but for the 10 years after, to 2042. A lot of the goals are in areas that should be attended to whether the Games are there or not, but an in-depth analysis shows there might be a legacy breakthrough opportunity in an undiscovered area that could be significant.

● A breakdown of the top performers in swimming in 2023 showed that U.S. athletes had at least one place in the top 10 in 33 of 34 individual events! Australia was next with 26 and while there were 85 American performers on the top-10 lists, no other nation had more than 44. Wow.

● A compromise start time of 10 a.m. was announced for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida on 3 February 2024, two hours earlier than the first-announced noon start. The weather will be cooler, but could still be in the 70s!

● Russian politicians – not sports officials – hit back hard at International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach and his Monday caution to the International Federations against participation in the Russia-hosted BRICS Games next June or its World Friendship Games in September.

● Reports in British media revealed that the Saudi Public Investment Fund is working on a plan to support and re-arrange the men’s professional cycling tour, adding to their investments in auto racing, football, golf and others. Whether the sport’s biggest players will agree is unknown.

● World Championships: Football (U.S. among the undefeateds so far at FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup) ●

● Panorama: Deaflympics (2: Canada withdraws over Middle East conflict; ICSD signs agreement with United World Wrestling) = Aquatics (Qatar offering travel packages for 2024 Worlds) = Cycling (riders who made racist video in China disciplined by UCI) = Football (UEFA and adidas announce “connected ball” for EURO 2024) ●

1.
Brisbane 2032 legacy vision underlines Games limitations

“This is a vision of what is possible and it is the first step on our legacy journey. As we move collectively towards the Games, we will also need the energy, participation and commitment of our diverse communities and vibrant businesses to bring Elevate 2042 to life. This way we can ensure we make the most of the very special opportunity to shape our future the Games provides to all of us.”

A 68-page research and strategy document produced by the Queensland government titled “Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy Strategy” was released on 10 November and outlined a shared vision of what Brisbane and Queensland could be in 2042, 10 years after the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It’s ambitious and forthright, reflecting a disciplined process of input from the public, divided into four sectors of effort and a total of 15 themes. This is a potentially important roadmap, which is aspirational, but also at odds with what the current view of the Olympic Games should be. The sectors and themes:

● Sport, health and inclusion
1. An active and healthy lifestyle
2. A high performance sports system
3. Equity in sports participation

● Connecting people and places
4. A more connected and accessible South East Queensland
5. Creating more great places and precincts
6. Celebrating First Nations cultures, languages and stories

● A better future for our environment
7. Caring for country together
8. Maximizing sustainability benefits
9. Protecting and regenerating habitat and biodiversity
10. Accelerating the transition to renewable energy

● Economy of the future
11. Advancing our global image and identity
12. Made in Queensland, growing local and small business
13. Advancing equitable economic participation
14. Encouraging innovation, future jobs and sectors
15. Fostering arts, culture and creativity

Surrounding these concepts are two mandates, “Respecting, advancing and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples” and “Advancing accessibility and empowering people with disability.”

The overarching vision is expressed as “By 2042, we will live in an inclusive, sustainable and connected society, with more opportunities in life for everyone.” But the report says – on page four – that there are limits:

“The delivery of two significant global events acknowledged for their athletes-first focus and exceptional spectator and fan experiences, is at the heart of our endeavour. More than this, we have committed to deliver a positive meaningful legacy before, during and after the Games – one that advances the sustainable development of our region and deepens the relationships between our communities.

“Whilst the legacy from the Games can do many things, it cannot do everything. Creating a clear and compelling view of future success specific to our context and community will be the starting point for legacy planning, setting out what we want to achieve and where to focus our endeavours to provide the greatest opportunities for transforming lives.”

For the most part, the sectors and themes are macro-economic and cultural targets that are desirable regardless of whether the Olympic Games will come to Brisbane or not. The projected Brisbane 2032 organizing committee’s budget is A$5 billion, or about $3.25 billion U.S. across the ten years from 2023-32, against a Queensland gross domestic product of A$447.49 billion for 2022 alone (~ $291.32 billion U.S.).

It’s a high-profile drop in the bucket.

But there will be economic impact created by the 2032 Games. Those targets are already established, as the report notes (A$1 = $0.65 U.S.):

“Research forecast the Games will deliver circa $8.1 billion AUD in direct social and economic benefits to the Queensland economy ($17.6 billion AUD nationally) including increased trade and tourism of $4.6 billion AUD to Queensland ($8.5 billion AUD nationally).”

And there is no doubt that the Games, as one of the most recognizable events in the world, will attract a lot of attention, locally, nationally and internationally. The Legacy Strategy study notes that these need to be taken advantage of in the right way.

Observed: The hoped-for outcomes in the study are good goals for any society, but will not be driven by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, especially now.

The desire to host an Olympic Games in the past was often related to construction and rebuilding. Japan wanted the 1964 Games to show it had emerged from the nationalist disaster of World War II. Munich won the right to stage the Games of the XX Olympiad in 1966, just more than 20 years after the end of the war, with the idea to rebuild an area which had been a collector site for rubble from Allied bombing. London ran after the 2012 Games in order to rejuvenate its East End, which needed redevelopment.

That’s over. The International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5 now urge host cities to build nothing, use existing or temporary sites and be as economical with energy, infrastructure and waste as technically possible.

And all the chatter in Queensland these days is over the cost of the government’s plans to refurbish the famed Brisbane Cricket Ground (The Gabba) and build a new arena nearby for A$2.7 billion (~$1.76 billion U.S.).

It will be fascinating to see how the Brisbane 2032 organizers try to take on some of these themes, from the government’s legacy strategy. Certainly themes 6 (celebrating First Nations), 10 (renewable energy) and the economic areas (11-15) can be demonstrated. If the organizers get excited, they could serve as a generator for best-practice templates that can be rolled out to the public and private sectors after the Games … if they are successful.

If any of this really works, perhaps the real legacy from Brisbane will be how governments at all levels and the private sector can actually work together. That would be an almost unimaginable breakthrough to be emulated in cities, states and nations around the world for the next century.

2.
U.S. swimmers finish in top-10 in 33 of 34 events in 2023

There’s depth and then there’s placing one or more swimmers in the top-10 in the world in 33 of 34 individual events in 2023. That’s what USA Swimming has done in The Sports Examiner’s review of 2023. Impressive to say the least!

In the men’s individual events – 14 Olympic events and three 50 m events added for the World Championships – the U.S. had at least one top-10 performer this year in 13 of 14 and 16 of 17 events. And the American men had by far the most top-10 swimmers among all countries (counting all 17 events):

● 1. United States, 33 top-10 performers
● 2. Australia and China, 14
● 4. Russia, 12
● 5. France and Germany, 11
● 7. Japan, 10
● 8. Great Britain, 9
● 9. Hungary and Italy, 8

The only event in which the U.S. did not have a performer was in the 400 m Freestyle, where David Johnston ranked 14th at 3:45.75.

Among the women, Australia is a stronger competitor to the U.S., but the American women also scored a top-10 performer in all 17 events and averaged more than three top-10 performers in each event! The numbers:

● 1. United States, 52 top-10 performers
● 2. Australia, 30
● 3. China, 18
● 4. Canada, 14
● 5. Italy and Japan, 6
● 7. Netherlands, 5
● 8. Great Britain, Russia, South Africa and Sweden, 4

The U.S. depth was so strong, there were two events – the 200 m Backstroke and 100 m Butterfly – where Americans held five of the top-10 rankings!

Added together, the U.S., Australia and China are the world’s strongest swimming nations by depth of performers (34 events total):

● 1. United States, 85 top-10 performers (in 33 events!)
● 2. Australia, 44 (in 26)
● 3. China, 32 (in 25)
● 4. Canada, 17 (in 14)
● 5. Russia, 16 (in 14)
● 6. Japan, 16 (in 12)
● 7. Italy and Germany 14 (both in 9)
● 9. France, 13 (in 12)
● 10. Great Britain, 13 (in 9)

These power rankings correspond well – but not exactly – with the medal count at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships for swimming, where the U.S. led with 38 medals (7-20-11), followed by Australia (25: 13-7-5), then China with 16 (5-3-8). Great Britain (8), France (6), Canada (6) and Italy (6) came next. Russia was not allowed to compete and Japan (two medals) and Germany (one) did not perform as well at the Worlds as their seasonal results showed.

3.
Compromise: U.S. marathon trials to start at 10 a.m.

After a furious back-and-forth between athletes, USA Track & Field and the Orlando organizers and race directors, a compromise was announced on the start time of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on 3 February 2024:

“In collaboration and consultation with feedback from the athletes regarding concerns around weather conditions, it has been agreed that the start time for the event will be moved to 10:00 a.m. ET.

“The decision to bring forward the start time to 10:00 a.m. ET was made following extensive meetings to address the concerns of athletes. The USOPC, USATF and GO Sports worked closely together to consult all stakeholders to ensure the best solution for all involved. After extensive scenario planning and multiple conversations with partners, a collective decision to bring the start time forward was made. The earlier start time will help provide an improved experience for athletes, spectators, and event staff, ensuring the comfort and safety of all involved. Additionally, robust contingency plans will be in place for further adjustments should projected weather conditions make it necessary.”

The original announced start time of 12 p.m. Eastern time was supposedly to support a live national telecast on NBC, but it was later apparent that the interest in this time was elsewhere, either with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission or USA Track & Field. The race directors, Track Shack, said in a reply to an athlete letter that the federation wanted the noon start and suggested an 8 a.m. start.

But all sides are now agreed on the 10 a.m. timing, with the 10-year temperatures averaging 3.5 degrees less than with a noon start (Orlando International Airport readings):

● 2014: 75 F at 10 a.m. ~ 82 F at noon
● 2015: 54 F at 10 a.m. ~ 62 F at noon
● 2016: 76 F at 10 a.m. ~ 81 F at noon
● 2017: 71 F at 10 a.m. ~ 77 F at noon
● 2018: 64 F at 10 a.m. ~ 69 F at noon
● 2019: 64 F at 10 a.m. ~ 67 F at noon
● 2020: 64 F at 10 a.m. ~ 69 F at noon
● 2021: 45 F at 10 a.m. ~ 51 F at noon
● 2022: 74 F at 10 a.m. ~ 81 F at noon
● 2023: 74 F at 10 a.m. ~ 73 F at noon

Nevertheless, a 10 a.m. start would have had temperatures from 71-74 degrees in five of the last 10 years. There is agreement for now, but the debate will continue.

4.
Russia hits back at Bach’s slap at Friendship Games

“In the abbreviation of the IOC, the letter ‘M’ does not mean a monopoly on the sports world.

“The sports world is much more multifaceted, covering a huge number of countries. The formats of competitions can be different, different countries can initiate them, all this can happen outside the context of the IOC. Everyone must understand this.”

That’s Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, complaining to reporters about the criticism from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) on Monday at the SportAccord International Federation Forum in Lausanne; Peskov added:

“We strongly disagree with the line that the IOC has taken towards our athletes in the context of their Olympic prospects.”

Bach pointed to the interference of governments in sports during his remarks, including:

“Some want to decide which athletes can compete in which competitions. Others want to decide where your competitions can take place. Still others want to organise their own political sports events. Especially the latter would mean a government takeover of international sport. If they succeed with this, your role and the role of the Olympic Movement would become obsolete. …

“For all these reasons, I call on all of you to stand against such politicised sport. None of us should participate in any way in such politically motivated sports events.”

Russian officials took this as a direct attack on its planned hosting of a BRICS Games (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) in June 2024 in Kazan – just prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – and a World Friendship Games from 15-29 September in Russia and possibly also in Belarus.

The World Friendship Games organizing committee issued a statement saying it has no ill intentions:

“We are surprised by the tough position the IOC and some of its senior executives have taken with regard to the World Friendship Games being held in Russia. Our goal was never confrontation with the IOC or holding competitions that went against the Olympic Movement.”

“For Russian athletes who have been excluded from major international competitions, the World Friendship Games are intended to become the most important sporting event in recent years and provide an opportunity to compete in a representative international sports forum with the strongest foreign athletes, as well as provide motivation and support to continue an active professional career. In turn, a significant prize fund and comfortable conditions for participation make the Friendship Games commercially attractive for athletes from all continents, for whom we guarantee to perform with the flag and anthem of their country without any restrictions or conditions.”

State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports head Dmitry Svishchev told the Russian news agency TASS:

“The IOC was afraid of competition and the number of countries that have already expressed a desire to participate in the World Friendship Games. I believe that the organization, which talks about the politicization of sports, has long been mired in this. And now it is trying to give recommendations to the national Olympic committees of countries, individual athletes who have already expressed their interest.”

State Duma member – and 2006 Olympic gold medalist in speed skating – Svetlana Zhurova also criticized the IOC:

“They accuse us of being politicized, but we have been barred from international competitions and we now come up with our own formats [Games] and it is absolutely normal. …

“The IOC certainly does not want the see the organization of BRICS Games, the World Friendship Games, because one way or the other most of the major tournaments are held under the patronage of the IOC while there is no coordination with the global organization in this case.

“They realize that we will have a large representation of international athletes, who will not be coordinating anything with the IOC, while our competitions will be of a great success. We offer excellent conditions, good prize-money rewards and I’m sure that our tournaments will be interesting for all athletes around the globe.”

The IOC Executive Board approved a 25 February 2022 statement on sanctions against Russia and Belarus which included a recommendation not to holds events there:

“The IOC EB today urges all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus. They should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes absolute priority. The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.”

5.
Saudi funding to re-arrange pro cycling?

Ready for a Saudi Arabian takeover of cycling? It might be coming, as detailed in a story from the British site Cyclist.

The concept would be, with funding from the Saudi Public Investment Fund – the folks who helped create LIV Golf and have invested in the English Premier League, Formula 1 and elsewhere – to create a new version of the UCI World Tour.

In 2023, the Tour had 35 races, featuring the famed Grand Tours – Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana – along with 12 other multi-stage races and 20 one-day races, often conflicting with each other. For example, the popular Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico multi-stage events were held on the same dates in March.

The Tuesday story by reporter Flo Clifford attributed the potential new league to One Cycling, promoted by the Dutch Jumbo-Visma team and the Belgian Soudal-QuickStep team. Several other World Tour teams are also interested.

News of the idea broke in an October report by RadioCycling:

“It revealed the PIF’s involvement and a competitive, week-in-week-out ‘Champions League’ format, which could be in place as early as 2026, complete with a points rankings system to determine an overall champion at the end of the year.”

But there are many questions, including the so-far-unstated view of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which governs the World Tour, and the race promoter, notably the Amaury Sports Organisation, which owns and operates the Tour de France among many other races.

The teams are interested because, under the current system, the races are owned by promoters, who can sell the television rights and sponsorships, with nothing going directly to the teams, who have to raise their own sponsorships.

However, a better-organized circuit, with a less burdensome calendar, would end up killing some races. Moreover, the chatter has so far not included any mention of the UCI Women’s World Tour, which the UCI is trying to upgrade with more races (27 events in 2023) and more money.

And what of the reception of the riders, teams and promoters to support from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which has been such a controversy in golf?

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Football ● Two-thirds of the group-stage matches have been concluded at the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, with six teams out of 24 having won their first two matches and assured of moving on to the elimination round:

● Group B: Spain (2-0)
● Group C: England (2-0)
● Group D: Senegal (2-0)
● Group E: France and the U.S. (2-0)
● Group F: Germany (2-0)

The American men defeated South Korea, 3-1, and Burkina Faso by 2-1 and will face France for the group title on 18th.

Ecuador is the leader in Group A to 1-0-1 (W-L-T), ahead of Morocco (1-1-0).

The only crazy scores have come from Group C, where England crushed New Caledonia, 10-0, and Brazil beat New Caledonia, 9-0.

The elimination rounds begin on 22 November, with the championship match on 2 December.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Deaflympics ● Another casualty of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s response has come from the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, which announced Wednesday:

“The CDSA has decided to withdraw its ice-hockey and curling teams from the Games despite their extensive planning and diligent training and the sacrifices they have made in preparing for the competition. The current geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East has left us with limited choices.”

The 2024 Winter Deaflympics is scheduled for 18-28 February 2024 in Ankara.

Good news for deaf wrestlers, as the International Committee for Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) signed a four-year memorandum of understanding with United World Wrestling:

“The MoU will enable both organizations to work together to help and assist deaf wrestlers around the world to take up, participate, and develop in wrestling.

“Both UWW and ICSD will also work to develop wrestling for deaf women, search for common strategies, and establish actions to preserve wrestling against the dangers of doping and violence. UWW has also agreed to collaborate for the training of officials.”

● Aquatics ● If you’re thinking about going to the World Aquatics Championships next February, the destination management agency of Qatar Airways wants to talk:

“In partnership with Discover Qatar, Doha 2024 is thrilled to offer a variety of exceptional ticket options for those planning to travel and witness their favourite aquatic athletes in action in 2024.”

The World Aquatics Championships will be held between 2 and 18 February, followed by the World Aquatics Masters Championships from 23 February to 3 March in Doha.

Tourism is a significant part of the reason why Qatar – and other Gulf states, now including Saudi Arabia – are so keen on hosting major international sporting events, which most recently included the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Web presentation of the packages include a selection of hotels and other options, but without any package pricing being posted. Tickets are being sold separately.

● Cycling ● The Union Cycliste Internationale announced the conclusion of disciplinary actions against two riders, who were withdrawn from the Gree – Tour of Guangxi in China in October:

“The incident involved the publication of a video on [Belgian] Gerben Thijssen’s Instagram account with an image of Madis Mihkels [EST] making a racist and discriminatory gesture. Both riders acknowledged the violation of article 12. 4.004 of the UCI Regulations and accepted the sanctions proposed by the UCI. Besides the immediate withdrawal from the Gree – Tour of Guangxi, in China, by their team – Intermarche-Circus-Wanty (BEL) –, they shall each pay a fine and physically attend an educational course on the fight against discrimination.

“Upon ratification of the proposed sanctions by the UCI Disciplinary Commission, the proceedings were settled by means of an Acceptance of Consequences pursuant to article 12.6.019 of the UCI Regulations.”

● Football ● UEFA and adidas announced the Official Match Ball of EURO 2024, the men’s continental championship, called FUSSBALLLIEBE – “love of football” in German – with some special features:

“FUSSBALLLIEBE features adidas Connected Ball Technology for the first time at a UEFA EURO – providing unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball and contributing to UEFA’s video assistant refereeing decision-making process.”

In other words, the ball will have more to say about goals and offsides calls than before.

The design is also unique, with illustrations of each EURO 2024 stadium on the ball, with the name of the host city.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: French authorities disclose Azeri disinfo effort vs. Paris 2024; Games traffic will be difficult; Emma Hayes confirmed as USWNT coach

By
Rich Perelman
-
A great graphic by Paris 2024 of its Olympic Phryge mascot taking a coffee break in Paris.

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. French note Azeri disinformation campaign vs. Paris 2024
2. French transport minister says Paris 2024 traffic “complicated”
3. U.S. Soccer announces Emma Hayes as women’s coach
4. USA Wrestling announces $380,000 in World Champs bonuses
5. Skating’s core audience maintained against the NFL

● The French government’s digital watchdog agency said that an Azeri disinformation campaign had been launched against Paris 2024, beginning in July. Carried primarily on X (ex-Twitter), it depicted images of riots against symbols of France and Paris 2024. The agency previously detected a Russian effort in June against the French government.

● The French transport minister told hotel and restaurant representatives that traffic in Paris during the Olympic period in 2024 will be “complicated.” The detailed plan for transportation is due to be presented at the end of November or in early December.

● U.S. Soccer formally announced the hiring of Chelsea coach Emma Hayes, born in England, but with long experience in the U.S. She has been a sensation for Chelsea, establishing it as the premier club team in England. She will start next year, following the close of the current club season.

● American wrestlers who won medals at the 2023 UWW World Championships received bonuses of $380,000 from the Living the Dream Medal Fund. The four gold winners each received $50,000, with $25,000 for the three silver medalists and $15,000 for the seven bronze medalists. For Paris, the Fund will offer prizes of $250,000, $50,000 and $25,000 for medal-winning performances!

● The core audience for U.S. figure skating appears to be about 600,000 off of the latest television viewing statistics, after the fourth ISU Grand Prix highlights broadcast pn NBC last Sunday drew 606,000 in direct competition with the NFL. The prior three Grand Prix audiences were close to that number.

● Panorama: Russia (2: Ski federation chief says feds will beg Russians to come back; Olympic Committee calls gymnastics re-entry regs “segregation”) = Alpine Skiing (Shiffrin names her seventh reindeer) = Athletics (Crouser and Lyles finalists for men’s athlete of the year) = Ice Hockey (English police arrest suspect in Johnson’s throat-slash death) = Luge (Gustafson and Farquharson win U.S. individual titles) ●

1.
French note Azeri disinformation campaign vs. Paris 2024

“The investigations showed that at least one foreign actor close to Azerbaijan had acted, via the use of unauthentic processes, with the objective of harming at France’s reputation in its capacity to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

That’s from a report from the French state agency for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference (VIGINUM) made available to media on Monday.

An inquiry was opened in late July after “several visuals calling for a boycott of the 2024 Olympics” were posted on X (formerly Twitter), showing rioting, Paris and the Paris 2024 logo, accompanied by hashtags #PARIS2024 and #BOYCOTTPARIS2024. On 26 and 27 July, more than 1,600 posts using these items were seen on X, with about 90 accounts doing the posting, which the report classified as “suggesting artificial amplification.”

Of these, 40 accounts were created in July alone and carried only anti-Paris 2024 messages. Of these accounts, “a significant proportion had at least one link to Azerbaijan,” showing the Azerbaijani flag, locations in the country or quotes from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Agence France Presse reported:

“The account @MuxtarYev published 15 visuals calling for a boycott, which were then amplified by inauthentic accounts and picked up by X accounts linked to Azerbaijan — a pattern that ‘reinforces the hypothesis of a coordinated manoeuvre,’ Viginum said.

“Created in June 2023, the @MuxtarYev account claims to be located in Azerbaijan.

“The name Muxtar Nagiyev and the account’s profile photo coincide with the identity of the chairman of the Sabail district organisation of the New Azerbaijan party, the ex-Soviet country’s ruling party.”

Relations between Azerbaijan and France have been strained over the September Azeri takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh area, also claimed by Armenia.

The Paris 2024 organizers stated on Tuesday, “Between now and the Games, Paris 2024 will continue to monitor, in conjunction with the relevant authorities, the veracity of information circulating about the event and its organisation.”

The disclosure of the VIGINUM report follows an International Olympic Committee statement last Thursday condemning “fake news posts targeting the IOC,” notably on the Telegram social-media service and others.

VIGINUM previously announced a Russian disinformation campaign in June, “involving Russian actors and to which government bodies or bodies affiliated with the Russian State have participated by spreading misinformation.

“This campaign consists, among other things, of creating fake web pages usurping the identity of national media outlets and government websites as well as creating fake accounts on social media. …

“VIGINUM has also observed that several government bodies or bodies affiliated with the Russian State participated in spreading certain content produced under this campaign.”

2.
French transport minister says Paris 2024 traffic “complicated”

“By the end of November, at the very beginning of December at the latest, the long-awaited traffic plans in Paris will be presented. I will not hide from you that these traffic plans … they will be ‘hardcore.’

“On competition days, it will be complicated to get around Paris.”

That’s French Transport Minister Clement Beaune, speaking on Tuesday to the Group of Hotels and Restaurants of France, explaining what they should expect from the government in order to make their own plans for deliveries, guests and staff.

Beaune said there would be further discussions with the group and others concerning traffic flows and restrictions. Also:

“There will be an information campaign both on anticipation of the Games, how to ensure that we have a little less unnecessary travel … during the Games,” and “to explain this, what happens during the Games: the plans, the exemptions, those who have the right to travel.”

Transportation is one of the most complex and unforgiving aspects of any Olympic Games, with priority given to athletes, teams and sports officials who need to get to their venues, along with television production crews, technical and security staff and volunteers, along with media and, of course, spectators. For those simply living in the host city, daily life can get re-arranged pretty quickly.

The transportation authorities, especially in the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris, have consistently warned about preparations, even as to a limit for the Opening Ceremonies on the Seine River that would be limited to the capacity of the public transit systems close to the river.

3.
U.S. Soccer announces Emma Hayes as women’s coach

Although already widely publicized, U.S. Soccer formally announced the hiring of Chelsea women’s coach Emma Hayes (GBR) as the new head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Hayes, 47, has plenty of American experience, having worked in the U.S. since 2001 and served as the head coach of the Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer from 2008-10. She was hired by Chelsea in 2012 and will serve to the end of this season, having compiled a brilliant 237-58-39 record (W-L-T) so far.

She was named “Best FIFA Football Coach” in 2021 and her Chelsea squad won five Women’s F.A. Cup titles in 2015-18-21-22-23 and six F.A. Women’s Super League trophies, in 2015-18-20-21-22-23.

According to the announcement:

“Hayes will finish the 2023-24 Women’s Super League season in England and then join the U.S. team officially two months prior to the start of the 2024 Olympics. Interim head coach Twila Kilgore will continue in her role and then join Hayes’ staff full-time as an assistant coach.”

She will have four matches as the head of the USWNT prior to the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Hayes was asked about moving on from Chelsea, where she has had so much success:

“I’m sure everybody can understand when you’ve been associated with a club for almost 12 years, a club built from the bottom up, they’ve become my family, become so much of my own identity. Without question it pulled up my heartstrings because I care so much for the players and everybody that I’ve built relationships with.

“But I’m all about challenge. We’ve won a lot at Chelsea and I’m very proud of that, and I’m proud of the fact that I can leave that club in a better place and one that I hope continues to compete. But for me, the challenge of competing for World Cups, for Olympics, the dream of coaching a team that I’ve always wanted to get the opportunity to, I simply couldn’t turn it down.”

And Hayes has a clear concept of what she will be expected to produce:

“I understand how important the team is to people and culture of the United States.

“This is not just about the soccer community and I fully understand the prestige and place that the team has in U.S. society. I’ve lived it. I remember being a young coach working my way up through the system in the U.S. and watching all those young girls aspire to play on the U.S. Women’s National Team.

“For me, the honor of building on that legacy is part of my motivation, no question. I have watched all the teams endlessly since I was a teenager. I have coached players at different points that have been across the program. I understand what it means to the U.S. people, and I will do everything possible to make sure that we compete on the top end, because in the world game there’s no denying the gaps have closed worldwide so it’s important we work hard, but we work together because we’re not going achieve that alone. It’s the entire ecosystem and landscape that has to cooperate to make sure that the U.S. Women’s National Team is at the top of the podium. That’s our objective.”

Hayes follows Vlatko Andonovski as the head coach of the American women’s team. He had a shiny 51-5-9 (W-L-T) record from 2019-2023, but the U.S. was eliminated by Sweden in the first playoff round at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He is now the head coach of the Kansas City Current of the NWSL.

4.
USA Wrestling announces $380,000 in World Champs bonuses

U.S. wrestlers who won medals at the recent UWW World Championships in Serbia received a total of $380,000 in bonuses from the federation’s Living the Dream Medal Fund, with the bonus total across 14 years now totaling $5.060 million paid to 46 athletes.

There were 14 Americans who won medals in Belgrade, each receiving significant amounts:

● Gold: $50,000, awarded to Vito Arauju (men’s 61 kg Freestyle), Zain Retherford (men’s 70 kg Freestyle), David Taylor (men’s 86 kg Freestyle) and Amit Elor (women’s 72 kg Freestyle).

● Silver: $25,000, awarded to Kyle Dake (men’s 74 kg Freestyle), Jacarra Winchester (women’s 55 kg Freestyle) and Macey Kilty (women’s 65 kg Freestyle).

● Bronze: $15,000, awarded to Zahid Valencia (men’s 92 kg Freestyle), Kyle Snyder (men’s 97 kg Freestyle), Mason Parris (men’s 125 kg Freestyle), Sarah Hildebrandt (women’s 50 kg Freestyle), Helen Maroulis (women’s 57 kg Freestyle), Jennifer Page (women’s 59 kg Freestyle), and Adeline Gray (women’s 76 kg Freestyle).

The fund is supported by private donations and direct support from USA Wrestling and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The amounts in World Championship years exceeds the Operation Gold amounts offered by the USOPC for Olympic medals of $37,500-22,500-15,000.

For Olympic medals, the Living the Dream Medal Fund payments are sensational, with $250,000-50,000-25,000 offered for Paris in 2024.

The total payout for 2023 ($380,000) was down from 2022, when 15 wrestlers won prizes, including seven gold winners for a total of $530,000.

The 2021-24 quadrennial is shaping up to be the best yet in terms of payout, with $1,360,000 already awarded for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Worlds. The prior quad payouts have included:

● $1,850,000 for 2017-20
● $1,075,000 for 2013-16
● $775,000 for 2009-12

The all-time Fund payments leader is 2012 Olympic winner and six-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs, with $595,000, with Snyder – the Rio 2016 gold medalist – the only other recipient over $500,000, at $530,000.

5.
Skating’s core audience maintained against the NFL

After four stops on the ISU Grand Prix circuit for 2023, the core U.S. TV audience for figure skating in the U.S. has become clear at about 600,000.

The latest evidence came from the fourth leg of the tour, the Cup of China last weekend. Right-holder NBC keeps the live programming on its Peacock subscription streaming service, then shows a highlights package on Sunday or even a week later.

So for the Cup of China last Sunday (12th), the NBC highlights show came on at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, right up against the final hour of the 1:00 p.m. games which drew 28.8 million on Fox and CBS combined.

The average audience was 606,000, right in line with the other Grand Prix stops on NBC so far:

● Oct. 21 (Sat.): 191.000 on E! for Skate America: live
● Oct. 22 (Sun.): 699,000 on NBC for Skate America: delayed
● Nov. 04 (Sat.): 622,000 on NBC for Skate Canada International: delayed
● Nov. 05 (Sun.): 551,000 on NBC for the Grand Prix of France: delayed

The Grand Prix moves back to Europe this week, for the Grand Prix Espoo in Finland from 17-19 November and then finishes its regular season in Japan and following week for the NHK Trophy in Osaka. The Grand Prix Final will be held from 7-10 December in Beijing.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Russia ● The President of the Russian Ski Federation, Elena Vyalbe, told reporters on Tuesday that the IOC and other sports organizations will be asking for Russians to return to competition:

“What [IOC President Thomas] Bach [GER] says today does not mean that tomorrow it will be the same repeated words again; he can say something of his own, come up with something new. His last statement was that he is not very happy that we are holding tournaments, that it could affect the reputation and interest in international organizations that have been around for a long time.

“My deep conviction is that Bach and not only him, but also the top IOC staff do not have the right to say what they would like to say.

“I’m sure that he, as a former athlete, would like everyone to compete, but there are sponsors who dictate what should be done. So you have to cancel Russia: they canceled us. But from nothing, let’s wait, they themselves will come crawling on their knees, they will still beg.”

Asked about Russian participation in the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, she replied:

“Do I believe in competing at the 2026 Olympics? I’m an optimist in life, so we need to believe to the last that sooner or later, of course, we will be allowed to participate in international competitions, including the Olympics. …

“There is faith that we will take part [in the Games] in 2026, why shouldn’t there be this faith?”

As for the participation regulations issued by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the Russian Olympic Committee issued another statement, that included:

“The FIG issued a list of requirements for the admission of Russians to competitions, this document reads like a real ode to segregation. It simply talks about the complete neutralization of the color scheme of competitive equipment and equipment, and the already most impersonal gymnasts and gymnasts are invited to perform in a single-color outfit. In artistic gymnastics, where leotard design is a separate art and an element of production, which is of great importance for the integrity of any image and performance, respectively, its visual perception and evaluation.

“The policy of double standards and discrimination based on nationality seems to abolish all moral and ethical norms and common sense in the Olympic movement.”

● Alpine Skiing ● American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin posted on X (ex-Twitter) a note on her seventh Levi reindeer naming:

“Loved all the suggestions for reindeer names that everyone sent (head over to Insta to see all of the ideas)! Finally landed on one that I don’t think too many people would expect: Grogu!”

She included a photo of her and Grogu, with the animal distinctly nonplussed; Shiffrin commented: “Thank goodness [boyfriend] @AleksanderKilde [NOR] doesn’t look at me like this when I try to kiss him”

● Athletics ● The finalists for the World Athletics’ Men’s World Athlete of the Year were announced Tuesday, including two U.S. stars:

● Neeraj Chopra (IND) ~ Worlds javelin gold, Asian Games gold
● Ryan Crouser (USA) ~ Worlds shot gold, world shot record
● Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ Worlds vault gold, world record
● Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) ~ Marathon world record
● Noah Lyles (USA) ~ Worlds 100/200/4×100 m golds

The announcement noted that two million votes from the public were tallied for this award, with the winner to be revealed on 11 December.

● Ice Hockey ● The South Yorkshire Police in England arrested a man on Tuesday in connection with the death of Nottingham Panthers play Adam Johnson (USA), who died after receiving a skate cut to his throat during a 28 October game against the Sheffield Steelers in Sheffield.

Johnson, 29, died afterwards. The Associated Press reported that video of the incident showed Steelers player Matt Petgrave [CAN] falling after a collision with a Panthers player and his left skate hit Johnson in the neck.

The police did not release the name of the arrested individual taken on suspicion of manslaughter.

● Luge ● USA Luge crowned its national champions in Lake Placid, New York over the weekend, with Johnny Gustafson and Ashley Farquharson taking the individual titles.

Gustafson won his second U.S. championship on a difficult track, with hard ice and a bumpy course that changed the scoring to the best combined two runs out of three. Gustafson finished his two best runs in 1:45.811, ahead of 2018 Olympic silver winner Chris Mazdzer (1:46.169) and Hunter Harris (1:46.340).

Farquharson took her first American championship in 1:30.659, comfortable ahead of junior competitors Sophia Gordon (1:32.158) and Emma Erickson (1:32.181).

Current World U-23 champs Zach DiGregorio and Sean Hollander won the men’s Doubles in 1:29.859, ahead of Marcus Mueller and Ansel Hauhsjaa (1:30.666) and debutante pair Dana Kellogg and Frank Ike (1:31.746). The women’s Doubles crown went to 2022 Worlds bronze winners Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby in 1:32.726, the only pair to post two finishes.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Bach calls for federation unity on governments and Russia; federations in panic over LA28 TV money; key poll on U.S. view of Olympics

By
Rich Perelman
-
A July poll said Americans like the 2028 Olympics being in Los Angeles by 78-4%!

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Bach rips governments, Russia and Friendship Games in one speech!
2. Federations panic over LA28 money split among new sports
3. CSUSOP poll shows support for LA28 Games, no idea about USOPC
4. Poll: Paris 2024 support in France at 65%, 56% in Paris region
5. Russian gymnasts to decide whether to apply as neutrals

● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of Germany urged the International Federations to stay unified behind the IOC’s recommendations for eligibility for Paris 2024 while backhanding Russian attempts to create a parallel sports structure, including multi-sport events before and after the 2024 Olympic Games.

● A meeting of the summer Olympic federations raised considerable concerns about the explosion of sports for 2028 in Los Angeles and the impact that it will have on their shares of the IOC’s television revenue.

● A national poll compiled for the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics found that sport is important to Americans, that the 2028 Olympics is a good thing and that few understand the role of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the coordinator of community and youth sport as well as the American Olympic and Paralympic teams.

● A poll in France showed a continuing decline in enthusiasm for the 2024 Paris Games, with national support now at 65% and at 56% in the Ile-de-France region which includes Paris. Some 56% of those polled in the Ile-de-France said they plan to leave the area during the Games and many hope to rent out their homes for high fees.

● Russian gymnastics officials said it will be up to individual athletes to decide if they want to apply to participate as neutrals in 2024, but the national coaches of the artistic and rhythmic teams are both against it.

● Panorama: SportAccord (Erdener appointed President) = Athletics (five finalists for women’s athlete of the year) = Basketball (U.S. national team creams Tennessee and Duke in exhibitions) = Modern Pentathlon (group named to figure out 2028 fencing format) = Wrestling (2024 qualifying tournaments to skip finals) ●

1.
Bach rips governments, Russia and Friendship Games in one speech!

The three-day International Federation Forum taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland was opened by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) on Monday, with a pointed address aimed mostly at Russia, but also at Western governments.

Bach’s themes were not new, but his comments were a bit more specific thanks to recent events:

● On the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee:

“[W]e have received questions from a number of you regarding the impact of the suspension of the Russian NOC on you. The Russian Olympic Committee had to be suspended by the IOC because it violated the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine by including as its members sports organisations of regions of Ukraine.

“This is a blatant breach of the Olympic Charter. This decision is purely based on the actions of the ROC and does not imply that the IFs should automatically suspend their respective Russian member federation. It is up to each IF, on a case-by-case basis, to examine the situation in view of the IF statutes.”

● “The autonomy of sport – your autonomy as an International Sports Federation – is under threat. The actions of these divisive political forces would effectively mean that they take over your role as International Federations.

“Some want to decide which athletes can compete in which competitions.

“Others want to decide where your competitions can take place. Still others want to organise their own political sports events. Especially the latter would mean a government takeover of international sport. If they succeed with this, your role and the role of the Olympic Movement would become obsolete.”

● “For all these reasons, I call on all of you to stand against such politicised sport. None of us should participate in any way in such politically motivated sports events.”

The last comment was a direct swipe at Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has directed the construction of a parallel sports governing body to the IOC and the creation or expansion of multi-sport events organized along political lines. This includes the BRICS Games (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), held in South Africa in October 2023 and to be held just prior to the 2024 Olympic Games in June next year in Kazan (RUS), and the “Friendship Games” planned in September in Russia and possibly also in Belarus.

Bach continued to trumpet his call for sport as a force for good in the world:

“The current geopolitical tensions are extremely complex. In such times, the unifying power of sport is more important than ever before. To be such a unifying power, it is essential that we all stand together.

“Today, millions of people around the globe are longing for such a unifying force that brings us all together in our so confrontational world. Our role is clear: to unite – and not to deepen divisions. Therefore, we carry an important responsibility – to stand together for the power of sport and to live up to our shared mission to make the world a better place through sport.”

Observed: Bach is quite right to be on offense here, as what he has called our “aggressively divisive” times are tearing societies apart everywhere. But it is also true that he has a tight line to walk because the athletes in every country in the world except one – the U.S. – are dependent on government support, whether direct or through their National Olympic Committee or national sports federations.

A litmus test of sorts is coming in Australia, which will host the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, and where Australian Olympic Committee chief Matt Carroll said in March:

“Based on the federal government’s forward estimates, there is a $2 billion shortfall in direct investment in Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports in the 10 years leading to Brisbane 2032.” (A$2 billion = approx. $1.28 billion U.S.)

Bach’s training in the unity of the Olympic Movement came from the late Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP), the IOC President from 1980-2001, who stressed this aspect relentlessly, both publicly and privately. Samaranch brought Bach in as a member of the first IOC Athletes Commission, in 1981 and was elected to the IOC in 1991, during Samaranch’s term.

However, the world Samaranch worked in was far different from Bach’s. The Cold War had dissolved and peace was breaking out. Now, the opposite has happened, with Russia invading Ukraine, and Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, invading Israel in October, with dangerous escalations possible all around them.

Bach, a lawyer by trade, points repeatedly to the Olympic Charter, whose second Fundamental Principle of Olympism states:

“The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.”

As the National Olympic Committees in each country “have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games,” the argument can be made that those countries which are not “promoting a peaceful society” should not be part of the Olympic Games.

The IOC has taken this step with the Russian Olympic Committee, but not because of its invasion of Ukraine, but the absorption of Ukrainian sports organizations in occupied territories, more or less like convicting infamous gangster Al Capone of tax evasion instead of the murders he organized. Is this why not a word has been spoken about the National Olympic Committee of Palestine?

Going one step further, because every country except the U.S. financially supports their National Olympic Committees (and the country’s athletes), should athletes who are financially supported by an aggressor country – Russia for example – be able to compete at the Paris 2024 Games?

This is the question that British Minister Lucy Frazer has asked repeatedly, but with no answer from the IOC. At least so far.

2.
Federations panic over LA28 money split among new sports

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) held its final Council meeting of the year on Monday, also in Lausanne, and issued a remarkable summary which included:

“In October, the [IOC] Session approved five additional sports for the LA28 Olympic Games, which are baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash, implying record numbers of sports and athletes for this edition. The decision has raised several questions among ASOIF members, including, but not limited to the International Federation (IF) Olympic revenue share (as of LA28) and Games delivery. During its meeting, the Council agreed to raise these urgent matters with the IOC leadership.

“ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti [ITA], who chaired the meeting, said: ‘Over the last years, the nature of the Olympic Programme has changed, making it more dynamic than ever. New principles, processes and frameworks are required to deal adequately with this evolution and important matters like IF revenue share, athlete quotas, Olympic qualification systems and Games optimisation. These are the issues that hugely impact IF operations and have far-reaching effects on the entire Olympic Movement.’”

The IOC provides a bulk sum to ASOIF which is distributed according to multiple criteria on the profile and impact of each sport involved. Some $520 million U.S. was split for the London 2012 Games, a huge increase from Beijing 2008 ($297 million). But the raise for Rio in 2016 was only to $540 million and remained the same for Tokyo 2020. Now, the federations are expecting another significant raise for Paris 2024 and beyond as NBC’s new television contract for 2022-32 has kicked in.

And as nearly all of the International Federation are dependent on Olympic revenue shares to stay solvent, the issue of potentially more federations to pay is a problem.

London 2012 had 26 sports participating, with 28 at Rio 2016 and 33 at Tokyo 2020; the Tokyo total included five added sports which did not receive television revenue shares. For Paris 2024, there will be 32 sports, of which four were added, and not eligible for TV shares. But for 2028, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing were added to the permanent program, raising the total number of federations to receive TV shares to 31, with boxing still to be confirmed (so 30 right now). And will a change be made to provide some payments to the federations of the five added sports for 2028? It’s an important question for the IFs, and therefore for ASOIF.

And with the Olympic Charter target of 10,500 athletes, the potential of these added sports to reduce the number of athletes in each sport, especially the big ones such as athletics and swimming, is already causing consternation. The report given at the IOC Session indicated the additional sports would add 742 more athletes (plus coaches and support personnel).

The ASOIF Council also took note of the politically-inspired Games situation noted by Bach:

“The Council also took a clear position on the World Friendship Games and calls on ASOIF’s member federations to exercise great caution regarding their involvement with this initiative, which is not conducive to dialogue within the sports world during these challenging times.”

3.
CSUSOP poll shows support for LA28 Games, no idea about USOPC

The Aspen Institute’s Project Play program posted a link to a detailed July poll compiled by Survey USA of 1,000 U.S. adults on behalf of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, asking about the state of sport in the U.S. and about the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

The overall takeaways from the 53-question survey are that sport is important in the U.S., but that Americans know very little about Olympic sports and how they are administered in the country. Some highlights:

● Asked whether sports was important in the U.S., 81% agreed vs. 6% who didn’t, with 13% not sure. However, only 34-38% reported that they or their children participated in youth or recreational sports. 43% reported not participating in any sports.

● A staggering 98% said it was important that “your child’s coaches and other sports staff are trained in safety practices and have undergone background checks.” And 87% said that athletes and staff safety was a priority.

● As to costs, 49% said they had struggled to afford their child’s participation (fees, equipment, uniforms), but 48% said they had not.

Multiple questions were asked about the Olympic and Paralympic Games in general and the Los Angeles 2028 Games in specific:

● An impressive 78% view the 2028 Games positively, with 4% against and 18% not sure. Asked for the reasons, 74% cited economic impact, but everything else drew only middling interest. Just 53% thought the Games would engender a positive view of the U.S.; 53% thought it would increase national pride and unity and only 49% said it would increase tourism.

Even those who liked the Games thought economic development projects related to the Games were hardly helpful: 59% said they were not. Almost 60% of those who were against the Games – 21 of 36 people – cited costs as a major reason for their disdain. Of that 36-person group, 75% were not concerned about “displacement of vulnerable populations,” an aspect constantly asserted by naysaying groups.

Over the preceding decade, 56% said their enthusiasm for the Olympics and Paralympics has stayed the same, with 27% saying it has increased and decreased for 14%.

The survey showed huge gaps in American understanding of how Olympic, Paralympic and youth sports are organized:

● Some 43% said they did not know what organization was charged by Congress to coordinate “amateur sports activity” in the U.S. The USOPC was named by just 21%, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness was cited by 16% and the NCAA by 9%.

Moreover, 70% said they had no idea that the USOPC and the U.S. National Governing Bodies impacted youth sports in the U.S. Only 20% said yes. But 81% said promoting and supporting youth sports in the U.S. was important.

● Accessibility to sport for underserved communities was important to 84% of those polled and the involvement of current and former athletes in decisions was supported by 78%.

And there is very little understanding of exactly what the USOPC and athletes are doing:

● The consensus of how much money the USOPC raises from corporate partners was $537 million annually; the report cited the 2021 total of $205 million. Respondents said athletes who win Olympic or Paralympic gold medals get $423,000; the USOPC’s Operation Gold pays $37,500.

There were also strong opinions on doping in sports, with 90% agreeing that doping should be prohibited and 69% supporting the work of the U.S. Center for SafeSport as at least somewhat effective. But:

● 52% thought that reforms undertaken in response to the Larry Nassar scandal need to go further, vs. 25-27% who think the reforms are good and about 25% who were not sure. And 87% want continued reforms to be implemented over time.

● There were 31% whose opinion of the USOPC has improved since the reforms, vs. 12% saying it’s worse now and 57% saying it’s the same or not sure.

Several questions asked about public funding of sport, with 52% saying that more money for youth and school sports was the best use; 14% said Olympic athletes and 7% said Paralympic athletes.

Raising money was another issue, with 17% suggesting more corporate sponsorships (the USOPC would be happy to hear any ideas), 16% for grants and subsidies and 11% for lottery funds. A tax on sports betting attracted 9% interest.

Near the end, a question on whether someone other than the USOPC should take over youth and community sports in the U.S. drew a near-majority of 49%, vs. 16% against and 35% who said it would make no difference or were not sure.

Observed: That the USOPC is a near-national secret is hardly a surprise, since it holds no national events, but there were encouraging confirmations in this poll on the importance of safety in sport and a positive view of the LA28 Games by 78-4%.

Possibly the most important finding was in question 52 on whether another organization besides the USOPC should be responsible for community and youth sport, with 49% support. The question will be who, how funded and how would such an entity govern intensely private-sector efforts such as Little League, AYSO and other youth programs.

The poll also did not touch directly on the role of schools and the existence – or lack thereof – of physical education programs which have been cut in many places for funding shortfall reasons. This is an area which the Aspen Institute has been working on and is trying to come up with policy options for future consideration by the U.S. Congress.

Good for the CSUSOP for commissioning this, providing a disciplined insight into an area which has been subject to speculation, but almost no hard data for decades.

4.
Poll: Paris 2024 support in France at 65%, 56% in Paris region

The newest poll by the Odoxa survey group of opinions around the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris shows a dip in support, with a developing split between those interested in the Games and those who want to leave Paris during the event.

Taken over the weekend, with 1,207 polled in the Ile-de-France region – which includes Paris – and another 1,005 across the rest of France, the overarching like/dislike questions showed a continued flattening:

● 65% nationally were in favor of the Games, down from 76% in September 2021. Some 34% were against the Games and only 1% were undecided.

● Only 56% of the Ile-de-France respondents were in favor, with 44% against. This is down from 77% in favor in September 2021.

Asked about some of the main areas of organization, the national survey showed 71% in favor of the Opening Ceremonies on the Seine River, but 66% expressing concern about transportation, 62% about security and 55% worried that the organization of the Games will not be completed in time.

For those in the Ile-de-France, 81% were worried about transport, 73% about security and 71% about getting the event ready on time.

Within the Ile-de-France, a “love it or leave it” attitude was expressed: 14% expect to attend the Games, 32% wanted to enjoy the ambiance of having the Games in Paris and 52% said they wanted to leave town during the Games.

And for those leaving town, there was a great interest in renting their places out for bid returns: 15% of Ile-de-France respondents want to rent (25% of the Seine-Saint-Denis region at the center of the Games!) and preferably at 300% of the going rate today.

5.
Russian gymnasts to decide whether to apply as neutrals

Vasily Titov, the President of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, said Monday that the decision to apply for neutral status to the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique will be up the athletes themselves. He told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I want to remind you of the history of the issue; the FIG executive committee decided to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes in a neutral status to international competitions from January 1, 2024.

“But at the same time, FIG took quite a long time to develop the criteria for determining neutrality, which we received in late last week. Now we are studying them carefully, they are very complex.

“The decision to participate in a neutral status will be made by the athletes themselves, who theoretically can meet the conditions of neutrality. At the same time, the position of each Russian federation on individual gymnastic disciplines will be important.

“Today I will not undertake to say whether we are able to fulfill the conditions that were outlined to us. They, I repeat, are very difficult. But now to say unequivocally that none of the Russian athletes will go anywhere, I think, is somewhat premature.”

Titov’s point about the Russian gymnastics system is not to be overlooked, as there are separate national federations for artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and others. The head of the Russian rhythmic federation has been expressly against “neutral” athletes. So is the national artistic gymnastics coach, Valentina Rodionenko:

“We do not agree with any of the admission criteria that FIG has developed. Until the international federation makes changes to its document, we will not send athletes to the events. This is the decision of the national team’s coaching staff.

“We could not decide otherwise. We are offered to compete under some kind of blue flag. The International Federation in these criteria even exceeded the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee in terms of severity.”

The reported requirements for participation in gymnastics include the expected limitation to individual entries, competing without any national symbols. The key neutrality requirement, was reported as:

“Only those athletes who have not expressed support for the special operation in Ukraine (including those who have not expressed approval of Russia’s military actions on social networks through reposts or forwarded messages) and are not associated with the armed forces or national security agencies can be allowed to participate in competitions.”

Athletes will be required to apply for themselves and pay a fee, with a decision due from FIG within 30 days.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● SportAccord ● At the International Federation Forum in Lausanne, Dr. Ugur Erdener (TUR) was appointed as SportAccord President for four years, adding to his responsibilities as the President of World Archery, President of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, IOC member and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Foundation Board.

He was appointed Monday, along with eight other members, which include American Beau Welling, the President of World Curling, and Russian Anna Arzhanova, head of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS), representing the Association of Recognized International Sports Federations.

SportAccord now sits in the position of the now-disbanded Global Assembly of International Sports Federations (GAISF), and will continue to administer GAISF programs, including the review and approval of new International Federations.

● Athletics ● World Athletics named its finalists for its Women’s World Athlete of the Year, with four world champs and the new marathon world-record holder:

● Tigist Assefa (ETH) ~ Marathon world-record setter in Berlin
● Femke Bol (NED) ~ Worlds 400 m hurdles gold medalist
● Shericka Jackson (JAM) ~ Worlds 200 m gold, 100 m silver
● Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ~ Worlds 1,500/5,000 m champ, three world records
● Yulimar Rojas (VEN) ~ World triple jump champion

The winner will be announced on 11 December.

● Basketball ● The U.S. women have won seven straight Olympic golds and are already qualified for Paris, and have started with exhibition games to gain cohesion, sailing past Tennessee, 95-59, on 5 November and 87-58 over Duke on Sunday.

Against the Vols in Knoxville, the U.S. team got out to a 23-15 lead at the quarter and 52-31 at halftime, with seven-of-12 from the three-point line. A 20-8 third quarter extended the lead, with six U.S. players scoring 10 or more, led by Betnijah Laney (14), Jackie Young (13) and Kahleah Copper (12).

Against Duke in Durham, Copper scored 15 points in the first half to lead the national team to a 46-27 lead at the break. The U.S. shot 50.8% from the field for the game and after a 19-18 edge in the third quarter, ran away in a 22-13 fourth for the 87-58 final.

Copper ended with 21 on 7-9 shooting, with Allisha Gray getting 16 and Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard getting 14 each. Center Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold winner, played in both games, scoring 11 against the Vols.

A further selection of players will be made for Paris, with several stars not available for these games due to injuries. The American women will play next in February at an Olympic qualifying tournament as a further tune-up.

● Modern Pentathlon ● The sport survived and will be contested at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. However, in addition to obstacle replacing riding, the fencing ranking round in which all competitors face each other, with significant scoring and the establishment of the order for the final-day bonus round, has been eliminated.

Now, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has created a 12-member panel to figure out how to create a system to replace the scoring program from the ranking round. The first meeting is scheduled for 21 November.

● Wrestling ● United World Wrestling announced that the four continental qualifiers for Paris 2024 will not have tournament winners, but will end after the semifinals, with the two finalists qualified for Paris and no further competition.

For the final, World Qualifier in May, the two semifinal winners will earn quota spots and the two bronze-medal winners will compete for the third quota spot. No gold-medal matches will be held. The five tournaments combined will confirm qualification of 198 quota positions for Paris.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Shiffrin wins 89th World Cup gold in Levi; second Valieva doping hearing ends; online disinformation campaign aimed at IOC

By
Rich Perelman
-
Ski star Mikaela Shiffrin: a seventh win in Levi! (Photo from 2019 by Jeff Shiffrin, courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Shiffrin wins Sunday Levi slalom as Vlhova skis out
2. Valieva hearing ends, decision in January 2024
3. FIG competition conditions for Russians and Belarusians reported
4. British Olympic chief “happy” on Russian “neutrals”
5. IOC warns of fake news campaign on Telegram

● Skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. claimed her 89th Alpine World Cup victory on Sunday at the “reindeer races” in Levi, Finland, after Olympic Slalom champ Petra Vlhova of Slovakia did not finish her second run. Vlhova dominated the Saturday race and won her sixth Levi Slalom, with Shiffrin fourth. Sunday’s win is Shiffrin’s seventh Levi win.

● The Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing on the Kamila Valieva doping case from the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games concluded on Friday, with the decision to come by the end of January 2024. The World Anti-Doping Agency continues to ask for a four-year ban.

● The conditions for Russian and Belarusian participation in international gymnastics competitions were reported, with athletes required to apply themselves and a check against any support for the Russian war against Ukraine to be made before approval. No official announcement has been made by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

● The head of the British Olympic Association says that his organization and British athletes are “happy” with the restriction of competing in Paris 2024 to “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes, at least for now. That may or may not be the position of the British government.

● The International Olympic Committee warned of “fake news” on the Telegram social-media channel and others in a tri-lingual statement on Thursday, just two days after a U.S. State Department note detailed a Russian disinformation campaign project in Latin America. These two projects are clearly related.

● World Championships: Gymnastics (Yan and Page collect second Trampoline golds as U.S. wins nine medals) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (decision on surfing judging tower due by end of November) = Winter Games 2030 (Swedish government supports bid) = Alpine Skiing (Zermatt-Cervinia races canceled due to heavy weather) = Athletics (USATF extends Siegel to 2028) = Badminton (Momota returns to winner’s circle at Korea Open) = Curling (Retornaz and Gim win The National) = Cycling (Lavreysen, Archibald take Champions League titles) = Fencing (U.S.’s Massialas and Guzzi Vincenti take World Cup wins) = Figure Skating (Canada wins two at ISU Cup of China) = Ice Hockey (U.S. beats Canada twice in Rivalry Series) = Speed Skating (Goetz stars in ISU World Cup opener) = Triathlon (Jorgensen wins wild Vina del Mar World Cup) ●

1.
Shiffrin wins Sunday Levi slalom as Vlhova skis out

It looked very much like 2022 Olympic champ Petra Vlhova (SVK) was going to sweep the weekend’s Slalom “reindeer races” at Levi, Finland. But it didn’t quite work out that way.

She won on Saturday, racing to the fastest first run and then flying through the second run as the fastest again to win this race for the sixth time.

Vlhova, the 2021 World Cup champion, had won at Levi in 2017, then both times in 2020 and 2021. She led after the first run by 53.79 to 53.97 over German Lena Duerr, with American star Mikaela Shiffrin third in 54.21. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger roared into the lead with a 57.33 second run, but Vlhova was more than equal, timing 56.80 on her final run and winning, 1:50.59 to 1:52.00 over Duerr, with Liensberger (1:52.14) getting third and Shiffrin settling for fourth (1:52.29)

On Sunday, Vlhova crushed the field on the first run, timing 55.92, with Shiffrin second at 56.68 and Sweden’s Sara Hector third at 56.76.

Croatia’s Leona Popovic, fifth after the first run, moved into the lead in the final run at 1:51.86, with only four others ahead of her. Neither Duerr or Hector could pass her, then Shiffrin uncorked a strong effort at 55.00 to take the lead at 1:51.68, with only Vlhova remaining.

Needing only a 55.75 to win, Vlhova flew down the course, but lost control mid-way and ended up straddling a gate and did not finish. That gave Shiffrin the win, her first this season and her 89th career World Cup gold, extending her own record.

“I was sort of settled on second place. Petra really did a masterclass in slalom skiing this weekend, in my mind she earned this victory and I’m quite lucky to have it.

“It feels like she should have won and I think everybody knows that. But I did earn a podium so I was actually pretty satisfied with second place. I’ll take the luck this time.”

Shiffrin revealed this week that she suffered a left knee bone bruise during a training crash and was unable to train for about 11 days, but felt no pain during her races.

The win gives her seven golds at Levi, breaking a tie with Vlhova at six; no word yet on what name she will give to her seventh reindeer, as the Levi winners get to name a reindeer from a nearby farm in a very clever promotional stunt by the race organizers for the resort which lies north of the Arctic Circle.

2.
Valieva hearing ends, decision in January 2024

The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed Friday that the added hearings in the Kamila Valieva doping case had concluded:

“The parties have been informed that the CAS Panel in charge of the matter will now deliberate and prepare the Arbitral Award containing its decision and grounds which is expected to be notified to the parties by the end of January 2024.”

The Russian news agency TASS reported that Valieva, who appeared by video link, was interviewed last Thursday (9th).

The case as heard is a combination of appeals brought by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Skating Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency against the decision of the independent Russian disciplinary review board. After Valieva’s positive test for the endurance enhancer trimetazidine, RUSADA imposed a four-year suspension, but it was cut to one day by the review committee on appeal.

In a statement, WADA said its position on Valieva has not changed:

“WADA appealed to CAS in the interests of fairness for athletes and clean sport. We are pleased that we were able to present our arguments before the panel of arbitrators and now await a decision. We have maintained our request for a four-year period of ineligibility and the cancellation of all results of the athlete from the date of sample collection, including at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.”

Valieva was a member of the winning Russian squad in the Olympic Team Event in Beijing that concluded on 7 February 2022, for which the results have never been finalized and no medals awarded. With the decision of the arbitrators due at the end of January, it will be just about two years since the competition ended.

RUSADA said in a Friday statement:

“[T]he case that is currently being considered by CAS is resonant. Representatives of Russian and international media regularly contact us for comments. And we say over and over again that we cannot give any comments due to the fact that the case concerns a protected person [Valieva, who is still a minor].

“The hearings last a long time, yesterday it was 6 hours, but we really hope that everything will end today and we, like all other participants in the process, will expect a fair decision from the court.”

In the meantime, Valieva, 17, returned to competition at the Russian Grand Prix stage in Kazan over the weekend, winning the Short Program, but fell in the Free Skate and ended up fourth (213.59). Sofya Muravyova, 17, won with 228.81 points, ahead of Alina Gorbacheva (219.02) and Daria Sadkova (214.54).

3.
FIG competition conditions for Russians and Belarusians reported

Although not published yet by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the conditions required for the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in their competitions have been reported in Russia.

Consistent with the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee, only individual entries are allowed (no teams), who must compete without any national symbols. The key is the neutrality requirement, reported as:

“Only those athletes who have not expressed support for the special operation in Ukraine (including those who have not expressed approval of Russia’s military actions on social networks through reposts or forwarded messages) and are not associated with the armed forces or national security agencies can be allowed to participate in competitions.”

In order to compete, Russian and Belarusian athletes must apply themselves; there will be a fee, which must be paid by the athlete personally. FIG’s disposition of the application is to be completed within 30 days; an appeal against a negative finding can be made by the Russian or Belarusian national federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The possibility also exists for participation in FIG events by support personnel, such as coaches and medical staff, but no Russian or Belarusian government employees are allowed.

The FIG Executive Committee will allow cleared athletes to compete again as of 1 January 2024.

Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation Vasily Titov told TASS on Friday:

“This evening we received from the International Gymnastics Federation the criteria for admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. We are now carefully studying this document and are not yet ready to comment on its contents.”

4.
British Olympic chief “happy” on Russian “neutrals”

“The difference between Tokyo and these Games in Paris will be clear.

“Any Russian or Belarussian athlete present will be doing so clearly as an independent. That is the current guideline and we are happy with that, happy that as long as it’s not teams representing Russia, as long as they are not affiliated with military, we are happy this is the right approach.”

That’s Andy Anson, the British Olympic Association chief executive, speaking to Sky Sports on Friday. The British government has been asking for more detail on what the International Olympic Committee’s specific definition of “neutrality” will be, but Anson went a lot further:

“The Russians have been banned from a lot of international events in the build up to Paris, so there are not that many who have been able to qualify.

“Even if there are a number of independent Russian athletes at Paris, we expect up to 100, not the 400 that were at Tokyo.

“We’re supportive of having independent athletes there, we don’t want to have athletes punished all the time for the conflicts going on around the world, so as a national association we are supportive of that.”

He also noted that there has been some Russian presence at some events:

“We were at the European Games in Krakow and there were no Russians, but at Wimbledon there were Russian athletes competing. I think we have a happy balance at the moment, it’s not easy.

“We talk openly with our athletes all the time. We have got to point where we are happy. Clearly there will be some people who don’t agree, but we have a solution, a position we are happy with at the moment.”

Lucy Frazer, the British Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said in April that Russian or Belarusian athletes who receive state funding should not be eligible to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. That is not covered by the present IOC position, with a specific determination on Paris 2024 eligibility promised after the start of 2024.

5.
IOC warns of fake news campaign on Telegram

This announcement, posted online and on X (formerly Twitter) in English, French and Spanish last Thursday, drew considerable attention:

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently been faced with a number of fake news posts targeting the IOC. These are being shared on Telegram accounts and other social media platforms in a number of languages.

“For example, quotes purporting to be from IOC representatives have recently been fabricated and added to a fake news report in order to give it an air of legitimacy.

“This is not the first time the IOC has been faced with disinformation campaigns being run against the organisation on social media. Earlier this year, there was an entire documentary produced with defamatory content, a fake narrative and false information, using an AI-generated voice of a world-renowned Hollywood actor. This was removed from social media platforms because of its fabricated and defamatory nature. All this appears to be part of an organised disinformation campaign.”

Telegram is a multi-lingual social-media platform that is especially popular in Russia and Ukraine, in the Cyrillic language and is widely used by sports officials for personal and professional messages.

Interestingly, the U.S. Department of State published a concerned note last Tuesday (7th), titled “The Kremlin’s Efforts to Covertly Spread Disinformation in Latin America”:

“The Russian government is currently financing an on-going, well-funded disinformation campaign across Latin America. The Kremlin’s campaign plans to leverage developed media contacts in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, among other countries in Latin America, in order to carry out an information manipulation campaign designed to surreptitiously exploit the openness of Latin America’s media and information environment.

“The Kremlin’s ultimate goal appears to be to launder its propaganda and disinformation through local media in a way that feels organic to Latin American audiences to undermine support for Ukraine and propagate anti-U.S. and anti-NATO sentiment.”

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, comments from the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian government have continuously and vociferously complained that the IOC is a “tool of the West” or is being directed by the U.S. government or U.S. sponsors. The U.S. State Department brief added:

“Russia’s influence actors have adapted their efforts to increasingly hide their hand, laundering their preferred messaging through a vast ecosystem of Russian proxy websites, individuals, and organizations that appear to be independent news sources.

“Moscow seeds original stories or amplifies preexisting popular or divisive discourse using a network of state media, proxy, and social media influence actors and then intensifies that content to further penetrate the Western information environment. These activities can include disseminating false content and amplifying information perceived as beneficial to Russian influence efforts or conspiracy theories.”

The State Department note also included specifics on the “mechanics” of the project.

As Michael Corleone said in The Godfather, Part III: “They’re the same problem. … They’re connected.”

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Gymnastics ● The 37th FIG Trampoline World Championships in Birmingham (GBR) saw former champions rise to the top once again in both the men’s and women’s Trampoline finals.

China’s Langyu Yan repeated his 2021 performance as men’s champion scoring 60.690 to edge teammate Zisai Wang (60.680), with Japan’s Ryusei Nishioka, the 2021 runner-up, third (60.640).

The women’s final had Britain’s Bryony Page, also the 2021 World Champion, win again, at 56.680, beating Xueying Zhu (CHN: 56.640), and American Jessica Stevens (55.740). For Stevens, she won the first U.S. individual medal in Trampoline since Alexandra Nicholson’s gold-medal performance in 1974!

The U.S. also scored in the non-Olympic synchro events with Ruben Padilla and Aliaksei Shostak taking silver (50.770) in the men’s final, behind Caio Lauxtermann and Fabian Vogel of Germany (51.130). It’s Padilla’s 11th career Worlds medal!

Americans Nicole Ahsinger and Cheyenne Webster did even better, winning the women’s Synchro final at 49.490, with Zheng Qiu and Qianqi Lin (CHN: 48.950) finishing second. It’s the first Worlds golds for Ahsinger and Webster and the first for the U.S. to win a medal in this event since 1976!

In the men’s Trampoline team final, France won with 12 points, to nine for Spain (silver) and Great Britain (bronze). The U.S. was fifth with seven. China won the women’s team gold with 15 points, to 10 for France and seven for Georgia.

The Double Mini events are not part of the Olympic program, but the U.S.’s Padilla repeated as World Champion, scoring 30.600 in the final, ahead of Spain’s David Franco (29.300). Padilla got a second gold in the men’s team final, scoring 12 points with Tomas Minc, Simon Smith and Dylan Kline, and moved up from bronze in 2022. Spain, which won in 2022, finished second (11), with Great Britain third (9).

Spain struck gold in the women’s Double Mini final, as 2021 Worlds bronze winner Melania Rodriguez (ESP: 26.300) won, just beating Americans Aliah Raga (26.200) and Grace Harder (26.100). Great Britain, third in 2022, won the women’s team final with 14 points, as Portugal got silver (10) and Canada the bronze (10). The U.S. was fourth with six points.

In the Tumbling events, also not on the Olympic program, 2021 silver medalist Mikhail Malkin (AZE) won the individual gold, scoring 31.100, ahead of 2021 Worlds bronze winner Kaden Brown of the U.S. (30.100). Malkin won a second gold in the Team final, with Azerbaijan scoring 13 points to edge Great Britain (12) and Denmark (8). The U.S., with Brown, finished fourth with eight points.

The women’s individual winner was France’s Candy Briere-Vetillard, the 2022 World Games champ (26.000), ahead of 2021 World Champion Megan Kealy (GBR: 25.800). Kealy won her third Worlds Team gold as Britain scored 12 points to win, beating France (with Briere-Vetillard, 11 points) and the U.S. (11), with Miah Bruns, Tia Taylor, Anastasia Katchalova and Hope Bravo.

The American team won the All-Around title for the first time with 29 points, winning on a tie-breaker over Portugal (29) and Great Britain (26). The U.S. and Britain both won three golds, with the British collecting 10 medals in all (3-2-5) and the U.S. with nine (3-3-3).

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Reuters reported that a decision on the installations for the surfing competition in Tahiti will be made by the end of this month. Activists have protested the construction of a 14 m (46 foot) aluminum tower for the Games for judging and scoring on environmental grounds, while the wooden tower used for smaller events is considered unsafe for Olympic needs.

Paris 2024 chief executive Tony Estanguet told reporters on Friday:

“We reopened the issue a few weeks ago to see how we could improve it and respond to the concerns and expectations of the local population. Various options are currently being worked on by engineers, local authorities and the Polynesian government, which is responsible for building the tower.

“They are looking at different options for potentially reusing the foundations of the previous tower, which have not been compliant up to now for safety reasons.”

Worldwide Olympic sponsor Visa said that it is sponsoring 117 athletes from 60 countries in 40 sports for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The athletes range in age from 15 to 48 and the U.S. has seven athletes included: Noah Lyles (athletics), Catarina Macario (football), Caroline Marks (surfing), Oksana Masters (para-cycling), Samantha Mewis (football), Ryan Neiswender (wheelchair basketball) and Mallory Swanson (football).

● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● The Swedish government said Sunday that it backs the bid for Sweden to host the 2030 Winter Games:

“The government is ready to proceed to the next phase and examine the conditions for providing the state guarantees required to host the 2030 Winter Games in Sweden.”

Minister of Social Affairs and Sport Jakob Forssmed told SVT Sport:

“We will now test the conditions for providing guarantees for the games. Financial guarantees, guarantees that the authorities cooperate with the organizers and guarantees for safety.

“It is not intended that the Swedish taxpayers contribute money to the Olympic budget. But the Olympic Games must stand on their own financial merits. …

“There are many obstacles on the way. We will investigate the conditions for the guarantees required for this, but basically we have a positive view.”

Sweden, Switzerland and France are all working on bid submissions, with meetings upcoming later this month with the IOC’s Future Host Commission for the Winter Games.

● Alpine Skiing ● The men’s cross-border Zermatt-to-Cervinia Downhill was canceled due to heavy snows and wind, on both Saturday and Sunday.

Ironically, the races were canceled last year for lack of snow!

● Athletics ● USA Track & Field announced that chief executive Max Siegel was signed to a contract extension into 2028. He joined as chief executive in 2012.

● Badminton ● The home team had a lot of cheer about at the Korea Masters in Gwangju, winning three of the five classes.

Top-seeded Ga Eun Kim (KOR) won the women’s Singles title over Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN), 19-21, 21-17, 21-12, and Na Eun Jeong and Hye-Jeong Kim won the women’s Doubles over Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato (JPN), 21-12, 21-19.

In the Mixed Doubles, Seung Jae Seo and Yu Jung Chae (KOR), the top seeds, defeated second-seeds Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei (CHN), 21-14, 21-15.

The all-Japan men’s Singles final was another comeback step for former no. 1 Kento Momota, who defeated Koki Watanabe, 21-16, 21-15, in the final. It’s Momota’s second BWF World Tour win after a terrible auto accident in 2020, before which he was the 2018 and 2019 World Champion. It’s Momota’s 16th career tour title in 22 finals.

In the men’s Doubles, Jhe-Huei Lee and Po-Hsuan Yang (TPE) defeated countrymen Yang Lee and Chi-Lin Wang, 21-17, 21-19.

● Curling ● There were first-time winners at the Grand Slam of Curling The National held in Pictou County (CAN), with Italian skip Joel Retornaz and Korea’s Eun-ji Gim taking the trophies.

Retornaz, a three-time Olympian, had won two prior Grand Slam events, including the season-opening Tour Challenge, and managed two tight wins to grab the victory. His rink got by five-time winner Brendan Bottcher (CAN) by 6-5 in the semis, then faced six-time World Champion Niklas Edin (SWE) in the final. Edin was up 2-0 early, but Retornaz scored 2-1-1-2 in ends three through six to take a commanding 6-2 edge and held on for a 6-5 win as Edin managed three points in ends 7-8. But it was not enough.

Gim had never won a Grand Slam event before, having gotten as far as the semis four times last season. After shutting down four-time defending World Champion Silvana Tirinzoni (SUI) in the semis by 7-3, her team took on 2017 World Champion Rachel Homan (CAN). This was another thriller, with points scored in every end. Gim’s 2-0 lead after one was gone by the third end and a 4-2 lead evaporated after the fifth. A 6-4 lead in the sixth was also erased by Homan for a 6-6 tie after seven. But in the final end, Gim scored a single point for the 7-6 win.

● Cycling ● The final two legs of the UCI Track Champions League were held in London (GBR) at the Lee Valley VeloPark on Friday and Saturday, with the series leaders holding on in all four events.

Friday’s Sprint final came down to Olympic champ Harrie Lavreysen (NED) and Australia’s Matthew Richardson once again, with his third win, 9.787 to 9.799. In the Keirin, Colombia’s Kevin Quintero got his first win of the season in 10.154, with Lavreysen second (+0.069) and Richardson third (+0.089).

On Saturday, Richardson got his second win, in 9.814, with Lavreysen second by 0.094. That left the Keirin, and Lavreysen got his fourth win, by 0.035 seconds over Richardson in 9.802. Added together, Lavreysen ended with 191 points, to 162 for Richardson and 134 for Poland’s Mateusz Rudyk.

Canada’s Dylan Bibic came in as the leader in the men’s Endurance classification and won with 131 points to 117 for William Tidball (GBR) and 113 for Jules Hesters (BEL). All had moments in the London races, as Roy Eefting (NED) won the first Scratch race over Bibic, with Tidball fourth on Friday, then Tidball and Hesters went 1-2 in the Elimination race, with Bibic in 13th.

On Saturday, Britain’s Mark Stewart won the Scratch race, over William Perrett (GBR) with Bibic sixth, then Tuur Dens and Hesters were a Belgian 1-2 in the last Elimination race, with Bibic 11th.

The women’s Sprint saw German Alessa Catriona-Propster get her third win of the series, in 11.149 over Katy Marchant (GBR), 0.248 behind. Martha Bayona (COL) got her first win of the series in the Keirin, at 11.122 over series leader Ellesse Andrews (NZL) by just 0.037.

On Saturday, Andrews won the Sprint for the third time in five events, this time over Bayona by 0.352 in 11.044. Then Andrews confirmed her class by winning the Keirin to clinch the series title in 11.079 over Bayona (+0.042). Andrews finished with 173 points to 154 for Catriona-Propster, with Bayona third at 127.

Britain’s Katie Archibald, the five-time Worlds gold medalist, came in as the series leader in the Endurance grouping, but finished sixth in Friday’s Scratch race, with British teammate Dannielle Khan winning over Lily Williams of the U.S. In the Elimination race, Archibald won for the fourth time in a row, this time against Anita Stenberg of Norway and Ireland’s Lara Gillespie.

Britain’s Leah Evans won the Scratch race on Saturday, ahead of Gillespie, with Archibald fourth, then Gillespie got her first win of the series in the Elimination finale, beating Stenberg with Archibald third. So, Archibald took the title with 160 points to Stenberg’s 145, with Williams third (128) and Gillespie fourth (123).

● Fencing ● The FIE World Cup season for 2023-24 commenced, with two U.S. wins on the opening weekend!

At the World Cup Sabre in Algiers (ALG), France’s Bolade Apithy got his first career World Cup gold, defeating the 2019 World Champion, Sang-uk Oh of Korea, 15-14 in the men’s final. Apithy got to the final by defeating three-time Olympic champ Aron Szilagyi (HUN) in his semi, also by 15-14. In the women’s final, France’s Sara Balzer completed the sweep by winning her third World Cup tournament of the year, overcoming Ukraine’s four-time World Champion, Olga Kharlan in the final, 15-11.

The U.S. men’s squad of Eli Dershwitz, Andrew Doddo, Colin Heathcock and Daryl Homer took the Team gold, defeating South Korea in the final, 45-32. The Koreans won the women’s title, 45-43, over France.

In Bern (SUI), the men’s Epee World Cup ended in an all-Swiss final, with Lucas Malcotti defeating Alexis Bayard, 15-13. It’s Malcotti’s first career World Cup medal. France won the team title, 41-37, over Italy.

American Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, 33, won her first career World Cup medal with a win in the women’s Epee final in Legnano (ITA). She out-dueled Swiss Pauline Brunner, 15-8, in the final. Ukraine won the team gold, 41-40, over Korea.

Olympic and Worlds silver medalist Alexander Massialas of the U.S. won the men’s Foil in Istanbul (TUR), for his sixth career World Cup win and his third of 2023. Massialas defeated Hong Kong’s Ka Long Cheung, the Tokyo Olympic champ, 15-12 in the final.

The U.S. team, with Massialas, Gerek Meinhardt, Miles Chamley-Watson and Nick Itkin won the team bronze, 45-42, over China, with Italy defeating Japan in the championship final, 45-41.

● Figure Skating ● The fourth leg of the ISU Grand Prix, the Cup of China in Chongqing saw many familiar faces on the podium, as Canada claimed two wins and three prior gold medalists this season added a second.

France’s European champ Adam Siao Him Fa came from second after the Short Program to win the Free Skate, thanks in part to four quad jumps, over two-time World Champion Shoma Uno of Japan – who suffered a fall – and Siao Him Fa won his second Grand Prix gold this season, 298.38 to 279.98.

Americans Jimmy Ma and Lucas Broussard finished ninth (205.16) and 12th (181.15)

Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps added to their Skate Canada gold by winning the Short Program and Free Skate to win with 201.48 points, ahead of Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (ITA: 191.00). American brother-and-sister combo Maria Mokhova and Ivan Mokhov were eighth (134.81).

Two-time Worlds bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier led a Canadian 1-2 in Ice Dance, also winning after a gold at Skate Canada with 207.83 points, coming from second after the Rhythm Dance. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, second at Skate America, were just behind at 206.02, finishing second in the Free Dance.

Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, the 2022 Four Continents winners, took the bronze at 189.33, ahead of teammates Eva Pate and Logan Bye (184.58).

Japan scored a 1-2 finish in the women’s competition, with 18-year-old Hana Yoshida winning her first Grand Prix medal – a gold – coming from third after the Short Program with a win in the Free Skate and a 203.97 total. That was just enough to edge Rinka Watanabe (203.22) and Skate America winner Loena Hendrickx (BEL: 201.49). American Audrey Shin was ninth at 156.84.

● Ice Hockey ● The two best women’s teams on the planet – Canada and the U.S. – resumed their annual Rivalry Series with games in Tempe, Arizona and Los Angeles, with the U.S. winning both games.

Last Wednesday, nine-time World Champion Hilary Knight opened the scoring at 19:52 of the first period off a lead assist from forward Abbey Murphy, but Canadian forward Brianne Jenner equalized at 12:32 of the second off a rebound in front of the U.S. net.

Forward Taylor Heise’s goal at 4:28 of the third on a put-back of a defender Rory Guilday shot put the U.S. in front and then forward Alex Carpenter sent a backhander into the net at the 18:40 mark to finish off a 3-1 victory. Aerin Frankel saved 35 of 36 shots for the U.S. to key the win.

At the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, the U.S. scored twice in the second and third periods to earn a 5-2 win, with two goals from forward Gabbie Hughes.

Carpenter scored the first goal on a tap-in off a rebound at 17:19 of the opening period on a 5-on-3 power play, but the game was tied in the second on a shorthanded goal by Laura Stacey.

But the U.S. got untracked as forward Britta Curl fired home an intercepted pass at 11:51 of the second and forward Hannah Bilka gave the Americans a 3-1 advantage off a rebound of a Tessa Janecke shot.

Canada closed to 3-2 on a Jamie Lee Rattray goal at 2:37 of the third, but Hughes scored at 3:19 on a power play for a 4-2 lead, and finished at 14:19 with a powerful shot off a set-up pass by Heise. Nicole Hensley saved 23 of 25 shots for the U.S. in goal.

Game three of the seven-game Rivalry Series for 2023-24 will resume on 14 December in Kitchener, Ontario.

● Speed Skating ● The ISU World Cup schedule opened in Obihiro (JPN), with Japan winning four of the six men’s individual events, and American Kimi Goetz winning five medals in one World Cup!

Goetz, 29, won five World Cup medals last season (1-2-2), with her lone win at 1,000 m. In Obihiro, she took her second career World Cup gold, this time in the 500 m (37.82), beating Olympic champ Erin Jackson of the U.S. (37.89) and World Champion Femke Kok (NED: 37.93).

World 1,000 m champ Jutta Leerdam (NED) won that race in 1:14.57, with Olympic winner Miho Takagi (JPN: 1:14.68) second and Goetz third in 1:14.75. Fellow American Brittany Bowe, a three-time Worlds winner at this distance, was sixth in 1:15.35.

On Saturday, Kok won the second 500 m race in 37.89, leading a Dutch 1-2 with Leerdam (38.00), but with Goetz winning another medal in third (38.15), with Jackson fourth (also 38.15). In the 1,500 m, Takagi – twice an Olympic runner-up – win decisively in 1:54.54 with World Champion Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong second (1:56.23) and Goetz taking a fourth medal in 1:55.56. Bowe was seventh in 1:57.41.

In the distance races, Canada’s Olympic runner-up Ivanie Blondin won the Mass Start in 8:25.11, ahead of Esther Kiel (NED: 8:25.45) and American Mia Kilburg (8:25.58). Norway’s Ragne Wiklund, the reigning World Champion, won the 3,000 m in 4:01.88 over Japan’s Momoka Horikawa (4:03.42).

Goetz won a fifth medal with Conor McDermott-Mostowy in the Mixed Relay, finishing third (2:57.63), behind the Dutch (2:55.53) and Poland (2:56.12). She equaled her total from all of last season in her World Cup opener.

In the men’s racing, triple World Champion Jordan Stolz of the U.S., still just 19, won three medals, but Japanese stars won four of the six races. Tatsuya Shinhama, the 2020 World Sprint champ, took the first 500 m in 34.52 over teammates Wataru Morishige (34.69) and Yuma Murakami (34.892), with Stolz fifth in 34.91. Morishige, the Beijing 2022 bronzer, took the second race in 34.64, with Shinhama second (34.69) and Stolz third (34.94).

Masaya Yamada (JPN) impressed with a double at 1,000 m (1:08.35) and 1,500 m (1:45.57), with Stolz third in the 1,000 m (1:08.78) and second in the 1,500 m (1:45.59).

In the Mass Start, Worlds runner-up Bart Hoolwerf (NED) beat Olympic champ Bart Swings (BEL) by 7:45.78 to 7:45.80. American Ethan Cepuran was seventh in 7:52.65. At 5,000 m, World Champion Patrick Roest (NED) was a clear winner in 6:10,.99, beating Worlds runner-up Davide Ghiotto (ITA: 6:12.90); Stolz also competed in this race and finished 14th in 6:25.44.

The circuit moves to Beijing (CHN) for round two next week.

● Triathlon ● The Gwen Jorgensen comeback story continued with a strange victory at the Vina del Mar Sprint World Cup in Chile.

Jorgensen actually was the third to cross the finish line in the women’s race, but four women – including the two ahead of her – were disqualified for taking a wrong turn on the route, leaving her as the winner!

Katie Zaferes (USA), the 2019 World Champion, and Teresa Zimovjanova (CZE) were 1-2, but both ran through the finish line instead of around it during the 5 km run phase and were disqualified, along with Anna Godoy (ESP) and Mathilde Gautier (FRA), who finished fourth and fifth. Jorgensen’s charge later in the run brought her in third, eventually being named the winner!

Jorgensen led a 1-2 for the U.S. with Gina Sereno second, 57:28 to 58:00, and Britain’s Vicky Holland, the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze winner, third in 58:10. Zaferes originally won in 57:22, with Zimovjanova second in 57:25.

It’s Jorgensen’s fourth World Cup win of the season and continues to move her up the ITU’s Olympic rankings.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Valieva hearing resumes Thursday; RUSADA reports a lot of doping positives; Shiffrin headlines reindeer races in Finland!

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Court of Arbitration for Sport

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Olympic Pairs star: need to “lie better about Valieva”
2. RUSADA reports heavy sanctions numbers for 2023
3. French bid for 2030 Winter Games submitted
4. Reindeer slalom races in Levi return this weekend
5. Swiss open inquiry into new ski track on the Matterhorn

● The added hearing in the endless Kamila Valieva doping case from the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games commences Thursday at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. In Russia, three-time Olympic Pairs champ Irina Rodnina said in an interview, “We should have learned to lie better about Valieva.” Wow.

● Those who don’t believe that reform has come to the doping culture in Russia can be concerned about the latest doping sanction numbers, with 127 violations reported so far for 2023. That’s on pace to surpass 2022 (135 total) and compares with 40 sanctions announced this year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

● The French bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games has been submitted to the International Olympic Committee, with four clusters in two French regions and using mostly existing venues. A new arena appears necessary and a temporary or out-of-country solution to speed skating is still needed.

● One of the truly fun features of the early-season FIS Alpine World Cup are the “reindeer races” at Levi ski resort in Finland. The winners of each of the women’s Slalom races on Saturday and Sunday will “win” a baby reindeer, but actually just get to name it. American star Mikaela Shiffrin won both races last year and has the largest “herd” at six!

● Controversy ahead of this weekend’s unique FIS Alpine World Cup men’s Downhills on a new course at the Matterhorn, which begins in Switzerland and finishes in Italy. The “Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening” will have men’s races this weekend, and then the women will compete their on 18-19 November. But Swiss and Italian authorities are making inquiries about possibly unauthorized construction work to create the 3.7 km course.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (organizers trying to settle concerns over surfing venue in Tahiti) = Parapan Am Games (USOPC names 240-member team for Santiago) = On Screen (pretty good viewership for skating, not so much for the NYC Marathon) = Figure Skating (famed Canadian Pairs coach sentenced for abuse) = Skiing (USSS raises $2 million at pre-season gala) ●

● Podcast: TSX editor-in-chief Rich Perelman explored the status of the Olympic Movement and today’s challenges on the “Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C,” produced by the Fordham Gabelli School of Business, with Professor Mark Conrad. You can hear it here. ●

1.
Olympic Pairs star: need to “lie better about Valieva”

The long-running doping case concerning Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will resume at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (SUI) on Thursday and Friday with the two additional days of hearings requested by the arbitration panel in September.

More information was asked for, but without any details about the subject matter as the process is closed.

In Russia, some frank comments were reported from State Duma Deputy Irina Rodnina, now 74, the three-time Olympic Pairs Champion from 1972-76-80, skating with Alexei Ulmanov (1972 only) and then with Alexander Zaitsev. She told Sport 24:

“I don’t understand when they say that they specifically want to destroy Valieva.

“We need to wake up and understand that we have mistakes and blunders. We should have learned to lie better about Valieva. Who will believe the fairy tale that she accidentally drank the wrong glass? Well, what kind of nonsense is this?!”

She blamed Russia’s communications on the case for putting Valieva in a negative light, seized on by “countries that do not like Russia.” She added:

“They shouldn’t do that. But you must always know that Russia is a country of the strongest athletes, and the attention to us will always be triple; they will remember every mistake.”

Rodnina’s comments were quickly criticized by the Russian Sports Minister, Oleg Matytsin:

“It’s strange to hear such statements from a State Duma deputy, a three-time Olympic champion. Such public assessments, based on one’s own conjectures, not supported by knowledge of the details of the process, are unacceptable, this is a violation of the ethics and culture of the sports community.

“We must treat our victories with care and respect, our coaches and athletes, to unite Russian society through sports, and not to create provocative news feeds for circulation in the media.”

Valieva, then 15, was a member of the winning Russian squad in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games in the Team Event, but disclosure of a doping positive from 25 December 2021 was not made until after the event was over.

The results have never been confirmed and no medal ceremony has ever taken place. The World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Skating Union and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency have appealed the holding of the independent Russian anti-doping appeal board, which found that she had committed an unintentional doping violation, and gave her a one-day suspension.

WADA is asking for a four-year ban.

One of the defenses made for Valieva’s doping positive is that she drank from a glass used by a elderly family member to take a medication which included the prohibited substance trimetazidine. Rodnina was not impressed. 

2.
RUSADA reports heavy sanctions numbers for 2023

There are those who have continuing doubts that doping has been effectively controlled in Russia. The latest statistics reported from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency indicate they may be right.

A Wednesday report noted that a total of 127 doping violations have been recorded – some not confirmed as yet – by RUSADA, including 13 in October. During the first three quarters:

● 1st quarter: 48
● 2nd quarter: 43
● 3rd quarter: 23

The story explained that “RUSADA General Director Veronika Loginova told TASS that anabolic steroids, diuretics and masking agents, as well as meldonium are most often found in athletes’ samples.”

In 2022, there were 135 case reports of violations, so 2023 will apparently show an increase.

“Whereabouts” violations continue to be a problem, with “33 cases of athletes violating the rules of accessibility for testing.” For 2023 so far, 163 “whereabouts” issues have been reported, but that is down from 375 in 2022. These are apparently being reported separately from the sanctions, since it takes three “whereabouts” failures to create a sanctionable offense.

By comparison, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced 40 sanctions in calendar year 2023 so far, against 7,807 total tests conducted from January through September. A total of 44 new sanctions were registered in 2022.

3.
French bid for 2030 Winter Games submitted

The race for the Olympic Winter Games in 2030 is between Sweden, Switzerland and France, with the French bid detailed this week as it was submitted to the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.

The proposal is to host the event in two regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (AURA) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA), with two venue clusters in each (four total):

● AURA/Savoie: bobsleigh, luge and skeleton at La Plagne; alpine skiing at Courchevel and Meribel; ski jumping in Courchevel.

● AURA/Haute-Savoie: cross-country at La Clusaz; biathlon at Grand Bornand, alpine skiing at Val d’Isere.

● PACA/Nice: curling, figure skating, ice hockey, short track.

● PACA/Brianconnais: freestyle skiing and snowboard at Isola 2000.

The athlete village and media centers would be in Nice, with the opening in AURA and the closing in Nice.

The ice events in Nice could be in a new arena, and there is no venue for speed skating, which could be held in a temporary facility such as a convention center – as Milan Cortina is doing for 2026 – or held somewhere else.

No budget projection was included by French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) President David Lappartient, but he told reporters that it would be no more than Milan Cortina 2026, about €1.5 billion (about $1.606 billion U.S. today). This is expected to be funded privately; said Lappartient, “The Games must finance the Games.”

A meeting with the IOC Future Host Commission for the Winter Games is scheduled for 21 November, and the decision on the 2030 host is expected in 2024. The CNOSF bid release noted that the award may not be made at the IOC Session prior to the Paris 2024 Games, with the “decision planned during the IOC Session which will be held at the start of the Paris 2024 Games or in the fall of 2024.”

A delayed award would get around the Olympic Charter requirement that a Games cannot be awarded at a Session held in a country which is a candidate.

4.
Reindeer slalom races in Levi return this weekend

The international winter sports season is opening up, with alpine skiing, figure skating, curling, ice hockey and speed skating events all on the schedule this week, especially featuring one event with a wild tradition.

The winner “gets” a baby reindeer.

The event is the annual women’s Slalom races at the Levi resort in tiny Sirkka, Finland, located in the Finnish Lapland, about 110 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Famed for its year-round ski resorts and reindeer safaris, the race organizers came up with a crazy idea beginning in 2013: the winners of the FIS Alpine World Cup Slalom races would “win” a reindeer.

Well, they don’t actually get the animal, but they get to permanently name one, a ceremony which has become a tradition. The animals are raised on a nearby farm, and are very familiar with two stars: American Mikaela Shiffrin and Slovakian Petra Vlhova.

The two have dominated the reindeer races, with Shiffrin winning both last year to take a 6-5 lead over Vlhova for the most victories (and namings). Shiffrin’s six wins and her pack names:

● 2013: Rudolph
● 2016: Sven
● 2018: Mr. Gru
● 2019: Ingemar, in honor of Swedish skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark
● 2022: Lorax, in honor of her late father, Jeff Shiffrin
● 2022: Sunny

Shiffrin finished sixth in the season-opening Giant Slalom in Soelden (AUT) two weeks ago and pronounced herself satisfied with her skiing. She is not only the two-time defending Alpine World Cup champion and the record-holder – men or women – for the most World Cup wins in history with 88, she has rewritten the Slalom record lists. She has 53 career Slalom wins, by far the most of any skier in any discipline; the closest is Stenmark with 46 wins in the men’s Giant Slalom.

Vlhova already has a 2023-24 seasonal medal after a bronze finish in Soelden. She owns 28 career World Cup wins, 19 of them in Slalom, ranking her no. 6 all-time. And she has those five wins in Levi, in 2017-2020 (2)-2021 (2).

Watching the Levi races, or any others on the FIS Alpine World Cup is a chore for American fans, with U.S.-based events streaming on Outside, but also on NBC or CNBC and streaming on Peacock.

World Cups held in Austria are streamed on Peacock, but sometimes also on NBC.

All other events – like Levi – are streamed on a different site, skiandsnowboard.live, on a subscription basis. Outside also has delayed coverage, on a subscription basis.

5.
Swiss open inquiry into new ski track on the Matterhorn

This weekend also brings a new concept in alpine skiing: a race which begins in one country and finishes in another. But not without controversy.

The “Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening” race will be held on a new track called the “Gran Becca,” designed to begin in Zermatt in Switzerland and finish in Cervinia in Italy, a long ride of 3.7 km (about 2.3 miles) that starts at an altitude of 3,720 m (12,205 feet)!

Creating the route required construction in what is apparently a protected area in Switzerland, and reported to be shut down in mid-October by Swiss authorities. Most of the track is on the Italian side, however,

But Italian prosecutors are also involved and have asked for documentation of the permits procured and the process to obtain them.

The concept was supposed to have become reality last year, but a lack of snow required cancellation. The snow control in 2023, however, was positive and the show is on.

Training runs on the new course have begun, ahead of downhill races for men this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Women’s downhill races will be held on the 18th and 19th. The legal proceedings will carry on from there.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The tempest over the construction and modifications needed for the surfing competition in Tahiti at Teahupo’o, but the Paris 2024 organizers are pressing on with the preparations. The BBC was told:

“Our ambition has remained unchanged. We are studying every possible scenario to enable the surfing competitions to take place on this site, which we want to preserve, respect and enhance for the Games.

“All of our efforts are centered on finding the best solution collectively, in conjunction with the Polynesian government, for the exceptional site of Teahupo’o. …

“Where the Games adapt to Teahupo’o and not the other way round, and to showcase the mythical Teahupo’o wave to the world and ensure that the Games are a success for Tahiti and its people.”

The issue has primarily centered on the impact of the construction of a large aluminum judging and scoring tower to replace the wooden facility now used, but considered too small and unsafe for Olympic purposes. The discussions are continuing on many sides, even a possible move of the venue to another location, on Tahiti’s west coast.

● Parapan American Games ● The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced a 240-member team for the VII Parapan American Games in Santiago (CHI), to be held from 17-26 November.

The squad has 148 men and 92 women, with swimmer Chloe Cederholm the youngest at 13 years old and table tennis player Michael Godfrey the oldest at 59. The team includes 91 Paralympians and 23 athletes with ties to the military.

The U.S. will compete in 16 of the 17 sports on the program, all excepting blind soccer.

● On Screen ● Pretty good TV audiences for the ISU Grand Prix highlight shows on NBC, competing with college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday:

● Nov. 4 (Sat.): 622,000 for Skate Canada International on NBC at 12:00 p.m. Eastern (delayed one week).

● Nov. 5 (Sun.): 551,000 for the Grand Prix of France on NBC at 12:30 p.m. Eastern (delayed, but same week).

These were both delayed-broadcast highlights programs, which did fairly well compared with the Skate America telecasts in October:

● Oct. 21 (Sat.): 191.000 on E! for Skate America: live
● Oct. 22 (Sun.): 699,000 on NBC for Skate America: delayed

The New York City Marathon, held early on Sunday, drew modest interest both live and on delay:

● Nov. 5 (Sun.): 176,000 on ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.
● Nov. 5 (Sun.): 411,000 on ABC at 3:00 p.m. (replay)

The biggest show of the week was the late-window NFL games on Fox, mostly showing Dallas at Philadelphia, which averaged 27.14 million viewers.

● Figure Skating ● Richard Gauthier, 61, who coached some of Canada’s great Pairs teams, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for his sexual assault and gross indecency conviction in January, for actions which took place in the 1980s.

Gauthier had helped form the eventual Olympic champion team of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, winners at the 2001 World Championships and elevated to a co-gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and coached two-time World Champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford.

Skate Canada suspended Gauthier in October 2020, when the charges against him were filed. He had been inducted into the Canadian Skating Hall of Fame in 2015, but removed following his conviction.

He was found guilty on two charges, and acquitted on a third, all stemming from conduct in 1984 or 1985.

● Skiing ● Impressive fund-raiser for the 57th U.S. Ski & Snowboard “Gold Medal Gala” in New York on 30 October, in front of more than 600 attendees, with more than $2 million raised to support the federation.

The fund-raising total almost equaled the 2022 take, the most ever, and was well ahead of the $1.7 million raised in 2021.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Bach says no plans to cancel Paris over conflicts; Semenya case to be heard at Euro Court of Human Rights; why is squash in LA28?

By
Rich Perelman
-
IOC President Thomas Bach at the 139th IOC Session in Lausanne (Photo: IOC/Christophe Moratal)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Bach: Paris 2024 is not being canceled due to the wars
2. Semenya case to be heard by European Court of Human Rights
3. Why squash for LA28? Excitement in a glass box.
4. U.S. leads track & field in top-10 performers in 2023
5. Athletics Fair Play Award finalists confirmed

● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of Germany appeared at a German sports forum and said no thought has been given to canceling the Paris 2024 Games in view of the wars in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza. He also said that the people urging him to extend his term in office are the ones who have to make the needed rule changes.

● South African Olympic 800 m star Caster Semenya’s win at the European Court of Human Rights to force a more thorough review by the Swiss Federal Tribunal of her appeal from the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be reconsidered by a 17-member panel, after a request from Switzerland. The new hearing will not rule on the World Athletics regulations, but what standard the Swiss Federal Tribunal must bring.

● Why did squash finally make it into the Olympic Games, in Los Angeles for 2028. The chief executive of World Squash cited the sport’s organization, ease of set-up and the excitement of matches inside a glass cage!

● An analysis of the top-10 performers in each event in track & field in 2023 showed the U.S. with a very good year, fully reflecting its lead in the medal table at the World Championships. Most impressive: the Americans placed at least one athlete in the world top-10 for 2023 in 30 of the 44 individual events.

● World Athletic revealed its finalists for the annual Fair Play Award to be announced in December, with all three from either the 10,000 m or the Half Marathon!

● Podcast: TSX editor-in-chief Rich Perelman explored the status of the Olympic Movement and today’s challenges on the “Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C,” produced by the Fordham Gabelli School of Business, with Professor Mark Conrad. You can hear it here. ●

1.
Bach: Paris 2024 is not being canceled due to the wars

“We have a very strong geopolitical tension. To say that we are sacrificing the Games, that would be completely the wrong approach.”

That’s from an hour-long interview by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER), appearing at the “Stuttgarter Sportgesprach” (“Stuttgart Sport Talk”) forum on Monday (6th), in which Bach was asked about a range of issues in play now and in the future.

On the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza, Bach said that a cancellation of the 2024 Paris Games, a la the 1916, 1940 and 1944 events, is not being discussed (computer translation from the original German):

“We have had many wars between governments and countries, but the athletes have always taken part in the Games. This is in line with the Olympic mission.

“I don’t know that we’re having a world war. To betray the basic idea of sport is not something that can be done with the International Olympic Committee.

“According to the U.N. definition, we have 28 wars in the world at the moment. Our mission is a humanitarian mission for athletes and sport. We try to take that into account. People also need something that connects them.”

The situation with Russia and Ukraine continues to vex the IOC, and Bach noted, “Relations between the IOC and Russia have cooled down considerably since the doping scandal,” but on the question of admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals for Paris, over the objection of the Ukrainian government and many others, he admitted, “It’s a dilemma.”

Bach reiterated the IOC’s stance on sport and politics, but with a slightly different twist: “Sport cannot and must not be apolitical, but it must be politically neutral. … If [sport] takes on the role of referee in every conflict, it will be the end of international sport.”

The question of Bach’s term as IOC President being extended beyond the term limit of 12 years in 2025 was explored, with Bach insisting that he was not behind this concept:

“It is typical that it is assumed that this was staged. That’s what I find unacceptable, that people judge it like that without knowledge.

“One argument is that a certain election campaign by some members [for 2025] has already started in Tokyo [in 2021]. That the majority of members found this disturbing. They don’t want all important decisions to be influenced by candidacies.

“Others say we live in such turbulent times that it is difficult to change teams now. You need a certain continuity here in order to survive. That is the basis on which we advise.”

And while not tipping his hand on whether he would accept to serve longer, he said again that it’s a people thing:

“I’m only human, I was happy about the response that came from different continents. If members make a suggestion to change the statutes, then they have to do it. Respect that you deal with these people.”

2.
Semenya case to be heard by European Court of Human Rights

An expected Swiss appeal against a close, 4-3 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in July will send the case of Semenya vs. Switzerland for a hearing before a 17-member Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights.

The case was the only one of 14 submissions accepted for a Grand Chamber hearing on Monday and none of the judges who participated in the original decision will be included.

The hearing, on a date to be determined, will not decide whether the World Athletics rules on participation by women with “differences in sex development” in elite competition will be upheld or repealed. Instead, the case was a last-chance attack by two-time Olympic women’s 800 m gold medalist Caster Semenya of South Africa on the review by the Swiss Federal Tribunal – on appeal from the Court of Arbitration for Sport – that she deemed inadequate.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Semenya’s challenge to the World Athletics DSD rules, and the Swiss Federal Tribunal did not overrule.

However, in the ECHR opinion issued on 11 July, the divided court ruled:

“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).

“It followed, particularly with regard to the high personal stakes involved for the applicant – namely, participating in athletics competitions at international level, and therefore practising her profession – that Switzerland had overstepped the narrow margin of appreciation afforded to it in the present case, which concerned discrimination on grounds of sex and sexual characteristics requiring ‘very weighty reasons’ by way of justification.

“The high stakes of the case for the applicant and the narrow margin of appreciation afforded to the respondent State should have led to a thorough institutional and procedural review, but the applicant had not been able to obtain such a review.”

The Swiss Federal Tribunal has steadfastly maintained that it is not an all-purpose court of review of Court of Arbitration for Sport decision, but can only intervene due to specific errors or circumstances. Its request for a heating before the ECHR Grand Chamber is to enforce its limited review role and not make it an automatic last-resort venue.

If Semenya were to win before the Grand Chamber, the presumed remedy would be for the Swiss Federal Tribunal to implement a deeper review of the CAS decision on the World Athletics DSD regulations, and establish a precedent for the level of review required for all appeals from CAS.

World Athletics told Reuters, “World Athletics has only ever been interested in protecting the female category. If we don’t, then women and young girls will not choose sport.

“That is, and has always been, the federation’s sole motivation (for the regulations).”

3.
Why squash for LA28? Excitement in a glass box

Of the five added sports admitted for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, four were high-end team sports with significant collegiate or professional sports organizations behind then: baseball and softball, cricket, flag football and lacrosse.

So why squash?

The sport had been a candidate for inclusion at London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but lost out each time. From the standpoint of low cost and complexity, favored attributes for the IOC these days, squash is attractive. Courts – glass boxes – can be built up in a couple of days and be plunked into a 5,000-seat arena with no difficulty.

The French-language site FrancsJeux.com posted an interview with World Squash chief executive William Louis-Marie (FRA), who explained some of the factors which worked in their favor this time:

“We tried to understand what they expected from a new sport, which is not yet at the Games, but has been present for a long time in the Olympic movement and in a large number of multi-sport events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Pan American Games. We showed our expertise and knowledge of these multi-sport events.

“We also insisted on our ability to bring the best players in the world, thanks to our collaboration with the professional association (PSA). The LA 2028 people came to see us at the last Commonwealth Games, last year in Birmingham. They saw the exceptional spectacle of two players competing in a glass cage for 30 minutes or an hour. Los Angeles is the capital of entertainment , the spectacle of squash corresponds well to their values.”

Although no 2028 venue has been specified, Louis-Marie explained the basic idea:

“We don’t have all the details yet, but we have ideas for an indoor theater, where squash could be beautifully showcased in a glass court, with an exceptional number of cameras.”

And he believes that with the showcase at LA28 ahead, the prospects for inclusion again at Brisbane in 2032 are good. In the short term:

“Athletes know today that they will have the opportunity to take their place on the most beautiful sporting platform in the world. It’s a great motivation.”

4.
U.S. leads track & field in top-10 performers in 2023

Now that the Pan American Games and the New York City Marathon have been completed, essentially all of the top performances of the 2023 outdoor track & field season are in the books.

While the medal standings of the World Athletics Championships are well known, let’s take a look at the breakdown by country of athletes ranked by mark in the top 10 (with ties) of the 44 individual Olympic events – track, field and walks – this year.

● Men (22 events):
1. United States, 39 top-10 performers
2. Kenya, 20
3. Ethiopia, 14
4. Jamaica, 13
5. France, 9
6. tie, Canada and Spain, 7
8. tie, Italy, Norway and Russia, 6

On the track, the U.S. led with 25 top-10 placers, followed by Kenya with 19, Ethiopia with 14, Jamaica (8) and France (7). In the field, the U.S. had 14 placers, with Italy a distant second with six, then Jamaica and Russia with five each.

The biggest domination of any event was in the marathon, where the Kenyans had eight of the top 10 this year. The U.S. men had top-10 performers in 13 events, with Jamaica totaling seven and Kenya, France, Spain and Canada with six each.

● Women (22 events):
1. United States, 48 top-10 performers
2. Ethiopia, 23
3. Jamaica, 15
4. Kenya, 14
5. China, 12 (nine in walks!)
6. tie, Great Britain and Netherlands, 10
8. tie, Australia, Germany and Russia, 5

On the track, the U.S. women scored 30 places, followed by Ethiopia with 23 and Kenya with 14. Jamaica had 11. On the infield, the American women took 18 places and no one else had more than five (Germany)!

Further, the U.S. scored in 17 different events; next was the Netherlands (9), then Jamaica (8).

The combined totals (44 events):

1. United States, 87
2. Ethiopia, 37
3. Kenya, 34
4. Jamaica, 28
5. China, 16
6. Great Britain, 15
7. Netherlands, 12
8. tie, France and Russia, 11
10. tie, Australia and Germany, 10

That’s a pretty amazing year for the U.S., which led the medal table at the Worlds in Budapest with 29 total medals, to 12 for Jamaica and 10 each for Great Britain and Kenya and nine for Ethiopia.

How about swimming? Coming up soon …

5.
Athletics Fair Play Award finalists confirmed

The finalists for the International Fair Play Award were announced on Tuesday, with all three related to world-championship competitions and all involving the long distances:

● Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo, who waved his support for teammate Sebastian Sawe as he was being passed at the World Road Running Championships Half Marathon. Sawe won in 59:10, with Ebenyo taking the silver in 59:14.

● Ethiopia’s Letsenbet Gidey, the women’s World Championships 10,000 m silver medalist, who went back to console Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who fell just before the finish. Gidey was in the middle of wat turned out to be an Ethiopian sweep (31:28.16), with Hassan appearing ready to overtake winner Gudaf Tsegay (31:27.18) in the final meters, but fell and finished 11th in 31:53.35.

● Jessica Warner-Judd (GBR), who finished eighth in the same women’s Worlds 10,000 m race in 31:35.38, then was the only one to wait for Brazil’s Maria Lucineida da Silva to finish, in 21st at 35:54.18, more than two and a half minutes after everyone else.

The winner will be announced as a part of the World Athletics Awards in 11 December.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Panam Sports head gives gold medal to Santiago 2023; Russia files suspension appeal vs. IOC; amazing 51,402 finishers at NYC Marathon

By
Rich Perelman
-
A new tradition? Panam Sports President Neven Ilic of Chile presents the final gold medal of the 2023 Pan Am Games to the mascot Fiu during the closing ceremonies (Photo: Marcelo Hernandez/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport).

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Santiago’s Pan Am Games saluted as “a tremendous success”
2. Russian appeal against IOC suspension accepted at Court of Arbitration
3. New York Marathon has 51,402 finishers; Hug finishes majors sweep!
4. African Games could be rendered irrelevant by new qualifier
5. Norway and Switzerland bid for 2028 FIS Games

● The head of Panam Sports and the Chilean Sports Minister lauded the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago during the closing ceremonies on Sunday, calling the event “a tremendous success.” A record 34 delegations won medals, the most ever in a Pan Am Games.

● The Russian Olympic Committee filed its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the International Olympic Committee over its suspension for absorbing sports organization in occupied areas of Ukraine. Even the Russian Foreign Ministry chimed in with a new blast at the IOC.

● A historic New York City Marathon on Sunday saw not only a course record of 2:04:58 in the men’s race, but the fourth-most finishers in history at 51,402 and the first-ever sweep of all six Marathon Majors by men’s Wheelchair star Marcel Hug.

● The African Games, the continent’s multi-sport showcase since 1965 is at risk of being sidelined in favor of a new, Olympic qualifying event to be developed by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA). Why? Because of money, of course.

● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced that bids from Norway and Switzerland were received for the first-ever FIS Games in 2028, a 16-day mega-event with dozens of events across almost all of the federation’s disciplines.

● Panorama: Athletics (10 more doping suspensions announced by AIU) = Football (Brazil formally enters bid for Women’s World Cup 2027) = Tennis (Swiatek sweeps aside Pergula to win WTA Final in Cancun) = Weightlifting (no doping positives at IWF Worlds) ●

● Podcast: TSX editor-in-chief Rich Perelman explored the status of the Olympic Movement and today’s challenges on the “Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C,” produced by the Fordham Gabelli School of Business, with Professor Mark Conrad. You can hear it here; click on Episode 4! ●

1.
Santiago’s Pan Am Games saluted as “a tremendous success”

As the curtain came down on the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, the closing ceremony included the remarks from the organizations which staged the event, and they were quite pleased.

Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, himself from Chile, shared his pride in the Games:

“Today, as we reach the conclusion, I feel a sense of sadness as a Chilean because the celebration is ending, but I also feel tremendous pride in these fantastic Pan American Games. Many times I was asked what I dreamt of for this event, and I replied that I hoped for many things, but above all, I wanted to raise Chile’s name to the highest level, and I believe we were able to create the most significant celebration in the Americas here in Chile.

“All the visitors we had left with the image of how beautiful Chile is, how beautiful the Chilean people are, and that should fill us all with pride. We greatly appreciate the organizing committee, when we started I told them that it was very easy to plan but very difficult to execute, but they did it fantastic.

“What we lived was shocking: we welcomed the greatest continental sports festival for the first time in Chile. We managed to gather almost seven thousand athletes. We were visited by over 200 thousand people, including tourists, delegations, and communication media, who basked in an atmosphere of community, respect, and joy that made the Pan American Games an unforgettable event.

“These Games are an effort of the state, of the government of Chile. Be very proud. We faced challenges, overcame a pandemic, and we can tell the world: We succeeded. The Games were a tremendous success.”

The Chilean Sports Minister, Jaime Pizarro, told the crowd at the Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida:

“Today, we feel proud to have fulfilled a historic responsibility. President Gabriel Boric tasked us with organizing games to international standards, and with satisfaction, we can say that we did it.”

Ilic scored a hit with the crowd by awarding the final gold medal of the Games to the popular mascot, Fiu, a gesture that may well be picked up by other events in the future.

The Games mostly succeeded, but had some gaffes, including an embarrassing mis-measurement of the women’s 20 km Walk, won by World Champion Kimberly Garcia of Peru, but without any times, depriving her and others of qualifying marks for other events. And there were the usual issues of last-minute construction and transportation issues early in the event.

The 2023 Pan Ams celebrated the highest number of nations winning at least one medal, with 34. That’s two up on the 32 – out of 41 competing teams – from the Rio 2007 Pan American Games and 31 at Toronto (CAN) in 2015 and Lima (PER) in 2019.

Pan Am Sports also shared an organizing committee report that the events were attended by 1.3 million spectators, a significant increase in the 517,000 reported to have been at the 2019 Pan Ams in Lima. The 1.3 million total surpassed the organizing committee target of 1.0 million.

The event reportedly had 2,000 staff and used 13,000 volunteers.

2.
Russian appeal against IOC suspension accepted at Court of Arbitration

The promised appeal by the Russian Olympic Committee against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee was registered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday:

“In the Challenged Decision, the IOC [Executive Board] suspended the ROC with immediate effect until further notice following the ROC decision to unilaterally include as its members some regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia).

“The IOC EB found that such action constituted a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violated the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

The Russian Olympic Committee is asking for the IOC’s decision to be annulled. A panel of arbitrators will be appointed and that panel will determine the procedure for the exchange of written arguments, a hearing and a decision. No timetable was provided.

The Russian Foreign Ministry previewed its appeal with a statement that included:

“[The sanctions] are an example of double standards and destroy the legal non-discrimination regime for the admission of athletes to international competitions. The Committee’s approach cannot be regarded as anything other than segregation based on nationality, and therefore must be reviewed in accordance with the norms of international legal documents in the sports field and the spirit of the international Olympic movement.

“Once again we are forced to remind you that the term ‘Olympic Truce’ is not mentioned in the Olympic Charter. This category is used exclusively in resolutions of the UN General Assembly, is addressed to subjects of international law, UN member states, and cannot be used as a pretext for discrimination against athletes from a particular country by international sports organizations.”

3.
New York Marathon has 51,402 finishers;
Hug finishes majors sweep!

Sunday’s New York City Marathon was historic for multiple reasons, starting with the men’s race record of 2:04:58 by Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola. But there were lots of other special moments to celebrate:

● Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won the men’s Wheelchair division for the third time in a row in 1:25:29, just three seconds off of his own course record. Even more amazing, the four-time Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist, won all six World Marathon Majors races in 2023: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York! He’s the only one to ever do that, and said afterwards:

“It’s really an incredible year with these six wins in the Majors Series. Honestly, I tried not having this in my mind that it could be the sixth win here.

“Now slowly I am realizing what happened and I’m so, so happy for this season and for this race today. In the end, it hurts a little bit to be only 3 seconds from the course record, but I tried everything, so I’m happy.”

● The race was the largest marathon in the world for 2023, with 51,933 starters and 51,402 finishers (98.98%), from 148 countries.

That’s a lot of runners and a lot of finishers, and ranks fourth all-time among NYC finishers. Only 2019 (53,639), 2018 (52,813) and 2016 (51,394) had more.

● Tola, the 2022 World Champion in the marathon, smashed the race record at 2:04:58, and won the $100,000 first prize, plus a bonus of $50,000 for his record performance. He said:

“I am happy to win New York City Marathon for the first time. It’s the third time for me to participate, two times no. four. The course is very difficult. Everything is nice for my training, my body, everything is okay. So I win.”

● Kenya’s Hellen Obiri won the women’s race in 2:27:23, becoming the first women to win both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon since 1989, and won the $100,000 first prize. She won New York in her second try after finishing sixth in 2022 and has won two of her three career marathons. She said afterwards:

“My first debut here was terrible for me, and I say like I don’t want to come back here next year. … Sometimes you learn from your mistakes, so I did a lot of mistakes last year, so I said I want to try to do my best. I was ready.”

Behind her were other remarkable performances. Seventh in 2:29:40 was the two-time World Champion Edna Kiplagat, now 43, who won in New York in 2010, finishing her sixth career New York City Marathon,

In eighth and ninth were Americans Kellyn Taylor (2:29:48) and Molly Huddle (2:32:02), both returning from maternity. Taylor, 37, raced in her first marathon just 10 months after delivering her second child last December (she and her husband have adopted two others as well). Huddle, 39, returned to the marathon after delivering a daughter in April of 2022.

4.
African Games could be rendered irrelevant by new qualifier

In what International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) has called our “aggressively divisive” times, a fight over who owns what could end up creating a new event in Africa, focused on Olympic qualifying.

The Kenyan newspaper, The Nation, reported Sunday on discussions by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) to create an African Olympic qualifier, separate and apart from the African Games:

“The move could see ANOCA parting ways with the African Games that are owned from the [African Union], thus reducing the continental games to a mere festival.

“But as ANOCA told of its challenges, delegates attending the 40th ANOCA Secretaries General Seminar at Sarova Whitesands [in Mombasa, Kenya], took issue with the organisers of the African Games scheduled from March 8 to 23 in Accra, Ghana, for lack of organisation and communication.”

The use of the African Games as an Olympic qualifier was done in 2019 after an 11-year hiatus, but the African Union, African Sports Confederation and ANOCA continue to squabble over television sales, sponsorships and other rights.

ANOCA Secretary Ahmed Hashim (SUD) told the delegates, “Africa must have its own fully fledged Olympic qualifying games that we shall make it marketable to get prime interest from companies and the media. We must know to bring the best of Africa athletes to compete on African soil rather than seek the most difficult qualifying path to the Olympics elsewhere.”

5.
Norway and Switzerland bid for 2028 FIS Games

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced that two bids have been confirmed for the first FIS Games, to be held in 2028:

“St. Moritz/Engadine (SUI) and Lillehammer/Hafjell (NOR) are the two confirmed candidates. …

“The FIS Games will see multiple FIS disciplines being staged during a 16-day period in the same region as a highlight event during the non-Olympic and non-World Championship season. The aim of the FIS Games is to feature the six FIS Olympic disciplines with the additional opportunity to highlight select non-Olympic disciplines such as Telemark, Speed Skiing and Freeride in addition to showcasing Para SnowSports competitions.”

Both regions are legendary winter-sport destinations, with Lillehammer hosting the brilliant Olympic Winter Games in 1994 and the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in addition to multiple World Cup events in various disciplines.

St. Moritz hosted the World Alpine Championships as recently as 2017 and will hold the Freestyle and Snowboard Worlds in 2025, along with multiple World Cups.

An evaluation group will review the initial plans, with a final program due by the end of March in 2024. A recommendation will be made to the FIS Council, which will finalize the selection, to be announced on 4 June 2024.

This is a major new undertaking by FIS, creating a mega-event at the mid-point between Olympic Winter Games, trying to create a major new athletic, fan and broadcast marker that is hoped to be more than the sum of its parts.

A third bid from Slovenia, featuring the facilities at Planica and Kranjska Gora, had been reported, but was not announced by FIS on Monday.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit announced nine more provisional suspensions for doping, including four more Kenyans, from as far back as July, explaining that “Public disclosure of the back-dated suspensions was delayed due to prolonged investigations in those cases.”

Russian Yelena Korobkina, the 2015 European Indoor 3,000 m champ, was found to be doping on the basis of the Moscow Laboratory (“LIMS”) database and information from the McLaren investigations into the Russian state-sponsored doping program from 2011-15. She was banned for four years from 27 September 2023 and her results from 2 July 2013 through 24 July 2016 – including her European Indoor win – are disqualified.

● Football ● Brazil submitted its letter of intent to FIFA for the hosting of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Saturday, including the necessary government guarantees.

The tournament has never been hosted in South America this far, and is one of four bids for the event. A combined bid by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, a combined bid by Mexico and the U.S., and by South Africa are also live.

The decision is expected in May of 2024.

● Tennis ● Poland’s Iga Swiatek, ranked no. 2 worldwide, cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over no. 5-ranked American Jessica Pergula at the weather-delayed WTA Finals in Cancun (MEX). With the victory, Swiatek will regain the world no. 1 ranking through the end of the year with an 11-match winning streak and six wins on tour this season, and has a 6-3 lifetime record against Pergula.

In the Doubles final, German Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva swept aside Nicole Melichar-Martini (USA) and Ellen Perez (AUS), 6-4, 6-4.

● Weightlifting ● Good news for the sport as all of the doping tests for the recent IWF Worlds in Saudi Arabia came back negative. In a sport which has been plagued by doping for decades, 213 athletes from 61 countries were tested, with no positives.

A total of 692 athletes attended the event, with both urine and some blood samples collected. The International Olympic Committee agreed last month to reinstate weightlifting on the program of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: U.S. tops with 286 medals, 124 golds at Pan American Games; Tola, Obiri sensational in New York; Brazilian streamer to show Paris 2024!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Colorful closing of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. (Photo by Andres Pina/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport).

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S. tops the table with 286 medals at Pan American Games
2. Tola gets course record, Obiri sprints to win at NYC Marathon
3. IOC reaches beyond TV to Brazilian streamer CazeTV for 2024
4. IOC says 2026 sliding venue will be outside Italy
5. WTA acknowledges player unrest over Cancun Finals

● The XIX Pan American Games concluded in Santiago, Chile, with the United States leading the medal table at 286 total and 124 golds all together. American entries won 34 golds over the final three days, with the men’s water polo team winning its eighth straight Pan Am title and the women taking their sixth straight; the wins qualified both for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

● Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola shook off his last challenger after 30 km and raced to an impressive course record of 2:04:58 at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri out-dueled her frequent track foe, Ethiopia’s Letsenbet Gidey in the final 300 m to win the women’s race in 2:27:23, with Gidey at 2:27:29 and defending champ Sharon Lokedi of Kenya third in 2:27:33.

● The International Olympic Committee made a strike to go beyond broadcast television for the Paris 2024 Games, approving a deal by the Brazilian rights holder, Grupo Globo, to stream some events on the massively-popular CazeTV on YouTube, featuring online sensation Casimiro. It’s a look into the future.

● The IOC told the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games organizers that the bobsled, luge and skeleton events must be held outside the country for cost and sustainability reasons. After a new track could not be built in Cortina, the idea was floated to renovate the 2006 Turin track, which has been abandoned since 2012. The IOC’s reply: no, and don’t ask again.

● Multiple players criticized the playing conditions at the Women’s Tennis Association final in Cancun (MEX), led by no. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who wrote, “This not the level of organization we expect for the Finals.” WTA chief Steve Simon said in a letter to the players that “It is not a perfect event.”

● Panorama: International Olympic Committee (Paris thieves steal jewels from IOC member) = Athletics (3: Beadlescomb and Rodenfels win USATF 5 km titles; Jamaica’s Levy fails doping test; AIU imposes two sanctions, but Jeruto cleared in hearing) = Badminton (U.S.’s Zhang wins at Hylo Open!) = Curling (Gushue, Gim take Pan Continental titles) = Cycling (Lavreysen, Bibic, Andrews, Archibald lead in Champions League) = Fencing (McDowald suspended by SafeSport) = Figure Skating (Siao Him Fa and Levito get first Grand Prix wins) = Football (3: Hayes to be hired as U.S. women’s coach; UEFA to co-promote Ballon d’Or awards; Iranian club penalized for Soleimani statute in venue) = Short Track (Santos-Griswold sweeps Four Continents for first U.S. golds!) = Table Tennis (Lin and Wang take WTT Champions titles) ●

● Errata: Some readers of Friday’s post saw a reference to former USATF staff member Jim Estes working for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials bid for Charlotte. Nope, it was Chattanooga, with the correction made on the site. Thanks to reader Karen Rosen for the sharp eyes! ●

1.
U.S. tops the table with 286 medals at Pan American Games

The XIX Pan American Games closed in Santiago, Chile on Sunday, with the U.S. once again leading the medal table with 286 in total, including 124 golds, 75 silvers and 87 bronzes.

The 2023 PAG finished with 40 events on Friday, 71 on Saturday and 24 on Sunday and the American squad won 79 medals across those 135 events, including 34 golds:

Friday, 3 November (10):
● Athletics: Isai Rodriguez, men’s 10,000 m
● Fencing: Men’s Team Foil
● Fencing: Women’s Team Sabre
● Karate: Ariel Torres, men’s Kata
● Karate: Sakura Kokumai, women’s Kata
● Sailing: Ian Barrows and Hans Henken, men’s 49er
● Sailing: Daniela Moroz, women’s Kite
● Squash: Timothy Brownell and Olivia Clyne, Mixed Doubles
● Wrestling: Ildar Hafizov, men’s Greco 60 kg
● Wrestling: Kamal Bey, men’s Greco 77 kg

Saturday, 4 November (16):
● Archery: men’s Team Recurve
● Archery: women’s Team Recurve
● Archery: Olivia Dean and Alexis Ruiz, women’s Team Compound
● Athletics: Matt Ludwig, men’s vault
● Athletics: Curtis Thompson, men’s javelin
● Athletics: Rachel McCoy, women’s high jump
● Breaking: Grace “Sunny” Choi, women
● Gymnastics: Jessica Stevens, women’s trampoline
● Gymnastics: Ruben Padilla and Aliaksei Shostak, men’s synchro trampoline
● Gymnastics: Nicole Ahsinger and Jessica Stevens, women’s synchro trampoline
● Rugby Sevens: Women
● Sailing: Erika Reineke, women’s Laser Radial
● Sailing: Mixed Lightning
● Softball: Women
● Water Polo: Men
● Water Polo: Women

Sunday, 5 November (8):
● Archery: Jackson Mirich, men’s Recurve
● Archery: Brady Ellison & Casey Kaufhold, Recurve Mixed Team
● Bowling: A.J. Johnson, men’s Singles
● Cycling: Hannah Roberts, women’s BMX Freestyle
● Karate: Thomas Scott, men’s 75 kg
● Roller: Erin Jackson, women’s 500 m
● Squash: Women’s Team
● Table Tennis: Women’s Team

The U.S. men’s and women’s water polo titles continued long Pan Am winning streaks, with the men taking their eighth gold in a row in a 17-7 win over Brazil in the final, as Hannes Daube and Alexander Bowen each scored five goals. The women blasted Canada, 20-11, in the final for a sixth straight PAG gold, with Rachel Fattal and Jenna Flynn each getting five goals. Both teams are now qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In track & field, the U.S. finished with 25 medals (8-5-12), just ahead of Brazil (23) and Cuba (18). Isai Rodriguez and Sam Chelanga went 1-2 in the men’s 10,000 m in 28:17.84 and 29:01.21; Matt Ludwig won the vault at 5.55 m (18-2 1/2) and Curtis Thompson won his first international medal by winning the javelin at 79.65 m (261-4). Canada’s Ethan Katzberg, the surprise World Champion in the hammer, won at 80.96 m (265-7), followed by Americans Daniel Haugh (77.82 m/255-4) and Rudy Winkler (76.65 m/251-5).

Rachel McCoy won the women’s high jump for the U.S. at 1.87 m (6-1 1/2), but the normally powerful U.S. women did not win a single gold on the track and claimed only four medals in total (0-1-3). The men were shut out in the normally-strong sprints: 100-200-400 m and both relays.

The U.S. dominated the fencing competition, winning eight golds in 12 events and 11 medals overall, but Canada scored 12 medals in all (2-6-4). Nick Itkin (men’s Foil), Lee Kiefer (women’s Foil) and Magda Skarbonkiewicz (women’s Sabre) won two golds each, in the individual and team events.

Brazil won the men’s football tournament, with U-22 players that will be eligible for the Paris 2024 Games, by beating Chile in the final on penalties (4-2) after a 1-1 tie. Mexico won the women’s final, 1-0 over Chile, with the U.S. U-19 squad placing third, beating Argentina by 2-0.

Brazil dominated rhythmic gymnastics, winning all eight events, with Barbara Domingos winning the All-Around, Ball and Ribbon, and Maria Alexandre taking the Clubs and Hoop golds. America Evita Griskenas won the All-Around silver and a bronze in all four apparatus finals.

In the overall medal table, the U.S.’s 286 was followed by an impressive 205 – an all-time record – for Brazil (66-73-66), then Canada with 164 (46-55-63), Mexico with 142 (52-38-52), and Colombia at 101 (29-38-34), its first time over the 100 mark.

Despite the 2023 Games being held in the very late fall, the U.S. had an excellent showing by historical standards. Discounting the 1959 and 1987 Pan Ams held in the U.S., the 2023 output compares favorably:

● 425 in 1995 (Mar de Plata/ARG)
● 352 in 1991 (Havana/CUB)
● 304 in 1999 (Winnipeg/CAN)
● 302 in 1983 (Caracas/VEN)
● 293 in 2019 (Lima/PER)
● 286 in 2023 (Santiago/CHI)

That’s no. 6 all-time for Pan Ams outside the U.S. and well ahead of the medal totals in 2003-07-11-15. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee reported that 403 out of the 631 members of the U.S. team won at least one medal and 96 won multiple medals. By team, the swimmers led with 48 total medals, followed by track & field (25), gymnastics (23) and shooting (18).

The 2027 Pan American Games are scheduled to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia, but in the summer from 2-15 July.

2.
Tola gets course record, Obiri sprints to win at NYC Marathon

Very impressive racing by two of the favorites turned into noteworthy victories for Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola and Kenyan Hellen Obiri at the 2023 New York City Marathon on Sunday morning.

The men’s race saw 18 running in the lead pack at the 10 km mark, but only five by the half, with Tola leading at 62:45 next to countryman Jemal Yimer, the 2018 African 10,000 m champ. By the 25 km mark, the race had broken up, with Tola and Yimer and 2021 New York winner Albert Korir (KEN) together, with a nine-second lead on the field.

Then came the race-breaker, a sensational 4:28 17th mile (27.4 km mark) that narrowed the race to Tola and Yimer and put Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:05:06 course record from 2011 in jeopardy.

Tola, 32, was only added to the field on 13 October, despite being the 2022 World Champion, with two good finishes in New York, in fourth in 2018 and 2019. He ran away from Yimer after 30 km and had a 33-second lead by the 35 km mark. From there, it was a question of time and Tola was steady, running a 15:17 from 35-40 km and finishing in a race record of 2:04:58 for a 4:36 per mile average.

Yimer faded badly to ninth and Korir moved back up to finish second in 2:06:57, followed by last year’s runner-up, Shura Kitata (ETH: 2:07:11), Abdi Nageeye (NED: 2:10:21) and Belgian Koen Naert (2:10:25).

Futsum Zienasellassie was the top American in 10th (2:12:09), followed by Elkanah Kibet in 11th (2:12:23).

Tola has now run 17 career marathons and won his fourth, and made the podium eight times. He has been getting better and better: in his last seven races, he’s won three times with two thirds.

The women’s race was much more competitive, with 11 women in the lead pack by the half, and eight running together by the 35 km mark and five by 40 km. Then, defending champ Sharon Lokedi (KEN) made a push into the lead, followed closely by Obiri and Ethiopia’s Letsenbet Gidey, the 2022 World 10,000 m champ.

Obiri and Gidey, old rivals on the track at 5,000 m and 10,000 m, dropped Lokedi as the race moved into Central Park and the two track stars battled it out, with Obiri’s final sprint in the last 300 m the best, to win in 2:27:23 (5:38 per mile), with Gidey at 2:27:29 and Lokedi third in 2:27:33.

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, the former world-record holder was fourth (2:27:45) and Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) was fifth in 2:27:53. The top Americans included Kellyn Taylor, 37, eighth in 2:29:48 and Molly Huddle, 39, in ninth at 2:32:02.

Obiri’s move to the roads is just spectacular, as she was sixth in New York in 2022, won Boston in April and now New York in November, finishing with a 4:52 mile! Obiri became the first to win the Boston-New York double since Norwegian star Ingrid Kristiansen in 1989, and won eight of her nine races this year, all but one on the roads.

3.
IOC reaches beyond TV to Brazilian streamer CazeTV for 2024

The International Olympic Committee has a long-term broadcast partner in Brazil in Grupo Globo, which has held exclusive rights from 2018, and now through the 2032 Olympic Games in a deal announced in 2015.

But SportBusiness reported last week indicate that the IOC is looking beyond broadcast as President Thomas Bach (GER) insists that the Olympic Games must be brought to the people, wherever they are:

“The channel of Brazilian influencer Casimiro, a joint venture with LiveMode, will stream 500 hours of live action from next year’s Olympics. The agreement supplements existing linear free-to-air, pay-television and digital coverage on Globo.”

CazeTV, by Casimiro Miguel, is a sensation in Brazil, and the agreement was developed in conjunction with the LiveMode Agency, which has brought CazeTV together with the 2022 FIFA World Cup – showing 22 games – and reaching an audience of 3.8 million on his YouTube Channel for the Brazil-Serbia group-stage match last November.

The CazeTV channel has also shown matches from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2023 World Judo Championships, among other events.

What is this about? Hunting for a specific, younger audience. Edgar Diniz of LiveMode explained the thinking behind the tie-up with CazeTV for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, primarily as a way to find added visibility in Brazil for the event. But there was no rights fee involved, as the World Cup rights already belonged to Globo (computer translation from the original Portuguese):

“There were people who even liked football less and who were there watching in a different way. Trying to compete with Globo in its game is practically impossible, so we offer a different, humorous alternative, with those people, almost watching the game with friends. We thought it was a complementary alternative. And looking at the audiences we see that it is a complement, obviously with incomparable numbers, the size of the Globo audience with the Casimiro audience, but it increases and provides a cool, fun alternative, which has no ambition, neither today nor tomorrow, to compete with Globo in any respect.”

Diniz explained the model with CazeTV going forward:

“The vocation of CazéTV and the LiveMode project do not include entering into disputes over rights. This is an important point. We think that CazéTV is a distribution and monetization solution, which we present to clients whoever makes sense at that moment. I’ll give an example.

“We just closed an agreement with the COB [Brazilian Olympic Committee] for competitions that do not have access to distribution, and we are going to work to bring a good audience to sports, which today have difficulty connecting with young people, and monetize through sponsors. In some cases, we pay a fixed amount for the rights. In many cases, we use a revenue sharing model. Go to the market, share the revenue, possibly with a minimum guarantee, because we are confident that we will monetize.” (Emphasis added)

And Diniz made a prediction for the future about television rights and mega-events, which could very well be part of American television broadcasts of the Olympic Games in the future (meaning beyond 2032):

“I can’t see a model with one player buying everything, because it’s difficult to make economic sense, and I think that whoever will lead this process, the way it will be sold, will always be looking to maximize value. The tendency is to have this combination of two or three players sharing the products, and an accommodation will be sought to solve the fan’s life [to find what is being shown where].”

4.
IOC says 2026 sliding venue will be outside Italy

Amid internal Italian political pressures to fund a renovation of the Cesana Pariol sliding track used for the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games instead of using a venue outside of the country, the International Olympic Committee has decided the issue.

The Associated Press reported a statement from the IOC that included:

● “The IOC has been very clear over the last years that no permanent venue should be built if there is not a clear and viable legacy plan.”

● “The IOC has also already clarified that it believes that the current number of sliding centers is sufficient for the current number of athletes and competitions.”

The statement further noted that the Cesana track was abandoned just six years after the Turin 2006 Winter Games and that given the limited time remaining, “only existing and already operating tracks must be considered.”

Milan Cortina 2026’s bid foresaw a new track to replace the historic Eugenio Monti track used for the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The IOC was against from the beginning, but the concept was insisted on by the Veneto region. However, projected costs ballooned to as much as €124 million (€1 = $1.07 U.S.), and with a budget of about €83.8 million, no construction company bid on the project.

The obvious choices for the 2026 Winter Games would be the existing tracks in Austria (Igls) or Switzerland (St. Moritz), but Italian politicians argued that spending money outside the country for the Games was wrong and that the Turin track could be used. However, the cost of getting that facility working again is estimated by the Piedmont Region at €33.8 million, with no plan for future use beyond 2026.

Milan Cortina 2026 chair Giovanni Milago (ITA) told the IOC Session in India last month that the government and the organizing committee had agreed that the sliding track venue would be outside of Italy, and the IOC is holding them to it.

5.
WTA acknowledges player unrest over Cancun Finals

Staging high-profile events is not easy, as the Women’s Tennis Association found out this past week at the WTA Finals in Cancun (MEX).

The tournament site was only agreed to a couple of months before the tournament, after discussions about putting it in Saudi Arabia were never completed. The temporary court at the Estadio Paradisus, installed on a golf course, was only completed a few days prior to the start of the tournament. Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s no. 1-ranked player, reflected on Instagram what several other players have said, after a first-round win:

“I have to say though that I am very disappointed with the WTA and the experience so far at the WTA Finals. As I said in my press conference tonight, as a player I really feel disrespected by the WTA. I think most of us do. This is not the level of organization we expect for the Finals.

“To be honest, I don’t feel safe moving on this court a lot of the time, the bounce is not consistent at all, and we weren’t able to practice on this court until yesterday for the first time. It’s just not acceptable to me with so much on the line and so much at stake.”

At her pre-tournament interview, she also explained:

“Well, I’m not happy that we couldn’t practice on the match court, meaning like on the stadium. I think this is not the level for the WTA Finals. We literally have one hour today, like 45 minutes, to try the stadium. This is something what I’m not happy with. I’m pretty sure the rest of the players also not happy.”

Sabalenka also expressed some sympathy with the local organizers in her Instagram post:

“I definitely want to show my appreciation for the local tournament organizers, everyone that built the court at the last minute, and everyone that’s working here at the event. I know it’s not their fault and I want them to know, as well as all the Mexican fans, that I love them and appreciate them. I’m very happy to be in Mexico, I’m just upset with the WTA and this situation.”

The WTA initially defended the set-up as meeting its performance standards, but a letter to the players from WTA chief executive Steve Simon to the players was leaked last week and included:

“First and foremost, it is clear that you are not happy with the decision to be here in Cancun. I understand that and you have been heard. As I have reflected to you, this is not where we expected to be and the decision for this location was based on a number of complicated factors.

“It is not a perfect event, we understand the conditions are a challenge and the WTA will of course accept responsibility for that. I am appreciative that you have reflected in the media your recognition of the significant support from Cancun and all of the people that are working so hard to put on this event.”

Simon also referenced a long list of other issues the players have raised about Tour conditions, scheduling and player support, promising to work with them.

The weather has also been uncooperative, with the Sabalenka vs. second-ranked Iga Swiatek (POL) semifinal rained out, as well as the double semifinals, meaning the tournament will have to be concluded – barring other weather issues – on Monday.

American Jessica Pergula won her Singles semi against countrywoman Coco Gauff, 6-2, 6-1, on Saturday. Swiatek finished off her 6-3, 6-2 win over Sabalenka on Sunday and will face Pergula on Monday for the championship. The Doubles final will have Nicole Melichar-Martini (USA) and Ellen Perez (AUS), facing Sunday semifinal winners German Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva (RUS), in Monday’s final.

Nothing is easy, or as the locals in Cancun put it, nada es facil.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● Agence France Presse reported Friday:

“French police have arrested three men for robbing the head of the Mongolian Olympic delegation during a visit to Paris, making off with a bag containing almost 600,000 euros worth of jewels in a drive-by heist.”

The Mongolian official was not named, but the story added:

“France is preparing to host the Summer Olympics in 2024 and the member of the International Olympic Committee arrived in Paris to attend a security committee meeting ahead of the Games.”

Mongolia has only one active IOC member, Battushig Batbold, 37, elected in 2020, who is the chair of multiple large companies in the country, including in telecommunications. He and his wife suffered a smash-and-grab robbery in the Landy Tunnel in Paris, with the loss of €570,000 in property (about $612,000 U.S.).

While three suspects have been arrested, the jewelry has not yet been recovered.

● Athletics ● Held a day before the New York City Marathon, the USATF 5 km Championships was also held in New York. The men’s race almost blew up early, with the runners moving west on 42nd Street and a bus continuing into the intersection and stopping just a few feet away!

Once past that, the race finally broke up in Central Park with about 1,500 m to go with four men in the lead and then Morgan Beadlescomb and Ahmed Muhumed raced ahead in the final 400 m, with Beadlescomb – 13th at the U.S. nationals 5,000 m in July – winning his first national title (and $12,000) in 13:44. Muhumed held off late charges by Tai Dinger and Daniel Schaffer to maintain second, with all three timed in 13:47.

Two-time defending champion Weini Kelati went to the front right away in the women’s race, and she, former American marathon record holder Keira D’Amato and Annie Rodenfels, 12th at the U.S. nationals 5,000 m in Eugene this year.

Inside of the final mile, in Central Park, Rodenfels pushed away from the others to win in 15:22. Behind her, Rachel Smith and Bethany Hasz moved up on D’Amato and Kelati and Smith claimed second in 15:26, with Hasz in 15:27, with D’Amato fourth in 15:28 and Kelati sixth in 15:30. It was also the first-ever national title for Rodenfels.

Jamaican hurdler Ronald Levy, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist in the men’s 110 m hurdles, was notified that he failed a doping test in October. He is waiting for the results of the B-sample test and wrote on Instagram, “I intend to defend my integrity during this process because I am certain I did not knowingly breach the rules.”

The Athletics Integrity Unit posted more doping sanctions. The first is against Kenyan Michael Kunyuga, 36, a 2:06:43 marathoner from 2020, for the use of the steroid Norandrosterone at the Riga Marathon in May 2022, with an eight-year ban from 1 August 2022 for usage and failing to cooperate with the inquiry.

Ethiopia’s Zerfe Wondemagegn, 21, the Worlds fourth-placer in the men’s Steeplechase this year, has been provisionally suspended for the use of the prohibited hormone Erythropoietin (EPO)

The AIU’s ban on 2022 women’s Steeple World Champion Norah Jeruto (KAZ) was overturned by a hearing panel. Her case revolved around abnormalities with readings in comparison to her Athlete Biological Passport in 2020 and 2021. The AIU alleged EPO usage and provisionally suspended her, but the hearing panel found that her readings could have been caused by Covid-19 issues and the poor treatment she received in Kenya. The AIU has not announced whether it will appeal the decision.

● Badminton ● A big win for American Beiwen Zhang at the BWF World Tour Hylo Open, in Saarbrucken (GER).

Second-seed Zhang defeated Dane Line Kjaersfeldt in the women’s Singles final, 21-18, 16-21, 21-16, for her third career BWF World Tour title and second this year. It was the fourth World Tour final that Zhang has made this season – her best ever – and second victory, after the Australian Open in August.

This has been a good two weeks for Zhang, as she also won the Pan American Games title in Santiago on 25 October, then got on a plane to Saarbrucken!

China scored two wins in Doubles, with Yu Chen Liu and Xuan Yi Ou defeating Yang Lee and Chi-Lin Wang (TPE), 24-22, 21-13, and Shu Xian Zhang and Yu Zheng winning over second-seeds Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Ramadhanti (INA), when the Indonesians had to retire due to injury after winning the first set, 21-18.

Top-seeded Tien Chen Chou (TPE) won the men’s Singles by 21-23, 21-17, 21-10 over Cheuk Yiu Lee (HKG), but Hong Kong got a win in the Mixed Doubles as Chun Man Tang and Ying Suet Tse came from behind to win over Rehan Kusharjanto and Lisa Lusumawati (INA), 15-21, 21-15, 21-14.

● Curling ● Re-matches were key to the second World Curling Pan Continental Championships, held in Kelowna, British Columbia (CAN), with all four medal matches between the same countries as in 2022!

The men’s gold-medal final was again 2006 Olympic champ Brad Gushue’s Canadian squad facing South Korea, after winning, 11-3 in 2022. Korea fielded an all-new team, skipped by Jong-duk Park, and had a 2-1 lead after four ends. But Gushue’s squad scored one in the fifth and two each in the sixth and seventh to take a 6-2 lead and after a single point for Park in the eight, scored two more in the ninth and won, 8-3. Gushue was the only 2022 winner to also win in their 2023 re-runs.

The men’s third-place re-match from 2022 had U.S. squad of Andrew Stopera, Korey Dropkin, Mark Fenner and Thomas Howell facing Japan and skip Riku Yanagisawa. Last year’s bronze match was an 8-7 win for the U.S., but Yanagisawa got out in front quickly this time with two points reach in the first two ends.

The U.S. closed to 4-3 after four ends, but Japan got two more points in the fifth and seventh for an 8-4 lead and cruised in with a 9-6 win and the bronze medal.

The women’s championship re-match saw Olympic silver winners Japan (Satsuki Fujiwara) and South Korea (Eun-ji Gim this time), with Fujiwara’s rink winning last year. This match went back and forth, with Korea up 2-0 after one end, then tied, then up by 4-2 after three and down, 5-4, after four. But then Gim’s squad turned up the pressure, scoring two in the fifth, three in the seventh and single points in the eighth and ninth and cruised to an 11-6 victory and the championship.

The women’s bronze-medal re-match was between Canada’s Kerri Einarson, a two-time Worlds bronze medalist, and American Tabitha Peterson, with Cory Thiesse, sister Tara Peterson and Becca Hamilton. The Americans scored first, with two points in the opening end, but the match was tied at the end of three. The U.S. got two out of the fourth and fifth, but Canada tied it in the sixth at 4-4. Two points in the eighth put the U.S. up, 6-4, but Einarson stole three points in the ninth for a 7-6 lead. Tabitha Peterson managed a point in the 10th to go to an extra end, and with the final shot, nudged the Canadian stone enough to score the decisive point for an 8-7 win and the bronze medal. Einarson had won, 7-5, last year.

● Cycling ● No changes at the top of the leaderboard after the third stage of the UCI Track Champions League, this time in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FRA), but – flash – Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen lost a race!

The Tokyo 2020 Sprint gold medalist, Lavreysen had won the Sprint and Keirin races in the Sprint group in each of the first two legs, but this time could not solve 2022 Worlds Sprint runner-up Matthew Richardson of Australia, who won the final in 9.775, with Lavreysen just 0.040 seconds behind.

But Lavreysen rebounded to win the Keirin with a final lap of 9.720, ahead of Pole Mateusz Rudyk (+0.10) and Richardson (+0.15) and now has a 117-93-83 series lead over Richardson and Rudyk with two stages remaining.

In the men’s Endurance division, Canada’s Dylan Bibic – the 2022 Worlds Scratch winner – was unstoppable, taking the Scratch and Elimination races for his fourth win in six League races so far. He beat Canadian teammate Mathias Guillemette and Belgian Tuur Dans in the Scratch, and Jules Hester (BEL) and Sebastian Mora (ESP) in the Elimination. Bibic’s series lead is now 96-70 over Hesters, with Japan’s Eiya Hashimoto third (69).

The women’s Sprint leader, New Zealand’s 2023 Worlds Keirin champ, Ellesse Andrews, won the Sprint from Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell in 11.109 (Mitchell +0.71), but German Alessa Catriona-Propster won the Keirin this time in 10.855, with Nicky Degrendele (BEL) second (+0.169) and Andrews third (+0.362).

However, on the strength of winning four races out of six thus far, Andrews maintains a 105-96 edge on Catriona-Propster, with Emma Finucane (GBR: 63) a distant third.

Endurance leader Katie Archibald (GBR), the two-time Omnium world champ, was third in the Scratch this time, but won the Elimination race for the third straight time, beating Anita Stenberg (NOR) in Saint-Quentin to hold on to a 102-90 lead in the overall standings. Canada’s Sarah van Dam won the Scratch race, ahead of teammate Maggie Coles-Lyster; Coles-Lyster is third in the overall standings at 82 points, one ahead of American Lily Williams.

The League will conclude for 2023 with two race days in London (GBR) next week.

● Fencing ● The U.S. Center for SafeSport has suspended Pan American Games gold medalist Curtis McDowald, amid unspecified allegations of misconduct.

The suspension began on Friday, a day after McDowald was a key contributor to the U.S.’s win in the men’s Team Epee competition at the 2023 Pan American Games. According to USA Fencing:

“Once we became aware of the allegations, we immediately informed the U.S. Center for SafeSport, who exercised their ability to take jurisdictional control of the case and upheld our temporary measures.

“We take the safety and integrity of our sport seriously and will cooperate fully with the inquiry while maintaining the confidentiality of the involved parties. We also encourage anyone who has been harmed in sport to come forward, and we will support them to the fullest extent of our abilities.”

McDowald has been disciplined before, including for an angry reaction and a red card at the Pan American Championships during the summer.

● Figure Skating ● The third of seven stages of the ISU Grand Prix, the Grand Prix de France in Angers saw a first title for American Isabeau Levito and a silver medal for men’s star Ilia Malinin.

Levito, still just 16 and the 2023 U.S. champion, dominated the Short Program, scoring 71.83 to forge a five-point lead on Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) and Hae-in Lee of Korea (66.30). She needed that edge as she had a stumble and finished third in the Free Skate (131.39), behind Japan’s Rion Sumiyoshi (136.04) and Belgian Nina Pinzarrone (133.06). Added together, Levito scored 203.22 to edge Pinzarrone (198.80) and Sumiyoshi (197.76) with Lee fourth (190.96). Said Levito:

“I guess we’ll call this screwing up the second half of my spin a dramatic finish. I’m just glad that I did the first half very nicely. I’m glad I got through this, and I will definitely be working on this a lot more once I get back to training.”

The men’s competition was a showdown between Skate America winner Malinin (18) of the U.S. and France’s home favorite, European Champion Adam Siao Him Fa. Malinin led the Short Program at 101.58, with Siao Him Fa right behind at 101.07. Then the Frenchman won the Free Skate, 201.71 to 203.10 to take the win by 306.78 to 304.68, with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama third (273.14) and American Cam Pulkinen fifth (230.84).

The Canadian pair of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud won their first ISU Grand Prix gold in the Pairs, scoring 194.67 and winning both the Short Program and Free Skate over Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (189.46). Americans Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez finished fourth (168.20) and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea withdrew after the Short Program due to an injury.

Worlds silver medalists Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA) were clear winners in the Ice Dance, taking both segments and scoring 214.54 for their third career Grand Prix win, comfortably ahead of Canada’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen (205.15). Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished fourth (186.70) and Lorraine McNamara and Anton Spiridonov were ninth (164.25).

The show continues next week in Chongqing (CHN) with the Cup of China and then back to Europe for the Grand Prix of Espoo in Finland.

● Football ● Multiple reports confirmed that the U.S. Soccer Federation will hire Emma Hayes (GBR), the manager of the Chelsea women’s team, as its next head coach of the Women’s National Team.

Hayes, 47, managed the Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer from 2008-10, was fired, after a 6-6-14 (W-L-T) record, then moved on to Chelsea in August 2012 and has compiled a 236-58-39 record, winning the Women’s F.A. Cup five times and the F.A. Women’s Super League six times. She was named as the FIFA “Best Football Coach” in 2021.

UEFA and France’s Groupe Amaury, owner of the all-sports newspaper L’Equipe, announced a co-promotion of the famed Ballon d’Or awards program beginning in 2024.

France Football, also owned by Groupe Amaury, originated the Ballon d’Or in 1956 and it has been the most prestigious football awards program worldwide. According to the announcement:

“Groupe Amaury remains the owner of the Ballon d’Or® brand and will continue to oversee the voting system, which will remain unchanged and independent. UEFA will contribute its football expertise, market the global commercial rights and organise the annual awards gala.”

New awards will be added for men’s and women’s coach of the year.

Another provocative political statement at a sporting event caused the cancellation of an Asian Football Confederation Champions League match between Saudi club Al-Ittihad and Iranian host club Sepahan on 2 October.

A statute of the Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, killed in 2020 by a U.S. drone strike, was displayed at the Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium in Isfahan, angering the Saudis, who consider Soleimani to have been a terrorist leader on behalf of the Iranian government.

The Saudis refused to take the field with the statute standing and the home team refused a referee’s directive to remove it. The AFC directed that the game be forfeited by Sepahan by a 3-0 score and fined the club $200,000, banned from playing any of its next three matches there and was instructed “to remove the relevant statue and banners” for all future AFC matches.

The club said it would appeal.

● Short Track ● After two legs of the ISU World Cup circuit in Montreal (CAN), action shifted to Laval in Quebec for the ISU Four Continents Championships, an event for the rest of the world outside of the European Championships. And American star Kristen Santos-Griswold was happy to keep skating in Canada.

After winning four individual medals (1-1-2) on the first two stops, she expanded her medal collection with a sensational performance, sweeping the three individual events, the first-ever individual wins for the U.S. at the Four Continents!

Her first gold came in the 1,500 m, winning in 2:26.191 over Canada’s seven-time Worlds medal winner Courtney Sauralt (2:26.657). Then she won the 500 m, in 42.760, ahead of Korean Jiwon Park (44.192), with American Julie Letai in position for the bronze, but was disqualified.

On Sunday, Santos-Griswold completed her sweep with a 1:28.706 to 1:29.208 win over Sauralt for three golds in three races.

Santos-Griswold won a fourth medal – silver – in the Mixed Relay, with Andrew Heo, Marcus Howard and Letai in 2:40.243, behind Canada’s 2:39.752. The U.S. star said a mental adjustment has helped her:

“I’m trying not to be so hard on myself sometimes, which is something I did in the past, and that I think is helping. I’m just doing one race at a time, one thing at a time, and that gets me out of my head. I feel pretty strong, and during the races I’m just staying calm throughout.

“When we practice, sometimes I used to think ‘tomorrow we have a hard practice, so today I need to be not that tired.’ I’ve tried to stop that. Now, I just give it my all.”

Canada won two of the three men’s individual events, with three-time Olympic medal winner Steven Dubois winning the 500 m in 40.149, ahead of teammate Jordan Pierre-Giles (40.183) and Heo of the U.S. (40.299). William Dandjinou took the 1,000 m in 1:28.338, ahead of Korea’s 2023 World Champion Ji-won Park (1:28.664), with Dubois disqualified.

Park won the 1,500 m – where he is also the reigning World Champion – in 2:33.158, with Dubois second in 2:33.228.

● Table Tennis ● The third WTT Champions tournament of 2023 was in Frankfurt (GER), with Taiwan’s Yun-ju Lin creating upset after upset to win an unexpected men’s title.

Best known as a doubles star, with a Tokyo Olympic bronze medal, Lin, 22, sawed his way through two prior WTT Champions winners in the quarters and semis, defeating Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto (WTT Champions Europe 2021) by 3-1, and then China’s Chuqin Wang, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, by 4-2. In the final, he faced China’s 2016-20 Olympic champ, Long Ma, and won by 4-1 (7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 12-10, 12-10).

It was the first win by a Taiwanese player in the five WTT Champions tournaments held so far. Pretty impressive!

In the all-China women’s final, Yidi Wang, the 2021 Worlds bronze winner, swept aside 2021 World Champion Manyu Wang, 4-0 (11-3, 13-11, 12-10, 13-11), after disposing of Tokyo Olympic silver winner Yingsha Sun, 4-2, in her semifinal.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: U.S. cruises past 200 Pan Am medals; U.S. marathon trials race directors blame USATF; Kremlin blasts IOC for “double standard” on Israel

By
Rich Perelman
-
Erin Marsh (left) and Jordan Gray of the U.S. celebrate a 1-3 finish in the women's heptathlon at the Pan American Games in Santiago. (Photo by Alejandro Pagni/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Six U.S. golds Thursday, now 207 medals at Pan American Games
2. Orlando marathon trials operators decry “misinformation”
3. Kremlin blasts IOC for double standard on Israel!
4. Famed coach says Russia must retain 2022 Beijing Team gold
5. World champ Tola, Olympic winner Jepchirchir lead NYC Marathon

● The United States team passed the 200-medal mark at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, winning six golds on Thursday, including two more in fencing and in track & field, and one each in bowling and wrestling. The Games will wrap up on Sunday.

● The race directors of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, released a lengthy reply to the USA Track & Field Athletes Advisory Committee’s letter, saying it was USATF which insisted on the noon start time and then changed its mind without telling them. They suggest an 8 a.m. start time could be possible, if everyone agrees, including on revised financial terms.

● Russia’s Foreign Ministry harshly criticized the International Olympic Committee for a “double standard” against – for invading Ukraine – vis-a-vis Israel, which was attacked by Hamas, the elected government of Gaza. This is all for internal consumption, of course, as the Russian government seeks to mollify its internal audiences for the sanctions against it.

● Famed Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze said in an interview that Russia should retain its gold medal in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games figure skating Team Event because even if Kamila Valieva had not skated, one of the other Russian women skaters would have performed and won anyway. Tutberidze also said that Valieva had a clean doping test at the European Championships and that should have been enough.

● The New York City Marathon comes on Sunday, with 2022 World Champion Tamirat Tola heading the men’s field and an excellent women’s line-up, with former world-record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, Tokyo Olympic champ Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, Ethiopia’s Letsenbet Gidey and others.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (INTERPOL in agreement with France on security) = European Games 2023 (no positives in 1,286 tests in ITA) = Basketball (iconic men’s coach Bob Knight passes at 83) = Boxing (2: Seignolle explains why she wants to be World Boxing chief; IBA vs. IOC hearing coming on 16 November) = Curling (2: Japan to face Korea in Pan Continental Championships women’s final; Gushue upset at the conditions) = Hockey (FIH creates new, almost-worldwide viewing app and site to expand audience) = Rowing (athletes of the year candidates revealed) = Sailing (want to host the ‘26 World Sailing Championships?) = Skiing (three in running for new, 2028 FIS Games) = Water Polo (European Champs moved from Israel) ●

1.
Six U.S. golds Thursday, now 207 medals at Pan American Games

The United States team cruised past the 200-medal mark at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, taking gold medals in six more events, including two more in fencing:

● Athletics: Bridget Williams, women’s vault
● Athletics: Erin Marsh, women’s heptathlon
● Bowling: Bryanna Cote and Shannon O’Keefe, women’s Doubles
● Fencing: men’s Team Epee
● Fencing: women’s Team Foil
● Wrestling: Forrest Molinari, women’s Freestyle 68 kg

The American fencing squad has now won six golds out of eight events held, with Curtis McDowald, Samuel Imrek and Samuel Larson winning the men’s Team Epee final over Canada, 42-41, with McDowald coming from behind and winning the final bout by 10-7 over Nicholas Zhang to clinch the title.

The women’s Foil squad of Pan Am gold winner Lee Kiefer, Jacqueline Dubrovich and and Zander Rhodes also defeated Canada in the final, but by a more comfortable 44-33.

In track & field, Williams took the women’s vault at 4.60 m(15-1), ahead of Robeilys Peinado of Venezuela (4.55 m/14-11) and Marsh was a big winner in the heptathlon, scoring 5,882 points with Alysbeth Felix (PUR: 5,665) second and American Jordan Gray (5,494) third.

The U.S. was shut out in the men’s and women’s 200 m, with Renan Correa of Brazil winning the men’s race in 20.37 (wind: +0.4 m/s), and Dominican star Marileidy Paulino winning the women’s gold in 22.74 (0.0). There were no U.S. finalists.

The Americans also failed to win a medal in either 4×100 m relay, failing to finish in the men’s race as Brazil won over Cuba, 38.68 to 39.26, and dropping the baton and finishing seventh in the women’s final in 1:01.30. Cuba won in 43.72, with Chile second in 44.19.

The U.S. did better in the men’s 1,500 m, with Casey Comber grabbing bronze in 3:39.90. Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, the 5,000 m silver winner, won in 3:39.74. Kasey Knevelbaard, the 5,000 m winner, finished fifth in 3:40.31. The women’s 5,000 m was a win for Joselyn Brea (VEN: 16:04.12), with Taylor Weber of the U.S. second (16:06.48) and Emily Infeld fourth (16:09.53).

On the infield, Cuba went 1-2 in the women’s triple jump, with Leyanis Perez winning at 14.75 m (48-4 3/4) and Liadagmis Povea taking silver at 14.41 m (47-3 1/2); Mylana Hearn of the U.S. was fifth at 13.32 m (43-8 1/2) and Euphenie Andre was eighth (12.14 m/39-10).

Canada’s Sarah Mitton, the Worlds silver medalist, won the women’s shot at 19.19 m (62-11 1/2), with American Adelaide Aquilla taking bronze (17.73 m/58-2).

The U.S. medal march in wrestling continued, with Molinari, the 2021 Worlds bronze medalist, squeezing by Soleymi Caraballo of Venezuela, 3-2, in the women’s 68 kg final. The men won a silver from Nashon Garrett at 65 kg, losing to Cuba’s two-time Worlds bronze winner Alejandro Valdes, 9-0, in the final. Cuban Yurieski Torreblanca defended his title from Lima in 2019 with a 3-1 win over Mark Hall of the U.S. in the 86 kg final.

In the Rhythmic Gymnastics All-Around that concluded on Wednesday, American Evita Griskenas finished second and qualified for Paris 2024, scoring 127.400 to 129.550 for Brazil’s Barbara Domingos. Lili Mizuno of the U.S. was fifth (121.850).

Overall, the U.S. now has 207 medals (90-55-62), ahead of Brazil (145: 46-53-46), Canada (126: 37-39-50) and Mexico (101: 37-24-40). The American team finished with 293 medals in Lima in 2019 and does not appear ready to approach that total.

The Pan Ams continue through Sunday, with 40 finals on Friday, 71 (!) on Saturday and 24 on Sunday to complete the 425-event program. The event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

2.
Orlando marathon trials operators decry “misinformation”

In the wake of the stern letter sent by the USATF Athletes Advisory Committee to the Greater Orlando Sports Commission on Tuesday (31st), decrying the noon start time of next February’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, a reply came back from Track Shack Events, the Orlando race organizers.

Posted by Sarah Lorge Butler of Runner’s World, the tone from company owners Jon and Betsy Hughes is conciliatory:

● “The circulating narrative regarding the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon is filled with misinformation. … We are sharing the following information with you because we have prioritized the athlete experience and safety from day one and you deserve to know the entire truth.”

● “The Orlando Local Organizing Committee (‘LOC’), a partnership between the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, Track Shack, the City of Orlando, and Orange County, was open to moving the start time of the event. That said, USA Track & Field (USATF) made it clear on multiple occasions that changing the Noon start time was ‘non-negotiable.’”

● “In September, we were blindsided by the suggestion that USATF was considering a new start time. Without our knowledge, USATF’s ‘non-negotiable’ Noon start time was suddenly being negotiated by USATF. Unfortunately, we were not looped into any of these discussions until October 13, ten weeks after our August 1st press conference. The lack of cooperative communication and transparency has forced the LOC to cancel attendance and hospitality agreements, which crippled sponsorship and ticket sales due to a lack of clarity on what we can offer to our local stakeholders.”

The message notes that the local organizers are not requesting a reduction in prize money or athlete travel assistance, but:

“Our only request is for USATF and USOPC to come to the table to negotiate the massive loss of revenue that a new start time and tape delayed broadcast create. … Their response has been to circulate a one-sided narrative while ignoring our concerns.”

The Hughes’s note states that “we have proposed an 8:00am start time,” and asks to meet with the governing bodies in the next week or so to iron out the details.

Observed: The Athletes Advisory Committee letter blames the Greater Orlando Sports Commission for intransigence on the noon start time. The Track Shack letter blames USATF. In the meantime, the USOPC is in Santiago for the Pan American Games that end Sunday, and the Para Pan American Games to take place from 17-26 November.

So, getting everyone together isn’t going to be easy to arrange. As usual, it appears the issues are about money. And at the same time, a defamation lawsuit against USATF by former staff member Jim Estes, who was helping the unsuccessful Chattanooga bid for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, is continuing.

And there are 113 days to go. Can’t everybody get along?

3.
Kremlin blasts IOC for double standard on Israel!

The Russian Foreign Ministry lashed out at the International Olympic Committee on Thursday, decrying what it sees as a “double standard” between its treatment and the IOC’s Wednesday comment that no action should be taken against Israeli athletes or teams in the wake of the country’s response to the 7 October attacks by Hamas, the elected governmental authority of Gaza.

Said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

“We demand from the International Olympic Committee a clear and unequivocal rejection of the double standards practice, the strict application of equal treatment of all athletes without any exceptions and without discrimination on any grounds whatsoever.

“We strongly insist on the full reinstatement of all Russian and Belarusian athletes, who have suffered from the [International Olympic] Committee’s targeted politicization of the sports agenda.”

And Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an television interview:

“Not only have I seen and read this [IOC] statement, we have already reacted, our ministry. This is, of course, outrageous. Once again we see an example of the bias and ineptitude of the International Olympic Committee, which time and again proves its political bent.

“It actively supports everything that meets the interests of Western countries, primarily the United States, and tries to find wordings that generally props up this policy.

“[The IOC is] trying in every possible way to palm off the actions against Russia and Belarus as restrictions that do not violate the Olympic Charter. It’s a shame.

“Of course, the Olympic Committee has discredited itself greatly. And I think it’s not for nothing that at the initiative of President [Vladimir Putin], we will organize a host of sporting events that will be truly international, universal and show respect for those principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter, which the IOC is grossly violating.”

Observed: What is important about these statements is that they demonstrate the consistent position of the Russian government that its continuing invasion of Ukraine since February 2022 is nothing for the rest of the world to be concerned about.

Nobody should treat Russians or Belarusian any differently, and that anyone is upset about the invasion is an outrage against the Russian people. That’s what Moscow is selling to its own people. That it can compare its outright aggression against Ukraine to Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October is ridiculous, but that’s not the point.

The point – for Lavrov and the Russian government is – Russia is right and everyone else is wrong. This would be comical if not so incredibly tragic.

4.
Famed coach says Russia must retain 2022 Beijing Team gold

Legendary Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze made some interesting comments in a Russian-language YouTube interview, including her view of the Kamila Valieva case regarding the Team Event now being discussed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport:

“I would like to put all the participants in the process on a lie detector, because I want to know the truth. But we know for sure that if athletes are admitted to the Olympics, they are clean, they get an Olympian’s passport, which means they are all clean. At the European Championships, she passed – the analysis was clean, then she passed it again – clean. If they had this analysis, it means they had to do anything to make it ready.

“I believe that there should be no consideration of the team medal at all. At this start, the athlete was clean, the medal should not be reviewed. If they had told us about the results earlier, then Anya [Anna Shcherbakova] and Sasha [Alexandra Trusova] would have skated. And the result of the team would be exactly the same.”

Russia won the Team Event with Valieva winning both the Short Program and the Free Skate, and winning the scoring by 74-65 over the U.S.

She also said that, in Beijing, Olympic silver winner Trusova threw her skates at the coach, after moving from fourth in the Short Program to second after winning the Free Skate:

“She had a fixed idea: if she put together her free program, she won. She thought she had to bring [her second-place competitor] 20 points. But the athlete probably doesn’t realize that somewhere a step-out, somewhere a level came off. Plus the reduced value of the quadruple.

“She thought that the short program is not important, and if she recoils like that, she is an Olympic champion. I didn’t expect such a reaction? Well, it’s just like Sasha. She was shoving and pushing me, and then in the locker room she will toss her skates at me … and I will dodge. That’s just how Sasha is.”

Teammate Shcherbakova won by 255.95 to 251.73, with Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto third (233.13) and Short Program leader Valieva getting fourth (224.09). As for Shcherbakova’s victory, Tutberidze added:

“In general, I couldn’t be happy. Not because I’m not happy for Anya. The events that happened before overshadowed it all.”

A second session of the hearing in the Valieva case will take place later this month.

5.
World champ Tola, Olympic winner Jepchirchir lead NYC Marathon

The final Marathon Majors race of 2023, the New York City Marathon, takes place on Sunday across the city’s five boroughs, with strong fields, but not as deep as in some years. Still, there are plenty of stars, especially in the women’s elite field. The top entries, by lifetime best:

Men:
● 2:03:39 (‘21): Tamirat Tola (ETH) ~ 2022 World Champion, 2017 Worlds silver
● 2:04:49 (‘18): Shura Kitata (ETH) ~ 2022 NYC silver; 2020 London champ
● 2:04:56 (‘22): Abdi Nageeye (NED) ~ 2022 NYC bronze; Tokyo Olympic silver
● 2:05:36 (‘23): Cam Levins (CAN) ~ 2022 Worlds fourth, Tokyo ‘23 fifth
● 2:06:43 (‘22): Maru Teferi (ISR) ~ 2023 Worlds silver; 2022 European silver
● 2:06:56 (‘23): Koen Naert (BEL) ~ 2018 European champ; Tokyo Olympic 10th
● 2:07:16 (‘23): Iliass Aouani (ITA) ~ Barcelona ninth in national record

Tola has been a solid marathoner for a decade, but has three wins in his 16 career races, including the 2022 Worlds gold. He was third at Tokyo in 2022 and fourth at Valencia and third at London this year, but did not finish at the 2023 World Championships. Kitata has been second at New York in 2018 and 2022 and fifth in 2019 in his three races there.

The top American entries by time are Elkanah Kibet (2:09:07 ‘22), who was fourth at the 2021 New York City Marathon and a four-time World Championships marathoner for the U.S., and Futsum Zienasellassie (2:09:40 ‘23) who got his best in 11th at the Rotterdam Marathon this year.

Making debuts are Britain’s Andrew Butchart, sixth at the Rio 2016 Olympic 5,000 m, and former Oregon star Edward Cheserek (KEN), the 12-time NCAA champ at 3,000-5,000-10,000 m who ran 59:11 to win the Copenhagen Half in September.

Women:
● 2:14:04 (‘19): Brigid Kosgei (KEN) ~ Five major marathon wins; former WR holder
● 2:16:49 (‘22): Letsenbet Gidey (ETH) ~ 2022 World 10,000 m gold; 2022 Valencia silver
● 2:17:16 (‘20): Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) ~ 2021 NYC champ; Tokyo Olympic champ
● 2:19:50 (‘12): Edna Kiplagat (KEN) ~ 2010 NYC champ; 2011-13 World Champion
● 2:20:22 (‘22): Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) ~ 2021 Boston silver, 2022 Boston bronze
● 2:21:38 (‘23): Hellen Obiri (KEN) ~ 2023 Boston champ; 2017-19 World 5,000 m golds
● 2:22:44 (‘21): Viola Cheptoo (KEN) ~ 2021 NYC runner-up, fifth in 2022
● 2:23:23 (‘22): Sharon Lokedi (KEN) ~ 2022 NYC champ in marathon debut!

Kosgei set her world record of 2:14:04 in winning the 2019 Chicago Marathon, but now ranks this all-time behind Tigist Assefa (ETH: 2:11:53 in Berlin) and Sifan Hassan (NED: 2:13.44 in Chicago) this year. The Tokyo Olympic silver winner, she has run 16 career marathons, winning nine, but did not finish at London in April. This is her NYC debut.

Gidey ran the fastest debut marathon ever in Valencia last year and has gone silver-gold-silver in the last three Worlds 10,000 m finals, plus the Tokyo Olympic bronze. It’s her second career marathon. Jepchirchir has run eight career marathons and had won five in a row before her third in Boston in April this year. She won the Worlds Half Marathon in October.

Kiplagat, now 40, had finished in the top five in 12 of 13 marathons from 2015-22, but was 30th in Boston this year. Countrywoman Obiri, the two-time Worlds 5,000 m gold medalist, was sixth at New York in her debut in 2022, then won in Boston in April in 2:21:38. She is dangerous and a definite contender.

The top U.S. entries are Kellyn Taylor (2:24:29 in 2018), sixth at New York in 2021, and 39-year-old two-time distance Olympian Molly Huddle (2:26:33 in 2019), both back from maternity in 2022. Huddle’s distinguished career includes 25 U.S. titles and multiple American records, but she has run just five career marathons, placing third at New York in 2016 and fourth in 2018, but dropping out at the Olympic Trials race in her last marathon try in 2020.

The NYC Marathon is not an especially fast course, with records of 2:05.06 by Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) in 2011 in the men’s division, and 2:22:31 by Kenyan Margaret Okayo in 2003 the best in the women’s race.

Prize money of $100,000-60,000-40,000-25,000-15,000-10,000-7,500-5,000-2,500-2,000 is available to the top ten finishers in both the men’s and women’s races.

The 2023 race will be shown nationally on ESPN2 on Sunday from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The intergovernmental crime police organization INTERPOL announced an agreement with the French government to assist with security and international cooperation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

As part of the agreement, the INTERPOL Major Event Support Team will be activated once again to “facilitate real-time exchange of messages and vital police data between countries. This data includes fingerprints, photos, wanted person notices, and data relating to stolen and lost travel documents and stolen motor vehicles.” This group has been involved in Olympic security since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

● European Games 2023 ● The International Testing Agency filed its report on the 2023 European Games in Krakow and Malopolska (POL), with no positives reported across 1,286 samples taken from 981 athletes from the 48 participating countries.

That represents 14.3% of the 6,857 athletes reported to compete, with 65% samples collected in-competition and 35% out of competition.

The top countries in terms of athletes tested were Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Poland and France. The top sports tested were athletics, canoeing, boxing, rugby and kickboxing.

● Basketball ● Bob Knight, coach of three NCAA men’s championship teams at Indiana in 1976-81-87 and the iconic 1984 men’s Olympic basketball gold medalists, passed away at age 83 on Wednesday after a long illness.

He was often angry, crude and obstreperous, infamously throwing a chair onto the Assembly Hall floor during a 1985 game against Purdue to protest the officiating. He was accused and convicted in absentia for assaulting a police officer during the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan (PUR), but was not extradited; his team won the gold medal.

But he was a great coach, winning 902 games against 371 losses as a college coach at Army (1965-71), Indiana (1971-2000) and Texas Tech (2001-08). He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

● Boxing ● In a feature on the USA Boxing site, former boxer, USA Boxing Foundation athlete trustee and financial manager Elise Seignolle explained why she is running to be the first President of the new World Boxing federation.

“While this position might appear intimating to others, I see it as an amazing opportunity for boxing. We have the chance and the opportunity to all contribute to building a sustainable, ethical, and scalable future for boxing. We have a unique opportunity to build an International Federation from scratch that follows good governance principles and establishing best practices.”

Seignolle has been what happened to the International Boxing Association as a former independent member of its board, but she resigned after a year while seeing that federation barrel toward de-recognition by the International Olympic Committee. As for World Boxing, “It is time to put aside egos and agendas and instead fight to unite and grow our sport together.”

She is running against former Dutch boxing federation chief Boris van der Vorst, who unsuccessfully tried to be elected IBA president and was controversially prevented from running in a second vote against eventual winner Umar Kremlev of Russia. The World Boxing Congress will be held on 24-25 November in Frankfurt (GER).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing calendar shows that the International Boxing Association’s appeal of its de-recognition by the International Olympic Committee will be heard on 16 November.

The IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA as the international federation governing Olympic boxing in a special session on 22 June 2023, apparently the first-ever federation to be dismissed.

● Curling ● Defending champion Japan will face a re-match with South Korea in the women’s final of the second edition of the World Curling Pan Continental Curling Championships in Kelowna, British Columbia (CAN).

Three women’s teams were 6-1 in round-robin: South Korea (skip: Eun-ji Gim), Japan (Satsuki Fujisawa) and the U.S., with Tabitha Peterson as skip. Canada, with Kerri Einarson as skip, finished at 4-3 and also advanced. In the semis, the Koreans raced out to a 4-1 lead over the Canadians, but Einarson’s squad got three in the seventh end to get even, but Gim scored two points in the eighth and ninth ends to ice an 8-4 victory.

The U.S. – fourth last year – and defending champion Japan were 2-2 after two ends, 3-3 after four and two points for Japan in the fifth was followed by three for Peterson’s rink in the sixth in their semi! Fujisawa equalized in the seventh, Peterson scored two for an 8-6 lead in the ninth, but Fujisawa’s final shot ensured a two-point 10th to tie the score, and then scored two in the 11th for a 10-8 victory. The gold-medal match will be on Saturday; the U.S. and Canada will play for bronze on Friday

The men’s semis will be held on Friday, with the U.S., Canada, South Korea and Japan still in it. All four of these teams also made it to the semifinals of the first event, held in 2022, with Brad Gushue’s Canadian rink winning the men’s title over Korea, 11-3.

In 2023, Gushue’s team led the round-robin play at 6-1, with Japan (Riku Yanagisawa) also at 6-1. South Korea, with skip Jong-duk Park, was 5-2 and the U.S., led by Andrew Stopera, was 4-3. Friday’s semis will have Canada, the defending champs, will face the U.S. and South Korea will play Japan, with the championship match on Saturday.

Gushue sounded off on Wednesday, objecting to holding the event in a curling club rather than in an arena, and a lot more:

“This is an embarrassment. There’s a level of incompetence there that needs to be corrected.

“The way the WCF has run this week, it’s a joke. It’s a big step back from the event we had last year. I don’t understand why they’ve gone this route. I understand you have to give teams a chance to qualify for worlds and what not, I understand that. But I think there’s different ways it could be done. …

“None of us are getting paid to be here and they’re selling tickets. There are hundreds of people coming here and paying and none of the curlers are making a dime. And we’re being told to go outside and warm up for a game. I’m a little angry.

“It’s absolute silliness, the stuff that’s happening here this week. There is more care about everyone else than the players. Not being able to have any area to warm up. We were told to go outside. We’re sharing change rooms with the women. We’re not allowed to view practices. We’re now allowed to have one player there.”

Gushue also complained the Canadian broadcaster TSN is only streaming the event online and not showing it on broadcast or cable. World Curling communications chief Chris Hamilton (SCO) told the CBC:

“We are trying a number of things with our championships. For example, both the Pan Continental and European championships are being hosted in curling clubs this season.

“Once those events have been completed, we will look at the successes and challenges to evaluate whether it’s a viable model for future championships of this size.”

● Hockey ● A major new initiative from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) was unveiled Tuesday with the launch of an FIH+ pass to allow near-worldwide viewing of full games and highlights. The new Watch.Hockey program:

“With the FIH+ subscription pass, you’ll gain access to thrilling FIH events (FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers for Paris 2024, FIH Hockey Pro League Season 5, FIH Hockey5s World Cup, FIH Hockey Junior World Cups, FIH Hockey Nations Cup) , all in one place!”

News coverage in English and Spanish will be available, as well as training videos. However, geo-blocking will remain in place on the Indian sub-continent.

● Rowing ● World Rowing revealed its candidates for the World Rowing Awards, with three choices each for men and women:

Men:
● Oliver Zeidler (GER), Single Sculls
● Oliver Wilkes, David Ambler, Matthew Aldridge, Freddie Davidson (GBR), Fours
● Roman Roeoesli, Andrin Gulich (SUI), Pairs

Women:
● Emily Craig, Imogen Grant (GBR), Lightweight Double Sculls
● Karolien Florijn (NED), Single Sculls
● Magdalena Rusu, Roxana Anghel, Adriana Adam, Iuliana Buhus, Madalina Beres, Maria Tivodariu, Ioana Vrinceanu, Amalia Beres, Victoria-Stefania Petreanu (ROU), Eights

Four other awards are also up, for Para crews, coach, distinguished service and the Thomas Keller Medal. The winners will be announced on 11 December.

● Sailing ● A 67-page invitation to bid for the quadrennial World Sailing Championships in 2026 and 2027 has been issued, inviting replies by 30 November.

The event brings about 1,200 sailors together, in the Olympic classes, but will now also feature four Paralympic classes, split into two parts:

2026: Fourth quarter
● Windsurfing (IQ Foil: men and women)
● Kite (Formula Kite: men and women)
● Dinghy (men: ILCA7; women: ILCA6)
● Two para events; one added event

2027: Third quarter
● Mixed Dinghy (470)
● Skiff (Men: 49er; Women: 49er FX)
● Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17)
● Two para events; one added event

The selected host will have to pay a rights fee (not specified), an international broadcasting fee, a competition technology fee, a digital media fee and an Olympic Classes fee. On-shore spaces for 40-foot containers (or equivalent) with electrical power are needed, along with mooring spaces for 300 support vessels, office space and a lot more.

It’s a big undertaking, but the bid instructions ask: “It is very important that the Host minimises the costs and maximises the use of competition and non-competition venues and guarantee an efficient usage in terms of time, space and services, while taking into consideration the needs of the sailors.”

“Expressions of interest” are due by 30 November, and final bids by 30 March 2024. A decision will be made by the World Sailing Board in May 2024.

● Skiing ● FrancsJeux.com reported that three candidates for the first all-discipline FIS Games in 2028 have signaled interest:

“For the inaugural edition in 2028, the FIS will have to choose between Switzerland, where Saint-Moritz would be the main venue, Norway with Lillehammer, host city of the Winter Games in 1994 and the Winter YOG in 2016 , and Slovenia, where the project is based on the Planica and Kranjska Gora stations. The international body will soon begin a phase of dialogue and inspection with the three applicants. The final decision will be announced at the FIS Annual Congress in June 2024.”

● Water Polo ● To the surprise of absolutely no one, European Aquatics has removed its January 2024 European Water Polo Championships out of Israel in view of the continuing response to the attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian fighters. A statement included:

“Both institutions (European Aquatics and Israeli Water Polo Association) have agreed that it will be impossible to host the European Water Polo Championships in Netanya, Israel, as planned in January 2024.

“Different options are currently being investigated regarding the proper qualification procedure for the next World Aquatics Water Polo Championships in Doha, and further information on the topic will be communicated as soon as possible.”

“European Aquatics would like to take this opportunity once again to strongly condemn those responsible for the terrorist atrocities against Israeli citizens and to express our support and sympathy with them at this difficult time.”

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TSX REPORT: U.S. wins half of Wednesday’s Pan Am events; athletes demand earlier marathon trials start time; Russia explodes over IOC’s Israel statement

By
Rich Perelman
-
Kyle Snyder of the U.S. (in red) on the way to his third straight Pan Am Games gold in the men's Freestyle 97 kg division, over Cuba's Arturo Silot (Photo: Cristian Soto/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S. wins half of all Pan Am finals on Wednesday!
2. USATF Athletes Advisory demands marathon trials time change
3. IOC says no discrimination vs. Israel; Russian official erupts
4. U.S. qualifies all four basketball squads at Paris 2024
5. Eight lacrosse organizations form “ELEVATE28”

● Amazing day for the U.S. at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, winning half of the 16 events with finals on Wednesday! The American grabbed a Paris 2024 quota spot with a win in the Equestrian Team Jumping gold and won all four men’s wrestling Freestyle classes. Wow.

● A letter from the USA Track & Field Athletes Advisory Committee ripped the Greater Orlando Sports Commission for continuing to be only one insisting on a noon start time for next February’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and promises to make more noise about it in the future.

● An International Olympic Committee comment that discrimination against Israeli athletes in the midst of the Hamas attack on 7 October and Israel’s response is prohibited drew an angry reaction from the Russian Deputy Prime Minister that blames the U.S. for the conflict!

● The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced that both the U.S. men’s and women’s 3×3 teams are qualified for Paris 2024 by virtue of being among the top-three-ranked teams in the FIBA world rankings as of 31 October. This means that all four U.S. teams – 3×3 and 5×5 – are qualified for 2024.

● In the aftermath of being included as a medal sport for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, eight lacrosse organizations, including World Lacrosse, have joined to form “ELEVATE28,” with the goal of doubling the number of players in the U.S. to four million by 2030.

● Panorama: Winter Games 2030 (Sweden announces venue agreements with three cities) = Athletics (AIU list shows 18 doping sanctions for October) = Cycling (Dutch star Hoogland sets kilometer record) = Swimming (USA Swimming membership down almost 4% for 2023, deepens annual loss) ●

1.
U.S. wins half of all Pan Am finals on Wednesday!

There were 16 finals on Wednesday at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Amazingly, the U.S. won half of them:

● Athletics: DeAnna Price, women’s hammer
● Equestrian: Team Jumping
● Fencing: Andrew Doddo, men’s Sabre
● Squash: Olivia Fletcher, women’s Singles
● Wrestling: Zane Richards, men’s Freestyle 57 kg
● Wrestling: Tyler Berger, men’s Freestyle 74 kg
● Wrestling: Kyle Snyder, men’s Freestyle 97 kg
● Wrestling: Mason Parris, men’s Freestyle 125 kg

Price, the 2019 World Champion, won the first women’s gold for the U.S. with her first throw of 72.34 m (237-4), matched on her sixth toss as well. She moved up from fourth at the 2019 Pan Ams. Teammate Brooke Andersen, the 2022 World Champion, had no legal mark; the silver went to Rosa Rodriguez (VEN) at 65.10 m (213-7).

American medals also came in the hurdles, with De’Vion Wilson finishing second, 13.67-13.78 (wind: -0.5 m/s), to Eduardo de Deus (BRA) in the men’s 110 m highs, and Alaysha Johnson winning bronze in the women’s 100 m hurdles in 13.19. Costa Rica’s Andrea Vargas was the winner in 13.06 (+0.2).

The men’s 400 m was won by Lucas Conceicao (BRA) in 45.77, with American Richard Kuykendoll sixth in 48.66. Chile’s Martina Weil took the women’s 400 m in 51.48, with no American finalists.

The U.S. earned a Paris 2024 quota spot as the winner of the Equestrian Team Jumping final, with McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, Kent Farrington and Karl Cook scoring just 12.37 to 17.62 for Canada and 20.32 for defending champion Brazil.

In fencing, the U.S. won its fourth event out of six contested with Doddo defeating Venezuela’s Eliecer Jose Romero, 15-11 in the men’s Sabre final for the third straight Pan Am Games win in this event.

The wrestling sweep for the U.S. was impressive. Richards took the 57 kg gold via a forfeit and then an 8-2 semi win and a 10-0 technical fall in the final against Oscar Tigreros of Colombia. Berger won his 74 kg matches by 5-2, 17-3 and the gold with a 3-0 win over Franklin Maren Castillo of Cuba. Snyder won his third Pan Ams gold at 97 kg with 10-0, 10-0 and 14-4 wins in his three matches, defeating Cuban Arturo Silot in the final. Parris cruised through 12-0 and 10-0 wins at 125 kg before a taut, 2-0 win for the gold against Jose Diaz of Venezuela.

In football, the U.S. U-22 men’s team lost in the semifinals to host Chile, 1-0, and will face Mexico in the bronze-medal match. Brazil also scored a 1-0 win against the Mexicans.

Overall, the U.S. leads the medal count with 191 in total, with 84 golds, 49 silvers and 58 bronzes. Brazil is a solid second at 136 (40-53-43) and Canada is third (116: 35-34-47). Mexico is fourth at 94: 35-23-36.

The Pan Ams continue through Sunday, with more action coming: 25 finals on Thursday, 40 on Friday, 71 (!) on Saturday and 24 on Sunday to complete the 425-event program. The event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

2.
USATF Athletes Advisory demands marathon trials time change

A 31 October letter from the USA Track & Field Athletes Advisory Committee to Jason Siegel, head of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, expressed disappointment and anger that GO Sports is the organization which will not change the start time of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials next February.

The letter, published on X (ex-Twitter) by Kyle Merber, a recently-retired 3:34.54 1,500 m runner who represented the U.S. at the 2015 Pan American Games, included:

● “When the start time of 12:00p ET was announced along with the location of the Trials race, the Athletes were advised to not panic. Acting in good faith, we waited, patiently. In an era plagued with fake news and misinformation, the Athletes were led to believe this start time was dictated by our network television partners and USATF. Errantly so, the Athletes believed this. One of the key partners in GO Sports is an events organization in charge of hundreds of races in Florida, all with start times before 8:00a.”

● “In an attempt to act both professionally and somewhat discreetly, a path encouraged by all parties involved in organizing the Trials, the Athletes engaged in closed-door, productive conversations with USATF voicing our concerns of a historically hot Olympic Trials. Performance aside, which would obviously be negatively affected, starting a marathon at noon in Florida puts the health and safety of all participants at risk.”

A compromise of a 10 a.m. start time was reached with the discussants, including NBC, which the athletes were willing to accept. But then:

● “On October 26, 2023, GO Sports delivered the shocking news of firmly standing behind a 12:00p ET start time, adding an impossible caveat that any deviation from the current start time would amount to a combination of unexplained projected damages, fines and waived fee rights fees totaling $700,000. It is difficult to find words capable of expressing how angry and disappointed the Athletes are to hear the ultimate hurdle they face is with the Great [sic] Orlando Sports Commission, a group who so grossly misrepresented the type of experience they were to provide.”

The letter explained that “the Athletes feel no other option than to proceed outwardly with this case.”

No mention of the letter by the Greater Orlando Sports Commission on its Web site, or on X (ex-Twitter) on Wednesday. Much more to come, no doubt.

3.
IOC says no discrimination vs. Israel; Russian official erupts

The German news agency DPA reported an International Olympic Committee warning to athletes, officials or countries which show discriminatory actions against Israeli athletes. According to the statement of an IOC spokesperson:

“Athletes cannot be held responsible for the actions of their governments. If discriminatory behavior by an athlete or official occurs, the IOC will work with the relevant National Olympic Committee and International Federation to ensure prompt action is taken.”

Israeli athletes have routinely seen athletes from Arab or Muslim countries – especially Iran, but also others – refuse to compete against them in international events, sometimes even losing in earlier rounds to avoid the possibility of a direct match-up.

The statement enraged Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, blaming the Hamas-Israeli conflict on the U.S. He stated, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS:

“With the military conflict unleashed by the U.S. in the Middle East, the IOC has changed its mind in the air. And today we hear that athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of governments. Unfortunately, we are only talking about athletes from Israel, but not from Russia. Without shyness, the IOC supports athletes of only those countries that are under the wing of the United States.

“The IOC was afraid that the Olympic Movement would collapse finally and irrevocably on the eve of the Olympic Games. Addressing its functionaries, I emphasize: there is nothing to fear, the system is already rotten, it’s time to accept it as a fact. Let me remind you that Russia has always stood on the position of equality and non-discrimination against athletes from any country. Sport should be out of politics. Our position, unlike the IOC, is unchanged.”

The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC and has not been invited to the Paris 2024 Games. If its athletes compete at all, it will be as neutrals, but no decision has yet been made. The IOC has taken no action against the Palestine National Olympic Committee, despite Hamas being the elected government of Gaza and instigator of surprise attacks on Israel on 7 October.

4.
U.S. qualifies all four basketball squads at Paris 2024

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) confirmed the first four qualifiers for Paris 2024 in 3×3 Basketball, with the U.S. qualifying both a men’s and women’s team, to go along with the already-qualified men’s and women’s 5×5 teams. Per FIBA:

“The selection process for these teams was based on the FIBA 3×3 Federation Ranking as of November 1, 2023. In a thrilling culmination of qualifying events, the top three countries per gender secured their places for the Olympic stage.”

In the men’s division, Serbia, the U.S. and China were the top three teams in the rankings, with China, the U.S. (gold medalists in Tokyo) and France the top three on the women’s side. Five other teams will qualify in tournaments to be held in early 2024.

The U.S. is the first country to have all four of its basketball teams qualified for Paris. The men and women’s teams are defending Olympic champs from Tokyo and both the men’s and women’s 3×3 teams won gold at the Pan American Games ongoing in Chile.

5.
Eight lacrosse organizations form “ELEVATE28″

The return of lacrosse as a medal sport on the Olympic program for 2028 was widely celebrated in the sport, but the major players aren’t wasting any more time in trying to make the most of the opportunity.

On Tuesday, eight groups announced the formation of “ELEVATE28” with the announced goal “to double the country’s participation in the sport to 4 million annual players by the end of the decade.”

The participating organizations include Athletes Unlimited, the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, J Tsai Sports, the National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, USA Lacrosse and World Lacrosse.

According to the announcement:

“This group commits to strategic initiatives and platforms, primarily for kids, under the unified ELEVATE28 banner to ensure every community across the country has equal access to the sport.”

Lacrosse was a medal sport at the 1904 St. Louis Games and in 1908 in London and was a demonstration sport in 1928, 1932 and 1948. It’s a popular sport in the U.S. at the collegiate level, with 395 NCAA men’s teams across all divisions (72 in Division I), and 522 NCAA women’s teams (122 in Division I). Among women, it’s the 11th most popular sport by number of teams in the 2022-23 season and the total number of teams is at or near the all-time high.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● The Swedish bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games has confirmed venue agreements with three key cities – Are, Falun and Oestersund – as the Swedish Olympic Committee tries to button its project for presentation to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission.

The current plan is for Are to host alpine skiing, Falun to stage nordic events and Oestersund to handle biathlon, as it does on the IBU World Cup. More agreements are needed, and are expected to be announced soon.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) published its October summary of sanctions, with 18 individuals on the list for the month, led by:

● 4: Kenya
● 3: Russia
● 3: Pakistan
● 2: Ethiopia
● 2: United States

There were single sanctions against athletes from Belarus, Italy, Iran and South Africa. The U.S. sanctions were against apparently-retired hammer star Gwen Berry for 16 months and a warning (no ineligibility) against hammer thrower Alyssa Wilson, both previously announced.

● Cycling ● Dutch star Jeffrey Hoogland, the Tokyo Olympic Sprint silver medalist and a four-time World Champion in the 1 km Time Trial, smashed the world record in the men’s kilometer on Tuesday (31st).

Riding at the altitude-aided Aguascalientes Velodrome in Mexico, he completed the four laps in 55.433, blasting the 2013 mark by France’s Francois Pervis of 56.303.

Hoogland said afterwards, “I can’t really enjoy it yet. It hurts everywhere but I’m very happy with the world record; that’s why I came here.”

● Swimming ● SwimSwam.com reported on a USA Swimming disclosure at the September board of directors meeting that membership revenue is projected at 3.8% less than expected, at about $926,000.

This will, in turn, lead to a projected annual deficit of $1.732 million, more than the $1.369 million projected in the 2023 budget.

Membership fees are by far the largest revenue source for the federation, bringing in $23.234 million in 2022. As of the end of 2022, USA Swimming had assets of $67.870 million and reserves of $41.279 million.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: U.S. wins four more at Pan American Games; Saudi sole bidder for FIFA World Cup 2034; MLB urged to play at LA28

By
Rich Perelman
-
Mexico's Fernando Martinez won the men's 5,000 m at the Pan American Games, but was disqualified, leaving Kasey Knevelbaard of the U.S. as the winner! (Photo: Alejandro Pagni/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S. goes gold-silver in Foil and Sabre fencing at Pan Ams
2. Saudi Arabia only bidder for 2034 FIFA World Cup
3. Shaikin: Major leaguers need to participate in 2028 Olympics
4. Wasserman forecasts LA28 success on Sunday Night Football
5. Report: Paris 2024 opening to allow 400,000 spectators

● Day 12 of the 2023 Pan American Games had only 10 finals, but the U.S. won four golds, including 1-2 finishes in the men’s Foil and women’s Sabre fencing events.

● FIFA announced the bidders for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, with the Portugal-Spain-Morocco bid (with South American openers) the only option for 2030 and Saudi Arabia the controversial sole bidder for 2034. For good measure, the Saudis are also the most for the 12,000-athlete Asian Games that year!

● Los Angeles Times baseball columnist Bill Shaikin urged Major League Baseball not to make a “blunder” by skipping the 2028 Olympic baseball tournament in Los Angeles. Shaikin suggests that the All-Star Game be replaced by an eight-team Olympic tournament instead.

● LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman told NBC’s Mike Tirico in a pre-game segment on Sunday Night Football that the Los Angeles Games will have the most sports in the history of the Olympic Games (already true) and will sell more tickets than any Games ever.

● A French media report says that the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games will have 400,000 spectators, down from the initial projection of 600,000, in order to best manage security and transportation.

● Panorama: Special Olympics (Chile to bid for 2027 World Games) = On screen (modest TV interest in U.S. women’s matches vs, Colombia) ●

1.
U.S. goes gold-silver in Foil and Sabre fencing at Pan Ams

American athletes won four golds and seven medals in all on a slow day at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with just 10 finals across all sports. The U.S. winners:

● Athletics: Kasey Knevelbaard, men’s 5,000 m
● Fencing: Nick Itkin, men’s Foil
● Fencing: Magda Skarbonkiewicz, women’s Sabre
● Table Tennis: Rachel Sung and Amy Wang, women’s Doubles

Worlds silver medalist Itkin and Skarbonkiewicz swept the fencing finals on Tuesday in 1-2 finishes for the U.S. and brought the American medal total to five in the four events contested, including three golds. In the men’s Foil, Itkin sailed through his elimination matches with wins by 15-3, 15-7, 15-4 and then 15-6 in the final against fellow U.S. star Miles Chamley-Watson, the 2013 World Champion.

Skarbonkiewicz, 17, crushed her five pool opponents by a combined 25-6, then won her elimination matches by 15-7, 15-6, then 15-14 over Cuba’s Leidis Veranes Mustelier, and finally a 15-13 gold-medal victory over fellow American Maia Chamberlain.

It’s the sixth straight Pan American Games win for the U.S. in the men’s Foil, and fourth straight in women’s Sabre.

In Table Tennis, Wang and Sung defeated Brazil’s Bruna and Giulia Takahashi in the final, 4-3 (11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6).

Knevelbaard, 11th at the U.S. Nationals in Eugene, won the men’s 5,000 m in a slow 14:47.69, but only after defending champion Fernando Martinez (MEX) was disqualified for interference. Both finished ahead of Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (CAN: 14:48.02), who was awarded the silver, with Emmanuel Bor of the U.S. sixth in 14:55.53. However, the U.S. did not have even a single finalist in the men’s 100 m, won by Jose Gonzalez (DOM) in 10.30 (wind: 0.0 m/s), or in the women’s 100 m, with Yunisleidy Garcia of Cuba winning in 11.36 (-0.2).

Arnovis Dalmero of Colombia won the men’s long jump at 8.08 m (26-6 1/4), with the two Americans, Damarcus Simpson (7.55 m/24-9 1/4) and Jermel Jones (7.32 m/24-0 1/4) in eighth and ninth.

In the decathlon, Santiago Ford (CHI) won with 7,834 points, ahead of Jose Ferreira (BRA: 7,748) and American Ryan Talbot (7,742) third.

In the women’s football tournament, the U.S. U-19 team lost to Chile, 2-1, in the semifinals and will play Argentina in the third-place match. Mexico and Chile will play for the gold. Chile’s men will play the U.S. men on Wednesday in another semifinal match.

Of special note was the triumph of Cuban judoka Idalys Ortiz – the London 2012 Olympic champ – in the women’s +78 kg class, defeating Brigitte Carabali (COL) in the final for her fourth straight Pan American Games gold, just as American Lee Kiefer did in women’s Foil fencing.

The U.S. continues to lead the medal table with 178 in total: 76 golds, 47 silvers and 55 bronzes. Brazil continued in second with 130 (37-52-41), Canada third with 106 (35-33-38) and Mexico fourth at 90 (35-22-33).

The competitions continue through 5 November; after just 10 finals on Tuesday, there will be 15 on Wednesday, 25 on Thursday, 40 on Friday and a staggering 71 on Saturday! The event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

2.
Saudi Arabia only bidder for 2034 FIFA World Cup

FIFA announced the bidders for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and as expected, only one bid for each was submitted:

● “Morocco, Portugal and Spain confirm interest in hosting FIFA World Cup 2030, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay confirming interest in hosting celebratory games”

● “Declaration of interest from Saudi Arabian Football Federation received for FIFA World Cup 2034″

The sole bid for 2034 from Saudi Arabia became obvious when Football Australia issued a statement on Monday which included:

“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and – having taken all factors into consideration – we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition.

“Instead, we believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. Achieving this – following the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 and with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games – would represent a truly golden decade for Australian football.”

FIFA’s next steps:

“As established in the Bidding Regulations approved by the FIFA Council, the FIFA administration will conduct thorough bidding and evaluation processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup, with the hosts to be appointed by FIFA Congresses expected to take place by Q4 2024.”

As for the requirements, the 2030 requirements for the 48-team, 104-match tournament include:

● Minimum of 14 stadiums, of which at least seven must be existing.
● Capacity for most matches of at least 40,000 seats.
● Semifinal capacity of 60,000 and opening and final capacity of 80,000.
● Team base training sites (72) and four training sites per stadium.
● Two sites per venue city suitable for a fan festival.
● Fan Festival capacities of 15,000 for all except the final (40,000).
● Fan accommodations capacity: 4,000 rooms for most matches; 6,000 for semifinals; 8,000 for the opening match and final.

For 2034, the bid requirements are mostly the same, but the number of existing stadia has been lowered to four, which helps the Saudis in their current situation. But a lot of building will be needed.

The Saudi Football Federation was planning to bid for 2030 in a joint effort with Egypt and Greece; it is possible that some of the 2034 matches could be played elsewhere. And as with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, tournament will have to be played at the end of the year to avoid the hot weather.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia is already the host for the massive 2034 Asian Games, to take place in Riyadh from 29 November to 14 December; the 2023 edition in Hangzhou (CHN) hosted 11,909 athletes from 45 countries, competing in 481 events in 40 sports.

The FIFA World Cup bid requirements also include:

“Each stadium is subject to an exclusive use period. This period runs from 30 calendar days prior to the first match in the venue until seven calendar days after the last use in connection with the competition. During this period, the stadium shall not be used for purposes other than the tournament.”

This is going to be interesting.

3.
Shaikin: Major leaguers need to participate in 2028 Olympics

The highly-respected and widely-read Bill Shaikin, the award-winning baseball columnist for the Los Angeles Times, urged Major League Baseball to allow its players to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Baseball and softball were added, along with cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash, as medal sports for 2028 by the LA28 organizers and approved by the International Olympic Committee. A six-team baseball tournament was played at the Tokyo Games in 2021, but an eight-team format is also a possibility.

Reporting from the World Series in Phoenix, Shaikin pulled no punches, opening with:

“No priorities might be more important for Major League Baseball than marketing its players and growing the game internationally.

“The league has just been handed a golden ticket to do both. The league is about to crumple it up and throw it out.”

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has been enthusiastic about the return of baseball to the Olympics, as it will not be held in Paris next year. But he had also been cautious not to promise major league players.

Shaikin says it can be done, re-assigning the annual All-Star Game break to the Olympic tournament:

“MLB could shut down for one week — and it would be the week of the All-Star Game, so only three games of the regular season would be impacted. The season could be extended by three days to accommodate those games, so owners would not lose any revenue. The All-Star Game could be sacrificed for one year.

“The tournament could be played in six days. Eight nations would compete, split into two pools.”

Shaikin sees pool play across three days, with day-night doubleheaders at Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium, with the pool winners playing for the Olympic championship and the pool runners-up playing for bronze.

And then everyone goes back to their clubs and starts up with the second half of the season.

In the meantime, television audiences for the World Series keep shrinking, with 9.17 million viewers for the Diamondbacks at Rangers opener last Friday and 8.15 million for Game 2 on Saturday, the smallest national TV rating in World Series history.

4.
Wasserman forecasts LA28 success on Sunday Night Football

If you were among the 15.7 million who watched NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast of the Bears and Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, you might have caught Mike Tirico’s pre-game chat with LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman about the five-years-away Olympics.

Tirico opened by asking Wasserman about the addition of flag football to the Olympic program, a move backed strongly by the National Football League, and which has created interest from some NFL stars about exploring participation. Said Wasserman:

“It’s a huge deal. Our opportunity is to make this the most important Games in this country, and to have the opportunity to add our country’s biggest and one of the biggest sports in the world to the program was amazing, and the accessibility of American Football to kids around the world, with LA28 as a launching pad.”

Asked about the impact of having flag football, Wasserman explained:

“It’s the accessibility. You can play in a park, with a football. It makes it like soccer. It’s not expensive to play. It’s not dangerous to play. Boys and girls can play. And we can play it in a park, anywhere there is a field of grass. And that makes the sport open to everybody, which is not always the case with tackle football.”

And what about the 2028 Games as a whole? Wasserman could not have been more enthusiastic:

“Seventeen hundred and twenty days from today, you and I will be in this building, pretty close to now, lighting the torch. So, it’s an incredible journey. We’re going to have the biggest sports program in the history of the Olympics, more tickets sold than in the history of the Olympics and we’re excited to welcome the world to L.A. It’s a great stage.”

The LA28 program now includes 35 sports, the most in Olympic history, with a possible 36th sport in boxing, which has no international federation recognized by the IOC at present. That will help to allow the most tickets to be sold; the Guinness World Records folks have Atlanta 1996 as the all-time leader at 8.3 million tickets sold.

5.
Report: Paris 2024 opening to allow 400,000 spectators

A report from the French television channel RMC Sport has fixed the total spectator count for the 26 July 2024 opening of the 2024 Olympic Games at 400,000:

“According to our information, the government is counting on 300,000 spectators on the upper platforms, in addition to the 100,000 people on the lower platforms who have already purchased a place via the official Paris 2024 ticket office. This would therefore bring the number to 400,000. of spectators in total along the Seine on July 26, 2024. ‘This is the last number in the running,’ a ministerial source confirms to RMC.”

The original projection was for 600,000 spectators, with the same 100,000 paid places on the lower quays and 500,000 above. But there has been continuing concerns from government agencies responsible for security and transport.

Ile-de-France transport officials, especially, have said that the number of spectators allowed cannot be more than 500,000 in total as there will be insufficient capacity to carry more.

All spectators at the opening, even if using the free higher quays, will be required to obtain a ticket. Free tickets for the upper areas will be distributed by the French Interior Ministry next year.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Special Olympics World Games 2027 ● Chilean President Gabriel Boric, attending the beach volleyball third-place match at the ongoing Pan American Games in Santiago, said last weekend that Chile will bid for the Special Olympics World Games 2027.

Boric told reporters, “We are going to start applying for the Paralympic World Championship which will be in 2027. We are going to send the application letter soon, we are looking at it with the [Sports Minister Jaime Pizarro] and the Undersecretary of Sports [Antonia Illanes].”

Multiple reports noted his reference was to the Special Olympics World Games and not to either the Paralympic World Championships in individual sports, or to the Paralympic Games, which are held in conjunction with the Olympic Games.

The Santiago Pan Ams, the largest sporting event ever held in Chile, has generally gone well, but with some notable issues including a mis-measurement of the women 20 km walk course and a roof leak that impacted the women’s handball semifinals and bronze-medal match.

Boric told reporters that as a follow-up to the Pan Ams, “Little by little we are moving forward, but we want to dream. We want to dream high.”

The Special Olympics World Games is also a massive event, with 6,500 athletes from 190 countries attending the 2023 Berlin Games held in June. The World Games will head to Dubai (UAE) in 2025, and according to the Special Olympics Web site, “Special Olympics International is currently engaged in dialogue with multiple potential bidders for the 2027 World Games. The host will be announced in 2024.”

Special Olympics Australia has made a bid for Perth, submitting its documentation in 2022.

● On Screen ● Pretty low interest in last week’s two U.S. Women’s National Team matches against Colombia, with 274,000 taking in the Thursday match in Sandy, Utah on TBS. That game ended in a 0-0 tie.

However, the Nielsen ratings data showed that the pre-game show – also on TBS – had an average audience of 311,000!

Sunday’s rematch in San Diego, a 3-0 U.S. win, on at 5:30 p.m. Eastern against the late-window NFL games, had 235,000 viewers on TNT, but 439,000 viewers on Spanish-language Telemundo.

NBC showed Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final delayed on Sunday at noon Eastern and drew 496,000 viewers. The CBS and Fox NFL pre-game shows drew 3.39 million and 5.26 million in the same time slot, respectively.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Kiefer wins fourth straight Pan Am fencing gold; stunning error in Pan Am walk course; FIFA bans Rubiales for three years

By
Rich Perelman
-
American Lee Kiefer celebrating a fourth straight women's Foil gold medal at the Pan American Games (Photo: Felipe Quintana/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Kiefer wins fourth straight Pan Am fencing gold
2. Measuring error spoils “world record” walk by Garcia
3. Activists target Paris 2024 office for protest
4. FIFA bans Rubiales for three years; appeal coming
5. Jeux de la Francophonie: success, disaster or both?

● Olympic women’s Foil champ Lee Kiefer of the U.S. won her fourth straight Pan American Games gold medal on Monday, rolling undefeated through nine straight matches to add to her 2011, 2015, 2019 victories. She led a four-gold day for the U.S., which now has 171 total medals and 72 golds.

● A bad error by the contracted course measurer left the Pan American Games women’s 20 km Walk route some 3,000 m short and caused all of the times for the event to be annulled, depriving the athletes of possible world-ranking points and Olympic qualifying times. The course was changed to the right length for the men’s event, and the organizing committee said it was not responsible. A roof leak at a municipally-owned arena caused a semifinal match to be stopped and the next-day bronze-medal match to start late, and once again the organizers said it was not their fault. The fault was in quality assurance, which is assuredly up to the organizing committee.

● Activists trying to get the local and regional governments to do more for refugees and the homeless protested Sunday night with a projection on the Paris 2024 offices and with posters mocking the Olympic motto. On Monday, the French Interior Minister praised the work of the security services during the just-completed Rugby World Cup and said the effort for the Olympic Games would be 10 times as big.

● The FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned former Royal Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales for three years for his antics after Spain won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in August. He promises to appeal.

● The staging of the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie – the Games of French-speaking countries – was considered a great success in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but now the country’s finance minister says that the event was supposed to cost $48 million, but actually cost $324 million! An audit team is in Kinshasa now.

● Panorama: Winter Games 2030 (French survey shows 70%-plus support for 2030 bid) = World Combat Games (Ukraine leads the medal table in Riyadh) = Athletics (shortlist for Fair Play awardees announced) = Football (Messi and Bonmati lead Ballon d’Or winners) = Gymnastics (Retton posts first message since coming home from hospital) = Ice Hockey (former NHL player dies in freak skate-cut accident) ●

1.
Kiefer wins fourth straight Pan Am fencing gold

Tokyo Olympic champion Lee Kiefer continued her dominance at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, winning her fourth straight women’s Foil gold on Monday as part of a four-gold day for the Americans:

● Fencing: Lee Kiefer, women’s Foil
● Surfing: Zane Schweitzer, men’s Stand-Up Paddleboard racing
● Surfing: Connor Baxter, men’s Stand-Up Paddleboard surfing
● Surfing: Candice Appleby, women’s Stand-Up Paddleboard racing

Kiefer won all five matches in her group, then cruised through the elimination rounds by 15-6, 15-8, 15-8 over Canada’s Jessica Guo and then 15-6 against another Canadian, Eleanor Harvey. Kiefer, now 29, won her first Pan Am gold in 2011 at age 17 and topped the podium again in 2015, 2019 and now in 2023. No other American fencer has won more than twice in the Pan American Games.

The U.S. won three golds on Monday in the Stand-Up Paddling events in surfing, matching Peru, which took three golds in the men’s Shortboard – an Olympic event – with Lucca Mesinas winning his second Pan Am gold (also in 2019), and taking both Longboard events, with Benoit Clemente and Maria Fernanda Reyes.

The U.S. football teams are also progressing well. The men’s U-22 squad – in line with the U-23 requirements for almost all players at Paris 2024 – has reached Wednesday’s semifinals against Chile in Valparaiso after finishing 2-1 in its group, losing only to Brazil by 1-0.

The women’s squad, the U.S. U-19 team, won all three of its group games and is in Tuesday’s semifinals against Chile in Vina del Mar.

The in-stadium track & field events started Monday, with Peru’s Luz Rojas taking the women’s 10,000 m in 33:12.19, ahead of Laura Galvin (MEX: 3:15.85) and American Ednah Kurgat (33:16.61).

The Dominican Republic won the Mixed 4×400 m in 3:16.05, with Marileidy Paulino anchoring in 49.83, beating Brazil (3:18.55) and the U.S. squad of Demarius Smith, Honour Finley, Richard Kuykendoll and Jada Griffin (3:19.41).

Chile’s Lucas Nervi scored an upset win in the men’s discus at 63.39 m (207-11), with two-time defending champ Fedrick Dacres (JAM) finishing third at 61.25 m (200-11). Americans Joseph Brown (60.14 m/197-4) in fifth and Dallin Shurts seventh (57.00 m/187-0).

Brazil’s Isabela Rodrigues won the women’s discus at 59.63 m (195-7); American Elena Bruckner was sixth at 57.61 m (189-0) and Veronica Fraley had no legal mark.

Tiffany Flynn of the U.S. won a bronze in the women’s long jump (6.40 m/21-0), which was won by Natalia Linares of Colombia at 6.66 m (21-10 1/4).

Overall, the U.S. continues to lead with an eight-medal day (4-0-4) and has 171 medals in all (72-45-54), with Brazil – thanks to 14 medals (7-2-6) in Judo – charging into second place with 123 medals (37-47-39), followed by Canada (105: 35-32-38) and Mexico (89: 35-22-32).

The competitions continue through 5 November; the event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

2.
Measuring error spoils “world record” walk by Garcia

There was very little surprise in seeing Peru’s 2022 World Champion Kimberly Garcia breeze to victory in the women’s 20 km Walk at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

But her posted time was a ridiculous 1:12:26, which would not only be a women’s world record, but would have shattered the men’s 20 km mark of 1:16:36, set in 2015 by Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki!

The walkers knew something was wrong right away. Said Garcia afterwards:

“We realized it since the first kilometer. The time did not coincide with the distance. It was more about us focusing on our feelings, not to lose control.

“It didn’t affect myself alone, I wanted the Pan American record. Other girls wanted a spot in the Olympic Games. It is a shame that will not happen because the weather, everything was fit for good timings.”

So, the course was obviously short and officials determined that the route was actually about 3,000 m light and the men’s race that followed was delayed for more than an hour while an adjustment to the route was made to ensure the proper distance.

The Santiago 2023 organizers were compelled to issue a statement:

“In relation to the Women’s Race Walk event held today in Parque O’Higgins, we inform that the official race times are null and void due to a measurement problem that is the exclusive responsibility of the Pan American Athletics Association (APA).

“The expert commissioned by APA, Mr. Marcelo Ithurralde, did not take accurate measurements of the route the athletes took during the race.

“As established by international regulations, APA is the only organization authorized to carry out measurements and therefore is responsible for the official distance of the competition.

“For its part, the Santiago 2023 Corporation is in charge of hiring the expert designated by APA and facilitating his work in the field of competitions.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience for the athletes, their coaches, the public and the attending press, but this situation cannot be attributed to the Organizing Committee.”

The Pan American Athletics Association posted its statement on Instagram (computer translation from the original Spanish):

“Although the medals of the Peruvian Kimberly García, who won the gold, of the Ecuadorian Glenda Morejón, who was silver and the bronze of the also Peruvian Evelyn Inga, will remain, the times will not be homologated nor will they be officially validated so they will not be counted in the athlete rankings.

“The above happened due to problems of the organization of the race with the measurement of the route, which ended with the triumph of the Peruvian Kimberly García, who reached the finish with a time of 1h12:26, a record that surprised for this type of race, because it was almost 12 minutes faster than the world record of the race, which is 1h23:49 and belongs to the Chinese Jiayu Yang.

“Behind García came the Ecuadorian Glenda Morejón (1h12:43) and the Peruvian Evelyn Inga (1h14:16), whose times are part of a total of 12 runners who completed the race with a time below the world record, due to the measurement error.”

The men’s race, apparently contested at the full 20 km distance, saw David Hurtado (ECU) win in 1:19:20.

Observed: This is a bad error, as it directly impacts the integrity of the competition and ruins the opportunity for the athletes to obtain world-ranking points or Olympic qualifying marks in a championship race.

The process was right: hire the approved course measurer. But there was no check on the course after the survey was done, so no check on the accuracy of the measurer. That’s unacceptable in a championship event, and while the marathons went on last week without incident, losing results in a race like this – with good, cool conditions – is tragic for the athletes concerned.

Reuters noted other issues at the Games, such as leaks at the handball arena on Saturday that cut short the Brazil-Chile women’s semifinal. Santiago 2023 issued a statement which again refused responsibility:

“[T]he Santiago 2023 Corporation wishes to clarify categorically that it bears no responsibility for the poor quality and deficiencies in the venue’s roof. … Among the obligations and commitments assumed by the Municipality is: Repair of the roof of the venue, mainly addressing leaks from rainfall. Carried out by the infrastructure department of the Municipality.”

The women’s handball bronze-medal match on Sunday was held up for more than two hours due to the leaks, but was eventually played.

This speaks to quality control by the Santiago 2023 organizers, and a shortage of time, money and people. There are issues in every mega-event like this, but a mis-measured course (which could have been determined by an odometer check in a car) and a leaky roof are pretty obvious things to miss. But with short staffing, the quality assurance from double-checking and triple-checking isn’t available. And Garcia and the other women’s walkers paid for it.

3.
Activists target Paris 2024 office for protest

The Paris 2024 organizing committee became the backdrop for Sunday evening protests and a coordinated promotion by a reported 70 non-governmental organizations, urging the City of Paris and other authorities about homeless and others on the streets in advance of the 2024 Games.

Agence France Presse reported that posters parodying the Olympic motto were slapped on walls, stating, “FASTER to empty Ile-de-France of precarious populations,” “HIGHER towards the exploitation of undocumented workers,” “STRONGER in the security response against people on the street,” “TOGETHER let us demand that excluded people are taken into account.”

A projection of the words, “The Other Side of the Medal” was shown on the Paris 2024 office building for a short time on Sunday evening, and the organizations issued a joint letter asking for “an ambitious and concerted policy … to guarantee continuity of care of people in situations of precariousness and exclusion, before, during and after the Games.”

The Associated Press report noted “Paris police routinely clear out tent camps housing migrants from around the world, citing public health and safety, but the French capital remains a magnet for people fleeing conflict or poverty, and camps routinely resurface.”

The Paris 2024 organizers said they would meet with the activists next week.

Observed: Expect more of this as the Games get closer. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a petition in Japan to cancel the Tokyo 2020 Games drew more than 200,000 signatures in the first 48 hours it was posted in May of 2021, but had no impact.

FrancsJeux.com reported that French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin spoke about the security measures taken for the just-concluded Rugby World Cup, which included 11,000 national police officers and 3,000 municipal officers, who made 781 arrests across the seven weeks of the tournament.

Darmanin said the Olympic effort would “tenfold” compared to the Rugby World Cup: “The Ministry of the Interior will be ready to organize the opening ceremony, to ensure the safety of spectators and teams. We will be perfectly there.”

4.
FIFA bans Rubiales for three years; appeal coming

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced Monday that it has banned “Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, having found that he acted in breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”

This is the follow-up to FIFA’s 90-day suspension of Rubiales on 26 August that was ongoing until 26 November. Now, Rubiales, who resigned as the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation on 11 September, is out of football until late 2026.

Article 13 describes “Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play” and states that disciplinary measures can be imposed for:

● “a) violating the basic rules of decent conduct;

● “b) insulting a natural or legal person in any way, especially by using offensive gestures, signs or language;

● “c) using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature;

● “d) behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute”

This is the latest turn in the post-Women’s World Cup Final behavior of Rubiales from 20 August, who most notably forcibly kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso in the medal presentation ceremony. The issue exploded in Spain and worldwide, forcing Rubiales to resign after he initially pledged to fight any disciplinary actions against him.

The Spanish women’s team – the Women’s World Cup winners – have continued to push for better conditions for the team from the RFEF, with the federation pledging to do better.

Rubiales said he would appeal the decision to the FIFA Appeals Committee.

5.
Jeux de la Francophonie: success, disaster or both?

Confusion reigns in the aftermath of the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie, a multi-sport event which unites French-speaking countries and began in 1989, and which was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo from 28 July to 6 August for about 2,000 athletes from 37 countries in eight sports and a host of cultural competitions.

That the event came off at all was considered a great success, but now there is widespread concern over how much it cost.

International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), the governing body of the Games, has sent an audit team to Kinshasa, amid reports from Congo Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi that the event – which was supposed to cost $48 million U.S. – instead cost $324 million!

The IOF had approved a Games budget of €66.9 million or about $70.0 million U.S.

Kazadi explained:

“The operations budget increased from 12 to 78 million dollars, while investment expenses increased from 36 to 246 million dollars. The time needed to organize these Games increased from a few months to around three years, revealing planning and management errors.”

But the organizing committee chief, Isidore Kwandja, tells a different story:

“We are surprised to learn on social networks that the cost of the Games would have reached 324 million dollars, while the initial budget was 66.9 million euros, which we have not yet received in full.

“Where did these funds go and who managed them? If the budget exceeded forecasts, the reasons must be sought elsewhere, and not within the national Games management, which maintained rigorous management.”

Kwandja also noted that there were expenses that turned out to be wasteful, but only to try and meet the needs of the athletes:

“At the request of France and Wallonia-Brussels, we flew in a new covering for the athletics track. It cost us $2.3 million. All this to finally learn that France and Wallonia-Brussels would not send athletes [in athletics].”

What a mess.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● A modest survey in one of the French regions bidding for the 2030 Winter Games showed 73% in favor of the Games bid, in Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur. An earlier poll in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes showed 81% in favor.

The new poll had a small response group of 806 people, but also showed more enthusiasm among younger respondents. The French bid is expected to be submitted by 7 November.

● World Combat Games ● The third World Combat Games concluded in Riyadh (KSA) on Monday, finishing an 11-day program that included 16 mostly non-Olympic sports and 207 total events.

Ukraine was the big winner, with 53 total medals and 21 golds (21-17-15), ahead of host Saudi Arabia (51: 12-20-19) and Kazakhstan (48: 12-13-23).

“Independent Neutral Athletes” from Russia and Belarus won 18 medals, as did the U.S. (1-4-13) for equal-seventh overall. A total of 87 countries won medals.

The event was clouded by the implosion of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), but now continues under the sponsorship of SportAccord, which absorbed GAISF. Future editions are expected in 2025 and 2027, with the next host expected to be announced next spring.

● Athletics ● The nominees for the International Fair Play Award were announced on Monday:

● Daniel Ebenyo (KEN), men’s half marathon
● Letsenbet Gidey (ETH), women’s 10,000 m
● Sifan Hassan (NED), women’s 5,000-10,000 m
● Shericka Jackson (JAM) and Sha’Carri Richardson (USA), women’s 200 m
● Nina Kennedy (AUS) and Katie Moon (USA), women’s vault
● Jessica Warner-Judd (GBR), women’s 10,000 m

Voting includes fan input on the World Athletics social-media sites through 5 November, with the finalists to be announced on 7 November and the winner on 11 December.

● Football ● Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the eighth time as the world’s top men’s player, while Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s prize, in a live awards ceremony in Paris.

Messi, 36, previously won the trophy in 2009-10-11-12-15-19-21; no one else has won it more than five times. Messi was selected over Norwegian striker Erling Haaland (Manchester City).

Fellow Argentina star Emiliano Martinez was honored as the top goalkeeper, Haaland won for best striker and England’s Jude Bellingham was selected as the top under-21 player.

Bonmati won the women’s award ahead of Australia striker Sam Kerr and Spanish forward Salma Paralluelo.

The Socrates Award for off-the-field contributions, went to Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior for his work against racism, especially in Spain.

● Gymnastics ● Mary Lou Retton, the gymnastics icon from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, shared a short Instagram post on Monday with her first message since being hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia, which included:

“I am overwhelmed with the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!

“I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process. …

“When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues and hope I can help others who may face the same battle as me.”

Retton, now 55, is recovering at home after being unable to breathe on her own and admitted to a Houston hospital for treatment.

● Ice Hockey ● Tragedy in Britain, where former NHL player Adam Johnson (USA) died after a freak accident in which he suffered cuts to the neck and throat from an opponent’s skate during the Nottingham-Sheffield EIHA Challenge Cup match in Sheffield on Saturday evening.

Johnson, 29, who played with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2019-20 season, was taken to a local hospital and died there. Originally from Minnesota, he moved to Europe to play in Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic, then back to the American Hockey League, to Germany last season and with Nottingham this season.

The English Ice Hockey Association immediately mandated that players wear neck guards beginning on 1 January 2024.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Seven golds, 163 total medals for U.S. at Pan Ams; South Africa repeats Rugby World Cup win; Lyles recruiting world-record relay?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Brennan Gravley touches first in the men's 10 km open-water at the Pan Am Games (Photo: Javier Valdés Larrondo/ Santiago 2023 via Photosport)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. U.S. scores seven golds, has 163 total Pan Am Games medals
2. South Africa defends Rugby World Cup title, beats New Zealand
3. Manfred: Major leaguers in Olympics will be difficult
4. Lyles recruiting teammates for 4×200 m record attempt!
5. Olympic-response Friendship Games to offer prize money

● American athletes won seven golds Sunday and have 163 total medals at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile at the end of the first week of competition. The U.S. swept the two open-water 10 km races with Brennan Gravley and Ashley Twichell and scored three golds in the Canoe Slalom finals. In shooting, 60-year-old Venezuelan Leonel Martinez, a competitor at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, qualified for his second Olympics in 2024 (!) with a silver medal in men’s Trap.

● A thrilling championship match at the Rugby World Cup in France saw defending champion South Africa squeak past New Zealand, 12-11. The tournament was a hit at the gate, with 2.36 million total attendance, the second-most ever.

● Baseball Commission Rob Manfred said he was very happy that baseball was again to be included at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, but gave no indication that any kind of deal was being considered to allow major league player to play.

● Triple World Champion Noah Lyles of the U.S. went to X (ex-Twitter) to recruit fellow Olympic and Worlds medal winners Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton to form a team to break the world record in the men’s 4×200 m relay at the 2024 World Relays!

● Russia’s 2024 Olympic-response “Friendship Games” announced that prize money will be awarded to the top three finishers in another poke at the Olympics, which does not pay prize money. The amounts quoted were in U.S. dollars, by the way, not in rubles.

● Panorama: Alpine Skiing (2: Gut-Behrami wins season opener in Soelden; Norway’s Braathen suddenly retires at 23) = Archery (Wiljer wins Lausanne Indoor World Series opener) = Athletics (2: Astana in, Birmingham out in World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold; Nwokocha suspended three years for doping) = Badminton (Three wins for China in French Open) = Boxing (Van der Vorst and Seignolle candidates for World Boxing President) = Cycling (Lavreysen continues dominance at Track Champions League) = Figure Skating (Yamamoto and Sakamoto take titles at Skate Canada) = Football (Fishel and Shaw spark U.S. women to 3-0 win over Colombia) = Short Track (Santos-Griswold claims three more medals at Montreal World Cup) = Speed Skating (Stolz and Jackson shine bright at U.S. Nationals) = Triathlon (Jorgensen second in Miyazaki World Triathlon Cup) = Wrestling (Elor completes double-triple at U-23 Worlds, but Olympic options still cloudy) ●

● Errata: Some readers of Friday’s post saw references to two-time FIS Alpine World Cup champion Marco Odermatt as Austrian. He’s Swiss, and the corrections have been made. Thanks to Andrew Craig and Michal Kisielewicz for being the first to spot it. ●

1.
U.S. scores seven golds, has 163 total Pan Am Games medals

After three days of comparatively few finals, the XIX Pan American Games revved back up on Sunday with 24 finals and now 221 events completed out of 425 in total. The U.S. won seven golds on Sunday to bring its total to 68. Over the weekend:

● 27 Oct.: Boxing: Jahmal Harvey, men’s 57 kg
● 27 Oct.: Boxing: Joshua Edwards, men’s +92 kg

● 29 Oct.: Canoeing: Zach Lokken, men’s Slalom C-1
● 29 Oct.: Canoeing: Josephua Joseph, men’s Slalom K-1
● 29 Oct.: Canoeing: Evy Leibfarth, women’s Slalom C-1
● 29 Oct.: Cycling: Lauren Stephens, women’s road race
● 29 Oct.: Equestrian: Caroline Pamukcu, eventing
● 29 Oct.: Swimming: Brennan Gravley, men’s 10 km open water
● 29 Oct.: Swimming: Ashley Twichell, women’s 10 km open water

The boxing finals were all held on Friday, with the Americans winning five quota places for Paris 2024, with silver medals for Jennifer Lozano in the women’s 50 kg class and Morelle McCane at 66 kg. Jajaira Gonzalez won a bronze at 60 kg and won a quota place with four spots allowed from that weight class. Brazil totaled 12 medals and four wins in the ring to lead the medal table; the U.S., Canada and Colombia all won six medals.

Only nine finals were held on Saturday and the U.S. scored only a couple of bronzes, but with 24 event finals on Sunday, the American squad claimed seven golds. Among those was 36-year-old Lauren Stephens in road cycling, the 2021 U.S. national road champion, who rode away with a 1:24 win in the 105 km road race, on a hilly loop course. Ecuador’s Miryam Nunez won silver and Agua Espinola (PAR) took the bronze, both 1:24 behind; American Kristen Faulkner finished sixth (+2:30).

U.S. swimmers continued to dominate, even when not in the pool, sweeping the 10 km open-water races. Brennan Gavley led for much of the men’s 10 km race, but was then pressed on the final lap and barely touched first in 1:50:23.4 over Argentina’s Franco Cassini (1:50:23.6) and Mexico’s Paulo Strehlke (1:50:23.8). Brother Dylan Gravley was fourth in 1:50:26.8.

Tokyo Olympian Twichell was her second Pan American Games by winning the women’s 10 km swim, dominating an excellent field and winning by 13 seconds over Brazil’s Olympic champ Ana Marcela Cunha, 1:57:16.4 to 1:57:29.4. Fellow American Leah DeGeorge finished fifth in 1:58:54.7.

Twichell won a Pan Am silver in the 800 m Freestyle way back in 2011 (!), but won her first international gold at age 34.

The U.S. and Brazil both won three events in the Canoe Slalom races, but only Brazil’s Ana Satila won two events – and women’s C-1 and Kayak Cross – and now owns five Pan Am golds across 2015-19-23, including the C-1 in all three. The U.S.’s Leibfarth won the women’s C-1 and also took a bronze in the Kayak Cross final as the only American double medalist.

The in-stadium track & field competitions will start on Monday, along with most of the finals in judo and surfing.

With 52% of the events now concluded, the U.S. total has reached 163 (68-45-50), ahead of Brazil (105: 33-39-33), Canada (98: 33-30-35) and Mexico (88: 35-21-32). The competitions continue through 5 November; the event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

A pretty amazing story in shooting, where Venezuela’s Leonel Martinez, 60, won the men’s Trap silver and qualified for Paris 2024. That will be 40 years since his first Olympic appearance in 1984 in Los Angeles, where he tied for 41st in men’s Trap!

NBC Sports consulted Olympedia.org co-founder Dr. Bill Mallon (USA), who said that the 40-year gap between Olympic starts for Martinez will be the second-most ever, behind Japan equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu, who competed in Tokyo in 1964 and then again in Beijing in 2008 (at age 67)!

The Panam Sports Channel, the primary vehicle to watch the Santiago action, has offered nine live feeds and now has more than 750,000 subscribers. Said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic (CHI), of the event so far:

“We are halfway through the Pan American Games, and we are very happy with what is happening at Santiago 2023. The athletes are happy, the response from the public that has packed the venues has been spectacular, and the numbers from the Panam Sports Channel and of our multimedia in general, are surprising.”

2.
South Africa defends Rugby World Cup title, beats New Zealand

A bruising battle between the nos. 1-2 ranked teams in the world saw South Africa win its fourth Rugby World Cup title with a 12-11 win over New Zealand at the Stade de France in the Paris area in the final game of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Handre Pollard scored all of South Africa’s points on penalties, converting in the 3rd, 13th, 19th and 34th minutes for a 12-6 lead at the half. For New Zealand, Richie Mo’unga converted a penalty in the 17th and 38th minutes. New Zealand captain Sam Cane was dismissed with a red card in the 27th minute for a high tackle, leaving the All Blacks with 14 men for the last 53 minutes.

The only try of the match was scored by New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett in the 58th to close to 12-11, but Mo’unga missed the conversion and the score remained 12-11. Jordie Barrett missed a long penalty try that could have won it for the All Blacks late in the match.

The defensive effort by South Africa was outstanding, as the All Blacks had scored 71, 96, 73, 28 and 44 points since an opening loss to France, 27-13. The Springboks specialized in winning tight matches, winning their third straight one-point win in the playoffs: 29-28 over France in the quarters and 16-15 against England in the semis.

With the victory, South Africa became the first country to win the World Cup four times, now taking three of the last five with victories from 1995-2007-2019-2023. Amazingly, the 2023 almost mirrored the tight 1995 final, where the Springboks beat New Zealand, 15-12, in extra time.

England, the 2019 finalist, won the third-place match with Argentina, 26-23, for its fourth medal in the 10 World Cup tournaments (0-3-1). The Argentines had won the bronze in 2007, but lost in the third-place match in 2015 and now in 2023.

Will Jordan (NZL) finished with the most tries, with eight. England’s Owen Farrell ended as the top scorers with 75 points, with Thomas Ramos (FRA) with 74 and Argentina’s Emiliano Boffelli third at 67.

Attendance at the medal matches was excellent, with 77,674 for the Argentina-England match and 80,065 for the final. In all, attendance was 2,357,143 or 49,107 per match, second-best all-time to the 2,477,805 from the 2015 tournament.

3.
Manfred: Major leaguers in Olympics will be difficult

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters on the eve of the 2023 World Series that the concept of a National Hockey League-style break during the 2028 season for the Olympic Games is a difficult issue.

“Everyone appreciates the challenges associated with major league players playing in a tournament that is in the middle of our season.

“We’re an everyday game. We’re kind of big on the integrity of that regular season. It’s an important thing for us.”

The International Olympic Committee approved the LA28 organizing committee’s request for five added sports on the 2028 program, including baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Baseball was in the Olympic Games in 1992-96-2000-04-08, then came back as an added sport for the Tokyo Games held in 2021. In all cases, major league players did not take part.

LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman said that he has been in contact with the MLB office and with the Players Association, and Manfred noted:

“Casey Wasserman has been supportive of getting baseball back in the Olympics, which we appreciate.

“We think it’s a great thing and we will continue to listen as to whether there’s some arrangement that could be worked out – I’m not saying one word about major league players – some arrangement that could be worked out to make it the best possible tournament.”

Major League players do participate in the World Baseball Classic, co-owned by Major League Baseball and the Players Association, held quadrennially during spring training.

When the NHL has agreed to have its players participate in the Winter Olympics, beginning in 1998, an accommodation was made, with the season put on hold to allow players to compete for their national teams. But the NHL did not allow its players to compete at the 2018 or 2022 Winter Games, and discussions are continuing for 2026.

4.
Lyles recruiting teammates for 4×200 m record attempt!

How about this from triple World Champion Noah Lyles of the U.S.:

“Yo @ErriyonK @kenny_bednarek we should go break that 4x200m world record”

That was the message underneath the logo of the World Athletics Relays, back in The Bahamas on 4-5 May 2024, for the fourth time in Nassau, but first since 2017. Lyles is asking Worlds silver winner Erriyon Knighton and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek to join him on a potential U.S. “dream team.”

Jamaica set the world men’s 4×200 m mark in the first World Relays back in 2014 at 1:18.63, with a team of Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown and Yohan Blake. Jamaica won again in 2015 and the U.S. teams were disqualified in both years.

Canada won in 2017 in 1:19.42, beating the U.S. (1:19.88), which had Lyles as the lead-off leg! The U.S. finally won the event in 2019 in 1:20.12 with Chris Belcher, Bryce Robinson, Vernon Norwood and Remontay McClain. The U.S. did not contest the event in 2021.

If Lyles is able to recruit his fellow 200 m stars, consider the line-up from their 2023 bests:

● 19.47 (no. 1 in 2023) Noah Lyles
● 19.72 (no. 3 in 2023) Erriyon Knighton
● 19.79 (no. 7 in 2023) Kenny Bednarek

And how about these choices for the fourth leg:

● 19.85 (no. 9) Courtney Lindsey
● 19.86 (no. 10) Fred Kerley
● 19.89 (no. 12) Robert Gregory
● 19.93 (no. 13) Christian Coleman
● 19.98 (no. 17) Javonte Harding

In the world top 20 for 2023, there were the eight listed Americans, and a couple more with wind-aided sub-20 times.

The Jamaican record from 2014 is hardly soft; the average is a swift 19.66.

5.
Olympic-response Friendship Games to offer prize money

One of the constant complaints of athlete activist groups is that Olympic medal winners do not receive prize money directly from the International Olympic Committee. Instead, any athlete prizes are provided by the National Olympic Committees, which send the athletes to the Games, much as the ancient Greek city-states did.

But for the 2024 Friendship Games that Russia is organizing a month after the Paris Olympic Games, prize money will be paid, with a Friday announcement that $40,000 to be provided to gold medalists, $30,000 to silver medalists and $20,000 for the bronze winners.

The Friendship Games will be held in Moscow and Yekaterinburg from 15-29 September 2024, with some events possibly to be held in Minsk, Belarus, as well. Details of the program – sports and events – have not been released.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS Alpine World Cup season opened in Soelden, Austria, with a big win for Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, and one for the weather on Sunday.

Gut-Behrami, the 2021 World Champion in the Giant Slalom, came from behind to win the women’s season opener on Saturday She was fourth after the first run, 0.73 behind Italy’s Federica Brignone, the Beijing Olympic silver medalist (1:08.77). American star Mikaela Shiffrin was fifth in 1:09.52.

On the second run, Gut-Behrami was unsurpassed, clocking 1:09.44, the fastest run in field and enough for the win in 2:18.94. Brignone managed the ninth-fastest run (1:10.19) and finished second (2:18.96), with Petra Vlhova, the 2019 Giant Slalom World Champion, moving up to third overall with the third-fastest second run (2:19.08 total).

Shiffrin was all-in on the second run, but clocked 1:10.82, the 25th-best second run and ended up finishing sixth in 2:20.34. For Gut-Behrami, it was her 39th career World Cup win and seventh in a Giant Slalom. It was also her third win Soelden – also in 2013 and 2016 – equaling the record of Slovenia’s Tina Maze for the most wins in this race.

The men’s race on Sunday never got going; FIS posted on X (ex-Twitter):

“Due to the extreme wind and with the forecast of even increasing wind for the rest of the day, for safety and fairness reasons, it has been decided to cancel today’s Giant Slalom race in Sölden.”

No word on whether or when the race may be made up.

The Alpine World Cup will take a week off, then resume in November with the two-country men’s Downhills in Zermatt (SUI) and Cervinia (ITA). The women will be in Levi (FIN) for the famous “reindeer” Slaloms from 11-12 November.

A sponsorship clash contributed to the sudden retirement of Norwegian star Lucas Braathen, 23, announced on his Instagram channel on Friday.

“I am done. … “For the first time in at least half a year I’m happy, after making this decision. For the first time in years I feel free. …

“Up until the point where I debuted, the [2018] World Cup race in Val d’Isere, with skis that my dad tuned in his garage back home, that is the day where I lost my freedom. I came to find that I’m locked. I cannot do my difference, whatever I do is wrong.”

Braathen, who won the World Cup men’s Slalom title in 2023 and scored five wins and 12 medals in five season on the World Cup circuit, was refused permission by the Norwegian ski federation to promote the J. Lindeberg company, a competitor of the federation’s Helly Hansen apparel brand. The Associated Press reported, “The skier had not paid the fine imposed by the federation for breaching the rules in his athlete’s contract.”

● Archery ● Dutch star Steve Wijler won the World Archery Indoor World Series opener, the Lausanne Excellence Challenge on Sunday. Shooting from 18 m, Wijler – a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in the Mixed Team event – shut down Jerome Bidault (FRA) by 6-0 (30-29, 29-27, 30-29) in the final. The all-Italian bronze-medal match had Alessandro Paoli winning an extra-end battle with David Pasqualucci, 6-5 (9-8).

Slovakia’s Denisa Barankova won a tense women’s Recurve final over Laura van der Winkel (NED), also in a shoot-off, 6-5 (10-9) after a 5-5 tie after five ends. Estonia’s Reena Parnat won the bronze medal, 6-0, against Sarah Russell (GBR).

● Athletics ● World Athletics announced a seventh meet in its World Indoor Tour Gold series, to be the series opener in Astana, Kazakhstan on 29 January 2024. This brings the gold-meet total to seven, with the other six in Europe (4) and the U.S. (2).

Gold-level meets are required to offer “at least USD $7000 in prize money for each individual discipline on the programme, including USD $3000 to the winner.”

The 24 February 2024 Gold-level meet in Birmingham (GBR) was canceled over a potential city bankruptcy following a €760 million (about $920.4 million U.S.) tab due for equal-pay abuses over multiple years.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced another doping suspension, this time by Nigeria sprinter Grace Nwokocha, for three years for the use of the prohibited muscle-building drugs Ostarine and Ligandrol.

She tested positive at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (GBR), where she finished fifth in the 100 m; she also competed in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, reaching the semifinals in the women’s 100 and 200 m and anchoring the 4×100 m relay to the gold medal (42.10), which will now be forfeited. Still just 22, she will be ineligible until 2 August 2025; she has bests of 10.97 and 22.44, both from 2022.

Nwokocha was sixth for North Carolina State in both the 100 and 200 m at the 2022 NCAA meet, but has not competed since the end of the 2022 season.

● Badminton ● Another strong performance for China, with four finalists in five events at the BWF World Tour French Open in Rennes, and three wins.

Tokyo Olympic champion Yu Fei Chen (CHN) defeated Tokyo runner-up Tzu Ying Tai (TPE) in the women’s Singles final, 21-17, 22-20 for her 13th career World Tour title. Chen is now 4-3 against Tai in World Tour finals match-ups.

Sheng Shu Liu and Nang Tan (CHN) took the women’s Doubles title from Jongkolphan Lititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai (THA), 26-24, 21-19, and eighth-seeds Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei (CHN) won the Mixed Doubles against Chun Man Tang and Ying Suet Tse (HKG), 21-17, 15-21, 21-12.

Fifth-seed Jonatan Christie (INA) won the men’s Singles, 16-21, 21-15, 21-14 over Shi Feng Li (CHN), and the seventh-seeded Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen (DEN) won the men’s Doubles against Muhammad Fikri and Bagas Maulana (INA), 21-14, 10-21, 21-18.

● Boxing ● Former Dutch Boxing Federation President Boris van der Vorst and American Elise Seignolle, a former boxer and a financial management expert, are the candidates for President of World Boxing.

A total of 27 candidates from 10 countries were announced for six different offices at the World Boxing congress, to be held in Frankfurt (GER) from 24-25 November.

● Cycling ● Tokyo Olympic Sprint gold medalist Harrie Lavreysen (NED) continued his domination of the UCI Track Champions League with another win in the Sprint Division in the second stop, in Berlin (GER).

Lavreysen won the Sprint final over Poland’s Mateusz Rudyk by 0.113 seconds, then took the Keirin to remain undefeated in the league, beating Australia’s 2022 Commonwealth Games gold winner Matthew Richardson to the line by 0.47 seconds. After two of five rounds, Lavreysen now leads Richardson in the overall standings by 80-58.

The women’s Sprint title went to Ellesse Andrews (NZL) – the 2022 Commonwealth Games Sprint and Keirin champ – who also swept both races, winning the Sprint over Katy Marchant (GBR) by 0.082, and then winning the Keirin by 0.203 over Germany’s Alessa-Catriona Propster. Andrews now has the seasonal lead by 70-65 over the German.

In the men’s Distance division, Canada’s Dylan Bibic won the 5,000 m Scratch race, with Maximilian Schmidbauer second, then Jules Hesters (BEL) took the Elimination final over seasonal leader Eiya Hashimoto (JPN). Hashimoto’s overall lead is now just 59-56 over Bibic.

Lily Williams of the U.S. won the women’s Scratch race over Sarah Van Dam (CAN), but British star (and five-time Worlds gold medalist) Katie Archibald dominated the Elimination final, winning against Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN), with Williams fading to 10th. Archibald continues to lead Williams for the season, 67-61.

● Figure Skating ● Japan and Canada swept the honors at the Skate Canada Internationale in Vancouver (CAN), with World Champion Kaori Sakamoto winning the women’s Short Program and Free Skate and piling up 226.13 points.

Korea’s Chaeyeon Kim was second in 201.15, finishing second in the Short Program and fourth in the Free Skate. Japan’s Rino Matsuike was third (198.62), with Americans Lindsay Thorngren, Audrey Shin and Starr Andrews finished fifth (189.52), seventh (177.14) and eighth (174.82).

Sota Yamamoto, the 2023 Grand Prix Final runner–up, won the men’s Singles in a tight competition over countryman and 2023 World Junior Champion Kao Miura, 258.42 to 257.89. Yamamoto won the Short Program, with Miura fourth, but then Miura won the Free Skate on Sunday, with Yamamoto third, but could not catch the leader. American Liam Kapeikis was eighth at 220.15.

It’s Yamamoto’s first career Grand Prix win.

Canada was the big winner in both Pairs and Ice Dance. Worlds fourth-placers Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps took the Pairs title with a 214.64 to 187.78 win over Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko of Hungary. Italy’s Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise finished third (181.42).

In Ice Dance, the two-time Worlds bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won both segments to win their third straight Skate Canada Internationale, 219.01 to 209.55 over European silver winners Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (GBR). Lithuanians Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius finished third (192.01), with the U.S. finished 4-5-6, with Oona Brown and Gage Brown (187.62), Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik (184.96) and Eva Pate and Logan Bye (181.46).

The circuit heads to Europe now, with the Grand Prix de France coming up next week in Angers.

● Football ● The U.S. women raised their energy level vs. Colombia in their second straight friendly, this time in San Diego, and came away with a dominant, 3-0 victory.

After the 0-0 tie on Thursday in Sandy, Utah, the U.S. started out with a much more determined offensive push in this game, with 57% of possession in the first 15 minutes and headers from midfield star Lindsey Horan in the 11th and 14th minutes that first went over the goal and then was saved by keeper Natalia Girado.

American striker Alex Morgan had a great chance in the 21st, but her left-footed shot from the middle of the box was saved by Girado with her right hand, and pushed to the side. Girado’s right arm was injured on the play and she had to be replaced in the 25th by veteran Sandra Sepulveda.

The U.S. was in almost total control, but could not score in the half even with 58% of possession – and it seemed like a lot more – and a 8-1 advantage on shots. There were 22 fouls in the first half alone.

The energy remained high in the second half and Colombia finally got a quality chance in the 48th, as midfielder Marcela Restrepo rifled a shot from the left of goal that U.S. keeper Casey Murphy was able to push over the net.

American interim coach Twila Kilgore substituted Mia Fishel, 22, for Morgan at striker to start the second half and she made her presence felt right away. She sent a centering pass from sub forward Jaedyn Shaw over the top of the net in the 49th, then changed the game seven minutes later.

The U.S. finally got a goal in the 56th, as Fishel headed in a perfect strike from midfielder Emily Sonnett from the right side of the field for the 1-0 lead. Fishel headed the ball down in the middle of the box and past Sepulveda; it’s her first goal for the U.S., in her second international appearance.

Then, in the 62nd, Horan settled under a long cross from the right side all the way to the left side from defender Emily Fox and volleyed the ball into the net on a line, whistling past Sepulveda for a 2-0 edge. That decided the issue.

The Americans got a final goal in the 83rd as substitute forward Alyssa Thompson, 18, forwarded a pass from the top of the box to a charging Shaw, whose powerful, right-footed shot went through the hands of Sepulveda for a final score. The U.S. ended with 56% of possession and a 20-3 advantage on shots; the unrelentingly physical nature of the match was underlined by 48 total fouls and five yellow cards (four on Colombia).

The U.S. women are now 3-0-1 (8-0 on goals) since returning from the Women’s World Cup and will face China in two friendlies in December to close out the year.

● Short Track ● Canada and Korea took three individual wins each at the ISU World Cup II in Montreal (CAN), and American Kristen Santos-Griswold scored two more medals.

Canada’s Jordan Pierre-Giles won the men’s 500 m final over 2016 World Champion Shaolin Liu, now of China, 40.349 to 40.420 and William Dandjinou took the men’s 1,500 m over 2022 Olympic Champion Dae-heon Hwang (KOR), 2:21.780 to 2:21.809.

Hwang also claimed a silver in the 1,000 m, with European silver medalist Jens van’t Wout (NED) winning in 2:21.780 to 2:21.809. The Koreans did get one men’s win with Gun-woo Kim taking the 1,500 m title over 2023 World Champion – and teammate – Ji-won Park, in 2:20.294 to 2:20.406.

The Korean squad won two women’s races, with Gil-li Kim taking the 1,500 m over Santos-Griswold, 2:34.588 to 2:34.829, with Corinne Stoddard of the U.S. sixth (3:32.912). Whi-min Seo was the 1,000 m winning by 1:31.288 to 1:31.471 over Canada’s Danae Blais. Kim also won a silver in the 1,500 m (2:24.770), won by Belgian Hanne Desmet – the Olympic 1,000 m bronze winner – in 2:24.672, with Santos-Griswold third in 2:24.851.

The Canadian women’s win was in the 500 m, with Rikki Doak beating Olympic relay gold medalist Selma Poutsma (NED), by 42.408 to 42.734.

The Korean women took charge in the final four laps and won the 3,000 m relay in 4:12.133, well ahead of the Dutch (4:20.607) and the U.S. (4:21.594).

Eunice Lee, Julie Letai, Santos-Griswold and Stoddard raced for the American team, which scored a silver last week and now a bronze, so Santos-Griswold has six medals in all in the first two weeks of the World Cup season. She took gold and bronze in the two 1,000 m races in the first World Cup in Montreal last week.

The World Cup series will take a break and resume on 8 December in Bejing (CHN).

● Speed Skating ● The amazing Jordan Stolz continued to dominate at the 2023 U.S. Long Track Championships in Milwaukee, taking four more races, while Olympic 500 m champ Erin Jackson showed she is still to be reckoned with.

Stolz, still just 19, won the World Championships golds in the 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m last season, and won the national titles in the same events, plus a bronze in the 5,000 m.

He did even a little better this time.

Stolz repeated in the 500 m, in 34.66 to 34.84 for Cooper McLeod on Friday, then won the 1,500 m in 1:42.31 to 1:44.45 for Emery Lehman. On Saturday, he skipped the second 500 m race (won by McLeod in 35.27), then won a silver in the 5,000 m in a lifetime best of 6:20.76, behind Casey Dawson’s 6:17.10.

On Sunday, he repeated in the 1,000 m, winning in 1:07.85, over McLeod (1:08.56) and then contested both of the 16-lap Mass Start races. He was second in the first race, with 40 points to 61 for Connor McDermott-Mostowy, then won the second race with 60 points to 40 for Ethan Cepuran.

So, six races, four wins and a 5,000 m silver in a lifetime best. Wow.

Jackson, now 31, won both of the 500 m races, taking Friday’s race over Kimi Goetz – a five-time medalist on the World Cup circuit last season – by 38.00 to 38.01, with four-time Worlds gold medalist Brittany Bowe third in 38.31. The same three finished in that order in Saturday’s 500 m, with Jackson at 37.38, Goetz at 37.64 and Bowe third in 38.33.

Bowe, 35, won the 1,500 m on Friday in 1:54.76, ahead of Goetz (1:55.68) and Mia Kilburg (1:57.18), but Kilburg came back to win the 3,000 m in 4:10.97, over Greta Myers (4:11.62).

On Sunday, Goetz upset Bowe in the 1,000 m, 1:13.85 to 1:15.51, with Jackson third in 1:16.08. Kilburg won the first Mass Start with 61 points and Piper Yde finished up with a win in the second Mass Start race, also with 61.

● Triathlon ● Another strong finish for comebacking Rio Olympic champ Gwen Jorgensen on the World Triathlon Cup circuit, finishing second in the Miyazaki, Japan event in 2:00:01 to Italy’s Bianca Seregni (1:59:43).

Seregni had an 11-second lead out of the bike phase and transition to the run and posted a 34:00 post for the 10 km run, with Jorgensen coming up from fourth, running 34:13 for the second-best run time. Jorgensen continues to pile up points to get into contention for a spot on the Paris Mixed Relay team.

She’s now 44th in the ITU Olympic Rankings list and the no. 7 among American athletes.

● Wrestling ● The United World Wresting World U-23 Championships concluded in Tirana (ALB), with another amazing tournament win for 19-year-old emerging American superstar Amit Elor.

Elor competed a second straight Worlds triple in 2023, winning the World Junior, World U-23 and World Championships gold in the same year! And she now has eight World titles as a teenager:

● 2 World Championships (2022: 72 kg, 2023: 72 kg)
● 2 World U-23 Championships (2022: 72 kg, 2023: 72 kg)
● 3 World U-20 Championships (2021: 68 kg, 2022: 72 kg, 2023: 72 kg)
● 1 World Cadet Championship (2021: 69 kg)

Elor won a bronze at the 2019 World Cadet Champs, so she owns a stellar World Championships record – at all levels – of 32-1. Wow!

In Tirana, Elor crushed her four foes, winning by pinfalls in 17 seconds, then 18 seconds, a 5-0 decision against 2022 World U-23 finalist Wiktoria Choluj of Poland and a 10-0 technical fall in the gold-medal match against India’s Jyoti Berwal.

She’ll be 20 on New Year’s Day, but her path to Paris in 2024 is hardly straightforward. The 72 kg class is not included on the Olympic program, so she will have to drop to 68 kg and the U.S. has yet to land a spot in the women’s 68 kg field. That effort will start in February. But for now, she’s an eight-time World Champion.

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TSX REPORT: U.S. skiing star Shiffrin begins season in Austria; American team wins five more medals at Pan Ams; Rugby World Cup final Saturday

By
Rich Perelman
-
American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Ski superstar Shiffrin returns to slopes at Soelden opener
2. U.S. up to 139 medals, earns five Paris boxing spots in Santiago
3. World Cup final has Rugby titans New Zealand and South Africa
4. U.S. women, Colombia struggle to scoreless draw in Utah
5. Queensland Premier not interested in Commonwealth Games rescue

● The FIS Alpine World Cup season begins with the Soelden Giant Slaloms in Austria on Saturday and Sunday, with American star Mikaela Shiffrin looking for a third straight World Cup overall title and more records. Swiss Marco Odermatt has also won two World Cup titles in a row and wants to start on a third.

● The U.S. added five medals to its total on a light day at the Pan American Games in Chile, bringing its total to 139. In boxing, the Pan Am Games is a major Olympic qualifier and the American fighters earned five quota places for Paris, with four U.S. boxers in Friday’s finals.

● Saturday brings the final of the Rugby World Cup in France, with three-time winners South Africa and New Zealand meeting for the 106th time and the second time in a World Cup final. Both teams are 5-1 in the tournament, with New Zealand’s All Blacks having routed four of their six foes, while the Springboks have had four of their matches decided by five points or less.

● The U.S. women’s national team played to a 0-0 tie with no. 22 Colombia in a friendly in a very cold Sandy, Utah on Thursday night. The game was mostly played in the middle of the field, although the Americans had some chances, with Alex Morgan missing a first-half penalty. The two teams will play again in San Diego on Sunday.

● Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk informed Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate that the state is not interested in a rescue operation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, abandoned by Victoria in July. The focus is on the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

● Panorama: Winter Games 2030 (French bid file moving right along) = Athletics (2: no change so far in Olympic Marathon Trials start time; what would a perfect track facility include?) = Football (2: Belgium, Germany and Netherlands bid for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup confirmed; Infantino completely cleared by Swiss prosecutors) = Judo (Russian “neutrals” win four at Abi Dhabi Grand Slam) ●

1.
Ski superstar Shiffrin returns to slopes at Soelden opener

The annual season-opener of the FIS Alpine World Cup, the giant slalom races on the Rettenbach Glacier at Soelden, Austria, comes this weekend, with defending World Cup champions Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) and Marco Odermatt (SUI) in action.

The amazing Shiffrin, now 28, set the all-time record for most career World Cup wins last season with 88 in all, passing Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86), and has won the last two seasonal World Cup titles and five in all. Moreover, she is the all-time leader for the most wins in the women’s Slalom (53) and Giant Slalom (21). She won 14 races last season; 12 more will get her to an astonishing 100.

But she has another impressive record ahead of her this season, for career World Cup medals won. Shiffrin sits in a tie for second with 138 total World Cup podiums (88-25-25) with Austria’s Marcel Hirscher (138 from 2007-19). But Stenmark is still on top with his career total of 155 (86-43-26) from 1973-89.

Shiffrin could also tie Austrian star Annemarie Moser-Proell (1969-80) for the most women’s seasonal title with six if she can win again this season; Hirscher is the all-time leader with eight. Of Moser-Proell, Shiffrin said, “She’s a complete trailblazer in ski racing and I would say that If I am able to match that title, or the six overalls, that would be probably the biggest accomplishment (of my career).”

Even with all these achievements, Shiffrin will face substantial challengers in Soelden, where she has won twice – in 2014 and 2021 – and won three silvers and one bronze.

Swede Sara Hector surprised with the Olympic gold in Beijing in 2022, trailed by Italian star Federica Brignone and Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami; Gut-Behrami was runner-up to Shiffrin in the World Cup Giant Slalom standings last season, ahead of Italy’s Marta Bassino and Slalom star Petra Vlhova (SVK).

Odermatt has won the last two seasonal titles, as well as the last two races at Soelden and was second in 2020, so he’s looking for his fourth race in a row there with a medal.

He will be challenged by familiar foes Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR). Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec and Alexis Pinturault (FRA). Kristoffersen finished second to Odermatt in the Giant Slalom standings the last two seasons, with 2022 Olympic silver medalist Kranjec third and Pinturault fifth. Pinturault is well familiar with Soelden, having won this race in 2016 and 2019. Kranjec has been second and third in the last two races in Soelden as well.

Norway’s Lucas Braathen won at Soelden in 2020 and was fourth in the 2021-22 Giant Slalom standings.

U.S. television coverage is only on the NBC Peacock streaming service, with the first run at 4 a.m. Eastern and second run at 7 a.m. Eastern on Saturday (women) and Sunday (men).

2.
U.S. up to 139 medals, earns five Paris boxing spots in Santiago

A very light finals day at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with just 12 finals, and the first day at which the U.S. did not win an event.

The American squad did win five more medals (0-2-3) to increase its medal total to 139 (59-40-40), with the silvers in shooting from James Hall in the men’s 10 m Air Pistol and Lexi Lagan in the women’s 10 m Air Pistol. Rachel Tozier won the women’s Trap bronze.

There is a lot of interest in the boxing competition, which is a major Paris 2024 qualifier, with 30 total quota places available. Brazil was the big winner with eight and the U.S. obtained five, and Cuba three. The American finalists and quota winners – with the championship bouts on Friday – include

● Men/57 kg: Jahmal Harvey (the 2021 World Champion)
● Men/+92 kg: Joshua Edwards
● Women/50 kg: Jennifer Lozano
● Women/60 kg: Jajaira Gonzalez (bronze medal)
● Women/66 kg: Morelle McCane

The U.S. also got a bronze from Roscoe Hill in the men’s 51 kg class. (The women’s 60 kg class had four quota places available, so the bronze medalists earned a Paris 2024 slot.)

The medal table shows the U.S. with 139 in all, followed by Canada (83: 29-24-30), Mexico (70: 30-15-25) and Brazil (66: 14-25-27).

Friday’s schedule has the 13 gold-medal matches in boxing and only nine other events, and there are just nine finals on Saturday. The track & field competition begins on Sunday; there are 71 event finals coming on Saturday, 4 November!

Super-statistician Dr. Bill Mallon, co-founder of the authoritative Olympedia.org, contributed some more highlights about Canadian swim star Maggie Mac Neil, who won seven medals in swimming (5-1-1):

“‘Mac Neil’ is the proper spelling of her name, even though it’s unusual; we’ve confirmed it several ways. …

“On her 7 medals: it only ties her for 31st place at the PAG for most medals at a single Games, but mostly because back in the day both Gymnastics and Shooting had team events in almost all the various events.

“However, among swimmers, she is equal-4th all-time at the PAG for a single edition – behind Thiago Pereira (BRA) who won 8 in 2007 and 2011 (oddly both years he was 6-1-1), and Sylvia Poll (CRC), who won 8 in 1987.”

3.
World Cup final has Rugby titans New Zealand and South Africa

The 2023 Rugby World Cup in France began way back on 8 September and after 47 matches, it will come down to the only two teams which have won the tournament three times: South Africa and New Zealand, at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

The teams are ranked first and second, with defending Rugby World Cup champion, top-ranked South Africa, trying to defeat no. 2 New Zealand, which won the prior two World Cup trophies in 2011 and 2015. Amazingly, neither won their groups, but here they are playing for the championship:

New Zealand (5-1):
● lost to France, 27-13 (Pool A)
● defeated Namibia, 71-3 (Pool A)
● defeated Italy, 96-17 (Pool A)
● defeated Uruguay, 73-0 (Pool A)
● defeated Ireland, 28-24 (quarterfinals)
● defeated Argentina, 44-6 (semifinals)

South Africa (5-1):
● defeated Scotland, 18-3 (Pool B)
● defeated Romania, 76-0 (Pool B)
● lost to Ireland, 13-8 (Pool B)
● defeated Tonga, 49-18 (Pool B)
● defeated France, 29-28 (quarterfinals)
● defeated England, 16-15 (semifinals)

The game will be played at the 80,698-capacity Stade de France, which will also be the main stadium for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and televised in the U.S. on CNBC and Peacock. The game will be replayed on NBC on Sunday at noon Eastern.

These two teams are old foes, with 105 prior matches and New Zealand’s All-Blacks leading the Springboks, 62-39, with four ties. They met once before in the Rugby World Cup final, in 1995, in Johannesburg (RSA), with the home team winning, 15-12 in extra time.

New Zealand’s Will Jordan is the tournament lead in tries with eight, with teammates Leicester Fainga’anuku and Damian McKenzie tied for third with five each. Cobus Reinach leads South Africa with four.

McKenzie and Richie Mo’unga are the top two overall scorers for the All Blacks, with 57 and 53 points. Manie Libbok leads South Africa with 22 total points and Handre Pollard has scored 21.

In the third-place game on Friday (3 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock), Argentina will meet England, with the English trying to win their fifth medal in the 10 editions of the World Cup (1-3-0 so far). Argentina was third in 2007 and lost the 2015 bronze-medal match to South Africa.

The tournament has been a winner at the gate, with 2,279,469 attendees through 46 matches, an average of 49,554. It’s already the second-most-attended World Cup ever, and will finish close behind the all-time record of 2,477,805 for the 2015 tournament in England. The 2027 edition will be played in Australia, and in the U.S. in 2031.

4.
U.S. women, Colombia struggle to scoreless draw in Utah

Colombia’s women’s team, one of the darlings of the FIFA Women’s World Cup that was barely eliminated in the quarterfinals, held the U.S. women to a 0-0 tie in a friendly on a cold Thursday night in Sandy, Utah.

The no. 3-ranked U.S. came in having won two post-World Cup matches against South Africa in September, while 22nd-ranked Colombia – with many of their World Cup players – was playing its first match since their World Cup exit.

The first half saw lots of action between the boxes, but no serious chances in the first 20 minutes, and then a shot by U.S. striker Alex Morgan in the 25th from the middle of the box was saved by Colombian keeper Natalia Girado.

But off a corner kick in the 43rd minute, Colombia was called for a defender Daniela Arias foul in the box, sending Morgan to the penalty spot, but her shot hit the right post and she kicked the rebound over the goal. The game was scoreless at the half, with the U.S. taking four shots to one for Colombia, with possession even.

More of the same in the second half, but with more U.S. play in the Colombian half and a couple of Morgan shots in the first 20 minutes. In the 74th, U.S. substitute striker Ashley Hatch outran a defender to a ball in the box and launched a tricky, left-footed shot from the corner of the penalty area that had to be saved by Girado.

Colombia’s speed got to the U.S. lead passes and crosses to keep the game scoreless and its offense made only occasional forays into the U.S. end and did not threaten American keeper Alyssa Naeher seriously. The U.S. had a final chance as substitute forward Sophia Smith slammed a left-footed shot from close to the endline near the left side of the Colombian goal that was stopped by Girado, then got by her, hit the post, but rolled away at 95+1.

The game finished with the U.S. in 53% of possession and a 9-3 edge on shots, but was the third game this year where the Americans failed to score, including their last two matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U.S. women are now 9-0-2 all-time vs. Colombia.

The teams will meet again on Sunday in San Diego, California at 5:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30 p.m. Pacific), to be shown on TNT, Max, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and FDP Radio.

5.
Queensland Premier not interested in Commonwealth Games rescue

“I’ve told him we do not have the time to do all the security arrangements that will be needed for his bid. Our priority, and we’ve got a long lead time, is in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“And I’ve told Tom this, that I don’t think that bid can go forward without state and commonwealth approval because all the security arrangement are joint… there’s also all the planning and transport – it takes years, it doesn’t just happen overnight.”

That’s Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, speaking this week of a conversation with Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who has been pushing for a rescue of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by Gold Coast, the successful host of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games was abandoned by July by Victoria, which had agreed to host the Games, and later agreed to pay a withdrawal fee of A$380 million (about $240 million U.S.). No other host has come forward, with Commonwealth Games Australia looking for another host there and saying a delay to 2027 would be acceptable.

Tate, the promotion-minded Mayor of Gold Coast, noted that the facilities used for 2018 are available and that the event could create a significant injection of tourism spending. But his efforts to get government support in Queensland appear to have failed, with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games on the horizon.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● David Lappartient, the head of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) told the FrancsJeux.com site that the bid by two French regions, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AURA) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur ( PACA), is proceeding well.

Although late into the game, a preliminary bid file was sent to the International Olympic Committee on 13 October, an updated proposal is due on 7 November and a meeting with the IOC Future Host Commission for the Winter Games could come on 21 November. That’s in advance of the next IOC Executive Board meeting, in Paris, beginning on 29 November. Said Lappartient, who is also the President of the Union Cycliste Internationale, “We are on time.”

No venue construction is expected and all of the sites except for long-track speed skating have been identified. No budget has been announced and Lappartient wants to be well prepared before saying anything:

“Candidates sometimes tend to minimize the cost in the application phase, and then people say that the Games cost more than expected. I am more in line with planning Games that cost as little as possible, but also announcing the most realistic budget possible.”

Sweden and Switzerland are also looking at a 2030 bid in earnest; a choice for “targeted dialogue” could come from the IOC Executive Board meeting in Paris.

● Athletics ● U.S. marathon star Sara Hall, fifth at the 2022 Worlds, posted the first notice about the 12 October discussions over the start time for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida on 3 February 2024 on X (formerly Twitter):

“Everyone is willing to move earlier except [local organizing committee], [Greater Orlando Sports Commission]. Even @nbc is willing to broadcast live earlier.

“Counting on Orlando to protect the integrity of the event and put athletes’ safety first!”

The start time of noon Eastern is being criticized by athletes as being too late in the day due to expected hot and humid weather, and have asked for a 6 a.m. start time instead.

European Athletics chief executive Christian Milz (SUI) was asked about a perfect track & field facility at a conference on field surfaces and offered this dream scenario:

“Well, if this is for a ‘magic wand’ type of answer, I would like to see a rotating field-of-play so that spectators could see all field events irrespective of where they would be seated, or equipment such as high jump [standards] to be retractable from the floor, and a new system for the discus and hammer cages to be more ‘transparent.’

“Secondly, I’d love to see a long/triple jump take-off board with a red or green LED light that gives immediate feedback on whether the jump was valid or a foul.

“Finally, I’d like to see more of the technology already used in track construction to enhance the event production with lights shows and video-mapping that’s not currently affordable for all – and new technology that can also be used in daylight.”

Possible? When?

● Football ● “The Royal Belgian Football Federation (RBFA), Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and German Football Association (DFB) are excited to announce the official launch of their joint bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. This announcement comes following many months of visible activity in laying the groundwork in preparation around today’s formal launch.”

Wednesday’s announcement confirms the leading European bid for the next Women’s World Cup. The U.S. and Mexico are jointly bidding for the event, as are Brazil and South Africa. Among the bidders, the U.S. and Germany have previously hosted the tournament.

Bid documents are due in December, with the final award to be made on 17 May 2024 by the FIFA Congress.

FIFA was notified that the Swiss Federal inquiry into meetings between President Gianni Infantino (SUI) and former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber in 2016 has been closed.

A triumphal announcement included:

“Now it is official: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has always acted absolutely correctly and lawfully in his relations with the Swiss public prosecutors who were investigating the ‘old FIFA’! The new FIFA is today a clean, well run and robust organisation which operates in accordance with the highest ethical and governance standards. …

“The outcome of this investigation is obviously entirely unsurprising. The only surprising element is only the long time taken to reach such an obvious conclusion.”

Said Infantino: “This is a full and clear victory for me, for the new FIFA and for justice!

“It is now clear that the accusations against me were mere attempts by poor, envious and corrupt people to attack my reputation. If these people have some dignity left, they should at least have the decency and apologise for their actions and the damage caused.”

● Judo ● The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam stop on the IJF World Tour concluded in the UAE on Thursday, and while the official medal table showed Italy (3) and Canada (2) with the most wins, in fact, Russian fighters – competing as so-called “neutrals” – won four classes.

Co-World Champion Inal Tasoev won his eighth career Grand Slam gold in the +100 kg class; reigning World Champion Arman Adamian won the 100 kg class over 2021 Worlds silver medalist Aleksander Kukolj (SRB); David Karapetyan, 23, took his first Grand Slam title at 81 kg, and Marina Taimazova won the women’s 70 kg division for her third career Grand Slam title.

Russian “neutrals” also won five bronze medals.

The Italian and Canadian wins all came in the women’s classes, with Worlds bronze medalist Assunta Scutto winning at 48 kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Odette Giuffrida taking the 52 kg gold, and Alice Bellandi, the Worlds bronze winner in 2023, taking the 78 kg class.

Canada got wins from 2021 World Champion Jessica Klimkait at 57 kg (over fellow Canadian and 2023 World Champion Christa Deguchi), and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard at 63 kg.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Lots of different ways to “uniform” the U.S. track & field team; 25 more U. S. Pan Am medals; angst in Tahiti over Paris ‘24

By
Rich Perelman
-
Americans Grant Holloway (c) and Freddie Crittenden (r) finishing 1-4 at the World Athletics Championships; why aren't their uniforms the same? (Photo courtesy USATF)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Uniforming the U.S. track & field team is anything but uniform
2. U.S. wins 25 medals, MacNeil has seven at Pan Am Games
3. Paris 2024 tower plan for Tahiti being protested
4. Bob-luge-skeleton site for 2026 now more confused
5. Feisty FIS slaps back at “Protect Our Winters” petition

● Outfitting the U.S. track and field team is a big task, with as many as 20 national teams competing each year. International team logistics chief Brad Birling explained the process, the enormous number of items involved and the choices each athlete gets to make, explaining why there is so little uniformity in the American uniforms.

● The American team continued its medal-winning ways at the Pan American Games in Chile, collecting 25 more on Wednesday, including eight golds. The biggest winner at the Games has been Canadian swim star Maggie MacNeil, with seven total medals and five golds.

● The Paris 2024 plan for the surfing events in Tahiti has run into protests from the community, principally concerning the installation of a 46-foot-high aluminum tower for judges and technical support that will require sinking rods into a coral reef.

● The continuing discussion over where to hold the bobsled, luge and skeleton events at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games went sideways with a meeting in Milan, with the head of the organizing committee saying he still supports a new track in Cortina. It appears to be about Italian politics.

● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) has taken a remarkably aggressive stance toward its detractors since the ascension of Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch to its Presidency, with public statements pushing back against environmental activists and news media!

● Panorama: International Olympic Committee (Paris Qualifier TV rights explored for future sales) = Russia (Russian Wushu fed refuses to attend 2023 Worlds in Ft. Worth) = Aquatics (World Aquatics says no pressure to remove 2024 Worlds from Doha) = Athletics (2: AIU Road Running Report says testing program to return to normal in 2023; Massat gives up winner’s purse to runner sent on the wrong route) = Basketball (record number of international players on opening-day NBA rosters) = Boxing (IBA provisionally admits two, World Boxing adds five) = Cycling (2024 Tour de France route revealed, will not finish in Paris) = Rowing (2025 European Champs withdrawn from Serbia due to 2023 elections!) = Ski & Snowboard (FIS says three candidates for 2028 FIS Games) ●

● Errata: Some readers saw a version of Wednesday’s post where the topic summary noted an Uruguayan stamp that honored IOC President “Beach.” Of course, it’s “Bach,” as in Thomas Bach. Sorry about that; now corrected. ●

1.
Uniforming the U.S. track & field team is anything but uniform

A photo of the finish of the men’s 110 m hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary shows American stars Grant Holloway – the winner in 12.96 – and Freddie Crittenden – fourth in 13.16 – both running in U.S. uniforms.

Except they weren’t the same uniforms at all.

Sure, both had a red-and-blue striped top that said “USA” on the chest and blue bottoms. But look closer.

Holloway has a tank top and traditional athletic shorts. Crittenden has a half-zip top and compression shorts. Aren’t they supposed to be the same?

No, says Brad Birling, the USA Track & Field International Teams Manager:

“For a World Championship, every athlete gets the full training and travel uniform selection and then they get to pick out four different uniforms that they would want to compete in for their rounds, their semifinals and their finals.

“So we basically just have a list-out of ‘these are the pieces that are available,’ and we try to direct them to what pieces are designed for what disciplines, so we have pieces that are more for jumps, more for sprints, more for distance, but we really leave it up to the athletes to select what pieces are going to work for them and what works best: what’s going to give them the best opportunity for success when it comes to at least that uniform piece.

“When they go through team processing, they are able to try on pieces and everything, get the right fit to find whether or not they prefer to have a Boy Short or a Sprint Brief or a Half Tight vs. a Field Short, or whatever the case is. So they have the opportunity to try stuff on – if they want to – and we leave it up to the athletes to select what works out best for them when it comes to uniforms.”

Birling says he goes through more than 20,000 pieces of gear every year to outfit the roughly 20 teams USATF fields on an annual basis. Most of the outfitting takes place at whatever the selection meet is, like the USATF Nationals:

“We will do the best we can to kit them on-site [at the selection meet]. That way they have everything right when they leave, they have the opportunity to try stuff on, so it minimizes the issue of having to send back sizes and switch that out. The major events like where we have a selection event that decides the team, we try to get them kitted on-site and give them their stuff right then and there, so they already have it in hand.

“It all goes into a suitcase; we give them a suitcase, and backpack and whatnot.”

And that suitcase is full. Birling listed the uniform items for selection and the added items distributed to a World Championships team member this year:

Men/Uniform options for selection:
● Singlet
● Short Sleeve Race Top
● Muscle Tank
● Short Sleeve Unitard
● Tank Unitard
● Short Sleeve Throw Top
● Tank Throw Top
● Race Short
● Half Tight
● Field Short

Women/Uniform items for selection:
● Singlet
● Airborne Top
● Sprint Cover
● FK Sprint Cover
● Tank Unitard
● Short Sleeve Throw Top
● Tank Throw Top
● Race Short
● Half Tight
● Distance Brief
● Boy Short
● FK Sprint Boy Short
● Sprint Brief
● Field Short

All athletes (29-32 pieces):
● Warm Up Full Tight
● Warm Up Tee
● Long Sleeve Half Zip Top
● Podium Jacket
● Podium Pant
● Rain Jacket
● Rain Pant
● Woven Jacket
● Woven Pant
● Fleece Hoodie
● Fleece Pant
● T-Shirt (x2)
● Long Sleeve Tee
● Tank Top
● Socks (x4)
● Arm Sleeves
● Leg Sleeves
● Roller Suitcase
● Gymsack
● Backpack
● Beanie
● Rain Hat
● Aeorbill Cap
● Aerobill Visor
● Legacy 91 Cap
● Warm Up Capri Tight (women only)
● Crop Tee (women only)
● Fierce Bra (women only)

USATF is outfitted by Nike, so some of the item names reflect Nike’s nomenclature. And Nike had an idea for an additional uniform for the Worlds, just for the relay teams. Birling explained:

“Nike just kind of brought up the idea of having something different to kind of set us apart a little bit, and set the relays apart. They came up with a different design, specifically for the relay teams for the U.S. Essentially, they are the same pieces; for the men’s, for instance, it’s still a Half Tight, it’s still a Muscle Tank. They are the same material, construction, that kind of thing as the regular kit, just a different color way. Same thing with the women, the unitards and whatnot.”

The relay uniforms had a more dramatic red-white-blue motion-line scheme, as shown on the men’s and women’s 4×100 m gold-medal winners (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics):

Said Birling, “All the relay uniforms are issued on-site, so I bring those. Once the rosters are named, I have the list of the relay pools, obviously the men’s and women’s 100 and 400 and then I always add a little extra in there. But I bring all the relay uniforms with me and issue those to athletes on-site, because at the end of the day, our relay coaches can still make changes up to the last minute, and that might mean a different athlete needs a different uniform and they might be a slightly different size, so I try to be prepared for that athlete to have what they need right then and there for any possible changes that happen.”

Birling, a five-year USATF veteran, also noted the uniform design cycle:

“Every four years, Nike will design a new uniform kit for us that essentially starts with each Olympic team. So, for instance, next year we have a brand new kit for the Paris team and that kit will be available only to the Olympic team during the 2024 year, and then we will transition that to all of our international teams through 2028 and the same thing will repeat again. In 2028, the Olympic team will have the new quad uniform, and so on.

“For this one, out of this assortment, I think it’s fair to say that Nike is very much a company that like to kind of push innovation and whatnot, so a lot of times, when it comes to track & field, USA tends to be kind of the testing ground for some new, innovative uniform pieces and that kind of thing.”

And there is a special moment in the uniforming program he always enjoys:

“One of the best parts of this job is when you’re at processing, and an athlete comes up for the first time to make a USA Track & Field team, and you can just see the excitement in their face and everything when you open up that suitcase and their uniform is pressed and ready to go for them to take away. Definitely a rewarding part of the job for sure.

“That’s when it hits them.”

2.
U.S. wins 25 medals, MacNeil has seven at Pan Am Games

Through five days at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, the United States has won 134 medals, including 25 on Wednesday, of which eight were golds:

● Badminton: Beiwen Zhang, women’s Singles
● Gymnastics: Curran Phillips, men’s Parallel Bars
● Gymnastics: Kaliya Lincoln, women’s Floor Exercise
● Rowing: Madeleine Focht and Veronica Nicacio, women’s Double Sculls
● Rowing: Mixed Eights
● Shooting: Mary Tucker, women’s 20 m Rifle/3 Positions
● Swimming: Men’s 4×100 m Medley
● Swimming: Rachel Stege, women’s 1,500 m Free

The pool swimming events concluded with the U.S. squad winning a staggering 46 medals in 36 events, including 19 golds, 17 silvers and 10 bronzes. The final-day swims included the men’s 4×100 m relay, with emerging sprint star Jonny Kulow anchoring in a speedy 47.32, his best of the meet and winning his sixth medal overall (2-4-0).

Not to be overlooked, however, was 20-year-old Brazilian star Gui Caribe, a sophomore at Tennessee, who split 46.94 to bring his team the silver medal over Canada.

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil, the Tokyo Olympic 100 m Butterfly champ was the biggest winner, with seven total medals (5-1-1), three individual wins in the women’s 50-100 m Frees and 100 m Fly and four more medals on relays. She helped Canada with the Fly leg in their 0.63-second win over the U.S. in the women’s 4×100 m Medley on Wednesday, 3:58.76 to 3:59.39.

Diving concluded with Mexico taking eight golds in 10 events and winning 11 medals overall. Canada’s Pamela Ware won the women’s 1 m and 3 m Springboard events, while Osmar Olvera won three golds for Mexico in the 1 m-3 m and 3, Synchro events.

In gymnastics, Brazil topped the medal count with 14 (3-9-2), although the U.S. won seven out of the 14 events. Canada’s Felix Dolci won five medals, with wins in the men’s All-Around and Floor, the Team silver and bronzes on Rings and Vault. The U.S.’s Donnell Whittenburg won three medals, with the Team gold, Rings gold and All-Around bronze; he now has seven career Pan American Games medals.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the 2023 Worlds All-Around silver winner, was everywhere in the women’s competition, winning a Team silver, golds on Vault and Beam and a silver on the Uneven Bars. The U.S. women won the Team title for the sixth straight time and All-Around winner Kayla DiCello also won a Floor silver for three medals in all; Jordan Chiles also won three, with a Vault silver and All-Around bronze.

The U.S. and Chile both won 10 medals in rowing, with the Americans taking five golds and Hannah Paynter winning four medals herself, in Pairs (gold, with Isabela Darvin), Mixed Eights (gold), women’s Fours (silver) and women’s Eights (silver). Veronica Nicacio and Madeleine Focht won golds in the women’s Double Sculls, women’s Quadruple Sculls and the women’s Eights.

Overall, the U.S. has 134 total medals (59-38-37), ahead of Canada (76: 28-23-25), Mexico (64: 26-15-23) and Brazil (61: 14-24-23). The competitions continue through 5 November; the event is being shown on the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

3.
Paris 2024 tower plan for Tahiti being protested

Nothing is easy, especially when it comes to the Olympic Games. For the Paris 2024 organizers, the staging of the surfing competition in far-away Tahiti now includes friction with the local community of Teahupo’o, where the event will be staged.

The plans call for the installation of a 14 m aluminum tower (about 46 feet) for the judges and technical team, built 800 m from shore, which has drawn protests from a local heritage group. Atihau association vice president Milton Parker told Agence France Presse:

“As soon as they start breaking the coral, we’re going to have to step in. It’s going to be a disaster.”

The installation is projected to cost €4.4 million (about $4.65 million U.S.), far more than what is used for other surfing events at the site, where a temporary, covered wooden platform is used and then removed. The 2024 tower plan includes an air-conditioned room for computer servers supported by a 20 cm-wide (7.9 inch) undersea cable and a restroom with a drainage system.

The French Polynesian government is in favor of the project, but an online petition against the project has received 70,000 supporters. The aluminum tower was designed over concerns that a wooden platform would not meet safety standards.

Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet told reporters at a Paris event, that “The objective is to continue to move forward, to listen. This project can still be changed to make sure it responds even better to the concerns of the local population. We want to preserve this site absolutely.”

4.
Bob-luge-skeleton site for 2026 now more confused

A meeting on Tuesday of the major players in the ongoing saga of the Milan Cortina 2026 sliding track produced no results other than confusion.

According to a report in the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidario, organizing committee Chair Giovanni Milago himself said that he still supports a track in Cortina, despite not a single company bidding on the project specified by the government’s Olympic construction arm, Simico.

Now the governor of the Veneto region, which includes Cortina d’Ampezzo, Luca Zaia, is angry because his region will now only host curling and women’s alpine skiing, and is asking for some of the men’s alpine races to be moved from Bormio, in Lombardy.

The discussion about the Cesana Pariol site, built for the Turin 2006 Winter Games, but which has not been in use for years and would require extension renovations, continued, apparently in part due to political considerations.

In the meantime, whichever track is to be used is expected to be available for testing during the winter of 2024-25, just about a year away. The existing World Cup tracks in Innsbruck (AUT), St. Moritz (SUI) and elsewhere are standing by.

5.
Feisty FIS slaps back at “Protect Our Winters” petition

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation, better known as FIS, has taken a decidedly more aggressive turn since Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch was elected as President in 2021.

The federation is collecting all of its broadcasting rights with the belief that it can make a much better deal for all of its events than for only some. It is creating a giant, essentially all-discipline “FIS Games” in 2028 to showcase its sports between Olympic Winter Games and its single-sport championships held in odd years.

And it is taking no abuse from critics it believes are grandstanding at its expense. The latest slap came on Monday, in a direct reply to an Instagram post by Protect Our Winters Switzerland on 19 October that included: “When we saw photos of excavators digging into the Theodul glacier in Zermatt and bulldozers destroying glacier ice in Solden, it became crystal clear. This cannot continue.”

The FIS reply ripped into the Protect Our Winters Switzerland post:

● “Instead of shallow and attention-grabbing campaigns, we support long-term, practical projects that will make a meaningful difference both to the future of our planet and to our athletes.”

● “For your petition you used a picture that was not taken in recent times but in the year 2019 from WWF Austria. This picture doesn’t even show the Rettenbach Glacier/Sölden or the Theodul Glacier/Zermatt but the Pitztal Glacier and therefore has absolutely no connection to the FIS Alpine World Cup. In this case there is no doubt that you are trying to incite hostility towards FIS by deliberately misleading the public using false information. We must inform you that such conduct is unethical and we ask you to correct that with immediate effect.”

● “Your campaign is highly unattractive. Your actions do not only harm the reputation of FIS but the future of skiing and snowboarding and the credibility of everyone who is genuinely trying to fight for climate action.”

This is hardly the first such post from FIS. On 28 April of this year, Eliasch responded to a letter from Greenpeace – which accused FIS of “greenwashing” – noting:

“Climate protection is a cause I have been personally passionate about for thirty years. Progress will be made through practical actions that are rooted in climate justice and research on what works. Let me repeat: I share your anxieties about the effect that climate change is having – and will have – on us all. I am determined that we at FIS will do our part to help avert climate disaster.

“Equally, Greenpeace should do its part in engaging constructively in an educated and fact-based manner with those seeking to affect genuine change and respecting the rights of indigenous people.”

An athlete petition in February asked FIS to do more on climate change and FIS replied two days later on its Web site, stating:

“There is also a call for FIS to be carbon neutral; in fact, we are going further. In 2022, FIS became the first Climate Positive international sports federation. This began with a detailed carbon footprint estimate of all competitions staged during a full season, carried out by industry leader Planet Mark. Then FIS established a mechanism through which we can invest to offset those annual emissions many times over: the FIS Rainforest Initiative.”

And FIS has pushed back – hard – against news media it believes are grandstanding. Consider this notice from 7 February of this year:

“In recent days, FIS received requests for information from journalists writing for Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Kleine Zeitung and Salzburger Nachrichten. These journalists were particularly keen to ask questions about the fact that Head provided the FIS official outfits for the 22-23 season; FIS President Johan Eliasch is the Chairman of Head.

“Keen to assist the journalists with their enquiries, FIS promptly provided the timeline of events set out in a statement, showing that (a) there was no conflict of interests (b) Head did the job as a favour to FIS, at a financial loss, (c) Head did not brand the products and therefore (d) neither President Eliasch nor Head made any gain from this move, directly or indirectly.

“It seems the straightforwardness of the FIS response has prompted a change of heart from these journalists, who have now requested that their original questions – and the FIS answers – be removed from the website.

“Considering that journalists’ prime motive should be to expose the truth and shine a light on the facts, the eagerness to have their own questions – and the factual answers provided – taken off the website and out of the public domain is interesting. It may even lead objective observers to conclude that the facts did not suit the journalists’ agenda.”

On 28 February, the FIS site featured this:

“FIS refers to various articles in Finnish media concerning the future participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions. In these articles, the statements of FIS President Johan Eliasch are used in a misleading way to draw fabricated and unfounded conclusions.

“The FIS position on this topic has not changed: FIS, together with other International Federations, has been following the IOC recommendations and is fully supportive of the IOC’s initiative to seek the adoption of the UN Resolution ‘Sport as an enabler of sustainable development’ by the United Nations General Assembly on 1 December 2022.

“Any further decisions with regards to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at FIS competitions will be taken by the FIS Council taking into account all points of view and implications.”

On Wednesday (25th), the FIS Council continued its ban on Russian and Belarusian participation in its events.

Observed: This is a fascinating study in aggressive public relations from FIS, and from Eliasch, one whose impact will not be known for some time. But it showcases an often-unseen willingness to demand as much rectitude from its critics as the critics demand from FIS. Very few other federations have been as bold.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● Sport Business reported that the IOC is exploring the packaging of Olympic qualifying events for sale to broadcasters in an attempt to expand interest outside of the Games period.

A first Olympic Qualifier Series will take place for BMX Freestyle, breaking, skateboarding, and sport climbing in two stages in 20204, in Shanghai (CHN) on May 16-19 and in Budapest (CHN) on June 20-23. If interest is shown, the concept could be significantly expanded for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

● Russia ● The Russian Wushu Federation has refused to compete at the World Wushu Championship, to be held in Ft. Worth, Texas, from 16-20 November because of sanctions.

RWF Executive Secretary Mikhail Kozhemyakin told the Russian news agency TASS:

“Representatives of the Russian Wushu team will not take part in the World Championship due to discriminatory restrictions.

“It is unacceptable for us to compete at international competitions without the flag and anthem of our country. This is a decision of both the presidium of our federation and the athletes themselves.

“We learned in advance that the federations of the European Union countries agreed to boycott the World Championship if Russian athletes come to these competitions even without a flag and anthem. Everything is similar to the [2022] Paralympic Games in China. Therefore, we intend to wait until the international federation begins to act in strict accordance with its charter and the Olympic Charter, renouncing discrimination on political grounds.

“The International Wushu Federation is now led by people who are, let’s say, under American influence. An elective congress will be held as part of the World Championship, and one of the candidates for the post of leader is the Minister of Sports of China. We hope that if the government changes, the situation will improve.

“Our federation is working on new alternative formats for competitions with those countries that do not support the discriminatory policies of international sports organizations, primarily the BRICS and SCO countries. The Russian Wushu team participates in international competitions only under the flag and anthem of their country.”

● Aquatics ● World Aquatics said that it has not received requests from national federations to remove the 2024 World Aquatics Championships from Doha (QAT).

World Aquatics chief executive Brent Nowicki (USA) said in an e-mail message to SwimSwam.com: “World Aquatics is not facing any pressure to move the event in Doha and not a single country has contacted us in this respect.”

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported last week that multiple national federations had asked about moving the 2024 Worlds in view of Qatar’s support of Hamas in Gaza.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit released its 2022 Road Running Report, showing that testing was returning to normal after the pandemic.

The most encouraging part of the report was in the introduction from Chair David Howman (NZL):

“In 2022, the programme operated within a budget of $1.43 million – less than half of the normal projected budget of $3 million annually – and with actual expenditure of $1.35 million. The number of athletes in the road runners’ Registered Testing Pool (RTP) rose to 91 athletes (from 40) with another 116 athletes in the Monitoring Pool. Meanwhile, the World Athletics Label Road Race calendar jumped to nearly 200 races in more than 40 countries, from 88 races in 2021.

“However, in 2023, the RTP is at full capacity, with an estimated 150 elite men and women athletes each – totalling at least 300 road runners in a well-controlled testing environment – from which race organisers can choose athletes to compete in their events.”

The testing volume is expected to reach 1,450 in-competition and 2,000 out-of-competition tests in 2023, vs. 1,878 total tests in 2022 from 903 athletes from 68 countries.

The Registered Testing Pool athletes underwent an average of six tests each during 2022, up from four in 2021. The total testing pool in 2022 was 206 athletes with 90 from Kenya and 91 from Ethiopia – that’s 87.4% – with Bahrain and Uganda next with four each (the U.S. had two).

The report showed 19 cases of sanctions, with penalties from three months to six years; of these, 14 were Kenyan and one each from Argentina, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lebanon and Turkey.

Morocco’s Mohamed Massat won the 2023 Quijote Half Marathon in Ciudad Real, Spain in 67:08 last Sunday, but refused to accept the winner’s prize of €500.

Instead, he insisted it go to second-place finisher Peter Kariuki (KEN: 67:56), who was leading, but was sent by a race official on a detour that ended up with Kariuki running an extra 1,000 m before rejoining the leaders. Said Massat:

“I finished first, but for me the winner is Peter Kariuki. He was well ahead of me and because of a mistake at the end of the circuit he went the other way. The winner is him, he was going to arrive before me.”

Massat took the second-place prize of €300 instead. Wow.

● Basketball ● The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) noted that a record number of international players – 125 – were on the opening-night rosters of NBA teams as the season opens. That’s about 28% of the total of approximately 450 opening-night players on the 30 NBA teams.

The 125 total is slightly higher than the previous record of 121 from 2017-18 and 2021-22. Every NBA team has at least one international, with Canada – as usual, for the 10th season in a row – having the most, with 26. France has 14 and Australia has nine.

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association provisionally re-admitted Switzerland, subject to the vote at a Congress later this year, and added the Norfolk Island Boxing Association for the first time. The Swiss federation leadership voted to move to World Boxing, but the membership reversed the decision and a new board was elected.

Meanwhile, World Boxing announced five new members – Philippines, Scotland, Wales, Suriname and the U.S. Virgin Islands – to bring its total to 27. This is in advance of its founding Congress on 25 November in Frankfurt (GER).

● Cycling ● The route for the 111th Tour de France in 2024 was announced Wednesday, with the race to finish in Nice on 21 July, due to the preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

It will be the first time that the famous race will not be finishing in Paris. Moreover, the usual non-competitive, final-day ride for the Tour leaders will be replaced with a 34 km Individual Time Trial from Monaco to Nice, in which anything could happen. It’s the first Tour to finish with a Time Trial since 1989.

The 2023 route promises to be punishing, with two different stage groups in the Alps, plus two stages in the Pyrenees:

● 8 Flat stages: 3-5-6-8-10-12-13-16
● 2 Time Trials: 7-21
● 4 Hilly stages: 1-2-9-18
● 7 Mountain stages: 4-11-14-15-17-19-20

The race will start in Italy – for the first time ever – on 29 June in Florence, with the fourth stage being the first in France. There will be four uphill finishes, with 52,230 m of climbing (about 32.5 miles) in all.

● Rowing ● A further, sad commentary on the state of sport vis-a-vis governments came from World Rowing’s announcement on Monday:

“Due to parliamentary and local elections planned in Serbia towards the end of 2023 – encompassing the Serbian parliament, the Mayor of Belgrade and the Belgrade Assembly – and considering the risk of a delay in the funding and establishment of a Local Organizing Committee for the 2025 European Rowing Championships, World Rowing, European Rowing and the Serbian Rowing Federation have jointly agreed on a postponement of the Event to a later year.

“The decision regarding the year when the European Rowing Championships will be held in Belgrade will be communicated by the parties in due time.”

The award of the event to Belgrade was made in February of this year.

● Ski and Snowboard ● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) Council met on Wednesday and reported that three countries have expressed interest in the new, all-discipline FIS Games planned for 2028. The deadline for filing expressions of interest is 1 November. Also:

“The current FIS policy, which does not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials at FIS events, will remain in effect until further notice.”

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Government respect for sport is fading fast; U.S. zips past 100 Pan Am medals; single-day tickets for U.S. swimming trials now available!

By
Rich Perelman
-
American Natalia Grossman celebrates her win in the women's Sport Climbing Boulder + lead event at the Pan Am Games (Photo: Sebastian Nanco/ Santiago 2023 vía Photosport)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. LANE ONE: Governments care less and less about the “autonomy of sport”
2. U.S. passes 100 medals, adds 10 golds at Pan Am Games
3. Renovation of the Turin 2006 track for 2026 being explored
4. Single-day tickets for 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials available
5. Modest U.S. TV interest in Skate America, or U.S. men’s soccer

● The International Olympic Committee insists on the autonomy of sport, away from government interference, but the reality is now quite different. From just this summer forward, China has twice refused standard entry visas to Indian athletes and Albania just refused to allow Iranian wrestlers to come to the U-23 World Championships. This is on top of all of the tumult over Russian and Belarusian participation in international competitions or in Paris next year. The implications are grave.

● At the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, the U.S. medal machine roared past the 100-medal mark after four days and has 109 in total. Three U.S. stars have won three golds each and the sport-climbing team went 1-2 in all four events and won nine medals out of 12 available! Some organizational issues have been reported, but no sports sessions have been canceled or postponed.

● The question of where the bobsled, luge and skeleton events for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy appears to still be up for grabs. The IOC Session was told that a track outside of Italy would be used, but now the question of whether the Turin 2006 track could be used – and it will require costly renovations – has been raised once again.

● Single-day tickets for the massive 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials are now on sale, with pricing from $55.99 to $393.40 for the double-session days and $28.00 to $196.70 for the final, single-session day. Up to 30,000 can be seated at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

● Competing against college and pro football, the U.S. television audience for Skate American was small, but the highlights show on NBC did 699,000 in the hour before NFL games started lat Sunday. The Mexico-Germany football friendly far outdrew the U.S. men’s win over Ghana.

● Panorama: International Olympic Committee (Bach featured on Uruguayan stamp) = Rugby (World Rugby to expand World Cup to 24 teams in 2027) = Swimming (Boston College answers swim team lawsuit over hazing suspension) = Tennis (Romania’s Halep files appeal against doping suspension) ●

1.
LANE ONE:
Governments care less and less about the “autonomy of sport”

If the International Olympic Committee thought things were difficult a month ago, they are much worse now.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 is continuing with no end in sight, and the IOC is embroiled in a bitter argument with Western governments that see no reason to allow any athletes from Russia or its ally Belarus to appear at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The IOC has gathered all kinds of support from various corners, from friendly United Nations human rights rapporteurs, declarations of various multi-government conferences, and, departing from its usual ultra-diplomatic language, expressed its view in its “Q&A regarding the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions”:

“It is deplorable to see that some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic Movement or the autonomy of sport which they are requesting from other countries, and are praising in countless speeches and UN and European Union resolutions. …

“We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars, armed conflicts and crises in the world.”

Things have changed.

With the Hamas attacks on Israel beginning on 7 October, a new and dangerous war has broken out. It’s the second real shooting war in the world today; everything else is conflicts on paper and diplomatic talks.

And the Hamas attacks, widely understood to be masterminded by Iran, have had immediate consequences in sport. On Sunday, United World Wrestling posted this:

“United World Wrestling expresses its deep disappointment to announce that Team Iran after sudden diplomatic crisis has been denied visas by Albania for the U23 World Championships in Tirana, scheduled to take place from October 23 to 29.

“Both the Albanian Wrestling Federation and UWW worked tirelessly to facilitate the necessary visa issuance for all participating teams, including the Iranian wrestlers. Despite the efforts, the authorities denied Team Iran its right to participate in the tournament.

“UWW stands with all wrestlers and remains committed to making the sport inclusive to every country and will take a more in-depth look at the matter going forward.”

Albania is a Muslim-majority country of 2.8 million people that has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949, but broke off relations with Iran in September 2022, alleging a major cyberattack by the Iranians.

So Albania, a country of 2.8 million, thumbed its nose at Iran, with a population of 88 million.

The autonomy of sport didn’t mean much to the Albanians.

And there is the behavior of China at the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou, a showcase for the host country, with 383 medals and more gold medals (201) than any other country won in total medals.

But the Chinese refused to issue standard entry visas for three Indian Wushu participants from Arunachal Pradesh, a state in northeast India, which China claims is part of Tibet. Instead, temporary visas were issued which are not considered valid by the Indian government.

It was reported by the Indian site RevSportz that IOC Director of National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympic Solidarity James MacLeod (GBR) told reporters:

“Our principle, and this is a principle that doesn’t only apply now at the Asian Games but it applies every day, everywhere, across the world, is that all athletes should have a free and unfettered access to sports competitions regardless of their nationality and regardless of the passport that they hold.

“That is a principle that we as the IOC continuously uphold and we will talk to all different parties within the Olympic Movement but also Governments to ensure that that principle is upheld. In this case we are aware of the situation.

“It is a matter for the Olympic Council of Asia, and we know that there are discussions between the OCA and the hosts of the Asian Games to hopefully try and resolve this situation.”

The issue was hardly new, as Inside The Games reported that the same three Wushu athletes were denied standard visas in exactly the same manner for the World University Games held in Chengdu (CHN) in July.

MacLeod’s reference to the OCA, as the owner of the Asian Games, points out the complete power imbalance between sports organizations and countries at events of all sizes.

At the Asian Games, the North Koreans re-appeared at a multi-sport Games for the first time since before the pandemic and won 39 medals, including 11 golds. Despite its status as non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency for not making its athletes available for testing during the pandemic, the North Korean flag was flown at the Opening Ceremony, and at victory ceremonies.

India’s Randhir Singh, the Olympic Council of Asia’s interim head, told reporters:

“North Korea also has written to WADA as well, explaining their position. We are explaining it from our side as well. At present the North Korea flag is flying, and we will look into it and see what the future says.”

Is there any doubt that China desired to let the North Korean flags be displayed? WADA issued a statement that included:

“WADA takes this matter extremely seriously and has written to the OCA on several occasions before and after the opening ceremony of the Games, explaining in clear terms the possible consequences that could arise for the OCA if this matter is ignored.”

But in fact, when events are held in countries that don’t care what the IOC or WADA or United World Wrestling thinks, their requirements don’t apply any more. And that’s dangerous, from multiple angles.

And lest we forget, the Australian state of Victoria walked away from a signed contract to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in July, saying the costs had risen too high. True, they paid a negotiated exit fee of A$380 million (about $242.13 million U.S.), but with less than three years to go, the Commonwealth Games – nearing its centennial in 2030 – has no host and leaner and leaner prospects.

IOC President Thomas Bach of Germany has called this period of history “aggressively divisive,” and he’s quite right. He and the IOC, WADA and every other sports governing body now face the question of in which countries – if any – will their rules and regulations be followed when they are determined not to be in the interest of the host government, sometimes years down the road.

2.
U.S. passes 100 medals, adds 10 golds at Pan Am Games

The American medal machine continued rolling at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with 26 medals on Tuesday and now more than 100 total medals after four days of competition.

The U.S. won 10 more golds to bring its total to 51:

● Gymnastics: Donnell Whittenburg, men’s Rings
● Gymnastics: Zoe Miller, women’s Uneven Bars
● Racquetball: Adam Manilla and Erika Manilla, Mixed Doubles
● Sport Climbing: Natalia Grossman, women’s Boulder & Lead
● Swimming: David Curtiss, men’s 50 m Free
● Swimming: Jay Litherland, men’s 400 m Medley
● Swimming: Gabi Albiero, women’s 50 m Free (tie)
● Swimming: Women’s 4×200 m Freestyle
● Water Skiing: Regina Jaquess, women’s overall
● Weightlifting: Mary Theisen-Larsen, women’s +87 kg

The U.S. swimmers have now won an astonishing 40 medals in swimming (17-14-9 in 30 events!) with a day to go, 10 medals in shooting (4-1-5) with three days left, and nine in water skiing. Jaquess won her third gold medal in water skiing on Tuesday, joining Paige Madden (400-800 m Free, 4×200 m Free) and Jacob Foster (100-200 m Breast, Mixed Medley relay) in swimming.

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil won her fourth swimming gold on Tuesday with a first-place tie in the women’s 50 m Free with Albiero in 24.84. MacNeil has won six medals overall, with four golds and a relay silver and bronze.

Mexico has dominated the diving events, with eight medals and a triple-gold performance for Osmar Olvera in the men’s 1 m, 3 m and 3 m Synchro.

The U.S. dominated in Sport Climbing, going 1-2 in all four events, winning nine medals in all and maxing out on qualifying for Paris with four quota places. Sam Watson and Piper Kelly won the men’s and women’s Speed events and Jesse Grupper and 2021 World Bouldering Champion Natalia Grossman took the men’s and women’s Boulder + Lead combo. Wow!

The overall totals through Tuesday showed the American team with 109 medals (51-28-30), trailed by Canada (58: 20-20-18), Mexico (50: 22-13-15) and Brazil (45: 10-16-19).

The Associated Press reported on various organizational issues at the Games so far, including continuing construction debris, poor signage, and inconsistent security procedures. The Athlete Village has had some plumbing problems, reportedly requiring some members of the Argentine, Brazilian and American teams to move to a hotel temporarily.

However, all of the sports sessions have been held as planned, with competitions continuing through 5 November.

3.
Renovation of the Turin 2006 track for 2026 being explored

Although Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee chair Giovanni Malago confirmed at the IOC Session in India that the bobsled, luge and skeleton events for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games needed to be held outside of Italy, the issue will not die.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported last week that Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani insisted that the renovation of the track from the 2006 Turin Winter Games be considered so that the events are still held in Italy.

On Tuesday, it was further reported that specifications of the situation with the Cesana Pariol venue are now being presented. Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region explained:

“Today, the government gave us the opportunity to reopen the Cesana plant to use and we were asked for the timing and necessary resources. We sent the dossier at 7.58 which contains the study carried out and which demonstrates that the reuse of the facility is possible with an expense that is less than half of those hypothesized for Cortina.”

The Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Rosso, endorsed the idea, adding, “The presentation of the dossier is with a view to making a serious proposal to the government, it would be a shame if the money of Italian taxpayers were used to finance works abroad.

“We worked to ensure that Turin gets back into the game and puts a stop to a mess committed in the past. It can be done in Italy.”

However, others in the Italian government are quite convinced that the renovations needed to bring the 2006 track back to Olympic quality are underestimated, just as the Cortina replacement track costs were.

The Milan Cortina organizers have multiple options not far away, including accredited World Cup tracks in Innsbruck (AUT), St. Moritz (SUI) and Konigssee (GER), with a selection to be made by the end of the year.

4.
Single-day tickets for 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials available

USA Swimming announced the start of single-day ticket sales for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Lucas Oil Stadium.

The competitions will run for nine days, with two sessions per day from 15-22 June (11 a.m. and 7 p.m.) and a single session on 23 June. Pricing as shown on the Web site:

Saturday, 15 June to Saturday, 22 June:
● Floor: $393.40
● Level 100: $268.17
● Level 200: $206.58
● Level 300: $152.25
● Level 400: $72.55 and $107.74
● Level 500: $72.55 and $107.74
● Level 600: $55.99

Sunday, 23 June (single session):
● Floor: $196.70
● Level 100: $134.09
● Level 200: $103.29
● Level 300: $76.13
● Level 400: $36.28 and $53.87
● Level 500: $36.28
● Level 600: $28.00

The Trials is expected to be quite a spectacle, with seating for 30,000 available, which would make the event the largest swim meet in history! In addition, the stadium is connected to the Indianapolis Convention Center and will be the site for the Toyota Aqua Zone fan festival.

There are also hospitality and accommodations packages offered at a premium by the USA Swimming Foundation, with multi-person programs from $10,000 to $30,000.

5.
Modest U.S. TV interest in Skate America, or U.S. men’s soccer

Football, whether college or the NFL, continues to dominate the American television audience, with modest numbers for Skate America and even less for the U.S. men’s football (soccer) team.

The NBC highlights show on Sunday at noon Eastern, going against the NFL pre-game shows, drew a respectable 699,000 viewers, far better than the live coverage on E!:

● 21 Oct. (Sat., 8:00 p.m.): 191,000 on E! for the men’s Free Skate, Pairs Free Skate, women’s Short Program and Rhythm Dance.

● 22 Oct. (Sun.: 3:00 p.m.): 157,000 on E! for the women’s Free Skate and Free Dance.

Friday’s session on E! with the men’s and Pairs Short Programs, did not reach the 150,000 reporting threshold.

Last week’s soccer action featured the U.S. men shutting down Ghana, 4-0, on Tuesday (17th), with 378,000 watching on TNT at 8:30 p.m. Eastern; 155,000 watched the pre-game show.

This was overwhelmed by the 2-2 tie between Mexico and Germany in Philadelphia on the same night and which began an hour earlier. The match drew 1.187 million on UniMas and another 390,000 on TUDN (1.577 million total), with 283,000 watching the half-hour pre-game show on UniMas at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● Now he’s immortal. IOC President Bach, and modern Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) are pictured in a new Uruguayan postage stamp commemorating the centennial of the Uruguay National Olympic Committee.

De Coubertin was the IOC chief when the Uruguay NOC was founded in 1923 and Bach is in charge now, in 2023.

● Rugby ● The success of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, with 2.28 million attending through the first 46 matches and an average of 49,554, has helped World Rugby to decide to expand the tournament.

The federation announced Tuesday that the 2027 edition, to be held in Australia, will expand to 24 teams from 20, also impacting the 2031 Rugby World Cup to be held in the U.S.

● Swimming ● WCVB Television in Boston reported on the hazing allegations at Boston College that resulted in the suspension of its swimming and diving programs on 20 September of this year.

A group of 37 team members filed suit in Middlesex County Superior Court to reinstate the program, with Boston College responding that it was satisfied that hazing had occurred and that it had the authority to sanction the team:

“It is beyond dispute that the suspension decision was not arbitrary and capricious. To the contrary, it was made only after an extensive, initial investigation, which included interviews of 20 team members. The investigation confirmed hazing activity involving the initiation of freshmen to the team had occurred over the Labor Day. Moreover, findings of hazing involving several team members had been made just last year. In light of these facts, no member of the Swim and Dive Team reasonably could expect that Boston College Athletics lacked authority to suspend team activities.”

The filing requests that the plaintiff’s request for an injunction be denied.

● Tennis ● Romanian star and two-time Grand Slam champ Simona Halep filed her appeal of a doping positive and four-year ban with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As for the process, no timeline was provided; now:

“[T]he parties are exchanging written submissions and the Panel of arbitrators that will decide the matter is being constituted.

“Once constituted, the Panel will issue procedural directions for the next phase of the procedure, including the holding of a hearing.”

Halep, 32, tested positive for the anti-anemia drug roxadustat, a banned substance, at the 2022 U.S. Open and was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for four years, through 7 October 2026.

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TSX REPORT: NBC ad sales for Paris way ahead of Tokyo, nearing $1 billion; U.S. storms to 37 Pan Am medals; gym star Eaker quits over abuse

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. NBC nearing $1 billion in Paris 2024 ad sales
2. U.S. roars to 21 gold, 37-medal day at Pan Am Games
3. U.S. star Eaker retires from gymnastics due to abuse
4. World Boxing adds six more member federations
5. Sapporo Mayor now looking at 2038 Winter Games

● NBC’s sales chief reported that the network is way ahead on ad sales for Paris 2024 vs. Tokyo for 2020 and is close to $1 billion in gross sales already.

● The American team won an impressive 37 medals – including 21 golds – at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Shooter Vincent Hancock won his second gold of the Games and fourth career Pan Am gold in the Mixed Skeet Team event.

● American gymnastics star Kara Eaker, a two-time Worlds Team gold medalist, has quit her Utah gymnastics team and the sport in response to abuse she received while competing for the Utes. She detailed the issues in a long Instagram post.

● World Boxing announced the addition of six more national federations, including Nigeria, its first African member, bringing its membership to 22 with a month still remaining before its founding Congress.

● The mayor of Sapporo, Japan, indicated that a 2034 Olympic Winter Games bid may be difficult and that a 2038 bid should be considered. That’s continued good news for Salt Lake City, which has a ready-to-go bid waiting for approval.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (3: French financial investigators asking about ceremonies contracts; worries on construction costs; Salnikov says Russia prospects nearing zero) = Los Angeles 2028 (Long Beach approves Belmont pool design project) = Milan Cortina 2026 (abandoned sliding track in Cortina cost €5 million for planning) = Russia (3: Russia led BRICS Games medal table; Russia ready to help India with 2036 Olympic bid = Belarus teams to be integrated into Russian leagues) = Athletics (USATF opens Athlete of the Year voting) = Gymnastics (2: Retton back home from hospital after pneumonia scare; FIG developing athlete world rankings) = Swimming (3: Countries reported to ask World Aquatics to move 2024 Worlds from Doha; McKeown and Qin lead World Cup money lists; Swimming Australia passes new rules to comply with World Aquatics) = Triathlon (Jorgensen wins third World Cup in seven weeks!) = Wrestling (2: NCAA ready to approve women’s wrestling; Albania refuses Iranians visas for World U-23 Champs) ●

1.
NBC nearing $1 billion in Paris 2024 ad sales

Rebounding from the worst U.S. television viewership in Olympic history, Dan Lovinger, NBCUniversal’s President of Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships, told reporters last week that sales for the Paris 2024 Games was trending far ahead of that for Tokyo 2020.

“We’re probably double where we were at this point,” he explained, adding “With just about 10 months ago, we’re further ahead than we’ve ever been before, for summer or winter games,” and “darn close” to the $1 billion in sales mark, compared with a total ad take of $1.25 billion for Tokyo.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games is the great aggregator of viewership bringing cultures and communities together to celebrate the pinnacle of athletic achievement and root for their favorite athletes and team.” He called Paris 2024, “a premium environment to reach dedicated and engaged consumers anywhere and everywhere they are and builds long-lasting impacts for brands within and beyond the Games.

“In the past when everything was linear…only a handful of advertisers could literally afford the out of pocket, and so we would do somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 different advertising deals for the Olympics. But with Peacock and digital and social, we can now extend the mid-tail and the long-tail. So 100 [advertisers] might become 200.

“We still have that big mass reach vehicle, if that’s what you’re trying to do through linear, but Peacock is likely make up 20 to 25 percent of our total consumption.”

The Paris 2024 audience size will be closely watched, as the 2018-2021-2022 Games in Asia were all difficult from a U.S. viewer perspective. NBC has seen viewership recede significantly since the last European-hosted Games in 2012:

● 2012/London: 217 million total viewers, or 69.1% of the total U.S. audience, with a primetime show average of 31.1 million.

● 2016/Rio: 198 million total viewers, or 61.3% of the total U.S. audience, with a primetime show average of 27.5 million.

● 2021/Tokyo: 150 million total viewers, or 45.3% of the total U.S. audience, with a primetime show average of 15.1 million.

NBCUniversal has the U.S. rights to the 2024-26-28-30-32 Olympic and Winter Games.

2.
U.S. roars to 21 gold, 37-medal day at Pan Am Games

Another monster day for the United States at the XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with 37 medals, including 21 golds on Monday alone, plus seven silvers and nine bronzes. The gold winners included:

● Basketball 3×3: Men’s Team
● Basketball 3×3: Women’s Team
● Equestrian: Team Dressage
● Gymnastics: Kayla DiCello, women’s All-Around
● Rowing: Ezra Carlson & Alex Hedge, men’s Pairs
● Rowing: Isabela Darvin & Hannah Paynter, women’s Pairs
● Rowing: Women’s Quadruple Sculls
● Shooting: Rylan Kissel & Mary Tucker, Mixed Air Rifle
● Shooting: Vincent Hancock & Dania Jo Vizzi, Mixed Skeet
● Sport Climbing: Jesse Grupper, men’s Boulder & Lead
● Swimming: Adam Chaney, men’s 100 m Back
● Swimming: Jacob Foster, men’s 200 m Breast
● Swimming: Paige Madden, women’s 400 m Free
● Swimming: Josephine Fuller, women’s 100 m Back
● Swimming: Mixed 4×100 m Medley
● Taekwondo: Madelynn Gorman-Shore, women’s +67 kg
● Water Skiing: Nate Smith, men’s Slalom
● Water Skiing: Regina Jaquess, women’s Slalom
● Water Skiing: Regina Jaquess, women’s Jump
● Water Skiing: Erika Lang, women’s Tricks
● Weightlifting: Olivia Reeves, women’s 81 kg

For Hancock, it’s his fourth career Pan American Games gold in Skeet, to go along with his three Olympic golds (2008-12-20) and seven World Championships golds, including the 2023 Mixed Team, won with Austen Smith.

Even with the U.S. dominating the swimming, Canada’s Maggie MacNeil has been the individual star with three golds, including Pan Am Games records in the women’s 100 m Free (53.64) and 100 m Fly (56.94) and a 53.14 leg on the winning women’s 4×100 m Free.

With two days remaining, the American swimmers now have 32 medals across 24 events (13-11-8). Interestingly, China – which unlike the U.S. here, sent its first-line team – won 58 medals (28-21-9) in 41 events at the recent Asian Games held before a home audience in Hangzhou.

A revelation for the U.S. men has been the break-out performance of Freestyle sprinter Jonny Kulow of Arizona State. Still just 19, he blitzed the second leg of the Mixed 4×100 m Freestyle in 47.44 (!), and came back to tie for second in the men’s 100 m Free in 48.38 – a lifetime best – with fellow American Brooks Curry.

Overall, the U.S. has earned 83 medals (41-18-24) through the first three days of the Games (92 events), with Canada next at 40 (12-15-13), then Brazil (35: 7-13-15) and Mexico (32: 16-9-7). Competition continues through 5 November and can be seen in the U.S. via the Panam Sports Channel (sign-in required).

3.
U.S. star Eaker retires from gymnastics due to abuse

Kara Eaker, a World Championships Team gold medalist for the U.S. in 2018 and 2019 and a member of the elite Utah gymnastics team that finished third at the 2022 and 2023 NCAA women’s national championships, announced her retirement on Friday, citing verbal and emotional abuse from a coach and lack of support from the administration. Her Instagram post included:

“For two years, while training with the Utah Gymnastics Team, I was a victim of verbal and emotional abuse. As a result, my physical, mental, and emotional health has rapidly declined. I had been seeing a university athletics psychologist for a year and a half and I’m now seeing a new provider twice a week because of suicidal and self-harm ideation and being unable to care for myself properly. I have recently been diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, anxiety induced insomnia, and I suffer from panic attacks, PTSD, and night terrors.

“During my recruiting process, I was promised a ‘family’ within this program and a ‘sisterhood’ with my teammates, who would accept me, care for me, and support me. But instead, after I entered as a freshman, I was heartbroken to find the opposite in that I was training in an unhealthy, unsafe, and toxic environment.

“I have now reached a turning point and I’m speaking out for all of the women who can’t because they are mentally debilitated and paralyzed by fear. I, too, find myself frozen in moments when fear takes over. But I can no longer stand by while perpetrators are still allowed in sports and are causing young girls and women to suffer.

“I’ve learned that verbal and emotional abuse is difficult to identify, especially when they are covert and passive-aggressive. The abuse often happened in individual coach-athlete meetings. I would be isolated in an office with an overpowering coach, door closed, sitting quietly, hardly able to speak because of condescending, sarcastic and manipulative tactics.

“The cruelty was compounded because I thought I’d be safe, both mentally and physically, at the University of Utah, but instead I was personally attacked, humiliated, degraded and yelled at to the point of tears in front of the whole team.”

The post continues on and includes this passage:

“[I]n sports, it is still accepted for a coach to manipulate, bully, and berate an athlete for being late to practice, taking extra steps on drills or dismounts, or being the cause of losing a meet. Where is the autonomy to discuss issues respectfully?”

Eaker, 20, competed for two seasons for Utah and competed in four U.S. national championships, with a best of third in the All-Around in 2017. She won three medals on Beam in 2017 (gold), 2018 (silver) and 2019 (silver).

4.
World Boxing adds six more member federations

With its founding Congress coming on 24-25 November 2023, World Boxing announced the addition of six member federations:

“The National Federations for boxing in Finland, Iceland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Norway and the Czech Republic have become the latest six organisations to have their membership applications approved by World Boxing …

“Nigeria is the first National Federation from Africa to join World Boxing and means the new international federation now has 22 members covering all five continents that compete in Olympic-style boxing.”

This is the fourth group of federations to join World Boxing, formed in April 2023 as a new organization focused on maintaining boxing in the Olympic Games. In the aftermath of the de-recognition of the International Boxing Association by the International Olympic Committee in June, the sport has no International Federation representing it at the Olympic level.

The Paris 2024 boxing tournament is being organized directly by the IOC, and boxing has not been confirmed on the program for Los Angeles 2028 due to the lack of a governing body acceptable to the IOC.

There was some confusion about Nigeria’s membership in World Boxing, as Vice President Azania Omo-Agege said the federation had not left the IBA. But Nigeria Boxing President Kenneth Minimah confirmed:

“The NBF, under my leadership, applied and joined World Boxing on October 20, 2023. The decision to join World Boxing was also validated during an executive council meeting.”

5.
Sapporo Mayor now looking at 2038 Winter Games

Having decided to abandon a bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games after consultations with the Japanese Olympic Committee, and with a strong bid from Salt Lake City now ready to go for 2034, Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto is now thinking about 2038.

He told the City Assembly last week:

“If our bid for the 2034 Games falls through, I would like to reconvene with the concerned parties for further discussions. The significance of bidding for the Olympics will remain unchanged.”

Sapporo’s bid for 2030, in which it appeared to be the front-runner, was damaged by increases in the projected costs for the Games, the cost expansion of the Tokyo 2020 Games and the continuing scandals in sponsorship sales and bid rigging within the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee. Akimoto added:

“We need to examine what was lacking in our bidding activities. From now on, we will engage in dialogue, not just considering things based on the schedule.”

The IOC approved a potential double allocation for 2030 and 2034 at its recent Session, at the discretion of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games to make such a recommendation. A vote for an actual award of the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games is expected to come in Paris in 2024.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● According to FrancsJeux.com, the visit by the Parquet national financier (PNF), the French federal financial prosecutions office visited not only the Paris 2024 organizing committee offices last week (18th), but also the event production companies Double 2, Ubi Bene, Obo and Paname 24:

“This time, the suspicions concern the contracts awarded by the OCOG for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, on the Seine, and then the Paralympic Games, on Place de la Concorde. They concern Double 2, Ubi Bene and Obo, associated within the Paname 24 consortium for the production of the Games ceremonies. Several other contracts, including those for the Olympic Torch Relay, are also under investigation.”

These searches were related to new inquiries which were opened after the prior search of the organizing committee headquarters in June. This second search is also looking at specific contracts for favoritism and conflicts of interest. Thus far, no arrests have been made.

French Senator Eric Jeansannetas voiced some concerns about the cost of constructions for the Paris Games, noting that facilities projected to be delivered in 2023 will now be turned over in 2024.

After a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee that examined a report from the government’s Olympic construction arm, Solideo, he noted:

“As overseer, I am simply pointing out that when there are delays, there can be budgetary slippages. But I’m not expressing any concerns, I’m simply saying that there is a risk that the budget will slip.”

Solideo officials said they are on schedule and that there is a delay between the end of construction and the turnover to the organizing committee, which accounts for some of the “delays.”

Vladimir Salnikov, the head of the Russian Swimming Federation and a four-time Olympic gold medalist at Moscow 1980 and Seoul 1988, told Russia’s Sport-Express the outlook for Paris is grim:

“I think this is a humiliation, but the International Olympic Committee continues to insist that there is no discrimination; this is puzzling. I am even more surprised by something else, but if you invite someone to visit for pies, you also want to enjoy the meeting, and if you don’t want to communicate, then you start coming up with reasons so that guests don’t come to you. This is what they are doing now: they come up with reasons; it’s pointless to climb through a closed door, they don’t want to see us.

“As [rhythmic gymnastics federation head] Irina Viner said, they need us to surrender with a white flag, this is unacceptable for me and I think that for most athletes who have felt all this discrimination, too. But I cannot and will not decide for others, I will only say that for me state attributes are important values, without which I cannot imagine performing at competitions.

“Now the parameters that we consider unacceptable have been determined, perhaps something will change tomorrow. Then we will get together with you and the athletes and discuss where we end up. I’m not saying that the Olympic Games are completely closed for us, but based on what is happening now, including the invasion of bedbugs in Paris, the chances are approaching zero. Nevertheless, I don’t want to rule out that someone may be at the Olympics at their own risk.”

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Although not directly related to the 2028 Olympic Games, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved (9-0) a $6.0 million expansion of the contract to design a new Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center on the site of the now-demolished Belmont Plaza Pool.

The new funding will allow architectural firm Harley Ellis Devereaux to complete the drawings set and ready the project for bidding. A 50 m pool with a side instructional and recreational pool is now planned at an estimated cost of $74.4 million, with $7.7 million still not accounted for. Construction could commence in late 2024, with a completion date in 2027 if all goes as planned. If completed, it could be a training site for the 2028 Games.

● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano – The Daily Fact – explained on Friday that the now-abandoned new sliding track for the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo has cost about €5 million (€1 = $1.07 U.S.) so far.

Most of this – about 90% – has gone for architectural and engineering studies, plus additional amounts for environmental monitoring, scale models of the project, a promotional video and so on, for the governmental building arm, Simico.

The story asks about another €2.5 million, which was set aside for a museum of the 1956 “Eugenio Monti” track used for the 1956 Winter Games. Prediction: “Probably nothing will happen again.”

● Russia ● What was apparently the fourth BRICS Games – standing for Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – took place from 18-21 October in Durban (RSA), with Russian entries leading the medal table with 59 total medals (35-12-12), followed by China (55) and South Africa (51).

There were six sports on the program and 450 total athletes. Kazan (RUS) will host in 2024 from 12-23 June, just prior to the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Continuing its use of sports as opportunities in foreign policy, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said attendees at a Russian sports conference last week that his ministry to ready to help India with its 2036 Olympic ambitions:

“If our colleagues from India contact us, we are ready to share our experience, as part of interaction with the Indian Ministry of Sports and other organizations.”

Matytsin also said that Belarusian teams could soon be incorporated into Russian sports leagues:

“It is proposed to include Belarusian teams in [Russian] professional leagues in almost all team sports.

“Some experience has been accumulated; we will resolve regulatory issues. The most important thing is to determine which teams in Belarus are showing interest.”

● Athletics ● USA Track & Field has opened voting for its Jesse Owens and Jackie Joyner-Kersee athlete of the year awards, through 6 November. The nominees:

Men:
● Rai Benjamin (400 m hurdles) ~ Worlds silver, Diamond League champ
● Ryan Crouser (shot put) ~ World Champion, world record
● JuVaughn Harrison (high jump) ~ Worlds silver medalist
● Grant Holloway (110 m hurdles) ~ World Champion
● Noah Lyles (sprints) ~ World 100/200/4×100 m Champion
● Yared Nuguse (1,500 m) ~ American mile record of 3:43.97

Women:
● Chase Ealey (shot put) ~ World Champion
● Anna Hall (heptathlon) ~ Worlds silver medalist
● Alicia Monson (distances) ~ American records at 5,000-10,000 m
● Katie Moon (vault) ~ World Co-Champion
● Sha’Carri Richardson (sprints) ~ Worlds 100/4×100 m gold, 200 m bronze
● Lagi Tausaga-Collins (discus) ~ World Champion

Voting is also open for the top U.S. performer at the 2023 U.S. Nationals (one award) and at the 2023 World Championships (track and field awards).

● Gymnastics ● Good news for Olympic gymnastics star Mary Lou Retton, now at home amid her recovery from a rare form of pneumonia. Her daughter McKenna Kelley wrote on Instagram:

“Mom is HOME and in recovery mode. We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.

“We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts. Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors and nurses, thank you to this loving community of support.”

Retton, now 55, was hospitalized early this month; a crowdfunding site was set up with a goal to raise $50,000 in medical support funds, but has reached past $459,000 so far, from 8,319 donors.

Look for a world ranking system to come to artistic gymnastics in the near future. The FIG’s Competition Innovation Commission said as much after its mid-October meeting and last week’s announcement:

“Building on the work of the previous meetings and after receiving feedback from different stakeholders, the Commission has continued with the development of a proposal that considers the main FIG events in a global ranking and classification system.

“The Commission seeks, together with the Marketing Commission, to offer a product that will enhance the media exposure of gymnastics and simplify the information available to the general public.”

Gymnastics as a sport is one of the top three in Olympic interest, but has largely failed to generate any continuing interest between Games except for its annual World Championships.

● Swimming ● The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last week that World Aquatics has been approached about moving the February 2024 World Aquatics Championships from Doha in view of Qatar’s multi-year support for Hamas in the wake of its attacks on Israel:

“Officials from Luxembourg, Czechia, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries are among those urging the World Aquatic Federation to relocate the tournament.”

Slovakian officials said its federation supports World Aquatics and its decision on the 2024 Worlds, already controversially placed in an Olympic year.

SwimSwam.com calculated the payouts for the now-completed, three-stage World Aquatics World Cup, with Backstroke world-record setter Kaylee McKeown (AUS) taking away $186,000:

● $100,000 as the top-ranked women’s swimmer
● $50,000 for world-record bonuses
● $36,000 for meet prize earnings

She was trailed in the women’s list by Freestyle star Siobhan Haughey (HKG) with $116,000, then Yufei Zhang (CHN) at $72,000. Katie Grimes was the top American at $10,800, in 12th position.

The men’s winner was China’s Haiyang Qin, who dominated the Breaststroke events, and won $166,000, including $100,000 for his top ranking, $30,000 for sweeping his events and $36,000 in meet prize money.

Next best was Italy’s versatile Thomas Ceccon ($116,000), then Matt Sates (RSA: $75,500) and American Michael Andrew ($43,000).

The total payment was listed as $1.416 million.

World Aquatics announced that McKeown and Qin were named as the federation’s Swimming Athletes of the Year.

Swimming Australia approved by 8-1 a new constitution on Friday that formally included an athlete commission and modified voting requirements and other governance issues mandated by World Aquatics:

“Importantly the new constitution brings Swimming Australia into line with [World Aquatics]’s constitutional requirements and the [Australia Sports Commission]’s good governance requirements and guidelines, while also creating an Athletes’ Commission which will, in an ongoing capacity, nominate candidates to be appointed to the Swimming Australia Board as the Athlete Director.”

Swimming Australia has been in turmoil, with four Presidents in the last three years and looking for a fourth chief executive since 2017. Australian mining billionaire Gina Rinehart was reported to have stopped her support for the federation in view of late payments to athletes and is now funding as many as 92 athletes directly.

● Triathlon ● The comeback saga of Rio 2016 Olympic champ Gwen Jorgensen to make the U.S. mixed-relay team for Paris received another boost with her win at the World Triathlon Cup Sprint race in Tongyeong (KOR).

Jorgensen, now 37, was 25 seconds behind out of the water, but with the leaders at the end of the bike phase. On the run, however, she stormed to the lead in the 5 km run and finished in 58:16 with the fastest run-time in the field by 17 seconds (16:30 to 16:47). She crossed four seconds up on Japan’s Yuko Takahashi (58:20).

This was Jorgensen’s 14th race of 2023 (!), with more coming, and her third World Cup win in the last two months. From nowhere, she is now ranked 45th in the World Triathlon standings, 53rd in its Olympic rankings and seventh among American women.

● Wrestling ● With 51 NCAA schools now sponsoring women’s wrestling teams and 45 more intending to create them, the sport is close to being approved as an NCAA championship sport:

“Women’s wrestling is on track to become the NCAA’s 91st NCAA championship, based on the latest sports sponsorship data released this month. …

“Women’s wrestling highlighted the six sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program, meeting the requirements to be considered for an NCAA championship. Specifically, more than 40 schools sponsored women’s wrestling at the varsity level and met the sport’s minimum competition and participant requirements in the 2022-23 academic year. The sport’s growth puts it on track to become the sixth sport to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program, joining rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).”

Adding wrestling has been a long-term project for USA Wrestling, already fielding the no. 2 women’s program in the world, behind only Japan, and allied organizations, with the initial efforts in 2017. Said Ragean Hill, Committee on Women’s Athletics Chair and Executive Associate Athletics Director at Charlotte:

“What women’s wrestling has accomplished in a short period of time is exceptional. They are a model practice on how to move the needle forward.”

United World Wrestling announced that the government of Albania refused to grant entry visas to the Iranian team for the UWW U-23 World Championships which started Monday:

“United World Wrestling expresses its deep disappointment to announce that Team Iran after sudden diplomatic crisis has been denied visas by Albania for the U23 World Championships in Tirana, scheduled to take place from October 23 to 29.

“Both the Albanian Wrestling Federation and UWW worked tirelessly to facilitate the necessary visa issuance for all participating teams, including the Iranian wrestlers. Despite the efforts, the authorities denied Team Iran its right to participate in the tournament.”

Albania, a Muslim-majority country, has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949, but severed its relations with Iran in September 2022. The Worlds U-23 tournament is going on as scheduled.

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TSX REPORT: Pan American Games open with U.S. gold rush; two swimming world records for McKeown; Olympic pin cartoon tie-ins coming!

By
Rich Perelman
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Opening of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, with Olympic tennis champions Fernando Gonzales (l) and Nicolas Massu, and 1951 Pan Ams silver medalist Lucy Lopez (c) lighting the cauldron! (Photo: Panam Sports via Xpress Media)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Pan Am Games opens, with U.S. piling up the medals
2. McKeown claims two world records at World Cup
3. IOC rejects Putin’s “ethnic discrimination” slap
4. Commonwealth Games 2026 cost explosion was real
5. Olympic pin maker reveals tie-in with Looney Tunes, Peanuts

● The 19th Pan American Games opened in Santiago, Chile, with the cauldron lit by Chile’s first Olympic gold medalists and a silver medalist from the first Pan Ams in 1951! The U.S. immediately started earning medals, with 46 won in the first 55 events through Sunday.

● Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, winner of two Olympic Backstroke golds, set world records in the 50 m and 100 m Backstrokes at the final World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, in Budapest, Hungary. She now owns the world marks in all three Backstroke events.

● The International Olympic Committee slapped back at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s accusation of “ethnic discrimination” last week, and pointed out other glaring errors in his hostile remarks to a sports conference held in Russia.

● Testimony at an Australian Senate hearing explained that the cost explosion which led to the withdrawal of Victoria as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was real, centered mostly in construction costs for the athlete village and the creation of temporary sites for some of the other events. The issue came to a head about a month before the withdrawal last July.

● The owner of Honav USA, the Olympic pin-making giant, told the Olympin Collectors Club Festival in California that new designs are coming that will include characters from new licensing agreements with Warner Bros. for its “Looney Tunes” characters and with “Peanuts.”

● World Championships: Curling (Sweden wins Mixed Worlds title) = Rugby (Perennial powers New Zealand and South Africa in World Cup final) ●

● Panorama: Athletics (Kandie runs fourth-fastest Half ever in Valencia) = Badminton (China wins four at Denmark Open) = Curling (Jones and Retornaz win at Grand Slam opener in Niagara Falls) = Cycling (Lavreysen sweeps Champions League men’s Sprint) = Figure Skating (Malinin, Chock & Bates star at Skate America) = Freestyle & Snowboard (2: Chur Big Air opener sees Japan sweep in snowboard) = Football (2: Reggae Girlz strike against federation for back pay and more; Canada’s Sinclair retires) = Gymnastics (Retton recovering, but with a setback last week) = Short Track (Santos-Griswold wins at World Cup opener) ●

1.
Pan Am Games opens, with U.S. piling up the medals

The XIX Pan American Games opened in Santiago, Chile on Friday, with a crowd of 35,000-plus watching 41 national delegations march into the Estadio Nacional.

Chilean cyclist Catalina Soto took the Athlete Oath and the Pan American Flame was brought into the stadium on a cold night by five-time Pan Am women’s swimming medalist Kristel Kobrich, who handed to footballer Ivan Zamorano, who handed to Olympic shooting medalist Alfonso de Iruarrizaga. He passed the torch to 2004 Olympic tennis Doubles champions Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez, winners of Chile’s first-ever Olympic golds. They were joined by 93-year-old Lucy Lopez, the women’s high jump silver medalist at the first Pan American Games in 1951 and a volunteer at the 2023 Pan Am Games, and the trio lit the Pan American Cauldron together.

The first gold medal of the Games was awarded to Canada’s Gunnar Holmgren in the Mountain Bike race (1:17:59 for the seven-lap course), ahead of Chile’s Martin Vidaurre (+0:53). The first women’s gold went to American Kaitlyn Reclusado in the Taekwondo Poomsae event.

And the U.S. team started winning a lot more medals, 20 on the first day alone and 45 by the mid-point of the second full day on Sunday. The 20 American gold-medal winners through Sunday’s events:

● Cycling: Kamren Larsen, men’s BMX
● Cycling: Kristen Faulkner, women’s road Time Trial
● Gymnastics: Men’s Team
● Gymnastics: Women’s Team
● Roller: Taylor Nye, Skateboard Park
● Shooting: Sagen Maddalena, women’s 10 m Air Rifle
● Shooting: Vincent Hancock, men’s Skeet
● Sport Climbing: Piper Kelly, women’s Speed
● Sport Climbing: Sam Watson, men’s Speed
● Swimming: Coby Carrozza, men’s 200 m Free
● Swimming: Jack Aikins, men’s 200 m Back
● Swimming: Jacob Foster, men’s 100m Breast
● Swimming: Lukas Miller, men’s 100 m Fly
● Swimming: Mason Laur, men’s 200 m Fly
● Swimming: Paige Madden, women’s 400 m Free
● Swimming: Kennedy Noble, women’s 200 m Back
● Swimming: Dakota Luther, women’s 200 m Fly
● Taekwondo: Khalfani Harris, men’s 68 kg
● Taekwondo: Carl Nickolas, men’s 80 kg
● Taekwondo: Kaitlyn Reclusado, women’s Poomsae

Hancock, now 34, the three-time Olympic champ in Skeet in 2008-12-20, won his third PanAm gold in Skeet, after prior wins in 2007 and 2011.

Overall, the U.S. has 46 medals in 55 events (20-11-15), followed by Brazil (23: 5-9-9), Canada (21: 9-6-6), Mexico (18: 10-5-3) and Colombia (14: 3-5-6).

Gymnastics star Jordan Chiles and Hancock carried the flag for the U.S. delegation in the Opening Ceremony.

Diving, swimming, track cycling, shooting, taekwondo and wrestling are the busiest sports in the first week; track & field starts on the 29th.

The Pan Ams continue through 5 November and can be streamed live on the Panam Sports channel (sign-in required).

2.
McKeown claims two world records at World Cup

Backstroke star Kaylee McKeown of Australia has had a busy 2023. Already the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the 100 and 200 m Backstrokes, she tripled at the Fukuoka Worlds, taking the 50-100-200 m Back titles and also set the world record in the 200 m Back in March at 2:03.14.

But she closed her year with two bolts of lightning at the World Aquatics World Cup III in Budapest (HUN), setting world marks in the 50 and 100 m Back events on Friday and Saturday.

First up was the 50 m on Friday, and McKeown crushed the 2018 world mark of 26.98 by China’s Xiang Liu, touching in 26.86! McKeown was already no. 2 all-time coming in at 27.02, but grabbed her third career world record. Canadians Ingrid Wilm and Kylie Masse tied for a distant second in 27.68.

The 100 m Back was on Saturday, with McKeown already the world-record holder at 57.45 from the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials. She crushed a good field, touching at 50 m just behind her world-record pace from 2021 in 28.15 (vs. 28.10), then came home in 29.18 to finish in a world record of 57.33, giving her the five fastest times in history.

Masse and Wilm were 2-3, finishing in 59.26 and 59.64, nowhere close.

McKeown now owns the world marks in all three Backstroke events and has four career individual world records to her credit. In Paris, however, only the 100 and 200 m events will be contested.

But she wasn’t done and won the 200 m Back on Sunday in a World Cup record of 2:04.81, the equal-16th fastest ever, and she has 10 of those.

There were more strong performers, including Tokyo 100-200 m Free silver medalist Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, who won the 100-200 m Frees; Benedetta Pilatto (ITA) took the 50-100 m Breast events; 100 m Fly World Champion Yufei Zhang (CHN) won the 100-200 m Flys, and only she has bettered her 100 m winning time of 56.13 this season.

Swedish sprint icon Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) won the 50 m Free and 50 m Fly, and only she has been faster this year that her 23.97 50 m Free winner.

Two men won three events each: China’s Haiyang Qin in the 50-100-200 m Breast events, and South African Matt Sates in the 200 m Fly and 200-400 m Medleys. American Michael Andrew won the only U.S. golds, in the 50 m Back and 50 m Fly. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, the 2022 Worlds 100 m Back winner, won that event and the 100 m Free.

Two “neutral” athletes won medals, both from Belarus: Anastasiya Shkurdai, silver in the women’s 200 m Back, and Alina Zmushka, bronze in the 50 m Breast.

In the overall World Cup points race, McKeown won the women’s division (of course) with 177.4 points, ahead of Haughey (166.4) and China’s Zhang (166.2). Qin, the breaststroke star, took the men’s division with 175.4 points, followed by Ceccon (167.9) and Sates with 166.8.

3.
IOC rejects Putin’s “ethnic discrimination” slap

At last week’s “Russia: A Sports Power” conference in Perm, near the Ural Mountains, Russian President Vladimir Putin continued slamming the International Olympic Committee, telling the attendees:

“We learned that an invitation to the [Olympic] Games is not an unconditional right of the best athletes, but a kind of ‘privilege,’ and it can be earned not by sports results, but by some political gestures that have nothing to do with sports at all, and that the Games themselves can be used as a tool of political pressure against people who have nothing to do with politics, as gross and in fact racist, ethnic discrimination.”

And he continued his campaign against the West and sport:

“What is happening in modern international sports organizations are signs of degeneration. It is very commercialized, which means it is very dependent on business, and business depends on authorities at various levels, political structures of various countries. This is and there are signs of degeneration.”

While the IOC has generally ignored most Russian comments on sanctions, this one drew a sharp response. Reuters reported an IOC statement on Friday which included:

● “Participation in the Olympic Games is by no means a human right and the recent amendment of the Olympic Charter [at the IOC Session] is not related to it. … We firmly reject the accusations being made that these measures are an ‘ethnic discrimination’.”

● “The strict conditions the IOC has defined in its recommendations to the International Federations for the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions are compliant with the Olympic Charter.

“They are a reaction to the breach of the Olympic Charter by the Russian and Belarusian governments.”

Under current chief Thomas Bach (GER), the IOC has made anti-discrimination a leading focus, hence its sensitivity on the issue. The recent changes to the Charter incorporated references to “internationally recognized human rights” in the “Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”

The IOC’s recommendations in March told the International Federations that the only Russian or Belarusian athletes who could be considered for neutral status cannot include those “contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies” or those “who actively support the war” against Ukraine. And all team entries are prohibited.

The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC during its recent 141st Session in India for incorporating sports organizations in eastern Ukraine areas which have been overrun by Russia during the invasion.

This is only going to get nastier.

4.
Commonwealth Games 2026 cost explosion was real

An Australian Senate Select Committee hearing into the stunning July withdrawal of Victoria to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games was told that the A$2.6 billion government share of the cost was not even close to the actual need. (A$1 = $0.63 U.S.)

Jeremi Moule, the Secretary for the Department of Premier and Cabinet for Victoria told the committee:

“By April 2023, following extensive design and market consultation processes, it was emerging that costs were shaping up to be significantly higher than expected. The estimate of gross cost at this time exceeded $4.5 billion, not including transport and policing costs nor having fully costed other risks.

“The [Office of the Commonwealth Games] and Victoria 2026 were asked to report back to government in June with options to reduce costs and maintain legacy outcomes within the $2.6 billion net state budget envelope, or approximately $3.6 billion in gross costs.”

“This work was tracking towards a likely meeting in mid-June. This was a critical juncture because, although there had been considerable effort expended and some sunk costs, no major infrastructure contracts had been signed as the expanded budget requests had not been considered by government.

“My department was aware that the estimated cost from the OCG and Victoria 2026 as well as other costs, such as transport and policing, were close to $5 billion, without including risk factors and other pressures.

“[The Department of Premier and Cabinet] subsequently received further analysis from OCG and Vic 26 that included cost implications if the risks materialised. Essentially if the risks were weighted at 50 per cent, the costs would likely reach or exceed $6 billion. If they were weighted at 100 per cent, the cost would be closer to $7 billion.

“Independently both DPC and the Department of Treasury and Finance formed the view that there was a very high probability that the risks would be realised; in fact DTF formed the view that it was prudent to rate them all at 100 per cent.”

Moule testified that the first time a withdrawal was considered by the Victoria government was on 14 June, and a law firm was hired to determine the state’s options.

Tim Ada, the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Secretary explained the specific areas of risk:

● “It is clear now with the benefit of hindsight that the business case prepared in early 2022 did not reflect the true cost of delivering a sporting program spread across five cities or anticipate the significant cost escalation that has been experienced in the construction sector.”

● “The main drivers of the additional costs related to villages and competition venues but also temporary overlays, which are, as the name suggests, physical requirements that are established just for the purpose of the games. They were the three main cost drivers of why we saw a significant increase in budget over the course of the last sort of 15 months.”

And Allen Garner, the former chief executive of the government’s Office of the Commonwealth Games, told the committee about the cost explosion:

“There are a lot of significant drivers that feed into it. You can start from the top down. The biggest areas that moved were the games villages – a significant cost increase. The major venues – there was a cost increase, which the government had announced previous even to me coming along, the cost of those. And the organising committee costs to run the games had gone up. So three big pockets. Then underneath that there are a lot of minor parts that make that up.”

The Victoria government announced its withdrawal on 14 July and negotiated an A$380 million exit fee with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia.

5.
Olympic pin maker reveals tie-in with Looney Tunes, Peanuts

The 2023 Olympin Club Festival, the annual meet-up of the most devoted Olympic pin collectors, traders and seller, was held in Marina del Rey, California on 13 October with 40 busy tables, including Honav USA, the Southern California-based company which holds the license to make today’s Olympic pins.

And the pin trade is about to explode way beyond organizing committees, National Olympic Committees and sponsors.

Mario Simonson, owner of Honav USA, addressed the Olympin Collector’s Club at the festival, with a look ahead to what’s coming.

“One thing we’ve all talked about, is trying to get the younger generation involved. … We just signed with Warner Bros. and with Peanuts, so in first quarter you’re going to be seeing all these pins coming out that are going to be collab’d with the Olympics and Warner Bros. ‘Looney Tunes.’ We’re really excited about that. We already have the designs with the IOC and the Olympics, so we’re getting those all approved now, they’ll go into production and they’ll be coming out first quarter.

“Same with Peanuts. So having Snoopy and Woodstock, it’ll be really cool. I have an original Charles Schulz in my house and I’m excited about that. … [It] does [get] the younger generation excited, so we’re going to be doing a lot more pin sets, numbered, collectibility pins with those.”

The “Looney Tunes” franchise includes more than a dozen characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn and so on.

Simonson explained that Honav will be creating a pin-trading center for Paris in 2024, as Coca-Cola will not be organizing it. The location will be in or around the USA House at the massive Palais Brongniart, which served as the Paris Stock Exchange until 1987, with the details still being worked out.

And Honav has expanded its support of the Olympic Movement:

“We also became the global licensee for [IOC] sponsors and NOCs, so that’s something that I’m working on some more global retail with them.

“Also, we are the exclusive – all the way through ‘28, including Milan [2026] – and that’s going to be in the host country, so we’ll be a little different than Paris. For Paris, we’re not the licensee in the host country, but in Milan we will and, of course, ‘28.

“In LA28, we will be doing the official pin-trading center and also activation sites all over the area, that if you come here, you get a pin, you get a pin, you get a pin, you bring it back to the pin-trading center, you get another pin, for free. … We’re going to have mystery packs, we’re going to be doing stuff like that with Warner Bros. and Peanuts products, so that will be a lot of fun.”

Simonson also noted the importance of his relationship with the Olympin Club and the collectors: “I might own the company, I might make all the pins, but really knowing what you guys want in a pin is really valuable to us.”

Honav and Olympin are already working together; club members receive a discount on Honav’s pins, and Simonson said that the members will receive first crack at some of the new releases, including some limited-editions runs of only about 1,000.

The show itself was eclectic, with lots of pins, but also other memorabilia, including an impressive array of collectibles from multiple Olympic Games of the late Los Angeles County Superior Court Carlos Velarde, who passed away in 2018, but actually attended the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles at age three!

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Curling ● Sweden won its first-ever title at the seventh World Curling Mixed Team Championship at Aberdeen (SCO) on Saturday, defeating Spain in the final by 8-2.

Sweden, Canada, Spain and Norway were all undefeated in pool play and advanced directly to the quarterfinals. The Swedes dispensed with Belgium (7-2), Canada (7-4) and moved into the final. The Spanish, with Sergio Vez as skip, defeated Japan (6-4) and edged Norway (4-3) to make it to the championship round.

The final was tight through four ends and tied, 2-2, but the Swedes came up with three points in the fifth and sixth ends to win easily.

It’s the first title for Sweden and skip Johan Nygren, with Jennie Wahlin, Fredrik Carlsen and Fanny Sjoberg. Sweden was the runner-up in the first two Worlds, in 2015 and 2016, and Wahlin was a member of the 2016 squad. Spain and Vez were runner-ups for the second time, losing to Canada in 2018.

Three-time defending champs Canada, with Felix Asselin as Skip, won the bronze by 4-3 over Norway, for a medal in their fifth straight Mixed Worlds. The U.S., skipped by Jed Brundidge, was second on its group, but lost in the qualification round to Australia, 8-7, and finished ninth.

● Rugby ● After almost seven weeks, the final of the 10th Rugby World Cup in France is set, with no. 1-ranked New Zealand (5-1) to face no. 2 South Africa (5-1) on 28 October at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

These traditional powers have, between them, won the last four Rugby World Cups – two each – with South Africa defending its title from 2019.

On Friday, the All-Blacks from New Zealand had no trouble in their semifinal, routing seventh-ranked Argentina by 44-6. Kiwi star forward Will Jordan scored a try in the 11th minute, followed by Jordan Barrett in the 17th for an 11-3 lead, which ballooned to 19-6 at halftime. Shannon Frizell got a second try in the 49th and Jordan scored in the 62nd and 73rd for a hat trick, with Argentina held scoreless.

Saturday’s match between no. 5 England – which came in 5-0 – and South Africa was exactly the opposite. No tries were scored in the first half, which saw Owen Farrell convert four penalties for England for 12 points, to six for the Springboks. Farrell added a drop kick in the 53rd to extend the lead to 15-6, but Rudy Snyman finally got loose for a try in the 69th, and the conversion closed the lead to 15-13. Handre Pollard’s penalty kick in the 78th was the difference in a 16-15 victory.

New Zealand has won the title three times (1987-2011-2015) as has South Africa in 1995-2007-2019. The two have met in the final once before, with South Africa winning, 15-12 in extra time, in 1995.

Argentina and England will play in the third-place match on Friday, also in Saint-Denis.

At the same time as the Rugby World Cup is heading toward the finish, the International Wheelchair Rugby World Cup was played from 18-22 October, also in Paris, at the Accor Arena. No. 2-ranked Australia won the title from Canada in the final, 53-48, while Japan defeated France, 50-49, in the bronze-medal game. It’s another demonstration of how the Paralympic world is becoming more closely attached to able-bodied sports events. 

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Athletics ● A brilliant win for Kenya’s 2020 Worlds silver medalist Kibiwott Kandie at the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain, winning in a world-leading 57:40, the fourth-fastest race in history, just ahead of Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha (57:41) and World 5 km Champion Hagos Gebrhiwet (57:41).

The first 5km was covered in 13:43 and Kandie, Kejelcha, Gebrhiwet and Tokyo Olympic 10,000 m winner Selemon Barega (ETH) passed 10 km in a ridiculous 27:15, on world-record pace. The same four passed 15 km in 41:01. Barega fell back after 19 km, and Worlds 5 km runner-up Kejelcha took the lead, but Kandie surged with less than 400 m to go and won by a second.

Kandie ran a then-world record 57:32 in 2020, but his run is the fourth-fastest ever; Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet are now the nos. 3-4 performers in history with the fifth-fastest performances ever. Barega was fourth in 57:50, now the no. 6 performer ever.

Kenyan Margaret Chelimo broke away from countrywoman Irine Cheptai in the final kilometer and won in a lifetime best of 1:04:46, moving to equal-ninth on the all-time list and equal-second in 2023. Cheptai finished in 1:04:53, now no. 13.

● Badminton ● China placed finalists in four events in the BWF World Tour Denmark Open in Odense, and won them all, including a match-up of Olympic champions.

Hong Yang Weng (CHN) took the men’s Singles title by defeating Zii Ja Lee (MAS), 21-12, 21-6, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic winner Yu Fei Chen (CHN) won the women’s Singles in a match with Rio 2016 Olympic champ, Carolina Marin (ESP), 21-14, 21-19.

Top-seeded Qing Chen Chen and Yi Fan Jia (CHN) won the women’s Doubles with a 21-16, 21-13 sweep over Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (JPN). In the all-China Mixed Doubles final, top-seeded Si Wei Zhang and Ya Qiong Huang needed three sets to overcome Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang (CHN), 16-21, 21-15, 26-24.

The men’s Doubles final saw Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh (MAS) sweep aside Muhammad Fikri and Bagas Maulana (INA), 21-13, 21-17.

Next up is the French Open in Rennes.

● Curling ● The opening tournament of the new Grand Slam of Curling season is the Tour Challenge in Niagara Falls, Ontario (CAN), with an impressive string of wins for Canadian star Jennifer Jones’ rink.

Jones, the 2014 Olympic gold medalist, came out a 7-4 winner over Kaitlyn Lawes‘ rink in the women’s final. Her squad had a tough road to the last match, beating four-time defending Swiss World Champion Silvana Tirinzoni‘s team in the quarters, 7-4, and then Anna Hasselborg (SWE) and her 2018 Olympic champs in the semis, 7-5. Jones got up early in the final on Lawes, 3-1, after two ends, but Lawes got close at 4-3 after four. But two points for Jones in the fifth was decisive on the way to the 7-4 final.

In the taut men’s final, it was 1-1 after four ends between Italian Joel Retornaz, the 2022 Worlds bronze medalist and five-time Grand Slam tournament winner Brendan Bottcher (CAN). Retornaz managed points in the fifth end and then in the seventh for a 3-1 edge, but Bottcher tied it in the eighth, requiring an extra end. But Retornaz managed a point in the ninth for the 4-3 win.

It’s Retornaz’s second career Grand Slam tournament win.

● Cycling ● The first leg of the UCI Track Champions League was in Mallorca (ESP), with Tokyo Olympic Sprint winner Harrie Lavreysen (NED) taking the men’s Sprint division, beating France’s Tom Derache in the Sprint final and then out-dueling 2023 World Champion Kevin Quintero (COL) and Commonwealth Games Sprint champ Matthew Richardson (AUS) in the Keirin.

Lavreysen finished with 40 points to 30 for Derache and 26 for Richardson.

The women’s Sprint class was tight, with German Alessa-Catriona Propster winning with 35 points, to 32 for Colombia’s two-time Worlds Keirin runner-up Martha Bayona and 30 for Keirin World Champion Ellesse Andrews (NZL). Propster surprised World Champion Emma Finucane (GBR) in the Sprint final, with Andrews beating Propster in the Keirin final.

The men’s Endurance class saw Japan’s Eiya Hashimoto win decisively with 31 points to 25 for Dylan Bibic (CAN). Hashimoto, competing in his first Champions League event, came from behind to win the Scratch race from Mark Stewart (GBR) in the final laps. After a crash of all seven finalists required a re-start in the Elimination race, Worlds silver medalist Bibic won over William Tidball (GBR), the 2023 Worlds Scratch gold medalist.

American Lily Williams won the women’s Scratch final over five-time Worlds gold medalist Katie Archibald (GBR), but Archibald winning the Elimination final over Anita Stenberg (NOR), with Williams third. That was enough to give Archibald the Endurance title by 37-35 over the American, with Stenberg third (30).

● Figure Skating ● Ilia Malinin and the Ice Dance pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates scored impressive home wins at Skate America in Allen, Texas, in the first stage of the ISU Grand Prix.

Malinin, still just 18, scored a lifetime best of 310.47 to win the men’s title, and got a personal-best Free Skate score of 206.41 to defend his 2022 Skate America win. He included four quadruple jumps in his Free Skate routine (no quad-Axel, however), after scoring 104.06 in the Short Program that included two quadruple jumps. Said the winner:

“I was really not expecting this outcome. I’m still speechless.

“I have no words to explain how I really feel. It’s just a mix of emotions. I’ve put in so many hours, and I think that it really paid off that I took a lot of time to focus on everything, to try to improve everything, to try to have the least possible amount of mistakes in the program. And overall, I’m really happy with how I did today.”

A distant second was France’s Kevin Aymoz (279.09), with Shun Sato (JPN: 247.50) third. American Andrew Torgashev was seventh (219.67).

Malinin’s score was the eighth-highest in history, and he stands as the no. 4 performer ever, behind Nathan Chen of the U.S. and Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno.

Chock and Bates, the 2023 World Champions, won both the Rhythm Dance and Free Dance segments by 7.07 and 8.90 points to rack up a 212.96 to 196.99 win over Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada, with Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud (FRA: 193.47) third and Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons fourth (185.07).

It’s the third career win for Chock and Bates at Skate America, but their first since 2014 and 2015!

Belgium’s Worlds bronze medalist Leona Hendrickx led the women’s competition after the Short Program, 75.92 to 71.45 for Amber Glenn of the U.S. and 70.07 for American champ Isabeau Levito. She followed up by taking the Free Skate with 145.36 to 138.08 for Levito and a 221.28 to 208.15 overall win over Levito.

It’s Hendrickx’s second career Grand Prix win, after the Grand Prix de France in 2022. Levito repeated her runner-up finish at Skate America and got her third career Grand Prix medal. Glenn fell to fifth in the Free Skate and ended up fifth (189.63), with Niina Petrokina (EST) moving up to the bronze medal at 194.55.

In the Pairs, Germany’s 2023 European bronze medalists Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel won both the Short Program and Free Skate to eke out a 184.23 to 182.59 victory over Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (CAN). The U.S. went 3-4-5 with Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy (177.66), Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez (157.08) and Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard (154.66).

Next on the schedule is the Skate Canada International, in Vancouver.

● Football ● “It is with great disappointment that we share that the 2023 World Cup roster will not be participating in the upcoming October international window for the first-ever Women’s Gold Cup Qualifiers.

“While this has been one of the hardest decisions we have had to make, we feel it is necessary to take such a drastic stance to put an end to the constant mistreatment we receive from the Jamaica Football Federation. …

“Due to the current circumstances the JFF has put us in, we would not be able to do our job. We take out stance in solidarity with hope to end this cycle of mistreatment.”

That’s from an Instagram post by Jamaican midfielder Drew Spence on behalf of the Reggae Girlz, who will not play against Panama on 26 October or Guatemala on 29 October. The post further notes that the players have not been paid for their Women’s World Cup qualification, received information about staff changes from outside the federation and a lack of organization and management.

The Jamaican federation has called up a less-experienced roster for the two upcoming games.

Canadian great Christine Sinclair said Friday that she will retire from national team play at the end of the year, but will continue to play one more season in the NWSL with the Portland Thorns.

Sinclair, now 40, has scored 190 goals in 327 national-team matches, the most by any player, and expects to play two more matches near the end of the year in the international match window. She began her national team career in 2000 and won an Olympic gold with Canada at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

She told Reuters, “Honestly, you can’t play forever. And this seems like a good time to be done.”

● Freestyle Skiing & Snowboard ● The weather played a major role in the season-opening Big Air competitions in Chur (SUI), with the Freestyle finals wiped out by heavy winds on Friday.

So, the results from Thursday’s qualifying round were used, with Canadian Dylan Deschamps, 20, getting his first career World Cup medal – and the win – scoring 93.66, ahead of Daniel Bacher (AUT: 92.66) and defending champ Birk Ruud (NOR: 92.00), the 2022 Olympic Champion.

American Troy Podmilsak, the 2023 World Champion, was fourth (91.66).

The women’s winner was home favorite Mathilde Grimaud (SUI: 95.50), the Beijing 2022 bronze winner, beating 2023 World Champion Tess Ledeux (FRA: 94.00) and fellow Swiss Sarah Hoefflin (91.75), the 2018 Olympic Slopestyle winner.

The situation was better for the snowboarders and Saturday’s Big Air event was able to be completed, with a men’s sweep for Japan, by 18-year-old Hiroto Ogiwara (171.50), Kira Kimura (168.00) and defending champion Takeru Otsuka (167.50). American Sean Fitzsimmons was fifth (145.75).

It’s also Ogiwara’s first career World Cup medal, and victory.

Japan nearly swept all the medals, with 18-year-old Kokomo Murase (179.25) and Reira Iwabuchi (175.50) going 1-2 in the women’s final, with Great Britain’s Mia Brookes third (169.75)! It’s Murase’s second career World Cup Big Air win, as she took the title in Chur in 2021; she also has two wins in Slopestyle. Iwabuchi, 21, won her 14th career World Cup medal.

● Gymnastics ● The last update from Mary Lou Retton’s family was on Wednesday, with an Instagram video from daughter Shayla Schrepfer, who explained that Retton’s recovery in a Houston hospital from a rare form of pneumonia was going well, but:

“But then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU and we’re just working through some things as far as her setback goes.

“She had a better day today, which is great, [she’s] just really, really exhausted.”

Retton, now 55, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s gymnastics All-Around, has touched the public. Her family’s fund-raising appeal for $50,000 in support, has reached $459,304 by mid-day on Sunday, from 8,319 donors.

● Short Track ● American Kristin Santos-Griswold emerged as a force on the ISU World Cup circuit last season, winning seven medals in all, and picked up right where she left off in World Cup I in Montreal (CAN).

She picked up her first World Cup win since 31 October 2021 with a victory in the women’s 1,000 m in 1:31.288, ahead of Korea’s So-youn Lee (1:43.214), as the rest of the field crashed! Santos-Griswold said later:

“It was a crazy race, I’ve never been in one where everyone has crashed before. I don’t think most people have. I saw it and just thought, ‘no, don’t call it back’. I wish it was different and everyone had stayed on their feet, but I felt like I had the win either way. I’m really happy with how I skated.”

She wasn’t finished, winning a bronze in the second 1,000 m race in 1:31.168, behind Gil-li Kim (KOR: 1:30.998) and Belgian Hanne Desmet, the 2023 European 1,000 m gold medalist.

Teammate Corinne Stoddard won a third medal for the U.S. in the 1,500 m in 2:18.104, behind Desmet (2:27.863) and Kim (2:28.012). Reigning World Champion Xandra Velzeboer (NED) won the 500 m in 41.961, ahead of teammate Selma Poutsma (42.081).

Korea’s Ji-won Park, the 1,000 and 1,500 m Worlds winner in 2023, took the 1,000 m in 1:24.903, beating Canadian Worlds bronze medalist Steven Dubois (1:24.916). Teammate Gun-woo Kim won the second 1,000 m race in 1:26.712 with Park fourth, and Dae-heon Hwan, the Beijing 2022 Olympic gold medalist, won the 1,500 m in 2:23.666 ahead of Stijn Desmet (BEL, Hanne’s brother) at 2:23.789.

China’s Shaoang Liu, who won the Beijing Olympic 500 m in 2022 for Hungary, won his specialty in 40.875, ahead of Canadian Felix Roussel (40.895).

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TSX REPORT: Pan Am Games start in Chile today; Russia now focused on 2028 Olympics; Swiss committee unveils 2030 Winter Games plan

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Pan American Games start in Chile tomorrow
2. Russia focusing on 2028; “neutrals” called a disgrace
3. Swiss Olympic shares national “203X” Games plan
4. Winter season starts with Skate America in Texas
5. Gold Coast mayor trying to save 2026 Commonwealth Games

● The 19th edition of the Pan American Games opens in Santiago, Chile on Friday with a gala opening ceremony and then competition in 39 sports over two weeks. The U.S. will lead the medal count again and has a giant, 631-athlete team competing.

● The head of the Russian Olympic Committee told a conference audience in Russia that he is focusing on LA28 and now on Paris in view of sanctions. History says that the decision on whether any Russian athlete accepts “neutral” status for Paris could come from Vladimir Putin.

● The Swiss Olympic committee unveiled its feasibility study for a 2030 Winter Games bid, with events placed across the country and existing accommodations used instead of an Olympic Village. The decision on a formal bid will come in November.

● The winter sports season gets underway this weekend with the annual Skate America competition, this year in the Dallas area. Headliners include U.S. teen sensation Ilia Malinin and Ice Dance World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

● While the Australian state of Victoria gave back the Commonwealth Games in July, the mayor of Gold Coast – where the 2018 event was held – wants to take it over. But he faces an uphill fight with the Queensland government, more focused on the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

● World Championships: Rugby (World Cup finishes in France this weekend) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (French financial prosecutors visit Paris 2024 offices again) = Israel (events being relocated away from Israel due to war) = Athletics (five more doping suspensions reported) ●

1.
Pan American Games start in Chile tomorrow

The XIX Pan American Games will start in and around Santiago, Chile on Friday (20th), with competitions in 39 sports, 425 events and 6,909 athletes from 41 countries expected, competing in 39 venues.

Swimming and Artistic Gymnastics will highlight the first week, with track and field and wrestling anchoring the second week. Olympic qualifying is a major focus of multiple sports on the Pan Am program:

● Direct qualification in nine sports or disciplines: artistic swimming, breaking, boxing, gymnastics (rhythmic and trampoline), hockey (men & women), modern pentathlon, sport climbing, team handball and water polo (men & women).

● Quota qualification in seven sports or disciplines: archery, diving, equestrian jumping, table tennis, sailing and shooting.

There is no doubt about the medal leader; it will be the U.S. For the Pan American Games in this century, it has been no contest:

● 2003: United States, 271; Cuba, 152; Canada, 128, in Santo Domingo (DOM).
● 2007: United States, 237; Brazil, 157; Canada, 138, in Rio de Janeiro (BRA).
● 2011: United States, 237; Brazil, 141; Cuba, 136, in Guadalajara (MEX).
● 2015: United States, 265; Canada, 219; Brazil, 141, in Toronto (CAN).
● 2019: United States, 293; Brazil, 169; Canada, 152, in Lima (PER).

The U.S. is sending a massive team to Santiago, with 631 total athletes in 43 disciplines out of 46, some 93 Olympians and 45 prior Pan American Games gold medalists. There are 13 Olympic gold medalists on the team, including Lee Kiefer (Tokyo: fencing), Vincent Hancock (Tokyo: shooting), Brooks Curry (Tokyo: swimming), Rio wrestling champs Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder, Beijing equestrians Laura Kraut and McClain Ward, and six members of the Tokyo women’s water polo champions: Maggie Steffens, Maddie Musselman, Ashleigh Johnson, Kaleigh Gilchrist, Rachel Fattal and Amanda Longan.

The Games will be shown in the U.S. on the PanAm Sports streaming channel live.

2.
Russia focusing on 2028; “neutrals” called a disgrace

“We have set the aim of competing in Los Angeles.

“I’m sure that the sanctions would be lifted by that time and the present-day approach would be altered. It is already being altered.”

That’s Russian Olympic Committee chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov, speaking at a sports conference in Perm (RUS) on Thursday. The ROC was suspended on 12 October by the International Olympic Committee for integrating sports organizations governing areas which are part of Ukraine, but overrun during the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. So now:

“We believe that this status is temporary,” Pozdnyakov said. “And at the right time, relations between our organizations will take a positive path, so we do not break contacts with our colleagues. Now they are informal.”

Irina Viner, the high-profile head of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, is campaigning for a new sports structure altogether:

“I believe that amid external sanctions pressure and our country being disparaged by international federations it is crucial to create alternative organizations that will not be affiliated with international federations. There should be independent organizations that can invite athletes to compete. In rhythmic gymnastics, for example, there is the League of Sports Societies, an association of clubs.

“We won’t stop. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that was born in the Soviet Union. We are looking for new forms and have already found some. There are competitions and concerts, which we hold on such dates as Defender of the Fatherland Day and Children’s Day. They bolster the morale of our athletes. Children and families of our soldiers show up there as guests.”

Viner also repeated her view of the possibilities for Russians competing as “neutrals” at Paris 2024:

“We are all very worried since we keep hearing one and the same thing regarding the Olympic Games: lower, even lower, stay down. In a way, we are being ‘kept down’ all the time.

“Sometimes we are accused of doing something wrong, or our athletes are dressed in white uniforms, without the anthem, without fans. Our colleagues and children will not go to the Games under this status: it’s a disgrace.

“We are used to hearing our anthem when our flags are raised. The most popular song at the world championships is always the Russian anthem. And now, to compete at the Games is beneath the dignity of a country like Russia.”

Observed: Pozdnyakov made an important comment during his presentation at the ongoing “Russia: A Sports Power” conference:

“Today at the Council everyone was once again convinced of how attentive the President of Russia is to the problems of our sport. At the meeting, a variety of issues related to current challenges and prospects for the development of the industry were raised. Sport, including elite sport, remains a matter of national importance. This is probably one of the key results of the meeting.”

That says a lot about Russian sport and what will happen in 2024. Reporting since 1984 indicates that the decision to boycott the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad in Los Angeles came down to Soviet Premier Konstantin Chernenko, a 72-year-old bureaucrat who was a protégé of Leonid Brezhnev, the 18-year Premier from 1964-82.

Similarly, a decision on whether Russian athletes will simply not go to Paris under any circumstances will very much be up to current Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin. Whatever the IOC’s stance or requirements – which have not been specified as yet – it is likely that Putin will make a decision whether to allow Russians to compete as neutrals, or demand that they not go.

It’s worthwhile to remember that that’s the way it works in an autocracy.

Putin spoke to the conference and among his remarks:

“We learned that an invitation to the [Olympic] Games is not an unconditional right of the best athletes, but a kind of ‘privilege,’ and it can be earned not by sports results, but by some political gestures that have nothing to do with sports at all, and that the Games themselves can be used as a tool of political pressure against people who have nothing to do with politics, as gross and in fact racist, ethnic discrimination.”

And he continued his campaign against the West and sport:

“What is happening in modern international sports organizations are signs of degeneration. It is very commercialized, which means it is very dependent on business, and business depends on authorities at various levels, political structures of various countries. This is and there are signs of degeneration.”

3.
Swiss Olympic shares national “203X” Games plan

“Switzerland has the potential, the knowledge and the support of the population to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games according to a new concept from 2030. Decentralized, on existing facilities, in all four language regions and largely privately financed. This is the conclusion reached by a feasibility study by Swiss Olympic, the Olympic winter sports associations and Swiss Paralympic. Now the sports parliament will decide on the next step at the end of November 2023.”

That’s the summary of the “Vision Switzerland 203X” plan revealed by Swiss Olympic – the national Olympic committee of Switzerland – with an eye on the 2030 Games now up for grabs. The 60-page feasibility study detailed the opportunities:

● 12 competition sites, all across Switzerland
● Opening in Lausanne, Closing in Bern
● Existing accommodations, no new Olympic Village

The “headquarters” city would be Bern, but existing, well-respected venues will be used for all sports, including St. Moritz for bobsled, luge and skeleton, and freestyle skiing and snowboard, Engelberg and Kandersteg for ski jumping, Lenzerheide for biathlon, Crans-Montana for alpine skiing, Lausanne for figure skating and short track and so on. A venue for curling is still to be identified

Perhaps most important is the financial projection, which has sunk Swiss bids in the past:

“The budget assessment shows that it seems possible to generate an organizational budget of around CHF 1.5 billion from largely private resources – also thanks to a direct financial contribution from the IOC of CHF 710 million. According to the financial analysis, this should make it possible Organizational costs of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Switzerland, according to a decentralized format, without covering financial resources from the public sector. Instead, the public sector should financially support the Paralympics. The public sector would also invest in the areas of legacy and security.”

(CHF 710 million is about $796.5 million U.S.)

A poll taken in September showed 67% in favor, 26% against and seven percent not sure, an unusually strong support indicator in Switzerland. As for the target:

“The focus is on hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2030. 2034 remains an option as an alternative year.”

The IOC is hoping to find a suitable candidate for 2030 from the Swiss, Sweden or France in time to be formally elected in mid-2024.

4.
Winter season starts with Skate America in Texas

Ready or not, the winter-sports season is here, with the annual opener of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix circuit, Skate America. For 2023, the event is being held in Allen, Texas, in the Dallas area.

The skater invitations are made for the entire Grand Prix by the ISU, based on past performances, with American teen star Ilia Malinin, still 18, the headliner. The first man to perform the quadruple axel in competition, he won the Worlds bronze medal at the 2023 Worlds after winning the 2022 World Junior Championships gold.

The women’s competition will feature Worlds silver and bronze medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, competing against U.S. champ Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, third at last year’s U.S. nationals and at Skate America.

The favorite in Pairs might be Germany’s Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, the 2023 European Championships bronze medalists.

In Ice Dance, American stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the 2023 World Champions, are in and will face competition from U.S. skaters Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, the 2022 Four Continents winners. The third U.S. entry could be the future: the brother-sister combo of Oona and Gage Brown, the 2022 World Junior Champions. French national champs Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud and Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha are both national champions.

Malinin is the defending Skate America champion from 2022 and Chock and Bates have won this event three times, in 2014, 2015 and last year. Levito and Glenn were 2-3 in the women’s Singles in 2022.

The event is mostly on NBC’s Peacock streaming network, but the Friday’s evening session is on E! from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Eastern, Saturday evening session is on E! from 8-11 p.m. and Sunday’s 3-6 p.m. session will also be on E!. A highlights package of the first two days will be shown on NBC on Sunday from 12-2 p.m.

5.
Gold Coast mayor trying to save 2026 Commonwealth Games

Australia’s Gold Coast hosted a very successful Commonwealth Games in 2018, at a cost of about A$1.2 billion (about $757.8 million U.S.), and now Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate wants to do it again.

Tate sees an opportunity to run what he calls a “streamlined” version of the event in 2026 in the aftermath of the Victoria government withdrawing from its hosting agreement in July, with then-Premier Daniel Andrews saying that the event cost was too high, perhaps more than A$6 billion (~$3.8 billion U.S.).

He told reporters earlier this week:

“I’ve just concluded a very positive meeting with the [Commonwealth Games Federation]. Mr [Craig] Phillips [of Commonwealth Games Australia] agrees the Gold Coast is an excellent option for the Games. It is heartening for us to have a frank discussion regarding hosting the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

“Of course there is a bit of a journey to do but the key point is this: we want to salvage Australia’s reputation. Because in future years, nobody will remember Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Government, they will say ‘the Aussies are the ones who cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games.’

“I showed them our preliminary business case which proves that a scaled down 2026 Games can be held on the coast for around $700 million [$442 million U.S.]. This is a $2 billion-plus gift to the [southeast Queensland] economy at no monetary cost to Queensland, apart from in-kind support at the time.”

The Queensland government has said it is not interested in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in view of the forthcoming 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, with Queensland Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe strongly opposed. Queensland Housing Minister and Member of Parliament Meaghan Scanlon said, “I can’t say I have had a single person raise with me their desire to have the Commonwealth Games again on the Gold Coast.”

But Tate is undeterred. He, along with the Commonwealth Games Federation, will pitch the idea further to the Queensland government and hopes to make a bid presentation to the CGF in November.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Rugby ● The 10th Rugby World Cup is on to the semifinals on Friday and Saturday (with current world rankings):

● 20 October: (7) Argentina (4-1) vs. (2) New Zealand (4-1)
● 21 October: (5) England (5-0) vs. (1) South Africa (4-1)

Both games will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the Paris area, with the championship final on the 28th.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● A terse announcement from the Paris 2024 organizers on Thursday explained:

“Paris 2024 confirms that the PNF (Parquet national financier) visited its headquarters on Wednesday Oct. 18 and obtained all the information it requested.”

This is the second search for information at the organizing committee’s headquarters by the national financial prosecutors, looking at specific contracts for favoritism and conflicts of interest. The head of the PNF, Jean-Francois Bohnert, said in September that “I don’t see any elements, at least not at this stage, that would lead the investigation towards the most serious cases of corruption or influence peddling.”

● Israel ● Multiple federations are postponing events involving Israel in view of the attack by Hamas and the continuing conflict. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) said that Basketball Champions League matches involving Israeli club teams from Jerusalem and Hapoel have been rescheduled and games in Israel will be moved outside of the country.

The European Handball Federation said Thursday that two qualifying matches involving Israel against Luxembourg for 1 November and 5 November are being postponed. UEFA announced:

“After a thorough evaluation of the current safety and security situation in the whole territory of Israel, the UEFA Executive Committee decided that no UEFA competition matches shall be played in Israel until further notice.

“The Israel Football Association and its clubs Maccabi Haifa FC and Maccabi Tel-Aviv have been requested to propose alternative venues/stadiums (which must comply with all applicable UEFA regulations) outside the territory of Israel for their home matches to be used for as long as this decision remains in force.”

The Association of Tennis Professionals announced the ATP 250 men’s tournament scheduled for Tel Aviv from 5-11 November will be played on Sofia (BUL) instead.

● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit posted suspension notices this week on five more athletes this week, four of which are women and at least four are distance runners:

● Jennifer Gonzalez (CHI), 33, a six-time national champion at 5,000 or 10,000 m, six years suspension from 7 November 2022, for excessive use over a five-month period of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).

● Zhang Xin (CHN), 34, a 2:31:19 marathoner from 2007, three years suspension from 21 April 2023 for the use of the steroid Metandienone.

● Daisy Cherotich (KEN), 26, a 2:25:30 marathoner (2022), three years suspension from 21 February 2023 for use of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).

● Salina Jebet Kosgei (KEN), 46, a 2:23:22 marathoner from 2006, provisionally suspended from 17 August for the use of norandrosterone.

● Wesram Nasser Alfarsi (KSA), for the use of Darbepoetin (no other details available).

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: L.A.-area sports impact now $8.9 billion; LA28 “a car-free Games”? SoFi Stadium may be out for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

By
Rich Perelman
-
Marcel Porras, the L.A. Metro Deputy Innovation Officer, at the 2023 L.A. Sports Innovation Conference on Tuesday (TSX photo)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. L.A.-area sports economic impact explodes to $8.9 billion
2. “For the LA28 Olympics, it’s meant to be a car-free Games”
3. USOPP’s Koblin on how the 2028 Games will change Los Angeles
4. Way cleared for Saudi Arabia walkover for World Cup 2034 hosting
5. Sofi Stadium out of 2026 FIFA World Cup?

● A panel at Tuesday’s 2023 Los Angeles Sports Innovation Conference revealed that the economic impact of the L.A.-area professional and college teams expanded to $8.9 billion for 2022, including 83,430 direct and induced jobs. The economic impact total grew by 41.9 billion, year-over-year.

● The Deputy Chief Innovation Officer of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority told the conference attendees that the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is “meant to be a car-free Games” and see the potential to change the way locals think about public transit.

● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties chief operating officer explained the primary ways the Games is going to change Los Angeles, and how LA28 sponsors are using big data to aid the planning.

● Indonesia’s football federation said it would not bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, in a tie-up with Australia, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to bid unopposed.

● An ESPN Deportes report said that SoFi Stadium may not be involved in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the field width is too small and requires substantial modifications to the field-level seating and boxes. There are other options for FIFA in Southern California.

● Panorama: IOC (2: eight new members elected; contracts for 2029-32 quad now $5.4 billion) = PanAm Sports (ex-USOPC Chair Lyon elected a Vice President) = Athletics (European Athletics agrees to prize money for Euro Champs in 2024) = Cycling (2: Pikulik wins Tour of Guangxi Women’s World Tour finale; Vader maintains lead and wins season-ending Gree-Tour of Guangxi) = Football (3: U.S. men swamp Ghana, 4-0; U.S.-Germany drew 1.15 million viewers against college football; CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals announced) = Gymnastics (855,000 watched NBC’s Worlds highlights show!) ●

● Errata: Tuesday’s post erroneously listed New Haven, Connecticut was one of the out-of-area football sites for the 1984 Olympic Games; actually, it was Harvard Stadium in Boston Massachusetts. Thanks to reader Todd Parker for the correction. ●

1.
L.A.-area sports economic impact explodes to $8.9 billion

Showing a considerable resilience since the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of sports on the Los Angeles region expanded in 2022 to $8.9 billion in all, up a staggering 27% in just one year.

And nothing at all to do with the 2028 Olympic Games.

This finding was announced during Tuesday’s L.A. Sports Innovation held at the YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Created by the Institute for Applied Economics of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) for the Los Angeles Sports Council, the report showed a remarkable recovery from the heavy pandemic restrictions in California, and specially in Los Angeles County:

● $8.9 billion total economic impact in 2022 vs. $7.0 billion in 2021 (+27%)
● $7.4 billion pro-sports impact in 2022 vs. $6.0 billion in 2021 (+23%)
● $1.5 billion collegiate-sports impact in 2022 vs. $964 million in 2021 (+56%)

Both the professional and college sports economic impacts were far ahead of the pre-pandemic report delivered on 2018, which had $5.3 billion in pro-sports impact and $1.2 billion for college sports (total: $6.5 billion).

The opening of SoFi Stadium provided a boost to the totals and the figures do not include one-time events such as the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium or the February 2022 NFL Super Bowl LVI.

The employment numbers also showed marked increases, in part thanks to the opening of new facilities, but also the re-opening of facilities closed during the pandemic:

● 54,440 jobs directly created in 2022 vs. 20,850 in 2021
● 28,990 jobs indirectly created in 2022 vs. 18,840 in 2021
● 83,430 total sports-related jobs in 2022 vs. 37,690 in 2021 (+210%)

There also a calculation made on the amount of state and local taxes collected, at $365.1 million, only slightly ahead of $363.6 million in 2021 and 353.9 million in 2018.

The study was quite limited, and incorporated data from the 12 regional major professional teams in baseball (2), basketball (3), football (2), hockey (2) and soccer (3). The area’s college teams survey was limited to the eight largest, including UCLA, USC, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, UC Irvine and CSUN, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.

The clear driver has been the opening of new facilities, which have been filled by existing and new team fan bases. With the Intuit Dome opening in Inglewood in 2024 as the home of the Los Angeles Clippers, another expansion is anticipated.

2.
“For the LA28 Olympics, it’s meant to be a car-free Games”

During the L.A. Sports Innovation Conference panel on the economic impact of sports in the region, Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) reminded the attendees again of his agency’s goals for impact at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“I don’t think it’s widely publicized, for the LA28 Olympics, it’s meant to be a car-free Games. And so, what does that mean?

“Well, I think it means first and foremost, there will not be parking at the venues. Now, someone may be able to park at Joe’s Parking down the street, but the venues themselves, they’re going to be using all of that parking for their operations; safety perimeters for the athletes, for the sports broadcasting, etc., and so when you think about where we’re going to be for the Olympics, you can start thinking about your travel and think about how you’re going to adapt to that.

“And we’re going to step up and meet the demand, because that’s what we do here in L.A., but we’ve been working on this now and we have 4 1/2 years to go, you know, we’re under the gun.”

He was seconded by Ron Frierson, the former Director of Economic Policy for Mayor Eric Garcetti (2018-22) and now Amazon’s Director of Economic Development for the western region:

“One of the things that the Olympics is going to do for us is it’s going to force us to upgrade and expedite all of our sustainability, right? … Also, in a way, for lack of a better term, force Metro to really connect our cities and places, so it’s going to be largely carless because of all the work that Metro is doing, connecting us to all of these major sports venues and convening hubs, and that in turn, after the Olympics leaves, we’ll be left with a better infrastructure so we can take cars off the road as we see them now. …

“It’s going to require a shift in our culture of L.A. being a car culture.”

Porras pointed to a significant, 17% increase in ridership for the lines related to attendance at the six nights of the Taylor Swift “The Eras Tour” concerts at SoFi Stadium from 3-9 August this year as a sign that massive increases in the use of public transit are possible. He also emphasized the coordination with the City of Inglewood for the creation of park-and-ride lots and bus-only lanes to make public transit more attractive to users:

“With the 2028 Olympics, we’re really using that as an opportunity to unlock a much more enhanced customer experience, so that it just becomes an easy choice for you to take Metro rather than driving your car and sitting in traffic and paying a ton of money for parking.”

3.
USOPP’s Koblin on how the 2028 Games will change Los Angeles

The final panel of the L.A. Sports Innovation Conference was on the “Global Impact of Sports: Unveiling Opportunities for Growth and Innovation in the Southern California Market.” Panelist Danny Koblin, the Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, backed up Metro’s Porras, saying “We have some solutions for that during Games time.”

The USOPP is the joint venture formed to sell sponsorships for the LA28 Games and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and Koblin was asked about how the 2028 Games will change Los Angeles:

“As an organizing committee that has had an extra amount of time to plan our Games, thinking about how to help this city and how the Games can benefit this city has been a real focal point of our plans. And there’s really three areas that we’re focused on:

“The first one I’ll say is around youth sports. At the core, the Games are around sports, providing access to sport and showing kids and people who participate in sport all the benefits that sport can provide.

“And so one of the first things we did was create a relationship with the L.A. City Rec and Parks. We’re actually spending $160 million – we started this a couple years ago – and spending this through the end of our plan in 2028. We’re actually making sports more accessible for kids, and we’re helping subsidize the fees to participate in sports, we’re helping train coaches, we’re helping make fields safer, so the City has already enrolled over 500,000 kids in these programs.

“We’ve included adaptive sports for the first time ever in the City’s programming, so we’re really proud of that program, and how we’re ultimately going to extend that throughout the run of our Games, and with success, even beyond our Games.

“The second area is really around a healthy environment, and so when you think about the plan … we have so many amazing venues here that are already doing incredible things to be sustainable operations. We want to make sure that we continue to advance in the areas of sustainable energy, how we can do things responsibly for the partnership with our venues, so when we do host the world on this amazing, great stage, we’re doing so in a really responsible manner that creates an incredible healthy environment.

“When you think about all those areas that we’re really looking to advance in our Games, I think we have just this tremendous ability to really showcase to the world how these Games can really bring benefits to the community, and not ultimately be a burden.

“And the last area is really what we call economic empowerment. And when you think about the buying power, we have a $7 billion budget. That’s a balanced budget, we’ve got to make the revenues actually pay for the execution of these Games. But there’s going to be a tremendous amount of economic activity coming into this community, and so one of the things we want to make sure we do is utilize our buying power to help advance local businesses, and specifically minority and diverse businesses, businesses from underserved communities, the ability of these businesses to go out and compete to win business through our Games is really an area of focus for us.

“So those three things are really the areas in which we’re focused.”

He was also asked about the impact of the Paralympic Games:

“The Paralympics will be the first time here in L.A. And the Paralympics as a movement, it’s so incredible. I was at the Games in Rio in 2016 to see these athletes competing at this unbelievable high level, overcoming all these physical disabilities. It really is such an amazing experience to be able to see, and so for us, hosting the Games here in L.A. is all about Olympics and Paralympics.

“The Paralympics will happen about a couple of weeks after the Games are over. We’re going to be handling these Games in the same manner as we are the Olympic Games, and I’m just so excited for us to be able to showcase these incredible athletes on the field of play, because it really is what Olympic and Paralympic Games are all about. It’s really bringing this world together, creating a better world through sport, helping advance people with disabilities into opportunities that everybody should have in this life.

“So we’re really excited to showcase that to the world.”

Koblin also noted that several of the LA28 Athlete Fellows – Olympians and Paralympians who are now working in the organizing committee – were in attendance, enhancing their own experiences in a new way:

“I think about being here and having these Games come to L.A., to really think about all of the human legacy moments and the impact that we’re going to create on all these people that are going to experience, for the first time or second time or 10th time, but I guarantee you it’s going to be experienced in an entirely different way, and that feeling is going to permeate throughout the entire globe.”

Koblin was asked about how the LA28 commercial partners have helped advance the organization, he stressed big data as a new element:

“Salesforce is definitely a great example and I think Salesforce, being a California company, was really interested in partnering with LA28 to really help us get smarter about our fans. And the reality is, when you think about the Games going from city to city to city, the IOC being the international organization that oversees the Games, there wasn’t a lot of sophistication in the data sharing, in the data understanding of the fanbase. And so Salesforce, through us understanding what they can do and how they do it, we created an amazing partnership that is now giving us the tools to really get smarter about fans.”

On how brands are attracted to LA28, he noted how Delta is using the LA28 Games to help launch its new Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport, a $2.3 billion joint investment with Los Angeles World Airports.

“You can just see the different interests of each of these brands and what’s important to them and really understanding how we can leverage what we bring, both as a property, as well as the city to these brands to really tell their stories more broadly.”

4.
Way cleared for Saudi Arabia walkover for World Cup 2034 hosting

After news of discussions between Indonesia and Australia about a possible FIFA World Cup 2034 bid surfaced last week, they were squashed by Wednesday announcement by Erick Thohir, the head of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI).

The headline read, “Supporting Saudi Arabia, Indonesia Aims to Host After the 2034 World Cup” with two short paragraphs following:

“Indonesia supports Saudi Arabia as a candidate to host the 2034 World Cup.

“’Indonesia supports Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup. On the other hand, Indonesia continues to prepare itself for bidding for the next World Cup for the Asian zone after 2034 and other FIFA competitions,’ said Erick in a written statement.”

When FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup would go to a tri-nation bid from Portugal, Spain and Morocco, this knocked Europe and Africa out of the continental rotation which FIFA favors for the World Cup. By placing three opening games in South America – Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – recognizing the centennial of the World Cup, first played in Uruguay in 1930, a South American bid for 2034 was eliminated.

FIFA specified that only bids from Asia or Oceania would be received and the Saudi Football Federation immediately jumped in. With the derailing of an Australian bid, there is little doubt now that Saudi Arabia will be the only bidder to send an expression of interest by the 31 October 2023 deadline.

The Associated Press reported that a Wednesday videoconference of the Asian Football Confederation included an exhortation by FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) for the regional association to “be united for the 2034 World Cup.”

Saudi Football Federation head Yasser al Misehal told the group:

“We have been overwhelmed by a huge number of supporting letters, announcements from all over the world. This puts a big responsibility on us to really deliver a successful bid.”

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was marked by an enormous building program and dogged by questions over human rights issues and construction worker concerns. Saudi Arabia has also been pressured over decades with regard to human rights issues.

5.
Sofi Stadium out of 2026 FIFA World Cup?

A widely-circulated report by ESPN Deportes’ John Sutcliffe on Monday said that the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, may be removed as a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to its tight field size for American Football.

Sutcliffe explained:

● The SoFi Stadium field design is too tight for a full-sized 105-by-68 m (114.8 x 74.4 yards) football pitch, with a regulation American Football field measuring 120 yards long but only 53 yards wide, plus sideline spaces for the teams.

● Removing seats and field boxes to make room for a full-sized field would cost quite a bit, and owner Stan Kroenke was not enthusiastic about absorbing the expense. This might end up having SoFi not involved in the 2026 World Cup at all.

The stadium has hosted plenty of football matches, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in July between Mexico and Panama and multiple friendlies.

● The World Cup final now appears to be a choice between AT&T Stadium in Dallas and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Sutcliffe said he believes that Dallas is currently the choice.

● The opening game will likely be in Mexico City at the historic Estadio Azteca.

If the report turns out to be true and SoFi Stadium drops out, FIFA could decide to find a different venue in the Southern California area – the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and especially the Rose Bowl in Pasadena could be excellent choices – or go elsewhere. There were 11 U.S. stadia selected for the event, in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Santa Clara in northern California and Seattle.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● As the IOC Session in India closed, eight new members were elected, to bring the total membership to 107. These included five individual members: Yael Arad (ISR), Balazs Furjes (HUN), Cecilia Villacorta (PER) and two special cases, members not nominated by a National Olympic Committee, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh (MAS) and Michael Mronz from Germany, an entrepreneur in developing sporting events.

Two were elected as Presidents of International Federations, Petra Sorling (SWE) from the International Table Tennis Federation, and Jae-youl Kim (KOR), the head of the International Skating Union. Tunisian National Olympic Committee President Mehrez Boussayene was elected as an NOC chief.

During the first day of the Session, IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper (BEL) told the Session that the near-term financial situation of the IOC is excellent, noting “To date, we have already secured contracts worth $5.4 billion for the Olympiad 2029 to 2032.”

However, in the day two report from the IOC Audit Committee, member Pierre-Olivier Beckers (BEL) expressed concern over the longer-term future, telling the members, “One of five NOCs is fully dependent on the help of the IOC.”

● PanAm Sports ● At the PanAm Sports General Assembly in Santiago (CHI) in advance of the Pan American Games that begin on Friday, former U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee chair and chief executive Susanne Lyons was elected as the 3rd Vice President. According to the announcement, “Lyons was elected in a close and private vote against Juan Santiago Estrada from Nicaragua.”

Lyons moved up from Executive Committee member to a Vice President slot, maintaining the U.S. presence on the board.

● Athletics ● In a somewhat surprising development, European Athletics approved the payment of prize money for the European Championships for the first time, during its Council meeting in Vilnius (LTU) on Wednesday.

The Euros began in 1934 and were very successfully held in Munich (GER) in 2022; the next edition will be in Rome (ITA) next year.

● Cycling ● The final UCI Women’s World Cup race of 2023, the Tour of Guangxi in China, finished with Poland’s Daria Pikulik winning the final mass sprint in 3:39:45 for the mostly flat 144.6 km course.

She beat Italy’s Chiara Consonni – the Tour of Chongming Island winner – and Ireland’s Mia Griffin to the line for her second career Women’s World Cup victory and first in a one-day race.

Dutch rider Milan Vader held on to win the final UCI men’s World Tour race of the season, the Gree-Tour of Guangxi on Tuesday, finishing just six seconds up on France’s Remy Rochas and 11 seconds ahead of Ethan Hayter (GBR).

Vader took the lead after winning the fourth stage, then finished second to Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Molano in stage five in another mass sprint finish – maintaining his lead – and finished 31st in the final, sixth stage, but with the same time as the winner, Olav Kooij (NED), in the last mass sprint of the season.

● Football ● The U.S. Men’s National Team had no trouble with Ghana, winning Tuesday’s friendly in a 4-0 rout with all of the goals in the first half at Nashville, Tennessee.

Forward Gio Reyna scored in the 10th minute off a deflected shot on the box, forward Christian Pulisic converted a penalty kick in the 19th after a foul on forward Tim Weah for a 2-0 lead.

Striker Folarin Balogun scored in the 22nd, off a pass from Weah to the penalty spot for a 3-0 advantage and Reyna got the final score in the 39th off an assist by Pulisic following an indirect free kick.

Ghana actually had 56% of possession in the game, but the U.S. had the edge on shots, 13-7. Ghana managed only two shots on goal against U.S. keeper Matt Turner.

The U.S. vs. German men’s friendly on Saturday, competing against a strong college football schedule, drew an average of 594,000 viewers on TNT, after 158,000 tuned in for the pre-game show. The same game got 556,000 viewers on Telemundo for a quite-respectable combined total of 1.15 million.

The Mexico-Ghana match, also played on Saturday, did much better and got 1.493 million on Telemundo and another 329,000 on TUDN.

The U.S. men’s National Team is automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a host country, and so will have many fewer meaningful games to play in the build-up. But the American men have an opportunity to qualify for the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 in the now-scheduled quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals in November.

CONCACAF revealed the quarterfinal pairings, with the winners of the home-and-home series – on aggregate score – to qualify for the Copa America:

● Nov. 16: U.S. vs. Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica vs. Panama
● Nov. 17: Jamaica vs. Canada and Honduras vs. Mexico

● Nov. 20: U.S. vs. Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica vs. Panama
● Nov. 21: Jamaica vs. Canada and Honduras vs. Mexico

The sites will be announced later; the four losing team will play in an elimination qualifier for two more spots on the Copa America next March. 

● Gymnastics ● Even though it was a week later, the NBC highlights package show last Saturday on the FIG Artistic World Championships – starring American icon Simone Biles – drew an average of 855,000 viewers. Pretty impressive given the football games against it.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Bach says added-term discussions are personal; new LA28 sports to rely on pro leagues; Wasserman’s declaration for Ukraine and Israel

By
Rich Perelman
-
LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman addressing the IOC Session in Mumbai, India on Monday (Photo: IOC video screenshot)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Bach explains stance on possible term extension: it’s personal
2. LA28 added-sports program to rely on pro-league outreach
3. LA28’s Wasserman speaks out for Ukraine and Israel at the IOC Session
4. Milan Cortina 2026 sliding events to be outside Italy
5. WADA says RUSADA still not compliant

● Asked directly about his view of the request of some International Olympic Committee colleagues that he serve a third term, President Thomas Bach of Germany explained that he will speak with the members concerned and announce any decision later. It’s a matter of personal respect, he said.

● The expansion of the LA28 sports program to 35 – the most in Olympic history – also brings opportunities to work with some of the biggest U.S. sports leagues, especially Major League Baseball and the National Football League. But with 742 athletes added, it was noted that some of the events could be played at sites outside of Los Angeles, or even California!

● LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman gave an impassioned address in support of Ukraine and Israel, unusual at a Session, and in contrast to the IOC’s non-committal comments on Israel as opposed to its full-throated support of Ukraine.

● The drama over the building of a new sliding track in Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games is over, with the government agreeing that an existing site outside of Italy needs to be used. A selection is expected by the end of the year.

● The World Anti-Doping Agency stated that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is still not compliant, but that RUSADA has challenged its ruling and will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try and overturn it.

● Panorama: Asian Games (Asiad doping total up to 12) = Pan American Games (WADA withdraws non-compliant tag from PanAm Sports) = Russia (Viner says Russian athletes should not go to Paris with ROC suspended) = Athletics (Kenyan marathoner Ekiru given 10-year ban) = Boxing (Asian confederation votes to stay with IBA for now) = Cycling (new women’s hour record for Italy’s Bussi) = Sailing (USOPC inquiry found misconduct by ex-U.S. Sailing execs) ●

● Schedule: Due to a timing conflict, there will be no TSX post on Wednesday (18th), but back again on Thursday. ●

1.
Bach explains stance on possible term extension: it’s personal

The news conference with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) following the second day of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai (IND) on Monday was primarily concerned with two topics: a possible third Bach term as requested by Algerian member Mustapha Berraf and three other speakers on Sunday, and cricket.

Bach was asked repeatedly about whether he will ask for, or agree to accept changes to the Olympic Charter that will allow him to serve beyond the end of his second term in 2025. To the opening question, he explained:

“Well, the situation was as follows: I had heard some rumors before that some members who wanted and want me to continue my mandate, but I did clearly not expect that this would come to the Session, that it would be brought up in the Session. Now, after yesterday, I had a number of conversations with a number of IOC colleagues and from this I can conclude that there were mainly two motivations for them, which are coming together.

“There are a number of these colleagues that think and feel that an election campaign, so early before the election would, or is, disrupting the preparations for the Olympic Games Paris, which are so important for the entire Olympic Movement and this is why they would like to avoid this, and then they all wanted to express their recognition for the work having been accomplished by the IOC in the last 10 years and they wanted to show their strong support for this.

“And as I said yesterday, I believe this is a human [thing], that I was really touched and I appreciate it very much this show of support and friendship for me. And for these reasons, it is a matter of mutual respect and personal relationship that you do not dismiss such a sign of support and of friendship out of hand.”

Bach was pressed about the appearance of a failure in good governance if he were to accept a third term, and specified how he will handle it:

“From what I have heard from these members is they are concerned about an early campaign at this moment, which would disrupt the preparations for the Games in Paris, and for the rest, you may understand that such an answer you don’t give out [to] offend and you don’t give out over the media.

“But this has to be discussed with the people concerned and then the media will be informed.”

And to a third question, he also threw some cold water on the plan, but did not reject the request outright, preferring a personal approach:

“Yesterday, I made it clear how loyal I am to the Olympic Charter, and having been a co-author of the Olympic Charter also speaks for the fact that I’m thinking term limits are making a lot of sense, and are necessary, and, again, at the same time it’s a matter of respect and mutual respect for these members that the answers are not given over the media, but in a direct context.”

So, it’s wait and see. Now that the request has been made, there will be jockeying to convince Bach to stay on or leave. What is even more unclear now, in a time of wars against Ukraine and Israel, is which IOC member makes the most sense to take over in 2025.

2.
LA28 added-sports program to rely on pro-league outreach

One of the most interesting aspects of the presentation by LA28 of its now-approved proposal to add five more sports to its program – baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash – was the tie in each case to an existing International Federation or professional sports league.

Said LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman:

“We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences.”

This is important, with each of the five sports having a significant professional league that plays in the U.S.:

● Major League Baseball (USA)
● Major League Cricket (USA)
● National Football League (USA)
● Premier Lacrosse League (USA)
● Professional Squash Association (GBR)

At the top of the list, of course, is the National Football League, with LA28 Sports Director Niccolo Campriani (ITA) telling the Session:

“Flag Football is the future, and the tip of the spear for American Football’s international growth, with approximately 20 million flexible players across over 100 countries with gender balance in participation.

“Lastly, the inclusion of flag football opens the door to a game-changing partnership with the NFL, the world’s largest professional league. NFL commitment in this journey is total – not a one-and-done – reflecting its long-term determination to collaborate with the International Federation of American Football and the Olympic Movement in the interest of sports worldwide.”

Expect to see a commercial relationship between the NFL and LA28, with flag football being showcased in tournaments prior to 2028 to ramp up interest in the sport both in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The same can be true for cricket, but most likely with the International Cricket Council, the worldwide governing body of the sport. The fledgling Major League Cricket has franchises in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York, but it’s worth noting that the ninth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies (seven countries) and Dallas, Miami and New York in June 2024, with a U.S. team automatically included as a host country.

What is not clear is whether Major League Baseball players would participate in the 2028 Games. The World Baseball Classic is played during the spring training period, not during the regular MLB season, and while Commissioner Rob Manfred did not make any predictions on play availability, Wasserman told the Los Angeles Times, “We’ve had great conversations with MLB and the players union.”

The addition of all these sports and the approval of weightlifting and modern pentathlon (with boxing on hold) will surge the athlete total well beyond the Olympic Charter’s prescribed limit of 10,500. The IOC Program Commission’s report stated that 742 additional athletes can be expected, bringing the total to 11,242.

Where to put all these people? Is there room at the Olympic Village at UCLA?

There are some interesting ideas, and IOC Program Commission Chair Karl Stoss (AUT) explained:

“As a result of including a number of team sports, it was understood that approval of the package would be likely to take the athlete quota above the Olympic Charter specification of approximately 10,500. It was also highlighted that some of the sports, including team sports, may take place at existing and dedicated venues outside of Los Angeles and California.”

That opens many possibilities, some of which could be iconic.

Baseball games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston and Yankee Stadium in New York? Lacrosse at NCAA championship sites like Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium? Flag Football at AT&T Stadium in Dallas?

And the possibilities go further. There has been chatter that canoe slalom competitions could be moved from a temporary facility in Los Angeles to the world-class Riversports Rapids facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

And what about taking advantage of the world’s best waves for surfing, on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii?

These are all possibilities, not to mention out-of-area matches for football preliminaries, as was done at the Los Angeles 1984 Games – at Stanford, California, Boston, Massachusetts and Annapolis, Maryland – and the possibility to “nationalize” the 2028 Games to a modest extent could be another game-changer for the Olympic Movement in the U.S.

What is sure is that the LA28 Games is now the largest in Olympic history with at least 35 sports and possibly a 36th if boxing is finally approved. Said Stoss:

“We have to start tomorrow to talk together with the IFs and also with the Olympic program in total how and in which way we could reduce in the different disciplines and to find here a good balance between the new sports – the five new ones – and the traditional ones we have to do.”

3.
LA28’s Wasserman speaks out for Ukraine and Israel at the IOC Session

In a remarkable address to begin the LA28 Olympic organizing committee’s presentation at the IOC Session in Mumbai, Wasserman gave an impassioned address in support of Ukraine and Israel, well beyond what the IOC’s official statements have said:

“From the moment we started our Olympic journey, LA28 has made celebrating the diversity of our city and region a cornerstone of our mission. We look forward to welcoming, respecting and celebrating all athletes and people of the world when the Games come to Los Angeles in 2028.

“Los Angeles is also home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the United States. And many of our Jewish families escaped persecution from other parts of the world. My own family fled to America from what is now Ukraine due to the pogroms that eliminated most of the Jewish population. Had they not, I would not be standing here today.

“Now, nearly 100 years later, I am deeply concerned about the people of Ukraine. We must help them in their time of need. They face an unfathomable path without us.

“I’m proud to be Jewish, as is the former Mayor of Los Angeles, now the American ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, who is here with us today. There are no words that can fully capture the devastation and shock over the massacre in Israel on October 7th. The world is still reeling from the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. There is no justification for this organization’s taking of hostages and the slaughter of innocent lives. I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel.

“But let me clear. I also stand with the innocent civilians in Gaza who did not choose this war.

“Unfortunately, the Olympics are not immune to the times we live in. At its worst, it is a platform for hate to express itself on the world stage, and we will always remember the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team who were taken hostage and murdered in Munich. But at its best, it is an opportunity for sport to show the world a better path, with peace and unity. And we will always remember the triumph of Jesse Owens in 1936 in the face of unspeakable evil.

“So as stewards of this Movement, let us all be relentless and show what is possible when we understand each other and our differences, and embrace those challenges of the times with respect and dignity. The world has never needed the Olympic Games more to be a beacon of light and hope and let us all rise to the challenge together.

“That is exactly why we started this journey more than eight years ago and we knew our city’s history with the Games would be the perfect foundation. And it is our city’s history with the Games that also serves as our inspiration for the sports program we are here to discuss.”

After the lengthy presentation of about 40 minutes, the questions period opened with a comment from Pakistani IOC member Syed Shahid Ali:

“I just have one minor observation. So in my humble opinion, the initial presentation and the preamble, I thought the political content tended to overshadow the sports part, which is the main object of the presentation of the preparedness of the host country for the next Olympics.”

But sitting to Ali’s right was 1976 Olympic high hurdles champion Guy Drut of France, who responded in French with his own view (per the simultaneous interpretation):

“I just wanted to subscribe to all the words said that are being expressed by Casey. In 1972, as you may know, I was in Munich. They were my first Olympic Games, so I was there, in the Village. I experienced that day, the 5th of September, when we were closed in in the Village. [Former IOC member] Walter Troger was the Mayor of the Village at the time.

“So I actually experienced it first hand, these sad events which cost the lives of 11 of our Israeli friends, as Casey was saying; our brothers from Israel, I should say.

“But since then, in spite of terrorism, in spite of wars, in spite of geopolitical developments of all sorts, in spite of pandemics, the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games have always come out unvanquished in spite of these terrible events.

“And I do not doubt that in the future, Brisbane in 2032, Los Angeles in 2028, or next year in Paris 2024, that the whole world , but particularly the athletes, the Olympians, the Paralympians will maintain unforgettable memories in their minds and in their hearts of what they will experience at that time.”

Drut received applause from the room after his remarks.

Bach, at his news conference, was asked about the conflict and where he has been full-throated in support of Ukraine, stuck to his non-judgmental line on the attack on Israel:

“The IOC Executive Board members have, at the very beginning of our meeting here, already expressed their very strong feelings over this extremely tragic and regretful events in the recent days and expressed our sympathy with the innocent victims of this terrible violence.

“At this moment, we cannot see an effect yet on the participation in sport; you have of course the immediate reactions: some events which should have taken place in Israel had to be postponed, the athletes in Israel and Palestine are facing a war situation and there cannot, of course, continue their sports life as usual. But we don’t know how long this will take and which more long-term effects it may have.

“That’s beyond our knowledge and there we have to wait and keep monitoring.”

4.
Milan Cortina 2026 sliding events to be outside Italy

“We were informed two days ago by the Italian government that we had to find another solution using already existing equipment.

“We will therefore study different options for organizing the events outside Italy.”

That statement from Milan Cortina 2026 Chair Giovanni Malago, also the head of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), confirmed that the rebuilding project of the famed Eugenio Monti track built for the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo is dead.

The IOC had long moaned about the project, citing the cost and noting that alternate, existing facilities were available, for example at Innsbruck in Austria or St. Moritz in Switzerland, or Konigssee in Germany. Norwegian Kristin Kloster Aasen, the head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Milan Cortina 2026, told the Session, “we welcome this outcome.”

However, the new sliding track was being developed by the Veneto regional government as part of an amusement and sports center, but when requests were made for builders, none came forward. Malago took some pains during his presentation to the IOC Session in India that the responsibility for the provision of the track – or its movement elsewhere – is not with the organizing committee, but with the governmental infrastructure group for the Winter Games.

There will be costs to do bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions elsewhere, of course. At the Session, Karl Stoss, who among multiple offices is also the head of the Austrian Olympic Committee, was already lobbying to have the events in Innsbruck, and a selection is due by the end of the year.

The Milan Cortina 2026 organizers emphasized that its sponsorship program is gathering speed and that the overall budget for the event, targeted at €1.5 billion, is secure at €1.5 to 1.6 billion (about $1.58 to $1.69 billion U.S.) .

5.
WADA says RUSADA still not compliant

The World Anti-Doping Agency issued an update on the situation with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, explaining that the agency is not even ready to be considered to be compliant:

“The non-compliance in this case was a result of a non-conformity relating to national legislation that was identified during a virtual audit in September 2022 and not addressed to date. …

“[S]ince the end of the two-year period of consequences imposed by CAS, WADA has been assessing and monitoring RUSADA to see whether it meets all the reinstatement conditions contained in the CAS decision. Until all the reinstatement conditions are met, RUSADA cannot be considered for reinstatement. In addition, RUSADA will not be eligible for reinstatement under the CAS Award until the non-conformity related to its national legislation (described above) is resolved.”

RUSADA, for its part, has challenged the WADA position and so the matter is headed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a hearing, meaning it will be more months before any decision is reached.

WADA noted that there are four non-compliant organizations at present, including the anti-doping organizations of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Gabon and Russia, as well as the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Asian Games ● The International Testing Agency continues to post notices of new doping positives and provisional suspensions from the recently-concluded 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN). New announcements came Friday for boxer Chinzorig Baatarsukh (MGL) and kabbadi athlete Adil Hussain of Pakistan, bringing the total from the Games to 12 so far.

● Pan American Games ● The World Anti-Doping Agency has now ruled PanAm Sports to be compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, with modifications to its anti-doping program satisfying the current requirements. This is good news with the Pan American Games in Santiago (CHI) beginning on Friday!

● Russia ● The head of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, Irina Viner, told he Russian news agency TASS that as the IOC has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee, Russian athletes should refuse participation at Paris 2024:

“I think that this was to be expected. As our president says, ‘if a fight is inevitable, you have to strike first.’ I think that we should be the first to refuse participation in the Olympic Games. We are being squeezed and humiliated so much that I don’t see a positive outcome here in which we can perform.”

● Athletics ● Another long suspension announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit, this time a 10-year ban of Kenyan marathoner Titus Ekiru, the sixth-fastest marathoner in history with his 2:02:57 win at the Milano Marathon in Italy in 2021. Well, not no. 6 any more:

“This sanction follows a comprehensive investigation which revealed Tampering by the 31-year-old to obstruct the AIU’s probe into two Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs), using “false/misleading information and documentation”. Ekiru tested positive twice for the Presence of Prohibited Substances, or their metabolites or markers, in his in-competition urine samples at marathons which he won in 2021: the Generali Milano Marathon on 16 May 2021 (triamcinolone acetonide) and the Abu Dhabi Marathon on 26 November 2021 (pethidine and its marker norpethidine).

“In addition to the ban – which runs from 28 June 2022 (the date of Ekiru’s provisional suspension) until 27 June 2032 – Ekiru’s results on and since 16 May 2021 have been disqualified, resulting in the forfeiture of all prizes and money. Ekiru’s victory in the Generali Milano Marathon would have made him the sixth-fastest marathoner of all time.”

The investigation showed that, in collusion with a physician, medical-care documents were back-dated or forged, so Ekiru received a four-year ban for tampering, an additional two years for aggravating circumstances and another four years for a second tampering violation.

Ekiru’s best marathon time reverts to 2:04:46 from the 2019 Milano Marathon.

● Boxing ● The Asian Boxing Confederation voted to remain within the International Boxing Association until a new Olympic boxing federation is named by the IOC. The vote showed 31 of the 35 attending national federations present at the ASBC Congress in Thailand were in favor.

The IOC has been clear that the IBA will not be involved in Olympic boxing since it was de-recognized last June, but no new federation for boxing has yet been approved.

● Cycling ● A new record for the women’s hour in track cycling, with Italy’s Vittoria Bussi covering 50.267 km (31.23 miles) at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico on Friday (13th).

That shattered the mark of 49.254 km by Dutch star Ellen van Dijk in 2022 in Grenchen (SUI). Bussi had previously held the hour record from 2018-21, set at the same track, at 48.007 km.

● Sailing ● The U.S. Sailing Association (USSA) made public the 16 October summary report prepared by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee on retaliation accusations against athletes for raising issues about the governing body. In brief:

“Specifically, the USOPC found multiple instances of attempted retaliation or actual retaliation by members of USSA against athletes for raising concerns regarding staff and the Olympic Operations program and against an Athlete Representative based on their perception that the Athlete Representative was responsible for the former Executive Director of US Olympic Sailing’s departure.

“The USOPC also found that the USSA members retaliated in some instances based on their lack of understanding of the role of athlete voice and due to the absence of a formal process to collect and document concerns that fall outside USSA’s Grievance procedures, which hindered USSA’s ability to sufficiently protect the Athlete Representatives.

“Finally, the USOPC did not find evidence to support allegations that the Olympic Operations staff favored some athletes over others based on the athletes’ preferred method of training. Instead, the USOPC found that there was a lack of clarity surrounding the allocation of athlete resources, in the absence of which some athletes perceived the Olympic Operations staff as weaponizing the resource allocation process to favor certain athletes.”

The specific issues arose during the period from September 2022 to March 2023 and the USOPC inquiry included interviews of 29 individuals, including 11 athletes and 10 USSA staff members. There were findings against two individuals now departed from the USSA, but also a finding that the USSA was not “in violation of any of its obligations under the Ted Stevens Act or the USOPC’s Bylaws and related policies.”

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TSX REPORT: Four IOC members push for Bach to serve longer; IOC to explore Olympics for esports; LA28’s added-sports program approved

By
Rich Perelman
-
Algerian IOC member Mustapha Berraf at the IOC Session in India, asking for IOC President Thomas Bach to be extended to an extra term. (Photo: IOC video screenshot)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. IOC members ask to change rules to extend Bach
2. Bach electrifies Session opening with “Olympic Esports Games” idea
3. IOC undertakes safeguarding and human rights portfolios
4. Olympic power calculus shifting within IOC and Asia
5. Retton making “remarkable progress” against pneumonia

● BULLETIN: The LA28 added-sports program was approved by the IOC Session on Monday, as was the return of weightlifting, and a stripped-down version of modern pentathlon, but boxing’s inclusion was put on hold.

● Four members at the International Olympic Committee’s Session in India asked for a change on the IOC’s election rules to allow two-term President Thomas Bach to serve an additional four-year term. He was non-committal, so far.

● Bach stunned the membership the day before at the formal opening of the Session, proposing the study of an “Olympic Esports Games,” building on the success of the IOC’s initial forays, including this year’s Olympic Esports Week in Singapore.

● The IOC Session approved a new safeguarding pilot project on three continents, and new language in the Olympic Charter referencing “internationally-recognized human rights.”

● Developments which speak directly to potential power shifts within the Olympic Movement include an IOC Ethics report which asks for new elections at the Olympic Council of Asia and the disqualification of Kuwaiti Sheikh Talal, who won in July, and the approval of two rising IOC stars from Jordan and Zimbabwe as the candidates for two Executive Board positions.

● Good news for Mary Lou Retton, with a report of “remarkable progress” against the rare strain of pneumonia she is fighting. The crowdfunding appeal to pay her medical bills has surpassed $430,000 as of Sunday evening.

● World Championships: Beach Volleyball (U.S.’s Cheng and Hughes dethrone defending champs to take women’s Worlds gold!) = Rugby (World Cup final four now down to Argentina, New Zealand, England and South Africa) ●

● Panorama: Los Angeles 1984 (passing of LAOOC senior executive Dick Sargent) = Olympic Winter Games 2020-34 (IOC approves double-hosting concept) = Olympic Games 2026 (Prime Minister Modi says India wants 2036) = Israel (British sports minister rips English FA for not offering the salute it gave to Ukraine) = Athletics (2: Oduduru hit with six-year suspension; Joshua Belet and Meseret Belete win Amsterdam Marathon) = Badminton (China wins three at Arctic Open) = Cycling (4: Vader leads Gree-Tour of Guangxi with two stages left; Consonni wins Tour of Chongming Island; Mathieu and Sakakibara take BMX Racing season titles; Martin and Deng win final BMX Freestyle World Cup) = Football (Germany out-classes U.S. men, 3-1, in friendly) = Swimming (McKeown wins three, nearly get two world records at Athens World Cup) ●

BULLETIN: During the Monday morning portion of the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, India, the IOC membership approved the package of five added sports proposed by the LA28 organizing committee, including baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. The vote, by a show of hands, was almost unanimous, with two against and 2-3 abstentions.

It was noted that these sports will add 742 athletes to the overall total, moving from 10,500 to 11,242, and IOC Program Commission Chair Karl Stoss (AUT) noted that this number will need to be reduced in cooperation with all of the other International Federations. He also explained that the crowding issues in Los Angeles will be reduced by having some of these added sports held outside of California.

A very detailed, 40-minute presentation by LA28 emphasized that all five of these added sports have vibrant professional leagues that can be worked with for promotion, especially emphasizing the enthusiasm and commitment of the NFL for Flag Football. The projection is that these sports will be cost-neutral to the organizing committee, if not revenue-positive.

A further set of votes was taken on the pending sports of boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon. On boxing, there was a surprise, as the decision was postponed, since there is no IOC-recognized International Federation for the sport at present; the IOC de-recognized the International Boxing Association in June. So, boxing’s status for LA28 is on hold for now.

Weightlifting was voted back in (none were against), but subject to enhanced monitoring of the federation’s doping program, now outsourced to the International Testing Agency.

Modern Pentathlon was also voted in, but in a completely new format, with riding removed, obstacle racing included and the fencing ranking round removed so that only one venue will be required in order to reduce costs. Further, the number of competition days will be reduced and the new format must be approved by the relevant stakeholders, including the Olympic Broadcasting Service. The sport survives, but now in a lightweight version compared to Pierre de Coubertin’s vision first implemented in 1912.

The LA28 presentation was opened by Chair Casey Wasserman, who made an unexpected, impassioned address about the importance of supporting Ukraine and of supporting Israel after its attack by Hamas, before transitioning to the LA28 sports program proposal.

In the question-and-answer session that followed the presentation, IOC member Syed Shahid Ali of Pakistan objected to Wasserman’s comments as political, but French member Guy Drut also spoke, recalling that he – as a high hurdler – was in the Olympic Village in Munich during the terrorist incident in 1972, and supported Wasserman’s remarks, and received applause in the room.

Much more to come on the LA28 presentation and the results of today’s votes.

1.
IOC members ask to change rules to extend Bach

It had been whispered for a while. Who can possibly replace International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) in 2025? No one. So let’s change the rules and let him serve longer.

The idea is now out in the open. Near the beginning of Sunday’s first day of the 141st IOC Session, Algerian member Mustapha Berraf, the fourth to speak in an open-forum segment, and the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) was recognized and read from lengthy prepared remarks, which included (quoting the simultaneous interpreter):

“I also listened to your speech yesterday with great attention and I must say I was very concerned listening to you about the future and particularly with regard with the measures that we need to take to ensure that our Movement will be able to maintain its solidarity [and] credibility. …

“The Covid-19 period and the dysfunction between certain parties at war are being the perfect illustration and thanks to our mobilization and thanks to our solidarity organized by you, our President, Thomas Bach, that we were able to save the Olympic and sports movement, and to allow all the athletes of the world to continue to allow them to divert their sports and their abilities.

“I want to bring to your attention the fact that questions which I asked to speak about have been the subject of a large discussion with the Executive Board in ANOCA, of which I am the representative and the majority of African members of the IOC, which approved them in a large majority.

“A number of the Olympic Charter provisions that were adopted in 2021 and which deal with the fact that there should be a secret ballot to elect our President for eight years, a period of office which could be renewed for a period of four years. You were elected on the 10th of September 1993 [actually 2013] and on 10th of March 2021, you were re-elected for a period of four years.

“There have been a number of changes and crises that you have had to deal with, which you have dealt with very well, thanks to the support of us all. The changes that you have to face, we have to face in the IOC, takes place at a time of great divisions in the world, and I think it is necessary, really, that we have this exceptional leadership which you have shown.

“Therefore, on behalf of the African National Olympic Committees, and the African members of the IOC, suggest that we make the necessary arrangements so that President Thomas Bach should be allowed to carry out an additional term of office, which would allow the IOC to go through this period of torment with a President who has proved his mettle, and which will allow the IOC to prepare a transition in a very much more serene manner. …

“Dear friends, in conclusion, let me just say that our demand to extend the term of office is being done on behalf of the entire Executive Board of ANOCA, and which takes into account the general interest of our Movement.

“On this occasion, I would like to extend to you the thank-you on behalf of the Executive Board and also I’d like to congratulate the illustrious members of the IOC. And I’d like to say that under your leadership, we have been able to deal with all the changes on the planet, and also having given to our continent, Africa, the possibility for the first time in its history to be able to organize an Olympic Games. Senegal and Africa will do their best to be up to the task which brings with it this exceptional responsibility.”

Africa has 16 members in the IOC, out of 99 in total. But among the next five speakers, three directly supported the added-term idea:

● Luis Mejia Oviedo (DOM; elected in 2017)
● Camilo Perez Lopez (PAR; elected in 2018)
● Aicha Garad Ali (DJI, elected in 2012)

In addition, Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, elected in 2018 and the head of the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique expressed warm appreciation for Bach, saying at the end of his remark “I love you,” but also mentioned the importance of good governance. Bach smiled back and replied, “Thank you for your love.”

Last to speak in the open forum was Australian John Coates, head of the IOC’s Legal Commission, who spoke while leafing through the Olympic Charter and noted:

“It is not an easy matter to change the Charter. It requires that the proposed modifications to the Charter are included on an agenda, our agenda, that is circulated 30 days in advance of the meeting. And there is also a requirement that in respect of any proposed change of rule or by-laws, the IOC Executive Board considers them and presents a report to the Session, the same Session where it will be proposed to consider them.”

So, any change would require approval of the IOC Executive Board and a ballot measure presented to the members by the middle of next June. Plenty of time.

Bach did reply, but was non-committal, saying in part:

“I think I can summarize these interventions and first of all, say thank you very, very much for your kind words of support, because I think these words of support are not only directed to me, there are directed to all of us, of what made us to overcome the challenges we had was exactly this unity, this support which you expressed with regard to many items over all the time. And we can only be credible if we are appealing to all these divisive forces in the world, if we are appealing to respect the unifying power of sport, if we ourselves are unified. Otherwise, we have no credibility. If we are divided, how can we teach others about unity and our unifying power.

“And I think I can interpret your words there also in this direction. And I will not hide that they went straight to my heart, because you know how much I always emphasize this unity, and how much I always appreciate this support, this friendship and even the love expressed by Mr. Watanabe.

“Having said this, you also know that I am very loyal to the Olympic Charter. Being a co-author of this Olympic Charter, it drives me to be even more loyal to the Olympic Charter. …

“So thank you very, very much again, and I am really touched by your support and your friendship, and in this spirit of support and friendship and unity, I hope we can also have this Session and take the decisions in this Session which we can take.”

There was no applause or cheering in the room during the statements; of the 99 IOC members eligible to come to Mumbai, 12 were absent, notably including the Russian members Shamil Tarpishchev and Yelena Isinbayeva.

Observed: This is a new – and not totally unexpected – development and the accusations will immediately begin that this was all planned in advance, with Berraf reading from a lengthy prepared script in French. But the real question is whether Bach will agree to serve and whether the IOC membership will go along with this. As Berraf said, Africa is already pledged. But it will take more votes than they have to make this work.

The only sure thing that can be said is that any of the members who have been touted as possible IOC President material for 2025 are sidelined until Bach – now 69 – announces whether he will accept an extra four-year term.

The current rules require that IOC members can serve through the end of the year in which they turn 70, but the Session can extend the age limit by four years by a majority vote. Bach, however, was elected in 1991 and members elected prior to 1999 may serve to age 80. The Presidential term is fixed at a first term of eight years and a second term of four years.

2.
Bach electrifies Session opening with “Olympic Esports Games” idea

“The younger generation has a completely new way of thinking. They are living digital lives right now. We must not ignore their thinking if we do not want to jeopardize our own future. We must empower them to guide us with their young mindset. We have to be in the driver’s seat.”

With that introduction in his remarks at the opening of the IOC Session in Mumbai, IOC President Bach explained that electronic sports are a part of the IOC’s future now, not later:

“Another dimension of this digital revolution is esports. There are 3 billion people playing esports and gaming around the world. It is estimated that over 500 million of them are interested specifically in esports which includes virtual sports and sport simulations. What is even more relevant to us: a majority of them are under the age of 34.

“This is why we took the strategic decision to engage with esports in a holistic way. We chose an approach that would allow us to be active in the esports space while staying true to our values that have guided us for over a century. With respect to esports, our values are and remain the red line that we will not cross. Our crystal-clear position is gaining more and more respect in the esports community. One of the leading publishers even adapted their popular game to conform fully with our Olympic values – so that players shot at targets, not at people. …

“This was a promising start. But it is just that: a start. It is like in any sport: after the promising start, the real race still lies ahead.

“To compete successfully in this race, I have asked our new IOC Esports Commission to study the creation of:

“Olympic Esports Games.”

“[Artificial Intelligence] and esports – these are our two opportunities. To seize these opportunities and to manage the risks, we need a new mindset. We need the mindset of the young people. We have to trust and to empower them, because the pace of change will be exponential.

“It is “change or be changed” once again.”

The Olympic Esports Commission is chaired by France’s David Lappartient, who is also the President of the Union Cycliste Internationale and the CNOSF, the French National Olympic Committee.

3.
IOC undertakes safeguarding and human rights portfolios

The IOC Session took a couple of remarkable actions, initiating a “safeguarding” program for athletes on three continents and agreeing to changes to the Olympic Charter that refer to human rights.

The safeguarding project is described as:

“[A] plan to establish two pilot regional safeguarding hubs in Southern Africa and the Pacific Islands. The plans build on existing initiatives in those regions. In addition, the IOC [Executive Board] supported the initial work for a European safeguarding hub.

“The new regional hubs will act as central coordination points, and will provide athletes with independent guidance, and help them access psychosocial support, legal aid and any other assistance that they may need. This will be delivered through existing services, available locally, in the athletes’ own language and with an understanding of their culture and local context.”

It’s rather amazing for a worldwide organization like the IOC to undertake an effort that has to be locally based within communities, certainly the work of National Olympic Committees and their national sport federations. But the announcement also clarified that, once again, only the IOC has the money, interest and is willing take some level of responsibility:

“In response to the request by Olympic Movement stakeholders and International Federations (IFs) in particular for the IOC to take the lead in addressing the critical challenges related to safeguarding in sport at local level, the IOC created a dedicated Safeguarding Working Group in March this year.

“Chaired by EB member and Deputy Chair of the IOC’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, the working group’s remit is to consider the best approach to establishing independent safeguarding systems and structures at national level, which will ensure that resources are directed to where they are most needed to support athletes and build safeguarding capacity in sports organisations.”

The IOC announced a $10 million fund to assist in this area earlier this year. The over-arching concept was also described:

“The pilot hubs in Southern Africa and the Pacific Islands will build on existing initiatives in the regions, and will have in-depth knowledge and understanding of local safeguarding measures, and the legal landscape and services available, so that they can guide anyone harmed in sport – from grassroots through to elite level – towards trusted services, particularly those designed to support their well-being.

“Where there are gaps in the available services, the hubs will seek to mobilise resources and partnerships to address them. The hubs’ primary focus will be on response, in order to ensure that any person who has been harmed in sport has a direct point of contact who can offer immediate assistance and access to local support.”

The IOC Session also approved changes to the Olympic Charter that incorporate references to human rights. The two key language changes are to the “Fundamental Principles of Olympism,” no. 1 and no. 4:

● Modification to no. 1, in pertinent part:

“Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for internationally recognised human rights and universal fundamental ethical principles within the remit of the Olympic Movement.”

● Modification to no. 4, in pertinent part:

“Every individual must have access to the practice of sport, without discrimination of any kind in respect of internationally recognised human rights within the remit of the Olympic Movement.”

The language is very carefully written so as not to apply to issues outside of sport, or to sports which are outside of the Olympic Movement. There is also no specific reference to what constitutes “internationally recognized human rights.” But this continues the IOC’s march, accelerated by Bach, to line the IOC up with the guidelines of the United Nations as a stamp of approval.

What these changes will mean in actual practice is anyone’s guess. And that was intentional.

4.
Olympic power calculus shifting within IOC and Asia

Beyond the now-raised question of whether the IOC’s Bach might serve beyond the current 12-year limit, watchers of the power intrigue inside the Olympic Movement were especially attentive to two actions in the last few days:

(1) The continuing drama over the 8 July elections at the Olympic Council of Asia, where Kuwaiti Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was elected by 24-20 over World Aquatics President and fellow Kuwaiti Husain Al-Musallam, has escalated via a report from the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Paquerette Girard Zappelli (FRA).

Reuters reported that her report to the OCA stated that the organization should “declare the elections held on 8 July 2023 as invalid, to review the OCA Constitution, in particular to make it compliant… with regard to the election process, transparency, and checks and balances.” She suggested that new elections be held.

The IOC Ethics Commission has ruled that the OCA election process was tainted by the appearance of the former, long-time OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, an IOC member who self-suspended himself in 2018 over a Swiss forgery case in which he was convicted in 2021 (the case is on appeal). Sheikh Ahmad was the President of the OCA from 1991-2021 and against direct instructions, flew to the OCA elections assembly in Bangkok (THA) to lobby for his younger brother, Sheikh Talal. Sheikh Ahmad was suspended from the IOC for three years, and Girard Zappelli said in a letter to the interim OCA President, Randhir Singh (IND), that Sheikh Talal should have been declared ineligible to stand for election.

The brothers have filed an action against the IOC over this issue with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Sheikh Ahmad was a high-profile power broker within the IOC and at FIFA, but his actions inside and outside of sport have sidelined his influence in the Olympic Movement; it is worth noting that he is hardly inactive as he is the minister of defense in Kuwait.

(2) Not directly related to the Olympic Council of Asia election issues was the nomination and election of two highly-important IOC members to the Executive Board: Jordan’s Prince Feisal Al-Hussein and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry.

Al-Hussein was first elected to the IOC Executive Board in 2019 and will serve a second term. Now 56, he is also a board member of the OCA since 2007 and could be an IOC-approved nominee for President if and when a new election is held. As for the IOC, Al-Hussein was a member of the Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Games and is the Vice Chair of the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission since last year. Under Bach, he is clearly on the rise.

Coventry, the Zimbabwe Minister for Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, had a high-profile role heading the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission from 2018-21 and served as an Executive Board member from 2018-21. She is the head of the IOC’s Games Optimisation Group and was just appointed to head the new IOC Safeguarding Working Group (see above). A seven-time Olympic swimming medalist (2-4-1) from 2004 and 2008, she has been consistently mentioned as a possible successor to Bach (if he does not agree to seek an additional term). She would be the first IOC President from Africa and the first woman, both of which would be in line with Bach’s emphasis on diversity.

Already on the Executive Board and whispered as possible Bach successors are Aruban attorney Nicole Hoevertsz, the head of the Coordination Commission for LA28, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, Jr. (ESP), who served as the Coordination Commission head for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games and the son of legendary IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who served from 1980-2001, among others.

Observed: These developments are completely in line with Bach’s plan for succession (if he does not serve an additional term). Now 69, he is already attentive to the future. But that does not mean that he will get what he wants in terms of a successor. But he is not letting the future – whenever that is – take its course without his input.

5.
Retton making “remarkable progress” against pneumonia

Los Angeles Olympic icon Mary Lou Retton is improving per daughter Shayla Schrepfer’s post on Saturday, which included:

“Mom’s progress is truly remarkable. Prayers have been felt and have been answered.

“Although she remains in ICU, her path to recovery is steadily unfolding. Her fighting spirit is truly shining.

“Her breathing is become stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing.

“Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She’s responding so well to treatments.”

Retton, 55, was hospitalized to treat a rare strain of pneumonia and her family opened a Spotfund.com crowd-funding site since she is uninsured. The site opened last Tuesday (17th) and as of the end of Sunday, had raised $434,870 against a $50,000 goal from 8,033 donors.

As a 16-year-old, Retton famously won the All-Around at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, winning by just 0.05 over favored Ecaterina Szabo from Romania. Retton won five medals in L.A. in all, including a team silver and won five medals in all (1-2-2).

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Beach Volleyball ● The FIVB World Championships concluded in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with the American duo of Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes becoming the first U.S. gold medalists in 14 years.

They had to win over the defending champions, Brazil’s top-seeded Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa (BRA), 21-16 and 24-22 for a sweep and the first World Championships medal for both U.S. stars.

This was the third meeting this season between the two teams in a championship final, with Cheng and Hughes winning the Tepic Elite 16 tournament in March and the Brazilians winning Gstaad Elite 16 in Switzerland in July.

Cheng (nee Claes) and Hughes were NCAA champs at USC in 2016 and 2017 then came to the professional ranks, but separated in 2018. They reunited in 2022 and made the two Beach Pro Tour finals this season before the Worlds. They won the first U.S. women’s title since Jen Kessy and April Ross. U.S. women’s pairs had lost three straight Worlds finals since, in 2011, 2017 and 2019.

In the third-place match, Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth won their first Worlds medals with a 15-21, 21-19, 15-8 win over Australia’s Tokyo 2020 silver medalists Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy (AUS).

Nuss and Kloth are a relatively new pair, starting together in 2021, and have been quite successful, winning eight medals in 19 starts in Beach Pro Tour play (4-2-2) and now a Worlds medal! It’s only the second time that U.S. women won two medals in one Worlds; Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan won silver and Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs took bronze in 1999.

The men’s title match was another surprise, with 16-seed Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner (CZE) defeating David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig (SWE), the no. 2 seeds, by 21-15, 17-21 and 15-13. The Czech duo were the 2022 European runners-up, but won their first Worlds medals. They had won twice on the Beach Pro Tour this season and were hottest when it counted most.

In the third-place match, 11th-seeded Bartosz Losiak and Michal Bryl (POL) won their first Worlds medals with a 21-17, 21-18 win over Americans Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner (USA). It’s the third time Brunner has finished fourth at a Worlds, also in 2015 with Nick Lucena and in 2022 with Chaim Schalk.

● Rugby ● The 10th Rugby World Cup is on to the semifinals, with Argentina to face three-time champion New Zealand next Friday, and undefeated England taking on defending champ South Africa. 

The quarterfinal matches were thrillers, starting with Argentina’s 29-17 win over Wales, with each side scoring two tries, but Emiliano Boffelli scoring 14 points himself on four penalties and two conversions. Wales led by 10-6 at half, but Boffelli scored 11 points in the second to lead the Argentine comeback.

New Zealand dislodged the top-ranked Irish in their quarterfinal by 28-24, taking a 13-0 lead in the first half, but saw almost all of it disappear by halftime, leading just 18-17. The second half was taut, with Will Jordan scoring a try in the 53rd (Jordie Barrett conversion) for a 25-17 lead and after a penalty try cut the lead to one again, Barrett kicked a penalty in the 69th minute for the 28-24 final.

England got up by 21-10 at half against Fiji, but then had to hold on as Peni Ravai and Vilimoni Botitu scored tries for a 24-24 tie in the 68th minute. But Owen Farrell scored on a drop in the 72nd and a penalty in the 78th to finish with 19 points and advance to the semis.

The last quarterfinal was a clash between second-ranked France and third-ranked South Africa, which turned into a classic. The French managed a 22-19 lead at the half, but points were hard to come by in the second half. France’s Thomas Ramos scored on a penalty for a 25-19 French lead in the 54th, then Eben Etzebeth scored a try for South Africa in the 67th with a Handre Polland conversion to take a 26-25 lead and then Polland added a penalty for a 29-25 edge. France managed only a 73rd-minute penalty from Ramos and could do no more and lost by a point before 79,386 at the Stade de France.

In the semis this week:

● 20 October: Argentina (4-1) vs. New Zealand (4-1)
● 21 October: England (5-0) vs. South Africa (4-1)

Both games will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the Paris area, with the championship final on the 28th.

With four matches left, attendance has reached 2,123,718, an excellent average of 48,266.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 1984: Los Angeles ● Dick Sargent, one of the key players in the transformational Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and a key confidant of Peter Ueberroth, has passed at age 89.

His obituary reported that Sargent died peacefully on 5 October in Laguna Nigel, California after a period of declining health. He will be remembered as a tireless, can-do personality who always saw an opportunity or a solution rather than a problem. And he was among the most fun, entertaining and warm personalities to have a drink or dinner with ever.

Sargent, a World War II veteran (Army), graduated from San Jose State and with his lifelong friend Ueberroth, prospered in the travel business, helping to build one of the largest travel concerns in the U.S. He was one of the earliest hires by Ueberroth in the fledgling LAOOC in 1979 and was a key player in the earliest negotiations with the competition and Olympic Village venues, as well as on security and television sales.

As the organizing committee expanded, Sargent became the “fireman.” If there was an impossible-to-solve issue, Ueberroth assigned it to his friend. Perhaps the most chaotic was the initial organization of the 15,000 km cross-country Olympic torch relay, designated to start on 8 May 1984 and run across the U.S. and ending up at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on time for the opening of the Games on 28 July.

Sargent had to deal with intractable opposition from the Hellenic Olympic Committee in Greece, which stridently objected to the LAOOC’s fund-raising program, which offered a “Youth Legacy Kilometer” run with the torch for a $3,000 donation that was split among the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Special Olympics. Some $10.95 million was raised, and the Greeks only relented and agreed to light the flame in the traditional manner at Olympia and turn it over to the LAOOC in the final week before the ceremony. As was his norm, Sargent had a back-up plan, arranging for an alternate flame to be lit and secretly brought to New York from the IOC headquarters in Switzerland!

Sargent returned to the travel industry after the Games, but took time out to organize the Long Beach (California) Centennial celebration in 1988 and worked on many other sports-related projects, notably in sailing. Near the end of his life, he was exploring opportunities for an institute or museum related to the impact of the 1984 Olympic Games that he and his friend Ueberroth helped make such a success.

Sargent is survived by his wife Pat and his children Tony and Michelle.

● Olympic Winter Games 2030-34 ● The IOC Session approved the concept of a double allocation of the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Winter Games. From the announcement:

“The proposal was made in order to allow more time for the Olympic Movement to address the challenges made clear by the preliminary findings of a report looking at the impact of climate change on the Olympic Winter Games, which was also presented to the IOC EB on Friday. It reveals a reduction in the pool of potential hosts by 2040, and further by mid-century.”

Winter Games Future Host Commission head Karl Stoss (AUT) told the members:

“Whilst we look forward to celebrating 100 years of the Olympic Winter Games next February, there is no doubt that we are facing great challenges, and our goal is to ensure we can continue to hold successful Games in the future.

“A double allocation would bring security for the Olympic Movement in solid traditional winter sport and climate-reliable hosts until 2034, while allowing the IOC time to reflect on the long-term future of the Winter Games.”

This is good news for Salt Lake City, which has a ready-to-go bid for 2034, while the 2030 situation is more fluid, with no clear candidate, but activity toward a bid in southern France, Sweden and Switzerland. The announced timeline:

“Should the Commission feel that it is in a position to do so, it will recommend the opening of a Targeted Dialogue to the IOC EB at its meeting in November, with a view to an IOC Session election in 2024.”

● Olympic Games 2036 ● Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an impassioned and direct speech at the opening of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai (IND) that included:

“India is eager to host the Olympics in the country. India will leave no stone unturned in the preparation for the successful organization of the Olympics in 2036, this is the dream of the 140 crore Indians.

“India is also eager to host the Youth Olympics taking place in the year 2029.”

With that, the formal entry of India into the 2036 race has started, with many countries discussing the idea with the IOC’s Future Host Commission. The attribution of the 2036 Games probably won’t come before 2026 at the earliest, but more likely in 2027 or 2028.

● Israel ● Lucy Frazer, the British Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport pointedly criticized the English Football Association last week on X (ex-Twitter):

“I am extremely disappointed by the FA’s decision not to light up the Wembley Stadium arch following last weekend’s horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, and have made my views clear to the FA.

“It is especially disappointing in light of the FA’s bold stance on other terrorist attacks in the recent past.

“Words and actions matter. The Government is clear: we stand with Israel.”

Reuters reported that “Wembley, the home of England’s national football team, has previously lit up its iconic arch with the colours of Ukraine, Turkey and other countries in solidarity. However, it will not do the same for Israel, media reports said.”

The FA posted a statement last Thursday that made no reference to Israel or its attackers:

“On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine.

“Our thoughts are with them, and their families and friends in England and Australia and with all the communities who are affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to the death, violence, fear and suffering.

“England and Australia players will wear black armbands during their match at Wembley Stadium and there will also be a period of silence held before kick off.”

● Athletics ● “Divine Oduduru has been banned for six years by a three-member Disciplinary Tribunal for committing two Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) of Possession of Prohibited Substances and the Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or Method and ordered to pay World Athletics US$3000 towards its expenses regarding the case.”

The Athletics Integrity Unit’s announcement explained that the suspensions were an outcome of the U.S. Justice Department investigation of American Eric Lira under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which alleged Lira as the distributor of doping substances to Oduduru and fellow Nigerian star Blessing Okagare:

“The Prohibited Substances found in Oduduru’s apartment were two boxes of Somatropin, “Xerendip” and “Humatrope”, which were identified as human growth hormone; a plastic ziplock bag labelled “IGF LR3” – an abbreviation for synthetic or “recombinant” Insulin Growth Factor – containing three vials, and two boxes of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO). According to testimony, one of the boxes of EPO was open and had only one of six vials remaining.”

Okagbare was given a total suspension of 11 years in 2022 and Oduduru’s suspension began on 9 February 2023 and will expire on 8 February 2029, when he will be 32. All of his results since 12 July 2021 have been nullified.

Oduduru was a sensation for Texas Tech in 2019, winning the NCAA titles in the men’s 100 m and 200 m in 9.86 and 19.73. He was a two-time Olympian for Nigeria at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, but did not make the final at either Games.

Kenyan Joshua Belet and Ethiopia’s Meseret Belete won the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday in 2:04:18 and 2:18:21, respectively.

Belet moved away from the leak pack after 30 km and won going away, with fellow Kenyans Cybrian Kotut second (2:04:34) and Bethwel Chumba (2:04:37) third. Belet, 25, moved to no. 9 on the 2023 world list with the win, in his third career marathon, all this year.

Belete also moved to no. 9 on the year list, moving away from three challengers around the 40 km mark and winning easily, 1:29 ahead of Meseret Abebayehu (ETH: 2:19:50) and 1:51 ahead of Dorcas Tuitoek (KEN: 2:20:02).

● Badminton ● China took three titles at the BWF World Tour Arctic Open in Vantaa (FIN), starting with an all-China final in the women’s Singles, with third-seed Yue Han defeating countrywoman Zhi Yi Wang, 16-21, 22-20, 21-12.

In the women’s Doubles, Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan swept Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai (THA), 21-13, 24-22, and in the all-China final of the Mixed Doubles, top-seeds Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang dispatched Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei, 21-14, 21-15.

The men’s Singles was an all-Malaysian final, with no. 8 seed Zii Lia Lee defeating Tze Yang Ng, 21-14, 21-15.

The Danish men’s Doubles team of Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen won in straight sets over Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee (MAS), 21-18, 21-17.

The BWF World Tur moves to Odense, Denmark for the Victor Denmark Open, starting on Tuesday.

● Cycling ● The final race of the UCI World Tour for 2023 is the five-stage Gree-Tour of Guangxi in China, which will finish on Tuesday. The first two stages were flat, won by Italian sprinters Elia Viviani over teammate Jonathan Milan, and then Milan won the second stage.

The mostly flat, 134,3 km third stage in Nanning was another mass sprint finish, with a Dutch sweep by Olav Kooij, Rick Pluimers and Marijn van den Berg, all timed in 3:04:09. On Sunday, a flat, 161.4 km stage finished uphill, with a win for Milan Vader (NED) in 3:43:45, two seconds up on Remy Rochas (FRA) and eight seconds over an eight-member chase pack, with Hugh Carthy (GBR) getting third.

With the win, Vader took the overall lead after four stages, six seconds up on Rochas and 14 up on Carthy. There are 16 riders within 29 seconds of the lead with two mostly-flat stages remaining.

The UCI Women’s World Tour’s China leg started with the Tour of Chongming Island, with Mylene de Zoete (NED) winning the flat first stage at the head of a mass sprint in 2:34:47 for the 108.9 km course.

The 128.6 km second stage was also a flat sprinter’s event, with Hanna Tserakh of Belarus (a “neutral”) winning in 3:18:11. The third and final stage on Saturday was another mass sprint at the end of 112.3 km, won by Italian Chaia Consonni over Daria Pikulik (POL) and Martina Fidanza (ITA). That gave Consonni the overall victory in 8:40:21, with de Zoete nine seconds back and Pikulik 10 seconds back in third.

The women’s season finishes Tuesday with the one-day Tour of Guangxi.

The final BMX World Cup races of the season – nos. 9 and 10 – were in Santiago del Estero (ARG), with 2022 U.S. champ Cameron Wood taking Friday’s final in 30.328 over France’s Romain Mathieu (30.430) and Australian Bodi Turner (30.891).

Mahieu came back on Saturday to win his fifth World Cup race in the seasonal finale in 30.089, trailed by Tokyo Olympic Champion Niek Kimman (NED: 30.530) and Britain’s Quillan Isidore (30.967).

With five wins, Mahieu was an easy winner of the seasonal title with 3,543 points, ahead of teammate Joris Daudet (3,094) and Diego Arboleda (COL: 2,159).

Australian star Saya Sakakibara won Friday’s women’s race in 32.143, just ahead of 2018 World Champion Laura Smulders (NED: 32.280) and American Felicia Stancil (33.073). Sakakibara completed the weekend sweep on Saturday, winning in 32.074, ahead of Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Merel Smulders (32.976) and American two-time World Champion Alise Willoughby (33.394).

Sakakibara also won five races on the season and took the 2023 World Cup title with 3,775 points to 3,044 for Britain’s Olympic champ Bethany Shriever, with Laura Smulders third (2,680), Willoughby fourth (2,480) and Merel Smulders – Laura’s younger sister – fifth (2,334).

At the BMX Freestyle World Cup Park Bazhong (CHN), the final World Cup on the 2023 schedule, the home team took gold and bronze in the women’s final, with 17-year-old Yawen Deng scoring 93.84 points to win over five-time World Champion Hannah Roberts, 22, of the U.S. (91.00) and 2023 Worlds bronze medalist Sibei Sun, 18, of China (89.20).

Roberts won the seasonal title with 3,700 points, ahead of Sun (2,930), with fellow Chinese Huimin Zhou third overall (2,920).

Australia’s Logan Martin, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist, won the men’s final with a big second run, scoring 96.74 to win over Kim Reilly (GBR: 96.56) and France’s Anthony Jeanjean (95.70). Martin won the seasonal title with 3,820 points, ahead of Reilly (2,910) and Jeanjean (2,890).

● Football ● Germany out-classed the U.S. men, 3-1, in a friendly in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, scoring twice in the second half to break a 1-1 tie.

U.S. star forward Christian Pulisic scored a sensational goal in the 27th minute to put the U.S. on top, taking possession of the ball on the left side and then running through five defenders to send a right-footed rocket into the upper right corner of the German goal for a 1-0 lead.

But the Germans were on the attack as well. Midfielder Leroy Sane hit the post in the 17th minute, and Sane and defender Antonio Rudiger had shots blocked before Sane dribbled past six defenders at the top of the box, then pushed the ball to midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who returned it to Sane, whose shot was blocked by U.S. keeper Matt Turner. But the rebound rolled free and Gundogan evened the game in the 39th with a left-footed shot from the left side of he goal.

In the second half, the Germans struck twice in three minutes to take control. In the 58th, defender Robin Gosens got hold of a bouncing ball on the top of the box and sent a left-footed through-ball into the box to a sprinting striker Niclas Fuellbrug, who finished with a low shot that got past U.S. keeper Turner for a 2-1 lead.

In the 61st, it was midfielder Jamal Musiala driving with the ball into the box, but a deflection sent the ball to Fuellbrug, who returned it to a charging Musiala for a left-footed goal, and the 3-1 final.

The Germans broke a three-match losing streak with the win, and controlled possession at 60% and had a 19-6 advantage on shots. The U.S. fell to 4-8 all-time vs. Germany. The U.S. men will play Ghana on Tuesday (17th) at Nashville, Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.

● Swimming ● Australia’s Kaylee McKeown was the star of the second World Aquatics World Cup was in Athens (GRE), setting three World Cup records and perilously close to world marks in two events.

McKeown won the 100 and 200 m Backstrokes at the Tokyo Olympic Games and owns the world records in both at 57.45 in 2021 and 2:03.14 from March of 2023. In Berlin, she won the 50 m Back in a world-leading 27.02, moving her to no. 2 all-time and 0.04 off the 26.98 world mark of Xiang Lu (CHN) from 2018.

In the 100 m Back, she won in 57.63, just 0.18 off her own world mark and the equal-sixth performance of all time. McKeown took the 200 m Back in 2:06.02, ahead of Katie Grimes of the U.S. (2:08.01).

Sweden’s five-time World Champion Sarah Sjostrom won the women’s 50 m Butterfly in 24.97, a time that no one else has ever matched and the no. 13 performance in history. She now owns the top 22 performances ever! And Sjostrom was busy, winning the 50 m Free, and second in the 100 m Free and 100 m Fly.

China’s Yufei Zhang, the Tokyo silver winner, took the women’s 100 m Fly over Sjostrom in 56.06 (to 56.92), the no. 2 performance of the year (she’s also the world leader). Zhang also won the 200 m Fly (2:06.73) to be one of four women who won multiple events.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey continued her winning ways, taking the 100 m (52.55) and 200 m (1:55.03) Freestyles and World Champion Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) won the 50 (30.23) and 100 m (1:06.70) Breast events.

The sole women’s winner for the U.S. was Grimes, who took the 400 m Medley (4:38.74), an event in which she won the 2023 Worlds silver.

Matt Sates (RSA) won the 100 m Fly (51.82), 200 m Fly (1:55.44) and 200 m Medley (1:58.86) as the only three-event winner on the men’s side.

Two-event winners included American Michael Andrew in the men’s 50 m Free (21.96), 50 m Back (24.79); Danas Rapsys (LTU) in the 200 (1:45.72) and 400 m (3:48.64) Freestyles; Italy’s three-time Worlds gold medalist Thomas Ceccon in the 100 m Free (48.36) and the 100 m Backstroke (52.73); China’s triple World Champion Haiyang Qin in the 100 (58.44) and 200 m (2:08.05) Breaststrokes.

The third and final World Cup of 2023 comes next week in Budapest (HUN).

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: IOC Exec Board approves LA28 added sports, OKs 2030-34 Winter Games double allocation, suspends Russia

By
Rich Perelman
-
The IOC Executive Board meeting in Mumbai, India (Photo: IOC-Greg Martin)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. LA28 added sports OK; 2030 and 2034 Winter double allocation on
2. IOC suspends Russia, offers no condolences to Israel
3. IOC creates four-sport Olympic qualifiers next year
4. IOC approves Wright as U.S. biathlete; Mollaei to Azerbaijan
5. Crouser, Lyles nominated for Men’s World Athlete of the Year

● On Friday morning, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board accepted the five added sports requested by the LA28 organizing committee, agreed to reinstate boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting on the 2028 program, and approved the recommendation of the Winter Games Future Host Commission for a double allocation next year of the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games. The LA28 Games will now be the largest ever at 36 sports and will surpass the 10,500 athlete limit, with the details to be worked out by the end of 2024. The double allocation of Winter hosts is very good news for Salt Lake City, the leading candidate for 2034.

● On Thursday, the IOC Executive Board suspended the Russian Olympic Committee indefinitely, but said this had no impact on whether “neutral” athletes from Russia or Belarus will be able to compete in Paris in 2024. The IOC issued no statement on the Hamas attack on Israel, but asked about it, its spokesman read a bland statement expressing “sympathy” with “innocent victims.”

● The Executive Board announced two qualifying “festivals” to be held in Shanghai and Budapest next year for Olympic qualifying in BMX-Freestyle, break dancing, skateboarding and sport climbing.

● New Zealand biathlete Campbell Wright, a 2021 World Junior Champion in the sprint, was approved for nationality transfer to the U.S. Former Iranian judo World Champion Saeid Mollaei, who transferred to Mongolia after being told to throw matches to avoid competing against an Israeli, transferred nationality again to Azerbaijan.

● World Athletes posted its nominees for Men’s World Athlete of the Year, including Americans Noah Lyles and Ryan Crouser.

● World Championships: Beach Volleyball (four U.S. teams in quarterfinals at Worlds in Mexico) = Rugby (quarterfinals this weekend) ●

● Panorama: Asian Games (two more doping cases, total now 10) = Swimming (World Aquatics moves open-water World Cup out of Israel) = Taekwondo (2: Tunisia won two at Taiyuan Grand Prix; Iranian star withdraws with potential to face an Israeli) ●

● Now available: our exclusive 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023, 2024, and beyond, by date and by sport: click here! ●

1.
LA28 added sports OK; 2030 and 2034 Winter
double allocation on

On Friday, the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board made a long list of decisions, shared by IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) and Sports Director Kit McConnell (NZL) at a news conference:

● The LA28 additional-sports request for baseball-softball, cricket, lacrosse, squash and flag football was approved and sent on for approval by the IOC Session. The concept for all of the team sports is for six-team tournaments for men and women, with the team sizes yet to be determined.

● All three of the sports that were previously off of the LA28 program were brought back in: boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting. It was noted that boxing has no international federation, that modern pentathlon would have been excluded if riding had been continued and that the improvement in doping control in weightlifting has been satisfactory.

● International federations requested adding a total of 16 disciplines to the Games, but all were rejected except for Beach Sprint in rowing, which will replace the Lightweight Double Sculls. It was the only replacement discipline proposed.

● The result of now having 36 sports – the most ever in an Olympic Games – on the LA28 program will require an athlete total beyond the 10,500 quota, but that the increase is to be managed carefully. The specific number of athletes in all sports and per discipline within sports will be determined at the end of 2024.

● The IOC’s Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games submitted a report stating that by 2040, there would be 10 countries in which the snow sports could be reliably held. In order to figure out a future plan for a permanent rotation or some other way to hold future Winter Games, a double allocation of Winter Games hosts for 2030 and 2034 is to be made in 2024.

● The Winter Games host-selection timetable now foresees the Future Host Commission moving to “targeted dialogue” with potential hosts for specific Games as early as the end of October, but certainly in November, with the IOC Executive Board to review its recommendations at its November meeting. This is great news for Salt Lake City for 2034, but also means that there is considerable pressure on the potential 2030 bidders – France, Sweden and Switzerland – to get their programs together quickly.

Bach noted that with the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (see item 2 below), that invitations – if any – for “neutral” Russian athletes for Paris 2024 would be made directly to the athletes themselves, or by the relevant International Federation, or through their national (Russian) federations, but not through the Russian Olympic Committee.

2.
IOC suspends Russia, offers no condolences to Israel

On the opening day of the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board meeting in Mumbai, India, a decision was announced to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee:

“The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

The announcement went on to note that this has nothing to do with the potential participation of “neutral” athletes from Russia or Belarus. It will end any funding of the Russian Olympic Committee; the ROC is already suing the IOC for about $9 million it says it is owed as a share of the IOC’s TOP sponsorship program.

The Russian Olympic Committee’s response included:

“The IOC made another counterproductive decision today, heavy with obvious political overtones, thus confirming de-jure what was done de-facto back in February 2022.

“Russian athletes, the overwhelming majority of whom were unjustifiably barred from international competitions, are unaffected by this decision as nothing has changed in regard to neutral status.”

Russian sports minister Oleg Matytsin’s statement included:

“By making such decisions, the IOC demonstrates total dependence on political and business conditions, losing authority and independence. … This only confirms that in its current form, the International Olympic Committee no longer adequately represents and protects the interests of world sports and athletes and is significantly losing weight and competence as an international regulator.”

The IOC issued no statement on Thursday concerning the attack by Hamas – the elected leadership of Gaza – on Israel, or the discussion of any sanction on the Palestine National Olympic Committee.

In contrast, on the same day that Russian invaded Ukraine – 24 February 2022 – the IOC issued a statement condemning the breach of the Olympic Truce, which included:

“Following recent events, the IOC is deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic Community in Ukraine. It has established a task force to closely monitor the situation and to coordinate humanitarian assistance to members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible.”

Asked about last Saturday’s Hamas attack at Thursday’s news conference, IOC spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) read a bland, pre-written response:

“At the start of the IOC Executive Board, the IOC E.B. members expressed their very strong feelings over these tragic events in the recent days and expressed their deepest sympathy with the innocent victims of this terrible violence.”

At Friday’s briefing, Bach said that contact was made with the Israel Olympic Committee last Saturday when the attacks began, but did not condemn Hamas or mention any contact with the Palestine Olympic Committee. He did essentially repeat Adams’s statement, almost word-for-word.

The IOC Executive Board has nominated Israel’s Yael Arad, the country’s first Olympic medalist (judo in 1992) and the head of the Israel Olympic Committee, to be a new member of the IOC at the Mumbai Session. She is in Mumbai and it will be instructive to see whether she is, in fact, elected.

3.
IOC creates four-sport Olympic qualifiers next year

Following its Olympic Agenda 2020+5 promise to create new events to raise the profile of smaller sports, the IOC announced a two-stage Olympic qualifying competition series for BMX-Freestyle cycling, break dancing, skateboarding and sport climbing.

Some 464 athletes are expected to compete, with more than half of the Olympic qualifying places to be settled in the two events:

● 16-19 May 2024: Shanghai (CHN)
● 20-23 June 2024: Budapest (HUN)

The international federations for these sports will be responsible for the competitions. With the exception of the BMX-Freestyle, for which the number of worldwide competitions is pretty limited, the other sports are run by much smaller federations which do not receive shares of IOC television revenues: the World DanceSport Federation, World Skate and the International Federation of Sport Climbing. They all have events, but this will be a significantly higher profile than for most of their programs.

These events also have small quotas for Paris 2024, making them easier to handle:

● BMX-Freestyle: 2 events and 24 athletes
● Break Dancing: 2 events and 32 athletes
● Skateboarding: 4 events and 88 athletes
● Sport Climbing: 4 events and 68 athletes

The Shanghai event will be held at the Huangpu Riverside; in Budapest, the Ludovika Campus will be used.

4.
IOC approves Wright as U.S. biathlete; Mollaei to Azerbaijan

The IOC Executive Board also approved several changes in nationality, including one which could have significant impact for the U.S. at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Biathlete Campbell Wright, 21, was approved to compete for the U.S. as a transfer from New Zealand; he has dual citizenship, having been born in New Zealand to two American parents.

He won the IBU World Junior Championships 10 km Sprint in 2023, and debuted at the IBU World Cup in November 2021 at age 19. He was reportedly the second teenager ever to score points in an IBU World Cup, and competed for New Zealand at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, placing 32nd in the men’s 20 km and 75th in the 10 km Sprint.

Said Wright, who trained with the U.S. team last season:

“I have made the decision to swap nations to the U.S., because it gives me the best chance to be able to reach my goals. To reach the top in any sport is hard, and it’s only made harder without the proper team around you. So if I want to be the best biathlete I can be, changing to Team USA is the clear option.”

The IOC also approved a nationality change for 31-year-old judoka Saeid Mollaei from Mongolia to Azerbaijan, his third country, after originally wrestling for Iran. Mollaei won the 2018 World 81 kg Championships for Iran, then was infamously ordered by Iranian officials to throw matches at the 2019 Worlds in order not to face Israel’s eventual World Champion, Sagi Muki.

Mollaei went to Germany, then accepted a citizenship offer from Mongolia, for whom he competed at Tokyo 2020 and won the Olympic 81 kg silver medal. He fought for Mongolia in 2022, but the International Judo Federation approved his transfer to Azerbaijan allowing him to compete in the 2022 IJF World Tour, winning the Baku Grand Slam.

5.
Crouser, Lyles nominated for Men’s World Athlete of the Year

World Athletics announced its nominees for its 2023 Men’s World Athlete of the Year, including two Americans among the 11 choices:

● Neeraj Chopra (IND) ~ Worlds javelin gold medalist
● Ryan Crouser (USA) ~ Worlds shot put champ and world-record setter
● Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ Worlds vault champ and world-record setter
● Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) ~ Worlds Steeple gold medalist
● Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) ~ Worlds 5,000 m gold, 1,500 m silver
● Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) ~ Marathon world-record setter
● Pierce LePage (CAN) ~ Worlds decathlon gold medalist
● Noah Lyles (USA) ~ Worlds 100-200m gold medalist
● Alvaro Martin (ESP) ~ Worlds 20 km and 35 km champion
● Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) ~ Worlds long jump gold medalist
● Karsten Warholm (NOR) ~ Worlds 400 m hurdles champion

According to the announcement:

“The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms. … The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25% of the final result.”

Balloting is open until 28 October.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Beach Volleyball ● The FIVB World Championships are heading toward the medal round in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with the quarterfinals set for Friday and for American duos still playing:

Men:
● Anders Mol & Christian Sorum (NOR: defending champions) vs. Ondrej Perusic & David Schweiner (CZE)

● Pedro Solberg & Guto Carvalhaes (BRA) vs. Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner (USA)

● Miles Partian and Andrew Benesh (USA) vs. Bartosz Losiak & Michal Bryl (POL)

● Stefan Boermans & Yorick De Groot (NED) vs. David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig (SWE)

Women:
● Ana Patricia Ramos & Duda Lisboa (BRA: defending champions) vs. Katja Stam & Raisa Schoon (NED)

● Mariafe Artacho del Solar & Taliqua Clancy (AUS) vs. Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson (CAN)

● Sara Hughes & Kelly Cheng (USA) vs. Taina Bigi & Victoria Lopes (BRA)

● Tanja Huberli & Nina Brunner (SUI) vs. Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth (USA)

The semifinals will be played on Saturday and the medal matches on Sunday.

● Rugby ● After a week’s break following the pool phase, the Rugby World Cup in France will resume with the quarterfinals on Saturday and Sunday (world rankings listed before each team name):

14 October:
● (7) Wales (4-0) vs. (8) Argentina (3-1) in Marseille
● (1) Ireland (4-0) vs. (4) New Zealand (3-1) in Saint-Denis

15 October:
● (6) England (4-0) vs. (10) Fiji (2-2) in Marseille
● (2) France (4-0) vs. (3) South Africa (3-1) in Saint Denis

All four semi-finalists from 2019 are still involved; South Africa beat England in the 2019 final and New Zealand defeated Wales for third place.

The semis will be on 20-21 October and the championship on 28 October.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Asian Games ● Two more doping positives from the just-completed Asian Games in China, for basketball players Justin Brownlee (PHI) and Sami Bazi (JOR); this brings the total of Asiad doping suspensions to 10.

● Swimming ● The World Aquatics Open Water World Cup event slated to be held in Eilat, Israel from 1-2 December has been moved to Funchal (POR) due to the Hamas attack on Israel. The new dates are 2-3 December.

● Taekwondo ● The World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Taiyuan (CHN) showed a couple of Tokyo Olympic champions still in great shape.

Olympic champ Panipak Wongpattanakit of Thailand won her class with a 2-0 (3-0, 8-3) defeat of 2022 Worlds silver medalist Qing Guo (CHN) in the women’s 49 kg final. At 57 kg, Skylar Park of Canada, the 2019 Worlds bronze winner, took the title, coming from behind, 4-11, 7-6, 9-7 to take a 2-1 decision over Iranian Nahid Kiyanichandeh.

In the women’s 67 kg final, Aleksandra Perisic (SRB), the 2022 Worlds silver winner, swept aside 2022 62 kg World Champion Sarah Chaari (BEL), 2-0 (2-0, 4-2). China’s Lei Xu won the women’s +67 kg division, taking a 2-0 (6-2, 3-1) final win against Sude Uzuncavdar (TUR).

Tunisia won two golds in the four men’s classes, first in the men’s 58 kg with Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Mohamed Jendoubi taking a 2-1 win over Korean 2019 World Champion Jun Jang in the gold-medal match (1-2, 17-11, 11-8), and then from 2022 Worlds 74 kg bronze medalist Firas Katousi winning a wild final, 2-1, from Geon-woo Seo (KOR) at 80 kg by 4-2, 8-8 and 16-10!

Korean Ho-jun Jin, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, took the men’s 68 kg class with a 10-6, 7-6 sweep of France’s Souleyman Alaphilippe. Russian Tokyo Olympic champ Vladislav Larin, competing as a “neutral,” won at +80 kg, over Uzbek Nikita Rafalovich, the 2022 Worlds 87 kg bronze winner, by 2-1 (2-2, 2-0, 11-1).

A star Iranian fighter, Mobina Nematzadeh, was reportedly withdrawn from the Grand Prix in Taiyuan, to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent in the women’s 49 kg class.

Nematzadeh had just come from a silver-medal finish at the Asian Games, losing to China’s Qing Guo in the gold-medal match and would have been a medal contender in Taiyuan (Guo won silver in this weight class). But with Israeli entrants on both sides of the bracket, it was possible for her to face one no matter where she was seeded.

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For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Retton med-support fund over $300,000; Bach talks up India and weightlifting; a challenge to Saudi for 2034 FIFA World Cup?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Medical support fund-raising ongoing for Los Angeles 1984 gymnastics star Mary Lou Retton (Photo: Spotfund.com appeal page)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Retton medical-support fund passes $300,000 in two days
2. Bach talks up cricket, weightlifting and the future in India
3. Sapporo out of 2030 Winter Games race; will try for later
4. UEFA reverses Russia stance; EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts confirmed
5. Indonesia to bid with Australia for FIFA World Cup ‘34?

● Online fund-raising for Los Angeles 1984 gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton has passed the $300,000 mark – as against a $50,000 goal – to assist with her medical expenses in a fight against a pneumonia strain that has required breathing assistance.

● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of Germany, interviewed in India prior to the IOC Session, said that he likes cricket as an Olympic add-on sport for 2028, but says it will have to be voted on. He’s also enthusiastic about weightlifting’s return, and thinks India could be a viable candidate for the 2036 Olympic Games.

● Sapporo and the Japanese Olympic Committee said there will be no bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, but a bid for 2034 or beyond is possible of the “public trust” can be rebuilt.

● UEFA decided, in a U-turn, not to admit Russian U-17 teams into its competitions, saying it was not feasible, after agreeing to do allow them in a couple of weeks ago. Great Britain and Ireland, and Italy and Turkey were announced as the co-hosts of the EURO 2028 and 2032 tournaments, respectively. A 12 October EURO qualifying match between Israel and Switzerland in Tel Aviv has been postponed to 15 November, with the venue to be determined, in view of the continuing attacks on Israel.

● Saudi Arabia looked to be a walkover winner to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, but new discussions between Australia and Indonesia could create a formidable competitor, possibly also including Malaysia and Singapore. Expressions of interest are due by the end of the month.

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (IOC declines waiver for 44-year-old Pacquiao for boxing) = Los Angeles 2028 (World Rowing enlists Super Bowl announcer to help with Beach Sprint inclusion) = Asian Games (eight doping positives so far) = Athletics (3: U.S. distance stars meeting with USATF over Marathon Trials start times; World Athletics announces women’s athlete-of-year nominees; Birmingham indoor meet likely to go as city bankrupt) = Cycling (2: USA Cycling moves road nationals to Charleston; two Belgian riders removed from Tour of Guangxi for possibly-racist social post) = Judo (Russian federation suspends Rio Olympic champ for social-media posts) = Luge (Skechers sponsors World Cup?!) = Skating (new ISU transgender policy) ●

● Now available: our exclusive 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023, 2024, and beyond, by date and by sport: click here! ●

1.
Retton medical-support fund passes $300,000 in two days

“My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured.

“We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill.

“ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”

That post on Spotfund.com from McKenna Kelley on Tuesday (10th) asked for help for the female icon of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the then-16-year-old Mary Lou Retton – now 55 – who won the women’s All-Around gold and won four more medals, with silvers in the Team event and Vault and bronzes on the Uneven Bars and Floor. She scored 10.00 on the Vault and Floor to win the All-Around from Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo, 79.175 to 79.125. Szabo also won five medals in Los Angeles; golds in the Team event and in the Vault, Beam and Floor, magnifying Retton’s upset in the All-Around.

She later attended the University of Texas and married football player Shannon Kelley in 1990; they divorced in 2018, with four daughters: Shayla (born 1995), McKenna (1997), Skyla (2000), and Emma (2002). After retiring from gymnastics in 1986, Retton has been a spokesperson and speaker for many companies.

The outpouring of support has been intense. By the end of Wednesday, the donor count was at 5,912 and $330,181 had been raised against an initial goal of $50,000. All but two of the donations was of $2,000 or less; a $50,000 contribution was made by Linda McIngvale, wife of Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, and an anonymous $5,000 donation was made. Retton remained in intensive care on Wednesday.

2.
Bach talks up cricket, weightlifting and the future in India

With the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting on Thursday and Friday and the IOC Session in Mumbai, India meeting from Sunday through next Tuesday, IOC President Thomas Bach took time-out for an interesting interview with the Times of India. And he had quite a bit to say.

As far as the LA28 organizing committee proposal to include cricket (and four more sports) on the program, Bach reiterated his enthusiasm for the T20 format, but noted that the process will start with the IOC Program Commission, then come to the Executive Committee for a review and if allowed, will be voted on by the IOC Session.

On boxing, Bach turned to one of his favorite phrases, explaining “we have no problems with the sport nor with the boxers.” But he pointed again to the IOC’s issues with financing, governance and refereeing and judging at the International Boxing Association, which was de-recognized by the IOC in June. “There will be no boxing with IBA in [the] Olympic program, now or in the future.” The IOC is running the boxing process now for Paris 2024, as it did for Tokyo 2020, and is therefore in no rush to find a new boxing federation.

Bach was highly enthusiastic on weightlifting, which has also been kept off of the 2028 Los Angeles program, saying “They have made great progress. They have outsourced the entire doing management … and ensured that there is a change in the culture.” This bodes well for the return of weightlifting for 2028.

No mention was made of modern pentathlon, also currently outside the 2028 program, but Bach outlined what the IOC is looking for going forward. This is important:

“There are two criteria which are very important to us. First of all, the young sports and secondly, urban sports. In our world today, the kids have so many distractions; not only the kids, but the potential sports fans also have so many distractions. They are not in touch with sports. This is why we have to go where the people are, in the real world with urban centers, and in the digital world. We have to promote our sports there, build small sports centers in the neighborhood.”

As for an India bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, Bach was encouraging, and said that the disastrous and corruption-plagued 2010 Commonwealth Games will not be a barrier:

“You cannot compare today’s India with India of 2010. It is a much more mature country now if we talk of hosting big sports events.”

Observed: Bach is at his best when he gives insight into what his IOC – he will serve into 2025 – is looking for. His statement on “go to where the people are” has been consistent, if not always conversant with the IOC’s actions.

There’s no clear indicator from what he said about what the IOC will do with the five sports that LA28 is proposing, or what the fate of modern pentathlon will be. You can make any case you want from his comments. But while his overall direction is clear, it may face a revision – or even a reversion – depending on who replaces him as the IOC chief in less than two years.

3.
Sapporo out of 2030 Winter Games race; will try for later

The Japanese Olympic Committee and the mayor of Sapporo announced Wednesday that there will be no bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, but that a future bid will be considered. JOC President Yasuhiro Yamashita told reporters:

“There’s a possibility that moving forward with the bid movement too hastily will leave an irrecoverable wound on the value of sports. I’m sorry for the people of Sapporo and Hokkaido.”

Pro-Olympics mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto noted the fallout from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in sponsorship selections involving bribery and bid-rigging of test events and venue-management contracts:

“It’s a very tough situation. We need to examine our future activities. We’ll gauge public sentiment at an appropriate time.

“We could not gain understanding from the citizens. There has been a widespread sense of uneasiness among the citizens about the criminal cases related to the 2020 Tokyo Games, and they are also worried about their financial burden for hosting the games.”

Sapporo hosted the Winter Games in 1972 and looked to be a front-runner for 2030, but now faces an uncertain future as Salt Lake City has a nearly-complete package in hand that could allow it to be selected by the IOC at any time. With the IOC’s encouragement, there is bid development work underway in France, Sweden and Switzerland for 2030, using regional or national approaches to avoid building new facilities.

4.
UEFA reverses Russia stance; EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts confirmed

“No technical solution could be found to allow the Russian teams to play.”

That’s from a UEFA spokesman, as the organization’s Executive Committee backtracked from its 26 September decision to allow Russian U-17 teams to play in continental competitions without anthem, flag or national uniforms. At least 12 of the 55 UEFA national federations had said they would not allow their U-17s to play against Russia in view of the continuing invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden, which hosts the UEFA women’s U-17 championship in 2024, said it would not admit the Russian team.

The Ukrainian Football Association commented on X (ex-Twitter):

“Thus, the position of our country, with which the Ukrainian Association of Football appealed to UEFA and all national member associations, was heard. russian football remains in isolation, that is, where it belongs.”

Russian Football Union national team coach Valery Karpin told the Russian news agency TASS:

“I didn’t expect that they would allow it, I didn’t expect that it would be cancelled. First they admitted it, then they canceled it, and this became an even bigger surprise.”

Former FIFA Vice-President and Honorary President of the Russian Football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov told TASS:

“Even when the decision on admission was made, I said that it was not clear how to implement it technically.

“At some point this issue had to come up. This is the first time I have seen such a thing for the UEFA executive committee to make a decision, and then canceled it. They should have explained that the decision had to be firmly implemented, create a mechanism for its implementation. I think, indeed, that UEFA did not invent a reason. But why then make a decision without fully thinking it through? The Executive Committee simply showed its incompetence.”

Left hanging is FIFA, which supported the UEFA position to allow Russian U-17 teams to play, without national symbols.

UEFA formally confirmed the EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts, with Great Britain (four federations) and Ireland staging the 2028 events and Italy and Turkey delivering the 2032 tournament.

Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be first-time hosts; nine venues are projected for games, with two in London, as well as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle in England, plus Glasgow in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, Dublin in Ireland and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

Turkey will also host a EURO for the first time. Ten stadiums were proposed in both Italy and Turkey, with five to be chosen in each country by October 2026.

In view of the continuing Hamas attacks on Israel, UEFA also moved the Israel-Switzerland match, scheduled to be played in Tel Aviv on 12 October, to 15 November, with the venue to be determined.

The match is important, as the Swiss are atop Group I at 4-0-2 (W-L-T: 14 points), with Romania second (3-0-3: 12) and Israel third (3-1-2: 11) with the top two to qualify. Israel has an 18 November match against Romania in Jerusalem before finishing at Andorra on 21 November. Israel is assured of at least a playoff spot to get into the EURO 2024 tournament.

5.
Indonesia to bid with Australia for FIFA World Cup ‘34?

Given FIFA’s directive that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation or Oceania Football Confederation would be received for the FIFA World Cup in 2034, Saudi Arabia immediately entered the race and appeared to be unchallenged, according to a statement by AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (BRN) last week:

“I am delighted to note that the [Saudi Arabian Football Federation] have presented their intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

“The entire Asian football family will stand united in support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s momentous initiative, and we are committed to working closely with the global football family to ensure its success.”

But now, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Indonesian Football Federation head Erick Thohir has had discussions with Australia – also Asian Football Confederation members – about creating a 2034 bid, perhaps also including Malaysia and Singapore.

Australia’s credentials are unmatched as it just completed a well-managed staging, with New Zealand, of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer. Indonesia, on the other hand, has human-rights issues to deal with as its exclusion policy on Israel forced the cancellation of the ANOC World Beach Games in August and FIFA removed its men’s U-20 World Cup in March to Argentina over the issue. FIFA apparently wasn’t that upset, as it handed this year’s men’s U-17 World Cup to Indonesia in June; it will kick off on 10 November.

The question is time. FIFA has set a deadline of 31 October for expressions of interest in hosting the 2034 tournament, with completed bidding agreements due by 30 November. Bid submissions will be due in July of 2024 and the decision expected by the end of 2024.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, now 44, will not be allowed to compete in Paris in view of existing rules that have an age limit of 40. The Russian news agency TASS reported a comment from the IOC which included:

“The eligibility requirements include an age limit of 40, which the then AIBA set back in 2013 as a rule for boxing tournaments. When the IOC suspended AIBA [now IBA] in 2019, it ensured that boxing could remain on the program of the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo and Paris in 2024 to protect the interests of athletes. And that is why the IOC approved the IBA technical rules for the Olympic tournament in Tokyo, which have not been challenged. The same technical rules will be applied to the tournament in Paris.”

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● World Rowing is all-in on trying to get its Beach Sprint events into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games to replace the Lightweight Double Sculls events which will be dropped after Paris.

The latest: hiring well-known public address announcer Alan Roach, who has been on the microphone for multiple Olympic Games, but especially for 14 NFL Super Bowls. The announcement was suitably understated:

“World Rowing is now laser-focused on cultivating and nurturing the discipline to make it a permanent feature of the Olympic Games.”

● Asian Games ● Qatari cyclist Alsaadi Bilal Haitham was caught for doping (erythropoietin a.k.a. ”EPO”) on 2 October, bringing the Asian Games doping positive total to eight so far. This was the third positive in cycling; two were in track & field and no other sport had more than one. Saudi Arabia had two positives and no other country had more than one.

● Athletics ● An athlete group concerned about the start time of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida is to meet with USA Track & Field chief executive Max Siegel by videoconference on Thursday.

A letter from Rio 2016 Olympic marathoner Jared Ward and Emma Grace Hurley, the men’s and women’s Athletes’ Advisory Council representatives, and signed on by 86 others posted by Citius Magazine, and included:

“We understand the current start time is being dictated by the television broadcast, and while we recognize the importance of our sport reaching the widest possible television audience, the safety and integrity of our sport must come first. …

“Based on the [Orlando] weather conditions last February, extreme heat stress is not just possible, it is almost assured. Even the most optimistically projected scenario will still be hotter than the 2016 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, where only 64% of the men’s field and 75% of the women’s field made it to the finish line. …

“We are requesting a start time of preferably 6:00 AM, but no later than 7:00 AM, not a contingency plan based on the hottest allowable weather, to allow for a safe race and the a better chance for our men to qualify for Paris 2024. Note that we aren’t seeking a tolerable threshold, but the best possible conditions- which in Orlando will still likely be challenging.”

The letter suggests interested viewers will watch the race no matter what time it is held and the broadcast can be replayed for the interest of casual viewers later.

World Athletics announced 11 candidates for its Women’s World Athlete of the Year, including American Sha’Carri Richardson:

● Tigist Assefa (ETH) ~ Marathon world-record setter (2:11:53)
● Femke Bol (NED) ~ Worlds 400 m hurdles gold medalist
● Shericka Jackson (JAM) ~ Worlds 200 m gold, 100 m silver
● Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ~ Worlds 1,500-5,000 m winner, three world records
● Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) ~ Worlds javelin gold medalist
● Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) ~ Worlds high jump gold medalist
● Maria Perez (ESP) ~ Worlds 20 km and 35 km walks gold medalist
● Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) ~ Worlds 100 m gold, 200 m silver
● Yulimar Rojas (VEN) ~ Worlds triple jump gold medalist
● Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) ~ Worlds 10,000 m champion
● Winfred Yavi (BRN) ~ Worlds Steeple champion

Per the announcement:

“The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms”; voting continues through 28 October. Winners will be announced on 11 December.

The Times (London) reported that the 24 February World Indoor Tour Gold meet in Birmingham (GBR) is likely to be canceled as the city is facing a £760 million penalty (~$935.77 million U.S.) on equal-pay claims that essentially bankrupts the municipal government.

The meet has just been removed from the World Athletics and U.K. Athletics Web sites.

● Cycling ● USA Cycling announced that after seven years of holding its Pro Road Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee, it has signed a five-year commitment to hold an expanded version of the event in Charleston, West Virginia.

The 2024 edition will be held from 15-19 May, and will expand the men’s and women’s Road, Time Trial and Criterium races with the addition of U-23 and Junior (ages 17-18) classes as well. For the Time Trials, the winner of the men’s and women’s races will qualify for the Paris 2024 races.

Madis Mihkels (EST: 20) and Gerben Thijssen (BEL: 25), riders for the Belgium-based Intermarche-Circus-Wanty team on the UCI World Tour have been removed from the GREE – Tour of Guangxi in China for a post on Thijssen’s Instagram account showing Mihkels making gestures which have been interpreted as racist.

The team posted an apology on X (ex-Twitter) that included:

“We sincerely regret the behaviour of our rider Madis Mihkels and the images shown on the social media. We would like to apologise to the Chinese people and fans, to the government of Guangxi, to the Chinese Cycling Association, and all parties involved in the organisation of Tour of Guangxi for the image given of our sport.”

A Union Cycliste Internationale statement included:

“The UCI commends the swift reaction of the two riders’ team, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (BEL), which decided to withdraw them from the Gree – Tour of Guangxi (China) and assess the disciplinary actions it may take following the incident. The event organiser also acted quickly by organising a meeting with those concerned and the local authorities, during which the riders expressed their apologies.

“The UCI has decided to refer the matter to the UCI Disciplinary Commission for a possible breach of article 12.4.004 of the UCI Regulations, which states that any person who, by word or deed, bemeans, discriminates against or denigrates a person or a group of persons in a manner that violates human dignity, on grounds such as race or ethnic origin, shall receive a disciplinary action.”

The Tour of Guangxi is the final event this season on the UCI World Tour, and started on Thursday and will finish on the 17th.

● Judo ● The Russian Judo Federation has suspended Rio 2016 Olympic 81 kg gold medalist Khasan Khalmurzaev; the International Judo Federation statement posted Wednesday included:

“In response to recent social media posts from Olympic champion Khasan Khalmurzaev, the Russian Judo Federation sent a letter to the International Judo Federation to provide the following information:

“● The athlete has been found in breach of the federation’s internal rules and regulations which does not allow the public posting of any religious or political personal views.

“● The Russian Judo Federation immediately suspended the athlete temporarily, until a further decision is taken.”

No other information was provided; Russian judoka are allowed to compete in IJF competitions on a neutral basis vis-a-vis the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He appears to be semi-retired; he has appeared only once in competition since December 2021 and did not place at a June IJF Grand Slam event in Kazakhstan.

● Luge ● A noteworthy announcement from the Federation Internationale de Luge:

“SKECHERS will be the main sponsor of the EBERSPACHER Luge World Cup and the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, in the 2023/24 season. The sponsorship agreement between the world’s leading athletic footwear brand and the International Luge Federation (FIL) is initially for one season.

“The deal, signed by Infront, means that SKECHERS branding will be present at all nine World Cup events as well as the World Championships in Altenberg, Germany. This is the first time the company has sponsored a luge event.”

Southern California-based Skechers has been highly active in sports, but not as a high-profile sponsor of Olympic Winter-sport events.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union has issued a new transgender policy, limiting male-to-female transgender athletes to those with serum testosterone of 2.5 nmol/L or less.

The ISU’s Communication 2595 specifies:

● “The Skater has signed and submitted to the ISU a written declaration stating that her gender identity is female. Once submitted to the ISU, the declaration cannot be changed, for sporting purposes, for a minimum of four years.”

● “In addition, the Skater must demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been below 2.5 nmol/L.

● “a) If the Skater transitions before the age of 12 or Tanner stage 2, then the serum testosterone must be below 2.5 nmol/L continuously for at least 12 months prior to competing in her first ISU Event in the female category.

● “b) If the Skater transitions after puberty, then the serum testosterone level must be below 2.5 nmol/L continuously for 24 months prior to competing in her first ISU Event in the female category, (with the requirement for any longer period to be based on a confidential case-by-case evaluation, considering whether or not 24 months is a sufficient length of time to minimize any competitive advantage in Women’s competition).”

The regulations also require monthly reporting of testosterone levels during the transition period and quarterly thereafter, with unannounced testing also to be done.

Female-to-male transgenders are “without restriction,” but require a signed declaration.

The new regulations apply to all ISU disciplines, including figure skating, short track and speed skating.

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

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar (no. 4) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

SPECIAL: Updated! Our revised, 850-event International Sports Calendar for 2023-24 now posted!

By
Rich Perelman
-

The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad is Paris is coming fast, so it’s time for an update to our TSX calendar – an exclusive 850-event listing – for the remainder of 2023, into 2024, with a few of the larger events beyond to 2028.

Our updated International Sports Calendar focuses on sports and events on the Olympic and Winter Games program for 2024 and 2026, 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 Olympic year ahead.

Two calendars are included in the single PDF download: an 18-page listing in chronological order and a 19-page listing by sport (and in date order within each sport).

It’s free! Get your download right now here!

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

TSX REPORT: LA28 asks baseball-softball, cricket, flag, lacrosse and squash as adds; how will IOC handle Palestine and Iran? Could Hassan equal Zatopek?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Israel's Artem Dolgopyat manages a half-smile after his Worlds gold in the men's Floor Exercise, while adding black ribbons to the Israeli flag after Saturday's attacks (Photo: Israel Gymnastics Federation)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. LA28 adds baseball, softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash
2. IOC faces new questions on Palestine and Iran after attack on Israel
3. Dolgopyat on a gymnastics gold while Israel was attacked
4. Could Hassan duplicate Zatopek’s distance triple in Paris?
5. IPC to light torch at Stoke Mandeville from 2024 on

● LA28 asks for five added sports, including baseball-softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash, bringing the sport total to 34, the most ever, with a possibility of expanding to 36 if modern pentathlon and weightlifting are added back.

● The attack by Hamas, backed by Iran, against Israel raises new questions for the International Olympic Committee. Already trying to navigate through a controversial re-admission of “neutral” Russian and Belausian athletes, what will the IOC now do about the participation of Palestine and Iran for Paris in 2024?

● Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat, the Olympic Champion in men’s Floor Exercise, woke up Saturday morning, eight hours before his competition at the 2023 World Championships in Belgium, to air-raid alerts from home on his mobile phone. He somehow managed to win and collect Israel’s first-ever World Gymnastics Championships gold medal.

● Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum stole all the headlines at Sunday’s Chicago Marathon with his world-record 2:00:35 run, but could women’s winner, Dutch star Sifan Hassan, be positioned to duplicate the 1952 Olympic heroics of Czech legend Emil Zatopek in Paris next year?

● The International Paralympic Committee said that it will begin its quadrennial torch run to the Paralympic Games at Stoke Mandeville in Britain, where the concept that began the Paralympics started in 1948.

● Panorama: International Olympic Committee (Agenda 2020+5 report says Olympic Movement finances are stable) = Pan American Games (2: U.S. announces 631-member team for Santiago; USATF will send 77) = Russia (Olympic Committee head sees no reason to resign from IOC) = Memorabilia (Olympin show comes to southern California Friday) = Cycling (France’s Mahieu sweeps BMX World Cup in Argentina) ●

● Errata: Some readers of Monday’s post on the Ingrid O’Neil Auction no. 95 results saw her name misspelled in the top-of-post summary as “O’Neal.” Of course, it’s “O’Neil,” and quickly corrected. Sorry, Ingrid! ●

● Schedule: Due to a scheduling conflict, the next TSX post will be on Thursday (12th). ●

1.
LA28 adds baseball, softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash

“The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games shared its official proposal for new Olympic sports, including Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Cricket (Twenty20), Lacrosse (Sixes) and Squash, to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for potential inclusion in the 2028 Olympic sport program.”

Monday’s statement sets up the approval process for these sports at the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board meetings this week in India and the IOC Session in Mumbai on 15-17 October.

LA28 chief executive Kathy Carter said the additions were made with no added financial risk:

“In building the Olympic sport program, we were willing to challenge the status quo and think differently about what’s possible for the Games in Los Angeles. We approached the process holistically and authentically, ensuring that our decisions were grounded in the Games’ commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

Existing venues in the Los Angeles area – there are plenty – are sure to be used for all of the added sports, with the only question about a suitable cricket facility, although a new, cricket-first venue is planned for development in Irvine, California.

Baseball was featured on and off as a demonstration until the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where a full-fledged tournament was held at Dodger Stadium, leading to its eventual inclusion as a medal sport in 1992, through 2008. It came back as a medal sport at Tokyo 2020 and now again in 2028. Softball came in for 1996-2008 and again in Tokyo.

Cricket was played at the Paris 1900 Games, but has not been in the Games since. Those promoting cricket have said that its inclusion will provide a television rights windfall for the IOC; India pays about $20 million for TV rights, but estimates range up to $200 million more for 2028 with the sport included.

Flag Football has never been in the Games and is strongly backed by the National Football League, especially as a way to involve women in a game which almost exclusively played by men as tackle football. The NFL would be expected to help promote the sport heavily.

Lacrosse was played at the St. Louis 1904 Games and in London in 1908 and was a demonstration sport in 1928, 1932 in Los Angeles and 1948 in London. It has been chasing Olympic inclusion for decades and is popular in the eastern U.S., especially, and has expanded its national profile through the professional Premier Lacrosse League.

Squash has also been seeking Olympic status for many years and will finally be part of the Games in Los Angeles.

The LA28 program has now exploded to 34 sports, possibly on the way to 36. A list of 28 sports was approved in 2021, with boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting left off. When the IOC de-recognized the International Boxing Association last June, it also confirmed boxing’s place on the LA28 program. Now, five more sports are being added (34) and a decision on modern pentathlon and weightlifting are expected in Mumbai, so the LA28 total could be 36 sports.

The most sports in a single Games prior to 2028 was 33 for Tokyo 2020, but the LA28 total of 34 to 36 will be a new high.

The question of the athlete cap of 10,500 for the Olympic Games is now a significant issue, with the addition of so many more sports meaning there is potentially less room for the existing ones. However, depending on the real capacity of the residential housing at UCLA, site of the Olympic Village, some arithmetic gymnastics could be introduced, such as a cap of 10,500 athlete occupants in the Village on any individual day.

There is also the issue of rowing and canoeing housing, as the chosen Long Beach Marine Stadium facility can have significant tidal impacts that would force early-morning sessions to be held … meaning a subsidiary village could be required in Long Beach to allow a short commute to the site, instead of the 45 minutes or more from UCLA.

2.
IOC faces new questions on Palestine and Iran after attack on Israel

“Neutral” athletes from Palestine? Iran?

The International Olympic Committee now has even more headaches to deal with at its 141st Session in Mumbai, India, beginning on Sunday, in the wake of the attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

The ongoing bloodshed has killed more than 1,000 and will continue for some time, making the issue of a Palestinian presence at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games a trivial issue in comparison. But the high profile of the Games ensures that the issue will arise, especially now as the IOC has nominated Yael Arad, Israel’s first-ever Olympic medal winner – in judo in 1992 – and head of the Israeli National Olympic Committee as a new member, to be confirmed in Mumbai.

Palestine has had only a modest profile at the Games, first appearing in 1996 in Atlanta; five athletes in four sports participated at Tokyo 2020.

And what of Iran, which has been widely acknowledged as a planner and overseer of the attack with its anti-Israeli proxy organizations Hamas (in Palestine) and Hezbollah (in Lebanon)? Iran has been suspended on and off for anti-Semitic activities for years and certainly bears responsibility, but will the IOC act against it, or Palestine?

And the Russian question keeps getting more difficult for the IOC, with the Russian Olympic Committee announcing last Thursday (5th) that it has “admitted as members” newly-formed sports organizations from areas of eastern Ukraine invaded by Russia that were illegally “annexed” into the Russian Federation in 2022:

“Today the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the Yaroslavl region have become members of the ROC.”

The Ukrainian National Olympic Committee sent a message to the IOC on Friday (6th) asking that this action be raised at the IOC’s Executive Board meeting:

“This is a gross and obvious violation of the Olympic Charter. The NOC of Ukraine requests you to bring the issue of this violation to the next meeting of the IOC Executive Committee and apply sanctions established by the Olympic Charter for such a gross violation of the principles and foundations of the Olympic movement.”

The IOC Executive Board meets on Thursday and Friday, with the Session following on Sunday.

Observed: The attack on Israel and the “admission as members” of sports organizations in occupied areas of Ukraine raise the stakes for the IOC. Its President, Thomas Bach of Germany, insists that the IOC is using sport as an instrument of peace.

He will quote the second principle of Olympism from the Olympic Charter, which reads:

“The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.”

Bach and the IOC have to answer, to new member Arad and others, how allowing athletes who are supported by aggressor states are allowed to compete in an event which is support to promote “a peaceful society.” This now includes Palestine and Iran, as well as Russia and Belarus, and if Hezbollah attacks Israel in the north, then also Lebanon must be called into question.

A Monday news release from the IOC on the impact of Bach’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reforms noted, “Credibility on and off the field of play is crucial to the Olympic Movement.” It’s at stake right now.

3.
Dolgopyat on a gymnastics gold while Israel was attacked

Imagine going to sleep Friday night, thinking ahead to Saturday at the FIG World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, where you were going to compete for an individual world title in the men’s Floor Exercise.

Then, Tokyo Olympic Floor gold medalist Artem Dolgopyat, 26, who was born in Ukraine but moved to Israel at age 12, heard his mobile phone going crazy at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. He told the Israeli On site (translation courtesy of Gymnovosti.com):

“I woke up to the sound of an [air raid] alert. I was scared. It was strange, I kept seeing there were [multiple] alerts. Then I heard that there were dead and wounded. Throughout the day, I didn’t know how to get it out of my head.

“It was clear to me that if I didn’t turn off my cell phone, I wouldn’t be able to compete. It was very difficult for me to disconnect. When I got the arena, I told myself that I have to be in the competition and that’s it.”

Israel had never won a World Gymnastics gold and Dolgopyat had already been runner-up on Floor in 2017 and 2019. The finals session began at the Sportpaleis at 2 p.m., with men’s Floor the first event. Dolgopyat started fourth, and his routine was less than hoped for, scoring 14.866, compared to his 15.200 in qualifying:

“The routine was not perfect but the landings were without major errors. I could do more and when I saw the score I thought of a medal, I didn’t know what color. During the routine, I felt it was worse than it really was. I thought it was all lost as soon as I got off the floor. I didn’t know if it would be enough for the gold. But everyone in the final had mistakes. For me, it was clear that would happen after what I went through this morning.”

As it turned out, Japan’s Kazuki Minami, who led off with a 14.666, ended up with the silver and Karimi Milad (KAZ: 14.600) got the bronze. American Fred Richard, who had scored 14.600 in qualifying was eighth at 13.200. The 2019 World Floor champ, Carlos Yulo (PHI), third in qualifying (also 14.600) was fourth at 14.500. Dolgopyat had his gold medal, for what it was now worth:

“I couldn’t celebrate. I was only thinking about the situation in Israel. I didn’t have one iota of joy at all. On my biggest day. I should have been the happiest person but I wasn’t. I heard the Israeli anthem and I had tears in my eyes, I was sad. That’s why we put black ribbons on the Israeli flag.”

Dolgopyat said later that while he had achieved his goal of wins at the Olympics, Worlds and European Championships:

“I fulfilled my dream of getting the three gold medals from the biggest competitions and I can’t process it because I can’t really be happy. It’s a different situation. It’s hard for me to think about it.”

4.
Could Hassan duplicate Zatopek’s distance triple in Paris?

The sensational world record of 2:00:35 by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, 23, overshadowed everything else at Sunday’s Chicago Marathon, his third win in three career marathons in fabulous times of 2:01:53, 2:01:25 and 2:00:35!

In some ways, however, 30-year-old Dutch star Sifan Hassan’s stunning win in her second career marathon was more interesting. Unlike most marathoners, Hassan runs track as well, nearly winning this year’s World Championships 10,000 m, but falling just before the finish, then winning the 1,500 m bronze (3:56.00) and the 5,000 m silver (14:54.11). She won the 5-10 combo in Tokyo in 2021 and was third in the 1,500 m.

She debuted at the marathon distance in London in April of this year, winning in 2:18:33, then came back on Sunday in Chicago to post the second-fastest time in history in 2:13:44, about two minutes slower than Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s insane 2:11:53 in Berlin on 24 September.

Given Hassan’s versatility and outstanding finishing speed, could she consider an Olympic distance triple that has only been done once: the 5,000-10,000-Marathon triple by Czech icon Emil Zatopek in 1952? In Helsinki, Zatopek ran four races across eight days:

● 20 July: 10,000 m: 1st
● 22 July: 5,000 m heats: 3rd in heat 3
● 24 July: 5,000 m final: 1st
● 27 July: Marathon: 1st

If Hassan were to try this in Paris, her schedule would be similar, with four races across nine days and at least one rest day between each:

● 03 August: 5,000 m heats
● 06 August: 5,000 m final
● 09 August: 10,000 m
● 11 August: Marathon

Looking at the schedule for a 1,500-5,000-10,000 triple, that effort might be just as challenging, if not more so, with no more than one race a day, but racing on six days instead of four:

● 04 August: 1,500 m heats
● 08 August: 1,500 m semifinals
● 10 August: 1,500 m final

Since Zatopek, the best try at his 5-10-Marathon triple was Finn Lasse Viren in 1976 in Montreal, where he won his second straight 5-10 double and then finished fifth in the marathon.

Kiptum and Hassan both had big paydays in Chicago, with both winning $100,000 for their victories, plus $50,000 each for setting the course records.

Kiptum’s world record took the men’s mark from the Berlin Marathon, at which the last eight world records had been set, back to 2003. Chicago was the site of the 1999 men’s world-record run of 2:05:42 by Khalid Khannouchi, then from Morocco (later the U.S.) and the 1984 record by Britain’s Steve Jones (2:08:05).

Chicago has also been the site of three women’s record marathons, by Paula Radcliffe (GBR) in 2002 (2:17:18), 2003 (2:15:25) and Kenyan Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04 in 2019.

There was also good news for the U.S. in these races, with Conner Mantz (6th: 2:07:47) and Clayton Young (7th: 2:08:00) both finishing under the men’s Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08:10. The women’s race saw seven Americans run under the Paris qualifying standard of 2:26:50: Emily Sisson (7th: 2:22:09), Molly Seidel (8th: 2:23:07), Sara Vaughn (10th: 2:23:24), Gabriella Rooker (11th: 2:24:35), Dakotah Lindwurm (12th: 2:24:40), Emma Bates (13th: 2:25:04) and Tristin van Ord (14th: 2:25:58).

5.
IPC to light torch at Stoke Mandeville from 2024 on

The International Paralympic Committee announced that it will permanently begin its torch relays for all future Paralympic Games from Stoke Mandeville (GBR), the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. Said IPC President Andrew Parsons (BRA):

“It is fitting that 75 years on from those historic first Stoke Mandeville Games and on the eve of ticket sales for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games we are announcing that Stoke Mandeville will play an even greater role in all future editions of the Paralympic Games.

“The Paralympic Movement owes Stoke Mandeville and Sir Ludwig Guttmann a huge debt of gratitude. What started out as a small-scale sport event in 1948 at the back of a rehabilitation hospital for 16 injured war veterans has now become the world’s third biggest sport event. At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games 4,350 exceptional athletes from 180 countries will compete in 22 sports, while a cumulative audience of 4.1 billion will watch on TV.

“Through his pioneering techniques, Sir Ludwig changed the world with sport, something that is central to the IPC today. With this new concept for the flame lighting, we want to honour the history of the Paralympic Movement but also highlight the evolution of the Paralympic Games since the first edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960.”

Dr. Guttmann, a German Jewish neurologist, left Germany in early 1939 to escape Nazi persecution of Jews and escaped via Portugal to Britain and remained there for the rest of his life. He created the spinal injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in southeast England and looked for ways to treat his war-time patients, both physically and emotionally.

On 29 July 1948, on the day of the opening of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Guttmann organized a competition for wheelchair athletes which became known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, with 16 injured servicemen and women who competed in archery.

The Stoke Mandeville Games became the first Paralympic Games with the ninth edition held in Rome, Italy, in 1960, featuring 319 athletes from 21 countries. Since then, they have taken place every four years.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC posted a statement on Monday, listing accomplishments and reforms attendant to its Olympic Agenda 2020+5 at the “midway” mark. All of the cited items have been widely reported before; perhaps the most important takeaway was the next-to-last paragraph:

“Despite the worldwide economic crisis, the IOC’s finances continue to be stable, contrary to many other international organisations. From the discussions with other potentially interested commercial partners and Olympic Games hosts, we can conclude that the economic outlook for the IOC and the Olympic Movement can be considered at least as stable.”

● Pan American Games ● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced its 2023 Pan American Games team on Monday, with the XIX PAG to open in Santiago (CHI) on 20 October.

As usual, it’s a massive group, with 631 total athletes competing in 43 of the 36 sports on the program. The team includes 93 U.S. Olympians, 32 Olympic medal winners and 94 returning Pan American Games medal winners.

The U.S. will be looking for Olympic qualifying spots in 10 sports: basketball (3×3), breaking, boxing, gymnastics (rhythmic and trampoline), sport climbing, field hockey (men and women), modern pentathlon, artistic swimming, team handball and water polo (men and women).

Olympic quota slots can be obtained in archery, diving, equestrian jumping, table tennis, sailing and shooting.

The youngest and oldest members on the team: 15-year-old skateboarder Paige Heyn and 57-year-old equestrian Laura Kraut.

USA Track & Field announced its Pan American Games team for Santiago last Friday, with 77 athletes, with the strongest entry in the women’s hammer with 2019 World Champion DeAnna Price and 2022 World Champion Brooke Andersen.

The top men’s entries include triple jumpers Chris Benard, a two-time Olympian, and Omar Craddock (the 2019 Pan American gold medalist), two-time national champion discus thrower Sam Mattis, two-time Olympic hammer thrower Rudy Winkler and Tokyo Olympic javelinist Curtis Thompson.

● Russia ● Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov was asked about the possibility of the ROC “leaving” the Olympic Movement altogether in view of the IOC’s sanctions that he has repeatedly criticized. His reply:

“Legally, there is no such procedure. To be honest, I don’t see the point in any drastic actions to leave or enter. We are part of a large sports system, a self-sufficient part, and we will develop in accordance with current conditions, and most importantly, the main thing is that we will not stand still, but create new conditions for development. This is a priority for us.”

● Memorabilia ● Pin traders unite! The 2023 Olympin Collectors Club 2023 Memorabilia Festival comes this week to Southern California, with the show floor open from Friday through Sunday, with free admission:

● 13 October: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
● 14 October: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
● 15 October: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The show will be in the Panache Ballroom of the Hotel MdR in Marina del Rey, California and all 40 tables have been sold.

The Olympin Collectors Club show was in Colorado Springs in 2022; the club has 500-plus members in 30 countries.

● Cycling ● The fourth leg of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup was held in Santiago del Estero (ARG), with France’s Romain Mahieu taking his third and fourth wins of the season, beating teammate (and two-time World Champion) Joris Daudet by just 30.322 to 30.330 in race seven and then enjoying a slightly easier won on Sunday over American Cameron Wood by 30.054 to 30.569.

The wins continued France’s success in the seven races held this season (one was canceled due to weather): seven wins, with four for Mahieu and three for Daudet.

The women’s situation was eerily parallel: coming in, only two racers had won this season: Olympic champ Bethany Shriever (GBR: 3) and Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, with two wins.

On Saturday, Shriever eked out a close win in 32.403 for her fourth victory this season, ahead of Sakakibara (32.474) with American Felicia Stancil in third (33.233).

The Australian got even on Sunday, winning the second race in 32.077, beating Shriever (32.424) and France’s Axelle Etienne. Alise Willoughby of the U.S. was fifth (33.460).

The season will finish next week with two more races at Santiago del Estero.

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

For our updated, 787-event International Sports Calendar (no. 3) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Biles ends with four golds, U.S. gets 11 Worlds medals; 2:00:35 world marathon record for Kiptum in Chicago!

By
Rich Perelman
-
A world record 2:00:35 for Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in October! (Photo: Bank of America Chicago Marathon-Kevin Morris)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Biles wins Worlds A-A, Beam, Floor and U.S. scores 11 medals
2. Kiptum 2:00:35 world record at Chicago Marathon!
3. Asian Games conclude as China totals 383 medals
4. Report: Sapporo to drop 2030 Winter bid, try for 2034?
5. St. Moritz 1948 Canadian hockey gold brings $22,000 at auction

● The iconic Simone Biles won the All-Around, Beam and Floor Exercise golds at the FIG Artistic World Championships in Belgium, plus a Vault silver to bring her career total to a staggering 30. The U.S. won 11 medals, the most of any nation, and the most since 2013, when the American team won 12.

● Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum won his third marathon without a loss and set a world record of 2:00:35! The women’s race was a runaway for Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who won London earlier this year and run the second-fastest time in history in Chicago: 2:13:44!

● The Asian Games concluded in Hangzhou, China, with the host Chinese setting a record for the most gold medals won by one country. Two Chinese swimmers were selected as the “most valuable” athletes, but there is serious concern over the flagrant disregard of North Korea’s non-compliant doping-control status as its flag was freely flown at the Games.

● A Kyodo News report said that a Sapporo bid for a future Olympic Winter Games will have to be for 2034 or later, per the Japanese Olympic Committee, which has a final say in whether a bid will be pursued.

● The giant Ingrid O’Neil memorabilia auction no. 95 saw several items go for more than $10,000, with a 1948 St. Moritz Olympic Winter gold medal from a Canadian hockey player bring the biggest sale at $22,000.

● World Championships: Rowing (U.S.’s Bak wins gold and silver at Coastal Worlds) = Rugby (World Cup quarterfinals set) ●

● Panorama: Los Angeles 2028 (More Belmont Plaza Pool funding to be voted Tuesday) = European Olympic Committees (Istanbul wants 2027 European Games) = Russia (2: Bach confirms “neutral” conditions for athletes; Russian Olympic Committee sues IOC over TOP funds) = Canoe-Kayak (Fox wins two more titles at Slalom World Cup Final) = Cycling (2: Pogacar wins Il Lombardia; Pidcock and Lecomte win Mountain Bike World Cup finales) = Football (Nilsson resigns Swedish confed post over UEFA vote) = Gymnastics (China sweeps individual Trampoline World Cup events) = Judo (Yonezuka first U.S. men’s World Junior Champs finalist!) = Skateboard (U.S. teen Bottger take World Park Champs gold) = Swimming (Haughey moves to no. 3 all-time in 100 m Free at Berlin World Cup) = Volleyball (U.S., Germany and Poland sweep Paris qualifying tournaments) ●

1.
Biles wins Worlds A-A, Beam, Floor and U.S. scores 11 medals

The amazing Simone Biles continued expanding her medal collection at the FIG Artistic World Championships in Antwerp (BEL), especially with her sixth career All-Around world title, and then adding to it in the apparatus finals.

Biles and U.S. teammate Shilese Jones both started on Vault in the All-Around, with Biles placing enormous pressure on the field with a 15.100 starter, her best score of the day among all four events. Brazil’s defending champion, Rebeca Andrade, counted with an excellent 14.700 for second and Jones scored 14.233 for third … and that’s how they finished after three more events.

Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour topped the Uneven Bars at 15.200, with Jones fourth (14.633), Andrade fifth (14.500) and Biles sixth (14.333). Biles and Jones then went 1-2 on Beam at 14.433 and 14.066, with Andrade 10th, and then Biles and Andrade were 1-2 on Floor at 14.533 and 14.066, with Jones fifth (13.400).

The total showed Biles winning at 58.399, followed by Andrade (56.766) and Jones at 56.332, well ahead of 16-year-old fourth-placer Qiyuan Qiu of China (54.799).

Jones, 21, won her fifth Worlds medal in two years (2-2-1) and still had the apparatus finals to come.

On Saturday, the women’s finals included Vault and Uneven Bars. American Joscelyn Roberson’s injury in the Team finals required her to withdraw from the Vault final, and after an appeal, Leanne Wong of the U.S. was also added to the field based on the two-per-country rule. Biles wowed with her signature Yurchenko double pike, but rolled backwards on her landing and coupled with the 0.5 deduction for a safety spotter, still scored 14.433 for her first try, ahead of everyone except Andrade, who scored 15.000. Biles improved in the second round with a less difficult vault to 14.666 for a two-vault average of 14.549, but Andrade was cool and completed a 14.500 finale to give her the win with an average of 14.750. Seo-jeong Yeo of South Korea was third (14.416) and Wong finished seventh at 13.466.

On the Uneven Bars, Jones was first up and scored a terrific 14.766, but was eventually passed by China’s Qiu, who won with 15.100 and Algeria’s Nemour (15.033), and took her second straight bronze medal in the event. Biles was fifth, scoring 14.200.

On Sunday, Biles was on fire, taking the Beam with a 14.800 score, just ahead of China’s 17-year-old Yaqin Zhou (14.700) and Andrade (14.300). Jones was seventh at 12.933. It’s Biles’ fourth Worlds golds in the event.

On Floor, there was little doubt that Biles was the favorite and she came through with a solid 14.633, equaling her second-best score at the Worlds, winning over Andrade (14.500) and teammate Flavia Saraiva (13.966). Jones finished with at 13.666. It’s the sixth Worlds gold for Biles on Floor.

The amazing Biles now owns 30 Worlds medals, with 23 golds, four silvers and three bronzes. Adding in her two Olympic appearances (4-1-2) and she has 37 total medals, including 27 golds. That’s the largest combined total in history for any gymnast, and with her four golds in Antwerp, she will be favored for five golds in Paris and could equal Soviet Larisa Latynina (1956-64) for the most Olympic golds all-time in men’s or women’s gymnastics.

Overshadowed was Andrade, who won five medals as well (1-3-1) and now has nine career Worlds medals at age 24.

The U.S. men were also busy, with All-Around bronze medalist Fred Richard back in action in the Floor Exercise, won by Olympic champ (and Ukrainian-born) Artem Dolgopyat of Israel (14.866). Japan’s Kazumi Minami won his second Worlds silver in the event – also in 2021 – at 14.666, with Kazakh Milad Karimi third (14.600). All-Around winner Daiki Hashimoto of Japan was seventh (14.233) and Richard finished eighth (13.200).

Starting third in the field of eight on the Pommel Horse, American Khoi Young put up a big score of 14.666 that held up until defending champion Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland scored 15.100 as the final competitor and Young settled for silver for his first-ever Worlds medal. Jordan’s Ahmad Abu Al-Soud finished third (14.633) for his country’s first-ever Worlds gymnastics medal.

Olympic champ Yang Liu won the Rings at 15.233, his second Worlds gold in the event, but first since 2014! Three-time Worlds gold winner Eleftherios Petrounias took the silver at 15.066 and China’s Hao You won his third career Worlds Rings medal at 14.833 for the bronze.

Sunday’s finals saw Britain’s Jake Jarman, 21, move up from second at the European Championships in the Vault to become World Champion, scoring 15.400 and 14.700 for a winning average of 15.050. Young won a silver, scoring 14.849 off scores of 15.033 and 14.666. Ukrainians Nazar Chepurnyi and Igor Radivilov went 3-4 and American Paul Juda was fifth (14.550). It’s the fourth career Worlds medal for Radivoliv, now 30, in the event (0-2-2).

Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Lukas Dauser (GER, also 30) won his first Worlds gold in the Parallel Bars, moving up from silver in 2022. His score of 15.400 was a clear winner over 2021 bronze medalist Cong Shi (CHN: 15.066) and Japan’s Kaito Sugimoto (15.000). Americans Asher Hong and Yul Moldauer finished sixth (14.466) and eighth (13.133), respectively.

On the Horizontal Bar, Tokyo Olympic champ Hashimoto put an exclamation point on his championships, walking away from the field with a brilliant 15.233 score, ahead of 2017 World Champion Tin Srbic (SLO: 14.700), with China’s Weide Su third (14.500). Juda was fifth at 14.100. Hashimoto moved to the top of the podium after Worlds silvers in this event in 2021 and 2022.

Overall, the U.S. led the medal table with 11 (4-3-4) with the women taking seven (4-1-2) and the men winning four (0-2-2). With his apparatus silvers in the Pommel Horse and Vault, Young became the first U.S. man to win three medals at a single Worlds since Paul Hamm in 2003; he’s the first to win two or more apparatus medals since Kurt Thomas and Bart Conner in 1979!

China followed with seven medals (2-3-2), then Brazil with six (1-3-2) and Japan with five (3-1-1).

The 11 U.S. medals is the first time in double figures for any team in a Worlds since the U.S. did it in 2015 (10) and the most since the U.S. scored 12 (3-6-3) back in 2013.

2.
Kiptum 2:00:35 world record at Chicago Marathon!

Whether it’s the shoes, the weather, the pacing or the field, the fastest marathons in history are being run in 2023, with Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum smashing the men’s world record with a brilliant 2:00:35 victory at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

This was hardly unexpected, with an excellent field, temperatures in the high 40s (F) at race time and Kiptum, 23, having won the London Marathon in April with the second-fastest time in history at 2:01:25. He had said prior to the race that he was in shape to run the race in two hours. He was.

Kiptum destroyed an excellent field almost from the start, with a lead pack of just seven at 5 km (14:26) and then only fellow Kenyan Daniel Kibet with him at 10 km (28:42) through 30 km. Then Kiptum sped away, with a 49-second lead at the 35 km mark and finishing with a world record by 34 seconds in 2:00:35, eclipsing countryman Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 mark from Berlin in 2022.

Kiptum’s splits are noteworthy, especially his unreal 27:52 10 km (!!!) from 30 to 40 km:

● 5 km: 14:26
● 10 km: 28:42 (14:16)
● 15 km: 43:09 (14:27)
● 20 km: 57:39 (14:30)
● 25 km: 1:12:04 (14:25)
● 30 km: 1:26:31 (14:27)
● 35 km: 1:40:22 (13:51)
● 40 km: 1:54:23 (14:01)
● Finish: 2:00:35 (6:12)

He passed the half in 60:48 and ran the second half in just 59:47; he now has two of the fastest three times in history and is undefeated in three career marathons. For the record, he was wearing the Nike Dev 163 prototype shoes.

Fellow Kenyan Benson Kipruto, the 2022 champion, was a distant second in 2:04:02, a lifetime best, then Olympic bronze medalist Bashir Abdi (BEL: 2:04:32), John Korir (KEN: 2:05:09) and Seifu Tura (ETH: 2:05:29). Kibet did not finish, dropping out after 38 km.

Americans went 6-7-8-9, with Conner Mantz sixth in a lifetime best of 2:07:47 (equal fourth all-time U.S.) and Clayton Young seventh in 2:08:00 (seventh all-time U.S.) and former Chicago champ Galen Rupp eighth in 2:08:48. Sam Chelanga was ninth in 2:08:50, moving to no. 8 all-time U.S.

The women’s was also brilliant, with 2019 World Champion Ruth Chepngetich and London Marathon winner and 1,500-5,000-10,000 m track star Sifan Hassan (NED) running away from the field after 5 km and then Hassan coming from six seconds down at the half to run away by the 30 km mark on the way to a sensational 2:13:44 finish, the second-fastest time in history!

Chepngetich was second in 2:15:37, the equal-seventh fastest time ever, with Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu coming up late for third in 2:17:09, now the no. 11 performer ever.

The U.S. did well here also, with Emily Sisson claiming seventh in 2:22:09, ahead of Tokyo bronze medalist Molly Seidel (8th: 2:23:07), Sara Vaughn (10th: 2:23:24), Gabriella Rooker (11th: 2:24:35) and Emma Bates (13th: 2:25:04). Seidel moves to no. 10 all-time U.S.

The final World Marathon Majors race of 2023 will be the New York City Marathon comes on 5 November

3.
Asian Games conclude as China totals 383 medals

The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games concluded on Sunday, with host China steamrolling the competition and winning 383 medals, more than the next two-highest countries combined!

The Chinese won 201 events, scored 111 silvers and 71 bronzes, while South Korea finished with 190 medals (42-59-89) and Japan had 188 (52-67-69). This was the first time that a country had won more than 200 golds, with the prior high of 199 by China in 2010, when the Asiad was held in Guangzhou. China led the medal table for the 11th consecutive Asian Games.

India notably became the fourth country to surpass 100 medals in an Asian Games, taking 107 (28-38-41). Forty-one of the 45 competing countries won a medal; this year’s Asian Games had the most events ever, at 481.

The biggest medal winners were from China, of course, with men’s swimmer Zhanle Pan winning seven medals (3-3-1). Multiple athletes won six medals, led by six-time gold winners Yufei Zhang (CHN: women’s 50-100-200 m Butterfly, 50 m Freestyle, two relays) and Bingjie Li (CHN: women’s 200-400-800-1,500 m Frees, two relays), and five-time winner Haiyang Qin (men’s 50-100-200m Breaststrokes, two relays and 200 m Medley silver).

Also winning six medals were men’s swimmers Shun Wang (CHN: 4-1-1) and Sunwoo Hwang (KOR: 2-2-2) and women’s swimmer Siobhan Haughey (HKG: 2-1-3).

The Asiad “Most Valuable Player” awards were handed out in Hangzhou, with the selection committee tabbing Chinese swimmers Qin and Zhang. Both will receive $25,000 prizes.

A significant issue at the Asian Games has been the appearance of the North Korean team for the time at a major event since the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, despite North Korea being non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency, has had the use of its flag during the event; WADA media relations chief James Fitzgerald (IRL) reported:

“The DPRK National Anti-Doping Organization continues to be non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code and all International Federations and Major Event Organizations, such as the Olympic Council of Asia, are informed of the consequences of DPRK NADO’s non-compliance. WADA is in regular communication with the [National Anti-Doping Organization] as it works to address the issues related to this non-compliance. …

“WADA is aware that the OCA has breached its Signatory obligation to respect the consequences of the DPRK NADO’s non-compliance, namely by flying the DPRK flag at the Asian Games. WADA takes this matter extremely seriously and has written to the OCA on several occasions before and after the opening ceremony of the Games, explaining in clear terms the possible consequences that could arise for the OCA if this matter is ignored.

“WADA is disappointed that the OCA has to date not taken steps to comply with the terms of the DPRK’s non-compliance. WADA will follow due process to ensure that the appropriate consequences are imposed for the OCA’s refusal to meet its Signatory obligations.”

Reuters reported that the acting OCA Director General, Vinod Kumar Tiwari (IND) told reporters on Sunday:

“We are in touch with them and we are trying to resolve this issue; hopefully in the next couple of days we will be able to get through to what WADA wants.

“It’s a very sensitive issue. It’s not very easy to handle, but we are in touch with WADA on a daily basis and hopefully things will be resolved to be mutually acceptable to both parties.

“North Korea, the DPRK Korea, has also written a letter to them very lately telling them that the borders have opened and they can send the doping control officers for the testing which the WADA has agreed and they will be shortly sending it to the DPRK, to North Korea.”

The North Koreans won 39 medals (11-18-10).

4.
Report: Sapporo to drop 2030 Winter bid, try for 2034?

Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported Friday that the Sapporo bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games will be ended:

“Sapporo is set to abandon its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics at the request of the Japanese Olympic Committee, and will instead aim to stage the games in 2034 or later, sources close to the matter said Friday.”

The JOC, which controls what Olympic bids are made from its country, has been concerned about poor public support for the Sapporo effort in the aftermath of riding cost projections and the odor left by the continuing scandals attendant to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, including sponsorship bribes and the rigging of bids for test-event and venue-management contracts.

However, the Kyodo story also said that the JOC would like to have Sapporo bid again for a future Games, in 2034 or thereafter. The JOC President, 1984 Olympic judo champ Yasuhiro Yamashita will meet with the pro-Olympics mayor of Sapporo, Katsuhiro Akimoto on Wednesday (11th) to chart the future direction of the Sapporo bid effort.

If true, the loss of Sapporo for the 2030 race leaves the International Olympic Committee with three apparent options in Europe, with bids forming in Sweden, Switzerland and France. All are in the development stages, but are following the International Olympic Committee’s strong preference for using existing facilities.

A new, independent survey across Switzerland showed 56% in favor of a Winter Olympic bid for 2030, 2034 or 2038, using existing facilities:

“Support is higher among men (61%) than women (50%). The younger the respondents, the more enthusiastic they are. Those saying they were in favour of the project reached 66% among 18-34 year-olds, compared with 48% among the over-65s.

“The survey was conducted between 19 and 20 September among 29,081 people, 5,570 of them in French-speaking Switzerland.”

For 2034, Salt Lake City, Utah has a ready-to-go bid that it hopes will convince the IOC to select it at the same time a 2030 bid is announced, or earlier.

5.
St. Moritz 1948 Canadian hockey gold brings $22,000 at auction

The 537-lot Ingrid O’Neil Auction no. 95 concluded on Saturday, with seven items selling for more than $10,000:

● $22,000: 1948 St. Moritz Winter gold medal
● $20,000: 2020 Tokyo bronze medal
● $17,000: 1976 Innsbruck Winter gold medal
● $17,000: 1968 Mexico City Olympic torch
● $16,000: 1984 Sarajevo Winter gold medal
● $16,000: 1968 Mexico City Olympic torch
● $11,000: 1932 Lake Placid Winter IOC member badge

The 1948 St. Moritz Winter gold was won by Canada’s Patrick Guzzo, a Royal Canadian Air Force “Flyers” member who was part of a team of World War II airmen who played and won the ice hockey tournament. The 1976 Innsbruck gold was for ski jumping, but it was not indicated whether it was won by East German Hans-Georg Aschenbach (normal hill) or Austria’s Karl Schnabl (large hill). The 1984 Sarajevo gold was for the men’s 30 km Cross Country event, won by Soviet Nikolai Zimyatov.

The 2020 Tokyo bronze was for men’s Freestyle Wrestling at 97 kg, meaning it was awarded either to Reineris Salas of Cuba or Italian Abraham Conyedo.

The Tokyo 1964 Imperial Family Badge that had bidding start at $90,000, did not attract any bids. There were eight other Tokyo ‘64 identification badges on sale, with a Special Delegates Award Badge selling for $1,000, an official’s badge from modern pentathlon for $900 and a Special Delegation badge for $180.

Maybe the wildest item that sold was a 1972 Munich Olympic mascot – Waldi the dachshund – with a radio inside, for $200!

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Rowing ● The World Rowing Coastal Championships were held in Barletta (ITA), with multiple defending champions in the finals, but only two were able to repeat.

Let’s start with Spain’s Adrian Miramon, who won the men’s Coastal Solo 4 km in 27:33.52, ahead of Christopher Bak of the U.S. (27:50.71), for Miramon’s fifth career title, and second in a week, after also winning the Beach Sprint title in Barletta.

Bak claimed a gold, however, in the men’s Double Sculls, teaming up with Kory Rogers and outlasting two-time defending champs Dennis Gustavsson and Eskil Borgh of Sweden, 26:37.94 to 26:39.55.

France’s Jessica Berra was the defending women’s Solo champ, but 2016 World Champion Monica Dukarska (IRL) proved the strongest, winning in 32:09.17, with three-time World Champion Diana Dymchenko (AZE: 32:20.94) second for the third year in a row and Berra getting the bronze this time in 32:33.92.

The Dutch women’s Double Sculls pair of Janneke van der Meulen and Karien Robbers also managed to defend their 2022 titles, winning decisively in a race that featured multiple clashes in 28:35.36 to 28:46.80 for the Austria’s Katharina and Tokyo Olympic Single Sculls bronze medalist Magdalena Lobnig.

In the Mixed Double Sculls, Spain’s two-year grip on the event was broken, as Ireland’s Dukarska took her second gold as she and Ronan Byrne got to the line first in 27:09.60 to 27:41.93 for France’s Vincent Noirot and Edwige Alfred.

● Rugby ● The 10th Rugby World Cup in France concluded the pool phase on Sunday, with the quarterfinals set to begin next Saturday (14th). The pool results:

● Pool A: Host France finished with a perfect 4-0 record, outscoring its opponents by 210-32, including an opening 27-13 victory over New Zealand. The Kiwis finished second at 3-1 (15 points) and beat Italy (2-2: 10) by 60-7 on Friday.

● Pool B: Ireland finished with a 4-0 mark (190-46) and 19 points, ahead of South Africa (3-1: 15), with Scotland (2-2: 10) missing out after a 36-14 loss to the Irish on Saturday.

● Pool C: Wales completed a 4-0 pool sweep (143-59) with a 43-19 win over Georgia, and Fiji (2-2: 11) winning the tie-breaker over Australia (2-2: 11), having won their head-to-head match by 22-15.

● Pool D: England had long wrapped up this group with a 4-0 record (150-39: 18), ahead of Argentina (3-1: 14), with Japan third (2-2: 9), as the Argentines won Sunday’s decisive match, 39-17, against the Japanese.

The quarterfinals:

● Upper bracket (14 October): Wales vs. Argentina and Ireland vs. New Zealand.

● Lower bracket (15 October) : England vs. Fiji and France vs. South Africa.

The semis will be on 20-21 October and the championship on 28 October at the Stade de France.

Attendance in the pool stage was excellent, with 1.809 million fans and an average of 45,218.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The famed Belmont Plaza swimming facility in Long Beach was opened in 1968 – and site of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials – and was demolished over safety concerns in 2014. The City of Long Beach has committed to building a new facility, with an additional step expected to come on Tuesday.

The Long Beach City Council will consider a proposal for added funding for project design services for existing contractor Harley Ellis Devereaux Corporation of Los Angeles to $18.66 million to complete construction drawings for the facility. Once completed, the project could proceed to bids for construction; multiple options are available, with the recommendation for a 50 m competition-style pool and a recreational pool, along with diving springboards.

Long Beach has identified most of the funding for the estimated cost of $74.2 million, but is still $8 million short. But the next step will be to get the construction drawings completed and then go to bid on the building effort; this is part of Long Beach’s plan for infrastructure upgrades prior to 2028, very little of which actually impacts the 2028 Olympic venue plan.

The Belmont Plaza Pool replacement is not part of the 2028 Olympic venue program, but could be a training site, especially for water polo, slated to be held in a temporary facility in Long Beach.

● European Olympic Committees ● At the 52nd General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees in Istanbul (TUR), Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu declared his city would be a candidate to organize the fourth European Games, in 2027:

“We are determined to organize the European Games in Istanbul in 2027.

“Istanbul is a city ready for the European Games with all of its means. We believe that organising the games in Istanbul will send a strong message to Europe and the rest of the world. Istanbul is the largest metropolitan area in Europe and would create an amazing synergy for the European Olympic Committees and European sports.“

Istanbul has made prior, unsuccessful bid efforts for prior Olympic Games for 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2020.

● Russia ● Also at the EOC General Assembly in Istanbul, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach reiterated that the conditions for Russian participation in international events as “neutral” athletes must be strictly followed:

“[T]here have been some comments coming from Russia about these conditions. So let me reconfirm what we said from the very beginning, that these conditions are non-negotiable, we will not waiver. They have to be strictly applied to give this approach the credibility and support it currently enjoys among the public, the athletes and the international community. This support has to be earned day by day by strict application.”

The Russian Olympic Committee filed a lawsuit against the IOC on Friday in Switzerland, claiming it is owed nearly $9 million (U.S.) as its share of the TOP sponsorship program.

ROC Director General Vladimir Sengleyev said Friday:

“The IOC owes us money. It has not paid us for our share of the TOP marketing program, which amounts to $3.71 million that we never received on December 31, 2022.

“This year we were owed a payment of $5 million and, therefore, their outstanding debt currently exceeds eight million dollars. We have filed a lawsuit with a Swiss court demanding this contract be enforced.”

The IOC imposed sanctions on the Russian Olympic Committee after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including the stoppage of any payments to the ROC.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Australia’s legendary Jessica Fox dominated the ICF Slalom World Cup Final in Vaires-sur-Marne (FRA), taking the women’s Kayak and Canoe finals for her 46th and 47th career World Cup wins and winning the seasonal titles in both.

In the women’s Kayak final, Fox suffered two penalties, but her time of 100.78 was still good enough to win from Corinna Kuhnle (AUT: 102.37, 0 penalties) and Klaudia Zwolinska (POL: 102.73/0)

Fox had no penalties in the Canoe final and won easily in 106.04 seconds, over Gabriela Satkova (CZE: 110.08/2) and Britain’s Tokyo Olympic runner-up Mallory Franklin (GBR: 111.97/2) American Evy Leibfarth was 10th, at 125.24, but with eight penalties.

Fox now owns four seasonal Canoe World Cup titles and has won five Kayak seasonal titles in a row.

New Zealand’s Luuka Jones, the Rio 2016 K-1 silver winner, took the Cross final over Britain’s 2023 World Champion Kimberley Woods and Fox. Woods won the seasonal title over Jones and Fox, 229-204-194.

In the men’s Canoe final, Italy’s Raffaelo Ivaldi (95.50/0) was the winner for the second race in a row, trailed by Franz Anton (GER: 96.18/0) and Miquel Trave (ESP: 96.83/0). Luca Bozic (SLO), a seven-time Worlds medal winner, won the seasonal title, with Ivaldi third.

The men’s Kayak final was a win for France’s Titouan Castryck (89.20/0), beating Czech veteran Vit Prindis (91.78/0) and Jonny Dickson (GBR: 91.78/0). Prindis, the 2022 World Champion, won his third seasonal title.

France won again in the men’s Cross final, as three-time Worlds runner-up Boris Neveu got to the finish first, ahead of Finn Butcher (NZL); Britain’s Joseph Clarke won the seasonal title over Neveu, 189-171.

● Cycling ● Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar won his fifth UCI World Tour race of the season with a 31 km solo to take the 117th edition of the famed Il Lombardia race on Saturday for the third year in a row.

The last of the “Monument” races this season was a challenging, 238 km ride from Como to Bergamo that included seven climbs, including the 1,261 m Zambla Alta. But there was a lead group of eight on the final major climb to the top of the 1,052 Passo di Ganda and then Pogacar attacked on the descent and rode away to an impressive, 52-second victory in 5:55:33, with Andrea Baglioli (ITA) and fellow Slovenian star Primoz Roglic following at the head of a group of six that were given the same time.

Pogacar didn’t win the Tour de France this year – he was second – but won Paris-Nice in March and then the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Monument) in April, followed by the Amstel Gold Race and La Fleche Wallonne. In his nine UCI World Tour races, he won five, was second once, third once, fourth once and did not finish the other. A pretty good year.

The final UCI Mountain Bike World Series stop of 2023 was in Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN), with Britain’s Tokyo Olympic champ Tom Pidcock riding away with the men’s title, taking over on the final two laps to win in 1:26:27, beating Swiss Mathias Flueckiger (1:26:53) – the Tokyo runner-up – and teammate Marcel Guerrini (1:27:58).

The 10-time World Champion Nino Schurter (SUI) won his ninth men’s seasonal title with 1,549 points top 1,509 for France’s 2020 World Champion, Jordan Sarrou.

The women’s Cross Country Olympic race went to France’s Loana Lecomte, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, who bested Rio 2016 Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds (SWE), 1:28:09 to 1:28:24. Dutch rider Puck Piererse, the 2023 European Games winner, was third in 1:29:12 and American Sevilla Blunk was seventh (1:32:10).

Pieterse, 21, won the seasonal title with 1,939 points, well ahead of Lecomte (1,539) and Mona Mitterwallner (AUT: 1,445).

France’s Viktor Koretzky won the Short Track race in 22:05, just ahead of Sarrou (22:07) and Chris Blevins of the U.S. (22:08). Austria’s two-time World Junior Champion Laura Stigger won the women’s race with superb riding over the last two laps in 19:40, five seconds up on Lecomte (FRA: 19:45) and Rebecca Henderson (AUS: 19:46). Americans Gwen Gibson (19:53) and Haley Batten (19:56) finished 7-8.

Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer won the men’s seasonal Short Track series with 1,550 points to 1,440 for Sarrou, with France’s Joshua Dubau a distant third (926). Dutch star Pieterse also won the women’s season championship with 1,420 and five medals in the eight races. Alessandra Keller (SUI: 1,278) was second and Evie Richards (GBR: 1,236) was third.

In the non-Olympic men’s Downhill, Canada’s 2021 World Junior champ Jackson Goldstone led most of the way and won his second men’s race this season in 3:57.836, over George Craik (GBR: 4:02.164) and five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA: 4:04.594). Austria’s Valentina Hoell won her fourth race of the season in 4:40.133, also leading most of the way, beating Nina Hoffmann (GER: 4:53.199) and Veronika Widmann (ITA: 4:54.301). It’s Hoffmann’s sixth medal out of eight races on the season.

Bruni won the seasonal title with 1,698 points over Goldstone (1,616), and Hoell (2,422) topped Hoffmann (1,913) for the women’s championship.

● Football ● The UEFA vote to allow Russian U-17 teams to play, which was seconded by FIFA, continues to have repercussions, as Sweden’s Karl-Erik Nilsson, the UEFA First Vice President, has resigned as head of the Swedish Sports Confederation.

Nilsson, 66, very much against the position of essentially all Swedish sports organizations, voted in favor of allowing Russian U-17 teams, which was revealed by Britain’s Sky News. Nilsson at first denied it, then tried to explain his position, but resigned as the head of the Swedish Sports Confederation:

“It is a very difficult decision to now choose to step aside as I have felt great dedication and joy in the mission. But since it has proven difficult to combine my two roles and that it can affect trust in me and Swedish sports.”

Nilsson was replaced by Anna Iwarsson as the acting Chair of the confederation, who commented:

“I want to be clear, it is fixed. The common Nordic stance regarding Russia’s and Belarus’s participation in international sports is firm.

“We had a Nordic meeting as recently as last month where all the Nordic national sports federations, Olympic and Paralympic committees, agreed that we must stick to the current line as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is still ongoing.”

● Gymnastics ● China swept the individual titles at the FIG Trampoline World Cup in Varna (BUL), with 2021 World Champion Langyu Yan edging teammate Zisai Wang, 61.460 to 61.310, in the men’s final. Japan’s Ryusei Nishioka was third (60.040); American Ruben Padilla was eighth (58.730).

The women’s final was another Chinese 1-2 for Tokyo Olympic champion Xueying Zhu (56.630) and 2022 Worlds bronze winner Yicheng Hu (56.590), with Japan again third with 2022 World Champion Hikaru Mori (55.760). American Jessica Stevens was sixth at 53.960.

In the women’s Synchro final, Americans Nicole Ahsinger and Cheyenne Webster finished second to Britain’s Bryony Page and Isabelle Songhurst, 48.800 to 48.460. Canada’s Remi Auben and Keegan Soehn won the men’s Synchro (51.950); Americans Aliaksei Shostak and Padilla were seventh, after retiring following two rounds of 10.

● Judo ● Japan dominated the World Junior Championships in Odivelas (POR), winning nine of the 14 classes, but the U.S. made some history as well with a men’s 73 kg silver from Jack Yonezuka.

He won the first men’s medal at the World Juniors in 30 years in 2022 with a bronze-medal finish, but this time reached the final after defeating Japan’s Keito Kihara in overtime in the semifinal. Yonezuka and Azerbaijan’s Vusai Galandarzade also went into overtime in the final, with Galandarzade winning by ippon.

It was the first final for a U.S. junior since Kayla Harrison’s 2008 gold and 2009 silver at 78 kg; he’s the only American man ever to reach a World Junior final.

● Skateboard ● U.S. riders took three of the top four places at the World Park Championships held in Rome (ITA), with 16-year-old Gavin Bottger winning first Worlds medal – gold – on his final run.

After a miss on his first run, Bottger was sitting fourth after two rounds of the final at 83.06, but popped a terrific run that scored 94.03 and no one could match it. Brazil’s Luigi Cini also came up big in the third round, moving from seventh to second with a 91.90 for silver. American Tate Carew, 18, the 2022 U.S. national champ, scored 91.34 on his second run and settled for bronze, with 2022 World Champion Jagger Eaton fourth at 88.33, also in the second round.

Japan won its third world title in the last four as 15-year-old Tokyo runner-up Kokona Hiraki and Hinano Kusaki (also 15) went 1-2 at 94.54 and 93.20, both in the second round. American Minna Stess, 17 – the 2021 national champ – got the bronze for her second-round run of 90.80; teammate Ruby Lilley was seventh at 84.40.

● Swimming ● The first World Aquatics World Cup (50 m) was held in Berlin (GER), with Australia (19) and the U.S. (16) winning the most medals, and double Olympic backstroke star Kaylee McKeown winning four events.

She swept the 50-100-200 m Backstroke finals and also took the women’s 200 m Medley for her wins, one ahead of Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (100 m Free, 100-200 m Back) and China’s Haiyang Qin – fresh from the Asian Games – who won the 50-100-200 m Breast events.

They were the only triple winners; American Michael Andrew won the men’s 50 m Back and 100 m Fly, and claimed silvers in the 50 m Free and 50 m Fly as the only swimmer besides McKeown to grab four medals.

American Katie Grimes won the women’s 400 m Medley, earned silver in the 200 m Back and a bronze in the 800 m Free, for three medals in three different disciplines! The other American winner was Charlie Clark in the men’s 1,500 m (14:59.21).

The top performance of the meet was Hong Kong star Siobhan Haughey’s sensational 52.02 win in the women’s 100 m Free, the world leader for 2023 and now no. 3 on the all-time list! A pretty impressive follow-up to winning the 100-200 m Freestyles as at the Asian Games a week before. Haughey also won the 200 m Free in a speedy 1:55.10.

Swedish sprint star Sarah Sjostrom won the women’s 50 m Free in 23.95, a time only she has bettered this year, ahead of comebacking Australian star Cate Campbell, who moved to fifth on the world list at 24.11 in second.

Australian Lani Pallister won the women’s 400 m Free in 4:02.07, moving to no. 6 on the year list, and the 800 m Free in 8:16.02, now no. four on the season.

Qin equaled his own world-leading time in the men’s 100 m Breast (57.69), set at the World Championships.

The second World Cup comes next week in Athens (GRE).

● Volleyball ● The three FIVB men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments concluded on Sunday, with the U.S. men qualifying for Paris 2024 in Group B in Tokyo, Japan with an undefeated run.

The Americans were 7-0 and won 21 of 25 sets to top the Tokyo group, ahead of Japan (5-2), which also qualified for Paris 2024. Slovenia was also 5-2, but lost to Japan head-to-head.

In Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Germany was 7-0, taking 21 of 25 sets, with host Brazil at 6-1. Cuba was a non-qualifying third at 5-2.

The Xi’an (CHN) group was won by Worlds runner-up Poland, also at 7-0 and winner of 21 of 29 sets. Canada and Argentina were both 5-2, but the Canadians won their head-to-head match and advanced.

This will be the 13th Olympic appearance for the U.S. men at the Olympic Games, winning previously in 1984, 1988 and 2008. Brazil will be making its 16th Olympic start and won in 1992, 2004 and as hosts in 2016.

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For our updated, 787-event International Sports Calendar (no. 3) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Hashimoto repeats as World A-A champ, U.S.’s Richard wins bronze! Russia sour on Paris, even if allowed; Embiid will play for U.S.

By
Rich Perelman
-
NCAA champ for Michigan and now World All-Around bronze medalist: Fred Richard! (Photo: Michigan Athletics)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Hashimoto repeats as men’s A-A champ, with Richard third!
2. China passes 300 medals as Asian Games end Sunday
3. Russian Olympic Committee chief coy on Paris participation
4. Commonwealth Games budget woes signaled in April
5. Paris 2024 Paralympic tickets on sale on Monday

● Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto repeated as men’s World All-Around Champion at the FIG Artistic World Championships, topping Ukraine’s Ilia Kovtun and American Fred Richard, the NCAA champ from Michigan. It’s the first U.S. A-A medal since 2010.

● As expected, China is routing the field at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, with 333 medals in all and more gold medals (179) than second-place Japan’s medal total (158). The Games wrap up on Sunday.

● The Russian Olympic Committee president said he doesn’t see any “Russian Olympians” in Paris for 2024, but did not include what he calls “neutralized” athletes. He kept up his steady invective against the International Olympic Committee, but others noted a possible breakthrough with the UEFA and FIFA approval of U-17 teams for the future.

● The continuing tumult over the withdrawal of the State of Victoria in Australia as hosts of the 2026 Commonwealth Games saw details revealed this week that the signals over budget overruns came in June and that attorneys to help prepare Victoria’s exit were hired in June, ahead of the 18 July announcement.

● The Paris 2024 organizers announced that Paralympic Games ticket sales will begin on Monday, with 2.8 million tickets available with modest pricing.

● World Championships: Rugby (Six of eight quarterfinal spots still open as pool play ends) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (Shipping traffic on the Seine will be diverted during the Games) = Memorabilia (Ingrid O’Neil auction 95 closes Saturday) = Athletics (Chicago Marathon comes Sunday with speedy fields) = Basketball (Embiid says he will play for U.S. in Paris) = Boxing (IBA continues criticism of IOC) ●

1.
Hashimoto repeats as men’s A-A champ, with Richard third!

In April, Michigan freshman Fred Richard, 19, won the NCAA men’s All-Around title. In August, he finished third in the USA Gymnastics National Championships All-Around. On Thursday, he became the FIG Artistic World Championships All-Around bronze medalist.

Richard had to battle experienced stars at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp (BEL), starting with Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto, 22, the reigning Olympic and World All-Around champ, and teammate Kenta Chiba, who had the highest qualifying score of 85.799. In fact, Hashimoto finished third, but was allowed to defend his 2022 gold as runner-up Kazuma Kaya withdrew in favor of his teammate.

Richard was sixth in the qualifying at 83.566, with teammate Asher Hong eighth at 83.165.

On Thursday, however, Richard was great from the start, putting up the top score of Floor +(14.633) for his lead-off event, then posted a solid Pommel horse score of 13.733, which ended up fifth overall. Richard’s Rings score of 13.500 was seventh-best overall – out of 24 competitors – and kept him in contention.

Hashimoto started poorly on Floor and his 13.466 score ended up only 17th. But he caught up with a 14.366 on the Pommel horse (second overall) and 14.000 on Rings (also second overall). He got up to second with a 15.000 score on Vault, again second best in the field, to rank behind China’s Wei Sun, 57.065 to 56.832 after four of six events, with Ukraine’s 2021 A-A bronze winner Ilia Kovtun third (56.698) and Richard fourth (56.432; 14.566 on Vault).

In the fifth rotation, Hashimoto and Richard were on Parallel Bars and Hashimoto took the lead at 14.800 that finished as third-best overall. Richard was also good at 14.600, which ranked seventh overall, but shot him up to second (71.032) as Kovtun scored 14.000 on Floor (70.698) and Sun fell way back with a 13.333 Floor total. Japan’s Chiba was now standing third, at 70.831.

Into the final rotation, with Hashimoto, Richard and Chiba on the Horizontal Bar and Kovtun and Sun on the Pommel Horse. Hashimoto was brilliant, winning the event at 14.500 and winning his second Worlds A-A gold at 86.132.

Kovtun’s Pommel Horse routine was excellent and score 14.300, enough for third place in the event and gave him a final total of 84.998, way up from his 19th-place qualifying score of 81.931.

Richard’s Horizontal Bar routine included a fall and earned a modest 13.300, only 15th-best in the field, but Sun ranked only 21st with his Pommel Horse score of 12.300 – with two falls – and dropped to seventh overall. At 84.332, Richard was sitting third with only Chiba to go, and a score of 13.502 would have given the Japanese star the bronze.

But Chiba had a fall and scored only 12.633, ranking 20th, and finished at 83.464 for fourth.

Richard added 0.766 to his qualifying score and that was enough for a medal. It’s the first U.S. men’s All-Around medal since 2010 (Jonathan Horton: bronze) and only the fourth ever, also Kurt Thomas (1979 silver) and Paul Hamm (2003 gold). Richard is also the first American since Hamm in 2003 to win both a Team and All-Around medal in the same Worlds.

Teammate Hong had a stellar performance on Rings, as his 13.833 as third-best overall, but otherwise struggled and finished 19th at 80.064.

Hashimoto now owns the Tokyo Olympic All-Around gold and Worlds golds in 2022 and 2023 and is the obvious favorite for Paris … if he can get past his own teammates in qualifying! Japan now has 33 total medals in this event at the World Championships, the most ever, with 11 golds, silvers and bronzes.

The women’s All-Around comes on Friday and the apparatus finals on Saturday and Sunday, with American superstar Simone Biles poised to add even more medals to her existing record of 26.

2.
China passes 300 medals as Asian Games end Sunday

There was no doubt that China would dominate the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, with a full turn-out of its stars and with the event concluding on Sunday, its medal total is now at 333, more than double that of any other country.

Through 402 of 481 events, the Chinese have 179 golds, 99 silvers and 55 bronzes, compared to Japan’s 158 medal total (44-54-60) and South Korea, with 157 (33-47-77). India is a distant fourth with 86. This will be the 11th straight Asian in which China has led the medal table. Among its best medal sports:

● 58: Swimming (28-21-9)
● 39: Athletics (19-11-9)
● 29: Shooting (16-9-4)
● 18: Gymnastics (10-4-4)
● 16: Diving (10-6-0)
● 15: Cycling (4-9-2)
● 13: Rowing (11-2-0)

In Athletics, 2023 women’s Steeple World Champion Winfred Yavi (BRN) won a double in the women’s 1,500 m (4:11.65) and the Steeple (9:18.28), while fellow Bahraini Birhanu Balew won the men’s 5,000 (13:17.40) and 10,000 m (28:13.62). Olympic men’s javelin champ and Indian heartthrob Neeraj Chopra led a 1-2 for his country at 88.88 m (291-7), ahead of Kishore Jena (87.54 m/287-2).

India impressively signaled its emergence in the sport with 29 medals (6-14-9).

Weightlifting signaled the return of North Korea to major international competition, with some attendant controversy, but with superior results. The North Korean men won six medals (1-3-2), but the women have dominated, winning all five weight classes held so far, with world records from Song-gum Ri at 49 kg (216 kg total) and Hyong-yong Kang at 55 kg (233 kg total).

Through Thursday, the International Testing Agency has registered six doping positives, with two from Saudi Arabia and one each from Afghanistan, the Philippines, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

3.
Russian Olympic Committee chief coy on Paris participation

“I potentially don’t see a single Russian Olympian at the Games yet. Because the Russian Olympic Committee has not received an invitation. I would refrain from talking about individual ‘neutralized’ athletes for now.”

That’s Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov, speaking on Thursday about the prospects for Russian athletes participating at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And:

“In the absence of measures of political will in the International Olympic Committee to correct the situation, international federations are avoiding as much as possible any decisions to return to legality. In the meantime, selection is being finalized, qualifying competitions for the Olympic Games are underway, and the issue of the Olympic Games will simply soon become irrelevant. So far, there is only one conclusion: our athletes are not expected at this Olympics, and those who can get there are guaranteed neither security, nor support, nor fair judging.”

He responded directly to calls from Ukrainian athletes at the IOC’s International Athletes’ Forum for Russian athletes to be admitted to the Paris Games only as essentially refugees:

“This statement is unacceptable. The most important thing is that there is an old wisdom: don’t dig a hole for someone else, you yourself will fall into it. I want to warn against this kind of proposal, so as not to end up on this team.”

He repeated his usual criticisms of the IOC at a meeting of the Russian Olympic Committee’s Executive Committee:

“The form and essence of the [IOC] recommendations are discriminatory in nature and multiply double standards, legal arbitrariness, devaluing the Olympic Charter. By the way, the IOC is going to change it, probably to justify and legitimize its decisions. The decisions are exclusively political.

“Banning athletes from professional activities in the international arena is nothing but a blatant manifestation of unfair competition. And changing the Olympic Charter is a telling moment in the context of the fact that, to the great regret, the international Olympic movement is no longer even trying to resist political pressure. Lausanne has taken one side of the political conflict.

“Sanctions against our sport are unfounded and illegal, and for many years now they have been boomeranging on the integrity and reputation of the IOC, its true mission, self-sufficiency and political independence. The current recommendations are harmful, and the only option is to return the status quo that existed before, as they were hastily introduced in February 2022.”

At the same session, he also chillingly announced that the Russian Olympic Committee has “admitted” newly-formed sports organizations from areas of eastern Ukraine invaded by Russia that were “annexed” into the Russian Federation in 2022:

“Today the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the Yaroslavl region have become members of the ROC.”

The Russian Olympic Committee will provide 500,000 rubles (about $4,988 U.S.) to still-active current and former Olympic champions as compensation for their international ban due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

ROC President Pozdnyakov said Thursday that prior Olympic silver medalists would get 350,000 rubles, bronze medalists would receive 250,000 rubles and members of Russia’s Olympic teams would receive 150,000.

He added that “only those athletes who have refused to compete as neutrals will get paid.” The number of athletes to receive this bonus will be specified at the end of the year.

In the aftermath of the UEFA decision to allow Russian U-17 teams to play in its tournaments again and the approval of the FIFA Council, the Russian Hockey Federation is now asking the International Ice Hockey Federation to also allow its junior teams to play.

The IIHF Congress began Thursday in Portugal, but no discussion of Russian eligibility has been planned.

4.
Commonwealth Games budget woes signaled in April

Amid multiple investigations of how and why the Australian state of Victoria withdrew from its agreement to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games last July, new information about the timeline and the possible tripwires has come out.

The Guardian reported this week that the Victoria 2026 organizing committee wrote in April to then-Victoria Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan – she is now the Premier after the resignation of nine-year incumbent Dan Andrews on 27 September – that the A$2.6 billion cost projection “was insufficient to deliver the games.” (A$1 = $0.64 U.S. today)

Australian outlets further reported that while Andrews’ stunning withdrawal announcement on made on 18 July, the state engaged a Melbourne law firm in June to prepare the “withdrawal from hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games” and then to meet with the Commonwealth Games Federation and negotiate the damages fee, which turned out to be $A380 million. The law firm’s cost to the taxpayers was more than A$1.2 million for work from June through September. Another law firm was hired in August for additional work on the Commonwealth Games withdrawal and cost A$19,745.

Allan responded to the disclosures by noting:

“As the cost were materialising … advice was sought from the public service as you would expect. When you have to make a decision, you weigh up the options, you get the advice from the public service. Often, when you’re making decisions, that does include legal advice.

“There was advice sought from across the public service, and that included legal advice.”

Andrews announced that Victoria was withdrawing from hosting the Games as the cost projections he was seeing were for A$6 billion or more.

5.
Paris 2024 Paralympic tickets on sale on Monday

The 2.8 million tickets for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will go on sale on Monday, 9 October, with all tickets available all at once.

The pricing is much lower, of course, than for the Olympic Games and includes:

● €50 or less for 80% of all tickets
● €25 or less for 50% of all tickets
● €15 for 500,000 tickets (17.9% of all tickets)
● All finals priced between €25-100

Tickets for the opening ceremony, at the Place de la Concorde, are priced from €150-700. (€1 = $1.05 U.S. today)

There are also new-concept packages, including the “Discovery Pass,” priced at €24, which allow attendance at multiple venues on the same day:

● “Discovery Pass – Paris Centre”: access to the Grand Palais (wheelchair fencing and Para taekwondo), the Champ-de-Mars Arena (Para judo and wheelchair rugby), the Eiffel Tower Stadium (football 5-a-side) and Les Invalides (Para archery).

● “Discovery Pass – South Paris”: access to Paris Sud 1 Arena (boccia), Paris Sud 4 Arena (Para table tennis) and Paris Sud 6 Arena (goalball).

A “Family Offer” program allows the purchase of two children’s tickets at €10 each for every two standard tickets for adults.

About 4,400 athletes from 184 nations are expected for the 11-day Paralympics from 28 August to 8 September, with 549 events in 22 sports across 259 sessions.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Rugby ● The tenth Rugby World Cup will conclude the pool phase on Sunday, advancing two teams from each of the four groups to the quarterfinals. The situation is still fluid; the contenders:

● Pool A: New Zealand (3-1: 14 points); France (3-0: 13); Italy (2-1: 10). France and Italy play on Friday to determine who advances.

● Pool B: South Africa (3-1: 15), Ireland (3-0; 14); Scotland (2-1: 10). Ireland and Scotland play on Saturday.

● Pool C: Wales (3-0: 14); Australia (2-2: 11); Fiji (2-1: 10). Fiji and Wales each have a game left.

● Pool D: England (3-0: 14); Argentina (2-1: 9); Japan (2-1: 9). Japan and Argentina will play on Sunday.

Only New Zealand and England have clinched quarterfinal spots.

Everyone gets a rest after this weekend. The quarters will be played on 14-15 October, the semis on 20-21 October and the championship match on 28 October.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Much has been made of the use of the Seine River in Paris for the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games, but the river is also the object of security concerns during the whole Games.

Agence France Presse reported that the Paris organizers have signed an agreement with the Voies navigables de France – the governmental authority over the country’s internal waterways – that traffic on the section of the Seine which passes by the Olympic Village will be diverted to a secondary waterway which is now being renovated.

The diversion will last from about 19 July, when the Olympic Village opens, through the close of the Paralympic Games, on 8 September. The cost of the diversion and the renovation work is estimated at €15 million, to be handled by the government’s Olympic construction arm, Solideo.

● Memorabilia ● The Ingrid O’Neil auction no. 95 closes on Saturday, with 537 lots up; the highest bids offered so far include:

● $20,000: 2020 Tokyo bronze medal
● $17,000: 1948 St. Moritz Winter gold medal
● $17,000: 1976 Innsbruck Winter gold medal
● $16,000: 1984 Sarajevo Winter gold medal
● $10,000: 1932 Lake Placid Winter IOC member badge

No bids yet on the Tokyo 1964 Imperial Family badge that starts at $90,000, or the gaudy 1936 Berlin “Chain of Office” for IOC members that begins at 35,000.

● Athletics ● The 45th Chicago Marathon comes Sunday, with great attention to the women’s race after Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s startling 2:11:53 world record in Berlin.

The Chicago field is outstanding; the top entries by lifetime best (with year), headed by two-time defending champ Ruth Chepngetich, now no. 3 all-time:

● 2:14:18: Ruth Chepngetich (KEN: 2022) ~ 2019 World Champion
● 2:17:36: Tade Teshome Nare (ETH: 2022) ~ 2022 Valencia fourth
● 2:17:43: Joycilene Jepkosgei (KEN: 2021) ~ 2021 London winner
● 2:18:05: Ginzebe Dibaba (ETH: 2022) ~ 2015 World 1,500 m gold
● 2:18:12: Sutume Kebede (ETH: 2022) ~ 2022 Seoul runner-up
● 2:18:29: Emily Sisson (USA: 2022) ~ 2022 Chicago silver, U.S. record
● 2:18:32: Megertu Alemu (ETH: 2022) ~ 2023 London runner-up
● 2:18:33: Sifan Hassan (NED: 2023) ~ Tokyo Olympic 5,000-10,000 m golds, London winner

Hassan may be the most interesting of all, as she has run only one career marathon, winning at London in April and then almost winning the Worlds 10,000 m in Budapest before falling at the finish, and taking the 5,000 m silver and 1,500 m bronze.

There are additional strong American entries, including Des Linden (2:22:38 in 2011), Emma Bates (2:23:18 for seventh at the 2022 Worlds), and Tokyo bronze medalist Molly Seidel (2:24:42 in 2021).

The men’s field is also excellent, including Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, who stands at no. 2 all-time. The top entries by lifetime best:

● 2:01:25: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN: 2023) ~ 2023 London winner
● 2:03:36: Bashir Abdi (BEL: 2021) ~ Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze
● 2:03:51: Kinde Atanaw (ETH: 2019) ~ 2019 Valencia winner
● 2:04:24: Benson Kipruto (KEN: 2022) ~ Defending champion
● 2:04:27: Dawit Wolde (ETH: 2021) ~ Rotterdam third in 2021
● 2:04:29: Seifu Tura (ETH: 2021) ~ 2021 Chicago champion
● 2:05:01: John Korir (KEN: 2022) ~ Chicago bronze in 2022
● 2:05:05: Huseydin Mohamed (ETH: 2022) ~ 2023 Tokyo runner-up

The top U.S. entries are Galen Rupp (2:06:07 in 2018, won in Chicago in 2017), Leonard Korir (2:07:56 in 2017) and Conner Mantz (2:08:16 at Chicago last year).

Weather is expected to be cool, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 40s at the 7:30 a.m. race start, but also with winds of about 8 miles per hour.

● Basketball ● NBA star Joel Embiid, born in Cameroon, but also eligible to play for France or the U.S., has told USA Basketball that he will play for the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The seven-foot Embiid, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player last season, told reporters that he was thinking about his three-year-old son when he made his decision:

“I’ve been here for such a long time. For the past few years, every decision I’ve made has been based on just family. My family, my son, and having the chance to represent a country like the U.S., with my son being born here … I love my home country, but I really wanted to play in the Olympics.”

Embiid, 29, attended high school in Florida, played one year at Kansas and has played seven seasons in the NBA, all with the Philadelphia 76ers, winning the NBA scoring title each of the last two seasons. He has never played international basketball at the senior level, and would significantly help the American team with his size and interior presence, qualities lacking on the 2023 FIBA World Cup team that finished fourth.

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association, de-recognized by the IOC in June, and led by Russian President Umar Kremlev, continues complaining about not being in charge of Olympic boxing. Part of a Thursday statement included:

“The International Boxing Association (IBA) remains stunned as the IOC continues to remain silent in all regards, particularly those related to the grave mistakes and violations committed by C.K. Wu [TPE], former IOC Member and Executive Board Member under whose leadership AIBA was a true farce with bankruptcy and corruption at all levels. Traces of these destructive actions can be seen at recent boxing tournaments organized under the umbrella of the IOC. …

“Following the tremendous error made by the IOC to withdraw its recognition, the IBA remains disappointed that it has not been involved in the Asian Games or consulted at any stage and stresses the importance of keeping the integrity of the competitions’ officials at the highest possible level and not accepting substandard performances.”

The comments are in line with the Russian government’s consistent criticism of the IOC, simply distributed though another organization.

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For our updated, 787-event International Sports Calendar (no. 3) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Biles stars as U.S. women win seventh straight Worlds Team gold; FIFA hands 2030 World Cup to six countries, 2034 to Saudi?

By
Rich Perelman
-
Back in action and still on top: gymnastics icon Simone Biles (Photo courtesy USA Gymnastics/John Cheng)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Biles carries U.S. women to record-setting Worlds Team gold
2. FIFA awards 2030 World Cup to six countries!
3. FIFA starts 2034 World Cup bids, OKs UEFA’s Russia proposal
4. UEFA signals hosts for Euro 2028 and Euro 2032
5. Sapporo’s 2030 Winter Games bid may re-emerge

● The U.S. women won their seventh straight FIG Artistic World Championships Team gold in Antwerp, Belgium, led by Simone Biles, who won her fifth Team gold and extended her record for the most medals won at a Worlds to 26.

● The FIFA Council surprised with an early announcement that it will offer one candidate to the FIFA Congress for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the Spain-Portugal-Morocco bid, but with three games to be played in South America to celebrate the centennial of the event, which debuted in Uruguay in 1930.

● The FIFA Council also opened the bidding for 2034, with Saudi Arabia now a big favorite to be awarded the tournament as bids will only be accepted from Asia or Oceania and the Saudis already being back from the Asian confederation. The Council also endorsed UEFA’s decision to allow Russian U-17 teams back into competitions without flags or anthems.

● UEFA accepted a joint bid from Italy and Turkey for the men’s 2032 European Championships, meaning that the British-Irish bid to host the 2028 Euro in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, will be unopposed.

● Sapporo’s pro-Winter Olympics mayor announced a new plan for a 2030 Olympic Winter Games candidature, after the bid had been suspended with fading public support due to expanding costs and the Tokyo 2020 post-Games corruption scandals. The new bid concept is being studied and could be formalized by the end of the month.

● Panorama: Boxing (African elections and Mandela Boxing Cup postponed) = Cycling (Cavendish returning for Tour de France record try) = Shooting (veteran stars dominate first U.S. Olympic Trials stage) = Volleyball (men’s Olympic qualifying continuing in Rio, Tokyo and Xi’an) ●

1.
Biles carries U.S. women to record-setting Worlds Team gold

She was and is the world’s greatest gymnast and American icon Simone Biles led her U.S. team to a seventh straight World Team title on Wednesday at the FIG Artistic World Championships in Antwerp (BEL).

This was no cakewalk, however. The U.S. lost a key player before the event got started as Joscelyn Roberson, 17, suffered a left leg injury during Vault warm-ups and could not compete. So, the 2021 Worlds All-Around runner-up, Leanne Wong, was brought in and contested three of the four events. Round-by round:

● Rotation 1: China scored 43.032 on the Uneven Bars to lead all teams, with the U.S. second, scoring 42.966 on Vault. Wong led off at 14.066, followed by Shilese Jones at 14.100 – second-highest in the event – and then Biles with a 14.800, the second-best score of the day to Brazil’s defending World All-Around champ Rebeca Andrade (14.900). The American total was the best on the day.

● Rotation 2: The U.S. took the lead, scoring 43.265 on the Uneven Bars, while China fell to 41.732 on Beam. Jones was outstanding, scoring 14.633, with Skye Blakely scoring 14.166 and Biles drumming up a 14.466. The U.S. total turned out to be the best of the day, ahead of China (43.032).

● Rotation 3: Things got interesting for the U.S. when Wong fell during her Beam routine; she finished at 11.700 and opened the door for others. But Jones contained the damage with a 13.600 and Biles finished at 14.300 – second-best on the day – to total 39.600 and hold a tight 125.831 to 124.063 edge on China.

● Rotation 4: Now China suffered, with three modest scores on Vault, totaling just 39.099 for the event, finishing eighth. The U.S. was on Floor, with Wong solid at 13.166, Jones better at 13.566 and Biles clinching the gold with the best score of the day at 15.166 for a 41.898 total, second-best to Brazil (42.166).

The total showed the U.S. with a 167.729 to 165.530 win over Brazil, which had a strong finish on Vault, with France passing China for third, 164.064 to 163.162..

This was the seventh straight women’s team title for the Americans, extending their own record of six from last year. Romania won five in a row from 1994-2001, but now Biles herself owns five Worlds Team golds herself.

With the win, the U.S. women have 15 total medals in this event (9-4-2), tying Romania for the most ever (15: 7-5-3) and passing the USSR (14: 11-3-0).

Biles sets new records with every medal she wins, and she took her 26th Worlds medal in this event (20-3-3); the next best is Vitaly Scherbo (URS-CIS-BLR: 1991-96) with 23 total. The amazing Biles has her next competition on Friday with the women’s All-Around and then apparatus finals on Saturday and Sunday.

The men’s All-Around is up on Thursday.

2.
FIFA awards 2030 World Cup to six countries!

In a dramatic gesture, the FIFA Council cleared the way for the tri-country bid from Spain, Portugal and Morocco to be selected as the host for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, but with games also played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay:

“In 2030, the FIFA World Cup will unite three continents and six countries, inviting the entire world to join in the celebration of the beautiful game, the Centenary and the FIFA World Cup itself. The FIFA Council unanimously agreed that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot allocation subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024.

“Additionally, having taken into account the historical context of the first-ever FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Council further unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where the first ever FIFA World Cup took place in 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively.”

The selection of match hosts in six countries resolved the question of the South American claim to hosting in the centennial year of the FIFA World Cup, and brought the tournament back to Europe, which last hosted in 2018 (Russia). It will be the first World Cup in western Europe since Germany in 2006, the second-ever in Africa after South Africa in 2010 and the second in an Arab country in eight years.

All of this is easier now that the tournament has been enormously expanded – beginning in 2026 – to 48 entries and 104 matches. Said FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) of the opening matches in South America:

“The first of these three matches will of course be played at the stadium where it all began, in Montevideo’s mythical Estádio Centenário, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup.”

Said Alejandro Dominguez (PAR), President of the South American confederation CONMEBOL:

“It’s a historic event and CONMEBOL is happy. We’re honoring the memory of those who came before us and today we’re at the level. We appreciate again the confidence that FIFA and our colleagues showed for a historic event and date.

“The good thing is that in having three countries, three hosts, we’re talking about almost no other investment more than what already exists. And that’s very good news because we all know that in that context, unfortunately we’re not able to compete if this had been a question of investment or money demands.

“If this had been a competition where our governments had to commit the funds which today countries commit to be hosts, I think it would have been an irresponsible proposal from us. And I think we wouldn’t have been able to either because we know that there are other countries who have much better economic conditions and fewer priorities than our nations. So I think this is a super responsible and very viable proposal.”

All six teams which will host matches will be automatically qualified for the tournament. The formal award of the 2030 FIFA World Cup will come in 2024 at the FIFA Congress.

3.
FIFA starts 2034 World Cup bids, OKs UEFA’s Russia proposal

The FIFA Council was busy on Wednesday, also starting controversies about the 2034 FIFA World Cup and about Russian participation.

The FIFA decisions also included the start-up of the 2034 World Cup contest, with noteworthy constraints:

“It was also agreed that in line with the principle of confederation rotation and of securing the best possible hosting conditions for the tournaments, the bidding processes for both the 2030 and 2034 editions be conducted concurrently, with FIFA member associations from the territories of the [Asian Football Confederation] and the [Oceania Football Confederation] invited to bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034.”

This potentially gives the tournament to Saudi Arabia, which has declared its candidacy for 2034 and which has the Asian confederation’s support, according to a Tuesday statement by AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (BRN):

“I am delighted to note that the [Saudi Arabian Football Federation] have presented their intention to bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

“The entire Asian football family will stand united in support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s momentous initiative, and we are committed to working closely with the global football family to ensure its success.”

If Saudi Arabia is indeed the Asian candidate for 2034, it will be a walkover winner to host the World Cup, as Australia is now part of the Asian confederation as well. The only possible host from the Oceania confederation would be New Zealand, where the reception for the 2023 Women’s World Cup was not as ravenous as in Australia.

The Saudis have invested heavily in football as a vehicle for widening its profile outside of the energy sector, and has already been selected to host the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup.

The Football Supporters Europe fan group posted this message:

“FIFA continues its cycle of destruction against the greatest tournament on earth. Horrendous for supporters, disregards the environment and rolls the red carpet out to a host for 2034 with an appalling human rights record. It’s the end of the World Cup as we know it.”

The FIFA Council also lifted the suspension of Russian U-17 teams:

“Following the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee on 26 September 2023 to once again allow the participation of Russian representative youth teams at U-17 girls and boys level, the FIFA Council approved an extension of this decision to the FIFA U-17 World Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for which UEFA’s competitions serve as a qualification pathway, thus lifting the suspension on teams from Russia taking part in these tournaments.

“This is conditional on these teams playing under the name of the ‘Football Union of Russia’ rather than ‘Russia,’ in the absence of their national flag, their national anthem, their national-team kit and equipment, and instead playing in neutral colours.”

Interestingly, the Russian news agency TASS posted a story Wednesday which included:

“Russian national teams will not be allowed to participate in tournaments under the auspices of the International Football Federation (FIFA) until the end of a special military operation in Ukraine. This was reported by the FIFA press service.”

The FIFA Council decision was noted to apply only to the U-17 teams and not to any others.

The next FIFA U-17 World Cups that Russian teams could participate in are the November 2024 tournament for girls in the Dominican Republic and the 2025 boys U-17 World Cup, as yet unassigned.

The UEFA decision was met with immediate criticism, with the national federations of Denmark, England, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Ukraine stating they will not play against Russian teams. Further, Sweden said it will not allow a Russian team to compete at the 2024 girls U-17 European Championship next May.

4.
UEFA signals hosts for Euro 2028 and Euro 2032

The hosts for the UEFA European Championship for 2028 and 2032 became clear on Wednesday, with UEFA issuing a statement that it has accepted a joint bid from Italy and Turkey for 2032.

Turkey withdrew its stand-alone bid for 2028, leaving the five-federation bid from England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales for 2028. The formal selection will come at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 10 October, in Nyon (SUI).

Multi-country hosting is nothing new for UEFA, which held its Euro 2020 tournament – played in 2021 due to the pandemic – in 11 countries. England hosted the tournament in 1996 and had matches in 2021, as did Scotland. Italy hosted the 1968 and 1980 Euros; this will be the first time for Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Turkey.

Germany will host in 2024; the tournament has been expanded to 24 teams from 55 member associations.

5.
Sapporo’s 2030 Winter Games bid may re-emerge

After imploding under the strain of expanding costs and the blowback from the continuing post-Tokyo 2020 organizing committee scandals last December, Sapporo’s bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games may be resurrected.

A Tuesday story by Japanese state broadcaster NHK said that a new bid plan has been formulated and is being reviewed, with an eye to preventing the corruption issues which came out following the Tokyo Games about sponsorship bribes and the rigging of bids.

The Japanese ad giant Dentsu was the Tokyo 2020 sponsorship marketing engine and the new plans call for less concentration of authority in any one outside firm, and more organizing committee oversight is recommended.

The pro-bid Sapporo Mayor, Katsuhiro Akimoto – re-elected in April for a third term – has asked for governance changes to include better gender equality, and better checks on operations to avoid the Tokyo 2020 corruption issues.

Sapporo was once seen as the front-runner for 2030, and is well-known to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Hosts Commission, but the situation it previously knew has changed considerably. Salt Lake City is focused on 2034 and serious bid development for 2030 is underway in Sweden, Switzerland and in a two-region confederation in France. No decision on a 2030 host is expected until 2024.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Olympic Committee, a necessary partner for the bid, has not yet agreed to support any new plan. JOC President Yasuhiro Yamashita said last June that “Under the current circumstances, 2030 will be quite hard,” with polling well under 50% approval for the bid. Newer polls are better, but hardly convincing.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association announced that the Mandela African Boxing Cup, scheduled to be held in Durban (RSA) from 9-14 October, was postponed to 2024. This is all about politics, per the IBA statement:

“The event received wide support from more than 235 boxers representing 34 nations that were registered to participate.

“The joint decision of IBA, AFBC and the South African Boxing Organization was taken following the postponed African Boxing Confederation Congress, initially slated to coincide with the boxing tournament. Due to the present circumstances, the postponement is motivated by the difficulty most delegates have faced in obtaining visas, and the haste observed in the organization of this event which ultimately led to the postponement.

“IBA Secretary General and CEO, Chris Roberts claimed that ‘In adherence to the high standards of organization we strive to maintain, the parties have unanimously agreed that it is in the best interest of all participants to postpone the competition. Our vision is for the Mandela African Boxing Cup to be a landmark event in the boxing community, and as such, we believe it warrants the extra time to ensure its success. Furthermore, considering the pivotal nature of the AFBC Congress, particularly with its Presidential elections, it is imperative that we give it the due prominence.’”

Thirty of the 50 African federations have protested the candidate clearances made by the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit Nominations Panel; also on Wednesday, the AFBC announced the postponement of elections:

“[I]n this case the postponement is motivated by the difficulty most delegates have in obtaining visas and the uproar caused by the disputed publication of the list of definitively selected candidates.

“The Board of Directors, meeting on September 30, 2023, therefore decided to postpone the Extraordinary Congress scheduled for October 13, 2023 in Durban, South Africa, to a date to be communicated to you in due course.”

● Cycling ● British sprint star Marc Cavendish, 38, announced his retirement earlier this year, ending his career as the 2011 World Road Champion, and with 34 stage wins at the Tour de France, tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx (1969-75) for the most ever.

Now, Cavendish is coming back to try for the record in 2024, saying on Wednesday:

“I was looking forward to not having to get up and train in any weather condition and not be away from home; spend time with the kids.

“Ultimately, I’d miss racing. I love racing. But I was happy, I was in a happy place, and I knew I could go out on top. Obviously, it wasn’t the finish I hoped for, crashing at the Tour de France.

“I spoke to the kids and I said, ‘What should dad do?’ They said, ‘Carry on.’ It was an odd question. So, here we are – just one more year, eh?”

He has signed with the Astana Qazaqstan team for one more season. Cavendish has an impressive total of 54 stage wins between the three Grand Tours, with 17 at the Giro d’Italia and three in the Vuelta a Espana.

● Shooting ● The first stage of the U.S. Olympic Trials concluded on Tuesday at Ft. Moore in Georgia, with veteran stars dominating the results:

● Men/10 m Air Pistol: Tokyo Olympian James Hall, fourth at the U.S. nationals, leads his fellow Tokyo squad-mates Jay Shi and Nick Mowrer (also the 2023 national champ), 574-572-571.

● Men/25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol: Tokyo Olympian and 2023 national champ Henry Leverett had the best second two-round score of 1,161 and won the final, 28-25, over fellow Tokyo Olympian (and 2023 nationals runner-up) Keith Sanderson, who led the two-round shooting at 1,162.

● Men/10 m Air Rifle: Ivan Roe, the 2022 U.S. nationals bronze medalist, piled up a significant lead, scoring 631.8 across six rounds to lead 2023 national champ Brandon Muske (628.6) and Tim Sherry (627.1).

● Men/50 m Rifle-3 Positions: The 2023 U.S. Nationals runner-up in this event, Roe was again the leader at 1,178 for the two rounds and won the final at 457.0. Second was Mowrer at 452.5 after tying for fourth in the two-round scoring (1,169).

● Women/10 m Air Pistol: National bronze medalist Katelyn Abeln won the final at 241.4 over nationals fourth-placer Ada Korkkin and Tokyo Olympian Alexis Lagan (218.1), with Lagan piling up the best two-day score of 1,147.

● Women/25 m Sport Pistol: 2023 Nationals runner-up Lagan won the six-round event with a total of 582, ahead of nationals fourth-placer Lisa Emmert Traciak (579) and 2023 national champ Abeln (579).

● Women/10 m Air Rifle: Olympic Mixed Team silver winner Mary Tucker won a tight final from 2023 national champ (and Tokyo Olympian) Sagen Maddalena, 252.3 to 251.7, after Maddalena led the two-day total at 1,260.9, with Tucker close at 1,259.1. Rio 2016 gold medalist Ginny Thrasher was fourth in the final at 207.4.

● Women/50 m Rifle-3 Positions: U.S. nationals runner-up Maddalena posted the top score across six rounds of 586, attended closely by Gabriela Zych (584) and 2023 nationals bronze winner Molly McGhin (583). Tucker was fourth (582) and Thrasher fifth at 581.

The next stage is for the Pistol events, to be held in Colorado Springs on 5-7 December. The second stage of the Rifle trials comes from 11-13 December, also in Colorado Springs.

● Volleyball ● The FIVB men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments are ongoing in Brazil (Rio), China (Xi’an) and Japan (Tokyo), with the top two teams in each advancing to Paris.

This is a round-robin tournament, with eight teams per site, and will conclude on Sunday. So far:

In Rio, Germany leads at 4-0, with Cuba at 3-1, World Champion Italy at 3-1 and Brazil at 2-1 the remaining contenders.

In Tokyo, the U.S. is 4-0 and has cruised past Egypt (3-0), Finland (3-0), Turkey (3-1) and Tunisia (3-0). Slovenia is also 4-0 and two face off on Friday. Serbia and Japan are both 3-1.

In Xi’an, the 2014-18 World Champions, Poland, lead the standings at 4-0, chased by Canada (3-1) and Argentina (3-1).

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For our updated, 787-event International Sports Calendar (no. 3) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Japan wins gold, U.S gets first men’s gymnastics Worlds medal in nine years; Milan-Cortina ‘26 sliding events could go to Austria

By
Rich Perelman
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Will the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games venue for bob, luge and skeleton be the Olympia Eiskanal in Innsbruck, Austria? (Photo: IBSF)

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

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Japan wins gymnastics men’s team title, U.S. gets bronze!
2. Decision time at hand for Cortina sliding track for 2026
3. No “Open” class entries for Berlin Swimming World Cup
4. Kuwaiti Sheikhs Ahmad and Talal file against IOC
5. More contradictory Russian signals on Paris 2024

● Japan won the men’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championship Team event for the first time since 2015, edging China, with the U.S. taking the bronze. It’s the first U.S. men’s Team medal since a bronze in 2014.

● The ongoing fight over the construction of a new sliding track for the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games in 2026 is coming to a head, with no bidders for the project, time running out, and the possibility that the event could be re-located to Austria or Switzerland.

● World Aquatics created an “Open” category for the first time for the upcoming Swimming World Cup in Berlin, Germany, which would allow transgender women to compete, but the federation reported that there were no entries in any of the “Open” races.

● As the International Olympic Committee decided to formally ignore the results of the Olympic Council of Asia elections in July and refuses to recognize Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal as the organization’s President, Sheikh Talal filed an action against the IOC in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. His brother, Sheikh Ahmad, who was already-self-suspended as an IOC member due to a criminal prosecution against him in Switzerland, was suspended by the IOC for three years for interference in the OCA elections and also filed an action.

● Senior Russian sports officials and athletes continue to offer contradictory statements about what conditions it will tolerate to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if invited (and qualified). A rhythmic gymnastics star who appeared at a pro-war rally in Moscow in 2022 said she would not compete as a neutral, but the Russian Paralympic Committee head said the allowance of Russians as neutrals in the Paralympics was a victory.

● World Championships: Rugby (England still only confirmed quarterfinalist) ●

● Panorama: Asian Games (China rolling up big medal numbers) = Athletics (check out the choreographed Asian Games hurdle placements!) = Football (FIFA’s August suspension decision on Rubiales published) ●

1.
Japan wins gymnastics men’s team title, U.S. gets bronze!

It had been a while since Japan was the men’s World Team Champion and even longer since the U.S. men won a men’s Team medal, but both happened on Tuesday at the FIG Artistic World Championships in Antwerp (BEL).

The Japanese team of defending All-Around champ Daiki Hashimoto, Kenta Chiba, Kazuma Kaya, Kazuki Minami and Kaito Sugimoto won its seventh Worlds men’s Team gold, and first since 2015, mounting a charge on the last three rotations and scoring 255.594 points to 253.794 for defending champion China.

Japan was only fourth on its first event, Floor Exercise, but posted the best score in the field on the Pommel Horse and was third-best on Rings. But in its final three events – Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar – Japan ranked second, first and first and took the gold with a nearly two-point margin.

China won on Rings and was steady on the Pommel Horse (second) and Parallel Bars (second) to win a men’s Worlds Team medal for the 11th straight time (8-2-1). All-time, Japan now has 22 men’s Worlds Team medals to 21 for China.

The U.S. squad of Fred Richard, Yul Moldauer, Asher Hong, Paul Juda and Khoi Young was in a fight with 2022 bronze medalists Great Britain for the final medal. The British were fourth on Pommel Horse, second on Rings and first on Vault through their first three rotations and were a solid third, while the U.S. won the Floor Exercise, but was sixth on Pommel Horse and fourth on Rings. But the U.S. closed with third-place finishes on Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar to finish at 252.428. Britain closed with a fourth on Parallel Bars, seventh on Horizontal Bar and sixth on Floor to score 249.461, nearly three points short of the Americans.

The individual apparatus high scorers:

● Floor: 14.533, Jake Jarman (GBR)
● Pommel Horse: 15.266, Max Whitlock (GBR)
● Rings: 15.000, Yang Liu (CHN)
● Vault: 15.400, Jarman (GBR)
● Parallel Bars: 14.966, Hao You (CHN)
● Horizontal Bar: 14.533, Fred Richard (USA)

Moldauer and Richard third for third on Floor (14.366); Young was fifth on Pommel Horse (13.600); Hong was sixth on Rings (14.000); Hong was second on Vault (15.100); Moldauer was the Parallel Bars runner-up (14.933) and Richard was the leader on the Horizontal Bar.

It’s the first medal for the U.S. at the Worlds since 2014 and the sixth all-time (0-2-4), with five of the six in this century.

The Worlds roll on tomorrow with the women’s Team final, with the Americans looking for a seventh straight gold, and a fifth for superstar Simone Biles.

2.
Decision time at hand for Cortina sliding track for 2026

The long-running drama over the construction of a new sliding track for bobsled, luge and skeleton in time for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina is coming to a head with time running out.

The proposed plan was to demolish the already-closed Eugenio Monti track in Cortina d’Ampezzo that was used for the 1956 Winter Games and build a new one. But the request for proposals turned up no bidders, leaving the project in severe doubt.

Then there is the cost, which has been estimated at up to €46.5 million in 2019, then €60.7 million in September 2021, then €82.6 million in 2022 and now, perhaps up to €124.77 million! (€1 = $1.05 U.S. today)

The Italian Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, said this week: “There are also offers from foreign locations. We will evaluate all options, with the necessary clarity and coldness. Foreign ones are not the first choices. …

“Our job as a country is obviously to respect the commitment to the IOC and we will do so. Among the options in the field, it is true, there are also foreign hypotheses, we will evaluate clearly and coldly, obviously taking into account all availabilities.”

Of the complex building project required to get a new track completed on time:

“There are very few companies available to build the bob, because it is a very high-tech work, so the government will evaluate whether to go ahead with this private negotiation or not.”

The head of the Italian National Olympic Committee and Chair of the Milan Cortina 2026 organizing committee, Giovanni Milago, told Il Fatto Quotidiano:

“We don’t build the works, we await with great urgency a response, within a few days at most, from those who have the burdens or honors of taking care of the construction of the venue.

“We won the competition by submitting an application with a dossier for bobsleigh, skeleton and luge in Cortina. We are evaluating any other alternative because our job is to understand the best solution. Perhaps I have an alternative in my head, but we are still confident that within a few days the commitments made will be respected.”

The Italian lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, passed a motion this week to consider alternatives to building a new track, which could include moving the events to Innsbruck (AUT) or St. Moritz (SUI). 

Innsbruck Mayor Georg Willi wrote to the Milan Cortina organizers again last week, saying that the city and the Tyrol region, “as owners of the Olympic ice rink in Innsbruck, can guarantee the approval of the ice rink both from a financial point of view and from that of carrying out the necessary works.”

The Innsbruck facility needs upgrading, but at a fraction of the cost of what a new facility in Cortina would cost. The current estimate is €27 million, with the Innsbruck and Tyrol governments already pledging one-third each, meaning only about €9 million would remain.

3.
No “Open” class entries for Berlin Swimming World Cup

World Aquatics announced back in August that it would accept entries in an “Open” category for the first leg of its Swimming World Cup in Berlin (GER), “welcoming swimmers of all sex and gender identities. …

“The open category will spotlight races in the 50m and 100m distances across all strokes, with the possibility of introducing additional events.”

The category was created with the idea to offer a competition opportunity for transgender women swimmers and those with hyperandrogenism that would not allow them in the women’s division. However, on Tuesday, World Aquatics posted a statement that included:

“Following the close of registration for the Open Category competitions at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Berlin 2023 meet scheduled for 6-8 October, World Aquatics can confirm that no entries have been received for the Open Category events. …

“The World Aquatics Open Category Working Group will continue its work and engagement with the aquatics community on Open Category events. Even if there is no current demand at the elite level, the working group is planning to look at the possibility of including Open Category races at Masters events in the future.”

The federation’s policy on transgender women, passed in 2022, does not allow entry into the women’s division unless the athlete transitioned before age 12 or did not experience male puberty beyond the second stage.

The Berlin World Cup will be held from Friday through Sunday, with 335 athletes from 50 countries registered, including 14 American swimmers.

4.
Kuwaiti Sheikhs Ahmad and Talal file against IOC

The International Olympic Committee’s intervention in the Olympic Council of Asia elections that took place on 8 July has resulted in two actions filed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the Kuwaiti brothers Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah and Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The IOC did not recognize the 8 July election of Sheikh Talal as President of the OCA, in a close, 24-20 vote over World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam (also KUW), citing interference – against instructions – by Sheikh Ahmad. The IOC Ethics Commission recommenced to the IOC Executive Board:

“To consider the undeniable impact on the OCA’s elections of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah’s behaviour, and consequently not to recognise these elections until a full review of the OCA’s elections process is carried out at a later stage.”

A sanction against Sheikh Ahmad was imposed, with a suspension of his IOC membership for three years.

On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport stated to the Russian news agency TASS:

“We confirm that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered the following procedures: CAS 2023/A/9904 Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Sabah v. International Olympic Committee CAS 2023/A/9931 Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah v. International Olympic Committee.”

No further information was available, including the grounds for the filings.

Sheikh Ahmad, now the defender minister of Kuwait, was found guilty of fraud in the Swiss Criminal Court on 10 September 2021, and is appealing. He self-suspended himself as an IOC member in September 2018 when the Swiss criminal charges were filed.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport case regarding the IOC’s intervention in the Olympic Council of Asia elections will be interesting to follow. The IOC Ethics Commission declared that “The Olympic Council of Asia is a continental association of NOCs recognised by the IOC; thus, the elections have to be recognised by the IOC,” but the declarations of sport autonomy consistently promoted by the IOC could come back to play a role in a decision on this question.

5.
More contradictory Russian signals on Paris 2024

Senior Russian Olympic and Paralympic officials continue to signal turmoil ahead, regardless of whatever participation invitations are made available to them, including the International Olympic Committee’s preference for individual, “neutral” status.

The President of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics, Irina Viner said on Tuesday that she rejects any idea of Russian stars competing as neutrals:

“The program is always made in opposition to Russian athletes in order to neutralize Russia, and this is how it turned out at the Tokyo Olympics.

“The sanctions that have been imposed on us from all sides are unacceptable to intelligent and cultured people who talk about democracy. I don’t think any of my children would say they could compete in this format at the Olympics.”

She then ripped the partial suspension placed on Russian Paralympic athletes, who were approved to compete as neutrals:

“What did they do with the Paralympic athletes? First, they were removed from the Paralympics: just ordinary fascism. And now they removed the Russian Paralympic Committee and allowed individual athletes. It’s like refugees who do not represent anyone.”

Viner’s comments on Russia’s rhythmic gymnasts – who were dominant players in the sport until banned after the Russian invasion of Ukraine – were backed up by 18-time World Champion Dina Averina, still just 25, and who was on-stage at a pro-invasion rally in March of 2022:

“We were already at the Tokyo Games in neutral status. Now I would probably choose to go with the flag and the anthem. Because in Tokyo we lacked this support, although everyone knew what country we were from. Irina Alexandrovna Viner discussed all this with us, of course, we have the same thoughts.”

In the meantime, the head of the Russian Paralympic Committee, Pavel Rozhkov, said plans are underway to move the country from the European Paralympic Committee to Asia, after winning the right to participate in Paris in 2024 as “neutrals” in last week’s vote of the International Paralympic Committee’s General Assembly:

“Neutral status is also, frankly speaking, a victory for us. Whether we will challenge it or not is another question, but it is important that we were allowed.

“Now performance at the Paralympic Games is a separate issue. We are having serious work on transferring to the Asian Paralympic Committee. They sent me accreditation and an invitation, they are ready to see us there, we are moving in this direction with pleasure.”

Rozhkov said earlier that if Russian Paralympians are required to sign a “neutrality” declaration, they will not go to the Paris Games.

No public comments have been made from the Russian Olympic Committee about a possible disassociation with the European Olympic Committees and membership in the Olympic Council of Asia.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Rugby ● The tenth Rugby World Cup will resume across France on Thursday with the final round of pool-play matches underway and still only England confirmed into the quarterfinals. The top two from each of the four groups will advance; the contenders:

● Pool A: France (3-0: 13 points); New Zealand (2-1: 10), Italy (2-1: 10).

● Pool B: South Africa (3-1: 15), Ireland (3-0; 14); Scotland (2-1: 10).

● Pool C: Wales (3-0: 14); Australia (2-2: 11); Fiji (2-1: 10).

● Pool D: England (3-0: 14); Argentina (2-1: 9); Japan (2-1: 9).

The quarters will be played on 14-15 October, the semis on 20-21 October and the championship match on 28 October.

Interest continues high, with attendance now at 1,426,328 or 45,698 per match!

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Asian Games ● The 19th Asian Games, in Hangzhou (CHN), will conclude this weekend, with China on the way to another impressive medal total.

With 333 events out of 481 completed, the Chinese have 297 total medals (161-90-46), followed by South Korea (139: 32-42-65) and Japan (130: 33-47-50).

North Korea has showed up in force for this event, with 185 entries, and has won 23 medals so far (7-10-6), including eight in weightlifting (4-3-1).

● Athletics ● Ever heard of choreographed high-hurdle placement?

You have now, thanks to this video from the 19th Asian Games organizing committee in Hangzhou.

Now that’s style!

● Football ● FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee decision to suspend former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief Luis Rubiales for 90 days on 26 August 2023 was posted on Tuesday, showing considerable concern for the validity of any investigation amidst the chaos of the post-FIFA Women’s World Cup post-championship match celebration.

The opinion, signed by Disciplinary Committee Chair Jorge Palacio (COL), noted that as Rubiales was – at that time – still head of the RFEF:

“[T]he imposition of provisional measures on the Respondent [Rubiales] will ensure that the ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him are conducted without any interference, particularly so that potential testimonies could be given freely and without any type of pressure, fear or reprisals from the Respondent, particularly given his predominant position towards Ms [Jenni] Hermoso, other players or RFEF officials as President of the RFEF.”

The decision also explained:

“[I]t seemed clear to the Chairperson that a decision on the merits could not be taken early enough given the sensitivity and particularly serious nature of the allegations levelled against the Respondent in this case, so that provisional measures had to be imposed on the Respondent for the aforementioned reasons, which, given all the circumstances taken into account, clearly outweigh the potential adverse effects that such a measure could cause to the Respondent.”

FIFA suspended Rubiales for 90 days and ordered him and the RFEF not to contact Hermoso; Rubiales resigned as the head of the federation on 10 September.

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For our updated, 787-event International Sports Calendar (no. 3) for 2023 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

TSX REPORT: Biles and U.S. star in women’s Gym Worlds qualifying; hammer breaks a leg at Asian Games; Britain and Canada upset on Paralympic vote

By
Rich Perelman
-
The incomparable Simone Biles (Photo courtesy USA Gymnastics/John Cheng)

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

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

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

1. Biles, U.S. women dominate Worlds qualifying
2. Hammer throw accident at Hangzhou causes broken leg
3. IBA and African federations now conflicted on elections
4. British and Canadian Paralympic heads decry IPC’s Russia vote
5. Ellis expects U.S. women still “to be a major player”

● The iconic Simone Biles and her U.S. teammates dominated the women’s qualifying at the FIG Artistic World Championships, with the American team leading all others by more than five points and Biles posting the top score in three of the four apparatus.

● At the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, a freak accident in the men’s hammer throw caused a broken leg for one of the officials scoring the event, but he was taken quickly to the hospital and is stable. Said Kuwait’s Ali Al-Zankawi, the thrower involved, “Thank God the hammer hit the ground before it hit his leg.”

● The International Boxing Association, already de-recognized by the International Olympic Committee, is now facing a revolt from 30 of its African federations over actions taken by its independent integrity unit’s nominations clearing board for candidates for this month’s African Boxing Federation elections.

● More unhappy comments from the International Paralympic Committee’s General Assembly vote to allow Russian and Belarusian “neutrals” to compete in Paris in 2024, with the heads of the British and Canadian national committees voicing disappointment. The head of the Russian Paralympic Committee says as many as 300 could qualify, but none will go if a declaration against the Russian invasion of Ukraine is required.

● Jill Ellis, the two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, says the Americans will be a force to contend with for some time. During her time with the Technical Study Group at the recent Women’s World Cup, it was noted that all of the championship teams had a coach who was a native of that country!

● World Championships: Rowing (Beach Sprint Finals conclude in Italy) ●

● Panorama: Paris 2024 (IOC says hijabs OK in Olympic Village in Paris) = Anti-doping (2: WADA and WHO sign cooperation agreement; U.S. Anti-Doping Agency co-hosts anti-blood doping symposium) = USOPC (new Agora digital platform assembles support and wellness elements) = Basketball (Durant, James and many others interested in Olympic team) = Equestrian (Germany wins Jumping Nations Cup Final) ●

1.
Biles, U.S. women dominate Worlds qualifying

The women’s team qualifying round concluded on Monday at the FIG World Artistic Championships in Antwerp (BEL), with the U.S. and superstar Simone Biles shining brightly, advancing the maximum of 10 entries to the All-Around and apparatus finals.

Seven of the 10 qualifying groups competed on Monday, but the U.S. marks from Sunday were hardly challenged. The American squad of Biles, Shilese Jones, Leanne Wong, Skye Blakely and Joscelyn Roberson piled up a 171.395 total that was the highest since 2019 – the last time Biles was on the U.S. team – and more than five points ahead of Great Britain (166.130).

The Americans – going for a seventh straight women’s Worlds Team gold – had the highest score on Vault at 43.998 (with Great Britain second: 42.900) and Floor (42.066), with the British second again at 41.199. China rang up the top team scores on Uneven Bars, 43.533 to 43.366, over the U.S., and on Beam, by 42.666 to 41.965, over the U.S.

In the All-Around, Biles had the top scores on Vault, Beam and Floor and was fourth on the Uneven Bars to total 58.865 as the leading qualifier, with teammate Jones a clear second at 56.932, ranking second on the Uneven Bars, fourth on Beam and fifth on floor. Wong, the 2021 Worlds All-Around silver winner, was 11th (54.398) and did not advance since there is a limit of two per country in each individual final.

Britain’s Jessica Gadirova, the Worlds All-Around bronze winner in 2022, was third in the qualifying at 56.766, followed by defending All-Around champ Rebeca Andrade (BRA: 56.599) and Canada’s Ellie Black – the 2017 Worlds All-Around runner-up – in fifth at 55.065.

The U.S. qualified the maximum two entrants for each of the apparatus finals, with Biles (1: 14.949) and Roberson (6: 14.049) advancing on Vault; Jones (2: 14.833) and Biles (4: 14.400) moved on from the Uneven Bars; Biles (1: 14.566) and Jones (4: 14.033) qualified on Beam, and Biles (1: 14.633 and Jones (5: 13.800) making it to the medal round on Floor.

Biles successfully executed her spectacular Yurchenko double pike vault, which is now expected to be confirmed as the “Biles II” by the FIG Technical Committee as her second named element in the Code of Points.

The men’s Team competition medal round comes Tuesday, followed by the women on Wednesday.

2.
Hammer throw accident at Hangzhou causes broken leg

The hammer throw is one of the most dangerous events in track & field, and an accident on Saturday caused a broken leg of an official sitting next to the throwing cage.

Kuwait’s Mohamed Ali Al-Zankawi reached a season’s best of 67.57 m (221-8) in the second round, but on one of his following throws, his grip slipped on the release and the hammer went sideways into the cage. But instead of simply being tangled in the netting – as is normal – the 16-pound ball pushed the netting outward, bounced and hit the nearby official sitting in a chair. Per Reuters:

“Looking horrified, Zankawi sprinted over as blood began spurting from the official’s right leg. The official, Huang Qinhua, 62, grimaced and swayed dizzily as Zankawi rushed to check on him, blood shooting out of the wound.

“Within seconds Zankawi was using his huge hands and strength to improvise a tourniquet on Huang’s thigh and halt the bleeding. Medical personnel soon took Huang away on a stretcher after applying a tourniquet, then sent him to a nearby hospital.”

Zankawi, 39 and the 2006 Asian Games silver winner in the event, continued in the competition and finished eighth. He visited Huang in the hospital and offered an apology, which was readily accepted. Zankawi told Agence France Presse:

“I raised my head and discovered that the hammer had bounced from the ground to the official’s leg, so I quickly ran to him and tried to help him, especially since he was in a state of shock and writhing in pain.

“After I got to him, I discovered a slit in his trousers and saw blood pouring from the leg, and I knew it was broken.

“Then I tied it tightly to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived, so I helped them by putting him on an ambulance stretcher to transport him to hospital. Thank God the hammer hit the ground before it hit his leg.”

An Asian Games spokesman told reporters on Sunday, “[Quang] arrived at the hospital at 20:15, where was diagnosed with a right open tibiofibular fracture. Currently his vital signs are stable.”

3.
IBA and African federations now conflicted on elections

New internal friction at the International Boxing Association, already de-recognized by the International Olympic Committee this year, with a group of 30 African national federations questioning the integrity of the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit (BIIU) Nomination Unit, set up by the IBA to clear candidates for elections.

With the 50-member African Boxing Confederation elections coming up on 13 October in Durban (RSA), the BIIU Nomination Unit approved five candidates for President and disqualified a sixth.

However, the 30 federations, led by Angola, complain that Mohamed El Kabbouri (MAR) should not be qualified, since he is not supported by his own national federation. Moses Muhangi (UGA) still owes a fine of CHF 5,000 to the AFBC, yet was declared eligible. The former AFBC President, Bertrand Magloire Mendouga (CAM), was approved despite being forced from office in August over accusations of embezzlement of athlete funds. And there are other issues.

The signatories to the statement included Algeria, Angola, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, D.R. Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Togo. They are requesting the election to be postponed by a month and for the AFBC to be responsible for approving the candidates.

In reply, IBA Secretary-General Chris Roberts (GBR) issued a letter to all 50 African federations on Monday that included:

“Regrettably, the IBA recently received so-called a vote of no confidence in the BIIU Nomination Unit, publicly distributed by the Angola National Federation on behalf of AFBC National Federations, which has no legal force due to lack of competence of the National Federations to decide such matters in respect of the independent integrity body, and therefore, it will be disregarded,”

“The IBA Head Office firmly supports the professionalism and impartiality of the BIIU Nomination Unit. …

“In light of the above, the IBA has filed a complaint with the BIIU Tribunal against those who made a public statement damaging the reputation of the BIIU Nomination Unit, in accordance with Article 19 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Code (Disparagement of IBA’s Reputation and Interests).

“We expect comprehensive investigation by the BIIU on identifying the initiators of the public attack on the Nomination Unit.”

The IBA issued a public statement which quoted Roberts thus:

“We strongly urge an end to baseless attacks on the independent body, which plays a critical role in determining the eligibility of candidates seeking positions within the IBA Board of Directors. We expect a comprehensive investigation by the BIIU on identifying the initiators of the public attack on the Nomination Unit.”

In the meantime, the inaugural meeting of the new World Boxing group will take place on 24-25 November in Germany, and is in the process of adding additional federations who wish to vote.

The Court for Arbitration for Sport released a hearings calendar which showed that the IBA’s appeal against the International Olympic Committee’s de-recognition of the federation will take place on 16 November.

4.
British and Canadian Paralympic heads decry IPC’s Russia vote

The International Paralympic Committee General Assembly voted last Friday to allow to-be-defined “neutral” Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

But that does not mean everyone is happy about it, especially when the vote to exclude Russia altogether failed by only 65-74 (with 13 abstentions).

ParalympicsGB chief David Clarke said afterwards:

“Given the ongoing horror of the war in Ukraine, ParalympicsGB voted for the continued suspension of the Russian National Paralympic Committee.

“We are therefore disappointed that the decision was taken to allow Russian nationals to compete as neutral athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games … as we believe this decision does not align with the values of the Paralympic movement.

“However, given athletes and staff will only be able to attend if they meet the criteria set out by the IPC governing board we would urge them to ensure that individual athletes that have broken the IPC’s code of conduct, by stating their support for the war, are banned from competing at Paris 2024. We wish to continue to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our friends at NPC Ukraine.”

Marc-Andre Fabien, the President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, said in a statement:

“The Canadian Paralympic Committee stood behind the decision to fully suspend NPC Russia and NPC Belarus, including from participation in the Paralympic Games. We continue to believe this is the right course of action to protect and defend the Paralympic values.

“As such, we are disappointed in the results of today’s vote and that there is not a total ban on membership and participation for NPC Russia and NPC Belarus and their athletes.”

Rob Koehler, the head of the Global Athlete activist group, posted a statement that included:

“By allowing Russia to compete at the Paris Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has shown their true colors by kowtowing to Russia’s influence over international sport.

“Today’s decision lacks reason and principle. The fact that the IPC removed a ban, when Russia’s aggression on Ukraine has only increased, is contradictory and aligns them to the wrong side of history in this war.

“Sadly the IPC has ignored athletes’ calls for a ban and has instead lent their support to Putin’s war on Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian government blasted the decision, as did the German Paralympic Committee.

Russian Paralympic Committee President Pavel Rozhkov said as many as 300 Russians could qualify for Paris … maybe:

“About 300 people can get to the Paralympic Games. We hope that the Paralympic federations will allow our athletes to participate in the competition so that they can be selected. The criteria are in general terms, the executive committee will formulate all this more clearly in the near future.

“The issue of declarations was not discussed. A number of Olympic federations that hold competitions among Paralympians demanded that our athletes sign declarations during competitions in Europe. If this happens, our athletes will not go anywhere.”

5.
Ellis expects U.S. women still “to be a major player”

FIFA posted a fascinating interview with former U.S. Women’s National Team coach Jill Ellis, now 57 and continuing to assist FIFA as head of the Technical Study Group for the recent Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Highlights:

● “[P]eople talk about the women’s game developing – and it is – but these World Cups have always been so tough to win. You go back to any of the World Cups I was involved in, maybe with the exception of the 2015 final, and the knockout games were always really tight. Most were settled by a one-goal margin. This time we were going in thinking, ‘Ok, can the U.S. pull off the three-peat?’ And I genuinely think we had the talent to do it. The fact we didn’t and the way it all went did kind of hammer home that there’s a good reason why winning back-to-back World Cups doesn’t happen often. It also made me appreciate all the more the work that the players and staff had to do in order to make it happen.”

● On the U.S.’s future: “The talent is still there. I think where we’ve got to really make sure, as a country, we get it right is that 15-18 age group, and look closely at what we’re doing for those players. But I don’t think anyone should write off the U.S., and I still expect this team to be a major player on the world stage.”

● On the next U.S. coach: “Gone are the days where you could just trot it out, show up and expect to do well. It’s also interesting, and the TSG guys told me this, that no team has won a World Cup with a coach who’s not from that particular country.

“I find that fascinating because it raises the point of how important it is, at least in international football, to understand the DNA of the country and how it influences how they play. It’s not like a club where you can go and buy players to suit your style of play, and I wonder if that will come into [U.S. Soccer’s] thinking. Obviously you have Sarina [Wiegman, England’s Dutch coach] as an example of a foreign coach who’s enjoyed great success. But that ability to tap into the strengths of the national and team culture is, I think, still critical to success in international football.”

Ellis’s primary job these days is as President of the San Diego Wave FC of the NWSL.

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Rowing ● The final day of the Beach Sprint Finals in Barletta, Italy was held on Monday, with Janneke van der Muelen (NED) winning the women’s gold in 3:03.57 over France’s Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino (3:13.53). The Italian actually had the lead at the 250 m mark by seven seconds, but faded badly in the second half.

Christine Cavallo of the U.S. took the B Final, 3:13.36 to 3:27.19 for Ireland’s Monika Dukarska.

The men’s race was also a decisive win, for Spain’s Adrian Miramon Quiroga, in 2:53.91, over Giovanni Ficarra (ITA: 3:03.56). Germany’s Karl Schulze was the clear bronze winner, in 3:07.77.

World Rowing has proposed the Beach Sprint as a new discipline for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, to replace the Lightweight rowing classes now included.

≡ PANORAMA ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● IOC member Astrid Jacobsen (NOR), serving as an Athletes’ Commission member, told the International Athletes’ Forum in Lausanne:

“On behalf of the IOC and the IOC Athletes’ Commission, it is very important for me to inform you that there will be no restrictions on the wearing of the hijab or any other religious symbols in the Olympic Village. As for the competitions, the rules that apply the specific international federation.

“But since the Games will be held in France, French athletes are subject to local laws, so the IOC will work closely with the French authorities and the National Olympic Committee to clarify this situation. It is important that the IOC rules apply to everyone at the Olympic Games.”

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said that French athletes would not be allowed to wear a hijab in competition.

● Anti-Doping ● A potentially helpful agreement was signed Monday between WADA and the World Health Organization, for the sharing of information and for the promotion of health and against substance abuse. Noted WADA President Witold Banka (POL):

“Through our agreement with WHO, experts from both organizations will be able to work collaboratively to exchange information on emerging substances and reinforce scientific positions that will ultimately benefit not only athletes, but society as a whole.”

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s 22nd annual symposium on anti-doping science was held in Paris this time over the weekend focused on blood doping and the use of synthetic erythropoietin (EPO). The event was co-hosted by the Agence française de lutte contre le dopage (AFLD), and included 26 accredited doping-control laboratories, 14 national anti-doping organizations and both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.

New strategies in detection were featured. Dr. Matthew Fedoruk, the USADA’s Chief Science Officer, explained:

“Advances in biomarker discovery, instrument technology, and sample collection matrices demonstrate tremendous promise in broadening the tools available to defeat blood doping, therefore adoption of the best new detection strategies into our detection arsenal is essential.”

● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● A new digital platform, Agora, has begun operations, aiming to centralize athlete support services and wellness benefits:

“[A]thletes will have access to USOPC’s extensive resources for which they are eligible, including career and education programs, mental health resources, healthcare and medical services, financial support, marketing and brand development, confidential advising and legal aid, and additional resources to enhance their Games and overall experience. …

“The initial launch of the platform will welcome athletes who are selected to represent Team USA at the Pan American and Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, this fall. The phased rollout will continue throughout 2023 and into 2024, to include elite-level Team USA athletes.”

The USOPC acknowledged the assistance of The Foundation for Global Sports Development in enabling the new platform.

● Basketball ● Monday’s NBA media days produced lots of questions and plenty of raised hands for stars who want to play Olympic basketball next summer.

In Phoenix, three-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant said “I will play in the Olympics next year” and LeBron James, gold medalist on the 2008 and 2012 teams, said “I do have a lot of interest in playing in Paris.”

Reports indicated that Zion Williamson, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, Kyle Kuzma, Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo, DeMar DeRozan, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Khris Middleton, Julius Randle, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, Fred VanVleet, Brook Lopez and others are all interested.

The U.S. team finished fourth at the recent FIBA World Cup in Asia and qualified for Paris as one of the top two finishers from the Americas. The Olympic roster is limited to 12 players, with Grant Hill – a 1996 Olympic gold medalist himself – the USA Basketball executive responsible for Olympic selection.

● Equestrian ● At the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona (ESP), Germany returned to the top of the podium for the first time since 2016 with a zero-penalties score in the final on Sunday.

Third in the qualifying, the German squad of Christian Kukuk (on Checker 47), Hans-Dieter Dreher (Elysium) and Richard Vogel (United Touch S) all completed the course without a fault; Jana Wargers (Dorette) had her two faults set aside as only the three best scores are counted.

France collected the silver for the second straight year with eight fault points (two total faults), and defending champ Belgium was third, also with eight fault points, but a slower combined completion time. It’s the sixth straight medal for Belgium in the Nations Cup Final (2-1-3).

Brazil qualified for Paris 2024 in fourth as the best team not already in (8 fault points, slower than Belgium), and the U.S. was fifth with nine fault points. The team of McLain Ward (Callas: 4 fault points), Kari Cook (Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet: 4), Laura Kraut (Dorado 212: 1) and the non-scoring Devin Ryan (Eddie Blue: 8) was close, and still has a chance to get in at the Pan American Games coming up in Chile.

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