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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● After an avalanche of crashes last season and some terrible injuries, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced Friday:
“The FIS Council convened for an online session this Friday and confirmed that the use of airbags will be mandatory for all athletes competing in the speed disciplines of Alpine Skiing at a FIS World Cup level as of this 2024/25 season.
“Exceptions can be granted by the National Ski Association in the event that the airbag does not fit an athlete, such that the airbag restricts movement in an unsafe manner.”
This applies to the Downhill and Super-G events only, and not to the technical events: Giant Slalom and Slalom.
● Archery ● World Archery announced an agreement with China’s Shanghai Media Group, which will handle broadcast production of World Archery events from 2025-27.
This includes a “Cube” – a container-based, stand-alone production unit – for World Archery events. In addition, the new “InnoMotion” system arrow tracking and visualization technology first shown at last year’s Shanghai stage of the Archery World Cup and used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be provided.
● Ice Hockey ● Have no doubt that the National Hockey League is backing player participation in the Olympic Winter Games, after comments from Commissioner Gary Bettman in Toronto Monday, during the 17th PrimeTime Sports Management Conference and Trade Show.
Bettman noted next February’s new event, the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off with Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S., taking place a year ahead of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, explaining:
“International competition has been part of the DNA of our game, and our players love representing their countries, and our best-on-best we think is as good as anybody’s best-on-best, probably better.
“I think you’re going to see us have more and more of an international presence.”
NHL.com columnist Nick Cotsonika (USA) added on X:
“Bettman called the 4 Nations Face-Off ‘an appetizer’ and a ‘mini international tournament.’ The NHL plans to go to the Olympics every four years and bring back the World Cup in between.”
● Speed Skating ● Better late than never, the results of the US Speedskating National Championships (and ISU World Cup qualifier) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that ended on 3 November underlined that seven-time World Champion Jordan Stolz, now 20, is ready for another big season.
Stolz won five races, taking both of the men’s 500 m (both over Zach Stoppelmoor) in 34.47 and 34.57, took the first 1,000 m in 1:07.67 with Stoppelmoor second at 1:08.87, and won the 1,500 m in 1:43.43 over Emery Lehman (1:46.09).
Stolz was only fourth in the first of two races in the 16-lap Mass Start, but won the second race to collect a combined total of 71 race points. Kelin Dunfee was second, also with 71 points, from winning the first race, but sliding to eighth in the second.
The other men’s races were won by Alec Sklutovsky in the 1,000 m (1:10.97), 2022 Olympian Casey Dawson (6:15.61) in the 5,000 m, and Dunfee, the only finisher in the 10,000 m (13:59.79).
The star-studded women’s races saw 2024 Worlds 500 m bronze winner Kimi Goetz take both 500 m sprints from reigning Olympic champ Erin Jackson, 37.67 to 37.76 and 37.80 to 37.88.
Three-time World women’s 1,000 m champion Brittany Bowe, now 36, was third in both 500 m races, then won the first 1,000 m race in 1:14.02, to 1:14.25 for Goetz. Bowe, the 2015 Worlds 1,000 m gold medalist, won the first women’s 1,500 m race in 1:54.78, with Goetz at 1:56.85.
Blair Cruikshank won the second women’s 1,000 m in 1:20.59, and Greta Myers won over Mia Manganello in the 3,000 m, 4:04.45 to 4:17.21. Natascha Lindenskov (DEN) won the women’s 5,000 m in 7:34.70.
In the 16-lap Mass Start, Myers and Manganello won the two races, with Manganello the overall winner.
The ISU World Cup season will start on 22 November in Japan.
● Weightlifting ● Strongman Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia, the three-time Olympic super-heavyweight gold medalist and seven-time World Champion, will not compete at the IWF World Championships in December in Bahrain.
Now 31, he’s been selected to serve in the Georgia Parliament.
A member of the “Georgia Dream” party, Talakhadze said in an interview:
“The two are not incompatible. Currently, I don’t train because of injury. At the moment, my country needs me. Georgia Dream is exactly the power that our country needs, which will maintain peace and unity in Georgia.”
The world-record holder indicated he would continue to Los Angeles in 2028, but his political involvement could keep him away. The Georgian federation head, Kakhi Kakhiashvili, noted that the 2026 European Championships will be in the country, in Batumi, with Talakhadze potentially making a run at a new world record for combined lifts of 500 kg (1,102 lbs.). His record is currently at 492 kg, from 2021.
Kakhiashvili, asked if 500 kg was really possible, replied, “If he starts training, yes. If he doesn’t start within six months, no.”
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