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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
1. Paris Preview II: Look for Sha’Carri, Simone and Katie on 3 August
2. Bach reveals future IOC revenues, demands more digital outreach
3. U.S. men outlast World Champs Germany, 92-88, in London
4. LeBron James selected as male U.S. flagbearer
5. ICC puts USA Cricket on notice for possible expulsion
● More Paris previews, including an amazing triple-header on Saturday, 3 August, with U.S. stars Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Sha’Carri Richardson all in action and in position for Olympic golds. Plus more U.S.-Australia showdowns in the pool and the return of Tokyo superstar Caleb Dressel.
● At the opening of the 142nd Session of the International Olympic Committee in Paris, IOC chief Thomas Bach called for peace, said the IOC had $13.5 billion in committed revenue through 2032 and insisted that the future of the Movement depends on engagement with “digital natives.”
● The U.S. men’s Olympic basketball needed LeBron James to take over in the fourth quarter to get a 92-88 exhibition win over FIBA men’s World Cup champions Germany in London. The American men finished 5-0 in their exhibition tour and will open in Lille against Serbia this weekend.
● James was honored by being voted as the U.S. male flagbearer for the Paris opening on Friday; the first men’s basketball player to be so honored. The women’s flagbearer will be announced on Tuesday.
● Cricket will become an Olympic sport in 2028, but the International Cricket Council is considering a suspension or expulsion of USA Cricket as not “fit-for-purpose.”
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (4: French theatrical theme to be used to start sessions; about 4,000 tickets remain for opening; Brazil using a/c in Village; USA Gymnastics has “cooling” sleep system sponsor) = Los Angeles 2028 (new, 40th LA28 emblem unveil for handover) = Ukraine (no hand-shaking with Russians) = Aquatics (Chinese being heavily tested in Paris) = Athletics (2: Mu in Paris fashion show; Muhamed and Smith take USATF 8 km champs) = Basketball (U.S. women U-17s crush seven to win FIBA World Cup) = Cycling (Pogacar too tired, will not race Paris) ●
1.
Paris Preview II: Look for Sha’Carri, Simone and Katie on 3 August
(For our Paris Preview part I, covering 27-28-29-30 July, click here.)
Taking a look at the Paris 2024 Olympic schedule, the line-up for Saturday, 3 August is one of those days that television networks dream of. It includes the finals of the women’s Vault in Artistic Gymnastics (10:20 a.m. Eastern time), expected to feature Simone Biles, the women’s 800 m Freestyle in swimming with Katie Ledecky in another fight with Australian Ariarne Titmus (3:08 p.m.) and World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson expected to run in the women’s 100 m final at about 3:20 p.m. Eastern.
Wow. But there’s a lot more on that day and others. A quick look at the likely highlights, from the U.S. perspective and the overall Games view:
● Wednesday, 31 July ● A total of 19 finals on this day, but the biggest action will be in the pool.
French star Leon Marchand – who swam at Arizona State and is transferring to Texas – will likely be coming off a win in the men’s 400 m Medley on the 28th, but will have his hardest day on Wednesday.
No question, he’ll be the favorite in the men’s 200 m Butterfly, where he was the 2023 World Champion in a national-record time of 1:52.43. He will be challenged by Hungarian world-record holder Kristof Milak, the world no. 2 in 2024 and world leader Tomoru Honda (JPN), the Worlds bronze medalist last year. U.S. hopes are on 17-year-old Thomas Heilman, the Trials winner. That race is at 8:36 p.m.
Some 99 minutes later, Marchand expects to be back in the water to try – potentially – for a third gold in the men’s 200 m Breaststroke final, at 10:15 p.m. He’s going to have to deal with China’s 2023 Worlds winner Haiyang Qin, who has the world record at 2:05.48, and silver winner Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS) and American bronzer Matt Fallon are back as well. In fact, Fallon is the world leader with his Trials-winning time of 2:06.54.
In between will be the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle final, with American star Ledecky defending her Tokyo 2020 gold in this event, which was held for the first time three years ago. She’s an overwhelming favorite, owning the top four times of the year and eight seconds faster than Italy’s Simona Quadarella, the 2024 World Champion.
Also on the schedule are the finals in the men’s and women’s 100 m Freestyles. Tokyo Olympic men’s champion, Caeleb Dressel of the U.S., didn’t make the team in this event, beaten out by emerging stars Chris Guiliano (47.25) and Jack Alexy (47.08). China’s Zhanle Pan won the 2024 Worlds gold and owns the world record at 46.80, with Romanian co-favorite David Popovici at 46.88.
The women’s 100 m Free features world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris, 2024 Worlds winner Marrit Steenbergen (NED), American Kate Douglass and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey. No one knows how this is going to turn out.
In gymnastics, this is the night of the men’s All-Around final, with Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto defending his 2023 Worlds gold as well as his victory at Tokyo 2020. American Fred Richard stunned with a bronze at the 2023 Worlds and is looking for the first U.S. medal in the A-A since Danell Leyva’s bronze at London 2012. Japan has won this event in three straight Games.
The cycling BMX Freestyle finals will be held, with Tokyo Olympic silver winner – and five-time World Champion – Hannah Roberts of the U.S. looking to move up to the top of the podium. Britain’s Tokyo winner, Charlotte Worthington, is back as is Swiss Nikita Ducarroz, the Tokyo bronze medalist, and do not forget about fellow American Perris Benegas, the 2018 World Champion.
In the men’s final, France’s Anthony Jeanjean, who won the 2024 qualifying series, 2023 World Champion Kieran Reilly (GBR), Tokyo Olympic champ Logan Martin (AUS), Japan’s 2022 World Champion, Rim Nakamura and 2018 Worlds winner Justin Dowell of the U.S. are all contenders.
In diving, the U.S. won one medal at the 2023 World Championships, a bronze by Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell and they are up again. The pair won the Tokyo Olympic silver in 2021 and will be looking for a repeat medal performance, with China’s World Champions, Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan favored.
The U.S. has a powerful entry in the men’s fencing Sabre team final, having won the 2023 Worlds bronze with Eli Dershwitz, Andrew Doddo, Colin Heathcock and Mitchell Saron. Hungary, the reigning World Champion, defending Olympic champ South Korea and Italy are all contenders.
Australia’s Jessica Fox, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ in the C-1 slalom canoe race, will be going for two in a row, in an event in which she is a four-time World Champion. She could come in having already won the K-1 and looking for a possible three-event sweep. She will be challenged, especially by 2022 World Champion Ricarda Funk (GER).
● Thursday, 1 August ● There are finals in 18 events scheduled, but there is no doubt where the biggest focus will be: on gymnastics superstar Biles.
The women’s All-Around final is scheduled at 12:15 p.m. Eastern time, with Biles – the 2016 Olympic champion in this event – looking for another gold, after six Worlds golds in this event, including in 2023.
She’s the favorite, but Tokyo winner Suni Lee of the U.S. is in the field, and Tokyo runner-up – and the 2023 Worlds silver winner – Rebeca Andrade of Brazil is a clear contender. But this should mostly be about Biles.
In swimming, Canadian star Summer McIntosh – the 2023 World Champion – is back and is the world leader in 2024 at 2:04.33. But not far behind is American star – and Tokyo Olympic runner-up – Regan Smith at 2:03.80 and 2023 Worlds silver winner Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS: 2:05.20).
The 2023 Worlds medal winners in the women’s 200 m Breaststroke were South African Tatjana Schoenmaker (defending Olympic champ), American Douglass and Tes Schouten (NED). They are the top three on the world list in 2024 – in that order – and between them own 13 of the top 14 performances of the year. Right behind: Tokyo runner-up and 2022 World Champion Lilly King of the U.S.
The women’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay will be another Australia vs. U.S. showdown, with the Australians setting a world record at the 2023 Worlds and the U.S. a clear second. That looks to be the situation again, as the Aussies have four in the top 11 in the world this year and the Americans have four in the top 21.
The men’s 200 m Backstroke could be a trip to the past, with Rio 2016 gold medalist Ryan Murphy of the U.S. the world leader at 1:54.33, ahead of Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez (1:54.51) and fellow American Keaton Jones (1:54.61). Murphy was the Tokyo runner-up in the event and would prefer to be on the top step.
Italy, France and the U.S., led by Tokyo 2020 fencing Foil gold medalist Lee Kiefer, figure to be the favored choices in the women’s Foil team final. Italy, the U.S. and France won the medals at the 2022 Worlds and Italy, France and Japan went 1-2-3 in 2023, with the U.S. fourth. Kiefer will be accompanied by Lauren Scruggs, Jackie Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub.
Great Britain has won two Worlds golds in a row in the men’s Fours, but the U.S. was second in 2023 and is hunting a medal, along with New Zealand, the Dutch and defending Olympic champ Australia.
● Friday, 2 August ● A big line-up of 23 finals will push the total of completed events to 117, about a third of the way through the total program. But in France, this will be Teddy Riner Day.
At 35, standing 6-8 and weighting over 300 pounds, Riner is one of the greatest judokas of all time. He is a 12-time World Champion, including co-champion in 2023 and won Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016. He took bronze in 200 and is out to win two golds in Paris: in his +100 kg class and in the Mixed Team event, where he won an Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
He will be pushed by Cuban Andy Granda, Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili, and Japan’s Tatsuru Saito, but the massive crowd will be squarely behind Riner.
Dressel of the U.S. will get a chance to defend his Tokyo gold in the men’s 50 m Freestyle final. Australia’s Cameron McEvoy won the 2023 Worlds and was second in 2024 and Britain’s Ben Proud was the 2022 World Champion. But Dressel has moved his way up and stands no. 4 on the world list at 21.41 and he will be in the mix.
French star Marchand will be back for his individual finale in the men’s 200 m Medley, where he was the 2023 World Champion and will be favored. China’s Shun Wang, the defending Olympic champ – and one 11 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine in 2021, but was not sanctioned – is just one of the contenders, including Americans Carson Foster (the 2024 Worlds runner-up) and Shaine Casas, Britain’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Duncan Scott, and Canada’s 2024 Worlds winner Finlay Knox.
The women’s 200 m Backstroke is expected to be another thriller between Australia’s 2023 Worlds winner (and Tokyo Olympic champ) Kaylee McKeown and runner-up Regan Smith of the U.S. Between the two of them, they have the top six times of the year. Canada’s Kylie Masse and Phoebe Bacon of the U.S. are solid choices to fight for bronze.
The track & field program will get underway with the 20 km walks in the morning and the men’s 10,000 m on the track, along with multiple preliminaries. Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha (26:31.01), Berihu Aregawi (26:31.13) and Tokyo Olympic champ Selemon Barega (26:34.93) led the fastest 10,000 race in history in the national trials in June, after six Kenyans – led by Daniel Mateiko’s 26:50.81 – ran under 27 minutes at its trials race in Eugene in May. Add in Tokyo champ and world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) and wild cards like Grant Fisher of the U.S. and this could be a wild finish.
In archery, the Mixed Team final is scheduled, with Korea, Germany, Turkey, Italy and the U.S. duo of Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold all contenders.
Defending Olympic champ Niek Kimmann (NED) is a favorite for the cycling BMX final for men, having won two World Cup races this season. Britain’s Kye White, the Tokyo silver winner, took one and three-time World Champion Joris Daudet won one. Australia’s Izaac Kennedy is also a contender.
No doubt about the women’s BMX favorite: Australia’s Saya Sakakibara won four of the six World Cup races and was second to Swiss Zoe Classens in the other two. American Alise Willoughby won medals in the last three World Cups and Britain’s Tokyo Olympic winner, Beth Shriever, won two medals this season.
The U.S. has won Olympic silvers in Rio and Tokyo in the equestrian Team Jumping final, with McLain Ward back from both of those teams. The Americans should be contenders with Sweden, Belgium, France and Germany for medals.
In the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions, Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. won a Worlds bronze in 2023, behind China’s Qiongyue Zhang and Jiayu Han, and is looking for her first Olympic medal in her second Games. They will all have to deal with Norway’s Worlds medalists Jenny Stene and Jeanette Hegg Duestad.
● Saturday, 3 August ● A huge program of 27 finals and a day that could feature Biles, Ledecky and Richardson of the U.S.
Biles is clearly the favorite in the women’s Vault, an event she has won twice at the World Championships and at Rio 2016. Andrade won the Vault over Biles at the 2023 Worlds and is the defending champion. American Jade Carey won at the 2022 Worlds and Korea’s Seo-jeong Yeo won the 2020 Olympic bronze and the 2023 Worlds bronze. But if Biles is on, no one can touch her.
Ledecky will favored to win her fourth straight Olympic gold in the 800 m Freestyle, but Australia’s Titmus is not far behind on the year list: 8:12.95 to 8:14.06. Italy’s Quadarella is also in the mix for a medal.
Dressel will be defending his Tokyo gold in the men’s 100 m Butterfly and he was an impressive winner at the U.S. Trials at 50.19. But the world leader is Canada’s Josh Liendo (50.06), followed by Swiss Noe Ponti (50.16). France’s 2023 World Champion, Maxime Grousset will also have something to say.
American Alex Walsh beat McKeown in the women’s 200 m Medley at the 2022 Worlds and Douglass and Walsh were 1-2 in 2023, with China’s Yiting Yu third. Among the Paris entry, McKeown, Douglass and Walsh are 1-2-3, with Canada’s Sydney Pickrem fourth. Should be some fight.
Great Britain won the mixed 4×100 m Medley Relay in Tokyo, but the U.S. took the Worlds golds in 2022 over Australia and 2023 over China. With Alexy or Guiliano, Dressel, Smith and King, the Americans look solid.
On the track, Richardson is the World Champion and the world leader (10.71) in the women’s 100 m and is favored over ex-Texas star Julian Alfred (LCA), U.S. teammate Melissa Jefferson and Jamaica’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Shericka Jackson and 2008-12 Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, still going at 37. Lots of eyes on this one.
The men’s shot is a question of health. If Ryan Crouser, the 2016 and 2020 Olympic champ and the world-record holder is healthy, he’s the favorite. But European champ Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) is having a career year and beat Crouser at last weekend’s London Diamond League meet. Lurking just behind is two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs of the U.S., completely capable of winning.
The men’s decathlon has German Leo Neugebauer, who won the NCAA title for Texas with a monster score of 8,961 as the favorite, but French hopes are for good health and a miracle performance from world-record holder Kevin Mayer, the two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver winner from Rio and Tokyo. If healthy, watch out for Canada’s defending Olympic champ Damian Warner, who has scored 8,678 this season.
The mixed 4×400 m relay could be a showcase for 16-year-old sensation Quincy Wilson of the U.S. He ran 44.20 (!) last week at the Holloway Pro Classic in Florida and as the sixth-place finisher in the 400 m at the U.S. Trials, he should be on this team. The U.S. always goes in as the favorite, but with stars Femke Bol (NED), Marileidy Paulino (DOM) and Natalia Kazcmarek (POL) as likely anchors, will the U.S. have a big enough lead to win?
In archery, the women’s Recurve final is scheduled and Kaufhold of the U.S. is ranked no. 1 worldwide, and won a Worlds silver in 2021. But she will be facing a strong Korean entry, with Min-hee Jang the 2022 World Champion and Czech Marie Horackova the 2023 Worlds gold medalist. Not to be overlooked: Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia, the 2023 Worlds runner-up.
The cycling men’s road race will be without Tour de France star Tadej Pogacar, but is 273 km long and on a hilly course with more than a dozen short, but intense climbs. This should work in the favor of Tour third-placer Remco Evenepoel (BEL) and teammate Wout van Aert, perhaps Canada’s Michael Woods, or perhaps home favorite Julien Alaphilippe (FRA). The U.S. has two interesting entries in Brandon McNulty and Matteo Jorgenson, who could surprise.
Germany, the U.S. and Great Britain won the medals in Tokyo in the Dressage Team final, and Denmark, Britain and Germany were 1-2-3 at the 2022 Worlds. All four should be contender this time.
The U.S. women won the Eights in the 2008-12-16 Olympic Games, but were fourth in Tokyo, as Canada won gold. After a fourth at the 2022 Worlds – Romania won – the U.S. was back up to silver in 2023, a couple of seconds behind the Romanians, with Australia third. Great Britain and the Netherlands appear to be the class of the men’s field.
Poland’s no. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek leads the entries for the women’s Singles tennis event, which will have the final today at Roland Garros. Americans Coco Gauff (no. 2) and Jessica Pegula (no. 5) are contenders, as is no. 4 Elena Rybakina (KAZ). Much attention will be paid to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who reached the French Open semis in Paris this year; she is competing as a “neutral.”
More previews coming on Wednesday!
2.
Bach reveals future IOC revenues, demands more digital outreach
The biggest show at any Olympic Games is the opening ceremony, but one of the little-noticed, but often important rituals of the event is the opening of the International Olympic Committee Session that precedes it.
This meeting of all of the IOC membership is always celebrated with a special ceremony, and the IOC membership and many Olympic Family members gathered at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris for a 100-minute program on Monday evening. They saw some inspiring entertainment, including a vibrant tap-dance routine to Louis Prima’s 1936 jazz standard “Sing, Sing, Sing” and the expected welcoming speeches from French National Olympic Committee President David Lappartient (also the head of the Union Cycliste Internationale), Paris 2024 head Tony Estanguet and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Then there was IOC President Thomas Bach, who reiterated many of his familiar themes in a 34-minute address on making the Games more equitable, more urban and more sustainable, but also outlining a bright future for the Olympic Movement:
● “Thanks to the financial support from our commercial partners we have already today secured 7.3 billion U.S. dollars of revenue for the next Olympiad from 2025 to 2028. Even for the Olympiad 2029 to 2032, we have already secured 6.2 billion dollars. With a full pipeline, these figures will only increase.”
● “This stability is also reflected in the ever-growing relevance of the Olympic Games. At present, we have already allocated the Games of the Olympiad until 2028 to L.A. and until 2032 to Brisbane.
“What is more, we currently have a double-digit figure of countries and [National Olympic Committees] interested in hosting Olympic Games in 2036 and some even in 2040. I cannot remember a time when we have been in such a favourable situation, with such a significant number of interested parties to host Olympic Games 12 or even 16 years in advance. It may not come as a surprise to you, when I say that this is all thanks to our Olympic Agenda reforms.”
Bach also spoke passionately about the future of the Games and the Olympic Movement and how it rests with the “digital-native” generation:
● “Whatever our views are on esports and gaming, the numbers speak for themselves. Globally, there are well over 3 billion people familiar with gaming, a figure that continues to grow by the day. While in 2021, the global gaming live-streaming audience was just around 800 million people, this figure will grow to 1.5 billion spectators next year. These are all young people.
“We cannot ignore these staggering numbers. They make it crystal clear: if we want to continue to be relevant in the lives of young people, if we want to continue to inspire the next generation with our Olympic values, then we have to go to where the young people are, in the real world and in the digital world. We have to go to esports.”
● “What is more, we are in a position to propose to you the creation of Olympic Esports Games with a partner and first host that is a recognised leader in this area: National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a country with 23 million gamers and has become an established host of events and competitions of the esports community. As such, the Saudi NOC has a unique expertise in esports and in working with all the stakeholders of the esports market.
“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we ensure that all our activities will happen in full compliance with the Olympic Charter. At the same time we want to support the enormous progress the Saudi NOC has made with regard to the popularisation of sport and in particular the participation of girls and women in sport.”
This is sure to bring criticism as the Saudis are hardly celebrated for women’s rights, but the country’s leadership role in the esports world is an established fact. And Bach went on to underscore the importance of the Olympic Esports Games initiative and the younger generation that already embraces the digital life:
“This change manifests itself in new ways of speaking with each other; in very different habits and lifestyles; in a more individualistic interpretation of values; in more raucous and more aggressive self-expression. We may embrace this, or we may take issue with one or the other manifestation of this new social fabric. The fact remains, we have to address it.
“Young people everywhere are living such digital lives. Our young Olympic fans are living digital lives. The 120 million followers who engage with us over 600 million times per month are living digital lives. The athletes are living digital lives. If we want to remain relevant in their digital lives, we must engage with this digitally-native generation in their digital way of living.”
Bach closed with another reminder of the Olympic Games as a symbol of what could be:
“In these difficult times, there are so many divisive forces tearing humanity apart: the far too many wars and conflicts around the world, decoupling of the global economy, greed, hate, fake news, protectionism, the list goes on.
“Whenever you speak with people, everybody is fed up. People are fed up with all this hate, aggression, the killing, war and confrontation. In their hearts – in all our hearts –we are longing for something which brings us together. We are longing for something that gives us hope.
“This is why billions of people are looking forward to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as this symbol of hope, as this symbol of togetherness. They see the Olympic Games as the only event that still brings the entire world together in peaceful competition.”
Estanguet, for his part, shared the message everyone wanted to hear (as provided by the simultaneous interpreter online):
“We are ready. The athletes are ready. All of the sites are ready. All of the support personnel. All of France, are ready to root them on.”
3.
U.S. men outlast World Champs Germany, 92-88, in London
LeBron James. Once again, the 39-year-old star was the difference for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team in its final exhibition game, a hard-fought, 92-88 victory at the O2 Arena in London (GBR).
The difference early was defense, with the Americans clamping down in the first quarter after a slow start. Two three-point makes from guard Jrue Holiday got the U.S. started on a 21-4 run in the last five minutes to take a 29-17 lead, which ended at 29-19. Germany shot only 7-23 from the floor, vs. 10-16 for the U.S., with excellent lead-outs on defensive rebounds.
The second quarter went back and forth, with the U.S. maintaining the lead, but the Germans edging closer. But with 1:16 left, a key sequence saw center Joel Embiid block an Isaac Bonga layup try, with the loose ball going to guard Anthony Edwards, who outsprinted the defense for a right-handed thunder slam for a 48-39 lead, eventually 48-41 at the half.
But the Germans, the 2023 FIBA World Cup champions who defeated a much less talented American team in the semifinals last year, came right back and went on a 12-2 run to take a 53-52 lead with 7:15 to go in the third quarter. A James layup, an Embiid three and a James three gave the U.S. a 62-55 lead with 5:38 to go, but it didn’t last. Three-pointers from guard Andreas Obst, and five points from forward Franz Wagner in the final 1:02 of the period gave the Germans a 71-68 lead going into the fourth as the U.S. defense disappeared in a 30-20 quarter.
The U.S. got even quickly and got the lead back with 6:07 to go on a left-handed circus shot from guard Devin Booker, sinking a baseline rainbow after being fouled and on the way to the floor. Finally, James took over.
He muscled his way to the rim for back-to-back layins for an 85-82 lead with 3:33 to go, made two foul shots for an 87-82 U.S. lead, then sank a right-of-the-circle three for a 90-86 lead and clinched it by driving through the entire German defense for a right-hand bank at the rim for a 92-86 edge with 45.4 seconds to go. The final was 92-88.
James, 39, had 20 points on 8-11 from the field and handled the ball for the U.S. in the final four minutes. Amazing.
The Germans exposed continuing holes in the U.S. defense, making 13 three-pointers, even though it required 45 shots! The American offense produced 49% shooting, but 6-17 on threes and had 14 turnovers, to just seven for Germany.
Five other U.S. stars scored in double figures, with Embiid getting 15 and Holiday, 13, with Edwards adding 11 and Steph Curry and Anthony Davis scoring 10 each. Franz Wagner led Germany with 18, Obst had 17, and Daniel Theis and Dennis Schroder had 13 each.
The win ended the American exhibition season at 5-0. Star forward Kevin Durant was rested with a continuing calf injury, but he is expected to play in the Olympic opener on Sunday against Serbia in Lille. The Americans will also face South Sudan on 31 July and then Puerto Rico on 3 August in pool play.
4.
LeBron James selected as male U.S. flagbearer
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Monday that basketball icon LeBron James will be the male flagbearer for the U.S. team at the Olympic opening on the Seine River in Paris on Friday. Per the USOPC:
“James and his [female] flag bearer counterpart were chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes through a process led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA Athletes.”
The female flagbearer will be revealed on Tuesday. About 350 American athletes are expected to participate in the opening.
James is readying for his fourth Olympic Games, having been a member of the 2004 team at age 19, winning a bronze medal. He helped lead the U.S. to gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
He is also the first men’s basketball player to carry the U.S. flag during the Olympic opening and the third basketball player overall. Women’s stars Dawn Staley (Athens 2004) and Sue Bird (Tokyo 2020) are the only other basketball players given the honor. The IOC instituted the male-and-female flagbearer concept at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nominated to be flagbearer by teammate Steph Curry, James said:
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together.
“For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself, but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
5.
ICC puts USA Cricket on notice for possible expulsion
With T20 cricket poised to join the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028, this should be a happy time for the International Cricket Council and USA Cricket. Then came this announcement on Monday, from the ICC Annual Conference in Columbo, Sri Lanka:
“The ICC Board confirmed that there will be a review into the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This will be overseen by three directors, Roger Twose [NZL], Lawson Naidoo [RSA] and Imran Khwaja [SGP] who will report back to the Board later in the year.
“USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have been formally put on notice and have 12 months to rectify their current non-compliance with the ICC Membership Criteria. Neither Member is considered to have in place a fit for purpose detailed governance and administrative structure and systems.
“The ICC Americas office will work with Cricket Chile to support them in remedying their non-compliance. The Board agreed that a Normalisation Committee comprising of Board and Management representatives will be set up to oversee and monitor USA Cricket’s compliance roadmap and the ICC Board will reserve its right to suspend or expel the Member for continued non-compliance.”
India won its second ICC T20 World Cup title in the final over South Africa on 29 June, with the tournament hosted by the U.S. and West Indies. There were questions about the quality of the plying surfaces at multiple sites, credited for low scoring at some matches, also the quality of the organization in the matches played in the six nations in the West Indies and the costs of the U.S. sites in Florida, New York and Texas.
The ICC inquiry into USA Cricket will have impacts beyond the sport. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is obligated to recognize and work with a National Governing Body for each sport on the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games program, and cricket currently has no affiliated body within the USOPC structure.
The USOPC could oversee cricket internally for now until the ICC’s issues are settled, but all of this pushes off any programming to support the sport in the U.S. as it readies for its role in 2028.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Paris 2024 organizing committee chief Tony Estanguet said during his Sunday news conference at the Main Press Center that a special protocol, adapted from French theater, will signal that sessions are ready to start.
A bell will be rung, then a baton will rap 12 times to indicate the show is about to start. The baton will be struck by a parade of athletes, celebrities, officials, volunteers or even a member of the public.
¶
Estanguet said about 4,000 lower-quays tickets for the opening on Friday are still available, out of a planned total of 104,000.
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The Italian news agency ANSA reported that Brazil has joined the list of National Olympic Committees renting air-conditioning units for its athletes and staff in the Olympic Village. With 277 in the delegation coming to Paris, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) rented 130 a/c units at a cost of €39,000 (about $42,477 U.S.).
Said a COB spokesperson, “It couldn’t have been done otherwise.”
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Further to the Olympic Village and sleep, USA Gymnastics announced a deal with Newport, Rhode Island-based BedJet to supply “cooling sleep systems” for the American gymnasts in Paris:
“U.S. athletes will have BedJet Climate Comfort Sleep Systems and Cloud Sheets available to them. The BedJet attaches to any bed and uses air combined with a patented Cloud Sheet to rapidly wick away body heat and sweat trapped in the bed for fast cooling relief and improved sleep.”
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizing committee issued its 40th emblem using the special, changing “A,” offering a joint France-U.S. “A” in salute of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the coming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A special Paralympic “handover” emblem will be released later.
● Ukraine ● The head of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, Vadym Gutzeit, said on Friday on Ukrainian television:
“We have reached agreements with the international federations regarding the necessity to greet [athletes] during and after sports competitions.
“We have agreed that we will not greet each other [with Russians], we will not shake hands.”
● Aquatics ● SwimSwam.com reported on a Chinese social-media post on extensive drug testing of the Chinese swimming delegation in Paris:
“During the Chinese Olympic swimming squad’s first 10 days in Paris, its roster of 31 athletes has already been drug tested almost 200 times in total, according to a since-deleted social media post on Weibo by team nutritionist Yu Liang. If those numbers are indeed accurate, that comes out to about six tests per swimmer.”
● Athletics ● Tokyo Olympic 800 m champ Athing Mu did not make the U.S. team in 2024, suffering a fall in the Trials 800 m final, but she will be in Paris.
Mu is part of a phalanx of 24 former female Olympic and Paralympic athletes who will be part of a 28 July fashion show staged by PARiTY Paris and hosted by 4TheWalk, a merchandise and experience company founded by four-time Olympic ice hockey medalist Angela Ruggiero. The event celebrates the equal number of men and women competing at Paris 2024.
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Ahmed Muhamed and Rachel Smith won the USATF 8 km Championships on Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee, held in conjunction with the Crazy 8s 8k.
Muhamed used a finishing surge on the final straightaway to win over Isai Rodriguez – who led for most of the race – by 22:26 to 22:27. Hillary Bor was third in 22:34.
Smith ran away from the field and won easily in 25:40, with Emma Grace Hurley second in 25:57. Natosha Rogers finished third in 26:11.
● Basketball ● The U.S. women’s U-17 team crushed seven opponents in a row to win the 2024 FIBA women’s U-17 World Cup, held in Leon and Iraputo, Mexico.
The Americans won their group-stage games by 82-55 over Australia, 121-36 vs. Puerto Rico and 123-42 against Croatia. In the playoffs, the U.S. pounded Egypt by 114-45, then Japan by 95-59 in the quarters, France by 84-66 in the semis and finally Canada, 84-64 in the final.
Sierra Canyon (Ca.) HS guard Jerzy Robinson of the U.S. led all scorers at 20.9 points per game, and was named Most Valuable Player. It’s the sixth time in seven editions of this tournament that the U.S. has won.
● Cycling ● Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar (SLO) withdrew from the Olympic road race in Paris, citing fatigue. Pogacar became the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year.
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