SWIMMING: Three wins for Ledecky in Tyr Pro Swim opener in Greensboro

November 9, 2019

tsx pix 2019-728 manuel, simone 2019 wch (usas) — World sprint Champion Simone Manuel of the U.S. (Photo: USA Swimming)

Many swimmers use the Tyr Pro Swim Series to check their fitness and see the results of a heavy training period and several American stars got good feedback at the first stop of the Tyr Pro Swim Series, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

First in line was Freestyle star Katie Ledecky, who won the 200 m Free by almost seconds, the 400 m Free by almost 10 seconds and the 800 m Free by more than 16 seconds. She was the only swimmer to win three events, and she also posted a fifth and a third in the 200 m and 400 m Medleys, coming from way behind on the Freestyle stroke.

Her Olympic and Stanford teammate Simone Manuel was one of four other to win two events, taking the 50-100 m Frees in 24.50 and 53.44, winning both by daylight. Madisyn Cox looked very good in winning the 200 m Breaststroke and the 200 m Medley.

Among the men, 17-year-old Luca Urlando continued his march toward success on the senior level, winning the 200 m Free and 200 m Fly, plus a second in the 100 m Fly, where he was out-touched at the wall by Guatemala’s Luis Martinez.

Zane Grothe also won two events, taking the 400 m and 1,500 m Freestyles, plus a second in the 200 m Free won by Urlando.

Comebacking star Ryan Lochte was busy, swimming in the finals of the 100 m Free (8th), 200 m Free (6th), 200 m Back (3rd), 200 m Fly (7th) and second in his specialty, the 200 m Medley. He finished well behind World Junior Champion Carson Foster, 18, who won in 1:58.93 to Lochte’s 2:00.65.

Winners and notable placers:

USA Swimming/Tyr Pro Swim Series
Greensboro, North Carolina (USA) ~ 6-9 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 50 m Free: Michael Chadwick, 22.22. 100 m Free: Dean Farris, 49.74 (8. Ryan Lochte, 50.57). 200 m Free: Luca Urlando, 1:48.40 (2. Grothe, 1:48.45; … 6. Lochte, 1:50.61). 400 m Free: Zane Grothe, 3:48.80 (4. Urlando, 3:55.88). 800 m Free: Chris Wieser, 8:04.95. 1,500 m Free: Grothe, 15:18.71.

100 m Back: Ress, 54.16 (2. Jacob Pebley, 54.96). 200 m Back: Christopher Reid, 1:58.33 (2. Jacob Pebley, 1:58.39; 3. Lochte, 2:00.87).

100 m Breast: Andrew Wilson, 1:00.76. 200 m Breast: Anton McKee (ISL), 2:11.90 (2. Wilson, 2:11.94).

100 m Fly: Luis Martinez (GUA), 52.46 (2. Urlando, 52.49). 200 m Fly: Urlando, 1:56.00 (7. Lochte, 2:02.97).

200 m Medley: Carson Foster, 1:58.93 (2. Lochte, 2:00.65). 400 m Medley: Jay Litherland, 4:20.09.

Women: 50 m Free: Simone Manuel, 24.50. 100 m Free: Manuel, 53.44 (2. Allison Schmitt, 54.51). 200 m Free: Katie Ledecky, 1:55.68 (2. Manuel, 1:57.46; 3. Schmitt, 1:57.63). 400 m Free: Ledecky, 4:01.68 (2. Schmitt, 4:10.52). 800 m Free: Ledecky, 8:14.95 (2. Ashley Twichell, 8:30.88; 3. McHugh, 8:34.32). 1,500 m Free: Twichell, 16:11.19.

100 m Back: Kylie Masse (CAN), 59.88 (2. Isabelle Stadden, 1:00.24; … 5. Manuel, 1:01.49). 200 m Back: Stadden, 2:08.16 (2. Kathleen Baker, 2:09.05).

100 m Breast: Sophie Hansson (SWE), 107.89 (2. Molly Hannis, 1:07.95). 200 m Breast: Madisyn Cox, 2:26.71.

100 m Fly: Maggie McNeil, 57.64. 200 m Fly: Hali Flickinger, 2:07.65.

200 m Medley: Cox, 2:11.70 (4. Flickinger, 2:14.49; 5. Ledecky, 2:15.52). 400 m Medley: Ally McHugh, 4:40.09 (2. Flickinger, 4:40.78; 3. Ledecky, 4:41.72).

FIGURE SKATING: China and Russia split golds at Shiseido Cup of China

Rich Perelman

November 9, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1109 shcherbakova, anna chongqing 750 (isu) — Russia's newest teen skating sensation: Anna Shcherbakova (Photo: ISU)

Reigning World Champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han won the Pairs as expected and Boyang Jin won the men’s competition in front of a home crowd in Chongqing at the ISU Grand Prix/Shiseido Cup of China.

Sui and Han compiled a big lead of nearly 12 points in the Short Program and won the Free Skate by exactly 16 points for a 228.37-199.97 final margin.

Jin, the two-time Worlds bronze medalist, won easily over teammate Han Yan, 261.53-249.45, coming from second after the Short Program to win his first Grand Prix gold medal.

Russians won the women’s event and the Ice Dance. Fifteen-year-old Anna Shcherbakova added to her Skate America win with a dominant 226.04-211.18 victory over Japan’s Satoko Miyahara, with 2015 World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva – still just 22 – in third.

Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov won the Ice Dance in a tussle with Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The Russians won the Short Program, but Chock and Bates won the Free Program, ending up just a little short, 209.90-208.55. Summaries:

ISU Grand Prix/Shiseido Cup of China
Chongqing (CHN) ~ 8-10 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: 1. Boyang Jin (CHN), 261.53 (2nd in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Han Yan (CHN), 249.45 (1+2); 3. Matteo Rizzo (ITA), 241.88 (3+4); 4. Keegan Messing (CAN), 237.36 (5+3); 5. Keiji Tanaka (JPN), 233.62 (7+5).

Women/Singles: 1. Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), 226.04 (1+1); 2. Satoko Miyahara (JPN), 211.18 (2+3); 3. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS), 209.10 (4+2); 4. Young You (KOR), 191.81 (7+4); 5. Sofia Samodurova (RUS), 185.29 (5+5). Also: 6. Amber Glenn (USA), 178.35 (3+6).

Pairs: 1. Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN), 228.37 (1+1); 2. Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN), 199.97 (3+2); 3. Liubov Ilyushechkina/Charlie Bilodeau (CAN), 190.73; 4. Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise (ITA), 182.88 (4+5); 5. Tae Ok Ryom/Ju Sik Kim (PRK), 179.55 (8+4). Also: 6. Tarah Kayne/Danny O’Shea (USA), 178.79 (5+6).

Ice Dance: 1. Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS), 209.90 (1+2); 2. Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA), 208.55 (2+1); 3. Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorenson (CAN), 190.74 (3+3); 4. Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu (CHN), 186.45 (4+4); 5. Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA), 179.96 (5+5).

SWIMMING: Hosszu wins four, but Morozov and Campbell win World Cup seasonal titles

Rich Perelman

November 9, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1109 campbell-morozov wins 750 — FINA World Cup seasonal winners Cate Campbell (AUS) and Vladimir Morozov (RUS) (Photo: FINA)

Sometimes, it really is quality over quantity.

Australia’s Cate Campbell entered the final leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup in Doha, Qatar with a 24-point lead over Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu for the women’s seasonal title and a $150,000 first prize.

Again, Hosszu won more events – four in all – but despite winning two events and a silver, Campbell scored the top bonus points with her 52.61 win in the 100 m Free and captured both the third cluster title and the overall seasonal title. Hosszu finished second in the seasonal race (worth $100,000) and tied for second in the third cluster standings.

The men’s seasonal title was already decided, with Vladimir Morozov (RUS) having clinched his third career title. But he won all three of his events – 50-100 m Frees and the 50 m Back – and moved up to finish second in the final cluster standings behind Dutch Breaststroke star Arno Kamminga. For the season, Morozov finished with 333 points to 234 for Danas Rapsys (LTU) and 195 for Kamminga.

American Michael Andrew also finished the season with 195 total points; he won two events (100 m Back and 50 m Fly) and medaled in two others. He was the only U.S. entrant in Doha.

Rapsys (200-400 m Free), Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki (50-100 m Breast) and South Africa’s Chad le Clos (100-200 Fly) won two individual events each for the men. Dutch Backstroker Kira Toussaint won the 50-100 m Backs and Brazil’s Jhennifer Conceicao won the two 50-100 m Breast as the other two-event winners.

In addition to the $1,500-1,000-500-400-300-200 for places 1-6 in each event, bonuses for the two-meet Kazan-Doha “cluster” were $50,000-35,000-30,000-20,000-10,000-5,000-4,000-3,000. The seasonal bonuses of $150,000-100,000-50,000 were for the top three in each gender. Winners and other notable placers:

FINA Swimming World Cup
Doha (QAT) ~ 7-9 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 50 m Free: Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 21.83. 100 m Free: Morozov (RUS), 48.50. 200 m Free: Danas Rapsys (LTU), 1:45.40. 400 m Free: Rapsys (LTU), 3:47.87. 1,500 m Free: Mykhallo Romanchuk (UKR), 14:51.61.

50 m Back: Morozov (RUS), 24.75 (2. Michael Andrew (USA), 24.79). 100 m Back: Andrew (USA), 54.07. 200 m Back: Bradley Woodward (AUS), 1:58.42.

50 m Breast: Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 27.07 (3. Arno Kamminga (NED), 27.12. 100 m Breast: Koseki (JPN), 59.11 (2. Kamminga (NED), 59.25; 3. Anton Chupkov (RUS), 59.83). 200 m Breast: Chupkov (RUS), 2:08.37 (2. Kamminga (NED), 2:08.39).

50 m Fly: Andrew (USA), 22.94. 100 m Fly: Chad le Clos (RSA), 51.70 (3. Andrew (USA), 52.38). 200 m Fly: Le Clos (RSA), 1:57.66.

200 m Medley: Keita Sunama (JPN), 1:59.28 (7. Andrew (USA), 2:05.97). 400 m Medley: Balazs Hollo (HUN), 4:15.17.

Cluster III leaders: 1. Arno Kamminga (NED), 78; 2. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 69; 3. Yasuhiro Koskei (JPN), 66.

Season leaders: 1. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 333; 2. Danas Rapsys (LTU), 234; 3. Arno Kamminga (NED), 195 (4. Michael Andrew (USA), 195).

Women: 50 m Free: Cate Campbell (AUS), 24.11 (2. Michelle Coleman (SWE), 24.50). 100 m Free: Cate Campbell (AUS), 52.61 (2. Bronte Campbell (AUS), 53.37; 3. Coleman (SWE), 53.39). 200 m Free: Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN), 1:58.86 (4. Coleman (SWE), 1:59.71). 400 m Free: Marlene Kahler (AUT), 4:10.51. 800 m Free: Tjasa Oder (SLO), 8:34.65.

50 m Back: Kira Toussaint (NED), 27.80. 100 m Back: Toussaint (NED), 59.14 (5. Hosszu (HUN), 1:01.52). 200 m Back: Emily Seebohm (AUS), 2:08.54.

50 m Breast: Jhennifer Conceicao (BRA), 30.93. 100 m Breast: Conceicao (BRA), 1:08.28.
200 m Breast: Eszter Bekesi (HUN), 2:28.24

50 m Fly: Jeanette Ottesen (DEN), 26.06 (2. Cate Campbell (AUS), 26.23; 3. Coleman (SWE), 26.76). 100 m Fly: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 58.19. 200 m Fly: Hosszu (HUN), 2:08.60.

200 m Medley: Hosszu (HUN), 2:09.89. 400 m Medley: Hosszu (HUN), 4:37.39.

Cluster III leaders: 1. Cate Campbell (AUS), 114; 2. tie, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) and Kira Toussaint (NED), 72.

Season leaders: 1. Cate Campbell (AUS), 347; 2. Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 312; 3. Michelle Coleman (SWE), 174.

Mixed: 4×100 m Free: Australia (Woodward, Graham, B. Campbell. C. Campbell), 3:29.55. 4×100 m Medley: Australia (Woodward, Packard, Sheridan, C. Campbell), 3:46.77.

FOOTBALL: Vlatko Andonovski Era opens with 3-2 win over Sweden; Lloyd scores twice

Rich Perelman

November 7, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1107 lloyd carli vs swe 750 (ussf) — Two more goals for U.S. star Carli Lloyd! (Photo: USSF)

The U.S. women’s National Team started their friendly with no. 5-ranked Sweden in chilly, near-freezing conditions in Columbus, Ohio, but it didn’t take long for them to warm up and score the first goal for new coach Vlatko Andonovski.

In the sixth minute, defender Casey Short popped the ball forward to Christen Press on the left side of the field, as multiple American players moved toward the goal. Press’s cross to the front of the Swedish goal whipped past keeper Hedvig Lindahl and to the right foot of Carli Lloyd, who tapped it in with her right foot for a 1-0 lead.

So far, so good. But the Swedes were on the attack shortly thereafter and only an Emily Sonnett clearance in the 12th minute prevented a Lina Hurtig shot from point-blank range on U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher.

The Swedes controlled most of the possession and kept the heat on the American defense, but couldn’t get a good finishing shot at Naeher. Then a pass to Lloyd in the midfield in the 28th minute led to a pass to Press moving down the left-hand side again.

This time, she dribbled past two defenders and blasted a shot that went off a shocked Lindahl for a 2-0 lead; it was Press’s 50th career goal for the U.S.

The roof fell in for the Swedes just three minutes later after a clearance to Julie Ertz in midfield; she popped the ball forward to Tobin Heath, who managed to head a contested pass forward to Lloyd. She moved into position and seeing Lindahl coming out to cut down the angle, chipped the ball over her and it rolled in for a 3-0 lead and the issue was (almost) decided after just a half-hour.

Sweden ended the half with 51% of the possession, but the U.S. had a 6-4 edge in shots, and most importantly, all three goals.

Quite a start for the Vlatko Andonovski Era!

The second half started with more U.S. pressure and six shots on goal in the first 15 minutes. Lloyd had another chance in the 66th minute, but her shot went past the goal.

While the Swedes had a hard time generating any meaningful offense in the first 30 minutes of the second half, they finally got a break in the 75th minute. The U.S. failed to clear the ball out of their own end and sub Hanna Bennison moved the ball to the right side of the U.S. goal. Nathalie Bjorn ran onto it and crossed it to the front of the U.S. goal and Anna Anvegard popped it into the net past Naeher.

The U.S. defense then fell apart again just four minutes later. Defender Becky Sauerbrun was unable to clear a loose ball and get it to Naeher, who was standing next to her. Swedish striker Sofia Jakobsson sent the ball in front of the U.S. goal and Avegard sent it into an empty net and the game was suddenly 3-2.

In the 81st minute, Short was tackled in the Sweden’s box by Jakobsson, and called for a penalty. Lloyd took the shot, but powered it over the top of the Swedish goal.

The game, with four subs playing for each side in the second half, was more wide open at the end, but the Americans held on for the win and sent the 20,902 in attendance home happy.

Sweden ended the game with 51% of the possession, but the U.S. created 16 shots to seven for the visitors.

Essentially, the U.S. first team stomped the Swedish first 11, 3-0, and the Swedes dominated the match after four substitutes for each team got involved. Andonovski got his first win, but the game showed that there is room for improvement … a coach’s dream scenario.

The American women will have their final game of 2019 on Sunday vs. Costa Rica in Jacksonville, Florida.

TSX INTEL REPORT: IAAF takes lead, and UCI joins, on transgender regulations; WADA chief-to-be wants more money & U.S. soccer women start with new coach vs. Sweden

Rich Perelman

November 7, 2019

≡ TSX INTELLIGENCE REPORT ~ 7 November 2019 ≡

● LANE ONE ● IAAF taking the lead in transgender regulation, working with other IFs on testosterone levels

It used to be that the International Sports Federations were concerned with promoting their sports, reviewing competition rules and holding championship events. Now, they’re heading science and enforcement teams.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) convened a meeting in mid-October with scientific and legal experts, plus the International Paralympic Committee and the federations for golf, rowing and tennis concerning regulations for transgender athletes.

The result was a report which advanced the research done by the IAAF and others concerning testosterone levels as the driver for the difference in athletic performance between men and women. Echoing the work done to craft the regulations applied to women with “differences in sex development” – the Caster Semenya case – the recommendation was to set the limit for serum testosterone in athletes competing in the female classification to 5 nmol/L. (The regulations note that typical women’s testosterone levels are 0.6-1.68 nmol/L vs. normal male levels of 7.7-29.4 nmol/L.)

It’s an important step forward, as the International Olympic Committee has been unable to come up with amendments to its 2015 transgender regulations, which limited serum testosterone to 10 nmol/L, but does not take into account the newer research.

In fact, a study from Sweden, released in October, showed the impact of a modest dose of testosterone cream given to women increased their testosterone levels by 377%, with an 8% increase in athletic performance.

The impact of the Lausanne meeting has not stopped with the attending federations. On Monday, the UCI issued a statement confirming its interest in the meeting report and noting that it will be issuing its own regulations along the same line, to be approved for use next year.

That’s important, considering the recent storm over the World Masters Track Cycling Championships, where Rachel McKinnon, a Canadian transgender female, won the Sprint title for the second year in a row.

Scientific research and lengthy regulations written to withstand court challenges are hardly what comes to mind when one thinks of the IFs in the Olympic world. But it’s reality, and good for the IAAF for taking a leadership role. More here.

● DOPING ● Banka calls for more money for WADA; Bach commits IOC to up to $10 million

The expected new president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Poland’s Witold Banka, told the opening session of the World Conference on Doping in Sport:

“It is ridiculous that an organization with the status of a global regulator has a budget of less than 40 million dollars. An average football club has a bigger budget. We must not passively accept the situation. Therefore, I call upon global sports leaders, but also my colleagues who represent governments, as well as private companies: if you want sport to be clean, you need to increase your financial support for the fight against doping in sport.”

Banka (pictured), a former 400 m runner, told the assembly that WADA must be even more aggressive in the future. He was joined by Thomas Bach (GER), the IOC President, who also spoke about the need for clean sport, and in coordination with governmental authorities.

Bach also came bearing gifts, committing the IOC to a $5 million grant to allow WADA and associated entities to store doping samples taken prior to the 2020 Olympic Games to be stored for 10 years. Further, the IOC is willing to match governmental contributions of $2.5 million for the implementation of a genetic sequencing protocol to detect blood doping, and an additional $2.5 million to enhance the WADA Intelligence and Investigations Unit, also conditioned on a match from governments.

It’s a good start for Banka, who – after being confirmed by the WADA Board this week – will take over as the agency’s Chair on 1 January 2020. More here.

● ATHLETICS ● Could Papa Massata Diack be extradited to France for trial?

Agence France Presse reported on Wednesday (link) that Papa Massata Diack, the son of former IAAF President and IOC member Lamine Diack (SEN), was interviewed on Tuesday by a Senegalese judge regarding his role in alleged bribery, money laundering and other corruption matters.

Papa Massata Diack has stayed in Senegal, which has refused to allow his extradition to France to stand trial along with his father and four other defendants, in January. He has an standing arrest warrant issued against him since late 2015, and Senegal has had the case on record since 2016.

The younger Diack apparently denied all of the allegations to the judge, as he has done continuously since the French case was opened. The next steps are now up to the court.

Ethiopia’s 2016 Olympic 10,000 m gold medalist Almaz Ayana was a no-show at the IAAF World Championships, but signaled on Twitter that she is far from finished:

“I just had my medical checkup in the Netherlands. The recovery of last year’s knee surgery went really well. Unfortunately the World Championship came too early and I got injured trying to get back in shape too quickly. It’s all ok. I focus now to build up slowly for 2020!”

The IAAF announced that 12 events will be held for men and women in the Diamond League in 2020, including the 100 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m, 100/110 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, shot and javelin.

On the outside are the 200 m, Steeplechase, triple jump, discus and hammer. These events will be featured in some of the Diamond League meets, and will be contested in the new, second-tier Continental Tour, with the seasonal winners also earning a wild-card entry into the next World Championships. The hammer already has a separate World Challenge program. More from the IAAF here.

● BASEBALL ● Mexico, U.S., Japan and Chinese Taipei through to Premier 12 second round

The opening games of the WSBC Premier 12 tournament continue, with the second-round participants confirmed for two of the three groups.

In Group A, Mexico finished with a 3-0 record, ahead of the U.S. (2-1) and both will advance. Mexico defeated the U.S., 8-2, in the decisive game. The Dominican Republic finished 1-2 and the Netherlands was 0-3.

In Group B, there is still one more set of games to be played, but Chinese Taipei (2-0) and Japan (2-0) will go through, ahead of Puerto Rico and Venezuela (both 0-2).

In Group C, South Korea and Canada won their opening games over Australia and Cuba, respectively, but there are still four games to play in that pool, being played in Korea.

The Super Round will be played in Chiba and Tokyo in Japan and start on the 11th. Two Olympic qualifying spots for Tokyo 2020 are on the line. Schedule and scores are here.

● FOOTBALL ● CONCACAF Olympic Women’s qualifier will be in U.S. in January

CONCACAF announced that the region’s Olympic Women’s qualifier for the Tokyo Games will be held from 28 January-9 February, at venues in the U.S. The venues will be revealed on Thursday.

The tournament will place two teams in the Tokyo 2020 Games, from eight participants: Canada, Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis and United States.

The U.S. women return to action this week for the start of the Vlatko Andonovski Era, with his first games as head coach against Sweden in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday (7th) and Costa Rica in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday (10th).

Scoring stars Alex Morgan (maternity) and Megan Rapinoe (injury) are out, but 17 players from the winning Women’s World Cup squad will be available. The U.S. has won its last two games vs. the Swedes, but it is always a struggle. Our preview is here.

The FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup is continuing with the elimination round in Brazil. The Round of 16 is almost complete, with quarterfinal pairings to include South Korea vs. Mexico; the Netherlands vs. the winner of Paraguay-Argentina; Spain vs. France and Brazil against the winner of Ecuador-Italy.

The quarterfinals will begin on the 10th. Schedules and scores are here.

● THIS WEEK ● Cycling World Urban Champs start, FINA World Cup ends in Doha

Check out our previews of this week’s main events in Olympic sports, including:

● Cycling: The UCI World Urban Championships are underway in Chengdu (CHN), with American Hannah Roberts (pictured) and reigning World Champion Perris Benegas favored in the BMX Freestyle Park women’s competition, which will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020.

● Swimming: The final leg of the seven-stage FINA Swimming World Cup comes this weekend in Doha (QAT) with Russia’s Vladimir Morozov already having clinched his third seasonal title. The women’s crown will be decided between leader Cate Campbell (AUS) and Hungary’s five-time winner Katinka Hosszu (HUN).

Also on this weekend in the first of USA Swimming’s Tyr Pro Swim Series, this time in Greensboro, North Carolina. Some of the top American women, including Simone Manuel, Katie Ledecky and Kathleen Baker are all entered.

For more on our summer-sport previews of Archery ~ Badminton ~ Cycling ~ Fencing, click here; for our winter-sport previews of Curling ~ Short Track, click here.

LANE ONE: IAAF taking the lead in transgender regulation, working with other IFs on testosterone levels

Rich Perelman

November 6, 2019

Advancements in medical technologies have brought new challenges to sports regulators, especially the International Federations. One of the newest battlefields is transgender athletes.

Back in February, now-former marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe (GBR) sounded the alarm quite clearly, telling the BBC:

“Right now, transgender women are not a threat to female sport. But you would be naive if you thought that, by not putting in any rules, it couldn’t come to that at some point in the future.

“People will manipulate this if there is an opening there to make money and win medals and we’ve seen the lengths people go to, the lengths Russia went to cheat in sport.

“Absolutely, any transgender men or women should be able to access sport; it just depends which category.”

The International Olympic Committee adopted rules in 2015 that are now outdated and has not been able to come to a consensus on new regulations as yet. But that has not stopped the International Assn. of Athletics Federations (IAAF, soon to be World Athletics) on its own path.

Moving forward after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld its new regulations on women with differences in sex development – the Caster Semenya case – the IAAF has now taken the lead in the transgender area, and working with other federations.

In a forthright approach to the issue, the IAAF hosted a meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on 19 October that included not only scientific and legal experts, but also the International Paralympic Committee and the International Federations for golf, tennis and rowing.

A report on this “International Meeting on Transgender Eligibility in Competitive Sports” was issued 12 days later and outlined – with clarity – a process which could be used for regulating trans-gender athletes who want to compete as female. Highlights:

“2. Each sport is different with regard to the physical attributes that distinguish male from female performances and with regard to their policy preferences for classifications. Rules or regulations intended to accommodate trans athletes according to their gender identity should be sports-specific and designed by the relevant international federation. So that the eligibility standards remain consistent with the best available evidence, such rules or regulations should always be considered ‘living documents,’ to be updated according to the latest scientific knowledge.

“3. It is widely recognised that testosterone (T) distributes bimodally among male and female populations. T is also the primary known driver of the performance gap between males and females. Consequently, while acknowledging that testosterone is not the only physical basis for the performance gap, serum T has been found to be an acceptable proxy to distinguish males from females for sports purposes.

“4. If a federation decides to use serum T for this purpose, in order to be consistent with the biological rationale for the female category, and based on current data, rules or regulations on trans women’s eligibility for that category should adopt a fixed threshold at or below 5 nmol/L. Consistent with the fact that healthy female T levels are typically in the range from 0 to 1.7 nmol/L, it was noted that the typical medical target serum T for trans women who choose such intervention is well below 5 nmol/L.”

For those who followed the Semenya case, the reference to 5 nanomoles per liter of blood is familiar: it’s the same level to which the IAAF now requires women with “differences in sex development” to meet to compete in events from 400 m to the mile. The transgender proposal would apply to all athletes wishing to compete in the female classification.

The report also noted that as with the Semenya case, there is also a time target to reduce high testosterone levels so as to create a “level playing field” for transgender athletes to compete as women:

“The minimum interval between the achievement of the target serum T and eligibility for competition should be tailored for the purpose of each sport, and possibly also for events within a sport. Considering currently available scientific knowledge, an interval of at least 12 months remains reasonable; more may be appropriate depending on the sport and event.”

These concepts weren’t chosen randomly, or based on simply guessing. In addition to the scientific testing on testosterone, most of this approach was modeled after the successful defense of the IAAF’s regulations that were challenged by Semenya. There’s no doubt that a legal challenge will be thrown up against such rules as they are adopted; those regulations which will be upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport are those which are as narrowly-drawn as possible to achieve the desired effect of fair competition.

The IAAF issued its own regulations for transgender eligibility, approved by the IAAF Council in Doha (QAT) in October and effective as of 1 October 2019. The 21-page document requires those wishing to compete in the female division (in any event) to maintain serum testosterone levels of 5 nmol/L for a period of a year. The regulations note that typical women’s testosterone levels are 0.6-1.68 nmol/L vs. normal male levels of 7.7-29.4 nmol/L.

But even as all this was going on, a new study was announced in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, in which a Swedish research team – some of whom have worked with the IAAF – tested the impact of a moderate testosterone increase on athletic achievement in young women.

The findings were that a modest, 10 mg treatment of testosterone cream increased serum testosterone by 378% from 0.9 nmol/L to 4.3 nmol/L and an 8.5% increase in running performance was observed. That’s substantial and continues to confirm the crucial role of testosterone in improved athletic performance.

The IAAF is leading the issue and the impact has already spread beyond the federations attending the Lausanne conference. On Monday (4th), the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirmed that it is “pleased by the consensus obtained by the working group” and “The UCI shares the conclusions reached by the participants, who included representatives of transgender and cisgender athletes. The conclusions notably state that if a Federation decides to use serum testosterone to distinguish between male and female athletes, it should adopt a maximum threshold of 5nmol/L for eligibility for the female category.” It plans to issue guidelines which can be adopted for use in 2020.

The UCI’s statement is especially important given the current debate inside the cycling community following the second consecutive World Masters Sprint title won by Canada’s Rachel McKinnon, a transgender female, in late October.

McKinnon says she is compliant with the IOC’s 10 nmol/L regulations, but the firestorm about her status on social media makes it clear that new regulations will be just the start – not the end – of the debate.

There was a time, not long ago, when the IFs worried mostly about setting up event, publishing competition rules and trying to promote their sports. Now, the IAAF is leading the way – even ahead of the IOC in some areas – in organizing scientific programs both in research and in anti-doping and integrity enforcements.

There is a lot of criticism in track & field circles of IAAF chief Sebastian Coe and his Monaco-based headquarters team, about the recent World Championships in Doha (QAT) and about the standing of the sport internationally. But in the lab and in turning up the pressure on doping, they deserve credit.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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SWIMMING Preview: FINA World Cup ends in Doha, Tyr Pro Swim Series starts in Greensboro

Rich Perelman

November 6, 2019

tsx pix 2019-808 morozov, vladimir 750 2013 — Two-time World Cup champion Vladimir Morozov (RUS), ready to be crowned again this week, in Doha (QAT)

Even without an International Swimming League meet this week, it’s a busy time for swimming, with the finale of the FINA Swimming World Cup and the start of USA Swimming’s Tyr Pro Swim Series.

● FINA Swimming World Cup ● Campbell tries to hold off Hosszu in Doha

The finale of the seven-leg FINA World Cup is in Doha (QAT), with the men’s seasonal title decided, but the women’s still up for grabs:

● Men:
1. 297 Vladimir Morozov (RUS)
2. 210 Danas Rapsys (LTU)
3. 162 Michael Andrew (USA)
4. 153 Arno Kamminga (NED)
5. 129 Andrew Wilson (USA)

● Women:
1. 300 Cate Campnbell (AUS)
2. 276 Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
3. 153 Michelle Coleman (SWE)
4. 141 Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN)
5. 120 Kira Toussaint (NED)

With a maximum of 60 points available in a single meet, Morozov has clinched the men’s title; he also won in 2016 and 2018. Campbell will be hard to beat; the key is if Hosszu can win her normal three events for maximum ranking points and then swim one time which is the best in the meet on the FINA Points Table, and earn 24 bonus points. The key entries from the 269 swimmers registered for the 2019 finale:

Men:
● Danas Rapsys (LTU) ~ 200-400-1,500 m Free, 200 m Medley
● Vladimir Morozov (RUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Back
● Michael Andrew (USA) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50-100 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly, 200 m Medley

Women:
● Cate Campbell (AUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 100 m Fly
● Katinka Hosszu (HUN) ~ 50-200-400 m Free, 50-100-200 m Back, 100-200 m Breast, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley
● Michelle Coleman (SWE) ~ 50-100-200 m Free, 50 m Fly

Russia’s Vitalina Simonova, who swam all of the events (!) in earlier World Cups, has entered 15 of the 16 events available this time, skipping only the 200 m Fly.

There’s a lot of money on the line in this meet. In addition to the $1,500-1,000-500-400-300-200 for places 1-6 in each event, there are bonuses for the two-meet Kazan-Doha “cluster” of $50,000-35,000-30,000-20,000-10,000-5,000-4,000-3,000. And the seasonal bonuses of $150,000-100,000-50,000 for the top three in each gender.

Look for results here.

In Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Swimming’s Tyr Pro Swim Series runs from Wednesday through Saturday, with just the 1,500 m Free on Wednesday. The entries are pretty good, with a lot of familiar faces listed:

Men:
● Michael Chadwick ~ 50-100-200 m Free
● Ryan Lochte ~ 100-200 m Free, 200 m Back, 200 m Breast, 200 m Fly, 200 m Medley
● Zane Grothe ~ 200-400-1,500 m Free
● Andrew Wilson ~ 100-200 m Breast
● Luca Urlando ~ 200-400 m Free, 200 m Back, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley
● Jacob Pebley ~ 100-200 m Back

Women:
● Simone Manuel ~ 50-100-200 m Free, 100 m Back, 100 m Fly
● Allison Schmitt ~ 100-200-400-800 m Free, 100 m Fly
● Katie Ledecky ~ 100-200-400-800 m Free, 200-400 m Medley
● Ashley Twichell ~ 200-400-800-1,500 m Free
● Molly Hannis ~ 100 m Breast
● Kathleen Baker ~ 200 m Back, 100 m Breast
● Madisyn Cox ~ 200-400 m Free, 100-200 m Breast, 200-400 m Medley
● Ella Eastin ~ 200-400 m Free, 100 m Back, 100 m Breast, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley
● Hali Flickinger ~ 200-400 m Free, 100-200 m Back, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley
● Kylie Masse (CAN) ~ 100 m Back

Lochte signaled he’s a contender for the 2020 Olympic Team with his win at the U.S. Nationals during the summer; same for teen sensation Urlando (still 17), who has signed up for seven races.

Ledecky has been in just one of the ISL meets so far and has a huge schedule of six events (if she swims them all), including both medleys. Former Stanford teammate Simone Manuel also has wandered beyond the Freestyle sprints, with the 100 m Back and 100 m Fly on her list.

As usual, Flickinger and Eastin will be among the hardest workers, with both signed up for eight events each, including both medleys.

Prize money of $1,500-1,000-500 is available to the top three finishers.

USA Swimming has a Webcast of the meet available online. Friday’s finals will be on NBC’s Olympic Channel at 6 p.m. Eastern time and Saturday’s finals will be on NBCSN, also at 6 p.m. Eastern. Look for results here.

FOOTBALL Preview: Vlatko Andonovski Era begins as U.S. women face Sweden Thursday

Rich Perelman

November 6, 2019

tsx pix 2019-616 carli lloyd vs chile 750 — Carli Loyd leads the U.S. front line vs. Sweden (Photo: FIFA)

A new era in U.S. women’s football opens on Thursday at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, as the American women take on Sweden in a friendly in the first game with Vlatko Andonovski as coach.

The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time and will be shown on FS1 and TUDN.

It’s the first of two friendlies to close out 2019, with the U.S. women facing Costa Rica on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida.

The match against Sweden is an immediate test as the American team begins to retool for its drive toward the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The U.S. will host the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament to begin on 28 January at venues to be announced on Thursday. Against Sweden, 17 veterans of the World Cup-winning team are on the roster, including Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Christen Press and Mallory Pugh as strikers and midfielders Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis in the midfield.

Scoring stars Alex Morgan (maternity) and Megan Rapinoe (injuries) are out, as are defenders Kelley O’Hara, Tierna Davidson and Ali Krieger.

This has been a magical season for the U.S., winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup and compiling a 18-1-3 record (and a 21-game unbeaten streak). But Sweden has always played the U.S. tough. Over the last four years, Sweden defeated the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic Games, then the U.S. won in 2017 at 1-0 in a friendly and won again, 2-0, in the final group play match at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year.

Through this decade, the U.S. is 6-3-5 vs. Sweden, one of its worst records against any opponent from 2010-19.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s match, the U.S. women are 14-0-0 vs. Costa Rica.

FIGURE SKATING Preview: World Champs Peng and Jin make Grand Prix debut at home

Rich Perelman

November 6, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1106 wenjing sui-cong han 750 (isu) — China's World Pairs Champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (Photo: ISU)

It’s the fourth of six ISU Grand Prix shows – the Shiseido Cup of China – coming this weekend at the Chongqing Huaxi Culture & Sports Center. It will also be the 2019-2020 Grand Prix debut of World Pairs Champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China, in the first of their two appearances.

They are the last of the reigning World Champions to start and will have the “home-ice” advantage thanks to a lively crowd. China’s Boyang Jin is the favorite in the men’s event, also benefitting from home-crowd support.

The women’s competition will be a lively tussle between three Russians: 2015 World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, 2019 European winner Sofia Samodurova and Skate America winner Anna Shcherbakova. Add in two-time Worlds medalist Satoko Miyahara and it might be the highlight event of the program.

In Ice Dance, the 2019 Worlds silver medalists, Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are the clear favorites. Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished second at last week’s Internationaux de France. The top entries:

Men:
● Keegan Messing (CAN) ~ 8th at 2018 World Championships
● Boyang Jin (CHN) ~ 2018 Olympic 4th; 2016-17 Worlds bronze medalist
● Matteo Rizzo (ITA) ~ 2019 European bronze medalist

Women:
● Marin Honda (JPN) ~ 2016 World Junior Champion
● Satoko Miyahara (JPN) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2018 Worlds bronze
● Sofia Samodurova (RUS) ~ 2019 European Champion; 2019 Worlds 8th
● Anna Shcherbakova (RUS) ~ 2019 Worlds Junior silver; Skate America winner
● Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) ~ 2015 World Champion; Skate America 3rd

Pairs:
● Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN) ~ 2019 Worlds 4th
● Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) ~ 2017-19 World Champions; 2018 Grand Prix Final 2nd
● Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guerise (ITA) ~ 2018 Worlds 5th, 2019 Worlds 8th
● Tarah Kayne/Danny O’Shea (USA) ~ 2018 Four Continents winners

Ice Dance:
● Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) ~ 2019 Worlds silver; 2019 Gr. Prix Final 2nd
● Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2016 Worlds bronze
● Kaitlin Hayawek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) ~ 2019 Worlds 9th

The prize money is, as normal, $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 for the top five. Look for results here.

WINTER WEEK: Canada’s Boutin expected to star in second Short Track World Cup in Montreal

Rich Perelman

November 5, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1105 boutin, kim and schulting, suzanne slc 750 — Stars of Short Track World Cup I: Canada's Kim Boutin (l) and Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands (Photo: ISU).

The FIS Alpine World Cup is on hiatus for a little while longer, but there is other winter-sport action this week:

● CURLING ● Eight Olympic and World Champions entered in Grand Slam Tour Challenge

The second of the six stages of the annual Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling is in Nova Scotia this week for the Tour Challenge at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, with a top-flight field for both men and women. The top entries include multiple World and Olympic champs:

Men:
● Niklas Edin (SWE) ~ 2013-15-18-19 World Champion
● John Shuster (USA) ~ 2018 Olympic Champion
● Brad Gushue (CAN) ~ 2017 World Champion
● Kevin Koe (CAN) ~ 2016 World Champion
● Brad Jacobs (CAN) ~ 2014 Olympic Champion
● Peter de Cruz (SUI) ~ 2014-17-19 Worlds bronze medalist
● Bruce Mouat (SCO) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist

Women:
● Silvana Tirinzoni (SUI) ~ 2019 World Champion
● Jennifer Jones (CAN) ~ 2018 World Champion; 2014 Olympic Champion
● Rachel Homan (CAN) ~ 2017 World Champion
● Anna Hasselborg (SWE) ~ 2018-19 Worlds silver medalist, 2018 Olympic Champion
● Satsuki Fujiwara (JPN) ~ 2018 Olympic bronze medalist

Even with all of these medal winners, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season went to first-time winners Matt Dunstone (CAN) and Tracy Fleury (CAN), who defeated Gushue and Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura in the finals. Look for results here.

● SHORT TRACK ● World-record setter Boutin headlines Montreal Short Track meet

Canada’s triple Olympic medal winner Kim Boutin not only scored two wins at the ISU Short Track World Cup opener last week in Utah, but scorched the world record in the 500 m, so she’ll be the expected star of this week’s Short Track World Cup stop at the Arena Maurice Richard in Montreal, Quebec.

Boutin won the second 500 m race in 42.336, but she became the first skater to dip under 42 seconds with her 41.936 win in the quarterfinals, eclipsing the mark of 42.335 by Elise Christie (GBR) from 2016.

Boutin also won the 1,500 m, defeating favored Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands. Schulting came back to win the 1,000 m and the two are expected to gave off again. Last week’s individual winners:

● Men: 500 m I: Dae Heon Hwang (KOR), 39.729; 500 m II: Dajing Wu (CHN), 39.702. 1,000 m: Hwang (KOR), 1:23.948. 1,500 m: Semen Elistratov (RUS), 2:16.025.

● Women: 500 m I: Martina Valcepina (ITA), 42.603. 500 m II: Kim Boutin (CAN), 42.336. 1,000 m: Suzanne Schulting (NED), 1:28.517. 1,500 m: Boutin (CAN), 2:22.061.

Look for results here.

THIS WEEK: Another title for Hannah Roberts in UCI BMX Freestyle Park Worlds?

Rich Perelman

November 5, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1103 roberts, hannah chengdu 750 — More hardware coming for BMX Freestyle Park star Hannah Roberts of the U.S.?

Plenty of action worldwide this week, including the third edition of the UCI World Urban Cycling Championships in China. Previews:

● ARCHERY ● Indoor World Series opens in Macau with strong U.S. Compound entries

The six-stage World Archery Indoor World Series will begin this week with the Macau Indoor Open in China. This is competition at 18 m, with the first four tournaments accounting for only 250 points for the winners towards competing in the World Series Final; the final two earn 1,000 each.

Because of this, the fields are fairly small. The men’s Recurve entries include Rio 2016 silver medalist Jean-Charles Valladont (FRA). The women’s Recurve field include Dutch shooter Gabriela Bayardo, who won a Worlds silver this year with Sjef van den Berg in the Mixed Team event. American Khatuna Lorig, trying for a sixth Olympic Games at age 45, is also entered.

The Compound men’s field includes two-time World Indoor champ Reo Wilde of the U.S. and 2018 World Indoor winner Mike Schloesser (NED). The women’s entries include American stars Alexis Ruiz, who won medals in all four outdoor World Cups this year, and Paige Pearce, the 2019 Worlds silver medalist.

Qualifying will be on Saturday with the finals on Sunday. Look for results here.

● BADMINTON ● All five defending champs back for big-money Fuzhou China Open

The 15th edition of the Fuzhou China Open is underway at the Haixa Olympic Sports Center, with a $700,000 prize purse … and therefore, an all-star line-up. The top seeds with their current world rankings:

● Men/Singles: 1. Kento Momota (JPN: 1); 2. Tien-Chen Chou (TPE: 2); 3. Yuqi Shi (CHN: 4).

● Men/Doubles: 1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sulkamuljo (INA: 1); 2. Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (INA: 2); 3. Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN: 3).

● Women/Singles: 1. Tzu-Ying Tai (TPE: 2); 2. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN: 4); 3. Yufei Chen (CHN: 3).

● Women/Doubles: 1. Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Hagahara (JPN: 1); 2. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN: 3); 3. Qingchen Chen/Yifan Jia (CHN: 2).

● Mixed Doubles: 1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN: 1); 2. Yilyu Wang/Dongping Huang (CHN: 2); 3. Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapirsee Taerattanachai (THA: 4).

All five of the defending champions are in: Momota and Chen in Singles, Gideon/Sukamuljo, So-Hee Lee/Seung-Chan Shin (KOR) in women’s Doubles and Zheng/Huang in Mixed.

How big is the prize money? In the Singles divisions, the top four get $49.000-23,800-9,800 (both semifinal losers). In Doubles, it’s $51.800-24.500-9,800 and there are payments on down to the losers in the round of 64. Look for results here.

● CYCLING ● BMX Freestyle Park Worlds in China; second Track Cycling World Cup in Glasgow

A busy week in cycling starts with the UCI World Urban Championships in Chengdu (CHN). This is just the third year of this event, which includes one Olympic event: BMX Freestyle Park. In the prior two years:

● Men/2017: 1. Logan Martin (AUS); 2. Alex Coleborn (GBR); 3. Colton Walker (USA)

● Men/2018: 1. Justin Dowell (USA); 2. Kenneth Esquivel (CRC); . Brandon Loupos (AUS).

● Women/2017: 1. Hannah Roberts (USA); 2. Lara Lessmann (GER); 3. Angie Marino (USA).

● Women/2018: 1. Perris Benegas (USA); 2. Marino (USA); 3. Roberts (USA).

Martin and Dowell are expected to be contenders again, but Japan’s Rimu Nakamura and Declan Brooks (GBR) went 1-2 in the just-completed seasonal World Cup.

Roberts won the seasonal World Cup over Benegas, with Charlotte Worthington (GBR) third; Roberts, the amazing Michigan teen, continues to dominate the sport and is the Olympic favorite.

The top two in each gender will lock up qualifying sports for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Look for results here.

The second UCI Track Cycling World Cup will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, with six British Olympic medal winners expected to make a significant mark on the competition.

British riders Mark Stewart (Points Race) and Matthew Wallis (Omnium) were winners in the season opener in Minsk (BLR), where the big stars were American Jennifer Valente and Italy’s Filippo Ganna.

Valente won the women’s Points Race and Omnium and was part of the American victory in the Team Pursuit. Ganna won the men’s Individual Pursuit and lowered the world record twice in doing so.

Dutch sprinter Harrie Lavreysen won the Sprint, Keirin and was part of the winning Team Sprint trio and fellow Dutch rider Kirsten Wild won the Scratch Race and the Madison, with Amy Pieters.

Look for results here.

● FENCING ● Men’s World Cup season opens with Foil tournament in Bonn

After the women opened the FIE World Cup season last week, it’s the men’s turn, with withe 48th Lowe von Bonn tournament starting on Friday. A big field of 260 fencers is entered; the top seeds:

1. Alessio Foconi (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion
2. Race Imboden (USA) ~ 2019 World Team gold medalist
3. Enzo Lefort (FRA) ~ 2019 World Champion
4. Daniele Garozzo (ITA) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
5. Gerek Meinhardt (USA) ~ 2019 World Team gold medalist
6. Andrea Cassara (ITA) ~ 2011 World Champion
7. Ka Long Cheung (HKG)
8. Alexander Massialas (USA) ~ 2019 World Team gold medalist; 2016 Olympic silver
9. Nick Itkin (USA)
10. Erwann Le Pechoux (FRA) ~ Four-time World Team gold medalist

The powerful U.S. team, with four men ranked in the top 10, will certainly be the favorite in Sunday’s team competition. Look for results here.

THE BIG PICTURE: Banka calls WADA’s budget “ridiculous” and Bach antes $10 million at WADA World Conference

Rich Perelman

November 5, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1105 banka, witold katowice 750 — World Anti-Doping President Witold Banka (POL)

So said the expected new leader of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Poland’s Witold Banka, 35, a former 400 m runner with a best of 46.11 from 2007 and the Polish Minister of Sport and Tourism since late 2015.

After being confirmed in what is essentially a ceremonial vote later this week by the World Anti-Doping Agency Board, Banka will assume office on 1 January 2020 for a four-year term. He made an impassioned speech in his home area of Katowice (POL) at the start of the World Conference on Doping in Sport on Tuesday, not only asking for more money, but warning of the consequences of not following through.

“Sport is a beautiful idea. The world’s last one with the power to unite people no matter what their political views, religion, skin colour or age. This idea must be protected. We have to prevent corrupting it. If we allow it, this will be the end of sport. People will turn their back against it. They will not want to watch competitions in which faster, higher, stronger will be possible only through cheating. I am afraid that we are already looking into the abyss. Another step forward and we will fall down. We must therefore do everything we can to save this idea.

“To this end, we will sometimes have to take difficult decisions. Yet, I am convinced we will be able to make them. We must not let anyone be above the law, be it a single athlete, a coach or a country. Regardless of who they are, if they violate the rules and act against the idea of clean sport, they should be severely punished.”

International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach (GER) gave an address which focused not just on the issue of athletes and doping, but those that enable them:

“The athlete is not the only culprit.

“The athlete is supported and sometimes even driven to or forced into doping by a secretive network which may include coaches, agents, dealers, managers, officials from government or sport organisations, doctors, physiotherapists or others.

“Sport organisations have the tools to identify and sanction the doped athletes. However, sport organisations do not have sufficient tools to identify and sanction in a deterrent way the athletes’ entourage. This is where we need the full support of the government authorities. They have the necessary authority and tools to take action.

“We need zero-tolerance for everybody: athletes and entourage.”

He illustrated the issue thus: “When, for example, the IOC is identifying a doctor implicated in a doping case, the only thing we can do is to send the doctor home from the Olympic Games and maybe exclude him from future editions of the Games. But after the doctor goes back home, in most cases, he can just continue with his nefarious business without any consequences.

“This is not acceptable. This is the wrong signal. This needs to be changed.”

Bach also had a gift with him: $10 million from the IOC for three specific projects:

(1) Storage of samples taken not only at the Olympic Games, but also during the pre-Games testing period, for 10 years, as well as re-testing of these samples. Cost: $5 million.

(2) Implementation in Tokyo next year of the newly-developed genetic sequencing method to detect blood doping, and more work on the promising program of using “dried blood spot” collection method, which could be both effective and less expensive than current methods. Cost: $2.5 million, conditioned on a match from funding by governments.

(3) Another $2.5 million for the WADA Intelligence and Investigations Unit, also conditioned on a match from governments.

Bach also had some pushback for athlete-critics of the IOC, who have derided the “Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration,” noting that “the IOC Athletes’ Commission consulted with more than 4,200 athletes from 190 NOCs and over 120 disciplines.”

This is a promising start for the next WADA administration as Britain’s Craig Reedie finishes his time as Chair. The Russian compliance situation has not changed and the WADA Compliance Review Committee has yet to make a recommendation, still waiting for more information from the WADA staff regarding Russia’s replies to their questions about the quality of the Moscow Lab data retrieved last January.

TSX INTEL REPORT: The Int’l Swimming League is half over; have you noticed? + Tokyo gets a refund for moving the marathons & walks & Jepkosgei upsets Keitany in NYC Marathon

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1005 isl first day indy 750 — Russian star Kliment Kolesnikov: "If I wasn't a swimmer, I wouldn't watch swimming."

≡ TSX INTELLIGENCE REPORT ~ 4 November 2019 ≡

● LANE ONE ● Is the International Swimming League making an impact? It doesn’t appear to be making money …

The International Swimming League is on a break from its first four meets – two in the U.S. and two in Europe – and will resume on 16 November.

Did you know that it was happening at all?

The attendance has been modest, especially at the two U.S. meets, in Indianapolis and in the Dallas area, and a little better – meaning more than 1,000 per day – in Naples, Italy and Budapest, Hungary.

The television production is good in some respects, but overheated in others, and the “set” is always dark outside of the pool itself, with heavy graphics to obscure the small crowds.

But the athletes love it. They’re the stars of a heavily-produced show, with the names and images shown life-size or bigger on multiple video screens and they are (1) getting paid well by swimming standards and (2) are part of a team which has its travel expenses covered, so that they aren’t out of pocket.

But without fans in the stands, modest viewership on television and no sponsors that can be discerned, the $4 million-plus cost of the league is on founder and financier Konstantin Grigorishin of Ukraine.

Now, he’s a billionaire, so he might decide to keep this going for a long time. But is it making an impact?

Not only has the fan response been modest in terms of revenue, the ISL is not even the most important thing to the swimmers participating. During one of the many coach interviews in the show from Dallas, L.A. Current coach David Marsh said on the air what everyone in the sport knows: that his choices of which swimmers are entered in which events is subject to their training priority, which is to get ready for the 2020 Olympic Games, or in some cases, national Olympic trials.

That’s a problem. The ISL’s fight with FINA has receded for the moment, but the federation would be well served to help ISL wherever it can, but having a program like ISL is already helping it. How? More here.

● TOKYO 2020 ● Tokyo government concedes marathons and walks move to Sapporo, but could get a big refund

The International Olympic Committee, spooked by the sight of marathoners dropping in the Doha heat at the IAAF World Championships in late September and early October, has moved the men’s and women’s marathons and the three race-walking events from Tokyo to Sapporo in 2020.

It did so without prior consultation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which is paying for a significant part of the 2020 Games and set off a diplomatic incident with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike that came to a head in last week’s meetings with the IOC’s Coordination Commission.

The outcome was fairly predictable, and the Tokyo government conceded that the IOC has the legal right to move the events, even nine months prior to the 2020 Games. But Koike hardly came away empty-handed.

She got a promise that no more events will be moved, which is hardly good news for the open-water swimmers and triathletes, who endured brutal conditions during their 2019 test events. She also got the agreement of the IOC to relieve the Tokyo government and the Tokyo 2020 organizers of the costs of putting on these races – including the media infrastructure – and of any expenses already incurred in the planning, which “cannot be used elsewhere.”

Koike’s political party estimated the total expenses of putting on the races in Sapporo at up to $310 million, meaning her agreement might save her government and the organizers as much as $100 million. Not bad! More here.

● ATHLETICS ● First-timer Jepkosgei upsets Keitany to win New York City Marathon

The annual TCS New York City Marathon was held Sunday and was expected to be a celebration of a fifth win for Kenyan star Mary Keitany. It didn’t work out that way.

Keitany was in good form and broke from the pack after about 20 miles, but she had company: the world-record holder in the Half Marathon, fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei, who had won the New York City Half Marathon earlier in the year, but making her marathon debut.

At about 22 1/2 miles, Jepkosgei took off and Keitany could not respond. On a cool and clear day, perfect for distance running, Jepkosgei finished in 2:22:38, the second-fastest time in race history, with Keitany 54 seconds behind. Including a big time bonus, Jepkosgei won $145,000 on the day.

The men’s race was similar, but it was 2017 winner Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya who was full of run and broke away after mile 23 and won easily. His time of 2:08:13 was 23 seconds ahead of countryman Albert Korir. Third was Ethiopia’s Girma Bekele Gebre, who was not among the elite field and started at the front of the regular runner pack. He set a lifetime best of 2:08:38 and won $55,000, including a $15,000 time bonus. More here.

● FIGURE SKATING ● Chen wins big in Grenoble and Kostornaia upsets Zagitova in ISU Grand Prix

The Internationaux de France leg of the ISU Grand Prix was another showcase for World Champions Nathan Chen of the U.S. and Ice Dance stars Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron from France, but not for fellow World Champion Alina Zagitova of Russia.

Chen (pictured) followed his Skate America victory with another solid performance that scored 297.16 points, well ahead of Russian Alexander Samarin (265.10). Papadakis and Cizeron won the Ice Dance at 222.24, in front of Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates (204.84).

Zagitova, 17, was upset by 16-year-old fellow Russian Alena Kostornaia, in her first season on the senior level, 236.00-216.06. Kostornaia won both the Short Program and Free Skate, while Zagitova fell to third in the Free Skate behind a lifetime best performance from American Mariah Bell, who remained in third overall.

Russia went 1-2 in Pairs, with Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov winning the Free Skate to take the overall victory from Short Program leaders Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin, 207.58-206.56. Americans Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier were third.

More here and here.

● FOOTBALL ● Brazil and France only perfect teams remaining in FIFA U-17 World Cup

At the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Brazil, the group stage has been completed, with just two teams posting a perfect 3-0 mark: Brazil and France.

Of the 24 teams that started the event, 16 advanced to the knock-out round. The group winners included Brazil and France, plus Nigeria (2-1-0 won-lost-tied), Japan (2-0-1), Spain (2-1-0) and Paraguay (2-0-1). The elimination matches start on Tuesday (5th).

The U.S. was eliminated, losing to Senegal, 4-1; tying Japan, 0-0, and losing 4-0 to the Netherlands. Scores and schedules are here.

● SWIMMING ● Hosszu wins three, but Chupkov and Campbell lead in FINA World Cup points race

The next-to-last meet in the 2019 FINA World Cup was held in Kazan (RUS) over the weekend, with Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu once again the individual star, but not the points leader.

The race for points, based on wins and the quality of an athlete’s best race, determines who wins the big bonus payments for the final two-meet cluster and for the final overall standings, which pays $150,000-100,000-50,000 to the top three in each gender.

Hosszu won the 200 m Fly and both medleys and was the only swimmer with three individual victories. But Australian rival Cate Campbell won two events and finished second in another, but had the best performance according to the FINA Points table and leads the women’s points standings with 57. Fellow Aussie Kayle McKeown also won two events and had the third-best performance to score 45, wile Hosszu got no performance bonuses and sits at 36.

In the men’s division, Russian Anton Chupkov won two Breaststroke events and had the fastest performance for 48 points, leading Dutch star Arno Kamminga (36) and perennial World Cup scoring leader Vladimir Morozov (33).

The World Cup will finish up next week in Doha (QAT), with Morozov to be crowned the men’s overall winner and Campbell holding a 24-point edge over Hosszu and nearly sure to win as well. More here.

● SCOREBOARD ● Roberts win BMX Freestyle Park World Cup; Valente takes four medals in Track Cycling

The winter seasons are coming alive, not only on ice and snow, but also in cycling and fencing, which are starting their World Cup programs.

In Chengdu (CHN), the final BMX Freestyle World Cup was held, with American Hannah Roberts winning both the event and the seasonal World Cup title, followed by teammate Perris Benegas, the reigning World Champion.

In Minsk (BLR), the first UCI Track Cycling World Cup was held, with American Jennifer Valente (pictured) putting on a show. She won her specialty, the Omnium, but also scored victories in the Points Race and Team Pursuit with three teammates. She also picked up a bronze in the Scratch race.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna scored two world records in the men’s Individual Pursuit, taking the mark down to 4:04.52 in the qualifying and then to 4:02.647 in the final. Dutch sprinter Harrie Lavreysen won three events, taking the Sprint, the Team Sprint and Keirin.

At the USA Luge National Championships, Summer Britcher won her second straight title and Jonny Gustafson his first in a weather-shortened program of one day and two runs.

There’s much more with reports on Badminton ~ Beach Volleyball ~ Cycling ~ Fencing here, and on Freestyle Skiing ~ Luge ~ Snowboard ~ Short Track here.

● THIS WEEK ● U.S. women start new era, swimming World Cup ends in Qatar

There’s a lot of action coming up this week, including the first games for the U.S. women’s National Team under new coach Vlatko Andonovski, vs. Sweden in Colombus, Ohio on Thursday (7th) and Costa Rica on Sunday (10th) in Jacksonville, Florida.

The FINA Swimming World Cup will conclude in Doha (QAT), while the first of USA Swimming Tyr Pro Swim Series comes in Greensboro, North Carolina (yes, they overlap!).

American Hannah Roberts will be the favorite in the UCI Urban Cycling Championships in Chengdu (CHN) in the BMX Freestyle Park, a debut event for the 2020 Olympic Games. Previews coming later this week.

LANE ONE: Is the International Swimming League making an impact? It doesn’t appear to be making money

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

There was so much turmoil over the announcement of the International Swimming League last year that the international federation for swimming (FINA) was pressured into announcing last January that participation would not result in athlete suspensions.

And now that more than half of the inaugural ISL season has been completed … does anyone care?

The competing athletes love it, and why not. They’re the stars of a heavily produced television show, are being paid fairly well by swimming standards and are part of a team concept which is all new to swimmers who have not been part of American collegiate teams.

The ISL announcements state that some $4 million in appearance and prize money will be paid to the swimmers in this inaugural season, with a maximum of 14 men and women (28 total) on each of the eight teams, or up to 224 total swimmers in the league.

That money must be coming from ISL founder Konstantin Grigorishin (UKR). Through the first four meets – in Indianapolis and the Dallas area in the U.S. and London (GBR) and Budapest (HUN):

● The meets, which are produced primarily for television, show no sponsors on any signage anywhere. In fact, there is no evidence of any sponsors of the circuit at all: no signage, no mentions, nothing.

● The very attractive graphics package used for television at each meet – not visible in the arenas themselves – obscure the stands, and for good reason. Further, the lighting is only on the pool and surrounding deck, making it hard to follow who is leading in the tighter races.

● The attendance has been, to be charitable, modest. There were only a few hundred in the stands for both days of the Indianapolis and Dallas-area meets in the U.S. and 1,500-2,500 at most per session at the Naples (ITA) and Budapest (HUN) meets. Let’s remember that this is a short-course program, using 25 m pools, and the spectator seating is limited to the areas directly overlooking the competition pool itself. Thus the 5,000-seat Duna Arena in Budapest, could only hold about half that number with seating confined to the 25 m pool length.

● The television programs have been well produced, with sympathetic and overheated announcing, with veteran U.S. broadcaster Bernie Guenther doing most of the play-by-play. Following the ISL concept of team competition, times are completely de-emphasized, and there are mostly uninteresting interviews with the team coaches and post-race comments from the winners, many of whom are still panting after just finishing their swims.

● Media coverage outside of the swimming-specific sites has also been modest. In the U.S., the excellent swimming news sites SwimmingWorldMagazine.com and SwimSwam.com both have covered the circuit with the same ferocity as they do college swimming, with blanket, session-by-session report. But elsewhere? Not much.

The most media notice that the league has attracted so far was from a world Short-Course record in the 100 m Backstroke (54.89) from Australian teen Minna Atherton at the Budapest meet (which FINA said it would ratify), but not much else; so much for the unimportance of times.

Perhaps this can be chalked up to a new league, with the expected growing pains of its first meets. But it was introduced as “a groundbreaking global professional team competition launching in 2019 that is set to revolutionize the sport of swimming.”

And it is so unimportant to the very swimmers who are the heart of the program that the team coaches have to arrange their meet entries around what’s really important: training for the 2020 season and the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

During the Dallas-area meet (actually in Lewisville, Texas), David Marsh, the coach of the L.A. Current team confirmed this. During one of the interview segments, he was asked about how he was managing the entries of his star swimmers and explained “Everyone’s in full-on training right now, so we have to be a little careful with them.”

Wait. Hold on.

The goal of a first-tier, club-based league, whether in baseball, basketball, football or any other team sport, is to be the premiere competition in that sport, if not in the entire world, then in a specific geographic area (like soccer’s Premier League in England, Serie A in Italy and so on).

But Marsh’s statement – quite true – underlines that this is a show made for money and television and not much more, at least in the months prior to the one competition that really matters: the Olympic Games.

Maybe this will change in future years … if there are future years. Most of the television agreements are for online streaming, with limited cable or over-the-air broadcast exposures. A two-year agreement was announced for EuroSport for most of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region; all of the other broadcast deals did not specify a commitment beyond this year, and none of the deals mentioned any rights fees. ESPN – primarily for its ESPN3 streaming service – has the rights in the U.S.

In short, it’s hard to see where ISL is making any money at all. It has undertaken to put on the meets, pay the appearance and prize money, pay for the television production and even donated a bulkhead to create a 25 m pool at the Piscina Scandone in Naples, out of its existing 50 m facility.

That’s a significant financial burden and Grigorishin is the one who will need to find help, or decide to continue funding it himself. In 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion (U.S.), so he could continue for a while if he chose to do so. But it’s a considerable cost for a league which isn’t the first priority for its athletes.

FINA, despite all of its hand-wringing about ISL, should be cheering for it, and it has already benefited by its existence. FINA’s Swimming World Cup, which has had as many as nine stops as late as 2016, announced a schedule of six meets for 2020, its fewest since 2009. Its new Champions Series, a three-meet program of high-level meets introduced as a direct reply to the ISL concept, will be reduced to two meets in 2020.

Both of those reductions save money, and if the ISL was to be successful and draw off most of the big-name swimmers, the Champions Swim Series could be eliminated completely and the World Cup could become an opportunity for second-line swimmers to compete in a world-class setting that will help prepare them for major championships in the future. If so, the big cluster bonuses and overall series bonuses – $150,000-100,000-50,000 for the top three – could be greatly reduced. That’s more money that FINA can put into development programming, which it says it is committed to, around the world.

And make no mistake, the attraction of the ISL for the swimmers is money. Australian star Cate Campbell told SwimmingWorldMagazine.com:

“But where I really think that the ISL excels is that it gives more swimmers an opportunity to earn money. I think even if you look at something like World Cups – they’re a great event and I’ve enjoyed doing them this year immensely – but only a few swimmers get paid to go there. So for other swimmers, if you’re making prize money, you’re hopefully just covering your costs. You don’t actually get to keep that prize money for yourself. So everyone who’s here gets all of their expenses paid. So any money that they do earn that’s theirs to keep. And I think that will incentivise young swimmers to say, oh, hey, look, I can go and I can travel the world and I can maybe earn a little bit of money. Maybe I’ll stay in the sport a little bit longer. Maybe I’ll keep training or maybe I’ll take up swimming. Which for me is is the most exciting part of this.”

One way that FINA can show its support for ISL, in a way which costs it nothing, is to include marks made in its meets on its lists of best marks. FINA agreed to ratify Atherton’s 100 m Back mark as a World Short-Course Record, since it was held on a date which did not conflict with any FINA-conducted meet. But if there had been a conflict, the mark would not have counted.

This is petty and dumb. Next week, the seventh and final leg of the 2019 FINA World Cup will be held in Doha (QAT), on overlapping dates with the first of the USA Swimming Tyr Pro Swim Series in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both are being held in 50 m pools and there should be no problem for marks made in Greensboro to be included in FINA’s list of best marks, even though the event is being held at the same time as the Doha World Cup.

So why not extend the same courtesy to the ISL meets, as long as they are held according to FINA competition rules? The IAAF went through this in track & field in the 1970s, when the International Track Association held professional meets at a time when the amateur code was still in force. Marks made in ITA meets were banned then – the athletes would have been ineligible under the IAAF rules at the time – but today, those marks are included in the IAAF’s lists, since track athletes can be professionals without restriction today.

There are three remaining ISL meets, in College Park, Maryland; London (GBR) and Las Vegas, Nevada. Those may be the last three in the series unless Grigorishin can come up with some sponsors, or just decides to pay for the project out of his own pocket for a while.

He is to be congratulated on his boldness, and for how ISL can help FINA save money, while giving the world’s top swimmers a chance to be part of something different. But unfortunately, while ISL is one of Grigorishin’s priorities, it isn’t at the top of the list for his swimmers, who are dreaming of five rings in their futures.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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WINTER SCOREBOARD: Hall wins Freestyle World Cup Big Air, Britcher and Gustafson wins U.S. Luge titles

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 112617 britcher summer sochi 750 — U.S. national Luge champion Summer Britcher

The first winter weekend in North America and Europe saw an American take top honors at the Freestyle Big Air World Cup in Italy and Summer Britcher win her second straight national title in Luge. Reports:

● FREESTYLE SKI & SNOWBOARD ● Hall scores first World Cup Big Air win in Modena

American Alex Hall is more of a Freeski Slopestyle guy than a Big Air guy, but he’s happy to try Big Air, as long as the event is in Modena, Italy.

For the second straight year, Hall, 21, won a World Cup medal in Big Air in Modena, but this time he went to the top of the podium. It’s only his third-ever World Cup in Big Air, but he’s now finished 14-2-1 and moved from silver in Modena in 2018 to gold this time.

Jumping seventh in the order in the final, he took control right away, jumping into the lead at 92.25 in the first round, which turned out to be the second-best jump of the entire event.

He added to his lead in the second round with a run scoring 91.75 for a two-best-runs total of 184.00 and that was good enough to win. The best run of the day followed Hall in the second round; Birk Ruud of Norway’s run got 93.25 and he finished second overall at 181.75.

Swiss teen Mathilde Gremaud scored her fourth career Big Air gold with a win in the women’s Freeski division, defending her Modena title from 2018.

In the Snowboard Big Air events on Saturday, Canada’s Nicolas Lafromboise, 19, won his first career World Cup medal – and first victory – after finishing fourth in the Cardrona (NZL) season opener in August.

Teammate Mark McMorris, returning from injury in only his second competition since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games – and first World Cuo in two years – finished second, 172.50-168.00. Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi was an easy winner in the women’s division, scoring 83.50 and 93.00 for a total of 176.50. No one else scored more than 86.40; that was comebacking Austrian star Anna Gasser on her first run and she finished third to Canada’s Brooke Voigt. Summaries:

FIS Freestyle World Cup
Modena (ITA) ~ 3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Big Air: 1. Alex Hall (USA), 184.00; 2. Birk Ruud (NOR), 181.75; 3. Andri Ragettli (SUI), 176.75. Also: 6. Colby Stevenson (USA), 169.25.

Women/Big Air: 1. Mathilde Gremaud (SUI), 178.00; 2. Giulia Tanno (SUI), 159.50; 3. Dara Howell (CAN), 151.50.

FIS Snowboard World Cup
Modena (ITA) ~ 2 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Big Air: 1. Nicolas Laframboise (CAN), 172.50; 2. Mark McMorris (CAN), 168.00; 3. Chris Corning (USA), 166.25. Also in the top 10: 5. Justin Henkes (USA), 155.00.

Women/Big Air: 1. Reira Iwabuchi (JPN), 176.50; 2. Brooke Voigt (CAN), 126.75; 3. Anna Gasser (AUT), 109.75.

● LUGE ● Britcher repeats as women’s U.S. champion in shortened Nationals

Bad weather caused the planned two-day USA Luge National Championships to be shortened to a single day, but that didn’t bother defending champ Summer Britcher, who won her second national title by just 0.006.

Britcher had the fastest first run at the famed Mt. Van Hoevenberg track in Lake Placid, New York at 44.047, ahead of Olympic medalist Emily Sweeney. But Sweeney came back to take the second run, 44.112-44.245 and closed to within 6/1000ths, but that was only good for second.

The men’s race went to Jonny Gustafson, who won his first national title over Sean Hollander, 1:43.522-1:44.039, winning both runs. Eight-time winner Chris Mazdzer has a torn arm tendon and a neck problem and did not race. Tucker West crashed on his first run and did not continue. Summaries:

USA Luge National Championships
Lake Placid, New York (USA) ~ 2-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Jonny Gustafson, 1:43.522; 2. Sean Hollander, 1:44.039; 3. Zach Digregorio, 1:44.339; 4. Ian Smith, 1:45.414; 5. Keaton Jens, 1:49.920.

Women: 1. Summer Britcher, 1:28.292; 2. Emily Sweeney, 1:28.298; 3. Brittney Arndt, 1:28.621; 4. Ashley Farquharson, 1:29.015; 5. Raychel Germaine, 1:29.222.

● SHORT TRACK ● Korea’s Hwang and Canada’s Boutin each win two at opening ISU World Cup

The ISU Short Track World Cup season opened at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah in the first of two North American meets. The stars were Korea’s Dae Heon Hwang and Canada’s Kim Boutin.

Hwang, the two-time World Champion at 500 m, won the first of the two 500 m events and then took the 1,000 m race. In the sprint, he defeated Russia’s Victor An, the six-time Olympic champion from Korea (2006) and Russia (2014), who has come out of retirement and returned to racing.

In the women’s division, Canada’s Boutin won the second 500 m race and the 1,500 m, defeating Dutch star Suzanne Schulting. The latter came back to win the 1,000 m over China’s Yutong Han, in which Schulting won the Olympic title in 2018.

The World Cup heads to Montreal next week before moving to Japan later this month. Summaries:

ISU Short Track World Cup
Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men

500 m I: 1. Dae Heon Hwang (KOR), 39.729; 2. Victor An (RUS), 39.961; 3. Shaoang Liu (HUN), 40.006. 500 m II: 1. Dajing Wu (CHN), 39.702; 2. Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN), 39.732; 3. Abzal Azhgaliyev (KAZ), 39.881.

1,000 m: 1. Hwang (KOR), 1:23.948; 2. An (RUS), 1:24.134; 3. Ji Won Park (KOR), 1:24.228.

1,500 m: 1. Semen Elistratov (RUS), 2:16.025; 2. Dong Wook Kim (KOR), 2:16.118; 3. Alexander Shulginov (RUS), 2:16.138.

5,000 m Relay: 1. Russia (Eybog, Sitnikov, Elistratov, An), 6:43.662; 2. Korea, 6:43.743; 3. Canada, 6:43.883.

Women

500 m I: 1. Martina Valcepina (ITA), 42.603; 2. Yara van Kerkhof (NED), 42.865; 3. Petra Jaszapati (HUN), 42.962. 500 m II: 1. Kim Boutin (CAN), 42.336; 2. Chunyu Qu (CHN), 42.452; 3. Lara van Ruijven (NED), 42.858.

1,000 m: 1. Suzanne Schulting (NED), 1:28.517; 2. Yutong Han (CHN), 1:28.664; 3. Chutong Zhang (CHN), 1:29.621.

1,500 m: 1. Boutin (CAN), 2:22.061; 2. Schulting (NED), 2:22.211; 3. Han (CHN), 2:22.282.

3,000 m Relay: 1. China (Fan, Han, Qu, Zhang), 4:08.746; 2. Korea, 4:08.979; 3. Canada, 4:09.009.

Mixed

2,000 m Relay: 1. Russia (Eybog, Efremenkova, Prosvirona, An), 2:37.585; 2. China, 2:37.70; 3. Korea, 2:37.817. Also: 4. United States (Aaron Tran, Kristen Santos, Maame Biney, Thomas Hong), 2:39.123.

SWIMMING: Chupkov and Campbell lead third cluster after Kazan World Cup

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 2019-613 campbell, cate 750 — Australia's superstar sprinter Cate Campbell

The penultimate FINA Swimming World Cup of this season once again underlined the importance of the performance bonus points in deciding who is going to be the leader for the big-money cluster bonuses.

Only one swimmer won three individual events: Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who won the 200 m Fly and the two Medleys, but she was far from the top of the points table.

Instead, it was Australia’s Cate Campbell, who won the 50-100 m Frees and was second in the 50 m Fly, but had the best performance of the meet in the 50 m Free (24.08) and got 24 points to lead the women’s list at 57. Second was Kayle McKeown (AUS), who won two events (100-200 m Back), and had the third-best performance (12 bonus points) for 45. Hosszu was third with 36.

Among the men, Russia’s Anton Chupkov won the 100-200 m Breast and had the best performance (2:07.71 in the 200 Breast), so he led the points table with 48. Dutch star Arno Kamminga was second with 36 points and sprint ace Vladimir Morozov won the 50 m Free/50 m Back and was second in the 100 m Free for 33 points, but no bonus points, for third.

The season wraps up next week in Doha (QAT). Winners and other highlighted finishers:

FINA Swimming World Cup
Kazan (RUS) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 50 m Free: Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 21.71 (2. Michael Andrew (USA), 22.03). 100 m Free: Vladislav Grinev (RUS), 47.78 (2. Morozov (RUS), 48.15). 200 m Free: Danas Rapsys (LTU), 1:46.32. 400 m Free: Rapsys (LTU), 3:44.60. 1,500 m Free: Ilia Druzhinin (RUS), 15:10.73.

50 m Back: Morozov (RUS), 24.55 (2. Andrew (USA), 24.60). 100 m Back: Grigory Tarasevich (RUS), 53.76 (4. Andrew (USA), 54.42). 200 m Back: Daniel Martin (ROU), 1:58.42.

50 m Breast: Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 27.07. 100 m Breast: Anton Chupkov (RUS), 58.94. 200 m Breast: Chupkov (RUS), 2:07.71.

50 m Fly: Andrew (USA), 23.14. 100 m Fly: Mikhail Vekovishchev (RUS), 51.56 (2. Andrew (USA), 51.86). 200 m Fly: Daniil Pakhomov (RUS), 1:57.85.

200 m Medley: Phillip Heintz (GER), 1:59.11 (2. Rapsys (LTU), 1:59.97). 400 m Medley: Patrick Satber (AUT), 4:16.64.

Women: 50 m Free: Cate Campbell (AUS), 24.08 (2. Michelle Coleman (SWE), 24.28).
100 m Free: C. Campbell (AUS), 52.76 (2. Coleman (SWE), 53.04; 3. Bronte Campbell (AUS), 53.08). 200 m Free: Daria S. Ustinova (RUS), 1:59.23. 400 m Free: Anna Egorova (RUS), 4:08.93. 800 m Free: Yukimi Moriyama (JPN), 8:37.24.

50 m Back: Kira Toussaint (NED), 27.89. 100 m Back: Kayle McKeown (AUS), 59.25. 200 m Back: McKeown (AUS), 2:07.92.

50 m Breast: Jhennifer Concecao (BRA), 30.68. 100 m Breast: Arianna Castiglioni (ITA), 1:07.59. 200 m Breast: Mariia Temnikova (RUS), 2:24.10.

50 m Fly: Arina Surkova (RUS), 25.62 (2. Cate Campbell (AUS), 26.08). 100 m Fly: Arina Surkova (RUS), 57.78. 200 m Fly: Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2:08.23.

200 m Medley: Hosszu (HUN), 2:09.50. 400 m Medley: Hosszu (HUN), 4:36.77.

Mixed: 4×100 m Free: Russia (Grinev, Vekovishchev, Kemaneva. Daria S. Ustinova), 3:27.85. 4×100 m Medley: Russia (Tarasevich, Chupkov, Surkova, Kemneva), 3:44.38.

SCOREBOARD: Roberts and Valente dominate for U.S. in BMX Freestyle Park and Track Cycling

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1103 valente, jennifer minsk 750 — Three wins at the Minsk World Cup: American star Jennifer Valente (Photo: UCI)

Highlights and results of noteworthy competitions around the world:

● BADMINTON ● China and Thailand win two in Macau Open

As China can be considered the “home team” in Macau, it had four finalists playing on Sunday in the Macau Open finals, with wins for two. Junjui Li and Yuchen Liu, ranked no. 3 worldwide, scored a three-set win over countrymen Kai Xiang Huang and Cheng Liu in men’s Doubles and Yue Du and Yinhui Li (no. 7) won over the Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kitithharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.

But the Thais also got two wins, with Sitthikom Thammasin upsetting no. 6 Yuqi Shi (CHN), 12-21, 21-14, 21-7, and the Mixed Doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai winning easily.

Canada’s Michelle Li, the top seed coming in, won the women’s Singles in straight sets over Yue Han of China. Finals:

BWF World Tour/Macau Open
Macau (CHN) ~ 29 October-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: Sitthikom Thammasin (THA) d. Yuqi Shi (CHN), 12-21, 21-14, 21-7. Men/Doubles: Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN) d. Kai Xiang Huang/Cheng Liu (CHN), 21-8, 18-21, 22-20.

Women/Singles: Michelle Li (CAN) d. Yue Han (CHN), 21-18, 21-8. Women/Doubles: Yue Du/Yinhui Li (CHN) d. Jongkolphan Kitithharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai (THA), 21-16, 10-21, 21-12.

Mixed Doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA) d. Chi-Lin Wang/Chi-Ya Cheng (TPE), 21-11, 21-8.

● BEACH VOLLEYBALL ● Border/Sude defeat Walsh Jennings in Qinzhou three-star

Believe it or not, the 2019-2020 FIVB World Tour has started and while the top seeds ended up in the men’s final, the women’s final had more drama.

The German pair of Karla Borger and Julia Sude out-pointed Americans Brooke Sweat and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the women’s final, 21-16, 21-19. In the race for points for a U.S. spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sweat and Walsh Jennings are moving up, and are now no. 6 in the FIVB World Rankings.

The men’s final went to form, as no. 1-seeded Adrian Heidrich and Micro Gerson defeated no. 2 Martin Ermacora and Moritz Pristauz of Austria, 21-13, 21-16. Summaries:

FIVB World Tour 3-star
Qinzhou (CHN) ~ 30 October-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Adrian Heidrich/Mirco Gerson (SUI); 2. Martin Ermacora/Moritz Pristauz (AUT); 3. Valeriy Samoday/Igor Velichko (RUS). Final: Heidrich/Gerson d. Ermacora/Pristauz, 2-0.

Women: 1. Karla Borger/Julia Sude (GER); 2. Brooke Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA); 3. Shuhui Wen/Jingzhe Wang (CHN). Final: Borger/Sude d. Sweat/Walsh Jennings, 2-0.

● CYCLING ● Three golds & for American star Valente in Track Cycling opener; Hannah Roberts wins in Freestyle

A big weekend in both BMX Freestyle Park and Track Cycling as one World Cup season ended and the other began.

In BMX Freestyle Park, Americans Hannah Roberts and Perris Benegas went 1-2 in the weekend’s final World Cup in Chengdu (CHN) and ended up 1-2 in the final World Cup standings. The men’s final in Chengdu had to be canceled, so Japan’s Rimu Nakamura and Aussie Logan Martin went 1-2 in the final standings, with Americans Justin Dowell and Nick Bruce third and fourth.

The same stars will be in Chengdu this week for the UCI World Urban Championships.

In the first Track Cycling World Cup, in Minsk (BLR), American Jennifer Valente was a big star, winning three events and claiming a bronze in a fourth. She won the Omnium – as usual – plus the Points Race and was part of the U.S. Team Pursuit winners … and a third in the Scratch Race (and a fifth in the Madison!).

There were two world records, both by Italy’s Filippo Ganna, in the Individual Pursuit. He smashed the 4:05.423 mark by Ashton Lambie (USA) in September with a 4:04.252 mark in the prelims, then improved his own mark at 4:02.647 in the final. Lambie watched the whole thing in person, and ended up finishing fourth.

Dutch sprint star Harrie Lavreysen won three events, taking the Sprint, the Team Sprint and Keirin. Summaries:

UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup
Chengdu (CHN) ~ 31 October-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Freestyle Park: Final canceled; semi-final standings used for overall standings.

Men/Final Standings: 1. Rimu Nakamura (JPN), 26,200; 2. Logan Martin (AUS), 24,100; 3. Justin Dowell (USA), 23,400; 4. Nick Bruce (USA), 21,800; 5. Irek Rizaev (RUS), 20.600.

Women/Freestyle Park: 1. Hannah Roberts (USA), 93.80; 2. Perris Benegas (USA), 90.20; 3. Charlotte Worthington (GBR), 88.40. Also: 7. Angie Marino (USA), 81.50; 8. Chelsea Wolfe (USA), 79.90.

Women/Final Standings: 1. Hannah Roberts (USA), 30,000; 2. Perris Benegas (USA), 26,200; 3. Lara Lessmann (GER), 24,400; 4. Nikita Ducarroz (SUI), 20,600; 5. Chelsea Wolfe (USA), 20,300.

UCI Track Cycling World Cup I
Minsk (BLR) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Sprint/ Final: Harrie Levreysen (NED) d. Jeffrey Hoogland (NED), 2-3. Third: Matthijs Buchli (NED) d. Sebastien Vigier (FRA), 2-1.

Team Sprint/ Final: 1. Netherlands (Hoogland, Lavreysen, van Thoenderdaal), 42.204; 2. Great Britain, 42.590. Third: Beat Cycling (NED), 43.018; 4. France, 43.154.

Indiv. Pursuit: 1. Filippo Ganna (ITA), 4:02.647 (World Record; old, 4:04.252, Filippo, in prelims); 2. John Archibald (GBR), 4:09.483; 3. Stefan Bissegger (SUI), 4:10.391. Also: 4. Ashton Lambie (USA), 4:11.966. (In prelims: Filippo, 4:04.252; World Record; old, 4:05.423, Ashton Lambie (USA), 2019).

Team Pursuit: 1. Denmark (Hansen, Johansen, Madsen, Pedersen), 3:50.207; 2. France, 3:51.777. Third: Italy, 3:51.689; 4. Germany, 3:52.685.

Keirin: 1. Lavreysen (NED); 2. Denis Dmitriev (RUS) +0.076; 3. Koyu Matsui (JPN), +0.342.

Points Race: 1. Mark Stewart (GBR), 95; 2. Sebastian Mora Vedri (ESP), 87; 3. Andreas Graf (AUT), 55.

Scratch Race: 1. Yauheni Karaliok (BLR), 16:55.485; 2. Mora Vedri (ESP); 3. Eric Young (USA).

Omnium: 1. Matthew Wallis (GBR), 163; 2. Elia Viviani (ITA), 154; 3. Rui Oliveira (POR), 149.

Madison: 1. Lasse Norman/Michael Morkov (DEN), 52; 2. Bryan Coquard/Benjamin Thomas (FRA), 44; 3. Albert Torres Barcelo/Sebastian Mora Vedri (ESP), 41.

Women

Sprint/ Final: Wai Sze Lee (HKG) d. Anastasiia Voinova (RUS), 2-0. Third: Emma Hinze (GER) d. Mandy Marquardt (USA), 2-0.

Team Sprint / Final: 1. Ekaterina Rogovaya/Daria Shmeleva (Gazprom/RUS), 32.945; 2. Natalia Antonova/Ekaterina Gnidenko (RUS), 33.262. Third: Lea Sophie Friedrich/Pauline Grabosch (Erdgas/GER), 33.016; 4. Shanne Braspennicnx/Kyra Lamberink (NED), 33.238.

Team Pursuit/ Final: 1. United States (Jennifer Valente, Christina Birch, Chloe Dygert, Emma White), 4:13.762; 2. Germany, 4:14.836. Third: Italy, 4:16.430; 4. France, 4:18.667.

Keirin: 1. Hinze (GER); 2. Mathilde Gros (FRA), +0.098; 3. Hyejin Lee (KOR), +0.098.

Points Race: 1. Jennifer Valente (USA), 66; 2. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA), 38; 3. Tatsiana Sharakova (BLR), 35.

Scratch Race: 1. Kirsten Wild (NED), 13:13.204; 2. Martina Fidanza (ITA); 3. Valente (USA).

Omnium: 1. Valente (USA), 130; 2. Letizia Paternoster (ITA), 116; 3. Laura Kenny (GBR), 108.

Madison: 1. Kirsten Wild/Amy Pieters (NED), 50; 2. Laura Kenny/Emily Nelson (GBR), 44; 3. Clara Copponi/Merie la Net (FRA), 35. Also: 5. Jennifer Valente/Christina Birch (USA), 22.

● FENCING ● Popescu wins 10th World Cup gold in season opener in Estonia

Romania’s Ana Maria Popescu may be 34, but after a World Championships silver medal in 2019, she’s a contender every time and showed it by winning in the FIE Epee World Cup season opener.

She won a tight Round of 32 match from American Courtney Hurley, 15-14, then sailed into the final with 15-9, 15-7 and 15-5 wins to face China’s Yiwen Sun in the final. That was another battle, with Popescu winning, 15-14 again. It was the fifth meeting between the two, with Popescu now holding a 3-2 lead.

The win was the Romanian’s 10th career World Cup gold medal and 23rd medal overall. She also had 16 career Grand Prix medals for a career “regular season” total of 39.

In the Team event, Poland squeezed by Russia, 45-44, and the U.S. team of Anna van Brummen and the three Hurley sisters – Courtney, Kelley and Kat – defeated China for the bronze medal by 43-35. Summaries:

FIE World Cup
Tallin (EST) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Women/Epee: 1. Ana Maria Popescu (ROU); 2. Violetta Kolobova (RUS); 3. Yiwen Sun (CHN) and Mingye Zhu (CHN). Final: Popescu d. Kolobova, 15-14.

Women/Team Epee: 1. Poland (Knapik-Miazga, Rutz, Zamachowska, Trzebinska); 2. Russia; 3. United States (Courtney Hurley, Kat Hurley, Kelley Hurley, Anna van Brummen). Third: U.S. d. China, 43-35. Final: Poland d. Russia, 45-44.

FIGURE SKATING: Kostornaia upsets Zagitova in Internationaux de France; U.S.’s Bell gets third

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1103 kostornaia, alena grenobole 750 — New star: Russia's Alena Kostornaia, winner of the Internationaux de France (Photo: ISU)

Russia’s 17-year-old Alina Zagitova had been queen of the ice for two full seasons, winning the Olympic title in 2018 and then becoming World Champion last year.

But 16-year-old Alena Kostornaia, in her first year on the senior level, scored an impressive 236.00-216.06 win over Zagitova at the ISU Grand Prix’s Internationaux de France in Grenoble, winning both the Short Program and the Free Skate.

“I am pleased that I was able to skate well and to show a clean program,” said the winner “I hope to improve my jumps and my program with each competition and to perfect myself. I had a show number to this music and I liked it so much and we decided to use it for this season.”

Kostornaia, the 2018 World Junior runner-up, had six triple jumps in her Free Skate and scored a lifetime best of 159.45. Zagitova stumbled on her opening jump and finished third in the Free Skate, with American Mariah Bell taking second with one of her top performances and scored a personal best 142.64, but finished a very creditable third overall.

In Pairs, the Russian entries remained 1-2, but in a different order. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov won the Free Skate and jumped from second to first at 207.58, just better than teammates Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin (206.56). The latter dropped to third in the Free Skate, behind Americans Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier, who remained in third overall. Summaries:

ISU Grand Prix/Internationaux de France
Grenoble (FRA) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Nathan Chen (USA), 297.16 (1st in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Alexander Samarin (RUS), 265.10 (2+3); 3. Kevin Aymoz (FRA), 254.64 (3+2); 4. Morisi Kvitelashvili (GEO), 236.38 (5+5); 5. Tomoki Hiwatashi (USA), 227.43 (10+4).

Women: 1. Alena Kostornaia (RUS), 236.00 (1+1); 2. Alina Zagitova (RUS), 216.06 (2+2); 3. Mariah Bell (USA), 212.89 (3+2); 4. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN), 199.24 (6+4); 5. Starr Andrews (USA), 180.54 (4+5).

Pairs: 1. Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS), 207.58 (2+1); 2. Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin (RUS), 206.56 (1+3); 3. Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA), 199.40 (3+2); 4. Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy Leduc (USA), 195.78 (4+4); 5. Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer (AUT), 181.26 (8+5).

Ice Dance: 1. Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA), 222.24 (1+1); 2. Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA), 204.84 (2+2); 3. Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA), 203.34 (3+3); 4. Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz (ESP), 188.18 (4+4); 5. Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS), 184.44 (5+5).

ATHLETICS: First-timer Jepkosgei stuns Keitany in New York City Marathon; Kamworor wins easily

Rich Perelman

November 3, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1103 jepkosgei joyciline 750 — Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, upset winner of the New York City Marathon

The story of the TCS New York City Marathon was supposed to be Kenyan Mary Keitany’s run to a fifth title. But no one can ever account for wild cards … like stars at other distances running their first marathon.

The women’s race was down to five by the halfway mark, with Keitany running easily with Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga, Nancy Kiprop (KEN), American Des Linden and first-time marathoner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, at 1:11:39.

By 25 km, it was down to Jepkosgei, Aga and Keitany, but Aga dropped back shortly thereafter. The two Kenyans ran together for a while, but Jepkosgei broke away at 22 1/2 miles and ran solo to the finish, winning her debut in one of the world’s legendary races.

Jepkosgei, 25, completed a New York double as she also won the 2019 New York City Half Marathon and is hardly unknown. She is the Half Marathon world-record holder at 64:51 from 2017 and was the silver winner in the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.

She simply had more left once the running got serious and moved away from Keitany, who finished second for the second time in the last three years. Keitany also continued her record of medals in this race: she’s now 8-for-8 with four wins, two silvers and two bronzes.

Jepkosgei finished in 2:22:38, just seven seconds off of Kenyan Margaret Okayo’s course record from 2003.

The men’s race was another blow-out at the end. A large group run through the half in 1:04:50, but it was down to five by 20 miles, with the expected stars in front: Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor and Albert Korir and Ethiopians Tamirat Tola, Shura Kitata and Girma Bekele Gebre, who was not part of the elite field and started the race in the non-elite section!

Kamworor, the 2017 winner, looked easy and loped along with this pack, with Kitata the first to break at 22 miles. At mile 23, Kamworor decided to end the suspense and moved strongly, dropping Tola first and then taking an increasing lead over Korir and Gebre.

He wasn’t challenged and finished by waving to the crowd at the finish line in 2:08:13, 23 seconds ahead of Korir, with Gebre third. The Ethiopian’s accomplishment was underscored by his time of 2:08:38, a personal best by more than four minutes from his 2:13:02 in 2015! He had finished 19th in this race in 2018 (2:18:18)!

Kamworor ran the second half of the race in 63:23 and looked like he could have run much faster. He was greeted at the finish by his training partner (and world-record holder) Eliud Kipchoge and claimed his third straight medal in New York. For his career, Kamworor has now run nine marathons and won a medal in six.

Prize money for the professionals was $100,000-60,000-40,000-25,000-15,000-10,000-7,500-5,000-2,500-2,000 for the top 10 men and women ($534,000) total. The top U.S. finishers won added bonuses of $25,000-15,000-10,000-5,000-3,000 ($116,000 total).

Kamworor also won a time bonus of $15,000 for finishing under 2:09, as did Korir and Gebre. Joskepgei won a $45,000 bonus for her near-course record and was the big money-winner on the day. Keitany got $35,000 for her second-place 2:23:32 and Aga – who made a nice comeback after dropping out of the too-hot World Championships marathon – collected an extra $15,000 for her 2:25:51. Summaries:

World Marathon Majors/New York City Marathon
New York, New York (USA) ~ 3 November 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN), 2:08:13; 2. Albert Korir (KEN), 2:08:36; 3. Girma Bekele Gebre (ETH), 2:08:38; 4. Tamirat Tola (ETH), 2:09:20; 5. Shura Kitata (ETH), 2:10:39; 6. Jared Ward (USA), 2:10:45; 7. Stephen Sambu (KEN), 2:11:11; 8. Yoshiki Takenouchi (JPN), 2:11:18; 9. Abdi Abdirahman (USA), 2:11:34; 10. Connor McMillan (USA), 2:12:07.

Women: 1. Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN), 2:22:38; 2. Mary Keitany (KEN), 2:23:32; 3. Ruti Aga (ETH), 2:25:51; 4. Nancy Kiprop (KEN), 2:26:21; 5. Sinead Diver (AUS), 2:26:23; 6. Des Linden (USA), 2:26:46; 7. Kellyn Taylor (USA), 2:26:52; 8. Ellie Pashley (AUS), 2:27:07; 9. Belaynesh Fikadu (ETH), 2:27:27; 10. Mary Ngugi (KEN), 2:27:36.

FIGURE SKATING: Chen and Papadakis/Cizeron post easy wins at Internationaux de France

Rich Perelman

November 2, 2019

tsx pix 120918 chen nathan isu gp final (ISU) 750 — Five-time U.S. National Champion Nathan Chen (Photo: ISU)

From a competitive standpoint, the goal of the ISU Grand Prix is to qualify for the Grand Prix Final and World Champions Nathan Chen of the U.S. and France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron did that just with wins in Grenoble at the Internationaux de France.

Chen won both the Short Program and the Free Skate to score 297.16 points, well ahead of Russia’s Alexander Samarin (265.10), but inferior to his prior score at Skate America (299.09). Papadakis and Cizeron won the Ice Dance at 222.24, in front of Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates (204.84).

Chen, still just 20, included had four quadruple jumps in his program and two triple Axels; he said afterwards, “I am happy to have qualified for the Final. Placement-wise of course, I’m happy with the results, both Skate America and France. Of course, [at] both Skate America and France I made mistakes. I made a lot of silly errors, errors that I need to fix.”

Chock and Bates noted that their change in schedule for this season made a difference. Said Bates, “We skated really well both short and free, and we are very pleased with the way the programs kind of open up and carry more speed throughout. I think doing two [ISU] Challengers [events] really was beneficial for us.”

Russians Alena Kostornaia (76.55) and World Champion Alina Zagitova (74.24) lead the women’s competition and the Russian Pairs of Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin (76.59) and Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (73.77) have the lead, both after the Short Programs.

The competition continues with the women’s and Pairs events and will conclude on Sunday. Summaries so far:

ISU Grand Prix/Internationaux de France
Grenoble (FRA) ~ 1-3 November 2019
(Full results here)

THE BIG PICTURE: Tokyo concedes event moves to Sapporo, but gets back $100+ million?

Rich Perelman

November 1, 2019

The tug-of-war over the location of the Olympic marathons and race walks for 2020 was concluded on Friday during the meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government conceded to the IOC’s move of the marathons and race walks to Sapporo for cooler weather.

Governor Yuriko Koike said after the meeting, “The IOC has the authority to decide the event venue. While the Tokyo Metropolitan Government cannot consent to holding the events in Sapporo, we will also not interfere with the IOC decision. I would describe what occurred here as a decision without agreement.”

But Koike did not come away empty-handed, either. The IOC’s statement on the meeting included:

“The four-party working group agreed to the following points at the Coordination Commission meeting:

“- The authority to change the venue belongs to the IOC.

“- The TMG will not be asked to bear the cost that is newly incurred when the venues are moved to Sapporo.

“- The expenses which were already made by the TMG and Tokyo 2020 in relation to the marathon and race walk will be examined and verified, and the expenses that the TMG cannot use for other purposes will not be borne by the TMG.

“- There will be no future venue changes other than marathon and race walk.”

The Japan Times reported that “[r]elocating the events will cost more than ¥34 billion ($310 million), according to an estimate by [political party] Tomin First no Kai that included both the cost of holding the events in Tokyo as well as what it would take to build temporary facilities and dedicated communication lines for media, among other things.”

It was not stated what – if any – of the costs of staging the Olympic marathons and walks would have to be borne by the city of Sapporo.

IOC Coordination Commission chair John Coates (AUS) dug further into the IOC’s pocket, saying in the statement:

“On behalf of the IOC, we also want to express our sincere appreciation to the people of Tokyo. We can fully understand the concerns and disappointment of Tokyoites, who are so enthusiastic and involved in these Olympic Games. It is for this reason that we have proposed to organise, together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), an ‘Olympic Celebration marathon’ after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will be an opportunity to say thank you and celebrate the outstanding contribution of the TMG and the people of Tokyo to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The notice that there will be no further venue changes now places more focus on the heat and environmental conditions for the open-water swimming events in both Swimming and Triathlon. The test event for the Open Water Swimming competition was held in barely-acceptable conditions this summer and the International Triathlon Union has strict rules on either shortening or canceling competitions if the water temps are above specified levels.

TSX INTEL REPORT: More events to be moved from Tokyo due to heat? Here are some candidates; Amgen Tour of California on “hiatus” & meet Grant Holloway, Twitter star!

Rich Perelman

November 1, 2019

= TSX INTELLIGENCE REPORT ~ 1 November 2019 =

● LANE ONE ● IOC moves Tokyo marathons and walks, but are there still more events to be moved?

The International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission is in Tokyo, meeting with the 2020 organizers and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which is quite unhappy about the move of the marathons and race walks some 516 miles north to Sapporo.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has complained that the government was not consulted, or even told in advance, of the plan to move these events, and has stated that Tokyo will not pay to stage events in Sapporo.

In the meantime, the marathons and walks cannot be the only events being discussed in view of the high temperatures projected for the Games period in Tokyo beginning on 24 July 2020. What about the Open Water swimming events – the 10 km swims require last about two hours – and the triathlons, with open-water swimming (1,500 m) and road running (10 km)?

The Open Water test event earlier this summer featured water temperatures so high at 7:30 a.m. that the event was close to cancellation. The international federation (FINA) has rules that limit the water temp, as does the International Triathlon Union. Are these on the table for discussion in Tokyo … or will they stay stuck on the marathons and walks? More here.

● CYCLING ● AEG’s Amgen Tour of California “on hiatus” for 2020 and may be gone

Over the 10 months of the annual UCI World Tour in road cycling – the highest-profile races each year – there has been only one race in the U.S. over the past three years: the Amgen Tour of California for men and the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race. Not any more.

Organizer AEG announced on Tuesday (link) that it “will put the Amgen Tour of California race on hiatus for the 2020 racing season.”

The reason is simple: not enough money.

“This has been a very difficult decision to make, but the business fundamentals of the Amgen Tour of California have changed since we launched the race 14 years ago,” said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports.

“While professional cycling globally continues to grow and we are very proud of the work we have done to increase the relevance of professional cycling, particularly in the United States, it has become more challenging each year to mount the race. This new reality has forced us to re-evaluate our options, and we are actively assessing every aspect of our event to determine if there is a business model that will allow us to successfully relaunch the race in 2021.”

The Amgen Tour had been a popular destination for riders including Tour de France winners Bradley Wiggins (GBR) and Egan Bernal (COL) and sprint superstar Peter Sagan (SVK), winner of a record 17 stages at the race. But barring a major breakthrough with new sponsors, it’s likely done, and a bad blow to professional cycling’s profile in the U.S.

● FOOTBALL ● Only six teams at 2-0 in FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup in Brazil

After the move of the tournament from Peru to Brazil earlier in the year, the FIFA men’s U-17 World Cup continues with group play heading into the final games.

A total of 24 teams are playing, in six groups of four. Thus far, Brazil and Angola lead Group A (both 2-0); Nigeria is 2-0 in Group B; France is 2-0 in Group C; Senegal is 2-0 in Group D and Italy is 2-0 in Group F.

The U.S. men lost their first game (in Group D) to Senegal, 4-1, then had a scoreless draw with Japan. The Americans will play the Netherlands on Saturday with advancement at stake either as the second team in the group, or possibly as one of the “best” third-place teams.

The semifinals will be played on 14 November and the medal matches on 17 November. Look for results here.

● JUDO ● UAE, IJF and Euronews recognized by International Fair Play Committee in Abu Dhabi

In the face of obvious discrimination against athletes from specific countries, the International Judo Federation has insisted that such actions will not be tolerated. As the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam tournament was about to start last week, a special ceremony was held to honor the “historic accomplishment of enabling the participation of Israeli athletes with full recognition of its national insignia as well as the playing of its national anthem upon the victory of Israeli athletes, for the first time, in Abu Dhabi” or in any Persian Gulf country.

The change of policy in the UAE was recognized by the 2018 Willi Daume World Fair Play Trophy for Promotion by the International Fair Play Committee jointly to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation President Mohamed bin Thaalloob Alderie; International Judo Federation President Marius L. Vizer, and Michael Peters, chief executive of EuroNews.

Said Vizer, “I want to thank the UAE government, who’ve helped us to open the door for international peace and it was not an easy decision but was one we all welcomed and applauded. Thank you to all of our judo family for your support and hard work in all of challenging moments such as Iran and Israel.” More here.

● ATHLETICS ● Keitany looks for fifth New York City Marathon title Sunday

The final major marathon of 2019 comes Sunday with the TCS New York City Marathon, with cool temperatures of about 50 degrees expected, but with some winds.

The 2018 winners are back to defend their titles, with Kenyan star Mary Keitany trying for a fifth title in the past six years in the women’s division. The last two men’s champions, Lelisa Desisa (ETH: 2018; pictured) and Geoffrey Kamworer (KEN: 2017) will face off again in the men’s race.

Desisa will also have serious competition from countrymen Tamirat Tola (2:04:06 lifetime best), fourth at New York last year, and Shura Kitata, who finished second at both the London and New York marathons last year.

Keitany will have to deal with 2019 Tokyo Marathon winner Ruti Aga (ETH), who did not finish in the heat of the 2019 World Championships marathon in Doha and will be highly motivated to show that was due to the extreme conditions there. Much more about the race here.

USA Track & Field named its coaching staffs for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, with plenty of familiar faces (link):

● Men: Mike Holloway, head coach (University of Florida); assistants: Darryl Woodson (sprints and hurdles), Stanley Redwine (distances), Nat Page (jumps), Gary Aldrich (throws), Tim Weaver (head manager).

● Women: Rose Monday, head coach (USATF Women’s Track & Field chair); assistants: LaTanya Sheffield (sprints and hurdles), Megan Watson (distances), Robyne Johnson (jumps), Sandra Fowler (throws), Marsha Seagrave (head manager).

Orin Richburg will support both staffs for relays and Manny Bautista and Danielle Siebert will be Event Managers.

USA Track & Field named its Hall of Fame Class of 2019 (link), including Olympic medal winners Steve Lewis (400 m), Sandra Farmer-Patrick (400 m hurdles) and John Powell (discus) and the late Fred Thompson, founder and coach of the Atoms Track Club.

Lewis won Olympic golds in the 400 m and 4×400 m (1988) and 4×400 m in 1992; Farmer-Patrick won Olympic silver in the 400 m hurdles in 1992 and Powell won Olympic bronzes in the disc in 1976 and 1984. The induction ceremony will take place on 7 December during the USATF Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada.

● ALPINE SKIING ● FIS chief says “We have too many races” in Alpine World Cup

International Ski Federation President Gian-Franco Kasper (SUI) admitted that the Alpine World Cup schedule, with 44 men’s races and 41 women’s races from now through March, is at the breaking point.

“I know it’s not easy for the athletes and also for some organizers,” he told the Associated Press last week (link). “We are now at a certain limit, there is no question. We have too many races. But FIS is not here to prevent races but to organize races.”

Said American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, “Sometimes it doesn’t really make sense how they make it work. Which races are where? You are traveling all over the place, kind of in the wrong direction half of the time. That’s actually very difficult to manage. But then they can’t expect us to do everything.”

● THIS WEEK ● World Cup action starts in cycling and fencing; major Baseball qualifier starts

Notable events are on this weekend in Badminton, Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Cycling in BMX Freestyle and Track Cycling, Fencing and Swimming.

The Baseball Premier 12 tournament is a crucial qualifier that will admit two teams of the six teams to the Tokyo 2020 tournament. No. 1-ranked Japan is already in as the host country, but the no. 2-ranked U.S. team will try to qualify. The tournament starts Sunday in Mexico, Chinese Taipei and South Korea, with the second round and finals in Japan; the medal matches will be on 17 November.

Cycling action will be in Chengdu (CHN) for the final BMX Freestyle World Cup, in advance of the World Urban Cycling Championships – also in Chengdu – a week later. Australian Logan Martin and American Hannah Roberts are the current World Cup leaders, but 2018 World Champions Justin Dowell and Perris Benegas (both Americans) are close behind.

The Track Cycling World Cup starts this weekend in Minsk (BLR), with defending World Cup and World Championships winners Matthijs Buchli (NED), Wai Sze Lee (HKG) and Kirsten Wild (NED) as the headliners going into the season.

The next-to-last FINA Swimming World Cup is being held in Kazan (RUS), with Russia’s Vladimir Morozov having all but clinched the men’s title. But there is roaring finish ahead in the women’s overall race, with Aussie Cate Campbell just three points ahead of Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu. The series will finish next week in Doha (QAT).

More here; a special preview of the FINA World Cup is here.

● WINTER WEEK ● Chen, Zagitova headline Internationaux de France; World Cups get rolling

The winter sports scene is in full swing now, starting with the third stage in the ISU Grand Prix, the Internationaux de France, in Grenoble. World Champions Nathan Chen of the U.S., Alina Zagitova of Russia and France’s Ice Dance starts Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are the strong favorites in their events. Chen will have a substantial challenge from 2018 Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno of Japan. More here.

The FIS World Cup circuits in Freestyle Big Air and Snowboard Big Air are on at Modena (ITA) and the first ISU Short Track World Cup will be held at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City. The U.S. nationals in luge will be in Lake Placid with Chris Mazdzer and Summer Britcher trying to defend their 2018 victories. Much more here.

● THE LAST WORD ● American hurdles star Grant Holloway, the 2019 World Champion, is quickly becoming a star on Twitter.

He recently posted, “Need new games to stream! Drop suggestions!” Fellow hurdler Devon Allen suggested Fortnite and Holloway replied, “Say that again I will block you.” Some others got the same treatment.

But he’s also personable, raw and authentic. Over a video of himself, standing at attention and saluting the flag during his victory ceremony for the 110 m hurdles at the Doha Worlds, he wrote:

“One of my favorite moments of my life. A lot of people asked me about equal rights & all that BS going around. Do I think it’s unfair? Yes, But my Father served 22 years in the military & I’ll be damned if I ever disrespect what he did for me & this country. It’s bigger then you.”

ATHLETICS Preview: Keitany tries for fifth NYC Marathon title on Sunday

Rich Perelman

October 31, 2019

tsx pix 41918 keitany mary 750 — Another New York City Marathon for Kenya's Mary Keitany on Sunday?

The final major marathon of 2019, the annual New York City Marathon, comes Sunday through the five boroughs of New York, with strong fields and good weather of around 50 degrees expected, but with some wind.

The storylines coming in are for Kenya’s Mary Keitany, the four-time winner of the race and defending champion, and the match-up of the last two men’s winners: Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa (2018, and 2019 World Champion) and Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworer (2017). Keitany has not been in top form so far in 2019, with a fifth in 2:20:58 in London in April and a fourth in a Half Marathon (67:58) in early September. But after Brigid Kosgei’s stunning 2:14:04 world record in Chicago, will she try for something special? The women’s course record is 2:22:31 by Kenya’s Margaret Okayo in 2003. The leading entries by lifetime bests:

Men:
● 2:04:06 ‘18 – Tamirat Tola (ETH) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist; 4th in NYCM ‘18
● 2:04:45 ‘13 – Lelisa Desisa (ETH) ~ 2019 World Champion; 2-3-dnf-3-1 in NYCM starts
● 2:04:49 ‘18 – Shura Kitata (ETH) ~ 2018 silvers at London and New York
● 2:06:12 ‘12 – Geoffrey Kamworer (KEN) ~ 2-1-3 in ‘15-17-18 NYCM; 3x World Half golds
● 2:08:03 ‘19 – Albert Korir (KEN) ~ Won Houston & Ottawa Marathons in 2019
● 2:08:05 ‘19 – Yassine Rachik (ITA) ~ 2018 European Champs bronze medalist
● 2:08:33 ‘15 – Arne Gabius (GER) ~ 7th at Hannover Mar ‘19; NYC debut
● 2:08:56 ‘06 – Abdi Abdirahman (USA) ~ (42) 8th NYCM: 14-5-6-9-3-7-dnf (bronze in 2016)

Women:
● 2:17:01 ‘17 – Mary Keitany (KEN) ~ NYCM winner in 2014-15-16-18; 2nd in ‘17
● 2:18:34 ‘18 – Ruti Aga (ETH) ~ 2019 Tokyo Marathon winner; PR in Berlin ‘18 (2nd)
● 2:22:02 ‘19 – Nancy Kiprop (KEN) ~ PR to win 2019 Vienna Marathon
● 2:24:11 ‘19 – Sinead Diver (AUS) ~ (42) PR for seventh at 2019 London Marathon
● 2:26:21 ‘19 – Ellie Pashley (AUS) ~ PR for 14th in 2019 Nagoya Marathon
● 2:26:41 ‘19 – Belaynesh Fikadu (ETH) ~ PR for 2nd at 2019 Houston Marathon
● 2:22:28 ‘11 – Des Linden (USA) ~ 2018 Boston champ; 5th NYCM ‘14, 6th NYCM ‘18
● 2:24:29 ‘18 – Kellyn Taylor (USA) ~ PR to win Duluth Marathon ‘18; 8th NYCM ‘17
● 2:26:20 ‘19 – Sara Hall (USA) ~ PR for 5th at 2019 Berlin Marathon; 9th NYCM ‘16
● 2:26:48 ‘19 – Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) ~ Third at Rotterdam ‘19 with PR 2:26:48

Although placements have usually been more important in New York than time, there will be considerable interest on the clock, given the tight Tokyo 2020 qualifying marks of 2:11:30 (men) and 2:29:30 (women). The qualifying standards for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February are 2:15:00 for men and 2:37:00 for women, with secondary standards (provisional qualifying) of 2:19:00 and 2:45:00.

Prize money for the professionals is $100,000-60,000-40,000-25,000-15,000-10,000-7.500-5,000-2,500-2,000 for the top 10 for both sexes ($534,000 total).There is bonus money for the top five U.S. finishers of $25,000-15,000-10,000-5,000-3,000 ($116,000 total). Also, there are time bonuses of up to $50,000.

Another notable entry is 2018 Olympic Cross Country Skiing gold medalist Kikkan Randall (USA), now a member of the International Olympic Committee, who has been battling (and beating) breast cancer.

The race will be shown live nationally from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN2, with John Anderson and Sage Steele being joined by Tim Hutchings and the just-retired Shalane Flanagan, the famed 2017 winner and Olympic medalist. Look for results here.

SWIMMING Preview: Final cluster starts in Kazan with Campbell and Hosszu still fighting it out

Rich Perelman

October 31, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1010 Hosszu, Katinka OK 750 — Hungary's swimming superstar Katinka Hosszu

The FINA Swimming World Cup enters its final phase for 2019 with two more meets, in Kazan (RUS) this weekend and Doha (QAT) next week. Neither is especially important on their own, except for the annual prize derby, which has significant awards remaining:

(1) Cluster prizes of $50,000-35,000-30,000-20,000-10,000-5,000-3,000-2,000 for the top eight scorers;

(2) Overall series prizes of $150,000-100,000-50,000 for the top three.

The men’s overall race is essentially over, although not clinched for Russia’s Vladimir Morozov. The maximum points that can be scored in a single meet is 60 and he has a 87-point lead with two meets left. The women’s race is much closer:

● Men:
1. 264 Vladimir Morozov (RUS)
2. 177 Danas Rapsys (LTU)
3. 132 Michael Andrew (USA)
4. 129 Andrew Wilson (USA)
5. 117 Arno Kamminga (NED)

● Women:
1. 243 Cate Campbell (AUS)
2. 240 Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
3. 135 Michelle Coleman (SWE)
4. 120 Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN)
5. 105 Emily Seebohm (AUS)

Hosszu has been consistent, winning the maximum three events in each meet in the series, but Campbell – despite losing frequently – has been winning via bonus points for the best performance of the meet on the FINA Points table.

Both will be tired after heavy workloads in the International Swimming League meets in Europe, especially in Budapest (HUN) last week. But they are both entered with typical workloads (for them):

● Cate Campbell (AUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Fly
● Katinka Hosszu (HUN) ~ 50-100-200-400 m Free, 50-100-200 m Back, 100-200 m Breast, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley

Among the men’s entries:

● Vladimir Morozov (RUS) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50 m Back
● Danas Rapsys (LTU) ~ 200-400-1,500 m Free, 200 m Medley
● Michael Andrew (USA) ~ 50-100 m Free, 50-100 m Back, 50-100 m Breast, 50-100 m Fly, 200 m Medley

Two swimmers – Zsombor Bujdoso (HUN) and Ilaria Cusinaro (ITA) – have entered all 16 individual events (!), but can scratch down from that list anytime they choose, so we’ll see how many they actually undertake.

Prize money at the Kazan meet itself is $1,500-1,000-500-400-300-200 for the top six placers in each event. Look for results here.

THIS WEEK: Tokyo qualifying on the line at Baseball Premier 12; cycling and fencing World Cups start

Rich Perelman

October 31, 2019

tsx pix 41218 roberts, hannah interview 750 — Another World Cup wincoming for U.S. Freestyle Park teen sensation Hannah Roberts?

Winter doesn’t always mean snow and ice, as the World Cup seasons for Track Cycling and Fencing begin this week. Plus a major qualifying tournament for baseball for Tokyo 2020:

● BADMINTON ● Two returning champs in this week’s Macau Open

The 14th edition of the Macau Open is underway, a Level 300 tournament with $150,000 in prize money. As such, the fields aren’t the strongest; the top seeds (and world ranking, where available):

● Men/Singles: Yuqi Shi (CHN: 6). Men/Doubles: Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN: 3).

● Women/Singles: Michelle Li (CAN: 8). Women/Doubles: Yue Du/Yinhui Li (CHN: 7).

● Mixed Doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA: 4)

The 2018 champions returning this year include Canada’s Li in women’s Singles and Chun Man Tang and Ying Suet Tse (HKG) in Mixed Doubles. Look for results here.

● BASEBALL ● Premier 12 starts Sunday with Tokyo qualifying on the line

The 2020 Olympic tournament in baseball will feature just six teams, so qualifying for the tournament is difficult, with two places in the event available through the WSBC Premier 12 event starting on Sunday.

This is a tournament almost as complicated as the qualifying process! The groups, with world ranking for each team:

● Group A: United States (2), Mexico (6), Netherlands (8), Dominican Republic (12)
(at Zapopan, Mexico)

● Group B: Japan (1), Chinese Taipei (4), Venezuela (9), Puerto Rico (11)
(at Taichung and Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei)

● Group C: Cuba (5), South Korea (3), Australia (7), Canada (10)
(at Seoul, South Korea)

The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, in Chiba City and Tokyo, Japan, playing a round-robin (four games) against the top two teams from the other groups. The top four from the Super Round will advance to the finals and play for the gold or bronze medal depending on their record. It’s complicated.

There is big prize money in this tournament: $1.5 million to the winner, $750,000-500,000-350,000-300,000-250,000 for places 2-6, then $180,000 each for the remaining teams. There are also bonuses of $10,000 per team for an Opening Round win, $20,000 for a Super Round win and $20,000 for winning a group. Look for results here.

There are some Major League players in this tournament, but the U.S. team and most of the other players are minor leaguers or players from domestic leagues outside the U.S.

Japan, as the host country for 2020, is already qualified as is Israel, which won the Africa/European qualifier in September. There will also be an Americas qualifier for one team on March and a final qualifying tournament, also in March, for the final team.

● BEACH VOLLEYBALL ● New season starts with 3-star in Qinzhou

A bevy of U.S. women’s teams are entered in the first 3-star FIVB World Tour event of the 2019-20 season in Qinzhou (CHN), looking for points and momentum in the qualifying race for Tokyo.

While the men’s field is fairly weak, with Swiss Adrian Heidrich and Mirco Gerson the top seeds, the women’s draw has four quality American pairs in the top seven seeds (with world rankings):

1. Fan Wang/Xinyi Xia (CHN: 21)
2. Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho (AUS: 9)
3. Brooke Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA: 6)
4. Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil (USA: 7)
5. Karla Borger/Julia Sude (GER: 19)
6. Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (USA: 32)
7. Emily Stockman/Kelley Larsen (USA: 12)

The men’s and women’s finals are scheduled for Sunday. Look for results here.

● CYCLING ● BMX Freestyle World Cup in Chengdu; Track World Cup starts in Minsk

The BMX Freestyle season is coming to a head, with the final World Cup of the season set for this weekend in Chengdu (CHN), followed quickly by the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships – also in Chengdu – from 6-10 November. The top BMX Freestyle Park World Cup scorers so far:

● Men:
1. 16,400 Logan Martin (AUS)
2. 16,200 Justin Dowell (USA)
3. 16,200 Rimu Nakamura (JPN)
4. 15,700 Irek Rizaev (RUS)
5. 15,400 Brandon Loupos (AUS)

● Women:
1. 20,000 Hannah Roberts (USA)
2. 17,200 Perris Benegas (USA)
3. 17,200 Lara Lessmann (GER)
4. 14,400 Chelsea Wolfe (USA)
5. 14,400 Minato Oike (JPN)

Americans Dowell and Benegas are the reigning World Champions, having won at Chengdu last year, but they will be strongly challenged, especially by World Cup leaders Martin and Roberts (still just 18). Look for results here.

The last season of the traditional UCI Track Cycling World Cup starts on Friday in Minsk (BLR). There are six World Cups in this year’s circuit, finishing in late January 2020. Next season, the circuit will be cut to three events only, held from April-September and for national teams only. So we can enjoy this more open format for just this coming season.

The defending World Cup champions from 2018-19:

Men:
● Sprint: Matthew Glaetzer (AUS)
● Time Trial: Joachim Eilers (GER)
● Keirin: Matthijs Buchli (NED) ~ Also 2019 World Champion
● Points: Moritz Malcharek (GER)
● Scratch: Vitaliy Hryniv (UKR)
● Omnium: Christos Valikakis (GRE)
● Madison: Denmark

Women:
● Sprint: Olena Starikova (UKR)
● Time Trial: Starikova (UKR)
● Keirin: Wai Sze Lee (HKG) ~ Also 2019 World Champion
● Points: Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA)
● Scratch: Martina Fidanza (ITA)
● Omnium: Kirsten Wild (NED) ~ Also 2019 World Champion
● Madison: Great Britain

Watch out for Dutch star Wild, who at age 37 has already won the European Omnium title (last week) and might be the best road-track combo rider in the world. She’s the reigning World Champion in the Omnium and Madison (with Amy Pieters). Look for results here.

● FENCING ● World Cup season starts with women’s Epee in Tallin

The lengthy 2019-2020 FIE World Cup begins this weekend in Tallin (EST) with the women’s Epee on Friday and Saturday and a team competition on Sunday. A huge field of 279 fencers has registered; the top entries according to the FIE World Rankings:

1. Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG) ~ 2019 Worlds bronze medalist
2. Sheng Lin (CHN) ~ 2019 Worlds silver medalist; Team gold medalist
3. Young Mi Kang (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
4. Nathalie Moellhausen (BRA) ~ 2019 World Champion
5. Yiwen Sun (CHN) ~ 2019 Worlds Team gold medalist
6. Coraline Vitalis (FRA)
7. In-Jeong Choi (KOR) ~ 2018 Worlds Team silver medalist
8. Violeta Kolobova (RUS) ~ 2019 Worlds Team silver medalist
9. Ana Maria Popescu (ROU)
10. Hyo-Jung Jung (KOR)

Jung is the defending champion from 2018, defeating Kong in the final, 10-6, with Alberta Santuccio (ITA) and Sun third. Look for results here.

FIGURE SKATING Preview: Nathan Chen back to work in Paris for Internationaux de France

Rich Perelman

October 31, 2019

After the brilliant display by two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu at Skate Canada Int’l last week, America’s two-time World Champion Nathan Chen will be back on the ice this week in Paris for the Internationaux de France in Grenoble.

Chen won at Skate America, scoring 299.09, but then Hanyu scored a stunning 322.59 – second only to Chen’s mark at the 2019 World Championships under the new scoring system – to win last week. What will Chen’s response be?

The ISU Grand Prix allows skaters to appear twice to pile up points to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. This will be Chen’s second appearance; he will face a quality opponent in PyeongChang silver winner Shoma Uno of Japan. The top entries, which includes World Champions Chen, Russia’s Alina Zagitova and France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron:

Men:
● Nathan Chen (USA) ~ 2018-19 World Champion; won Skate America
● Shoma Uno (JPN) ~ 2018 Olympic silver; 2017-18 Worlds silvers
● Alexander Samarin (RUS) ~ 2019 European silver medalist
● Tomoki Hiwatashi (USA) ~ 2019 World Junior Champion

Women:
● Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
● Maria Sotskova (RUS) ~ Eighth at 2017-18 Worlds
● Alina Zagitova (RUS) ~ 2018 Olympic Champion; 2019 World Champion
● Mariah Bell (USA) ~ Ninth at 2019 Worlds; U.S. Nationals bronzes 2017 & 2019

Pairs:
● Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS) ~ 2019 World Junior Champions
● Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy Leduc (USA) ~ Ninth at 2019 Worlds; U.S. Champs
● Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA) ~ 2017 U.S. Champs; 2015-19 U.S. silvers

Ice Dance:
● Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) ~ 2015-16-18-19 World Champions
● Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) ~ Eighth at 2019 Worlds
● Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) ~ Eighth at 2018 Worlds
● Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) ~ 2015 Worlds silver; 2016 Worlds bronze

The competitions run from Friday through Sunday at the Patinoire Pole Sud. Prize money of $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 is available to the top five placers. Detailed results will be available here.

WINTER WEEK: World Cup seasons in Freestyle & Snowboard continue; Short Track starts in Salt Lake City

Rich Perelman

October 30, 2019

tsx pix 2019-122 corning, chris 750 — World Snowboard Championships gold medalist Chris Corning (USA)

The first Alpine World Cup of the 2019-2020 season was last week; now the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard seasons really get going, as does the Short Track skating season. First looks:

● FREESTYLE SKIING ● World Cup kicks off with Big Air in Modena

The Freestyle Skiing Big Air “season” has just four competitions in it, starting with the Modena Skipass event in Italy on Sunday (following Saturday’s Snowboard show).

Swiss Andri Ragettli (220 points), Birk Ruud (NOR: 172) and Fabian Boesch (SUI: 130) were the top three in the men’s World Cup in 2018-19, and Ragettli is expected to compete this week. The women’s seasonal medal winners were Canada’s Elena Gaskill (210), Swiss Mathidle Gremaud (200) and Germany’s Kea Kuehnel (140), with Italy’s Silvia Bertagna fourth (118). All four are expected in Modena.

Last year in Modena, Ruud and Gremaud were the winners. Look for results here.

● LUGE ● U.S. Nationals on this weekend in Lake Placid

The U.S. National Championships are on tap for Friday and Saturday at the famed Mt. Hoevenberg track in Lake Placid, New York, with two runs scheduled for each day, with all four heats combined to determine the final standings.

Defending national champ Chris Mazdzer – the 2018 Olympic silver medalist – is back to defend and trying for his ninth (!) national title. He is expected to be challenged by World Cup veterans Tucker West (the 2012 national co-champ) and Jonny Gustafson.

The women’s defender is Summer Britcher, who became the top U.S. slider last season and was third in the FIL World Cup seasonal standings. Her top challengers are expected to be 2019 Worlds bronze medalist Emily Sweeney and youngsters Brittney Arndt and Ashley Farquharson.

Look for results here.

● SNOWBOARD ● Second Big Air event of the season getting ready in Modena

Believe it or not, the FIS Snowboard World Cup Big Air “season” will reach its halfway mark this Saturday at Modena (ITA)!

That’s because the first of the four-event seasonal slate was held at Cardrona (NZL) in late August, with Chris Corning (USA), Red Gerard (USA) and Kalle Jarvilehto (FIN) taking the men’s medals and Enni Rukajarvi (FIN), Katie Ormerod (GBR) and Silje Norendal (NOR) on the women’s podium.

Last year’s seasonal medalists were Takeru Otsuka (JPN), Corning and Jarvilehto for the men and Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi and Miyabi Onitsuka for the women, with Klaudia Medlova (SLO) taking the bronze. Look for results here.

Otsuka is out with injury, but Canada’s Mark McMorris – a two-time Olympic Slopestyle medalist – is back from frightful injuries suffered in March 2017. Back in action for the women will be Austria’s 2018 Olympic Big Air winner Anna Gasser – hurt most of last season – and American Jamie Anderson, the PyeongChang silver medalist, who has concentrated more on Slopestyle, but is scheduled to compete in Modena.

● SHORT TRACK ● ISU World Cup season bows in Salt Lake City

The six-stage ISU Short Track World Cup will start this weekend at the Utah Olympic Oval with competition from Friday through Sunday. Last season’s medalists included:

Men:
● 500 m: 1. Hyi-Jun Lim (KOR), 31,439; 2. Dajing Wu (CHN), 30,000; 3. Sam Girard (CAN), 26,434.

● 1,000 m: 1. Ji-Won Park (KOR), 37,250; 2. Kyung-Hwan Hong (KOR), 24,459; 3. Shaoang Liu (HUN), 23,277.

● 1,500 m: 1. Gun-Woo Kim (KOR), 38,000; 2. Steven Dubois (CAN), 23,040; 3. June-Seo Lee (KOR), 22,515.

Women:
● 500 m: 1. Natalia Maliszewska (POL), 40,800; 2. Martina Valcepina (ITA), 39,216; 3. Lara van Ruijven (NED), 35,216.

● 1,000 m: 1. Suzanne Schulting (NED), 40,000; 2. Sofia Prosvirnova (RUS), 29,695; 3. Alyson Charles (CAN), 26,640.

● 1,500 m: 1. Schulting (NED), 34,400; 2. Ji-Yoo Kim (KOR), 29.277; 3. Min-Jeong Choi (KOR), 28,192.

The women’s events, especially between Schulting and a fully-recovered Choi, winner of 14 World Championships medals from 2015-19, but who was injured much of last season.

The men’s events will be focused on whether anyone can beat the Koreans, who swept the individual honors in last season’s World Cup and all six events at the World Championships! The best bet might be Chinese sprinter Wu, the 2018 Olympic 500 m winner.

Look for results here.

LANE ONE: IOC moves Tokyo marathons and walks, but are there still more events to be moved?

Rich Perelman

October 30, 2019

The International Olympic Committee’s ninth Coordination Commission meeting is underway in Tokyo, and there is a lot to talk about with less than a year to go to the Opening Ceremony on 24 July 2020.

Normally, the talk is not about changing venues at this late stage, but it’s absolutely on the table right now.

The IOC announced on 16 October that the men’s and women’s marathons and the three race-walking events were “planned” to be moved from Tokyo to Sapporo, about 516 miles north, where the weather will be considerably cooler.

The statement noted that the “The implementation of the initiative to move the marathon and the race walks will be discussed with all the stakeholders concerned, in particular the host city Tokyo, along with World Athletics, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs). The IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020, chaired by IOC Member John Coates, has dedicated a special session in its meeting from 30 October to 1 November in Tokyo to heat countermeasures.”

However, Yuriko Koike, the Tokyo Governor and head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was less than impressed, saying “We consider it an unprecedented turn of events for the IOC to make such an abrupt proposal with no consultation or discussion whatsoever with the host city Tokyo beforehand.”

Tokyo city officials had floated the idea of holding the events at 3 a.m. or 5 a.m. were dismissed by the IOC, but Coates said last week that “It’s not a matter of if the Tokyo government insists. The decision has been taken.The IOC Executive Board is the competent authority to take a decision such as this.”

He added that the IOC has “a responsibility under the Olympic Charter to always put the health of athletes first.” The sight of 28 of 68 women abandoning the recent IAAF World Championships marathon in Doha, Qatar – held at midnight – and 18 of 73 men had an impact on the IOC’s thinking.

But it’s getting more complicated:

● The Independent reported that “Taro Shirato and Hiroshi Yamada, members of Koike’s political party in the metropolitan legislature, told a news conference Tuesday that moving the marathon would cost at least $34 billion yen, about $310 million.”

Yamada noted that “In the event this is changed to Sapporo, then I believe the citizens of Tokyo will not be convinced they need to pay. What I can say is that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government should not be the one to pay.”

● The head of the Tokyo organizing committee, Toshiro Mori, was resigned to the change and said “Can we say no to the plan that the IOC and International Association of Athletics Federations already supported?” Mori said. “It’s not a question of good or bad, but we just have to accept it.”

But he added, “Our overall cost has become a humongous amount, so it would cause us pain if the cost is added to our bill. So I mentioned that to Mr. Coates, and he said he will look into it. We won’t be able to pay if it’s a significant damage to our finances. I have reminded him of that.”

● For the IOC, Coates was reported to comment “To accommodate those affected by the decision, Coates said ticket holders and the parents of athletes will be reimbursed and the IOC is open to discussing the possibility of organizing athletic programs for underprivileged youth in Tokyo. He also proposed holding a parade in the lead-up to the closing ceremony on Aug. 9 for medal winners in the marathon and race-walking events, as well as other athletes competing outside of Tokyo, such as those taking part in sailing competitions in Enoshima and cyclists in Izu.”

However, this cannot be the end of the changes.

What about the Open Water swimming and the triathlon?

The 11 August test event for the Open Water events showed that water temperature will be a major issue, along with water quality. Consider:

● The international aquatics federation (FINA) has a rule prohibiting racing in water temperatures of 31 C (~88 F). The temperatures at the test event were right at that level with a 7:30 a.m. start time.

● The International Triathlon Union (ITU) rules require shortening the distance from 1,500 m to 750 m with water temps from 31-32 C (~88 to 90 F) and that swimming cannot be held in water above 32.0 C.

The FINA Secretary General, Cornel Marculescu (ROU) told reporters in August that it was monitoring the situation with an independent consultant. “Based on this information, we will decide the time the event will start. Could be 5 a.m., could be 5:30 a.m., can be 6 a.m., can be 6:30 a.m. — depends on the water temperature.

“Working with a specialized company like we are going to do here in Tokyo, we will have the right information to take the right decision.”

But swimmers themselves have raised the issue of what the water temp is at the start of the race and what it is at the end. With the 10 km races taking about two hours to complete, that’s a significant issue.

The triathletes swim for 18-20 minutes (1,500 m), bike for about an hour (40 km) and run a 10 km course in 30-33 minutes, for a total of 1:45-2:00. So their exposure is significant as well.

It is hard to imagine the IOC ignoring the issue of open-water swimming in Tokyo; perhaps Coates is raising it now with the Tokyo organizers and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. There are whispers that these changes are inevitable and that the IOC simply has to find a suitable diplomatic process to make these changes without further angering the hosts, especially the government.

And who pays for what will be a significant issue. With a budget of $12.6 billion U.S. vs. the bid projection of $7.3 billion, there is considerable sensitivity on costs. Where have we heard that before?

As we heard from engineer extraordinaire Montgomery Scott in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986), “Buckle up, lassie. It gets bumpy from here.”

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TSX INTEL REPORT: Russia sends more answers to WADA on “manipulated” doping data; NCAA to allow name-image-likeness payments & Diack trial starts in January 2020

Rich Perelman

October 29, 2019

≡ TSX INTELLIGENCE REPORT ~ 30 October 2019 ≡

● LEADING OFF ● Russian Sports Ministry sends responses to WADA inquiries

The question of what to do about Russia and the alleged manipulation of data from the Moscow Laboratory retrieved in January is now fully in the hands of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

WADA confirmed on Monday (link) that it had “received further responses from the Russian authorities to a list of detailed and technical questions” submitted in mid-September and expanding on the Russian replies on 8 October (link).

The process now is with the WADA staff to sift through the replies, who will then send a report to the WADA Compliance Review Committee. This is the group that will decide on recommendations to be made to the Executive Committee, which has the power to declare the Russian Anti-Doping Agency non-compliant and to impose sanctions up to, and including, banning the Russian Olympic Committee from participating in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The timing? “[A]t the moment, it is anticipated that the CRC will be in a position to consider WADA I&I’s report before the end of November.” The WADA announcement made a point of noting that “[T]he ExCo – under the chairmanship of WADA President Sir Craig Reedie whose term of office runs until 31 December 2019 – would meet as soon as possible thereafter to discuss any CRC recommendation.”

Translation: WADA wants this resolved before Reedie’s term ends.

● Doping/Add 1 ● RUSADA had nothing to do with the replies

On Tuesday, the Russian Ani-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya, told the Russian news service TASS (link) that the agency had nothing to do with the responses to the WADA inquiries, and that the replies came from the Russian Sports Ministry alone.

● Doping/Add 2 ● RUSADA among those attacked by Fancy Bear hackers

Compounding the already pathetic Russian situation was a Monday post from Microsoft Corporate Vice President/Customer Security & Trust Tom Burt (link), who wrote:

“Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has recently tracked significant cyberattacks originating from a group we call Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT28, targeting anti-doping authorities and sporting organizations around the world. …

“At least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations across three continents were targeted in these attacks which began September 16th, just before news reports about new potential action being taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Some of these attacks were successful, but the majority were not.”

Burt noted that the same attackers had targeted sports organizations in 2016 and 2018.

RUSADA’s Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Tuesday that it had been the target of attacks – likely from the Fancy Bear group – as well (link). “We constantly see the attempts of scanning our network infrastructure for vulnerabilities in various regions of the world. We can effectively monitor and control all these attempts. We have not registered any significant information security incidents of late.”

● COLLEGE SPORTS ● NCAA to allow athlete payments for name, image, likeness

Following a report from its own task force, the NCAA Board of Governors approved a directive to the Division I, II and III councils on Tuesday to change their regulations to allow collegiate athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.” (Link)

The instructions regarding change emphasized how this will affect recruiting and especially to “prohibit inducements to select, remain at, or transfer to a specific institution.” The directives also must:

● Make clear the distinction between collegiate and professional opportunities.

● Make clear that compensation for athletics performance or participation is impermissible.

● Reaffirm that student-athletes are students first and not employees of the university.

New rules were to be developed and implemented “Immediately,” but not later than January of 2021. A further set of recommendations from the NCAA’s working group is due by next April.

= REAX = A national approach was desperately needed in this area, and the NCAA has taken the first step. Whether this will satisfy California lawmakers who passed S.B. 6 allowing name, image and likeness payments, or those in other states considering legislation in this area won’t be known until the actual regulations are adopted in Division I.

However, the NCAA has sent a signal that a few athletes, almost all men and almost all in football and basketball, will be able to make some money from their collegiate athletic exploits. The losers will be the non-revenue sports, including Olympic programs and all women’s sports. Let’s see how that sits with the Title IX advocates in a few years, especially when sports start getting cut as apparel companies dump schools and just sign a few stars for endorsements.

● ATHLETICS ● Coates confirms IOC’s “plan” to move marathons & walks is final

The International Olympic Committee’s announcement of the move of the marathons and race walks from Tokyo to Sapporo in northern Japan for the 2020 Olympic Games was stated in terms of “planning to move” the events. (Link)

It’s not a plan, it’s reality. In advance of an IOC-Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission meeting to begin on Thursday, Commission chair John Coates (AUS) confirmed that the events would be moved to avoid the Tokyo heat in July and August. (Link)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which is footing much of the bill for the Games, had counter-proposed starting times of 3 a.m. or 5 a.m., impractical since the marathons are important television programming for the Games and the coordination of coverage of a nighttime marathon would be exceedingly difficult, especially for helicopters.

The Japan Times reported that “To accommodate those affected by the decision, Coates said ticket holders and the parents of athletes will be reimbursed and the IOC is open to discussing the possibility of organizing athletic programs for underprivileged youth in Tokyo. He also proposed holding a parade in the lead-up to the closing ceremony on Aug. 9 for medal winners in the marathon and race-walking events, as well as other athletes competing outside of Tokyo, such as those taking part in sailing competitions in Enoshima and cyclists in Izu.”

Government officials, including Gov. Yuriko Koike, have been especially unhappy about the decision because they were not consulted about it in advance. (Link)

● Athletics/Add 1 ● Diack trial date finally set for January

Former IAAF President and IOC member Lamine Diack (SEN/pictured) has been under house arrest in France since 2015, but he will get his day in court beginning on 13 January 2020.

Agence France Presse reported (link) that his trial, which also includes five other defendants, will focus on charges of bribery, money-laundering and “breach of trust.” The others on trial include Diack’s son, Papa Massata Diack – who remains in Senegal and is unlikely to show up – plus Habib Cisse (FRA), Diack’s former legal adviser; Gabriel Dolle (FRA), the former head of the IAAF anti-doping division; Russian Valentin Balaknichev, formerly the IAAF Treasurer and former Russian distance coach Alexei Melnikov. Both of the Russians are in their own country and have international arrest warrants against them, but are also unlikely to be present when the trial begins in Paris next year.

● FOOTBALL ● Vlatko Andonovski named new U.S. Women’s National Team coach

U.S. Soccer announced on Monday (link) that Reign FC coach Vlatko Andonovski, 43, has been named as the new coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

He comes from the National Women’s Soccer League, where he coached for seven seasons: five with FC Kansas City (2013-17) and the last two with Reign FC. His 2014 and 2015 Kansas City teams won the NWSL title. He had a 72-50-43 record in the NWSL.

Born in what was then Yugoslavia, Andonovski played with Macedonian clubs prior to coming to the U.S. to play in the National Professional Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

He is a popular choice, but has his work cut out for him immediately, with friendlies coming up against Sweden on 7 November in Columbus, Ohio and Costa Rica on 10 November in Jacksonville, Florida. Olympic qualifying will start the year and the U.S. women will be trying for a fifth Olympic title in Tokyo in 2020.

● SWIMMING ● Atherton’s Short-Course record will be recognized by FINA

Swimming World Magazine reported (link) that Swimming Australia was told by FINA officials that teenager Minna Atherton’s 54.89 for the 100 m Backstroke from the ISL meet in Budapest (HUN) will be ratified as a world Short-Course (25 m pool) record.

There had been some doubt, as FINA had not indicated whether any marks made in International Swimming League meets would be approved. As it turns out now, marks made in ISL meets which do not conflict with the FINA Swimming World Cup will be approved and those that are made in meets in conflict will not.

That’s dumb, but there it is. For 2019, there are no conflicts, but 2020 – if the ISL survives – is another matter.

TSX REPORT: UCLA names Drake Stadium track after Rafer Johnson; Kiwi teen Robinson surprises Shiffrin and Aussie Atherton sets Short-Course 100 m Back world record

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

≡ TSX REPORT ~ 28 October 2019 ≡

● LANE ONE ● UCLA dedicates famed Drake Stadium track to Betsy & Rafer Johnson

Anyone connected with UCLA sports since 1956 knows the name Rafer Johnson. Celebrated not only as the 1960 Olympic Decathlon winner (and 1956 Olympic silver medalist), Johnson is literally a living legend at the Los Angeles campus. His civil rights activism, his founding of Special Olympics California, lighting of the Olympic cauldron to open the 1984 Olympic Games and much more has made him synonymous with UCLA.

UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero came up with the idea to name the track at Drake Track & Field Stadium several months ago and then went to the home of Rafer and his wife Betsy for their approval. The idea of naming the track for the both of them was an extension of the naming of the Pauley Pavilion floor for legendary coach John Wooden, and his wife Nell, back in 2003. The naming would be especially meaningful for Rafer, as the stadium was named for his coach, Ducky Drake.

All three agreed and last Friday, nearly 500 people gathered on the concourse of Drake Stadium to hear from UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and others, but especially from Guerrero, from daughter Jenny Johnson Jordan and from Betsy Johnson.

Said Guerrero, “And I remember Rafer’s gratitude was particularly focused on the fact that Betsy would be linked with him forever, together, inside this stadium, at the university they both love. And it’s no surprise to any of us that they too raised two wonderful children, in Jenny, and, of course, also in Josh, who are also great Bruins in their own right.”

Rafer did not speak, owing to some health difficulties over the past year, but Betsy did (pictured below, with Jenny), expressing her thanks for everyone who had known them and supported UCLA over these many years. At the end of the 30-minute ceremony, the new lettering proclaiming the “Betsy and Rafer Johnson Track” was unveiled.

Never was there a more deserving honor for a more deserving couple.

● ALPINE SKIING ● FIS World Cup opens with Giant Slalom wins for Robinson & Pinturault

The 2019-2020 FIS Alpine World Cup opened in Soelden (AUT) as it has for 20 seasons … with a surprise.

Three-time defending World Cup overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. led after the first of two runs on Saturday, then struggled on the bottom half of the second run and ended up second. The winner was 17-year-old New Zealander Alice Robinson, who not only scored her first career World Cup gold, but was the first Kiwi to win a World Cup race in 22 years!

The men’s race was a showcase for French star Alexis Pinturault, who won ahead of countryman Mathieu Faivre. American Tommy Ford finished fourth, his best-ever World Cup placing, but just off the podium, and just ahead of teammate Ted Ligety in fifth. More here.

● FIGURE SKATING ● Hanyu sensational in Skate Canada win … by almost 60 points!

There was no stopping a fully-healthy Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time Olympic Champion, who performed with sustained brilliance at Skate Canada International. He won both the Short Program and set a lifetime best in the Free Skate, scoring 322.59 in all, the no. 2 performance in history under the current scoring system. That’s almost 60 points ahead of Canada’s Nam Nguyen (262.77).

His brilliance overshadowed excellent performances by Russia’s Alexandra Trusova, who jumped from third to first with an outstanding Free Skate performance and overtook Japanese star Rika Kihira, 241.02-230.33. Russians Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii won the Pairs and Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Porier upset Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, 209.01-206.31, in Ice Dance. More here.

● SWIMMING ● Australia’s Minna Atherton wins thrice, sets Short-Course 100 m Back world record

At the fourth meet in the International Swimming League series, this time in Budapest (HUN), Australia’s Minna Atherton was the star, not just winning three events, but setting a world mark in the 100 m Backstroke.

On Saturday, she won the 200 m Back and 50 m Back in speedy times of 1:59.48 – just 0.25 from the 2014 world Short-Course record, and no. 3 all-time – and 25.81, just 0.14 off the world mark by Etiene Medeiros (BRA) from 2014.

On Sunday, she was ready to tackle the 100 m Back, an event in which she had won the silver medal at the World Championships during the summer. She romped through the event and finished in 54.89, bettering the world mark of 55.03 by Hungarian star Katinka Hosszu, also from 2014.

Atherton’s swims were the headline, but Hosszu was also strong, winning the MVP award. More here.

● SCOREBOARD ● Olympic champs win big in Paris and Abu Dhabi

A busy weekend included highlights in four sports:

● Badminton: The Rio 2016 Olympic Champion, China’s Long Chen defended his men’s Singles title at the Yonex French Open in Paris, with a straight-set win over Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie.

However, Indonesia had a good tournament, as no. 1-ranked Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the men’s Doubles and Praveen Jordan and Melati Oktavianti upset no. 1-ranked (and defending champs) Si Wei Zhang and Ya Qiong Huang of China in three sets

● Curling: The opening tournament of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling – The Masters – took place on the weekend, with happy, new winners in Matt Dunstone and Tracy Fleury, both from Canada.

Dunstone won in the final over former World Champion Brad Gushue and Fleury’s squad defeated another surprise finalist, Japan’s rink led by Sayaka Yoshimura in the final, 7-5.

● Judo: The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam showcased 551 judoka from 95 countries, but in the end, there were familiar faces on the top of the podium. Rio Olympic champs Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS: 52 kg) and Tina Trstenjak (SLO: 63 kg) won their divisions, as did two-time defending World Champion Daria Bilodid (UKR: 48 kg). Two former world champs – Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadashvili (90 kg) and Guham Cho (KOR: 100 kg) – won in the men’s division.

● Sport Climbing: The IFSC World Cup came to a close with the final Lead event of the season, in Inzai (JPN). The winners included Japan’s Hiroto Shimizu and Korean star Jain Kim (her 30th career World Cup victory), and the seasonal Lead winners – already decided prior to the event – were Adam Ondra (CZE) and Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR).

LANE ONE: UCLA dedicates famed Drake Stadium track to Betsy & Rafer Johnson

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1027 rafer and betsy johnson 750 (UCLA) — Rafer and Betsy Johnson at the October 20198 dedication of the Betsy and Rafer Johnson Track at UCLA (Photo: UCLA)

“Together, you’ve been an example of respect, integrity and excellence in all things. Together, you have served the UCLA community selflessly and with the utmost humility and grace. Together you have created a legacy and set the standard for what it means to be a true Bruin. You are the standard.”

Imagine hearing your daughter say those words about you, not only at home, but at a public ceremony with nearly 500 people in attendance!

It happened last Friday, on the concourse of UCLA’s famed Drake Stadium, as Jenny Johnson Jordan spoke about her parents, Betsy and Rafer Johnson, In a fast-moving, 30-minute ceremony on a warm day, the stadium’s track was dedicated as the “Betsy & Rafer Johnson Track.”

The honor was not only a fitting tribute to the Johnsons, but especially poignant as the stadium had been named for Johnson’s coach, long-time Bruin track coach and athletic trainer, Ducky Drake, in 1972. Now the track is named for Drake’s prize pupil, the 1956 Olympic silver medal and 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon.

Johnson Jordan gave remarks about her parents that also included:

“Growing up, my brother [Josh] and I were asked many times the question, ‘who do you look up to?’ And in most instances, I can tell people wanted to name a famous athlete, a popular athlete at the time, but the truth was that never really felt authentic to either one of us. The only two people that came to mind in terms of role models would be our parents. The people that were living in our home, that we got to see, each and every day. They were our role models then, and they still are to this day.”

The scope of Rafer Johnson’s impact on UCLA and Los Angeles has been lost over time, but it’s quite amazing. Beyond his Olympic triumphs in Melbourne and Rome, he was also a member of the 1956 NCAA title team for Drake – the only one he won – and was UCLA’s Student Body President, graduating in 1959.

His life and the story of Los Angeles have been intertwined ever since. He worked on the 1968 presidential campaign of then-Sen. Robert Kennedy and after Kennedy’s assassination in Los Angeles, teamed with Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Shriver, to create Special Olympics California. Now known as Special Olympic Southern California, he helped bring the Special Olympics World Games to Los Angeles (and UCLA) in 1972 and again in 2015.

As a founding Board member of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, he is said to have cast the deciding vote that named Peter V. Ueberroth as president, and later was the final torchbearer in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Opening Ceremony on 28 July 1984. He has served as a Board member of the charitable legacy of the Games, the LA84 Foundation, ever since.

The Drake Stadium track had not been named, although the infield, renovated to allow use for soccer, had been named for film producer Frank Marshall, who help fund the conversion from a track-only facility.

The idea to name the track for Johnson and his wife Betsy, came from UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. During the ceremony, Betsy Johnson recalled how it happened:

Jenny Johnson Jordan and Betsy Johnson at the dedication of the Betsy & Rafer Johnson Track

“Several months ago, we got a call – actually, I think it was from you, [Senior Associate Athletic Director] Josh [Rebholz] – that said that Dan wanted to come to our house and talk to us. I’m like, um, Dan? We had no idea what he was coming for.

“When he came over, he told us about naming the track after Rafer and myself, and as Dan said, we were all overcome with emotion. And Rafer, you are so deserving of this honor, and for me to see on your face – the joy and appreciation – that you showed was something I will never forget.”

True to her forthright nature, Betsy addressed the question of why she was included in the naming. “Those of you who really know me, if you know me well, you know that I have always been beside him, and I always will be beside him and I’ve got his back.”

Said Guerrero:

“When I went to their home a few months ago, to propose this idea for them and ask for their blessing, to name the track in their honor, the three of us had a very special moment, a very emotional moment, and one that I’ll always remember, and never forget.

“And I remember Rafer’s gratitude was particularly focused on the fact that Betsy would be linked with him forever, together, inside this stadium, at the university they both love. And it’s no surprise to any of us that they too raised two wonderful children, in Jenny, and, of course, also in Josh, who are also great Bruins in their own right.”

It’s also important to note that the co-naming for husband-and-wife is a UCLA tradition, following on the naming of the court inside the famed Pauley Pavilion basketball arena for Nell and John Wooden. In his 90s, the legendary Wooden finally agreed to have the court named for him if his wife would also be included (she died in 1985), and the ceremony was held in 2003.

Rafer Johnson, now 84, did not speak at the ceremony and has been dealing with health issues for more than a year. Up until his recent health challenges, he has been a continuous presence at UCLA, including nearly every UCLA track meet and especially for the annual Rafer Johnson-Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational. He always addressed the crowd and when he was on the field level, was a magnet for athletes and coaches of visiting teams for autographs and pictures.

After the ceremony, the northside naming area was unveiled to show the “Betsy and Rafer Johnson Track” and their names were also unveiled in giant letters on the Drake Stadium track.

Here’s hoping that the athletes who run there in the future can live up to his standards. Not as an athlete – few can attain his heights – but as a person. He is one of the finest people you will ever meet, anywhere.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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SWIMMING: World Short-Course 100 Back record for Atherton at ISL Budapest

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1027 atherton, minna 750 — Short-Course world record setter Minna Atherton (AUS)

Teenager Minna Atherton of Australia had a sensational weekend to headline the fourth International Swimming League match, this time in Budapest, Hungary:

● On Saturday, the 19-year-old Backstroke specialist won the 200 m Back in 1:59.48, just 0.25 behind Hungarian star Katinka Hosszu’s world Short-Course (25 m pool) record of 1:59.23 set in 2014; Hosszu was second in 2:02.09.

The time moves Atherton to no. 3 on the all-time list, behind Hosszu and Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina from 2016 (1:59.35).

● Later, she won the 50 m Back in 25.81, with fellow Aussie Holly Barratt second at 25.99. Atherton’s time was just 0.14 from the world Short-Course mark of 25.67 by Etiene Medeiros (BRA) from 2014.

● On Sunday, she went for the Backstroke triple in the 100 m Back – a distance in which she won the Worlds (long-course) silver medal this past summer – and shattered the world Short-Course mark at 54.89.

She knew she was swimming well enough to get the record, saying afterwards, “I gave it a red-hot crack” and finished in 54.89, erasing Hosszu’s 55.03 from 2014. American Amy Bilquist was second in 56.64 and Hosszu, swimming one of her eight events in front of her home fans on the weekend, was fourth in 58.11.

A three-time World Junior Champion in 2015, Atherton has stamped herself as someone to watch as Tokyo gets closer.

As for the rest of the meet, Hosszu was in the middle of the action as both home star and as a part-owner of the home-standing Iron team. She won the 400 m Medley on Saturday and the 200 m Fly and 200 m Medley on Sunday and won the overall MVP Award with 47.0 points, ahead of Australia’s Kyle Chalmers (London Road/41.5) and Dutch sprint star Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Iron/40.5).

In terms of the team scoring, London was easily the best thanks to its sprint strength, scoring 505.5 points to 425.0 for Iron, 408.0 for the L.A. Current and 292.5 for the New York Breakers.

Saturday’s summary is here; the Sunday summary is here.

The ISL circuit now takes a break for three weeks; the next meet is in College Park, Maryland for the “American Derby” with the four U.S. teams.

The ISL match in Budapest wasn’t the only hot swimming on the weekend. At the National Short-Course Championships in Tokyo, five-time World Short-Course Champion Daiya Seto won the 400 m Medley in 3:55.53, just 0.03 short of the 3:55.50 world mark held by Ryan Lochte (USA) from 2010.

It’s the no. 2 performance in 400 m Medley Short-Course history, and both a national and Asian Short-Course record for Seto.

SCOREBOARD: Olympic champs Chen, Majlinda and Trstenjak claim wins

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

tsx pix 2019-428 long ma 750 (Remy Gros) — China's Olympic Badminton Champion Long Chen (Photo: BWF/Remy Gros)

A good weekend for Olympic champions from 2016 at the Yonex French Open in badminton and in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam on the IJF World Tour:

● BADMINTON ● China’s 2016 Rio Olympic Champion Long Chen defended his 2018 title in the Yonex French Open with a straight-set win over Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, 21-19, 21-12.

Indonesia and Korea split the other four titles available. Koreans won two women’s titles behind Se Young An in Singles – defeating Olympic champ Carolina Marin (ESP) – and in Doubles with See Hee Lee and Seung Chan Shin, beating fellow Koreans So Yeong Kim and Hee Yong Kong.

Indonesia’s no. 1-ranked Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the men’s Doubles and Praveen Jordan and Melati Oktavianti upset no. 1-ranked (and defending champs) Si Wei Zhang and Ya Qiong Huang of China, 22-24, 21-16, 21-12. Finals:

BWF World Tour/Yonex French Open
Paris (FRA) ~ 22-27 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: Long Chen (CHN) d. Jonatan Christie (INA), 21-19, 21-12. Men/Doubles: Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) d. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (IND), 21-18, 21-16.

Women/Singles: Se Young An (KOR) d. Caroline Marin (ESP), 16-21, 21-18, 21-5. Women/Doubles: See Hee Lee/Seung Chan Shin (KOR) d. So Yeong Kim/Hee Yong Kong (KOR), 16-21, 21-19, 21-12.

Mixed Doubles: Praveen Jordan/Melati Oktavianti (INA) d. Si Wei Zhang/Ya Qiong Huang (CHN), 22-24, 21-16, 21-12.

● CURLING ● Dunstone and Fleury take first Grand Slam of Curling wins at The Masters

The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling, the top-end tour in the sport with the top teams played in Canada, started this weekend in North Bay, Ontario with The Masters.

The men’s tournament went to Canadian Matt Dunstone’s team, which defeated 2018 Worlds bronze winner Bruce Mouat’s Scottish team in the semis (5-4) and then scored an 8-5 win over 2017 World Champion Brad Gushue (CAN) in the final. It was the first Grand Slam title for the 24-year-old Dunstone. “It’s a dream,” he said afterwards.

The women’s division went to another first-time victor, Canadian Tracy Fleury, whose squad defeated Japan’s Sayaka Yoshimura in the final, 7-5. Fleury eliminated the 2018 Olympic Champion in Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg in the semis (7-5), while Yoshimura was busy beating the reigning World Champion, Swiss Silvana Tirinzoni, 7-4. “It feels amazing,” Fleury said. “It was tough being so close in the past a couple of times. To finally pull it off it really means a lot.”

● JUDO ● A large field of 551 judoka from 95 nations came to the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, but in the end, the winners included two Olympic gold medalists as well as a celebrated World Champion.

All of these were in the women’s division, as Rio winners Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS: 52 kg) and Tina Trstenjak (SLO: 63 kg) triumphed, as did two-time World Champion Daria Bilodid (UKR) at 48 kg. Bilodid won her third career Grand Slam title and her first in Abu Dhabi. Kelmendi won her fourth Abu Dhabi title.

In the men’s division, Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadishvili – the 2018 World Champion at 90 kg – won his division over Donghan Gwak (KOR) in the final. Fellow former World Champion Guham Cho (KOR) won at 100 kg against Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE). Korea took the most medals with eight (3-1-4). Finals:

IJF World Tour/Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Abu Dhabi (UAE) ~ 24-26 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 60 kg: Gusman Kyrgybayev (KAZ) d. Walide Khyar (FRA). 66 kg: Manuel Lombardo (FRA) d. Orkhan Safarov (AZE). 73 kg: Bilal Ciloglu (TUR) d. Arthur Margelidon (CAN). 81 kg: Moon Jin Lee (KOR) d. Luka Maisuradze (GEO). 90 kg: Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP) d. Donghan Gwak (KOR). 100 kg: Guham Cho (KOR) d. Zelym Kotsoiev (AZE). +100 kg: Roy Meyer (NED) d. Yakiv Khammo (UKR).

Women: 48 kg: Daria Bilodid (UKR) d. Marusa Stangar (SLO). 52 kg: Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS) d. Odette Giuffrida (ITA). 57 kg: Jin A. Kim (KOR) d. Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA). 63 kg: Tina Trstenjak (SLO) d. Maylin Del Toro Carvajal (CUB). 70 kg: Kim Polling (NED) d. Sanne van Dijke (NED). 78 kg: Klara Apotekar (SLO) d. Luise Malzahn (GER). +78 kg: Mi Jin Han (KOR) d. Anne Fatoumata M Bairo (FRA).

● SPORT CLIMBING ● In the final IFSC World Cup of the season, Korean star Jain Kim won her 30th career World Cup title with a win over World Champion Janja Garnbret (SLO) to highlight the competition in Inzai (JPN).

Third in the women’s event was Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo, who won the seasonal title with 480 points, with Garnbret second at 352 and Japan’s Natsyki Tanii third at 243.

Japan’s Hiroto Shimizu, 23, won his first World Cup gold in the men’s Lead event, but Adam Ondra won the seasonal title with 300 points, ahead of Alberto Gines Lopez of Spain (256) and Sean McColl of Canada (206). Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Inzai (JPN) ~ 26-27 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Hiroto Shimizu (JPN), 38+; 2. Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP), 36+; 3. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA), 32+; 4. Yuki Hada (JPN), 28+; 5. Jesse Grupper (USA), 28+. Also: 8. Sean Bailey (USA), 19+.

Final Standings: 1. Adam Ondra (CZE), 300; 2. Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP), 256; 3. Sean McColl (CAN), 206; 4. Kai Harada (JPN), 195; 5. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA), 190. Also in the top 10: 9. Sean Bailey (USA), 158.

Women/Lead: 1. Jain Kim (KOR), Top; 2. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 39; 3. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 37+; 4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 36+; 5. Miho Nonaka (JPN), 34+.

Final Standings: 1. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 480; 2. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 352; 3. Natsuki Tanii (JPN), 243; 4. Lucka Rakovec (SLO), 226; 5. 5. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 224.

FIGURE SKATING: Hanyu overwhelms field in sensational Skate Canada Int’l victory

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1027 hanyu, yuzuru skate can 750 (ISU) — Skate Canada International winner Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) (Photo: ISU)

Two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu scored a lifetime best of 212.99 in the Free Skate and put up the second-highest score ever under the current scoring system to win Skate Canada International.

Hanyu had four quadruple jumps in his Free Skate program and had the crowd in a frenzy as he scored 322.59 points to win by 59.82 points over Canada’s Nam Nguyen (262.77). Only American Nathan Chen scored more – 323.42 – to win the 2019 World Championships.

Russian Alexandra Trusova, 17, hit four quadruple jumps and won the women’s division convincingly over Japan’s Rika Kihira, 241.02-230.33, after being third in the Short Program. Russia scored another win from Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovski in Pairs, who won both the Short Program and Free Skate.

The home crowd loved the Ice Dance upset win by Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in Ice Dance, coming from second after the Rhythm Dance to win the Free Dance and their first Grand Prix gold medal. The favored American duo Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue finished second, 209.01-206.31.

The show continues next week in Europe, with the Internationaux de France in Paris. Summaries:

ISU Grand Prix/Skate Canada Int’l
Kelowna, B.C. (CAN) ~ 25-27 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), 322.59 (1st in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Nam Nguyen (CAN), 262.77 (3+2); 3. Keiji Tanaka (JPN), 250.02 (5+3); 4. Camden Pulkinen (USA), 244.78 (2+4); 5. Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT), 227.40 (4+7).

Women: 1. Alexandra Trusova (RUS), 241.02 (3+1); 2. Rika Kihira (JPN), 230.33 (1+2); 3. Young You (KOR), 217.49 (2+4); 4. Bradie Tennell (USA), 211.31 (4+5); 5. Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS), 209.62 (6+3).

Pairs: 1. Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS), 216.71 (1+1); 2. Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN), 208.49 (2+2); 3. Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 202.29 (3+3); 4. Alexa Scimera Knierim/Chris Knierim (USA), 199.57 (4+4); 5. Liubov Ilyushechkina/Charlie Bilodeau (CAN), 192.47 (5+5). Also: 6. Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson (USA), 181.54 (6+6).

Ice Dance: 1. Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN), 209.01 (2+1); 2. Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA), 206.31 (1+2); 3. Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR), 195.35 (4+3); 4. Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA), 194.77 (3+4); 5. Sara Hurtado/Kirill Khaliavin (ESP), 180.64 (5+5). Also: 7. Caroline Green/Michael Parsons (USA), 173.82 (8+7).

ALPINE SKIING: Robinson stuns Shiffrin, Pinturault wins in Soelden Giant Slalom

Rich Perelman

October 27, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1027 robinson, alice 750 — Surprise Soelden Giant Slalom winner Alice Robinson of New Zealand

The FIS Alpine World Cup season opened – for the 20th straight year – in Soelden, Austria, with surprises from the start.

The women’s Giant Slalom opened the event on Saturday and after the first run, it was – as expected – American Mikaela Shiffrin in the lead at 1:07.89, followed by 17-year-old Alice Robinson of New Zealand. No one else was close.

But neither was as sharp on the second run, with Robinson posting the 14th-fastest time, but taking the lead as Shiffrin lined up to go last. But she was only 18th-fastest down the mountain, struggling a little on the bottom half, and ended up second, 2:14.36-2:14.42.

Said Robinson, “It’s like a dream for me and I’m still in shock. To be honest I won by such a small margin against Mikaela, I still feel really lucky to stand here.”

It was Robinson’s first win ever on the World Cup circuit and the first World Cup win by a Kiwi skier since Claudia Riegler won a slalom race in 1997. For Shiffrin, it was a remarkable 84th career World Cup medal.

The men’s Giant Slalom was a first look at the post-Marcel Hirscher era, as the eight-time Austrian World Cup champ has retired. One of the favorites to take over is France’s Alexis Pinturault, and he did not disappoint, taking the lead on the first run and then coming back with the fifth-fastest time in the second run to win by 0.54 over countryman Mathieu Faivre. It was his 25th career World Cup win and 13th in the Giant Slalom.

American Tommy Ford, 30, was fourth, his best finish ever in a World Cup; his prior best was fifth in Alta Badia (ITA) in December 2018 (also in a Giant Slalom). Ted Ligety of the U.S. was fifth. Summaries:

FIS Alpine World Cup
Soelden (AUT) ~ 26-27 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Giant Slalom: 1. Alexis Pinturault (FRA), 2:14.14; 2. Mathieu Faivre (FRA), 2:14.68; 3. Zan Kranjec (SLO), 2:14.77; 4. Tommy Ford (USA), 2:14.84; 5. Ted Ligety (USA), 2:15.23.

Women/Giant Slalom: 1. Alice Robinson (NZL), 2:17.36; 2. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), 2:17.42; 3. Tessa Worley (FRA), 2:17.72; 4. Mina Fuerst Holtmann (NOR), 2:18.21; 5. Federica Brignone (ITA), 2:18.23.

TSX REPORT: The World Beach Games came and went; did you notice? + Paris 2024 logo announced, Russia 2020 ban on the way & Iran suspended in Judo

Rich Perelman

October 23, 2019

≡ TSX REPORT ~ 24 October 2019 ≡

● LANE ONE ● What was all the fuss about the World Beach Games, anyway?

Although a major topic of discussion in the Olympic world, the World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar came and went rather quietly last week.

Other than the 1,200-plus athletes from 97 countries, not many folks noticed. Even the group behind the event, the Association of National Olympic Committees, didn’t say much about it. And there certainly weren’t very many spectators, except for the last of the five days, when the home Qataris faced off against the U.S. men for the 4×4 Beach Volleyball title (and lost).

So was this a success or a failure? The same question can be asked about the World Urban Games, held earlier this year in Budapest, Hungary. It had many more spectators, but none of them paid to get in; everything was free.

So the events were paid for by government funds, or through sponsors of government-controlled companies, as in Qatar. Is this a good idea? Is this sustainable? Are multi-sport festivals meaningful beyond providing more athletes more chances to compete in an exotic locale far from home? Is that a responsible use of money?

The Doha hosts deserve considerable credit for many things they did well, but there are questions to be answered before anyone gets excited about future editions. More here.

● GAMES OF THE XXXIII OLYMPIAD ● Paris 2024’s Art Deco-inspired logo revealed

The Paris 2024 organizing committee revealed its formal logo for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, showing off an Art Deco-tinged white flame against a golden background on a half-moon foundation of the lips and chin of the historic French figure of Marianne.

The logo was issued with both a white and black background and, for the first time, will be identical for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Good? Bad? There was plenty of chatter both ways, but the true value of this artwork won’t be known until it begins to be used more directly and to fulfill more functions. It has considerable potential in that its structure allows for almost infinite uses of color, also a feature of the original Art Deco movement that originated in France in the 1920s.

● DOPING ● Ganus expects substantial sanctions for Russia in view of data manipulation

The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, Yury Ganus, told Agence France Presse that he expects severe sanctions as a result of the manipulation of data provided to the World Anti-Doping Agency in January.

“Russia’s Olympic squad will be prevented from participating fully in the Olympic Games in Tokyo…. I think that this will also happen at the [2022 Winter] Games in China,” he said. Ganus also expects – in the best-case scenario – that specific Russian athletes will be allowed to compete as was done for the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang.

He also anticipates Russia being restricted from holding future international events, fines and other sanctions. He added that “We need to get rid of the idea that the West is trying to put pressure on us” and that Russia needs “new heads of the sporting organizations,” including a new Minister of Sports. Wow! More here.

● PARALYMPICS ● Record revenue year for the Int’l Paralympic Committee

The International Paralympic Committee published its 2018 annual report last week, showing a record revenue year with about $26.9 (U.S.) coming in. Of this, only $5.6 million was from grants and extraordinary items, including from the International Olympic Committee.

Expenses were just about the same as revenues, but this included about $3.5 million sent to reserves. The IPC now has 118 people employed, mostly in its headquarters in Bonn (GER).

The most impressive part of the report was the growth over just the last 10 years: from about $7.1 million in 2008 to $26.9 million last year, an increase of 279%! More here.

● ALPINE SKIING ● FIS World Cup starts – as usual – in Soelden this weekend

The famed Soelden ski runs on the Rettenbach Glacier will be the site, for the 20th straight year, of the opening races in the annual FIS Alpine World Cup. A Giant Slalom is planned for Saturday – for women – and Sunday for the men.

The men’s story is the retirement of eight-time World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher (AUT), leaving Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen and France’s Alexis Pinturault as leading candidates for the seasonal title. The women’s division is all about American Mikaela Shiffrin (pictured), trying for her fourth consecutive seasonal title. At just 24, she already has 60 career World Cup wins.

But she will be challenged this weekend by G-S stars Tessa Worley (FRA), Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) and Slovenia’s Petra Vlhova. More here.

● ATHLETICS ● Diamond League schedule announced; Nike shoe controversy and Flanagan retires

It’s been less than three weeks since the close of the IAAF World Championships in Doha (QAT), but there’s still a lot going on:

● The schedule for the 2020 Diamond League was announced, with 15 total meets from mid-April through mid-September, with a one-day final at Weltklasse Zurich.

● The nominees for the men’s and women’s Athlete of the Year were announced, with fan voting available on social networks for the next couple of weeks.

● The IAAF has a study underway to review the Nike Vaporfly shoe series. Introduced in 2017, unreleased versions of these ultra-light and springy shoes were worn by Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge in his sub-two hour marathon time trial and Brigid Kosgei in her world-record 2:14:04 win at the Chicago Marathon. The technical group will be examining whether the shoes conform to the current rules, or if new rules are required; its report is due by year-end.

Shalane Flanagan (pictured), one of the finest distance runners in American history, announced her retirement on Instagram last Monday, further revealing that she will be working as a coach with the Bowerman Track Club.

One of the stars in the American distance-running renaissance, she won the Olympic 10,000 m bronze in 2008 (later upgraded to silver), competed in the Olympic marathons in 2012-16 and famously won the 2017 New York City Marathon at age 36. More here.

● FIGURE SKATING ● Second Grand Prix stop features Japan’s Hanyu at Skate Canada Int’l

Japan’s two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu is the star attraction at the second stage of the ISU Grand Prix, this time in Kelowna, British Columbia for the annual Skate Canada International.

However, many eyes will be watching Russian Evgenia Medvedeva, two-time World Champion who finished “only” third at the 2019 World Championships. She moved to Canada to work with star coach Brian Orser after her Olympic silver medal in 2018. Progress?

Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are favorites again in the Ice Dance event after winning at Skate America last week. More here.

● FOOTBALL ● FIFA publishes record viewership totals for 2019 Women’s World Cup

The viewing study for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in June and July was completed and published by FIFA, showing a record total of 1.12 billion viewers who watched at least one minute of the tournament somewhere!

That’s a huge 30% increase over the 764.0 million who watched some part of the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

For those who watched 20 minute or more – not even a half of one game – the numbers go down to 540.7 million viewers this year, a 64.7% increase from 2015. So interest increased.

How does this compare to the men’s World Cup? It’s not close. The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia had a total viewing audience of 3.57 billion, with an average live-match audience of 190.5 million. In 2019, the Women’s World Cup average match audience was 17.3 million. More here.

U.S. scoring star Alex Morgan and husband Servando Carrasco announced her pregnancy, with the baby due in April 2020. That’s about three months prior to the 2020 Olympic tournament in Tokyo, so it’s not clear if she will be able to compete there. More here.

● JUDO ● Disciplinary Commission confirms suspension of Iran in Saeid Mollaei affair

Despite the insistence of the Iran Judo Federation that it never happened, the International Judo Federation Disciplinary Commission confirmed that 2018 World 81 kg Champion Saeid Mollaei (pictured below) was instructed to not even contest his semifinal match at this year’s World Championships in order to keep from meeting eventual winner Sagi Muki (ISR) in the final.

Citing not only the IJF rules and the Olympic Charter, but also a written commitment in May that Iran would not continue its long-held pattern of discriminatory tactics against Israeli judoka, the Disciplinary Commission confirmed the suspension of the Iran Judo Federation until “gives strong guarantees and prove that they will respect the IJF Statutes and accept that their athletes fight against Israeli athletes …”

That could be a long time. Iran has 21 days to appeal the judgement to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. More here.

● THIS WEEK ● Previews of the Badminton World Tour French Open, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Judo and the final IFSC World Cup event in Sport Climbing here.

Also in Climbing, the IFSC confirmed a Speed world record for Indonesia’s Aries Susanti Rahayu from last weekend’s Xiamen Open. She became the first woman to break the seven-second barrier, clocking 6.995 to climb the 15 m wall in the final!

LANE ONE: What was all the fuss about the World Beach Games, anyway?

Rich Perelman

October 23, 2019

Color me confused about the five-day ANOC World Beach Games, held for the first time last week in Doha, Qatar, which took over hosting duties from San Diego, California at the end of May.

The event took place as promised, with a reported 1,240 athletes from 97 countries competing in 36 events in 13 sports.

And except for the final day, in which the Qatari men’s 4×4 beach volleyball team lost a 21-18, 26-24 heartbreaker to a U.S. squad it had defeated in pool play, almost no spectators.

So this was a success?

All the reporting from Doha was that the event was terrific. But there was no report of a post-Games news conference or statement about the event. The only comment from the host organization – the Association of National Olympic Committees – was a sentence in a long news release summing up the ANOC General Assembly (here):

“ANOC also congratulates the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Local Organising Committee for the hosting of the first ever ANOC World Beach Games and for the great success of these Games.”

The umbrella organizations for the world’s National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and for the International Federations (GAISF) both put on first-time major events in 2019 and both were declared a success.

By what standard? And what standard should they be judged on?

The World Beach Games certainly had quality elements to it:

● The event came off, which is no small feat for any first-time program. Credit to the Qatar government for paying for it, and for the Qatar NOC (and others) for getting it done.

● The sports competitions, for the most part, appeared to be run well and with a minimum of difficulties. There were some technical issues, but anyone who has run events on beaches will appreciate how difficult it is to work with sand.

● The venue preparation and event presentation were world-class. All of the venues were heavily decorated, with excellent use of color. While the competition was going on, there was constant noise – both from public address in English and Arabic and a live D.J. – that created an impression of activity and size, especially for remote viewers who could not see the empty stands.

● The awards ceremonies were well done and the use of scoreboards to show images of flags – rather than having to being on actual flagpoles and flags and people to raise and lower them – was a somehow suitable part of the programming, consistent with the age-of-high-technology vibe of the event.

As with any competition, no matter the level, the winners loved getting their medals and the smiles were genuine. And the mascot, Dolphy, was fun, both in person at the events and as plush toys handed out with the awards. (And good for the Qatar organizers not to give flowers!)

● The television work by the Olympic Channel was excellent and you could check out hours and hours of competition, mostly live-streamed. The Olympic Channel – unlike YouTube – does not show how many times a particular video has been accessed, so there is no way to know for sure if the event drew a wide audience (no) or a smattering of interest (yes).

On those scores, the World Beach Games was great. But there were no television rights sold and almost no home-TV broadcasts in any country, the spectator interest was almost nil (even with free admission) and the event was substantially paid for by the Qatar government, in cooperation with several of its state-own companies which signed on as sponsors.

So this is success?

The ANOC point-person for the World Beach Games, the highly-respected Swede Gunilla Lindberg stated that several countries have signaled interest about hosting a second edition of the World Beach Games, ostensibly for 2021. By that measure, then, the first one had to be a success if others want to hold it too, right?

But it was not so long ago – late September, in fact – that track & field athletes were complaining bitterly about the lack of spectators at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships. That event finally filled up at the end when national hero Mutaz Essa Barshim won the high jump in spectacular fashion, followed by the final two days of relays. But the empty stadium of the early days will be one of its lasting memories.

Can it be both ways?

One of the major themes of international sport today, led by the International Olympic Committee, is sustainability. This extends to the control of costs, of environmental impact and the burden that mega-events like the Olympic Games bring to a city, region or country.

Clearly, the World Beach Games did not pay for themselves, and drew modest interest both locally and worldwide. The same is true for the GAISF-run World Urban Games in Budapest (HUN) in mid-September, which impressively filled the Cycling BMX Freestyle Park bleachers, and claimed 50,000 total spectators over the three days of events. However, if you look closely at photographs of the events, many were quite lightly attended.

As first-time events, they came off and therefore can rightly be called successful. Putting on any event for the first time is a challenge, and these had some scale to them.

But what is the point?

If the idea is just to give more athletes more chances to compete (as long as someone will pay for it), then these are fine additions and maybe ANOC and GAISF can continue to find cities or countries willing to foot the bill, possibly as an incremental convention/tourism draw (Budapest is the worldwide master at this). Both had mostly non-Olympic events and even the competitions in Olympic programs caused barely a ripple in the international competition calendar.

But if the idea is to create an event which has some worldwide impact – or even notice – as a “celebration” of beach or urban sports, then the inaugural editions of both the World Beach Games and World Urban Games didn’t get very far.

If the concepts of accountability and sustainability mean anything, then both ANOC and GAISF – as well as other umbrella organizations such as FISU, the university-sports federation – have to consider whether there are actual, identifiable benefits to these new events and others already held. Can they be held in a fiscally responsible way, enough to break even and not burden taxpayers? Shouldn’t that be part of the sustainability question, too?

Both the World Beach Games and World Urban Games came off and the combined total of about 1,540 competitors had a wonderful time. But the question to be asked is whether they mattered enough to be continued.

That answer is yet to be determined.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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ALPINE SKIING Preview: Shiffrin starts run for fourth World Cup title in Soelden

Rich Perelman

October 23, 2019

Slalom 2018 Killington FIS World Cup Photo: Reese Brown/U.S. Ski & Snowboard — American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (Photo: Reese Brown courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

It’s hardly winter in many parts of the world, but with a thick bed of snow on the Rettenbach Glacier at the Soelden Ski Resort in Austria, it’s time to start the 2019-2020 FIS Alpine World Cup in style.

While some of all of the skiing at Soelden has been canceled during the past two seasons, good snow for skiing has been confirmed, with a Giant Slalom for women on Saturday and for men on Sunday.

Soelden has been the lead-off race for the FIS Alpine World Cup for 20 consecutive seasons, beginning with the 2000-01 campaign. It will also be the start of a new era in men’s skiing.

Eight-time World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher (AUT) has retired, so the door is finally open for others. The leaders from last year’s standings are the likely challengers:

2. 1,145 points ~ Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
3. 1,047 points ~ Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR)
4. 950 points ~ Dominik Paris (ITA)
5. 739 points ~ Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT)

Hirscher also won the Giant Slalom discipline, out-pointing Kristoffersen and Pinturault, 680-516-469. American Ted Ligety, now 35, will try for a fifth career win at Soelden (last in 2016) as he continues to work toward an injury-free season.

The women’s World Cup must answer the same question for the fourth year in a row: can anyone beat American Mikaela Shiffrin? She ran away with her third World Cup title in a row last season and no one was close:

1. 2,204 points ~ Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)
2. 1,355 points ~ Petra Vlhova (SLO)
3. 1,079 points ~ Wendy Holdener (SUI)
4. 814 points ~ Viktoria Rebensburg (GER)
5. 771 points ~ Nicole Schmidhofer (AUT)

The Giant Slalom discipline was won by Shiffrin last season, with 615 points, over Vlhova (478) and Tessa Worley (FRA: 460), who won at Soelden. Shiffrin has won at Soelden once, in December 2014.

In her three World Cup overall wins, Shiffrin has won 11-12-17 races, and has 60 World Cups at age 24. Another season like any of her last three and she could become the leading World Cup winner prior to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

Look for results here.

FIGURE SKATING Preview: Hanyu highlights Skate Canada International this weekend

Rich Perelman

October 23, 2019

tsx pix 111418 hanyu yuzuru 2018 750 — 2014 and 2018 Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)

The ISU Grand Prix is in full swing, with the North American segment finishing at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C. this week before moving on to Europe. The top entries:

Men:
● Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) ~ 2014-18 Olympic Champion, 2014-17 World Champion
● Matteo Rizzo (ITA) ~ 7th at 2019 Worlds
● Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT) ~ 6th at 2018 Worlds

Women:
● Gabriele Daleman (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
● Marin Honda (JPN) ~ 2016 World Junior Champion
● Rika Kihara (JPN) ~ 4th at 2019 World Champs
● Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) ~ 2016-17 World Champion; 2018 Olympic bronze
● Alexandra Trusova (RUS) ~ 2018-19 World Junior Champion
● Bradie Tennell (USA) ~ 6th/7th at 2018-29 Worlds; second at Skate America

Pairs:
● Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN) ~ 6th/7th at 2018-19 Worlds
● Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS) ~ 6th at 2019 Worlds
● Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (RUS) ~ 3rd/2rd/2rd at 2017-18-19 Worlds
● Alexa Scimeca Knierim/Chris Knierim (USA) ~ 2015 & 2017 U.S. Champions

Ice Dance:
● Piper Gilles/Paul Poirer (CAN) ~ 8-6-8-8-6-7 at last six World Champs
● Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) ~ 10th & 9th at 2018-19 Worlds
● Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) ~ 3rd-2nd at 2018-19 Worlds; won Skate America

While two-time OG champ Hanyu is the headliner, Medvedeva will be a major focus. She left for Canada to train with famed coach Brian Orser after the 2017-18 season and won the bronze medal at the 2019 Worlds, with her best-ever score of 223.80. Still just 19, her progress will be monitored closely.

The usual prize money is available: $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 for the first five placewinners. Look for results here.

JUDO Panorama: Iran’s suspension confirmed by the IJF Ethics Panel

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-901 mollaei, saeid 750 (ijf) — Iran's 2018 World Judo Champion Saeid Mollaei in happier days (Photo: IJF)

The continuing drama over the contrived losses by Iran’s defending World 81 kg Champion Saeid Mollaei at the 2019 World Championships so as to prevent him from fighting eventual winner Sagi Muki of Israel has now resulted in the confirmation of the suspension of the Iran Judo Federation.

The International Judo Federation posted the decision of the IJF Disciplinary Commission on Tuesday (22nd), including:

“THE IJF DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION HEREBY DECIDES:

“– To pronounce against the Iran Judo Federation a suspension from all competitions, administrative and social activities organized or authorized by the IJF and its Unions, until the Iran Judo Federation gives strong guarantees and prove that they will respect the IJF Statutes and accept that their athletes fight against Israeli athletes …”

The decision included a review of the facts and findings of the case, including:

● “Mr. Saeid MOLLAEI’s allegations are confirmed by the statement of Mr. Abdullo MURADOV, who speaks Farsi and who was together with the athlete during the World Championship in Tokyo and who clearly confirmed that the athlete received a phone call, from 1st Deputy Minister of Sport of Iran and a video chat and a phone call from the Iran National Olympic Committee’s President asking to the athlete not to fight in order to avoid a contest against the Israeli athlete.”

● The Commission noted the 9 May 2019 letter from the Iranian federation, declaring “‘…by means of this letter, we would like to confirm that the I.R. Iran NOC shall fully respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle and the I.R. Iran Federation shall fully comply with the Olympic Charter and the IJF Statutes…’ and yet, the situation exposed by the athlete is in gross contradiction with the content of this letter.”

Although Mollaei was instructed not to fight, he did compete – and lost – in his semifinal match and then in the bronze-medal match and finished fifth.

The Iranian federation now has 21 days to appeal the decision, if it wishes to, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

With this decision, the way is open for the International Olympic Committee to take action against Iran if it wishes to do so. Will it?

THIS WEEK: Momota looks for seventh win in Paris; four Rio judo champs in Abu Dhabi; WR confirmed in Climbing

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1022 susanti rahayu, aries speed wr xiamen 750 — World Record: Joy for Indonesia's Aries Susanti Rahayu, whose 6.995 time in the Xiamen World Cup set a new world record! (Photo: IFSC)

This is another fairly light week in international sport, just before a heavy schedule of winter events starts to take over the calendar.

Among the summer federations are noteworthy events in Badminton, Judo and Sport Climbing:

● BADMINTON ● Seventh win of 2019 for Momota at Yonex French Open in Paris?

The Stade Pierre de Coubertin will be the scene for one of the truly ancient tournaments on the Badminton World Tour: the Yonex French Open.

First held in 1908 (!), the tournament will welcome back all five defending champions, including Long Chen (CHN: men’s Singles), Chengkai Han/Haodong Zhou (CHN: men’s Doubles), Akane Yamaguchi (JPN: women’s Singles), Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (JPN: women’s Doubles) and Seiwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN: Mixed Doubles). The top seeds:

● Men/Singles: 1. Kento Momota (JPN); 2. Tien-chen Chou (TPE); 3. Anders Antonsen (DEN).

● Men/Doubles: 1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA); 2. Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan (INA); 3. Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN).

● Women/Singles: 1. Tzu-Ying Tai (TPE); 2. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN); 3. Nozomi Okuhara (JPN).

● Women/Doubles: 1. Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (JPN); 2. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN); 3. Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN).

● Mixed Doubles: 1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN); 2. Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapirsee Taerattanachai (THA); 3. Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (JPN).

Momota won last week at the Denmark Open and has six wins already this season; he defeated Chen in straight sets. Indonesia’s Gideon and Sukamuljo won the Doubles title in Odense as well.

There is $750,000 in prize money, with $52,500-25,500-10,500-10,500 for the top four Singles placers, on down to $750 for 33-64; it’s $55,500-26,250-10,500-10,500 for Doubles. Look for results here.

● JUDO ● Four Rio Olympic champs & two World champs expected at Abu Dhabi Grand Slam

One of the major tournaments of the IJF season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, starts Friday in the UAE. As is now customary for the IJF – they say to prevent match-fixing – the list of judoka is not provided, but a story on its Web site did indicate some of the top fighters already entered.

These include four Rio Olympic champs trying to make it back to Tokyo:

● Men/66 kg: Fabio Basile (ITA)
● Men/81 kg: Khasan Khalmurzaev (RUS)
● Women/52 kg: Majlinda Kelemendi (KOR)
● Women/63 kg: Tina Trstenjak (SLO)

In addition, Ukrainian sensation Daria Bilodid – the two-time World 48 kg Champion who just turned 19 – is expected to compete. So is Portugal’s 100 kg World Champion, Jose Fonseca.

A total of 603 judoka from 104 countries are entered; look for results here.

● SPORT CLIMBING ● Season finishes with Lead event in Inzai; Susanti Rahayu’s world record confirmed

The decisions have all been taken, but there is one final event coming on the IFSC World Cup calendar, the sixth Lead competition in Inzai, Japan, finishing on Sunday (27th).

Adam Ondra has already clinched the men’s title with 300 points, well ahead of runner-up Kai Harada (JPN: 189). The women’s title belongs to Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo, with 480 points to 298 for World Champion Janja Garnbret (SLO).

Ondra is skipping the finale, but Harada, Seo and Garnbret are all entered in Inzai. Look for results here.

World record: The IFSC confirmed that Indonesia’s Aries Susanti Rahayu’s time in last week’s final in Xiamen (CHN) was 6.995 seconds, a new world record for the 15 m climb. She’s the first to ever finish a climb in less than seven seconds; she crushed the mark of 7.10 by YiLing Song (CHN) from the Chongqing World Cup earlier this year.

China’s QiXin Zhong won the men’s final and missed the world record of 5.48 by just 1/100th in his qualifying race, finishing in 5.490! He only needed 7.208 to win the final as Russia’s Lev Rudatskiy fell.

FOOTBALL Panorama: 2019 Women’s World Cup set records at 1.12 billion viewers

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-709 us women win wwc 750 — U.S. women celebrate their 2019 Women's World Cup title (Photo: FIFA)

FIFA announced the results of its commissioned study of the reach of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, with new records set at a “total audience reach” of 1.12 billion.

That counts television, digital and out-of-home viewing; the television viewing was the key at 993.5 million “unique individuals for at least 1 minute” according to the study. That’s a monumental 30% increase over the 764.0 million who watched the 2015 Women’s World Cup on television.

However, that’s for anyone who turned on the set and watched for a minute. If you get to viewers who watched 20 or more minutes, the number is still good – 540.7 million viewers – but about 46% less. But that’s up 64.7% over 2015.

That’s good progress for women’s football, but the big audience was in Europe, which dominated the tournament, outside of the winning U.S. team. Some 38.5% of eligible viewers in Europe saw some part of the tournament; only football-mad South America surpassed that, with 44.3%.

How does this compare to the men’s World Cup? It’s not close.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia had a total viewing audience of 3.57 billion, or 3.2 times the Women’s World Cup audience, and had an average live match viewership of 190.5 million. That’s amazing. The Women’s World Cup average match audience was 17.27 million, or about 9% of the men’s World Cup.

The 2018 World Cup stats are here; the 2019 statistics are here.

THE BIG PICTURE: International Paralympic Committee reports record $26.9 million revenues for 2018

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1022 ipc hq bonn 750 — The IPC headquarters in Bonn (GER). (Photo: IPC)

Say what you will about the evils of money, the key metric for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to continue its growth as a voice for social inclusion for those with physical disabilities is … money.

Without it, there will be no growth in activities and the 2018 Annual Report, issued last Friday (18th) showed a new record for income with € 24.14 million (~$26.86 million U.S.) during the year.

Importantly, of this total, only € 5.01 million (~$5.57 million U.S.) came from grants from the International Olympic Committee and other “extraordinary sources,: which is positive. Almost 58% of the total came from broadcast and marketing program associated with the 2018 Winter Paralympics and individual Paralympic championship events.

The most remarkable figure shown in the financial summary was the growth of IPC revenue from € 6.37 million in 2008 to € 24.14 million just 10 years later, almost four times as much!

On the expense side, the income statement showed that the IPC spent € 24.13 million (~$26.85 million U.S.), an increase of almost 11%, but this included a transfer of € 3.1 million to reserves.

The IPC’s fundraising arm, the Agitos Foundation, has now distributed €3.8 million (~$4.2 million U.S.) across 179 Paralympic sports development projects in more than 61 countries over the last five years.

Headquartered in Bonn (GER), the organization is now 30 years old and has a staff of 118.

The report noted that the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics had a cumulative worldwide broadcast audience of 2.02 billion, down just slightly from the 2.09 billion from Sochi in 2014, due in part to the unfavorable Asian time zone.

More good news for the IPC came from Tokyo, where the 2020 organizers announced that more than 390,000 applications for 2020 Paralympic tickets were received during the first lottery window of 22 August-10 September.

That’s far and away the most in history; the prior high was 116,000 in London in 2012. About 160,000 applications were accepted in whole or part, for a sale of about 600,000 total tickets. A second lottery is expected to be held early in 2020.

Tickets for the Paralympic sports events are priced from 900-7,000 yen (about $8.30 to 64.60 U.S.).

ATHLETICS: 2020 Diamond League schedule announced; Vaporfly shoes studied; Flanagan retires

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1022 flanagan, shalane 750 (insta) — Retired as one of the best ever: American Shalane Flanagan (Photo: Flangan Instagram account)

With the close of the World Championships in Doha on 6 October, you would think that things would slow down a little for the IAAF (soon to be World Athletics). Not a chance.

(1) The Diamond League schedule for 2020 was announced, with 15 total events, including a one-day final at the Weltklasse Zurich meet. The timetable by month:

● April (1): 17th-Doha (QAT),

● May (5): 10th-China (venue tbd); 16th-Shanghai (CHN); 24th-Stockholm (SWE); 28th-Rome (ITA); 31st-Rabat (MAR).

● June (3): 7th-Eugene (USA); 11th-Oslo (NOR); 13th-Paris (FRA).

● July (2): 4th-London (GBR); 10th-Monaco (MON).

● August (2): 16th-Gateshead (GBR); 20th-Lausanne (SUI).

● September (2): 4th-Brussels (BEL); 11th-Zurich (SUI).

A new series, to be called the World Athletics Continental Tour, will replace the IAAF World Challenge meets, although the difference between the two is not yet clear. The event dates and venues have not yet been announced.

(2) The newest argument in the sport is over shoes.

Versions of Nike’s 2017-introduced Vaporfly shoe series – you can buy models of this style at $250 each from Nike and others – were used by Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) in his sub-2:00:00 marathon time trial and by countrywoman Brigid Kosgei in her 2:14:04 world record at the Chicago Marathon earlier this month.

The “fairness” of these shoes has been called into question, since they have special padding that provides more spring and takes in some of the shock of running long distances. The IAAF is not only aware of the issue, but has a working group looking at it.

FoxBusiness.com reported an IAAF statement that included: “The IAAF Technical Committee has established a working group to consider the issues and, if necessary, recommend changes to the technical rules. The working group includes two former athletes alongside experts in science, ethics, footwear, biomechanics and law, and is expected to report back by the end of the year.”

A suggestion floated in the British Journal of Sport Medicine was to have the IAAF regulate midsole thickness of shoes, similar to the approach already taken for heel thickness for shoes used in the jumping events.

But just as the plastic LZR Racer swimsuits initially introduced by Speedo in 2008 were joined by suits from competitors shortly after (before such suits were banned altogether), other companies are reportedly getting ready to introduce their own advanced designs to compete with the Vaporfly.

(3) The nominations are in for the men’s and women’s World Athlete of the Year, with fan voting open until 4 November for the men and 5 November for the women:

The men (more here):
● Donavan Brazier (USA/800 m)
● Christian Coleman (USA/sprints)
● Joshua Cheptegei (UGA/distances)
● Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN/1,500 m)
● Steven Gardiner (BAH/400 m)
● Sam Kendricks (USA/pole vault)
● Eliud Kipchoge (KEN/marathon)
● Noah Lyles (KEN/sprints)
● Daniel Stahl (SWE/discus)
● Christian Taylor (USA/triple jump)
● Karsten Warholm (NOR/400 m hurdles)

The women (more here)
● Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN/steeplechase)
● Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM/sprints)
● Katrina Johnson-Thompson (GBR/heptathlon)
● Sifan Hassan (NED/distances)
● Brigid Koskei (KEN/marathon)
● Mariya Lasitskene (RUS/high jump)
● Malaika Mihambo (GER/long jump)
● Dalilah Muhammad (USA/400 m hurdles)
● Salwa Eid Naser (BAH/400 m)
● Hellen Obiri (KEN/distances)
● Yulimar Rojas (VEN/triple jump)

Voting will be done online for fans, at the IAAF sites on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the fan vote will count for 25% and the IAAF Council (50%) and IAAF Family (25%) will vote by e-mail.

In addition, the finalists for the International Fair Play Award have been posted, with the winner to be announced on 23 November:

● Men’s Pole Vault: Mondo Duplantis (SWE), Piotr Lisek (POL) and Sam Kendricks (USA)
● Women’s Pole Vault: Sandi Morris (USA)
● Women’s Sprints: Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)
● Men’s 5,000 m: Braima Suncar Dabo (GBS)

More details about each moment is here.

Although not a surprise, American distance star Shalane Flanagan announced her retirement on 21 October on Instagram, writing in part:

“With happy tears I announce today that I am retiring from professional running.

“From 2004 to 2019 I’ve given everything that’s within me to this sport and wow it’s been an incredible ride!

“I’ve broken bones, torn tendons, and lost too many toenails to count. I’ve experienced otherworldly highs and abysmal lows. I’ve loved (and learned from) it all.

“Over the last 15 years I found out what I was capable of, and it was more than I ever dreamed possible.”

She further announced that she has become a coach for the Bowerman Track Club, noting that “I am lucky, as I know already, that coaching will bring me as much joy and heartache that my own running career gave me.”

Flanagan made an indelible impression as U.S. women became competitive on the world stage, taking a silver medal (originally bronze) in the Olympic 10,000 m in Beijing in 2008, a bronze medal in the 2011 World Cross Country Championships and winning the 2017 New York City Marathon, at age 36. She was a three-time U.S. Olympian in 2008-12-16.

She will be remembered as one of the finest American distance runners ever.

CYCLING: Mas wins Tour of Guangxi; Hosking wins women’s race as UCI World Tour ends

Rich Perelman

October 22, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1022 mas, enric tour of guangxi 750 — Spaniard Enric Mas's win in the crucial fourth stage was the key to victory in the Gree-Tour of Guangxi! (Photo: Tour of Guangxi)

The final races of the 2019 UCI World Tour for men and women came in China as the Gree-Tour of Guangxi finished for the men and the one-day women’s Tour of Guangxi was held on Tuesday (22nd).

The third men’s Tour of Guangxi was mostly for sprinters, with five of the six stages ending in mass finishes. Two of those were won by Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria (one and five) and two by Pascal Ackermann of Germany (three and six). The one stage that ended with racers in single file to the finish made the difference and that race belonged to Spain’s Enric Mas.

That was stage four, with an uphill finish to the Nongla Scenic Area and Mas got there first, ahead of Daniel Martinez (COL: +0:01), Diego Rosa (ITA: +0:08) and Dutch rider Antwan Tolhoek (+0:12). Adding in the time bonuses and that was the winning margin – five seconds across six stages – for Mas, with Martinez five seconds back and Rosa eight seconds behind. At 24 years old, this is the first multi-stage race win for Mas and could be the first of many more.

The women’s race was fairly flat except for one ascent in mid-race and had Australian star Chloe Hosking winning in the final sprint over Canada’s Alison Jackson and Dutch star Marianne Vos. It was Hosking’s first medal of the World Tour season … in the final race! Summaries:

UCI World Tour/GREE-Tour of Guangxi
China ~ 17-22 October 2019
(Full results here)

Final Standings: 1. Enric Mas (ESP), 22:42:42; 2. Daniel Felipe Martinez (COL), +0:05; 3. Diego Rosa (ITA), +0:14; 4. Antwan Tolhoek (NED), +0:22; 5. Felix Grosschartner (AUT), +0:29. Also in the top 25: 15. Peter Stetina (USA), +0:46.

Stage winners: Stage 1 (135.6 km): Fernando Gaviria (COL), 2:53:42; Stage 2 (152.3 km): Daniel McLay (GBR), 3:45.04; Stage 3 (143.0 km): Pascal Ackermann (GER), 3:19:21; Stage 4 (161.4 km): Enric Mas (ESP), 3:52:53; Stage 5 (212.4 km): Gaviria (COL), 5:13:42. Stage 6 (168.3 km): Ackermann (GER), 3:38:10.

UCI Women’s World Tour/Tour of Guangxi
China ~ 22 October 2019
(Full results here)

Final Standings (145.8 km): 1. Chloe Hosking (AUS), 3:58:46; 2. Alison Jackson (CAN), 3:58:46; 3. Marianne Vos (NED), 3:58:46; 4. Arlenis Sierra (CUB), 3:58:46; 5. Chiara Consonni (ITA), 3:58:46. Also in the top 25: 10. Lauren Stephens (USA), 3:58:46; 11. Coryn Rivera (USA), 3:58:46.

TSX REPORT: Athlete’s rights seems like a good idea, but for which athletes and for which rights? Plus, Chen and Hubbell/Donohue win again at Skate America

Rich Perelman

October 20, 2019

≡ TSX REPORT ~ 21 October 2019 ≡

● LANE ONE ● Two conferences and two different views of “athlete’s rights”

Two conferences taking place almost simultaneously 7,745 miles apart last week illustrated the far-apart approaches to the newest flash-point in the Olympic Movement: awards-ceremony demonstrations.

Following up on the two medal-stand protests by American fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry during the Pan American Games in Peru in August, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly in Doha, Qatar was addressed by IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) and by IOC Athletes’ Commission chair Kirsty Coventry (ZIM).

In Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), the 11th Play the Game conference was held – for the first time outside Europe – and one of the sessions was devoted to the question of athlete activism.

Coventry’s remarks to the ANOC General Assembly notably included a reference to a conference call held in September with representatives of 60 Athlete Commissions from National Olympic Committees around the world. During the call, which covered multiple topics, the question of demonstrations came up. These are specifically banned in the Olympic Charter’s Rule 50.2; Coventry said:

“We had more than 60 Athlete Commissions represented on that call and there was a very strong feeling amongst all of those athletes that the venues, the Olympic spirit and the uniqueness of the Games needs to be respected, and that there is a time and a place for athletes to be able to make their voices heard with different opinions or different topics that they might want to bring awareness to, but no one on the call felt that that should be on the field of play or during a Olympic medal ceremony.”

The IOC Athletes’ Commission will be formulating further guidelines concerning Rule 50.2 and these will be circulated to the NOCs for implementation prior to the Tokyo Games in 2020.

In Colorado Springs, the athlete-activism session included comments from Nikki Dryden, a two-time Canadian Olympian in swimming and now a lawyer in New York spoke to directly to the Olympic Charter rule. The session summary noted:

“Dryden called for an overhaul of the Olympic Charter’s Rule 50.2, which outlaws demonstrations or ‘propaganda’ in Olympic sites or venues. ‘Explicit support for freedom of speech should be contained in the Olympic Charter,’ Dryden said ‘Freedom of expression and assembly are generally-accepted norms in democratic nations and the international community. The Olympic ideals sound like they should protect these rights. But Rule 50.2 prevents freedom of expression.’”

Not much common ground there. But it’s worth noting that the IOC Athletes’ Commission is directly elected by athletes participating in the Olympic and Winter Games. And that Dryden’s reliance on “generally-accepted norms” of the “international community” sounds suspect if you go beyond North America, some of Latin America and Western Europe.

Look for more fireworks prior to, during and after the Tokyo Games. Much more here.

● FIGURE SKATING ● Chen and Hubbell & Donohue defend titles at Skate America

The winter-sport season is here and the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix opened with Skate America at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

At the top of the bill was American Nathan Chen, (pictured) the two-time World Champion and two-time defending champion at this event. He won his third straight title with an excellent 299.09 total, winning both the Short Program and the Free Skate. He was followed by fellow American Jason Brown (255.09) and Russia’s Dmitri Aliev (253.55).

Chen’s three straight wins ties him with American Scott Hamilton for the second-most consecutive wins in the history of Skate America; only Todd Eldredge – with four – has more.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won their second straight Skate America title in Ice Dance, winning the Rhythm Dance and coming in a very close second in the Free Dance to score 209.55 points, ahead of Russians Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin (206.57).

In the women’s Singles, a new Russian teenager came onto the world stage and triumphed. Anna Shcherkakova, 15, came from fourth place after the Short Program to win the Free Skate impressively and pile up 227.76 points. She finished well ahead of American Bradie Tennell (216.14) and 2015 World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (205.97). More here and here.

● SPORT CLIMBING ● Season titles decided in Lead and Speed in Xiamen World Cup

The IFSC World Cup in Xiamen (CHN) was only supposed to decide the Speed seasonal titles for men and women, but the competition actually settled the issue for the Lead division as well.

In Lead, World Champion Adam Ondra won over Taisei Homma of Japan and sewed up the 2019 World Cup title; he has 300 points to 189 for second-place Kai Harada (JPN) with only one event remaining.

Similarly, Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo won her fourth event of the season in women’s Lead and now has 480 points – easily the winner – to 298 for World Champion Janja Garnbret (SLO).

The Speed titles went to France’s Bassa Mawem and China’s YiLing Song, neither of whom won in Xiamen, but had enough points to come out on top. Mawem amassed 329 points for the season to edge Russian Vladislav Deudin (312) and Song was a clear winner for the women, with 460 points to finish well ahead of defending champ Anouck Jaubert (FRA). For Jaubert, it was her sixth straight season with a World Cup seasonal medal! More here.

● SCOREBOARD ● Seventh 2019 title for Kento Momota; Zheng wins World rematch with Walkden

In Badminton, Japan’s Kento Momota (pictured) continued his brilliant season with a seventh tournament victory in the Danisa Denmark Open, defeating 2016 Olympic champ Long Chen (CHN) in straight sets. He was one of three defending champs to win again in Odense, also including Tzu-Ying Tai (TPE) and men’s doubles aces Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA). More here.

In Curling, the WCF Mixed Championships for teams was decided in Aberdeen, Scotland, with Canada coming from behind in both its semifinal (vs. Norway) and final (vs. Germany) to win its second straight title. More here.

In Taekwondo, the first-ever Grand Prix tournament to be held in Bulgaria was highlighted by a World Championships rematch in the women’s +78 kg division. This time, it was China’s Shuyin Zheng who won over Bianca Walkden (GBR) by 3-2.China won four of the eight divisions, but reigning World Champions Jun Jang (KOR: 58 kg) and Shuai Zhao (CHN: 68 kg) did win their weight classes. More here.

● THIS WEEK ● Cycling’s World Tour ends Tuesday; winter sports debuts continue in Austria

Still a fairly light schedule of international events this week, but several worth noting, including the finales of the men’s and women’s UCI World Tours in road cycling. The men’s Gree-Tour of Guangxi continues through Tuesday in China and the women’s one-day Tour of Guangxi will be held on Tuesday as well.

Alpine skiing will start its 2019-2020 World Cup season with a men’s and women’s Giant Slalom in Soelden (AUT). That means the return of American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, poised to shatter more records in a try for her fourth consecutive World Cup overall title, and a new era starting for the men as Austria’s Marcel Hirscher – winner of the last eight overall titles – has retired.

The ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix will continue in Kelowna, British Colombia with Skate Canada International, headlined by twice Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.

LANE ONE: “Athlete’s rights” sounds like a good idea, but which athletes and which rights?

Rich Perelman

October 20, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1020 coventry, kirsty anoc qtr2 750 — IOC member and Zimbabwe Minister for Youth, Art, Sports and Recreation Kirsty Coventry

The question of “athlete’s rights” is a hot topic in the Olympic Movement, just as it is in other sports, but it is being more clearly contested in the Olympic sphere.

This was shown dramatically last week with two events going on at the same time with very different agendas and very different views:

● XXIV Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly in Doha (QAT), with about 1,000 representatives of 204 National Olympic Committees

● Play The Game 2019, the 11th world communication conference on sport and society, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), the first time held outside of Europe.

The ANOC Conference had a lengthy agenda, dealing significantly with future major events including the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, among others. But one segment was devoted to athlete issues and featured Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, an IOC member since 2013 and the head of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Her talk (starting about 2:24) went into some depth about the IOC’s Athlete365 program, outcomes from the IOC’s International Athletes Forum held last May and the upcoming IF Forum to be held from 28-30 October. She noted that 8,428 athletes have joined in on the Athlete365 program, as well as 2,319 support staff, including coaches.

She also shared comments on the question of Olympic Charter rule 50.2, which states that “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

This has become a hot topic thanks to two such actions at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, where (1) American fencer Race Imboden took a knee during the medal ceremony for the men’s Team Foil, during the playing of the U.S. anthem, and (2) hammer thrower Gwen Berry raised her right fist during her medal ceremony, reminiscent of the 1968 podium protest of Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos after the men’s 200 m final.

Both Imboden and Berry were placed on probation by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for their actions, which broke with their signed agreement not to do so when agreeing to be part of the U.S. team at the Pan Am Games.

So now the topic is open for discussion.

IOC President Thomas Bach, in his keynote address to the ANOC General Assembly, sounded the IOC’s position, couched in terms of unity:

“If we do not all follow the same World Anti-Doping Code, we have no fair competition. If we are not all following the same Code of Ethics – the IOC Code of Ethics which is part of the Olympic Charter – we have no credibility anymore. If we are not following everything in the same way, Rule 40 or Rule 50, or if we do not follow an agreement on the format of the Olympic Games, or in many stipulations, then we are not a united community anymore and then we cannot achieve universality anymore, if we would have to make special rules for special needs of special organisations or special interests.”

Coventry’s presentation expounded on the Rule 50 issue with demonstrations:

“We felt it really important to lead this conversation and reach out to our athletes across the world, and we did that through different forms of communication, and most recently we held a call with Global Athlete network [of Athlete Commissions of National Olympic Committees].

“To hear other athletes from around the world talking about the uniqueness of the Games, having respect for each other and that just showed the power of the Olympic Movement, and that it’s something we need to protect and, so, what we have since done from that call and from the guidance of those athlete commissions and of those representatives on the call, is now we’re working together to put together some guidelines around the rules, around being able to explain very clearly to athletes where we would like there to be this respect followed through and to keep specific venues and medal ceremonies” away from demonstrations.

(The online video skipped and did not include Coventry’s remarks after the end of her quotation above.)

In a posted summary of this call with the Athlete Commission reps, Coventry noted that “The IOC AC is drafting guidelines for athletes competing at the Olympic Games with regard to where athletes have an opportunity to share their views and where is not appropriate.”

At the Play the Game conference, a session called “Athlete activism: defending the right to protest” was held and Nikki Dryden, a two-time Canadian Olympian in swimming and now a lawyer in New York spoke to directly to the Olympic Charter rule. The session summary noted:

Canadian swimming Olympian and human rights attorney Nikki Dryden at Play the Games 2019 (Photo: Play the Game/Thomas Sondergaard)

However, another speaker suggested there are limits:

“Margaret MacNeill, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, said that the changing role of the media has affected how athlete activism is expressed. Athletes are seen as a commodity,” she told Play the Game 2019. ‘Athletes sign away their right to free expression by agreeing to social media guidelines. Tweets can trigger lawsuits.’ While the emergence of new digital media brings many challenges related to athletes’ rights, she said, it also brings new opportunities for the establishment of athlete-owned media.

“MacNeill was then asked whether any limits should be placed on athletes’ freedom of expression and right to protest. ‘There are limitations on free speech,’ she said ‘Hate speech.’ ‘The right to free expression comes with responsibilities.’”

Who has it right?

There are those who are hardly impressed by the IOC’s position or by Coventry and the “Athlete Commissions” that she cites. But the IOC Athletes’ Commission is elected by athletes themselves at each Olympic or Winter Games and that’s the group that will be writing the new Rule 50 guidelines. And Coventry herself is not to be underestimated, either for her seven Olympic medals in swimming in 2004-08, or in her current position as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in Zimbabwe, since September 2018.

And the proponents of free speech at the Play the Game conference hit themselves in the head, as Dryden noted correctly that “Freedom of expression and assembly are generally-accepted norms in democratic nations and the international community.” How does that work with a third of governments worldwide governments are considered “authoritarian” and a quarter are “hybrids” of democratic and authoritarian rule – that’s 92 of 167 or 55% nations worldwide according to the 2018 Democracy Index (more here).

Looking at the Index, the “international community” cited by Dryden is mostly limited to North America, some parts of Latin American and the Caribbean and Western Europe. What about the rest of the world?

As with so many issues that divide the world, countries, cities and neighbors in our complex world today, neither the IOC nor the Play the Game delegates appear ready for some kind of agreement. The next chapter will come with the issuance of the IOC Athletes’ Commission guidelines; stay tuned, but have no doubt that both sides are gearing up for the possibilities in Tokyo.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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TAEKWONDO: China wins four titles in eight classes in first Sofia Grand Prix

Rich Perelman

October 20, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1020 zheng d walkden sofia 750 wtf — World champs rematch between Britain's Bianca Walkden (l) and China's Shuyin Zheng in Sofia, won by Zheng (Photo: World Taekwondo)

The first-ever World Taekwondo Grand Prix event held in Bulgaria turned out to be a showcase for China, with four wins in the eight classes.

The highlight was the women’s +67 kg final, a World Championships re-match between Britain’s Bianca Walkden and silver medalist Shuyin Zheng. This time Zheng was the winner in a tight, defensive match by 3-2.

China also got wins from Jingyu Wu at 49 kg and Lijun Zhou at 57 kg in the women’s division and Shuai Zhao at 68 kg.

Zhao, along with Korea’s Jun Jang (58 kg) were the two 2019 World Champions who won in Sofia; the 2017 World 62 kg Champion Ruth Gbagbi (CIV), won at 67 kg in Sofia. Summaries:

World Taekwondo Grand Prix
Sofia (BUL) ~ 18-20 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men

58 kg: 1. Jun Jang (KOR); 2. Tae-Hun Kim (KOR); 3. Armin Hadipour (IRI) and Vito Dell’Aquila (ITA). Final: Jang d. Kim, 12-1.

68 kg: 1. Shuai Zhao (CHN); 2. Dae-Hoon Lee (KOR); 3. Yu-Jen Huang (TPE) and Soroush Ahmadi (IRI). Final: Zhao d. Lee, 17-7.

80 kg: 1. Saleh Elsharabaty (JOR); 2. Seif Eissa (EGY); 3. Icaro Martins Soares (BRA) and Moises Hernandez (DOM). Final: Elsharabarty d. Eissa, 12-10.

+80 kg: 1. Maicon Siqueira (BRA); 2. Kyo-Don In (KOR); 3. Hongyi Sun (CHN) and Ivan Sapina (CRO). Final: Siqueira d. In, 4-3.

Women

49 kg: 1. Jingyu Wu (CHN); 2. So-Hui Kim (KOR); 3. Yuntao Wenren (CHN) and Tijana Bogdanovic (SRB). Final: Wu d. Kim, 24-8.

57 kg: 1. Lijun Zhou (CHN); 2. Ah-Reum Lee (KOR); 3. Tatiana Kudashova (RUS) and Hatice Ilgun (TUR). Final: Zhou d. Lee, 15-12.

67 kg: 1. Ruth Gbagbi (CIV); 2. Lauren Williams (GBR); 3. Julyana Al-Sadeq (JOR) and Nur Tatar Askari (TUR). Final: Gbagbi d. Williams, 25-20.

+67 kg: 1. Shuyin Zheng (CHN); 2. Bianca Walkden (GBR); 3. Mi-Na Myeong (KOR) and Milica Mandic (SRB). Final: Zheng d. Walkden, 3-2.

SPORT CLIMBING: Mawem and Song win World Cup Speed titles in Xiamen

Rich Perelman

October 20, 2019

tsx pix 2019-mawem, bassa 750 (ifsc-eddie fowke) — 2019 World Cup Speed champ: France's Bassa Mawem (Photo: IFSC/Eddie Fowke)

The final Speed competitions of the IFSC World Cup saw first-time seasonal winners in France’s Bassa Mawem and China’s YiLing Song.

Mawem finished fifth in the Speed event in Xiamen (CHN), and with 51 points, ended up the seasonal leader at 329 points. That was just enough to stay ahead of Xiamen third-placer Vladislav Deudin of Russia, who ended the season with 312.

China’s 30-year-old QiXin Zhong won the men’s event – his first-ever World Cup win – and finished with a second and first this season; he climbed to fourth in the final seasonal standings.

Song had won three events this season and even with a second-place finish to Indonesia’s Aries Susanti Rahayu in the final, won the World Cup title with ease, scoring 460 points. Two-time defending champ Anouck Jaubert of France ended up second (355) and won a World Cup seasonal medal for the sixth straight season!

Susanti Rahayu won her first World Cup title of the season and repeated her win in Xiamen from 2018. She finished third overall with 333 points.

On Sunday, the penultimate Lead competitions were held, with World Champion Adam Ondra winning the men’s title and clinching the World Cup seasonal title, the third of his career. He has now won all three of his World Cup events this season and has 300 points to 189 for second-place Kai Harada of Japan, with one event remaining.

The women’s Lead title was also decided for series leader Chae-Hyun Seo of Korea, who won her fourth event of the season over Akiyo Noguchi of Japan and won her first World Cup title, at age 15. Seo has 480 seasonal points, way ahead of World Champion Janja Garnbret (SLO), with 298. Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Xiamen (CHN) ~ 18-20 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Adam Ondra (CZE), Top; 2. Taisei Homma (JPN), Top; 3. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN), Top; 4. Kai Harada (JPN), 31+; 5. Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP), 29+. Also: 7. Jesse Grupper (USA), 25+; 8. Sean Bailey (USA), 23+.

Women/Lead: 1. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), Top; 2. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), Top; 3. Jain Kim (KOR), Top; 4. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 37+; 5. Natsuki Tanii (JPN), 37+.

Men/Speed ~ Final: 1. QiXin Zhong (CHN), 7.208; 2. Lev Rudatskiy (RUS), fell. Small Final: 3. Vladislav Deudin (RUS), 5.635; 4. Sergey Rukin (RUS), 5.763.

Final Standings: 1. Bassa Mawem (FRA), 329; 2. Vladislav Deudin (RUS), 312; 3. Alfian Muhammad (INA), 286; 4. QiXin Chong (CHN), 285; 5. Dimitrii Timofeev (RUS), 283.

Women/Speed ~ Final: 1. Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA), 6.995; 2. YiLong Song (CHN), 9.032. Small Final: 3. Mariia Krasavina (RUS), 7.947; 4. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 14.375.

Final Standings: 1. YiLing Song (CHN), 460; 2. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 355; 3. Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA), 333; 4. Elizaveta Ivanova (RUS), 261; 5. Di Niu (CHN), 201.

FIGURE SKATING: Hubbell & Donohue win second straight title at Skate America

Rich Perelman

October 20, 2019

tsx pix 2019-1020 hubbel and Donohue skate amer 750 — Skate America repeat Ice Dance champs Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (USA) (Photo: ISU)

Despite losing the Free Skate, the American duo of Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the Ice Dance title for the second straight year at Skate America at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Hubbell and Donohue led after the Rhythm Dance, 84.97-81.91 over Russians Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, but lost to Stepanova and Bukin by just 0.08 in the Free Dance, 124.66-124.58. That left them with a final margin of 209.55-206.57 for their second straight win and third medal in this event in four years.

Said Hubbell, “We were really looking forward to debuting this [Free Dance] program. It feels like you work on a project for so many months and you can’t see straight anymore. We’re happy to put it out the first time, we got a lot of feedback. There were good things and not so good things and we feel like we can make a lot of progress already for next week.”

It’s the 11th straight year that an American couple has won the Ice Dance at Skate America.

The women’s Free Skate was dominated by Russia’s Anna Shcherbakova, who scored 160.14 points to just 141.04 for American Bradie Tennell, who had the lead after the Short Program. So, Shcherbakova ended with 227.76 points to 216.14 for Tennell with Russia’s 2015 World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva third (205.97).

It’s Tennell’s second Skate America medal in three years; she won a bronze in 2017. For Shcherbakova, – still just 15 – it’s the first Russian win in this event since 2015.

Said the winner, “My goal was to show [two] quad Lutzes and all my other jumps. This [medal] is very important to me, because this is my first senior season and I want to show clean skating.”

The Grand Prix heads to Kelowna (CAN) next week, with the Internationaux de France and the Shiseido Cup of China following. Summaries:

ISU Grand Prix/Skate America
Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) ~ 18-20 October 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Nathan Chen (USA), 299.09 (1st in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Jason Brown (USA), 255.09 (4+2); 3. Dmitri Aliev (RUS), 253.55 (2+3); 4. Keegan Messing (CAN), 239.34 (3+8); 5. Kazuki Tomono (JPN), 229. 72 (8+4).

Pairs: 1. Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN), 200.89 (1+1); 2. Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin (RUS), 196.98 (2+3); 3. Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA), 192.70 (4+2); 4. Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson (USA), 180.52 (5+4); 5. Ashley Cain-Gribble/Tim LeDuc (USA), 177.54 (3+5).

Women: 1. Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), 227.76 (4+1); 2. Bradie Tennell (USA), 216.14 (1+2); 3. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS), 205.97 (5+3); 4. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN), 202.47 (2+4); 5. Eunsoo Lim (KOR), 184.50 (8+5). Also: 7. Amber Glenn (USA), 169.63 (7+9); 8. Karen Chen (USA), 165.67 (6+10).

Ice Dance: 1. Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA), 209.55 (1+2); 2. Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (RUS), 206.57 (2+1); 3. Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorenson (CAN), 197.53 (3+3); 4. Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz (ESP), 191.01 (4+4); 5. Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS), 181.82 (5+5). Also: 6. Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA), 180.55 (6+6); 7. Caroline Green/Michael Parsons (USA), 173.03 (8+7).