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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● “[T]he Oklahoma City Council unanimously approved a resolution expressing full support and commitment to staging the canoe slalom and softball events in OKC as part of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.”
The financial aspect of the action means “The City will secure a financial guarantee with appropriate partners of $34.5 million to be paid to LA28 only if Oklahoma City does not fulfill its commitment to stage these events.” The commitment is for:
● “The City commits to providing the necessary city venues, including the whitewater and softball facilities, the Oklahoma City Convention Center, Scissortail Park, Paycom Center and other city properties, as needed.”
● “Maintenance and Improvements: The City and OCPPA will ensure necessary maintenance and improvements to the whitewater and softball facilities, complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
● “City Services: The City will provide essential services such as security, public safety, police, fire and EMS services, transit and transportation, traffic management and sanitation services.”
Said Mayor David Holt: “This was our first opportunity as a City Council to state our official support for staging two sports during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“This resolution of commitment is the first of many official actions the council will take over the next three years relative to this historic event. I’m grateful to the City Council for their unanimous vote.”
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The Los Angeles City Council debated at length the viability of moving ahead of a major, $2.2 billion upgrade of the Los Angeles Convention Center, with construction that would begin prior to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, pause, and then be completed afterwards.
There was significant discussion about financial risks, and also the possibility of construction issues which might impact the use of the Convention Center during the 2028 Olympic Games. The construction schedule would be monitored closely to ensure that work would end in time for the use by LA28, with fencing, judo, table tennis and wrestling now scheduled to be held there, and more may be added.
Ultimately, the Council voted to go ahead by 14-1 with negotiations on an agreement to build the upgrade, and answers on the ability to place freeway-facing signage on the Convention Center exterior, with a final yes-or-no on the decision due in a couple of months. The new efforts to get to an agreement ready for approval are estimated to cost the City $27.75 million.
● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ● The International Olympic Committee announced the completion and signature of the Olympic Host Contract, which included the financial guarantees provided by the French government and the regional governments of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
● Commonwealth Games 2030 ● GamesBids.com reported that signals of interest to host the centennial Commonwealth Games in 2030 were made by Canada, India and Nigeria, but not yet confirmed by Commonwealth Sport.
If agreed to bid by Commonwealth Sport, the formal bids will be developed through August, with the host selection to be made at the 2025 Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in November.
The inaugural 1930 British Empire Games was held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which passed on the 2030 event. Commonwealth Sports Canada’s letter noted the support of the governments of Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, and the Ontario Regional Chief for the Chiefs in Ontario, to “co-create” a Commonwealth Games along the flexible lines now in use by Commonwealth Sport.
● SportAccord ● “It is with great disappointment that SportAccord announces the cancellation of the 2025 edition of the SportAccord Convention, which had been scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 9 to 12 June.
“Following a comprehensive assessment by the SportAccord Executive Committee, and in light of the evolving political context and unresolved issues at the host city level, it was concluded that the Convention could not proceed as planned.
“However, the removal of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from office on 19 March 2025 led to political disruption in the days that followed, during which Acting Mayor Nuri Aslan was appointed. As a result, several fundamental conditions for hosting the event could no longer be met, and it was decided that the event could no longer proceed. It is hoped that these developments will not affect other major international events scheduled to take place in the city.”
SportAccord has been a key meeting point for the international sports community, with 1,700 attendees from 65 countries in Birmingham (ENG) in 2024. The choice of Istanbul had only been announced on 13 March.
● Women’s Sport ● Sports Illustrated, now run by technology and content company Minute Media, announced a six-day “SI Women’s Games” to be held in Oceanside, California – north of San Diego – from 28 October to 2 November of this year:
“Teams of domestic and international athletes representing ‘Team Americas’ and ‘Team World’ will participate in a week-long series of team and individual competitions across basketball, gymnastics, tennis, flag football, volleyball and combat sports.”
The event will be shown via an agreement with Scripps Sports for ION in the U.S.
● Shooting ● At the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires (ARG), 42-year-old Jean Pierre Brol (GUA) won the men’s Trap final from American stars Walton Eller, 43 – the 2008 Olympic Double Trap winner – and Paris Olympian Will Hinton, 46-43-31 in the Wednesday final.
Australia’s Penny Smith, the Paris bronze winner, took the women’s title, scoring 44/50, including her last 15 in a row, to edge 20-year-old Carey Garrison of the U.S., the 2023 World Junior bronze winner (42/50).
China’s Zifei Wang and Buhan Song won the Mixed 10 m Air Rifle gold, beating India, 17-9, in the final. The competition ends on the 11th.
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