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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● More questions are being raised about venues for the 2032 Olympic Games, including the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, with questions about the site as a crocodile habitat, but also concerns about the current.
Flatwater canoeing and rowing need calm water for competitions, and Reuters reporting a Rowing Australia statement that included:
“Fairness and safety are paramount to any venue hosting a regatta of this magnitude and importance, with any river current that could impact results or favour certain lanes not permissible under the rules.”
The International Canoe Federation said, “It has come as a surprise to both the ICF and Paddle Australia that Rockhampton has been chosen considering the extensive examinations that had been conducted on other potential venues.”
Oh boy.
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Positive reports from the initial tests of the new sliding track in Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2026 Winter Games, with International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation President Ivo Ferriani (ITA) in full approval:
“It is just fantastic to see our track for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games taking such good shape. We all know that the timeframe for the re-construction was very tight and ambitious, but SiMiCo has done an amazing job. We have successfully held the test runs for the pre-homologation which are part of the homologation process. Minor adaptions still need to be done and the main focus must remain on the finalization of the construction works.
“The feedback we received from our technical experts and the coaches and athletes on site this week, has been very positive. We are thrilled about this outcome and the entire bobsleigh and skeleton community cannot wait to come back here for our World Cup in November, further training, and then of course the pinnacle of all competition, the Olympic Games.”
International Luge Federation (FIL) Secretary General Dwight Bell of the U.S. added, “Having attended the conclusion of the pre-homologation on site in Cortina, we are very satisfied that the process was even better than we had expected.”
Construction of the support facilities is expected to be finished in early November, ahead of the IBSF World Cup.
● World University Games 2029: North Carolina ● “We had the opportunity to view a number of outstanding venues, as well as dining and dorms in one of the FISU Games Villages. It was clear that North Carolina has what it takes to give us full confidence in the venues and accommodations departments.
“Budgets and finances are key to any major event and NC USA has early support from the State and several significant companies and organisations, and good ways to go towards meeting its financial goals for the event. We feel good about where things stand at this point, while realising much hard work over the next four and quarter years to the Games lies ahead.”
That’s from International University Sports Federation (FISU) Secretary General Matthias Remund (SUI), after he, FISU President Leonz Eder (AUT) and other officials completed a multi-day visit to the site of the 2029 WUG, including meeting North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and taking in two first-round NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament games at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
● Commonwealth Games ● “We have sent an expression of interest and we are hopeful the Commonwealth Games Federation will consider our proposal.”
That’s from Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha, speaking with Reuters on Friday about an Indian candidature for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, celebrating the centennial of the 1930 British Empire Games.
India hosted the event in New Delhi in 2010, with severe issues with organization and corruption, but the country is all in to try to host the 2036 Olympic Games. The Commonwealth Games has suffered a loss of profile in recent years and had the state of Victoria, Australia give back the 2026 edition, finally placed – but significantly scaled down – in Glasgow (SCO).
● International Olympic Committee ● Former IOC member and long-time head of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Mexican business tycoon Olegario Vazquez Rana passed away on Friday (28th) in Mexico City. He was 89.
He had vast interests in tourism, medicine, finance and media, but was also deeply devoted to shooting. A four-time Olympian in 1964-68-72-76, he became President of the ISSF from 1980 to 2018 and was an IOC member from 1995 to 2015.
● Athletics ● USA Track & Field announced Darryl Woodson as the Team USATF Relay coach “for all international teams.” Woodson has been a six-time U.S. national teams coach and was an assistant coach with the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
USATF Chief of High Performance Operations Robert Chapman crystalized Woodson’s responsibility: “USATF has an ambitious target of five gold medals in the relay events at LA28. Anything less would be selling our athletes, coaches, and country short.”
While the men’s and women’s 4×400 m teams have been dominant, the men’s 4×100 m Olympic squads haven’t won a medal since 2004 and haven’t won the final since 2000. The U.S. women’s 4×100 has won Olympic medals in four straight Games (3-1-0).
● Figure Skating ● There was a protocol faux pas during the ISU Worlds in Boston, during the men’s Short Program for Chinese Taipei’s Yu-hsiang Li last Thursday. The flag of Taiwan was shown on the screen behind him instead of the agreed-to Chinese Taipei emblem which was a negotiated settlement between the island, the International Olympic Committee and China in the 1970s. A later public address announcement explained:
“The ISU would like to sincerely apologise for the display of the incorrect flag for Chinese Taipei during the ISU World Figure Skating Championships event today.
“We fully understand the sensitivity of this mistake and deeply regret any offence or confusion this may have caused.”
● Football ● John Herdman (GBR), the Canadian men’s and women’s team coach between 2011-23, who apparently began the tactic of using drones to spy on another team’s practices, received a small sanction from Canada Soccer. In a statement, the federation said Friday:
“Late this afternoon, the Independent Disciplinary Committee released its decision on the allegations of misconduct by John Herdman. The independent committee informed the parties that Mr. Herdman was found to have committed misconduct under the Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code.
“The committee determined the appropriate sanction was a letter of admonishment and informed the parties that their decision was final and binding. Canada Soccer is still analyzing the committee’s decision.”
Herdman said in a statement, “I acknowledge the disciplinary committee’s decision, which concluded with an admonishment, without suspension or fine, and brings this matter to a close.”
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Athletics ● Many of the performances at the annual Texas Relays were (quite) wind-aided, but wind counts in the discus and there were a couple of monster early-season throws.
Olympic champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. sent the platter out to 66.72 m (218-11) to win the women’s competition, and Oklahoma junior Ralford Mullings (JAM) – ninth in Paris – won the men’s disc at 69.13 m (226-10), his third-longest throw ever.
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Absolutely amazing men’s 1,500 m at the Raleigh Relays in North Carolina, with the collegiate record falling to Villanova senior Liam Murphy in 3:33.02, just ahead of junior teammate Marco Langon (3:33.38) and Virginia junior Gary Martin (3:33.71)!
All three were under the prior best of 3:33.74 by Eliud Kipsang (KEN) of Alabama from 2022! Murphy overtook Martin on the final straight, ran the last 400 in 54.18 and his last 800 m in 1:51.24!
Murphy had been fourth in the NCAA Indoor 3,000 m in mid-March and Langon was sixth in the 5,000 m, while Martin was the 3,000 m runner-up.
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World-leading performances at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, California, with Kenya’s Ishmael Kipkirui (New Mexico) taking over on the final lap to win in a collegiate record of 26:50.21, with a 55.81 last lap! Teammate Habtom Samuel (ERI) was second in 26:51.06 and then South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt (26:51.27). An amazing fourth was Ethiopian star Telahun Haile, who was late to the start and had to catch up with about a 90 m deficit; he ran 26:52.79 and had the lead at mid-race!
American Graham Blanks was fifth at 26:57.30, moving to no. 4 all-time U.S. (and getting a World Championships qualifying time); Ahmed Muhumed was seventh in 27:03.19 and is now no. 7 all-time U.S.
The women’s race was supposed to be an assault on the American Record, but Elise Cranny had to settle for a win in 30:36.56 for the no. 8 performance in U.S. history. She beat Weini Kelati (30:38.60), who got the no. 9 performance all-time U.S.
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Lots of hype for the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne (AUS), with Paris Olympic 200 m champion Letsile Tebogo (BOT) trying the 400 m and new Australian sensation Gout Gout – 17 – in the 200 m. Both lost.
Lachlan Kennedy (AUS) won the men’s 200 m in 20.26 (wind +0.4 m/s), with Gout second in 20.30, while Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori won the 400 in 45.14, with Tebogo just behind in 45.26. Australian stars Cam Myers (3:34.98) and Ky Robinson (13:13.17) won the men’s 1,500 m and 5,000 m races.
Australia’s Claudia Hollingsworth won the women’s 1,500 m in 4:05.97, and Ethiopia’s Fantaye Belayneh took the 3,000 m in 8:34.30. American Jillian Shipee won the women’s hammer at 71.26 m (233-9).
● Beach Volleyball ● The first Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 of the season was in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, with the new Brazilian pairing of veteran stars Carol Salgado and Rebecca Cavalcante Silva (BRA) winning the final in straight sets over Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Craft, 21-13, 21-17.
In the all-American third-place match, top seeds Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher defeated Molly Shaw and Kelly Cheng, 21-16, 21-14.
Cuba’s fifth-seeded Noslen Diaz and Jorge Alayo won their first Beach Pro Tour gold with a 21-13, 24-22 victory over second-seeds Tomas Capogrosso and Nicolas Capogrosso (ARG).
Americans Chaim Schalk and James Shaw, the 19th seeds, won the bronze-medal match over Steven van de Velde and Alexander Brouwer (NED), 21-19, 21-16.
● Biathlon ● Bjorn Westervelt and Chloe Levins won two events each to highlight the U.S. national championships in Bozeman, Montana.
Jake Brown won the Sprint in 29:11.1 (1 penalty) with Westervelt second in 31:10.2 (0), but then Westervelt took over. He won the Mass Start in 34:36.5 (2) with Paul Schommer well back at 34:56.7 (2), and Westervelt won the Super Sprint finale in 22:49.4 (3) over Brown (23:09.8/5) and Schommer (23:19.9/3).
Levins took the Sprint at 24:07.7 (0) ahead of Joanne Reid (24.52/0/2) and Kelsey Dickinson (25.06.8/0), and the Super Sprint in 25:58.0 (4), comfortably ahead of Grace Castonguay (26:13.9/3) and Reid (31:15.0/3). In between. Dickinson won the Mass Start race in 30:45.9 (2), with Levins second in 30:59.8 (3) and Reid third (31:15.0/3).
● Cycling ● Slovenian star Primoz Roglic won his second Volta a Catalunya in Spain, taking the overall lead for good by winning Sunday’s seventh and final stage, a hilly, 88.2 km course in and around Barcelona.
Roglic came into the final day trailing Spain’s Juan Ayuso by just one second and took off with 21 km to go and got to the line first – by 14 seconds – over Laurens de Plus (BEL), with Ayuso in 34th place, 19 seconds behind.
So, Roglic – who also won the uphill-finishing fourth stage – finished at 24:46:21, with Ayuso at +0:28, then Enric Mas (ESP: +0:53) and Spain’s Mikel Landa (+0:54). Matthew Riccitello was the top American, in 11th (+2:00). Roglic previously won the 2023 edition.
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Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel (NED), the 2023 World Road champ, defended his 2024 title at the 67th E3 Saxo Classic, in and around Harelbeke (BEL), attacking with 39 km left on the 208.8 km route on Friday (28th).
Van der Poel timed in 4:38:11, with Mads Pedersen (DEN: +1:05) second and Time Trial star Filippo Ganna (ITA: +2:04) in third. American Matteo Jorgenson finished ninth (+2:38).
¶
On Sunday, the 87th edition of the famed Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields – this year, 250.3 km with eight separate cobblestone sections totaling 6.8 km – was a runaway for defending champ Pedersen, as the Dane took off with 56 km left and won by 49 seconds in 5:30:21. Belgian Tim Merlier was second (+0:49), ahead of Jonathan Milan (ITA: also +0:49). It was Pedersen’s third win in this race, also in 2020.
Dutch star Lorena Wiebes won her third straight UCI Women’s World Tour race with a final sprint to take the women’s 168.9 km Gent-Wevelgem race, defending her 2024 victory. She beat Italy’s Elisa Balsamo to the line for the second straight year, with both timed in 4:11:19. Charlotte Kool (NED) finished third, as the first 86 riders were given the same time. Amy Williams was the top American, in seventh.
● Fencing ● At the FIE Epee World Cup in Marrakech (MAR), Hungary’s Olympic bronze medalist Eszter Muhari took the women’s title by beating Aizanat Murtazaeva (RUS), 10-9. American Hadley Husisian took one of the bronze medals. The men’s final completed the Hungarian sweep as Gergely Siklosi, the 2019 World Champion, defeated Jakub Jurka (CZE) by 15-14 in the final. American Sam Imrek got one of the bronzes. Hungary won the men’s team final over Italy, 38-28.
France’s Sebastien Patrice won the men’s Sabre World Cup in Budapest (HUN), defeating Matyas Zabo (GER) in the final by 15-14. Patrice, 24, earned his third career World Cup gold, all within the past 10 months! Egypt won the team title over Hungary, 45-37, with the U.S. winning one of the bronze medals with Colin Heathcock, Antonio Heathcock, William Morrill and Mitchell Saron.
At the women’s Sabre World Cup in Cairo (EGY), Despina Georgiadou (GRE) took the title, winning over Sarah Noutcha (FRA) in the final, also by 15-14. It’s Georgiadou’s second career World Cup win. The French won the team final over Hungary, 45-32.
● Freestyle Skiing ● Canada’s Reece Howden won his fifth World Cup gold of the season at the Freestyle Ski Cross in Idre Fjall (SWE), taking the seasonal lead from Simone Derodedis (ITA), with Erik Mobaerg (SWE) third at the line in Saturday’s men’s race.
On Sunday, Howden was just as good, completing the weekend sweep, this time over Youri Duplessis Kergomard (FRA) and Deromedis and won the seasonal title with 1,038 points to 965 for Deromedis.
The women’s opener had Daniela Maier (GER) getting her first win since December, and her third of the season, ahead of Courtney Hoffos (CAN) and seasonal leader Fanny Smith (SUI).
Smith won on Sunday and wrapped up the seasonal title, over Hoffos, who finished the season with three straight silver medals. Fellow Swiss Talina Gantenbein finished third. Smith finished with 1,076 points and four wins in the final six races of the season, beating Maier (915).
● Rugby Sevens ● The fifth stop out of seven on the HSBC Sevens Series was in Hong Kong, but with familiar winners.
Argentina won its third straight men’s tournament, starting with a 3-0 pool record, then edging Ireland in the quarterfinals by 22-14, smashing Australia by 31-7 in its semi and winning the final in a defensive struggle over France, 12-7. The Australians edged Fiji, 22-21, in the third-place game.
Overall, the Argentines sit on top of the standings with 88 points, ahead of Fiji (76) and Spain (74). The U.S. is 12th (last), with 10 points.
In the women’s tournament, New Zealand, France and Australia went 3-0 in pool play, and the Kiwis and Aussies faced off in the final for the third time in five tournaments, this time with the Black Ferns scoring a 26-19 win. Canada beat France, 21-17, for third.
New Zealand (96) and Australia (88) top the women’s standings, with France a distant third (66) and then the U.S. (56).
● Ski Jumping ● The final competitions of the 2024-25 FIS World Cup were off the giant 240-m ski-flying hill in Planica (SLO), with local star Domen Prevc winning on Friday (28th) for his third World Cup gold of the season. He passed countryman Anze Lanisek on the second jump and scored 459.1 points to 454.8 for Lanisek, with Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN: 444.1) in third.
Sunday’s seasonal finale was the reverse, with Lanisek winning both jumps and scoring 482.1, ahead of Prevc (475.0) and German Andreas Wellinger (455.8). Tate Frantz was the top American finisher, in 21st.
There was some more drama, however, as Prevc set a world record of 254.5 m (834-11 1/2 feet!) on his second jump, breaking Austrian star Stefan Kraft’s mark of 253.5 m from March 2017. How far was this: two full American football fields and from the goal line to the opponent’s 22-yard line of a third field … all in one jump!
Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig, so strong earlier in the season – eight wins – took the seasonal title with 1,805 points, over countrymen Jan Hoerl (1,652) and three-time seasonal winner Kraft (1,290). Lanisek, hot late in the season, got up to fourth (1,056).
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