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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games: Future ● With a public referendum coming on 31 May on whether the German city of Hamburg should bid for a future Olympic Games, the city’s Senate released a report on Wednesday projecting €4.8 billion in costs, including a €628 million contingency, and sees €4.9 billion in revenue and a €100 million surplus. (€1 = $1.16 U.S.)
Explained Senator Andreas Dressel:
“The financing costs we will incur to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Hamburg are significantly lower than what was estimated in 2015. We can host economically viable Games in this city based on transparent calculations.”
“We can afford to host the Games. If Hamburg’s bid is successful, public and private funds will flow more quickly and in a more targeted manner into infrastructure projects in Hamburg – rather than into Munich or the Rhine-Ruhr region.”
The key, compared to the €11.2 billion projected in 2015 to cost the 2024 Games, is the International Olympic Committee’s endorsement of existing venues, of which the Hamburg study identifies as 76% of the project with the other 24% to be temporary sites only.
The German Sports Confederation (DOSB) expects to make a decision in September between Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region, to bid for one or more of three future Games, in 2036, 2040 and/or 2044.
● Russia ● The Russian news agency TASS reported that roughly three months following the International Olympic Committee’s guidance to allow Russian “youth” athletes and teams to be re-admitted – with flag and anthem – to international competitions has been accepted in baseball and softball, equestrian, fencing, judo, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, curling and ski mountaineering.
Other federations allow Russian junior athletes to compete as “neutrals.”
● Athletics ● World Athletics announced its World Continental Tour line-up for 2026, with 281 meets listed in four levels: Gold (11), Silver (44), Bronze (89) and Challenger (137).
Continental Tour meets in the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories have multiple requirements, including drug testing and reimbursing athlete travel expenses, plus:
● Gold: $180,000 minimum prize money; minimum 14 events
● Silver: $75,000 minimum prize money; minimum 12 events
● Bronze: $25,000 minimum prize money; minimum 12 events
No prize money requirement is shown for the Challenger meets. There are two Gold-level meets in the U.S. for 2026: 6 June for USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas and 13-14 June for the USATF L.A. Grand Prix at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
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USA Track & Field announced a “One Team” relay project which will place U.S. teams at two April meets in Florida in addition to national teams at World Athletics Championship events.
The two selected domestic “training” events are the Florida Relays on 4 April for the new, Mixed 4×100 m and the Tom Jones Memorial on 18 April, both at the University of Florida in Gainesville:
“Team rosters will be selected by USA Track & Field’s High Performance Directors with input from Team USATF relays coach Darryl Woodson. Athletes will be chosen based on factors including recent performance, prior international relay experience, and availability for each event.”
National team events include the World Indoors, World Relays, World U-20 Championships and the Ultimate Championships in September. Also, USATF announced that it will “implement an Equal Share Prize Money Model for relay events.
“Under this model, any athlete officially named to a relay squad – whether competing in preliminary rounds, finals, or serving as a designated alternate – will receive an equal share of prize money earned by the team.”
● Baseball ● The World Baseball Classic was completely shaken up by a dynamic performance from Italy, which roared to an 8-0 lead over the U.S. in Houston and held on for an 8-6 win and a 3-0 mark in Group B.
Home runs from Italian catcher Kyle Teel (3rd: solo), shortstop Sam Antonacci (3rd: one on) and right fielder Jac Caglianone (4th: one one) gave Italy a 5-0 lead after four and it was 8-0 in the sixth after an error and a wild pitch allowed the Italians to score three more. Two homers from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong got to the U.S. to within two runs in the ninth, but it was not enough.
Italy plays Mexico on Wednesday to close pool play and if the Italians won, the U.S. will move on as second in the group. If Mexico wins, it advances IF – due to WBC tie-beakers – it scores four or less runs.
Canada and Cuba play on Wednesday in San Juan (PUR) to advance out of Group A. The quarterfinals begin on Friday.
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Interest in the WBC on television has been good in the U.S., with audiences of 2.64 million and 2.98 million on FOX last Friday and Saturday.
Compared to 2025 MLB regular-season games, those audiences would have ranked second and fourth across the whole season!
● Football ● Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on state television on Tuesday:
“Due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran – they have imposed two wars on us over just eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people – definitely it’s not possible for us to take part in the World Cup.”
Iran has qualified out of the Asian confederation, and the U.S. has said that the team will be welcome to come and play at the World Cup. Iran was drawn in Group G and has matches slated against New Zealand in Inglewood, California on 15 June, Belgium in Inglewood on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
If it does not play, Iran would be replaced by Iraq or possibly the UAE, and would be subject to sanctions by FIFA.
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