Winter Sports News

Despite his promise to be out and proud at the Sochi Olympics this February, openly gay New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup failed to qualify for the games.

From front to back, the United States' Steven Holcomb, Curtis Tomasevicz, Steven Langton and Christopher Fogt climb in to their sled during 4 man bobsled competition at the bobsledding World Cup event Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in Park City, Utah.

Well, I really have no idea what's coming in the third period. Playing defensively tends to invite pressure, but the rewards are great when you get it right.

Swiss racer Carlo Janko returns to Beaver Creek, where he won three races in once weekend in 1999.

Brad Jacobs talks to his dad as his sister Lindsey, his mom Cindy and his wife Shawna look on after his team defeated John Morris 7-4 in the men\'s final at the 2013 Roar of the Rings Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Winnipeg, Sunday, December 8, 2013.

She also had this to say after coming within a second of winner Lara Gut of Switzerland on Sunday: "I'm ready for Sochi."

Gut finished in 1 minute, 22.86 seconds to edge Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein, while Anna Fenninger of Austria was third in 1:23.19.

She led a 1-2 finish for the United States, capturing her third win in four races in the event.

Defending overall champion Martin Fourcade of France took the men's biathlon World Cup pursuit Sunday for his third win of the Olympic season, while Synnoeve Solemdal of Norway defended her win from last year.

Japan's figure skating star Mao Asada vowed Sunday to continue attempting the risky triple axel as her ultimate weapon to strike Olympic gold, despite failing to land it cleanly in competition this season.

The cross country skier from Oyne, Aberdeenshire, is the top-ranked female sprinter in the UK and, after missing out on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she is determined to be on the plane to Russia with the rest of Team GB two months from now.

Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, reacts in the finish area following her run following her run in the second women's World Cup downhill skiing race at Lake Louise, Alberta, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013.

No U.S. women's bobsled team had ever swept the podium in a World Cup race - until Saturday, when the Americans dominated like never before.

Skip Kevin Martin, left, and skip John Morris check on ice conditions during draw 14 at the Roar of the Rings Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Winnipeg, December 6, 2013.

Japanese skater Mao Asada won the Grand Prix Final on Saturday despite failing to land two triple axels early in her free program.

World number one Sara Takanashi helped Japan to victory in the mixed teams ski jumping event at Lillehammer on Friday.

South Korean figure skating star Kim Yu-Na returned from injury on Friday to kick off her Olympic season by taking the lead after the short programme at the Golden Spin in Zagreb.

Predators captain Shea Weber says he feels lucky to be skating again a week after taking a puck to the face that left him unable to see much at all until the next morning.

Hoefl-Riesch, the 2011 overall World Cup champion and a double gold medalist at the 2010 Olympics, finished the course in 1 minute, 56.03 seconds for her first victory of the season.

Accompanied by second-placed Patrick Chan of Canada and third-placed Nobunari Oda of Japan, Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan shows his gold medal to photographers during the awarding ceremony for men's singles of the ISU figure skating Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, western Japan, on December 6, 2013.