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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Paralympic Games ● The International Paralympic Committee noted Nielsen Sports research that it commissioned surveyed more than 15,000 people in 11 countries before and after the 2024 Paris Games, with positive results:
“Post-Games, the research found nearly three in four (73 per cent) people thought the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games positively changed their attitudes towards persons with disabilities. A further eight out of 10 (80 per cent) felt the Games made them feel more positive about the abilities of people with disabilities, while 79 per cent stated the Paralympics made them more supportive of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.”
● Enhanced Games ● The doping-encouraged Enhanced Games filed suit against World Aquatics, USA Swimming and the World Anti-Doping Agency in a U.S. Federal Court in New York, asking for injunctive relief and $200 million in actual damages:
“The lawsuit responds to defendants’ blatantly predatory and illegal campaign to force anyone involved in the sport, including athletes, support staff and officials, to boycott the Enhanced Games and to stop the Enhanced Games from entering the market for international elite swimming.”
The Enhanced Games event, slated for May 2026 in Las Vegas, has been criticized by the International Federations for all three sports it proposes to offer: athletics, swimming and weightlifting. World Aquatics has passed a rule, declaring any participants in events which do not follow the World Anti-Doping Code to be ineligible.
Enhanced Games promoter Aron D’Souza (AUS) told The Associated Press that, essentially, the fierce opposition of sports governing bodies is working: “[U]ntil this issue is resolved, it’s causing irreparable harm to our ability to sign athletes.” Only five have signed up so far.
● Athletics ● Shadrack Biwott, 40, a U.S. World Championships team member in the 2014 Half Marathon Worlds, was sanctioned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency with a four-year ban for the use of erythropoietin (EPO), found during an out-of-competition test on 25 January 2024.
That was nine days ahead of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, where he did not finish. The sanction was determined by an independent arbitrator and began on 23 February 2024. He has a half-marathon best of 1:01:25 from 2014 and a marathon best of 2:12:01 from 2016.
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The Athletics Integrity Unit banned Kenyan road distance star Charles Kipkkuri Langat, 29, for five years and 11 months for using testosterone. He has bests of 26:57 for the road 10 km (2023) and 58:53 for the half-marathon, also in 2023. He last competed in July 2023.
● Cycling ● The Vuelta a Espana is on Spanish soil now, with the fifth stage being a 24.1 km, flat Team Time Trial in and around Figueres. UAE Team Emirates won in 25:26, with Visma-Lease a Bike (NED) second in 25:34. This gave Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) of Visma-Lease A Bike the overall race leadership once again, as France’s David Gaudu was ninth on the Groupama (FRA) team (25:50).
So, Vingegaard now has an eight-second lead on Juan Ayuso (ESP), Joao Almeida (POR) and Marc Soler (ESP) with Guilio Ciccone (ITA) nine seconds back. The next two stages are more challenging, with major uphill finishes.
A group of pro-Palestinian protectors blocked the path of riders from the Israel-Premier Tech team on the course; according to The Associated Press, “[r]ace officials on motorcycles riding ahead of the team rode through the banner, but several of the team’s cyclists had to temporarily stop as protesters stood in front of their bikes.” One person was arrested.
● Volleyball ● Pool play concluded at the FIVB Women’s World Championship in Thailand, with four more groups completed:
● E: 1. Turkey (3-0); 2. Canada (2-1)
● F: 1. China (3-0); 2. Dominican Rep. (2-1)
● G: 1. Poland (3-0); 2. Germany (2-1)
● H: 1. Japan (3-0); 2. Serbia (2-1)
The playoffs are now set, with round-of-16 matches starting Friday:
Upper bracket:
● Netherlands vs. Serbia
● Japan vs. Thailand
● United States vs. Canada
● Turkey vs. Slovenia
Lower bracket:
● Italy vs. Germany
● Poland vs. Belgium
● Brazil vs. Dominican Republic
● China vs. France
The quarters will be on 3-4 September with the semis on 6 September and the final on 7 September.
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