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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman was in Israel and spoke at the year-end ceremony of the Israeli Olympic Committee. His remarks included assurances for the safety of Israeli athletes at the 2028 Olympic Games:
“We’re very focused on making sure every athlete has a safe and shared experience. I don’t want the Israeli athletes to feel like they have a different experience because of the security situation; they should feel equally safe doing the same thing as everybody else.”
He said he shows “no interest or patience” for those asking for a boycott of Israel and added:
“This is not a topic that anyone should be talking about. Moments like this is when you learn a lot about people’s character. And if you believe in this [Olympic] movement, you believe in the opportunity for everyone to compete. Not ‘everyone, but …’ That’s not an option; that is a standard that we need to hold ourselves to.”
● Olympic Winter Games 1980: Lake Placid ● Legislation (H.R. 452) for a Congressional Gold Medal honoring the gold-medal-winning 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. men’s hockey team was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, along with team members Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig and Buzz Schneider, in the Oval Office. Said Trump:
“We’re delighted to be joined today by true legends of American sports history, heroes for the entire nation, the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team. This was one of the biggest moments that I’ve ever seen in sports, and I like sports. These are the men who gave us one of the most storied athletic wins of all time, it’s called the ‘Miracle on Ice,’ and I guess that’s what it was.”
The medals will be placed at the Lake Placid Olympic Center in Lake Placid; the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota; and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation approved, in line with the requirements of its Appeals Tribunal, nine Russian athletes (two Bobsled, seven Skeleton) who satisfied the “neutrality” requirements issued by the Federation.
They are eligible to compete as individuals and as such “No flag will be used to identify Individual Neutral Athletes, respectively Individual Neutral Support Personnel and/or Neutral Officials (e.g. at ceremonies, protocol events, on-site, TV/media displays)” and “No anthem shall be used to represent any Individual Neutral Athletes at an official ceremony of an IBSF Competition (opening or closing, protocol events, medal ceremony, etc.).”
The regulations also imposed the cone of silence on these athletes at all IBSF events:
“Individual Neutral Athletes, their Support Personnel and/or Neutral Officials and their National Member Federation are not allowed to make any publication or other communication with any media channel linking their participation as an Individual Neutral Athlete, Individual Neutral Support Personnel and/or Neutral Official with Russia.”
● Football ● FIFA reported that requests for five million tickets were made to the FIFA Random Selection Draw, from potential buyers in more than 200 countries and territories:
“After 24 hours, the three host nations lead the way, with the subsequent top ten countries of residence for ticket requests being Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama.”
FIFA has received heavy criticism over ticket pricing; the BBC reported prices for Scotland’s group-stage matches (£1 = $1.34 U.S.):
“For the match against Haiti, the prices will be £134, £298 or £372, while for the Morocco games tickets will cost £163, £320 or £447 [both in Boston].
“For the clash with five-time champions Brazil on 24 June Scotland have been granted 3,736 tickets. It will be played in the Miami stadium which has a capacity of 64,091.
“Tickets for that match will cost £198, £373 or £523.”
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With many of the U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup facing enormous costs and few opportunities to recoup them in view of FIFA sponsorship restrictions, the Sports Business Journal reported that U.S. cities identified as possible sites for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup are balking at FIFA’s terms:
“More than two dozen American cities are eager to host matches as part of U.S. Soccer’s joint bid with Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Those cities, however, declined to sign long-form agreements that FIFA expected ahead of last month’s bid deadline.
“Leaders of the cities included in the joint bid are seeking the opportunity to negotiate more favorable terms with FIFA before agreeing to anything binding. So far, they have only been willing to sign non-binding, one-page memorandums of understanding provided by U.S. Soccer.”
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● American star Lindsey Vonn, now 41, stole the show at the FIS women’s World Cup in St. Moritz (SUI), winning Friday’s Downhill in 1:29.63, way ahead of Austria’s Magdalena Egger (1:30.61) and Marjam Puchner (1:30.79).
It’s Vonn’s 83rd World Cup win – she’s no. 2 all-time among women – and her first since March 2018. Much more on what this win means here.
Vonn showed this was no fluke on Saturday, finishing second to Emma Aicher (GER) by 1:30.50 to 1:30.74, with 2018 Olympic Downhill winner Sofia Goggia third (ITA: 1:30.79) and American Breezy Johnson, the 2025 World Champion, fourth (1:30.90).
Sunday’s Super-G was New Zealand’s Alice Robinson third win of the season, this time in 1:14.84, ahead of Romane Miradoli (FRA: 1:14.92) and Goggia (1:15.03), with Vonn fourth in 1:15.11.
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The men’s World Cup tour was in Val d’Isere (FRA), with a Swiss sweep in the Giant Slalom, as two-time Worlds gold medalist Loic Meillard (2:10.07), Luca Aerni (2:10.25) and World Cup champ Marco Odermatt (2:10.40) taking the medals.
The Sunday Slalom was a showcase for two-time Worlds medalist Timon Haugen (NOR: 1:37.89), moving from second to first on the second run. Meillard finished second (1:38.17) and Norwegian star Henrik Kristoffersen was third (1:38.23).
● Archery ● American star – and five-time Olympic medalist – Brady Ellison collected the men’s Recurve gold at the World Archery Indoor World Series in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), winning the final by 6-4 over France’s Thomas Chirault. The women’s final was all-Brazilian, with Ana Luiza Caetano winning by 6-4 against Isabelle Pereira.
The Compound titles went to Mathias Fullerton (DEN) and Alejandra Usquiano (COL).
● Athletics ● Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 U.S. national 1,500 m champion, won the Merrie Mile in Honolulu on Sunday in 4:21.66, breaking the American road mile mark of 4:23.98 by Krissy Gear from April and beating Nikki Hiltz (4:24.82).
U.S. 800 m star Josh Hoey won the men’s side of the race (run concurrently) in 3:55.15.
● Biathlon ● The IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen (AUT) was a good one for three-time Worlds gold medalist Eric Perrot of France, who finished second to four-time Worlds medalist Tammaso Giacomel (ITA) in the men’s 10 km Sprint in 23:04.5 (0 penalties) to 23:08.5, but then won the 12.5 km Pursuit in 30:06.2 (0) to 30:16.4 (1) for Giacomel.
Campbell Wright of the U.S. was seventh in the Sprint in 23:33.1 (0) and eighth in the Pursuit in 31:27.2 (3).
Norway won the men’s 4×7.5 km relay in 1:11:54.8, while the U.S. (Sean Doherty, Maxime Germain, Paul Schommer, Wright) was fourth in 1:13.09.3 (7).
The women’s 7.5 km Sprint went to France’s seven-time Worlds medalist Lou Jeanmonnot in 19:59.4 (0), ahead of Maren Kirkkeeide (NOR: 20:14.7/1). Sunday’s 10 km Pursuit went to two-time Worlds gold medalist Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) in 28:31.5 (0), with Anna Magnusson (SWE: 28:42.9/1) second.
Deedra Irwin was the top American in both races, both times in 17th.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The Four-Man sleds raced twice at the IBSF World Cup in Lillehammer (NOR), but with expected results.
The first race was a German sweep, with 2017 World Champion Johannes Lochner’s sled winning in 1:39.88, ahead of double Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich (1:40.02) and Adam Ammour (1:40.04). Kris Horn had the fastest American sled, in 15th.
Sunday’s second event saw Lochner win again in 1:40.01, beating Ammour (1:40.27) and Friedrich (1:40.29). Horn’s sled was sixth (1:40.56).
New Zealand’s Breeana Walker got her first win of the season in the women’s Monobob in 1:47.88, ahead of Katrin Beierl (AUT: 1:48.32) and two-time World Champion Laura Nolte (GER: 1:48.36). Kaillie Armbruster Humphries of the U.S. was seventh (1:48.51).
In the Two-Woman racing, German swept with Nolte (and Deborah Levi) in 1:43.49, then 2023 World Champion Kim Kalicki (1:44.05, with Talea Prepens) and 2018 Olympic champ Lisa Buckwitz’s sled (1:44.11). The U.S. went 4-5-9 with Kaysha Love (1:44.29, with Jasmine Jones), Humphries (1:44.43, with Azaria Hill) and Elana Meyers Taylor (1:44.68, with Sylvia Hoffman).
The men’s Skeleton was another win for two-time World Champion Matt Weston (GBR: 1:42.58) over seven-time Worlds medalist Axel Jungk (GER: 1:42.63) and Seung-gi Jung (KOR: 1:42.66). Four-time European champ Janine Flock (AUT: 1:44.31) took the women’s gold, ahead of Tabitha Stoecker (GBR: 1:44.49). Americans Mystique Ro (1:44.94) and Kelly Curtis (1:45.17) finished 7-11.
Stoecker and Marcus Wyatt (GBR: 1:49.33) won the Skeleton Mixed Team event, with Ro and Austin Florian of the U.S. in second (1:49.89).
● Cross Country Skiing ● At the FIS World Cup in Davos (SUI), Sweden’s 2022 Olympic Sprint winner Jonna Sundling took her second gold of the season in the Freestyle Sprint in 2:31.86, followed by Mathilde Myhrvold (NOR: 2:31.94). Sunday’s 10 km Freestyle went to Norway’s Karoline Simpson-Larsen, who won her first World Cup medal – a gold – in 26:34.9. Moa Ilar (SWE: 26:37.0) was second, ahead of Astrid Slind (NOR: 26:37.1).
American star Jessie Diggins finished fifth at 26:45.2, remaining the seasonal leader.
The men’s Freestyle Sprint was the fifth career World Cup win for France’s Lucas Chanavat, barely edging two-time Olympic silver winner Federico Pellegrino (ITA), 2:17.60 to 2:17.63! Americans Jack Young and Ben Ogden finished an encouraging 4-5.
The Sunday 10 km Free was the second win of the season for Einar Hedegart (22:40.7), at the head of a Norwegian sweep with Harald Amundsen (22:52.4) and Mattis Stenshagen (22:59.5).
● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS World Cup Ski Cross season began in Val Thorens (FRA), with 2023 World Champion Simone Deromedis (ITA) winning the opener with teammate Edoardo Zorzi second. Canadian Kevin Drury, the 2019 Worlds bronzer, took the second event, beating Deromedis.
Beijing Olympic champ Sandra Naeslund (SWE) stamped herself as a favorite once again by sweeping both women’s races. She crossed ahead of Canada’s 2025 Worlds silver winner Courtney Hoffos in the first race and then in front of Marielle Berger Sabbatel (FRA) on Friday.
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The third of four Big Air World Cup was in Steamboat, Colorado, with American Troy Podmilsak, the 2023 World Champion, winning for the second time this season, 182.50 to 179.50 over teammate Konnor Ralph (179.50) with 2025 World Champion Luca Harrington (NZL: 172.75) third.
Canadian Naomi Urness, who had never won a World Cup medal coming into the season, took her first win in the women’s final, scoring 156.25 over Ukraine’s Kateryna Kotsar (152.50). American Avery Krumme (142.00) was fourth.
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At the Halfpipe season opener in Secret Garden (CHN), New Zealand scored a men’s 1-2 finish from 2025 World Champion Finley Melville Ives (90.00) over countryman Luke Harrold (89.00) with Americans Hunter Hess third (86.25) and Birk Irving in fourth (85.25).
China’s Eileen Gu, the 2022 Olympic champ, won the women’s division at 91.75, just ahead of 2025 World Champion Zoe Atkin (GBR: 90.25).
● Handball ● For the fifth time in six editions, Norway reached the final of the IHF Women’s World Championship held in The Netherlands and Germany. There, they had to face host Germany in the final in Rotterdam.
Norway had won the title in 2015 and 2021 and was second in 2017 and 2023, while the Germans were in their first final since winning the title in 1993. The Norwegians beat Montenegro in the quarters, 32-23, and the Dutch in the semis 35-25; Germany sailed past Brazil (30-23) and France (29-23) to get to the championship match.
The final was tight, tied at 11 at halftime. But the Norwegians edged ahead in the second half and won by 23-20 for their fifth Worlds gold all-time. Henny Reistad and Thale Deila each scored five for the winners; Germany was led by Emily Vogel and Alina Grijseels with four each.
France won the bronze with an extra-time, 33-31 win over the Netherlands.
● Ice Hockey ● The annual Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canada was in Edmonton (CAN) for the third of four games on 10 December, with the Americans storming to a 4-1 lead in the first period, then seeing Canada close to 6-3 after two, but scoring four more in the third and taking a 10-4 win and a 3-0 lead in the series.
Abbey Murphy scored twice for the U.S., as did Kelly Pannek. Sophie Jacques got two for Canada.
The finale was on Saturday, also in Edmonton, with the Americans finishing a sweep, 4-1, with two goals in the second and two in the third. Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards got the second-period goals for the U.S., who had a 2-1 lead at the second break. In the third, it was Hilary Knight with both goals, as Aerin Frankel saved 23 of 24 shots in goal.
The sweep was the first in history of the Rivalry Series – this is the seventh edition – that began in February 2019 and has consisted of varying numbers of games each season, from three to seven.
● Luge ● The second stop of the FIL World Cup season was in Park City, Utah, with 2023 World Champion Jonas Mueller (AUT) winning the men’s Singles in 1:29.640 over two-time defending World Champion Max Langehan (GER: 1:29.897) second. Jonny Gustafson was the top American, in fifth (1:30.215).
Five-time World Champion Toni Eggert, and Florian Mueller (GER), won the men’s Doubles in 1:26.222, just ahead of the American duo of Zach DiGregorio and Sean Hollander (1:26.273) with fellow U.S. racers Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa in 10th (1:26.717).
The women’s Singles was a sensational win for American Summer Britcher, her first on the World Cup circuit since 2018! The three-time Olympian won the first heat and then finished fourth in the second, with her combined time of 1:26.961 good enough to beat Verena Hofer (ITA: 1:27.066). Fellow American Ashley Farquharson took third (1:27.070) for her first career World Cup medal!
In Doubles, 2018 Olympic Singles silver winner Dajana Eitberger (GER) teamed with Magdalena Matschina to win in 1:27.140 over Austria’s two-time World Champions Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (1:27.416). The top U.S. pair of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby finished fifth (1:27.921) and Maya Chan and Sophia Gordon were ninth.
Italy won the Team Relay in 3:05.885, with the U.S. (Britcher, DiGregorio-Hollander, Gustafson, Forgan-Kirkby) finishing third in 3:06.451.
● Ski Jumping ● The fourth joint FIS World Cup for men and women was in Klingenthal (GER), off the 140 m hill, with Slovenian star – and 2025 World Champion – Domen Prevc winning his third straight competition at 298.5, winning both rounds! Austrian star Stefan Kraft was a distant second at 273.0.
Prevc scored again on Sunday, winning both jumps and scoring 275.1 points, with Japan’s Ren Nikaido second (262.1) and Ryoyu Kobayashi third (261.0).
Two women had won five of six events coming in and they won again, with new sensation Nozomi Maruyama (JPN: 240.5) winning by a point over 2025 double World Champion Nika Prevc (239.5). Prevc came back to win the second event, 294.1 to 290.1, over Maruyama, with Anna Odine Stroem (NOR: 272.4), the only other winner this season, in third.
● Snowboard ● The FIS World Cup Halfpipe opener was in Secret Garden (CHN), with Japan enjoying a men’s sweep with Beijing Olympic champ Ayumu Hirano (93.50), 2021 World Champion Yuko Totsuka (90.25) and 2025 Worlds runner-up Ruka Hirano (89.00) taking the medals.
Seventeen-year-old Ga-on Choi (KOR) took the women’s event, scoring 92.75, over 16-year-old Rise Kudo (JPN: 90.25) and three-time World Champion Xuetong Cai (CHN: 80.50).
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The third and final stage in the Big Air circuit was in Steamboat, Colorado, with Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara getting his first win of the season at 180.25, ahead of teammate Kira Kimura (179.25) and Oliver Martin (174.00) of the U.S.
China’s Yuming Su, the Beijing 2022 Olympic winner, won the seasonal title with 200 points, over Kimura (189).
Two-time Worlds medalist Miyabi Onitsuka finished the sweep for Japan in the women’s final, scoring 174.00 to win against Seung-eun Yu (KOR: 173.25). Onitsuka took the seasonal trophy with 205 points to Yu’s 121.
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The Snowboard Cross season was inaugurated in Cervinia (ITA), with France claiming a men’s 1-2 with brothers Jonas Chollet (17) and Aidan Chollet taking gold and silver. The French completed a sweep with Lea Casta, the 2025 seasonal champion, winning the women’s final over 2018 Olympic champ Michela Moioli (ITA).
Britain won Sunday’s Team final over Italy and France.
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In the Parallel Giant Slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA), two-time Worlds medalist Aaron March (ITA) was the men’s winner over 2022 Olympic winner Benjamin Karl (AUT) in the men’s final. The women’s final saw three-time Worlds medalist Sabine Payer (AUT) cross ahead of Kaylie Buck (CAN).
● Speed Skating ● The fourth ISU World Cup in Hamar (NOR), with American star Jordan Stolz collecting a sensational five more golds! Wow!
● Friday: He first won the men’s 500 m in a track record 33.97 ahead of 2025 World Champion Jenning De Boo (NED: 34.21), with fellow American Cooper Mcleod in ninth. He won the men’s 1,500 m in another track record of 1:44.16, ahead of two-time Olympic champ Kjeld Nuis (NED: 1:44.95).
● Saturday: Stolz won the 1,000 m in a track record 1:07.63, ahead of Poland’s Damian Zurek (POL: 1:08.21) and Nuis (1:08.25). American Conor McDermott-Mostowy finished sixth, Zach Stoppelmoor was ninth and Mcleod was 10th.
● Sunday: Stolz finished his sweep, winning the second 500 m in 34.14, with Zurek second in the same time, then Stolz took the Mass Start in 7:40.19, beating Olympic champ Bart Swings (BEL: 7:41.10)!
The U.S. won the Team Pursuit in 3:40.28 with Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran, well ahead of Italy (3:42.60). That’s six golds for the U.S. in a single men’s World Cup, certainly the most ever.
Czech Metodej Jilek won the men’s 5,000 m in 6:07.58, a track record, beating France’s Timothy Loubineaud (6:12.29).
The Dutch led the women’s competitions, with World Champion Femke Kok winning the first 500 m (37.05), Mass Start World Champion Marijke Groenewoud taking the 3,000 m in 4:00.95 and Bente Kerkhoff winning the Mass Start in 8:23.91, ahead of Groenewoud. American Mia Manganello was fourth in the Mass Start.
Japan’s Olympic 1,000 m champion and six-time Worlds gold medalist Miho Takagi scored wins in the 1,000 m (1:14.39) and 1,500 m (1:54.95), beating Kok (1:14.73) in the 1,000 m. American star Brittany Bowe finished fourth in the 1,000 m (1:15.50) and fifth in the 1,500 m (1:55.98). Yukino Yoshida (JPN) won the second 500 m in 37.65.
Canada won the women’s Team Pursuit in 2:57.20, with the U.S. trio of Bowe, Manganello and Giorgia Birkeland just behind in 2:57.29.
● Table Tennis ● Three-time Worlds medal winner Tomokazu Harimoto (JPN) scored an important win in the World Table Tennis Finals in Hong Kong, defeating Paris 2024 Olympic runner-up Truls Moregard (SWE) in a thrilling final, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 10-12, 14-12, 11-2.
China’s 2021 World Champion Manyu Wang took the women’s gold over countrywoman Man Kuai, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10.
In the Mixed Doubles final, it was no contest as the Korean pair of Jonghoon Lim and Yubin Shim swept aside Paris 2024 Olympic champions Yingsha Sun and Chuqin Wang, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6.
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