Category Archives: Olympics

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Food solutions company SpartanNash (the Company) (Nasdaq: SPTN) raised money through its annual fundraising campaign in support of Special Olympics athletes and State Summer Games in eight Midwest states. The SpartanNash Foundation has donated more than $9.7 million and tens of thousands of volunteer hours throughout its 38-year partnership with the non-profit organization.

Diversity and inclusion are foundational to the People First culture we are cultivating at SpartanNash, so we are proud to partner with Special Olympics, said SpartanNash Senior Vice President, Communications and SpartanNash Foundation Executive Director Adrienne Chance. SpartanNash Associates have enjoyed celebrating the athletes, and we are grateful for the additional support from our communities. These generous donations help enhance the athletes experience, teach lifelong skills, and create lasting memories.

In May 2022, participating SpartanNash stores and fuel centers collected donations to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics athletes. The Company employs more than 25 Special Olympics athletes who have served their communities for a combined 195 years at SpartanNash grocery stores.

Across eight states, guests at SpartanNash stores including Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market and VGs Grocery donated $232,877 through checkout transactions in store and online through Fast Lane. The SpartanNash Foundation rounded up the donation to $242,050. One hundred percent of all funds raised go directly to local Special Olympics affiliates in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Spreading the message of inclusion is what we aim to do at Special Olympics Michigan, said President and CEO of Special Olympics Michigan Tim Hileman. We aim to create hope, inspire others and create meaningful relationships with companies like SpartanNash, which help to support us in the times we need it. These competitions give messages of aspiration to those who may become one of our athletes one day.

To learn more, visit spartannash.com/foundation-scans.

About SpartanNash

SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a food solutions company that delivers the ingredients for a better life. As a distributor, wholesaler and retailer with a global supply chain network, SpartanNash customers span a diverse group of national accounts, independent and chain grocers, e-commerce retailers, U.S. military commissaries and exchanges, and the Companys own brick-and-mortar grocery stores, pharmacies and fuel centers. SpartanNash distributes grocery and household goods, including fresh produce and its Our Family portfolio of products, to locations in all 50 states, in addition to distributing to the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Djibouti, Korea and Japan. In addition, the Company owns and operates 148 supermarkets primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martins Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market and shares its operational insights to drive innovative solutions for SpartanNash food retail customers. Committed to fostering a People First culture, the SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 strong and growing. For more information, visit spartannash.com.

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SpartanNash Foundation Raises $242050 for Special Olympics - Business Wire

The International Olympic Committee decided Friday not to add a womens Nordic combined event to the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy, a devastating setback for dozens of women who have dedicated their lives to the event in recent years and a potentially fatal blow to one of the original Winter Olympic competitions.

Men will continue to compete in Nordic combined, which requires excellence in both ski jumping and cross-country skiing. But their event is in jeopardy now for the 2030 Games because the Olympic committee has prioritized sports that are capable of achieving gender equity.

Karl Stoss of Austria, a member of the executive board of the Olympic committee, said the survival of Nordic combined would depend on the sport showing significant positive development particularly with participation and audience.

Stoss noted that just 10 countries sent athletes to the world championship competition for womens Nordic combined in 2021.

This is not fulfilling universality, Stoss said. Its very interesting for us in the European countries, but outside of Europe you cannot really find athletes doing this sport.

Kit McConnell, the I.O.C.s sports director, said the organization decided to allow the mens competition to go forward in 2026 because it would not be fair to the athletes to eliminate their sport just three and half years before the Games.

Leaders of skiings international governing body, F.I.S., have spent the better part of a decade establishing a womens World Cup circuit for Nordic combined and a world championship.

They had proposed a womens competition at the Olympics with 30 top athletes. But knowing that the I.O.C. had limited the number of athletes at the Games to 2,900 and wanted to include new sports, Nordic combined proposed cutting the number of mens Nordic combined competitors by 15, so the number of total athletes for the sport would increase by only 15.

Annika Malacinski, 21, the top American woman in Nordic combined, has put full-time college on hold for three years to reach the highest level of her sport.

How could they? How dare they? Malacinski said of the Olympic committee. The time and effort I have put into building this sport with so many amazing girls around the world and for the I.O.C. to tell us that we are not enough?

Lasse Ottesen of Norway, a Nordic combined race director, called the decision a sad day for the sport.

The development of the Nordic combined women in recent years has been more than impressive, so that the next logical step would have been their participation, Ottesen said. The executive boards lack of confidence in the further development of our discipline and the visible misjudgment of the achievements of our women is shocking.

The I.O.C. tried to soften the blow to women by noting that it had adjusted other events so that 47 percent of the athletes in 2026 will be women. Among other changes, womens ski jumping will include a competition on the large hill in addition to the smaller normal hill, and there will be more female bobsledders and also a womens doubles luge event. Also, each of Nordic combineds disciplines will continue to exist as individual events.

Opponents of including Nordic combined for either men or women have questioned its relevance.

A century ago, when cross-country skiing and ski jumping were essentially the only kinds of skiing that existed, a combined event crowned the worlds greatest skier. The initial Olympics, the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix, France, included just 16 events in nine sports. There are now more than 100 events in 15 sports. With the advent of Alpine skiing and freestyle, to say nothing of snowboarding, Nordic combined no longer defines a king or queen of the mountain.

Organizers are trying to limit the size of the Games while also incorporating new sports that appeal to a younger generation. The breakout star of last winters Beijing Games was Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier who won gold medals in big air and halfpipe and a silver in slopestyle, events that did not exist a decade ago. Big air for skiing was added just this year.

Also, organizers have questioned whether Nordic combined will ever be able to produce geographic diversity. The countries that excel include the usual list of Olympic stalwarts, and there is little potential for top competitors from South America, Africa or Asian countries besides Japan.

Malacinski said the I.O.C. had placed itself on the wrong side of history.

I hope that they realize that not only have they potentially killed the future of Nordic combined an original Olympic sport, but also so many young girls dreams of becoming Olympians, she said. The fight has just begun.

Follow this link:

Womens Nordic Combined Will Not Be Part of the Olympics - The New York Times

When U.S. Soccer sends out press releases to announce upcoming match rosters, there are always a few stats and facts included. But I think this bullet from the announcement of the 23-player roster for CONCACAF'S World Cup qualification tournament sums up the state of the U.S. women's national team perfectly:

Honestly, when was the last time we have read that well over half of a USWNT roster has not had any qualifying experience? Other than our very first World Cup qualifier ever in Haiti before the 1991 Women's World Cup, my best guess is never.

2 Related

In fact, these 13 qualifying debutants all have 27 caps or fewer, including eight in single digits: Alana Cook (9 caps), Ashley Hatch (8), Ashley Sanchez (7), Casey Murphy (4), Trinity Rodman (3), Naomi Girma (1), Aubrey Kingsbury (1) and Taylor Kornieck (0).

What does that tell you about the roster head coach Vlatko Andonovski has chosen in this moment? It tells me the youth transformation is official, and Andonovski didn't need the USWNT's upcoming friendlies against Colombia on Saturday and Tuesday to know the direction he will take the team. So much so that Christen Press, even before her recent torn ACL, was still not even in the final 23-player roster. And given the high-level play by the younger group in the NWSL this year, if I were Andonovski I'd be confident in them as well.

- Watch live: USWNT vs. Colombia (June 28, 10 p.m. ET)- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

Sure, it was a major setback and disappointment when Catarina Macario recently tore her ACL given the season she had for Lyon, helping them win both the Champions League title and French league title with her team-leading 23 goals across competitions. But Sophia Smith and Mal Pugh are both equally hot with their respective NWSL teams, and with Alex Morgan scoring seemingly at will for the San Diego Wave, leading the league with 11 goals, that front three of Smith, Morgan, and Pugh will be a handful for every single CONCACAF opponent.

The midfield sitting behind them -- if healthy (the ultimate qualifier in a year like this) -- should be Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Andi Sullivan, although I know more than just San Diego Wave fans are excited to see what Taylor Kornieck can do at this level, given her dominance for the Wave.

It is the back line where I think the most question marks fall. With Tierna Davidson's ACL injury and Abby Dahlkemper's continued bouts of injury, Alana Cook and Naomi Girma may be given the nod again as the chosen center-back pairing, as they were in the previous USWNT games in April.

But with Becky Sauerbrunn returning to the fold healthy, will Andonovski choose to bring the veteran captain into the starting 11? I think he probably goes with the same starting back-four he used in the last friendly the USWNT played vs. Uzbekistan -- it was Sofia Huerta on the right, Cook and Girma as the center-backs, and Emily Fox on the left.

That rare positional battle where a veteran may hold onto a spot challenged by a rookie is where the pair of friendlies against Colombia before the qualifiers can sway Andonovski's approach. His focus is clearly on the qualification tournament at the start of July, and his roster selection makes it clear his mind is made up in pushing the team younger -- but still, the Colombia friendlies are his last pit stop on the road to qualifiers in Mexico, and we ought to see him test his on-field partnerships.

The one head-scratcher for many fans with the roster announcement was the fact that Megan Rapinoe made the final roster. And I say "head-scratcher" because Rapinoe had not played much at all with her OL Reign team. She was just coming back from injury and had played a total of 154 minutes for the entire season.

Given Andonovski's insistence that all national team call-ups must prove themselves at the club level, the reason for the call up suddenly became quite clear: It's Megan Rapinoe.

Andonovski called in Rapinoe because he loves the swagger that a player like Rapinoe brings. I don't think he is planning on giving her tons of minutes, but wants her there as an option to bring off the bench if they need a goal, if they need a lift, and mostly, to give this younger group confidence. It is her leadership and mentality that he seeks more than anything.

Yes, you get that leadership and veteran experience with players like Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O'Hara and Alex Morgan, but there is only one Megan Rapinoe when it comes to that swagger. And I take you back to the first bullet above: With over half the team never having gone through a qualifier, Rapinoe brings stability more than anything. She has done it at every level -- and the brighter the lights, the more she glows. That confidence is contagious.

Remember, these CONCACAF W qualifiers are interesting particularly because they double as the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Make picks throughout the Women's European Championship for a shot at $5,000. Make Your Picks

With four CONCACAF teams getting an automatic spot in the 2023 World Cup thanks to the expanded 2023 World Cup field, qualifying for the World Cup should be a given for the United States. The USWNT simply has to finish in the top two of its group of Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico, and which means reaching the semifinal round of the tournament is enough to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. They don't have to win the semifinal game to qualify for the World Cup either -- they just need to get there.

But to get to the Olympics, this is where things get interesting: The U.S. must either win this CONCACAF W Championship tournament out-right or finish in 2nd or 3rd place for the right to play a playoff game to get to the Olympics. Only two teams from CONCACAF will compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

So buckle up: There could or could not be turbulence when it comes to these qualifiers. Given how young this group is, you just never know. And that is a variable I absolutely love.

More:

USWNT: Vlatko Andonovski chose a young World Cup/Olympic qualifying roster. Will it pay off? - ESPN

This is a Community Announcement from Special Olympics New York. It was not written by The Ithaca Voice. To submit community announcements, please send them to Matt Butler at mbutler@ithacavoice.com.

With the largest statewide competition of the year this week,SpecialOlympicsNew York is renewing its call to the Ithaca community for volunteers.

Volunteers are asked to register here.

More than 300 volunteer jobs have yet to be filled to support more than 1,150SpecialOlympicsathletes and coaches competing in State Summer Games on Saturday, June 25. Games officials say the greatest needs are the following:

No sports experience is necessary. Volunteers will be trained on-site.All Summer Games volunteers must be vaccinated. Additionally, volunteers must be ages 13+ and those ages 13-15 must be accompanied by an adult.

For those interested in volunteering as a group of 5+ please email Sara atsmassa@nyso.org.

Go here to read the rest:

Special Olympics volunteers still urgently needed for this weekend's games in Ithaca - The Ithaca Voice

Rory McIlroy is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland. The golf star is a member of two series as of now, the PGA Tour and the European Tour. McIlroy made a rare record in the sport by staying at the top position for 100 weeks.

Another important event outside of golf is the gymnastics in the Tokyo Olympics. A famous gymnast named Simone Biles withdrew from the team two days before the finals. The reason for her withdrawal is said to be due to concerns about her mental well-being.

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The gymnasts decision to give up just before the finals shocked everyone. However, Rory McIlroy had a different outlook on the situation. The golfer supported the gymnasts decision by saying that she is 100% right. Keep reading to know what else McIlroy had to say about the happening.

In reaction to US Star Biles decision, McIlroy gave supportive statements after shooting a two-under-par 69 in the first round of the golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics. He said, I live in the United States, and anything that came on the TV, NBC, or commercials about the Olympics, it was Simone Biles it was Simone Biles Olympics, right?

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Ive Been Disappointed: Rory McIlroy Gets Honest About Phil Mickelson

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McIlroy showed immense support for Biles decision and said that mental health should be prioritized. He also talked about how Biles has a big responsibility attached to her by saying,The weight on her shoulders is massive.

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McIlroy continued to talk about US Swimming Legend Michael Phelps and Biles and said that the athletes must receive enough space to talk about their mental health openly without any pressure. He also said that this would help the sport to receive a new and improved perspective in the future.

McIlroy wisely expressed about how it is important to go through these kinds of situations to reach the top. But he also asserted that when legends like Phelps and well-known gymnasts talk about their struggles and the motivational stories behind their success, then it encourages more people to come up and share their life with the world.

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McIlroy also compared Biles to the famous Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who recently played like a champion in the French Open this year, after she had shortly opened up about her depression and life struggles.

Watch This Story: Rory McIlroy Joins Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in Golfs History Books

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When Rory McIlroy Showed Solidarity to Simone Biles After Her Controversial Olympic Withdrawal: The Weight on Her Shoulders Is Massive -...

Paul DiCiccos photos from the Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club on May 7, 2022.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

Paul DiCicco's photos from the 2022 Special Olympics Bocce competition at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club.

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PHOTOS: Special Olympics Bocce competition at Wickliffe Italian ...

Spain withdrew its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics due to political differences, leaving Salt Lake City, Sapporo, Japan, and Vancouver as candidates to host. The IOC is expected to make its decision within the next year.

The Spanish Olympic Committee said the local governments of Barcelona and the Pyrenees region, which were to share hosting duties, could not come to an agreement.

We had other brilliant candidacies [for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics] that didnt go ahead because we were competing with very strong rival cities, Spain Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco said Tuesday, according to a Reuters translation. But this one we have destroyed ourselves at our own home. There was no other way out than withdrawing our bid. We cannot spend months and months and months with the differences that there were.

We were transforming an integrating project into a war between constitutionalists and independentists, the Olympic spirit is not about that.

The Spanish committee told the IOC it wants to continue talks for potentially hosting a Winter Games beyond 2030.

As of 2020, the Spain plan called for city events in Barcelona, mountain events in the Pyrenees (150 miles north of Barcelona) and sliding sports and ski jumping in another country, as Spain does not have existing venues for those events.

Last week, a Salt Lake City bid team, includingLindsey Vonn, met with the IOC at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and said it went well.

Salt Lake City expects the IOC to in December choose a city or cities for a more targeted dialogue phase for 2030 (and perhaps 2034), and a host city election next May 30 or June 1.

Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics. No nation has hosted back-to-back Olympics since World War II. Salt Lake City, which hosted the last Olympics in the U.S. in 2002, is prepared for 2034 if necessary.

We are focused on 2030,Fraser Bullock, the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, said earlier this month. Everything we do, every contract we sign, is all focused on 2030. But it also has a provision for 2034.

We recognize the back-to-back Games are challenging. Geopolitically, its hard for the IOC to award back-to-back Games in the U.S., for 28 and for 30. We know that thats hard. But we also recognize there are opportunities through back-to-back Games.

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Spain stops 2030 Winter Olympic bid; 3 main candidates remain - Home of the Olympic Channel

TOKYO

The final price tag for last years COVID-delayed Tokyo Olympics was put at $13 billion (1.4 trillion Japanese yen), the organizing committee said Tuesday in its final act before it is dissolved at the end of the month.

The cost was twice what was forecast in 2013 when Tokyo was awarded the Games. However, the final price tag presented by organizers is lower than the $15.4 billion they predicted when the Olympics ended just under 11 months ago.

We made an estimate, and the estimate has gone down lower than we expected, Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference. As a total amount, whether this is huge or not when it comes to that kind of talk it is not easy to evaluate.

Accurately tracking Olympic costs who pays, who benefits, and what are and are not Games expenses is an ever-moving maze. The one-year delay added to the difficulty, as did recent fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.

When the Olympics opened on July 23, 2021, $1 bought 110 yen. On Monday, $1 bought 135 yen, the dollars highest level against the yen in about 25 years. Organizers chose to use a rate of $1 to 109.89 yen to figure the dollar price, which organizers said was the average exchange rate for 2021.

Victor Matheson, a sports economist at Holy Cross who has written extensively on the Olympics, suggested by email to AP that most of the expenses and revenues are in yen, so the exchange rate changing the dollar amounts doesnt affect how the event feels to the organizers.

Matheson and fellow American Robert Baade researched Olympic costs and benefits in a study called Going for Gold: The Economics of the Olympics. They wrote that the overwhelming conclusion is that in most cases the Olympics are a money-losing proposition for host cities; they result in positive net benefits only under very specific and unusual circumstances.

Muto said there were savings because of the absence of fans, which cut down on security costs and venue maintenance costs. He talked vaguely about squeezing costs and simplifying operations to reach the reductions.

However, organizers lost at least $800 million in income from ticket sales because fans were banned due to COVID. Muto called baseless reports before and after the postponement that costs might hit $25 billion.

There is one undeniable fact: Japanese government entities, primarily the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, covered about 55% of the total expenses. This amounted to about $7.1 billion in Japanese taxpayer money.

The privately funded organizing committee budget covered about $5.9 billion. The International Olympic Committee contributed $1.3 billion to this budget, with the largest contribution of $3.4 billion coming from local sponsors. Organizers also listed $500 million in income from an unspecified insurance payout.

A University of Oxford study in 2020 said Tokyo was the most expensive Olympics on record.

Scenes from the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 8, 2021.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

In the several years prior to the Olympics, government audits found official costs might have been much more than stated.

Its impossible to assess the long-term impact of the Tokyo Olympics, particularly in a sprawling city like the Japanese capital where change is constant. The pandemic erased any short-term tourism bounce. Local sponsors, who paid $3.4 billion to be linked to the Olympics, didnt seem very happy according to local reports.

Dentsu Inc., the giant Japanese advertising and public relations company, may have benefited. It directed marketing for Tokyo 2020, received commissions for lining up sponsors, and has been linked to an IOC vote-buying scandal that was tied to Tokyo getting the Games.

The scandal forced the resignation of Tsunekazu Takeda in 2019, an IOC member who also headed the Japanese Olympic Committee. He denied any wrongdoing.

The Games were hit with other scandals, including the resignation of Yoshiro Mori, the president of the organizing committee who made sexist remarks about women. The former Japanese prime minister stepped down five months before the Games opened.

I was baffled, surprised it was so unexpected, Muto said when asked about Moris departure. I really had a tough time dealing with the situation.

Tokyo had billed itself as a safe pair of hands in its bid in 2013 to get the Games.

Tokyo will also be remembered as the first Games that were postponed for a year, and then held mostly without fans in a so-called bubble.

The most important legacy is surely the $1.4 billion National Stadium designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Though its a new venue, it blends seamlessly into its central location.

The goal should be that the costs of hosting are matched by benefits that are shared in a way to include ordinary citizens who fund the event through their tax dollars, Matheson and Baade wrote. In the current arrangement, it is often far easier for the athletes to achieve gold than it is for the hosts.

Original post:

$13 billion Tokyo Olympics cost is double original estimate - Los Angeles Times

Ten events to watch at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships that start Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The top three in most events are in line to make the team for Julys world championships, also in Eugene. Events with reigning world champions or reigning Diamond League season champions who have byes into worlds get four individual spots on the team. Statistics via World Athletics and Tilastopaja.org

Mens Shot Put (Final Friday 9:42 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Ryan Crouser(gold),Joe Kovacs(silver), Payton Otterdahl(10th)2022 U.S. Rankings:Crouser (23.02),Kovacs (22.49),Darrell Hill(21.84)

Crouser is on world record watch after breaking it at Hayward last year at Olympic Trials, then repeating as gold medalist with an Olympic record throw. Kovacs, ranked second in the world this season, has a bye onto the team as reigning world champion. Rio Olympian Darrell Hilland Josh Awotunde and Adrian Piperi are also ranked in the top 10 in the world this year, but no more than two of them can make this team, assuming Crouser qualifies.

Womens 100m (Final Friday 10:21 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Teahna Daniels (seventh), Javianne Oliver (semifinals), Jenna Prandini (semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings: Aleia Hobbs (10.83), ShaCarri Richardson (10.85), Cambrea Sturgis (10.87)

Richardson won the Olympic Trials, then was disqualified for testing positive for marijuana, ruling her out of Tokyo. She was the worlds third-fastest woman in 2021. Hobbs beat her fellow former LSU star Richardson on June 12, lowering her personal best for the first time in five years. Theyre followed in the 2022 rankings by the fastest NCAA sprinters over the last two years Sturgis, Melissa JeffersonandTwanisha Terry. Brittany Brown, the 2019 World 200m silver medalist, ran 10.66 on April 23, but it was with too much of a tailwind to count as a legal time. Daniels is the lone member of the Olympic trio to break 11 seconds this year (10.99).

USATF OUTDOORS: Broadcast Schedule

Mens 100m (Final Friday 10:30 p.m.)Tokyo Olympics: Fred Kerley (silver), Ronnie Baker (fifth), Trayvon Bromell (semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings: Micah Williams (9.86), Bromell (9.92), Christian Coleman (9.92), Kerley (9.92)

Coleman was the worlds fastest man in the last Olympic cycle, but missed all of last year over a ban for missed (but not failed) drug tests. He gets a 100m bye into worlds as reigning world champion and could decide to focus on the 200m this week. That means three others will join him on the individual 100m team. Bromell had the worlds top time in 2021 leading into the Tokyo Games, where he was eliminated in the semifinals. He still finished as the worlds fastest man for the year. Williams, a 4x100m relay member at the Olympics, ran that 9.86 at NCAA Regionals on May 26, then ran 10.19 two weeks ago at the NCAA Championships, where he was seventh. Kerley, who dropped down from the 400m to the 100m last year, has broken 10 seconds in all four of his races this year. Baker last raced in April and didnt enter nationals.

Womens 400m (Final Saturday 5:21 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Allyson Felix (bronze), Quanera Hayes (seventh), Wadeline Jonathas (semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings: Talitha Diggs (49.99), Britton Wilson (50.05), Athing Mu (50.42)

Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist in her farewell season, told On Her Turf on Tuesday that she does not know if she will race the 400m at worlds should she finish in the top three at nationals. She has said shes hoping to run at least one relay at worlds, which would probably require a top-eight finish at nationals. Hayes has a bye into worlds as reigning Diamond League season champion. Wilson, a 400m hurdler, and Mu, the Olympic 800m champ, will not race the 400m at nationals. That puts Felix joint-third-fastest this year among women entered in the event at nationals. She is bidding for a U.S. record-extending 10th world championships team. Internationally, only race walkers have competed in more than 10 world championships, according to Bill Mallonof Olympedia.org.

ON HER TURF: Allyson Felix has a retirement date, but her legacy is still evolving

Womens Shot Put (Final Sunday 4 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Raven Saunders (silver),Jessica Ramsey(12th), Adelaide Aquilla (qualifying)2022 U.S. Rankings: Chase Ealey (20.13), Aquilla (19.64), Ramsey (19.38)

Maggie Ewen, who missed the Olympic team by three centimeters, has a bye onto the team as reigning Diamond League season champion. That extra worlds spot may be important for Saunders, who ranks sixth in the nation this season. It should also help 2016 gold medalist Michelle Carter, who plans to return to competition for the first time since April 2021 and after having a benign tumor on her right ankle removed last year.

Womens 800m (Final Sunday 4:54 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Athing Mu(gold),Raevyn Rogers(bronze), Aje Wilson (semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings:Mu (1:57.01), Wilson (1:58.06),Allie Wilson(1:58.18)

At 19, Mu won Olympic gold and broke the American record in Tokyo, then lowered it again 18 days later. Shes fastest in the world again this year and undefeated at 800m for two years. Rogers and Aje Wilson own a combined eight medals among the Olympics and world indoor and outdoor championships. But none of them have a bye into worlds, which makes it a tad precarious given the presence of Allie Wilson, a 26-year-old former Monmouth runner who was sixth at Olympic Trials, lowered her personal best by 4.38 seconds since the start of 2021 and is fifth fastest in the world this year.

Mens 200m (Final Sunday 5:38 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Kenny Bednarek(silver),Noah Lyles(bronze),Erriyon Knighton(fourth)2022 U.S. Rankings:Knighton (19.49), Lyles (19.61),Fred Kerley(19.80)

Lyles has a bye as reigning world champion but will run at least one round this week. Knighton, 18, moved up to fourth on the all-time list with his 19.49 on April 30, behind Usain Bolt,Yohan BlakeandMichael Johnsonand one hundredth better than Lyles personal best. Kerley missed the Olympic 200m team by one spot. Bednarek ranks sixth this year among those entered in the 200m at nationals, just behindColeman andMatthew Boling. If Lyles races all the way through, the winner here likely becomes the favorite for worlds.

Womens 200m (Final Sunday 5:46 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics:Gabby Thomas(bronze),Jenna Prandini(semifinals), Anavia Battle(semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings: Abby Steiner(21.80), Thomas (21.98),Brittany Brown(21.99)

Thomas ran 21.61 to win the Olympic Trials, then 21.87 in the Olympic final. She last raced May 21, then withdrew on the eve of a June 12 meet to avoid the risk after doing something funny to my leg during a sprint. Steiner, a Kentucky junior, smashed the college record by winning the NCAA title in 21.80 on June 11. She has run 47 races so far in 2022. Prandini, who lowered her personal best from 22.16 to 21.89 over three rounds at Olympic Trials, has a best time this year of 22.45 in three wind-legal races. Brown, the 2019 World silver medalist, lurks.

Mens 110m Hurdles (Final Sunday 5:54 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Grant Holloway(silver),Devon Allen(fourth),Daniel Roberts(semifinals)2022 U.S. Rankings:Allen (12.84),Trey Cunningham(13.00), Holloway (13.06)

The intrigue here isnt so much about who makes the team as it is world record watch. Holloway, who last year missed the world record by one hundredth, has a bye as reigning world champion, but will run at least one round this week and perhaps all three. He may be motivated by what happened on June 12, when Allen ran the third-fastest time in history, handed Holloway his first defeat to an American since August 2019 and arguably supplanted Holloway as the favorite for nationals. Allen, eyeing his first global championships medal next month at his college home of Oregon, will head to Philadelphia Eagles training camp after worlds.

Womens 400m Hurdles (Final Saturday 5:51 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Sydney McLaughlin(gold),Dalilah Muhammad(silver),Anna Cockrell(eighth)2022 U.S. Rankings:McLaughlin (51.61),Britton Wilson(53.75), Muhammad (53.88)

Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic champion and second-fastest woman in history, hasnt raced since May 21 due to injury but has a bye into worlds as reigning world champion should she run at least one round this week. That takes a lot of the drama out of the battle to make the world team in an event that used to be one of the two or three deepest in the U.S. but has since seen McLaughlin and Muhammad separate themselves significantly. In her last three meets running the 400m hurdles dating to last year, McLaughlin has run three of the four fastest times in history, including breaking the world record twice. Her one race so far this year reportedly had a hurdle in an incorrect position, messing up her steps, but her time is still listed in World Athletics rankings. Two more women can make the team after Muhammad and McLaughlin. Wilson, the NCAA champion from Arkansas, lowered her personal best by 2.61 seconds this year. She has run six of the 10 best times this year among Americans. The field also includes veteran Olympic or world medalists Cassandra Tate, Shamier Little and Ashley Spencer, but they along with Cockrell may be fighting for one spot.

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