UK Sport: We invest £32m in winter sports because Britain cares deeply Sport Business Milan Cortina and the British public’s appetite for melon grabs and curling showed why UK Sport invested £32.5m in winter sports in this Olympic cycle, says CEO Sally Munday. Watching years of dedication come together in a single run at Milan Cortina earlier this month was extraordinary. Matt Weston’s performance en route to Team GB’s [...]
Olympics should lead way in AI and lighten impossible load on its judges Sport Business If any sporting body has the means to fund investment in AI judging it’s the International Olympic Committee, writes Ed Warner. I’ve no idea whether Zoe Atkin’s “amplitude” deserved to bag silver rather than bronze in the freeski halfpipe on Sunday. All I know is she didn’t wipe out on all three of her three [...]
Pro Climbing League leans into urban boom ahead of sold-out London launch Sport Business When the first batch of tickets for the London launch event of the Pro Climbing League went on sale last month they sold out in five minutes. Not quite Oasis or Taylor Swift levels of devotion, but for a minority sport with little history as a spectator event, impressive nonetheless. On Saturday night at Magazine [...]
Deloitte big winner at Winter Olympics as sponsor sees engagement surge February 24, 2026 Big Four accounting firm Deloitte was one of the best performing sponsors at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics based on online engagement. The London-headquartered giant was joined by TCL Technology and Omega SA as the best engaged firms, according to UK engagement. According to research from adtech firm Quantcast, Deloitte enjoyed a 15 per cent [...]
LA 2028 Olympics sponsors ‘not asking about’ Wasserman position, says CEO February 24, 2026 The CEO of the LA 2028 Olympics insists sponsors have not raised any concerns about Casey Wasserman remaining as chair despite his appearance in the Epstein files. Wasserman has already initiated proceedings to sell his eponymous global agency after historic emails between himself and Jeffrey Epstein associate and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell were among [...]
Ukraine invasion anniversary prompts fresh Russia Paralympics ban calls February 24, 2026 Calls for the ban on Russian Paralympians to be reinstated have heightened as the invasion of Ukraine marks its fourth anniversary. The Winter Paralympics is set to begin next week, days after today’s conflict anniversary, with the International Paralympic Committee admitting 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes despite Western outcry. Officials representing host country Italy have [...]
Britain must launch no-brainer 2038 Winter Olympics bid February 22, 2026 What strikes you when attending the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is not just the spectacle, but the structure. Multiple cities. Regional clusters. Existing venues reused. An iconic cultural backdrop. These were Games shaped as much by pragmatism and fiscal discipline as prestige. The spread-out model may have muted the traditional host-city buzz, but Milano Cortina [...]
I went to the Winter Olympics but I found Milan shrugging its shoulders February 19, 2026 Milan is parading its beauty at the Winter Olympics. The sun is out, the centuries-old streets are majestic and pristine. Prada, Gucci and Ralph Lauren logos plaster every corner, and there is no shortage of Michelin Guide restaurants. It’s no surprise that London has been haemorrhaging non-doms and wealthy investors to this glorious metropolis. But [...]
IOC looks tin-eared at best, cruel at worst over Ukraine helmet saga February 19, 2026 The reputations of the IOC and its president Kirsty Coventry have suffered badly from its handling of the Ukraine helmet row at the Winter Olympics, says Ed Warner. Are you not entertained? The Winter Olympics have delivered stories ranging from the titillating (penile injections, condom shortages and a narcissistic declaration of infidelity) to the enraging [...]
Russians at Paralympics opens door for LA28 Olympics return, expert warns February 18, 2026 Allowing Russian athletes to compete in the Paralympics under their national flag opens up the same opportunities at the next Olympic Games, according to geopolitical experts. Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be able to compete under their native flags at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Milan after the International Paralympic Committee lifted its [...]