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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2026-2032 ● The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) announced a unique and potentially impactful sponsorship at the end of its General Assembly in Cascais (POR) with Chinese sportswear brand Peak Sport:
“The value-in-kind sponsorship deal, worth $7.1 million to NOCs, will see all NOCs who had six athletes or less at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 offered free Peak Sport uniforms for all Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games and Youth Olympic Games through the end of 2032.
“The 72 NOCs who fit the criteria will be eligible to receive uniforms for the eight IOC events scheduled to take place over the next eight years, including the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032. They will also be given the opportunity to purchase Peak Sports uniforms at a discounted rate at all continental and regional games.”
The deal includes the 2026-28-30-32 Olympic and Winter Games, and the 2026-28-30-32 Youth Olympic and Winter Youth Olympic Games. It could displace multiple familiar apparel sponsors for these small teams, and expands Peak Sport’s reach. Per deputy chief executive Bingrui Wu:
“We have worked with NOCs such as Belgium, Brazil, New Zealand, Slovenia and Romania but now through our partnership with ANOC we will provide more kits to more NOCs. We believe we can coordinate with our Peak international distributors to bring the latest technology to the global sports movement.”
Peak will also make a cash contribution to ANOC and provide apparel for ANOC staff and officers.
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● A lengthy story on GamesBids.com explored the context of the LA28 decision to ask for cricket to be added to the 2028 Olympic program.
Following a recent statement by LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman at a conference that the likely cricket venue will be on the U.S. east coast to be a better fit for viewing in India – which is expected to pay a much higher rights fee for 2028 than for past Games due to cricket’s presence – the story notes:
“Remember the planned stadium in Brooklyn that will host the MI New York (MI stands for Mumbai Indians) MLC cricket club? The team and the stadium-to-be are owned by Indiawin Sports, an enterprise controlled by conglomerate Reliance Industries that is owned by the family of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, one of the wealthiest people on the planet. Ambani is married to Nita Ambani, an IOC member with a direct line to the executives and president Thomas Bach.
“Not only will Ambani’s teams benefit from the exposure an Olympic cricket tournament brings, but if it were to be held in New York his business could help stage the event and shine even more attention on his club.”
The story suggests that the International Olympic Committee’s interests in new TOP sponsors from India could fit well with Reliance, noting Nita Ambani as an IOC member. Further, the Indian television rights-holder for Paris 2024 was Viacom18, majority-owned by Reliance.
No accusations are made, only observations: “This is not necessarily nefarious though, arguments can be made that it is all just shrewd business in the high-stakes world of sport and the Olympics.”
● Athletics ● “The AIU has banned Tsehay Gemechu (Ethiopia) for 4 years from 30 November 2023 for Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP case). DQ results from 22 March 2020 until 30 November 2023″
The Thursday announcement takes out a 2:16:56 women’s marathoner from her second-place finish at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, ranking 17th all-time, and who was a Tokyo Olympian in the 10,000 m.
Still just 25, she was suspended after the analysis of 31 samples taken between 2018 and 2023 showed repeated abnormalities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), with an expert panel stating that “it is highly likely that a prohibited substance and/or method has been used” and the arbitration panel agreed, stating that it is the “only plausible explanation.”
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European women’s athlete of the year Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) set a world record in the women’s high jump of 2.10 m (6-10 3./4) in July and went on to win the Olympic gold in Paris. But she is not done.
In an interview with European Athletics, she added:
“I think that I have room for improvement. I think that jumps until maybe 2.15 m, I can jump. I want to prove my skills and of course everything is possible.”
That would be 7-0 1/2 and make her the first women’s seven-footer!
● Football ● Two-time defending champion Spain got a goal from forward Alba Cerrato in stoppage time at the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic for a 1-0 lead at halftime of the second semifinal.
Forward Pau Comendador made it 2-0 in the 58th, and a fast break at 90+9 saw substitute forward Iris Santiago get a strong shot off in the box that bounced off English defender Zara Shaw for an own goal and the 3-0 final.
Spain finished with 57% possession and a 15-10 shots edge. The Spain-North Korea final and the U.S.-England third-place match will be played on Sunday in Santo Domingo.
● Wrestling ● The United World Wrestling World Championships for weight classes not on the Olympic program concluded on Thursday in Tirana (ALB), with wins for four different countries in the men’s Freestyle classes.
Japan and Georgia tied for the men’s team title with 55 points each and both had individual winners. Japan’s Masanosuke Ono won at 61 kg for his first senior Worlds gold, after winning the World U-20 title earlier this year.
Georgia got its win at 79 kg with Avtandil Kentchadze, winning his first Worlds gold after a silver at 74 kg back in 2018. Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov won the 70 kg class, after a silver in 2019.
Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev – competing as a “neutral” – won his sixth Worlds gold in his third different weight class at 92 kg.
The U.S. won bronze medals by defending champ Vito Arujau at 61 kg and by David Taylor at 92 kg, his fifth career Worlds medal.
The American team wore a special “AV” patch on their uniforms in Tirana to honor the late Alan Vera, 33, a member of the U.S. Greco-Roman national team, who suddenly passed away from cardiac arrest on 23 September. He is survived by his wife Elena, a two-time Olympian and 2012 World Champion in women’s 63 kg Freestyle class, and their daughter Alina, born in June this year.
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