Today brought real competition into full view. The newswire from 2025 Summer Deaflympics pegged athletics finals at Tokyo — women’s 100 m victory for the Netherlands, and Japan’s Sasaki Takuma reacting after the men’s 100 m final. 

But despite the spectacle, the global sensors of sports media largely stayed quiet. With medals decided, the takeaway feels familiar: the athletes are making headlines, but the headlines aren’t making the athletes.