Winter Olympics: Russian skaters left out in the cold

Speeding down a steep slope, snowboarder Zhang Xu skids gracefully to a halt in a shower of snow -- one of a new generation of winter sports fans in China learning in brand new skiing facilities.

Amateur skiers train and get a taste of the sport at the Chongli ski resort in Zhangjiakou, where China will hold the 2022 winter Olympics.

The captivating traditional wrestling championship in Niger is an annual event. The west African nation's "king sport" is about much more than just a good fight.

Beijing holds speed skating test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics at the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the Ice Ribbon. Medallists are given awards in a contact-free manner where they pick up their prizes from the podium as part of the Covid-19 prevention measures.

He may not be headed to Tokyo this summer, but French B-Boy Mounir is gearing up for the 2024 Paris Games, where breakdancing will make its debut. It's a welcome announcement, one that will "put the spotlight on the sport to open it to a wider audience" and "make it easier to get grants". "I think it's a great thing for breakdancing," Mounir explains. But for him, breakdancing is much more than just a sport. "It's become such an integral part of our culture... it's a lifestyle."

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a "diplomatic boycott" of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics because of China's human rights violations.

Chinese and foreign figure skaters train ahead of the 2021 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, which will be held in Beijing this week as a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics. All journalists and Winter Olympics staff are required to wear masks inside the stadium as Covid-19 prevention measures.

Allyson Felix says she is proud of fellow sports stars speaking out on mental health issues, although more has to be done to support athletes including those with young children. Felix was speaking shortly before being confirmed as Sportswoman of the Year at the Annual Salute to Women awards in New York. Tennis player Naomi Osaka, who spoke about her mental health problems earlier this year, was given the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. Felix, 35, is now the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time at the Olympics, and no American has won more than her 11 medals, which included a gold and a bronze in Tokyo.

Tens of thousands of people in northern China have been placed under strict lockdown as officials seek to keep a lid on a growing COVID outbreak ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday (November 5) it has postponed the Afghanistan test in Hobart scheduled for Nov. 27 until the situation regarding the women's game in the South Asian nation becomes clearer. CA had said in September it would scrap the test if the Taliban government, which took power in August, did not allow women and girls to play the sport.

An official Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic venue held a test ice hockey match on Monday (November 8), with the Games just months away. The match, which was held without spectators and featured local teams Beijing Arcfox and Beijing Shougang, comes amid uncertainty over the participation status of China's men's national hockey team in next year's Games. China is guaranteed a spot in the ice hockey tournament due to its status as host nation, but International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Luc Tardif said in September that the men's team could be prevented from playing due to its "insufficient sporting standard".

IOC senior member Dick Pound told German radio that China would allow athletes to speak freely during news conferences. He said politics does not factor into decision-making on events.