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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Beijing Olympic Ice Dance gold medalist Gabriella Papadakis (FRA) had been working with NBC as a figure skating commentator, but in the tumult surrounding her memoir – in specific, criticism of her skating partner Guillaume Cizeron – she has been released by the network.
Papadakis’ new book, “So As Not To Disappear,” came out last week and called Cizeron a “controlling” and “demanding” partner. Cizeron’s attorneys have asked for a cessation of “defamatory statements” about him, and Papadakis told the French all-sports newspaper L’Equipe:
“To my knowledge, in reaction to Guillaume filing a formal notice, which was made public, they [NBC] considered that the perception of my neutrality was compromised and that I could not commentate on the Olympic Games.”
Of Cizeron – now skating with ex-Canadian Laurence Fournier Beaudry – Papadakis told L’Equipe:
“As long as I took a backseat role while Guillaume was the leader, everything went well. It’s when I wanted to be an equal in this relationship that things started to become more and more difficult.”
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The White House announced Saturday that Vice President J.D. Vance and Usha Vance will lead the American delegation at the opening of the Milan Cortina Games.
Also attending will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italian Ambassador Tilman Feritta, and Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando (ice hockey), Apolo Ohno (short track) and Evan Lysacek (figure skating).
● United States ● The U.S. State Department sent a cable last week to its outposts, expanding the list of “major sporting events” for which athletes and officials will be exempt from visa bans otherwise instituted for multiple countries.
The exemption lists “all competitions and qualifying events” for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan-American Games and Para Pan-American Games; events hosted, sanctioned or recognized by a U.S. National Governing Body; all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics; and official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA or its confederations.
The Associated Press reported that the “exemption also will cover official events and competitions hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association as well as those hosted or endorsed by U.S. professional sports leagues such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Little League, the National Hockey League, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, NASCAR, Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling.”
There have been multiple incidents of athletes and officials being denied entry into the U.S. for events based on restrictions implemented by the Trump Administration, and worries about some major league players related to the World Baseball Classic in March. A full travel ban is on for Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and people with passports from the Palestinian Authority.
A partial ban is now in place for Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
● Transgender ● “Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ’s) Title IX Special Investigations Team (Title IX SIT) initiated an investigation into the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) amid allegations that its ‘Transgender Participation Policy’ (Policy) violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).”
That was a Thursday announcement, with the statement noting specifically that the Community College Association policy “resulted in discrimination against at least three female athletes on the basis of sex by allowing a male athlete to participate on the women’s volleyball team at a member college and access locker facilities for women during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. It further alleges that 3C2A ignored female students’ complaints about the harms caused to females when male students participate in female sports.”
The Department of Education has also been pursuing high school athletic policies of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), a matter now in the courts.
● Athletics ● Charges in two cases against 2022 World men’s 100 m champion Fred Kerley of the U.S. were dropped in Miami last week. First, the charges against him for domestic violence against then-girlfriend, Olympic hurdler Alaysha Johnson, were dismissed by a Florida judge for “lack of cooperation” from the alleged victim.
His 2 January 2025 altercation with police – when he tried to get to his car in an area where police activity was taking place – and subsequent arrest was resolved as Kerley agreed to take an anger management course.
Kerley, the 2022 World men’s 100 m champ, has signed to run with the doping-friendly Enhanced Games in May.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● Another Downhill medal for American star Lindsey Vonn at the FIS women’s World Cup in Tarvisio (ITA) on Saturday, taking the bronze in 1:46.54 as the no. 11 starter. Italian Nicol Delago, 30, who her first World Cup medal in two years and her first-ever gold at 1:46.28, followed by 2021 Worlds silver winner Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER: 1:46.48).
American Breezy Johnson, the 2025 World Champion, was sixth at 1:47.13. In five Downhill events this season, Vonn has five medals and continues as the seasonal leader.
On Sunday, German Emma Aicher got the Super-G win in 1:q4.04, with Vonn winning the silver in 1:14.31, her second medal in three Super-G races! Two-sport star Ester Ledecka (CZE: 1:14.98) was third.
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At the FIS men’s World Cup in Wengen (SUI), the three-time World Junior Champs gold medalist Giovanni Franzoni was hot, winning Friday’s Super-G in 1:45.19, his second career World Cup medal and first win. He beat Stefan Babinsky (AUT: 1:45.54) and Downhill World Champion Franjo Von Allmen (SUI: 1:45.56). Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the top American, in sixth at 1:46.02.
Saturday’s Downhill was the seventh win of the season for Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt, in 1:33.14, trailed by Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT: 1:33.93) and Franzoni (1:34.04). Cochran-Siegle was 15th at 1:34.84.
Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath won the Sunday Slalom in 1:45.99, ahead of Brazilian Lucas Braathen (1:46.46) and Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen (1:46.80).
● Archery ● World Archery Indoor World Series in Nimes (FRA), Spain’s Andres Temino won the men’s Recurve gold with a shoot-out win over Chun-Heng Wei (TPE), 6-5 with both shooting 10s, but Temino’s arrow closest to the center.
France’s Victoria Sebastian won the women’s Recurve final, 7-3, over Mexico’s Angela Ruiz.
● Athletics ● At the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, sprint star Noah Lyles of the U.S. opened up with a 32.60 300 m win over training partner Cheickna Traore (CIV: 33.16) and Shomari Pettigrew (USA: 35.55). It’s the first time Lyles had run the distance since his 31.87, a then-world best back in 2017, and he still ranks no. 2 all-time.
● Badminton ● The BWF World Tour India Open in New Delhi was actually held despite significant challenges at the venue. On the court, unseeded Chun-Yi Lin (TPE) took the men’s Singles over Jonatan Christie (INA), 21-10, 21-18, and Olympic champ Se Young An (KOR) won by 21-13. 21-11 over second-seed Zhi Yi Wang (CHN).
China won the men’s and women’s Doubles and Thailand took the Mixed Doubles title.
The Times of India reported on bird waste on the courts, a monkey in the seating area and stray dogs wandering around and trying to catch rats, noting “the problems were neither isolated or minor.”
It was bad enough that Badminton World Federation issued a statement that glossed over most of the issues and noted:
“While some areas of implementation, including general cleanliness and hygiene plus animal control have required attention, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has acted promptly to address these concerns. Players have also noted the positive enhancements to the playing surface and flooring, gymnasium, and medical facilities.
“The move to the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex provides greater space for athletes and officials and meets BWF’s Field of Play requirements for hosting the BWF World Championships. Insights gathered this week will guide further upgrades to deliver a world-class experience in August, where the seasonal issues are not expected being as severe.”
● Biathlon ● The fifth stop in the IBU World Cup tour was in Ruhpolding (GER), with the Swedish Oeberg sisters continuing to star in the women’s races, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Hanna – the older – winning the 7.5 km Sprint in 19:10.7 (0 penalties) over French star Lou Jeanmonnot (19:18.2/0) and Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi (19:22.4/0). Elvira Oeberg – who had won the last two World Cup races – was fourth (19:25.3/0).
Fellow Swede Sebastian Samuelsson took the men’s 10 km Sprint in 21:53.8 (8), ahead of Italy’s Tomasso Giacomel (22:11.4/1), who had won the prior three World Cup races. Sean Doherty was the top American, in 40th (23:26.3/1).
The Pursuit races on Sunday saw Norway’s Johannes Dale-Skjevdal log his first win of the season in 30:23.9 (1), over Eric Perrot (FRA: 30:28.8/3). Jeanmonnot won the women’s 10 km Pursuit in 29:26.6 (1) over Hanna Oeberg (29:37.1/3).
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● U.S. star Kaillie Humphries is getting hot at the right time, winning the IBSF World Cup women’s Monobob in Altenberg (GER) in the season finale, in 1:58.97. The 2022 Beijing Olympic champ was 0.13 up on Australia’s Bree Walker (1:59.10) and two-time World Champion Laura Nolte (GER: 1:59.16). Elana Meyers Taylor of the U.S. was ninth (2:00.06). Nolte won the seasonal title over Walker, 1,446 to 1,429.
The Two-Woman race went to Nolte and Deborah Levi in 1:52.33, with Armbruster Humphries and Jasmine Jones right behind for silver in 1:53.23. Nolte and Armbruster Humphries were 1-2 for the season.
The Two-Man title went to German 2023 World Champion Johannes Lochner, with Georg Fleischhauer, in 1:50.13, ahead of Adam Ammour (+ Benedikt Hertel: 1:50.58) and Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich (+ Alexander Schueller: 1:50.64). Frank Del Duca and Boone Niederhofer of the U.S. finished sixth (1:51.32). Lochner, Friedrich and Ammour finished 1-2-3 for the season.
In the Four-Man races, it was another German sweep, with Ammour winning in 1:49.13, then Lochner in 1:49.15 and Friedrich in 1:49.28. Lochner, Friedrich and Ammour were 1-2-3 in the seasonal standings.
The Skeleton season finished in Altenberg, with Britain’s 2025 Worlds runner-up Marcus Wyatt winning his second race of the season, in 1:50.47, ahead of a three-tie for second with two-time World Champion Matt Weston (GBR), Axel Jungk (GER) and 2022 Olympic champ Christopher Grotheer (GER), all in 1:50.65. Austin Florian was the top American, in 14th (1:51.78).
Weston won the seasonal title with 1,545 points, to 1,328 for China’s Zheng Yin.
Germany’s Jacqueline Pfeifer, the 2017 World Champion, won the women’s race in 1:54.42 to 1:54.75 for teammate Susanne Kreher, with Belgian Kim Meylemans third (1:54.76). Kelly Curtis was the best U.S. finisher, in 17th (1:56.59). Meylemans won the seasonal crown with 1,443 points to 1,338 for Pfeifer.
Germany (Kreher-Jungk) won the Mixed Team title in 1:58.21 with Britain second (1:58.56) and the U.S. fourth with Florian and Curtis.
● Cross Country Skiing ● At the FIS World Cup in Oberhof (GER), Norway’s Lars Heggen got his second medal of the season and first gold with a 2:25.83 win in the Freestyle Sprint, beating Italian star Federico Pellegrino (+0.32).
Beijing Olympic women’s Sprint champ Jonna Sundling (SWE) won her second sprint of the season in 2:43.79, just 0.71 up on Coletta Rydzek (GER) and 2.54 on fellow Swede Maja Dahlqvist.
Sunday had the Classical Interval Start 10 km races, with Martin Nyenget (NOR) getting his second World Cup win of the season in 21:09.1 over Finn Iivo Niskanen (21:22.9). The women’s race went Moa Ilar (SWE: 24:37.0), trailed by Teresa Stadlober (AUT: 24:37.7) and Sundling (24:57;8); U.S. star Jessie Diggins was fourth in 25:07.3 and maintained her seasonal lead.
● Cycling ● The UCI Women’s World Tour opened with the Santos Tour Down Under, with Australian home favorite Ally Wollaston winning the first two stages. But the third and final stage saw Swiss Neomi Ruegg win by 0:01 over two others and with Wollaston more than seven minutes back, Ruegg claimed the overall title.
Ruegg finished in 10:27:36 overall, trailed by Spain’s Mavi Garcia (+0:11) and Paula Blasi (+0:14).
● Freestyle Skiing ● Weather caused the FIS World Cup in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire to be reduced to just a single Moguls event for men and women, with two-time World Champion Ikuma Horishima (JPN: 85.56) the clear winner over Filip Gravenfors (SWE: 80.54). Nick Page was the top U.S. finisher, in fifth (78.92).
Olympic champ Jakara Anthony took the women’s event for her third straight World Cup gold (81.17), over Americans Elizabeth Lemley (78.12) and Olivia Giaccio (76.60). Giaccio is the only rider to medal in each of the four Moguls events held so far!
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At the FIS World Cup Slopestyle in Laax (SUI), 2021 World Champion Eileen Gu (CHN) took the win at 85.13, well ahead of Marin Hamill of the U.S. (71.38) and Lara Wolf (AUT: 67.85). Hamill, 24, won her second career World Cup medal and first in four years!
Norway’s two-time World Champion Birk Ruud won the men’s contest at 85.08, over Matej Svancer (AUT: 84.08) and Evan McEachran (CAN: 82.70). American Hunter Henderson was fifth (80.50).
● Ice Hockey ● At the 18th IIHF women’s World U-18 Championship, held in Sydney (CAN), the U.S. squad claimed the 10th American title with a 2-0 over Canada in the final.
The U.S. won their quarterfinal by 9-0 over Hungary and 9-1 over Sweden and the Canadians beat Finland (12-0) and Czechia (8-1). The Czechs won the bronze over Sweden, 4-3.
● Luge ● At the FIL World Cup 6 in Oberhof (GER), 2023 World Champion Jonas Mueller (AUT) won his third race of the year in 1:24.59, beating Germany’s six-time World Champion Felix Loch (1:24.640) and two-time World Champion Max Langenhan (1:24.824). The best U.S. finisher was Jonny Gustafson in 19th.
The Doubles went to three-time Olympic winners Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER: 1:22.687) over fellow German stars Toni Eggert and Florian Muller (1:22.941).
German Merle Fraebel won her second medal and first gold in the women’s Singles in 1:22.867 over Lisa Schulte (AUT: 1:26.810) and Natalie Maag (SUI: 1:23.148). Ashley Farquharson was ninth for the U.S. in 1:23.458.
Two-time World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal won the women’s Doubles in 1:23.956 over Austria’s two-time World Champions, Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (1:24.137).
● Nordic Combined ● Norway’s Jens Oftebro got his first FIS World Cup gold of the season in Oberhof (GER), taking Saturday’s Compact 100 m jumping and 7.5 km race in 17:51.6, beating Austrian star (and seasonal leader) Johannes Lamparter (17:53.3) in a tight finish.
Sunday’s Gunderson 100 m jumping and 10 km race was 1-2 for the Oftebro brothers, with Jens winning in 27:49.0 and older brother Einar crossing in 28:16.8.
Norwegian women’s star Ida Marie Hagen won her sixth World Cup gold in a row, taking the Compact 100 m and 5 km race in 14:03.3, with German Nathalie Armbruster second (14:11.0). American Alexa Brabec was fourth in 14:25.6.
The women’s Gundersen 100/5 km on Sunday went to Hagen of course, in 15:46.7, ahead of Minja Korhonen (FIN: 16:22.1), with Brabec fourth again in 16:47.6.
● Ski Jumping ● The FIS men’s World Cup moved to Asia with competitions in Sapporo (JPN) off the 137 m hill and Slovenian star Domen Prevc coming out on top again, with 285.7 points, moving from second to first in the final round. He edged Japan’s Naoki Nakamura (263.6) and Ren Nikaido (257.6).
On Sunday, Prevc completed a sweep, scoring 277.7 to 274.2 for Japanese star Ryoyu Kobayashi.
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Younger sister Nika Prevc continued her rampage through the women’s World Cup, this time in Zhangjiakou (CHN) on the 140 m hill, with her fifth and sixth straight wins.
She took Friday’s event with 245.6 points to 221.9 for Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) and 215.2 for Selina Freitag (GER). Prevc won on Saturday in the one-round event due to weather with 113.6 points, over Anna Stroem (NOR: 97.5) and Maruyama (94.7).
● Ski Mountaineering ● Two-time World Champion Oriol Cardona Coll (ESP) won the men’s Sprint race at the ISMF World Cup in Courchevel (FRA), timing 2:41.6 to 2:45.3 for French star (and twice Worlds runner-up) Thibault Anselmet.
In the men’s Vertical Race, Swiss star Remi Bonnet – the 2025 World Champion – triumphed at 20:02.2, way ahead of Aurelian Gay (SUI: 21:08.9) and Cardona Coll (21:12.9).
The women’s Sprint went to France’s six-time Worlds medalist Emily Harrop in 3:07.0, with teammate Margot Ravinel second in 3:14.7. The women’s Vertical was another French gold, this time for Axelle Gachet Mollaret in 23:40.5, ahead of Harrop (24:21.7).
● Snowboard ● Oceanian athletes took the podium at the FIS World Cup in Laax (SUI) in the men’s Halfpipe, with four-time World Champion Scotty James (AUS) winning at 98.75, followed by New Zealand’s Campbell Melville Ives (91.00) and then Australian Valentino Guseli (80.25). Chase Josey of the U.S. was fourth at 75.00.
Korea’s Ga-on Choi won the women’s Halfpipe for the third time in five events this season, scoring 92.50 for a clean win over Rise Kudo (JPN: 82.75) and three-time World Champion Xuetong Cai (75.25).
In Slopestyle, France’s Romain Allemand won the men’s event at 86.70, ahead of Yuto Kimura (JPN: 81.95) and Olympic runner-up Yuming Su (CHN: 76.10). The women’s title went to 2025 Worlds runner-up Kokomo Murase (JPN: 77.55) over American Lily Dhawornvej (71.18).
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In the men’s World Cup SnowCross in Dongbeiya (CHN), 2023 World Champion Jakob Dusek (AUT) won the Saturday final over Canada’s Olympic silver winner Eliot Grondin in the final.
Australia’s Adam Lambert won Sunday’s final over Olympic champ Alessandro Hammerle (AUT); American Nathan Pare took the bronze.
The first women’s final had Britain’s 2021 World Champion Charlotte Bankes with the win, beating Josie Baff (AUS) to the line for the gold. The second race on Sunday was a French 1-2 for Julia Nirani-Pereira over two-time Olympic medalist Chloe Trespeuch.
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Beijing 2022 Olympic champ Benjamin Karl (AUT) won the Parallel Giant Slalom in Bansko (BUL), beating Arnaud Gaudet (CAN) in the championship final. On Sunday, home fans cheered Tervel Zamfirov to the win over Fabian Obmann (AUT).
The first women’s event went to 2018 Olympic bronzer Ramona Hofmeister (GER), against Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL) in the final. Sunday’s racing saw Italian Elisa Caffont get her second win of the season over Japan’s Tsubaki Miki.
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