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≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡
● Fencing ● Do these guys ever sleep? Thursday brought the newest outreach program from the irrepressible USA Fencing:
“USA Fencing has secured a multi-million-dollar promotional partnership with iHeartMedia that will introduce the sport to millions and steer newcomers to usafencing.org/tryfencing to find beginner classes at local clubs.”
The partnership will give iHeartMedia signage at USA Fencing events, including on the piste for finals and USA Fencing’s “Try Fencing” program will be promoted across iHeartMedia podcasts, streaming audio, digital banners, and select broadcasts.
In preparation, the federation has urged clubs to be ready to respond to inquiries, especially information on how to begin and if equipment for novices will be available.
This follows up on USA Fencing’s agreement with CNBC for a monthly, Saturday afternoon television show to promote the sport, believed to be the only non-competition, regularly-scheduled cable-level program to specifically promote a U.S. National Governing Body.
Earlier this month, the federation announced record membership of 45,157 individuals and 752 clubs for the 2024-25 season.
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman told Esports World Cup (EWC) Conference in Riyadh (KSA) last week that the organizing committee’s first task is to make sure the Games come off well:
“It’s my job to keep the organization focused and clear.
“Our first job is to operate and deliver the Games and make sure that the competitive atmosphere on the field is world class. If we don’t do that, it doesn’t matter how many cool people talk about it or where they talk about it. The main thing is the main thing.
“That said, L.A. is the creative capital of the world, so the opportunity is to evolve how people communicate and connect to share the glory and wonder of the Olympics. Our job is make sure we are pushing the media partners at the [International Olympic Committee] to open up their aperture and to understand that if we’re going to do this it would be a shame not to take advantage of [digital media] to engage a new generation of fans and ensure that the Olympic Movement is as important in 50 years as it is today.”
And he has his eyes not only on the success of the Games, but how they can impact the future of Los Angeles:
“What I hope we can accomplish for the month is that we will have put L.A. onto a better course, just as the Olympics did in 1932 and 1984. If we do our job, then we’re able to leave a financial legacy like they did in ’84.
“L.A. can have a better future because of hosting their Games, not because it’s measured in those 30 days but because of what those 30 days can allow it to do in the next 30 years. We saw that coming out of ’84 and I certainly hope we’ll see that coming out in ’28 if we stay true to ourselves and be authentically American. These are America’s Games, they are in Los Angeles but there will be events all over the country.”
● Basketball ● At the 20th FIBA men’s AmeriCup, being held in Managua (NCA), the top-seeded U.S. team won Group A with a 2-1 record, defeating The Bahamas in overtime (105-93), losing to Uruguay, 86-85 and then beating Brazil, 90-78 with a 26-11 push in the final quarter.
The American team is made up of some ex-NBA players, NBA G League players and U.S. internationals.
Canada and the Dominican Republic won the other groups at 3-0. In the quarters, Canada will meet Colombia and Argentina will face Puerto Rico in the upper bracket, while Brazil will play the Dominicans and the U.S. will match up with Uruguay once again.
The semis are due on Saturday and the medal matches on Sunday.
● Cycling ● The first climbing stage of the 80th Vuelta a Espana was a spectacular win for Australia’s Jay Vine, who took off with 10 km remaining to the summit at the Pal de Andorra.
He finished the 170.3 km route in 4:12:36, destroying the field, with Torstein Traeen (NOR) second at +0:54, then Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) at +1:10.
The race leader coming in, Dane Jonas Vingegaard, was in a group at +4:19 in 11th place and lost the lead to Traeen. Now second is Bruno Amirail (FRA: +0:31) and Fortunato (+1:01). Vinegaard is now fifth at +2:33, with Portugal’s Joao Almeida at +2:41.
Friday’s course has another massive uphill finish, after three earlier climbs, across 188 km, finishing in Cerler (ESP).
¶
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome (GBR) suffered a bad training crash and was airlifted to a hospital in Toulon (FRA).
He was reported to have suffered a fractured vertebrae, collapsed lung and five broken ribs and had surgery. Now 40, he is in the final year of his racing contract with the Israel-Premier Tech team and may retire.
● Football ● Swiss prosecutors abandoned any further appeals against former FIFA President Sepp Blatter (SUI) and former UEFA chief Michel Platini (FRA), whose acquittal at trial were confirmed by an appeal court in March.
The allegations were for fraud, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds in FIFA payments to Platini in 2011 and ended with a trial-court acquittal in 2022.
Platini’s lawyer said they would consider whether to file suit against the prosecutors. Although cleared in court, Blatter was forced out as head of FIFA and Platini as the UEFA President and possible future FIFA chief.
● Shooting ● The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) paid tribute to Ukrainian ex-national team shooter Oleksii Khabarov, 31, reported killed in combat related to the Russian invasion of his country.
A national team member for more than 10 years, he was working for a branch of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, he was killed on or about 22 August,
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