Grassmarket

Phew, Men will play.for Gold, Women will play.for Bronze. Vital to keep World Rankings high at this stage in the Olympic cycle. Women have been.a bit.inconsistent but looks like they are finding a balance.

Tense men's semi but 10 8 after 11. made a 3 in the 10th!

Wow, incredible result against https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/basketball/articles/c2e7ynke18vo

Skeleton Tour moves on to Yanqing this weekend. Asian Cup races tomorrow, then the World Cup on Saturday, and then possibly more Asian Cup next weekend before everyone moves over to Altenberg for the start of the full Skeleton / Bobsleigh tour again.

So v for Women's Gold v for Bronze

Where to Watch guide. Discovery plus in most of Europe https://www.ucitrackchampionsleague.com/watch-the-races

First important meet of the Winter this weekend - the Liverpool Cross Country Challenge including the trials for the European CC Champs in Ankara next month. Timetable here https://www.entryhub.co.uk/british-athletics-cross-challenge-liverpool-2024 It's all on YouTube

Start list and results here. https://www.skiforbundet.no/arrangement/2024-2025/beitosprinten2024/start_og_resultatlister/

Round 1 of the Track Champions League from on Saturday. Just to remind you, this is the Diamond League of cycling, 5 Rounds between now & Christmas, individual competitions for invited men & women, 2 Sprint & 2 endurance races per meet. https://www.ucitrackchampionsleague.com/

British Sports Journalist Awards. Man of the Year goes to Alex Yee, Woman of the Year to Keely Hodgkinson. Alex Yee and Keely Hodgkinson among SJA British Sports Awards 2024 winners - Sports Journalists' Association

Alistair Brownlee, double Olympic Triathlon gold medallist. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c4g7y7ly266o

Will look out for start lists etc nearer the time.

And the races from Bruksvallarna Identical programme, but in Sweden I think the Women get top billing. Friday - Classic Sprint Saturday - 10Km Classic Time Trial Sunday - 10km Freestyle Time Trial Here's the link, but it looks like it needs more than just your basic VPN. Längdskidor: Bruksvallarna | SVT Play How to connect from abroad. Använd SVT Play utomlands | SVT Kontakt

Big weekend of pre-Season/team selection races coming up, just like last week for biathlon. first - from Beitostolen. Friday - Classic Sprint Saturday - 10Km Classic Time Trial - featuring the return of la Johaug. Sunday - 10km Freestyle Time Trial Think this will be your best link outside Norway for Cross Country Langrenn - NRK TV Also featuring ski jumping and Nordic Combined for both women & men

On the Ski Classics Tour they are doing that every weekend for about three months!

MId-1962. Almost all the Jews were driven out in a few days, even though they had been living there since Classical, pre-Muslim times. Perhaps our friend could give us details of of any current Algerian plans to welcome them back, restore their property, guarantee their safety etc etc?

Or better, perhaps he'd like to tell us what happened to the 140,000 Jews who were living in Algeria in 1960, as against the 200 who live there now?

Handy guide for the perplexed.

Things you must never do. Come between a mother bear and her cubs Go swimming with sharks Insult an Italian woman's pasta. Legendary Italian grandmothers are accused of faking their 'homemade' pasta and selling 'delicacies' from a packet - sparking a BRAWL on street | Daily Mail Online

And a second Ice Dance Gold of the season for Fear & Gibson in the Finnish Grand Prix. They are going to be getting the big treatment from the BBC going into 2026, that's for sure.

Silver & bronze again for Wyatt & Weston so good points.

Which one?

Commentator's curse.......

Unlike yesterday's huge dollop of luck for Amelia Coltman, a big dominating win for Freya Tarbit!

It is like in cycling after the year 2000. All of a sudden WE were the DDR!