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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Association of National Olympic Committees ● With the support of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Algerian Mustapha Berraf, the ANOCA President since 2018, is running to be the ANOC President with elections in December.
Berraf has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2019 and was close to former President Thomas Bach (GER). Other candidates are expected to join the race.
● Athletics ● Sad news that famed Jamaican coach Stephen Francis passed away on Saturday (4th) at just 64 years of age. As a founder of the Racers MVP club in Kingston in 1999, he coached such stars as Asafa Powell, Kishane Thompson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson and Tina and Tia Clayton.
MVP Track & Field Club President Bruce James said: “Stephen Francis changed the trajectory of Jamaican athletics for the better. He proved that Jamaican athletes, guided by Jamaican coaches, supported by Jamaican management, and training in Jamaica, could become the very best in the world.”
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A new world lead in the men’s triple jump on Friday evening in Barletta (ITA) as World Indoor champion Andy Diaz reached 17.72 m (58-1 3/4). It’s his third-best jump ever and his only fair jump of the meet!
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● USA Bobsled & Skeleton agreed to extend chief executive Aron McGuire’s contract through the 2030 Olympic Games. McGuire has been in place since 2020 and has expanded the federation’s commercial reach as well as continuing to succeed on the ice, with six Olympic medals combined in 2022 and 2026 and seven World Championship medals in the last four years.
From the 2019-20 season to the 2024-25 season, USABS annual operating revenues grew from $3.10 million to $4.42 million, a 43% increase. Assets grew from $4.30 million to $6.27 million, up 46%.
● Cricket ● The new home field in Pomona, California for the Los Angeles Knight Riders of Major League Cricket opened for play on Thursday, 2 July 2026, losing to the Washington Freedom, 110/4 in 17.1 overs to 108/10 in 17.5.
The Associated Press reported that about 2,000 people attended the opener of the Knight Riders Cricket Ground. The $21 million facility was built and opened in about 70 days, with seating for 5,000 and lit for night matches, that will be expanded to 20,000 next year.
The site will be used for the 2028 Olympic tournament as cricket returns to the Games for the first time since 1900.
● Swimming ● SwimSwam.com reported that the International Swimming League, dormant since 2021, sent a letter to athletes owed money from the third season, for which many have been either unpaid, or only partially paid. It included:
“ISL will pay your outstanding prize money in four equal annual instalments, totalling 100% of the amount owed to you.
“The first instalment of 25% will be paid by December 31st 2026, with subsequent instalments no later than December 31st 2027, December 31st 2028, and December 31st 2029 respectively.”
ISL is targeting a return in late 2026 or 2027; it lost money in each of its three seasons of $20 million ro more.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Badminton ● At the BWF World Tour Canadian Open in Markham, Japan won four of the five titles, with Riko Gunji (JPN) taking the women’s Singles over Line Christophesen (DEN), 21-15, 15-21, 21-6. The men’s final was all-Japan with Yudai Okimoto sweeping Riki Takei, 21-13, 21-3.
Denmark won the men’s Doubles and Japanese teams won the women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
● Basketball ● The U.S. had won all seven editions of the FIBA Boys U-17 World Cup and rolled into the final of the 2026 edition in Istanbul (TUR). The Americans were 3-0 in group play, winning 115-84, 128-66 and 131-80.
In the playoffs, they beat Cameroon, 141-85; Puerto Rico by 149-82 and Australia by 114-65 in the semifinals. The final was against 5-1 Serbia, with the U.S. piling up a 30-19 lead at the quarter and 57-45 lead at the half. The Americans finished with a convincing 107-81 win, with forwards Clarence Rosser Jr. scoring 27 points and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje adding 20, as the U.S. shot 53.6% from the field.
Australia won the third-place game over Turkey, 77-69.
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In the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifying, the U.S. men’s team of G League players and free agents managed a 82-81 win over the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo, thanks to a game-winning three-pointer from Torrey Craig.
The next game comes on 8 July against Mexico in Zacatecas City. The U.S. leads Group A at 4-1 so far.
● Beach Volleyball ● At the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 in Gstaad (SUI), it was an all-American women’s final as 2025 Worlds runner-ups Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher won over Megan Kraft and Kelly Cheng, 21-19, 21-15. It was the ninth Elite 16 or Finals win for Cruz and Brasher.
In the third-place match, Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon (NED) swept Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, 21-19, 21-11.
The men’s final was won by Stefan Boermans and Alexander Brouwer (NED) over Americans Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger in a three-set battle, 26-28, 21-17, 15-11. It was the first Elite 16 win for the Dutch pair.
Third place went to Evandro Oliveira and Arthur Lanci (BRA), 22-20, 21-16, over Philipp Waller and Moritz Pristauz (AUT).
● Cricket ● Australia won the ICC Women’s T-20 World Cup, held in England for its seventh title in the 10 editions of the event.
The Aussies went 5-0 in the group stage, while England won the other group, also at 5-0. Both advanced to the final, with Australia winning by seven wickets: 153/3 (17.1 overs) to 150/4 (20 overs). It was the fourth title in the last five tournaments for Australia.
● Cycling ● The 113th Tour de France got started in Spain with a Team Time Trial in Barcelona, won by Team Visma-Lease A Bike, led by two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN), in 21:47.
Sunday’s individual stage of 168.5 km from Tarragona to Barcelona, with a modest hill in the middle, ended up with a 13-rider sprint that came down to the four leading contenders in the race, won by Mexico’s Isaac del Toro in 3:40:01, followed by teammate four-time champ Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Vingegaard. Vingegaard continues as the race leader, with Pogacar six seconds behind.
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France extended its winning streak at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series to three in a row in La Thuile (ITA), with Luca Martin, the 2024 World U-23 Champion, taking his second straight Cross Country Olympic race win, in 1:24:36. Well behind were teammates Mathis Azzaro (1:25:43) and Adrien Boichis (1:25:56). American Bjorn Riley was fourth (1:26:32).
The Short Track race was won by Boichis (19:39) over Martin (19:40).
Rio 2016 Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds (SWE) won the women’s Short Track in 20:27, a second ahead of Swiss Sina Frei and American Savilla Blunck (20:43). Sunday’s Cross Country Olympic race was won by Italian Martina Berta, the 2024 Worlds bronzer, in 1:31:04, ahead of Blunck (1:31:16).
The men’s Downhill was won by Britain’s Jordan Williams in 3:25.767, ahead of American Asa Vermette (3:26.728). World Champion Valentina Hoell (AUT) was the women’s winner in 3:58.469, with Swiss Lisa Baumann a close second (3:58.744).
● Gymnastics ● Belarus women went 1-2 at the World Gymnastics Trampoline World Cup in Coimbra (POR), with Katsiaryna Yarshova winning at 58.57 ahead of Olympic silver winner Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya (57.94). China’s Tokyo 2020 champion, Xueying Zhu, was third (57.84).
The men’s title went to 2025 World Champion Zisai Wang (CHN: 67.01) over Olympic winner Ivan Litvinovich (BLR: 66.03) and Paris bronze medalist Langyu Yan (CHN: 65.91).
Yarshova and Zlata Miniakhmetava won the women’s Synchro; Portugal’s Lucas Santos and Gabriel Albuquerque won the men’s Synchro final. Americans Lourens Willekes and Cody Gesuelli were seventh. The U.S.’s Aliah Raga won the women’s Double Mini (26.20) and Ruben Padilla won the men’s title (32.00).
● Sport Climbing ● The World Climbing Series in Krakow (POL) was focused on Speed, with a strong American performance, starting with Paris 2024 bronze medalist Samuel Watson claiming the men’s gold in 4.60, over China’s Yicheng Zhao (4.69).
The women’s win went to 2023 World Champion Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi over Poland’s 2021 Worlds winner, Natalia Kalucka, 6.54 to 6.62. Emma Hunt of the U.S. took the bronze.
The U.S. won the Speed Mixed Relay with Watson and Hunt setting a combined world record of 11.00 in the semifinals and then another WR in the final at 10.89. Indonesia won silver in 11.30.
The men’s Speed Relay was won by China (11.07) over the U.S. (11.72); China also won the women’s relay in 12.89 over Poland (14.00).
● Table Tennis ● The second U.S. Smash was in Ontario, California, with Singles play continuing (updates to come).
The men’s Doubles was an all-China final, as Rubio Wen and Licen Yuan upset top-seeded Shidong Lin and Youzheng Huang, 3:2 (11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 1-7, 11-9). China’s top-seeded Manyu Wang and Man Kuai won the women’s Doubles over Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata, 3:1 (13-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-8). In the Mixed Doubles final, South Korea’s Jooghoon Lim and Yubin Shin defeated China’s Chuqin Wang and Yingsha Sun, 3:2 (11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8).
● Water Polo ● The seventh World Aquatics Boys U-18 World Championship was in Rio Maior (POR), with Croatia winning its second title with a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over the U.S., which won its first-ever medal in this event.
The Americans were 2-1 in pool play, then edged Hungary, 12-11, in the quarters and beat Montenegro by 17-13 in the semis. The final was 14-14 in regulation time and went to a penalty shoot-out, won by the Croatians, 7-6 (formally, a 21-20 final score).
Tyler Anderson of the U.S. was chosen as Most Valuable.
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