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HEARD AT HALFTIME: WADA suspends Moscow lab again; U.S. men lose, 1-0, at Panama; Tura beats Rupp in Chicago Marathon

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

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

When the World Anti-Doping Agency suspends a testing laboratory, often for a minor technical issue, it’s usually barely worth notice. When the lab is in Moscow, it’s news.

Of course, the Moscow lab was the operations center for the giant Russian doping program from 2011-15, but WADA has seen dramatic improvements from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency under its supervision over the last several years. But on Friday, WADA’s Executive Committee revoked the “approved status” of the Russian National Anti-Doping Laboratory, located at Moscow State University.

Already under a provisional suspension, the action means that the Moscow lab “remains ineligible to carry out any work related to the analysis of blood samples in connection with the ABP or any other form of anti-doping analysis …” It can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This suspension emanates from the tampering of data provided to WADA in January 2019, when the state-sponsored Russian doping program was being unraveled. WADA declared the lab to be provisionally suspended in January 2020, but wanted to wait until after the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision on WADA’s first set of sanctions to consider the matter further; that decision was handed down in December 2020.

Now, the ethical breach of falsifying the data provided to WADA in January 2019 is being addressed with the suspension of the Moscow lab.

Will this ever end? Russian President Vladimir Putin is asking too. The Russian news agency TASS reported on Friday:

“President Vladimir Putin ruled on Friday that the Russian Sports Ministry as well as all of the involved national sports organizations must resort to measures aimed at the reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) with WADA and of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) with World Athletics.”

WADA’s sanctions on Russia, as modified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, continue through December 2022.

Folks, this isn’t over.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Athletics ● A 14 October hearing will be held concerning doping sanctions for now-retired Jamaican sprinter Nesta Carter.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel will hear a new case concerning Carter, whose sample from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games came back positive in a re-test in 2016. He was disqualified from the 4×100 m relay, won by Jamaica, but subsequently awarded to Trinidad & Tobago.

Carter, now 35, ran 9.78 for 100 m at his best, still no. 9 on the all-time list. He stated in August that he was retiring due to a medical condition that required treatments that would be in violation of the World Anti-Doping Code.

● Baseball ● Last week’s WBSC U-23 men’s Baseball World Cup concluded in Mexico, with Venezuela beating Mexico, 4-0, in the championship game and Colombia getting past Cuba, 5-3, for the bronze medal.

Also reported was the defection of 11 or 12 members (out of 24) of the Cuban team. Reports speculated that bad conditions in Cuba itself are part of the problem, as is the possibility to play professionally in the U.S.

Cuba’s National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) called the actions of the defectors “vile abandonments” and accused the players of “weak morals and ethics” adding:

“Is it so difficult to learn, from the cradle, that one doesn’t pursue dreams or personal projects by putting universal values such as commitment, responsibility and patriotism to one side?”

No official reports of the whereabouts of the defecting players have been issued as yet.

● Gymnastics ● The U.S. will send a women’s team full of new faces to the 2021 FIG World Artistic Championships in Japan next week.

Olympic alternates Kayla DiCello and Leanne Wong head the team, which also includes eMjae Frazier and Konnor McClain. The team was selected based on a training camp in Indianapolis, with DiCello posting the highest All-Around score of 55.35. Frazier was second (54.05), Wong third (53.40) and McClain came in fourth (52.00).

● Skiing ● The Federation Internationale de Ski held an Extraordinary Congress on 8 October and voted – barely – to remain the Federation Internationale de Ski.

Two alternatives were proposed, with “International Ski and Snowboard Federation” receiving 57 votes and “International Snowsports Federation” receiving 51. In the second round of voting, the “Ski and Snowboard Federation” name won by 66-49 (57%), but that was short of the 2/3rds majority required. So the federation’s name is unchanged for now.

The Congress did adopt, for the first time, term limits: “With effect from the 2022 Ordinary Congress, the President and the Council Members may be re-elected but shall serve no longer than twelve (12) years from the date of the 2022 elections of President and Council Members, and if a Council Member is elected as President, the overall maximum combined term shall not exceed twenty (20) years.”

The five presidents in the history of the federation served 10 years (Ivan Holmquist/SWE: 1934-34), 17 years (Nikolai Ramm Ostgaard/SWE: 1934-51), 47 years (Marc Hodler/SUI: 1951-98) and 23 years (Gian Franco Kasper/SUI: 1998-2021), with Johan Eliasch (SWE) elected in 2021.

● Swimming ● More sad news about allegations of abuse and forthcoming investigations.

At the University of Southern California, SwimSwam.com reported that head swimming and diving coach Jeremy Kipp has been placed on administrative leave. An investigation into allegations of abusive conduct towards athletes is apparently in the beginning stages.

Kipp is beginning his second season at the helm of the legendary USC program, following the retirement of Dave Salo in May 2020.

In Australia, a 5 October report on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) detailed accusations of abuse of four swimmers in the 1980s by well-known coach John Wright. One was 1980 Olympian Shane Lewis, who died earlier this year from a prescription drug overdose at age 47.

Lewis contacted Swimming Australia about the incidents in 2016, but when the federation asked for more details in an e-mail, he didn’t think that was sufficient. Lewis then received a letter asking “to hear from you further – either in writing, verbally by phone, or in person – as soon as you are able.”

Child protection advocate Hetty Johnston, working with Lewis at the time, told ABC:

“Swimming Australia wrote a lovely letter. But the word sorry didn’t appear in it anywhere. And what a survivor always looks for is that everyone wants to know, deep in your soul, that what happened is not your fault. And he was, you know, he was discouraged by it, most definitely discouraged by it.”

Current Swimming Australia chief executive Eugenie Buckley noted that in 2016, the federation had asked Lewis for more information, spoke to Johnston, the police and referred the allegations to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse.

● Volleyball ● The first major development from the formation of Volleyball World, a promotion entity own by the FIVB and CVC Capital Partners was announced Saturday: the Beach Pro Tour.

This is a re-organization of the FIVB World Tour, which has been the top-level program for professional beach volleyball, but which was badly splintered into five levels of tournaments, from one-star to five-star.

The new program, to begin in 2022, separates play into three clearly-defined levels: Elite for the top 16 men’s and women’s teams over four days: Challenge, for the next 24 teams (and others who can player in a qualifying round), and Futures, for another 16 teams. The pre-tournament qualifications are over and the top teams are supposed to face each other continuously during the season.

Eight Elite tournaments have been scheduled for far, beginning in March in Brazil and continuing in Mexico, South Africa, Czech Republic, Latvia, Switzerland, Qatar and Australia (in November). A Beach Pro Tour final will be organized for the top 10 teams.

The details on prize money, ranking points, relegation, injury replacements and so on are yet to be announced. But this is a disciplined attempt to sort out what tournaments are important and which are not. That’s a promising start.

≡ SCOREBOARD ≡

● Athletics ● Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura and Kenyan World Champion Ruth Chepngetich turned in stellar performances to win the Chicago Marathon on Sunday morning, with Americans Galen Rupp and Emma Bates finishing second.

In the men’s race, Tura won his third career marathon, but first World Marathon Majors title with a steady performance, while Rupp had to come from behind. A group of eight separated from the field early, but it was down to six by the halfway point as Rueben Kipyego (KEN) led at 1:02:29. Rupp was seventh, but 10 seconds down to the lead pack.

The American star had rejoined the lead group by 25 km and was fourth at 30 km, with Kenyan Eric Kiptanui in the lead. Then the racing really started. Tura, Kiptanui and Rupp had broken free by 35 km and were 28 seconds up on Japan’s Kengo Suzuki. Tura then turned up the heat, running 14:33 for the next 5 km and dropping Rupp, 1:59:44 to 1:59:53 with Kiptanuti third at 2:00:05, at 40 km.

That’s how they finished, with Tura winning in 2:06:12 – his third-fastest ever – and Rupp following in 2:06:35 (also his third-fastest) and Kiptanui at 2:06:51. Suzuki was fourth in 2:08:50. Rupp’s time is the no. 6 performance in U.S. history (and he now has three of the six).

The women’s race was owned by 2019 World Champion Chepngetich. She had a five-second lead at 5 km, 27 seconds at 10 km and 1:04 by 15 km! She crossed the half in 1:07:34 and had fallen off of world-record pace, but powered on to win easily in 2:22:31, the no. 14 performance of 2021.

Behind her, Americans Sara Hall and Bates were third and 6th at the half, but were 3-4 by 25 km, both chasing Kenya’s Vivian Kiplagat. Bates passed Hall for third by 35 km, but then Kiplagat blew up over the next 5 km and Bates and Hall passed by to finish 2-3 in 2:24:20 and 2:27:19.

That was a lifetime best for Bates, 29, by more than a minute and moves her to no. 9 on the all-time U.S. list. It was Hall’s fifth-best time and her second medal in a World Marathon Major. Kiplagat got home in 2:29:14 for fifth.

What about Shalane Flanagan’s effort for six sub-3:00 marathons in seven weeks? She’s still on track – pun intended – with a 25th-place finish in 2:46:39. Now she has to go again on Monday in Boston!

If you have ever wondered about how professional runners get paid for races, David Monti of Race Results Weekly explains it nicely in a story reprinted on RunnerSpace.com.

● Beach Volleyball ● The FIVB World Tour Final in Cagliari saw the confirmation that Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sorum are the best men’s pair on the planet.

The Olympic champions won their second World Tour final with a straight set (22-20, 23-21) thriller over Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner (CZE) completing an impressive run through the tournament. It’s their 14th career World Tour win. The Dutch pair of Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven Van de Velde took third, defeating Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo (ITA), 23-21, 21-17.

The women’s title went to Germany’s 2021 European Championships bronze medalists Karla Borger and Julia Sude, winners over 2019 World Champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN), 21-13, 23-21. Olympic champs Alix Klineman and April Ross of the U.S. finished third, defeating Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina (RUS), 21-8, 21-17.

● Cycling ● The UCI World Tour is nearing its end when the famed Il Lombardia comes on the schedule, the last of five “Monument” races that date back to the 1890s. Last Saturday’s 118th Il Lombardia was a misery-inducing, seven-climb marathon over 239 km from Como to Bergamo that ended with another win for Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar.

Already the Tour de France champion in 2021 and winner of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Monument race in April, Pogacar attacked with 35 km remaining in the race and broke free on the final major climb up the Passo di Ganda. Only Italy’s Fausto Masnada came up the challenge with about 16 km left, but Pogacar had more than enough to win in 6:01:39. Britain’s Adam Yates outdueled Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic for third (+0:51).

At The Women’s Tour in Great Britain, Dutch star Demi Vollering won the overall title, taking charge after a win in the third stage and holding on for the final three. Vollering crushed everyone in the Individual Time Trial, winning by more than a minute and then finishing with the pack in the other stages.

Vollering finished with a winning margin of 1:02 over Juliette Labos (FRA) and 1:05 in front of Clara Copponi (FRA).

● Football ● The U.S. Men’s National Team went into Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City (PAN) never having lost in a World Cup Qualifier, having won twice and tied twice.

Until Sunday, when a Anibal Godoy header off an Eric Davis corner kick in the 54th minute found the net in a 1-0 defeat. It was the U.S.’s first loss in World Cup 2022 qualifying (now 2-1-2) and ended a 13-game unbeaten streak.

With seven new starters in the line-up from Thursday’s 2-0 win over Jamaica, the U.S. attack was simply listless, with five total shots at goal and none on goal! Panama had eight shots and found U.S. keeper Matt Turner on four of them. The Panamanian defense was quick to the ball and the American attack found no shooting lanes, and not enough speed to get behind the defense.

The game was physical, with 22 fouls and plenty of work for the training and medical staffs on both sides. The U.S. is now 16-2-6 vs. Panama all-time.

In the other games, Costa Rica beat El Salvador, 2-1; Jamaica and Canada played to a scoreless tie and Mexico defeated Honduras, 3-0. That leaves Mexico on top of the standings with 11 points, followed by the U.S. and Panama (both 8) and then Canada and Costa Rica (both 6).

This was the fifth match-day of 14 in the eight-nation CONCACAF qualifying tournament; the final match of this window comes Wednesday, with the U.S. hosting Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

In the UEFA Nations League final in Milan, France bounced back from its Euro 2020 disappointment to win a tight, 2-1 battle with Spain.

The French, the reigning World Cup champions, came back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Belgium in their semi and fell behind, 0-1, by a 66th-minute, left-footed strike by Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal across the goal. But the deficit was erased two minutes later by French striker Karim Benzema with a long line drive that landed in the far top corner of the Spanish goal and the sides struggled at 1-1.

Then midfielder Theo Hernandez found superstar striker Kylian Mbappe at the left of the Spanish goal and he converted with a sharp, left-footed liner past Spanish keeper Unai Simon for a 2-1 lead in the 80th minute. Replay showed Mbappe offsides, but the goal was allowed to stand.

Spain pressured wildy in the final minutes, but could not equalize and the French – after being eliminated in the Round of the 16 at Euro 2020 – took home the Nations League trophy.

Italy defeated Belgium, 2-1, in Turin to take third place and rebound from its first loss in a record 37 matches in the semifinal.

● Swimming ● The second stage of the FINA World Cup was held in Budapest (HUN) in a 25 m pool, with American Tom Shields claiming four wins and a piece of history.

Shields, 30, won the 50 m Butterfly in 21.99 to set the American Record and replace Caeleb Dressel’s 22.04 mark from 2020, and move to no. 6 all-time in the history of the event, Shields also won the 100 m and 200 m Fly events, as well as the 100 m Back for four wins overall.

But he wasn’t the biggest winner of the meet. That was South African teen Matt Sates, 18, who won the 100-200-400 m Medleys, the 200 m Free and the 400 m Free, the latter in a World Junior Record of 3:37.92. In the World Cup opener in Berlin, he set World Junior marks in the 200 m Free and 200 m Medley. By the way, he’s headed to the U.S. to swim for Georgia!

Australia’s Emma McKeon was one of three women to win three events, including the 50-100 m Frees and the 50 m Fly. Kira Toussaint (NED) took the 50-100-200 m Backstrokes and Swiss Maria Ugolkova won the 200 m Butterfly and the 100-200 m Medleys.

● Wrestling ● The UWW World Championships concluded in Oslo, with the U.S. picking up its 15th medal of the event with a bronze by G’Angelo Hancock in the Greco-Roman 97 kg division.

In his fourth Worlds, Hancock lost his semifinal against Hungary’s Alex Szoke on criteria after a 4-4 tie in regulation. In the bronze-medal match, Hancock piled up a 3-0 lead on Peter Oehler (GER), who was unable to continue after an injury at the 3:32 mark.

Iran won four titles in the Greco-Roman division, with victories by Meisam Dalkhani (63 kg), Mohammad Reza Geraei (67 kg), Mohammad Hadi Saravi (97 kg) and Ali Akbar Yousefi (130 kg). However, Russia won the team title.

In the overall medal table, Russia led with 18 total medals (4-5-9), with the U.S. following at 15 (5-5-5) and Iran at 13 (7-3-3). Japan also had five wins and 12 medals overall (5-3-4).

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PANORAMA: Team USA Council asks 20% of USOPC hires to be social-justice compliant by 2025; U.S. men stop Jamaica, 2-0; U.S.’s Gray and Maroulis win world wrestling titles!

By
Rich Perelman
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A third World Championships gold for American Helen Maroulis at the United World Wrestling Worlds in Norway! (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Key status updates on the urgent stories in Olympic sport:

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

The third set of recommendations from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Team USA Council on Racial and Social Justice included seven dictates designed to increase “institutional awareness about racial and social justice” and promote “cultural change.”

Drafted by the “Institutional Awareness and Cultural Change Steering Committee,” the recommendations include the creation and funding of a USOPC office of “Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to “develop and enforce policies and practices for all USOPC employees” then to be extended to the U.S. National Governing Bodies.

The recommendations outline benchmark metrics, to be measured by external auditors each quadrennial, including:

● “demographic make-up of executive leadership and board of directors”;

● “sense of belonging across identity categories, with a particular focus on historically underrepresented, marginalized, oppressed, or minoritized groups”;

● “For the USOPC specifically, consider increasing the hiring of leadership and staff from historically underrepresented, marginalized, oppressed, or minoritized groups by 15% and 20%, respectively, by 2025.”

The National Governing Bodies are directed to “identify their own access, diversity, equity, and inclusion benchmarks with a focus on hiring and retention at all levels” and that “benchmarks should be based on (a) the demographics of the athlete populations within the sport and (b) the demographics of the U.S. population.”

The recommendations further require the USOPC to “Create and implement a plan for moving oversight of Paralympic sports currently managed by the USOPC exclusively to their respective NGBs” and to provide financial support where necessary to implement this change over a five-year period.

The creation of a “ADEI Advisory Council” is included to “Establish an ongoing access, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging Advisory Council charged specifically with identifying barriers to racial and social justice in their respective sporting context, with a particular focus on barriers at the grassroots level that prevent certain social groups from participating in the sport.”

The requirements cite the need to “[i]dentify or establish a permanent means to provide financial resources to sustainably address systemic barriers to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.” However, no definition of “historically underrepresented, marginalized, oppressed, or minoritized groups” is listed.

Published on Thursday (7th), this was the third of four groups of recommendations from the Council on Social and Racial Justice. The statement included: “A final recommendation is expected later this year that will address racism and acts of discrimination and aim to enhance the reporting and dispute here [sic] resolution processes.”

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● International Olympic Committee ● Lots of reaction to Thursday’s Lane One column about Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry’s appointment as chair of the Brisbane 2023 Coordination Commission, notably about who was not mentioned as possible candidates as IOC President.

Chief among those suggested as possible candidates was Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch, Jr., son of the legendary IOC chief from 1980-2001. A skilled operator within the IOC, he is the Coordination Commission chair for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Games. His candidature for IOC President in 2025 would create a generational choice for the membership: he will be 65 at the time of the election and would serve to age 73 in his first term.

What about World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR), the two-time Olympic gold medalist at 1,500 m in 1980 and 1984 and the chair of the London 2012 organizing committee? He’s 65 now and will be at least 68 at the time of the vote in 2025.

Also highly regarded, but who is already 75 is Fijian Dr. Robin Mitchell. The IOC has an age limit of 70 for members elected after 1999. Mitchell was elected in 1994 and can serve until age 80; Samaranch (2001) and Coe (2020) are subject to the age-70 rule.

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The Paris organizing committee has expanded the number of possible sites for use by National Olympic Games for pre-Games training to 780. A third group of sites will be added in spring of 2022.

Impressive.

● Games of the XXIII Olympiad: Los Angeles 1984 ● The LA84 Foundation, the living legacy of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, is hosting a “Taste of the World” on Monday, 11 October at the famed Riviera Country Club, the venue for equestrian and modern pentathlon at the 1932 Games.

The foundation is continuing its efforts in support of its “Play Equity Fund,” which is committed to creating access to sports and play programs for youth. Beyond the event itself, there is also a silent auction with special packages to attend local sporting events, but also for golf at Pebble Beach and first-round attendance at the 2022 Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

A very special commemorative package to auctioned live on-site includes an authentic 1984 Olympic torch, a 1984 Olympic participation medal and a giant Star-in-Motion logo poster by the late Robert Miles Runyan.

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● WADA announced Thursday that five organizations have been declared non-compliant, including the National Anti-Doping Organizations in Indonesia, Thailand and North Korea.

The Thai federation’s problem is due to an incomplete integration of the World Anti-Doping Code into the country’s legal system. For Indonesia and North Korea, “the non-compliance is a result of non-conformities in implementing an effective testing program.”

The sanctions are so far limited to not having national flags flown at world championships and the Indonesia and North Korea will have their anti-doping organizations “subject to supervision by an approved third party, at the Signatories’ expense, including up to six site visits per year.”

Comment: Good luck with supervising the North Koreans!

● Athletics ● A comprehensive bid for the 2025 World Athletics Championships was filed by Athletics Kenya with the idea to hold the event in Nairobi. Athletics Kenya chief Jackson Tuwei said:

“We organised two very successful world junior championships at the Kasarani stadium in 2017 [U-18] and in August 2021 [U-20], where a number of world records and personal bests were realised. We learnt a lot of lessons in staging both events, and realistically it is our time to bring the biggest event.”

Tuwei indicated that the decision will be made prior to the 2022 Worlds in Eugene, Oregon. Other interested nations include Japan (for Tokyo); the event is expected to cost $70-80 million U.S. to stage.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced Thursday that it has changed Nigeria’s four-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic long jumper silver medalist Blessing Okagbare, 32, with (1) possession and use of Human Growth Hormone from a 19 July out-of-competition test, which was what disqualified her from the Tokyo Games; (2) possession and use of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in a sample collected on 29 July and (3) “the athlete failed to comply with a formal requirement to produce relevant documents, records and electronic storage devices.”

Okagbare has denied all of the charges and the case will be heard by the independent Disciplinary Tribunal. She could face a four-year ban.

WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigations Department reported that it has closed its inquiry into the Nike Oregon Project and possible anti-doping violations. The review indicated that other than coach Alberto Salazar and physician Dr. Jeffrey Brown – both suspended – there was insufficient evidence to warrant proceedings against anyone other than “Witness A,” who was not identified. Proceedings concerning “Witness A,” who admitted to an anti-doping violation in 2012, are continuing.

● Figure Skating ● Covid has once again scrambled the world skating calendar as the annual ISU Four Continents Championship – created as a balance to the European Championships – will now be held in Europe!

Scheduled for Tianjin, China for 17-22 January – a couple of weeks prior to the start of the Beijing Winter Games – the Chinese Figure Skating Association canceled the event. The ISU decided to (provisionally) hold the event at the site of the 2022 Europeans in Tallinn, Estonia from 18-23 January instead. That would follow immediately after the Europeans on 10-16 January.

This will work for the Four Continents contestants, but it’s another worrysome sign for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

● Football ● More on the firing of North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley for past sexual harassment has come in a post from club owner Steve Malik on the team’s Web site. Of note:

“Following the news of last week, many of you were left with a key question – what did we know?

“When we bought the Western NY Flash in 2017, we conducted due diligence to continue with Mr. Riley and the coaching staff. We were made aware of an investigation into Mr. Riley’s behavior in 2015 and were subsequently assured that he was in good standing. During his employment with the Courage, we had no knowledge of allegations of sexual harassment or coercion. When we learned of the horrific allegations in last week’s reporting, we took those seriously and immediately terminated Mr. Riley.”

Malik moved the team to Cary, North Carolina in 2017. Riley has denied the allegations.

The NWSL was reported to have conducted an inquiry into accusation against Riley in 2015; an April 2021 request by a former Portland Thorns player to re-open the investigation, but was told by now-resigned NWSL commission Lisa Baird that the matter had been concluded. The league is re-opening the inquest.

On Wednesday, the Portland Thorns tweeted that “Effective immediately, Portland Thorns FC have placed General Manager/President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson on administrative leave from Thorns duties pending the results of the outside independent investigation, which is ongoing.”

Wilkinson (NZL) was the Portland Timbers coach from 2005-10 when it was in the United Soccer Leagues before moving to Major League Soccer in 2011 and was part of the Portland Thorns front office – founded in 2013 – when Riley was coach there. Wilkinson is continuing with his role with the Timbers.

The Russian TASS news agency reported that Qatari officials stated the cost of staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be about $6.5 billion U.S., a small part of a $200 billion investment in the country’s infrastructure.

That larger figure represents projects such as new roads, a subway, an airport, hotels and other tourist facilities. Qatar has a population of a little more than 2.9 million people, and comprises 4,416 sq. miles, smaller than the state of Connecticut.

● Weightlifting ● Another Russian lifter has been sanctioned due to a doping positive. Sergei Bondarenko was given a four-year ban as of 19 May 2020 by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency; he competed in the +105 kg division and had won bronze medals in national tournaments.

≡ SCOREBOARD ≡

● Football ● The second window of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying matches opened on Thursday evening, with the U.S. Men’s National Team defeating Jamaica, 2-0, before a loud crowd in Austin, Texas.

The game got crazy in the first 20 seconds, as Jamaican midfielder Blair Turgott tackled Paul Arriola on a breakaway shot opportunity and received a yellow card, while fans called for red. In the 34th minute, U.S. striker Brendan Aaronson was tackled on a contested ball just outside the box by defender Damion Lowe and also received a yellow card; that also could have been a red. The half ended 0-0, but with the U.S. holding 67% of the possession.

The U.S. finally broke through in the 49th minute, on a cross by sub Reggie Cannon from the right side of goal to the middle of the field that was headed in by 18-year-old striker Ricardo Pepi for a 1-0 lead.

In the 62nd minute, Aaronson exploded down the left side of the pitch and sent an expert cross toward the middle of the field that was met by a sprinting Pepi for a second goal and a 2-0 lead. An El Paso native, Pepi has now scored three goals in his first games with the U.S. men’s team.

The U.S. ended with 62% possession and a 17-5 overall edge in shots.

In the other qualifying games, Mexico and Canada drew, 1-1; Honduras and Costa Rica played to a 0-0 draw and El Salvador defeated Panama, 1-0. The results leave the U.S. and Mexico atop the group with eight points each, followed by Canada (6) and Panama (5).

Next up for the U.S. men is a 10 October game at Panama City and then a 13 October match with Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

The UEFA Champions League semifinals started with a stunning win by Spain, which defeated Italy by 2-1 at the famed San Siro Stadium in Milan. It not only vaulted Spain into the final, but ended Italy’s record 37-match unbeaten streak.

Italy had not been beaten since a 1-0 loss to Portugal in September 2018, but made their situation difficult with a red card to defender Leonardo Bonucci in the 42nd minute. Already down 1-0 on a Ferran Torres goal in the 17th minute, Italy had to play with 10 men the rest of the way.

And Torres made them pay with a second goal two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half for a 2-0 lead. Italy was frustrated during most of the second half, but got an 83rd-minute goal from Lorenzo Pellegrini to cut the deficit to 2-1. But they could not score again.

There was more drama in Thursday’s semi in Turin, where Belgium raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first half against World Cup champ France, on goals from Yannick Carrasco in the 37th minute and Romelu Lukaku in the 40th.

But the French came roaring back in the second half, with goals by Karim Benzema (62nd) and Kylian Mbappe on a penalty in the 69th for a 2-2 tie. Lukaku thought he scored in the 87th minute, but was called offside after a video review.

French midfielder Theo Hernandez then launched a left-footed strike from the corner of the box in the 90th minute for the decider in the 3-2 final.

Spain and France will meet on Sunday for the 2021 Nations League title.

● Wrestling ● The U.S. women celebrated victories from superstars Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis at the UWW World Championships in Oslo, Norway as they won seven medals in the 10 classes and finished second in the women’s team standings.

On Wednesday, Gray won her sixth World Championships gold – the most ever by an American – in the 76 kg class with a pinfall in 5:58 over Estonia’s Epp Maee. How dominant was Gray? She pinned all four of her opponents, in 1:17, 2:33, 4:00 and 5:58. Wow!

On Thursday, Maroulis, who has battled concussion issues since winning the 2017 Worlds, pinned India’s Anshu in 4:00 at 57 kg to win her third world title: also in 2015 (55 kg) and 2017 (58 kg), to go along with her Olympic gold (2016: 53 kg) and a Tokyo bronze at 57 kg.

The U.S. women claimed a silver medal at 50 kg, as Sarah Hildebrandt lost to Japan’s Remina Yoshimoto, 5-3, in the final, and bronze medals by Forrest Molinari (65 kg) and Olympic champ Tamyra Mensah-Stock at 68 kg. The U.S. women had previously won a 62 kg silver with Kayla Miracle and a bronze with Jenna Burkert at 55 kg.

Japan won the women’s team title at 196 points to 147 for the U.S.

The Worlds conclude on the 10th as the men’s Greco-Roman division continues.

≡ THE LAST WORD ≡

The newest sport to be associated with the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) is World Obstacle.

Known formally as the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO), it gained Observer Status on 27 September and is now on the road to becoming a recognized international sport. The federation World Obstacle “was formed in 2014 and formalised in 2018 to unify and develop obstacle sports worldwide. Disciplines include Ninja, Obstacle Course Racing and Adventure Racing.”

It lists national federations and contacts in 98 countries so far.

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LANE ONE: Has IOC chief Bach proposed his successor? Kirsty Coventry named chair of Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission

By
Rich Perelman
-
IOC member and Zimbabwe Minister for Youth, Art, Sports and Recreation Kirsty Coventry

While hardly unexpected, the choice of Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry as the head of the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad unmistakably propels her as a candidate to become IOC President in 2025.

The IOC announced Thursday that Coventry, 38, will chair the 12-member Coordination Commission for the Brisbane Games, strongly reflecting the desires of current President Thomas Bach (GER), including, but not limited to:

● Eight of the 12 members of the Commission are women, continuing Bach’s efforts to include more and more women on a path to leadership in the IOC.

● The selections continue the engagement of two important women whose terms of service on the IOC Executive Board were concluded after the Tokyo Games: Coventry and senior U.S. member Anita DeFrantz, who will serve as Vice Chair.

● Bach said: “Kirsty Coventry is leading an exciting new generation of IOC members in this Commission. As a double Olympic gold medallist and a former IOC Executive Board member, she has all the experience for this important task.”

The Brisbane Coordination Commission is a high-profile assignment that will not have an enormous amount of work to do prior to 2025, as the vast majority of Brisbane’s venues are already in place. But the oversight task of ensuring that the organizing committee is properly formed and the government’s development plans surrounding the Games do not interfere with the staging of the event will be critical to the success of the 2032 Games.

Why is 2025 so important? Because that’s when Bach’s 12-year term as President will end. At 71, he will be subject to term limits, and will turn over the reins of the most important organization in world sport to someone else.

Coventry is certainly not the only possible candidate. But her election would check a lot of boxes that Bach and others would like to see filled:

● First woman President of the IOC

● First IOC President from Africa
(Let us not forget that the IOC’s first major event in Africa will be the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (SEN) in 2026.)

● First individual Olympic gold medalist to be IOC President
(She won the 200 m Backstroke at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, along with five other medals in swimming, also in the 100 m Back and 200 m Medley. She competed in five Games from 2000-16. Bach won a Team gold in fencing in Montreal in 1976; no prior IOC President had won an Olympic medal.)

● First IOC President who was also a full-time government minister
(Coventry was appointed Minister for Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation in 2018, but is an independent, not affiliated with any political party.)

● First Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission to become IOC President
(Bach was a member of the first IOC Athletes’ Commission in 1981, but was never its chair. Coventry joined the IOC as a member of the Athletes’ Commission in 2013, became chair in 2018 and was elected as an individual IOC member in 2021.)

Coventry, born in Harare in 1983, would be 42 or 43 in 2025 and would become the touchpoint for a worldwide youth movement in sports administration in the National Olympic Committees and International Federations. Really? Yes.

Consider these comments, which very much reflect Bach’s thinking and the IOC’s current policy direction – in a slightly different context – from IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell (NZL) during a news conference on 26 July during the Tokyo Games:

“I wanted to highlight also why gender equality for us is not just about numbers and percentages. We know for every opportunity we give to a female event in the Olympic program, this often leads to the same event being added to other multi-sport Games, to being further promoted in World Championships, World Cup events in the IF’s own programs, so it really has a ripple effect beyond the Olympic Games as well.

“And equally, for every additional female quota place we bring into the Olympic Games we often see that being reflected also in increased quotas outside the Games. [So] that leads to a lot of investment, a lot of development around the world in different countries, through National Olympic Committees, through sport ministries, through others who invest in female athletes to go for that qualification place, to go into a qualification process to qualify to the Games.

“So there is really a positive ripple effect that amplifies the impact for every single one of those additional quota places that we create for women athletes and that’s why it’s so important to reach the numbers we have here in Tokyo and reach that absolute equality in terms of numbers of athletes in Paris as well. So it has a wider impact than just the Olympic Games, and why it’s so important that we lead on that change as well.”

This is why Coventry’s candidature for 2025 is already being widely talked about and will be accelerated by Thursday’s appointment.

She is certainly not the only possibility being discussed for the IOC Presidency in 2025 and even with Bach’s endorsement – whether explicit or implicit – she is no shoo-in as yet. Others being whispered about include IOC members Nicole Hoervertsz (ARU), a 1984 Olympic in Artistic Swimming, a member of the Aruban government and the chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Coordination Commission; Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant (BEL), head of the Paris 2024 Coordination Commission and former chief executive of the massive Delhaize Belgium supermarket chain, and the highly-respected Federation Equestre Internationale President Ingmar de Vos (BEL), among others.

To Coventry’s credit, her experience under pressure – something she was already used to as a politician in her home country – was brilliantly displayed in her leadership within the Athletes’ Commission, in news conferences and private meetings around the review of the IOC’s protest guidelines in Rule 50.2 of the Olympic Charter. She led a months-long process that sampled worldwide opinions, engaged thousands of athletes in direct polling and then delivered a set of recommendations which surprised everyone by actually enlarging the in-Games opportunity for “athlete expression” during pre-event introductions.

For whatever the reasons, the expected outpouring of protests in Tokyo didn’t happen. Give Coventry credit for a calm demeanor, willingness to tackle what appeared to be a no-win situation and a result which was more liberal than expected but retained the core dignity around the Games ceremonies.

Coventry has a lot on her plate, beyond her ministerial and Olympic obligations, as she is married and has a two-year-old son. But her IOC star is rising and Thursday’s appointment will continue the spotlight on her.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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THE TICKER: Hazdic abuse fight continues to roil USA Fencing; Spanish star Pau Gasol retires; fifth Worlds gold for Jordan Burroughs!

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. wrestling star Jordan Burroughs celebrates his fifth World Championships gold, after a win in the 79 kg Freestyle division! (Photo: Jordan Burroughs Twitter page)

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

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡

One of the strangest events of the Tokyo Games has morphed into continuing turmoil for USA Fencing, including the departure of Executive Director Kris Ekeren.

One of the causes was the drama surrounding Alen Hazdic as an alternate for the U.S. men’s Epee team in Tokyo. He had been accused of sexual misconduct three times between 2013 and 2015 – all of which he vociferously denies – and filed and won an appeal in arbitration to be on the U.S. team. However, he was housed outside the Olympic Village and when the American team appeared for its one and only match in Tokyo – a 45-39 loss to Japan – Jake Hoyle, Curtis McDowald and Yeisser Ramirez appeared in pink-colored masks, while Hadzic was the object of an obvious protest, as he wore black.

Last week, the Business Insider reported that an August meeting called to discuss the Hazdic situation went awry, with athletes and parents attacking the Board and staff for the Hazdic affair and concerns over other allegations of assault and misconduct in the sport.

Ereken was accused of mishandling other instances of misconduct in addition to Hazdic and on 27 September, it was announced that she would leave after 10 years with the federation, including eight as the senior executive. It was noted that during her tenure, USA Fencing membership doubled to more than 40,000 at the end of 2019 and that the organization’s finance were significantly better. She will serve through 5 November.

The Business Insider story reported that communications director Nicole Jomantas and general counsel Jim Neale have also left; Neale apparently for another job. Jomantas had also been with the federation since 2011 after stints with USA Judo and USA Weightlifting.

Fencing is among many sports to surface abuse issues in recent years; the USA Gymnastics and Larry Nassar saga has grabbed most of the headlines, but there have been allegations and/or documented abuse in other sports, such as the recent National Women’s Soccer League incidents and with U.S. National Governing Bodies in swimming, taekwondo and water polo. Internationally, a horrifying report was filed in September concerning the abuse of female basketball players, especially young girls, in Mali.

There will be more revelations to come; this is only the latest.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● World Anti-Doping Agency ● The International Standard Prohibited List effective 1 January 2022 has been released, with hundreds of individual substances on the prohibited lists.

The 24-page document spells out prohibited substances that are banned all of the time, only in competition and for specific sports.

Anabolic agents, peptide hormones and other growth agents, beta-2 agonists, hormone and metabolic regulators and diuretics and masking agents are prohibited at all times. Specific stimulants, narcotics, cannabinoids and glucocorticoids are prohibited in-competition and beta-blockers are proscribed in archery, golf, shooting, ski jumping and some events in freestyle and snowboarding, and in some non-Olympic sports.

It’s a long list and a challenge to all athletes to keep up with it. An unintentional or unknowing mistake can cost a month, a year, two years or more.

● Athletics ● Four-time U.S. Olympian and Beijing 10,000 m silver medalist Shalane Flanagan has completed one-third of her goal to complete five of the World Marathon Majors and a substitute marathon for the cancelled Tokyo race – six total – in just seven weeks.

Keen observer David Monti (USA), publisher of the influential Race Results Weekly, tweeted Sunday:

“In running #BerlinMarathon & #LondonMarathon on consecutive Sundays in 2:38:32 & 2:35:04, respectively, @ShalaneFlanagan demonstrated another advantage of super shoes: they are highly protective and allow for much quicker recovery.”

Flanagan (and her shoes) will now be tested with three marathons in eight days: Chicago on 10 October, Boston on 11 October and the Portland (Ore.) Marathon on 18 October.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony, who has threatened to refuse to allow the city to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships, advanced to the run-off from 10-16 October in the unique national opposition primary.

Karacsony (Green Party: 27.2%) finished second to Democratic Coalition (liberal) candidate Klara Dobrev (34.7%), both ahead of Peter Marki-Zay (Hungary For All/conservative: 20.4%) in the first round from 18-28 September. One of these three will now be elected to face the ruling Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in 2022.

Karacsony’s threat concerning the 2023 Athletics Worlds is centered around a Fidesz program to essentially allow China to build a Budapest campus of its Shanghai-based Fudan University. The site would replace a planning “student city” of housing and services to support existing universities. Karacsony got approval to collect signatures to place the Fudan University site-use question in September, but must now collect 200,000 signatures to create a national vote.

● Basketball ● Spanish icon Pau Gasol, 41, announced his retirement on Tuesday (5th) in Barcelona, ending a sensational career on the court and clearing the way for his ascent in the world of international sports management.

Gasol won two NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010 and averaged 17.2 points during his career with the Lakers, Memphis, Chicago, San Antonio and Milwaukee. He was a five-time Olympian for Spain and won silvers in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and a bronze in Rio in 2016. He was a member of Spain’s FIBA World Championship team in 2006.

He was elected as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission at the recent Tokyo Games and will serve through 2028. Smart, widely experienced and multi-lingual, Gasol will have every opportunity to become a major player in international sports administration.

● Boxing ● Stung by its commissioned report that showed years of cheating and cover-ups in governance and judging, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced a new “Fair Chance, Fair Fight” program being implemented for the forthcoming men’s World Championships beginning 24 October in Belgrade (SRB), and the Women’s World Championships in December in Istanbul (TUR). The new procedures include:

“[A] new rigorous selection criteria has been introduced for referees and judges. No part [of the] selection process is being left up to the discretion of a single person, [and] a random element has been added to safeguard the participants from attempts at competition manipulation.

“Additional candidate background checks will be carried out by the team of Professor Richard McLaren, an independent expert, appointed by AIBA earlier in the year to conduct an investigation into the organization’s past sporting integrity issues. Beyond that, competition officials will be undergoing further training prior to [the] Belgrade Championships, including but not limited to a module on enhanced ethics and behavioural provisions.”

Dogged by scandal for decades, AIBA is trying to return as the governing body of the sport for the Olympic Games, having been suspended by the IOC in 2019.

● Football ● New fall-out from the National Women’s Soccer League abuse turmoil saw Steve Baldwin, the chief executive and managing partner of the Washington Spirit, resign on Tuesday.

The club has been under stress for some time, after a report of abuse from former coach Richie Burke (GBR), who was fired on 29 September. Charges of his abusive behavior has also led to calls for Baldwin to sell his 35% stake in the club, but he has not agreed to do so as yet.

In Portland, three fan organizations supporting the NWSL Portland Thorns (Rose City Riveters) and MLS Portland Timbers (107 Independent Supporters Trust and Timbers Army) have issued a joint statement protesting:

“[T]he extent of abuse and suppression that has taken place in Portland. It is clear that the Portland Thorns organization is complicit in the NWSL’s failures by actively sweeping incidents and complaints under the rug and passing issues off to others without holding offenders accountable. It is also abundantly evident that the PTFC leadership team knew about the incidents when they were reported in 2015. This is inexcusable.”

It asks “our members to boycott all concessions inside Providence Park and PTFC official team merchandise across all platforms.”

This is noteworthy because Portland is leading the NWSL in attendance by a long way, averaging 15,065 over four games thus far vs. second-best Racing Louisville (6,412). Behind these two, the remaining eight clubs average from 3,153 to 5,796 fans per game so far this season.

● Gymnastics ● An important hearing concerning the USA Gymnastics bankruptcy case and the proposed reorganization plan concluded on Monday with no resolution.

Judge Robin L. Moberly of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana heard arguments on the proposed plan and eight objections. But the matter was continued to 19 October for further discussion.

This will move the matter back once again. The hoped-for date to circulate the proposed plan for a vote was 11 October and now will be near the end of the month at the earliest.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that the U.S. Justice Department would be revisiting its decision against prosecution of two FBI agents who badly mishandled the agency’s inquiry into abuse by former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar.

She indicated during the hearing that “new information” had emerged, but did not specify what it was. She added, “I do want the committee, and frankly, I want the survivors to understand how exceptionally seriously we take this issue and believe that this deserves a thorough and full review.”

During a September hearing of the Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified concerning the Nassar affair and the Inspector General’s report that the FBI’s Indianapolis and Los Angeles offices both mishandled the Nassar inquiry. Asked about why no prosecutions were undertaken, they both referred that question to the Justice Department.

● XI World Games: Birmingham 2022 ● The 30-sport, 206-event World Games in Birmingham, Alabama next July is offering a way for fans to memorialize their interest with a commemorative brick offer. The announcement notes:

“The bricks will be ceremoniously placed at The World Games Plaza, located across from the stadium and next to many popular restaurants and attractions in Birmingham’s Uptown District.”

This is across the street from Protective Stadium, site of the Opening Ceremony, home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham football team. Per the release:

“Commemorative Bricks can be purchased online and cost $250 for the 4-by-8-inch brick and $500 for the 8-by-8-inch model. Each brick can be customized with three lines of text or a company logo.”

Orders must be in by the end of the year, and will be installed in April. The Games will open on 7 July 2022.

≡ SCOREBOARD ≡

● Football ● After plenty of drama in the first CONCACAF World Cup qualifying window, the U.S. Men’s National Team will get back on the pitch on Thursday evening against Jamaica in Austin, Texas at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The game will be shown on ESPN2, Univision and TUDN.

The American men went 1-0-2 in the first group of matches and will now face Jamaica, will go to Panama on the 10th and play Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio on the 13th.

● Wrestling ● The iconic career of U.S. star Jordan Burroughs, now 33, might be moving toward the end, but in grand style, with a fifth career World Championships gold medal.

Burroughs defeated Iran’s Mohammed Ashghar Nokhodilarimi by 5-1 in the final, winning his five matches by a combined score of 34-6 plus a forfeit. He won four titles at 74 kg and now his fifth, at 79 kg. That ties Burroughs with Adeline Gray for the most Worlds golds ever by an American.

That was one of two U.S. men’s Freestyle golds on Monday, as top-seeded and Olympic silver winner Tom Gilman won his first world title with a 5-3 win over Iran’s Alireza Sarlak. Gilman’s run in Oslo included a first-round pin and then wins by 11-1, 15-5 and 5-3.

The U.S. team also got a silver medal from Kyle Snyder, who lost to arch-rival Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) by 6-0 in the final, and a bronze-medal performance from J’Den Cox at 92 kg, defeating Andril Vlasov (UKR), by 11-0.

The U.S. men won medals in seven of the 10 Freestyle classes and finished second to Russia (eight medals) in the team standings by 173-168.

The women’s Freestyle division is underway, with Kayla Miracle winning silver at 62 kg, losing to Aisuluu Tynybekova (KGZ) in the final, 7-0. Jenna Burkert won a bronze at 55 kg, out-scoring India’s Pinki Pinki, 5-2.

The Championships continue through Sunday with the women’s Freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman divisions.

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LANE ONE: Salt Lake City organizers to visit IOC in November, in talks with LA28 and USOPC to smooth way for 2030 bid

By
Rich Perelman
-

“We’re ready. … I want to make sure that we convey that message that we’re ready. We’re ready to move forward and we’re ready to see this happen.”

That Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games Board Chair Catherine Raney Norman, speaking to reporters during a Tuesday morning briefing that underscored the very real possibility that the 2030 Olympic Winter Games – or perhaps 2034 – could be awarded to Salt Lake by early 2022 at the latest.

Raney Norman and bid President and Chief Executive Fraser Bullock – chief operating officer of the highly successful 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City – went over the Governing Board meeting held online earlier in the morning and answered questions. Key highlights:

● A small delegation from the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee will visit with the International Olympic Committee in Europe during the week of 29 November.

● Discussions are continuing on the main issue that would prevent a 2030 bid: interference with the marketing of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Bullock explained that “the analysis has largely been completed and we’re now sharing that with the USOPC” and with regard to working with the LA28 organizers:

“How do we potentially collaborate with them – because if you have back-to-back Games, both sides want to be involved – but in every case, not hurting L.A.’s hosting of the Games, in fact, enhancing them. …

“I’ve had dialogues with [Chair] Casey Wasserman and with [CEO] Kathy Carter and others [at LA28]. And I always start out the conversation saying that our no. 1 priority is the success of L.A. And we believe that, we support that, so anything we do has to start with that in mind.

“And they get that, they understand our support and they’re tracking closely what we’re doing.”

● Bullock also confirmed that Salt Lake City has no plans to build any new sites at all:

“We’re in the fortunate position of every venue is in place. Even though there are 40% new events, we can fit them into our existing infrastructure, which is just amazing. And in fact, many of our venues – especially non-competition venues – have taken a leap forward.

“I mean, our new airport – are you kidding me? – wow! And then the village at the University of Utah, you go look at that and see the enhancements that have been made there for the athlete experience, and then Rice-Eccles Stadium added the new area in the south end zone, which is off-the-charts.

“Our transportation infrastructure is better, so in every way, we’re stronger, we’re even more prepared, but all of the competition venues: they’re there, we have everything we need.”

Bullock also emphasized that discussions with venue owners to finalize basic commitments for the Games are well underway and are hoped to be completed by the end of the year. Agreements to reserve the required 24,000 hotel rooms for broadcasters, media, officials, sponsors and suppliers are being sought and are expected to be completed prior to the IOC meetings.

All of this points to a potent bid – a written version of which is underway – that could lead to a “targeted dialogue” with the IOC for 2030 as soon as the IOC Session in Beijing in February 2022. This would be consistent with the IOC’s strike-when-you-can approach to the 2032 Olympic Games with Brisbane, Australia. Or the IOC could wait until later in 2022.

Bullock focused on the USOPC making a designation for 2030 or 2034:

“Personally, I’m hopeful we can get a decision by end-of-year, but if it goes beyond that, we understand. We understand the primary focus is Beijing and we support that.”

The forthcoming discussions with the IOC staff and the Future Hosts Commission for the Winter Games will help decide that.

Neither Raney Norman or Bullock discussed any further details of a possible budget for a 2030 or 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Games, although it was on the Governing Board agenda. It’s not hard to guess that with Milan Cortina budget forecast at $1.7 billion U.S. for 2026 that the Salt Lake target will be in the vicinity of $2.1 billion.

The IOC’s Host City Contract for 2026 includes payments of $652 million in cash and another $273 million of in-kind services, including host broadcasting ($925 million total). The 2030 agreement should be considerably higher, since the IOC is now in the process of taking over most of the ticketing and hospitality functions of the Games. The 2002 organizers realized about $1.4 billion in marketing revenues.

Back in June, Bullock explained the Committee in an open session about the 2030 vs. 2034 issue vs. the LA28 Games:

“The disadvantage is really just the economics of domestic sponsorship revenue, but we think there’s a strategy to address that.” It appears that this is being solved, if not resolved already. It’s not hard to see the possibilities, such as extensions of LA28-USOPC sponsorships to cover the 2028-30 time frame and then allowing Salt Lake City to pursue full sponsorships of endemic winter categories, for example, snow and ice sport-related equipment, apparel and services.

Both Raney Norman and Bullock emphasized the wide enthusiasm across Utah for the return of the Winter Games, with Bullock pointing to “having unified support is another distinctive element to our bid preparation.”

That’s a key distinction for Salt Lake City vis-a-vis the political turmoil in Spain over the bid from Barcelona and the Pyrenees, the questions about costs that will be raised in Japan over the Sapporo bid for 2030, the security and funding issues in new-to-the-table Ukraine and what the costs will be for Vancouver, site of the successful 2020 Games. The IOC knows all about this.

Salt Lake City shows ready and it will respectfully make a forceful presentation in late November with the IOC. Look for a USOPC announcement of a bid for 2030 in December and then you’ll know the IOC is ready to play ball.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

HEARD AT HALFTIME: NWSL cancels weekend matches, commissioner resigns; USA Gymnastics settlement plan 75% funded; Dake strikes wrestling gold

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡
National Women’s Soccer League in turmoil 

A stunning turn of events led to the postponement of all five weekend matches in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as the players reacted to a report posted last Thursday by The Athletic of allegations of “of sexual coercion spanning multiple teams and leagues since 2010” by now-former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley.

Riley denied the accusations, but the NWSL Players Association tweeted on Friday:

“Yesterday was a profoundly painful day for us, as players, and so many. For many players, the pain gas stretched across years …

“Last night, we made the difficult decision to ask NWSL to postpone this weekend’s games to give players space to process this pain.”

The league agreed, posting:

“The National Women’s Soccer League announced today that given the gravity of the events of the last week, matches scheduled for this weekend will not occur.”

But that was only the beginning:

● NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird, who served as the head of marketing for the United States Olympic Committee from 2009-18 and was hired by the NWSL in February 2020, resigned on Friday. Her recruitment was considered a major success for the league to increase its finances and profile.

● NWSL legal counsel Lisa Levine, who came from the U.S. Soccer Federation, also left.

● On Sunday, the NWSL Board of Governors appointed a team of former Commissioner Amanda Duffy, Angie Long and Sophie Sauvage to handle league management until new leadership is named.

● The U.S. Soccer Federation, which has strongly supported the NWSL’s finances, tweeted Friday that it “will immediately launch an independent investigation” and on Sunday tweeted that Sally Q. Yates, an Atlanta-based partner of King & Spalding LLP, would lead the inquiry. She is a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Attorney General.

● FIFA posted a notice Friday that “FIFA’s judicial bodies are actively looking into the matter and have opened a preliminary investigation” and emphasized that “anyone found guilty of misconduct and abuse in football shall be brought to justice, sanctioned and removed from the game.”

The accusations against Riley came after a 29 September firing of Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke (GBR) for harassment, the 31 August firing of Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly (IRL) “for cause” and OL Reign coach Farid Benstiti (FRA)’s departure on 2 July for “inappropriate comments” to one or more players. Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue left the club on 9 July, “fired for violations of the league’s Anti-harassment policy.”

That’s five people from five different clubs – half the league – in the last three months.

Now in its eighth season, the NWSL schedule continues through the end of October, with playoffs in November. Regular-season games are shown online on Paramount+ and Twitch; the playoffs are scheduled to be shown on the CBS Sports Network with the final on CBS.

Comment: This is likely only the beginning of inquiries into abuse in football, not just in the U.S., but with FIFA’s involvement, this could spread to many other countries. Watch not only for the facts uncovered by Yates, but reports of abuse at clubs in other countries that will inexorably be drawn into the discussion.

Horrifying? Yes. More sordid details to come? Yes. Will this overshadow play on the field for the rest of the season? To some extent. Could the league fold? Possibly.

Best possible outcome: NWSL management, the Players Association and U.S. Soccer working together to keep the league alive. That will not be easy, but it is essential; fans of U.S. women’s football remember all too well that four women’s national professional leagues folded before the NWSL formed as the fifth entity in 2013.

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Athletics ● The International Olympic Committee and the Athletics Integrity Unit jointly announced a formal investigation into the incident involving sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (BLR), who criticized the team’s coaches and was ordered home. She instead sought refuge with Japanese police at the airport and was eventually provided with a humanitarian visa by Poland.

Belarusian coaches Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich had their accreditations revoked by the IOC in Tokyo and both were sent home. The inquiry will focus on their behavior and the instructions they were given. The Belarus NOC is already under scrutiny by the IOC for political interference from its government.

Kyodo News reported Saturday that the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) has proposed Tokyo’s National Stadium as the site for the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Tokyo hosted the 1991 Worlds in Tokyo at the old National Stadium, used for the 1964 Olympic Games. The deadline for submissions was 1 October, with the decision to be made by next March.

The cost of the event will likely be around $90 million, which will be an issue in the aftermath of the 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games, but having more major events in Tokyo will be a welcome tourism bonus after the spectator-free Games.

There has much speculation that the 2025 Worlds might go to Africa, specifically Nairobi (KEN). But there would be much goodwill associated with a Tokyo Worlds in 2025 and the 2027 Worlds could be held in Africa.

● Football ● The swirl around FIFA’s study of changing the World Cup cycle from every four years to every two years continues to churn harder and harder. In response, the football confederations for Europe (UEFA) and South America (CONMEBOL) – with the leading national teams in the sport – are making moves toward closer cooperation.

The two announced a match between Italy and Argentina, the winners of this year’s Euro 2020 and Copa America titles to be held in 2022 and a direct working relationship:

“The agreement reached by the two organisations currently covers three editions of this match between the respective continental winners, and also includes the opening of a joint office in London, which will be in charge of coordinating projects of common interest.”

It’s not hard to see the two powerhouses working together more and more, – including their stated opposition to the biennial World Cup idea – and ignoring the other confederations in the Americas (CONCACAF), Asia, Africa and Oceania.

As ordered by the Madrid Commercial Court no. 17, UEFA has ended its disciplinary proceedings against the three unrepentant European Super League club founders – FC Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid – but is fully active in trying to reinstate them, including:

“UEFA has filed a motion for the recusal of the judge presiding over the current proceedings as it believes there are significant irregularities in these proceedings. In line with Spanish law – and in the fundamental interests of justice – UEFA fully expects the judge in question to immediately stand aside pending the full and proper consideration of this motion.

“Further, UEFA shall also be making a formal appeal to a higher court, the Provincial Court of Madrid (Court of Appeal).”

There continues to be widespread concern over the Super League concept and UEFA is determined to kill it, but it will be a long road through multiple courts to untangle the legal ties that still bind the 12 clubs who initially agreed on it together.

CONCACAF confirmed the schedule, venues and times for the October and November matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament. Five games will be played by each team with the U.S. schedule including:

● 07 Oct.: Jamaica at U.S. in Austin, Texas
● 10 Oct.: U.S. at Panama in Panama City
● 13 Oct.: Costa Rica at U.S. in Columbus, Ohio

● 12 Nov.: Mexico vs. U.S. in Cincinnati, Ohio
● 16 Nov.: U.S. at Jamaica in Kingston

The U.S. went 1-0-2 in the September matches; for the full schedule of games and times, click here.

● Gymnastics ● In advance of Monday’s hearing on the proposed Disclosure Statement for the re-organization plan in the USA Gymnastics case before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, another insurer has joined in agreement with the distribution plan.

Great American Assurance Company, which had $41,287,985 in coverage outstanding, has agreed to be part of the settlement plan put forward by USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Survivors’ Committee. Only TIG Insurance Company, with listed exposure of $106,201,818 – or 25% of the targeted $425 million total – has not agreed so far.

The new plan documents show TIG to have 18 claims against it.

Having all but one (very large) insurer as part of the settlement agreement is a strong argument for the plan to be approved, but there are technical objections to it which will be heard on Monday. No allocation plan of who would get how much money has been filed yet.

● Luge ● Olympic silver medalist Chris Mazdzer suffered a broken right foot during pre-season training runs at the 2014 Olympic sliding track near Sochi, Russia, last week.

He hit a chunk of ice while on a run and had multiple injuries to the foot, causing him to return to the U.S. Mazdzer is also part of the U.S.’s top Double team with Jayson Terdiman, meaning that both entries at the Beijing Games could be in jeopardy depending on how Mazdzer’s recovery comes along.

● Weightlifting ● More bad news for a sport which does not need it, with two major doping sanctions announced by the International Testing Agency, which is now handling doping control for the International Weightlifting Federation.

On Thursday (30th), the ITA issued an eight-year sanction against Boyanka Minkova (AZE), winner of the 2021 European Championship in the women’s 59 kg division. She was tested at the Euros in April and tested positive for the steroid stanozolol. As she was previously sanctioned from 2016-18 after a re-test of her London 2012 sample – and then came back to win the 2021 Europeans – she now gets an eight-year ban, that began on 10 May 2021.

On Friday (1st), former Thai weightlifting federation team doctor and coach Ling Niu was banned for life by the ITA after being linked to doping positives from 10 different Thai athletes competing at the 2018 IWF World Championships and the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. Per the ITA:

“[A]ll 10 athletes stated that the source of the prohibited substances in their respective samples was though a pain-relieving gel administered directly and/or given to them” by him.

The European Weightlifting Federation Congress met in Finland and produced a no-confidence vote against interim president Maxim Agapitov of Russia by 29-4, with an Extraordinary Congress to be held as soon as possible to elect a successor.

Agapitov has been a center of controversy, as the International Olympic Committee revoked his accreditation from the Tokyo Games due to a doping sanction during his competitive career. Agapitov appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and won, leading to a change in the Olympic Charter to clarify the IOC’s absolute authority over who is accredited for the Games.

The IOC has further noted its unhappiness that Agapitov is a member of the IWF Executive Board and has stated that the continued presence of individuals who were part of the IWF governance structure while corruption and fraud were going on at the federation will be a factor in determining whether the sport continues on the Olympic program.

The EWF hurt the sport’s cause further by stating that Dr. Hasan Akkus (TUR) “can come back before Congress and continue with president position.” He had stepped down after an ITA report charged him with a doping violation in June; if he re-assumes the presidency of the IWF, the IOC will certainly take notice.

≡ SCOREBOARD ≡

● Archery ● Just three days after the closure of the 2021 World Championships came the World Archery World Cup Final, also held in Yankton, South Dakota.

The men’s Recurve final was an all-U.S. affair, with Jack Williams upsetting 2019 World Champion Brady Ellison, 6-5 in a sixth end shoot-off, where Williams shot 10 to Ellison’s 9. Olympic champ Mete Gazoz (TUR) won the bronze.

Germany took two medals in the women’s competition, with 2016 Olympic silver winner Lisa Uhruh winning the final over Elena Osipova (RUS) in a shoot-off, 6-5, with both shooting 10s in the sixth end, but with Unruh closer to the center. Michelle Kroppen (GER) won the bronze, also 6-5 in a shoot-off Deepika Kumari (IND) with a 9-6 edge on the final arrow.

● Athletics ● Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma and Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei powered to wins at the London Marathon, winning in impressive times of 2:04:01 and 2:17:43, respectively.

Lemma made his definitive move at 24 miles to distance himself from Vincent Kipchumba (KEN: 2:04:28) and Mosinet Gerenew (ETH: 2:04:41). It was Lemma’s second-fastest time ever and ranks him no. 3 on the 2021 world list (and Kipchumba, no. 5).

Jepkosgei broke away after 22 miles and crushed an excellent field. Her 2:17:43 moves her to no. 7 all-time and is the world-leading mark for 2021 by almost two minutes, and Degitu Azimeraw (ETH: 2:17:58), Ashete Bekere (ETH: 2:18:18), world-record holder Brigid Kosgei (KEN: 2:18:40) and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR: 2:18:54) rank 2-3-4-5 for the year.

American star Shalane Flanagan, 40, continued on her quest to run all six World Marathon Majors within seven weeks and all under 3:00, finishing 19th in the women’s division in 2:35:04. Next up: Chicago and Boston back-to-back on 10-11 October next week!

Tokyo Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Kalkidan Gezahegne (BRN) grabbed a win and the world record at The Giants Geneva 10 km in Switzerland on Sunday (3) in 29:38.

That lowered Joyciline Jepkosgei’s 29:43 mark from Prague (CZE) in 2017. Kenyan Agnes Tirop was well back in second in 30:20, with Celliphine Chespol (KEN) third in 30:28.

The men’s division was won by world Half Marathon record-holder Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) in 26:51, ahead of fellow Kenyans Felix Kipkoech (26:57) and Boniface Kibiwott (27:13).

● Badminton ● China defended its title in the 17th edition of the BWF Sudirman Cup for mixed teams in Vantaa (FIN).

It was China’s 12th win in the series, defeating Japan, 3-1, in the final. China’s Yuqi Shi defeated world no. 1 Kento Momota (JPN) in three sets in the men’s final, while Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi defeated Olympic champ Yufei Chen in straight sets in the women’s singles.

● Cycling ● Italy’s Sonny Colbrelli, 31, won the biggest race of his career in the 118th edition of a rainy and muddy Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, outsprinting Florian Vermeersch (BEL) and Mathieu van der Poel (NED) in the final 100 meters of the 257.7 km ride.

All three were timed in 6:01:57, with only Gianni Moscon (ITA) anywhere close, finishing 44 seconds behind the leaders. The conditions were so bad that only 96 of the original 173 starters finished within the time limit and 67 did not finish at all.

British star Lizzie Deignan won the women’s division on Saturday, breaking away from the peloton on a solo attack from 81 km from the finish on the 116.4 km route. She won by an impressive 1:17 in 2:56:07. Marianne Vos (NED) was second and Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini (+1:47) was third.

● Equestrian ● The FEI Nations Cup Final in Jumping concluded in Barcelona (ESP), with the Netherlands winning for the third time in the last seven editions.

Using the best three of four scores, the Dutch compiled a perfect final round with 0 penalties, to edge defending champs Ireland (1) and Belgium (4). The U.S. finished fifth. Maikel van der Vleuten, Willem Greve and Harrie Smolders each had perfect rides for the winners; the Dutch victors shared the first-place prize of €417,000 (about $483,321)!

● Swimming ● A busy weekend in the water, with the start of the FINA World Cup series in Berlin (GER), in a short-course (25 m) pool.

In the men’s competition, Australia’s Matthew Sales took four events: the 200 m Free and the 100-200-400 m Medleys! Kyle Chalmers (AUS) won the 50-100 m Frees and a silver in the 200 m Free. Germany’s Christian Diener won the 50-100-200 m Backstrokes and Arno Kamminga (NED) took the 50-100-200 m Breaststrokes. American Tom Shields won the 50-100 m Butterfly events.

Australia’s Emma McKeon won the women’s 50 and 100 m Freestyles; Dutch star Kira Toussaint took the 50 and 200 m Backstrokes, and Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) tripled in the 50-100 m Breast and 100 m Medley. Americans Cavan Gormsen won the women’s 800 m Free and Tess Howley won the 200 m Fly.

The 11th match of ISL season three was a play-in match for the ISL playoffs, with four teams competing for two slots. D.C. Trident (USA) and Iron (HUN) moved on, scoring 506.0 and 497.0 points, ahead of the New York Breakers (388.5) and Tokyo (385.5).

Dutch sprint star Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Iron) won the women’s 100 m Free and 50 m Fly; Australian Brendon Smith took the men’s 400 m Free and 400 m Medley.

The playoffs will start on 11 November.

● Wrestling ● The UWW World Championships are on in Oslo (NOR), with American Kyle Dake scoring his third career World Championship gold in the men’s Freestyle 74 kg final.

Dake stopped 2019 World bronze medalist Tajmuraz Salkazanov (SVK), 7-3, in the final for his first 74 kg gold; he had won twice previously at 79 kg.

The U.S. men also won two silvers on the first day of finals, with Daton Fix losing in the 61 kg final to Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS), 4-1, and Iran’s Hassan Yazdani defeating David Taylor in a re-match of the Olympic final – won by Taylor – by a 6-2 score.

American Nick Gwiazdowski finished fifth at 125 kg, losing in his bronze-medal match with two-time World Champion Taha Akgul (TUR), 6-4.

Americans Tom Gilman (57 kg) and Jordan Burroughs (79 kg) advanced to the gold-medal finals in their classes for Monday, with J’Den Cox to wrestle for bronze at 92 kg. Burroughs is going for his fifth career World Championships gold.

The Worlds continue all this week, with the women’s Freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman tournaments to come.

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

THE BIG PICTURE: McLaren Report confirms corruption in boxing judging in Rio 2016; more inquiries to be made into AIBA’s past

By
Rich Perelman
-

“AIBA has had a long history of match manipulation and corruption.”

That’s a bad way to start a 152-page finding into match fixing at the 2016 Rio Games, but the McLaren Global Sport Solutions report, Independent Investigation of the AIBA Boxing Competitions Prior to and During the Rio Olympic Games 2016, pulls no punches (pun intended):

“The same allegation has been raised consistently – outcomes of bouts have been manipulated because of the specific [referees and judges] assigned to them. In response to the shackles of the legacy of corruption and manipulation, over the years AIBA has continually made changes to the rules governing appointments of R&Js, R&J evaluation system, and boutscoring. However, these reforms have done little to eliminate allegations of R&J manipulation. …

“First and foremost, the problem is the personnel carrying out the duties of AIBA. The formal rules were not applied, and senior level personnel usurped powers to themselves. They used this institutionalised structure to manipulate poorly trained R&Js who wanted little more than the intangible benefits of being recognized in their own right as such and the accompanying tangible benefits of travel, status, and prestige they did not have with their regular day jobs. The fact that they were not well trained and frequently come from modest backgrounds enabled them to be preyed upon by those who had corrupt motives.”

The major findings described an organized crime regime, straight out of the 1920s:

● “A system for the manipulation of bouts by officials existed at Rio.”

● “The qualifying competitions along the route to participation in Rio in 2016 were the
practise ground for the corruption and manipulation of bouts at Rio.”

● “The manipulation methodology relied upon corruption within the cadre of corrupted R&Js
and the Draw Commission.”

● “Vital to the success of the corruption was the connivence, approval and complicit acknowledgement and support of these activities by the Executive Director and the President. The permanent paid staff worked in a command and obey environment where power was concentrated in the Executive Director and exercised on behalf of the President.”

● “Bouts were manipulated for money, perceived benefit of AIBA, or to thank National
Federations and their Olympic committees, and, on occasion, hosts of competitions for their financial support and political backing. The investigation to date has concluded that such manipulation involved significant six figure sums on occasion. The evidence the [McLaren team] found is thought to be the tip of the iceberg.”

● “The President C.K. Wu bears ultimate responsibility for the failures of officiating at Rio and the qualifying events. He was supported by his Executive Director at Rio who were key
actors in organising the field of play to allow the manipulation to flourish.”

The study identified nine bouts that were suspicious beyond two that were talked about as shams in news reports at the time of the Rio Games. There was not enough time to check on all matches and more problems may be found.

“The people are the problem,” says the report, noting that disciplinary action may be warranted against Wu (TPE), then-Executive Director Karim Bouzidi (FRA) and some of the referees and judges.

McLaren was only engaged last June to work on this report, using a 10-person staff to investigate and compile the findings. Unfortunately, many potential witnesses “refused to come forward publicly for fear of reprisal, threat to personal security, or loss of employment opportunities among other reasons. Surprisingly, even those who were no longer part of the organisation, either as staff or appointed, felt comfortable to share their evidence only in confidence.”

The report specified that corruption and manipulation took place at all stages of the competition process: the draw that created the matches, selection of the referees and judges and in the refereeing and judging of actual bouts. One example: “at the 2015 Men’s Amateur Championships in Bangkok where Uzbek judge, Sherzod Akhmedov, gave multiple bribes of 5,000 USD, concealed in toothpaste tubes or something similar to six other 3 star R&Js. This was reported and the money returned.”

This had gone on during Wu’s term as President at least as far back as 2011 and involved the then-Executive Director, Ho Kim (KOR). Bribes, attempted bribes, helping boxers from countries which support AIBA financially were all part of the program. One approach to fix a bout in Rio for as much as $250,000 was reported.

AIBA posted a statement that included:

“Prof. McLaren was appointed by AIBA as part of the recognition by the current AIBA leadership that governance, sporting integrity and financial integrity were not previously satisfactory and that there was a need for reform. Prof. McLaren will investigate not only the Rio 2016 boxing tournament but also all key events till now to reach full transparency.”

AIBA President Umar Kremlev (RUS) added, “AIBA hired Professor McLaren because we have nothing to hide. We will work to incorporate any helpful recommendations that are made. We will also take legal advice with regard to what action is possible against those found to have participated in any manipulation. There should be no place in the AIBA family for anyone who has fixed a fight.”

This report was only the beginning. It was noted that “the full reports of the subsequent Stages will be provided in November 2021 and March 2022 in accordance with the terms of reference. The subsequent stages will involve a broad investigation to identify possible acts of corruption, mismanagement of funds, manipulation of results of elections or the like by AIBA in past and current administrations. The objective of all three stages is to enable AIBA to learn from its past.”

There is a lot of learning to do.

None of this helps AIBA’s standing with the International Olympic Committee, which ran the Tokyo 2020 tournament itself. It has to decide whether AIBA is reformable, start all over with a new international federation or just eliminate boxing from the Olympic program for Paris and beyond. It has its own inquiry ongoing, but the decision will need to come within the next few months.

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THE TICKER: Beijing 2022 to only allow Chinese spectators; China’s ice hockey team may be kicked out; Biles says she should have quit before Tokyo

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The wrap-up of the 2020 Games is well underway now, with Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto telling reporters on Tuesday that total costs for the Games would be reported in 2022, but with a possible early estimate in December.

The total number of individuals within the “bubble” environment for the Olympic and Paralympic Games who were hospitalized for Covid-19 was 25, not the five reported during the Games. The original total was for “overseas residents” while the larger total included Japanese residents and overseas visitors who were hospitalized after completing their required quarantine.

It’s still an incredibly low figure against a total of more than 100,000 people who were involved in the Games, including 70,000 volunteers.

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● The Beijing 2022 organizers, in coordination with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, released a first set of guidelines for the February event:

● “All athletes and Games participants who are fully vaccinated will enter the closed-loop management system upon arrival. Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing.” Exemptions for specific medical reasons will be considered.

● “From 23 January until the end of the Paralympics, a closed-loop management system will be implemented to ensure the safe delivery of the Games. This closed-loop management system will cover all Games-related areas, including arrival and departure, transport, accommodation, catering, competitions, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Within the closed loop, participants will be allowed to move only between Games-related venues for training, competitions and work.”

Daily testing for Covid is to be expected.

● “Tickets will be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland, who meet the requirements of the COVID-19 countermeasures.”

As with Tokyo, guests will be highly limited and “optimised to focus on essential aspects of Games delivery.”

The elimination of foreign spectators “had to be put in place in order to ensure the safe holding of the Games this winter.” No indication of how many home spectators will be allowed in the venue was announced.

More details are to come in October, but none of these measures are surprises.

Newly-elected International Ice Hockey Federation chief Luc Tardif (FRA) raised the prospect that the host country’s men’s ice hockey team may not be allowed to complete at the Beijing Winter Games. Tardif told Agence France Presse:

“This question really arises for the men’s team, not for the women’s team. There are going to be games for the China team that will be overseen by an IIHF official and a decision will be made afterwards.

“Watching a team being beaten 15-0 is not good for anyone, not for China or for ice hockey.”

China competes in the IIHF Division II, which is the third-tier grouping in world ice hockey, behind the Championship Division and Division I. It has never placed higher than 15th in the World Championships rankings and never higher than 26th in this century.

If China is displaced – a decision is expected in October – then Norway is the likely replacement, currently 11th in the IIHF world rankings.

This is a surprise, but Tardif is quite right that the Chinese men’s team would be embarrassed playing against Canada, Russia, the U.S. and the other top teams.

● Athletics ● The London Marathon comes Sunday, with strong fields, including six of the top 19 all-time in the men’s race:

● Birhanu Legese (ETH: 2:02:48 ‘19)
● Mosinet Geremew (ETH: 2:02:55 ‘19) ~ 2019 London runner-up
● Titus Eriku (KEN: 2:02:57 ‘21)
● Evans Chebet (KEN: 2:03:00 ‘20)
● Sisay Lemma (ETH: 2:03:36 ‘19 )
● Kinde Atanaw (ETH: 2:03:51 ‘19)

All three medalists from 2020 are back: champion Shura Kitata (ETH: 2:04:49 ‘18), Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba (silver) and Lemma, the bronze medalist.

The women’s field starts with world-record holder Brigid Koskei (KEN: 2:14:04 ‘19) and includes Lonah Salpeter (ISR: 2:17:45 ‘20), Roza Dereje (ETH: 2:18:30 ‘19), Birhane Dibaba (ETH: 2:18:35 ‘20) and Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN: 2:18:40 ‘20). That’s five of the top 15 all-time.

Kosgei will be going for her third straight London win, after finishing second in 2018. Dereje was the bronze medalist in 2019.

The race will be streamed like by FloSports and is not on U.S. broadcast television.

● Cycling ● Retired German road racer Bjorn Thurau was hardly a star during his career from 2005-19, with a best major-race finish of 11th in a stage of the 2015 Criterium du Dauphine. But on 22 September, he was hit with a 9 1/2-year ban and a nullification of all of his results since December 2010.

The German national anti-doping agency found anti-doping violations that included “the use or attempted use of prohibited substances and methods, possession of prohibited substances or methods, placing on the market or attempting to market prohibited substances and administration or attempt to administer prohibited substances.”

Thurau retired in 2019 and has not contested the sanctions, which ban him from the sport until age 42. The sanctions show that you don’t have to be a star to be involved with doping.

● Gymnastics ● American superstar Simone Biles was profiled in The Cut, sharing her difficult time with the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games from 2020 to 2021. She shared her Tokyo competition problems in detail, but also:

“If you looked at everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team.

“I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years. It was too much. But I was not going to let him take something I’ve worked for since I was 6 years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.”

Biles had been clear that the postponement was a major issue for her and that she was ready to be done with the sport after 2020. Now she is headlining a 27-stop post-Olympic “Gold Over America” tour which is built around her; only she knows if there will be more gymnastics in her future.

● Modern Pentathlon ● The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) certified its candidates for its November elections on Tuesday and Dr. Klaus Schormann (GER) will stand unopposed for an eighth term. He has been the President since 1993.

American John Helmick will run unopposed for another term as Treasurer.

The issue of horse welfare continues to be a headline concern for the federation, after German Annika Schleu was unable to get Saint Boy to jump during the Tokyo competition, eliminating Schleu from any medal possibilities. Questions of cruelty to the horse were raised and the incident is being investigated. Schormann wrote in a long post on the UIPM Web site:

“The issues that arose during the Riding competition of the Women’s Final in Tokyo demanded swift and significant reflection and remedy. Within days, the UIPM had introduced new measures to improve horse welfare in our sport. A working group of the foremost experts has since been established and has set about exploring and addressing both the incidents during the Women’s Final and the proposed changes.

“As much as the incidents themselves were tough for our sport, the process of listening, learning and evolving and adapting to meet not just the moment but all those to come has been a positive experience. As I said at the time, UIPM remains fully committed to Riding as an integral part of the Modern Pentathlon based on the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin and we look forward to doing so in an even safer, more secure way.”

● Rugby Sevens ● The pandemic reduced the 2021 men’s World Rugby Sevens Series to just two stops, in Vancouver and Edmonton, Canada, with South Africa wrapping up a sweep last weekend by defeating Great Britain, 24-12, in the final.

The Blitzboks won their fourth men’s series title (40 points) and their first since 2018. Britain finished second (34) with Kenya third (also 34). The U.S. men finished fifth (22).

● Swimming ● Five-time Olympic medalist Klete Keller, 39, pled guilty to a single felony charge related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021.

The statement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia stated his plea was to “obstruction of Congress.” He was charged on seven counts in his original indictments, but has agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors.

Reports have noted sentencing guidelines on the charge of 21-27 months in prison. A defendant with a similar plea to the riot accepted a sentence of eight months in prison.

Keller won Olympic golds on the 4×200 m Freestyle relays in 2004 and 2008, and World Championships golds in that event in 2005 and 2007.

● Wrestling ● In an ironic twist, Russia’s Bilyal Makhov was suspended for four years for anti-doping rules violations from 27 January 2020 by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

Makhov had been a beneficiary of doping by others. He was named as a co-gold medalist in the London 2012 Freestyle 120 kg class after both the original gold and silver medal winners were disqualified for doping in 2019. He had finished third.

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LANE ONE: Olympics haters still angry, but continue losing ground as hosting and sports interest keeps surging

By
Rich Perelman
-

The situation in Tokyo last April was a tough one for the Olympic organizers, amid rising coronavirus infection rates and a slow government response. A Kyodo News national poll showed 70% or more preferred that the Games be postponed again or canceled.

The Wall Street Journal posted a story headlined, “Tokyo’s Anti-Olympic Movement Asks: Why Haven’t the Games Been Canceled?” and included:

“Anti-Olympic activist Misako Ichimura might be expected to be buoyant. But just like the organizers of the Games, she’s feeling under pressure to deliver.

“‘Activists in Paris opposing the next summer Olympics have asked why we haven’t already been able to stop the Games given the situation here,’ she says.”

Ichimura had been protesting the Tokyo Games since it was awarded in 2013. And she got some help in early May as four-time Tokyo gubernatorial candidate Kenji Utsunomiya launched a change.org petition titled “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives.”

The petition garnered more than 200,000 signees in its first 50 hours online, but faded quickly after that. By the end of the Tokyo Games last month, it had 459,303 signatures and was forgotten in a metro area of 37.3 million.

And the Tokyo Olympic Games was held successfully, albeit without spectators, as was the Paralympic Games. Television ratings showed that more than 90% of the Japanese public watched at least some of the Games and the event dominated television viewing around the globe.

Bad news for Ichimura and the anti-Games protesters in Tokyo. There will be one more angry cry when the final costs of the Games are announced, possibly in December but more likely in 2022.

There is already a massive outcry about the selection of Beijing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February, given China’s horrific human-rights record, but the calls for boycotts by national teams has been muted given the experience of the 1976-80-84 Games which saw so many athletes miss their chance to participate. A diplomatic boycott is more likely, but as the event is being held in an authoritarian country, there is no doubt that it will be held as planned.

Next up will be Paris for 2024, Milan Cortina for the 2026 Winter Games, Los Angeles for 2028 and Brisbane for 2032. The host for the 2030 Winter Games has not yet been determined, but there are pretty good options in prior hosts Sapporo (1972: Japan) and Vancouver (2010: Canada) and possibly even Salt Lake City, Utah, which hosted in 2002. Ukraine has stated its interest in 2030 as well and there is a confused bid possibly coming from Spain – using Barcelona for ice events and holding the snow-based events in the Pyrenees – but there is a political tug-of-war ongoing there and a referendum to be held, possibly in 2022.

This is rather amazing.

The Olympic Movement was supposed to be dying, after the IOC membership voted 44-40 for Beijing over Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2015. Both candidates were dismal choices after Oslo (NOR) withdrew, and possible bids from Krakow (POL), Lviv (UKR) and Stockholm (SWE) blew up due to a lack of political support. Losses in referendums killed possible bids from Munich (GER) and St. Moritz and Davos (SUI).

And after the difficult, underfunded Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the Olympic obituary was being written.

But in that same year, the race for the 2024 Olympic Games got hot with serious bids from world-class cities such as Budapest, Los Angeles, Paris and Rome, leading to the award of the 2024 Games to Paris and 2028 to L.A. in 2017. Even Stockholm came back into the picture for the 2026 Winter Games, but lost to the Milan + Cortina d’Ampezzo bid from Italy.

And when the IOC’s bid process was changed from outright voting – with its long and troubled history of bribery and favors – to a more businesslike, less expensive, direct-selection process, howls were heard from multiple countries when Brisbane was targeted for 2032 and then confirmed this past summer … from potential bidders who were not chosen (and didn’t have a chance to waste millions on bids that would have gone nowhere).

Now, bids from Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey and others are all in the works for 2036 and later. The Olympic Movement looks to be quite alive.

None of this impresses the anti-Olympics folks, who charge on with criticisms of every aspect of the Games as a vile wrecker of cities, the environment and local, regional and national finances. Many of the complaints are not actually about the IOC itself or the competitions, but about the way the host cities or areas go about organizing the Games.

These local discussions are fully appropriate. How governments spend money and allocate resources are hot-button issues in democracies and dictatorships alike. But with the IOC’s reforms, notably the public posting of its Host City Contracts, detailing what it expects and what it will provide – $1.8 billion U.S. in cash and services for 2028, for example – the financial terms are much clearer. And the positions of anti-Games protesters, for example in Paris, are often not widely shared: one group has been trying – unsuccessfully – to stop the construction of more housing in a north Paris area which desperately needs it. The housing will initially be used for news media at the 2024 Games, then converted for local use thereafter.

Another sign of the vitality of the Olympic Games is the stampede to be part of it by sports around the world. There is no way that France’s Pierre de Coubertin, the driving force behind the creation of the modern Games, could have foreseen skateboarding, sport climbing or surfing as Olympic sports in Tokyo, or break dancing for Paris.

And for Los Angeles, these sports are asking to be in again, as are cricket, flying disc – which originated in Southern California – karate, mixed martial arts, sambo, parkour and many more.

There continue to be the occasional, silly stories that quote the same Olympics haters who say the Games are doomed, are a bad deal for host cities and should be eliminated. The expanding interest in hosting the Games today shows the critics remain in their private fantasyland; perhaps they should be required to pass a doping-control test before being quoted?

In the meantime, the IOC has stated that it has booked $4.1 billion in revenues for the 2029-32 quadrennial already and has been asking bid cities and organizing committees not to build facilities when existing solutions are available. It lost that argument on the sliding track in Cortina (it will be renovated as part of a regional family amusement center), and has noted that a proposed renovation of the area around the Brisbane Cricket Ground is a civic project that is not needed (or requested or required) for the 2032 Games.

Even Tokyo protestor Ichimura acknowledged in the Journal article last April that even if the Tokyo Games had been vaporized, “it wouldn’t be a decisive victory for the anti-Olympic movement.

“‘The odds of a cancellation have gone up but even if these Olympics are scrapped because of the pandemic, there will still be Beijing, Paris and others in the future.’”

Yes, there will. Get used to it.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

HEARD AT HALFTIME: “Coastal Rowing” coming to LA28?; Suriname V.P. plays in own club’s CONCACAF game at age 60; Goldschmidt new USSA chief

By
Rich Perelman
-
Yesss! American Casey Kaufhold's silver at the World Archery Championships breaks a 32-year U.S. medal drought! (Photo; World Archery)

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

● Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● The International Olympic Committee has long loathed the “Lightweight” rowing events in the Games and it appears that for 2028, they will be replaced.

The 2021 World Rowing Congress will be held online on 6 November, but most of the documentation and reports have now been published. President Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA) noted in his report that while a February 2020 proposal to dump the two Lightweight events in favor of open-water “coastal rowing” could not be implemented for Paris 2024, it could be looked on favorably for 2028.

The International Olympic Committee has been trying to eliminate the Lightweight events since at least 2017, and the coastal rowing events would maintain gender equity in the program and likely share facilities with the sailing venue, eliminating any additional sites.

This was moving forward for inclusion in the Paris 2024 program, but with the pandemic and a move by the Paris 2024 organizers to find €350 million (~$410 million U.S.) budget savings, it was shelved until 2028. Rolland noted the positive comments from IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell (NZL), who called the coastal rowing concept “a solid proposal which will need to be considered for future Games.”

The Congress documentation did not mention the discussions with LA28 about moving the rowing competition from the proposed Lake Perris State Recreation Area in Riverside County to the Long Beach Marine Stadium, site of the 1932 Games, but which would now require a short-course of 1,500 m instead of the usual 2,000 m.

● XXVI Olympic Winter Games: 2030 ● The Barcelona-Pyrenees bid for the 2030 Winter Games has seemed a little unsteady from the start, with a lack of coordination between the two host areas as well as between varying levels of governments.

A new push for a referendum on a Winter Games bid is being pushed now in the Pyrenees region, with a “Stop JJOO” group campaigning to have a vote set for a date certain. Its concerns are supposedly over a rise in housing costs if the Games come and more winter-sport tourism comes into the region.

A referendum is supposed to be held, but is not yet scheduled. In the meantime, the Spanish National Olympic Committee is in discussions with the IOC’s Future Hosts Commission about its bid, but the IOC appears to be in no hurry.

For 2030, there is interest from Sapporo, Japan, Vancouver in Canada, possibly Salt Lake City, Utah and the Ukraine, in addition to Spain.

● Archery ● The archery world came to Yankton, South Dakota for the 2021 World Championships, but it was South Korea that swept the Recurve division – five for five – for the first time ever; it won all four available events in 2009 (also in 1997 and 2005 and multiple times prior by the U.S.).

Woo-Jin Kim won his third men’s World Championships individual title by 7-3 in the final over Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida, after the Brazilian upset defending champ Brady Ellison of the U.S. in the semis by 6-4. Ellison defeated Olympic champ Mete Gazoz (TUR) in the bronze-medal match by 6-2.

Min-Hee Jang, a Tokyo Team gold medalist, won the women’s title by 6-0 in the final over American teen Casey Kaufhold. For the latter, it was still a mighty achievement: the first U.S. women’s individual Worlds medal since Denise Parker’s bronze in 1989! Kaufhold, 17, got to the final by defeating Olympic winner San An, 6-2, in her semi. An went on to win the Worlds bronze by 6-4 over Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia.

The team events went to Korea’s men by 6-0 as Kim, Je-Deok Kim and Jin-Hyek Oh defeated the U.S. trio of Ellison, Matt Nofel and Jack Williams. The Korean women – Jang, An and Chae-Young Kang defeated Mexico, 5-3. The Mixed Team title went to An and W-J Kim, 6-0 over Russia.

● Athletics ● /Updated/Ethiopian star Kenenisa Bekele wanted to challenge the marathon world record of 2:01:39 at Sunday’s Berlin Marathon, but ended up taking the bronze medal as countryman Guye Adola won in 2:05:45.

Adola, Bekele and Kenyan Philemon Kacheran appeared to be in a three-way battle for the win by 30 km, but Kacheran fell back and Kenya’s Bethwel Yegon came up to join the Ethiopians and then surged past Bekele into second by 35 km. Adola’s late push won the race, with Yegon at 2:06:14 and Bekele third (2:06:47).

Said Bekele, 39, afterwards: “I need some time to prepare, to be honest; I never take a long preparation for the marathon. Even two years ago, I prepared for three months. It’s not enough, I have to train for longer.” He cited the pandemic as an issue for this year’s race.

(Update: Thanks to reader Tom Feuer for noting this was not Adola’s debut! It was actually his fourth marathon; his lifetime best of 2:03:46 came in the 2017 Berlin race.)

The women’s winner was a first-time marathoner, Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase, who dominated the field and won by 1:14 in 2:20:09. Far behind were her countrywomen Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:21:23) and Helen Tola (2:23:05).

Next up is the London Marathon on 3 October, with Chicago on the 10th and Boston on the 11th! Semi-retired American star Shalane Flanagan, now 40, wants to run all six World Marathon Majors races this year as they are bunched together within 43 days; she finished 17th in Berlin at 2:38:32.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Some new stars emerged at the 2021 World Slalom Championships in Bratislava (SVK), with a couple of Olympic champions still making it to the top of the podium.

The men’s C-1 was won by Czech Vaclav Chaloupka, 23, who won by 92.02-92.17 over three-time silver medalist Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK). Franz Anton (GER), the 2018 World Champion, was third. Veteran Boris Neveu, 35, took his second World title in the K-1, beating Marcelo Beda (ITA), 83.92-87.75.

Britain’s Joe Clarke, the 2016 Olympic K-1 champ, won the Extreme Slalom title, important because the event will be included in the Paris 2024. It’s a more gimmicky, showy event in which – among other things – the riders get soaked by doing a roll-over in their boats.

German Elena Apel, 23, won her first World Championships medals, including gold in the women’s C-1, ahead of Mallory Franklin (GBR), who won her third Worlds C-1 silver, 99.03-99.34. Olympic champ Ricarda Funk (GER) won the K-1 in 94.80, well ahead of Apel (97.31).

Olympic C-1 winner Jessica Fox (AUS) won her eighth individual world title by taking the Extreme Slalom for the first time. She defeated Apel and American teen Evy Leibfarth, 17, who won her first Worlds medal!

● Cycling ● The UCI Road World Championships concluded in Belgium on Sunday with a brilliant second straight win in the men’s road race for France’s Julian Alaphilippe.

The lengthy, 268.3 km race cam down to a series of attacks by Alaphilippe, with 50 km to go and then three separate efforts to break away in the final 20 km. He succeeded and had only four riders anywhere close. He powered home with a win in 5:56:34, 32 seconds ahead of the chase pack. That sprint was won by Dylan van Baarle (NED), followed by Michel Valgreen (DEN), Jasper Stuyven (BEL) and American Nielson Powless in fifth.

The women’s road final was a surprise victory for 23-year-old Elisa Balsamo (ITA), who outran Dutch icon Marianne Vos, 34, to the line in 3:52:27 over the 157.7 km course.

The race was crowded into the final kilometer, with 17 riders in contention. But Italy was perfectly positioned with Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Marta Cavalli and then Elisa Longo-Borghini leading Balsamo up to the front, where she took the biggest win of her career.

Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma charged home third, one second back, with American Coryn Rivera 10th. Balsamo’s win was Italy’s first in this race since 2011 and ended a four-year won streak for the Dutch.

● Figure Skating ● The U.S. earned its third spots in the Olympic men’s and women’s figure skating competitions in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games thanks to emphatic wins over the weekend by Vincent Zhou and Alysia Liu at the ISU Challenger Series Nebelhorn Trophy event in Obertsdorf, Germany.

A total of 20 skaters earned Olympic quota places for Beijing, with seven spots for Men, six for Women, three for Pairs and four for Ice Dance.

Zhou was an easy winner, with the top scores in both the Short Program and Free Skate and totaling 283.23 points to 243.78 for France’s Adam Siao Him Fa. Liu, still just 16, posted a 207.40 total to win over Ekaterina Kurakova (POL: 193.58).

● Football ● This is a little hard to believe, but here goes:

Ronnie Brunswijk, the owner of the Inter Moengotapoe football club in Suriname, is also the Vice President of the country. Last Tuesday (21st), he inserted himself – at age 60 – into the lineup for Inter’s home game against CD Olimpia of Honduras in the first leg of a round-of-16 game in the CONCACAF League.

Olimpia won the game by 6-0, but Brunswijk became the first man to play in an international club match in his 60s, and also played on the field at the same as his son, Damian. The elder Brunswijk played for 54 minutes, but Damian only for 29 before being substituted out.

After the game, a shirtless Brunswijk was caught on video handing out money to the Olimpia players!

The matter caused a sensation and CONCACAF immediately began disciplinary actions. On Saturday, both clubs were removed from the league and Brunswijk was “banned for three years from participating in any capacity in CONCACAF competitions.”

The matter is still under investigation and more sanctions may be leveled, but this is fairly unbelievable. So far, no penalties against the Suriname national team.

● Ice Hockey ● After 27 years, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has a new President, with France’s Luc Tardif elected on Saturday to succeed Swiss Rene Fasel (SUI) at the IIHF Congress.

Tardif won a four-round election that took three hours thanks to some technical difficulties, finally defeating German Franz Reindel, 67-39.

No Americans were elected to the IIHF Council. Canadian Bob Nicholson was re-elected as Regional Vice President for the Americas.

Tardif will have his hands full with managing the Beijing 2022 tournament and the inclusion of NHL players, but beyond that he will have to figure out how to further grow the international game beyond its current structure and impact.

● Luge ● The World Anti-Doping Agency’s sanctions against Russia, as confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have caused the Federation Internationale de Luge (FIL) to rescind its award of the 2023 Natural Track World Championships in Moscow.

The FIL board, meeting in Salzburg (AUT), posted a short notice that included:

“The application of the Russian Luge Federation and the decision of the 69th FIL Congress on September 25 to host the World Championships on Natural Track 2023 in Moscow (RUS) is a violation of the CAS decision against Russia.”

A new location will be needed. At the same meeting, the 2025 World Championships (artificial track) was attributed to Whistler (CAN), the track used at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Whistler, site of the 2013 Worlds, was to be the site of the 2021 Worlds, but was unable to host due to the pandemic.

● Skiing ● The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) selected former World Surf League chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt as its new CEO.

She will replace Tiger Shaw on 18 October; Shaw is retiring after eight years as the head of one of the largest and most successful of all U.S. national federations. Goldschmidt has enjoyed a successful career at the Rugby Football Union, with the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) area, the Women’s Tennis Association and others.

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League held its ninth and 10th matches of its third season in Naples, Italy over the weekend, with Energy Standard (FRA) winning the first contest, 568.0-457.5 over the London Roar.

The match featured triple winners Evgeny Rylov (RUS: 50 Back Skins, 100-200 m Back), Ilya Shymanovich (RUS: 50-100-200 m Breast) and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who won the 100-200-400 m Freestyles.

Match 10 saw the Aqua Centurions (ITA) defeat Team Iron (HUN), 570-537. After the 10 events, Aqua, Toronto Titans, Energy Standard, London Roar, Cali Condors, and the L.A. Current are automatically qualified for the 8-team play-offs in November. Iron, Tokyo, D.C. Trident and the New York Breakers will compete in the play-in Match 11 for the final two spots.

Only Daiya Seto (JPN) won three events in the men’s competition, taking the 200 m Fly and the 200 and 400 m Individual Medley. In the women’s events, Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) won the 100 m Free and 50 m Fly Skins race; Czech Barbora Seemanova won the 200-400 m Frees and Japanese star Yui Osashi won the 400 m Medley and tied with Abbie Wood (GBR) in the 200 m Medley.

● Weightlifting ● The International Testing Agency issued sanctions against three Russian weightlifters for long-ago doping positives uncovered by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s intelligence team and data from the McLaren Reports and Moscow Laboratory data.

The three are Andrei Demanov, fourth in the 94 kg class at London 2012, but disqualified in 2016 for doping; Arsen Boraganov for a November 2013 doping positive and Aleksey Emelyaneko for a 2014 positive. Demanov was suspended for two years and Boraganov and Emelyaneko for four each.

● At the BuZZer ● USA Wrestling and the Stewards of the Living the Dream Medal Fund awarded six of the nine bonuses for Olympic performance that total $950,000 at a private ceremony in New York last week.

Founding Steward Mike Novagratz explained: “Dave [Barry] and I in ’09 thought we would inject some energy in the sport, put up a big-dollar prize out there for a gold medal, and try to draw a lot of people into the sport again.

“[Now] wrestlers get paid more than any other sport in the Olympics, so it makes us just a little more special. We thought we could do something to keep wrestlers excited but mostly to inject energy into the sport and it’s doing that.”

The six prizes awarded went to gold medalists David Taylor and Gable Steveson ($250,000 each); silver medalists Adeline Gray and Kyle Snyder ($50,000 each), and Kyle Dake and Sarah Hildebrandt ($25,000 each).

The Living the Dream Medal Fund has awarded a total of $3.7 million in bonuses to World and Olympic medalists from 2009 through the Tokyo Games.

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

LANE ONE: IOC-led “pivot to Africa” is real as UCI votes for 2025 Road World Championships to go to Rwanda

By
Rich Perelman
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Let’s be clear: FIFA planted the first flag of a major world championship on the African continent with the 2010 World Cup held in nine cities across South Africa. With an average of 46,670 fans per match and a stylish march to the trophy by Spain, it was a clear success – even with the vuvezelas – and the harbinger of more major events to come.

But not right away.

The biggest players in international sports – the International Olympic Committee and the big international federations – had no first-tier events in Africa in the remainder of the 2010s. Perhaps the closest was the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda in 2017.

But the 2020s are different.

On Friday, the 190th Congress of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) awarded its most important event, the Road World Championships, to Kigali, Rwanda for 2025.

The UCI revealed the sites for eight different championship events from 2022-27 at the Congress, with six in Europe, one in Canada and the Road Worlds in Rwanda. But this was a major step:

“The announcement that the 2025 UCI Road World Championships are awarded to the capital of Rwanda means this will be a first appearance in Africa of the UCI’s annual flagship event. It is a decisive step in the organisation of this historic event which featured among the major objectives of the UCI’s Agenda 2022.”

Said UCI President David Lappartient (FRA), who was re-elected by affirmation to a second term at the Congress:

“I welcome the attribution of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships to Kigali, in Rwanda. Staging our biggest annual event in Africa was one of our dreams.”

The event was going to Africa in any case, as the other bidder was Tangier, Morocco, which was encouraged to bid again in the future. Choosing Rwanda was controversial given its horrific human-rights past and continued concerns today, but the UCI also noted the strong public interest in the annual, eight-stage Tour du Rwanda, which was held for the 24th time in 2021.

This selection followed the initial step by FIFA, but also a major statement by the IOC in 2018, when it selected Dakar, Senegal was the site for the V Youth Olympic Games in 2022. Due to the pandemic, the IOC pushed the event back to 2026.

But the cycling folks will have them beat by a year, in 2025. And there are more events coming.

World Athletics has been showing more and more interest in Africa and especially in powerhouse Kenya as a site for its World Championships. And it got a partial rehearsal of a possible 2025 Worlds in Nairobi this year with the staging of the 958-athlete (but spectator-free) World U-20 Championships there in August at the Moi International Sports Centre. Further, the Kip Keino Classic invitational meet – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event – was held on 18 September and drew some strong American and European entries; Trayvon Bromell of the U.S. ran a world-leading 9.76 to win the men’s 100 meters.

Swimming and gymnastics? FINA is committed through 2027 for its World Aquatics Championships, while the Federation International de Gymnastique (FIG) has named its Artistic Worlds hosts only through 2023, so it might head to Africa in this decade.

More likely might be other big federations in the second tier of Olympic television revenue distribution, including basketball and volleyball. Cycling and football are already in; tennis is wedded to its four traditional major tournaments in Australia, France, Great Britain and the U.S.

But basketball’s FIBA has seen tremendous growth in its AfroBasket championship events and with the debut of the NBA-supported Basketball Africa League in 2021 – with the final held in Kigali – could the 2027 men’s World Cup, or the women’s World Cup in 2026 or 2030 – be held in Africa?

Volleyball’s men’s World Championships have generally been held in Europe or South America and the 2022 FIVB Worlds will be in Russia. The women’s Worlds will be in Poland and the Netherlands in 2022, so both 2026 and 2030 could be open to be held in Africa.

The UCI’s placement of its most important event of the year in the Rwandan capital of Kigali continues a noteworthy – and positive – trend toward placing events in cities which have reasonable tourism infrastructure as opposed to the highly-developed hospitality centers of Europe, North America and 3-4 countries in Asia.

Rwanda, located in the middle of the continent, just to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has a population of about 12.7 million, just a little more than metropolitan Los Angeles (about 12.4 million today).

Kigali itself is estimated at about 1.1 million people in 2021; why not hold a major world championship there when World Athletics is headed to Eugene, Oregon in 2022; the “metropolitan area” of Eugene-Springfield is just 382,971 per the 2020 U.S. Census!

So why would Rwanda be so interested in the UCI Road Worlds?

Exposure.

A fascinating section of the Rwanda Development Board annual report for 2020 noted that its “sleeve sponsorship” of the famed English Premier League team Arsenal:

● “41% of fans aware of the partnership are more likely to visit Rwanda, an increase from 35% in 2019

● “Among the 41%, sleeve branding continues to be the most influential factor

● “46% of those more likely to visit report promotional videos and the [Brazilian midfielder] David Luiz 2019 visit to Rwanda as a factor in this shift.”

From the Arsenal branding exercise, the Development Board review identified that potential visitors do not view Rwanda as being “safe” or “luxurious.” So:

“There is, therefore, an opportunity to emphasise the safety and luxury elements of the holiday experience in Rwanda in future activations.”

There you have it. The Development Board target for foreign investment in the pandemic year of 2020 was $1.5 billion (U.S.), and there are opportunities for a lot more. Who cares if there is modest local ticket revenue from the Cycling Worlds in 2025 if potential foreign  investors can be shown a positive business environment?

We are at the beginning of a fascinating era for international sport, and especially its mega-events, as players in the development of African business – by and for Africans – by bringing the attention of the business world to host cities and countries of major events which are highlights on the international sports calendar.

As the late Aretha Franklin put it in her monster 1985 hit, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who“?

Rich Perelman
Editor

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

THE BIG PICTURE: USOPC Chair Lyons says “entirely possible” that no spectators will be allowed for Beijing 2022

By
Rich Perelman
-

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Board chair Susanne Lyons indicated that spectator attendance at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games may be severely curtailed, owing to the continuing public health challenge in China due to Covid-19.

During a call with reporters following the latest USOPC Board meeting, Lyons explained:

“We did learn a lot of lessons particularly as it pertains to the Covid protocols and the like in Tokyo and I would be expecting that at a minimum we would be having similar types of Covid protocols in Beijing, if not even more. …

“In terms of friends and family, I don’t think there’s been an official announcement of any kind about spectators, but it is entirely possible that we will once again have a very limited attendance in Beijing of anyone outside of immediate, operational staff.”

The USOPC is estimating a team size of just about 300 athletes for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

USOPC Chief Executive Sarah Hirshland noted that there have been a couple of important, off-the-field achievements for U.S. athletes and their families. As for the inability for family and friends of team members to travel to Tokyo, “We were able to host more than 550 athlete friends and family to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, in Orlando and Colorado Springs, to really ensure that our community felt connected from afar. It was quite the celebration back here at home.” USOPC commercial partner Toyota was cited for its special assistance in this program.

This is planned to be done again for Beijing if travel is not allowed to the Games for international spectators.

She also highlighted the increase scope and success of the pilot Athlete Marketing Platform, operated in conjunction with the LA28 organizing committee through the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties group. More than 800 athletes have now enrolled, from 53 National Governing Bodies:

“Though this pilot program, athletes accepted more than 1,000 deals that put just over $2.6 million in Team USA athlete’s pockets, a really successful pilot start to this program. We’re excited to build upon it.” That’s an average of about $2,600 per agreement.

Hirshland also noted that the USOPC’s liberalization of Olympic Charter Rule 40, allowing individual athlete sponsors to congratulate their athletes during the Games, saw “430 brands submit creative, compared to only 160 in Rio.”

She emphasized that where in Rio, 99% of the submissions by athlete sponsors were for Olympic athletes and only 1% for Paralympians, “in Tokyo, that ratio was reduced to 9-to-1, demonstrating a huge shift in Paralympic athlete marketing campaigns.”

As for the American team in Tokyo, the USOPC saw a Covid infection rate of less than 0.5%; just two infections were reported during the Games period. With this week’s announcement of required vaccinations (subject to some minor exemptions), the USOPC is trying to eliminate this issue for Beijing as much as possible.

Hirshland noted that “there is strong support for this in our community, including endorsements from both our Athletes Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies Council.” Not much outside comment has come in yet, since the announcement is only days old, but as the mandate does not come into effect until November, there is time to hear from those who disagree.

Also:

● Olympic gold medalist and Nassar survivor Aly Raisman slammed USA Gymnastics, the USOPC and the U.S. Center for SafeSport during her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Lyons replied:

“It’s always very difficult to hear and relive the survivors’ pain, and we all very much were interested at what was said at that hearing last week. We still have tremendous empathy and support for the survivors of the Nassar situation. …

“It’s understandable that athletes would have anger towards the entire system that they believe failed them and we believe we have taken very significant measures over the last three years to try to address athlete safety and to ensure that something like this could never happen again.”

As to SafeSport specifically, Lyons noted that “they’re an independent organization; we are in dialogue with them on numerous issues, but we have not engaged with them specifically on Aly’s comments.”

● The USOPC has had no further communications from the International Olympic Committee regarding its inquiry into the Raven Saunders “protest” following the awards ceremony for the women’s shot put.

The IOC suspended its inquiry in the aftermath of the 3 August death of Saunders’ mother.

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THE TICKER: Paris 2024 coin program revealed; USA Gymnastics bankruptcy settlement getting closer; vote for the Sullivan Award!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The Monnaie de Paris – French Mint – announced its coin and collectibles program for the 2024 Olympic Games, with multiple items released on Tuesday (21st):

● A first-ever hexagonal coin – “reflecting the shape of France itself” – depicting a “running Marianne” on the obverse and the Eiffel Tower on the reverse in gold (€250 face value: 15,000 made) and silver (€10: 100,000 made).

● A series of €2 commemoratives for 2021-22-23-24, also depicting Marianne running; each will be offered in 100,000 Brilliant Uncirculated condition and 10,000 in Proof Quality.

● Medallions celebrating the Olympic and Paralympic Games, issued in 50,000 pieces for the Olympic version and 15,000 for the Paralympic edition at €9.50 each.

The Paris organizers noted that about 60 companies have or will have licenses to produce souvenir merchandise for the Games about 10,000 products to be offered in all.

● Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● Even though surfing and skateboarding aren’t yet on the program for the 2028 Games, the City of Huntington Beach unanimously passed a resolution to try and become the site for those two sports and the cycling BMX events.

BMX is already on the program and has been placed at the temporary Long Beach sports park facility; surfing and skateboarding would have to be proposed by LA28 and accepted by the IOC to be added to the Games. And Huntington Beach is far from the only interested area for these events.

● Games of the XXXVI Olympiad: 2036 ● There is considerable confusion in Madrid about intentions to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida (People’s Party) stated that the city is not bidding for the Games, after Vice Mayor Begona Villacis (Citizens Party) announced that it would.

A statement from the Mayor’s Office included:

“The City Council has not made the decision to formally present the candidacy for the Olympic Games in 2036.

“We have to be very cautious. There have been three candidatures (2012, 2016 and 2020) in which we have not obtained the seat and it is essential that we have a minimum guarantee of success and that only part of the unity of the institutions and the complicity with the people of Madrid.”

A 2030 Winter Games bid from Barcelona and the Pyrenees region is ongoing, but is also subject to conflict within the areas and with the Spanish government and Catalonia, where separatist politicians are suggesting the region could be independent by then.

Infighting is not likely to endear either bid to the International Olympic Committee.

● United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC posted a directive that requires Covid-19 vaccinations for all employees and for athletes competing for the U.S.

All USOPC employees must be vaccinated by 31 December; all new USOPC staff must be vaccinated by 1 November in order to start, and “By Dec. 1, 2021, athletes must also have submitted proof of vaccination to the USOPC or have been granted an exemption as a condition of participation at future USOPC delegation events, such as Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pan and Parapan American Games and Youth Olympic Games.”

There is a process for exemptions for limited circumstances; a Q&A section on the USOPC Web site explains why the need for this decision now:

“Unfortunately, this pandemic is far from over. The vaccination requirement will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for Team USA athletes and staff in Beijing.”

On 30 October, the U.S. Congress will have the power, under the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020 to de-certify any U.S. National Governing Body or to remove the sitting Board of Directors of the USOPC.

The Congress can do this by a Joint Resolution alone, but the results could lead to a suspension of the USOPC by the International Olympic Committee.

On Wednesday, the IOC dispatched a letter to the Pakistan government and the Pakistan Olympic Association that “it will not accept any undue interference from any third parties in the internal governance of the NOC.”

Further, the letter noted that the Pakistan Olympic Association itself is the only body allowed to “elect or dismiss the members of the POA Executive Board according to the NOC’s statutes and the Olympic Charter.”

Conflict between the POA and the Pakstani government has been an ongoing issue for years, but the IOC’s continued vigilance is a guarantee that a move by the U.S. Congress against the USOPC could be disastrous.

● Sports Medicine ● The IOC’s guidelines on transgender participation in the Games will not be updated until after the 2022 Winter Games.

IOC Medical Director Dr. Richard Budgett (GBR) told the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport’s Diversity Conference on Monday:

“There’ll be broad high-level guidelines – more like a framework. It’s the international federations who will determine the specific rules for their sports and their events.

“The particular changes from 2015 are the emphasis on the priority of inclusion, and on the avoidance of harm, but always bearing in mind the importance of fair and meaningful competition. We still have to agree on the framework. It’s challenging. But it will be published in a few months’ time – at the latest just after the Beijing Olympic Winter Games. …

“Transgender women are women. But we also have to separate gender from eligibility. And eligibility needs to be sport-specific in order to have this fair and meaningful competition at all levels, but especially at the elite level where the stakes are that much higher.

“There’s going to be different criteria for different sports. If you compare archery to hockey to rowing, they require very different skills. And an elite athlete from one is unlikely to be an elite athlete in another. And we have to determine what really is a disproportionate or insurmountable advantage.”

This signals more research is needed not only into the difference in testosterone levels between men and women, but also the question of whether a post-pubescent male transitioning to female retains important advantages, regardless of testosterone levels.

● Athletics ● Wonderful feature on the travails of American road runner Jordan Hasay in Runner’s World, where she takes on the question of her poor performances over the last three years and the naysayers:

“You don’t think I feel the exact same way? Nothing you say is news to me. I would like to have a great race, too. It’s been awhile. …

“They have a right to think I’m done. They can’t see my training and my life. I need to prove it. That’s what motivates me. I want to prove that I can be back and be great again.”

Hasay, unimaginably now 30, will line up for the Boston Marathon on 11 October.

Sad news from Estonia, where one-time men’s hammer world-record holder Juri Tamm, passed away at 64.

Tamm, competing for the Soviet Union, won Olympic bronze medals in 1980 and 1988 and set a world mark of 80.46 m (264-0) in May 1980, but was surpassed by teammate Yuriy Syedikh later in the same meet. Syedikh passed away on 14 September.

Tamm competed for Estonia once the USSR was dissolved and was fifth in Barcelona in 1992. He finished competing in 1996 and became a member of the Estonian Parliament from 1999 to 2011.

He still ranks eighth all-time with his best of 84.40 m (276-11) from 1984.

A wonderful tribute to the late British journalist and statistician Mel Watman from 1964 Olympic gold medalist Ollan Cassell (USA):

“It is sad to find such a man has left us but know he is in peace.

“Mel wrote one of the best reviews of my book after giving advice on how to present certain parts of it. Don’t know how to thank him except to say – Mel – you made a contribution to our way of life.”

● Boxing ● The International Boxing Association, stung by IOC criticism of its slow reform process, approved a special Congress for 12 December to begin the process of electing a new Board of Directors.

But elections will not take place; instead, “AIBA aims to adopt enhanced eligibility criteria and verification mechanisms in December, prior to elections that would then take place in 2022.”

Athlete representatives will be elected at the men’s Worlds coming in Belgrade (SRB) on 24 October and also at the women’s Worlds at a site and date still not set.

Whether this will satisfy the IOC is open to question; its next Executive Board meeting is on 7 December.

● Football ● The U.S. Women’s National Team crushed Paraguay again on Tuesday, 8-0, in Cincinnati, taking a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes.

Rose Lavelle scored in the fourth minute, Sophia Smith got her first international goal in the sixth and Alex Morgan in the eighth to turn the game into a rout quickly. Morgan scored a hat trick with added goals in the 14th and 53rd minutes and Catarina Macario scored twice (15th and 82nd). Carli Lloyd, who scored five in the first match vs. Paraguay, also got a goal, in the 78th minute. The U.S. had a 29-2 edge in shots.

The American women stretched their home unbeaten streak to 60 with the win; they will face South Korea next, on 21 October in Kansas City.

UEFA announced Thursday that it is doubling its prize money for its women’s European Championship from €8 million in 2017 to €16 million for 2022 (to be held in England). In addition, European club teams will receive money from a €4.5 million pool for releasing players to aid the success of the Women’s Euro tournament.

How does this compare to the prize money for the men’s Euro 2020? That tournament provided a total of €371 million to its participating teams. Big difference.

● Gymnastics ● An agreement to settle the USA Gymnastics bankruptcy case and pay off the Nassar abuse survivors may be getting closer.

Documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana showed that Virginia Surety Company and Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. have joined the settlement offer, contributing $32.1 million and $1.9 million to the total available fund for survivors.

This leaves TIG Insurance Co. ($106.2 million liability) and Great American Assurance Co. ($41.3 million liability) as the only two not subscribed to the plan. However, their combined total of $141.5 million is fully 33.3% of the total “offer” of $425 million proposed to all classes of potential payees ($427.125 million with added funds from a separate action if the plan is approved).

A new annex to the proposed plan shows that TIG has 199 claims against it and Great American has 244, many of whom are the same plaintiff.

If approved by the Court, the plan would be voted on by the survivor groups and if agreed to, would exempt all of the settling insurers and essentially everyone else in the case, including USA Gymnastics, the USOPC, Bela and Martha Karolyi, coaches John and Kathryn Geddert, many former USA Gymnastics Board and staff members, including Bob Colarossi, Steve Penny and Rhonda Faehn and others.

If TIG and Great American hold out and the plan is approved, then those with claims against those insurers could sue them separately.

A hearing is scheduled for 4 October.

● Judo ● The International Judo Federation’s World Tour restarts this week in Zagreb (CRO) with a Grand Prix including 243 judoka from 35 nations.

Among them is a name not seen for a long time on the entry lists: Asley Gonzalez. The 2013 World Champion at 90 kg, he last competed for his native Cuba in the 2018 Worlds after three Olympic appearances in 2008-12-16 (silver in 2012).

He was friends with Romanian fighter Vlad Visan and visited that country for training; after a while, he asked for citizenship and will now compete for Romania, taking the citizenship oath on 9 August, the day after the Tokyo Games ended. JudoInside.com reported that Gonzalez’s family is still in Cuba, but he hopes to bring them to Bucharest.

Gonzalez, now 32, will compete in Zagreb in the 100 kg category.

● Swimming ● American distance superstar Katie Ledecky announced that she has moved her training base from Stanford to the University of Florida in order to be closer to her home and family.

Originally from Washington, D.C., she went to Stanford for her education and completed her degree during the pandemic. She will now work with Florida coach Anthony Nesty, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist in the 100 m Butterfly and become an assistant coach for the high-profile Gators program.

● The Last Word ● The AAU Sullivan Award, emblematic of the finest athlete of the year in the United States, is being voted on now and you can participate!

Voting ends on 27 September and there are 38 nominees, including many familiar names from the Tokyo Olympic Games:

● Athletics: Allyson Felix, Athing Mu, Erriyon Knighten, Grant Holloway, Ryan Crouser, Sydney McLaughlin

● Gymnastics: Simone Biles, Suni Lee

● Karate: Ariel Torres

● Swimming: Caeleb Dressel, Lydia Jacoby

● Water Polo: Maddie Musselman

● Wrestling: David Taylor, Gable Steveson, Tamyra Mensah-Stock

The ceremony will take place on 22 October in Orlando, Florida.

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

LANE ONE: The shouting over a biennial FIFA World Cup gets louder and louder; does skating actually have the answer?

By
Rich Perelman
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The FIFA World Cup trophy; what impact will be 2026 World Cup have on the National Football League?

“Are we really convinced that playing qualifying games in September, October, November, March, June, September, October, November, March for a competition which takes place in June the second year – whether it’s the Euro or the World Cup, or Copa America or the World Cup, it doesn’t really matter – do we really think this is the right way for football, when we are saying, ‘fans, maybe they want more meaningful games, less meaningless games.'”

That was FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) during the online 71st FIFA Congress in May, opening the discussion on the question of whether the federation’s signature tournament – the FIFA World Cup – should be played every two years.

A proposal by the Saudi federation to study the feasibility of such a change was approved by 166-22, but just four months later the pushback has been epic.

Individual clubs, individual federations and confederations – notably from Europe (UEFA: 55 members) and South America (CONMEBOL: 10) – have come out against the idea. UEFA posted a long list of complaints on Wednesday, including:

“There are real dangers associated with this plan:

● “the dilution of the value of the No.1 world football event, whose quadrennial occurrence gives it a mystique that generations of fans have grown up with;

● “the erosion of sporting opportunities for the weaker national teams by replacing regular matches with final tournaments;

● “the risk to sustainability for players, forced to engage in summer high intensity competitions every year instead of longer recuperation breaks in alternate years;

● “the risk for the future of women’s tournaments, deprived of exclusive slots and overshadowed by the proximity of top men’s events.

“These are just some of the serious concerns that the FIFA proposal provokes at first glance and they cannot be dispelled simply with unsubstantiated promotional slogans on the supposed benefits of a thicker calendar for final tournaments.”

Not as much has been heard from CONCACAF (North and Central America: 41) or the confederations from Africa (CAF: 56), Asia (AFC: 47) or Oceania (OFC: 14). And there are good reasons for this:

● Both UEFA and CONMEBOL already host highly-popular, highly-profitable area tournaments: the European Championship and the Copa America, both held earlier in 2021. Why should they want their premiere regional events to be forced to change?

● Moreover, these two confederations dominate the existing World Cup and the financial return it brings. Consider that in the 21st Century, there have been five FIFA World Cups and that European and South American teams have combined for 35 of the 40 quarter-finalists? That’s 87.5%:

= 2002 quarters: 4 Europe, 1 CONCACAF, 1 S. America, 1 Africa, 1 Asia
= 2002 semis: 2 Europe, 1 S. America, 1 Asia

= 2006 quarters: 6 Europe, 2 S. America
= 2006 semis: 4 Europe

= 2010 quarters: 3 Europe, 4 S. America, 1 Africa
= 2010 semis: 3 Europe, 1 S. America

= 2014 quarters: 4 Europe, 1 CONCACAF, 3 S. America
= 2014 semis: 2 Europe, 2 S. America

= 2018 quarters: 6 Europe, 2 S. America
= 2018 semis: 4 Europe

Added up, out of 40 total quarterfinalists, 23 were from Europe, 12 from South America, two from CONCACAF and Africa and one from Asia.

In terms of semi-finalists, these results show UEFA and CONMEBOL with 19 out of 20 (95.0%)! Europe has 15, South America, 4, and there was South Korea in 2002.

● Both UEFA and CONMEBOL state their worry about sidelining women’s football development if (their) men’s championship events are moved into the same years as the Women’s World Cup.

With the women’s game growing exponentially in terms of interest and money, it’s easy to see why UEFA – especially – would object. Since the women’s tournament expanded to 24 teams in 2015, Europe produced three of the quarterfinalists and two of the semifinalists in 2015, but then seven of the eight quarterfinalists and three of the four semifinalists in 2019.

Why break up a good thing (for UEFA)?

The men’s World Cup is already expanding from 32 to 48 teams for 2026 and the women’s tournament from 24 to 32 for 2023. So more countries – that is, “weaker countries” as UEFA puts it – are going to get on the fun already.

This has a familiar ring to it, and a solution was found by the International Skating Union.

The European Championships is the oldest championship event in the sport, begun in 1891 for men and 1930 for women. It’s a big deal in the sport and pre-dated the World Championships by five years.

But it left everyone outside of Europe – if you will – “out in the cold.” With the commercial expansion of figure skating in the 1990s, some kind of complimentary event was needed to showcase the top skaters from Canada, China, Japan, the U.S. and so on. So in 1999 came the ISU Four Continents Championships, an event for everyone outside of Europe. It has been dominated by the four countries noted prior, but the “4CC” has proved to be popular and important for the Pan-Pacific powers.

With UEFA and CONMEBOL dead-set against a biennial FIFA World Cup, it will be difficult to make it happen at the present moment. But could FIFA bring the other confederations from Africa, Asia, Oceania and North and Central America together for an “InterContinental Cup” championship?

Suddenly, most of the usual suspects in the World Cup quarterfinals and semifinals are gone. This would be a championship of 158 nations, many more than the 55 in UEFA or the paltry 10 in South America. Would such a title be meaningful to current confederation champions Algeria, Qatar, New Zealand or the U.S.? Or traditional powers like Cameroon, Nigeria, Japan or Mexico? You bet it would.

And, given the success of the UEFA Euro 2020 experiment – in the middle of a pandemic – to hold matches across 11 cities, hosted by 11 different federations, an InterContinental Cup could start with matches in four different host cities, representing the four different competing confederations!

Infantino has insisted that FIFA study any possibility that brings more “meaningful games” to fans instead of friendlies with seldom-used players. That’s what fans want.

UEFA and CONMBEOL are fine with things the way they are. That creates an opportunity for the other four confederations to start their own tournament and create a new, meaningful – and potentially lucrative – tradition of their own.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Another reason to love Trayvon Bromell; World Athletics had a 2020 surplus; more bad Climbing camerawork

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● Reuters reported that continued coronavirus challenges in Greece will curtail the transfer of the Olympic flame to the Beijing 2022 organizing committee on 18 October.

As with the ceremony to present the flame to the Tokyo 2020 organizers, the event will be held in Olympia as usual, but without spectators and the flame will be airlifted to Beijing shortly after a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens the next day.

The usual, week-long relay with the flame through Greece will be canceled once again.

● Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris 2024 ● The Paris 2024 Board of Directors approved the outline of its volunteer program, reducing the Tokyo 2020 workforce by a projected 35%.

Where the Tokyo organizers ended with a 70,000-person volunteer corps, the Paris project calls for “only” 45,000. According to the announcement:

“Roles likely to be entrusted to volunteers are grouped in six categories: welcome, orientation and assistance; sports operations support; organisational operational support; transport; medical services support; and ceremonies support.”

The program targets having 3,000 of the volunteer corps (6.7%) to be individuals with disabilities.

● International Paralympic Committee ● IPC President Andrew Parsons (BRA) will stand unopposed for a second term on 12 December, with New Zealand’s Duane Kale running unopposed for Vice President.

The IPC General Assembly will choose among 25 candidates announced on Monday for 10 at-large members of the IPC Governing Board. The U.S. candidate is Muffy Davis, a three-time Paralympian – and seven-time medal winner – from the 1998-2002 Winter Games in skiing and the 2012 Paralympics in cycling. She joined the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee board in 2021.

● Athletics ● American Trayvon Bromell highlighted the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (KEN) with his 100 m win – at altitude – in a world-leading 9.76. What came afterwards was just as special.

A spectator unfurled a hand-written sign reading “Trayvon Bromell, Kindly Give Me Your Spikes” … and Bromell did!

Wrote Bromell on Twitter a little later:

“Growing up, me and my coach was at a meet and ask one of track and fields previous [world-record holder] for an autograph. He looked at us and kept it moving. I made a promise to never do that. I never forgot that moment.”

A fan replied:

“That guy u gave the spikes actually slept with them. U don’t know the feeling he’s having right now. I was with him when you gave him the spikes. I know it was hard for you to give ’em up considering they gave you a PB but that was a kind gesture. Big up”

Bromell’s story is one of redemption. After making the 2016 Olympic team, he suffered injury after injury, but won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021. He didn’t make the Tokyo final for reasons no one seems to know – including him – but he ended the season with a string of good races and then the 9.76 in Nairobi, and a wonderful gift to a Kenyan spectator.

World Athletics published its Annual Report for 2020 on Tuesday, with lots of pictures and a full set of financial statements for 2020. The financial situation was shown to be better than feared; the highlights:

● The best news is that the federation’s reserves, which dipped to $28.9 million at the end of 2019, rebounded slightly to $30.9 million at the end of 2020. This is important; another major loss could have significantly hurt its activities.

● Revenue for 2020 was down from $51.1 million in 2019 to $42.2 million, due primarily to reductions in sponsorships and in-kind services.

● Expenses went way down, from $67.8 million in 2019 – a World Championships year – to $41.7 million in 2020, with costs related to competitions diving from $29.6 million to $15.0 million. Reductions were seen in grants, development, legal, compliance and administrative costs due to the pandemic.

● After investment losses, World Athletics had a net surplus of $2.077 million for 2020. It’s worth noting that the Russian Athletics Federation paid $6.8 million in reimbursements to the federation for legal and oversight work incurred by World Athletics during the year.

The surplus of about $2.1 million is a lot better than the deficit of $17.3 million suffered in 2019 and ends a string of losses that saw reserves drop from $64.8 million in 2017 to $28.9 at the end of 2019.

World Athletics also received a $7.5 million loan from the International Olympic Committee – $2.5 million in 2020 and $5.0 million in 2021 – as an advance on its television rights “dividend” from the 2020 Olympic Games of about $45 million.

Worth noting: funding for the Athletics Integrity Unit was maintained at almost 95% of its 2019 total at $7.86 million vs. $8.32 million.

Very sad news that the much-loved British statistician and track writer Mel Watman passed away on 17 September at age 83, with his wife Pat at his side.

Many tributes have poured in, all noting his fierce love of the sport – since age 12 – and that he contributed to Britain’s Athletics Weekly beginning in 1953 and was its editor from 1968-84. Concerned about the quality and depth of results being published years later, he and fellow British statistician created the Athletics International newsletter in 1993; Watman continued writing through the Tokyo Games but then collapsed at home a couple of days later. Once in the hospital, he was diagnosed with an inoperable cancer in the spine and died just nine days following the Tokyo closing.

Gentle, meticulous and most of all, a rabid fan, Watman will be long remembered not only for his magazine work, but as the author of more than a dozen books that chronicled one of the great periods in world track & field.

Rio Olympic long jump gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta, now long divorced, is returning to her maiden name of Tianna Madison. She won a stunning World Championships gold as a 19-year-old in 2005 after winning the NCAA title for Tennessee. She was married to John Bartoletta in 2012; they divorced in 2020.

So when you see “Madison” in the sprint and long-jump results in 2022, now you know why.

● Cycling ● The 88th edition of the UCI World Road Championships is underway in Belgium, with Italy’s Filippo Ganna defending his 2019 Individual Time Trial title.

Ganna completed the flat, 43.3 km course in 47:47, barely edging home favorite Wout van Aert by just six seconds with fellow Belgian Remco Evenpoel third in 48:31. It’s the second time in a row for a two-peat, as Australia’s Rohan Dennis won in 2018 and 2019.

The women’s Time Trial was a triumph for Dutch star Ellen van Dijk, who covered the 30.3 km course in 36:05, 10 seconds ahead of Marlen Reusser (SUI) and 24 seconds up on two-time champ Annemiek van Vleuten (NED).

American Amber Neben, the 2008 and 2016 winners, was fourth (+1:24). Dutch riders have now won this race in four of the last five years.

● Figure Skating ● “The last Olympic quota places for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games – seven for Men, six for Women, three for Pairs and four for Ice Dance – will be assigned at the ISU Challenger Series and Olympic Qualifying Event Nebelhorn Trophy September 23-25 in Oberstdorf (GER).”

That’s what up for grabs this weekend, with the U.S. looking for third slots in the Men’s and Women’s events in Beijing. They have the favorites in both with 2019 Worlds bronze medalist Vincent Zhou and 2019 and 2020 U.S. Champion Alysia Liu.

Liu, 16, is already a winner this season, taking the Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo (ITA) earlier this month by 32 points, setting lifetime bests in the Short Program (74.31), Free Skate (144.93) and total (219.24).

● Football ● The U.S. Women’s National Team plays Paraguay in the second of two friendly matches tonight in Cincinnati, Ohio at 7:30 p.m., shown on FS1 and TUDN.

The U.S. hammered Paraguay, 9-0, on the 16th with Carli Lloyd scoring five goals on her “retirement tour” that will end after the two matches vs. South Korea in October. U.S. Soccer reported that “Lloyd became just the ninth player the score five goals in a USWNT game, joining Brandi Chastain (1991), Michelle Akers (1991), Tiffany Milbrett (2002), Abby Wambach (2004), Amy Rodriguez (2012), Sydney Leroux (2012), Crystal Dunn (2016) and Alex Morgan (2019).” Lloyd now has 133 international goals, no. 4 all-time and third on the all-time U.S. list.

The national football federations in Germany and Portugal came out against the under-study concept to play the FIFA World Cup every two years.

Reasons cited included player safety and strain, that such a plan must be approved by the regional confederations and that holding a World Cup every two years will force continental tournaments like the European Championships into the same years as the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The German federation – the DFB – explained:

“If either a men’s World Cup or European Championship takes plays every summer, the women’s and junior tournaments would be marginalised in the shadow of the men’s competitions.”

Game on!

● Sport Climbing ● The International Federation of Sport Climbing had to issue its second public apology in the last three months over “inappropriate” television coverage of Austrian climber Johanna Farber’s backside:

“The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) would like to deeply apologise to Johanna Färber, Austria Climbing, all the athletes, and the entire Sport Climbing community for the images that were broadcast today during the women’s Boulder semi-final at the IFSC Climbing World Championships Moscow 2021.

The IFSC condemns the objectification of the human body and will take further action in order for it to stop, and to protect the athletes.

After meeting with representatives of the Austrian team, IFSC President Marco Scolaris [ITA] issued the following comment: ‘How many times will things have to be done wrong, before we learn how to do them right?’”

The IFSC Worlds were held in Moscow (RUS); the prior incident was from a June 2021 World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, but with the same athlete involved! The IFSC and broadcaster ORF apologized at the time; no broadcaster has offered an apology this time (so far).

In the Lead competitions at the Worlds, Austria’s Jakob Schubert won his third world title over Luka Potocar (SLO); both reached the top, but Schubert had a better result in an earlier round.

The women’s win went to Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo, the only one to reach the top. American Natalia Grossman won her second medal of these Championships with the silver, claiming 37 holds in 4:22, ahead of Laura Rogora (ITA), who took 5:01 to reach the same number. American Brooke Raboutou was fifth (35+).

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League is continuing its third season this week with matches nine and 10, but the league is once again being accused of failing to pay its bills. SwimSwam.com reported last Saturday:

“Jean-François Salessy [FRA], the ex-general manager of Energy Standard, and Hubert Montcoudiol [FRA], the ex-commercial director of the International Swimming League, have accused ISL of financial mismanagement in a letter sent to SwimSwam.”

The letter states that many of the vendors providing support services to the league have not been paid for the second season yet, and “One ISL athlete told SwimSwam that they were told they would receive their final season two payment on Friday.”

Salessy and Montcoudiol noted in their letter, “The lack of Media coverage and broadcasters during this season 3, on top of a lack of confidence coming from sponsors, sound obvious in such conditions.”

ISL has not yet replied to SwimSwam’s request for comment.

● Weightlifting ● The International Testing Agency slapped Moldovan Dr. Dorin Balmus with a lifetime ban for tampering and complicity to commit doping.

The ITA charged that in November 2015, Balmus – working for the national weightlifting federation and on behalf of three Moldovan lifters – arranged for substitutes to take place their and provide clean samples to Doping Control Officers.

The scheme was noted in the 2020 ARD documentary, “Lord of the Lifters.”

● At the BuZZer ● Further to French President’s Emmanuel Macron’s tongue-lashing of France’s Olympic athletes over their Tokyo performance and essentially ordering them to do a lot better in Paris in 2024, he might have been better advised to set some sort of reasonable goal.

Legendary judoka Teddy Riner mentioned possible dream targets of 90 medals in 2024, but that’s not going to happen. France won 33 in Tokyo, down from 42 in Rio in 2016, which is one short of the most the French have ever won in a summer Games except at the 1900 Olympics (also in Paris).

France won 43 medals in Beijing in 2008, 42 in Rio and 41 back in 1920 in Antwerp. It’s most golds – outside of 26 in 1900 (101: 26-41-34) in 1900 – is 15 from Atlanta in 1996. So perhaps targets of 44 total medals and 16 golds for the most since 1900 would be reasonable and even achievable.

After all, even during a pandemic, Japan stunned everyone with its best performance ever in 2021! Against an all-time best of 41 medals in Rio, the Japanese won 58 medals in Tokyo, including 27 golds, destroying its prior best of 16 in 1964 and 2004.

Perhaps Macron should encourage, not discourage? Sacre bleu!

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

LANE ONE: French President Macron wants “maximum pressure” for more medals in 2024; asks why France doesn’t win as many as Britain!

By
Rich Perelman
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French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: official video screenshot)

If you think Olympic sport in the U.S. is contentious, over athlete expression, sponsorship rights and protests, consider what’s going on in France!

Last week’s elegant ceremony to honor France’s Olympic and Paralympic medal winners at the glittering Elysee Palace in Paris was expected to be a time for celebration and salutations. But French President Emmanuel Macron had a different idea – and a sterner tone – in mind.

France won 33 medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games and 54 at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, placing 10th on the total-medals rankings for both the Olympics (10-12-11) and Paralympics (11-15-28). The Olympic medal total was down from 42 (10-18-14) in Rio in 2016, when France tied for fifth in the medal total with Germany. The Paralympic total was the most since 2004.

And Macron saluted many of these stars by name, then slammed his nation’s Olympic medal output (computer translation of Macron’s remarks from French):

“However, I must say to our Olympic medalists that despite these fine results, despite the magnificent return to the front of the stage by [swimmer] Florent Manaudou, despite the Homeric resistance to the pain of [decathlete] Kevin Mayer, we all remember it, and I have besides, a thought for [vaulter] Renaud Lavillenie too, despite the efforts on the water level of [sailors] Thomas Goyard and Charline Picon or on the tatami, [taekwondoin] Althea Laurin and without wanting to damage this united France team, one thing is clear:

“Paralympic sport has crushed you!”

Slap no. 1. But Macron, 43, was only getting warmed up:

“So, dear medalists, your medals belong to you for eternity.

“You must savor these moments, take advantage and the elders who are there, by your side, can testify to it. But don’t enjoy it for too long!

“First of all because these medals are a responsibility for a long time and those who have won medals before know it. We look at you differently, the pressure is not the same. You have a responsibility towards the young and the generations that follow you and which is now different.

“But above all because that is why we are now holding this ceremony, we must all together prepare for the rest and our 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The overall record of these Olympic Games is not quite at the level we expected. We know that in certain sports, it is even mixed and we cannot build success if we do not tell each other the truth.

“And so, celebrating today, I mean, a few words about how we’re going to prepare for the sequel right now because we don’t have three years to prepare for them. We have a few useful months of making the hardest choices, two years of hard work, and a year of tuning. It is not at the last moment that we will have to tackle the problems that are clearly emerging now.”

Macron noted that the government is already committed to €110 million [~$129 million U.S.] in support of elite sport in the country, plus another €100 million [~$117 million] for the national Centre Technique et Sportif (CTS). Then he got out his paddle:

“We are already doing a lot. We do more than the others, that is not always said, and I want us to be able collectively to be aware of it and to be proud of it. And …we have identified an additional commitment, an investment additional, in particular to accompany the high performance. Because all of this is not enough.

“Our British neighbors, to take just this example, today invest less public funds than us, yet they have better results than ours [65 Tokyo medals] because they have also been able to completely change their methods, concentrate their resources at the time of their own Olympic Games [in 2012]. And we saw them do it, that’s when they passed us in the medal ranking. There is no inevitability, it is up to us.”

Macron explained that money must be put into athletes and events which have the best chance for medals, training programs for French athletes must be individualized and more investment is needed in coaches: “This is the new relationship built with the federations.”

He called for the creation of a collegiate system to advance the progress of talented high school-age athletes, and a program to help retired athletes transition to their next stage in life. But he also laid out the challenge for 2024:

“I’m telling you very clearly, we have to do a lot more.

“Much more because these are our Games, it’s at home and it’s expected. And the higher, faster, stronger together, if it has to apply, it is good for these Games. And so it is necessary for each federation, for each athlete, to put the maximum pressure on ourselves.

“France can very clearly one day integrate permanently into the top-five Olympic and Paralympic [medal winners], I believe. But for that, we have to project ourselves over the long term. I therefore want to say to all those whose profession and passion are of the highest level that what we are going to do together goes well beyond this meeting in Paris.”

He closed by promising to bring sports programming into schools, where it has been missing, as a way to teach lifetime fitness. But that’s not what drew most of the post-speech interest.

Macron’s charge to the medal winners and the French federations to win a lot more medals in 2024 was big news in France. It also placed three-time Olympic gold medalist Teddy Riner, one of the greatest judokas in history and a national hero, in the middle of the debate.

Riner remarked prior to the ceremony, “To think that we are going to win 90 medals in Paris 2024, I would like to believe it! But it was necessary to invest already seven years back in sport, massively,” and then found himself on the defensive, as his remarks were seen afterwards as a slap-back at Macron.

“[I]t is completely false when we say that I tackled President Emmanuel Macron. … No, I never attacked the President of the Republic. His speech Monday night was right. Yes, our results in Tokyo were not as good as we could have hoped, yes, we will make sure to do better in 2024. And what I said about the fact that, to have 90 medals in 2024, it would have been necessary to invest well before, I think, but I said these words before the reception, and therefore absolutely not in response to a so-called shouting at the President.”

This was pretty heavy stuff from Macron, especially a first-term President facing a national election in April 2022, to a room full of French sporting heroes. But he has set the bar: top five on the Olympic medal table in 2024, with the top three – U.S., China and Russia – already set.

And we can expect to hear more from Macron, as he said, “it is necessary for each federation, for each athlete, to put the maximum pressure on ourselves.”

In the 1920s, France’s Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Movement, wrote “the essential is not to have won by to have fought well.” In the 2020s, in France, not so much.

So much for fun, camaraderie and joie de vivre on the road to the 2024 Games. Wow; gone already.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HIGHLIGHTS: World-leading 9.76 for Bromell in Nairobi; Weitzeil swims U.S. 50 m Free record; U.S.’s Grossman wins world climbing title!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Fastest man in the world for 2021: Trayvon Bromell of the U.S.

Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world:

● Athletics ● The long World Athletics Continental Tour came to a close over the weekend, primarily with the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (KEN) and a stunning race in the men’s 100 m.

American Trayvon Bromell had been the top sprinter in the world going into Tokyo, but he had his troubles there and did not qualify for the final. But he exploded out of the blocks in Nairobi and had a clear lead by 30 m. He was suddenly challenged, however, by Kenya’s unheralded Ferdinand Omanyala, who rocketed toward the lead in the final 50 m. It was close as both leaned at the finish, with Bromell winning in 9.76 (wind: +1.2 m/s) – fastest in the world this year and equal-no. 6 all-time – and Omanyala running 9.77, his fifth national record of the year!

Nairobi is at 5,889 feet altitude (1,795 m), a considerable aid, and for Omanyala, completes a season in which he improved from 10.32 in 2020 to 9.77 in 2021 and now no. 8 all-time! He did serve a drug suspension in 2017-18.

Justin Gatlin of the U.S. was third in 10.03.

American Fred Kerley, the Tokyo 100 m silver winner, got a lifetime best in the 200 m over Isaac Makwala (BOT) in 19.76-20.06, with Kerley moving to no. 22 on the all-time list.

Host Kenya enjoyed wins in the men’s 800 m (Noah Kibet: 1:44.97), men’s 1,500 m (Vincent Keter: 3:35.99), men’s 5,000 m (Jacob Krop: 13:23.50), women’s 800 m (Mary Moraa: 2:00.11), women’s 1,500 m (Faith Kipyegon: 4:02.40), women’s Steeple (Celliphine Chespol: 9:30.55) and the women’s 5,000 m (Margaret Kipkemboi: 14:55.27).

Namibian teen sprint star Christine Mboma recorded her fifth win in a row in the 200 m, rocketing to a 22.39 victory (+0.2) over Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV: 22.98).

● Canoe-Kayak ● The International Canoe Federation’s Sprint World Championships were held in Copenhagen (DEN), with only a sprinkling of Olympic medal winners, and Hungary dominating the medal count.

German Conrad-Robin Schneider, sixth in Tokyo in the men’s C-1 1,000 m, won both the C-1 500 m and C-1 1,000 m, beating eight-time Worlds medal winner Martin Fuksa (CZE) in both.

In the men’s K-1 1,000 m, Olympic bronze winner Fernando Pimenta (POR) won his second world title, beating Tokyo winner Balint Kopasz (HUN) by 3:25.82-3:26.49.

Canada’s Katie Vincent won her first individual Worlds gold in the women’s C-1 200 m and Denmark’s Olympic bronze winner Emma Jorgensen won her first individual Worlds gold in the K-1 200 m.

In the women’s K-1 500 m, Hungary’s Olympic silver winner Tamara Csipes won silver again, but was beaten by New Zealand’s Aimee Fisher, 1:48.08-1:49.00, with Jorgensen third. Csipes and Danuta Kozak, part of Hungary’s winning K-4 500 m squad in Tokyo, won the Worlds K-2 500 m and were part of the Hungarian team that was second to Belarus in the K-4 500 m final.

Hungary won 18 medals in all (6-8-4) to eight for Belarus (4-2-2) and Russia (3-0-5).

● Shooting ● The U.S. nationals in Trap and Skeet concluded at Hillsdale, Michigan with the Skeet finals both going to tie-breakers.

Olympic champ Amber English was second in the five-round qualifying behind Sam Simonton, 245-238, then both scored 56/60 in the finals. That led to a shoot-off, won by English, 4-3.

That was nothing compared to the men’s Skeet final, with U.S. Olympian Philip Jungman leading the qualifying at 246, then tied with Christian Elliott at 55 each in the finals. That necessitated a shoot-off, which ran for 20 rounds! Jungman won his second career national title, 20-19.

In Trap, Derrick Mein qualified in third place, but won the national title with 45 hits in the final, one better than Jake Wallace. The women’s crown went to Emily London, the final qualifier to the final in sixth place, but then hitting 43 targets in the final to 36 for runner-up Ryann Phillips.

● Sport Climbing ● The 2021 IFSC World Championships continue in Moscow (RUS), with the Bouldering and Speed events completed and Lead still to come.

In Speed, Ukraine’s Danyil Boldyrev won his second career world title and his first in seven years with a 5.73 performance in the final. Spain’s Erik Noya Cardona was second in 5.95 and American Noah Bratschi won the bronze medal in 6.31.

Poland’s Natalia Kalucka won the women’s Speed title (7.18 in the final) over Russia’s Iullia Kaplina and Pole Aleksandra Miroslaw.

In Bouldering, Japan went 1-2 in the men’s final with Kokoro Fujii (4T4Z 6-6) and two-time World Champion Tomoa Narasaki (3T3Z 6-6). American Natalia Grossman broke through to win the women’s title (4T4Z 7-7), with Camilla Moroni (ITA: 4T4Z 13-11) second and Stasa Gejo (SRB: 2T4Z 5-7) third.

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League held matches seven and eight in Naples, Italy, with the defending champs Cali Condors managing a 581.0-529.5 win over Toronto on Thursday and Friday, even without U.S. superstar Caeleb Dressel.

New American backstroke star Coleman Stewart swept the men’s 50-100-200 m Back events and was second in the 50 m Back Skins race to Robert Glinta (ROU) to lead the Condors. Justin Ress (USA) won the 50 and 100 m Freestyles and Italy’s Alberto Razzetti won the 200 m Butterfly and the 400 m Medley.

The Condors also got a three-event sweep in the women’s 50-100-200 m Breast events from superstar Lilly King. Three women won two events: American Kelsi Dahlia in the 200 m Fly and the 50 m Fly Skins race; Beata Nelson of the U.S. in the 200 m Back and 100 m Medley and Britain’s Abbie Wood in the 200-400 m Medleys.

On the weekend, Energy Standard (FRA) won match eight from the London Roar (507.0) and the L.A. Current (395.5). Britain’s four-time Olympic medalist from Tokyo, Duncan Scott, was everywhere, winning the men’s 200 m Free, 400 m Free, the 100 and 200 m Medleys and was runner-up to Japan’s Daiya Seto in the 400 m Medley!

Australia’s Rio 2016 sprint winner Kyle Chalmers won the 50-100 m Freestyles, Brazil’s Guilherme Guido took the 50-100 m Back titles; Russian Ilya Shymanovich swept the 50-100-200 m Breaststroke events and Seto won the 200 m Fly and 400 m Medley. American Tom Shields won the 100 m and triumphed in the 50 m Fly Skins race.

American Abbey Weitzeil, competing for the L.A. Current, won the women’s 50 m Free in 23.44 over Swedish star Sarah Sjostrom (23.47) and Australia’s quadruple gold medalist from Tokyo, Emma McKeon (22.65) to improve her own American Short-Course Record. Weitzeil swam 23.45 in 2020 and now ranks no. 8 on the all-time world list.

McKeon came back to win the 100 m Free and 100 m Fly, Alia Atkinson (JAM) took the 50-100 m Breaststroke events and Siobhan Haughey (HKG) won the 200-400 m Frees. The women’s star, however, was Canada’s Ingrid Wilm, who took the 50-100-200 m Back and the 50 m Back Skins race for the L.A. Current.

● Triathlon ● The 2021-22 World Triathlon Series started in Hamburg, Germany on the weekend, with the home team sweeping all three races!

The sprint course – 750 m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run – saw Tim Hellweg (GER), second at the World Series final in Edmonton earlier this year, win a photo finish over France’s Paul Georgenthum, with both in 53:08. This was Georgenthum’s debut in the series and he biked strongly to share the lead with Hellweg and both timed 14:34 for the 5 km run. France’s Leo Bergere was third (53:09), out-leaning Lasse Nygaard-Priester (GER).

The women’s race was a triumph for Laura Lindemann (GER), eighth in Tokyo, who had the fastest run time in the field at 16:16 to win in 58:17. That was four seconds better than Nicole van der Kaay (NZL: 58:21), with American Summer Rappoport third (58:26). The U.S. also had Kirsten Kasper in seventh (58:41) and Erika Ackerlund in 10th (58:48).

Hellweg and Lindemann teamed with Nygaard-Priester and Marlene Gomez-Islinger to win the Mixed Relay on Sunday in 1:21:39, over Italy (1:21:45) and Denmark (1:22:32). The U.S. was fifth (1:22:51).

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THE TICKER: IOC slaps AIBA; Doping penalties confirmed for Salazar, Brown and Jack; Lloyd scores five vs. Paraguay in 9-0 rout

By
Rich Perelman
-
Should boxing be knocked out of the Olympic Games? The IOC might be getting ready to do just that!

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

● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC announced a remarkable €1 million grant by the French Sports Ministry to its Olympic Refuge Foundation to enable “a consortium of six partners in order to devise a unique three-year programme to support refugees and asylum-seekers in France.”

PLAY International, Kabubu, Futbol Mas, Ovale Citoyen, Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation and Emmaus Solidarite are the six organizations that will deliver on-the-ground services, beginning in early 2022. The IOC provided seed funding for this project of €300,000.

The Foundation is currently reaching 200,000 people through 12 projects in eight countries – Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Rwanda, Turkey and Uganda – plus the new French program. According to the IOC, “The goal of the ORF is for one million young people affected by displacement to have access to safe sport by 2024.”

Comment: It is especially impressive to see the IOC bringing in funding from national partners in industrialized countries, which will be key expanding this project. Even more noteworthy is that the ORF concept is for year-round programming, not just for athletes attending the Olympic Games. Great idea, hopefully the execution will be just as terrific.

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● The Beijing organizers revealed the Games motto of “Together for a Shared Future” in a ceremony on Beijing on Friday. The announcement noted:

“The Organising Committee explained that the motto represents the power of the Games to overcome global challenges as a community, with a shared future for humankind. The words reflect the necessity for the world to work together towards a better tomorrow, especially given the difficulties faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The motto was selected from 79 proposals from Chinese universities, submitted between May and September 2020, with 11 shortlisted “by experts from various fields.”

IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) released a lengthy letter on Friday which previewed the kind of health scrutiny which will be imposed for the Beijing Winter Games, including:

“While the pandemic is far from over, I would like to reassure you that together with our Chinese partners and friends, we are sparing no effort to make these Olympic Winter Games safe and secure for everyone. As we did in Tokyo, we are putting in place rigorous COVID-19 countermeasures to ensure the health and safety of all Olympic participants in Beijing. We continue to be guided in this by the scientific advice of the World Health Organization and international experts. The first edition of the Playbooks for Beijing, which outline all the countermeasures for each stakeholder group, is scheduled to be published in October.”

Bach also announced that the IOC would again provide Covid vaccination support, “by making vaccines available to all Olympic participants ahead of Beijing, in line of course with national regulations.”

● Doping ● The Court of Arbitration for Sport handed down decisions in three long-awaited cases, confirming doping suspensions in each:

● Former marathon star and Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar and Dr. Jeffrey Brown had their suspensions for doping activities confirmed, with their four-year bans confirmed. An appeal by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to further extend those bans was denied.

Brown was found to commit doping violations including “Complicity (Art. 2.8) in Alberto Salazar’s possession of Testosterone; Trafficking (Art. 2.7) of testosterone to Alberto Salazar; Administration (Art. 2.8) of a Prohibited Method; Tampering (Art. 2.5) with the Doping Control Process.”

Salazar’s violations were listed as “Possession (Art. 2.6) of testosterone; Complicity (Art. 2.8) in Dr. Jeffrey Brown’s Administration of a Prohibited Method; Tampering (Art. 2.5) with the Doping Control Process with respect to the issue of L-carnitine infusions/syringes.”

The arbitrators also noted that “the circumstances of this matter, the length of hearings and the allegations made at various stages of those hearings, as well as the way in which the case was conducted by USADA and that the evidence was presented and, in some cases, later abandoned, seemed to be out of proportion and excessive when compared to the severity and consequences of the ADRVs that have been established. It also emphasized that none of the ADRVs directly affected athletic competition, and that there was no evidence put before the CAS as to any effect on athletes competing at the elite level within the NOP.”

● Australian swimming star Shayna Jack had her doping violation confirmed, but with only a two-year suspension, starting on 12 July 2019, and now completed.

Jack had initially been suspended for four years after the steroid Ligandrol had been found in an out-of-competition test. But she “established that she did not intentionally or recklessly consume the prohibited substance and could therefore benefit from a reduction in the period of ineligibility from four years to two years.”

Nigerian star sprinter and long jumper Blessing Okagbare was reported to have had her doping positive confirmed by examination of her second sample and will be suspended for four years.

She was pulled out of the Tokyo Games on 30 July after winning her heat as the Athletics Integrity Unit informed her of her positive, out-of-competition test from 19 July. She will undoubtedly appeal; Okagbare reportedly trains with the Tumbleweed Track and Field club in Florida under the direction of coach Rana Reider.

She was a medal contender in the women’s 100 m, having run 10.89 in 2021 and a sensational, wind-aided 10.63 (+2.9) at the Nigerian Olympic Trials. Now 32, she was the Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medalist in the long jump.

World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL) and Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin met in Istanbul on the sidelines of the WADA Executive Committee and Foundation Board meeting with an eye to eventual reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

The two-year sanction against RUSADA will run out in December 2022, but reinstatement not automatic; it will depend upon the fulfillment of conditions for a properly-functioning anti-doping program in Russia. Said Banka:

“The need for RUSADA to retain its independence is critical. There must be no attempt by the Russian state or sporting authorities to interfere with any of its operations. Associated with that, the appointment of RUSADA’s next Director General must follow a rigorous process to ensure the right person is hired for this important position and that they are able to function independently in the role.” A guarantee of sufficient funding is also required to ensure proper operation of the anti-doping effort in the country.

● National Olympic Committees ● On Wednesday, the former Sports Minister of Kenya and chef de mission of the Kenyan team for the 2016 Rio Games were both found guilty of corruption related to the misuse of $800,000 of the Kenyan team’s budget for the Games.

Former minister Hassan Wario paid a $32,000 fine while chef de mission Stephen Soi – identified as the main culprit – was fined ~$950,000 or must serve 12 years in jail. Soi has 14 days to appeal.

● Athletics ● If you think the U.S. is the only country wailing about its performance in Tokyo in the sprints and relays, guess again. How about this tweet from Canadian track & field observer Katey Ross:

“British men’s sprint performances @Tokyo2020 included a 100m trio who brought home two DQs and a positive dope test … and a relay team that stole a medal (and Olympic moment!) from the 4th placed team. Remind us again why your Head Coach was a good appointment @JoannaCoates?”

Coates is the chief executive of UK Athletics; the 100 m disqualifications were for false starts by Reece Prescod in the semis and Zharnel Hughes in the final. C.J. Ujah, who was eliminated in the semis, was caught for doping and the British silver in the men’s 4×100 m will certainly be lost. The British women were eighth in the 100 m, had no 200 m finalists, but won bronze in the 4×100 m.

American Quanera Hayes won the U.S. Trials at 400 m, but had a tough time in Tokyo, finishing seventh and being left off the 4×400 m. But she rebounded at the Diamond League final in Zurich, winning in 49.88 … and the crowd made a big difference:

“Although I was really tired, it was really worth it. It’s like a night-and-day difference here compared to Tokyo, then coming here and having this crowd, and hear everyone cheer. It really is like a night-and-day difference. It’s amazing, truly amazing. I really was not expecting to run this fast. I was just praying to God I would come here and just run; didn’t expect any kind of time.”

Dutch star Sifan Hassan won the 5,000 and 10,000 m in Tokyo, but had to settle for bronze in the 1,500 m to defending champ Faith Kipyegon (KEN). Kipyegon won again in Zurich, 3:58.33-3:58.55, but Hassan says 2022 will be different:

“Faith Kipyegon, she is really one of the greatest athletes. Today was my last race and I wanted to give everything. And I did that and I am happy about it. After Tokyo I took a break and it was hard to get back mentally and physically. It was difficult. This year I struggled with my training, I could not go to [her training base in] the U.S. Next year, I will train my speed and I will be amazing.”

More amazing: Jamaica’s Olympic women’s 100/200 m winner Elaine Thompson-Herah after winning in Zurich at 10.65:

“It has been a crazy season, a long one and a tiring one. I was so consistent because I was just keeping the faith in me and did not allow any negativity. I am really happy and grateful.

“I would describe this season with one word: amazing, yet it had ups and downs. … but next year, the [10.49] world record is definitely on my mind.”

There are still a few meets going on; last Tuesday in Bellinzona (SUI), Canada’s 100 m bronze winner Andre De Grasse beat U.S. silver medalist Fred Kerley, 10.06-10.11 with 2004 Olympic champ Justin Gatlin (USA) third in 10.13.

Gatlin will be 40 on 10 February and could be in line to set World Masters records in the sprints. The age-40 record for 100 m in 9.93 by former World Champion Kim Collins (SKN) in 2016, and the 200 m mark is 20.64 by Troy Douglas (NED) from 2003.

Gatlin ran wind-aided 9.93s twice this season and had a legal best of 9.98. He also ran 20.49 in the 200 m! Maybe he can get both?

Also in Bellinzona, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women’s 100 m in 10.78 for her 13th straight race under 11 seconds and 13 of 15 on the season! That has to be a record.

The continuing Covid issues in Japan caused the organizers of the Tokyo Marathon – a World Marathon Majors race – scheduled for 17 October, to be postponed. The race will now be held in its usual spring date for 2022, on 6 March.

● Basketball ● A horrifying report commissioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and conducted by McLaren Global Sport Solutions was released on Tuesday detailing long-term sexual abuse of female players within the Mali Basketball Federation (FMBB). From page 12:

“[T]he evidence shows that the FMBB and certain other individuals linked to the FMBB violated multiple FIBA General Statutes and Internal Regulations including exhibiting little to no concern for the safeguarding of its players, nonexistent safeguarding policies, interference and obstruction with the independent investigation, victim and witness intimidation, harassment of players, failure to report complaints of abuse, among others.

“The [McLaren team] has direct witness evidence that Coach [Amadou] Bamba sexually assaulted multiple players in addition to other forms of harassment and intimidation as defined in the FIBA Internal Regulations. This evidence is reliable and corroborated by other witnesses. The Mali police have taken an interest in the matter because of the MIIT investigation. Various in-person statements and depositions have been given to the Mali Police. Coach Bamba has been arrested and charged with criminal misconduct. According to media reports he was arrested for paedophilia, rape and indecent assault.”

Bamba, head coach of the FMBB U-18/19 Women’s National Team; Cheick Oumar Sissoko, an FMBB coach; and Amadou Ario Maiga, a former FMBB vice-president, were all implicated and were suspended as of 13 June 2021. The report stated that the investigators were “unable to independently verify” the allegations against Sissoko or Maiga, “although the hearsay evidence is concerning.”

Current FIBA President Hamane Niang, of Mali, was alleged to have knowledge of the sexual abuse and did nothing; the investigation “was unable to corroborate any allegations” against him.

The report further noted “[e]fforts to intimidate witnesses and publicly debase the independent investigation were factors that obstructed the investigation” and “[a]lthough there was great reluctance for victims and witnesses to speak to the MIIT, there is an abundance of credible hearsay witnesses that allege and speak to decades long harassment, abuse, and cover-ups within the FMBB.”

FIBA acknowledged the report and created “a safeguard and protection service for the players of the U19 and U16 women’s teams from Mali.” Three other Mali basketball officials were suspended, based on their involvement as noted in the report and a new program to protect players will be presented to the FIBA Board in November.

As Niang was not implicated, he was cleared to resume his position as FIBA President.

● Boxing ● Using its always-polite approach, the IOC blasted the International Boxing Association (AIBA), underlining its concerns about the federation’s fitness to serve as the international federation for the sport.

IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper (BEL) acknowledged the positive aspects of the new AIBA constitution, but:

“it is also noted that so far no new leadership team amongst the elected officials has been put in place to effectively embrace the change of culture in the governance of AIBA. Therefore, the IOC would be pleased to receive information on the schedule for the renewal of the leadership, in particular the planned date for the AIBA Board of Directors’ elections, as well as the eligibility criteria and how they will be assessed.”

Further, the IOC has commissioned the EY consulting firm to “assess” the AIBA’s current financial statements and its public statements relative to eliminating its long-standing debt, “and the terms of any sponsorship contract.”

De Kepper also noted that the IOC “was informed of a number of complaints regarding the judging and refereeing (R&J) by the participants to both the AIBA Youth World Championships and Asian Championships held early this year” and that the practices of the IOC’s Boxing Task Force – which ran the Tokyo 2020 tournament – have not been incorporated into AIBA’s procedures.

The status? De Kepper closed with:

“On the basis of the above, the IOC Executive Board restated its deepest concerns and reiterated its previous position regarding the place of boxing in the programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and future editions of the Olympic Games.”

AIBA posted a reply:

“AIBA has been working on comprehensive reform for some time now and is grateful for the IOC’s public acknowledgment that a step forward has certainly been taken in terms of good governance, as confirmed by ASOIF. Wide-ranging reforms are already underway in terms of financial integrity, good governance and sporting integrity, including all the areas mentioned by the IOC and more. Independent experts are involved in each of these sectors. AIBA is confident these reforms will see AIBA meet and even exceed the criteria laid down by the IOC for reinstatement.”

Comment: The IOC took up the issue of what to do about boxing very quickly after the Tokyo Games, where the tournament ran fairly well with AIBA nowhere in sight. AIBA is in a lot of trouble, regardless of its public statements; for the IOC, the question is what to do next? Keep boxing and find a replacement for AIBA? Or just cut boxing loose from the Games?

Speaking of money, AIBA announced a major increase in prize money for its men’s World Championships, to be held from 24 October-13 November in Belgrade (SRB).

Winners in each of the 13 classes will receive $100,000 U.S., with silver medalists to receive $50,000 and each of the bronze-medal winners to get $25,000. That’s a total of $2.6 million.

● Football ● The Carli Lloyd “farewell tour” got off to a historic start on Thursday evening, as the U.S. Women’s National Team clobbered Paraguay, 9-0, in Cleveland, with Lloyd scoring five of the goals herself!

Lloyd, 39, played the first of a four-game coda to her career in front of 14,117 and scored off a header in the third minute, off a cross from Crystal Dunn in the sixth minute and then again in the 34th and 38th minute – four in the first half – and finally in the 61st. She is the 10th U.S. women’s player to score five in a game and now has 133 international goals, no. 3 on the all-time U.S. list behind Abby Wambach (184) and Mia Hamm (158).

Andi Sullivan got her first two goals for the U.S. in the 25th and 49th minutes, Lynn Williams scored in the 30th minute and Tobin Heath got a goal in the 86th minute. The U.S. had a 36-1 edge in shots.

The two sides will meet again on the 21st, in Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium.

In the aftermath of U.S. Soccer Federation chief Cindy Parlow Cone’s offer of the same contract to both the men’s and women’s national teams, women’s star striker Alex Morgan was optimistic, saying on Wednesday:

“We still need to chat about the statement given by U.S. Soccer. But any commitment to equal pay publicly is good. However, we need to look line by line at what they’re actually providing, because if you have equal but it’s not even what we got before, or to the value that we are, then we still consider that to be not good enough. …

“We don’t want to start the new year without a new [collective-bargaining agreement] in effect, so that’s the number one priority of our [player’s association], of our legal team. Looking at the [USSF] statements, it’s difficult to say, we want to feel encouraged and we want to be optimistic, but we have seen a lot of statements before.”

That’s quite a different take than offered by the U.S. women’s team’s Twitter account, which characterized the same-contract offer as “PR stunts and bargaining through the media.”

In the face of public rejections by UEFA and CONMEBOL of the possibility of a FIFA World Cup every two years, FIFA released the results of a 23,000-person independent survey in July in 23 countries, showing 55% of respondents were in favor of the more-frequent schedule.

A total of 15,008 took the survey, with more replies from Europe (28.4%) and Asia (22.1%) than any other regions. Some 8,234 preferred World Cups every two years and 6,774 liked the status quo.

FIFA has now authorized a 100,000-person survey across more than 100 countries and incorporating questions on both the men’s and women’s World Cups. This is a battle royal in the making.

CONCACAF announced Thursday that its Paris 2024 qualifiers in the men’s Olympic tournament will be the 2022 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship. This will replace the Olympic-year qualifying tournament held up to now.

A 20-team U-20 tournament will be organized in 2022, allowing the qualifying teams more time to pick their U-23 squad for 2024. No change has been announced concerning the women’s qualifying process.

● The Last Word ● The interest of international federations in the eSports sector continues to expand, but a new study by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations shows that the future is anything but clear:

“The report shows that there are two ways for IFs to leverage gaming: either traditional sports are replicated virtually (link to the traditional sport, but the gaming activity includes no or very little physical activity, e.g. FIFA, World Sailing, etc) or technology is used to gamify real-world sport action (the focus is on physical activity while integrating augmented/ digital features, e.g. UCI, World Rowing, etc).

“These activities attract young audiences across genders and territories and can open up new revenue streams. At the same time IFs would have to invest financial and human resources to develop such new products, which likewise require significant effort for regular updates. The acceptance of the community is also unpredictable. In the light of these complexities, the report examines different roles IFs can play in the gaming and/or esports segment at their early development stage and without taking too many financial risks.”

Translation: Nothing is easy.

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THE BIG PICTURE: Raisman, Biles rip FBI, USA Gymnastics, USOPC, Center for SafeSport in Senate hearing, ask for more investigations and prosecutions

By
Rich Perelman
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Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman testifying at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, 15 September (Photo: C-SPAN video screenshot)

“I ask that you please do all that is in your power to ensure that these individuals are held responsible, and accountable for ignoring my initial report, for lying about my initial report, and for covering up for a child molester, and for endangering others.”

That was 2012 Olympic Team gold medalist McKayla Maroney, now 25, expressing the core proposal of four survivors of serial sex abuser Larry Nassar at Wednesday’s four-hour hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.

Maroney, three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, four-time Olympic winner Simone Biles and 2015 World Team gold medalist Maggie Nichols testified in the first half of the session, devoted to the experience of these survivors.

The hearing followed the devastating July report of the Department of Justice’s Inspector General about the disastrous mis-handling of the Nassar investigation by the FBI in 2015 and 2016 and was designed to explore possible follow-up actions by the Congress.

In the survivor’s session, Raisman’s answer to questions from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) highlighted their concerns:

“I think it’s really important to look at the connection between the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and we cannot believe there is a safer future for children unless we fully understand every single thing that happened.

“And USA Gymnastics does say that they have done investigations, but those were not completely independent, and the scope of the investigation matters. Nobody should be off-limits. Nothing should be off-limits. It should go back decades and that has not been done.

“It’s been something that we’ve been asking for for years and years and I personally would like to see all three organizations completely investigated, and the scope of it matters, because until we know all the facts, it’s just guesswork. And I hope you guys feel the same way as I do that, if we’re thinking about children going into gymnastics or sports, I don’t want to be guessing that they’re going to be OK, I want to know with 100% certainty that somebody that looked the other way for us isn’t still in a position of power.

“And so I think the investigation is crucial and until that, I don’t have any faith that things will get better in the sport.”

Grassley followed up, asking about confidence in the Congressionally-formed U.S. Center for SafeSport. Raisman was forthright:

“I personally think SafeSport is – I’m trying to be respectful here – I don’t like SafeSport, I hear from many survivors that they report their abuse and it’s like playing ‘hot potato,’ where someone else kicks it over to somebody else and don’t hear back for a really long time.

“I think a really big issue is that SafeSport is funded by USA Gymnastics or the United States Olympic Committee; I’m not sure exactly the correct terminology is. If you’re SafeSport and you were funded by the organization you’re investigating, they’re likely not going to do the right thing.

“And so I think that it needs to be completely separate, and I personally think SafeSport needs a lot of work.”

The irony of Raisman’s comments is that the Congress, in the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, punitively required the USOPC to fund SafeSport to the tune of $20 million per year!

Maroney followed up:

“Nobody really wants to be held accountable and nobody really knows who to hold accountable. So I think, in order to help, there needs to be a specific person who is in charge of protecting these athletes, and it falls on them when they’re not, instead of it being passed around and everyone just being like, ‘well, we don’t know what happened’, um, ‘who’s job was that?’ There needs to be a specific job for that.”

But in response to a question from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) about what organization or person could be trusted, none of the four offered a reply.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) asked “What does genuine accountability look like to you? When do you feel justice will be done for the injustices you suffered?”

Raisman spoke, doubling down on want to know more details than already available:

“A complete and full independent investigation of the FBI, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and then from there, then we will know the answers of who should be held accountable.

“I also think that there needs to be, when we think about a new USA Gymnastics or a new United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, survivors need to be in the room … they need to feel, we need to feel like we are not adversaries to USA Gymnastics.”

Biles chimed in as well, adding:

“One more to add, we also want to see them at least be federally prosecuted to the fullest extent, because they need to be held accountable.”

During the second session, FBI Director Christopher Wray’s opening remarks included:

“I’m sorry that so many people let you [survivors] down, over and over again, and I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015, and failed, and that is inexcusable, it never should have happened and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure it never happens again. …

“The action and inaction of the FBI employees detailed in this report are totally unacceptable. These individuals betrayed the core duty that they have of protecting people. They failed to protect young women and girls from abuse and the work we do certainly is often complicated and uncertain and we’re never going to be perfect, but the kinds of fundamental errors that were made in this case in 2015 and ‘16 should never have happened, period. And as long as I am FBI director, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to make sure they never happen again.

“The FBI cannot carry out its vital mission of protecting the American people without trust. And in this case, FBI agents – certain FBI agents – broke that trust repeatedly and inexcusably. And to pretend otherwise would be yet one more insult to the survivors.”

The questioning of Wray and Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz repeatedly came back to whether a referral on criminal charges had been made, particularly on two Indianapolis agents mentioned prominently in the report, former Special Agent in Charge Jay Abbott and Supervisory Special Agent Michael Langeman.

Horowitz said referrals had been made to the Justice Department, which declined to prosecute either. Abbott has retired and Langeman was fired from the FBI within the past two weeks, according to Wray. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco was requested to appear, but declined and the department’s policy is apparently not to disclose why specific prosecutions are undertaken or not. Said Leahy to Wray and Horowitz: “There’s a whole lot of people who should be in prison.”

There was also substantial discussion about former USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny and his interactions with Abbott, including the mention of a possible head-of-security job opening at the (then) USOC, which Abbott did apply for in 2017 (but was not selected).

Discussions about legislative fixes were discussed, principally about the inability to discipline or prosecute FBI personnel who are retired or otherwise have left the Bureau.

Analysis: The testimony of the four survivors was emotional, difficult and, in many moments, tense.

Lining up behind Raisman, however, they made it clear that even with many changes of personnel and procedures, they have no faith in USA Gymnastics or the USOPC as currently constituted. Raisman spoke specifically of “when we think about a new USA Gymnastics or a new United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee …” This will be especially interesting for the Congress in light of:

(1) Its forthcoming power – in October – to vaporize USA Gymnastics as the National Governing Body for the sport in the U.S. and to remove the entire Board of Directors of the USOPC (with either action opening the USOPC to possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee), and

(2) The coming-into-formation Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics, also expected to begin its work of review and recommendations in October, but which thus far has no funding from the Congress.

Moreover, Raisman’s slam of the U.S. Center for Safeport, created by the Congress in 2017 raises all new questions about that body, which the Judiciary Committee will now have to follow up.

As for the survivor’s incessant demands for another investigation into what happened, moment-by-moment, that’s going to be hard to fulfill. To the extent that ex-FBI agents Abbott and Langeman, former USA Gymnastics chief Penny and a long list of others could be subject to criminal charges, they are not obligated to cooperate with any probe. In fact, Penny invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in a June 2018 Senate Subcommittee hearing.

It is also up for question as to what another inquiry would find beyond the 233-page report by Ropes & Gray in 2018 and the Justice Department’s Inspector General’s report delivered in July.

This is not over, but it will be interesting to see what Congressional pressure – and funding – there will be for Justice Department prosecutions, for some kind of revision (replacement?) of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and some sort of additional inquiry that would satisfy the survivors.

By the way, the controversial Beijing 2022 Winter Games open in 141 days.

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Carter named LA28 chief executive; Niyonsaba gets 2,000 m world record, Crouser 74-11 1/4 in Zagreb!

By
Rich Perelman
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Kathy Carter, chief executive of the LA28 organizing committee (Photo: LA28)

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

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The International Testing Agency reported that it collected 6,200 samples from 4,255 athletes from 171 countries at the Tokyo Games.

The ITA noted that this meant “that more than one-third of the participating athletes were subject to at least one doping control” (actually, 36.5%). So far, just six doping violations have been identified from the Games.

The testing was carried out on a targeted basis, designed to check on the most likely medal winners. The most-tested athletes came from the U.S., China, Australia, Russia and Great Britain in that order; the most-tested sports were Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Rowing and Weightlifting.

The positive test for British sprinter C.J. Ujah was confirmed on Tuesday, meaning Britain’s men’s 4×100 m silver medal is almost certain to be forfeited, the only Tokyo Olympic medal to be impacted by doping so far.

● Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● The LA28 organizing committee named its Chief Revenue Officer, Kathy Carter, as Chief Executive Officer.

Carter, 52, has been responsible thus far for the sales of sponsorships for the 2028 Games, working in conjunction with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and NBC Sports. As part of her LA28 role, she has been the President of U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, the entity actually doing the selling.

She will transition from being based in the New York area to Los Angeles and take control of the planning and staging of the 2028 Games, now seven years away. The existing staff of about 100 – many of which are on the marketing side – will expand exponentially; the Tokyo 2020 organizers reported a full-time staff of 7,000 and more than 70,000 volunteers for its Games.

Carter’s career has been in the sponsorship sales area in soccer, and she played a key role in the development of Major League Soccer as the head of corporate marketing from 1994-99 and as Executive Vice President (2003-10) and then head of Soccer United Marketing from 2010-18.

A star goalkeeper at William & Mary, she is the third woman to have the senior executive position in an Olympic organizing committee, after Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (GRE) in Athens in 2004 and Japan’s Seiko Hashimoto, who is the President of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

LA28 has not had a CEO since Gene Sykes stepped down at the end of 2018, after a leading role in the bid effort. John Harper has been the senior executive since, serving as Chief Operating Officer, and is expected to continue.

Although not a veteran of multiple Games organizing committees, Carter has an excellent background for the LA28 position, having been deeply involved in the development and success of the landmark 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. That organizing committee was also headquartered in Los Angeles and incorporated many of the management concepts of the revolutionary 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

● XXVI Olympic Winter Games: 2030 ● The newest interested site for the next open Winter Games is Ukraine.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) was in Kiev last weekend for ceremonies to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee and was told by Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the country is determined to become a host for the Olympic Winter Games.

According to a statement, Zelensky indicated that the NOC is ready to enter into the “Dialogue Phase” with the IOC and will visit the IOC headquarters in Lausanne soon.

Said Zelensky in the statement, “The big dream is the Olympic Games in Ukraine and I really believe in it. I am sure that our great state deserves to host the Olympic Games.”

Ukraine joins Canada (Vancouver), Japan (Sapporo), Spain (Barcelona-Pyrenees) and the U.S. (Salt Lake City) in showing interest in 2030.

● Doping ● The World Anti-Doping Agency Executive Board met on Tuesday in Istanbul (TUR), and among other actions, declared eight anti-doping organizations as non-compliant, with a 21-day window to dispute the findings according to the relevant statutes. These include the national anti-doping organizations in Montenegro, Romania, Thailand, the German Community of Belgium, North Korea and Indonesia. If their issues are not resolved in a timely way, they could be suspended (as will the athletes from their countries).

Further, 10 anti-doping organizations were given four months to reconcile not-conformities with the World Anti-Doping Code: Greece, Iran, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Uzbekistan and three Belgian organizations for the Brussels, French and Flemish communities.

In terms of testing, WADA reported that total numbers of tests have returned to the pre-Covid levels from 2019, for both in-competition and out-of-competition sampling.

● Athletics ● Ryan Crouser was at it again, dominating the shot put at the Hanzekovic Memorial meet in Zagreb (CRO), winning with his fourth-round throw of 22.84 m (74-11 1/4) on Monday evening. New Zealand’s Tokyo bronze winner Tom Walsh was second (22.39 m/73-5 1/2) and silver medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. was third (21.70 m/71-2 1/2).

Crouser’s career year, topped by the world record and his second Olympic title, now includes the 16 best outdoor throws in the world in 2021. Staggeringly great.

In the main portion of the meet on Tuesday, Burundi’s distance sensation Francine Niyonsaba set a world record in the rarely-run 2,000 m in 5:21.56, ahead of Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu (5:25.86). Niyonsaba crushed the 5:23.75 mark by Ginzebe Dibaba (ETH) from 2017. Also:

● The men’s 100 m looked like the U.S. Olympic Trials, with Marvin Bracy emerging as a serious threat for 2022 at 9.86 (wind: +0.8 m/s), ahead of Ronnie Baker (9.97), Trayvon Bromell (10.03) and Kyree King (10.17).

● London 2012 gold medalist Kirani James (GRN) won the men’s 400 m over Isaac Makwala (BOT), 44.46-45.15.

● After five years, American Devon Allen finally got a new lifetime best in the 110 m hurdles, winning in 12.99 (+0.7) – the 22nd man to run under 13 seconds and 13th American – and beating Olympic medalists Ronald Levy (JAM: 13.11) and Hansle Parchment (13.l2). Wow!

● K.C. Lightfoot of the U.S. scored a pole vault win over World Champion and countryman Sam Kendricks, 5.87 m (19-3) to 5.82 m (19-1). Olympic silver winner Chris Nilsen (USA) was fifth, also at 5.82 m.

● The women’s 200 m was another win for Namibian teen Christine Mboma, who won in 22.04 (+0.3), beating Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson (22.30).

● Another big series for Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S., reaching 68.87 m (225-11) in round three and then 69.63 m (228-5) – the no. 5 throw in American history – to win in round six! Two-time Olympic champ Sandra Perkovic (CRO) was second at 66.48 m (218-1).

There’s one more Continental Tour Gold-level meet on the schedule, the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday (18th) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The final standings of the World Athletics Challenge for Combined Events were confirmed, with Germany’s Kai Kazmirek taking his second title in this series, with 24,500 points.

American Kendell Williams moved up from third in 2019 to the top in 2021, scoring 19,574 points to best Maria Vicente (ESP: 18,695). By winning, Williams gets a direct entry into the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

Russia’s Olympic women’s high jump champion Mariya Lasitskene, a three-time World Champion, is already worried about being able to attend the 2022 Worlds in the U.S. She told the TASS News Agency:

“There is worry for sure. But we want to start training for this event long before and particularly address the visa issues. I intend to draw [Russian Athletics Federation] attention as well as the Sports Ministry and the Foreign Ministry to this because it is not just a commercial tournament that will be held in Eugene. I definitely don’t want to miss a world championship and we hope for real help and not just media statements.”

Lasitskene and Anzhelika Sidorova, the 2019 World women’s vault Champion, could not obtain U.S. visas to compete in the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in August.

World Athletics announced that a “World Tour” program of gold-silver-bronze level meets would be set up for Cross Country, Combined Events and Race Walking programs beginning almost immediately:

“The development of these tours is part of a concerted effort by World Athletics to create a logical long-term global calendar of international events. It will also ensure more top-level competition opportunities and exposure for athletes in all areas of the sport.”

These Tour programs will replace the existing challenge and permit series; prize money will be available on a per-meet and series-wide basis.

Sad news from Russia that two-time Olympic hammer winner Yuriy Syedikh passed away on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.

Syedikh set four world marks in the hammer – from 1980, 1984 and 1986 (2) – and still owns the world record of 86.74 m (284-7) from 1986. In fact, he owns eight of the top 10 throws of all time and would have been the favorite for a third Olympic gold but for the Soviet boycott of 1984.

He also won the Olympic silver in 1988 and gold in the 1991 World Championships. He was accused of doping, but always denied it.

Devoted fans of track & field are deeply saddened by news of terminal cancer for British author, journalist and statistician Mel Watman, now in a nursing home in Ilford, England. Watman, now 83, has been one of the sport’s leading journalists for decades, writing for Britain’s Athletics Weekly from 1954-88 and co-editing the highly-respected Athletics International newsletter with Peter Matthews since 1993.

He has written numerous books, such as The Encyclopedia of Athletics (five editions), History of British Athletics, the official histories of Britain’s Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) and Women’s AAA, and My Life in Athletics, a memoir, in 2017.

Watman loved covering meets in the U.S. and true to his love of numbers, enjoyed side trips to the gaming tables of Las Vegas, where he always had fun, if not always coming out a winner. All best wishes to Mel and his family in this difficult, difficult time.

● Football ● The sites for the next set of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches is now fixed for the U.S. Men’s National Team: 7 October vs. Jamaica in Austin, Texas; 10 October vs. Panama in Panama City and 13 October vs. Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

The U.S. went 1-0-2 in the first match set.

CONCACAF announced that it had been invited to participate in the development of the world football calendar for 2025 and beyond. Of interest was this preview of the approach:

“Our initial analysis is that we recognize the merits of creating entirely new international men’s, women’s, and youth football calendars which are underpinned by fewer international windows, reduced travel for players, friendlies being replaced by meaningful matches, and a more balanced structure for the overall benefit of football development globally.”

That’s a recipe for very substantial change.

The South American confederation – CONMEBOL – issued a statement criticizing the under-study concept of holding the FIFA World Cup every two years, including (via Google Translate):

“Although at some point CONMEBOL supported the project in question, technical analyzes showed that it is highly unviable.”

In addition: “A World Cup every two years could distort the most important football competition on the planet, lowering its quality and undermining its exclusive character and its current demanding standards. …

“A World Cup every two years would represent an overload that is practically impossible to manage in the international competition calendar.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed that Brazilian “Ricardo Terra Teixeira was found to have violated Article 27 of the FIFA Ethics Code (bribery), fined CHF 1 million, and banned for life from taking part in any football-related activity at national and international level, is confirmed.”

Teixeira was appealing FIFA’s July 2019 decision against him for bribes taken during his term as head of the Brazilian Football Confederation and as a FIFA Executive Committee member; as much as $41 million in bribes related to the sale of World Cup television rights was involved.

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation confirmed two important dates and places, with the naming of Tashkent (UZB) as the location for the 2021 World Championships and elections for its officers and Executive Board.

On the edge of being suspended from the Olympic program of Paris after revelations of doping cover-ups, bribery and bad governance of all kinds, the 2021 Worlds will be held from 7-17 December, followed by the Electoral Congress on 20-21 December.

The federation’s future will be in the balance.

● Wrestling ● London 2012 Olympic champ Jordan Burroughs did not make the U.S. Olympic Team for Tokyo, but he’s back on the U.S. World Championships team after a convincing win over Alex Dieringer, 10-5 and 4-3 in the finals of the USA Wrestling men’s Freestyle World Team Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska last Sunday.

Burroughs made the move up to 79 kg, as his historic 74 kg spot was already taken by Tokyo bronze winner Kyle Dake. It’s an eighth World Champs team for Burroughs, 33, to go along with Olympic berths in 2012 and 2016.

Fellow World Championships medal winners James Green (70 kg), J’den Cox (92 kg) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kg) also won at the Team Trials and will compete in the Worlds in Oslo (NOR) in early October.

In the women’s Freestyle finals, three Worlds veterans made the U.S. team: Jenna Burkert at 55 kg (fourth Worlds appearance), Forrest Molinari at 65 kg (third Worlds) and Tokyo Olympian Kayla Miracle (second Worlds) at 62 kg.

Olympic veterans Ben Provisor (82 kg) and G’Angelo Hancock (97 kg) won their Worlds slots in the Greco-Roman Team Trials; it will be the fourth Worlds for Hancock. Patrick Smith made his third U.S. Worlds Greco team by winning at 82 kg.

● At the BuZZer ● The irrepressible Lolo Jones was named to the U.S. women’s National Team for the fifth time in her career, following the USA Bobsled Push Championships. That puts her in the race for Beijing, where three U.S. sleds are expected to compete. She tweeted:

“My First Olympics was The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

“13 years later and my last Olympic push is for Beijing Winter Olympics. Here we go…”

and

“[I]t’s back [to] training. Traveling with 6 girls all fighting for the same Olympic spots… add a sprinkle of covid uncertainties and my next 5 months will be more drama than [any] reality tv show I’ve ever been on”

For Jones, now 39 (!), that’s saying something!

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LANE ONE: Naomi Osaka may have lost at the U.S. Open, but everyone learned her lesson: the press still matters

By
Rich Perelman
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“Like, I didn’t know how big of a deal it would become.”

Although newspaper circulations are way down, the press – reformed for the digital age – is still a very big deal, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Japan’s tennis superstar, Naomi Osaka, found this out directly.

She made headlines in May by refusing to participate in contractually-required post-match news conferences at the French Open. Her announcement post on Twitter included (as posted):

“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m not just going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”

She was fined $15,000 after skipping the appearance after her first round victory and then withdrew from the tournament, announcing on Instagram:

“Hey everyone, this isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended. I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris.”

She skipped media appearances after her matches at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she lost in the third round, then briefly walked out of a post-match news conference (but returned) after a third-round loss at the Cincinnati Open.

At a pre-U.S. Open news conference on 27 August, Osaka, 23, explained:

“Honestly, I feel like there’s a lot of things that I did wrong in that moment, but I’m also the type of person that’s very in the moment. Like whatever I feel, I’ll say it or do it. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. I think there’s a lot of things that I learned to do better. Of course, I don’t feel the same situation will happen again.

“I would say maybe think it through a bit more in the way that, like, I didn’t know how big of a deal it would become.”

After all that, Osaka suffered an upset loss to eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez (CAN) in the third round on 3 September and used the post-match news conference to announce she was taking time off from tennis.

“I feel like for me recently, like, when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal.”

She was sobbing, so the moderator was ready to end the session, but Osaka decided to continue:

“Basically I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match. I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.”

That was it, but now Osaka was employing the assembled press to tell her story, which was dutifully reported worldwide.

In this instance, the post-match news conference was exactly the right forum to get her message out. Because the press still matters.

It’s worth noting that news reporting by the “press” – even if tied to a television entity like ESPN – is really separate and apart from the interests of broadcasters, who are geared toward co-promoting events with their owners to drive viewership.

It’s totally true that U.S. print newspapers have fallen on hard times. Britain’s PressGazette.com reported in August that audited figures showed Monday-Friday print circulation averages for the 25 largest U.S. papers are down from a combined 4.7 million from the first quarter of 2019 to just 3.4 million – that’s almost 28% – at the end of the first quarter in 2021.

Former million-circ print dailies like the New York Times (362,763), USA Today (183,270), Washington Post (180,159) and the Los Angeles Times (164,845) are shadows of their print reach of just 10 years ago.

But where there were regional powerhouse papers all across in the U.S., new, national, digital players have taken their place. One ranking of sports-themed Web sites from March 2021 estimated the U.S. sports traffic leaders as:

● 125 million monthly unique visitors: Yahoo! Sports
● 80 million: ESPN
● 40 million: Bleacher Report
● 30 million: CBSSports
● 25 million: Sports Illustrated

This does not include the large audiences for sports for the online posts of legacy newspapers; these are reader totals which were unthinkable prior to the digital age.

Osaka’s experience with the press at the U.S. Open, with its strong media coverage, demonstrates the challenge for most of the Olympic Movement in the United States. True, hundreds of American journalists cover the Olympic Games, but then what?

There are large, dedicated media corps devoted year-round to sports that are coincidentally on the Olympic program, such as basketball, football, golf and tennis, but beyond that?

Sure, there are niche sites – like this one – but the big-traffic sites only occasionally offer direct coverage for track, swimming, gymnastics and the rest. That keeps Olympic-focused sports well down in the public consciousness; where are the dedicated U.S. beat writer(s) on Olympic sports? Are there any left?

There were more than a dozen in the 1990s at the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and many others. Not now.

What about social media? Once identified as the cure-all, it may not be the answer. A 2021 study by the Association of National Advertisers showed that “the quality of the media exposure is more important than the quantity of the media exposure in driving results” with the no. 1 metric being “return on investment/return on advertising spend.” Familiar Web advertising and social-media indicators such as “Shares,” “Impressions” and “Likes” ranked nos. 31-34-35 in importance. Followers are nice, sales are much better.

The press matters, and the only way to get attention is to reach out and touch them, often. This process is beginning; U.S. National Governing Bodies in wrestling, weightlifting, volleyball, rugby, track and others mounted aggressive e-mail campaigns to news media during the Tokyo Games and several – especially USA Wrestling and USA Volleyball – are continuing.

With another Olympic Games coming in just three years and then Los Angeles in 2028, now is a good time to – if you will – press ahead.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

INTEL REPORT: Paralympics reaches 4% of U.S. population on TV; Barcelona’s 2030 Winter Games bid plays politics; Allman explodes to 233-5 AR at ISTAF!

By
Rich Perelman
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Tokyo Olympic champion and American Record holder in the discus, Valarie Allman

Key status updates on the urgent stories in Olympic sport:

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● NBC showed 1,200 hours of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, including 220 hours on television and set all kinds of records for Paralympic viewership in the U.S.

But that doesn’t mean that many people actually watched.

NBC’s own report stated that total viewership was about 14.1 million Americans, or 4.2% of the total U.S. population. It’s also about 9.4% of NBC’s reported audience of 150 million for the Olympic Games from Tokyo.

Still, it’s better than Rio 2016, when no primetime Paralympic programming was shown on NBC (over-the-air) at all. In 2021, it had three primetime shows:

● 29 Aug. (Sun): 2,096,000 viewers
● 04 Sept. (Sat): 883,000 viewers
● 05 Sept. (Sun): 1,473,000 viewers

These totals ran third or fourth among network shows at the same time; on 4 September, the Georgia-Clemson college football game had 8.86 million viewers and on 5 September, Notre Dame-Florida State drew 7.75 million.

The average audience for NBC’s 6.5 hours of Paralympic coverage was 1.2 million, almost double the Rio average of 640,000.

No audience over 200,000 was reported for any of its cablecasts; NBC reported “Primetime coverage on NBCSN averaged 180,000 viewers, up 27% vs. Rio 2016 Paralympics primetime coverage (143,000 viewers).”

NBC noted “Tokyo Paralympic Coverage on NBC and NBCSN Up 8% Over Rio Paralympics,” which is really not that much. The International Paralympic Committee has targeted the 2028 Los Angeles Games as a priority to increase awareness of the Paralympic Movement in the U.S. There is a long way to go.

● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC announced a long-term television rights sales agreement with the government-owned China Media Group for the Olympic Games in 2028 and 2032 and the Winter Games in 2026 and 2030.

No terms were disclosed, a considerable departure from announcements of agreements with other countries.

Kuwaiti Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was found guilty on Friday of forgery by a Geneva court as part of a scheme to implicate rivals in an alleged coup plot in 2013.

Reuters reported “The case had revolved around videos purporting to show former prime minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed and the former speaker of parliament, Jassem al-Kharafi, plotting to overthrow Kuwait’s then-emir.” Sheikh Ahmad turned the videos – which were fake – over to Kuwaiti authorities; he was one of five defendants in the case, all of whom were convicted.

Four received 29-month jail sentences, with 15 months suspended. In statement, Sheikh Ahmad, 58, confirmed he would appeal, but in the meantime, will “temporarily step aside as President as the [Olympic Council of Asia] until he has successfully appealed today’s verdict.” He suspended himself from the International Olympic Committee when the forgery charges were brought in 2018.

● XXVI Olympic Winter Games: 2030 ● A Spanish bid for the 2030 Winter Games in Barcelona and the Pyrenees has now been drawn into the long-running question of Catalonian independence.

During a television interview at the end of August, Catalonia President Pere Aragones said he believed a referendum on making Catalonia an independent nation would be held by the end of the 2020s.

“We want Catalonia to vote in a recognized way and, if it is done before 2030, it will be the first Games in which we will participate under our flag.”

In the meantime, Ada Colau, the Mayor of Barcelona, has demanded a referendum for her city on the question of participation in the bid since Aragones announced the regional bid in July.

Exactly what the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission does NOT want to hear.

● Doping ● The German ARD public television channel made a major splash on 16 July with a documentary claiming to show that prohibited substances could be placed on a person through being touched by a cream.

The World Anti-Doping Agency responded at the time, noting: “[T]his possibility is well known within the anti-doping community. It is considered to be a very rare occurrence based on the small number of such cases that have arisen historically, and its potential is scientifically limited to a very small number of prohibited substances that could be absorbed through the skin into someone’s system.”

On Friday, WADA tweeted a three-part follow-up:

“Since its statement of 16 July, WADA confirms that upon its request, the team that produced a program for German broadcaster ARD has now provided limited information about the experiment it commissioned regarding prohibited substances being passed through the skin of athletes …

“This brief summary of the premise, substances and results of the project is lacking sufficient data for WADA to discern the scientific significance of the project …

“Accordingly, the Agency will await the publication of the peer-reviewed paper, as mentioned by the experiment’s authors in the documentary, to see if further follow-up is required.”

Is ARD being as transparent as it wants its subjects to be?

● Athletics ● The 80th edition of the famed Internationales Stadionfest – ISTAF – in Berlin came Sunday, marking 100 years since its debut in 1921. About 20,000 showed up under overcast skies for Sunday’s event and they got a great performance right at the start.

Tokyo Olympic women’s discus winner Valarie Allman of the U.S. spun the platter to an American Record 71.16 m (233-5) in the first round, improving on her 2020 record of 70.15 m (230-2) and moving her to no. 19 all-time!

How great is that? It’s the third-longest throw of the 21st Century behind two performances by double Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic (CRO). Moreover, everyone ahead of Allman on the all-time list – except for Perkovic – achieved their bests from 1980-92, a period of nearly unrestricted “chemical enhancements” in the Eastern Bloc (and others who have admitted they were doping).

As if to show the record toss was no fluke, her last was 68.80 m (225-9), the no. 8 throw in U.S. history!

Said Allman: “This stadium, the crowd, the competition was so incredible. This season had so many magic moments. One thing I wanted this season is to improve my best. 2021 is coming to an end and I have a PR; that is so good!” More highlights:

● Men/100 m (wind: 0.0 m/s): Marvin Bracy of the U.S. got his third European win in less than a month at 9.95, ahead of Jeremiah Azu (GBR: 10.16).

● Men/110 m hurdles (-0.1): American Devon Allen beat Jamaica’s Tokyo bronze winner Ronald Levy again – but close – by 13.10 to 13.11.

● Men/400 m hurdles: Norway’s Karsten Warholm won easily in 48.08, a slow time for him – at the end of a long season – but well ahead of Rasmus Magi (EST: 48.73).

● Men/Pole Vault: A U.S. sweep with Sam Kendricks beating Chris Nilsen on misses at 5,91 m (19-4 3/4) and K.C. Lightfoot third at 5.81 m (19-0 3/4).

● Men/Javelin: Home favorite Johannes Vetter thrilled the crowd with an impressive 88.76 m (291-2) to win.

● Women/1,500 m: Another European win for American Kate Grace in a lifetime best of 4:01.33, running away from Esther Guerrero (ESP: 4:04.45)

● Women/100 m hurdles (-0.2): Dutch star Nadine Visser ran 12.73 to out-last Americans Payton Chadwick and Christina Clemons, 12.73-12.75-12.86.

● Women/ High Jump: Olympic champ Mariya Lasitskene (RUS) won over Olympic silver winner Nicola McDermott (AUS): 1.98 m-1.95 m (6-6 to 6-4 3/4).

There’s one more major Continental Tour meet coming, in Zagreb (CRO) on Monday and Tuesday.

World road-race records fell in Herzogenaurach (GER) on Sunday, as Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi ran 14:29 for 5 km and Kenya’s Agnes Tirop won the women’s 10 km race in 30:01.

Teferi, sixth in the Olympic 5,000 m in Tokyo, crushed the women-only mark of 14:44 by Sifan Hassan (NED) in 2019 and the 14:43 mixed-race record by Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) last February, but also the 14:32 all-time best by Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) before the distance became an official world record event.

Tirop’s 30:01 destroyed the women-only record of 30:29 by Asmae Leghzaoui (MAR) from 2002. The time moved Tirop – fourth in the Tokyo 5,000 m – to no. 7 on the all-time list. Runner-up Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) was second in 30:17, also faster than the old record.

Kenyans Jacob Krop, Rhonex Kipruto and Abel Kipchumba won in world-leading times in the 5 km, 10 km and Half Marathon races in 13:06, 26:43 and 58:48, respectively. That moves Krop to no. 3 all-time and Kipchumba to equal-20th all-time. Kipruto, already the world-record holder, ran the no. 3 time ever.

In another sign of a return to normalcy, the 5th Avenue Mile was held once again in New York. British stars Jake Wightman and Jemma Reekie won the men’s and women’s elite races in 3:49.5 and 4:21.6.

Ethiopia’s Derara Hurisa won the Vienna City Marathon on Sunday in 2:09:22, but was disqualified shortly thereafter for wearing shoes with 5 cm of thickness in the soles vs. the limit of 4 cm.

Hurisa confirmed his shoe choice – which met the rules – prior to the race, but decided to run in his training shoes instead; Kenya’s Leonard Langat finished in 2:09:25 and was declared the winner.

The race was run in high heat and one death – of an Austrian entrant – took place in the accompanying half marathon.

Comment: Now that this has happened once, look for much more rigorous shoe check programs coming in the future!

● Football ● The U.S. Women’s National Team has complained vociferously to the U.S. Soccer Federation that it should be paid the same as the Men’s National Team if the latter had won the FIFA World Cup, even though the amounts are controlled by FIFA, not the USSF.

The Men’s National Team’s Players Association has made many supportive comments about the women’s demands for “equal pay.” On Friday, U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone called them on it.

In an open letter to both the men’s and women’s player associations, she wrote “we have invited the players and both Players Associations to join U.S. Soccer in negotiating a solution together that equalizes World Cup prize money between the USMNT and USWNT.”

Moreover, the letter explained:

“As a federation, we would much rather negotiate a single collective bargaining agreement with both the men’s and women’s teams, but since neither team has agreed to take that approach, we are moving forward separately with each Players Association.”

The men’s team has been continuing to play under a long-expired bargaining agreement and the women’s team agreement ends on 31 December 2021. The appeal of the summary judgement against the women’s class-action suit against the federation is not expected to be heard the end of the year or early 2022.

Comment: This is a brilliant move by Parlow Cone and USSF, demonstrating once again that “equal pay” apparently does not mean the same thing to the men’s and women’s teams, further undermining the position of the women’s team. And the U.S. men’s team does not seem – at least right now – interested in giving away any of its money to the women, despite its claims to be in support of their interests. Stay tuned on this one.

A generational transition at the U.S. Women’s National Team may be accelerated with the announcement by striker Christen Press last Thursday that she is taking some time off:

“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve been available for nearly every professional match for both club and country. And yet, that has come with a focus, intensity, and prioritization that has left little room for much else. I’ve made the difficult decision to take a couple of months away from the game to focus on my mental health, spiritual growth, and processing grief.”

Press, 32, was the first signee of the NWSL’s new Angel City F.C. team in Los Angeles, which will not begin play until the spring of 2022. So she should be back by then.

CBS Sports has the U.S. television rights to the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying games of all countries except the U.S. and Mexico. That includes rights to most of the U.S. away games, including the first-window matches at El Salvador and at Honduras.

But the Honduras game last Wednesday (8th) was not available on over-the-air or cable television; the English-language telecast was only available on the Paramount+ subscription-based streaming service.

Look for more of this in the future as each network works feverishly to build its subscriber base at the expense of non-subscribers. This is not confirmed to soccer; Saturday’s Toledo at Notre Dame college football game was not on NBC or NBCSN, but only on its Peacock subscription service.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin (SLO) warned last week that the European and South American federations could boycott the FIFA World Cup if it is played every two years instead of every four.

In an interview, Ceferin said “To play every summer a one-month tournament, for the players it’s a killer. If it’s every two years it clashes with the women’s World Cup, with the Olympic football tournament.”

FIFA is currently studying the proposal made at the last Congress for a two-year World Cup cycle, but has announced no timetable for resolution.

Ceferin said he felt the same way about the European Championship also going to a two-year cycle: “It might be good for UEFA financially but the problem is we would be killing football like that. We are killing the players. I don’t see the clubs allowing the players to go and that would divide us completely.”

● Ice Hockey ● The issue of political interference in sport in Belarus heated up last week with an International Ice Hockey Federation announcement:

“The IIHF Independent Disciplinary Board has issued a five-year suspension to Belarusian Ice Hockey Association (BIHA) President Dmitri Baskov. …

“The Board cited sufficient evidence that Baskov has tried to directly influence others to support the Belarus government and has threatened and discriminated Belarusian athletes because of their political opinion … The Board also determined that Baskov abused his position as a representative of ice hockey in order to support the current President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko …”

Last Friday, Baskov said in a television interview that he would resign in order to keep his federation for being further penalized if he stayed on. Belarus’s National Olympic Committee is under investigation by the International Olympic Committee over such abuses; this will not help.

● Judo ● “For the IJF Disciplinary Commission, it is evident that the two Algerian judoka, with malicious intent, have used the Olympic Games as a platform for protest and promotion of political and religious propaganda, which is a clear and serious breach of the IJF Statutes, the IJF Code of Ethics and the Olympic Charter. Therefore, no other penalty than a severe suspension can be imposed in this case.”

That’s from the International Judo Federation’s Disciplinary Commission finding, imposing a 10-year ban, through 23 July 2031, for their actions at the Tokyo Games, specifically:

“On 23rd July 2021, during the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Algerian -73kg athlete Mr Fethi NOURINE and his coach Mr Amar BENIKHLEF made public statements in the media that the draw shows they would face Israel in the competition and they are pulling out of the Olympics. They were unwilling to face Israel on the day of the competition, 26th July 2021.”

The decision is appealable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport; to its credit, the IJF has been one of the most rigorous in its oversight of anti-Semitic and other discrimination cases and followed up quickly after the Tokyo Games on this obvious infringement of the IJF Code of Ethics and the Olympic Charter.

● Swimming ● The FINA World 25 m (Short Course) Championships have sometimes gotten lost among other events as it is not seen in the same light as its massive World Aquatics Championships, which will next be held in the spring of 2022 in Japan.

So, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi (UAE) organizers of mid-December’s 2021 Short-Course Worlds, the event is being significantly expanded with a new “Aquatics Festival” that will include diving, high diving and open-water swimming.

It’s an interesting idea and offers FINA some of the same bandwidth as the IOC uses for its Youth Olympic Games, to showcase new event and test-drive new concepts. For 2021, the program will include (1) the final High Diving qualifier for the 2022 Worlds, (2) a demonstration of a new Diving Mixed Team event, alternating between 3 m and 10 m dives and (3) the final leg of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series with a 10 km open-water race and a new event, a 4 x 1,500 m Mixed Relay. All of these events will have prize money purses for at least the top eight finishers.

FINA also announced that it will expand its individual scholarships program in swimming, open-water and diving to 140 for the 2021-22 time period. This is the highest number of scholarships available to date; the program saw great results in Tokyo where 57 swimmers and five divers qualified for and participated in the Olympic Games.

The fifth and sixth (of 11) regular-season matches of the International Swimming League season were held in Naples (ITA) over the weekend, with Toronto defeating the L.A. Current in the team battle, 536.0-452.5, with the D.C. Trident third (416.5) in the first meet.

American Tom Shields was the only multiple individual winner on the men’s side, taking the 100 and 200 m Butterfly event. Three women won two individual events: Madison Wilson (AUS) won the 100-200 m Frees; Louise Hansson (SWE) took the 100 m Fly and the 50 Fly Skins race, and Bailey Andison (CAN) won the 200-400 m Medleys.

On Saturday and Sunday, the London Roar won the team race with 529.5 points to 478.5 for the Cali Condors and 379.5 for the Aqua Centurions.

The Condors were hurt by losing superstar Caeleb Dressel (USA) to illness on the second day; Dressel won the men’s 100 m Fly on Saturday and was second in his first-ever short-course 200 m Medley in the no. 2 time in U.S. history (1:51.12).

Japanese star Daiya Seto took four individual events, the men’s 200 m Breast, 200 m Fly and the 200-400 m Medleys; Four-time Tokyo Olympic medalist Duncan Scott (GBR) won the 100-200-400 m Freestyles. American Kelsi Dahlia was a three-event winner in the women’s 100-200 m Flys and the 50 m Fly Skins race.

● Tennis ● Lots and lots of history was made at the 141st U.S. Open in New York, mostly on Saturday, with qualifier Emma Raducanu (GBR) defeating unseeded Leylah Fernandez (CAN), 6-4, 6-3.

Both are teenagers – Raducanu is 18 and Fernandez is 19 – and this was the first final in a major tournament between teens since 1999 and the first-ever final between unseeded women’s players in the Open Era (beginning 1968). Raducanu is the first British women’s Grand Slam Singles winner since Virginia Wade in 1977.

Raducanu entered with a ranking of 150, and not only won three qualifying matches and seven Open matches, but never lost a set! She is the 10th to achieve this and the first since Serena Williams in 2014. She’s the lowest-ranked player to win the Open since Kim Clijsters (BEL) in 2009.

Ranked 73rd coming in, Fernandez reached the final by defeating a startling array of talent: defending champion and no. 3 seed Naomi Osaka (JPN) in the third round, 2016 champ and 16th seed Angelique Kerber (GER) in the fourth round, no. 5 Elina Svitolina (UKR) in the quarters and no. 2 Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) in the semis.

On Sunday, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic was trying for a sweep of the 2021 Grand Slams, but was swept by Russian Daniil Medvedev, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev was seeded second and won his first Grand Slam title; it was the first such win by a Russian since 2005 and first at the U.S. Open since Marat Safin in 2000.

Australian Rod Laver remains the only man in the Open Era to win the tennis Grand Slam, in 1969.

In Men’s Doubles, Rajeev Ram (USA) and Joe Salisbury (GBR) defeated Jamie Murray (GBR) and Bruno Soares (BRA), 3–6, 6–2, 6–2. In Women’s Doubles, Samantha Stosur (AUS) and Zhang Shuai (CHN) won over Americans Coco Gauff and Caty McNally, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3. In the Mixed Doubles, Desirae Krawczyk (USA) and Salisbury swept Giuliana Olmos (MEX) and Marcelo Arevalo (SLV), 7–5, 6–2.

● Wrestling ● More details have surfaced about Olympic Freestyle 125 kg gold medalist Gable Steveson’s deal with the WWE, including a unique structure which will allow him to compete for the University of Minnesota this coming season.

The WWE agreement has been structured as a Name-Image-Likeness deal, allowing Steveson to compete in his senior season for the Gophers. After compiling a 15-0 record as a soph, the NCAA Championships were cancelled in 2020, but he won the nationals in 2021, compiling a 17-0 record; he’s 67-2 all-time at Minnesota.

It’s an outcome that makes all sides happy.

● Worth Noting ● Facebook signed on as “Official Supplier of Social Networks” to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and while the activation will take multiple forms, France 2023 Managing Director Claude Atcher (FRA) explained the primary goal:

“We sold a lot of tickets but not all tickets. If we count the tickets sold to the general public and those to privileged partners of the competition, we have sold around 1.5 million tickets, so there is still a million left to sell.

“We will have to look city by city for ticket buyers for the less attractive matches. The stake is not France – New Zealand of the opening but America 1-Africa 1 on a Wednesday afternoon in Lyon. We have 60,000 tickets to sell for this match and Facebook will help us, because the network is able to identify all the rugby accounts in France, nearly 14,000 to our knowledge.”

It’s an unusual deal for Facebook, which usually has programs paying them, but news.in-24.com noted “During Euro 2020 football, TikTok signed a partnership contract with UEFA.”

Perhaps just as important is a joint initiative:

“Facebook will train the 3,000 apprentices of the Campus 2023 program in the professional use of social networks. ‘This learning program, designed by France 2023, aims to train the new generation of French sports professionals, with the ambition to leave a legacy to sports clubs and regional leagues new resources to further professionalize them. Digital community communication is now essential for the organization of sporting events, and the development of sports structures, it is therefore essential to train the users of tomorrow.’”

This is an important program worth watching and could be a major legacy program to be adopted by the organizers of almost every mega-event in the Olympic Movement.

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

ATHLETICS: Americans Kerley, Bednarek, Cherry, Allen, Hayes and Allman take Diamond League titles in Zurich; Sidorova vaults 16-5 1/4!

By
Rich Perelman
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Diamond League 200 m champion Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. (Photo: Adam Eberhardt for TrackTown USA)

(For our updated – as of 1 September – 743-event
International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, click here!)

Six American victories highlighted the final day of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League at the Weltklasse Zurich, with many of the winners getting a direct entry into the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

It was a busy day with plenty of drama and money, with the top eight receiving $30,000-12,000-7,000-4,000-2,500-2,000-1,500-1,000, and a 2021 world-leader in the women’s vault:

● Men/100 m: Half of the Olympic final was on the line, including Tokyo silver winner Fred Kerley of the U.S. and bronze medalist Andre De Grasse (CAN). American Ronnie Baker – always a strong starter – had the lead early, but Kerley and De Grasse came alongside at halfway. All three were close at 90 m, but then Kerley had a late surge that carried him across first in 9.87 (wind: -0.4 m/s). De Grasse equaled his lifetime best in second (9.89), with Baker at 9.91 and American Trayvon Bromell fourth in 9.96. American Michael Rodgers was seventh in 10.23.

An amazing year for Kerley, a 400 m star coming into 2021 and one of the world’s top sprinters at the end of it.

● Men/200 m: Tokyo gold and silver winners De Grasse and Kenny Bednarek (USA) were on the line, as was 100 m winner Kerley. But off the start, “Kung Fu Kenny” was strong, taking the lead from lane seven and never looking back. He maintained a clear lead over De Grasse all the way to the finish, only making it close as he slowed across the line, 19.70-19.72 (+0.5), with Kerley third in 19.83. American Vernon Norwood got seventh in 20.46.

For Bednarek, he extended his record of sub-20 performances in the season to 13.

● Men/400 m: London Olympic champ Kirani James (GRN) took the early lead, ahead of American Michael Cherry, but James, Deon Lendore (TTO) and Norwood came off the turn all close. But Cherry rocketed into the lead on the final straight and he and James separated from the field, with Cherry diving at the line for a 44.41-44.22 win. Lendore was third (44.81) and Norwood fourth (44.84).

That’s 14 straight sub-45 second 400s for Cherry this season. Wow.

● Men/800 m: Kenyans Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich ran 1-2 in Tokyo and when the hard running started with 300 m to go, Korir was leading Canada’s Marco Arop, but both were passed by a sprinting Rotich. He had the lead coming off the turn, but then Korir put on the jets and separated from the field to win 1:44.56 to 1:44.96 for Rotich.

Arop looked to be third, but Clayton Murphy of the U.S. made a major charge in the final 60 m to get third on the lean, 1:45.21-1:45.23 over Arop. Isaiah Harris of the U.S. was sixth in 1:45.70.

● Men/1,500 m: Australia’s Stewart McSweyn gave up the lead at the bell to Kenya’s Tim Cheruiyot, with Olympic champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) right behind. Tokyo silver winner Cheruiyot and Ingebrigtsen were set up at the front with 120 m to go and in the straight, Cheruiyot had the best finish and won in 3:31.37-3:31.45. McSweyn got third with a finishing sprint of his own over countryman Ollie Hoare, 3:32.14-3:32.66.

● Men/Steeple: Everyone was in contention with two laps to go, but Kenya’s Olympic bronze winner Benjamin Kigen controlled the race from the front with a lap to go and then tried to run away on the final backstraight.

He opened up a lead, but was still being pressed by teammate Leonard Bett with Tokyo winner Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) moving up smartly with a half-lap to go. But Kigen had a good final water jump and looked to be running away with the win until he had some trouble with the final barrier and El Bakkali sprinted up to challenge, but fell short, 8:17.45-8:17.70. Kenyans Abraham Kibiwot and Bett were 3-4 in 8:18.16-8:20.20. Hillary Bor of the U.S. was seventh in 8:24.81.

● Men/110 m hurdles: Jamaica’s Olympic gold and bronze winners Hansle Parchment and Ronald Levy were in lanes 5 and 7. Parchment was off well, but American Devon Allen got in front by mid-race and while he and Parchment were dueling in the middle of the track, Levy was coming on strong on the outside. At the lean, Allen and Levy were 1-2, both in 13.06 (+0.6), with Parchment third (13.17) and American Daniel Roberts fourth (13.31).

Despite winning, Allen – who was fourth in Tokyo – won’t get an auto entry into the 2022 Worlds since fellow American Grant Holloway already has it for the U.S. in this event as 2019 World Champion. But it’s a big win for Allen and his no. 2 time ever.

● Men/400 m hurdles: Norway’s Karsten Warholm was in his first post-Tokyo race in this event, but Turkey’s 2017 Worlds silver winner Yasmani Copello was disqualified for a false start. On the re-start, Warholm got his usual rocket start from lane seven and won decisively in 47.35. He was pressed on the home straight by Brazil’s Tokyo bronze winner Alison dos Santos (47.81), with Kyron McMaster (IVB: 48.24) in third.

For Warholm, the time seems ordinary, but by someone else, it would rank 15th on the all-time list. Wow.

● Men/High Jump: Olympic co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) cleared five heights in a row to lead at 2.30 m (7-6 1/2), then took two tries to get over 2.32 m (7-7 1/4). Andriy Protsenko (UKR) and Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS) also cleared 2.30 m, but could not go higher.

Tamberi tried 2.34 m (7-8) and with the crowd in a frenzy, made it on his second try to secure the win.

● Men/Pole Vault: The real jumping started at 5.93 m (19-5 1/2), with Olympic champ Mondo Duplantis (SWE) over on his first try, with American Sam Kendricks and Timur Morgunov (RUS) clearing on their second. At 5.98 m (19-7 1/2), Duplantis cleared on his second try, but no one else could. Duplantis then sailed over 6.06 m (19-10 1/2) and raised the bar to a world-record height of 6.19 m (20-3 3/4) once again, but missed three times.

Americans Chris Nilsen and K.C. Lightfoot cleared 5.83 m (19-1 1/2) to place 5-6.

● Men/Triple Jump: Portugal’s Olympic champ Pedro Pablo Pichardo went to the lead at 17.26 m (56-7 1/2) in the first round and no one could match him. Hugues Fabrice Zango, third in Tokyo, finished second at 17.20 m (56-5 1/4). But Pichardo extended his lead to 17.27 m (56-8) in round five and then a terrific 17.70 m (58-1) in the final round. American Donald Scott was sixth at 16.22 m (53-2 3/4).

● Men/Discus: Sweden’s Olympic champ Daniel Stahl got out to 66.49 m (218-1) to take the lead and no one could catch him! Slovenia’s emerging star Kristjian Ceh managed 65.49 m (214-6) for second. It’s Stahl’s 14th straight win on the season and 15 of 17 overall.

● Men/Javelin: Germany’s Johannes Vetter has been the dominant thrower of the season, even with a ninth-place finish in Tokyo. And he got out to 89.11 m (292-4) in the second round to settle the question of the Diamond League winner for 2021. Olympic silver winner Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) reached 85.22 m (279-7) in the first round, but was passed by German Julian Weber (87.03 m/285-6) in round four for second.

● Women/100 m: Jamaica’s double Olympic champ Elaine Thompson-Herah was the focus, and she took control of the race by 35 m and ran away from Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, 10.65 to 10.87 (+0.6). It’s Thompson’s fourth-fastest time ever and her no. 4 time of 2021; that’s how great she has been this season. Asher-Smith was brilliant, only 0.04 from her lifetime best, but not in the same class. American Javianne Oliver was sixth in 11.02.

● Women/200 m: The question is what would Namibian teen sensation Christine Mboma do? The silver winner in Tokyo with her roaring finish was in lane four, but it was 2019 World Champion Asher-Smith running best on the turn and into the straight. But then Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson – 100 m bronze winner in Tokyo – took over, with Mboma charging. Jackson had the lead until the final 15 m, when Mboma got past to win in 21.78 (+0.6), a world U-20 record and an African Record. She’s now no. 19 all-time.

Jackson got a lifetime best of 21.81, now equal-21st all-time, in second with Asher-Smith third in 22.19. American Dezerea Bryant was seventh in 22.99.

● Women/400 m: Olympic fourth-placer Stephenie-Ann McPherson (JAM) had the lead at halfway, but was caught on the far turn by U.S. Olympic Trials winner Quanera Hayes. Dominican Olympic silver winner Marileidy Paulino made her usual late rush on the home straight, but Hayes was equal to the challenge and won in 49.88, just 0.01 behind her winning time in Eugene. Paulino finished in 49.96 and Sada Williams (BAH) nipped McPherson for third, 50.24-50.25.

A sweet end to the season for Hayes, only seventh in the Tokyo final and who did not run on the Olympic 4×400 m team.

● Women/800 m: Jamaica’s notorious front-runner, Natoya Goule, took the lead with 300 to go, but Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson came up to challenge on the turn. Into the straight, Hodgkinson found the best finishing gear in the final 50 m to win in 1:57.98. Goule looked to be second, but American Kate Grace stormed after her and got second on the lean, in 1:58.34 for both.

● Women/1,500 m: Another match-up of Olympic gold and bronze medalists Faith Kipyegon (KEN) and bronze winner Sifan Hassan (NED). Australian star Linden Hall had lead at the bell, but Kipyegon, Hassan and American Josette Norris blew by on the turn and were headed for the top three places. Kipyegon had a small lead with 200 m and then it was an all-out sprint with Hassan over the last 120 m, with the Kenyan holding her off, 3:58.33-3:58.55. Norris was a quality third in 4:00.41; American Helen Schlachtenhaufen was fifth in 4:02.30.

● Women/Steeple: The fast early pace saw world leader Norah Jeruto (KEN, soon to be KAZ) leading Olympic bronze winner Hyvin Kiyeng, Ethiopia’s Mekides Abebe (ETH) and American Courney Frerichs for much of the race. Abebe took the lead with a lap to go and tried to run away, but Jeruto and Kiyeng passed her on the backstraight. Jeruto had a fabulous final water jump and steamed away alone to the win in 9:07.33.

Frerichs roared off the water jump and edged into second past Kiyeng for a moment before the Kenyan sprinted to get second (9:08.55) with Frerichs third (9:08.74) and Abebe fourth (9:09.59). Olympic champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) was seventh in 9:20.16.

● Women/100 m hurdles: Clapping for the field events interrupted the first attempt at a start. Once it got quiet, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – fourth in Tokyo – was even with Dutch star Nadine Visser and Tokyo bronze winner Megan Tapper (JAM) after four hurdles, but Amusan was the strongest in the final third, winning in 12.42 (+0.4 m/s), no. 3 on the world list for 2021. Visser (12.51: national record) and Tapper (12.55) went 2-3, with Americans Payton Chadwick (12.62) and Gabbi Cunningham (12.79) finishing 4-6.

● Women/400 m hurdles: American Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad were not in, so Dutch bronze winner Femke Bol was the big favorite. She did not disappoint, but was chased by American star Shamier Little over the seventh and eighth hurdles; Bol pulled away on the run-in to win in 52.80 to 53.35 for Little and 53.70 for Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova. American Cara Hailey was sixth in 55.06.

● Women/Pole Vault: Olympic champ Katie Nageotte of the U.S. no-heighted. Only 2019 World Champion Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS) and 2016 Olympic champ Katerina Stefanidi (GRE) cleared 4.77 m (15-7 3/4) and while Stefanidi missed once at 4.84 m (15-10 1/2) and twice at 4.91 m (16-1 1/4), Sidorova cleared both for the win. The Russian then took the world lead for 2021, clearing 4.96 m (16-3 1/4) for a lifetime best and then made a sensational 5.01 m (16-5 1/4) on her third try to move to no. 2 in history!

● Women/Triple Jump: Olympic champ Yulimar Rojas (VEN) ended the suspense early, powering out to 15.27 m (50-1 1/4) in the first round, equaling the no. 18 jump in history. No one was close, but Rojas extended on her final jump to 15.48 m (50-9 1/2), the no. 4 jump ever!

● Women/Discus: Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. took control of the event with a superb fifth throw of 69.20 m (227-0) to win easily; it’s her fourth-best throw ever. Two-time Olympic winner Sandra Perkovic (CRO) was a clear second at 67.22 m (220-6).

● Women/Javelin: Germany’s Christin Hussong, ninth in Tokyo, got out to 64.20 m (210-7) in round three and no one could catch her, improving to 65.26 m (214-1) on her final try. Australia’s Tokyo bronze winner Kelsey-Lee Barber managed to finish second at a very modest 62.68 m (205-8).

The Diamond League is over, but what could be one of the best meets of the year is coming Sunday: the ISTAF meet in Berlin in the renovated Olympiastadion.

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PANORAMA: IOC helps save Afghans, suspends North Korea; Crouser and Ewen sweep Zurich shot titles; U.S. men crush Honduras, 4-1

By
Rich Perelman
-

(For our updated – as of 1 September – 743-event
International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, click here!)

Key status updates on the urgent stories in Olympic sport:

● International Olympic Committee ● The first post-Tokyo 2020 meeting of the IOC Executive Board was headlined by the IOC’s activities in Central Asia:

“[A] significant number of members of the Olympic community in Afghanistan – around 100 – received humanitarian visas and could leave the country with the help of the IOC and other partners from the Olympic Movement.”

IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER) explained that it was contacted on 8 August – the final day of the Tokyo Games and a week before the Taliban took control of the capital, Kabul – by the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan for help. He noted:

“As a result of all our efforts, all athletes who participated at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are outside the country. Two winter sports athletes are also outside the country and continue training, hoping to qualify for Beijing.”

Bach confirmed that Afghani Samira Asghari, the youngest member of the IOC at 27, is safe, but gave no details of her whereabouts. He also praised the efforts of many individuals within the Olympic Movement who worked to help, including asking governments for humanitarian visas. And this work will continue. As to the five Afghan athletes who competed in Tokyo, the IOC announced:

“[T]he IOC will extend scholarships to all of the Afghan participants of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so they can continue training, the IOC President announced. The IOC will also continue to support the two winter athletes who are currently receiving Olympic Solidarity scholarships already.”

There will be further developments on this. There were no reports on the continuing inquiry into governmental abuse of athletes in Belarus, on the status of weightlifting for the Paris 2024 Games, or on any disciplinary action to be taken on American Raven Saunders’ post-awards ceremony protest in Tokyo. Maybe in October.

The IOC did slap back at North Korea – formally known as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” – which violated the Olympic Charter by being the only National Olympic Committee not to attend the Tokyo Games, citing Covid-19 concerns.

The North Korean NOC has been suspended through 2022, any IOC funds allocated to it have been forfeited and no support will be forthcoming during the suspension. If any North Korean athletes qualify for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, the IOC will consider whether and how they might compete.

As regards Beijing 2022, expect new versions of the “playbooks” to be issued in October.

Several reporters questioned on Bach on the IOC’s position on a possible switch in FIFA’s World Cup schedule to every two years, possibly conflicting with the summer Games. Bach noted that the decision is still in discussion within FIFA and that’s who should be consulted.

● Athletics ● The first of two days of the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich (SUI) took place on Wednesday in the Sechselaeutenplatz in front of the Zurich Opera House in the city center. Facilities for the long jump, high jump and shot put and a three-lane, tri-cornered, partially banked 560 m track were installed along with some home-straight bleachers, supposedly “bringing the sport to the people.”

Inside the oval, Americans Ryan Crouser and Maggie Ewen won the shot competitions, giving them the seasonal Diamond League crowns and a direct entry into the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Tokyo silver medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. took the lead at 22.29 m (73-1 3/4) in the second round, but Crouser boomed his third-round try out to 22.67 m (74-4 1/2) in the third round, which proved to be the winner (no sixth-round-takes-all in the Diamond League final).

Ewen, who failed to make the U.S. Olympic Team, got off a big throw to close the first round at 19.41 m (63-8 1/4) and no one could match it! Portugal Auriol Dongmo was second (18.86 m/61-10 1/2) and American Chase Ealey was fourth (18.49 m/60-8).

Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene (RUS) was yet again in a struggle with silver medalist Nicola McDermott (AUS) and bronze winner Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR), and emerged with a world-outdoor-leading clearance of 2.05 m (6-8 3/4). Mahuchikh finished second at 2.03 m (6-8) and McDermott was third at 2.01 m (6-7).

In the long jumps, Swede Thobias Montler had the lead over American Steffin McCarter going into the final round and got his best mark on his sixth jump at 8.17 m (26-9 3/4). McCarter was second at 8.14 m (26-8 1/2). Rio Olympic bronze medalist Ivana Spanovic (SRB) came from behind in the fifth round over Khaddi Sagnia and then improved in the sixth round to win at 6.96 m (22-10) to Sagnia’s 6.83 m (22-5).

The strange 5,000 m races, run over just short of nine laps on the temporary track, were showcases for Burundi star Francine Niyonsaba and Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi. Niyonsaba outfought two-time World Champion Hellen Obiri (KEN) in the final 300 m, winning by 14:28.98 to 14:29.68. Aregawi was in a five-men fight on the final lap, but finally ran away from Birhanu Balew (BRN) and Jacob Krop (KEN), 12:58.65-13:01.27-13:01.81.

The main part of the program comes Thursday at the famed Letzigrund Stadium, with NBCSN televising the meet in the U.S. beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

● Football ● The U.S. men’s National Team’s struggles on offense continued at the start of its third World Cup qualifying match, Wednesday night in San Pedro Sula against Honduras. Both teams had tied their first two matches and while the possession was roughly equal during the first 25 minutes, Honduras had many more chances and was better organized in the offensive end.

On an innocent-looking ball into the U.S. end in the 27th minute, Honduran defender Edwin Rodriguez sent a hard cross toward the middle of the field and Brayan Moya’s diving header got the ball past U.S. keeper Matt Turner for a 1-0 lead.

The remainder of the half was more of the same: Honduran attacks and an occasional U.S. foray that rarely resulted in a shot. Honduras ended the half with 55% possession and an 11-3 edge on shots.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter brought in Antontee Robinson, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lleget for more offense in the second half, and it paid immediate dividends as Robinson found the back of the net off a rebound from a Christian Pulisic pass to the front of the Honduras goal, intended for striker Ricardo Pepi, in the 48th minute for a 1-1 tie.

Pulisic was lost to an injury in the 62nd minute, with Cristian Roldan coming on. But the game had opened up by then and both sides got more frequent chances. Shortly after DeAndre Yedlin replaced James Sands in the midfield, the U.S. was on the attack and Yedlin sent a cross from the far edge of the box to the front of goal and Pepi – in his first USMNT appearance – headed it in for a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute.

Then the roof fell in for the home team. After a loss of possession by Honduras at midfield, Pepi broke loose down the right side and sent a perfect cross to Aaronson in front of the Honduran goal and he finished for a 3-1 lead in the 86th minute to take the air out of the game. In stoppage time, Pepi was open on the left side of goal, and while his shot was saved by keeper Luis Lopez, Lleget was there to knock in the rebound at 90+3 for the 4-1 final. All this despite 47% possession and 12-18 deficit in shots.

The win gave the U.S. a 12-match unbeaten streak (10-0-2) against Honduras and a 18-4-5 all-time match record. It was the fourth World Cup qualifying win at Honduras for the U.S.

The draw-draw-win results of the first group of World Cup qualifiers was less than hoped for, but four goals on the road Wednesday after scoring one in the first two games is a hopeful sign for the future.

Also on Wednesday in European qualifying, Italy stomped Lithuania, 5-0, in Reggio Emilia, to extend its record unbeaten streak to 37 consecutive games (28-0-9).

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

HEARD AT HALFTIME: Putin says Vladivostok for 2036? Diamond League final starts Wednesday in Zurich; wrestling’s Steveson heads to WWE!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Olympic 125 kg Freestyle Champion Gable Steveson ... on his way to the WWE!

(For our updated – as of 1 September – 743-event
International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, click here!)

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

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The Games really are over.

The 94-ton, 77-foot-long, triple-crescent symbol of the International Paralympic Committee, which had replaced the Olympic Rings on a barge in Tokyo Bay was removed on Monday.

A tug moved the barge out of Odaiba Marine Park and headed for Yokohama, where the structure was created. The materials are expected to be recycled.

A TSX reader who bought tickets for the 2020 Olympic Games reported:

“Co-Sport issued reimbursement at 83%. I expect the Japanese agent will return 100% (as we had tickets from U.S. and Japan agents).”

A class-action suit against CoSport, the authorized ticket reseller for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for the Tokyo Games continues in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey: Suzanne Caruso et al. v. Jet Set Sports LLC, d/b/a CoSport (Case No. 3:21-cv-09665).

The National Olympic Committee in Belarus is under investigation from the International Olympic Committee after the Krystsina Tsimanouskaya affair, in which the sprinter was removed from the Games after criticizing her coaches on social media. Rather than return under pressure to Belarus, she sought help from Japanese police and eventually was offered a humanitarian visa for Poland.

Now the Belarus NOC is being criticized again, but this time by the country’s President, Alexander Lukashenko. Already facing popular protests over his controversial re-election in August, Lukashenko told a meeting on sports development:

“God forbid we have one more failure like we had in Tokyo. … This is a mess, a total lack of discipline. And there must be discipline.”

Belarus won seven medals in Tokyo (3-1-3), its lowest-ever total since it first competed as an independent country in 1996. Said Lukashenko:

“I understand that the competition has increased, and that we are unlikely to run better than African athletes. But we have always had good results in technical sports, such as athletics. Where have these schools gone to? …

“We will pay money, and good money. We will find money. But don’t even hope for that without good results. You will be responsible for the money you spent. I tell this to you as officials. There will be no more easy money.”

● Games of the XXXVI Olympiad: 2036 ● Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last week that the host city – Vladivostok – may be a candidate for the 2036 Olympic Games.

For those not familiar, Vladivostok is a port city at the far southeastern tip of Russia, adjacent to China and the Korean Peninsula. With a population of just 605,000, it’s a impossible choice and is now in competition with St. Petersburg and Kazan as Russian candidates for 2036.

As is usually the case with Putin, his message was all about Russia:

“Regrettably, there have been ever fewer contenders in the world for hosting the Olympics. … If it happens the way I am describing now, we are not excluding the possibility of Russia hosting the Olympic Games. … it is too early to discuss this issue and everything will have to undergo a thorough evaluation.”

● Anti-Doping ● Still smarting from its two-year sanctions imposed by the World Anti-doping Agency – after being slimmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport – Russia continues to complain that it is being unfairly targeted. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week:

“We see the West trying to advance the policy of bringing all international competition under their control … [and] have been trying to actively impose a mechanism on the signatories to the [UNESCO doping] convention that would allow the secretariat to determine those guilty of doping or, in other words, would create opportunities to significantly manipulate this convention.

“Therefore, the implementation of the convention would be taken out of the control of the member states that drafted it. There are many gimmicks but the spirit and the focus on results that are characteristic to all our athletes will help them to overcome any efforts and vain attempts to artificially hinder the development of Russian sports.”

According to a TASS report, “The Minister noted that, out of 14 WADA Executive Committee members, about 12 are NATO countries plus Australia and Japan.

“‘I am certain that the vast majority of Western athletes are not too happy that their competitiveness is being artificially raised via such unscrupulous methods.’”

Comment: Wow. Does he write his own stuff, or is someone doing it for him?

● Athletics ● The Diamond League finale in Zurich (SUI) gets going on Wednesday in a specially-built, mid-city location featuring the men’s and women’s shot, men’s and women’s long jump, women’s high jump and men’s and women’s 5,000 m on an oddly-shaped 560 m elevated track. NBCSN will televise the meet at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.

The main session comes on Thursday at the famed Letzigrund Stadium, with NBCSN televising the meet beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern.

American Fred Kerley, the Tokyo silver medalist, claimed a Diamond League first by winning the 100 m at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels. He’s the first man ever to win Diamond League races at 100, 200 and 400 m!

Although the Diamond League ends this week, the competitions are coming thick and fast in Europe with seven meets in September in the World Athletics Continental Tour. Over the last few days:

● 31 August in Rovereto (ITA): American Marvin Bracy continued his career year in the men’s 100 m, winning in 9.98, and Michael Cherry won again in the men’s 400 m in 44.55, his 12th straight race under 45 seconds! American Olympian Shelby McEwen won the men’s high jump over Olympic co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) at 2.28 m (7-5 3/4).

● 5 September in Chorzow (POL): Canada’s Tokyo 200 m winner Andre De Grasse won in 2021; Cherry won again in 44.94 (13 in a row sub-45), and Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Hansle Parchment (JAM) beat Devon Allen of the U.S. in the men’s 110 m hurdles, 13.26-13.37. American Chris Nilsen won the men’s vault at 5.86 m (19-2 3/4) and shot superstar Ryan Crouser won the shot with a superb 22.39 m (73-5 1/2), ahead of Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs (USA: 22.00 m: 72-2 1/4). Germany’s Johannes Vetter impressed with a javelin win at 89.60 m (293-11).

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women’s 100 m at 10.81 and Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan won the women’s 100 m hurdles over Jamaica’s Olympic bronze winner Megan Tapper, 12.64-12.75.

● 5 September in Padua (ITA): American Michael Norman won the men’s 100 m in 9.97, from Bracy (9.98), Ronnie Baker (10.10) and Justin Gatlin (10.17). Wil London of the U.S. won another 400 m race, this time in 45.22; Australia’s Stewart McSweyn ran another quick 1,500 m, winning in 3:33.49. Add American Josh Awotunde to the 22 meter club (72.2 1/4) in his win in the shot put.

Americans went 1-4 in the women’s 100 m with Javianne Oliver (11.19) beating Sha’Carri Richardson (11.19), Candace Hill (11.26) and English Gardner (11.36).

Next up: the famed ISTAF meet in Berlin (GER) on Sunday (12th).

● Beach Volleyball ● Reports over the weekend noted what is purported to be the final competitive match for U.S. star Jake Gibb, 45, who retired from international play after the Tokyo Games and now from national events following elimination of he and Taylor Crabb on Sunday at the AVP Chicago Open.

Gibb and Tri Bourne tied for ninth in Tokyo; it was Gibb’s fourth Games, finishing fifth in Beijing 2008 (with Casey Patterson) and London 2012 (with Sean Rosenthal) and 19th in Rio 2016 (with Rosenthal). He competed in eight World Championships with a best of fifth in 2007 and 2015.

He won 35 times on the AVP Tour from 2000-21 and seven times in the FIVB World Tour. A two-time cancer survivor, he joins fellow international retirees Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena in making way for the next generation of American men’s beach players, but also as one of the best ever to play the game.

● Football ● The third FIFA World Cup qualifying match for the U.S. Men’s National Team comes Wednesday night in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. Amazingly, it is only being shown on Paramount+ in English, but on Telemundo and Universo in Spanish.

The U.S. and Honduras have both played to draws in their first two matches. The U.S. played to a 0-0 final in El Salvador and 1-1 with Canada in Nashville. Honduras drew with Canada, 1-1 and also played a 0-0 tie at El Salvador.

The next match window will be from 7-13 October.

Congratulations to Italy, which extended its unbeaten streak to a record 36 matches last Sunday with a 0-0 draw with Switzerland. That eclipsed the old mark of 35 straight set by Brazil from 1993-96 and by Spain from 2007-09.

Italy, which did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia – same as the U.S. – started this streak in October 2018 and has won 29 games with seven draws and a 88-12 scoring differential. That includes its win at Wembley Stadium earlier this year against England in the UEFA Euro 2020 final.

Italy plays next on Wednesday (8th) against Lithuania in Reggio Emilia.

Last Sunday’s Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifying match in Sao Paulo was stopped after seven minutes, when local health officials required that four Argentine players from English Premier League clubs – Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) and Tottenham’s Giovanni Lo Celso and Cristian Romero – be in quarantine instead of on the field!

The Brazilian health agency, Anvisa, said it had told the Argentine team that the players could not be included on the squad, but that their directive was ignored. FIFA is now looking into what happens next with the match having been abandoned, with no score.

The proposal to study the possibility of holding the FIFA World Cup every two years was approved by 166-2 at May’s FIFA Congress, but Reuters reported “that any attempt by FIFA to introduce such a change would face resistance from European governing body UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA) and is unlikely to win the backing of the major domestic leagues.”

According to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin (SLO): “The value of this competition is precisely because it is held every four years. Playing it every two years would devalue it.”

One major issue for the clubs is the amount of time their top players would be spending with national teams instead. Concerns about overshadowing the Women’s World Cup were also expressed. A feasibility study is being carried out currently.

● Swimming ● The third and fourth matches of the International Swimming League season were completed over the weekend in Naples, Italy, with familiar names once again sweeping multiple events.

In match 3, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey tripled in the women’s 100-200-400 m Free races, and Swedish sprint star Sarah Sjostrom took the 50 m Free, 50 m Fly and the 50 m Free Skins final. Britain’s Duncan Scott was the only men’s triple winner in the 100-200 m Frees and the 200 m Medley. Energy Standard (FRA) won the match with 640.5 points; the London Roar was second (436.5).

In match 4, American superstar Caeleb Dressel was busy, winning six events: the 50-100 m Flys, 50-100 m Frees, 100 m Medley, and the 50 m Free Skins race. His Cali Condors teammates Lilly King and Kelsi Dahlia (both USA) won three events each; King took the 50-100-200 m Breaststroke events, while Dahlia won the 100-200 m Flys and the 50 m Fly Skins race. The Condors won the team race, scoring 594.0 to 444.5 for the L.A. Current.

● Wrestling ● The stunning story of American Freestyle super-heavyweight Gable Steveson, shock Olympic champion from Tokyo, continues with his agreement to go to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Steveson, the NCAA champion from Minnesota, stormed through his first three bouts at the Tokyo Games, then faced Georgia’s three-time World Champion Geno Petriashvili in the final. Down 8-5 with less than a half-minute left, Steveson got a takedown to close to 8-7 and then scored again in the final second for a 9-8 lead and eventual 10-8 win. He was the first U.S. winner in the 125 kg division since Bruce Baumgartner in 1992.

He had signed a name-image-likeness deal with Mixed Martial Dave Martin, but announced last Saturday that he has agreed to work with the WWE in the future.

● At the BuZZer ● The International University Sports Federation (FISU) confirmed the receipt of bids on the first day available for the 2027 World University Games from the U.S. and South Korea.

The U.S. bid came from the triangle region of North Carolina; the U.S. has only hosted the summer WUG once, in Buffalo in 1993. Korea has hosted the summer WUG twice recently: in Daegu in 2003 and Gwangju in 2015.

The bid process for 2027 and 2029 will continue open through 31 January 2022.

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

LANE ONE: The Tokyo Games will be long remembered, but now Paris has the burden of re-energizing the Olympic Movement

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Paris 2024 flag flying atop the Eiffel Tower in June 2021 (Photo: Paris 2024)

(For our updated – as of 1 September – 743-event
International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, click here!)

Thank you, Tokyo. With the closing of the Paralympic Games on Sunday, the service of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and especially the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will be long remembered by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Movement,  for persevering where others might have quit.

Tokyo did not, and it won.

Yes, there will be costs. First will be the tab for putting on the Olympic and Paralympic Games without spectators, missing an estimated $819 million in expected ticket revenue. But a Kansai University emeritus economics professor has already estimated the benefits of holding the Games at almost $56 billion vs. a net cost of construction and operations of about $29.8 billion. Time will tell.

There were losers. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, unpopular due to the government’s uneven response to the coronavirus pandemic, announced last Friday that he will retire at the end of September. But his Liberal Democratic Party is expected to continue in power, with elections scheduled for 29 September.

But the organizers and the Japanese government kept their promise on keeping Olympic and Paralympic personnel away from the public. To its credit, Tokyo 2020 issued daily reports for more than a month, listing testing figures and positive tests:

● Of the 15,500-plus Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Tokyo, a total of 42 Covid positives were reported.

● Through 4 September, the Japanese government conducted 54,214 airport tests with 54 positives for an infection rate of 0.10%.

● Through 4 September, the Tokyo 2020 organizers completed 993,268 daily tests of accredited personnel, with 309 positives (0.03%).

● The Tokyo 2020 staff of more than 7,000 and more than 70,000 volunteers – almost all from Japan – recorded just 67 total positives.

● Of the grand total of 511 Olympic and 306 Paralympic positives reported – 817 total – local contractors, resident in Japan, accounted for 469 or 57.0% of the total. Another 190 were Games-related personnel such as coaches and competition officials and 49 were news media.

Kyodo News reported that Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that not a single infection spread from individuals related to the Games to the Japanese public.

Now comes Paris, in 2024.

Its challenge will be completely different. After the anxiety of the first-ever postponement of an entire Olympic Games and the staging of two massive events during a state of emergency in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, the French organizers must re-establish the joie de vivre that usually envelops an Olympic Games.

Perhaps no city in the world is so well positioned to do so. In the handover program during the Tokyo Closing Ceremony, Paris 2024 promised joy, describing its (by necessity) pre-recorded segment:

“This first Paris 2024 ceremony took the Games out of the stadium: from the national anthem, which was integrated for the first time in the creative sequence, to a BMX race over the rooftops of Paris, to a live celebration in the gardens of the Trocadero attended by more than 5,000 people. Paris 2024 wanted this ceremony to be a meeting of sport and the new host city, from its iconic landmarks to its everyday spaces.”

The Paris organizers, led by three-time Olympic canoeing champion Tony Estanguet, 43, have emphasized their new approach, especially the important addition of public-participation events to accompany at least the marathons, if not the road cycling events and perhaps more.

And this is only the beginning, as Paris 2024 promises:

“[T]he project’s ambition [is] to take sport out of its traditional spaces. The Paris 2024 Games will be open to the city, with temporary competition venues at the foot of the most famous French landmarks and the first Opening Ceremony in the history of the Games to take place in the city, at the heart of Paris, on the Seine.”

On the Seine? Really? That would be something to see, not to mention a logistical and security nightmare of the first order. But the Paris organizers have shown a willingness to consider anything. And so far, the French public is buying in.

An IFOP Institute public poll of 1,018 French adults from 9-11 August showed 82% in favor of the 2024 hosting. Within that number was a 92% positive response from those aged 18-24.

The next three years will not be stress free. Small groups of activists are trying – so far without success – to block some of the infrastructure spending approved for the Games. There will be charges and countercharges. And things will look darker in February when the Winter Games take place in China, widely criticized for its human-rights record.

Whatever Paris can do to bring more joy to the Games will be desperately needed. Food? Wine? Design? Fashion? Music? Dance? Yes to all. And the logistics to back it up are, in significant ways, now directly in the hands of the International Olympic Committee. The IOC now controls, for the most part, ticketing, hospitality and accommodations. A more seamless, streamlined process is promised, but what will be delivered? For those with lots of money … and for those with less, like family members of the Olympians and Paralympians.

There is great opportunity, but also great pressure. Bonne chance.

Meanwhile, the cruelest outcome of many an Olympic Games is that once closed, the organizing committee is almost immediately, totally forgotten. But Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto, 56, herself a member of the Japanese Diet and whose political standing will rise, told reporters that she would be willing to lead a potential Sapporo 2030 Olympic Winter Games organizing committee if the city is selected as host.

That decision is coming in year or two and after what she and her colleagues have done for the Olympic Movement, it will be hard to tell her – a 1992 Winter Games bronze medalist in Speed Skating – and Japan that it cannot get another opportunity … if it wishes to host so soon again.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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For our 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

THE BIG PICTURE: Tokyo 2020 closes; Roglic gets La Vuelta three-peat, U.S.-Canada qualifying draw; the worst day in Olympic history

By
Rich Perelman
-

(For our updated – as of 1 September – 743-event International Sports Calendar
for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!)

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● “Together, against the odds, we did it.

“The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have not just been historic; they have been fantastic. In 12 magical days, athletes gave the world confidence, happiness, and hope. Athletes broke records, athletes won hearts, athletes opened minds. Importantly, athletes changed lives.”

That was International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons (BRA) in his remarks during the closing ceremony of the XVI Paralympic Games in Tokyo, bringing to a close one of the most tumultuous chapters in the history of the Olympic Movement.

Said Seiko Hashimoto, President of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee:

“I am proud of having hosted the Olympics and Paralympics, the first global events in the world since the pandemic, and [to] pass the baton to Paris.”

But she had regrets, especially having to hold the Games without any spectators in view of political realities in Japan, even though Japanese professional baseball and football matches were held with spectators during the Games period.

“As we were not able to host the Tokyo Games in a complete form, I cannot say that they were a 100 percent success. I think history will determine whether they were a success or not.”

They were undoubtedly a success, first and foremost for the athletes. China finished with the most medals in the Paralympics:

(1) 207: China (96-60-51)
(2) 124: Great Britain (41-38-45)
(3) 118: Russian Olympic Committee (36-33-49)
(4) 104: United States (37-36-31)
(5) 98: Ukraine (24-47-27)

There is still a lot of clean-up to do, not the least of which is settling the finances, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government likely responsible for a major share of the costs. But even with all of the restrictions, the seeds of future successes for Tokyo and Japan from these Games can be seen.

A positive note came on Monday as the coronavirus infection report for Tokyo showed just 968 new cases, the lowest total since 19 July.

● Cycling ● The 76th Vuelta a Espana ended with the same result as the last two, with Slovenian star Primoz Roglic winning his third straight title.

Roglic capped off his victory with a brilliant final-day win in the 33.8 km Individual Time Trial, beating Dane Magnus Cort, 44:02-44:16 for his fourth win in the 21 stages, including the opening and closing stages.

Roglic has sealed the win after Saturday’s difficult Stage, with five hard ascents in the final half of the race, as he finished second to Clement Champoussin (FRA), 5:21:50-5:21:56. Roglic had a 2:38 lead over Spain’s Enric Mas going into Sunday’s finale and ended with a 4:42 edge over Mas, 7:40 over Jack Haig (AUS) and 9:06 over Adam Yates (GBR).

Roglic’s three-peat is the first since Roberto Heras (ESP) did it in 2003-04-05 and only the third overall, with Swiss Tony Rominger achieving it in 1992-93-94.

● Football ● On the second match day of 14-game CONCACAF World Cup 2022 qualifying play, the U.S. Men’s National Team played to a disappointing 1-1 draw with Canada in front of an unhappy crowd of 43,028 in Nashville.

The American men had a 72-28% possession edge and out-shot Canada, 11-6. But aside from a Brendan Aaronson finish off a brilliant cross from Antonee Robinson in the 55th minute, the U.S. attack was mostly stagnant.

The 1-0 lead did not last long as Canada’s Alphonse Davies got loose on the left side of the field in the 62nd minute and sent a near carbon-copy of Robinson’s cross to the front of the U.S. net, where it was tapped in by Clyde Larin. The partisan U.S. crowd booed at the end of the game.

The U.S. may be on an 12-game unbeaten streak (10-0-2), but it now has two draws in its first two World Cup 2022 qualifiers, with a third match in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Wednesday. Not a must-win with so many games to go, but a victory would lower the anxiety level for both the team and the fan base.

● Ice Hockey ● On Friday, the National Hockey League, NHL Players Union, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced an agreement that will allow NHL players to compete in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

There is a possible withdrawal for coronavirus complications, but otherwise the travel, insurance and player support issues were worked out. NHL players were in the Winter Games from 1998-2014, but not in Korea in 2018. A break in the NHL schedule was worked out already.

The Olympic tournament will include the top eight teams from the 2019 IIHF World Ranking – Canada, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, the U.S., Germany, and Switzerland – plus host China and qualifiers Slovakia, Latvia and Denmark.

● In Memoriam ● The worst days in the history of the Olympic Movement took place 49 years ago on 5-6 September 1972 in Munich, West Germany, during the Games of the XX Olympiad.

In an event designed to mark the re-emergence of a democratic, free West Germany from the murderous ashes of World War II, what had been a joyful Games was savaged by the kidnapping and eventual murder of 11 members of the Israeli delegation by Palestinian terrorists.

The Games was halted for 34 hours and a memorial service was held in the Olympiastadion on 6 September. IOC President Avery Brundage (USA) said in part:

“Every civilized person recoiled in horror at the barbarous criminal intrusion of terrorists into the peaceful Olympic precincts. We mourn our Israeli friends, victims of this brutal assault.

“Sadly, the greater and more important the Olympic Games become, the more they are open to commercial, political and now criminal pressure. …

“We have only the strength of a great ideal. I am sure the public will agree that we cannot allow a handful of terrorists to destroy this nucleus of international cooperation and goodwill we have in the Olympic Movement.

“The Games must go on and we must continue our efforts to keep them clear, pure and honest and try to extend sportsmanship of the athletic field to other areas. We declare today a day of mourning and will continue all the events one day later than scheduled.”

But the Games has never been the same.

The International Olympic Committee was long resistant in further honoring the memory of the Israelis, but a special ceremony was held on the day at the Olympic Village prior to the opening of the Rio Games in 2016 and a moment of silence was held during the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

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For our new, 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

SPECIAL: Updated! Our revised, 743-event International Sports Calendar for 2021-22 now posted!

By
Rich Perelman
-

Congratulations to Tokyo 2020 for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games in such difficult circumstances. But now sport goes on, and as your guide, here’s our 743-event listing of events from September 2021 through September 2022 and beyond.

Our updated International Sports Calendar focuses on sports and events on the Olympic and Winter Games program for 2022 and 2024, plus a few other meetings and multi-sports events.

Please note: this listing will change! The coronavirus will see to that, but this edition is a good checklist for following many of the events coming up.

Two calendars are included in the single PDF download: an 16-page listing in chronological order and a 17-page listing by sport (and in date order within each sport).

It’s free! Get your download right now here!

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HIGHLIGHTS: World lead for Sifan Hassan in Brussels; U.S. gets wins from Kerley, Cherry and McCarter; U.S. men get 0-0 tie with El Salvador in World Cup qualifier

By
Rich Perelman
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Women's mile world-record holder Sifan Hassan (NED) (Photo: Erik van Leeuwen via Wikimedia Commons)

(For David Miller’s new comment, “Remembering Jacques Rogge,
and Dick Pound’s Olympic Near-Miss,” click here)

● Athletics ● A good crowd at King Badouin Stadium in Brussels showed up for the annual Memorial Van Damme – the penultimate stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit for 2021 and were rewarded with a world-leading performance by Dutch star Sifan Hassan.

The 5,000 and 10,000 m winner in Tokyo, Hassan won the 1,500 m bronze and targeted the women’s mile here.

She was the only one to stay with the pacesetters through 1,000 m, with everyone else 30 m behind with two laps to go. She was all alone with 600 m to go and pushed hard down the final backstraight and all the way to the finish in 4:14.74, the best in the world in 2021 and the no. 5 performance of all time. Very, very impressive.

Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye led the chase group in second in 4:21.08, followed by Australia’s Linden Hall with a national record of 4:21.38. Americans Elise Cranny and Josette Norris got lifetime bests in fifth and sixth in 4:21.90 and 4:22.71, now nos. 9-10 in U.S. outdoor history.

While the World Athletics regulations for women with naturally-high testosterone levels do not allow them to compete in events from the 400 m to the mile, two women showed they can win elsewhere:

● Women’s 200 m: Although American Sha’Carri Richardson drew a lot of attention, the focus was once again on Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma (NAM) – not allowed to compete at 400 m – and Jamaica’s 100 m bronze winner Shericka Jackson.

Off the start, Richardson led early, but Jackson had control of the race coming into the straight. Just as in Tokyo, however, Mboma flew down the straight and won in 21.84 (+0.4), with Jackson second (21.95) and Dina Asher-Smith (GBR: 22.04) third. Richardson was a creditable fourth in 22.45. Mboma at only 18 is the coming star in this event.

● Women’s 5,000 m: What would Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) do against Kenyan star Hellen Obiri? Niyonsaba, the Rio 800 m silver medalist, but not allowed to run that event now, was fifth in the Tokyo 10,000 m, then won the Pre Classic two-mile and the 3,000 m at the Meeting de Paris. She was right with Obiri and Eva Cherono (KEN) through 3,000 m at the head of a big pack.

Niyonsaba took the lead with four laps to go, but Obiri led a still-in-contact pack at the bell. But while Obiri looked strong coming into the final straight, she was passed by Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) and then Niyonsaba came from fourth to first in the final 80 m to win in a lifetime best of 14:25.34, no. 4 in the world for 2021. Taye was second in 14:25.63 and Obiri third in 14:26.23. It was a lifetime best for Niyonsaba by just more than 29 seconds, in her fourth career race at the distance!

American Alicia Monson was ninth at 14:42.56, a lifetime best and now no. 4 all-time U.S.

Elsewhere, the U.S. scored three speed wins:

● Men’s 100 m: Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley of the U.S. continues to prove that he’s no fluke, winning against world leader Trayvon Bromell of the U.S., 9.94-9.97 with 400 m star Michael Norman third in 9.98 (wind: +0.1 m/s). Norman and Bromell had the best starts, but Kerley came on the in the middle of the race and got to the front in the last 10 m.

● Men’s 400 m: American Michael Cherry punctuated his career year with a brilliant second turn and explosive acceleration into the straight to win in a lifetime best of 44.03 – no. 5 on the world list for 2021 – over 2012 Olympic champ Kirani James (GRN: 44.41) and Isaac Makwala (BOT: 44.83).

● Men’s Long Jump: South Africa’s 2017 Worlds bronze winner Ruswahl Samaai (7.95 m/26-1) and American Steffin McCarter (7.93 m/26-0 1/4) had the best jumps through five rounds. In the Diamond League’s sixth round-takes-all, McCarter improved to 7.99 m (26-2 3/4) for the lead and got his first career Diamond League title as Samaai finished with 7.89 m (25-10 3/4).

In other events:

● Men’s 1,500 m: Australian Stewart McSweyn had the lead with the bell, but was passed by Spain’s Mohamed Katir just after the bell. Fellow Aussie Ollie Hoare came up for third and with 200 m to go, Katir was in charge, but he was passed by McSweyn and Hoare with 90 m go and faded badly. McSweyn charged away for the victory in 3:33.20, with Hoare second in 3:33.79 and Poland’s Michal Rozmys third (3:33.96).

● Men’s 400 m hurdles: Olympic bronze medalist Alison dos Santos (BRA) was favored, but he was trailing Tokyo fourth-placer Kyron McMaster (IVB) into the home straight. But McMaster hit the eighth hurdle and slowed over the ninth and 10th barriers and dos Santos sailed by to win in 48.23 to 48.31.

● Men’s Vault: Five were left at 5.85 m (19-2 1/4), but only Olympic champ Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and Americans Chris Nilsen and K.C. Lightfoot (equaling his outdoor lifetime best) could clear. At 5.91 m (19-4 3/4), Duplantis cleared, but both Nilsen and Lightfoot missed three times each, leaving Duplantis the winner.

He then cleared 6.05 m (19-10 1/4) on his third try and then moved on to a world-record height of 6.19 m (20-3 3/4), but missed all three tries.

● Women’s 800 m: Jamaica’s Natoya Goule – eighth in Tokyo – had the lead with 300 m to go and held off Kelly Hodgkinson (GBR), 1:58.09-1:58.16. Jemma Reekie (GBR: 1:58.77) was third; Kate Grace of the U.S. was fifth (1:59.22).

● Women’s 100 m hurdles: American Gabbi Cunningham got a good start, but Olympic silver winner Megan Tapper (JAM) came on in mid-race, only to be passed by Dutch star Nadine Visser and Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan. It took a photo to separate them, with Visser given the win as both timed 12.69 (+0.7 m/s). Tapper was third (12.77) and Cunningham fifth (12.89).

● Women’s High Jump: The Olympic medalists all cleared 2.00 m (6-6 3/4): Russian Mariya Lasitskene, Australia’s Nicola McDermott and Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR). The Ukranian upped the ante with first-time clearance at 2.02 m (6-7 1/2), and Laskitskene passed after missing once and McDermott after missing twice. At 2.04 m (6-8 1/4), McDermott a third straight try and finished third. Laskitskene missed both tries and was second and Mahuchikh got the win, even with missing her three attempts at 2.04 m.

The non-Diamond League men’s 800 m was an easy win for Kenya’s Olympic silver winner Ferguson Rotich in 1:43.81.

In the in-city discus throw on Wednesday, Sweden’s Olympic champ Daniel Stahl won
his 14th meet in 15 tries in 2021 in 69.17 m (226-11), ahead of Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres (65.17 m/213-9). Women’s Olympic silver winner Yaime Perez of Cuba defeated Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S., 66.47 m (218-1) to 64.25 m (210-9). Croatia’s two-time Olympic winner Sandra Perkovic was third (65.14 m/210-5).

The Diamond League final in Zurich (SUI) comes on 8-9 September.

● Cycling ● Friday’s hilly, 191.2 km course in stage 19 of the 76th Vuelta a Espana saw a seven-man breakaway hold on through the finish and a third stage win for Denmark’s Magnus Cort.

American Quinn Simmons and Portugal’s Rui Oliveira go away with 32 km left, but were soon joined by five others. The peloton could not catch up and while American Lawson Craddock had the lead with Simmons, Oliveira and Cort chasing, Cort won the final sprint to the line. Oliveira finished second, Simmons third and Craddock seventh.

Race leader Primoz Roglic (SLO) maintained a solid 2:30 lead over Enric Mas (ESP) in front of Saturday’s second-longest stage, with five climbs on the back half, including an uphill finish.

● Football ● The U.S. Men’s National Team opened its 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying trek in Sal Salvador, El Salvador, with a 0-0 draw.

The Salvadorans had a 51% possession edge in the game, which went back and forth and generated 20 shots, but only three on goal. The U.S. had a 13-7 edge on shots, but only got a couple of real chances on headers in the box.

The roughness of the game was described by the 30 total fouls, 19 of which were by the U.S., enlivened by a loud home crowd.

But the game ended scoreless and the U.S. will now go to Nashville on the 5th to meet Canada and on 8 September at Honduras in San Pedro Sula. Canada and Honduras tied, 1-1, in Toronto, in their first match on Thursday evening.

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

MILLER TIME: Remembering Jacques Rogge, and Dick Pound’s Olympic Near-Miss

By
David Miller
-
Canadian member of the International Olympic Committee, Richard (Dick) Pound

/It’s a pleasure to present this guest column by one of the most knowledgeable observers of the Olympic Movement, Britain’s David Miller. For more than 50 years, the former English footballer has covered the Olympic Games and the sports within it, including 15 years as the Chief Sports Correspondent of The Times of London, with stints at the Daily Express and the Daily Telegraph. Author of books on athletics, football and the Olympics, he was Official Historian of the IOC from 1997-2018. His opinions are, of course, his own alone./

The passing of Jacques Rogge, Belgian successor to Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch as International Olympic Committee President in 2001, seemed at the time sensible to the point of being inevitable: an experienced, calm, multi-lingual, three-time Olympic yachtsman and rugby international renowned for moderation and, in the broadest sense, fair play. The background, however, was not as straightforwardly conventional: recollection reminds us otherwise.

The outcome of his election in Moscow, scene of Samaranch’s succession to Ireland’s Michael Killanin twenty-one years earlier – on the eve of a Soviet Union festival compromised by a U.S.-led boycott in protest against the invasion of Afghanistan – was heavily influenced by disaffection of Rogge’s Eurocentric colleagues, an IOC demographic majority, for Rogge’s chief rival, intellectual Montreal lawyer Richard Pound. The eloquent past Olympic swimmer was perversely viewed as disloyal within the self-elected private club.

In the wake of the Salt Lake City host city election scandal for the Winter Games of 2002, exposed by local television in late 1998, Samaranch had appointed Pound as chair of an ad-hoc investigative committee – a poisoned chalice. The verdict from Pound was for the expulsion of six IOC Members at the climax of a controversy, which had threatened the future of Samaranch himself, the TOP sponsorship network, even the IOC itself.

Pound had for two decades been Samaranch’s trusted subordinate, an articulate front behind some of the wily Samaranch’s more obtuse objectives within an organisation too frequently distinguished by closed curtains and willful unanimity. Samaranch, intent on saving his own reputation, adroitly placed the judicial burden on the willing Pound, loyal to principal if not to perceived errant Members.

The Salt Lake verdicts compounded the election odds against Pound, already hampered by North America’s slender numerical geographic hegemony, compared with Europe’s multiple voters within a virtual bus ride of each other: and where, moreover, Rogge was an established, respected head of European Olympic Committees.

Further potentially impeding Pound’s support was the latterly emerging upsurge of Kim Un-Yong, mainspring of Korea’s spectacular Olympic Games in 1988 and inspiration of expanding Asian sporting authority – not withstanding that Kim too had received, unjustifiably on the evidence, a damning ‘Olympic warning’ from Pound’s commission, for employment of Kim’s son by Salt Lake.

A conspiracy of circumstance cleared the path for Rogge’s comfortable victory in Moscow, even resulting in a disappointing Pound finishing third behind Kim, whose tide of admiration also helped suppress a North American electorate, further to secure Rogge. Demure Rogge’s authority was soon undermined by setbacks at the IOC Extraordinary Session of 2002 in Mexico: his worthy contribution was to consolidate the financial advantages achieved by Samaranch. Though Rogge was unable significantly to modernise the Games’ programme of sports, and under-estimated some political issues with Beijing 2008 – notably a controversial torch relay – he was fortunate finally to bask in a celebrated Games contrived by London in 2012.

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

THE TICKER: Not much Paralympic TV audience in U.S.; will the Youth Olympic Games survive?; Houlihan’s doping positive confirmed

By
Rich Perelman
-
Going big: Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo signing a giant-sized Host City Contract for the 2027 Pan American Games last week (Photo: PanAm Sports)

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

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● The two Afghan athletes who finally made it to Tokyo to compete in the Paralympics have an offer to go Australia if they wish, but the choice is up to them.

They escaped from Afghanistan to Paris and remained there for about a week before being routed to Tokyo. Kyodo News reported that the Australian “Department of Home Affairs said by email on Tuesday that while the department cannot comment on individual cases, Australia has committed to take 3,000 Afghans initially under the country’s humanitarian program.”

Zakia Khudadadi competed in the women’s Taekwondo K44-49 kg division on Thursday and lost both of her matches, by 17-12 in the round of 16 and 44-38 in the repechage quarterfinals. Hossain Rasouli was supposed to compete in the men’s 100 m, but missed that event and was then allowed to enter the men’s T47 long jump, where he finished 13th, jumping 4.46 m (14-7 3/4).

If one of the measures of the growth of the Paralympics is social-media anger, then perhaps the Paralympic Movement is on the rise.

Malaysia’s Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli won the men’s F20 shot put – he’s the Paralympic record-holder in the event – but he, Australian Todd Hodgetts and Ecuador’s Jordi Congo Villabia all showed up three minutes late for the event. They were allowed to compete under protest, but all three were disqualified after the meet referee determined that there was no justification for being late.

Ukraine’s Maksym Koval and Oleksandr Yarovyi had finished 2-3, but were advanced to gold and silver, respectively. Then came what International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence (GBR) called “very abusive” comments “on all our social media posts that have nothing to do with the men’s shot put F20 event.” In specific, he noted that the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee “was getting a lot of abuse from Malaysians.”

Spence added, “I’m sorry. Rules are rules. The decision was taken. It wasn’t the Ukrainians fault that the Malaysian was late.”

This is not the first time that the IPC has drawn anger from Malaysian fans. In 2019, the organization removed the World Para Swimming Championships from the country because it would not allow Israeli entrants. Said Spence, “The level of abuse that was directed at the IPC then was through the roof.”

The initially-positive television ratings report on NBC’s first-ever primetime Paralympic Games program turned out to be premature.

Sunday’s one-hour program at 7 p.m. Eastern was preliminarily reported as drawing 4.18 million viewers, competitive with CBS’s “60 Minutes” (6.66 million) and an ABC re-run of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (4.69 million). But the final report showed that the Paralympics drew only 2,096,000 viewers compared to 6,754,000 for “60 Minutes” and 4,757,000 for ABC. NBC drew 5,063,000 for its Cleveland-Atlanta NFL football telecast that followed the Paralympics.

Further, the Paralympics coverage on NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA has drawn very little interest. SpoilerTV’s daily listing of the top 150 shows on U.S. cable television during the Paralympic Games has not listed a single Games show, meaning audiences were likely less than 100,000 per program.

Has the general awareness level of the Paralympics been raised, through the postponement and a heightened sense of appreciation for the athletes? Yes, a case can be made for that. But as a commercial enterprise, it has not caught. (See below for more ratings news on Athletics and Swimming.)

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● Even the clean-up effort of the Tokyo Games is being scrutinized in Japan, where the Tokyo 2020 organizers apologized on Tuesday for having discarded “Hundreds of boxes full of unused coronavirus-related medical goods for the Tokyo Olympics, including gloves, gowns and masks, worth a total of 5 million yen ($45,000).”

Kyodo News reported that the supplies were thrown out for lack of storage space as four venues in the Tokyo area and five others in surrounding areas were closed down after the close of the Games. The organizers promised not to make the same error when closing down the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.

Spicy comments on Twitter in the aftermath of the passing of former International Olympic Committee chief Dr. Jacques Rogge (BEL), who led the IOC from 2002-13.

One of his signature achievements was the introduction of the Youth Olympic Games, designed to appeal to a younger audience and first held in Singapore in 2010. Michael Payne (GBR), the IOC’s first marketing director, worked with Rogge for four years, but left in 2004, wrote:

“The YOG was a failed strategy from outset & only kept going out of respect to Rogge – as his principal legacy. The objective get more kids engaged in sport correct – solution to problem totally wrong. YOG does not connect back to schools, expensive & does zero to grow youth sport”

Former Irish field hockey star Nikki Symmons replied:

“And the Olympics does what exactly except cost a country billions to host. At least YOG doesn’t have to build hugely expensive stadia that turn into white elephants. If it is so wrong, what is your solution to get youth engaged in sport then?”

Payne:

“Ensure that sport is part of every school curriculum worldwide – learn to play / team spirit / values, as important as learning to read, write and count.

“YOG far more expensive than people realise & does nothing to grow youth interest in sport.”

Former IOC Head of Youth Engagement, Learn and Share Philippe Furrer (SUI) shot back that “YOG more meaningful and life-changing than anyone can realise. Operated within 5 OG and 4 YOG and cannot count how many athletes and local kids could be inspowered [sic] by their YOG experience” but he acknowledged that more “work, education and passion” are needed.

To which Payne underscored his point:

“Fair points on YOG but I still stand by my original premise that the objective to re-engage the global youth community it is not delivering. Maybe solid impact in local host community & elite young athletes but there is a much bigger picture to play for here & global ROI”

Under current chief Thomas Bach (GER), the Youth Olympic Games has become a living laboratory, trying new concepts and sports such as a free, city-center Opening Ceremony in Buenos Aires in 2018 and break dancing, now to be an Olympic sport in 2024. The IOC will stage the 2026 YOG in Dakar, Senegal, the first large-scale IOC event to be held in Africa. Will Bach’s successor feel as kind, now that Rogge has passed?

● Athletics ● The main session of Brussels’ annual Memorial Van Damme – the penultimate stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit for 2021 – will be held on Friday and televised live in the U.S. on NBCSN beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Tokyo winners expected to compete include Sifan Hassan (NED: women’s 5000 m), Mondo Duplantis (SWE: men’s vault) and Mariya Lasitskene (Russia: women’s high jump). The sprints will include Americans Trayvon Bromell, Michael Norman and Tokyo silver winner Fred Kerley in the men’s 100 m and Tokyo silver medalist Christine Mboma (NAM), 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith, Tokyo 100 m bronze medalist Shericka Jackson (JAM) and American Sha’Carri Richardson, among others.

The Diamond League stop in Paris on NBCSN (28th) drew an audience of 243,000 and a household rating of 0.12. That trailed Fox’s MLS telecast of LAFC vs. the L.A. Galaxy at the same time, that drew 504,000 (0.28).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s 44-page opinion on the World Athletics vs. Shelby Houlihan (USA) doping case was released on Wednesday and confirmed her four-year suspension from 14 January 2021 to 13 January 2025.

Houlihan, now 28, was tested on 15 December 2020 and the sample came back positive for nandrolone, a prohibited steroid. She blamed the result on a contaminated burrito she bought from a food truck, containing pork offal instead of the beef she ordered.

The decision noted that even if true, Houlihan’s test showed nandrolone levels of 6.9 and 7.8 ng/mL vs. normal levels of 2.4 ng/mL in prior urinalysis studies of pork offal consumption and steroid reporting. That was too high to accept her contention that the positive test was the result of contaminated meat, and “that the Athlete has not satisfied her burden of proof on the balance of probabilities that the ADRV was unintentional, and the ADRV must be deemed to be intentional.”

Former Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya – now in Poland with her husband – continued to support freedom in her former home by auctioning off her 200 m silver medal from the European Team Championships in 2019.

According to the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), the medal was purchased on eBay by a U.S. buyer for $21,000 (€17,800). The expectation is that the Foundation will be able to use the money to help other Belarusian athletes who are being persecuted by the Lukashenko regime.

● Cycling ● It just seemed unlikely that Norway’s unheralded Odd Christian Eiking was going to complete a perfect, error-free Vuelta a Espana, leading to an unlikely win in the final Grand Tour of 2021.

He didn’t.

After an uneventful sprinter’s stage 16, win by Dutch star Fabio Jakobsen on Tuesday, the brutal four-climb 17th stage ended with a vicious final ascent to the Lagos de Covadonga at 1,071 m. Despite rainy conditions, Roglic attacked at the base of the ascent – about 8 km out – and broke the race open, winning by 1:35 over American Sepp Kuss and seven others, with Eiking way back, 9:23 behind the winner after a crash on the second descent.

That put Roglic back in the lead, this time by 2:22 over Spain’s Enric Mas.

Thursday’s stage 18 was another misery-inducing, four-climb stage – perhaps the hardest of the race – with Australia’s Michael Storer holding a breakaway position onto the final climb, but he was overtaken about 5.5 km from the uphill finish. Spain’s Miguel Angel Lopez took the lead and behind him Roglic attacked to get clear of his other pursuers.

Lopez won, with Roglic 14 seconds back and Mas 20 second behind the leader. The strung-out finish saw Roglic extend his overall lead at 2:30 over Mas and 2:53 over Lopez. Stages 19 and 20 are hilly, but real challenges as the two just-completed mountain stages were. Roglic is in excellent position to claim a three-peat on Sunday, the first to do so since 2005.

● Football ● The U.S. Men’s National Team starts its 2022 World Cup qualifying chase against El Salvador on the road, at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, with kickoff at 10:05 p.m. Eastern time tonight (televised on the CBS Sports Network).

The U.S. has an all-time record against El Salvador of 18-1-5 and has been unbeaten in the last 17 matches.

Two more qualifiers will quickly follow on 5 September in Nashville vs. Canada and on 8 September at Honduras in San Pedro Sula.

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League’s second match was shown on the CBS Sports Network last Saturday and drew no appreciable rating on day one, but the second day program – shown on CBS at noon Eastern – did well at 656,000 total audience and a 0.45 household rating.

Unfortunately, the remaining nine ISL telecasts for the 2021-22 season are all scheduled to air on CBSSN.

“A report produced by the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau shows the Olympic Swim Trials generated $34.5 million in economic impact to the city and state over the two-week period in June. The financial impact comes primarily from out-of-state visitors paying for hotel rooms, tickets, meals, attractions, shopping and other expenses during their stay.”

Most of the impact came during the second wave – the actual selection meet – with $30.4 million on the total, despite a 50% limit on spectators at the CHI Health Center.

Pretty impressive even with all the restrictions; it’s hard to imagine that USA Swimming won’t reward Omaha once again for 2024, given that the Trials was on its way to selling out completely before the pandemic hit in 2020.

● The Last Word ● OK, here’s the newest wrinkle in the selection of a host city or country for a major Games or championship: public signing of the hosting agreement on a giant-sized contract!

That was done in the announcement of Barranquilla, Colombia as the host of the 2027 Pan American Games – pictured above – being signed by Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo.

Future bidders, take note!

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THE BIG PICTURE: Budapest plays politics with 2023 World Athletics Champs; USA Gymnastics & survivors pitch $427M settlement; Canada wins IIHF Women’s final

By
Rich Perelman
-

Three major developments in 20 hours in the Olympic-sport world:

● Athletics ● The Budapest General Assembly voted 18-13 on Wednesday (1st) “that the city will not host the 2023 World Athletics Championships if the government approves the construction of a campus for China’s Fudan University in place of a students’ quarter in the capital’s 9th district.”

While construction on the new, nationally-funded stadium continues, the proposal by Budapest’s Mayor, Gergely Karacsony, ties the hosting of the 2023 Worlds to the continuing controversy over the use of land for either a “Student City” with housing and services for about 8,000 out-of-the area students – supported by Karacsony – or a campus for China’s Fudan University, supported by the national government.

The real issue is the land use and not the World Championships. On Tuesday (31st), the National Election Committee approved a referendum process that would allow a national vote on whether the land can be used for the Fudan University or not. Some 200,000 signatures would have to be collected to allow the vote to take place.

The Hungarian Athletics Federation (MASZ) released a statement insisting that the City of Budapest had no say on whether the 2023 Worlds would be held there, since it was not a signatory to the hosting agreement with World Athletics, and that the national government was funding the program.

Karacsony said it was clear that “world championships are not held in a city which does not support the event.”

World Athletics has, quite properly, been quiet thus far. But it is clear that Karacsony and the city council are focused on the Student City vs. Fudan University issue and the 2023 Worlds is simply a hostage-in-waiting.

● Gymnastics ● A series of filings made late Tuesday afternoon offered a possible end to the years of litigation against USA Gymnastics for sexual abuse and other issues involving Larry Nassar and others.

USA Gymnastics and the Additional Tort Claimants Committee Of Sexual Abuse Survivors jointly proposed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana a 133-page plan of reorganization for the federation, which would include:

● A $427.125 million fund to be distributed to the 510 valid abuse claimants;

● A end to all claims and litigation regarding Nassar and related matters;

● Final indemnification of all other parties, including all insurers, Bela and Martha Karolyi, former USAG President Steve Penny and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

This is a much larger settlement proposal than the $217.125 million offer made in February 2020 by USA Gymnastics and its insurers. But the new proposal is hardly sure to go through.

The new plan is offered by USA Gymnastics and the Survivors Committee, but not all of the insurers are on board. And that could be a problem. There are eight insurers involved, who covered either USA Gymnastics, the USOPC or both:

● Agreed to fund $243.5 million (4): National Casualty Co., CIGNA Insurance Co., National Union Fire Ins. Co., Gemini Ins. Co.

● Not yet agreed to $181.5 million (4): Virginia Surety Co. ($32.1 million), TIG Insurance Co. ($106.2 million), Great American Assurance Co. ($41.3 million), Philadelphia Indemnity Ins. Co. ($1.9 million).

The four not-yet-agreed insurers have until 4 October to declare whether they will participate in the plan. If they do, the vote will be to settle all matters at once, or for everyone to go their separate ways and litigate their own cases individually. If some do and others do not, the vote will be to accept the payouts from those who are participating, with the option still open to sue those non-participating insurers directly according to their policy coverages.

There are also a number of smaller claims which are to be handled separately, some by payouts from USA Gymnastics in annual installments through 2024. (This does not account for the possibility that the U.S. Congress could remove USA Gymnastics from its role as National Governing Body for the sport when it has the ability to do so in October of this year.)

The question of how much each of the 510 validated “Class 6″ abuse claimants would receive is also unclear. This will be in a yet-to-be-filed “Allocation Protocol,” due by 22 September. The reorganization plan does note that each “sub-class” of claimants would share equally in the amount designated for that group. If – and it’s a big if – the allocation percentages to each sub-class were the same as proposed in the 2020 plan, a rough estimate of the payouts would be:

● A: Elite Gymnasts: 40% or about $2.44 million each
● B: Non-Elite Gymnasts: 35% or about $993,000 each
● C: Other Claimants: 24% or about $34,000 each
● D: Derivative Claims: 1% or about $16,000 each

A hearing on the disclosure statement to be sent to all of the voters on the plan is currently scheduled for 4 October with voting to be completed by 8 November. The plan could be confirmed as early as 8 December 2021.

Credit for getting this far goes to the organizations involved, but also to Judge James M. Carr, appointed to lead a settlement conference last September. Per the Disclosure Statement:

“Shortly thereafter, Judge Carr commenced a series of telephonic settlement conferences
and mediation sessions with the various parties in interest. The Plan, as jointly proposed by the Debtor and the Survivors’ Committee, is the product of the Settlement Conference.”

● Ice Hockey ● Canada won four straight Olympic women’s hockey titles before the U.S. won gold in PyeongChang in 2018. So it was fitting that Canada, playing at home in Calgary, finally ended the American streak of five straight World Championships victory with a 3-2 win in overtime on Tuesday.

The game was complete different than the group-stage match, a 5-1 rout for the Canadians. This time, the U.S. came out on fire and scored twice in the first period. Alex Carpenter opened the scoring on a rebound at 9:55 and then got a second on a power play at 12:35 for a 2-0 U.S. lead.

Canada came back with a furious second period, out-shooting the U.S. by 16-8 and scoring four minutes into the period on a power-play goal by Brianne Jenner and then getting the equalizer from Jamie Lee Rattray on a rebound with just 6:42 gone.

Both teams pushed hard, but could not score. The defenses tightened and despite an 8-4 edge in shots in the third period, the U.S. could not get a shot past Canadian keeper Ann-Renee Desbiens.

In the three-on-thtee overtime, Marie-Philip Poulin took a pass from Jenner and her shot flew past U.S. goalie Nicole Hensley … into the goal and back out again, so fast that play continued! But the buzzer came on and the game ended at 7:22 of the overtime period.

It was Canada’s first world title since 2012 and its 11th overall, to nine for the U.S.

The teams won’t have long to face each other again, as “friendlies” have already been scheduled for October in order to keep the teams sharp prior to another possible meeting in Beijing at the 2022 Winter Games.

Canada’s Melodie Daoust was named Most Valuable Player, with Anni Keisala (FIN) named top goalkeeper, Daoust the top forward and American Lee Stecklein named top defender. Finland defeated Switzerland, 3-1, to win the bronze medal.

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Former IOC chief Rogge passes at 79; Afghan Paralympians will compete in Tokyo; U.S. women in ice hockey Worlds final again

By
Rich Perelman
-
Dr. Jacques Rogge (1942-2021), eighth President of the International Olympic Committee (Photo: International Olympic Committee)

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

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● Afghanistan’s two Paralympic athletes will be competing in Tokyo after all.

Zakia Khudadadi, 22, and Hossain Rasouli, 26, were evacuated from Kabul over the weekend of the 21st and were not expected to be able to get to Tokyo safely in time to compete. They eventually ended up in Paris and were routed to Tokyo, arriving on Saturday (28th). They passed their Covid-19 check and were admitted into Japan.

According to the International Paralympic Committee, “Zakia will be Afghanistan’s first female athlete to compete at the Paralympic Games since Athens 2004 when she competes in the women’s K44-49kg weight category in taekwondo on 2 September. Hossain will line-up in the heats of the men’s 400m T47 athletics event on 3 September.”

Rasouli was scheduled to compete in the men’s 100m T47 on 28 August, but will go in the 400 m T47 instead.

Kyodo News reported that “As part of measures to protect the athletes’ mental health and welfare, the IPC spokesman said no media will be allowed to meet them during the games.” A clear mistake, but one which will be overlooked in the current circumstance.

“It’s been really fantastic so far; we are providing a safe environment to the athletes; we are also protecting the Japanese population at the same time.”

That was International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons (BRA) on the first week of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He was especially cheered by the low Covid-19 incidence at the Games (more below).

A semi-autonomous Toyota e-Palette shuttle bus operating in the Athletes Village collided with a 30-year-old, partially blind Japanese judoka last Thursday, injuring him and causing him to miss his event.

The bus, which had two operators inside, stopped when it detected a security guard near an intersection. But it began taking a right turn and hit Aramitsu Kitazono, who fell, suffering injuries to his head and leg and was treated at the Village medical facility. The operators thought he had seen the bus and would stop.

Toyota has stopped operation of the buses in the Village and is cooperating with police on the matter.

Covid positives related to the Paralympics are at just 241 people from 12-30 August, according to the Tokyo 2020 organizers. Just 13 athletes have been reported as positive, vs. 150 contractors (62.2%), 45 Games-related personnel, 15 media and 18 Tokyo 2020 staff and volunteers.

Across the Olympic and Paralympic Games through 28 August, Tokyo 2020 reported a total of 866,440 tests with 273 positives (0.03%). Very impressive.

The Paralympic Games began on the 24th and have been shown in the U.S. on NBC, NBCSN and the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA. While the cable audiences have been small, the Games did well on Sunday evening network television.

Preliminary figures on the one-hour Paralympic primetime program on Sunday – the first-ever Paralympic primetime coverage on NBC – showed an audience of 4.182 million viewers, third-best behind CBS’s “60 Minutes” (6.66 million) and an ABC re-run of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (4.688 million).

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● The debate over the legacy of the Tokyo Games is already underway, with Kyodo News reporting estimates by Kansai University Emeritus Professor Katsuhiro Miyamoto of the costs and benefits of the Games (even before the Paralympics are completed!):

● ¥6.14 trillion ($55.87 billion U.S.) in benefits
● ¥2.37 trillion ($21.56 billion U.S.) deficit of expenses over revenues to stage
● ¥1.41 trillion ($12.83 billion U.S.) of the deficit for Tokyo Metropolitan Government
● ¥874 billion ($7.95 billion U.S.) of the deficit for the Japanese National Government
● ¥123 billion ($1.12 billion U.S.) of the deficit for the Tokyo 2020 organizers

Many more estimates will be coming, no doubt.

The Tokyo organizers reported that about 25% of all of the pre-packaged meals for Tokyo 2020 staff were not used and discarded from the start of operations on 1 July through 3 August (the Games ended on 8 August).

A report that 4,000 of the 10,000 boxed meals ordered for the Opening Ceremony on 23 July were wasted elevated this issue with Japanese news media, who asked for updates about meal waste almost daily. The percentage of unused meals fell to about 15% after 30 July.

In all, about 130,000 meals went unused in the full-month reporting period through 3 August.

● International Olympic Committee ● Sad news that Dr. Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee President from 2000-13, passed away at age 79 on Sunday (29th).

A three-time Belgian Olympian in sailing in 1968-72-76 in the Finn Class, he was a respected orthopedic surgeon by profession, but rose quickly in the Olympic world after he finished competing. He was the President of the Belgian Olympic Committee and the European National Olympic Committees and was elected to the IOC in 1991 and was elected President, following Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) in 2001.

Coming off of the Salt Lake City bid scandal, Rogge inherited a tarnished IOC, but had a friendlier, more accessible presence than Samaranch. His collegial style did not always mesh with members of the Olympic Movement who had been used to Samaranch’s more disciplined approach and Rogge had to navigate through very difficult Games. While the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games was a resounding success, the under-funded Athens Games in 2004 was extraordinarily difficult, as was the over-funded Beijing Games in 2008, with protests from many human-rights groups against the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The 2012 London Games was an enormous triumph.

Rogge fought for and won introduction of the Youth Olympic Games, first held in Singapore in 2020 and he saw the Olympic Games awarded to South America for the first time when Rio was – controversially – selected in 2009. With considerable foresight, he also introduced the first financial plan for the IOC, to ensure it could survive even if a Games was cancelled (or postponed).

Among the first eight IOC Presidents, TSX ranks him fourth, behind Pierre de Coubertin, Samaranch and Swede Sigfrid Edstrom (1942-52), who oversaw the revival of the Games after World War II.

● Athletics ● Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw crushed the world record in the Half Marathon, winning the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne, Northern Ireland in 1:03:44 on Sunday (29th).

That was 18 seconds better than Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich’s 1:04:02 in Istanbul (TUR) in April, with Yehualaw second in 1:14:40. On Sunday, the new record-holder won by more than six minutes ahead of Jane Nyaboke (KEN: 1:09:45) and Rose Harvey (GBR: 1:10:29).

Yehualaw was the ninth overall finisher in the race, men included!

Double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin may have gone through some difficult times with her teammates after the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, posting a tear-filled video on her Instagram account on 30 June, but she had happier news last week.

She posted a notice of her engagement to former NFL wide receiver Andre Levrone, Jr. last week after an engagement ceremony in Arizona.

McLaughlin wrote on Instagram: “Till this day I still can’t comprehend how someone who possesses everything I’ve prayed for, has finally come into my life.” The pair had been dating for about six months.

After a third at the Paris Diamond League, Tokyo women’s 400 m bronze winner Allyson Felix (USA) told interviewers:

“It was decent today. I do not feel as sharp as I was obviously in Tokyo but I wanted to come back to Paris and enjoy this tonight. After the Olympics, it is always difficult to come back home and fulfill the obligations. But I knew I was coming back over, so I kept training.

“This is my last event so I am going for a holiday. About next year, I am not sure yet. I will need to decide. I will definitely be here [Paris] as a fan in three years.”

NBC, are you listening?

● Boxing ● International Boxing Association (AIBA) chief Umar Kremlev (RUS) told an online news conference last Friday that the organization was debt-free and looking forward:

“We have already fulfilled the [$50 million] promise that we made before the election. International companies are supporting AIBA and we will keep working on it. $50 million is not the limit. We should have more sponsorships because boxing deserves more, it’s a very popular sport.

“AIBA today has no debts. Now we are having a huge marketing campaign and developing boxing. We have to invest a lot in marketing to attract investors.”

Agence France Presse reported that “whose real name is Umar Lutfuloev, did not specify which companies donated to his organisation’s cause.” Prior to being elected AIBA President in 2020, Kremlev was the Secretary General of the Russian Boxing Federation, and according to AFP, “previously ran a security company and belonged to the ‘Wolves of the Night,’ a pro-Kremlin motorcycle group.”

AIBA remains suspended by the IOC, which will soon take up the question of what to do about boxing and the 2024 Olympic Games. The IOC’s own Boxing Task Force ran the 2020 Olympic tournament, with proceeded with little of the controversy that had plagued the sport in prior editions. Kremlev sees AIBA returning to control of the sport in the Olympic Games:

“I can tell you that all the reforms needed by AIBA are already in place. We are listening to all the recommendations … Our goal is to have an open, clean and honest organization and if we manage to reach all these goals, I don’t see any problem for AIBA in the future.”

● Cycling ● A wild edition of the final Grand Tour of 2021 will finish this week with a possible surprise winner of the 76th Vuelta a Espana.

Two-time defending champion Primoz Roglic (SLO) was in the lead after the mountainous ninth stage, but then crashed while trying to break away from the other race contenders during stage 10 and gave up the lead to Norway’s Odd Christian Eiking.

Who? Eiking came into the 2021 Vuelta not having won anything bigger than the Arctic Race of Norway in 2019, but here he is as the race leader by 54 seconds over France’s Guillaume Martin and 1:36 over Roglic with six stages to go.

Roglic won stage 11, then crashed again in stage 12 – but lost no time – as Magnus Cort (DEN) won his second stage of 2021. Little change in the lead over the weekend, as Florian Senechal (FRA) won Friday’s sprinter’s stage, France’s Romain Bardet won the uphill finish to Pico Villuercas on Saturday and Poland’s Rafal Majka won her first Grand Tour stage in four years on Sunday.

Look for attacks on the climbing stages on Wednesday and Thursday as well as on Sunday’s Individual Time Trial, where Roglic is expected to do really well.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were held in Val di Sole (ITA), featuring an amazing ninth individual world title for the ageless Swiss superstar Nino Schurter.

Now 35, Schurter won his sixth straight World Cross Country Championships gold in a tight duel with countryman Mathias Flueckiger, the Olympic silver medalist, winning by just two seconds, 1:21:31 to 1:21.33. It was redemption for Schurter after a medal-less, fourth-place finish in Tokyo. France’s Viktor Koretzky was third (1:23:39).

The women’s title was an upset for Britain’s Evie Richards, who had won two Cyclo-Cross World U-23 titles, but was only seventh in Tokyo, almost three-and-a-half minutes behind the winner. She led most of the way and won by 1:03 over Dutch star Anne Terpstra, 1:23:52-1:24:55, with Olympic silver medalist Sina Frei (SUI) third in 1:25:00 with Swiss gold medalist Jolanda Neff fourth, also in 1:25:00.

South Africa’s Greg Minnaar won his fourth career World Downhill title and France’s Myriam Nicole won her second.

● Football ● The Mexican Football Federation appealed FIFA’s two-match ban on spectators because of the recurrence on a banned chant and had it reduced to one game, on 2 September vs. Jamaica in Mexico City.

FIFA’s appeals committee decided that in view of the Mexican federation’s “efforts toward eradicating discrimination at matches,” the penalty would be halved.

The U.S. men will open their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with three matches in seven days, starting at El Salvador on Friday (2nd) at 10:05 p.m. Eastern time in San Salvador. The American men will face Canada on 5 September in Nashville (8 p.m. Eastern) and then Honduras in San Pedro Sula on the 8th (Wednesday at 10:05 p.m. Eastern).

U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone announced that she will run for re-election next March, hoping to complete some of the challenges she inherited from prior chief Carlos Cordeiro after he resigned in March 2020.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist and a member of the historic 1999 Women’s World Cup championship team, Parlow Cone has succeeded in bringing down the still-high temperature in the ongoing tug-of-war between the federation and both the men’s and women’s national teams. Both are due for new collective-bargaining agreements and there is the long-running women’s class-action lawsuit on equal pay which is now on appeal after being dismissed at the U.S. District Court level.

Said Parlow Cone after last week’s USSF Board meeting, “I spent my entire presidency in COVID, which everyone knows the challenges that that presents. But I think we are moving the federation in a new direction with our new leadership on the board, as well as in our senior leadership and throughout the organization.”

● Gymnastics ● The monthly report of operations for USA Gymnastics for July filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana showed very little activity in the ongoing proceedings, but did give an indication of revenues and expenses for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Olympic Trials events were held for Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic and Trampoline, all in St. Louis. Revenues showed $2.769 million from ticket sales ($2.160 million) and sponsorships ($608,375) against $701,206 in expenses. Surplus: $2,068,050. Not bad, especially when television rights and most of the sponsorship rights are held by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

● Ice Hockey ● The IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary (CAN) has finally gotten serious, with the United States trying for its sixth straight world title on Tuesday against old foe Canada, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Group play finished with Canada at 4-0 and the U.S. at 3-1 after Canada’s 5-1 win. In the playoff round quarterfinals, the U.S. stomped Japan, 10-2, and Canada shut down Germany, 7-0. In the semis, the U.S. took a 2-0 lead over Finland on second-period goals from Alex Carpenter and Abbey Murphy. The Finns started to pull goalie Anni Keisala with more than seven minutes left, but Kendall Coyne Schofield eventually scored an empty-netter for the 3-0 final. Nicole Hensley got the shutout for the U.S.

Canada defeated Switzerland – surprise conquerors of Russia in the quarterfinals – by 4-0 in the semis, getting two goals in the first seven minutes from Renata Fast and the first of two from Melodie Daoust.

The U.S. continued its streak of reaching every Worlds final – 20 in a row now – since the tournament began in 1990. The U.S. and Canada have met in 18 of the 19 Worlds finals, with Canada winning the first eight and the Americans taking nine of the last 11.

Twelve-time bronze medalist Finland will meet the one-time bronze winner Switzerland for third.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan tweeted on Sunday:

“It’s been a moving target, but all signs point to a decision next week on whether NHL players are going to the 2022 Beijing Olympics or not.

“Sources I’ve talked to suggest an agreement between NHL, NHLPA, IIHF & Olympic committee is close, just down to some final items.”

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League opened its third season in Naples (ITA), with Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom the high scorer – 60.5 points and three individual wins – in the first match, won by Energy Standard (FRA) with 511.5 points. Toronto was second at 496.5.

The second match, featuring the defending champion Cali Condors, was highlighted by a world (short-course) record in the men’s 100 m Back, with American Coleman Stewart finishing in 48.33 on Sunday. That was after he set the American Record of 48.91 on a relay lead-off leg on Saturday (no. 5 all-time); Stewart’s 48.33 crushed the 2020 mark of 48.58 set by Russian Kliment Kolesnikov.

Stewart’s teammate Caeleb Dressel won the 50-100 m Frees, the 100 m Fly and the 100 m Medley; Tokyo’s Daiya Seto (JPN) won the 200 m Breast, 200 m Fly and the 200-400 m Medleys. Worth noting: Sherridon Dressel – Caeleb’s younger sister – won the 50-100 m Backstrokes!

The Condors won by 701.5 to 402.5 over the L.A. Current with Tokyo (382.5) third and New York (269.0) fourth.

● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation approved its new constitution during its weekend Congress:

“The new Constitution will establish vital principles including athlete representation, gender equality and independent oversight. No fewer than three athlete representatives will serve on the reformed IWF Executive Board, while at least 30% of elected positions will be filled by women. Ethics and discipline issues will be handled independently of the IWF Executive Board, building on interim arrangements that had already been put in place in recent months.

“Robust eligibility criteria and term limits will ensure that the future IWF Executive Board benefits from a regular influx of new talents and will notably deprive National Federations with a high number of doping cases will not have access to board-level representation.”

Whether the IOC will see this as sufficient is a different matter; it has an Executive Board meeting on 8 September and IWF elections will not have been held by then. The IOC has been clear that as long as the same people are in office as when the IWF’s scandals have taken place, it will not look favorably on the sport.

● At the BuZZer ● Track & field fans marked with reverence the 30th anniversary of the greatest field-event competition of all-time, the Mike Powell vs. Carl Lewis long jump final at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo.

Lewis, the Olympic champ in 1984 and 1988, led the world list at 8.64 m (28-4 1/4) with Powell – silver medalist in 1988 – right behind at 8.63 m (28-3 3/4). Lewis had already won the Worlds 100 m in a world record of 9.86. But Powell was a threat.

Lewis took the lead right away at 8.68 m (28-5 3/4) in the first round and Powell responded at 8.54 m (28-0 1/4) in round two. Lewis exploded to a wind-aided 8.83 mw (28-11 3/4w) – his furthest jump ever – in round three, while Powell did not improve.

Now into the fourth round, and Powell and Lewis were the last two jumpers in the revised order.

Powell got off a long foul, signaling he had a lot more in the tank, but Lewis boomed out close to the 9 m mark and with a 2.9 m/s wind, reached 8.91 mw (29-2 3/4w), surpassing Bob Beamon’s magical 1968 world record distance!

Into round five and Powell hit the board and extended his feet in a perfect landing, also close to 9 m. But the wind was just 0.3 m/s and the measurement came up: 8.95 m (29-4 1/2) for the world record!

Awesome, but Lewis had two jumps left. He responded with a wind-legal 8.87 m (29-1 1/4), no. 3 ever, but still short and in second place.

Powell fouled on his last try and then had to wait for Lewis’s final jump. It was a big one, with legal wind, but at 8.84 m (29-0), it was not enough. King Carl had three 29-foot jumps in the same series, but his 65-meet winning streak was over and Powell was the world-record holder and World Champion.

Amazing, astonishing and as dramatic as any movie script could make it. And we remember it, jump by jump, thirty years later.

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LANE ONE: Is Budapest’s Mayor Karacsony really going to hand back the 2023 World Championships to World Athletics?

By
Rich Perelman
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The Hungarian Capital of Budapest, on the Danube River (Photo: Maurice via Wikipedia)

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An almost unbelievable set of stories rocketed out of the Hungarian capital of Budapest late last week, with Mayor Gergely Karacsony announcing last Thursday that he will propose the city withdraw as the host of the World Athletics Championships in 2023.

Budapest was awarded the event by World Athletics in 2018 and the Hungarian government approved HUF 204 billion (~ $690 million U.S.) to construct a 40,000-seat stadium – on wasteland adjacent to the Danube River – that will become a national training and competition site with a reduced, permanent capacity of about 15,000. The construction effort is underway.

The World Championships is budgeted at €81.8 million (~$96.5 million), but with the event expected to make money with income from an expected 166,000 visitors and an estimated 416,000 ticket sales.

But now Karacsony, a leader of the Hungarian Green Party (LMP), declared that he will propose to the Budapest General Assembly – the city council – next Wednesday (1st) that the city withdraw its approval to host the 2023 event.

It’s all about politics, of course.

The threatened walkaway has nothing to do with the World Championships as an event. Instead, this is an election-year reaction to a vote in the Hungarian National Assembly to turn a proposed “Student City” with housing and support services for about 8,000 university students into the site for the first foreign campus of China’s famed Fudan University. Per the Wikipedia entry on Fudan University:

“The Hungarian government made an agreement to open the first campus of Fudan University outside China in Budapest in 2024. The expansion would cost 540 billion HUF, of which 450 billion would be paid by the Hungarian state from a Chinese loan. The construction would be mainly done by Chinese companies. The investment was criticised by education professionals and politicians, citing concerns about economy, higher education and national security.”

Said Karacsony in proposing the World Championships abandonment, “It is time that this infamy is not left without a response.”

But the intrigue goes deeper. The Fidesz party currently controls the Hungarian National Assembly (parliament) with 117 of 199 seats, led by four-term Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Budapest flipped to opposition rule in local elections in 2019. The first-ever “opposition primary” is scheduled to be held in two stages, from 18-26 September and then 4-10 October, with the goal of aggregating anti-Fidesz feeling in the country behind a single candidate. National elections are due in 2022.

Karacsony, as a leader of the Greens (LDP), is one of the leading national opposition candidates, with polling showing him in a tight battle with Klara Dobrev (Liberalisok party: liberal) and Peter Jakab (Jobbik party: nationalist), among others.

One long-time observer of Hungarian politics explained that if the opposing parties are able to coalesce around a single candidate, the race against Fidesz could be a close one. But as for the World Championships, it’s probably “more noise than substance.”

But the political chatter plays on.

The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement about the Worlds withdrawal threat that “The statement of Gergely Karacsony is baseless, the mayor is clearly trying to divert attention from the traffic jams and chaos in the capital.”

The Hungarian federation for athletics (MASZ) said in a statement that “We are confident that as a signatory to the contract, the MASZ can continue to work toward making the World Championships the most prestigious event in the history of the tournament and an unforgettable event for Hungarian athletics, the fans, and the country.” The financial backing for the Championships came from the Hungarian national government.

Hungary Today also reported that some of the opposition parties are not in agreement with the Worlds withdrawal tactic, and that it wasn’t Karacsony’s idea, but a Democratic Coalition concept (allied with Klara Dobrev) that was adopted by the Budapest Mayor.

However, the Fudan University vs. “Student City” issue is not going to go away. In June, the Fidesz-controlled National Assembly voted to allocate the land designated for the Student City to the newly-established “Fudan University Hungary Foundation” for free. Balazs Furjes, the State Minister for Budapest, has said that a referendum will be held on whether the Fudan University project will go forward.

But this is not a welcome development for World Athletics.

Budapest appeared to be the perfect organizer for the Worlds, having hosted the World Indoor Championships in 1989 and 2004, the European Championships in 1966 and 1998 and has been a welcome site for world championships, with the FINA World Championships in 2017, wrestling in 2018, fencing and table tennis in 2019 and judo in 2017 and 2021.

Now this.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) and Chief Executive Jon Ridgeon (GBR) both visited June’s U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, and while publicly confident about the 2022 Worlds to be held there, the whispers were of concern.

Besides the current Covid spread and worries about how the new Hayward Field will be expanded from the 12,650 permanent seats to about 28,000 for the Worlds, the $80.9 million Oregon22 budget expects about $40 million in support from the State of Oregon. Some $20 million has been allocated from Travel Oregon, but the other $20 million has been proposed to be funded by a permanent increase in the state’s transient occupancy tax from 1.5 to 1.8%. Oregon House Bill 4047 was passed, 37-18, on 21 February 2020, but has sat since then in the Oregon Senate, with no committee assignment and no actions planned. The 2022 Worlds are 10 1/2 months away, scheduled for 15-24 July.

Nothing is easy. The next episode comes Wednesday in the Budapest General Assembly.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS: Thompson-Herah wins Paris 100 m in 10.72; U.S.’s Kerley & Bednarek 1-2 in fast 200 m (19.79), Niyonsaba no. 6 ever at 8:19.08!

By
Rich Perelman
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Jamaican Elaine Thompson's brilliant 10.72 won the Meeting de Paris (Photo: Meeting de Paris on Twitter)

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Florence Griffith-Joyner’s women’s world 100 m record of 10.49 was under attack once again on Saturday at the Wanda Diamond League’s Meeting de Paris by Jamaica’s double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.

This time she ran with fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the Tokyo bronze winner, but without Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won in Lausanne on Thursday. Under cloudy skies, Thompson-Herah burst to the lead by the 10 m mark and ran away to win in 10.72, a meet record. Jackson came on late to get second in 10.97, with Dina Asher-Smith (GBR: 11.06) third (wind: +1.3 m/s).

It’s a measure of how brilliant Thompson-Herah has been this year that the 10.72 is only her fifth-fastest time of the season! Only FloJo, Fraser-Pryce, and Americans Marion Jones and Carmelita Jeter have ever run faster.

The women’s 100 m was the headliner, but there were plenty of other highlights:

● Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba was one of those athletes whose natural testosterone level is too high – under World Athletics rules – to compete in women’s events from 400 m to the mile, but she is tearing up the longer distances. Fifth in the 10,000 m in Tokyo, she won the Pre Classic two mile and ran a 62.47 last lap here to win the 3,000 m here in a world-leading 8:19.08, now no. 5 in history!

She beat Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye (8:19.52: no. 6 ever) and Kenya’s Margaret Kipkemboi (8:21.53). American Elise Cranny was well back at 8:30.30 in fourth, but moved to no. 4 on the all-time U.S. list!

● In the men’s 200 m, Fred Kerley of the U.S. continued to show that his move from the 400 m to the sprints was a good idea, as he ran stride-for-stride with, and then out-leaned, Olympic silver winner Kenny Bednarek at the tape in a lifetime best of 19.79 (wind: +1.6). Bednarek received the same time; fellow American Josephus Lyles was sixth in 20.37. The time moves Kerley to equal-14th on the all-time U.S. list.

For Bednarek, it’s an amazing 10th time this season’s he’s run under 20 seconds (with legal wind), a new record!

● Kenyans had won nine straight Olympic titles in the men’s Steeple until Tokyo, when Benjamin Kigen’s bronze was the best they could do. But in Paris, Kigen pushed the pace and was rewarded with a win in a world-leading 8:07.12, ahead of teammates Abraham Kibiwot (8:09.35) and Leonard Bett (8:10.21). American Hillary Bor was ninth in 8:21.02.

● Five men cleared 5.73 m (18-9 1/2) in the men’s vault, but only three – Mondo Duplantis (SWE), American Chris Nilsen and Ernest John Obiena (PHI) made it over 5.81 m (19-0 3/4). Obiena took the lead with a national record of 5.91 m (19-4 3/4) on his first try, but Duplantis and Nilsen both missed and passed to 5.96 m (19-6 1/2). There, Duplantis sailed over on his first try to win, as Nilsen missed twice and Obiena missed twice and then once at 6.01 m (19-8 1/2). Americans Sam Kendricks (5.73 m) and K.C. Lightfoot (5.73 m) were 4-5.

But Duplantis snaked over 6.01 m and immediately had the bar set at a world record of 6.19 m (20-3 3/4), but missed three times. It’s his 10th meet over 6 m this season (out of 15 finals!).

● In the women’s 400 m, American icon Allyson Felix wasn’t really ready to run at last week’s Prefontaine Classic, but was fully prepared in Paris and had the lead at midway. But she was passed by promising newcomer Sada Williams (BAR) on the turn and then by  Olympic silver winner Marileidy Paulino – with her patented late rush – with Paulino winning in 50.12 to 50.30 for Williams and 50.47 for Felix. American Quanera Hayes was fifth in 50.81.

● Jamaica’s Olympic 110 m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment said after his eighth-place finish in Lausanne, “it just wasn’t my day.” But he was in form in Paris, winning in a season’s best 13.03 – the fastest he’s run since 2015 – over Lausanne winner Devon Allen of the U.S. (wind: +0.7). Allen’s time of 13.08 is his second-fastest ever and best in five years! American Daniel Roberts got third in 13.16.

Elsewhere:

Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal did not make the Kenyan Olympic team in the men’s 800 m, and Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich went 1-2 in Tokyo. But that did not stop Kinyamal from getting the win over a fast-closing Rotich on Saturday in 1:43.94 to 1:44.45, with Canada’s Marco Arop third (1:44.74). American Clayton Murphy was ninth in 1:45.60.

The Diamond League sixth-round-takes-all rule came into effect in the triple jump, as Algeria’s Yasser Triki had the best jump of the day at 17.16 m (56-3 3/4) in the first round. But he “lost” the event in the jump-off, as Olympic bronze winner Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) reached 16.97 m (55-8 1/4) – his best of the day and Triki could only manage 16.71 m (54-10). Sacre bleu!

Americans Chris Benard (16.61 m/54-6) and Donald Scott (16.44 m/53-11 1/4) finished fifth and eighth, respectively.

Grenada’s 2019 World Champion Anderson Peters got his first career Diamond League win in the men’s javelin in the sixth round-takes-all with a final throw of 84.84 m (278-4). That was enough to best world leader Johannes Vetter (GER: 80.23 m/263-2), who had the best throw of the day at 87.20 m (286-1). Anderson had a season’s best in the third round at 85.98 m (282-1).

Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, the 2015 World Champion, also missed her Olympic team in the women’s 100 m hurdles, but was brilliant in Paris, scoring a win with a season’s best of 12.50 (+1.7 m/s) over Dutch star Nadine Visser (national record 12.58!) and Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper (12.66). Americans Gabby Cunningham and Christina Clemons were fifth and sixth in 12.86 and 12.96.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff was only seventh in Tokyo, but she was in good form in Paris, winning the women’s 400 m hurdles in a tight finish vs. Anna Ryzhykova (UKR) and Jamaica’s Janieve Russell, 54.44-54.59-54.75 with American Cara Hailey fourth in 54.78. Shamier Little of the U.S. had her worst outing of the season, eighth in 57.18.

In the women’s high jump, Tokyo stars Mariya Lasitskene (RUS: gold) and Nicola McDermott (AUS: silver) were at it again, with McDermott perfect through 1.98 m (6-6) and Lasitskene missing once at 1.92 m (6-3 1/2) and twice at 1.98 m. When neither could clear 2.01 m (6-7), McDermott got the win, her first victory over Lasitskene in 12 tries, going back to 2017!

In the discus, Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. got out to the first-round lead at 62.47 m (204-11), but that was followed by four fouls. London and Rio Olympic champ Sandra Perkovic (CRO) had the best throw in the first five rounds at 66.08 m (216-9) in the second round, followed by Tokyo bronze winner Yaime Perez (CUB: 64.69 m/212-3). In the sixth round-takes-all, Allman improved to 64.51 m (211-7), still her worst meet of the season, and she ended in third as Perkovic “won” at 65.68 m (215-6) and Perez finished second, improving to 65.31 m (214-3).

In the non-Diamond League men’s 100 m, American Marvin Bracy got the win at 10.04 (+0.7) over Jamaican Nigel Ellis (10.14) and Arthur Cisse (CIV: 10.17).

Next up is the penultimate stop on the Diamond League circuit for 2021, at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels (BEL) on 3 September.

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ATHLETICS: Fraser-Pryce rockets 10.60 to beat Thompson-Herah in Lausanne; Americans Bednarek, London, Allen, Nilsen and Crouser get Diamond League wins

By
Rich Perelman
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Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce celebrates her 200 m win at the Pan American Games in Lima (Photo: Lima 2019)

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Fireworks were expected and fireworks were delivered as the Wanda Diamond League continued on Thursday with the annual Athletissima meet in Lausanne (SUI).

The headliner was the women’s 100 m, with Jamaica’s Olympic medalists back on the track with the Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 1988 world record of 10.49 on the line. But a funny thing happened on the way to history for double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah: she ran into double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Off the gun, Fraser-Pryce started brilliantly and was clearly in front by 15 m and never let up. She maintained perfect form and while Thompson-Herah made a move in mid-race to get closer, she never really challenged for the lead as Fraser-Pryce won in 10.60 to 10.64, the nos. 3 and equal-8th performances in history. The aiding wind was +1.7 m/s, perfect for a record try.

Fraser-Pryce, at 34, ran her sixth sub-10:75 of the season – even more than Thompson-Herah – and they are not done yet. Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson was third again – as in Tokyo – in 10.92.

Being Olympic champion guaranteed very little in Lausanne:

● The biggest shock came in the men’s 110 m hurdles, where American Devon Allen – fourth in Tokyo – clobbered hurdles 2, 3 and 5, but stormed through the second half of the race to win in 13.07w (+2.9 m/s), with Swiss Jason Joseph second (13.11w) and fellow American Olympian Daniel Roberts fourth (13.23w). Olympic champ Hansle Parchment (JAM) was last in 13.58w and bronze-medalist teammate Ronald Levy was fifth in 13.40w. It was Allen’s first-ever Diamond League win!

● In the women’s 400 m hurdles, Rio winner and Tokyo silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. got out best, but Tokyo bronze winner Femke Bol (NED) zipped by with 200 m to go and survived a challenge by American Shamier Little, 53.05-53.78. Muhammad faded to fourth in 54.50 after making the long trip from the U.S. to Europe earlier in the week.

● In the men’s 200 m, Bahamian 400 m gold medalist Steven Gardiner was never in it and Americans Kenny Bednarek – Tokyo silver – and Fred Kerley – Tokyo 100 m silver – steaming into the straight with the lead. Bednarek, continuing a career year, stayed strong through the finish to win in 19.65w (+3.2 m/s) to Kerley’s 19.77w. Gardiner was well back in third at 20.11w.

● The men’s 800 m was another clinic in front-running by Canada’s Marco Arop. He took the lead early and just could not be passed by Olympic champ Emmanuel Korir (KEN) or silver medalist Ferguson Rotich (KEN), winning in 1:44.50-1:44.62-1:45.48. American Clayton Murphy was fifth in 1:45.77. It’s Arop’s second straight Diamond League win after the Pre Classic, both times beating Korir and Rotich.

● The men’s vault got serious at 5.62 m (18-5 1/4), with Sweden’s Olympic gold medalist Mondo Duplantis clearing on his second try and American Sam Kendricks and Tokyo silver winner Chris Nilsen over on their first attempts. Kendricks, Nilsen and Russian Timur Morgunov all cleared 5.72 m (18-9 1/4), while Duplantis passed. At 5.82 m (19-1), Nilsen cleared on his first try, Kendricks on his second, but Duplantis hit the bar on the way down on his first and third tries and was out, as was Morgunov!

So the bar went to 5.92 m (19-5), with three misses for both Americans, so Nilsen won based on the first-try clearance at 5.82 m.

Tokyo gold medalists did have their way in other events:

● In the men’s 3,000 m, Australia’s Stewart McSweyn and Olympic 1,500 m champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen were separated from the field by midway and it appeared to be a two-man race until Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi regained contact with 300 m left. Aregawi sprinted down the back straight and took the lead with Ingebrigtsen giving chase with 220 m left. But the Norwegian had plenty in the tank and finished off a 57.5 last lap with a final sprint for the win in 7:33.06 to Aregawi’s 7:33.39. McSweyn was third in 7:35.06.

● In the men’s shot, Olympic champ Ryan Crouser of the U.S. took the air out of the competition with his first-round throw at 22.81 m (74-10), a distance that no one else has reached this season. He had his usual brilliant series, following up with 22.70 m (74-5 3/4), 22.46 m (73-8 1/4), 22.44 m (73-7 1/2) and a foul. In the Diamond League’s sixth-round-takes-all, New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh had his best put of the day at 22.10 m (72-6 1/4) and then Crouser “won” the event at 22.64 m (74-3 1/2).

Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs of the U.S. finished fifth at 21.32 m (69-11 1/2).

● The women’s high jump was down to Olympic champ Mariya Lasitskene (RUS), silver medalist Nicola McDermott (AUS) and Ukraine’s bronze winner Yaroslava Mahuchikh at 1.98 m (6-6), with Laskitskene making it on her first try, McDermott missing all three and Mahuchikh sailing over on her third. All three missed at 2.01 m (6-7), leaving Laskitskene the winner for the 13th time in 14 meets in 2021.

● Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas won the Tokyo women’s triple jump and set the world record at 15.67 m (51-5), so she had nothing to prove. But she was ready and boomed out to a wind-aided 15.56 m (51-0 3/4) in her first jump, the no. 2 jump in history under all conditions! She came back with a legal marks of 15.42 m (50-7 1/4) in round three and 15.52 m (50-11); those rank as the no. 2 and 5 best jumps of all-time! She also won the sixth-round-takes-all jump-off at 15.11 m (49-7).

Elsewhere:

In the 400-meter races, American Wil London won with a huge push in the final 10 m, in a modest 45.17, ahead of Isaac Makwala (BOT: 45.20), with 400 m hurdles superman Karsten Warholm (NOR) only fourth in a rare flat 400 m, in 45.51. Warholm was with the leaders coming into the straight, but Makwala and then London passed him on the run-in. Marileidy Paulino (DOM) had the best finish and won the women’s 400 m in 50.40, beating Sada Williams (BAR: 50.77) and American Quanera Hayes (51.06).

Germany’s world-leader Johannes Vetter was only ninth in the men’s javelin in Tokyo, but came back with a 88.54 m (290-6) in the third round for the best throw of the day and then “won” the event at 86.34 m (283-3) in the sixth-round-takes-all. Czech Jakub Vadlejch finished second; he had a best throw of 85.73 m (281-3).

Australian Linden Hall led the women’s 1,500 m at the bell by more than 20 m, but the pack reeled her in the final 150 m, with Ethiopia’s Freweyni Gebreezibeher flying down the final straight to win in 4:02.24 to Hall’s 4:02.95. American Josette Norris nearly caught Hall, but ended up third in 4:03.27.

In the women’s long jump, Swede Khaddi Sagnia had the best effort through five rounds at 6.92 m (22-8 1/2) – equaling her lifetime best – ahead of Ivana Spanovic (SRB: 6.85 m/22-5 3/4). But Spanovic won the sixth round – and the event – at 6.72 m (22-0 3/4) ahead of Sagnia (6.64 m/21-9 1/2).

In the “City High Jump” held on Wednesday in downtown Lausanne, Russian Ilya Ivanyuk won at 2.30 m (7-6 1/2), beating American Olympian Shelby McEwen (2.27 m/7-5 1/4).

Next up will be the Meeting de Paris on the 28th (Saturday).

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THE TICKER: It isn’t easy being Sydney McLaughlin; good Pre Classic TV ratings; Roglic falls off bike and La Vuelta lead!

By
Rich Perelman
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Double Olympic gold medalist and world-record setter Sydney McLaughlin (USA) (Photo: Tim Healy for TrackTown USA)

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

● Athletes and Mental Health ● A poignant, stunning, tear-filled video by double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin has exploded on Instagram over the past two months, with more than 1.03 million views so far.

Recorded in her car on 30 June, three days after running a world record 51.90 in the women’s 400 m hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials, the video runs 10:51 with McLaughlin expressing despair over the aftermath of her performance. Excerpts:

“A lot of the people around me did not respond the way I thought they would. … In a moment like that where – these are moments you remember for a lifetime, these are opportunities you don’t get every single day – I felt like the people I thought would be the most excited for me literally almost didn’t even care. …

“It hurts. I’m still hurt to this point, just not understanding like when it’s going to be enough for a lot of people. I’ve worked really hard and been very cautious of how I carry myself, of the things that I post because I want to glorify God and I want to be a good example to people. But our world only accepts ignorance and it hurts my feelings and I find it really disrespectful that you can do everything right and it will never be enough. There’s still always a problem with you. …

“People really think that I’m standing here today because of my followers or because of how I look. It blows my mind. People who have been my teammates, who watched me die every day at practice believe I’m standing here today because I have followers. Because I’m light-skinned.

“I can’t control what color my skin is. I can’t control who presses the follow button. But I can control what I do on that track and that’s the thing that doesn’t get the respect and it blows my mind.”

McLaughlin has 1.075 million Instagram followers and more than 158,000 followers on Twitter. She has received many supporting comments on both sites from fans since the video was posted and she was brilliant in Tokyo, setting another world mark at 51.46 (!) and running the lead-off leg on the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s 4×400 m team.

As Shakespeare put it, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Said McLaughlin a little later in the video:

“Even in success, there can be pain. Even in triumph, there can be tribulations. But how you respond, and the lens in which you view those situations provides an opportunity for growth and change.”

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● The Tokyo Paralympic Games opened on Tuesday in a spectator-free Olympic Stadium. Kyodo News reported that “three Japanese athletes in wheelchairs – boccia player Shunsuke Uchida, powerlifter Karin Morisaki and wheelchair tennis player Yui Kamiji – carried the Paralympic flame on the final leg of the torch relay before igniting the sphere-shaped cauldron, fueled by hydrogen and using the sun as a motif, inside the stadium.”

While two athletes from Afghanistan had been expected to compete in Tokyo, International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons (BRA) said “we don’t have a way to bring the Afghani athletes to Tokyo in a safe way for them, in a way that will preserve their safety.” They were reported to have left their home country and are now safe in Australia.

The International Paralympic Committee had the Afghanistan flag marched into the stadium as a show of “solidarity” with the Afghan people, and had asked a representative of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to carry it. However, the agency declined, saying it was a “neutral organization” and a Tokyo 2020 volunteer carried it in instead.

The ceremony did well on television in Japan, with preliminary figures showing 23.8% viewership across the country. A record total of 4,403 athletes are expected to compete, fairly amazing amid the pandemic. The Games will continue through 5 September.

● XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing 2022 ● The continuing impact of the coronavirus in China was underlined as the International Federation of Sport Climbing announced:

“The IFSC Lead and Speed World Cup in Xiamen from 15 to 17 October, and the IFSC Boulder and Speed World Cup in Wujiang from 22 to 24 October, will no longer take place.”

All of this continues to point to a potentially spectator-free Games in Beijing, and perhaps even heavier anti-Covid protocols than seen in Tokyo.

● Pan American Games ● The Around The Rings site reported that Barranquilla in Colombia will be announced on Friday as the site for the 2027 Pan American Games. This will follow November’s hosting of the first Junior Pan American Games in Cali, which will allow spectators at 50% capacities, provided they are vaccinated and wear masks.

This will be the second time for Colombia to host the PAG; Cali was the site of the Pan Ams in 1971.

● Athletics ● Last Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic did quite well on NBC, with 1.177 million viewers tuning in for the 90-minute show starting at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. It was behind ABC’s broadcast of the Little League World Series (1.252 million) and the NFL Network’s pre-season Jets vs. Packers game that drew an audience of 1.775 million.

The Wanda Diamond League continues on Thursday in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland with the annual Athletissima meet, with a full house of 12,200 fans expected.

Competitors with a combined 19 Tokyo golds are anticipated, headlined by 2021 world-record setters Karsten Warholm (NOR: men’s 400 m hurdles), Mondo Duplantis (SWE: men’s pole vault), Ryan Crouser of the U.S. (men’s shot) and Yulimar Rojas (VEN: women’s triple jump). Tokyo stars Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) are also expected to compete; Thompson will be in the women’s 100 m along with teammates and medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

NBCSN will televise the meet live in the U.S. beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Is it the shoes? Maybe not. Legendary British statistician Richard Hymans compared the 100th-best time in the world as of 22 August in the latest issue of the Athletics International newsletter in the men’s 800-1,500-Steeple-5,000-10,000 m and found only negligible improvements this year against the 100th-best marks from 2016-19.

Consider: the 100th-best 800 m in 2021 is just 0.30% faster than in 2017; the 1,500 is 0.47% faster (vs. 2017); the Steeple is 0.38% faster (2017), the 5,000 is 0.01% slower than 2016 and the 10,000 is 0.47% faster than 2016. AI Editor Peter Matthews suggests it’s the effect of having the Olympic Games in 2021.

The U.S. Women’s Decathlon Association’s “national championship” was held last weekend at the College of San Mateo in California, with Jordan Gray upping the American Record to 8,246 points, moving to no. 2 on the all-time list. She is only the third to top 8,000 points and the first American.

She ran the 100 m in 11.86w, and also cleared 12-10 in the vault and threw the discus 130-8. Second in the six-competitor field was Corinn Brewer of Greensburg (Pa.) Central Catholic H.S. at 5,698w, the highest-ever high school score.

The group continues to lobby for the decathlon to replace the women’s heptathlon, currently contested worldwide.

● Cycling ● It appeared that about the only thing that was going to knock Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic from the top of the Vuelta a Espana leaderboard was if he fell off his bike. He did.

Roglic attacked with about 13 km to go on Tuesday’s 10th stage, then skidded out and fell while taking a corner with too much speed. He got back up right away, but finished 37th, 11:49 behind winner Michael Storer (AUS), who won his second stage with a solo attack 19 km out.

That gave the race lead to Denmark’s Odd Christian Eiking, who was fifth, 22 seconds behind Storer. Roglic ended up third overall, 2:17 behind.

On Wednesday’s hilly stage, Roglic punched back, winning a final sprint against Spanish rival Enric Mas, with Eiking only 11 seconds back. So Roglic’s deficit is now 1:56 with 10 stages left and lots of climbing to go. France’s Guillaume Martin is second, 0:58 back.

● Football ● Good news: the Afghanistan national women’s team was evacuated on a flight from Kabul on Tuesday with help from Australia. The team was formed in 2007 as an act of political defiance against the Taliban.

“The United States Department of Justice has awarded the sum of USD 201 million to the FIFA Foundation as compensation for the losses suffered by FIFA, Concacaf and CONMEBOL as victims of decades of football corruption schemes. This money was seized from the bank accounts of former officials who were involved in, and then prosecuted for, years of corruption schemes in football.”

Announced by FIFA on Tuesday, the money will go to the new World Football Remission Fund, a unit of the FIFA Foundation, an independent entity. Community and youth programs are expected to be the focus of these funds, especially in the Americas, where much of the related criminal activity took place.

A British government study of Covid infections from large events found that the Euro 2020 tournament games at Wembley Stadium led to 9,402 infections, with almost half from the England-Italy final.

Three group-stage games were played at Wembley on 13-18-22 June, all with limited attendance around 20,000. There were two Round of 16 games – with England-Germany drawing 41,973 – and then a semi with 57,811 and the final with 67,173 and thousands outside. The report stated:

“The Euro 2020 tournament and England’s progress to the Euro final generated a significant risk to public health across the UK even when England played overseas. This risk arose not just from individuals attending the event itself, but included activities undertaken during travel and associated social activities.”

By contrast, only 881 total cases were reported from more than 300,000 attendees at the Wimbledon Championships. The study noted: “Research teams present at each of these events have verbally reported stark differences in crowd and spectator behaviour.” No kidding, really?

● Ice Hockey ● At the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary, Canada, the U.S. shut down the Russian Olympic Committee, 6-0, to move to 3-0 in group play with one more game left against equally-undefeated Canada on the 26th.

This was the third straight U.S. shutout, this time with Alex Cavallini in goal. Hillary Knight scored the second U.S. goal to give her a career total of 45, the most ever by a single player in the IIHF Worlds. She shared the mark of 44 with former teammate Cammi Granato (1990-2005).

● Modern Pentathlon ● “The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has formed a 10-strong Riding Working Group to urgently address concerns about horse welfare in Modern Pentathlon. …

“[T]he group will review the Riding competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and discuss a range of measures designed to prevent any repeat of the distressing scenes that occurred.”

Unlike Equestrian, pentathletes use horses provided by the organizing committee and Saint Boy refused to jump for 2017 World Champion Gulnaz Gubaydullina (RUS) or for Germany’s Annika Schleu, the 2018 Worlds silver medalist. Schleu’s coach, Kim Raisner, was disqualified from the Tokyo Games for hitting Saint Boy (reported after the Games to be fine); a UIPM disciplinary panel has been asked to review the incidents.

● Swimming ● FINA announced its 2021 World Cup schedule, consisting of four meets in 25 m (short-course) pools that will also act as time-qualification opportunities for December’s World 25 m Championships.

The four legs will include Berlin (GER) and Budapest (HUN) on 1-3 October and 7-9 October, followed by Doha (QAT) and Kazan (RUS) 21-23 October and 28-30 October.

An impressive total of $1.452 million in prize money has been committed to athlete prize money, with $224,000 in individual meet payments and $556,000 for overall rankings at series end.

The International Swimming League announced that CBS Sports will return as its U.S. television partner for its third season, which begins on Thursday (26th). Coverage will be provided on the CBS Sports Network and on CBS only for matches 2-3-5-9 in the regular season, match 12 in the playoffs and the ISL Final on 8 January 2022.

● Weightlifting ● The Olympic fate of the International Weightlifting Federation will be at stake during the IWF Constitutional Congress in Doha (QAT) from 28-31 August.

A draft constitution has been circulated, but the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly stated that the people who have been Board members while so many governance scandals have taken place must be replaced. USA Weightlifting chief Phil Andrews sent a letter to the Executive Board and all of IWF’s national federations asking for the existing Board to resign and to add to the new Constitution measures which would eliminate them permanently from IWF elective roles. Wrote Andrews:

“Previously we have called upon leaders to voluntarily and publicly commit to not be part of the leadership going forward, [and] no leader has taken such an action.

“We believe these together with the proposed constitution significantly strengthen the case for our sport to be in the Olympic Games.”

The outcome will be discussed by the IOC Executive Board on 8 September.

● The Last Word ● The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) announced Monday that it is accepting bids from potential hosts of the World Urban Games, World Combat Games and World Mind Games.

The first World Urban Games was held in Budapest (HUN) in 2019 and the second edition is expected for 2023. The third World Combat Games is scheduled to be held in Riyadh (KSA) in 2023; one version of the World Mind Games was held in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (Lille), but not since; a competing competition was held from 2011-14 in Beijing only.

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LANE ONE: LA28’s Kathy Carter says 2021 has been good, working to build an Olympic game-changer: “the most sizable, addressable fan base across all of the sports”

By
Rich Perelman
-

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“We’ve had a good year. For us, it’s always first and foremost, making sure that we’ve solidified the revenue that will empower our Games and actually pay for our Games.”

That’s Kathy Carter, the Chief Revenue Officer of the LA28 organizing committee and head of U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, the joint marketing venture with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. She spoke at length about what LA28 has been doing on the 23 August edition of the SportBusiness Finance Weekly podcast with U.S. editor Eric Fisher and Fifth Generation Sports’ Chris Russo.

The 2028 organizers have been pretty quiet about their activities, with a higher public profile coming in 2022. But Carter made clear that plenty has been going on.

“Certainly from a metrics standpoint, because typically an organizing committee isn’t even stood up until [seven years prior], we’re definitely ahead. …

“We announced Delta as our first founding partnership prior to the pandemic. Through the pandemic, we’ve announced Comcast and most recently, Salesforce [and] Deloitte; Nike and Ralph Lauren as renewals with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee/Team USA, so we’re feeling really good, and really good as well about the tenor of conversations that we’re having. …

“So generally speaking, I think, we’re really far ahead of what a normal organizing committee – the position that they would be in [in the same timeframe] – but like I said, until we’re done, we’re not done. So that’s the pressure we put on ourselves and the pressure we put on the team.”

With a $2.51 billion domestic sponsorship revenue target, the Salesforce and Deloitte partnerships were not traditional product-sales company sponsorships and Carter explained that they are the building blocks of a mammoth concept to have people in Southern California and across the U.S. better engage with the 2028 Games:

“When you look at the entirety of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, just so many people are engaged – whether it be through an individual sport or the Movement in its totality – but what has been lacking is really a concrete effort towards that overall customer integration and engagement.

“That’s really where we believe that Salesforce and Deloitte are going to help us super-charge what we want to do, to have the most sizable, addressable fan base across all of the [Olympic and Paralympic] sports, be they large, medium, small, whatever the size is and we think there’s a real opportunity for us to think differently relative to the consumer, the customer, the fan who wants to engage with whether it be archery or it be track & field or it be swimming or it be rowing.

“We have a real opportunity to figure out ways to customize and create real engagement strategies for fans and give them what they want, when they want it and where they want it. So that’s a big, big part of what we’re thinking about with certainly Salesforce and Deloitte, and I think that’s the blueprint for what you’ll start to see with a number of other partners that will come aboard, is how do they help us get smarter faster and actually build towards ‘28 with an eye towards even legacy beyond ‘28 and how do we leave both the community of L.A. in some cases or the Olympic or Paralympic Movement better than we found it.”

The implications for this are massive and such a database has been the object of multiple international federations already. Beyond what an addressable fan base in the millions could mean for LA28, it could be worth decades of support for the USOPC, whose revenue now primarily comes from a share of the U.S. television rights sales and the IOC’s TOP sponsorships.

Direct sales, licensed merchandise, gaming, donations and news are only the beginning of the possibilities.

“So we’re looking at everything and trying to find the ways to present these Games and to continue to support the development of Team USA in ways that perhaps have not been thought of.”

Carter also offered a snapshot of the status of the LA28 organizing effort, now seven years  ahead of the third Los Angeles Games:

“As we’re starting to get [finances] in a really good position, we’re starting to turn our attention to the foundation of the organizing committee, so whether that be hiring this year our [Chief Financial Officer] and now recently our [Chief Information Officer], so what we need in terms of strategy – and really plans – to head into what will eventually become execution, have been setting up a lot of the different elements that will lead into the Games, so finalizing what’s called the ‘preferred plan’ around all the venues and all the delivery of the Games.

“Today, we don’t yet have the core sports program approved; that has been voted on [by the IOC], it will be, we think, in 2022. So, there’s still some open ends as it relates to what we’ve got to do to deliver the Games, so we’re very, very focused on making sure that we have all of the right people, all of the right strategy in place for the delivery of the Games, so that allows us then to go after the opportunity for some of the impact areas for us where we think we actually can impact the community of L.A. very positively, whether that be through our youth sports program or what will be many other programs that we will unveil here in the next year. …

“We’re starting to put in place those plans, but certainly I think the first and foremost in our mind is how do we actually make sure we deliver these Games in a fiscally responsible manner. That’s our first legacy because it means that the City of L.A., the community of Southern California, the State of California, our country, nobody has to worry about what we do to deliver the Games themselves. It will be a collective effort.”

Carter was part of a small LA28 team that went to Tokyo to observe the just-concluded Olympic Games; she noted of the Tokyo 2020 organizers, “credit goes to them for having been able to pull it off and the IOC as well, for being their partner in that.”

In Tokyo, she observed that even without the normal sponsorship programming for spectators, the business-to-business sponsor activation programs were in action:

“I think it was a different look at the Games. We did spend a decent amount of time with a number of the [IOC’s] TOP partners and really starting to see, most importantly for us, was how do they integrate to deliver the Games.

“And I think that’s one of the key ‘ethoses,’ if you will, of the LA28 Games, this idea of co-creation, and I think that certainly, the partners did a lot of that in Tokyo. [It was] a little bit behind the scenes, something that isn’t perhaps as easy to see from a consumer standpoint, but clearly something that they can use from a B-to-B perspective. So whether that was Intel, with a number of technology integrations, whether that was the domestic partners and how they helped deliver the Games, there were some really good things for us to start to identify as key learnings as we think about ‘28 and really the journey to ‘28 and how our partners begin to co-create the Games with us.”

The LA28 effort has gone largely unnoticed in Los Angeles and elsewhere with so much attention focused on Tokyo, the pandemic, and the forthcoming, controversial Winter Games in Beijing. But LA28’s time in the spotlight is coming and quickly.

If it can create a new, durable paradigm for engaging fans of the Games and of Olympic sports, it will create a legacy – as did the organizers of the 1932 and 1984 Los Angeles Games – which can propel the Olympic Movement in the U.S. into a bright future indeed.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Tokyo Paralympics open Tuesday; was Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 the WR? Is Eugene good or bad for U.S. track?

By
Rich Perelman
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Tokyo 2020 rowing volunteer Tijana Kawashima Stojkovic with Jamaican Ambassador to Japan Shorna-Kay Richards (r) at an appreciation ceremony for her help getting eventual gold medalist Hansle Parchment to the track on time! (Photo: Embassy of Jamaica in Japan)

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

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● As with the now-completed Olympic Games, all the talk is about the coronavirus in Tokyo, with the Paralympic Opening Ceremony on for Tuesday the 24th.

“The number one principle to organize this games is the safety and wellbeing of everyone,” said International Paralympic Committee chair Andrew Parsons (BRA), adding “We don’t feel the presence of the Paralympics here will have a direct impact on raising the number of cases or even decreasing the number of cases.”

About 4,400 athletes are expected to attend the Paralympics, with most of the same restrictions as for the Olympic Games: essentially no spectators and a much-reduced number of officials, sponsors and support staff. Tokyo’s state of emergency has continued, but Parsons noted:

“We would not be here if we did not believe that we could deliver a safe games.”

Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto underscored the commitment: “We will protect the games that will open tomorrow until the very end and guide them to success.”

The IPC reported that 161 countries/regions, plus a Refugee Team, will compete in Tokyo, considered a major success given that – despite the pandemic – this is three more than in Rio 2016 and just short of the all-time record of 164 from London 2012. There are 21 nations not competing; four had travel issued related to the pandemic, two had its athletes decline to participate and four did not come due to a governmental decision or lack of funding.

Parsons explained that Afghanistan will not have a delegation in Tokyo as a result of the Taliban takeover of the country, but that the country’s flag will “be included” in the Opening Ceremony as a “sign of solidarity.” The flagbearer will be from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that its flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony will be wheelchair rugby player Chuck Aoki, a two-time Paralympic medalist, and paratriathlete Melissa Stockwell, a Paralympic bronze medalist. They were voted in by their fellow athletes; the U.S. has a team of 242 competing in Tokyo and expects to have about 115 athletes marching in the opening.

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● One of the enduring stories of the Tokyo Games was how a volunteer at the rowing venue offered Jamaican hurdler Hansle Parchment taxi fare so he could get to his semifinal race at the Olympic Stadium on time.

Parchment had absent-mindedly taken the wrong bus, but thanks to Tijana Kawashima Stojkovic, 25, he not only got back to the track in good time, he later won the final in an upset of American star Grant Holloway, all on 4 August.

It was Jamaica’s only men’s gold in the entire Games. Parchment returned to the rowing venue the next day to repay the taxi fare and gift her a Jamaican team polo shirt, and now the Jamaican Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has invited her to come to Jamaica as a show of thanks.

She was invited during a special ceremony at the Jamaican Embassy in Tokyo; she told reporters, “I just did what I can do.”

The International Fair Play Committee revealed 13 nominations for its Tokyo Fair Play Award, including moments from Athletics (6), Badminton, Cycling (BMX), Gymnastics, Judo, Swimming, Skateboarding and Triathlon.

The nominees included the U.S. women’s Artistic Gymnastics team supporting teammate Simone Biles in her moment of need after withdrawing from the Team Finals; Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who fell while starting the final lap of her heat in the women’s 1,500 m, then getting up and winning the race; American 800 m runner Isaiah Jewett and Botswana’s Nijel Amos, who fell in their heat, but got up and walked together to the finish line, and the “Can we have two golds?” moment in the men’s high jump between Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.

The winner is expected to be announced soon.

● Games of the XXXIV Olympiad: Los Angeles 2028 ● Multiple international federations are mounting all-out rushes at the LA28 organizers to get their sports added to the program.

One sport with direct Los Angeles connections is the World Flying Disc Federation which was essentially born in Southern California. At its annual Congress held last Saturday (21st), it added national federations in Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Serbia, and Kyrgyzstan to bring its membership total to 100. It expects to have 120 nations officially involved by 2024.

The WFDF is making sure that the L.A. folks know they are around: the World Beach Ultimate Championships will be held in the Los Angeles area next April, and the sport will be showcased at the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama in early July.

The added sports for the 2028 Games are expected to be finalized in 2025.

● Athletics ● There is a lot to unpack from Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic, held at the new Hayward Field in front of an announced crowd of 8,937.

Number one was whether Jamaica’s Olympic sprint star Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 win in the women’s 100 m is actually the world record.

It’s the second-fastest time ever run, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49 in the quarterfinals at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. But that mark has been questioned for decades as it had a wind reading of 0.0 m/s even though the triple jump – going on at the same time – had over-the-allowable wind on almost every jump. Most statisticians believe Flojo’s mark was wind-aided, but the one group that counts – World Athletics – recognizes it as the world record.

American Sha’Carri Richardson had a bad day at the office, finishing last in 11.14. She was hardly contrite afterwards, telling NBC’s Lewis Johnson on live national television:

“Coming out today, it was a great return back to the sport. I wanted to be able to come and perform after having a month off and dealing with all I was dealing with.

“I’m not upset with myself at all. This is one race. I’m not done. You know what I am capable of. Count me out if you want to. Talk all the [s—] you want, because I am here to stay. I am not done. I am the sixth fastest woman in this game, ever. And nobody can ever take that from me. Congratulations to the winners, but they are not done seeing me yet. Period.”

Much happier was American Noah Lyles, who won the men’s 200 m in a world-leading 19.52 after winning the bronze medal in Tokyo:

“It’s a tight little bow on the end of the season. I wasn’t really feeling that my mindset was right for today but I feel like five sessions of therapy I was able to let go of what happened in Tokyo and convince myself that I know I’m upset [about Tokyo] and I know I’m in great shape to run and come out here and be able to put it on the track.

“I don’t think you understand how lifeless it was in Tokyo to have no crowd there. It was dead silent. To come here and see a whole lot of people who love track, it was just amazing to see. I’m really excited to come back [in 2022] especially coming off a great year like this, only moving it forward. Shoot, the sky’s the limit.”

The World Athletics U-20 Championships were held in Nairobi (KEN) from 18-22 August, with the U.S. and many other leading track & field nations absent due to Covid concerns. The headline win was by France’s Sasha Zhoya, who won the men’s 110 m hurdles in a sensational 12.72!

These were 99 cm-high hurdles – 39 inches – the same as used in the U.S. for high school races. For comparison, the U.S. high school best is 13.08 by Wayne Davis (Raleigh Southeast in North Carolina) in 2009!

Sometimes Twitter can be entertaining. Take the thrust-and-parry all day Saturday between ex-Los Angeles Times and NBC Sports Olympic columnist Alan Abrahamson and others about whether Eugene is a worthwhile center of track & field in the U.S. Highlights:

● Abrahamson on Friday night’s distance program: “There’s no one there, as you can see from the picture. This for a much-hyped WR attempt [by Sifan Hassan]. When will people start to understand that Eugene is in the middle of nowhere?”

● Former Oregonian track writer Ken Goe: “Ummm, 3,541 people showed up during a severe Covid outbreak for four races. Those were scanned tickets, not a crowd estimate. Not sure that would happen in Los Angeles, based on the LA meets I’ve covered.”

● Abrahamson: “I reiterate. 3541 people. At a brand-new $270m stadium. Where a triple medalist was hyped for a world record. That is not outstanding. Farthest thing from

“As for severe covid – LA County is arguably worst in the nation and there were 48,117 at the Dodger game … we both love t/f, Ken, but this is what it is, as I have observed time and again about Eugene”

● Abrahamson, replying to @tracksuperfan Jesse Squire: “I’m trying to say that Eugene is not the place to grow track and field in the United States. Which you know full well is what I’m saying”

● Goe: “Seems to me, Los Angeles once had an elite-level track meet. What happened to that?”

● Abrahamson: “Here’s the real q. What do you think Sha’Carri would draw today in LA? Or NY? Chicago? Houston? Any Top-10 city? A real city? She is the first crossover star in ages. And this meet is in Eugene”

● Goe: “Maybe one of those cities should stage a Diamond League meet.”

● Abrahamson: “Maybe we should all stop pretending that we are ‘growing’ track and field in the United States of America out of remote Eugene, Oregon”

● Veteran coach and track writer Steve Ritchie: “Eugene has hosted the Trials seven times. Six of those times the attendance was excellent. Given the reluctance of many to travel to the Trials this year and the fairly restrictive Covid measures implemented, I would not judge Eugene too harshly for low attendance this year”

● Abrahamson: “Steve, you and I are friends. And your love for all things Oregon is perfectly excellent. But your argument is exactly why the sport is where it is. Six times already. And track as a sport in the US landscape – looking up at fb, baseball, hoops and more. My point!”

● Ritchie: “Like @tracksuperfan I agree it would be a good thing to have other, larger cities step up to host major events. In my lifetime I haven’t seen LA, NYC, or any other community do anywhere close to what Eugene has done.”

● Abrahamson: “It’s not per se Eugene. It’s one individual [with] a love for the university. Which is totally fine. He is allowed to spend his money as he sees fit”

Classic. Game on. Worth noting: Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California – home of the Mt. SAC Relays – was awarded the 2020 Trials, then had it revoked over concerns over finishing its renovation on time. It was ready before Hayward Field; will it get another chance?

● Cycling ● The 76th Vuelta a Espana finished its first rest day on Monday, with two-time defending champion Primoz Roglic (SLO) back in the leader’s red jersey after nine of 21 stages.

Roglic returned to the lead after stage 6, in which he dueled with Denmark’s Magnus Cort to the finish and was out-leaned at the line. Friday’s much more demanding stage – with six climbs and an uphill finish – was won by Australia’s Michael Storer with a breakaway in the final 3 km over Spain’s Carlos Verona, with Roglic finishing 16th, with the other race contenders. The flat, sprinter’s stage 8 on Saturday was the second stage win for Fabio Jakobsen (NED), ahead of Alberto Dainese (ITA) and 110 others who received the same time.

Sunday was a difficult, four-climb mountain stage with an uphill finish to the Alto de Velefique in southern Spain, won by Italy’s Damiano Caruso, but with Roglic second, gaining major time on all of his competitors except Spain’s Enric Mas. After nine stages, Roglic is +0:28 vs. Mas and +1:21 over Miguel Angel Lopez (COL). Roglic is trying to be the first three-peat winner since 2005 and is well on his way.

The UCI World BMX Racing World Championships were held in Papendal (NED) over the weekend, with Olympic gold medalists Niek Kimmann (NED) and Bethany Shriever (GBR) repeating their victories.

Kimmann won his second BMX Racing world title in a tight, 34.337-34.500 duel over France’s Sylvain Andre, the 2018 World Champion. Shriever was a clear winner by 35.110-36.375-36.468 over Dutch stars Judy Baauw and 2018 winner Laura Smulders.

● Football ● CONCACAF announced an expanded program of women’s championship football for 2021-24, with play beginning in November for the new “W Championship.”

This tournament will include eight teams – the U.S., Canada and six qualifiers – and finish in 2022 with the four semifinalists all qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The three-place finishers in the two groups will advance to a intercontinental play-in tournament. The winner of the W Championship will qualify for the 2024 Olympic tournament in Paris.

The first-ever CONCACAF W Gold Cup will be held in 2024 with eight teams from the region and four guest teams.

● Ice Hockey ● The IIHF Women’s World Championship began last Friday in Calgary, Canada, with the U.S. women looking for their sixth title in a row and ninth in the last 10.

In Group A, seeded with the strongest teams, Canada and the U.S. are both 2-0. Canada defeated Finland, 5-3, in its opener and the Russians, 5-1. The U.S. has shut out Switzerland (3-0; Alex Cavallini in goal) and Finland (3-0; Nicole Hensley) so far.

The Czech Republic and Germany are both 2-0 in Group B; The quarterfinals begin on the 28th.

● Triathlon ● The World Triathlon Championship finals in Edmonton (CAN) on Saturday saw Olympic Champions Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) and Flora Duffy (BER) add the 2021 world titles to their trophy cases.

Blummenfelt won the men’s final in 1:44:14, just ahead of Marten Van Riel (BEL, also 1:44:14) and Leo Bergere (FRA: 1:44.15) and finished the season with 3,927 points against 3,594 for Van Riel and 3,289 for Olympic silver winner Alex Yee (GBR). American Taylor Knibb won the women’s race in Edmonton in 1:54:47, beating Leonie Periault (FRA: 1:55:43) and Duffy (1:56:11). Americans Katie Zaferes (1:56:14) and Taylor Spivey (1:56:16) went 4-5. Duffy took the seasonal title with 3,861 points to 3,486 for Knibb and 3,239 for Spivey.

Blummenfelt is a two-time champion (also in 2019), while Duffy won her third (also 2016 and 2017).

● At the BuZZer ● More from Twitter, this time with advice from three-time Olympic gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta.

Former USC star Kendall Ellis, who won an Olympic gold in Tokyo on the women’s 4×400 m as a member of the U.S. team in the heats, tweeted with concern after the Pre Classic:

“y’all always wanna argue about appeal, marketing, and storytelling but how’re fans supposed to know anybody’s story if you keep interviewing the same 4 people win or lose?”

Replied Bartoletta:

“This is the part where athletes have to do the heavy lifting first. Start telling your story YOURSELF even if it seems no one is listening. Don’t wait to be your own storyteller. Tell it yourself. Trust me on this one.”

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LANE ONE: New bills aim to target international “doping mafia” via U.S. criminal racketeering laws and increase U.S. enforcement worldwide

By
Rich Perelman
-

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“Some of our athletes at the Olympic Games in Tokyo suspect that there has been performance-enhancing doping going on. One nation with a history of doping was disqualified from participating under its own flag because of past violations. We need better enforcement of anti-doping rules to make sure the Olympics are clean and that athletes are winning based on their own capabilities and training.”

That’s Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), co-Chair of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe – better known as the Helsinki Commission – on introducing a new bill in the U.S. Congress called the “Guarantee Oversight and Litigation on Doping Act” or “GOLD Act.”

The bills are H.R. 4906 in the U.S. House and S. 2632 in the U.S. Senate, barely noticed since they were introduced during the Tokyo Games on 3 August and 5 August, respectively. Each runs only 306 words and are explained as:

“It is the sense of Congress that –

“(1) the punishment of Russia for persistent decades-long state-run doping fraud by the international sport governance structure has been insufficient and Russia’s competing status as ‘ROC’ at Tokyo 2020 demonstrates to authoritarian states around the world that systematic doping will be tolerated; and

“(2) aggressive enforcement of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 (21 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.) can create the deterrent required to curb doping fraud as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (15 U.S.C. 78dd–1 et seq.) curbed foreign bribery and the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation should prioritize enforcement of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 (21 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.).”

What the bill would do is add aiding doping to a long list of offenses which can be prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act of 1970. Originally created to prosecute the heads of organized crime – especially the Mafia – in the United States, its success has led to its expanded applicability to many other actions around the world. That list may now include aiding sports doping.

The bill followed a 21 July hearing on “Rodchenkov Act Enforcement at Tokyo 2021,” exploring whether Tokyo 2020 was going to be a “clean” Olympic Games. Olympic icon Edwin Moses, the two-time men’s 400 m hurdles gold medalist from 1976 and 1984 and Chair Emeritus of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, gave powerful testimony on the state of doping today, including:

● “[The International Olympic Committee] continues to miss, or ignore, defining moments to confront in the clearest way possible, the win at all costs culture of corruption through doping in global sport. These have all been opportunities to draw an unambiguous line in the sand: a chance to stand up for clean athletes – a chance to show clean athletes they care, to send a message, loud and clear, that this type of fraudulent behavior will not be tolerated in Olympic sport. Yet, when these decisive moments arrived, when the lights were shining brightest, [World Anti-Doping Agency] and the IOC repeatedly failed to lead.”

● “It is a question of dictators versus Democracies in the rule of law for both sport and politics. An interwoven network that allows state sponsored corruption to flourish and kleptocracies the ability to defraud athletes and corporations alike. Those that defraud sport with performance enhancing drugs do not let national borders stop them in perpetuating their crimes.”

● “One enhancement that might be worth investigating is adding the Rodchenkov Act to the U.S. Code Title 18 § 1956. As we understand it, this would allow financial transactions used in the corruption of sport under the Rodchenkov Act, involving the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, to be considered money laundering under the U.S. Code and prosecuted as such.”

This is exactly what the new bill does.

Richard Baum, the anti-doping coordinator for the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, followed up with details of the investigative tools created by the Rodchenkov Act:

“The U.S. Department of Justice and its Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have taken steps to address the doping and sports-related crime landscape … An Integrity in Sport and Gaming program has been developed within the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime-Global Section.

“This unit collaborates with domestic partners like USADA, and leverages international law enforcement partnerships to disrupt and prosecute the transnational threats and corruption elements that prey on the societal institutions of sport. Further, the U.S. Department of the Treasury retains an array of tools and authorities, including targeted financial sanctions that may be directed against foreign actors involved in a wide range of corrupt international actions, including sports-related corruption and doping. In 2018, for example, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added two officers in Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate to its designated nationals list for their role in hacking WADA and illegally releasing athlete medical data.”

Debra LaPrevotte, a former Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s International Corruption Unit, added that international law enforcement efforts in anti-doping are working:

“In 2019, Interpol, led by Italian and Greek investigators, conducted Operation Viribus. This effort involved 33 countries and was a massive crackdown on trafficking in doping materials. This investigation dismantled 17 organized crime groups, led to 234 arrests and closed nine underground labs. This case identified almost 1,000 people involved in the production, commerce, or use of doping products.”

The Helsinki Commission hearing and the new bills are not being celebrated by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has already voiced its concerns over the Rodchenkov Act, including:

“No nation has ever before asserted criminal jurisdiction over doping offences that occurred outside its national borders – and for good reason. It is likely to lead to overlapping laws in different jurisdictions that will compromise having a single set of anti-doping rules for all sports and all Anti-Doping Organizations under the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). This will have negative consequences as harmonization of the rules is at the very core of the global anti-doping system.

“WADA remains concerned that by unilaterally exerting U.S. criminal jurisdiction over all global doping activity, the Act will likely undermine clean sport by jeopardizing critical partnerships and cooperation between nations. Further, the Act could impede the capacity to benefit from whistleblowers by exposing them to possible prosecution and preventing ‘substantial assistance’ deals in line with the provisions of the Code.

“This Act may lead to other nations adopting similar legislation, thereby subjecting U.S. citizens and sport bodies to similar extraterritorial jurisdictions and criminal sanctions, many of which may be political in nature or imposed to discriminate against specific nationalities. This will be detrimental to anti-doping efforts everywhere, including in the U.S.”

The two new bills were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on both the House and Senate side and there is no indication that either will receive priority treatment in the midst of the battle royal now going on in the Congress over other issues.

But they continue the drumbeat from the U.S. side – and U.S. athletes – that doping is unacceptable, both on the domestic and international levels. While most of the rhetoric has been aimed as Russia following its enormous state-sponsored doping program from 2011-15, watch for a potential new flashpoint in the Congress ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing if any evidence of doping in China is brought forward ahead of next February’s winter festival. Stay tuned.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ATHLETICS: Thompson-Herah screams 10.54 at Pre Classic; Frerichs and Mu storm to American Records; 3:47.24 mile for Ingebrigtsen!

By
Rich Perelman
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No one other than FloJo has run this fast: 10.54 for Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah! (Official timing photo)

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/Updated/Historic. That was the women’s 100 m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, as Jamaica’s Tokyo Olympic medal winners swept again, with Elaine Thompson-Herah running the second-fastest time in history in 10.54.

Thompson-Herah took charge of the race at about 20 m, passing Tokyo silver winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and then accelerated away from the field, storming through the finish with an aiding wind of 0.9 meters per second. With Olympic 100/200 m doubles in Rio and Tokyo and now two of the four fastest times ever in the 100 m, Thompson-Herah may be the finest women’s sprinter of all time. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner‘s 10.49 at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials is faster. Even Thompson-Herah was stunned by the time when flashed on the scoreboard, covering her mouth with both hands.

Fraser-Pryce got out best and finished second in 10.73 and fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson was third in 10.76, replicating the Tokyo podium. American Teahna Daniels, seventh in Tokyo, got a massive lifetime best of 10.83 for fourth, moving to equal-14th on the all-time U.S. list.

American Sha’Carri Richardson, the Trials winner who was suspended out of Tokyo for marijuana use, was not a factor, finishing last in 11.14.

Thompson-Herah’s 100 m was just one of numerous outstanding performances during the meet, which featured so many of the Tokyo medal winners, gathered together for the first time since the Olympics closed 13 days earlier. Even at half full, the new Hayward Field was loud and friendly for the runners who had competed in a spectator-less Tokyo.

● In the women’s 3,000 m Steeple, Kenya’s Norah Jeruto, American Courtney Frerichs (Tokyo silver) and Hyvin Kiyeng (Tokyo bronze) were in charge from the halfway mark and then Jeruto ran away from Frerichs on the final lap to win in a world-leading 8:53.65, the no. 3 performance of all time.

Frerichs was second and became the first American woman to break nine minutes at 8:57.77, improving on her won American Record and now no. 4 on the all-time list. Kiyeng was third in 9:00.05, a season’s best.

● There were more records broken. American teen Athing Mu confirmed her place as the dominant force in the women’s 800, running away from the field on the final lap and straining right to the final in a world-leading 1:55.04, shattering her own American Record of 1:55.21 from the Tokyo Games. She’s now no. 8 all-time in what was reportedly her final race of the year.

Kate Grace of the U.S. was second in 1:57.60, followed by Jamaica’s Natoya Goule (1:57.71) and then Olympic bronze winner Raevyn Rogers (USA: 1:58.01).

● The men’s sprints underscored the results of the Tokyo 200 m final. In the men’s 200 m, American Noah Lyles was back in his favored lane seven and broke hard from the blocks, had the lead into the home straight and pulled away from a strong field to win in a world-leading 19.52 (+1.5 m/s), the no. 9 performance in history and no. 3 all-time U.S.

Lyles finished ahead of Tokyo silver winner Kenny Bednarek (19.80) and younger brother Josephus Lyles, who got a lifetime best in 20.03. Noah’s time would have won by a tenth in Tokyo and was the fast finish he’s famous for, but which had been absent for almost two years.

The men’s 100 m was another statement for Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the Tokyo 200 m gold winner and 100 m bronze medalist, who won in a wind-aided 9.74 (+2.9 m/s). He beat a superb field, with Tokyo silver medalist Fred Kerley (USA: 9.78w) second, Ronnie Baker (USA: 9.82w) third and world leader Trayvon Bromell (USA: 9.86w) fourth. American Justin Gatlin was sixth in 9.93w.

● The women’s 200 m was an upset win for the underrated Mujinga Kambundji (SUI), who was even with Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and Jenna Prandini (USA) coming off the turn and powered home in 22.06w (+2.4 m/s), Kambundji held off the late charge of Tokyo bronze winner Gabby Thomas (22.11w), who passed Asher-Smith (22.19w) and Prandini (22.36w) in the final 40 m.

American Allyson Felix was last (8th) in 22.60w.

● Double Olympic champion Ryan Crouser dominated the men’s shot put, exploding to 23.15 m (75-11 1/2) – the no. 3 throw in history and he has all three – in the fourth round. In the Diamond League’s sixth-round-takes-all format, he had a “safe throw” of 22.41 m (73-6 1/4) to win the event over Brazil’s Darlan Romani (21.69 m/71-2 best). The actual runner-up was American Joe Kovacs, who reached 21.94 m (71-11 3/4), but fouled in the sixth round and was officially third.

● The middle-distance races confirmed the brilliance of Tokyo winners Faith Kipyegon (KEN) and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Competing first, Kipyegon simply ran away from the women’s 1,500 m field almost from the start, winning in 3:53.23, a time no one else has approached this year. Australia’s Linden Hall was a far-back second in 3:59.73.

The men’s mile was a runaway for Ingebrigtsen and Australia’s Stewart McSweyn, who separated early from the pack and were all alone at the bell. Ingebrigtsen bided his time, then took over with 250 m remaining and ran alone to the finish in a blistering 3:47.24, the world leader for 2021, making him the ninth-fastest miler in history. McSweyn finished in 3:48.40 with Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot – never a factor – leading the chase pack home in 3:51.17.

A sixth world-leading performance on Saturday was in the men’s two-mile, with a wild finish finally won by Tokyo 5,000 m gold medalist Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) in 8:09.55, over Tokyo 10,000 m winner Selemon Barega (ETH: 8:09.82) and American Paul Chelimo – the 5,000 m bronze medalist – in 8:09.83.

Also:

In the men’s 800 m, Canada’s Marco Arop was eliminated in the Tokyo semifinals, but came from fifth with 200 m to go and won in 1:44.51, ahead of a big charge on the home straight from Tokyo silver winner Ferguson Rotich (KEN: 1:45.02) and Tokyo champ Emmanuel Korir (KEN: 1:45.05). The U.S. Olympic duo of Clayton Murphy and Bryce Hoppel were 5-8 and Isaiah Harris of the U.S. was sixth.

The men’s triple jump had the most efficient performance of the day. Olympic gold medalist Pedro Pablo Pichardo took the lead with his opening jump of 17.24 m (56-6 3/4) and then passed the rest of his jumps! Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) came up to second at 17.12 m (56-2) and Donald Scott of the U.S. was third (17.03 m/55-10 1/2) heading into the best-jump-wins sixth round. Neither approached Pichardo’s mark, but he boomed his final try out to 17.63 m (57-10 1/4), the equal-seventh best jump of 2021.

The women’s 400 m hurdles was all about Rio gold and Tokyo silver-medal winner Dalilah Muhammad. She led from the start and won easily in 52.77, the no. 8 performance of the year, well ahead of Shamier Little (USA: 53.79).

The women’s high jump was a battle between American star Vashti Cunningham and Ukraine’s Iryna Gerashchenko. They were in a flat-out tie at 1.98 m (6-6), then missed three times at 2.00 m (6-6 3/4). They proceeded to jump-offs at 2.00m, 1.98 m, 1.96 m and 1.94 m – both missing each – then both made 1.92 m (6-3 1/2). Then Cunningham missed at 1.94 m (6-4 1/4) and Gerashchenko made it to finally win on her 18th jump of the afternoon.

The women’s pole vault was a win for Tokyo champ Katie Nageotte, who needed a third-time clearance at 4.92 m (15-9 3/4) to beat Tokyo bronze winner Holly Bradshaw (GBR: 4.72 m/15-5 3/4).

There was a Friday evening distance program, with 3,541 in attendance, featuring Tokyo women’s 5,000-10,000 m winner Sifan Hassan (NED) aiming at a world record in the 5,000 m, but falling well short in 14:27.89, moving her to no. 6 on the world list for 2021. She was an easy winner, ahead of Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi (14:42.25). American Alicia Monson was sixth in a lifetime best of 14:48.49, best in the U.S. for 2021.

The rarely-run women’s two-mile was won by Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) in 9:00.75, reportedly the second-fastest ever run, well ahead of Tokyo 10,000 m bronze medalist Letsenbet Gidey (ETH: 9:06.74) and Kenyan star Hellen Obiri (9:14.55). Niyonsaba, the 2016 Olympic 800 m silver medalist, is not allowed to run in the 800 m or 1,500 m due to elevated testosterone levels, but was fifth in Tokyo in the 10,000 m and disqualified in the 5,000 m. She is clearly a comer in these distance events, and at 28, has a significant career ahead of her.

The women’s 1,500 m was won by Rebecca Mehra of the U.S. in 4:06.35; the men’s mile was taken by New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish (3:54.86), ahead of Craig Engels (USA: 3:55.41), who was passed on the final straight while waving to the crowd. Really?

(Update: Special thanks to Association of Track & Field Statisticians Treasurer Tom Casacky for pointing out a typo on Andre De Grasse’s winning 100 m time – 9.74, not 9.94 – plus noting that Norah Jeruto is in the midst of an allegiance change to Kazakhstan, and that Craig Engels was passed on the final straight while waving to the crowd. He also noted that Pedro Pichardo had cramps and this was the reason for his four passes after his big first jump. Thanks, Tom!)

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THE TICKER: Tokyo likes the Games after all; NBC to show Pre Classic Saturday; Polish silver winner auctions medal for child surgery

By
Rich Perelman
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The Olympic Rings (and a friend) at Mt. Takao outside of Tokyo (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● Attitudes on the Tokyo Games came around once the competitions started and four polls taken over the final weekend of the Games and just after, showed solid majorities were “happy that the Tokyo Olympics were held”:

● 64% ~ Yomiuri Shimbun (vs. 28% against)
● 63% ~ Kyodo News (vs. 31% against)
● 61% ~ Tokyo Broadcasting System
● 56% ~ Asahi Shimbun (vs. 32% against)

In the Yomiuri poll, 61% were happy that there were no spectators vs. 12% in favor of having had spectators at the Games. The positive attitude was due significantly due to the historic success of the Japanese team.

This is a huge turnaround from pre-Games polls showing as much as 70% of the Japanese public was unhappy with the event taking place during a pandemic. Even without spectators, the locals were glued to the Games with 91% of the country’s entire population reported to have followed the events on television.

The magic of the Games is confirmed once more.

● Athletics ● Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic will be shown live on NBC this Saturday for 90 minutes beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. in Eugene).

The event is headlined by the women’s 100 m, with American Sha’Carri Richardson taking on the all-Jamaican Tokyo podium of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, and a lot more. Perhaps another world record in the men’s shot from Ryan Crouser?

Entries and results will eventually be available here.

One of the most heartwarming stories coming out of the Tokyo Games was the auctioning of the silver medal in the women’s javelin by Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk.

On Facebook, she explained that she was offering the medal in order to help pay for heart surgery for 8-month-old Miloszek Malysa. The Polish supermarket chain Zabka won the auction at $125,000 and then announced it would return the medal to Andrejczyk.

Malysa needs the operation due to a heart defect and will operated on at the Stanford University Medical Center.

Fantastic, just fantastic.

The International Testing Agency announced a possible doping violation by Bahrain marathoner El Hassan El Abbassi, who finished 25th in Tokyo (2:15:56). He is charged with a prohibited homologous blood transfusion; next up will be a testing of his B-sample.

Nationwide Radio Jamaica reported that star sprinter Yohan Blake, the 2011 World Champion in the 100 m underwent emergency surgery in Kingston to remove his appendix.

After complaining of stomach pains, Blake, 31, was taken to a hospital and “scans revealed that Blake’s appendix was on the verge of being ruptured.”

The surgery was apparently successful and he is still under supervision at the hospital.

The September issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine included a “Correction: Serum androgen levels and their relation to performance in track and field: mass spectrometry results from 2127 observations in male and female elite athletes.”

This was the 2017 paper which discussed the impact of increased testosterone levels on the performance of women in track & field events and led to the World Athletics regulations on women with “Differences in Sex Development.”

The note stated, “To be explicit, there is no confirmatory evidence for causality in the observed relationships reported. We acknowledge that our 2017 study was exploratory.

“With this in mind, we recognise that statements in the paper could have been misleading by implying a causal inference. Specifically, ‘Female athletes with high fT [testosterone] levels have a significant competitive advantage over those with low fT in 400 m, 400 m hurdles, 800 m, hammer throw, and pole vault.’

“This statement should be amended to: ‘High fT levels in female athletes were associated with higher athletic performance over those with low fT in 400 m, 400 m hurdles, 800 m, hammer throw, and pole vault.’”

This caused great excitement within the legal camp of South Africa’s Caster Semenya, which is appealing regulations before the European Court of Human Rights, after having lost at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

The reply from World Athletics: “The erratum recently published in the British Journal of Sport Medicine to the 2017 paper clarifies the exploratory nature of this study.

“It has no bearing on the decade of research undertaken by World Athletics that informed its eligibility regulations for the female classification.”

Stay tuned on this one. It’s worth noting that the Swiss Federal Tribunal has not issued a final decision on its holding supporting the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s finding on the regulations. That may be where the real decision on the World Athletics regulations will be.

● Cycling ● The 76th Vuelta a Espana continues with France’s Kenny Elissonde now in the lead over two-time defending champion Primoz Roglic (SLO).

Tuesday’s Stage 4 was a hilly, 163.9 km ride to Molina de Aragon and ended with Dutch star Fabio Jakobsen winning the sprint finish in 3:43:07, ahead of Arnard Demare (FRA) and Magnus Cort (DEN) among others.

Wednesday’s Stage 5 was another sprinter’s special, an 184.4 km flat ride to Albacete, with Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen winning in 4:24:41 over Jakobsen and Alberto Dainese (ITA).

After taking the lead following Stage 3, Estonia’s Rein Taaramae has fallen back to 27th overall. Elissonde, 30, was 16th at La Vuelta in 2015. The riding gets harder now with two hilly stages and a mountain stage before Monday’s first rest day.

“The Tissot 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were originally scheduled to take place from 13 to 17 October in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), but were finally cancelled at the request of the organisers due to the health constraints and restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

So instead, the Track Worlds will be held at the Velodrome Couvert Regional Jean-Stablinski in Roubaix, France, with a 250 m track, from 20-24 October. This also removes the event from another authoritarian country with human-rights issues; watch for this to become a growing issue as an expansion of the concerns over conditions for athletes in Belarus as well as the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in China.

● Fencing ● Sad news that veteran women’s foil coach Anthony “Buckie” Leach, 62, died on Saturday in a motorcycle accident while riding on a cross-country trip. He had just returned from the Tokyo Games.

Leach coached the U.S. women’s foil team at the 1996-2000-04-16 and 2020 Olympics; Lee Keifer – who Leach coached at Notre Dame – won the first U.S. women’s gold in fencing in Tokyo. Leach’s teams won the World Championship in 2018 and three other medals at the Worlds.

● Football ● The U.S. Soccer Federation announced four friendlies for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the fall, including two games against Paraguay on 16 September in Cleveland and 26 September in Cincinnati.

Two more matches will be played against South Korea on 21 October in Kansas City and 26 October in St. Paul, Minnesota.

These will be the last games with the national team for star striker Carli Lloyd, who announced her retirement at the end of this season. The U.S. women have never previously played Paraguay, but have a 10-0-3 record against South Korea.

● Gymnastics ● Very little action has been reported in the continuing USA Gymnastics bankruptcy proceeding at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The monthly operations report for June showed “only” $101,459 in legal fees for the month – not a lot in this case – and total fees since the case started of $15.45 million.

Only $10.23 million of this has been paid; the rest is still due.

Next month’s report will provide some figures on the revenue and expenses for the U.S. Olympic Trials held in July.

● Karate ● In the aftermath of its first appearance in the Olympic Games, the World Karate Federation has nosily insisted that it belongs on the program of the Paris Games in 2024, despite not having been chosen by the Paris organizers as an added sport.

In an interview with Agence France Presse, International Olympic Committee Sports Director Kit McConnell (NZL) explained “The door is effectively closed for karate.” The Paris organizing committee asked for the inclusion of break dancing, climbing, skateboarding and surfing back in February 2019.

The WKF and its athletes continue to demand that the sport be added and accuse the IOC of only caring about money, to which McConnell readily noted, “If the considerations were purely financial, we would choose sports capable of filling stadiums with 80,000 seats.

“The four sports chosen for the Olympics-2024 bring a real balance to the Olympic program. In Tokyo, team sports and combat sports in particular were well represented, but more urban sports brought a very different dynamic compared to traditional sports.”

● Swimming ● The planned Australian Swimming League was expected to launch in October, but the third wave of the coronavirus has postponed the start until 2022.

Swimming World Magazine reported that “The plan was to follow a franchise model, similar to the International Swimming League, with events held around the country and prize money to swimmers.” The program is being privately run, but is working in conjunction with the national federation, Swimming Australia.

● The Last Word ● The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) announced the core sports program for the 2023 and 2025 World Beach Games and invited interested countries to bid for the events. The core sports include:

● Aquatics: Open Water Swimming 5km & Beach Water Polo
● Football: Beach Soccer
● Handball: Beach Handball
● Karate: Individual Kata
● Sailing: Kite Foil
● Tennis: Beach Tennis
● Triathlon: Aquathlon
● Volleyball: Beach Volleyball 4×4
● Wrestling: Beach Wrestling

The first World Beach Games was successfully held in Doha (QAT) in 2019 and was planned to be held in 2021, but was capsized by the coronavirus.

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LANE ONE: If you thought Tokyo 2020 was tough sledding, just wait for February’s Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games!

By
Rich Perelman
-

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“Arduous” would be one way to describe the just-completed Olympic Games in Tokyo, held in the midst of a state of emergency in Japan due to the coronavirus. That may seem pleasant compared to what is coming early next year.

The XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing will start on 4 February and are already the center of strong protests from multiple groups, over Chinese actions against Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan and most recently the treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang Province, labeled as “genocide” by the U.S. State Department.

This has nothing to do with the sports or events of the Winter Games and the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly praised the preparations of the Beijing organizers, themselves working within significant coronavirus restrictions inside China. But after all of the tumult over getting the Tokyo Games to take place at all, you can look forward to more and more anguished public comment about holding the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing and the surrounding mountains.

The most recent public slam against Beijing 2022 came from the U.S. House of Representatives, which showed exquisitely bad timing by holding hearings on the subject during the Tokyo Games, when all of the attention was on the Olympic competitions in Japan.

Nevertheless, on the same day as the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China released a letter from co-Chairs Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Rep. James P. McGovern (D-Massachusetts) to IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) that began:

“We are writing to ask the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the XXIV Olympic Winter Games scheduled to be held in China in February 2022 and to relocate them if the host government does not change its behavior. No Olympics should be held in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity. …

“We believe that it would reflect extremely poorly on the Olympic movement, and the international community in general, if the IOC were to proceed with holding the Olympic Games in a country whose government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity as if nothing were wrong. To proceed with business as usual is implied consent and suggests the IOC has learned nothing from the Chinese government’s use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to score propaganda wins and distract from its appalling human rights record. The IOC is on course to set a dark precedent where the behavior of future Olympic host governments is unconstrained by the international spotlight provided by the Olympic Games.”

The letter noted that as the 2020 Games were moved to 2021, “This demonstrates that the IOC is capable of orchestrating a postponement of the Olympic Games on short notice. If the Olympic Games can be postponed for a year for a pandemic, they can be postponed a year for a genocide.”

Further, a hearing was held on 27 July and representatives from U.S.-based IOC sponsors Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Intel, Proctor & Gamble and Visa were asked whether the 2022 Games should be relocated. Reuters reported:

“All of them declined to opine, or said they had no responsibility over site selection.

“‘We do not make decisions on these host locations. We support and follow the athletes wherever they compete,’ said Paul Lalli, Coca-Cola’s global vice president for human rights.”

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Florida) introduced H.Res.162 back in February, calling for a resolution that the U.S. should boycott the Games and not send a U.S. team. It has gone nowhere. Same for his H.R.3645, the “Beijing Winter Olympics Sponsor Accountability Act,” which would “prohibit the Federal Government from contracting with persons that have business operations with the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games or the International Olympic Committee, and for other purposes.”

More attention was paid to a 15 March essay by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who was the head of the Salt Lake City organizing committee for the 2002 Winter Games. He suggested:

“Prohibiting our athletes from competing in China is the easy, but wrong, answer. …

“The right answer is an economic and diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics. American spectators — other than families of our athletes and coaches — should stay at home, preventing us from contributing to the enormous revenues the Chinese Communist Party will raise from hotels, meals and tickets. American corporations that routinely send large groups of their customers and associates to the Games should send them to U.S. venues instead.

“Rather than send the traditional delegation of diplomats and White House officials to Beijing, the president should invite Chinese dissidents, religious leaders and ethnic minorities to represent us.”

Romney is quite right on this, but with the pandemic still in play in China, it is unknown whether there will be spectators in Beijing at all, even though the head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. – son of the former IOC President – is vociferously campaigning for it.

And new “Playbooks” that detail the restrictions to be placed on attendees to the Games at all levels are expected to be published in September or October and updated as the Games get closer. The Tokyo organizers were deeply concerned about the spread of the virus in Japan; will the Chinese organizers for 2022 be more concerned about the virus or about other matters?

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a 30 June rally that “the Chinese people will absolutely not allow any foreign force to bully, oppress or enslave us and anyone who attempts to do so will face broken heads and bloodshed in front of the iron Great Wall of the 1.4 billion Chinese people.”

So what happens now?

● Romney’s advice is the best: let the athletes go, as they have very little role in deciding where the Games will be held. The best advertisement for the U.S. in China will be to have American athletes do well there; the U.S. won 23 medals in PyeongChang in 2018 – fourth-best in the total medal count – and will do about the same in Beijing. In any case, Norway will be the big winner again.

● A diplomatic boycott of the Games by the U.S. and other nations will make an impact on the Chinese, no doubt. Whether this can be pulled off is another matter, but it would make a significant splash.

Same for limited U.S. attendance by fans other than family members.

● News media who attended the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games remember well the challenging communications and access conditions there. Look for more of the same in 2022; on 29 July, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price issued a condemnation of Chinese treatment of out-of-country news media, including:

“The PRC government claims to welcome foreign media and support their work, but its actions tell a different story. Its harsh rhetoric, promoted through official state media, toward any news it perceives to be critical of PRC policies, has provoked negative public sentiment leading to tense, in-person confrontations and harassment, including online verbal abuse and death threats of journalists simply doing their jobs. …

“We call on the PRC to act as a responsible nation hoping to welcome foreign media and the world for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

If the number of foreign press attending the Games is thinned – it was down 30% in Tokyo – this would also send a message from the media to the Chinese government, dulling the impact of the Games on worldwide audiences.

It’s worthwhile to remember that NBC had more than half of its Tokyo commentators working from U.S. studios, thanks to real-time, cloud-based transmission of the host signal made possible by Chinese tech giant Alibaba (an IOC sponsor). Perhaps more for Beijing?

We are only at the start of the public discussion about Beijing 2022 and what should or should not happen. Thus far, it appears that the athletes will be mostly unaffected as there are still widespread, unpleasant memories of major boycotts at the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Games (and a few folks in 1988 as well).

Completely lost in all of the furor is what Bach and the IOC have done to keep from having to go through this again. Bach was deeply impacted by having to preside over a terrible choice between Beijing and Almaty (KAZ) in 2015, and has pushed through massive changes in the Games bidding process that now encourages discussions – resulting in a directed outcome that is best for the IOC – instead of a vote. Result: following Beijing, the Games will be in France, Italy, the U.S. and in 2032, Australia. The 2030 Winter Games appear headed for Canada, Japan, Spain or the U.S.

But for Beijing, buckle up. It gets bumpy from here.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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HEARD AT HALFTIME: Paralympics also to be without fans; Richardson vs. Jamaicans at Pre Classic; Carli Lloyd retires; ISU transgender policy

By
Rich Perelman
-
Thanks for the memories: U.S. star striker Carli Lloyd

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

● XVI Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2020 ● The Tokyo 2020 organizers, Japanese government and the International Paralympic Committee announced Monday that fans would not be allowed at any of the venues, owing to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.

This is a slightly different style of fan ban than for the Olympic Games, as students from local schools will be allowed to attend upon request due to the educational aspects of the Paralympic Games.

Covid infection rates continue to be high and Tokyo and many prefectures remain under a state of emergency. The Paralympic Games begin on 24 August.

Afghanistan formally withdrew from the Paralympics on Monday after the collapse of its government in Kabul. The withdrawal was confirmed by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

The first security incident involving a Paralympian has already occurred. Kyodo News reported that Georgia judoka Zviad Gogotchuri, 34, the Rio gold 90 kg medalist, was arrested on Monday for “is accused of breaking a rib of the security guard in his 60s around 8:20 a.m. on Thursday when jumping on top of him and grabbing his neck.

“The incident took place after a different security guard warned Gogotchuri and several other Georgian athletes about noise they were making while apparently drinking in the corridor of the hotel’s sixth floor, according to the police.”

The athlete was being quarantined after another delegation member had tested positive for Covid. He is expected to be expelled from the Games.

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ● Two more doping positives related to the Tokyo Games have popped up in triathlon.

World Triathlon reported that Ukranian triathlete Yuliya Yelistratva was provisionally suspended on 25 July, after a test on 5 June showed the presence of Erythroprotein (EPO). She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Tokyo, but her appeal was denied and she was prevented from competing at the Games.

Last Thursday, World Triathlon posted a notice that an out-of-competition test of Russian triathlete Igor Polyanskiy on 21 July came back positive for Erythroprotein (EPO). The federation was only informed on 5 August and Polyanskiy had already competed in Tokyo in the men’s race (finishing 41st) and was a member of the 14th-place Mixed Relay.

Said Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, “We will resort to the most severe penalties if this reported case turns out to be true. It is extremely disappointing that this single case may cast a shadow on the successful performance of the whole national team.”

● Games of the XXXVI Olympiad: 2036 ● Russia plans to get into the game for the 2036 Olympic Games, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“The bids are being prepared. We have several cities; St. Petersburg for sure, and I believe Kazan as well.”

Moscow, site of the 1980 Games, has been the only Russian bidder for the Games of the Olympiad. Discussions are already underway with multiple potential candidates in the aftermath of Brisbane (AUS) being chosen to host the 2032 Games.

● Athletics ● The 2021 World Athletics U-20 Championships will start on Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya, an important event in a country which has aspirations of holding the World Athletics Championships, possibly as soon as 2025.

Because of the pandemic, no spectators will be allowed at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium. The U.S., along with Australia, China, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and others have decided to skip the event as a precaution.

The Wanda Diamond League will continue in Eugene on Saturday with the annual Prefontaine Classic and a long-awaited match-up between Jamaica’s Olympic 100 m medalists and American Sha’Carri Richardson.

Tokyo medalists Elaine Thompson-Herah (gold: 10.61), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (silver: 10.74) and Shericka Jackson (bronze: 10.76) will face Richardson, the U.S. Trials winner at 10.86, who was unable to go to Tokyo due to a one-month drug suspension for marijuana.

Olympic winners Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR/men’s 1,500 m), Joshua Cheptegei (UGA/men’s 5,000 m), Ryan Crouser (USA/men’s shot), Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR/men’s triple jump), Athing Mu (USA/800 m), Faith Kipyegon (KEN/women’s 1,500 m), Sifan Hassan (NED/women’s 5,000-10,000 m) are all expected to compete, many against other Tokyo medal winners.

Horrific news that 2018 NCAA 100 m champion Cameron Burrell, 26, son of former world-record holder and Houston coach Leroy Burrell (and mom Michelle Finn, also a U.S. sprint star), died on 9 August.

According to the medical examiner in Houston, “Cameron died of a ‘gunshot wound to the head,’ the report from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said, per the report. He was found in a Houston-area parking garage.”

Cameron ran 9.93 for the 100 m in 2017, but struggled this season with a legal best of 10.35 in April. Heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and teammates.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced further doping penalties against Rio 2016 women’s 20 km Walk silver medalist Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez of Mexico. Already banned from 16 November 2018 to 15 November 2022 for doping, she was found to have tampered with the doping control process and sanctioned for an additional four years, through 15 November 2026. The tampering charge came from her defense to the original doping charge and included falsified receipts and statements. The penalty is appealable to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Slovenian javelin thrower Martina Ratej, now 39, was assessed a two-year sanction to 8 March 2022 for a doping positive from a re-test of her sample from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she finished seventh.

● Cycling ● The third Grand Tour of 2021, the 76th Vuelta a Espana is underway, with Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic looking for a third straight victory, something not done since Roberto Heras (ESP) from 2003-05.

Roglic promptly took the lead in the inaugural stage, an individual time trial, covering the 7.1 km course in 8:32, six seconds ahead of Alex Aranburu (ESP). The second, fairly flat stage, was won by sprinter Jasper Philipsen (BEL) over Fabio Jakobsen (NED). Monday’s third stage featured a nasty uphill finish to Picon Blanco and was won by Estonian Rein Taaramae over American Joe Dombrowski by 21 seconds.

That makes Taaramae the overall leader, with Kenny Elissonde (FRA: +0:25) second and Roglic (+0:30) third. Still 18 stages to go!

● Football ● Carli Lloyd, now 39, and one of the greatest players in the history of women’s football, announced her retirement on Monday. She will play in the U.S. Women’s National Team’s four friendlies in September and October and finish the NWSL season before completing a 17-year professional career.

She has scored 128 international goals in 312 appearances with the U.S., second all-time to fellow American Kristine Lilly (354). Twice the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016, the U.S. women were a sensational 257-17-38 during her career for an 88% winning percentage.

Her greatest moment was her hat trick during the first half of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final during the 5-2 U.S. victory over Japan.

● Ice Hockey ● USA Hockey and the U.S. women’s team have agreed to a one-year contract to allow play in the IIHF Women’s World Championship that begins Friday in Calgary (CAN) as well as the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

The agreement was limited to one year to allow both sides to evaluate the potential revenues available once the pandemic is finally ended. The contract extends through 31 August 2022. According to an ESPN report:

“[P]layers on the women’s national team can earn up to $126,750 over the next year should they win gold at both the 2021 world championships and the 2022 Beijing Olympics. If the team wins a silver medal at both events, each player will receive $105,500. That money is made up of stipends and bonuses, paid out by both USA Hockey and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.”

There are also $61,750 of direct stipends from the federation and the USOPC for each player.

The U.S. plays Russia in an exhibition game on Wednesday and begins Worlds play against Switzerland on Friday.

● Skating ● The International Skating Union issued a policy on transgender athletes last Friday (13th), which includes all of its disciplines.

A skater moving from the women’s division to the men’s division may do so without restriction, but cannot go back “once they have commenced hormone treatment.”

A skater moving from the men’s division to the women’s division will be required to (1) declare their female identity, an election which cannot be changed for at least four years and (2) “must demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been below 5 nmol/L continuously for at least 12 months prior to her first competition.” This will be confirmed by testing.

This testosterone level is lower than that previously cited by the International Olympic Committee, but is the same as used by World Athletics, determined after a series of studies which suggested this level was more appropriate.

● Swimming ● The International Swimming League announced Eindhoven (NED) as the site for its three-meet play-off phase from 11-28 November. The meets there will narrow the field to the final four teams which will meet for the ISL championship in January 2022.

● At the BuZZer ● Great Britain enjoyed an outstanding Tokyo Games, with 65 total medals – 22-21-22 – for the fourth-most amongst all countries and 137 placements in the top eight.

As a reward, the British government committed £232 million (~$320.0 million U.S.) to supporting the Olympic and Paralympic teams for Paris in 2024. That’s a 44% increase on a yearly basis, from £54.0 million a year for Tokyo to £77.4 a year from 2022-24.

This governmental funding is in addition to funding provided from the National Lottery! Wow!

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LANE ONE: Late gold rush gives Team USA best Olympic performance in Asia ever; U.S. rolls up impressive 1,291 points in TSX scoring

By
Rich Perelman
-
The Tokyo 2020 medals (Photo: Tokyo 2020)

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For most of the last week of the Tokyo Games, it appeared that China might edge the U.S. for the most gold medals. Going into the final day, China had 38, equaling its best-ever for a Games held outside the country.

The U.S. had 36, the same number of golds it had won in the three other Games held in Asia, in Tokyo in 1964, in Seoul in 1988 and in Beijing in 2008.

But on Sunday, the U.S. women won the basketball gold, Jennifer Valente came through with a victory in the women’s Omnium in track cycling and the U.S. women’s volleyball team – consistently the best in the world in 2021 – won its first-ever Olympic title to give the U.S. a total of 39 golds, one more than the Chinese.

The final medal totals showed the U.S. with the most golds (39) and the most medals (113), both record totals for an American team in an Olympic Games held in Asia. The medal leaders:

(1) 113 ~ United States (39-41-33)
(2) 88 ~ China (38-32-18)
(3) 71 ~ Russian Olympic Committee (20-28-23)
(4) 65 ~ Great Britain (22-21-22)
(5) 58 ~ Japan (27-14-17)
(6) 46 ~ Australia (17-7-22)
(7) 40 ~ Italy (10-10-20)
(8) 37 ~ Germany (10-11-16)
(9) 36 ~ Netherlands (10-12-14)
(10) 33 ~ France (10-12-11)

The U.S. was expected to lead the overall medal count, but the gold-medal rush at the end was the source of some controversy and political intrigue. But neither the number of gold medals or the total number of medals is a worthy way to evaluate a team’s total performance.

For the second Games in a row, TheSportsExaminer.com has compiled a deeper scoring review, using the top eight places in each event – the same number of places to which the International Olympic Committee confers diplomas – to provide a better all-around view of relative achievement.

As in Rio, the U.S. team came out on top, scoring 1,291.0 points to top China’s 939.7 and 789.5 from the Russian Olympic Committee.

There were 13,221 total points available in Tokyo across the 339 events on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, a scoring system familiar to American track & field fans. It gives extra emphasis to the gold and silver medalists, but also recognizes how close third and fourth often are, and the importance of making the finals in many events.

There were 93 National Olympic Committees that won at least one medal, but 121 of the 206 competing teams, including the Refugee Olympic Team, scored points (58.7%).

Compared to Rio 2016 – with 306 events – the U.S. share of all points available was down (9.76% from 10.73% in its home hemisphere), with China (7.11% from 6.91%) and Russia (5.97% from 5.05%) increasing their shares. Great Britain (5.51% vs. 6.36%) was down a little, as was to be expected two cycles after hosting the Games in 2012. Japan, on the other hand, went wild, with 705.5 points overall (5.34%), vs. 3.62% of the scoring in Rio in 2016.

Here are the audited final totals for all 121 teams scoring at least a point (actually two points) in Tokyo. The number of placements, from 1-8, is also shown for each country and is an excellent further indicator of total team achievement. The U.S., which brought 626 athletes to Tokyo, had a remarkable 230 placements, 73 more than China; nine countries had 100 or more:

● The top 10:
1,291.0 points – United States (230 placements 1-8)
939.7 – China (157)
789.5 – Russian Olympic Committee (146)
728.5 – Great Britain (137)
705.5 – Japan (136)
540.0 – Australia (110)
505.5 – Germany (113)
497.0 – Italy (108)
460.0 – France (101)
447.0 – Netherlands (85)

● 11-20:
336.5 – Canada (75)
287.0 – South Korea (65)
270.0 – Hungary (53)
251.0 – Spain (59)
240.0 – Brazil (51)
221.5 – Ukraine (53)
215.0 – New Zealand (41)
202.5 – Poland (49)
167.0 – Switzerland (36)
152.0 – Turkey (34)

● 21-30:
145.2 – Cuba (25)
144.5 – Sweden (29)
141.5 – Denmark (30)
124.0 – Chinese Taipei (24)
123.0 – Belgium (26)
119.0 – Czech Republic (20)
117.5 – Kenya (19)
115.0 – Jamaica (23)
96.5 – Georgia (19)
96.5 – Norway (17)

● 31-40:
95.2 – Belarus (24)
94.0 – Croatia (17)
91.5 – Serbia (17)
90.5 – Mexico (23)
83.0 – Iran (17)
80.5 – Uzbekistan (21)
79.5 – India (18)
76.0 – Slovenia (15)
73.5 – Bulgaria (14)
73.5 – Kazakhstan (19)

● 41-50:
71.5 – Egypt (20)
70.5 – Israel (19)
69.5 – Austria (15)
69.5 – Romania (18)
68.5 – Ethiopia (15)
68.5 – Hong Kong (15)
68.2 – Greece (17)
58.0 – Colombia (15)
57.5 – Portugal (15)
55.5 – Dominican Republic (13)

● 51-60:
54.0 – Azerbaijan (10)
52.0 – Indonesia (10)
50.0 – Mongolia (13)
49.7 – Venezuela (10)
49.0 – South Africa (11)
46.0 – Ireland (13)
43.0 – Slovakia (8)
41.0 – Argentina (12)
40.5 – Philippines (7)
40.0 – Uganda (6)

● 61-70:
37.0 – Ecuador (7)
36.5 – Armenia (8)
35.0 – Latvia (8)
32.0 – Thailand (8)
30.0 – Kyrgyzstan (6)
29.0 – Finland (8)
29.0 – Qatar (4)
28.0 – Lithuania (8)
24.0 – Bahamas (4)
24.0 – Estonia (6)

● 71-80:
23.5 – Kosovo (4)
21.5 – Cote d’Ivoire (6)
21.0 – Tunisia (3)
20.0 – Malaysia (4)
19.5 – San Marino (3)
19.0 – Nigeria (3)
17.5 – Moldova (7)
16.0 – Fiji (2)
16.0 – Jordan (3)
16.0 – Turkmenistan (3)

● 81-90:
14.0 – Bahrain (4)
13.0 – Morocco (3)
13.0 – Puerto Rico (2)
12.0 – Saudi Arabia (2)
11.0 – Kuwait (3)
11.0 – Namibia (2)
10.0 – Bermuda (1)
9.0 – Botswana (3)
9.0 – Peru (4)
8.5 – Algeria (3)

● 91-100:
8.0 – Grenada (2)
8.0 – North Macedonia (1)
8.0 – Pakistan (2)
8.0 – Refugee Olympic Team (3)
7.5 – Burkina Faso (2)
7.5 – Costa Rica (2)
7.5 – Singapore (2)
7.0 – Chile (3)
7.0 – Cyprus (2)
7.0 – Guatemala (2)

● 101-110:
6.5 – Bosnia-Herzegovina (2)
6.0 – Syria (1)
5.5 – Ghana (1)
5.5 – Vietnam (2)
5.0 – Albania (1)
5.0 – Mozambique (2)
5.0 – British Virgin Islands (1)
5.0 – Suriname (1)
5.0 – Trinidad & Tobago (3)
4.5 – Panama (2)

● 111-120:
4.0 – Burundi (1)
4.0 – Eritrea (1)
4.0 – Haiti (2)
4.0 – Liberia (1)
4.0 – Montenegro (2)
4.0 – Tonga (2)
3.5 – Cameroon (1)
3.5 – Niger (1)
3.0 – Uruguay (1)
2.5 – Mauritius (1)

● 121:
2.0 – Tanzania (1)

Long-time reader David Simon, the Vice President/Government Relations for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Games, noted:

“With the exception on Athens (2004) and Rio (2016) every host city, winter and summer, from 1996 to 2032 is from one of [the top] 12 countries. …

“This partly reflects how relatively few countries have ever hosted a Games but also suggests … that [the] top performing countries are among the most eager to host.”

In fact, 14 of the top 15 on the points table from Tokyo have all been Olympic host countries; only Hungary – which wants to bid for a future Games – has not hosted among the top 15.

The total number of scoring countries in Tokyo – 121 – is only modestly better than the number in Rio (119), despite having 33 more events. That’s a cue for more development efforts, especially among the 85 teams which did not place anyone in the top eight in Tokyo.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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THE TICKER: Olympics complete, Paralympics coming; first Tokyo doping positives; volunteer helps Jamaica’s Parchment win 110 m hurdles!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Jamaica's 110 m gold medalist Hansle Parchment ... saved by a rowing volunteer!

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

● Games of the XXXII Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 ●
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said in her Closing Ceremony address, “There are no words to describe what you have achieved in Tokyo. You have accepted what seemed unimaginable, understood what had to be done, and through hard work and perseverance overcome unbelievable challenges.”

However, they are not done. The Paralympic Games open on 24 August and preparations are now underway for the much-smaller Games, but ones which will still tax the organizers and the city.

A decision on whether to allow spectators at the Paralympics is expected next week.

The giant Olympic Rings monument in Tokyo – more than 108 feet wide – is being converted to the Paralympic symbol.

The organizers noted that the cast for the Closing Ceremony was cut from a planned 800 to just 200 in order to simplify the program since rehearsals were practically impossible due to the pandemic. Executive Producer Takayuki Hiroki said the program was essentially re-started from scratch beginning in March.

The first doping positives were reported by the International Testing Agency, all in track & field, and turned over to the Athletics Integrity Unit for follow-up. Four athletes were identified:

● Benik Abramyan (GEO): men’s shot (did not compete): anabolic agents

● Sadik Mikhou (BRN): men’s 1,500 m (8th in heat 2): blood transfusion

● Mark Otieno Odhiambo (KEN): men’s 100 m (did not compete): anabolic agents

● C.J. Ujah (GBR): men’s 100 m (eliminated in semis) and men’s 4×100 m (silver medal): anabolic agent.

The ITA will now examine the second sample from each athlete and turn its findings over to the AIU for sanctions beyond the Games. The only medal involved in these reports is the British men’s 4×100 m relay silver, which is now in jeopardy. Ujah, 27, could be suspended for four years and miss the Paris 2024 Games.

One of the best stories at the Games concerned Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment, the gold medalist in the men’s 110 m hurdles. Turns out that he got on the wrong bus at the Village and went to the wrong venue – the Sea Forest Waterway for rowing – in advance of his semifinal.

He was told to take the bus back to the Village and then get the right bus to the stadium, but by then he would miss his race. He asked a volunteer for help and she gave him some money to take a taxi to the stadium!

He made it to the warm-up track in time to qualify through to the final and then won the race. The day after, he went back to the rowing venue to see the volunteer, refund the taxi money, give her a Jamaican shirt and show her the gold medal she was responsible for!

Hear the story in his own words here.

One of the dumber incidents of the Tokyo Games was Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, 72, biting into the gold medal of Japanese softball pitcher (and Nagoya native) Miu Goto during a ceremony at the Nagoya City Hall on 4 August.

He was also reported to have asked Goto, 20: “Are you prohibited from having romantic relationships?”

Kawamura apologized and offered to pay for a replacement medal for Goto; an exchange for a new medal will apparently be made. Oy.

The downturn in Olympic viewership in the U.S. – NBC reported 150 million Americans or about 43.6% of the population tuned in – was not reflected in other areas.

Discovery, which has rights for Europe – excepting Russia – through its Eurosport subsidiary, announced that 372 million people watched its coverage, including through its local broadcasters in many countries, about 60.9% of the total population.

In Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported “28 million viewers or 3 in 4 Canadians (74.4%) tuned in for Tokyo 2020 coverage on CBC/Radio-Canada.”

In Australia, 68% of all television viewers watched at least some of the Games and in Japan, a total of 115.8 million watched some part of the Games, a staggering 91% of the population.

Fernando Aguerre (ARG), the President of the International Surfing Association, has renewed his call for surfing to receive a share of Olympic television rights sales, since the sport will be part of at least two Games in a row in Tokyo and Paris in 2024.

Comment: Along with criticism, the most predictable outcome of the Games is greed. It is the Games which make the sports popular, not the other way around.

Antonio Espinos (ESP), President of the World Karate Federation, is continuing to promote a place for karate in Paris, despite not being included on the list of added sports for 2024. Chances? Not promising, especially as the program already includes judo and taekwondo.

Comment: As the Olympic Games are supposed to be devoted to peace, why are sports dedicated to hitting people – such as boxing, karate and taekwondo – still in at all?

Time to update the Olympic performance ledger of Tonga’s famed Pita Taufatofua in his third Games. In Rio in 2016, the man without a shirt lost his opening match in the +80 kg division of taekwondo by 16-1, then finished 110th in the men’s 15 km cross-country skiing event in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games and in Tokyo, he competed in the +80 k division, losing his two matches by 24-3 and 22-1.

USA Wrestling’s Living the Dream Medal Fund – funded by individual donors – will pay a total of $950,000 to the nine medal-winners from Tokyo.

The three gold medalists – Dave Taylor, Gable Steveson and Tamyra Mensah-Stock – will receive $250,000 each; silver medalists Kyle Snyder and Adeline Gray will receive $50,000 each and the four bronze winners – Tom Gilman, Kyle Dake, Sarah Hildebrandt and Helen Maroulis – will receive $25,000 each.

This is the third time the fund has rewarded the medal winners; it paid $575,000 for the 2012 London Games and $525,000 from the 2016 Rio Games. This is a separate program from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s program of $37,500 for gold medals, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.

Comment: As an initiative of a U.S. National Governing Body, this is remarkable and impressive. Good for USA Wrestling!

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned the Belarus National Olympic Committee as part of a widespread pushback against “last year’s fraudulent election to demonstrate international unity against the Belarusian regime’s repression and in support for the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations.”

The sanctions are directed at President Alexander Lukashenko; the Treasury Department statement noted:

“The Belarusian NOC also allegedly serves as a tool for Lukashenka and his inner circle to launder funds and evade sanctions. The Belarusian NOC is being designated pursuant to [Executive Order] 13405 for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, Viktar Lukashenka.”

Lukashenko and his son Viktor – now named as the Belarus NOC President – had already been suspended “by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2020 for failing to protect athletes who took part in protests against the Lukashenka regime.”

● Athletics ●
Business Insider reported that Nike shoes were worn by 21 of the 33 medal winners in the individual track events in Tokyo. The story noted:

“Experts think differences in super-spike technology probably matter less in short races, since energetic efficiency is less of a factor when a race is over in under a minute.” That would point to advantages in the 800-1,500-Steeple-5,000-10,000 m races as opposed to those at 100-200-400 m.

The first World Road Running Championships will be held in Riga, Latvia in September or October of 2023, combining the World Half Marathon Championships, a new World 5 km Championships and more. A total of 13 cities applied, five were finalists and Riga was selected.

World Athletics also announced that the 2023 World Relays will be held in Guangzhou (CHN), likely in May.

Ecuadorian 200 m star Alex Quinonez, the 2019 Worlds bronze medalist, was absent from Tokyo as he was suspended for one year due to “whereabouts” failures from 25 June 2021 to 24 June 2022. If qualified, he will be eligible for the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

The World Athletics Russia Taskforce reported that the Russian Athletics Federation is making “satisfactory progress” on the agreed-to reinstatement plan, and has paid the latest reimbursement invoice of $431,838 for expenses up to 31 March.

In view of this, the World Athletics Council agreed to have the membership vote in November on a resolution to allow the Council to reinstate the Russian federation if, and only if, all of the conditions for reinstatement are met.

A little lost in the avalanche of the Tokyo Games was a significant announcement of $2.448 million in athlete grants by the USA Track & Field Foundation.

The first package was a set of 50 grants of $8,000 each – $400,000 total – to elite athletes in events all across the event spectrum. The Stephen A. Schwartzman Grants for 2021 additionally gave $30,000 each to 65 athletes – $1.95 million – including many of the top U.S. stars in the sport, including Dalilah Muhammad, DeAnna Price, Gabby Thomas, Joe Kovacs, Keni Harrison, Paul Chelimo, Ryan Crouser, Sam Kendricks, Valarie Allman and more.

These grants bring Schwartzman’s personal commitment to $5.7 million in direct support; he has pledged a total of $12 million. Wow!

● Bobsled, Skeleton & Luge ●
The historic sliding track in Koenigssee in Germany – the first artificial track ever opened – was badly damaged during the storms on 17-18 July. Portions of the track were flooded and some parts were washed away.

However, the cooling pipes were not damaged and there are plans to re-open the facility as soon as October 2022. The planned World Cup events for this coming winter season are being moved to other facilities.

● Football ●
The U.S. Soccer Federation is now considering bidding for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which would be held five years after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The federation had considered bidding for 2027, but the obvious conflict with the 2026 event, especially in a sponsorship environment that included the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, makes 2031 look a lot better.

But what happens if Salt Lake City gets the 2030 Winter Olympic Games?

Reuters reported that after Brazil won the men’s football gold in Tokyo, the players appeared at the awards ceremony with their uniform jackets tied around their waists in an apparent attempt to hide the logo of Chinese apparel sponsor Peak Sport Products.

Instead, their uniform tops – with a Nike logo – was visible. Nike sponsors the Brazilian Football Confederation, but Peak Sport is a sponsor of the Brazil Olympic Committee (COB). The COB’s statement on the matter included:

“The COB repudiates the attitude of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the players of the national team during the awards ceremony.

“Only after the Games have finished will the COB make public the measures that will be taken to preserve the rights of the Olympic Movement, the other athletes and of our sponsors.”

● Ice Hockey ●
There is continuing confusion over whether the National Hockey League will allow its players to participate in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

The NHL sent two different schedules to teams in late July, with and without a break for the Beijing Games. There are multiple issues over insurance, transportation, timing and more still to be worked out between the NHL, the NHL Players Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the International Olympic Committee.

● Swimming ●
FINA announced a major upgrade to its support for the World Short Course Championships, to be held in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from 16-21 December:

“Prize money for individual events has been increased by 50%, with a bonus of US$50,000 for any new World Record set in individual swimming events. This US$2.8 million prize pool represents the largest prize pool ever in a FINA Swimming event.”

The Short Course Worlds has always been a step-sister to the World Aquatics Championships held every other year. The increase was announced by newly-elected FINA President Husain Al-Musallam (KUW), who has promised to expand athlete support as part of a program to further popularize FINA’s championship events. This is a pretty good start.

● The Last Word ●
The Vermot & Associes Sporlympic VII auction of 22 July saw six Olympic torches sold at significant prices (€1 = $1.18):

1936 Berlin: €3,000
1960 Rome: €3,900
1968 Mexico City: €2,500
1972 Munich: €2,500
1980 Moscow: €3,800
2022 Salt Lake City: €2,200

The Associated Press reported that a winner’s medal from the 1896 Athens Games sold for more than $180,000 in an online auction that concluded on 22 July. A 2008 Olympic gold medal from the Argentina football team sold for more than $97,000 and a gold from the men’s basketball team during the 1984 Games sold for more than $83,000.

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LANE ONE: NBC’s Olympic ratings slip 43% from Rio 2016, so how much does the U.S. care about the Games any more?

By
Rich Perelman
-

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Monday’s NBC Sports Group news release was headlined:

NBC’s Tokyo Olympics presentation
– the largest media event ever –
delivers massive audiences & dominates media landscape

Mark Lazarus, the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming chair, enthused:

“The power of the NBC flagship broadcast again led the way with the most-watched night of TV across all networks every night for 17 days, cable records on USA Network, extensive Spanish-language coverage by Telemundo Deportes, and unprecedented streaming consumption – including sharply increasing signups, usage and awareness of Peacock. We were dominant across every platform. Our Olympic presentation has also provided unmatched promotion for the rest of the company, including TODAY and Nightly News, local newscasts on owned stations and affiliates, and for our Parks, including Universal Orlando Resort – the home base of the tremendous friends and family watch party that we created with the USOPC.”

All of that was true. NBC dominated U.S. primetime television night after night, piling up an average primetime audience of 15.1 million on that network alone, at a time when the most-watched show of the week might be 5-6 million for CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday evenings.

And reports are that the network made money, which is crucial not only for its health, but for its continued enthusiasm for its $7.75 billion contract for the Olympic and Winter Games from 2022 to 2032.

But the total U.S. primetime audience numbers – across NBC, USA, NBCSN, CNBC and the Golf Channel – are down considerably from the Rio Games of 2016, London 2012, Beijing 2008 and the Athens 2004 Games:

● 2021/Tokyo: 150 million U.S. viewers ~ 15.6 million avg. primetime audience
● 2016/Rio: 198 million U.S. TV viewers ~ 27.5 million avg. primetime audience
● 2012/London: 217 million U.S. TV viewers ~ 31.1 million avg. primetime audience
● 2008/Beijing: 215 million U.S. TV viewers ~ 27.7 million avg. primetime audience
● 2004/Athens: 203 million U.S. TV viewers ~ 24.9 million avg. primetime audience

Even the PyeongChang Winter Games in 2018 had a bigger primetime audience than Tokyo at 19.8 million (average) per night, and that was down 7% from Sochi in 2014.

Perhaps most vexing, the reach of the Games is down significantly; consider:

● 2021: 45.3% of the U.S. viewed any Tokyo coverage
● 2016: 61.3% of the U.S. viewed any Rio coverage
● 2012: 69.1% of the U.S. viewed any London coverage
● 2008: 70.7% of the U.S. viewed any Beijing coverage
● 2004: 69.3% of the U.S. viewed any Athens coverage

Contrary to what you might think, this is not a major problem for NBC. In a time of fractured attention across all media, the Olympic programming still delivers a massive audience unavailable anywhere else over a multi-day period. So it’s still quite valuable to advertisers and will remain so.

But it should cause considerable concern in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The nationwide appreciation, interest and devotion to the Games is ebbing.

Furthermore, the primetime audience figures show that only one sport appeared to really matter to U.S. viewers above and beyond the general Olympic coverage: women’s gymnastics. Checking NBC’s announced primetime viewers day by day and cross-checking with the event schedule:

(1) 19.5 million on 25 July (Sun): Women’s Gymnastics qualifying
(2) 18.9 million on 29 July (Thu): Women’s Gymnastics All-Around
(3) 16.9 million on 03 Aug: (Tue): Women’s Gymnastics Beam final
(4) 16.2 million on 27 July (Tue): Women’s Gymnastics Team final
(5) 16.1 million on 26 July (Mon): Women’s swimming 400 m Freestyle

(6) 15.6 million on 01 Aug. (Sun)
(7) 15.3 million on 02 Aug. (Mon)
(8) 15.2 million on 24 July (Sat)
(9) 15.0 million on 30 July (Fri)
(10) 14.5 million on 28 July (Wed)
(11) 14.4 million on 31 July (Sat)
(12) 14.2 million on 04 Aug. (Wed)
(13) 12.9 million on 05 Aug. (Thu)
(14) 12.0 million on 06 Aug. (Fri)
(15) 10.5 million on 08 Aug. (Sun): estimated
(16) 10.1 million on 07 Aug. (Sat): estimated

The common theme in the top four-rated programs, of course, was American superstar Simone Biles, her dramatic exit from the competition during the Team final and what happened to her teammates. After gymnastics, only the first Katie Ledecky vs. Ariarne Titmus (AUS) duel in the pool seemed to draw special attention from viewers.

The estimated primetime audience average for the final week of the Games – Sunday to Sunday – was 13.4 million vs. 16.2 million for the first eight days of competition, indicating only a modest level of interest in the featured track & field events. It is also worth noting that because of the schedule in Tokyo, many of the events were over long before they aired in U.S. primetime. That will be an issue once again in Paris in 2024.

However, when track & field was available live, it did well on cable.

There were 28 hours of Olympic programming on cable which drew audiences of one million or more, all on either USA Network or NBCSN. The top 10 (with programming where known; * indicates a guess on the sports shown):

(1) 2.531 million on USA ~ 25 July: Men’s Triathlon (live)
(2) 2.108 million on USA ~ 04 Aug.: Track & Field finals (live)
(3) 1.978 million on USA ~ 31 July: Track & Field qualifying (live)
(4) 1.977 million on USA ~ 01 Aug.: Boxing and weightlifting*
(5) 1.812 million on USA ~ 30 July: Track & Field qualifying (live)
(6) 1.749 million on USA ~ 25 July: Women’s Triathlon (live)
(7) 1.694 million on USA ~ 03 Aug.: Track & Field qualifying (live)
(8) 1.617 million on USA ~ 07 Aug.: Men’s marathon (live)
(9) 1.559 million on NBCSN ~ 24 July: USA vs. France men’s volleyball*
(10) 1.504 million on USA ~ 29 July: Track & Field qualifying (live)

These are good numbers, but during the same period, audiences of more than two million daily watched individual cable news programs and on 1 August, the combined English and Spanish-language broadcasts of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final (U.S. vs. Mexico on FS1 and TUDN) had 2.796 million viewers, more than any single Olympic hour on cable.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Games are only six months away, once again in the Asian time zones and will be another measuring stick for U.S. interest in Olympic programming. The U.S. will win medals, but look for Norway to lead the medal table again, with a surge from the host Chinese. Will Americans be more interested than for Tokyo, or care even less?

The worst thing that can happen to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee – now getting ready for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo – is that Americans stop caring about the Games. It’s yet another issue that the 16-member Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics – slated to begin meeting in October – is going to have to consider.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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STAT BLITZ: Mighty U.S. swimmers “bat” .518 in Tokyo and win 30 medals; track team hits only .266 and still wins 26 medals

By
Rich Perelman
-
Ryan Murphy, Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple and Michael Andrew with a thank-you message at the close of the Tokyo swim meet (Photo: USA Swimming)

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Pandemic or not, there was no stopping the United States swim team in Tokyo, as the men and women combined for 30 medals – 11 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze – across 35 events, earning more than a quarter of the 113 medals won by the U.S., which was the most in the Games.

The U.S. track & field team also scored well, winning 26 medals (7-12-7) across 48 events, but that’s a downgrade from the 32 medals (13-10-9) across 47 events in Rio in 2016. What happened?

One of the secrets to the swimmer’s success was the remarkable performances of the U.S. team compared to their marks at the U.S. Olympic Trials held in Omaha in June. They were ready.

Of the 56 Trials performances – top two in each event – that made the U.S. team, 29 were bettered in Tokyo, using the time for the last round achieved, usually the final. That’s 51.8% of all Olympic Trials performances to make the team being bettered at the Games in a faraway country with strict pandemic regulations.

In four cases, a U.S. swimmer actually bettered their Trials performance in a heat or semifinal, but not in the final. Add those in, and the U.S. team “batting average” in Tokyo was .589 … Hall of Fame stuff indeed.

And it compares favorably with their success in Rio – a Games in a close-to-home time zone, in the Western Hemisphere – when the U.S. had 30 of 52 Trials marks bettered for a batting average of .577, winning 33 medals (16-8-9) across 35 events. And Tokyo was the first time since 2000 that the iconic Michael Phelps was not on the U.S. team.

The U.S. men were good, but the American women were unconscious.

● The men “batted” 11/28 for a .393 average, with three performances in an early round that also bettered their Trials marks. That would edge the totals up to 14/28 or .500.

Of the 14 winning marks at Trials for men, nine were better in Tokyo, a sensational .643 average. This included 2/3 for sprinter Caeleb Dressel, 2/2 for double-gold-medalist Bobby Finke in the distance Freestyles, 2/2 for backstroker Ryan Murphy, who won two medals and 1/1 for 400 m Medley gold medalist Chase Kalisz.

By event group:

Freestyle sprints: 1/4
Freestyle mid-distance: 3/4
Freestyle distance: 2/4

Backstroke: 2/4
Breaststroke: 0/4
Butterfly: 1/4
Medleys: 2/4

Sprinter Michael Andrew, in his first Games, was 0/3, although he did better his Trials mark in the heats of the 100 m Breast, so perhaps 1/3.

● The women were sensational, improving on their Trials marks in 18/28 cases for a .643 average! Add in one more performance in an early round and it’s 19/28 or .679! Wow!

Just looking at the Trials multi-event winners, Katie Ledecky went 3/4, only missing her Trials mark in the 200 m Free (but then swimming a sensational 1:53.76 on the anchor of the 4×200 m relay). The only other two-event winner was Regan Smith, 1/2 in the two Backstroke events. By event group:

Freestyle sprints: 2/4
Freestyle mid-distance: 1/4
Freestyle distance: 4/4

Backstroke: 3/4
Breaststroke: 3/4
Butterfly: 2/4
Medleys: 3/4

This is how the U.S. women won 18 medals in a meet in which Australia’s women won 13, including eight golds. Let’s remember that while Australia and Tokyo are far apart, the time zones are essentially the same. Competing in a “home hemisphere” is a major advantage and the Aussies did well. But the U.S. women gave no quarter.

The U.S. track & field team was much larger with 121 entries into individual events, plus the relay additions. History shows that for track, a “batting average” of over .300 for a Trials vs. Games comparison is quite good.

In Rio in 2016, the U.S. team “batted” .329 – 37.5 of 114 – and won 32 medals. In Tokyo, not as good:

● The U.S. men had better marks at the Games than at the Trials in 17.5 instances out of 56 (no road races are included). That’s a .313 batting average – pretty good – and of the 21 event winners, seven had better marks at the Games (.333).

However, this pales compared to Rio, where the U.S. men had better marks at the Games in 24 out of 57 tries for a mighty .421 average. That’s a big difference.

● The U.S. women did not do as well, with only 12.5 out of 57 Trials performances (no road races) better at the Games: .219 on the batting average.

That’s a bit worse than Rio, when the U.S. women had 13.5 performances out of 57 better at the Games for a .237 average.

By event group for the men:

● Sprints: 3.5/9
● Middle distance: 2/6
● Distance: 6/9
● Hurdles: 1/6 (Rai Benjamin!)

● Vertical jumps: 1.5/6
● Horizontal jumps: 1.5/6
● Throws: 2/11
● Decathlon: 0/3

By event group for the women:

● Sprints: 2.5/9
● Middle distance: 2/6
● Distance: 4/9
● Hurdles: 2/6 (McLaughlin and Muhammad!)

● Vertical jumps: 1/6
● Horizontal jumps: 1/6
● Throws: 0/12
● Heptathlon: 0/3

The women’s numbers were somewhat inflated by the 5,000 m, run in terrible heat in Eugene; Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer and Rachel Schneider all ran faster in Tokyo under less oppressive conditions. Remove them and the batting average is down to .194.

So, the final batting average for the U.S. tracksters was .266, that is, just more than a quarter of the U.S. team had better performances in Tokyo than at the Trials. If you take out the women’s 5,000 m altogether, it’s 27/110 or .245.

What does all this tell us?

First, that whatever USA Swimming is doing between the Trials and the Games works, whether in Rio or Tokyo. The performance of its team – more than half of their Trials times were bettered in Tokyo – especially in the face of a souped-up Australian squad that won 20 medals in Tokyo vs. only 10 in Rio, was impressive.

The track & field situation is harder to figure. What’s true is that Rio was in the Western Hemisphere and a lot easier for U.S. athletes to work with. Further, the pandemic caused havoc with the normal training camp and acclimation process for some of the track athletes, although some stars had no difficulties: let’s salute Rai Benjamin, Ryan Crouser, Athing Mu, Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and the ageless Allyson Felix, all of whom were superb.

USA Track & Field will learn nothing from next year’s selection meet and World Championships in Eugene, but could experiment with the 2023 situation in Budapest, a European venue not so far from Paris, and in the same time zone.

But to have only a quarter of your team perform better at the Games than at the Trials is disappointing, despite the fact that the U.S. won 26 track & field medals in Tokyo, 16 more than second-place Kenya. And has been widely pointed out, the U.S. men did not win a single individual event on the track and only on in the field (Crouser). The women did better, but not by much: two track (Mu and McLaughlin) and two in the field (Katie Nageotte and Valarie Allman).

This is not about more American domination. It’s about maximizing performance. The swimmers did well and can do better. The U.S. track team needs to brings its Trials intensity to the Games. In case anyone cares, Los Angeles 2028 is coming closer every day.

Maybe the two federations could chat?

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THE BIG PICTURE: Weightlifting looking into the abyss as IOC sanctions loom in September

By
Rich Perelman
-
From Michelangelo's immortal "The Last Judgment" (1535-41) in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

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Weightlifting was contested at the very first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and in every one from 1920 to 2021. Tokyo might have been the last.

A tsunami of doping, cover-ups, extortion, financial mismanagement, manipulations in governance and sloth caused the International Olympic Committee to pass an amendment to the Olympic Charter which could cause the International Weightlifting Federation to be suspended as early as 8 September and removed from the Paris 2024 program prior to the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing next February.

That the IWF is being targeted is without doubt.

During the IOC’s two-hour business meeting held on Sunday, the members approved an amendment to the Olympic Charter which revises the procedure by which a federation or a sport can be disciplined. As described by IOC Legal Affairs Commission head John Coates (AUS):

“In the recent past, the IOC has been confronted with situations raising serious concerns regarding the governance of certain International Federations. The Executive Board will continue to carefully monitor these matters, however, it appears that the current wording of the Olympic Charter regarding the means to respond to these situations may be insufficient to address the risks these matters present to the IOC and the Olympic Movement. …

“The proposal would clarify that the IOC Session – I stress, the Session – may also remove any sport from the program of the Games if the relevant federation governing such sport does not comply with decisions or directions of the IOC Executive Board, of if the IF acts in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic Movement. …

Similarly, it is proposed to allow the Executive Board to suspend a sport or an event or a discipline – this is from the program – by expanding Rule 59.12. The possibility to announce the suspension will facilitate the resolution of non-compliance situations in a reactive manner.”

Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) President Ingmar De Vos (BEL) asked – as an International Federation chief himself – about why this provision has been developed. Coates gave a clear answer about the inspiration for the proposal:

“The process would really be best described by giving the example in respect of one federation where over the last 2-3 years, the Executive Board has given four directions to that federation concerning doping and concerning improving their governance. Four very specific recommendations, which have not been followed.

“And so the Executive Board made those directions for good reason, made those directions to insure that the reputation of the Olympic Movement – our reputation – is not tarnished and … if federations are going to continue to disregard directions, then we believe there should be this power.”

The proposal, along with some others, was adopted without any dissenting votes.

For those asking when the next Executive Board meeting will be, it’s 8 September.

Alarm bells went off – again – within the weightlifting community within hours of the passage of the amendments.

USA Weightlifting chief executive Phil Andrews (GBR) sent out a statement insisting:

“We simply cannot waste a moment more – the old guard must depart if we are to have any chance of retaining the Olympic Programme status that means everything to our sport, our Member Federations, and, most importantly, our athletes.”

This was followed eight hours later by a joint statement of USA Weightlifting, the Royal Belgian Weightlifting Federation, German Weightlifting, Weightlifting Fiji, Weightlifting New Zealand, Marshall Islands Weightlifting, the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, Samoa Weightlifting and Sarah Davies (GBR), the head of the IWF’s Athletes Commission, which included:

“The simple reality is that we have one month to save this original beloved Olympic sport, and we call upon the sports’ leadership to at this time put the sport above themselves. You simply must.

“Following these amendments, it is clear that the IWF and its’ member federations must take two actions:

● “The unqualified resignation, and of any individual identified by the IOC, or mentioned in any [International Testing Agency, World Anti-Doping Agency] or McLaren report together with leadership.

“Further we call upon the entire IWF Executive Board, including Continental Presidents, as well as Commissions and Committees to resign immediately.

“We propose independent leadership be put in place as an interim measure pending the election of new leadership.

● “The passing of a new constitution with uncompromising eligibility criteria that ensure new leadership focused on good governance, athlete rights and a fair field of play as advised by independent experts.

● “The implementation of all IOC requests detailed in various letters from the IOC.

● “The unqualified resignation from Member Federation leadership positions of individuals identified by the IOC, or mentioned in any ITA, WADA or McLaren report.

“While it might feel unfair that the sport cannot decide its’ own fate by way of a negotiated solution between disagreeable parties or via a regular process, the reality is that these are the only actions that will at this stage allow us any possibility of being present on the Paris 2024 program.”

During his 6 August news conference in Tokyo, IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) was asked specifically about the IWF. His blunt reply was:

“We still need to see a culture change in this international federation. If you look at the last Congress which has taken place and the vote results there, this does not necessarily speak of a culture change and of real awareness of the need to dramatically improve the governance of this federation.”

And it does not stop there. The IOC Session passed another Charter amendment, reserving to the IOC the sole authority to decide who can receive accreditation at the Olympic Games. The reason was a successful appeal by Russian Weightlifting Federation President Maxim Agapitov, a former World Champion at 91 kg, who was denied accreditation to the Games by the IOC due to a doping suspension from 1994. He asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to confirm his accreditation due to his position as a member of the IWF Executive Board, and the Court agreed.

In addition, the IWF failed to pass a new constitution on 30 June, although amendments requested by the ITA and WADA were approved for inclusion. Another meeting was supposed to be held prior to the Tokyo Games, but is now scheduled for an in-person Congress on 29-30 August in Doha, Qatar.

Last chance. The IOC’s position is essentially that anyone who has been part of the IWF leadership during any of the past decades of negligence, malfeasance and possible criminal activity has to go. Now. And not come back.

If the IWF does not want to comply, the sport does not have to be part of the Olympic Games. With just a few exceptions, the Games make its sports important, not the other way around. And if weightlifting is thrown off the bus for 2024, there are sports lined up to take their 120 quota sports for Paris (already down from 196 in Tokyo).

Weightlifting is not the only one under scrutiny. The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) is still on suspension and the boxing events in Tokyo were run under the supervision of the IOC’s Boxing Task Force. In contrast to the widespread screams of protest heard at the Rio Games about judging, the competition proceeded fairly – although not completely – calmly in Tokyo. The question of what to do about AIBA and boxing in the Games will shortly be reviewed.

The IOC’s herculean effort to make the Tokyo Games a reality, in concert with the organizing committee and the Japanese governments, speaks well of its commitment to athletes and sport. It expects the same from the IWF, and if it does not receive it, will move on without weightlifting.

It has many other options. The IWF does not.

(Errata: Apologies for an error in yesterday’s post stating that Jessica Ramsey was the women’s Olympic shot put silver medalist; it was Raven Saunders, of course. This has been corrected on the site and will not happen again. Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”)

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LANE ONE: Why the Tokyo Games succeeded where the protests failed: walk means more than talk

By
Rich Perelman
-

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“Let us not forget the IOC itself, and the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, who resolutely refused to take the easy way out by giving in those who were shrill with doubt and ready to quit, but who persevered on a road that may have been windy, always moving forward in pursuit of an objective that was, after all, achieved.

“That is an element of the Olympic spirit from which we can learn at least two things. First, that nothing is impossible, and second, that the Movement we represent, when it works together, is far stronger than we might have believed.”

That was Canada’s Dick Pound, 79, a 43-year member of the International Olympic Committee, speaking to his colleagues at the close of the IOC Session in Tokyo on Sunday morning. He touched on the keys to the success of the Tokyo Games, which succeeded on new levels that we unimagined when Tokyo was awarded the Games back in 2013.

That the Games happened at all was amazing and was a joint effort by the IOC and especially its President, Thomas Bach (GER). Layers of activities, program and parties that had been built up at the Games over the last 30 years were discarded and the organization of the Games was simplified … to the extent that a behemoth with 339 events and 11,000-plus athletes can be made simple.

Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto told the IOC that the organizing committee came into the Games with 7,000 staff and 70,000-plus volunteers, virtually all of whom will be back to their pre-Games lives within a few months.

Said Bach to Muto and Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto:

“Ms. Hashimoto, Mr. Muto, all our gratitude, all our respect there to you, to the people in the organizing committee and to the Japanese people, who have done an outstanding job which we will never, ever forget. Thank you very much on behalf of the Olympic Movement.”

They received a standing ovation from the IOC membership.

Remember the “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives” petition launched on 5 May and that garnered more than 200,000 signatures in its first 49 hours? It had 459,303 as of Monday evening Tokyo time and what impact did it have? None.

The continuous predictions of the Covid apocalypse had some significant impacts – no spectators at the Games, even though crowds continued to attend J-League football matches – and a brutal program of testing, checking and re-testing of any connected to the Games. While the Covid totals in greater Tokyo did go up during the Games, the impact of foreigners coming to Japan related to the Olympics was tiny.

The 9 August Covid positive report from the Tokyo 2020 organizers showed a total of 458 positives from individuals related to the Games from 1 July on, with 249 of these (54.3%) from contracted workers who were Japanese residents. In fact, counting all categories, the Covid positives from residents of Japan totaled 307 (67.0%) and just 151 from those outside of the country.

That’s 151 out of more than 42,711 individuals who entered Japan through its airports and were tested on arrival by the Japanese government. That’s 0.0035 percent or 35 per 10,000. Only 29 were athletes (!); 115 were officials or host broadcast personnel; 26 media and 29 Tokyo 2020 staff or volunteers. That’s spectacular.

The testing report through 7 August showed that there were 33 athletes and team officials – folks living in the Olympic Village – who tested positive from 284,931 tests for 0.01%. That’s hardly the great super-spreader event warned of by a few Japanese health officials or academic clinicians. They got it wrong, very wrong.

That was because the organizers, the IOC, and the Japanese government implemented the same key element of success that athletes and so many others use for success: discipline. Much of the angst about the Games had to do with the public frustration over the government’s response to the virus. This is normal, the Games are so popular worldwide that it becomes a way to swipe at the government when other means have little to no impact.

No matter. The Games went on, and with stunningly little drama away from the field of play. The host country went crazy, winning 58 medals when it’s best-ever had been 41, and 27 golds, surpassing its old record of 16 at the 1964 Games in Tokyo and matched in 2004.

That helped to send the national TV ratings through the roof, with reports that 90% of the entire population of the country was watching at least some of the Games on a daily basis.

There were historic showdowns, such as Australia’s Ariarne Titmus against American Katie Ledecky in the pool, Norway’s Karsten Warholm and Rai Benjamin of the U.S. in the greatest 400 m hurdles race of all time, followed by another world record a day later from Sydney McLaughlin of the U.S. And who could not be touched by the saga of American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles.

Japan won three of the four Skateboarding events, crushed the field in the judo tournament and, stunningly, reached the semifinals in men’s football, losing 1-0 in Spain on a goal in the 115th minute.

That wasn’t the script, right? USA TODAY’s Rachel Axon wrote the day before the Opening Ceremony:

“With women’s soccer competition beginning before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on Friday, five teams – including the Americans – knelt on the field before the start of their games.

“Given the statements, gestures, advocacy and activism athletes have been part of in recent years, it’s likely just the beginning of protests against racial and social injustice during these Games – no matter what the International Olympic Committee says.”

The IOC loosened its rules to allow “expression” prior to the start of a competition – during introductions, for example – but continued its ban on protests during ceremonies. There were a grand total of two trivial incidents: U.S. shot putter Raven Saunders crossing her arms for photographers after the awards ceremony for her event and two Chinese track cyclists wearing a Chairman Mao pin on the podium. Inquiries were started on both; the China matter was resolved with a promise of non-recurrence; Saunders’ mother died two days after her event and the IOC has suspended its follow-up for now.

(Apologies for having Jessica Ramsey instead of Saunders named earlier; thanks to Shawn Price as the first to spot the error.)

All the loud voices from before the Games were hardly heard from; they either didn’t win a medal at all, or didn’t win gold. It’s not so easy to protest when you’re listening to someone else’s anthem.

The heat was high, but there were countermeasures in place and while omnipresent, had only a minor impact on a few sports, notably in tennis. Surprisingly, no doping positives were reported during the Games. There were some problems in transportation in the early, but these dissipated as the Games went on. The competitions were excellent and memorable and there was fan engagement at a new level.

This is important. Olympic Broadcasting Services chief Yiannis Exarchos (GRE) noted:

“What I think is the big opportunity here is … you have hundreds of millions of people around the world who are not simply watching. They are engaged. They have emotions, they want to do something, they want to share, they want to post a comment, they want to watch with their friends, they want to create the human network. …

“Most of the sporting venues follow the same concept from the Roman times, you know, their big arenas. Now we know there is so much more going beyond the physical presence of people. We will always miss if we [don’t have] physical presence but we can do so much more to show the actual connection that is going on.”

OBS came up with the concept of the “Virtual Fan Cheer,” in which a five-second video could be recorded and sent via a mobile app, to be shown online and in-stadium on the screens. Nice idea, but would it work? Bach, somewhat in awe himself, told the Session that messages had been received from fans of all 205 National Olympic Committees and “the number of videos having been sent is just incredible: it’s 250 million-plus.”

This is a signal of a paradigm shift in worldwide sport, not just in an Olympic Games without live spectators.

The IOC, the Tokyo 2020 organizers and the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government saw benefits in sticking to their belief that holding the Games was better than canceling, that finishing was better than quitting and that for Japan, it could show itself how much it could achieve. All credit to all of them.

The protesters, the naysayers and the prophets of doom all lost; not that they care. There will be the issues of costs of the Games to be dealt with, the last Games to be awarded on the basis of building big instead of building small (or nothing) under Bach’s Agenda 2020. But in true democratic fashion, Japanese elections are coming this fall and voters will have a chance to weigh in on the government’s handling of the Games and a lot more.

Some 111 years ago, ex-U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt gave an iconic speech at the Sorbonne in Paris called “Citizenship in a Republic,” which included this tribute – looking forward – to those who made Tokyo 2020 a success:

“The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. … A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities – all these are marks, not, as the possessor would fain think, of superiority, but of weakness. …

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Rich Perelman
Editor

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