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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Los Angeles 2028 ● “So much of our beloved Palisades is just gone.”
That’s Traci Park, the Los Angeles City Council member for the 11th District, which includes fire-destroyed Pacific Palisades on the far-western edge of the city, on Wednesday in an interview with KNBC (channel 4).
Asked about the response from residents and business owners who have lost homes, offices and shops, she acknowledged anger, frustration and not knowing what the future will bring. She added:
“It is also frustration that stems from chronic under-investment in our critical infrastructure and our public safety partners.
“Here in the City of Los Angeles, we just recently received a standard-of-coverage report that indicates that here, we need at least 62 new fire stations, in the City of Los Angeles, to meet just our average daily need.
“We do not have the staffing and the resources that we need on a daily basis; the demands we are putting on our public safety resources is absolutely untenable, and we can’t continue this way.
“We have 100 fire engines and ambulances out of service at the mechanic’s yard because we don’t have mechanics to repair them.”
Park is the Chair of the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and added:
“We are not staffed to deal with this level of emergency, or this number of emergencies spread around a geographic footprint like we have in this City and the County of Los Angeles. And as we look forward to the [FIFA] World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028, this is a painful and tragic reminder of how much work we have ahead.”
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Surfing site TheInertia.com reported on the December general meeting of the International Surfing Association, with confirmation that the surfing site for 2028 will be either Huntington Beach in Orange County or Lower Tresles at the north end of San Diego County.
The ISA is asking for an increase in the number of competitors in the existing Shortboard events from 48 to 72 for 2028, and has asked for Longboard to be added, with 32 athletes, to the crowded schedule with 35 or 36 sports already on the program and 11,242 athletes expected, without any further additions.
● Anti-Doping ● While the U.S. government has declined to pay its 2024 dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency, Russia reported that it sent its 2023 government dues to WADA of about $1.21 million, according to Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev:
“We sent WADA the fee for 2023 on December 19. This is more than €1.1 million. Given the difficulties with international transactions, the receipt is expected in January. We are closely monitoring the situation.”
The Russian news agency TASS reported Russia’s 2024 dues at $1,408,094.
● Russia ● The Russian government adopted a plan for national sports development for the next five years, with the first goal to return its athletes to international competitions. According to TASS:
“Among other tasks is the formation of a positive image of Russia in the international sports community as a state with high sporting achievements and an active fight against doping. The development of international sports cooperation must be ensured on conditions that ensure equal and mutually beneficial multilateral cooperation, as well as full protection of the national interests of the Russian Federation.
“The Russian national team has been tasked with entering the top three in the unofficial medal count of the Olympics by 2030.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, who headed the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games organizing committee, will head the effort.
● Athletics ● For those who use the World Athletics scoring tables for comparing performances across events, a new edition has been published for 2025 and is available for download from the federation Web site.
● Ice Hockey ● The U.S. advanced to the semifinals of the 17th IIHF Women’s U-18 World Championship, being played in Vantaa (FIN).
The American women won their three group games by a combined 14-0 to win Group A, and Canada took Group B at 3-0 (16-3 on goals). In the playoff quarters, the U.S. squashed Slovakia, 9-1 and Canada crushed Japan by 17-0.
In the Saturday semis, the U.S. will play Sweden (3-1), with the Americans winning the group game, 3-0. Canada will play the Czech Republic, having won their group game by 5-0. The gold medal final will be on Sunday.
● Swimming ● Gary Hall, Jr., a 10-time Olympic medalist in 1996-2000-2004, had to evacuate his home in the Palisades area of Los Angeles due to the raging fires on Tuesday and lost the house, likely including his medals.
A GoFundMe page to support Hall collected 41,753 of a $50,000 goal by 4 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday and included:
“Gary Jr. lost his home and his livelihood in the devastating Palisades Fire on January 7th. Gary saw flames out his window while he was at home before collecting his dog, Puddles, his insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and a religious wooden piece his daughter Gigi gave him and drove towards the ocean as quickly as possible.
“He was forced to leave behind everything else he owned, such as irreplaceable family heirlooms, photos, and more. He has also most likely lost his ten Olympic medals, but nothing can take away his spirit that won those medals. Gary was renting a home located right in the middle of the Palisades Fire which had a pool where he taught swim lessons to children through his business, Sea Monkeys Swimming.”
Hall Jr., now 50, won two Olympic relay golds in 1996, Sydney 2000 golds in the 50 m Free and the 4×100 m Free Relay, and the 50 m Free at Athens 2004. He also won three World Championships relay golds in 1994 and 1998.
● Water Polo ● The World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup is underway, with the men’s Division I tournament in Bucharest (ROU) and the U.S. as one of three group winners.
The Americans went 2-0 in Group C, beating Japan by 19-17 and Romania by 10-7. The U.S. advanced to the quarterfinals and will play Montenegro (1-1) in the lower bracket and with a win, the survivor of Croatia-Spain. The upper bracket features Hungary vs. Georgia and Greece vs. Japan. The gold-medal game is on Sunday (12th).
The women’s Division I tourney, with the U.S., starts on 14 January.
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