SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Friday, 17 March 2019

Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened this week in Olympic sport:

LANE ONE

Wednesday: Track & field is almost never mentioned on the multiple talks shows on the major sports networks, but they were all agog on Monday after Texas high schooler Matthew Boling won the 100 m, the long jump and brought his team from behind to win the 4×400 m in a world-class split of 44.74. But to compare him to Carl Lewis? Let’s check our facts first, shall we?

Friday: One of the founders of the world of statistics in international sport passed away last Monday: Italy’s Roberto Quercetani. Out of the ashes of World War II, he and American mathematician Don Potts created the field that has spread to so many other sports today. I knew them both, and others who helped enormously: a tribute.

THE BIG PICTURE

Monday: The National Olympic Committee of Iran and the Iranian Judo Federation sent a letter to the president of the International Judo Federation, committing themselves against discrimination in sport. Translation: Iranian athletes will now compete, openly, against Israeli athletes. But there are conditions …

Thursday: The World Anti-Doping Agency’s public-authority members nominated Poland’s Witold Banka to be the next head of the organization, taking over in January 2020. WADA also confirmed a long-term presence for its headquarters in Montreal (CAN) and released a report that stated that Canadian gold medalist and WADA Athletes Commission head Beckie Scott (CAN) was not bullied or harassed at a prior meeting.

HEARD AFTER HALFTIME

Tuesday: Although Athletics South Africa said it would abide by the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision in the Caster Semenya case against the IAAF’s female eligibility regulations, they are appealing anyway. So much for promises. Plus, a judoka is disqualified after his mobile phone falls out of his gi during a match (!), say hello to the International Camel Racing Federation (this is not a joke) and more!

ATHLETICS

Thursday: A fabulous IAAF Diamond League meet appears to be ahead in Shanghai (CHN) on Saturday with terrific match-ups including Americans Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles in the 100 m, Qatar’s Abderrahamane Samba and Rai Benjamin of the U.S. in the 400 m hurdles and Qatar’s Salwa Eid Naser trying to star in front of American star Sydney McLaughlin in the 400 m. And much more; a full preview.

CYCLING

Tuesday: The women’s edition of the Amgen Tour of California includes just three stages, but this year’s stages are misery-inducing, soul-crushing climbs that include a race up Mt. Baldy that gains 5,300 feet of altitude over the last 24 miles! Ouch!

Thursday: Wild results at the Giro d’Italia, where the expected favorites were routed in Stage 6 by the Italian duo of Fausto Masnada and Valerio Conti by more than seven minutes, making Conti the new race leader! At the Amgen Tour of California, American Tejay van Garderen and Dutch star Anna van der Breggen lead the men’s and women’s races heading into Friday’s brutal ascent up Mt. Baldy!

FOOTBALL

Thursday: The U.S. women’s National Team started slowly, but then pounded Women’s World Cup-bound New Zealand, 5-0, in front of a big crowd at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. An encouraging performance with the Women’s World Cup just three weeks away!

SWIMMING

Tuesday: A look ahead to the fourth Tyr Pro Swim Series this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana. Sure, Katie Ledecky will be there, but the headline is the return to competition of five-time Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in January.

TAEKWONDO

Tuesday: As many as 15 defending champions expected to compete in the first-ever Taekwondo World Championships to be held in Great Britain. Korean Tae-Hun Kim will try for his fourth consecutive world title.

TRIATHLON

Wednesday: The third ITU World Series race is in Yokohama (JPN), with American Katie Zaferes trying to keep her record perfect: she’s won both races so far this year. And Spain’s Mario Mola will try to get on track after a disastrous 26th-place finish in his last race.

PREVIEWS

Beach Volleyball: Measuring stick for three U.S. duos in World Tour 4-star in Brazil
Cycling: Mountain Bike World Cup season starts with Swiss Nino Schurter favored again
Diving: China sending second team to World Series finale in London; who wins now?
Fencing: Foil Grand Prix in Shanghai to see whether anyone can beat Inna Deriglazova!
Sport Climbing: Can Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret win fifth Bouldering World Cup in a row?
Wrestling: Final X match-ups finalized at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Raleigh

UPCOMING

Highlights of the coming week, with previews in the coming days on TheSportsExaminer.com:

Cycling: Second week of the famed Giro d’Italia!

Football: U.S. women finish their pre-World Cup schedule vs. Mexico in New Jersey

IOC: Executive Board meeting on 22 May to announce what happens to Olympic boxing and AIBA for Tokyo 2020!

And previews, results and reports on almost two dozen events scheduled for the week of 20-26 May!