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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The continuing battle between business and labor in Los Angeles escalated again on Wednesday as the City Clerk approved the start of a petition drive to collect signatures for an initiative that would repeal the City’s business tax.
This specific tax brings in $805 million annually to the City of Los Angeles’ General Fund and a repeal would throw the City into another financial crisis, further complicating local government. To get the initiative on the June 2026 ballot, promoters must collect 139,497 valid signatures from local voters within 120 days of the official filing date (still to come).
This has nothing to do with the LA28 organizing committee, but could substantially impact the City’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games if passed next year.
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA), set up to manage the government-led venue preparations for the 2032 Olympic Games has approved the Fitzroy River as a suitable site for rowing and flatwater canoeing for the 2032 Games.
The venue had been criticized as unsuitable due to crocodiles in some areas and the impact of currents, but has been used for national rowing training for many years. Queensland Senator Matt Canavan told reporters that the state’s feasibility study was positive:
“Effectively now we have a green light for rowing in 2032. All the data is in – there is no longer any barrier to having the rowing here.”
The site has still not been approved by the International Canoe Federation or World Rowing, but it has passed the first test.
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The official posters for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games were unveiled on Wednesday in Milan by artists Olimpia Zagnoli and Carolina Altavilla.
Zagnoli’s design – “Visione Olympica” – shows, in her words, “an eclectic character wearing the Olympic Rings as if they were glasses. In the background are snow-capped mountains. The idea is to emphasize the personality of those participating in the Olympics – both the athletes and those watching – who bring their own vibe to the event.”
Altavilla’s poster, untitled, “is to be able to visualise inclusion in sports, fostering the Paralympic spirit and generating a positive impact globally. The poster symbolizes the support among participants and the importance of being mindful of creating safe spaces for the development of others, highlighting the athletes’ determination, both in and out of competition.”
Both are now on sale and will ship in early November.
● Alpine Skiing ● Italy’s Marta Bassino, a two-time Olympian, two-time World Champion and the 2023 Super-G winner, suffered “a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg” in a training crash in Val Senales (ITA). Now 29, she is due to be operated on and her recovery in time for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games is doubtful.
Fellow Italian Federica Brignone, a star in the Downhill, Super-G and Giant Slalom, tore up her left leg in a crash at the Italian championships in April and has not returned to skiing yet.
● Athletics ● USA Track & Field re-arranged its relay coaching program for 2025 and it paid dividends at the World Athletics Championships with four wins in five events, the only loss in the men’s 4×400 m by 0.07 to Botswana.
Wallace Spearmon, himself a Worlds gold medalist on the U.S. men’s 4×100 m at the 2007 Worlds, told The Associated Press that a different approach was taken:
“We sent out depth charts so people knew exactly where they would run. We made sure athletes weren’t competing for a spot in the final. We said, ‘This is the order, this is your job, you handle your job and if you don’t like your job, then don’t get on the plane.’”
Spearmon explained that the relay orders were set well before the meet. But that did not mean they stayed consistent. The U.S. changed three of its four men’s 4×100 team members from the heats to the final, all four for the men’s 4×400 final, one for the women’s 4×100 m, all four for the women’s 4×400 and none for the Mixed 4×400. But it worked.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● While the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation’s independent appeals tribunal ordered the federation to follow the International Olympic Committee’s regulations regarding Russian and Belarusian “neutrals” competing in Olympic qualifying events, the federation told the Russian news agency TASS on Wednesday:
“The IBSF Executive Committee discussed the organization’s appeals tribunal’s decision and the IOC’s compliance with the tribunal’s criteria. Further steps will be developed in the coming days.”
The federation could appeal the decision of its tribunal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
● Cycling ● The 122nd edition of the UCI World Track Championships opened in Santiago (CHI) on Wednesday, with Dutch star and defending champion Lorena Wiebes taking the opening event, the women’s 40-lap (10 km) Scratch Race over 2018 Worlds bronzer Amalie Dideriksen (DEN) and Prudence Fowler (NZL). Bethany Ingram was the American finisher, in ninth.
The Dutch scored again in the women’s Team Sprint, moving up from second in 2024 and defeating Olympic and World Champion Great Britain in the final, 45.743 to 46.003. It’s the first-ever Netherlands win in this event at the World Championships. Australia won the bronze over Poland, 46.773 to 48.033.
The Netherlands completed their first-day sweep with an expected win in the men’s Team Sprint with the familiar trio of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg winning in 41.691 over Great Britain (42.060). Australia took another bronze, over France, 42.611 to 42.861.
For the Dutch trio, this continues their amazing run of golds in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the World Championships in 2019-20-21–23-24-25 with a second in 2022. Lavreysen was also on the 2018 Worlds winning team and won a silver in 2017. Hoogland won silver at the Worlds in 2016 and 2017 as well. Amazing!
● Figure Skating ● Canada’s 42-year-old 2024 Pairs World Champion Deanna Stellato-Dudek said after her second-place finish at the Grand Prix of France last week with 33-year-old partner Maxime Deschamps:
“I’ve had that idea for a long time. Last year the ISU just allowed backflips and Adam Siao Him Fa [FRA] has done it and Ilia Malinin [USA] is on it but none of the women have done it. I wanted to show that the girls play the backflip game just as good as the boys. It is important to me.”
Yep! An ISU feature explained:
“She backflips from her partner’s chest. No pairs team has done that kind of assisted backflip before in international competition. Backflips became legal in ISU events in the 2024/25 season again following a rule change after being banned for decades.”
Stellato-Dudek was the perfect candidate for the trick, thanks to her years of gymnastics training before she took to the ice. The flip is now part of their programs going forward.
● Football ● FIFA announced a five-year collaboration agreement with the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) federations of trade unions for “joint inspections, training, and reporting to promote decent and safe working conditions for all workers involved in the construction and renovation of stadiums and other infrastructure linked to FIFA tournaments” through 2030.
The BWI was involved with FIFA in the construction effort leading to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and human rights activists have been critical of FIFA’s award of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, concerned over construction worker abuse, pay and living conditions.
● Gymnastics ● At the FIG Artistic World Championships in Jakarta (INA), Wednesday was the men’s All-Around day, with Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto winning his third straight Worlds gold, scoring 85.131 to edge 2021 World Champion Boheng Zhang (CHN: 84.333) and Swiss Noe Seifert (82.831), who won his first Worlds medal at age 26.
Hashimoto had the highest scores on Floor (14.000), Vault (14.466) and Horizontal Bar (14.700). Zhang took the Rings at 14.600 and Seifert was best on Pommel Horse (14.000). Russian “neutral” Daniel Marinov scored best on Parallel Bars (14.700). The U.S. had no finalists as Asher Hong was injured and did not compete in the qualifying.
● Rowing ● The addition of the Beach Sprint to the Olympic program for 2028 has raised interest in this new discipline. World Rowing announced that a record 55 federations have entered the 2025 Beach Sprint Worlds in Antalya (TUR) from 6-9 November.
A total of 342 athletes have been registered for the 10 boat classes. The men’s and women Solo have 40 and 33 entries, respectively – both Olympic events – with 33 for the Mixed Double Sculls.
● Skiing ● Norwegian media reported the vote in the FIS Council on the question of returning Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualifying events for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games was 10 in favor and 12 against.
The expected appeals from the Russian side will be coming, per Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev:
“The FIS has made a negative decision regarding the admission of Russian athletes to international competitions. We consider such actions completely unacceptable and have nothing in common with the principles and values enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
“The Ministry of Sport and the Russian Olympic Committee, in collaboration with our ski federations, will prepare appeals against the FIS Council’s decision.
“Russia’s position has been strengthened by a recent precedent – the court ruling in bobsled – which recognized the discriminatory nature of the suspensions. The appeal will be filed as soon as possible.”
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