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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● ALBERTVILLE 1992: Michel Barnier, 73, was the co-President of the organizing committee of the XVI Olympic Winter Games with skiing icon Jean-Claude Killy.
On Thursday, he was named as the new Prime Minister of France by French President Emmanuel Macron, in the aftermath of the fractured result – with no clear majority – of the French legislature in early July.
Barnier is also known as the head negotiator for the European Union in the withdrawal of Great Britain – known as “Brexit” – from 2016-19. He is a long-time member of the conservative Republicans party.
● PARIS 2024/OLYMPICS: The Australian Olympic Committee announced a national “Welcome Home Celebrations” tour to take place in 10 cities beginning on 13 September.
The tour will visit Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Launceston, Gold Coast and Darwin, with free admission at all sites, featuring both Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The project is being hosted by the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia with the support of state and territory governments.
● PARIS 2024/PARALYMPICS: More gold for another American Paralympic icon, as 35-year-old Oksana Masters won both the cycling Individual Time Trial (H 4-5) on Wednesday and the cycling Road Race (H 5) in rainy conditions on Thursday.
Masters completed the 14.2 km Time Trial in 23:45.20, 6.24 seconds up on Dutch rider Chantal Haenen. In the 56.8 km road race, Masters timed 1:52:14, a clear winner over Bianbian Sun (CHN: 1:52:25).
Masters has one more event to go, the Mixed Team Relay on Saturday. She now has four Paralympic cycling golds, two each from the same events at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. She has won 14 medals (5-7-2) in the Winter Paralympic Games in cross-country skiing and biathlon from 2014-22, for an all-in total of 18.
She was asked where she stores her medals: “I love socks, so I store them in socks. Honestly, I’m not a medal person. To me it’s the experience and the memory of the race that means the most to me. I’m looking at my mom, looking at my team and that’s the medal for me.”
● INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: A new report from London-based valuation consultant Brand Finance placed an $11.4 billion value on the Olympic “brand” in a report released on Wednesday.
The drivers are, of course, television rights and sponsorships, with the Olympic value of $11.4 billion second only to the National Football League ($24 billion) and the only other above $10 billion. According to the statement:
“Unlike other major sports leagues that operate for several months out of the year, the Olympics take place for just over two weeks every four years – or every two if you include the Winter Olympics – yet has the power to maintain a brand value that competes with year-round leagues.”
● WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY: Good news from Tunisia, as the World Anti-Doping Agency welcomed news of the release of the former Director General of the Tunisian anti-doping organization, Mourad Hambli, “after spending four months in prison for simply trying to abide by the consequences of ANAD’s non-compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.”
Hambli and others were detained at the order of Tunisian President Kais Saied after the Tunisian anti-doping organization insisted that the national flag not be shown at the Tunisian Open Masters Championship last May, as Tunisia was deemed non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (the sanction was lifted on 15 May after a change in national laws).
Saied came to the pool and demanded that the Tunisian flag be presented, and an order for the arrest of Hambli and others followed. He is now free. There will be Presidential elections in Tunisia, with Saied running, coming up on 6 October.
● RUSSIA: Speaking at an anti-doping forum in Belarus, Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov expressed optimism that sanctions against both countries will eventually be ended:
“Now the Paralympians have gone. At least those who went on acceptable terms. A number of other federations are demonstrating greater flexibility than in the past, so, of course, water wears away a stone. Gradually, all the sanction pressure should come to naught.”
Only 15 Russian athletes went to the Paris Olympic Games as “neutrals”; 88 were allowed to compete at the Paralympic Games.
Pozdnyakov said the Russian Olympic Committee has set aside funds for the participation of a Russian team at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina (ITA), if sanctions are modified or dropped.
● ATHLETICS: OK, U.S. Olympic star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone WILL be running at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, but not in the Diamond League Finals. The meet management declared Thursday:
“To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, we do confirm that 400m hurdles Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will be competing at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, but not as part of the Wanda Diamond League Final races.
“With two additional, special races, the Brussels meeting wants to honour McLaughlin-Levrone, who produced a historic 400m hurdles world record at the Olympic Games in Paris. She will run 400m on Friday at 7.53 pm and 200m on Saturday at 7.53 pm.”
● CYCLING: No change in the Vuelta a Espana leaderboard on Thursday, as the hilly, 179.5 km ride to Maestu’s Parque Nacional de Izki saw Spain’s Urko Berrade attack with 6 km to go and finish in 4:00.52, four seconds up on eight riders, led by Mauro Schmid (SUI).
Leader Ben O’Connor (AUS) and three-time champion Primoz Roglic (SLO) finished as part of a pack at +6:40 and will duel Friday and Saturday on the final two mountain stages. Roglic remains five seconds behind with Spain’s Enric Mas third (+1:25).
● FOOTBALL: FIFA has implemented its promised three-step anti-racism program at the ongoing FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia. Now:
“By crossing their hands at the wrists, players will be able to signal directly to the referee that they are being targeted by racist abuse, prompting the referee to start the three-step procedure. With the first step, the match will be stopped. If the abuse continues, the match will be suspended, with the players and match officials exiting the field of play. In the event the incident does not cease, in the third step, the match will be abandoned.”
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At the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, host Colombia, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Japan and North Korea are all 2-0 in group play, with the top two in each group and the four “best” third-place teams advancing to the elimination round.
The U.S. is now 1-1 after a 2-0 victory over Morocco on scores by Yuna McCormack (48th minute) and Madeline Dahlien (90+6). The Americans, currently second in Group C, play 1-1 Paraguay on Saturday.
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The U.S. men’s National Team will be back in action on Saturday, facing Canada in Kansas City, with Mikey Varas, an assistant coach under Gregg Berhalter, serving an interim coach. U.S. Soccer has reportedly come to terms with former Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino (ARG), who has not yet been released by that club.
A second friendly will be held on the 10th against New Zealand, in Cincinnati.
● SWIMMING: After a long video review, American Claire Stuhlmacher was declared the winner of the World Athletics Open Water Junior Championships women’s 10 km in Sardinia.
Initially, it had been thought that Italy’s Chiara Sanzullo had won, but the video placed Stuhlmacher first at 2:09:15.9 and Sanzullo at 2:09:16.2. Said Stuhlmacher afterwards:
“I didn’t know how this would go. I got fourth two years ago in the Seychelles, so toward the end today, I just took off. I just had that extra sense of motivation; I kept telling myself, ‘You have to medal this time.’ It really was internal motivation, pushing myself to the finish, that made the difference.”
France’s Sacha Velly won the men’s 10 km by almost 30 seconds in 1:59.44.2.
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An Australian assistant coach at the Paris Olympic Games, Michael Palfrey, has been fired for telling South Korean media that he hoped freestyler Woo-min Kim would defeat Australian stars Elijah Winnington and Sam Short.
Australian head coach Rohan Taylor said at the time. “It’s just un-Australian, to be honest. I’m not here to defend that. As far as what happens post the Games, that will be dealt with.
“I’m very critical of him. I was angry. I made sure he knew that. I believe it was a very bad error of judgment and the consequences for that will be coming in the future when we get back home.”
Now, Swimming Australia said in a statement:
“Swimming Australia has terminated Michael Palfrey’s employment due to a breach of his employment agreement. Palfrey was found to have breached his employment contract by bringing himself into disrepute and causing serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests.”
Winnington won silver in the men’s 400 m Free and Kim was third. Palfrey was advising Kim, considered a clear conflict of interest.
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