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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The International Olympic Committee announced that it has sold television rights for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games in Mexico to TelevisaUnivision.
The company was also the rights-holder for 2024 and has committed to at least 200 hours of over-the-air coverage for both Olympic Games. The deal also includes the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games, the Youth Olympic Games, and both pay TV and streaming platforms.
No terms were announced.
● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS Alpine World Championships in Saalbach (AUT) opened on Tuesday with the Mixed Team Parallel Event.
The U.S. entered as defending champions, and defeated Poland and Norway to reach the semifinals against Switzerland. Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan won their races, but Luca Aerni and Thomas Tumler were even better against Isaiah Nelson and River Radamus of the U.S. and the Swiss advanced on a better combined net time, 49.97 to 50.45.
In the final, the Swiss faced off against Italy and the third run was decisive, with Italian Lara Della Mea defeating Delphine Darballay by 1.55 seconds. Each side won two races, but the combined net times showed the Italians at 49.91 and the Swiss at 50.36. Gold to Italy.
In the third-place match, the U.S. was down 2-1 but leading on time in the final run when Nelson failed to finish, giving the Swedes the bronze medal.
The Worlds continue with Downhill training on Wednesday and then the women’s Super G on Thursday.
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Comebacking American star Lindsey Vonn, 40, spoke to reporters prior to the Worlds, and expressed her surprise in getting to race in Saalbach:
● “When we first started talking about the possibility of racing this season my goal was to be a forerunner here. Maybe I could do some POV (point of view) for NBC or something. To be actually competing here was definitely not what I had anticipated. I didn’t anticipate racing in St. Anton. I didn’t anticipate doing so well so quickly.
“This season has been all about managing my expectations, and I’m trying to continue to do that here.
“For me, what changed to be able to be here is that I’m fast, you know. I’m competitive, and I think I’m ready to compete for a medal. And that’s really the only thing that counts here at the World Championships.”
● “So physically, I feel great. Mentally, I’m refreshed. And again, I think I just have a much different mental outlook than anyone else on the tour. So hopefully that plays to my advantage.”
● “My perspective is different, because I’m not here to prove anything to anyone. Most of the girls, you know, they haven’t really had any time off, they’ve been competing for, you know, however many years in a row. And you know, they have pressure from themselves, from their team, expectations, and I don’t have any.”
Vonn is expected to be in the Downhill and Super-G, events she won at the 2009 Worlds for her only two World Champs golds (so far).
● Athletics ● Seven world leads were set or tied at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava, a World Indoor Tour Gold meet, including a win for American Ronnie Baker in the men’s 60 m in 6.50, equaling USC’s J.C. Stevenson from the Red Raider Invitational:
● Men/60 m: 6.50 (=), Ronnie Baker (USA)
● Men/200 m: 20.43 (=), Erik Erlandsson (SWE)
● Men/400 m: 45.08, Attila Molnar (HUN)
● Men/Long Jump: 8.23 m (27-0) (=), Mattia Furlani (ITA)
● Men/Shot Put: 21.39 m (70-2 1/4), Zane Weir (ITA)
● Women/400 m: 50.92, Lieke Klaver (NED)
● Women/3,000 m: 8:24.17, Freweyni Hailu (ETH)
Sweden’s Erlandsson equaled his own mark from 17 January and Molnar set a national indoor record with his 45.08 win in the 400. Hailu, the 2024 World Indoor Champion, won by more than 15 seconds in the women’s 3,000 m, moving her to no. 8 on the all-time list.
Beyond the world leads, Britain’s Elliott Crestan won the men’s 800 in 1:44.69, just 0.04 off the world lead (now no. 12 all-time), and women’s 60 m world leader (7.07) Patrizia van der Weken (LUX) won the women’s 60 m from Polish star Ewa Swoboda, 7.08 to 7.09.
● Shooting ● The USA Shooting Spring Selection event for Skeet in West Palm Beach, Florida concluded last weekend, with the amazing, six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode winning the women’s final and ending up second in the overall team selection standings.
Rhode, now 45 and a Vice President of the International Shooting Sports Federation, was second to 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi in the overall qualifying phase, 242-239, then finished second in the Hillsdale Match, 242-241 to Sam Simonton, the two-time Worlds Team Skeet gold medalist. Rhode received three points in the Open Finals to finish with 483 overall, one behind Vizzi’s 484, with Simonton and Caitlin Connor, the 2018 World Champion, third at 476.
The men’s winner was 2019 Pan American Games gold medalist Christian Elliott, who co-led the qualifying (with Dustan Taylor) at 245, then won the Selection Match at 250 and with one point from the Open Finals, led all shooters with 496 points.
Taylor, a 2023 Worlds Team Skeet gold medalist, was no. 3 in the Selection Match (244) and finished with 491 points for second. Phillip Jungman was a little further back in third at 486.
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