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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The descendants of French engineer Gustave Eiffel are considering court action against the Paris plan to retain the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower into 2028 or possibly beyond.
In a Sunday statement, the Association des Descendants de Gustave Eiffel (ADGE) said it would “oppose any alteration that negatively impacts respect for the work” and that the Olympic Rings would interfere with “the neutrality and meaning acquired over the years by the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of the city of Paris and even all of France across the world.”
It further objects to the visual impact of the Rings, “substantially modifying the very pure forms of the monument.”
The association is in agreement to leave the Rings in place until the end of 2024.
● Olympic Games 2036: Copenhagen ● The city of Copenhagen (DEN) will study the possibilities for hosting a 2036 Olympic Games and is interested in the 2030 Youth Olympic Games.
That’s from Copenhagen Culture and Leisure Mayor Mia Nyegaard in a Monday statement, explaining:
“My vision is that we must have the smallest and most sustainable Olympics ever.”
An allocation of 500,000 Danish kroner (about $74,000 U.S.) has been included in the city’s 2025 budget to study the ideas. Nyegaard’s concepts include having the Olympic Village on cruise ships in the harbor and constructing a temporary main stadium and then recycling it after the event.
The project would require significant national government funding, for which there is, as yet, no enthusiasm.
● Paralympic Games 2024: Paris ● More great performances from Paris, where two U.S. teams won their third consecutive Paralympic golds.
The men’s wheelchair basketball squad defeated Great Britain, 73-69, thanks to 26 points from Jake Williams and 24 from Steve Serio. The U.S. had a seven-point halftime lead, were up 10 at the end of the third and then held on for the win.
In women’s sitting volleyball, the U.S. also completed a three-peat, beating China in four sets after losing to the Chinese, 3-1, in group play. This time, the Americans won by 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, in the fifth straight Paralympic final between the two sides.
U.S. opposite Heather Erickson led all scorers with 28 points on 25 kills, two blocks and one ace and was named Most Valuable and Best Attacker. She finished the tournament with 96 points.
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Hunter Woodhall’s dramatic men’s T62 400 m came with inspiration from his wife, Olympic women’s long jump champ Tara Davis-Woodhall. Hunter said afterwards:
“Tara has taught me a lot about self-affirmation.
“Before the Olympics, she was writing in her journal, ‘I will be the Olympic champ’. And ‘I am strong, I am fast.’ I have had my journal here and I wrote in it today, ‘I will be the Paralympic champion.’ And now I am.”
● Athletics ● Agence France Presse reported:
“The funeral for Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died in Kenya after being set on fire by her boyfriend, will be held on September 14 in her home country, organisers said Sunday.”
Cheptegei, 33, died on Thursday after being burned over more than 75% of her body on the Sunday prior (1st). Her Kenyan partner who doused her with gasoline, was also badly burned and is being treated in an Eldoret hospital, in police custody.
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Not everyone is super-excited about the Diamond League Final in Brussels (BEL) on Friday and Saturday. Tokyo 2020 Olympic women’s 100 m hurdles champ – and Paris bronze winner – Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) said after winning at the Weltklasse Zurich:
“Brussels? I am tired…. we will see. The goal for these post-Olympic races is to stay positive, make some money and have some fun. In the box, I am always calm and confident. The end of the season is for cash.”
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Two-time U.S. Olympic race walker Allen James is leading the charge to get the 50 km Walk returned to the Olympic program.
The event was held for men beginning in 1932 in Los Angeles through Tokyo 2020 (except Montreal 1976), but never for women. For Paris 2024, the men’s event was dumped in favor of a Mixed Marathon Relay, with two walkers – one man, one woman – alternating legs over a four-part, 42.2 km event.
James, who was 30th in the 1992 men’s 20 km Walk and 24th in the Atlanta 1996 men’s 50 km, proposed on an international walker’s forum that walkers write to World Athletics and to the International Olympic Committee that the 50 km race be reinstated for men and added for women.
He takes IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) at his word, emphasizing that walks are the most urban, inclusive and sustainable of any sport, and:
“[W]alking also offers the ultimate endurance test in the Olympic program, as the 50 km walk. Men and women have proven themselves to be warriors in this ultimate test. Women especially begin to close the performance gap in the 50 km as they have a greater capacity to handle the test than men. In the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, a simultaneously conducted event for men and women, the top woman would have finished 18th place overall, a remarkable accomplishment given the excellence of competitors.
“World Athletics’ compromise move to 35 km was a huge judgement error, as the two races, 20 km and 35 km are so similar that we have nearly identical finishing fields in both races. This is due to the 35 km only slightly opening up an athlete to glycogen depletion, the major factor in a 50 km or ultramarathon type of event.”
And, of course, he notes that in the Winter Games, both the men and women will race at 50 km in Cross Country Skiing at Milan Cortina 2026. It’s an uphill battle, but one which James and others will keep trying to win.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS Freestyle World Cup has started, at the Winter Games NZ in Cardrona, with Monday’s day-delayed Halfpipe final for men and women.
China’s 2022 Olympic champ Eileen Gu scored her 15th career World Cup gold, winning 96.00 on her third run, after taking the lead at 92.00 on run no. 1 and scoring 94.50 in her second try. China’s Kexin Zhang (89.25) finished second and Canada’s Rachael Karker (87.00) was third. Shea Irving was the top American, in fourth (84.25).
Canada’s Brendan Mackay, the 2023 World Champion, moved into the lead in round two of the men’s event at 90.00 and no one could catch him, although America’s two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira came close … twice.
Ferreira scored 89.00 on his second run and then improved to 89.50 in the third round, but had to settle for silver, ending a five-event World Cup event win streak in the Halfpipe. Canada’s Andrew Longino was third (87.75), ahead of Americans Birk Irving (86.00) and Hunter Hess (83.00).
● Modern Pentathlon ● The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced its candidate list for November elections, including for the first new President since 1993, when German Klaus Schormann was elevated from a Vice Presidency.
Three candidates are running for President:
● Joel Bouzou (FRA), a four-time Olympian and a Team bronze winner at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, who was the federation Secretary-General for 15 years and is now a Vice President.
In the aftermath of the success of the Paris Games and his long-time ultra-insider status, he is seen as the favorite.
● Sharif El Erian (EGY), a 1992 Olympian and a UIPM Vice President.
● Rob Stull (USA), a 1988 and 1992 Olympian in fencing (1988 only) and modern pentathlon, is the chief executive of USA Pentathlon and a member of the UIPM Executive Board.
All are long-time pentathlon politicians, who face the continuing challenge of maintaining the sport’s relevance as the pressure for change continues to impact the Olympic program. The change from riding to obstacle raises possibilities, but in the end, Schormann’s major achievement across 31 years has simply been to keep the sport on the program into 2028. It is not at all clear that it will continue.
Also running for re-election is Treasurer John Helmick from the U.S., in office since 2000. The Associated Press reported on 9 August a federation statement that included:
“UIPM confirms that UIPM Treasurer, John Helmick, has handed in his accreditation for Paris 2024 and left the Olympic Games pending an investigation by a specially-convened UIPM disciplinary panel into alleged credentials irregularities.”
No report has been posted by the UIPM on the resolution of the inquiry. Helmick is being opposed for treasurer by Brazilian Helio Meirelles, who has been a UIPM Auditor.
● Swimming ● The U.S. led the medal table at the World Aquatics Junior Open-Water Championships in Alghero (ITA) in Sardinia, with Paris Olympic women’s 4×200 m Free relay silver winner Claire Weinstein winning two golds and a silver.
She took the 3 km Knockout Sprint over teammate Brinkleigh Hansen, 5:50.8 to 6:00.0 and won the 7.5 km race in 1:25:43.3, plus a silver on the Mixed 4×1,500 m relay, with Claire Stuhlmacher, Ryan Erisman and Luke Ellis.
Stuhlmacher had already won the women’s 10 km title and the 5 km race went to Hansen.
In fact, the American women swept their four races, winning five medals, plus the Mixed 4×15 silver. The U.S. men were shut out.
● Wrestling ● The U.S. topped the medals at the United World Wrestling World U-20 Championships in Pontevedra (ESP) that closed on Sunday, totaling 16 (3-7-6) to 15 for Russian and Belarusian “neutrals.”
The American men’s Freestyle team took the team title with 175 points, over Iran (160) with Luke Lilledahl winning the 57 kg class; the U.S. won nine medals in the 10 classes (1-4-4).
The men’s Greco-Roman team was sixth (three total medals) and the women’s Freestylers were third (101 points). Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg) and Jasmine Robinson (72 kg) won golds, among the women’s total of four.
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