TSX RECAP: IOC Presidential Election too close to call; WADA drops defamation suit vs. USADA; Holloway takes 80-race streak to Staten Island!

● For February 21,?2025?●

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● LANE ONE: A month to go and still no way to handicap the IOC Presidential Election; it's too close to call. There are favorites, however. (Pictured above: the IOC Presidential candidates after January’s presentations at Olympic House in Lausanne; photo: IOC/Greg Martin.) Read more here: https://bit.ly/3EPh0Gk

● ANTI-DOPING: The World Anti-Doping Agency says it dropped its defamation suit vs. the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, as the world "has shown a desire to move on." Maybe so, but the U.S. intransigence on its $3.625 million in dues continues. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3X9gKbz

● ATHLETICS: Paris Olympic hurdles champ Grant Holloway takes an 80-race indoor win streak – yes, we documented it – to the USATF Indoor Nationals this weekend in Staten Island, New York. And there are more stories to follow.? Read more here: https://bit.ly/3F0v1ko ?

≡ PANORAMA ≡

All items available in a single post here.

● Milan Cortina 2026: “IT’s your vibe” is the motto of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, but with lots of variations!

? A Radio-Canada story raised questions about whether NHL players will play at Milan Cortina 2026 in view of the NHL’s desire to host a 2028 World Cup of Hockey in Europe in front of the IIHF World Championship in France that year. The NHL says there's no problem.?

● World University Games: Facts and figures from the Turin 2025 Winter WUG showed 2,565 athletes and officials, 2,099 volunteers and 100,000 tickets sold.?

● International Olympic Committee: Chinese electronics firm TCL was announced by the IOC as its newest TOP sponsor for “Home Audiovisual Equipment and Home Appliances.”

● Alpine Skiing: Czech speed skier Tereza Nova, badly injured in a training crash in Germany in January was awakened from a medically-inducted coma and will be transferred back to the Czech Republic for further recovery.?

● Athletics: USA Track & Field announced a new management team for the high-performance program and the U.S. national teams. Long-time head of athlete services Aretha Thurmond was let go.?

? Helsinki 1952 Olympic women’s long jumper Mabel Landry Staton, a nine-time U.S. champion in that event and the sprints, passed away after a long battle with cancer at 92.?

● Biathlon: Another French win at the IBU World Championships, this time in the Single Mixed Relay, for a third gold for Julia Simon!

● Bobsled & Skeleton: The U.S. Bob & Skeleton federation’s Hall of Fame will welcome new members during the two weekends of the IBSF World Championships in March, including five Olympic medal-winning teams.?

● Fencing: USA Fencing’s Board of Directors confirmed that all 23 North American federations are welcome in the U.S.?(upon inquiry from Canada), and voted down a motion to dismantle its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) office.?

● Football: Former Spanish federation chief Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault in the post-FIFA Women’s World Cup kissing incident, and was fined, but received no prison time. The other three defendants were acquitted.?

● Modern Pentathlon: The UIPM Executive Board confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes continue to be banned from World Cup events, which begin in Egypt later this month.

● Volleyball: The Beach Pro Tour is expanding the number of teams in the Main Draw in both the Elite and Challenger-level tournaments, with 992 total team slots for 2025.?

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