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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Rachael Gunn, the Australian break dancer known as “Raygun,” had her lawyers send a letter threatening legal action against the producer of a show about Gunn by Sydney comedian Steph Broadbridge.
The premiere of “Raygun: The Musical” was scheduled for Saturday, but was canceled. Gunn said in an Instagram video:
“People had assumed we had developed it and we had approved it and it damaged many relationships, both personal and professional. This is why my management had to work to quickly to shut it down.
“It was really unfortunate that the show had to be cancelled so close to the launch. I know that the artist would have put a lot of work into it and that really sucks but had we known about it sooner, there could have been a different outcome. …
“The reason we did that is because we were notified that there were applications from other parties trying to trademark my name and image for commercial purposes.”
Gunn participated in the Paris 2024 Games and lost her three breaking battles in the qualifying round by a combined score of 180-0. She has been both ridiculed and celebrated since.
● Russia ● Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, running unopposed, was elected as the President of the Russian Olympic Committee on Friday (13th), by 197-0, with two abstentions.
Degtyarev, 43, is under sanctions from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Great Britain, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ukraine and the U.S. for urging Russian citizens to fight in the invasion of Ukraine.
He said after his election:
● “[The ROC’s Charter] sets out clear goals, those being: to lift all restrictions, full participation of our athletes in all international competitions under the national flag of Russia, integration into international sports organizations, restoration of the status of RUSADA [the Russian Anti-Doping Agency] and recognition of our committee within the IOC.”
● “Russia has faced unprecedented external pressure, with thousands of our athletes being subjected to discriminatory sanctions. The purpose of these sanctions is clear – not only to marginalize Russian sports but to provoke us into rash decisions and shutting the door entirely.
“It’s no mystery what they’re after. Russia will either be kept off the world stage for decades or it may never return at all.”
● “It is crucial that we keep our emotions in check, so that we can avoid this fatal scenario, and make sure our athletes can keep bringing home medals at international tournaments, to Russia. They [the neutral athletes] have never hidden their Russian citizenship. The whole world knows what country they represent and they sympathize with them.”
Appointed as the national sports minister in May, Degtyarev will hold both positions. He came to the sports ministry after having served as governor of the eastern Khabarovsk Krai region from September 2021 until 2024.
Also elected were ice hockey team executive Roman Kramar as Director General of the Russian Olympic Committee, and Viktor Berezov as Secretary General.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● A USOPC staff member was placed on administrative leave on Thursday (12th) in advance of an internal investigation on allegations of sexual abuse by a coach in 2010.
The USOPC was acting on reports of abuse from U.S. Biathlon team members; The Associated Press had reported extensively on the story previously and noted that the USOPC “did not name the employee, but Gary Colliander was the only USOPC coach named in the AP report.”
The AP further reported on Friday:
“Colliander resigned his position with the Maine Winter Sports Center. He was hired in December 2016 by the U.S. Paralympic team, where he is associate director of high performance for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing.”
● Alpine Skiing ● Three-time defending FIS men’s World Cup champion Marco Odermatt (SUI) won his second race in a week at the Giant Slalom in Val d’Isere (FRA), taking the lead on the first run and then hanging on as the weather got worse and worse.
Austria’s Patrick Feurstein came from 24th to first on the second run, but Odermatt was just good enough – 21st on the second run – to win by 2:11.66 to 2:11.75. Fellow Austrian Stefan Brennsteiner was third at 2:11.78; River Radamus was the top American, in 17th.
Sunday’s Slalom was the first win of the season for Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR), who was second after the first run to France’s Steven Amiez, but ended up winning in 1:36.40 as Amiez did not finish the second run. Fellow Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath took the silver in 1:36.92; Jett Seymour was the top American, in 21st at 1:38.89.
¶
At the women’s World Cup at Beaver Creek, Colorado, defending Downhill discipline champ Cornelia Huetter (SUI) got her first medal of the season with a win in 1:32.38, ahead of 2018 Olympic champ Sofia Goggia (ITA: 1:32.54) and defending World Cup champ Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI: 1:32.74). Rapidly-improving American Lauren Macuga was fourth in 1:32.90., and Breezy Johnson was 13th.
Goggia, returning after a broken leg 10 months ago, moved up to the top of the podium at the Sunday Super-G, winning in 1:03.90 to 1:04.38 for Gut-Behrami, with Ariane Raedler (AUT: 1:04.45) in third. Macuga was the top U.S. finisher, in 12th place (1:05.30).
¶
After five years in retirement, U.S. star Lindsey Vonn, 40, said she will return to the World Cup at St. Moritz (SUI) on 21-22 December, with two Super-G races on the program. She said in a Friday news conference:
“It was pretty soon after [her April hip surgery] surgery in the rehab process that I was already doing things that I hadn’t done in years. I feel stronger now than I did in my mid to late 20s. My body is cooperating. And thankfully, that titanium piece is really working out well.” …
“I definitely have goals and expectations and I’m trying to be as patient as possible with myself on this journey and take it step by step and not skip any steps. I know my way back to a competitive level might take a race or two, but I certainly intend on on getting back to where I was before.”
¶
It going to be a while before fellow U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin returns, as she explained on Instagram:
“Had a little unexpected surgery on Thursday evening [12th] after feeling a bit under the weather. Turns out I had a little cavity deeper than the wound tract that was filled with old hematoma and wasn’t properly draining with wound vac or normal packing…so we went in to wash it out and close it with sutures and a little JP drain to keep the drainage flowing.
“So that’s that for now…will share more updates as we know more about what the next bunch of weeks have in store. So thankful for all of the wonderful care and support I’ve received!”
Shiffrin crashed on the second run of the Giant Slalom in Killington, Vermont on 30 November and has been getting treatment since.
● Badminton ● China scored three wins at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou (CHN), with Yu Qi Shi (CHN) taking the men’s Singles from Anders Antonsen (DEN), 21-18, 21-14, and Zhi Yi Wang (CHN) winning the women’s Singles from Yue Han (CHN), 19-21, 21-19, 21-11.
Si Wei Zheng and Ya Qiong Huang (CHN) won the Mixed Doubles from Tang Jie Chen and Ee Wei Toh (MAS), 21-18, 14-21, 21-17.
In the men’s Doubles, Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen (DEN) got a 21-17, 17-21, 21-11 victory over Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzuddin (MAS), and Ha Na Baek and So Hee Lee (KOR) swept aside Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (JPN) in the women’s Doubles by 21-19, 21-14.
● Biathlon ● Five-time IBU World Cup champion Johannes Thinges Boe swept both men’s IBU World Cup events in Hochfilzen (AUT), first taking the 10 km Sprint in 24:23.1 (one penalty), in a Norwegian 1-2, ahead of Sturla Langreid (24:27.3/0). France’s Fabien Claude (24:29.9/0) was third, and American Campbell Wright was 10th (25:04.2/0).
Boe then won Saturday’s 12.5 km Pursuit in a tight finish over Emilien Jacquelin (FRA) and Laegreid, 32:16.5 (2) to 32:20.0 (1) and 32:20.3 (1). Wright was the top American in 16th.
The French defeated Norway in the men’s 4×7.5 km relay, 1:23:04.3 (10) to 1:23:53.3 (8).
Germany’s Franziska Preuss, the 2015 Worlds Mass Start runner-up, won the women’s 7.5 km Sprint for her second individual World Cup gold in 21:06.0 (1), with France’s Sophie Chauveau (21:13.7/0) second. France’s two-time Worlds relay gold medalist Lou Jeanmonnot won her second race of the season in the 10 km Pursuit in a runaway in 29:48.5 (0), followed by Vanessa Voigt (GER: 30:22.3/3), with Preuss third (30:23.8/3).
Germany won the women’s 4×6 km relay over France, 1:16:13.7 (4) to 1:17:19.4 (13).
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● Four-time Olympic gold medalist Francesco Friedrich (GER) continued through the IBSF World Cup in Sigulda (LAT), taking the Saturday Two-Man races in 1:38.68 with Simon Wulff aboard, ahead of 2023 World Champion Johannes Lochner (GER), with Georg Fleischauer (1:39.03). Frank Del Duca and Carsten Vissering had the top American sled, in 11th (1:40.31).
The Sunday Two-Man racing had Lochner and Jorn Wenzel winning in 1:39.24, winning both runs. Brad Hall (GBR), with brakemen Taylor Lawrence and Greg Cackett on different runs, was second in 1:39.45 and Friedrich and Alexander Schuller ended up third (1:30.54). Del Duca and Charles Volker finished fifth in 1:40.11.
European champion Lisa Buckwitz (GER) won the women’s Monobob in 1:46.89, coming from third to first on the second run, ahead of two-time World Champion Laura Nolte (GER: 1:46.98). The U.S. entries finished sixth (Kaysha Love: 1:47.42), eighth (Elana Meyers Taylor: 1:47.62) and 11th (Kaillie Humphries: 1:47.88).
Olympic champ Nolte (with Leonie Kluwig) took the Two-Woman win in 1:48.59 from teammates Kim Kalicki and Neele Schuten (1:48.70), with the American sled of Love and Jasmine Jones third in 1:49.22. Also for the U.S., Humphries and Emily Renna finished 10th in 1:50.61 and Meyers Taylor and Azaria Hill were 11th in 1:50.75.
In the men’s Skeleton, Britain’s Marcus Wyatt and Matt Weston, who had won seven of the 12 medals this season coming in, went 1-2 and took over for injured Olympic champ Christopher Grotheer (who had won all four races this season), with Wyatt in 1:39.51 and Weston in 1:39.76. Austin Florian was the top American in seventh (1:40.65).
Olympic bronze medalist Kimberley Bos (NED) won her first medal of the season in the women’s racing, winning in 1:42.81, ahead of three-time European champ Janine Flock (AUT: 1:42.97). Mystique Ro was the top American, in seventh (1:43.56).
● Boxing ● More federations have joined with World Boxing, which welcomed Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Myanmar and Palestine at its 12 December Executive Board meeting. That’s now 60 federations in all.
Astana (KAZ) was selected to host the 2027 World Elite Championships.
In a related development, the new Asian Boxing continental confederation met for the first time on 12 December, with 20 members, announcing an Olympic Boxing Summit in February 2025 to promote the future of boxing on the Olympic program.
Under the guidance of interim President Pichai Chunhavajira, also the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, has obtained two commercial sponsors for World Boxing, bolstering its finances. Thailand will also open an academy for referees and judges and for technical officials, in Bangkok, next year.
● Cross Country Skiing ● Norway’s four-time World Cup champ Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo extended Norway’s win streak in the FIS World Cup to six races in Saturday’s Freestyle Sprint in Davos (SUI), winning in 2:22.86, ahead of Lucas Chanavant (FRA: 2:24.24) and Norwegian teammate Erik Valnes (2:25.27). Ben Ogden of the U.S. was sixth (2:37.82). Norway also won the Team Sprint over Sweden.
Norway’s Martin Nyenget got his second win of the World Cup season on Sunday in the Classical 20 km, in 55:37.8, well ahead of Iivo Niskanen (FIN: 55:50.9) and Hugo Lapalus (FRA: 56:12.9). Gus Schumacher was the top American, in 21st (57:59.7).
Olympic Sprint champ Jonna Sundling (SWE) took the women’s Freestyle Sprint in 2:44.90, ahead of Norwegians Mathilde Myhrvold (2:47.23) and Julie Myhre (2:47.62). Seasonal leader Jessie Diggins of the U.S. was sixth (2:49.78). Sweden won the women’s Team Sprint over Norway.
Norway’s Astrid Slind got her third medal – and first win – of the season in Sunday’s Classical 20 km in 1:02:38.4, in front of Kerttu Niskanen (FIN: 1:02:48.5) and comebacking Norwegian star Therese Johaug (1:02:51.9). Johaug, back after a five-year retirement, has four medals in five World Cup distances races held so far this season.
Diggins of the U.S. was seventh in 1:04:24.9 and teammate Rosie Brennan was eighth in 1:04:41.8.
● Diving ● Stanford All-American Jack Ryan was the star of the USA Diving Winter Nationals in Bloomington, Indiana, winning three events. He took the 1 m Springboard title at 792.65 over Quentin Henninger (720.05), the 3 m Springboard win with 852.40 in front of Carson Tyler (766.95), with Henninger third (739.60).
Ryan teamed with Henninger to win the 3 m Synchro in 825.72 points, over Joshua Sollenberger and Luke Sitz (378.96). Max Weinrich and Dash Glasberg won the 10 m Synchro at 663.18, and Weinrich took the men’s 10 m platform victory at 587.30 over Maxwell Flory (577.30).
Mia Vallee won the women’s 1 m by 518.50 to 506.75 over Hailey Hernandez, the two-time 2023 Pan Am Games bronze medalist, and Vallee doubled in the 3 m Springboard at 576.65 to 575.95 for Anna Kwong.
Lily White and Bailee Sturgill won the 3 m Synchro at 513.12, over Kyndal Knight and Kwong (497.70).
Paris Olympian Daryn Wright won the women’s Platform title, scoring 655.65 to 575.10 for Anna Lemkin. Lemkin and Lanie Gutch took the Synchro 10 m with 506.64 points.
● Freestyle Skiing ● The FIS World Cup Ski Cross season opener was in Val Thorens (FRA), with Italy’s 2023 World Champion, Simone Deromedis taking Friday’s final from 2023 Worlds runner-up Florian Wilmsmann (GER) and 2019 Worlds bronzer Kevin Drury (CAN). On Saturday, Olympic silver winner Alex Fiva (SUI) took the gold in the final from Adam Kappacher (AUT) and Drury.
Canada’s Marielle Thompson, the 2018 Olympic winner, took the women’s final on Friday, with two-time Olympic bronze medalist Fanny Smith (SUI) second and Olympic bronzer Daniela Meyer (GER) third. India Sherret (CAN) won the second race over Maier and Thompson.
● Luge ● Austria was the big winner at the FIL World Cup in Oberhof (GER), taking three of the four races, including the men’s Singles, as 2023 World Champion Jonas Mueller won in 1:25.321, sweeping both runs. Brothers Nico Gleirscher, the 2024 Worlds runner-up, and David Gleirscher went 2-3 for the Austrian sweep, in 1:25.556 and 1:25.836. Jonny Gustafsson was the top American, in 12th (1:26.601).
Germany’s Hannes Orlamuender and Paul Gubitz won the men’s Doubles in 1:23.275, beating triple Olympic champs Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (1:23.483) and Olympic bronze winner Thomas Steu, now with Wolfgang Kindl (AUT: 1:23.483) got third. Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa had the top American finish, in ninth (1:23.893).
World Champion bronzer Madeleine Egle (AUT) won the women’s Singles, winning both runs in 1:24.019, ahead of teammate Lisa Schulte (1:24.175), with 2021 World Champion Julie Taubitz (GER: 1:24.194) in third. Ashley Farquharson was the top American, in fifth (1:24.426).
Younger sister Selina Egle teamed with Lara Kipp – the reigning World Champions – to win the women’s Doubles in 1:24.844, with two-time World Champions Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER: 1:25.105) second and Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby in third (1:25.576) for their second medal of the season.
● Short Track ● Reigning World Champions figured big in the ISU World Tour in Seoul (KOR), especially for the U.S. and Canada.
Kristen Santos-Griswold, the U.S.’s reigning women’s 1,000 m World Champion, took two races, in the 500 m (43.362) over Canada’s Florence Brunelle (43.511), and then the 1,500 m in 2:27.075 in front of 2023 European runner-up Hanne Desmet (BEL: 2:27.103) and fellow American Corinne Stoddard (2:27.290).
World 1,500 m champ Gil-li Kim of South Korea won the women’s 1,000 m in 1:30.884, ahead of Danae Blais (CAN: 1:31.010) and Santos-Griswold (1:31.161). Canada won the 3,000 m relay.
Canada’s William Dandjinou, the 2024 World Champion at 1,000 m, won that race in 1:24.548 over Jens van’t Wout (NED: 1:24.741) and also won the 1,500 m in 2:14.313 over 2023 World Champion Ji-won Park (2:14.738). Fellow Canadian and triple Olympic medalist Steven Dubois took the men’s 500 m in 41.681 over countryman (and 2024 Worlds bronzer) Jordan Pierre-Gilles (41.579); American Brandon Kim was fifth (56.813). China won the men’s 5,00 m relay.
The 2,000 m Mixed Relay went to Korea (2:38.036).
● Ski Jumping ● The career year continues for Germany’s Pius Paschke, who won his fourth event of the season at the FIS World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt (GER). Off the 142 m hill, he won both rounds to pile up 294.1 points, ahead of Gregor Deschwarden (SUI: 287.7) and Daniel Tschofenig (AUT: 281.7).
On Sunday, Paschke did it again, scoring 290.4 to win over Michael Hayboeck (AUT: 290.0) and Kristoffer Sundal (NOR: 284.7).
Paschke and Andreas Wellinger teamed up for Germany to win the team event, 873.3 to 850.0 over Austria.
¶
In the women’s World Cup in Zhangjiakou (CHN), two-time Olympic silver medalist Katharina Schmid (GER) scored 237.0 points off the 106 m hill to win over Eirin Kvandal (NOR: 210.0).
Schmid doubled up on Sunday for her third World Cup win in a row with 221.1 points, winning both jumps, over 2021 World Champion Ema Klinec (SLO: 208.9) and Lisa Eder (AUT: 200.6).
● Ski Mountaineering ● The ISMF World Cup season opener was in Courchevel (FRA), with familiar faces in front once again.
The 2023 men’s World Champion in the Sprint, Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll, won his specialty in 2:45.1, just ahead of Arno Lietha (SUI: 2:45.8). In the Vertical race, 2023 World Champion Remi Bonnet (SUI) was the dominant winner in 19:47.9, with teammate Aurelien Gay (SUI) a distant second in 21:38.2, and Xavier Gachet (FRA) third in 21:45.7.
In the women’s Sprint, four-time national champion Emily Harrop (FRA) was a decisive winner in 3:14.7, well ahead of Marianne Fatton (SUI: 3:22.6). Five-time World Champion Axelle Gachet Mollaret (FRA) won the women’s Vertical in 25:30.0, with Harrop second in 25:42.9, and Sarah Dreier (AUT: 25:57.5) in third.
● Snowboard ● Bulgaria’s Radoslav Yankov won his fourth career FIS World Cup gold in the Parallel Giant Slalom in Carezza (ITA) on Thursday, beating Tim Mastnak (SLO) in the final. Mastnak got his second medal of the season after winning in Yanqing.
Italy got a win in the women’s final from Jasmin Coratti, beating Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL).
At Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA) on Saturday, the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom went to Daniele Bagozza over Italian teammate Aaron March in the final. For Bagozza, it’s his seventh individual career World Cup gold.
Sabine Payer (AUT), the 2023 Worlds bronzer in the Parallel Slalom, took the women PGS over Krol-Walas, as Coratti got the bronze.
¶
In the season opener for Snow Cross in Cervinia (ITA), Austrian Jakob Dusek won the men’s race over Cameron Bolton (AUS) and Lorenzo Sommariva (ITA). France’s Lia Casta, 18, took the women’s final for her first World Cup gold, ahead of Australia’s 2023 Worlds silver winner Josie Baff.
● Squash ● At the WSF World Teams Championships in Hong Kong, Egypt continued as the true power in this event, winning both the men’s and women’s titles again.
The men’s final matched Egypt and England once again, for the sixth straight time – going back to 2011, and the Egyptians won their fourth consecutive title by 2-0, now winning six of the last seven titles.
Egypt came in as the three-time defending women’s champions, in a re-match with the U.S. from 2022, and won again by 2-0 for their fourth title in a row and six of the last eight.
Squash has been added to the program of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
● Weightlifting ● The 2024 IWF World Championships in Manama (BRN) concluded with North Korea finishing on top, winning nine of the 20 classes and 16 medals (9-5-2) overall, China was second at nine medals (4-2-3), ahead of Iran (4: 0-1-3).
In the men’s heavier classes, Kazakhstan’s Artyom Antropov won the men’s 102 kg class, lifting a combined total of 400 kg to finish just ahead of Tokyo Olympic 96 kg winner Fares El-Bakh (QAT: 399 kg). Ryan Sesler of the U.S. was 11th (366 kg). At 109 kg, Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Nurudinov won at 424 kg, including a world-record 242 kg in the Clean & Jerk. It’s his third Worlds gold, after wins in 2013 (105 kg) and 2022 (109 kg). Dadash Dadashbayli (AZE) was second at 400 kg. Kolbi Ferguson of the U.S. was eighth (381 kg).
In the super-heavy category at +109 kg, Varazdat Lalayan (ARM) – Paris silver winner at 102 kg – won the Snatch and was third in the Clean & Jerk to triumph with a 467 kg total, ahead of Tokyo silver medalist Ali Davoudi (IRI: 459 kg). Aaron Williams of the U.S. was seventh (401 kg).
China swept the higher weights in the women’s division, with 2023 World 71 kg winner Guifang Liao taking the 81 kg gold with 278 kg, well ahead of Paris runner-up Sara Ahmed (EGY: 262 kg). American Mariah Park was 10th (231 kg).
At 87 kg, Yan Wu was the winner at 272 kg, winning all three segments, with Australian Eileen Cikamatana taking silver at 257 kg. Kayla Kass was the top American, in 15th (226 kg). The +87 kg division saw a win for Yan Li (CHN), who got a world record in the Snatch at 149 kg, , won the Clean & Jerk at 175 kg and took the overall gold at 324 kg. South Korea’s Hye-jeong Park lifted 295 kg combined for silver.
The U.S. finished with just the one gold for Olivia Reeves in the women’s 71 kg class.
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