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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● Dutch speed skating star Jutta Leerdam won the women’s 1,000 m speed skating gold and a silver in the 500 m and became one of the most popular athletes at the Games.
That is translating into money. She put up two items that did especially well at matchwornshirts.com:
● $230,441: Skating competition suit (signed)
● $5,692: Medal ceremony jacket (signed)
● $1,797: Team NL hairband (signed)
It was reported that Leerdam intends to donate to De IJsvereniging, the skating club in Pijnacker, where she learned to skate.
Items from other stars also sold, but not for those prices. The skating suit from 500 m gold medalist Femke Kok brought $5,675, and Xandra Velzeboer’s competition suit for her 500 m gold on Short Track was sold for $3,309.
● Olympic Games ● Friday’s announcement that Paramount Skydance will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $31 a share for all outstanding shares, giving Paramount control, among many other things, of the Olympic streaming rights for 49 territories in Europe for the 2026-28-30-32 Games.
Over-the-air broadcast rights in Europe for these Games are held by the European Broadcasting Union group of national broadcasters.
As a result, NBC continues to hold the U.S. domestic Olympic television rights while the parent of CBS now has the European Olympic streaming rights.
● World Sports Rankings ● The 2025 edition of the World Sports Rankings have been published, compiled by the International Center for Sport Policy & Governance at Notre Dame University–Louaize in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, beginning in 2014.
The leading index, the World Rankings of Countries in Elite Sport was led by the U.S., with 2,129,375 points, over Great Britain (1,303,155) and France (1,293,343). The rest of the top 10 included Italy, Japan, Australia, China, Spain, Germany and Brazil. Points were accumulated across 115 sports at the international level.
The U.S. has led this ranking in all 11 editions.
The World Fittest Countries Index has Japan on top at 94.19 points, over Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland. The U.S. was ninth (88.69).
● Football ● With the U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran continuing, the hysterical headlines are already appearing about whether Iran will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting in June.
Bulletin: absolutely no one knows yet. Stay tuned. Calm down.
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Player discipline was on the agenda at the meeting of the International Football Association Board in Hensol, Wales, with new rules to be implemented ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI) explained:
“[T]he behaviour of players and coaches is absolutely fundamental. They are examples for children, for society in the world, and they should definitely behave in a respectful way. And for this reason, when it comes to incidents, such as incidents of racism and discrimination, we will not allow players to cover their mouths when they speak to an opponent any more.
“We will also not allow players or coaches to walk off the field of play because they disagree with a decision of the referee. This cannot happen. The referee has to be respected. The decisions of the referee have to be respected all the time, by the players and by the coaches, and for this a proposal will be presented by 30 April, so that we can take decisions before the FIFA World Cup.”
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It was reported that FIFA is charging an average of $175 for parking passes for 2026 World Cup matches in the U.S., including as much as $600 for the England vs. Ghana match in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
● Weightlifting ● Ecuadorian women’s star Neisi Dajomes, the 76 kg gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 and 81 kg bronzer in Paris in 2024, was suspended by the International Testing Agency for 14 months, from 2 June 2025 until 1 August 2026.
She had a positive test for the banned, anti-estrogenic substance Clomifene in an out-of-competition test on 7 April 2025. Dajomes did not contest the positive and accepted a reduced penalty.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● Swiss star Marco Odermatt earned a couple of Olympic medals, but no wins on Cortina. But he resumed his winning ways on the FIS World Cup circuit, taking Saturday’s Downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) in 1:47.57 leading a Swiss sweep.
He was followed by Alexis Monney (1:47.61) and Stefan Rogentin (1:48.55); it was Odermatt’s ninth win of this season. The top Americans were Ryan Cochran-Siegle in seventh (1:49.07) and Erik Arviddsson in 11th (1:49.35). The sunday Super-G had to be canceled due to fog.
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The FIS women’s World Cup resumed in Soldeu (AND) and Swiss star Corinne Suter grabbed her first win of the season in Friday’s Downhill in 1:31.62, slightly ahead of Nina Ortlieb (AUT: 1:31.73) and Italian star Sofia Goggia, the Olympic bronzer, in 1:31.86. Olympic champ Breezy Johnson of the U.S. finished fifth (1:32.23) and Jackie Wiles was eighth (1:32.65).
Super-Gs were held on the weekend, with Emma Aicher (GER), the Olympic Downhill runner-up, winning her third race of the season in 1:26.72, ahead of New Zealand’s Alice Robinson (1:27.60) and Suter (1:27.70). Keely Cashman was the top American, in 12th (1:28.66).
Sunday’s Super-G was a second win this season for Goggia in 1:25.95, beating Aicher (1:26.19) and Norway’s Kajsa Lie (1:26.26). Americans Mary Bocock and Cashman went 11-12 in 1:27.77 and 1:27.80.
● Athletics ● Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei ran the seventh-fastest women’s marathon in history and won by more than two minutes in Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon, the first of the World Marathon Majors for 2026.
The 2021 winner, Kosgei broke away at 30 km and cruised in at 2:14:29 for her 12th marathon win in 21 career races. Ethiopia’s Bertukan Welde finished second in 2:16:36, now no. 16 all-time. Hawi Feysa (ETH) and Sutume Asefa Kebede finished 3-4, both in 2:17:39.
The men’s race was a dash to the line for three men, with Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele – the defending champion – winning in 2:03:37, 14 seconds slower than in 2025. Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) was second in the same time and countryman Alexander Mutiso Munyao was third in 2:03:38. Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko ran 2:03:44 and was fourth.
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Wesley Kiptoo and Molly Born won the USATF Half Marathon Championships races in Atlanta, Georgia, each winning their first national title.
Ex-Kenyan Kiptoo, who ran at Iowa State and was on the U.S. World Cross Country team in January, had the lead from the start, running with two-time Olympic steepler Hillary Bor and finally breaking away only in the final kilometers to win by 1:01:15 to 1:01:20. Ahmed Muhamad was well back in third (1:01:51) and Charles Hicks was fourth in 1:02:10.
The women’s race was led by Emma Grace Hurley, Ednah Kurgat and Jess McClain at 10 km and 15 km, but Born charged from 21 seconds back in fifth place at the 15 km mark to get to the lead by 20 km and stayed there.
Carrie Ellwood was the only one in contact with a kilometer remaining and finished second, 1:09:43 to 1:09:47. Born, the former Oklahoma State All-American, was only in her second career Half, and got a lifetime best and qualified for the World Road Running Championships. Ellwood, the 2025 U.S. Cross Country champ, moved up from eighth in 2025 and was alone in second, with Annie Rodenfels in third in 1:10:12. Kasandra Parker was well back in fourth in 1:10:47.
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Greek vault star Emmanouil Karalis zoomed to no. 2 on the all-time list with his victory at his national indoor championships in Paiania – outside Athens – winning at 6.17 m (20-3). Only Mondo Duplantis (SWE) has gone higher, indoors or out, and Karalis took a couple of shots at a world record of 6.31 m (20-8 1/2).
● Basketball ● The first stage of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas qualifying has reached the halfway mark with the U.S. losing to the Dominican Republic, 87-79, on Thursday, in Oceanside, California.
The Dominicans led, 39-33, at half and a 21-10 third quarter put them up, 60-43 going in the fourth. The U.S. made it closer – Brandon Knight led with 20 points – but it was not enough.
The U.S. is now 2-1 and tied for the lead in Group A, in which three of the four in the group advance.
● Cross Country Skiing ● As the FIS World Cup resumed in Falun (SWE), who else but six-time gold medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) could be expected to win the Freestyle Sprint?
He won, of course, in 2:42.71, ahead of teammate Lars Heggen (+0.36) and Austria’s Ben Moser (+1.63). Klaebo then completed a weekend sweep by winning Sunday’s 20 km Skiathlon in 48:41.8, just ahead of teammates Harald Amundsen (48:42.5) and Olympic 50 km silver winner Martin Nyenget (48:42.6). Gus Schumacher of the U.S. was in seventh place (49:38.6).
Olympic women’s Sprint champion Linn Svahn (SWE) also won in front of the home crowed in the Sprint, in 2:56.75, just outdueling Norway’s Kristine Skistad (+0.29) at the line.
The women’s 20 km Skiathlon was a wild charge to the finish line, with Olympic bronze winner Heidi Weng getting the win in 54:42.8, barely ahead of American Jessie Diggins (54:42.9) and then Olympic winner Frida Karlsson (54:43.7). Fellow American Kendall Kramer was ninth in 55:51.2.
Diggins now has a 262-point lead for the overall seasonal title, after 21 of 28 events.
● Curling ● At the USA Curling National Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, the top men’s teams were John Shuster’s rink at 7-0, with Andrew Stopera at 6-1. Those two met in a tight championship final, tied at 2-2 after five. Stopera scored two in the sixth, Shuster scored two in the seventh, for a 4-4 tie. Stopera’s 5-4 lead after eight evaporated as Shuster for two in the ninth for a 6-5 edge.
But Stopera got one back for a 6-6 tie after 10. Into the extra end, Shuster finally scored a championship point for the 7-6 win. It’s Shuster’s eighth title as skip– his first was way back in 2009 – and fifth in the last seven years.
The top women’s teams in round-robin play was Elizabeth Cousins’ rink at 6-1 and then Delaney Strouse was 4-3, with two other teams with the same record. Those two advanced to the title match, with Strouse up 5-2 after four ends, but Cousins closed to 5-4 after six. But two for Strouse in the seventh and ninth offset a deuce for Cousins in the eighth, on the way to a 9-6 win. It’s the first national title for Strouse.
● Cycling ● The UCI World Tour arrived in Europe for the start of the spring Classics series, with the 81st edition of the Omloop Nieuwsblad (BEL), and a 15.6 solo breakaway to win for Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel. He finished the 207.2 km ride from Ghent to Ninove in 4:53:55 and won by 22 seconds over countryman Tim van Dijke.
It’s van der Poel’s first win – and first medal – in this famous race.
The women’s race was also taken by a Dutch star, Demi Vollering, who won a sprint to the line over Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma at the end of the 137.2 km course, in 3:35:51. They broke away with about 15 km left and the final sprint was over the last 200 m. Vollering was second in this race in 2022 and third last year, but now has the trophy.
● Diving ● China confirmed its worldwide dominance in the World Aquatics World Cup opener in Montreal (CAN), sweeping all nine events.
In the men’s program, Paris 2024 runner-up Zongyuan Wang won the 3 m Springboard over teammate Jiuyuan Zheng, 540.35 to 495.15. Yuming Bai won the 10 m Platform at 543.55, over three-time Worlds synchro gold medalist Junjie Lian (532.75). The 3 m Synchro went to 2024 Olympic champ Wang and Zheng, and the 10 m Synchro was won by Zhihao Yang and Renjie Zhao.
The women’s 3 m was another 1-2, for Paris Olympic champ Yiwen Chen (375.90) and Jie Chen (362.55), and the 10 m went to Linjing Jiang (428.10) over Jiaxi Cui (370.40).
The synchronized events were won by Chen and Chen for the 3 m, and the 10 m went to Wei Lu and Minjie Zhang. The Mixed Team went to China at 469.40 in a close contest with Mexico (460.85), with the U.S. sixth (404.85).
● Football ● The U.S. opened play in the 2026 SheBelieves Cup against Argentina in Nashville, Tennessee, and had control of play immediately. But after a scare in front of the U.S. goal in the 16th, midfield star Lindsey Heaps took a backwards pass from midfielder Emma Sears on the right side and from the top of the box, sent a left-footed liner into the top of the Argentine net for the 1-0 lead in the 19th.
Another U.S. goal was called back for offsides and Argentina’s defense came alive as the half continued. The half ended 1-0, with the U.S. holding 60% of possession, but Argentina had four shots to three.
U.S. keeper Claudia Dickey had to make a save on midfielder Florencia Bonsegundo in the 52nd, then a careful U.S. build-up kept the ball in the Argentina end and a knock-on from Heaps went to striker Jaedyn Shaw, who curled a right-footed shot from near the top of the box in the 56th that went off the hands of keeper Solana Pereyra, and into the net for the 2-0 lead.
That’s how it ended, with the Americans with 68% possession and a modest 6-5 shots edge. It’s the seventh win in a row for the U.S. women since last October and the sixth straight shutout.
● Freestyle Skiing ● At the FIS Ski Cross World Cup in Kopaonik (SRB), German Tim Hronek got his first win of the season, beating Kevin Drury (CAN) and Florian Wilmsmann (GER) in the first men’s race. On Saturday, Canada’s Reece Howden won for the fifth time this season, ahead of Wilmsmann and France’s Youri Duplessis-Kergomard.
The Friday women’s race went to Sweden’s Sandra Naeslund, the 2022 Olympic champion and 2026 bronze winner, winning her sixth race of the season. She crossed ahead of France’s Jade Grillet-Aubert and Marielle Berger Sabbatel. Saturday’s second race was another win for Naeslund, this time over Olympic winner Daniela Maier (GER) and Swiss Saskja Lack.
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The FIS Moguls World Cup continued in Nanto-Toyoma (JPN), with two-time Olympic medalist Matt Graham taking Saturday’s men’s Moguls final at 78.42, barely ahead of American Landon Wendler, who won his second career World Cup medal, scoring 78.39. Japan’s Ikuma Horishima, the 2026 Olympic bronze winner, was third (75.63).
Horishima, the Olympic silver winner in Dual Moguls, won that event on Sunday, as Rasmus Stegfeldt (GER) did not finish in the final.
American Olivia Giaccio won the women’s Moguls on Saturday for her first gold of the season and is the only one to win medals in all five World Cup stops this season. She scored 75.64 to 75.31 for Japan’s Hinako Tomitaka and 75.01 for France’s Perrine Laffont, the 2018 Olympic winner and 2026 bronze medalist.
For the second time in two events this season, the U.S. swept the Dual Moguls, with Olympic silver winner Jaelin Kauf edging Giaccio, 20-15, and Tess Johnson winning the bronze-medal match against Laffont, 19-16.
● Judo ● Azerbaijan and Japan dominated the IJF World Tour Tashkent Grand Slam (UZB), each winning four golds. Two-time Olympic champ Hifumi Abe led Japan’s champions with a win in the men’s 66 kg class, plus Kokomo Fujishiro in the women’s 52 kg, Narumi Tanioka (63 kg) and Tokyo Olympic champ Akira Sone (+78 kg).
Azerbaijan cheered winners Ahmad Yusifov (men/60 kg), Omar Rajabli (men/81 kg), Murad Fatiyev (men/90 kg) and Kanan Nasibov (+100 kg).
The U.S. also won a medal, with Maria Celia Laborde taking a bronze in the women’s 48 kg class.
● Luge ● The penultimate FIL World Cup was in St. Moritz (SUI), with Olympic champions still shining.
Men’s gold medalist Max Langenhan (GER) won the men’s Singles title in 2:12.402 over two-time winner Felix Loch (GER: 2:12.749 and silver medalist Jonas Mueller (AUT: 2:13.160). Women’s Olympic champ Julia Taubitz won the women’s Singles in 1:48.144 ahead of teammate Merle Fraebel (GER: 1:48.265) and Verena Hofer (ITA: 1:48.369). Summer Britcher was the top American, in seventh, at 1:48.853.
The Italian women’s Doubles team of Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer repeated their Olympic win, this time in 1:48.506, ahead of Elisa-Marie Storch and Pauline Patz (GER: 1:49.101).
Olympic men’s silver winners Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl (AUT: 1:46.693) won the men’s Doubles, just 0.04 ahead of Ivan Nagler and Fabian Malleier (ITA: 1:46.697).
● Nordic Combined ● The FIS World Cup resumed in Kulm (AUT) with a Compact event off the giant 235 m ski-flying hill and a 7.5 km race, won by Finland’s Olympic Large Hill bronze medalist Ilkka Herola at the line in 15:32.5 over seasonal leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT: 15:32.6).
It was Herola’s second career win, both in Compact races!
● Ski Jumping ● The resumption of the FIS men’s World Cup was in Kulm (AUT), jumping off the 235 m ski-flying hill and a resumption of the Domen Prevc win streak.
The Slovenian star won two Olympic Winter golds and won his fifth straight World Cup stage with a 433.0 point total, winning the second round and overtaking first-round leader Stephen Embacher (AUT: 431.9) on Saturday. American Kevin Bickner finished 10th (378.1).
On Sunday, Prevc dominated, winning both rounds and scoring 463.2 to 438.4 for Embacher, with Norway’s Johann Forfang third (405.0). Bickner was 27th.
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The FIS women’s World Cup started up again in Hinzenbach (AUT) on the 90 m hill and once again, it was Nika Prevc with the win, scoring 258.6 to edge home favorite Lisa Eder (AUT: 255.6) and Norway’s Anna Stroem (238.3). It’s Prevc’s 14th win of the season, in 24 events.
Prevc had a tough time on Sunday, standing only 10th after the first jump and even winning the second round only brought her to third (230.3). Instead, it was Eder winning for home fans, at 247.1 points, ahead of Stroem (235.8). It’s Eder’s second win of the season.
● Snowboard ● The Parallel Giant Slalom season resumed at the FIS World Cup in Krynica (POL), with Italy’s Maurizio Bormolini winning the final over Korea’s 2018 Olympic silver winner Sang-ho Lee by 0.71 seconds. It’s Bormolini’s third World Cup gold of the season.
Bormolini then got his fourth win in Sunday’s final, beating Stefan Baumeister (GER) by 0.09 seconds. Swiss Dario Caviezel, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, won the bronze over Olympic champ Benjamin Karl (AUT), by 0.08.
Japan’s Tsubaki Miki, the 2023 World Champion, took the women’s final for her third win of the season, this time over Czech Zuzana Maderova, who did not finish.
Olympic silver winner Sabine Payer (AUT) was the winner on Sunday, just edging Olympic bronzer Lucia Dalmasso (ITA) by 0.03 seconds for her third win this season.
● Table Tennis ● The World Table Tennis Singapore Smash, with $1.55 million in prize money, concluded Sunday with China sweeping the Singles titles. Chuqin Wang, the 2025 World Champion, swept aside Yun-Ju Lin (TPE) in straight sets, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9. Two-time Olympic silver winner Yingsha Sun won the all-China women’s final from Manyu Wang, the 2021 World Champion, by 4-2 (11-8, 11-9, 7-11. 6-11, 12-10, 11-9).
France’s Felix Lebrun and Alexis Lebrun won the men’s Doubles; Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Hina Hayata took the women’s Doubles and Brazilians Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi triumphed in the Mixed Doubles.
● Wrestling ● At the United World Wrestling Ranking Series Muhamat Malo tournament in Tirana (ALB), American entries scored two victories, with Spencer Lee winning the men’s 57 kg Freestyle class, and Macey Kilty dominated the women’s 62 kg Freestyle division, winning her four matches by a combined score of 41-2.
Mason Parris (125 kg Freestyle) and Dean Hamiti (79 kg Freestyle) both won silvers.
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