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: One of the top commentators on Olympic sport has called for the abolition of guns in the Olympic Games, but what about the eight combat or weapons sports? How do they align with the International Olympic Committee’s “values-based” approach to sport? Is this an opportunity to finally shrink the Games?
Friday: It was 39 years ago that U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced, in front of a group of Olympic hopefuls, that no American team would attend the 1980 Games in Moscow. It was devastating then, and devastating to remember now.
THE BIG PICTURE
Tuesday: The 10-term head of the Japan Olympic Committee, under pressure after being named as a target of investigation by French authorities, announced he will resign at the end of his term in June. Big deal? Not as much as you might think.
Friday: The seemingly endless investigation into the influence-peddling, doping cover-ups and contract-skimming allegations against former IOC member and IAAF chief Lamine Diack may be moving into a new phase. Arrests warrants were issued for two former Russian track & field officials, plus new information about the Austrian-German inquest into blood doping!
ATHLETICS
Friday: The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that its decision in the challenge to the IAAF’s testosterone regulations for women by Caster Semenya and the South African federation will not be announced until the end of April (if then).
BIATHLON
Monday: In case you missed it, a wild finish to the Biathlon World Championships, with eight different winners in the eight individual events, but a Norwegian sweep in the relays.
BOXING
Friday: The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is in such serious trouble with the IOC – whose Executive Board meets next week – that its newly-elected President, Gafur Rakhimov (UZB) stepped down and an Interim President will be appointed in his place.
CYCLING
Tuesday: Amazing! The final-stage individual time trial saw Britain’s Adam Yates go in with a 25-second advantage in the famed Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy and lose by less than a second to Slovenian star Primoz Roglic! Wow!
FIGURE SKATING
Friday: Russia’s Alina Zagitova win the women’s World Championship in convincing fashion, while Americans Nathan Chen, Jason Brown and Vincent Zhou lead a 1-2-4 showing in the men’s Short Program. China’s Weijing Sui and Cong Han‘s brilliant Free Skate performance made them two-time World Champions in Pairs.
FOOTBALL
Thursday: It wasn’t pretty, but Gyasi Zardes’s goal in the 81st minute gave the U.S. a 1-0 win over Ecuador and new coach Gregg Berhalter a perfect record after three games. Another test comes Tuesday in Houston vs. Chile.
PREVIEWS
Biathlon: Women’s season title on the line in World Cup Final in Oslo
Cross Country: Wild season ends in Quebec with both season titles up for grabs!
Cycling: Iconic Milan-Sanremo and Trofeo Alfredo Binda both on this weekend
Fencing: Top-ranked Kong, Dershwitz and Velikaya in action this weekend
Figure Skating: Hanyu vs. Chen vs. Uno highlights World Champs in Japan
Gymnastics: Some 20 Worlds & Olympic medals in Apparatus & All-Around World Cups
Ski Jumping: Season-ending tournaments in Slovenia and Russia
Snowboard: Parallel Giant Slalom title will be determined in Winterberg
UPCOMING
Highlights of the coming week:
● International Olympic Committee: The IOC Executive Board meets in Lausanne;
● Athletics: The World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus (DEN);
● Curling: Start of the men’s World Championships in Lethbridge (CAN).
Look for reports on all of the weekend’s competition highlights at TheSportsExaminer.com!
