Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened over the last 72 hours in Olympic sport:
LANE ONE
Monday: The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee was criticized last week for not spending enough on venue decor and sport presentation among other things. One International Federation executive had the nerve to say that funding for such “should not be looked at as a cost.” Say what? Are you kidding? When was your last drug test?
ARCHERY
Sunday: Korea’s Chae-Young Kang won her second straight World Archery World Cup, this time in Shanghai, as Korea swept the individual Recurve golds. The U.S. picked up four medals in the Compound Division, including a win for Braden Gellenthien in the men’s division.
ATHLETICS
Friday: A new world leader in the women’s 100 m, plus a new sub-2:00 attempt in the marathon coming for Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge … and more doping news.
Friday: Sensational world leader in the 110 m hurdles by Florida’s Grant Holloway: 13.07 … in the SEC Championships prelims! Wow!
Saturday: More SEC magic, as Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts beats Holloway in 13.07, plus a collegiate record for LSU freshman Mondo Duplantis!
Saturday: The U.S. wins two oddball events in the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama and qualifies for Sunday’s events.
Sunday: The U.S. topped the medal table at the fourth IAAF World Relays and qualified four of its five teams for the World Championships later in the year. But it was hardly a showcase performance …. but it was a lot better than what Jamaica did!
CURLING
Sunday: The finale of the first World Curling World Cup season finishes in a familiar way: golds for the Canadian men’s and women’s teams skipped by Kevin Koe and Jennifer Jones. But Norway took the Mixed Doubles title … beating a Canadian team in the final.
CYCLING
Saturday: Another Dutch win on the Women’s World Tour, as Lorena Wiebes compiles a perfect Tour of Chongming Island, winning all three stages!
Sunday: The famed Giro d’Italia is off and running with an immediate statement made by favorite Primoz Roglic, plus a long-overdue sprint win for Peter Sagan in the opening stage of the Amgen Tour of California!
Sunday: Dutch treat in the BMX SuperCross World Cup in Papendal, with a sweep of the men’s and women’s races by Niek Kimmann, Judy Baauw and Laura Smulders!
DIVING
Sunday: China sent its second team and still won half of the events at the Kazan Diving World Series, including two victories for platform star Hao Yang.
FENCING
Sunday: Germany’s Max Hartung, at 29, is enjoying a career year, including a win in the Sabre World Cup in Madrid, while no. 1-ranked Sofya Velikaya of Russia won her Sabre World Cup in Tunis.
FOOTBALL
Sunday: The U.S. women’s World Cup team defeated South Africa, 3-0, on Sunday, in Santa Clara in the first of its final three tune-up games before the Women’s World Cup in France. It was a dominating performance, but not necessarily one that meant much.
JUDO
Sunday: Homestanding Azerbaijan wins the most medals at the Baku Grand Slam, but Brazil and Japan are the only countries to register two golds.
ROWING
Sunday: The first World Cup of the 2019 season was in Plovdiv (BUL), with three wins for the Polish men and four for the Dutch women, plus a surprise for the World Champion Sinkovic brothers in the men’s Pairs!
RUGBY
Sunday: Fourth win in five tournaments for the Black Ferns of New Zealand in the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Canada. The U.S. women finished third and – along with New Zealand – clinched a berth in the Tokyo 2020 tournament with only one stage left!
SHOOTING
Saturday: Three U.S. stars won medals at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup, with Vincent Hancock and Christian Elliott going 1-2 in men’s Skeet and the immortal Kim Rhode won her 21st World Cup gold in the women’s Skeet. Wow!
SWIMMING
Saturday: First day of the FINA Champions Series in Budapest, with two world-leading marks and more wins for Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.
Sunday: It was the Sarah Sjostrom show at the second FINA Champions Series in Budapest, as she won five events over the two days and $53,000. But two others won three events each and there were five world-leading marks!
Sunday: Brilliant, but close, wins in the FINA Marathon World Series in the Seychelles for Italy’s Arianna Bridi and France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier.
UPCOMING
Highlights of the coming week, with full coverage on TheSportsExaminer.com:
● Athletics: The second IAAF Diamond League comes this Saturday in Shanghai!
● Cycling: Continuing action at the Giro d’Italia and the Amgen Tour of California.
● Swimming: The fourth leg of the Tyr Pro Swim Series fires up in Bloomington, Indiana.
And a look at events around the world in more than a dozen sports this week!