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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Italy announced a 196-member team for a home Winter Games, including skiing star Federica Brignone, set to return for a fifth Games despite a brutal crash last April.
It’s the largest Italian team ever, ahead of the 184 for the Turin 2006 Games, the last held in Italy.
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The International Olympic Committee told the Russian news agency TASS that as for Russian and Belarusian “neutrals” at the Milan Cortina opening ceremonies:
“Individual Neutral Athletes will not take part in the Athletes’ Parade, but the opportunity to experience the event will be offered in Milan as well as in the mountain clusters.”
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Mexico’s Sarah Schleper will compete for Mexico in alpine skiing at Milan Cortina, in her seventh Olympic Winter Games, four for the U.S. (1998-2010) and now three for Mexico (2018-26). Olympic super-statistician Dr. Bill Mallon notes:
“She will become the 1st woman and 2nd Winter Olympian to compete at 3 or more Olympics for 2 different nations. It has previously been done 7 times by men, 6 of them at the Summer Olympics, although 4 of them were for related nations.”
Even more special, she will be competing at the Games alongside her teenage son, Lasse Federico Gaxiola!
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The Rome newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be part of the security detail for the U.S. government delegation for the Milan Cortina Games, starting 6 February and led by Vice President J.D. Vance.
According to the story, the paper “had reported the presence of agents in Italy, as confirmed by the US agency itself, in this very vein: ‘ICE Homeland Security Investigations will support the diplomatic security service of the United States Department of State for the duration of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan.’”
The Italian interior ministry said it had no concrete knowledge of the U.S. security team make-up.
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It was confirmed to The Sports Examiner that The Washington Post, in a partial reversal, will send four staff members to cover the Milan Cortina Games, after declaring it would not send anyone last week. The Post was approved for 14 total credentials for the Games and had made, at significant cost, extensive accommodations and travel arrangements.
● Olympic Council of Asia ● Qatar’s Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani was elected unopposed as the 22nd President of the Olympic Council of Asia at the OCA Congress in Tashkent (UZB). He takes over from Interim President Timothy Fok (HKG).
Sheikh Joaan is also the head of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Senior Vice President of the Association of National Olympic Committees.
● Television ● Famed producer Geoff Mason, who worked primarily with ABC and ESPN but also had stints with Fox and NBC and others, passed away at 85 of natural causes in Naples, Florida on Sunday (25th).
Mason was best known for being the one in the producer’s chair when the Israeli hostage crisis and later massacre, took place during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. He coordinated the 22 straight hours of ABC coverage that ended with the confirmation that all of the hostages had died during a failed airport rescue attempt.
● Athletics ● Dutch 400 m hurdles star and World Champion Femke Bol is slated to make her 800 m debut at the Meeting Metz in France on 8 February.
She will be facing some of the best in the world, including Britain’s Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson, Worlds silver winner Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) and Diamond League winner Audrey Werro (SUI).
● Biathlon ● Olympic and World Championships gold medalist Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) told SVT television that he is sure that he is still competing against dopers:
“I think two or three percent of the competitors are or have been under the influence of doping. Doping happens, and it would be strange to expect everyone to suddenly stop doing it. I’m absolutely convinced that I’m competing against people who are doping.”
He also referred to survey of Scandinavian athletes, of which half said they had never had an out-of-competition test from 1 September 2025 and 1 September 2025, stating
“This is bad, more testing should be done. At the same time, this trend has been going on for several years, and I wondered why this was happening.”
● Football ● As part of the 1,059-page Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2026 (H.R. 7148), passed by the U.S. House last Thursday, an allocation of $100,250,212 was included for “eligible planning, capital, and operating expenses for equipment and facilities in support of matches or other public events held in domestic host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
The impact on each of the 11 U.S. host cities was noted by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Georgia), who noted where the local impact of the funding will be felt:
“As Georgia prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the more than $9 million in transit funding will help ensure that visitors and fans from around the world experience the warm hospitality the South is known for.”
The appropriation process continues in the U.S. Senate.
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The logo for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil was unveiled at the Copacabana in Rio, plus the “GO EPIC” slogan and “a distinctive sonic identity inspired by vibrant Brazilian sounds to unite fans across every platform and touchpoint.”
The tournament symbol is described as “a powerful emblem inspired by the Brazilian flag and the geometry of the football pitch, crafted from the union of ‘W’ (‘women,’ ‘world’) and ‘M’ (from the equivalent Portuguese words mulheres and mundo). The design symbolises movement and mastery, while subtly paying homage to the national flag.”
● Rowing ● World Rowing announced its annual medal winners for 2025, which included World Champions Giacomo Gentili, Luca Chiumento, Luca Rambaldi and Andrea Panizza of the Italian men’s Quadruple Sculls team, and the Dutch World Champion women’s Eight.
Diederik Simon (NED) was recognized as coach of the year and Czech five-time World Single Sculls champ Ondrej Synek was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal for his outstanding career in the sport.
● Snowboard ● Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding pled not guilty to charges of running a drug smuggling ring and colluding on multiple murders in a court appearance in Santa Ana, California on Monday.
Mexican authorities said Wedding turned himself in to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City last week, but this was disputed by Wedding’s attorney. He will appear in court again on 11 February, with trial set for 24 March. He is being held in custody and also has Canadian charges pending against him that go back as far as 2015.
● Swimming ● Canadian star Ilya Kharun, born in Montreal and currently swimming at Arizona State, announced on Instagram that he will change allegiance to the U.S.:
“Hey everyone, I’ve got big news. I’m changing my international representation from Canada to USA.
“First off, I’d like to thank everyone in Canada. It’s been incredible to travel the world representing Canada and while competing with the top Canadian athletes. John Atkinson and everyone representing Swim Canada, thank you. I would not be the swimmer or person I am today without your support. To my Canadian teammates, thank you. You helped me progress into the person I am today. You guys really made me feel like I was part of a family. It’s been an honor wearing the Maple Leaf flag and everyone in Canada will always have my support.
“Despite the incredible support I’ve received from Canada, I’ve always felt like an American. I grew up in Las Vegas. I’ve lived in America my whole life. I’ve never represented a club team outside of USA Swimming. I’ve got a long career left as a swimmer and I’d like to be based at home. And that home is in the USA.”
Kharun won Olympic bronzes in Paris in the 100 and 200 m Butterfly events, and he said that his U.S. affiliation will become effective on 26 October 2026. He has dual citizenship since April 2024 and will therefore be eligible – after the changeover per World Aquatics rules – to compete for the U.S. at the 2028 Games (if he makes the team!).
● Weightlifting ● The International Weightlifting Federation, following the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee, approved Russian and Belarusian youth lifters to return to international competition.
The approved classes include youth (ages 13-17) and juniors (15-20).
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