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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The PalaItalia Santagiulia Arena in Milan was finally put to the test on Friday with final-four Italian Cup matches, but with the first game briefly delayed during the first period due to a hole in the ice near one of the goals.
It was patched and the games went on, with NHL staff on hand to monitor the ice. One of the players, Kaltern-Caldaro center Florian Wieser posted on X:
“It was a small hole that was fixed in five minutes. Ice was really good, I was surprised how good it was and it will only get better.”
International Olympic Committee Sports Director Pierre Ducrey (SUI) said he was fully confident in the progress of the arena, explaining, “We knew exactly where the venue would be at this stage, and we are pleased with the progress. A lot more progress will be done so that we are absolutely ready for Games time.”
International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif (FRA) said last week that the facility will seat 11,800 rather than 14,000 as expected, but that the conditions for the players will be fine. He added Sunday:
“We know how it’s difficult to have a high level of quality of ice for the third game of the third period. Yesterday that was a good test because that was fantastic, the puck was sliding, it was not bumping. So we’ll go back in Zurich happy and confident.
“We’re going to make a report, but yesterday that was a test, so there is no reason that NHL will not come. … We want to make sure about the quality of ice, the security for the players, doesn’t matter where they come from. So now I can say we’re ready for the competition.”
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Famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli was announced Sunday as a performer at the Milan Cortina 2026 opening in Milan, joining U.S. pop star Mariah Carey in the program on 6 February.
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Tragedy in Cortina last Thursday as a security guard near a construction site near an Olympic site died during an overnight shift, apparently due to a heart attack.
It was exceptionally cold – 10.4 F – and the 55-year-old guard was on duty at a location near the Cortina ice arena. Organizing committee chief executive Andrea Varnier told reporters, “At the moment, the information we have from the emergency services is it was a death caused by natural causes … while he was on site.”
● Athletics ● Grand Slam Track filed a motion on Friday for the appointment – by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware – of Irvine, California-based Force Ten Partners to assist in the Chapter 11 reorganization efforts.
The filing noted:
“[T]he Debtor intends to propose a chapter 11 plan of reorganization in this Chapter 11 Case, and concurrently, market its assets for a potential sale. …
“Force 10 and the CRO will assist the Debtor in connection with the marketing and sale of the Debtor’s assets concurrently with assisting the Debtor to prepare and confirm a chapter 11 plan. Force 10 and Mr. Rubin have extensive experience assisting chapter 11 debtors in connection with the marketing and sale of assets and conducting a bidding, auction, and sale process in chapter 11 cases, and the Debtor believes that Force 10 and Mr. Rubin present the most efficient, expeditious, and effective option for the Debtor to conduct a marketing and sale process.”
Prior filings showed $31.4 million in debt to more than 200 creditors, with lead investor Winners Alliance loaning another $3 million to assist in the bankruptcy process.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● The U.S. women sent a message at the FIS World Cup Downhill in Zauchensee (AUT), with the amazing Lindsey Vonn scoring the win – her second of the year – in 1:06.24, taking the lead from Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR: 1:06.61).
Coming 16th in the order was fellow American Jacqueline Wiles, who roared to the bronze in 1:06.72, and 2025 World Champion Breezy Johnson showed well in seventh (1:06.94). Wiles, 33, won her fourth career World Cup medal and her first in two years; please note that two of those four World Cup podiums were at the Olympic site of Cortina d’Ampezzo, in 2018 and 2024. Johnson has been in the top seven in three of her five Downhills this season.
Vonn logged career World Cup win no. 84. Sunday’s Super-G had to be canceled due to heavy snow overnight and strong winds on Sunday.
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The men’s World Cup action was in Adelboden (SUI), with Swiss star – and four-time World Cup overall champion – Marco Odermatt (SUI) winning his sixth race of the season in the Giant Slalom, in 2:31.23, just ahead of Brazil’s Lucas Braathen (2:31.72) and Leo Anguenot (FRA: 2:31.91). River Radamus was the top American, at 2:32.90 in seventh.
The Sunday Slalom was the second win of the season for France’s Paco Rassat, who hadn’t won a medal until this season, at age 27! Fourth after the first run, he won the second run and timed 1:51.22 to beat Atlie McGrath (NOR: 1:51.40) and Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR: 1:51.42).
● Athletics ● Sweden’s Andreas Almgren moved to no. 7 on the all-time list with an emphatic, European record 26:45 victory in the 10K Valencia in Spain on Sunday.
He passed 5 km in 13:29, then pulled away from Khairi Bejiga (ETH) with about 1,000 m left and won decisively. Bejiga was second in 26:51 and Victor Kipruto (KEN: 27:16) was third. Almgren’s time is the ninth-fastest race ever.
Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir took the lead early and maintained a steady lead on Likina Amebaw (ETH) and held it to the finish, winning by 29:25 to 29:30, moving to no. 4 and no. 6 on the all-time list (performances nos. 6 and 9 all-time). Claire Ndiwa (KEN) was third in 29:49, now no. 16 all-time.
● Badminton ● A surprise ending at the BWF World Tour Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, as men’s top seed Yu Qi Shi (CHN) – the 2025 World Champion – had to retire due to an injury in the second set, after losing the first set, 23-21 to Paris 2024 runner-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA), and trailing by 6-1 in set no. two.
Olympic champ Se Young An (KOR) continued her dominance with a 21-15, 24-22 win over second-seeded Zhi Yi Wang (CHN) in the women’s final.
In the men’s Doubles, top seed Korea won in three sets over Malaysia, top-seeded China swept Korea in the women’s Doubles and top-seed China won the Mixed Doubles.
● Biathlon ● Italy’s Tomasso Giacomel, the 2025 20 km Worlds runner-up, made a statement at the IBU World Cup in Oberhof (GER), winning the men’s 10 km Sprint and 12.5 km Pursuit to make it three wins in a row and four on the season.
He took the Sprint in 25:01.7 (1 penalty) over Philipp Nawrath (GER: 25:14.9/1) and Johannes Dale-Skjavdal (NOR: 25:26.9/1); Campbell Wright of the U.S. was 10th (25:2.5/2). Giacomel then won the Pursuit in a tight finish with Norway’s Martin Uldal, 37:15.4 (6) to 37:19.9 (4); Wright was the top American again, in 21st (38:57.2/3).
Norway won the men’s 4×7.5 km relay over France, 1:20:29.1 (7) to 1:20:31.7 (9); the U.S. was seventh in 1:22:18.2 (10).
The women’s Sprint was the first win of the season for Swede Elvira Oberg, the Beijing Olympic Sprint runner-up, finishing in 22:00.6 (0) over Finn Suvi Minkkinen (22:21.7/0), with Luci Anderson of the U.S. in 21st (23:25.7/1).
Sunday’s 10 km Pursuit saw Oberg make it two in a row, winning again over Minkkinen, 31:38.5 (1) to 31:55.1 (1), with sister Hanna Oberg in third in 32:43.0 (2).
France won the women’s 4×6 km by 53.7 seconds over Norway in 1:18:21.9 (8); the U.S. was sixth in 1:21:18.8 (9), its best performance since 2022.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The U.S. posted its second win in the Two-Woman IBSF World Cup this season in St. Moritz (SUI), with two-time Olympic winner Kaillie Armbruster Humphries teaming with Jasmine Jones to time 2:18.40 over Melanie Hasler and Nadja Pasternack (SUI: 2:18.41) and Germany’s 2022 Olympic champs Laura Nolte and new partner Leonie Kluwig (2:18.43). Americans Kaysha Love and Emily Renna were eighth in 2:19.17 and Elana Meyers Taylor and Jadin O’Brien finished 10th (2:19.37).
Australia’s Bree Walker continued her success in the women’s Monobob, winning her third World Cup of the season in 2:23.27, just ahead of Hasler (2:23.80). Armbruster Humphries, the 2022 Olympic champ, was fourth in 2:23.99 and Meyers Taylor was ninth (2:24.46).
German sleds went 1-2 in the men’s Two and Four, with Johannes Lochner winning the Two-Man with Georg Fleischhauser in 2:12.24 for their fifth win in six events this season. Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich, with Alexander Schuller, finished second (2:13.02). Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson had the top U.S. finish, in seventh at 2:13.81.
The Four-Man went to Adam Ammour for the first time this season, after three prior medals, in 2:09.51, over Lochner (2:09.58). Del Duca’s sled was 16th (2:10.81). The U.S. squad with Kris Horn driving was disqualified on the first run as the other three members of the team were unable to get into the sled in time and fell off on the first turn. No serious injuries were reported.
In the added Skeleton racing after prior cancellations, Britain’s two-time World Champion Matt Weston won on Friday (9th) for his fifth gold in six races this season in 2:16.58, with Italian Amedeo Bagnis again second, in 2:17.49. Austin Florian was the top American, in 10th in 2:18.43.
The women’s victory went to Belgium’s Kim Meylemans for the third time this season in 2:21.01, ahead of first-time seasonal medalist Kelly Curtis of the U.S. (2:22.12). Teammate Mystique Ro was 11th (2:22.77). China won the Mixed Team race in 2:26.16 over Germany (2:26.25), with Ro and Florian fifth (2:26.66) and Curtis and Nicholas Tucker eighth in 2:27.33.
● Cross Country Skiing ● The U.S. national champs were in Lake Placid, New York, with big performances by Zanden McMullen and Samantha Smith.
McMullen won the men’s Free Sprint over Owen Young by 2:41.42 to 2:42.56, then won the 20 km Freestyle Mass Start in 47:37.0, with Mons Melbye second in 47:37.7. Hunter Wonders took the Classical 10 km in 25:28.8 over Luke Jager (25:30.2) and John Schwinghamer won the Classical Sprint in 2:52.91, with Pierre Grall-Johnson second in 2:53.37.
Smith won the Freestyle Sprint in 3:06.96 from Alayna Sonnesyn (3:08.75) and then the Classical Sprint in 3:14.95 with Katherine Weaver the closest in 3:21.58 for second. Hailey Swibul won the women’s Classical 10 km in 28:42.5 over Erica Laven (29:14.4) and Novie McCabe took the Freestyle 20 km Mass Start in 54:31.6.
● Curling ● At the World Curling Mixed Doubles Qualification Event in Dumfries (SCO), four teams advanced to the 2026 Worlds in Switzerland in April: China, France, Hungary and the Netherlands.
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At the Grand Slam of Curling Players Championship in Steinbach (CAN) – the final event of the 2025-26 season – Scotland’s Ross Whyte faced off in the final against fellow Scot Kyle Waddell and managed a 6-3 win for their second-ever Grand Slam gold, thanks to two-point ends in the third and sixth. Waddell’s rink got the silver in their second-ever Grand Slam final.
The women’s final was a battle between Switzerland’s four-time world champion team skipped by Silvana Tirinzoni and Canada’s Kerri Einarson, a two-time Worlds bronze winner. Tirinzoni jumped ahead 2-0 in the first end and added one in the second, two in the fourth and one more in the sixth of a 6-4 win. It’s the third straight Players Championship win for Tirinzoni’s rink.
● Fencing ● The U.S. had a big weekend!
The FIE World Cup circuit fired up in Fujariah (UAE) in Epee for men and women with a first-time men’s gold for 28-year-old Dane Conrad Kongstad, who defeated Matteo Galassi (ITA) by 15-13 in the final. France’s Marie-Florence Candassamy took the women’s crown, 15-10, against Alberta Santuccio (ITA). The 2023 World Champion, it’s the first World Cup gold for Candassamy.
The U.S. women took the team gold, with Kyle Fallon, Hadley Husisian, Catherine Nixon and Leehi Machulsky recording a 45-40 win over South Korea. The men’s Team gold went to Switzerland, with a 45-24 win over Italy.
American Olympic Foil champ Lee Kiefer won the women’s World Cup in Hong Kong, taking the final in a 15-12 duel with Francesca Palumbo (ITA). Kiefer, 31 now, claimed her sixth career World Cup gold and 25 medal! The U.S. team of Kiefer, Jaelyn Liu, Carolina Stutchbury and Lauren Scruggs won the Team bronze, with Italy defeating France, 45-22, for the title.
American men’s Olympic star Alexander Massialas, silver winner in 2016, won his 10th career World Cup gold in the men’s Foil in Paris (FRA), defeating Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi by 15-10 in the final. It’s Massialas’ third World Cup gold in Paris. Massialas led the U.S. team – with Nick Itkin, Gerek Meinhardt and Marcello Olivares – to a silver, losing to Hong Kong, 45-38, in the final.
At the Grand Prix in Sabre in Tunis (TUN), Sebastien Patrice of France took the men’s final for his first Grand Prix gold from Krisztian Rabb (HUN) by 15-11; American Colin Heathcock was fifth. Russian “neutral” Alina Mikhailova won the women’s final over two-time World Champion Misaki Emura (JPN), 15-10.
● Figure Skating ● U.S. Figure Skating nominated its Olympic team in a televised special on Sunday, with a strong squad for Milan:
● Men (3): Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev, Maxim Naumov ~ finished 1-2-3 at the Nationals.
● Women (3): Amber Glenn, Alysia Liu, Isabeau Levito ~ finished 1-2-3 at the Nationals.
● Pairs (2): Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, Emily Chan and Spencer Howe ~ finished 2-4 at the Nationals.
● Ice Dance (3): Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko ~ finished 1-2-3 at the Nationals.
With three current World Champions on the roster – Malinin, Liu and Chock and Bates – the U.S. will be favored in the Team Event as well.
Pairs national champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov could not be named to the U.S. team since Efimova is not yet a U.S. citizen; the same circumstance befell third-placers Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman, as Parkman is not a citizen.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The U.S. opened the men’s Slopestyle FIS World Cup in Aspen, Colorado with a win, as 2025 Worlds silver medalist Mac Forehand took the season opener, 77.38 to 75.90 over Estonia’s 19-year-old Henry Sildaru, who got his first World Cup medal.
Saturday’s Halfpipe was a second win this season for 2025 World Champion Finley Melville Ives (NZL) at 95.00, ahead of Americans Hunter Hess (90.75) and 2025 Worlds runner-up Nick Goepper (90.25), with fellow American Matthew Labaugh fourth (88.00).
The women’s Slopestyle opener went to Kirsty Muir (GBR: 80.62) over Megan Oldham (CAN: 73.02), the 2023 Worlds silver winner. The Saturday Halfpipe was won by China’s 2025 Worlds runner-up Fanghui Li (93.00) in a tight battle with Britain’s 2025 World Champion Zoe Atkin (92.75) and Kexin Zhang (CHN: 88.75).
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At the third World Cup event in Moguls this season, in Val St. Come (CAN), Canadian superstar Mikael Kingsbury won his first medal of the season at 85.83, his 100th career World Cup victory, easily the most ever.
He beat 2018 Olympic silver winner Matt Graham (AUS: 83.50) and Nick Page of the U.S. (80.96).
The women’s Moguls final had to be canceled due to heavy fog, so the qualifying results were used, with 2022 Olympic champion Jakara Anthony (AUS: 79.83) the winner ahead of Americans Tess Johnson (75.85) and Olivia Giaccio (75.78).
Kingsbury skipped Saturday’s Dual Moguls, but Canada won again, this time with Julien Viel, who won his first World Cup gold, over Japan’s three-time World Champion Ikuma Horishima.
The women’s Dual Moguls was a U.S. sweep, with 2025 World Champion Jaelin Kauf taking the final from teammate Elizabeth Lemley, with Johnson defeating Giaccio for the bronze!
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The FIS World Cup in Aerials in Lake Placid, New York was a Sunday-Monday affair, with China claiming its third men’s win in five events, all by different skiers. This time is was Xindi Wang, scoring 103.50 to edge Ukraine’s Yan Havriuk (94.12) and countryman and 2022 Olympic champ Guangpu Qi (94.12).
The women’s Sunday winner was four-time Worlds medalist Danielle Scott (AUS: 95.88) ahead of China’s Beijing Olympic champ Mengtao Xu (94.01) and American Kalia Kuhn (92.29).
Monday will be the seasonal finale.
● Luge ● The fifth FIL World Cup was in Winterberg (GER) for the second time this season, with 2023 World Champion Jonas Mueller (AUT) getting his second win of the season in 1:42.899, winning the first run. That was good enough to edge two-time Olympic champ Felix Loch (GER: 1:43.004), who won the second run. Jonny Gustafson of the U.S. was ninth in 1:43.640.
Triple Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) won the men’s Doubles in 1:25.599, just ahead of Olympic bronzers Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl (AUT: 1:25.653). Americans Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa finished 10th in 1:26.176 and Zachary DiGregorio and Sean Hollander were 12th (1:26.290).
Austria’s two-time Olympian Hannah Prock took her first medal – and first win – of the season in the women’s Singles, winning both runs and timing 1:51.885. Just behind was Germany’s reigning World Champion Julia Taubitz (1:51.972) and Verena Hofer (ITA: 1:52.250). Seasonal leader Summer Britcher of the U.S. was fifth (1:52.527).
The women’s Doubles title went to two-time World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER: 1:26.710) over reigning World Champions Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (AUT: 1:26.810) and 2025 bronzers Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina (GER: 1:27.079). American pair Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby was fifth (1:27.315) and Maya Chan and Sophia Gordon were sixth (1:27.419).
● Nordic Combined ● The FIS World Cup finally resumed in Otepaa (EST), with 2023 Worlds silver medalist Julian Schmid (GER) getting the win on Friday in the men’s 10 km race and 97 m jumping with 114.0 points, just ahead of seasonal leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT: 113.4). Norway’s Einar Oftebro was third at 109.9.
Oftebro took over on Saturday, winning the Gundersen with a 10 km finish in 26:47.6, beating German 2018 Olympic champ Johannes Rydzek (26:48.1). The Sunday Compact event with a 7.5 km race featured Lamparter with the win in 19:55.2, well ahead of Rydzek (20:15.7) and 2022 Olympic gold winner Vinzenz Geiger (GER: 20:16.0).
Norway’s Ida Marie Hagen came in having won three of the first four events this season and she kept it going, taking Friday’s 97 m jumping and 5 km race with 101.0 points over Minja Korhonen (FIN: 99.8). American Alexa Brabec was fourth at 93.1.
Hagen won again on Saturday in the Gundersen at 19:46.1 for the 5 km race, way ahead of Yuna Kasai (JPN: 21:08.0), with Brabec fourth again in 21:11.0. The Norwegian star completed her sweep on Sunday in the Compact 5.0 km race, in 11:19.5, with Korhonen second (11:45.6) and Brabec with her third medal of the season in 12:03.4.
● Ski Jumping ● The FIS women’s World Cup was in Ljubno (SLO) on the 94 m hill, a home event for World Champion Nika Prevc, and of course she thrilled the crowd with a Saturday win at 278.1, dominating the event, as Lisa Eder (AUT) took second at 254.1 (second for the third straight event!). Paige Jones was 14th, scoring 206.7.
On Sunday, Prevc won another battle with Eder, 271.1 to 270.1, after Eder won the first round. German star Katharina Schmid was third at 252.9. American Annika Belshaw was seventh, her best individual finish ever and first time in the top 10!
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The men’s World Cup in Zakopane (POL) was off the 140 m hill on Sunday, with five-time Worlds medalist Anze Lanisek (SLO) moving from second to first in the final round, at 278.1 to 264.8 for six-time Worlds medalist Jan Hoerl (AUT), with Manuel Fettner (AUT: 262.7) third. American Kevin Bickner was 10th at 230.9.
● Snowboard ● The FIS World Cup Slopestyle opener was in Aspen, Colorado, with American Jake Canter getting the win at 85.16, his first career World Cup gold, at 22. Beijing 2022 runner-up Yuming Su (CHN: 84.18) was second and New Zealand’s Dane Menzies (83.68) third.
The Halfpipe went to Japan’s 2021 World Champion Yuto Totsuka at 90.50, just ahead of teammate Shuichiro Shigeno (90.00) and Alessandro Barbieri of the U.S. (89.25). It’s Totsuka’s third medal of the season, in four events.
The women’s Slopestyle opener went to Laurie Blouin, the 2017 World Champion, scoring 81.21, with Mari Fukada (JPN: 77.26) and 2025 Worlds silver winner Kokomo Murase (75.36) going 2-3. In Halfpipe, Japan’s two-time Worlds medalist Mitsuki Ono got the win at 91.00, ahead of 31-year-old American Madeline Schaffrick (82.75) and Sena Tomita (JPN: 80.75).
Schaffrick won her second career World Cup medal and first silver, after taking a competition break from 2015-24!
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Italian immortal – well, he’s 45 – Roland Fischnaller, the 2025 World Champion, won the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom in Scuol (AUT) on Saturday, beating countryman Mirko Felicetti to the line in the final.
The women’s victory went to German two-time Worlds medalist Ramona Hofmeister, who crossed first ahead of Elisa Caffont (ITA).
● Table Tennis ● Surprises at the WTT Champions in Doha (QAT), with Tokyo Olympic fourth-placer Yun-ju Lin (TPE) taking the men’s final by 4-3 (12-10, 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5) over Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, a three-time Worlds medal winner.
The women’s final belonged to 2017 Worlds runner-up Yuling Zhu, who represents Macau, winning 4-2 against China’s two-time Worlds medalist Xingtong Chen, 4-2: 5-11, 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, 13-11.
It’s the first WTT Champions title for Lin and Zhu.
● Water Polo ● The U.S. women were on the road in Ede against The Netherlands on Thursday to begin a two-game set, winning 12-6 and followed up with a 16-9 victory in Rotterdam on Friday (9th).
Rachel Fattal, Ryann Neushul, and Jewel Roemer each scored three to lead the Americans in the first game and Paige Hauschild and Ava Stryker each had five on Friday. The U.S. moves on to play three matches in Hungary against the 2025 Worlds silver medalists on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
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The U.S. men played a two-game home series with Australia in Walnut, California on Saturday and Sunday, winning the first match by 17-9, with Ryder Dodd scoring five goals to lead the Americans, who had a 10-3 halftime lead.
Sunday’s match saw a six-goal explosion by Australia in the second quarter for an 8-4 halftime lead, and hold on for a 13-10 victory. Matthew Byrnes had four goals for the winners and Dodd led the U.S. with three.
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