Next Winter Olympics organizers in French Alps deal with turmoil before handover from Milan Cortina

MILAN (AP) — We've got this. Really, we do.

Milan Cortina Olympics France 2030 Crisis

Organizers of the2030 French Alps Olympicsworked Saturday to put a positive sheen on their project that already was on the tightest of hosting schedules before beingrocked by inner turmoil.

"We're confident in our capacity to deliver these games in 2030 with a high degree of excellence," said Edgar Grospiron, the former Olympic champion freestyle skier who leads the organizing committee.

The French Alps is officially next up on Sunday evening after a formal handover of the Olympic flag to its sports and public officials at the Milan Cortina Winter Games closing ceremony, being staged in Verona.

Hours earlier, the French organizing committee holds a board meeting amid tension between Grospiron and his director general, Cyril Linette, who is set to be the latest executive exit from a teamlaunched just one year ago.

Grospiron acknowledged the "turbulence" Saturday at the traditional Olympic news conference for the next games host.

"For these games to be successful we do need stability, serenity, continuity and the organizing committee needs this," he said. "We want to show the whole world, but also particularly the French, and I am sure that they will really see the worth of what we've done."

The French Alps Winter Games — withspeed skating destined to go abroad, at Turin, Italy, or Heerenveen in the Netherlands, where venues already exist — has always been on the tightest timeline of any modern Olympics.

Advertisement

Sweden denied again

The outline of a bid came together only in 2023. At the time, the International Olympic Committee was intalks with Swedish officialswho had revived the Stockholm proposal that lost a hosting vote in 2019 against the Italian bid for these Winter Games that close Sunday.

Riding enthusiasm of preparations for the 2024 Paris Summer Games, from local Olympic officials and President Emmanuel Macron — whose term in office expires next year — the IOC and its then-leader Thomas Bach pivoted to France again. It left abitter taste in Sweden.

IOC members confirmed the French Alps win in Paris at their eve-of-games meeting, giving the project just 5½ years to prepare.

"We know, obviously, that there is little time," Grospiron said. "Not just the time but the budget is tight. But we know we can do it."

Spread-out Winter Games

Likethe Milan Cortina Olympics, the French Alps has a split between snow sports in storied mountain resorts and skating in a snow-free city, the French Riviera resort Nice.

The final plan of venues, now including Alpine ski resort Val d'Isere, will be confirmed in June when the IOC decides the list of sports and events.

Until then, a top official from the hugely successful Paris Olympics, Étienne Thobois, is helping stabilize the French Alps team. The expertise gained at Paris shapes to be key for the next Winter Games.

"That also gives us the chance to go quickly," Grospiron said, "and have this rhythm that is ours and be ready on time."

___ AP Winter Olympics:https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

byLiam Oneel

in

February 21, 2026

Next Winter Olympics organizers in French Alps deal with turmoil before handover from Milan Cortina

MILAN (AP) — We've got this. Really, we do. Milan Cortina Olympics France 2030 Crisis Organizers of th...

Read More

Why Was Russia Stripped of Its 2022 Figure Skating Gold Medal? Everything to Know About the Controversy

Catherine Ivill/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Russia, who competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), took home a gold medal for the team figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics

• The win was debated because one of their team members, Kamila Valieva, had tested positive for a banned substance

• In 2024, Russia was demoted to bronze, while Team USA placed first and Japan second

The Russian figure skating team, who competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), lost its gold medal following a doping scandal at the2022 Winter Olympics.

Russia initially won the figure skating teamgold medal during the Beijing games with key team membersKamila Valieva, Anna Shcherbakova, Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, among others.

However, during the games, it was revealed that Valieva, who was 15 years old at the time, tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to continue competing because of her status as a "protected person" (a.k.a. a minor) but decided there would be no medal ceremony. Although Russia technically went on to win gold, the CAS eventually ruled thatRussia would be demoted to bronze, while the U.S. received gold and Japan silver.

In addition to her team facing consequences, Valieva was placed on a four-year ban that began in December 2021. Although she was technically eligible for the2026 Winter Olympics, Valieva didn't compete because she couldn't participate in the necessary events leading up to the games.

Here's everything to know about why the Russian figure skating team was stripped of its gold medal after the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Who won the gold medal for Russia?

Catherine Ivill/Getty

Heading into the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the figure skating teams from Russia, the U.S., Canada and Japan were all favored to be in contention for the podium. The team event, which took place in early February, consisted of men's and women's singles, pair skating and ice dancing.

The team representing the ROC included Mark Kondratiuk, Andrey Mozalev and Mikhail Kolyada competing in the men's singles and Valieva, Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova facing off in women's singles.

Meanwhile, the skating pairs consisted of Mishina and Galliamov, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov and Alexandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii. Finally, the ice dancing teams were Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin and Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin.

After all the events took place, the ROC originally earned the highest cumulative score with a total of 74 points and took home gold. Team USA got second place and a silver medal with 65 points, while Team Japan had 63 points.

Valieva, in particular, helped the team get gold after shebecame the first woman to land a quadruple jumpat the Olympics.

Why was Russia stripped of its gold medal?

Jurij Kodrun - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty

Before the ROC figure skating team received its gold medals, it was revealed thatValieva had previously tested positive for a banned substance. She tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat chest pain that couldpotentially improve her performance.

At the time, Valieva's team alleged that thedrug belonged to her grandfather, and it either accidentally got mixed up in her regulated supplements or it contaminated her food.

Advertisement

The ordeal caused a massive media frenzy, and it took the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and CAS nearly two years to come to a decision.

In January 2024, Valieva and her performance were disqualified from the 2022 Olympics. As a result of the decision, the ROC was demoted to bronze. The team later attempted to appeal that ruling, but the appeal was dismissed by the CAS in July 2024.

The International Skating Union (ISU) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WDA) also imposed the individual punishment of a four-year ban for Valieva that began in December 2021.

In addition to her gold medal being taken away, she was also disqualified from the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships where she originally took home first place. Valieva was also ordered to pay nearly $20,000 in fines to both organizations, perESPN.

Valieva's four-year ban came to an end in December 2025, but she could not qualify for the 2026 Olympic team because of the timeframe. Shereturned to the ice at the Russian Jumping Championshipson Feb. 1, 2026, and placed sixth.

Who got the gold medal in Russia's place?

Jean Catuffe/Getty

Upon Valieva's Olympic disqualification, the ROC was downgraded to a bronze medal. The U.S. was subsequently bumped up to gold, while Japan moved to silver.

The American and Japanese teams were eventually awarded their medals at a ceremony during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Although the controversy seemed to be resolved, Canada — who originally placed fourth — appealed the 2024 ruling. The Canadian Olympic Committee alleged that the ISU was supposed to move up original competitors in individual events where someone was disqualified, so Canada should have been awarded the bronze over the ROC.

The CAS dismissed the Canadian appeal in August 2024 and finalized the placements as Team USA, Japan and Russia, perAP.

Was Russia allowed to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Jurij Kodrun - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty

Individual Russian athletes are competing as part of the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in the2026 Winter Olympics. Athletes from Belarus are also part of the AIN, totaling around 20 competitors.

FollowingRussia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the IOCsuspended the ROCfor violating the Olympic Charter. Any medals won by any of the AIN team members do not count toward either country.

When it comes to figure skating, three-time Russian national champion Adeliia Petrosian competed in the women's event. Petrosian's coach isEteri Tutberidze, who worked with Valieva but denied any involvement in the doping scandal. In addition, Petr Gumennik skated in the men's event.

Read the original article onPeople

byLiam Oneel

in

February 21, 2026

Why Was Russia Stripped of Its 2022 Figure Skating Gold Medal? Everything to Know About the Controversy

Catherine Ivill/Getty NEED TO KNOW Russia, who competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), took hom...

Read More

Premier League to take breaks during Ramadan for fasting players

The Premier League and English Football League have confirmed they will continue to allow a break in play for Muslim players to break their fasts during Ramadan.

The initiative, which was first introduced in 2021, allows Muslim players to come to the sideline and take in fluids or food during a natural pause in play, such as a goal kick or throw-in.

Ramadan, one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims, runs from February 17 to March 19 this year. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset.

In the UK, sunset during Ramadan will range from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., putting it in the middle of several games throughout the holy month.

Advertisement

This weekend will see West Ham and Bournemouth kick off at 5:30 p.m. UK time on Saturday, with Arsenal and Tottenham meeting Sunday in the north London derby at 4:30 p.m. UK time.

League officials have been reaching out to clubs in an effort to identify players who will be fasting.

Per the BBC, there were 253 Muslim players in the first teams and academies of the top four tiers of English soccer as of 2023.

The list of Muslim players currently in the Premier League includes Chelsea's Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo, Tottenham's Djed Spence, Arsenal's William Saliba, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester United's Amad Diallo.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Premier League to use Ramadan breaks for fasting players

byLiam Oneel

in

February 21, 2026

Premier League to take breaks during Ramadan for fasting players

The Premier League and English Football League have confirmed they will continue to allow a break in play for Muslim pla...

Read More