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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Flag Football ● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that USA Football has been certified as the National Governing Body for Flag Football in the U.S., and will have the responsibility of selecting the American teams that will compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
USA Football, supported by the National Football League, has been working to add Flag Football as a girls’ sport in state high school athletic programs, with 14 states incorporating the sport so far. .
● Figure Skating ● The U.S. took the lead after the first day of the season-ending ISU World Team Trophy competition in Tokyo (JPN), 52-44 over Japan, with Great Britain third (34).
World Champion Ilia Malinin won the men’s Short Program at 106.08 ahead of France’s Adam Siao Him Fa (96.16) and Jason Brown of the U.S. (93.82), and World Champion Alysia Liu took the women’s Short Program at 75.70, in front of three-time Worlds winner Kaori Sakamoto (75.54). American Amber Glenn was seventh (63.70).
In Ice Dance, World Champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the Rhythm Dance with 91.12 points, with Canada’s Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles second at 87.15.
The Pairs Short Program and the finish of the men’s and Ice Dance events will be on Friday and the Pairs and women’s Free Skates on Saturday.
● Football ● FIFA has Qatar Airways as its Global Airline Partner through 2030, but that doesn’t necessarily work so well for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
On Thursday, FIFA announced American Airlines as a 2026 World Cup “Official North American Airline Supplier” and
“American Airlines AAdvantage members and Qatar Airways Privilege Club will have access to FIFA World Cup 26 match tickets through their redemption programmes.”
Qatar Airways will retain exclusive flight rights internationally as part of its global FIFA partnership
● Gymnastics ● Eight Russian gymnasts who were not certified as “neutrals” by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique have appealed the decisions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
According to the Russian Gymnastics Federation:
“[T]he FIG refused to grant neutral status to some athletes from Russia due to the posting of a congratulatory message on social networks for Victory Day, the athletes’ participation in a gala concert for Defender of the Fatherland Day, during which the St. George ribbon was used and photographs were taken with children in military uniform.”
Demonstrations of support for Russian continuing war against Ukraine have been grounds for denying “neutral” status to Russian athletes in various sports. Those Russian gymnasts who were approved decided not to compete in FIG World Cup events in solidarity with those who were refused.
● Ice Hockey ● As expected, the U.S. and Canada marched into the semifinals of the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Ceske Budejovice (CZE), with solid wins in the quarterfinals.
The U.S. blanked Germany, 3-0, taking a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Kelly Pannek (5:36) and Lacey Eden (10:05) and out-shooting the Germans, 18-2. Alex Carpenter got the third goal at 18:53 of the second and Aerin Frankel only had to turn away 12 shots for the shut-out; the U.S. finished with a 48-12 edge on shots.
The Canadians pounded Japan, 9-1, with a 53-5 shots advantage and winning the periods by 2-0, 3-1 and 4-0. Jennifer Gardiner scored twice for Canada and Kristen Campbell got the shut-out in goal.
Defenders Renata Fast had three assists and Claire Thompson had a goal and two assists.
Finland edged Sweden by 3-2 in the opening quarter and will play Canada in the re-seeded semifinals on Saturday. The home Czech Republic blasted Switzerland, 7-0 with five scores in the first period and will play the U.S. in its semifinal.
The medal matches will be on Sunday, with the U.S. and Canada having played in 23 of the prior 24 gold-medal finals.
● Shooting ● U.S. stars were in top form at the Skeet finals of the ISSF World Cup in Lima (PER), with 2023 Worlds Team gold medalist Dustan Taylor and 2019 Pan Am Games champ Christian Elliott going 1-2 in the men’s event, 56-55, with Taylor winning hitting his first 35 in a row and Elliott hitting 38 of his last 40!
In the prior World Cup in Buenos Aires (ARG), 2017 World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi edged six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode. This time, Vizzi ended up third, behind teammates Rhode and 2024 ISSF World Cup Final winner Sam Simonton, who ended in a tie at 56/60. Rhode won the shoot-off, 2-1 and claimed her 26th career World Cup win.
That puts Rhode, now 45, one behind all-time World Cup wins leader Rajmond Debevec (SLO), the two-time Olympic 50 m Rifle gold medalist in 2000.
China’s Ku Hai repeated his men’s 10 m Air Rifle World Cup victory from Buenos Aires, scoring 246.4 to edge Brazil’s Rio 2016 Olympic silver winner Felipe Wu (241.0). India’s Inder Suruchi also repeated, as the women’s 10 m Air Rifle winner, at 243.6, over countrywoman and Paris 2024 bronze medalist Manu Bhaker (242.3).
Suruchi and Saurabh Chaudhary won the Mixed 10 m Air Rifle Team event, 17-9, over Hu and Qianxun Yao (CHN).
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