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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed to the Russian news agency TASS that figure skater Kamila Valieva, disqualified for doping as of 25 December 2021 and banned for four years, has not returned the medals from competitions after that date.
That includes her 2022 European Championships women’s Singles gold and medals from the Russian national championships and qualifying stages. It does not include any Olympic medals as the Beijing 2022 Team Event medals were not awarded at the Games due to her doping positive; following her disqualification, they were awarded to the U.S. team at the Paris 2024 Games instead.
It was also reported that the World Anti-Doping Agency is waiting for CHF 8,000 in costs from Valieva, which it was awarded in the CAS decision (CHF 1 = $1.11 U.S.).
● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The carousel continues to revolve, trying to identify the head of the new organizing committee for the 2030 Winter Games. Media reports in France speculate that with the withdrawal of biathlon icon Martin Fourcade, perhaps the choice will not be the most-discussed former biathlete Vincent Jay or Freestyle skier Marie Martinod, but 1992 Albertville Freestyle Moguls gold medalist Edgar Grospiron.
Now 55, Grospiron directed the failed Annecy bid for the 2018 Winter Games that went to PyeongChang (KOR). Multiple other names have surfaced, but a decision is expected within the next couple of weeks.
● International Olympic Committee ● SportBusiness reported that Chinese electronics firm TCL is close to finalizing an agreement to become a TOP sponsor in the audio-visual products category previously held by Japanese giant Panasonic.
TCL has a long history of sports sponsorship, including deals with the National Football League in the U.S., the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the South American football confederation CONMEBOL and others.
● American Football ● Make no mistake, flag football is important to the National Football League. As a way to directly involve women in the sport in a big way, as well as a recreational football option that removes the violent aspects of the game, there is significant effort being placed into its future. And, of course, Flag Football will be an added medal sport at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell noted at his annual Super Bowl news conference this week:
“That’ll be a big part of the Olympics in a few years. But it’s also something that we want to look at all levels, the youth level all the way up, and we’re exploring very aggressively now an opportunity to create a professional-type league for both men and women. …
“This is something that we’ve been working on for several months. And there’s a tremendous amount of interest from players, from investors, to people who recognize, particularly, that women sports are in a place where it’s real and it’s something we all want to be part of.”
The NFL Pro Bowl Games flag football event last Sunday drew 4.7 million viewers across the ABC and ESPN platforms, less than the prior two years in which the flag game was held: 5.8 million in 2024 and 6.3 million in 2023. It was reported as the least-watched Pro Bowl ever, outside of the Covid-impacted 2021 edition.
● Boxing ● World Boxing has called an Extraordinary Congress online for 1 March 2025 for the specific purpose of formally approving the membership of more than a dozen national federations.
World Boxing approvals have been made for 55 members already, but 17 more have been confirmed by the Executive Board, but need a vote of the Congress for official membership. Additional federations are expected to be presented prior to 1 March, just 2 1/2 weeks prior to the International Olympic Committee Session in Greece from 18-20 March, when World Boxing could be recognized as the governing body for Olympic boxing.
If so, then the sport will be confirmed for the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
● Figure Skating ● A “Legacy on Ice” benefit will be held on Sunday, 2 March at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. to remember and support the 28 skaters, coaches and family who perished in the 29 January crash of American Eagle flight 5342.
All proceeds will be collected by the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and equally distributed to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation’s “DCA Together Relief Fund” and DC Fire & EMS Foundation.
The program is being presented by Monumental Sports and Entertainment, U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Stars such as World Champions Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, U.S. women’s champions Amber Glenn and Alysia Liu and past stars Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir, Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton are expected to participate.
Said Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chair, “By raising funds to support their families, we hope to provide a small amount of comfort during this terrible time.”
● Football ● The brother of Spanish midfielder Jenni Hermoso and Spanish keeper Misa Rodriguez both testified in the criminal trial of former Royal Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales and three others, saying they were aware of the pressure being placed on Hermoso to downplay Rubiales’ forcible kiss following Spain’s win at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Rafael Hermoso said Spanish coach Jorge Vilda “said that the president [Rubiales] wanted me to talk to Jenni to ask her to record the video together downplaying the kiss, because that would be the best thing for everyone. …
“I told him that I was not going to try to convince her to do something that I also don’t agree with.”
Rodriguez also said her teammate was being pressured to record a video downplaying the incident:
“She told us that she didn’t want to do it and we supported her decision. We told her that she should not talk to anybody anymore and should try to get some rest, because we noticed that she was not well.”
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