Tomorrow marks two weeks until the start of the Winter Olympics. 

Today’s two-minute section gives you a preview of what to expect when it all kicks off. 

If there’s anything you’d like us to explain in the lead-up, let us know by replying to this email!

8 
The number of Australians who have been knocked out in the second round of the AO so far. Priscilla Hon, Jordan Thompson, Talia Gibson, Storm Hunter, and Ajla Tomljanović all lost their second-round matches yesterday. Earlier today, Dane Sweeny, Rinky Hijikata, and Taylah Preston were also eliminated. Maddison Inglis is playing for a spot in the third round right now, while James Duckworth will take on two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner tonight.

“Growing up, there weren't positive portrayals of gay relationships in basketball or media as a whole. It was more that it was going to be a sad, lonely life. That definitely weighed on me pretty heavily."
Former NBL player AJ Ogilvy in a sit-down interview with fellow basketball player Isaac Humphries ahead of the NBL’s Pride Round this weekend. The NBL is Australia’s top professional men’s basketball league. The interview is the first time that Ogilvy has publicly spoken about his sexuality. Humphries, who came out as gay in 2022 and plays for the Adelaide 36ers, said: "We've got a player who plays every weekend, who is openly gay and an ex-player now, who's openly gay and married, who's prepared to talk about this life and these situations. That visibility and acceptance are really important, and it continues to move our great league forward."

Australian Winter Olympian Phil Bellingham has competed in three Olympic Games as a cross-country skier. At the upcoming games in Milano-Cortina, he is set to become just the second Australian ever to compete in two different Winter Olympic sports when he competes in ski mountaineering. The first was Jenny Owens, who raced in alpine skiing in 2002 before switching to ski cross in 2010 and 2014.

🏏 The Hobart Hurricanes have kept their Big Bash title defence alive after beating the Melbourne Stars by three runs in a rain-affected elimination final. Hobart made 114 from 10 overs, with Australian Test all-rounder Beau Webster top-scoring, before rain changed the Stars’ target. The Stars needed five off the last ball but could only manage one. The Hurricanes now play the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Friday for a spot in the final against the Perth Scorchers.

🎾 Alex de Minaur has fought his way into the third round of the Australian Open, shaking off a fierce challenge from Serbian power-hitter Hamad Medjedovic on Rod Laver Arena. The world No.6 lost the opening set before his fitness and consistency took over in a four set victory (6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1) that lasted just over three hours. De Minaur now moves on to face American 29th seed Frances Tiafoe in the third round on Friday. 

🏀 Isobel Borlase has delivered a career night in the WNBL, scoring 42 points to lead the Bendigo Spirit to a 98-88 win over the Southside Melbourne Flyers. The 20-year-old Paris Olympian shot 12 of 18 from the field, including six three-pointers, as Bendigo moved into second on the ladder. Meanwhile, in the NBL, Melbourne United beat the Brisbane Bullets 98-66 and the SE Melbourne Phoenix defeated the NZ Breakers 123-116. 

🏎️ Mercedes has confirmed France’s Doriane Pin will step up as a development driver for its F1 Team in 2026. The 22-year-old’s promotion comes after she won the 2025 F1 Academy title, having claimed eight podiums and four wins. As a development driver, Pin will work across simulator and trackside programmes, attend selected Grand Prix, and support the team’s 2026 F1 Academy driver. F1 Academy is Formula One’s all-female single-seater racing championship. 

⚽ Chelsea, who feature Matildas stars Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter, have reached a seventh straight Women’s League Cup final after edging Manchester City 1-0. The narrow win sets up a final against Manchester United. Kerr has continued her return to form following a long injury layoff, scoring twice in last week’s FA Cup quarter-final. The Women’s League Cup and the FA Cup are separate domestic women’s football competitions in England and are played alongside the Women’s Super League season.

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Manchester City players will reimburse fans who travelled to Norway following a shock 3-1 Champions League loss to Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt.

Here is what to know after this week’s Champions League results. 

City were stunned as Bodø/Glimt claimed their first-ever Champions League win, powered by a Kasper Høgh double and a brilliant solo goal from Jens Petter Hauge.

Team captains Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, Rodri, and Erling Haaland agreed to cover the ticket costs for the 374 supporters who made the long trip north of the Arctic circle. 

The club said the gesture was a recognition of the sacrifice made by travelling fans, with players describing it as “the least we can do”.

Elsewhere on Matchday 7, Spanish giant Barcelona came from behind to beat Czech club Slavia Praha 4-2, while English club Liverpool cruised past France’s Marseille 3-0. German club Bayern München won 2-0 against Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise despite finishing with 10 men, Newcastle United defeated the Netherlands’ PSV 3-0, and Italian powerhouse Juventus continued their strong form with a 2-0 win over Spain’s Benfica.

With one league-phase round remaining, Bayern and England’s Arsenal have already secured direct qualification to the round of 16. Thirteen clubs are guaranteed at least a knockout play-off spot while four (Frankfurt, Kairat Almaty, Slavia Praha, Villarreal) are out of contention. The final positions will be decided on Matchday 8 which begins on 29 January. 

Meanwhile, the knockout phase of the Women’s Champions League will begin on 11 February. 

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With just two weeks to go until the Winter Olympics, attention is turning to Italy for what shapes as one of the most distinctive Games in recent memory.

From the introduction of a new sport to a strong Australian contingent, here is what you need to know before competition gets underway.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged across northern Italy, centred on Milan and the alpine resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. 

Unlike recent Games held largely in one region, events will be spread across multiple locations, including Livigno, Bormio, and Anterselva. The Closing Ceremony will be held in Verona.

The Opening Ceremony takes place on 6 February, with competition running for 16 days until 22 February. Some events, including ice hockey, curling and snowboard big air, will begin before the ceremony. These will be the fourth Olympic Games hosted by Italy and the 35th Winter Olympics overall.

Around 2,900 athletes will compete across 16 sports at Milano Cortina. These include alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding, bobsleigh, luge, skeleton, speed skating, short-track skating, figure skating, ice hockey, curling and Nordic combined.

Ski mountaineering will make its Olympic debut. The sport features men’s and women’s sprint events and a mixed relay, combining uphill climbing and downhill racing. It is the first new sport added to the Winter Olympics since snowboarding in 1998.

Several new events have also been introduced, including women’s doubles luge, women’s large hill ski jumping, mixed team skeleton, dual moguls in freestyle skiing, team combined alpine skiing and a men’s super team ski jumping event. Overall, these will be the most gender-balanced Winter Games in history, with women making up 47% of competitors.

So far, six Australian athletes have been selected, with the final team expected to number around 50. Selection remains ongoing, with qualification events continuing up to the Games.

Australia enters the Olympics off a strong World Cup season. Moguls skier Jakara Anthony recently claimed her 26th career World Cup win. Snowboarders Scotty James and Adam Lambert have also won World Cup gold this season. Other Australian World Cup winners include Laura Peel and Danielle Scott in freestyle skiing, Bree Walker in bobsleigh, Indra Brown in freeski halfpipe and Valentino Guseli in snowboard halfpipe.

Former Olympic champion Alisa Camplin is Australia’s Chef de Mission. Australia’s best Winter Olympic result came at Vancouver 2010, where the team won three medals.

Winter Olympic success is usually dominated by nations with strong snow sport systems. Norway is the most successful nation in Winter Olympic history, with 405 medals, including 148 gold. The United States and Germany rank next on the all-time medal table.