Lía and Mía Cueva, the bronze-medal twins at the Singapore World Cup

From the editorial staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a10

The feats of teenage athletes in our country are not an isolated topic, especially in the diving discipline. Just look at Guadalajara native Alejandra Orozco, who, at 15 years, three months, and 12 days old, made history by winning silver in synchronized platform diving at London 2012.

Like her, other athletes like Majo Sánchez reached the podium at a world competition before reaching adulthood. Joining the list were twins Mía and Lía Cueva, who at 14 years old won the bronze medal in the 3-meter synchronized springboard diving event at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

What takes many athletes decades to accomplish, the Guadalajara sisters were granted in their first appearance in this type of competition. With 294.36 points, the duo made history, consolidating vaulting as the discipline with the strongest results in recent Olympic cycles.

I was very nervous, but I managed to control it thanks to the support of my sister and my coach. The moment we stepped onto the trampoline, all the pressure was forgotten, and we focused on doing what we've practiced for so many years. This is the beginning of what we hope will be a great success story , shared Lía, who, along with her twin sister, became the youngest divers to reach the World Cup podium.

In the world of diving, where water becomes a canvas and every leap becomes a work of art, the twins earned a place among the elite. Despite their limited international experience, they came close to the Olympic bronze medalists, Britain's Yasmin Harper and Scarlet Mew Jensen, who took silver (298.35). China dominated the event with Yiwen Chen and Jia Chen (325.20).

Before the Jalisco women, the youngest athlete to reach the podium at a World Championships was Majo Sánchez, who at 14 won bronze alongside Diego Balleza in the synchronized mixed platform event at Gwangju 2019.

Since the Fukuoka World Championships in 2023, the tricolors have won 14 medals in the three recent World Aquatics Championships, surpassing Great Britain (11 medals) and Australia (8 medals) to consolidate their position as a world diving power.

It's not impossible to beat them, and with the talent of this new generation led by Osmar Olvera, it's very likely that we can compete for every gold medal in the next Olympic Games , shared Iván Baustista, architect of the twins' careers and another handful of Olympic medalists.

▲ Guadalajara natives Lía and Mía Cueva, during their participation in the World Aquatics Championships. Photo AP

Kevin Berlin and Randal Willars failed to reach the final. The pair missed their fifth dive in the synchronized platform event, which eliminated them.

Competition at Singapore 2025 will continue this morning with the synchronized mixed 3-meter springboard final, featuring the duo of Zyanya Parra and Olympic medalist Osmar Olvera, who is seeking his eighth world medal.

To date, the country has won four silver medals and two bronze medals, matching its tally at Doha 2024, where it won one gold, one silver, and four bronze medals.

Ledecky, invincible in the 1,500

American Katie Ledecky took the gold medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 15 minutes, 26.44 seconds. Italian Simona Quadarella took silver (15:31.79), while the bronze went to Lani Pallister of Australia (15:41.18).

I was just trying to get out fast, but still comfortable enough to get the gold. I love this event because it's where I broke my first world record in 2013 , the swimmer recalled.

It was Ledecky's second medal at these games, after winning bronze in the 400-meter freestyle, behind Summer McIntosh.

The numbers speak to the dominance of Ledecky, the most decorated swimmer in history who has been at the top for more than a decade. With yesterday's medal, she now holds 25 of the 26 best times in history in the 1,500 meters. Her time was the fifth fastest, not far from her world record of 15:20.48, set in 2018.

While the competitions were taking place at the OCBC Aquatic Center, World Aquatics held its annual meeting, where it officially recognized the Mexican Swimming Federation (FMN), headed by former diver Fernando Platas.

"It's a huge step toward transforming sports in the country ," Rommel Pacheco, head of the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports, commented on social media.

(With information from AP)

Arturo Sánchez and Néstor Jiménez

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a10

For the second consecutive day, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo yesterday congratulated the Mexican delegation for their medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. She highlighted the success of 14-year-old twins Mía and Lía Cueva, who won the bronze medal in synchronized diving on the three-meter springboard.

“We just won more medals. 'We just finished,' it's true, because we're all Mexican, and we're very proud of divers Mía and Lía,” she said at her press conference at the National Palace, where she requested a video of the athletes' participation be shown. She highlighted that the tricolor team has won six medals: four silver and two bronze.

▲ Moment when attacker Shane Tamura arrives at the Manhattan skyscraper with an assault rifle. AP Photo

Sputnik, AP and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a11

New York. The man who shot four people to death in a Manhattan office building left a note claiming to have a brain disorder linked to contact sports, most notably American football, and that his target was to attack NFL headquarters, but took the wrong elevator, authorities reported yesterday.

Investigators said Shane Tamura, the shooter, was a Las Vegas casino worker and had a handwritten note in his wallet stating he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and accusing the NFL of hiding the dangers of brain injuries linked to contact sports.

According to various excerpts cited by local media, in his letter, Tamura claimed that his time in American football caused him CTE, with symptoms such as headaches and forgetfulness. However, he never played in a professional league and only played at the college level.

The NFL ruined my life , Tamura wrote in his note, in which he also requested that his brain be studied.

In fact, the 27-year-old committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest, perhaps to preserve his brain mass so it could be examined in an autopsy, which is currently the only reliable way to confirm a diagnosis of this neurodegenerative disease.

In turn, CTE symptoms include depression, aggression, impulsiveness, memory loss, and, in extreme cases, violent or suicidal behavior.

While it remains to be seen what prompted Tamura to drive 4,000 kilometers from Las Vegas to New York, his case is reminiscent of a series of tragedies involving former athletes tormented by demons born from old wounds.

Perhaps the most notorious were those of Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams, both former New England Patriots players. The former was sentenced to life in prison for murder and committed suicide in his cell on April 18, 2017. His autopsy revealed he suffered from CTE.

In April 2021, Adams, also a former San Francisco 49ers player, killed five people in South Carolina, including two children, before committing suicide: his autopsy also showed he suffered from severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Chris Benoit, former WWE wrestling champion and a fixture in the show, showed severe brain damage, according to studies following his death; in 2007, he murdered his wife and seven-year-old son before hanging himself with the cables of his weight machine.

Junior Seau and Ray Sterling, who also starred in the NFL, didn't go so far as to murder anyone, but they did commit suicide after showing symptoms of depression and cognitive decline; both were diagnosed with CTE postmortem .

Latent risk

CTE is common in contact sports, especially in frequent blows to the head and neck, and there is gradually increasing awareness of its potential risk, not in the short term, but in the medium and long term , Mexican doctor Mario Mercader told Sputnik.

A regional expert in sports medicine, Mercader explained that there are specific protocols for dealing with concussions and other types of head trauma associated with contact sports, such as American football, boxing, and mixed martial arts.

Just because an athlete retires doesn't mean the risks are over: possible after-effects remain, and the best course of action is to monitor and follow up , added the president of the Mexico City Sports Medicine Association and staunch advocate of prevention in health matters.

In this regard, he praised the impact of the film Concussion , starring Will Smith, a decade ago, which highlighted brain damage caused by the accumulation of blows, collisions, headbutts and other harmful actions, but glorified by certain sports.

In the film, based on true events, Smith plays Nigerian doctor Bennet Omalu, who made the first diagnosis of CTE in Mike Webster, a former American football player who took his own life at age 50 due to recurring headaches, although his former team reported that he had died of a heart attack.

The film helped raise awareness among football fans, who eventually came to terms with the evidence and adopted stricter protocols to deal with concussions and protect athletes, even though the danger remains.

Sadness and condolences

NFL coaches and players, meanwhile, expressed their sadness and condolences Tuesday following the attack on the league's Manhattan office.

Several coaches , including Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets and Brian Daboll of the Giants, began their press conferences by referencing the shooting. Glenn expressed hope for a better morning, and Daboll called it a tragic event at 345 Park Avenue.

"I just want to start by addressing the senseless violence that occurred in New York ," said Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris. "We send our thoughts and prayers to everyone involved ."

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his thoughts and those of his staff are with those affected.

▲ Paulinho, who scored two goals and kissed Alexis Vega's head, and Jesús Gallardo celebrate the victory. Photo @Tolucafc

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a12

The Leagues Cup, created in 2019 by Liga MX and MLS, provisionally answers questions that are more relevant to the future of Mexican soccer than to the tournament itself. The most common ones relate to the growth of the United States in a sport with little tradition for its fans. Regardless of the regulatory changes and match saturation, victories by clubs like champion Toluca over the Columbus Crew, the reigning champions of the binational tournament (4-2 on penalties, 2-2 in regular time), are celebrated as further proof that there is still a very marked dividing line between the two nations.

From past World Cup eliminations to direct matches organized by CONCACAF, the rivalry that exists on both sides of the border is the same. The Diablos found their best form late on at Lower Field in Ohio, but when they did, the two-goal advantage of the home team, Columbus, crumbled. Portuguese forward Paulinho (71st and 80th) was responsible for catching up with Diego Rossi (11th, from a penalty) and Maximilian Arfsten (48th), who scored in a very favorable first half, to take the lead. In almost identical plays, the Scarlet striker finished as best he could inside the home team's penalty box.

The reaction of the Liga MX Champion of Champions dampened the momentum of the current Leagues Cup defending champion. With the score tied in the 90th minute, the regular penalty shootout ended the Mexicans' great comeback. Alexis Vega, Jesús Gallardo, Marcel Ruiz, and Helinho all converted shots from the penalty spot, while goalkeeper Luis Manuel García saved two of the Americans' shots. Rossi, who scored the first goal, ended with a pair of missed shots throughout the match, one of them in regulation time.

In Canada, León couldn't keep up the momentum against Montreal, drawing 1-1 and then losing 7-6 on penalties. Puebla, one of the lowest-scoring teams at the start of Liga MX, did so in New Jersey. La Franja upset New York City FC 3-0 with goals from Juan Manuel Fedorco (2), Emiliano Gómez (38), and Owen González (87) at the Red Bull Arena.

Pumas begins its adventure today

Before beginning his Leagues Cup adventure against Orlando City, former player and manager trained at Pumas Cantera, Efraín Juárez, made it clear that he doesn't intend to shoulder pressures that are foreign to him. "We've been at the club for months; we can't be thinking about the 14 years without a title ," he stated in a press conference via Zoom from Florida, referring to the time the university club has gone without winning a trophy in Mexican soccer (Clausura 2011, against Morelia).

We're excited about reaching the championship, but this is a rebuilding process. We're prepared for what might happen. Only four of 18 teams advance in this tournament; it's not easy. It'll help us continue to get to know each other and think about the future of Pumas, understanding the challenges we face due to the different climates and overloads. We can win a trophy in six games; let's take it step by step .

Under the revamped Leagues Cup format, each team is guaranteed three matches against opponents from the opposing league. The top eight teams—four per group—at the end of the first phase advance directly to the quarterfinals, and three of them will secure a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

In addition to the host Orlando City, UNAM will face Atlanta United on Saturday and play their third match on Wednesday against Inter Miami, led by Argentine star Lionel Messi. This first stage will take place from July 29 to August 7, with the finals continuing on the 19th of the same month.

(With information from Alberto Aceves)

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a12

The city of Las Vegas, Nevada, known for its numerous casinos and large entertainment venues, is expected to host the 2026 World Cup draw on December 5, with The Sphere music and light arena the preferred venue, according to international media reports. FIFA, however, has not yet confirmed the host designation.

When the United States hosted the 1994 World Cup, the ceremony also took place at the so-called Game City . TUDN reported that The Sphere, a 17,600-seat venue, is considered the preferred venue for the ceremony.

Inaugurated in 2023 by the Irish band U2, the famous state-of-the-art sphere features a 54,000-square-meter screen. If confirmed, this will be the first time a FIFA World Cup draw has been held in such a futuristic setting.

In 1994, the group and participant allocation was organized in Las Vegas, even though the city did not host any matches. This situation will also apply to next year's tournament. As this is the first tournament with 48 teams from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a total of 12 groups of four nations will be drawn.

For FIFA, which has sought for years to transform every stage of the World Cup into a global spectacle, the choice of venue makes strategic sense. It will host not only representatives of the 48 qualifying federations, but also media from around the world, former players, coaches, sponsors, and officials.

At the beginning of the year, the governing body of soccer notified the cities of Monterrey and Vancouver (Canada), which had submitted bids, that they had been rejected from hosting the ceremony. Since then, Las Vegas has emerged as one of the strongest options.

▲ The Brazilian women's national team advanced to the Copa América final after beating Uruguay 5-1 in a match played at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium. The goals came from the boots of Amanda Gutierrez (11 and 65), Giovana Queiroz (13) – pictured here battling for the ball with Ángela Gómez –, Marta Viera da Silva (27), and Dudinha (86). The Canarinha will compete for the crown on Saturday against Colombia. Photo: AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, p. a12