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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● House vs. NCAA ● Swimswam.com reported on postings of estimated payments from the yet-to-be-approved House vs. NCAA lawsuit, which could pay $2.78 billion to collegiate athletes as compensation for not having name-image-likeness opportunities available to them.
The Bradley law firm’s note on the case explained:
“The largest class in the settlement consists of Division I athletes who played sports from June 15, 2016, (due to the statute of limitations) through the present. However, the $2.78 billion will not be equally distributed. Approximately 75% is expected to go to football players, with 20% going to men’s and women’s basketball players and 5% for other athletes. The expected average damages award for a Power Five football or men’s basketball player is approximately $135,000 in payments over 10 years.”
Swimswam was told by a male swimmer at a Southeastern Conference school, who reached the C final at the conference meet, that his posting showed a $286.92 payment, but also an additional $3,140.17 in Alston award money, a program from a 2020 lawsuit which allowed schools to provide academic-related expenses of up to $5,980 per year.
An NCAA swimming champion told the site that earnings of about $600 were coming, along with $3,100 in Alston award money.
Not much compared to what football and basketball players will get, but a likely preview of what many athletes in the non-revenue sports can expect.
● Alpine Skiing ● The women were in action at the FIS World Cup in Kranjska Gora (SLO), with Sweden’s Olympic Giant Slalom gold medalist Sara Hector won her second Giant Slalom of the season in 1:54.86, after leading the first run. Rising Albanian Lara Colturi was second in the first run and remained there to win the silver in 1:56.28 for her second medal this season.
A.J. Hurt was the top American in 10th (1:57.59), ahead of Nina O’Brien (11th: 1:57.83).
Sunday’s Slalom was the second straight win for 20-year-old Croatian Zrinka Ljutic, who won both runs to time 1:39.62, just ahead of two-time Olympic Slalom medalist Wendy Holdener (1:39.78), who tied for the fastest first run and was second in run no. 2. Katie Hensien was the top American, in 12th (1:42.44).
The win vaults Ljutic to the top of the overall seasonal standings with 456 points to 447 for Hector.
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French team physician Stephane Bulle told reporters that the recovery process for star speed racer Cyprien Sarrazin, who suffered a bad crash on a training run in Bormio (ITA) on 27 December and required surgery to relieve bleeding on the brain, is going to take a while.
“We certainly don’t have the time we would have in the event of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments. Today, we have much longer times. We are talking about months, we are absolutely not talking about a recovery in weeks, that is irrelevant, we will start by allowing him to do the things that everyone does: sit on the edge of the bed, eat well, get up.
“I don’t know when he will return, but everything we will do is aimed at getting him back on track. We will be there to support him.
“It is very complicated to provide the phases of his rehabilitation because the definitive assessment of potential injuries has not yet been made.
“In the coming weeks we will try to define the skills he already has, then we will see how to help him recover the others. But it is too early. He is fine, but very, very tired.”
● Athletics ● Two-time Olympic 100 m medal winner Fred Kerley posted bond and was released from jail on Saturday after his hearing on a domestic violence charge involving his estranged wife, Angelica, in Miami.
The incident took place last May; Fred Kerley’s attorneys said the domestic violence allegations “are made by a highly motivated and angry woman.”
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Sad news of the passing of men’s 400 m hurdles star Ralph Mann at age 75, from pancreatic cancer on Thursday (2nd).
Mann was a three-time NCAA champion for BYU in the 440-yard hurdles in 1969-70-71, winning a tight duel in 1970 with UCLA’s Wayne Collett in a world record of 48.8 (to 49.2). Mann went on to get the silver medal at the 1972 Munich Games, behind the world-record 47.82 by Ugandan John Akii-Bua.
He continued competing into 1977, finishing sixth at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials. Meanwhile, he earned a Ph.D. at Washington State in biomechanics and went on to teach at the University of Kentucky, was a consultant on sport performance and to author notable works on golf as well as track & field. He was inducted into the U.S. National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2015.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Germany led off the IBSF World Cup in Winterberg (GER) with its second sweep of the season in the Two-Man, and four-time Olympic winner Francesco Friedrich taking his 50th World Cup win in all sleds. This time with Alexander Schueller, Friedrich timed 1:48.26 to beat countrymen Adam Ammour (1:48.47), and two-time Olympic silver winner Johannes Lochner (1:48.88). Frank Del Duca and Manteo Mitchell had the best U.S. finish, in 10th (1:49.59).
Britain’s Brad Hall, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, took the Four-Man title in 1:48.07, winning both runs, ahead of Friedrich (1:48.26) and Ammour (1:48.55). Del Duca was 12th (1:49.15).
The women’s Monobob had 2018 Two-Woman Olympic champ Lisa Buckwitz taking her second straight World Cup win in 1:56.83, ahead of Swiss Melanie Hasler (1:56.92). Elana Meyers Taylor had the best American finish, in seventh (1:57.38).
Buckwitz led a German sweep in the Two-Woman, winning in 1:54.01 with Kira Lipperheide aboard, just 0.01 ahead of 2022 Olympic champ Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi (1:54.02), with Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig in third. U.S. star Kaillie Armbruster Humphries and Emily Reina finished fourth (1:54.76), and Meyers Taylor and Lolo Jones were 12th (1:55.53).
In the men’s Skeleton, the 2023 World Champion, Britain’s Matt Weston won his sixth medal of the season (in six races), but got his first win in 1:53.12, with Austrian Samuel Maier second (1:53.70). Three-time European champ Janine Flock (AUT) won her fourth medal, but first gold of the season at 1:56.66, over Anna Fernstadt (CZE: 1:56.93) and 2022 Olympic champ Hannah Niese (GER: 1:56.95). The top U.S. finisher was Mystique Ro, in 11th (1:57.37).
● Cross Country Skiing ● Norwegian stars Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Therese Johaug rolled to victory in the Tour de Ski finales at the FIS World Cup in Val di Fiemme (ITA).
Four-time World Cup seasonal champ Klaebo won the Classical Sprint on Friday in 2:35.45, ahead of teammate Even Northug (2:35.77) and then claimed a tight win in Saturday in the 20 km Skiathlon in 49:29.0, beating Italian star Federico Pellegrino (49:31.4) and Jan Jenssen (NOR: 49:32.9).
Klaebo won his fourth career Tour de Ski title on Sunday’s 10 km Freestyle Mass Start, finishing 18th, while teammate Simen Krueger won the race in 32:39.6 over Austrian Mika Vernuelen (32:47.4). Zanden McMullen was the top American, in 19th (33:56.2).
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The women’s title demonstrated that Norway’s four-time Olympic gold medalist Johaug, now 36, is back in top form and will be a major contender for medals again in 2026. After Swiss Nadine Faehndrich won her fifth career World Cup gold in the Freestyle sprint with lean at the finish over Linn Svahn (SWE), 2:57.63 to 2:57.67, Johaug dominated the Skiathlon, winning in 54:53.3, more than 30 seconds up on runner-up Teresa Stadlober (AUT: 55:23.9) and Norway’s Astrid Slind (same time).
Johaug crushed the field in Sunday’s 10 km Mass Start, winning in 35:59.0 at the head of a Norwegian medals sweep, ahead of Slind (36:24.5) and Heidi Weng (36:27.0). Johaug won her fourth career Tour de Ski at 3:46:59.0 over Slind (+47.5).
American Jessie Diggins was fifth in the Skiathlon in 55:48.3, and sixth in the Mass Start (36:53.3), finishing third in the Tour de Ski standings (+2:41.3).
● Freestyle Skiing ● New Zealand’s Luca Harrington, 20, got his first FIS World Cup Big Air gold in Klagenfurt (AUT) on Saturday, scoring 94.80 and 87.80 on his first two runs to total 182.60. That was just better than France’s Timothe Sivignon (180.40), who won his second career World Cup medal.
American Cody LaPlante was ninth (130.40).
China’s Mengting Liu, 20, also got her first World Cup win in the women’s final, scoring 170.60 to edge Flora Tabanelli (ITA: 170.20).
● Gymnastics ● Sounds like American superstar Simone Biles has had enough. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, she explained:
“Because I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.
“If you go back, you’ll be greedy. Those are the consequences. But that’s also your decision to decide. What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s like, prom, college. Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?”
Biles would be 31 at the time of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, well past the age with almost every gymnast has retired. Then again, Uzbek star – two-time Olympic and 11-time Worlds medal winner – Oksana Chusovitina competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 at age 46 and tried to qualify for Paris 2024 at 49!
● Ice Hockey ● The IIHF men’s World Junior Championship in Ottawa (CAN); could not be settled in regulation time, and it took a first-time goal scorer to get the win for the U.S.
The final was a re-match of a group-stage game in which Finland handed the U.S. its only loss, 4-3, in overtime on a Tuomas Uronen goal. The U.S. swamped Switzerland in the quarterfinals by 7-2, then hammered the Czech Republic, 4-1, in its semi to reach the gold-medal match for the ninth time.
The Finns eliminated Slovakia in the quarters by 5-3, then faced Group B winner Sweden in the semis, getting a 4-3 win in overtime, with Benjamin Rautiainen getting the game-winner.
In the final, Finland went up 1-0 on a power-play goal by Jesse Kiiskinen at 7:13 of the first period and were up 2-1 at the end of the period, and 3-1 when defender Emil Pieniniemi scored 4:52 into the second. But the U.S. fought back with goals from Brandon Svoboda at 17:38 and then defender Cole Hutson at 19:31 of the second to tie it at 3-3.
Neither side could score in the third; the U.S. had 34 shots on goal to 22 for the Finns, including 26 in the last two periods. On to the overtime, Finland goalie Petteri Rimpinen turned away shot after shot, but a cross-ice pass from defender Zeev Buium to Teddy Stiga on the right side allowed Stiga to come in and send a short shot underneath Rimpinen’s pads for the gold-medal goal at 8:04. It was Stiga’s first score of the tournament.
It was the seventh title in this tournament for the U.S. and sixth silver for Finland, and the Americans won back-to-back titles for the first time in their history.
The Czechs won the bronze medal from Sweden in a 3-2 shoot-out, after a 2-2 tie, repeating their bronze from 2024.
● Luge ● Austria came away with two wins at the FIL World Cup in Sigulda (LAT), led by 2024 Worlds runner-up Nico Gleirscher, who won his second race of the season by winning both runs and finishing in 1:35.199. That was 0.184 better than home favorite (and 2022 European runner-up) Kristers Aparjods (1:35.383) and 2024 World Champion Max Langenhan (GER: 1:35.480). Tucker West was the top American in seventh (1:35.798).
Three-time Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) won their first race of the season in the men’s Doubles, winning both runs and timing 1:23.045, with Latvia’s two-time European silver medalists Martins Bots and Roberts Plume close at 1:23.146. Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa (1:24.222) and Zachary Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander (1:24.417) finished 8-9.
The women’s Singles winner was a surprise, with home favorite Elina Bota (LAT) in 1:23.280, beating Merle Fraebel (GER: 1:23.344). Americans Ashley Farquharson (1:23.424), Emily Sweeney (1:23.434) and Summer Britcher (1:23.444) finished 5-6-7.
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp won their third straight World Cup race in 1:24.483, just ahead of Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby (1:24.599), who took their third medal of the season and won the second run to move up from third.
● Ski Jumping ● Three-time World Championships gold medalist Stefan Kraft (AUT) took his second win in the 73rd Four Hills Tournament on Saturday at the FIS World Cup in Innsbruck (AUT). On the 128 m hill, Kraft came from second to first in the final round, scoring 273.3 points to 271.9 for countryman Jan Hoerl and teammate Daniel Tschofenig (263.3).
Kraft took the Four Hills lead at 887.1 points to 886.5 for Hoerl and 885.8 for Tschofenig; the final test is on Monday in Bischofshofen (AUT).
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The Women’s World Cup resumed on the 98 m hill in Villach (AUT) with jumping on Sunday and Monday, with Germany’s two-time Olympic runner-up Katharina Schmid getting her fourth win of the season on Sunday at 264.7 points over Slovenian teen star Nika Prevc (19) – who had her three-meet win streak snapped – at 260.2. They are 1-2 in the seasonal standings as well, with Schmid at 655 points and Prevc at 609.
● Snowboard ● Sunday saw the FIS World Cup in Big Air in Klagenfurt (AUT), with Japan’s 19-year-old star Taiga Hasegawa scoring his fifth career World Cup gold, scoring 179.75, to beat fellow 19-year-old Ian Matteoli (ITA: 175.25), who won his third career World Cup medal.
Britain’s Mia Brookes (17), the 2023 World Slopestyle Champion, won the women’s event with 184.25 points, ahead of Japan’s 18-year-old Mari Fukada (182.25) and 17-year-old Momo Suzuki (166.75).
● Water Polo ● USA Water Polo announced that men’s National Team coach Dejan Udovivic (SRB) and women’s National Team coach Adam Krikorian will return through the 2028 Olympic year.
Udovivic has been the U.S. men’s coach since 2013, and led the U.S. to the Paris bronze medal in 2024, the first medal for the American men since 2008. His teams have also won three World League silver medals.
Krikorian led the U.S. women to Olympic golds in 2012-16-20 and five World Championship titles from 2009-22, but saw his squad finish fourth in Paris, losing in the semifinals in a penalty shoot-out with Australia and then to the Netherlands by 11-10 in the bronze-medal match.
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