PANORAMA: Lyles explains season-ending injury; Duplantis explains withdrawal; U.S. mauls China, 94-61, in FIBA Women’s World Cup opener

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Athletics ● In an Instagram post, U.S. sprint star Noah Lyles explained his decision to shut down his season ahead of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship next week:

“It’s been kind of complicated.

“We thought it was very simple. Unfortunately, after running at USAs, we found out that I had a small strain, not very serious, and the rehab that we were putting together was going extremely well.

“Unfortunately, because of the strain, it caused some other things to flare up, and it’s made it hard for me to continue practicing. We’ve decided that we’ll just end the season here, get ready for 2027, 2028, which are going to be humongous years.”

Going into next week’s Ultimate Championship, Lyles is the world leader in the men’s 100 m with his 9.79 win at the USA Track & Field Nationals in New York on 24 July, then pulled up in the 200 m final the next day. His 2026 200 m best is 19.91, ranking 12th worldwide.

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At Friday’s Diamond League Final in Brussels, American shot star Chase Jackson blasted another American Record, this time 21.14 m (69-4 1/4) and she was happy:

“Right now adrenaline is still keeping me together, but when I get to the hotel I will probably start crying. …

“I have been training really well and was determined to show that I had an even bigger throw in me than the one I did last week. It´s amazing to be part of this generation of shot put women. Sarah Mitton [CAN] and I were laughing about it recently: there was a time when we were just competing against each other. Now all the women are bringing the heat.

“I think the biggest explanation for that high level is that coaches are learning to teach female athletes the rotation technique. The realization is there that we are different athletes that require a different approach.”

American discus star Valarie Sion, trying for a sixth straight Diamond League title, finished second, but saw a positive on the horizon:

“It was a tough competition. I think it´s always hard at the end of the season. I love to compete and I love the Diamond League. I really wanted to become a part of history and try to earn my sixth trophy but I think my body needs a break.

“In this moment I definitely feel sad, especially when it´s this close. I will definitely will be thinking about it for a while. Overall, my technique this year was not perfect. I knew what I had to do, but in moments with pressure I couldn´t rely on it.

“It’s always hard to end a season like this but it gives me extra motivation for next year. I love Brussels. It is the best. I am happy that I will have some time to visit the city before I come back to the stadium and watch the second day. I really want to enjoy my time and eat some chocolate, fries and waffles!”

Sweden’s pole vault maestro Mondo Duplantis had to withdraw and explained after:

“This problem in my leg started in London. It felt okay since then and I put a lot of work in, but the pain came back in Zurich. I pushed through it, probably a little bit too much.

“I said that if I felt this irritation during my warm-up, I wasn’t going to jump. Therefore, I made the difficult decision not to start. The worst possible thing to do is having to pull out of a competition. The fans wanted to see a good show and I wish I could deliver that. Unfortunately, I can´t do that right now.

“My head is everywhere right now. It´s super difficult but that’s life, that’s the life of an athlete. I try to stay calm and positive. We will see if I can make it to the Ultimate Championship. I don’t have the answer right now.”

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The USATF Foundation announced $750,000 in Elite Athlete Development Grants, awarded to 50 athletes, at $15,000 each:

“The Elite Athlete Development program provides support for emerging and mid-career athletes, with an ongoing commitment to easing the financial demands of training and competing at the elite level. Through direct financial assistance, the grants are designed to help athletes offset the costs associated with competing professionally and provide greater flexibility to focus on training, competition, and long-term development.”

New for 2026 are Ambassador Grants, awarding $10,000 each to nine “longtime Foundation-supported athletes who have distinguished themselves both on the world stage and through their commitment to the Foundation’s mission.”

● Basketball ● The U.S. women’s national team crushed China, 94-61, in its opening game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, in Berlin (GER), with guards Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard and Caitlin Clark all scoring 14 points and guard Jackie Young adding 12. Forward Angel Reese had nine rebounds and Clark had 11 assists.

The Americans were up 27-14 at half and 49-29 at halftime; China’s 7-3 center Ziyu Zhang had 13 points, along with forward Xinyu Luo, to lead their scoring.

It’s the 31st straight FIBA World Cup win for the U.S., the four-time defending champions.

● Cycling ● Belgian stat Wout van Aert won a final sprint against France’s Valentin Paret-Peintre to win Friday’s 13th stage of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana. They both covered the 192.8 km route to Loja in 4:34:00, 24 seconds up on third-placer Matthew Brennan (GBR), already a three-stage winner.

Race leader Enric Mas (ESP) remained 1:45 ahead of four-time winner Primoz Roglic (SLO) and 2:06 up on Felix Gall (AUT).

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