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LANE ONE: The numbers: Canada, Alberta and Calgary say the 2026 Games are worth C$4.8 billion

By
Rich Perelman
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The best summary of a wild day of rumors and reporting on Tuesday about whether the Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games would continue came from the Canadian Press:

“A Calgary bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games appears virtually dead unless a financial rabbit is pulled out of a hat.”

The facts are that negotiations between the city and the Canadian federal government have been unable – as of the close-of-business on Monday – to bridge a funding gap of about C$440 million in today’s (Canadian) dollars (C$1 = $0.76 U.S.).

Given this and the coming city-wide referendum on the bid scheduled for 13 November, the head of the City Council’s Olympic assessment committee, Evan Woolley, sent a recommendation to the full Council to vote on Wednesday to “rescind the authorization provided to the City Manager on 2018 September 11 to negotiate cost-sharing arrangements to host the 2026 OPWG; and … cancel the vote of the electors scheduled to be held on 2018 November 13.”

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the matter on Wednesday. Woolley said Tuesday, “We do not have acceptable agreements in place with the other orders of government. The clock has run out. I think it’s time we move on.”

It’s possible that a last-second agreement could come through, but more likely that the City Council will kill the bid. So exactly what are the numbers here:

∙ The Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation produced a detailed Draft Hosting Plan Concept in September that projected a total cost of the Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games at C$5.461 billion, including a healthy contingency.

∙ The organizing committee costs were projected at C$2.155 billion for the Winter Games and C$296 million for the Winter Paralympic Games, for a “private-sector” total of C$2.451 billion, to be covered by funding from the International Olympic Committee, sponsorships, ticket sales and related revenues from the Games.

∙ The remainder, including the building of a new community arena, a new fieldhouse and an Olympic Village with 1,200 beds that would yield 240 affordable housing units after the Games, security and other government services, was projected at C$3.010 billion.
The organizing committee projection did not raise too many eyebrows and seems achievable. The governmental situation is where the problems came in, but which tell us a lot about the value of the Games to Canada and Calgary:

∙ Although the Hosting Plan did not specify who was to pay what, it became clear that C$1.5 billion in 2018 dollars was expected from the Canadian federal government. Ottawa indicated it is willing to provide, but only on a matching basis with funds from the Province of Alberta and the City of Calgary. This 50% approach has been a long-standing policy for federal support of events with national impact.

∙ The expectation for the Province of Alberta was for C$1.0 billion. But Alberta, for its part, said it would provide C$700 million and no more, and would take no responsibility for any cost overruns about that figure. That left a hole of C$300 million, potentially to be made up by the City of Calgary.

∙ Based on the projections for the federal and provincial contributions, Calgary itself would be responsible for about C$500 million. If it had to make up for the shortfall from Alberta, the total would rise to C$800 million, and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said that having the city pay more than the province was “not a good deal.”

However, the Calgary Herald reported last Saturday that “An email sent with Nenshi’s letter [to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] from [Alberta] Premier Rachel Notley’s chief of staff, Nathan Rotman, indicated — for the first time — Calgary’s contribution to the $3-billion bid would be $370 million.”

So now we know where the shortfalls are: the three levels of government proposed a total of C$2.570 billion in support against a projected need of C$3.010, with a gap of C$440 million.

That gap will be what kills the Calgary bid, unless someone ponies up on Wednesday. But it shows that the national, provincial and city governments are ready to invest C$2.570 billion (or $1.959 billion U.S.) in the 2026 Olympic Winter and Winter Paralympic Games.

That’s a real number and highly informative. It demonstrates that there are benefits to the 2026 Games on the order of C$2.6 billion in government investment (and C$4.8 billion with the private-sector funds added in). It shows that the Games can be used to drive activity in sectors where it usually takes decades to make decisions, such as the building of affordable housing, a new community arena and a multi-purpose fieldhouse, among other things.

Calgary may exit the 2026 race on Wednesday. But it must be thanked for having a very detailed, public debate that tells the world what value a G-7 country places on an Olympic Winter Games.

Rich Perelman
Editor

SAILING: Fight over new Olympic classes in Sarasota

By
Rich Perelman
-

The World Sailing Annual Conference is underway in Sarasota, Florida (USA), but a major controversy on the classes to be sailed in the Olympic Games has exploded.

The French Sailing Federation is proposing that an off-shore event be added to the Paris Games in 2024, with a three-day, two-night race with mixed crews in a one-design keelboat. Nicolas Henard, President of the French Sailing Federation, claims “enthusiastic support from the International Olympic Committee and the 2024 Olympic Games Organizing Committee.”

But there are other voices labeling the proposal as “long on optimism but short on the reality of running such an event.,” noting cheating during the night and the integrity of the courses in order to finish in the designated television window.

Moreover, the World Sailing Board is apparently also considering changing the already-odd proposal for a mixed-gender event with two single-person boats and combined times to determine the outcome.

A Sail-World.com review of the discussions also noted “The [World Sailing] Board also seems to have forgotten a 20,000 signature petition gathered in just over a week, back in April, after a report was put forward by the Events Committee of World Sailing. The petition called for a stop to the process of wholesale change to the current Olympic class and event line up – largely because of its adverse effect on the sport.” The conference continues through Sunday.

BOXING: Konakbayev placed on the ballot by CAS

By
Rich Perelman
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With the International Boxing Association (AIBA) presidential vote looming on Saturday (3 November), the Court of Arbitration for Sport formally cleared the way for Kazakhstan Boxing Federation chief – and 1980 Olympic silver medalist – Serik Konakbayev to be on the ballot, along with interim AIBA president Gafur Rakhimov (UZB).

Konakbayev had been kept off the ballot by AIBA for technical reasons, but the Court reversed that decision by the AIBA Election Committee.

Saturday’s election is being watched carefully by the International Olympic Committee, which has been considering whether boxing should be included in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and/or whether AIBA should have any role in the management of the sport there in view of boxing, doping, governance and management controversies.

JUDO: Israel competes in Abu Dhabi, leads medal table

By
Rich Perelman
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Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 81 kg winner Sagi Muki of Israel (Photo: IJF)

The headline from most international sports competitions comes from the results. But the story of the IJF Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi (UAE) was the fact that Israel was allowed to compete under its own flag and be honored like all other countries at the victory ceremonies.

Israel and the UAE have no diplomatic relations and the Israelis were not allowed to wear their national uniforms last year. That led the International Judo Federation to cancel this year’s Grand Prix unless that was changed. And it was.

The Israelis made the most of the opportunity, leading the medal table with five total and two wins from Sagi Muki at 81 kg and Peter Paltchik at 100 kg. There were 343 judoka from 61 nations in the event, which was attended by Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev. Summaries:

IJF World Tour/Abu Dhabi Open
Abu Dhabi (UAE) ~ 27-29 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men

-60 kg: 1. Amiran Papinashvili (GEO); 2. Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 3. Gusman Kyrgyzbayev (KAZ) and Sharafuddin Lutfillaev (UZB).

-66 kg: 1. Vazha Margvelashvili (GEO); 2. Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ); 3. Dzmitry Shershan (BLR) and Baruch Shmailov (ISR).

-73 kg: 1. Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO); 2. Akil Gjakova (KOS); 3. Tommy Macias (SWE) and Musa Mogushkov (RUS).

-81 kg: 1. Sagi Muki (ISR); 2. Matthias Casse (BEL); 3. Frank de Wit (NED) and Didar Khamza (KAZ).

-90 kg: 1. Mikhail Igolnikov (RUS); 2. Krisztian Toth (HUN); 3. Aleksandar Kukolj (SRB) and Mammadali Mehdiyev (AZE).

-100 kg: 1. Peter Paltchik (ISR); 2. Elmar Gasimov (AZE); 3. Karl-Richard Frey (GER) and Jevgenijs Borodavko (LAT).

+100 kg: 1. Inal Tasoev (RUS); 2. Lukas Krpalek (CZE); 3. Henk Grol (NED) and Iurii Krakovetskii (KGZ).

Women

-48 kg: 1. Urantsetseg Munkbaht (MGL); 2. Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 3. Paula Pareto (ARG) and Yanan Li (CHN).

-52 kg: 1. Odette Giufridda (ITA); 2. Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 3. Chelsie Giles (GBR) and Gili Cohen (ISR).

-57 kg: 1. Nora Gjakova (KOS); 2. Anastasiia Konkina (POL); 3. Priscilla Gneto (FRA) and Timna Nelson Levy (ISR).

-63 kg: 1. Juul Franssen (NED); 2. Andreja Leski (SLO); 3. Tina Trstenjak (SLO) and Katharina Haecker (AUS).

-70 kg: 1. Marguax Pinot (FRA); 2. Miriam Butkereit (GER); 3. Giovanna Scoccimarro (GER) and Michaela Polleres (AUT).

-78 kg: 1. Guusje Steenhuis (NED); 2. Natalie Powell (GBR); 3. Zhenzhao Ma (CHN) and Beata Pacut (POL).

+78 kg: 1. Maryna Slutskaya (BLR); 2. Anne Fatoumata M Bairo (FRA); 3. Iryna Kindzerska (AZE) and Carolin Weiss (GER).

LUGE: Olympians Mazdzer and Britcher claim U.S. Nationals

By
Rich Perelman
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U.S. national Luge champion Summer Britcher

The season after an Olympic Winter Games is a time for transition and this was illustrated by the USA Luge National Championships in Lake Placid, New York last weekend.

With the retirement of Erin Hamlin and Emily Sweeney recovering from injury at the 2018 Winter Games, two-time Olympian Summer Britcher took her place at the head of the U.S. team and won her second national title.

Britcher swept to victory by winning all four races, finishing ahead of runner-up Brittney Arndt in each, with Raychel Germaine third in three of the four. They finished 1-2-3 and will team with Sweeney (when ready) on the FIL World Cup circuit.

“It felt pretty good,” said Britcher. “I had a few mistakes but it’s the beginning of the season so we’re just getting things cleaned up and figured out and getting ready for World Cup. It’s definitely a great way to start the season. You always want to start on top.”

PyeongChang silver medalist Chris Mazdzer won his eighth men’s national title by taking the first three races, and won with a margin of 0.865 over runner-up Johnny Gustafson (who won the fourth race). Olympian Tucker West finished third, 1.063 seconds behind the winner.

Those three will slide for the U.S. on the World Cup tour that starts in Austria next month. In the meantime, Mazdzer has been especially busy, as he is now teaming with returning PyeongChang Olympian Jayson Terdiman on the U.S. Doubles sled. They slid together as juniors 10 years ago, but with the retirement of Matt Mortensen, Mazdzer has stepped back in.

“The four runs were really good,” said Mazdzer. “I honestly wasn’t expecting to have that consistent runs based on the fact that I was going doubles to singles, but it was doubles that I was having the hardest time with. It’s really nice that singles still feels good and it’s still there.

“On the U.S. team there’s great competition. I think most of the time, a U.S. person wins the World Cup here, so if you can be on top here, that’s a good mark to be at.” Summaries:

USA Luge National Championships
Lake Placid, New York (USA) ~ 26-27 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Chris Mazdzer, 3:27.305 for four runs; 2. Johnny Gustafson, 3:28.170; 3. Tucker West, 3:28.364; 4. Zach Digregorio, 3:30.958; 5. Sean Hollander, 3:31.075; 6. Keaton Jens, 3:32.993; 7. Sam Day, 3:38.292; 8. Ian Smith, 3:38.310.

Women: 1. Summer Britcher, 2:58.408 for four runs; 2. Brittney Arndt, 2:58.966; 3. Raychel Germaine, 2:59.369; 4. Ashley Farquharson, 2:59.762; 5. Grace Weinberg, 3:00.368; 6. Chevonne Forgan, 3:01.844; 7 Sophia Kirkby, 3:02.467; only finalists.

BASEBALL: Mexico edges Japan, 2-1, in men’s U-23 World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
-

A two-run single by centerfielder Fabricio Macias in the top of the 10th inning was the difference as Mexico upset favored Japan, 2-1, to win the WBSC men’s World U-23 Championship at the Estadio Edgar Renteria in Barranquilla, Colombia on Sunday.

It was the first baseball World Championship of any kind for Mexico and came after both sides were shut out over the first nine innings by Hiroki Kondo (8 innings) and Kakeru Narita (9th), and Carlos Morales (8) and Rafael Ordaz (9th).

With the game scoreless, the tie-breaking rules went into place and Mexico had runners placed on first and second to start the 10th. After a sacrifice advanced the runners to second and third, Macias’s single scored pinch-runner Walter Higuera and Orlando Pina for the 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 10th, Ordaz yielded a run and then following a walk, left with two runners on base. Sergio Alvarado came in and walked the bases loaded, but Erick Casillas came in and got the final out. That started a considerable celebration in front of the 6,500 attendees. Venezuela defeated Korea, 5-4, for the bronze medal.

The final standings:
1. Mexico (7-2)
2. Japan (8-1)
3. Venezuela (7-2)
4. Korea (5-4)
5. Chinese Taipei (3-5)
6. Dominican Rep. (3-5)
7. Colombia (5-3)
8. Puerto Rico (4-4)
9. Australia (4-4)
10. Netherlands (2-6)
11. South Africa (1-7)
12. Czech Rep. (1-7)

This was the second World U-23 Champs, with Japan winning in 2016, defeating Australia in the final.

WEIGHTLIFTING Preview: Crucial World Championships start in Ashgabat

By
Rich Perelman
-

Although the International Weightlifting Federation has worked vigorously to change its status as a center of doping, it’s not cleared yet by the International Olympic Committee as a permanent part of future Olympic programs after 2020.

That makes the 2018 IWF World Championships at the Martial Arts Arena in Ashgabat (TKM) another critical step in its path back into the good graces of the IOC … or off the program entirely.

The last two Worlds were held in the U.S., with 585 lifters competing in Houston in 2015, but after nine countries were banned from the 2017 Worlds in Anaheim for doping – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan – the field was reduced to just 315. More than 600 are expected to compete in Ashgabat.

The entries for 2018 show these teams are back from suspensions, some with very limited numbers, but all aware that any doping positives at these Worlds could move the sport out of the Games.

This year’s Worlds format has also changed – as have other sports, like wrestling – with new weight-class definitions. Weightlifting now has 10 classes each for men and women, compared to eight at last year’s Worlds. The top entries according to their “entry total” or projected performance and the 2017 World Champion (and performance):

Men

55 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
279 kg Kim Tuan Thach (VIE) at 56 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
290 kg Yun Chol Om (PRK)
270 kg Gia Than Lai (VIE)
268 kg Young-Ho Kim (KOR)

61 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
300 kg Francisco Mosquera (COL) at 62 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
312 kg Francisco Mosquera (COL)
310 kg Fulin Qin (CHN)
310 kg Kim Tuan Thach (VIE)

67 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
326 kg Jeon-Sik Won (KOR) at 69 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
330 kg Lijun Chen (CHN)
330 kg Doston Yokubov (UKR)
328 kg Mitsunori Konnai (JPN)

73 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
None; new weight class

∙ 2018 top entries:
352 kg Zhiyong Shi (CHN)
348 kg Lyudong Fei (CHN)
345 kg Chong Song Ri (PRK)

81 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
361 kg Mohamed Ihab (EGY) at 77 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
372 kg Dayin Li (CHN)
370 kg Andranik Karapetyan (ARM)
370 kg Xiaojun Lyu (CHN)
370 kg Yeison Lopez Lopez (COL)
370 kg Mohamed Ihab (EGY)
370 kg Denis Ulanov (KAZ)

89 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
378 kg Arley Mendez (CHI)

∙ 2018 top entries:
380 kg Hakob Mkrtchyan (ARM)
370 kg Karen Avagyan (ARM)
367 kg Jhor Moreno (COL)

96 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
417 kg Sohrab Moradi (IRI) at 94 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
410 kg Sohrab Moradi (IRI)
400 kg Tao Tian (CHN)
390 kg Reza Beiralvand (IRI)
390 kg Rustam Sybay (KAZ)
390 kg Fares Elbalh (QAT)

102 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
404 kg Ali Hashemi (IRI) at 105 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
405 kg Ali Hashemi (IRI)
400 kg Ilya Ilyin (KAZ)
400 kg Dmytro Chumak (UKR)

109 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
None; new weight class

∙ 2018 top entries:
440 kg Simon Martirosyan (ARM)
420 kg Ruslan Nurudinov (UZB)
405 kg Zhe Yang (CHN)
405 kg Salwan Abbood (IAQ)
405 kg Arkadiusz Michalski (POL)

+109 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
477 kg Lasha Talakhadze (GEO) at +105 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
460 kg Lasha Talakhadze (GEO)
445 kg Ruslan Albegov (RUS)
440 kg Gor Minasyan (ARM)
440 kg Fernando Saraiva Reis (BRA)
440 kg Mart Seim (EST)
440 kg Irakli Turmanidze (GEO)
440 kg Rustam Djangabaev (UZB)

Women

45 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
None; new weight class

∙ 2018 top entries:
180 kg Chiraphan Nanthawong (THA)
180 kg Thunya Sukcharoen (THA)
160 kg Alessandra Pagliaro (ITA)
160 kg Thi Thu Trang Nguyen (VIE)

49 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
194 kg Mirabal Chanu Salkhom (IND) at 48 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
205 kg Sri Wahyuni Agustiani (INA)
205 kg Song Gum Ri (PRK)
200 kg Zhihui Hou (CHN)
200 kg Huihua Jiang (CHN)

55 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
210 kg Sopita Tanasan (THA)

∙ 2018 top entries:
225 kg Sukanya Srisurat (THA)
223 kg Nouha Landoulsi (TUN)
220 kg Qiuyun Liao (CHN)
220 kg Yajun Li (CHN)
220 kg Wanqiong Zhang (CHN)

59 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
240 kg Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE) at 58 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
235 kg Guiming Chen (CHN)
235 kg Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE)
225 kg Rebeka Koha (LAT)
225 kg Pimsiri Sirikaew (THA)

64 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
237 kg Loredana Toma (ROU) at 63 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
245 kg Wei Deng (CHN)
245 kg Hyo Sim Kim (PRK)
245 kg Un Sim Rim (PRK)

71 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
239 kg Leydi Solis (COL) at 69 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
251 kg Wangli Zhang (CHN)
250 kg Sara Ahmed (EGY)
240 kg Mari Sanchez (COL)
240 kg Nadezhda Likhacheva (KAZ)
240 kg Patricia Strenius (SWE)

76 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
258 kg Lidia Valentin (ESP) at 75 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
260 kg Zhouyu Wang (CHN)
260 kg Jong Sim Rim (PRK)
255 kg Leidy Solis (COL)
255 kg Neisi Dajomes (ECU)

81 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
None; new weight class

∙ 2018 top entries:
224 kg Anna Marie Vanbellinghen (BEL)
220 kg Raushan Meshitkhanova (KAZ)
220 kg Aysoltan Toychyyeva (TKM)

87 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
265 kg Anastasiia Hotfrid (GEO) at 90 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
260 kg Hui Ao (CHN)
260 kg Un Ju Kim (PRK)
250 kg Tatev Hakobyan (ARM)
250 kg Maria Valdes Paris (CHI)

+87 kg:
∙ 2017 Champion:
284 kg Sarah Robles (USA) at +90 kg

∙ 2018 top entries:
320 kg Tatiana Kashirina (RUS)
300 kg Suping Meng (CHN)
295 kg Kuk Hyang Kim (PRK)

The U.S. medalists from 2017 all return: Harrison Maurus in the men’s division (bronze at 77 kg), and women’s medal winners Mattie Rogers (bronze at 69 kg) and Robles, the +90 kg champion.The 2016-17-18 World Junior Champion Clarence Cummings, Jr. is entered at 73 kg.

The IWF Worlds will be streamed live on ESPN3. Look for results here.

TABLE TENNIS Preview: No. 1-ranked Fan and Zhu top Swedish Open

By
Rich Perelman
-

One of the top fields on the ITTF World Tour this season is in the Swedish Open, at the Eriksdalshallen in Stockholm, with both of the no. 1 and 2-ranked players in the singles events. The top seeds:

∙ Men’s Singles:
1. Zhendong Fan (CHN:1)
2. Xin Xu (CHN: 2)

∙ Men’s Doubles:
1. Kwan Kit Ho/Chun Ting Wong (HKG)
2. Long Ma/Xin Xu (CHN)

∙ Women’s Singles:
1. Yuling Zhu (CHN: 1)
2. Shiwen Liu (CHN: 2)

∙ Women’s Doubles:
1. Jihee Jeon/Haeun Yang (KOR)
2. Honoka Hashimoto/Hitomi Sato (JPN)

The men’s Singles field includes the nos. 1-2-3-5-6-8-9 players in the world, also including no. 3 Gaoyuan Lin (CHN), no. 4 Dmitrij Ovtcharov (GER) and no. 5 Long Ma (CHN), the 201216 Olympic champion. The women’s field includes the top 14 players in the world rankings, also including no. 3 Meng Chen (CHN), no. 4 Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN) and no. 5 Manyu Wang (CHN).

The Swedish Open dates back all the way to 1954 and this year’s field is full of prior champions. Among the men, Ma won in 2011, Fan in 2014-15 and Xu won last year. In the women’s division, Xingtong Chen (CHN) is the defending champion; Ishikawa in 2016, Zhu in 2014 and Chen in 2013.

Look for results here.

SPEED SKATING Preview: Mantia and Bowe headline U.S. Long-Track Qualifier

By
Rich Perelman
-
World Mass Start Champion Joey Mantia

The 2018-19 season in speed skating is heating up, with the U.S. World Cup Qualifier and the first American Cup on this weekend at the Pettit Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The field includes many of the U.S. Olympians from the 2018 PyeongChang Games:

Men:
∙ Kimani Griffin: 26th in the 500 m
∙ Joey Mantia: 4th in the 1,000 m; 8th at 1,500 m; 9th in the Mass Start

Women:
∙ Brittany Bowe: 5th in the 500 m; 4th at 1,000 m; 5th at 1,500 m
∙ Erin Jackson: 24th at the 500 m
∙ Carlijn Schoutens: 22nd at the 3,000 m; 11th at 5000 m
∙ Jerica Tandiman: 28th at the 1,000 m

They and 329 others will be hard at work on a full program of events; the headline competitors and their workloads, based on the entries:

Men:
∙ K.C. Boutiette: 500-1,000-1,500 m-Mass Start-5,000-10,000 m
∙ Kimani Griffin: 500-1,000 m
∙ Joey Mantia: 500-1,000-1,500 m-Mass Start

Women:
∙ Brittany Bowe: 500-1,000-1,500 m
∙ Erin Jackson: 500-1,000-1,500 m
∙ Paige Schwartzburg: 500-1,000-1,500 m-Mass Start
∙ Carlijn Schoutens: 500-1,000-1,500-3,000-5,000 m
∙ Jerica Tandiman: 500-1,000-1,500 m

The event starts Wednesday and continued through Sunday and will be used to select the U.S. World Cup team that will begin competition in mid-November in Japan. Look for results here.

Not present in Milwaukee is four-time World Champion Heather Bergsma, who teamed with Bowe and Mia Manganello to win an Olympic bronze in the Team Pursuit, the U.S.’s first long-track medal since 2010! Bergsma and husband Jorrit – the 2014 Olympic gold medalist at 10,000 m for the Netherlands – welcomed a son on 16 October, named Brent Bergsma. Wrote Heather on Instsgram, “He decided 38 weeks and 2 days was long enough. Jorrit and I couldn’t be any happier.”

SHOOTING Preview: No. 1-ranked Kim Rhode leads U.S. at Americas Championships

By
Rich Perelman
-

The 12th Championship of the Americas will start Thursday in Guadalajara (MEX) and carry on through the 10th, with competition in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events. A enormous field of 365 shooters from 23 countries is registered, with the U.S. bringing the largest squad at 48.

The top-ranked shooters from the Americas in each individual event according to the ISSF World Rankings include:

Men:

∙ 10 m Air Pistol:
27. Julio Almeida (BRA)
34. Marko Carillo (PER) and Felipe Almeida Wu (BRA)

∙ 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol:
13. Keith Sanderson (USA)
16. Jorge Alvarez (CUB)

∙ 10 m Air Rifle:
47. Facundo Firmapaz (ARG)
60. Bryant Wallizer (USA)

∙ 50 m Rifle/3 Positions:
5. Michael McPhail (USA)
13. Matt Emmons (USA)

∙ Trap:
11. Walton Eller (USA)
36. Casey Wallace (USA)

∙ Skeet:
1. Vince Hancock (USA)
12. Frank Thompson (USA)

Women:

∙ 10 m Air Pistol:
15. Alejandra Zavala (MEX)
30. Lexi Lagan (USA)

∙ 25 m Pistol:
40. Brenda Silva (USA)
49. Alejandra Zavala (MEX)

∙ 10 m Air Rifle:
28. Ginny Thrasher (USA)
38. Minden Miles (USA)

∙ 50 m Rifle/3 Positions:
30. Sarah Beard (USA)
50. Sagen Maddalena (USA)

∙ Trap:
11. Ashley Carroll (USA)
17. Aeriel Skinner (USA)

∙ Skeet:
1. Kim Rhode (USA)
2. Caitlin Connor (USA)

Not all of these ranked athletes are entered, but many are, including the top-ranked Rhode (women’s Skeet) and no. 2 Connor (women’s Skeet), no. 3-ranked Amber English (women’s Skeet) and no. 5 McPhail in the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions.

In addition to the individual events, there are three mixed-team events in 10 m Air Pistol, 10 m Air Rifle and Trap.

The Americas Championship is only held once every four years, with the last also in Guadalajara in 2014. Look for results here.

TENNIS: Svitolina tops Stephens in WTA Finals

By
Rich Perelman
-
Ukraine's WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina

American Sloane Stephens had good reason to think she might be the favorite in the championship match of the WTA Finals tournament in Kallang (SGP) against Ukraine’s Elena Svitolina.

After all, Stephens had made the French Open final in 2018 and won the Miami Open, while Svitolina had only reached the Australian Open quarterfinal back in January. Plus, in their two prior meetings on hardcourt surfaces, Stephens had won both times in straight sets.

So much for history. Svitolina swept through the WTA Finals undefeated and won the biggest title of her career with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Stephens.

Her impressive runs included round-robin wins over Petra Kvitova (CZE: ranked no. 4), Karolina Pliskova (CZE: 7) and no. 2-ranked Caroline Wozniacki (DEN). She then got past Kiki Bertens (NED) in three close sets to get to the final. Having won, she will finish the season ranked no. 4 in the world, her second-best standing ever (she had been third previously).

Stephens also won her three round-robin matches and finished with a 6-3, 6-3 win over no. 1-seeded Angelique Kerber (GER). She overcame a 6-0 first-set loss to Pliskova to win the last two sets and get to the final.

In the women’s Doubles competition, second-seeded Timea Babos (HUN) and Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) defeated top-seeded Czechs Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 7-5. Summaries:

WTA Finals
Kallang (SGP) ~ 21-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Women’s Singles: 1. Elina Svitolina (UKR); 2. Sloane Stephens (USA); 3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) and Kiki Bertens (NED). Semis: Stephens d. Pliskova, 0-6, 6-4, 6-1; Svitolina d. Bertens, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4. Final: Svitolina d. Stephens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Women’s Doubles: 1. Timea Babos (HUN)/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA); 2. Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE); 3. Andrea Sestini Hlavackova/Barbara Strycova (CZE) and Ashleigh Barty (AUS)/CoCo Vandewghe (USA). Semis: Krejcikova/ Siniakova d. Sestini Hlavackova/Strycova, 6-3, 6-2; Babos/Mladenovic d. Barty/ Vandewghe, 6-7, 6-3, 10-8. Final: Babos/Mladenovic d. Krejcikova/Siniakova, 6-4, 7-5.

SPORT CLIMBING: France’s Mawem climbs to Men’s Speed title

By
Rich Perelman
-

The final IFSC World Cup of the season had only one title on the line, the Men’s Speed class and France’s Bassa Mawem literally rose to the occasion.

He reached the final of the World Cup in Xiamen (CHN) and his victory over Aspar Jaelolo (INA) was enough to give him the seasonal title as leader Danyil Boldyrev (UKR) was eliminated in the Round of 16. But Boldyrev and Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS) finished 2-3 on the season.

In the other events in Xiamen, the men’s Lead season title was already decided for Austria’s Jakob Schubert and Italy’s Stefano Ghisolfi was set for silver. But Slovenia’s Domen Skofic was able to win and with Romain Desgranges (FRA) ending up in sixth, the two tied for the seasonal bronze!

The women’s Lead event was already settled, with Slovenian star Janja Garnbret winning for the third straight year, Jessica Pilz (AUT) second and Jain Kim (KOR) finishing third. Pilz won this time, just ahead of Garnbret, as both made it to the top, but Pilz won on the countback to the semifinal marks. Summaries:

IFSC World Cup
Xiamen (CHN) ~ 27-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Domen Skofic (SLO), 45+; 2. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA), 45+; 3. Hyunbin Min (KOR), 38+; 4. Hidemasa Nishida (JPN), 23; 5. Taisei Homma (JPN), 20+.

Men/Speed/Final: 1. Bassa Mawem (FRA), 5.600; 2. Aspar Jaelolo (INA), 5.620. Third: 3. Reza Alipour (IRI), 7.600; 4. Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS), fell.

Women/Lead: 1. Jessica Pilz (AUT), Top; 2. Janja Garnbret (SLO), Top; 3. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 43+; 4. Mia Krampl (SLO), 37+; 5. Mei Kotake (JPN), 36+.

Women/Speed/Final: 1. Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA), 7.530; 2. Iullia Kaplina (RUS), fell; Third: 3. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 7.940; 4. Elena Rezimova (RUS), 7.990.

GYMNASTICS: U.S. men & women advance to World Champs Team Finals

By
Rich Perelman
-

The teams who entered the 2018 FIG World Championships in Doha (QAT) had one goal above all others: qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

With the fields now set for the men’s and women’s Team finals coming up on Monday and Tuesday, Russia and China look set, with the U.S. dominating the women’s events and the U.S. men fourth after the qualifying round.

Russia and China went 1-2 in the men’s qualifying, with Japan third and the U.S. fourth. The American women, led by the incomparable Simone Biles, lead the women’s events by a mile, with Russia and China trailing. The top three teams in both events will qualify for Tokyo.

In the individual All-Around, defending champion Ruoteng Xiao (CHN) leads with 87.332 points, slightly ahead of Russia’s Nikita Nagornyy (87.098) and Sam Mikulak (USA: 86.598). The U.S. also qualified Yul Moldauer, 17th with 80.365, for the All-Around final on Wednesday.

Mikulak will compete in the individual finals later in the week on Floor, Pommel Horse, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. Moldauer qualified for the individual final on Floor.

There’s no contest in the women’s All-Around, with Biles routing the field in the qualifying with 60.965 points, ahead of fellow American and defending World All-Around Champion Morgan Hurd (56.465) second and Riley McCusker of the U.S. in eighth at 54.765. Biles also qualified for all four event finals, with Hurd in Uneven Bars and Floor and Kara Eaker on the Beam.

Not everything was perfect, however, as Biles had a scare from a kidney stone that was diagnosed after she went to the emergency room of a Doha hospital on Friday night! The USA Gymnastics post on the incident noted:

“Maybe I need to go to the hospital,” Biles mused aloud, meaning it as a joke. Nellie Biles, a trained nurse who isn’t used to hearing that kind of complaint from her daughter, took the idea seriously and packed Biles off to the ER. After tests ruled out appendicitis, Biles was told she had a kidney stone and might need to spend the night in the hospital.

“Yeah, I discharged myself,” Biles said Saturday. “I’m like, sorry, but I have to compete so I’m leaving, but thanks for letting me know I have a kidney stone. I’ll deal with the pain later.”

The U.S. announced its men’s line-up for the Team finals, and all three scores will count:

∙ Floor Exercise: Colin Van Wicklen, Yul Moldauer, Sam Mikulak
∙ Pommel Horse: Moldauer, Alec Yoder, Mikulak
∙ Rings: Akash Modi, Moldauer, Mikulak
∙ Vault: Moldauer, Van Wicklen, Mikulak
∙ Parallel Bars: Modi, Moldauer, Mikulak
∙ Horizontal Bar: Van Wicklen, Modi, Mikulak

The women’s line-up will be announced on Monday. The remaining schedule:

∙ 29 October: Men’s Team final
∙ 30 October: Women’s Team final
∙ 31 October: Men’s All-Around final
∙ 01 November: Women’s All-Around final
∙ 02 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Floor/Pommel Horse/Rings; Women: Vault/Uneven Bars)
∙ 03 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Vault/Parallel Bars/Horizontal Bar; Women: Beam/Floor)

The NBC Olympic Channel has continuing Worlds coverage from Doha. Summaries so far:

FIG World Artistic Championships
Doha (QAT) ~ 25 October-3 November 2018
(Full results here)

Men

Team Qualifications (top 8 qualify for Final): 1. Russia, 258.402; 2. China., 257.836; 3. Japan, 253.312; 4. United States, 250.362; 5. Great Britain, 249.836; 6. Brazil, 246.961; 7. Netherlands, 245.663; 8. Switzerland, 245.186.

All-Around Qualifications (top 24 qualify for Final): 1. Ruoteng Xiao (CHN), 87.332; 2. Nikita Nagornyy (RUS), 87.098; 3. Sam Mikulak (USA), 86.598; 4. Artur Dalaloyan (RUS), 84.572; 5. Wei Sun (CHN), 84.007; 6. Kenzo Shirai (JPN), 83.864; 7. James Hall (GBR), 83.198; 8. Kazuma Kaya (JPN), 82.915. Also: 17. Yul Moldauer (USA), 80.365.

Women

Team Qualifications (top 8 qualify for Final): 1. United States, 174.429; 2. Russia, 165.497; 3. China, 165.196; 4. Canada, 163.897; 5. Brazil, 162.529; 6. Japan, 162.180; 7. France, 161.629; 8. Germany, 161.071.

All-Around Qualifications (top 24 qualify for Final): 1. Simone Biles (USA), 60.965; 2. Morgan Hurd (USA), 56.465; 3. Mai Murakami (JPN), 55.632; 4. Nina Derwael (BEL), 55.564; 5. Angelina Melnikova (RUS), 55.465; 6. Ellie Black (CAN), 54.999; 7. Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA), 54.798; 8. Riley McCusker (USA), 54.765.

FIGURE SKATING: Hubbell & Donohue 2-for-2 at Skate Canada

By
Rich Perelman
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American Ice Dance stars Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue

Back-to-back ISU Grand Prix appearances are always difficult, but American ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue made the most of their opportunities and won again at the Skate Canada International in Laval.

They forged a solid lead in the Short Dance and then ranked second in the Free Dance to Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, but still won by more than 5 1/2 points for their 10th career Grand Prix medal and second win.

“I guess we came in, we achieved our goal, which was another gold medal and assure the ticket to the (Grand Prix) Final,” Hubbell said. “We were feeling the two weeks fatigue today. It was a pretty tough free dance, not without mistakes, but overall we were very pleased with how we were able to face these challenges.”

The women’s competition was expected to be a showcase for two-time World Champion Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS), but she missed a triple jump and had no combinations in her Short Program and stood in seventh place. No matter; she won the Free Skate and rocketed up to third in the final standings.

“It wasn’t my best at all, there were a lot of mistakes,” she said afterwards. “My next Grand Prix is in France and I have three weeks. In three weeks, I can do a huge [amount of] work. I want to improve my skating skills and focus on my technique, on the spins, my jumps. In France I have to win in order to be sure to go to the Final.”

In her place, it was Russia’s 21-year-old Elizayeta Tuktamysheva who won her first Grand Prix competition in four years. She was World Champion in 2015 and had a great Short Program, but held on for gold even though she finished third in the Free Skate. Japan’s Mako Yamashita, 15, won silver after finishing second in the Free Skate, in her first-ever Grand Prix appearance.

Japan’s Shoma Uno, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, was the favorite in the men’s competition and came back to win the Free Skate and overtake Canada’s Keegan Messing, 277.25-265.17. Messing, who was a U.S. skater through 2013, won his first Grand Prix medal.

France’s Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres were the class of the Pairs event, winning their first Grand Prix gold in style, winning both the Short Program and Free Skate and taking the victory by more than 20 points!

The Grand Prix circuit takes no break and reaches the halfway points (already!) in Helsinki (FIN) next week. Summaries from Laval:

ISU Grand Prix/Skate Canada International
Laval (CAN) ~ 26-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Shoma Uno (JPN), 277.25 (2nd in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Keegan Messing (CAN), 265.17 (1+2); 3. Jun-Hwan Cha (KOR), 254.77 (3+3); 4. Alexander Samarin (RUS), 248.78 (4+4); 5. Nam Nguyen (CAN), 240.94 (7+5). Also: 6. Jason Brown (USA), 234.97 (11+6).

Women: 1. Elizayeta Tuktamysheva (RUS), 203.32 (1+3); 2. Mako Yamahsita (JPN), 203.06 (3+2); 3. Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS), 197.91 (7+1); 4. Mariah Bell (USA), 190.25 (5+4); 5. Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ), 185.71 (6+5). Also: 7. Starr Andrews (USA), 174.72 (4+9).

Pairs: 1. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres (FRA), 221.81 (1+1); 2. Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (CHN), 201.08 (2+4); 3. Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN), 200.93 (3+3); 4. Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS), 196.54 (4+2); 5. Evelyn Walsh/Trennt Michaud (CAN), 172.53 (6+6). Also: 6. Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA), 170.22 (8+5).

Ice Dance: 1. Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA), 200.76 (1+2); 2. Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS), 195.17 (2+1); 3. Piper Gilles/Paul Poirer (CAN), 186.97 (6+3); 4. Marie-Jade Lauriault/Romain Le Gac (FRA), 180.32 (4+4); 5. Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz (ESP), 176.57 (3+5).

CYCLING: Glaetzer & Lee repeat as Sprint champs at Track Cycling World Cup

By
Rich Perelman
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Australia's Track Cycling Sprint World Champion Matthew Glaetzer

Australia’s reigning Sprint World Champion Matthew Glaetzer won his second straight UCI Track Cycling World Cup to highlight the second leg of the World Cup, held in Milton, Canada.

Glaetzer qualified for the final with a two-race sweep in the semifinals over fellow Australian Nathan Hart and then faced 2017 World Championships silver medalist Harrie Lavreysen (NED). In the first race, it was Lavreysen who got to the line first, with Glaetzer by 0.101.

But Glaetzer was hardly fazed and equaled the score with a win in the second race – but just barely – by 0.040 to set up the decider. The final race was tight, but Glaetzer got the win in 0.093.

The women’s Sprint also featured a decorated star, Hong Kong’s Wai Sze Lee, who also won last week in Saint Quentin (FRA). She won two straight races in the final over Emma Hinze (GER), her second straight sweep in the event in this season’s World Cup.

The U.S. had a stronger profile in this event than in the first World Cup in France, and collected three medals: a win for Madalyn Godby in the women’s Keirin, a bronze for Jennifer Valente in the women’s Scratch Race and Omnium, a bronze for Daniel Holloway and Adrian Hegyvary in the men’s Madison.

After Milton, the racers get a break and won’t reconvene until the end of November in Berlin (GER). Summaries:

UCI Track Cycling World Cup no. 2
Milton (CAN) ~ 26-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men

Sprint: 1. Matthew Glaetzer (AUS); 2. Harrie Lavreysen (NED); 3. Jeffrey Hoogland; 4. Nathan Hart (AUS). Final: Glaetzer d. Lavreysen, 2-1.

Team Sprint: 1. Netherlands (van Thoenderdaal, Lavreysen, Hoogland), 42.828; 2. Beat Cycling (NED), 43.306; Third: 3. Great Britain, 43.126; 4. New Zealand, 43.869.

Team Pursuit: 1. Denmark (von Folsach, Hansen, Johansen, Pedersen), 3:53.499; 2. Hubb Wattbike (GBR), 3:56.699; Third: 3. Great Britain, 3:54.134; 4. France, 3:56.156.

Keirin (6 laps): 1. Jason Kenny (GBR); 2. Hugo Barrette (CAN), +0.042; 3. Matthijs Buchli (NED), +0.089.

Scratch Race (60 laps): 1. Vitaly Hryniv (UKR); 2. Oliver Wood (GBR), one lap down; 3. Christos Volikakis (GRE), one lap down.

Omnium: 1. Benjamin Thomas (FRA), 144; 2. Mark Stewart (GBR), 134; 3. Campbell Stewart (NZL), 132. Also: 9. Daniel Holloway (USA), 79.

Madison: 1. Casper von Folsach/Julius Johansen (DEN), 38; 2. Mark Stewart/Oliver Wood (GBR), 28; 3. Daniel Holloway/Adrian Hegyvary (USA), 25.

Women

Sprint: 1. Wai Sze Lee (HKG); 2. Emma Hinze (GER); 3. Stephanie Morton (AUS); 4. Daria Shmeleva (RUS). Final: Lee d. Hinze, 2-0.

Team Sprint: 1. Kaarle McCullouch/Stephanie Morton (AUS), 32.456; 2. Miriam Welte/Emma Hinze (GER), 32.693. Third: 3. Darla Shmeleva/Anastasiia Voinova (RUS), 32.692; 4. Kyra Lamberink/Hetty van de Wouw (NED), 33.118.

Team Pursuit: 1. Great Britain (Kenny, Archibald, Barker, Dickinson), 4:18.138; 2. Italy, 4:21.936. Third: 3. New Zealand, 4:19.247; 4. Germany, 4:19.668.

Keirin (6 laps): 1. Madalyn Godby (USA); 2. Morton (AUS), +0.050; 3. Martha Bayona Pineda (OL), +0.090.

Scratch Race (40 laps): 1. Alexandra Goncharova (RUS); 2. Olivija Baleisyte (LTU); 3. Jennifer Valente (USA).

Omnium: 1. Laura Kenny (GBR), 133; 2. Lizeth Yarely Salazar (MEX), 115; 3. Valente (USA), 113.

Madison (80 laps): 1. Katie Archibald/Elinor Barker (GBR), 36 points; 2. Amalie Dideriksen/Julie Leth (DEN), 19; 3. Allison Beveridge/Stephanie Roorda (CAN), 13. Also: 15. Christina Birch/ Kimberly Geist (USA), -20.

CURLING: Epping completes career Grand Slam with Masters win

By
Rich Perelman
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Canadian skip John Epping (Photo: Grand Slam of Curling, by Anil Mungal)

It took 11 seasons, but Canada’s John Epping finally got his career Grand Slam in the Grand Slam of Curling circuit with a win in The Masters at the Rath Eastlink Arena in Truro, Nova Scotia.

Epping skipped winning teams in Grand Slam events in 2008 (The National), 2012 (The Players’ Championship) and 2015 (Canadian Open), but finally got his fourth title and the career slam with a 7-4 win over two-time World Champion Kevin Koe (CAN). Epping’s rink kept the pressure on with two points each in the first, fifth and eighth ends for the win.

American skip John Shuster won his group, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Scotland’s Bruce Mouat (who later lost to Koe).

In the women’s final, Sweden’s Olympic champion Anna Hasselborg showed why she has the hottest rink in curling by scoring three points in the final end to score an 8-7 win over Canada’s 2017 World Champion Rachel Homan, and win her second straight Grand Slam of Curling title this season. Summaries:

Grand Slam of Curling/The Masters
Truro (CAN) ~ 23-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men: 1. John Epping (CAN); 2. Kevin Koe (CAN); 3. Bruce Mouat (SCO) and Niklas Edin (SWE). Semis: Koe d. Moutat, 6-5; Epping d. Edin, 8-3. Finals: Epping d. Koe, 7-4.

Women: 1. Rachel Homan (CAN); 2. Anna Hasselborg (SWE); 3. Casey Schneidegger (CAN) and Chelsea Carey (CAN). Semis: Homan d. Carey, 6-3; Hasselborg d. Schneidegger, 8-4. Final: Homan d. Hasselborg d. Homan, 8-7.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Bansley & Wilkerson top American duos in Mexico

By
Rich Perelman
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Canada’s Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson continued their stroll through the FIVB World Tour with another win, this time in a women-only, 3-star tournament in Chetumal (MEX).

Although the field was thin, Bansley and Wilkerson impressed with semifinal and finals wins over American pairs Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat in the semis and then 25th seeds Caitlin Ledoux and Geena Urango, both in straight sets.

They will continue as no. 1 in the FIVB World Rankings.

The tournament was good news for the new pair of Walsh Jennings and Sweat, who debuted as 17th at the Las Vegas Open and finished third this time. Summaries:

FIVB World Tour
Chetumal (MEX) ~ 24-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Women: 1. Heather Bansley/Brandie Wilkerson (CAN); 2. Caitlin Ledoux/Geena Urango (USA); 3. Kerri Walsh Jennings/ Brooke Sweat (USA); 4. Megan McNamara/ Nicole McNamara (CAN). Semis: Bansley/ Wilkerson d. Walsh Jennings/Sweat, 2-0; Ledoux/Urango d. McNamara/McNamara, 2-1. Third: Walsh Jennings/Sweat d. McNamara/ McNamara, 2-1. Final: Bansley/Wilkerson d. Ledoux/Urango, 2-0 (21-12, 21-13).

BADMINTON: Bad week to be no. 1 as three lose in French Open

By
Rich Perelman
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China's 2016 Olympic Badminton singles champion Long Chen

The Yonex French Open in Paris (FRA) was loaded with all five of the no. 1-ranked players or teams in the world. But only one managed to win:

∙ In men’s Singles, no. 1 Kento Momota (JPN) was eliminated in the semifinals by 2016 Rio champ Long Chen (CHN), who went on to beat no. 2-ranked Yuqi Shi (CHN) in the final, 21-17, 21-19.

∙ The top-ranked men’s Doubles team of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) reached the finals, but then lost a tense, three-set match to China’s unseeded Chengkai Han and Haodong Zhou, 23-21, 8-21, 21-17.

∙ This year’s dominant women’s player, Tzu Ying Tai (TPE) got to the final, but fell to no. 2 Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) in another thriller, 22-20, 17-21, 21-13.

∙ Only China’s Siwei Zhang and Yaqiong Huang managed to win among the no. 1-ranked entries, beating unseeded Seung Jae Seo and YuJung Chae (KOR) in Mixed Doubles, 21-19, 21-14.

In the women’s Doubles, it was no. 5-ranked Mayru Matsumoto and Wakana Nagihara (JPN) who won, beating surprise finalists Gabriele and Stefani Stoeva of Bulgaria in straight sets.

The French Open ended the European swing for the BWF World Tour. The remaining six tournaments will all be in Asia, starting with the Macau Open next week. Summaries from Paris:

BWF World Tour/Yonex French Open
Paris (FRA) ~ 23-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men’s Singles: 1. Long Chen (CHN); 2. Yuqi Shi (CHN); 3. Rasmus Gemke (DEN) and Kento Momota (JPN). Semis: Shi d. Gemke, 21-11, 21-16; Chen d. Momota, 21-18, 21-8. Final: Chen d. Shi, 21-17, 21-19.

Men’s Doubles: 1. Chengkai Han/Haodong Zhou (CHN); 2. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA); 3. Jhe-Huei Lee/Yang Lee (TPE) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty (IND). Semis: Han/Zhou d. Lee/Lee, 13-21, 21-18, 21-17; Gideon/Sulkamuljo d. Rankireddy/Shetty, 21-12, 26-24. Final: Han/Zhou d. Gideon/Sukamuljo, 23-21, 8-21, 21-17.

Women’s Singles: 1. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN); 2. Tzu Ying Tai (TPE); 3. Yufei Chen (CHN) and Bingjiao He (CHN). Semis: Tai d. Chen, 18-21, 21-12, 21-14; Yamaguchi d. He, 20-22, 21-19, 21-19. Final: Yamaguchi d. Tai, 22-20, 17-21, 21-13.

Women’s Doubles: 1. Mayru Matsumoto/Wakana Nagihara (JPN); 2. Gabriele Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva (BUL); 3. So Hee Lee/Seung Chan Shin (KOR) and Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu (INA). Semis: Stoeva/Stoeva d. Lee/Shin, 15-21, 21-15, 21-15; Matsumoto/Nagihara d. Polii/Rahayu, 21-10, 21-8. Final: Matsumoto/Nagihara d. Stoeva/Stoeva, 21-14, 21-19.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Siwei Zheng/Yaqiong Huang (CHN); 2. Seung Jae Seo/YuJung Chae (KOR). 3. Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino (JPN) and Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA). Semis: Zheng/Huang d. Watanabe/Higashino, 21-11, 21-14; Seo/Chae d. Puavaranukroh/Taerattanachai, 21-14, 21- 9. Final: Zheng/Huang d. Seo/Chae, 21-19, 21-14.

ALPINE SKIING: Shiffrin third in Soelden season opener

By
Rich Perelman
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France's Giant Slalom star Tessa Worley

The 2018-19 Alpine World Cup opened with impressive racing in challenging circumstances on the Rettenbach Glacier at Soelden (AUT), with France’s two-time World Champion Tessa Worley showing she is still one of the best in the Giant Slalom.

Worley won the 2016-17 World Cup title in the Giant Slalom and was second last season, but had to come from behind to collect her 13 career World Cup victory. It was Italian Federica Brignone who led after the first run, ahead of defending Soelden champ Viktoria Rebensburg (GER), with Worley third.

But on the second run, despite windy and rainy conditions, Worley screamed down the hill in 1:01.40, the best time of the second run and won by 35/100ths over Brignone. Behind them, Rebensburg faded to 12th on the second run and opened the door for American Mikaela Shiffrin, fourth on the first run and fifth-fastest on the second, but her consistency brought her the bronze medal, two places better than last season!

“There are still expectations, but I’m trying not to pay so much attention to like ‘why should I feel so, so disappointed,’” Shiffrin said afterwards. “Especially because I had a podium today. Of course, I want to win, but there are many girls out there who want to win. I was able to start the season with a podium and it’s a great thing. It’s not enough, but it’s OK for now and it’s a good place to start.

“I’m trying to be a little bit more open to saying ‘yeah, OK, that’s what we have.’ I know what lessons I learned and I’ll just fight for the next races.”

Saturday’s wind and rain turned to heavy snow overnight and led to the cancellation of Sunday’s men’s Giant Slalom. A replacement race is to be named this week, but the next scheduled races are the Slaloms in Levi (FIN) on 17-18 November. Summaries:

FIS Alpine World Cup
Soelden (AUT) ~ 27-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Women/Giant Slalom: 1. Tessa Worley (FRA), 2:0051; 2. Federica Brignone (ITA), 2:00.86; 3. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), 2:01.45; 4. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER), 2:01.50; 5. tie, Stephanie Brunner (AUT) and Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR), 2:02.44.

WRESTLING: Coon takes Greco silver as U.S. gets 12 medals at UWW Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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Adam Coon celebrates his semifinal win at the 2018 UWW World Championships!

In his first appearance in the United World Wrestling World Championships, American Adam Coon scored a silver medal, the first in Greco-Roman wrestling for the U.S. in three years and a record 12th for the U.S. in a World Championships.

Competing at 130 kg, Coon won four bouts in a row by pinfall before running into 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sergey Semenov of Russia, who won by technical fall, 9-0, in the first period. But it hardly cooled Coon’s enthusiasm for the experience.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Coon said. “I’ve been able to go out and compete with everything I have, every God-given talent. Being on the international scene again and competing in the sport I love is fantastic.”

Coon’s achievement is not to be underestimated, as it’s the first U.S. medal in Greco-Roman since 2015 and the first U.S. Greco finalist since Dremiel Byers won a silver in 2009 at 120 kg.

In the Greco-Roman division, there were just two repeat champions: German Frank Staebler at 72 kg – he also won twice previously, in 2015 at 66 kg and in 2017 at 71 kg – and Metehan Basar (TUR) at 87 kg, who won at 85 kg in 2017.

This completed the 2018 World Championships at the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena in Budapest (HUN), with Russia winning the men’s Freestyle division for the ninth time in the past 11 editions and winning the Greco-Roman title in the third consecutive year and sixth time in the last seven championships. Japan won the women’s title, as usual, for the fifth straight time and 13th time in the last 15 events.

In terms of the overall medal count, Russia won 13 to lead all countries (10-1-2), but the U.S. was right behind with 12 (4-3-5), with Japan third at 10 (5-1-4) and Turkey fourth with nine (1-4-4). Last year, Russia, Japan and the U.S. each won nine medals, but 2018 marked the expansion of weight classes from eight to 10 in each division (or 24 to 30 all together).

That’s the most medals ever for the U.S. in a single World Championships. The previous high was 10, achieved three times, in 1979 (men’s Freestyle and Greco), 1989 (men’s Freestyle, Greco and Women) and 1991 (men’s Freestyle, Greco and Women). The U.S. did well in Budapest and the future, especially in the men’s and women’s Freestyle divisions, is very, very bright.

Summaries:

UWW World Championships
Budapest (HUN) ~ 20-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men/Freestyle

-57 kg:1. Zavur Uguev (RUS); 2. Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ); 3. Suleman Atli (TUR) and Yuki Takahashi (JPN). Third: Atli d. Tom Gilman (USA), 5-4; Takahashi d. Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB), 5-4. Final: Uguev d. Sanayev, 4-3.

-61 kg: 1. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB); 2. Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS); 3. Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) and Joe Colon (USA). Final: Rodriguez d. Rashidov, 6-5; Third: Tumenbileg d. Beka Lomtadze (GEO), 6-3; Colon d. Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi (IRI), 13-2.

-65 kg: 1. Takuto Otoguro (JPN); 2. Bajrang Bajrang (IND); 3. Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) and Akhmed Chakaev (RUS). Third: Valdes Tobier d. Seung-Chul Lee (KOR), 10-0; Chakaev d. George Bucur (ROU), 9-4. Final: Otoguro d. Bajrang, 16-9.

-70 kg: 1. Magomedrasul Gazimegomedov (RUS); 2. Adam Batirov (BRN); 3. Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO) and Franklin Maren Castillo (CUB). Third: Iakobishvili d. Byambadorj Bat Erdene (MGL), 10-0; Maren Castillo d, Andriy Kvyatkovskyy (UKR), 11-1. Final: Gazimagomedov d. Batirov, 7-6.

-74 kg: 1. Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS); 2. Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO); 3. Jordan Burroughs (USA) and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (UZB). Final: Sidakov d. Kentchadze, 2-2 (criteria); Third: Burroughs d. Chamizo, 4-4 (criteria); Abdurakhmonov d. Soner Demirtas (TUR), 3-2.

-79 kg: 1. Kyle Dake (USA); 2. Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE); 3. Ali Shabanau (BLR) and Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (RUS). Third: Shananu d. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (IRI), 8-8 (criteria); Gadzhimagomedov d. Davit Khutsishvili (GEO), 10-0. Final: Dake d. Hasanov, 2-0.

-86 kg: 1. David Taylor (USA); 2. Fatih Erdin (TUR); 3. Hassan Aliazam Yazdanicharati (IRI) and Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva (ESP). Final: Taylor d. Erdin, 12-2; Third: Yazdanicharati d. Dauren Kurugliev (RUS), 11-5; Friev Naskidaeva (ESP) d. Gwanuk Kim (KOR), 7-2.

-92 kg: 1. J’Den Cox (USA); 2. Ivan Yankouski (BLR); 3. Ali Karimimachiani (IRI) and Atsushi Matsumoto (JPN). Third: Karimimachiani d. Dato Marsagishvili (GEO), 12-1; Matsumoto d. Tortogtokh Luvsandorj (MGL), 6-5. Final: Cox d. Yankouski, 4-1.

-97 kg: 1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS); 2. Kyle Snyder (USA); 3. Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) and Abraham Contedo Ruano (ITA). Third: Odikadze d. Magomed Ibragimov (UZB); Conyedo Ruano d. Pavlo Oliinyk (HUN), 2-2 (criteria), Final: Sadulaev d. Snyder by pin, 1:11.

-125 kg: 1. Geno Petriashvili (GEO); 2. Zhiwei Deng (CHN); 3. Parviz Khodavirdi Hadibasmanj (IRI) and Nick Gwiazdowski (USA). Final: Petriashvili d. Zhiwei Deng (CHN), 6-0; Third: Hadibasmanj (IRI) d. Anzor Ruslanovitch Khizriev (RUS), 11-2; Gwiazdowski (USA) d. Sumit Sumit (IND), 7-2.

Team leaders (62 scored): 1.Russia, 178; 2. United States, 150; 3. Georgia, 105; 4. Cuba, 67; 5. Japan, 67; 6. Iran, 65; 7. Mongolia, 57; 8. Turkey, 53; 9. Azerbaijan, 44; 10. Belarus, 41.

Men/Greco-Roman

-55 kg: 1. Eldaniz Azazli (AZE); 2. Zholaman Sharshenbekov (KGZ); 3. Nugzari Tsurtsumia (GEO) and Ekrem Ozturk (TUR). Third: Tsurtsumia d. Liguo Cao (CHN), 11-0; Ozturk d. Norayr Hakhoyan (ARM), 4-0. Final: Azizli d. Sharshenbekov, 10-0.

-60 kg: 1. Sergey Emelin (RUS); 2. Victor Ciobanu (MGL); 3. Aidos Sultangali (KAZ) and Sailike Walihan (CHN). Third: Sultangali d. Se Ung Ri (PRK), 1-1 (criteria); Walihan d. Kristian Fris (SRB), 9-0. Final: Elemin d. Ciobanu, 10-1.

-63 kg: 1. Stepan Maryanyan (RUS); 2. Elurat Tasmuradov (UZB); 3. Rahman Bilici (TUR) and Lenur Temirov (UKR). Third: Bilici d. Hassan Hassan Mohamed (EGY), 6-1; Temirov d. Erbatu Tuo (CHN), 3-1. Final: Maryanyan d. Tasmuradov, 6-3.

-67 kg: 1. Artem Surkov (RUS); 2. Davor Srefanek (SRB); 3. Gevorg Sahakyan (POL) and Meiirzhan Shermakhanbet (KAZ). Third: Sahakyan d. Danijel Janecic (CRO), 7-0; Shermakhanbet d. Mamadassa Sylla (FRA), 9-0. Final: Surkov d. Stefanek, 7-0.

-72 kg: 1. Frank Staebler (GER); 2. Balint Korpasi (HUN); 3. Rasul Chunayev (AZE) and Aik Mnatsakanian (BUL). Third: Chunayev d. Abuiazid Mansigov (RUS), 4-3; Mnatsakanian d. Tarek Aziz Benaissa (ALG), 9-0. Final: Staebler d. Korpasi, 2-1.

-77 kg: 1. Aleksandr Chekhirkin (RUS); 2. Tamas Lorincz (HUN); 3. Viktor Nemes (SRB) and Hyeon-Woo Kim (KOR). Third: Nemes d. Bjurberg Kessidis (SWE), 6-2; Kim d. Bilan Nalgiev (UZB), 3-1. Final: Chekhirkin d. Lorincz, 3-1.

-82 kg: 1. Peter Bacsi (HUN); 2. Emrah Kus (TUR); 3. Viktar Sasunouski (BLR) and Maksim Manukyan (ARM). Third: Sasunouski d. Atabek Azisbekov (KGZ), 5-1; Manukyan d. Saeid Morad Abdvali (IRI), 4-1. Final: Bacsi d. Kus, 4-3.

-87 kg: 1. Metehan Basar (TUR); 2. Zhan Beleniuk (UKR); 3. Roberti Kobliashvili (GEO) and Artur Shahinyan (ARM), Third: Kobliashvili d. Bekkhan Ozdoev (RUS), 4-2; Shahinyan d. Islam Abbasov (AZE), 6-1. Final: Basar d. Beleniuk, 2-1.

-97 kg: 1. Musa Evloev (RUS) d. Kiril Milov (BUL); 3. Mahdi Aliyar (IRI) and Mihail Kajala (SRB). Third: Aliyar d. Artur Aleksanyan (ARM), forfeit; Kajala d. Balazs Kiss (HUN), 4-4 (criteria). Final: Evloev d. Milov, 7-2.

-130 kg: 1.Sergey Semenov (RUS); 2. Adam Coon (USA); 3. Min-Seok Kim (KOR) and Oscar Pino Hinds (CUB). Third: Kim d. Eduard Popp (GER), 2-1; Hinds d. Heiki Nabi (EST), 3-1. Final: Semenov d. Coon, 9-0.

Team leaders (37 scored): 1. Russia, 178; 2. Hungary, 89; 3. Turkey, 75; 4. Azerbaijan, 60; 5. Serbia, 60; 6. Armenia, 56; 7. Germany, 49; 8. China, 49; 9. Kyrgyzstan, 42; 10. Ukraine, 39. Also: 17. United States, 28.

Women/Freestyle

-50 kg: 1. Yui Sasaki (JPN); 2. Mariya Stadnik (AZE); 3. Yanan Sun (CHN) and Oksana Livach (UKR). Third: Sun d. Sonhyang Kim (PRK), 10-0; Livach d. Ritu Ritu (IND), 10-5. Final: Sasaki d. Stadnik, 10-0.

-53 kg: 1. Haruna Okuno (JPN); 2. Sarah Hildebrandt (USA); 3. Qianyu Pang (CHN) and Diana Weicker (CAN). Third: Pang d. Katarzyna Krawczyk (POL), 2-1; Weicker d. Zhuldyz Eshimova (KAZ), 3-2. Final: Okuno d. Hildebrandt, 11-0.

-55 kg: 1. Mayu Mikaida (JPN); 2. Zaline Sidakova (BLR); 3. Myong Suk Jong (PRK) and Lianna Montero Herrers (CUB). Third: Jong d. Qi Zhang (CHN), 2-1; Montero Herrera d. Jacarra Winchester (USA), 5-4. Final: Mukaida d. Sidakova, 12-2.

-57 kg: 1. Ningning Rong (CHN); 2. Bilyana Dudova (BUL); 3. Pooja Dhanda (IND) and Emese Barka (HUN). Third: Dhanda d. Grace Bullen (NOR), 10-7; Barka d. Kateryna Zhydachevska (ROU), 6-0. Final: Rong d. Dudova, 3-3 (criteria).

-59 kg: 1. Risako Kawai (JPN); 2. Elif Yesilirmak (TUR); 3. Shoovdor Baatarjav (MGL) and Xingru Pei (CHN). Third: Baatarjav d. Alejandra Romero Bonilla (MEX), 4-2; Pei d. Svetlana Lipatova (RUS), 7-1. Final: Kawai d. Yesilirmak (TUR), 8-0.

-62 kg: 1. Taybe Yusein (BUL); 2. Yukako Kawai (JPN); 3. Mallory Velte (USA) and Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk (UKR). Third: Velte d. Lais Nunes de Oliveira (BRA), 2-1; Tkach Ostapchuk d. Marianna Sastin (HUN), 2-0. Final: Yusein d. Kawai, 6-2.

-65 kg: Petra Olli (FIN); 2. Danielle Lappage (CAN); 3. Iryna Netreba (AZE) and Ayana Gempei (JPN). Third: Netreba d. Forrest Molinari (USA), 1-1 (criteria); Gempei d. Ritu Ritu (IND), 7-3. Final: Olli d. Lappage, 6-5.

-68 kg: 1. Alla Cherkasova (UKR); 2. Koumba Larroque (FRA); 3. Tamyra Mensah (USA) and Feng Zhou (CHN). Third: Mensah d. Olivia Di Bacco (CAN), 7-4; Zhou d. Maryia Mamashuk (BUL), 12-1. Final: Cherkasova d. Larroque, 15-10.

-72 kg: 1. Justina di Stasio (CAN); 2. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (MGL); 3. Buse Tosun (TUR) and Martina Kuenz (AUT). Third: Tosun d. Juan Wang (CHN), 5-2; Kuenz d. Samar Hamza (EGY), 2-1. Final: Do Stasio d. Ochirbat, 4-2.

-76 kg: 1. Adeline Gray (USA); 2. Yasemin Adar (TUR); 3. Erica Wiebe (CAN) and Hiroe Minagawa Suzuki (JPN). Third: Wiebe d. Epp Mae (EST), 4-0; Minagawa Suzuki d. Zsanett Nemeth (HUN, 0-0 (criteria). Final: Gray d. Adar, 13-1.

Team leaders (36 scored): 1. Japan, 146; 2. China, 119; 3. United States, 103; 4. Canada, 89; 5. Mongolia, 71; 6. Ukraine, 59; 7. Turkey, 55; 8. India, 51; 9. Bulgaria, 47; 10. Azerbaijan, 41.

THE BIG PICTURE: Welcome to cycling’s “Agenda 2022”

By
Rich Perelman
-

Observers of sports on the Olympic program have noted for decades how the International Federations and National Olympic Committees adopt the IOC’s procedures for their own purposes, and in their own countries. Cycling is just the latest with the publication of its “Agenda 2022.”

Yes, it has that familiar “Agenda 2020″ ring to it, made famous by IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER) and his 2014 roadmap for the IOC’s future. For the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and its president, David Lappartient (FRA), the 74-page plan includes some noteworthy numbers and plans for change:

● There are now nine cycling disciplines: Road cycling, Track cycling, Mountain Bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, Para-cycling, Cyclo-cross, Trials and Indoor cycling. The UCI has 194 national federations, 1,037,424 registered riders (79.4% in Europe, and 82.0% men!), with 55.7% of all organized events being road races. The federation has an annual budget of 34.8 million Euro (~ $39.8 million U.S.).

● One of the newest developments in cycling is the “electric bike” or “e-bike.” The UCI wants to add it, either in road cycling or Mountain Bike, to the 2024 Olympic program. A World Championships in planned, perhaps as early as 2019. Reax: Is this really a good idea? No.

● The UCI World Road Championships are a big deal and a major revenue source. So the new idea is to put on a mega-Worlds once every four years – in the year before the Olympic Games – that includes all five Olympic disciplines (and e-bike!) in a single, massive event, which would also be an Olympic qualifier. Reax: Yes, this might work.

● Kill the Time Trials in the World Road Champs and replace them with a mixed-gender event (just what the IOC loves). Reax: Nooooo!

● Try to get UCI World Tour events to hold a women’s event as well and to make “UCI Women’s teams financially viable.” Reax: Worthy, but hard.

There’s a lot more, and the program is ambitious, and while there are pages full of goals, not much is said about how to get there. Bonne chance!

LANE ONE: Realpolitik in Calgary as Mayor Nehshi could end its 2026 bid on Monday

By
Rich Perelman
-

Whether Calgary continues its bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games has come down to a question of money.

And the bid could end on Monday.

The Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation’s Draft Hosting Plan Concept projected the total cost of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Winter Paralympic Games at about C$5.46 billion. (C$1 = $0.76 U.S. at present.)

Of that, some C$2.46 billion would be paid from contributions from the International Olympic Committee, domestic sponsorships, ticket sales and licensing revenues collected by the local organizing committee.

The remaining C$3.01 billion would come from government: federal, provincial and city:

∙ C$1.5 billion from the Canadian government;
∙ C$1.0 billion from the Province of Alberta, and
∙ C$500 million from the City of Calgary.

It hasn’t worked out that way.

Alberta has promised not more than C$700 million and will not be responsible for any overruns. That’s C$300 less than the projected bid had hoped for, and left Calgary potentially responsible for C$800 million. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said that was a “not a good deal” and that the city should not have to pay more than the province.

One suggestion was to have the International Olympic Committee pay more, but IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi (SUI) – in Calgary last week – said that was not going to happen. The IOC has promised $925 million (U.S.) in support of the 2026 Winter Games, most in cash, but some in services, and does not want to go further. So, perhaps the Canadian federal contribution would make up for it.

On Friday, it was reported that the Canadian government will provide up to C$1.75 billion in funding (in 2026 dollars; about C$1.5 billion in 2018 dollars), but only on a matching basis – as is the usual Canadian federal protocol – of the combined contributions of the provincial and city governments!

So, with Alberta in for C$700 million and no more, that would leave Calgary still on the hook for C$800 million to get the C$1.5 million (2018 dollars) from Ottawa and reach the C$3 billion number.

That’s what Nenshi has called a “bad deal” and the Calgary Herald reported that he sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stating that the end might be at hand:

“It is clear there has been a tremendous misunderstanding of the nature of the required funding amongst the three government partners and now we are in a position where we cannot show citizens how the required public contribution could be met. …

“If we cannot come to a mutually agreeable conclusion by Monday, I deeply regret that I will have no choice to but request that Calgary City Council cancel the plebiscite and thus terminate the bid; an event none of us want.”

Nenshi’s threat to terminate the bid would also obliterate the public referendum scheduled for 13 November, in which the citizens will vote on whether to have the bid continue.

This is pretty wild stuff and there are many ways in which the federal government could decide to agree to provide more funding. And having this kind of tug-of-war just a couple of weeks before the referendum could help defeat it; recent polls showed a small majority voting in favor of the Games bid, but this could be turned around quickly in the face of bad publicity on financing.

But the truth is that this entire discussion, in public, is exactly what should be taking place.

Cities, provinces and the national government of any city and country which wants to host something as costly as the Olympic Games should be discussing it openly. And if it’s a bad deal for the city or country, then skip the bid.

Do the benefits outweigh the costs? On what basis is a city willing to have a Games? Already, the Stockholm city government has said it will not financially support the 2026 bid from the Swedish Olympic Committee and the SOK says it can host the Games with private financing. The Italian bid for Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo does not appear to have federal financial support, but the two regions in which these cities are located are apparently ready to shoulder the burden (note “apparently”).

Even if the Games had a net cost of zero, there will be considerable activity, irritation and inconvenience for the host city as the Games are organized. There are real benefits to hosting the Games, especially the severely increased attention to the host city, significant economic activity and the opportunity – almost impossible otherwise – to make infrastructure and social changes on a rapid timetable as the Games approach.

Other cities have faced this issue, including Los Angeles in 1984, where no city funding was available at all. That pressure created the marketing and operational changes that power the Olympic Movement to this day. This realpolitik discussion about the 2026 Winter Games and how it is funded in Calgary is good for that city and for the Olympic Movement, no matter what the outcome, on Monday or on 13 November.

Rich Perelman
Editor

ATHLETICS: London’s World Cup may have lost GDP 1 million!

By
Rich Perelman
-

The British newspaper The Daily Mail reported that the 14-15 July World Cup national team event held at London’s Olympic Stadium was a significant money loser:

“[I]nsiders believe it has cost UKA ‘in excess of £1million’ because of scheduling difficulties, poor ticket sales, issues with major sportswear manufacturers, a lack of appearance money and chaos around travel plans for the athletes.

“It threatened to be a disaster from the moment organisers picked that busy July weekend to stage the event at the London Stadium.

“Friction between Adidas and Nike meant the Athletics World Cup could not gain the contractual dispensation major events secure so that Adidas athletes, for instance, can wear Nike kit to compete for their country.

“Adidas-sponsored athletes were told they would not receive bonuses for competing, which had a huge knock-on effect on the quality of athletes taking part.”

The London Olympic Stadium capacity for track & field is about 50,000, but the event drew about 30,000 on Saturday and less on Sunday, when it was competing against the finals of the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon. More details – and tabloid headlines – are expected when the annual financial report for UK Athletics is made public in the coming days.

GYMNASTICS: Russia leads first men’s qualifying group at World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
-

The 2018 FIG World Championships are underway at the Aspire Dome in Doha (QAT), with the men’s team qualifying competition.

After the first four groups out of 10, Russia leads at 258.402, followed by the Netherlands (245.663) and Switzerland (245.186). The remaining men’s groups will compete on Friday.

The top individuals in the All-Around so far are Russian: Nikita Nagornyy (RUS) at 87.098, then Artur Dalaloyan (84.572) and David Belyavskiy (83.332). Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev, the Rio silver medalist in the All-Around, had a bad performance on the Pommel Horse and sits seventh at 80.522 and very likely will not qualify for the final in that event.

The U.S. announced its line-ups for the qualification competitions; four of the five-person team will compete in each event, and three scores will count:

∙ Men: Sam Mikulak, Alec Yoder, Akash Modi, Yul Moldauer, Colin Van Wicklen (Alternate: Allan Bower).

∙ Women: Simone Biles, Riley McCusker, Kara Eaker, Morgan Hurd, Grace McCallum (Alternate: Ragan Smith).

The schedule:

∙ 26 October: Men’s Team qualification
∙ 27 October: Women’s Team qualification
∙ 28 October: Women’s Team qualification
∙ 29 October: Men’s Team final
∙ 30 October: Women’s Team final
∙ 31 October: Men’s All-Around final
∙ 01 November: Women’s All-Around final
∙ 02 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Floor/Pommel Horse/Rings; Women: Vault/Uneven Bars)
∙ 03 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Vault/Parallel Bars/Horizontal Bar; Women: Beam/Floor)

The NBC Olympic Channel will have coverage from Doha beginning next Monday; there is also streaming coverage this weekend on NBCSports.com/live. Look for results here.

SPORT CLIMBING Preview: Men’s Speed title to be decided in Xiamen

By
Rich Perelman
-

There’s only one seasonal World Cup title to be decided in Sport Climbing: men’s Speed, and it will come down to the final World Cup of the 2018 season, in Xiamen (CHN). The contenders, with their current and best possible scores:

1. 413 Danyil Boldyrev (UKR): could be 513
2. 396 Dmitrii Timofeev (RUS): could be 474
3. 350 Reza Alipour (IRI): could be 450
4. 348 Bassa Mawem (FRA): could be 448
5. 332 Aleksandr Shilov (RUS): could be 432

With the scoring at 100-80-65-55-51 for the top five places, these are the only competitors with a chance to win this weekend. The IFSC’s scoring rules allow a competitor to count only the top seven of the eight World Cups, so the possible scoring totals are also shown, based on winning in Xiamen!

Thus far in 2018, Boldyrev has been the most consistent, with two wins and two bronzes in his six races so far. Timofeev, Alipour and Mawem have each won once. Russian Aleksandr Shikov has also won once and last week’s races in Wujiang (CHN) had a surprise winner in Aspar Jaelolo (INA).

In terms of pedigree, Boldyrev is trying for his second seasonal title, having won previously in 2014. Alipour has been second the last two seasons, but the others would be new to the seasonal medal stand. It won’t be a surprise for a Russian to win: they’ve won this category in nine of the last 13 years!

The other seasonal titles were decided last week, with Anouck Jaubert (FRA) winning her second straight women’s Speed title. Behind her, the other seasonal medals are in play, with Mariia Krasavina (RUS: 396) leading fellow Russian Iullia Kaplina (354) with Indonesia’s Aries Susanti Rahayu (320) also in contention.

In Lead, Jakob Schubert (AUT) won his second career men’s Lead title (he clinched with 495 points) last week, with Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA: 437) second, but third is still up for grabs between Romain Desgranges (FRA: 313) and Domen Skofic (SLO: 260).

The women’s Lead title went to Janja Garnbret (SLO) for the third straight year with 550 points. Austria’s Jessica Pilz (AUT: 460) is safe for second, but third is still being contested, with Jain Kim (KOR: 320) leading Manon Hily (FRA: 238).

Look for results from Xiamen here.

CYCLING Preview: Track Cycling World Cup heads to Milton

By
Rich Perelman
-

The second of the six-stage UCI Track Cycling World Cup is ready to go at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Canada, just outside of Toronto and host to the 2015 Pan American Games competition. Last week’s winners (medalists) in the opener at Saint-Quentin (FRA) included:

Men:
∙ Sprint: Matthew Glaetzer (AUS)
∙ Team Sprint: Jeffrey Hoogland/Sam Ligtlee/Roy van den Berg (NED)
∙ Team Pursuit: Denmark
∙ Keirin: Yuki Wakimoto (JPN)
∙ Points: Moritz Malcharek (GER)
∙ Scratch: Stefan Matzner (AUT)
∙ Omnium: Albert Torres Barcelo (ESP)
∙ Madison: Lasse Hanson/Michael Morkov (DEN)

Women:
∙ Sprint: Wai Sze Lee (HKG)
∙ Team Sprint: Daria Shmeleva/Anastasiia Voinova (RUS)
∙ Team Pursuit: Australia
∙ Keirin: Laurine van Riessen (NED)
∙ Points: Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA)
∙ Scratch: Ashlee Ankudinoff (AUS)
∙ Omnium: Kirsten Wild (NED)
∙ Madison: Amalie Didriksen/Julie Leth (DEN)

Look for results here. After Milton, the racers get a break and won’t reconvene until the end of November in Berlin (GER).

BEACH VOLLEYBALL Preview: Canadian stars Bansley & Wilkerson in Mexico this week

By
Rich Perelman
-

A fairly minor FIVB World Tour 3-star tournament is underway in Chetumal (MEX), but with a couple of important entries.

The headliners are Canada’s Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson, who are suddenly the toast of the women’s beach world after their win in the four-star Las Vegas Open last week. They’re now no. 1 in the FIVB World Rankings.

Trying to get back to the top is American Kerri Walsh Jennings, who is now paired with Brooke Sweat. Walsh Jennings has a management role in last week’s Las Vegas program, presented by her p1440 project. This time, she and Sweat are just playing, after finishing 17th last week.

The tournament runs through Sunday. Look for results here.

ALPINE SKIING Preview: The World Cup season starts – really – in Soelden!

By
Rich Perelman
-
Defending World Cup overall champ Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)

It’s not even Halloween yet, but the FIS Alpine World Cup starts – as usual – with racing on the Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden (AUT) this weekend.

The women will start with a Giant Slalom on Saturday and the men will follow with another Giant Slalom on Sunday. That means:

∙ Austria’s Marcel Hirscher will be seeking his eighth straight World Cup title, as well as another Giant Slalom seasonal title, which would be his sixth. He’s been untouchable on a season-long basis and he’s still only 29.

In terms of the Giant Slalom, Hirscher dominated the discipline in 2017-18, racking up 720 points in the seven races that were held, winning six! His season-long rival, Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, finished second in the World Cup overall and second in the G-S standings with 575 points and France’s Alexis Pinturault was third (575).

∙ Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S., 23, won her second straight overall World Cup title, overwhelming everyone in the Slalom, but also scoring well in the Downhill and the Giant Slalom, where she finished third (481 points). She has won at Soelden, in 2015.

The seasonal Giant Slalom title was won by Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg (582 points), who won the season-opener at Soelden last season. France’s Tessa Worley (490) was second.

One contender who will not be in Soelden will be Olympic Downhill champ Sofia Goggia (ITA), who suffered a right ankle injury during training last week and will be out for a month and a half.

The Soelden races have been the season start for the Alpine World Cup beginning with the 2000-01 season. After this week, the racers will go back to training and the season will start for real with Slaloms in Levi (FIN) on 17-18 November.

Look for results from Soelden here.

WRESTLING: Fourth world title for Adeline Gray at UWW Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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Five-time World Champion Adeline Gray of the U.S. (Photo: UWW)

After a disappointing seventh-place finish in the 2016 Rio Games, three-time World Champion Adeline Gray took 2017 off, rested and repaired her body and came back to win her fourth world title in dominating style at the United World Wrestling World Championships at the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena in Budapest (HUN).

Gray stomped her first two opponents in the 76 kg class with a 10-0 technical fall and a pin in 4:49, then survived a significant challenge from Canada’s Erica Wiebe in the semifinals, winning 3-1. She then faced reigning World Champion Yasemin Adar (TUR) and after going down, 1-0, scored 13 consecutive points and won by a 13-1 final.

“Man, the talent in this bracket is insane, and I came out on top,” enthused Gray when it was all over. “We had Olympic and World champions. The technique and the quality there has just been so awesome. Talk about woman power. The heavyweight division of the world is stacked. It’s a good day.”

Gray became the second American woman to win four World Championships, previously in 2012, 2014 and 2015 (and bronzes in 2011 and 2013). She joins John Smith, Tricia Saunders and Jordan Burroughs in that club, and she and Burroughs are both still active.

Gray’s win was the highlight of the U.S. women’s performance, which had several other highlights:

∙ Sarah Hildebrandt took the silver medal in the 53 kg division, winning her first three bouts by 5-1, 15-9 and 11-0 scores, but was thoroughly handled by Japan’s Haruna Okumo in the final, 11-0.

“I had a game plan and she shut it down pretty well and I couldn’t adjust,” said Hildebrandt. “The very best in the world can adjust in the moment. She shut my game plan down. I stuck with it and didn’t make any adjustments during the match. We’ve wrestled before. We trained together. We both knew each other. She knew what I was coming for.”

∙ Tamyra Mensah won the bronze medal at 68 kg, with a 7-4 win over Canada’s Olivia Di Bacco. Mensah lost a tight, 2-1 battle against France’s Koumba Larroque in the semis, but rebounded to earn her first senior World Championships medal.

∙ Mallory Velte won the bronze at 62 kg in a tight, 2-1 match against Brazil’s Lais Nunes de Oliveira. Both of Velte’s points were scored as the result of shot-clock trials and she defended perfectly.

“I have wrestled her in practice” said Velte. “I knew it was going to be a grinder. She is hard to score on. I feel like a million bucks right now. There are a lot of changes I made, but there were a lot of things that stayed the same.”

The U.S. also had fifth-place finishes from Jacarra Winchester at 55 kg and Forrest Molinari at 65 kg, both losing in the bronze-medal matches.

The biggest shock of the tournament was the first-round loss by 2016 Olympic and 2015-17 World Champion Helen Maroulis at 57 kg. She was unscored on during last year’s Worlds (and in 2015) en route to the gold medal, but was in a tough, 2-2 match with Alyona Kolesnik (AZE), but was turned and pinned at 3:46 and finished 21st.

She told FloWrestling afterwards, “I maybe should have waited the year to come back” after her concussion in a tournament in India last January. But she’s hardly done, posting on Twitter, “Hindsight is always 20/20 but no regrets. I learned so much from this year and this journey. Hope is an anchor for the soul. I’m believing and when the time is right will work for better things in the future.”

As usual, Japan won the team title – it’s fifth in a row and 22 of 29 all-time! – with China second and the U.S. third, down one place from 2017. Depth was once again the difference: Japan scored in eight of the 10 classes – with four wins, a silver and two bronzes – and rolled up 156 points. China also scored in nine classes for 119 points and the U.S. had points in seven weights for 103.

In terms of defending champions, only Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili was able to repeat as World Champion in the men’s Freestyle competition. In the women’s competition, three Japanese stars repeated as World Champions this time: Risako Kawai at 59 kg, after winning at 60 kg last year; Yui Sasaki at 50 kg (48 kg in 2017) and Haruna Okuno won at 53 kg (55 kg last year).

The remaining schedule includes just the men’s Greco-Roman division, which will conclude on Sunday.

NBC’s Olympic Channel has coverage scheduled daily of the UWW Worlds; summaries so far:

UWW World Championships
Budapest (HUN) ~ 20-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men/Freestyle

-57 kg:1. Zavur Uguev (RUS); 2. Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ); 3. Suleman Atli (TUR) and Yuki Takahashi (JPN). Third: Atli d. Tom Gilman (USA), 5-4; Takahashi d. Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB), 5-4. Final: Uguev d. Sanayev, 4-3.

-61 kg: 1. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB); 2. Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS); 3. Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) and Joe Colon (USA). Final: Rodriguez d. Rashidov, 6-5; Third: Tumenbileg d. Beka Lomtadze (GEO), 6-3; Colon d. Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi (IRI), 13-2.

-65 kg: 1. Takuto Otoguro (JPN); 2. Bajrang Bajrang (IND); 3. Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) and Akhmed Chakaev (RUS). Third: Valdes Tobier d. Seung-Chul Lee (KOR), 10-0; Chakaev d. George Bucur (ROU), 9-4. Final: Otoguro d. Bajrang, 16-9.

-70 kg: 1. Magomedrasul Gazimegomedov (RUS); 2. Adam Batirov (BRN); 3. Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO) and Franklin Maren Castillo (CUB). Third: Iakobishvili d. Byambadorj Bat Erdene (MGL), 10-0; Maren Castillo d, Andriy Kvyatkovskyy (UKR), 11-1. Final: Gazimagomedov d. Batirov, 7-6.

-74 kg: 1. Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS); 2. Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO); 3. Jordan Burroughs (USA) and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (UZB). Final: Sidakov d. Kentchadze, 2-2 (criteria); Third: Burroughs d. Chamizo, 4-4 (criteria); Abdurakhmonov d. Soner Demirtas (TUR), 3-2.

-79 kg: 1. Kyle Dake (USA); 2. Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE); 3. Ali Shabanau (BLR) and Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (RUS). Third: Shananu d. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (IRI), 8-8 (criteria); Gadzhimagomedov d. Davit Khutsishvili (GEO), 10-0. Final: Dake d. Hasanov, 2-0.

-86 kg: 1. David Taylor (USA); 2. Fatih Erdin (TUR); 3. Hassan Aliazam Yazdanicharati (IRI) and Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva (ESP). Final: Taylor d. Erdin, 12-2; Third: Yazdanicharati d. Dauren Kurugliev (RUS), 11-5; Friev Naskidaeva (ESP) d. Gwanuk Kim (KOR), 7-2.

-92 kg: 1. J’Den Cox (USA); 2. Ivan Yankouski (BLR); 3. Ali Karimimachiani (IRI) and Atsushi Matsumoto (JPN). Third: Karimimachiani d. Dato Marsagishvili (GEO), 12-1; Matsumoto d. Tortogtokh Luvsandorj (MGL), 6-5. Final: Cox d. Yankouski, 4-1.

-97 kg: 1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS); 2. Kyle Snyder (USA); 3. Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) and Abraham Contedo Ruano (ITA). Third: Odikadze d. Magomed Ibragimov (UZB); Conyedo Ruano d. Pavlo Oliinyk (HUN), 2-2 (criteria), Final: Sadulaev d. Snyder by pin, 1:11..

-125 kg: 1. Geno Petriashvili (GEO); 2. Zhiwei Deng (CHN); 3. Parviz Khodavirdi Hadibasmanj (IRI) and Nick Gwiazdowski (USA). Final: Petriashvili d. Zhiwei Deng (CHN), 6-0; Third: Hadibasmanj (IRI) d. Anzor Ruslanovitch Khizriev (RUS), 11-2; Gwiazdowski (USA) d. Sumit Sumit (IND), 7-2.

Team leaders (62 scored): 1.Russia, 178; 2. United States, 150; 3. Georgia, 105; 4. Cuba, 67; 5. Japan, 67; 6. Iran, 65; 7. Mongolia, 57; 8. Turkey, 53; 9. Azerbaijan, 44; 10. Belarus, 41.

Women’s Freestyle

-50 kg: 1. Yui Sasaki (JPN); 2. Mariya Stadnik (AZE); 3. Yanan Sun (CHN) and Oksana Livach (UKR). Third: Sun d. Sonhyang Kim (PRK), 10-0; Livach d. Ritu Ritu (IND), 10-5. Final: Sasaki d. Stadnik, 10-0.

-53 kg: 1. Haruna Okuno (JPN); 2. Sarah Hildebrandt (USA); 3. Qianyu Pang (CHN) and Diana Weicker (CAN). Third: Pang d. Katarzyna Krawczyk (POL), 2-1; Weicker d. Zhuldyz Eshimova (KAZ), 3-2. Final: Okuno d. Hildebrandt, 11-0.

-55 kg: 1. Mayu Mikaida (JPN); 2. Zaline Sidakova (BLR); 3. Myong Suk Jong (PRK) and Lianna Montero Herrers (CUB). Third: Jong d. Qi Zhang (CHN), 2-1; Montero Herrera d. Jacarra Winchester (USA), 5-4. Final: Mukaida d. Sidakova, 12-2.

-57 kg: 1. Ningning Rong (CHN); 2. Bilyana Dudova (BUL); 3. Pooja Dhanda (IND) and Emese Barka (HUN). Third: Dhanda d. Grace Bullen (NOR), 10-7; Barka d. Kateryna Zhydachevska (ROU), 6-0. Final: Rong d. Dudova, 3-3 (criteria).

-59 kg: 1. Risako Kawai (JPN); 2. Elif Yesilirmak (TUR); 3. Shoovdor Baatarjav (MGL) and Xingru Pei (CHN). Third: Baatarjav d. Alejandra Romero Bonilla (MEX), 4-2; Pei d. Svetlana Lipatova (RUS), 7-1. Final: Kawai d. Yesilirmak (TUR), 8-0.

-62 kg: 1. Taybe Yusein (BUL); 2. Yukako Kawai (JPN); 3. Mallory Velte (USA) and Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk (UKR). Third: Velte d. Lais Nunes de Oliveira (BRA), 2-1; Tkach Ostapchuk d. Marianna Sastin (HUN), 2-0. Final: Yusein d. Kawai, 6-2.

-65 kg: Petra Olli (FIN); 2. Danielle Lappage (CAN); 3. Iryna Netreba (AZE) and Ayana Gempei (JPN). Third: Netreba d. Forrest Molinari (USA), 1-1 (criteria); Gempei d. Ritu Ritu (IND), 7-3. Final: Olli d. Lappage, 6-5.

-68 kg: 1. Alla Cherkasova (UKR); 2. Koumba Larroque (FRA); 3. Tamyra Mensah (USA) and Feng Zhou (CHN). Third: Mensah d. Olivia Di Bacco (CAN), 7-4; Zhou d. Maryia Mamashuk (BUL), 12-1. Final: Cherkasova d. Larroque, 15-10.

-72 kg: 1. Justina di Stasio (CAN); 2. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (MGL); 3. Buse Tosun (TUR) and Martina Kuenz (AUT). Third: Tosun d. Juan Wang (CHN), 5-2; Kuenz d. Samar Hamza (EGY), 2-1. Final: Do Stasio d. Ochirbat, 4-2.

-76 kg: 1. Adeline Gray (USA); 2. Yasemin Adar (TUR); 3. Erica Wiebe (CAN) and Hiroe Minagawa Suzuki (JPN). Third: Wiebe d. Epp Mae (EST), 4-0; Minagawa Suzuki d. Zsanett Nemeth (HUN, 0-0 (criteria). Final: Gray d. Adar, 13-1.

Team leaders (36 scored): 1. Japan, 146; 2. China, 119; 3. United States, 103; 4. Canada, 89; 5. Mongolia, 71; 6. Ukraine, 59; 7. Turkey, 55; 8. India, 51; 9. Bulgaria, 47; 10. Azerbaijan, 41.

THE BIG PICTURE: Boxing federation election controversy continues

By
Rich Perelman
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With the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Congress and its presidential election coming on 3 November, the activity surrounding it has increased dramatically.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is deeply involved, with two motions in front of it. It disposed of the first on Wednesday, dismissing a request by the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation for a postponement of the election.

The second, a request by KBF president Serik Konakbayev to be placed on the ballot, is scheduled for decision by 30 October. Konakbayev wants to run for the AIBA presidency, but was held off the ballot because the required letters of nomination were not received by the deadline (on a Sunday). As of now, only interim AIBA President, Gafur Rakhimov (UZB) is on the ballot.

But as the U.S. Treasury Department identified Rakhimov in 2012 as “one of the leaders of Uzbek organized crime with a specialty in the organized production of drugs in the countries of Central Asia,” the International Olympic Committee has been signaling that it might eliminate boxing from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, or find a way to eliminate AIBA’s role in the management of the competition, if Rakhimov is elected.

In the midst of all this, AIBA has allowed Konakbayev to campaign as if he were on the ballot. On Wednesday, Konakbayev – a 1980 Olympic silver medalist in boxing and who holds a Ph.D in economics – distributed his plan for AIBA to the national federations who will vote in November.

Beyond the normal promises of good governance, he pledges to distribute the AIBA’s roughly $17 million Olympic TV share from the IOC to the 203 AIBA national federations, through the AIBA regional confederations, and “not for the use of the AIBA administration any longer.”

Moreover, he wants to end the practice of rule changes coming from AIBA and listen more closely to boxers and coaches, encourage gender equity, and take personal charge of AIBA finances, especially in debt reduction. It’s a heavy load he’s asking for; the CAS decision comes next Tuesday.

LANE ONE: Why is the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique such a Scrooge?

By
Rich Perelman
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The World Championships in Artistic Gymnastics is on for the next week in Doha, Qatar, with a star-studded field that includes not less than 20 men and women who have won Olympic or World Championships, including the incomparable Kohei Uchimura from Japan and Simone Biles of the United States.

So why is the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique so remorselessly cheap with prize money for this event?

Think about it: there are only two team competitions, two All-Around competitions and a grand total of 10 apparatus finals for men and women combined. But here’s how much is available in prize money:

• Team event: $15,000-9,000-6,000-3,000-3,000-3,000 for the top six teams
• All-Around: $5,000-3,000-1,000 for the top three placers (men and women)
• Apparatus: $3,000-2,000-1,000 for each apparatus

(This is a combination of Swiss Francs and U.S. dollars, but as the exchange rate is currently even, we show the total just in dollars.)

That’s a grand total of – wait for it – $156,000 in prizes for the entire meet! Of this, $84,000 will go to men and $72,000 to women because the men have six apparatus and the women have four (what happened to gender equity?).

This is pathetic, especially in consideration to what others pay.

Gymnastics is one of the three “Group A” sports in the Olympic Movement, along with the federations for Athletics (IAAF) and Aquatics (FINA). All three receive at least $32 million from the International Olympic Committee as a share of the television revenues from the Olympic Games. So we need to compare FIG with these other “A’ federations and what they paid athletes at their 2017 Worlds:

• IAAF: 8 places: $60,000-30,000-20,000-15,000-10,000-6,000-5,000-4,000
• Relays: $80,000-40,000-20,000-16,000-12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000
• Total: $7.19 million

• FINA: 8 places: $20,000-15,000-10,000-5,000-4,000-3,000-2,000-1,000
• (Swimming) Total: $2.52 million out of a total purse of $5.46 million for the World Aquatics Champs (also Diving, Open Water, Synchro, Water Pol0)

You already know about what FIG is paying, so its $7.19 million vs. $2.52 million (for swimming) vs. $156,000!

The IAAF posts no financial statements, but the FINA does. Its 2017 statements showed income of CHF 78.3 million (about the same in U.S. dollars) and a surplus of CHF 21.3 million, not to mention CHF 120 million in reserves!

The FIG also does not post its financial statements, making them available only to its members on the password-protected FIG Intranet. Nevertheless, in its Bulletin no. 243, published last August, the minutes of the FIG Council meeting in Istanbul (TUR) from May 2018 noted that:

• FIG had a financial surplus of CHF 2.45 million for calendar year 2017, better than expected.

• “The IOC revenues … were our main income” according to Secretary General Andre Gueisbuhler, and represented 52% of the FIG revenues for 2017; the total IOC contribution will increase by CHF 2 million for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

• A reserve of CHF 18 million is available for operations in case an Olympic Games were to be canceled. So the FIG has money.

Moreover, the financial program for the future includes an allocation of CHF 2 million for an “Ethics Foundation” and CHF 300,000 for testing facilities at the University of Freiburg (GER).

Gueisbuhler, who retired earlier this year, noted that “the income received [from the IOC] every 4 years had always risen, but we should not rely on that because the situation may change in the future. If we wanted to have additional revenues, we must improve our own competitions.”

What the FIG should be doing is severely increasing the prize money available to its athletes. It’s astonishing to think that this organization – founded in 1881 and pre-dating the IOC itself by 13 years – is so badly managed that it can’t award as much for the tiny number of events in its World Championships than the IAAF or FINA can for much larger programs.

True, FIG also has championships in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Acrobatic Gymnastics, Aerobic Gymnastics and Trampoline, but it should build up the prizes for those too, just as the IAAF and FINA do for their minor championships.

To pay what FINA does, the FIG would spend just $840,000, or for IAAF money, a total of $2.1 million, for its major event of the year, held three years out of every four, rather than every other year as in athletics and aquatics.

Why aren’t the gymnasts screaming about this? No wonder FIG doesn’t post its financials!

Rich Perelman
Editor

JUDO: Japan wins seven at World Junior Champs

By
Rich Perelman
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Just as it dominates the senior division, Japanese judoka were the class of the IJF World Junior Championships, held in The Bahamas last week. The event drew 425 competitors from 66 countries, but one was clearly the best.

Japan’s total of 20 medals – seven gold, six silvers and five bronzes – was well clear of second-place Georgia’s five (2-0-3) and four (0-2-2) by Brazil. Italy had three wins and Georgia scored two; no other country has more than one.

There was one repeat champion from 2017, in the women’s -57 kg class, where Haruka Funakubo (JPN) won again.

In the Mixed Team event last Sunday, Japan won (of course), beating Brazil in the final, with Kazakhstan and Russia third. Summaries:

IJF World Junior Championships
Nassau (BAH) ~ 17-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men

-55 kg: 1. Rovshan Aliyev (AZE); 2. Balabay Aghayev (AZE); 3. Imam Ibragimov (RUS) and Hayate Handa (JPN).

-60 kg: 1. Genki Koga (JPN); 2. Seishiro Konishi (JPN); 3. Renan Torres (BRA) and Jaba Papinashvili (GEO).

-66 kg: 1. Manuel Lombardo (ITA); 2. Michael Marcelino (BRA); 3. Murad Chopanov (RUS) and Yuji Aida (JPN).

-73 kg: 1. Bilal Ciloglu (TUR); 2. Ryo Tsukamoto (JPN); 3. Georgios Markarian (GRE) and Zhanbolat Bagtbergenov (KAZ).

-81 kg: 1. Christian Parlati (ITA); 2. Hiromasa Kasahara (JPN); 3. Luka Maisuradze (GEO) and Alexandre Arencibia (CAN).

-90 kg: 1. Lasha Bekauri (GEO); 2. Sanshiro Murao (JPN); 3. Kosuke Mashiyama (JPN) and Mert Sismanlar (TUR).

-100 kg: 1. Kiyotaka Sekine (JPN); 2. Simeon Catharina (NED); 3. Onise Saneblidze (GEO) and Iwo Baraniewski (POL).

+100 kg: 1. Gela Zaalishvili (GEO); 2. Stephen Hegyi (AUT); 3. Erik Abramov (GER) and Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (RUS).

Women

-44 kg: 1. Chihiro Todokoro (JPN); 2. Oumaima Bedioui (TUN); 3. Amanda Arraes (BRA) and Lois Petit (BEL).

-48 kg: 1. Daria Bilodid (UKR); 2. Sana Yoshida (JPN); 3. Andrea Stojadinov (SRB) and Laura Martinez (ESP).

-52 kg: 1. Ryoko Takeda (JPN); 2. Gefen Primo (ISR); 3. Cleonia Riciu (ROU) and Aleksandra Kaketa (POL).

-57 kg: 1. Haruka Funakubo (JPN); 2. Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA); 3. Kaja Kajzer (SLO) and Kana Tomizawa (JPN).

-63 kg: 1. Sanne Vermeer (NED); 2. Laerke Olsen (DEN); 3. Asumi Ura (JPN) and Anja Obradovic (SRB).

-70 kg: 1. Alice Bellandi (ITA); 2. Ryo Shimmori (JPN); 3. Margit de Voogd (NED) and Candice Lebreton (FRA).

-78 kg: 1. Rinoko Wada (JPN); 2. Karla Prodan (CRO); 3. Patricia Sampaio (POR) and Shelley Ludford (GBR).

+78 kg: 1. Hikaru Kodama (JPN); 2. Beatriz Souza (BRA); 3. Laura Fuseau (FRA) and Renee Lucht (GER).

GYMNASTICS Preview: Biles and Uchimura return to World Champs

By
Rich Perelman
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The gymnastics world essentially took a year off in 2017, with a World Championships which did not include a team competition and many of its great stars missing due to injury, retirement or just time off from the grind that had ended at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

But 2018 is different. The stars are back, in particular Kohei Uchimura (partly) and Simone Biles:

∙ Japan’s legendary Uchimura, now 29, returns to the Worlds in 2018 after an ankle injury kept him from defending his streak of six straight world titles in 2009-10-11-13-14-15, plys Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Including team and individual events, he owns 10 World Championships golds, five silvers and four bronzes, plus three Olympic golds (one for Team) and four silvers.

Reports from training sessions in Doha indicated he suffered a right ankle injury and would not compete in the All-Around, but would compete with the Japanese team in Horizontal Bar, Pommel Horse, Parallel Bars and Rings (skipping Floor and Vault).

∙ American Biles took 2017 off, after dominating women’s gymnastics in 2013-14-15, winning the All-Around world title each time, plus the 2016 Olympic All-Around. In Rio, she was a member of the U.S. team that easily took the gold in the Team event, then won golds in the Vault and Floor, plus a bronze on the Beam.

These two headline the 2018 World Championships at the 3,500-seat Aspire Dome in Doha (QAT), with Olympic implications, as the top three men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the Tokyo Games.

The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced entries that include a staggering total of 20 Olympic or World Champions from 13 countries who are scheduled to compete:

Men:
∙ Kohei Uchimura (JPN) ~ 2016 Rio All-Around gold; six-time World All-Around Champion
∙ Ruoteng Xiao (CHN) ~ 2017 World All-Around Champion
∙ Se-Gwang Ri (PRK) ~ 2016 Rio Vault gold; 2014-15 World Vault Champion
∙ Max Whitlock (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic Floor and Pommel Horse golds
∙ Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) ~ 2016 Olympic Parallel Bars gold
∙ Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) ~ 2016 Olympic Rings gold; 2017 World Rings Champion
∙ Kenzo Shirai (JPN) ~ 2017 World Floor Exercise and Vault Champion
∙ Jingyuan Zhou (CHN) ~ 2017 World Parallel Bars Champion
∙ Tin Srbic (CRO) ~ 2017 World Horizontal Bar Champion
∙ Chaopan Lin (CHN) ~ 2013 World Parallel Bars Champion
∙ Arthur Zanetti (BRA) ~ 2012 Olympic Rings gold; 2013 World Rings Champion
∙ Epke Zonderland (NED) ~ 2012 Olympic High Bar gold; 2013-14 World High Bar Champion
∙ Marian Dragulescu (ROU) ~ 2001-02-06-09World Floor Champion and 2001-05-06-09 World Vault Champion, now 37 years old!

Women:
∙ Simone Biles (USA) ~ 2016 Rio All-Around gold; three-time World All-Around Champion
∙ Morgan Hurd (USA) ~ 2017 World All-Around Champion
∙ Aliya Mustafina (RUS) ~ 2012-16 Olympic Uneven Bars gold; 2010 World All-Around Champ
∙ Sanne Wevers (NED) ~ 2016 Olympic Beam gold
∙ Mai Murakami (JPN) ~ 2017 World Floor Champion
∙ Daria Spiridonova (RUS) ~ 2015 World Uneven Bars Co-Champion
∙ Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) ~ 1991 World Floor Champ (URS) and 1993 World Vault Champ (UZB); now 43 years old!

There are plenty of additional contenders enrolled, including American Ragan Smith, who won the 2017 U.S. All-Around title and was a favorite for the Worlds All-Around gold, but injured her ankle in warm-ups for the final and could not compete.

The schedule:

∙ 25 October: Men’s Team qualification
∙ 26 October: Men’s Team qualification
∙ 27 October: Women’s Team qualification
∙ 28 October: Women’s Team qualification
∙ 29 October: Men’s Team final
∙ 30 October: Women’s Team final
∙ 31 October: Men’s All-Around final
∙ 01 November: Women’s All-Around final
∙ 02 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Floor/Pommel Horse/Rings; Women: Vault/Uneven Bars)
∙ 03 November: Apparatus finals
(Men: Vault/Parallel Bars/Horizontal Bar; Women: Beam/Floor)

There is prize money at the Worlds, but it’s pretty pathetic considering the magnitude of the event:

∙ Team event: $15,000-9,000-6,000-3,000-3,000-3,000 for the top six teams
∙ All-Around: $5,000-3,000-1,000
∙ Apparatus: $3,000-2,000-1,000

How come we don’t see screams from the athletes about this?

The NBC Olympic Channel will have coverage from Doha beginning next Monday; there is also streaming coverage this weekend on NBCSports.com/live. Look for results here.

FIGURE SKATING Preview: All eyes on Medvedeva at Skate Canada International

By
Rich Perelman
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Two-time World Champion Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS),

Stop no. 2 for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is in Laval, Quebec, Canada for the Skate Canada International, with strong – but thin – fields in all four events. The expected stars:

Men:
∙ Kazuki Tomono (JPN) ~ Fifth at the 2018 World Championships
∙ Shoma Uno (JPN) ~ 2018 Olympic silver medalist and 2017-18 Worlds silver winner
∙ Jason Brown (USA) ~ Forth at the 2015 Worlds; sixth at the 2018 U.S. Nationals

Women:
∙ Wakaba Higuchi (JPN) ~ 2018 World Championships silver medalist
∙ Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) ~ 2016-17 World Champion; 2018 Olympic silver medalist
∙ Starr Andrews (USA) ~ 10th at Skate America last week
∙ Mariah Bell (USA) ~ 12th at the 2017 and 2018 Worlds; 2017 U.S. Nationals bronze winner

Pairs:
∙ Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro (CAN) ~ 2018 Olympic 11th; 2018 Worlds 6th
∙ Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres (FRA) ~ 2018 Olympic 5th; 2018 Worlds bronze medalists
∙ Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier (USA) ~ 2017 U.S. Champions, second in 2015

Ice Dance:
∙ Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) ~ 2018 Olympic 8th; 2018 World Championships 6th
∙ Anastasia Skoptcova/Kirill Aleshin (RUS) ~ 2018 World Junior Champions
∙ Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) ~ Skate America winners; fourth at PyeongChang 2018; World Championships silver medalists in 2018

Uno, Brown and Alexander Samarin (RUS) went 1-2-3 last year in Regina in the men’s Singles, and the American dance pair of Hubbell and Donohue have finished third in this event three times, in 2013-14-17, but look to break through this year. Canada’s Gilles and Poirier were third in 2016.

But much of the attention will be on the 18-year-old Medvedeva (pictured above), the 2016 and 2017 World Champion and early favorite for PyeongChang. But after recovering from a right foot injury, she fell to second place to fellow Russian Alina Zagitova at the European Championships and won “only” silver in PyeongChang. So, she packed up and left for Toronto, to train with the famed coaching duo of Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson. She won Skate Canada in 2016, but this is her second competition under her new coaching team, as she finished second to American Bradie Tennell in the ISU Challenger Series Autumn Classic International in September in Oakville, Ontario (CAN).

Prize money is as usual in the Grand Prix: $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 U.S. for the top five placers, in both the individual and team events.

NBC will have a summary show on Skate Canada on Sunday from 4-6 p.m. Eastern time. Look for results here.

CURLING Preview: Grand Slam Masters starts in Truro

By
Rich Perelman
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The second stop in the Grand Slam of Curling is in Truro for The Masters, one of the four events which founded the series back in 2002 and added a women’s tournament in 2012. As such, The Masters is one of the prized events on tour.

This year’s edition is sponsored by Canadian Beef and takes place at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia. The top teams:

Men:
∙ Reid Caruthers (CAN) ~ 2018 Elite 10 runner-up; Fourth Mike McEwen won the 2015 Masters
∙ Niklas Edin (SWE) ~ 2018 World Champion and 2016 Masters winners
∙ Brad Gushue (CAN) ~ 2018 Elite 10 champs; defending Masters champs; 2017 World Champs
∙ Glenn Howard (CAN) ~ Masters champions in 2007-08-09-10-12-14; 2012 World Champs
∙ Brad Jacobs (CAN) ~ 2014 Olympic gold medalists
∙ Kevin Koe (CAN) ~ 2012 Masters champions; 2010-16 World Champions
∙ John Shuster (USA) ~ 2016 Olympic Champions

Women:
∙ Satsuki Fujisawa (JPN) ~ 2018 Olympic bronze medalists
∙ Anna Hasselborg (SWE) ~ 2018 Olympic gold medalists; 2018 Elite 10 winners
∙ Rachel Homan (CAN) ~ Masters winner in 2012-13-15; 2017 World Champions
∙ Jennifer Jones (CAN) ~ 2017 Masters winner; 2014 Olympic gold medalist
∙ Kaitlyn Jones (CAN) ~ 2018 World Junior Champions
∙ Nina Roth (USA) ~ 2018 Olympic Trials winners for the U.S.
∙ Jamie Sinclair (USA) ~ 2018 U.S. National Champions; fourth in 2018 World Champs
∙ Silvana Tirinzoni (SUI) ~ Elite 10 runner-ups

Shuster’s rink returns to competition after the “Miracurl on Ice” in PyeongChang. Shuster, Matt Hamilton and John Landsteiner are back, but with Tyler George’s retirement, Chris Plys has joined as third.

Look for the scores and standings here.

BADMINTON Preview: French Open showcases world nos. 1 vs. 2

By
Rich Perelman
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For the second week in a row, the top-two ranked players and teams in the world will face off, this time at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris in the $750,000 Yonex French Open. The top seeds and their current BWF World Rankings:

∙ Men’s Singles:
1. Kento Momota (JPN: 1)
2. Yuqi Shi (CHN: 2)

∙ Men’s Doubles:
1. Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sakamuljo (INA: 2)
2. Junhui Li/Yuchen Liu (CHN: 2)

∙ Women’s Singles:
1. Tzu Ying Tai (TPE: 1)
2. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN: 2)

∙ Women’s Doubles:
1. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN: 1)
2. Misaki Matsumoto/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN: 2)

∙ Mixed Doubles:
1. Siwei Zhang/Yaqiong Huang (CHN: 1)
2. Yilyu Wang/Dongping Huang (CHN: 2)

Last week at the Danisa Denmark Open, all of the top-ranked players and teams won: Momota and Tai took the Singles titles, and Gideon/Sukamuljo, Fukushima/Hirota and Zhang/Huang in the Doubles events. Interestingly, none of the second-ranked entries made it to the finals!

The French Open is an ancient tournament, dating back to 1908! Tai is the defending women’s Singles champion from 2017, but there are lots of former champs in the field. In the men’s draw, former winners include Shi (2016), India’s Srikanth Kidambi (2017), China’s Dan Lin (2009) and Tien-Chen Chou (TPE: 2014). Tai will have to get past the 2016 champ, China’s Bingjiao He.

In the men’s Doubles, defending champs Jhe-huei Lee and Yang Lee (TPE) are back, as are three-time champions, Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen (DEN). The women’s Doubles winners from 2017 are also back, Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu.

Look for results here.

WRESTLING: Dake and Cox win world titles; U.S. men second at UWW Worlds

By
Rich Perelman
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World Champions Kyle Dake and J'Den Cox (Photo: USA Wrestling)

U.S. wrestlers Kyle Dake and J’Den Cox became the first champions of the two new weight classes for men at the United World Wrestling World Championships at the Papp Laszlo Budapest Sportarena in Budapest (HUN).

Dake, who had wrestled in the shadow of four-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs, finally made the U.S. team and stormed through his bouts, winning 11-0, 11-0 and 13-0 in his 79 kg semi against Russia’s Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov. In the final, he out-fought Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE) with single points in each period for a 2-0 win. He ended the tournament outscoring his four opponents by 37-0!

“I feel like I wrestled really well,” said Dake, a four-time NCAA champ for Cornell. “I might have gotten a little too hyped last night. That was a huge match for me. This time, it was a different type of match. Stylistically, he was a little bit more reserved, and I was a little bit more reserved, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

Cox also made history, but he’s no stranger to the medal rounds after winning bronze medals in the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 Worlds at 86 kg. This time, he moved up to 92 kg and had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period in his final against Ivan Yankouski of Belarus.

In the second period, Yankouski tied it, but then lost a point by being unable to score in a shot-clock period and after Cox managed a late takedown, the final was 4-1.

“I feel weightless,” said Cox afterwards. “It’s awesome being on top of the ladder. Our team is doing so well, especially with the young talent and the guys who have been battling each other for years. Now we come out here and we get championship after championship after championship. We’re getting medals and titles, and that’s what we do. We’ve meshed as a team and it’s fun to be a part of this.”

The U.S. has some disappointments as well, with 2017 World silver medalist Tom Gilman finishing fifth at 57 kg and 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Champion Kyle Snyder having to settle for silver at 97 kg.

Snyder moved through his side of the bracket with 8-3, 10-0, 11-2 and 3-0 wins, to face 2016 Rio 86 kg champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia in the final. Snyder won the title last year at 97 kg over Sadulaev with a late score for a 6-5 victory. This time, it was different.

Sadulaev took a quick shot and scored a takedown for a 2-0 lead, then turned Snyder on his back and a pin was called at 1:11 of the first round. “Making it to the World finals is awesome,” said Snyder. “The finals ended quickly, so that stunk. Everybody knows that Sadulaev is a talented wrestler. He hit me in a good move, and it worked out well for him tonight.” This is a rivalry – now at 1-1 – which will only grow in the years to come.

After winning the men’s Freestyle team title last year, the U.S. ended up second in 2018, 178-150, to the Russian squad, which won four divisions, scored one silver and two bronze medals. The Americans also won seven medals: three gold, a silver and two bronzes, but the Russians scored points in all 10 weight classes, while the U.S. tallied points in eight.

Still, USA Wrestling communications chief Gary Abbott noted that the seven-medal performance in men’s Freestyle – albeit with two new weight classes – equals the second-best U.S. haul ever, with the 1979 and 1986 men’s squads and the 2003 women’s team. The U.S. record is eight medals, by the 1987 Worlds team.

The women’s Freestyle competition is underway and the U.S. has medals coming from Tamyra Mensah, who will fight for bronze at 68 kg, and 2012-14-15 World Champion Adeline Gray, at 76 kg, who will oppose reigning World Champion Yasemin Adar of Turkey in the final. In addition, Forrest Molinari has a chance to wrestle for a bronze medal at 65 kg.

It’s also worth noting that only Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili was able to repeat as World Champion in the men’s Freestyle competition. In the women’s Freestyle category, Japan’s Risako Kawai repeated her world title at 59 kg, after winning at 60 kg last year and in Rio in 2016 at 63 kg.

The remaining schedule:

∙ Women’s Freestyle: 24-25 October
∙ Men’s Greco-Roman: 25-26-27-28 October

NBC’s Olympic Channel has coverage scheduled daily of the UWW Worlds; summaries so far:

UWW World Championships
Budapest (HUN) ~ 20-28 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men/Freestyle

-57 kg:1. Zavur Uguev (RUS); 2. Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ); 3. Suleman Atli (TUR) and Yuki Takahashi (JPN). Third: Atli d. Tom Gilman (USA), 5-4; Takahashi d. Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB), 5-4. Final: Uguev d. Sanayev, 4-3.

-61 kg: 1. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (CUB); 2. Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS); 3. Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg (MGL) and Joe Colon (USA). Third: Tumenbileg d. Beka Lomtadze (GEO), 6-3; Colon d. Mohammadbagher Esmaeil Yakhkeshi (IRI), 13-2. Final: Rodriguez d. Rashidov, 6-5.

-65 kg: 1. Takuto Otoguro (JPN); 2. Bajrang Bajrang (IND); 3. Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB) and Akhmed Chakaev (RUS). Third: Valdes Tobier d. Seung-Chul Lee (KOR), 10-0; Chakaev d. George Bucur (ROU), 9-4. Final: Otoguro d. Bajrang, 16-9.

-70 kg: 1. Magomedrasul Gazimegomedov (RUS); 2. Adam Batirov (BRN); 3. Zurabi Iakobishvili (GEO) and Franklin Maren Castillo (CUB). Third: Iakobishvili d. Byambadorj Bat Erdene (MGL), 10-0; Maren Castillo d, Andriy Kvyatkovskyy (UKR), 11-1. Final: Gazimagomedov d. Batirov, 7-6.

-74 kg: 1. Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS); 2. Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO); 3. Jordan Burroughs (USA) and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (UZB). Third: Burroughs d. Chamizo, 4-4 (criteria); Abdurakhmonov d. Soner Demirtas (TUR), 3-2. Final: Sidakov d. Kentchadze, 2-2 (criteria).

-79 kg: 1. Kyle Dake (USA); 2. Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE); 3. Ali Shabanau (BLR) and Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (RUS). Third: Shananu d. Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (IRI), 8-8 (criteria); Gadzhimagomedov d. Davit Khutsishvili (GEO), 10-0. Final: Dake d. Hasanov, 2-0.

-86 kg: 1. David Taylor (USA); 2. Fatih Erdin (TUR); 3. Hassan Aliazam Yazdanicharati (IRI) and Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva (ESP). Third: Yazdanicharati d. Dauren Kurugliev (RUS), 11-5; Friev Naskidaeva (ESP) d. Gwanuk Kim (KOR), 7-2. Final: Taylor d. Erdin, 12-2.

-92 kg: 1. J’Den Cox (USA); 2. Ivan Yankouski (BLR); 3. Ali Karimimachiani (IRI) and Atsushi Matsumoto (JPN). Third: Karimimachiani d. Dato Marsagishvili (GEO), 12-1; Matsumoto d. Tortogtokh Luvsandorj (MGL), 6-5. Final: Cox d. Yankouski, 4-1.

–97 kg: 1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS); 2. Kyle Snyder (USA); 3. Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) and Abraham Contedo Ruano (ITA). Third: Odikadze d. Magomed Ibragimov (UZB); Conyedo Ruano d. Pavlo Oliinyk (HUN), 2-2 (criteria), Final: Sadulaev d. Snyder by pin, 1:11.

-125 kg: 1. Geno Petriashvili (GEO); 2. Zhiwei Deng (CHN); 3. Parviz Khodavirdi Hadibasmanj (IRI) and Nick Gwiazdowski (USA). Third: Hadibasmanj (IRI) d. Anzor Ruslanovitch Khizriev (RUS), 11-2; Gwiazdowski (USA) d. Sumit Sumit (IND), 7-2. Final: Petriashvili d. Zhiwei Deng (CHN), 6-0.

Team leaders (62 scored): 1.Russia, 178; 2. United States, 150; 3. Georgia, 105; 4. Cuba, 67; 5. Japan, 67; 6. Iran, 65; 7. Mongolia, 57; 8. Turkey, 53; 9. Azerbaijan, 44; 10. Belarus, 41.

Women/Freestyle

-55 kg: 1. Mayu Mikaida (JPN); 2. Zaline Sidakova (BLR); 3. Myong Suk Jong (PRK) and Lianna Montero Herrers (CUB). Third: Jong d. Qi Zhang (CHN), 2-1; Montero Herrera d. Jacarra Winchester (USA), 5-4. Final: Mukaida d. Sidakova, 12-2.

-59 kg: 1. Risako Kawai (JPN); 2. Elif Yesilirmak (TUR); 3. Shoovdor Baatarjav (MGL) and Xingru Pei (CHN). Third: Baatarjav d. Alejandra Romero Bonilla (MEX), 4-2; Pei d. Svetlana Lipatova (RUS), 7-1. Final: Kawai d. Yesilirmak (TUR), 8-0.

ATHLETICS: IAAF announces its Athletes of the Year nominees, and you can vote, too!

By
Rich Perelman
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Amid all the doping, politics and money issues, let’s talk about sports for once, as the IAAF announced its Athletes of the Year nominees:

Men:
∙ Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) ~ 1,500 m Diamond League Champ & world leader
∙ Christian Coleman (USA) ~ 100 m Diamond League Champ & world leader
∙ Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ Pole Vault European Champ & world leader
∙ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) ~ Won London & Berlin marathons & new world record
∙ Emmanuel Korir (KEN) ~ 800 m Diamond League Champ & world leader
∙ Noah Lyles (USA) ~ 200 m Diamond League Champ & world leader
∙ Luvo Manyonga (RSA) ~ Long Jump Diamond League Champion
∙ Kevin Mayer (FRA) ~ Decathlon world-record setter
∙ Abderrahman Samba (QAT) ~ 400 m Diamond League Champ & world leader
∙ Tom Walsh (NZL) ~ Shot Put Diamond League Champ & world leader

Women:
∙ Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) ~ 100 m/200 m European Champ & world leader
∙ Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) ~ Steeplechase world-record setter
∙ Sifan Hassan (NED) ~ 5,000 m European Champion; mile world leader
∙ Caterine Ibarguen (COL) ~ Long Jump/Triple Jump Continental Cup wins
∙ Mariya Lasitskene (RUS) ~ High Jump World European Champ & world leader
∙ Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) ~ Unbeaten at 200/400 m & 400 m world leader
∙ Sandra Perkovic (CRO) ~ Discus European Champion & world leader
∙ Caster Semenya (RSA) ~ 800 m Commonwealth-African-Diamond League Champ
∙ Nafi Thiam (BEL) ~ Heptathlon European Champion & world leader
∙ Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) ~ Hammer European Champion & world leader

Three groups will vote: The IAAF Council and the IAAF Family by e-mail, and fans can vote online via the IAAF’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites through 12 November. A ‘like’ on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter counts as a vote. The IAAF Council’s vote will count for 50%; the IAAF Family’s vote and the public vote count for 25%.

The award winners will be announced on 4 December.

LANE ONE: Bach’s Olympic vision takes shape: City-center spectacle and fewer venues

By
Rich Perelman
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The famed Obelisco in Buenos Aires : site of the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of Germany has plenty of critics, but say this for him: he has a vision.

Since being elected to head the IOC in 2013, he immediately set out to reform the way that Olympic and Winter Games are bid for and organized, with his “Agenda 2020″ and “The New Norm” programs. Many say these don’t go far enough, but they are certainly moving in the right direction of more flexibility for organizers and relief from some costs imposed previously.

In his wrap-up news conference at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires last week, Bach was asked about the impact of this Games as a “laboratory” for the IOC and the Olympic Movement. His answer – for those paying attention – outlined with clarity his vision of future Games:

• “We have to evaluate and study. This starts with the format of the Opening Ceremony. I think for Tokyo, this is too late, but imagine such an Opening Ceremony in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on the Champ de Mars, with hundreds of thousands of people being part of his Opening Ceremony. Not just watching, but being part of this Opening Ceremony, could be a real vision, but there are many, many questions to answer, but I don’t need to elaborate on each and every, but security and logistics and so on.

“But this is what we now have to take from this Games. We have to evaluate them carefully and then learn the lessons and then draw our conclusions from this, so we can take as much as possible of these innovations, which have proven to be successful, then also to the Olympic Games.”

• “We don’t want the [Olympic] Games to grow beyond where they are. This is why we have already taken the decision for Paris that if there would be any addition of new sports or disciplines, that this has to remain in the quota of the 10,500 athletes.

“And there, what will play a role, also, and has played a role in the composition of the program, but will play an even more important role in the future is, that when it comes to new sports, that we will not only encourage as we do to use existing facilities or temporary facilities or then move even out of the city or out of the country. We will also look very carefully whether we can optimize the venue sharing between different sports or whether before we take new sports on board, which effect this has on venues and potential venues cost.”

• “What we can do and what we are encouraging is, already to candidate or potential candidate cities, to interested cities, is to advise them of these trends we are seeing … that sport has to go to the city centers, and that you see the overall, the mega-trend in this world [is] that more and more people are moving into urban centers, so that in order to reach these people, an urban park is an excellent tool.”

These comments seem like common sense, but they are far from what Olympic bidders and organizers have faced in prior years. Bach has now outlined, rather concretely, what he sees as the right way to stage future Games:

1. Stage the largest, greatest spectacle possible for the Opening Ceremony, preferably bringing hundreds of thousands of people into contact with the signature event of the Games. More than 200,000 saw the YOG opening – for free – at the famed Obelisco in downtown Buenos Aires.

The same for the Closing Ceremony would be good, too.

2. Put the Games, as much as possible, in facilities in the middle of the host city, with auxiliary (free) programming so that as many people as possible “have sport brought to them.”

Bach also extended this idea to auxiliary cities which could/would host aspects of a Games.

3. Organizing committees can and should ask the IOC to limit the number of days of athletes, competition and training days for sports so that existing venues can share sports and fewer will be needed, reducing costs. This is a major turn for the better for most bid cities.

These are the core concepts of a Bach-style Olympic Games; now we know.

What Paris might do for 2024 is hard to forecast, but Bach makes Los Angeles 2028 look like the paradigm, with the Opening Ceremony planned for two stadiums at the same time, seven sports in the Convention Center/Staples Center complex, four major sports at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and USC area (with Exposition Park in the middle) and two more multi-sport parks identified.

With this outline, the IOC is also in position to do something to help potential bid cities, and to help its own standing. Using Bach’s program, the IOC could create an in-house consulting team that would visit interested cities for future Games – Olympic or regional – and provide a detailed report on the potential for hosting major Games in that city or region.

The review and the report would be free; a service that the IOC would provide to cities for a direct, detailed view of its real possibilities as a candidate. After all, he’s committed to bringing sport to where the people are, so now he can bring the IOC anywhere and everywhere that someone wants to talk about a future Games.

Rich Perelman
Editor

VOLLEYBALL: Serbia claims first-ever Women’s Worlds crown

By
Rich Perelman
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FIVB Women's World Champions: Serbia (Photo: FIVB)

Serbia’s women showed they belonged in the top echelon of world volleyball in Rio in 2016 with a silver medal. At the FIVB Women’s World Championships in Japan, the ascended to the top step with a thrilling 3-2 win over Italy to claim their first-ever world title.

The Serb attack was led by hitter Tijana Boskovic, later named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, who scored 26 points to lead her team back from a 2-1 deficit and win the last two sets: 21-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12.

Played in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Yokohama Arena, in Yokohama (JPN), the final match scores included:

∙ 19 October: Semifinals:
Serbia 3, Netherlands 1
Italy 3, China 2

∙ 20 October:
5th place: United States 3, Japan 1
3rd place: China 3, Netherlands 0
1st place: Serbia 3, Italy 2

Italy was trying for its second title, after winning in 2002; Serbia (as Serbia and Montenegro) won a bronze in 2006, it’s only World Championships medal until now. The final standings:

1. Serbia
2. Italy
3. China
4. Netherlands
5. United States
6. Japan
7. Brazil
8. Russia
9. Dominican Republic
10. Turkey
11. Germany
12. Bulgaria
13. Thailand
14. Puerto Rico
15. Azerbaijan
16. Mexico
17. Korea
18. Canada
19. Argentina
20. Kenya
21. Cameroon
22. Cuba
23. Trinidad & Tobago
24. Kazakhstan

The tournament all-star team included:

• Outside hitters: Miryam Sylla (ITA) and Ting Zhu (CHN)
• Middle blockers: Yan Ni (CHN) and Milena Rasic (SRB)
• Opposite: Paola Egonu (ITA)
• Setter: Ofelia Malinov (ITA)
• Libero: Monica De Gennaro (ITA)
• Most Valuable: Tijana Boskovic (SRB)

Egonu finished as the tournament’s leading scorer by far, piling up 324 points (275 kills, by far the most in the event), followed by Lonneke Sloetjes (NED: 276), Zhu (CHN: 227), Boskovic (SRB: 193) and Sarina Koga (JPN: 171). The top U.S. scorers were Jordan Larson (134) and Kim Hill (134), who ranked 11th an 12th overall.

You can review the final scores and standings here.

TAEKWONDO: Britain shines in Taekwondo Grand Prix in Manchester

By
Rich Perelman
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Jade Jones (GBR) stands atop the women's -57 kg podium in Manchester

Home cooking means medals.

Britain’s taekwondo squad showed up in force and fought to an impressive five-medal performance at the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Manchester (GBR).

Great Britain produced winners in Jade Jones in the women’s -57 kg class and Lauren Williams in the -67 kg class and then earned a silver from 2017 World Champion heavyweight Bianca Walkden at +67 kg. Add in a silver medal from Damon Sansum in the men’s -80 kg class and a bronze from Bradly Sinden (-68 kg) and their haul eclipsed Korea (four) and Iran (three) for top honors.

Both Korea and Iran had one winner each, with Armin Hadipour reverseing the 2017 World Championships final by winning at -58 kg for the men over Korean Tae-Hun Kim. The 2017 World Champion, Dae-Hoon Lee, won the -68 kg category. Summaries:

World Taekwondo Grand Prix no. 4
Manchester (GBR) ~ 19-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men

-58 kg: 1. Armin Hadipour (IRI); 2. Tae-Hun Kim (KOR); 3. Adrian Vicente Yunta (ESP) and Jesus Tortosa Cabrera (ESP). Final: Hadipour d. Kim, 16-12.

-68 kg: 1. Dae-Hoon Lee (KOR); 2. Mirhasham Hosseini (IRI); 3. Si Mohamed Ketbi (BEL) and Bradly Sinden (GBR). Final: Lee d. Hosseini, 11-7; withdrew.

-80 kg: 1. Raul Martinez Garcia (ESP); 2. Damon Sansum (GBR); 3. Seif Eissa (EGY) and Nikita Rafalovich (UZB). Final: Martinez Garcia d. Sansum, 22-7.

+80 kg: 1. Vladislav Larin (RUS); 2. Kyo-Don In (KOR); 3. Sajjad Mohamed (IRI) and Hongyi Sun (CHN). Final: Larin d. In, 7-6.

Women

-49 kg: 1. Panipak Wangpattanakit (THA); 2. Jae-Young Sim (KOR); 3. Yu-Ting Hung (TPE) and Miyu Hamada (JPN). Final: Wangpattanakit d. Sim, 11-0.

-57 kg: 1. Jade Jones (GBR); 2. Lijun Zhou (CHN); 3. Skylar Park (CAN) and Raheleh Asemani (BEL). Final: Jones d. Zhou, 11-4.

-67 kg: 1. Lauren Williams (GBR); 2. Matea Jelic (CRO); 3. Victoria Tamez (MEX) and Nur Tatar Askari (TUR). Final: Williams d. Jelic, 15-10.

+67 kg: 1. Shuyin Zheng (CHN); 2. Bianca Walkden (GBR); 3. Maria Espinoza (MEX) and Pan Gao (CHN). Final: Zheng vs. Walkden, 6-4.

TABLE TENNIS: Fan wins second World Cup title in three years in Paris

By
Rich Perelman
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China's top-ranked Zhendong Fan.

The Liebherr Men’s World Cup pits the world’s top players against each other in a short tournament, highlighting the cream of the crop in table tennis.

For the most part, that means China will win. And that was the case in 2018, as Zhendong Fan (pictured), a four-time World Champion in Doubles or Team Events, won his second World Cup title in the past three years by beating another two-time champion, Timo Boll (GER) at the Disney Events Arena in Paris (FRA).

This was really an inter-generational match-up, as Boll is 37 and Fan, despite his experience, is still just 21. Boll won this tournament in 2002 and 2005 and has been a finalist in 2008-12-17. But while Boll struggled through his matches in the main draw, Fan won by 4-0 in the Round of 16, 4-0 in the quarters and then 4-1 against countryman Gaoyuan Lin, who went on to win the bronze medal.

In the final, Fan – ranked no. 1 in the world – took a 3-0 sets lead, lost one set and then finished with another 4-1 win: 11-9, 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8. Chinese players have now won eight of the prior nine World Cups for men and 13 of the last 16. With Fan at just 21, he’s only starting to collect trophies. Summaries:

ITTF Men’s World Cup
Paris (FRA) ~ 19-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Results: 1. Zhendong Fan (CHN); 2. Timo Boll (GER); 3. Gaoyuan Lin (CHN); 4. Dmitrij Ovtcharov (GER). Semis: Fan d. Lin, 4-1; Boll d. Ovtcharov, 4-2. Third: Lin d. Ovtcharov, 4-1. Final: Fan d. Boll, 4-1 (1-9, 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8).

SPORT CLIMBING: Schubert, Garnbret and Jaubert clinch season titles in Wujiang

By
Rich Perelman
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Slovenia's climbing star Janja Garnbret

Three IFSC World Cup titles for 2018 were decided in Wujiang (CHN), as the Lead competitions were won by Jakob Schubert (AUT) and Janja Garnbret (SLO) and the women’s Speed title was taken by Anouck Jaubert of France.

The men’s and women’s Lead finals were both canceled because of heavy rain, so the semifinal results had to stand as final. France’s Romain Desgranges won the event, but with a second-place finish, Schubert managed to get enough separation from Italy’s Stefano Ghisolfi in fifth to clinch the title. It’s the third seasonal World Cup title, previously in 2011 and 2014, and he’s won a seasonal medal in the World Cup in seven of last eight years!

Garnbret, still 19, won her third straight World Cup title and won her fourth event this season, ahead of three-time World Cup winner Jain Kim of Korea. Garnbret is the favorite for the Olympic title in 2020 and showed once again her leadership in her best event.

In women’s Speed, Jaubert finished second to Indonesia’s Aries Susanti Rahayu in Wujiang, and those points managed to give her the seasonal title. She won three of the first six events this season and now has won a seasonal medal for the fifth straight season!

The men’s Speed event is not decided and will be determined in the final event of the season, next week in Xiamen (CHN).

Summaries from Wujiang:

IFSC World Cup
Wujiang (CHN) ~ 20-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men/Lead: 1. Romain Desgranges (FRA), 35+; 2. Jakob Schubert (AUT), 32; 3. Hyunbin Min (KOR), 32; 4. Hidemasa Nishida (JPN), 31+; 5. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA), 28+.

Men/Speed ~ Final: 1. Aspar Jaelolo (INA), 5.810; 2. Ludovico Fossali (ITA), 5.940. Third: 3. Reza Alipour (IRI), 5.960; 4. Aleksandr Shilov (RUS), 5.990.

Women/Lead: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO), 36+; 2. Jain Kim (KOR), 36+; 3. Jessica Pilz (AUT), 36; 4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN), 35+; 5. Katharina Posch (AUT), 31.

Women/Speed ~ Final: 1. Aries Susanti Rahayu (INA), 7.740; 2. Anouck Jaubert (FRA), 8.010. Third: 3. Iullia Kaplina (RUS), 7.650; 4. Mariia Krasavina (RUS), 7.870.

RUGBY: New Zealand tops U.S. in Women’s Sevens Series opener

By
Rich Perelman
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New Zealand: winners of the Women's Sevens season opener in Glendale!

The U.S. women’s rugby team didn’t get off to a good start at the 2018-19 season opener in the HSBC Women’s Sevens Series at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado.

They lose their first pool match to England, 12-10. They beat China in a tough game, 24-21. Then they got mauled by four-time Sevens Series champions New Zealand, 35-12. But by one point, they managed to slip into the last playoff spot in the championship bracket.

They didn’t mess up their chance. The U.S. defeated defending Sevens Series winners Australia, 26-5 (wow!) in the quarterfinals and slipped by France, 21-19, in the semis to get New Zealand again in the final.

The result was about the same as in group play. The Kiwis took a 21-7 halftime lead, and won, 33-7.

But the U.S. women seem to do well in season openers; the last time they finished as high as second in a Sevens Series tournament, it was in last season’s opener in Doha (QAT), where they lost to Australia.

In the third-place game, Canada crushed France, 28-0. Australia managed to finish fifth, beating Ireland, 21-19.

This is the seventh year of the women’s Sevens Series, with Australia winning for the second time in three years in 2017-18. Only two teams – New Zealand and Australia – have won, with the Kiwis taking the first three titles and the 2016-17 title. Last season was the first that Canada did not place in the top three; the best-ever U.S. finish was fourth in the 2012-13 campaign (and fifth or sixth the last four years).

Australia piled up 92 points to win last season, ahead of New Zealand (90), France (68), Canada (60) and the U.S. (56). Complete results are here.

FIGURE SKATING: Chen and Miyahara repeat winners at Skate America

By
Rich Perelman
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The individual winners of the 2018 edition of Skate America were the same as the 2017 winners: Nathan Chen (USA) and Satoko Miyahara (JPN).

This was the season opener for the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix and Chen dominated the men’s competition, winning both the Short Program and the Free Skate to pile up an impressive 280.57 point total. He won by more than 41 points over Czech Michal Brezina (239.51).

Chen completed four quad jumps and five triples en route to winning. “I’m happy with today’s skate, definitely a lot of improvement from my last competition and that’s really my goal throughout the seasons – just keep on improving from competition to competition,” he said.

“In terms of the number of quads, the program was definitely watered down, but I think that in terms of where I am at in the season right now, it’s definitely perfect. I’m looking to add more, but at the same time build on everything else.”

Miyahara, the 2018 Worlds bronze medalist and fourth at the 2018 Winter Games, also won both segments of the competition, but was pressed by countrywoman Kaori Sakamoto, sixth in PyeongChang and second in both sections here, 219.71-213.90.

In the Pairs competition, there was little doubt that Russia’s Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov should be the class of the field, and they were. The 2018 World Champs silver medalists won the Short Program and Free Skate and piled up a score of 204.85 to win easily. Russia’s Alisa Efimova and Alexander Korovin were at 178.98. The American pair of Ashley Cain (23) and Timothy Leduc (28) were second in the Free Skate and move into third overall at 175.06.

The American Ice Dance team of Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue – silver medalists at rhw 2018 Worlds – also swept both sections of their event and won at 200.82 for their first ISU Grand Prix gold. Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri were second-best in both the Short Dance and Free Dance to finish at 192.30.

Said Hubbell, “Zach and I put in a lot of work since our first competition in Salt Lake [Challenger Series event] to really dive into the emotions of Romeo and Juliet and to put more skating quality, more power into the program. I think we were able to show those changes well, but we’re also looking forward to more and more improvement and hopefully have a cleaner skate next week in Skate Canada.”

Skate America was the first of the six Grand Prix events, and was held at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington (USA). There was good prize money at this event: $18,000-13,000-9,000-3,000-2,000 for the top five placers in both the individual and pairs/dance events. Summaries:

ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix/Skate America
Everett, Washington (USA) ~ 19-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Nathan Chen (USA), 280.57 (1st in Short Program + 1st in Free Skate); 2. Michal Brezina (CZE), 239.51 (2+2); 3. Sergei Voronov (RUS), 226.44 (4+4). Also: 5. Vincent Zhou (USA), 225.75 (6+3); … 12. Jimmy Ma (USA), 185.06 (7+12).

Women: 1. Satoko Miyahara (JPN), 219.71 (1+1); 2. Kaori Sakamoto (JPN), 213.90 (2+2); 3. Sofia Samodurova (RUS), 198.70 (3+3). Also: 4. Bradie Tennell (USA), 192.89 (5+4); … 6. Megan Wessenberg (USA), 170.33 (6+6); … 10. Starr Andrews (USA), 150.56 (9+10).

Pairs: 1. Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 204.85 (1+1); 2. Alisa Efimova/Alexander Korovin (RUS), 178.98 (2+3); 3. Ashley Cain/Timothy Leduc (USA), 175.06 (4+2). Also: 4. Alexa Scimera Knierim/Chris Knierim (USA), 171.56 (5+4); … 6. Nica Digerness/Danny Neudecker (USA), 151.21 (7+6).

Ice Dance: 1. Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA), 200.82 (1+1); 2. Charlene Guignard/Macro Fabbri (ITA), 192.30 (2+2); 3. Tiffani Zagorski/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS), 181.38 (3+4). Also: 4. Lorraine McNamara/Quinn Carpenter (USA), 180.46 (4+3); … 10. Karina Manta/Joseph Johnson (USA), 139.33 (10+10).

CYCLING: World champs Glaetzer and Wild win in Track World Cup opener

By
Rich Perelman
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The echo of the 2018 World Championships was heard in the opening of the 27th edition of the UCI Track World Cup in Saint-Quentin (FRA), with two World Champions demonstrating they are still at the top of their game.

Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer won the Sprint, taking a tense final in which he lost the first race, then barely managed to force a third race with a win by 0.018. He won the event with a 0.297-second win over Harrie Lavreysen (NED).

Dutch star Kirsten Wild, who won the Scratch Race, Points Race and Omnium at the Worlds, was in control here in the Omnium with a clear victory. The busiest rider was Russia’s Daria Shmeleva, the Time Trial silver winner at the 2018 Worlds. She finished third in the Sprint, second in the Keirin and then teamed with Anastasiia Voinova to win the Team Sprint. Summaries:

UCI Track Cycling World Cup no. 1
Saint-Quentin (FRA) ~ 19-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men

Sprint: 1. Matthew Glaetzer (AUS); 2. Harrie Lavreysen (NED); 3. Jeffrey Hoogland (NED); 4. Mateusz Rudyk (POL).

Team Sprint/Final: 1. Netherlands (van den Berg, Hoogland, Ligtlee), 42.939; 2. France, 43.5676; Third: 3. Russia, 43.771; 4. Great Britain, 45.171.

Team Pursuit/Final: 1. Denmark (Johansen, Hansen, Pedersen, von Folsach); 2. Great Britain, overtaken. Third: 3. Italy, 3:53.153; 4. Hub Wattbike (GBR), 3:55.464.

Keirin (6 laps): 1. Yuta Wakimoto (JPN); 2. Edward Dawkins (NZL), +0.079; 3. Krzystof Maksel (POL), +0.128.

Points Race (120 laps): 1. Moritz Malcharek (GER), 53 points; 2. Mark Stewart (GBR), 45; 3. Christos Volikakis (GRE), 43. Also: 19. Shane Kline (USA), 1.

Scratch Race (60 laps): 1. Stefan Matzner (AUT); 2. Leigh Howard (AUS); 3. Adrien Garel (FRA).

Omnium: 1. Albert Torres Varcelo (ESP), 174; 2. Oliver Wood (GBR), 142; 3. Benjamin Thomas (FRA), 139. Also: 22. Kline (USA), 13.

Madison: 1. Lasse Norman Hansen/Michael Morkov (DEN), 39; 2. Wojciech Pszczolarski/Daniel Staniszewski (POL), 19; 3. Kelland O’Brien/Leigh Howard (AUS), 17.

Women

Sprint: 1. Wai Sze Lee (HKG); 2. Stephanie Morton (AUS); 3. Daria Shmeleva (RUS); 4. Mathilde Gros (FRA).

Team Sprint/Final:1. Daria Shmeleva/Anastasiia Voinova (Gazprom-Rusvelo/RUS), 32.820; 2. Kaarle McCulloch/Stephanie Morton (AUS), 32.821. Third: 3. Olena Starikova/Liubov Basova (UKR), 33.095; 4. Emma Cumming/Natasha Hansen (NZL), 33.477.

Team Pursuit/Final: 1. Australia (Clonan, Ankudinoff, Baker, Stewart), 4:16.957; 2. New Zealand, 4:17.560; Third: 3. Italy, 4:19.428; 4. Germany, 4:21.737.

Keirin (6 laps): 1. Laurine van Riessen (NED); 2. Shmeleva (RUS), +0.025; 3. Lee (HKG), +0.073.

Points Race (80 laps): 1. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (ITA), 34; 2. Ganna Solovei (UKR), 33; 3. Charlotte Becker (GER), 30.

Scratch Race (40 laps): 1. Ashlee Ankudinoff (AUS); 2. Megan Barker (GBR); 3. Daria Pikulik (POL).

Omnium: 1. Kirsten Wild (NED), 125; 2. Letizia Paternoster (ITA), 116; 3. Neah Evans (GBR), 109.

Madison (80 laps): 1. Amalie Dideriksen/Julie Leth (DEN), 23 points; 2. Neah Evans/Emily Kay (GBR), 23; 3. Georgia Baker/Macey Stewart (AUS), 19.

CYCLING: Sierra wins Women’s World Tour finale in Guangxi

By
Rich Perelman
-
Tour of Guangxi winner Arlenis Sierra of Cuba

Cuba’s best cyclist, Arlenis Sierra, won the final race of the UCI Women’s World Tour with a sprint to the finish of the one-day women’s Tour of Guangxi in China.

This capped a nice year for Sierra, who won the Pan American road-race title, the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race and had top-10 finishes in the fabled Ronde van Drenthe (seventh) and Gent Wevelgem in Flanders Fields race (fourth).

Britain’s Hannah Barnes finished second, one of her best races of 2018. As none of the top riders competed, the Women’s World Tour for 2018 finished with a Dutch sweep for Annemiek van Vleuten, Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen. Summaries:

UCI Women’s World Tour/Tour of Guangxi
Guangxi (CHN) ~ 21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Final Standings (145.8 km): 1. Arlenis Sierra (CUB), 3:40:12; 2. Hannah Barnes (GBR), 3:40:12; 3. Sara Mustonen (SWE), 3:40:12; 4. Georgia Williams (NZL), 3:40:12; 5. Karalina Savenka (BLR), 3:40:12; 6. Audrey Cordon-Ragot (FRA), 3:40:12; 7. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA), 3:40:12; 8. Ilaria Sanguineti (ITA), 3:40:12; 9. Elena Pirrone (ITA), 3:40:12; 10. Alison Jackson (CAN), 3:40:12.

CYCLING: Moscon’s Stage 4 keys Tour of Guangxi victory

By
Rich Perelman
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Tour of Guangxi winner Gianni Moscon of Italy

Is 24-year-old Gianni Moscon a future star for Italy?

He won the key stage of the final stop on the 2018 UCI men’s World Tour, the GREE-Tour of Guangxi in southeastern China, and won the overall title by staying close on the other stages. His win in the 152.2 km Stage 4, with its uphill finish was the key, and the top eight finishers in that stage ended up in the top eight in the final standings. The top three – Moscon, Felix Grosschartner (AUT) and Russian Sergey Chernetski – ended the race in that order!

Moscon’s made sure he kept time with the leaders on the flat stages and finished the six stages in 22-37-46-1-7-20 for the nine-second win.

A possible sprint star of the future, Fabio Jakobsen of the Netherlands – just 22 – was at or near the front for the flat stages, finishing 3-2-1-121-81-1 and collecting four medals, but he finished 87th overall. Summaries:

UCI World Tour/GREE Tour of Guangxi
Guangxi (CHN) ~ 16-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (107.4 km): 1. Dylan Gronewegen (NED), 2:21:45; 2. Max Walscheid (GER), 2:21:45; 3. Fabio Jakobsen (NED), 2:21:45; 4. Pascal Ackermann (GER), 2:21:45; 5. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 2:21:45.

Stage 2 (145.2 km): 1. Ackermann (GER), 3:18:58; 2. Jakobsen (NED), 3:18:58; 3. Groenewegen (NED), 3:18:58; 4. Lawrence Naesen (BEL), 3:18:58; 5. Clement Venturini (FRA), 3:18:58.

Stage 3 (125.4 km): 1. Jakobsen (NED), 2:43:54; 2. Ackermann (GER), 2:43:54; 3. Walscheid (GER), 2:43:54; 4. Groenewegen (NED), 2:43:54; 5. Arnaud Demare (FRA), 2:43:54. Also in the top 50: 43. Sepp Kuss (USA), 2:43:54.

Stage 4 (152.2 km): 1. Gianni Moscon (ITA), 3:38:02; 2. Felix Grosschartner (AUT), 3:38:07; 3. Sergei Chernetski (RUS), 3:38:10; 4. Carlos Verona (ESP), 3:38:13; 5. Rigoberto Uran (COL), 3:38:13. Also in the top 50: 26. Neilson Powless (USA), 3:38:40; … 46. Kuss (USA), 3:39:13.

Stage 5 (212.2 km): 1. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:54:34; 2. Ackermann (GER), 4:54:34; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:54:34; 4. Carlos Barbero (ESP), 4:54:34; 5. Lawrence Naesen (BEL), 4:54:34.

Stage 6 (169.0 km): 1. Jakobsen (NED), 3:42:53; 2. Ackermann (GER), 3:42:53; 3. Rudiger Selig (GER), 3:42:53; 4. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA), 3:42:53; 5. Walscheid (GER), 3:42:53.

Final Standings: 1. Gianni Moscon (ITA), 20:39:56; 2. Felix Grosschartner (AUT), +0:09; 3. Sergei Chernetski (RUS), +0:14; 4. Remi Cavagna (FRA), +0:17; 5. Carlos Verona (ESP), +0:21; 6. Rigoberto Uran (COL), +0:21; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP), +0:25; 8. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP), +0:25; 9. Dries Devenyns (BEL), +0:27; 10. Natnael Berhane (POR), +0:28.

CURLING: Canada wins eight straight for World Mixed Team title

By
Rich Perelman
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A win for Canada at the World Mixed Team Championship! (Photo: WCF)

The 2015 World Mixed Team Champions from Norway defeated Canada in the third match of their round-robin group play, 5-4, on their way to winning Group D. But both compiled 7-1 records and they would meet again.

Both continued right through the playoffs and went head-to-head again in the semifinals, but this time Michael Anderson’s rink found two points each in the seventh and eighth ends to a 7-3 win and the right to try for Canada’s first-ever title in the event.

This was the fourth World Mixed Team Championship – starting in 2015 – with four-person teams of two men and two women (not the same as the Mixed Doubles event seen at the PyeongChang Winter Games). Canada, with a different team, lost in the 2017 final for its first medal in the competition, but was back with a chance for gold. In the 2018 final, Anderson’s team left no doubt with a 6-2 win over Sergio Vez’s surprise finalist Spain, taking a 3-0 lead after two ends and scoring twice in the sixth end to seal the title.

Norway, skipped by Ingvild Skaga, lost to Russia for third, 8-7. Sweden (0-2-0), Scotland (1-0-1), Russia (1-0-1) and Canada (1-1-0) are the four nations to have won two medals in the four years this championship has been held. Summaries:

World Mixed Curling Championships
Kelowna, British Columbia (CAN) ~ 13-20 October 2018
(Full results here)

Final Standings: 1. Canada (Michael Anderson, skip; Danielle Inglis, vice; Sean Harrison, Lauren Harrison); 2. Spain; 3. Russia; 4. Norway. Semis: Spain d. Russia, 6-2; Canada d. Norway, 7-3. Third: Russia 8, Norway 7. Final: Canada 6, Spain 2.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Mol and Sorum roll to fourth 2018 title at Vegas Open

By
Rich Perelman
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Norway's beach superstars Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (Photo FIVB)

There appears to be no stopping the Viking Express.

The FIVB World Tour Finals champions from 2018, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, won yet another big World Tour tournament, this time the first-ever 4-star in Las Vegas, Nevada.

From being essentially unknown early in 2018, the pair won the Gstaad Major (SUI) last July, then the Vienna Major (AUT) in August and then the World Tour Finals later that month. They’re ranked no. 1 in the world and defeated Poland’s Grzegorz Fijalek and Michal Bryl in straight sets.

“What’s happening with us still seems unreal,” Sorum noted. “These last few months have been crazy and it’s great to end the year on a high. Now we have three weeks off and after that we head to Tenerife to start preparing for 2019. It’s an important season and we want to keep up the good results.”

The women’s final was an all-Canadian showcase, with Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson claiming their first win since the Poland Open last July with a 21-17, 17-21, 15-9 win over Commonwealth Games champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana -Paredes.

It’s the third title in the last four months for Bansley and Wilkerson, to go along with the Poland Open, but also the first p1440 event, played in San Jose, California at the end of September.

It was the first-ever all-Canadian final in an FIVB World Tour event. “It’s really great for our program,” Bansley. “We want to qualify two Canadian teams for the Olympics and this is part of it, so to see the two of us in the finals against each other means a lot.” Summaries:

FIVB World Tour/Las Vegas Open
Las Vegas, Nevada (USA ) 17-21 October 2018
(Full results here)

Men: 1. Anders Mol/Christian Sorum (NOR); 2. Grzegorz Fijalek/Michal Bryl (POL); 3. Viacheslav Krasilnikov/Oleg Stoyanovskiy (RUS); 4. Trevor Crabb/Tri Bourne (USA). Semis: Fijalek/Bryl d. Krasilnikov/Stoyanovsky, 2-1; Mol/Sorum d. Crabb/Bourne, 2-0. Third: Krasilnikov/ Stoyanovsky d. Crabb/Bourne, 2-1. Final: Mol/Sorum d. Fijalek/Bryl, 2-0 (21-13, 21-17).

Women: 1. Heather Bansley/Brandie Wilkerson (CAN); 2. Saran Pavan/Melissa Humana-Paredes; 3. Maria Antonelli/Carol Solberg Salgado (BRA); 4. Ana Patricia Silva Ramos/Rebecca Cavalcanti (BRA). Semis: Pavan/Humana-Paredes d. Ana Patricia/Rebecca, 2-0; Bansley/Wilkerson d. Maria Antonelli/Carol, 2-1. Third: Maria Antonelli/Carol d. Ana Patricia/Rebecca, walkover due to injury. Final: Bansley/Wilkerson d. Pavan/Humana-Paredes, 2-1 (21-17, 17-21, 15-9).

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