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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The newest twist from Australia is a push to “re-brand” South East Queensland – which includes the City of Brisbane – as simply, “Brisbane.”
The area now includes Ipswich, Logan, Somerset, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay, Redland, Noosa, Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, but promoters say the change would help uplift the entire area. Brisbane 2032 organizing committee chief Andrew Liveris is on board:
“Global and national accolades continue to roll in and our focus must be to support and seize our collective success, together. When we promote one another, we win as one.”
Not everyone is on board with this, with polls indicating resistance.
● International Fair Play Committee ● The CIFP honored three exceptional acts of sportsmanship and fair play at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (SUI) on Sunday, from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:
Norway’s Sander Skotheim was a prime contender in the decathlon, but no-heighted in the vault. Rather than retire, he stayed in to help teammate Markus Rooth to the gold medal, including pacing him in the final event, the 1,500 m.
At the beach volleyball women’s final between Brazil’s Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa and Canadians Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, the competition and the crowd got heated with in the third set as Brazil’s lead shrank to 11-8. After an exchange of words between the sides at the net, the referee tried to calm the situation and venue DJ Tony Ramos (ESP) inserted John Lennon’s “Imagine” in the site and reduced the tension. The Brazilians went on to a 15-10 win for the gold medal.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) was recognized for lending a boat to Belarus “neutral” rower Yauheni Zalaty for the men’s Single Sculls, as Zalaty’s equipment did not arrive in time in Paris. He eventually won the silver medal behind German star Oliver Zeidler in the Olympic final!
Said CIFP President Sunil Sabharwal (USA), “These moments from Paris 2024 showcase that fair play is not just an ideal, but a tangible, powerful force in sport.
“Whether through an act of sacrifice, a musical moment of peace, or simply extending a helping hand to a competitor, these honorees prove that character is the highest medal a person can win.”
● Canada ● Speaking on a CBC Power & Politics interview alongside seven-time Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse, Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker said that under-funding of the country’s national sports organizations has reached a tipping point.
Program host David Cochrane noted that the Future of Sport in Canada Commission projected a shortfall of C$329 million (C$1 = $0.71 U.S.) over the next five years to the 62 NSOs, with Shoemaker explaining that the crisis has come:
“The long and short of is we can’t make it work. Eventually the pressure will become too much to bear and the sports system will collapse as a result of it. So we’re trying to let it be known that now is an important opportunity to invest in sport. …
“With the financial pressure that the national sports organizations are facing, they are making decisions to cut back on programming, to cut back on training. Not just for Olympians, but it’s making it more and more inaccessible for young people to get into grass roots sports in Canada, and that’s not the vision we have for sport in this country.”
He said that the “federal government hasn’t increased its core funding commitment to sport in 20 years; not since 2005 has there been an increase,” and is asking for C$104 million in added funds.
Shoemaker noted that while sport is a “nation-building tool all unto itself,” the Canadian women’s rugby World Cup team that won the silver medal last month had to crowd-fund its travel expenses, as did surprise women’s World Road cycling champion Madgeleine Vallieres.
“We want to be competitive with G-7 countries,” explained Shoemaker, saying countries like Britain, Germany and France out-spend Canada, 10:1, in sports.
De Grasse reflected on his own career, with many highs but also lows due to injury and said that without more help, “there won’t be as much people in sports, to be honest. The funding goes down, a lot of people can’t provide, they can’t do the sports, they have to find other avenues to go away from sports.”
● Athletics ● Dutch star Femke Bol announced that she is moving to the 800 m, after winning two Worlds golds in the women’s 400 m hurdles, two Olympic bronzes and an amazing 400/400 m hurdles double at the 2022 European Championships, plus more than a dozen relay medals. She ranks no. 2 all-time in the 400 m hurdles at 50.95 last year. She wrote on Instagram:
“The next chapter: 800m
“I’m really excited to share the next chapter of my career It’s a big change, it’s uncertain and challenging, but I’m ready to put in the work, surrounded by an amazing team and enjoy this new journey.”
Given her 400 m speed (49.17 indoor world record, 49.44 outdoors), she will be closely watched as a contender for worldwide honors. She is not to be underestimated.
● Rowing ● “USRowing is proud to announce that its most prestigious recognition, formerly known as the Medal of Honor, will be renamed the Anita DeFrantz Medal of Honor beginning with the 2025 awards. This change celebrates one of rowing’s most influential athletes and leaders, ensuring her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.
“The Anita DeFrantz Medal of Honor will be presented annually to an individual who, like DeFrantz, embodies integrity, leadership, and a lifelong dedication to advancing rowing.”
DeFrantz won an Olympic women’s Eight bronze at Montreal 1976 and made the American team for Moscow 1980, only to be sidelined by the American boycott. She sued the U.S. Olympic Committee unsuccessfully, but amplified the athlete voice to demand a larger say in how they were treated and what they could do.
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US Rowing announced a major fundraising success with the largest gift ever bestowed on the federation: $6.5 million from Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss, the co-founders of crypto-currency exchange and custodian Gemini. Per the federation:
“In recognition of this historic donation, USRowing will rename its senior, para, and beach sprint teams the ‘Gemini.com U.S. National Team,’ reflecting the commitment of the Winklevoss brothers to the future of American rowing. In addition, The Caspersen Boat House — USRowing’s National Team Training Center in West Windsor, N.J. — will be expanded and the new facility will be named the ‘Winklevoss Training Center.’”
● Swimming ● Lars Jorgensen, a 1988 U.S. Olympic distance Freestyler at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and the coach at Kentucky from 2014-2023, was deemed “permanently ineligible” by the U.S. Center for SafeSport on 9 October. The database entry:
“(Subject to appeal / not yet final); Intimate Relationship – involving a Power Imbalance; Physical Misconduct; Retaliation; Sexual Harassment; Sexual Misconduct”
He was suspended in 2019 and 2023 for short periods, then in April 2024, a still-active suit was filed against him, the Kentucky athletic department and the university, alleging sexual harassment.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Badminton ● At the BWF Arctic Open in Vantaa (FIN), 2022 Worlds bronze winner and second-seed Tien Chen Chou (TPE) scored a mild upset over top-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA), 21-11, 13-21, 21-19, while top-seeded Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) swept past Busanan Ongbamrungphan (THA), 21-19, 21-16.
England won the men’s Doubles, Malaysia took the women’s Doubles and China went 1-2 in the Mixed Doubles.
● Beach Volleyball ● The Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 tour was in Newport Beach, California for the first top-tier tournament in the U.S. since October 2018, in Las Vegas.
The all-American women’s final had top-seeded Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher against 10th-seeded Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, playing for their first medal of the season. Nuss and Brasher collected their third win of 2025 with a 21-15, 21-14, sweep.
Olympic champs Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa (BRA) won the bronze medal with a 21-11, 21-12 win over Americans Therese Cannon and Megan Kraft (USA).
The men’s final had Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (QAT), the top seeds, winning over Evandro Oliveira and Arthur Lanci (BRA), 21-16, 30-28 for their third Elite victory in 2025. Chile’s Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt won the third-place match from Trevor Crabb and Taylor Crabb (USA), 21-16, 21-18.
A follow-on 4×4 Newport Beach Invitational tournament for men and women Sunday had a separate $250,000 prize purse.
● Cycling ● Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar blew past American Quinn Simmons on the final climb – the Passo di Ganda – and rode away over the final 34 km to win the 119th Il Lombardia on Saturday by 1:48, his fifth straight win in the event!
Pogacar covered the 241 km route in 5:45:53, with Belgian star Remco Evenepoel second (+1:48), then Michael Storer (AUS: +3:14) and then Simmons (+3:39).
In addition to his Tour de France, World Road Championships and European Road Championships wins, Pogacar won his third “Monument” race this year – the ancient events that go back before World War I – having taken the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liege-Bastogne-Liege and finishing third at Milan-Sanremo and second at Paris-Roubaix.
Pogacar equaled the great Eddy Merckx (BEL) in winning three Monuments in a single year; he did it four times, in 1969-71-72-65. Pogacar now has 10 Monument wins (at age 27), ranking third all-time. Merckx, of course, is the leader, at 19.
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At the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Mont Sainte-Anne (CAN), Rio 2016 Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds (SWE) put on another dominant display, winning both the Cross Country Olympic and Short-Track races for the third time in a row!
She won Sunday’s Cross Country race in 1:20:35, three-and-a-half minutes ahead of Samara Maxwell (AUS: 1:24:05) with 2021 World Champion Evie Richards third in 1:24:42. Kelsey Urban was the top American, in seventh (1:26:13).
Rissveds won the women’s Short Track in 21:40, rolling away from Richards (21:58) for her fourth XCC win in a row. But Richards won the season, at 1,770 points, with Rissveds at 1,660.
Maxwell, the 2023 U-23 XCO World Champion, took the XCO seasonal title with 2,341 points over Rissveds (2,250).
France’s Luca Martin won the men’s Short Track race in 21:04, beating Charlie Aldridge (GBR: 21:05) and Adrien Boichis (FRA: 21:05). American Christopher Blevins, who won the first five races of the season and later a sixth, won the season title with 1,911 points to 1,380 for Martin and 1,267 for Aldridge.
That set up Sunday’s XCO race, where Aldridge rode away on the seventh and final lap to win at 1:21:41, over Martin Vidaurre (CHI: 1:21:52) and Mathis Azzaro (FRA: 1:22:01). But Blevins had a big seasonal lead and won the 2025 circuit gold with 1,996 points to 1,695 for Vidaurre.
Canada’s Jackson Goldstone thrilled the home fans with his fifth win of the season in the men’s Downhill in 3:30.096, ahead of American Luca Shaw (3:32.340) and Andreas Kolb (AUT: 3:32.341). Goldstone won the seasonal series title with 1,946 points, to 1,768 for five-time World Champion Loic Bruni (FRA) and 1,366 for Shaw.
Four-time Worlds medal winner Marine Cabirou (FRA: 4:01.617) got the women’s win, with Nina Hoffmann (GER: 4:02.333) second and French teammate Myriam Nicole third (4:03.913). Austria’s Valentina Hoell, the four-time World Champion, won the seasonal crown at 2,139 points, with Gracey Hemstreet (CAN: 1,727) second.
● Football ● The U.S. men dominated much of the play vs. Ecuador on a Saturday in Austin, Texas, but came away with a 1-1 tie on striker Falogin Balogun’s finish of a cross from forward Malik Tillman in the 71st minute.
Ecuador striker Enner Valencia gave Ecuador the lead in the 24th on a dribble drive through the U.S. defense, beating American keeper Matt Freese from just inside the six-yard box. The U.S. controlled possession at 66% and had an 11-8 edge on shots, but managed only the one score.
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In the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, Colombia eliminated Spain, 3-2, on Saturday in the upper bracket and Argentina blanked Mexico, 2-0.
On Sunday, the U.S. men had 76% of possession and a 5-2 edge on shots in the first half against Morocco, but trailed 1-0 in the first half until forward Cole Campbell converted a stoppage-time penalty against defender Nolan Norris in the box, at 45+6! But the second half had a U.S. own goal by Joshua Wynder in the 66th and then Gessime Yassine scored in the 87th for a 3-1 win. The Americans ended with 73% possession and a 13-7 shots advantage, but it did not help.
France edged Norway, 2-1, in the last quarterfinal. The semifinals will be played on Wednesday (15th) with the final on the 19th (Sunday).
● Sailing ● Spain scored two wins at the combined 49er-49erFX-Nacra 17 World Championships in Cagliari (ITA), with Olympic 49er gold medalists Diego Botin and Florian Trittel taking three wins and scoring 83 net points to win, just ahead of Bart Lambriex van Aanholt and Floris van der Werken (NED: 89.0), the 2021 and 2022 World Champions. Denmark’s Jonas Warrer and Mathias Lehm Sletten finished third at 109.0.
The 49erFX class was much closed, with Paula Barcelo and Maria Cantero (ESP) winning the last-day medal race to win the class, 91.0 to 92.0 from Paris runner-up Vilma Bobeck and new partner Ebba Berntsson (SWE). The Spaniards won their last three races to claim the title.
The Nacra 17 was just as exciting, with 2020 and 2021 World Champions John Gimson and Anna Burnet (GBR) chasing Italy’s Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, who had four wins in their first 10 races. But by winning their last three races, Gimson and Burnet tied the Italians at 39.0 net points and took the gold by virtue of winning the medal race. Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman (NED) were a very close third at 41.0.
● Short Track ● Canadian skaters dominated the 2025 ISU World Championships and picked up again at the ISU World Tour season opener in Montreal (CAN). Three-time Worlds medalist Courtney Sauralt was the women’s star, winning the 1,000 m in 1:28.185 over 2024 Worlds runner-up Gil-li Kim (KOR: 1:28.250), with American Corinne Stoddard third in 1:28.279.
Sauralt doubled back in the 1,500 m, winning in 2:22.156 to 2:22.217 for Kim and 2:22.256 for Stoddard.
World 500 m champ Xandra Velzeboer (NED) took that race in 42.972, beating Canada’s Kim Boutin, the 2024 World Champion (43.087) with Stoddard claiming a third bronze in 43.142. South Korea won the 3,000 m relay in 4:07.318 over the Dutch (4:07.350).
William Dandjinou, Canada’s 2025 1,500 m World Champion, won the men’s 500 m at 40.350 with 2023 World 500 m champ Petro Sighel (ITA) second in 40.414. Sighel won the 1,000 m in 1:30.407 to 1:30.488 for Korea’s 17-year-old Jung-un Rim, then Rim took the 1,500 m in 2:16.141, ahead of teammate Dae-heon Wang, the 2022 Olympic champion. The Koreans won the 5,00 m relay in 6:50.781.
China won the mixed 2,000 m relay in 2:38.528.
● Shooting ● The U.S. went wild at the ISSF World Shotgun Championships in Athens (GRE), taking all four gold medals across the Skeet finals! Wow!
In the men’s final, Vincent Hancock, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, took his fifth Worlds gold – 2005-09-15-18-25 – with a near-perfect 59, missing only his 44th shot! That was well clear of Daniel Korcak (CZE), at 55 for the silver.
Hancock had previously led the American men – also Christian Elliott and Conner Prince – to a gold in the Team final, 365-363 over Italy, with Greece third (361).
Sam Simonton, previously the 2022 Worlds bronze winner, won the women’s Worlds gold, shooting 57/60 in the final, hitting her final 36 targets to edge Gabriela Rodriguez (MEX: 54).
Simonton, six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode and 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi teamed up for the women’s Team gold, scoring 358 to win from Cyprus (349) and Slovakia (348). Four for four!
● Swimming ● The Paris Olympic bronze medalists won the men’s and women’s 10 km racing in rainy conditions at the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup in Golfo Aranci (ITA), with the home crowd happy to see Ginerva Taddeucci (ITA) out-touching Klaudia Tarasiewicz (POL) and Lea Boy (GER), by 1:58:56.5 to 1:58:57.2 and 1:59:00.6. Mariah Denigan was the top American, in 12th.
Taddeucci won her first World Cup gold and also took the seasonal series with 2,600 points to 2,250 for Spain’s Angela Martinez.
Paris bronzer David Betlehem (HUN) got his first career World Cup win in 1:53:28.2, with a clear win over 2024 Worlds 5 km champion Logan Fontaine (FRA: 1:53:31.6) and Dario Verani (ITA: 1:53:42.4).
Fontaine led a French 1-2 in the final seasonal standings, at 2,350 points to 2,120 for eight-time Worlds medalist Marc-Antoine Olivier and Italy’s Verani in third (2,050).
France, anchored by Fontaine, won the mixed 4×1,500 m relay in 1:07:54.0, trailed by Italy (1:07:54.2) and Hungary (1:07:54.9). The U.S. (Denigan, Ivan Puskovitch, Brooke Travis and Dylan Gravley) was fifth in 1:08:02.0.
In the 3 km Knock-Out Sprints (1,500-1,000-500 m races in three rounds), Betlehem won again in 6:00.5, ahead of Olivier (6:04.0) and Fontaine (6:05.7). Olympic women’s champion Moesha Johnson (AUS: 6:24.1) won the women’s sprints, beating Boy (6:26.5) and Caroline Laure Jouisse (FRA: 6:30.7).
● Weightlifting ● The IWF World Championships concluded in Forde (NOR), with North Korea topping the medal table with nine, including five wins, all in the first five women’s weight classes.
Tokyo Olympic 109 kg champion Akbar Djuraev (UZB) won the new 110 kg class with a combined world record of 428 kg, ahead of Iran’s Alireza Nassiri (415 kg). Kolbi Ferguson was the top American 396 kg, in seventh.
The +110 kg class, also new, was won by Varazdat Lalayan (ARM), the Paris Olympic +102 kg silver winner, who won the Snatch and Clean & Jerk on the way to a 461 kg total. Gor Minasyan, who won a Rio 2016 Olympic silver at +105 kg, won a Paris Olympic bronze for Bahrain at +102 kg and was second here at 447 kg.
The women’s +86 kg class was a showcase for South Korean Hye-jeong Park, the 2023 Worlds +87 kg winner, who won both lifts and had a combined total of 283 kg. That was clear of Cuba’s Marifelix Sarria (275 kg), with American Mary Theisen-Lappen third at 269 kg, who was fourth in the Snatch but third in the Clean & Jerk and totaled 269 kg for the bronze. It’s her second Worlds medal, after a 2023 silver at +87 kg.
The U.S. ended with three medals (1-0-2) in the combined lifts table; only three countries won more.
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