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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizers announced that in addition to the “Official Secondary Ticket Marketplace” providers AXS and Eventim, “other verified resale platforms will include Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets.”
The statement noted that “LA28 cannot verify the validity of any tickets sold outside of its verified network and cautions fans to wait for the launch of the verified LA28 resale program before buying or selling resale tickets to LA28 events.”
Ticket sales will begin on 2 April for buyers in Southern California zip codes and those in Oklahoma City for the events there.
● Alpine Skiing ● The U.S. Alpine nationals are in Vail, Colorado, with Isaiah Nelson and River Radamus sharing the men’s Super-G title in 1:08.38 for both, and Bradshaw Underhill third in 1:08.64. The men’s Giant Slalom went to Norway’s Johs Herland (2:34.98) with Erik Read (CAN: 1:20.84) in second.
The women’s Super-G was a close win for World Cup vet Keely Cashman (1:11.69), with Tricia Mangan second (1:11.84) and Logan Grosdider in third (1:12.34). Sunday’s Giant Slalom was a win for Elisabeth Bocock (2:05.10) just ahead of older sister Mary Bocock (2:05.25) and Katie Hensien (2:05.39).
The racing finishes on Tuesday with the Slaloms.
● Athletics ● A huge throw for 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO) in the men’s discus in the thrower’s paradise of Ramona, Oklahoma on Sunday, reaching a world-leading 72.26 m (237-1) on his first throw.
He threw 68.76 m (228-10) on Saturday, but with better winds on Sunday, he also hit 72.05 m (236-4) on his second throw. His big first throw is close to his all-time best of 72.36 m (237-5) from 2023 (making him no. 6 all-time).
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The Athletics Integrity Unit banned Kenyan marathon star Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon winner and two-time runner-up, for five years, after the anti-anemia drug CERA (Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator) was found in samples taken on 3 October, 13 October and 21 October 2025.
Korir, 32, admitted the positives and had a multi-positive sanction of six years reduced by one year for cooperation. He will be eligible again on 7 January 2031 and his results since 3 October 2025 – including his NYC Marathon third-place finish – are nullified.
● Cross Country Skiing ● At the U.S. Spring Nationals in Craftsbury, Vermont, Olympic medal star Ben Ogden won the men’s Sprint in 3:12.11 over JC Schoonmaker and Gus Schumacher, and Schumacher took the 40 km Freestyle Mass Start in 1:35:06.3, ahead of John Steel Hagenbuch (+0.9) and Kevin Bolger (+3.4).
The women’s Sprint went to Canada’s Katherine Weaver (3:51.33) over teammate Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (+1.72). The women’s 40 km Free was a tight finish between winner Novie McCabe (1:44:20.9), Kendall Kramer (+0.6) and Alayna Sonnesyn (+1.0).
● Curling ● The men’s World Championship is on in Ogden, Utah, with about a third of the round-robin play completed. So far, Sweden’s seven-time World Champion Niklas Edin’s rink is on top at 4-0, ahead of the Swiss (Marco Hoesli) at 3-1.
The U.S. rink, skipped by 2018 Olympic champ John Shuster, is 2-3 so far, and in eighth place. The top six will advance to the playoffs.
● Diving ● American three-time Olympian Jessica Parratto, 31, announced her retirement from the sport on Monday. She wrote on Instagram:
“The time has come to officially retire from the sport I love While this decision may not come as a surprise to many, making it official gives me a sense of closure on something that has been such a defining part of my life. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been part of this journey.”
She won a memorable Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver with Delaney Schnell in the women’s 10 m Synchro and a Worlds bronze with Schnell in 2023. They finished sixth at the Paris 2024 Games. Parratto won a total of 11 U.S. national titles.
● Fencing ● The U.S. Fencing Foundation released its 2025 annual report, reporting more than $412,000 raised from 540 individual donors and a $2.48 million endowment total into early 2026.
No financial statements were included, but the report 27 elite athletes were funded and nine personal coaches, plus 60 entries to North American Cup (NAC) were funded, as well as 31 “Fencing the Gap” grants to clubs across 25 states for grass-roots development programs.
● Figure Skating ● Powered by more than 93,000 votes online, the International Skating Union presented its awards for the 2025-26 season.
Japan’s Olympic silver winner Yuma Kagiyama won for Most Entertaining Program, while World Champion Ilia Malinin of the U.S. won for Best Costume.
Japan’s Ami Nakai, the Olympic women’s bronze medalist, won for Best Newcomer (selected by an ISU jury) and Ice Dance Olympic champs Laurence Founier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) won for Skaters of the Year (based on a points system).
Coach of the Year honors went to American Philip DiGuglielmo, who guided Olympic champ Alysa Liu this season. The Best Choreographer award recognized France’s Benoit Richaud, for a second time, also in 2024.
● Football ● FIFA announced that all 16 of its global sponsorship packages for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have now been sold and only two regional Supporter Tier packages remain available.
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Inside World Football reported Monday:
“The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plans to charge fans around $75 per person for a round-trip ticket from Boston South Station to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, a mere 27-mile journey. For context, that same ticket costs $20 for a New England Patriots or Revolution game. It was bumped to $30 for last Thursday’s France-Brazil friendly. Come the World Cup, it more than doubles again.”
The story’s final line: “The grift is real. And it’s just getting started.”
● Freestyle Skiing ● The U.S. nationals in Moguls skiing was in Palisades Tahoe, California, with Charlie Mickel taking the men’s Moguls final with 82.38 points, over Asher Michel (81.35). The Dual Moguls went to Michel, who won the final against Camden Lewis.
The Women’s Moguls final was a tight win for Kylie Kariotis (70.34) over Kasey Hogg (70.16), but Hogg won the Dual Moguls final over Evelyn Harris.
● Gymnastics ● Ukraine’s two-time Worlds bronze medalist Taisiia Onofriichuk (UKR) won a tight battle for the All-Around title at the World Gymnastics Rhythmic World Cup in Sofia (BUL) that finished Monday.
Onofriichuk scored 116.600 to edge home favorite and 2025 Worlds runner-up Stiliana Nikolova (BUL: 116.200) and six-time Worlds gold medalist Sofia Raffaelli (115.700). Rin Keys was the top American in 11th at 108.700.
In the apparatus finals, Onofriichuk won on Hoop (30.400), on Ball (29.000) and on Ribbon (29.200). Bulgaria’s Eva Brezalieva won on Clubs (29.650), with Keys fourth (29.000). Keys also finished fifth in Hoop (28.750).
● Shooting ● At the ISSF World Cup in Tangier (MAR), Finn Timi Vallioniemi won the men’s Skeet final, scoring 31/36, just ahead of Domenico Simeone (ITA: 29). American Dustan Taylor was seventh.
Britain’s Bethany Norman, 19, won the women’s Skeet for her first major international win, ahead of 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi of the U.S., 28-27, in the final.
Competition continues with the Trap events this week.
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