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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The International Olympic Committee told Sveriges Radio (SWE) that Russian flags or any other item with national symbols will not be allowed in the stands during the Olympic Winter Games.
Such flags were seen during the Tour de Ski events in Italy; Russian athletes competing in the Winter Games are doing so as “individual neutral athletes.” So, “[t]he decision applies to countries that are only allowed to compete under a neutral flag,” which are Russia and Belarus.
● International Olympic Committee ● The promised “Olympic Highlights Programme,” allowing athletes to have access to clips from their Games performances, has been activated for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games:
“The Olympian Highlights Programme will give you access to one approximately 60-second clip per Games edition that you have competed in. This clip will contain a selection of competition highlights and, if applicable, medal ceremony footage.”
Three formats – 16×9, 9×16 and 4×5 – are being offered to allow optimal use on varying social-media platforms. The project will expand later in the year to include Paris 2024 and Milan Cortina 2026 highlights, with other Games available over time.
The highlights are created via an artificial intelligence tool and delivered via the IOC’s Athlete 365 site.
● U.S. Center for Safesport ● An audit report released Monday stated that three investigations in which former investigator Jason Krasley participated prior to his arrest for theft and later, sexual assault, while an Allentown, Pennsylvania police officer, should be reopened.
After Krasley was arrested, he was dismissed by SafeSport and all of his cases were audited by an outside law firm, engaged in February 2025. The 17-page report included:
“Aleta Law completed an exhaustive audit of 114 SafeSport investigations conducted in whole or in part by Krasley. Ultimately, auditors determined that, except in limited circumstances, Krasley’s conduct adhered to the Center’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and did not impact investigation outcomes.
“However, auditors found sufficient evidence to justify the reopening of three matters for investigation by a separate external firm. Aleta Law further recommended, based on its findings, that the Center implement a number of changes to its policies and procedures and/or emphasize its existing practices to address concerns identified during the audit.”
In addition to the three cases cited, SafeSport re-opened two other cases based on new information “obtained outside the scope of the audit.”
● Alpine Skiing ● The FIS men’s World Cup was in Madonna di Campiglio for a mid-week Slalom on Wednesday, with Olympic champ Clement Noel finishing third and fifth in the two runs and winning with a combined total of 1:43.05. Finland’s Eduard Hallberg got second, winning the first run and then 11th in the second for a 1:43.17 total, and Paco Rassat (FRA: 1:43.42) third.
Hallberg, 22, won his second career World Cup medal.
● Athletics ● It does not appear that Russian athletes will be reintroduced into international competitions in any significant numbers anytime soon.
The Russian news agency TASS reported that the Athletics Integrity Unit has included only five Russians in its Registered Testing Pool for the first quarter of 2026, the primary group of high-profile stars to be consistently tested. Three race walkers and high jumpers Danil Lysenko and Maria Kochanova.
The Russian total in the Registered Testing Pool had been 40 previously.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● A make-up IBSF World Cup Skeleton race from the cancellation in Winterberg (GER) was held Wednesday in St. Moritz (SUI), with Britain’s World Champion Matt Weston winning in 2:15.67. He finished a startling 1.29 seconds up on Italy’s 2:16.96, with Olympic champ Christopher Grotheer (GER: 2:17.17) in third.
Austin Florian was the top American, in 10th at 2:18.17. Weston has won four of the five races this season.
● Boxing ● World Boxing announced three new member federation application endorsements for Armenia, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, bringing the total membership to 155.
These federations can only be formally included by the World Boxing Congress, later in 2026.
● Cycling ● British road star Simon Yates announced his immediate retirement on Wednesday, finishing his career at age 33, having won the 2018 Vuelta a Espana and the 2025 Giro d’Italia and fourth at the 2023 Tour de France.
He claimed 23 wins in UCI World Tour events and said in a statement, “I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.” He had been under contract to Team Visma-Lease A Bike for the 2026 season. He added:
“I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally grateful for the lessons that came with it. While the victories will always stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even more.”
● Fencing ● USA Fencing announced a “strategic partnership” with the new World Fencing League, founded by 2013 men’s Foil World Champion Miles Chamley-Watson, to “collaborate on coordinated communications and promotional initiatives that highlight elite competition while promoting pathways to participation.”
Said USA Fencing chief Phil Andrews:
“We see the World Fencing League as an exciting opportunity to bring more visibility to fencing and create new pathways for fans and athletes alike. Our goal is clear: more opportunities for fencers, more eyeballs for the sport and innovation that benefits everyone. As a league founded by a visionary U.S. athlete like Miles Chamley-Watson, getting involved was a natural choice. We’re committed to doing what we can to see this initiative succeed, and we believe its success will be good for fencing at every level.”
The World Fencing League’s debut event is slated for April 2026 in Los Angeles.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The second of two FIS World Cup Aerials events was in Lac-Beauport (CAN), with two-time World Champion Laura Peel winning her first medal of the season at 113.76, trailed by first-event winner Winter Vinecki of the U.S. (109.90) and 2022 Olympic gold medalist Mengtao Xu (CHN: 97.02).
● Surfing ● Surfing is not a sport usually associated with doping, but Peruvian surfer Miguel Tudela, the 2023 men’s Worlds bronze medalist, was sanctioned with a 16-month ban for doping for the use of the anabolic steroid metenolone.
This came from a 16 January 2024 out-of-competition sample with the sanction imposed by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Tudela – now 31 – was given credit for being removed from competition from the time of his positive test, which meant his ineligibility ended on 16 August 2025.
● Table Tennis ● The International Table Tennis Federation named former Swedish Sports Confederation chief executive Stefan Bergh as its new Secretary General, taking over later in the first quarter of 2025. His role will be to “lead the ITTF administration and drive the Federation’s strategic execution and international presence, working across governance, events, development and global partnerships to strengthen ITTF’s standing worldwide.”
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