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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● International Ski & Snowboard Federation President Johan Eliasch (GBR) voiced concerns over snow preparation for Freestyle skiing in Livigno at the Winter Games, telling the Italian news service ANSA:
“The Italian government and the regions organizing the Games still have a lot of work to do and need to speed up the process. There’s a problem with snow production, and there have been delays. Unfortunately, the Italian government hasn’t allocated any funds, so [the organizers] are struggling to make ends meet, which is a shame. We call them three times a day: morning, noon, and evening.”
The Mayor of Livigno, Remo Galli told the Italian news service ANSA: “I know our area and I’m not at all worried; we’ll have all the snow we need to host a great Olympics. In early December, we inaugurated the Monte Sponda snowmaking basin. A valve had to be replaced, but for a few evenings, all the cannons have been working and everything is going perfectly. Livigno is at 1,800 meters, and temperatures will drop further in the coming weeks, so I’m very optimistic.”
● Athletics ● Arkansas’ Jordan Anthony and Alabama’s Doris Lemngole won the men’s and women’s Bowerman Award for 2025, presented during the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association convention in Grapevine, Texas.
Anthony won the NCAA Indoor 60 m and then the outdoor 100 m and had an amazing 9.75w (+2.1) performance at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Kenya’s Lemngole won the NCAA women’s Steeple title and became the first to break the 9:00 barrier at 8:58.15. She also set the collegiate women’s indoor 5,000 record and won the NCAA Indoor title as well.
● Basketball ● The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class, including seven star players and one coach:
● Sue Bird (USA)
● Celine Dumerc (FRA)
● Clarisse Machanguana (MOZ)
● Dirk Nowitzki (GER)
● Ismenia Pauchard (CHI)
● Hedo Turkoglu (TUR)
● Wang Zhizhi (CHN)
● Coach: Ludwik Mietta-Mikolajewicz (POL)
Bird, of course, won five golds with the U.S. Olympic teams in 2004-08-12-16-20 as the point guard as well as four FIBA World Cup titles. She retired after the Tokyo 2020 Games.
This class will be inducted on 21 April 2026 in Berlin (GER).
● Football ● The Swiss Federal Tribunal dismissed the appeal of former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke (FRA), who was found guilty of bribery regarding the same of television rights for the 2018-22-26-30 FIFA World Cups in Italy and 2026-30 in Greece, for €1.25 million (~$1.464 million U.S.), between 2013-15.
Valcke’s guilt on bribery was confirmed by the appeals chamber of the Federal Criminal Court, which sentenced him to 11-month suspended sentence and a suspended fine. The question of confiscation of the bribe amount must be decided later.
● Gymnastics ● World Gymnastics President Morinari Watanabe (JPN) posted a year-end message, calling 2025 a “year defined by innovation, global growth and unity.”
He did, however, mention the failure of the Indonesian government to allow Israel to compete at the World Artistic Championships in Jakarta in October:
“Artistic Gymnastics held its World Championships for the first time in Southeast Asia, in Indonesia. This milestone event, once again marked by unprecedented participation, significantly strengthened the growth of gymnastics in the Asian region. It was regrettable that not all National Federations were able to attend, notably Israel. We must continue to uphold the independence of our sport from political influence, and our organisation together with the global gymnastics family, remains committed to supporting all athletes worldwide.”
He also signaled a new area of possible expansion for the federation:
“Toward the end of the year, many of our officials attended a Pilates event in Turkiye, reaffirming the need for a global gymnastics convention. At the same time, our federation reflected on its traditionally conservative structure and has begun a transformation toward a more open, sustainable organisation with a long-term vision.”
The Pilatres market worldwide was estimated at $11.8 billion in 2023 with growth to $30 billion by 2030.
● Handball ● Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa, 81, was elected for a seventh term as International Handball Federation President, winning 129 votes to 24 for Franc Bobinac (SLO), 20 for Gerd Butzeck (GER) and three for Tjark de Lange (NED).
It had been thought that a vote on the return of Russian and Belarusian teams to IHF competitions might be taken, but the issue was pushed off to the spring.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● The women’s World Cup was in Val d’Isere (FRA), with Austria’s Cornelia Huetter getting her 10th career World Cup win in Saturday’s Downhill in 1:41.54, ahead of Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER: 1:41.80) and U.S. star Lindsey Vonn (1:41.89). Said Vonn afterwards:
“I thought I skied well in the middle, and then on the bottom I was carrying a lot of speed and with the light, I didn’t quite see the terrain, and I lost my balance.
“It cost me probably half a second or more so I’m disappointed in myself for that mistake. But when you’re going fast, anything can happen and I’m just happy that I hung on to the podium and the red [leader] bib.”
Vonn showed she is going to be a contender in the Super-G on Sunday, finishing third in 1:20.60, behind 2018 Olympic Downhill champion Sofia Goggia (ITA: 1:20.24) and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson (1:20.39). Fellow American Keely Cashman was 11th (1:21.20).
It was Vonn’s first Super-G medal of the season and her second since 2018.
¶
The men’s World Cup tour was in Val Gardena (ITA) with a big weekend for four-time defending World Cup champion Marco Odermatt (SUI). He won the Thursday Downhill in 1:24.48, just ahead of countryman and 2025 World Champion, Franjo von Allmen (1:24.63) and Italian star Dominik Paris (1:24.67). Kyle Negomir was the top American, in 11th (1:25.39).
It was Odermatt’s 50th career World Cup gold; he’s now in a tie for fourth all-time on the men’s win list with Italian star Alberto Tomba (ITA: 1986-98). But he wasn’t done.
Friday’s Super-G was the first-ever World Cup medal for Czech Jan Zabystran, in 1:24.86 with Odermatt second at 1:25.08; Negomir was 19th (1:25.95). Saturday’s second Downhill belonged to von Allmen in 1:58.67, with Odermatt second again in 1:58.97; Negomir was 16th in 2:00.52.
¶
The men’s tour moved to Alta Badia (ITA) on Sunday for a Giant Slalom and then a Slalom on Monday. Sunday’s race went to Austria’s Marco Schwarz, now 30 and a seven-time Worlds medal winner, who won his seventh career World Cup gold in 2:35.02 after leading the first run. He held on with Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathan second (2:35.20) and Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT: 2:35.24) third. River Radamus was the top American, in seventh (2:35.89).
● Badminton ● The BWF World Tour Finals were in Hangzhou (CHN), with a surprise win in the men’s Singles by Christo Popov (FRA) over defending champion Yu Qi Shi (CHN), 21-19, 21-9. It’s Popov’s third career win on the BWF World Tour and his first in a tournament above the 300 level!
The women’s title went to 2021 champion and reigning Olympic champ Se Young An (KOR), who defeated defending champ Zhi Yi Wang (CHN), 21-13, 18-21, 21-10.
The men’s Doubles went to top-seeded Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo (KOR), 21-18, 21-14, over Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang (CHN), while Koreans Ha Na Baek and So Hee Lee defended their 2024 title in the women’s Doubles, beating Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto (JPN), 21-17, 21-11.
The Mixed Doubles went to second-seeded Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang (CHN) over Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei (CHN), 21-12, 21-17.
● Biathlon ● Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn, 26, has exploded in his second season in the IBU World Cup, and extended his overall seasonal lead in Annecy (FRA).
He won the men’s 12.5 km Pursuit on Saturday, in 31:20.8 (0 penalties), ahead of Emilien Jacquelin (FRA: 31:38.4/3) and fellow Norwegian Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (31:38.7/2). American Campbell Wright was 16th (32:48.4/2).
The 10 km Sprint was a Norwegian 1-2, with Vetle Christiansen winning in 25:00.6 (0), followed by Dale-Skjevdal (25:04.1/2). Jacquelin was third (25:05.6/1) and Botn was fourth (25:06.6/0). Wright was 20th.
Sunday’s 15 km Mass Start was the second win of the season for Tommaso Giacomel (ITA), winning in 33:35.1 (1) over Eric Perrot (FRA: 33:53.2/0) and Christiansen (33:56.4/2). Wright was seventh (34:19.1/2).
Three-time women’s Worlds gold medalist Hanna Oberg (SWE) won the women’s 7.5 km Sprint in 19:24.9 (0), followed by four-time Worlds relay gold winner Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA: 19:28.2/0) and Italy’s four-time Worlds gold medalist Dorothea Weirer (19:36.3/0).
In the 10 km Pursuit, Jeanmonnot got her first win of the season in in 27:58.8 (1), beating Finn Suvi Minkkinen (28:29.0/0) and Wierer (28:31.5/1). The 12.5 km Mass Start was the first win of the season for Maren Kirkeedie (NOR: 32:53.2/1), just ahead of Jeanmonnot (32:53.5/1) and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA: 32:54.0/1). American Deedra Irwin was 13th in 33:15.9 (2).
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Two-time Olympic gold medalist Francesco Friedrich (GER, with Alexander Schuller) finally got a win in the Two-Man racing at the IBSF World Cup in Sigulda (LAT), overcoming countryman Johannes Lochner’s sled (with Thorsten Margis) for the first time this season, 1:38.97 to 1:39.20. Adam Ammour completed the German sweep in 1:39.39. Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson of the U.S. finished fifth in 1:39.62.
Sunday’s second Two-Man had Lochner winning for the third time this season (with Georg Fleischauer) in 1:38.84, ahead of Friedrich (1:39.37) and Ammour (1:39.66) for another German sweep, the fourth in a row this season. Del Duca had the top U.S. finish, in fifth with Hunter Powell, in 1:39.90.
New Zealand’s Breeana Walker got her second straight World Cup win in the women’s Monobob in 1:46.48, over two-time World Champion Laura Nolte (GER: 1:46.59). Elana Meyers Taylor (1:46.73) and Kaillie Armbruster Humphries (1:46.79) finished 5-6.
In the Two-Women racing, Armbruster Humphries broke through – with Emily Renna – for the win in 1:42.80, beating 2018 Olympic champ Lisa Buckwitz (1:43.07, with Lauryn Siebert) and Nolte (1:43.08, with Leonie Kluwig). Americans Elana Meyers Taylor and former Notre Dame heptathlete Jadin O’Brien were 0.02 back in fourth (1:43.10).
It was Armbruster Humphries’ 31st World Cup Two-Woman race win, but the first since she turned 40 on 4 September. It was also Renna’s first win.
Two sets of Skeleton races were held to make up for the cancellation of the Innsbruck stop. Britain and Belgium were the big winners, as two-time World Champion Matt Weston (1:40.35) and 2025 Worlds runner-up Marcus Wyatt (1:41.17) went 1-2 in the first men’s race and then Wyatt won the second over Weston, 1:41.37 to 1:41.51. Austin Florian was the top American, in 14th and 13th places.
Belgian Kim Meylemans, the 2024 Worlds runner-up, won both women’s races in 1:43.90 and 1:44.16, beating Tabitha Stoecker (GBR: 1:44.24) in the first race and 2025 Worlds bronze winner Anna Fernstadt (CZE: 1:44.24) in the second. Mystique Ro and Kelly Curtis of the U.S. tied for 15th in the first race, their best finish of the weekend.
● Curling ● At the Grand Slam of Curling Canadian Open in Saskatoon, four-time World Champion Silvana Tirinzoni’s Swiss rink finally got the tournament trophy, winning in her fifth women’s final, 7-1 over Japan’s Olympic silver winner Satsuki Fujisawa.
Scotland’s Ross Whyte, the men’s Olympic runner-up in 2022, faced Swiss Yannick Schwaller, the 2025 Worlds runner-up, in the men’s final. Whyte had a 2-1 lead after four, but Schwaller exploded for four points in the fifth and that was decisive, on the way to a 7-4 win and his first Grand Slam of Curling gold.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The U.S. scored a 1-2 finish at the FIS men’s World Cup Halfpipe in Copper, Colorado, with two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira getting the win at 91.50, ahead of teammate Hunter Hess (89.00) and Canada’s Andrew Longino (84.00). Women’s World Champion Zoe Atkin (GBR) won the women’s event, scoring 89. 25, to beat Indra Brown (AUS: 80.00). Kate Gray of the U.S. was fifth (72.25).
¶
The second World Cup in Aerials was in Secret Garden (CHN), with the home favorites 1-2 in the men’s final, with Tianma Lee (128.01) and Olympic champ Guangpu Qi (120.80) and two-time World Champion Noe Roth (SUI: 110.67) in third. Quinn Dehlinger of the U.S. was fifth (95.47).
China swept the women’s competition, with 2023 World Champion Fanyu Kong (102.17), Meiting Chen (97.45) and Olympic champ Mengtao Xu (97.02) taking the medals. Kalia Kuhn was the top American, in seventh (78.75).
In the Sunday Team event, China went 1-2, with the U.S. (Kuhn, Ashton Salwan, Connor Curran) third, 315.35 to 308.49 to 267.41.
¶
Three-time seasonal champion Reece Howden (CAN) won his second straight FIS World Cup men’s Ski Cross final on Saturday in Innichen (ITA), beating Swiss Alex Fiva, the Olympic silver winner, in the final. On Sunday, Howden doubled up, defeating 2023 Worlds silver winner Florian Wilmsmann (GER) in the gold-medal final.
The women’s Saturday racing saw the third career World Cup gold for France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel, over two-time World Champion Fanny Smith (SUI) in the final. For the first time in four races this season, Sweden’s Olympic champ Sandra Naeslund didn’t win, but she took the bronze.
Sunday saw Naeslund get back to the top of the podium, winning over Olympic and Worlds bronzer Daniela Maier (GER) in the final.
● Luge ● The FIL World Cup continued in the U.S. for the second straight week, in Lake Placid, New York, with a stunning, first-time win for Americans Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa in the men’s Doubles. They led after the first run and had the third-fastest second run to win in 1:27.509, ahead of Latvia’s 2025 Worlds silver men Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (1:27.567). Said Haugsjaa:
“We were so nervous before the second run; it was the first time we were the last ones sitting at the top. But we are so proud that we made it down the run and were able to clinch our first World Cup victory in front of this great crowd.”
Two-time Olympic champ Felix Loch (1:41.766) led a German 1-2 in the men’s Singles, with two-time World Champion Max Langehan second at 1:41.820. Jonny Gustafson and Tucker West went 8-9 for the U.S. in 1:42.379 and 1:42.442.
The women’s Singles went to eight-time Worlds gold medalist Julia Taubitz in 1:28.824, coming from third to first on the final run. American Ashley Farquharson got onto the podium for a second straight week and took silver in 1:28.956 while teammate Summer Britcher moved from sixth to third on her second run for the bronze in 1:29.054. Third American Emily Fischnaller got fourth in 1:29.071.
In the women’s Doubles, two-time World Champions Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (AUT) led after the first run, ahead of 2025 Doubles Worlds bronze winner Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina (GER), and they finished that way, with Egle and Kipp at 1:28.310 and the Germans at 0.284 seconds behind. Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby won the bronze, moving up from fourth after the first run in 1:29.119. The second U. S. sled of Maya Chen and Sophia Gordon fell from third to fifth on the second run.
In the Mixed Singles, German sleds went 1-2 with Langenhan and Merle Fraebel winning, followed by Loch and Taubitz. West and Britcher finished fourth for the U.S.
● Nordic Combined ● The FIS World Cup circuit was in Ramsau (AUT), with Austria continuing its season-opening streak of men’s winners, with Thomas Rettenegger taking his second gold, scoring 148.0 points in the mass start 10 km race and 98 m jumping. Norway’s Jens Oftebro was second (126.9), and younger brother Stefan Rettenegger was third (129.2).
On Saturday, Beijing 2022 Normal Hill gold medalist Vinzenz Geiger (GER) got the win in the Gundersen 82 m jumping and 10 km race, in 23:36.7, with Oftebro just behind in second (23:36.8) and seasonal leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT: 23.45.1) in third.
The women’s Mass Start 5 km and 98 m jumping on Friday went to Norway’s Ida Marie Hagen, who for her second win of the season at 127.2 points, with American Alexa Brabec (21) in second place (126.7), beating Finn Minja Korhonen (123.6). Fellow American Aniika Malacinski was 11th (110.3).
Saturday’s Gundersen 5 km and 98 m jumping was a repeat at 1-2, with Hagen winning in 14:41.9, then Brabec at 15:00.6 and Natalie Armbruster (GER: 15:15.4) in third. Malacinski was 11th again (16:23.4).
That’s three medals this season for Brabec, in four events, a true breakthrough for the U.S. Women’s Nordic Combined is not on the Milan Cortina Winter Games program.
● Ski Jumping ● Slovenian star Domen Prevc continued his win streak at the FIS World Cup in Engelberg (SUI). Jumping off the 140 m hill on Saturday, the 2025 World Champion won his fifth straight World Cup, scoring 330.2 points to 326.4 for German Felix Hoffmann and 318.1 for Ren Nikiaido (JPN). Jason Colby was an encouraging seventh for the U.S. (313.9).
Sunday’s jumping saw Japan’s 2022 Olympic Champion, Ryoyu Kobayashi strop the streak, winning at 310.0, coming from fifth to first on his second jump. Prevc (306.4) finished second and Felix Hoffmann (GER: 303.8) was third. Kevin Bickner was 29th for the U.S.
The breakout women’s star this season in Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama, who took her fifth win in nine events this season at 274.9, barely edging double World Champion Nika Prevc (SLO: 273.2) and Anna Odine Stroem (NOR: 267.0). Paige Jones of the U.S. was 27th (189.4).
Prevc came back to win on Sunday, at 281.4, followed by Stroem (267.4) and Germany’s 2023 World Champion Katharina Schmid (247.9).
● Snowboard ● Japan went 1-2 in the Friday men’s FIS World Cup Halfpipe in Copper, Colorado, with Ryusei Yamada (19) winning at 94.50, and 2021 World Champion Yuto Totsuka second at 90.50. Chase Blackwell was the top American, in fifth, at 79.00.
Korea’s Ga-on Choi (17) won for the second straight time this season, scoring 94.50, ahead of Olympic bronzer Sena Tomita (JPN: 88.75) and American newcomer Bea Kim (18: 75.25) winning her second career World Cup medal.
¶
In the first Parallel Slalom of the season, in Davos (SUI), two-time Worlds silver winner Arvid Auner (AUT) won for the first time this season, ahead of Italian Gabriel Messner in the gold final. Italy’s Aaron March was third and won a medal for the fourth time in five races this season.
Italy got the women’s gold, from World Team medal winner Elisa Caffont, beating Zuzana Maderova (CZE) in the final.
● Table Tennis ● At the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, Korea’s Minseo Oh won the see-saw men’s Singles final, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 3-11, 10-12 and 11-8 over Koyo Manamitsu (JPN), while defending champion (and 10-time Worlds medal winner) Yan Guo (CHN) took the women’s title, 12-10, 8-11, 13-11, 11-2, 16-14 over Chen Sun of the U.S.
Nandan Naresh and Daniel Tran won the men’s Doubles, and Chengzhu Zhu (HKG) won in the Women’s Doubles (with Sun) and in the Mixed Doubles (with Jishan Liang).
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