Category Archives: Olympics

Indias Hansini Mathan Rajan defeated Syrias Hend Zaza, the youngest athlete of this years Tokyo Olympics, to win the girls singles event at the 2021 ITTF Hopes and Challenge table tennis tournament in Amman.

Playing in the U-12 category, the reigning cadet national champion outplayed Zaza 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6 in the final played on December 14.

Parth Prabhakar was Indias entry in the boys singles event which was won by Irans Komeil Niknejad Divshali.

Hansini, who has stayed back in Amman for the camp organised by the Asian Table Tennis Union, said the final was her toughest match of the competition.

I knew my opponent had gone to the Olympics earlier this year but I didnt think about that while playing her. There was no pressure and I just played my game, said the 12-year-old who considers her backhand the strongest aspect of her game.

During the tournament, she was accompanied by her mother and coach Mamta Prabhu, who is also a former India player.

The Chennai-based Hansini had also secured her second ITTF World Youth Series title with a win the U-13 girls category in Muscat in October. She had won her maiden Youth Series title in Tunisia in September She is coached by India great Sharath Kamals father Shriniwas Rao and uncle Muralidhar Rao.

Ever since she started playing the game as a seven-year-old, she has looked up to Sharath Kamal, said her mother Pratibha referring to Indias finest ever paddler.

After the camp in Amman, Hansini will be returning to India to play national-level events.

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Indias Hansini Mathan Rajan beats Tokyo Olympics youngest athlete to win ITTF title - The Indian Express

Video games are some of the most incredible creations of mankind. They are an alternative reality that takes people to a parallel universe. Notably, Olympic legend Usain Bolt spoke about the effect those games had on raising his competitive spirit. Despite the absence of physical activity, the desire to win alongside having fun, of course, still very much exists in video games.

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When asked whether he would love to become a Twitch streamer (a popular streaming site for gamers), Bolt had a positive response, courtesy of the sites fast-growing popularity. Especially during the pandemic, online games and streaming websites witnessed a boost in their user counts.

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Bolt talked about loving video games so much that he even missed training sometimes. Regardless, it helped him to be more competitive on the track, further channelizing his hunger to win. He also spoke about the possibility of becoming a Twitch streamer, if he had the same resources back in the day.

Probably, probably. I think I was so much into video games when I was younger because sometimes I would skip training to go to the video games store to play video games.

My coach would call my dad and tell him, Listen, he didnt come to training today, and then my dad would be like, Why didnt you go to training? and I had no answer.You know what I mean? So that was just one thing, I know if we had what we have now I would definitely be a gamer, for sure, said Bolt.

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Im Finished: Usain Bolt Does not Want More Kids, Decides to Resume Trainingfor 2022

about 14 hours ago

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In recent times, many famous players have started streaming on their site; Devin Booker is one such man on that list. The shooting guard took the league by storm, guiding the Phoenix Suns to the NBA finals last season.

A regular user, Devin, loves to play Warzone on the streaming platform. With 181k followers, Bookers twitch stream is followed by many. LeBron James son Bronny James, UFC legend Max Holloway are some of the other famous entities on the site.

The streaming site is turning tides in the gaming industry. Undoubtedly, Bolts arrival might take to unprecedented heights. Do you think he will fulfill his dream and become a streamer by 2022?

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WATCH THIS STORY-Spiderman Tom Hollands Close Relationship with PSG Explored

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Definitely: Usain Bolt Would Choose a Twitch Streaming Career Over Olympics if He Was a Teen Again - EssentiallySports

The United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia have all announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

China has countered back, accusing the boycotts of violating the Olympic spirit.

While there may still be additional countries that opt to boycott, there's one major distinction to make: With a diplomatic boycott, all athletes will travel to Beijing. It's the officials who won't.

So, what exactly is a diplomatic boycott? And how did we get here?

The United States was the first to declare a diplomatic boycott on Dec. 6, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying the decision was in protest to "the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang."

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez said it was "a necessary step to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to human rights in the face of the Chinese government's unconscionable abuses." The White House called on other countries to follow suit in protest of China's treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority and the suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong.

On Wednesday, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom all followed the United States. "We have been very clear over the past many years of our deep concerns around human rights violations," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said they too have raised concerns over the "the human rights abuses in Xinjiang ... but the Chinese government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues."

When asked on Wednesday whether Britain would follow the diplomatic boycotts, Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded, "There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend and no officials." He later added, "The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him."

Lithuania and Kosovo have also declared diplomatic boycotts, while New Zealand had announced earlier in the year that it would not be sending any diplomats due to pandemic travel issues, but has also noted its concerns over human rights violations in China.

This means the countries will not send any delegates to the Games. These figures are usually high-ranking politicians or members of a country's royal family, and typically appear at the opening and closing ceremonies and some of the competitions. The Olympic Games have historically been viewed by nations as an opportunity for world leaders to meet.

As of now, all countries that have announced a diplomatic boycott are still sending their athletes.

"We recognize how this announcement draws the important distinction between the participation of athletes and the participation of government officials at the Games," said a statement from the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees. The statement added the athletes "remain concerned about the issues in China but understand the Games will create an important platform to draw attention to them."

This is the first time countries have opted for a purely diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. While the above-named countries are taking a political stance, some others have expressed that they will not follow suit, at least in the form of a diplomatic boycott.

Russian president Vladimir Putin will be at the opening ceremony, with Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, calling the boycotts "pointless".

French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Thursday that the country would not join the boycott, and its Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said there was a need for a common European stance on the issue of a diplomatic boycott, something Germany has agreed with.

Elsewhere, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said Japan would make its own decision "from the perspective of national interests, taking into consideration the significance of the Olympic Games and the significance of Japan's diplomacy. This is the basic attitude of our country."

On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing that the boycott "seriously violates the principle of political neutrality of sports established by the Olympic Charter and runs counter to the Olympic motto 'more united.'"

Zhao also vowed that China would respond with "resolute countermeasures" but gave no details. "The U.S. will pay a price for its practices. You may stay tuned for follow-ups," he said.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin echoed the same sentiments, saying, "Sports has nothing to do with politics."

Wang added, "The U.S., Australia, Britain and Canada's use of the Olympic platform for political manipulation is unpopular and self-isolating, and they will inevitably pay the price for their wrongdoing."

While countries announce boycotts, the IOC has maintained "political neutrality," in accordance with the Olympic Charter, which states one of the Olympic movement's goals is "to protect its independence, to maintain and promote its political neutrality and to preserve the autonomy of sport."

IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch said this week, "We always ask for as much respect as possible from the political world and the least possible interference on our sports and Olympic world and ideals."

The news of the boycotts comes while the sports world is still concerned about the safety and whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai dropped from sight after accusing a former high-ranking official of sexual assault. While the WTA has announced "the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China," the IOC says it has held two video calls with Peng and she was "doing fine," with IOC president Thomas Bach saying the sporting body was pursuing "quiet diplomacy" in ensuring her wellbeing amid concerns over athlete safety at Beijing 2022.

In a full boycott, a country will completely withdraw from competing and attending an Olympic Games. This decision is, predominantly, politically motivated. The U.S., famously, led a complete boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow in response to the Soviet-Afghan war. The move angered many of the American athletes.

"At least the 1980 boycott served as reference and an example of what not to do," former American swimmer Craig Beardsley, 61, said about the White House's Monday announcement. "Unless the world falls apart, you won't see a boycott; there's just too much money at stake, unlike in '80 when we were basically all amateurs."

Those athletes had to wait 30 years for an apology, with USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland writing an open letter in 2020. "It's abundantly clear in hindsight that the decision to not send a team to Moscow had no impact on the global politics of the era and instead only harmed you - American athletes who had dedicated themselves to excellence and the chance to represent the United States," she wrote. "We can clearly state you deserved better. You deserved the support of an inspired nation, to be celebrated for representing our country with pride and excellence."

The notion of boycotting an Olympics dates back to 1956, when eight countries withdrew from competing at the 1956 Melbourne Games. Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia and Lebanon withdrew because of the Suez Crisis, while Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland boycotted the Games because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary. China also withdrew from that Olympics because Taiwan was set to compete.

North Korea, Indonesia and China boycotted the 1964 Tokyo Games following the IOC's decision to ban athletes who competed in the 1963 Games of the New Emerging Forces in Jakarta. A total of 34 countries withdrew from competing at the Montreal Games in 1976, with many making that decision in protest to New Zealand being allowed to compete after their rugby team had toured Apartheid South Africa that year.

A total of 66 countries did not attend the Moscow Olympics in 1980. The then Soviet Union and 17 other countries responded by boycotting the 1984 Los Angeles Games. North Korea and Cuba boycotted the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

There have also been instances when countries have been banned from participating in the Olympic Games by the IOC. Germany and Japan were not invited to the 1948 London Games due to their role in World War II, while South Africa was expelled from the IOC in 1970 due to the Apartheid regime, and was only readmitted ahead of Barcelona in 1992. Russia was banned by the IOC from the 2018 PyeongChang Games and Tokyo 2020 due to state-sponsored doping, but Russian athletes were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag in 2018, and then as part of the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) team in 2021.

Additional reporting by William Weinbaum. Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

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What, exactly, is a 'diplomatic boycott' of the Beijing ...

Combined photo shows Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Japanese Olympic Committee head Yasuhiro Yamashita and Japan Sports Agency commissioner Koji Murofushi. (Kyodo)

KYODO NEWS

TOKYO Japan is considering not sending Cabinet ministers to next years Beijing Olympics in line with a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott amid rising criticism over Chinas human rights record, government and ruling coalition sources said Saturday.

Japans actions would see it side with the U.S., along with countries including Australia, Britain and Canada, while stopping short of actually being a diplomatic boycott, the sources said.

Various options are being mulled including sending Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics and a member of the House of Councillors, or Japanese Olympic Committee head Yasuhiro Yamashita, the sources said.

Keeping in mind the positions of the Group of Seven industrialized nations and tensions between China and the U.S., Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may decide on the matter before year-end, the sources said.

In a break from other G-7 nations, France has said it will send high-level officials to the Winter Olympics in February. Paris is due to host the Summer Games in 2024.

Members of Kishidas ruling Liberal Democratic Party have been urging him to swiftly make a decision. He has said Japan will decide whether to join the diplomatic boycott based on its national interests.

Japan is considering explaining that its stance to send representatives, but not ministers, is not a diplomatic boycott, as it seeks to strike a balance in dealing with the U.S., its key security ally, and China, its largest trading partner, according to the sources.

One of the government sources said Hashimoto will go to Beijing in her capacity as head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, not as a government representative, a move that is likely to appear to the U.S. as being cooperative with the diplomatic boycott.

At the same time, sending Hashimoto, a seven-time Olympian who played a key role in the Tokyo Games, to the sports event can also be regarded as Japans face-saving step for China, the source said.

The International Olympic Committee issued a declaration following the virtual Olympic Summit on Saturday that gathered leading sports representatives, saying it is opposed to politicizing the games.

The Summit stands firmly against any politicization of the Olympic Games and sport, and strongly emphasized the need for the political neutrality of the IOC, the Olympic Games and the entire Olympic Movement, the IOC said.

China has urged Japan to support the Beijing Olympics, saying it gave its full support to the Tokyo Games this summer. Earlier this month, the U.S. said it has decided on a diplomatic boycott, citing Chinas alleged human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghur minority and others in its far-western Xinjiang region.

Japan is weighing its decision in light of Chinas support for Japans hosting of the Tokyo Olympics this summer, despite challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

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OLYMPICS: Japan Reportedly Eyeing Not Sending Ministers to Beijing Games - The Rafu Shimpo

China and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have touted the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as the greenest and cleanest ever, but many experts and activists have criticized the host city for unsustainable practices. Concerns about the environmental toll of the Olympic Games have been mounting for years, intensifying as the threat of climate change grows.

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The Winter Olympics require ample snow on the ground for sports such as skiing and snowboarding, but the three sites for the 2022 gamesBeijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakouhave arid climates. While snow reliability is declining globally because of planetary warming, Beijing is particularly unsuited for the winter games because it doesnt have much precipitation in the first place. The 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics were criticized for similar reasons.

To compensate, Beijing is largely relying on artificial snowmaking, a process that consumes large quantities of water and electricity, which can lead to greater carbon emissions. Carmen de Jong, a geographer at the University of Strasbourg, estimates that snowmaking for the games two outdoor venuesYanqing and Zhangjiakouwill require up to five hundred million gallons of water. To have games in a site or region without snow is unsustainable. To create events without the primary resource it depends on is not only unsustainable, its irresponsible, de Jong says.

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The snowmaking has reportedly resulted in water being diverted away from local residents and farmers, who are already strapped for the resource because Beijing suffers from an endemic water shortage. Artificial snow also destroys native vegetation and can cause erosion and landslides, exacerbating the already-harmful environmental impact of constructing ski runs in natural landscapes. If the Olympic venues are converted into permanent ski resorts as planned, these unsustainable practices will likely continue long after the games. Environmentalists in China raised an uproar after learning that planned ski runs ran through the core of the Songshan Nature Reserve, a protected forest ecosystem in Beijing.

Chinese officials say the 2022 Olympics will be the most sustainable ever, pointing to the widespread use of renewable energy, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and preexisting venues. While many activists and scientists see this as a step in the right direction, they say these are superficial measures that amount to greenwashing, a public relations effort to mask broader sustainability shortcomings. The heavy cost of snowmaking is just one of the environmental concerns regarding site construction and energy consumption.

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Like some previous hosts, Beijing also plans to use carbon offsets. These are carbon-reducing measures, such as planting trees, taken to make up for increased emissions. But scientists question their efficacy and criticize the IOC for poor oversight of host cities fulfillment of carbon-neutral promises.

Studies have shown that the Olympics have generally become more harmful to the environment in recent years, particularly as theyve expanded in size and scale. More athletes, spectators, events, and venues emit more carbon and consume more natural resources. Olympics-related construction has also reshaped ecological landscapes and displaced residents.

In addition, the Olympics are increasingly hosted by countries where renewable infrastructure and environmental protections are less established. The attraction of mega-sized prestige projects has driven some host governments to steamroll domestic opposition to the games. Experts say the Sochi Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics notably caused ecological damage due to construction, toxic waste disposal, and unsustainable building practices. By contrast, many developed democracies are balking at hosting the games because of the potential for ballooning costs and environmental damage. For the 2022 Olympics, Beijing was selected as the host above Almaty, Kazakhstan, only after Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; Krakow, Poland; and Lviv, Ukraine, withdrew their bids due to lack of public support.

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Scientists expect the number of cities able to host the Summer and Winter Olympics will decrease considerably as the planet warms. One study found that without a significant drop in emissions, by 2080, an increase in temperatures would make it so only eight of the past twenty-one cities to host the Winter Olympics would be able to do so again. Meanwhile, the heat could also affect where the Summer Olympics are held. By 2085, only an estimated 5 percent of currently viable cities in the Northern Hemisphere would be considered cool enough for athletes.

To increase the sustainability of the Olympics, experts have recommended organizers consider several actions:

However, many observers remain skeptical that governments and the IOC can pivot, given the financial and reputational incentives. The chance to display your nation as a great nation on the world stage is hugely valuable, says Sven Daniel Wolfe, an urban and political geographer at the University of Lausanne. I dont think that other nations will want to give up that prize.

Michael Bricknell created the map for this In Brief.

Excerpt from:

The Olympics Are Hard on the Environment. Will the 2022 Beijing Games Continue the Trend? - Council on Foreign Relations

Shaun White believes his bid for a fifth Olympics will also be his last.

White, trying to become the oldest male Olympic halfpipe rider in history at age 35, recently revealed that he plans to make his farewell to Olympic competition at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, assuming he qualifies.

This is, I think, my last run, White said in an interview clip that aired on TODAY on Wednesday. Its hard to talk about because my whole life Ive kind of been looked at as somewhat superhuman because I do these things [in the halfpipe]. Ive prided myself on being that individual, and, man, realizing and admitting to myself and everyone else, Im human, its taken a toll.

White previously teased the lure of the 2026 Olympics in Italy, where he made his five-rings debut as a 19-year-old in 2006.

Since, hes won three gold medals and cemented himself as a Winter Games legend.

After his last Olympic title in 2018, White took three years off from halfpipe competition, by far the longest break of his career.

After my performance in Korea, I just feel like everythings this awesome bonus situation, he said last month.

He returned earlier this year and placed fourth and eighth in two contests putting him in decent position for a U.S. Olympic spot but trailing the medal favorites from Japan and Australia.

White competes again at this weeks Dew Tour in Copper Mountain, Colorado, the third of four Olympic qualifying events. A win would all but wrap up an Olympic berth.

Even if White struggles at Copper and the last qualifier in California next month, he would be a strong candidate for a committee selection in January.

Whites Olympic farewell announcement came 20 years to the week of his first time competing in an Olympic qualifier at age 15.

He missed the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games team by one spot in the last qualifying event. The man who beat him is now his coach,J.J. Thomas.

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Shaun White believes Beijing 2022 will be his last Olympics - Home of the Olympic Channel

With the Olympic games coming up soon in Beijing, spectators will become instant fans of all manner of sports, including those they might not otherwise be aware of. One of those sports: curling.

Besides being a competitive sport at the Olympic level, it's popular as an amateur sport, as well. Local experts say it's easy to learn, can be played by nearly anyone of any age and doesn't take a lot of money to get started.

Curlinghas been around theMilwaukee area for more than 100 years and iseven one of the oldest team sports,havingstarted in the 16th century in Scotland, according to the World Curling Federation.

Curling was introduced as an Olympic sport at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

The Milwaukee Curling Club, based in Cedarburg, formed in 1845 and is the oldest curling club in the United States, said club president Jim Rasche. The Wauwatosa Curling Club is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, according to its website.

Curling will be played during the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb 4.-20, where USA men's curling teamTeam Shuster, which includes John Shuster of Superior and Matt Hamilton of McFarland,will defend their gold medal.

More: Disabilities don't slow down these veterans, who are learning to curl at the Wauwatosa Curling Club

More: Winter Olympics gold medal for U.S. men boosts interest in curling in Wisconsin

But despite the sport's longevity, many people aren't familiar with the sport, said Tom Howell, a member of the Kettle Moraine Curling Club in Hartland.

Howell grew up playing the sport in New Jersey, competed competitively and made it tothe Olympic trial finals in 2017 and 2021before his team, Team Dropkin, lostto Team Shuster both times.

Howell, who is a member of the defending national curling champion team, plans to help his team defend its title during nationals from Jan. 2-9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Howell, 27, saidhe and his team might also try to qualifyfor the 2026 winterOlympics.

Another goal: to help spread awareness of the sport.

Although he is an accomplished player, he finds it hard to describe the sport.

"It is a lot harder than it looks," he said. "I say it is like shuffleboard on ice crossed withchess on ice. You use a lot of smaller muscle groups."

Each of the four players on a team (the lead, the second, the vice and the skip) takes a turn slidinga 44-pound granite weight (the stone) down a sheet of icetowarda target area of four concentric circles.A traditional curling match lasts for10 ends, or rounds.

Only one team can score points per end. The team whose stone is closest to the center of the target gets the point;additional points are given to the scoring team based on stonepositions compared to the opponents' best stone position.

During the Olympics, you might notice an LED light flash on the stone, which indicates that the stone was released past the hog line. Competitors who step over the line are disqualified from the match.

Howell said that one thing people might not know about curling is how friendly it is. More than in any other sport, it'snatural for a curling team to bondwith its competitor, he said.

"With curling, when you play, it is natural to sit and talk with the other team. I played basketball, soccer andbasketball, and you don't know your opponents as well. You do not know them outside of the sport," said Howell, who lives in Shorewood and graduated from Marquette University.

"I think people don't know about the social aspect of the sport," he said.

In most leagues and tournaments, the custom is for the two competing teams tohave a drink or come together over a long table.But Howell admitted that when the sport gets more competitive such as during the Olympics and its trials that tradition is not kept as much.

Even then, though, Rasche said that every game, at all levels, begins and ends with both teams saying "Good curling" and giving the other team a firm handshake.

The winners often buy the losers a drink, he added.

"It is all about sportsmanship, and there is no showboating," said Rasche.

Craig Sharkus, who ownscurling supply storeRock on Curling,based out of the Kettle Moraine Curling Club, said people can learn the sport at almost any age and can play throughout their life.

"It is a sport for 6-year-olds to 96-year olds," he said. Sharkus, who played the sport for 44 years,said children as young as 4 or 5can start learning the sport, or people can pick it up as adults.

"It is a lifelong sport," he emphasized. He said regularly sees club members who play into their 90s.

Rasche said at the Milwaukee Curling Club, there are members in their 80s who regularly come.

"Curling is not a sport where one's prime is 16. There is a lot more longevity," Howell noted, adding thatmany Olympians are in their 20s tolate 30s.

An attractive quality of the game is that it takes little specialized equipment. Players can curl wearing tennis shoes, just slipping on rubbers over their shoes for more traction on the ice.

The curling club, itself, providesstones, brooms and all the other equipment.

"It is easy to get started," said Sharkus. "It is a nonphysical sport, and it relies on finesse."

Curling is also easily adapted to those with disabilities as one can still curl with walking aids or a wheelchair, saidSharkus. Because it is a noncontact sport, it is easy to do it at the recreational level.Wheelchair curling became a Paralympic sportin Torino in 2006.

Curling is also easy to pick up.

Michael Crowley of Waukesha tried curling after a work-related meeting was held at the Milwaukee Curling Club. After the meeting, he was asked if he wanted to try curling.

He admits he mightnot have been the most prepared to try any sport as he was wearing a suit and tie and dress shoes. But he did, and was impressed.

"I watched a few people, and I copied them," he said. "You need to have a delicate touch. I did pretty well. It is relaxing, requires patience, persistence and a keen eye for distance and speed.

"I saw some people there play in the 70s, 80s and 90s. This is a sport you can play your whole life and be social with. It brings people together."

"It can be the next bowling wave," he added. The way he sees it, curling would gain in popularity if the clubs were as common as bowling alleys.

"If I run into money, it would be phenomenal to invest in one. Waukesha needs something like this. It appears to be an easy sport to learn, and it is a fun, nonstressful event," he said.

While many people enjoy curling, it remains strictly an amateur sport. There are no college scholarships or professional teams where you get paid just to play, at least not in the United States, said Howell.

The sport mostly consists of leagues, invitationaltournaments andcompetitivetournaments calledbonspiels.

Howellsaid there is a national teamand a world curling tour that is very competitive. Getting on the national team takes a bit of luck and depends on how well your team is doing. It helps if your team is funded, he added.

Rasche said other countries have professional teams, but not in the United States. "We have volunteers. We (at the Milwaukee Curling Club) have a great group of volunteers. But we don't have a professional team, but U.S. won the gold (in the 2018 Olympics)," he said. "It is a great sport ... one of the best."

The Milwaukee Curling Club does a Learn to Curl series for a two-hour session for $30. Upcoming dates and times are 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 31; 1 to 3 p.m., 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 1 and 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 2.

To register, visitmilwaukeecurlingclub.com.

Wauwatosa has free Learn to Curl sessions, but the next ones scheduled has filled up. To see the schedule for upcoming events, visit wauwatosacurlingclub.com.

Racine Curling Club also has a Learn to Curl series. For an updated schedule, visit racinecurlingclub.com.

The Wauwatosa Curling Club has sessions for adaptive curling that are designed for people who need accommodations. It offersfree adaptive curling from 11 a.m. to noonJan. 8. To register, visitbit.ly/adaptivecurling.

Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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With curling on the Olympic schedule, many local curlers want to build awareness of the sport. Here's what they want you to know. - Milwaukee Journal...

Vladimir Putin has confirmed he will attend the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, an event that Boris Johnson and other western leaders have boycotted in protest at human rights abuses in China.

Putin made the pledge during a video call with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, as he said that a new model of cooperation has been formed between our countries, based on other matters of principles such as non-interference in [each others] internal affairs.

Russia and China are facing increasing pressure from the US and western countries as regional conflicts and human rights abuses have led to growing tensions.

The US, UK and Australia have said high-level officials will not be attending the winter Games owing largely to Chinas abuses of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and crackdown on the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement.

Putin is seeking support in his growing conflict with the west over his military buildup near Ukraine. His promise to attend the Olympics would mark a rare trip overseas for the Covid-shy Russian president. He has travelled abroad only twice since the outbreak of the pandemic to Geneva in June to meet Joe Biden, and to New Delhi to meet the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. Xi has not publicly left China since 2019.

As agreed, we will hold talks and then participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, Putin told Xi during the meeting. While the two leaders are not allies and compete with one another for influence, they have found a common cause in resisting pressure over how they govern their countries.

The pledge came as a senior US official arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian diplomats. The US assistant secretary of state, Karen Donfried, had earlier travelled to Kyiv, where she told officials that under no circumstances would Washington press Ukraine into making concessions to Russia.

In Moscow she met the Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov. The meeting lasted an hour, during which Ryabkov said he would formally propose the security guarantees that Russia has sought from the US and Nato countries. In particular, Moscow has demanded guarantees that Ukraine will not join Nato and will not serve as a base for the military alliances infrastructure.

There has been a substantive discussion of security guarantees in light of the ongoing attempts of the United States and Nato at changing the military-political situation in Europe in their favour, the Russian foreign ministry said in a brief statement that gave no other details about the meeting.

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Putin assures Xi he will go to Winter Olympics in show of unity - The Guardian

1:01 PM ET

Greg WyshynskiESPN

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin was named the general manager of the 2022 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team Tuesday, as concerns mount that NHL players may not participate in the Beijing Games.

Guerin acknowledged the challenges that may keep NHL players from appearing in the 2022 Winter Olympics, a right they pushed to have in their 2020 collective bargaining negotiations with the owners.

"It's been a crazy year. There are a lot of questions still out there. But our focus right now is to put together the best team that we possibly can and to compete for a gold medal," Guerin said. "And with the deep player pool that we have in the United States, we think that's capable."

Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey, said the organization received an updated playbook from the Beijing Olympic Committee that details the latest COVID-19 protocols and quarantine rules if an athlete tests positive while participating in the Winter Games. Kelleher said discussions are ongoing with the NHL and NHL Players' Association, as well as with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

"We're certainly hopeful that all systems will be 'go' when it's time to go to Beijing, but there's a lot of work to be done, a lot of moving parts," Kelleher said.

New York Rangers GM Chris Drury was named assistant general manager. He and Guerin were teammates on the 2002 and 2006 U.S. men's Olympic teams. John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey, will work with them in a player personnel capacity. Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan will be behind the bench in Beijing -- if the NHL participates.

The NHLPA is concerned about a number of coronavirus-related issues with the Olympics. Any player with a confirmed positive test must produce two negative tests that are 24 hours apart or the quarantine period can last from three to five weeks. Where that would take place, and whether a player could leave China rather than quarantining there, is among the issues the NHLPA is waiting for clarity on.

NHL players who contract COVID-19 during the Olympics will not be paid for games and practices they miss after the league's Olympic break. The International Ice Hockey Federation does have a $5 million fund to help players who are affected financially.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner is the only player who has publicly pulled out of the Olympics, saying he would not join Team Sweden due to medical and mental health concerns.

Guerin said there is a possibility that U.S. players could do the same, but Drury noted that "to date, there hasn't been much talk about" Team USA players opting out.

"Our job is to make them feel comfortable about going," Guerin said. "The last thing we want to do is put anybody in harm's way."

USA Hockey's Plan B would be a combination of American Hockey League players, NCAA players and U.S.-born players competing in European leagues.

Guerin said 55 NHL players are under consideration for Team USA roster spots. Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel could be one of them.

Eichel underwent artificial disk replacement surgery last month. His recovery time could allow him to play in the Olympics, where he would be the team's No. 2 center behind Auston Matthews.

"I've been in touch with Jack's agent, but the details on those conversations I have to keep between him and I," said Guerin, who wouldn't rule out Eichel playing for Team USA in Beijing.

Guerin's path to the Team USA job was rife with controversies. He was initially brought on by Stan Bowman, who stepped down as general manager hours after he "stepped aside" as GM and president of hockey operations of the Chicago Blackhawks in late October. The decision followed an investigation into how the Blackhawks handled sexual assault allegations against former video coach Brad Aldrich during its 2010 Stanley Cup run.

"There were definitely some unfortunate situations along the way," Guerin said. "Stan and I have remained in contact. Stan's a friend. He was doing a heck of a job, and I was proud to be on his staff. Unfortunately, things turned out the way they did, and here we are today.

"We have a job to do. We have to remain steadfast on that. We have to just focus on the hockey right now."

Guerin was also embroiled in a controversy stemming from his days as an assistant general manager with the Penguins. Former AHL assistant coach Jarrod Skalde filed a lawsuit against the Penguins in November 2020 that alleged former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach John "Clark" Donatelli sexually assaulted his wife Erin Skalde in 2018. Skalde further alleged that Guerin, who oversaw the AHL affiliate, told him to keep quiet about the situation when informed about it.

In November 2021, a law firm representing Erin Skalde announced plans to file a lawsuit against several individuals involved, including Guerin. But Jarrod and Erin Skalde have reached a resolution with the Penguins and announced that the legal matter "has come to satisfactory conclusion for all parties involved."

That situation led to a notable gap between Bowman stepping down and Guerin being formally named as Team USA general manager. SafeSport, a nonprofit committed to ending abuse in sports, has not completed its investigation into Guerin's actions.

"There have been some ups and downs, but today's is a very happy day. It's the chance of a lifetime," Guerin said.

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Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin in charge of U.S. hockey team, notes 'questions' about Olympic participation - ESPN

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The national team of Russian skiers will travel to Italy for a training camp ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Yelena Vyalbe, the head of the Russian Ski Association (RSA), told TASS on Wednesday.

"We hope that we will be provided with a direct flight from Milano to Beijing after the training camp," Vyalbe said. "There are currently not many flights on the offer."

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in the Chinese capital of Beijing are scheduled to be held from February 4-20, while the Paralympic Winter Games will be held on March 4-13.

During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2008) as well as the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2022).

Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics in a tight race, beating Kazakhstans Almaty in 2015, by chalking up 44 votes against its rivals 40.

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Russian skiers to attend training camp in Italy ahead of 2022 Olympics in China - TASS