★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● With the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission chair for the 2032 Olympic Games, Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), elected to become the 10th IOC President in June, a new head for the Brisbane Coordination Commission needed to be appointed.
That came Monday as Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski (PHI), an IOC member since 2013 and an IOC Vice President since 2020, as named as the new head of the Brisbane CoComm. She formerly trained as an equestrian in Australia, and has long experience with the work of Coordination Commissions, for Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 and Brisbane 2032.
● Asian Games 2026: Aichi-Nagoya ● The Asian Games 2026 organizing committee briefed technical delegates in Nagoya last week on preparations, including the use of a giant cruise ship to house 4,600 athletes from 20 sports at the Port of Nagoya: archery, basketball/3×3, canoe/sprint, cycling/mountain bike, cycling/BMX Racing, men’s football, gymnastics, handball, judo, kabaddi, kurash, mixed martial arts, rowing, rugby, sepaktakraw, sport climbing, squash, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
Of the total of 15,000 athletes and officials expected for the 2026 Asian Games, 8,200 will be accommodated in the Nagoya area: 4,600 on ship, 2,400 in Asian Games Villas – temporary container homes – at Garden Pier, and 1,200 in hotels.
Four other housing areas will be set up within the Aichi Prefecture and a final four in other cities: Tokyo, Shizuoka, Gifu and Osaka.
● Anti-Doping ● With its budget hurting from the continuing non-payment of dues from the United States government, the World Anti-Doping Agency welcomed an added payment from the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) and the Japanese government of ¥27,997,742 (about $194,570 U.S.) To support further anti-doping activities in Asia and Oceania.
This is in addition to the $1.5 million annual dues payment from Japan.
¶
A new salvo in the continuing war of words over the 2021 Chinese swimming mass-doping incident from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which posted on X:
“Failure in the global anti-doping system has real and tragic consequences. As a result of the TMZ 23 cases, an unacceptable 96 medal results were potentially impacted across the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.
“Clean athletes’ livelihoods depend on a level playing field where talent and hard work alone determine podium moments. When they are held accountable to the rules and others aren’t, clean athletes lose income and opportunities, as well as once-in-a-lifetime moments to celebrate their hard work and sacrifice alongside the family, fans, and community who supported their journey.
“Clean athletes deserve better and that’s why we will continue to fight for justice and accountability.”
An accompanying graphic stated, “96 medal results were potentially impacted across the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, with 42 of those medals coming from the Americas, 25 from Australia and 21 from the EU.”
● Athletics ● U.S. sprint star Fred Kerley, the 2022 World men’s 100 m champion, was arrested last Thursday in Dania Beach, Florida and charged with one count of “battery-touch or strike” by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office against ex-girlfriend, hurdler Alaysha Johnson. He was later released on $1,000 bond after a Friday hearing.
Kerley posted on X on Sunday:
“I would like to take a moment to directly address the recent situation that has garnered public attention and impacted my ability to compete in this weekend’s scheduled track meet.
“While there was a physical alteration, my arrest was not due to any criminal act. Rather, it resulted from my decision to exercise [my right to] remain silent until legal counsel was present. I chose not to speak to law enforcement without my attorney, and for that reason alone, I was booked. This experience caught me off guard, but I remain fully committed to clearing my name and cooperating with appropriate parties to resolve it. I take full accountability for placing myself in a situation that allowed for this misunderstanding, and I am taking active steps to ensure nothing like this happens again.
“To my fans, especially those who came out to support me this weekend, I sincerely apologize. I am deeply grateful for your continued support and understanding. I also extend my apologies to Grand Slam Track for bringing the wrong kind of attention to the event, and to those who believe in me and had to see the headlines.
“Thank you for your patience and trust as I work through this process.”
Kerley was arrested in another incident with police in January, in the company of another woman, trying to get to his car in Miami Beach and was tasered after ignoring police instructions to go around an active crime scene. Kerley is also facing a charge of domestic violence against his wife from a May 2024 strangling incident.
¶
ASICS put together a special set of road races on a special loop course in Tokyo (JPN) on Saturday (3rd) for its Tokyo : Speed : Race, with excellent results, including an American Record.
In the men’s 5 km, Uganda’s Harbert Kibet was a runaway winner in 13:00, ahead of Mohamed Ismail (DJI: 13:10). Andrew Hunter was the top American in ninth (13:28). The 10 km a three-way race to the line for Jamel Yimer (ETH), Victor Kipruto (KEN) and Vincent Langat (KEN), with Yimer, twice fourth at the World Half Marathon Champs, winning in 27:10 to 27:11 for the Kenyans.
In fifth was American Biya Simbassa, who finished in 27:32, better than the ratified American Record of 27:48 by Mark Nenow back in 1985! Nenow also ran an unratified 27:22 in 1984.
Kenyan Caroline Nyaga took the women’s 5 km in a speedy 14:19, the 2025 world leader and moving her to equal-third on the all-time list! Behind her was Italian Nadia Battoclietti, who got a European Record 14:32 in second, now equal-10th all-time.
Uganda’s Joy Chepotek was a runaway winner in the women’s 10 km at 30:22, followed by Samia Hassan Nour (DJI: 30:40), with Makenna Mylar the top U.S. finisher in 17th (33:25).
● Swimming ● The incredible Tyr Pro Swim Series in Ft. Lauderdale, in an outdoor pool, produced astonishing performances from two historic American swimmers, Katie Ledecky and Gretchen Walsh.
Ledecky, who won the inaugural women’s Olympic 800 m Free in London in 2012 to start her Olympic career at age 15, contested four events and was sensational in all four (in order):
● 1,500 m Free: 1st in 15:24.51, world leader in 2025, no. 2 performance all-time, her fastest since 2018.
● 400 m Free: 1st in 3:56.81, world leader in 2025, no. 7 performance all-time, fastest since 2016.
● 200 m Free: 2nd in 1:55.51, no. 3 performer in 2025
● 800 m Free: 1st in 8:04.12, world leader in 2025, world record, breaking her own mark from 2016!
Ledecky, now 28, was overwhelmed by her own time-travel magic, especially in the 800 Free, saying afterwards:
“I can’t stop smiling, it’s been like that all week though, so it’s not really new.
“It’s been so many years in the making to do it tonight. It’s been an incredible night. There is always a story to each world record that I set. I think tonight is the first one I’ve done when another American has done it [also]. Hats off to Gretchen for getting us rolling this morning and starting a world record party.
“The crowd was amazing tonight; I couldn’t have done it without that. I flipped at the 750, and it was loud in here, and I just told myself I’m not letting this opportunity go to waste and started sprinting.”
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 694-event International Sports Calendar for 2025 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
