The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are set to kick off with an opening ceremony scheduled for Feb. 4. The world’s top athletes will descend upon the Olympic Village for the two-week competition, all in pursuit of a spot on the podium.

The Games’ skiing and snowboarding events in particular will feature some of the most exciting rivalries, compelling figures and heated contests.

Here are 10 snowboarders and skiers to keep an eye on during the Beijing Winter Olympics:

1. Chloe Kim

Chloe Kim is one of Team USA’s biggest stars as the heavy favorite to take home gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe. Beijing will mark Kim’s second consecutive Olympics after she clinched gold in 2018 at the PyeongChang Games at just 17 years old. Now 21, Kim is dominating the competition heading into February’s Winter Olympics, winning every event she has entered since 2021. In Beijing, look out for Kim to throw down a run featuring two 1080s with her signature big air.

2. Mikaela Shiffrin

Returning for her third Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin is looking to become the most decorated American alpine skier in Olympic history. The Colorado native currently holds three medals to her name, taking home gold in the slalom in Sochi 2014 and gold in the giant slalom and silver in the alpine combined in PyeongChang. Shiffrin has been racking up World Cup titles in the run-up to Beijing, solidifying herself as a favorite in the slalom and giant slalom and a challenger in every other downhill event. At just 26 years old, Shiffrin is expected to dominate the Winter Olympics’ podium once again as she competes in five events.

3. Petra Vlhová

Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová is one of Shiffrin’s greatest rivals in the slalom and giant slalom, locking up the World Cup season title heading into the Winter Games. Already considered the greatest skier out of Slovakia, Vlhová hopes to add an Olympic medal to her growing resume. If anyone is going to spoil Shiffrin’s gold-medal run in Beijing, it may just be the 26-year-old Vlhová.

4. Eileen Gu

Team China’s Eileen Gu is flying high as one of the host country’s star athletes. The California-born free skier has competed for China since 2019, winning gold in the halfpipe and slopestyle events at the 2021 World Championships. At 18 years old, Gu will make her Olympic debut in Beijing, competing in halfpipe, big air and slopestyle. A force on the slopes and an iconic cultural figure in China, Gu is set to make a splash at the Winter Games and potentially emerge as an international superstar.

5. Sara Takanashi

Sara Takanashi is back for her third Winter Games, looking for gold after capturing bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. The Japanese ski jumper has shattered almost every record in her sport, collecting 61 World Cup victories, the most ever by a skier. The 25-year-old has also earned a spot on the podium in a staggering 110 of her 167 World Cup appearances. Now all that’s left for Takanashi to accomplish is an Olympic gold, which has eluded the star up to this point.

6. Charlotte Bankes

Charlotte Bankes is an Olympic veteran, competing in Sochi and PyeongChang, but Beijing will mark the snowboarder’s first Games representing Great Britain. The 26-year-old competed for France after moving to the country as a toddler before switching her affiliation to Great Britain in 2018. As the 2021 World Snowboard Cross Champion, Bankes is expected to make a run for gold in the event at Beijing.

7. Lara Gut-Behrami

Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami is in top form ahead of Beijing, challenging Shiffrin, and the rest of the field, throughout the World Cup season. The 30-year-old is no stranger to Olympic competition, capturing gold in downhill during the 2014 Games. Winning gold in the super-g and giant slalom at the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Gut-Behrami is one to watch, specifically in her most successful discipline, the super-G.

8. Ester Ledecká

Ester Ledecká enters Beijing hoping to top a remarkable and historic PyeongChang Olympic Games. In 2018, the Czech athlete shocked the world when she captured gold in snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom and alpine skiing’s super-G, becoming the first woman Winter Olympian to win in two different sports in the same Games. The 26-year-old will compete in both disciplines in Beijing as a heavy favorite in snowboarding and a fierce challenger in alpine skiing.

9. Sofia Goggia

Sofia Goggia arrives in Beijing as the reigning Olympic downhill champion, ready to defend her title. The Italian skier won seven World Cup downhill races before crashing during a Jan. 15 competition, the longest streak in women’s skiing in 40 years. In Beijing, Goggia is expected to be a force in downhill and the super-G as well as the other alpine disciplines.

10. Lindsey Jacobellis

After a series of narrow defeats in her previous four Olympic Games, Lindsey Jacobellis will be looking for redemption in Beijing. The American snowboardcross athlete nearly clinched gold at the 2006 Torino Olympics, throwing a celebratory method grab just before the race’s finish line, which caused her to fall and allowed her competitor to win the event. Jacobellis left Torino with silver, her best Olympic result, falling off the podium in the following three Games. In Beijing, Jacobellis will hope to secure the elusive gold medal in her fifth Olympic appearance.

The Soccer Tournament (TST) is coming back to Cary in 2026, as the North Carolina-based 7v7 competition dropped the dates for its fourth iteration earlier this week.

After its 2023 inaugural tournament, which included a mix of men's, women's, and co-ed teams, TST will re-up its 16-team women's competition — expanded in 2025 from eight teams in 2024 —alongside its men's edition this summer, running both contests from May 27th through June 1st.

Additionally, TST will again be anteing up a $1 million winners check to entice soccer's top players to take the pitch in Cary.

The seven-figure prize again has the reigning two-time champion US Women coming back, with USWNT alum and incoming National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Heather O'Reilly announcing in November that the team will return to defend their title in 2026.

"Many of my former teammates with the USWNT will be making appearances, so we can't wait to see you in the summertime," promised O'Reilly at the TST x Cary Kickoff Party before adding a joking "we're not f—ing leaving."

As small-side events grow in popularity, North Carolina has doubled down on keeping TST at WakeMed Soccer Park, the home of the NWSL's Courage.

In October, the state awarded TST a $6.6 million grant to remain in Cary through 2029, anticipating an economic impact from the competition in the eight figures.

How to buy tickets for TST in 2026

The ticket pre-sale for TST 2026 will open at 9 AM ET on Tuesday, February 24th, with added exclusive benefits to fans who join TST's ticket waitlist.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson is gearing up again, with Sole Retriever revealing on Tuesday that the senior guard plans to drop a new Puma player exclusive sneaker next month.

The 22-year-old will take over the Puma All-Pro Nitro 2, pairing a tan and brown camouflage pattern with bright pink and green accents.

Adorned with a custom logo representing Johnson's No. 4 jersey — a four-finger hand image in green — the Tigers standout will see her exclusive logo on both the tongue and bottom sole of the All-Pro Nitro 2.

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A major player in Puma's NIL program since 2022, Johnson debuted her first player exclusive colorway in 2024, but this new design will be the NIL star's first PE available on the consumer market.

"They were very intrigued not only [about] basketball, but my music side, too," Johnson told Andscape after signing with the sportswear giant. "That was really important to me, because some people try to box you in. Puma was like, 'Ain't no box. Ain't no cage.'"

How to purchase the Puma All-Pro Nitro 2 Flau'jae Johnson PE sneaker

Retailing at $140, Johnson's Puma All-Pro Nitro 2 PE sneakers will hit both online and brick-and-mortar shelves on February 6th.

Orlando has landed a new front office leader, as the Pride announced on Tuesday that they've hired former Kansas City Current GM Caitlin Carducci as the Florida NWSL club's new VP of soccer operations and GM.

"Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience across every level of women's soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters set her apart," said Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf in the team's Tuesday statement. "She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep expertise, strong reputation, and a vision that aligns with our culture."

Carducci, whose resume also boasts roles developing the women's game at both the NWSL's headquarters and for US Soccer, stepped away from the Current after two seasons, departing after Kansas City's historic 2025 Shield-winning run.

She replaces outgoing VP of soccer operations and sporting director Haley Carter, who left the Pride in November prior to becoming the new president of soccer operations for the Washington Spirit.

Rather than instigating significant changes, Carducci plans to bolster the recent accomplishments of the 2024 Shield and championship-winning Orlando Pride with a goal of creating ongoing success for the club.

"The chance to work with the Wilf family, whose leadership and investment reflect their commitment to a world‑class organization, along with a championship‑level roster and technical staff, made this an easy decision," said Carducci. "I'm eager to begin this next chapter, strengthen the inclusive and ambitious culture that defines this club, and help push the Pride toward new heights."

Professional softball put down roots coast-to-coast on Tuesday, when the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) unveiled the home cities and stadiums for each of the expanded league's teams for the 2026 season — and beyond.

After adopting a touring model for its four-team inaugural 2025 campaign, AUSL's move into home markets coincides with the league's expansion, as the now-six-team second-year league welcomed the Cascade and Spark in November.

With Tuesday's announcement, the previously independent Spark will continue to play in Oklahoma City at Oklahoma Christian University's Tom Heath Field, with fellow expansion side Cascade making its home at Hillsboro Ballpark, in Portland, Oregon.

Meanwhile, the four original teams will re-debut as the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts, and Utah Talons.

The Blaze will play their home games at Duke University's Smith Family Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, while the Bandits' permanent home will be at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois — a longtime hub for pro softball.

The Volts will play at Dell Diamond, the home of Minor League Baseball's Round Rock Express, the Triple-A team for MLB's Texas Rangers.

Lastly, the University of Utah will house the Talons, with the reigning AUSL champions taking over the Utes' Dumke Family Stadium in Salt Lake City beginning this year.

"This is about creating lasting connections between our athletes, our teams, and the communities they represent, and setting up the sport of softball for long-term success at the professional level," said AUSL commissioner Kim Ng in Tuesday's announcement.

All six teams will kick off their 2026 season on June 9th, when games will be played across multiple cities simultaneously for the first time in AUSL history.

How to purchase 2026 AUSL season tickets

Softball fans can now score 2026 season tickets for their AUSL home teams online.