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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The International Olympic Committee announced details for its Olympic Q-Series, designed to raise the profile of some of the smaller disciplines. The 2028 program:
● 04-07 May: Tokyo (JPN): Basketball/3×3, Cycling/BMX Freestyle, Skateboard, Sport Climbing
● 11-14 May: Shanghai (CHN): Basketball/3×3, Cycling/BMX Freestyle, Sport Climbing, Volleyball/Beach
● 01-04 June: Montreal (CAN): Cycling/BMX Freestyle, Flag Football, Skateboard/Park only, Volleyball/Beach
● 08-11 June: Orlando (USA): Flag Football, Volleyball/Beach, Skateboard/Park only Sport Climbing
The series will provide direct qualification to the LA28 Olympic Games.
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LA28 announced that the International Broadcast Center is moving from the new Hollywood Park Studios to the Warner Bros. Studios The Ranch Lot in Burbank, California. Per the announcement:
“The Ranch will house the International Broadcast Center (IBC), the global operational headquarters for Media Rights Holders (MRHs) who have secured the exclusive rights to distribute Games coverage. This campus offers the scale, technical infrastructure and production facilities required to support one of the world’s largest temporary broadcast operations and will be fully operational for several months before, during and after the LA28 Games.”
As for the Hollywood Park Studios, “LA28 will utilize Hollywood Park Studios’ state-of-the-art production facilities to support Main Press Center operations, provide space for broadcasters conducting live stand-ups, and accommodate a variety of Games-time operational functions.”
The Main Press Center and Paralympic Press Center are, for now anyway, still at the NFL Building in Inglewood.
● Russia ● The All-Russian Athletics Federation has filed a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try and force World Athletics to allow its athletes to compete. Per the federation statement:
“Experienced international lawyers specializing in sports law, including within the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have been involved in representing RusAF during the arbitration process.
“The lawsuit was filed within the five-day period stipulated by the Constitution of World Athletics and it meets all procedural requirements.
“It should be pointed out that the decision of World Athletics affects the fundamental interests of Russian athletics and restricts the rights of Russian athletes to participate in competitions on a discriminatory basis. The RusAF continues resorting to all available legal tools in order to protect the interests of its national athletes.”
World Athletics told the Russian news agency TASS, “We take note of the All-Russian Athletics Federation’s appeal to the CAS and will vigorously defend our position.”
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On Wednesday, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) announced the removal of restrictions on Russian athletes and teams and “Russian athletes and technical officials in all disciplines will be allowed to return to FIVB, World and Official competitions.”
This follows the IOC’s Tuesday recommendation to allow Russian athletes and teams to be re-integrated into international competitions.
On Thursday, Russian Olympic Committee President Mikhail Degtyarev said that the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) had also lifted all restrictions.
● Ukraine ● Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Herasvyevch, famously barred from racing at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games because of his insistence on wearing a “memory helmet” picturing Ukrainians lost to the Russian invasion, wrote on X of the IOC’s recommendations on Russia:
“Absolutely shameful decision.
“The IOC leadership is hitting yet another new low with its actions.
“The current IOC leadership increasingly looks like yet another Russian asset that is simply working for Russian propaganda.
“And all of this is happening against the backdrop of residential buildings being shelled in Ukraine, which literally happens every other day.
“A huge number of Russian sports federations continue to operate in the occupied territories, and the IOC completely ignores this.
“I hope that the NOCs [National Olympic Committees] of other countries will not tolerate this arbitrariness and will finally show a strong stance against these shameful decisions.”
● Athletics ● The Diamond League resumes with the annual Herculis meet in Monaco on Friday, with good fields in many events, and a world record is always a possibility with Swedish vault star Mondo Duplantis lined up to compete.
This is the 10th Diamond League meet of the year, and the stars include the sprints, with World men’s 100 m champ Oblique Seville (JAM) facing Olympic 200 m winner Letsile Tebogo (BOT) and American Jordan Anthony, the 60 m World Indoor winner.
The women’s 200 m has Paris 2024 Olympic champion Gabby Thomas of the U.S. and Paris 2024 Olympic 100 m winner Julien Alfred (LCA), both facing collegiate record-setter Adaejah Hodge (IVB).
The men’s 400 m has the Pre Classic 1-2 of World Champion Collen Kebinatshipi (BOT) and American Rai Benjamin (expected not to be in lane nine again) and Olympic silver winner Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR). The women’s 100 m hurdles has American Olympic champ Masai Russell continuing her chase of the world record.
Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon headlines the 3,000 m after her third in the Pre Classic mile.
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World Junior men’s 200 m record holder Gout Gout (AUS), with a best of 19.67 this season, is out for the season with a torn left hamstring, suffered during a training session in Brisbane.
He will miss the World U-20 Championships in Eugene in August. The injury was reported as a “grade-three tear.” Gout, 18, wrote on Instagram:
“I’m very disappointed but I have no other possibility but to accept the situation. I understand that this is part of athletics.
“My focus now will be on my rehab in the coming weeks and months and ensuring I come back in 2027 better and stronger and faster.”
● Cycling ● Tour de France race favorite Tadej Pogacar (SLO) made a statement Thursday during the first climbing stage of the event, destroying the field with an attack on the second of three major climbs – the Col de Tourmolet – and finished the 186.2 km route in Gavarnie-Gedre in 4:32:07.
That was 2:38 up on two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 2:57 ahead of Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro. Pogacar broke away with about 42 km to go and not only won the stage, but re-took the race lead from Torstein Traeen (NOR), who finished 29:55 back.
Pogacar is now 2:42 up on Vingegaard and 3:27 up on Del Toro through six of 21 stages.
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