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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Athletics ● World Athletics released its official entries for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN), to start on 13 September.
A total of 2,202 athletes are entered, from 198 national federations with 1,123 men from 164 federations and 1,033 women from 136 federations.
● Basketball ● The 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s “Redeem Team” was one of the honorees at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday, which also included two members of the team – Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard – as individual honorees.
The 2004 U.S. Olympic team was considered a failure for winning a bronze medal after three prior teams of NBA players – 1992, 1996 and 2000 – had all won golds. Managing Director Jerry Colangelo assembled a brilliant team that also included Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and more, coached by Mike Krzyzewski.
The three women’s honorees have a combined 11 Olympic golds, led by Sue Bird (5: 2004-08-12-16-20), plus Sylvia Fowles (4: 2008-12-16-20) and Maya Moore (2: 2012-16).
Coach Billy Donovan and NBA referee Danny Crawford were also inducted, along with Miami Heat owner Micky Arison as a contributor.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Entrepreneur Phil Saunders, well known for companies in energy, finance, transportation and other fields, added another contribution: a new, four-man sled for USA Bobsled & Skeleton. Per the federation, the genesis of the gift was the 2025 IBSF World Championships in Lake Placid, New York:
“Following a tour of the USA Bobsled garage and conversations with the athletes, team coaches, and mechanics, Saunders learned of the team’s need for a new four-man sled to remain competitive on the world stage. Through his company, Saunders Management, he pledged the funding required to purchase a state-of-the-art bobsled.
“In a unique gesture, Saunders assigned the sled’s advertising rights to Kodak, a company with which he has close ties. Kodak decals will be featured on USABS sleds, marking the start of this exciting new initiative.”
● Boxing ● The World Boxing Championships in Liverpool (ENG) have started, but with reports that fighters from multiple countries could not compete because they were not able to submit required tests for entry into the women’s division on time.
Britain’s The Telegraph reported that besides France, entries from the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Nigeria and the Philippines were also not allowed to compete.
World Boxing announced in May that such testing would be coming, but announced on 20 August that it would be required for entry into the 2025 Worlds, which began on 4 September (Thursday) and continue through the 14th.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport already dismissed a request for injunctive relief to allow Paris 2024 women’s 66 kg champion Imane Khelif (ALG) to compete without the test, but the legal challenge continues.
● Cycling ● Britain’s four-time Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, 40, survived a brutal training crash on Toulon (FRA) on 27 August, with a fracture in his spine and broken ribs, but also a tear in the heart lining.
He had surgery and was released on Friday, with his wife Michelle telling The Times (London):
“It was obviously a lot more serious than some broken bones. He’s fine, but it’s going to be a long recovery process. He won’t be riding a bike for a while.”
● Football ● A lengthy argument about the use of legacy seating boxes at the Estadio Azteca was resolved in favor of the boxholders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The suites were originally sold when the stadium was built in 1966 to help underwriting the construction and promised access to all stadium events, without exception, including the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.
The box holders had threatened to go to court to enforce their contractual rights, but the stadium management came to an agreement to assure access.
● Gymnastics ● USA Gymnastics reported good television audiences for the 2025 Artistic National Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana, but modest in-person attendance.
The four-day event at the Smoothie King Center drew a total in-house crowd of 16,527, with no breakdown by session available. Assuming a 2:1 interest level for women over men, the average women’s session would have been about 5,509 per night, and 2,755 for the men. Comparing to the 2022 nationals in Tampa, Florida – the last post-Olympic year, also without Simone Biles – the nationals had about 26,000 in attendance for all sessions, a lot more.
However, broadcast figures show that the total audience in 2025 on NBC and CNBC was about 2.846 million, up 16.8% on the 2.436 million from 2022.
● Swimming ● Two-time Olympic women’s open-water champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED), now 31, announced her retirement on Friday (5th) on Instagram, in a lengthy post of eight panels in English, four in Dutch and four in French. Included:
“At 31, I am back in the Netherlands, living on the same street as my parents. We have coffee together every day. I finally know what it feels like to live a normal life, to breathe, to coach others, and to share my knowledge, instead of only chasing my own medals.
“So today I announce: I am ending my professional swimming career.”
Van Rouwendaal won Olympic open-water 10 km golds in 2016 and 2024 and the silver at Tokyo 2020, by 0.9 seconds. She won three World Championships golds (two at 10 km, one at 5 km) plus four silvers and a bronze from 2015-24. She also won a Worlds 200 m Backstroke bronze in 2011 and 400 m Freestyle silver in 2015. She has no doubt of her legacy:
“I do this with peace, pride and gratitude. I leave the sport not only as a double Olympic champion but as the most successful open water by winning on the biggest stage and earning three Olympic medals. The GOAT (Greatest of All Time). The Queen of Open Water Swimming.”
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Archery ● The World Archery Championships are under way in Gwangju (KOR), with the Compound team finals on Sunday.
In the Compound Mixed Team event, now in the Olympic program for 2028, Sanne de Laat and Mike Schloesser won a tight final from Jyothi Vennam and Rishabh Yadav (IND), 157-155. Mexico won the bronze.
India defeated France, 235-233 in the men’s Compound team final and Mexico edged the U.S. (Olivia Dean, Alexis Ruiz, Sydney Sullenberger), 236-231 in the women’s gold-medal final. The championships continue through the 12th.
● Athletics ● At the Continental Tour Gold in Beijing (CHN), U.S. 400 star Khaleb McRae tuned up for the World Championships with a 44.64 to 44.78 win over teammate Bryce Deadmon in the men’s 400 m, with Paul Dedewo of the U.S. fourth in 45.56.
American Maia McCoy won the women’s 100 m in 11.20 (wind +0.1 m/s), with Celera Barnes third in 11.32. Helen Schlachtenhaufen led a U.S. 1-2 in the women’s 1,500 m with Christina Aragon in 4:06.95 and 4:07.20.
Two-time World Indoor champ Sarah Mitton (CAN) took the women’s shot at 19.81 m (65-0).
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At the rainy 5th Avenue Mile in New York, U.S. star Yared Nuguse had more speed than anyone else in the final sprint to the finish and passed fellow Americans Parker Wolfe and Drew Hunter to win in 3:47.7, with Wolfe and Hunter at 3:48.1.
Defending champ Karissa Schweizer was out strongly in the women’s race, but Gracie Morris, ninth at the USATF Nationals 1,500 m, sailed by and won easily in 4:15.5, with Kayley Delay second (4:17.4) and then Schweizer (4:17.6) for a second U.S. sweep.
● Canoe-Kayak ● At the ICF Slalom World Cup Final in Augsburg (GER), two-time Paris 2024 Olympic bronze winner Kimberley Woods (GBR) dominated the women’s racing, winning the Kayak final, 104.55 (0 penalties) to 107.73 (0) for German Elena Lilik, the 2021 Canoe World Champion. American Evy Leibfarth, the Paris Canoe bronzer, finished seventh in 109.17 (0).
In the Canoe final, Woods timed 115.92 (0), ahead of Brazil’s Ana Satila (118.16/0), with Leibfarth in 10th (129.38/6). It’s the 10th career World Cup win for Woods.
France swept the men’s Kayak and Canoe finals, with 2022 U-23 World champ Anatole Delassius winning the Kayak final in 93.50 (0) over Noah Hegge (GER: 93.66/2). In the Canoe final, Olympic champ Nicolas Gestin won in 97.40 (0), ahead of two-time Olympic medalist Matej Benus (SVK: 101.98/0).
Sunday’s Kayak Cross races saw Tokyo 2020 K-1 winner Ricarda Funk (GER) get the women’s win, ahead of Czech Katerina Bekova. Britain went 1-2 in the men’s race with 2023 U-23 World Champion Sam Leaver and Jonny Dickson.
● Cycling ● Two brutal, uphill-finishing stages at the 80th Vuelta a Espana on Friday and Saturday could have broken the race, but favored Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) maintained a significant lead on Joao Almeida (POR) heading into the final week.
On Friday, the final climb to the Angliru (1,556 m) had Almeida attacking with 4.5 km left and Vingegaard following and they finished 1-2 in 4:54:15 with Almeida getting the win; American Sepp Kuss, riding in support of Vingegaard, was fourth (+0:30).
On Saturday, the finish was to the La Farrapona peak at 1,711 m and Spain’s Marc Soler attacked with 24 km left in the 135.9 km route and was a solo winner in 3:48:22. Vingegaard and Almeida dueled behind him and finished 2-3, both 39 seconds behind.
Sunday’s hilly, 167.8 km stage 15 route to Monforte de Lemos ended with a descent, so the predictable sprint to the line went to Mads Pedersen (DEN) for his first win in the race, in 4:02:13, ahead of Orluis Aular (VEN) and Marco Frigo (ITA). Vingegaard and the other contenders were content to finish in a large group, 13:31 back. Spanish rider Javier Romo and another rider crashed with about 50 km to go after a pro-Palestinian protester ran toward the riders with a large flag, but was removed by police before reaching the road. Both riders returned to the race.
Heading into Monday’s rest day, Vingegaard leads by 48 seconds on Almeida and 2:38 on Tom Pidcock (GBR).
The Israel-Premier Tech team faced continuing protests from pro-Palestinian protesters, with police removing 12 people holding a banner on the course and impeding the lead riders on Friday, and a delay in the start of Saturday’s stage by another protest. The team – which is operated by Canadian Sylvan Adams and not supported by the Israeli government – changed the team uniforms to a logo that does not include the word “Israel” for the final week of the race, similar to the branding of the team vehicles.
The race’s technical director, Kiko Garcia, said at one point he would be in favor of Israel-Premier Tech dropping out, and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said he was in favor of the team being removed, but said the government had no say in the matter.
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At the third Maryland Cycling Classic in Baltimore, the highest-ranked international race in the U.S. in 2025 (UCI 1.1 Pro), France’s Sandy Dujardin won a final sprint in 3:48:25 over a hilly, rainy, six-lap, 172.8 km course, edging Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR), Marius Mayrhofer (GER) and American Brandon McNulty in fourth, all in the same time.
The inaugural women’s race was four laps and 115.2 km, with another sprint finish, with Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (POL) getting to the line in 2:51:59, just ahead of Alison Jackson (CAN) and Emma Langley of the U.S.
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Dutch star Lorena Wiebes dominated the 27th Simac Ladies Tour in Belgium and The Netherlands, winning each of the first four stages and piling up a 30-second lead on American Megan Jastrab. Saturday’s 10.2 km Individual Time Trial saw her ninth, with Zoe Backstedt (GBR) the winner and Wiebes’ lead up to 48 seconds over Italy’s Elisa Balsamo with Jastrab at +0:51.
Sunday’s flat final stage of 156.3 in and around Lichtenvoorde, and Wiebes won again, in 3:45:46, just ahead of Nienke Veenhoven (NED) and Balsamo in third; Jastrab was fifth. That gave the race victory to Wiebes in 15:26:45, trailed by Balsamo (+0:54) and Jastrab (+1:01) in the overall standings.
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The Downhill finals were held at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais (SUI) on Sunday, and just as in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Austria’s Valentina Hoell was the women’s gold medalist.
Still just 23, she took her fourth straight title by taking over before halfway and leading to the finish in 3:27.136, just ahead of France’s 2019 and 2021 World Champion Myriam Nicole (3:27.803) and teammate Marine Cabirou (3:28.227). Anna Newkirk was the only American in the top 10, in eighth (3:34.399).
Canada’s Jackson Goldstone, 21, won four of the first five UCI World Cup races and he is now World Champion, taking the men’s final in 2:54.153 to 2:56.099 for German Henri Kiefer, with Ireland’s Ronan Dunne third (2:56.146).
American Dylan Maples was sixth (2:59.19), with teammates Luca Shaw in eighth and Dakotah Norton in ninth.
● Football ● The U.S. men’s National Team was back in action on Saturday for the first time since July, in Harrison, New Jersey, against world no. 23 South Korea, which is a World Cup qualifier for 2026.
While the U.S. had some chances early, the Koreans struck first on a great lead pass from forward Jae-sung Lee that found star striker Heung-min Son at the left side of the box and he dribbled in and sent a left-footed laser to the far side of the U.S. net for a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.
Both teams had more chances, but a confused scrum in front of the U.S. net in the 43rd saw Lee forward a pass to Son in front of the net which was blocked, but the ball rolled to forward Dong-gyeong Lee, who finished easily for a 2-0 lead. The U.S. had 52% possession, with the Koreans getting four shots on goal to three for the U.S.
The second half had a few highlights, but no scoring. The U.S. had a great chance in the 74th as substitute forward Chris Richards got on the end of a long cross from midfielder Sebastian Berhalter in front of the Korean goal, but the shot was saved by Korean keeper Hyeon-woo Jo.
U.S. keeper Matt Freese stopped a rocket in the 90th from sub striker Hyeon-gyu Oh and the U.S. had a final chance to score as substitute striker Folarin Balogun got two shots off at close range in stoppage time at 90+3, but Jo brilliantly stopped both and then a third Balogun shot went wide.
The U.S. ended with 54% of possession and a 17-5 edge on shots, but it didn’t help. The national team is now 7-6 on the year, and will face Japan in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday (9th).
● Rugby ● Pool play concluded at the Women’s World Cup in England, with the quarter-finals to start on 13 September (seedings shown before each team), with seven of the top-eight seeds advancing:
Upper bracket:
● 3 New Zealand vs. 12 South Africa
● 2 Canada vs. 5 Australia
Lower bracket:
● 4 France vs. 6 Ireland
● 1 England vs. 7 Scotland
The group winners included England (3-0), Canada (3-0), New Zealand (3-0) and France (3-0).
The U.S. (1-1-1) was in group A and finished with a 60-0 win over Samoa, but it wasn’t enough as Australia (1-1-1), as they finished with a +33 point differential to -2 for the Americans. The tournament final is on 27 September.
● Sport Climbing ● Performing in front of home fans, Olympic star Janja Garnbret won her 49th career IFSC World Cup gold in the Lead event in Koper (SLO). She scored 47+ in the final to win easily over Korea’s 2021 Lead World Champion Chae-hyun Seo (38+) and 2021 Worlds bronzer Laura Rogora (ITA: 37+).
Japanese star Sorato Anraku, the Olympic Combined silver winner, took the men’s title at 48+, just edging Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP: 47+) and Olympic champ Toby Roberts (GBR: 46+).
● Volleyball ● Two teams that had a combined two appearances in the history of the final of the FIVB Women’s World Championship met in Bangkok (THA) on Sunday for the 2025 title: Italy and Turkey.
It was the first-ever medal match for the fourth-seeded Turks, which fought past Japan in the semifinals by 16-25, 25-17, 25-18, 27-25. Top-seeded Italy won in 2002 and was runner-up in 2018 and was in an all-out thriller against no. 2 Brazil, winning 22-25, 25-22, 28-30, 25-22, 15-13.
In the final, it was a battle for the Italians, but they got their second title, 25-23, 13-25, 26-24, 19-25, 15-8.
In the third-place match, Brazil went up 2-0, but then had to win the fifth set to defeat Japan, 3-2: 25-12, 25-17, 19-25, 27-29, 18-16! The third-seeded U.S. lost to Turkey in the quarters and was classified in fifth place.
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