The tragic case of #KamilaValieva, whose neutral status the International Skating Union has revoked, reveals the devastating impact of being trapped between international isolation and a fierce nationalistic embrace at home. More in this *Free Friday* edition of the Zeus Files surl.li/owhzjm

South Africa’s 2036 dream of being the first African nation to host the #OlympicGames is collapsing. A wave of fraud charges and suspensions has wiped out top sports leaders across football, swimming, and athletics, and now the NOC. Read the full story in the Zeus Files at shorturl.at/wLTYq

EXCLUSIVE: A significant change to the Olympic Charter proposed by the IOC will fast-track the reinstatement of Russia to the #Olympics and is set to cause huge controversy, the #ZeusFiles can reveal duncanmackayveritas.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

When @sebcoe.bsky.social became @worldathletics.org President, among the things he promised to sort out was "nation hopping", claiming that athletes needed to have a strong connection to the country they are representing, rather than looking around for nations to run for. ⬇️

The ticket launch for every Olympics is accompanied by controversy over prices, availability and computer glitches - @la28games.bsky.social has been no different. But they've sold more tickets in first week than any Games before so no wonder CEO Reynold Hoover admits they're "thrilled". ⬇️

Britain's Sir Craig Reedie and North Korea's Chang Ung, who have died at the ages of 84 and 87, respectively, were major figures within the IOC at the centre of some of the biggest decisions the organisation took in recent years.

The decision by Luc Tardif not to seek a second term as @iihfhockey.bsky.social President gives Russia the opportunity to try to regain the influence they had under his pro-Putin predecessor, Rene Fasel. ⬇️

This is a big week for @la28games.bsky.social with the first tickets for the #Olympics going on sale, with chair Casey Wasserman desperately hoping it will avert attention from him after the controversy about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Chinese Tapei's Lin Yu-ting, one of boxers involved in gender row at Paris 2024, will compete for the first time since winning Olympic gold when Asian Boxing Champs start in Mongolia tomorrow. She's due to face Thailand’s World silver medallist Thananya Somnuek in the 1st round of 60kg category. .

Of course, it is Donald Trump who's taking credit for IOC decision to reintroduce gender testing for Olympics at @la28games.bsky.social. But it was Jane Thornton replacing Richard Budgett as the IOC's medical and scientific director following boxing gender row at Paris2024 that's led to change.

Queensland's determination to spread the benefits of the #Olympics beyond Brisbane means 2032 will be another "dispersed” Games, just like #MilanCortina2026. But the choice of Rockhampton, 600km from Brisbane, to host rowing and canoe sprint in the crocodile-infested Fitzroy River is controversial.

Russia has been allowed to join World Boxing, despite evidence that IBA President Umar Kremlev continues to exert control over the Russian Boxing Federation through Alexey Rubezhnoy, chairman of the organisation's Supervisory Board and the man in charge of Vladimir Putin's personal security.

Iran's FA terrorises its players and threatens their families, its NOC follows anti-discriminatory policies against women and regularly flouts #Olympic Charter. Both are under control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but the IOC and FIFA seem terrified of taking any action to stop them. ⬇️

The @paralympics.org President Andrew Parsons claimed he was “super empathetic” about situation Ukraine faced at #MilanCortina2026 after the return of Russia, but the authoritarian tone struck and the lecturing it faced did not sound like it to a country bombed throughout the Games. More details ⬇️

Situation with the Iranian women's football seeking asylum in Australia brings back memories of similar incident when more than 40 Hungarian athletes defected after 1956 #Olympics in Melbourne to avoid having to return to country occupied by Soviet forces who had crushed the Hungarian Revolution ⬇️

There's lots of pressure on #CaseyWasserman to step down as chair of the #Olympics Organising Committee at @la28games.bsky.social due to links with #JeffreyEpstein and #GhislaineMaxwell but his position is secure while retains support of the top executives, #ZeusFiles can reveal ⬇️

Russia's return under their own flag and the war in Middle East meant it was another politically charged Winter @paralympics.org Opening Ceremony at #MilanCortina2026. Philip Barker reports for the #ZeusFiles at (no paywall) duncanmackayveritas.substack.com/p/spectacula...

The build-up to the #MilanCortina2026 #Paralympics has been dominated by Russia, but IPC President Andrew Parsons wants to concentrate on the 50th anniversary of the 1st Winter Games, looking forward to the possibilities offered by @la28games.bsky.social and working more closely with the Olympics ⬇️

It’s #WorldBookDay2026 today so why not celebrate by snapping up my latest book, They Came From A Land Down Under, the story of how the @socceroos.bsky.social qualified for their first #WorldCup at West Germany 1974. There’s a great deal available at amzn.eu/d/0iufNcU7

Don't mention the war! There is something Pythonesque about how the IOC is trying to deal with the United States’ attack on Iran and how the @paralympics.org has risked ruining its own Games at #MilanCortina2026 with the readmission of Russia and Belarus while they are still attacking Ukraine. ⬇️

While IOC has kept silent following US attack on Iran, @paralympics.org again organise a Games under shadow of war. But it's war in Ukraine that remains set to have main impact on #MilanCortina2026 with latest row over uniforms designed by the President's favourite designer. More in Zeus Files ⬇️

The 12-year term of @sebcoe.bsky.social as the President of @worldathletics.org is not due to end until September 2027 but candidates to replace him can start campaigning from tomorrow. The #ZeusFiles looks at the potential contenders to replace him duncanmackayveritas.substack.com/p/on-your-ma...

I travelled to Stoke Mandeville to attend the #Paralympics lighting ceremony for #MilanCortina2026 and to try to investigate what Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympics, would think about Russia being allowed to compete at the Games. The answer might surprise you. Read more in #ZeusFiles ⬇️

Little time, little money, still searching for its first sponsor. No hope? It's not looking good for French Alps 2030 at the moment, but don't write them off yet. After all, few people expected #MilanCortina2026 to be the massive success it was. Read more in latest issue of the #ZeusFiles ⬇️

The Winter #Olympics in #MilanCortina2026 are over. Controversy continued right until the end with the White House posting a politically charged social media message after @usahockey.bsky.social beat neighbours @hockeycanada.bsky.social to claim the final gold medal of the Games. All the details ⬇️

There's growing acceptance that #MilanCortina2026 will be the last Winter #Olympics where sports have to be held exclusively on snow or ice, but plans to change the sports programme by the IOC are far more radical than revealed so far, with summer sports like volleyball moving to the Winter Games ⬇️

New chair of the IOC Athletes Commission is @paugasol.bsky.social, a genuine basketball legend having won three #Olympics medals and two @nba.com championships with the Lakers. His election means that he will sit on the IOC Executive Board until @la28games.bsky.social. More in latest #ZeusFiles ⬇️

There are 2 new IOC members after South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong & Estonian biathleteJohanna Talihärm were elected to join the IOC Athletes Commission during the #Olympics at #MilanCortina2026. More in this Free Friday edition of the #ZeusFiles duncanmackayveritas.substack.com/p/the-cappuc...

The #Paralympics is facing a global backlash after announcing it was allowing Russian and Belarus athletes to compete at #MilanoCortina2026. But Russia is growing increasingly confident that the IOC will lift its ban in time for the Olympics at @la28games.bsky.social . Read more in the #ZeusFiles ⬇️

The Epstein Files has left @la28games.bsky.social chair #CaseyWasserman battling to save his position. But with LA Mayor Karen Bass calling for him to step down that could ensure Donald Trump rallies behind him, leaving the #Olympics in the middle of a row between two enemies. Latest #ZeusFiles ⬇️