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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● At the Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Lausanne, Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan told attendees that collaboration among all of the stakeholders is crucial to pulling off an event on the scale of Paris 2024.
“[I]t is essential to establish this unity very early on, and to continue working together, despite the difficulties and hazards of preparation. We must define a vision and stick to it.”
He explained that the City of Paris decided early on that it had to touch all parts of the city with the Games, even in areas where no events were held:
“Usually, a host city plans six or seven of them [festival areas].
“We set up 26 of them, each with a specific sports and cultural program. They remained open for 42 days. In total, the celebration sites welcomed 2.5 million visitors. They contributed to ensuring that people all had an experience of the Games, even without having tickets for the competitions. When you spend public money, you have to be bold and creative. People must understand that their money really serves the territories.”
● World Anti-Doping Agency ● Announced Tuesday:
“The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has launched an investigation into the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after receiving a complaint about its handling of biological samples collected from athletes.
“The investigation will examine whether the collection, use, and disclosure practices of the organization, which is responsible for monitoring the use of drugs in sport, comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law.
“The investigation follows a complaint alleging that WADA has disclosed personal information to international sporting federations and that the information is being used to assess athletes’ sex-based eligibility without their knowledge or consent, and for a purpose that would not be considered appropriate under PIPEDA.”
No more details were disclosed, including the number of athletes and federations involved. WADA is headquartered in Montreal and therefore under Canadian jurisdiction for this purpose.
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An online election from 10-12 December will be held to select eight members of the WADA Athlete Council nominated from International Federations.
The vote is for one of the three groups that make up the WADA Athlete Council: (1) five submitted by the athlete commissions of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, (2) this to-be-elected group of eight, and (3) seven other athletes, selected by a panel of athletes to “fill skills and diversity gaps.”
There 26 candidates for the eight “group 2″ slots, including American Simi Hamilton, now 37, a retired cross-country skier, who won four World Cup medals across 12 years from 2010-21. He is the candidate from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation.
● Athletics ● The Guardian reported that UK Athletics declined to be a host for the 2025 Grand Slam Track Series, either at the London Olympic Stadium or Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.
UK Athletics head Jack Buckner explained:
“We’re positive about Michael Johnson’s format. But three days of just track athletics is a lot of tickets to sell in the London Stadium and the cost base comes pretty high there. They did approach us and we had a really good discussion with them. We would like to have a bigger, more comprehensive events portfolio, but we want that built on strong foundations that are sustainable.”
Buckner also noted the federation’s interest in a 2029 or 2031 World Athletics Championships, and continuing losses on the Diamond League meets staged in Britain, and a desire to turn those around. Grand Slam Track has announced 2025 meets in Kingston, Jamaica, at Miramar, Florida and Los Angeles, with one more venue to be revealed.
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Dallas Long, the 1964 Olympic men’s shot put champion, passed away on 10 November at age 84, at his home in Whitefish, Montana.
Long won the 1960 Olympic bronze, then dominated the event, winning NCAA titles with USC in 1960-61-62, the U.S. national title in 1961 and setting six ratified world records, plus a tie, between 1959 and 1964, plus four other unratified performances.
He finished with a best of 20.68 m (67-10 1/4) from 1964, and also had a discus best of 52.51 m (172-3). He became a dentist and then a physician with an emphasis on emergency medicine.
● Equestrian ● The FEI Congress concluded in the UAE, with President Ingmar De Vos (BEL) praising the brilliant success of the 2024 Paris Games, but also acknowledging concerns:
“Regrettably, this year’s successes have been overshadowed by multiple instances of horse welfare issues, including cases involving high-profile athletes. This scrutiny has placed our sport’s community under the public microscope, exerting tremendous pressure on our veterinary and communications teams at FEI headquarters, who have faced an overwhelming number of enquiries from the media, equestrian fans, and the general public. …
“Based on the report’s findings, the FEI Equine Welfare Strategy has been formulated with a clear vision to ensure a good life for FEI horses, complemented by our mission to be the guardians of horse welfare. To address the areas of focus and recommendations identified by the EEWB, the FEI has developed an Action Plan aimed at ensuring the welfare of FEI horses while inspiring and supporting welfare initiatives for all horses globally.
“’Be a Guardian’ is the central message that unites our community around the FEI Action Plan. The term ‘guardian’ marks an evolution in the FEI’s narrative of the horse-human partnership, reflecting the human role in caring for horses and highlighting each individual’s responsibility for ensuring horse welfare. This shift in terminology is not merely symbolic; it signifies a fundamental change in our approach to equine welfare.”
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American David O’Connor, the Chair of the FEI Eventing Committee, was elected as a member of the seven-person FEI Executive Board for the 2024-26 term.
● Wrestling ● Tokyo 2016 Olympic champion Gable Steveson announced that he has returned to the University of Minnesota team after three seasons away. He will compete for a fifth season for the Gophers thanks to an extra year of eligibility due to Covid-19 circumstances in 2020.
He last competed at the NCAA in the 2021-22 season, winning his second NCAA heavyweight title and has an 85-2 record at Minnesota, with a 52-match win streak. Following his Olympic win at Tokyo 2020, Steveson was with the WWE and was at an NFL training camp with the Buffalo Bills.
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