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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Anti-Doping ● Following the success of the 2022 European expansion initiative of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Intelligence & Investigations (I&I) initiative that touched 48 countries, 51 anti-doping organizations and 48 law enforcement agencies, a new program is being formed in Asia and Oceania.
The first of six workshops for Asia and Oceania began on Sunday (2nd) in Gold Coast (AUS), with Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and India all scheduled as hosts. The program will run for two years and be followed by projects in the Americas (2026-27) and Africa (2028-29).
● Transgender ● As had been expected, the U.S. Senate failed to advance S. 9, the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025” with 51 Republicans voting for it and 45 Democrats against it, short of the 60 votes needed to end debate and go to a final vote.
The bill passed in the U.S. House (H.R. 28), but now is stalled in the Senate. The text follows up on the Presidential Executive Order and includes:
“It shall be a violation … for a recipient of Federal funds who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.
“For purposes of this subsection, sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
U.S. President Donald Trump signed his Executive Order – Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports – on 5 February, which included:
“Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy. It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”
● Athletics ● More from the Last Chance Indoor Qualifier at Boston University on Sunday, with en-route times available in the fast men’s mile, won by former world indoor record holder Yared Nuguse in 3:47.22. He passed 1,500 m in 3:32.29, the no. 3 performance in U.S. indoor history.
Heather MacLean’s world-leading 4:17.01 women’s mile win included a 3:59.60 time at 1,500 m, moving her to no. 3 on the 2025 world indoor list and setting the American Record, crushing Regina Jacobs’ 3:59.98 from 2003. She is now no. 11 all-time indoors.
Graham Blanks won the men’s 3,000 m in a fast 7:29.72, no. 5 in the world for 2025 and now no. 4 on the all-time U.S. men’s indoor list. Nico Young took the men’s 5,000 m in a screaming 12:51.56, no. 2 on the world indoor list for 2025 behind Grant Fisher’s 12:44.09 in February, and no. 4 all-time U.S. indoors. He’s also now no. 5 all-time indoors worldwide.
In the women’s 5,000 m, Josette Andrews won a 1×1 duel with Emily MacKay, 14:44.80 to 14:45.81, now 1-2 on the 2025 world list, nos. 2-3 on the all-time U.S. list and nos. 11 and 13 on the all-time world indoor list. Wow.
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“My time as the USATF Head Women’s Relays Coach has come to an end.”
That’s from an Instagram post by Mechelle Freeman, a Beijing 2008 relay Olympian, who handled the relay coordination for the American women’s teams at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
Her teams won both World Champs 4×100 m golds, a Tokyo Olympic silver and Paris gold in the 4×100 m and three of the four 4×400 m golds, but were disqualified for an errant pass 2023 Worlds.
Mike Marsh, the 1992 Barcelona men’s 200 m and 4×100 m champion, was also reported to have been let go as the men’s relays coach. He took over the men’s relays in 2022, with the U.S. 4×100 m squads getting silver at the 2022 Worlds, gold at the 2023 Worlds and passing out of the zone in Paris in 2024 and disqualified. All three men’s 4×400 m squads won gold.
● Figure Skating ● Sunday’s “Legacy on Ice” tribute show in Washington, D.C. honoring the skating victims of the 29 January crash of American Eagle flight 5342 drew a full house to the Capitol One Arena according to organizers Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Entertainment Gang and U.S. Figure Skating:
“The sellout event of more than 15,000 – including nearly 500 first responders and approximately 150 family members of victims in attendance to honor their loved ones – has raised nearly $1.2 million to date. That figure is expected to increase throughout this month with the live national broadcast on NBC taking place on March 30 where viewers will be encouraged to donate throughout the broadcast and upon the conclusion of an online auction featuring sports memorabilia, culinary and entertainment experiences, among other items.”
A display of 67 stars – one for each of those who perished on the flight and the Army helicopter which crashed into it – were displayed on the dasher boards around the rink. World Champion Ilia Malinin performed, as did current and former U.S. champions Amber Glenn, Alysia Liu, Johnny Weir, Jason Brown and others. The Associated Press reported:
“The poignant, two-plus-hour event was full of raw emotion, like 13-year-old Isabella Aparicio skating in memory of her brother, Franco, and father, Luciano, who were on the flight and weeping on her knees at the conclusion of her appearance. Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in the crash, performed in their honor and wiped away tears as he left the ice, holding up an electric candle as applause rained down.”
The plan is for a third of the funds raised to go to the skating community, a third to first responders and a third to families.
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