Home2024 Olympic GamesPANORAMA: More than 100 Paris medals returned for repair; lots of Russian “whereabouts” violations; U.S. after 2031...

PANORAMA: More than 100 Paris medals returned for repair; lots of Russian “whereabouts” violations; U.S. after 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The French online site La Lettre reported Monday that more than 100 Olympic medals have been returned for replacement to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee in the past four months.

The story states that three senior executives from the Monnaie de Paris – the French Mint – have left or are leaving their posts, and the Mint did not comment on the medal returns, “and threatening La Lettre with a complaint for defamation.”

The Paris organizers and the Mint have promised to replace any defective medals.

● Winter World University Games 2025: Turin ● The 11-day Winter WUG opened in Turin on Monday, with 2,564 participants from 54 countries, competing in 11 sports and 92 events at six host cities in the Piedmont region.

The program has expanded to include Paralympic events in some sports; competitions will continue through the 23rd.

● International Olympic Committee ● In an interview with Agence France Presse, Morinari Watanabe (JPN), the head of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) explained that his idea to spread the Olympics to five cities at once, competing on a 24-hour cycle is simply an opening to a larger discussion:

“Whether it happens or doesn’t happen is not so important – we must open discussions and make new ideas. I give the first time some crazy idea, but I think young people have more ideas. My job is to open the door.”

He added that taking this approach would be the best for the athletes:

“It would be done across different time zones so they wouldn’t need to compete early in the morning or late at night. When it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so you could have the marathon and the athletics events there.”

And it would make the Games local to all regions of the world: “Most people enjoyed the Paris Olympics, but looking at it from Asia it felt like something far away.”

The IOC Presidential election will take place on 20 March at the 144th IOC Session in Greece.

● Russia ● The Russian Anti-Doping Agency reported that it had 282 “whereabouts” violations in 2024, continuing a large number in that category. There were 375 in 2022, then down to 242 in 2023, now back up again.

RUSADA reported 102 doping violations in 2024 (these are violations, not the same as sanctions), an improvement from 2022 (135) and 2023 (150).

The agency also reported 141 applications for Therapeutic Use Exemptions in 2024, a significant increase from 2023 (117) and 78 in 2022.

World Curling extended the ban on Russian and Belarusian team through the end of the 2024-25 season. As for the future:

“The Board are continuing to monitor Member Association and athlete concerns and are monitoring the actions of other sporting bodies relating to the conflict and potential return to competition and reserve the right to revisit their decision if required.”

● Fencing ● Interesting continuation of a 2022 and 2024 program from USA Fencing, the 2025 Listening Tour:

“Whether you’re an athlete, parent, coach, referee or club owner, this tour is your opportunity to have meaningful, face-to-face conversations with USA Fencing’s leadership. [CEO] Phil [Andrews] and other members of the USA Fencing team are eager to hear from members across the country, and we’ve made it easy for everyone to participate with stops at some of the largest fencing events of the year – and even a virtual option.”

Five in-person events are scheduled for New York (February), Charlotte (February), Cleveland (March), Los Angeles (April) and Milwaukee (June), all but one tied to a major national competition. An online-only meeting is slated for June.

No way to know how many National Governing Body leaders go face-to-face with their membership around the country, but it’s an idea worth doing in every sport.

● Football ● “As soon as they do, we’ll put our bid in. And we’re going to win it.”

That’s U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone at the United Soccer Coaches Convention, confirming that the U.S. and Mexico will bid for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

She said the federation is waiting for FIFA to provide the bidding documents so they can get started. U.S. Soccer initially intended to bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, but deferred to 2031 as the FIFA World Cup for men will be held in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. in 2026.

Brazil was selected as the host for 2027.

● Ski Mountaineering ● More of the same on the final day of the ISMF World Cup in Sahdag (AZE), as the winners of the Vertical Race won again in Monday’s Individual Race.

Swiss star Remi Bonnet won his third World Cup race of the five held this season, taking the men’s Individual in 1:28:23.8 to 1:31:51.1 for France’s Samuel Equy. The women’s race was closer, with France’s Axelle Gachet Mollaret winning – also her third in five World Cup races this season – in 1:30:35.8 to 1:32:12.6 over teammate Emily Harrop.

In the six races in Sahdag, the Swiss won all three men’s races and the French won all three women’s races. Overall, the French won seven of the 12 available medals, to five for the Swiss.

● Speedskating ● American stars Jordan Stolz and Brittany Bowe posted multiple wins at the U.S. Winter World Cup Qualifier in Kearns, Utah, with seven-time World Champion Stolz – still just 20 – taking four races by decisive margins.

On Friday, he won the men’s 500 m in 34.21, ahead of Cooper McLeod (34.61), then took the 1,000 m in 1:07.10, with McLeod at 1:07.97.

Stolz followed up on Saturday with a win in the second 500 m in 34.14 to 34.86 for Zach Stoppelmoor, and finally a 1,500 m victory in 1:43.39, with Emery Lehman second in 1:44.50.

Olympic Team Pursuit bronze medalist Ethan Cepuran won the men’s 5,000 m on Friday by more than 17 seconds in 6:20.39 and the 10,000 m in 13:34.40, by more than 34 seconds. He got a third win in Sunday’s first Mass Start race, in 8:04.61, ahead of Lehman (8:04.64).

Bowe, a six-time World Champion, claimed wins in the women’s 500 m and 1,000 m over two-time Worlds medalist Kimi Goetz: 37.93 to 38.08 in the 500 and 1:13.83 to 1:13.90 in the 1,000.

But Goetz came back to win the 1,500 m over Bowe on Saturday, 1:54.14 to 1:54.19. National team member Greta Myers won the 3,000 m in a lifetime best of 4:03.68 and the first Mass Start race in 9:29.13. Giorgia Birkeland won the 5,000 m in 7:29.83.

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