Advertisement

Learn more about Winnipeg Free Press Advertising solutions

Olympics

Carlos Alcaraz poses with his Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award during the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Alcaraz and Sabalenka win Laureus sportsman and sportswoman of the year

The Associated Press 1 minute read Yesterday at 3:10 PM CDT

MADRID (AP) — Tennis players Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were named sportsman and sportswoman of the year at the Laureus awards on Monday while Paris Saint-Germain was the team of the year.

Alcaraz won the French and U.S. Opens last year plus the Australian Open in January. Sabalenka, the top-ranked woman, won her second consecutive U.S. Open last year.

PSG broke through with its first Champions League title in 2025.

Rory McIlroy, who successfully defended the Masters title this month, received the comeback of the year award.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Weather

Apr. 21, 6 PM: 17°c Windy Apr. 22, 12 AM: 11°c Windy

Winnipeg MB

19°C, Partly cloudy with wind

Full Forecast

WADA is challenging India to clean up doping issues

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

WADA is challenging India to clean up doping issues

The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

NEW DELHI (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency reported progress in its fight to clean up India, its worst offender.

India has topped WADA's list of doping lawbreakers for three consecutive years, reporting the highest positive rate among major nations. That's a red flag for the country scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and aiming to host the 2036 Olympics.

“Performance-enhancing drugs and steroids are readily available in India — it is one of the biggest producers. It is a serious problem,” WADA president Witold Bańka said on Thursday at a press conference for its global anti-doping intelligence and investigations network.

“At the same time I have had fruitful conversations with different stakeholders here — from the sports minister, to NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency), and the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to enhance cooperation in cracking down on the doping networks.”

Read
Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

FILE - President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Banka speaks during a press briefing for the upcoming 2025 WADA World Conference on Doping in Sports, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
FILE - President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Banka speaks during a press briefing for the upcoming 2025 WADA World Conference on Doping in Sports, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

Hockey coach who admitted using false COVID-19 vaccine certificate at Olympics is fired

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Hockey coach who admitted using false COVID-19 vaccine certificate at Olympics is fired

The Associated Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

ZURICH (AP) — A Swiss hockey coach who admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he'd been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China's travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics has been fired.

In a statement late Monday, head coach Patrick Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by travelling to Beijing with the Switzerland men’s team using false paperwork.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially supported him, saying the case was closed because he had admitted to his mistake. But that changed Wednesday with news of his dismissal.

"The case is legally closed but has triggered a public debate about values and trust, which the federation takes very seriously,” federation president Urs Kessler said in a statement.

Read
Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

FILE -Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during the group B match between Latvia and Switzerland at the ice hockey world championship in Riga, Latvia, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)
FILE -Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during the group B match between Latvia and Switzerland at the ice hockey world championship in Riga, Latvia, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)

USOPC ‘closely monitoring’ reaction to Wasserman but sidesteps questions about his LA28 leadership

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

USOPC ‘closely monitoring’ reaction to Wasserman but sidesteps questions about his LA28 leadership

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

The chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said the board has shared its concerns about LA Olympic leader Casey Wasserman with that organizing committee's board and that the USOPC is “closely monitoring the impact on our community.”

Wasserman put his talent agency up for sale in February, shortly after the release of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation that included flirtatious emails between Wasserman and Epstein's confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, from more than 20 years ago.

USOPC chair Gene Sykes said the federation's board of directors discussed the issue at its quarterly meeting Wednesday and that “we take the concern seriously.” There has been no move to remove Wasserman from his role in leading the Olympic effort. Decisions about Wasserman's future are up to LA's board, not the USOPC's.

LA organizers said they had no comment about the USOPC meeting.

Read
Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

FILE - Casey Wasserman, chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, speaks at the launch party for Fanatics Studio, a global studio for sports entertainment, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE - Casey Wasserman, chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, speaks at the launch party for Fanatics Studio, a global studio for sports entertainment, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

USA Surfing regains status as national governing body in time for leadup to LA Olympics

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

USA Surfing regains status as national governing body in time for leadup to LA Olympics

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee recognized USA Surfing as the official national governing body for the sport in America on Wednesday, ending a multiyear saga that included the corporation's decertification and an attempt by U.S. Ski and Snowboard to take over.

The USOPC approved USA Surfing's application effective June 1, declaring the federation was financially stable and ready to guide the sport into the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

"USA Surfing's new leadership and new approach has made this moment possible," said USOPC chair Gene Sykes.

According to USA Surfing's own application, it voluntarily agreed to decertify in December 2021 after a USOPC audit made “many negative findings” related to the NGB's finances.

Read
Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

FILE - Caroline Marks, of the United States, surfs during the semifinal round of the surfing competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
FILE - Caroline Marks, of the United States, surfs during the semifinal round of the surfing competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Hockey coach admits using a false COVID-19 vaccine certificate to enter China for Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Hockey coach admits using a false COVID-19 vaccine certificate to enter China for Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

ZURICH (AP) — Swiss ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he'd been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China's travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In a statement late Monday, Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Switzerland men's team using false paperwork.

“I'm very sorry if I've disappointed people with this situation,” Fischer said. “I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn't want to be vaccinated. At the same time I certainly didn't want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.”

Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. SRF said he went public with his admission shortly after.

Read
Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

FILE -Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during the group B match between Latvia and Switzerland at the ice hockey world championship in Riga, Latvia, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)
FILE -Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during the group B match between Latvia and Switzerland at the ice hockey world championship in Riga, Latvia, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)

Craig Reedie, Olympic politics veteran who led WADA during Russian doping scandal, dies at 84

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Apr. 6, 2026

GENEVA (AP) — Craig Reedie, the former World Anti-Doping Agency president whose position on the Russian doping scandal a decade ago brought him into conflict with the IOC where he was a vice president, has died. He was 84.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed his death on Monday without stating the cause.

Reedie played key roles in London’s unexpected win in bidding to host the 2012 Olympics and in getting his own sport badminton on to the Olympic program for the 1992 Barcelona Games.

“Craig was my mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend,” said Sebastian Coe, who worked alongside Reedie in bidding for and organizing the London Summer Games.

War on Iran forces postponement of global sports conference in neighboring Azerbaijan

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

War on Iran forces postponement of global sports conference in neighboring Azerbaijan

The Associated Press 1 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The war on Iran by the United States and Israel has forced the postponement of a global conference of Olympic and international sports officials in neighboring Azerbaijan.

The SportAccord conference was scheduled for May 24–28 in Baku which is about 560 kilometers (350 miles) from Tehran.

“Azerbaijan has proven itself to be a safe and reliable partner to sport’s stakeholders,” the country’s sports minister Farid Gayibov said on Thursday in a statement by Lausanne-based organizers of SportAccord, which pledged to announce new dates in Baku “in due course.”

The annual conference has traditionally been a forum for cities to lobby and campaign for Olympics and sports event hosting, but has been held just once since 2019.

Read
Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

In this photo provided by Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Service, Azebaijan's President Ilham Aliyev writes a message in a condolence book for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Iranian Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Service, Azebaijan's President Ilham Aliyev writes a message in a condolence book for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Iranian Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Service via AP)

Olympic champion Caster Semenya disappointed with Kirsty Coventry after IOC’s transgender decision

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Olympic champion Caster Semenya disappointed with Kirsty Coventry after IOC’s transgender decision

The Associated Press 3 minute read Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

CAPE TOWN (AP) — Two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya on Sunday expressed her disappointment with IOC President Kirsty Coventry over the decision to ban transgender women athletes from competing in women's events at the Olympics.

Semenya, who is South African, said she expected more from a woman leader like Coventry, who is from Zimbabwe and a fellow African.

“Personally, for her as a leader, she’s an African, I’m sure she understands how, you know, we as Africans, we are coming from, as a global South, you know, you cannot control genetics,” Semenya said at a press conference after a women’s race promoted to celebrate female strength, unity and community support in Cape Town. “For me personally, for her being a woman coming from Africa, knowing how, you know, African women or women in the global South are affected by that.”

Semenya spoke three days after the International Olympic Committee excluded transgender women athletes from competing in women's events at the Olympics or any IOC event. The decision published in a 10-page policy document Thursday also restricts female athletes such as Semenya with medical conditions known as differences in sex development, or DSD.

Read
Sunday, Mar. 29, 2026

FILE - South Africa athlete Caster Semenya, center, answers reporters with lawyers Gregory Nott, left, and Shona Jolly KC after Semenya won a partial victory at the European Court of Human Rights on in her seven-year legal fight against track and field's sex eligibility rules, Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz, File)
FILE - South Africa athlete Caster Semenya, center, answers reporters with lawyers Gregory Nott, left, and Shona Jolly KC after Semenya won a partial victory at the European Court of Human Rights on in her seven-year legal fight against track and field's sex eligibility rules, Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz, File)

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, banned from Olympics, speaks at United Nations

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, banned from Olympics, speaks at United Nations

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Vladyslav Heraskevych was shunned by the Olympics, then invited to the United Nations.

He never expected that would happen.

The Ukrainian skeleton athlete was not allowed to compete at the Milan Cortina Games because of his plan to wear a helmet paying tribute to some of those killed following Russia's invasion of his country. He spoke on a panel at the U.N. on Thursday detailing why he still believes he made the right decision.

“I think it’s important that we use this stage and talk about important things," Heraskevych said at the opening ceremony of Change the World Model United Nations, an educational simulation for thousands of students. “Sometimes it feels like, in all these hours of training, we really forgot about the overall mission of sports. It is not only about the medals, but it’s also about values that we represent.”

Read
Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

FILE - Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych holds his crash helmet as he stands outside an improvised memorial to fallen soldiers killed in the war at Independence square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)
FILE - Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych holds his crash helmet as he stands outside an improvised memorial to fallen soldiers killed in the war at Independence square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)

Transgender women athletes banned from female Olympic events by new IOC policy

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Transgender women athletes banned from female Olympic events by new IOC policy

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press 6 minute read Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

GENEVA (AP) — Transgender women athletes are now excluded from women's events at the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy on Thursday which aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females,” the International Olympic Committee said, to be determined by a mandatory gene test once in an athlete's career.

It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level. No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, though weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without winning a medal.

The eligibility policy that will apply from the L.A. Olympics in July 2028 “protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category,” the IOC said.

Read
Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026

FILE - IOC President Kirsty Coventry speaks during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Yves Herman/Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - IOC President Kirsty Coventry speaks during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Yves Herman/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Canada’s Winter Games results draw attention to sport commission report

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canada’s Winter Games results draw attention to sport commission report

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2026

How athletes competing on the world stage are funded was just one piece of an omnibus report on the state of Canadian sport, but a key one given the country's performance at the recent Winter Games.

Of the 98 calls to action in the Future of Sport in Canada Commission's final report issued Tuesday, increased core funding for national sport organizations was an urgent one.

"The sport system is facing a funding crisis, which contributes to the safe sport crisis," said Lise Maisonneuve, a former chief justice of the Ontario court of justice, who headed the commission.

"We need to increase the investment in sport to match our expectations of what the sport system ought to be. We therefore call on the Government of Canada to urgently increase core funding to national sport organizations and to regularly review and adjust funding levels.

Read
Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2026

Canada's Amy Fraser competes during the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Canada's Amy Fraser competes during the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Five things about the Future of Sport in Canada Commission

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Five things about the Future of Sport in Canada Commission

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026

What is the Future of Sport in Canada Commission?

Announced in December, 2023 by former federal sports minister Carla Qualtrough, the commission was among various federal government remedies in response to a wave of maltreatment and abuse reports, both current and historical, that surfaced after the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Qualtrough was under pressure to hold a public inquiry, which she said would take too long.

What did the commission do?

The commission headed by Lise Maisonneuve, a former Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, conducted cross-country consultations, gathered data from a public survey, held a two-part summit in Ottawa and issued an interim report and a final report.

Read
Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026

Justice Lise Maisonneuve, who will lead the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, participates in a news conference with Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Justice Lise Maisonneuve, who will lead the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, participates in a news conference with Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canadian sport system ‘underfunded and unsafe,’ commission urges Ottawa to step up

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canadian sport system ‘underfunded and unsafe,’ commission urges Ottawa to step up

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2026

Canadian sport needs an overhaul, and it starts with the federal government.

That was the conclusion of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission's final report released Tuesday.

The Canadian sport system is broken, fragmented and unsustainable, said Lise Maisonneuve, a former chief justice of the Ontario court of justice, who headed the commission.

The report issued 98 calls to action for phased-in change over five years, but starting immediately.

Read
Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2026

Justice Lise Maisonneuve, who will lead the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, participates in a news conference with Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Justice Lise Maisonneuve, who will lead the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, participates in a news conference with Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

LA28 unveils a bold, superbloom-inspired look for the Los Angeles Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

LA28 unveils a bold, superbloom-inspired look for the Los Angeles Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has announced its official look, and it's a blast of bold colors.

The graphic patterns and color palettes will be used to identify everything from credentials to staff uniforms to signage to competition venues and the athletes village.

The concept announced Monday is based on a California superbloom, a phenomenon that occurs every 10-15 years in the spring and results in a vibrant explosion of wildflowers across hills, valleys and deserts.

The LA28 design team studied past Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the 1984 Los Angeles Games, to inspire the look.

Read
Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

FILE - The Olympic cauldron is lit at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of the launch for ticket registration to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, Jan. 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
FILE - The Olympic cauldron is lit at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of the launch for ticket registration to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, Jan. 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Federal government announces safe sport funding

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Federal government announces safe sport funding

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

OTTAWA - The federal government is giving $5 million to Sport Integrity Canada to continue administering the Canadian Safe Sport Program in 2026-27.

Sport Integrity Canada, formerly the Canadian Centre For Ethics in Sport, has taken over the handling of complaints and reports of abuse and maltreatment in sport from the defunct Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC).

SIC announced Thursday an expansion of the public registry of people sanctioned or provisionally sanctioned in the sport system.

Canada's Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden announced the funding Friday ahead of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission releasing its final report Tuesday.

Read
Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

Secretary of State of Sport Adam van Koeverden rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Secretary of State of Sport Adam van Koeverden rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

LOAD MORE