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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Pan American Games ● An economic study of the recently-completed Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion (PAR) estimated that the event brought a total economic impact to Paraguay of $431.3 million U.S.
Against a budget of $85.0 million, direct expenditures related to the Games were $156.6 million, including athlete travel and visitor spending, creating indirect and induced impacts of $274.8 million for a $431.8 million total.
During the time of the Games – 7-23 August – an 86% increase in tourism entries was observed (208,583 in 2025 vs. 112,215 in 2024), with the event credited for 49,598 international visitors and $71.6 million in spending.
The Junior Pan Ams was staged as part of a continuing effort to popularize Paraguay as a tourism and business location through sports and Asuncion is one of two bidders (with Rio-Nitroi in Brazil) for the 2031 Pan American Games.
● Russia ● “We are waiting for the decision of the IOC Executive Board to reinstate the rights of the [Russian] Olympic Committee. Until the rights are restored, no decisions on the admission of the national team to international competitions can be made.
“The first step must be the reinstatement of the Russian Olympic Committee.”
That’s Russian Olympic Committee President Mikhail Degtyarev speaking Thursday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, with the IOC Executive Board to meet on 18-19 September in Milan (ITA).
“We are preparing for full-fledged participation in the 2028 Olympic Games.”
He also said that World Athletics is now allowing athletes of other countries to compete in Russia, although Russian athletes are banned from competing internationally. So, the Russian federation “is preparing several competitions on our territory with the invitation of foreign athletes. A good story, this is our common diplomatic victory with the ARAF. That’s it: step by step. Maybe something else will appear somewhere.”
● Archery ● During his pitch to be elected as the President of World Archery, American Greg Easton told the delegates about what he wanted to see changed. Beyond promises of being more responsive to the national federations and to archers, also touched on two aspects of the sport to be revised:
● “I have heard your concerns. Events are too expensive. We will change that. We will create a flexible hosting model that allows more nations to welcome the world. We will audit every requirement, keeping only what truly serves our athletes and our sports growth. Doing that will lower the cost of attending.”
● “[O]ur fourth pillar, our sport. Archery is timeless, yet we face new challenges with today’s media and how people engage with the sport. Here, I see opportunity.
“We will make events more engaging by using new digital tools that bring fans closer to the best of our sport. We will empower athletes to share their stories authentically, connecting with new fans. And we will embrace innovation without losing sight of the traditions that make archery unique.”
He also suggested making the federation’s steaming channel, ArcheryTV+, free to view to attract new fans. Easton ultimately won easily, by 208-96, over longtime World Archery Secretary General Tom Dielen (BEL).
● Athletics ● Ace statistician Walt Murphy observed that among the late changes in the USA Track & Field team roster for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) that start on 13 September was a foot injury to steepler Matt Wilkinson (8:10.23 in 2025), allowing Isaac Updike (8:10.59) to join the team.
Also, sprinter Aleia Hobbs (10.89 in 2025) withdrew, allowing TeeTee Terry (10.85) to complete in the women’s 100 m. McKenzie Long (21.93), fifth in the 200 m, will also compete, as Gabby Thomas (21.95) has not recovered from an Achilles injury and USATF fourth-placer Brittany Brown (22.13) won a wild-card entry as the Diamond League winner in 2025.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● German Simon Wulff, a 10.06 sprinter who turned to bobsled and pushed for Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich at the IBSF 2-Man World Cup in Altenberg (GER) last December, was banned for 21 months by the International Testing Agency on Thursday.
He tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine on 7 December 2024 and while he apparently did not intentionally take it, he was unable to show how the drug got into his system. He will regain his eligibility on 7 September 2026.
● Boxing ● France will not have any women entries at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool (GBR) as it was unable to get its sex-test results completed in time.
World Boxing announced on 20 August that sex-testing was required for entry in the women’s category for the 2025 Worlds, its first as the new International Federation for the sport. However, in France, such testing has been outlawed since 1994.
So the five French women were tested in England and assured that the results would be delivered on time. But they were not; a World Boxing spokesperson told Agence France Presse:
“We are sorry some boxers did not meet the deadline for results of testing but the rules and deadlines were published.”
The FFBoxe federation, however, was furious:
“It is with stupefaction and indignation that the French team learned on Wednesday evening the French women’s boxing team would not be able to compete in the first world championships organised by World Boxing.
“Despite guarantees given to us by World Boxing, the laboratory which they recommended to us was not up to the task of delivering the results on time.
“As a result our athletes as well as those from other countries have been caught in this trap and excluded.”
The Worlds are from 4-14 September, with 540 boxers from 66 countries entered, including 17 medal winners from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
¶
In a remarkable turn of events in 2023, but only disclosed on Wednesday, Korean boxer Si-hun Park gave his 1988 Olympic 71 kg men’s gold medal to silver winner, American Roy Jones Jr.
Jones shared the circumstances in a video posted on Wednesday (3rd), where Park and his family traveled to Jones’ ranch in Pensacola, Florida in May 2023 to present him with the medal, saying through his son as translator, “I had the gold medal, but I wanted to give it back to you. It belongs to you.”
Park was the beneficiary of ridiculous beneficial treatment from the judges in Seoul, and Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, writing in The Complete Book of the Olympic Games (1996 ed.), explained, “Veteran ring observes of all nationalities, reporters, referees and fans agreed that it was the worst decision they had ever seen.” He noted that Park himself apologized to Jones, telling him through an interpreter, “I am sorry. I lost the fight. I feel very bad,” even raising Jones’ arm on the awards stand.
Park suffered from depression after the 1988 Games and did not fight professionally. Jones went on to one of the great boxing careers in history, including world titles in four weight classes.
● Football ● FIFA said Wednesday that 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets would be priced as low as $60 for group-stage matches, and as much as $6,730, but provided few further details. FIFA will use a dynamic pricing model to maximize revenue from popular matches and teams.
Visa cardholders can enter for an early-draw purchase slot, with actual sales beginning on 1 October. The second sales phase will be from “mid-November to early December,” and a third phase after the Final Draw on 5 December.
The $60 lowest World Cup price contrasts with €24 (about $28 U.S.) as the least-expensive Olympic tickets for Paris 2024, with half of the 2024 Olympic tickets offered at €50 (about $58 U.S.) or less.
● Swimming ● A unpleasant coda to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, as Italian Olympic swimmers Benedetta Pilato, the women’s Worlds 50 m Breaststroke bronze winner, and sprinter Chiara Tarantino, were sanctioned after being accused of stealing perfume from a duty-free airport shop.
They received 12-month conditional sentences and a ban from entering Singapore. They were detained at the airport by Singapore authorities on their way back to Italy after a holiday in Bali following the Championships. Although the legal matter is closed, the swimmers are subject to disciplinary hearings in Italy by the national federation.
● Volleyball ● The top two seeds at the FIVB Women’s World Championship in Bangkok (THA) will meet in the semifinals as no. 1 Italy and no. 2 Brazil notched wins in their quarterfinal matches.
Both swept aside their opponents, with Italy pounding Poland, 25-17, 25-21, 25-18 and Brazil sailing past upset-minded France, 27-25, 33-31, 25-19.
No. 4 Turkey defeated the U.S., seeded third, 25-14, 22-25, 25-14, 25-23 to earn a semifinal berth against no. 7 Japan, which out-lasted The Netherlands, 20-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12.
The semis will be on Saturday with the medal matches on Sunday. Brazil has never won this tournament, but has now made it to the medal round in five of the last six editions. Same for Italy, which did win the 2002 title.
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