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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● President-elect Donald Trump assured LA28 organizing committee chair Casey Wasserman of full support from the U.S. government for the Games in a meeting at Mar-a-Lago last week, according to Axios:
“‘These are America’s Olympics,’ Trump told Wasserman. ‘These are more important than ever to L.A. and I’m going to be supportive in every way possible and make them the greatest games.'”
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● “At the end of the visit, all of the participants acknowledged to the commissario di governo Fabio Saldini the progresses made by SIMICO.
“Meanwhile, the schedule remains tight and challenging in order to be ready for the start of ice making at the beginning of March and the pre-homologation of the track at the end of March. The parties decided to continue a close and collaborative monitoring of progress, share information and meet again mid February.”
That’s from the Milan Cortina 2026 organizers, after a meeting and inspection last Thursday of the work on the bob, luge and skeleton track under construction in Cortina. The timeline is extraordinarily tight, especially for the start of the certification, expected to be in March.
The 2026 organizers have been in discussions with the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid, New York, to use the famed Mt. Van Hoevenberg site as an option.
● Alpine Skiing ● “I would never go past that. It would be a great way to end things – for once and for all.”
That’s U.S. skiing star Lindsey Vonn in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, explaining that if she was able to make the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina, that would be the coda on her career.
Vonn left skiing in 2019 after a series of injuries, but after a knee replacement in 2024, made it back to the FIS Alpine World Cup, already finishing 14th, sixth and fourth in her first three races.
“I don’t know if it’s possible. I have to stay on my feet, unlike today [following a training crash]
“I have to keep thing’s going and if I can make it, it would be a thrilling and a great way to kind of close the loop on my career – I guess the second chapter of my career. But I’m really trying not to think that far ahead. I have to stick with what’s on today and tomorrow and just kind of building and getting everything dialed in.”
● Biathlon ● Five-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time seasonal World Cup champion Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) announced his retirement as of the end of this season. He posted on Instagram (computer translation from the original Norwegian):
“For 13 years I have been part of the world’s best national team, with the world’s best sponsors behind me.
“For the last six seasons I have combined top sport with family life. It has been fantastic, but also challenging. Now I feel that the time has come to prioritize the family.
“According to the plan, I was supposed to continue for another year, but the Olympic commitment requires even more, also from those around me. I still love to compete but competition days are few compared to all the other days. Let’s enjoy the last races together, before we end (at the World Cup Finals) with a bang in Holmenkollen on March 20-23!”
The announcement stunned the biathlon world and Boe gave an emotional news conference on Saturday at the Ruhpolding World Cup. He will finish with eight Olympic medals (5-2-1) and has 38 Worlds medals (20-13-5) and 88 World Cup wins. And still a few more races to go.
● Diving ● Jordan Windle, 26, a Tokyo Olympian in the men’s Platform, has been banned from the sport by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, following up on an initial, temporary suspension by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in December 2021 for “allegations of misconduct.”
SafeSport ruled that the “accusations against him since 2021 for inappropriate sexual conduct with minors are true” and that “SafeSport had received several complaints accusing Windle of exchanging explicit photographs with at least one minor on the USA Diving team.”
His status was updated on 16 December 2024 with a notation of “Sexual Misconduct – involving Minors; Inappropriate Conduct; Emotional Misconduct.” He does not appear to have competed since 2021.
● Football ● Star keeper Alyssa Naeher, who retired from international football at the end of 2024, was voted the women’s Player of the Year by U.S. Soccer. She is only the second keeper to win, with Hope Solo named in 2009.
Naeher was a key player in the U.S. gold-medal run in Paris, and finished 2024 with 18 starts, 1,170 minutes played, a 13-1-3 (W-L-T) record and a goals-against average of 0.50!
¶
FIFA’s Ethics Committee issued three sanctions on Friday, including the suspension of the head of the Panamanian federation:
“The President of the Panamanian Football Association, Manuel Arias Corco, has been banned from taking part in any football-related activity for six months and ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 for breaches of article 24 paragraphs 1 and 2 (Protection of physical and mental integrity) of the FIFA Code of Ethics following his derogatory comments regarding players of the national team.”
In March of 2024, Arias said of Panama midfielder Marta Cox in a news conference, “out of shape, she’s fat, she couldn’t move on the pitch.” Arias said on X that he regretted the comments.
The two other bans were for misuse of office:
● “The former Secretary General of the Venezuelan Football Association (FVF), Manuel Álvarez, has been banned from taking part in any football-related activity for five years and ordered to pay a fine of USD 993,603.93 for breaches of articles 29 (Misappropriation and misuse of funds), 16 (Duty of loyalty) and 14 (General duties) of the FIFA Code of Ethics following actions, omissions, lack of care, mismanagement and negligence in the performance of his duties that enabled the misappropriation and misuse of FVF’s and FIFA’s funds.”
● “The former President of the Equatorial Guinean Football Association (FEGUIFUT), Gustavo Ndong, has been banned from taking part in any football-related activity for three years and ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 for breaches of articles 14 (General duties), 16 (Duty of loyalty), 20 (Conflicts of interest), 21 (Offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) and 26 (Abuse of position) of the FIFA Code of Ethics following his approval and acceptance of undue pecuniary advantages whilst serving as the President of the FEGUIFUT”
● Gymnastics ● Tokyo Olympian and two-time World Championships bronze medalist Yul Moldauer posted on Instagram that he has received a 16-month suspension for “whereabouts” failures:
● “I want to personally share some important news with you before it becomes public.
“I have received a 16-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) due to a whereabouts violation. I want to be absolutely clear: I have never tested positive for any banned substances in my career.”
● “This suspension stems from missing three required whereabouts updates within a 12-month period. The first two tests were missed due to competitions, where they had drug testing stations, which I passed. The third violation happened after the Olympic Trials, as I was processing the disappointment of missing out on my second Olympic Games. During that time, I took a short break to reset mentally and physically. While in Florida, I was in the area but not at the exact location I had listed when a tester arrived, I was 45 minutes away and told him I was in the car and ready to drive and meet him, but he said he had only 15 minutes to wait which resulted in my third missed test.”
He replaced his original post with another which clarified that he was responsible for the suspension due to the missed tests. He added, “One thing I certainly got right in my previous statement is that I am going to keep working and doing everything possible to represent Team USA at the LA 2028 Olympics.”
● Wrestling ● The NCAA added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport, with the first nationals to be held in 2026. This has been a long-time goal of USA Wrestling to get the women’s program to the collegiate championship level, and will improve an already strong U.S. women’s program.
USA Wrestling noted, “There were 76 women’s wrestling programs at NCAA schools in 2023-24, with projections pointing to an additional 17 programs in 2024-25. More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools today.” Wrestling became an emerging sport in 2020 and will be the sixth to graduate to full NCAA championship status, joining rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).
¶
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced an 18-month suspension of U.S. Greco star Ben Provisor, 34, for “whereabouts” failures:
“Provisor accrued three Whereabouts Failures: the first on May 13, 2023, the second on August 12, 2023, and the third on April 4, 2024. … Provisor’s 18-month period of ineligibility began on November 5, 2024, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Provisor has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to April 4, 2024, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.”
A 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympian, he won the Pan American Games silver at 74 kg in 2011 and has three national titles.
≡ RESULTS ≡
● Alpine Skiing ● Three days of FIS men’s World Cup skiing in Wengen (SUI), with the home fans in a tizzy after seeing their stars win! It was Franjo van Allmen, 23, taking the Super-G for his first World Cup gold in 1:47.65, ahead of Austria’s 2021 World Champion Vincent Kriechmayr (1:47.75) and Swiss Stefan Rogentin (1:48.23). Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the top American, in 11th (1:49.06).
Then it was three-time defending World Cup champ Marco Odermatt (SUI) taking his sixth win of the season in the Downhill in 2:22.58, with von Allmen second (2:22.95). Bryce Bennett finished sixth for the U.S. (2:23.41), with Cochran-Siegle 11th (2:24.03).
Sunday’s Slalom was a Norwegian sweep, with Atle Lie McGrath taking his third career World Cup win in 1:45.94, ahead of Timon Haugen (1:46.12) and Henrik Kristoffersen (1:46.23). Benjamin Ritchie was the top American, in 18th.
¶
The women’s World Cup was in Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA) – on the 2026 Olympic course – with a dream finish for the home crowd as 2018 Olympic champ Sofia Goggia got her second win of the season in 1:33.95, overtaking second-starting Kasja Vickhoff Lie (NOR: 1:34.37) and fellow Italian Federica Brignone (1:34.50). Jackie Wiles was the top American (7th: 1:34.94), Lauren Macuga was 16th (1:35.27) and Lindsey Vonn was 20th (1:35.63).
Brignone, the three-time Olympic medalist, won the Super-G on Sunday in 1:21.64 for her 31st career World Cup title, ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI: 1:22.22) and Corinne Suter (SUI: 1:22.72). Macuga was 13th (1:23.29) and Vonn crashed out in mid-race while sitting in fifth place; she was not injured.
● Archery ● Four-time World Indoor medalist Brady Ellison of the U.S. won the men’s Recurve (18 m) class at the World Archery Indoor World Series in Nimes (FRA), defeating Florian Unruh (GER). Britain’s 19-year-old 2023 European Games champ Penny Healey took the women’s Recurve win, 6-2, against Lucilla Boari.
● Athletics ● Both American Records in the half-marathon had been set in the Chevron Houston Marathon: 59:43 by Ryan Hall in 2007 and 66:25 by Weini Kelati in 2024. Both got shattered on Sunday – despite weather in the 40s – as 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials winner Conner Mantz finished second at the line to Ethiopian Addisu Gobena, both timed in 59:17.
They were 1-2 out of a pack of four that raced to the line, with Gabriel Geay (TAN: 59:18) third and Jemal Yimer (ETH: 59:20) in fourth. American Hillary Bor was sixth in 60:20, moving to no. 6 all-time U.S.
Kelati and Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Senayet Getachew, the 2023 World Junior Cross Country champ, were in charge of the women’s Half by the 10-mile mark and raced to the finish, with Getachew in the lead for good and won in 66:05, with Kelati taking 16 seconds off her own record at 66:09.
Fellow American Amanda Vestri was fourth in 67:35, moving to no. 7 all-time U.S.
In the marathons, Israel’s Haimro Alame won the men’s race in 2:08:17 and Ethiopian Kumeshi Sichala took the women’s in 2:20:42.
¶
Josh Hoey got an American Indoor Record in the men’s 1,000 m, winning in 2:14.48 at the Quaker Invitational in Philadelphia o Saturday, breaking Shane Steich’s 2:16.16 time from 2022. It’s the no. 2 performance in history, behind only Ayanleh Soleiman (DJI) and his 2:14.20 mark from 2016.
● Badminton ● Two-time Olympic champ Viktor Axelsen scored a solid win at the BWF World Tour India Open in New Delhi, taking the men’s Singles from Cheuk Yiu Lee (HKG) by 21-16, 21-8, while Korea’s Paris Olympic champ Se Young An won the women’s title over Pornpawee Chuchuwong (THA), 21-12, 21-9.
Third-seeds Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzuddin (MAS) took the men’s Doubles, 21-15, 13-21, 21-16 over Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo (KOR), and Arisa Igarashi and Ayako Sakuramoto (JPN) won the women’s Doubles, 21-15, 21-13 against Hye Jeong Kim and Hee Yong Kong (KOR).
China’s second-seeded Zhen Bang Jiang and Ya Xin Wei (CHN) won the Mixed Doubles, 21-18, 21-17 over Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue (FRA).
● Biathlon ● The fifth stop for the IBU World Cup was in Ruhpolding (GER), with the French women continuing to dominate, as two-time Worlds relay gold winner Lou Jeanmonnot won her second World Cup race in a row and fourth of the season in the 15 km Individual on Saturday in 41:35.3 (0 penalties), ahead of Franziska Preuss (GER: 42:11.2/1) and Amy Baserga (SUI: 42:18.6/0).
Sunday’s 12.5 km Mass Start was a win for triple Olympic medalist Elvira Oeberg (SWE: 33:00.5/0), who beat Preuss (33:25.5/1) and Jeanne Richard (FRA: 33:25.9/0).
The men’s 20 km Individual winner was Norway’s 2024 European champ Vebjorn Sorum, who got his first win of the season 47:30.0 (0), beating Emilien Claude (FRA: 48:21.1/0) and Andrejs Rastorgujevs (LAT: 48:26.8/1).
The 15 km Mass Start on Sunday belonged to Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel, a clear winner in 36:21.8 (0), ahead of Norwegians Sturla Laegreid (36:28.1/1) and seasonal leader (and soon to retire) Johannes Thingnes Boe (36:33.2/2).
France beat Sweden in the men’s 4×7.5 km relay and Germany defeated Norway in the women’s 4×6 km relay.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● The fourth stop on the IBSF World Cup tour in Innsbruck (AUT), with German sleds taking both the Two-Man and Four-Man wins. Beijing 2022 silver winner Johannes Lochner piloted the Two-Man win, with George Fleischhauer aboard (1:41.47), ahead of Olympic champ Francesco Friedrich (1:41.63), with fellow German Adam Ammour (1:41.84) in third. Americans Frank Del Duca and Charles Volker were fourth (1:42.23).
Friedrich won the Four-Man for the third time this season, in 1:40.45, ahead of Brad Hall (GBR: 1:40.73) and Lochner (1:40.74). Del Duca had the best American finish, in 10th (1:41.54).
PyeongChang Olympic Two-Women champ Lisa Buckwitz (GER) won her third women’s Monobob title this season in 1:48.41, just ahead of Kaysha Love of the U.S. (1:48.45) and fellow German Lisa Nolte (1:48.51). Elana Meyers Taylor of the U.S. was fourth (1:48.96).
Beijing Two-Woman champ Lisa Nolte led a German sweep, with Deborah Levi aboard, in 1:44.09, with Kim Kalicki second (1:44.24) and Buckwitz third (1:44.44). Meyers Taylor and Jasmine Jones finished fourth (1:44.76); Love and Emily Renna finished sixth (1:45.03) and Sylvia Hoffman and Sadie McMullen finished seventh (1:45.10).
● Cross Country Skiing ● The amazing Jessie Diggins expanded her overall lead in the women’s FIS World Cup with a win in the 10 km Interval Freestyle in Les Rousses (FRA) in 22:37.7, ahead of Victoria Carl (GER: 22:57.2) and Astrid Slind (NOR: 22:57.8). Sophia Laukli of the U.S. was eighth (23:16.6); it was Diggins’ fourth win on the season.
The Classical Sprint was a win for Kristine Skistad (NOR: 3:05.70), just ahead of Swede triple Olympic medalist Maja Dahlqvist (3:05.98) and Beijing 2022 Olympic Sprint winner Jonna Sundling (SWE: 3:06.36).
Ten-time Worlds medalist Frida Karlsson took Sunday’s 20 km Classical Mass Start in 55:29.1, with teammate Ebba Andersson second (56:59.0) and Teresa Stadlober (AUT: 57:10.4) in third.
Norway extended its men’s World Cup win streak to 15 straight in the 10 km Freestyle as Iver Andersen, 24, got his second career World Cup gold, ahead of teammate Paal Golberg, 19:50.6 to 19:55.8. American Ben Ogden was third in 19:59.7 for his second career World Cup medal!
Swede Edvin Anger, 22, took his first individual World Cup gold in the Classical Sprint in 2:42.99, with Norway’s Ansgar Evensen (2:43.50) and Erik Valnes (2:44.15) going 2-3. Sweden got another win in the men’s 20 km Classical Mass Start from William Poromaa (51:43.1), ahead of Iivo Niskanen (FIN: 51:44.0); Ogden was 12th (52:25.3).
● Curling ● The Grand Slam of Curling Masters in Guelph, Ontario (CAN) was the fourth of five tournaments this season, with 2022 Olympic silver medalist Ross Whyte (SCO) taking the men’s title with a 5-4 win over Canadian star Brad Jacobs, the 2014 Olympic champ. Whyte’s two points in the sixth end proved to be decisive.
In the women’s final between PyeongChang Olympic winner Anna Hasselborg (SWE) and two-time World Champion Rachel Homan (CAN), Hasselborg’s early 2-0 lead evaporated with the score at 4-4 after five ends.
It was 5-5 through seven, but Hasselborg scored two in the eighth and got the 7-5 victory.
● Cycling ● The UCI Women’s World Tour opened for 2025 with the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia, with 23-year-old Swiss Naomi Ruegg winning her first WWT event, taking the lead after the second of three stages.
Ruegg had a 15-second lead going into the final stage on Saturday, and finished third as American star Chloe Dygert – two-time World Time Trial champ – won the stage. Ruegg’s overall time was 8:49:00, with Silke Smulders (NED: +0:13) second. Ruth Edwards was the top U.S. finisher in ninth (+0:59); Dygert was 26th overall.
● Football ● The U.S. men scored a decisive, 3-1 win over Venezuela in a friendly in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, using mostly MLS players, with six making their first starts for the American national side.
The U.S. got a chance right away with a penalty called against Venezuela in the second minute, but midfielder Matko Miljevic (Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina) had his shot saved. In the 37th, it was midfielder Jack McGlynn (Phila Union) who opened the scoring with a left-footed shot from outside the box to the right corner of the Venezuelan goal. Then forward Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte) scored in the 39th – in his debut – for a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Miljevic, also scored in his first USA match, clinching the game at 3-0 in the 64th and the visitors got one back in the 68th as midfielder Jorge Yriarte scored on a header from the center of the box. The U.S. enjoyed 66% possession and a 15-11 edge on shots.
The Americans will play Costa Rica on Wednesday in another friendly, in Orlando.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS World Cup in Ski Cross resumed in Reiteralm (AUT), with German Florian Wilmsmann, the 2023 Worlds silver winner, taking the first men’s race over Melvin Tchiknavorian (FRA). France’s Youri Kergomard won the second race (Friday) over 2023 World Champion Simone Deromedis (ITA).
Canada swept the women’s races, with Hannah Schmidt beating 2013 World Champion Fanny Smith (SUI) in the first final, then India Sherret beat Smith again in Friday’s final.
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Big stars were winners at the FIS World Cup in Slopestyle in Laax (SUI), as Norway’s Birk Ruud – the 2022 Olympic Big Air winner – took the men’s gold, scoring 85.54 over Americans Mac Forehand (83.69) and Beijing Slopestyle winner Alex Hall (81.62).
China’s Eileen Gu, the two-time Olympic winner in Beijing, but also second in Slopestyle, won the women’s gold at 81.22, well ahead of Canadian Megan Oldham (72.80) and Swiss Mathilde Gremaud (72.59).
¶
At the FIS World Cup in Lake Placid, New York, it was the season opener for Aerials, with China’s Jiaxu Sun got his first World Cup medal – and first win – scoring 136.17 to edge Noe Roth (SUI: 123.90) and Xinpeng Li (CHN: 118.10).
Beijing 2022 women’s champ Mengtao Xu took the women’s event at 95.52, over two-time Worlds runner-up Danielle Scott (AUS: 95.17) and Marion Thenault (CAN: 90.94).
● Luge ● German Julia Taubitz, the 2021 World Champion won the FIL World Cup women’s Singles in Winterberg (GER) – also the European Championships – for her second win of the season. She timed 1:49.582 to beat Austria’s Madeleine Egle (1:49.780), the 2024 Worlds bronze medalist. American Emily Sweeney, the 2019 Worlds bronzer, got her second medal of the season in third (1:49.922).
The women’s Doubles was the fifth straight World Cup win for Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp, winning by 1:26.467 to 1:26.481 over two-time World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER). The U.S. teams of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby and Maya Chan and Sophia Gordon finished 7-8.
Jonas Mueller (AUT), the 2019 World Champion, won the men’s race at 1:41.742, beating 2024 World champ Max Langenhan (GER: 1:41.797).
Triple Olympic champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) won both runs in the men’s Doubles to win in 1:25.152 over Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf (AUT: 1:25.286). Americans Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa were ninth in 1:25.582.
● Nordic Combined ● At the fourth stop of the FIS World Cup, in Schonach (GER), Norway’s 2022 Olympic runner-up Jens Oftebro came from 12th after the jump phase to win in 24:21.1 in the 10.0 km cross country race. That was just enough to edge Austria’s 2021 World Champion Johannes Lamparter (24:22.2).
Lamparter came back to win on Sunday, in a Compact 7.5 km race, in 19:02.2, just ahead of seasonal leader Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR: 19:07.3) and German Vinzenz Geiger (19:26.5).
The women’s jumping off the 100 m hill and 5.0 km race was once again won by defending World Cup champ Ida Marie Hagen (NOR) in 11:22.4, winning her fifth event of the season without a loss. German Nathalie Armbruster was well back in second at 11:32.9.
On Sunday, Hagen remained undefeated with her sixth straight win this season, in a 6 km race, leading a Norwegian sweep in 17:05.5. Gyda Westvold Hansen was second (17:23.5) and Marte Leinan Lund was third (18:03.3).
● Ski Jumping ● The FIS men’s World Cup resumed in Zakopane (POL) off the 140 m hill, with Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig picking up where he left off. He won the Four Hills Tournament and won again, with 316.7 points, coming from third after the first round. Norway’s Johann Andre Forfang got second (309.4) and Austrian teammate Jan Hoerl was third (309.3). It’s Tschofenig’s fifth win of the season.
Austria won the men’s team event on Saturday, 1,170.4 to 1,129.6 over Slovenia. The U.S. (Kevin Bickner, Erik Belshaw, Andrew Urlaub, Tate Frantz) was seventh (985.8).
¶
The women’s World Cup was in Sapporo (JPN), on the 137 m hill, with emerging Canadian star Alexandria Loutitt, 21, taking the Saturday competition for her second career World Cup gold. She won both rounds and scored 266.4 to beat Austria’s Lisa Eder, who came from 11th to second with 253.7 points.
On Sunday, Eirin Kvandal (NOR) won both rounds, scoring 248.4 to win, over Selina Freitag (GER: 228.0).
● Snowboard ● At the FIS Halfpipe World Cup in Laax (SUI), Australia’s two-time World Champion Scotty James (AUS) got his first win of the season, 95.75 to 93.75 over Japan’s Ruka Hirano, with Beijing Olympic champ Ayumu Hirano third (87.00). American Chase Josey was seventh (70.00).
In Slopestyle, 19-year-old Cameron Spalding (CAN) won for the second time in two events this season, beating 2018 Olympic champ Red Gerard of the U.S., 86.63 to 86.22.
Two-time Olympic champ Chloe Kim of the U.S. won the women’s Halfpipe title in a tight battle with fellow American, two-time Worlds medalist Maddie Mastro, 96.50 to 94.50, with Korean Gaon Choi, just 16, close at 93.25.
For Kim, it’s her 11th career World Cup win and fifth at Laax!
Britain’s 17-year-old Mia Brookes, the 2023 World Champion, won the Slopestyle event at 84.86, well ahead of Zoe Sadowski Synnott (NZL: 77.29). American Lilly Dhawornvej was eighth (54.09).
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Two-time Worlds Parallel Slalom medalist Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) won her second straight FIS World Cup event, this time a Parallel Giant Slalom in Bansko (BUL) over 2023 World Champion Tsubaki Miki (JPN). It was Miki’s third straight silver in World Cup competition this season!
On Sunday, It was a re-run, with Hofmeister winning over Miki once again (her fourth silver in a row!).
Three-time World Champion Andreas Prommegger (AUT) took Saturday’s men’s Parallel Giant Slalom over countryman Benjamin Karl in the final, for his first win of the season. On Sunday, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, Dario Caviezel (SUI) won the final over Gabriel Messner (ITA).
● Water Polo ● The World Aquatics women’s World Cup in Alexandroupolis (GRE), with Olympic champ Spain going 2-1 in group play and then winning all three games in the second round to be the top qualifier for the Super Final later this year. The Netherlands, Greece, Australia, Hungary and Italy all advanced.
The U.S. squad featured nine first-time national-team players (out of 15) and lost all three games in group play, and was relegated to Group B, with the top two teams advancing to the World Cup Super Final. The Americans lost a 12-7 lead to Italy ion the final quarter, 13-12, but beat Israel, 10-9, to stay in contention. But Hungary won, 10-6, in the final game, eliminating the U.S. from the Super Final.
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