Starting from the outside position, short track skater Brendan Corey delivered an explosive start in the Men’s 500m Heats. 

“I really surprised myself,” Corey said. “I didn’t put any pressure on myself before this race; I just wanted to go out there and skate as fast as I could and see what happens.” 

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Cheered on in the stands by Australian Olympic Champion and Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin, Corey said he got off to a “rocket start” giving himself the best position to fight for a crucial top two finish. 

“I was going really well but then at the apex of the turn I bumped with the Dutch and I lost my footing and lost my speed.” Corey said. “Once that gap is created it’s so hard to close because they’re all going so fast and there was not much else I could have done. 

“I gave it my all and the guys in front of me skated a clean race, so that’s good for them but not so good for me.” 

Finishing his heat in fourth with a time of 41.845 wasn’t enough to move the Canadian-born Aussie through to the quarterfinals, but there were plenty of positives to take from his second Olympic campaign. 

“I know I gave everything I had on the day in each of my events so I can’t be upset with that,” Corey said. “Every race has its own lessons to be learned, both positive and negative, and in a couple of weeks I’ll look back on the races and reflect more critically on how I performed.”  

For now, Corey will enjoy a few well-deserved days of soaking up life in the Milan Olympic Village, before he turns his attention to the upcoming World Championships. 

“I have only a few weeks before Worlds so it’s important to me not to dwell on any of this too much,” Corey said. “I love representing Australia and I love competing at the Olympics, but I know the result or the ranking does not reflect who I am as an athlete. 

“To me, the most important thing is focusing on improving myself, becoming stronger technically and physically, and the results will be what they be. 

I went out there and I gave it everything I have. I’m really happy with that.”  

​“What’s There to Be Sad About?” - Walker finds perspective in Cortina 

When Bree Walker completed her fourth and final heat of the Women’s Monobob tonight at the Cortina Sliding Centre and removed her helmet, her trademark grin was there for all to see. 

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She hugged teammate Kiara Reddingius and turned to the small but vocal group of family in the stand adjacent to the track, smiling and waving to those who have been with her every step of her journey to become a two-time Olympian. 

For Walker, that moment mattered just as much as the clock, and possibly more so than the eighth place result she achieved. 

“At the finish I did have a big smile,” she said. “All I wanted to see was a ‘1’ on the timing light and I just wanted to see Kiara and I just wanted to see my family. 

“What a beautiful thing. It’s not every day that I have my family trackside for racing. 

“So what’s there to be sad about when you have such wonderful supporters that are coming all the way from Australia here to see me at the Olympics?” 

The perspective Walker showed post-race was the sign of an experienced athlete who understands that sometimes the result on the day does not fully reflect the effort and dedication poured into a campaign. 

“I feel like I was coming off a season where I’ve improved a lot in my driving and improved a lot in my start and I improved a lot as an athlete,” said the Queensland Academy of Sport representative. “And so I was ready to come here and race, but, you know, yeah, the track got the better of me, I guess, and that is the result and I have to live with it. 

“You have to just be able to adapt quickly to the conditions and that’s the nature of the Olympics and that’s why it’s such a special event. 

“The ones who do, you take your hat off to them because you’re like, man, you were able to figure it out and execute when it mattered and that’s really impressive.”

While there was disappointment in the outcome and there will be moments of reflection to come, seeing Reddingius at the finish line reminded Walker her Milano Cortina 2026 story is only halfway complete. 

“When I crossed the line I said, ‘Alright, that’s done, on to two-man.’” 

The 2-woman Bobsleigh begins on Friday, with Walker and Reddingius teaming up for their second straight Games toegther. It is a partnership built on trust and resilience, qualities that will be needed after a testing season. 

“Our two-man season’s been pretty hard this year, but, you know, we’re Aussies, we don’t give up and we keep fighting and we’re just going to go out there and do our very best and see what happens,” Walker said. 

With family in the stands and her teammate now quite literally behind her in the sled, Walker’s Olympic campaign is far from over. 

Bree Walker fought back on the second run of the Women’s Monobob to keep herself in contention for a medal after day one of competition. 

After only setting the 11th fastest time on the opening run, Walker remain composed and was far cleaner her second time down the course. 

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Walker’s second run was nearly two-tenths of a second faster than her first and saw her move four spots up the rankings and into seventh position. 

“I made some notoriously unexpected mistakes in the first heat so I was really happy to be able to come down and lay it down in the second heat and move up a few spots,” said Walker. 

“It’s a really tight race and it’s four heats so you’ve just got to keep going.” 

The Aussie’s aggregate time after two runs currently sits 0.77 off the provisional podium, but with many of the top 10 having issues on at least one of their runs on Sunday, the medallists are from settled. 

“I know what I can produce and I’ve just got to keep going,” said Walker. “World Championships and Olympics are four heats, it’s a marathon, so you’ve just got to keep going, keep going, keep going. 

Walker will rest up over the next 24 hours before athletes return on Monday night for their final two runs. 

“Tomorrow’s a new day – I've just got to go back and reset, focus on my cues, my race, what I need to do in order to be able to execute.” 

Bree Walker will contest the Runs 3 & 4 of the Women’s Monobob from 5am AEDT on Tuesday 17 February

Giving “everything they had,” Hektor Giotopolous Moore and Anastasiia Golubeva say they carried the support of Australian fans as they delivered a strong Short Program at the Milan Ice Arena.

The Australian pairs skaters started off well, executing a powerful double twist lift, followed by side-by-side triple toe-loops.

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“The elements weren’t the biggest tricks in terms of technical level, but we wanted to have a clean skate and I think we made the right decision,” said Giotopolous Moore. “I’m happy with what we did, I’m very proud of both of us.” 

Skating to the dramatic ‘Exogenesis Symphony’ by Muse, the pair weaved in a beautiful reverse lasso lift, (a challenging element that requires both skaters to face forwards during the movement), a backward death spiral, and a step sequence that ran the length of the rink. 

“It felt pretty good out there, I felt focused,” said Golubeva. “Right before I skated, I heard my mum yell “you’ve got this” and I just had goosebumps. I felt my parents with me during the whole program.

For Giotopolous Moore, it was the first time his older siblings had ever seen him on the international stage.

“It was special to have them here and to have that support. I saw all the Australian flags in the crowd. It was great.” 

The pair had some difficulty on their final move – a change foot combination spin – in which they lost synchronisation and unity, but regardless, they say there were far more positives than negatives to take away.

“Maybe we didn’t have our absolute best skate but we gave it our all and that’s all we can do,” said Giotopolous Moore. “When I think about how we were skating a month and a half ago, we looked like a completely different pair. We’ve come such a long way from where we were and I’m just so proud of us either way.” 

Missing much of the competitive season in the lead-up to the Games, the team received a season’s best of 60.69.

It wasn’t enough to take them through to the Free Skate, but it has cemented their desire for more.

“We’re going to take all the lessons we learned and get back to training and just keep working on getting better and better,” said Giotopolous Moore. “Right now I’m happy. Right now I’m on cloud nine.” 

“I gave it everything”: Brendan Corey says he “felt the love” of Aussie fans, as he stormed into the men’s 1500m semifinals. 

Powering through the men’s 1500m Short Track quarterfinals, Brendan Corey credited months of studying his opponents’ tactics, for what he described as a “textbook” race. 

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“The quarterfinals went exactly as I planned and predicted. I did all the right moves at the right time. I’m really happy with it,” Corey said. “When I looked at my draw, I made a prediction as to what I thought would play out. Based on that I moved to the front at the right time and once I was in third – knowing the top three go through – I protected my third place with a bit of space.” 

Taking the lead early, Corey skated aggressively, while also trying to take only “smart risks.”  

“It’s easy to get a bit overexcited in these races and to go too hard too soon. I’ve learned that in previous competitions, so I was focused on doing enough without blowing it.” 

But things became tougher in the semifinals. Despite an aggressive start, Corey struggled to keep up with the front of the pack, and said he got “jammed” by competitors. 

“It started pretty good. The first five laps or so I felt like I was right in there, and then at about eight or nine to go I went to the front from the outside, and that just destroyed my legs completely.” Corey said. “In the last four laps I literally had nothing left in the tank. I was stuck on the outside and couldn’t find a way back in. Then it all just got away from me. Yeah, that hurt.”  

The Canadian-born Aussie was cheered on by his parents in the stands, and said he also felt the love from Australian and Canadian supporters. 

“That was a special moment to have my parents watching,” he said. “It felt really good after qualifying for the semi-final to see them waving and to see the Aussie flags in the crowd. It was just a really good feeling and it definitely helped me out on the ice.”  

He’s hoping to carry that support through to his final event – the 500m – which is essentially an all-out sprint for four-and-a-half-laps. 

“Yeah there’s not really a lot you can do tactically for that race. It’s just all about speed and power.” Corey said. “I’ll be starting from the boards for that one which is a tough position, but I’ll give it my best and just do what I can.”  

Corey will take on the 500m heats on Monday February 16. 

​Rosie Fordham, Maddie Hooker, Phoebe Cridland and Ellie Søhol Lie made history today in the women’s 4x7.5km Cross-Country relay, becoming the first ever Australian Cross-Country relay team to compete at a Winter Olympic Games. 

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Battling soft snow and wet conditions, the team took on the demanding relay format consisting of two classic technique legs followed by two freestyle legs. The Aussie team finished up 14th position out of 19 starting teams.  

Cridland was overjoyed when reflecting on the team’s experience. 

“It was just super special. I think we all came into today with an extra pep in our step knowing that it was going to be an historic day. And then to be able to finish now, we're just really elated.” 

Fordham also acknowledged the challenging conditions faced throughout the race. 

“We fought so hard to make it all the way to the end. And you just see even though people crashed and even though maybe things didn't go exactly to plan, everybody's fighting as hard as they can because we all want that moment where we cross the line together.” 

An eventful race saw Sweden lose the early lead following several crashes, opening the door for Norway to take control and secure a dominant victory. Sweden crossed the line 50 seconds later in second place, followed by Finland in third. 

With no men’s relay on the Olympic program, the Australian Cross-Country athletes will now have a few days to recover before returning to competition for the team sprint on February 18. 

​Finishing 33rd in the women’s 10km Individual Freestyle event, Rosie Fordham recorded the second-best individual Olympic result in Australian Cross-Country Skiing history. 

Behind Fordham, Phoebe Cridland placed 49th, Ellen Søhol Lie 57th, and Maddie Hooker 77th in a strong team showing. 

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​
“The uphills were long and really hard, especially the last one,” Fordham said. “You look at it afterwards and think, how did I even get up that?” 

With family watching from the stands, the moment carried extra meaning. 

“It’s so nice to have them here,. They don’t get to watch me race very often because it’s so far away, so having the whole crew here is really special. They’d be happy no matter how I went, which makes it even nicer.” 

Hooker also embraced the Olympic crowd, enjoying a late sprint battle to the finish. 

“It was a really cool race, loads of cheering and a great atmosphere,” Hooker said. “I had a really fun sprint finish, which was exciting.” 

Lie reflected on the demanding course. 

“I liked the first loop, but the second and third lap were just hard,” she explained.  

“That’s also my weakest side, so I spent a lot of time in offset today.” 

Looking ahead, her focus is already on what’s next. 

“The relay is going to be unreal here. I’m really excited for it.” 

Phoebe Cridland described the race as close to the toughest of her career.  

“The hardest thing was knowing another hill was coming,” she said. 

“It was a bit hard to hear splits because of the noise, but it was pretty cool. People were enjoying themselves.” 

Frida Karlsson of Sweden secured a dominant win by 46 seconds, ahead of Ebba Andersson, while USA’s Jessie Diggins completed the podium in a tight battle for third.

Australia will return to the start line in the men’s 10km individual freestyle tomorrow, with Hugo Hinckfuss, Lars Vik Young and Seve De Campo set to race. 

The first starter goes off at 11:45 CET (9:45pm AEDT). 

​Ticking off everything they set out to do, Ice Dancers Holly Harris and Jason Chan have skated into the history books, becoming the highest-placed Australian Olympic Ice Dancers in history. 

Set to the music Clair de Lune, the couple completed their Games’ debut with a stunning Free Dance that showcased their fluid style and skating skills, with a performance that commentators described as “flawless.”  

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“We kept this program from the last season and I think that was the right move,” Chan said. “It gave us time to work on all the little details and it was amazing to be able to put out a program like that and have something that we’re really proud of.”  

“It felt really good,” Harris agreed. “We came here to do a job and we did that and we’re just so happy.”  

Opening with an impressive dance spin, the program featured a difficult step sequence performed on one foot, multiple lifts across the ice, and required choreography elements. 

“It feels like we put everything out there and showed what we’re capable of,” Harris said. ‘It’s amazing to think that all that work before the scenes and all the years of training together ended up with this moment. It’s a dream come true.”  

Scoring 108.64 for a total combined of 176.39, Harris and Chan finished in 18th place, giving them the best result ever achieved by an Australian team. 

“I hope this will inspire other Australians to give ice dance a go, and to encourage skaters who might be thinking about switching disciplines to give it a try,” Harris said. “I started out as a singles skater and I always dreamed of being at the Olympics. I never imagined that I would be an Olympic ice dancer but I’m so glad I tried it out.”  

“The thing with ice dance is that it’s changing and developing all the time and it’s become such an exciting discipline,” said Chan.  

Cheering them on in the stands, were ice dance legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. Dean, who coached Holly at times when she was younger, joked that he’d be happy to take the credit for Harris’s career. 

“Jason actually spotted Christopher during the warmup and he was so excited to see him there,” Harris said. “It’s amazing to think you’re performing for people like that. The whole experience has been amazing.” 

Next, the team will begin training for the World Championships in Prague, but for now they’re hoping to soak up the rest of their Olympic experience. 

“I’m so happy with that I probably won’t sleep tonight,” Chan said. “It just feels so good to achieve everything we set out to do.”  

​​After a tough start to his second Olympic campaign, Australian speed skater Brendan Corey is promising to come back stronger when he returns to the ice for the Men’s 1500m and 500m events.

“I’m disappointed. That wasn’t good. I messed up and I only have myself to blame,” Corey said, after failing to qualify through the Men’s Heats in the 1000m. “I needed to be in first or second position from the start and I got caught up the back and couldn’t move.”  

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The Canadian-born Aussie finished fourth in his heat with a time of 1:26.052, outside his personal best and well below his own goals for the event. 

“It’s hard because I know I can do better, but that’s how it goes,” he said. “I have to try and put it behind me.”  

Returning to Olympic ice after a horror accident that nearly claimed his life when a competitor’s blade sliced his throat, the 29-year-old insists he has no regrets about continuing in the sport, and wants to do Australia – and his parents – proud. 

“I had my parents watching me today and that’s the first time they’ve seen me in Olympic competition. I feel like I let them down,” he said.  

But that couldn’t be further from how Melanie and Trevor Corey viewed their son’s skate. Decked out in green and gold, they described “immense pride” at witnessing Corey take on such an unforgiving sport. 

“He’s been on the ice since he was six and to see him reach this level is amazing,” said mum, Melanie. “With the Covid restrictions, we couldn’t watch him compete at the Beijing Games, so just being here is really special.”  

“He’s our champion,” dad, Trevor, agreed. 

And Corey still has two big events to go, including his pet event – the 1500m. 

“I’m going to do what I can to reset and focus on the next race and just get back to my pre-comp routine,” said Corey.  

Corey will compete in quarterfinals of the Men’s 1500m even on February 14. His Olympic campaign continues with the 500m Heats on February 16. 

​​Ellen Søhol Lie, Maddie Hooker, Hugo Hinckfuss and Lars Vik Young took on the 2026 Milano Cortina classic sprint overnight. ​

In cross-country sprint racing, the fastest 30 athletes from the men’s and women’s qualification rounds advance to the knockout stages, progressing through the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. 

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The Olympic course features two short, sharp climbs followed by a long, decisive uphill. From there, athletes navigated a fast right-hand sweeper before charging back into the stadium for the final sprint to the finish line. 

 In rapidly warming conditions, the 1.6km track initially firm after an overnight freeze gradually slowed throughout the morning. 

The Aussie quartet delivered historic results, with Hugo Hinckfuss placing 42nd, the best-ever Olympic sprint result in Australian history. Lars Vik Young recorded an equal second-best Australian Olympic sprint result, finishing 51st out of 95 athletes. Ellen Søhol Lie finished 50th, an equal second-best-ever result by an Australian woman in a sprint, while Maddie Hooker skied a strong race to 67th place out of 89 athletes. 

After illness earlier in the season, Lars Vik Young said: “The skis are really good. It's the best I've felt physically in a really long time, so that's good.” Looking ahead, he added: “The team skate sprint is my favourite, so the shape's coming.” 

Ellen Søhol Lie said: “I actually enjoyed the race. We had good skis and good grip, that was fantastic, and the crowd was good.” Looking ahead to the 10km skate on the 12th, she added: “There's a lot of uphill, so I'm looking forward to the downhills. I'm looking forward to a good race where I hopefully can use my power wisely.” 

In the women’s event, Sweden dominated the final, with Linn Svahn taking gold, followed by Jonna Sundling, while Maja Dahlqvist rounded out the podium. 

Norwegian great, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo claimed his second gold medal of the Games, followed by American, Ben Ogden, with Norwegian, Oskar Opstad Vike completing the podium. 

It’s been twelve years since Australia last featured in Olympic Ice Dancing, but Holly Harris and Jason Chan looked right at home as they took to the Milan stage, with an electric program that earned them a score of 67.75, and a spot in the Free Dance event tomorrow. 

“When we hit our finishing pose, we were really happy with how we skated and I think we need to stay with that feeling,” said Chan. 

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“Overall I just felt happy and grateful,” said Harris. “My nerves were actually okay and I had this eerie calmness. I felt like I’m where I need to be.”  

Beaming from the moment they skated out onto Olympic ice, the Montreal-based Aussie team, lit up the Milan Ice Skating Arena with a punchy performance that impressed not only the judges, but also the crowd, many of whom were clapping along to the mix of pop tunes from artists like Jennifer Lopez and Anastacia.

“The five-minute warmup felt quite different to normal competitions,” said Harris. “It was very chaotic. The crowd had a lot more energy than we’re used to which was really fun, but it was really high energy and we needed to calm down and settle to focus.” 

The program included intricate step sequences, a synchronised twizzle series – which appeared like side-by-side moving spins that travel across the ice – and a breathtaking lift that changed from rotational to stationary. 

“We’re happy with the performance, and we qualified which is what we set out to do,” said Harris. “I don’t think the scores were what we were looking for but that’s out of control and we couldn’t have skated a lot better.”  

The team will now focus on Wednesday’s free skate program – a beautiful routine set to Clair de Lune, which they’ve carried over from last season. 

‘I’m really looking forward to skating the free,” said Chan. “It feels like a privilege to be out there and get that opportunity, and we’ve really worked hard on developing the program with a lot of new details and moments.”  

It will also give them a chance to showcase their full skating abilities, with a longer program allowing extra elements including a dance spin and several stunning lifts. 

For now, the pair can soak up the success of their Games debut, declaring they’re finally able to call themselves Olympians  

“It’s surreal to say that, to call myself an Olympian,” said Harris. “But now I feel like I can do it. I’m an Olympian. It’s amazing.”  ​

​Alex Ferlazzo brought his fourth Olympic luge campaign to a close with speed, composure and a moment shared with family and friends at the Cortina Sliding Centre tonight. 

The final day of competition featured runs three and four, with only the top 20 advancing to a final descent. Ferlazzo did exactly what was required on his third run, clocking 53.800 seconds, the 17th-fastest time of the heat. That kept him 19th overall and safely inside the cut. 

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With a place in the final secured, the Australian relied on the same positive mindset which he took into his opening run of the delivering a time of 53.734. It ensured Ferlazzo improved his time on each of his four runs, with his final effort elevating him to 18th in the overall standings overall. 

“Those last two runs... I put it all out there,” Ferlazzo said. “There were no negative thoughts. 

“It was just full speed ahead, and whatever happens, happens. 

“The whole way down the track I was just focused on the next thing I needed to do. 

“I felt quite present the whole time. I put down some runs at the end that I’m proud of.” 

The progress was also reflected in his speed. After reaching 125.8km/h during his runs on Saturday, Ferlazzo pushed beyond 127km/h on the final day, a clear sign of his growing confidence on the rebuilt Cortina track. 

Away from the stopwatch, the finish area carried added meaning. Family and friends were positioned close to the ice, visible from the hot seat as Ferlazzo wrapped himself in the Australian flag and as he momentarily filled top spot on the standings. 

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the friends and family and people you meet along the way, this would all be for nothing. So super special.” 

Ferlazzo said he made a conscious effort to stay relaxed earlier in the day, reaching out to family rather than staying locked in race mode. 

“I called them up,” Ferlazzo said. “I asked what they were doing and kept my mind off the sport a bit. I did think about racing a little, but yeah, I’m excited to go see them later on.” 

At the front of the field, Germany’s Max Langenhan claimed gold after setting four consecutive track records across the competition. Austria’s Jonas Müller finished second, while Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller delighted the home crowd with bronze. 

​Australian cross-country skiers Hugo Hinckfuss and Seve de Campo have opened their Milano Cortina 2026 campaign in the men’s 20km Skiathlon, tackling one of the most physically demanding events on the Olympic program.

Hinckfuss finished 56th, with de Campo just three seconds behind in 57th, out of 74 starters.

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For Hinckfuss, it was the first time he had competed in an Olympic Skiathlon.

“They say it’s always a good time to try something new at the Olympics,” he said. 

“Honestly, a big reason I did it was because my whole extended family was here. It was really emotional to see them and hear them out there. I hadn’t seen some of them in so long.

“I kind of did it for them, and I’m so proud to represent my family and my country.”

The Skiathlon combines two event styles into a single race. The athletes start with 10km in classic technique, which utilises parallel tracks for the skis. They then switch skis and poles in an exchange zone before skiing the next 10km in freestyle, also known as skating.

The race in Val di Fiemme began under clear blue skies, with the track initially hard and fast before softening as temperatures climbed to around 6°C. The warming snow created increasingly challenging conditions, particularly on the downhill corners and transitions between sections of the course.

Cheered on by Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin and their friends and family, the Australians went out hard in the opening classic leg, working to stay connected with the main group. At several points during the race, de Campo and Hinckfuss skied together, pushing the pace and working tactically to close gaps to nearby competitors.

“I was really up for the fight, and I think we fought super hard,” de Campo said of the intense classic leg. 

“There was a steep hill out the back where we struggled a bit for kick, which slowly wore me down. But the transition was insanely good, so that was a big tick. I picked up a couple of places on the skate, which was great. But it was brutal — really brutal," de Campo said of his tenth Skiathlon.

Hinckfuss highlighted the team approach and tactical focus that shaped the Australian performance.

“We had a plan to just give ourselves a chance in the first leg, and I think we really did. But the climbs were steep and tough, so some gaps formed. We fought as much as we could to close them, but the guys were just on such a high level today.

“At the end of the day, I tried to ski smooth and relaxed when I could. In the skate leg especially, when the downhills were breaking up so much, I tried to maximise the opportunities and take some different lines — and that really paid off.”

The race was won by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, with France’s Mathis Desloges and Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget rounding out the podium.

The Australians now turns their attention to the Classic Sprint on Tuesday 10 February, with four athletes set to compete. 

Maddie Hooker and  Ellen Søhol Lie will start in the women’s event, while Hinckfuss and Lars Vik Young will represent Australia in the men’s Sprint.

The Australian women’s cross-country team delivered a determined performance in the skiathlon in Val di Fiemme, fighting hard across both the classic and freestyle legs of the race. 

Rosie Fordham was the leading Australian, finishing 49th after a strong effort to avoid being lapped by the lead group, who set a fast pace from the start. Fordham was in 56th at the transition into skate and made her way through the field in her preferred technique for a top 50 finish. 

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“The classic part was really hard. I was struggling on the flats and downhills, but I knew if I could just hang in, I’d feel good once I switched to skate,” Fordham said. 

“As soon as I put the skate skis on, I felt incredible and was able to start catching people.”

Phoebe Cridland, Ellen Søhol Lie, and Maddie Hooker were unfortunately lapped by the leading group as the tempo increased following the switch from classic to freestyle.

Despite the challenging conditions, the team showed promising form, with positive signs heading into the upcoming races. Performance Manager Finn Marsland noted that the classic waxing did not quite hit the mark on the day but emphasised the team’s motivation to continue improving conditions for the athletes to compete on an even playing field.

At the conclusion of the race Sweden finished one-two in the opening cross-country event at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium with Frida Karlsson carrying the national flag over the line to win gold ahead of compatriot Ebba Anderson. Norway's Heidi Weng finished in third.

Ahead of the Men’s Skiathlon
Seve De Campo and Hugo Hinkfuss will line-up for tomorrow’s Men’s 10km + 10km Skiathlon. Like today’s women’s event the Men’s Skiathlon will consist of both a 10km ‘classic’ section, where the skiers glide along tracks etched in the snow and a 10km ‘free’ section (also called "skate"). Here the skier makes lateral movements relative to the direction they are travelling, skating to the finish.

De Campo is looking forward to the race as he prepares to compete at his second Olympic Games, “[I’m] starting to get very excited. It’s always special racing at the Olympics and knowing you can probably give that extra one or two per cent, because you’ve got your country behind you. So, I’m really keen to get out there,” he said.

De Campo said he feels confident and ready to perform at his best heading into his first race of these Games.

“Second Olympics, so I’m feeling prepared,” he said.

The skiathlon promises to be an event not to be missed, watch our Men’s Cross-Country Team push the limits of physical endurance.

Ice dance duo Holly Harris and Jason Chan have delivered the strongest Four Continents performance of their careers, finishing fifth at the Championships in Beijing, China.
 
The pair produced near‑personal‑best scores in both segments of the competition, opening with 68.33 points in the rhythm dance—the fifth‑highest score of the round.
 
In the free dance, Harris and Chan continued their impressive form, earning 108.75 points, the sixth‑best score among all competitors.
 
Their combined total of 177.08 points secured a final ranking of fifth place, surpassing their previous best Four Continents finish of seventh last year.
 
Also competing for Australia at the Four Continents in the Pairs event was Anastasiia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore, who finished in 11th place in their first major competition of the season. The pair were ranked eighth after the short program with a score of 59.27, but fell to 11th after the free skate with a score of 82.68, giving them a total score of 141.95 points.
 
Harris and Chan along with Golubeva and Giotopoulos Moore will now head to Italy for their Olympic Games debut.

The Australian Cross Country Ski Team has wrapped up its final pre‑Olympic World Cup event of the season, taking to the trails of Goms, Switzerland.
 
Rosie Fordham and Ellen Soehol delivered a standout performance in the women’s team sprint, finishing 17th, marking the pair’s best result in the team sprint event on the World Cup circuit.
 
Australian Results – Goms World Cup
Women’s Team Sprint
• 17th – Rosie Fordham & Ellen Soehol Lie
Men’s Team Sprint
• 24th – Hugo Hinckfuss & Lars Young Vik
Women’s Individual Sprint
• 62nd – Ellen Soehol Lie
• 66th – Maddie Hooker
• 69th – Tuva Bygrave
Men’s Individual Sprint
• 53rd – Hugo Hinckfuss
• 57th – Lars Young Vik
Women’s 20km Mass Start Classic
• 43rd – Rosie Fordham
• 48th – Maddie Hooker
Men’s 20km Mass Start Classic
• 62nd – Hugo Hinckfuss
• 64th – Seve de Campo

Alex Ferlazzo has finished in 23rd place in the final World Cup event before the Olympic Winter Games, competing in the second straight weekend of World Cup racing in Oberhof, Germany.

The three‑time QAS Olympian Alex Ferlazzo secured his place in the main World Cup field with a seventh-place finish in the Nation’s Cup qualifier.

Ferlazzo completed the first run in the World Cup event in a time of 43.142 seconds, putting him in 23rd place, and unfortunately missing out on the top-20 for the second run.

The event was won by German Felix Loch on home ice, securing his 56th World Cup victory

The Luge World Cup tour moved to Oberhof, Germany, for two consecutive weekends of competition leading into next month’s Olympic Winter Games.
 
In the opening World Cup event in Oberhof, three‑time QAS Olympian Alex Ferlazzo delivered one of his strongest Nation’s Cup qualifying performances of the season, securing a spot in the main World Cup field with a fifth‑place finish.
 
Ferlazzo started the World Cup race with a time of 43.087 seconds, ranking 17th after the first run. He improved in the final run, clocking 42.999 seconds, the 15th‑fastest time of the round. His combined two‑run total of 1:26.086 earned him 17th place overall.
 
The event was won by Austria’s Jonas Mueller, who finished 1.537 seconds ahead of Ferlazzo with a combined time of 1:24.549.
 
Luge athletes will remain in Oberhof for the final World Cup event on January 22-24 before the Olympic Winter Games.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has capped off a superb World Cup campaign with a silver medal at the final monobob event of the season in Altenberg, Germany.
 
Walker’s great form has her second  for the third consecutive year in the final World Cup season rankings. Walker heads into next month’s Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina full of confidence after her best season including three victories and a total of five podium finishes from seven World Cup starts.
 
Walker opened her Altenberg campaign with a strong first run, combining a solid push with excellent driving to produce the third‑fastest time of the heat at 59.50 seconds. She backed it up with an impressive performance in the final run, clocking the second‑fastest time of 59.60 seconds.
 
Her combined total of 1:59.10 secured the silver medal, and the 17th World Cup medal of her career.

The USA’s Kaillie Armbruster Humphries claimed victory with a two‑run combined time of 1:58.97, finishing 0.13 seconds ahead of Walker, while Germany’s Laura Nolte placed third in 1:59.16.
 
“I am absolutely stoked to finish on the podium again in the last race of the season, and especially here in Altenberg where I have sure had some interesting races,” said the 33-year-old from Queensland.
 
“To finish second, which then secured my second place overall, I am on top of the world. Very happy to finish the World Cup season like this, and it gives me a lot of confidence and momentum leading towards the Olympic Games in 20 days’ time.
 
“I definitely feel that my driving has gone to a whole new level this year. It’s been such a team effort to get me to this point.
 
“This season I just wanted to build momentum towards the Games, and I think we have done that. It’s been my best season so far, and I am filled with a lot of confidence and excitement heading toward Cortina.”
 
Also competing for Australia was Sarah Blizzard in 20th place.
 
Walker concluded the World Cup series with 1429 points in the overall standings, narrowly missing the Crystal Globe by just 17 points to Nolte, with Germany’s Lisa Buckwitz in third on 1320.
 
Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius did not compete in the two‑woman event in Altenberg, leaving Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson as the sole Australian crew in the final World Cup race of the two-woman season, where they finished in 15th place.

Australian bobsleigh star Bree Walker has created history as the first Australian to win a gold medal on the iconic St Moritz track in Switzerland, with victory in the monobob event.
 
The QAS bobsleigh pilot has now won three World Cup events this season, elevating her to second in the overall standings with just one event remaining before the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
 
The Celerina track in St Moritz is one of the sport’s most iconic venues, as the only  track featuring hand-cut ice and natural refrigeration. Steeped in tradition, it hosted the 1928 and 1948 Olympic Winter Games bobsleigh events.
 
The 33-year-old from Queensland set the tone in the opening run with a fast push and her trademark precision driving, clocking 1:11.98 seconds, the fastest time of the round and 0.14 seconds clear of second place.
 
In the final run, as the last competitor on the track, Walker delivered another flawless performance, stopping the clock at 1:11.29 seconds. Her combined time of 2:23.27 secured victory by a commanding 0.53-second margin, marking the sixth World Cup win of her career.
 
Switzerland’s Melanie Hasler claimed silver with 2:23.80, while Austria’s Katrin Beierl took bronze in 2:23.95.
 
After the race, Walker praised her coach Pierre Lueders for helping her achieve her breakthrough victory at St. Moritz.
 
“Pierre has been teaching me for years, and it’s been a slow process. He loves this track and has had so much success here, so I think I should dedicate this win to him today.”
 
Reflecting on Lueders’ reaction in the coaches’ box, Walker added:
 
“Well that's fantastic, I'm glad Pierre had a lot of fun today, I sure did, and especially to be on the podium with Kati and Mel, that's our dream podium and we had a really good time.”
 
Also competing for Australia was fellow QAS bobsleigh pilot Sarah Blizzard in 20th place.
 
The win moves Walker into second place on the monobob World Cup standings with 1219 points, trailing Laura Nolte of Germany by 27 points on 1246, with Lisa Buckwitz also of Germany in third with 1128 points.
 
Two Woman Bobsleigh World Cup
 
On the final day in St. Moritz, the two-woman World Cup event was contested, with Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius finishing 16th, while Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson placed 20th.
 
The last World Cup events before the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games will be held in Altenberg, Germany, monobob is on January 17 and the two-woman competition is scheduled for the following day on January 18.

IMAGES
Bree Walker in action (top) and leading the podium in St Moritz
© Viesturs Lacis/IBSF

Three-time QAS Olympian Alex Ferlazzo has finished in 16th place at the FIL Luge World Cup event in Winterberg, Germany.

First up in Winterberg for Ferlazzo was the Nation’s Cup qualifier, securing his spot in the World Cup field in seventh place.

In the World Cup, Ferlazzo was in 14th place after the first run in a time of 51.986 seconds. He then had the 16th fastest time in the second and final run in 52.130 seconds.

His two run combined time of 1:44.116 was 1.217 seconds behind event winner Jonas Mueller of Austria.

Ferlazzo will remain in Germany, as the World Cup tour now heads to Oberhof, for two weekends of competition before the Olympic Winter Games.

IMAGE
Alex Ferlazzo in Winterberg
© FIL

The first IBSF World Cup for 2026 was held in Winterberg, Germany, where QAS pilot Bree Walker secured ninth place in the monobob event, while fellow QAS pilot Sarah Blizzard and brakewoman Desi Johnson achieved a personal-best 17th in the two-woman competition
 
In the monobob, Walker opened with the fifth fastest run in a time of 59.22 seconds, and in run two finished in 59.64 seconds which was the 12th fastest of the round, with her two-run time of 1:58.86 ranking her ninth overall. Blizzard finished in 24th place.
 
The victory went to Germany’s Laura Nolte, who finished 0.49 seconds ahead of Walker. Canadian Cynthia Appiah claimed silver, while another German, Lisa Buckwitz, rounded out the podium in third.
 
“In the two-woman event, Blizzard and Johnson opened with the 14th-fastest time in run one at 57.81 seconds, before clocking 57.88 in run two, the 19th-best of the round. Their combined time of 1:55.85 secured 17th place overall—their best World Cup finish of the season so far.
 
Walker and brakewoman Kiara Reddingius were first on track, posting 58.02 in the opening run for 19th place. They improved slightly in run two with 57.38, finishing 19th overall with a combined time of 1:55.85.
 
Germany’s Laura Nolte made it a double victory, leading a clean sweep of the two-woman podium alongside brakewoman Deborah Levi. Teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Kira Lipperheide claimed silver, while Kim Kalicki, partnered with Leonie Fiebig and Talea Prepans, rounded out the podium in third.
 
The next World Cup stop is at St. Moritz on the iconic hand-cut Celerina track, featuring the monobob event on January 11 and the two-woman competition on January 12.

Three-time QAS Luge Olympian Alex Ferlazzo has kicked off the New Year with a solid performance, finishing 15th in the World Cup event in Sigulda, Latvia.
 
Ferlazzo opened his campaign in Sigulda in the Nation’s Cup qualifier, securing his spot in the main World Cup field with an eighth-place finish.
 
In the World Cup competition, Ferlazzo posted a first-run time of 48.440 seconds, ranking 14th for the round. He followed up with 48.381 seconds in the second run, the 18th fastest of the heat. His combined time of 1:36.830 placed him 15th overall.
 
Germany’s Felix Loch claimed the top spot, finishing 1.412 seconds ahead of Ferlazzo, with Austria’s Jonas Mueller in second and fellow German Max Langenhan completing the podium in third.
 
Next weekend a World Cup event will take place in Winterberg, Germany.

Three-time QAS Olympian Alex Ferlazzo has finished in 11th place at the Luge World Cup event on the 1980 Olympic Track in Lake, Placid, USA, his best result of the season.
 
First up in Lake Placid for Ferlazzo was the Nation’s Cup qualifier, booking his spot in the World Cup field in seventh place.
 
In the World Cup, Ferlazzo had the 11th fastest times in both runs, to place him in the same position after two runs. His first run was completed in 51.305 seconds, and second run in a time of 51.364.
 
His two run combined time of 1:42.669 was 0.903 seconds behind event winner Felix Loch of Germany.
 
The next Luge World Cup will take place in the new year on January 2 to 4 in Sigulda, Latvia.

2022 Olympians Tahli Gill (QAS) and Dean Hewitt (VIS) have fallen just sort at the Curling Olympic Qualification Event (OQE) in Kelowna, Canada, to decide the final two places for the Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, finish in third place.
 
The 2025 World Championship bronze medallists opened the OQE in great form winning their opening four matches in Group B against France (5 to 4), Hungary (9 to 6), Spain (9 to 4) and New Zealand (8 to 4).
 
In the fifth game, they narrowly lost to The Netherlands 7 to 6, but rebounded to defeat Denmark (8 to 7) and defeated Chine in what could have been an elimination game for Australia 6 to 5 in a high-pressure win.
 
The win against China gave them top place in the Group B standings with six wins and one loss from seven games, advancing them to the playoffs which featured the top two team in each of the two groups.
 
Australia faced Group A winner the Czech Republic in the first playoff match for the ninth Olympic nation spot, but lost 6 to 5, placing them in the final match of the tournament for the tenth Olympic nation spot against Korea.
 
In the final game, both teams opened with a point in the first two ends.
 
Australia unfortunately did not score in the third end when they had the final hammer throw giving the Koreans a steal of two and the early advantage 3 to 1.
 
In the fourth end, Gill played a draw to the button, nudging out a Korean stone as she did so to score two points and level the game at 3-3.
 
In the fifth end, Korea’s Kim Seon-Yeong made a draw around front guards and scored three points to give her team a decisive 6-3 lead.
 
Australia reduced Korea’s lead to 6-5 with a draw for two in the sixth end, but a draw for one by Korea in the seventh extended their lead to 7-5.
 
Heading into the final end, Australia had no choice but to take risks and unfortunately gave up a steal of 3 points to make the final score 10 to 5, ending their Olympic dream.
 
The Australian duo can hold their heads high with their efforts over the past year and the entire quadrennial, which included becoming Australia’s first ever Curling World Championship medallists.

Tahli and Dean in action in Kelowna
© Chris Hocking