★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● With the events originally planned for Nice now moved to Lyon, the question of the financial balance between the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (Lyon) vs. Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (Nice) has been raised. But Renaud Muselier, the President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur – now with just one venue cluster – told Le Dauphine:
“We were all caught off guard by this affair, but we’ll find a solution. It’s not because of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region that they were able to get the ice rink back; it’s because of a far-right mayor in the south [Lyon’s Eric Ciotti] who didn’t want the Games.
“Right now, I don’t know. … Everything is complicated. We contributed to the budget of the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to SOLIDEO; they’re not the same thing. The same goes for the financial guarantees.”
The head of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Fabrice Pannekoucke, said: “We have defined financial agreements and commitments regarding the financial cost, which, in my opinion, must remain in place . Because if we find ourselves in a changing situation today, it’s not the north that went looking for something.”
● Olympic Winter Games 2038: Switzerland ● Swiss corporations are starting to line up behind the 2038 Winter Games bid, which is in “Privileged Dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee to work out the details of an acceptable bid by the end of 2027.
Sportswear company On was the first to jump in, and within the past week, telecommunications company Sunrise has joined as a “flag bearer” as has automation company ABB. Per the ABB announcement:
“The company has committed to provide CHF 20 million to the delivery guarantee undertaken by private companies. The guarantee would be called upon if a deficit were to arise after the 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place.” (CHF 1 = $1.24 U.S.)
● International Olympic Committee ● The Associated Press reported that the IOC will not consider separate National Olympic Committee status for Greenland and the Faroe Islands, after a request from the Danish Parliament.
The IOC pointed to its requirement since 1996 of “an independent state recognized by the international community.” Greenland and the Faroe Islands are semi-autonomous parts of Denmark.
The IOC statement added, “This position has been explained and communicated very clearly to the concerned parties on numerous occasions over the past years.”
● Russia ● For the second week in a row, a European gymnastics World Cup host has refused to allow the Russian flag to be flown, this time at a Trampoline World Cup in Coimbra (POR). Alexey Ryzhkov, head coach of the Russian trampoline team, told the Russian news agency TASS:
“We were preparing for the World Cup in Portugal. But the competition organizers informed us that, due to the Portuguese authorities’ position, they would not be able to ensure the Russian team’s participation with national symbols.
“We were offered the option of competing only as neutral athletes. Given that the decision of the international gymnastics federation [World Gymnastics] is not being implemented, the team withdrew from the tournament.”
A Russian team withdrew from a World Gymnastics Rhythmic World Challenge Cup event in Cluj-Napoca (ROU) last week when the mayor – a former Romanian Prime Minister – refused to allow the Russian flag to be shown in the arena.
¶
TASS reported that Russian rowers were denied entry visas into Poland to compete at the ICF World Junior and U23 Slalom Championships in Krakow.
● Archery ● American archers dominated the Pan American Championships held in Tlaxcala (MEX) last weekend, taking 16 medals in all (8-4-4).
U.S. individual victories came from Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez in the women’s Recurve class, Gauis Carter in men’s Compound, Alexis Ruiz in women’s Compound, and Ava Jones in women’s Barebow.
American teams won the men’s Recurve, women’s Recurve, men’s Compound and Mixed Compound team titles.
Brazilian three-time Worlds medal winner Marcus D’Almeida won the men’s Recurve title, his second career Pan Am title, also in 2022.
● Athletics ● Fast, wind-aided men’s 100 m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Raiffeisen Austrian Open in Eisenstadt, with Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs (ITA) riding a big 4.1 m/s wind to a 9.67w victory, the second-fastest time under all conditions!
Britain’s Romell Glave was second (9.76w) and 400 m world-record man Wayde van Niekerk (RSA: 9.83) was third.
¶
Auburn’s Ja’Kobe Tharp, who set the 110 m hurdles world record of 12.75 at the NCAA Championships, announced on Instagram that will skip his final year and turn professional. His post included:
“I’ve only ever wanted to show the world who I am. If you know me personally, you know this was only a matter of time. I said I was going to do it. I worked for it. And now we’re here. Imma keep chopping heads ’til my sword breaks.
“Now it’s time for the next chapter.
“I’m beyond grateful to announce that I’m officially taking the next step and pursuing my professional track & field career with adidas.
“Thank you to everyone who believed in me, even when the results didn’t show what was coming. And to anyone chasing a dream: don’t run from adversity. Let it shape you. One day you’ll realize the hardest seasons were preparing you for the life you prayed for.
“This is only the beginning.”
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
