Category Archives: Olympics

In October of 2009, the International Olympic Committee voted to have golf at the 2016 games in Rio, Brazil. For the first time in 112 years, the best players in the world would be put on a global stage with the ability to compete for something modern golfers have never had a chance to a gold medal.

Not Jack, not Arnold, not Gary, nor Tiger have ever had a chance to compete for Olympic fame.

Despite the opportunity, many of the worlds best players withdrew from the games citing the Zika virus as the reason for concern. Then World No. 1 Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, and Jordan Spieth are just some of the stars who decided against donning their national colors.

The good thing for golf: The eventual medal winners on both the mens and womens sides were fantastic. Justin Rose took home gold as Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar stood on the other two steps of the podium. Inbee Park won the womens event, while Lydia Ko grabbed silver.

After a delay due to COVID-19, the games best made their way to Tokyo earlier this year. This time around, the Americans swept gold. Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda added to their already impressive resumes, hanging a little bling in their trophy cases.

Despite the incredible result, the events fell a bit flat.

Im not sure if it was the time difference, the golf course, the weak field outside of the top several names, it just lacked some juice. The simple fix: Change the format.

Imagine Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda teeing it up as a pair. Or Danielle Kang and Collin Morikawa. Or Rory McIlroy and Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire. How fun would that be?

Weve seen mixed pairs before. Bubba Watson and Lexi Thompson just played together at the QBE Shootout earlier this month.

Like we see with the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, the format could differ depending on the day. Thursday: Four-ball. Friday: Foursomes. Alternating between the two throughout the weekend until winners are crowned Sunday afternoon.

Golf fans have long pondered the idea of having mixed events on the schedule on an annual basis. Watching Ko and Spieth battle down the stretch on a Summer Sunday would be as good as it gets.

What does everyone love about the Ryder and Solheim Cups? Two players from the same country, rooting and playing for each other, and displaying an intensity we dont see every week. Why not do the same thing in the Olympics?

Like a mixed-event format, alternating from Four-ball and Foursomes would create an incredible product for the Olympics.

The venue for the 2024 Olympic games is Le Golf National, and if that name rings familiar it should, as it hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup. One can only hope that in the next few years we see a shift in the format.

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Olympic golf: How it can be made better, and in turn, more enjoyable - usatoday.com

Difficult as it may be for a large segment of the playing population to accept, dropping out of the Olympics in conjunction with shifting the holiday recess up by a day was the easy part for the NHL.

The hard part all lays ahead. The NHL and NHLPA must create guidelines that might feature reintroduction of taxi squads and the adoption of cap exemptions in response to COVID-related roster issues. Sources have told The Post that talks on these issues began on Wednesday following disposition of the Olympics.

Bringing back the taxi squad, which last year had a four-player limit, seems inevitable. It makes no sense for the NHL to adopt more stringent health protocols including daily testing and denying entry to practice facilities to those players who do not produce a negative result, all the while having teams call up players from the AHL, who are not under the same protocols.

The league must reschedule 48 games ideally as many as possible into the original blank slate existing from Feb. 3 to Feb. 23 while attempting to create equitable calendars under the scenario where 12 teams have missed two games or fewer and three have had five or three matches postponed.

At this point the Feb. 5 All-Star extravaganza in Vegas remains on the schedule, so that will have to be factored into the mix. Wed say we have no idea why, but that would be false. The idea why can be spelled in four letters. Namely: E-S-P-N.

As the business of reconfiguring the schedule grid begins, we have also been told that each team will be given a bye period for what would likely be five days within the previously scheduled break.

And then, the league and union, with advise-and-consent from affiliated physicians and infectious disease experts, are going to have to consider whether there will come the time that it will be safe to allow asymptomatic personnel who have tested positive to remain in good standing and continue to play.

It would seem that the first step toward that end would be to require booster shots for all personnel. That is a decision that largely will fall to the NHLPA and its membership. There will be no unilateral mandate from the league.

The decision to withdraw was out of the players hands. Once the schedule was materially disrupted, and it was after the wave of positive results and postponements over the last week, then the NHL had the authority and responsibility, in this case to make the call.

It is unclear how the U.S. and Canada will fill their squads for the Beijing Games. Former Rangers coach David Quinn, originally named as an assistant to head man Mike Sullivan for Team USA, was the only non-NHL affiliated coach named to the staff. Quinn would thus stand to become the Yanks head coach if either GM Billy Guerin or Logan Roy does not disrupt the natural line of succession. An announcement will be forthcoming from USA Hockey.

The decision to withdraw had become inevitable but it does not make it less bitter for the players who had been looking forward to the first best-on-best international competition since the 2014 Sochi Games. That includes Mika Zibanejad, already named to Team Sweden.

I understand it to a certain degree, I guess, but that obviously doesnt make it better, No. 93 told The Post on Wednesday. This was a conversation that had started earlier about the possibility of the league pulling us out of it because of COVID and postponed games.

Over the last couple of weeks with more positive tests and more [games] postponed, I guess the questions in my head started to rise and I was hoping for no more games to be postponed so we could still go, but that was not the case. It is disappointing, its a tournament that I wanted to play with Sweden. You never get a chance to get all your best players and play against the best from all the other countries. Thats unfortunate.

Theres only so much that we could do as players, Zibanejad said. Again, its disappointing for sure. Its not the news I wanted. Even though with all the difficulties going on around the world and in China, even for the Olympics, its still a tournament I always looked forward to watch and now to be playing. Being one of the three players named beforehand, it got me even more excited.

There is one possible salve to the wound and that would be if the Olympics are postponed until next year, the way the Tokyo Summer Games were postponed from 2020 to 2021. In that case, the NHL and Zibanejad would be able to go next year.

Now, though, it is about making plans for next week.

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NHL has tougher COVID-19 decisions ahead after pulling out of Olympics - New York Post

Parents planning to take their kids skiing and snowboarding over school break this winter can expect to find crowded slopes, as the pandemic continues to dampen indoor activities and the Olympic Games in February boostsinterest in alpine sports.

Season passes at the Otis Ridge Ski Area in Otis sold out before the first snowfall. And anyone hoping to borrow a set of children's skis for the entire winter is too late. All 300 of Otis Ridge's loaner pairs were already reserved in November.

"The amount of people that came out for seasonal rentals, pre-season, was huge," said General Manager Eric Van Oostveen. "Like, numbers we've never seen before."

Some skis are still available for daily rentals, along with single-day lift tickets.

The early bookings at Otis Ridge follow a record-breaking season for tickets and revenue, Van Oostveen said. Resorts across the country went gangbusters, too, according to the National Ski Area Association. Business in the Rockies, for example, was among the best ever.

Novice youngsters and grownups who hadn't carved their way down a mountain in years took up skiing and snowboarding just to get out of the house at time when there was little else to do.

Some got hooked. And though there are more options this winter, many families may remain more comfortable outdoors.

Plus, Olympic stars like Shaun White and Mikaela Shiffrin will soon be going for gold at the Winter Games in Beijing, potentially inspiring TV viewers to get out in the snow.

"The Olympic year can definitely create a spike of enthusiasm," said Al Fletcher, president of Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford. "It certainly can translate people into beginners, which is what we're known for."

Fletcher and Van Oostveen agree New England ski areas will likely enjoy good business again this season, as long as Mother Nature drops enough powder to keep snow-making costs down.

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Ski areas expect a busy winter because of the pandemic and Olympics - WBUR

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic format presented climbers with a challenge unique from the World Cup Circuit. The high-volume of climbing over the course of two rounds across three disciplines within the context of a multiplication-style scoring format made it difficult for any athlete to ensure their victory.

Although climbing news outlets and meme accounts commented on the Combined Olympic format, it provided an exciting sampler for non-climbing spectators to learn all three disciplines of the sport. Ever since the inclusion of Sport Climbing in the Olympic Games, climbers and the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) have angled toward three distinct medal events: Lead, Speed, and Boulder.

Preceding the Tokyo Olympics, the decision was made to separate Speed from Lead and Boulder. As Lead and Boulder take problem solving approaches to climbing, it makes sense that these two should group together if having three medal events is impossible. With that said the new Olympic format does provide almost as much confusion as the original Tokyo multiplication-style scoring. It is so detailed that the IFSC bulleted the description of the scoring in their recent press release.

The following is the projected scoring style for the Lead and Boulder disciplines come Paris 2024.

The IFSC said that the scores will add together for a maximum value of 200 points. In their description of the format, the IFSC said that the Paris Olympics will score based on performance. This detail seems odd to include and seems to speak to the nature of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic result.

The fact that Ondra fell from first to sixth simply by falling behind Jakob Schubert, a climber who, despite winning lead, only took home bronze, provides pause for reanalysis. In this way, the Paris 2024 scoring format does assure that the climber who moves highest on the route and boulder problems will win the Games.

It does this by rating two Zones of separation on Boulder problems. This style devalues the Zones and increases the importance of a Top. The significance of flashing a problem is almost lost as attempts provide minor deductions. Although there will be climbers who win based on their number of attempts, it seems that this new format will separate by high point more than precision.

In Lead, the format is ruthless to the bottom of the field. Only after 30 moves, will climbers earn a score. This will certainly separate the field; however, the scoring does beg the question: will the athletes know the number of hand moves in advance of the competition? Given the current structure of these rules, the IFSC suggests a total of 60 hand moves per route: 15 five-point moves, 10 two-point moves, 5 one-point moves, and 30-unscored moves.

While non-climbing spectators will have difficulty following this format, it may help guide the IOC toward allowing three medal events in Los Angeles 2028. The IFSC could argue that this confusing format comes from the constraints imposed by a combined Lead and Boulder Olympic format.

With all of that said, the two-medal event of Paris 2024 Games will go ahead as scheduled. It will see its official debut at the European Championships Munich 2022 on August 11.

Whats more, on December 22, 2021, the IFSC announced the inclusion of a new World Cup event in 2022. It will feature the same Boulder and Lead combined format that will run in Paris and will take place from October 6 to 9, 2022 in Chongqing, China.

Featured Image of Miho Nonaka by Dimitris Tosidis

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The Paris Olympics - A New Scoring System - gripped.com

The National Hockey League has confirmed its players will not take part in the Beijing Olympics in February, but the league expects a return to the Games in 2026, Deadline reports.

COVID concerns have mounted significantly in recent weeks, and multiple media reports suggested on Tuesday that the NHL would likely pull the plug. The angst level has been heightened by worries about the COVID zero strategy employed by Chinese officials in their fight against the virus. That means a player who tests positive during the already two-week-plus trip would have to self-isolate and quarantine for two weeks, potentially turning an Olympics trip into more than a month-long proposition.

The league has already had to postpone 50 games and has even played contests in front of no fans amid rising infection rates and the now-dominant omicron variant. It opted to pause its season early for Christmas in an effort to regroup. Instead of taking part in the Olympic tournament from Feb. 6-22, the NHL now plans to fill that period with rescheduled games, hoping to keep its season on track.

The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL players to represent their countries and participate in a best on best tournament. Accordingly, we have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option to enable our players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHLs regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events Olympic participation is no longer feasible.

Despite everyones best efforts, he continued, current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed. We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026.

Cleared by Olympics organizers to play since 1988, the NHL sent players to the Games from 1998 to 2014, opting out in other years because the event posed too great of an interruption to its regular season. For NBA players, who have competed in the Summer Olympics since 1992, the dynamics are different because the tournament coincides with their offseason. While many basketball stars have passed on playing in the Olympics, a professional presence has nevertheless remained fairly constant over the past three decades.

National Hockey League Players Association executive director Don Fehr said in a statement that players had been looking forward with great anticipation to the 2022 Games. Until very recently, we seemed to be on a clear path to go to Beijing, he added. COVID-19 has unfortunately intervened, forcing dozens of games to be postponed this month alone. No matter how much we wish it were not the case, we need to utilize the Olympic period to reschedule these games.

He acknowledged both players and fans are quite disappointed by the move. But being able to complete a full 82-game season remains the priority.

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NHL Confirms Players Will Skip Beijing Olympics Over COVID Concerns - Sportico

It seemed as if everything was settled. N.H.L. players were returning to the Olympic mens hockey tournament after missing the last Winter Games. Now, in part because of escalating Covid-19 cases across the league, there is more instability. Here are the answers to the outstanding questions, at least as far as we know; there is still a lot of uncertainty.

As of now, yes. The league and its Players Association struck a deal in September that allowed the stars to head to Beijing for the Games in February while the league is shut down for three weeks.

The N.H.L. started participating in the Games in 1998, but had missed the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics when an agreement could not be reached.

Some players are definitely getting restive.

The Oilers Connor McDavid, one of the leagues biggest stars, told reporters this week: Im still a guy thats wanting to go play in the Olympics. But we also want to make sure its safe for everybody and all the athletes, not just for hockey players.

Id love to go and Id love to compete, but theres definitely a lot of things that I think a lot of us would like to see worked out and just some questions wed like to see answered, Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs told The Hockey News.

There are a number of open issues, and I know the Players Association has concerns about them, Commissioner Gary Bettman said. He said the league would let the players compete if thats really what they want to do.

We are having discussions with the players on the long list this week regarding the upcoming Olympic Games and the protocols that will be in place, said Jonathan Weatherdon, the director of communications for the union. The plan remains to participate in the upcoming Olympics.

In general, there is concern over the rise of Covid-19 cases around the world and the increase in cases among N.H.L. players.

But most of all, players expressed concern about strict quarantine rules expected to be in place at the Olympics.

Ive got four kids that are under the age of 3, Alex Pietrangelo of the Golden Knights told The Las Vegas Review-Journal. For me to be potentially locked up there for five weeks plus the Olympics, thats a long time being away from my family.

You talk about a five-week quarantine, if youve already been over there for a few weeks, thats a really long time, John Tavares of the Maple Leafs told The Hockey News. Thats a long time. Thats a really long time.

Well, that isnt yet clear, and that also has players and N.H.L. team owners uncertain about the right course of action.

Were waiting on an awful lot of information to come from the I.O.C. and the Chinese, Donald Fehr, the players unions executive director, told ESPN last week, referring to the International Olympic Committee. We still dont know what the Covid situation will be as we get closer.

Under the somewhat incomplete rules that have been distributed so far, players with a positive test may need to quarantine in China for three to five weeks.

Over the years, players have been significantly more enthusiastic about Olympic participation than the owners, who have disliked disrupting their season. Owners also feel they should get a portion of the vast Olympic revenue.

But this time both sides have similar comments about the uncertainty ahead. It remains to be seen what would happen when and if one side decides it is time to withdraw.

While players are motivated to go to the Games in part by the honor of playing for their countries, financial matters are always important. One key consideration is that players who miss time due to Covid, related to the Olympics, will not be paid under their standard players contracts, Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, told ESPN.

The International Ice Hockey Federation will have a $5 million fund to compensate such players. But if there is a serious outbreak and extended quarantines, that may run out quickly.

Yes. More than 130 players have entered Covid protocols this season, ESPN reported, and there has been a surge over the past week. That doesnt mean they all had Covid. Some may have been close contacts with someone who did; the league doesnt reveal why a player goes on the list.

On Wednesday, the Calgary Flames had 27 people, including three coaches and 16 players, in Covid protocol, and their games postponed through at least Saturday. The Nashville Predators had at least a dozen players and coaches in protocols on Wednesday. The Ottawa Senators and the Islanders postponed games in November. Other teams have played on after losing just a handful of players.

The league planned to tighten its protocols through at least Jan. 7, ESPN reported, by, among other measures, testing players daily instead of every three days, and requiring face masks and physical distancing at team facilities.

One option would be to go further down the list of N.H.L. players. But if many players say no, or the league or union as a group decline to play, teams will have to be assembled from minor leaguers, players in Europe, or players without contracts.

Thats what happened in 2018, when the Canadian roster, for example, included players from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Dinamo Minsk rather than the Canadiens and the Rangers.

That will seriously hurt the chances of the North American teams. In 2018, the Russian team, which was stocked with strong players from its domestic league, the Kontinental Hockey League, won gold. Canada finished third and the United States seventh. Canada has won three of the five golds in Games with N.H.L. players, with Sweden and the Czech Republic taking one each.

It also means that far fewer fans will watch.

Sitting around doing nothing for three weeks doesnt seem ideal, but the league may not have a lot of choices. Many arenas have booked other events like concerts and basketball games in the time the league was expected to be idle. Some postponed games might be squeezed into that time frame, but a major restructuring of the schedule is unlikely.

Union and league officials have cited Jan. 10 as a key date, because a pullout after that time would bring financial penalties. But that is not a drop-dead, and a final decision could be made even later. The Canadian and American mens teams are scheduled to begin Olympic play on Feb. 10.

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Will N.H.L. Stars Play at the Winter Olympics? - The New York Times

Athletes compete for spots on the U.S. short track team at Olympic Trials, Shaun White and Chloe Kim return to the halfpipe for Olympic qualifying events, Mikaela Shiffrin enters a super-G race, and the United States resumes its rivalry with Canada in women's hockey. Here's what's happening this weekend (December 17-19) on the road to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The athletes who will represent the United States in short track speed skating at the 2022 Winter Games will be determined in Salt Lake City this weekend with a full three days of action at Olympic Trials. Five spots for female athletes and two for male athletes are on the line, with lots of youth in the chase. 21-year-old Maame Biney is the only athlete chasing a return to the Winter Olympics, with rising stars Kristen Santos and Brandon Kim in the mix for their first trip to the Games.

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The competition gets underway Friday in primetime on NBCSN and concludes Sunday afternoon on NBC. For more on the U.S. Olympic Short Track Trials, read the preview.

All coveragestreams live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.

The Winter Dew Tour returns to Copper Mountain in Frisco, Colorado, after making its move there in 2020, and will once again host the worlds best park and pipe snowboarders. Its the penultimate of four U.S. Olympic team selection events in both the halfpipe and slopestyle/big air qualifying tracks, with only January's U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth remaining. U.S. riders can put themselves in better position for an Olympic team nomination by finishing on the podium in these selection events.Last years competition saw reigning Olympic championsRed GerardandJamie Andersonwin in slopestyle, and 2018 PyeongChang medalistsScotty JamesandLiu Jiayuwin the halfpipe events.

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The snowboarding field includes all eight reigning Olympic, X Games and world champions in halfpipe and slopestyle:Chloe Kim, Anderson, New ZealanderZoi Sadowski-Synnott, JapansYuto Totsuka,Shaun White,Red Gerard,Marcus Klevelandof Norway andDusty Henricksen.

The Winter Dew Tour will also host halfpipe and slopestyle events for freeskiing. Its the third of six U.S. Olympic selection events for the halfpipe team and the penultimate of five for the slopestyle/big air team. U.S. skiers can put themselves in better position for an Olympic team nomination by finishing on the podium in these selection events. Last years competition saw CanadiansNoah BowmanandCassie Sharpewin the halfpipe event, andChristian NummedalandMathilde Gremaudtake the wins in slopestyle.

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The freeski field includes six of the eight reigning Olympic, X Games and world champions in halfpipe and slopestyle: U.S.-bornEileen Guof China, New ZealanderNico Porteous,Nick Goepper,David Wise, Canada's Sharpe and SwissSarah Hoefflin.

The final speed races of 2021 take place in the French Alps with downhill on Saturday and super-G on Sunday. Current World Cup overall leader Mikaela Shiffrin will race the super-G event in hope of extending her streak of super-G podiums to three. Shiffrins U.S. teammate, Breezy Johnson, has a similar streak on the line in the downhill, though shell have to contend with Italys red-hot Sofia Goggia, winner of three of the five speed races this season.

The worlds top male ski racers head to Italy for a busy weekend. First, its speed events on the slopes of Val Gardena with super-G Friday and downhill Saturday, followed by giant slalom at nearby Alta Badia on Sunday. Marco Ottermatt is in search of an extension to his overall lead. The Swiss star is in the middle of a breakout season, having won half of all races to start the season. Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Travis Ganong represent Team USAs best chance at a podium in Italy.

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The My Why Tour continues between the U.S. and Canadian national women's teams. Team Canada took Wednesday night's tilt by a score of 2-1 in overtime, but the Americans will have a chance to settle the score Friday night in St. Louis. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET. Thus far, Canada leads the series 3-2.

The U.S. and Canada will play once again Monday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Monday, which will serve as the final stop in an American city for the My Why Tour.

A busy weekend approaches as the 2021-22 IBSF World Cup continues in Altenberg, Germany, where the Bobsled World Cup reaches its fifth stage and the Skeleton World Cup sees its third round of competition.

Germanys own Francesco Friedrich (partnering with Alexander Schuller) remains golden in both the two- and four-man events, just ahead of compatriot Johannes Lochner in the rankings. The two-woman race also features Germans in the top spots, with Laura Nolte leading Kim Kalicki. Nolte ranks right behind U.S. leader (and three-time Olympic medalist) Elana Meyers Taylor in the Womens Monobob World Series, with serious contender Kaillie Humphries who won her first race as a U.S. citizen earlier this month currently in fourth.

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Last weekend, the Netherlands Kimberly Bos became the first Dutch athlete to win a World Cup gold medal in skeleton; she heads the standings. Two Germans, Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk, will fight for the top spot in the mens competition.

*Delayed broadcast

At the Luge World Cups fifth stage in Igls, Austria, it will be difficult to top the drama on display last weekend: Mens singles saw Austrias Wolfgang Kindl and Germanys Max Langenhan share gold in a stunning 1:47.977. Germanys two-time Olympic medalist, and current World Cup leader, Johannes Ludwig finished third.

Mens doubles, meanwhile, saw its fourth different winner of the season as Austrias Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller gold medalists at 2021 World Championships beat Germanys top-ranked, 2018 Olympic bronze medal-winning duo of Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken. Latvian brothers Andris and Juris Sics fell to second in the standings.

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Womens singles will also see a tight battle between Austria and Germany. Austrias Madeleine Egle took gold last weekend over Germanys top-ranked Julia Taubitz, leaving each athlete with two race wins this season. Who will come out ahead in Igls and, two months from now, at the 2022 Winter Olympics?

The United States best hope for the World Cup, and possibly the upcoming Games, lies in the team relay division. Ashley Farquharson, Tucker West, and Chris Mazdzer/Jayson Terdiman earned silver at the first event in Yanqing, China, and currently place fourth in the rankings.

The third of eight 2021-22 FIS Snowboard CrossWorld Cups takes place at Cervinia ski resort in Breuil-Cervinia, Italy, at the foot of iconic Alps peak Matterhorn. In last weeks stop at Montafon in Austria, the mens and womens winners were Great BritainsCharlotte Bankesand this years world silver medalistAlessandro Haemmerle. For the latter, it was his second win of the season, staying perfect. AmericanNick Baumgartnersits in second on the mens points list behind Haemmerle, who leads along with Bankes. ItaliansMichela MoioliandLorenzo Sommarivawon last years edition of the World Cup on home slopes.Eva Samkova, who injured both her legs in a mixed-team event crash at Montafon, wont be competing.

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The third of six 2021-22 Snowboard World Cups with parallel giant slalom competition takes place at Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort in Italy, a past and future Olympic Games host. In last weeks opener at Lake Bannoye, 2018 Olympic silver medalistLee Sang-Hoof South Korea and RussianSofiya Nadyrshinawon the PGS events, whileAndreas PrommeggerandJulie Zoggtook the non-Olympic parallel slalom contests. On Thursday, less than 30 miles from Cortina at Carezza in Val d'Ega,Stefan BaumeisterandDaniela Ulbingwere the PGS victors, with Ulbing defeating Czech two-sport athleteEster Ledeckain the big final.

The third of eight moguls stops on the World Cup circuit takes place at Alpe dHuez in France, and also serves as the second of five that include competition in dual moguls, a non-Olympic event. Last weeks moguls contests at Idre Fjall in Sweden saw Japanese wins on both sides fromIkuma HorishimaandAnri Kawamura, and before that, at the Ruka opener, victories from CanadianMikael Kingsburyand AmericanOlivia Giaccio.

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The ski cross World Cup circuits next stop is in Innichen, Italy, wrapping this seasons Cross Alps Tour with a pair of podium chances.David MobaergandMarielle Thompsonwon Tuesday's competition at Arosa in Switzerland. Prior to that, in last weeks double contest at Val Thorens in France, reigning world championSandra Naeslundclaimed her second and third wins of the season, whileTerence TchiknavorianandAlex Fivatook the titles on the mens side.

The fourth World Cup stop of the season and last before the start of the Tour de Ski section beginning Dec. 28 takes place in Dresden, Germany, with individual sprints in freestyle technique, as well as contests in team sprint.Maja Dahlqvistof Sweden has won the last three women's sprints on the circuit, the first of which was in classical, while NorwaysJohannes Hoesflot Klaebohas won the last two mens sprints, though he wasn't expected to compete in Dresden. AmericansJessie DigginsandRosie Brennanboth seek their second World Cup wins in the individual event. It wasnt immediately clear Thursday who would be on the team sprint pairing, but the U.S. was expected to enter.

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The third Biathlon World Cup stop takes place at Le Grand-Bornands Sylvie Becaert stadium in the Annecy Mountains of the French Alps with sprints, pursuits and mass starts. PyeongChang 7.5km sprint silver medalistMarte Olsbu Roeiselandof Norway won the event Thursday to kick off competition. The mens 10km sprint was scheduled for Friday GermanJohannes Kuehnclaimed the events most recent race on the circuit last week in Hochfilzen, Austria. Roeiseland and French favoriteQuentin Fillon Mailletwere the last pursuit victors, also in Hochfilzen, and the mass starts mark the opening races for those events of the season.

The United States has already locked up qualification spots for mixed doubles, as well and men's and women's team curling. However, several more spots are up for grabs at the final Olympic Qualification Event in the Netherlands. The latest teams to qualify for the Olympics will be decided Friday and Saturday when the playoff sessions commence.

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This weekend on the Road to the Olympics: U.S. short track team to be decided at Olympic Trials - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

As part of Deltas partnership commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Games through to the 2028 games in Los Angeles, the airline is the official airline sponsor of Team USA with its upcoming participation in the 2022 winter games in Beijing. Delta has chosen to celebrate its role with a special livery, which has been painted on one of its Airbus A330-900s- something the airline hinted at on December 16th.

Delta is in the business of connecting people, and nothing brings the world together quite like the Olympic and Paralympic Games, -Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines

On December 16th, Delta Air Lines posted a video to its Twitter account, captioning it,Something big is coming.The 11-second video shows close-up shots of an aircraft being painted, with decals being applied. However, the shots are so close in that its not easy to tell the type of aircraft and what the exact design might be.

The tease video would indicate that the aircraft is a widebody of some sort, and the usage of colors red, white, and blue would indicate something fairly patriotic- especially with quick glimpses of white stars. However, this is as much as Delta has been willing to divulge at the moment.

Something big is coming pic.twitter.com/rXhB6t8W7q

Delta (@Delta) December 16, 2021

However, anyone following the Twitter account @BoardingPassRO or traveling to, from, or through Deltas Atlanta hub could have seen Deltas special livery already. The Twitter account posted a photo on December 14th showing the big and bold Team USA livery, with the A330-900 parked at Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Sorry Delta! At least this livery leak isnt going to cause stock market turmoil or any massive controversy.

Spotted @ ATL!@Delta @Airbus #A330neo (N411DX) wearing #TeamUSA livery for Winter Olympics games 2022 in Beijing.

: Misael Ocasio pic.twitter.com/vkTonn82Mt

BoardingPass (@BoardingPassRO) December 14, 2021

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As mentioned by @BoardingPassRO, the A330neo being painted is a -900 registered N411DX. According to Planespotters.net, the jet was delivered to Delta in May of 2021. Indeed, the aircraft is actually one of the airlines newest at just over half-a-year old. Interestingly, Planespotters.net data also indicates that this jet has had a special livery applied as of December 2021.

Configured with three classes, the A330-900 has 29 seats in business, 28 in premium economy, and 224 in economy class.

Prior to having its new livery applied, RadarBox.com data indicates that the jet was completing international missions such as Seattle-Tokyo and Seattle-Seoul as well as New York-Tel Aviv and New York-Paris earlier in November. However, throughout much of November, the widebody appeared to be busier operating one particular domestic mission: Seattle-Detriot, making at least nine round-trips between the two US cities.

It looks like the jet had its livery applied in early December, as its last tracked flight took place on November 29th, flying from Detriot to Atlanta. Data from FlightRadar24.com indicates that N411DX is scheduled to reposition from Atlanta to New York tomorrow, and then operate a New York-Amsterdam service later in the day.

With Deltas status asthe Official Airline of LA28 and Team USA from January 1st, 2021, the airline will also be sponsoring the national team for other Olympic games. This includes the Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Milan Cortina 2026 Games. Thus, we can expect to see more special liveries coming from Delta in the years to come!

What do you think of this new livery? Let us know by leaving a comment.

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Delta Creates Special Livery To Celebrate The Beijing Winter Olympics - Simple Flying

If you enjoyed watching the high-octane sport of weightlifting in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, you'll be disappointed to find out that the sport is not currently on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s list of inclusion for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Set to take place in Los Angeles, California, the XXXIV Olympiad has also excluded boxing and modern pentathlon from the IOC's list of inclusion, citing that the three sports aren't meeting certain criteria, including issues with governance, finance, and corruption.

There is, however, a chance for re-inclusion. Los Angeles 2028's programme will be approved by an IOC session in 2023. The IOC has created a "pathway for boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon to be potentially included in the LA28 Initial Sports Programme," reads the statement.

The re-entry of weightlifting into 'LA28' will depend on international federations' willingness and ability to address these areas of improvement before 2023. Specifically, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) must work "towards compliance and effective change of culture. Furthermore, they must successfully address the historical incidence of doping in the sport and ensure the integrity, robustness, and full independence of its anti-doping programme."

This isn't the first knock for the sport of weightlifting. Last December, the IOC announced that the sport lost 76 spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, meaning only 120 athletes will compete across five men's and five women's divisions. With continuing doping allegations and questions of integrity, this is a crucial time for the sport of weightlifting.

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Weightlifting Won't Be In 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles - Men's health UK

San Jose Sharks and Sweden defenseman Erik Karlsson, asked what he will do if things stay as they are concerning the coronavirus, said Wednesday that he would most likely not play at the Olympics.

Theres just too many uncertainties crossing the waters and going into a different nation and different country where we cant get a straight answer about anything, Karlsson told reporters in audio provided by the Sharks Audio Network. Theres going to be guys that are going to test positive, and theres going to be people that are going to have to go through whatever it is that were going to have to go through if that happens, which we dont really know what that is. So, for me, having a family, I cant take that risk.

Karlsson was asked about general nervousness about going to the Olympics given the pandemic.

Weve had some calls, and I think that most of the issues are public knowledge, he said without detailing specific issues. I think if thats the way its going to be, I dont see it being very feasible for guys to take that risk, but thats my personal opinion. Everybody knows how much I love to play for the national team and how much I cherish the Olympic Games, but the way it is right now, it doesnt seem like its very doable. I dont understand why anyone would agree to take the risks of being in the position that we will be in once we board that plane and go to China.

A reporter mentioned to Karlsson the reported timeline of up to five weeks for a possible quarantine in China for somebody who has a confirmed positive test at the Olympics. NBCSports.com confirmed that the NHLPA has been told thats a possible quarantine length, governed by Chinese law.

The latest athlete playbook for the Beijing Olympics, published earlier this month, does not mention a specific quarantine period for a confirmed positive test but does say athletes will be discharged in accordance with guidelines in China. If an athlete has a confirmed positive test in China, the playbook states that they would be discharged, if at a hospital, meeting this criteria:

your body temperature returns to normal for three consecutive days respiratory symptoms improve significantly lung imaging shows significant improvement you have two consecutive negative COVID-19 (PCR) test results with a sample interval of at least 24 hours; and you display no other COVID-19 symptoms

And if at an isolation facility:

Once you have two consecutive negative COVID-19 (PCR) test results with at least 24 hours between the two samples and no other COVID-19 symptoms

Those who are asymptomatic with consistent positive tests will be reviewed regularly by a medical expert panel that includes IOC and international federation reps.

Karlsson won the Norris Trophy as the NHLs top defenseman in 2012 and 2015 and was the top defenseman in the 2014 Olympic tournament, where he led Sweden to silver, losing to Canada in the final.

Previously, Swedish goaltenderRobin Lehnersaid he will not play the Olympics, citing mental health.

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Erik Karlsson unlikely to play Olympics as things stand - Home of the Olympic Channel