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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2004: Athens ● The 20th anniversary of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was celebrated at the Hellenic Olympic Committee on Wednesday (2nd), with HOC President Spyros Capralos opining:
“The Athens 2004 Olympic Games were much more than a sporting event. They proved to the world that Greece, a small country, could host a world scale event and unforgettable Games, overcoming numerous challenges. It was a collective effort, a moment when we united under a common vision to showcase our country’s greatness and commitment to the Olympic values of peace, friendship, and solidarity.”
The Athens Games was a success, but with considerable drama ahead of time and with venue construction and preparation in doubt until the final days before the opening. And it was costly:
“Nikos Vettas, General Director of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), presented key findings from a study conducted 10 years after the Games, highlighting the economic impact:
“‘Public spending on the Olympic projects amounted to €6.5 billion, with additional related expenses bringing the total to €8 billion. The overall budget of the Games was €2 billion, with the state contributing 240 million euros. In the end, a surplus of 120 million euros from the Olympic Games was returned, so the actual cost to the state was just over 100 million euros.’”
Translation: the Athens Games cost the country more than €8.12 billion, and the expenditures further exacerbated Greece’s annual deficits, which increased from €9.847 billion in 2002 to €14.009 billion in 2003 and €17.101 billion in 2004. But the Games were held.
● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ● The Russian news agency TASS reported that the appeal by Russian skater Kamila Valieva to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, aiming to reverse her disqualification for doping at the 2022 Winter Games was dismissed. In a statement, the Swiss Court explained:
“The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has decided to dismiss the appeal against the earlier ruling. The court’s decision is being communicated to the parties and to [the Court of Arbitration for Sport].”
Valieva’s appeal claimed that the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not have jurisdiction, and that her status as a minor – age 15 at the time of the doping test on 25 December 2021 – and a “protected person” under the World Anti-Doping Code was not respected.
Valieva was suspended for four years for doping in January 2024, with the suspension running from 25 December 2021.
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The Rome daily Il Fatto Quotidiano – The Daily Fact – reported a Wednesday meeting with the Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and Cortina d’Ampezzo Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi and Veneto Governor Luca Zaia concerning possible debts from the 2026 Winter Games.
With the ticket sales program just beginning and continuing worry over the domestic sponsorship program, Lorenzi is looking ahead to what might be required if the Milan Cortina organizing committee runs a deficit. In that case, the signatories to the hosting agreement with the IOC would be liable, including Milan and Cortina, the Lombardy and Veneto regions, the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, as well as the Italian National Olympic Committee and the Paralympic Committee.
Lorenzi wants the Italian government to be the guarantor, explaining, “This game is not easy: we are trying to ensure that the national government enters in a preponderant manner, to put us in a state of comfort.” Meanwhile, the government expects the organizing committee to meet its performance requirements, in which case there should not be a deficit.
● Athletics ● “This week, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Africa Office Director, Rodney Swigelaar, met with the Government of Kenya Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, the Hon. Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen, in Nairobi to discuss matters related to strengthening the program of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).
“During the meeting, Mr. Murkomen provided assurances that his Ministry would continue efforts to ensure that the annual budget of ADAK reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to clean sport.”
That’s from the World Anti-Doping Agency, responding to the dramatic, 90% cut in the budget of the Anti-Doping Agency Kenya (ADAK) recently reported. Swigelaar said:
“[T]he Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and committed to address ADAK’s pressing financial situation urgently. The anticipated review of the current financial commitment to anti-doping in Kenya, should enable ADAK to implement all the corrective actions within specified deadlines and ensure the continuation of its clean sport program.”
Kenya has been under pressure to curb a rash of doping positives in track & field and is the leading nation in terms of the number of persons on the “ineligible” list maintained by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
¶
The NCAA announced that the 2028 Division I track & field finals will once again be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
From 2010 on, Eugene will have held the meet 14 times in 19 years, through 2028, which will be the fifth in a row there.
● Boxing ● As expected, the International Boxing Association reacted furiously to the International Olympic Committee’s Monday letter telling National Olympic Committees to ignore a member boxing federation if it is affiliated with the IBA. The IBA statement included:
“The letter sent to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) on 30 September is a testament to the IOC’s outrageous political games; … this [is] deeply disappointing, and on the verge of sporting blackmail.”
and
“We urge our National Federations to remain calm, and not to follow these ‘gaslighting’ intentions of the IOC, who wants to damage boxing. With an attempt to influence members behind the scenes, is not the way we would expect this organisation to operation.”
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