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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2032: Brisbane ● Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese inserted himself into the endless discussion about venue selection for the Brisbane 2032 Games, saying on the “Two Good Sports” podcast on Friday that rowing could be moved to Sydney and tennis to Melbourne:

“I’ve been meeting with [Brisbane 2032 chief] Andrew Liveris as well as with the Queensland Premier [David] Crisafulli about where it goes.

“For example, are we really going to do rowing in Rockhampton on the Fitzroy River when there are some pretty good facilities at Penrith [in Sydney]?

“There’s a debate over tennis and what’s needed there in Brisbane as well.”

The Queensland government is having none of it; a spokesman said Friday, “we are working with all levels of government to implement the 2032 Games Delivery Plan, which will see Rowing in Rockhampton and Tennis played at the upgraded Queensland Tennis Centre.”

● NCAA ● Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said last week that the $20.5 million distribution to its athletes will send $18 million to players in four sports only: football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball (despite a record of 14-16; average attendance: 3,518 this past season).

The remaining $2.5 million will be used to fund 91 new scholarships across all sports; Ohio State sponsors 36 teams in total.

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said last Thursday that revenue-sharing will be distributed to football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and women’s gymnastics, all of which had significant on-field success this season.

Observed: Note that both Ohio State and Oklahoma announced distributions to an equal number of men’s and women’s sports, a direct nod to Title IX in view of actions already filed, which are primarily about the unequal amounts of money to be paid … which were not announced.

Oklahoma State took what appears to be an interesting alternate path, with the “seven ticketed varsity sports” – football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, women’s soccer and men’s wrestling – to receive funding. A post from athletic director Chad Weiberg noted “Others will get additional scholarships.”

● Anti-Doping ● A Bolivian physician who asked to have the banned diuretic furosemide to be added to a custom supplement to given to Bolivian swimmer Maria Jose Ribera – who then tested positive – has been banned for six years for “administration and complicity.”

The International Testing Agency reported the suspension period from from 12 June 2025 until 11 June 2031.

● Athletics ● With Betsy Saina now pregnant, USA Track & Field named Jessica McClain to replace her on the American World Championships team for Tokyo in September.

McClain will be a first-time U.S. national team member, and was fourth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024. She ran seventh at the 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:22:43.

● Shooting ● Interesting agreement by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to share resources, best practices and cross-promotion ideas, with a special focus on medical issues, safeguarding and integrity.

Their first together was to “co-finance the attendance of legal delegates to the IOC Medical Conference and Prevention of Competition Manipulation Workshop in 2025.”

It would not appear that these federations would have much in common, so it will be fascinating to see what comes out of the agreement.

● Skiing ● U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the third class of Stifel Award winners, given to athletes and staff on six teams, in multiple categories.

“Athlete of the Year” honors went to Lauren Macuga (alpine skiing), Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher (cross country), Alex Hall and Rell Harwood (freeski), Chris Lillis (freestyle aerials), Jaelin Kauf (freestyle moguls) and Saylor O’Brien (para alpine).

≡ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡

● Judo ● Japan struck early and hard at the IJF World Championships in Budapest (HUN), which will continue through 20 June, winning three of the first four weights and winning a medal in all four.

Paris 2024 bronze medalist Ryuju Nagayama won his first men’s 60 kg title – after two bronzes – over Romain Valadier-Picard (FRA) and new star Takeshi Takeoka won the 66 kg class against Nurali Emomali (TJK). Two-time Olympic champ Hifumi Abe was defeated in the quarters, but came back to win a bronze medal.

Younger sister Uta Abe, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ at 52 kg, won her fifth Worlds gold, defeating Tokyo 2020 48 kg winner Distria Krasniqi (KOS) in the final. Italy’s Assunta Scutto finally moved up to gold in the women’s 48 kg division, taking Worlds bronzes in 2022 and 2023, then silver in 2024 and now gold in 2025, over Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ). Japan’s Wakana Koga won her third career Worlds medal with a bronze.

On Sunday, France’s 2024 Olympic silver star Joan-Benjamin Gaba won his first Worlds gold, in the 73 kg class, defeating 2022 Worlds bronzer Daniel Cargnin (BRA) in the final. Georgia’s Eteri Liparteliani won the women’s 57 kg class, her first individual Worlds medal; she defeated two-time Worlds medal winner Momo Tamaoki.

● Sailing ● Spain’s Jordi Xammar returned to the podium at the 470 World Championships, this time in the mixed-crew event introduced at the 2024 Olympic Games, teaming with Marta Cardona to win off Gdynia (POL) with 48 net points, the same as Germany’s Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort.

The tie was broken by the Spanish finishing fourth in the final, medal race, ahead of the Germans in fifth. In all, the Germans won four races to Spain’s two. Barely behind with 49 net points was Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, who finished third in the medal race and would have won if they had been second!

It’s the second straight Worlds win for Xammar, who had Nora Brugman on board in 2024.

≡ HIGHLIGHTS ≡

● Artistic Swimming ● At the World Aquatics World Cup Super Final in Xian (CHN), China’s Haiyan Xu won the women’s Solo Technical, and then teamed with Yanjun Lin to win the women’s Duet Technical and the Duet Free.

Belarus’ Vasilina Khandoshka, the 2024 Worlds Solo Free bronzer, competing as a “neutral,” won the women’s solo Free, with Xu third.

Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez and Mirela Hernandez won the Mixed Duet Technical and the Mixed Duet Free. Mexico’s Diego Villalobos won the men’s Solo Technical, followed by Muye Guo (CHN) and Guo came back to take the Solo Free. China also won the Team Acrobatic, Team Technical and the Team Free.

● Athletics ● Great run from Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill at the Last Chance Sprint Series meet at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California on Friday, winning heat five of the men’s 100 m in 10.15 with a +1.2 wind reading.

That brings him into a tie at 114th in the world for 2025, and is a lifetime best. Now 31, his last recorded 100 was way back in 2013, running a very-wind-aided 9.98 (+5.0) for second in the National Junior College Championships. His prior legal best was 10.19 from 2012!

So Hill feels more confident than ever to try and race World Champion Noah Lyles, who hasn’t run a 100 m this season. However, Lyles hasn’t run as slow as 10.15 in a 100 since 2022, in a season opener in Florida. In fact, Lyles hasn’t run that slow after 1 May since he was in high school in 2016.

So, when’s the race and what are the stakes?

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Former Oklahoma State All-American Alex Maier is having a big year, winning the U.S. Half Marathon title in March, runner-up at the USATF 10-Mile Champs in early April, the Dusseldorf Marathon in late April (2:08:33 lifetime best) and now the USATF National 4-Mile Championships in Peoria, Illinois!

He ran away from Casey Clinger and Biya Simbassa, 18:03 to 18:06 to 18:07 in the final half-mile, for his third career USATF title.

Taylor Roe, the 2022 NCAA Indoor 3,000 m winner for Oklahoma State, took the women’s title for her third 2025 USATF gold, winning both the Half Marathon and 10-Mile. In Peoria, she crushed the field in 19:40, with Amanda Vestri a distant second in 20:02. Molly Born was third in 20:11.

● Canoe-Kayak ● Familiar faces on the podium at the ICF Slalom World Cup in Pau (FRA), with superstar Jessica Fox (AUS) taking the women’s C-1 final in 107.62 (2 penalties) over Gabriela Satkova (CZE: 110.89/0). Evy Leibfarth of the U.S. was sixth (114.97/2).

German Ricarda Funk, the Tokyo 2020 women’s K-1 winner, won her 12th career World Cup title in 102.0 (0), trailed by Eva Pietracha (FRA: 103.22/2), with Paris 2024 bronze winner Leibfarth in fourth (104.19/0).

Britain’s Ryan Westley got his first career World Cup win in the men’s C-1 in 97.74 (0) over Yohann Senechault (FRA: 98.13/0). German Noah Hegge, the Paris Kayak Cross bronze medalist, won the men’s K-1 in 91.48 (0), beating Anatole Delassus (FRA: 92.70/0).

Spain’s Pau Echaniz took the men’s Kayak Cross final, and teammate Miren Lazkano won the women’s Cross title.

● Cycling ● Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar, winner of four of the prestigious spring one-day races, prepped to defend his Tour de France title at the eight-stage Criterium du Dauphine in France, winning the first stage, then falling as low as ninth by the end of stage three.

But when the mountains came, so did Pogacar, winning stage six by 1:01 and re-taking the lead, then taking stage seven by 14 seconds over two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and maintaining a 1:01 lead into Sunday.

The 133.3 km finale had a challenging uphill finish, won by France’s Lenny Martinez, with Pogacar keeping close to Vingegaard, both 34 seconds behind, with Vingegaard second. That gave the race win to Pogacar by 59 seconds in 29:19:46, with Vingegaard second (+0:59) and Florian Lipowitz (GER: +2:38) in third. Matteo Jorgenson was the top U.S. placer, in sixth (+7:28).

¶

Swiss Marlen Reusser won the first stage of the Women’s World Tour’s Tour de Suisse and nursed just a three-second lead into Sunday’s fourth stage over Dutch star Demi Vollering.

The hilly final day was a showcase for Reusser, who attacked with 9 km left and rode away to a 3:19:36 victory on the 129.4 km route in and around Kussnacht. She won by 28 seconds over Kasia Niewiadoma (POL) and Vollering and took the overall race title in 13:03:00, 36 seconds ahead of Vollering and 1:56 up on Niewiadoma in third.

¶

The three-venue, six-race UCI BMX World Cup opened in Sarrians (FRA), with home favorite Arthur Pilard (FRA) winning by daylight over 2024 World Cup champ Izaac Kennedy (AUS), 31.105 to 31.564, with France’s Olympic silver winner Sylvan Andre third (31.65) and American Cameron Wood fourth (32.304).

Andre returned the favor on Sunday, winning stage 2 in 31.668 over Pilard (31.822) and Kennedy (32.405).

The Saturday women’s race was for Swiss two-time Worlds runner-up Zoe Claessens, winning easily in 34.156 over Olympic champ Saya Sakakibara (AUS: 35.084); American Payton Ridenour was eighth (37.387).

Canadian Molly Simpson, the 2023 Pan Am Games runner-up, won Sunday’s race in 34.555, ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ Bethany Shriever (GBR: 35.146) and 2024 Worlds bronze winner Delany Vaughn of the U.S. (35.765).

● Diving ● At the American Cup in Morgantown, West Virginia, 13-year-old U.S. national women’s 10 m champion ElliReese Niday scored a silver medal behind Japanese veteran Rin Kaneto, 354.45 to 326.40.

The men’s 3m went to American Max Weinrich at 437.80, ahead of teammate Carson Tyler (432.00) and Joshua Hedberg of the U.S. won the 10 m at 434.95.

Japan’s Haruki Suyama and Senri Ikuma won the men’s Synchro 3 m at 352.28, and Tyler combined with Hedberg to win the Synchro 10 m, scoring 430.29.

Canada’s Mia Vallee was a clear winner in the women’s 3 m with 315.50 points, and American pairs won both Synchro events. Anna Kwong and Sophie Verzyl won the 3 m at 277.56, and Bayleigh Crawford and Daryn Wright scored 268.65 as the only entrants in the 10 m.

● Football ● The 18th CONCACAF Gold Cup opened on Saturday in group matches with Mexico edging the Dominican Republic, 3-2 before 54,309 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and will continue through 24 June. Playoff matches begin on 28 June.

The U.S. dominated its opener in Group D against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday in San Jose, California.

The Americans, losers of four straight, were on offense from the start, and finally got a goal in the 16th, as forward Malik Tillman scored off a left-footed cross by forward Jack McGlynn, which he brought down at the far post and then smashed into the near edge of the Trinidad & Tobago goal for a 1-0 lead.

After three more saves by Trinidad & Tobago keeper Marvin Phillip, a slow backwards pass by defender Alvin Jones was intercepted by U.S. forward Diego Luna, who sprinted toward the T&T goal and sent a perfect cross to an onrushing Tillman in front of the net, and he slammed it into the net with his right foot for the 2-0 lead in the 41st.

Minutes later, Luna again found himself with the ball, running again down the left side in the 44th and all alone. He then dribbled toward the middle and smashed a hard shot toward goal that deflected off the foot of striker Patrick Agyemang and into the net for the 3-0 halftime lead.

The U.S. had 77% of possession and a 13-0 shots lead in a game which could have been 5-0 but for sharp work by Phillip.

The second half was not as consistent or sharp for the U.S., but sub forward Brenden Aaronsen got a fourth goal, with a seeing-eye shot under Phillip from the left side of the box in the 81st. Then, in the 84th, sub striker Haji Wright got a one-on-one situation against a defender in the box, dribbled to the middle of the box and sent a right-footed laser into the net for the 5-0 final.

The U.S. finished with 71% possession and a 21-3 edge on shots. The next U.S. game is Thursday in Austin, Texas vs. Gold Cup guest team Saudi Arabia.

¶

The FIFA Club World Cup, controversially expanded to 32 teams, opened on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a 0-0 tie between Inter Miami (MLS) and Al Ahly (Egypt) in front of 60,927. Group play will continue to 26 June, with playoffs starting on 28 June.

● Gymnastics ● At the Pan American Championships in Panama City (PAN), American women scored a 1-3 in the All-Around, with Jayla Hang winning at 55.300 and Hezly Rivera third (52.667), behind Canada’s Lia Fontaine (53.966). Dulcy Caylor of the U.S. was fourth (52.600).

The American women won the team title by 164.765 to 151.633 over Canada, with Brazil third at 151.466.

In the individual finals reported Sunday, Panama’s Karla Navas won on Vault (14.334) with Hang third at 13.850. Gabrielle Hardie of the U.S. won on the Uneven Bars at 13.600, with Hang second at 13.533.

Canada’s Felix Dolci won the men’s All-Around at 80.150, ahead of Joshua Karnes of the U.S. (79.900), with Troy Christopulos fifth at 78.250. The U.S. men won the team title, scoring 238.800 to 233.500 for the Canadians.

The individual finals reported on Sunday had American Junnosuke Iwai taking the Floor Ex at 14.033, and Brandon Dang and Karnes going 1-2 on Pommel Horse at 13.500 and 13.267. Argentina’s Daniel Villafane won on Rings at 13.700, with Christopulos sixth at 13.033.

● Rowing ● Great Britain scored three wins in the Olympic classes at the World Rowing World Cup I in Varese (ITA), taking the men’s and women’s Eights, plus a gold for Lauren Henry in the women’s Single Sculls (7:13.54).

Italy took wins in the men’s Quadruple Sculls and by Laura Meriano and Alice Codato in the women’s Pairs (6:54.18).

Simon van Dorp edged Jacob Plihal of the U.S. in the men’s Single Sculls, 6:43.01 to 6:45.05, and Switzerland won the Double Sculls (6:11.81). New Zealand’s Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor were clear winners in the men’s Pairs (6:17.87), while Australia won the men’s Fours, with the U.S. in fifth place (5:53.51).

China’s Yunxia Chen and Ling Zhang won the women’s Double Sculls (6:43.24), with Katheryn Flynn and Grace Joyce of the U.S. fourth (6:51.42). The Dutch won the women’s Quadruple Sculls (6:20.27), but the American quartet of Camille Vandermeer, Azja Czajkowski, Teal Cohen and Kaitlin Knifton won the Fours in 6:21.50.

The U.S. women’s Eight, which included all of the crew from the winning Four, was second to Britain, 6:01.56 to 6:03.50.

● Shooting ● China dominated the ISSF World Cup for Pistol and Rifle in Munich (GER), winning four events and taking seven total medals.

Kai Hu won the men’s 10 m Air Pistol title, giving him a third straight World Cup gold, after taking the events in Buenos Aires (ARG) and Lima (PER). France’s Jean Quiquampoix, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ, won the 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol.

Russian “neutral” Ilia Marsov and Norway’s Jon-Hermann Hegg traded places in the rifle events, with Marsov winning the 10 m Air Rifle over Hegg and Hegg taking the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions.

The women’s pistol winners included Inder Singh Suruchi (IND) in the 10 m Air Pistol event, beating Olympic silver winner Camille Jedrzejewsji (FRA), and China’s Yujie Sun on the 25 m Pistol final, ahead Paris Olympic champ Ye-jin Oh (KOR). 

The 10 m Air Rifle went to China’s 2024 World Junior Champion Zifei Wang, and Norwegian star Jeanette Hegg Duestad won the 50 m Rifle/3 Positions gold, with American Sagen Maddalena in fourth.

Hu and Qianxun Yao teamed to win China’s fourth gold, in the Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol, while India’s Arya Borse and Arjun Babuta took the Mixed Team 10 m Air Rifle final.

● Skateboard ● At the World Skate Tour: Street in Rome (ITA), Japan’s 2023 World Champion, Sora Shirai was the winner in a tight men’s final battle with countrymen Toa Sasaki – the 2024 World Champion – and Ginwoo Onodera, 188.07 to 187.93 to 187.16.

The women’s final went to Australia’s 2022 Worlds silver medalist, Chloe Covell, at 181.38 in a rout. Second was Funa Nakayama (JPN: 16.00) and Ibuki Matsumoto (JPN: 159.00) finished third.

● Sport Climbing ● Britain’s Erin McNeice, 21, scored a dominating win at the IFSC World Cup in Bouldering in Bern (SUI), winning the final with 99.5 points, easily ahead of American Annie Sanders (84.4) and Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Combined silver medalist Miho Nonaka (84.3). It’s McNeice’s third win of the season and her first in Boulder.

China’s Yufei Pan won his first career World Cup gold, in the men’s Boulder final, scoring 84.2 to edge France’s Mejdi Schalck (84.1), the 2023 Worlds runner-up. Japan’s Sorato Anraku was third (83.7), his fifth straight Boulder World Cup with a medal this season. American Colin Duffy was seventh.

● Swimming ● The Australian Team Trials in Adelaide concluded on Saturday, with the meet producing three world-leading performances:

● Men/50 m Free: 21.30, Cameron McEvoy
● Women/200 m Free: 1:54.43, Mollie O’Callaghan
● Women/200 m Back: 2:04.47, Kaylee McKeown

There were also four more swims now ranked no. 2 in the world for 2025, including Sam Short in the men’s 400 m Free (3:41.03), Lani Pallister in the 200 m Free (1:54.89) and Pallister in the 1,500 m Free (15:39.14, no. 3 performer all-time), plus Alex Perkins in the 50 Fly (25.36).

The on-fire Pallister also won the 800 m Free in a fabulous 8:10.84, moving her to no. 3 all-time, but also no. 3 on the world list for 2025 behind historic swims from Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Canada’s Summer McIntosh.

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France scored a 1-2 in the men’s World Aquatics Open Water World Cup III in Setubal (POR), with Rio 2016 Olympic bronzer Marc-Antoine Olivier near the front throughout and then sprint to the touch in 1:53:28.1 to 1:53:29.8 for Sacha Velly. Germany’s Oliver Klemet won the bronze in 1:53:33.6. Dylan Gravely was the top American, in 12th (1:53:40.2).

Australia’s Moesha Johnson, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, took the women’s 10 km race in 1:53:39.6, clearly ahead of Paris bronze winner Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA: 1:53:41.4) and France’s Carolina Laure Jouisse (1:53:43.1). Brinkleigh Hansen of the U.S. was 20th (1:57:57.4).

In the 3 km Sprint racing (1,500 m-1,000 m-500 m), Hungary’s David Betlehem won the men’s final in 6:12.0 over Logan Fontaine (FRA: 6:12.9), and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto won the women’s final in 6:41.6, over Jouisse (6:43.5).

● Water Polo ● After a 13-12 win over Australia in the opener of a three-game series, the U.S. men’s National Team lost, 13-12, to the Aussies on Wednesday (11th) in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Australia had a 7-6 lead at the half and 12-11 at the end of three, with Luke Pavillard scoring with 4:41 to go for the 13-11 lead, which proved to be the winning goal. Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic each scored four for the U.S.

On Friday at Chapman University in Orange, California, Australia won 14-11, despite four goals each from Daube and Nicolas Saveljic. The U.S. had a 7-5 halftime lead and the game was tied at 9-9 entering the fourth, but the Aussies put up five goals to one for the U.S. to take the victory.

● Wrestling ● The U.S. Freestyle teams for the 2025 UWW World Championships were mostly set at the Final X matches in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, with some familiar names and a shocker among the results.

Paris Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee won the men’s 57 kg final over Penn State frosh Luke Lilledahl, 7-2 and 6-0, while Zahid Valencia, the 2023 Worlds bronzer at 86 kg, defeated four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, 4-1 and 5-3.

Rio 2016 Olympic 97 kg champ Kyle Snyder swept his matches against Hayden Zillmer, 8-0 and 8-2. In the 125 kg class, NCAA champion Wyatt Hendrickson – who defeated Tokyo Olympic champ Gable Steveson in the NCAA finals this year – defeated Trent Hillger by 10-0 and then 20-14 in a wild second match.

The shocker came at 70 kg, where 2022 Worlds silver winner Yianni Diakomihalis was defeated by Minisink Valley (State Hill, New York) High School senior P.J. Duke, on hi way to Penn State in the fall. Diakomihalis won the first bout by 10-0, but Duke fought back for a 17-10 win in the second. Duke then won by pin in 4:07 in the third match to earn a Worlds team berth.

Four more first-time U.S. Worlds team members won places, with Real Woods (65 kg), David Carr (74 kg), Levi Haines (79 kg) and Trent Hidlay (92 kg) all winning. The 61 kg class final has been postponed to July due to injury.

The women’s team similarly has five veterans and five newcomers. Rio 2016 Olympic champ Helen Maroulis made her 15th U.S. team, this time at 57 kg with two pins of Amanda Martinez. Jacarra Winchester, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, advanced at 59 kg over Abigail Nette, losing the first match, but then winning by 9-7 and 10-0. Paris Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades won at 68 kg with 10-4 and 5-2 wins over Brooklyn Hays. Two-time Worlds medal winner Macey Kilty swept her matches at 65 kg and 2024 Worlds bronzer Kylie Welker defeated Dymond Guilford by 2-1 and 9-1.

Newcomers to the U.S. Worlds team will be Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg, defeating two-time Worlds silver winner Kayla Miracle, 14-8, 3-4, 8-4; Audrey Jimenez (50 kg), Felicity Taylor (53 kg), Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg) and Alexandria Glaude (72 kg). Glaude won by walkover, as Olympic 68 kg champ Amit Elor withdrew.

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