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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Winter Games 2026: Milan Cortina ● The 2026 Winter Olympic organizers announced their Games motto on Thursday, primarily “IT’s Your Vibe.”
The capital “IT” is short for host country Italy, of course, and the slogan can be adopted, such as for “IT’s Talent – IT’s Your Vibe”; “IT’s Creativity – IT’s Your Vibe”; “IT’s Energy – IT’s Your Vibe.”
Adaptations for host cities or sports will include: “IT’s Milan – IT’s Your Vibe”, “IT’s Cortina – IT’s Your Vibe”, “IT’s figure skating – IT’s Your Vibe”, and more.
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A Radio-Canada report last week noted that the agreement between the National Hockey League, the NHL Players Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for participation in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games has not been signed.
Further, the NHL’s determination to hold a World Cup of Hockey in 2028 and likely in Europe in February – devaluing the IIHF’s own World Championships that year in Paris and Lyon (FRA) from 12-28 May – led to proposals from the IIHF and the European hockey leagues, who
“asked that it be held in North America or outside of Europe if it is organized in February. And they have said they are open to this tournament being held in Europe, but on the condition that it is done in September or October.
“According to our information, the NHL rejected these proposals.”
This brings up the question of how willing the IIHF will be now to pay $8-10 million for insurance and support costs for NHL players so they can play in Milan next year. According to Radio-Canada’s Martin Leclerc, “there’s definitely a chance that it won’t happen.”
The NHL and NHLPA downplayed the concerns, with – at this point – only NHL players to be used and NHLPA head Marty Walsh adding:
“There is an agreement on paper, we just haven’t signed it yet. There is no obstacle, it’s just a matter of putting our signature after we finalize everything and dot the i’s.”
● World University Games ● A fact-and-figures review of the 2025 Winter World University Games in Turin (ITA) included some interesting numbers for students of multi-sport Games:
● 2,565 athletes and officials (1,503 athletes from 54 nations)
● 90 events in 11 sports at 6 venues
● 26,500 hotel room nights across the event
● 15,000 accreditees
● 2,099 volunteers
● 100,000 tickets sold
The Winter WUG drew 694,404 users to the Torino 2025 social-media channels and had 140 hours of live coverage on EuroSport.
The organizing committee raised €27,210 (~$28,571 U.S.) for the Matilde Lorenzi Foundation, honoring the memory of the young Italian skier who died in a training crash last October. Her father, Adolfo Lorenzi, said:
“This contribution will allow us to continue investing in research, training and the development of new solutions to reduce risks in skiing. It is a very valuable gesture that will help us to continue Matilde’s dream: to make skiing safer for everyone.”
● International Olympic Committee ● As already reported, the IOC announced its TOP sponsorship deal with Chinese electronics giant TCL for the 2025-32 period, essentially replacing long-time sponsor Panasonic, which did not renew past 2024.
TCL will be the IOC’s sponsor for the “Home Audiovisual Equipment and Home Appliances” categories, and will also become a sponsor of the International Paralympic Committee.
● Alpine Skiing ● Czech Downhill skier Tereza Nova was awakened from an induced coma after surgery to reduce brain swelling after a bad crash during a Downhill training run on 24 January in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER).
The Associated Press reported that Nova, 27, had brain swelling and also a fractured eye socket due to the crash. She will be moved back to the Czech Republic for further recovery. She was in the medically-induced coma for about four weeks.
● Athletics ● USA Track & Field announced a new management staff for the High Performance area that includes national teams:
“Michael Nussa has been named General Manager of High Performance, while Wallace Spearmon Jr. will serve as General Manager of International Teams, Athletes, and Coaching Services. … The co-GMs will report to Robert Chapman, who will serve as the Chief of High Performance Operations.”
Spearmon Jr., now 40, was a three-time 200 m World Championships medalist, winning silver in 2005 ad bronzes in 2007 and 2009. A two-time Olympian and three-time U.S. champion, he finished with a best of 19.65 in 2006, still no. 14 on the all-time list.
LetsRun.com reported that longtime Chief of Athlete Services and International Teams Aretha Thurmond was let go at the end of January, after almost 12 years with the federation.
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Mabel Landry Staton, a 1952 U.S. Olympian in the women’s long jump, passed away at age 92 on Thursday. She had been suffering from cancer.
As Mabel Landry, she was second in the Helsinki qualifying round at 5.88 m (19-3 1/2), but managed 5.75 m (18-10 1/2) in the final and finished seventh. A DePaul University student before there was women’s athletic teams, she attended on an academic scholarship and won five national AAU titles in the long jump in 1949-50-52-53-54 and sprint titles at 60 yards indoors in 1953-54 and outdoors at 50 yards in 1953-54 as well.
● Biathlon ● France scored again at the IBU World Championships in Lenzerheide (SUI), winning the Single Mixed Relay with Julia Simon and Quentin Fillon Maillet in 35:25.1 (7 penalties), comfortably ahead of Norway (35:30.8/15) and Germany (35:33.4/4).
It’s the third gold of the event for Simon, including both relays and third medal for Fillon Mailet, after two individual-event bronzes. The U.S. pair of Deedra Irwin and Campbell Wright finished 16th in 37:07.5 (9). The Championships continue through Sunday.
● Bobsled & Skeleton ● USA Bobsled & Skeleton will have induction ceremonies for its Hall of Fame across the two weekends of the 2025 IBSF World Championships at Lake Placid, New York.
Skeleton will be celebrated on 8 March, honoring 2002 Olympic silver winner Lea Ann Parsley-Davenport, 2007 Worlds silver medalist Eric Bernotas and long-time U.S. national teams General Manager Lenny Kasten.
On 15 March, three teams will be recognized: the 1932 Saranac Lake Red Devils silver-medal 4-Man team led by Henry Homburger, the 1948 gold-winning 4-Man team led by Francis Tyler, and the 2002 Salt Lake City silver winners, Todd Hays, Garrett Hines and Bill Schuffenhauer, with Randy Jones – already a Hall of Famer – also present.
● Fencing ● At the USA Fencing Board meeting on 15 February, motions which responded to current political conditions were voted on, with the confirmation of the federation’s “commitment to welcoming athletes from all 23 North American [FIE] nations. Leadership specifically addressed recent Canadian concerns, underscoring our longstanding tradition of cooperation and inclusivity.”
Also, a motion “to dismantle the DEIB [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging] office in favor of alternate models was rejected, reaffirming USA Fencing’s ongoing commitment to its inclusivity programs and clarifying that federal executive orders cited do not apply to the organization.” This was defeated in a roll-call vote.
● Football ● Former Royal Spanish Football Federation head Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault against midfielder Jenni Hermoso in the infamous awards-ceremony kiss following Spain’s win at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.
Rubiales was fined €10,800 (~$11,340 U.S.) – to be paid in daily installments across 18 months – and ordered not to communicate with Hermoso for a year and to remain at least 200 m away from Hermoso during that period. Rubiales was further ordered to pay €3,000 (~$3,150 U.S.) to Hermoso as “moral damages.”
He was acquitted on a charge of coercion, of trying to get Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual. Prosecutors were asking for 2 1/2 years in prison, and fines, for the two charges.
The three other defendants – former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, men’s sports director Albert Luque, and marketing director Ruben Rivera – were all acquitted.
● Modern Pentathlon ● The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne is maintaining its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. Russian national team coach Andrei Makushin said that his athletes will miss the first UIPM World Cup in Cairo (EGY) starting 24 February:
“The UIPM Executive Board met from January 30 to 31, and following the meeting it became clear that the international federation’s policy regarding Russian pentathletes has not changed. As before, our athletes training at CSKA and other departmental clubs are deprived of the opportunity to compete in tournaments under the auspices of UIPM. We continue to hope for a revision of the international federation’s policy regarding Russian athletes and allow our participation in subsequent stages of the World Cup.”
● Volleyball ● The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour is expanding its tournaments, especially its highest-profile Elite and Challenge events, with both men’s and women’s Elite tournaments to have 24 teams (up from 16) and Challenge tournaments with 32 (up from 24). This significantly increases the tournament team totals from 704 to 992.
Prize money for these tournaments will be increased from the current $5 million to almost $6 million; including the World Championships, total prizes will be $6.75 million.
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