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GYMNASTICS Preview: America’s best – including Biles and Hurd – in GK U.S. Classic in Louisville

By
Rich Perelman
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The cream of U.S. women’s gymnastics is set for action this weekend in the GK U.S. Classic in Louisville, Kentucky, essentially a warm-up for the U.S. Nationals in Kansas City from 8-11 August.

That means:

● Simone Biles ~ 2016 Olympic All-Around Champion; 2018 World All-Around Champion
● Morgan Hurd ~ 2017 World All-Around Champion; 2018 Worlds All-Around bronze
● Leanne Wong ~ 2018 U.S. National Junior Champion; 2019 American Classic A-A gold
● Jade Carey ~ 2017 Worlds Vault silver medalist; 2017 Floor silver
● Jordan Chiles ~ 2018 Pacific Rim Champs Vault & Floor gold medalist
● Kara Eaker ~ 2018 World All-Around Team Champion
● Riley McCusker ~ 2018 World All-Around Team Champion
● Grace McCallum ~ 2018 World All-Around Team Champion; 2018 Pan Am A-A gold

In addition to prep for the Nationals, eight women are vying for five spots on the U.S. team for the Pan American Games in Lima (PER) that starts at the end of next week. Among them are Hurd, Wong, Eaker and McCusker, plus Sloane Blakely, Aleah Finnegan, Shilese Jones and Sunisa Lee. The five to compete will be named by the USAG Selection Committee after the Classis is concluded.

Biles has won this event (All-Around) three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2018 (plus 2012 as a junior). Wong won the Junior division in 2018. Last year, Biles scored 58,700 to win decisively over McCusker (57.500), Hurd (56.350) and Jones (56.350).

Biles is starting to pile up some awe-inspiring statistics. Looking at her comprehensive competition record on the highly-respected site, The Gymternet, she hasn’t lost an All-Around since 2013 and has won 18 straight individual All-Around titles (this does not count A-A scores in a team competition).

Is no. 19 in a row on the way?

The schedule includes the USA Gymnastics Hopes Championships on Friday (19th) and the Junior and Senior U.S. Classic on the 20th. Full results will be available here.

CYCLING: Alaphilippe still wearing the yellow jersey, but will he survive Friday’s time trial?

By
Rich Perelman
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Tour de France Stage 12 winner Simon Yates (GBR)

The 12th stage of the 2019 Tour de France looked like a difference maker on the schedule, with two massive climbs over the Col de Peyresourde (1,562 m) and Horquette de Ancizan (1,558 m), but the race didn’t turn out that way.

After a flat, sprinter’s stage on Wednesday, the climber’s stage on Thursday turned into a ride-along for race leader Julian Alaphilippe (FRA), defending champ Geraint Thomas (GBR: +1:12) and challenger Egan Bernal (COL: +1:16).

A mass of 42 riders broke away from the field about halfway through the race and before the first major climb. The group thinned out as they crested the two peaks and eventually a three-man group of Simon Yates (GBR), Pello Bilbao (ESP) and Gregor Muhlberger (AUT) battled for the stage win. As usual, the decision came only in the final 200 m, with Yates pumping hardest and earning his first career stage win at the Tour de France.

That brings us to Friday’s Individual Time Trial over 27.2 km, in and out of Pau, with a hilly course. Thomas told reporters he has been waiting for this day, were he can take control of the race; he won the 2017 Time Trial at the Tour and was the 2018 British champion in the event. But Alaphilippe is not without a pedigree, however, having won the Time Trial in the Paris-Nice program in 2017. Bernal, still just 22, has a national Time Trial title and the Time Trial at the 2018 Tour de Romandie to his credit.

One of the favorites in the Time Trial would have been Australian star Rohan Dennis, who didn’t finish Stage 12 and is now out of the race altogether. No reason was given, although there were reports that his abandonment was not due to physical problems. So …

There will be no rest for the weary, however. Saturday’s stage is a 117.5 km stage with a category 1 climb in the middle and an uphill finish to Tourmalet, gaining 1,634 m in elevation over the last 32 km! On Sunday is another climbing stage, with four major ascents over 185 km, including a final 12.5 km up the Pray d’ Albis. Fun, huh? Summaries so far:

UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.

Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.

Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.

Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.

Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.

Stage 6 (160.5 km): 1. Dylan Teuns (BEL), 4:29:03; 2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 4:29:14; 3. Xandro Meurisse (BEL), 4:30:08; 4. Geraint Thomas (GBR), 4:30:47; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:30:49.

Stage 7 (230.0 km): 1. Groenewegen (NED), 6:02:44; 2. Ewan (AUS), 6:02:44; 3. Sagan (SVK), 6:02:44; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 6:02:44; 5. Jasper Philipsen (BEL), 6:02:44.

Stage 8 (200.0 km): 1. Thomas de Gendt (BEL), 5:00:17; 2. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 5:00:23; 3. Alaphilippe (FRA), 5:00:23; 4. Matthews (AUS), 5:00:43; 5. Sagan (SVK), 5:00:43.

Stage 9 (170.5 km): 1. Daryl Impey (RSA), 4:03:12; 2. Tiesj Benoot (BEL), 4:03:12; 3. Jan Tratnik (SLO), 4:03:22; 4. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 4:03:22; 5. Stuyven (BEL), 4:03:22.

Stage 10 (217.5 km): 1. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:49:39; 2. Viviani (ITA), 4:49:39; 3. Ewan (AUS), 4:49:39; 4. Matthews (AUS), 4:49:39; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:49:39.

Stage 11 (167.0 km): 1. Ewan (AUS), 3:51:26; 2. Groenewegen (NED), 3:51:26; 3. Viviani (ITA), 3:51:26; 4. Sagan (SVK), 3:51:26; 5. Jens Debusschere (GER), 3:51:26.

Stage 12 (209.5 km): 1. Simon Yates (GBR), 4:57:53; 3. Pello Bilbao (ESP), 4:57:53; 3. Gregor Muhlberger (AUT), 4:57:53; 4. Tiesj Benott (BEL), 4:59:21; 5. Febio Felline (ITA), 4:59:21.

19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Indiv. Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)

AQUATICS: China and Russia continue their march through Diving and Artistic at FINA Worlds: 17 events, 17 wins

By
Rich Perelman
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It's only an exhibition, but the U.S. women were happy to win the "Beach Water Polo" title in Gwangju! (Photo: FINA)

The astonishing dominance of China in the diving well and Russia in Artistic Swimming continued without interruption during the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju (KOR).

The Chinese diving team is in position for a sweep of all 13 diving events for the first time ever. So far:

● The Chinese entries have won all of the Synchro and Mixed events with their single entries in the six event completed, with the men’s 3 m Synchro still remaining.

● In the individual events, Chinese divers have won the four completed events and are favored in the final two: men’s 10 m Platform and women’s 3 m Springboard.

● In the two individual events on the Olympic program already completed, China has gone 1-2 in each. In the women’s 10 m Platform, two 13-year-olds – Yuxi Chen and Wei Lu – won gold and silver; they can compete in Tokyo in 2002 as the age limit is 14 by the end of that year.

● The Chinese aren’t just winning, they are crushing everyone with an average margin of victory of an astonishing 32.42 points:

= 20.10 ~ Men/1 m Springboard: Zongyuan Wang
= 27.50 ~ Men/3 m Springboard: Siyi Xie (over Yuan Cao/CHN)
= 24.72 ~ Men/3 m Synchro: Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao
= 42.33 ~ Men/10 m Synchro: Yuan Cao/Aisen Chen
= 23.45 ~ Women/1 m Springboard: Yiwen Chen
= 61.20 ~ Women/Yuxi Chen (over Wei Lu/CHN)
= 30.90 ~ Women/3 m Synchro: Han Wang/Tingmao Shi
= 32.52 ~ Women/10 m Synchro: Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu
= 34.86 ~ Mixed/10 m Synchro: Junjie Lian/Yajie Si
= 26.60 ~ Mixed/3 m+10 m: Shan Lin/Jian Yang

Chen’s performance in the 10 m Platform was hard to believe, regardless of age. She had the top score on all five dives, sometimes scoring 14 points more than anyone else.

No country has won all 13 events at the FINA Worlds since the diving program was expanded in 2015. China won 8/13 events in 2017, 10/13 in 2015, 9/10 in 2013 and swept all 10 events in 2011.

The U.S. is having a pretty good meet, with Delaney Schnell – a veteran at 20 – coming from fifth on her final dive to score the bronze in the women’s 10 m. She’s the first U.S. women’s Olympic or Worlds individual medalist since Laura Wilkinson won the 10 m Platform gold at the 2005 World Championships. David Boudia, much better known for his 10 m work, finished fifth in the 3 m Springboard, and Mike Hixon was seventh.

Boudia was upbeat: “My expectations have been exceeded. I was very far from the medals but with extremely low degree of difficulty compared to the rest of the field, I’m pleased with where I’m at. This off-season I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I was glad I was able to get top eight so I can be competitive at World Series events next year.”

In Artistic Swimming, Russia did not contest the Team Highlight event, won by Ukraine, but has won the other seven events without incident as comebacking Svetlana Romashina and Svetlana Kolesnichenko have three golds each so far.

Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha won the women’s 5 km Open Water race – not an Olympic distance – over Aurelie Muller (FRA), with American Hannah Moore and German Leonie Beck (GER) tying for third. The top nine swimmers finished within 5.5 seconds of each other. The U.S. also won another bronze in the Mixed 5 km relay with Haley Anderson, Jordan Wilimovsky, Ashley Twichell and Michael Brinegar in the water.

The preliminaries are finally being completed in Water Polo, with the U.S. women undefeated in group play (3-0) with a 60-13 goal differential. Russia is 3-0 in Group B (65-23), Spain won Group C at 3-0 (51-16) and Italy won Group D (3-0: 33-22). The second group round will start on Saturday, with the eight second and third-place teams playing off for a place in the quarterfinals that start Monday (22nd). The U.S. women will play Greece or China.

The men’s group phase will finish on Friday; Croatia, Hungary and Italy are all 2-0. The U.S. is 1-1, losing to Croatia, 17-7, and beating Kazakhstan, 16-7; they will face Australia on Friday.

The U.S. women won the exhibition “Beach Water Polo” tournament played in a regular pool in Gwangju. This is water polo’s version of 3×3 basketball, with three field players and a goalie in a smaller pool area and 10-minute halves. The American women defeated Spain, 14-12, to win the tournament, with Australia defeating China, 20-16, for third. Jamie Neushel led the U.S. to the win with seven goals.

What about swimming? It starts Sunday and our previews are coming. Summaries so far:

FINA World Aquatics Championships
Gwangju (KOR) ~ 12-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Solo Technical: 1. Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.0023; 2. Ona Carbonell (ESP), 92.5002; 3. Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.3084; 4. Marta Fiedina (UKR), 91.3014; 5. Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 89.2932; 6. Linda Cerruti (ITA), 88.0378; 7. Evangelia Platanioti (GRE), 86.2921; 8. Vasiliki Alexandri (AUT), 85.6098.

Solo Free: 1. Svetlana Romashina (RUS), 97.1333; 2. Carbonell (ESP), 94.5667; 3. Inui (JPN), 93.2000; 4. Fiedina (UKR), 92.5667; 5. Simoneau (CAN), 90.7000; 6. Cerruti (ITA), 90.4667; 7. Platanioti (GRE), 88.6667; 8. Alexandri (AUT), 87.1667. Also: 12. Anita Alvarez (USA), 84.7333.

Duet Technical: 1. Svetlana Romashina/Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.9010; 2. Wenyan Sun/Xuechen Huang (CHN), 94.0072; 3. Anastasiya Savchuk/Marta Fiedina (UKR), 92.5847; 4. Megumu Yoshida/Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.116; 5. Linda Cerutti/Costanza Ferro (ITA), 90.1743; 6. Jacqueline Simoneau/Claudia Holzner (CAN), 88.8659; 7. Paula Ramirez/Sara Saldana Lopez (ESP), 87.2960; 8. Eirini Alexandri/Anna-Maria Alexandri (AUT), 87.0654. Also: 12. Ruby Remati/Anita Alvarez (USA), 84.0190.

Duet Free: 1. Romashina/Kolesnichenko (RUS), 97.500; 2. Huang/Sun (CHN), 95.7667; 3. Fiedina/Savchuk (UKR), 94.1000; 4. Inui/Yoshida (JPN), 93.0000; 5. Carbonell/Ramirez (ESP), 91.7000; 6. Cerruti/Ferro (ITA), 91.0000; 7. Holzner/Simoneau (CAN), 89.7667; 8. Charlotte Tremble/Laura Tremble (FRA), 88.0000. Also: 12. Remati/Alvarez (USA), 83.6333.

Team Technical: 1. Russia, 96.9426; 2. China, 95.1543; 3. Ukraine, 93.4514; 4. Japan, 92.7207; 5. Italy, 91.0411; 6. Spain, 90.2506; 7. Canada, 89.4990; 8. Greece, 87.0863. Also: 11. United States, 84.0566.

Team Highlight: 1. Ukraine, 94.5000; 2. Italy. 91.7333; 3. Spain, 91.1333; 4. Canada, 89.3333; 5. France, 87.2000; 6. Israel, 83.7000 7. Hungary. 77.5667; 8. Thailand, 71.1333.

Mixed Duet Technical: 1. Mayya Gurbanberdieva/Aleksandr Maltsev (RUS), 92.0749; 2. Manila Flamini/Giorgio Minisini (ITA), 90.8511; 3. Atsushi Abe/Yumi Adachi (JPN), 88.5113; 4. Bill May/Natalia Vega Figueroa (USA), 86.9235; 5. Haoyu Shi/Yayi Zhang (CHN), 85.5881; 6. Pau Ribes/Emma Garcia (ESP), 84.4015; 7. Renan Souza/Giovana Stephan (BRA), 79.4495; 8. Jennifer Cerquera Hatiusca/Gustavo Sanchez (COL), 77.5388.

DIVING

Men

1 m Springboard: 1. Zongyuan Wang (CHN), 440.25; 2. Rommel Pacheco (MEX), 420.15; 3. Jianfeng Peng (CHN), 415.00; 4. Haram Woo (KOR), 406.15; 5. Patrick Hausding (GER), 405.05; 6. Briadam Herrera (USA), 399.90; 7. Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 396.40; 8. Kacper Lesiak (POL), 380.05.

3 m Springboard: 1. Siyi Xie (CHN), 545.45; 2. Yuan Cao (CHN), 517.95; 3. Jack Laugher (GBR), 504.55; 4. Haram Woo (KOR), 478.80; 5. David Boudia (USA), 458.10; 6. Patrick Hausding (GER), 452.25; 7. Mike Hixon (USA), 449.95; 8. Rommel Pacheco (MEX), 443.30.

3 m Synchro: 1. Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao (CHN), 439.74; 2. Jack Laugher/Daniel Goodfellow (GBR), 415.02; 3. Juan Celaya/Yahei Castillo (MEX), 413.94; 4. Lars Rudiger/Patrick Hausding (GER), 399.87; 5. Nikita Shleikher/Evgenii Kuznetsov (RUS), 396.81; 6. Oleksandr Gorshkovozov/Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 393.24; 7. Sho Sakai/Ken Terauchi (JPN), 389.43; 8. Andrew Capobianco/Mike Hixon (USA), 388.08.

10 m Synchro: 1. Yuan Cao/Aisen Chen (CHN), 486.93; 2. Viktor Minibaev/Aleksandr Bondar (RUS), 444.60; 3. Tom Daley/Matty Lee (GBR), 425.91; 4. Oleksii Sereda/Oleh Serbin (UKR), 412.62; 5. Domonic Bedggood/Declan Stacey (AUS), 411.24; 6. Yeongnam Kim/Haram Woo (KOR), 401.67; 7. Kevin Berlin Reyes/Ivan Garcia (MEX), 400.71; 8. Benjamin Bramley/Steele Johnson (USA), 383.79.

Women

1 m Springboard: 1. Yiwen Chen (CHN), 285.45; 2. Sarah Bacon (USA), 262.00; 3. Suji Kim (KOR), 257.20; 4. Katherine Torrance (GBR), 255.40; 5. Kristina Ilinykh (RUS), 252.80; 6. Yani Chang (CHN), 251.95; 7. Elena Bertocchi (ITA), 245.60; 8. Elizabeth Cui (NZL), 244.20. Also: 10. Maria Coburn (USA), 237.75.

10 m Platform: 1. Yuxi Chen (CHN), 439.00; 2. Wei Lu (CHN), 377.80; 3. Delaney Schnell (USA), 364.20; 4. Melissa Wu (AUS), 360.20; 5. Pandelela Pamg (MAS), 349.25; 6. Meaghan Benfeito (CAN), 347.80; 7. Caeli McKay (CAN), 331.40; 8. Noemi Batki (ITA), 328.90. Also: 11. Amelia Magana (USA), 305.00.

3 m Synchro: 1. Han Wang/Tingmao Shi (CHN), 342.00; 2. Melissa Citrini Beaulieu/Jennifer Abel (CAN), 311.10; 3. Paola Espinosa/Melany Hernandez (MEX), 294.90; 4. Kristina Ilinykh/Mariia Poliakova (RUS), 292.80; 5. Grace Reid/Katherine Torrance (GBR), 289.80; 6. Annabelle Smith/Maddison Keeney (AUS), 278.13; 7. Celine Van Duijin/Inge Jensen (NED), 277.50; 8. Yan Yee Ng/Nur Dhabitah Sabri (MAS), 277.35. Also: 10. Krysta Palmer/Alison Gibson (USA), 274.47.

10 m Synchro: 1. Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu (CHN), 345.24; 2. Mun Yee Leong/Pandelela Pamg (MAS), 312.72; 3. Murphy Bromberg/Katrina Young (USA), 304.86; 4. Meaghan Benfeito/Caeli McKay (CAN), 304.05; 5. Iullia Timoshinina/Ekaterina Beliaeva (RUS), 291.30; 6. Lois Toulson/Eden Cheng (GBR), 289.14; 7. Chiara Pellacani/Noemi Batki (ITA), 280.38; 8. Melissa Wu/Emily Chinnock (AUS), 277.44.

Mixed

10 m Synchro: 1. Junjie Lian/Yajie Si (CHN), 346.14; 2. Ekaterina Beliaeva/Viktor Minibaev (RUS), 311.28; 3. Maria Sanchez/Jose Balleza (MEX), 287.64; 4. Noah Williams/Robyn Birch (GBR), 285.18; 5. Olivia Rosendahl/Zach Cooper (USA), 267.96; 6. Maicol Verzotto/Noemi Batki (ITA), 259.62; 7. Jiwook Kim/Halim Kwon (KOR), 247.20; 8. Ingrid Oliveira/Isaac Filho (BRA), 239.46.

3 m & 10 m: 1. Shan Lin/Jian Yang (CHN), 416.65; 2. Iullia Timoshinina/Sergey Nazin (RUS), 390.05; 3. Andrew Capobianco/Katrina Young (USA), 357.0; 4. Mun Yee Leong/Yiwei Chew (MAS), 347.80; 5. Laura Hingston/Cassiel Rousseau (AUS), 329.30; 6. Ross Haslam/Eden Chang (GBR), 327.90; 7. Sebastian Villa Castenada/Diana Pineda (COL), 325.40; 8. Lars Rudiger/Maria Kurjo (GER), 324.50.

OPEN WATER SWIMMING

Men

5 km: 1. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), 53:22.10; 2. Logan Fontaine (FRA), 53:32.20; 3. Eric Hedlin (CAN), 53:32.40; 4. Matej Kozubek (CZE), 53:33.60; 5. Domenico Acerenza (ITA), 53:34.00; 6. Daniel Szekelyi (HUN), 5:34.40; 7. Bailey Armstrong (AUS), 53:34.80; 8. Kirill Abrosimov (RUS), 53:35.50. Also: 14. Brendan Gravley (USA), 53:37.80

10 km: 1. Florian Wellbrock (GER), 1:47:55.90; 2. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA), 1:47:56.10; 3. Rob Muffels (GER), 1:47:57.40; 4. Rasovszky (HUN), 1:47:59.50; 5. Jordan Wilimovsky (USA), 1:48:01.00; 6. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 1:48:01.00; 7. Ferry Weertman (NED), 1:48:01.90; 8. Alberto Martinez (ESP), 1:48:02.20. Also: 25. David Heron (USA), 1:49:57.60.

Women

5 km: 1. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), 57:56.0; 2. Aurelie Muller (FRA), 57:57.0; 3. tie, Hannah Moore (USA) and Leonie Beck (GER), 57:58.0; 5. Rachele Bruni (ITA), 57:58.7; 6. Giulia Gabbrielleschi (ITA), 57:59.0; 7. Ashley Twichell (USA), 58:00.0; 8. Yawen Hou (CHN), 58:00.9.

10 km: 1. Xin Xin (CHN), 1:54:47.20; 2. Haley Anderson (USA), 1:54:48.10; 3. Bruni (ITA), 1:54:49.90; 4. Lara Grangeon (FRA), 1:54:50.00; 5. Cunha (BRA), 1:54:50.50; 6. Twichell (USA), 1:54:50.50; 7. Kareena Lee (AUS), 1:54:50.50; 8. Finnia Wunram (GER), 1:54:50.70.

Mixed

5 km Relay: 1. Germany, 53:58.7; 2. Italy, 53:58.9; 3. United States (Haley Anderson, Jordan Wilimovsky, Ashley Twichell, Michael Brinegar), 53:59.0; 4. Brazil, 54:24.5; 5. Australia, 54:36.8; 6. France, 54:37.1; 7. Netherlands, 54:37.2; 8. Hungary, 55:02.7.

TRIATHLON Preview: Zaferes looking to start new medal streak in Edmonton Sprint

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champion: American triathlon star Katie Zaferes (Photo: ITU/Wagner Araujo)

It took a major crash during the bike phase to keep American Katie Zaferes off the podium at the last ITU World Series race in Hamburg (GER) and she ended up in 35th place, ending a streak of medals in seven straight World Series races and 11 of the last 12, going back to 2018.

But she still has a handsome lead in the seasonal standings and could clinch her first World Series title this week in Edmonton (CAN), on the familiar Sprint course there: 750 m swim (one lap), a 22 km bike race (5×4.4 km loops) and 5 km run (3×1.67 km loops).

The current standings:

● Men:
1. 4,125 Vincent Luis (FRA)
2. 3,687 Javier Gomez Noya (ESP)
3. 3,282 Fernando Alarza (ESP)
4. 3,255 Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS)
5. 2,971 Mario Mola (ESP)

● Women:
1. 4,925 Katie Zaferes (USA)
2. 4,170 Jessica Learmonth (GBR)
3. 4,121 Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR)
4. 3,926 Taylor Spivey (USA)
5. 3,435 Non Stanford (GBR)

Scoring in World Series races starts at 1,000 and then goes down for non-Final races to 925-856-791-732 for places 2-5 and down much further. The points available are increased by 25% for the World Series Final, so Zaferes would have to add 495 points to her lead this week; not likely, but possible.

She’s done well in Edmonton, winning bronze medals in 2016 and 2017. Britain’s Vicky Holland, who passed Zaferes for the 2018 World Series title in the Grand Final, won in Edmonton last year, ahead of Ashleigh Gentile (AUS) and Taylor-Brown.

The men’s seasonal race has taken a turn in favor of Australia’s Jacob Birtwhistle, who entered the season without ever having won a World Series race … and now has won two of the last three! He’s in fourth place now and one of just five to win two medals this season, along with leader Luis, Mola, new find Jelle Geens (BEL) and Gomez.

Look for results here.

SPORT CLIMBING Preview: Can Garnbret come back in Lead World Cup in Briancon?

By
Rich Perelman
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It was unusual to say the least to see Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, who swept through an undefeated season in Bouldering, and who won the Lead opener in Villars (SUI), falter and miss the final of last week’s World Cup in Chamonix (FRA).

Coupled with the win by Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo – after a second-place finish in Villars – Garnbret finds herself in second place, down 43 points to the 15-year-old Korean climber from Seoul, competing in her first-ever Lead World Cups!

But Garnbret has won three straight World Cup Lead titles and will be out for a win in this week’s Lead World Cup in Briancon (FRA). It shouldn’t be a case of nerves; Garnbret won at this venue in 2017 and 2018. The current standings:

● Men:
1. 145 Alexander Megos (GER)
2. 126 Sascha Lehmann (SUI)
3. 100 Adam Ondra (CZE)
4. 89 Jakob Schubert (AUT)
5. 84 Martin Stranik (CZE)

● Women:
1. 180 Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR)
2. 137 Janja Garnbret (SLO)
3. 120 Ai Mori (JPN)
4. 117 YueTong Zhang (CHN)
5. 96 Jessica Pilz (AUT)

With Ondra taking the week off after last week’s win, perhaps the 25-year-old Megos is ready for another World Cup victory. His win in Briancon in 2018 is his only career gold on the World Cup circuit. He won his first two World Cup medals last season; with a third at Villars and second at Chamonix, he can set a career-best with a third seasonal medal this week.

This is solely a Lead World Cup, combined in Briancon with a series of other events this week; qualifying is scheduled for Friday with finals on Saturday. Look for results here.

CYCLING Preview: Women’s World Tour leader Van Vleuten looking for third La Course win in Pau

By
Rich Perelman
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The UCI Women’s World Tour just finished its longest race of the year, the 10-stage Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, but is now in France for a one-day race staged by the Tour de France organizers, La Course by Le Tour de France.

The outcome is likely to be the same: Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) will win, chased home by countrywoman Anna van der Breggen … just as it was in this race one year ago.

These two have combined for five wins on the World Tour for 2019, went 1-2 in the Giro Rosa and both have won this race: van der Breggen in 2015 and van Vleuten the last two years. But they will not be alone on the 121 km, moderately hilly course; the entries include six other medal winners from the five years of this event:

● Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) ~ 2017-18 Champion
● Anne van der Breggen (NED) ~ 2015 Champion; 2018 silver
● Marianne Vos (NED) ~ Winner in 2014; third in 2016
● Chloe Hosking (AUS) ~ Winner in 2016
● Lizzie Deignan (GBR) ~ Runner-up in 2017
● Leah Kirchmann (CAN) ~ Third in 2014
● Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) ~ Third in 2018
● Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) ~ Third in 2017

All told, 11 of the 15 total medals ever won in this race will be on the start line. But the question is who can beat van Vleuten, who has won three times and been in the top five another four times on the Tour this season.

However, the seasonal title is not yet van Vleuten’s (who won last year); with nine races remaining, she’s solidly in front of her only likely challenger, Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma, but hasn’t clinched yet:

1. 1,307.67 Annemiek van Vleuten (NED)
2. 1,086.17 Kasia Niewiadoma (POL)
3. 791.33 Anna van der Breggen (NED)
4. 748.00 Marianne Vos (NED)
5. 710.00 Marta Bastianelli (ITA)

Friday’s route begins and ends in Pau and makes five circuits of a loop course which has a climb of 179 m to 345 m over 9.5 km. The finish, however, is mostly downhill from the final climb down into Pau, finishing at 204 m elevation, so look for another wild finish. Look for results here.

LANE ONE: Judo’s fear of gambling means no one knows who is competing in its tournaments until the day before the first match

By
Rich Perelman
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The International Judo Federation has a reputation for efficiency and thoroughness, both traits endemic to that sport.

It has a comprehensive World Tour, continental championships, fairly easy-to-follow rankings systems and a modest prize money program, which – rare among the International Federations – requires that coaches receive 20% of the winnings from a World Tour event.

(Yes, the scoring can be confusing, but the IJF has a home-page guide and there are other good sites to visit to learn about what makes a fabulous ippon.)

Among the many International Federations, the IJF Web site is one of the better ones, with excellent, early information on entries, the availability of live scoring for many of its World Tour tournament, photography, video and a lot more.

But now the shadow of gambling has begun to eclipse some of what makes the IJF so special.

One of the best aspects of the IJF World Tour site was the information on confirmed entries in each weight class well prior to the start of the tournament. Every federation should do what the IJF had done and put up the entries for public inspection as soon as the entry deadline was met.

But now that’s over.

The IJF issued a notice on 5 July that announced a major change:

“The decision not to make public the entry lists of the World Judo Tour Events prior to the official draw of the events was recently taken by the International Judo Federation. Our organisation understands that this tool was very useful for media and judo fans allover the world to follow the competitions and the Olympic qualification.

“In a very sensitive period, where every competition and every single point can make the difference when the final list of the athletes qualified for the Olympic Games will be released, our duty is to guarantee the fairness for every participant.

“All World Judo Tour events are run according to the IJF Sport and Organisation Rules and we pay a particular attention to the code of ethics. Recently the International Olympic Committee asked all International Federations to improve the rules and procedures concerning competition manipulation and match fixing. The IJF recently published a new version of it’s rules and we are pleased to say that we are fully compliant with the ‘Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions.’

“The decision to not publish the list of participants prior to the draw contributes to maintain equity and fairness for all delegations. The IJF is working diligently to guarantee that competition manipulation and match fixing are and stay out of the judo world. We will after the World Championships in Tokyo at the end of August release information about what can be made public and in which conditions to make sure that all competitors participating in the World Judo Tour events have the exact same chances to qualify for the Olympic Games.”

So no more entries until the day before a tournament starts; for a normal event held from Friday through Sunday, the draw takes place on Thursday.

No more reviews of the entries early in the week to see who might be matched up. No way for media to preview a tournament; for next week’s Zagreb Grand Prix in Croatia, a huge field of 672 judoka from 92 countries have entered, but none are listed publicly, and won’t be until the draw is held on Thursday, 25 July, beginning at 2 p.m.

This is a step backwards.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) posted its provisional entry lists for this weekend’s Muller Anniversary Games in London on Tuesday. Will Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce be able to stay ahead of Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV)? Will Greece’s Olympic and World Champion vaulter Katerina Stefanidi continue her mastery of American Sandi Morris? Will Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim be able to show if he is truly recovered from his injuries of 2018?

These are the pillars of promotion of which stories are written and tickets are sold. Fine for track & field, but what happens to judo now?

And how do you keep the news that France’s Teddy Riner – 10-time World Judo Champion and winner of 148 matches in a row – is going to compete in a tournament silent from those who really want to know and find out from outlets as innocent as a friend mentioning it on Twitter, or as sinister as a tournament official somewhere who is paid off to divulge specific entries?

Match-fixing is a serious issue; other sports such as tennis have been plagued by cheating. And the matches that are fixed are not championships, but can be matches in the middle of the draw that might go otherwise unnoticed.

Here’s a wild scheme to consider: Although the head of the Iranian Judo Federation and the National Olympic Committee of Iran promised in a 9 May letter to IJF chief Marius Vizer to “respect the Olympic Charter and its non-discrimination principle,” there have been subsequent reports that Iran’s policy of not competing against Israeli athletes – and losing matches if necessary to maintain this stance – will remain in place. Knowing the entries and seedings of some weight classes early on could allow a betting ring to create significant action on whether an Iranian judoka will or won’t fight an Israeli.

Following the IOC’s lead on the matter is hardly a given for the IJF, given Vizer’s heavy criticism of IOC President Thomas Bach at the SportAccord meeting in Sochi (RUS) in 2015. And although IJF is a tier-3 federation, receiving $15.25 million in IOC television revenues from the 2016 Rio Games, it had almost $30 million in non-IOC revenue in 2017, including $20 million from its own events.

The IJF’s stance on entries is likely too aggressive, but the current policy is only going to be in place for a month, until its promised guidance after the 2019 World Championships is issued.

Hopefully, the new guidelines will restore entry information in a way which will allow the sport to continue its growth in popularity. Casting its events into darkness is not the way to a brighter future.

Rich Perelman
Editor

SAILING Preview: Women’s Laser Radial Worlds preview 2020 Olympic conditions in Sakaiminiato-City

By
Rich Perelman
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Paige Railey (USA), the 2005 Laser Radial World Champion

Following up on the men’s Laser Standard Worlds in Japan earlier in the month, a mammoth field of 111 entries from 49 nations is getting ready for the women’s World Championship in Laser Radial.

There are two races planned each day on 19-20-21-22-23-24, but the weather will determine how many races are actually sailed.

The field is excellent, with eight Olympic or World Championships medalists:

● Emma Plasschaert (BEL) ~ 2018 World Champion
● Marit Bouwmeester (NED) ~ 2011-14-17 World Champ; 2016 Olympic gold; 2012 silver
● Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) ~ 2015 World Champion; 2016-18 Worlds bronze
● Manami Doi (JPN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
● Paige Railey (USA) ~ 2015 World Champion; 2016 Worlds silver medalist
● Alison Young (GBR) ~ 2016 World Champion
● Josefin Olsson (SWE) ~ 2014 Worlds silver medalist
● Tuula Tenkanen (FIN) ~ 2013 Worlds silver medalist

Bouwmeester has been the one to beat of late, winning medals in for of the last five Worlds. American Railey, now 32, has been quiet since 2016, but has a career total of five Worlds medals, including the 2009 world title. Look for results here.

BADMINTON Preview: $1,250,000 prize purse at stake in Indonesia Open in Jakarta, and everyone is in!

By
Rich Perelman
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World men's Singles no. 1 Kento Momota (JPN)

One of the biggest prize purses in the sport is on offer in Jakarta (INA) for the 2019 Indonesia Open, now underway at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno. The top seeds include four of the five defending champions and many of the top players in the world:

● Men/Singles:
1. Kento Momota (JPN) ~ Defending Champion (also 2015)
2. Yuqi Shi (CHN)
3. Tien Chen Chou (TPE)

● Men/Doubles:
1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) ~ Defending Champion
2. Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (JPN)
3. Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN) ~ 2017 Champions

● Women/Singles:
1. Tzu Ying Tai (TPE) ~ Defending Champion (also 2016)
2. Yufei Chen (CHN)
3. Nozomi Okuhara (JPN)

● Women/Doubles:
1. Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (JPN)
2. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN) ~ Defending Champion
3. Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN) ~ 2016 Champions

● Mixed Doubles:
1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN)
2. Yilyu Wang/Dongping Huang (CHN)
3. Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (JPN)

Prizes for the top placers include $87,500-42,500-17,500 for the finalists and two semifinalists on down to $1,250 for the losers in the Round of 64. In Doubles, the distribution is $92,500-43,750-17,500 on down to $1,250.

Look for results here.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL Preview: Dual World Tour events underway in Canada and Portugal

By
Rich Perelman
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Back on top: Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat (r) celebrate their win in Jiajiang (Photo: FIVB)

The FIVB World Tour is speeding into its final three weeks, with dual three-star and four-star events in Canada and Portugal. While the top teams from the World Championships and Gstaad five-star Major from last week are taking a breather, the fields are still of high caliber. The top seeds:

Espinho (POR) 4-star (current world rankings shown):

● Men:
1. Konstantin Semenov/Ilya Leshukov (RUS: 6)
2. Nick Lucena/Phil Dalhausser (USA: 19)
3. Jacob Gibb/Taylor Crabb (USA: 21)
4. Evandro Goncalves Oliveira/Bruno Oscar Schmidt (BRA: 7)
5. Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (ITA: 9)

● Women:
1. Barbora Hemrannova/Marketa Slukova (CZE: 15)
2. Ana Patricia Ramos/Rebecca Cavalcanti (BRA: 2)
3. Agatha Bednarczuk/Duda Lisboa (BRA: 5)
4. Barbara Seixas/Fernanda Alves (BRA: 12)
5. Brooke Sweat/Karri Walsh Jennings (USA: 11)

Edmonton (CAN) 3-star (current world rankings shown):

● Men:
1. Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (USA: 68)
2. Chase Budinger/Casey Patterson (USA: 57)
3. Ben Saxton/Grant O’Gorman (CAN: 24)
4. Stafford Slick/William Allen (USA: 37)
5. Philipp Arne Bergmann/Yannick Harms (GER: 26)

● Women:
1. Sarah Pavan/Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN: 3)
2. Betsi Flint/Emily Day (USA: 26)
3. Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (CAN: 40)
4. Nicole Laird/Becchara Palmer (AUS: 52)
5. Amanda Dowdy/Corinne Quiggle (USA: 111)

It’s worth noting the importance of the Espinho tournament for the top-seeded Czechs, Hermannova and Slukova, who had to miss the World Championships with injury. It’s also interesting to see that Sweat and Walsh Jennings have climbed to no. 11 in the rankings in their first season together. Much of the field for Tokyo will come from the FIVB rankings as of June in 2020 and two teams per country will be admitted. At present, Sweat and Walsh Jennings stand third among U.S. teams, with Alix Klineman and April Ross ranked no. 1 at present, and Sara Hughes and Summer Ross ranked ninth. But the four-time Olympic medalist is back in the fight for a fifth Olympic Games.

Look for results from Edmonton here, and from Espinho here.

FENCING Preview: World Championships return to Budapest with Foconi, Navarria and Volpi all top-seeded for Italy

By
Rich Perelman
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Russia's Olympic and World Foil Champion Inna Deriglazova

The FIE World Championships are back in Budapest for the first time since 2013, with more than 1,000 fencers beginning preliminary competitions on a program that will last through 23 July. The schedule of finals:

● 18 July: Women/Epee, Men/Sabre
● 19 July: Women/Foil, Men/Epee
● 20 July: Women/Sabre, Men/Foil
● 21 July: Women/Team Epee, Men/Team Sabre
● 22 July: Women/Team Foil, Men/Team Epee
● 23 July: Women/Team Sabre, Men/Team Foil

Most of the top-ranked fencers are veterans of the Olympic Games and World Championships, with Italy holding the no. 1 spot in three disciplines:

● Men/Epee (226 entered):
1. Kazuyasu Minobe (JPN) ~ 2018 Asian Games Team gold medalist
2. Yannick Borel (FRA) ~ 2018 World Champion
3. Ruben Limardo Gascon (VEN) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
4. Bogdan Nikishin (UKR) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
5. Sangyoung Park (KOR) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion

● Men/Foil (190 entered):
1. Alessio Foconi (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion
2. Race Imboden (USA) ~ 2013-17-18 Worlds Team silver medalist
3. Daniele Garozzo (ITA) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
4. Richard Kruse (GBR) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
5. Ka Long Cheung (HKG)

● Men/Sabre (162 entered):
1. Eli Dershwitz (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
2. Sang-Uk Oh (KOR) ~ 2017-18 Worlds Team gold medalist
3. Max Hartung (GER)
4. Aron Szilagyi (HUN) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
5. Kamil Ibragimov (RUS) ~ 2017-18 Worlds bronze medalist

● Women/Epee (189 entered):
1. Mara Navarria (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion
2. Ana Maria Popescu (ROU) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
3. Man Wai Vivian Kong (HKG)
4. In-Jeong Choi (KOR)
5. Coraline Vitalis (FRA)

● Women/Foil (146 entered):
1. Alice Volpi (ITA) ~ 2018 World Champion; 2017 Worlds silver medalist
2. Inna Deriglazova (RUS) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2017 World Champion
3. Ysoara Thibus (FRA) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist; 2017 Worlds bronze
4. Arianna Errigo (ITA) ~ 2017-18 Worlds bronze medalist
5. Elisa Di Francesca (ITA) ~ 2016 Olympic silver medalist

● Women/Sabre (148 entered):
1. Sofya Velikaya (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds silver medalist
2. Olga Kharlan (UKR) ~ 2017 World Champion
3. Sofia Pozdniakova (RUS) ~ 2018 World Champion
4. Manon Brunet (FRA) ~ 2019 European silver medalist
5. Eliza Stone (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist

Looking at the top fives, Italy has six fencers ranked, then France and Russia have four and the U.S. and Korea have three. Perhaps the most intriguing match-up is in women’s Foil, where Russian Deriglazova has won just about every title available and is the 2015 and 2017 World Champion as well as the 2016 Olympic gold medalist. Deriglazova has a 12-2 mark against no. 1-ranked Volpi and a nine-match winning streak against her.

The U.S. will be looking to a powerful Foil squad led by Imboden (ranked 2) for medals, as well as Sabre star Dershwitz (1) and Stone (5).

The top-ranked fencers are conveniently listed in the FIE press kit, available here.

Look for results here.

CYCLING: Favorites Alaphilippe, Thomas and Bernal 1-2-3 in the Tour de France heading into week two

By
Rich Perelman
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The Tour de France leader: France's Julian Alaphilippe

Sometimes it takes a while in a long stage race for the dramatis personae to be matched up in the standings and for the real racing to begin. Not at this year’s Tour de France.

In Monday’s 11th stage, Belgium’s Wout van Aert won in the final wild sprint, but defending champ Geraint Thomas (GBR), challenger Egan Bernal (COL) and France’s Julian Alaphilippe and Romain Bardet stayed with the sprinters, while other challengers fell back. That brought the two favorites – Thomas and Bernal – right up behind Alaphilippe with 11 stages to go:

1. 43:27:15 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
2. +1:12 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
3. +1:16 Egan Bernal (COL)
4. +1:27 Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
5. +1:45 Emanuel Buchmann (GER)
6. +1:46 Enric Mas (ESP)
7. +1:47 Adam Yates (GBR)
8. +2:04 Nairo Quintanna (COL)
9. +2:09 Dan Martin (IRL)
10. +2:32 Guilio Ciccone (ITA)

French fans are happy because Frenchman Alaphilippe is leading the race, but the rest of the way will be miserable:

● Flat stages: 3
● Hilly stages: 2
● Mountain stages: 6

This is now a climber’s race, with three mountain stages this week. Thomas, the defending champion, is the overwhelming favorite of the oddsmakers to win the overall race:

● 4/7 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
● 7/1 Egan Bernal (COL)
● 12/1 Nairo Quiintana (COL)
● 12/1 Thibaut Pinot (FRA)
● 14/1 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
● 18/1 Enric Mas (ESP)
● 22/1 Adam Yates (GBR)
● 22/1 Steven Kruijswijk (NED)

Alaphilippe will certainly not be favored to hold on to the yellow jersey, but he’s shown himself quite capable in climbing stages. This coming week will be very interesting to see who stay in position to win. Summaries so far:

UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.

Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.

Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.

Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.

Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.

Stage 6 (160.5 km): 1. Dylan Teuns (BEL), 4:29:03; 2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 4:29:14; 3. Xandro Meurisse (BEL), 4:30:08; 4. Geraint Thomas (GBR), 4:30:47; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:30:49.

Stage 7 (230.0 km): 1. Groenewegen (NED), 6:02:44; 2. Ewan (AUS), 6:02:44; 3. Sagan (SVK), 6:02:44; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 6:02:44; 5. Jasper Philipsen (BEL), 6:02:44.

Stage 8 (200.0 km): 1. Thomas de Gendt (BEL), 5:00:17; 2. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 5:00:23; 3. Alaphilippe (FRA), 5:00:23; 4. Matthews (AUS), 5:00:43; 5. Sagan (SVK), 5:00:43.

Stage 9 (170.5 km): 1. Daryl Impey (RSA), 4:03:12; 2. Tiesj Benoot (BEL), 4:03:12; 3. Jan Tratnik (SLO), 4:03:22; 4. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 4:03:22; 5. Stuyven (BEL), 4:03:22.

Stage 10 (217.5 km): 1. Van Aert (BEL), 4:49:39; 2. Viviani (ITA), 4:49:39; 3. Ewan (AUS), 4:49:39; 4. Matthews (AUS), 4:49:39; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:49:39.

17 July: Stage 11 (167.0 km): Albi to Toulouse (flat)
18 July: Stage 12 (209.5 km): Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre (high mountains)
19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Indiv. Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)

AQUATICS: China wins eighth straight Diving gold; Russia 4-for-4 in Artistic and Wellbrock sparks German 1-3 in Open Water Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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New World 10 km Open Water Champion Florian Wellbrock (GER)

“There was no strategy or ‘key’ to today’s race for me.”

Maybe not, but Germany’s Florian Wellbrock was determined not to let the 10 km open-water World Championships race in Gwangju (KOR) get away from him and he stayed near the front, or at the front almost the entire way, and when the time for the final 200 m sprint came, he was right where he wanted to be: first.

Now 21, he won a tight finish with France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier, 1:47:55.90-1:47:56.10 for his first World Championships medal in open-water events, with six more swimmers finishing in the next five seconds. Wellbrock’s training partner, Rob Muffels (GER) finished third, with American Jordan Wilimovsky in fifth as the top 10 all qualified for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Said Olivier, “I am really happy with today’s results although I am a little disgusted because I got blocked at the finish. It was really a very difficult race … we have rarely had races like this.”

The finishes gave the U.S. three qualifiers for Tokyo, as Haley Anderson (silver) and Ashley Twichell (sixth) qualified in the women’s 10 km race. These are the only Olympic events on the Worlds program, but the women’s 5 km and men’s and women’s 25 km races are still to come in Korea.

The competitions in Diving and Artistic Swimming followed a familiar pattern. In Diving, China wins. In Artistic Swimming, Russia wins.

In the Diving, the Chinese have now won all eight events, with an average margin of victory of an astonishing 29.44 points:

● 20.10 ~ Men/1 m Springboard: Zongyuan Wang
● 24.72 ~ Men/3 m Synchro: Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao
● 42.33 ~ Men/10 m Synchro: Yuan Cao/Aisen Chen
● 23.45 ~ Women/1 m Springboard: Yiwen Chen
● 30.90 ~ Women/3 m Synchro: Han Wang/Tingmao Shi
● 32.52 ~ Women/10 m Synchro: Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu
● 34.86 ~ Mixed/10 m Synchro: Junjie Lian/Yajie Si
● 26.60 ~ Mixed/3 m+10 m: Shan Lin/Jian Yang

Only the individual 3 m and 10 m and the Mixed 3 m Synchro events remain and the Chinese are favored in all five. China won 8/13 events in 2017, 10/13 in 2015, 9/10 in 2013 and swept all 10 events in 2011.

In Artistic Swimming, Russia did not contest the Team Highlight event, won by Ukraine, but has won the other four events handily and is favored in the Solo Free, Duet Free, Team Free and Mixed Duet Free still to come. Summaries so far:

FINA World Aquatics Championships
Gwangju (KOR) ~ 12-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Solo Technical: 1. Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.0023; 2. Ona Carbonell (ESP), 92.5002; 3. Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.3084; 4. Marta Fiedina (UKR), 91.3014; 5. Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 89.2932; 6. Linda Cerruti (ITA), 88.0378; 7. Evangelia Platanioti (GRE), 86.2921; 8. Vasiliki Alexandri (AUT), 85.6098.

Duet Technical: 1. Svetlana Romashina/Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.9010; 2. Wenyan Sun/Xuechen Huang (CHN), 94.0072; 3. Anastasiya Savchuk/Marta Fiedina (UKR), 92.5847; 4. Megumu Yoshida/Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.116; 5. Linda Cerutti/Costanza Ferro (ITA), 90.1743; 6. Jacqueline Simoneau/Claudia Holzner (CAN), 88.8659; 7. Paula Ramirez/Sara Saldana Lopez (ESP), 87.2960; 8. Eirini Alexandri/Anna-Maria Alexandri (AUT), 87.0654. Also: 12. Ruby Remati/Anita Alvarez (USA), 84.0190.

Team Technical: 1. Russia, 96.9426; 2. China, 95.1543; 3. Ukraine, 93.4514; 4. Japan, 92.7207; 5. Italy, 91.0411; 6. Spain, 90.2506; 7. Canada, 89.4990; 8. Greece, 87.0863. Also: 11. United States, 84.0566.

Team Highlight: 1. Ukraine, 94.5000; 2. Italy. 91.7333; 3. Spain, 91.1333; 4. Canada, 89.3333; 5. France, 87.2000; 6. Israel, 83.7000 7. Hungary. 77.5667; 8. Thailand, 71.1333.

Mixed Duet Technical: 1. Mayya Gurbanberdieva/Aleksandr Maltsev (RUS), 92.0749; 2. Manila Flamini/Giorgio Minisini (ITA), 90.8511; 3. Atsushi Abe/Yumi Adachi (JPN), 88.5113; 4. Bill May/Natalia Vega Figueroa (USA), 86.9235; 5. Haoyu Shi/Yayi Zhang (CHN), 85.5881; 6. Pau Ribes/Emma Garcia (ESP), 84.4015; 7. Renan Souza/Giovana Stephan (BRA), 79.4495; 8. Jennifer Cerquera Hatiusca/Gustavo Sanchez (COL), 77.5388.

DIVING

Men

1 m Springboard: 1. Zongyuan Wang (CHN), 440.25; 2. Rommel Pacheco (MEX), 420.15; 3. Jianfeng Peng (CHN), 415.00; 4. Haram Woo (KOR), 406.15; 5. Patrick Hausding (GER), 405.05; 6. Briadam Herrera (USA), 399.90; 7. Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 396.40; 8. Kacper Lesiak (POL), 380.05.

3 m Synchro: 1. Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao (CHN), 439.74; 2. Jack Laugher/Daniel Goodfellow (GBR), 415.02; 3. Juan Celaya/Yahei Castillo (MEX), 413.94; 4. Lars Rudiger/Patrick Hausding (GER), 399.87; 5. Nikita Shleikher/Evgenii Kuznetsov (RUS), 396.81; 6. Oleksandr Gorshkovozov/Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 393.24; 7. Sho Sakai/Ken Terauchi (JPN), 389.43; 8. Andrew Capobianco/Mike Hixon (USA), 388.08.

10 m Synchro: 1. Yuan Cao/Aisen Chen (CHN), 486.93; 2. Viktor Minibaev/Aleksandr Bondar (RUS), 444.60; 3. Tom Daley/Matty Lee (GBR), 425.91; 4. Oleksii Sereda/Oleh Serbin (UKR), 412.62; 5. Domonic Bedggood/Declan Stacey (AUS), 411.24; 6. Yeongnam Kim/Haram Woo (KOR), 401.67; 7. Kevin Berlin Reyes/Ivan Garcia (MEX), 400.71; 8. Benjamin Bramley/Steele Johnson (USA), 383.79.

Women

1 m Springboard: 1. Yiwen Chen (CHN), 285.45; 2. Sarah Bacon (USA), 262.00; 3. Suji Kim (KOR), 257.20; 4. Katherine Torrance (GBR), 255.40; 5. Kristina Ilinykh (RUS), 252.80; 6. Yani Chang (CHN), 251.95; 7. Elena Bertocchi (ITA), 245.60; 8. Elizabeth Cui (NZL), 244.20. Also: 10. Maria Coburn (USA), 237.75.

3 m Synchro: 1. Han Wang/Tingmao Shi (CHN), 342.00; 2. Melissa Citrini Beaulieu/Jennifer Abel (CAN), 311.10; 3. Paola Espinosa/Melany Hernandez (MEX), 294.90; 4. Kristina Ilinykh/Mariia Poliakova (RUS), 292.80; 5. Grace Reid/Katherine Torrance (GBR), 289.80; 6. Annabelle Smith/Maddison Keeney (AUS), 278.13; 7. Celine Van Duijin/Inge Jensen (NED), 277.50; 8. Yan Yee Ng/Nur Dhabitah Sabri (MAS), 277.35. Also: 10. Krysta Palmer/Alison Gibson (USA), 274.47.

10 m Synchro: 1. Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu (CHN), 345.24; 2. Mun Yee Leong/Pandelela Pamg (MAS), 312.72; 3. Murphy Bromberg/Katrina Young (USA), 304.86; 4. Meaghan Benfeito/Caeli McKay (CAN), 304.05; 5. Iullia Timoshinina/Ekaterina Beliaeva (RUS), 291.30; 6. Lois Toulson/Eden Cheng (GBR), 289.14; 7. Chiara Pellacani/Noemi Batki (ITA), 280.38; 8. Melissa Wu/Emily Chinnock (AUS), 277.44.

Mixed

10 m Synchro: 1. Junjie Lian/Yajie Si (CHN), 346.14; 2. Ekaterina Beliaeva/Viktor Minibaev (RUS), 311.28; 3. Maria Sanchez/Jose Balleza (MEX), 287.64; 4. Noah Williams/Robyn Birch (GBR), 285.18; 5. Olivia Rosendahl/Zach Cooper (USA), 267.96; 6. Maicol Verzotto/Noemi Batki (ITA), 259.62; 7. Jiwook Kim/Halim Kwon (KOR), 247.20; 8. Ingrid Oliveira/Isaac Filho (BRA), 239.46.

3 m & 10 m: 1. Shan Lin/Jian Yang (CHN), 416.65; 2. Iullia Timoshinina/Sergey Nazin (RUS), 390.05; 3. Andrew Capobianco/Katrina Young (USA), 357.0; 4. Mun Yee Leong/Yiwei Chew (MAS), 347.80; 5. Laura Hingston/Cassiel Rousseau (AUS), 329.30; 6. Ross Haslam/Eden Chang (GBR), 327.90; 7. Sebastian Villa Castenada/Diana Pineda (COL), 325.40; 8. Lars Rudiger/Maria Kurjo (GER), 324.50.

OPEN WATER SWIMMING

Men

5 km: 1. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), 53:22.10; 2. Logan Fontaine (FRA), 53:32.20; 3. Eric Hedlin (CAN), 53:32.40; 4. Matej Kozubek (CZE), 53:33.60; 5. Domenico Acerenza (ITA), 53:34.00; 6. Daniel Szekelyi (HUN), 5:34.40; 7. Bailey Armstrong (AUS), 53:34.80; 8. Kirill Abrosimov (RUS), 53:35.50. Also: 14. Brendan Gravley (USA), 53:37.80

10 km: 1. Florian Wellbrock (GER), 1:47:55.90; 2. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA), 1:47:56.10; 3. Rob Muffels (GER), 1:47:57.40; 4. Rasovszky (HUN), 1:47:59.50; 5. Jordan Wilimovsky (USA), 1:48:01.00; 6. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 1:48:01.00; 7. Ferry Weertman (NED), 1:48:01.90; 8. Alberto Martinez (ESP), 1:48:02.20. Also: 25. David Heron (USA), 1:49:57.60.

Women

10 km: 1. Xin Xin (CHN), 1:54:47.20; 2. Haley Anderson (USA), 1:54:48.10; 3. Rachele Bruni (ITA), 1:54:49.90; 4. Lara Grangeon (FRA), 1:54:50.00; 5. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), 1:54:50.50; 6. Ashley Twichell (USA), 1:54:50.50; 7. Kareena Lee (AUS), 1:54:50.50; 8. Finnia Wunram (GER), 1:54:50.70.

HEARD AFTER HALFTIME: Lyles to run only 200 m at USATF Nationals; Rakhimov resigns as AIBA chief

By
Rich Perelman
-

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

● Athletics ● Ending considerable speculation, Noah Lyles and his coach confirmed that he would only be contesting the 200 m at the USA Track & Field National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa at the end of the month.

That means he will not run in the 100 m, in which he stands no. 2 on the world list for 2019, but would still like to run on the 4×100 m relay.

As reported by Gene Cherry of Reuters, Lyles’ coach, Lance Brauman noted that “All of Noah’s preparation, training and racing this year has been based on him running the 200 m in the championship events.

“It doesn’t seem wise to go against all of that preparation this late in the game. He’s ready to make his first senior team and show what he can do in the 200 m.”

Both Lyles and Brauman indicated that a 2020 double in both sprints is planned. “He’ll be ready,” Brauman said. “He’s improved in the 100 m even faster than either of us expected.”

Botswana’s Nijel Amos won the Diamond League 800 m in Monaco in a sensational 1:41.89, the 15th fastest race of all time and the fastest since 2012. Amos said afterwards there’s a lot more in the tank:

“Everything has been good the last few weeks and I knew today that I could run 1:41. I did an impossible session on Tuesday and after that, I knew I could run 1:41. I’ll race next in London. The world record [1:40.91 by David Rudisha/KEN] is not in my mind, but if I’m patient, it will come.”

Monday (15th) was the 107th anniversary of the victory by American Jim Thorpe in the Decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm (SWE), eight days after he won the Pentathlon.

Thorpe won the final event, the 1,500 m, to score 8,412.955 points in the first-ever decathlon competition at the Games. He would be disqualified a year later for having been paid a small sum to play semi-pro baseball prior to the Games, but long after his death in 1953, his medals were restored by the IOC in a ceremony in Los Angeles in 1982.

It’s worth noting that fellow American Avery Brundage finished 16th in the Stockholm Decathlon, but did not contest the last two events, the javelin and 1,500 m. Brundage refused to restore Thorpe’s medals to him during his term as IOC President from 1952-72; it took Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch to push through the change in the 1980s.

● Boxing ● The long-awaited closure of the Gafur Rakhimov (UZB) chapter in the history of the International Boxing Association came on Monday (15th) as AIBA posted a message from him which included:

“This most difficult transitional period in the history of AIBA coincides, unfortunately, with a period of my growing involvement in the processes aimed at protecting my honour and dignity against politically motivated and false accusations originating from the past.

“These processes now require me to be constantly present in legal and other proceedings in order to speed up the clearing of my name from these false accusations.

“Having been part of the Boxing family and the Olympic Movement for over 25 years, I have a sense of duty to do everything in my power to serve our sport and our athletes, who are an absolute priority for me.

“Therefore, while it is with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign effective immediately as AIBA President.”

Rakhimov has been listed as an international drug trafficker by the U.S. Treasury Department, and while he maintains his innocence, this colored the view of the AIBA by the International Olympic Committee and was one of the factor (but far from the sole one) which led to the federation’s suspension through the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

This comes about three weeks after the AIBA Executive Committee met in Geneva (SUI) in late June, following the IOC’s suspension. There was good news from the meeting:

“In discussions regarding the relations between AIBA and the IOC, including AIBA’s current status, the AIBA EC was fortunate to have two highly ranked representatives from the IOC on-hand during the EC, namely IOC Inquiry Committee Chair Mr. Nenad Lalovic and IOC Sports Director Mr. Kit McConnell. They provided the EC members with an overview of the roadmap for boxing in the Olympics but also the goodwill and good intentions of the IOC to collaborate with AIBA.”

The federation is also in accelerated discussions with its major creditors to relieve its enormous debt load of more than $16 million. It will also pare its staff down to four, with Executive Director Tom Virgets (USA) stay on for now, along with three other full-time employees. Virgets has previously indicated he would leave AIBA, but this has apparently been delayed.

A special AIBA Congress has been called for 15 November in Lausanne to select a new President, among other issues, “pending financial resources.”

● At the BuZZer ● In a post on the INEOS159Challenge Web site, Eliud Kipchoge’s coach, Patrick Sang (both KEN), explained that Kipchoge’s edge is his belief in himself:

“To be honest, I did not know the capacity of the human mind until Eliud’s first attempt to break the two-hour barrier at the Nike Breaking2 project. I knew the mind is strong but I didn’t realise how strong. On that morning, I looked into his eyes and he actually believed 100 per cent that he was going to do it.

“Now that did not happen in Monza [2:00:25] but he came so close, closer than many, many people expected. It was then that I realised how important belief is. Someone might believe they can do it, but do they truly believe? Is it just an 80 per cent belief? With Eliud it is 100 per cent.

That is why, this time round, I don’t have to do too much different with Eliud. He has shown us all what the human mind is capable of. We are going to build on that mental strength with Eliud’s training and the experience and knowledge we gained from Breaking2. In Monza it was a journey into the unknown, it isn’t now.”

Kipchoge’s next attempt to run the marathon distance in less than two hours will come in October in Vienna (AUT).

STAT PACK: Results for the week of 8-14 July 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

The Stat Pack: a summary of results of international Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championships events, plus U.S. domestic events and Pan American championships events of note.

In this week’s issue are reports on 18 events in 13 sports:

● Athletics: IAAF Diamond League 9: Herculis in Monaco
● Badminton: World Tour 300: Yonex U.S. Open in Fullerton
● Beach Volleyball: FIVB World Tour 5-star Major in Gstaad
● Cycling: WWT: Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile in Italy
● Cycling: USA Cycling Pro Tour: Chrono Kristin Armstrong in Boise
● Cycling: USA Cycling Pro Tour: Andersen Banducci Twilight in Boise
● Cycling: USA Cycling Pro Tour: Detroit Cycling Champ. In Detroit
● Cycling: Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill-XCO-XCC in Les Gets
● Judo: IJF World Tour: Budapest Grand Prix in Budapest
● Modern Pentathlon: UIPM World Junior Championships in Drzonkow
● Rowing: FISA World Cup 3 in Rotterdam
● Sailing: Laser Standard Men’s World Championships in Sakaiminiati
● Shooting: ISSF Shotgun World Championships in Lonato del Garda
● Sport Climb: IFSC World Cup in Chamonix
● Table Tennis: ITTF World Tour Platinum: Australian Open in Geelong
● Tennis: Wimbledon in London
● Volleyball: FIVB Men’s Nations League Final in Chicago
● Volleyball: Women’s Pan American Cup in Peru

plus our calendar of upcoming events through 11 August. Click below for the PDF:

[wpdm_package id=15006 template=”link-template-button-popup.php”]

SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Monday, 15 July 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened over the last 72 hours in Olympic sport:

LANE ONE

Monday: The international federation for boxing is suspended and may implode. The former head of the international track & field federation will be put on trial in France for multiple crimes. But World Rowing just published – publicly – its detailed reports ahead of its September congress, including a full and frank discussion of the significant challenges it faces. No. 1 is staying in the Olympic Games, and that’s because of money. This is what transparency looks like and a federation trying hard to implement the kind of good governance every IF should strive for.

AQUATICS

Sunday: China was expected to dominate diving at the FINA World Championships and it is. Same for Russia in Artistic Swimming. But China’s Xin Xin posted a noteworthy surprise in Open Water Swimming, winning just ahead of American Haley Anderson in the 10 km race that qualified both for Tokyo!

ATHLETICS

Friday: Another crackerjack Diamond League meet, this time in Monaco, including a brilliant world record from Dutch star Sifan Hassan, more proof that Justin Gatlin is going to be hard to beat anywhere and any time, and don’t be surprised when Sydney McLaughlin owns the world record in the 400 m hurdles sooner than later!

BADMINTON

Sunday: The top seeds are usually the ones you see at the top of the podium in most tournaments, but at the Yonex U.S. Open in Fullerton, there were players from the qualifying rounds who made it to the top of the podium: Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Yi Lin in men’s Singles, China’s Zhi-Yi Wang in women’s Singles and Jhe-Huei Lee and Ya Ching Hsu (TPE), ranked 140th in the world in coming in Mixed Doubles, all won!

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Sunday: The U.S. pair of Alix Klineman and April Ross is on a tear. After a silver medal in the FIVB World Championships last week, they won the Gstaad 5-star Major in Switzerland and are unquestionably contenders for a medal in Tokyo in 2020.

CYCLING

Sunday: All hail Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), the best women’s rider in the world, after she demolished the field in the Giro d’Italia Internaztionale Femminile, the most important race for women on the UCI Women’s World Tour. The details on how she did it, plus an update on the Tour de France, where Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe has regained the yellow jersey!

Sunday: American Kate Courtney scored her third win out of four events on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit to extend her lead in the seasonal standings at Les Gets (FRA). There are still three events to go, but no American has won the women’s seasonal World Cup since 2002! On the men’s side, Swiss superstar Nino Schurter managed another win and despite a slow start to his season, is in place to win his seventh career World Cup crown.

JUDO

Sunday: Japan dominated the Budapest Grand Prix, winning five classes and eight medals, including victories for 2017 World Champions Aaron Wolf (-90 kg) and Funa Tonaki (-48 kg). Current World Champion Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP: -90 kg) also won, along with 2016 Olympic -57 kg gold medalist Rafaela Silva (BRA).

ROWING

Sunday: Difficult conditions plagued the third Rowing World Cup in Rotterdam (NED), but not enough to keep Australia from four wins and New Zealand from two to lead the event. Comebacking Kiwi Emma Twigg was especially impressive with her second World Cup win in the Single Sculls.

SPORT CLIMBING

Saturday: China’s YiLing Song, got back to the top of the Speed game at the IFSC World Cup in Chamonix (FRA), winning her third event this season. Czech Adam Ondra is beginning to look like a possible Olympic gold medal contender after winning a Lead World Cup for the first time since 2015. He’s now won both Bouldering and Lead events in the same season, a boost for him in the Olympic combined-disciplines event next year.

TABLE TENNIS

Sunday: Fans call China’s Xin Xu the “XU-perman” and he became the first ever to win back-to-back titles in the men’s Singles at the Australian Open, defeating Chuqin Wang in straight sets. More history was made by Korea’s Youngsik Jeong and Sangsu Lee, who won their second consecutive Australian Open men’s Doubles title – a first – by defeating Gaoyuan Lin and Long Ma from China, 3-0.

VOLLEYBALL

Sunday: The U.S. men’s volleyball team wasn’t great during the round-robin portion of the FIVB Nations League because it was automatically into the final round as host. But once there, they reached the final, only to be out-lasted by Russia, 3-1. The Russian defended their title from 2018, but American hitter Matt Anderson was named Most Valuable.

WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES

Sunday: The Universiade in Naples is over and Japan claimed the most medals. The U.S. mostly ignores this event now, but USA Swimming sent a powerful team that won 40 medals out of the total of 52 won by American athletes. Clemson’s men’s basketball team won the WUG gold, and Mississippi State’s women took silver.

UPCOMING

Highlights of the coming week, with coverage in the coming days on TheSportsExaminer.com:

● Aquatics: The FINA World Aquatics Champs continue in Gwangju (KOR) …

● Athletics: The IAAF Diamond League heads to London for the Muller Anniversary Games.

● Cycling: Second week of the Tour de France, with some serious climbing ahead!

And many more events getting started this week, around the world.

LANE ONE: You want transparency? Look to World Rowing and you will see it, and its reliance on the Olympic Games

By
Rich Perelman
-

There has been much made of the lack of transparency, not to mention outright secrecy or deceit within the International Federations which govern sports worldwide in the Olympic Movement. And for good reason.

The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee, will not be involved in the management of the Tokyo 2020 boxing competitions and is likely to declare bankruptcy, leading to the formation of a new federation … if Olympic boxing survives at all.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will see its former elected President, Lamine Diack (FRA) on trial in France later this year on accusations of fraud, extortion and money-laundering, among other charges. Related to these financial crimes, it’s worth noting that the IAAF has never publicly released its financial statements.

So it’s refreshing to see a federation which is trying to do the right thing, tries hard to be transparent and makes public its situation and how it is trying to improve it. That federation is World Rowing, originally organized as the Federation Internationale de Societes d’Aviron (FISA) way back in 1892. It is one of just three IFs which predate the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 (Can you guess the other two? See the end of Lane One for the answer).

Last week, it published on its WorldRowing.com site the Agenda Papers for its 2019 Ordinary Congress, which will take place in Linz (AUT) on 2 September. Over 120 pages, the entire panorama of the federation could be reviewed, starting with a comprehensive, eight-page report from its President, Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA).

His comments were clear, frank and scary. Rolland pulled no punches in describing World Rowing’s situation. Some important excerpts:

“Although our long and rich history is a true asset, it brings with it the risk that Rowing is seen as being very conservative, perhaps even dated and resistant to change. Society is evolving at a faster than ever pace and, similarly, so is the world of Sport. It is essential for us to adapt; our survival depends on it.

“I stand by my statement that our position within the Olympic Movement is crucial for our sport and that our participation in the Olympic Games is vital. Rowing has the fantastic privilege of being included on the world sport stage, the Olympic Games; this privilege is priceless and irreplaceable; for us now and for future rowing generations to come.

“I should clarify – this is crucial to our sport, not uniquely to FISA; indeed, the opportunities for our member federations, including the athletes and coaches are closely linked to this Olympic dimension. In this context, our relationship with the IOC is critical.”

…

“The IOC’s challenges are ours as well; we need the Games to remain strong and globally relevant. Ignoring or not listening to these sometimes subtle signs would be a grave mistake. Moreover, it is essential to participate in and contribute to building new solutions in partnership with the IOC.”

…

“The terms of reference for [retaining lightweight rowing in the Games] were dramatically altered after the letter of 9th June 2017 from the IOC’s Director General which confirmed the IOC’s approval of the Olympic programme proposed by FISA for Tokyo 2020 and, at the same time, explicitly challenged the justification of the lightweight category in the Olympic Games. This is a crucial point. This does not mean that the IOC governs our sport; what it means is that the IOC is in charge of the decisions on which sports and which events (approximately 320) make up the Summer Olympic Games.”

…

“Whilst our sport is not in short- or medium-term danger, the immediate and major risk is for us to lose 72 quota places and two events from our programme.”

…

“Although Paris 2024 will not have as many athlete spaces for the additional sports, a significant contribution will be required to bring the number of athletes down to approximately 10’500. The process for Paris 2024 is still ongoing but the OCOG presented a proposal in February 2019 with 4 additional sports and 248 athletes. This means an overall decrease of 366 accreditations to be split, in theory, over the 28 core sports. In reality, some sports will be hit much harder than others.

“Upon analysis of the quotas per sport, it is obvious and realistic that rowing will have to contribute to this reduction. The question remains over the size of our contribution which we naturally want to be as small as possible. Our current programme over eight days leaves us with very little room for manoeuvre; that too is mathematical. Our challenge from Rio to Tokyo to keep our semi-finals had been difficult and we will need to be creative. One of our strong points is that rowing is attractive to the broadcasters and TV rights holders. In London, rowing had an average viewership of 32.5 million TV viewers per minute and was ranked sixth of the 28 sports and that average climbed to 42.3 million in Rio. Any reduction to our programme would be viewed negatively by broadcasters who are a major financial contributor.”

This is a rarely-seen explanation of the realpolitik of the Olympic Movement as it actually works today. Why does Rolland spend to much time reviewing rowing’s place at the Olympic Games? Money.

If you look back at World Rowing’s financial statements for the previous couple of years, the dependence of the federation on its share of Olympic television money is obvious. Rowing is in the third tier of federations receiving IOC television money and received $17,148.476 in late 2016 and early 2017 from the IOC. Looking at its 2018 financial statements included with the Agenda Papers package, World Rowing spent about $3.95 million of this in 2017 and about $3.78 million in 2018, or about 50.6% of its revenues, making all of the federation’s programs possible.

World Rowing might be able to survive without the IOC’s money, but it would be a skeleton organization, doing far less than it is now to govern and promote the sport.

If you have not seen the World Rowing Web site, it’s worth a look. It’s coverage of its own events – such as the third World Cup in Rotterdam (NED) last weekend was excellent. Not only results, but a live Webcast, live blog, photo galleries and much more. It’s one of the best out there.

And the federation is not sitting still. New concepts such as Coastal Rowing and Indoor Rowing (using rowing machines) are turning into World Championships and being used to entice more people to get involved with the sport. There is active promotion of Masters Rowing, Para Rowing and rowing for youth. Rowing needs to do this and much more; while it now has 155 member national federations, only 62 sent athletes to the 2018 World Championships and the all-time high is just 77, from 2015.

In addition to all of this, and the fight against doping, continuing good governance practices and more, it still comes back to the Olympic Games. As Rolland noted:

“I wish to underline the importance of the global approach that is taken in our talks and negotiations with the IOC, taking into consideration a broad range of subjects; it is not a piecemeal approach. As I have mentioned, our constructive approach to the challenges faced by the IOC gives us a multitude of entry points for the different discussions. Listening and understanding are key; for example, flexibility on the programme and format for the Youth Olympic Games (more on this later), and flexibility and cooperation regarding the technical requirements for Olympic regattas. In this too, our ongoing discussions regarding the Los Angeles 2028 venue are essential. It is imperative to find the best compromise to ensure the future of our sport. And compromises also mean concessions… The Long Beach alternative to the bid study will not fulfil our traditional requirements 100%. The question will be just how far are we prepared to go in compromising in the short term for long term stability.”

World Rowing is demonstrating what good governance and transparency are all about. The federation has significant challenges and it is not running away from them; it is running to meet them.

I am not much of a rowing fan, although I respect the sport and its athletes, who are some of the most fit and fearless anywhere. But after reading – in detail – its remarkably open approach to governance and information, I am cheering for this federation to succeed. But please, drop the lightweight events from the Olympic program and instead ask IOC President Thomas Bach for a special grant to develop rowing programs for schools.

Rich Perelman
Editor

(Quiz answer: The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique [FIG] was formed in 1881 and is the oldest of the International Federations. The International Skating Union [ISU] was formed in 1892 and is the oldest of the winter-sport federations.)

VOLLEYBALL: Russia beats U.S. to win second straight Men’s Nations League final

By
Rich Perelman
-
A happy Russian team celebrates a second straight Nations League title (Photo: FIVB)

The United States men’s volleyball team was only 9-6 during the Nations League round-robin schedule, knowing that it was automatically going to be in the final round as the host, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

But when the playing really mattered, the U.S. defeated France (11-4) and Russia (12-3) to reach the semifinals, then out-fought Brazil (14-1 during the round-robin) to reach the final and meet Russia once again.

Close, but no cigar.

Outside Hitter Dmitry Volkov led Russia with 17 points, and Wing Egor Kliuka contributed 14 points in a tight 3-1 win (25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20).

“I think we were patient because we knew USA was a great passing team,” Russian coach Tuomas Sammelvuo said afterwards. “We wanted to play a long match because they also played five sets late [in the semifinals]. Maybe their serving and passing wouldn’t be as effective. We started the game in trouble with our Opposite, but then he was able to get the most important balls down when we really needed it. It was a team effort, to believe and to trust in each other. We played as a team.”

Outside Hitter Taylor Sander led the U.S. with a match-high 20 points, and Matt Anderson, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, scored 19 points.

The All-Tournament team included:

● Best Outside Hitters: Egor Kliuka (RUS), Dmitri Volkov (RUS), Bartosz Bednorz (POL)
● Best Middle Blockers: Max Holt (USA), Ivan Iakovlev (RUS)
● Best Libero: Erik Shoji (USA)
● Best Setter: Micah Christenson (USA)
● Best Opposite: Matt Anderson (USA); also Most Valuable Player.

Summaries:

FIVB Men’s Nations League
Chicago, Illinois (USA) ~ 10-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Final Standings: 1. Russia; 2. United States; 3. Poland; 4. Brazil; 5. Iran; 6. France; 7. Argentina; 8. Italy; 9. Canada; 10. Japan; 11. Serbia; 12. Bulgaria; 13. Australia; 14. Germany; 15. Portugal; 16. China.

Finals ~ Pool A: U.S. d. France, 3-1; Russia d. France, 3-0; U.S. d. Russia, 3-0. Pool B: Poland d. Brazil, 3-2; Poland d. Iran, 3-1; Brazil d. Iran, 3-2. Semis: U.S. d. Brazil, 3-2; Russia d. Poland, 3-1. Third: Poland d. Brazil, 3-0. Final: Russia d. U.S., 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20).

BADMINTON: Qualifiers fare best in Yonex U.S. Open in Fullerton

By
Rich Perelman
-

Each division in a BWF World Tour tournament is seeded, with the expected best teams placed in favorable draws based on their ranking and recent results.

That didn’t work so well at the Yonex U.S. Open, played at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Gym.

Three of the winners came from the qualifying rounds, taking the long route to getting to the championship match and then winning it:

● Chinese Taipei’s Chun-Yi Lin not only moved through the qualifiers, but defeated defending champion Dong-Keun Lee of Korea in the quarterfinals. Lin skipped past Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (THA) in the final, 21-10, 21-13.

● China’s Zhi-Yi Wang had to go through the qualifiers and then beat no. 2 seed Saena Kawakami (JPN) and no. 6 Ayumi Mine (JPN) on the way to the final. Once there, she took care of Ga-Eun Kim (KOR) in two sets, 21-18, 21-19.

● Jhe-Huei Lee and Ya Ching Hsu (TPE), ranked 140th in the world coming in, took the Mixed Doubles, coming out on top of France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in straight sets, 21-17, 21-17.

There was one no. 1 seed that won: Japan’s women’s Doubles team of Nami Matsuyama and Chicharu Shida, who defeated Koreans Ha Na Baek and Kyung Eun Jung, 21-16, 21-16. Summaries:

BWF World Tour/Yonex U.S. Open
Fullerton, California (USA) ~ 8-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: 1. Chun-Yi Lin (TPE); 2. Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (THA); 3. Sourabh Verma (IND) and Yu Hsien Lin (TPE). Semis: Saensomboonsuk d. Verma, 21-9, 21-18; Lin d. Lin, 15-21, 21-19, 21-17. Final: Lin d. Saensomboonsuk, 21-10, 21-13.

Men/Doubles: 1. Sung-Hyun Ko/Baek-Cheol Shin (KOR); 2. Yang Lee/Chi-Lin Wang (TPE); 3. Yong Dae Lee/Yeon Seong Yoo (KOR) and Hiroki Okamura/Masayuki Onodera (JPN). Semis: Ko/Shin d. Okamura/Onodera, 19-21, 22-20, 21-16; Lee/Wang d. Lee/Yoo, 16-21, 21-16, 28-26. Final: Ko/Shin d. 21-13, 17-21, 6-3 (retired).

Women/Singles: 1. Zhi Yi Wang (CHN); 2. Ga Eun Kim (KOR); 3. Michelle Li (CAN) and Ayumi Mine (JPN). Semis: Wang d. Mine, 21-14, 21-11; Kim d. Li, 21-16, 21-8. Final: Wang d. Kim, 21-18, 21-19.

Women/Doubles: 1. Nami Matsuyama/Chicharu Shida (JPN); 2. Ha Na Baek/Kyung Eun Jung (KOR); 3. Xiao Fei Chen/Shu Xian Zhang (CHN) and Chi Ya Cheng/Chih Chen Lee (TPE). Semis: Baek/Jung d. Cheng/Lee, 24-22, 21-13. Matsuyama/Shida d. Chen/Zhang, 19-21, 21-15, 21-14. Final: Matsuyama/Shida d. Baek/Jung, 21-16, 21-16.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Jhe-Huei Lee/Ya Ching Hsu (TPE); 2. Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA); 3. Ben Lane/Jessica Pugh (ENG) and Po-Hsuan Yang/Ling Fang Hu (TPE). Semis: Lee/Tsu d. Lane/Pugh, 12-21, 24-22, 21-15; Gicquel/Delrue d. Yang/Hu, 21-17, 21-14. Final: Lee/Hsu d. Gicquel/Delrue, 21-17, 21-17.

TABLE TENNIS: Defenders Xu and Jeong & Lee make history at Australian Open

By
Rich Perelman
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Australian Open women's champion Yingsha Sun (CHN) (Photo: ITTF)

No one had ever won two consecutive titles in the men’s Singles or men’s Doubles at the Australian Open, held this year in Geelong. But that changed on Sunday:

● China’s Xin Xu – known in the sport as XU-perman – defended his 2018 title by sweeping past countryman Chuqin Wang in straight sets, 4-0. It was Xu’s third tournament win in a row, after taking the Japan Open and Korea Open over the last month.

● Korea’s Youngsik Jeong and Sangsu Lee also won the second straight title, this time by defeating Gaoyuan Lin and Long Ma from China, 3-0.

The Chinese won three of the five divisions, and women’s Singles winner Yingsha Sun was especially impressive in stomping 2016 Olympic gold medalist, Ning Ding, 4-0, in the all-Chinese final. Sun had also won the Japan over in June.

Meng Chen and Manyu Wang of China won the women’s Doubles, 3-1, over Korea’s Jihee Jeon and Haeun Yang. It was the third straight women’s Doubles title for Chen and second in row for Chen and Wang together.

The ITTF World Tour takes a break now and resumes in Europe with the Bulgaria Open in August. Summaries:

ITTF World Tour/Australian Open
Geelong (AUS) ~ 9-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Singles: 1. Xin Xu (CHN); 2. Chuqin Wang (CHN); 3. Long Ma (CHN) and Patrick Franziska (GER). Semis: Xu d. Franziska, 4-3; Wang d. Ma, 4-2. Final: Xu d. Wang, 4-0.

Men/Doubles: 1. Youngsik Jeoung/Sangsu Lee (KOR); 2. Gaoyuan Lin/Long Ma (CHN); 3. Amalraj Anthony/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (IND) and Zhendong Fan/Xin Xu (CHN). Semis: Jeoung/Lee d. Anthony/Gnanasekaran, 3-0; Lin/Ma d. Fan/Xu, 3-1. Final: Jeoung/Lee d. Lin/Ma, 3-0.

Women/Singles: 1. Yingsha Sun (CHN); 2. Ning Ding (CHN); 3. Kasmi Ishikawa (JPN) and Mima Ito (JPN). Semis: Sun d. Ishikawa, 4-0; Ding d. Ito, 4-3. Final: Sun d. Ding, 4-0.

Women/Doubles: 1. Meng Chen/Manyu Wang (CHN); 2. Jihee Jeon/Haeun Yang (KOR); 3. Miyuu Kihara/Miyu Nagasaki (JPN) and Hyojoo Choi/Eunhye Lee (KOR). Semis: Chen/Wang d. Kihara, Nagasaki, 3-0; Jeon/Yang d. Choi/Lee, 3-0. Final: Chen/Wang d. Leon/Yang, 3-1.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Chun Ting Wong/Hoi Kem Doo (HKG); 2. Jun Mizutani/Mima Ito (JPN); 3. Yun-Ju Lin/I-Ching Cheng (TPE) and Sangsu Lee/Jihee Jeon (KOR). Semis: Mizutani/Ito d. Lin/Cheng, 3-0; Wong/Doo d. Lee/Jeon, 3-0. Final: Wong/Doo d. Mizutani/Ito, 3-1.

SPORT CLIMBING: Ondra wins Lead, sharpens status for Tokyo 2020 in Chamonix World Cup

By
Rich Perelman
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Adam Ondra (CZE) on top of the podium for men's Lead in Chamonix (Photo: IFSC)

While there is joy in the climbing community that the sport will be part of the Olympic Games for the first time in 2020, there has been considerable anxiety that the only event on the program will be a combined discipline, including Bouldering, Lead and Speed.

That favors those who compete in more than one event, like Czech star Adam Ondra. The 2014 World Champion in Bouldering, he won the 2014 and 2016 Worlds gold in Lead as well and might just be the favorite in the men’s side of the Tokyo climbing.

Now 26, he posted his first World Cup Lead win since 2015 with a triumph in Chamonix (FRA), giving him victories in both Bouldering (in Meiringen/SUI) and Lead this season. He’s won 13 career World Cups in all – nine in Lead, four in Bouldering – since he started on the circuit way back in 2009.

The women’s favorite, Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, had a rare bad meet and didn’t make the Lead final. Korea’s Chae-Hyun Seo won her first career medal and first career gold, over YueTong Zhang of China.

In Speed, Indonesia’s Alfian Muhammad got his second career win, defeating China’s QiXin Zhong in the final, 5.764-6.382.

China new star for 2019, 18-year-old YiLing Song returned to the top of the podium and has now won three of the four Speed events this season. She’s still second in the seasonal standings, as France’s reigning champ, Anouck Jaubert, finished 16th and has 393.89 points to 346.00 for Song. There’s still one more Speed event this season, but not until October. Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Chamonix (FRA) ~ 12-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Adam Ondra (CZE), 47+; 2. Alexander Megos (GER), 44; 3. Jakob Schubert (AUT), 43+; 4. William Bosi (GBR), 39+; 5. Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP), 33+.

Men/Speed/ Final: 1. Alfian Muhammad (INA), 5.764; 2. QiXin Zhong (CHN), 6.382. Third: 3. Vladislav Deulin (RUS), 6.057; 4. Danyil Boldyrev (UKR), fell.

Women/Lead: 1. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 34+; 2. YueTong Zhang (CHN), 34+; 3. Jessica Pilz (AUT), 34+; 4. Ai Mora (JPN), 34+; 5. Ashima Shiraishi (USA), 34+.

Women/Speed/ Final: 1. YiLing Song (CHN), 99.000; 2. Elizaveta Ivanova (RUS), false start. Third: 3. Aleksandra Kalucka (POLK), 7.661; 4. Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA), fell.

ROWING: More wins for Oceania – four for Australia and two for New Zealand – in World Cup III in Rotterdam

By
Rich Perelman
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New Zealand's 2014 World Single Sculls Champion Emma twigg (Photo: Joanne from London via Wikimedia Commons)

The third and final World Rowing World Cup of 2019 was immediately a victim of difficult wind conditions in Rotterdam (NED), but when the medals were counted, it was another strong regatta for the visitors from Oceania.

Australia won four events and New Zealand took two out of the 12 openweight events, with the Aussies winning the same events for men and women: the Pairs and Fours! Spencer Turrin and Alexander Hill won the men’s Pairs and Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre took the women’s Pairs, impressively defeating New Zealand’s 2017 World Champions, Grace Pendergast and Kerri Gowler.

The Kiwis had two women’s gold winners in comebacking Emma Twigg, who was the 2014 World Champion in Single Sculls, and in the women’s eights. Twigg looks very much like a contender for World Championships honors, winning her second World Cup of the season and, in Rotterdam, defeating 2017 World Champion Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland.

Another new Single Sculls star appears to be Dane Sverri Nielsen, who also won a second World Cup and beat reigning World Champion Kjetil Borch of Norway and Rio silver medalist Damir Martin (CRO) in the final.

Windy weather on Friday caused all of the heats to be run as time trials, but six-lane racing was restored for Saturday and Sunday. This was the final World Cup of the 2019 season; the World Championships are coming, from 9-16 September in Plovdiv (BUL). Summaries:

World Rowing World Cup III
Rotterdam (NED) ~ 12-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Single Sculls: 1. Sverri Nielsen (DEN), 7:24.51; 2. Kjetil Borch (NOR), 7:24.93; 3. Damir Martin (CRO), 7:30.94.

Double Sculls: 1. Barnabe Delarze/Roman Roeoesli (SUI), 6:41.04; 2. Philip Doyle/Ronan Byrne (IRL), 6:41.74; 3. John Collins/Graeme Thomas (GBR), 6:44.95.

Quadruple Sculls: 1. Poland, 6:00.80; 2. Germany, 6:01.910; 3. Netherlands, 6:02.00.

Pairs: 1. Spencer Turrin/Alexander Hill (AUS), 6:54.21; 2. Lukas Helesic/Jakub Podrazil (CZE), 6:56.48; 3. Thomas Murray/Michael Brake (NZL), 6:59.69.

Fours: 1. Australia, 6:11.770; 2. Great Britain, 6:14.650; 3. Germany, 6:15.940.

Eights: 1. Great Britain, 5:47.820; 2. Germany, 5:50.880; 3. New Zealand, 5:53.180.

Lightweight Single Sculls: 1. Sean Murphy (AUS), 7:53.15; 2. Rajko Hrvat (SLO), 2:59.18; 3. Gary O’Donovan (IRL), 8:04.38.

Lightweight Double Sculls: 1. Jonathan Rommelmann/Jason Osborne (GER), 7:01.59; 2. Fintan McCarthy/Paul O’Donovan (IRL), 7:01.62; 3. Kristoffer Brun/Are Strandli (NOR), 7:02.26.

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls: 1. Netherlands, 6:33.060; 2. France, 6:35.510; 3. China, 6:42.280.

Lightweight Pairs: 1. Jiri Kopac/Jan Hajek (CZE), 7:44.50; 2. Tomas Barreto/Simao Simoes (POR), 7:49.01; 3. Yuk Man Chan/Yee Ping Chau (HKG), 7:56.38.

Women

Single Sculls: 1. Emma Twigg (NZL), 8:14.03; 2. Jeannine Gmelin (SUI), 8:18.60; 3. Lisa Scheennaard (NED), 8:28.02.

Double Sculls: 1. Nicoleta-Ancuta Bodnar/Simona Geanina Radis (ROU), 7:58.39; 2. Amanda Bateman/Genevieve Horton (AUS), 7:59.11; 3. Gabrielle Smith/Andrea Proske (CAN), 8:03.77. Also: 6. Meghan O’Leary/Ellen Tomek (USA), 8:18.15.

Quadruple Sculls: 1. Germany, 6:46.64; 2. Poland, 6:49.59; 3. Australia, 6:55.20. Also: 6. United States, 7:09.92.

Pairs: 1. Jessica Morrison/Annabelle McIntyre (AUS), 7:26.15; 2. Grace Pendergast/Kerri Gowler (NZL), 7:27.57; 3. Polly Swann/Holly Hill (GBR), 7:490.51.

Fours: 1. Australia, 6:48.220; 2. Denmark, 6:50.630; 3. Romania, 6:52.220.

Eights: 1. New Zealand, 6:32.400; 2. Australia, 6:36.040; 3. Canada, 6:46.770.

Lightweight Single Sculls: 1. Imogen Grant (GBR), 8:43.59; 2. Georgia Nesbitt (AUS), 8:45.31; 3. Marie-Louise Draeger (GER), 8:50.38.

Lightweight Double Sculls: 1. Zoe McBride/Jackie Kiddle (NZL), 7:38.45; 2. Marieke Keijser/Ilse Paulis (NED), 7:45.43; 3. Patricia Merz/Federique Rol (SUI), 7:48.02.

Lightweight Quadruple Sculls: 1. China, 7:15.070; 2. Germany, 7:24.260; 3. Netherlands, 7:30.610.

JUDO: Japan impresses with five wins in Budapest Grand Prix, but Aguiar and Silva win for Brazil

By
Rich Perelman
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Brazil's Olympic Champion Rafaela Silva (in blue) (Photo: IJF/Gabriela Sabau)

A fine field of 544 judoka from 82 countries came to Hungary for the Budapest Grand Prix, but it was Japan that had most of the spotlight, with five victories and eight medals in all, double what any other country could manage.

This was far from Japan’s best team, but 2017 World Champions Aaron Wolf (-90 kg) and Funa Tonaki (-48 kg) won their classes and Chishima Maeda (-52 kg), Masako Doi (-63 kg) and Wakaba Tomita (+78 kg) also won in the women’s division.

One current world titlist also won, Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (-90 kg) and Brazil scored twice with 2016 Olympic -57 kg gold medalist Rafaela Silva and 2017 World Champion Mayra Aguiar in the -78 kg category. Rio Olympic bronze medalist Or Sasson (ISR) won the +110 kg class, showing he is still a contender for honors with the World Championships coming up in Tokyo beginning 25 August.

The Brazilians (2-2-0), Spain (1-1-2) and Cubans (0-0-4) had four medals each for second-best on the medal table. Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Budapest Grand Prix
Budapest (HUN) ~ 12-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men

-60 kg: 1. Yeldos Smetov (KAZ); 2. Boldbaatar Ganbat (MGL); 3. Yung Wei Yang (TPE) and Tornike Tsjakadoea (NED).

-66 kg: 1. Kherlen Gambold (MGL); 2. Yeldos Zhumakanov (KAZ); 3. Mikhail Puliaev (RUS) and Shakhram Akhadov (UZB).

-73 kg: 1. Akil Gjakova (KOS); 2. Georgil Elbakiev (RUS); 3. Telman Valiyev (AZE) and Khikmatillokh Turaev (UZB).

-81 kg: 1. Tato Grigalashvili (GEO); 2. Joao Macedo (BRA); 3. Attila Ungvari (HUN) and Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL).

-90 kg: 1. Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP); 2. Shoichiro Mukai (JPN); 3. Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (CUB) and Beka Gviniashvili (GEO).

-100 kg: 1. Aaron Wolf (JPN); 2. Grigori Minaskin (EST); 3. Gu-Ham Cho (KOR) and Simeon Catharina (NED).

+100 kg: 1. Or Sasson (ISR); 2. Kokoro Kageura (JPN); 3. Richard Sipocz (HUN) and Gela Zaalishvili (GEO).

Women

-48 kg: 1. Funa Tonaki (JPN); 2. Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 3. Julia Figueroa (ESP) and Maryna Cherniak (UKR).

-52 kg: 1. Chishima Maeda (JPN); 2. Fabienne Kocher (SUI); 3. Andreea Chitu (ROU) and Ana Perez Box (ESP).

-57 kg: 1. Rafaela Silva (BRA); 2. Nora Gjakova (KOS); 3. Hedvig Karakas (HUN) and Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT).

-63 kg: 1. Masako Doi (JPN); 2. Ketleyn Quadros (BRA); 3. Junxia Yang (CHN) and Maylin del Toro Carvajal (CUB).

-70 kg: 1. Gemma Howell (GBR); 2. Maria Bernabeu (ESP); 3. Kelita Zupancic (CAN) and Elisavet Teltsidou(GRE).

-78 kg: 1. Mayra Aguiar (BRA); 2. Ruika Sato (JPN); 3. Natalie Powell (GBR) and Kaliema Antomarchi (CUB).

+78 kg: 1. Wakaba Tomita (JPN); 2. Nihei Cheikh Rouhou (TUR); 3. Idalys Ortiz (CUB) and Yan Wang (CHN).

CYCLING: Amazing Courtney sweeps Les Gets while Swiss legend Schurter picks up second straight World Cup win

By
Rich Perelman
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Reigning World Cross Country Champion Kate Courtney of the U.S. (Photo: UCI)

American Kate Courtney says she’s a big fan of sharks and watches shows about the marauders of the oceans all the time. She didn’t tell anyone that she would become one herself.

Courtney, 23, attacked from the start and took a big bite out of an outstanding World Cup field in Les Gets (FRA) in Sunday’s UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race. She took the lead quickly and led at each lap, finally finishing with an impressive 33-second gap over 2017 World Champion Jolanda Neff (SUI).

Already the reigning World Champion from 2018, she hadn’t won a single medal in a senior-level Mountain Bike World Cup coming into the 2019 season. Now she’s won three of four events this season, fighting off 2016 Olympic Champion Jenny Rissveds (SWE) on the early laps, then establishing a huge lead that only Neff could approach – from afar – on the final four laps.

Courtney also won the Cross Country Short (8.68 km) race on Saturday and now has 1,265 points through four of seven legs of the 2019 circuit. Neff is second with 1,090 and then it’s all the way back to 815 points for third-place Anne Terpstra (NED). When was the last U.S. winner in women’s Mountain Bike? You have to go back to 2002 and Anne Dunlap.

In the men’s division, Swiss superstar Nino Schurter, the six-time World Cup champ, won Sunday’s race to consolidate his lead for 2019. He has 1,160 points after four of seven legs, ahead of Brazil’s Henrique Avancini (915) and Dutch Mathieu van der Poel (899).

In the Downhills, France’s Amaury Pierron edged countryman Loic Bruni in the men’s race for his second win of the season and Australian Tracey Hannah won the women’s race. It was her second win of 2019 and she’s the only racer to have won a medal in all five stops on the Downhill tour this season. Summaries:

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Les Gets (FRA) ~ 12-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men

Cross Country Short (11.16 km): 1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED), 21:51; 2. Henrique Avancini (BRA), 21:52; 3. Victor Koretzky (FRA), 21:53; 4. Nino Schurter (SUI), 21:53; 5. Jens Schuermans (BEL), 21:54.

Cross Country (28.8 km): 1. Schurter (SUI), 1:22:10; 2. Gerhard Kerschbaumer (ITA), 1:22:14; 3. Avancini (BRA), 1:22:48: 4. Stephane Tempier (FRA), 1:22:58; 5. Ondrej Cink (CZE), 1:22:58.

Downhill (2.044 km): 1. Amaury Pierron (FRA), 2:57.008; 2. Loic Bruni (FRA), 2:59.360; 3. Laurie Greenland (GBR), 3:00.458; 4. Troy Brosnan (AUS), 3:01.145; 5. Loris Vergier (FRA), 3:01.514.

Women

Cross Country Short (8.68 km): 1. Kate Courtney (USA), 19:30; 2. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA), 19:37; 3. Elisabeth Brandau (GER), 19:37; 4. Jolanda Neff (SUI), 19:37; 5. Ramona Forchini (SUI), 19:42. Also: 7. Lea Davison (USA), 19:48.

Cross Country (25.2 km): 1. Courtney (USA), 1:26:29; 2. Neff (SUI), 1:27:02; 3. Brandau (GER), 1:27:34; 4. Sina Frei (SUI), 1:27:44; 5. Ferrand Prevot (FRA), 1:28:01.

Downhill (2.044 km): 1. Tracey Hannah (AUS), 3:27.600; 2. Marine Cabirou (FRA), 3:28.277; 3. Mariana Salazar (ESA), 3:29.771; 4. Eleonora Farina (ITA), 3:33.680; 5. Nina Hoffmann (GER), 3:34.057.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Americans Klineman and Ross triumph at Gstaad 5-star major!

By
Rich Perelman
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World no. 1s April Ross and Alix Klineman of the U.S. (Photo: FIVB)

Something special is happening in women’s beach volleyball and the U.S. pair of Alix Klineman and April Ross are the protagonists.

After pairing up in 2018, they have hit their stride and following their silver medal at the FIVB World Championships in Germany last week, they blew through the field at the five-star Swatch Major Gstaad in Switzerland and defeated Brazil’s Maria Antonelli and Carol Solberg, 15-21, 21-17, 15-12 for the title and the $40,000 first prize.

Asked if finishing second at the Worlds was a motivator, Ross, 37, replied with an emphatic “Yes. We were so frustrated after losing the gold medal match in Hamburg last week. That frustration carried over to our matches this week. This was a big win for us as a team.

“We had a terrible start to this tournament and a devastating loss last week and so to bounce back like this and fight as hard as we could with some slow starts to matches, like in the final, I’m really proud of how we stayed together and kept our attitudes positive. That was huge. I really feel like our communication helped win that match.”

Klineman, 29, and Ross barely got out of their pool, barely wining their first match and then losing, 2-1, to Spain’s Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo McMillan, 1-2. But they turned up their play and raced through their bracket on the way to the final.

In their 15 appearances as a pair, Klineman and Ross have now won four times on the FIVB World Tour, plus one silver, and 10 medals in AVP play in the U.S.

They defeated American rivals and seventh-seeded Brooke Sweat and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the quarterfinals, 2-0, as that new team is also starting to play better and better. This is good news for the U.S. looking ahead to Tokyo.

After their disappointment in the World Championships – where they finished third – the Norwegian men’s team of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum got back to winning, with a second straight victory in Gstaad. They defeated Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen (NED) in straight sets by 21-17 and 21-15.

Mol said “I’m really proud of how we performed this week, how we managed to recover from the world championships in such a good way. We were a little disappointed about the semifinal, of course really happy with the bronze, but we were going for the gold. But it was as long week with a lot of media, a lot of new things for us.

“We just love it here, we love playing in Gstaad, we have so many good memories from last year so we were really excited to play here and ready to put on a big fight for the cowbells. So I’m happy and proud of how we managed to find energy in the end.” The victory in Gstaad was their 100th win as a team in all tournaments, another special memory in Switzerland. Summaries:

FIVB World Tour/Gstaad Major
Gstaad (SUI) ~ 9-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Anders Mol/Christian Sorum (NOR); 2. Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (NED); 3. Evandro Goncalves Oliveira/Oscar Bruno Schmidt (BRA); 4. Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo (ITA). Semis: Brouwer/Meeuwsen d. Nicolai/Lupo, 2-0; Mol/Sorum d. Evandro/Bruno Schmidt, 2-0. Third: Evandro/Bruno Schmidt d. Nicolai/Lupo, 2-1. Final: Mol/Sorum d. Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED), 2-0 (21-17, 21-15).

Women: 1. Alix Klineman/April Ross (USA); 2. Maria Antonelli/Carol Solberg (BRA); 3. Ana Patricia Silva/Rebecca Cavalcanti (BRA); 4. Nina Betschart/Tanja Huberli (SUI). Semis: Klineman/Ross d. Betschart/Huberli, 2-0; Maria Antonelli/Carol d. Ana Patricia/Rebecca, 2-0. Third: Ana Patricia/Rebecca d. Betschart/Huberli, 2-0. Final: Klineman/Ross d. Maria Antonelli/Carol, 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 15-12).

CYCLING: Van Vleuten dominates the Giro Rosa, and women’s cycling while Alaphilippe leads the Tour de France

By
Rich Perelman
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The best women's rider in the world: Giro Rosa champion Annemiek van Vleuten (NED). (Photo: Giro Rosa/Flaviano Ossola)

The two largest events in men’s and women’s cycling ran concurrently in two different countries on Sunday. While French rider Julian Alaphilippe continued to nurse a small advantage in the Tour de France, Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten left no doubt about who is the best women’s cyclist in the world.

Van Vleuten won her second consecutive Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, cruising home in the final stage after building a huge lead with two sensational wins in stages 5 and 6. In a 10-stage race, finishes of 4-2-4-7-1-1-4-24-2-21 are going to take you a long way and van Vleuten won by a hefty 3:45 over countrywoman Anna van der Breggen and 6:55 over third-place Amanda Spratt of Australia.

“I am super happy and I will celebrate for sure with my team,” she said afterwards. “I am improving a lot the preparation and the team is doing the same. We focused a lot on the Giro and it has been important that we have done it together: in the Classic you can win by yourself, but in stage races you need everybody, the teammates and the staff. I usually do altitude training camps in Livigno since some years and I know the roads in the area very well. I love the Italian atmosphere and my mum has come here for the first time, we will celebrate for sure with her.”

Here’s how complete van Vleuten’s win was: she won the overall race, the Points race and was classified as the best in the Mountains. With nine races left in the season, she leads the UCI Women’s World Tour standings by 1,307.67-1,086.17 over Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma. It’s her third win and sixth medal through 14 of the 23 races on the calendar.

Van der Breggen was second for the second time in the Giro Rosa and won her third medal on the World Tour for 2019. But she, like everyone else, is chasing van Vleuten.

In the Tour de France, the end of the first week of riding concluded with France’s Alaphilippe having regained the yellow jersey as the difficulty of the stages is beginning to increase.

He had to yield the race lead to Italy’s Giulio Ciccone for two stages after the brutal mountain finish of stage 6, but regained it by staying with the sprinters in stage 8 and has the lead over Ciccone heading into Monday’s ninth hilly but mostly downhill stage before the first rest day on Tuesday.

The race gets meaner with three mountain stages this week and an Individual Time Trial, and the expected contenders are all within striking distance. Defending champion Geraint Thomas (GBR) is just 1:12 back and Team INEOS teammate Egan Bernal (COL) is 1:16 behind Alaphilippe. There are 11 riders within 1:47 of the leader and 20 within 2:54.

There was a nasty accident during the seventh stage, as the riders were trying to get through a heavy traffic area during stage 7 and American Tejay van Garderen smashed into a road marker and was severely bloodied; he has had to abandon the Tour for 2019; it’s the second time in eight times on the Tour that he has not been able to finish. Summaries so far:

UCI Women’s World Tour/Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile
Italy ~ 5-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (18.0 km: Team Time Trial): 1. Canyon-SRAM Racing (GER: Niewiadoma, Barnes, Ryan, Shapira, Cromwell, Amialiusik), 31:41; 2. Bigla Pro Cycling (DEN), 32:05; 3. CCC-Liv (NED), 32:26; 4. Mitchelton-Scott (AUS), 32:34; 5. Boels-Dolmans (NED), 32:45.

Stage 2 (78.3 km): 1. Marianne Vos (NED), 2:15:56; 2. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 2:15:56; 3. Lucinda Brand (NED), 2:15:16; 4. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 2:15:56; 5. Soraya Paladin (ITA), 2:15:56. Also in the top 25: 14. Ruth Winder (USA), 2:15:56; … 20. Katie Hall (USA), 2:16:08; 21. Tayler Wiles (USA), 2:16:08.

Stage 3 (104.1 km): Vos (NED), 2:49:11; 2. Lucy Kennedy (AUS), 2:49:11; 3. Cecile Upprup Ludwig (DEN), 2:49:11; 4. Van Vleuten (NED), 2:49:11; 5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 2:49:11. Also in the top 25: 13. Hall (USA), 2:49:11; … 21. Winder (USA), 2:49:20; … 25. Leah Thomas (USA), 2:49:40.

Stage 4 (100.1 km): 1. Letrizia Borghesi (ITA), 2:29:50; 2. Nadia Quagliotto (ITA), 2:29:50; 3. Chiara Perini (ITA), 2:29:50; 4. Vos (NED), 2:30:32; 5. Leah Kirchmann (CAN), 2:30:32. Also in the top 25: 20. Alexis Ryan (USA), 2:30:42; 21. Winder (USA), 2:30:42; … 24. Thomas (USA), 2:30:42.

Stage 5 (87.5 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:09:47; 2. Brand (NED), 3:12:44; 3. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL), 3:12:44; 4. Paladin (ITA), 3:12:44; 5. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 3:12:44.

Stage 6 (12.1 km Time Trial): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 24:32; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 25:24; 3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), 26:20; 4. Brand (NED), 26:21; 5. Juliette Labous (FRA), 26:26. Also in the top 25: 7. Hall (USA), 26:35; … 9. Wiles (USA), 26:53; … 11. Winder (USA), 27:01; … 15. Thomas (USA), 27:14.

Stage 7 (12.3 km): 1. Vos (NED), 3:19:33; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 3:19:33; 3. Longo Borghini (ITA), 3:19:22; 4. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:19:22; 5. Demi Vollering (NED), 3:19:42. Also in the top 25: 15. Hall (USA), 3:19:48.

Stage 8 (133.3 km): 1. Elizabeth Banks (GBR), 3:38:17; 2. Thomas (USA), 3:38:47; 3. Paladin (ITA), 3:38:47; 4. Malgorzata Jasinska (POL), 3:38:47; 5. Sofie de Vuyst (BEL), 3:38:47. Also in the top 25: 9. Winder (USA), 3:38:47.

Stage 9 (125.5 km): 1. Van der Breggen (NED), 3:26:27; 2. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:26:44; 3. Moolman (RSA), 3:28:05; 4. Spratt (AUS), 3:28:05; 5. Hall (USA), 3:28:24. Also in the top 25: 24. Thomas (USA), 3:31:22.

Stage 10 (120.0 km): 1. Vos (NED), 2:51:45; 2. Brand (NED), 2:51:46; 3. Kopecky (BEL), 2:51:46; 4. Paladin (ITA), 2:51:50; 5. Niewiadoma (POL), 2:51:50. Also in the top 25: 20. Winder (USA), 2:52:01.

Final Standings: 1. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 25:01:41; 2. Anna van der Breggen (NED), +3:45; 3. Amanda Spratt (AUS). +6:55; 4. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), +7:54; 5. Kasia Niewadoma (POL), +7:57; 6. Lucinda Brand (NED), +8:01; 7. Katie Hall (USA), +8:16; 8. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), +8:19; 9. Soraya Paladin (ITA), +9:13; 10. Erica Magnaldi (ITA), 9:31. Also in the top 25: 22. Leah Thomas (USA), +17:36.

UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.

Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.

Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.

Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.

Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.

Stage 6 (160.5 km): 1. Dylan Teuns (BEL), 4:29:03; 2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 4:29:14; 3. Xandro Meurisse (BEL), 4:30:08; 4. Geraint Thomas (GBR), 4:30:47; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:30:49.

Stage 7 (230.0 km): 1. Groenewegen (NED), 6:02:44; 2. Ewan (AUS), 6:02:44; 3. Sagan (SVK), 6:02:44; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 6:02:44; 5. Jasper Philipsen (BEL), 6:02:44.

Stage 8 (200.0 km): 1. Thomas de Gendt (BEL), 5:00:17; 2. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 5:00:23; 3. Alaphilippe (FRA), 5:00:23; 4. Matthews (AUS), 5:00:43; 5. Sagan (SVK), 5:00:43.

Stage 9 (170.5 km): 1. Daryl Impey (RSA), 4:03:12; 2. Tiesj Benoot (BEL), 4:03:12; 3. Jan Tratnik (SLO), 4:03:22; 4. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 4:03:22; 5. Stuyven (BEL), 4:03:22.

15 July: Stage 10 (217.5 km): Saint-Flour to Albi (hilly)
16 July: Rest day
17 July: Stage 11 (167.0 km): Albi to Toulouse (flat)
18 July: Stage 12 (209.5 km): Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre (high mountains)
19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)

AQUATICS: China 5-of-5 in diving, Russia 2-for-2 in Artistic and surprise Chinese open-water win in FINA World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
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China's Xin Xin and Haley Anderson (USA) race to the finish of the World Championships 10 km in Gwangju (Photo: Xinhua/Yifang Xia)

The 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships have opened just as expected … with one surprise.

China was expected to dominate the diving events and has won all five. Russia was expected to dominate Artistic Swimming and is doing just that. But China’s Xin Xin pulled off the first upset of the Worlds with a victory in the 10 km Open Water event on Sunday.

A very large group of 64 women started the race and the race finished in a huge sprint, with a large pack of swimmers not only trying to win a medal, but to finish in the top 10 and qualify for the 2020 Olympic race in Tokyo.

A total of 13 swimmers touched within five seconds, but the surprise was seeing China’s Xin make it to the touch first in 1:54:47.20, almost a second ahead of Haley Anderson of the U.S. Xin, still just 22, raced in London 2012 and was fourth in the Rio 10 km race in 2016, but finally won her first medal – and China’s first medal – in Open Water at the World Championships.

Anderson had won a 10 km silver in London and the 2013 and 2015 Open Water golds at 5 km, but this was her first Worlds medal in the 10 km.

“I am really happy with how I raced and I am excited to qualify for another Olympic Games,” said Anderson afterwards. “I can’t believe I qualified for my third Olympics. To get my hand on the touch pads in second is really awesome. I finally won a medal in the 10 km at the World Championships. I really learned a lot during the past two quads.

“It was pretty stressful and brutal in the race today. It was a little cut-throat out there because everyone was trying to finish in the top ten. I was trying to stay calm and confident. Coming down the last stretch was a pretty big pack and I tried to keep the best line possible to the finish and I found clear water. I wanted to avoid fighting with anyone as that isn’t good for either swimmer. I made up some ground on the leaders.

“It was always my goal to be on the podium here, it wasn’t just about finishing in the top 10 today. I am really excited about how I finished, not just where I finished. This is a great ‘set up’ for me for the Olympics next summer. I want to earn another medal for the USA at next summer’s Olympics. I still have plenty of racing ahead of me this summer.”

Ashley Twichell also qualified for the U.S. for Tokyo, finishing sixth, 3.3 seconds behind Xin.

In diving, Chinese victories were expected and delivered. Through five events, the Chinese have not only won, but dominated; the margins of victory:

● 20.10 ~ Men/1 m Springboard: Zongyuan Wang
● 24.72 ~ Men/10 m Synchro: Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao
● 23.45 ~ Women/1 m Springboard: Yiwen Chen
● 32.52 ~ Women/3 m Synchro: Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu
● 34.86 ~ Mixed/10 m Synchro: Junjie Lian/Yajie Si

That’s an average margin of victory of 27.13 points through five events, with seven events remaining. A sweep is certainly possible. Here’s how good the Chinese were: Wang was seventh in the 1 m after three of his six dives and said afterwards that he “was in a fog and got lost in the first half of the competition. Then I started to realize I was at the bottom of the ranking and should bounce to the top.” He won the event easily for China’s seventh straight win in the men’s 1 m Springboard.”

The U.S. came through with two medals in diving, including a silver from Sarah Bacon in the 1 m Springboard. No U.S. woman had won a World Championships individual medal since Laura Wilkinson’s gold in the 10 m Platform in 2005. Bacon’s silver was the first American women’s medal in the 1 m since 1991, when Wendy Lucero won the silver.

Bacon, 22, had to come from fourth into the medals with two rounds to go, but moved into third on her fourth dive and into second position after her final dive. Amazingly, this was her first international competition at the senior level!

“I did know how close it was,” she said afterwards. “Paying attention to the scores and being that close kind of gives me motivation going into my dives. It gives me a little more fire to perform them well. I could have hit one or two dives a little better, but it was a very consistent list.”

“I think this will give me more confidence going into 3-meter, which is something I struggle with every now and then. Most of the time I perform better on 1-meter than on 3-meter, so being able to medal on 1-meter gives me more confidence going into the 3-meter event.”

The U.S. got a second diving medal from Murphy Bromberg and Katrina Young in the women’s 10 m Synchro, which unlike the 1 m Springboard, is an Olympic event. The U.S. hadn’t won a women’s Worlds 10 m Synchronized medal since 2009, when Haley Ishimatsu and Mary Beth Dunnichay took silver. The bronze medal also secured an Olympic slot for the U.S. in the event for 2020.

They also came from behind, having to pass Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Caeli McKay on the final dive. But the Americans scored 69.12 on their final dive and Benfeito (a three-time Olympic medalist) and McKay scored 62.40 for a margin of 81/100ths and the bronze medal.

“After the event, [coaches John Proctor and Matt Scoggin] came up to us and said, ‘You did it. You got it.’ We didn’t believe them. We were like, ‘No, we didn’t.’ And then we did. We were surprised,” Bromberg said.

In Artistic Swimming, Russia continued to dominate as Svetlana Kolesnichenko won her second gold of the competition, teaming with Svetlana Romashina for the Duet Technical win. Kolesnichenko now owns 15 World Championships golds from 2011-19 and more are coming. Romashina, on a comeback, won her 19th Worlds gold in a career that started in 2005.

In women’s water polo, the favored U.S. team defeated New Zealand in its opening game of group play, 22-3.

Summaries so far:

FINA World Aquatics Championships
Gwangju (KOR) ~ 12-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Solo Technical: 1. Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.0023; 2. Ona Carbonell (ESP), 92.5002; 3. Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.3084; 4. Marta Fiedina (UKR), 91.3014; 5. Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN), 89.2932; 6. Linda Cerruti (ITA), 88.0378; 7. Evangelia Platanioti (GRE), 86.2921; 8. Vasiliki Alexandri (AUT), 85.6098.

Duet Technical: 1. Svetlana Romashina/Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS), 95.9010; 2. Wenyan Sun/Xuechen Huang (CHN), 94.0072; 3. Anastasiya Savchuk/Marta Fiedina (UKR), 92.5847; 4. Megumu Yoshida/Yukiko Inui (JPN), 92.116; 5. Linda Cerutti/Costanza Ferro (ITA), 90.1743; 6. Jacqueline Simoneau/Claudia Holzner (CAN), 88.8659; 7. Paula Ramirez/Sara Saldana Lopez (ESP), 87.2960; 8. Eirini Alexandri/Anna-Maria Alexandri (AUT), 87.0654. Also: 12. Ruby Remati/Anita Alvarez (USA), 84.0190.

DIVING

Men

1 m Springboard: 1. Zongyuan Wang (CHN), 440.25; 2. Rommel Pacheco (MEX), 420.15; 3. Jianfeng Peng (CHN), 415.00; 4. Haram Woo (KOR), 406.15; 5. Patrick Hausding (GER), 405.05; 6. Briadam Herrera (USA), 399.90; 7. Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 396.40; 8. Kacper Lesiak (POL), 380.05.

3 m Synchro: 1. Siyi Xie/Yuan Cao (CHN), 439.74; 2. Jack Laugher/Daniel Goodfellow (GBR), 415.02; 3. Juan Celaya/Yahei Castillo (MEX), 413.94; 4. Lars Rudiger/Patrick Hausding (GER), 399.87; 5. Nikita Shleikher/Evgenii Kuznetsov (RUS), 396.81; 6. Oleksandr Gorshkovozov/Oleg Kolodiy (UKR), 393.24; 7. Sho Sakai/Ken Terauchi (JPN), 389.43; 8. Andrew Capobianco/Mike Hixon (USA), 388.08.

Women

1 m Springboard: 1. Yiwen Chen (CHN), 285.45; 2. Sarah Bacon (USA), 262.00; 3. Suji Kim (KOR), 257.20; 4. Katherine Torrance (GBR), 255.40; 5. Kristina Ilinykh (RUS), 252.80; 6. Yani Chang (CHN), 251.95; 7. Elena Bertocchi (ITA), 245.60; 8. Elizabeth Cui (NZL), 244.20. Also: 10. Maria Coburn (USA), 237.75.

10 m Synchro: 1. Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu (CHN), 345.24; 2. Mun Yee Leong/Pandelela Pamg (MAS), 312.72; 3. Murphy Bromberg/Katrina Young (USA), 304.86; 4. Meaghan Benfeito/Caeli McKay (CAN), 304.05; 5. Iullia Timoshinina/Ekaterina Beliaeva (RUS), 291.30; 6. Lois Toulson/Eden Cheng (GBR), 289.14; 7. Chiara Pellacani/Noemi Batki (ITA), 280.38; 8. Melissa Wu/Emily Chinnock (AUS), 277.44.

Mixed

10 m Synchro: 1. Junjie Lian/Yajie Si (CHN), 346.14; 2. Ekaterina Beliaeva/Viktor Minibaev (RUS), 311.28; 3. Maria Sanchez/Jose Balleza (MEX), 287.64; 4. Noah Williams/Robyn Birch (GBR), 285.18; 5. Olivia Rosendahl/Zach Cooper (USA), 267.96; 6. Maicol Verzotto/Noemi Batki (ITA), 259.62; 7. Jiwook Kim/Halim Kwon (KOR), 247.20; 8. Ingrid Oliveira/Isaac Filho (BRA), 239.46.

OPEN WATER SWIMMING

Men

5 km: 1. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), 53:22.10; 2. Logan Fontaine (FRA), 53:32.20; 3. Eric Hedlin (CAN), 53:32.40; 4. Matej Kozubek (CZE), 53:33.60; 5. Domenico Acerenza (ITA), 53:34.00; 6. Daniel Szekelyi (HUN), 5:34.40; 7. Bailey Armstrong (AUS), 53:34.80; 8. Kirill Abrosimov (RUS), 53:35.50. Also: 14. Brendan Gravley (USA), 53:37.80

Women

10 km: 1. Xin Xin (CHN), 1:54:47.20; 2. Haley Anderson (USA), 1:54:48.10; 3. Rachele Bruni (ITA), 1:54:49.90; 4. Lara Grangeon (FRA), 1:54:50.00; 5. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), 1:54:50.50; 6. Ashley Twichell (USA), 1:54:50.50; 7. Kareena Lee (AUS), 1:54:50.50; 8. Finnia Wunram (GER), 1:54:50.70.

WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES: Japan finishes atop the Universiade medal table in Naples; U.S. wins 40 medals in swimming!

By
Rich Perelman
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Five golds at the 2019 Universiade: U.S. sprinter Zach Apple

Almost 6,000 athletes from 118 countries attended the 30th World University Games, held in Naples (ITA). Some 222 events were held in 18 sports and 68 countries won medals, led by:

1. 82 Japan (33-21-28)
2. 82 Russia (22-24-36)
3. 52 United States (21-16-15)
4. 50 South Korea (17-17-16)
5. 43 China (22-13-8)
6. 43 Italy (14-13-16)

The U.S. “team” was an odd mix, with some U.S. National Governing Bodies sending quality squads, such as USA Swimming and others essentially ignoring the event. USA Track & Field, for example, does not support the WUG and the entries were recruited by the coaching staff, appointed by an NCAA-sanctioned body called the U.S. International University Sports Federation (US-IUSF).

Of the 52 medals won by U.S. athletes in Naples, 40 were in swimming, and three (0-1-2) in track & field.

The United States Olympic Committee did support the WUG as an international event at which athletes could gain experience, but ended its interest in 2013 and the U.S. entries have been a hodge-podge of talent ever since. U.S. highlights from Naples:

In swimming, the U.S. sent its second team to Naples and overpowered the rest of the world, winning 40 total medals – including 19 golds – to 20 (6-6-7) for Japan and 18 for Russia. Among the highlights:

● Zach Apple of the U.S. moved to no. 4 on the 100 m Freestyle world list for 2019 with a 47.79 lead-off leg on the winning American 4×100 m Free relay. He won the 100 m Free as well (48.01), plus the 200 m Free.

● Zane Waddell (AUS) swam 24.46, now no. 3 on the year list in the 50 m Backstroke, but American Justin Ress won the final in 24.48 (fifth in 2019). Austin Katz of the U.S. won his semi of the 200 m Back in 1:55.57, fourth-best in 2019, and then won the final as well.

● Japan’s Yuki Ikari won the 400 m Medley in 4:12.54, making him no. 4 on the world list.

● Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) won her semi of the 100 m Breast in 1:06.32 to become no. 4 on the 2019 world list. She later won the final and took the 200 m Breast in 2:22.92.

American sprinter Gabby DeLoof won five golds, taking the 100-200 m Frees and then swimming legs on the winning 4×100 and 4×200 Free relays and the 4×100 Medley relay. Same for Apple on the men’s side, with five golds in the same events.

In basketball, the U.S. fielded two college teams: Clemson for the men and Mississippi State for the women. The Tigers had a tough time in the knock-out round, squeezing by Germany, 76-74, in the quarterfinals and then 75-73 against Israel in the semifinals. But in the gold-medal game against Ukraine, they had no such problems, winning by 85-63 to finish undefeated at 6-0.

Guard John Newman, a freshman in 2018-19, had 20 points and seven rebounds, and forward Aamir Simms had 12 points to lead Clemson, which piled up a 28-15 edge in the first quarter and was up, 48-23 at half and cruised home.

In the women’s tournament, Mississippi State won its preliminary games, then eased by China, 87-79, and Japan by 89-84 before running into Australia in the final. A tight game at halftime, the Aussies exploded for 29 points in the third quarter and had a 66-48 lead going into the final period. The Bulldogs outscored Australia, 24-14, in the final 10 minutes, but ended up settling for the silver medal, 80-72.

In track & field, the marks were fairly modest for the most part, but:

● Gabriel Constantino (BRA) won the 110 m hurdles in a very good 13.22, beating Wil Belocian (FRA: 13.30). Alison Santos (also BRA) won the 400 m hurdles in 48.57, bringing him up to fifth on the 2019 world list.

● Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki won the shot put easily with a throw of 21.54 m (70-8), not too far from his seasonal nest of 21.97 m (72-1).

● Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) won the women’s long jump at 6.84 m (22-5 1/4) just one cm behind her season’s best, which stands eighth on the world list for 2019.

In the sprints, Paulo Andre Camino de Oliveira (BRA) won the men’s 100 m in 10.09, and also took the 200 m in a life time best of 20.28. The women’s 100 was won in 11.32 by India’s Dutee Chand, the woman who initially sued the IAAF in 2011 over its regulations on differences in sex development.

In Artistic Gymnastics, Japan dominated, with Kazuma Kaya winning the men’s All-Around and Hitomi Hatakeda taking the women’s All-Around and also wins on the Uneven Bars and Beam.

In Rhythmic, Russia’s Ekaterina Selezneva (RUS) was a clear winner in the All-Around, with American Laura Zeng taking the bronze.

The complete results from Naples are here. The 2021 Universiade will be held in Chengdu (CHN).

ATHLETICS: World Record for Sifan Hassan, but Gatlin and McLaughlin delivered the heaviest mail

By
Rich Perelman
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World-record setter Sifan Hassan (left) celebrates her Monaco win with runner-up Laura Weightman (GBR)

Friday’s brilliant Herculis meet in Monaco had a rarity in today’s track & field: a world record, specifically 4:12.44 in the mile by Dutch star Sifan Hassan. But that may not have been the most impressive effort at the Stade Louis II.

Hassan broke away from the field with 600 m to go and only Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in contact and then rolled away on a final lap of about 63 seconds for a final time of 4:12.33, breaking Russian Svetlana Masterkova’s 1996 mark of 4:12.56.

“I knew I could run fast but the first 800 was a bit slow, so after that I wasn’t thinking it would be a world record,” Hassan said afterwards. “When I crossed the line I was so surprised. After you run a last 400 like that, and set a world record, it gives me so much confidence over 5,000 m. I want to double over 1,500 and 5,000 m in Doha and the way I finished the last 400 there, it’s amazing!”

Hassan won by more than five seconds over Britain’s Laura Weightman (4:17.60) and Canada’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (4:17.87 national record). Truth be told, Hassan’s performance is much inferior to the women’s 1,500 m record of 3:50.07 by Genzebe Dibaba (ETH: 2015), worth about 4:07.62 for the mile on the IAAF’s scoring tables, but impressive nonetheless. The official split times had Hassan crossing 1,500 m in 3:55.30, also a world leader for 2019.

But there were other marks of note, and six world leaders in total:

● Men/800 m: 1:41.89, Nijel Amos (BOT)
● Men/3,000 m Steeple: 8:04.82, Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)
● Men/Pole Vault: 6.02 m, Piotr Lisek (POL)
● Women/1,500 m: 3:55.30 (en route), Sifan Hassan (NED)
● Women/Mile: 4:12.33, Sifan Hassan (NED) ~ World Record
● Women/400 m hurdles: 53.32, Sydney McLaughlin (USA)

Just as stunning as Hassan was the 400 m hurdles runaway by the 19-year-old McLaughlin of the U.S. She tore apart a quality field and sprinted to a runaway 53.32 victory, an amazing 1.14 seconds (!) ahead of 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Spencer (USA). It’s a world-leading mark, giving McLaughlin two of the top three marks in the world this year and a winning streak of eight meets in a row in 2018-19. Her last loss came in the 2017 USATF Nationals.

McLaughlin has been progressing steadily this season; in her four meets: 54.14, 54.16, 53.72, 53.32. She has a lifetime best of 52.75 (no. 9 all-time), but that will surely not last the season. Is the 52.34 world record by Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) in 2003 under threat this year? You bet it is.

The men’s 100 m was highly anticipated thanks to the match-up of World Champion Justin Gatlin (37) and new superstar Noah Lyles (21). This time, Lyles got out well, but Gatlin was better off the start and had the lead by 30 m, and never relinquished it. The two ran away from the field, but Gatlin won by 9.91-9.92. It’s not the fastest 100 m this season, but one of the most competitive and the first meeting between the two.

Said Gatlin, “It’s all about putting together a good technical race, to use my experience. It feels great to beat these guys. This season is surreal, I can’t believe I’m still winning here after more than 20 years. Noah is a great runner, so every time I race him, I’m excited!”

Lyles was equally happy, and embraced Gatlin after the finish. “That was a good second place, so I’m not sad. It was a good run. My start was considerably better than other races and that makes me excited going to [U.S.] Trials. It could have been technically better, but the way I started brings me a lot of confidence.”

Those events were superb, and there were others, including the 1:41.89 win in the 800 m for Botswana’s Nijel Amos, the fastest race at the distance since the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where Amos ran 1:41.73 for the silver medal. Pole Piotr Lisek claimed another world leader in the vault, winning at 6.02 m (19-9) over Mondo Duplantis and a resurgent Thiago Braz (BRA), both of whom cleared 5.92 m (19-5). American stars Christian Taylor and Will Claye went 1-2 in the triple jump at 17.82 m (58-5 3/4) and 17.75 m (58-3).

Another definitive statement was made by Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) in the women’s 200 m, running away from Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson – the world leader – by 22.09-22.44. Said the winner, “I’m happy with how the race went. The quicker I get at 200, the quicker I’ll be at 400 and I’m really happy with where I’m at right now. If they can change the timetable for the Olympics, I’d be more than happy to double.” Anyone listening?

American Keni Harrison ran a season-best 12.43 to win the 100 m hurdles, but knows she let a sensational time get away. “I’ve been working really hard, and my mindset is better too. It felt fine. I didn’t get out at the start and my coach is pretty mad. I probably just gave up a 12.2 race but I’ve just got to work on that between now and U.S. Trials.”

Wow! Summaries:

IAAF Diamond League/Herculis
Monaco (MON) ~ 12 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men

100 m (wind +0.3 m/s): 1. Justin Gatlin (USA), 9.91; 2. Noah Lyles (USA), 9.92; 3. Michael Rodgers (USA), 10.01. Also: 5. Cravon Gillespie (USA), 10.14.

400 m: 1. Steven Gardiner (BAH), 44.51; 2. Abderrahmane Samba (QAT), 45.00; 3. Nathan Strother (USA), 45.54.

800 m: 1. Nijel Amos (BOT), 1:41.89; 2. Ferguson Rotich (KEN), 1:42.54; 3. Amel Tuka (BIH), 1:43.62.

1,500 m (non-Diamond League): 1. Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 3:29.97; 2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), 3:30.47; 3. Ronald Musagala (UGA), 3:30.58.

3,000 m Steeple: 1. Soufaien El Bakkali (MAR), 8:04.82; 2. Benjamin Kigen (KEN), 8:05.12; 3. Getnet Wale (ETH), 8:05.51. Also: 6. Hillary Bor (USA), 8:09.23.

Pole Vault: 1. Piotr Lisek (POL), 6.02 m (19-9); 2. Mondo Dupllantis (SWE), 5.92 m (19-5); 3. Thiago Braz (BRA), 5.92 m (19-5). Also: 5. Sam Kendricks (USA), 5.82 m (19-1); … 9. Cole Walsh (USA), 5.72 m (18-9 1/4).

Triple Jump: 1. Christian Taylor (USA), 17.82 m (58-5 3/4); 2. Will Claye (USA), 17.75 m (58-3); 3. Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR), 17.38 m (57-0 1/4). Also: 6. Donald Scott (USA), 17.03 m (55-10 1/2).

Javelin: 1. Andreas Hofmann (GER), 87.84 m (288-2); 2. Magnus Kirt (EST), 87.47 m (286-11); 3. Thomas Rohler (GER), 86.04 m (282-3).

Women

200 m (+0.1): 1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), 22.09; 2. Elaine Thompson (JAM), 22.44; 3. Dafne Schippers (NED), 22.45. Also: 4. Teahna Daniels (USA), 22.59; 5. Jenna Prandini (USA), 22.66; … 7. Gabby Thomas (USA), 22.99.

800 m (non-Diamond League): 1. Ajee Wilson (USA), 1:57.73; 2. Natoya Goule (JAM), 1:57.90; 3. Laura Muir (GBR), 1:58.42. Also: 6. Raevyn Rogers (USA), 2:00.16.

“Brave Like Gabe” Mile: 1. Sifan Hassan (NED), 4:12.33 (World Record; old, 4:12.56 Svetlana Masterkova (RUS), 1996); 2. Laura Weightman (GBR), 4:17.60; 3. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (CAN), 4:17.87. Also: 9. Rachel Schneider (USA), 4:20.91.

100 m hurdles (+0.1): 1. Keni Harrison (USA), 12.43; 2. Danielle Williams (JAM), 12.52; 3. Christina Clemons (USA), 12.62. Also: 5. Nia Ali (USA), 12.80; … 7. Sharika Nelvis (USA), 12.98.

400 m hurdles: 1. Sydney McLaughlin (USA), 53.32; 2. Ashley Spencer (USA), 54.46; 3. Zuzana Hejnova (CZE), 54.55. Also: 7. Kori Carter (USA), 55.63.

High Jump: 1. Mariya Lasitskene (RUS), 2.00 m (6-6 3/4); 2. Mirela Demireva (BUL), 1.94 m (6-4 1/4); 3. Nicole McDermott (AUS), 1.94 m (6-4 1/4).

Triple Jump: 1. Yulimar Rojas (VEN), 14.98 m (49-1 3/4); 2. Liadagmis Povea (CUB), 14.71 m (48-3 1/4); 3. Shanieka Ricketts (JAM), 14.67 m (48-1 3/4). Also: 9. Keturah Orji (USA), 14.20 m (46-7 1/4).

LANE ONE: The end of the 11,000-athlete Olympics is coming, and it is the athletes who will tear it down

By
Rich Perelman
-

Many who have watched the unchecked growth of mega-events like the Olympic Games have wondered when the tipping point will come, when someone will come along and finally reduce the size of this event – and others like it – to something that might be manageable.

Maybe it’s the athletes themselves.

Listen to Callum Skinner, a British gold and silver medalist in Rio in track cycling and the “Athlete Lead” in a new organization call Global Athlete, whose goal is to re-balance “the power” between athletes and administrators. At the recent Sports Decision Makers Summit in London (GBR), he told attendees:

“A recent study showed that 6 per cent of the money generated by the Olympics goes back towards athlete salaries. The rest is spent by the [International Olympic Committee] and athlete bodies as they see fit. In contrast, Premier League footballers pocket over half of their clubs’ revenues. Surely it is not right for athletes to have no direct share of that income.”

This is it! This is how the Olympic Games can become smaller and more manageable, and thanks to the intervention of star athletes like Skinner, thousands of others will be eliminated from the Games. Perfect!

It works like this:

(1) Skinner and his Global Athlete group tie up with the “Equal Pay” movement in women’s sport in the U.S. and over a period of months, convince the IOC – and ex-athlete President Thomas Bach (GER) – to pay prize money directly to athletes from the Games.

(2) The best prize money for individual events in a World Championship at present appears to be with the IAAF. In its 2017 championships, it offered $60,000-30,000-2,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000 for the top eight places, or $150,000 per event (average $18,750 per place), with $186,000 paid for relays.

(3) The IOC awards diplomas for the top eight placers in every event, so the prize money should be for the same number of places, but – of course – the amount has to be more. Trying to forecast what Olympic prize money might be is difficult because there are so many different types of events: individuals, small teams and large teams.

Let’s take the current IOC limit of 310 events, and with eight placers per event, that’s 2,480 prize-money winners. Check out the cost with some different averages:

● 2,480 x $25,000 average per place = $ 62 million
● 2,480 x $50,000 average per place = $124 million
● 2,480 x $75,000 average per place = $186 million
● 2,480 x $100,000 average per place = $248 million

The Winter Games costs a lot less, since there were “only” 102 events in PyeongChang 2018. So the load would be 102 events times eight placers or 816 per Games at present:

● 816 x $25,000 average per place = $20.4 million
● 816 x $50,000 average per place = $40.8 million
● 816 x $75,000 average per place = $61.2 million
● 816 x $100,000 average per place = $81.6 million

So that’s $82.4 million per quadrennial on the low side and $329.6 on the high end.

(4) According to its audited financial statements, the IOC took in about $5.7 billion for the 2013-16 quadrennial. What happened to that money? The IOC’s Annual Report shows:

● $2.418 billion went to the organizing committees
● $755 million went to National Olympic Committees
● $755 million went to the International Federations

Taking into account payments in 2017 and 2018, including the PyeongChang Winter Games and the IOC paid:

● $829 million for the IOC’s 2016-18 Games expenses, including host broadcasting costs
● $532 million from U.S. TV rights and TOP program to the United States Olympic Committee

That’s $5.29 billion, not to mention $100 million to the organizers of the Youth Olympic Games, $95 million to IOC-recognized organizations like the International Paralympic Committee, Court of Arbitration for Sport and World Anti-Doping Agency, $234 million over four years for the Olympic Channel and so on, against a revenue total of a little over $6 billion.

Adding in another $82.4 to $329.6 million for prize money and the math doesn’t add up for the IOC, which is smart enough to try and keep reserves that would allow it to continue operations even if an Olympic Games or Winter Games was not held.

(5) So now what?

The obvious answer is to cut the number of athletes per event, and the number of events in the Games. Know this: once you’re playing for money, there’s much less room for the “Olympic tourists” – those athletes who attend the Games with no hope of being competitive and are just there to represent their country – since accommodating, feeding and transporting each of them reduces the total pot available for payout.

We already know, thanks to the distribution system agreed by the International Federations themselves, which of the Olympic sports are on the low end of interest, viewership and attendance. Will we say good-bye to Canoeing, Equestrian, Fencing, Handball, Hockey, Sailing, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Wrestling and Modern Pentathlon? Those are the sports on the two lowest tiers of revenue sharing today. Get rid of them and increase the prize money to those who remain, right?

Money changes everything, and it will be interesting to see how Skinner and his group approach this. Taking half of all revenues for athletes works fine for a league, which has limited rosters of a few hundred players on defined teams. It doesn’t fit so well in a world of 206 National Olympic Committees, each working in different legal systems and with varying amounts of resources and stability in their countries.

But it’s a good way to break the cycle of growth in the Games, especially with one athlete group pushing against having fewer athletes compete in the Games.

The IOC is well aware of the issue and that’s why it pushes its “Solidarity model” of revenue distribution to try and keep the entire worldwide Olympic-sport program afloat. But it is also fully aware that it has its own cards to play.

Skinner had more to say at the Sports Decision Makers Summit, including:

“The now-famous Rule 40 has further stressed athletes’ finances. In the UK, if you were selected for the Olympic Games, you cannot promote a personal sponsor in any way, including by using phrases such as ‘summer’ for a week prior, two weeks during, and a week after the Games. It varies from country to country and some are even more restrictive.”

The IOC has loosened this rule, but the restrictions are now up to each National Olympic Committee. But as the value of the IOC’s sponsorships are encroached upon, there are other options to maintain or increase that value.

Timo Lumme (FIN), the IOC’s managing director for television and marketing services, said in an earlier session at the Summit that “If you were to give total freedom to athletes, which would potentially break our model of Solidarity and our funding model, perhaps we would have to go to perimeter board advertising.”

The Olympic Games is unique for its clean-venue policy, which does not allow the layers of signs and electronic billboards which ring the playing fields at nearly every other sporting event on the planet.

Is that important to Skinner? Or would he prefer direct-deposit?

These are real issues to be resolved. Whining about how much money the IOC has solves nothing. In 2018, a German athletes group said 25% of the IOC’s revenue should go to athletes, when in fact more than that goes to make many of their sports even possible to be contested on the international level.

The Olympic Games needs to be downsized in terms of athletes and events in order for the event to remain sustainable in the long term. Skinner and his group might be able to accomplish that important goal by re-directing the IOC’s money away from growing the impact of sport worldwide and growing the rewards to those already at the top of the competitive pyramid.

Can’t wait to see the Global Athlete proposal.

Rich Perelman
Editor

AQUATICS: 18th World Aquatics Championships start Friday in Gwangju with Diving, Artistic and Open Water events

By
Rich Perelman
-

Once every two years, the entire competitive aquatics community comes together for the World Aquatics Championships, including Swimming, Diving, Artistic Swimming, Open Water, High Diving and Water Polo.

FINA’s 18th edition of the Worlds is getting set to start in Gwangju (KOR), beginning on Friday and running for two weeks through the 28th. The overall schedule breaks the disciplines into two groups:

Week 1: 12-20 July
● Artistic Swimming: 10 events
● Diving: 13 events
● Open Water: 7 events
● Water Polo: preliminary matches

Week 2: 21-28 July
(Preview coming next week!)
● Swimming: 42 events
● High Diving: 2 events
● Water Polo: preliminary and medal matches

There is some serious prize money available at the FINA Worlds, by far the most in any swimming or diving event:

● Artistic: $20,000-1,000 for places 1-8 (Solo and Duet); $50,000-5,000 (Teams 1-8)
● Diving: $20,000-1,000 for places 1-8
● Open Water: $20,000-1,000 for places 1-8
● Swimming: $20,000-1,000 for places 1-8
● High Diving: $20,000-500 for places 1-14
● Water Polo: $80,000-10,000 for teams 1-8

In all, the prize purse totals $5,847,800 with the largest share going to swimming at $2.73 million. Beyond the prize money in swimming, there is a $30,000 bonus available for each world record set.

All of the disciplines are on the Olympic program except High Diving, although there are more events at the Aquatics Worlds than in the Games. A closer look at the first week’s events:

ARTISTIC SWIMMING

Russia has been the dominant force in this discipline and 2019 promises to be no different. Event in Solo (Technical and Free), Duet (Technical and Free), Team (Technical, Free, Combination, Highlight) and Mixed Duet (Technical and Free) will be held. The leading contenders:

Solo:
● Svetlana Kolesnichenko (RUS) ~ 2017 World Champion in Technical and Free
● Onna Carbonell (ESP) ~ 2017 Worlds silver in Technical and Free
● Yukiko Inui (JPN) ~ 2017 Worlds Technical 4th; Free 4th
● Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds Technical 5th; Free 6th
● Linda Cerruti (ITA) ~ 2017 Worlds Technical 6th; Free 5th
● Marta Fiedina (UKR)

Kolesnichenko has shown no signs of weakness and is the clear favorite. Inui has been exceptional during the FINA World Series events and with the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, will be at her peak for the Worlds. Carbonell owns a staggering 20 World Championships medals, dating back to Spanish team medals in 2007. She has won Solo medals in 2013-15-17.

Duet:
● Svetlana Kolesnicheko/Svetlana Romashina (RUS) ~ Kolesnichenko: 2017 golds
● Claudia Holzner/Jacqueline Simoneau (CAN) ~ 2017: Technical 7th; Free 7th
● Linda Cerruti/Costanza Ferro (ITA) ~ 2017: Technical 6th; Free 6th
● Yelyzaveta Yakhno/Anastasiya Savchuk (UKR) ~ Yakhno: 2017 bronzes
● Yukiko Inui/Megumu Yoshida (JPN) ~ Inui: 2017 Technical 4th; Free 4th

Kolesnichenko teamed up with Alexandra Patskevich to win the Duet Technical and Free in 2017; Romashina owns 18 Worlds gold medals (no silvers or bronzes) and won the Duet Technical and Free at the World Championships in 2009-11-13-15. Now she’s back and teaming up with Kolesnichenko!

Yakhno also has a new partner; she and Anna Voloshyna won Duet bronzes in both events two years ago. Inui won a bronze (with Risako Mitsui) in the 2015 Technical event; she was fourth in both events in 2017 with two different partners, but she and Yoshida have been sharp in the World Series events. The Italian and Canadian pairs both scored well in 2017 and are back again.

Team:
The Russians won the Technical and Free events in 2017 and did not enter the Team Combination, won by China. This time they are in all three and favored. China, Japan, Ukraine and Canada will also be strong.

The Team Highlight event is new and wide open as neither Russia or China entered.

Mixed:
● Bill May/Natalia Vega Figueroa (USA) ~ May: 2015 Free gold; Tech silver
● Pau Ribes/Emma Garcia (ESP) ~ Ribes: 2017 Technical 5th; Free 5th
● Aleksandr Maltsev/Mayya Gurbanberdieva (RUS) ~ Maltsev: 2015-17 Free gold
● Giorgio Minisini/Manila Flamini (ITA) ~ 2015 Technical bronze; 2017 Technical gold
● Atsushi Abe/Yumi Adachi (JPN) ~ 2017 Technical 4th; Free 4th

Pairs change quite a lot in these events, but Maltsev has been a steady medal winner in 2015 and 2017, sometimes exchanging places with the Italian pair of Minisini and Flamini. The Russians were the best during the 2019 World Series, but look out for the U.S. pair of May and Vega Figueroa, as May has been a medal winner in both 2015 and 2017.

DIVING

The question here is how many medals will the Chinese win. They took eight golds (in 13 events) and 15 total medals in 2017, 10 golds and 15 medals in 13 events in 2015 and 13 medals with nine golds in 10 events in 2013.

How dominant will they be in 2019?

Men/Springboard:
● Jianfeng Peng (CHN) ~ 2017 1 m Champion
● Giovanni Tocci (ITA) ~ 2017 1 m bronze medalist
● Patrick Hausding (GER) ~ 2017 1 m fourth; 2016 Olympic 3 m bronze; 2017 3 m silver
● Michael Hixon (USA) ~ 2017 1 m fifth; 2015 1 m bronze
● Oleg Kolodiy (UKR) ~ 2017 1 m sixth; 2017 3 m seventh
● Yuan Cao (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic 3m Champion
● Siyi Xie (CHN) ~ 2017 World 3 m Champion
● Evgenii Kuznetsov (RUS) ~ 2017 3 m eighth
● Rommel Pacheco (MEX) ~ 2017 3 m fourth
● Jack Laugher (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m silver; 2015 Worlds 3 m bronze
● David Boudia (USA) ~ 2015 10 m silver; 2016 Olympic 10 m bronze

Men/Platform:
● Hao Yang (CHN) ~ 2014 Youth Olympic 3 m & 10 m Champion
● Jian Yang (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m bronze
● Tom Daley (GBR) ~ 2017 World 10 m Champion; 2015 Worlds 10 m silver
● David Dinsmore (USA) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m sixth
● Aleksandr Bondar (RUS) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m fourth

The Chinese are clear favorites in the Springboard events, returning the reigning Olympic and World Champions. The 10 m is more open, especially with Jian Yang and Hao Yang each having won two World Series events this year, but Daley also won one. If any of these slip, Bondar and Dinsmore should be right there to contend for medals.

Men/Synchro:
● Yuan Cao/Siyi Xie (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro silver
● Nikita Shleiker/Evgenii Kuznetsov (RUS) ~ Kuznetsov: 2017 3 m Synchro Champion
● Oleksandr Gorshkovozov/Oleg Kolodiy (UKR) ~ Kolodiy: 2017 3 m Synchro bronze
● Jack Laugher/Daniel Goodfellow (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m Synchro Champions
● Mike Hixon/Andrew Capobianco (USA) ~ Hixon: 2016 Olympic 3m Synchro silver
● Patrick Dausding/Lars Rudiger (GER) ~ Hausding: 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro fifth

● Aisen Chen/Yuan Cao (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic 10m Synchro Champions
● Tom Daley/Matt Lee (GBR) ~ Daley: 2016 Olympic 10 m Synchro bronze
● Steele Johnson/Benjamin Bramley (USA) ~ Johnson: 2016 OG 10 m Synchro silver
● Viktor Minibaev/Aleksandr Bondar (RUS) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m Synchro silver

The 3 m Synchro event appears fairly open based on past performances, but Cao and Xie won all three of their appearances in the World Series in 2019 and are solid favorites. But behind them, Britain’s Laugher and Goodfellow appear to be the best challengers, but the Ukrainian and Russian pairs should contend for medals.

Olympic champs Chen and Cao are formidable obstacles for any other pair in the 10 m Synchro, but could be challenged by Daley and Lee (GBR) and Minibaev and Bondar (RUS).

Women/Springboard:
● Yiwen Chen (CHN) ~ 2017 World 1 m fourth
● Esther Qin (AUS) ~ 2017 World 1 m seventh; 2016 Olympic 3 m sixth
● Elena Bertocchi (ITA) ~ 2017 World 1 m bronze
● Mariia Polyakova (RUS) ~ 2017 World 1 m fifth

● Maddison Keeney (AUS) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m fifth; 2017 Worlds 3 m fifth
● Pamela Ware (CAN) ~ 2013 Worlds 3 m bronze; 2016 Olympic 3 m seventh
● Jennifer Abel (CAN) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m fourth; 2017 Worlds 3 m bronze
● Han Wang (CHN) ~ 2013 & 2017 World 3 m silver
● Tingmao Shi (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m Champion, 2015-17 3m World Champion
● Grace Reid (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m eighth; 2017 Worlds 3 m fourth

The 1 m Springboard is not an Olympic event and Australia’s Keeney is not defending her title there. In 3 m, China has gone 1-2 in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and 2013-15-17 Worlds. And they are favored to do so again. The fight for bronze is wide open.

Women/Platform:
● Yuxi Chen (CHN) ~ 2019 London World Series 10 m winner
● Wei Lu (CHN) ~ 2019 Montreal World Series 10 m winner
● Meaghan Benfeito (CAN) ~ 2016 Olympic 10 m bronze; 2017 Worlds 10 m eighth
● Pandelela Pamg (INA) ~ 2015 Worlds 10 m bronze
● Melissa Wu (AUS) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m fifth

This is another event in which China has been 1-2 in the last three World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games, but the players have changed. Chen and Lu are certainly favored for medals, especially with the excellent North Korean divers skipping this event. Perhaps an opening for Benfeito, who was second and third in her appearances in the 2019 World Series.

Women/Synchro:
● Annabelle Smith/Maddison Keeney (AUS) ~ 2016 Olympic 3 m Synchro bronze
● Katherine Torrance/Grace Reid (GBR) ~ 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro fourth
● Tingmao Shi/Han Wang (CHN) ~ Shi: 2013-15-17 Worlds 3 m Syn. gold; 2016 OG gold
● Melissa Citrini Beaulieu/Jennifer Abel (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro silver
● Kristina Ilinykh/Mariia Polyakova (RUS) ~ Ilinykh: 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro bronze
● Yan Yee Ng/Nur Dhabitah Sabri (MAS) ~ 2017 Worlds 3 m Synchro sixth

● Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu (CHN) ~ Two 2019 World Series wins, one bronze
● Eden Cheng/Lois Toulson (GBR) ~ 2017 Worlds 10 m Synchro seventh
● Meaghan Benfeito/Caeli McKay (CAN) ~ Benfeito: 2016 Olympic 10 m Synchro bronze
● Iullia Timoshinina/Ekaterina Beliaeva (RUS) ~ Timoshinina: 2017 Worlds 10 m Syn. 8th
● Mun Yee Leong/Pandelela Pamg (MAS) ~ Pamg: 2017 Worlds 10 m Synchro bronze
● Melissa Wu/Emily Chinnock (AUS) ~ Wu: 2017 Worlds 10 m Synchro fifth

In the 3 m Synchro, China’s Shi is one of the most decorated divers ever and figures to win with Wang. But after that. It’s anyone’s guess how the medals will come out.

In the 10 m Synchro, China has a new pair who went 1-1-3 in the three 2019 World Series events they competed in. Canada’s McKay and Benfeito beat them once and might be the strongest challengers.

Mixed 10 m Synchro:
● Junjie Lian/Yajie Si (CHN) ~ Lian: 2017 Worlds Mixed 10 m Champion
● Viktor Minibaev/Ekaterina Beliaeva (RUS) ~ Minibaev: 2018 Worlds Mixed 10 m fourth

A very weak field in the Mixed 10 m, with the Chinese and Russians with the most experience, but anything could happen.

We’d like to say something about the 3 m Mixed, but no entries were provided!

OPEN WATER SWIMMING

Of all the athletes in the FINA Worlds, the open-water swimmers have to be the most fit and the most insane. Swimming in a lake or ocean, with wind and waves? These folks are nuts, but they are to be admired for their fitness, for sure.

Competitions are held at 5 km, 10 km and 25 km (15 1/2 miles!!!), but since the 10 km is the only one held in the Olympic Games, let’s concentrate on that:

Men/10 km:
● Ferry Weertman (NED) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2017 World Champion
● Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) ~ 2016 Olympic 1,500 m (pool) Champion
● Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) ~ 2016 Olympic fifth; 2015 Worlds gold; 17 Worlds silver
● Ous Mellouli (TUR) ~ 2013 Worlds bronze
● Allan Do Carmo (BRA) ~ 2013 Worlds seventh; 2015 Worlds ninth
● Jack Burnell (GBR) ~ 2017 Worlds fourth
● Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) ~ 2017 Worlds fifth
● Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) ~ 2016 Olympic bronze; 2017 Worlds silver

Women/10 km:
● Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2015 Worlds silver
● Ashley Twichell (USA) ~ 2017 Worlds 5 km Champion
● Haley Anderson (USA) ~ 2012 Olympic silver; 2013-15 World 5 km Champion
● Anna Olasz (HUN) ~ 2015 Worlds 25 km silver medalist
● Rachele Bruni (ITA) ~ 2016 Olympic silver medalist
● Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) ~ 2017 Worlds co-bronze, 2015-17 Worlds 25 km gold
● Samantha Arevalo (ECU) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
● Aurelie Muller (FRA) ~ 2015-17 World Champion
● Finnia Wunram (GER) ~ 2015 Worlds 5 km bronze medalist
● Arianna Bridi (ITA) ~ 2017 Worlds co-bronze medalist

Weertman has been the best when the races are the biggest, as has van Rouwendaal. The Americans have a formidable team with Wilimovsky, Anderson and Twichell all capable of medals, and four World Championships wins among them.

Three women to watch are Italy’s Bridi and Bruni and the amazing Cunha from Brazil. Still just 27, Cunha has won the 2011-15-17 Worlds 25 golds, bronze medals in the 2013-17 5 km races and the 2013 silver and 2015-17 bronzes in the 10 km. She plans to – once again – race all three distances in Korea. Wow!

NBC’s Olympic Channel has a heavy schedule of the FINA Worlds in all disciplines; check the full schedule here. Look for results on FINA’s Web site here.

THE BIG PICTURE: More Russian doping, but this time reported by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Russian Anti-Doping Agency chief Yuriy Ganus

There is still considerable distrust of the anti-doping apparatus in Russia, fueled in part by the continuing investigation into the thousands of reports and samples obtained from the 2011-15 which are now being evaluated by the World Anti-Doping Agency and individual International Federations.

But the question of what Russia’s anti-doping efforts are today is actually more interesting.

Margarita Pakhnotskaya, the Deputy Director General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) told the Russian TASS News Agency on Tuesday (9th) that 102 potential doping positives have been recorded during the first six months of 2019. The story further noted that:

Pakhnotskaya told TASS earlier in the day that RUSADA carried out 5,703 doping inspections collecting 6,792 samples in the first half of 2019.

RUSADA Director General Yury Ganus told TASS earlier in the year that the national anti-doping agency planned to collect 11,000 doping samples in 2019 and to increase this figure to 13,000 in 2020.

That compares to 6,196 tests in 2017 and 8,497 in 2018.

Further, Pakhnotskaya said that 156 cases of “whereabouts” violations were recorded: “In the period between January and June included, we have registered 156 cases of doping tests’ availability violations,” she said. “They include 122 cases of missed doping tests and 34 cases of failure to provide information about the whereabouts.”

There were 266 such cases of availability violations in 2018 logged by RUSADA.

Is this a lot of testing? Let’s compare the numbers to those of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for recent years:

● 2016: 12,756 total
● 2017: 12,754 total
● 2018: 12,262 total

This is not a completely apples-to-apples comparison, as the USADA totals include its agreement for testing of Mixed Martial Arts athletes, which totaled 2,888 tests (or 23.6% of the total) for 2018. The USADA numbers also do not include testing by other U.S. entities, such as other national governing bodies or universities for its athletes.

But it’s a good indicator that the Russians, under Ganus, are doing better. He has not been afraid to criticize Russian sports officials, noting his own view that the Russian Athletics Federation is not yet ready to be reinstated by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

And in terms of positive tests,102 potential Russian positives in the first half of 2019 compares to 37 sanctions announced by USADA in the first six months (17 from Mixed Martial Arts) and 92 for all of 2018 (27 for Mixed Martial Arts).

For many, the jury is still out on RUSADA. But these are encouraging signs.

ROWING: Wide-open World Cup action concludes with a massive field in Rotterdam

By
Rich Perelman
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Upset men's Pairs winners Martin Mackovic and Milas Vasic (SRB) in Plovdiv (Photo: Detlev Seyb via World Rowing)

The final FISA World Cup of 2019 takes place in conjunction with the Holland Beker Regatta in Rotterdam (NED) from Friday through Sunday, with a massive cast of 712 rowers from 42 countries, who will compete in 26 classes.

Through the first two stages, in Plovdiv (BUL) and Poznan (POL), the racers and strategies varied in the Openweight Division, and except for the Quadruple Sculls – for men and women – there were no repeaters:

Men/Single Sculls:
● Plovdiv: Damir Martin (CRO)
● Poznan: Svierri Nielsen (DEN)

Men/Double Sculls:
● Plovdiv: Zhiyu Liu/Liang Zhang (CHN)
● Poznan: Barnabe Delarze/Roman Roeoesli (SUI)

Men/Quadruple Sculls:
● Plovdiv: Poland
● Poznan: Poland

Men/Pairs:
● Plovdiv: Martin Mackovic/Milas Vasic (SRB)
● Poznan: Joshua Booth/Alexander Hill (AUS)

Men/Fours:
● Plovdiv: Poland
● Poznan: Australia

Men/Eights:
● Plovdiv: Poland
● Poznan: Germany

Women/Single Sculls:
● Plovdiv: Lisa Schneenaard (NED)
● Poznan: Emma Twigg (NZL)

Women/Double Sculls:
● Plovdiv: Shiyu Lu/Yuwei Wang (CHN)
● Poznan: Brooke Donoghue/Olivia Loe (NZL)

Women/Quadruple Sculls:
● Plovdiv: China
● Poznan: China

Women/Pairs:
● Plovdiv: Aletta Jorritsma/Jose van Veen (NED)
● Poznan: Grace Pendergast/Kerri Gowler (NZL)

Women/Fours:
● Plovdiv: Netherlands
● Poznan: Denmark

Women/Eights:
● Plovdiv: Netherlands
● Poznan: Australia

In Rotterdam, the Single Sculls will be one of the points of focus. In the men’s division, both World Cup winners are back: Rio Olympic silver medalist Damir Martin (CRO) and Sverri Nielsen (DEN), plus Rio bronze winner Ondrej Synek (CZE) and 2018 World Champion Kjetil Borch (NOR). And what of New Zealand’s Robert Manson, holder of the world-best time in the event, but who only made the B-Final in World Cup II?

In the women’s Single Sculls, Ireland’s 2018 World Champion Sanita Puspure is entered and will face World Cup II winner, New Zealand’s comebacking three-time Olympian Emma Twigg, plus 2017 World Champion and 2018 Worlds silver winner Jeannie Gmelin (SUI).

World Rowing has an excellent live blog covering the World Cup; look for results here.

CYCLING Preview: Schurter and Courtney protecting seasonal leads as the Mountain Bike World Cup heads to France

By
Rich Perelman
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Swiss Mountain Bike superstar Nino Schurter (Photo: UCI)

We’re at the halfway mark of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, with competition in Cross Country and Downhill this week at Les Gets (FRA). The standings:

● Men/Cross Country:
1. 835 Nino Schurter (SUI)
2. 755 Mathias Flueckiger (SUI)
3. 700 Mathieu van der Poel (NED)
4. 655 Henrique Avancini (FRA)
5. 553 Jordan Sarrou (FRA)

● Men/Downhill:
1. 765 Loic Bruni (FRA)
2. 700 Troy Brosnan (AUS)
3. 605 Amaury Pierron (FRA)
4. 565 Danny Hart (GBR)
5. 482 Loris Vergier (FRA)

● Women/Cross Country:
1. 890 Kate Courtney (USA)
2. 815 Jolanda Neff (SUI)
3. 645 Anne Terpstra (NED)
4. 499 Anne Tauber (NED)
5. 486 Yana Belomoina (UKR)

● Women/Downhill:
1. 790 Tracey Hannah (AUS)
2. 730 Rachel Atherson (GBR)
3. 640 Marine Cabirou (FRA)
4. 585 Nina Hoffmann (GER)
5. 407 Veronika Widmann (ITA)

In Cross Country, Schurter has not dominated the circuit as in past seasons, but he has been steady: third overall in Albstadt, second overall in Nove Mesto and the overall winner – second in the Cross Country Short race and winning the Olympic-distance race – in Vallnord last week. Countryman Flueckiger has finished 2-5-3 so far, but has beaten Schurter only once in the six total races in 2019.

Courtney, something of a surprise with her win in the 2018 World Championships, has been stellar in 2019, winning the first two races and finishing third overall in Vallnord. The scoring includes both the Olympic-distance and Cross Country Short races and Courtney has been in the top four in five of the six total events held so far.

In the Downhill, Bruni’s best-ever seasonal finish was second in 2015; Brosnan was second in 2017, so both are trying to stay ahead of defending seasonal champ Pierron. Hannah would really like to improve on the three World Cup seasonal bronze medals she has won the last three years, while Atherton is a six-time World Cup champ.

Les Gets is the only French stop on this year’s World Cup circuit, replacing La Bresse from 2018. There, Schurter and Neff were the Cross Country winners; Martin Maes (BEL) won the men’s Downhill, while Atherton won the women’s.

Look for results here.

CYCLING: Teuns masters first climbing stage while Ciccone takes the yellow jersey in Tour de France

By
Rich Perelman
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Tour de France Stage 6 winner Dylan Teuns (BEL)

The first real climbing stage of the 2019 Tour de France was an exercise in exhaustion that started at an elevation of 251 m in Mulhouse and finished – six climbs later – at 1,139 m at La Planche des Belles Filles, with a final ascent of more than 640 m in the final 10,000 m.

This brutal route tore apart the race as it had developed during the first five stages. A 14-rider breakaway from just after the start slowly dissipated during the race and Belgian rookie Dylan Teuns claimed his first career Tour stage win by hanging on during the final ascent.

Italy’s Giulio Ciccone, an accomplished climber, stayed close for second and finished only 11 seconds back as the riders behind him struggled to make it to the finish line. With France’s Julien Alaphilippe finishing 1:46 back of the leader, Ciccone took possession of the yellow jersey as the overall leader – moving from 42nd to first – and is now six seconds ahead of Alaphilippe.

Behind the top two was a serious race for the contenders for the overall victory. Defending champion Geraint Thomas (GBR) pushed hard in the final 350 m and passed multiple riders, finally ending in fourth place, with Alaphilippe in sixth and co-favorite Egan Bernal (COL) in 12th, nine seconds behind.

There are many more climbing stages, but this was clearly one of the classic days of the 2019 Tour. The racing continues with a fairly flat stage on Friday and then three hilly stages before a rest day on Tuesday.

At the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, Dutch star Marianne Vos won her third stage (of seven), ahead of countrywoman Anna van der Breggen, but Annemiek van Vleuten remained well in front.

With the win, van der Breggen moved into second place overall, 4:08 behind van Vleuten as the race heads into its final weekend. Summaries so far:

UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.

Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.

Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.

Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.

Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.

Stage 6 (160.5 km): 1. Dylan Teuns (BEL), 4:29:03; 2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 4:29:14; 3. Xandro Meurisse (BEL), 4:30:08; 4. Geraint Thomas (GBR), 4:30:47; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:30:49.

12 July: Stage 7 (230.0 km): Belfort to Chalon-sur-Saône (flat)
13 July: Stage 8 (200.0 km): Macon to Saint-Etienne (hilly)
14 July: Stage 9 (170.5 km): Saint-Etienne to Brioude (hilly)
15 July: Stage 10 (217.5 km): Saint-Flour to Albi (hilly)
16 July: Rest day
17 July: Stage 11 (167.0 km): Albi to Toulouse (flat)
18 July: Stage 12 (209.5 km): Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre (high mountains)
19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)

UCI Women’s World Tour/Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile
Italy ~ 5-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (18.0 km: Team Time Trial): 1. Canyon-SRAM Racing (GER: Niewiadoma, Barnes, Ryan, Shapira, Cromwell, Amialiusik), 31:41; 2. Bigla Pro Cycling (DEN), 32:05; 3. CCC-Liv (NED), 32:26; 4. Mitchelton-Scott (AUS), 32:34; 5. Boels-Dolmans (NED), 32:45.

Stage 2 (78.3 km): 1. Marianne Vos (NED), 2:15:56; 2. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 2:15:56; 3. Lucinda Brand (NED), 2:15:16; 4. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 2:15:56; 5. Soraya Paladin (ITA), 2:15:56. Also in the top 25: 14. Ruth Winder (USA), 2:15:56; … 20. Katie Hall (USA), 2:16:08; 21. Tayler Wiles (USA), 2:16:08.

Stage 3 (104.1 km): Vos (NED), 2:49:11; 2. Lucy Kennedy (AUS), 2:49:11; 3. Cecile Upprup Ludwig (DEN), 2:49:11; 4. Van Vleuten (NED), 2:49:11; 5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 2:49:11. Also in the top 25: 13. Hall (USA), 2:49:11; … 21. Winder (USA), 2:49:20; … 25. Leah Thomas (USA), 2:49:40.

Stage 4 (100.1 km): 1. Letrizia Borghesi (ITA), 2:29:50; 2. Nadia Quagliotto (ITA), 2:29:50; 3. Chiara Perini (ITA), 2:29:50; 4. Vos (NED), 2:30:32; 5. Leah Kirchmann (CAN), 2:30:32. Also in the top 25: 20. Alexis Ryan (USA), 2:30:42; 21. Winder (USA), 2:30:42; … 24. Thomas (USA), 2:30:42.

Stage 5 (87.5 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:09:47; 2. Brand (NED), 3:12:44; 3. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL), 3:12:44; 4. Paladin (ITA), 3:12:44; 5. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 3:12:44.

Stage 6 (12.1 km Time Trial): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 24:32; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 25:24; 3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), 26:20; 4. Brand (NED), 26:21; 5. Juliette Labous (FRA), 26:26. Also in the top 25: 7. Hall (USA), 26:35; … 9. Wiles (USA), 26:53; … 11. Winder (USA), 27:01; … 15. Thomas (USA), 27:14.

Stage 7 (12.3 km): 1. Vos (NED), 3:19:33; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 3:19:33; 3. Longo Borghini (ITA), 3:19:22; 4. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:19:22; 5. Demi Vollering (NED), 3:19:42. Also in the top 25: 15. Hall (USA), 3:19:48.

12 July: Stage 8 (133.3 km): Vittorio Veneto to Maniago (hilly)
13 July: Stage 9 (125.5 km): Gemona to Chiusaforte/Malga Montasio (mountains)
14 July: Stage 10 (120.0 km): San Vito al Tagliamento to Udine (flat)

ATHLETICS Preview: Noah Lyles ready to sing in Monaco … on and off the track at Friday’s Diamond League meet

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. sprint star Noah Lyles

American sprinter Noah Lyles is one of the most electric athletes in all of track & field, now fourth all-time in the 200 m (19.50) and standing equal-second on the 2019 world list in the 100 m (9.86). But he’s hardly just a speedster; he’s also a singer, having released a single with U.S. vault star Sandi Morris. We’re not kidding:

Friday in Monaco, however, the newest multimedia star will be back on the track in the 100 m at the annual Herculis meet, the latest in the IAAF Diamond League series.

It’s a showdown between Lyles, reigning World Champion Justin Gatlin (9.87) and Nigeria’s NCAA champion from Texas Tech, Divine Oduhuru (also 9.86), with American Cravon Gillespie (9.93) and Akani Simbine (RSA) trying to change the tune.

If Lyles wins this time, they shouldn’t interview him. Instead, ask him to sing a couple of numbers!

Just about every event in the meet is excellent; previews:

● Men/400 m: Steven Gardiner (BAH) just ran 44.45 at the Gyulai Memorial in Hungary, but is barely in the conversation with four Americans ahead of him on the world list for 2019. He wants to change that and can on Friday. He will have to deal with 400 m hurdles star Abderrahmane Samba (QAT), himself a 44.60 man this year and world no. 2 Kahmari Montgomery of the U.S., just learning to run as a professional after his NCAA win (44.23) for Houston.

● Men/1,500 m (non-Diamond League): We’re starting to get a steady cast in these races and a familiar theme. A lot of really great runners are assembled and none of them can beat Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, the world leader at 3:28.77 with his brilliant win in Lausanne last week. Back for another try are placers 2-4: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR: 3:30.16), Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI: 3:30.79) and Filip Ingebrigtsen (NOR: 3:30.82) plus 2017 World Champion Elijah Manangoi (KEN: 3:32.21 this year) and countryman Vincent Kibet (3:33.21). Cheruiyot has had the best finish of anyone in his four wins since losing by 0.26 to Manangoi in Doha; can anyone challenge?

● Men/Pole Vault: All the usual suspects are here, starting with new world leader Piotr Lisek (POL: 6.01 m/19-8 1/2), Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis (6.00 m/1908 1/4), reigning World Champion Sam Kendricks (USA: 5.95 m/19-6 1/4), 2012 Olympic gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie (FRA: 5.81 m/19-0 3/4), 2011 World Champion Pawel Wojciechowski (POL: 5.76 m/18-10 3/4) and a lot more. The trio of Lisek, Duplantis and Kendricks have been hard to beat of late and have taken turns beating each other.

● Men/Triple Jump: A re-run of the sensational Gyulai Memorial in Hungary, where Christian Taylor (USA) won with 17.93mw (58-10w) and a back-up jump of 17.68 m (58-0 1/4)! Fellow American Will Claye (17.66 m/57-11 1/4) was second and Portugal’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo (17.29 m/56-8 3/4) third. Let’s shake ‘em up again and see if it comes out differently.

● Men/Javelin: World leader Magnus Kirt (EST: 90.61 m/297-3) is in, but will be chased by Germans Andreas Hofmann (89.65 m/294-1) and Rio Olympic champ Thomas Rohler (86.99 m/285-4) and Chinese Taipei’s Chao-Tsun Cheng (87.12 m/285-10).

● Women/200 m: World leader and Rio Olympic champ Elaine Thompson has run 22.00 and Blessing Okagbare (NGR) just beat her at Stanford with a near-PR 22.05. But Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) just won at the Gyulai Memorial in 22.18 and is undefeated at this distance since August 2017. Something has to give…

● Women/800 m (non-Diamond League): With Caster Semenya (RSA) and Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) sidelined while the Swiss Federal Tribunal decides what to do about the IAAF gender regulations for the 400 m-mile, this race has nos. 3-4-6 on the world list for 2019: Ajee Wilson (USA: 1:58.36), Raevyn Rogers (USA: 1:58.65) and Nelly Jepkosgei (KEN: 1:59.00). Plus British stars Laura Muir and Lynsey Sharp and Jamaica’s Natalya Goule (1:59.50). Perhaps a Doha preview here?

● Women/100 m hurdles: Showdown time, with the world leader, Jamaica’s Janeek Brown (12.40 at Arkansas to win the NCAAs) facing world no. 2 Keni Harrison (12.47), who just won at the Gyulai Memorial in 12.60, beating fellow U.S. stars Nia Ali (12.63), Sharika Nelvis (12.66) and Christina Clemons (12.73). Who’s the boss?

● Women/400 m hurdles: American Sydney McLaughlin has run 54.14, 54.16 and 53.72 in her three races this season, all wins, including defeating world leader Dalilah Muhammad (USA) at the Bislett Games in Oslo. But the rest of the world is coming on, with two-time World Champion Zuzana Hejnova (CZE: 54.11) and Ashley Spencer (USA: 54.11) running 2-3 in Lausanne (SUI) last week. Something really special could happen here.

● Women/High Jump: Russia’s Mariya Lasitskene has won 67 of her last 69 competitions and jumped 2.06 m (6-9) this season. No one else in the field has done more than Mirela Demireva (BUL) and her 1.97 m (6-5 1/2). Any questions?

● Women/Triple Jump: Scheduled for Thursday, the top five on the 2019 world list are here, so this is about as good a preview of the Worlds as we’re going to get: 2017 World Champion Yulimar Rojas (VEN: 15.06 m/49-5), 2016 Olympic Champion Caterine Ibarguen (COL: 14.89 m/48-10 1/4), Liadagmis Povea (CUB: 14.77 m/48-5 1/2), Shanieka Ricketts (JAM: 14.76 m/48-5 1/4) and American Keturah Orji (14.66 m/48-1 1/4). Orji made her European debut in Oslo (NOR) for the Bislett Games and was a very good second at 14.53 m (47-8). Let’s see if her second trip is even better.

There is also a special women’s mile, renamed “Brave Like Gabe” to honor the late American distance star Gabe Grunewald, whose fight against cancer has been an inspiration. Dutch star Sifan Hassan leads the field, in which five women have run under four minutes this season in the 1,500 m.

The final event of the evening is the men’s 3,000 m Steeplechase, where Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali will be matched against Ethiopian record holder and world leader Getnet Wale (8:06.01), Kenyans Leonard Bett (8:08.61), Benjamin Kigen (8:06.13) and American Hillary Bor (8:08.41).

NBC’s Olympic Channel has coverage from Monaco beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Friday. Look for results here.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S. on Tuesday, a low-key Sunset Tour meet at Azusa Pacific University hosted a series of tremendous marks for American stars:

● Men/800 m: NCAA champ Bryce Hoppel proved his NCAA win was no fluke with a 1:44.48-1:44.68 win over Craig Engels (a PR for Engels).

● Men/1,500 m: Nine men run under 3:40, won by Ben Blankenship in 3:36.22. Worth noting: Donavan Brazier’s lifetime best of 3:37.18 in third.

● Women/800 m: A season’s best of 1:59.58 for Kate Grace was enough to win against a lifetime best of 1:5992 for Shelby Houlihan!

● Women/1,500 m: Nikki Hiltz won the “A” race in 4:05.97, but U.S. Steeple record holder Courtney Frerichs won the second race in a lifetime best of 4:11.05.

● Women/5,000 m: A lifetime best in a win for Karissa Schweizer by 15:01.63 (prior 15:02.44), the fastest by an American in 2019.

The complete results are here.

TABLE TENNIS Preview: Xu and Liu go for repeat titles in Australian Open in Geelong

By
Rich Perelman
-
China's Olympic champ Long Ma (Photo: ITTF)

The fourth of six ITTF World Tour Platinum events on tour this season has started at the Geelong Arena in Australia, with most of the top players in the world entered in the Australian Open.

The tournament has attracted 15 of the top 16 in the ITTF men’s World Rankings and the top 13 players in the women’s rankings. The top seeds, with ITTF World Rankings for the Singles divisions:

● Men/Singles:
1. Zhendong Fan (CHN: 1)
2. Gaoyuan Liu (CHN: 2)
3. Xin Xu (CHN: 3) ~ Defending Champion

● Men/Doubles:
1. Youngsik Jeong/Sangsu Lee (KOR) ~ Defending Champions
2. Kwan Kit Ho/Chun Ting Wong (HKG)
3. Woojin Jang/Joon-Hoon Lim (KOR)

● Women/Singles:
1. Meng Chen (CHN: 1)
2. Shiwen Liu (CHN: 2) ~ Defending Champion
3. Ning Ding (CHN: 3) ~ 2018 runner-up

● Women/Doubles:
1. Meng Chen/Manyu Wang (CHN)
2. Jihee Jeon/Haeun Yang (KOR)
3. Barbora Balasova (SVK)/Hana Matelova (CZE)

● Mixed Doubles:
1. Xun Xu/Shiwen Liu (CHN)
2. Chun Ting Wong/Hoi Kem Doo (HKG)
3. Yun-Ju Lin/I-Ching Cheng (KOR)

Both of the 2016 Olympic champs – Long Ma (CHN) and Ding (CHN) are entered, as are the current World Champions – Ma and Shiwen Liu (CHN). Xu is on a nice winning streak, having won the Japan and Korean Opens in June and last week in Busan (KOR).

Look for results here.

SPORT CLIMBING Preview: Garnbret tries for second Lead win; Jaubert and Song fight for Speed title in Chamonix

By
Rich Perelman
-

The site of the first Olympic Winter Games – Chamonix, France – is the site for this week’s edition of the IFSC World Cup, with the seasonal battle in Speed on the line.

The headliner, however, might be Slovenian star Janja Garnbret, who opened the Lead season last week in Villars (SUI) with another win, to go along with her perfect season in Bouldering. She and first-time World Cup winner Sascha Lehmann (SUI) are first-week leaders:

● Men/Lead:
1. 100 Sascha Lehmann (SUI)
2. 80 YuFei Pan (CHN)
3. 65 Alexander Megos (GER)

● Women/Lead:
1. 100 Janja Garnbret (SLO)
2. 80 Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR)
3. 65 Ai Mori (JPN)

The Speed season is almost at an end, with just one more competition coming after Chamonix. The races are tight:

● Men/Speed:
1. 257 Bassa Mawem (FRA)
2. 240 Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS)
3. 206 Vladislav Deulin (RUS)
4. 189 Reza Alipour (IRI)
5. 153 Alfian Muhammad (INA)

● Women/Speed:
1. 300 tie, Anouck Jaubert (FRA)
1. 300 and YiLing Song (CHN)
3. 197 Anna Tsyganova (RUS)
4. 192 Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA)
5. 181 Elizaveta Ivanova (RUS)

In the men’s division, Mawem and Timofeev went 1-3 in the World Cup in 2018 and Deulin and Alipour were 1-2 in 2017, to the top four have lots of experience, and anyone could win.

The women’s race has two-time defending champ Jaubert facing the revelation of the 2019 season, the 18-year-old wunderkind Song, who won the first two events and set the world record of 7.10 in the process. Jaubert, 25, has finished 2-4-3-1 in the four events this season, while Song has gone 1-1-16-2 to be tied thus far. This is too close to call.

The Speed finals will be held on Friday and the Lead event on Saturday (13th). Look for results here.

ARCHERY Preview: More than a dozen Olympic and World medalists at Tokyo test event

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champion Brady Ellison of the U.S.

The World Archery World Cup in Berlin ended last Sunday, but a lot of the top shooters in the world didn’t go home; they headed for Japan.

The archery test event for 2020 – Ready, Steady Tokyo – is underway at the Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo, with the Ranking Round on the 12th (Friday) and competition ending with the women’s and men’s finals on 17-18 July.

The event has attracted an all-star field, with more than a dozen medal-winners from either the Olympic Games or World Championships, or both:

Men:
● Woojin Kim (KOR) ~ 2015 World Champion
● Rick van der Ven (NED) ~ 2015 World Champs silver medalist
● Takaharu Fukuhara (JPN) ~ 2015 World Champs bronze medalist
● Steve Wijler (NED) ~ 2017 World Champs bronze medalist
● Jean-Charles Valladont (FRA) ~ 2016 Olympic silver medalist
● Brady Ellison (USA) ~ 2019 World Champion; 2016 Olympic bronze
● Khairul Anuar Mohamed (MAS) ~ 2019 Worlds silver medalist
● Ruman Shana (BAN) ~ 2019 Worlds bronze medalist

Women:
● Ksenia Perova (RUS) ~ 2017 World champion
● Hye-Jin Chang (KOR) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2017 Worlds silver
● Lisa Unruh (GER) ~ 2016 Olympic silver
● Ya-Ting Tan (TPE) ~ 2018 Worlds bronze medalist
● Chien-Ying Lei (TPE) ~ 2019 World Champion

In addition, the Berlin World Cup winners – Mete Gazoz (TUR) and San An (KOR) – are on hand, as is 15-year-old Casey Kaufhold of the U.S., who won an Indoor World Cup stage early in the year.

This is a Recurve tournament only – no Compound competition – and no teams. But it is a first look at what the archers will be looking at a year from now … and that makes it important. Look for results here.

ATHLETICS Panorama: World-leading high jump for Ivanyuk; Coleman 19.91, Taylor 58-10w in Hungary!

By
Rich Perelman
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Olympic and World Triple Jump champ Christian Taylor of the U.S. (Photo: Mohan via Wikipedia)

With the IAAF World Championships so late in the season, the European season has been especially busy with competitions, and excellent results. At the annual Istvan Gyulai Memorial – named for the former IAAF Secretary-General – in Szekesfehervar (HUN), there were multiple marks of note:

● Russia’s Ilya Ivanyuk won the men’s high jump with a lifetime best and outdoor world-leading mark of 2.33 m (7-7 3/4)..

● American Clarence Coleman won the 200 m in a dominating 19.91 (+0.6), way ahead of reigning World Champion Ramil Guliyev (TUR: 20.23) and Aaron Brown of Canada (20.24).

● Steven Gardiner (BAH) won the 400 m in a strong 44.45, easily defeating Tyrell Richard (45.59) and Vernon Norwood of the U.S. (45.62).

● Grant Holloway opened his professional career with a win in the 110 m hurdles in 13.16 (+0.8), beating Gabriel Constantino (BRA: 13.18).

● Olympic and World Champion Christian Taylor of the U.S. showed that he is going to be hard to dislodge in Doha. In a revealing preview of the Worlds, Taylor soared to 17.93m (58-10w) and had a back-up jump of 17.68 m (58-0 1/4) to take the triple jump ahead of Will Claye (17.66 m/57-11 1/4) and Portugal’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo (17.29 m/56-8 3/4). Wow!

● Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) won the 200 m in 22.18, equal-5th on the 2019 world list, beating Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV: 22.76) in the process.

● Keni Harrison won what was essentially a preview of the USATF Champs in the 100 m hurdles, running 12.60 (+0.8), ahead of Nia Ali (12.63), Sharika Nelvis (12.66), Christina Clemons (12.73) and Queen Claye (formerly Queen Harrison, 12.81).

The next Diamond League meet is in Monaco on Friday; preview coming soon!

In doping news, the Athletics Integrity Unit filed a provisional suspension against Kenyan marathoner Joyce Chepkirui (2:24:11 in 2015), the winner of the 2015 Amsterdam and Honolulu Marathons and third and fourth at Boston and New York in 2016.

She’s 30 and was suspended for “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection.” She hasn’t run competitively since last December.

The IAAF approved the applications of 37 athletes to compete internationally, all but two are for the European U-20 Championships and the European Youth Festival. Thus far for 2019, the IAAF’s panel has received 314 applications, approved 117 and rejected 40; the other 157 are in process.

Another amazing performance from 44-year-old Bernard Lagat, who completed his second career marathon at Gold Coast (AUS), finishing seventh in 2:12:10 on 7 July. That now only lowered his lifetime best by 5:10 from his debut marathon in 2018 (New York), but is a U.S. age-40+ record as well.

He’s closing in on the Olympic Marathon qualifying standard of 2:11:30; it will be interesting to see if he tries for that in a fall marathon on a super-flat course such as Berlin!

Niger’s Amina Seyni shocked a lot of observers with her national record of 49.19 in the Lausanne Diamond League meet, battling Salwa Eid Naser (BRN: 49.17) right to the tape.

And there could be a lot more coming from Seyni. Athletics International reported a comment from statistician P.J. Vazel that Seyni’s last 100 m in Lausanne was covered in 12.6, “the fastest ever recorded for that segment.”

What happens when the 22-year-old learns to run the first 300 m with better pace? After the race, she said, “the tight duel with Naser has helped me a lot to push my limits till the very end of the race. With this improvement, it is clear that my objective in Doha is to get in the final and even on the podium.”

CYCLING: Five stages, five different winners in Tour de France; van Vleuten crushing Giro Rosa field with two huge wins

By
Rich Perelman
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France's Julien Alaphilippe, now the leader of the Tour de France

We’re only in the early stages of the Tour de France, with the opening routes mostly tailored for the sprinters ahead of Friday’s first mountain stage. And the honors are being spread around, with four different winners in the four individual stages: Mike Teunissen (NED), France’s Julien Alaphilippe, Italian Elia Viviani and Slovakia’s Peter Sagan.

The overall leader is Alaphilippe, who took the lead with a breakaway win in the third stage, winning by 26 seconds over Michael Matthews (AUS) and the rest of the chase pack. He’s the first Frenchman to lead Le Tour since Tony Gallopin in 2014. After Wednesday’s stage, he now leads by 14 seconds:

1. 18:44:12 Julien Alaphilippe (FRA)
2. +0:14 Wout van Aert (BEL)
3. +0:25 Stephen Kruijswijk (NED)
4. +0:25 George Bennett (NZL)
5. +0:40 Michael Matthews (AUS)

Two of the top contenders, defending champ Geraint Thomas (GBR) and Colombia’s Egan Bernal, are both 40 seconds back. Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali is 1:01 behind already.

Thursday’s sixth stage is a misery-inducing 160.5 km race starting at 251 m in Mulhouse with six significant climbs that top out at 1,327 m, 1,171 m, 917 m and run up to a mountain finish at 1,139 m at La Planche des Belles Filles. This will be the first real look at who the climbers are and what they are prepared to do in 2019.

In the women’s Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten has blown up the race with two brilliant stage wins, especially in the final climb in stage five to Lago di Cancano.

With Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma leading the race through four stages, van Vleuten had a plan and attacked at the start of the final climb, about 10 km from the finish. This is the stage that was re-routed because the Passo Gavia – an even higher finish – was snowed in and impassable. But van Vleuten stormed last Canada’s Leah Kirchmann and rode away with no one able to stay close.

“I know the roads here very well,” said Van Vleuten. “I knew I had to attack from the bottom to gain as much time as possible, but it was 10 km of epic suffering.

“The Giro is a very big goal for me this year. It was a bit of a waiting game until now and I’m very happy that I could finally use my legs and attack.”

Trailing by 47 seconds going into the stage, van Vleuten won it by a staggering 2:57 and had a lead of 2:16 over Niewiadoma heading into Wednesday’s time trial … in which she is the reigning World Champion.

She won the stage, of course, by a healthy 52 seconds over fellow Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen and now has a commanding 4:17 over Niewiadoma and van der Breggen with four stages left.

Van Vleuten would have to fall off her bike to lose, but it’s happened before. Summaries so far:

UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.

Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.

Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.

Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.

Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.

11 July: Stage 6 (160.5 km): Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles (mountains)
12 July: Stage 7 (230.0 km): Belfort to Chalon-sur-Saône (flat)
13 July: Stage 8 (200.0 km): Macon to Saint-Etienne (hilly)
14 July: Stage 9 (170.5 km): Saint-Etienne to Brioude (hilly)
15 July: Stage 10 (217.5 km): Saint-Flour to Albi (hilly)
16 July: Rest day
17 July: Stage 11 (167.0 km): Albi to Toulouse (flat)
18 July: Stage 12 (209.5 km): Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre (high mountains)
19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)

UCI Women’s World Tour/Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile
Italy ~ 5-14 July 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (18.0 km: Team Time Trial): 1. Canyon-SRAM Racing (GER: Niewiadoma, Barnes, Ryan, Shapira, Cromwell, Amialiusik), 31:41; 2. Bigla Pro Cycling (DEN), 32:05; 3. CCC-Liv (NED), 32:26; 4. Mitchelton-Scott (AUS), 32:34; 5. Boels-Dolmans (NED), 32:45.

Stage 2 (78.3 km): 1. Marianne Vos (NED), 2:15:56; 2. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 2:15:56; 3. Lucinda Brand (NED), 2:15:16; 4. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 2:15:56; 5. Soraya Paladin (ITA), 2:15:56. Also in the top 25: 14. Ruth Winder (USA), 2:15:56; … 20. Katie Hall (USA), 2:16:08; 21. Tayler Wiles (USA), 2:16:08.

Stage 3 (104.1 km): Vos (NED), 2:49:11; 2. Lucy Kennedy (AUS), 2:49:11; 3. Cecile Upprup Ludwig (DEN), 2:49:11; 4. Van Vleuten (NED), 2:49:11; 5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA), 2:49:11. Also in the top 25: 13. Hall (USA), 2:49:11; … 21. Winder (USA), 2:49:20; … 25. Leah Thomas (USA), 2:49:40.

Stage 4 (100.1 km): 1. Letrizia Borghesi (ITA), 2:29:50; 2. Nadia Quagliotto (ITA), 2:29:50; 3. Chiara Perini (ITA), 2:29:50; 4. Vos (NED), 2:30:32; 5. Leah Kirchmann (CAN), 2:30:32. Also in the top 25: 20. Alexis Ryan (USA), 2:30:42; 21. Winder (USA), 2:30:42; … 24. Thomas (USA), 2:30:42.

Stage 5 (87.5 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:09:47; 2. Brand (NED), 3:12:44; 3. Kasia Niewiadoma (POL), 3:12:44; 4. Paladin (ITA), 3:12:44; 5. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 3:12:44.

Stage 6 (12.1 km Time Trial): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 24:32; 2. Van der Breggen (NED), 25:24; 3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), 26:20; 4. Brand (NED), 26:21; 5. Juliette Labous (FRA), 26:26. Also in the top 25: 7. Hall (USA), 26:35; … 9. Wiles (USA), 26:53; … 11. Winder (USA), 27:01; … 15. Thomas (USA), 27:14.

11 July: Stage 7 (12.3 km): Cornedo Vicentino to San Giorgio di Perlena (hilly)
12 July: Stage 8 (133.3 km): Vittorio Veneto to Maniago (hilly)
13 July: Stage 9 (125.5 km): Gemona to Chiusaforte/Malga Montasio (mountains)
14 July: Stage 10 (120.0 km): San Vito al Tagliamento to Udine (flat)

LANE ONE: U.S. women’s football stars are not only champions, but a lot smarter than their supporters

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. women celebrate their 2019 Women's World Cup title (Photo: FIFA)

The excitement of the U.S. women’s triumph in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will resound for some weeks, along with a series of “Victory Tour” matches to begin next month.

Jill Ellis’s team was the best in the tournament, set records for the most goals in a game (13) and the most in a single World Cup tournament (26) and played matchless defense to preserve leads in its final three games against France, England and the Netherlands.

This was especially impressive since the defense had been the softest area of the squad in the early-season games, but when it counted, the U.S. women were ready, physically and tactically.

So, too off the field.

The class-action suit filed by 28 members of the women’s team on 8 March of this year argued for “equal pay” and some of the U.S. fans at the Women’s World Cup final in Lyon shouted the same thing at the end of the game and during the victory ceremony.

But on 21 June, the players and the U.S. Soccer Federation were reported to have agreed on mediation to see if the dispute can be resolved without going to a trial.

Very smart.

Despite seeing so many of them in various roles on television and other media, the number of lawyers is now just a little more than 1.3 million in the U.S., or about 1 in 252 Americans. Many of those 251 non-lawyers have no idea what mediation is or what it entails.

As a lawyer myself – a proud Loyola of Los Angeles ‘81 grad – I’ve been in multiple mediations and they are completely different than an in-court trial, or an arbitration, which is essentially an out-of-court trial.

Mediations are discussions between the parties, sometimes face-to-face with a mediator as moderator, but most often with the two parties in separate rooms (or buildings!), with the mediator (or mediators) going back and forth with ideas and eventually proposals. This often keeps animosity between the parties at a minimum, and if the mediator is good, an agreement will often be found.

But there is no guarantee of this.

The complaint filed by the players alleges a variety of issues about discrimination on playing surfaces (grass vs. artificial turf) and travel and some other issues and these will not be the sticking point in an agreement. As stated, they appear to be points that can be ironed out.

The core issue is money, and the agreement of the women’s player union to accept a radically different pay scale than the U.S. men’s National Team in 2017. In it, the women agreed to a minimum annual salary as members of the National Team, plus per-game bonuses, where the men only receive payment as a National Team member when actually selected (and dress) for a game.

The women agreed to this, and it is the crux of their problem. In the meantime, they claim that they perform better than the men, make as much or more money and should be at least paid the same.

So, for 2019, an all-conquering year for the U.S. women’s National Team, let’s check out the numbers:

● U.S. Women in 2019:
19 Jan: 22,780 ~ Friendly: at France, 3, U.S. 1
22 Jan: 9,182 ~ Friendly: at Spain 0, U.S. 1
27 Feb: 14,555 ~ SheBelieves Cup: U.S. 2, Japan 2 at Chester, Pennsylvania
02 Mar: 22,125 ~ SheBelieves Cup: U.S. 2, England 2 at Nashville, Tennessee
05 Mar: 14,009 ~ SheBelieves Cup: U.S. 1, Brazil 0 at Tampa, Florida
04 Apr: 17,264 ~ Friendly: U.S. 5, Australia 3 at Commerce City, Colorado
07 Apr: 20.941 ~ Friendly: US. 6, Belgium 0 at Los Angeles, California
12 May: 22,788 ~ Friendly: U.S. 3, South Africa at Santa Clara, California
16 May: 35,761 ~ Friendly: U.S. 5, New Zealand 0 at St. Louis, Missouri
26 May: 26,332 ~ Friendly: U.S. 3, Mexico 0 at Harrison, New Jersey
11 Jun: 18,591 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 13, Thailand 0
16 Jun: 45,594 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 3, Chile 0
20 Jun: 22,418 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 2, Sweden 0
24 Jun: 19.633 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 2, Spain 1
28 Jun: 45,595 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 2, France 1
02 Jul: 53,512 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 2, England 1
07 Jul: 57,900 ~ at World Cup: U.S. 2, Netherlands 0
● Totals: 17 games ~ average attendance of 27,587
● Home: 8 games ~ average attendance of 21,722
● Away: 9 games ~ average attendance of 32,801

● U.S. Men in 2019:
27 Jan: 9,040 ~ Friendly: U.S. 3, Panama 0 at Glendale, Arizona
02 Feb: 13,656 ~ Friendly: U.S. 2, Costa Rica 0 at San Jose, California
21 Mar: 17,422 ~ Friendly: U.S. 1, Ecuador 0 at Orlando, Florida
26 Mar: 18,033 ~ Friendly: U.S. 1, Chile 1 at Houston, Texas
05 Jun: 17,719 ~ Friendly: Jamaica 1, U.S. 0 at Washington, D.C.
09 Jun: 23,955 ~ Friendly: Venezuela 3, U.S. 0 at Cincinnati, Ohio
18 Jun: 19.418 ~ Gold Cup: U.S. 4, Guyana 0 at St. Paul, Minnesota
22 Jun: 23,921 ~ Gold Cup: U.S. 6, Trinidad & Tobago 0 at Cleveland, Ohio
26 Jun: 17,037 ~ Gold Cup: U.S. 1, Panama 0 at Kansas City, Kansas
30 Jun: 26,233 ~ Gold Cup: U.S. 1, Curcao 0 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
03 Jul: 28,473 ~ Gold Cup: U.S. 3, Jamaica 1 at Nashville, Tennessee
07 Jul: 62,493 ~ Gold Cup: Mexico 1, U.S. 0 at Chicago, Illinois
● Totals: 12 games ~ average attendance of 23,117
● Friendlies: 6 games ~ average attendance of 16,638
● Gold Cup: 6 games ~ average attendance of 29,596

(The game-by-game attendance figures came from the official match reports as recorded on the Wikipedia pages for the U.S. men’s and women’s teams.)

So the U.S. women, in a World Cup year and as the world’s best team in 2019, averaged under 22,000 attendance for its eight games played in the U.S. The men, a team trying to recover from its worst year since the 1980s, played all 12 of its games this season in the U.S. and averaged a little over 23,000.

Add in the World Cup matches in France and the women averaged more than 27,500 per game for 2019 so far.

That sounds like they’re about equal, but in fact does not speak well to the women’s earning power in view of how good they are and how bad – historically bad – the men are. And all that trumpeting about how the Women’s World Cup Final outdrew the 2018 World Cup Final on U.S. television conveniently leaves out Spanish-language viewers (on all platforms):

● 2019: 15.87 million = 14.27 million on Fox + 1.60 million on Telemundo
● 2018: 17.96 million = 12.51 million on Fox + 5.45 million on Telemundo

Who’s picking facts now? Do Spanish-language viewers in the U.S. suddenly not count?

And, tellingly, in the women’s complaint, it did not cite actual discrepancies in the pay between men’s and women’s players, but stated only a hypothetical that “if each team played 20 friendlies in a year and each team won all twenty friendlies” the possible payouts would be much different. That’s the possibility of discrimination, not discrimination in fact, which is what would have to be proved.

OK, so the situation is muddled. The women have some good facts on their side, but accepted a different compensation system and now have to argue against their own decision.

That’s the danger. And it’s why the player-plaintiffs – not all of whom made the World Cup team, by the way – showed as much savvy off the field as on it when they decided that mediation would be a good step forward. It’s also true that they lose nothing by mediation, as they can always go back to trying the case if they desire.

The lack of understanding of the process and of the actual facts of the case reached its height on Tuesday, when U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) “introduced a bill that would prevent any federal funds from being used toward the 2026 World Cup in the United States until the U.S. Soccer Federation agrees to provide equitable pay to the men’s and women’s national teams.”

His own statement notes that his bill would preclude any Federal funds from being “provided to host cities; participating local and state organizations; the U.S. Soccer Federation, Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It may come as news to Manchin, but the U.S. government isn’t being asked to provide funds to any of those organizations. The United 2026 bid noted specifically that “The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be staged with no public financing (other than the assumption of certain cost obligations such as national security measures as well as Host City costs as outlined in the hosting documents).”

The government “obligations” referred to concern security, visa controls, work permits, anti-discrimination measures and limited tax exemption for FIFA, most of which will be Federal obligations and do not require Federal spending. Manchin’s silly, nine-line bill proposal wouldn’t cover any of those things.

But that’s not why he issued a news release, is it?

Among the tangle of actual facts, mis-statements, selective use of facts or lack of any actual knowledge, and all the other debris we all live with in these confrontational times, the women suing the U.S. Soccer Federation have opted for the smart way forward, aimed at actually resolving their issues instead of trying to make points in the court of public opinion that may or may not win in a court of law.

Champions on the field, and looking like possible champions off the field, too. Well played.

Rich Perelman
Editor

VOLLEYBALL: U.S. men host FIVB Nations League Final in Chicago, but Brazil is favored

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. Outside Hitter Thomas Jaeschke in action vs. Japan in round-robin play (Photo: FIVB)

The U.S. men’s National Team had a modest 9-6 record in the round-robin portion of the 2019 FIVB men’s Nations League, finishing in sixth place. That was the last spot which qualified to advance to the Nations League Finals, but the American squad wasn’t worried.

They were in the final round from the start, as the host of the six-team playoffs at the 6,115-seat Credit Union 1 Arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The competition begins on Wednesday, with play in two pools of three. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semifinals:

● Pool A: United States (9-6), Russia (12-3), France (11-4)

● Pool B: Brazil (14-1), Iran (12-3), Poland (11-4).

Pool matches will be played on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The Brazilians are 5-0 against the rest of this field, having lost only to Serbia during the round-robin. What about the U.S.? The Americans beat France, but lost to Russia during the round-robin, and lost to Brazil and Poland from Pool B, but did defeat Iran.

Outside Hitter Thomas Jaeschke of the U.S., who has recovered from a leg injury suffered early in the season, is from Chicago and said, “It’ll be interesting because I don’t remember if we have ever hosted the finals of a big volleyball tournament, besides the Olympics. It’ll be really, really fun.

“It will be interesting to see the crowd, because Poland qualified and Chicago has one of the biggest Polish populations in the world, after Warsaw. Iran also travels really well and there are a lot of Iranians in Chicago I believe. It will be interesting to see how we feel, because when we play against Poland around Chicago it feels like an away match, with 10 thousand Polish people cheering and singing the Polish national anthem. So we’re like, ‘we’re in Chicago, right?’”

The house should be full, as the U.S. played before an average of nearly 5,000 fans earlier this season in nearby Hoffman Estates, Illinois (Sears Center Arena) for its round-robin games vs. Canada, Japan and China.

All four teams that made it to the 2018 Nations League semis are back: Russia (winners), France (second), the U.S. (third) and Brazil (fourth). Three of the four teams from the 2018 FIVB men’s World Championship are back for the Nations League final: Poland (gold), Brazil (silver) and the U.S. (Bronze).

The semis will be on Saturday (13th) and the medal matches on the 14th (Sunday). Look for live scoring and results here.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL Preview: New World Champions immediately challenged at Gstaad 5-star Major

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) after winning the 2018 Gstaad Major (Photo: FIVB)

An exciting two weeks of the FIVB World Beach Volleyball Championships ended on Sunday.

On Tuesday, the qualifying rounds of the FIVB World Tour 5-star Major in Gstaad (SUI) began. Such is the life of a pro beach player.

This is one of the high-paying events in beach volleyball – there are only two in 2019 – with $600,000 in prize money and $40,000-32,000-20,000-16,000 for the top four placers (per team). The top seeds and their results at the Worlds:

● Men:
1. Anders Mol/Christian Sorum (NOR) ~ 2019 World Championships bronze medalists
2. Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Oleg Stoyanovskiy (RUS) ~ 2019 World Champions
3. Konstantin Semenov/Ilya Leshukov (RUS) ~ 2019 World Champs Round of 16
4. Nick Lucena/Phil Dalhausser (USA) ~ 2019 World Champs quarterfinalists
5. Grzegorz Fijalek/Michal Bryl (POL) ~ 2019 World Champs Round of 16

● Women:
1. Nina Betschart/Tanja Huberli (SUI) ~ 2019 World Champs fourth place
2. Sarah Pavan/Melissa Humana-Paredes (CAN) ~ 2019 World Champions
3. Alix Klineman/April Ross (USA) ~ 2019 World Championships silver medalists
4. Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slulova (CZE) ~ Injured; dnc at World Champs
5. Ana Patricia Ramos/Rebecca Cavalcanti (BRA) ~ 2019 World Champs Round of 16

In the men’s draw, Worlds silver medalists Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler (GER) are not entered; fourth-placers Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb of the U.S. are seeded ninth. The women’s World Championships bronze medalists – Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar (AUS) – are also not competing.

Norway’s Mol and Sorum are the defending champs in Gstaad, winning over Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira of Spain in last year’s final. Worlds winners Pavan and Humana-Paredes won in Gstaad in 2018, beating German duo Chantal Laboureur and Julia Sude.

The men’s final will be on Saturday (13th) and the women’s on Sunday (14th). Look for results here.

BADMINTON Preview: BWF World Tour comes to Fullerton with Yonex U.S. Open

By
Rich Perelman
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The BWF World Tour’s annual stop in the United States is a Super 300 level tournament, this year at Titan Gymnasium at Cal State Fullerton. As a 300-level event, the top players are not involved, but the fields are of good quality. The top seeds:

● Men/Singles:
1. Dong Keun Lee (KOR)
2. H.S. Prannoy (IND)
3. Mark Caljouw (NED)

● Men/Doubles:
1. Min Chun Liao/Ching Heng Su (TPE)
2. Yang Lee/Chi-Lin Wang (TPE)
3. Ching Yao Lu/Po Han Yang (TPE)

● Women/Singles:
1. Michelle Li (CAN)
2. Saena Kawakami (JPN)
3. Ga Eun Kim (KOR)

● Women/Doubles:
1. Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida (JPN)
2. Emilie Lefel/Anne Tran (FRA)
3. Rachel Honderich/Kristen Tsai (CAN)

● Mixed Doubles:
1. Mark Lamsfuss/Isabel Herttrich (GER)
2. Marvin Seidel/Linda Efler (GER)
3. Ben Lane/Jessica Pugh (ENG)

The top two seeds in the men’s Singles – Dong-Keun Lee (KOR) and H.S. Prannoy (IND) – are the last two winners of the event, with Lee the defending champion.

No U.S. players received a seed; in fact, the last American winner in this tournament was Beiwen Zhang in the women’s Singles in 2014.

Prize money totals $150,000, with $11,250-5,700-2,175 to the top three placers (2x$2,175 for both third-place teams) in Singles and $11,800-5,700-2,100 for the Doubles. Look for results here.

SPORT CLIMBING: Garnbret wins in Lead opener in Villars; who is men’s winner Sascha Lehmann?

By
Rich Perelman
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Slovenian climbing star Janja Garnbret (Photo: The Circuit/Climbing.com)

The first Sport Climbing World Cup for the Lead event came last weekend in Villars (SUI) and even though Slovenian star Janja Garnbret swept her way to a perfect season – and a World Cup title in Bouldering – she will give away nothing in Lead.

Garnbret, still just 20, zipped through the Villars events impressively, being the leading qualifier, the only one to reach the top in the semis and then reaching the 36+ mark in the final to outlast Chae-Hyun Seo of South Korea – age 15! – who won her first World Cup medal in her first World Cup event!

Because the Olympic competition in Tokyo in 2020 will be a combined event, Garnbret and many of the other Lead athletes also competed in the Speed event. Garnbret placed a respectable 27th in the qualifying, but did not make to the semis. The reigning World Cup champ, France’s Anouck Jaubert, won in the final against new star YiLing Song (CHN: age 18), 7.660-8.415.

The winner of the men’s Lead event was Swiss Sascha Lehmann, who made the home crowd happy by being one of three to reach the Top of the wall and then won by having had a better semifinal score than the other two who also got to the top: China’s YuFei Pan and Alexander Megos of Germany.

This is also Lehmann’s rookie year on the IFSC World Cup tour; he finished fourth in Bouldering at Chongqing in April and with the combined event on the Tokyo program, he’s worth watching. Pan, 21, won his second career World Cup Lead medal and first silver; he won a bronze two years ago.

Russia’s Aleksander Shikov loves Villars: he won his second straight World Cup Speed title in the final as countryman Dmitrii Timofeev fell. Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Villars (SUI) ~ 6-7 July 2019
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Sascha Lehmann (SUI), Top; 2. YuFei Pan (CHN), Top; 3. Alexander Megos (GER), Top; 4. Domon Skofic (SLO), 39+; 5. Meichi Narasaki (JPN), 39+.

Men/Speed: Final: 1. Aleksandr Shikov (RUS), 5.542; 2. Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS), fell. Third: 3. Jan Kriz (CZE), 7.765; 4. Bassa Mawem (FRA), fell.

Women/Lead: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 36+; 2. Chae-Hyun Seo (KOR), 35+; 3. Ai Mori (JPN), 35+; 4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 35+; 5. Mia Krampl (SLO), 35+.

Women/Speed: Final: 1. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 7.660; 2. YiLing Song (CHN), 8.415. Third: Elizaveta Ivanova (RUS), 7.586; 4. Di Niu (CHN), 10.657.

SAILING: Thunder from Down Under as Aussies and Kiwi sweep Laser Standard World Championships

By
Rich Perelman
-
Australia's Rio Olympic Laser Standard Champion Tom Burton

It makes sense that both Australia and New Zealand would have outstanding sailors and they dominated the 2019 Laser Standard World Championship off Sakaiminiati City (JPN), taking not just the medals, but the top four places!

Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Tom Burton won a tight battle with countryman Matthew Wearn and Kiwis George Gautrey and Rio bronze winner Sam Meech, with net point totals of 59-63-69-72.

In the 12-race format where the two worst finishes are dropped, Burton was brilliant from the start, placing in the top eight seven times in the first nine races, including seven finishes in the top five! So, without even winning a race, he had a healthy 18-point lead heading into the final racing days, and won with conservative finishes of 13th, 14th and 51st (dropped) in his final three races.

Wearn had five top-three finishes, including three wins, but was sunk by not-so-good placings of 13-18-19-30 in his four worst races. He, Gautrey and Meech were close going into the final race, but their placings of 5-9-12 confirmed their 2-3-4 finishing order.

Wearn and Meech each had three wins to lead the field, with Britain’s Eliot Hansen winning twice.

The win for Burton was his first world title in this class, to go along with his Olympic title in 2016. He now owns a complete set of Worlds medals, after his silvers in 2014 and 2017 and a bronze back in 2015. Wearn won his second consecutive Laser Worlds silver. Summaries:

World Sailing Laser Standard World Championship
Sakaiminiati (JPN) ~ 2-9 May 2019
(Full results here)

Final Standings: 1. Tom Burton (AUS), 59 net points; 2. Matthew Wearn (AUS), 63; 3. George Gautrey (NZL), 69; 4. Sam Meech (NZL), 72; 5. Nick Thompson (GBR), 73; 6. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA), 78; 7. Elliot Hansen (GBR), 92; 8. Lorenzo Chiavarini (GBR), 92. Also in the top 25: 11. Charlie Buckingham (USA), 105.

STAT PACK: Results for the week of 1-7 July 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

The Stat Pack: a summary of results of international Grand Prix, World Cup and World Championships events, plus U.S. domestic events and Pan American championships events of note.

In this week’s issue are reports on 20 events in 15 sports:

● Archery: Hyundai World Cup 4 in Berlin
● Athletics: IAAF Diamond League 8: Athletissima in Lausanne
● Athletics: IAAF Combined Events Challenge: Euro Cup in Ribeira Brava
● Athletics: NACAC U-18/U-23 Championships in Queretaro
● Badminton: USA Badminton National Junior Championships in Frisco
● Basketball: FIBA Men’s U-19 World Cup in Heraklion
● Beach Volleyball: FIVB World Championships in Hamburg
● Cycling: Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill-XCO-XCC in Vallnord
● Cycling: USA Cycling Elite Track Championships in Carson
● Fencing: Pan American Championships in Toronto
● Fencing: USA Fencing National Championships in Columbus
● Football: FIFA Women’s World Cup in France
● Football: CONCACAF men’s Gold Cup in Costa Rica-Jamaica-USA
● Gymnastics: USA Gymnastics National Championships in Des Moines
● Judo: IJF World Tour: Montreal Grand Prix in Montreal
● Sport Climb: IFSC World Cup (Lead/Speed) in Villars
● Table Tennis: ITTF World Tour: Korea Open in Busan
● Taekwondo: USA Taekwondo National Championships in Minneapolis
● Triathlon: ITU World Series 6 in Hamburg
● Volleyball: FIVB Women’s Nations League Final in Nanjing

plus our calendar of upcoming events through 11 August. Click below for the PDF:

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SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Monday, 8 July 2019

By
Rich Perelman
-

Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened over the last 72 hours in Olympic sport:

LANE ONE

Monday: The United States Olympic Committee (now U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) posted its tax return for 2018, with a lot of interesting information. The headlines were about ex-CEO Scott Blackmun’s severance, but the USOC was telling the Federal government that it spent 81.2% of its expenses on athlete-related programs. Most of the money goes to the National Governing Bodies and another $33.2 on direct assistance of varying kinds directly to athletes. Oh yes, the USOC/USOPC makes good money in Olympic years and loses quite a bit in non-Olympic years. And a lot more details to share …

HEARD AT HALFTIME

Friday: Accused of accepting bribes from ex-IAAF President Lamine Diack to vote for Rio de Janeiro in 2009, IOC member Sergey Bubka (UKR) and ex-IOC member Alexander Popov (RUS) heatedly deny former Rio State Governor Sergio Cabral’s testimony of last week. Plus, FIFA steps up with hundreds of millions more to support women’s football, and now the Mayor of Milan – just awarded the 2026 Winter Games – is convicted of pre-dating some documents when he was the head of the Milan World Exhibition.

ARCHERY

Sunday: Young stars were all the rage in Berlin, as Turkey’s Mete Gazoz – age 20 – repeated his 2018 victory at the World Archery World Cup in Berlin (GER), and Korea’s 18-year-old San An won the women’s Recurve division in her first World Cup! American teen Alexis Ruiz won the women’s Compound Division, her second World Cup win this season.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Sunday:The FIVB World Championships crowned new champs, with Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes edging the American pair of Alix Klineman and April Ross, and Russia’s Oleg Stoyanovsky and Viacheslav Krasilnikov beating home favorites Julius Thole and Clemens Wickler (GER) in front of a big crowd in Hamburg (GER).

CYCLING

Sunday: Four more national titles for U.S. track cycling star Jennifer Valente at the USA Cycling National Track Championships in Carson, California! She now has 20 for her career (and she’s still just 24). But there were three other stars who won their third straight national titles in their specialties!

FENCING

Saturday: The U.S. won five of six gold medals available in the individual events at the Pan American Championships in Toronto (CAN). The Pan Ams finished with the team events, and the U.S. picked up five golds there too, meaning five American fencers won two golds!

FOOTBALL

Sunday: Even though the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was dominated by Europe, no one could beat the U.S. women’s National Team, which managed a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final before 57,900 in Lyon (FRA). It’s the second straight win for the American women and their fourth in history, the most for any nation.

Sunday: The U.S. men’s National Team showed that it is improving, but fell short by 1-0 against Mexico at Soldier Field in Chicago in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Perhaps most amazing was that despite being in Chicago, the crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Mexico!

GYMNASTICS

Saturday: More national titles for America’s top Rhythmic gymnast, Laura Zeng, who won four more titles at the USA Gymnastics National Championships. Although just 19, she has now won five straight All-Around titles and owns 17 national titles!

JUDO

Sunday: All hail the return of France’s 10-time World Champion Teddy Riner, who returned from almost a year-and-a-half off to win the super-heavy division of the Montreal Grand Prix and extend his sensational winning streak to 148 matches! Oh yes, and Japan won seven golds and dominated the rest of the program.

TABLE TENNIS

Sunday: Olympic Champions were in the finals of the men’s and women’s Singles at the Korea Open … but neither won. Instead, these all-China finals pitted the 2016 gold medalists Long Ma and Ning Ding against the no. 1-ranked paddlers of today, and Xin Xu and Meng Chen triumphed and confirmed their status. China won four golds and a Hong Kong duo won the Mixed Doubles.

TAEKWONDO

Saturday: The USA Taekwondo Championships was another step forward for 16-year-old Anastasija Zolotic, who won a World Junior title in 2018, and now won another national titleat the USA Taekwondo Championships. And she wasn’t the only repeat champion!

TRIATHLON

Sunday: Britain’s Non Stanford was the upset winner of the Hamburg Tri for the women after American star Katie Zaferes was slowed by a major bike crash early in the race. Australia’s Jacob Birtwhistle won the men’s race at the tape and the French won their second consecutive World Championship in the Mixed Relay.

VOLLEYBALL

Sunday: The U.S. women won their second consecutive FIVB Nations League final, coming back from 0-2 to defeat Brazil, in Nanjing (CHN). Not just impressive, but it stamps the U.S. as a medal favorite for Tokyo!

UPCOMING

Highlights of the coming week, with previews in the coming days on TheSportsExaminer.com:

● Aquatics: The FINA World Championships finally begin in Korea!

● Athletics: What will Noah Lyles do in this 100 m race vs. Justin Gatlin in Monaco?

● Cycling: Climax of the season, with the men’s Tour de France and women’s Giro Rosa on!

And many more international events coming up this week!

LANE ONE: U.S. Olympic Committee tax return shows $323 million in 2018 revenue, and a lot of other things more interesting that Scott Blackmun’s severance

By
Rich Perelman
-

As a charitable organization under Internal Revenue Service rules, the United States Olympic Committee is exempt from Federal taxes, but is required to file a publicly-available tax return known as IRS Form 990.

The USOC – now U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, or USOPC – posted its 2018 return last week, describing its mission as “To support Olympic and Paralympic Athletes.”

How well did they do? Pretty well, but certainly not in record territory. Although revenues and expenses were much, much higher than in 2017, that’s because 2018 was the year of an Olympic (Winter) Games, in which the USOC’s revenue jumps wildly because of the payments its receives as a share of the International Olympic Committee’s television revenues. So, let’s compare the last four years, showing the revenues, expenses and set in Olympic (2016, 2018) and non-Olympic (2015, 2017) years:

Revenues:
● 2018: $322.9 million ~ $121.8 million in broadcast rights revenue (Olympic year)
● 2017: $183.7 million ~ $6.0 million in broadcast rights revenue
● 2016: $336.1 million ~ $173.0 million in broadcast rights revenue (Olympic year)
● 2015: $141.6 million ~ $1.4 million in broadcast rights revenue

Expenses:
● 2018: $275.2 million ~ Winter Olympic year
● 2017: $214.6 million
● 2016: $257.3 million ~ Summer Olympic year
● 2015: $199.3 million

Net:
● 2018: + $47.7 million (surplus: Olympic year)
● 2017: – $30.8 million (deficit)
● 2016: + $78.5 million (surplus: Olympic year)
● 2015: – $57.7 million (deficit)

So, the USOC does well when the IOC’s money comes in and loses money in the years when it doesn’t. So much for the “the USOC has all the money in the world” theory.

However, the organization is hardly broke. The return lists its net assets at the end of 2018 as $265.8 million.

How much goes to athletes and athlete support? Those who whine and claim that a trivial portion of the USOC’s money goes to athletes make a specific argument about a single number for direct athlete grants. But to say that this represents the amount of “athlete support” that the USOC provides is simply false. Page two of the return notes a total of $110 million spent on “High Performance Programs” with a caption stating:

“Nearly half of the USOC’s budget is directed toward programming and services that support and impact elite athlete performance. In addition to grants and rewards, this includes athlete health insurance, sports medicine and science, talent transfer, tech and innovation, coaching education programs and Paralympic outreach and development.”

Half of the budget would be about $135 million, and the return shows $110 million for “High Performance Programs” plus an additional $28.9 million for athlete training facilities.

That’s almost $139 million, and the schedule on page 10 itemizes a long list of total expenses and the amount on “Program Services,” which should be athlete support items. The totals shown are $275.2 million in total expenses and $223.5 million (81.2%) in program expenses, with $46.2 million spent on general and administrative expenses (16.8%) and $5.5 million (2.0%) on fundraising.

Who gets all this money? Well, the National Governing Bodies get a lot of it; in 2018, this amounted to $72.6 million, the largest single item in the program-support area. The winners and non-winners:

● Summer federations receiving $1 million or more (16):
$3,991,080 ~ USA Track & Field
$3,412,807 ~ USA Swimming
$2,222,601 ~ USA Gymnastics
$2,204,524 ~ USA Cycling
$2,044,281 ~ USA Volleyball
$1,842,924 ~ USA Shooting
$1,738,496 ~ USA Wrestling
$1,682,691 ~ U.S. Sailing
$1,681,691 ~ USA Rowing
$1,277,483 ~ U.S. Equestrian Federation
$1,227,700 ~ USA Rugby
$1,222,703 ~ USA Field Hockey
$1,205,983 ~ USA Water Polo
$1,167,204 ~ USA Triathlon
$1,041,789 ~ USA Diving
$1,036,725 ~ USA Basketball

● Winter federations receiving $1 million or more (8):
$6,089,500 ~ U.S. Ski & Snowboard
$2,196,143 ~ USA Bobsled & Skeleton
$2,104,538 ~ U.S. Speedskating
$1,904,573 ~ USA Hockey
$1,389,817 ~ USA Biathlon
$1,251,989 ~ U.S. Figure Skating
$1,135,656 ~ USA Luge
$1,128.431 ~ USA Curling

The 10 least-favored federations (with sports on the Olympic program), where the money is NOT going:

$ 26,737 ~ USA Golf Federation
$ 50,000 ~ USA Roller Sports
$ 81,586 ~ USA Team Handball
$ 90,000 ~ U.S. Tennis Association
$131,140 ~ U.S. Badminton
$156.933 ~ U.S. Synchronized Swimming
$185,443 ~ USA National Karate-Do Federation
$261,410 ~ USA Table Tennis
$278,799 ~ USA Weightlifting
$281,450 ~ USA Surfing

Another $33.2 million was spent on direct-to-athlete payments of $14.3 million (to 1,479 individuals), $7.6 million on athlete health insurance, $4.0 million on additional medal support, $5.3 million for athlete medal bonuses from the PyeongChang Winter Games and $2.0 million on athlete tuition and career assistance.

The USOC paid $5.5 million to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to support its work, $5.2 million to Jet Set Sports for “Games hospitality,” $3.8 million to help operate the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California and $5.3 million to the Ropes & Gray law firm in Philadelphia for its investigative work into the Larry Nassar scandal and affiliated matters.

What’s it all mean?

The USOC is in a good position financially, considering that it has essentially no products of its own to sell and is supported essentially by funds derived from the interest of Americans in the Olympic Games. It will have rough waters to navigate ahead with the Congress and in courts owing to the Nassar scandal and a very inefficient spending structure due to the distribution of funds to National Governing Bodies, which are themselves of varying quality.

The headlines from the release of the USOC’s Form 990 was about $2.4 million in severance paid to former Chief Executive Scott Blackmun, which although extraordinary, made up 8/10ths of one percent of the organization’s expenses for 2018. Better oversight of the NGBs and having some payments made directly by the USOC might be able to save five times that amount and send it to athletes or use it for more coaches, equipment, travel or event entry fees.

That’s where better management and a reformed oversight program for the USOC’s 60 grantees could make more of a difference in the coming months and years. Let’s see if the USOPC’s new management can get there when the 2019 Form 990 is posted a year from now.

Rich Perelman
Editor

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