Yearly Archives: 2024

No Introduction Needed for Trump and LA28 Olympics

By Ed Hula

In what could be a big plus for organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, President-elect Donald Trump is already on board with his support for the Games. He’s even gone so far to take credit for bringing the Olympics to LA.

“As President-Elect, I worked with the Olympic Organizing Committee of Los Angeles in getting the 2028 Olympics to come to the United States. There was tremendous competition from other countries,” Trump wrote in an August post on the Truth Social website. He repeated the claim in a podcast in the past month hosted by Bill Belichik, adding the 2026 World Cup as another event he purports to have secured for the U.S.

The support of the U.S. president is needed for the multiple federal agencies involved with the staging of the Olympics. Security may be the biggest ticket, along with other services ranging from diplomatic functions to weather forecasting.

But the real plum for a U.S. president is the ceremonial role played during the opening ceremony of the Games. As head of state in 2028, his last year in office, Trump will stand at the microphone in SoFi Stadium to declare the opening of the third Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Trump, as it turns out, will play a key role for the 2028 Olympics that no other U.S. President has played. He’ll have overseen the federal government involvement in Los Angeles from the days of the bid eight years ago to the opening of the Games in less than four years. Due to the timing of U.S. elections and the placement of the Olympics, such a coincidence will continue to be rare.

While this latest campaign to bring the Olympics back to Southern California began as a bid for 2024 in the last days of the Barack Obama presidency, it was the first Trump administration that organized the federal support. Then, in 2017, the IOC orchestrated the twin awarding of the 2024 Games to Paris and 2028 to Los Angeles. Included in those machinations was the need to secure the backing of the federal government prior to the IOC vote.

Trump signed the pledge for federal government support for the new dates for the games at a ceremony in Los Angeles in February 2020. Trump was in the final year of his first term,  self-assured that he would win the election that year for a second term. Trump teased LA28 chair Casey Wasserman that he would need help with seats at the Games since Trump wasn’t expecting to be in office in 2028.

“I hope you remember me in 2028. Okay? Do you promise, Casey? Or will you … ”

“I promise, sir,” replied Wasserman.

“At least give me a seat, okay?” Trump responded.

“Guaranteed,” Wasserman promised.

As it turned out, Trump lost his 2020 re-election bid. But storming back into power following the results of the Nov. 5 vote, Trump can now expect great seats in Los Angeles and the opportunity to open the Games for a worldwide audience. While the head of state remarks are prescribed in the Olympic Charter, that didn’t stop the last U.S. President to open an Olympics from embellishing the script at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Speaking just five months after the 9/11 attacks, George W. Bush inserted a few extra words.

“On behalf of a proud, determined, and grateful nation, I declare open the Games of Salt Lake City, celebrating the Olympic Winter Games,” he proclaimed. While he varied from the protocol, the IOC did not complain.

Given his speechmaking notoriety, there’s no telling what President Donald Trump might say when his microphone opens the evening of July 14, 2028,  at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

A.D. Frazier Was “Critical Leader” for Atlanta Olympics

By Ed Hula

A.D. Frazier is remembered as a tireless second-in-command  who “got the job done” for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

 Frazier, 80, died Sept. 23 at home in Mountain Bluff, a small town in North Georgia. He was a native of North Carolina. Christened Adolphus Drury, he preferred to be known as A.D.

Frazier was tapped in 1991 to become Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. He would become the right hand of CEO Billy Payne. For Frazier, who at the time was managing a $10 billion loan portfolio for a Chicago bank, the ACOG posting marked a return to Atlanta where he started his banking career in 1969.

When Jimmy Carter was elected U.S. President in 1976, Frazier organized the inauguration, delivering an event $1 million under budget. Frazier also helped organize the staff of the new president from Georgia. He went back to Atlanta before heading to Chicago. He was lured back to Atlanta by ACOG chief Billy Payne. Even though his salary of $300,000 a year was half what he made in Chicago, Frazier said there were other considerations to take into account.

“One of the reasons I came back was I felt like this was an opportunity for a lodestone moment in relations of blacks and whites in Atlanta, very much a kind of the civil rights movement where we as a city stood out, stood tall,” said Frazier during an interview last year for a documentary on the Atlanta Olympics The Games in Black & White.

Frazier faced big challenges as COO. With an immutable deadline and a finite budget with no public money to help underwrite expenses, Frazier spent many late nights and early mornings at his ACOG desk, a cot nearby for naps.

Richard Pound, now retired from the IOC, led the IOC Coordination Commission for the Atlanta Olympics and met with Frazier regularly.

“A.D. was absolutely critical in managing Atlanta to get ready. He was critical to the success of the Games,” Pound said this week.

“He was someone who could get the job done,” said Pound.

Charlie Battle, one of the original group of Atlantans who launched the bid for the Centennial Olympics, says Frazier made the Games possible.

“He was a remarkable guy. He had the job of making sure everything was on time and on budget,” said Battle. He called Frazier’s recall of facts “overwhelming”.

A devotee of radio broadcasting, Frazier told me that his pillow had a tiny speaker so he could listen to the news at 4am in bed without disturbing his wife.

That fondness for the medium led him to approve a deal with an Atlanta radio station to serve as the Official News and Information Station for the 1996 Games. He first pitched the idea to me, which was then passed along to management. The deal with ACOG and WGST was first – and only one — of its kind.

Frazier bought a chain of small radio stations in North Georgia in the years after the Games. Despite some initial success, the radio stations would one by one begin to fail, as was the case hundreds of other commercial radio stations across the U.S. Outside the radio business Frazier led a private equity firm.

He wrote some op-ed pieces for Atlanta newspapers in recent years about the magic the city captured in 1996.  Here’s part of what he wrote in a piece for the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the 25^th anniversary of the Atlanta Games.

“Well, friends, it was indeed a great time in Atlanta’s history. We were center stage for the world. We were fearless, brave, visionary, unified and committed to an idea ‘rooted in goodness’. We were demonstrating to the world the greatness of our Southern hospitality. We put aside those things that divided us and focused — if just for a moment — on those things that made us one. Together.”

Frazier is survived by his wife Sha, two adult children and four grandchildren. No details yet on memorial services.

One Candidate Has Early Edge for IOC President

By Ed Hula

The biggest-ever field to run for president of the IOC is a healthy sign. Seven members have put their names forward, despite the challenges and demands of the post. That’s two more candidates than 2013, the last time a new president was chosen. Thomas Bach, 70, will step down next June. In August he rejected a call to extend his term for four more years, in part because it would have meant tinkering with the charter that governs the IOC.

Each of the seven brings distinctive qualities suitable for the IOC job. But given the state of the world, some IOC rules and a bit of history, one candidate appears to have an edge.

First, the slate of contenders eager to succeed Bach:

Sebastian Coe, 67, Great Britain, president of World Athletics, Olympian.

Kirsty Coventry, 41, Zimbabwe Minister of Sport, IOC Executive Board member, Olympian

Johan Eliasch, 62, Great Britain, president of ski federation FIS.

Prince Feisal al Hussein, 60, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee, IOC Executive Board member.

David Lappartient, 51, president of cycling federation UCI.

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., 64, Spain, IOC vice president.

Morinari Watanabe, 65, Japan, president of FIG, the international gymnastics federation.

Four of the nominees are heads of international federations: Coe of World Athletics, Watanabe from gymnastics, Lappartient of cycling and Eliasch skiing.

Each one is handicapped by their status as IOC members linked to their federation. Lose that federation leadership and they no longer are qualified as IOC members.  Some finagling by the IOC Session to accommodate them might be possible, but who needs the complication?

Compounding that technicality, historically no IOC president has moved from an IF leadership to the IOC presidency.

Prince Feisal would be able to serve only eight years as president, given his mandate as an IOC member calls for retirement at age 70. For him to seek a final four-year term as IOC president would require a vote by the IOC Session to extend his membership.

If he is chosen as the next IOC president Samaranch would need an IOC vote in 2030 to extend his IOC term as he hits age 70 retirement that year. The term extension would enable him to continue to serve as president for four more years. Under IOC rules he would not be eligible to receive a second extension and thus unable to seek a final term of four years as president. Samaranch’s father was the last president to serve under IOC rules that had no term limits. The elder Samaranch served 21 years before stepping down in 2001, the year the 12-year term took effect.  

One candidate beats the rest of the field with regards both to age and potential conflicts with a federation leadership. Kirsty Coventry, the sports minister for Zimbabwe, will be 42 next year, which means she would be able to serve one eight-year and one four-year term and remain in office until 2037.

Coventry is one of only two Olympians in the running. She has three gold medals in swimming; Coe won two golds in athletics. Coventry entered the IOC in 2013 as a member of the Athletes Commission. That included four years as chair (2018 to 2021) and a seat on the 15-member Executive Board. When she came off the Athletes Commission in 2021 she was named an individual member, able to serve until age 70. Last year Coventry returned to the EB for a four-year term. The only other EB member running for president is Samaranch.

To call Coventry Bach’s protégée would not be a stretch although he will not make any public comment in accordance with IOC rules. Coventry remains the youngest member of the EB. Nonetheless, Bach has handed her high profile assignments. She chairs the commissions overseeing the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

A graduate of Auburn University in the U.S., Coventry has applied her business studies as a member of the IOC Finance commission. She was Bach’s choice to address the United Nations General Assembly in June where she spoke about the IOC commitment to sustainability. Her appearance is believed to be the first for an IOC member who is not president.

So far in the era of presidential term limits the candidate said to be the favorite of the incumbent has coasted to an easy victory.

Jacques Rogge was the favorite of Samaranch senior in 2001.  Some 12 years later, Rogge gave his blessings to Bach. Now it’s Bach’s turn to have a say, however discrete, in who takes over from him next June.

There are some other firsts to recognize as possible during this election.  Watanabe and Feisal would be the first from Asia. Eliasch — elected in July at the Session in Paris — would be the first from winter sports and the shortest in IOC tenure.

Samaranch would be the only son of an IOC president to also hold that post. Coe, Eliasch and Lappartient would be the first federation leaders to captain the IOC.

Coventry stands apart from her competitors, all male. The fact that other female IOC members who are also well-suited to the job did not declare suggests an invisible hand at work to make Coventry’s candidacy unique.

Not that they will vote as a monolith, but 46 of the 111 members of the IOC are female. A number of those women hail from Africa and presumably are enthusiastic about naming the first IOC president from the continent. Coventry might accrue more support globally from other members of the IOC sisterhood who realize the opportunity they have to help install a fresh face after more than 125 years of male rule. Coventry is not the first woman to run for IOC president. That distinction goes to Anita Defrantz who was eliminated early in the 2001 election won by Rogge.

Candidates have yet to file the limited briefs permitted under campaign rules. Other than this scant information, media promotion is not allowed. Members will meet in January in Switzerland in camera to hear the proposals from the seven contenders. The election is in Greece in late March. Perhaps some of them may leave the race as one candidacy appears to become inevitable. Today that edge belongs to Kirsty Coventry.

Diplomatic Experience Needed For New IOC President

By Ed Hula

The names of those IOC members hoping to succeed Thomas Bach as president will be revealed within days. Candidates nominate themselves in a letter to Bach due by September 15. The list of candidates will be released the next day. Bach steps down in June 2025, three months after the election in March. 

Bach put his mark on the IOC and Olympics during 12 years in office. His Olympic Agenda program of reform and change appears to have put the IOC on a pathway to sustainability. The Olympic brand is financially strong and valued at $11 billion. Where cities once feared to bid, more than a dozen cities are now in talks with the IOC about hosting future Games. Gender equality is the rule now for the Olympics. New sports have been added to the program, old ones updated. Recognizing the digital world of sport, an Olympic E game event is planned for 2026. Olympic cities have been selected through 2034.

Whoever succeeds Bach will benefit from his tidy housekeeping. That said, a messy challenge that will require world-class diplomacy also awaits the new president.

I’m talking about the rift between the IOC and Russia that cracked open following the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and widened into a chasm when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Compounded by a massive doping scandal revealed in 2016 that led to sanctions against Russia, the Ukraine offensive led to Russian banishment from the Paris Olympics and likely to be treated the same way with Milan/Cortina in 2026. Depending on the outcome of the war Los Angeles 2028 could be a no for Russia, too.

A question facing the next IOC president is what happens if the hostilities linger?  Despite Russia’s doping issues, the country has been an important cog in the Olympic wheel, in both sport and politics. The Olympics are diminished without Russia. At the same time, for the IOC accepting a rogue member of the community of nations is untenable.  

Russia so far has not made headway in its threat to mount “Friendship Games” as a counter to the ban on competing in Olympic events. The event is aimed at attracting the BRIC nations and otherwise non-aligned nations. Initially planned in September, there’s no word from Moscow as to whether the project is still in the works.  The IOC would be happy if it’s not.

A more pleasing forecast would picture a truce between Ukraine and Russia. While there’s no guess when the war might end, common sense would say one day in the next few years it might.

When that happens, the next IOC president will have to guide the careful restoration of Russia to the Olympic Family. The matter of reconstruction and reparations for sport infrastructure in Ukraine will be on the table. Then there will be the negotiations needed to repatriate the Russian Olympic Committee should the ROC choose to rejoin. If the answer  is yes it will be up to the IOC president to take the lead to ensure Russian compliance with the World Anti-Doping code. The IOC president would be one of the key players restoring those relations.

The current 107 IOC members includes a handful with diplomatic experience. Let’s see who is ready and willing to take on the challenge of Russia.  

Paris Olympics At One Week: Steady Going

With the midpoint of the Paris Olympics approaching, organizers have avoided crises and complications, even as the number of events hits a peak over the weekend.

The most serious challenge so far was whether the triathlon would take place, pollution in the River Seine the issue. The river has been subject to a multi-billion dollar cleanup for the past six years to make the waterway fit for Olympic sport. In addition to the swimming leg of the triathlon, the marathon swimming event in aquatics is supposed to be held on the river this week as well.

Pollution levels forced postponement of the men’s triathlon by one day in the hopes that another 24 hours would be enough to clear the water. Meeting at 0330  on July 31, five hours before the start of the triathlon, Paris 2024 gave the thumbs up, clearing the way for the men to compete, followed by the women’s event.

Had the river flunked the pollution testing it’s quite possible the triathlon would have turned into a duathlon with the dropping of the swimming leg.

Gold medalists were Alex Yee of Great Britain and Cassandre Beaugrand of France.

Still to come is the mixed relay event on August 5. The 10K marathon swim happens August 8 and 9.

Crowds + Heat

Paris organizers put into play measures to counter the heat with temperatures hitting +30c. But the ten day forecast is calling for a retreat for the heat as more seasonal weather settles in.  Rain chances are low which means pollution levels in the Seine should be held in check for the marathon swim.

People Watching

Essar Gabriel, who worked on the ill-fated Paris bid for 2012, has formed Druid, a company that handles turnkey planning for sports events such as the Olympics. Gabriel says his firm is responsible for seven venues for Paris. He says organizing committees can turn to his firm for venue expertise instead hiring staff.

Jan Lehmann is the first-ever CEO for the European Olympic Committees. The German sports marketing executive was hired three months ago and works in the Rome headquarters for the continental federation. He’s been in Paris taking in the Olympic scene, guided by Jon Tibbs of JTA, the British sports marketing firm which includes the EOC as a client.

Jeff Millman, once the comms director for Los Angeles 2024 is back, helping plan media operations for the 2028 Games. He’s one of dozens of LA 28 staff who have spent time observing Paris during the past two months.

Once a major player in the Olympic hospitality arena, JetSet Sports lost that distinction when the IOC designated U.S. firm On Location to handle Olympic Games hospitality.  But JetSet is still active in the space, led by newly named CEO Alan Dizdarevic.  Founder and father Sead Dizdarevic is now chairman of the company based in New Jersey. Alan says JetSet has managed more than 400 hotel rooms for the Olympics. A swish hospitality center is up and running at the famed George V hotel.

Written in Paris by Ed Hula

One and Done? Breaking at the 2024 Games

After a popular debut at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, breaking — also called breakdancing — will be on the Olympic program for the first time in Paris.

Nestled into two slots lasting about five hours each on the closing days of the Games, 32 breakers will compete. The 16 “B girls” compete August 8, with the 16 “B boys” the day after. La Concorde is the venue, which makes breaking one of four so-called urban sports staged in the city center. The other three that will share this famous plaza on the banks of the River Seine are 3X3 basketball, BMX freestyle and skateboarding.

While breaking will get as much attention for its novelty as for its athletic and gymnastic skills, its Olympic future is in doubt. Other new urban sports, such as sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding, have been adopted for the permanent sports program,  but breaking becomes an Olympic orphan after Paris.

LA 28 did not include breaking on its sports program announced earlier this year. Instead, for the optional sports the IOC permits each host city, Los Angeles  chose cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash and baseball/softball. That will bring the total number of sports for Los Angeles to an Olympic record of 35. Paris will host 32 sports.

Boxing, which no longer has an international federation recognized by the IOC, is the only permanent sport dropped from LA. There is the slight possibility for boxing to return in 2028 if a new federation can be formed and recognized by early 2025. Without boxing, the core number of summer Olympic sports drops to 30.

But back to breaking. With LA 28 out of the picture, Brisbane 2032 is the next chance for breaking to return to the Olympic program.  The Queensland capital is still a couple of years away from any decisions about which sports it might want to add. Cricket’s debut in Los Angeles would seem to warrant an encore in Australia, which is one of the sport’s most important nations. Baseball and softball already have a good following in Australia; likewise squash and karate also are well known. Lacrosse and American flag football are not.

Breaking would seem to have a chance at reappearing in Brisbane. Two Australians will be part of the competition in Paris next month, which will help to draw attention from 2032 organizers.  At 16, Jeff “J-Attack” Dunne is one of the youngest athletes from Australia to compete in any Olympics.  Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 37, is a university researcher. A medal winning performance from either will certainly improve the chances for breaking in 2032.

Forecasting a sports program for 2036 and beyond is a fool’s errand at this point. With as many a dozen locales around the world expressing some interest to the IOC for Games a decade or more away, there is no certainty what changes or events could shape the sports program.

The core IOC program of 30 sports is likely to remain unchanged in the coming years. Two federations facing doubts modern pentathlon and weightlifting appear to have cured their deficiencies and have been given the okay for Los Angeles. Weightlifting faced serious problems with the Federation administration and the prevalence of positive drug tests in the sport. Modern pentathlon has replaced the equestrian leg of the event with an obstacle course run by foot. Modern pen has faced scrutiny over the relevance of an event designed for soldiers in the early years of the 20^th century. Earlier in this century a pistol shooting event was replaced with a laser target competition. The IOC is likely to keep an eye on the sport to monitor the changes and whether there is growth to the sport.

With several one and done sports as well as repeaters like baseball/softball, future host cities will now have a menu of sports certified by the IOC as games ready to select as extras to the core sports program. Put breaking on that list post Paris. That could be the fate of boxing if an international federation agreeable to the IOC is ever formed.

Banging on the door for recognition is kickboxing as well as other mixed martial arts. Teqball could emerge as a new sport one day. And then there is one of the world’s fastest growing sports,  the phenomenon of pickle ball. Those who scoff at Olympic recognition for this trendy pastime  should consider the odds they might have given for something called breakdancing ever reaching the medals podium of the Olympics.

Written by Ed Hula

Paris 2024: Olympic Turning Point

After enduring two consecutive Summer Olympics that brought gold medal-level heartburn to the IOC, Paris is poised to deliver the curing tonic.  The end of Rio 2016 was as messy as the runup.  Tokyo 2020 – on its way becoming perhaps the best prepared Olympic host city in decades – – was dramatically postponed by one year in response to the pandemic.

The IOC and the coterie of sponsors and rights-holding broadcasters that depend on successful Games are expecting a turnaround. And while something could happen to derail Paris 2024, the outlook is overwhelmingly positive.

As Planned

For one thing, there will be no postponement such as Tokyo suffered. Delaying the Games cost the organizing committee hundreds of millions of dollars, in addition to losses endured by broadcasters and sponsors who had to abandon plans at the last minute.

The financials appear to be in line with previous forecasts for Paris 2024 and the public corporation responsible for overseeing the venues for the Games. That was not the case eight years ago in Rio de Janeiro, when organizers ran out of money in the final months before the Games. The cash crunch came as the national government was paralyzed by a leadership crisis. The IOC had to step in to guarantee funding for the first Olympics and Paralympics to be held in South America.

Questionable Dealings

Post-Olympics, the Rio organizing committee president and other OCOG executives were accused of financial crimes related to sponsorship and taxes, and their homes were searched – all captured by TV news crews. The traditional final report from Games organizers usually delivered to the first IOC Session following the Games didn’t happen, because those officials were barred from travel outside of Brazil. Eight years, later no report has been filed to the IOC.

Three years ago, Tokyo 2020 also was investigated after the Games for inside dealings regarding sponsorships handled by marketing agent Dentsu. Sapporo, the 1972 Winter Olympics host, was on its way to becoming the preemptive candidate for 2032 until the Japanese Olympic Committee withdrew it from consideration soon after the inquiry was launched.

A Spirit of Bonhomie

The relationship between IOC headquarters and Paris organizers has been solid from the moment in 2017 when it was awarded 2024. After dealing with host cities on the other side of the world, the proximity between Lausanne and Paris helps. Paris is a mere hour away by plane.  IOC coordination commission chair Pierre Beckers, a Belgian grocery magnate, is also easily able to follow preparations.

Roadmap to the Future Now in Play

Olympic Agenda 2020+5, the so-called roadmap to the future of the IOC and Olympics, should be credited for the smooth preparations. IOC President Thomas Bach launched Olympic Agenda 2020 when he took office in 2013, insisting the four dozen recommendations it made were vital to the existence of the Olympics in the 21^st Century. With an emphasis on sustainability, lower costs and eliminating complexity, Olympic Agenda has guided the operation of Paris 2024 from day one.

The youthful organizing committee is sensitive to the idea of creating a sustainable Olympics. President Tony Estanguet was barely 40 when he led the bid; he just turned 46 in May.

Sustainability Key

Nearly every venue in Paris and beyond is existing or temporary. The aquatics venue is the only major permanent venue to be built. After the Games it becomes a community center. The Olympic Village is set to be a new neighborhood for Paris once the Olympics and Paralympics move on. Existing venues likewise are being used across France rather than building temporary facilities in Paris.

City of Light … and Then Some

If the IOC needed a comeback city after the zero spectators of both Beijing 2022 and Tokyo 2020+1, Paris appears to be the answer.

Not surprisingly, Paris is proving to be a spectacular setting. Olympic rings now adorn the Eiffel Tower. The incredible restoration of Notre Dame is just months from completion. Versailles is ready for equestrian events. Marseilles for sailing, Lille for basketball.

The French territory of Tahiti will host surfing following its debut in Tokyo. At 15,800 km from Paris, Tahiti will be the most distant venue from the host city since Stockholm handled equestrian events for Melbourne in 1956. Those two cities were about 15,500 km distant. While it may not fit Olympic Agenda standards for complexity and cost, Tahiti will be one of the more exotic locales to ever fly the Olympic flag.

Torch Relay Burning Bright

Because French territories such as French Guyana and a half dozen islands in the Caribbean are found worldwide, Paris has been able to send the Olympic torch relay around the globe while technically never leaving France. That kind of travel has been discouraged by the IOC after problems with disruptive protests in 2008 ahead of Beijing. The torch relay is now back on the mainland, winding its way to Paris for the July 26 opening ceremony. The trouble-free relay is another sign of a return to Olympic normalcy.

Beaucoup de Fans

While there may be plenty of ambivalence among French citizens over the Olympics, there are still legions of fans in France and Europe willing to snap up their share of the 10 million tickets. And for those in France who are inclined to stay home, Olympic diehards who have not been able to buy tickets since 2016 are ready to jump into the ticket queue.

Political Considerations

A political wildcard bears watching in the next couple of weeks is the outcome of the snap legislative election called by President Emmanuel Macron. July 7 is the final day of voting which will determine whether Macron declares the opening of the Paris Olympics or a leader from the right wing circles of French politics.

But this upbeat view of Paris is tempered by some sobering issues. Russia and Belarus will not be in Paris as a result of the war against Ukraine launched three years ago. IOC sanctions say only athletes who can prove their neutrality regarding the military will be permitted to compete, although without national identification. Just a few dozen are expected to meet those standards compared to the hundreds normally sent.

Likewise tensions over the situation between Israel and Palestine could figure into drama around Paris 2024.  Trouble may not come from athletes (just three from Palestine and 81 from Israel) but from protests outside Olympic security. Demonstrators could block travel to Olympic events, for example, given the heavy dependence on public transport.

Doping and Hackers

The first drug controversy from Paris is likely to show up in the early days. Among the competitors in the swimming events are 11 Chinese athletes who have been linked to positive tests in 2021 for the banned heart medicine trimetazidine. The World Anti-Doping Agency has cleared the swimmers but the U.S., Australia and other swimming powers are contesting that decision.

The most disruptive threat may be hackers or cyber criminals who attack the digital infrastructure for the Games. While protecting the Olympic network is of utmost priority, nothing in the world can be 100% certain against cyber attack.

A River Runs through It

Finally there is the question of whether the River Seine will be suitable for the marathon swim and swimming portion of the triathlon.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo has delayed her plans to be the first to swim in the waterway once it’s been declared clear of pollution. Despite billions spent over the past 10 years to clean the river, pollution — mostly from sewage — is persistent. Heavy rains earlier this month only aggravated the situation. No word on plan B from World Aquatics. The International Triathlon Union is said to be considering reducing the Paris event to two competitions running and cycling. Organizers are confident they will avoid the first-ever Olympic duathlon.

Written by Ed Hula

A Transition Via Paris 2024; ATR R.I.P. ?

In just a few weeks — if everything goes according to plan — my treasured spouse and partner in Olympic journalism, Sheila S. and I will head to Paris to cover what is likely to be the last Games in our Olympic journalism journey that began more than 30 years ago.

We were on the scene of every Summer and Winter Games from Barcelona 1992 through PyeongChang 2018—15 in total. We missed Tokyo in 2021, because of the Covid delay. What a shame. I’ve always loved Japan and it was a major disappointment.  One year later when the games actually took place we no longer owned Around the Rings.

Just a few months before the postponed Games, Argentine digital platform INFOBAE swooped in to buy the company and brand we had built, starting in the late 80s when Atlanta was bidding for the 1996 Games.

Today, three years since the change of ownership, the fate of Around the Rings is unknown. The website, which ended subscription-based content under the new ownership in favor of free access, has now disappeared online.  Without explanation or notice nearly 30 years of content once a click away has vanished. No word from Infobae despite an executive seeking help from the former owners with a related matter earlier around the June day www.aroundtherings.com could no longer be found.

We are proud to have been the first digital news outlet to be accredited to Olympics, the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. For years to follow we published thousands of stories and became a worldwide source of news for the Olympics cognoscenti. Our readership included the IOC, Fortune 500 firms, organizations, government offices, +200 national Olympic committees, sport federations, global media and universities.

Officials with INFOBAE have not returned inquiries as to their plans for Around the Rings and the reason for the change.

We lament as well the disappearance of the work of many fine reporters and the terrific information they delivered, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their loyalty and outstanding work.

Finally our plans for Paris coverage under the new brand of Hula Sport Communications proceed despite the challenge posed by breaking a hip after a fall while playing basketball in early May.

I’ve been on a constant routine of physical therapy and exercise to restore my ability to walk and chew gum at the same time, so to speak. It’s been some hard yards with more to go but every day my ambulatory skills improve. Thanks to the many offers good wishes I have received during my recuperation. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones in Paris.

Most of all, I’m looking forward to writing dispatches from the Olympics which you will see and hear on a regular basis from our perch in Paris.

Ed and Sheila S. Hula