Grassmarket

Was on the Euro Cup last year, but it’s still impressive.

Should mention that Skeleton has gone to a more luge-like race format with a very big first round then a 25-sled second run, so the small nations get a chance at air time

Wow, out of absolutely nowhere we get a world-class female skeleton slider! Tabitha Stoeckler, a former circus trapeze artist* takes gold in La Plagne! * Not the first trapeze artist to represent GB. Billy Morgan, bronze in Snowboard Big Air in 2018 had been one. Pole Vaulter Stacey Dragila was also a circus acrobat.

Wow, so impressed! Usually finds fast starters & tries to teach them to drive, but she’s a natural!

Think we have a rare Every Single Winter Sport weekend starting tomorrow morning Figure Skating Speed Skating Short Track Skeleton Luge Bobsleigh Alpine Nordic x 3 Freeski x 3 Snowboard x 2 (only sb cross missing?) Biathlon World Cup, IBU Cup & Russian Cup Not only that, but the European Athletics Cross Country from on Sunday. Don’t see any Curling.

The six Nominees for BBC World Personality Simone Biles - Gymnastics Aitana Bonmati - Women’s Football Novak Djokovic - Tennis Erling Haaland - Men’s Football Siya Kolisi - Rugby Max Verstappen - Formula I

Leading up to the BBC Awards. The Young (U-18) Personality. Mia Brookes - Snowboarding Penny Healey - Archery Charlie MacIntyre - Wheelchair Basketball https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67542498

European Cross Countries in Brussels on Sunday. Lots of medals on offer with individual & team medals at 2 Sexes, 3 Age Group Levels & a mixed relay. Team. Senior Women Niamh Bridson Hubbard, Abbie Donnelly, Izzy Fry, Amelia Quirk, Poppy Tank, Jessica Warner-Judd Senior Men Callum Elson, Calum Johnson, Zak Mahamed, Alfie Manthorpe, Angus McMillan, Hugo Milner Senior Mixed Relay Adam Fogg, Joshua Lay, Khahisa Mhlanga, Bethan Morley U23 Women Megan Keith, Olivia Mason, Lynn McKenna, Alexandra Millard, Eloise Walker, Tia Wilson U23 Men Will Barnicoat, Matt Stonier, James Kingston, Rory Leonard, Henry McLuckie, Tomer Tarragano U20 Women Jess Bailey, Innes Fitzgerald, Zoe Hunter, Moli Lyons, Katie Pye, Lizzie Wellsted U20 Men Henry Dover, Sam Hodgson, Andrew McGill, Rowan Miell-Ingram, Sam Mills, Louis Small

You are going to relaunch the Hanseatic League & seize control of global gingerbread & marzipan production?

And yet they have the only team event in all Winter sport that is a match for the Athletics 4x100m.

Just a bump for this as Luge becomes the last major winter sport to get its season underway. We are off in Lake Placid with singles , doubles & sprint. Live racing on Friday & Saturday, then on the plane to Whistler next week. https://www.youtube.com/@FILLuge_Channel/streams

So it turns out the best way to save the planet is to cut down all the trees. The deforestation of parts of the central German Reinhardwald forest has begun as the woodland, famously featured in the Grimms’ fairy tales, is to be cut down to make way for wind turbines. The forest, which contains trees that are up to 200 years old, is now being cleared for highway-wide construction roads to facilitate the erection of 18 wind turbines around Sababurg Sleeping Beauty Castle. https://rmx.news/environment/greens-commence-deforestation-of-germanys-enchanted-forest-to-make-way-for-wind-turbines/

Hang on, if Hamas wants a ceasefire now, perhaps they should have kept the one they had last week.

League Football in reaching Scottish levels of excitement! A football team in Turkmenistan has made a stunning debut in the country's top league, winning the national championship in its first season. But Arkadag is no ordinary club. It was set up by authoritarian ex-leader Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov* and claims most of the national team in its ranks. NB That is Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow, not to be confused with any other lesser Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, of course.

Had forgotten this thread, but we have been piling up the medals already this season. Snowboard Big Air - Bronze for Mia Brookes in Chur Ice Dance - Fear & Gibson won Gold in the NHK Trophy in Japan Men’s Curling - European Gold for Bruce Mouatt. Freeski Big Air - Silver for Kirsty Muir in Beijing. Team Snowboard Cross - Gold for Nightingale & Bankes in Les Deux Alpes. And top fives for Dave Ryding. Mia Brookes & Andrew Musgrave.

Yay! At 20:11, am now officially Caught Up with all Wintersports action.

The story that the frozen planes were heading to Dubai for the Global Warming* Conference is officially rated Too Good To Be False. https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/private-jets-headed-global-warming-conference-literally-frozen-runway *Or whatever they are calling it now.

Some jaw-dropping moves from Charlotte Bankes to take the Team Gold today. Also very foggy, which always favours us!

There’s one bit of good news though. We have seen our last ever cancellation at Cervinia - the town has changed its name back to Le Breuil. https://www.euronews.com/2023/12/02/row-flares-up-over-mussolini-era-name-of-the-world-famous-italian-ski-resort-of-cervinia

Plenty in Hawaii! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12816955/hawaii-big-island-snow-mauna-kea-mauna-loa.html

Just a week into the main winter sports season & I’m already five days behind. Up to season ten of the Doctor Who Ultra Iron Man though.

Must be ‘s first win in a loooooong time.

Hadn’t noticed this last week but Laura Deas is expecting the rattling of tiny runners in the spring, so will miss this season. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/67458319

Father but mother . I’m guessing he does more training in his father’s country though. Unlucky draw for Niskanen today, first of the seeded group.

Some really bizarre mistakes from both teams though!