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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Winter Paralympic Games 2026 ● “In terms of venues, we are in dreamland for Milano Cortina 2026, for certain they will be the most beautiful Paralympic Games yet.
“The Games will begin in the iconic Arena di Verona, Para ice hockey will be held in the world’s fashion capital Milan, the stunning Val di Fiemme will host Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing, while Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard, wheelchair curling and the Closing Ceremony will take place at the heart of the Dolomites in Cortina, one of the of the most magical places on earth. I cannot wait to be there and for the action to begin.”
That’s International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons (BRA), marking one year to go to the opening of the 2026 Winter Paralympics. And:
“The Paralympic Games are the most transformational sport event on earth; wherever the event is held, it triggers immense change impacting infrastructure, policies and most importantly, lives.
“What is happening across Italy is monumental with so much investment into infrastructure that will benefit absolutely everyone for generations to come. I cannot thank the cities, regions and provinces involved enough for their commitment to using the Games as an opportunity to advance accessibility and inclusion.
“From new accessible trains to barrier-free stations, accessible tourism for all to initiatives to drive sport development, it is truly fantastic that the Games have acted as a catalyst for all these important projects. Once the sport begins next year and the public witnesses the performances of the Paralympic athletes, I am confident the Games will again change attitudes towards disability, further driving social inclusion.”
Tickets are on wide public sale with 89% at €35 or less; up to 665 Para athletes from 50 countries are expected to compete, with 79 medal events in six sports.
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NBC announced Thursday that 80 hours of programming will be carried on its channels from the 2026 Winter Paralympics, with eight hours on NBC.
Daily coverage will also be provided on CNBC and USA Network; a large streaming package on Peacock and other NBC Sports Digital platforms – including NBCSports.com – will offer more than 250 hours of coverage. The Winter Paralympics are scheduled from 6-15 March 2026.
● International Fair Play Committee ● Be sure to mark your calendar for 19 May this year, to be the first-ever “World Fair Play Day” as recognized by a United Nations General Assembly Resolution passed last year.
The International Fair Play Committee worked for years for the U.N. to adopt this Resolution, which asks people “to cooperate, observe and raise awareness of World Fair Play Day to promote the practice of sport with a spirit of friendship, solidarity, tolerance and inclusion and without discrimination.”
● Athletics ● Good news for Grand Slam Track, which announced a broadcast rights agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, with Eurosport (Europe and Asia) and TNT Sports (UK and Ireland) offering live broadcast and/or cable coverage, plus live streaming on Max and discovery+ in more than 40 territories for the 2025 schedule and beyond.
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The New York Road Runners announced it received the most-ever applications – more than 200,000 – for the annual New York City Marathon, to be held on 2 November. Unfortunately, “About two to three percent of the more than 200,000 applications will be accepted.”
The applications total was up 22% over 2024.
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To the delight of the home crowd, Dutch star Femke Bol anchored her winning Mixed 4×400 m relay to victory on the first day of the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn (NED). She split 50.33 to finish out a 3:15.63 run, ahead of Belgium (3:16.19) and Great Britain (3:16.49). The meet continues through Sunday.
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The Athletics Integrity Unit announced a two-year sanction on 59:44 half-marathoner Geoffrey Yegon (KEN), “for 2 years from 11 February 2025 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Triamcinolone acetonide). DQ results from 1 December 2024.”
Also, Youssef Taoussi (ESP) – a 3:36.81 1,500 m man, was banned for four years, following a hearing, from 2 July 2024, for using Roxadustat, which stimulates the body’s natural production of erythropoietin (EPO). His results from 24 May 2024 were nullified.
● Fencing ● USA Fencing mourned the passing this week of Carla-Mae Richards, at age 88. She was the first USA Fencing Executive Director, taking charge in 1983 and serving to 1994, creating the key North American Cup series that is the backbone of the national competition schedule today.
She said years later, “In order to have the best team internationally – we weren’t winning medals – we needed some kind of system. We needed to give athletes stronger competitions, not just the local ones. So we said, ‘let’s have a national circuit.’”
● Football ● FIFA announced two new women’s tournaments, with a Women’s Champions Cup – featuring club teams – to debut in 2026, with champions of six continental confederations to meet in a six-match tournament, with the semifinals and finals scheduled for 28 January to 1 February. Succeeding editions will be played in 2027 and 2029.
A new Women’s Club World Cup will be inaugurated in 2028, with six teams competing in a play-in stage and then 16 teams to compete for the trophy in group play and then quarterfinals. The targeted time frame is January and February of 2028, with a second edition in 2032.
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FIFA also opened the bidding process for the Women’s World Cup for 2031 and 2035, with the U.S. expected to make a strong effort to secure the 2031 tournament. The decisions will be made in 2026 and the number of teams could be increased to 48, to be in line with the men’s World Cup (and make a lot more money in television rights).
The 2031 tournament is open to national federations in Africa and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) and 2035 is to be available to Africa and Europe (UEFA). Brazil will host in 2027.
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Spanish prosecutors asked for a new trial of former Royal Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales on Thursday, saying that the judge in the case did not allow in key evidence.
Rubiales was on trial for sexual assault and coercion in the infamous “kiss” of star midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony following the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia in 2023. He was found guilty of sexual assault only and fined €10,000 (about $10,800 U.S.) and ordered to stay away from Hermoso for a year.
The prosecution wanted 2 1/2 years of imprisonment; reports indicate a new request for a year in prison will be made, as well as an increase in the fine.
● Gymnastics ● Under the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) rules allowing for Russian and Belarusian gymnasts to compete as neutrals after proper vetting, the Russian Gymnastics Federation announced that 2021 World All-Around champ and Tokyo Olympic All-Around bronze medalist Angelina Melnikova had received approval to compete.
A total of 12 Russian gymnastics (eight women, four men) were reported as approved, with 10 support staff also approved.
● Nordic Skiing ● Five for five. That’s Norwegian cross country star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo at the 2025 FIS World Nordic Skiing Championships in Trondheim (NOR).
After winning the men’s Sprint, Skiathlon, 10 km Individual and the Team Sprint, Klaebo won his fifth gold on Thursday as anchor on the men’s 4 x 7.5 km relay, finishing in 1:08:13.7, well ahead of Switzerland (1:08:35.3) and Sweden (1:08:35.5). Norwegian teammates Erik Valnes, Martin Nyenget and Harald Amundsen gave Klaebo a 36-second lead and he cruised home.
Klaebo now has 17 Worlds medals (14-2-1), the most by any male skier in Worlds history, as he passed fellow Norwegian Petter Northug, who won 16 (13-3-0) between 2007-15.
The U.S. finished seventh with J.C. Schoonmaker, Zak Ketterson, Kevin Bolger and Ben Ogden, in 1:09:16.7.
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In ski jumping, Slovenia defended its men’s Large Hill title, jumping off the 138 m hill, with Lovro Kos, Domen Prevc, Timi Zajc and especially Anze Lanisek combining for 1,080.8 points, to top Austria (1,067.4) and Norway (1,065.3).
The U.S. quartet of Kevin Bickner, Erik Belshaw, Jason Colby and Tate Frantz finished eighth at 888.6.
The Nordic Worlds continue through Sunday and has been a major success, with more than 200,000 sold already and three days of events remaining.
● Swimming ● SwimSwam.com reported on a letter sent from the federation’s Board of Directors to the membership concerning the continuing search for a new chief executive after the withdrawal last week of University of Delaware athletic director Chrissi Rawak. The message included:
“During the initial search, we identified numerous world-class candidates. We will revisit some outstanding talent from the initial search and refresh the candidate pool to ensure we find the best leader to take USA Swimming forward. Our focus remains on selecting a CEO who fits the profile that resulted from the Task Force’s listening tour– a transformational and visionary leader who can fully harness the opportunities of this particular moment for our sport in the United States.”
The letter also noted that the search for a new director of the national team is “progressing well” and is not expected to be impacted by the chief executive search.
● Tennis ● The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced a first-of-its-kind maternity leave program for the sport:
“Through the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program, WTA players will for the first time receive paid maternity leave up to 12 months, and have access to grants for fertility treatments to build families, as well as other benefits. From launch, the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program will offer benefits to more than 320 eligible WTA players. …
“The eligibility criteria for participation in the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program includes competing in a certain number of WTA tournaments in a window of time, and receiving a special ranking, one of the existing benefits available through the WTA’s Family Focus Program that makes it easier to return to competition after starting a family.”
WTA chief executive Portia Archer (USA) noted:
“We are delighted that our partnership with PIF allows us to realize a key ambition to offer paid maternity and parental leave to more than 320 eligible WTA players. This initiative will provide the current and next generation of players the support and flexibility to explore family life, in whatever form they choose.”
● Wrestling ● Three-time Olympic Greco-Roman medalist Riza Kayaalp of Turkey was banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after he tested positive for Trimetazidine from an out-of-competition sample collected on 28 May 2024.
Now 35, Kayaalp’s suspension runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2028. He finished second in the 2024 European Championships at 130 kg, but did not compete at Paris due to his suspension after the positive test was reported. He is a five-time World Champion between 2011-22 and won Olympic silver at 130 kg in 2016 and bronzes at London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.
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