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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● “The venues got a lot of noise. The political body was disagreeing on a couple of very big ones and that didn’t help, but they got that out of the way and frankly, seven years to go, we have our plans, and I’m happy with where we are.
“Seven years is enough time, but we don’t have a lot of wiggle room.”
That’s Andrew Liveris (AUS), the President of the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee and former worldwide chief executive and Board Chair of Dow Chemical, telling Reuters that progress is being made according to plan:
“With 84% of our venues being existing or temporary, we’re mostly in good shape. But the 16% includes the stadium, includes the aquatic centre, it includes a few very important venues. That would be the biggest challenge we have.”
He also sees the Games helping Queensland as one of the growth areas of the country, explaining, “What Queensland is going through, southeast Queensland in particular, is growing pains.
“I think a lot of people want to see better infrastructure, want to see their lives getting better. And I think this is where the Olympics can enable that by accelerating that infrastructure.”
● U.S. Center for SafeSport ● The Center for SafeSport announced the departure of chief executive Ju’Riese Colon on 22 April and on Thursday (24 July):
“The Board of Directors of the U.S. Center for SafeSport announced today that it has begun the formal search for the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The non-profit tasked with safeguarding the nation’s athletes has retained global organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry to lead the search.”
The 22 April statement noted that “The board of directors has initiated the search for new leadership,” apparently now getting started in earnest. As for the positions:
“[T]he Board has established two search committees, one for the CEO and one for the CFO, comprising Board members and advisors with relevant expertise. Korn Ferry has completed stakeholder interviews and is currently conducting organizational assessments and confidential outreach to identify candidates who exemplify both executive acumen and a people first philosophy. This inclusive approach integrates staff feedback, recent strategic evaluations, and market analysis to shape the leadership profiles. Final candidates will be evaluated not only on qualifications but also on their ability to lead with courage, transparency, and care in a time when public trust is essential.”
Those interested are asked to apply on or before 12 September.
● Russia ● World Sailing is continuing its formalized “ban” on Russian and Belarusian boats, but with a significant modification that creates new opportunities:
“The World Sailing Board met on 23 July 2025 to review the decision and determined that there was no material change in the circumstances giving rise to the suspensions and that they would therefore remain in place until the next review which will be on or before the 23 October 2025. This includes the suspension of the participation of any boat owned or effectively controlled or managed by a Russian or Belarusian individual or entity.
“However, following today’s vote, Russian and Belarussian sailors, support personnel and race officials will be permitted to participate as neutrals in World Sailing owned and sanctioned competitions and events, in line with IOC guidance. Boats owned by individuals who are sailing as neutrals under the World Sailing Neutrality Policy are also permitted.
“The policy was supported with 29 votes for, five against, with two abstentions.”
Under World Sailing’s 2024 Neutrality Policy for the 2024 Olympic Games, World Sailing’s legal department carried out neutrality reviews of Russian or Belarusian sailors or officials who applied for eligibility.
● Aquatics ● The Spanish men’s water polo team won its fourth World Aquatics Championships gold with a 15-13 win over Hungary in the final of the 2025 Worlds in Singapore.
The sides were tied at 5-5 at the quarter, with Spain up 7-6 at the half. But the Hungarians, four-time champions and as recently as 2023, were up by 10-8 after three quarters. But six Spanish goals were too much in the final quarter and led to the 15-13 final. Bernat Sanahuja (who was red-carded with 3:50 left!) and Alvaro Granados each had five goals in the victory, and Felipe Perrone, playing in his 14th (and last) Worlds, scored Spain’s 15th goal with 18 seconds left.
Greece took the bronze with a 16-7 pounding of three-time defending Olympic champions Serbia; the U.S. finished eighth, losing 8-7 to Italy in the seventh-place final.
¶
In Artistic Swimming, Spain’s Iris Tio and Lilou Lluis won the women’s Duet Free final, scoring 282.6087 points to 278.7137 for Italy’s Enrica Piccoli and Lucrezia Ruggiero.
It’s the second gold for Tio (also in the Solo Free) and fifth medal of the Championships, with three bronze medals.
¶
Swimswam.com reported that all USA Swimming World Championships team members are now in Singapore, after as much as half of the team had food poisoning issues at its training camp in Phuket (THA).
Swimming will begin on Sunday, with U.S. broadcasts available only on the Peacock streaming channel.
● Cycling ● The 112th Tour de France was not settled for sure, but almost for sure, as Ben O’Connor (AUS) attacked with 16 km to go on the brutal, final climb on the Col de la Loze to the Courchevel ski resort on Thursday to win stage 18.
He finished the triple-climb, 171.5 km route in 5:03:47, for his second career stage win in the race, unaware of the drama playing out behind him. Tour leader and three-time winner Tadej Pogacar (SLO) was repeatedly challenged by two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN), trying to make up ground … but unable to.
In the final 500 m, Pogacar passed Vingegaard and increased his lead, finishing 1:45 behind O’Connor, in second place, with Vingegaard in third at +1:54. That means Pogacar now has a lead of 4:26 on Vingegaard with three stages left, and 11:01 on German Florian Lipowitz in third.
Friday is another climbing stage, but not as difficult and only 95 km from Albertville to La Plagne – another ski resort – with a major climb in the first half and then a 19.3 km uphill finish from 668 m to 2,062 km at the top. It’s Vingegaard’s last chance, essentially.
Saturday’s 20th stage is hilly and the ride into Paris on Sunday has some early hills and cobblestones, but is fairly calm. Pogacar will, barring a major incident, win his fourth Tour on Sunday.
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