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Pitt’s Victory Heights gives Olympic sports a modern $240M home
Pitt’s $240M complex gives volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling a new arena while supporting 16 varsity teams with training and recovery space.
Pitt’s Victory Heights gives Olympic sports a modern $240M home
Pitt’s $240M complex gives volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling a new arena while supporting 16 varsity teams with training and recovery space.
President Trump pumps up the 'Protect College Sports Act' as the Senate works to pass it
Trump urged Congress on Truth Social to pass the "Protect College Sports Act," warning that women's and Olympic sports will disappear without it.
How Fitness and Health Go Hand-in-Hand: Fima on Supporting Athlete Wellness
This month, I met with Fimanekeni (Fima) Hamutenya, a Special Olympics Namibia athlete, whose experience as a Fitness Captain and Health Messenger helped him rebuild his confidence and inspired him to help his fellow athletes live healthier, more active lives.
‘Content creator Olympics’: How Vegas hired influencer interns to attract Gen Z
The Summer Intern House program included clubbing, fine dining, sports car racing and helicopter rides over the city.
Vanderbilt Health physical therapist bound for Nationals after winning four medals at Tennessee Senior Olympics
Vanderbilt Health physical therapist Grant Schlisner, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT, won four medals in the recent Tennessee Senior Olympics, which qualifies him to compete in the national Senior Olympics, set for July 2027 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Senior Olympians are athletes 50 years or older who compete in regional events for an opportunity to move to state events, and eventually to the Nationals. Schlisner’s medals were in the javelin, discus and softball throw (gold) and shot put (bronze). Schlisner, who is based at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, grew up in the Chattanooga area in a family that valued physical fitness and playing sports, and he says, with considerable understatement, “The whole family is quite athletic.” Grant Schlisner (R) with brother Bret and sister Sue, all of whom won medals in the Tennessee State Senior Olympics. (photo courtesy Grant Schlisner) His brother Bret also competed in the Senior Olympics. So did his sister Sue. (His other sister Tammy did not compete, but, Schlisner said, “We’re still going to work on her.”) And their father, who now lives in South Dakota, competed in that state’s Senior Olympics in the category for athletes aged 84 to 89. Schlisner was a high school athlete in several sports, including stints as a baseball pitcher and a football quarterback. Since he was already playing positions in other sports in which he was throwing things, he was also recruited to the school’s track and field team, which is where he gained experience in the events that were his ticket to the 2027 Nationals. The medals are a reward for the hard work of training and preparation, but Schlisner said the real reward is the fitness that the medals represent. Schlisner competes in one of his medal-winning events, the shot put. (photo courtesy Grant Schlisner) “[Preparing for competition] got me working out to train for these events. I added more extensive weight training to promote injury prevention and building flexibility and strength have made me feel better overall.” He also said that, in addition to the physical rewards, he enjoys the camaraderie of the other athletes and a feeling of accomplishment. “It’s great to be able to have a goal,” he said. “If you aim low, you’ll hit it. This is aiming high. I want to bring home a medal in the Nationals.” His physical therapy patients, especially those who may be discouraged or need a little extra motivation, also benefit from his example. “I can connect with patients and say, ‘I’m 57 with previous injuries, and I’ve been doing these events, and you can get back to your ‘sport’ as well, whether that is chasing grandkids or participating in a competitive activity,’” he said. And being around the other Senior Olympians, especially in the older age groups, is motivating for him, as well. “One competitor was 90 years old,” he said. “She’s not just sitting around. That was super motivating and cool to see. I don’t want to be a lump on the couch at 90.”
Eve Muirhead: Winter Olympic gold medal-winning curler revokes retirement
Winter Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead revokes her retirement, saying being Team GB's chef de mission at this year's Games has inspired her to return to curling after four years away.
Untold Sports Documentary Series Returns with Vince Young, Raygun, and Mr. T
Acclaimed docuseries highlights college football legend, viral Olympic breakdancer, and cultural icon.
‘Say yes’: How Susanna Weir found her voice in sports as an NCAA postgraduate intern
Susanna Weir’s priority in athletics always has been to share athletes’ stories. Her coverage of the Olympics for the NCAA allowed her to do this at the highest level, building her confidence and guiding her to her passion for storytelling in the NFL.
Thornton leads starry 2026 class entering San Jose Sports Hall of Fame
A league MVP, a national champion, a four-time Olympic medalist and a leader of the Bay Area’s two major rivals will be inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in November.
The Bocce House Is a Social Hub For Italian Eats and Entertainment
I like any sport that you can play while eating a burger and a beer. The Bocce House is like an Olympic coliseum for foodies. Tucked away in O’Hara’s RIDC
How the World Cup became great 'dry run' for 2028 Olympics
The success of the FIFA World Cup in Southern California provided valuable lessons for LA28 as it continues its preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Bobby Halford inducted into Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
William Carey coach headlines seven-member class of 2026 alongside football legends and an Olympic gold medalist
Transgender Olympic athlete settles Sophie Cunningham debate with science
The Indiana Fever are on a five-game winning streak following Friday night’s 112-98 win over the Portland Fire, which saw superstar guard Caitlin Clark record her fourth career triple-double. However, even with the Fever surging and rising in the WNBA standings, the discourse surrounding the team has continued to be dominated by reserve guard Sophie…
After Hobbes vs Rousseau: Politics must move beyond human nature
Since the great debate between Hobbes and Rousseau, our political theory has been organised around a single question: is human nature essentially good or essentially corrupt? Graham Harman, the philosopher behind object-oriented ontology, argues that this is simply the wrong question to be asking. The real forces governing our collective fate - climate change, artificial intelligence, geography, and pandemics - are non-human; therefore, questions about human nature are not the central ones. Instead, Harman proposes a politics reorganised around our relationship to non-human objects and environments, in which quasi-government institutions incentivise and deter actions with the aim of extending the survival of the human race. “It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” This has become one of the most popular phrases among twenty-first-century intellectuals. Often misattributed to Fredric Jameson, it has been warmly embraced by such influential authors as Slavoj Žižek and the tragically departed Mark Fisher, and has fueled the notion that the major problem with the political Left is that it simply needs to become more speculative and creative. Naturally, this is never a bad idea in any human pursuit. But what if the political distinction between Left, Right, and Center itself results from a failure of imagination? SUGGESTED READING Hobbes vs Rousseau: are we inherently evil? By Robin Douglass This particular division has been with us only since the summer of 1789. During the simmering prelude to the French Revolution, it referred originally to the physical position in the National Assembly of radical figures on one side and loyal monarchists on the other. These positions are linked with two entirely different camps of modern political theory. On the Left we find a series of authors ranging from the moderate (Locke) to the supercharged (Rousseau) to the truly radical (Marx), all of them contending that exploitation of the many by the few justifies revolutionary overthrow of the existing order. On the Right they are countered by the likes of Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Schmitt, a group of thinkers convinced that corrupt human nature can be tamed only by force. In the words of the Nazi supporter Schmitt: “One could test all theories of nature and state and political ideas according to their anthropology and classify these as to whether they consciously or unconsciously presuppose [humans] to be by nature evil or by nature good.” This is the division we continue to face today, even in the daily retail politics of Western democracies.___Our species has regularly proven itself capable of both the noblest gestures and the most scathing cruelties, making it hard to define us as essentially either emancipatory or brutal in our aims.___The most refreshing feature of David Graeber and David Wengrow’s 2021 book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity was their awareness that the forced choice between Rousseau and Hobbes (as they put it) is no longer sufficient. Our species has regularly proven itself capable of both the noblest gestures and the most scathing cruelties, making it hard to define us as essentially either emancipatory or brutal in our aims. Far from being stationed “beyond good and evil,” we seem to be fully entangled with both. We are not naturally good or evil, Graeber and Wengrow contend, but naturally experimental and imaginative. They rest their case on the archaeological record, which seems to bear witness to numerous episodes of seasonally shifting governments and festivals, which vacillate in the same society (even in the same year) between the egalitarian and the dictatorial. Such praise of political experiment makes a good fit with the generally anarchist position defended by these authors. Yet it is also what I find most disappointing in their position. Although they are right that the forced choice between Hobbes and Rousseau falls short of what our new situation requires, the authors simply replace it with praise for the human being as a political tinkerer and performer. In other words, they give us just another theory of human nature, one that would not have been out of place in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. What other options might we have?___The time is ripe for a retheorization of politics on the basis of something other than human nature… We are not just alienated and limited by objects, but also empowered and unleashed by them___One fresh approach would be to treat politics within a broader framework than human nature, given that the polis does not exist in a vacuum filled exclusively with people. When Bruno Latour went to observe the baboons of Kenya with the San Diego anthropologist Shirley Strum, they jointly concluded that these primates were more socially interdependent than our own species. Each baboon is so reliant on the dynamics of the group that they find themselves locked into constant surveillance of their potentially dangerous peers. The group structure turns out to be inherently volatile. Humans, by contrast, are able to stabilize their societies to a large degree through the mediation of inanimate objects. Although one’s position in society may seem to fluctuate over time, considerable stability is produced through such items as apartment keys, wedding rings, and identification cards, all of them serving to secure us a place distinct from that of our fellows. The Italian philosopher Maurizio Ferraris has written at length about the crucial role of documents in establishing social relations, making him a hero among notaries in his country. Proper names and license plates cement our position amidst other humans, as do symbolic achievements such as graduation from a top university or distinguished wartime service with its various medals and ribbons. None of this is found among baboons, despite their closeness to us on the evolutionary tree: after all, we did share a common ancestor just 25 to 30 million years ago. SUGGESTED VIEWING The goodness paradox With Richard Wrangham The time is ripe for a retheorization of politics on the basis of something other than human nature, whether understood in the manner of the Left or of the Right. We are not just alienated and limited by objects, but also empowered and unleashed by them. But initially, it is true, we face non-human things primarily in the form of constraints. It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to form a human civilization underwater, deep underground, atop Mount Everest, or in outer space. Human dependence on the non-social background takes on subtler form in discussions of political geography, especially unloved on the more idealistic Left. Consider the luckless position of Poland during World War II, sandwiched between Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other. By contrast, note the good fortune of the United States in not having a military peer positioned on any land border. Anglo-American geopolitics, since the writings of the American naval commander Alfred Thayer Mahan and the British geographer Sir Halford Mackinder, has been wedded to the notion that one or more liberal offshore naval powers should prevent any authoritarian “heartland” regime from gaining effective control of Eurasia. That remains the case whether the opponent is the impatient Napoleon, the swashbuckling German Kaiser, the villainous Hitler, the murderous Stalin, or the industrial juggernaut Chinese. In their current Foreign Affairs article “Heartland vs. Rimland,” Michael Beckley and Hal Brands analyze the current and coming state of the world on the basis of these same rather durable principles. In recent years a similar outlook has been embraced, in inverted form, by the Putin-loving Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, an icon of the Rightist intellectual underworld. For Dugin, the Anglo-Saxons are an evil force bent on destroying the spiritually superior people of the land: much like Athens in its failed war with Sparta, or Carthage in its eventual collapse against Rome. But the shared notion on both sides is that any strategy that fails to take geography into account is likely to end up as a defeated form of excessive optimism.___When dealing with environmental degradation, then, we are doing business with forces that promise dire effects on our species as a whole.___More striking for us today than geography is the non-human object called climate, which threatens rimland and heartland equally. Even if we contend that humans are one hundred percent responsible for triggering the climate crisis, it remains non-human in the sense of being an independent force beyond our effective control. In a major work published just before his death in 2002, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, the American paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould noted the tendency of evolutionary theorists to focus too closely on the fate of individuals in view of their successful or failed adaptation to circumstances. With climate change, however, we confront a force that goes well beyond the scope of any individual life. Whereas Richard Dawkins extended evolutionary questions downward from individuals to the sub-individual gene, Gould pushed it upward, speaking of entire species or clades as impacted by environmental change. The asteroid that struck the Yucatán 66 million years ago is only the most famous example of this sort. In the wake of that catastrophe, large animals needing abundant supplies of food were at a fatal disadvantage by contrast with the smaller birds and mammals of the planet. When dealing with environmental degradation, then, we are doing business with forces that promise dire effects on our species as a whole. The effect is to shift our attention away from individual beings towards the survival of the group.In the United States in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked considerable backlash among those who asserted a nearly absolute degree of individual freedom. In California I encountered those who demanded that their businesses be allowed to reopen, that it was enough to cover their mouths but not their noses, or that they should have the right to enter any public area despite refusing vaccination. Yet public health is probably the clearest argument against libertarianism, which often merely asserts the autonomy of individuals against any claims of the commons. In normal times the individual is worth defending; under conditions that threaten the survival of part or all of our species, compulsion may be our only resort, as with perfectly reasonable blackouts and rations in wartime. To rebuild human society under the constraints of climate change will be one of the great challenges of the century to come, as will our improvised grappling with artificial intelligence. Such phenomena pose existential risks for humanity, and leave far less room for tolerance of individual brattiness. Cases are mounting of devastating wildfires caused by arson. Recently it was reported that there is even a website where one can bet on the location of coming wildfires, raising the specter of deliberate blazes set to collect on wagers. The death penalty has steadily lost support in a world where many stress the infinite value of human life. But if we focus instead on entire ecosystems, those who purposely burn the forests may begin to look worse than serial murderers.___The politics of the future may be splintered by disagreement over such topics as how to manage our environing background and how to permit or restrict the entry of new objects into the political sphere.___So far I have spoken of force, authority, and punishment: measures sure to have greater appeal to those who identify with what we know as the Right. But other implications of the post-anthropocentric world are likely to have different backers. If non-human objects are seen as structuring political space, it stands to reason that they can no longer be introduced solely by the pace of technical breakthrough. Fields ranging from cybernetics to energy will demand increased politicization once they are reconceived not just as products of individual human investment, but as renovations of collective political geography. This need not involve world government, with its inherent risk of tyranny, but may involve quasi-governmental enforcers of prestige along the lines of a less corrupt FIFA or International Olympic Committee, punishing deviant states not with violence but with less tangible incentives.Politics will never lose its historic links with conflict and faction. But rather than factions aligned by differing theories of human nature, the politics of the future may be splintered by disagreement over such topics as how to manage our environing background and how to permit or restrict the entry of new objects into the political sphere. This will prove just as incommensurable with the modern Left/Right spectrum as a globe is with a two-dimensional map.
US Biathlon pushes back decision to join US Ski & Snowboard in merger of Olympic sport organizations
The U.S. Biathlon board of directors voted Wednesday to push back a planned merger with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in order to review the details after facing opposition from its community.
IBBA® Announces the Results from the 2026 Annual Conference for Business Brokers
The International Business Brokers Association® (IBBA) presents key moments from the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference, held May 29–31 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. The conference convened Business Brokers from the USA and Canada for two days of education, networking and professional development not found anywhere else. The keynote address, "Resilience and Embracing Change," was delivered by Olympic medalist Noelle Pikus Pace. Her presentation featured valuable perspectives to turn personal and pr
Banijay Entertainment H1 Revenue Drops in Update After All3Media Deal
The company's live events business posted a 49.8 percent revenue gain, driven by the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics.
Kavinsky, French DJ known for 'Drive' opening song, dies at 50
Kavinsky, the French DJ and electropop musician who performed at the Paris Olympics and gave the Ryan Gosling movie "Drive" its memorable opening credits track, has died. He was 50.
A summer of creativity and fun
One of my biggest dreams has always been to develop an improv troupe reminiscent of my days in Chicago, where I studied at The Second City and ImprovOlympic (now known
A new era of entertainment arrives in Sequim Aug. 14!
Experience the all-new Club NOVA, free live concerts and more exciting updates at 7 Cedars Resort This August, the Olympic Peninsula is getting a brand-new destination for live entertainment. On […]
Simone Biles undergoes procedure weeks after June health scare
The seven-time Olympic gold medallist shared a photo in scrubs alongside husband Jonathan Owens but didn't disclose details of the procedure.
Simone Biles brings mental health message to Chicago's Faces of Fitness this weekend
The seven-time Olympic gold medallist was announced as a headliner of the sold-out Chicago event, where she will speak about the importance of prioritising mental health.
Simone Biles Undergoes Procedure Following June Health Scare
After a June health scare, Simone Biles updates fans on a July medical procedure. Biles remains undecided on a 2028 Olympic run as former teammates Suni Lee and Katelyn Ohashi announce comebacks.
USA Games Attracts Media Coverage for its Health Work at USA Games
Thank you to the media outlets that elevated Special Olympics Health across earned media, partner content, and owned channels while capturing compelling athlete and volunteer stories during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Olympic Mountain Glory
Snow-capped mountains carved by deep river valleys preside over northwestern Washington state.
Commonwealth Games 2026 sports list: What's included and what's not
The Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow features a total of 16 sports - 10 able-bodied and six integrated para sports. Indian athletes will compete in 13 at the CWG.
Kirby Smart clarifies question over ‘sustainability’ in college sports, points to Olympic, women’s sports
Kirby Smart said there are aspects of college sports that are sustainable under the current structure and model. But the Georgia head coach issued a hard warning for those not involved in the major sports such as football nad basketball. When asked by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg if the current model is sustainable, Smart wasn’t worried […]
50 years of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards: How NCAA champions built the Honda Cup’s legacy
Forty-six women have won the Honda Cup. Forty-four won a national championship or reached the Olympics. Inside 50 years of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.
Katie Uhlaender: Athletes risk paying the price if Protect College Sports Act is passed
A five-time Olympian argues the Protect College Sports Act would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption while stripping athlete rights under Title IX.
Everyone’s Watching Women’s Sports – The ESPYs Breakthrough Award Proved It
Olympic Champion Alysa Liu won the 2026 ESPY Best Breakthrough Athlete award, marking a historic five-year win streak for female athletes in an evolving sports industry.
Knuckle hop and two-foot high kick: the Olympics for Alaska Natives breathe new life into ancient games
The annual World Eskimo Indian Olympics draw hundreds of Indigenous athletes to partake in traditional games and celebrate their heritage
Virginie Bridoux - A life shaped by sports volunteering: "There's simply nothing else like it"
French volunteer Virginie Bridoux began her journey as a sports event volunteer 20 years ago, saying it made her "a better person". Discover her story and sign up to follow in her footsteps and become a volunteer for LA28.
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
Women’s sports needs more advocates, but is Flavor Flav really the best we can do?
"Flavor Flav's SHE Weekend" purports to honor Olympic athletes, but is it about them or the hype man bringing them all to Vegas?
How Sport Will Change on a Hotter Planet (We Might Have to Move the Olympics) | Climate & Energy for July 16
Plus: The Strait of Hormuz isn’t going back to normal, and the Chinese EV wave threatens Volkswagen’s vast, well-paid workforce
Winter Sports Club responds to Nordic combined’s removal from Olympics
In a gut-punch to the Steamboat Springs Nordic combined community, the sport has been removed from the Alpes 2030 Winter Olympic games in France. Nordic combined has long been a bread-and-butter sport for the Steamboat...
AMS Science Preview: Texas Floods, Deformed Cities, Olympic Weather
The American Meteorological Society continuously publishes research on climate, weather, and water in its 12 journals. Many of these articles are available via early online access–they have been peer…
🚨Official: Spain and the United States, double friendly confirmed
The Spanish national team will face the Olympic champions on October 10 and 13 on American soil. As part of their preparations for the next Women’s World Cup, Spain will play two highly demanding fr...
Footballers eye up gold at Special Olympics
Players with intellectual disabilities will compete in the games at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
World Sailing measures the environmental impact of the sport's Olympic equipment for the first time
The governing body for sailing is looking at how the sport’s Olympic-class equipment is made, used and discarded, to eventually make changes that will reduce its environmental impact. The director of sustainability at World Sailing said this first-of-a-kind life cycle assessment project will give...
How ready is Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics?
Los Angeles area State Senator Ben Allen discussed Los Angeles' preparations for the 2028 Olympics, addressing lessons from the World Cup, infrastructure needs, and collaboration with federal and local partners.
World Sailing measures the environmental impact of the sport's Olympic equipment for the first time
The governing body for sailing is looking at how the sport’s Olympic-class equipment is made, used and discarded, to eventually make changes that will reduce its environmental impact.
Rochester gold medalist lands interview with Bills quarterback Josh Allen
Pittsford native and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Lillis landed an interview with Josh Allen.
Special Olympics Wyoming to Host Summer Sports Classic in Casper
CASPER, Wyo. — Special Olympics Wyoming will host its annual Summer Sports Classic in Casper on July 31 through Aug. 1, bringing athletes from across the
Tel Aviv University opens $35m Sylvan Adams Sport Science Institute
The new institute will partner with the Olympic Committee of Israel to provide scientific support for athletes preparing for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games.
Tel Aviv University Opens $35 Million Sport Science Institute for Olympic Athletes
Tel Aviv University inaugurated the Sylvan Adams Sport […]
Russia heads to sports court to overturn its ban from international track and field
Russia's track and field federation says it has gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a World Athletics ruling suspending its athletes from international events due to the war in Ukraine. World Athletics excluded all athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from its international events in March 2022, days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has eased its restrictions on Russia ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — something the Kremlin hailed as an “important step” — and recommended other sports bodies do the same.
‘Gone is a dream’: Nordic combined athletes left devastated by Olympic snub
For the sport's athletes, Tuesday's announcement of Nordic combined's cut was a devastating blow that leaves them with an uncertain future.
Kremlin hails 'important step' as IOC eases Russia restrictions
The Kremlin has welcomed as an "important step" the International Olympic Committee's decision to remove many of its restrictions on Russia, a big step closer to letting it field a full team when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Games.
Olympic Q-Series sports programme confirmed for Tokyo, Shanghai, Montreal and Orlando
The sports programme for each stop of the Olympic Q-Series has been confirmed, with Tokyo, Shanghai, Montreal and Orlando set to stage a dynamic mix of team and individual sports on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games.
What to know about freeriding, the newest Winter Olympic sport
Freeriding, in which athletes choose their own paths down an ungroomed mountain, is set for its Olympic debut in 2030. Here's what to know.
IOC provisionally lifts ban on Russian Olympic Committee, athletes to return to international competitions
The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted its ban on the Russian Olympic Committee on Tuesday, paving the way for a return to international competitions including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Nordic combined, a Winter Olympic mainstay, dropped from 2030 Games; freeriding added
Nordic combined, a feature of every Winter Olympics, is out as the IOC announced moves that will make 2030 the first gender-equal Games.
IOC moves to end Russian neutrality for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
The IOC advised Olympic sports bodies to end a three-year program vetting Russians for neutral status ahead of qualifying events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
How this Olympic snowboarder is building a business career
Inside the budding business mind of a young Olympic medalist.
This extreme ski competition could be coming to Utah’s 2034 Olympics
An extreme skiing and snowboarding event is vying to become the newest Winter Olympic sport. If Utah 2034 brings in freeride, will it have to be held in the Cottonwood Canyons?
Scotty James & Nigel Sylvester: the big business of extreme sports
Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi chats with professional snowboarder and Olympic silver medalist Scotty James and professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester about the evolution of their extreme sports and how it's driving big business for their brands.
Olympic medalist George Stanich still believes in life-changing power of sports
For Stanich, sports became both refuge and runway
Davis-Woodhall opens up on mental health struggles after Eugene victory
Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall spoke about her mental health struggles, describing her week as "really difficult" going into the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, where she won the long jump.
Congress Tackles Public Health Preparedness for World Cup
Learn how congress is tackling public health preparedness, as the United States hosts the World Cup and gears up for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
NHS to reward people who walk 30 minutes a day
The "marathon a month" scheme, developed with former Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster, will launch early next year.
Former Olympic canoeist indicted by a grand jury after arrest at the Reflecting Pool
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington, DC, Superior Court, after being arrested last month when he reached into the Reflecting Pool, a source familiar with the charges told CNN.
The new Pac-12 Conference officially launches with the addition of seven full-time members
July 1, 2026 — Today, seven new full-time member institutions officially join the Pac-12 Conference, including Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State. With the additions, the new Pac-12 features nine full-time members and is set to compete in its first season with the 2026-27 campaign. The league also officially welcomed 12 new affiliate members today across five Olympic sports, including baseball (Dallas Baptist), men’s soccer (Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, UC San Diego), women’s gymnastics (Southern Utah), women’s swimming (Cal Baptist) and wrestling (Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State). In addition to official member admissions and the launch of the new Pac-12, and amid celebrations across new member communities, the league also made a series of other announcements related to its basketball tournaments, its official sports sponsorship and championships and a special edition content series in promotion of its first football season.
Premier Lacrosse League lands $100 million to chase Olympic moment
The funding comes at a crucial period of preparation for PLL, as it looks to capitalize on lacrosse being a part of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
KARE 11 Spotlights Mental Health at USA Games through Special Olympics Strong Minds
KARE 11 visited Special Olympics Strong Minds to hear from USA Games athletes and volunteers about how the screening aims to address the mental health disparities faced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
England players use new sports drink to help beat extreme heat at World Cup
The Football Association placed a large order for a sports drink produced by a company owned by the double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee which helps to control body temperature
Lyles to take charge of Ultimate Championship entertainment
Noah Lyles has been announced as an Ultimate Star for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, taking place from September 11-13 in Budapest, Hungary.Lyles, the dominant US sprinter who has won consecutive 200m golds at the past four World Championships, is locked in to compete at the inaugural edition of the new global championship. Lyles has earned automatic qualification into both the 100m and 200m by virtue of his podium-topping performances in those disciplines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, respectively.
Read Michener’s ‘Centennial’
If you’ve been reading my columns, you’ve noticed I’m basically illiterate. I blame my dyslexia and public education, but my Olympic-level laziness could be the driving factor. Anyway, I basically can’t read (and, still, I graduated from CU Boulder, so another endorsement of public higher education). So, for me to recommend a book is like […]
Oklahoma City hosts Day of Sport ahead of hosting games during 2028 Summer Olympics
Oklahoma City welcomed 250 kids to Woodson Park for LA28's Day of Sport, offering them a chance to try Olympic and Paralympic sports ahead of the city hosting events in 2028.
Sports with Sam: FIFA Fan Fest kicks off at Olympic Park: U.S. vs.Turkey
Ensuring health for Special Olympics athletes
University of Minnesota healthcare students across many disciplines are helping to provide health screenings for athletes competing in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
$100 million invested in Oklahoma to prepare for 2028 Olympic sports
Oklahoma is investing $100 million to upgrade facilities as it prepares to host softball and canoe slalom events during the 2028 Summer Olympics.
PANAM SPORTS CELEBRATES OLYMPIC DAY WITH ITS MIAMI COMMUNITY
On International Olympic Day, Panam Sports brought the spirit of the Olympic […]
California Science Center visitors will see space shuttle Endeavour in launch position this fall
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will be free to visit, just in time for the 2028 Olympics.
An Olympic-sized collaboration between Lake Placid, Big Apple
Commentary: Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement about New York City possibly hosting the Olympics isn’t a new idea.
Day Two of Competition Highlights Athletes Across Multiple Sports
The second day of competition at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games was cut short due to inclement weather, but not before some memorable moments. Before outdoor events were halted, athletes showcased speed on the track, excitement and enthusiasm at gymnastics, and pride on the football and soccer fields. Even as an athletics athlete from Special Olympics Southern California lost his shoe, he managed to win the race.
Freestyle Night returns to Mettmenstetten with Olympic stars, entertainment and festival atmosphere
One of the highlights of the European summer freestyle calendar is back, as the 23rd Freestyle Night returns to Mettmenstetten (SUI) on 27 June 2026.
Lake Placid and NYC form committee to study hosting future Winter Olympics
The announcement Monday suggested a dual-hosting format, the likes of which Milan and Cortina pulled off at this year’s Olympics.
New York City and Lake Placid explore joint bid to host 2042 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
Committee established to look at feasibility of hosting Games after success of Milan Cortina event this year
The Special Olympics are coming to Minneapolis. Here's what you need to know
Next week, the Special Olympics come to Minneapolis June 20-26. More than 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches will engage in 16 Special Olympics team and individual sports. The event is expected to bring in 75,000 fans.
The Special Olympics are coming to Minneapolis. Here's what you need to know
Next week, the Special Olympics come to Minneapolis June 20-26. More than 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches will engage in 16 Special Olympics team and individual sports. The event is expected to bring in 75,000 fans.
1996 Olympics to FIFA World Cup: Historians compare culture, class and politics in the ‘Black Mecca’
How do the 1996 Olympics and 2026 World Cup compare three decades apart when it comes to fandom, overall electricity and economic inclusion?
Legislation overhauling college sports faces major test in Senate
The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, but the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it
Legislation overhauling college sports faces major test in Senate
The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, but the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it
With 2 New Sports, Special Olympics To Get Underway
For the first time in years, thousands of athletes with disabilities are preparing to come together from across the country for a week of competition and much of it will be broadcast.
Examining the connection between sport and global relationships
Right now, the world is turning its attention to the United States as it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is the first of the two largest global sporting events coming to American shores in the next couple of years, the second being the 2028 Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles. It also provides an opportunity to explore sport’s role in shaping America's relationship with the rest of the world — and one lab at Arizona State University has a head start.
Senior Games draws competitors from across U.S.
Sporting venues across the Columbia area hosted the Missouri State Senior Games this weekend, an Olympic-style tournament for athletes aged 50 and up.
L.A. Grand Prix brings track meet back for Olympic preview
This weekend's two-day meet serves as an important check point for track and field’s hope to break out of the four-year popularity cycle.
Trump's grand sporting season begins with UFC fights on White House lawn
U.S. officials hope to use the momentum from these events to promote the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Kuumba Olympics, which aims to make sports accessible, to kick off Friday
The Kuumba Olympics in Evanston provide sports access to students, support Camp Kuumba, and honor educators. Over 300 athletes participate.
Haiti’s World Cup jersey deemed too political, echoing censure of its Winter Olympic uniform
The jersey originally featured a scene from the 1803 Haitian War of Independence.
FIFA forces Haiti to remove political imagery from World Cup jersey
Haiti has been forced to change the design of its World Cup jersey after it was deemed too political by FIFA just months after the Caribbean nation had to amend its Winter Olympic uniforms.
Haiti's World Cup jersey deemed too political, echoing censure of its Winter Olympic uniform
Haiti has been forced to change the design of its World Cup jersey after FIFA deemed it too political.
Five things to know about women and sport
Women's sports are on a winning streak, reaching new heights and shattering records. From the 2024 Olympics achieving gender parity to the growing audience for women's sports, there is much to celebrate and explore. Yet many gender gaps remain. Here are five key things to know about women and sport:
World’s leading soil science congress opens in Nanjing for the first time in China
The 23rd World Congress of Soil Science, often regarded as the “Olympics” of the soil science community, opened in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Held from June 8 to 12 under the theme “Soil and the Shared Future of Humankind,” the congress marks the first time in its nearly 100-year history that this premier global academic event in soil science has been hosted in China.
For FIS, whose sports drive the Winter Olympics, a contentious election arrives
Star athletes are calling for change. The incumbent isn't giving up easily. And it comes at a critical time for the future of winter sports.
These Pensacola swimmers and coaches made history in the pool
From Olympic medalists to legendary coaches, meet the eight greatest swimming figures in Pensacola area history.